Sasha:
I never understood how Built to Spill managed to dodge mainstream success. Sure they’re indie rock legends, but how have conventional radio listeners not latched on to their catchy brilliance? Their songs always find a way of jumping into my head and keeping me company all day.

MP3: Built to Spill- Car
Appropriately, Car is one of those songs I love driving to. It doesn’t matter whether it’s day or night (who can listen to Nick Drake in the daylight?) summer or winter (NRBQ is only summer driving music for me) this song fits perfectly into almost any mood I’m in behind the wheel. The song’s slow downhearted opening makes the culmination around minute 2:10 all the more satisfying. By the forth time Doug Martsch wails “I wanna see movies of my dreams” I’m usually singing along at top volume formulating angry letters to Spielburg in my head. Favorite line: “If I don’t die or worse I’m gonna need a nap.”

MP3: Built to Spill- Car (early recording)
Bonus, early recording from “The Normal Years”

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silverunity:

Definitely one of the bands I listen to most when I’m skating. Over the summer I broke my finger while listening to them, and while I was in extreme pain, I still couldn’t help but smile to the awesomeness of D4. If I was a kindergarten teacher, Dillinger Four would definitely get a gold sticker star since they claim to be “putting the F back in art”. Take one look at their song titles:

-Who Didn’t Kill Bambi
-The Father, Son, and the Homosexual
-A Floater Left With Pleasure In The Executive
Washroom
-Farts are Jazz To Assholes

and it’s pretty plain to see, Dillinger Four is one of the funniest bands in punk today. However, under all of the humor, their lyrics do have a message, often criticizing the hypocrisy of “scenes” (“I’d like to sneer in the camera for your revolution, but I just can’t afford the fucking costume”), to the hypocrisy of about everything else. Their songs are fun, catchy, and definitely will bring a smile (or at least a menacing smirk) to your face.

MP3: Dillinger Four – O.K F.M D.O.A
MP3: Dillinger Four – Last Communion

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silverunity:

First off let me note: The Bouncing Souls have been my favorite band for nearly 8 years now, and anytime I post something about them, it will usually be by a per-song basis.
I firmly believe that music is the greatest form of artistic expression. If a picture is worth 1000 words, a song is worth 10,000. The song “For All The Unheard” by the Bouncing Souls really emphasizes this for me. All of us have written a song, whether it was to help us get through a tough time or even if it’s just humming a little melody while taking a shower. “For All The Unheard” is an anthem for each one of these songs we keep to ourself. I can keep talking on and on, but you might as well save me a few thousand words and just listen for yourself.

MP3: Bouncing Souls – For All The Unheard

Buy it:
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Straight from band

Sasha:

Kind of Like Spitting was an indie-rock band from Portland, Oregon. Formed in 1996, the band unfortunately broke up last October. Propelled forth by singer Ben Barnett’s signature whiny vocals, the group played acoustic rock songs. I’d call them “anti-folk” but god I hate that label.

MP3: Kind of Like Spitting: Share the Road
At 1:16 minutes this song whizzes by like the bikers that fly past me on campus. As I drag my pedestrian self from class to class I tell myself that at the age of 21 it’s really time to learn how to ride a bike and I tell myself the same thing when I listen to this song. In the lyrics Barnett races through his problems while out riding his bike. Favorite line: “I put my hands against the tree line, I know it’s read but it still feels fake.”

Bonus Bad Religion cover!
MP3: Kind of Like Spitting- You

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silverunity:
I found this interesting.
It’s a guide for musicians on what to really expect if you’re trying to break into the music industry. It was written by dance pop band Beatnik Turtle, and it’s a pretty interesting read even if you’re not in a band or couldn’t care less about the music industry. Enjoy.

Sasha:

The Parlour Boys are a dance-pop band from Lexington Kentucky. Not surprisingly I first heard about them from the wonderful You Ain’t No Picasso, a fellow Lexington Resident. What I really love about this band is the energy they bring to every song. They’re currently in the last stages of signing a record contract and may be recording a full length album as soon as April (I’m keeping my fingers crossed.)

MP3: Parlour Boys- Sick Friends

I’m one of those people that have the annoying habit of trying to figure out what songs “mean.” Sick friends is hard to figure out, for one thing they switch the genders of the pronouns during the song. The lyrics are hard to decipher in general, I don’t know what “sick friends and better halves, tempt our tongues were left for dead” means let me know if you do. In any case my bewilderment hasn’t hindered my enjoyment of the song at all, in fact it’s my favorite of the three. Check out especially the awesome “Wha-oh” chorus around 2:50.

I saw the Parlour Boys a few months ago at the CMJ and it was the best show I witnessed all week. If any of you are lucky enough to live around Kentucky (never though I’d write that) definitely check out one of their upcoming shows:
Mar 1 – Little Brother’s w/ Bling Kong Columbus, Ohio
Mar 2- The Dame w/ Bling Kong Lexington, Kentucky
Mar 3- The Grog Shop w/ Bling Kong Cleveland, Ohio
Mar 10- Sunset Bar Cleveland, Tennessee
Mar 17- Alchemize (18+) Cincinnati, Ohio
Mar 29- V-Club Huntington, West Virginia
Mar 30- Uncle Pleasant’s Louisville, Kentucky
Apr 7- Annual Beaux Arts Ball w/ The Juan Maclean Lexington, Kentucky
May 12- The Dame w/ Tommie Sunshine + VHS or Beta Dee Jays Lexington, Kentucky

Buy Parlour Boys:
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Emusic

Sasha:

David and the Citizens are an indie-pop band from Malmö, Sweden. I don’t like Swedish Fish and I assumed this band would be kind of gummy and gross too. But no! They’re as catchy and non-gummy as any band this side of the Atlantic. Not only that, but check out the cool album art (take a lesson Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.) Unfortunately word on the street (lastfm) is that just this month, right before a major tour and their first US appearances everyone but Fridlund (the lead singer) quit the band! Is it true? Will he soldier on alone? I have no idea but I’ll keep my ear to the ground for updates.

David and the Citizens- Graycoated Morning
Fridlund sounds so excitable and agitated I worry he won’t make it through till the end of the song. He always does, probably because there’s a great horn part backing him up and who could walk away from that? Well apparently the rest of the band…

Buy David and the Citizens:
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Aquarian Beauty:

silverunity:

I remember the first time I listened to Slapstick nearly 6 years ago. I bought a compilation CD on my way home from the mall for three dollars (I just wanted something new to listen to for the drive), and popped it into my CD player. Within about 12 seconds into the first track (it was Slapstick’s “There’s A Metal Head In The Parking Lot”), I was completely in love. What I was listening to had the energy, attitude, and sheer awesomeness of Less Than Jake’s “Pezcore” (one of the best albums ever made in my opinion).

If you’ve never heard of Slapstick it’s probably because they broke up nearly eleven years ago. Let me ask you this: have you ever heard of The Lawrence Arms, Alkaline Trio, The Broadways or Tuesday? All of the members who started these bands originally were in Slapstick.

The vocals are snotty, lyrics are witty, and the horns blare in every one of their songs. If you love Less Than Jake’s old stuff and have never heard Slapstick, definitely pick up their Discography (the only album still in print and has almost all of their songs on it). The recording quality isn’t amazing, but it doesn’t detract from the energy one bit. Since we’re never going to get another Pezcore from Less Than Jake, this is definitely the next best thing.

MP3: Slapstick – There’s A Metal Head In The Parking Lot
MP3: Slapstick – Johnny

Buy Straight From Asian Man Records

Sasha:
The Groovie Ghoulies show no love to the East Coast (it seems like they’re always touring California or Europe) but I still love them. The band, which includes Kepi, his wife Roach and their current drummer Scampi, write punk-pop songs about science fiction and movie monsters. In fact, if you’re a fan of science fiction and movie monsters you should do yourself a favor and check out their very DIY music video for Running with Bigfoot and while you’re at it check out Don’t Go Out in the Rain (I love how they all wear their own Groovie Ghoulies merch in this one)

MP3: The Groovie Ghoulies- The Beast with Five Hands
I Love this song because I love fun. This song is Fun with a captial F, the kind of fun that makes you want to clap along. The lyrics, which list the advantages of having a girlfriend with five hands, sound like something me and the other housewives would come up with when we’re low on sleep. Me and SilverUnity have wondered whether this song ended up as track 5 to their album Monster Club on purpose. Knowing the Groovie Ghoulie’s love of cornball humor I think it did.

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