Essential MP3 - Braid - A Dozen Roses

A great song from Braid's (not Braids) third album Frame and Canvas. A Dozen Roses is the song. Been feeling alot of this post-hardcore lately. Long summerish nights... i can't imagine what eternal sun or dark must be like. Glad I don't live that far up north.

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Picture - Painting from the Past

Picture - Gary Oak

Essential New Mix - Bonobo Solid Steel Mix 2012

Bonobo has returned to the realm of Solid Steel to provide a seamless blissful sonic experience. His first Solid Steel mix (which I am ironically listening to right now, and i was searching the internet for this older tracklist and this popped up) was that of legendary status. Great drums, worldy samples, again excelent beats and something that got right in your psyche. Similar to early Blockhead .Thank you universe you have provided again. Another great mix from Ninja on the the wheels of steel, Bonobo. Always nothing but the best from that world.

2 Essential KIss Covers / Replacements Black DIamond / Red House Painters Shock Me

Double blast from the past covering songs that were blasts from the past! I know that sounds stupid but I think it makes sense!

First up we have Mark Kozelek fronting his suave and cute little 90's slocore band Red House Painters. What I love with this cover is it really showcases Kozelek's knack for covering a song but doing it in a way thats complelely unlike the original. Its like he goes beyond the typical cover. Remember he did a whole album of Modest Mouse covers that sound nothing like Modest Mouse


Red House Painters Shock Me MP3

This little gem was taked from the legendary 1984 release of Let It Be. One of my favorite records ever. They cover this song in hardcore vein, which on the album, is perfect for general progression of the songs and is a great offsetting song to 'unsatisfied' or 'answering machine'.

The Replacements Black Diamond MP3


Well there are two great and different covers of Kiss songs! The first tape I ever bought was a Kiss tape (Destroyer to be exact) and while I still love that album I could do without some of the other ones. I don't think I've purposely listened to Kiss for a decade now.

Essential 7" - Moss Icon - Mahpiua Luta

Filled with emotion and fervor, Mahpiua Luta is a great example of what makes Moss Icon still an influential band today. I think the term post-hardcore really fits this record well. Tony Vances poetic rambles are paired perfectly with the music. You can really see marriage of the two. It takes time for bands to find their sound, and some of the best music we end up with in the end are those who take those artistic and stylistic stabs in the dark.  I heard Moss Icon are doing a reunion show at a hardcore/metal fest in Austin this summer. Fuck I wish I could go. Wow.

Moss Icon Mahpiua Luta 7" Download

Essential Music - Blouse

Portland's Blouse has been a band making ripples on the West Coast lately. The 80's tinged nostalgic analog feel that gives their music such a signature was first a series of records releases that, save for a b-sde and one 7 inch, then made its way to a beautiful full legnth self titled release last year. The music has such a warm old feeling it makes my psyche think I heard some of these songs on the radio 20 years ago as a child. Obviously this is not true however the music is something to be said for itself. Its like a hot tub time machine.

Picture - Red Leaves

Essential Unreleased Album - Neil Young - Chrome Dreams

Originally bootlegged off an authentic acetate of Neil Youngs, Chrome Dreams still today baffles me in the 30 plus years of this existance they never tried to release it. Because its exceptional, its got that late 70's Neil Young sound and still to this date tracks that never saw an official release.  Ripped from FLAC so you know its the highest quality.


Neil Young - Chrome Dreams

Essential New MP3 - El-P - The Full Retard

Ok I'm sure lots of you have heard this new El-P track, but for those who haven't its a great one. El-P, one of the leaders of renegade rap crew The Weathermen and owner of the now de-funct Def Jux label (which provided a decade of great hip hop) has been on top in the underground and since his last release 'I'll Sleep When You're Dead' relatively quiet. Maybe it has to do with his label sinking . I thought he made alot of money on that shit I wonder how it went under. Maybe they'll make a documentary.

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