1 – Can- One More Night
Can is a krautrock band that boasts a diverse and extremely talented group of musicians. With musical styles stretching between funky grooves, improvised jams and avant-garde experimentation, Can keeps you guessing and grooving with each record.
2 – California X- Sucker
California X’s debut self-titled album came out back in January without too much buzz. It’s another revival of the 90’s slacker-rock sound with heavy distortion and riffing, so of course I loved it immediately. Playing like Dinosaur Jr. with the energy of the Japandroids, California X is a fun record for lovers of guitar rock and I would highly recommend giving it a listen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G7W_ocM6Ko
3 – Parquet Courts- Stoned and Starving
I discovered Parquet Courts at the Pitchfork Music festival and was hooked immediately. They wear their influences on their sleeves, which doesn’t bother me much when their biggest influence is obviously Pavement. Come for the ultra catchy guitar riffs and stay for the surprisingly good lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_X6FaHq9jQ
4 – The Clean- Anything Could Happen
I was searching for something new to listen to one night and I came across this song and loved it right away. This song hits a high note and holds it for the entire song, hammering the same chord progression and vocal melody with only some guitar noodling for diversity. But it hits hard with a jangly bliss that is hard to deny.
5 – Yo La Tengo- Sudden Organ
After seeing Yo La Tengo at Pitchfork, I went back to listen to the records that I had skipped over and I’m glad I did. Painful is Yo La Tengo’s shoegaze record, which is a style that fits them like a glove. No matter how loud and out of hand the music gets, Ira Kaplan keeps the whole sound in check with his quiet, reserved vocals.
6 – Sonic Youth- The Sprawl
I always thought that I should like Sonic Youth more than I did, but after a few listens to Daydream Nation I could never get into it. But recently I returned to it and the whole album just clicked. The riffs in this album are just too good to ignore. The dark, razor sharp guitars juxtapose nicely with the dreamy melodies for an unsettling but overall pleasant experience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKZ-n-0_eLk
7 – Ovlov- The Well
I don’t know much about newcomer Ovlov, but their new album am is a throwback to noisy 90’s indie rock. They have great riffs, great energy and tons of distortion and feedback. I’m looking forward to what else this band has in store.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqzocft0BkM
8 – Ween- The Stallion Pt.3
Ween is very easy to dismiss as a novelty band, but to do so would be a huge mistake. Sure, most of their songs are jokes and spoofs on other styles, but they do it so well it’s impossible to fault them. It’s hard to tell the difference between a good Ween song and a bad Ween song, and some stick better than others but everybody has their favorites. This one is mine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yc71idSics
9 – Fauve- Still Breathing
Fauve is a local band from Urbana that is heavily influenced by a wide spectrum of genres, including post-rock, blues and metal. They have a huge sound, owing in part to the string section but also due to the excellent composition of each song. Any fan of the immense crescendos that is often related to post-rock will feel right at home listening to this EP. They also have a show at the Union on September 14th if you’re interested.
