“Building a Better ______” by Park
For some unknown reason, Park has managed to evade becoming one of the most renowned bands of the 21st century. Hopefully their latest release, “Building A Better _____”, will change that. This is quite possibly the best sounding, most well produced album I’ve ever heard, and the best part is that it captures the feeling of their flawless live performances. If you’re looking for catchy hooks, honest lyrics full of vivid imagery, unprecedented depth and pure musical integrity, this record will not disappoint you.
Check out some songs for yourself at Park’s Myspace page.
RIYL : Gatsby’s American Dream
FEAR BEFORE THE MARCH OF FLAMES “THE ALWAYS OPEN MOUTH” CD
Over the past few years, we have become good friends with Fear Before. We worked with them on releasing the vinyl version of Art Damage, they played our 10th anniversary Suburban Home anniversary, and we have on many occasions gotten food together. I take credit for introducing them to Vietnamese food. In the time since knowing the guys, a lot has happened. They have undergone a handful of lineup changes, most notably losing Brandon Proff so that he could focus on his studies. They added some new members and in some ways, are a completely new band. “The Always Open Mouth” is easily Fear Before’s most accomplished recording. Everything from experimental guitar tracks to actual singing and I am not talking about the singing/screaming thing that screamo has bastardized. The chances Fear Before took actually work and I commend them for doing so. This is already my favorite Fear Before release and I really hope this catapults them into a new level. The record captures some of the elements that made the Refused “Shape of Punk to Come” the classic record it has become and I only hope that each and everyone of you take a few minutes to listen to a few songs. Check out some tunes on their myspace page, you will be glad you did:
Fear Before Myspace page
Album Leaf “Into the Blue Again” CD
Jimmy LaValle’s varied experience includes stints with Tristeza, The Locust, GoGoGo Airheart, The Blackheart Procession, and Sigur Ros. “Into The Blue Again” sees LaValle handling the bulk of the vocal and instrumental duties. After tracking, he took the concentric billows of feathered keyboards, filmy strings, and chiseled drums to Iceland for three weeks of mixing to tape to maintain Brian Eno-informed translucence. Having shared so much time and space with others on the road, LaValle proves, with this personally charged release, that The Album Leaf resonates most profoundly when he goes it alone. Here is an mp3:
Mp3 : Always For You
We just signed Dead Format up for a Feedburner feed. We will be integrating it into our site, but we mention this because you can now subscribe to the feed in Itunes as well as whatever Blog Aggregator you use (we prefer Bloglines).
When subscribing in Itunes, you will automatically get every new mp3 we post in our news automatically downloaded to your Itunes Library. That way you can preview any new songs we post. You can do this by opening Itunes, Using the Advanced pull down, selecting “Subscribe to Podcast” and then pasting our feed address, http://feeds.feedburner.com/DeadFormat, into the field.
VARIOUS ARTISTS “Hair: Chicago Punk Cuts” CD
Do you remember when compilation CDs were sought after? Maybe you don’t, but I do. I devoured any new compilation I could find as I would always hear a new band I hadn’t yet heard and get stoked about picking up some new music. Those days for the most part are gone, but lucky for us, Thick Records are still making an effort to showcase and highlight new, exciting artists. Thick has close ties to their hometown scene of Chicago, Illinois and have always done an incredible job of documenting the musical landscape. “Hair” follows other compilations they have put out that are reasonably priced, full of unreleased songs, and showcasing a diverse musical scene. Artists include Much the Same, Allister, The Killing Tree, The Bomb, Split Habit, Ryan’s Hope, Collosal, and much more.
YO LA TENGO “I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass” CD
What could quite possibly be the greatest album name ever imagined, Yo La Tengo are back with their 5 millionth album. This bold, eclectic, 80-minute album is the pinnacle of the band’s twenty-year career. From eleven-minute guitar jams to gorgeous ballads to winsome horn-drenched pop songs, this album is all over the map, in a very good way. Features the talents of longtime Nashville producer Roger Moutenot, violinist Dave Mansfield of Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review, and the jacket artistry of Gary Panter (Raw, Jimbo). Here are a couple of mp3s to check out:
Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind
Beanbag Chair
CAT POWER “the Greatest” Slipcase Edition CD
This reissue version comes in one of three beautiful slip covers which we have named Guitar, Lite Background, and Hands. The retail price is much lower, too! This is not a greatest hits album, despite the title. It contains all-original songs written by Chan Marshall (professionally known as Cat Power), and features the great Memphis session musicians Teenie Hodges on guitar, Leroy Hodges on bass (Al Green, Hi Rhythm Section), drummer Steve Potts, and more. The combination of Marshall’s superbly evocative and flexible voice plus some of the greatest Southern soul players, has produced a masterpiece. These songs explore themes of Southern loss, longing, and marginality.
I really like this album a lot, but my favorite Cat Power album has to be “You are Free”.
Subhumans “New Dark Age Parade” CD
Crust punx rejoice! A brand new Subhumans album! It has been ages since the Subhumans have released new material. New Dark Age Parade feature 14 songs and will arrive on September 12th via the G7 in Canada and Alternative Tentacles elsewhere. This release marks the first time since 1982 that Brian Goble, Mike Graham and Gerry Hannah have written together as the Subhumans. They’re joined on the record by drummer Jon Card, who’s been a member of SNFU and D.O.A. (info courtesy of Punknews)
Check out an mp3 for “World At War“
Veruca Salt IV CD
I am not sure where I was when II and III were released, but I am excited to see indie label Sympathy for the Record Industry release the latest Veruca Salt album. Best known for their Buzz Bin song and video, Seether, the band has suffered through line-up changes and hiatuses over the past decade. My promo copy is sitting next to my laptop bag and I plan to give it a good solid spin on my road home (the only place I have a fully functioning cd player). For those of you curious how their new album sounds, here is an mp3:
“So Weird”
