Did you hear? A New Found Glory - It's All About the Girls

I write this entry in anticipation of the New Found Glory/ Saves the Day/ Hellogoodbye/ Fireworks show on March 5. The two best bands on the bill (NFG, STD) have put out a lot of records.  Of course I like the new records, but what really gets me going is the old stuff. Remember Lisa's Birthday Tape?

NFG hit their stride early.  Nothing Gold Can Stay (1999) and New Found Glory (2000) are my two favorite records of theirs, and I'm very fond of Sticks and Stones (2002) too.  You gotta remember, I started loving NFG back when I listened to only music of that ilk.  NFG was the best at the style.  Palm-muting, breakdowns, high-pitched vocals, lyrics about girls, Hurley t-shirts, and Drive-Thru Records.

I'm offering the It's All About the Girls e.p. to you because it's important to see how great bands start.  It's a raw and immature record, but there are endearing things about it too. Apparently, samples were big back then, and there are samples galore for just 18 minutes worth of content.  The lead guitar part in "My Solution" is a bunch of fun, and I'd argue that "Standstill" is an awesome song.  They want so bad for it to be heavy, and they get an A for effort.  

Never forget that <2 years later, NFG released Nothing Gold Can Stay. Shows what practice can do.      

Get it here! 

Do you like to party?

Did you hear? Division - Who Died? A Working Title

Sinister Label played a crucial role in my early development from passive music appreciator into music lover/ snob/ consumer.  I had their sticker on my 7-subject binder back in high school.  They put out records by hewhocorrupts, Spitalfield, Tom Sawyer, and the band I'll be talking about today- Division.

Division is best-known for their debut LP, Who Died? A Working Title.  This is because it's a wildly catchy record with harmonies only brothers could make (didn't brothers make the harmonies? I can't remember, guys).  You've had the Beach Boys of Chicagoland punk rock right under your noses and you didn't know it.  Fix that.

By the way, this record has absolutely no fat.  All ten tracks are great.  Notice how the lyricists haven't ruined everything with bad metaphors and hyperbole.  Lyrical simplicity: usually a good thing. 

Get it here!

I was at this show!  By the way, this record was pressed on wax and some of my friends own copies.  Sell them to me now!

Cinco!

Did you hear? Shipwreck - Origin

 

Champaign, to me, is not a good town for music. I'm free to speak on the subject because I lived there for four years. It's where good touring bands (Asobi Seksu, Spitalfield) play to 10-15 people while bad bands (moe., Sufjan Stevens, of montreal) play to sold-out crowds. Better get a female keyboardist/ vocalist!

The first set I saw in Champaign was by Shipwreck, and they turned out to be way better than 99% of the other acts coming from the area. Look at the cover of Origin. Big buildings shrouded by fog photographed from a low angle. That's pretty much what it's like to walk around town during the school year. Why do so many bands from C-U make sunshiny, folky crap? I dunno, man! As a reaction to Braid?

'Sub-aquatic astro-pop' is how Shipwreck was described on their poster, and it kind of makes sense. On Origin, you'll hear a lot of effects pedals and cool guitar, and the effect it will have on you is that you'll feel like you're both underwater and in outer space. They have two singers, and they know all about making each part of the song sound unique in relation to the other parts. 

If you dig the National, Interpol, and Deerhunter you will want to have this record.

Get it here!

Read my story!

I'll be back soon with a real post about real music.  In the meantime, head over to the Fiction 500 blog to read my story, "The Cleaning Lady."  It's about records and paranoia and Polish people and materialism and all sorts of other good stuff.  Short too: < 500 words.  While you're there, subscribe, comment, and maybe even submit some of your own work.  Read John's stuff too!
 

Did you hear? Saves the Day - Lisa's Birthday Tape

When I first got into Saves the Day, finding Lisa's Birthday Tape was difficult.  I probably tracked it down on Soulseek or through their old message board.  Now that the internet is more powerful, I can offer it to you so that you can listen to it and love it like I do.  There is a backstory to this tape that I've long since forgotten, and so I'll only comment on the music.  On this tape, we have Chris Conley performing five lo-fi acoustic tracks.  You'll like them if you like I'm Sorry I'm Leaving.  If you don't like I'm Sorry I'm Leaving, you're worthless.  Seriously, these could be some of the only songs from the Through Being Cool era you haven't heard.  Get on it.

Get it here!