post brought to you by: dyson

It’s simple enough. I heard the intro to the track “Puzzle Pieces” from the group Saint Motel (audio warning on click) and wondered where the hell it was gonna go. It was like a person on a road trip cross country waiting to see which adventurous path they were going to go down. Lucky for me, they chose the right path.

A drum roll builds to kick us into some of the most fun yet thought out and legit sounding track I had hoped for. It twists and turns through out but always stays at that same level of awesomeness I hoped it would. Each section accompanies the next perfectly.

Now just to get my hands on more of their music…

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

When I first heard about Beady Eye I was like, great, it’s Oasis without the talented brother. But after a few listens to the record, that initial reaction went away.

I’ve always been much more fond of Liam’s voice, but he kinda seemed like a dick. So the nice guy in me gravitated towards the Noel camp. But let’s face it, I’m not marrying the group or even trying to be friends with them. They’re here to provide me with entertainment and music to make my ears happy.

Different Gear, Still Speeding gives me that. The songs aren’t groundbreaking but it’s definitely a record I throw on and get that nostalgic feeling when music was, well, a bit “simpler”.

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

Can I just start out by saying how much I love this photo? It turns me on in an awkward way. He’s a good looking dude but it mainly has to do with the dog and gear around him. Sexy…

Blogger recommendations are ones I take the most seriously because once we develop a relationship and friendship, they tend to know what I’m going to dig or not. Kyle from Music Savage told me about Vandervelde a while back. I took his recommendation, listened, and dug what I heard.

So here we are with a brand new track from him titled “More Than You Can Feel”. What can I say. It’s fucking awesome.

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

I really don’t think The Booze are in the right era for music. But for myself and many others, they sure as fuck are. What the hell does that mean? It means these guys are stripping it down, rootsing it out, and writing songs with thought out chord progressions that work. They’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, just grease it up a little bit.

With their album At Maximum Volume being released this month, the guys have a new video for the kick ass track “Kick Me Where It Hurts”.

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

As I write the title of this post I wonder if the name of the group and record were intentionally meant to come out as a full sentence. Could this mean a series of new records (or songs) from the group that all play out as a full sentences? Cause that’d be pretty cool and some smart thinking on their behalf. Or maybe I’m just easily amused…

When I mention they, I really should be focusing on Peter Verdell from the amazing group Act As If. Verdell released his first EP in 2006, quit his job, toured with friend Andrew Ripp, and then pulled a great group together to add to his songs. Might I add he wrote and produced There’s a Light all on his own?

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

I love when this happens. Find a band, start digging them, and then realize they have 3 prior albums you can go back to listen to. Apparently all different sounding/feeling from each other as well.

Canadian group The Trews are set to release their 4th record Hope & Ruin tomorrow on April 12th. They’ll be doing this pretty cool thing where if you buy the record from their site, you’ll get a free pass to a select few shows they’ll be playing. Only kicker is that they’re all in Canada…

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

While walking into a Jamaica Plain venue called Milky Way one night, I heard this incredible musician covering what I remember to be “Sunken Treasure” by Wilco. (or maybe “Misunderstood”…) Needless to say, I was fucking floored and think Tweedy himself would have been in awe of how well Nick Murphy from The Acre covered it. It was near perfection yet he made it his own in the most perfectly subtle ways.

Come to find out, this is a guy I’ve drunkenly shared many amazing shows in Boston with. Clearly I drink too much… But knowing he’s in this band The Acre, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on their new record Cerca Trova.

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

The Naked And Famous have done a great job of creating something of a fun, party, solitary album. Big, bold production mixed with catchy ass hooks that will keep your speakers full (as long as you have nice ones).

Passive Me, Aggressive You pops it’s way into my rotation whenever I feel like lifting a Sparklehorse or Elliott Smith mood and giving me something to hit me in the chest with. At 13 songs it seems like quite a journey, but zone out and just enjoy the sounds. Always twisting an turning into something interesting.

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

I’ve been listening to the new record Temporary Resident from the group Imaginary Cities for a couple of days now. And all I can say is that I’m devastated I missed them at SXSW. Hoping they decide to make it to the east coast sometime soon.

Based out of Winnipeg Canada, I am once again humbled by our musical neighbors to the north. Marti Sarbit has one of the most unique voices I’ve heard in a great while and Rusty Matyas hardly slacks with his duties in the group.

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

Thank you iPhone for being the camera that is always with me.

I normally try to keep things pretty low key here on the site and hook you up with something you may have never heard before. For some, Kurt Vile is old news. For others, I may be opening your listening world into something you would have never experienced. Who knows where this will fall.

All I know is that Kurt Vile released his latest LP Smoke Ring For My Halo recently (date is questionable even though I’ve had the vinyl since last tuesday) and hot damn is it amazing. It’s one of the few things Pitchfork and I have completely agreed on. And since I grabbed it at his in-store at Newbury Comics, it’s been hard to keep out of the rotation on the turntable.

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

I think my love affair with Here We Go Magic might have started with a video of them playing a tune and rocking the Stylophone. It’s as simple as that. Oh, and their music kinda kicks ass. That helps out quite a bit.

But luckily we’ve gotten word that they’ll be releasing a new EP titled The January EP set to be released on Secretly Canadian this May. (damn that’s a long ways to wait)

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

I’ve been a huge fan of The Longwalls for some time now. And I couldn’t be happier to see they’re rapidly making some noise on the Boston (and hopefully country-wide) music scene. Deservedly so.

With their 3rd release Careers in Science, the guys have found a very clean groove. Not just musically, call it more of a clean groove in an old vinyl. The vinyl was always there and enjoyable, but now someone has taken the time to pull out the discwasher and give that vinyl the full experience.

And might I add, their last release Dark Academy sounds like the bees knees on white vinyl.

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

I couldn’t be luckier to be a music blogger. There is SO MUCH music in the world and sometimes things just fall into your lap and throw you for a loop. Best part? I probably would have never heard this music unless I had this damn blog.

And even better for you, because you get to hear it as well!

Sacred Animals come to us from across the pond (not sure if I like or hate that expression) in Ireland. But honestly, who the hell cares. This group has an amazing EP out and is touring the states very soon. So where they’re located could really mean jack.

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

Ladies and gentleman. It’s very rare I get so excited about posting a cover tune on the site. But today is a MAJOR exception.

One of my favorite groups as of late, The Last Royals, have stunned me again by covering one of my favorite artists. It’s a dude named Prince. If you haven’t heard of him, please leave right now. You’re dead to me. (KIDDING! Not really…Seriously, what’s wrong with you?)

(more…)

post brought to you by: dyson

Moving Units have hit me deep with a single off of their latest EP Tension War. In an odd way it brings me back to my love for Tigercity.

Some bits of falsetto, groove-tastic drums, and guitars laced with a funk edge that make you wonder how good these guys could be live. A video below will give you a little taste of what that’s like.

(more…)