Bring The Noize

The internet is more powerful than you can ever imagine. Not only can it deliver you vast amounts of information through the air we breathe with the magic of wireless networks, it can also read your mind. Not convinced, are you? How else do explain the fact that I've been craving, no strike that, jonesing some noise rock, and today I find myself in possession of two prime cuts? Coincidence? No, my friends, the internet was reading my mind and fulfilled my wishes. Ok, let's say you're still not convinced. Here's the proof. Exhibit A: "Dead Kid Kicks" by NYC's experimental, noise rockers, The Muggabears (pictured). On the heels of 06's Teenage Cops ep, they're busy putting the finishing touches on their latest release, Night Choreography, and promising to take their art to new levels of dissonance. If "Dead Kid Kicks" is any indication, come March and April your ears are in for one painful treat. The Muggabears - Dead Kid Kicks.mp3 Exhibit B: "Teenage Lust!" by Times New Viking. Recently, there was a brief mention in these very pages, that new songs from the forthcoming, Times New Viking Present The Paisley Reich, were streaming on myspace. Thanks to the all knowing internet, and one English blog, 20 Jazz Funk Greats, the manic brilliance of "Teenage Lust!" has freed itself from the constraints of myspace. I've already listened to this cut a stupid number of times today, and by the time I turn in for the night, it will be a ludicrous number of times. It rocks that f*ckin' hard and it's that f*ckin' good. Times New Viking - Teenage Lust!.mp3

The Post Rock Block feat. Do Make Say Think, Somme, and Mabou

In the past year we've had Rock Blocks, Pop Rock Blocks, Easy Rockin' Rock Blocks, and decidedly Un-Rock Blocks. Today, we enter a new chapter in the time honored tradition of the Rock Block with our first Post-Rock Block. From the land of polar bears, moose, and ice, and from the bloodlines of Broken Social Scene, come Do Make Say Think with a new album, You, You're A History In Rust, due out in the near future, and a Cleveland stop at The Grog Shop on their forthcoming tour. Unfortunately, Do Make Say Think's last time in town, was marred by the mass of chattering chatters at The House of Blues, and their complexly, melodic sounds were lost amidst hipster gossip. Thanks to the magic of mp3s, headphones and quiet spaces, you'll find DMST much more enjoyable without that incessant background chatter. Do Make Say Think - The Universe.mp3 Somme (pictured above) is the work of 20 year-old guitarist, Daniel Medina, and drummer Kenny Preski, from that post-rock haven of Chicago. Their debut ep, Weight, was recorded live in one day on analog equipment in Steve Albini's Electrical Audio Studios with engineer Greg Norman (High on Fire, Pelican, Mclusky, Magnolia Electric Co.) manning the boards. The results are crushing as Medina lays down lush, long guitars while Preski pounds the sound of impending doom on his kit. Somme - Forge.mp3 Last in the mix, is the Cleveland band Mabou, on local label Skean Dhu Recordings. Experimental musician / installation artist Steven K. Smith and Cleveland guitarist Stephen Copley released Our last Sleep Is Our Final Awakening this past fall. Playing what they describe as nu-gaze (or psychedelic post-rock for the micro genre challenged) Smith and Copley craft large soundscapes of static charged guitars, ambient noise, manic synths, and primal drum beats. Mabou - Kiss With Our Eyes Open.mp3

The First Big Rock Release of 07: Convicts by You Am I

One night, as I knelt at my bedside, I prayed to the big one for a big dose of rock and roll. He assured me that my prayers would be answered. When I perused the news the next day, Jesus and Mary Chain were getting the band back together. That night, as I spoke to the big one, I told him it was cool that The Jesus and Mary Chain were getting back together, but it didn't fulfill my immediate needs. They're playing Coachella and I don't have the dough and I don't like flying. He assured me, my prayers would be answered, then he uttered these three words, "You Am I." And there you have it. That's the honest to sh*t truth of how You Am I's Convicts came into my possession. Ok, maybe that's not quite the truth. On the spiritual plane, this one is a godsend and might as well have been delivered through prayer. While physically speaking, You Am I released their seventh album, Convicts in their native Austrailia back in 06 and Yep Roc brought this big slab of rock and roll to the states last week. It's 36 minutes, of blunt language, big six-string riffs, and one killer track after the other. There's rabid, blues and booze filled rockers like "Friends Like You" and "By My Own Hand" that would make one Mr Westerberg proud, along with the gritty fingered, dirty rhythms of "It Ain't Funny How We Don't Talk Anymore" and "Gunslingers." I could go on and on, but at this point with an album of all studs and no duds, we should be rocking and not talking. You Am I - Friends Like You.mp3 You Am I - It Ain't Funny How We Don't Talk Anymore.mp3 For the Cleveland Rockers in the audience today, You Am I will be at The Beachland Tavern on March 22nd. There's more tour dates, and a full album stream over at Yep Roc. You Am I on Yep Roc It would be a grave error on my part if we didn't put this one through the Rockometer (earlier proclaiming Convicts the first big rock record of 07 and all): The Rocometer took some kicks to the nuts, was busted, bruised, and beaten, by Convicts, and lived to record an 8 out of 10.

Inconceivable!

A song about the movie The Princess Bride with a verse detailing what it means to fight "To the pain?" Inconceivable! Well it turns out, that word, "Inconceivable," does not mean what you think it means. There is such a song, and it's called "As You Wish," by Seattle songwriter David Terry (aka Aqueduct). It's as awe inspiring as the Cliffs of Insanity, as sweet as Princess Buttercup, and as lovable as the gentle giant Fezzik, played by Andre The Giant. Aqueduct - As You Wish.mp3 Bonus: Aqueduct - Living a Lie.mp3 Or Give Me Death, the forthcoming release by Aqueduct will be out February 20th on Barsuk, and while you're clickin' about Barsuk, be sure to check out the insanely catchy "Hardcore Nights and Softcore Days" from Aqueduct's 2004 release, Pistols at Dawn. Aqueduct on Barsuk Records photo by Alicia J Rose

Three For The Rockometer: Deerhoof, The Shins, and David Vandervelde

Deerhoof Friend Opportunity Kill Rock Stars Friend Opportunity is one of those albums that is very appealing for the critics and the geeks. It has already reached lofty "Best New Music Status" on one influential website, and more gushing reviews are sure to follow. My experience with Deerhoof has been equal parts fascination and frustration, or equal parts great and grating. Consider any song on Friend Opportunity, and my reaction goes something like this: "Hmm...this sounds promising...that guitar riff, that's some heavy sh*t...Oh sh*t...Stop singing...My ears hurt...Oh, yeah, we're back in the groove...Pound those drums, man...Love that beat...This I can dig...What the F*ck...Stop it...Maybe this is awesome, I don't know." Five minutes later, I'll find myself humming the chorus. Now, multiply that reaction by 10 songs. I can't say where exactly this disc will end up in my library. Months from now it might just be tops of the pops. For that to happen, however, I'll have to condition myself to accept those grating moments as an essential part of Deerhoof. Deerhoof - +81.mp3 Friend Opportunity by Deerhoof rates 5 1/2 out of 10 on the Rockometer The Shins Wincing The Night Away Sub Pop After listening to The Shins' 2003, Chutes Too Narrow, I came to the realization that I preferred the Beach Boys and Kinks infatuated, reverb lovin', model of the band, and not the louder, more complex version. All of my favorite moments by The Shins come from their debut, Oh, Inverted World: "Know Your Onion," "New Slang," and "The Celibate Life." Therefore, any new release by The Shins will need to rival the magic that happened when I first slipped my copy of Inverted World into my discman outside a small record shop in Cambridge, Mass, in the fall of 01. Lead single, "Phantom Limb," happens to be one of those magical moments in pop music. Sure, it's another song that sounds as if it could have been lifted straight from the Rushmore movie soundtrack, but that's the stuff I love: reverb heavy guitar and vocals, and a highly addictive chorus. The trance-like opener, "Sleeping Lessons," as well as the jangle happy "Australia," and "Turn On Me," with its surf guitar interlude, also stand up mightily to the finer moments of Inverted World. However, when The Shins attempt to experiment with their sound with different sampled textures, strings, loops, and machine-like drumming, as in "Sea Legs," and "Red Rabbits," the results are average at best, snoozeful at worst. The Shins - Phantom Limb.mp3 For its finer moments, Wincing The Night Away earns 7 out of 10 on The Rockometer. David Vandervelde The Moonstation House Band Secretly Canadian David Vandervelde nearly pulls off the impossible with his debut disc, The Moonstation House Band. He nearly exceeds the expectations that come with being a young musician who's been compared to such Seventies luminaries like Bowie, Bolan, and Lennon. Let's re-read that first paragraph, and pay close attention to the adverb, "Nearly." That's an important word here. He nearly accomplishes the unthinkable. The one-two combo, of the stirring, densely layered guitar rock of "Nothin' No," and the glam rock stompin' of "Jacket," are as strong as any lead tracks by a debut rocker in ages. "Can't See Your Face No More" takes a feel good glam anthem, and adds in some big board magic in the background with loops, reversed tracks, and spookiness, to create a song that works equally well blasting out of speakers as it does under a careful listen with headphones. The bright light ballad, "Feet of A Liar," and the sad, soulful strummer, "Black Eyes Susan" are two more stand-outs that highlight Vandervelde's masterful songwriting and performing skills. Now, for the unfortunate part. The unfortunate part is that these songs are countered by overblown, and unnecessary production on "Corduroy Blues" and "Wisdom From A Tree." This is more than unfortunate. This is a a mortal sin in the eyes of the rock gods. What's ironic about these numbers is that David Vandervelde performed nearly every instrument on this album except for the string arrangements done by David Campbell (known for being Beck's father as well as working with Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Willie Nelson, and The Brokeback Mountain Score) on these songs, and it's precisely those strings that killed these two tunes. Man, what I wouldn't give to hear these songs stripped back a bit without those damn strings and that more and more and even more production work. David Vandervelde - Jacket.mp3 David Vandervelde's Moon Station House Band is a 7 1/2 out of 10 on The Rockometer and that is inspite of the two point deduction for having to use the skip button on two of the 8 tracks. As a five or six song ep, this would have been high nines.

Where To Rock It

Or, all the shows I would be at if I didn't have that damn day job. Friday, January 26th to Thursday, February 1st. Saturday night, an early 6PM show at the Grog Shop features Kevin Devine, Jennifer O'Connor, and Pablo. That same night at The Beachland, there's a unique event with manic garage rockers Uncle Scratch's Gospel Revival, Lords of The Highway, Horror of 59, and a special movie screening of The Horror Convention Massacre...Sunday night is post-rock night at The Grog Shop with Cougar and Home and Garden (feat. members of Pere Ubu)...All the other cool kids got to see the thundering, shoegazing pop of Asobi Seksu last year, now it's finally our turn. Asobi Seksu plays the Grog Shop Monday night with JJ Magazine and Bears...Lastly, on Wednesday night, roots rocker Langhorne Slim headlines The Grog with local wunderkind Nicholas Megalis. Make A Mark On That Concert Calendar To say that Texas psychedelic rockers, The Black Angels, are a favorite of I Rock Cleveland is an understatement. The Black Angels were the recipient of I Rock Cleveland's album of the year as well as 2006's Excellence in Awesomeness Award. This past week, the most excellent and awesome, Black Angels booked a date for April 2nd at The Beachland Tavern. Mark it down, dude. You won't be disappointed.

"Ain't It Strange" by Dr Dog

File under: Why didn't anyone tell me Dr Dog were so damn good. Funny thing happened when I sat down to listen to The Shins' Wincing The Night Away: I couldn't stop listening to Dr Dog. Earlier in the night, I had stumbled upon the website for We All Belong, Dr Dog's forthcoming release on Park The Van. This song, "Ain't It Strange," was streaming and I couldn't stop listening. It first appeared on last fall's ep, Takers and Leavers, and it will make a second appearance on We All Belong. It's been many a day since I've heard a piece of pop music this fine -- Beatle-esque inspiration and not in imitation, unique arrangements, and some spot-on harmonies. Dr Dog - Ain't It Strange.mp3 For a great time-waster check out that We All Belong website. I was able to take to a bird, then talk to a groundhog, and I won a secret prize. I never did figure out what to do with my secret prize. Dr Dog Dr Dog on Park The Van Records We All Belong Record Release Site

"In Transit" by Albert Hammond, Jr

Albert Hammond Jr, known to the hipster world as the guitar playing Stroke, has a solo album due out March 6th called Yours To Keep. His six string work is instantly recognizable and undeniably cool, but who knew the dude could sing? With Hammond, Jr handling vocal duties, there's a new found, shiny pop side that's absent from the too cool for school attitude of his other gig, The Strokes. Albert Hammond, Jr - In Transit.mp3 You'll have plenty of opportunities to catch Albert Hammond, Jr on the road this year: opening for Incubus (Cleveland is sold out kiddos), opening for Bloc Party, then headlining with The Mooney Suzuki Albert Hammond, Jr Editor's Note: Earlier versions of this piece included multiple thinly veiled references to self-pleasure like: "The solo Stroke," "Albert Hammond, Jr, stroking it on his own," and "a master at bating the listener with his guitar." There's no room in serious music crit for such childish antics. Luckily, there is room for such juvenile banter at I Rock Cleveland, and that place is in the Editor's Notes.

"Caroline" by Nicholas Megalis

At some point we have to stop words like young, or teenager to describe Nicholas Megalis. Instead of calling him one of the best young rockers in town, he should simply be know as one of the area's best musicians. I mean, it's just not fair for the other kids. One week, he's still competing in high school rock offs, and next it's off to that gig on January 31st opening up for Langhorne Slim. On the soulful strummer, "Caroline," Nicholas displays two of the things that separates him from his peers: that wonderful bluesy voice, and an impeccable delivery that can transfrom a simple melody into something memorable. Nicholas Megalis - Caroline.mp3 Nicholas Megalis

Foreign Islands

As proof that not everything is cooler in the UK, if I was an English journalist I would most likely be referring to Brooklyn's Foreign Islands as part of the ridiculously named sub-genre, "New Rave." Thank god, I'm not. In my comfortable Midwestern surroundings, I can still say something like serious post-punk, funk, dance-rock sh*t, and feel good about it. "We Know You Know It," by The Foreign Islands, is one of those tunes that has a little something for all of us. The schizophrenic rhythms and sharp bleeps will appeal to the electronic heads, while the massive guitar riffs and that f*ck that, punk rock attitude, will appeal to the rockers in the house. The combination of these elements create a tune that absolutely scorches. Rock It. Foreign Islands - We Know You Know It.mp3 The debut full-length by Foreign Islands will be out February 20th on Deaf, Dumb, and Blind. Foreign Islands Foreign Islands Myspace Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Recordings

Reunion Rock

"We're getting the band back together," a phrase famously used by The Blues Brothers, has been uttered in recent days by everyone from Rage Against The Machine and The Jesus and Mary Chain to James. The Police have yet to say those six famous words. While, Dionsaur Jr, The Stooges, Buffalo Tom, and Smashing Pumpkins are already back together and working on new material. Here's a quick look at who's getting the band back together, and what they're up to these days: Rage Against The Machine - Confirmed for Coachella Jesus and Mary Chain - Confirmed for Coachella James - The classic "Laid" era lineup has scheduled dates in the UK Crowded House - Recording a new album and will also be at Coachella Dinosaur Jr - New album with the original lineup is due out May 1st on Fat Possum The Stooges - The new album recorded with Steve Albini is slated for a March release Buffalo Tom - 7th Studio album in the works Smashing Pumpkins - Still working on recording the best album EVER! (according to Billy Corgan)

You Me Dancing

Let's say I wrote for Spin, then this headline would read something like, "Hey, This Is Awesome." Well, I don't write for Spin, so it reads more like, "This tune is f*ckin' awesome." You see, there's a subtle difference in the wording. I happen to think my awesome phrase is so much awesomer than their awesome phrase. Los Campesinos - You! Me! Dancing!.mp3 I'll forgive you, should you mistake Los Campesinos for being Canadians. It's a given these days that any band that has more than 6 members and that can be referred to as any combination of "indie," "pop," and "collective," has to be Canadian. They're Welsh, by the way, and this tune, "You! Me! Dancing!" happened to be a refreshing burst of head bopping, toe tapping, energy on an otherwise dreary Winter day. Los Campesinos

For Your Listening Enjoyment

Welcome to the first big release date of the new year. There's plenty to get your ears around, including, but not limited to: The Shins (Full album stream from AOL) The Good, The Bad, And The Queen (Full album stream from AOL) The Six Parts Seven (Full album stream from AOL) The Early Years (Full album stream from AOL) David Vandervelde (Full album stream from Secretley Canadian) Vietnam (live Daytrotter Session) If I had to pick, luckily I don't, I'd start with that fantastic new disc from Kent's Six Parts Seven.

The Early Years by The Early Years

The Early Years The Early Years Beggars Group Equally influenced by such revered bands as The Stone Roses, The Charlatans UK, The Verve, and Spiritualized, as it is the Starship Enterprise, the debut album by The Early Years is a vehicle used by the band to explore sonics, dynamics, and atmospherics in modern rock music. From the opening blasts of the explosive and propulsive "All Ones and Zeros," with its robotic rhythms paired along side scaling and expanding guitars, the mission of the Early Years is clear: to reach that far off place where krautrock, British psychedelic, and ambient noise collide. Often times, as is the case with the opening track, all of these elements are contained within same song, either as separate movements, or as competing melodies. With "All Ones and Zeros" this covergence of sounds starts out as a blast of a rocker, dissipates to near nothingness, only to emerge, re-energized with a massive wall of sound. Later, during the three song suite of the wide ambient ballads "Brown Hearts," and "Music For Elizabeth," and the experimental German drone of "Musik Der Fruhen Jahre," The Early Years, take their time, and let their songs feel their way through open space. The beauty and the power of this movement becomes even more apparent, once the band fire back with "So Far Gone," a second piece that parallels "All Ones and Zeros," with its combination of chugging rhythms and scatter shot guitars. While The Early Years are not the first act this decade to set out exploring that common sonic ground in psychedelic, ambient, and drone, there's definitely something to be said for doing it so well. Whether you only consider their debut single, "All Ones and Zeros," or you prefer to take in the album as a whole, your liable to reach a similar conclusion: there's plenty of room in outer space for more than one band to ride this sound, and The Early Years just may have what it takes to be the best of one of them all. The Early Years - All Ones and Zeros.mp3 The debut album by the Early Years scores 7 1/2 out of 10 on The Rockometer

From The Vaults of I Rock Cleveland: "Wembley" by The Candyskins

It was a recent post by Bob Lefsetz on the Lefsetz Letter about Sirius Left of Center, and more specifically, The Matt Pinfield show, that had me digging through the the dark, dank vaults of I Rock Cleveland for the song "Wembley" by The Candyskins. An early nineties forerunner to the Brit-Pop sound, The Candyskins never achieved the level of success in England, or The States, enjoyed by their peers. During their brief career, they did manage one minor, alternative radio hit, with "Wembley," a song that made it into steady rotation on The End in Cleveland. The Candyskins - Wembley.mp3 Man, this tune takes me back, and it sounds just as sweet today as it did nearly 14 years ago. The Candyskins Wiki

Michael Stanley Made Me Do It

Exciting news. I Rock Cleveland's first podcast, Michael Stanley Made Me Do It, is live. It's still a bit rough around the edges, and I'm still looking for my radio voice, but once I get that vocoder for the segues, it's gonna be sweet. The music mix will be similar to I Rock Cleveland's mp3 downloads, with indie, rock, roots, garage, and the stray bits of hip-hop, pop, and electronic music, from regional as well as national acts. Please note: If you're a Clevelander, most likely, you're already in on the joke, but for the unitiated, Michael Stanley is a Cleveland music legend (in his own head). His name can be used like Charles Bronson, or Chuck Norris, for comedic purposes.

Miscellany

Times New Viking, one of I Rock Cleveland's artists to watch in 2007, has just posted some new tunes on Myspace from the band's forthcoming release on Siltbreeze, and those tunes are f*cking awesome. Check out that Jesus and Mary Chain influenced, Teenage Lust (it's more of a re-interpretation than a cover), and tell me that's not some of the finest noise to ever come out of the Midwest. Need more noise? Cleveland's Plasma For Guns have two new demos streaming at Myspace from their next ep scheduled for release this Spring. At this point your ears may need a break, so let's turn our attention to AOL's Interface, where Pablo stopped by and recorded a live performance and interview. Of interest to the Cleveland rockers in the house, Pablo will be in town a week from Saturday at The Grog Shop with Kevin Devin and Jennifer O'Connor. Lastly, for a limited time, you can check out another song from Christians and Lions excellent 2006 release, More Songs For The Dreamsleepers And The Very Awake, through their Sonicbids page.

I Rock Cleveland Tells You Where To Rock It

Friday, January 19th through Thursday, January 25th Sloan, you may have heard of this band before, or perhaps you've read a certain blog whose writer celebrates their entire catalog, are going to be in town this Sunday night at The Grog Shop with Thunderbirds Are Now! and Coffinberry...Saturday night at The Beachland Ballroom, Joe Lally, of Fugazi fame headlines the show. Also, the same night at the tavern, The Living Stereo top the bill...In Akron Saturday night, The Nimrods reuinite for a one-off show with Last Free Radical setting the stage. It's a slow week for shoes, so save up some of that hard earned dough for the next couple months. You'll need it with the likes of Wolfmother, TV on The Radio, The Thermals, Asobi Seksu, Ratatat, Langhorne Slim, and Neko Case passing through town.

"Summer She's Hiding" by Blake Miller

Only 19 years old, and even with a little scruff under his chain, Blake Miller can't hide. Oh, he can try to hide, but when he starts playing that pained and fractured, lo-fi American folk music, he becomes impossible to ignore. Try on this tune, "Summer She's Hiding," and you'll hear the genuine voice of someone much older and wiser (and much more talented) than his years would suggest. Blake Miller - Summer She's Hiding.mp3 Together with Cats, Blake Miller's home recording debut, is out now on Cleveland's own Exit Stencil Recordings. You can expect a proper studio album on Exit Stencil by the end of 2007. Blake Miller Together With Cats E-Card and Album Stream Blake Miller on Exit Stencil Recordings

Casually Smashed To Pieces by Six Parts Seven

Six Parts Seven Casually Smashed To Pieces Suicide Squeeze These days I can't go far without the Six Parts Seven. Driving in my car, Six Parts Seven have become segue kings on NPR. At my desk at work, Six Parts Seven come out of my speakers beaming from KEXP in Seattle. When the day is done, and it's time to rewind, I can take comfort from that sound aroused from the stereo speakers. Casually Smashed To Pieces is the Six Parts Seven's fifth release for Suicide Squeeze and is also their most focused work. It's normal, and maybe expected, for many of today's post-rock releases to stretch comfortably past the hour. You know how it goes -- a little time for knob tweaking, a little time for feedback, a little more time for the knob tweaking, and then the coup de grace -- the four minute outtro. Bucking this trend, Six Parts Seven package 8 tracks in a neat little thirty minutes, and still give the listener plenty of time to close their eyes, open the ears, and let it all sink in. "Conversation Heart," a slow guitar and banjo number opens, Casually Smashed To Pieces, then bleeds comfortably into "Stolen Moments," where a lone cornet scales effortlessly above carefully separated guitar, keyboard, and drum lines. Herein lies the beauty of the band. Taken individually, each part of "Stolen Moments" sounds simple. Yet when that single key on a keyboard, or that solitary pluck of a guitar string, is integrated into the larger framework of the band, they become both necessary and elegant. Similarly, it's not guitar virtuosity that makes "Knock At My Door" a compelling number. Instead, it's the manner in which the guitars involve themselves in this little game of cat and mouse, weaving in and out of the song from the front of the mix to the back, seemingly challenging each other for prominence only to be briefly overtaken by a much larger wave of sound. Highlighting Casually Smashed To Pieces, is the aptly named "Confusing Possibilities" where a recurring melody is staggered and layered amongst guitars, keyboards, and horns, appearing alternately in one instrument, then the other, until there's crescendo and they are all part of the same sustained movement. There's a reason whey words like disposable are so common in music crit, and compliments like pleasant, and enjoyable are so rare. Our ears are bombarded by sounds, our eyes take in too many ads, as hit songs can either start as or end up being Budweiser jingles. The music we want to hear is elusive, while what we can do with out, stalks us at every tv set, every open car window, and every shopping mall. When disposable commercial pop chases you around town, your ear drums are prone to attack from the nearest pair of scissors. Well, at least mine are. Conversely, having the delicate, post-rock melodies of Six Parts Seven soundtrack your day produces a rare feeling, and a welcome feeling -- that moment of silence when the music stops, and you know there's no choice in the matter. You're going to listen again. Six Parts Seven - Stolen Moments.mp3 Six Parts Seven - Falling Over Evening.mp3 Casually Smashed To Pieces, rocked The Rockometer, and rocked it gently to an 8 out of 10.

"Don't Let Go/Don't Hesitate" by The Procession

I don't know about you guys, but I have a soft spot in my heart for shaggy lookin' dudes who play irresistable pop tunes. It's right under that soft spot in my heart for shaggy lookin dudes who play raucous rock and roll, and to the left of that soft spot for totally hot chicks. The recipe for The Procession is pretty simple. Take some early British Invasion, add a dose of Seventies style power pop, shake it up a bit, put a smile on your face, and enjoy. The Procession - Don't Let Go.mp3 The Procession, this lovalbe three piece from LA via Detroit, just had their debut 7", Don't Let Go/Don't Hesitate, released in the UK this past Monday. The full length, is available now on iTunes, and will hit the traditional outlets in late February. The Procession Retone Records

And Now, Time For Something Completely Different: Busdriver

It's that time again. We're taking a break from the usual rockingness in order to bring you something completely different. I can name like 73 different genres and sub-genres off the top of my head and Busdriver doesn't fit into one of them. You'll see words like hip-hop, rap, drum n bass, and reggae, and electro bandied about, and not one of them works all that well. Sure there's rapping. There's drum n bass beats, too. That doesn't mean Busdriver belongs exclusively to any of them. "Less Yes's, More No's" features Busdriver's slick delivery over a fat synth wave (check that, this synth wave is not fat, it's critically obese), epic keys, and fractured beats. I've been around the rock block quite a few times, and this one truly is like nothing else you'll hear. Maybe if Busta Rhymes ever blasted out that track you know he's capable of, it might be close. Maybe TVOTR could craft such compelling chaos with Busta on board. Then, again. Probably not. Next, there's "The Trogladyte Wins," a tune that is pure Jamaican dancehall and ragga. It's less adventuresome than the previous track, but is able to compensate nicely for that difference with its silk smooth production and delivery. Busdriver - Less Yes's, More No's.mp3 Busdriver - The Trogladyte Wins.mp3 RoadkillOvercoat, the upcoming release by Busdriver will be out January 30th on Epitaph/Anti-. Busdriver Busdriver on Epitaph

"John Brown" by Papercuts

Now that it's 2007, am I still allowed to use the word "Freak-Folk?" Seems like such a 2005 word to me. When considering "John Brown," the latest cut from Papercuts (Jason Quever), it would be easy enough to say "Freak-Folk" drop a link to the tune and be tune with it. After all, it's from his forthcoming release, Can't Go Back, due out on March 6th on Gnomonsong, a label run by Devendra Banhart and Vetiver's Andy Cabic. Yet, that old pigeonhole isn't quite apt. Papercuts is more in line with the Paisley Underground scene of the 80's (an even older pigeonhole) , as his sound is indebted as much to folk, as it is to early garage and psychedelic rock, and the country-tinged west-coast rock of The Byrds. There's not much freakin' goin' on here. Just some old fashioned psychedelic rock of the highest order. Papercuts - John Brown.mp3 Papercuts will be taking it nation-wide when he hits the road with Grizzly Bear in Februrary and March. Papercuts on Myspace Papercuts on Gnomonsong

"Bronson" by Calla

Right or wrong, I had always placed NYC's Calla in the same group of dark new-new wave rockers as Stellastarr*, The Editors, and Interpol. Hey, "It Dawned On Me" was one of the finest pieces of mope rock produced this decade. However, after listening to "Bronson," the first single from their upcoming Beggar's Banquet release, Strength In Numbers, I'm ready to reconsider their place. While "Bronson" still isn't something I'd kick on the stereo when I'm downing beers with the boys, it's far from your standard NYC mope rock fare. The atmospherics are slightly muted in the back in the mix, the guitars display a bit of a Spanish flair, as the snare sitting squarely in front drives it along at a sweet clip. If you're not hooked yet, check out that break down at the two minute mark where they descend to barely a whisper before charging right back at you with some added grit and vigor. Words like quality, solid, and really f*ckin good come to mind. Calla - Bronson.mp3 Strength In Numbers is due out February 20th on Beggar's Banquet. Calla Calla on Myspace