Pulled Apart By Horses - Pulled Apart By Horses (2010)

So a while back I went to see Grammatics live with a bro. Whilst they were certainly the stars of the show to us they were actually there supporting Rolo Tomassi along with some other band from Leeds that no one had heard of. However, withing seconds of them playing I was in love with their energetic, upbeat post-hardcore tunes. I bought their EP and a tshirt and left that night a happy man.

So two years (I think, probably less actually) later they finally have a full length out. And it is gooooooooooooood.

I know I usually post angsty, depressing emotional bullshit on this blog but fuck that, lay your troubles by the door and listen to this. This has to be one of the most invigorating albums I've ever heard, it just makes me want to get up and dance like an idiot. Catchy hooks and riifs along with some shout a long choruses, fuck it's Future Of The Left all over again.

HIGH FIVE! SWAN DIVE! NOSE DIVE!

If you get the chance to see these guys live you'd better go see them live. I know I'm going to sometime soon (if only to buy a new tshirt, the one I bought last time is too baggy, really)

Give it a listen

AWESOME, RADICAL, AWESOME, TOTALLY WORTH BUYING (Jesus, that was lame)

And I'm coining the term "shoutcore". Deal with it.

Note: I realise this review is shit and doesn't let the reader know if this album is up their street or not...but fuck you, I'll re-write it the same time I re-write those other reviews.

Another note: Fixed the link. So now you can actually listen to this album. lololol

Home - XIV (2000)

I've decided that regular updates are lame because I can honestly say I don't discover stuff worth posting that regularly. Instead I'm just going to post when I find an album I want to share. So just check up on this blog every few weeks or so and you'll find some new albums no doubt. Also, I'm getting really fed up of starting all of my posts with these sorts of things.

So recently I have been slowly working my way through every album Dave Fridmann has produced. So far it's been mostly underwhelming with only the Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips and Delgados releases (most of which I was already familiar with) sticking out as awesome. Okay, I lied, they aren't the only releases...

I had never heard of Home before a few weeks ago but after grabbing this album and loving it I've started to make my way through their other sixteen albums (including one which came out this year which you should totally look out for). But what is it about them that's so great? Well, let me just say this...

Mercury Rev + Guided By Voices = Home

FUCK YES, YOU HEARD ME. Even though this was their first album to actually be, y'know, produced and all (by Dave Fridmann no less, how they did that I'd like to know) they still retain some of the lo-fi sound that they had on their earlier albums. That combined with their often simple, 60s inspired pop songs gives them a definite Guided By Voices twang. But then there's some big bodacious Mercury Rev (a la Deserter's Songs) orchestration going on in there as well as those trippy lyrics and hooks that Mercury Rev love so much.

So, let me get this straight. Big sounding, yet lo-fi, psychedelic 60's pop that was recorded by some 90's american alternative rock band?

SIGN ME UP. RIGHT NOW.
(also the track "Aguirre (Exterior)" totally sounds like it belongs on Clouds Taste Metallic by The Flaming Lips, fuck yeah)


Give it a listen

The only albums I buy are Dave Fridmann aproved albums

Note: Fixed the link. So now you can actually listen to this album. lololol

Graham Parker - Squeezing Out Sparks (1979)

Starting now I am going to try and update this thing somewhat regularly again. So enjoy it whilst it lasts!

Todays album is an often overlooked new wave classic. Now when you bring up the term new wave people have to bring up artists like Elvis Costello and Talking Heads, and for good reason (no doubt) but very few people will be familiar with the name Graham Parker.

And that's bullshit.

Graham Parker was like Elvis Costello in terms of sound, appearence and attitude but certainly not consistancy. Y'see, Elvis Costello is great...as long as we're talking about anything he released before 1983. Graham Parker is different, sure he peaked '88 but he continues to release pretty good (see: not bad by any means 6/10) albums to this day.

Now I know you're eager to listen to this glorious man already, but with a back catalogue that stretched back around 30 years it's hard to know where to start. So here, start with his most mainstream, critically acclaimed and well known album. Why? Because it has the song Passion Is No Ordinary Word which is the jam of a fucking life time.

Dig it.

Give it a try

I don't mind giving my pocket change to a genius musician who continues to make great music to this day despite the fact that commercial success and money will always elude him


Note: Fixed the link. So now you can actually listen to this album. lololol