The Road To West Egg by Terra Alive

The Road To West Egg by Terra Alive

1. Silverado

2.Sunday School

3. Lima Heights

4.Colossal Titan

Do you like experimental math rock? Vocals that sound like that one pop singer you claim to hate but secretly love? Rapping? Well nerds, I have the perfect EP for you! I present The Road To West Egg  by Terra Alive. This EP includes 4 catchy tracks that leave the listener desperate for more from the moment they hear the guitar lead just before the first vocals come in. As the album progresses it's beautiful tones and incredible melodies take over and then before you know it you've listened to the short release over 20 times. One of the coolest things about this release and Terra Alive as a whole is that the vocalist, Andres Aparicio writes and records everything you hear. (vocals,guitar,bass,and drums) Anyways to put it bluntly this is a 10/10 release for me and I genuinely believe it has something for everyone.

Favorite Track: Lima Heights

facebook

bandcamp

Still by Nouns

NOUNS---------STILL

1. Fourteen

2. I feel as though I've failed

3. Soccer ball

4. fox wound

5. closer

6. wreck

7. ghost legs

8. little slugger

9. ski mask

10. daydream

11. I still want to make you proud

12. but I can't stay here

Arkansas band Nouns released Still a while back, and this is a quick look at what is one of the more notable releases of 2014. After Still Bummed, their first major release, the band had a lot to live up to, and they met the bar and just raised it higher. With personal lyrics, wonderful sound through hi end lo-fi recordings, and great vocal types, this band throws a wide variety of indie space-rock/emo music into the world. The twelve songs each hold a personal feeling, meaning that there is not a dull moment on this release that incorporates so much sound. In all 12 of the songs, the overall vibe is a more spacey/withdrawn/ghost like vibe that really sounds amazing. Vocals are removed in the release in most parts, and I think that the recording style fits the music so well. This is a release that you need to check out, it's one everyone needs to listen to.

Favorite track: daydream

bandcamp

Oh Just A Few Boys Horsin Around By Dirt Nap

//Oh Just A Few Boys Horsin Around||Dirt Nap\\

1. Jvngle Boys

2. Drunk Snake

3. Tar Pit

4. Birds of Paradise

5. RDMT

6. Le Bushes

7. Kiss My Bones

8. Chocolate Covered Ants

THE River Punk cute fvck bois are back with a brand new 8 song release. Recorded on 4/20, released on 9/11, Dirt Nap is a band full of fun. Their first release, Jvst Ask the Boys, is one I still listen to on a regular basis so this second release coming out means a lot. Dirt Nap reminds me of some 1970's garage band (if I listened to 1970's garage band music). Surf rock but with that midwest lovin. As far as production go, this has to be classified as Lo-fi, but it's the professional kinda lo-fi, if you think that's an actual thing.  This release makes me want to get drunk and go to a basement show and do some weird handstands and skank and cut off my right hand and kiss a boy. (If you go to one of their shows you WILL end up kissing a boy). 

Vocals are lethargic and fun, guitars are filled with wacky reverb and distortion, and the drums (Alex Harris) are fun to listen to and as chaotic as the rest of the release.

                                             "Uragggahhhhhhhhhhh ooooohhhhhhh"

Cool sp00ky riffs are filled throughout, and a western rock aspect is definitely seen throughout (Songs like "Chocolate Covered Ants")

Real picture of Dirt Nap coming back

Not sure if Dirt Nap is still a band, I for one thought they were gone for good, their guitarist/vocal man got a cool job at Nickelodeon in California doing something involving snakes and little boys. The release is put out through Rough Beast Records and Frenchkiss Label Group, and they've got 100 really cool tapes. (I overdrew my account buying one). Right now the release costs $420 to download but if you're lucky it will go up. Get it, so worth it. 10/10 would buy.

"This cum tastes like toothpaste"

Favorite Song: "Kiss My Bones!!!"

Bandcamp

Facebook

Alex Harris

Dr.Karate|||Cannon Fodder Tour EP

Cannon Fodder Tour EP| Dr.Karate 

Trackz:

1. Feelings (and how to destroy them)

2. Emperor

3. Where Is My Mind
4. Smokescreen

5. Tom's Slipknot Vinyl

Dr. Karate (Saint Louis, MO), released this five song EP a while ago. Three piece, Drums/Guitar/Guitar, with a cute little lo-fi sound to the entire thing. All three do vocals at one time or another throughout the release. 

Lets get more funky with this sh*$#

    Okay so the first song is good I actually like this a lot, with it's cool part changes and guitar things and wow okay cool. It's actually supposed to be kind of like the intro I guess and all but still I like it a lot more than some of the other songs. The Second song has like that spoken word vibe (Because it's actually spoken word vocals), which I'm not really into, but i'm fine with. What gets me on this song, is that it's so repetitive for the music. I'm guessing that vocals are supposed to be the main point of this song but you can only keep up with the vocals for so long. It's Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" speech. "Where Is My Mind" is a coolio cover. I just like this song a lot. Catchy chorus and cool vocals and stuff, I like this one. "Tom's Slipknot Vinyl" is a super sadboi song with some skramzy vocals from the drummer. Put this one on a mixed cd boys ;f
   So overall instrumentation wise I feel like the guitar players are doing pretty good, with the lack of bass they don't have that filler in the background but that's never bothered me before. As far as drums go, they're simple overall, nothing interesting, but nothing that just make me cringe. The entire feel of the release has this really ambient-ish-esq-ness feel to it. Super sadboi release. Check it out, you'll probably find something you like from this.

Favorite track: Smokescreen/Tom's Slipknot Vinyl

Bandcamp

enJoyd by enJoyed

enJoyed|enJoyed

1. Sunrise on io

2. a ghost in a carcass

3. at peace with war

4. loss and why I belong here

5. as small as the universe is large

6. at war with peace

7. the thoughts of the evolved are conditional

8. Persistent bodies

9. the entheogenic element

10. the cheylabinsk meteor

11. (drifting, forever)

12. just outside the limitless expanse

13. the birth of the universe. 

14. faint whispers of another dimension

15. makers of the planetary evolution

New 417 band (ayy that's where I live), enJoyed is an experimental rock noise band, the kind that you get put in a trance listening to. First off, this is a lo-fi release. I'm thinking Shane (Vocals/guitar) recorded it with his phone. But even so, you can still dig what's going on here. Pretty sure enJoyed is a two piece, which I love, and I feel that they pull it off really well. Vocals are minimalistic, and when they do come in, they're just screeches and yelling in the background. Very lo-fi, very cool. Pretty much this entire release is noise, I don't know how else to put it. It's really ambient, the kind of stuff you put on and just listen to and take a nap and have a weird dream. I'm a big fan of this type of music, but i feel like if you don't enjoy experimental music, you probably won't love it. Cool thing about enJoyed, they seem to have no idea what they are doing at some points, but then they come together and it all sounds awesome. If you can get through the lo-fi, check it out.

favorite track: as small as the universe is large (cool vox)

Bandcamp

Temple blues by DOG BRAIN

Temple Blues| DOG BRAIN

1. Tonite

2. Sing a stupid Song

3. American Castle

4. Tinfoil Hat

5. King Cold

6. The Water Song

ROSES ARE RED 

VIOLETS ARE BLUE

DOG BRAIN IS DOG BRAIN 

AND DOG BRAIN LOVES YOU

Chicago Illinois band DOG BRAIN  is an experimental art rock-ish band that reminds me a lot of small time experimental band from Glasgow, Herbert Powell, but a little more well put together. The recordings are a little bit lo-fi and such, but it's good because it works. Behind the almost stupid songs and the giant covering of art rocky things, you've got some really catch stuff. A fellow band mate of mine recommended DOG(e) BRAIN after he got the CD from the guy that runs the record label these guys are signed to at a show we played at. One thing I appreciate is the guitar on these tracks, it's simple rock guitar, but it's done right. These guys do experimental music right. The tracks aren't too long, which is what many experimental bands always have trouble with, and these songs can get stuck in your head and you'll catch yourself humming the melody and such. 

So this is me selling this experimental band: "Hi I'm Adrian and I think you should listen to this band."

There ya go, get it.

favorite track: Tinfoil hat

bandcamp

Dos Equis by Qualia

Dos Equis | Qualia

1.  Prehistoric Ovaries

2. Casual Astronaut

3. Woodson Blues

4. The Moon

5. Slim Pickin's 

6. Untitled

7. No Suits to be worn here

Ya know what's nice? When you're just strolling through bandcamp and you accidentally find something amazing. Ya know what's better? When you're starting to find most music boring and repetitive with the same sounds, and you find something that isn't like that at all. Thrash-Funk Jam band from Kansas, Qualia just recently put out this 7 song instrumental release. Starts out really funky and gets really thrashy. Those bass lines. I mean I guess a funk band wouldn't work without a bassist that knows how to funk the funk up on bass but ya know it's cool to listen to. The recordings are a little lo-fi but in a way that suits the band 100%. Any more super nicely done and it wouldn't sound right. It's all really spacey and is totally something that you can just put on and do other things while this plays in the background, like read the latest installment of 17 magazine  or worship Satan. "Woodson Blues" opens with a gosh darn blues part and is like a BLUES song. Wowz. Maybe I just listen to too many emo and hardcore bands to appreciate some good jam bands but idgaf this is a sweet jam band. All the song lengths are relatively long, which is pretty cool (for once). Anywho could go on for hours about how so much music is boring and repetitive and stuff but I'm just happy I found a band that isn't so check these guys out. 

Favorite track: Woodson Blues.

facebook

Bandcamp

EnJoyed.--ep one

enJoyed||||||ep one

Trackz;

sun

alive

To Shane

enJoyed is a noise rock/experimental/jammy band from Sringfield, MO. There's two songs 9 minutes songs that slowly (think glacier) evolve into more noise. Layers upon layers of the same groove/riff build into one explosive mess (think diarrhea). Although I feel like they could've split this into a 4 song ep because halfway through both songs they split into something totally different. But whatever they could totally do a two-song set live and I'm pretty sure everybody that doesn't know this band will either think it's 4 songs or 1 song       ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cymbals are very upfront in mix, a common problem in cell phone recordings (speaking from experience), you can only feel the bass drum at the times, other times it's just inaudible. I don't know if the other instrument is a guitar or a bass or a synthesizer, but whatever it is, it's loud. When vocals come in, they stay there for a good 0.3 seconds and undecipherable and lyrics are probably artsy fartsy or about some girl that wouldn't make out with Shane.  

there's some neat grooves coming from Nathan that makes parts of these "songs" enJoyable and I like some of the effects he's getting with the other instrument.

Fav track: MOON and DEAD

bandcamp loserzzz

Here In My Scheme, Here It Ends by Herbert Powell

Here In My Scheme, Here It Ends | Herbert Powell

1. Bodyman

2. I love My Fleeto

3. Black Glass

4. We Will Kick You In

5. Hell Farm

6. I Want To Be A Door

7. My Glass Teeth

8. Banter Orb

Found another band from Glasgow, this one is an experimental/ambient band. Sucks that I'm finding these bands that I like but I mean: 

To see these bands live would be kinda ridiculous. Anyway, as I said, Herbert Powell is an experimental/ambient/lo-fi band. I for one can really get into this, and I'm sure people who are fans of the genre's could easily get into it. Vocals are far withdrawn, and tracks are instrumentation heavy. Guitars dance around the track, drums are simple complimentary drums, and bass is driving. I think keys are scattered throughout the release but with this kind of music ya never really know. This is the kind of music I'll put on in the background and listen to while I'm doing something important like sleeping. The tracks tend to drag, but in a good way, and even though many times the instrumentation seems to be randomly placed with no direction, it all comes together at times, resulting in an awesome affect of making really cool music. Very cool thing where the entire song kind of falls apart in "My Glass Teeth". I really dig the guitar riffs and the vocals on this release. Check this band out if you are a fan of the genre.

favorite track: My Glass Teeth

Bandcamp