Hot Hot Heat's Sound Alternative

Worry not: we shall find more pics.

Hot Hot Heat - 21 @ 12 (alternate version) mp3

This is the alternative to the version found on the Vancouver, BC band's LP Future Breeds.

MySpace | Bandsite | Amazon mp3 | eMusic

Picture Credit

Jeremy Messersmith's Generous Donation

Easier, perhaps, than herding.

Jeremy Messersmith - Organ Donor mp3

from The Reluctant Graveyard

Weird and neato. Thanks to Brooke Black at Big Hassle and to spinner.com.

MySpace | Artistsite | iTunes | Amazon mp3 | eMusic

Tweest & Shout & Grab: Tullycraft Tribute LP

We're twee as coitus,
So, headbangers, bite us. . .

Oddly enough I was in the act of composing lyrics for a possible Tullycraft song when out of the blue arrives word of a forthcoming 21-song salute to the much-beloved Seattle band. (Some of that's apocryphal, but I gotta start these blogposts somewhere.) Due to drop 14 September and named after the final song on the album, Wish I'd Kept A Scrapbook: A Tribute to Tullycraft features excellent covers by indie bands equal in number to the total of songs indicated above. Eager for full-length downloadable samples? We have two, courtesy of Lee Grutman of Unchikun Records.

But first, something from the tributees, to wet your, um, whistle.

Tullycraft - The Punks Are Writing Love Songs mp3 - from 2007's Every Scene Needs a Center, on Magic Marker Records

And now two wonderful somethings from an equal number of tributaries:

The Medusa Snare - Every Little Thing mp3

Hot Lava - Pink Lemonade mp3

We were especially grabbed by The Medusa Snare and quickly discovered a major reason why: TMS contains two members (as well as three initials) of one of our favorite bands, the late, the great The Manhattan Love Suicides, an example of whose tuneage you can listen to/download quite soon.

The Manhattan Love Suicides - Suzy Jones mp3 - from The Manhattan Love Suicides
BTW, if you haven't yet heard TMLS's superb "Kessler Syndrome," you need to travel to Italia molto allegro or something (and we trust you will be happy).

Suddenly we realize we haven't really said much yet about the excellent Tullycraft, cynosure of all this tribute bidness. Okay, click here, here, and here to learn more. The band have also made available another 12 free and legal mp3s in addition to the one posted above. Grab them here.

Finally, we're not sure if our ears deceived us while listening to "The Punks Are Writing Love Songs," but we thought we heard somewhere in it the word "bat." Maybe we were just reading the title to another song on Every Scene. . . ("Fangs On Bats") and got confused. Maybe it was the thought of a punk-penned love song. Whatever, we were reminded of an Austin band's untwee ditty we recently found and have been wanting to post, so here goes. The site where we found it has tons of free and legals, so if you're so inclined, click here and clean up. We did and felt quite squeaky.

The Hex Dispensers - My Love is a Bat mp3 - from Winchester Mystery House

Our fingers are kinda tired now, but we feel contented. Moo. Oh, one more thing. There are quite a few links in this post, so hover and discover.

Halsted: New San Francisco Treat

Halsted - Walking Shoes mp3

from 13 July release

Life Underwater

on Ashbury Records

After a couple of solo EPs and a highly acclaimed debut LP, San Franciscan Ryan Auffenberg has recruited a very tight outfit and opened business under a new bandname. You can sample the songs at the Amazon link below and hear several more in full at MySpace. Many thanks to Joanna Noyes at For the Win Media for the headsup.

MySpace | Bandsite | Amazon mp3 | Midwestern Angst

Eux Autres: Alright Alright!

Eux Autres - You're Alright mp3

Ooz-OH-Tra. There, I've said it. . .well, sort of said it, so to say. We've been enjoying "them others" for a couple of years now and were happy to wrap ears around the San Franciscans' newly released single today, compliments of Mr. Patrick Tape Fleming of Vitriol Records (and The Poison Control Center). The siblings Larimer (Heather and Nicholas) put out several wonderful recordings before being joined by The Aislers Set drummer Yoshi Nakamoto in 2008. Football fans might want to check out the Eux Autres bandsite to download their recently released free single, "World Cup Fever 2010." (Indiffs might want to, as well.)

We love the following previously posted number and hope you will, too.

Eux Autres - When I'm Up mp3 - from 2007's Cold City

And here's a regal one from their 2009 EP, Strangled Days, easily gettable here at eMusic.

Eux Autres - Queen Turner mp3

The band plays tonight at Tractor Tavern in Seattle, hits The Knockout in 'Frisco on 18 July, and is scheduled for 21 dates all across the USA in August.

8/6: LA @ tbd
8/7: SD @ THE SODA BAR
8/8: Tucson @ tbd
8/9: ALBUQUERQUE, NM [@ BURT'S TIKI LOUNGE]
8/10: AUSTIN [@ MOHAWK w/ THE CARROTS]
8/11: HOT SPRINGS, AR @ MAXINE'S
8/12: BIRMINGHAM @ THE NICK
8/14: ATHENS POPFEST [@ 40 WATT]
8/15: DURHAM, NC [@ LAYABOUT
8/16: DC [@ GALAXY HUT]
8/17: BROOKLYN, NY @ BRUAR FALLS
8/18: BOSTON [@ GREAT SCOTT]
8/19: Philly @ SECRET DIY THING contact band via Myspace
8/20: NEW YORK @ SECRET LOFT PARTY contact band via Myspace
8/21: COLUMBUS @ THE TREEHOUSE
8/22: CHICAGO @ BEAT KITCHEN
8/23: MPLS, MN @ THE SAUCE
8/24: AMES, IA @ AMES PROGRESSIVE
8/25: OMAHA [@ WAITING ROOM]
8/26: DENVER @ LARIMER LOUNGE
8/27: SLC @ tba

MySpace | Bandsite | Amazon mp3 | eMusic

Stark Folk Band

Stark Folk Band - You Cannot Shake Me mp3

from Yellow Springs/Dayton duo's 1 June release,

Well Oiled

on Old 3C Records

The title of this slick little number certainly describes its effect on me, as it has been with me for days now and, happily, just won't let go. (Maybe that's not what they meant, but let's not get philosophical, even if it is Friday night.) Many thanks to Brigid O'Brien Moore at Totem Pole Media for the intro. You can find another fine free and legal here.

MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

The Baseball Project: Inning 4 Power Pops and We Don't Mean Up***

The Baseball Project - Lima Time! mp3

Inning 3 is good but didn't quite score with us. (We might not don't have much cred but we will not post a song that does not definitively plunk our twanger.) Inning 4, though? Twang Twang Shock-A-Boom! There's a nice writeup on "Lima Time!" here. You can find our previous posts on The Baseball Project here and here. On the chance that Inning 3 might plunk your twanger, click here for a tryout.

Picture Credit

***Last week we read one of those blogposts on how to write good blogpost headlines but we forgot what it said.

Film School's Forthcoming Fission

One, two. . .yep, perfect.

Film School - Heart Full of Pentagons mp3

from their fourth, coming LP

Fission

due out 20 July on FFO Records

If your love triangle ain't quite bizarre enough for ye, perhaps a five-way? Thanks to Kip Kouri at Tell All Your Friends for procuring.

MySpace | Bandsite | iTunes | Amazon mp3 | eMusic

Bubblegum Lemonade's Yummylicious New 7"

Bubblegum Lemonade - Caroline's Radio mp3

from Caroline's Radio 7" on

Matinee Recordings

Gotta feelin' Mama would be proud of Glaswegian Lawrence "Laz" McCluskey's tasty pop, which we've been hugely enjoying for a couple of years now. You can read all about it over at Matinee, with additional info at AllMusic. What really got us droolin' is Matinee's promise that the three songs on the single are but a foretaste of the "band's" second LP, due for release later this year. We've got the other two songs off Caroline's Radio cued up for purchase over at eMusic, where you can also buy their previous LP, Doubleplusgood, and EPs, Ten Years Younger and Susan's in the Sky. (As noted below, you can also acquire all of these at iTunes and Amazon mp3.) Need more persuading? Check out these previously posted songs and then do the right thing.

Bubblegum Lemonade - I'll Never Be Yours mp3 - from Doubleplusgood (as are the next two)

Bubblegum Lemonade - Tyler mp3

Bubblegum Lemonade - Penny Fountain mp3

Bubblegum Lemonade - Ten Years Younger mp3 - from take a guess

Bubblegum Lemonade - Susan's in the Sky mp3 - Guess. Rrright. (Trilled r's indicate Scottish accent, duh, although that trill we used in a recent MotS post was supposed to be Johnny Rotten. Ya, we know, subtle.)

We also noticed that Laz played a big part (as in, like, the instruments) in some Strawberry Whiplash efforts, hence the following.

Strawberry Whiplash - Picture Perfect mp3 - from Strawberry Whiplash

MySpace | Buy at Matinee | iTunes | Amazon mp3 | eMusic

Rudely Interrupted & We're Quite Glad

Any time at all!

Rudely Interrupted - Close My Eyes mp3

Their name sounds slightly hardcore, but their music sounds quite the opposite. We previously posted excellent tuneage by this Melbourne band and love it still. The mp3 links there are no longer working, but you can purchase the songs, plus others, very reasonably at Amazon and eMusic. Those of you up Canada-way can catch them this week in Ottawa (the 15th), Montreal (the 18th), and Toronto (the 19th). Thanks to The Muse Box for availabling the song and info.

MySpace | Bandsite | Amazon mp3 | eMusic

The Telepathic Butterflies Wow Indeed

The Telepathic Butterflies - Circle Man mp3

From their Rainbow Quartz release,

Wow & Flutter!

It's hard to believe their fellow/sister countrypersons will have had to wait until June 15 for the release of this superb LP, but so I was told in an email from Killbeat. (Thanks, Jesse!) I spent some of my hard-earned on bunches of songs from the Winnipeggers' LP many months back and in particular have gone merrily round and round with the above posted tune. Come to think of it, we've expended tidy amounts on previous TTB offerings as well and have been rewarded far beyond the sums laid down. In addition to the three songs below, we've also posted some here, here, and here. You can find more at their Rainbow Quartz page. How do we know we're supposed to do all of this? Not sure, really, it just kind of came to us. BTW, we tried to summon up clever verbiage based on ESP and lepidoptery and such but got zilch. If you care to help, please do.

The Telepathic Butterflies - Telescope mp3 - from Breakfast in Suburbia (2008)

The Telepathic Butterflies - The Cutting Elm mp3 - from Songs From a Second Wave (2004)

The Telepathic Butterflies - A Final Word mp3 - from The Telepathic Butterflies (2002)

MySpace | Amazon mp3 | eMusic | Rainbow Quartz

Music of the Sphere: Darker My Love, Keys, Monster Movie, Twin Sister, Laurels, Glands, Young Veins, Male Bonding, Jaill, Woods, Moles, Fresh & Onlys

What amazing sounds DML get from those four hands! (Isn't there supposed to be one more, though?)

Hugs and laughs and darker-drying blood and such to you this Satisfying saturday. We personally thank the kindly hosting entities for the following and hope you will, too.

The Keys - Fire Inside - mp3hugger - Get it rrright nowwwww; the hugger don't keep 'em posted long. (Also our excuse for doing back-to-back/belly-to-belly MotS posts.)

Monster Movie - Bored Beyond Oblivion - 5 Acts

Twin Sister - Lady Daydream (Glitter Bones Remix) - I Guess I'm Floating

From an excellent blog, fairly new to us and definitely on the rota:

Darker My Love - Blue Day & She Lives (In a Time of Her Own) (13th Floor Elevators cover) - Rollo & Grady - One of our currently favorite bands. We posted one of our favorite songs of the last couple of years plus another excelente by DML here.

The Laurels - Art School Girl & Wandering Star - Rollo & Grady

The Glands - When I Laugh - Rollo & Grady

Tame Impala - Lucidity - Rollo & Grady - ferociously pleasing psych, as maybe you've noticed
Tame Impala - Solitude Is Bliss - Rollo & Grady
Tame Impala - Skeleton Tiger - Rollo & Grady

The Young Veins - Change - Rollo & Grady

Male Bonding - Year's Not Long - Rollo & Grady

Jaill - Always Wrong & Everyone's Hip - Rollo & Grady

Woods - Blood Dries Darker - Rollo & Grady - . . .My Love

And from a longtime faveblog:

The Moles - Bury Me Happy - Raven Sings the Blues - for Flying Nun-style devotees, such as we

The Fresh & Onlys - Vanishing Cream - Raven Sings the Blues - We recently posted one by TF&O here (i.e., still fresh).

annie stevenson's glasgow goodness

annie stevenson - Get Off The Street mp3

annie stevenson - Freedom Town mp3

I was delighted when Nick Scroggie of Glaswegian foursome annie stevenson pointed me toward their last.fm page on the chance I might like what I'd hear. Nick was as right-on as the four excellent free and downloadables from the band's EP, 2010. I'm posting my favorite from the EP, plus one more I heard and loved at the band's MySpace site. You know where to get the rest. Many thanks, Nick, and all bests! Oh, and btw, do not under any circumstances capitalize a single letter of their bandname--highly improper, and I know what that means to my "readers."

Liked and Found: SSLYBY, Monster Movie, Golden Triangle, David Vandervelde, Elephant Stone, Indian Jewelry, Sonny & The Sunsets

Here are some songs we've recently
1) found;
2) liked.
You've now taken Step 1. We hope that should you proceed further, you will conclude likewise.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Sink/Let It Sway mp3 - from Let It Sway, due 17 August - MySpace

Monster Movie - Silver Knife mp3 - from Everyone is a Ghost (2010) - MySpace

Golden Triangle - Cold Bones mp3 - from Golden Triangle/Fresh & Onlys Split - MySpace - If you like, please check out our recently posted Golden Triangle song here.

David Vandervelde - Wave Country mp3 - from Learn How to Hang - MySpace

Indian Jewelry - Oceans mp3 - from Totaled, released 11 May - MySpace - We previously posted some Indian Jewelry songs here and here. Other neato tuneage awaits you there, too.

Elephant Stone - Strangers mp3 - from The Glass Box EP - MySpace - A previously posted Elephant Stone song is still viable here, along with some nice ones by Rishi Dhir's former group, The High Dials.

Sonny & The Sunsets - Too Young To Burn mp3 - from frontman Sonny Smith's 100 Records project - MySpace

Music of the Sphere: Let's Say We Did, Dave Clark, Tame Impala, Radio Birdman, Nakatomi Plaza, Someone...Yeltsin, Woods, J. Hanson, Darlings, et. al.

Thanks to all the fabulous favebloggers for the following. (Click to visit.)

Let's Say We Did - Straight Back to You - 3hive

Nakatomi Plaza - Bomb Shelter - CYSTSFTS

The Dave Clark Five - Glad All Over - Peter's Power Pop
Radio Birdman - New Race - Peter's Power Pop

Tame Impala - Half Full Glass of Wine - Rollo & Grady - superb, Creamy psych
Tame Impala - Runway, Houses, City, Clouds - Big Stereo

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Cardinal Rules - The Catbirdseat
Jeff Hanson - This Time It Will - The Catbirdseat
Woods - The Dark - The Catbirdseat
Darlings - TV - The Catbirdseat
The Hidden Cameras - Death of a Tune - The Catbirdseat

Hollows - Walkaway - Raven Sings the Blues
Wild Nothing - Summer Holiday & Chinatown - Raven Sings the Blues
Shel Naylor - One Fine Day - Raven Sings the Blues
The Majority - One Third - Raven Sings the Blues
The Monocles - I Can't Win - Raven Sings the Blues