CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG - IRM [2009]

"It is a measure of the extraordinary esteem in which she is held that Charlotte Gainsbourg, one of the brightest stars of modern French cinema, should make an album in partnership with such luminaries as Jarvis Cocker, the French duo Air, The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon and celebrated English producer Nigel Godrich. Her third album has been produced by Beck and was released in France on the 7th of December.
The album, called ‘5:55’, represents a return to the studio for an artist who made her recording debut at the age of 13. Indeed, that first album came around the same time Charlotte made her film debut. Perhaps such burgeoning talents were always deeply embedded in her DNA – she is the daughter of legendary French poet and singer Serge Gainsbourg and the English actress Jane Birkin, herself one of France’s most cherished celebrities.
Charlotte’s debut album, simply called ‘Charlotte Forever’, was a collection of songs written by her father. Lavishly received in France, the album hinted at the possibility of a long recording career. Instead, however, it was the cinema that gripped Charlotte’s attention.
She made her movie debut with ‘Parole et Musique’, the first of some 30 or so films that have established her awesome reputation as one of the most beguiling screen actresses of her generation, feted by directors across Europe. At the age of 15, for instance, Charlotte won a Cesar, the French equivalent of an Oscar and an accolade she was to win again the following decade." LAST.FM
here

FIELD MUSIC - MEASURE [2010]

"Field Music is an experimental pop band from Sunderland, UK, formed by brothers Peter and David Brewis and their schoolfriend, pianist Andrew Moore. They have recently reconvened after an extended hiatus with a new line-up featuring guitarist/keyboardist Kev Dosdale and bass player Ian Black (Andrew having taken time out to train as a chef). A new double album is due to be released in February 2010.
The band’s first album, the eponymous “Field Music”, was released in 2005, followed in 2006 by a collection of b-sides and early tracks entitled ‘Write Your Own History’. During this time they toured with fellow bands from the North East England, such as Maximo Park and The Futureheads, as well as sonic adventurers from further afield, including Melbourne’s Architecture in Helsinki and Portland’s Menomena.
In 2007, they released ‘Tones of Town’, a critically acclaimed song cycle, which captured a particularly English variety of post-industrial frustration. However, sensing that a quick follow-up could lead to a dilution of ideas and purpose, the band announced a hiatus shortly after the album was released. In this time Peter and David each released solo albums as The Week That Was and School of Language respectively.
All of their albums were self-produced at their own ‘8Music’ studio in Sunderland"
LAST.FM
listen

SIGUR RÓS - TÍU LIFANDI [A CELEBRATION OF TEN YEARS OF LIVE MUSIC] [2009]

"Sigur Rós is an icelandic post-rock band. The name is derived from the name of lead vocalist Jónsi Birgisson’s little sister Sigurrós. According to their website, it is pronounced “si-ur roas (as in roast).” They hail from the same creative and vibrant Icelandic music scene as múm and Amiina. They released their first ever foray into film-making with their tour documentary, Heima in late 2007.
Jón Þór (Jónsi) Birgisson, Georg Hólm and Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson formed the group in Reykjavík, Iceland in August 1994. They soon won a record deal with a local record label, Smekkleysa (Bad Taste). In 1997, they released Von (Hope) and in 1998 a remix collection named Von Brigði. The name is Icelandic wordplay: Vonbrigði means “disappointment”, but Von brigði means “hope alteration”. (In English, the album is sometimes known by the alternative name “Recycle Bin”.)
International acclaim came with 1999’s Ágætis byrjun (“An alright start”) for which the band were joined by Kjartan Sveinsson. The album’s reputation slowly spread by word of mouth over the next two years. Soon many critics worldwide hailed it as one of the best albums of its time and the band was playing with Radiohead and other big names. Drummer Ágúst left the band after the recording of Ágætis Byrjun and was replaced by Orri Páll Dýrason."
cd1
cd2
cd3

THE FIELD - YESTERDAY AND TODAY REMIXE [2009]

"The Field is a minimal techno artist, based in Stockholm, Sweden.
His music comes from tiny loops of pop history. It might actually be an older brother to the Cologne movement Pop Ambient - the sentimental brother who is never content with being in the background, the one with the heart on his sleeve. To clarify: The Field makes dance music. The edges are soft, the mood often romantic, the sounds moving up, up from the ground. As ”minimal” as a sunset, as ”banging” as a pillow.
In 2005, Willner submitted a demo tape to the German indie label Kompakt and was subsequently signed. He released his first 12”, a demo mixtape of Norwegian singer Annie’s “Heartbeat”, as well as the track “Things Keep Falling Down”.
In 2006, “Sun & Ice” 12” was released. Later in 2007, Wilner became the first musician to take part in the Nordic Light Hotel’s “Sound of Light” concept. After staying at the hotel, Wilner used the experience as the basis for his EP of the same name. His 2007 album “From Here We Go Sublime” has met high critical acclaim." LAST.FM
listen

THE FLAMING LIPS - THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON [2009]

"According to an L.A. Times report, the Flaming Lips are set to follow-up their life- (and death)-affirming LP Embryonic with a full-album redo of Pink Floyd's gazillion-selling 1973 psych-rock classic Dark Side of the Moon.
The Lips version of Dark Side is a collaboration with the band Stardeath and White Dwarfs (which includes Wayne Coyne's nephew Dennis Coyne as a member), and features guest spots from Henry Rollins and Peaches. It will most probably be an iTunes-only release.
The announcement was made last night during a Q&A session with fans at a MySpace show last night at L.A.'s Nike/Ricardo Montalbán Theater.
Other tidbits revealed: While Embryonic was the final album of the Flaming Lips' current contract with Warner Bros., they plan on sticking with the label for future releases.
Also, the video for "Watching the Planets" features a nude Wayne Coyne (as well as a bunch of nude bikers). The internet's not ready." PITCHFORK
listen

LOS CAMPESINOS! - ROMANCE IS BORING [2010]

"Los Campesinos! are an indie pop band which formed in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom in 2006. The band consists of Gareth Campesinos! (vocals, glockenspiel, keyboards), Kim Campesinos! (vocals, keyboards), Tom Campesinos! (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Neil Campesinos! (guitar), Ellen Campesinos! (bass, vocals), Harriet Campesinos! (violin, keyboards, vocals) and Ollie Campesinos! (drums). Aleksandra Campesinos! (vocals, keyboards, glockenspiel) left the band in 2009 to focus on her study. She was replaced by Gareth’s sister Kim in September 2009. The band’s name translates to “The Peasants” (or “The Farmers”) in Spanish.
The band performed their first gig in May 2006 at a student union club night, and went on to play a number of increasingly well-received gigs around Cardiff. An early demo was recorded featuring the songs Death To Los Campesinos!, It Started With a Mixx, Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks, and live favourite You! Me! Dancing!. The songs were posted on the internet, bolstering the popularity established by their energetic live shows and earning them airplay on Beth & Huw’s evening show on BBC Radio 1 Wales. The band’s reputation continued to grow, and in August 2006 landed them a slot supporting Canadian supergroup Broken Social Scene.
In November 2006, the band were signed by Wichita Recordings, who put out their first single on 26 February 2007, a double A-side featuring new songs We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives and Don’t Tell Me To Do The Math(s). In April the band signed to Canadian label Arts & Crafts for Canadian and North American releases. In June 2007 the band released You! Me! Dancing! on limited edition 7” coloured vinyl, accompanied by a handful of dates playing Bath, Newport, Cardiff and London." LAST.FM

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE
MP3@256KBPS

SWANS - THE GREAT ANNIHILATOR [1995]

"After a three-year break occasioned in part by wrangles with the Sky label, Swans returned in 1995 with a vengeance, as always pursuing their unique muse of dramatic, ever-more textured music. Gira and Jarboe work with a fantastic core band this time out, including returning veteran Westberg, who trades off guitar duties with Steele, at points playing together with him, a magnificent combination. Other returning musicians include Kizys and Parsons, while newer players like drummer Bill Rieflin from the Chicago Wax Trax! circle join as well. As is par for the course by now, Swans seem incapable of producing a bad album, Annihilator being crammed full of astonishing songs to prove it. Everything's a little more stripped-down here, possibly due to having a central band, but it's still all very lushly arranged and created, perfectly balancing force and restraint. Leadoff single "Celebrity Lifestyle" is one of the catchiest things the band has ever done, but it's still uniquely Swans -- a minimal, throbbing song matched with a sharp lyric on starlust and what it might mean. "I Am the Sun" pounds as hard as any early Swans track, but the use of careful space between blasts, Gira's heavily echoed, out-of-nowhere vocal (accentuated by equally vivid background vocals from Jarboe), and tempo shifts clearly demonstrates the constantly evolving nature of Swans music; the band is never content to simply repeat the past. Jarboe's own standout tracks include "Mother/Father," a brawling number showcasing both her and the band at their full-on best, and "My Buried Child," with her softly husked take on a terrifying Gira lyric, which is carried by a roiling rhythm. This is followed immediately by the sweeping, cinematic "Warm," where she contributes wordless vocals. Once again, Swans have created an epic, incredible work of art." AMG

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

MP3@320KBPS

DÄLEK - ABSENCE [2005]

"I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to describe Dälek's third album without making it sound repetitive and boring, two things it most certainly isn't. Whereas many modern hip-hop albums spill over with infectious beats and sci-fi sounds, and draw variety from a wide array of hired-in producers and guest spots, this does the opposite: It's the product of just three guys-- Dälek, Oktopus, and Still-- and the entire record is built around essentially a couple of simple beats with slight yet important variations.
Dälek have a knack for taking basic elements and sculpting them differently every time, a controlled, deliberate attack designed for pinpoint destruction and insight. They can turn a sheet of blistering, white-hot skree into a convincing hook simply by attaching it to the right part of the beat and controlling the volume and density of the noise, allowing Dälek's complex, considered rhymes to weave their way through the tangle. Here, the harsh, cavernous textures coating the songs are ostensibly all dissonant, droning walls of noise cut through with scratches and samples.
The templates of Dälek's tracks are augmented by an incredible wealth of detail in both their beats and backdrops. Cascading flumes of gutter noise torment the edges of "Asylum (Permanent Underclass)": They heave and bend, wavering in pitch and contorting into snatches of tortured melody. Close listening reveals that the squall is actually a tight cluster of dozens of drones, added and subtracted to mold the music into grit-teethed crescendos and dizzying passages of spiraling, exquisitely controlled chaos.
Dälek the MC spits head-spinning verses like "Who trades his culture for dollars/ The fool or the scholar/ Griot, poet, or white collar" ("Culture for Dollars") and "Seen your movements through peripheral/ Remain same individual/ When a man's viewed as criminal to act animal is logical" ("Distorted Prose"). There's nary a nod to sex or personal enrichment, and in fact he opens the album by rapping, a cappela, "Broke stride as last of men realized their deep deceit/ This troubling advance of half-assed crews crowd these streets," a broad and open indictment of what he seems to see as hip-hop straying from its early ideals.
In "Eyes to Form Shadows", he speeds up his flow as melody is forcibly wrenched from queasy, metallic tones, before culminating with "Addicts move in slow increments within granite/ Hands bound and damaged are weapons we brandish/ Deemed savage by masses/ When this anger's just average." Dälek's unsatisfied with nearly everything-- and politics are no exception. On "Asylum", he skewer administration arrogance and fear-mongering with clear-eyed and direct lyrics that avoid the tendency toward opaque abstraction that bogs down so much underground hip-hop.
Crunching along in an endlessly innovative fashion, Absence seems old-school in its simplicity, clarity and forthrightness, but sounds futuristic. And although the album is full of abstract noise and painstaking sound sculpture, the no-nonsense approach to beat-making and Dälek's modest flow make this album more accessible than its presecessor, 2002's From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots. That album had higher peaks than this one, but Absence is more consistently engaging-- and another powerful statement from one of modern hip-hop's greatest crews." PITCHFORK

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

MP3@320KBPS

FOUR TET - ROUNDS [2003]

"For his solo projects, Fridge's Kieran Hebden is a lo-fi experimentalist who, had he been recording 15 years ago, would've been cranking out songs on a four-track recorder instead of a laptop. As demonstrated on his third record, Rounds, he's one of the few musicians capturing all the promise inherent in computer science -- being able to summon, manipulate, and mix any sound imaginable. The record offers something to nearly every audience that could approach it, with a bit of a groove for electronic fans, an obtuse sense of music-making for experimentalists, and a dreamy melodicism sure to endear it to indie-pop fans. The opener, "Hands," is especially breathtaking; it begins with a few seconds of drum samples, surgically inserted and ill-timed, but opens into a warm, melodic production with a simple frame-kit beat outlining Hebden's guitar-and-keyboard atmospherics. "My Angel Rocks Back and Forth" features a music-box melody playing against softly shaded backmasked guitar and a subdued, grating percussion line reminiscent of an iron lung. The nine-minute "Unspoken" alternates guitar and piano playing the same beatific melody, over another simple beat and tambourine claps. Though Rounds is experimental by nature, Kieran Hebden's gift for melody and emotional shading allows his records to be enjoyed by an audience wider than merely experimental listeners." AMG

DOWNLOAD MU

MP3@320KBPS

ASVA - FUTURISTS AGAINSTS THE OCEAN [2005]

"For those who are paying attention to the doom metal scene, Futurist's Against the Ocean sells itself without one note being heard. Just look at who is involved and their pedigree: G. Stuart Dahlquist from Sunn 0))) on bass, B.R.A.D. from Burning Witch on drums and vocals, and Trey Spruance from Mr. Bungle on guitar, piano, and tubular bells. Rounding out the lineup is John Schuller from Master Musicians of Bukkake on guitar, Jessika Kenney from Gamelan Pacifica on vocals, and Troy Swanson on organ. If that was not enough to get the salivary glands pumping, Billy Anderson is behind the producer's desk like he was for High on Fire, Sleep, and Melvins. For those familiar with the names, Asva's sound should come as no surprise. But where other avant-metal supergroups (Fantômas, for example, or Tomahawk) don't deliver on their promise, Asva takes a glorious heavy racket, removed from the regular tropes of the doom scene enough to make both this group and this album something really special. The opening track, "Kill the Dog, Tie Them Up, Then Take the Money," is the most conventional track, moving at a glacial pace, with guitars inching from one note to the next, almost as if the metallic drone of the amps were playing through the guitars, and not the other way around. But by track three, "Fortune," the ambience has taken over, and the metal melts away. Droning organ, loping bass, and spiders-on-the-fretboard guitar scrapings set the scene for Kenney's vocals. More operatic (think Diamanda Galás) than tortured (like Khanate's Alan Dubin), Kenney's pure tones are easier on the ear than the scene-standard barked whisper/growling. This leads right into the epic closer, "By the Well of Living and Seeing," which melds the ambience of "Fortune" and the droning assault of "Kill the Dog" to Kenney's multi-tracked chanting vocals and a guitar straight out of an Ennio Morricone score. It is a perfect summation of the album, and Asva's sound in general: operatic ambient western doom metal, to pin words on it. Recommended heartily for those interested in the avant-metal scene." AMG

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

MP3@320KBPS

SUPERSILENT - 6 [2003]

"Play it over and over, and you will still find amazing things in Supersilent's 6. The level of unspoken understanding, interplay, and clarity of vision in experimentation is now beyond words. This album was put together from four days of improvisations in the studio. The digipack case doesn't mention the group members to reinforce the idea of a collective effort, but the press release confirms that the lineup has remained the same: Helge Sten (aka Deathprod) on electronics, Ståle Storløkken on keyboards and synthesizers, Jarle Vespestad on drums, and Arve Henriksen on trumpet and electronics. The music follows the ambient path laid down in 5, while adding more textural noise and hypnotic rhythms. Deathprod has selected a captivating set that unfolds delicately, immersing the listener on an hourlong journey. Unrehearsed and improvised as they may be, these pieces sound scripted at the very least, the individual interventions too well timed not to be planned ahead. Henriksen's sparse trumpet calls in "6.2" and his soft singing over light distorted piano in "6.6" provide memorable moments. In the fourth piece, the group finds an irresistible momentum propelled by Vespestad's drumming, the kind of freight-train-to-outer-space drive that should send all members of Godspeed You Black Emperor! back to their bedrooms. Supersilent simply does it better, without the irritating poise. Highly recommended to dreamers, droners, and avant rock lovers." AMG

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

VBR@~250KBPS

MOZERGUSH - FAIRYTALE ALCOTRIPS [2007]

MOZERGUSH is a doom metal band from Ukraine.

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

MP3@256KBPS

BRAINBOMBS - GENIUS AND BRUTALITY... TASTE AND POWER [1994]

"Brainbombs are a noise rock group from Hudiksvall, Sweden formed around 1986. The band consists of Dan Råberg, Peter Råberg, Jonas Tiljander, Drajan Bryngelsson and Lanchy Orre. Drajan and Lanchy also play in the punk band Totalitär. In 1986 Brainbombs appeared on two underground compilation albums, “Unveiled” on Mechanik Cassettes and “In the Shadow of Death” on Cold Meat Industries. Soon after they released their first single “Jack the Ripper Lover”. Between 1986 and 1992 they had a few more singles and compilation appearances before releasing their first full-length album “Burning Hell” on Big Ball Records. Throughout the 90s they released three more albums: “Obey”, “Genius and Brutality… Taste and Power” and “Urge to Kill”, as well as some more singles and EPs. In the 2000s they continued releasing singles but didn’t release another full-length record until 2008’s “Fucking Mess”. Most recently they have released another single titled “Substitute for Flesh”. Brainbombs have been infamous not only for their abrasive music but their extremely explicit lyrics, depicting rape, murder and child molestation among other things. Despite only being able to produce limited releases and do small tours, Brainbombs have been continuously active since their formation in 1986" LAST.FM

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

MP3@224KBPS

BAND OF SUSANS - LOVE AGENDA [1989]

"While Page Hamilton's work on guitar here is often referenced in stories about Helmet, the fact is that Band of Susans is very much Poss and Stenger's band, and the at-times grotesquely grinding feel of Hamilton's later work is thankfully missing in favor of the more intricate while still powerful music here. The group's second full album is one of those creations of its time which ages well rather than just sounding dated. Though you can easily imagine the band in its particular late-eighties New York context right from the first track, "The Pursuit of Happiness," from the squalling guitars and Poss' just a little bit like Thurston Moore at points vocals, the fact is that this album just plain kicks out the jams, art that is blessedly unafraid to rock. "It's Locked Away" is a killer example of this, centered around a great riff that has much more of an angular, drony sound to it than anything else, but is wedded to a full-on crunch that also has a great groove (one of the Susans' many instrumental secret weapons) to it as well. Poss, who produced the record, mixes his vocals, as well Stenger's occasional backing efforts, fairly deep into the mix throughout the record; rather than being annoying or pointlessly obscure, it just feels right, a good way of letting his voice be another instrument to carry the songs. Perhaps to reference that fact, "Thorn in My Side" and "Sin Embargo" are both instrumentals, and are as great numbers as any of the rest on the album. The CD version contains the band's noted cover of the Rolling Stones' "Child of the Moon," which in its guitar-overdriven way pretty much beats out the entire remake of Exile on Main Street that Pussy Galore did. " AMG

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

MP3@224KBPS

MOUNT EERIE - BLACK WOODEN [EP] [LATITUDES] [2009]

"Mount Eerie represents the latest evolution of Phil Elverum’s musical vision. Formerly known as The Microphones, Phil changed his project’s name to Mount Eerie while maintaining his subtle, lo-fi, and lyrically dense fuzz-folk aesthetic.
Elverum explained this change in an 2003 interview with Discoder, asserting that “Mount Eerie is a new project. The Microphones was completed, or at least at a good stopping point. I did it because I am ready for new things. I am new.”
As Mount Eerie, Phil is generally sans synthesizers, drums, and the accenting voices of Mirah, The Blow, and fellow K-Records/Anacortes friends. Mount Eerie’s album “Seven New Songs of Mount Eerie” was also the first recording released on Phil’s new label, P.W.Elverum & Sun. All songs from that recording are available for free download in the Internet Archive."
listen

YEASAYER - ODD BLOOD [2010]

"Yeasayer (pronounced “yay-sayer” /’jeɪseɪ.ər/) is an experimental band based in Brooklyn, New York. Live performances sometimes include trippy, psychedelic visuals projected in the background.
The band members are Anand Wilder, Chris Keating, and Ira Wolf Tuton. They describe their music as “Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel”.
Yeasayer recently revealed in an interview with Pitchfork that they had finished their sophomore album and it would be released on February 9, 2010. On October 30th, 2009 Yeasayer revealed details for the first single release from “Odd Blood” entitled “Ambling Alp”

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

DEAD MEADOW - FEATHERS [2005]

"Just as Shivering King and Others was a departure from Dead Meadow's earlier work, their fourth album (and first as a quartet), Feathers, is another evolution in the band's sound. It's perhaps the most polarized-sounding Dead Meadow album yet: a few songs that recall the densely heavy trippiness of their older work, but many more are restrained and almost poppy, pushing the boundaries of the band's music. Feathers' clean production also emphasizes its duality; somehow, the psychedelic smoke swirling around tracks like "Let It All Pass" seems even thicker, while the pretty melodies and jangly guitars on "Stacy's Song" and "Such Hawks Such Hounds" make them sound like folk songs gone vaguely acid rock. Jason Simon's vocals are also much more prominent on Feathers than on any of Dead Meadow's previous albums, and tracks like the slow, strutting "Get Up On Down" sound more like typical stoner rock because of it. Though Feathers' restrained sound seems counterintuitive to the strengths the band showed on albums like Howls From the Hills and Shivering King, more often than not it works. The aforementioned "Such Hawks Such Hounds" still has plenty of Dead Meadow's eerie intensity, and "At Her Open Door" finds the perfect balance between this album's polish and the power of the band's earlier material. The song is downright pretty at the beginning, with slippery guitars that sound oddly Western and Polynesian at the same time; it gradually becomes trippier and takes flight around the four-minute mark, when Dead Meadow's trademark wah-wah pedals come into play. Feathers' second half features more of the heaviness that fans have come to expect, particularly on the final track, "Through the Gates of the Sleepy Silver Door," which closes the album with a nod to the first track on their 2001 self-titled debut album and 15 minutes of heavy but spacious sludge rock. "Eyeless Gaze All Eye/Don't Tell the Riverman," meanwhile, boasts both a lumbering, Sabbath-esque riff and nimble solos along with dreamy slide guitar interludes. This is a subdued, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling kind of album, and coming after the majestic peaks and valleys of Shivering King and Others it initially feels a little disappointing. However, after a few listens, Feathers reveals its own, mellower pleasures, as well as Dead Meadow's versatility." AMG

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

MP3@320KBPS

THE GEROGERIGEGEGE - TOKYO ANAL DYNAMITE [1990]

"Either 40 minutes of absolutely unlistenable noise, or the greatest rock & roll record recorded -- or both. Tokyo Anal Dynamite is a live recording consisting of a frontman announcing a song (Japanese or Western rock classics), giving a count ("onetwothreefour!"), and then proceeding to explode into pure chaos -- the sound of 20 high-on-speed thrashcore bands falling down a flight of stairs, while being electrocuted along the way, only to land in barbed wire. It lasts a minute and after a slight pause, it starts again. And it repeats over 70 times. Checking the track listing won't help matters, for something like a Doors song comes out as "Raightomyfiyaaaonetwothreefour!," with the aforementioned minute of audio hell following. Juntaro Yamanouchi's noise experiment is rock music ad reductum, and probably his purest effort -- as well as his most stunning. Few things can match it." AMG

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

VBR@250KBPS

TIME TO BURN - BURN THE LIE DOWN [EP] [2004]

"Motivated and characterized by an uncritical devotion to the most extreme sounds. A wild-eyed, unbalanced and obsessive familiarity with post noise hardcore and melancholic mammoth soundscapes impregnated with the saddest melodies." LAST.FM

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

MP3@192KBPS

BATTLE OF MICE - A DAY OF NIGHTS [2006]

"It isn't very often that a team-up involving members of two distinct bands works out in the way that Battle of Mice's A Day of Nights does. That is to say that the gazier aspects of guitarist Josh Graham's Red Sparowes and the sheer intensity that Julie Christmas brings to her band, Made Out of Babies, come together without having to make sacrifices on either end. The music on A Day of Nights is sometimes dreamy, at other times coarse, and still other times intrusive and uncomfortable. What really sticks in the listener's ear with A Day of Nights -- at least in the general sense -- is that this album feels like it was constructed in a cave. It's tight, cramped, and screaming within a breath's distance of one's face. And yet, it's a huge-sounding record, powerful, layered, and dense. Christmas is the star here (as she is in most appearances on disc), her voice moving from wailing banshee to precious-sweetheart-stalker on the verge of a breakdown and back at the drop of a hat. For Graham, whose band can be as heavy but lacks (perhaps due to their lack of a vocalist) the intensity that Christmas provides to her band, this is his (and the rest of the players, whose ranks include Tony Maimone) moment to break from the collective-like sound of Red Sparowes and explore a tougher, more pummeling style of song structure. Tracks like "Bones in the Water" and "Wrapped in Plain" are undeniably heavy and intense, almost churning between tension and release, but the heaviest moments on the record -- and most disturbing by a long shot -- are at the end of "At the Base of the Giant's Throat" (the band will not discuss this section, by the way): a 911 call of a woman being either beaten or worse while the phone keeps listening. To call parts of this record harrowing would be spot-on, but it can also be delicate, heavy, precious, and dreamlike. No mean feat, really. A Day of Nights is a perfect example of pushing the confines of metal and rock aside and really letting go. An amazing piece of work, hands down." AMG

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

MP3@320KBPS

HOT SNAKES - AUDIT IN PROGRESS [2004]

"Audit in Progress is Hot Snakes' third outing, and the first to include ex-Sea of Tombs drummer Mario Rubalcaba. It's a much more focused album, too, bottling up the energy created by rapid-fire drums and two chaotic guitars, only to unleash it in the explosive moments not dominated by Rick Froberg's captivating yelp. After two relentless openers, the Snakes downshift into the dynamic stops and starts of "Retrofit." There could be some influence from guitarist John Reis' Rocket from the Crypt here, in the way the song winds punk tight only to let go of the top. But it's he and Froberg's Drive Like Jehu that comes most often to mind on Audit in Progress, from the crosshatched guitars to the explosive rhythm section in Rubalcaba and bassist Gar Wood. Hot Snakes' previous albums sported these elements, too, but they also had patches of howling noise and a generally manic quality that was addicting for some, but too insanely driven for most. Audit doesn't take any breaks, either. But it uncovers melody in the strangest places, and sweats with an addicting fury. "I pay nothin' for nothin'," Froberg sneers over the title track's choking power chords. "Audit me/Audit me/I don't give a sh*t." Not everything here pounds you over the head. "This Mystic Decade" is relatively more subdued at first, that is until its rhythm section comes to life, drowning out the dulled-down guitars as Froberg screams the chorus like an anthem. And "Lovebirds" unleashes a gritty organ effect that plays off wrangled and tense spy guitar fills. Audit in Progress ends strong with three stamping machine rockers, their stuttering drum pound and devastatingly effective guitars rising to snap and hiss in between the yelping cool vocals of Froberg. Overall, it's a record with a lot to offer for the indie rock purists still spinning their Jehu records a decade later. But it's also an example of making a cleanly focused rock album in the 21st century that doesn't need a hyphenated term to describe it. Audit in Progress? It just stings. " AMG

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

MP3@320KBPS

HOT SNAKES - AUTOMATIC MIDNIGHT [2000]

"Former Drive Like Jehu members Rick Froberg and John Reis (also a member of Rocket From the Crypt) and drummer Jason Kourkounis of Delta 72 shred rock & roll to pieces on the Hot Snakes debut. Automatic Midnight, an album full of noisy guitar and dominating rhythms, hardcore thrash, and Swervedriver atmosphere, starts off with the charged-up, frenetic live wire that is "If Credit's What Matters I'll Take Credit." Throughout the rest of the rapid-fire record, Hot Snakes go from the dark, showdown sound of "10th Planet" to the slightly Sonic Youth-circa-Daydream Nation grind of "Light Up the Stars" and on through the chant-along anthem "Our Work Fills the Pews." The album finishes off with "Let It Come," a hard/soft dynamic, shout-and-holler ride that would fit well alongside At the Drive-In. Always intense, always destructive, the Hot Snakes, like Black Flag, play their rock & roll all-out with their sights set on anything or anyone in their path. " AMG

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE

MP3@192KBPS

CLIPSE - TIL THE CASKET DROPS [2009]

"Clipse is an American hip hop duo, formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 1992, made up of brothers Gene “Malice” Thornton and Terrence “Pusha T” Thornton. They met Pharrell in 1993, he formed a working relationship with the duo and helped them secure a contract with Elektra Records. The group’s debut single flopped, but Williams resuscitated their careers in the early 2000s, signing them to his Star Trak Label. The Clipse’s debut album, Lord Willin’, was released on August 20, 2002, and their latest studio effort, “Hell Hath No Fury” was released on November 28th, 2006 to much critical acclaim. Their third release, Till The Casket Drops, is set to be released mid 2009." LAST.FM

DOWNLOAD RAPIDSHARE