Rewind 1

Some favorites of this past year, before the year-end lists are oh-so-carefully calculated in your mind, check out what you may have missed (or are already weighing in!):

The Low Budgets- Leave Us A Loan



http://www.mediafire.com/?bzyqmz6nvf2

Philadelphia natives, The Low Budgets, are goofy as hell (if you've seen the short film starring them you know what I mean), and they don't give a shit... actually that can really just be attributed to coming from Philadelphia, haha. Led by the lead singer of The Dead Milkmen, the band churns out quirked punk rock anthems that remain catchy regardless of the crazy lyrics. It's a treat.





Marnie Stern- In Advance of the Broken Arm


http://www.mediafire.com/?d0bzwugj5jg

This album got really blogged-out, but I am mentioning it yet again because it really is that awesome. If you can't get behind any other track on the album, "Every Single Line Means Something" probably stands out for me as a top ten single for the year, most definitely. Clearly influenced by Hella, Marnie Stern's impressive instrumentals and feminine chiming, soaring yelps, and sometimes appropriate monotone, all layered in a very exact formula with each track, have almost a futuristic nature about them. The experimental nature of this album casts the future of music as bouncing drums, just "as your breath catches up from where you began". Let's not forget mind-numbing guitar soloing.

The Rakes- Ten New Messages



http://www.mediafire.com/?fnnxnbaftbc

Probably the most 'indie' selection I made in this set, and granted The Rakes most certainly dove to a slightly softer sound, the foundation constructed with Capture and Realease still remains-- the friendly guitar and drum pairing, the drum still playing upbeat and catchy rhythyms, reminiscent still of old songs like "Retreat" or "We Are All Animals", the guitar, however, creating the slow and romantic new theme they've set for themselves. They give up on the romance for a bit in a couple tracks, and ended up either having tracks that either could have been intended for the last album, or just created tracks going back to where they started with "Trouble" and "Suspicious Eyes". Either way, I'll have them, power drums or heartstrings pulling.


The Willowz- Chautauqua



http://www.mediafire.com/?4xx2nwnx1zm

I don't really think The Willowz are ever gonna get the following they deserve. At the very least, here on the East coast, which would be their fault anyway for not touring here and being so impartial to their West coast homeland. In any case, they're a very good band, and with their sixth album stretch their legs and remove the garage punk element instilling more rock'n'roll fervor, will a bit of extra roll. They went a lil more blues and country than they have in the past, which is a transformation I would totally expect from a band, in terms of creative evolution, in their sixth album, and not feel cheeated at all. I won't say I don't miss the garage punk Willowz, and they haven't made so many strokes I can't see the underlying picture ("Nobody" sounds a bit more Talk in Circles). Once again, I am embracing change. This is refreshing, haha. I'll be sure to post about this band again sometime soon.


expect more 'rewinds' as we come closer to the end of the year.