this video is fucking cool.

just watch. The Black Ryder "Sweet Come Down". this is a cool fucking video. blood, murder, the desert, westernish guitars. like Sergio hanging out with the Velvets.



found this via one of my fav blogs, GNARLITUDE.

The Turf War Demo EP (free download)

if you are looking for a new rock band fix then i suggest to you TURF WAR out of Atlanta, GA (originally from Augusta). a young band that as burst onto the scene with catchy songs, a love of too much booze, rowdy live shows, and a deep appreciation for The Replacements.

TURF WAR EP tracklist
Where I Belong
Cheers to the Years
A Little Harder This Time
For the Last Time

click to download

Another NUGAZE band 4 yr A$$

this is THE BIG PINK. it's another in the recent line of shoegazer revivalists. this sounds kinda like My Bloody Valentine and M83 with some Nine Inch Nails thrown in for optimal 90s effect. the video is SOOOOOO 90s that it hurts. seriously it looks like something i would've seen on 120 Minutes or something. but anyways i dig the song a lot. these guys are on 4AD so that gives em some shoegazer cred and the one dude used to be in Alec Empires band...so you know he likes some noise. i don't know, this is a pretty good first single by a band i had never heard/read anything about until i saw this video on MTV2 this morning (yeah apparently from 6AM-10AM MTV2 plays nothing but videos...set yr DVRS kids). the only thing available on Itunes from The Big Pink is this single and a shitty b-side that has them ripping off the Jesus and Mary Chain and Smokey Robinson. regardless i'll keep my ears open to any future singles that they release.

New Band That Doesn't Suck: The Young Sinclairs

last night i saw a band that reminded me why i love the sound of a jangely guitar so much. The Young Sinclairs are 5 young lads from the state of Virginia who are the newest members of Kindercore Records. they came down to the city of Athens to take part in the Kindercore Showcase during Athfest last night and delivered some of the catchiest Powerpop/60s California Psychedelia inspired rock i've heard in a long long time. their sound reminded me of Buffalo Springfield & The Byrds by way of the Flamin' Groovies & Big Star with some 80s college rock (The dBs, the La's, Dream Syndicate, early Primal Scream) thrown in for good measure, for a more modern comparison think Brian Jonestown Massacre minus the insane frontman and the shoegazer leanings...basically if you love that perfect sound of a clean ringing Rickenbacker with some catchy harmonies and a solid rhythm section backing it all up then the Young Sinclairs are your kinda thing.

the band has recorded and self released somewhere around half a dozen albums so i have no idea where i'd even begin to start. the album i have a copy of is called Feel Bad, unfortunately it's not currently available through a label so i am not sure how you can get it other than buying it from the band or gettin' me to burn you a copy. thankfully Kindercore records just released a Vinyl compilation of songs off each of the Young Sinclairs' releases called SONGS OF THE YOUNG SINCLAIRS followed by a digital release of the band's catalogue on Itunes. so yeah, order the record and look for the stuff on Itunes in the future.

here's a live video of them doing a song called "Engineer Man" which is a personal favorite.


here's the link to their Myspace page where you can check them out for yourself, and go to Kindercore.com and you can order the vinyl "best of" release.

Local Bands That Don't Suck: Vincas

Athens, GA is always a tough place for a band that rocks. i mean REALLY rocks. like Swampland rocking...not some indie rock band that thinks "Serpentine Pad" is a punk song, no this is the straight balls out swamp boogie with a head full of steam and your ears are still ringing 2 days later rock n roll. VINCAS has all that shit in spades. Vincas is the newest project from former Some Soviet Station, Paper Lions, & Teenage Methlab bassist/singer Chris McNeal and where those old projects always knew how to bring the heavy shit, this newest band has cut away the layers of post-hardcore and noiserock fat and delivers some lean and mean dirty punk-flavored rock and roll. i finally got my ass out to one of there shows yesterday after missing them about half a dozen times and i'm glad i did. they played a short and energetic set of originals that sounded like a grab bag (and i mean that in the best way possible) of swampboogie punk (Gun Club, Scientists), early grunge (Green River, Mudhoney), & LA punk (X, Black Flag, Weirdos). then for a special treat they rolled out of set of kickass classic punk covers including "Machine gun Etiquette" by the Damned, "Attitude" by Bad Brains, and about 5 or 6 Misfits classics. it was was pretty fucking awesome.

it sucks that the kids in Athens are always more interested in bullshit than kickass rock, luckily Atlanta is only an hour away...which is where Vincas will obviously have a better shot at breaking in. but if you are a resident of the Classic City and need something that kicks you in the teeth, but in a good way then come check these guys out the next time they play.

The Vincas myspace page.

cool new band: Surf City

S/T - Surf City

Surf City's self titled debut EP came out back in November of 08...but i didn't actually hear it until this week. (thanks to my brother for turning me on to this). it's just a solid indie pop record full of catchy hooks and plenty of memorable choruses. they are from New Zealand, so it should be no surprise that their sound recalls The Tall Dwarfs and The Clean as well as the Jesus and Mary Chain (whom they take their name from the song "Kill Surf City"...with a little Pavement thrown in for good measure. they wouldn't sound at all out of place on a mixtape in between a Pastels and Shop Assistants track either. the whole 80s/early 90s indie revival is a welcome thing for someone who is a sucker for a good pop song.


a link to their myspace page.

Cool New Bands: Crocodiles

Crocodiles are a band from San Diego who are members of the Jesus And Mary Chain is a Genre School Of Music. they also just released their first album Summer Of Hate and i kinda dig it. granted their shit isn't nearly as blatant (or awesome)a ripoff of the Brothers Reid as A Place To Bury Strangers...but yeah, they aren't trying to hide their influences either. but you know what...i am old and i don't give a shit about that anymore. so you are 20 years old and you got really into the Jesus and Mary Chain after you watched Lost In Translation and then decided you and your friend were gonna start and band than sounded like the J&MC's early stuff...i just don't have an issue with it. nobody does anything original anymore, if you know how to write a couple of catchy songs and you look cool then i'm willing to forgive and forget and give you a chance. Crocodiles are exactly that band. they've got a couple of good songs and they sound like shit i already listen to. will i like this band 2 years from now? probably not, but i might put 1 of their songs on a mix cd for someone and these days that's all i am really asking for. plus when you've got song titles as nihilistic as "I Wanna Kill", "Soft Skull In My Room", and "Young Drugs", well that let's me know that you get it.

Summer Of Hate - Crocodiles

Pitchfork hates it, so if you take their word is law then maybe this ain't for you.

New Bands That Don't Suck: Hip To Death

Hip To Death are some new band from the ATL that i've never seen before and know nothing about...but they sent me a myspace request and i kind of like their sound. reminds me of Suicide, J&MC, & about a hundred other goth bands from the early 80s....but more than anything these kids sound like Chrome, and Chrome is awesome.


HIP TO DEATH "Teenage Death" from John on Vimeo.


Check them out.

New Cool Band: Volts

i was on the ole' myspace this morning (a place i rarely visit anymore) and came across the band profile of this group i am digging called Volts. i don't really know what their story is, they are from San Diego and remind me of late 90s art punks The Monorchid & Skull Kontrol with some of that San Diego hardcore scene thrown in (most notably Le Shok)...for all i know this band probably features ex-members of Le Shok or some other San Diego punk band i used to listen to. it also kind of reminds me of classic LA Punk bands like the Weirdos and Zeros...so yeah i am down with this, for sure.

if you dig snotty, sloppy, arty punk rock then check out Volts.