The Young Veins - Take A Vacation!

Remember Panic! At the Disco? Well this is apparently what happened after their guitarist and bassist found god and quit the band. And by god i mean the Beatles. Yeah, you heard it a bit on Panic's album, the obvious want to be Sgt. Peppers, but honestly these new digs are super rad. I guess Ryan took to listening to the Byrds, because the 12-string rickenbacker is pretty damn apparent. Especially on this song. Oh, did i mention that Nick from Tilly & The Wall plays in the band? Fuck yeah Bobby Mack, hookin' it up.

From The 2010 LP "Take A Vacation!"

The Young Veins - Take A Vacation!

Grateful Dead - The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)

So let's just get a fact straight. if you don't appreciate the Grateful Dead or even give them respect for what they did for modern music you are a fool. Yeah, i know we got terrible jam bands that wish they were phish and jam for 3 hours out of it, but hey, they didn't know that was going to happen. Jerry Garcia unbeknownst to most, is an incredible pop songwriter. This song is an example of that. The opening track on their very first studio album back in 1967, this song brings you the sound of 60's San Fransisco, in a nutshell. Jerry's playing an SG on this recording and his lead sounds awesome. That cranked amp with all of the feedback fused into it, awesome. Just dig on this for a minute.

From The 1967 Self Titled LP.

Grateful Dead - The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion)

Skrillex - Weekends!!!

So i guess the day had to come eventually right? I just had to end up liking dubstep at some point right? I guess that weekend hanging out with sabrepulse and the overabundance of time i spend with cool ric has taken a toll on me. I have to say though, this dude knows how to make bangin' dance grooves with a bunch of crazy nonsense going on as well. The same sort of idea that turned me on to sabrepulse. Oh, and did i mention Skrillex was a former member of that band From First To Last? How silly. But seriously, the hook in this song combined with the electronic dog DJ scratch synthesizer explosion it off the chain.

Either way, this song fucking kills it.

From the 2010 EP "My Name Is Skrillex"

Skrillex - Weekends!!! (Featuring Sirah)

and if you're so inclined to download the ep, it's posted for free, right HERE.

Storm The Bastille - Slither

One of their finest songs containing probably the best riff they've ever written. And i'm gonna play it. ALL DAY.

Like Woah.

From the 2010 EP "Behold"

Storm The Bastille - Slither

Thanksgiving, The Sandwich

Don't fret dear readers. This is the first official post of the first official noteworthy sandwich i have eaten since i have started this blog. Not to say i don't eat noteworthy sandwiches all the time, but honestly, you can't fuck with this one. One of the sloppiest sandwiches known to man (and yet one of the most pleasant), you have to start with the first ingredient to any good sandwich. If my brother asks you what the first ingredient or most important ingredient to any sandwich is, the correct answer is bread. We're talking traditional, fuck that double-down bullshit. We start with one fresh italian roll. Cut it in half, and place two slices of american cheese (i prefer provolone, but sometimes you just gotta macgyver it) on one side, on top of that you put a nice layer of leftover stuffing (sausage stuffing made my dad if humanly possible). On otherside you lay out a nice thick spread of your leftover mashed potatoes (key), and put a nice layer of the best pieces of turkey you got left on the potatoes so they stay in place. If you've got properly made gravy from the turkey stock provided by the very turkey you are about to gorge, it should be congealed, so i suggest warming it in the microwave if your skeeved by weird congealed gelatin looking stuff. I didn't. I plopped a few spoonfuls of that as well as Elkie's incredible cranberry sauce, drizzled a proper amount of sriracha on it and threw it in the toaster oven on TOAST for a while. It came out looking like the pictures you see today. Dream big. Taste the sandwich.

Black Sabbath - War Pigs

I was thankful for the riffs on thanksgiving. I was stoked to riff out with Jason Lee this afternoon, it brought back some good memories. I'd like to dedicate this next song to the awesome cop who had no idea that the "fire zone" i parked in was a loading zone, admittedly said so, and to play if off, noted that i was parked too close to a fire hydrant, which was zoned in the loading zone. So take this as your (post) black friday treat.

From the 1970 LP "Paranoid"

Black Sabbath - War Pigs

^^ the RIAA had me remove the link. Bummer.

Pearls & Brass - Spinning Wheel Blues/Bleeding Hands

Just so you know, Nazareth PA's very own Stoner Rock kings Pearls & Brass are coming back on December 18th to play a show in Nazareth, with Serpent Throne and Gods & Queens. Think of the slowest, dirtiest delta blues you've ever heard, infused with Black Sabbath. It makes me want to grow a fu manchu, get on a harley and punch your mom in the face. Yeah, it's that badass. "Spinning Wheel Blues" is not completely representative of their sound, but it's a great representation of what they're all about. And just because it's a national holiday, i'll give you a bonus, "Bleeding Hands." Pure riffed out stoned glory. Take a hit, long and slow, hold it deep, toss these tracks on and get on the highway.

From the 2003 album "Pearls & Brass"

Pearls & Brass - Spinning Wheel Blues

Pearls & Brass - Bleeding Hands

Balance & Composure - Burden

Alexa and i planned on going to see the Wonder Years one night, because she was a huge fan, and i knew their guitarist Casey, so i figured even though they played in my basement before (and i missed it) i should probably go see them. We walked in at the beginning of Balance & Composure's set, and i can honestly say it was my favourite set of the night. It was slower, heavier, and much more textural than all the pop punk all night, but it definitely had that pop punk sheen. I was hooked, it was like if shoegaze and pop-punk had a baby. This is up because my brother saw them at Starland last night and reminded me how good they were. My favourite jam off of their side of a split with Tigers Jaw. I loved TJ when i heard the split, and they were the reason i bought it, but honestly, the Balance & Composure side blows their side out of the water.

From the 2010 Split EP with Tigers Jaw

Balance & Composure - Burden

Midlake - Roscoe

So i took a poll of myself, and this song still rules hard. A seriously stoney dream that makes you feel you're wearing bell bottoms and jammin' with the boys in the 1970's. Beautiful harmonies and synth work to envy Rick Wright, this is infact a great opening tune to get you into an otherwise incredible album.

From the 2006 LP "The Trials Of Van Occupanther"

Midlake - Roscoe

Glaciers - VI

Last night Peter and i spent the night listening to throwback records from highschool, when we came across this gem. "Trochillinae" was Glaciers epic 23-minute 7 song movement that bordered somewhere between screamo, hardcore and technical shred. I can honestly say i'm not the biggest hardcore buff, but this record had some rad spots. Super intense shit.

Glaciers - VI

Ghost - Hazy Paradise

Ghost has honestly been my favourite trip out and chill out band for years. After hearing the weird champer popsike that was "Snuffbox Immanence" and their cover of the Rolling Stones' "Live With Me" I was immediately hooked. This song brings out their pop sensibilities in the form of a gem throughout an acid drenched free jazz trip. Don't get me wrong, the rest of "Hypnotic Underworld" is amazing, but this song sort of brings you some seriously Sid Barrett Era Pink Floyd styled jam, with some amazing Michio Kurihara guitar playing, definitely to rival that of David Gilmour. Top it off with Ghost standard use of the harpsichord, and you've got "Hazy Paradise."

From the 2007 Album "Hypnotic Underworld"

Ghost - Hazy Paradise

Gregory Mendez - The Big Dipper

He's probably not going to be the happiest camper that i posted this particular song, because he hates it, and told me i could have it. But i love this song. It might be the fact that i've been watching a bunch of Michael Cera movies, or the fact that Greg is one of my best friends and i idolize him as a musician, he's got the softest, sweetest voice. I dare you, try not to fall in love with the kid.

Unreleased 2009 demo

Gregory Mendez - The Big Dipper

Electric Wizard - We Live

Here's your daily lesson in RIFFS. Takin' it back to 2004, with the then newly revamped lineup of Doom gods Electric Wizard bringin' you the title track. If you want to know what heavy really is, you just need to listen to this track. The record would make a great soundtrack to the end of the world.

blaze up

From the 2004 LP "We Live"

Electric Wizard - We Live

Banned Books - Intergalactic Singalong

I had the pleasure to play with this band twice in the past week. Friends of friends, i've been hearing a lot about them lately from my good friends, and finally Peter made me listen to this song in the car one day, and i was sold. I don't even understand how a band can sound exactly like the record while playing the songs totally differently. The other day Zane was saying how it feels like we've known each other forever. and it totally does. This song is not only a perfect pop song for you pop loving puppy dogs, it's got enough weird noises and time changes to appeal to all you artsy-fartsy weirdos. I fall into both categories, therefore i like it so much i want to share it with the world.

Off of the 2010 EP "Man Maker"

Banned Books - Intergalactic Singalong

don't be a dildo. just download the record here

Medicine - Christmas Song

So i guess here's a quick bonus because this song is hitting me right in the chest. Slow, droney, wallowing in its own downtrodden feel, this song is like the music i make in my dreams. I love it, i love the noise, i love the way it makes me feel and it has affirmed to me the fact that Brad Laner is a fucking genious, and his guitar sounds awesome. Wikipedia says it's going through a yamaha 4-track tape recorded. That's neat. Ambitious dude.

From Medicine's 1992 record "Shot Forth Self Living"

Medicine - Christmas Song

Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill

I guess i'm sort of late to the boat on this one. Lately i can't keep bands with bells in the name in my brain. Broken Bells, Sleigh Bells, whoever bells, it's all the same to me. None of it really caught my attention until i heard this Jam when i played at the vintage theater in scranton. Dylan, you got me hooked. I love the way this girl sings, and a ton of the lines make me grin super wide, like ear to ear. It's the kind of feel good pop jam i would have been jammin' to all summer, but i missed the summer this year. WHOOPS. Adrien pointed out to me how much this jam reminds her of the smash hit by Len. "Steal My Sunshine." It so does.

From the 2010 album "Treats"

Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill

Medicine - 5ive

So my buddy Devin has been bugging me to listen to Chapterhouse for like a year because i have a hard on for Slowdive, and i don't know what kept me from doing that, but for whatever reason, it took me like a year to listen to them. But this isn't about them, this is about their contemporaries, Medicine. I don't remember what he was talking about, but he somehow slipped in Medicine to the conversation, and for whatever reason, i listened to them today, and they're fucking great. It's like that awesome 90's "Baggy" sounding shoegaze with swirling everythings and secret pop songs under the barrage of noises. Fucking brilliant guitar work.

Here's a track from their 1992 record "Shot Forth Self Living"

click the link to download.

Medicine - 5ive

Mission Statement!

Let's be real. I'm going to post songs i think are awesome and probably tell you about sandwiches and burritos. It's as simple as that. Think of it as an ongoing mixtape.