Tennis System - Such a Drag

Seeing these guys and Adult Books open for Eagulls tomorrow night. Psyched.

Mastodon Video - Asleep in the Deep

Via Bloody Disgusting. Mastodon's Once More 'Round the Sun made my top 10 records last year and continues to be an almost daily listen for me (often multiple iterations in a sitting). I was obviously very happy to see this pop up earlier today. Hit the bloody disgusting link above for some information about what you see.

The Afghan Whigs - Lost in the Woods

I'm sure everyone that would click on this has already seen it; I'm behind. Very behind. I spent two and a half weeks running around the Midwest, played a show in Dayton with a total douche and then returned to LALAland just in time to hit eleven days straight at work AND manage my wife's business during my home hours. Simply put, there's but little to no time to consume any content other than what I could fit on an iPod or in a CD wallet. That said, I found some marvelous stuff that I will get to throwing down here shortly. First though, there's a handful of things that filtered in during the trip via various outlets and I wanted to add them here, not for any real informative reasons since, again, this is essentially old news at this point, but because I actually keep this blog more for myself than anyone else - so yes, I'm essentially at least 51% writing to myself at this moment.

"Can I play with madness...?"

Stereophonics - Mr. Writer

Backing vocals to this track still give me chills.

CHVRCHES - Now is Not the Time

I keep seeing this group's name but this is the first I've actually took the time to listen. I dig it. Also, the video is a kick for me as my old, old band The Yellow House once rented a roller rink and filmed  a video there. One day that will be on the youtubes and I'll be able to post it.

Ghost B.C. - Year Zero

Big Black Delta

Pitchfork posted this earlier today. Great tune. Big Black Delta caught my ear on a mixtape (okay, it wasn't a tape but a playlist, but old terminology can die quite hard) a friend made me a few years ago. However, until about right now they had kind of fallen back into the ethers of my brain. This song has returned them (really 'him', as I believe BBD is the work of one man, Jonathan Bates)

Passion Pit

Initially I hated this song. Now I love it. Based on this picture that's been floating around the internet I think Passion Pit is probably pretty awesome aesthetically and that the radio-play is a fluke. Good for them. There's an obvious Flaming Lips correlation as far as live environment is concerned. Just looking at this makes me feel wonderful!!!

image courtesy of the always wonderful Brooklyn Vegan

Anyway, I listened to a bit more of their most recent album, Gossamer, and it sounds like a cross between Junior Senior and M83. Interesting...

Dramarama - Anything, Anything

It's weird, I never heard this song before I moved to LA. Here they play it on pretty much every rock station, still, despite it being considerably old. Even KROQ plays it, and their rotation is about fifteen songs wide and really only dips into the 90's for (of course) Nirvana and (inexplicably) that Harvey Danger song Flagpole sitta (which I actually dig).