Sound Tracks

Bygones - "Click On That (Smash the Plastic Death)"; I don't know who thought to combine Zach Hill of Hella and Nick Reinhart of Tera Melos, but damn these guys are creating quite the spastic racket. At this point you all should know the reputations of both men as crazed musicians, but putting them together speeds up even further. Insane shit right here.
Grade: B+

The Honey Brothers - "Demonstration"; Welcome to the latest in a long line of celebrity bands. This time the celebrity does his best to stay out of the spotlight hiding himself behind the drum kit, but no matter what you're going to recognize Entourage's Adrien Grenier in all the promo pics so we might as well get that out of the way. Beyond the whole celebrity thing this isn't awful, though it does sound a little too much like the standard late 90's alternative radio music.
Grade: B-

The Skygreen Leopards - "Dixie Cups in the Dead Grass"; $10 says the most prevalent adjectives used to describe The Skygreen Leopards will be "shimmering" and "sunny". Yeah, it's that kind of music, the kind that mixes pop and folk and is totally not offensive but you kind of wish it would be. This music is way too polite for me.
Grade: C+

Pissed Jeans - "False Jesii Part 2"; Hard and fast, we've come to expect that kind of stuff from Pissed Jeans but this song adds just a bit to the tempo we've become accustomed to. Still it is totally unrelenting with it's steady riff and harsh vocals.
Grade: B

The Silent Years - "Madame Shocking"; If you've been looking for a new indie pop band to latch onto lately look no further then The Silent Years. These guys make pitch perfect melodies and adorable sounds that are impossible not to coo over. This new tune from the band's upcoming album - Let Go - proves just how cute and memorable they can be.
Grade: B+

The Clean - "In the Dreamlife, You Need a Rubber Soul"; For the first time since 2001 we are getting some brand new tunes from New Zealand's The Clean. It's been a long time coming even though a lot of the band's fans only got turned onto them by Merge's Anthology released in 2003. No matter when you got into the band you can't deny how addictive their catchy melodies are and this song is no different. Okay, maybe it's not as catchy as "Tally Ho", but it's damn good anyway.
Grade: A-

Patterson Hood - "I Understand Now"; I'll be totally up front here and admit that I am not the biggest fan of the Drive-By Truckers. That said I had no idea this guys was in the band until a few minutes ago when I re-read the press release and I still only sort of don't really mind this track. It doesn't win me over but it doesn't leave a bad taste in my mouth either. I guess I am more or less indifferent to Patterson Hood.
Grade: C

Sean Bones - "Dancehall"; This right here is why kids need to be kept away from the Bob Marley records. Too many people spend way too much time smoking and listening to Marley and instead of truly feeling the music and the message they translate it into crap like this. Seriously parents, all of Marley's records should be locked away with the poison under the sink.
Grade: D+

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - "Where Was My Brain"; Anytime there's a new Ted Leo song I will be a happy camper, and though this tune came complete with a long disclaimer about it being a demo and no album being quite ready I was more then happy to hear the punky tune over and over again. I think you will be too.
Grade: B+

Rock Plaza Central - "Handsome Men"; For a second the start of this song comes terribly close to aping Zach Condon, luckily Rock Plaza Central haven't gone all European on the first tune off their new album. Instead the country and rock influences are all still wonderfully present as is Chris Eaton's yowling voice. It's a solid tune that definitely gets us pretty amped for their sophomore record.
Grade: B

Track of the Week:
Yo La Tengo - "Periodically Double Or Triple"; After releasing an album as the Condo Fucks already this year, Yo La Tengo will follow that crazy shit up with something that sounds more less like a complete departure from the Yo La Tengo way. There's still traces of the garage oriented, indie rock sound but there's also a funky, soul inflected vibe courtesy of some mean organ play. Simply put if the rest of the album sounds like this, they should get King Khan & the Shrines to open the next tour.
Grade: A

Old School Track of the Week:
Bruce Springsteen - "Badlands"; Right now I should be speeding along some interstate on my way towards Bonnaroo where I would be seeing acts like Phish (probably not), Wilco, Of Montreal, TV on the Radio, and of course Bruce Springsteen. It would have been my first time seeing Springsteen and I was super psyched to do so. Alas, I double booked the weekend like a fucking moron and will be here in Brooklyn for the Northside Fest instead. I guess it's not so bad, but it would have been cool to be in Tennessee for the bigger festival.
Grade: A