late nights

always working. never stopping.

M83's new album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is amazing. if you have to stay up doing work, this will get you into that zone. you know which one i'm talking about. the point where time just flies by yet you manage to get a lot accomplished and before you know it, you snap out of it all and wonder how the hell it all got done. this is your soundtrack midnight-workers. enjoy it.



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and if i have depressed you already

then i will brighten up your day with The Rapture. i heard this album got good reviews and i gave it a half hour listen to on my drive to work this morning but i'm not hooked. it's possible something will click between me and this album but i believe my love affair with The Rapture died years ago. meh... you be the judge.



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know your history

emo was not always pretty boys from long island with girl problems, a collection of tight-ass witty tshirts and really nice hair. no...it was grittier than that. the emo we had in the early 2000's was the shit you drove down ocean pkwy singing to at the top of your lungs with all your friends. the emo of the mid 90's is that of brooding, off-key, sit in your room and drain yourself of all emotion type music. Mineral is one of those early emo bands that i still to this day sit and pout to. it's really great shit. really.



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well...if pitchfork says so...

blah blah blah pitchfork listed Washed Out under their "best new music" page and so i therefore feel the need to share it. i gave it a listen maybe...twice? it's not work music. maybe it's book reading music. if it was book reading music, i wouldn't know since i left my kindle at my father's house. don't get me wrong. i read books - kindle or no kindle. the problem is i'm right in the middle of 2010: Odyssey Two and i just can't abandon one book in the middle and switch over to another. it just doesn't work that way for me. this is what everyone is all of a sudden hard for..."indie electro groove". when will the chain of genre names end and we can start making up new names? there has to be a tipping point here right?



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i was searching for inspiration and got sideswiped!

cats on scanners! absolutely genius. my 20 lbs cat may just as well break my scanner so i will avoid any contributions but i've realized how great scanner can be for artwork. when the copy machine rolled out there were hoards of experimental use (one being the classic ass-scan). similar to the copy machine, the scanner brought on it's own onslaught of artwork. however i feel that we've become so accustomed to these machines that we forgot just how much fun they really can be. by what i can only deem as a mistake, someone has reignited the fun and abstract excitement that can come from a cat and a scanner. bravo!! bravo!!

Don't let a tummy ache keep you down.

Think of the Grand Trunk Road in Pakistan running straight through the middle of Cape Cod, MA. That's what I'm feeling right now as well as mildly ill from leftovers from last night.

and as a bonus

released on august 30th, 2011 (wait. that's the future isn't it? ya see i'm good like that...) i present to you the new Beirut album! according to Zachary Condon (ie: Beirut) the new album is recorded, managed, and released under his own Pompeii Records in order to preserve recording rights. not a bad way to do business eh? as always the album features Beirut's iconic uniquely exciting, romantic and dramatic sound which i honestly do not think you can find elsewhere.



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everything is made in china

formed in moscow in 2005, little did this band know what china's GDP growth would be like only 6 years from then. incredible. regardless of the fact that america has become strictly a managerial society - this band is still something to appreciate. released in 2009, Automatic Movements has remained a favorite album of mine. labeled as indietronica, their inspired by bands like mogwai, BSS, radiohead. considering this is their latest release, you would think they may have broken up. according to my research they are still actively playing shows - most recently being the Kazantip Festival. ya i haven't heard of it either but it's apparently a big deal in... Ukraine. doesn't look like they will be in the states anytime soon but i'm certainly you'll see me gushing over it the minute they book a show.



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woke up this morning and got myself a gun

no. i didn't. but i've always imagined if i was in a zombie movie i would be the type of person that wakes up in the morning, pulls out a gun, lights a cigarette and just casually blasts the heads off of the hoard of zombies waiting outside my bedroom window. i would be the cool, calm and collected character who doesn't flinch, even while zombie brains reflect back onto my cheek. i don't think it's absurd to imagine these things because you never know. even if its not zombies in the conventional sense, there are reports of mass diseases that turn people crazy and zombie-like. we are just the result of chemical reactions. love, hate, empathy...all of that really isn't you. it's the chemicals that make you, you. that person you think really loves you, wait for the moment that their stock in dopamine, norepinephrine, and vasopressin is low and then tell me if you were really "soulmates". ya. that's the truth. hurts don't it? i'm pretty sure this goes for the love of a mother, father, etc. but getting back to the zombie point... until you tell me that we will no longer have diseases, i'm going to continue plotting my character and weapon of choice until the day i die. and just a hint, don't go to the rooftop of a mall. that's where everyone will be thanks to Mr. Romero.

today's weapon of choice will be Working Towards a Nuclear Free City. released in 2007, Businessmen & Ghosts was released only in the UK but was then distributed in the US (thankfully). i'm late to discover this one but making it up by constant repeats on iTunes. felt quite suitable based on where my head is at today.



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i don't think it's called growing up

i had an interesting conversation yesterday that had me on the verge of tears. the person i was speaking with asked three questions:

- who did you think you were?
- who are you now?
- who do you want to be?

i think my answers led me down a path of some disappointing self discovery. i thought that who i was is the same as who i am, just grown up. maybe more mature. but maturity has nothing to do with this. and that's what bothers me - i have actually disappointed myself. i've let myself down. how is that possible when you control your own actions? no clue.

with that said - i'm offering up an album that i've recently been turned on to by a dear friend. this former punk rock band member turned acoustic folk singer is quite fitting. Frank Turner went from being the vocalist for Million Dead to a solo artist around 2005. England Keep My Bones was released in January of 2011.



RIGHT HERE (ya folks...that means click this link to get the album d/l...not that complicated)

asia hasn't changed and neither have i.

i'm back from my almost month-long trip to asia. considering china's internet is extremely slow and vietnam has banned access to facebook and all other networking sites, i haven't had any chance to post new music. blasphemy! i know!

for no particular reason other than me forgetting, today's album is from Say Hi. they have been active since 2002 and have split up thirty-seven times. ya...i don't know how accurate that is considering on recordings Say Hi consists of only one member, Eric Elbogen. he tours with support but other than that, it's just him. i believe in his previous recordings, it's been pretty obvious that this is a one-man band. however, on his latest album Uh Oh it isn't something i would initially assume. i think the sound has grown up in the past decade and has added layers as well as improved vocals. i'd go as far as to say that Eric in some parts of this album (ie: Posture, etc., Sister Needs A Settle) sounds like a mix between Colin Meloy (The Decemberists) and Thom Yorke (Radiohead).



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why drum circles can be beneficial to society

i came home this evening to a beautiful breeze rolling in to my apartment. i had a big glass of water, my cat by my side and everything was right with the world. that was until the drums started. as if it was pouring in from every window, the sound of bongos came from every direction. it wouldn't stop. my god awful hippie neighbors were at it again. i fully support drum circles - as long as they are as far away from the rest of the public as possible. there is only one things more obnoxious than a professional bongo player and that is, an unprofessional practicing hippie bongo player who lives next door to me. i proceeded to yell out the window and then realizing it would do me no good, i shut it and amped up the sound on my television.

i was in toronto this past weekend, hence the lack of posts. i've been saving this one for a bit. Foster the People is a group from Los Angeles, CA...of course. they are indie electronic synthpop. so go and enjoy that.



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is it really only tuesday?

i was never a team sport type of girl. i may have tried joining the track team because running sounded easy and without skill. i was wrong and quit shortly thereafter. as an adult i have actually found some use for team sports and therefore joined our company softball beer league. won our first game yesterday. ya...i made it to home base twice. once i fell on my face. but i still ran it out and got the point.

almost nothing of what i said has to do with today's band. the only thing that really links the two would be their name, the Stars of Track and Field. it's been about 2-3 years since they have released anything but as i was sitting at my desk today listening to Centuries Before Love and War, i realized how great this album is. it was released in 2006. the band is a mix of dream pop electronic shoegaze. ya...i know. pretty exciting stuff.



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just because i can't hold my excitement...

looks like Bon Iver took a trip around the USofA and found so pretttttyyyyy exciting places to write about. Let's take Lisbon, OH for example, I've been there multiple times. I could count the number of people there on my hand (that's an exaggeration but you get it). There is most likely more cow than people there. Residents proudly state how they haven't heard a single car pass by their house in 24 hours. I don't believe you can find it on Google Maps. Last I recall, Lisbon doesn't even have it's own zip code. You get it now right? I don't have to go any further...



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he's no Bon Jovi

At times, tragedies can provide the opportunity for new beginnings. With the recent and unfortunate events within my own family, I am attempting to find some comfort in that statement. The lead vocals, guitar, keys, synths & bass player of Geographer left New Jersey and headed to San Fran, CA in the Summer of 2005 after the death of his father and sister. In 2008, they released Innocent Ghosts. The success of that album lead them on to release Kites in 2009 and Animal Shapes in 2010. Here's the deal, I have to admit that I haven't really heard these guys until a few weeks ago. I'm ashamed of myself, especially when SPIN magazine publishes their discovery of the band three years prior. Okay so we all make mistakes. I've decided to post up their debut album since this is what hooked me in. I can't find much information on who the female vocals are and it appears she is no longer with the group, which I find to be a shame.



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1+1=2

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, the Manchester Orchestra started in 2005. Their fourth album, Simple Math, was released on May 10th, 2011. Being as ever retrospective, the album's concept is contemplating marriage, love, sex through the mind of a 23 yr old. I can't totally relate being that I'm three years past and apparently you just stop giving a shit between those years. A metamorphosis if you will. I'm quite attached to the opening track, Deer. "Probably too busy with your work, or am I just excusing you for leaving me alone. There's nothing in these wooden drawers to bring you back, to keep me bored. I don't know what to do with me no more."



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it's a bit of a mash up

when a band labels itself as "gothic / pop / shoegazer" you definitely wonder where all their influences came from and how that all added up to an LP release. I'm talking about Girls Names. ya, try googling that. It will tell you that apparently Isabella, Sophia, Olivia, Emma and Ava were the top five for 2010. what is slightly jarring about that mistaken discovery is...when I decided this year that if I have a daughter I'll name her Emma, I thought that was an original idea. Apparently, it's very 2010 and everyone else just thought of it much sooner than I. I'm blowing it. Anyway......... let's get back to Girls Names. They released Dead To Me on April 26th, 2011. They hail from Belfast and after taking a listen to the album, they caught me with a sound that I'd call Bauhaus meets Beach Boys. I KNOW...I KNOW...what a fucking mash up right? Trust me. Take a listen. I'm not insane. You'll see.



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supersonic aircraft

The Bell X-1 was the first supersonic aircraft in histoy. It exceeded the speed of sound and was part of America's top-secret technology. On the flipside, Bell X1 is a band from County Kildare, Ireland and I do not believe they can travel at the speed of sound. They do however create sound. A very nice sound. They have been around for a while and were originally fronted by Damien Rice. Apparently their most recent (well...not so recent really) claim to fame is being played during an O.C. episode during a lesbian kiss. Wow. Impressive. But don't let that sway you, their new album Bloodless Coup is fantastic! So just enjoy and maybe even grab a girl and swap some spit.



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just to off-set your comfort.

Xiu Xiu is a favorite artist of mine. He is eccentric and it shows in his music. I was told of a story that he basically makes his own instruments and a few years ago, someone stole everything out of his van while he was on tour. Ah some people are assholes huh? Anyway, there isn't really any good way to describe Xiu Xiu's lastest album, "Fabulous Muscles" except that there is a lot of emotion boiling within. This isn't for the faint at heart. Enjoy but don't say I didn't warn you!!



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I think we need more post-coital and less post-rock.

But then if those were my actual words, I'd be lying because I truly adore post-rock. Explosions in the Sky have a new album out called Take Care, Take Care, Take Care which was released on April 26th. Not sure how I managed to overlook this one but clearly, I did! It's been a while since their last album was in 2007...really...that long ago. I know, I too find it a bit hard to believe that but it's true. We are all getting that much older. For the album packaging, they worked with artist Esteban Rey to put together some pretty fancy packaging. I'm tempted to throw cash out for the LP as my collection is pathetic as it stands. Enjoy the weekend!





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nope, it's not smooth jazz

I'm exhausted and have little to say today. Posting up The Weeknd album "House of Balloons". This isn't a genre that I have a lot of albums in however, this one really caught my attention. It's a mix of R&B and electronic, but R&B is typically so terrible that I hesitate to even list it in that genre. However, Wikipedia does so I guess it's acceptable. Enjoy and I hope you're prepared for Monday because it is coming at ya!



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"i love beer & pussy"

I was awaken at 3:23am to the sound of exactly that. about two to three of my neighbors (presumably wasted) were shouting repeatedly for 1/2 hour at the top of their lungs "I LOVE BEER...& PUSSY". My neighbors have been a sore spot for some time now. This isn't the first time I wake up in the middle of night to their shouting. I can't be certain exactly HOW many of them live there or if they are children, adults or teenagers. All I know is there are a lot of them, their laundry which is line drying often goes all over their yard and what was once a quiet plain light blue house has been transformed into a bright red, yellow & cobalt blue paint job. I've often fantasized about ways to equally disrupt their peace but then realize what a waste of time that thought process is. So with that said...here is something totally unrelated!! The Rural Alberta Advantage is a band I discovered from their first album Departing and they released Hometown on March 1, 2011. Yes, they are from Canada. Toronto to be exact. Don't hold that against them. They are a fantastic three-piece band.



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feeling romance in the air

I decided that before I run off to celebrate my good friend's engagement at a local wine bar, I would post up a suitable album. While it's a bit melancholy, The Middle East is romantic and mesmerizing. This isn't new...it was released in 2008 but if you haven't listened to this band then you are missing out completely. They are from Queensland, Australia and broke up shortly after this album was recorded (but got back together months later - thankfully). They just released a new album called I Want That You Are Always Happy on April 8th, 2011. Enjoy and congrats to Lauren and Nick!!!



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hope you're not busy this summer.

LISTEN TO "SOME BOYS" FROM DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE'S UPCOMING ALBUM HERE

Death Cab for Cutie & Frightened Rabbit are touring this summer (DCFC will also be touring with some other quality bands - see list below). together. as in on the same bill. like a wet dream right? well i don't have wet dreams because i'm a girl but if i did, this would be one. with the excitement of this i figured i should not only post the DCFC song "Some Boys" but also share with you all my favorite Frightened Rabbit album "The Midnight Organ Fight".

first here are the tour dates:

05-18 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre #
05-20 Chicago, IL - Metro #
05-21 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue #
05-24 Edmonton, Alberta - Shaw Conference Center *
05-25 Calgary, Alberta - Stampede Corral *
05-27 Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphitheatre *!
05-28 George, WA - Sasquatch Music Festival
06-01 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom #
06-03 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club #
06-04 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero #
06-05 Boston, MA - The Paradise #
06-07 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre #
06-09 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore #
06-26 Munich, Germany - Muffathalle $
06-27 Berlin, Germany - Astra $
06-29 Hamburg, Germany - The Docks $
06-30 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg $
07-01 Kent, England - Hop Farm Festival
07-02 Milton Keynes, England - The National Bowl
07-04 Manchester, England - Manchester Academy $
07-05 Nottingham, England - Rock City $
07-07 London, England - Brixton Academy $
07-27 Columbus, OH - LC Outdoor Amphitheatre ^
07-28 Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre ^
07-29 Toronto, Ontario - Molson Canadian Amphitheatre ^
07-31 Montreal, Quebec - Osheaga Festival ^
08-01 Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion ^
08-02 Brooklyn, NY - Williamsburg Waterfront ^
08-05 Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center for Performing Arts ^
08-06 Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE ^
08-07 Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion ^
08-08 Cary, NC - Koka Booth Ampitheatre ^
08-10 Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena ^
08-11 Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre ^
08-12 New Orleans, LA - Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena ^
08-13 Grand Prairie, TX - Verizon Theater ^
08-15 Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre ^
08-16 La Jolla, CA - RIMAC Arena ^
08-18-19 Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theater ^
08-20 Las Vegas, NV - The Cosmopolitan ^
08-22 West Valley City, UT - Maverik Center ^
08-23 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre ^

^ with Frightened Rabbit
# with the Lonely Forest
* with Bright Eyes
! with Jenny and Johnny
$ with the Head and the Heart



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Vigoda then walked in and declared, "I'm not dead yet, you pinhead!"

what may be shocking news to you has actually been on my radar for a few months. Abe Vigoda (the man) is not dead. Born February 24, 1921 he is still kickin'. There is the other Abe Vigoda that has seen the death of their original sound and the birth in a new genre. Based out of Chino, California the band started as "tropical punk rock" but on their latest album Crush, it's synth rock all the way through. The lead singer's voice is reminiscent of 1980's synth bands and that holds a very special place in my heart. They were recently on tour with Wild Nothing and of course, I missed it. Gah!



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just a quickie

I'm running late for work but couldn't help myself. I desperately want everyone to hear Film School's album "Fission". I was taken by surprised that they released this in August of 2010. I'm doing a pretty awful job of keeping up on bands.



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and just because...

it was a terrible day I have decided to post twice today. I'm really excited over this next band. I was eating at Ahli Baba's Kabob shop on Sunday and the kid behind the counter was playing a great mix over the speakers. This band in particular caught my attention and so I had to ask. After some extensive searching, I found them. Seems like they released the one and only album (A Long Way from One to Zero) in 2004 and then disappeared. Be careful in Googling "tyko". Apparently, there is some DJ who has the same name and is certainly not what I'm getting at here. Tyko (the band) is a great shoegaze band with distorted guitars and dreamy lyrics. It's no My Bloody Valentine but I'd put them in the same bucket. Enjoy the album here because it's seemingly impossible to find and non-existant on iTunes or Amazon.



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she was the heart in your heartbreak

Fog, rain, thunder, lightning and even some flooding. What does Depeche Mode, NIN, Smashing Pumpkins and today's download all have in common? You guessed it (or probably, you didn't)...they all have been produced by Flood. What does that mean? Well it means a pretty damn good album that just came out called "Belong". The band hails from Brooklyn (as any great band should). I'd consider this album as melodic-twee with great guitar riffs. Enjoy.



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The Unwinding Hours

After sitting in the office for over 5 hours on a Saturday, I had the opportunity to finally listen to this band. It's the listen where even though you've had the album for a while and listened to it for a while, this is the point where you really have that connection. That moment. These guys are another Scottish based band with their name being a quite obscure reference to The Shining. Former members of Aereogramme (hailing from Glasglow), Craig B and Ian Cook have created an album that goes from whisper soft to heart pounding bold & vibrant.



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Modern Rituals

In appreciation of the upcoming holiday - I'm posting up an indie band with members that all look like Jesus Christ. Now if this isn't resurrecting from the dead, I don't know what is. Let's start you out with their infectious video so you know where I'm coming from...



They are a four piece band from the good ol' West coast. Some people are saying they are a mix of Neil Young and the Beach Boys and I would agree but add a few more people in there. I really feel a strong Bob Dylan influence in the lead singer and in modern day influences I'd bring up Andrew Bird and even Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene). There you have it. Support these guys - they are going to be your next favorite Summer album.



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FYI - I'm abandoning SendSpace and moving to Mediafire. Another free file sharing site that forces you to navigate trecherous territory in order to find the small tiny little "download here for free" button. I promise, once you get the hang of it you'll be pro.

Like a fine wine, they get better with age

So I want to apologize for Brit being my first official post. In order to make up for such, I have two things.

1) This is a photo of my amazing Uncle John (right) "arresting" Billy Joel. It's a classic and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.



2) A favorite band of mine...I cannot believe this will be their seventh album. I have to say that I felt a bit disappointed in their previous album but this has made up for it. The Scottish have had a strong hold since 2010 and they don't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Love.


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At Last I'm Born Has Been Born

So here's how this blog works. I post an album cover, you click where it says "RIGHT HERE" and then you can figure out where it leads from there. Now let's begin...



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My first post will be shameless...this one is for my girls. I promise this will be the one and only Brit post on this blog.