Milk 'N Cookies// The Exploding Hearts

POWER POP POST XPLOSION!



Milk 'N Cookies are a band from the New York scene of the 70's that played in the shadows of bands like the Ramones and Talking Heads at CBGB's and Max's. Caught somewhere along the lines of proto-punk post-glam pre-twee, Milk 'N Cookies are coated in bubblegum and excess.

I dare you not to like this song.

"Tinkertoy Tomorrow"


Check out their sole LP, recorded in '75 but released in '77, HERE!

next...

the exploding hearts!



A power pop/punk band formed in 2001 in Portland. In fact, they are one of the best punk bands I've heard post-original wave. Undeniably retro in approach, they wear their influences (along with their hearts?) on their sleeve(s)... but they manage to sound fresh even while recycling the past. Every song on their album Guitar Romantic is incredibly well-constructed and catchy... it's just begging for you to sing-a-long. Tragically, three out of four members of the band were killed in a van crash on July 19, 2003, after the driver fell asleep at the wheel. A short end to a promising young band, but they left us one album- which you can obtain here .

Here is a memorial video with the track "I'm A Pretender," my personal favorite from the album:


"just won't cry cause my life's goin' by
i'll find someone before the day i die"

Back!// Psychedelic Unknowns Vol. 2

For real, this time.

Lately I've been exploring the roots of pop and garage music- I found this great volume of a collection of rare psychedelic/garage tracks..

Tracks lost over the years, but unearthed here for your listening pleasure!



Calico Records, 1979

01. The Starfires - I Never Loved Her
02. The Kings Ransom - Shame
03. The Caretakers Of Deception - X + Y = 13
04. The Jury - Who Dat?
05. First Crew To The Moon - Spend Your Life
06. We The People - In The Past
07. The Painted Ship - Frustration
08. The Squires - Going All The Way
09. The Front Line - Got Love
10. The Nobles - Something Else
11. Yesterday's Children - To Be Or Not To Be
12. Dave Diamond & The Higher Elevation - The Diamond Mine

COOL IT NOW // twin sister

Confession.

just cool it down stay in controooool!


This track, originally from New Edition in the year 1984, is quickly becoming one of my favorites.. it is the 80's boy band majesty of "Cool it Now" from a younger Bobby Brown and co.

VEGA is Alan Palomo, one half of the duo you may be familiar with called Neon Indian. He remixed this song. RESULT IS LIKE WHOA.

Thanks to the guys at Butter Team, you can download the remix here (right click, save as). AND ALSO the original (mediafire), which is very important as well. And if you're super stoked on the song (and you should be), you can listen to/download an extended (and superior) version of the original here. (right click, save as)

// TWIN SISTER



TWIN SISTER is one of my favorite new discoveries. They are a band from Brooklyn hitting the blog circuit pretty hard and on the cusp of a summer tour with Bear in Heaven. Their album "Color Your Life" isn't officially released until May 25th on Infinite Best, but they posted it on their website for free for two weeks a while back. They've also released an EP, "Vampires with Dreaming Kids" in November 2008.

Anyway, here is the album Color Your Life and the EP Vampires with Dreaming Kids, fooor free.

COLOR YOUR LIFE.
VAMPIRES WITH DREAMING KIDS.

They have other gems and random downloads in blog form at their website if you are intrigued and want to hear more from them.

Here is the video for "All Around and Away We Go" from Color Your Life, a track I have definitely had on repeat the past few weeks- also, this video is pretty and worth a watch.


Get ready for this band to explode, for real.

ps
JUST COOL IT DOWN STAY IN CONTROLLLL.

eternal summers// SAFE AT HOME

their last.fm profile says they are "hailing from heaven", and i'd say i might have to agree. eternal summers are actually from roanoke, VA, and while i strongly recommend everything i have heard released from this emerging band, the track "safe at home" makes me feel safe at home in a jangly blend of beach pop perfection. listen up kiddos.

download the ep here!

rainbow bridge// BIG WAVE RIDER

rainbow bridge, an act apparently hailing locally from olympia/portland, have released this track, "big wave rider" on true panther sounds. this track creeps up on you, ebbs and flows and creeps until it careens into an easy explosion of nostalgic surf music, with such a fresh garage sound. i'm addicted to this track, it's a beach slacker anthem for all.

you can check out the official video for the track (which is just basically some people surfing, but i feel like that's kinda appropriate)


if you enjoy the track, you can download it here.

my bloody valentine// ECSTASY & WINE

download here.


swirly jangle pop from the masters of shoegaze, personally my favorite MBV album. important.

glam goddess// NOBUNNY LOVES YOU!

i wanna hold your haaaand.. and make ya understaaand
i just want to be your man, ya KNOOOW

okay, i'm obsessed with this band.
they're called the smith westerns, and they're awesome garage pop from chicago. their sound is basically the beach in a blender. they're album, self-titled the smith westerns, is so full of catchiness and BLISS that it makes me want to squeal. ok, may have actually squealed earlier. as a direct reaction to it. but anyway! if you are a fan of surf-influenced music, noise, garage, lo-fi, glam, and 60's pop [people have also called them "glo-fi" and "new weird garage"- i don't know if the latter actually exists, but it's a play off of new weird america]- you need to check them out! actually, it's kind of imperative that you do anyway. but especially if you're into those things.

songs you need to listen to in particular-
THE GLAM GODDESS // BE MY GIRL // TONIGHT

and you can listen to them [as well as the rest of the album] here . turn it up LOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD. because 1. that's the only way you should listen to music. 2. that's the only way you should listen to this music.

and if you're particularly jived about what you hear, you can download the album here!


//
NOBUNNY. you may want to shield your eyes.

YEAH.

anyway, nobunny is the drummer from the okmoniks & founder of sneaky pinks- justin champlin. he plays lo-fi garage punk with a decidedly 60s style. RESULT?! rocking the fuck out to something that is dance-able and SUPER CATCHY. but you can also rock the fuck out!

so you can see why you should be listening, yeah? YOU CAN LISTEN HERE! start w/"nobunny loves you" & "i am a girlfriend". you can also just download the album here instead!

and while you're listening you can think about how CUTE this picture is!


everyone's a winner.