Mongo Nation

September’s CD pre-releases in 20 words or less!

By Jeremy Azevedo

No matter how many unsolicited CDs I get in my mailbox every month, I try to at least give each and every one of them a fair shot at a review, no matter how much it may pain me to listen to some of them.

In the interest of saving myself a hell of a lot of work, I’ve condensed all of the reviews for the aforementioned albums to 20 words or less. Not only does this make my job easier, but it also makes the reviews more fun to read.

The Silent Years: The Globe

Pretty decent, atmospheric indie pop by a bunch of science dorks from Detroit. Wait, there are science dorks in Detroit?!

Common Market: Tobacco Road

One of the best hip-hop albums I’ve heard all year. A nice surprise from the burgeoning Seattle rap scene.

Late of the Pier: Echoclistel Lambietroy EP

The coolest thing about this band is that one of the dudes looks exactly like Ronald Weasley from Harry Potter.

One Block Radius: Self Titled

Kind of like a modern version of Color Me Badd. Nice try, guys.

People in Planes: Beyond the Horizon

Really good 90s-style alternative rock. Used to have a way cooler name: “Robots in the Sky”.

Brian Wilson: Lucky Old Sun

Intolerably old fashioned. Sounds like the soundtrack to a really bad musical. My mom will probably like it.

Wonderbugg: Written in Flesh

Jesus H. Christ in a taxi cab, do people really still listen to techno?

Solskucca: Swimming Without Webbed Toes

Sounds like it was recorded at a gypsy camp in Kazakhstan.

Awesome sophomore album from British indie rock band

By Jeremy Azevedo

The Kooks’ 2006 album, “Inside In/Inside Out” was one of my favorite releases of that year, and despite the fact that they are kind of lame live performers, I’ve been eagerly awaiting new material from these talented young rockers for quite some time.

“Konk” doesn’t disappoint at all, delivering more of the same vintage-y rock and roll that made the Kooks popular in the first place. Say what you will about these dudes, they’re admittedly kinda pussy, but I’ll be damned if they’re not some catchy songwriters. This is the kind of music that radio was made for; “Always Where I Need To Be” is obviously the hot single, but “Love It All” is going to be the one that drops more panties than a wash and fold clerk with hooks for hands.

Either an ad for Supercuts or a picture of The Kooks, not sure which…

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Check out this month’s awesome free downloads!

This month’s offerings include some awesome selections from metal, indie rock and hip hop artists that you should really be acquainted with… check out this months free downloads and prepare to discover your new favorite bands!

Artist: Hezekiah
Song: Looking Up

Philadelphia-born HEZEKIAH was recently tapped to co-produce the music for a Showtime original series, Street Time. His new album, I Predict A Riot, was released on September 18th.

Hezekiah

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Artist: Hangar 18
Song title: Feet To Feet

HANGAR 18 is comprised of MC’s Windnbreeze and Alaska (aka Timillionaire), and producer paWL. Hanger 18 are known for their fun, upbeat style, and can be seen touring with Def Jux labelmates such as El-P and Aesop Rock.

Hangar 18

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Artist: Clan Destined
Song: Never All Way

CLAN DESTINED is the creation of the DJ/producer/emcee combo of AmDex and DT, the two youngest members of the nationally established crew, The VJC. With their mellow, thoughtful grooves, Clan may be the next generation of Mos Defs and Commons.

Clan Destined

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Artist: Turbonegro
Song: Do You Do You Dig Destruction

TURBONEGRO’s new album, Retox, is like a hurricane of bad-ass garage rock with an entirely psychotic undertone . The riotous lead-off single, “Do You Do You Dig Destruction,” will teabag your face with awesomnisity.

Turbonegro

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Artist: The Virginia City Revival

Song: Addicted

THE VIRGINIA CITY REVIVAL is sort of like Queens of the Stone Age if they were anywhere near as weird as they purport themselves to be. With its classic stoner rock sound, “Addicted” is the kind of song that Guitar Heroes can really sink their teeth into.

The Virginia City Revival

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Artist: Full Blown Chaos
Song: Halos For Heroes

Heavy Lies the Crown, the Ferret Music debut from FULL BLOWN CHAOS is full of depth and dimension, unrelenting in its intensity. Old school death metal the way it used to be, brutal and shredding.

Full Blown Chaos

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Artist: Film School
Song: Lectric

San Francisco 5-piece FILM SCHOOL creates giant soundscapes, emphasizing reverbed distortion, longing melodies and driving rhythms that make the band’s new album, Hideout, a wholly compelling and powerful experience. A modern shoegaze classic.

Film School

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Artist: Chiodos
Song: Is It Progression If A Cannibal Uses A Fork?

Post-hardcore powerhouse CHIODOS is one of those bands that manages to blend 80s synthesizers, scream-metal and pure pop effortlessly as if they were all one and the same. Bone Palace Ballet is their highly ambitious sophomore album.

Chiodos

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Artist: A Life Once Lost
Song: Worship

Philadelphia, PA rock powerhouse A LIFE ONCE LOST unveiled its long-awaited new album, Iron Gag, on September 18th. Says frontman Bob Meadows, “This album’s really pissed, and it’s very vicious.” Hipster metal at it’s finest.

A Life Once Lost

Nine bitchen’ songs you should download right now!

If you missed any of the free CraveOnline music downloads last month, use these links to check out some hot new songs by some of the best independent artists of the day. No trite Britney Spears and Timbaland shit to be found here… just real, face-melting tracks from artists who still care about the music more than the Masarati.

DJ olive
“Sub Bass Commandante”

DJ OLIVE’s debut, “Bodega”, is an ass-shaking continuous mix tape of rough, down-home dance party beats.

craveonline.com/music/artists/00000019/dj_olive

No Luck Club
“Turntables on The Bayou”

NO LUCK CLUB is an instrumental hip-hop group that combines turntable improvisation with sample-based rhythms, similar to the works of DJ Shadow, Kid Koala, Cut Chemist, Coldcut and Handsome Boy Modeling School.

craveonline.com/music/artists/00000018/no_luck_club

Zion I & The Grouch
“Make U Fly”

On their new album, “Heroes In The City of Dope”, ZION I & THE GROUCH have strengthened their reputation as artists who forever push the boundaries of hip-hop, lyrically and musically.

craveonline.com/music/artists/00000017/zion_i__the_grouch

Saafir
“Brand New”

SAAFIR’s fourth solo album, “Good Game: The Transition” (ABB Records) features a compelling mix of sincere songwriting, soulful collaborations and crisp production.

craveonline.com/music/artists/00000016/saafir

Mudhoney
“Blindspots”

Seattle grunge pioneers MUDHONEY have rocked harder and longer than most bands are willing (9 albums in 18 years) and show few signs of softening.

craveonline.com/music/artists/00000015/mudhoney

Land of Talk
“Speak To Me Bones”

LAND OF TALK are fronted by the daughter of North America’s first female alligator wrestler, and backed by Montreal’s skinniest drummer and fattest bass player. What more do you need to know?

craveonline.com/music/artists/00000011/land_of_talk

Ladyfinger
“Too Cool For School”

Pounding. Squealing. Rabid. Feral. A classic rock voice that melts the cockles like butter on a biscuit. This is LADYFINGER.

craveonline.com/music/artists/00000014/ladyfinger

Hopesfall
“RX Contender, The Pretender”

HOPESFALL’s most recent album, “Magnetic North”, showcases the band’s soaring melodies, spacey guitars and seamless mesh of clean atmospherics with over-driven post-hardcore angst.

craveonline.com/music/artists/00000013/hopesfall

Black Lips
“Not A Problem”

BLACK LIPS are kings of the psychedelic garage rock underground. Their new album is “Good Bad Not Evil”, out now on
Vice Records.

craveonline.com/music/artists/00000012/black_lips

Look out for our November download round up.

Interpol makes you care about post-punk indie rock again.

After being so thoroughly disappointed by recent post-punk acts like She Wants Revenge, who are at once monstrously over hyped and under talented, it’s refreshing to see a band like Interpol come back with a new album that shows the posers how it’s done. On their new album, “Our Love to Admire”, the NY foursome prove that there is hope for the genre yet, with excellent, poetic lyrical compositions and deliberate, hypnotic rhythms that have the cold sexuality of a heroin laced mechanical bull ride.

Not as annoying to listen to as it is to say!

Even though Junior Senior’s sophomore album, “Hey Hey My My Yo Yo” has already been available in Japan and Denmark for two years now, it could’ve been recorded yesterday and American audiences would not have known the difference. It’s hard to say what caused the delay in release when one considers the relative success of this band both critically and commercially everywhere else. Perhaps it took the recent popularity of dub bands like LCD Soundsystem, Justice and CSS to convince distributors that this album would do well in the U.S.