I'm just sayin'...

Outback Dreamers

Australian band Powderfinger have 20 years together and seven albums to their credit, the most recent being the just-released Golden Rule. While they haven't made a huge dent in the worldwide music industry, in their home country they are hugely popular and critically-acclaimed, racking up an impressive total of 15 ARIA awards (the Australian equivalent of the Grammys) to date. Their sound is an earnest brand of pop-rock, imagine Switchfoot or a more rocking Counting Crows and you'll have a ballpark idea of their style. The first single from the new album is the driving "All Of The Dreamers," which we've got for you here:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/69179998cfd62db5/

If you like that, keep ahead of the rest of the block and get the upcoming second single "Burn Your Name" too...

http://www.zshare.net/audio/691801609c65ff77/

Fertile Little Tattooed Pageant Parents Who Enjoy Baking

The Soup always gets a few good laughs out of me. What's funny about this clip is how frighteningly believable the whole premise is in today's TV age!

Stairway to Lobster

Just wanted to share this fun video of Australian cover band The Rock Lobsters and their inventive take on Led Zep's classic "Stairway To Heaven..."

Acid in the Willowz

Hailing from Anaheim, California, The Willowz play soulful, bluesy garage rock ala the White Stripes or The Hives. The video for their song "I Wonder" was directed by none other than famed director Michael Gondry, who also used a couple of their tunes in his film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. They've been making music since the early 2000's and have released records on indie label kingpins such as Sympathy For The Record Industry and Dim Mak, who recently released their new album Everyone. The first single is the catchy, raucous "Repitition," which we have for you here...

http://www.zshare.net/audio/68958739b29f6213/

And because the Queens love you, as a bonus here's the spirited and pulsating remix by the Acidkids...

http://www.zshare.net/audio/68958882a4727fec/

Stone Age Prodigy

Twelve years ago the Liam Howlett-masterminded Prodigy released their massive worldwide break-through album The Fat of the Land, bringing rave and techno to the mainstream for the first time. That very same year, the young guitarist from the recently defunct desert stoner band Kyuss started slowly building a new musical adventure that would be known as Queens of the Stone Age. Now, a decade and change later, Josh Homme's Queens are hugely successful, not to mention his newer notoriety with rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. The Prodigy, although still huge overseas, have cooled a bit here in America in recent years. Fortunately for us, the two acts still share a mutual admiration. The Prodigy recently released an all remix album of tracks from their recent Invaders Must Die album, and the two Mr. H's, Homme and Howlett, got together to remix the track "Take Me To The Hospital." Dubbed the "Wreckage Mix", the quite tasty and heavily-pounding mix recalls the best days of industrial dance, and here it is...

http://www.zshare.net/audio/689124488176267d/

Under-Appreciation Society : For Squirrels

One of the saddest stories of unrealized potential in rock history is the story of For Squirrels. Coming out of the typical college town music scene of Gainesville, Florida, they began with a few simple jam sessions and very quickly grew into a band of great promise. The "classic" line-up that recorded their two albums of material consisted of vocalist Jack Vigliatura, guitarist Travis Tooke, bassist Bill White and drummer Jack Griego. Their sound was very much influenced by the then hugely successful R.E.M., who had started out under similar un-pretentious college-town beginnings a decade and a half earlier in Athens, Georgia. As the band's songwriting progressed, the influence of other alternative rock artists of the time, most noticeably Nirvana, shone through.

They independently released their first album Baypath Rd. in 1994. Pleasantly rough around the edges, the songwriting and playing were obviously inspired and attracted attention for the young band, enough so that Miami-based Y&T Music re-released half of the tracks from the album as an EP entitled Plymouth. This afforded the music some better distribution, and the extra visibility, along with their ever-increasing live following, resulted in their being signed by major label Sony/550 by 1995.

At this point, the band was joined by famed English record producer Nick Launay (INXS, Silverchair), and recording was started in studios in Miami and the Bahamas. The resulting album, Example, certainly delivered on the earlier promise. The rough edges were still there in spirit, but the songs and production were far more realized and polished. Listening to these songs, one is definitely struck by the feeling that more great strides were to come for this developing group as their career progressed.

Sadly, that was not to be. Less than a month before the scheduled October 1995 release date for Example, tragedy struck. On their way back to Gainesville from a performance at the legendary CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, the band's touring van lost control somewhere in Georgia. Vigliatura, White and tour manager/close friend Tim Bender were all killed, and both Tooke & Griego were seriously injured.

After some healing, the remaining members picked up the pieces and brought in bassist Andy Lord and continued as a 3-piece For Squirrels, with Tooke taking over vocal duties. At first, Griego was still healing and had to play his drums with a crazily-built contraption to help support his arms, but that was how determined they were to continue playing their music. Having seen them a number of times during this period, I can tell you that there was both spooky magic and intense passion in these performances. There was, of course, a deep sadness, but also an undeniable fight to these musicians who had lost their brothers en route to superstardom.

Eventually, they changed their name to Subrosa, releasing a solid debut album on Sony called Never Bet The Devil Your Head, but the momentum of the original band had been irrevocably halted, and with little promotion from the label, Subrosa eventually fizzled out.

The happy part of the story is that the music is still here to enjoy. Example is currently out of print, but can still be found if one looks in the right places. Baypath Rd. is a much harder-to-find treasure, but fortunately for you, we're happy to share some of the best tracks from both releases with you here.

Example

Their Sony major-label debut opened with the surging "8:02 PM," which I recall having read that Jack explained as being about the feeling of the adrenaline rush just a few moments into the start of a much-anticipated event, obviously inspired by the band's set openings on stage.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/687952947b54643a/

The R.E.M. influence was never more apparent than on the charming "Orangeworker."

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6879540164ef6f17/

Their lone radio hit, minor though it was, was Example's "The Mighty KC." KC is, of course, Kurt Cobain, who had become a big influence on the band before his tragic suicide the previous year.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/687956058e7b3ba7/

One of my favorites, "Disenchanted" sounds to me like they had turned their obvious influences into something truly unique and identifiable, a sound all their own.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/68795769c2327442/

Baypath Rd.

Special thanks to my friend John Kuge who contributed the high quality mp3 files from the very rare Baypath Rd.

The first track on Baypath Rd. as well as the Plymouth EP was "Flagboy," which established very clearly the R.E.M.-influenced college rock sound that defined For Squirrels.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/68793859aeecf1be/

More of the same with "Kabaret," which showcased their talent for soaring, beautiful melodies.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6879397503995931/

Probably my personal favorite from the first album, "R.O." is obviously about Jack's infatuation with his sisters baby. The song is so unapologetically tender and pretty, I'm not sure most other "college rock" bands at the time could've pulled it off at all. The lyrics are so full of imagery that you can practically feel the summer breeze blow across the back of your neck as you cradle this baby in your arms.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/68794622a8773b66/

And lastly, the sweet melancholy of "Unicycle."

http://www.zshare.net/audio/687948064f84c525/

Wrangler Really Tiny Jean Shorts

Sometimes it's so easy to just laugh!

Wrangler Really Tiny Jean Shorts - watch more funny videos

Ok Go : WTF?

Just because Chicago hipster darlings Ok Go got on your radar by way of their crazy/cool videos, don't neglect to notice the fact that they make some great power-pop, too. Like the bratty younger brothers of Beck, they manage to blend the cool and the quirky, the smart and the silly, and come out the other end with keenly written songs that are sharply produced. 2010 will see the release of what is, believe it or not, only their third full studio album, "Of the Blue Colour of the Sky." The first single "WTF?" is typically catchy and hip, with some crazy-fast squiggly lead guitar screaming out in the middle. Get it here and now:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/68657995436119b5/

The Dead Heart

London's Dead Kids play intense keyboard-heavy new wave with some serious undercurrents of punk, funk and even a little art rock. This is, of course, quite awesome! One of those bands that made the most out of using the internet as a marketing tool a few years back, they are now rather well-established via a number of singles on uber-cool indie labels such as Fierce Panda and Sparrows Tear, where they are currently holding court. Their new single "German Heart" gets a wicked guitar-riff-driven remix by fellow Londoners, psych-metal trio Invasion, and you can get that here:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/68613772e3c21dba/

The battlefield-worthy "Cooks DJ Stole My Modem Remix" of previous single "Snakes" probably got some play at the cooler Halloween parties a few weekends ago. Check that out here:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/68613912edba5947/

Last but not least, here's my favorite of many remixes of 2007's single "Fear And Flouride," which We Are Not Ghetto Kids remixed into a hard-hitting electro-industrial mammoth:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6861510890b50433/

The Prodigy Takes The Stone Rose To The Hospital!

Few voices in rock are as recognizable as that of Ian Brown. As a defining element of the late 80's-early 90's "Madchester" scene, his band The Stone Roses created a unique fusion of alternative rock, psychedelia and most of all, hot dance grooves that probably has not been equalled since. Six albums into his solo career, Brown's voice still sounds as fresh and young as it did a couple decades ago, and he is still making music with those same three magical ingredients. Although his latest album "My Way" is a bit uneven, there are more than a few moments of glory to be found. One of those moments is the upcoming second single, "Just Like You." Bringing the glory up a few notches is none other than The Prodigy's main man Liam Howlett, who has done a tasty electronic remix drenched in stabs of synth-strings.

"Just Like You (Liam Howlett's Hospitalized Remix)" is here:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/68566979ed2188c0/

Alice's Decision

Recently I've been raving to anyone who would listen about how great the new Alice In Chains album is. I don't much listen to entire albums these days, but I've probably played "Black Gives Way To Blue" a hundred or more times already! It's at least as strong an effort as their classic second album "Dirt," and arguably their finest batch of songs altogether. Many a fan or critic has remarked negatively about the band's decision to replace the late Layne Staley. Hey, I miss Layne too, but it was his own decision to turn his back on his fans and his band mates in favor of drugs, not the other way around. Besides, I'm betting that Layne would be pretty proud of his boys for doing such a great job in honoring his legacy while still moving forward! New singer William DuVall, a native son of Atlanta, does a tremendous job of fitting into the band's firmly entrenched aesthetic, sounding very similar to Staley, yet with his own voice still intact. Speaking of decisions, the band's third single entitled "Your Decision" comes out this week, and is my personal favorite on the album. Here it is...

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6852571495cac94a/

Now would be a great time to go to the usual outlets and pick up the whole album!

Makin' A Big Splash

Just earlier this very week I was kvetching with my homies Bryon D. and Steve O. about the sorry state of today's popular hip-hop, rap and R&B. We all agreed that the genre was overrun with lyrics and rhymes that were completely infantile and tracks that were unimaginative and dated.

Well, my bitching and moaning must've been heard by the funk and soul gods, as I had this most amazing "mixtape" dropped into my lap, full of exactly what SHOULD be on everyone's radio and at the top of the charts.

"Heir To The Throne Vol. 1" is the title of this fantastic album's worth of expertly crafted, imaginatively produced and perfectly performed tunes by one Mr. Jack Splash. Maybe you've heard his name before, he has written and produced for some of the most successful names in the aforementioned "urban" genres. Names like Alicia Keys, John Legend, Jamie Foxx and Cee-Lo, to name but a few. The mixtape itself boasts collaborations with Kelis, T-Pain, R. Kelly and others.

Apparently designed as a pre-cursor to his forthcoming album "Technology And Love Might Save Us All," "Heir To The Throne" stands quite boldly on it's own! Check out the electro-funky track he did with Kelis, "In The Future" here...

http://www.zshare.net/audio/684292856bc08bb5/

And the booty-shakin' Peaches-meets-Prince track "Luv Slut" here...

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6842932729c1b52d/

Or save yourself the extra mouse clicks and just download the whole mixtape file here, since you're gonna eventually anyway!

http://www.zshare.net/download/68376769de21ab1c/

Screaming Life

So this post marks the first time that I'm sharing with you something that I've not found myself but something that found me. The lovely people at Low Life Inc., a New York-based Promotions/Management team, forwarded me some tracks from Moscow's upcoming techno-electro punk Polymorphic, and I have to say that I can't wait to hear what they send me next! Polymorphic has a new EP out called Rock On, and it is full of filthy beats, distorted synths and screaming samples. Here's a taste of the Coco Machete-released EP, the track "Scream."

http://www.zshare.net/audio/68323632cd6bc826/

PM has also done some killer remixes for the likes of Fukkk Offf, Proxy, and my personal favorite, the Beastie Boys "Intergalactic," which he turns into a menacing, bass-heavy electro monster.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/683236650c431988/

Pick up the entire Rock On EP over at Beatport:

https://www.beatport.com/en-US/html/content/home/detail/1/beatport#app=7ef5&a486-index=2

The Minds of Vultures

A couple weeks ago we posted the first single from the rock and roll behemoth that is Them Crooked Vultures, a smokin' track called "New Fang." Now a second track from the album has leaked, and it's possibly even more deliciously mad than "Fang." It's called "Mind Eraser, No Chaser," and it's chock-full of Josh Homme's insane riffing and twisted, jagged leads, Dave Grohl's elegantly brutish pounding and John Paul Jones' relentlessly driving bass. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, it even ends with a sweet little brass coda. It's as close to a rock and roll overdose as you're likely to come!

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6826514469cae234/

Update... Tracks are leaking like crazy from this obviously amazing soon-to-be-released album, I thought I'd share another one with y'all! This one is the first track on the album, and carries just a touch of subtlety that the first couple tracks we've heard were un-mercilessly short of... It's called "No One Loves Me And Neither Do I."

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&batch_id=TzY1M25ITWNubHpIRGc9PQ

Moonstone Photography

My friend Jan Higa, who actually used to be in a band called the Dead Bunnies with me, has a great website showcasing her amazing photography business, Moonstone Photography. Some of her specialties are finding the serene beauty in nature or distilling an action shot to it's utter essence. Oftentimes she might add her own twist in the presentation to take it to another level, a fish-eye lens here or a boost in bright color there, and she travels the globe searching for that perfect shot. You MUST check out her work, the weblink is here...

http://www.moonstonephotography.net/

Rock 'N' Roll Trash

Straight outta Bremen, Germany, Trashmonkeys have been churning out convincing garage rock since the late '90's. Like The Hives and The White Stripes, the 'monkeys ain't got no need for modern technology, just a big attitude, killer tunes and some amps cranked up to 11! They've been releasing a succession of EP's recently, and the latest one is called Dreammaker Ave. Along with their usual Who-style bombast and classic Kinks-worthy songwriting, this track lovingly entitled "I'm A Mess For Rock 'n' Roll" also throws down some Velvet Underground desperation and a strong dose of swirling Deep Purple-ish organ grinding!


http://www.zshare.net/audio/68231547a1de05c1/

Grindie City

"Grindie" is the label being attached to the style of music the UK's Hadouken! make, an industrial-influenced mix of British grime and indie rock. The young five-piece have recently released the EP M.A.D. ("Mutually Assured Destruction"), with three new tunes and three remixes of the title track, and it is a glorious barrage of dirty beats and wicked rhymes that would make both The Prodigy and the Wu-Tang Clan proud. Download "M.A.D." the song here...

http://www.zshare.net/audio/681921517f8be134/

And also check out the hysterically vicious video here...

Hadouken! - M.A.D

Hadouken! | MySpace Video

Kim & Cookie

This clip is HIGH-larious!

Mean Girl

I'd hate to see this bitch when she's PMS-ing!

Tongue Ride

With a sound so big, so muscular and so gritty, you think Paper Tongues have got to be from one of the mega-American cities, right? New York or L.A. probably, or maybe the streets of Chicago or Atlanta? No, believe it or not this seven-piece band actually hails from Charlotte, NC! Lead singer Aswan North owns a commanding, soulful voice that is equal parts Cee-Lo and Chris Cornell, and the rest of the band is equally as powerful. They mesh rock'n'roll and hip-hop together so uniquely and sublimely, and with such commercial promise, it's as if Rage Against The Machine is jamming with the Black-Eyed Peas. Hard-hitting and heartfelt, their music is as in your face as it soon will be in the charts. Currently signed to A&M/Octone, their first album is expected soon. Here's the band's debut single, "Ride To California."

http://www.zshare.net/audio/681524177d58d5b1/

Not Too Soon Anymore

You know how people use that phrase all the time lately, "Is it too soon?" when referring to someone making a comment about a sore subject, usually poking fun at the recently deceased? Well it's official, the acceptable time frame is obviously 4-5 months, also known as the time it takes for a movie to go from theatrical release to dvd release. Most likely you heard about last summer's Michael Jackson-related scene that was very quickly removed from Sacha Baron Cohen's brilliantly offensive film Bruno just days before it's premiere. When the King of Pop suddenly, and in hindsight, not as unexpectedly as it seemed at the time, left this mortal coil? Well, the dvd is about to come out and now it's okay, you see? Although the scene is a little bit amusing, it's deletion from the theatrical release obviously wasn't a major detraction from the hilarity that surrounded it in the film. Still, it warrants a quick view, and now we can laugh safely, so here it is...

Dick Towel!

Buy one for your kids this Christmas!!

dJ uPdoG - Right Place Right Time Mix

It's magical when you know it's right. The atmosphere fits the mood, the words describe the feeling, the payoff explains the cost... You're in the right place at the right time. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, you know it. You may enter now, there is no fee. You're where you belong, and we're happy to have you.

dJ uPdoG: Right Place Right Time Mix.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/67992849e7869561/

01 - Assemblage 23 - Spark (Combichrist Remix)

02 - Kesha - Tik Tok (Charlie Bucket Mix)

03 - Vitalic - Poison Lips

04 - Radiohead Vs. Discotech - Everything In It's Right Place (Gigamesh Remix)

05 - The Crystal Method Ft. Emily Haines - Come Back Clean (Kaskade Extended Remix)

06 - Don Diablo - Never Too Late (Jark Prongo Remix) (Don's Late Nite Dub Edit)

07 - Fool's Gold - Surprise Hotel (Mad Decent Remix)

08 - Kid Rad - Over Again (Creme Prulee Remix)

09 - Lee Coombs - Control (The Rogue Element Remix)

10 - Baby Monster - Ultra Violence & Beethoven (Arveene & Misk Remix)

11 - Felix Da Housecat - L.A. Ravers (Club Mix)

12 - Fagget Fairys - Samo Ti (A.C. Slater Remix)

13 - David Guetta Ft. Chris Willis - Gettin' Over (Funk D Remix)

There, now isn't that better?

Glee Club: Bear Edition

I know all you fans of Glee will get a kick out of this little vid!

Got The Diamonds!

The UK's Get Shakes are an electro rock duo made up of brothers Darren and Matt Farrow. They've done some admirable remixes for the likes of Kasabian, Datarock and MSTRKRFT, and their own track "Sister Self-Doubt" became a staple on the European Festival Circuit a couple summers ago. They've been hard at work on their debut album, which is slated for release sometime in early 2010. In the meantime, they've released a double-A-sided single pairing up new tunes "Love/Hate" and "She Found The Diamonds" to whet our appetite, and it's working quite well for us here at TQ HQ. Fans of LCD Soundsystem and Bloc Party will dig the irresistable "She Found The Diamonds," and we're excited to share it with you here.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6792471978bc7150/

Dramatic Grammar

After releasing a couple of EP's, a few singles and a fantastic self-titled first album, British indie band Grammatics have created a well-earned buzz. Frontman Owen Brinley has a considerably diverse arsenal of guitar chops and sings like the love-child of Freddie Mercury and Thom Yorke. Yeah, I know, it's okay to take a minute to digest that one... The band, for it's part, comes off somewhere between Muse and Bloc Party, although slices of Nirvana-esque rawness and Weezer-esque pop sensibility are also apparent. Their latest release is a non-album single entitled "Double Negative" and it's an arresting piece of intelligent, complicated pop.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6792363740233cea/

Have You Seen This Man?

Barbie Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken Doll. No, it's not a joke. Who wouldn't want to give their daughter (or effeminate son?) this for Christmas? Made by Mattel, available soon!

Blood Sugar Pop Magick

New York indie band The Bloodsugars play sweet sugary music that is equal parts synth-pop and guitar-jangle. The four-piece released an Ep in 2008, and have just released their first full-length, I Can't Go On, I'll Go On, through NY indie label Engine Room Recordings. The album was produced by Bill Moriarty, who most recently gained some hipster indie-cred for his work with Philly's Dr. Dog. First single "Light At the End of the Tunnel" recalls the 60's pop of The Turtles and the Lovin' Spoonful, filters it through early Elvis Costello and winds up somewhere between the current sounds of Hellogoodbye and Spoon.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6787195475d22a3c/

Mother Fuzz

Pacific Dust is the title of the new release from California's The Mother Hips. The San Francisco-based Hips, a band that you've most likely never heard of, have actually been playing together and building up a constantly growing audience for almost 20 years now. They've been through the major-label machine, having been signed to Rick Rubin's American Recordings for a time in the mid-1990's, then spit back out to the indies by the end of the decade. After a short hiatus in the early 2000's, they reconvened and got back to the work at hand in 2004. Their music is an earthy kind of Americana, with catchy songs a la Augustana, the alt-country spirit of the Drive-By Truckers, and the jammy musicianship of Wilco. Here's "White Falcon Fuzz," the opening track from the new album.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6787096737f50043/