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These past couple weeks some really great bands have been drifting by my radar. This week, I discovered Provo, Utah’s Shark Speed.
Overflowing with wonderfully tangled chords, summersaulting rhythms and vocals that easily hit all the highs without sacrificing the lows, Sea Sick Music keeps you intrigued with unexpected electronic flourishes and subtle touches of brass. Still, the unforgettable melodies and hook-filled choruses are the real show stoppers. For a debut album – for any album – Sea Sick Music is incredibly accomplished and varied, not to mention fun and completely entertaining. [Beartrap PR]
Listen to Battle Born

In order to promote his first full length without the Pedro the Lion moniker, David Bazan has released a track off of his upcoming album Curse Your Branches. The track is called Bless the Mess and according to Bazan is a kind of autobiographical song. Something he’s never really done.
According to Bazan:
The song is largely autobiographical. So any narrative in the song reflects actual events. Though I may have embellished a bit. But the main lyrical gimmick is sort of a self-conscious and hopeful interpretation of the Beatitudes, which I have an uneasy relationship with as the narrative tends to illustrate.
Curse Your Branches is available for pre-order! You’ll get access to a free stream of the record if you order before Sept 1.
Pre-order HERE!
Four years and two masterpiece albums under their belts, Circa Survive have completed their recording contract with Equal Vision Records and have signed with major label Atlantic Records.
In today’s music business, it’s hard to celebrate a great band moving on to the “Majors.” This is usually the point in a great bands history where they drop off the face of the earth (ahem….Noise Ratchet). We’ll see what happens. But I’m not too excited about this news.
The band has begun work on their third record in Toronto, ON with producer David Bottrill (Tool, King Crimson, Silverchair, Moneen).
Read the band’s full statement on their official website.

Scottsboro, Alabama’s Latin For Truth – with help from their friends at Pitfall Records – have released a free digital version of their latest EP, We Are Sick of Not Having The Courage To Be Absolute Nobodies. To download all three songs, as well as lyrics, artwork and a bio, go here.
Here’s a sample:
Song: 88 Says
Album: We Are Sick of Not Having The Courage To Be Absolute Nobodies

I’m going to start up a little weekly post or bi-weekly post called Bands You Should Know. I’ve been trying to keep up with music, but have been falling behind. Not a lot floats my boat anymore.
That’s changed with this week’s discovery of Raleigh, North Carolina’s Gray Young.
Check out a tune:
Song: Tilling the Wind
Album: Firmament

Rating: 



NOFX has been a part of my life now for 16 years. I first was introduced to them in 1993 by a friend of mine and I can say that NOFX was my gateway drug into Punk Rock. The first song I remember hearing was The Moron Brothers off of their 1990 album Ribbed. (The song was later used in the movie Glory Daze with none other than Ben Affleck.) So, NOFX has always had a special place in my heart.
So, 16 years after my first introduction to the band and 22 years after their first full length (Liberal Animation) NOFX are still at it with their newest release, Coaster. A no holds barred, honest, insightful, thought provoking, and fun listen from a band that never seems to let up. What I like about NOFX is they’ve always stayed true to who they are as a band. Unlike their ska-punk peers The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who I stopped listening to when their shit album Let’s Face It blew up. While NOFX isn’t breaking any musical barriors or experimenting, they’re a band that builds on their established sound and have given us the best album of their career with Coaster.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen (no pun intended). Stan Bush is responsible for the awesome 80s anthem from the 1986 animated Transformers: The Movie called “The Touch.” It’s awesome 80s cheese. I love it (view the original video after the jump). In order to try and cash in on Transformers, Stan Bush decided he’d remake the song. I dare you to make it past the horrible rapping.
It’s unclear if this song will be on the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack. I really hope not. Thanks Stan Bush for ruining a great 80s memory.
FINALLY. We have the first trailer for John Hillcoat’s The Road. They’re playing up the action and intensity here. Don’t be fooled by the tone on display here, I’m sure this still is going to be faithful to Cormac McCarthy’s bleak and deliberately paced novel.
Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other. [Excerpt from Cormac McCarthy's Novel, The Road]
Plot Synopsis:
The Road tells the story of a man (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son (Kodi Smit McPhee) traveling through a desperate, post-apocalyptic world. The film co-stars Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron, and Guy Pearce.
Watch the trailer in High Definition on Yahoo. The Road will hit theaters on October 16th, 2009.
[Source: First Showing, SlashFilm]
Film composers Alex and Willie Cortés (Seppuku Paradigm) have made the scores for Martyrs and Eden Log available for free online. I haven’t seen either yet, but I’m a fan of film scores. And you can’t go wrong with free!
Downloads available after the jump.
You like free music? So do I!
San Diego’s We Shot The Moon are giving their album Fear and Love away for FREE. Yes. FREE.