Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Polyvinyl Record Co. Summer/Fall 2005 sampler

So can someone tell me why Polyvinyl went to the trouble and expense to once again confirm to the world that Picastro is the only worthwhile band signed to this label and even then they're a bit uneven - the cut they include on the CD ("I Can't Fall Asleep" which you can stream over here) is much better than the current MP3 they have for download ("Sharks")? As an insomniac, I am adopting it as my late night computer solitare playin' theme song. At any rate, if I find a good price on this newish Picastro CD, I'll probably bite, sharks or no.

I have two of these sampler suckers already and apparently they're being stuffed into any inSound orders so I imagine I'll have a full set of drink coasters by the end of this month. At least I could give the American Analog Set Tylenol sampler out to friends and not be too embarassed.

As for trendy MP3 bloggers faves Aloha, it's kinda okay pop - I haven't deleted yet - and as for Of Montreal (another perrenial flower among the indie proto-yuppie scene) have they really progressed much from when they were a Shins cover band? I mean it's okay. Decibully sounded way better at MacRock than they do now. I dunno if it was the drive through the mountains of Virginia where everything kinda sounds good or just some distance. I've tried to "get" xbxrx -- I mean I like noise, I like guitars, I like post-HC and all that shit -- but for the life of me, I don't get it.

Has anyone found any good free record samplers lately?

Props to Polyvinyl Record Company for at least putting it out there, y'know man...


(I'm thinking about doing more contemporary record reviews like above and they won't always include MP3s. What do you all think? I think as long as I keep them short and to the point -- unlike my vinyl musings -- it oughta work. huh?)

ADDENDUM: Maybe I should modify my first sentence to include Joan of Arc (and all its permutations) as a worthwhile Polyvinyl band but in my defense they're not on this sampler...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

when you did your mashup how did you remove the vocals from the track?

Jim H said...

On the mashup, I didn't remove vocals - I just cut and pasted and duplicated non-vocal passage to make it sound like it was an entire verse or chorus. I used Audacity/Sound Forge.

Gregory Jacobsen said...

I haven't heard much redorded material by XBXRX, but you have to see them live- really phenominal. Saw them last night, actually.they always have a great energy and the singer barks out between song stage banter like a used car salesman on late night TV. There are usually some ridiculous synchronized moves and everything ends up on the floor. last night they reminded me of Cryptic Slaughter for some reason.

I was working the merch table trying to sell some of my crap, these CD samplers were sitting on the corner of the table and I felt like chucking them in the garbage.

Anonymous said...

OK - I'll try to check them out live. Oh by the way, check out Fatty's blog (cakeandpolka.blogspot.com) for some wierdness and obscrities. Keep on forgetting to add him into the blogroll.

Anonymous said...

Picastros allright but check out one of the guys in the bands earlier projects: Pecola.