mp3: Mountain Man "Animal Tracks"

"And The Sweat Will Roll Down Our Backs"

I could go on and on about how this reminds me of a Green Mountain Joanna Newsome, how Alex Bleeker & the Freaks version of the tune is a raucous force to be reckon with, or how it makes me so introspective I think I need a therapist. Instead I'm just going to post the lyrics. The group is Mountain Man. The song "Animal Tracks." According to the band's site, the song was written by Alexie "in her room at night in the spring time in pink light listening to the peepers in her favorite red skirt."

We'll drink horse bark root beer
and sit on your back stairs
and I'll whisper in your hair
in the summer air
in the summer air

And the sweat will roll down our backs
and we'll follow animal tracks
to a tree in the woods
and a hole in the leaves we'll see
the bright baby eyes of a chickadee

A host of tunes available for free download and purchase, including high quality audio files for all you sound heads, on the band's website.

Mountain Man- Animal Tracks

video: Dana Jewell "No Family" & "Homeward Bound"

"I Wish I Was"

Coming on like a revelation after 25 minutes of ear shattering reverb courtesy of Big Troubles, Dana Jewell's early set at the Underwater People's Showcase was one of the most intimate set of the evening. Backed only by a guitar and his voice, which rings like an old familiar friend you rarely see, the proprietor of Wild Animal Kingdom Records, whose WAKR Vol. 1 and Vol.2 have become staples around Bobka HQ, performed a short set of ballads, including WAKR Vol.1 standout "No Family" and "Homeward Bound," a timeless tale chronicling ones longing for steady shelter, a warm bed and a good meal. A long way from his home in Olympia, Washington, Jewell seemed delighted in his Brooklyn surroundings, albeit a bit flabbergasted, but it's his unbriddled sincerity and genuine good heart that shine through on his performance, giving Jewell a sort of "man, I really want to be friends with that guy" quality.

video: Ducktails "Various Songs"

"Surf's Up"

"Hypnagogic Pop" never sounded as good as it did Saturday night at the Underwater Peoples Late Summr Showcase. The festival, held at the Market Hotel, featured an ebb-and-flo of punky no-fi, jangly folk, psychotropic tropicalia, dark folk, surf psych and jungle fuzz pop, lending it a true musical melting pot vibe that even Lady Liberty could vouch for. In between running sound for bands like Big Troubles and Frat Dad, scene leader Matt Mondanile crept on stage as Ducktails for a hypnotic journey to the outer reaches of the milky way galaxy. I didn't know this at the time, but apparently axel's new camera picks up the color of aura's. Matt's is pink.

A Pink Aura indicates that the person achieved a perfect balance between spiritual awareness and the material existence. The most advanced people have not only a yellow halo around the head (a permanent strong point in the Aura) but also a large pink Aura extending further away. The pink color in the Aura is quite rare on Earth and appears only as a temporary thought, never as a strong point in the Aura.

video: Family Portrait "Super Cool"

"Super Cool"

The last video from our Backyard Show series features the unofficial Underwater People's house band Family Portrait spacing through "Super Cool," a tune named for the drug the kids can't get enough of in season 2 of the Upright Citizens Brigade. True to form, the only real way to get the feeling of "Super Cool" across was to double expose the backyard performance with footage Axel shot years ago in Southeast Asia. If you weren't already planning on heading to the Underwater People's Showcase today/tonight at the Market Hotel, and this video doesn't convince you, well, sorry, I've done my best to try to get you there. You'll find me spacing out in the corner starring at my shoes and tugging at my hair. It's gonna be freaky good, in an R. Kelly way.

video: High Places "Various Songs"

"This Is Where We Sing The Chorus"

When Ray Concepcion posted footage from The Walkmen's performance at the Guggenheim the other night, my first reaction was "Damn, I really want to see some High Places footage from that night." And so, this morning Ray graced us with another phenomenal capture. This up close and personal view of the band concocting synthetic lullabys swings from "Universe" to "Head Spins" to "The Tree With Lights In It," giving the performance a sort of "History of High Places" feel. If "Late Bloomer" were tacked on, viewers would see a clear progression; a taste of the past and a glimpse of the future.

mp3: Takeshi Terauchi & the Bunnys

"Whammy"
Like an amphetamine fueled chase scene in a pulp noir, Takeshi Terauchi's fret work moves like a '64 Mustang weaving in and out of traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway, Jon and Ponch in close pursuit. WFMU notes that Takeshi, one of the finest surf guitarists in the world, was greatly influenced by the Ventures, who spawned an entire scene in Japan after they toured the country in 1962. The Eleki Scene, aka the Electric Boom, is an apt name for Terauchi's brand of whammy infused surf psych. His first album with the Bunnys, This is Terauchi Bushi is a Tarantino wet dream of a soundtrack. Certainly something Quentin was digging on whilst filming Kill Bill.

Takeshi Terauchi & the Bunnys- Kanjincho
Takeshi Terauchi & the Bunnys- Musume Doseiji

mp3: Organ Morgan "Cocaine Afternoon"

"Hell Yeah"
If you like the Avalanches, bikes with gigantic handle bars, the Caribbean, blunts, Quiet Village and the sort, download these Organ Morgan tracks immediately. Straight humidity, you will sweat.

Organ Morgan- Cocaine Afternoon
Organ Morgan- Broken Heart

mp3: Pillow Talk "What Does It Take?"

"I've Tried, I've Tried, I've Tried"
Pillow Talk's cover of "What Does It Take?" swoops in like an ocean breeze, the whispering organ setting the pace for a refreshing slice of island groove. The tune, which is like lovers rock cut by two white boys from Jersey, features boy wonder Julian Lynch, aided and abetted by Evan Brody, lead vocal provocateur of Family Portrait. The coconut Coppertone aroma is deeply ingrained in the tune, which, despite a slower tempo, is fairly loyal to Alton Ellis's rocksteady version, which, in itself, is a version of a song Junior Walker had a top five hit with in 1969. One of Lynch's contemporaries, or should I say forefathers, in the circular breathing world, Mr. Kenny G, has also covered "What Does It Take?" Compare and contrast all four versions below.

Pillow Talk- What Does It Take? (Julian Lynch & Evan Brody)

Alton Ellis "What Does It Take?"


Junior Walker "What Does It Take?"


Kenny G "What Does It Take?"

mp3: Night Recordings from Bali

"Rubber Television"
Sublime Frequencies, aka the guys who brought us the un-fucking-believable Radio Thailand series and the equally as "oh my god, my mind is expanding and contracting" 1970's Algerian Proto-Rai Underground, began their run as psychedelic field recording masters with Night Recordings from Bali in 2003. I probably didn't notice because I was lost in the haze of, well, anything and everything that may create a haze. The third release by Sublime Frequencies, Night Recordings from Bali captures the heat of an Indonesian night, the breathing void of the jungle and the mystic rhythms of its people on a record that for many may a) make them go crazy; b) hypnotize them into thinking they can quit smoking; c) help them identify every living particle and molecule in their body, in order to create a lifesize illustration of themselves with colored pencils. Caught in its cryptic claws, I am speechless, so I'll let Sublime Frequencies describe this extremely, and I do mean extremely, far-out beast of a compilation. WARNING: YOU MAY SEE GHOSTS.

Beneath the creeping exterior of a pseudo-western culture slowly overtaking an amazing tradition of unique human expression, the moods of [Bali] are governed by magic and superstition. The hills, forests, rivers, and crossroads are alive with tales of demons (Leyaks) and a flesh-eating Ogress (Rangda). A lesser-known darker side of Balinese life secretly balances the lighter side "tropical paradise" of tourist brochures. This CD is composed of field recordings from August and September of 1989. The majority of the recordings were made at night in and around the villages of Peliatan and Ubud. Amidst the excerpts from Gamelan performances, rehearsals, and Ketchak, are sounds of the surrounding forests and mysterious crossroads where packs of dogs seem to take on forms of angry demons. Also encountered here are odd folk stylings for flute and drum, outdoor village theatre, and other various sound anomalies from the Balinese interior.

If you have any interest in the occult, shamanism, mysticism, drugs, darkness, extreme psychedelia or the forest, this is a must listen. That means you, you bong'd out liberal arts student studying the Polynesian Influence on 21st Century Psychedelia and Aural Healing.

Peliatan Night Walk/Gamelan Rehearsal
Legian Minstrals

video: Family Portrait "Mega Secret"

"Again"
I love Ari, Brody, Mimoun and Sawyer so when they told us their first official Family Portrait video would feature kids with flame throwers, well, I got very excited. Needless to say, it brought me back to my pre-pubescent days spent making molotov cocktails in Morris County. I think its safe to say, "Do not try this at home." Catch Family Portrait at the epic Underwater People's showcase this Saturday at Market Hotel, then next Saturday, August 29th, at the Chocolate Bobka Presents show at Cameo Gallery, with Beach Fossils, Sore Eros and Holiday Shores.

mp3: Weed Hounds "In The Afternoon"

"Starring At The Moon"

If Weed Hounds were Tapes 'n Tapes in the infamous Human Giant Clell Tickle skit, Pitchfork Editor-In-Chief "Brolin DiBiasi" would likely stick to his opinion: "not bad, for my taste, a little derivative of the Pixies." And no, for Weed Hounds, its not a bad thing. It's scuzzy, washed out, loud as fuck, and epically melodic, with coy harmonies reminiscent of Kim Deal's take on "Heaven" delivered by Laura Catalano, whose hushed whisper would as work well in a Vashti Bunyan lullaby as it would in Riot Grrrl sing-a-long. "In the Afternoon," a cut from Weed Hounds cassette demo, kicks off with sprawling feedback over a teenage garage rock beat as familiar as anything you'd hear at a high school talent show. It's crisp and warm, washed out in a way that would make '90s indie stoner-slacker forefathers like Chavez and the C86 crowd feel like God parents to the youngsters. The songs are familiar, and also familial, as if they've been around for a long time, and were only channeled by Weed Hounds recently on a four-track in someone's parent's basement. And that's OK. That's what rock n' roll is really all about; laying down simple songs that sound good in the your parents basement. No high concept, no technical wizardry, no bullhorn samples, auto-tuning or 808 drum fills, just melodic indie rock capable of charming a cold, stoned heart. Did I mention their name was Weed Hounds? Well, I should, because my guess is we'll be hearing a lot from them in the coming months, years, etc.

You can pick up Weed Hounds cassette demo on Crooked Direction by emailing crookeddirection@gmail.com. If tapes aren't your thing, you can snag the demo digitally here.

Weed Hounds- In the Afternoon

video: Forest Fire "Slow Motion"

"By The Freeway"

The watchful eye of a Grandmother looking out on the kids filling her wood paneled basement could conjure a daunting, almost scornful, sentiment. Rather, in the case of Union Hall, it's homey. Albeit, a creepy sort of home, half dilapidated and populated by rusty steel sewing machines, withering bits of ancient love letters and the dust of cobwebs past and present. It's no surprise that Forest Fire, whose debut album was recently re-released by Infinite Best, look right at home in the taxidermy laden room. "Slow Motion," which kicked off the evening, felt even more appropriate in the basement of the Brooklyn bar, where the passing of time is comparable to the pace of a morphine drip, or worse, the amount of time it takes your landlord to fix your leaky ceiling. Either way, its a moment worthy of re-living, if at least in your mind, once or twice before you pass, if only so you can say "ah yes, that was a nice night."

mp3: Atlas Sound covers Fleetwood Mac

"No One Is Listening"

Bradford continues to do his thing, this time on a romantic backyard acoustic version of Fleetwood Mac's "Walk A Thin Line." I think I can hear some banjo in the mix, which gives it a sort of campfire feel, same time, my ears may be tricked. Either way, another gem courtesy of Mr. Cox.

Atlas Sound- Walk A Thin Line

new: Africa Germany Germany ETC

"Retraced Steps"
The other day I was lucky enough to finagle a copy of the mysterious Africa Germany Germany Mexico Turkey Australia LP on Olde English Spelling Bee. Mysterious doesn't begin to describe the sound of the project, which bubbles like hash in the hot Hindu Kush heat and sways like the wafting garbage on the street in front of my apartment, which makes sense considering the only piece of info on the jacket of the LP is that it was recorded in Greenpoint in December of 2008. Insound notes the triangle of "Greenpoint, Bushwick and Ridgewood, NJ," which makes sense as it was released on OEBS, home to new records by Ridgewood, NJ cronies Ducktails and Julian Lynch. Also, the album, shrouded in secrecy, subtly appears in the "discography" section of a certain tropical loop master from a certain NJ town who plays in a few bands which certainly do not suck. That said, Africa Germany Germany Etc is a record for which comparisons to other sounds do no justice. It's full of bewilderment and ecstatic wonder, an album whose secrecy gives it a luminescence often reserved for moments where God's light shines through rain clouds and sprays incapable humans with hope and overwhelming befuddlement. The three track LP, which is limited to 215 copies, is all the drone, psych, raga, stoner shit that makes kids stay home and enjoy a deadbeat summer in front of the fan in their underwear, when they should be out picking up golf balls at the driving range, delivering pizza or doing anything besides providing t-shirts with adequate sweat stains. It's a special record for special people, and if your lucky enough, and smart enough, to pick one of these bad boys up, well, you're pretty fucking special.

Africa Germany Germany Mexico Turkey Australia- Retraced Steps

video: Alice Cohen "Black Pepper"

"Black Pepper"

Audio visual artist Alice Cohen, whom many of you may know as the director of the trypic video for Ducktails "Landrunner," recently released a video for "Black Pepper" from her 2008 record Sky Flowers on Crinoline Records. Not one to rest on her laurels, and believe me Alice has a CV the size of a thrice PHd'd brain surgeon, which includes a stint in the '80s gem-pop act The Vels, Cohen just released a new LP on Olde English Spelling Bee, home to Julian Lynch and the aforementioned Ducktails. Synthetic drum beats crackle over layers of cacophonous melodies, as Cohen channels a parallel universe much akin to Pee Wee's Playhouse on dark acid. Fans of Fever Ray, Grouper and Nite Jewel will all dig.

video: Girls "Lust for Life"

"Come On, Come On, Come on"

Another phenomenal Girls video, shot in Super 8 by Aaron Brown, is the perfect companion, appendix, side kick to the groups already phenomenal visual cannon. Polaroids and pillow fights galore.

mp3: Big Troubles "Sick Days"

My Tummy Hurts
Big Troubles "Sick Days" sounds like a sick day. Your head hurts, your mom is forcing Robitussin down your throat, while simultaneously making you drink flat Coca Cola and pressuring your into taking an oatmeal bath. (Side note: Was I the only one forced to bath in oatmeal?) Anyway, Ian and Alex apparently know this sentiment all too well, as the boys have crafted a song as uncompromisingly slacker, sedated and washed out as any sick day I've ever had, and I've had my fair share. Sort of sounds like two teenage kids who couldn't afford weed decided they should just go steal Coricidin from the Grand Union and make an afternoon out of while Mom and Dad were at work.

Big Troubles- Sick Days

mp3: Julian Lynch "Nen Vole"

"The Wind Blows"
Our man Sawyer from Underwater Peoples, who could play Francis Ford Coppola in a live theatrical reenactment of Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, peeped me to the Wild Animal Kingdom this morning, noting that "before The Chiller's Mansion, and before even the existence of Underwater Peoples, existed the Wild Animal Kingdom. These guys are our inspiration, our father figures.... We stole their artists." It's true. Real Estate, Desolation Wilderness, Pill Wonder, Fluffy Lumbers and Julian Lynch, amongst others, all appeared on Wild Animal Kingdom cassette compilations. Anyway, while I haven't physically gotten my hands on either of these tapes, I did snag a copy of WAK Vol.2, and while I'm fairly familiar with much of it (Liam The Younger, Real Estate, Fluffy Lumbers), the mix also contains a phenomenal Julian Lynch track that I hadn't heard until this morning. "Nen Vole," which also appears on the Born2Run cassette Lynch released earlier this year, finds Lynch channeling an adolescent Neil Young stuck in a cabin with a few guitars, weeping the night away while a sole candle dances with a draft from the floorboards. It sways and shutters its eyes and dreams of places far far away. It's soft as wool in the dead of winter and warmer than bourbon on the hearth, or can cooked beans on an open flame. It's a feeling we associate with the good, sad times. Blanket time.

Julian Lynch- Nen Vole

mp3: Happy Family- Mindless Pleasures

"Not To Fuck You Up"
Will Pesta's recently sent me his sample based psychedelia, recorded and released under the Happy Family moniker, and I'm pretty sure it's not intended for the average American household. It's not upfront, accessible, or unabashedly joyous. Yet, at the same time, it is all those things, you just have to look hard enough. Buried under layers of dazed-and-confused samples, stacked high with a bevy of effects that'd make even Geologist blush, Happy Family make some of the most uncompromisingly kaleidoscopic music, a strain that may have seemingly been plucked from a double rainbow, or a jack-in-the-box. Appropriately, "Mindless Pleasures" seems to incorporate a sample from ye old jack-in-the-box, and turns it into a trapdoor of sorts, as if it were a gate to the bizarro Coraline world, yet, instead of having evil parents, the young heroines family are now unicorns and giant humanized blueberry's that speak in thick German accents and blow bubbles so big they can actually get inside of them. It's weird. But if you skim the surface, you'll find there is a lot more here than just some kid with a sampler inspired by Animal Collective and his first mushroom trip.

Happy Family's have made their debut EP available to stream on Muxtape, and it's also available for download. Definitely recommend checking it out, especially if you don't have air conditioning.

Happy Family- Mindless Pleasures

show: Forest Fire Record Release Party at Union Hall

"With Gatling Gun Social Skills"
"...We Dance to the Beat." The first Chocolate Bobka Presents, a record release party for Forest Fire's Survival (finally available on vinyl via Infinite Best Recordings), is sure to be a doozy. In fact, the band has actually ensured that the evening will "have an overall sense of danger in the air," which, to me, sounds like a pretty good thing. Oh yeah, and there will be cookies.

In addition, the nice folks at Union Hall have agreed to let us give away a few pairs of tickets for the event. To enter, simply leave your favorite type of tree in the comments, along with your email address. A winner will be selected on Friday. Hope to see you there.

video: Real Estate "Green River>Suburban Beverage"

"Walk Next To You"

Real Estate jamming in a backyard in New Jersey at dusk is exactly how you want to hear their blissful tunes. After morphing from the Julian Lynch band into Alex Bleeker and the Freaks, the group took the stage as Real Estate, with Samuel Franklin (Frat Dad, Fluffy Lumbers) replacing Etienne on drums, for a mini-sesh captured by C.Axel. "Green River > Suburban Beverage," or, what in typical Dead head fashion I've dubbed, "Green Beverage," begins with the sun slowly sinking behind the tree's of the Garden State as Martin Courtney waxes lackadaisically about the joys of taking a stroll by the river side. By the time, "Green River" ebbs and flows into "Suburban Beverage," night has fallen. Lightning bugs were lighting up the backyard. 9+ minutes of sheer groove.

mp3: His Clancyness "Vampire Summer"

"So I Start My Days"

For my money, His Clancyness's "Vampire Summer" sounds more like a traditional deadbeat summer than Neon Indian's track which immortalizes lazy days spent, well, doing nothing. That is, because Neon Indian's "Deadbeat Summer" sounds a bit too alive. On "Vampire Summer," His Clancyness sounds like he's reaching out from the depths of boredom, trying to grab something tangible, only to realize that is exactly what he doesn't want to do. Of course, it's summer, so sitting around in your underwear trying to stay cool is really the only thing one can do.

His Clancyness-Vampire Summer

video: Alex Bleeker & the Freaks "Summer>Epilogue"

"Made of..."

There is really no better excuse to leave Brooklyn than to head to a backyard show in North Jersey. Even more so when the lineup consists of Julian Lynch, Real Estate, Frat Dad, Family Portrait, Alex Bleeker and the Freaks, and many, many more. So, on a sunny Saturday, a seemingly rare thing in the metro area, we headed out to Glen Rock to do just that; see some great bands, hang some like-minded folk, and, simply, straight chill. And that we did. One of the best parts of the day was seeing Alex Bleeker & the Freaks tear into "Summer>Epilogue," a loose, yet clamp tight country ballad, that, at first, seems like the Dead channeling Live Rust Neil Young. Of course, Alex Bleeker & the Freaks are a sort of re-worked version of Real Estate, featuring Martin Courtney on bass, Matt Mondanile on drums and guitar player Julian Lynch coaxing vibrant grooves from his sky-birthed Telecaster. If you haven't heard this tune, well, you should probably dig up some choice Dead bootlegs circa '77 and familiarize yourself with the "source" material. If you're too lazy to do that, which, essentially means you are one-helluva-lazy-mofo, then just watch this footage c. axel poekel III shot of Bleeker & the Freaks in Adir's backyard. Jersey never sound so fine. (Born To Run= the obvious exception.) Expect more video in the coming days.

mp3: Julian Lynch "Human Nature" (MJ cover)

"Why? Why?"Julian Lynch, whose loopy excursions graced the Underwater Peoples comp, recently did a few covers for the forthcoming UP/BxF Michael Jackson covers compilation. Lynch, who is also about to release Orange You Glad, his first full-length LP on Olde English Spelling Bee, was kind enough to send up a preview of his Casio-incased soft rock take on the MJ classic "Human Nature." Sort of makes me forget that the dude who rests high above our couch with his baby tiger isn't actually here anymore. Look for the final comp soon on BxF.

Julian Lynch- Human Nature (Michael Jackson cover)

mp3: Dolphins Into the Future "Side A"

"Bubbles"
Bubbling like a frothy ocean before a storm, or a shitty bottle of champagne after a long night with Molly, Dolphins Into The Future, aka Belgian scapist Lieven Martens, crafts music not unlike Matt Mondanile when he's performing under the Ducktails moniker. But Martens takes it one step further. On Dolphins Into The Future's ...On Sea Faring Isolation, Martens not only incorporates the found sounds of dolphins and rolling tides, but the inebriating pulse of new-ageists both past and present. Steve Hillage's Rainbow Dome Musick is an apt forebearer, and sort of acts as an Intro to Bubbly Ambient Music 101 for the likes of Martens and Mondanile. Inspired by the book Dolphins Into The Future ("story of a relationship that Joan Ocean has developed with a pod of 200 Hawaiian Spinner dolphins"), ...On Sea Faring Isolation, comprised at two side-length tracks (Side A coming in at 18:41, and Side B at 18:51), was released in a super limited batch of 375 by LA freak factory Not Not Fun and is one of the finest pieces of ambient music I've heard in a while. Some may pass this off as new-agey wanker shit, but, for me, it's the sound of a thousand undiscovered oceans, the ebb and flow of the universe and the moons affect on the tides and our hearts. A strong contender for album of the year.

Dolphins Into The Future- A (excerpt)

album: Liam the Younger

"Tomorrow Will Be Good Too"
"One day I'll leave here never to come back."

It's something anyone whose ever read Dharma Bums or longed for a box car life has dreamt. The urge to run, escape in the dark dark night and ride the rails, the stars glistening on the steel below, shimmering on stand still creeks marked with dry brush. It's a feeling as uniquely American as huckleberry jam, and as haunting as the first time you hear the legend of Bloody Mary. Even in a world moving at a broadband pace, the idea of getting off the grid and never coming home, ever finding a home, or even trying to define "home," is not fleeting. It's ingrained in the spirit of the lonely wanderer searching for a quiet place to rest his head and an untouched piece of the world. Discover, observe, and leave behind. All of this, and so much more (a miner's cough, the warmth of bottled bourbon in your belly, smoke thick in lungs), can be found in the songs of Liam The Younger, whom you might recognize from his contributions to the Underwater Peoples compilation. Rather than sum up the sounds of summer, Liam's "Country Wide" and "This Land Pt.1" instead conjure images of Guthrie on the plain and migrant workers battling for a better life. It's desperate and lonely and makes me long to rid myself of city life, in exchange for a lean-to, a lamp and a can of beans.

Liam The Younger has two albums available for free download on Brave Men Run. Both are linked to below.

Liam The Younger's After The Grave
(“Passed through a graveyard. Fifteen songs about my mind and my surroundings.”)
Liam The Younger's Clear Skies Over Black River
(“Written alone. Recorded alone. ‘Slumber punk’”)

mp3: Universal Studios Florida "Frozen Bayou"

"Ocean Sunbirds"
While their MySpace says the group resides in Seattle, I'd like to think of Universal Studios Florida as being birthed in the swampy confines of the Everglades. The same exact place Susan Orlean and John Laroche killed Donald Kaufman, in the arms of his brother Charlie in Adaptation. It's all dank and gooey, sort of in a DJ Screw kinda way (although all that nasti-DXM sludge is present), but more appropriately, in a tribal way. It's almost as if Universal Studios Florida wasn't even an amusement park, rather ancient tribe consisting of descendants of Juan Ponce de Leon's crew, Seminoles and thousands of slaves shipped in from Africa, and subsequently, the West Indies. Primitive in its joy, and cosmic in its intention, "Frozen Bayou," which features Alaska, sounds more like a hyper-mystical, post-apocalyptic pray for good surf and a healthy harvest than anything that could be simply described as "really druggy."

Universal Studios Florida- Frozen Bayou (featuring Alaska)

mp3: Fluffy Lumber's "Cruisers"

"When I was Fourteen"
When I was fourteen I didn't watch the cruisers fly up and down the street. Instead, I mowed the lawn. It was my "job." That is, until my Dad decided that he didn't think our front lawn should have a mohawk. I was not a talented landscaper. Fluffy Lumber's, aka Samuel Franklin, on the other hand, certainly knows how to sculpt. While his talent may not be in the yard, it surely is in the bedroom, or basement, where I imagine many of the the Fluffy Lumber's songs were crafted, presumably over Ecto-Cooler, Fun Dip and stolen cigarettes. Another gem from the Ridgewood crew, who seem to be as prolific as Ryan Adams when he was doing a lot of junk and banging tons of second rate Hollywood starlets.

Fluffy Lumbers have a 4-song 7" which may or may not have come out already on Weird Hug. Regardless, keep your eyes peeled.

Fluffy Lumbers- Cruisers

mp3: The Fresh & Onlys "Peacock & Wing"

"Smile For A While"
If you've seen a young man schizo-dance-walking down Nassau Ave every morning for the last week or two, there is a good chance said young gentleman is been listening to the Fresh & Onlys "Peacock & Wing." Opening like a New Order track shot through 20 years of dirty needles and falling in love with every cute girl on the subway, "Peacock & Wing" is the snuff tobacco of the melodic garage revival. It's dirty and sweet, pungent and makes your face rattle like bobblehead addicted to benzedrine. "You should really be my fresh and only, you got a smile on your face that I can always see only."

The Fresh & Onlys- Peacock & Wing

"Peacock & Wing" Live at the Market Hotel shot by Bill.

mix: Friendship Bracelet Club Drop

"Baby Doo"
Friendship Bracelet has been killing it lately with lots of hazy, washed out bong jams perfect for summer camp. Not only has Jeff been crushing it on the blog, but his radio show, Auditory Audio, on WMUA, has featured hot jams from the likes of Julian Lynch, Universal Studios Florida and Sun Araw. Not exactly sure what his connection with the Underwater People's crew is but he's definitely getting a boat load of exclusives from peeps like Family Portrait, Sad City and the aforementioned Julian Lynch, whose "Waiting Music" is the acoustic cure all for hangovers, jetlag, broken hearts, broken ribs and terminal boredom. (Lynch is really developing his Mothersbaugh-esque craft and it's mega-exciting, at least to me.) This Friendship Bracelet Club Drop starts and ends with woozy head trips by Dem Hunger, and also features Bobka-favorite Norse Horse up in the middle of this ish. Trying to have fun this weekend? Between this and this, you should have enough motivation.

In addition to this mix, Friendship Bracelet also has a few stanking new Pill Wonder jawns for download here. One of the freshest blogs out there, get on it kids.


Friendship Bracelet Club Drop
1. Dem Hunger - Bathtub Birth
2. Julian Lynch - Waiting Music
3. Big Troubles - Drastic and Difficult
4. Shahs - Ben Brockway
5. Sad City - Pulsars [Bottom Layer]
6. Norse Horse - Needle Beach
7. Paralyze Humanity Sequence - Hammock
8. Family Portrait - Babyskins
9. Fluffy Lumbers - Live Ones
10. Phil and the Osophers - We Have All Summer
11. Wonder Wheel - Boston
12. Bad Autopsy - Formal Invite
13. LA - Melodie's In Her Room
14. Jeans Wilder - Something In The Way (Nirvana cover)
15. Kitchen's Floor - Kitchen's Floor
16. Dem Hunger - Holly Shit

Download
Friendship Bracelet Club Drop

Bobkast #28: Daydreaming of Topless Sunbathers

"Smoke My Reefer In The Bathroom"
I've lived in a lot of places and all of them have had watering holes. In Connecticut, it was the sound. North Carolina, the creek. New Jersey, the lake. Upstate NY, the rope swing river. Louisiana, the gulf. Wyoming, the Snake River. Yet, despite being an island, NYC just doesn't have any swimming hole worthy waterways.

And so, instead, we head to the roof. Kiddie pools can be purchased at the Polish grocery store near the park. Coolers are hauled up ladders, extension cords thrown like grappling hooks from fire escapes in order to power up the boom box. Unfortunately, we don't have a hose, so we have to fill the kiddie pool with Dixie Cups. Hopefully it won't take more than three hours. Our beach chairs set up, lemonade in hand and feet soaking in the lukewarm kiddie pool water, we doze off into a sea of daydreams...

... The crisp sparkle of the Mediterranean glistening like fresh glaze on a sour cream doughnut. North Africans kicking the football in the sand. A few french girls playing kadima. Thousands of beautiful topless women soaking up the sun. Its just enough to make you forget that you are on a roof in North Greenpoint across the street from a stone importer-exporter and down the block from the glowing blue phosphoressence of the Newtown Creek Water Treatment Facility.

It's not much, but it's all we got.

Bobkast #28: Daydreaming of Topless Sunbathers
1. Marconi Notaro- Oh, Greedy Life
2. Atlas Sound- Walkabout (featuring Noah Lennox)
3. Javelin- Tell Me What It Will Be? (Take Two)
4. WAVVES- Mickey Mouse (demo)
5. Erawan Band- Khan Muangkhan
6. St. Augustin & his Rovers Dance Band- Onwu Ana Dike
7. Os Brazoes- Gotham City
8. Surfs- Ti Ser S Mi Baby
9. Cass McCombs- Dreams Come True Girl (featuring Karen Black)
10. Magic Kids- Hey Boy
11. Fool's Gold- Surprise Hotel
12. Derrick Laro & Trinity- Don't Stop Til You Get Enough
13. DJ Kaod- Love The Night Away (TieDye remix)
14. Major Lazer- Can't Stop Me Now (featuring Mr. Vegas & Jovi Rockwell)
15. Madlib- The Sky (Beyond Sight)
16. Alex Bleeker & the Freaks- Summer Song->Epilogue (Live)
17. Box Elders- Death of Me
18. Beach Fossils- Lazy Day
19. Real Estate- Green River->Suburban Beverage
20. Fresh & Onlys- Peacock & Wing
21. Ganglians- Cryin' Smoke

Download Bobkast #28: Daydreaming of Topless Sunbathers(PC: Right Click + Save As; Mac; option + click)

Presents...Holiday Shores|Beach Fossils|Sore Eros|FP

"Lazy Today, Lazy Tonight"
If I knew any better I'd think I dreamt this show up after sleeping in a sandy bed. [Ed note: I think I may have. My bed is quite sandy.] It's all beach pales, Capri Sun and Super Soakers, which, if you've been paying attention, is sort of the sound of the summer. That said, I'm proud to be presenting a superb lineup that'd be as perfect in Rockaway Beach as it will be at Cameo Gallery on N 6th.

Chocolate Bobka Presents...
Beach Fossils...warbled, sunburnt slacker pop that may have been birthed in the backseat of a convertible with the top down on the way to Fort Tilden.

Holiday Shores...vibrant Floridian pop straight from the pan handle. Set to release their blissful Columbus'd the Whim on two syllable records on August 4th (pre-order here)

Sore Eros...lysergic folk from the lush meadows of Connecticut ripe enough to score a psychedelic Tony Soprano dream sequence or your next robo-trip.

Family Portrait...Underwater People's 'house band', featuring UP's head dude Sawyer. "Mega Secrets" is the reason dudes say "that's the tits."

If you've been following the beach pop, dream folk, stoner indie stylings of late, then there is a good chance you're already familiar with these artists. However, if your not, get acquainted below. Before long you'll be loading up the bong and scrapping together change to get a Choco Taco from the Kool Man. Bascially, get your ass to Cameo on Saturday the 29th of August. Sharpie that shit in. Big thanks to MJM for poster and Cameo Gallery for hosting the event.

Beach Fossils- Daydream
Holiday Shores- Phones Don't Feud
Sore Eros- Whisper Me
Family Portrait- Mega Secrets

mp3: Taken by Trees remixed by Air France

"Baby"

Since GvB and Marc Hogan have been going back and forth about the new Taken By Trees record, I've found myself increasingly longing for a mid-afternoon nap at the beach with Victoria Bergsman. That is, until I found out that her new album, recorded in Iran, was produced by one-half of Swedish baelric disco duo Studio! Luckily there are a few pristine seaside jams to be had, including The Tough Alliance's still banging two-year-later "Taken Too Young" and "The Sweetness of Air France," a remix by, you guessed it, Air France, which appeared as the b-side on Victoria's "Sweetness" 7-inch single. If, like me, you really can't wait to see what Victoria conjured up for Taken By Trees sophomore release, hopefully this will hold you over.

Also, anybody got a copy of this they'd like to share?

Taken By Trees- Sweetness
Taken By Trees- The Sweetness of Air France

mp3: Javelin "Tell Me What It Will Be?(Take Two)"

"(whistling)"

After weeks of sticky, stanky July weather in Brooklyn, it seems like Mother Nature has reverted to the bygone days of June; cold and wet. That said, no surprise that this morning's music selections included the new Cass McCombs, a few Girls ballads and some Marissa Nadler for extra weariness. Then I dragged and dropped a bunch of freshly downloaded tracks into my iTunes and Javelin's "Tell Me What Will It Be? (Take Two)" came on. I lost my shit.

All of the sudden, it's hot again! Some friends just came over with three five-pound bags of ice, a blender and a bottle of the most vial looking tequila I've ever laid eyes on. We start hauling beach chairs up to the roof. Extension cords are thrown like grappling hooks from balconies, securing power for beats as we get wasted and let the sun drown out hopeless existence. After all, it's fucking summer and this is a fucking jam, so why bother thinking about anything else? Big ups to Matt from Flux Blog for flipping my shit this afternoon.

Javelin- Tell Me What Will It Be? (Take Two)

mp3: Candy Claws "Snow Bear River Fire"

"Snowflake Eel Wish"
Brian from two syllable records recently turned me on to Candy Claws brand of kaleidoscopic, jack-in-the-box tunes and I gotta say, as weird as they are, their pretty damn inebriating. "Snow Bear River Fire," in particular, gets under your skin like a leach, but rather than sucking your blood, Candy Claws inject the listener with tie-dyed sugar water, making your bloodstream look and feeel as if it was copped from the set of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

Candy Claws have released a bunch of handmade cassettes and CD-R's, and like any band with really good tunes and really good art, each release seems to be beyond sold out. Hopefully something new will pop soon.

Candy Claws- Snow Bear River Fire

live: Real Estate/Woods at Cameo Gallery

"What Can I Do?"
(photo: ryan muir, via real estate's myspace)

A couple of notes and observations on last evening's Mexican Summer/InSound showcase at Cameo Gallery, featuring Golden Triangle, Real Estate and Woods.

1. Golden Triangle slay. I am dissappointed in myself for neglecting them due to the inclusion of 'Golden' in their name. I apologize.
2. I've said this before, but Real Estate keep getting better. I think the NJ comrades may have played everything in their repertoire, including a new instrumental (new to me, at least). Real Estate ended with Grateful Dead-esque segue from "Green River" into "Suburban Beverage." I'm going to name this pairing the "Green Beverage."
   
3. Matt Mondanile's playing is getting a bit out of hand. His licks are so languid its as if his axe cuts songs out of lazy days. Like he's a widdler shaping a stump into a Mickey Mouse mailbox.
4. Woods are harnessing some otherwordly power and channeling it through god knows what, just as solar panels harness the strength of the sun. Spacial jams, Mississippi auto-mechanic freakouts, whispered relics. I have strange feeling Woods may be aliens.
5. Said Aliens have also released a live bootleg LP dubbed Acoustic Family Creeps, a collection of acoustic tracks recorded in the woods in France. The one-sided affair includes "Rain On," "Twisted Tongue," "To Clean," and "The Hold." After one spin, I can highly rec'd getting your hands on one of these gems.

Both Real Estate and Woods have new releases out on Britain's Half Machine Records. Real Estate's UK version of the "Fake Blues" 7" includes the rocking suburban trip "Green River," while the b-side Woods "To Clean" 7" is an acoustic version of "Rain On" recorded live on the radio. Peep both b-sides below. Buy 'em here.

Woods- Rain on Radio
Real Estate-Green River

mp3: The Meanest Boys "Slow Hand" "Nowhere To Go"

"Something's Have Changed"

I imagine The Meanest Boy's Will Marquis recording in a very old, very haunted cottage perched on a cove in northern California. When it rains, legend has it that Wilma Cotton, for whom the home was built for, roams the premises hoping to catch a glimpse of her wayfaring husband hiking over the ridge. It rains a lot.

In some respects, I hear glimpses of the overdiven, otherwordly melodies Liz Harris perfected as Grouper. At the same time, the handwoven vocal harmonies of the United Church of Brian Wilson (or, more appropriately, Van Dyke Parks). Like "I Don't," a Meanest Boys track on the last Bobkast, the ethereal folk of "Slow Hand" plays like an angelic float down your favorite creek. All forest sprayed sun and salamanders. "Nowhere to Go" is similar, although finds Marquis channeling like-minded experimental bedroom artist Luke Temple, whose Here We Go Magic is most certainly a touch stone, especially for those less than familiar with bedroom folk. While atmospherics play a heavy hand, its really all about the interplay of voice and guitar. That said, If I knew any better I'd think Marquis were cut from the same woolen clock as artists featured on Numero Group's (unsurprisingly) incredible Wayfaring Stranger: Guitar Soli compilation. Smooth, haunting and affecting like a strange breeze swaying curtains in the wind, The Meanest Boys are channeling something. It may be a confederate soldier. It may be a lonely postman. I'm really not sure.

The Meanest Boys- Slow Hand
The Meanest Boys- Nowhere to Go

mp3: Sore Eros "Whisper Me"

"Whisper Me The Moon"

Sore Eros Second Chants has been a favorite summer mellow spin since Tom peeped them a few months back. Admittedly, it was the Kurt Vile, Gary War and Ariel Pink connections that drew me in, however it'd be criminal to simply compare Sore Eros to their D-I-Y brethren. Rather than crafting sludgy, decomposed punk, overdriven blues psych or post-ABBA AM Gold, Sore Eros dwell in a cave often inhabited by folks who've chosen to leave the grid in search of the floating mysticism often found in the Mojave Sky. Sore Eros seem to have channeled such energy in the rolling meadows of Connecticut, a state with a well-chronicled penchant for the occult. While much of Second Chants finds Sore Eros whispering in and out of lulls, its gripping highlight, the lilting "Whisper Me," is the culmination of all the soul searching; easy, everlasting in both tone and manta, and effortless, "Whisper Me" may have been the lullaby accused witches at Farmington hummed at night to keep the evil puritans away.

Sore Eros- Whisper Me

mp3: White Antelope "Two Headed Boy"

"We Will Take Off Our Clothes"Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes covered Neutral Milk Hotel's sweeping "Two Headed Boy" at the Vera Project fundraiser in Seattle. Robin flubs a line, but no worries, as its a much more sweeping rendition than Colin Meloy's. Download entire show here.

Setlist & mp3 via Sound on the Sound
Katie Cruel (trad)
False Knight on the Road (trad)
Silver Dagger (trad)
He Doesn’t Know Why
Oliver James
Two Headed Boy (Neutral Milk Hotel)
Albatross (Fleetwood Mac)
Oh Sister (Bob Dylan)
Early In the Morning (B.B. King)
The Book of Love (the Magnetic Fields)
Icicle Tusk
Mykonos
Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
Blue Spotted Tail

Encore
Dreams (Fleetwood Mac)

Robin Pecknold- Two Headed Boy (NMH cover)

video: Holiday Shores on FADER

"Searching For My Native Tongue"

Shot on a day when Holiday Shores played three gigs, a night after playing one, after a day of driving 24 hours North from Tallahassee, this FADER Open Bar feels sorta like your friends band playing a "kegs and eggs" set where all in attendance are equally foggy with last night's dreams and dilemmas and the only thing that can get one through the day is a cold pint. I've made it known that Holiday Shores Columbus'd The Whim seem to have been crafted in a sort of FUBU way; for day drinkers, by day drinkers. Fortunately, unlike most of us who tend to pass out around 7 after too much sun and too much gin, Holiday Shores just keep going. They must be immune to UV rays, or have a prescription to 5 Hour Energy. Whatever it is, it's enough to keep me going the rest of the summer.

Columbus'd The Whim comes out August 4th on two syllable records. Holiday Shores should be back in NYC at the end of August for a summer blow out.

Presents...Forest Fire at Union Hall

"With Gattling Gun Social Skills"
It is with extreme pleasure and honor that I would like to announce the first Chocolate Bobka Presents... show: Forest Fire's CD release party at Union Hall on Monday August 10th. The show, which will mark the re-release of Forest Fire's ramshackle wonder Survival, which LA BLOGOTHEQUE named "Best Album of 2008." (Not bad, eh?) It should also be noted that the records first "proper" release will come on the brand spanking new Infinite Best label, run by our good friend and former-Bobka contributor Hunter Giles. The show will mark Forest Fire's first time in New York since last winter, and will also feature Shilpa Ray, amongst a bevy of special guests.

More details in the near future, but for now, mark your calendars, as August 10th is going to be a really fun night.

PS- There will be cookies. (I am not joking.)


Forest Fire- Fortune Teller

"Fortune Teller" live at The Apartment

new: Ducktails/Julian Lynch 7"

"Parasailing"

As I sit at my kitchen table in my boxers eating a burnt egg sandwich, recovering from a brutal night of ingesting Maryland style crabs and Sailor Jerry, I could not be more relieved that Sawyer from Underwater Peoples sent over the new Julian Lynch/Ducktails split 7". No surprise here, just like bubble hash, it's all the gooey hydroponic joy you'd expect from the UP crew, who've put out some of the best releases of the year so far. The new 7", which features Ducktails "Parasailing" along with Julian Lynch's "Garden 2" and "Topi", goes on sale Monday, but you can pre-order over at UP. Go ahead and do that so that the rest of your Summer hangovers aren't as bad as the one I'm working off.

Ducktails- Parasailing

mp3: Abner Jay "I Wanna Job"

"I Can't Get No Job Cause They Say I'm No Good"
"I don't wanna fuss nor fight, all I want is a job, I'll work day and night...Lord knows all I want is a J-O-B, a dog gone, good cotton picking job!" Abner Jay howls on this unrelenting, unapologetic plea to employers.

Abner Jay, a Georgia-bred one-man band, sums up the frustrations, pain and discouraging nature of trying to find work on "I Wanna Job," which kicks off Yeti 7's phenomenal companion disc. (Highly, highly recommended. Buy it now. Seriously. Do it.) Jay's tune is the ultimate unemployment ballad, as affecting and appropriate now as it was during the Civil Rights era.

In line with the song, anybody got any work for me? Ha. But, seriously.

Abner Jay- I Wanna Job

mp3: The Skygreen Leopard

"Disciples of California"
While the Skygreen Leopards are set to release a new album on JagJaguwar, I'm currently digging on their 2006 release Disciples of California thanks to those bitches over at Butter Face, who dubbed the ode to the Sunshine State one of "8 albums to help keep you cool this summer." If anything can be said about the Skygreen Leopards its that they have done their homework in the paisley department, so much so that it can be hard to find anything but nostalgic glee and worry in their sedated, sun burnt voices. "Disciples of California," in name alone, eerily sums up the Skygreen Leopards aesthetic, as if the band miraculously used their vintage VW convertible to transport themselves back to the Laurel Canyon scene. While that might sound a little biting (and rather cliche), as an East Coaster whose spent very little time in California, I tend to believe that the mythology and ethos of the free willing Southern California seventies lives on, albeit in patches and nooks, in the state's native spirit. The Skygreen Leopard's MySpace describes them as "California's family band" and in that apt description their sound is summed up.

If you find yourself in (or going to) San Francisco on July 11th, the Skygreen Leopard will play a record release party at Amnesia. Their new album, Gorgeous Johnny, hits shelves July 21st.

The Skygreen Leopards- Disciples of California
The Skygreen Leopards- Dixie Cups in the Dead Grass

mp3: Best Coast "Up All Night"

"Here I Am"
You don't have a job. You wake up at noon daily and watch re-runs of Chappelle's Show your girlfriend DVR'd before leaving her apartment. The next logical move is to get coffee. But you hate coffee...unless your stoned. So you head to the bathroom, pack a bowl, puff and exhale into the exhaust fan, in fear that your girlfriend's ninety-year old neighbor, and her beloved dog Foxy, may catch a whiff of your ganj. You ash the bowl in the toilet, think about brushing your teeth and leave....

...Then, just as the door closes, you realize you left your keys and your phone in her bedroom. Stoned and without 21st century communications tools, you wander until Best Coast's "Up All Night" creeps into your psyche and your girlfriend gets home from work.

Buy Best Coast's Where The Boys Are cassette here.

Best Coast- Up All Night (Mediafire link) (via No Conclussion)

video: new Girls "Ghostmouth"

"And Get To Heaven"

In my excitement that Bill captured Girls covering Vivian Girls "Wild Eyes" at Cake Shop the night after they played it at Monster Island, I failed to notice that he also shot video of Girls performing "Ghostmouth," a new personal fav in the Girls repertoire. "Ghostmouth" is a woozy, narcotic ballad similar to "Solitude," but slightly more hopeful, as Christopher Owens pines over a chance to pick up all the pieces and head toward salvation. I should also note that Girls 10" should be available for purchase today, although I've yet to see where. (True Panther? Matador? Bueller?)

BTW, if you don't follow SoundBites on YouTube, now may be the time to rectify that situation, as Bill has been consistently posting video of the some pretty fresh acts.

Girls "Ghostmouth" at Cake Shop

video: Girls live at Monster Island Basement

"I Really Wanna Be Your Friend Forever"

Looks like those dudes shooting with DV cams at the Beach Fossils, Real Estate, Girls, Kurt Vile show last Friday night were from The Fader. And, well, those dudes did a pretty good job of capturing the hot-as-fuck vibe at Monster Island. So great, in fact, that I jumped in my roommates Jeep after the show and drove down the shore only to enter a friend's bay-side bungalow in the middle of a Strat-Congo rendition of "Jesus Left Chicago," during which no one addressed my presence until twenty minutes after my arrival. Yeah, it was that kind of night.

video: Holiday Shores "Phones Don't Feud"

"I Will Haunt You, If You Haunt Me Too"

Debut video by Florida's finest purveyors of sandy-trip pop, Holiday Shores, whose debut full-length, Columbus’d The Whim will be available via our friends at two syllable on August 4th. After a successful week's run in New York earlier this Summer, rumor has it the band will be back in the City in late August. Keep your fingers crossed for sun showers, rainbows and a trip to Rock-Rock-Rockaway Beach.