Here’s a b-side off of the Arctic Monkey’s Cornerstone 10″. Playing at just over 2 minutes, it’s immediately apparent why Sketchead was granted b-side status as it’s brawling and fast paced garage rock demeanor would have fit nowhere on Humbug’s brooding atmosphere.

mp3// sketchead

This mix is made for my good friend Ben, who just returned from a 2 year religious sabbatical in Argentina. I promised him I would put together a mix of all the great music he missed out on. The only rule is that any song had to be released between September 2007 – September 2009. The actual mix I’ve created for him is over 70 songs, so this is definitely a summarized version. Check it out, and as always, if you dig a song, support the artist!

Download:: XL – A “Welcome Home” Mix [ZIP] (MEDIAFIRE)
Download::XL – A “Welcome Home” Mix [ZIP] (RAPIDSHARE)

01. Maylene and the Sons of Disaster – Waiting On My Deathbed
02. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – 40 Day Dream
03. Conor Oberst – I Don’t Want to Die (in a hospital)
04. Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse – Little Girl (Ft. Julian Casablancas)
05. J. Tillman – Year in the Kingdom
06. Facing New York – Cops on Bikes
07. Brand New – Sink
08. The Cool Kids – Bassment Party
09. MGMT – Time to Pretend
10. Damion Suomi – San Francisco
11. Julian Plenti – Games for Days
12. Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground – Night of the Star Child’s Funk
13. Land of Talk – Some Are Lakes
14. Megapuss – Crop Circle Jerk ’94
15. St. Vincent – Marrow
16. Little Joy – No One’s Better Sake
17. Dear and the Headlights – Saintly Rows (Oh Oh)
18. Monsters of Folk – Say Please
19. fun. – Be Calm
20. Arctic Monkeys – Pretty Visitors
21. Beach House – Heart of Chambers

Arctic Monkey’s opted for an odd choice for the TV Performance on Craig Ferguson. I would have much preferred to see them give us a performance of “Dangerous Animals” or “Pretty Visitors”. Nonetheless the kids seem to be doing just fine.

so long forgotten’s latest is sure to please fans of early colour revolt and as cities burn circa come now sleep. you can get it for free or pay what you want via noise trade

still not sure what to think about ‘humbug’. theres little on here that makes me want to come back.
purchase cd :: amazon
purchase mp3 :: amazon

you already know how i feel about aim & ignite. what’s most impressive is that they did it all by themselves. a true testament to what independent music is all about when it’s done right. read my review here, then go grab a copy!
purchase cd :: amazon
purchase mp3 :: amazon

as always, if you dig the song, support the artist!

the picture is of my brother getting punched in the face. i stole it from my good friend’s expansive collection of photography. his name is trevor christensen , do him a favor, hit him up and show him some love.

download:: best of the decade pt 1 (songs 1-25)
download:: best of the decade pt 2 (songs 26-50)

#50
wild orchid children – ahead of us the secret
from elephant ep (2007) ::purchase

#49
city and colour – as much as i ever could
from bring me your love (2008) ::purchase

#48
blood brothers – trash flavored trash
from crimes (2004) ::purchase

#47
forget cassettes – quiero, quieres
from salt (2006) ::purchase

#46
straylight run – big shot (hands in the sky)
from prepare to be wrong ep (2005)::purchase

#45
the arcade fire – wake up
from funeral (2004)::purchase

#44
arctic monkeys – fluorescent adolescent
from favourite worst nightmare (2007)::purchase

#43
moving mountains – 8105
from pneuma (2008)::purchase

#42
manchester orchestra – i can barely breathe
from i’m like a virgin losing a child (2006)::purchase

#41
underoath – everyone looks so good from here
from define the great line (2006)::purchase

#40
kevin devine – time to burn (another bag of bones)
from brother’s blood (2009)::purchase

#39
parallax – the romance
from mediums and messages(2006) unavailable for purchase

#38
explosions in the sky – greet death
from those who tell the truth shall die, those who tell the truth shall live forever (2001)::purchase

#37
death from above 1979 – romantic rights
from you’re a woman, i’m a machine (2004)::purchase

#36
gym class heroes – everydays forecast
from the papercut chronicles (2005)::purchase

#35
mgmt – time to pretend
from oracular spectacular (2008)::purchase

#34
manchester orchestra – i was a lid
from let my pride be what’s left behind (2008)::purchase

#33
david bazan – cold beer and cigarettes
from fewer moving parts ep (2006)::purchase

#32
evangelicals – midnight vignette
from the evening descends (2008)::purchase

#31
the strokes – you only live once
from first impressions of earth (2006)::purchase

#30
animal collective – the purple bottle
from feels (2005)::purchase

#29
conor oberst – milk thistle
from conor oberst (2008)::purchase

#28
aesop rock – daylight
from labor days (2001)::purchase

#27
the sound of animals fighting – act IV – you don’t need a witness
from tiger & the duke (2005)::purchase

#26
bloc party – positive tension
from silent alarm (2005)::purchase

#25
colour revolt – swamp
from plunder, beg, and curse (2008)::purchase

#24
brand new – untitled 05
from leaked demos (2006) unavailable for purchase

#23
the good life – inmates
from album of the year (2004)::purchase

#22
la dispute – damaged goods
from somewhere at the bottom between vega and altair(2008)::purchase

#21
circle takes the square – kill the switch
from as the roots undo(2003)::purchase

#20
mewithoutYou – four word letter pt. 2
from catch for us the foxes(2004)::purchase

#19
modest mouse – night on the sun
from everywhere and his nasty parlour tricks (2001)::purchase

#18
grizzly bear – ready, able
from veckatimest (2009)::purchase

#17
cursive – staying alive
from the ugly organ (2003)::purchase

#16
glassjaw- two tabs of mescaline
from worship and tribute (2002)::purchase

#15
bright eyes – lets not shit ourselves (to love and to be loved)
from lifted: or the story is in the soil, keep your ear to the ground (2002)::purchase

#14
the strokes – is this it
from is this it (2001)::purchase

#13
bright eyes – hit the switch
from digital ash in a digital urn (2006)::purchase

#12
brand new – limousine (ms rebridge)
from the devil and god are raging inside me (2006)::purchase

#11
manchester orchestra – pride
from mean everything to nothing (2009)::purchase

#10
emily haines – winning
from knives don’t have your back (2006)::purchase

#9
brand new – okay i believe you, but my tommy gun don’t
from deja entendu (2003)::purchase

#8
portugal. the man – telling tellers telling me
from church mouth (2007)::purchase

#7
la dispute – new storms for older lovers
from somewhere at the bottom between vega and altair (2008)::purchase

#6
right away, great captain! – right ahead, young sailor
from the bitter end (2007)::purchase

#5
rx bandits – tainted wheat
from …and the battle begun (2006)::purchase

#4
the sound of animals fighting – this heat
from lover the lord has left us (2006)::purchase

#3
as cities burn – timothy
from come now sleep (2006)::purchase

#2
mewithoutYou – o porcupine
from brother, sister(2006)::purchase

#1
bright eyes – loose leaves
from brother, sister(2006)::purchase

download:: best of the decade pt 1 (songs 1-25)
download:: best of the decade pt 2 (songs 26-50)

arctic monkeys at their recent web transmissions doing “potion approaching” from their forthcoming new release, humbug

tides of man – empire theory
release date: august 4th
earlier this year, i ran a piece on tides of man, the florida native progressive-rock 5 piece. sounding like a mix of anthony green era saosin, the mars volta and the sound of animals fighting (tiger & the duke) tides of man seem like one of the few bands on the rise records roster poised for big things. they will release their much anticipated debut empire theory august 4th.
tides of man @ myspace

modest mouse – no ones first and you’re next
release date: august 4th
modest mouse is one of my favorite bands of all time and i’m still struggling to just scratch the service of their expansive discography. brock and company will surely be making this no easier on me with a string of one off single 7″ releases followed by no ones first and you’re next, a collection of b-sides ranging from the good news.. to we were dead.. eras.
modest mouse @ myspace

as tall as lions – you can’t take it with you
release date: august 18th
it took as tall as lions over a year to record and produce you can’t take it with you, the follow up to the band’s 2006 self-titled release. YCTIWY is sure to live up to the hype produced by such a time consuming release if the lead single “circles” (now up at myspace) is any indication. the expansive, percussion heavy number showcases as tall as lions right in form.
as tall as lions @ myspace

arctic monkeys – humbug
release date: august 24th (uk)
if humbug sounds like a pessimistic name for the arctic monkeys third full-length, don’t think it wasn’t done intentionally. if the album’s lead single crying lightning is any indication of what is to come for humbug, we’re probably in store for a brilliantly dark release by the arctic monkeys
arctic monkeys @ myspace

fun. – aim and ignite
release date: august 25th
fun. is the name of nate ruess’ (the format) new project. although i’ve only heard two songs from the upcoming debut, i’m positive this is going to come out of nowhere to top many best of 09 lists. just wait, by the end of this year, fun. is a band everyone will love
fun. @ myspace

david bazan – curse your branches
release date: september 1st
david bazan is one of my favorite songwriters of all time and it feels like i’ve been waiting forever for new material. curse your branches, the second solo effort by bazan will finally be released september 1st.
david bazan @ myspace

brand new – daisy
release date: september 22nd
very little is known about brand new’s fourth full-length other than the album title (it was previously changed to daisy from ‘and one head can never die’). however, from previewing some new tracks in their live versions, it’s apparent that this might be brand new’s hardest record yet. jesse lacey has already called the album “pretty exhausting”. can’t wait
brand new @ myspace

monsters of folk – monsters of folk
release date: september 22nd
monsters of folk is the moniker chosen for the supergroup combination of conor oberst, jim james, and m.ward. i’ve been waiting for this release since 2007 when distant rumblings initially started on this release. it’s been a long time coming. september 22nd is definitely circled on my calendar.
monsters of folk official site

glassjaw – glassjaw
release date: TBA
i’m definitely hesitant to put glassjaw’s chinese democracy in the making on this list. i’m highly skeptical we will see this till sometime in 2010-2011 (not joking). along with the rest of the blood-thirsty glassjaw crowd, i’ve already worn “you think your john fucking lennon” to it’s maximum play count. new material plz
glassjaw @ myspace

circle takes the square – ritual of names
release date: TBA
much like glassjaw’s release, ritual of names is probably not going to be released till 2010. i’m still patiently waiting for the follow-up to one of the most scathing timeless albums ever recorded.
circle takes the square @ myspace

the chemist vs the computer – HYDROSUFOOLOOWEEN
release date: TBA
this band has the potential to do VERY big things. the band’s debut EP loki was a combination of post-hardcore and experimental stylings rarely executed as perfect as well as TCVTC did. since then, i’ve been waiting for new material, although the band put out two demo’s last year, there is no news on when we HYDROSUFOOLOOWEEN will actually be released. heres to hoping it’s sometime this year.

julian casablancas – phrazes for the young
release date: tba
along with brand new and monsters of folk, this has to be at the top of this list. while we wait for the new strokes album, we’ve seen solo efforts from strokes bassist nikolia fraiture (nickel eye), guitarist albert hammond jr., as well as drummer fabrizio morretti’s awesome side project little joy. however, something tells me that jules will easily top all 3 with his debut solo effort, phrazes for the young. honestly, has the guy EVER written a bad song?

thus concludes my list, i’m sure more releases will be announced that could be added to this list in the future, so keep checking back, and if you dig it, tell a friend

You can stream the new Arctic Monkey’s single “Crying Lightning” at the bands Myspace. The band’s next full-length Humbug will hit the states August 18th.

Head over to Amazon to catch a (too)quick preview of a new Arctic Monkeys song entitled “Crying Lightning” The band has said the full song will be released for stream Monday.

1. My Propeller
2. Crying Lightning
3. Dangerous Animals
4. Secret Door
5. Position Approaching
6 Fire and The Thud
7. Cornerstone
8. Dance Little Liar
9. Pretty Visitors
10. The Jewellers Hands

More 2009 Releases

Tracklisting
Teddy Picker
Do Me A Favour
Brianstorm
Balaclava
Fluorescent Adolescent
The Bad Thing

Download:: Favourite Worst Nightmare Demos