Don’t be fooled, they aren’t going balls to the wall for TV, this is how these guys play every night. If you haven’t caught em, it’s only your fault but you should still getMandala in the bag if you haven’t already.

So without further ado, here are the 10 albums that made my year. These are the top 10 reasons I keep doing this. Let me know what you think!

10
As Cities Burn // Hell or High Water
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.0 of 5 // review
The last album in the short-lived legacy of As Cities Burn, Hell or High Water hinted at the same brooding and dissonant songwriting of it’s predecessor featuring vocalist Cody Bonnette shining in some of his brightest moments. Although Hell or High Water will not go down as their best release, it’s an applauded effort by a band that went away all too soon.
mp3// pirate blues

****

09
Monsters of Folk // Monsters of Folk
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.0 of 5
The collaboration between M. Ward, Jim James and Conor Oberst birthed an album that was diversified enough to keep everybody happy, while staying true to each artists character. The hype that surrounded Monsters of Folk at it’s announcement usually stunts such supergroups, but Monsters of Folk lived up to the hype, creating an album that is impossible to find something that you don’t like.
mp3// say please

****

08
Freelance Whales // Weathervanes
Bedwetters Rating //4.0 of 5 // full review
The thing that makes Weathervanes so good is it’s unexplainable ability to combine the immediacy of it’s songs with a depth of songwriting that is unmatched by too many. The first week after being introduced to Weathervanes, it was the only thing I listened to. I took it with me wherever I went, all the while waiting for the eventual crash that accompanies a record that favors instant appeal instead of good songwriting. I thought this was THAT record, but I was wrong. Weathervanes is the best of both worlds; instantly addicting and positively refreshing with each listen.
mp3// starring

****

07
Atlas Sound // Logos
Bedwetter’s Rating //4.0 of 5 // full review
It seems that with Logo’s, Bradford Cox has finally left the confines of his bedroom to give his work the cliche’d “breath of fresh air”. The sound heard throughout Logos is both consistent and addicting, compounding soaring soundscapes with conservative whispers making Logos not only one of the shining moments of 2009, but arguably Cox’s best work to date.
mp3// shelia

****

06
Brand New // Daisy
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.0 of 5 // full review
From the opening wounded shrieking to the delirious and maniacal chanting of it’s imploding end, Daisy instantly became the most polarizing album in Brand New’s prolific catalog. While naysayers cite sloppy songwriting and questionable quality behind Daisy’s lyricism, Jesse Lacey and Co. still pushed the boundaries into depths few, if any knew they were capable of.
mp3// gasoline

****

05
Thrice // Beggars
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.5 of 5 // full review
Beggars is not the most intricate record, nor the most experimental release in Thrice’s impressive discography. However, the solidified composition and reserved greatness in every song on the album makes it easy to listen to and nearly impossible to forget. The masterful musicianship displayed by guitarist Teppei Teranishi is perfectly balanced in every aspect, lending way for the Breckenridge brother’s flawless percussion section. Combined with Dustin Kensrue’s career defining performance both lyrically and vocally, it’s hard to think of a time when the songwriting prowess of Thrice was more evident than now.
mp3// doublespeak

****

04
Rx Bandits // Mandala
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.5 of 5 // full review
While Mandala might not take the giant leap of progression found on …And The Battle Begun, it still finds the band in a place of steady contentment. The energy and the flow is all we have come to expect from a band of such stature, and it does well serving as the next chapter in Rx Bandit’s already impressive story.

mp3// bring our children home or everything is nothing

****

03
mewithoutYou // it’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.5 of 5 // full review
Although it may be mewithoutYou’s worst acclaimed release, I can’t fault them for making an album that they wanted to make. Gone is everything that made this band recognizable, but they still made it work. From the opening happy keys of “every thought a thought of You” to the campfire acoustics of “Allah, Allah, Allah” Aaron Weiss cements himself among the greatest lyricists of my time. If you don’t get this album, keep listening. It will come
mp3// cattail down

****

02
Grizzly Bear // Veckatimest
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.5 of 5 // full review
Capitalizing on everything that makes Grizzly Bear such a widely admired band, Veckatimest is a true rarity. Gushing to the brim with dazzling and addicting psychedelia tinged chamber pop and methodically sparse folk, these four men from Brooklyn have made a masterpiece that is both insatiably deep as it is instantly gratifying.
mp3// ready, able

****

01
Manchester Orchestra // Mean Everything To Nothing
Bedwetter’s Rating // 5 of 5 //full review
It is apparent that when Manchester Orchestra set out to write this album, they went with clear intentions to make a masterpiece, and a masterpiece is exactly what they have delivered. In an industry where we are constantly being subjected to bands intent on selling us an image rather than a song, it’s refreshing to see a band come along and create something so naturally beautiful and unforced. And for that, Manchester Orchestra deserve all the acclaim in the world.
mp3// everything to nothing

A quick tour recap from the RX Bandits camp. This was honestly one of the best shows I had the privilege of attending this summer. If you haven’t copped Mandala get on it now.

One of the better labels out there have teamed up with Amazon to post a free music sampler from bands on their roster. Don’t miss out on this. There is a ton of great tracks from awesome bands. Hit it up here ITS FREE, and you might just discover your new favorite band

1. Looking For Shelter -Good Old War
2. My Lonesome Only Friend -Rx Bandits
3. Ted Zancha -Maps & Atlases
4. Click On That (Smash The Plastic death) -bygones
5. Chinchilla -This Town Needs Guns
6. A Spoonful Of Slurry -Tera Melos
7. Vlad -Fang Island
8. Ride The Tide -Native
9. Sharks -Red Fang
10. David’s Birthday -Love You Moon
11. Glamorous Glowing -Cast Spells
12. The Fear Is Excruiating, But Therein Lies the Answer -Red Sparowes

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)

mp3:: rx bandits – breakfast cat
mp3:: thrice – the weight
mp3:: land of talk – yuppy flu

What follows is a record capitalizing further on the experimental force of 2006′s …And The Battle Begun, taking cues from the band’s esoteric side project, The Sound of Animals Fighting. Chock full of eccentric time signatures, hypnotic guitar riffs and poignant booming bass all backed by possibly the best drummer in today’s scene, Mandala is a force of illuminating prowess.

The Bandits have always been known for their extremely talented musicianship. Listening through Mandala can be a tiring experience at first, delving through change-up verses, fastball choruses and intertwining interludes it’s hard to imagine Embree and co doing it live, but they did. In fact, Mandala and it’s two predecessors were both recorded as a live band directly to tape. In a world where so many bands use pro-tools, auto-tune and so many other techniques to serve up a polished product, it’s refreshing to hear a band content with the little mistakes, giving the album a feel of genuine sincerity.

For fans of the band’s most recent work, Mandala will sit just fine. With tracks like “Hope Is A Butterfly, No Net It’s Captor” and the album opener “My Lonesome Only Friend” trekking in the path of cerebral progressive-rock, Mandala at times sounds very similar to it’s predecessor. That is not to say that it is …And The Battle Begun redux. With the aforementioned departure of Borth, guitarist Steve Choi has been left to flourish many of Mandala’s tracks with atmospheric keyboard, which gives a lot of the record a more experimental feel. Tracks like “Breakfast Cat”, “Mietras La Veo Sonarr” and “It’s Only Another Parsec” capitalize on Rx Bandits signature sound melded with hints of The Sound of Animals Fighting’s latest, keeping it accessible and listener friendly.

The ruckus created in the beginning and ending of Mandala create a thick sandwich for the middle section of the record which explores a much more reserved sound reminiscent of Matt Embree’s solo project Love You, Moon. Both “White Lies” and the live-show-interlude converted to full song “March Of The Caterpillar” diversify Mandala even further, slowing things down a bit before kicking into full gear for the finale. “Bring Our Children Home or Everything Is Nothing” is a bombastic closer, intent on voicing it’s political choir in epic and effectively emotional fashion closing Mandala on it’s definitive high point.

While Mandala might not take the giant leap of progression found on …And The Battle Begun, it still finds the band in a place of steady contentment. The energy and the flow is all we have come to expect from a band of such stature, and it does well serving as the next chapter in Rx Bandit’s already impressive story.
purchase | label | official
stream mandala in full @myspace

RX Bandits on iLike – Get updates inside iTunes

new track from mandala gets acoustic treatment. feel the groove. almost sounds like a different song

rx bandits: mandala – i’ve been following the release of this album for a long time coming and it’s release date is finally here. probably my favorite album hitting stores today, rxbandits have done it again.
purchase @ amazon

set your goals: this will be the death of us – to be honest, i still have never listened to MUTINY!, the bands debut full-length. pop-punk revival. download “gaia bleeds” and “the few that remain”
purchase @ amazon


portugal. the man: the satanic satanist – i got a lot of shit for my review of the satanic satanist, but that don’t change the love i got for portugal. the man and what they are doing for today’s music scene. some of the most humble, gracious people i’ve ever came across. day in and day out they put their blood, sweat, and tears into what they do, and that alone is deserving of your support. download “people say” and “everyone is golden”
purchase @ amazon

memphis may fire: sleepwalking – can’t make up my mind yet on what i think of memphis may fire’s full-length debut. their EP was full of potential, but with the departure of their former vocalist, the band seems to have lost something. the instrumentation is still as hard hitting (albeit generic) but the lyricism is god awful. you might wanna stream some songs before you pick it up.
purchase @ amazon

modest mouse: perpetual motion machine 7″ – modest mouses last single before the release of b-sides EP No One’s First and You’re Next. hit it up exclusively on vinyl.

rx bandits have posted a blog regarding the release of mandala for $2.99. you can read it over at the bands official blog or below.

You know who we are. You know we aren’t the band who will have massive amounts of money from a faceless label to put into marketing and advertising our new record. You won’t see us buy our way on the front page of myspace, or on a tour sponsored by rockstar caca-drinks. This is not ‘holier than thou’… This is the story of a real band, with real guys just trying to survive solely off of playing music without selling too much of themselves. We enjoy the luxury of being musicians and musicians only. We are lucky enough to not have jobs on the side so that we can devote ourselves fully to writing, and practicing music so we can continue producing the best and most honest tunage performed at the top of our abilities. We still get excited selling out shows; something we hope for, not expect. This is the path of our band, and by no means are we alone on it. As participants in the musical world I hope you know where you stand in this equation, because you are a good majority of it. Determining whether or not we as musicians are weekend hobbyists, or life-long committed artists. We cannot clear-cut our musical landscape that is available to us in these modern times, using up a bands musical offerings and tossing the wrapper out of the window of the hype car (even if a lot of it is garbage.) Crappy bands with hype deserve a chance at making it the right way as well, touring and improving while earning their fans one by one through impressing them, not by marketed persuasion.

Many of you have our new record already from a leak that went up a few weeks ago. Flattering indeed that people would want it so bad, but it doesn’t help us pay rent. Our new album is currently available for download on amazon.com for $2.99, and every download, just like every head out our shows, matters and counts for a lot. We must continue to feed into what we enjoy and take from, and if you’re someone who will always get albums for free, only go to shows you can get on the list for, and talk all kinds of righteous bullshit on various music message boards about bands ethics then you need to know you are not helping. The days of dudes walking into an office, signing on the dotted line and getting a check are dead… this can be a wonderful thing, cutting out the corporate middle man, but only with your participation. If you care to, please go buy our album. For crazy-cheap right now on amazon, or for not-crazy-cheap later or at a show.. it doesn’t matter. If you don’t want to buy our record, at least help support the bands you love by buying their album. Everyone’s story is different, and everyone has different situations.. if you can’t afford to support, this does not make you less or inadequate. We just all need to know that bands like us survive because of you the audience, and now more than ever if you want to see bands like us stick around, we are completely in this together.

even though rx bandits newest (wonderful) new album mandala won’t hit stores still next tuesday (july 21st) you can buy it up @amazon for a mere $2.99….yeah, uhm that’s legit.

MP3:: Rx Bandits – Mientras La Veo Soñarr
If there is one album that has been dominating my ears recently, it’s Rx Bandit’s newest Mandala.  This track sung in half english, half broken spanish is definitely one of the album’s standouts, mainly due to it’s infectious chorus.

MP3:: Portugal. The Man – Work All Day
I’m not sure what to think of The Satanic Satanist. It seems like PTM have been on a steady decline since they released their best, 2006′s Church Mouth. Sometimes I wonder if it would be better if the guys took some time off to regroup instead of endlessly touring and writing for years straight.  However, that’s an entirely different discussion.  Despite it’s flaws Satanist does start off very well, mainly due to “People Say” and this track which seems more groove-hop oriented than anything they’ve written before.

MP3:: Bright Eyes – Land Locked Blues (KCRW Session)
No doubt, part of one of the best collection of songs Oberst is responsible for.  Kind of like a snapshot of him in his prime, Land Locked Blues has always been one of my favorites, due to it’s raw simplicity and dynamic lyricism.

if you like it, tell a friend and support the aritsts. That’s what it’s all about.

Special thanks go out to my roommate Trevor Christensen for the mix art. Trevor is a phenomenal photographer and you can check out more of his work at his blog or website.

download::  loose leaves [summer 2009 mix]

bright eyes – loose leaves (there is no beginning to the story ep)
anathallo – john j. audubon (canopy glow)
animal collective – summertime clothes (merriweather post pavillion)
maylene and the sons of disaster – step up (im on it) (III)
black moth super rainbow – the sticky (eating us)
the blood brothers – spit shine your black clouds (young machetes)
danger mouse and sparklehorse – little girl (ft. julian casablancas) (dark night of the soul)
deerhunter – saved by old times (on platts eyot island sessions)
dirty projectors – useful chamber (lock and key)
animal collective – what would i want sky (bbc sessions)
mewithoutYou – Allah, Allah, Allah (it’s all crazy!…)
modest mouse – dramamine (this is a long drive for someone with nothing to think about)
mogwai – glasgow mega-snake (mr. beast)
nightmare of you – hey sweetheart (infomaniac)
portugal. the man – the sun (the satanic satanist)
right away, great captain! – anna no (the eventually home)
rx bandits – mientras la veo soñarr (mandala)
yeah yeah yeahs – hysteric (it’s blitz!)
grizzly bear – ready, able (veckatimest)