Sleepy Sun - Embrace [2008]

First of all, this fantastic album is not on the Tee Pee label, nor is the band all together. I thought i would post it anyhow seeing as through Tee Pee and The Assemble Head in particular, i discovered their wonderful music. Just another reason i am itching to get my hands on the new Assemble Head is that these guys contributed on one of the new tracks titled "Two Birds".

Sleepy Sun is an apt title for this young San Francisco sextet, as their debut record, “Embrace”, is one of those rare slabs of rock and roll that will wake you up in the morning, and send you off to sleep at night. After honing their craft in the occult influenced creative community of Santa Cruz, the band has continued to grow, both creatively and in their loyal following, since their relocation to the city by the bay. With their throbbing rhythm section, swirling sea of guitars, and dreamy, haunting duet vocals, the word dynamic is a severe understatement.

Though the press is quick to rifle off a laundry list of rock’s greatest ghosts to describe their sound, one live show is all you need to know Sleepy Sun have stumbled upon something very much their own. Having performed their raw, high-energy show on stages shared with acts such as Howlin’ Rain, Earth, Dead Meadow, and Citay, they are quickly establishing themselves as a very tough act to follow. Fans at shows are known for shouting the band’s battle cry, “Let’s get weird”. If the group continues down their rapid road to success, things are about to get very weird indeed.

Enjoy!

Link removed as per request [ATP Recordings]
This is an excellent band folks, check them out here:
http://www.atpfestival.com
http://www.myspace.com/sleepysun

Weird Owl - Ever The Silver Cord Be Loosed [2009]

Weird Owl is a Brooklyn band that resides in the heaviness inherent in the convergence of imagination, poetry and sound. First formed in 2004 and through its odd mutations involving changes in approach and personnel, Weird Owl has arrived at the present day in its most solid and powerful formation yet. Weird Owl has crafted a sonic mindscape inspired by legendary acts such as the 13th Floor Elevators and Crazy Horse that states its relevance to modern-day masters Black Mountain, Dead Meadow and the Black Angels.

In its first release for Tee Pee Records, entitled Ever the Silver Cord Be Loosed, Weird Owl has gathered together a tour de force of its peculiar craft--hypnotic slithering guitar lines, the strange breathiness of cosmic synths, a dash of the punishing heaviness of the riff--all contained within phantasmagoric song structures and expressed with the language of a true visionary experience.

Link: http://sharebee.com/d4ad3211

Greater California - All The Colors [2009]

I'm back with another uncovered 2009 gem that will probably be one of my favourites come years end. Hailing from the burghs of Long Beach, the band Greater California bring us a whole new distinct sound on their third album 'All The Colors'. It's a summertime landscape likened to the works of Brian Wilson, the Zombies, Harry Nilsson, the Velvet Underground and the Byrds, full of jangly 12-string guitars, rich vocal harmonies, a big bag of percussion, vibraphones and marimbas, a stray trumpet, and the ever inviting sounds of the hammond organ and wurlitzer electric piano.

On board as Producer is none other than Ikey Owens (The Mars Volta, Crystal Antlers.) Also included is an impressive list of guest musicians, most notably percussion genius Steven Hodges of Tom Waits. The new LP is a fixation of growing up from the stories told and listened to along the way, whether through the hills and valleys seen from past road trips or under the soft lights of a coastal downtown; 'All the Colors' can certainly usher in something to smile about.

My current favourite midnight album.

Link: http://sharebee.com/6168a863

Dead Meadow - Feathers [2005]

These guys are probably one of my favourite modern day bands. They met in the DC punk/indie scene, though their music draws from more faraway sources. The band formed in the fall of 1998 from the ashes of local bands The Impossible Five and Colour, when singer-guitarist Jason Simon, bassist Steve Kille, and drummer Mark Laughlin set out to fuse their love of early 70’s hard rock and 60’s psychedelia with their love of writers J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft.

Their sound fuller without losing its live essence, the band grew to encompass everything from ambient guitar drones to surging psych-funk sludge, blues-folk tunes to barbiturate space-rock, and some southern slow boogie thrown in for good measure.

Although all their studio releases are very good, this is my favourite. Enjoy!

Link: http://sharebee.com/b73092a3

Sholi - Sholi [2009]

Ah yes, this is exactly what i was looking for. Not in the sense of this exact album or band, but in the sense that some unheard of band like this would jump out and absolutely blow me away in the early stages of 2009. It's my favourite album of the year by a new band thus far. I assume they are relative unpopular simply because i don't read of any noise being made of them anywhere (as well as this obviously being their official debut.)

Some would carelessly tag this as indie garbage but that simply isn't the case. The musicianship and songwriting is very unique, with each song comes a lovely melody as well as an excellent aggressive drive. Their style is balanced, emotive, hypnotic and intelligently composed. It's not as if other indie artists never get it right like this, but rarely do you get a band that strips indie of its bombast and production gimmicks and replaces that with instrumental interplay and musicianship.

Clearly Sholi can't be cornered by their influences and similar artists, as their sound has incorporated a range of familiar instrumental tactics without any of the associated baggage. The songs are certainly ecstatic and enjoyable, but with a level-headedness and reserved quality that similar bands forget during epic wankfests or heart-on-the-sleeve vocal performances.

Oh, and i didn't even mention the drumming on this record. Good lord, just download and listen to the dude tear it up! This will be in my top 10 at the end of the year, for sure!

Link: http://sharebee.com/36b6d757