Absofacto - Sinking Islands

Hey everybody who's not reading this blog. I know it's been a while, but here I am. Today I'm going to introduce you to an album that I've been unable to remove from my car's stereo for several months now. Absofacto is a one-man show, put on by Jonathan Visger of Mason Proper, who I must admit I haven't given a proper listen. Sinking Islands is his first full album, compiling 10 songs that were released previously as individual downloads. Each one has some mixture of crisp electronic melodies, crunchy guitar riffs, ambient swells, and cryptic lyricism. I've found this one extremely hard to get bored of. Partly because of copyright crackdowns and partly because I just respect the shit out of this guy, I'm going to direct you to buy his album; $8 really isn't that much, eh?

Website: Official Site, MySpace

Sinking Islands

Track List

1. No Power
2. The Breath and the Bell
3. Gnat Years
4. Synthesocietal
5. Triangle 3
6. Whose Side Are You On Anyway?
7. Nobody on the Subway
8. Punch Drunk on Black Mold
9. Feathers (Don't Change on Me)
10. I'm Gonna Make My Move

Buy: Bandcamp

Summerbirds in the Cellar - With the Hands of the Hunter...

Summerbirds in the Cellar have been featured on NPR, in Rolling Stone, and headlined for REM at SXSW in 2008, yet they still seem to elude popularity, which is a damn shame. I found this, their first album, on vinyl in an unmarked sleeve and no information on the disc itself. The only clues were on an insert which had their website in small print near the bottom. As far as I can tell, these guys may have called it quits after their second album, because when I went to this website, it was then as it is now, down. The band's sound is some kind of indie rock psychedelia, and the album itself is an existential journey. Since I couldn't find this album online anywhere, I ripped my vinyl. There might be some noise, and there's an imperfection on track 2, but you might not notice if I don't tell you exactly where it is, I did my best to touch it up in SoundBooth after the initial rip. Anyway have a listen:

Website: MySpace

With the Hands of the Hunter, it All Becomes Dead

1. The Machines Won't Fail
2. Strange Answers
3. Sunlight Sickness, Electric Light
4. Behold the Wolf
5. Ghosttown
6. Beware of False Prophets
7. The Black Republic
8. Lonely Sleeping Giant
9. What Were We Trying to Protect?
10. An Honest Friend
11. Trains

Download: MEGA (flac)

Universe - Passenger

Universe is a band made up of members of Ghost Mice, Soophie Nun Squad and Good Luck. However, this band strays a bit from its Plan-it-X roots, opting for an interesting mix of prog rock and post-hardcore instead of standard Plan-it-X folk punk. Some of my favorites on this album are Hyperconductor and Interplanetary Land Grab.

Website: MySpace

Passenger


Track List

1. Canopy
2. Holoscene
3. Moving Day
4. Hyperconductor
5. Pass the Ipecac
6. Memory Foam
7. Interplanetary Land Grab
8. Wendigo
9. Only Pharaohs
10. Any Empire
11. Passenger

Download: MediaFire

Gavin Castleton - Dark Age

Gavin Castleton is a prolific artist from Rhode Island, now based Portland, OR. His body of work spans a rather interesting gamut of genres, from experimental and futurock bands to jazz and hip hop solo projects. Every album Gavin releases is a new adventure, and I'm going to share my favorite one with all y'all. Dark Age is an ethereal cloud of feeling floating somewhere between slam poetry, hip hop, jazz and electronica. Some of my favorite lyrics come from this album, and I have a soft spot for 90 East, because it's a road I've driven many times. No song is lacking, but there's a little bit of an adjustment period to something that sounds as different as Gavin Castleton, I recommend starting with Ransom, I'm Not Really a Rapper, and 90 East.

Websites: Official Site, MySpace

Dark Age

Track List

1. Handshakingglitterteethphoto-Op
2. The Tarpit
3. Ransom
4. I'm Not Really a Rapper
5. Absent
6. 90 East
7. Recuperation II
8. Some People Live Between Holidays
9. Recall

Download: MediaFire

Split Lip - Discography

Split Lip is where Rites of Spring style emo met the newer Midwestern style. If you could put a sound to small-town angst, this would be it. Profound lyrics and complicated arrangements adorn each song; if you think you like the way this description sounds, just wait until you hear the music. Below you will find three albums. For the Love of the Wounded is their debut. Fate's Got a Driver, my personal favorite, was re-recorded after the band was renamed Chamberlain and is available free on their website, though I'm hooking you up with the original, which is much better. The third and final album is Archived Music for Stubborn People, which is a collection of previously released and unreleased songs, as well as an excellent cover of Operation Ivy's Unity.

Websites: Official Site, MySpace


Members

• David Moore - Vocals
• Adam Rubenstein - Lead Guitar
• Curtis Mead - Bass
• Clay Snyder - Rhythm Guitar
• Charlie Walker - Drums

For the Love of the Wounded

Track List

1. Anthem Boy
2. Sleep
3. Untitled
4. Crestfallen
5. For the Love of a Wounded Woman
6. Vintage
7. Upright Motive Nine
8. Show and Tell
9. Division Street
10. Blah Blah

Download: MediaFire

Fate's Got a Driver

Track List

1. Her Side of Sundown
2. Drums and Shotguns
3. Yellow Like Gold
4. Chamberlain (Five Year Diary)
5. Uniontown
6. Surrendering the Ghost
7. Street Singer
8. The Simple Life

Download: MediaFire


Archived Music for Stubborn People

Track List

1. Cry Wolf
2. Unsolid Ground
3. Crestfallen
4. Soul Kill
5. Evolution
6. Unity
7. Beds are Burning
8. Swan Street
9. For the Love
10. Anthem Boy
11. Sleep
12. Untitled

Download: MediaFire

Elephant Noises is open for business.

So this is my first post, and I might as well ramble about myself for a few sentences. So my name's Adam and I love music, which is why I'm making this music blog. I like to think I have a pretty wide array of tastes in music, but really I mostly listen to things similar to punk and folk. More recently, I've been listening to a lot more electronic stuff, and various types of indie.

So, without further ado, the first spotlight goes to the most recent band that my friend Patrick introduced me to: House of Fire. Their self-titled 2008 release is an eclectic collection of sonic psychedelia heavily influenced by the sounds of the sixties. However, this band is anything but a mere throwback; you'll know what I mean when you listen. Each song is a new experience, they are simple but infectious, and the lyrics and vocals will cut you right to the core. Download link will be at the bottom, along with a link to Amazon, I encourage you to buy if you like it.

Websites: MySpace, Official Site

Members:

• Isaac Betesh - vocals, guitar 
• E.J. Hagen - guitar 
• Dave Reis - vocals, bass 
• Lucy Rodemich - keyboards, percussion 
• Alex White - guitar 
• Peter trezzi - drums

House of Fire - Self Titled

Track Listing:

1. The Apple and the Blade
2. Walking Along the Sun
3. Old Kingdom
4. Twelve Stars
5. Don't Go to Hell Without Me
6. Lazy
7. Rain
8. Long Goodbyes
9. Hope is Gone Out

Download: MediaFire

Buy: Amazon