I saw a review for the new Minus Story album, My Ion Truss, at Pitchfork this morning and immediately checked over at eMusic to see if it was available. I like those guys and had downloaded their other stuff through that service. Sure enough they had it. I guess I somehow overlooked it while checking through the daily batches of new releases last week because that’s when it was added to their catalog.
I also noticed something called A Minus Story Compendium with the triple listing of “new,” “eMusic Only,” and “Free Track.” Turns out it’s a nine track free sampler taken from the other available albums and EP. How cool! I already had all the songs after grabbing the new one but I think it’s a great idea as far as giving others a free introduction to the band is concerned. It’s a great little compilation too. I haven’t listened to My Ion Truss yet, but the other songs selected are the same ones I would have chosen using my new myopic selection standards. Included are my two favorite songs by them, “Little Wet Head” and “You Were On My Side.”
I’m not sure how to describe the band’s music. I see Flaming Lips mentioned a lot but I don’t think they sound like them at all. Still, their brand of mellow neo-psychedelic-indie-folk-pop-rock is in the same ballpark. If you’re intrigued but not an eMusic subscriber, there are a bunch of freebies available at both the Minus Story and Jagjaguwar sites.
So your trying to make a Halloween mix for this weekend’s bash, or you went to one this weekend and the music bombed (I mean how many times can possibly listen to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”) and you have it in you to fix that for next year. So let’s fill that puppy or should I say three-headed dog with some strange, unique music your friends never heard that you can seize for free or very cheap.
Austin’s The Lovely Sparrows, produce sweet soulful harmonies backed by breezy acoustical guitars, combined with a multitude of various instruments on their latest five track EP Pulling Up Floors, Pouring on (New) Paint. This is their second release, the first being a 7″ released earlier this year. They have a similar sound to fellow Austinites American Analog Set, as well as influential mixture of The Kinks and Big Star in a similar fashion to way The Shins set up their compositions but more carefree. Lead singer and songwriter, Shawn Jones provides illuminated narration to the bands open and airy landscape. The setting is soft around the edges, like a fluffy cloud mixed with mini bursts of tiny explosions of percussion.