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I was digging through some of my old CDs yesterday. Sometimes I shutter at the type of music I purchased 6 or 7 years ago, but I like to think most people look back at themselves from 7 years ago and just laugh too. What I was surprised to find during the mindless filing of old music was The Album Leaf. I had completely forgotten about how fun and relaxing this band was. If I ever needed to mindlessly get lost in some music while cleaning or just laying down, this band was perfect for that. The Album Leaf is a band that uses a lot of rhodes piano and synthesizer, but they do it in a way that leaves you in an harmonious trance. Created by Jimmy LaValle, The Album Leaf is filled with wonderful, melodic loops that leave you tantalized in the synthesizers. Their music was really good when I first listened to them, and after all these years, it still is. Give them a listen. You can purchase their stuff here...

  http://www.thealbumleaf.com/

NEW Pinback:Information Retrieved!!!

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Well, after five long years, Pinback is back with a whole new album, Information Retrieved. Pinback consists of band members Rob Crow and Zach (ABSIV) Smith, both of which I talk about all the time on this site because they are constantly keeping busy with not just Pinback but other side projects as well. This band is so great because these two people are so different, yet they are able to make some of the best music that is  released today. Rob's vocals and unusually catchy guitar arpeggios are always cryptic, yet very clear.. Zach is by far the best bass player out there. I see this band live at least twice a year, and seeing Zach play is amazing. What most people would need two bass players to do, Zach can do without breaking a sweat. Listen to Glide for an example. Being a San Diego native, just like Rob and Zach, listening to Pinback makes me feel like I am at home. With songs like Proceed to Memory, Drawstring, Glide, Sherman, and True North, it is an excellent way to start the fall season.


Purchase their stuff from http://temporaryresidence.com/artists/pinback

M83 rings it in again

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Very few bands can come out with a new album that is so big and small at the same time. M83 does this...TWICE! M83's new double album, Hurry up, We're Dreaming is an album that definitely requires more than one listen. The numerous synths, drums, strings, and SAXOPHONE...are so well mixed into this album that sometimes you miss some stuff going on. I have listened to both discs about 4 times each, and even now I am finally beginning to catch stuff that I did not catch before. Anthony Gonzalez, who is the sole member of M83, is a true artist. Each disc is supposed to be based on the views of a brother and sister. The two albums mirror each other that way. For instance, Midnight city and New Map are supposed to be the same concept but through the eyes of a brother and sister. Pretty deep stuff, right? Very few bands out there can go into detail like this album, and Anthony Gonzalez did this TWICE! He uses unorthodox methods, like having the lyrics to a song be a little girl telling a story about frogs, to create some really interesting, happy sounds. Unlike his earlier albums, Gonzalez is really bringing in more of his own voice with this record. The unique sounds at the beginning of Midnight City, people? Yeah, that was done with just his voice. Enough romance, M83's new album is one of the better albums to be released this year. Go out and get it today.

You can pick up a copy at www.ilovem83.com

Systems Officer

It is Friday and you know what that means!!? Actually, I am not really sure what that means, but I am sure you readers do? Friday could mean a bunch of things, so I am not going to try and guess what you people are thinking, geese! That was a joke, people. Enough romance, last post I had talked about discovering Montalban Quintet at a Systems Officer concert. Well, now it is time to actually talk about my experience with Systems Officer! This band is a solo project of Armistead Burwell Smith IV aka Zach Smith, who also is in a few great San Diego based bands, like Pinback and Three Mile Pilot. Systems Officer has the same feel as Pinback, but I would say it feels more emotional. Upon seeing Zach play live, it was obvious that these songs are played with real emotion. Not that his other bands are not played like that; I am sure they are. The reason it is probably a little different because this is all Zach, not just Zach and the rest of Pinback or Three Mile Pilot. It is very focused and has that classic Zach Smith sound to it. All I could think about during the show was, "man, this guy is one of the most talented musicians I have ever seen live." This guys takes the bass guitar and takes it to a whole other level. When you listen to Systems Officer, you are thinking that most of the sounds came from an electric guitar when actually it was mostly done with just bass. Zach's bass playing changes my whole view on how songs can be arranged; however, I am not here to talk about song structure, so I will just leave that one alone. Not only is Zach an excellent bass player, he is also one of the coolest, most down to earth people I have had the pleasure to meet. I came up to him before the show and talked about how I have seen his other band, Pinback a bunch of times. Seriously, I probably have seen Pinback ten times within the past 5 years. He did not seem annoyed or bored when I talked to him, which was a great feeling. He said that he was excited to finally get the band (Systems Officer) on tour for the first time, and that he looks forward to keep moving on with both Pinback and Systems Officer. Towards the end of our conversation he stated that he really appreciates having such a loyal fan base, and as long as people are willing to come out and see him, then he will continue to make music. It is obvious Zach Smith is still loves playing music. When he is on stage, you can tell he is passionate about the music. Enough romance, Systems Officer has an EP, a full length album, Underslept, and he is currently writing a new album due out next summer. Go out and get Systems Officer, it is one of the few good bands out there!

You can purchase Systems Officer music at  http://temporaryresidence.com/

Get relaxed with some Montalban Quintet

While looking through the merch table at a Systems Officer show -I will no doubt have a post about Systems Officer in the near future- there was an album laid out that I had not seen or heard of before. The album said, "From the founders of Systems officer present: Montalban Quintet." The band consists of drummer (Chris Prescott) and the guitar/bass player (Kenseth Thibideau.) Immediately, I thought it would be a no-brainer to buy this album. The album's horn arrangements, combined with the cello and percussion, create an album that is great to listen to, especially on headphones. Overall, there is a nice relaxing tone that overlaps through each song. It is definitely different than Systems Officer, but that is not in any way a bad thing. I guess you can categorize this band as "experimental jazz," but I would try not to define it that way. People should not try to define a band by their genre because so many bands out there have a sound that is so unique that classifying them under something like "Rock" or "Pop" just does not do them justice. I think I went on a weird thing there for a bit, sorry. Enough romance, Montalban Quintet's music is really good listening, so go out there and buy it!

You can buy their music at http://www.montalbanquintet.com/

Rob Crow's He Thinks He's People

Christmas came early today because I got my copy of Rob Crow's new album, He Thinks He's People. If you did not already know, Rob Crow is half of the hard-core, easy listening band, Pinback. He's also a member of a million other bands out there: Heavy Vegetable, Goblin Cock, Thingy, Fashion Valley, The Devfits, and many others. Seriously, it would take me about an hour to list all of his past and present projects. Enough romance, the album came in the mail today, and I must say that it is exactly what I expected. I mean this in a sincere, positive way. The album is definitely more eclectic than his last release, Living Well; however, it does not take away from that classic Rob Crow sound. Do not take my thoughts on the album too seriously because this entry is NOT intended to be a deep review. Believe me, this album speaks for itself. I encourage people to not only listen to this album, but all of Rob's other albums as well. Too many people jump from band to band, only liking two songs, then moving on to some other new thing. Bands -Rob Crow is an excellent example- should be shown more respect for the work they do. Show respect by listening to the whole album, not just a couple of songs. Enjoy!


You can buy Rob Crow's He Thinks He's People at   http://temporaryresidence.com/