Pocahaunted - Beast That You Are

This is a rip of Pocahaunted's most recent Night People cassette release, which came out earlier this year. Damn these girls release a ton of music, yet it's all so sweet. Enjoy!

Download: Mediafire

Grouper - Cover The Windows And The Walls

Here is some more from Grouper. Cover The Windows And The Walls was a limited press LP that dropped shortly before Dragging A Dead Deer.

Download: Mediafire

Magik Markers - Boss

Matt & Kim on steroids? haha. I kid, but seriously, Magik Markers rule. Their songs start off helter skelter until they find that groove they are subconsciously searching for, and when they do, they step up 2 da streets. Guitars and noise, it's a bit louder than most of the stuff I like, but there are pop songs lingering beneath.

Download: Mediafire

Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers

Why do they call him the Ol Dirty Bastard? Because there's no father to his style.

Busta Rhymes (who had been around forever, even before this dropped, with Leaders Of The New School... who were a relatively unknown part of the Native Tongues) commented that he never quite understood how to make an album with his wild rhyming style until he heard this. He would subsequently release a string of platinum albums. 

That was not what ODB was after. He was after some blood. Whether it was period blood, or bustin' yr fucking ass, some blood. RZA really contured beats to snugly fit Osirus' obtuse style, and Big Baby Jesus did whatever he wanted. Probably one of the most true to himself artists that American music has seen, whether you like it or not.

Download: Mediafire

Sunset Rubdown - 2 early EP's

Sunset Rubdown - EP. Download: Mediafire

Sunset Rubdown - Snake's Got A Leg. Download: Mediafire

True to form, homeboy from Wolf Parade displayed what was to come on the only good album Sunset Rubdown ever made (Shut Up I Am Dreaming), on these early EP's. These are the sketches for those songs; both make for interesting and rewarding listens.

Various Artists - Soundbombing II

Oh shit! I talked about the RA The Rugged Man song from this a couple days back, but this thing is filled with so many hits it's unbelievable, plus it was mixed by fucking Babu and J Rocc, who were legends back then. I can not stress how classic this is!

The Eminem song was fire (Last night I od'd on rush, mushrooms and dust/then got rushed/to the hospital to get my system flushed/shucks!... give me 11 excederin my head will spin/medicine will get me revin like a 747 jet engine), Common had the banger 1999, Mos Def and the High & Mighty + Mad Skillz teamed up for B-Boy Document, Pharaoe Monche did Mayor - which was about assassinating Rudolph Guiliani!, Talib Kweli, Bahamadia, Sadat X... El-P and Company Flow with what is arguably the best song that group ever did in America. Whew! 

Since underground rap music could get no better than this, it immediately fell off completely, with Rawkus trying to capitalize on it's new found fanbase (bro's), Eminem hitting mainstream status, Mos Def deciding to never actually write a decent song, and El-P leaving Company Flow to start the overrated Def Jux (they had a few nice albums, but let's be honest). Classic material.

Download: Mediafire

Note about this: whenever I put compilations into my iTunes, I make the artist Various Artists. You may not like it, but that's how it's listed. Actual artist credits are in the song titles.

Joanna Newsom - & The Ys Street Band

On August 22nd of this year, my future wife is going to be playing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Anyone want to pay for my ticket and have me as their guest?

Download: Mediafire

Show & AG - Full Scale LP

Consumate 90's East Coast underground rap. These guys are so underrated. A part of the super-group DITC [Diggin In The Crates, a group which, at least at times, included DJ Premier, Big L, Fat Joe (who wasn't always a cash-cow), and OC, among others], this was initially released as an EP that I had doubles of on vinyl. Having thought it was completely out of print, I was floored after coming across this full length version on CD. I wore the shit out of that record. It features Big Pun (RIP), and KRS-One, who shoes up with an pretty good I Got Next era verse. If you are into Gang Starr or Group Home, cop this!

Download: Mediafire

Grouper - Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill

Contender for top five albums of the year status, Grouper managed to make a remarkable album. She has a knack for creating ghostly melodies that are a springboard for her beautifully haunting voice, that withers away in a forest towards the end of fall. A layer spring time pop lies buried beneath a ground overgrown with morning dew covered leaves here. Musty scents and clean air, you are in a mountain range somewhere in Colorado practicing yoga alone during the onset of dawn. Lovely. 

Download: Mediafire

White Rainbow - Prism Of Eternal Now

Blissed out ambient music? Adam Forkner has collaborated in teh past with dude from Valet for Dark Yoga, and has produced for groups like Yellow Swans, Devendra, and Jackie-O Motherfucker, to name a few. This is more easy-going than those, and is damn good dream music.

Download: Mediafire

Curtis Mayfield - Curtis

In light of the news about Isaac Hayes, I should have posted Black Moses or something, but this had been in rotation. 

Most good Soul music from the era this was released gets critiqued against Marvin Gaye, so I'll offer this: Curtis is like the illegitimate step-son of Let's Get It On and What's Going On. Somewhat political, somewhat gettin da ladies, Mayfield finds himself on the high note of his solo career here (imo, it's better than the Superfly stuff, though I love that too). And yes, Move On Up was the song sampled by Just Blaze for Kanye West's Touch The Sky.

Download: Mediafire

MGMT - We (Don't) Care Ep

This is their earliest material I have found to date, and it sounds like they were listening to a lot of Paula Abdul at the time. Seriously.

Download: Mediafire

Clipse Present Re-Up Gang

Blah blah blah cocaine blah blah blah spirit of competition blah blah blah whatever that little intro is to Sandman's verses. This has a bunch of verses from WGIFC 3, but it's still a good listen.

Download: Mediafire

Sean McCann - Jasmine

My girlfriends yelling at me on the phone, so I'll give you last.fm's description:

the real sean mccann hails from brooklyn, nyc. ramshackle guitar dirges get broken into pieces and glued back together with paste made from analog synthetics. Sean whirrs his way up and down dunes, through valleys of glistening sand. with hints of makeshift percussion acting as leader of the caravan, mccann molds the distorted, washed-out guitar tones into something catchy and fit for a king.

Download: Mediafire

Crystal Stilts - Crystal Stilts

The only way I can describe this best is by calling it a blissed out version of Velvet Underground. Specifically songs like "I Found A Reason" From Loaded. I could be wrong, however... it happens alot. Good stuff.

Download: Mediafire

Dinosaur Jr - Where You Been

I was super reluctant once again (mang, I sleep on so much good stuff it's retarded) to listen to Dinosaur Jr. Look at the album cover, it's scary. If Charles Bukowski had a kid with an Alien that had downs, and that kid was trying to emulate On The Road, this would be his portrait. 

Eventually forced to listen to it by another kid that works at the record store, I was suprised at the depth of it. The first track is a little loud, but not over the top, and then the album slides into a groove of subtle-lushness, with J Macsis' lounging falsetto hovering above. I saw Fearless Freaks and just came to the conclusion that Wayne Coyne was ripping off Butthole Surfers. And he may be, but he is for sure ripping off Macsis. The only FLips record that tops this is The Soft Bulletin... And that's saying something.

Download: Megaupload (over 100 mbs. sorry)

Bjork Beatdown

i don't normally do this sorts of stuff, but this was hilarious.

Miles Davis - On The Corner

You HAVE to respect Miles Davis' gangster. He covered so much ground musically, it's nearly unheard of in the modern era. Really, and I said this on the last Charles Mingus post, these jazz albums are the precursor to the free-form psych/drone albums that are so hot right now. This album, specifically, is what I'd call Vietnam Jazz. So poignant, that it places the listener in the bunkers, bombs shrapnel-ing around you, the smell of dust and sweat, the bustle of making it to the next out-post, tall trees flailing in the jet-stream of military planes overhead. Acute bongos, sharp electric guitar, and riveting horn hits subtly shatter the listeners notion of what jazz is -- which is quite why On The Corner was frowned upon after it's initial release, and smiled upon in retrospect.

Download: Mediafire

Shpilberg - Gold Fish

OMG. 

So I deal with this guy on this website who runs DNT Records, and he supplies me with most of the sweet underground psych drone tapes/cds/records that I buy. You can check it out here. I place pretty big orders on a regular basis, and sometimes I end up with stuff that I didn't order because he's awesome, he responds quickly, and the prices on his merch is so far beyond fair it's ridiculous. 

Well my latest order came through yesterday, and I had no clue wtf this was, but the cover art was so awesome it was the first thing I listened to (the artwork is in a jpg on my desktop, but blogger was taking so long to up it, I said fuck it). 

Well I have been schooled in the art of drums because the guy I do music with is obsessed with good drum sounds, and hardly anyone does it right (see Axelrod, DJ Shadow, jazz drummers). Most people just want to bang on the drums and have no sense of anything. 

Well most of these sorts of albums don't really focus on drums. But holy shiznite! The drummer on this MURDERS! Plus the rest of the sounds are pretty brilliant. But damn that drummer has got it on lock. I am trying to get ahold of these guys because last.fm only has 14 scrobbles by one user for this band, so we can solve the conundrum of who these people are. Anyhow, this one gets on of my more pleasant suprise highly recommended seal of approvals.

Download: Mediafire

Abe Vigoda - Skeleton

Damn, dogg. I had been trying to find this on the internet for quite some time, and slept on the initial links, and then couldn't find it again once homeboy's name started popping up all over the place. They often do shows at the same place as, and are categorized with, HEALTH, but that's not quite fair. It's almost tribal meets punk, right around the bonfire, before the ghost stories, just as everyone is happily first drunk. 

Since I can't find it anywhere else, I'm assuming the link won't stay up long, so get it quickly!

Download: Mediafire

Raccoo-Oo-Oon- ...Is Night People

More hawt psych-drone action! Raccccooooooooooooon is good. If you like Pocahaunted, you'll like this. 

Download: Mediafire

Keith Fullerton Whitman - Antithesis

Another rekkid I picked up over the weekend, consisting of drone instrumental pieces, made up of Rhodes, guitars, violas, mallets, and dulcimers. If those instruments don't moisten up that vag, I'm not sure what is going to do it for you. On the real though, it's effin beautiful. 

Download: Mediafire

Lichens - The Psychic Nature Of Being

That sure as fuck isn't the album cover on the vinyl copy I just copped, but wtf ever.

Dude is from Chi-city, is a part of 90 Day Men and has recorded with TV On The Radio. This is nothing like TVOTR, however. The write-up that Reckless did on this says "...it's three improvised tracks of psychedelic folk mantra/raga drone aktion. Culling the spirits of La Monte Young, Meredith Monk and John Fahey (I have no idea who those people are). It's a tour de force (I hate that phrase) of twilight meditation and eternal reflection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (they probably just say that to get you to buy it)."

Well worth my 16 duckets.

Download: Mediafire

El Guincho - Folias

I posted Alegranza! a while back, and recently stumbled upon this, Guincho's tour disc of pre-Alegranza material. For those who aren't up on it, Guincho is basically the South American version of Panda Bear. Get it NOW YEAH!

Download: Mediafire

Scarface - The Fix

Scarface may be the most underappreciated rapper of all time. Without him, no southern rappers would have ever been given a chance. His story telling raps are as acute as any of Slick Rick's, his drug talk was always put into the risk-reward perspective, often dwelling more on the depression that stems from being conscious of ensuing damage than the glamour of rims and street fame, plus he has always had the knack, maybe moreso than anyone else, for picking the beats that fit his haunting voice perfectly. This is the only album that deserves the 5 mic status The Source gave it since Benzino took over. Kanye West (Blueprint 1 era) and the Neptunes do production here, fwiw.

Download: Mediafire

White Magic - Dat Rosa Mel Apibus

Speaking of psych, White Magic are pretty righteous. It's of that new-weird america, esoteric, Crowley-inspired talk with vagrant acoustics. 

Download: Mediafire

Grateful Dead - Live Dead

The Grateful Dead are quite possibly the main reason I hated high school. The kids there were all gung ho about this band and they were all dicks to me, so I never gave them a shot. After hearing in different interviews how much Animal Collective loved the Dead, and watching the episode of Freaks and Geeks where the girl gets into American Beauty, I figured to give it a shot. It was okay, but not heavy rotation. Tried Workingman's Blues, to the same effect.

But yesterday I was reading another article on P4K (I know some people hate that site, but while the reviews are pretentious, there is a lot of good to be had over there), they started talking about the acid rock they did. Hell, I just thought they were acoustic folk-sters. This shit is amazing. That half-hour long Dark Star kicks my ass. Listened to it several times yesterday, and half-way through caught myself each time thinking, 'this is the shit... who am I listening to.' If you like long, exploratory improv pieces of the psych-nature, this is for you.

Download: Mediafire Part 1 | Part 2

Nas - The N***** Tape

This is the mixtape pre-quel to the Untitled album that actually hit shelves. Pitchfork actually gave this a good write-up in their review of Untitled, saying that this was the inspired, hungry Nas that everyone expected to see on the toned down Def Jam release. Personally I liked Untitled, but yeah, this does trump that.

Download: Mediafire

RA The Rugged Man - Die, Rugged Man, Die

How in depth should I go here? I remember back to my days when I would DJ house parties on the local college campus during the height of Rawkus' run as the kings of underground hip-hop (Mos Def, BlackStar, Company Flow, et all), and being geeked when I heard the Rugged Man's song "Stanley Kubrick" from Soundbombing II (CLASSIC!). Riggu-Ruh, yo, feel that bassline, cat. Haha.

Dude is an ex-street boxer from somewhere out east (Philly, iirc), who is brutally built like a tank. He was a grimy asshole, who signed to Jive records on the strength of an appearance on a B.I.G. unreleased song, and a shit ton of freestyle sessions on the infamous Stretch and Bobbito show on New York radio, just before Jive forgot about it's hardcore-rap past (see Spice 1, Too Short, E-40 and much of the 90's Bay area acts), instead favoring pop acts like Britney Spears and NSync. Jive continuously put RA's much anticipated album on hold for what seemed like an eternity, before getting dropped from the label due to a sexual harrassment suit brought against RA by a Jive records secretary (he may have pulled his dick out... not sure though).

With that out of the way, this is pretty much all post-Jive vault material, finding RA spitting over grimy east coast underground beats with his snarling vox, talking about basic grimy situations, which include his rise to near-fame, difficulties with Jive, and his consequential burroughing back to the underground to make what was, for all intents and purposes, a successful underground rap record. 

Sounds like a success story Disney would shoot a movie over, right? Haha. Maybe if he wasn't talking about nothing but nasty shit non-stop. 

Download: Mediafire 

Killah Priest - Heavy Mental

So you have Liquid Swords, right? The last song from that album, B.I.B.L.E., was not GZA, but this guy. But the song was deemed so compelling by RZA and company that they had to place it as the bookend to the Genius' classic album. Then, Killah Priest got to do his solo album between Wu releases, and this is it. Really, it should have been KP over Cappadonna for the last roster spot in the Clan after ODB got locked up, but for whatever reason they picked Cappa, who probably would have been like the fourth best member of Killarmy. KP's gravely voice dominates over classical-era Wu production; so if you love Liquid Swords, Heavy Mental should find good rotation in yr iTunes.

Download: Mediafire

Charles Mingus - Mingus Plays Piano

Been listening to 'nuff Mingus lately. Used to have a really hard time getting into jazz, until I realized that bands like Pocahaunted and Raccoo-ooo-oon are doing the same stuff with different instruments. The subtitle to this, 'Spontaneous Compositions and Improvisations,' probably doesn't give Mingus his due, as far as being a calculated musician goes. Like Sun Ra, Charles had a knack for being so good at writing jazz music that it seemed impossible to be anything other than "spontaneous." If you aren't, you had better recognize like it looks familiar.

Download: Mediafire