Paramore - All We Know Is Falling

Paramore | All We Know Is Falling | Fueled By Ramen | Clear Red | /2000

Wife made fun of me for buying this at Hot Topic yesterday. Maybe because I’m still buying records from a Hot Topic. Or maybe because I’m 24 years old and still like a record made for and by 16 year old girls. Look at all the fucks I give. (Answer: none) This record is great and I’m glad Travis from Hot Topic got FBR to repress it. Plus, when I brought it home and put it on, suddenly wife knew ALL the words. And even had a cute little dance to go along with it.

I remember when this record first came out. It was receiving rave reviews on Absolutepunk and I already had tickets to Warped Tour. So I went and saw Paramore play on the tiny pink stage that is Grrl’s Garage and enjoyed it. Though, I’m still bitter that the idiot girl I was dating back then made me leave Warped that day before Fall Out Boy played, under the excuse “you’ve seen them too many times already. You don’t need to see them again.” Bitch. She also told me “they’ll never go anywhere. They’re not that good.” I digress.

I can’t say I’ve been big on much of Paramore’s music since AWKIF. There’s been a few songs here and there, but something about this one still resonates with me. Maybe it’s purely nostalgia, maybe not. I’ll hang onto this even if it’s just to see wife sing and dance again.

Steel Train - 7" Of The Month Club

I finally received the last single for Steel Train's 7" Of The Month Club today. Here's a rundown:

#1: Sky Blue | /200
Side A: Shapeshifter
Side B: Call It Off (Tegan and Sara cover)

#2: Yellow | /200
Side A: You Are Dangerous (RAC Remix)
Side B: Better Love

#3: Pink | /200
Side A: Terrible Thrills
Side B: Sadie (Joanna Newson cover)

#4: Orange | /200
Side A: Science Fiction/Double Feature (from The Rocky Horror Picture Show)
Side B: Angelica

I'm excited to listen to all of these back to back this week. Fun story: the cartoon cover art in the 2nd photo was done by Alia Shawkat. You may know her as Maeby Fünke.

Caspian - Tertia

Caspian | Tertia | Mylene Sheath

Pilsner w/ Maroon haze | /100
Black 180 gram | /100
Euro tour press: Cream | Make My Day Records | /150
Tour press: Maroon w/ Black haze | /200
Maroon | /700

I’ve been waiting over 6 weeks for the Euro tour press (Cream) to show up in the mail. I’m so glad it finally did. Apparently US Customs are delaying packages over 500 kilos into the US for extensive checks and security. Nonsense.

Lavinia - There Is Light Between Us

Lavinia | There Is Light Between Us | Mylene Sheath

Tour press: Bronze | /100
Silver | /100
Bronze/Silver swirl | /300

Merry Christmas to me from Mylene Sheath. I’ve been looking forward to receiving these records for weeks on end now. They finally arrived yesterday and I spent the better part of my afternoon flipping it over endlessly.

Lavinia is a project by some friends in Boston, Phil from Caspian, Nate of Eksi Ekso/Burning Paris, and others. The record sounds like a mix of slowed down, trippy Deftones meets The Cure and the Jesus & Mary Chain. Every single track is pock marked with crescendos that force you to close your eyes and lean back and just let it take you on its journey. Of course, the highs would be as high if they weren’t spread by valleys of low, droning shoegaze featuring Nate’s slow and mesmerizing vocals.

Pleeeeaaassseeeeee…remembeerrrrrrr meeeeeee...

I’ve been in love with the record since the mp3s dropped last month. But hearing the rattle of the snare and the whine of Phil’s guitar fill my living room this afternoon was a brand new experience. Please, I beg you, don’t let 2010 pass without giving this a solid listen. Don’t let 2011 pass without falling in absolute love with this album like I did. Easily in my Top 5 of this year.

Listen on Myspace. Buy the tunes from your favorite digital retailer or grab one of the beautiful pieces of wax pictured above from the always incredible Mylene Sheath.

This Will Destroy You - Communal Blood 7"

This Will Destroy You | Communal Blood 7” | Clear | /50

Finally got this in today. This Will Destroy You have been bouncing around the past few months in anticipation of their constantly on the verge of release, Tunnel Blanket. Word has it, it should see the light of day in Winter/Spring 2011. The band is supposed to make an announcement about its release very soon. Until then, they pressed a song from the album, “Communal Blood”, on a limited run of 7”s. Clear out of 50, Black out of 500, Pink out of 5, all of which are sold out. Lots of people are reporting extreme warping of the clear press. Thankfully mine isn’t afflicted. I am experiencing a lot of surface noise, though. Especially in the right channel. Cleaning has helped a little, but not much.

The music itself is very calm, very ambient. TWDY have openly shunned their “post rock” label, stating that they don’t believe in the term or themselves to be included under the extremely broad umbrella that makes up the genre these days. Honestly, I couldn’t care less. I’m just glad to have new enjoyable tunes. The track undulates for all of the A-side and most of the B-side, finally hitting a crescendo during the last minute, full of crashing cymbals and toms and building guitars. And finally ends in a rapid, tribal drum beat and pulsing guitars that fade to silence. It feels like a premature cut off. Which I guess is a great teaser for Tunnel Blanket, which I anxiously await.