The Walrus is a Philadelphia-based music blog written by Michael. You may send me stuff through the send a tip page or email me. All mp3s should be sent as links. NO ATTACHMENTS, PLEASE. If I like your music, chances are I will write about it.
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mp3s on this site are for promotional purposes only. If you wish to have an mp3 removed please contact me.
Need something cool to watch over the weekend (or during your boring workday)? Here is an excellent 3-part documentary produced by the BBC entitled Prog Rock Britannia: An Observation in Three Movements, which tells the “tale” of that grandiose and wildly strange genre known as Prog-Rock. The film profiles bands like Jethro Toll, King Crimson, Genesis and YES and features interviews with legendary scene-stars such as Phil Collins, Rick Wakeman and Robert Fripp. Watch the full doc in 3 parts below:
Dum Dum Girls is another cool new band from The Captured Tracks crew (also check out WOODS) with a lo-fi, slightly shoegazy sound THAT IS JUST SO COOL RIGHT NOW. Ok, seriously though its a good song from a band I expect to hear more good things from in the future.
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The singer from Fanfarlo kind of sounds like the lead singer from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, who kind of sounds like David Byrne from the Talking Heads..kind of. If you like that sort of thing, which I do, their single “Harold T. Wilkins” and its “scientific” video will be right up your alley. Have a look:
You can’t get much closer to a perfect bedroom pop song than WOODS‘ “The Dark” especially if you like awkward, cute, high-pitched vocals and snared out drums. it’s kind of like Elmo fronting the Violent Femmes, but in a really really good way.
WOODS’s “Sunlit b/w The Dark” 7″ and new album Songs of Shame will be out soonish on Captured Tracks (a label to look out for this year).
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I expected Human Highway’s video for the breezy song “The Sound” to feature sun, green stuff and rainbows. Instead I get the heads of Nick Thorburn and Jim Guthrie floating around a weird Art-Deco fun-house. I was tricked, but happily so.
Those of you who subscribe to The Walrus RSS Feed with Google Reader may or may not know that it is a bit wonky. Occasionally it displays old posts and/or unclickable posts. HAVE NO FEAR…A RE-BUILD IS NEAR..and the RSS feed will be a million times better (and yes the new version will have comments!)
Also, if you are into the whole Twitter thing (who isnt these days? I’m looking at YOU, CNN) then you can follow The Walrus and receive mp3 links, music news and so many other juicy tidbits that are SO crucial to your everyday life!
Thanks to the Shelflife Records Blog for posting this rare gem from Boston band The Maps. Released in 1979, “I’m Talking to You” is the band’s only 7″, and is an instantly likeable power-pop tune with great vocals.
Read more about The Maps here and if you are interested in getting more into the 70s/80s underground Boston scene, grab D.I.Y.: Mass. Ave.: The Boston Scene (1975-83) from Amazon.
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Well look who is back with a buzzing new single…Phoenix! “1901″ sounds fantastic, and though it doesn’t hit me the way the majority of It’s Never Been Like That did, I still dig it and I am definitely looking forward to the new album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. The title alone is incredibly awesome!
Grab the single below and the album on March 25th.
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I’m a huge fan of early/mid 90s Flaming Lips and this tune from New Jersey’s Lima Research Society harkens back to those twisted, slow nerve action days. “Giant Moth/The Beauty Of Things” begins with a buzz-saw, almost glam guitar groove and transforms itself into a sedated space ballad. I’d prefer sticking with the former, but hey gotta come down at some point right?
LRS’s new album Don’t Give Up, Don’t Get Down is available now on their page.
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I have posted about Cheap Time before and now I’m wondering how is it that an awesome band like this is not huge right now? With all the lo-fi and garage stuff popping up on indie blogs these days it’s surprising that we haven’t been hearing more about these Jay Reatard favs. Their debut album is a blast of dirty power-pop goodness, perfect for drunken dance parties and who couldn’t use more of that? Check out two tracks below.
Be sure to pick up Cheap Time now from In the Red.
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Ok so I’m a little biased when it comes to this band, due to their name. However, make no mistake about it Dinowalrus, who has played alongside such bands as HEALTH, Ponytail, The Soft Pack, Silver Apples, Titus Andronicus and Chairlift, have a sound that is just as powerful as their name.
“Electric Car, Gas Guitar”, the A-side of their new 7″, is sci-fi krautrock with a full-throttled chorus, reminiscent of bands like Chrome and Faust. Total mindfuckery.
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Pate Magazine’s newest venture An Indie Rock Alphabet Book is an adorable collection of rhymes featuring indie bands and um, well, not-so-indie bands (Pearl Jam? Tom Waits?) representing the letters of the alphabet. Charming! Here are some of my favs:
