I'm sure I've recommended this album to at least some of you, but now I'm doing it officially. Personal Computer is the recent debut of Silicon, also known as Kody Nielson. Sound familiar? Kody is the brother of Ruban Nielson, lead of the band Unknown Mortal Orchestra. There are definitely similarities between the brothers' voices, but the music they produce is a bit different.

This album is something that definitely went overlooked by a lot of people in 2015 including myself. I didn't discover it until just last month, but it's been one of my most played albums this year thus far. 

At times, this album may sound like a hodgepodge of various genres, but the end result is a collection of great sounds and a truly impressive display of Nielson's multi-instrumental capabilities. 

(Spotify Link)

11:31 AM

If even one of you hasn't heard this album before, then I've done my job.

Ladies and gentlemen...I present to you an absolute classic from 1971.  Maggot Brain is the third album released by Funkadelic, a band led by none other than George Clinton (he also led Parliament - Parliament and Funkadelic were "sister" bands), and is still making music today.  The album will start you off on the moon, take you on to the dance floor, make you laugh, make you cry, and then do it all over again...

...probably not any of those, but it sounded really dramatic.

Something to note - on Spotify there are three bonus tracks.  These are from some 2005 release.  Technically speaking, the album is only the first seven tracks, up through Wars Of Armageddon.  To make it easy I've made a playlist here that you can use if you want:

https://open.spotify.com/user/sf424/playlist/7cKEnvic2eOWsadAonBf83

12:30 PM

        So, recently we’ve gotten weird. Lets get crushingly depressed. Giles Corey is the solo project of Have A Nice Life’s Dan Barrett. If you’re unfamiliar with them, check that out as well. They are an amalgam of post-punk, shoegaze, drone-y ambiance. 

With this self titled album, Dan explores some very heavy issues and feelings. Loneliness, depression, and suicide are all pervasive themes. There is an eerie fog of reverb surrounding many of the songs. Even the more straight forward acoustic parts are still drenched in a creepy, brooding sensation.  

There will be quiet moments. There are moments with choir and orchestrated swells. Pained groans, forlorn howls, screams, shouts. The vocals sometimes drop deeper into the mix, letting the atmosphere take the forefront. It truly feels like peeking into the mind of an incredibly wounded soul. 

         I'm not gonna say much more. This is one that really needs to be fully experienced. 

1:22 PM

Yeah, I'm predictable, sorry. In my defense I've had this planned for like two month, it's just been a long time since my last turn.

So you guys have heard my general Car Seat Headrest rant, but I'll recap it real quick. Will Toledo has released 11 albums on bandcamp since May 2010 and last year he finally started getting the recognition he deserved and got signed to Matador Records. He rerecorded and released a collection of songs that is a sort of "Greatest Hits" which was his label debut titled Teens of Style and he is expected to follow that this year with Teens of Denial. This is an older one which was released in 2011.

I love Will Toledo's songwriting, I love the intimacy created by his lofi production style, I love the way he delivers his lyrics. It might take a bit to break into his sonic universe but once it clicks, it's incredibly rewarding, so my advice is just put this album on as much as you possibly can this week and Will's melodies will worm into your heads and make you want to come back for more.

One of the most impressive things about his songwriting for me is his ability to write a 10 plus minute song that has different chapters that tie together and weave in and out of each other beautifully. One of my favorite Car Seat Headrest songs, "Ending of Dramamine", is not on this album, but I encourage you to listen to it also. Like most of his music, I think it's a great song for traveling and thinking.

I could go on forever but I won't. This is really great, creative, passionate, inspiring, and beautiful music. Please please push through the production. I promise it becomes charming. It's a long one so if you have to try to focus on a few songs, try for "Beach Life-in-Death" and "Sober to Death". Enjoy!

10:23 AM