Over 300 millions songs were written in 2006. 42% of them were released commercially. 12% will never be heard by a national audience. 2% are actually just birds squawking into a baby moniter.

Yes, we know what you’re thinking: that we made up those figures just now. And if we wanted to be honest, we’d say you are 100% right. But Invisible Limb isn’t about being honest. It’s about making claims.

Solid, bold claims. About music.

Don’t mix your facts with our claims, man.

2006 was our first full year in existence. It was also the first year we got to hear all the wonderful albums you sent us for review- I’m looking at you bands & labels. Those shiny packages delivered to our inbox in yellow packaging sleeves! It was like Christmas morning everyday!

We must admit there were a handful of albums that we didn’t care for at all (well, more than a handful), but in between these depressing submissions, we received a great deal of exciting, fun albums. Albums that lifted our spirits into the outer atmosphere and sent us on a magic carpet ride to indie rock heaven.

The following write up is a recap of these records, a look back at what stuck with us in the year 2006*.

*All selections were chosen by the staff of Invisible Limb, which consists of me and my imaginary friend Lex Panther. He is half super villian, half panther.

We hope you enjoy our selections, so much so, that they compel you to go on an irresponsible music shopping spree. Afterwards, you can come back and let us know how debt feels. We’ll be here waiting.

The Tear Drop Award | Saddest Break Up of 2006

Kind of Like Spitting
(Portland, OR)

The first time I heard Ben Barnett play his guitar and struggle to sing into a microphone it was on a compilation cd I had received from the distro/label Suburban Home Records. Hidden in between an hour’s worth of slick pop punk tracks was this rough, emotional rock song. I remember it seeming so out of place I had to check the tracklisting to see who was responsible for this odd duck. The listing read Kind of Like Spitting - Birds of a Feather.

Before I could make a mental comment on the sloppy guitar playing or discredit the often inaudible vocals, I found myself already sold by the raw passion of the song. To my ears it didn’t matter that the song wasn’t ‘listenable’. They loved the blemishes. By the time the song ended, at the point Barnett is barely able to utter the final line without breaking into tears (”I feel sick because I know you are going to run…but I can’t blame you”), I was ready to search out the rest of Kind of Like Spitting’s music.

At first it was via p2p, collecting random songs and live recordings, then afterwards looking up the lyrics and reading along to the song. Eventually I began to collect his full albums, starting with Nothing Makes Sense Without It, and moving on to his Barsuk release Bridges Worth Burning, the seminal 100 Dollar Room, and my personal favorite Old Moon in the Arms of the New, and in 2002 I even got to see Barnett play with a full band at the House of Blues in Anahiem.

Then suddenly on Sunday, October 8th, 2006, not too long after the release of his latest record (a split with pop punk band Lemuria), Barnett logged into his Myspace page and left a message for his fans:

“My personal life has become too intense to continue writing songs that blame others for my issues. Singing these songs and touring my life into the ground has left me lost and directionless in my life. I have spent ten years of my life getting high and blaming others for my history and inability to control my demons. I want to reach a better place. I want to move FORWARD.”

In other words, he had decided to put Kind of Like Spitting to rest.

Whether he returns to songwriting under a new name or fades off into obscurity, his music will still leave a lasting impact over those lucky enough to stumble upon it. And although every note might not be classified as ‘listenable’ to the general music fan they will always ring true.

[mp3] Kind of Like Spitting - Birds of a Feather
[mixtape.zip] Short Story Long: A Restrospective Look at Kind of Like Spitting
[buy] Kind of Like Spitting discography @ Insound.com

[video] Kind of Like Spitting performing Birds of a Feather live

[gv data="http://www.youtube.com/?v=hvt9PoQ_YuE"][/gv]

HONORABLE MENTION

Grandaddy
(Modesto, CA)

It is always sad when the band that recorded one of your favorite albums of all time (2003’s Sumday) decides to call it quits, however, lucky for us fans, Grandaddy were kind enough to record one more album before sailing off into the sunset. With stand out tracks like Elevate Myself and Where I’m Anymore, Just like the Fambly Cat serves as a respectable swan song for the great, unique California band.

I’m sure we will be hearing more from songwriter Jason Lytle and his ex-band mates, just don’t expect them to be releasing anything on V2 Records anytime soon.

[mp3] Grandaddy - The Group Who Couldn’t Say
[buy] Grandaddy discography @ Insound.com

[video] Grandaddy - Now It’s On

[gv data="http://www.youtube.com/?v=R9C2VU5An5E"][/gv]

The No Ear Plugs Required Award | Best Live Record of 2006

My Morning Jacket - Okonokos
(ATO Records)

My choice for best live record of 2006 is a band that has blessed my ears with sexiness since 2003’s marvelous It Still Moves. Of course I am talking about My Morning Jacket and their double live album Okonokos. Made mostly of songs from their last two full lengths, Okonokos is a must have for anyone who has ever fallen in love with an innocent New Orleans girl down by the bayou or eaten a baby alligator.

Ignore what this guy says; the album is worth purchasing just to hear how great Z sounds live. And the DVD version is even more incredible.

[buy] My Morning Jacket - Okonokos @ Insound.com

[video] My Morning Jacket - Okonokos DVD Trailer

[gv data="http://www.youtube.com/?v=Nhue_xoH_QA"][/gv]

HONORABLE MENTION

Reel Big Fish - Our Live Album is Better Than Your Live Album
(Self-released)

If you were a teenager in the 1990’s than Reel Big Fish was probably once your favorite band. Although their last handful of full lengths never matched Turn the Radio Off’s fun level, their live show is still something to rave about after all these years.

The best reason to pick up this double album is that the notoriously muddy production on albums like Why Do They Rock So Hard? and Cheer Up! have been replaced by a crisp, natural live recording, so even if you have those albums, you’ll want to hear their better live versions here.

[mp3] Reel Big Fish - Kiss Me Deadly
[buy] Reel Big Fish - Our Live Album is Better Than Your Live Album @ Amazon.com

The Sandbagger’s Award | Best Re-issue of 2006

Page France - Hello, Dear Wind
(Suicide Squeeze Records)

An accoustic guitar. Some chimes. Boy-girl vocals. That’s all you really need to create one of the best records that didn’t come out in 2006. Page France’s Hello, Dear Wind is a precious pop album that benefits both from its music’s simplicity and its lyrics’ ability to transcend the stigma of religion and hit the core touchstones of the human experience. Even if you’ve never been to church or attended sunday school, you will find yourself singing along to lyrics like “I will sing a song for you and you will stomp your feet for me/ and the bears and bees and banana trees will play kazoos and tambourines/ and Jesus will dance as we drink his wine”. This is a great sing-a-long record for teenage lovers nestled next to a fire.

[mp3] Page France - Junkyard
[buy] Page France - Hello, Dear Wind @ Insound.com

Number Six

Islands - Return to the Sea
(Equator Records)

Born out of the ashes of the Unicorns, Islands is a curious example of a pop band. Their first full length Return to the Sea clocks in at one whole hour, including two nine minute bookend tracks, and while their music is almost as precious as Sufjan Stevens’ at times, they always manage to throw in a melody that is so sweet on the ears you can’t help but drop the comparisons and just smile.

Rough Gem is one of our favorite songs of the year. So smooth!

[mp3] Islands - Rough Gem
[buy] Islands - Return to the Sea @ Insound.com

Number Five

The Blow - Paper Television
(K Records)

After an experiment of a record in the Concussive Caress, Khaela Maricich decided it was time to add a new bandmate (Jona Bechtolt) and begin work on what would become her first truly complete record. From the seductive Pile of Gold to the pleading True Affection, the Blow’s Paper Television is one of the most entertaining albums of 2006. This one goes up to 11 on the fun meter.

[mp3] The Blow - Pile of Gold
[buy] The Blow - Paper Television @ Insound.com

CELEBRITY GUEST LIST

Jona Bechtolt
of the Blow

Here’s my top 10 of 2006:

1. Dear Nora - There Is No Home (Magic Marker Records)
2. Adrian Orange - Bitches is Lord (Marriage Records)
3. Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds (Jive)
4. Bobby Birdman - Giraffes & Jackals (States Rights Records)
5. Lucky Dragons - Widows (States Rights/Marriage Records)
6. Planningtorock - Have It All (Chicks On Speed Records)
7. Valet - Blood Is Clean (Yarn Lazer)
8. RATATAT - Classics (XL)
9. White Rainbow - BOX (Marriage Records)
10. Dirty Projectors - New Attitude EP (Marriage Records)

Number Four

The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
(SubPop Records)

The Thermals, also from Portland, have stripped away some of the recklesness and fuzz on their latest full length but they’ve replaced it with more than an ark’s worth of passion and focus. The moment the guitar and vocals kick in on Here’s Your Future you know this is going to be one hell of a record (no pun intended). All of the songs on The Body, The Blood, The Machine deal with organized religion and the supposed terror it can create if given enough political power. While most bands might turn that premise into a two hour rock opera, the Thermals keep things short, sweet, and fun. The message still coming across loud and clear.

The best pop punk record of the year.

[mp3] The Thermals - Pillar of Salt
[buy] The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine @ Insound.com

CELEBRITY GUEST LIST

Hutch Harris
of the Thermals

My fave records of this year were:

Built to Spill - You in Reverse
Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
Cursive - Happy Hollow
The Strokes - First Impression of Earth
Detachment - Plus

Number Three

Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
(SubPop Records)

As it is with any great album, it’s hard to say something about Everything All the Time that hasn’t already been said before by countless other fans. Band of Horses combine elements of My Morning Jacket and the Shins to create a warm, lush pop sound that echoes and booms all over your senses. There are a handful of stand out tracks: the perfect album closer ‘St. Augustine’, the thumping ‘Our Swords’, and the epic ‘the Funeral’ (which was nominated as song of the year at this year’s ). Believe the hype on this one.

[mp3] Band of Horses - The Funeral
[buy] Band of Horses - Everything All the Time @ Insound.com

Number Two

Baby Dayliner - Critics Pass Away
(Brassland Records)

For most of the year, Critics Pass Away was our #1. It was so sexy that we just had to post about it again and again and again and again. We still haven’t heard anything like it. Ethan Marunas, the man behind the Dayliner, is captivating to watch live as he prances around singing into a microphone. On the record, he is nearly as addictive, laying his soulful voice over a combination of pop, new wave, and rock music. It’s a perfect mix for any hipster dance party.

[mp3] Baby Dayliner - At Least
[buy] Baby Dayliner - Critics Pass Away @ Insound.com

Number One

Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
(Interscope Records)

A pop punk band that doesn’t want to do interviews and take fancy press pictures? Is this a sign of the end of days? No, it’s just Brand New. While their peers spend countless hours grooming their hair and thinking up clever song titles, the boys in Brand New have decided to quit with the image and just let the music speak for itself. For their latest record, The Devil & God Are Raging Inside Me, the band has opted out of the interview circuit and kindly asked their label to cool it with the full page magazine ads. They’ve also dropped the pop punk and amped up the rock.

Another huge change is the lyrics. Vocalist Jesse Lacey might have spent his last two records talking about girls and thinking of these aforementioned song titles, but this time around he is more focused on life, death, religion, and the struggle these cause inside of us. The simple but effective Jesus is one of the stand out tracks lyrically:

Jesus Christ I’m not scared to die
But I’m a little bit scared of what comes after.
Do I get the gold chariot?
Do I float through the ceiling?
Do I divide and pull apart?

While some might meet the band’s radical change with betrayed opposition, the music on the Devil and God is as sincere and genuine as anything the band has ever recorded. Their transformation from wordy pop punkers to creative musicians with an understanding of pace and build is a pleasure to see and hear, especially in a scene where music is often less important than the image it accompanies.

Forget what you think you know about the band. This is as brilliant a mainstream rock release as you’ll come across this side of the 21st century.

[stream] Brand New @ Myspace
[buy] Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me @ Insound.com

The Future Looks Bright | Most Anticipated Releases of 2007

John Vanderslice - TBA
(Barsuk Records)
Early 2007

The National - TBA
(Beggar’s Banquet)
April 2007

The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
(Merge Records)
March 6th, 2007
Pre-order @ Insound.com

To cap off this look back at 2006 I would like to thank the following people:

Bob Ham & Cariwyl Hebert.
Thank you for all the help and journalistic integrity you’ve lent to the upkeep and success of this website. Without your reviews back in the beginning stages and your continued support, we wouldn’t still be around today. You both are and will always be a huge part of Invisible Limb. Stay in touch!

I would also like to thank everyone who contributed a review or article to the site. Aaron, Andrew, Reid, and Matthew. You guys are all good people and I wish you success with your future projects.

Also a huge thanks to all of the labels and kind folks who have serviced us with records to review. Big thanks to Sarah M. at SubPop for sending us a cool Christmas card and Secretly Canadian for finally adding us to their press list! You guys rock!

Finally, thanks everyone who visited the site in 2006, left a comment, downloaded a song, recommended us to a friend. We love you with all of our blogging heart. Keep coming back.

So we interviewed a few of our random Myspace friends a while back and no one really cared.  Doesn’t matter to us.  We don’t post things to entertain or please our visitors.  Everyone knows the only reason we run this site is to get free cds.

Anyway, there was one more Myspace interview that I hadn’t gotten around to posting.  It was with a guy named Phil who plays in a one man band called Phil and the Osophers.  All of the hilarious interview is available after the jump. Continue Reading »

On Sunday, October 8th, Portland songwriter Ben Barnett logged into Myspace and made the announcement heard ’round the indie world:  that he is no longer continuing the prolific project known as Kind of Like Spitting. 

“My personal life has become too intense to continue writing songs that blame others for my issues.  Singing these songs and touring my life into the ground has left me lost and directionless in my life.  I have spent ten years of my life getting high and blaming others for my history and inability to control my demons. I want to reach a better place.  I want to move FORWARD.”

In memory of one of my all-time favorite bands, I have decided to assemble the first InvisibleLimb.net mixtape:  The Short Story Long, A Retrospective Look at Kind of Like Spitting. 

Tracklisting:
01. Birds of a Feather
02. Tyco Racing Set and a Christmas Story Fifteen Times
03. Worker Bee #7438-F87904
04. Yes, You’re Busted
05. Boy Cries Wolf
06. Something in the Air
07. Now I Can Smile
08. The Thing About Distance
09. Team Reasonable (Redux)
10. Born Beautiful (Demo)
11. Enjoy the View (Unreleased demo)
12. In the Red (Demo)
13. Aubergine (Demo)
14. When I’m Gone (Phil Ochs cover)
15. Valentine’s Day is Over (Billy Bragg cover)
16. Title Track (Death Cab for Cutie cover)
17. Julie Christie (Yo La Tengo cover)
18. St. Swithin’s Day (Billy Bragg cover)

Anyone familiar with the band’s extensive back catalogue knows it would be impossible to summarize Kind of Like Spitting in one CD-R worth of music.  So instead I’ve chosen one track from each of his major releases, as well as some rare demos, outtakes, and cover songs, all in an effort to give new and old fans something to enjoy.

We hope these songs find you as well as they have us.

[zip] InvisibleLimb.net Mixtape #1: The Short Story Long, A Retrospective Look at Kind of Like Spitting (65 MB)

Great oogly moogly, kids, do we have a special treat for you today.  We have a new Myspace Interview with none other than punk zine legend Barry Scatton.  If you were ever a casual reader of the punk rock website Punkrocks.net, the name may ring a bell.  If not, just know that good old Barry is the guy who wrote this.

Buckle up and get ready, boys.  This is going to be a bumpy ride. Continue Reading »

I’d like to introduce a new feature here at Invisible Limb called Myspace Interviews.  In a nut shell, what we do is take one lucky friend from our Invisible Limb Myspace page and interview them.  They don’t have to be famous or in a band, just a friend.  A Myspace friend.  Isn’t that that what really matters?

Our first Myspace interview is with an attractive young lady named Niki.  She’s 25, blonde, and according to her page she is going to have children someday.  Sounds like a winner to us! Continue Reading »

Dear AT&T,

My name is Richard and I hate you. You were supposed to provide my house with DSL internet service and satellite tv, however, like the terrible company you are, you didn’t do that. What you did do was allow one of your employees to sell me some bogus satellite/internet combo plan, tell me a technician would visit my house by August 17th, and then proceed to NOT put my order in.

It wasn’t until a week and a half later when the 17th rolls around and the DSL box is still flashing red for no signal and no one is knocking on my door to install a satellite dish that I realized something was not going right. That’s when I called your customer service line and talked to a female employee who told me that my order had never been put in and the only thing I had even been signed up for was some long distance phone plan (the first employee told me I had to switch long distance carriers in order to receive his non-existent, made up plan).

The female employees only response to the fact that I had been lied to and deceived was “Do you want to sign up for one of our real plans?” NO. I do not want to sign up for one of your real plans. I want you to find whoever it was that wasted a week of my life & hold them accountable for selling me some bullshit plan. That’s what I want.

The bottom line is your company is a joke. I hope everyone who reads this heeds the warning and stays far away from your crappy, non-ethical business.

Sincerely,
Richard

Now, here is your happy weekly recap!

LISA PAPINEAU IS BIG TIME
I am not a big fan of the whole heavy electronic, distorted vocals, sultry female solo music thing, but the following singer lent her talents to the last M83 record, so she is ok in my book. The woman I am talking about is none other than Lisa Papineau. Besides having a last name that requires I spend a serious amount of time glancing back at her press sheet for the correct spelling, she is French and signed to Sony/BMG, which is no shocker. Listening to the song ‘Shucking, Jiving’ it’s pretty obvious this is a major label deal we’re talking here. The production and writing is catered more towards a mainstream audience, which, depending on who you are, can be a good or bad thing. Did I mention she appeared on the last M83 album?

Lisa Papineau - Shucking, Jiving

HEADLIGHTS TO USE HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT ON NEXT US TOUR
Polyvinyl Records band Headlights have announced plans to tour the US and kick out their jams alongside rock and roll outfit Decibully. For a full list of dates, check out Headlights’ tour page here.

SUBPOP SIGNS LONEY, DEAR
Swedish musician Emil Svanängen and his band Loney, Dear have just signed to SubPop Records. Their debut record for the label, Loney, Noir, will be released February 6th, 2007. To listen to Loney, Dear visit their Myspace page here. They also have a wealth of mp3s on their official site, but they are only one minute clips, which is terribly lame and annoying.

CHRIS PRICE MAKES BEATS
This fellow Chris Price sent me an e-mail asking me to listen to his music. So I did, and it’s pretty funky. Think mad beats, cool old school rap/talking, and sweet keyboards. Check out his Myspace here and download his song ‘And She Was’ below.

Chris Price - And She Was

MORE LINKS TO WET YOUR PALATE!
Here are some other links that we found click-worthy this week.

I Guess I’m Floating’s awesome movie soundtrack compilation.
Something Awful reviews the latest Mars Volta disc so we don’t have to.
It’s never too late to harass your friends, Snakes on a Plane style.
Clell Tickle is a dangerous man.
Fred Armisen cameos in the video above, he is also on Myspace.

Thanks to Mr. Cable Guy cutting my service, this week’s Weekly Recap is coming to you from the friendly confines of a leeched internet connection!  So unprotected!!!

SNOWDEN HIT THE ROAD!
Jade Tree’s Snowden are prepping the van for full a US tour in support of their debut full length Anti Anti (out August 22nd).  The tour starts tomorrow in Georgia and ends September 29th in Alabama, home of the red bellied turtle.  Click here for a comprehensive list of dates.

Snowden - Anti Anti

FIRST TO LEAVE ENTER STUDIO!
Looking for a melodic punk fix?  Well, Lobster Records band First to Leave are planning on entering the studio to record it for you.  The band, whose Myspace was recently hacked, have secured three weeks of studio time at Salad Days in Baltimore, Maryland with producer J. Robbins (Against Me!, Mock Orange, None More Black).  There is no title yet for the unrecorded album, but the band is looking at an early 2007 release date.

OF MONTREAL REMIX ALBUM, STUDIO ALBUM & TOUR!
What do Broken Spindles, Grizzly Bear, I Am The World Trade Center, DJ Dave P. and Adam Sparkles of Making Time, Restiform Bodies, IQU, and Mixel Pixel have in common?  They have all contributed a remix to the new Of Montreal record Satanic Twins.  Out August 22nd on Polyvinyl Records, Satanic Twins is a remix collection of the band’s last two critically acclaimed  albums, Satanic Panic In The Attic and The Sunlandic Twins. 

Listen to two remixes at the Satanic Twins website.

The band has also announced their next studio album, Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, will be released January 23rd.  Until then you can catch the band on tour with the Minders.  Here are a handful of the remaining dates:

8/7 - Madison, WI - The Barrymore
8/8 - Iowa City, IA - The Englert Theatre
8/9 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
8/10 - Fargo, ND - Avalon Events Center
8/11 - Lincoln, NE - Knickerbocker’s
8/14 - St Louis, MO - Mississippi Nights
8/15 - Louisville, KY - Headliner’s
8/16 - Greensboro, NC - The Flying Anvil
8/17 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVA
8/18 - Greenville, SC - The Handlebar
8/19 - Athens, GA - The 40 Watt

BRASSLAND FOR ROBOTS!
New York’s Brassland Records has teamed up with Music for Robots to release an electronic EP of sorts.  For the past week the fellers at MFR have posted one new or unreleased mp3 a day from each artist on the Brassland roster.  Fans of Baby Dayliner can get their hands on ‘The Morning Sun’, that funky track that has been playing on his Myspace for the past few weeks.  There is also music from Erik Friedlander, Clogs, Pela and more.

http://music.for-robots.com

DENISON WITMER NEW EP & DEBUT RE-ISSUE!
On October 17th, the quiet, sensitive Denison Witmer will release a double disc 24 track album featuring his new EP entitled Are You a Sleeper? along with the re-issue of his debut record Safe Away.  As with every Militia Group release, the only place you’ll be able to hear a sample of this record is at Witmer’s Myspace page.

THE PAPER CHASE ARE NOT EMO!
This just in, Kill Rock Stars band The Paper Chase are NOT emo, but they are well loved.  According to songwriter John Congleton:

“Those ‘emo’ bands and pre-fabricated people, it’s basically like glam rock, where heavy metal was bastardized to the point where it became this completely self-parodied shit.  If we were really an ‘emo’ band, would we be on Kill Rock Stars? Does anybody ever ask themselves that? Would we draw the kind of fan base we have if we were an “emo” band?”

Listen to ‘We Know Where You Sleep’ off their latest album Now You Are One of Us and decide for yourself.

The Paper Chase - We Know Where You Sleep

MORE LINKS TO WET YOUR PALATE!
Here are some other links that we found click-worthy this week.

Tower Records is dying.
Underage sex caused by overage sexy music.
Modest Mouse not so modest anymore.
What song was #1 when YOU were born?
Death From Above 1979 die of death at age 6 in 2006.
Mt. Eerie/Phil Elvrum announce tour!!!!!

INVISIBLE LIMB WEEK IN REVIEW
Here is a recap of the articles published this week.

Download: Discover America - The Day You Were Born
Download: The National - Fashion Coat
Music Review: Baby Dayliner - Critics Pass Away
Downloads: Contrast Podcast #19
Music Reviews: French Kicks - Two Thousand
Music Reviews: Comets on Fire - Avatar

THE OCTOPUS PROJECT WORK ON NEW ALBUM!
Austin’s The Octopus Project are collaborating with fellow sound experimentalists Black Moth Super Rainbow for a new album entitled The House of Apples and Eyeballs.  The record, set to be released October 31st on Graveface Records, is the band’s first release since being voted to play Coachella by a Myspace band contest in May.  According to the band the Coachella news came as a complete surprise; they weren’t aware they had entered the contest.

The Octopus Project - The Adjustor (mp3)
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Drippy Eye (mp3)

SUBPOP MAKES GREEN HISTORY!
Earlier this week Seattle label SubPop Records made history by becoming the first ‘Green-e certified’ record label in the United States.  Although we have little idea what that means, everyone at Invisible Limb is proud of them.  To learn more about the Green-e program (it has to do with the use of renewable energy sources) click here for the official press release. 

Ok, now the real reason why we posted this news.  Mp3s!

Unreleased tracks:
Chad VanGaalen - Flower Gardens
The Thermals - A Pillar of Salt
Comets On Fire - Dogwood Rust

Previously released tracks:
CSS - Let’s Make Love and Listen Death from Above
Iron & Wine - Woman King
Iron & Wine - Naked as We Came
Damien Jurado - Paperwings
Low - California
Low - Monkey
The Postal Service - Such Great Heights
The Shins - Kissing the Lipless
The Shins - So Says I
The Shins - Know Your Onion
Sleater-Kinney - Jumpers
Sleater-Kinney - Entertain
Wolf Parade - Shine a Light
Wolf Parade - You Are a Runner

LAKES RELEASE DEBUT EP!
Musician Seth Roberts is no stranger to band name changes.  When his first band Watashi Wa broke up in July of 2004, Roberts started a new band called Eager Seas.  However, his label Tooth and Nail Records didn’t like it and forced him to change the name back to Watashi Wa.  So he did.  Now a year later, their contract with T&N is up and Eager Seas/Watashi Wa has changed their name to Lakes.  Their innaugeral release as Lakes will be a 5 song EP on the Militia Group set to be released on September 5th.

AbsolutePunk.net is offering the entire EP for download at their Lakes artist page.  Click here to check it out.  It reminds me a lot of the Long Winters.

HEATH LEDGER ANNOUNCED AS THE NEW JOKER!
Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger has been announced as the new Joker in the up coming Batman Begins sequel, ‘The Dark Knight’.  Ledger joins Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman as stars who have already signed on to the picture (hmmm, anyone notice a certain missing actress?).  Also announced is the return of director Christopher Nolan who had left his involvement in the Batman sequels unconfirmed until recently.  ‘The Dark Knight’ was written by Nolan’s brother Jonathan Nolan and will begin shooting in early 2007.

TIM YOUNG COVERS VOXTROT!
Tim Young, the mastermind behind our favorite podcast Contrast Podcast, has just posted a neat little cover he recorded for Voxtrot’s ‘The Start of Something’.  Check out his blog to download both the cover & original versions.

http://thefaceoftoday.blogspot.com/2006/08/is-this-end-or-just-start.html

SWAN LAKE ARE SO HOT RIGHT NOW!
Public beware, there is a new indie supergroup in our midst and they are called Swan Lake.  Made up of Dan Bejar of Destroyer and New Pornographers, Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes, and Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake is burning up the music blog world with their hit mp3 ‘All Fires’.  Their debut album, Beast Moans, is being released on November 21st by Jagjaguwar Records.

Swan Lake - All Fires

INVISIBLE LIMB WEEK IN REVIEW
Here is a recap of the articles published this week.

Download:  Drag the River - ‘I’m a Little Bit Country’
Interview: Dengue Fever
Download: MLB Trade Deadline Music
Download: Say Hi To Your Mom - Impeccable Vampires
Contest: Headlights Giveaway

There are few things in this world more despicable than spam e-mails. I’m talking ’scum of the earth’, ’self-leaked celebrity sex tape’ despicable. Illegal meds, penile enlargement, online casinos, home mortgages, weight loss drugs- the list of high volume e-mail deployed into my inbox each day seems to go on and on.

But realistically, what can I do about it? I just have to take these SPAM lemons and make Viagra flavored lemonade. So what I’ve done to turn a sour situation into a profitable one is create a new feature on Invisible Limb that rewards the actual semi-solicited e-mails that I receive each day. Basically, e-mails that aren’t mailed from robots.  Each Friday I’ll be posting all the news, press releases, mp3s, links, and letters that flood into my morning inbox.  I’m doing this in hopes of spreading the good word and paying respects to the virtue of non-spam e-mail.  It will also serve as a week in review for the articles we’ve posted on Invisible Limb.

I hope you have the time of your life reading these.

NEW MINDERS MP3!
Frank from 2:30 Publicity and the people at Future Farmer Records have made a new mp3 available from the Minders’ recently released Bright Guilty World. It is for the frolicsome, upbeat track ‘Accidental Joy’.

The Minders - Accidental Joy

Click here to read Andrew’s review of the record.

I LOVE YOU BUT I’VE CHOSEN DARKNESS, EUROPEAN TOUR + VIDEO!
See! We told you we get these e-mails all the time! Secretly Canadian Records’ I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness is the probably most active touring band in the world according to the messages in our inbox. On Tuesday the band finished up a handful of dates in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and also debuted the new music video for their song ‘According to Plan’. Check it out here.

THE LOW LOWS MP3, NEW ALBUM!
Do you remember the New York dream-pop duo Parker & Lily? If you do then you might be interested to know that male half Parker Noon has just announced his new project The Low Lows are planning on releasing their debut album, Fire on the Bright Sky, on September 12th on Warm Electronic Recordings. Help yourself to the first song on the record, ‘Dear Flies, Love Spider’.

The Low Lows - Dear Flies, Love Spider

BASSIST WANTED!
Comic strips are awesome. Especially when they have to do with music. For an example of this winning formula check out author/illustrator Porter Mason’s comic strip Bassist Wanted.

http://www.bassistwanted.com

ALOHA UPDATE!
Polyvinyl Records’ Aloha will be heading out for a brief tour in support of their most recent record Some Echoes. The 12-date tour will lead the band through the east coast and Midwest, as well as a few shows Canada. Afterwards the band plans to head back into the studio to record 2 new songs for an up coming 7″.

Tour dates link: https://www.polyvinylrecords.com/tours/#Aloha

Listen to Some Echoes in its entirety at http://www.musicofaloha.com.

THE HOLD STEADY, US TOUR + RECORD!
Hold Steady fans have a few things to look forward to this October. The Brooklyn band has announced the release of their new album Boys and Girls in America on Vagrant Records and a subsequent US tour in support. Vocalist Craig Flinn has described the record as more theme-oriented and less ‘concept’ than 2005’s Seperation Sunday. Sound interesting?

Tour dates posted at http://www.theholdsteady.com

Here are some mp3s from their previous 2 albums:

Your Little Hoodrat Friend from Seperation Sunday (2005)
The Swish from The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me (2004)

MINUS THE BEAR REMIX + TOUR!
Missed Minus the Bear their first time around? No worries, on October 5th the band will set out for their second full headlining tour in support of their recently released Menos El Oso album. In addition to the tour, the band is currently working on a Menos El Oso remix record set to be released this coming February on Suicide Squeeze Records. So far the confirmed contributors are Dalek, Battles (Tyondai Braxton), Weird Science, P.O.S., Fog, Jay Clark (Pretty Girls Make Graves), Dark Baby, and IQU.

Tour dates @ http://www.minusthebear.com/go.php?g=cFyA9pGh

INVISIBLE LIMB WEEK IN REVIEW
Here is a recap of the articles published this week.

Music Review: Bard Pond - Ticket Crystals
Download: Invisible Limb Hearts Secretly Canadian Records
Download: M83 - Unrecorded & Teen Angst
Download: Cale Parks - I Am the Arm & Wet Paint
Music Review:  Umbrellas - Illuminare
Download:  Contrast Podcast #17: Who?

Alright, so we’re slowly getting there, folks. The anticlimactic end to this drawn out Best of feature is just around the corner, ready to put itself out of its misery. However, until that day of relief comes we have two more albums we’d like to present to you as official ‘First Half Album Picks’. If it’s any consolation, these aren’t just your normal everyday first half album picks. These albums have been hand selected by two of Invisible Limb’s most well respected and talented writers, John McGee and Tyler Schmittyburg. You may recognize both of them from their days as NYC DJ duo, Schmitty McGee. They played some great sets at Club Unicorn in August and September of 2005, before they were tragically fired for repeatedly playing a Jay Z/Sufjan Stevens mash-up called “So Fresh and So Casimir Pulaski”. Actually, never mind- that was just a terrible, terrible lie designed to waste 25 seconds of your time. Club Unicorn would never hire a DJ duo with a name like Schmitty McGee.  They have standards there, just like any other indie club.  Here are the real album picks by two actual Invisible Limb staff members.

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