Tegan and Sara - This Business of Art (2000)

Here's my personal favorite album from indie pop duo Tegan and Sara; this release has a bit more bite than their newer material, meaning it's got a darker feel to it, but it's still the same Tegan and Sara we all know (and love, hopefully)

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If It Was You

Greenland is Melting - Our Hearts are Gold, Our Grass is Blue (2009)

Bluegrassy folk punk music made by three dudes in - big surprise - Gainesville, Florida, and released for free; they don't even have a drummer (but they have a banjo!), but this doesn't sound thin like you might expect, and while it's certainly not a lot like other stuff I've posted in the past it's a good time, so check it out if you're feeling a bit adventurous

UPDATE: The band sent me a new album cover, which is what you now see above; here's the old one for posterity's sake

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The Weakerthans

Since I've been slacking more than usual lately, today you get, drumroll please...another artist feature SUPERPOST! Woo! (I'm excited, are you excited?)

The Weakerthans are a band from Winnipeg currently signed with Epitaph and (hopefully) working on their next album. Like I said before, they make punk influenced (frontman John Samson used to be in Propagandhi, back in the day) folk rock, with a lot of emphasis put on Samson's compelling lyrics. They started out with a bit rougher, folk punkier sound, and have since taken, for lack of a better term, more of a chilled out indie rock route, with higher production value that doesn't really take away from the small, hometown, backwoods, wistful youth sound that they so often evoke. I mentioned before that this is music perfect for the current fall season; contemplative without being preoccupied, introspective without being self-absorbed. I could go on, but I think I've made my point. The Weakerthans are a band you need to know.

Fallow (1997)

Left and Leaving (2000)

Reconstruction Site (2003)

Reunion Tour (2007)

A Big Yes and A Small No - Jesus That Looks Terrible On You (2008)

This is a peculiar little album from Brooklyn; first it strikes you as just another indie pop affair, then it almost seems to reek of the uppity, stereotypically pretentious New York art scene, and finally you realize that even though it's both of those things, it succeeds by admitting it and making fun of itself at every turn; shoegaze, alt rock, folk, and clever lyrics all play a part in this artsy-fartsy, smirk-filled, incredibly promising debut release

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Tegan and Sara - If It Was You (2002)

Most people are at least vaguely familiar with this Canadian indie pop/folk rock duo made up of two lesbian twin sisters (I swear they aren't a gimmick), but if you aren't (or if you want to know them a little better), this album is an excellent place to start; I won't go so far as to say it's their best, but it's most representative of their sound, and I've been listening to it a lot lately; oh, and the song "I Hear Noises" is a total fucking jam, on the level of 'it's worth downloading the album for this song'

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The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site (2003)

This Canadian four-piece makes what they call folk rock, and that's pretty accurate, but it doesn't account for the strong punk influence in their music (they're on Epitaph, after all...although I suppose nowadays Epitaph is pretty wide-ranging genre-wise, but you get the idea); they're basically the only thing worth a shit to ever come out of Winnipeg

Oh, and this is amazing music for the fall season, so don't sleep on these guys

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Nada Surf - Let Go (2002)

"I left you a note that said
'come on out, and we'll both get
right off of our heads,
and float up off the chair.'

We'll go on vacation tonight,
under a sun of neon light.
And I almost love this town
when I'm by your side.

You woke me from a long sleep,
and I'm almost back.
I'm closer than ever
to finding the hidden track.

If I told you the truth,
you wouldn't like what I said."

Killian's Red

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Youth Group - Skeleton Jar (2005)

Sydney-based indie pop/alt rock, very chill shit; folksy at times, but also bears (dohoho) some resemblance to Pavement; I guess you could call some of this soft rock if you really wanted to, but don't judge it on that, mmkay

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Dirt Dress - Perdido en la Suciedad 2 (2009)

Second of three cassettes this band is putting out this year, all of which are named Perdido en la Suciedad; the response to their previous releases has been pretty strong on this blog, so I suspect a lot of you will want to hear this, as it continues to refine their lo-fi alt rock sound, and though they still wear their influences (Velvet Underground? Pavement?) on their sleeves, they seem to be coming into their own sound more and more; the more I hear from this band, the more excited I get about their future

Also, if any of you have the actual cover for this and could send it my way, that would be much appreciated

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Previous Posts:
Dirt Dress EP
Perdido en la Suciedad

The Mountain Goats & Kaki King - Black Pear Tree (2008)

Soft-spoken and moving folk-rock release from two artists who need no introduction

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Myspace (Kaki King)
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