The Time Flys / Ghost of Lester Bangs

Adam: Here's another find I attribute to the brilliant webzine Victim Of Time. The Time Flys is an Oakland punk band, featuring Sir Eric "The Masher" Von Ravenson, Andy Freeze, Erin Error and Peter P. Juvenile. Freeze goes by the name of Andy Jordan when playing with 70s garage revivalists the Cuts, although that band's lush arrangements are a complete 180 turn from the primal rock of the Time Flys. The band released Rebels Of Babylon recently via Birdman.

The Time Flys - Zodiac Killer's Son Chris: Long Island's Ghost of Lester Bangs have a lot more going for them than just a cool band name. A general description of their sometimes gruff folk-punk/sometimes keyboard driven sound would lead one to think they are just another band with an identity crisis looking to jump the proverbial shark. Think again. The overwhelming honesty in the music outshines any other detraction, and though these guys might still be a little rough around the edges, it's obvious to tell with further direction and motivation, we could be seeing a lot more of them in the future. Below I've posted a link to download the track "Ceiling Tile Man", from their 118 Miles EP. The group is currently hard at work on their debut LP, which they hope to release early this year. You can also stream the song, and a few others at the Ghost of Lester Bangs MySpace page.

Ghost of Lester Bangs - Ceiling Tile Man

Black Diamond Heavies

Adam: The Black Diamond Heavies attack with a Waits-ian growl over some dirty low-fi punk blues. The duo is packing nothing more than a drum kit and an organ, but they make quite the racket with minimal equipment. This is the sound of the son of Kentucky bourbon distillers in a scrap with the son of a Texas preacher. Fans of the good Mr. Waits, the Black Keys, R.L. Burnside, Turpentine Brothers or the Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir will certainly dig this.

Black Diamond Heavies - Fever In My Blood

Tight / Spanish Bombs

Justin: Back in the 90's, Moon Ska put out a series of fantastic compilations called Skarmageddon. There were four installments of this, I believe, covering the best up and coming small bands of that genre, including bands like Spring Heeled Jack USA, Less Than Jake, the Rudiments and more. While the heyday of porkpie hats and checkerboard tattoos may be gone, many of those songs still stick with me to this day.

One of which is by a band called Tight. Featured on the second disk of the third installment their song "Failed Trust" is a stripped down song, featuring distortion less guitar, minimal bass and light use of some saxophone. The lyrics really spoke to a 16 year old version of myself, (overly) concerned with my friends' alcohol intake and growing intolerance towards those who were different. It's nearly 10 years later and that song still gets significant airtime in my apartment. I was never able to find anything else released by these guys, maybe someone else out there has?

Tight - "Failed Trust" Brian: If Rites of Spring and SB hypemen Modern Life Is War did the dirty unprotected and had Wes Eisold and Ian Svenonius give the baby his early speech lessons, it might grow up to be a lot like Spanish Bombs. Like your hardcore dark, emotional, and ambitiously structured? Check out the song below, taken from their self-titled EP released last October on Chunksaah.

Spanish Bombs - Gamblers

Smoke Or Fire

Justin: Above The City topped my 2005 year-end list and still receives regular rotation in my house, generally at stadium volumes. The first track released from This Sinking Ship doesn't disappoint, with a guitar line that catchy like gonorrhea and a vocal melody that's been stuck in my head all week since hearing it. The production is a bit smoother, but highlights the fact that Joe has definitely found his voice, not feeling the need to imitate the gruffer side of southern punkrock. This is already showing signs of being the best Fat release this year and shows a young band really stepping into their own.

Smoke or Fire - "The Patty Hearst Syndrome"

Nothington

Justin: Tsunami Bomb's demise had little to no effect on me - while nearly always competent the band always seemed to lack a "hook" aside from Ms. Whitehurst's voice. Born from their ashes are three bands, one of which has caught my fancy. Nothington may claim San Francisco as home now, but their sound is a blending of Social Distortion-esque punk rock and the gruff of Gainesville's finest. Today's song, graciously offered up for this feature by BYO, features driving guitar and extremely gruff lead vocals set against a bit of a "southern" backdrop. "Going Home" is an upbeat, yet melancholic salute to traveling, moving and of course a love left behind. It also features guest vocals by the aforementioned female vocalist in the chorus, fleshing out an already impressive sound while fitting the ouvre of the song perfectly. I think the fans of Ann Beretta, Social Distortion and the Street Dogs' more introspective moments would be into this.

Nothington - "Going Home"

Lemuria

Justin: Hailing from the non-City part of New Yawk state, Lemuria sing sweet songs. They made a bit of splash last year on their split with now-defunct crooner Kind of Like Spitting, an album that by all rights should have been on my year-end list. The song "Hours" is the apex of their sound in my mind: powerchords, slightly throaty vocals and leading basslines. Sheena takes the lead on this track with the most awkward chorus ever of "everywhere you touched everywhere you touched!" It's happy sometimes female fronted indie-punk that sings about not wanting to get out of bed. Who likes getting out of bed? Losers, that's who.

Lemuria - "Hours"

Starting out this new year on the right foot. Perhaps a day late already, but expect us to keep the schedule this year. If DC can do it, we can too.

Tim Barry, Chuck Ragan, Rob Huddleston & Foundation, Nathan Gray

So, I was working on the video for this, and ran into some "technical issues". But that's no reason to deny you some live music this week. So, while I straighten this little mess out, I've ripped the audio from this week's video into an MP3, for your downloading pleasure. Oh, I guess I should tell you a little about this week's offering…

Last month, an amazing acoustic show hit Richmond, VA with some of punk/hardcore's best frontmen performing their own solo/acoustic material. Nathan Gray of Boy Sets Fire kicked things off with a short set of his new solo material, joined by Rob Huddleston from Ann Beretta and Foundation, who also followed Nathan's set with a set of his own. Next was Chuck Ragan, best known for his role in Hot Water Music, and oddly enough the only musician on the bill not currently living in the former capital of the confederacy. Closing out the night was Tim Barry, who happens to front dixie-core legends, Avail.

So, with all of that said, I've created an MP3 which contains one song from each performance. Yes, it's in one MP3, so if you want to cut it up into separate tracks, be my guest. I'm working on the fly here people. (that and it's the audio directly from the edited video, which I hope to post later this weekend)

RVA Unplugged 2 - Nathan Gray, Foundation, Chuck Ragan, Tim Barry

The Jellydots

Justin: I love my bicycle. I love songs about bicycles. I love kids. I love music for kids. So what's better about upbeat rock songs about bicycles directed towards kids? Probably only if I could share it with you all. Clean guitars with simple bass and drum lines and a soothing voice not that far from either the Shins of Sufjan Stephens' more inspired (and less yawn-inspiring) moments bring you a truly positive vision of "riding my bicycle" (the chorus) and how "the air will do you good." This song would probably fit better with a summer breeze, but it at least helps shoo away the winter doldrums as the rain sets in here in the Bay Area.

The Jellydots - Bicycle at their MySpace page

Satori / Saw Wheel

Chris: I love me some good ska, but my definition of it tends to vary. I don't rock the the skinny ties or wear suits to shows, but I dig pretty much every style and every era, even the dreaded "3rd wave" (to a certain extent). Though commonly known as "the band with members from Rx Bandits and Link 80", Satori offers much more than simply an extension of their previous endeavors. Combining the elements of early ska with dub and reggae, the end result is a relaxed and fun sound, which will appeal to almost anyone. The band has posted the track "Deeper" on their MySpace page from an upcoming album, though it's only listed for a UK and Japan release at this time.

Satori - "Deeper" Justin: More music with acoustic guitars and former beardcore singers. RJ spent some time in my favorites One Reason before he set up shop in Austin and started strumming his acoustic guitar as Saw Wheel. While his first few releases found him strumming that guitar (or banjo) at lightning speed, sounding as much like a punk without an amp as a hillbilly with a love for HWM he's been steadily moving towards a fuller sound. The newest track he's got up for download is called "Call It Home" and sees him hitting his stride as a songwriter, moving farther away from his punk roots and further into the realm of straight up porch-sittin' country music. This track sees him stretching his vocal range a bit more while increasing the varied instrumentation as well. If this is what we've got to expect from his upcoming album then I doubt any past fan will be disappointed.

Saw Wheel - "Call It Home"

Ultimate Power Duo / Landmines

Adam: Saskatoon's Ultimate Power Duo have raged across the prairies with their own brand of "destruction rock" for two years now. Following a quartet of EPs the three-piece is now celebrating the release of their debut full length. We're In Control Now is an 18 track opus of high energy Ramones-rooted garage punk produced by the band and David J Taylor (Despistado / Sylvie). The CD Baby released disc features such epics as "Buddy Holly was the First Ramone," "Do Electric Sheep Dream of Ultimate Power Duo?" and "Ultimate Power Duo Prophesizes Future Record Deal." Of course there's no better place to start than the song "Ultimate Power Duo," which is the first you'll be hit with streaming from their website.

UltimatePowerDuo.com with flash player UPD @ MySpace Chris: One of the newer additions to the Richmond, VA punk/hardcore scene is Landmines. Their brand of aggressive, yet melodic hardcore immediately brings to mind bands like No Trigger, Hot Water Music and fellow RVA brethren Strike Anywhere. They recently released a five-song EP via Pop Faction Records, and also have posted a few tracks on the band's MySpace page, which can be streamed, or downloaded. I'm really digging "First Chords", but have a listen for yourself.

Download "First Chords" Landmines' music at MySpace