Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage (2011)

I'm so easily turned off by black metal, and it's been mostly because of the lyrics. Whether I agree or disagree with their subject matter is of no consequence, the lyrics themselves are so often on the 5th grade reading level, that I feel like I'm hacking and slashing at my I.Q. by listening. As for musicianship, I can get the same style and technique in countless other places, so I have no reason to listen to this particular genre. With the release of their fourth studio album, Olympia's Wolves in the Throne Room delivers something nobody saw coming: A refreshing black metal record. Two of Celestial Lineage's seven tracks are instrumental, and the tracks with lyrics actually bring something different to the table. This record doesn't redeem the genre as a whole, but it finally gives the listener something worth listening to.

For fans of: Asunder, Dystopia, Fauna

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Teen Heat - Cursed And Cured

Band broke up but wrote this last album and gave it away for free. It's rad, you can download it for free at TeenHeat.net

For fans of sad yet upbeat electronic music.

Children of the Sixth Root Race - Songs from the Source (1973)

In the late 1960's, James Edward Baker, calling himself Father Yod/Ya Ho Wha, founded and led a commune of young people that came to be known as the Source Family. In addition to following an organic lifestyle and most of the things that go along with organizations of that nature (no pun intended), the members of the Source Family also made (and continue to make) a ton of music. Friends, this record here is a live recording of the group, here referring to themselves as the Children of the Sixth Root Race, rehearsing for an upcoming concert in 1973. Each track was recorded live, in one take, with no overdubs. Yeah... This one'll take you over the river and through the woods, but where it leaves you isn't anywhere remotely resembling your grandmother's house.

For fans of: Yahowah 13, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix

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The Mountain Goats - Come, Come to the Sunset Tree (2005)

In 2005, John Darnielle released a milestone of a record called The Sunset Tree. His most autobiographical release to date, it told stories of drug use ("Dinu Lipatti's Bones," "Dilaudid" and "Song for Dennis Brown"), stories of abuse suffered at the hands of his stepfather ("This Year," "Lion's Teeth," "Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod" and "Pale Green Things"), as well as a bunch of just plain awesome tracks ("Love Love Love," "Magpie," "Dance Music," and "Up the Wolves"). With the first 1000 copies of the album on vinyl, listeners got a bonus record of demo tracks and B-sides from around the same time. Now, friends, you get the same treat. These songs are even more raw than the ones on The Sunset Tree, and here they are for your listening pleasure.

P.S.: "High Doses #2" is a doozy. :)

For fans of: John Vanderslice, The Extra Glenns/Lens, Marc with a C

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