Band In Boston

When The Dead Trees did their first session (Mike solo), they were a Boston band. When they did their second session, they were a Portland (Oregon) band. These days, they are based out of LA, and in the intervening years have toured with Little Joy and Albert Hammond Jr.. They treated us to an all-too-short set, including what may be the most kick-ass Lennon cover we’ve heard.

The Dead Trees online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Even at the comparatively church-quiet volume levels that they were forced to play at in our living room, Thick Shakes manage to make a lot of noise wherever they play. A perfect soundtrack to a grindhouse flick about illegal car racing. This was also a fun one for me to mix. Hopefully my attempt to make my all-digital system sound like an analog system run by a 1950’s greaser worked out.

Thick Shakes online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

The Mumlers are the perfect example of our ideal session. An incredibly talented 6-piece from San Jose, they mix big soulful sounds reminiscent of Otis Redding or Sam Cook (with a horn section to match – there are two more of them out of frame in the other room above) with a touch of that old fashioned Squirrel Nut Zippers or Dr. Dog kind of thing, but with a modern and fresh feel. They also put on a truly engaging live show, and are funny bastards to boot. They remind us of one of our other favorite bands, The Bees (or A Band of Bees as they’re known here in the US).

Despite a near complete collapse into hysterics during the first song, they recovered so beautifully that a second take was unnecessary.

The Mumlers website

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

The Jack Stafford Foundation is really just Jack Stafford, a man with no fixed address. Originally from the UK, he is now based out of Amsterdam, but one look at his tour schedule makes it clear that he is a man that doesn’t stand still for long. With an album devoted to ex-loves, an album devoted to love itself, an album devoted to the people of Amsterdam, and a few EPs for good measure, he can be heartbreaking, uplifting, or bitingly sarcastic. We largely got the latter when he stopped by, so be sure to check out his other songs as well to get a full feel for his range.

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Young Mammals stopped in on Andy’s birthday, all the way from Houston. Angly, hard driving indie pop. Good stuff.

Young Mammals on MySpace

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

This marks Eldridge Rodrigues of The Beatings’  6th visit to the Flophouse: once before with The Beatings, three times with his “solo” project, and once with E Adams. We are told to keep him posted if anyone approaches his record. Speaking of records, The Beatings’ Late Season Kids is certainly one of our best albums of 2009, so go buy it!

The Beatings online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Heavy Hometown came to our hometown (their hometowns are spread between Louisville and Indianapolis) to treat us to 11 wonderful slices of hooky lo-fi cake. Wow, my metaphors are really getting strained. Just listen, you’re going to love it.

Heavy Hometown on the web

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

In homage to today’s sort-of-kind-of first snow of the winter, we present Boston’s The Points North. Their songs are the musical equivalent of a Robert Frost poem. Throw a log on the fire and contemplate life’s meaning with us.

The Points North on Myspace

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

There are certain bands that we will have stop by every time they’re in town. Low Red Land is just such a band. Check out their first two sessions as well!

Low Red Land online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Oops, we forgot to take photos when Sleeping in the Aviary visited from their home base somewhere near Minneapolis. We’ll just let that add to the mystique. And now that I’ve looked at their website, my brain has ceased functioning.

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing: