popwreckoning

Partly because it’s that wonderful time of year, partly because the economy kind of sucks, partly because free stuff is awesome and partly (mostly) because we totes owe you for missing a couple Free Music Fridays, check out all the free ish and music we’ve got for you today!

Check out some great music and some great giveaways! To win anything listed below, leave a comment with your name, email and desired prize!!

School of Seven Bells

Sweet guitar riff + jagged beats + silky vocals + space age synthesizers = somehow cohesive and wildly infectious songs. School of Seven Bells is not to be missed. Don’t miss them by entering to win!

Giveaway: Alpinisms CD and Half Asleep 7″

“Connjur”

website | myspace

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Paper Route

Never has anything more creative or more beautiful resulted from a raging case of insomnia.

Giveaway: Are We All Forgotten EP on CD

“Empty House”

website | myspace

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Dungen

Blazing, raw guitar workouts have their own time and place, but now, so do stirringly orchestrated, jazz-cooled compositions with cinematic undertones. Confident melodies and arresting ambiance in tighter frameworks than on previous releases, Dungen’s 4 is an album to be heard. Enter now and hear it compliments PopWreckoning!

Giveaway: 4 on vinyl

“Satt Att Se”

website | myspace | 4 review

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O’Death

So we love O’Death. They’ve got a sound all their own: 1 part gypsy punk, 1 part hillbilly hoedown, all parts awesome. Even more awesome, we’ve got a ‘Make Your Own Ukulele’ kit with the body of the ukulele signed by the band. The most unique thing we’ve ever given away…and f’real yo, we want one for ourselves!

Giveaway: ‘Make your own Ukulele’ kit (body signed by entire band) and Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin on CD

“Lowtide”

website | myspace | Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin review | @ johnny brenda’s

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Eulogies

Never mind the connotations their name derives. These guys are all about a tribute, or eulogy, for the living. Their sweetly bright melodies will have you re-thinking eulogies all together.

Giveaway: Tempted To Do Nothing VinylDisc (one side plays as CD, flip side is vinyl) — how cool is this?!

“Two Can Play” (featuring Nikki Monninger of Silversun Pickups):

website | myspace

To win anything listed above, leave a comment with your name, email and desired prize!!

Halloween night turned out to be quite spooky indeed. The Phillies had just won the world series. The city was collectively hung over from days of partying and parades. Arriving at Johnny Brenda’s in Philly’s Fishtown neighborhood, I saw masses of zombies. But in reality, they were more than likely people who had just been drinking all day.

However, I wasn’t there for the people, I was there for the show. O’Death pulled up to the venue a little early, so actually wound up opening up for what should of been the opener, Hoots & Hellmouth.

Regardless, good times were had by all. Lots of dancing. Lots of drunkenness. Lots of dancing around like a crazed hillbilly, mostly by yours truly. O’Death has a loyal following, and apparently they were out in force this night as there was a solid group of people up front singing along to all the lyrics (even to the new songs from Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin) and dancing like crazed fools.

It was a good night, for Philadelphia, and for a show. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the lighting at the venue that night.

O’Death: website | myspace | Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin review

On their latest album, O’Death does a commendable job of combining freak-folk with bluegrass and wrapping it all up in a punk attitude. Though the songs they write are consistently well composed and performed, enjoyment of the band will depend on whether or not you’re looking for a band capable of taking itself seriously – because O’Death aren’t really about that. However, that does not stop them from turning out a solid and eclectic album that is consistently enjoyable.

The heart of O’Death’s sound may be some weird mutation of bluegrass, but the band also displays a debt to bands as far ranging from the genre as The Pixies and The Smiths. This is particularly reflected in the Frank Black/Isaac Brock-esque dynamics of Greg Jamie’s vocals throughout the album and his Johnny Marr-on-speed-like guitar playing in songs like “A Light That Does Not Dim” (a title curiously similar to The Smiths’ “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”). Considering that Johnny Marr is now a member of Modest Mouse, by combining the traits of the aforementioned, O’Death are kind of like an alternate-universe version of Modest Mouse where they’re the house band of a southern bar on Halloween. Also, the band has had a couple drinks, and is really going at it.

Of course though, O’Death is better than the average bar band (not much of an accomplishment really, but an accomplishment none the less). Namely because they’ve got a handful of really great songs like the manic “Vacant Moan”, the supercharged and strangely heart-warming “Crawl Through Snow”, and the beautiful “Angeline”.

While Broken Limbs, Hymns and Skin is definitely not for everyone (me=everyone, in this case), it is by no means a bad album. As one of the philosophers I recently studied would have syllogized it:

A: Broken Limbs, Hymns and Skin is not a “bad” album

B: Any album that is not a “bad” album must contain enough goodness to be considered a “good” album to some degree.

Therefore…

C: Broken Limbs, Hymns and Skin should be considered a “good” album

Tracklisting:
01. Low Tide
02. Fire on Peshtigo
03. Legs to Sin
04. Mountain Shifts
05. Vacant Moan
06. A Light That Does Not Dim
07. Grey Sun
08. Home
09. Leininger
10. Crawl Through Snow
11. Ratscars
12. On an Aching Sea
13. Angeline
14. Lean-To

O’Death: website | myspace

Written by: Marc Z. Grub

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals Cardinology

Bloc Party Intimacy (physical):: review

Snow Patrol A Hundred Million Suns

Kaiser Chiefs Off With Their Heads :: review

Marykate O’Neil mkULTRA :: download “Green Street”

Honeyhoney First Rodeo :: watch “Little Toy Gun”

J Tillman Vacilando Territory Blues (digital)

Starflyer 59 Dial “M” for Murder

Matthew Herbert There’s Me and There’s You

O’Death Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin

Lovedrug Sucker Punch Show :: review

Better Without You Seriously… EP :: download the album

Tom Gabel Heart Burns EP :: watch “Random Hearts”

Wee Hairy Beasties Holidays Gone Crazy

Monika H. Band Disguised As Umbrellas, We Slept :: review

Hey Philly readers,

Wanna catch some concerts on PopWreckoning? We’ve got some tickets to give away to several different shows in the coming up at the end of the month. A winner will be drawn randomly for all entries received for each pair being given away.

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Theresa Andersson / Tobias Fröberg / Ane Brun
October 23rd, 8pm @ Tin Angel in Old City

Editor in Chief Jessica will be in attendance at this show, so if you win the tickets, be sure to say hey! She’ll be the one moving around the front of the stage taking pictures. Say hey and have a chat even if you don’t win but attend anyway!

Email Jessica by October 20th for a chance to win tickets!

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/PASSENGER. / Joshua Park
October 26th @ World Caf̩ Live РUpstairs

Photographer Ed will be at this show. You’ll know him as the guy up front taking pictures with a fancy pants camera. Say hey, he’s a great guy!

Email Jessica by October 23rd for a chance to win tickets!

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O’Death / Hoots & Hellmouth / Pepi Ginsberg
October 31st, 8pm @ Johnny Brenda’s

Ed will also be at this show! Head to Johnny Brenda’s in full costume to celebrate the spookiest night of the year with some great acts, including locals Hoots & Hellmouth.

Email Jessica by October 28th for a chance to win tickets!