Weekly Haul: July 17

This weeks list of new music is going to be pretty long, due to...um....my overexuberant downloading behavior.  Usually, I download about 15-20 songs and out of that bunch, I may be really excited about 6 of them.  However, this week, I got really excited for some reason and just went apesh*t with the new music searches and ended up with 31 songs to review.  And it turns out that a good amount of them have me really intrigued....which, I'm not going to lie, is a good thing.  Part of the downsides of picking up any old song off the internet is that a fair portion of them aren't going to when my apetite.  In fact, in most cases, I find myself screaming "This is taking up how many megabytes on my external?!!!"  So, even though it's slightly more work to extol on the virtues of a truckload of excellent new music, I'm delighted--nay, privileged--to do it.  Some I have more to say about then others.  Take note. The Weekly Haul is after the jump.

• Cider for Breakfast by Great Cynics -- Kind of punk sound, low-key and almost anthem-like.  Great drumming.  The song was a bit short though.
• The Exit by A Kiss Could Be Deadly-- Hovers between rock and electronica.  Girl lead singer, they consider themselves electro punk and they sound new wave.  This band released an album in 2008 and then broke up by the year's end but the members have pursued separate projects if you're interested in them.
• Liberateducation by Authority Zero -- I've been a big fan of Authority Zero for a while, and have shown love for the Mesa, AZ band at several shows (when going to shows was a regular thing for me.)  Solid continuation of the same stuff that everyone loves about them.  Ska riffs and instrumental breaks.
• Forgotten Ones by Phathom -- I was so afraid that when I downloaded that Hardliner Entertainment compilation, I wasn't going to find anything I was super pumped about.  Luckily, I was wrong.  I love this song.  Dark sound, poignant lyrics, and the singer has a really nice voice.  Super sexy.  I better stop before my inherent boy craziness gives me away.
• Behold, The Liar by Dead End Amelia -- I'm always on the search for awesome girl groups and I think I'm really going to like other stuff by Dead End Amelia.  The singer sounds a little like Demi Lovato...in fact, the song sounds like something she should be singing so she can exorcise her demons.  That poor girl has so much pent up anger -- and I would know, being a tiny ball of seething rage myself.
• Dr. D by Matthew Sikora -- Another artist from Hardliner Entertainment.  The vibe is rock with country influences.  Although, not pure country -- I would consider it more Western.  What's the difference between Country and Western?  Well, perhaps it's just me, but I find Western music darker, more lonely somehow -- but I may be biased considering I was born and raised in the West and am projecting my feelings on this wasteland onto an entire musical genre. 
• Troubled Dreams (Quiet Hill mix) by Mankind is Obsolete -- Electronica and experimental, this track sounds perfect for a dark, psychological indie flick soundtrack.  Opening or closing credits.  If I had to equate the sound to other artists, I'd compare it to Lamb or Massive Attack. 
• Carmilla by Theatre des Vampires -- I have a special place in my heart for gothy rock bands, so I probably started listening to this with a positive bias.  It doesn't help that "Carmilla" is one of my favorite 19th century novellas.  For the most part, I liked it.  The lyrics were quite literal, basically sticking to the story of Carmilla.  The lead singer has a nice voice but it's very gutteral.  From experience, I know singing from your throat is a fast way to ruin your voice.  That being said, it enhances the dark, vampire theme.
• ....Because I Spit Hot Fire by You, Me, and Everyone We Know-- Sounds like a more reserved Panic! at the Disco.  Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same singer.  I should probably do a little research on that.... Anyway, lyrics are kind of sad in spite of the la-da-da background vocals. 
• I Don't Know How to Act Here by Teletextile -- I love Pamela Martinez' voice.  Cool element of this song is the use of polyphonic bells.  Teletextile has gone through many transformations over the years and it's evident in this song.  It evolves from a sort of ethereal beginning to a more rock sound...heavy use of polyphonic bells to heavy drum beat, a breathy Pamela Martinez to a more soulful Pamela Martinez.  You get the idea.  Check....This....Out.
• Go to the River by Yael Naim -- Indie sound with a soulful voice.  Poetical lyrics.  The clapping in the background kind of reminds me of southern gospel music, which I think is the goal.  Now that I consider it, the lyrics do sound like they're out of a spiritual hymn.
• G- by Vanaprasta -- A  70s jam session mixed with a New-Orleans-jazz-crooner-esque vocals...well, crooner-esque until the animalistic vocalizations.  Love the singer's voice.  The music kind of engulfs you while you're listening to this song, an experience I have often felt while losing myself in "I want you (She's so heavy)" by The Beatles.  Like the Abbey Road classic, even though the lyrics are a little repetitive, it doesn't matter because the music is so god damn entrancing and hauntingly wonderful.  Again, Check....This....Out
• The Cascade by Moving Mountains -- This band just released their first full-length album in May.  I've heard some of their music but I don't think I was paying attention.  I was paying attention when I heard this track.  Another track where the music--pardon the pun--cascades over you and it's coupled with moving lyrics.  It does fall in the emo category, for those music snobs out there who feel like emo bands don't count.  I do not fall in that camp, so I enjoyed it.
• Don't Let Me Cave In by The Wonder Years -- This band has been around since 2005 and their most recent album was released last month.  I'm digging the pop punk sound -- for comparison, think of The Spill Canvas mixed with Dashboard Confessional. 

Whew!  That was an ordeal....but I hope everyone will find something they like.  I promise next haul's list will be a bit more manageable.  And look for one of these tracks to be featured as a Song 'O' the Week some time in the near future....and by near future, I mean this week.