Ok, so I’ve never really been sure the definition of the EP before, but I always “knew” inside what it was, but for this post I decided to go to the all knowing wiki to find out:

An extended play (EP) is a vinyl record [CD, or music download] which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as an LP. An intermediate format between EPs and full-length LPs is the Mini-LP, which was a common album format in the 1980s generally containing 20–30 minutes of music.

This is a very short list of my favorite EPs of 2009, and it was totally dominated by Captured Tracks and Slumberland.

The Great Pumpkins favorite EPs (12″s and 10″s) of 2009

5.) The Bitters- Wooden Glove

Captured Tracks and Ben Cook (of Fucked Up// Young Governor) both make this list with Wooden Glove. I mentioned in my best of singles list that I like pretty much all of Ben Cook’s projects except the main one.  The Bitters‘ self proclaimed cave pop is pretty blissful, and something that I keep going back to.

[mp3] The Bitters- “Warriors.”

• buy it here.
• gprecs posts on the Bitters can be found here.

4.) Deerhunter- Rainwater Cassette Exchange

I was a little bit of a late comer as far as Deerhunter goes…but now I’m always happy to see a new release (or digital release…watch their blog).  Always top notch.  This EP was put out by 4AD//Kranky.

[mp3] Deerhunter- “Rainwater Cassette Exchange”

• buy it here.

3.) Dum Dum Girls- Dum Dum Girls

Lots of lo-fi girl rock this year, and Dee Dee does it better than most. Captured Tracks really did have a great first year.

[mp3] Dum Dum Girls- “Yours Alone”

• this record is out of print.
• gprecs posts on Dum Dum Girls can be found here.

2.) Pains of Being Pure at Heart- Higher Than the Stars

This record really gives the authentic 80’s vibe.  Thanks Slumberland.  This one came out in too many formats for me to keep track of (cdep, 12″, 7″, 12″remix).

[mp3] Pains of Being Pure at Heart- “Higher Than The Stars”

• buy it here (i’m specifically talking about the normal 12″ version, but i’m sure they are all rad).
• gprecs posts on Pains of Being Pure at Heart can be found here.

1.) Liechtenstein- Survival Strategies in a Modern World

These ladies top the girl rock category in my book, and all I can say is that I wish this had been even longer than it was (this record actually has pretty many songs on it, but it is so short).  A wonderful 10″ put out by Slumberland.

[mp3] Liechtenstein- “Roses in the Park”

• buy it here.
• gprecs posts on Liechtenstein can be found here.
• Slumberland had an amazing 2009 (topping both my EPs list, and my 7″s list).
  • gprecs posts on Slumberland can be found here.

Links:

• more Best Of posts can be found here.

There is still something to be said about releasing a great single, and I’m not just talking about the A side…

The Great Pumpkin favorite 7″s of 2009

10.) Slumberland’s Searching for the Now Vol. 5 (Liechtenstein split 7″ w/ The Faintest Ideas)

Liechtenstein might be the show that I’m most disappointed that I missed this year, and this 7″ would have made my top ten for “This Must Be Heaven” alone.

[mp3] Liechtenstein- “This Must Be Heaven”

• Buy Searching for the Now Vol. 5 here.
• gprecs posts on Liechtenstein can be found here.

9.) The Mayfair Set- “Already Warm//Desert Fun”

One of many great 7″s released by Captured Tracks in 2009, and the combination of Dum Dum Girls and Blank Dogs. I can’t say that I liked the 12″ as much as the 7″, but I’m hoping this wasn’t their peak…a great 45.

[mp3] The Mayfair Set- “Already Warm”

• Buy it here.
• Mayfair Set’s website.

8.) Kurt Vile- Fall Demons

Released by Skulltones in an extremely limited quantity (375 copies, and 25 test presses).  Almost a proper EP at five songs.  One of many releases by KV that I loved this year.  Thanks to Permanent for saving me a copy.

[mp3] Kurt Vile- “Summer Demons”

• out of print.
• gprecs posts on Kurt Vile can be found here.

7.) Ganglians- “Blood on the Sand// Make it Up”

The second Captured Tracks release to make this list.  I couldn’t have asked for a better follow up to Monster Head Room.

[mp3] Ganglians- “Blood On the Sand”

• Buy it here.
• gprecs posts on Ganglians can be found here.

6.) Best Coast- Make You Mine

The first official release of Group Tightener Records, and a great one at that.  I was able to grab a copy right before it sold out.

[mp3] Best Coast- “Make You Mine”

• out of print.
• gprecs posts on Best Coast can be found here.

5.) Magic Kids- “Hey Boy//Good To Be”

These kids make pop from another time, and Goner Records is very lucky to have them.  Expect big things in 2010.

[mp3] Magic Kids- “Hey Boy”

• buy it here.
• gprecs posts on Magic Kids can be found here.

4.) Real Estate- Suburban Beverage

The record that started it all for both Real Estate and Underwater Peoples Records.  Nice people and good music.

[mp3] Real Estate- “Suburban Beverage”

• out of print.
• buy Real Estate’s self titled LP here (includes almost all of these songs).

3.) Young Governor- “Virginia Creeper// I’m A Mess”

Plastic Idol Records put out this great 45 of punk pop by Ben Cook of Fucked Up.  I don’t know why, but I seem to like everything Cook is involved with except for Fucked Up…at least he has enough projects to keep me busy.

[mp3] Young Governor- “Virginia Creeper [edit]“

• buy it here (this has to be almost sold out).
• gprecs post on Young Governor can be found here.

2.) Julian Lynch // Ducktails split 7″

Julian Lynch and Ducktails are two of my favorite discoveries of 2009, and I can thank Underwater Peoples for this.  Oh yeah, and Julian has to be one of the nicest dudes ever.

[mp3] Ducktails- “Parasailing”

• out of print.
• gprecs posts on Ducktails can be found here.
• gprecs posts on Julian can be found here.

1.) Sic Alps- “L Mansion// Super Lungs My Supergirl”

Another beautiful 7″ put out by Slumberland.  I have to say that I’ve seen Sic Alps, and when I did they were not a band I cared for, but after reading about this 7″ I picked it up and was totally blown away.  I can’t wait to hear what comes out of this band in the future…this is one fucking great 45.

[mp3] Sic Alps- “L Mansions”

• buy it here.
• gprecs posts on Sic Alps can be found here.
  • 2/10/10- sorry I just fixed the link to this song. it was another sic alps track until now.

Thanks for reading…I’m getting behind on these best of posts, and they are a little intimidating to do, but I’m going to keep with it…two more…EPs and LPs.  Bare with me while I deal with this last graduate application and the crazy awfulness that is my job…but more is to come.  thanks again.

Links:

• more Best Of posts can be found here.

Grass Widow have released two 12″s with in a matter of months.  Their self titled record on Make A Mess was one of those albums that I looked for for ever, but had no luck.  The first pressing of the LP went out of print very quickly, and even though I tried calling record stores in other parts of the country trying to mail order it I had no luck.  From what I understand the remaining copies of this LP floating around at your local shop are from the second pressing…that appears to be going out of print as fast as the first. It was a nice surprise walking into Permanent Records, and seeing this one up on the wall long after I had given up on it.

Girl pop seems to be king, or queen in this case, and these days there is no shortage of all girl bands…but there are three that I feel are a step above the rest, and Grass Widow is one of those.

Their debut full length on Make A Mess channels a more powerful force, at least for me. In the depths of their music I can feel the faintest hints of Beat Happening.  One might think that this would be a hard thing to pull out of their music being that they are an all girl band, and that one of the corner stones of Beat Happening is Calvin Johnson’s baritone voice, but it is more the subtleties in the music more than a direct comparison that brings this to mind….a vocal cadence or part of a drum beat.  It’s not necessary to see this, but it’s something I pick up on…and in the end anything that reminds me of Beat Happening tends to be a winner with me.

I feel that Grass Widow emphasis this on “Celebrate the Mundane” the second track off the Make A Mess full length.  Even at first listen Grass Widow are clearly different than their contemporaries in the way that they utilize every member of the band.  All three of the women in Grass Widow contribute to the vocals, and it is not just on choruses but at times all three of them are simultaneously singing different lyrics….creating harmonies that at first don’t seem possible.  This combination of lyrics, vocals, cadence, and harmony are where I truly see the connections I alluded to above, but occasionally in the beat as well.

[mp3] Grass Widow- “Celebrate the Mundane”

Grass Widow bring in the the horns later on in the LP, and overall have created a truly beautiful post-twee record. Extremely impressive as a debut LP, and one that has been spinning on the turntable and headphones for weeks. It’s looking like this is another one in my year end list as well.

Buy Grass Widow’s Self Titled album here.

A couple Sundays ago Grass Widow jumped on the bill for the Tom Tom Magazine launch party at Bruar Falls.  Grass Widow had been playing shows all weekend, but I didn’t quite make it to any of them, and when I heard this show was at Bruar Falls I couldn’t not go.  If you the Great Pumpkin you already know this, but Bruar Falls just happens to be my favorite venue right now…so the location was perfect.

I got to Bruar Falls about 20 minutes before Grass Widow went on, and the place was totally packed.  It seemed like more people were there for the magazine than the music (this was made clear by how many people just talked through the bands sets), but I guess that could be expected.  I was a little surprised by the music that was being played between sets…after all Tom Tom Magazine is a magazine about female drummers, but I’m pretty sure there wasn’t an actual drum set used in any of the dance/hip hop music that was being played (I guess a party atmosphere was the desired effect)….just thought this was odd and worth mentioning.

By time Grass Widow took the stage I was really ready to hear the music that I came for, and these ladies brought it.  With songs like “Celebrate the Mundane” and “To Where” it can be hard for a band to pull it off live, but Grass Widow were well practiced and sounded great even on what I assume, due to the distance they traveled without a full tour, was borrowed equipment.  It’s really impressive that all three of their vocals can be so tight in a live setting.  I was able to capture some of this on video, and I am now happy to share it with you.

Grass Widow- “Lulu’s Lips”

[mp3] Grass Widow- “Lulu’s Lips” off of the Captured Tracks 12″.  Buy it here.

While reviewing my recordings I realized that I didn’t know three of the tracks I taped.  I emailed Grass Widow, and Hannah was kind enough to help me identify them.

Hannah informed me that the three tracks are from their yet to be recorded album for Slumberland Records!  Grass Widow will be hitting the studio in January, and these three tracks, and many others, will be put to tape.  Enjoy:

Grass Widow- “Give Me Shapes”

Grass Widow- “Landscape”

Grass Widow- “Uncertain Memory”

Thanks to Hannah, and the rest of Grass Widow, for identifying these songs for me.  I’m really looking forward to the new record, and to your return to New York!

Links:

• Buy Grass Widow releases here.
• Grass Widows website/myspace
• more on Slumberland Records here.
• more on Captured Tracks Records here.
• more on Permanent Records here.
• more gprecs videos here.
• more This Week In Mail Order here.

This past Monday Dum Dum Girls played a show at Bruar Falls.  The show might have been last minute, or at the least not very publicized, but when I got there at a quarter after eleven the bar was packed.  Monday’s are typically a free show night at Bruar Falls, but no one seemed to have a problem paying five bucks to see one of Sub Pop’s newest acts.

I picked up the Yours Alone the 12″ EP that came out on Captured Tracks back in March, and have been pretty into that record.  The songs are solid, but I didnt’ really know how it would transfer to a full band format.  In July the Dum Dum’s played with Dee Dee fronting the band, and Mike Sniper, Brandon Welchez of Crocodiles (her husband), and Frankie Rose, but this show at Bruar Falls showed the Dum Dum Girls new line up…Frankie Rose is still on drums, but they are joined by Jules and Bambi.

The four ladies on stage were dressed to impress, and their music did the same thing.  The fuzzy lo-fi sound that I was expecting totally fell away, and the Dum Dum Girls brought loud,  slightly gothy, rock and roll to the audience.  The vocals and the guitars were crisp…it was perfectly wonderful.  For a band that has only played like 10 shows (or any band for that matter) these ladies totally have it together, and I was completely impressed.  I can’t wait to hear the full length that is slated for Sub Pop…it should be a great record.

The ladies played for just under45 minutes, and a couple of the songs were from records that I have heard, but the majority were new to me.  I captured a couple of them on video to share with you…if you happen to know the name of the last song…please let me know…as far as I know it is unreleased.

Dum Dum Girls- “Don’t Talk To Me” (G.G. Allin cover)

Dum Dum Girls- “Bang Bang”

Dum Dum Girls- “Jail La La”

[mp3] Dum Dum Girls- “Jail La La”

Dum Dum Girls- “untitled” (possibly unreleased)

See Dum Dum Girls live:

• 10/30/09- New York, New York @ Bowery Ballroom w/ King Khan & BBQ Show
• 10/31/09- Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House w/ King Khan & BBQ Show
• 11/1/09 Philadelphia @ First Unitarian Church w/ King Khan & BBQ Show
• 11/12/09- Sonoma Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern w/ The Raveonettes & Crocodiles
• 11/27/09- San Diego, CA—> Art Fag Fest w/ No Age, Crocodiles, Best Coast, Ganglians, & Pearl Harbor (all ages)
• 11/28/09- LA, CA @ Spaceland

Links:

• more on Dum Dum Girls here.
• buy releases by Dum Dum Girls (and Dee Dee’s other band Mayfair Set) here.
• more on Captured Tracks here.

Wild Nothing… a name was completely unfamiliar with yesterday, until it popped up on the p4kst.  Wild Nothing is the solo project of Jack Tatum.  Tatum also plays with Jack and the Whale as well as Facepaint (who might back Wild Nothing in the future).

Tatum is based out of Blacksburg, VA and from what I’ve heard Wild Nothing he makes dreamy pop. Tatum sites Cockatoo Twins, Shop Assistants, the Smiths, and several Swedish bands as influences…but it’s hard not to see the Cure in the guitar riffs of “Confirmation.”

[mp3] Wild Nothing- “Confirmation”

I was able to find a couple more tracks via Delicious Scopitone.

[mp3] Wild Nothing- “Summer Holiday” (Pre-Order the Summer Holiday 7″ here!)

[mp3] Wild Nothing- “Pessimist”

While these tracks have strong pop overtones Tatum shows us his more atmospheric side on “Pessimist,” and I feel that this atmospheric noise is the constant undertone in other two tracks.   I’m picking up little things on “Pessimist” and “Summer Holiday” that remind me in a very abstract way of the Field Mice, and the Microphones…whether it is guitar sound or vocal cadence… it’s there, and I think these songs are going to be in regular rotation for a while on my headphones.  While the music does have a bit of a glam element the vocals are understated giving me a sense that Tatum is going to be growing quite a bit as Wild Nothing.

Wild Nothing’s myspace says that they are on Captured Tracks, and these days that probably means we can expect several releases from him in the next year (see pre-order info for the first 7″ below).  I’m definitely keeping my eyes open…I think there are good things to come.

Links:

• Wild Nothing’s myspace.
• read an interview with Wild Nothing at Chugardism.
• pre-order the Summer Holiday 7″ here.
• more on Captured Tracks here.

Ganglians released one of my favorite albums this year, Monster Head Room (on Weird Forest), and the self titled EP that they did on Woodsist was also pretty awesome (and has grown on me a lot).  Now they are back with two new songs on Captured Tracks.

The 7″ is somewhere between the slightly chaotic weirdo pop of the self titled ep and the wonderful, more classically influenced,  psychadelica of  Monster Head Room.  The A side is titled “Blood on the Sand” and the B side “Make it Up.” I’ve only seen Ganglians once, but have been listening to their albums quite a bit and I can say that these songs sounded familiar on the first listen…almost eerily so.  I feel like I have heard them a hundred times, but in actuality it is really like 10. This single seems like it will also be making my year end lists.

If you haven’t heard Ganglians yet I feel that this 7″ is a good starting point.  Pick it for for $6, and you might find yourself hunting down the other two LPs.

[mp3] Ganglians- “Blood on the Sand” (buy it from CT here, or if you prefer at Insound here)

This one is limited to 1,000 copies, and rumor is they are going fast (it’s also rumored that CT won’t let things go out of print…we will see). As much as I enjoy “Blood on the Sands” I’m really in love with “Make It Up,” but you will have to pick up the record to hear that one.  Highly recommended as are all of their releases.

Links:

• more on Ganglians here.
• buy other Ganglians releases here.

Tonight there are several amazing shows, but I’m really looking forward to seeing Woods and Ducktails play at a place like the Bell House (not to mention Dungen! get tickets here!).  If you happen to have a ticket stub from Animal Collective in Prospect Park the word is you get $5 off admission.

This is one of those shows where I’m hoping to pick up a couple records that I have been meaning to get for quite a while.

Record #1

The Ducktails split 7″ with Julian Lynch that the wonderful Underwater Peoples put out:

I hope most of you reading this are familiar with Underwater Peoples by now…they were the first ones to bring us a record by Real Estate, and this is their second piece of vinyl.  Just as the Real Estate 7″ came with a CD of the tracks…this release also has a bonus, but this time it is a DVD of Richard Law’s portrait art.  Underwater Peeps were nice enough to post two of the tracks from the 7″ in video from (which I assume are coming from the DVD!):

Ducktails- “Parasailing”

although Julian Lynch isn’t playing tonight…his tracks on this record are rad.

Julian Lynch- “Garden 2″

Buy this Ducktails/Julian Lynch split 7″/DVD combo from Underwater Peoples here!

On top this wonderful Ducktails’ 7″ Matt Mondanile is on a role with his second LP this year…this one is out on Olde English Spelling Bee!

Record #2

The new Ducktails LP is titled Landscapes.  I haven’t heard the LP, but this song happens to be on it:

Ducktails- “Landrunner”

I always forget how crazy that video is until I re-watch it, and the song is awesome…so if that is any indication of what to expect we should all be snagging this LP as well.  I really can’t get enough of this surfy psychedelica, and it seems to be what Ducktails does best.  Olde English Spelling Bee seems to do pretty limited releases so this one might not be around too long.

Buy Ducktails’ Landscapes here.

On the topic of limited re-leases Woods has out a 4 song “bootleg” out.

Record #3

This record is titled Acoustic Family Creeps (Play Live In the Woods), which I’ve come to think is a collaboration between Woodsist and Captured Tracks (not sure?).

This record isn’t very common on the internets…but you can get it at Woods shows and Academy Annex in Brooklyn, or try Florida is Dying (or email Captured Tracks or Woodsist?).  It seems to be going for about $12-$15 for the four songs, but people seem to be raving about it (which is expected these days…Woods have been putting out great records one after another).

This last one will be a game time decision for me, but the Ducktails records should be coming back to my house for sure.

Recently Ray Concepcion put together this compilation video of Woods playing at the Whitney.  It’s a pretty rad video, and is making me really excited for the show tonight (thanks to ChocolateBobka for the tip on this one):

Woods- “Rain On”

Ahhh now all I have to do is wait a couple more hours.  Hope to see you there, and if you are make sure to grab some vinyl…records should be plentiful.

If you aren’t going to this show tonight, you should think about hitting up the Underwater Peoples monster Late Summer Showcase at Market Hotel featuring Real Estate, Air Waves, Ducktails, and Beach Fossils, Family Portrait, Pill Wonder, Andrew Cedermark, Dana Jewell, Liam the Younger, Fluffy Lumbers, Alex Bleeker & the Freaks, Frat Dad, Big Troubles, and DJ Etienne.  More to come on this as it gets a little closer…meaning next week.

End Notes:

• Although I will not be buying these records via mail order they are definitly This Week In Mail Order worthy!
• More on Ducktails here.
• More on Woods here.

The Woodsist /Captured Tracks festival starts tonight (and has been moved to Market Hotel!). Line Up and ticket info here.

Other Woodsist and Captured Tracks related shows (not part of the festival) here.