Dr Octagon Decipher Series Part 3

| USOUNDS

Dark clouds have descended over the OCD offices. It’s been three weeks since receiving the mysterious package from the good Doctor and they are nowhere closer to deciphering his message for the people of earth. What’s worst is their two previous code crackers have become useless. Mike Relm has been only responding in binary code, which when deciphered, says

“Times up Ants move with the bell”

The Gray Kid has been committed to a mental hospital. They last heard he has been scribbling on the walls:

“Look at them crawl, look at them climb up the wall, like roaches”
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The Afters Stream

| USOUNDS

Who the hell are The Afters? Well, the abridged version of their story goes a little something like this: Josh Havens and Matt Fuqua were working together at a Starbucks in Mesquite, Texas while playing in various other bands. On slow nights, they would kick out a few acoustic jams for customers. Eventually they recruited two other Starbucks employees. This shit really worked out, enabling these guys to quit their coffee jobs. All the band members were okay with this because they found themselves constantly dehydrated and on the can a lot. (Only to find out later that being in a full-time band is pretty much the same thing.) The End.

Steam the album, I Wish We All Could Win here.

theafters.com

Starlight Mints Drowaton [Barsuk]

| Brandi H.

Aha! Though Google and even Mr. Jeeves were of no assistance, I just figured out what the hell the title to the new Starlight Mints album, Drowaton, means. And I think I’ll leave you with the option of figuring it out yourself (it’s much more gratifying that way, right?). But I will mention that all you need to figure it out is contained within the word. Aside from decoding the title, I have yet to decide whether I like this album. I mean, I can tell you that it’s good. It’s a little too easy to make the Flaming Lips comparison – they’re both from Oklahoma (I know, I forgot about the Midwest too…), the production is top notch, and it’s wacky. But the emotional pull I feel towards say a Soft Bulletin – I just don’t get it from Drowaton. Not that this band deserves to be compared to the Lips all day long. But I’m just saying.
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Juana Molina mp3’s and Tour

| USOUNDS

Juana Molina’s new album, Son will be released worldwide June 6th on Domino Records. (Not to be confused with the outrageous cross-dressing blockbuster hit/greatest basketball movie of all time, “Juwanna Mann.”) Son utilizes keyboards, gongs, cymbals, bombo legüero, bass and air wood block. Air wood block is especially interesting on albums because you can’t really see or hear it, yet it’s comforting to know it’s there. Check out the following mp3’s sent by our pals at Domino Records: Micael, Malherido, and No Seas Antipática.

On Tour with José Gonzaléz and Psapp:
June 16 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theater
June 17 – San Francisco, CA – Bimbo’s
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Dr Octagon Decipher Series Part 2

| USOUNDS

Chapter 2: AL GREAZY

When we last left off, Mike Relm started the Decipher Series by breakin’ down the history of the infamous Dr Octagon. But still unclear on what this new material was intended to mean, OCD has gone to their list of interpreters to get to the root of it.

Meanwhile on the Left Coast…

A hot, gray Los Angeles afternoon finds Gray Kid chillin’ on Venice Beach. Mac on his lap, posting to his blog, the Kid is interrupted by a pop-up window. It’s OCD on the I.M.
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The Pinker Tones Video Review by Lance Rockaway

| USOUNDS

pinkerTones.gif

When I joined USOUNDS in 1999, the world was awash with le internacional sounds. I’ll never forget the first day I arrived at the old office in Seattle, that gleaming marble lobby playing Fantastic Plastic Machine, the vintage lime green Citroen DS that served as the room’s only furniture, and the gorgeous receptionist who I eventually married (we divorced a few months later after I found out about her dalliances with Befara). Good times. No, great times.

In any case, the global underground pop movement has been pretty dull of late, but here come The Pinker Tones, straight out of Catalunya, to set things right. The proper mix of musical styles married with great beats and that global pop sensibility make these guys heroes of the moment for lovers of Le Internacional… Check out this video if you don’t believe me, and get ready to party like it’s 2001 all over again.

Sonido Total Video (Windows Media)