Cobalt - Gin

Artist: Cobalt
Album: Gin
Genre: Black Metal
Year: 2009
Origin: USA

Gin is a progressive black metal album that really made the rounds on the Internets this past year. It is rather unique for the genre, and I'm not at all surprised it attracted so many new fans. The percussion in particular doesn't sound anything like you'd expect from a black metal band, and I've seen comparisons to Tool, which I don't want to get into, but that's just to say that this isn't just coming out of the black metal tradition. There's a lot going on in this complex recording, and I'm not sure I've even processed it properly yet, but I definitely recommend this download.

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Dub Guerilla - Dub Guerilla

Artist: Dub Guerilla
Album: Dub Guerilla
Genre: Dub
Year: 2005
Origin: Germany

This album combines dub and jazz wonderfully. The instrumentation is impressive and the production is smooth, so that three trombonists feels like just the right number. If this album doesn't make you feel calm and happy with the world, I don't know what will.

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NOTE: MediaFire gave me a weird message. I downloaded it myself to test, and it all seems to be working, but let me know if there are any problems.

Gravy Train!!!! - Hello Doctor

Artist: Gravy Train!!!!
Album: Hello Doctor
Genre: Electro-trash
Origin: USA
Year: 2003

"They're such a horrible band, they just get stuck in your head."
- a last.fm shoutbox comment

Gravy Train!!!! is a completely ridiculous electronic pop group from Oakland. Normally I don't think that anyone should ever be embarrassed about the music they listen to; if you don't think it's good music, why listen to it? But Gravy Train!!!! is pretty much a guilty pleasure no matter how I look at it. That quote is about right: the beats are thrown sloppily on top of explicit rapping about sex, junkfood, and more sex. But there's something that keeps me listening, I can't really say what! It's the same kind of sick enjoyment I get out of Hollaback Girl, only magnified.

Sippin' 40z - a sample of what the band is all about; because I think you deserve fair warning (also, this is one of their catchier songs and it isn't on Hello Doctor)

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Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick

Artist: Jethro Tull
Album: Thick As A Brick
Genre: Progressive Rock
Year: 1972
Origin: UK

Jethro Tull is an amazing progressive rock band that hopefully everyone knows already. Aqualung is their masterpiece, but since my comrade Bart has already posted that one I'll share Thick As A Brick, which is also excellent but seems to be less well known. I suspect this is because it is really just one long composition broken into two parts to fit on a record. It's got some of Ian Anderson's trademark flute along with some occasional brass and a lot of great bass guitar parts. The album has a compelling concept about a young boy and his poem. This is from before the band's folk period (which is also quite good, I may post Minstrel in the Gallery sometime later).

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Disfear - Live the Storm

Artist: Disfear
Album: Live the Storm
Genre: Crust Punk
Year: 2008
Origin: Sweden

Disfear has for years been one of the best bands and worst names in crust punk. Now they are playing it rock'n'roll style, but still with the d-beat (of course). This is for fans of Wolfbrigade/Wolfpack for sure. It may be more accessible than most crusty albums, but the energy on this recording is still unbelievable. It's intense, it's rockin', it will make you bang your head!

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Citizen Fish & AOS3 split

Artist: Citizen Fish & AOS3
Album: TV Dinner/Conspiracy split 7"
Genre: Ska Punk
Year: 1992
Origin: UK

Citizen Fish is the ska offshoot of the Subhumans (UK), and after seeing them play 3 times, I think they are pretty cool dudes. It's kind of amazing how many songs they have about tv rotting our brains. AOS3 is a psychedelic punk band who really rock on their one track from this split; I would really like to hear their full-length albums. They take their name from Augustus Owsley Stanley III, a prominent Dead-head and the maker of much of San Francisco's LSD back in yesteryear. This is a short recording, but if you like punk and psychedelic rock you should definitely try this out.

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happy 2010!!!