Screen House Music "Positive" cd-r (Life On an Island/2006)

It is late and I have to work tomorrow (errr today) so why am I still up? Well to share this awesome album with all of you that is what. This will be the last Screen House Music album that I will be uploading as I do not own physical copies of Conscious or On the Roof. I do have the files so if anyone would like them feel free to email as I have no qualms about sharing great music but for the sake of blogging I only upload stuff I actually own. And if anyone has any physical copies of either of those releases I'd be down to purchase them or trade. In any event Positive is the third release from Nicky Marino's (For Serious This Time) Screen House Music. Positive continues to build on the minimal folk/drone   home recordings that the previous two releases established while growing and maturing with the sound. The music that appears on Positive was originally conceived as one twenty minute track and later on broken up into eight short songs as Marino states on the back sleeve of the release. Once again it is a Screen House Music release that is more of a private press than a full on release, for a lack of better words, as my copy is numbered 2 out of 18 copies. It really is a shame that this great music didn't get shared with more people. I can't recommend the sounds of Screen House Music enough.

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The Story of Man "The Story of Man" cassette (Life On an Island/2006)

I absolutely love just about everything the Life On an Island folks release and this early release is certainly one of my favorites. Here is a cassette release that I was very happy to finally rip and share. Everything about this release is just exceptional from the minimal handmade packaging, the music and just the over all concept. Or least the concept on how I perceive it. The Story of Man is a unique compilation of sorts that chronicles solo, home recordings of various different genre styles and techniques by each of the four artists on this release. The album closes with a collaboration between three of the four artists. The Story of Man documents recordings by Mike Naideau (Giant Peach, Blood Soda), Alex Gentile (For Serious This Time), Nicky Marino (For Serious This Time, Screen House Music) and J. Shelton.  The music for is all instrumental and resides in the folk/experimental folk and bedroom pop genres and if you have listened to any of the Screen House Music releases I have shared in the past you will certainly enjoy this cassette. Once again I just think the idea of four individuals who could've easily just easily recorded and released this songs under their own but opted to release under a banner compilation project is just a fantastic one. It lends a cohesiveness that you wouldn't expected from a compilation. The final outcome is absolutely marvelous and personally I'd like to see more projects of this nature come to fruition. Only 75 of these cassette were made and I feel very fortunate to own one. This is certainly a very special release made by some of Long Island's most gifted song writers.

The Story of Man The Story of Man track listing
1. Staub2 (A.Gentile)
2. Ocean (M.Naideau)
3. Dreads (N.Marino
4. End (A.Gentile)
5. Peanuts (N.Marino)
6. Rain (M.Naideau)
7. Autumn (A. Gentile)
8. IV T (J.Shelton)
9. Ode to Tzantza (M.Naideau/A.Gentile/N.Marino)

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For Serious This Time "I Hope It Pours" cd-r (Life On An Island/2007)

In spirit of recently having to unfortunately turn down the opportunity to take part in releasing music from this wonderful band, I feel compelled in some way to publicly show appreciation for the band For Serious This Time. I have mentioned them a few times here in this blog when posting about Screen House Music the side project of For Serious This Time's guitarist/vocalist Nicky Marino. The music found on I Hope It Pours is very different from the bouncy, note happy indie rock found on their current releases such as the outstanding When You're In It but that cd is still readily available from their own label Life On an Island so I can't as someone who runs a label in good confidence upload that album, which I must admit is the one I reach for most when I need a For Serious This Time fix. But with that being said I Hope It Pours while very different from the rest of the band's discography is still awesome in its own right and documents the humble beginnings of this band rather nicely.

In stark contrast to the Treepeople/Modest Mouse crossed with Capn' Jazz bouncy indie rock that For Serious This Time is known for I Hope It Pours for the most part is folk based indie rock with primarily acoustic guitars and vocals anchoring the songs though minimal percussion, field recordings and samples are thrown into the mix as well. This debut full length effort documents founding members Alex Gentile and Nicky Marino, and what they offer isn't too far off from Marino's Screen House Music project, Mountain Goats, early Bright Eyes and maybe even the Life Rocks album I posted awhile back. The music and lyrics are endearing with a youthful exuberance about that doesn't come off sounding silly to these old ears the way most music of this nature does. Perhaps it is the romantic imagery of Long Island and growing up here that they use in their songs that appeals to me so much. I can relate to that. I always loved growing up on this island and have positive memories of hanging out with friends and making our own brand of fun. For Serious This Time and pretty much all the music I hear coming from Life On an Island documents their own spin on growing up here but I can relate. And man I dig it.

Anyhow unlike previous Life On an Island releases that I have posted here where there were less than 20 copies made, 100 copies were made of I Hope It Pours though it is out of print. I am not sure if these tunes were included on the discography tape or not, I'll have to check. It really bums me out that I can't be a part of the release of their new 12 inch. Trust me folks the music is awesome and when it comes out later this year on Dead Broke Records and Life On an Island definitely pick it up. I will be carrying in the distro for sure. If real life wasn't so complicated right now and I already wasn't up to my neck in commitments on the label side of things I'd be all over it. In the mean time check out I Hope It Pours and also head on over to Life On an Island to pick up their other available releases.

I Hope It Pours track listing
1. September 4th 2005
2. New Things
3. Two trips
4. Want to Go Do Echoes?
5. Let's Go to the Cliff
6. Intermission
7. A Tin Within A Tin
8. Lucky 7's
9. Milk Bottle Mountain
10. Summer September
11. I Hope It Pours Tomorrow (This is the New Thing Pt 2)

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Screen House Music "Volume 2: For Reading To" cd-r (self released/2006)

Last night it snowed and this morning it is raining so in searching for a soundtrack to get my day started I couldn't find a better collection of songs to fit the inclement mood outside than Screen House Music's Volume 2: For Reading To. So it is only fitting that I share this album with you. A lot of the music I share here is rare in the sense that not many physical copies of these releases were made. Mostly demos just to be sold at local shows or to be shared with friends, not to be part of some mass production. And no release would be truer than this sophomore Screen House Music release as my copy is numbered 11 out of 13! I don't point that out as some sort of collector nerd type of "hey look what I have" but more as man, what a shame that this music wasn't initially shared with more people as it is just a fantastic document of the growth that was taking place in songwriter Nicky Marino's wonderful little Screen House Music project.

For those of you missed my previous post regarding Screen House Music's debut cd-r release; first go download it now but as a brief recap/run down of what the project is all about...Since 2006 and based out of Northport Nicky Marino; also known for his work in the wonderful indie rock band For Serious This Time has released several cd-rs and tapes as well as compilation appearances that chronicles music that can best be described as a organic hybrid of folk, bedroom pop, ambient and lo-fi shoegaze. Automatically I am reminded of stuff like Dump, Secret Stars, and a whole slew of great music from 90s tape labels like Shrimper, Cactus Gum, Catsup Plate, etc. The bulk of his music is instrumental but has a strong voice in the sense that the melodies created within the music while subdued and generally minimal it all resonates rather nicely. Unlike a lot of music of this ilk that can just be forgettable background music; Marino has a uncanny ability to have listeners be completely enveloped by the layers of sound and melodies he creates. Plain and simple; if you like good music that is honest and comes from a place that is simply just about creating music then don't waste a minute in downloading Screen House Music Volume 2: For Reading To.

Screen House Music Volume 2: For Listening To track listing
1. Before Rain, Grey
2. Phone Rings, Start Over
3. Miss the Bus, Better Day
4. Discovering
5. Weeks Street
6. Things to Rely On
7. I Really Don't Remember
8. P.J Branch
9. Source
10. Landscape
11. Top of the Gap

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Screen House Music "Volume One" cd-r (self released/2006)

Even though it wasn't that long ago 2006, I definitely recall that as a year where I seriously thought that nothing in music could surprise or excite me any longer. Of course that was a narrow view because I was solely basing this opinion on that fact that it seemed as if I was getting at least a dozen crappy band friend requests a day on Myspace. And don't even get me started on the tons of the uninspired music I'd have to review for Under the Volcano or even get as demo submissions for Rok Lok. As awful as it sounds at some point I didn't even want to open up friend requests and I am not sure why one day I felt compelled to open up one of those said requests, but I am glad I did because that was the day I discovered the wonderful gem that is Screen House Music. Immediately, I was blown away by the sparse looseness of the songs. There was a lo fi folk/ambient/experimental thing that reminded me a lot of the stuff that I grew up listening to like the whole Shrimper Records cast of characters like Paste, Dump, Simon Joyner and Will Simmons. The one song that stood out and I proceeded to play another 8 or so times straight in that one sitting was the tune "On Our Cameras"-it just blew me away the way the song builds and doesn't get hooked into a specific phrasing or chord too long but just long enough to have it sink its melodic teeth into one's ears-just seriously smart and mature songwriting but very organic sounding. The arrangement of a field recording of friends party like chatter in the background and how it switches from a acoustic guitar progression to a reverb happy electric guitar and percussion as well some wavy background sounds is nothing short of sublime. As corny as it sounds something about this song makes me feel young and in a good way. But the reality is that there is something great about every song on Screen House Music's Volume One. My thought is someone from Long Island making this type of music and I am not aware, how can this be?

After listening to all the songs multiple times and specifically "On Our Cameras" and singing the praises of Screen House Music to just about everyone who was within a earshot of me for the next 48 hours or so, I decided to send a message directly. I soon learned that Screen House Music was the project of Northport's Nicky Marino and we started trading emails back and forth. Eventually, snail mail transactions took place where he'd send me more Screen House Music recordings as well as other stuff he and his friends would do while I'd send him label releases including stuff specifically from my own 4 track project Stars Are Insane which I felt was somewhat similar to what he was doing with Screen House Music. With each release of his I was blown away at the maturity of the compositions, level of looseness and just the overall aesthetic. And to me I was amazed at how all of this great music was being written by someone in high school.

I have remained intrigued with the project and over the years I have done my best to follow what Marino is up to creatively. He self released the sophomore cd-r SHM2 but Positive cd-r and The Story of Man cassette both came out on Life On a Island. A cassette (which sadly I have yet to hear/obtain) called On the Roof came out on Open Range Records. Last but not least I have finally been able to have the good fortune to be able to release some Screen House Music on my label with an upcoming appearance on the I Know Why They Call It Pop cassette. And from what I understand new material is being worked on which is just thrilling. Keep up with Screen House Music here. Additionally, Marino plays guitar and sings in the fantastic band For Serious This Time who I urge everyone to check out.

Screen House Music "Volume One" track listing
1. "Everyone's Unsure"
2. "Layer One"
3. "Layer Two"
4. "Layer Three"
5. "Next Season"
6. "On Our Cameras"
7. "At Friends Houses"
8. "Conclude"

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