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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