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Tired Moth - Post Legitimate

Tired Moth: Lucas “Set” Anderson's foray into the occult has been well documented by Furious Hooves through three releases.

Post Legitimate: Released on November 11, 2014 as a subtle wink to the pagan mysticism invoked at 11:11, the album features sixteen tracks that all have a length and tempo that coincide with times and paces important in various Satanic rituals. Ancient tongues from six separate Set seances were sampled and backtracked to provide Post Legitimate with its dreadful and barely distinguishable dialogue. Although multiple recording locations were utilized for their specific Satanic relevance, Set relied heavily on the use of his “mutilation stairwell” in the album's mixing and mastering for its personal significance and possessive power.

Mean thoughts: This isn't Glen Benton's schlock unintelligent evil facade - Post Legitimate is a true embrace of all that is unholy, left-handed, and dark. Pulling from purgatory the spirit of the Rolling Stones' 1969 Altamont festival performance, Post Legitimate is the spiritual demonic actualization of those events on record and should be listened to with caution. Stand down Crowley, Valentine, LaVey, and Schreck; Tired Moth IS the Great Beast. Post Legitimate is a Satanic masterpiece.

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Pinegrove - Mixtape 2

Pinegrove: This four-piece alternative rock band from Montclair, New Jersey has been releasing lo-fi music since early in 2010.

Mixtape 2: Their May 29th, 2014 release was recorded and performed in its entirety by Evan Stephens Hall with the rest of the band coming in to help with mixing.

Mean thoughts: Mixtape 2 is caught between worshiping dull alt-rock bands and Pinegrove's supposed affinity for the grit of house shows - this musical purgatory offers a glimpse of the promises to come in its opener, "Problems," with the payoff coming in its finale, "Need 2." The EP's remaining three tracks are tranquil and hold enough interest to make Mixtape 2 worth checking out.

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King Dude - Fear

King Dude: TJ Cowgill's Seattle-based neo-folk project is used as a means to spread knowledge and enlightenment through Cowgill's Luciferian ideals. King Dude has been active since 2006. 

Fear: King Dude's Bill Rieflin produced album was released on May 6th, 2014. Its thirteen tracks span forty-three minutes.

Mean thoughts: Fear engages by pulling from multiple genres and reflecting on the deaths of blissful ignorance and innocence - although this theme appears to be sinister in the album's heavier moments, it's always both a celebration and a romantic recollection of gained knowledge.

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Young and in the Way - When Life Comes to Death

Young and in the Way: Charlotte's YAITW are members of the Atrum Cultus (AC//13) collective and have been playing a style of heavy music that intersects violent elements of hardcore and black metal since 2009.

When Life Comes to Death: The band's Deathwish Inc. debut was released today - May 27th, 2014. It features eleven tracks that span forty-six minutes.

Mean thoughts: Deathwish has provided an adequate platform for YAITW and AC//13's unapologetic and charmless nihilism. Ferocious lyrics are declared with morbid song titles and are then wrapped with fierce album art. A must listen to for fans of heavy music.

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Cold Cave - Full Cold Moon

Cold Cave: Hardcore and noise-rock veteran Wesley Eisold's dark-synth undertaking was founded in 2007.

Full Cold Moon: A chronologically arranged collection of limited edition Cold Cave singles that were released through Deathwish Inc. and Eisold's own Heartworm Press after splitting from Matador Records in 2011. Full Cold Moon was released on May 13th, 2014 through Heartworm. 

Mean thoughts: A worthwhile assemblage of great tracks.The collection's artwork fills in the framed nothingness of Cold Cave's "Oceans With No End" single with a child dressed in goth garb.

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Bedroom - Grow

Bedroom: Franklin, Tennessee resident, Noah Kittinger's, aptly named bedroom dream-pop project. Bedroom manifested itself in Noah's ninth-grade school year with his debut EP coming out a year later.

Grow: Written and recorded entirely by Kittinger, this is Bedroom's sophomore full-length on Furious Hooves - It is also the label's first album to debut on their extended-run division, Sixth Man. It was released on vinyl, cassette, and online today - May 20th, 2014. "We All Need Something" and "Drift Away" feature guest vocals from Jade Lawhon.

Mean thoughts: Grow is an album that serves as an anthem for twenty-somethings in its hazed ambivalence toward life. Electric guitars twang and echo beneath neatly arranged acoustic riffs and frequently meet hushed synth tones. Bedroom is an artist with a knack for calling things what they are and it is exciting to think what will grow out of this release.

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Yagi - Moments

Yagi: A Japanese producer known for mixing elements of jazz and trip-hop with a lo-fi vinyl hum.

Moments: Los Angeles based El Sereno Records' sixth release came out online and with a fast-moving sold out limited cassette release on April 9th, 2014. It has sixteen tracks that clock in at just under thirty-minutes.

Mean thoughts: The rich wood-like tones in both the jazz and beat samples coupled with the album's clever composition make for a huge hit. Drops and cuts in the beats are frequent but never overbearing.

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Nõ - the White Album

Nõ: A four member hardcore punk band from Columbia, South Carolina.

the White Album: This demo is eighty-seven minutes shorter and has twenty-seven fewer songs than the Beatles' famous self-titled album, often called the White Album. It was self-released online on March 24th, 2014 then received a limited press cassette release through Like Young Records on May 7th.

Mean thoughts: Deliberate and blunt. These three tracks crush with tact in their composition, tones, and message. The second track, "Corrupted," steps away from the distortion and relies on a clean channel and a chorus pedal during every verse and a nice guitar lead during the last chorus. 

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Nikki Lane - All or Nothin'

Nikki Lane: After dropping out of high school in Greenville, South Carolina, Lane spent time in Los Angeles then in New York where a breakup inspired her to write country songs. Lane's musical self-therapy eventually turned into a career when she left New York for Nashville and recorded the Gone, Gone, Gone EP followed by Walk of Shame in 2011.

All or Nothin': Lane's second full-length was released through New West Records on May 6th, 2014 and was produced by the Black Key's Dan Auerbach. The song "Out of Control" was co-written by J. Spaceman of Spiritualized and Spacemen 3 fame.

Mean thoughts: Orchestral country that is witty, smart, empowering, and well produced.

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ANNEX - ANNEX EP

ANNEX: Formed in late 2013, ANNEX is an anarcho post-punk group out of McAllen, Texas. The band is a four piece and features former members of Confused, Bastard Sons of the Apocalypse, Förfall, and Kяux.

ANNEX EP: A four song demo put out on March 1st, 2014 through Threat to Society Recordings.

Mean thoughts: This pulsating treble-heavy post-punk demo features dark melodies and doleful vocals about society's shortcomings. It's a great introduction to a band that will hopefully provide more material in the coming months.

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Raison D'être - Mise en Abyme

Raison D'être: Founded in 1991 by Swedish sound artist, Peter Andersson, Raison D'être's music utilizes dark ambient soundscapes with industrial influences. Andersson took the project's name from a Carl Jung book quote and explores psychology inspired by Jung in every Raison D'être's release.

Mise en Abyme: Four tracks clocking in at roughly fifteen minutes each. This is March 1st, 2014 release was Raison D'être's first in over four years, the longest time between his otherwise prolific output. Andersson spent this time emptying his mind in an attempt to release Mise en Abyme with a fresh perspective.

Mean thoughts: With a title meaning "placed into abyss," the album lives up to its name. The vocal chants on the second half of the albums are eerily ritualistic. Although released with a new outlook, traditional dark elements of Raison D'être's releases remain intact.

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Kneedlez - 7 to 7

Kneedlez: Will Hamilton's bedroom bummer-rock project formed early in 2014 with his buddy, only credited as Kyle, on drums. The band has so far released one EP and a split with ACAB Rocky.

7 to 7: Their eleven-minute self-released six-song debut from March 25th, 2014.

Mean thoughts: The opener, "The Best Day of My Life, and the Last Two Years," sets a clearly played precedent that isn't reached again until the last two tracks on the EP, "Tiems" and an Elvis Depressedly cover with "Inside You."  The middle tracks are not lacking in their slacking with half-assed rhythms and lackadaisically strummed riffs - its mood is self-aware and tongue-in-cheek with the third track being titled "Bummerville." These eleven minutes of attempted downers are ultimately fun and make for a worthwhile listen.

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Weezer - Weezer (the Blue Album)

Weezer (band): An alternative rock band formed on Valentine's Day of 1992 in Los Angeles.

Weezer (album): Commonly referred to as the Blue Album because of Todd Sullivan's cover art, Weezer's debut was released twenty years ago to the day. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City and produced by Ric Ocasek, the album features ten songs. The album has received accolades from a vast number of sources since its release.

Mean thoughts: With huge melodies, poignant lyrics, flawless songwriting, memorable artwork, and an unparalleled replay value, the Blue Album is one of the greatest in rock.

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Cayetana - Hot Dad Calender

Cayetana: These Philadelphia indie-rockers were originally named Cayetano after a friend but changed their name after learning about a DJ with the same name. Since then, they have put out two EPs on Tiny Engines, toured with Waxahatchee and Swearin', and will be promoting their full-length debut, Nervous Like Me, while supporting the Menzingers and Lemuria on their 2014 summer tour.

Hot Dad Calender: A two-song EP featuring the title track and a remastered demo in "Ella." Both tracks were recorded by Matt Schimelfenig - "Hot Dad Calender" in a studio and "Ella" in Matt's basement.

Mean thoughts: Catchy and well-written. Hot Dad Calender whets the need for their full-length.

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Tired Moth - the Brain Doesn't Rust

Tired Moth: Southwest Virginia's Luke Anderson is a stairwell-gazer who draws inspiration from cinema and a love of indie music to create dark-psychedelic productions.

the Brain Doesn't Rust: Luke's second EP was released online through Furious Hooves on May 6th, 2014. The EP was named after a quote from John "Bradshaw" Layfield's Wrestlemania XXX commentary. It features seven songs that expand upon the sound of his 2013 year-end EP, Jeff. 

Mean thoughts: Psychedelic experimentation in every track's individual sound - the highs, the lows, the scary, and the beautiful - all coming together to form an edifying trip. 

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William Alexander - Girls' Basketball

William Alexander: Lo-fi bedroom pop out of Long Beach. William formerly put out solo tunes as the Meanest Boys.

Girls' Basketball: Eight songs written and recorded by William during the last half of 2013 and put out by Juniper Tree Songs on February 15, 2014.

Mean thoughts: Bedroom orchestration. These are nicely arranged jams that each offer something unique.

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Chelsea Wolfe - the Grime and the Glow

Chelsea Wolfe: Californian singer-songwriter who crafts songs with bleak elements of folk, black metal, deathrock, drone, goth, and electronica.

the Grime and the Glow: Wolfe's debut was released on the now defunct New York City label, Pendu Sound Recordings, in 2010. The 13 song - 46 minute album was recorded and produced entirely by Wolfe.

Mean thoughts: Absolved in experimentation from start to finish. Wolfe's ethereal voice soaks the distorted guitars and sullenly hushes peace into the album's dark vibes.

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