So we've been doing this Pitchfork MP3 thing since way back in the fall of last year, and up until now it's been merely a once-a-month thing. Not anymore! As of today, we'll be adding MP3s on a semi-daily basis. Way we see it, the rest of this site is daily, and we've got enough free music to supply you with something a bit more active. But enough about us, let's talk about:

Filmmakers Jem Cohen ("Fugazi:Instrument") and Peter Sillen ("Speed Racer: Welcome to World of Vic Chesnutt") made BENJAMIN SMOKE over the course of ten years. It follows the crooked path of "Benjamin" (no last name), an underground musician, speed-freak, occasional drag-queen, and all-around renegade living in the hidden Georgia neighborhood called "Cabbagetown," and playing in an indescribable band called Smoke. The film includes a special appearance by Patti Smith and photographs by Michael Ackerman. The DVD Extras include over 45 minutes of outtake footage and two new performances of songs written for Benjamin by CAT POWER and VIC CHESNUTT. [plexifilm.com]

Although most people will no doubt associate the name June Panic with his paradigm-shifting work 'Lemon Power!', first prize winner of the El Paso city-wide science fair (3rd grade division), June has also written and recorded over 300 songs since the late 1980's. Originally releasing cassettes on his own 3 Out Of 4 label, in 1996 his album Glory Hole became the first ever release for Secretly Canadian, with whom he has subsequently issued 5 more CD's. June's music is supplemented by his study/practice of philosophy which he describes as "a Heideggarian disavowal of ethics as a seperate philosophical discipline, seen from within an overlapping of Kantian epistomological limits with Wittgensteinian analysis of ordinary language seeking resolve through Emersonian Perfectionism." This track is from his eleventh release (6th for Secretly Canadian) Though he sometimes finds himself singing in harmony with god, most people hear this as an off-key whine. [secretlycanadian.com]

Formed in early 2001, Tangiers is a new four-piece from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. An inspired, full out rock threat, according to the Toronto press who have hailed them as one of the city's best new bands - comparing them to a post-punk Rolling Stones. Red Stone Rocks is taken from their debut album, Hot New Spirits available 03.04.03 in Canada and 03.18.03 in the UK & US via Sonic Unyon Records. [sonicunyon.com]

Urbana-Champaign’s Absinthe Blind have stepped to a new level with each successive release, but they’ve surpassed their previous ascensions combined on the new album "Rings." With the production team of Matt Talbott (of Hum & Centaur) and Keith Cleversley (Spiritualized, Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev) behind the board, Absinthe Blind has found the perfect two-headed sonic shaman to shape their epic soundscapes. [parasol.com]

The Ancient Greeks are a pop band from Chicago. Press the band for a description, they'll call it math-pop. They like their fives & sevens integrated with hooks & melodies to form a whole both logical and emotive: polyrhythms that make you want to kiss strangers; dance music for people with three-and-a-half legs. The band's respect for post-bop jazz, '70s African pop, 20th century minimalism, bossa nova & soul began their adventure together. The first stop along the journey - their debut album, The Song Is You - is made 01.21.03 on Flameshovel Records. [flameshovel.com]

Hrvatski, aka Keith Fullerton Whitman, winds up the glitchy bad-ass to whip Salvo Beta where it hurts. Abstract and coherent at the same time, its not just an intellectual thing. From the Salvo Beta remix record which also features remixes by Melt-Banana, Sutekh, Twine, Safety Scissors, Pele, Jake Mandell, String Theory, K-RAD, Timeout Drawer and others. Available now at Someoddpilot Records. [someoddpilotrecords.com]

Judah Johnson is at the forefront of a new generation of song and sound; musical saboteurs trying to blow the thing up and start over. Ambitious and restless, they're still eager to carry on in the tradition of the true craftsmen and innovators. Part of a new breed, the band was born with hearts as big as Buckley's and musical appetites as insatiable and diverse as Bjork's. Kisses and Interrogation, Judah Johnson's highly-anticipated new album, is a gorgeously textured collection of stunning songs by a significant new voice in music - Daniel Johnson, Judah's voice, songwriter, and namesake. Kisses and Interrogation will be released 03.04.03 on Flameshovel Records. [flameshovel.com]

Sweden's Ronderlin has produced "Wave Another Day Goodbye," a lush and intimate album slathered in glittery guitars, luscious acoustic arrangements, heartwarming male vocals and songs that will keep your mind occupied for days. Lyrically the album is more ‘Queen Is Dead’ than ‘Pink Moon’, and at first blush the album seems to be a study in minimalism. It’s not long though before the exquisite and ornate instrumentation (organ, strings, horns, piano) begins to shimmer and build upon itself… In the name of perfection the album was mixed three times before the band finally teamed up with producer Johan Forsman (Hakan Hellstrom, Soundtrack of our Lives, Caesars Palace) for a beautifully understated final mix. [parasol.com]

Atropa (Scott from Ghosts n' Vodka), an amazing drummer turned laptop-crafty geekwad, takes on the young and vulnerable Sean Wolfe (aka Salvo Beta) in a remarkable remix effort that layers Fender Rhodes and live drums on top of glitchy electronics. Truly a beautiful track. From the Salvo Beta remix record which also features remixes by Melt-Banana, Sutekh, Twine, Hrvatski, Safety Scissors, Pele, Jake Mandell, String Theory, K-RAD, Timeout Drawer and others. Available now at Someoddpilot Records. [someoddpilotrecords.com]

Performing with a strange, innovative sound that resembles a wild mix of Einstürzende Neubauten, Juice Newton and the Soviet Red Army Choir, Flaming Fire has created an exciting new album that veers from honky tonk, lofi digital noise, Greco-roman chanting, dance music and grand, stirring anthems in about the same time it takes the average indie singer to clear his throat. With a sonic wall of gongs, bells, pianos, guitars, drums, atmospheric throbbing loops and a large screaming chorus, Flaming Fire sings about the future of humankind and the things that matter most to all - our primal ancestors, working hard, eternity, progress, evolving the collective unconscious, the destructive nature of romantic love, the resource-squandering nature of war and death. [perhapstransparent.com]

Further Seems Forever is a 5 piece melodic rock band from the south florida area. The band is a joint effort from members of three bands; shai hulud, strongarm, and affinity. Each member has come together to play with one single goal in mind, to make beautiful music that inspires. [toothandnail.com]  
 

Mae was originally just a recording project with Dave and Jacob. They were just going to record a few songs, playing all the instruments themselves. The sessions ended up being at Mark Padgetts studio, and the session players they found ended up being the band. The recoding project started in Feb 2001, and their first show was Dec 2001. The band defines their sound as “melodic, energetic rock” which is influenced by big rock and pop artists like “The Beatles, U2, Michael Jackson and Depeche Mode”. Mae has shared the stage with the likes of Coheed & Cambria, Movielife, Brand New, Karate, River City High, The Exit and many more. [toothandnail.com]

Cass McCombs, the latest signee to Baltimore's Monitor Records, is about to resuscitate your rusted record collection with Not the Way. Unlike modern songwriters who plan and plot there styles, Cass' ability and affection is innate and natural. With no period laying claim to Cass' music, you will find it timeless. Gather your courage and muster your feelings, Cass is here for the long haul, and he is bringing you in tow. Its time to confess and realize all of those cds on your dashboard are shameless imitations of what you will finally realize is genuine. [monitorrecords.com]

Hailing from the new indie rock hotbed of Omaha, Race For Titles have generated a unique blend of swirling guitars, dreamy vocals, driving bass and impeccable percussion, but not without a subtle tip of the hat to their hometown peers. The two guitars weave and twist like back roads that at once intertwine and then surprise you with sharp turns, and the dreamy overtones set against a punchy rhythm section evoke thoughts of solitary highway driving and an open sky. Alternative Press recently called the band, “Sensitive, lilting indie rock that isn’t afraid to rock out every once in a while…A gem of originality in an over-saturated genre. The album’s emotional peaks and valleys will leave you breathless.” Their self-titled full-length release is out now on Redemption Records. [canarypromo.com]

Jeremy Bolen, formerly of Punjab and Hertzsprung Gap (Cargo Music), formed Chin Up Chin Up with Nathan Snydacker of Nymb (Suburban Sprawl) in early fall 2001. It was their mission to create a new Chicago sound, one that is melodically rich and textural, combining linear pop songs with non-traditional instrumentation. Together with Chris Dye on drums and Chris Saathoff on bass, they began writing songs that convey a sentimental feeling akin to an 80s John Hughes movie soundtrack, but with a contemporary sound. Chin Up Chin Up spent eight months writing and perfecting their sound before playing live, and the result is a mature band, with songs that are as good as songs can get. [chinupchinup.com]

"This project from Brooklyn songwriter Bobby Burg feels as if it was created in normal time, then run through some magical machine....Burg's miniature melodies have the vulnerability of Daniel Johnston (but without the manic energy) and the shame faced, sleepy-eyed guilt of Mark Linkous caught with his finger in the birthday-cake icing. Burg's boyish vocals and the deliciously tinkling piano of Kevin Shea (Storm and Stress) waft about like lost balloons.... so innocent and so utterly devoid of pretense, they can't possibly not be masking some deeper, darker world view. These boys know how far being adorable can take someone in this day and age and are exploiting every last second of it." --Magnet Magazine [loveofeverything.com]

Taking the momentum from their self-titled debut E.P. Frankenixon have honed the Prog Pop genre and given it their own edge. “Depth Perception” shows the band both staying true to the pop groundwork they have already covered and going new directions in creating a very heavy, compelling album. Led by the vocals and piano work of Evelyn Finch, the album weaves itself in and out of the introspective and the cathartic. Finally the guitar laced, piano driven, epic Indie Rock you have always wanted is here. In pog (er, Prog) form. [bifirecords.com]

“Midwest/Italia” finds Jeremy Grace at his musical best. The album paints a tragic portrait of a lonely man. It’s a coming to terms journal on par with the best break up albums. Part guitar sound collage, part singer songwriter in his raw honesty. Organ Donor has been a Midwest staple for a few years now, supporting his first release “heaven and hell” and several E.P.’s. Winter Song is a perfect example of Grace’s ability to layer soundscapes and stay in touch with what makes an honest love song ring true. [bifirecords.com]

Resign to Ideal, Saeta’s third full length release, was recorded and produced by Kramer in New York City. The album has inspired pure poetry from music writers who have bestowed glowing reviews upon this Seattle trio. Most often described as beautifully sad, Saeta’s songs are dramatic, subtle, and intimate odes to the darker sides of human emotion. “They are one of the most beautiful and phenomenal things I have ever heard…Saeta will comfortably invade your ears with the sweet sounds of remorse and the angsty drive of serenity.” (Action Attack Helicopter) “This is quiet music meant to be played loud, so every rich piano note, every guitar chord, every draw of the strings is easily heard. Any fan of Godspeed would do well to have this in their collection, for this is an endearingly excellent work.” (Delusions of Adequacy) [canarypromo.com]

Desert soundscape instrumentalists return with a 73-minute ambient space-rock epic. [parasol.com]

The third proper full-length album from mysterious American studio duo is a collection of sparkling synth-pop majesty. [parasol.com]

With their 3rd album, This Is Motion, Melochrome shifted away from the guitar-based songs that dominated their earlier recordings, writing most of the songs around minimal Fender Rhodes piano lines. With more attention given to space and grooves, the band fused subtle elements of dub, hip-hop, and classical Indian music into several tracks. Melochrome also tweaked their usual formula with a more expansive use of warm electronics, running many of their favored instruments (Rhodes piano, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, drums, moog, horns) through filters, oscillators, and synthesizers. The result is a chilled out collection of songs with subtle nods to the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Brian Eno, David Axelrod, and Shuggie Otis. [loosethread.com]

The Robot Ate Me is a band out of San Diego, CA that writes happy and sad songs with wit and ease. They use guitars, old synths, accordions, horns, toys, power tools, organs, and pretty much anything that makes a sound. Their December debut "They Ate Themselves" is some of the most beautifully eccentric music around. Not bad for a few guys wearing furry cat hats. Thank you and goodnight. [swimslowly.com]

Melbourne, Australia's Art of Fighting's debut album "Wires" was the surprise winner of the prestigious Australian Record Industry Awards' Best Alternative Release of 2001, the equivalent of a Grammy award in their home country, a testament to the breakthrough nature of the performances captured within, as well as the potential wide appeal of AoF's style of music. The album showcases the band at the peak of their game, delivering a delicate, atmospheric (yet occasionally thundering), sophisticated take on moody rock that evokes at various points such artists as Low, Seam, the Sarah Records sound, Luna, Belle & Sebastian, Red House Painters, Lush, Galaxie 500, and even Radiohead and Coldplay. "Wires" is a trip beyond slow rock, shoegazer, or any other genre one might apply to the surface sounds of it ­ this is quite simply one of the best musical discoveries we have heard in years. [3bos.com]

Born in Wales, Jonathan Heathcote has been known to do some pretty creative things with vocal harmonies and instrumentation. But, just like there's a time and place for demented monastery sounding stacks of vocals and complex bass guitar lines, there's also a time and place for the sparseness of acoustic guitar and a single lead vocal. "I Won't Let You Down" might very well be Jonathan Heathcote's most minimalistic creation so far, and this track will appear on an as yet untitled soundless records compilation scheduled for 2003. In addition to his solo compositions, Mr. Heathcote's skills as a multi-instrumentalist have embellished many a recording, most recently his exceptional bass guitar work on Nate Ruth's 'Whatever It Meant.' [soundlessrecords.com]

Instant Camera is a post-punk/new wave influenced band from Louisville, Ky. The band was started by Neil Dey and Ryan Simons in 2001. Since then , the band has gradually developed an incredibly unique sound by blending bits of british invasion, kraut rock , and new wave (think The Smiths, Bauhaus, Roxy Music). The end vision is an atmospheric and fantasy-like form of horrific dream pop. In addition, the band has been gathering a growing fanbase of dis-affected young adults in the crushingly beautiful city of Louisville, Ky. The first single ('These City Lights'/'The Caretaker') was recorded at Nonlinear Studios in the winter of 2001 by Kevin Ratterman (Elliot) and is currently distributed by Bloodie Records. [theinstantcamera.com]

When people have said things about 'Whatever It Meant' supposedly having "subversive lyrics with sociopolitical undertones" and the record being filled with "nihilistic optimism", the track "To Forget" is usually one of their examples. But really, according to the gentleman who wrote the lyrics, the song is merely about "a girl I used to know who always hated the state of the world, loved the Smiths, and had strongly believed in things like an afterlife and reincarnation." Good luck hearing the detail in this track on computer speakers though, as they don't even do justice to the ultrasound baby's heartbeat thing at the beginning - let alone the bass line, the life support machine thing, or any of the other sounds that come afterward. Also available for download is the Nate Ruth cover of the Ramones song "Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)", which was at least partially inspired by WPRB DJ Jon Solomon's incredibly outstanding Annual Twenty-Four Hour Holiday Radio Show. Fifteen years running, things get started this year on Dec 24th at 6 PM EST. [soundlessrecords.com]

After recording a lung-bursting opus (The Catheters on eMpTy) at the onset of puberty, The Catheters hit the road with the likes of The Murder City Devils, Mudhoney and Motorhead (and that's just the M's). A promising start, but nothing that even hinted at the power lurking in their sophomore effort. Recorded and mixed in one marathon 36-hour recording session, Static Delusions and Stone-Still Days is as surprising as greeting Santa at the fireplace and getting kicked in the teeth. Hot, heavy, rockin' like a motherf***er... "It had to happen. The economy tanks and all of our worst fears are quickly surpassed by a reality far more menacing than our nervous systems can handle. The federal and corporate institutions that we have come to rely on for security and a sense of well-being prove to be inept, corrupt and/or simply ridiculous. Hundreds of thousands of people lose their jobs, many more lose their "safety net" benefits and the poverty boom sweeping the planet inspires intifada, jihad and garden variety revolution of every stripe. So, what can a poor boy do? Or, even more to the point, what can The Catheters do? The smart money is on these four raging against the dying of the light." (Courtesy J. Poneman - Sub Pop Records) [subpop.com]

"It never seems to amaze me" (as Bobby Brown once said), how unfathomably unfunny most comedy is these days. One quick glance at the Sunday comics or ten minutes of prime time sitcoms and you start to realize we are living in a world composed primarily of Christian secretaries who have never seen a dick or heard the word "nigger"; a society where simply screaming, "Arrrgh! Mondays!!!" is considered hilarious. That's petrifying, no? That's the kind of scary that made The Stepford Wives and Invasion of the Body Snatchers huge hits. What ever happened to a thing called "the laugh"? What about when we would literally shit our pants to records by Bill Hicks or Redd Foxx or Lenny Bruce or Richard Pryor? What about the laughs from those high school parties you went to when you were 14. Remember? There'd be about seven people in the backyard and after you and your friends smoked enough pot to kill a dog, that one, kind-of-crazy-but-still-smart-guy in the gang is more "on" than he's ever been and he's slaying everyone and they're literally shitting their pants and you're all bent over, FUCKING DYING, and you have a moment of clarity and you think to yourself "why can't this be on TV? Why can't everyone in the world be seeing this. They would fucking DIE...To see [David Cross] (you try growing up a wiseass Yankee Jew in the deep south with nothing but sisters to get your back) talk so much negative shit about people with so much venom, and to have it come out as a heart-warming example that we're not alone and we all feel ostracized by virgin secretaries, is something only a huge fucking faggot like David Cross could pull off. (Just kidding.) (About the fag part, I mean.) -Vice magazine co-founder, Gavin McInnes [subpop.com]

Instant Camera is a post-punk/new wave influenced band from Louisville, Ky. The band was started by Neil Dey and Ryan Simons in 2001. Since then , the band has gradually developed an incredibly unique sound by blending bits of british invasion, kraut rock , and new wave (think the Smiths, Bauhaus, Roxy Music). The end vision is an atmospheric and fantasy-like form of horrific dream pop. In addition, the band has been gathering a growing fanbase of dis-affected young adults in the crushingly beautiful city of Louisivlle, Ky. The first single ('These City Lights'/'The Caretaker') was recorded at Nonlinear Studios in the winter of 2001 by Kevin Ratterman (Elliot) and is currently distributed by Bloodie Records. [bloodie.com]

Owen is Mike Kinsella. For nearly ten years now, Mike has been in some of Chicago’s favorite bands--AMERICAN FOOTBALL, CAP’N JAZZ, JOAN OF ARC, and OWLS. Of those, he has probably been most closely associated with AMERICAN FOOTBALL, in which he did much of the songwriting and guitar-playing, and all of the singing. With Owen, Mike takes American Football’s sound to it’s next logical level. Mike writes, performs, and records all of his own material. However, that doesn't mean he can't rock out live--which he has done with back-up help from Kyle Fischer of Rainer Maria on Kyle's recent tour and opening on the last few Rainer Maria tours. [polyvinylrecords.com]

The Pattern IS Contemporary California. With a sweet, soulful sound vaguely reminiscent of British R&B; and Beat-- think Creation, Action, Eyes-- combined with a healthy dose of energetic Motor City overdrive and washed down with the punk disaffection of Black Flag and Richard Hell. Heard it all before? Maybe, but never in such an appealing package. Something old, something new, something stolen, something blueÉ the classic recipe for all inspired rock'n'roll. Check out [lookoutrecords.com]

Rainer Maria prepares to...become your favorite band all over again. Rainer Maria is back with a new EP, fall tour, and forthcoming album! The CDEP "Ears Ring" is an incredible three-song dose of Rainer soaring to new heights. The blisteringly ROCK album is entitled "Long Knives Drawn" and comes out January 21, 2003. [polyvinylrecords.com]

AM/FM is the rare kind of band that is successfully able to borrow from, deconstruct, and transcend musical boundaries. Brian Sokel (formally of Franklin and File 13 label co-founder) and Michael Parsell (formally of Goodbye Blue Monday and File 13 label co-founder) return for their third Polyvinyl collaboration, "The Sky Is the New Ground." An EP that is a mini-thematic album about outer space exploration. As always, the two rely on their 60s pop shenanigans, coalescing them with their patented blend of acoustic & electric guitar, string arrangements and quirky lyrics. Think lush musical soundscapes. Imagine Simon & Garfunkel collaborating with The Beach Boys on a film score. This is AM/FM. [polyvinylrecords.com]

What blossomed as a side project in 1997 has developed into a full-fledged band. And to say that mpPA is a band and not a solo project would be a grave understatement. The six-piece ensemble comprises acoustic and electric guitars, a rhythm section, two cellists, and wry lyricism to meld beautiful pop creations. Yes, the band is from Pennsylvania. [polyvinylrecords.com]

"Enemies" is Pele's follow up to 2000s The Nudes, and Pele's fifth album. Recorded in a women's shower/locker room by guitarist Chris Rosenau, "Enemies" solidifies Pele's interest in straight up rock and illustrates why they have had no problem sharing stages with Burning Airlines, Don Caballero, or Trans Am over the years. Still remaining is the joyful melodic interplay, but these melodies are now hammered out in a display of aggressive happiness, directly in line with their live show. Also added is the computer work of long-time Pele associate Jon Minor, who has teamed up with Pele after his many solo electronic endeavors internationally. [polyvinylrecords.com]

For some a primary source document of the 1960s, for others a transcendental viewing experience, "CIAO! MANHATTAN" is a fascinating yet unsettling peek at the final drugged-out days of famed heiress and Andy Warhol Factory muse Edie Sedgwick. Ostensibly a dramatic feature in which the actors play themselves, shot by two underground filmmakers in 1967 (black-and-white) and 1970 (color), this cult film is now best remembered as Edie's last screen appearance, well after her 15 minutes of fame had elapsed. The film also features Warhol Factory luminaries Paul America, Viva, Brigid Berlin, and Baby Jane Holzer; Texan hitchhiker Wesley Hayes and veteran Hollywood movie star Isabel Jewell ("LOST HORIZONS", "GONE WITH THE WIND") in her final screen role, as well as cameos by French directors Roger Vadim & Christian Marquand and Beat poet Allen Ginsberg. "CIAO! MANHATTAN" parallels Edie's glory days, her inevitable downfall and the tragic addiction that would take her life only weeks after filming wrapped. The film serves as a bold and vivid examination of both her eccentric lifestyle and her enduring legacy. [plexifilm.com]

"The Wobblies are the aural equivalent of a sock in the gut. Their music, like that of the Minutemen, Husker Du and Mission of Burma, is menacing, discordant and harsh, and swells and surges with a violent, aggressive energy and sense of impending chaos, but is underlyed with a strong sense of harmony and melody. NYC punk at its very finest." -- Pennyblack Music (UK) [captivering.com]

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