Tracklist
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#1 Back II Burn
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#2 Oversleeping
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#3 The Mark
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#4 Gangster Of Disbelief
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#5 Daxstrong
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#6 You Ain't It
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#7 Roman Is As Roman Does
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#8 Skinning The Drum
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#9 Deadcatclear II
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#10 Gold Teeth Will Roll
Themselves / Crowns Down
Anticon
formats available
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Seven months after the release of theFREEhoudini--the celebrated mixtape that announced Themselves' return--Doseone and Jel drop CrownsDown, a careful and vicious exhibition of mastered rap tactics and sampling ethics. Themselves' third album proper has been gestating in the gut of this seminal group for some time. It's both a return to form and a honing of what's come before (Subtle, cLOUDDEAD, Deep Puddle)--both the opus that these lionhearted two were always meant to make, and the album that their hip-hop-obsessed teenaged selves always hoped to hear. On CrownsDown, Themselves weld brute skill to a concrete set of tracks that represents an essential ten commandments of rap. In preparation, Doseone and Jel revisited their beloved hip-hop collections (e.g. Gang Starr, Ultramagnetic MCs, Public Enemy, Saafir) and whittled down the recurring themes that made their favorite records so sturdy. Each song on CrownsDown represents one of these archetypes--there's the "don't bite" song, the diss track, the story rap, the "bootleggers beware" song, and the "don't fuck with my DJ" jam, and more. In this way, Themselves revisit something classic in order to invent their own future-school entry to the annals. Naturally, things kick off with "Back II Burn," a "guess who's back" track (co-written by Pedestrian) that bangs forth on good ol' fashioned synth hits and heavy thump. "Oversleeping" follows with a Bomb Squad-style sampler salvo and a whirlwind of rhyme that reference-checks lyrics from both Nas and Subtle. Next up is "The Mark," wherein Dose cautions would-be style thieves, while borrowing his own cadence from Ultramag-era Kool Keith. "Gangster of Disbelief" finds Dose dropping science (the fourth archetype) in a rich baritone atop eerie production that harkens back to his and Jel's debut. "Daxstrong" takes on the spread-love model, paying proper tribute to Subtle founder Dax Pierson, left paraplegic after the sextet's 2005 tour accident. Bandmates Jordan Dalrymple and Markus Acher (13 & God, The Notwist) join Dose for an end-song sing-along. "You Ain't It" features an auto-tuned guest spot from Pierson himself, playing the melodic foil to Dose's jagged and rapid fire words. On "Gold Teeth Will Roll," crux of CrownsDown, Dose casts Themselves in the final archetype: righteous defenders of the culture. This sentiment cuts to the core of the album. In carving out their own classic, Doseone and Jel not only aim to topple those wrongly kinged, but lay down their own sweat-and-blood-made crowns at the feet of that which they admire most.
Upcoming Releases
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Beirut
Lon Gisland
Pompeii
The sleeper hit of 2006, Beirut's Gulag Orkestar came out of nowhere to sell tens of thousands of copies in a matter of months and wound up on countless critics' year-end lists. As a stopgap before recording a new full-length in Fall 2007--and as a way to capture some current songs being performed at shows--the eight-member band checked into Sea Side Studios in Brooklyn to record Lon Gisland.
Available March 23rd, 2010
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Vex’d
Cloud Seed
Planet Mu
Vex'd are a legendary duo. Their 2005 album Degenerate was one of the first and most successful dubstep long-players, and remains to this day one of the most respected. By incorporating techstep, jungle, breaks and apocalyptic noir influences into the classic "bass and drums and 140 BPM" format, Degenerate was integral in establishing the template for today's dubstep sound, pushing it beyond its roots in two-step and UK garage.
Available March 23rd, 2010
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Strange Boys
Be Brave
In The Red
LP VERSION INCLUDES FREE DOWNLOAD COUPON!!! Like it or not, The Strange Boys are probably both younger and more accomplished than you. Since the band's humble beginnings as a duo in 2003, they've shared stages with the likes of Roky Erickson, Daniel Johnston, and Black Lips, leaving a smattering of singles, EPs, and CDRs in their wake.
Available March 23rd, 2010
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Summer Cats
Your Timetable
Slumberland
Melbourne, Australia's Summer Cats are keen students of pop in all its flavors. From the motorik strum of Modern Lovers to the folky lilt of early Creation / Sarah label bands to the feedback-drenched noisy pop of the '00s, Summer Cats have got you covered. Their 2009 Slumberland album Songs for Tuesdays dazzled with seemingly effortless song craft and sharp melodicism.
Available March 30th, 2010
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Jawbreaker
Unfun
Blackball
LP VERSION INCLUDES FREE DOWNLOAD COUPON!!!
First 100 Midheaven Mailorder customers receive badge and sticker with purchase!
Blackball Records presents the 20th anniversary edition of Jawbreaker's beloved 1990 debut album Unfun--twelve groundbreaking tracks (sixteen on the CD) that captured the very inception of emo's big band and launched a galaxy of young, earnest bands and the scenes that love them.
Available March 30th, 2010
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Galaxie 500
Today (+ Uncollected)
20|20|20
When Galaxie 500's Today was released in 1988, it set off a chain reaction of quiet explosions still being felt. Never before had a record so emphasized the calming elements of rock music, transforming what at first seems like a collection of bridges into fully realized songs. And one can draw a straight line from here to the many groups they influenced, like Low, Belle & Sebastian, and Bon Iver.
Available March 30th, 2010
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Galaxie 500
This Is Our Music (+ Copenhagen)
20|20|20
After producing two albums celebrated by a thirsty underground network of fans, Galaxie 500 released what turned out to be their unexpected swansong, This Is Our Music. The title is an intentionally declarative statement. After being labeled masters of the disengaged and forlorn, Damon Krukowsi, Dean Wareham, and Naomi Yang delivered a full-length comprised of their most stately material.
Available March 30th, 2010
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Starkey
Stars (feat. Anneka)
Planet Mu
Digital version features exclusive remixes by Few Nolder, Raffertie and Ital Tek!!! During the course of an appearance on Mary Anne Hobbs's show recently, Philadelphia producer and genre cross-pollinator Starkey built a track from scratch with the help of Anneka and Reso, leaving other Radio One DJs scrambling to play it.
Available March 30th, 2010
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Black Tambourine
S/t
Slumberland
They released only a handful of songs their two-year lifetime, but Black Tambourine has been hugely influential in the world of indie music. Conceived as an explicitly pop band pop bands were pretty rare in America, they wore their influences on their sleeves: The Jesus and Mary Chain, of course, but also folks like Phil Spector, Smokey Robinson, Love, The Ramones, Shop Assistants, Pastels, 14 Iced Bears, Orange Juice and the list goes on.
Available March 30th, 2010
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Eddy Current Suppression Ring
Rush To Relax (Digital Single)
Goner
Digital only single, contains the vinyl edit of the track “Rush To Relax”.
.Available March 30th, 2010
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Eddy Current Suppression Ring
Rush To Relax
Goner
LP VERSION INCLUDES FREE DOWNLOAD COUPON!!! When Eddy Current Suppression Ring formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003, bandmates Eddy Current, Rob Solid, Danny Current, and Brendan Suppression thought they would play a few shows and perhaps record a 7-inch or two. One of their first gigs, in fact, was an employee Christmas party at the record pressing plant where they worked.
Available March 30th, 2010
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Zygadlo, Rudi
Resealable Friendship
Planet Mu
Digital version features 2 exclusive remixes by Raffertie and Doshy!!! Rudi Zygadlo is a musician like no other, taking dubstep in directions as unexpected as they are unique. With a style that draws on influences as wide as Frank Zappa, Eastern European classical music and contemporary American indie, he's tipped for great things in 2010.
Available March 30th, 2010
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