Naked Gods are hands down our favorite band from the bustling Asheville, NC scene. They stopped by for the second time a damn year and a half ago just as their latest album, No Jams, was coming out. The album itself is a beautiful exercise in restraint for the boys- their live shows are one of the most dynamic and moving experiences you’ll have. They let it loose for us. This one is a definite not-to-be-missed!

nakedgods.com

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing, with attic chatter:

Landlady is the baby of New Yorker and multi-instrumentalist Adam Schatz. You may know him as the saxophonist in the Teenage Prayers (though he wasn’t around when they came in), but he also plays keyboards, guitar, and whatever other instruments he needs to in order to translate his songs from their usual 6-piece band arrangement down to one-man-band territory. The result is a spacey, trippy, jazzy loop-based take on the full-band performance. Prepare to have his improvisations mess with your brain a bit, and his cover songs to go somewhere the originals never did.

He’ll be playing solo (with a guest) this Wednesday at TT the Bear’s.

Adam’s Web Site. Landlady on Facebook, Bandcamp

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing (with attic chatter).

No, it’s not a belated April Fools joke. We have some new sessions!

Brooklyn’s Food Will Win The War came in almost a year ago, and they are far too sweet to be from Brooklyn. They’ll be playing at the Loft in Somerville this Saturday!

FWWTW’s web site

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing.

The very first band to play in the new “studio” (our attic) was Boston’s own Banditas. It was a sweltering July day, and the attic can get unbearably hot. Luckily, Banditas have the sweltering hot souls of the American Southwest, and Hayley even showed up in a bikini to prove that you just can’t keep these gals down.

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing, complete with borderline filthy studio banter:

We are happy to announce that our move from living room to attic (and Somerville to Boston!) was a resounding success. To mix things up a bit, we’re going to be using all new fancy graphics for Flophouse Sessions going forward – they almost look like real albums, don’t they?

Doing the honors to kick off this new chapter at BiB is Brooklyn’s own Quiet Loudly. They call themselves “soul-gaze”, and we couldn’t put it better ourselves. But why are we even trying to explain it. Give it a listen.

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole session, silly studio banter included:

Back again we are! Yoda we speak like!

Yep, we’re giving it another shot – let’s see if we can keep it up. This week’s (year’s?) show features Robbers on High Street, I Have Ears, Future Carnivores, Eldridge Rodriguez, Babydriver, Shake the Baron, The New Highway Hymnal, Dan Baker, Marc Pinansky, Shelterbelt, Guillermo Sexo, Marconi, Spirit Kid, and Oranjuly.

…And we finally get to the last Flophouse Session recorded in our old house – featuring Australia’s one and only The Lovetones! For the uninitiated, The Lovetones are fronted by Matthew Tow, who, besides being a stellar songwriter and performer of his own, was a member of the Brian Jonestown Massacre a few years back. When they stopped by last year for the beginning of their US tour, they brought along fellow BJM member and producer Rob Campanella (whom I misheard as Rolf, which neither I nor he heard the end of). There’s even a guest appearance by Sasha Lucashenko from The Morning After Girls as kazoo tech. What are you waiting for – all in?

The Lovetones online

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

Yoni Gordon seems to write songs at a record-breaking pace. And he’s not one to get stubborn about genres. In the years between his first visit and this one, he shifted from angly new wavey rock to a bit more of an Americana-ish feel. Just after recording this session, he set out on a tour of the US that consisted of setting up tents outside of venues for that authentic southern revival vibe.

Yoni on the web

Download individual songs here, or stream the whole thing:

Dead Heart Bloom blew us away with their first session, and didn’t let up with the second batch – they even gave us a new version of one of the tunes.

Dead Heart Bloom online

Download individual songs here, or stream the whole thing:

Hailing from Rochester NY, Man vs. Moon stopped by last September and laid down some tasty indie rockness, complete with the most obvious and well-executed Stairway to Heaven ripoff since Led Zeppelin ripped off Stairway (from “Taurus” by Spirit, if you didn’t already know).  Based on their internet presence, they may have entered the witness protection program, but these tunes should hold us off until they reappear!

Man vs. Moon on Facebook.

Download individual tracks here or stream the whole thing:

We weren’t planning on putting this one out for a while, but after seeing Viva Viva knock the socks off of Precinct (and with only 3 members!), we decided to bump it up in the queue. This one’s a bit of a bittersweet session for us, as it was the last one we recorded at the original Flophouse. At least we went out with a bang.

Be sure to check out their earlier sessions, download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing, complete with studio chatter and a bonus off-the-cuff cover of Rumble by Link Wray:

In case you’re as dense as me, Fan-Tan is not the latest in spray-on sun tanning technology. It’s actually a Chinese gambling game. Look it up and explain it to me if you can. More importantly, in this case it’s a band from Brooklyn that makes some damn pretty post-punk music along the lines of a modern Echo and the Bunnymen or The Psychedlic Furs.

Fan-Tan on the web

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

As we gear up for the new and improved Flophouse (the Newhouse?), we finally have time to share the last few that we recorded at our old place. And they are all great – Baby Driver is no exception. A hard style to define- I suppose you can throw them into the “indie” bucket and call it a day, but we’re going to go with “bittersweet yet poppy and somewhat theatrical”. And really fun.

Baby Driver on the Myspaces.

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

We stumbled upon Christy & Emily when they were a duo opening up for Hallelujah the Hills at Bruar Falls in their home (sub-)town of Brooklyn. Thus proving our motto: always check out the opening band. They stopped by when they found themselves in our neck of the woods, and brought a couple of friends along to help out. They brought us four tunes – one from each of their first two albums, and two from their latest, the Hans Joachim Irmler (of Faust)-produced No Rest. You can thank my crack photography skills for getting a photo in which NO ONE is looking anywhere near the camera. Pro move there.

Song List

Christy & Emily on the web

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

It seems fitting that this photo came out so weird. Miniboone has an uncanny ability to write catchy new wavey indie-pop songs and then add one surprise after another. Check out their first session here.

Song list:

Miniboone’s website

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

After the epic grandeur of [T]SR[IATW]‘s first session, we had high hopes for a return visit. And they did not disappoint. Even the weather set the tone for the slightly darker musical textures this time around: we recorded this during one of the heaviest rainfalls of the summer. The rain you hear at the beginning is no sound effect- I recorded that while the band was tuning up.

Song List:

Slowest Runner on the web.

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

We are indeed back, with big big news. Jen got a new kidney, and as we all know, rock n’ roll is primarily processed by the kidney, so this means we’re back to doing this show on a nearly-weekly basis. Thanks to everyone that has been incredible (and there are so many of you!!) during this crazy time. This week is jam-packed with awesome music: Viva Viva, Tan Vampires, John Powhida International Airport, Autumn Hollow Band, Mount Peru, Age Rings, You Can Be A Wesley, Bandits in the Woods, The Dead Trees, The Donkeys, Mikey Holland, The Bright Light Social Hour, Hey Rosetta!, Soccermom, Eldridge Rodriguez, Times New Viking, The Babies, and Earthquake Party!

Big thanks to Jess and Katie for the photo. Actually, not the photo itself- they gave us all of those kidney beans. Because they are twisted. And that’s why we love them.

Invisible Hand swung by on their tour with Naked Gods. An entirely different sound, but equally worth your time. Give it a whirl.

Song List:

Invisible Hand on MySpace

Download individual tracks here or stream the whole thing:

Hey, we’re back! The list of excuses for going so long without a release is forthcoming (and extensive, and convincing!), but in the meantime, we have a few sessions from the old Flophouse to let you in on!

Boone, North Carolina’s Naked Gods came back to lay down some of the most soulful stuff we’ve had the pleasure of recording (for further evidence, their first session), and did not disappoint in the slightest. Our delay in getting this out seems almost appropriate, as you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better soundtrack to the return of spring.

Song List:

Naked Gods on the webness.

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

Holy crap, we’re back!

A year-long hiatus comes to an end. Hopefully we remember how to do this…

Featuring Bigger Princess, Mr. Sister, Mount Peru, The Points North, Diamond Mines, Mitten, Brown Bird, Cat-Tooth Jim, Coyote Kolb, Carlisle Sound, See Through Band, Earthquake Party!, Bozmo, Mmoss, Vandaveer, and Nicole Reynolds.

MySpace playlist of all the songs.

There’s not much we can say about RoHS that hasn’t been said before. Expertly-crafted pop rock tunes that are just done RIGHT.

Song List:

Robbers on High Street on the Web

Download individual tracks here or stream the whole thing:

The last time Israel Darling passed through town, they didn’t have time to set up the whole band, so we got a great solo performance from Jacob. This time around, we got the whole shootin’ match.

Song List:

Israel Darling online

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

No flowery description for these guys – I’m running out the door. Trust us, though. This is some purdy music. We’ll make up for the crappy description with a bonus video tomorrow!

Song List:

Dreamtigers on MySpace

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

The New Highway Hymnal certainly hits the genres you’d expect from their name – Bluesy Americana and the like – but just when you’re getting comfortable, they can mix it up with a 60s vibe, or even what could be a lost Janes Addiction track. They’re playing from New York to Maine in the next few months, so be sure to catch them.

Song List:

The New Highway Hymnal online

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

Straddling that strange meeting point between prog rock, psych, post-rock and a healthy dash of good old noise, we were expecting a much bigger challenge to get them to embrace the Flophouse vibe. Luckily for everyone, they took to it quite nicely indeed.

Song List:

Piles on the web

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

When you have a band made up of about-to-graduate MIT students, you can pretty much guess what they are going to sound like. Lots of computers and samplers, probably some kind of one-of-a-kind instrument made with lasers, and herky-jerky new wave music that could be called the opposite of “Americana”. And in the case of Adrien and the Fine Print, you’d be dead wrong. And with results like these, we’re glad you were. As a matter of fact, the band has just relocated to Nashville, where they are preparing their first full-length album.

Song List:

Adrien and the Fine Print’s website

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

After seeing a duo version of Tallahassee at the Johnny Cash tribute that we helped put together, we knew we had to get them in for a session as soon as possible. Lead singer Brian Barthelmes honed his songwriting chops as a lineman for the New England Patriots (no joke), but the soulful americana that pours out of this band is probably not what you’d expect from a guy who at one time made a living smashing into other people. They just released their second album, Tallahassee Schmallahassee (a cheeky reference to Harry Nilsson’s magnum opus).

Song list:

Tallahassee on MySpace

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

Stopping by for their third session (check out their earliers here), Brooklyn’s The Press continues to be one of those “Why doesn’t EVERYONE know about this band?” kinda bands. In our humble opinion, their brand new album, INTEOTWIJTEOAE (listen closely and you’ll know what it stands for), finally does justice to the intricate patchwork of rhythms and melodies that almost don’t seem to make sense when taken separately, but combine to make some of the most original and yet accessible songs to come out of New York in a long time.

Song List:

The Press online

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

Via Audio came in, wow, over two years ago. In the meantime, they have really honed their sound (and hopefully we’ve gotten better at this whole “recording” thing). They revisit a few tunes from their first visit, and unleash a batch of new goodness.

Song List:

Via Audio on the web

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

It seems like everyone’s been talking about Girlfriends lately. Just a few months into their existence, they’ve been nominated for a BMA for best garage rock band (amidst some very tough competition), and have a cross-country tour lined up that will keep them busy for every single day from July through mid-August. Yow.

This Sunday, they’re at Great Scott. You better catch them soon, because if they burn themselves out soon, they’re set to catch on fire. (That’s as close as we get to hokey music critic writing. Sorry.)

Song List:

Girlfriends on MySpace

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

Worldmap… I couldn’t come up with a way to describe them until I saw their MySpace profile, where luckily they figured it out: baroque punk. Their songs are somewhat atonal and can be nearly assaulting live, so of course they went the complete opposite direction here.

Song list:

Worldmap on MySpace

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

Landing the coveted (is it?) #250 spot is Boston’s own The Longwalls. A perfect blend of Americana and catchy-as-heck pop, I dare you not to find yourself singing Zombies (source of my current favorite lyric: “It’s not a social commentary when I say there’s zombies at the mall”) at some point this week. And mark your calendar now – their EP release party (with Cassavettes!) is May 1 at the Lizard Lounge!

Song List:

The Longwalls on MySpace

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

The winners of last year’s Happy Valley Showdown, Bunny’s a Swine is a band that loves two things: long confusing titles and playing music. And maybe booze. They also may soon be your new favorite band. They’re definitely one of ours.

Song List:

Bunny’s a Swine on MySpace.

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing.

Ambitious Tugboat has one last date (March 7) left in their untraditional residency at O’Brien’s pub in Allston. Instead of the usual weekday night schedule that most bands opt for, they have been playing on Sundays at 2:30, along with some excellent other locals. So go support this cool idea, would you?

Song List:

Ambitious Tugboat on the MySpaces.

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing.

Brooklynites K.C. Quilty remind me of those heady days of the late 80s/early 90s, when MTV learned (or invented) the term “alternative music,” and it felt like music like Nirvana, The Breeders, Pavement, and so on would forever wipe away the scourge of hair metal and neo-disco. Ah, we were so innocent. K.C. Quilty shows that spirit isn’t dead by a long shot. As a bonus, this session features – hands down – the single worst saxophone performance we have ever witnessed.

Song List:

K.C. Quilty’s home on the nets

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing.

Dan Shea has been putting out some great albums through his label, Bodies of Water Arts and Crafts for quite a while. Now he steps out from behind the microphone (is that a phrase?) to lead The Needy Visions. They’re what you might expect The Kingsmen to sound like if they formed today. Since they were between drummers at the time of their session, they decided to use the less-than-reliable drum machine built into our Hammond organ. That resulted in some interesting versions of their songs, which is fitting for a batch of songs that include references to Brian Wilson’s missing brain, Unsolved Mysteries, and Neil Young’s famous Last Waltz faux pas.

Go check them out at PA’s Lounge on Thursday, February 4th!

Song List:

The Needy Visions online

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing.

They say that everyone’s a Beatles person or a Stones person. (For the record: Andy=Beatles, Jen=Stones.) Philadelphia’s The Day Life is clearly on the Beatles side of that demarcation, but not only due to their great cover of Don’t Let Me Down (and possibly band name reference?). From some of the smoothest harmonies we’ve had in the living room to the Jeff Lynne-esque nearly (electric light) orchestral musical hits, they remind us a bit of a less glammy Jellyfish. Honestly I had trouble not going crazy with trying out all of the Abbey Road tricks that every engineer dreams about. Definitely another band giving Philly a great name.

Song List:

The Day Life online.

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing.

TAB the Band has a brand new album (Zoo Noises), and a CD release show this Saturday at the Middle East. Since their first visit to the Flophouse, their sound has really matured beyond the straight-out rock of their earlier offerings. For this session they went all acoustic and showed us a whole new side to the band – a side we really enjoy.

Side note: Doing the Flophouse Sessions frequently reminds me of the radio station scene in O Brother Where Art Thou: “There’s a feller in there that’ll pay you ten dollars if you sing into his can.” But minus the ten dollars. So it was nice to finally have a chance to record a Soggy Bottom Boys song on our collective cans.

Song List:

TAB the Band online

Download individual tracks here, or stream the entire thing.

We lose so many bands to NYC up hear, it’s good to see a great one go in the opposite direction. Dania and Zilpha play what they may have inadvertently labeled “folk music in space”. Sometimes a duo, sometimes, a trio, maybe occasionally a quartet, for this session they brought along sometimes-bass player Jerrick (confirming the “weird name” clause of being in their band) who treated us to a video and backing track accompaniment. They do an incredible job of mixing great songs, radio friendliness, and a general wealth of talent. It’s good to have you in town!

Song List:

Starnes & Shah online

Download individual songs here, or stream the whole thing.

From “North of Massachusetts” (Maine, to be more exact), Tiny Fires is a musical trip through a truly impressive range of influences. Featuring members of Tiger Saw, South China, Brown Bird, and a variety of other two-word-named bands, i pick up hints of The Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, and, for some reason, My Bloody Valentine. But by no means are they come off as derivative. Even when they cover a traditional song like Sinner Man (popularized both by Nina Simone and The Wailers), they completely make it their own.

Song List:

Tiny Fires on MySpace

Download individual tracks here, or stream the whole thing:

For a bunch of Northerners (as far as we know), Dressing the Debutantes would be right at home on a rickety porch overlooking a swamp. With a vocal style reminiscent of John McCauley from Deer Tick, Chris Hutchison-Jones and company deliver a mix of southern-tinged ballads and boot-stomping testimonies. If these 11 songs aren’t enough for you, you can download 4 of their albums for free!

Song List:

Dressing the Debutantes online

Download individual songs here, or stream the whole thing:

Here’s how to make your band hard to pigeonhole: do a cover of a Zombies song and a Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass tune. Mix it with equal parts Elvis Costello, Squeeze, and throw in a pinch or two of Pavement, perhaps a little Built to Spill, and you’ve got yourself Boston’s own The Stereo Flys.

Song List:

The Stereo Flys on the Myspace

Download individual tracks here or stream the whole thing:

We switched around our mic setup the day before The Accident That Led Me To The World came in, and what good timing it was. This may be the prettiest sounding thing we’ve ever put out, if I do say so myself. TATLMTTW call themselves a folk band, but we think that may be selling themselves short. They incorporate elements of country and rock, and seem to have the musical dexterity of a group of seasoned jazz performers. Go and see them on Wednesday, January 6th at the Middle East!

Song List:

TATLMTTW online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Philly doesn’t seem to provide an overwhelming number of bands, or perhaps they’re protective of their local talent. But the ones we do hear of tend to be worth noting – Dr. Dog, The Teeth, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, to name just a few. Add to that list Drink Up Buttercup. They put on a truly engaging live show (their last gig at PA’s ended with an a capella in-the-crowd rendition of Lovers Play Dead, complete with mannequin-head-on-trash-can percussion), and have some of the most clever songs you’ll have stuck in your head for days. Observe.

Song List:

www.drinkupbuttercup.com

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Bird & Flower from Columbus Ohio is your basic three piece folk band – banjo, ukulele, harmonium, glockenspiel, keytar… Wait, keytar? Yup. Much like the occasional inclusion of an instrument you would never expect, their songs have a freshness and an honest-to-god groove that makes them a lot more than your typical folk group. They stopped in during their first visit to Boston.

Song List:

Bird and Flower online

Download individual tracks here or listen to the whole thing:

Boston’s own Antiques, back again!

Song list:

Antiques online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Merry Christmas everyone. Here’s a live version of Silent Night, performed by Tulsa at the Middle East downstairs on December 17, 2009!

Cambridge’s Thick as Thieves are a diverse pack of musicians. Actually, it’s a bit difficult to describe what they do, musically. Sometimes T. Rex, sometimes Television, but never boring. And they seem just as comfortable playing a song full-out on stage, or much more intimately, like here in our living room.

Song List:

Thick as Thieves online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

We had so much fun the first time our favorite Texans came in that we made sure they paid us another visit. Here’s another batch of wonderful tunes!

Song List:

The O’s on Myspace

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Israel Darling is another great badn from North Carolina – Greensboro, to be exact. Their songs tend to start with a folky melody, and then they add layer after layer of goodness. Today, Jacob takes it all back down to the bare bones.

Song List:

Israel Darling online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

When The Dead Trees did their first session (Mike solo), they were a Boston band. When they did their second session, they were a Portland (Oregon) band. These days, they are based out of LA, and in the intervening years have toured with Little Joy and Albert Hammond Jr.. They treated us to an all-too-short set, including what may be the most kick-ass Lennon cover we’ve heard.

Song List:

The Dead Trees online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Even at the comparatively church-quiet volume levels that they were forced to play at in our living room, Thick Shakes manage to make a lot of noise wherever they play. A perfect soundtrack to a grindhouse flick about illegal car racing. This was also a fun one for me to mix. Hopefully my attempt to make my all-digital system sound like an analog system run by a 1950′s greaser worked out.

Song List:

Thick Shakes online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

The Mumlers are the perfect example of our ideal session. An incredibly talented 6-piece from San Jose, they mix big soulful sounds reminiscent of Otis Redding or Sam Cook (with a horn section to match – there are two more of them out of frame in the other room above) with a touch of that old fashioned Squirrel Nut Zippers or Dr. Dog kind of thing, but with a modern and fresh feel. They also put on a truly engaging live show, and are funny bastards to boot. They remind us of one of our other favorite bands, The Bees (or A Band of Bees as they’re known here in the US).

Despite a near complete collapse into hysterics during the first song, they recovered so beautifully that a second take was unnecessary.

Song List:

The Mumlers website

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

The Jack Stafford Foundation is really just Jack Stafford, a man with no fixed address. Originally from the UK, he is now based out of Amsterdam, but one look at his tour schedule makes it clear that he is a man that doesn’t stand still for long. With an album devoted to ex-loves, an album devoted to love itself, an album devoted to the people of Amsterdam, and a few EPs for good measure, he can be heartbreaking, uplifting, or bitingly sarcastic. We largely got the latter when he stopped by, so be sure to check out his other songs as well to get a full feel for his range.

Song List:

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Young Mammals stopped in on Andy’s birthday, all the way from Houston. Angly, hard driving indie pop. Good stuff.

Song List:

Young Mammals on MySpace

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

This marks Eldridge Rodrigues of The Beatings’  6th visit to the Flophouse: once before with The Beatings, three times with his “solo” project, and once with E Adams. We are told to keep him posted if anyone approaches his record. Speaking of records, The Beatings’ Late Season Kids is certainly one of our best albums of 2009, so go buy it!

Song List:

The Beatings online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Heavy Hometown came to our hometown (their hometowns are spread between Louisville and Indianapolis) to treat us to 11 wonderful slices of hooky lo-fi cake. Wow, my metaphors are really getting strained. Just listen, you’re going to love it.

Song List:

Heavy Hometown on the web

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

In homage to today’s sort-of-kind-of first snow of the winter, we present Boston’s The Points North. Their songs are the musical equivalent of a Robert Frost poem. Throw a log on the fire and contemplate life’s meaning with us.

Song List:

The Points North on Myspace

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

There are certain bands that we will have stop by every time they’re in town. Low Red Land is just such a band. Check out their first two sessions as well!

Song List:

Low Red Land online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Oops, we forgot to take photos when Sleeping in the Aviary visited from their home base somewhere near Minneapolis. We’ll just let that add to the mystique. And now that I’ve looked at their website, my brain has ceased functioning.

Song List:

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Talk about sudden overmotivation. We figured putting out a session every day this month wasn’t enough of a challenge, so here’s a new episode of original recipe Band in Boston. Enjoy! Featuring The Maquis, Wye Oak, St. Claire, Viva Viva, Meadowlarks, The Boyfriends, Private Dancer, Margin Walker, Pile, Bunny’s a Swine, Nightmare Air, The Broken River Prophet, Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs, The Wrong Reasons, The Tired Times, The highway, Glorytellers, and The Swimmers.

I don’t know where to start describing Quixote. They are the kind of band that made me fall in love with music so many years ago. Clever and witty (both musically and lyrically), dynamic, poppy. We love them. They also managed to piece their set together almost seamlessly, like an on-the-fly concept album.

Song List:

Quixote on the web

Download individual tracks here or listen to the whole thing:

St. Claire was originally named Forsythe, after the last name of brother/sister team Emily and Glenn. As the band expanded, they changed their name. They stripped it back down to the duo for us (and you!).

Go and see them on Sunday December 6 at Great Scott!

Song List:

St. Claire on Myspace

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

Columbus, Ohio’s Flotation Walls list everyone from Leonard Cohen to Aphex Twin as influences, and it’s not just to be cute. Their anthemic songs come across as the soundtrack to a postmodern Wagnerian opera.

Song List:

1. Body 04:21
2. Sperm and Egg 03:28
3. Kids, Look at the Waves 03:55
4. Worms 03:19
5. Frozen Lake 04:28
6. I Have Seen Death and his Tremendous Pink Eyes 05:53
7. The Sky Ejaculates 04:32

flotationwalls.com

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing:

On to day 2 of Session-A-Day December!
When a band is named after a Fermilab experiment to observe neutrinos, you never know what to expect. In the case of MiniBoone, you get a twisted mix that reminds us of a cross between The Press, The Talking Heads, Modest Mouse, and maybe a pinch of They Might Be Giants.

Song list:

MiniBoone on Myspace

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole shebang:

Just now, as I pasted this photo of A Brief Smile (from NYC) into today’s post, I was surprised all over again at how young these guys are. Barely into their twenties, they already have an album and 4 EPs (3 of which you can – and should – download for free from their website), and they create some of the most room-filling shoegazey (but catchy!) rock that we’ve heard in quite some time.

Song List:

A Brief Smile on the interwebs.

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole session:

From the Florida Everglades by way of Athens – their current home – Tim and Jenny are collectively Captain #1. They sing songs, about, as they say, “murders, about love, about angels and hydrogen balloons.” We couldn’t put it better ourselves.

Song List:

captainnumber1.com

Download individual tracks here. Or listen to the whole thing, complete with banter, below:

If you’re a fan of The New Black Magic Rainbow Quartet, you’re going to love Bell and the Bees. Featuring two of the same members, this time led by Sue Bell on guitar and vocals, they may have the distinction of being the quietest band we’ve ever recorded. The result is an incredibly intimate set of songs that would make a perfect relaxing soundtrack to, for example, a day of insane Christmas shopping.

Song List:

Bell and the Bees on MySpace

Download the individual tracks here. Or listen to the whole thing in one go:

I’m not even going to try to describe Dead Heart Bloom (from NYC), but I’m sure you’ll be downloading the tracks. Because, damn, this is one of our favorite sessions ever.

Song List:

Dead Heart Bloom’s home on the web (where you can download their EPs for free!)

Oftentimes, we’ll have bands come in with brand new songs that haven’t even been titled yet. That is when we get to randomly choose a phrase that one of us overhears someone using during the session. Such is the case with “Peanut Butter Finish”, a song that was so new that the vocals weren’t even done yet. We’ll be amazed if anyone in The Royalty remembers the meaning of that phrase. We won’t, however, be amazed if you remember to go and see them at PA’s on Saturday. Because if you’re a fan of Pavement-esque fuzz pop, boy is it your lucky day.

Song List:

The Royalty on MySpace

Download individual songs here.
Or listen to the whole thing, “studio” banter and all:

We’re back with a whole pile of great sessions in the next week or so. Those of you who creep around music.bandinbostonpodcast.com already found this gem, but here’s a proper release for the iTunes crowd. TonyBear stopped in with his sister GinaBear just in time to record some great tunes before she hit the road in pursuit of married life. Tony is known to have a rotating cast of bears joining him, so who knows what arrangement he’ll be in the next time he plays out.

Song List:

TonyBear on MySpace

I think we’ve made it clear how much we love Akudama. This is their third trip into the Flophouse, not counting when Cal and Blake stopped by as a duo. This time they brought along a few brand new tunes, and a couple of great covers. Be sure to check out their free EP of the Month series – this month features… well hey, a bunch of these songs!

Song List:

web: www.akudamamusic.com

Full session with banter and whatnot:

We first got wind of Brother George when The Dead Trees last came through town, and Tory was playing aux percussion.  Little did we know he had his own band that is going to knock your socks off presently. They are playing Monday, September 14th at Zuzu. And yes, that’s Zuzu, so it’s free! If that can’t get you out on a Monday night, nothing will. Give up, go watch your Charlie Sheen shows.

Song List:

Download all the songs here.

Brother George on Myspace

Probably shouldn’t have made the offer right before a series of snow storms. So here’s another go:

Who needs a piano? My parents have this one, and they’re giving it away to the first taker. You just have to pick it up. In Concord. Massachusetts. It’s a Lester. There are a couple of “twangy” keys, but otherwise it’s in good shape – a good tuning would probably get it running real nice-like. Email us if you’re interested!

West Branch, Michigan’s The Valley Ghosts falls into that category of “too loud for the living room,” but we were able to get a couple of their quietest songs out of them, while causing minimum damage.

Song List:

Download All

The Valley Ghosts on the Myspace.

A lot of bands cite Bob Dylan and Van Morrison as influences. And a lot of those bands suck. Mount Peru proves that you don’t have to telegraph such things when you do it justice. Born from the ashes of Whiskey Giants, they take along the aforementioned Bob and The Man and mix in a helping of poppy wonderfulness.

Song list:

Mount Peru on the MySpaces

Paper and Sand join the unfortunate numbers of bands who stopped by, recorded a session, and broke up before it came out. I’m sure they’ll be forming new projects soon, so while this may be their last recording, let’s look at it as a new beginning.

Song List:

Paper and Sand on MySpace

The Pack A.D. is a couple of hard rockin’ ladies from Vancouver. Their usually ear-bleedingly loud garage rock could only be contained for 3 songs in the living room, so be sure to catch them the next time they roll through town.

Song List:

The Pack A.D. on the web

Choo Choo La Rouge has a brand spankin’ new CD called Black Clouds. They’re celebrating that fact this Friday at PA’s Lounge. I can’t quite figure out how to describe these guys. How about no-gimmick rock solid three piece indie rock? Yes, that will do nicely. Get yourself out to PA’s this Friday!

Song List:

www.choochoolarouge.com

I dare you to listen to “It’s No Joke” and not end up humming it for days. The Bynars consist almost entirely (or is it entirely?) of fellow Fitchburg Staters (go Falcons), and are living proof that the ‘Burg has some excellent no-bones-about-it pop rock to spread around. Add a health appreciation of the Lot Six, and you’ve got yourself a band worth checking out. They are currently winding their way around the country, so be sure to welcome them home when they play TT’s on August 28th!

Get the songs above, or listen to the whole shootin’ match below.

The Bynars MySpace page

Mean Creek has a CD release party TONIGHT at the Middle East downstairs – it’s also Drug Rug‘s CD release. The New Black Magic Rainbow Quartet and The Needy Visions get things started, making for an unmissable evening. We’ve already got our tickets. The Mean Creek gang really stripped down their songs for this set, but managed to keep the energy level up, making for a pretty cool bunch of versions here. You can check them out in the more live state here, but be sure to get out to Central Square tonight.

Song List:

Download individual tracks for free, or name your own price for high quality versions here.

Or listen to the whole session, studio chatter and all, below!

Mean Creek online

Probably shouldn’t have made the offer right before a series of snow storms. So here’s another go:

Who needs a piano? My parents have this one, and they’re giving it away to the first taker. You just have to pick it up. In Concord. Massachusetts. It’s a Lester. There are a couple of “twangy” keys, but otherwise it’s in good shape – a good tuning would probably get it running real nice-like. Email us if you’re interested!

We fell in love with Drug Rug when we first heard them almost 3 years ago. This marks their third session (#2 is here), and the occasion of their big big dual cd release show with Mean Creek (here, here, and a new one coming this week!) this Saturday. Make sure you put this on your calendar. Now.

Drug Rug online

Download individual tracks here, or listen to the whole thing, with studio chatter and all:

Hit Factory – some good home-cooked shoegazey rock that reminds us a bit of Aberdeen City or The Walkmen. Be sure to stop by their website and get their EP for free!

Download individual tracks (for FREE) or buy high quality versions (for CHEAP) here!

Hit Factory’s website

This is Clif’s first solo session for us, but his third visit. We first met him when he joined Dickie Haydon, and then a second time with (0ne of) his (many) band(s), In Endeavors. This time, he was traveling with Wes Meek, and he treated us to some of his songs at their most intimate.

Song List:

Well here we are, at just about 3 years into this crazy thing, and we’ve hit 200 Flophouse Sessions. To celebrate, we’re putting out a new session from The Teenage Prayers, who may very well be the most fun band that NYC has to offer. They’re playing at PA’s this Friday.

Session #200 also kicks off something that everyone has asked us for forever: individual tracks! Via our new store (powered by bandcamp.com, which every band should check out right now, and no we don’t get paid to tell you that), you can get each song, separately, as an mp3, aac, flac, ogg, or Apple lossless! Oooooooh. Now get back to your Teenage Prayers!

Song List:

Download the songs individually.

Teenage Prayers on the web.

Atlanta’s Winston Audio usually present their tunes with a bombast reminiscent of Mudhoney mixed Crazy Horse, but today, Daniel Dewitt came in to strip it all down to a single guitar and a voice.

Song List:

1. Smoke Signal
2. Troubles
3. On My Trail
4. Keeping it Down

Winston Audio on the web

Yankee Power is a relatively new band, but they quickly gaining fans, and for good reason. Their take on the 60′s/70′s rock quasi-genre is full of surprises, but the one consistent factor is fun. Go out and share the love at PA’s this Friday!

Song List:

1. She’s Got a Fu Manchu
2. State of Mind
3. 56th Between 8th and 9th
4. Topsfield Affair
5. They Called Hymn a Drifter
6. I’ve Got Rain
7. Circles

Yankee Power on the web

The Lumineers (formerly Wesley Jeremiah) consists of Brooklynites Wesley, Jeremiah, and in this instance, Jay, and they completely floored us with their ability to engage the infamously stationary Boston crowd when we saw them live. They went on to impress us further in the living room with an amazing range of songs.

Song List:

1. Morning Song
2. Don’t Wanna Go
3. Darlene
4. Flowers in Your Hair
5. Life in the City
6. Gun Song
7. Scotland
8. When the Ship Comes In (by Bob Dylan)
9. Naive Melody (This Must Be The Place) (by Talking Heads)
10. Classy Girls Don’t Kiss in Bars
11. Red Hands

The Lumineers on MySpace

Those of you who were lucky enough to catch Mean Creek last night at the sold out Paradise already know how great this is. The rest of you will learn immediately.

The walk-away winners of our “sweatiest band in Boston” award, Pariah Beat came into our living room like a combination traveling carnival and revival meeting caught in in a tornado. Don’t let the traditional Americana roots of their music lead you astray – they performed in our living room with more energy than almost any band we’ve seen live in quite some time. Ranging from old Shaker hymns to Squirrel Nut Zippers-style mishmash jazz to a version of The Beverly Hillbillies theme that I didn’t even recognize at the time, Pariah Beat definitely has the cure for what ails you.

Song List:

1. I’ve Seen the Light
2. Hymn #2
3. Front Porch
4. City Far Away
5. Tipperary
6. The Beverly Hillbillies
7. Elvis in Jerusalem
8. Sinners and Saints
9. Babylon is Fallen
10. Waltz

I suppose you’d call Brooklyn’s (The) Slowest Runner (In All The World) a progressive rock/experimental/classical…. uhh… Well forget that, I’d call them the perfect soundtrack to an epic film. Consisting of guitar, bass, drums, piano, violin, cello, tape loops, vocals that are barely recognizable as human, and samples, they craft sweeping textures that will give you goosebumps. I found myself expecting to hear the wave of applause that normally follows a performance at the symphony. And the sounds of creaking floorboards should give you an idea of how delicately they approached their session!

Song List:

1. Intro >
2. Sea Swells
3. 5 Violinsk
4. Classical Slave >
5. Interlude >
6. Hares Hares
7. This is Water
   

http://www.myspace.com/slowestrunnerinalltheworld

Saint Solitude is one Dup Crosson from North Carolina, a guitar, a keyboard, and some pedals. Keep in mind that none of his loops are pre-recorded. He performs, records, and loops them as the song evolves. While most musicians who use that technique have trouble keeping the result from running away from them, Dup’s layering builds cohesive and thought-out songs that never veer too far into experiment-ville. Dig it.

Song List:

1. Give It A Name
2. Soft Contact
3. Let’s Try It
4. Flocking Disaster
5. The Afterlife is a Slideshow
6. Domino Destroy

saintsolitude.com

Sure, there have been a few outdoor shows this year, but the real outdoor venue season starts for us this Friday when Andrew Bird plays the BOA Pavilion – our personal favorite place to see big name acts outside.

After getting noticed with the Squirrel Nut Zippers back in the mid 90s, he went on to become one of a dying breed of what I can only call a “f**king pro”. An incredible Suzuki-trained violinist as well as one of the damn finest whistlers on the planet, he keeps putting out albums that are chock full of more raw emotion and musical deftness than most artists can hope for in an entire career. His 8th album, Noble Beast, is no exception. If he has somehow stayed below your radar so far, give a listen to “Oh No”, then immediately proceed to getting the whole album, buying tickets, and we’ll see you on Friday!

Now if we can just convince him to do a Flophouse Session…

Andrew Bird on the interwebs … and the myspaces

Josh Kaufman (who is also a member of Rocketship Park) came in several months earlier with Higgins, so we knew we were going to to like his solo stuff. When he came back, he brought a few friends that he was touring with: Mike Kinsella, who goes by Owen; Caithlin De Marrais; and Lara Meyerratken, better known as El May. While during the tour they largely played seperately, they decided to learn a few of each others songs just for us. And you. Of course.

Murder Mystery is from Detroit, and they have that gnarly vibe that only Detroit bands can seem to muster. But, you know, fun.

Song List:

1. Brick Patio
2. Join Together
3. Vacuum Cleaner Salesman
4. Bears
5. Lordy
6. Rock n Roll

Murder MySpacetery

On the web:
http://thedevilmypocket.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thedevilmypocket

Song List:

1. Waiting for My Man (by The Velvet Underground)
2. The Only Living Boy in New York (by Paul Simon)
3. Walk on By (by Dionne Warwick)
4. People

BoomSnake is officially two guys from San Diego, but for their just-completed tour, they expanded to a 5-piece. They also inadvertantly found out which of our air mattresses had holes in them.

Song List:

1. Busy
2. Sticks Stones & Animal Bones
3. My Way
4. Totem Tale Blues
5. Sample Demolition
6. Excuses

BoomSnake on MySpace

Wes hails from Lexington Kentucky, and stopped by with his pal Clifton Keller (who is starting to make our living room his second home after coming in with In Endeavors and Dickie Haydon, as well as his own forthcoming session). His incredible dynamic range lent itself to finally trying out the infamous (to recording nerds, at least) David Bowie Heroes mic technique – we put Wes on the couch and placed mics at 1 foot, 12 feet, and 20-odd feet away. It proved to be the perfect way to capture this incredible performance.

Song List:

1. Sea Monster
2. Home
3. Untitled #1
5. Conversation of Eve and Satan

Wes on MySpace

Dallas, Texas’ The O’s are sort of a two-man one-man-band. Taylor sings and plays guitar and bass drum, John sings and plays banjo, tambourine (on a drum pedal), and occasionally switches to steel guitar. Throw a harmonica into the mix, as well as the chops they gained through being in 8 other bands (most notably to us Northern folk, The Polyphonic Spree), and you’ll understand why there’s a mighty buzz brewing about these guys. Also, I think they had more fun recording their session than just about any other band we’ve had stop by.

Song List:

1. You’ve Got Your Heart
2. Finding It Hard
3. We’ve Had Everything
4. California
5. Diamonds
6. Together

The O’s on Myspace

No relation to the indescribable concoction available in food courts across this great nation, Oranjuly left their drummer at home and brought along their lush brand of pop to the living room. Reminds me of Matt Mahaffey (Self) at times, Jason Falkner at others. Which can only be a good thing.

Oj on the MySpace

When I came across this session in our “unreleased” drawer, I felt like we had done a disservice to the world for making you wait so long. Carter is the lead dude in Tulsa, and his songs are just as hauntingly beautiful solo as with the full band. Just look at Stella. She’s approves wholeheartedly.

Song List:

1. (new song)
2. (yesterday)
3. Horrorscope
4. Tops of Trees
5. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (by Richard and Linda Thompson)
6. I Feel Great

A few of you have asked us about our production process.  That’s pretty much it. Featuring Akron Family, Marc Pinansky, Paleo, Ketman, Horse Feathers, The Thermals, Faces on Film, The Shakey Hands, Point Juncture, WA, The Everyday Visuals, Rotary Club, Crowns, and Asa Prebner.

The Myspace Player version of most of this week’s songs.

Here’s a posthumus release from a band that was simply Cherryaxe when they came in. Then they went the way of the dinosaur. Dame shame too. Kind of a Velvet Underground with a sense of humor and without all that pesky heroin.

Cherryaxe’s semi-extinct myspace page.

Song list:

1. Fuck My Ghost
2. Real Man
3. Feel It
4. Danger Everywhere You Turn
6. Stubborn Woman
7. Recyclin’ Bin
8. Hoogabooga

Song List: