It’s been quite the journey. I started Part-Time Music about two and a half years ago while I was an engineering grad student in Denmark. Although a lot has changed geographically with me (Denmark -> Germany -> Texas -> Oregon -> Utah), the site has remained mostly the same since its inception — opting to stay with the “default” wordpress template throughout chieftly due to my ever-shrinking free time and my lack of web design skills. For me, the blog has never been about readership, or page hits, or ad $$ (the only one up is for an iPhone app my bro made), it’s been about the music. It’s always been about the music. I have nothing but the utmost respect for all the creative minds out there in the world doing things I know I could never do. With the site, all I ever wanted to do is piece together a few kind words to say about all the artists I’ve grown to love over the years and give a little praise (albeit a relatively small amount in this giant blog-o-world we live in) and maybe provide some motivation for them to keep going.

Anyways, enough sentimental stuff — let’s get on to the freebies! To celebrate this 300th post achievement as well as my recent move to Utah, I put together a collection of vinyl that I think best represents what my blog is about (starting upper left, moving clockwise):

• Grouper // He Knows, He Knows, He Knows 7” // Incredibly super limited self-made vinyl by Portland’s dark experimentalist Liz Harris
• Woods // I Was Gone 7” // Limited, one-time pressing (out of 1,500) of this Brooklyn psych-folk group
• Sleater-Kinney // The Hot Rock LP // Sleater-Kinney is one of my favorite bands of all-time. This is one of my favorite albums of theirs (released in 1999, pretty sure this is a repress as it’s brand new in package).
• Kurt Vile // He’s Alright 7” // First release on Matador Records by Philly lo-fi rocker Kurt Vile. A must have for any KV fan.
• Dirty Projectors & Castanets // Unusual Animals Vol. 2 // A split 10” celebrating the Maned Three-Toed Sloth by experimental rockers The Dirty Projectors and alt country-ers Castanets. Released in 2006 on Sufjan Steven’s Asthmatic Kitty Records. Probably the most random release I’ve seen.
• Hanoi Janes // Young & Dumb 7” // This five-song 7” (!!) is the second they’ve released for Captured/Tracks. Love this band so much…
• Big Boi // Sir Lucious Left Foot… // Who wouldn’t want the best rap record released this year? (Alternate cover, limited edition!)

So yeah, that’s it! A lot of limited releases, a lot of my favorite bands, a lot of random (yet cool) stuff. Mad props to Slowtrain here in Salt Lake City for having a lot of these releases in stock.

To win, just retweet this here message and/or leave an inspiring comment below (US residents are only eligible to win, if you leave a comment be sure to include a valid e-mail addy so I can get back to you). Thanks again to all my long-time readers and cheers to my new fans! Hope you find something you like!

Kurt Vile // Freeway

Woods // I Was Gone

Grouper // Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping

With Hanoi Janes’s Across the Sea release, the third of five recent Captured Tracks 7” purchases, I think I’ve found the perfect counter to the depression-filled dreary days that is the Portland winter. With the name taken from the much publicized Vietnam War incident, this group of Germans from the Sachsen region have pieced together some of the best lightheartedly fun music I’ve heard in a while. I mean, look at that picture above, doesn’t it make you want to be the fourth in whatever board game they’re playing?

Similar in both name and overall playfulness as The Sandwitches’s “Back to Sea”, the A-side “Across the Sea” is a gem of a track. With a collage of sound coming from tripleting guitar line, the communal “OOooOOoos” of the chorus, and the mallet chimes, the song is ripe for a Go Team! comparison — even exhibiting the lo-fi recording hiss that their British counterparts prefer to use. The real treat is at the 100 second mark where a small improv section of raucous guitar is inserted which blazes a trail up until the abrupt ending.

The B-side “Skeleton Girl” (not to be confused with The Evangelicals “Skeleton Man”, however they would make for a nice pair) maintains the momentum of the reverse-side. No doubt the chants of “ooOOoos” are a bit repetitive, but the track is mostly a new, cleaner beast, featuring more intricate drumming and less muddy guitars. Calling to mind a less-poppy version of Happy Birthday’s “Girls FM”, “Skeleton Girl” is certainly more indie rock than it’s A-side predecessor, making for a well-rounded 7”.

You can listen to “Across the Sea” below and if you like it, head on over to the Rose Quartz where they have some additional songs for download, or just cop the 7” from C/T here.

Hanoi Janes // Across the Sea