Half Boy...Half Gorilla. I'm Serial.

Typically whenever I get a message over MySpace asking me to check out someones label or band, I prepare for the on coming onslaught to the ears of what would regularly be some group of kids stuck in 1998 playing terrible rehashes of Staind songs. I think we all know just how terrible that sounds. Anyway, last night I was sent a message by a group called Typhoon promoting themselves and their small self run label Boy Gorilla who currently house both them and another band by the name of The Black Black Black. You can imagine the amount of surprise I had when I realized that this was indeed something of quality. A big thank you to the parties involved of both bands.

For something like Typhoon, it's hard to pin down just what type of music you might be hearing. The band seems to be just about as all over the map as you can get, playing an array of styles of music like but not limited to folk, indie, and even a touch of post-rock. Not to terribly surprising from a band that seems to be comprised of 14 members, from what I could count, and believe me...my math is horrible. With a group that large, you can expect to hear many different instruments creating some finely textured music that brings to mind the likes of Six Organs of Admittance or Neutral Milk Hotel.

Typhoon - So Passes Away the Glory of the World [MP3]
Typhoon - Death Was the Driver [MP3]

For more music downloads from Typhoon visit them over at their MySpace.

Label mates, The Black Black Black, take on a whole different approach than Typhoon, tackling the noisier spectrum of indie rock. Immediately upon hearing the song "The In", This is a Long Drive... and Lonesome Crowded West era Modest Mouse comes to mind, which if you know me is something I enjoy quite a lot. It's a refreshing thing to hear bands playing quirky and challenging indie rock after having to endure America's love of all things garage rock. Give these guys a listen if you can.

The Black Black Black - The In [MP3]

For more music downloads from The Black Black Black visit them at their MySpace.

And for all things Boy Gorilla related, visit their website where you can purchase material from both bands featured above and they even have some pretty nice t-shirts for sale for both bands as well.

Thanks for reading, be back Monday!