Kanye posted new "24 Hour Karate School" from Mos Def. Track was produced by Jay Z beatmaker Ski Beatz. Track showcases all the low key too high to pronunciate flow that we all have come to dig.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Beck's Record Club/Skip Spence's Oar
Beck's Record Club is currently covering Alexander "Skip" Spence's Oar. Jamie Lidell sings vocals on "War in Peace" which features some great guitar solos by Wilco guitarist Nels Cline. "Weighted Down" features Feist on lead vocals and has a deeper impact than "War in Peace." Regardless, both tracks are amazing and caused me to immediately add Skip Spence's Oar to my Amazon Wish List. I suppose that's the point of all of this.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Winter Mix-In a Recession
*disclaimer: The songs in this mix are songs that I enjoy and figure people should hear. If you own the copyright and want them taken down, please contact and I will do so.
The Holidays are an emotional running in from the cold. A time to warm near a fire place, eat until stuffed, and pass along some long overdue love in form of material gestures. Today, in 2009, it is a greater struggle to the confront the chill that Winter poses. The contrast between gloom and cheer is never more apparent than in the month of December.
In a Recession, isn't depressing or pessimistic; however, it starts with the understanding that it is cold outside, it is poor outside, it is hard to live during the Winter. As the mix plays, it, like us, seeks refuge in warm tone and Holiday flavor. Due to time constraints, it isn't a fine tuned mix; but, In a Recession is a rough sketch of how this time of the year feels to me.
May we never be too proud to come in from the cold and accept a warm meal. Once inside, may we never forget what it was like to freeze, nor, hide from what it means to live.
[DOWNLOAD]
winter mix- in a recession (68mb)
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Best of '09: Animal Collective/Merriweather Post Pavilion
Tons has been said about Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion, so its hard for me to say something that hasn't been already. I suppose, when you set aside the record itself, this album is far larger than the sound Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), and Geologist (Brian Weitz) created. This album marks the emergence of a creative powerhouse. From the cover/packaging to the actual music itself, nothing is bland and nothing is expected. Most writers always solute the blank page. The idea that the power within any creater is the ability to make something out of nothing. When listening to music (especially the basic variety) you can usually come to the conclusion of how one achieved the sound. Try doing that with any song on Merriweather Post Pavilion. I can remember upon first listen wondering how the fuck a band could conceptualize such an intricate sound. Animal Collective, like everyone else, started with a blank page and through whatever process made intricate electronic music palatable to the masses.
"My Girls" descends from the universal unknow to a shimmering array of vocal harmony and wet percussion that expresses an apologetic need for simplicity, "there isn't much that I feel I need/a solid soul and the blood I bleed/But with a little girl, and by my spouse/I only want a proper house." SImplicity in ethos, but, never in its musical expression, MPP contains songs that need multiple lessons. I remember giving my brother, college age, the CD already knowing that this disc best plays to the ears of those that aren't still hearing "Poker Face" on a weekly basis (my brother doesn't subriscribe to the GaGa but its party music and hears it nonetheless) I thumbnailed a few tracks for him, noting my infatuation with "Brother Sport" and that it is a "song that grows on you." A month later when we met up at Coachella, I asked him what he thought of MPP. He liked it...nothing special,but, he liked it. Perhaps he didn't get it. I asked about "Brother Sport." He claimed it was the song he liked the least. This couldn't be true. "Brother Sport," in a panicked spurt of description, is fire, it is revolutionary, it is my favorite. He needed another listen. I countered with simply playing it on the way to the festival. I can't remember his exact words, but, I do remember him realizing what made the song so special. Its magic lying within the prolonged build up of electronic twinkle to then drop off into resonate vocals and light tribal percussion. This traditional song structure plays like that of a great realization and is the most potent way to arouse emotion. Perhaps my brother didn't understand it to this degree, but, he absolutely felt the wonder.
Merriweather Post Pavilion is full of these moments. So it is no surprise, that Animal Collective orchestrated an album that was talked about, mulled over, understood, and misunderstood. Amidst the pumping bass, Beach-Boy-like vocal harmony, and electronic sampling, Animal Collective calmly says, "all you need is your mind and a few simple tools to be something special."
To the blank page.
Animal Collective:: Brother Sport
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
WU LYF/"Heavy Pop"
The mysterious group/artist WU LYF is something to get excited about. I have never heard anything like it and wouldn't know what genre to compare it to. "Heavy Pop" is a piece of work that shows the potential of music as a way to paint an environment. Listen to it and decide where you think the singer is. Is he on an island, at the beach, in a studio, in a club... Where you are coming from is equally, if not more, important than what you have to say.
I saw him singing in a prison-like 4x4 cement room. Crying out madly for attention and despite his isolation. While, there is a bed of instrumentation, the singer feels utterly alone and a times you often loose sound of the guitar and drums. What has been called "Heavy Pop" is cathartic, love-deprived, tortured, and a well executed musical emotion.
Alex Bleeker and the Freaks/"Oh Boy" (girls cover) ft. Molly Sarle
Alex Bleeker and the Freaks along with Molly Sarle of Mountain Man covered an unreleased Girls' song "Oh Boy." As posted by Chocolate Bobka, Bleeker and Sarle give a truly emotional and heartfelt rendition of the song. The song is mournful while trying to be hopeful. You could hear a pin drop at this live show hinting that this is undeniably a gripping piece of music.
J. Tillman/Townes Van Zandt Cover
The fine tastemakers over at Aquarium Drunkard first introduced me to J. Tillman with a a post of a live performance in Sacramento. J. Tillman channels southern rock that leans more towards country, but, bares more soul than your popular country station. Great earthy rock music that makes you want to sell everything you got, hit the road, and live free. Check out the Drunkard's newest Tillman post here.
Mos Def/"Supermagic"
"Supermagic" is one of the best lead-off tracks for an album I have heard in sometime. Unfortunately, it sets a tone for Mos Def's 2009 Ecstatic that is never maintained and you crave the duration of the record. Perhaps that is the magic of the track. Whether it is for his own album (Ehtiopium/sampling Ehtiopian music) or for Mos (sampling Turkish psych Sleda), Oh No takes ethnic/world music and produces another monster in "Supermagic." Ecstatic was good, not stellar or mind blowing, but good. "Supermagic" is mind blowing.
Million Young/"Hammock"
Florida's Million Young sounds like everything you associate with the south eastern state. Upbeat, sunny, but always sort of tacky like when you spill soda on the ground and its not properly wiped up. Million Young's "Hammock" is just that, with bright acoustic guitar and a club baseline. Its both Miami and the Keys, but, never Orlando (the Anaheim of the east).
Futurebirds/EP
Aquarium Drunkard pans the spotlight to the Futurebirds EP. It being the Holiday season, the two selected Futurebirds tracks are fit to warm the frigid with exceptional harmonies and soul. Put this on while your huddled next to your space heater.
Moon Duo/"Stumbling 22nd St."
Moon Duo is Erik Johnson of Wooden Shjips and Sanae Yamada. The two show what is in store with the first single, Stumbling 22nd St," from their upcoming 2010 release b/w Woodsist. Moon Duo is lo-fi spook, perfect for any Halloween mix, with "Stumbling 22nd St." playing like a soundtrack for a horror film set in 19th Century London (cobblestone streets and all). The victim, drugged and vulnerable, tries to get to safety while his Jack the Ripper-type killer stalks calm and patient. A fly trying to shake free of the web.
Po Po/"Knife Iz Yung"
We could all point and laugh like kids on the playground at Po Po's (Poh Poh or Pu Pu) name, but, from the sounds of it they would in turn probably just kick your ass with their Bollywood lo-fi garage rock. Chant worthy and fist pumping, "Knife Iz Yung" is a great live interlude track with amazing recorded distortion. Their 2010 debut is out via Mad Decent and is due for some production love from Diplo and Ariel Rechtshaid. Who's laughing now. Po Po!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Lunatic Mix 5: Light Years
*disclaimer: The songs in this mix are songs that I enjoy and figure people should hear. If you own the copyright and want them taken down, please contact and I will do so.
Here's the 5th Lunatic Mix : Light Years. 5th?? Where are the other 4? It just so happens, I've been making mixes long before I started blogging...so the other 4 are on their way...in time.
Light Years is a mix that I created to put the world on hold, even if just for an hour...or six. I've always been envious of an astronauts perspective. How insignificant all must feel when finally back on Earth. These are songs that, if for a moment, help me get the right perspective.
Take a trip to my outer space:
Fever Ray/ "Now's the Only Time I Know" (j-wow remix)
Fever Ray's S/T is one of my favorite albums of 2009 and electronic artist Karin Dreijer Andersson's (of The Knife and Honey is Cool) debut. The album plays a lot like the phenomenon of an eclipse. The bleak instrumentals mask, but don't impede, Andersson powerful drone; and in turn her vocals coddle/surround the rich blacks creating a subtle contrast of tone. While the album concocts some of the most intricate music-inspired-moods, it does not position itself for more of a popular listen in electronica or any genre. It is niched.
That was until J-Wow (of Buraka Som Sistema) turned "Now's the Only Time I Know" into a rave-party-banger, making Andersson's vocals less meditative and more dance inspiring. J-Wow doesn't remove the introverted soul from the track entirely, but rather, just makes it get out on the dance floor. One of the best remixes this year!
Pitchfork gave a shout out for this track to appear on Diplo's next mixtape. I wouldn't mind hearing that...
Friday, December 4, 2009
Vivian Girls/"He's Gone" (chantels cover)
Vivian Girls cover of the Chantels' "He's Gone" is stripped of most instrumentation and of course showcases the band's exceptional vocal harmony. The Vivian Girls are constantly on the road and now its in support of their album, Everything Goes Wrong, released this past Fall (9/8).
[via gvsb]
James Franco: Performance Art
James Franco, of Freaks and Geeks, Spider Man franchise and Milk, is going to be on 23 episodes of General Hospital...ask me if I care. Enough to post about it? Initially no, but as originally reported Franco, is doing this as performance art. Say what???
"...Most performance pieces before the 1970s were not well recorded. All that remains of some works are scraps of various media. This wasn't simply a result of oversight. Chris Burden never intended his early pieces to be filmed because he was concerned that the films would be seen as the work rather than as a record of the work. He was more interested in completing the act than getting the greatest number of people to see it. He worried that people would regard the film as the full experience when anyone who has watched a stage play on film knows, it is never the same as seeing it live...."
If at all interested, please read his entire op-ed piece for the Wall Street Journal where he does not defend his decision but rather intelligently discusses the history of performance art in relation to his motives. I can respect that.
[via Hollywood Reporter]
Salvador Santana/"Keyboard City" (dan deacon remix) [ft. gza]
The constant intermixing-world of remixes can produce some pretty strong material. Salvador Santana, Carlos Santana's son, first remixed "Keyboard City" where GZA does a verse on the track. Dan Deacon then took the remix of "Keyboard City" and remixed the remix. Deacon ups the keyboards and adds his signature distorted synth.
[via Pitchfork]
Sleigh Bells/"Infinity Guitars" on Tunnelvision
I am really only posting this video because of where it took place and because I have posted Sleigh Bells before. The performance isn't amazing, however, it took place at rap mogul Damon Dash's basement venue, Under 100, in Manhattan. Dash, Mos Def, and Curren$y were on hand for Sleigh Bells, Javelin, and Knife Hyts performance on the venue's inaugural night. What is with the crowd and their lack of groove. No rocking out in sight!
better on track?...
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
'09: Real Estate, S/T
Writing in the blogosphere can start to seem like a cut and paste affair: "I read this, I found this" Drag, Right Click, COPY, Right Click, PASTE, type three grabbing lines of information, and POST. But, that's not why I started my blog. I started the ZenLunatic to be about my taste. I want it to sound from me.
So, in an effort to make my 2009 taste-making more genuine, I have organized a format in which I will post my favorite albums of 2009. In the same vain as Aquarium Drunkards' Decade Piece, I will consistanty post my favorite albums in no particular order from now (end of November) to the end of the year. My goal is that these albums feel as happenstance of a discovery as they did when I first put the disc in my car CD player.
2009 served as a moment in my life where I was clearly starting to define my taste in music. I started ZenLunatic in March of this year , originally out of boredom and fear (to do something meant you weren't failing). So every morning, when I found myself out of work, in my sweat pants, and wired from too much coffee, I wrote about music. It started simply because. As I continued to explore and dig deeper, I found myself exposed to another universe of artists, genres, and creative possibilities. The world of music, as experienced via the web, is an energizing and hopeful place where artists communicate and survive all while remaining dreamers. I hold fast, that our likes and dislikes (opinions) are the guards to what food, what music, what art, what film, what people might come asking to take residency in the place that makes you, you. While exercising my ability to discover within the Clear Channel-less realm of music, I learned that finding what you like and don't like is the same as finding who you are. The following albums are the ZenLunatic.
=============================================================
I've said it this multiple times this year, but, I'll say it again: "Real Estate is my favorite band to emerge in '09." I consider myself a young buck to the music game and Real Estate makes a good companion. Themselves having only been active since 2006, their first volume of material didn't hit the web, vinyl, and disc until this year. From Jersey, the band creates a sound rooted in the Shore. Not the Shore that has been showcased on MTV's True Life (jager bombs), but, the Jersey Shore that strikes any westerner as a contradictory idea. Oceans get cold? Sand can be covered with snow? As contradictory as frigid beaches might sound, so does Real Estate's music.
The album maintaina a common thread of low key optimism that doesn't promise you anything but would never think of taking anything away either. "Beach Comber" is the corner stone of the record, a song about a Beach Comber (the dudes that scan the beach with a metal detector). Analogous to the beach comber is every young human finding their way through life and everyday altering what it is they ultimately value. What is it that we are looking for? Through the multitudes of sand, the excitement and anticipation of finding grand treasure, we realize we are happiest when just looking. Hence, the music follows the lyrical content in rejoicing in a beach sway like a breeze through Palm leaves. "Beach Comber" states the ethos of Real Estate.
Real Estate rests upon their laurels of melodic, low key, and lo-fi indie rock. Real Estate's music is carried primarily by the fresh sound that Martin Courtney has brought out of his guitar. Aquatic, much, like the reflection of a swimming pool, the guitar seems suspended, but always moving. Melodic and upbeat but never overtly optimistic, weather in lyric or instrumentation, Real Estate's s/t never cuts too deep, nor, steps on your toes with idealism. It simply creates a nostalgic backyard BBQ environment where the sun is out and the vibes are chill.
Small Black/"Despicable Dogs" Video
A surprisingly amazing video directed by Yoonha Park. The video for Small Black's "Despicable Dogs" is a character study of singer-keyboardist Josh Kolenick's surfer uncle. Kolenick's uncle exudes the machismo of Chuck Norris, however, Park does a stellar job of digging deeper to portray the man's soul separate from his ambition. Life is composed of doing. Whether it's working a 9-5, surfing, washing your car, watching a movie, going to the local liquor store...all things done make up the landscape of a today and eventually a lifetime. Do what it is you enjoy.
Monday, November 30, 2009
'09: the Black Lips, 200 Million Thousand
Writing in the blogosphere can start to seem like a cut and paste affair: "I read this, I found this" Drag, Right Click, COPY, Right Click, PASTE, type three grabbing lines of information, and POST. But, that's not why I started my blog. I started the ZenLunatic to be about my taste. I want it to sound from me.
So, in an effort to make my 2009 taste-making more genuine, I have organized a format in which I will post my favorite albums of 2009. In the same vain as Aquarium Drunkards' Decade Piece, I will consistanty post my favorite albums in no particular order from now (end of November) to the end of the year. My goal is that these albums feel as happenstance of a discovery as they did when I first put the disc in my car CD player.
2009 served as a moment in my life where I was clearly starting to define my taste in music. I started ZenLunatic in March of this year , originally out of boredom and fear (to do something meant you weren't failing). So every morning, when I found myself out of work, in my sweat pants, and wired from too much coffee, I wrote about music. It started simply because. As I continued to explore and dig deeper, I found myself exposed to another universe of artists, genres, and creative possibilities. The world of music, as experienced via the web, is an energizing and hopeful place where artists communicate and survive all while remaining dreamers. I hold fast, that our likes and dislikes (opinions) are the guards to what food, what music, what art, what film, what people might come asking to take residency in the place that makes you, you. While exercising my ability to discover within the Clear Channel-less realm of music, I learned that finding what you like and don't like is the same as finding who you are. The following albums are the ZenLunatic.
=============================================================
Rambunctious.
Jumping on the bed. Cutting Class.
Fucking in the back of a car. Quitting your job.
Deviant.
You know an album and band for that matter is good when it/they make you feel proper and reserved. The Black Lips shook my universe with the release of 200 Million Thousand earlier this year. Spontaneously brash, irrational at times, but contradictory with clear musical decision making the Black Lips showed turthful this year. 200 Million Thousand likens to a more hip version of the Stones' "Exile on Main" and highlights one of 2009's biggest statements: Apathy is the new Fuck You.
The first track, "Take My Heart," showacases Cole Alexander's vocal style with his echoing howl of apathy. Energetic "woo" and guitar whale creates a flailing atmosphere of carelessness. The Black Lips channel spook and gloom in "Trapped In A Basement" with ailing vocals and a waltz that sounds confidently mad, lost inside a house with too many doors and not enough rooms. Ultimately, "The Drop I Hold" is Alexander's greatest lyrical accomplishment and the bands best mood on the album. The track is a Basketball Diary-esque love poem to a drug. The bass line drips in rhythme with Alexander's flow. The guitar's subtle twang adds to the eerie fatalist mood:
feel so lame/what a shame/smoke my brain/got no name/it's insane/what a game/pulled by the pain/will it wain?/nine times out of ten/ain't got no money/But the gods make it fuckin' rain
All of 200 Million Thousand is gripping and inspiring. It feels accessible and friendly even if it sounds conflicted. Its through the struggle that the Black Lips channel a rhythm, flow, and attitude that says "its OK not to give a shit."
"History" Live on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Mos Def and Talib Kweli stopped by "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to perform "History" from Mos Def's '09 release the Ecstatic. The Roots (Fallon house band) performed the instrumentals along with guest performances by Amber Coffman and Haley Dekle of Dirty Projectors. This is a truly organic Hip Hop performance.
[via Pitchfork]
Cheerleader (neon indian remix)
Neon Indian, crafty chill wave architect of 09's stand out Psychic Chasms, remixed Grizzly Bear's "Cheerleader." Neon Indian puts out two remixes titled "Sega Genesis P-Orridge" and "Studio 6669." Both add a jolt of electricity, removing the patience from the original.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Citay/"Careful With That Hat"
California-grown psyche band, Citay, will release their third LP via Dead Oceans on January 26. The album is called Dream Get Together, and "Careful With That Hat" is the public's first taste. The track is a swinging with bonfire vocals, a hi-freq guitar solo, and psyche jam that shows us the door. It actually feels exactly like the above artwork looks (vintage hot air balloon and all!).
[via Pitchfork]
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Fucked Up "Couple Tracks"
Matador will release a Fucked Up singles collection called Couple Tracks on January 26th. Reminiscent of Mix CD's you would makes as kids, Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2008 will be split into two discs, Hard Stuff and Fun Stuff. "Neat Parts" is on Hard Stuff, but, is still too much fun. Tasty Hardcore that only Fucked Up can bang out.
Monday, November 23, 2009
King Midas Sound Fact Magazine Mix 103
King Midas Sound released a tone-perfect mix by way of Fact Magazine. The mix starts poetically and is supported by Reggae/R&B/Soul sounds. It features tracks from Burial, Lovejoys, Little Dragon, Gregory Isaacs, and includes some cuts from KMS's full length Waiting For You (due out next week on Hyperdub).
Animal Collective "What Would I Want Sky?"
Animal Collective will cap off the year the way they started, in the news and in your ear. The trio will release EP Fall Be Kind on December 15. "What Would I Want Sky?" (first track to hit the web) has been part of AC's set list this Spring/Summer/Fall. The song starts with an extensive intro of drum breaks and roller coaster clanking (as heard in Panda Bear's remix of Santogold's "Lights Out"), however, it emerges and reaches out into the wide open where the air is fresh and crisp. The track is the first song to sample the Greatful Dead and manipulates the original lyric "Willow sky/Whoa, I walk and wonder why" to hit your ears as "What Would I Want Sky?" Humbled and submissive to that greater force, we often look to the sky for answers. While AC poses the question, their ingenuity and consistent creativity makes them near powerful enough to answer most of their own inquisitions.
[via Fader]
Mountain Man "Animal Tracks"
Ironically, Mountain Man is a group of three girls (Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, and Amelia Randall Meath) that bring a "wise as oak" folklore to the audible landscape this morning. Perfect for the Fall, "Animal Tracks," is an adventurous and spiritual hike through the wilderness. Pitchfork best categorized Mountain Man as "set up camp between the old-timey lilt of Aela Diane or Fleet Foxes and the laid-back lo-fi vibes of Underwater Peoples pals like Real Estate and Julian Lynch." As a great admirer of both Fleet Foxes and Underwater Peoples (especially Real Estate), it is no wonder that this feels right.
related:
Alex Bleeker and the Freaks (the same Alex Bleeker of Real Estate), covered Mountain Man's "Animal Tracks." Bleeker and the Freaks elaborate on Mountain Man's hand sketched original cut with scuzzy guitar and a wider production. The cover is the first song off of the band's self-titled LP by way of Underwater Peoples.
[via Pitchfork]
Monday, November 2, 2009
The (k)Now
beck/charlotte gainsbourg "heaven can wait"
Recently, Beck made a record with French Actress/Singer Charlotte Gainsbourg. The first track, "IRM" perferated the blogosphere in late summer. The song's production implicates Beck's involvement but there are no actual vocals that place him in studio (although he absolutely was). Proof is in the pudding, but, no writing on the wall...Until the second helping off of IRM, "Heaven Can Wait," scribbles all over the proverbial wall with lipstick and spray paint "BECK WAS HERE." Beck and Gainsbourg elegantly merge their vocal mojo in a track that likens to most material off Sea Change.
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real estate "fake blues" & "basement"
Real Estate performed new track "Basement" (as captures by Ray Concepcion) at Piano's in NYC for CMJ and "Fake Blues" at Pitchfork Showpaper Benefit. "Basement" carries the common thread of aquatic, ever expanding guitar that makes Real Estate so pleasant. While "Basement" lingers before shooting for the moon, "Fake Blues" seems to start mid flight. The Pitchfork Showpaper Benefit set includes a performance of Ducktails' "Mall" and is available for free download at Pitchfork.
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dum dum girls "play with fire"
Buzzsaw band Dum Dum Grils create a teasing and distant sounding cover of Rolling Stone's dingy "Play With Fire." With tasteful and purposeful decisions the band create a sonic current or stretch of road with the elongated "fire" that leaves lead singer's, Dee Dee, mouth. While I wish more of the lyrics were audible, that's not in the Dum Dum Girl's vain; playing it the way they hear it.
stream> dum dum girls:: "play with fire"
Monday, October 26, 2009
The (k)Now
So I came back with a few posts and then went away again...but it was all for a good cause. Here is The (k)Now with some more music/writing projects on the way.
real estate "black lake"
Another video from Jersey's Real Estate. The band played at CMJ last week and all the classy basement fun was captured by Chocolate Bobka. Real Estate's live footage adds to the charm of the band and is more essential than most of their LP's.
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them crooked vulture "new fang"
Them Crooked Vultures composed of Homme, Grohl, an Jones is a no brainier on paper (at least to me). The band can't fail in the rock world. Whether it is critically acclaimed is another issue and the band's first song "New Fang" is the critics most tangible piece of material. The track is riff frantic, carries a nice swing pace, and Homme always makes rock and roll sound ghastly. "New Fang" doesn't break down any walls and I hope this is one of the more instrumentally mild tracks. As safe as this song sounds, I am sure it is safer to spend $14 for the whole S/T LP out November 17th...so head to your nearest Best Buy.
previously:
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Distortion in music is mostly associated with what was considered as grunge, or, punk; and gets overused by most alternative styles in an effort to add an edge or aggressive quality to what would normally be listened to as soft. This year specially, I have heard far more lo-fi infused songs/groups. Now add distortion to one's populist palette. "A/B" Machines by Brooklyn's Sleigh Bells, is a hook heavy, indie car guitar driven explosion that takes drum distortion to new lovely brutal level. "A/B Machines" can be found on Sleigh Bells' CD-R called Magic Metal.
Sleigh Bells:: A/B Machines
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g vs. b halloween mix
Mixtape scary weirdness from the scene, Gorilla vs Bear. They claim this is no party mix (they are right), not even, a mix to get ready to; but, its definitely a music equivalent to a ghost story. So when the night is winding down, bust out the flashlights and scare the shit out of all your friends with this mix.
gorilla vs. bear halloween mix 09 (29mb)
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the mantles "bad design"
I can't get sick of rushed sounding music. While I would never assume no effort went into The Mantles new track "Bad Design," their sound is lazy, ambivalent, and unimpressed with everything (even themselves). It is an amazingly spontaneous attitude that I can most accurately be describe as how you feel waking up after a day of making mistakes. "Bad Design" the A-side on the Bad Design "7 is limited to 300 copies and available here.
The Mantles:: Bad Design
real estate "black lake"
Another video from Jersey's Real Estate. The band played at CMJ last week and all the classy basement fun was captured by Chocolate Bobka. Real Estate's live footage adds to the charm of the band and is more essential than most of their LP's.
=====
them crooked vulture "new fang"
Them Crooked Vultures composed of Homme, Grohl, an Jones is a no brainier on paper (at least to me). The band can't fail in the rock world. Whether it is critically acclaimed is another issue and the band's first song "New Fang" is the critics most tangible piece of material. The track is riff frantic, carries a nice swing pace, and Homme always makes rock and roll sound ghastly. "New Fang" doesn't break down any walls and I hope this is one of the more instrumentally mild tracks. As safe as this song sounds, I am sure it is safer to spend $14 for the whole S/T LP out November 17th...so head to your nearest Best Buy.
previously:
them crooked vultures
For all things mainstream and Best Buy-like, I am curious to wonder what Josh Homme (lead singer/guitarist of Queens of the Stoneage) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin bassist) would want to do with Dave Grohl of the "Foo Foo Fighters." It is understood that Grohl and Homme have worked together (Grohl playing drums on the QOTS's Songs for the Deaf), but, after Grohl's most recent Foo releases, what could they possibly still have in common. All bitching aside, I am excited to hear about this undeniable supergroup called Them Crooked Vultures in which Grohl will once again sit behind a kit, Homme on guitar, and Jones on bass. Let's hope Grohl wipes off the Foo stank from his boots before entering the studio and can get back to basics with some originals.
There are some rumors about a fall album release and tour, however, no official word. Until then stay connected at the bands official website, Myspace, and Facebook. Something smells...
=======
Distortion in music is mostly associated with what was considered as grunge, or, punk; and gets overused by most alternative styles in an effort to add an edge or aggressive quality to what would normally be listened to as soft. This year specially, I have heard far more lo-fi infused songs/groups. Now add distortion to one's populist palette. "A/B" Machines by Brooklyn's Sleigh Bells, is a hook heavy, indie car guitar driven explosion that takes drum distortion to new lovely brutal level. "A/B Machines" can be found on Sleigh Bells' CD-R called Magic Metal.
Sleigh Bells:: A/B Machines
======
g vs. b halloween mix
Mixtape scary weirdness from the scene, Gorilla vs Bear. They claim this is no party mix (they are right), not even, a mix to get ready to; but, its definitely a music equivalent to a ghost story. So when the night is winding down, bust out the flashlights and scare the shit out of all your friends with this mix.
gorilla vs. bear halloween mix 09 (29mb)
=====
the mantles "bad design"
I can't get sick of rushed sounding music. While I would never assume no effort went into The Mantles new track "Bad Design," their sound is lazy, ambivalent, and unimpressed with everything (even themselves). It is an amazingly spontaneous attitude that I can most accurately be describe as how you feel waking up after a day of making mistakes. "Bad Design" the A-side on the Bad Design "7 is limited to 300 copies and available here.
The Mantles:: Bad Design
Monday, August 24, 2009
The (k)Now
where the wild things are: all is love
The first track from the loaded Where the Wild Things Soundtrack is on the film's myspace. The always spastic Karen O serves as chief architect of the soundtrack enlisting an assortment of her musical buddies (including an untrained children's choir) to partake; hence, the title of the single, "All is Love" by Karen O and the Kids. As trite as the title is, the song is playful and tone appropriate for what Spike Jonze's film looks like. It start with a saddened piano and progresses into a sing along lovefest highlighted by the the voices of children. (where's the sunshine and rainbows) While this song could have easily slipped into a purple dinosaur suit carrying life lessons like how sharing is caring, Karen O's quirky and spontaneous sensibility keeps it a tad more dystopian.
very best and m.i.a.
"Rain Dance" (feat. M.I.A.) is the newest single from Warm Heart of Africa to hit the internet. From what I've read, this track isn't the best on the album, but, is the most accessible song, playing it safe with the always stylish M.I.A.
dan deacon: "paddling ghost"
Dan Deacon is one of my favorite discoveries of '09. His album, Bromst, is a battle of man vs. machine; and within moments shows a world where the two can coexist. Regardless the strife or the synergy, Bromst is a sonic pleasure. "Paddling Ghost" is featured on Bromst and is an adequate "slipping into" or starter.
dum dum girls: "be my baby" (the ronettes cover)
Friday, August 21, 2009
The (k)Now
the babies: "meet me in the city"
The Babies is a band made up of Cassie from Vivian Girls and Kevin from the Woods. "Meet Me in the City" is exactly what that combination of the two musicians would sound like: Kevin's vocals complimented by Cassie's, while staying afloat a garage rock rhythm. Upbeat, clunky, always with forward motion, "Meet Me in the City" is playful but introspective. It almost feels carefree about taking life seriously. I guess that's what happens when you realize life's absolutes. When you're "too young to think like [you] do" or you just "feel shitty," "keep trying, keep trying" and "meet me in the city."
washed out: "belong"
"Belong" is an aquatic 80's melody that shows off Ernest Green aka Washed Out's vocal allure. It likens to a watered down (in a good way) "Electric Feel." The vocals then strays from the party-vibe inspired by "Electric Feel" and ventures into more reflective territory. "Belong" is from Green's High Times Cassette on Columbia, South Carolina's Mirror Universe.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
sic alps
The past six months have been a tastemaking period for me. Through reading blogs and exposing myself to new music, film, art, I have been overhauling and rejuvenating my creative in's and out's. Recently, I got my hands on a few garage rock compilations and promptly added the genre to my sleeve of appreciation. The music exudes outside the lines rambunctiousness, while maintaining clear direction and artistry. It is careless as much as it is orchestrated. This contradiction is never a coincidence. Sic Alps is my newest find to channel the garage rock style. "L Mansion" can be found on the band's newest 7" on Slumberland Records. The single is less lo-fi than most current garage rock, however, it highlights key elements of a good 60's garage rock song: swanky hatch-marked guitar and "whoo" vocals."
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
more of The Very Best
As if Green Owl needs to promote The Very Best coming LP, Warm Heart of Africa, anymore on the indie circuit. Needless to say, the record company is releasing a limited (500 copies) 7" with tracks "Warm Heart of Africa" (feat Ezra Koenig) and the newest single "Yalira." "Yalira" is darker and less welcoming than "Warm Heart of Africa," however, it eventually progresses to the Afro Pop optimism we all love about The Very Best.
Monday, August 17, 2009
look alive
Despot's new track "Look Alive" is an arena jam that is felt from barracade GA to the "touch the wall" back row. Track was produced by RATATAT and will be featured on Def Jux Presents 4 comp. All songs that channel "look alive" carry dynamic sentiment. Does the artist mean "look alive" as a call to action, or, "look alive" in the sense that we need to be aware, "heads up!" Despot blends the two with the hook, "look alive, nobody move, nobody gets anywhere" (former) and opening words, "some sound advice coming soon, look alive or they'll make an honest mistake and bury you" (later).
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The (k)Now
best coast: "something in the way"
"Something In The Way" is a new track from Best Coast. I discussed their previous "The Sun Was High (And So Was I)" back in June and it has been part of my summer soundtrack ever since. "Something In The Way" doesn't divert from the tone harnessed in "The Sun Was High," but, it does feel more reflective.
family portrait: "on the floor"
Family Portrait was another band featured on the Underwater People's Showcase earlier this year. While the tracks "Snow" and "Mega Secrets" were spaced day dreams, "On The Floor" is a rampant surge towards the girl "On The Floor." Summer Love has never sounded so unobtainable nor so prevalent.
pterodactyl: "share in the shade" video
So Pterodactyl (never heard of you) chose to tackle the myth of what happens (if anything) when you lick a toad in the forrest. According to them, you actually do hallucinate, and your visions are quite extraordinary or (to me) hilarious. I hope their wizard of imagination land is wearing pants. There is no visual evidence that he is...so I can only hope.
Monday, August 10, 2009
I Got it On Vinyl!
I Got it On Vinyl! is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek discussion of vinyls (new and old). While a certain degree of snobbery is associated with vinyl, "I like it because it sounds brighter," I simply collect vinyl because its a more grown up means of collecting comic book cards. More gratifying than a '94 Fleer Ultra set of X-Men, the albums I collect play and communicate. I Got it On Vinyl! is my discussion of what these albums say. Enjoy.
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The front cover of With a Little Help From My Friends is the typical characteristic of Joe Cocker with his puddy face molded into distortion beneath a twisted head of hair. Ironically, it is a picture of just Cocker, leading me to wonder, “With a Little Help from My Friends…where are the friends? Why isn't there a picture of Joe Cocker and his buddies in a group hug, all smiles, skipping around in circles, maybe one friend bent over in laughter, looking at the camera as if to say, ‘only if you were in our group of friends, you would get the joke." This isn’t the case and I believe this irony keeps the album sounding honest. This album is all about Joe Cocker and that is understood by the front of the jacket. However, where there is Joe, you best believe there are a collection of musicians and artists (his friends) backing him up when is voice wont stretch as far or taking a step back, allowing him to roam into the oddest of territory.
Flip the cover and you'll see just who managed to come around for a good friend. Cocker was accompanied by an arsenal of whose who musicians: Matthew Fisher, Henry McCullough, Chris Stainton, B.J. Wilson, Stevie Winwood, Mike Kelly, and Jimmy Page. If you recorded with a collection like that, you better name the album something about friends, friendship, or buddy-o-pals. Just below their respective pictures is a listing of each track with detail credits of each person's contribution to the respective song. Notable are the hand full of covers like Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman,” and of course Paul McCartney and John Lenin’s “With a Little Help From My Friends.” Whether Dylan, McCartney, or Lenin were friends were in Cocker's speed dial (or Roladex to be era-correct), their music appears on Cocker's album because of what they meant to him. Through the multitude of talent on the page and in the air, it is made clear that this album was a group effort even if it was to prop up one man.
This particular Cocker album, isn't all around exceptional and perhaps isn't his best work. This album is less about what the music sounds like and more about what it represents. As a result, I am not going to dissect the album but merely point out what makes this album special (insert sentimental line about friendship). The album jumps off to an amazing start with "Feeling Alright," which next to the title track, ”With a Little Help From My Friends,” is my favorite song on the album. "Feeling Alright" does exactly that. It’s boisterous, it’s energizing, and it’s celebratory with soulful back up vocals. It sounds like it was recorded in a room full of people that all agree to feel one way only. Rivaling “Feeling All Right” on the a-side is "Marjorine." It’s a perfect example of how a strong supporting cast can allow an artist room to breathe and explore. Joe Cocker and friends create a schizophrenic rambling of obsession. As a listener you are forced to wonder does this woman exist at all, does it matter that she might not, does it make this man any less vulnerable. Cocker's obsession and fixation of this woman, true or imagined, leaves him vulnerable and the quirky track he sings over helps make some sense of the madness that surrounds her. The song comes to a bouncing conclusion that feels like a fleeting moment of increased chaos. There is resolution in more madness and there will never be clarity regarding Marjorine.
The B-side achieves exactly the same as the a-side, with songs that make up a harsh bark exterior, surrounding those that ooze of sappiness. While heartfeltness is always apart of friendship, the sentimental songs poke holes in the momentum that songs like "Feeling Alright" and "Marjorine" create. The highlights of the b-side are "Sand Paper Cadillac" and the title track, “With a Little Help From My Friends.” "Sand Paper Cadillac" is a doomsy expedition to self-freedom, "my call is to be free...and it’s calling escape out of me." The piano tip toes past the guitar guard of our own prison and in brightening moments gives us a glimpse of what it is like to be free of ourselves. “With a Little Help From My Friends,” the title track, Beatles Cover, Wonder Years theme, however you can relate to it, is the epicenter of the album. It comes out at you from a distance with a maudlin guitar riff, then tumbles with a roll on the tom drums, and is accompanied by Joe Cocker's whiskey soaked voice singing, "What would I do if I sang out of tune?/would you stand up and walk out on me?/Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song/And I'll try not to sing out of key." Like in "Feeling Alright," Joe is backed by soulful back up singers Madelene Bell, Sunny Wheetman, and Rosetta Hightower, "I get high with a little help from my friends/Gonna try with a little help from my friends." Like Cocker and the original authors of the song, I often wonder what if my talents are self aggrandized or imagined, what if I "sang out of key," what do I do when I am single and alone, what would I do if I didn't have my friends to humor me? For me, I don't think it’s ever a question of if but when. When I speak out of turn, or take up too much of the conversational stage do my friends tolerate me? Do they ever walk out? Fortunately, they have never walked out, and still sit to listen to my continuous song.
Perhaps I've taken it to far, made it too personal, put words in Joe Cocker's mouth, made this album far more sentimental than it should be, further exemplifying my hypocrisy (are there holes in me because I sometimes sing sappy songs). However, beyond the neurosis, is the grounding idea that perhaps that’s what music intends to inspire. It can allow us to contemplate, to over analyze, to use as a catalyst for self-examination. To call this the power of (music), is to simply assume that it isn't apart of. Music and its interactive property is a part of life and we, along with the creators, share in its power. It’s a part of my persistent over analysis, ability to think, to speak, to write loosely, to collect records, watch the 2009 Dodgers, and drink Tecate on a lazy Sunday. It is within this room to breath that everything comes easier, sounds sweeter, and looks brighter. Whenever I run into a Marjorine, feel alright, or scale the walls of myself, it's always with a little help from my friends.
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