mp3 squeeze

"Make You Sweat" rests on its awesome beat (Zep-sample).  Robert Plant's "uh" repeats, blending into an electro effect.  The pace of the track doesn't downgrade TIP and showcases his knack for speed.  While, most current T.I. material will be an effort to keep him relevant while he serves his sentence, this track doesn't feel restrained or tactful.  T.I. isn't locked in, but, "Make You Sweat" brushes up against some of his best work.

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"My Heart" is a great score to Hitchcockian suspense.  Something is after us.  The third party knows its pace, its vigor, its desire, but, the listener sits treading water unaware.  The instrumentation lays out an expansive environment adding to the bleakness of the track's tone.  Although there are many elements composing the sound, as a listener you still feel like you are in a void.  Perhaps thats Raymond Raposa sentiment as he says "my heart is an empty room for you."

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via pitchfork

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The guitar in "Elephants" twinkles with John Frusciante similarity.  The track starts melancholy from a distance and then approaches you with zeal and uptempo.  Jenny Lee Lindberg's vocals are effortless and tasteful, using classic psyche lyrical tactics by using repetition to change the original meaning of the phrase (ie. what sounds like "call me a beast, call me a beast" becomes "come in peace, come in peace" becomes "come in, come in")  "Elephants" flirts with recklessness using stretched out aqua vocal effects and constant cymbal splashing, but, never looses its purpose.

Warpaint:: Elephants

via Fader

Videos

Its very seldom we see narrative Music Videos these days.  They often are low budget visual pieces or high budget green screen, Ritter fan abusing (giving divas that windblown look) afterthoughts.  No green screen, Ritters, or divas here.  Just your typical desert hostage situation.

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To say that Mosshart is sexy is to undersell what she brings to any band as a front woman.  Her recklessness broods seduction and almost makes you crave chaos (as long as it is reads VV).  Jack White astounds on the drums with tight transitions within his fills and blends in nicely as the drummer.  The greatest challenge of this band (and consequently the hook or essence) is for every member (not Jack White) to make fans forget about the verging icon behind the kit and  insist they watch the Dead Weather, not "Jack White's supergroup."  VV Mosshart will have a lot to do with that.

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"Waiting for My Man" is the second song from Beck's Record Club: Covering Velvet Underground's Velvet Underground and Nico.  The video shows off Beck's arsenal of instruments that makes any ensemble look possible.  Maybe that's why he is choosing to cover each album in a day.  Consequently, this track (and I assume the others) will sound more like sketches rather than actual orchestrations.  Where "Sunday Morning" sounds more like Sea Change, "Waiting for My Man" sounds like the middle road between Mellow Gold and Mutations. 

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Summertime Clothes is an obvious selection for any summer mix and now there is a video to accompany the track.  Using the same sheet improvisers as seen on Late Night with David Letterman, ice sculptures, people rocking around in transparent balls, Animal Collective has added a new found oddity to the ecstasy environment of the Electro Culture.  These abstract visuals no matter how subtle or contrived are creative notions of some sort of think tank, or collective.  A sign that some art is still a community.

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compliments of FADE (not to be confused with Fader):

I am not sold on the track, but, I like the literal approach of the video.  It adds a comedic effect and each lyric is creatively approached.

News (Making Up for Lost Time)

When people tell you to "keep your day job" they must mean stop blogging.  Breaking free for just an hour to post some things that you've may have already heard about in the past week (but this is more for me than you).  We proceed to take note on some telephone wire intercepts.

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Beck has been blowing up news wires with his announcement of his Record Club project where he and some friends (Devandra Banhart, MGMT, Jamie Lidell, and producer Nigel Godrich) will pick an album and spend one day recording a cover of the entire thing, posting one song at a time on the internet.  Beck has chosen Velvet Underground's "Sunday Morning" off of Velvet Underground and Nico as the first item produced by this hyper drive covering factory.  Check it below.

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As seen in the DVD Doc of Atlanta's now verging (once hidden) music scene, We Fun, the Black Lips have a close relationship with King Khan (of King Khan and the Shrines).  Consequently, The Black Lips have joined a punkster super group with Khan and Mark Sultan (of BBQ) called the Almighty Defenders.  The group is going to release their first S/T record on September 22 on Vice Records.

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The American master of surrealism (films like Eraserhead, Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Dune...) is releasing Fox Bat Strategy: A Tribute to Dave Jaurequi.  The disc contains seven tracks that feature lyrics by Lynch (sung by Fox Bat guitarist Dave Jaurequi) and music by Fox Bat.  Fox Bat were session players for Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and "were in the 'pink room' and 'blue Frank' scenes in the film." (for you Lynch fanatics)  As quoted in the EW article, "Dave Jariqui was not a singer, he was a guitarist, a fantastic one, but I asked him to sing and speak these lyrics of mine, because I had a hunch that proved correct: he had great phrasing, and I love the grain of his voice."  The first released track (as of yet) "Shoot the Works" carries a typical Lynchian spook expressed through 50's style rock.  A great and challenging contrast when considering the 50's era was such a hum drum Golden Age of Americana purity.  Amidst the rows of manicured lawns and white picket fences of the 50's suburbs there was always the house that was "haunted."  Mid summer, dressed in your bermuda khaki shorts and white pocket t shirt, you crept up to see what brooded inside.  As you got closer, you could hear "Shoot the Works" playing from a phonograph just on the other side of the warped beach wood door.  The sound is seductive, but, unpromising.  It is your challenge and mocks your fear of adventure.  

Stream> David Lynch:: "Shoot the Works"

mp3 squeeze

Black Lips stopped by Daytrotter to cut a few tracks off of 200 Million Thousand.  The group recorded "Drugs" and "Take My Heart" along with a cover of 1960's psyche group Lollipop Shoppe's "You Must Be A Witch."

Stream> Black Lips:: Various Artists (Daytrotter session)

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"Lost Words" is a track off psychadelic noise pop Ganglian's Monster Head Room LP.  Light and airy, (not a bit noisy) "Lost Words" floats swaying left to right as it looses altitude every second.  It sounds a lot like a lesson learned, garnering joy from experience.

Ganglians:: Lost Words

N.A.S.A. in Paris

Live DJ set from Sam and Ze of N.A.S.A. for Le Mouv Radio France to promote "The Spirit of Apollo."

N.A.S.A.:: Le Mouv Radio France (2/19/09)

Featured Artist: Tommy Hollenstein

Tommy Hollenstein is a painter and philanthropist.  Recently, he was accompanied by 16 rock legends (including Ringo Starr) to compose painting "Helping Hands" and raise money for Shane's Inspiration and Canine Companions.  

Tommy became a quadriplegic after a mountain bike accident in 1985.  A promising artist and athlete before the accident, Tommy has since worked towards continuing to create art.  His process might have originated as a consequence of his injury, however, through years of practice, Tommy has developed an innovative technique.  Using his wheel chair wheels as a brush and Behr household paints, Tommy composes highly texturized, moving, and vibrant pieces. 

Tommy's art has not only gained more recognition over the past few years (with multiple exhibits throughout Los Angeles and media coverage), but, his attitude and story has captivated those that were initially drawn in by his paintings.  As the saying goes, "art is life and life is art."  Tommy Hollentstein's story is artful in itself.

mp3 squeeze

MGMT doesn't reinvent the wheel with this track nor did they care to reinvent "Doomed."  If you're like me and have never heard "Doomed," then you will enjoy hearing new stuff from MGMT.

Violens:: Doomed (mgmt remix)

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Jay released another track from the anticipated Blueprint 3 (release set for September 11).  "D.O.A." is a statement track that sings goodbye to the Auto-Tune.  Jay Z vocalizes his struggle to stay true to his style as hip hop continues to loose its edge. (straying from what Jay calls "black hoodie rap" ) The track is produced by No I.D. and Kanye West (irony).  The production is rootsy and simple setting an organic environment that leads us to believe that Jay is still the only MC "to rewrite history without a pen."  

Jay Z:: D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)

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Phaseone remixes Animal Collective's glistening "Daily Routine."  Where most remixes tend to elaborate or re stylize, Phaseone cleans up and smoothes out what can be considered one the more "rough around the edges" tracks off of Merriweather Post Pavillon.

Animal Collective:: Daily Routine (phaseone remix)

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Toro y Moi is dream audio project from Chaz Bundick out of Columbia, SC.  Great use of panning effects and textures leave you suspended.  Bundick is also known for the visuals that accompany his music.

Tory y Moi:: Blessa

Toro y Moi:: Talamak

Pulp Commercial

The Pulp Commercial has poped up all over the web.  Photographer Neil Krug and model Joni Harbeck have collaborated on Pulp, a book that will featured more than 200 of Krug's images.

Featured Artist: Santigold

(Santogold has changed to Santigold.  story here.)

I first read about Diplo and Santigold's Top Ranking Mixtape and wasn't inclined to pick it up.  Santigold's '08 album barely missed my top 10 and as a pop album I dug her ferocity (describing her as MIA meets Gwen Stefani).  I introduced Santigold to the my circle of friends and they too (for whatever reason) made certain compromises and indulged, repping Santigold and her tasteful pop sound.  So as my friend Tony and I meandered through Amoeba looking for any smart finds, the Top Ranking red/florescent blue album cover and yellow GOLD jumped out at us. (ironically Diplo should have been the first name we noticed)  I told Tony I had read about it and thought he should get it (secretely knowing that I would burn it...cheap I know).  Already on a shoping spree, basket bulging with Hendrix and Madlib records, he tossed the disc in, becoming one of the many (perhaps not the most important) buys of the evening.  Through multiple burning attempts and trips to Tony's house, burning forgetting, burning, forgetting, I finally got around to hearing the album in full and can officially say I should have jumped on this Mix Tape sooner.  It starts out on fire with "Unstoppable" mix of 3-6 Mafia's "Late Night" and continues to the center of the disc where an '80s vibe comes alive and highlights what Santigold is all about.  The record tends to drop out towards the end, but, overall it is a great way to rejuvenate Santigold's '08 debut.

Santigold & Diplo:: Guns of Brooklyn (Doc and Jon Hill dub)

Flash forward a day later: 

I was browsing Fader and saw Terry Urban and Goldcoin's Southergold Mixtape that include tracks 'Unfreakable Girl" and "Still Tippin' It." "Unfreakable Girl" features Gucci Mane (mixing the beat from Sant's "Unstoppable") and "Still Tippin' It" features Slim Thug and Mike Jones (mixing "Shove It").  Now, if you aren't a huge fan of southern rap, then these tracks might tarnish your Santigold music.  

Santigold:: Unfreakable Girl (feat. Gucci Mane)

Santgold:: Still Tippin' (feat. Slim Thug & Mike Jones)

Personally, I could live without the songs and normally I wouldn't have bothered to post them in the squeeze let alone devote a full paragraph of type.  BUT, these tracks show that Santigold is not only a mainstream success, she is respected by her peers.  She has reached southern rappers, electro DJ's, brooklyn elites like Jay Z, the list goes on.  Her S/Trecord was perhaps bigger for pop music than I once realized.  She wasn't just the go to woman for mainstream meets underground savy beats/hooks because the 2008 litter was sparse.  She brought an A grade album that's style is infusing all genres a year later.

more:

Jay-Z:: Brooklyn (Go Hard)

Esau Mwamwaya:: Get It Up (feat. MIA & Santigold)

3-6 Mafia:: Shuvit (feat Project Pat & Santigold

Santigold:: L.E.S. Artistes (XXXchange remix)

"Rainwater Cassette Exchange" Cover

These phantom hands from Barcelona perform a cover of Deerhunter's "Rainwater Cassette Exchange" that Brandford Cox describes as "fantastically better than the original.  It actually sent shivers up my spine, especially during the second verse..."

orig:

Deerhunter:: Rainwater Cassette Exchange

my post.

MGMT "Kids" Video

Better late than never.  MGMT has a video for "Kids" from director Ray Tintori.  Now people have been disclaiming the video saying "no children were harmed," but, I choose to side with Fader and believe that while the child in the video will grow up to have no recollection of the video experience, he will definitely make some life decisions based on his newly created subconscious. (which speaks to what the video is trying to say)  Amidst a neglective mother, the little dude sees monsters and freaks out at the world around him, then spawning a psyche animation experience that has to be inspired by his childhood trauma.  It is amazing what we see in the world when we feel vulnerable, even as kids.

Fly Girlz on the Fader

Last posted, Fly Girlz are a girl rap group (ages 12 to 14) from Brownsville Middle School.  They are apart of Representing NYC (headed by Sam Hilmer) a music initiative trying to keep kids safe and off the streets.  Currently, the girlz got a nice feature video on the Fader.  

Lightning Dust Live on Minnesota's Radio K

Lightning Dust composed of Josh Wells and Amber Weber (of Black Mountain) played a mini live set on Minnesota's Radio K.  "History" and " I Knew" are on the duo's upcoming LP Infinite Light and "Castles and Caves" was on their s/t debut.

Stream> Lightning Dust::  Radio K Performance

Music Videos

From time to time as I comb through the web looking for fresh music related material, I start to question whether my interest derives from the pursuit of more mind blowing work, or an indication  that I really need to get a life.  So between watching Weezer cover "Kids" (at a T Mobile party filled with sorority sisters and fraternity brothers in Los Angeles) and the Killer's new music video for "The World We Live In," I occasionally find a treat.  "Dark Bubbles" video from Black Moth Super Rainbow is one of those finds that validates geeking out over new music and video content.  It is the first step in reinventing the music video and embracing the web as the portal (opposed to MTV, VH1, Fuse or any other "music" T.V).  The video alone stands as a visual piece, however, the interactive component is what makes this video an experience all to its own (and surely a trend setter).  

Black Moth Super Rainbow is a psychedelic candy project, that overloads on the synth and vocoder while incorporating some folk elements.  Like "Dark Bubbles" video and their sound elude, Black Moth Super Rainbow thrives off experimentation.  I got a hold of BMSR's 2008 release Dandelion Gum and was transported. (I didn't love it, but, I liked it)  The band can come across as one dimensional and listening to an entire album can feel tedious;  however, Black Moth Super Rainbow at its best is a promising blend of styles.

via passion of the weiss

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"Beach Comber" from one of my favorite sunny psychedelics at Underwater Peoples, Real Estate.  The video is simple, not much to it...but I can't get enough of this song or band.  Real Estate has located a nostalgic and forgotten tonality that I can only hope makes a comeback.

via pitchfork

Making of "Bang" Video

"Bang" is new single from Rye Rye.

GLC posts unreleased scene from "Spaceship" Video

via the Fader:

GLC posted a 5 year old unreleased clip of Kanye's "Spaceship" video.  In the post GLC calls Kanye and Consequence "young dreamers."  Fader's post echoes my sentiment of Kanye's career.  This video seems like a long time ago...

Fucked Up's Pink Eyes FOX News Commentator

Pitchfork reports, Damian Abraham (better known as Pink Eyes and lead singer of hardcore band Fucked Up) is set to have a recurring role as commentator on Fox News' "Red Eye" with Greg Gutfeld.  Gutfeld initially had Abraham on because Fucked Up is one of his favorite bands and Chemistry of Common Life was his favorite album of 2008.  He calimed that Fucked Up are "like the Beatles if the Beatles were any good."  Abraham has appeared twice on "Red Eye," once, wearing an Obama t-shrt, which Gutfred ignored.  The second time on, Pinkeyes gave Gutfeld a "Support Our Candian Troops" shirt after the host belittled the Canadian troops role in the Iraq War.  This should get interesting...