I try not to sit down and put forth the effort to write about something unless I have positive things to say. Not only is it a big waste of my time, but if I'm going to expend energy and thought on any topic (especially music) I'd much rather say good things about music that I enjoy. This entry is an exception to that.
Recently in the mail I received a copy of the new Kings of Leon album, Because of the Times. I was eager to hear it because I've enjoyed their previous two full-length albums and the live EP that was released last summer, and I've enjoyed each the Kings' live performances in Austin. However, after listening through the new album a few times I have come to the realization that I have very few good things to say about it.
After such a long recording hiatus since the release of Aha Shake Heartbreak (Feb. 2005) I was hoping to hear something great, but it just isn't there. Outside of a few decent tracks, most of the material on Because of the Times is either dull, uninspired, or grossly over-polished. The straight-ahead rock & roll of Youth & Young Manhood is absent, and also not present are the reflective and heartfelt self realizations of the sophomore album. Did I already mention that it's way too polished? They should have just gone in the studio and recorded these songs in an hour-long live set, and then printed and shipped it. I'm afraid that Kings of Leon might have already peaked, and it sure isn't with Because of the Times.
Here's that list I promised of artists from the UK that will be traveling many miles to perform at SXSW. Included along with a track to hear is the time/date/and location of their official SXSW showcase, along with a link to find out more information. This is only ten from a list of many, which you can find for yourself at the SXSW website. Check 'em out.
Why didn't someone tell me about this before now? I've recently received a copy of The End from Minnesota's Mouthful of Bees, and I think that it might be one of the best recordings that I've heard so far this year. If you were a fan of The Loon or The Walkmen's A Hundred Miles Off, chances are you'll find something you like in the instantly addictive indie rock of Mouthful of Bees.
The End has an intent focus on amplified instrumentation that you'd expect to hear from a noisy group of garage rockers, except here the music is layered with melodies and hooks that could incite a group of indie kids and hipsters to dance across the dirty floor of any venue in town. Recorded in the fall of 2006 in a friend's basement studio, the majority of the work involved in producing the album was done by band members Micky Alfano (bass guitar), Katelyn Farstad (drums), Mark Ritsema (guitar) and Chris Farstad (guitar, lead vocals.) This is their debut album from Afternoon Records, and you can hear a few tracks from it below.
If you're into it, you can pick up the album via Afternoon Records, at eMusic, or at your local independent record store.
Mouthful of Bees will be touring through the midwest this summer, and will be looking to complete their sophomore album this coming fall. Show them some love at myspace.com/mouthfulofbees.
I did a little coverage of Sunset Rubdown way back in August, and at the end of 2006 Shut Up I Am Dreaming was my obvious favorite for album of the year. The Montreal foursome led by Spencer Krug recently lent their talents to the upcoming Remixed and Covered, an extensive two-disc set packed with remixes and covers of songs by the California-based experimental indie band Xiu Xiu. The album will be one last hurrah for Kill Rock Stars sister label 5RC, who will shut their doors sometime after the release of Remixed and Covered on April 10th.
The gang will also stay busy in 2007 while playing a handful of live dates around the U.S. Luckily for us Texans there will be two local tour stops, don't miss your chance.
Xiu Xiu dates:
Sun, Mar 25 Phoenix, Paperheart Mon, Mar 26 Tucson, Solar Culture Tue, Mar 27 Santa Fe, TBD Wed, Mar 28 Oklahoma City Conservatory Thu, Mar 29 Austin, Emo's (Tickets) Fri, Mar 30 Baton Rogue, Red Star Bar Sat, Mar 31 Birmingham, Bottle Tree Cafe Sun, Apr 1 Murfreesboro, Casa Burrito Mon, Apr 2 Durham, Duke Coffee House Tue, Apr 3 Wilmington, bella festa Wed, Apr 4 Washington, THE ROCK AND ROLL HOTEL Thu, Apr 5 Baltimore, Ottobar Fri, Apr 6 Philadelphia, The First Unitarian Church Sat, Apr 7 Cambridge, T.T. The Bear's Sun, Apr 8 New York, Bowery Ballroom Wed, Apr 11 Montreal, Lambi
Xiu Xiu/Sunset Rubdown dates (all with Katie Eastburn):
04-12 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace 04-13 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig 04-14 Bloomington, IN - WIUX Culture Shock at Indiana University 04-16 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive 04-17 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge 04-19 Seattle, WA - Neumos 04-20 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom 04-22 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill 04-23 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill 04-24 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
Sunset Rubdown dates (all with Katie Eastburn):
04-25 Phoenix, AZ - Modified 04-27 Austin, TX - Emo's (Tickets) 04-28 Denton, TX - Hailey's 04-30 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn 05-01 Charleston, SC - Map Room 05-02 Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel 05-03 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church 05-04 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom 05-05 Cambridge, MA - Middle East
Sunset Rubdown performs "Stadiums and Shrines II" live in Chicago
Thrushes is a Baltimore-based quartet composed of Anna Conner (vocals, guitar) Casey Harvey (guitars, vocals) Rachel Tracy (bass) and Matt Davis (percussion.) Their debut album is titled Sun Come Undone, and it will be distributed worldwide via Morphius Records on March 13th. On their do-it-yourself debut Casey Harvey supplies reverberated guitar that acts as a perfect countering force to the delicate touch of Anna Conner's lead vocals, as they bridge the gap between beauty and fury.
The basic structure of the music is simplistic, but as the individual elements combine and interact the songs begin to take on multiple forms. The guitars echo and rise into a wave of noise, a beautiful vocal range blends in immediately below the surface, and these are both complemented and driven by precisely tamed bass and drum. For Thrushes, the beauty is in the details.
Below, hear two tracks from Thrushes. The shoegaze pop of "Aidan Quinn" provides the opening track, and "Roy" is a slow-builder that leans toward post-rock and helps bring about a thunderous ending to the record.
Woods' new album At Rear House is a weird, lo-fi psychedelic indie folk rock paradise. And it's also really, really good. When I first listened to it I thought to myself 'I don't know, this might be too weird for me'. Then very quickly I found myself singing along with the eerie folk melodies and said 'No I think it's actually just right.'
From Fuck It Tapes: "Woods began in the woods, at the foot of Bear Mountain. In the earliest days it was a collaborative improvisational group with two core members and several guests, known as “woodsists.” Shortly thereafter, Jeremy Earl and Christian DeRoeck emerged from the woods, dusted themselves off, and began to walk upright. The two woodsists immersed themselves in human culture, learned to craft a melody, to wield a tambourine, to construct a crude phonograph from spare bicycle parts. They learned the value of a cassette. Jeremy and Christian returned to the woods and shared their newfound knowledge with the other woodsists. The result was Woods, songs and improvisations by outsiders, inspired by the human experience."
Below find two tracks from the new album, which you can get in stores now.
Also, check out the video for their single "Don't Pass on Me." That fine tune is also available to download at Woods on MySpace, where you can tell the guys how awesome they are.
Black Lips may be barely legal (in more ways than one,) but they don't need no instructions to know how to rock. The 20-something quartet from Atlanta have just released a new album titled Los Valientes Del Mundo Nuevo, which was captured in the debaucherous mecca of Tijuana at one of their legendarylive performances.
From Vice: The Black Lips are kings of the psychedelic garage rock underground. They started the band when they were 15 years old and spent the next seven years touring the world, booking themselves, playing for scraps. Underground parties, basement shows, outlaw festivals, the odd tour opening for Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and Be Your Own Pet, plus three classic albums, countless 7"s, a couple DVDs, and their own seminal garage rock label cemented their reputation. They're now 22 years old, grizzled veterans of the underground, and legends in the scene."
Orlando Weekly on the new album: "Every time the Lips threaten to devolve into total anarchy, a familiar track rings out and their professional side shines. The layered midtempo psychedelia of “Everybody’s Doing It” depends on awkward chord progressions that the guys hit just right, and the cohesion provides momentum for a rocking third act that less mature bands, high on Mexico’s anything-goes vibe, could never pull off."
While checking out various main-stream media outlets yesterday I heard that we’re all going to be blown up or drowned by a terrible 20-million-ton asteroid. They all said that it will definitely maybe happen, with a 1 in 45,000 chance of striking Earth on April 13, 2036. They've named the big solar rock Apophis, which is also the Greek name for the demon monster god of Ancient Egypt. But, that's not even the fun part.
A group of astronauts, engineers and scientists yesterday said that the United Nations should assume responsibility for a space mission to deflect this huge demon monster rock that may-or-may-not threaten the planet 29 years from now.
Quoted: The favoured approach to dealing with a potentially deadly space rock is to dispatch a spacecraft that would use gravity to alter the asteroid's course so it no longer threatens Earth, said a veteran of the International Space Station.
The so-called Gravity Tractor could maintain a position near the threatening asteroid, exerting a gentle tug that, over time, would deflect the asteroid. An asteroid the size of Apophis, which is about 460 feet long, would take about 12 days of gravity-tugging.
Well, that sounds exciting! It would at least make the suspenseful build-up worth it to see if the U.N. can save the world, not to mention that I'd love to see what a gravity spacecraft looks like on whatever High Definition televisions they have in the future.
They were obviously working double-time over at CNN, because not only did they cover the asteroid threat that has been regularly downgraded since the first big scare in 2004, but they also used resources to prepare Paula Zahn's prime time special for tonight: "Hip-hop: Art or Poison?"
What? You weren't aware that Paula Zahn was an authority on hip-hop? Well, she is. Obviously. --- Here's a playlist for Apophis and Paula Zahn.
Black Moth Super Rainbow are a quintet from Pittsburgh who create their own unique psychedelic sound through the use of analog instrumentation, lo-fi synthesized backbeats and heavy doses of vocoder. Their 2004 release Start A People is a fuzzed-out trip in the guise of electro-pop, and they'll be back in 2007 with the release of a new album. Titled Dandelion Gum and being released on May 15 via Graveface Records, the band says the album is "about witches who make candy deep in the woods of western Pennsylvania." Via Graveface: Hailing from the creepiest of states, this 5 piece junk band grew up watching “321 Contact” and “The Letter People Show” and has found a way into my listening routine on a daily basis for several years. They say their primary focus is turning their childhood memories into songs and feel much more at home playing music in the woods or an old barn than an electro club.
Via SXSW: Black Moth Super Rainbow has been around since 2002 and became the 5-member band that it is today in 2003. Located in Pittsburgh, PA, BMSR does not really take part in any local music scene and has somewhat of an enigmatic reputation. The 5 members consist of a drummer, bassist, vocoder vocalist/novatron (mellotron-like instrument) player, rhodes player, monosynth player, and an occassional 6th person on gong. The music is made with all analog instruments and sounds something like happy fuzzy pop and extremely psychedelic krautrock. The songs are written from a folk perspective so the music never feels overly electronic and never sterile. Though previously not an extensive touring band, they have played at the personal request of bands like The Black Angels and Of Montreal.
You might recall seeing Black Moth Super Rainbow's name around quite a bit in 2006 following the release of their collabo with the Octopus Project on The House Of Apples & Eyeballs. If this is your first introduction, there are a few song files from various releases listed below for your aural pleasure. Use of headphones is recommended.
I've been wanting to compile a list of my favorite music featured in film for a long time, and last night I finally got around to doing it. A spent a good chunk of time not only on deciding which songs to choose, but mostly on their order of appearance. No pun intended.
I think it turned out pretty well, and there are some true classics included. The individual songs are listed below along with a link to each respective soundtrack, and they are available to hear by clicking on the image above. I started out aiming for a maximum of ten songs, but with all of this great material it got out of hand quickly. If you like any of the songs featured on the moviemix, you can purchase the soundtrack with the provided links. Most of the soundtracks these songs were picked from are really good, and would be nice additions to your library.
I was raised on classic rock. Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC. Those were the artists that I first became familiar with as I was a youth, and they are some the ones from that era of the 60's and 70's that I still hold in high esteem today. Naturally, I get enthused when I hear something new that is greatly influenced by that generation. Enter, Radio Moscow.
Radio Moscow is a psychedelic blues rock trio from Ames, Iowa which was the brainchild of guitarist/drummer/singer/songwriter Parker Griggs. On the self-titled debut album Griggs plays all the instruments except for bass and the slide guitar on "Deep Blue Sea," which is played by Black Keys guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach. In addition to that, Auerbach also lent his production and engineering skills to the project. As the story goes, Auerbach was given a demo by Parker Griggs after a Black Keys gig in Colorado, and he liked it so much that he offered to produce their debut album in his own studio, The Pie Co, in Akron OH. Griggs originally cut his teeth playing garage punk, but his sound, although heavily influenced by sixties garage music, is also channeled through the blues, with experimental breakdowns, unpredictable tempo changes, crazy rave-ups and fuzzed out psychedelic guitar work; the result is an exciting and truly distinctive sound.
Radio Moscow is out on February 7th via Alive Records. The band will be touring all 2007 following the album's release, including the confirmed dates listed below:
Fri Feb 23: Hyland House, Ames IA Mon Feb 26: Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines IA Tue Feb 27: M-Shop, Ames IA Thu Mar 1: The Aquarium, Fargo ND Fri Mar 2: Bev's Juke Joint, Superior WI Sun Mar 4: Big V's, St Paul MN Tue Mar 6: Saddle Creek Bar,Omaha NE Wed Mar 7: Duffy's Tavern, Lincoln NE Thu Mar 8: The Outland, Springfield MO Fri Mar 9: Replay Lounge, Lawrence KS Tue Mar 13: King Club,Madison WI Wed Mar 14: Redstone Room, Davenport IA Thu Mar 15: Lager House, Detroit MI Fri Mar 16: Nite Owl, Dayton OH Mon Mar 19: Zephyr Bar, Kent OH Fri Apr 20: New World Brewery, Tampa FL *More dates coming for April
Over the past week or so I've been noticing what seems like an inordinate amount of bands who have the word 'Bee' in their name. The Bird and the Bee, The Bees (known in United States as A Band of Bees,) and Persephone's Bees each showed up on my radar over the past few days.
The Bees are are an English band whose third full-length album Octopus is being released on the 19th of March via Virgin Records/Astralwerks. The Bees are classified as indie rock, though they a particular style of music that is somewhat hard to categorize, with influences such as 60's rock, reggae and jazz. Last night I listened through Octopus and while I was doing so I jotted down my stream of consciousness, which I included below.
Shortly after I made this entry I received an update from Afternoon Records about the Minneapolis-based band Mouthful of Bees. I was literally on my way out the door, but after hearing their single "The Now" I had to take a few minutes to highlight them before I left.
"Minneapolis natives Mouthful of Bees formed in 2004 as just a brother-sister guitar-and-drummer duo (Chris and Kate), but eventually evolved into the full-sized band with the addition of Micky Alfano and Mark Ritsema (of Battle Royale).
In short, Mouthful of Bees play a composite of old-fashioned rock 'n roll and newly fangled indie-rock. Doused with reverb and healthily distorted guitars, the band is fronted with a solid background in riff-rock and what the record lacks in fidelity is made up by the band's youthful optimism and innovative songwriting.
With a voice reminiscent of the likes of Figure 8-era Elliot Smith and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Chris Farstad's angelic voice is eerily contagious and compelling. Set apart from other songwriters by his unique voice and intelligent approach to songwriting, Farstad is the best frontman out of Minneapolis you nearly never heard of."
Also, since I name-dropped The Coral it's only fitting to show them a little love. This track is from their self-titled debut album, which you can purchase here.
There really aren't many other times when you can watch performances by such an eclectic mix of artists over the course of just a few days. So if any of you visitors will be making the rounds at SXSW, here's another taste of what you might see and hear. Next week I'll do something similar for artists incoming from the U.K., as well as focus on artists local to Austin that will be performing at the festival.
To hear more artists, click threetwoone. Some of the song files are now dead, but of course you can still check out the artist websites with the provided links.
With all the White Stripes news that has been circulating recently, coupled with my focus on live audio all of this week, I thought I would highlight a live radio show that the White Stripes recorded back in 2000.
First of all, here's the news. The Rock Radio reported in January that "The White Stripes are reportedly asking interested record labels to fork over a few million dollars for just one album, according to Hits Daily Double. The Detroit duo became free agents earlier this month when their previous company, V2 Records, shut its doors." And then today I read "Detroit duo the White Stripes has found a new U.S recording home with Warner Bros. Records. The deal is only for one album and limited to North America, the band's publicist said."
Also, as was reported earlier this week the White Stripes will be one of the headlining acts at the Bonnaroo music festival June 14-17. Bonnaroo is 119 days away, but tickets will likely sell out well before then. The first tickets will be priced at a special rate of $184.50 each, and there is a limited allotment of tickets at this price. When the first allotment is sold out, ticket prices will increase without notice to $199.50 and then again without notice to $214.50.
If I were wagering on the release date for this new one-off Stripes record, I'd bet it will be out in July or August followed by a long list of tour stops around the globe. I was able to attend their last Austin performance in 2003 at Stubb's, and I'd have to say that it is still one of the best concert experiences that I have been a part of.
The White Stripes' WMBR Radio Sessions was recorded in September of 2000, three months after the release of their second album (and still my personal favorite) De Stijl. One interesting thing to note is that this is one of the last recordings of the White Stripes prior to the time that they entered the studio in February 2001 to record White Blood Cells, the album that took the duo out of midsized Detroit rock & roll venues and thrust them into the international spotlight.
The White Stripes WMBR Radio Sessions Boston, Massachusetts September 23, 2000
I just received this little tidbit of new information from Ratatat, as reported on their official site and MySpace page.
"New Ratatat mixtape coming soon!
14 new remixes featuring: Bun B, Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Slim Thug, Devin the Dude, Young Jeezy, T.I., Beanie Sigel, Pimp C, Ludacris, Young Buck, Saigon, Juvenile, Z-ro, Memphis Bleek, Kanye West +exclusive tracks from Despot and Beans.."
My only question now is, how soon is soon? The first Ratatat Mixtape was a self-released effort in 2004 and was sold primarily at their live shows, but it looks like this time around the remix album will be more widely available. The two members (guitarist Mike Stroud and synthesizer driver and producer Evan Mast) apply their brand of electronic music to the vocal stylings of current popular rap and hip hop artists, and for the most part they vastly improve on the original recordings.
Here we go, the second part of The Ramones' Rock & Roll College, live at Northwestern University in 1979. This half starts off a bit slowly and then really gets going at "Surfin' Bird," followed quickly by the hit "Cretin Bop." My favorite moments are either "California Sun" or at "Do You Wanna Dance," the beginning of the first encore. And I can't think of any other song that is as short as "Judy Is a Punk" that I enjoy nearly as much.
That song is also featured in one of my favorite films, Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums, though the live version here is much more fast paced. The original version has a length of 1:31, and was featured on the band's self-titled debut album released on April 23, 1976. Recording lasted a little over two weeks on a budget of only $6,200, and it is now considered one of the most influential albums of all time. It was rereleased in 2001 by Rhino Records, along with 8 bonus tracks which feature demo and alternate versions, and 3 previously unreleased recordings. You can get a physical copy or digital download of it at Rhino.com
The White Stripes will be uniting once again to play Bonnaroo.
That sounds pretty good to me.
The folks behind the curtain at Bonnaroo HQ have just released a list of artists who will be performing, with more still to be announced. Here's a look at the current billing:
The Police · Tool · Widespread Panic · The White Stripes · Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals · Wilco · The Flaming Lips · Manu Chao · The String Cheese Incident · Franz Ferdinand · Bob Weir & Ratdog · Damien Rice · Ween · Gov't Mule · Ziggy Marley · The Decemberists · Kings of Leon · Michael Franti & Spearhead · Wolfmother · Regina Spektor · The Black Keys · Galactic · DJ Shadow · Gillian Welch · Spoon · Keller Williams (WMD's) · Sasha & John Digweed · STS9 · Old Crow Medicine Show · The Hold Steady · North Mississippi Allstars · Fountains Of Wayne · Hot Tuna · Feist · Hot Chip · John Butler Trio · Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys · Aesop Rock · The Richard Thompson Band · Dierks Bentley · Xavier Rudd · Gogol Bordello · Junior Brown · Tortoise · T-Bone Burnett · Mavis Staples · Clutch · Cold War Kids · Dr. Dog · Paolo Nutini · Brazilian Girls · RX Bandits · The Nightwatchman · The Slip · Girl Talk · Railroad Earth · Martha Wainwright · Rodrigo y Gabriela · Annuals · Tea Leaf Green · Sam Roberts Band · Elvis Perkins in Dearland · Charlie Louvin · Sonya Kitchell · Mute Math · Apollo Sunshine · Uncle Earl · James Blood Ulmer · The National · The Little Ones · Black Angels · Ryan Shaw Lewis Black & Friends · David Cross · Dave Attell
Ticket information will be released sometime later today at
www.Bonnaroo.com for the festival taking place June 14-17 2007 in Manchester, Tennessee.
Here's a quick look at the touring acts that will be visiting Austin from now up until start of SXSW. Go out and see a show or two. Or three. Or seven.
of Montreal: Both Sides of the Mouth has a nice entry for you. Playing Friday 02/16 at Emo's with Elekibass, DJ Jester the Filipino Fist
About seven or eight years ago the Toadies literally changed my life. In honor of a new set of post-breakup gigs, hear some Toadies covers and b-sides from the vault. Let the nostalgia flow...
I discovered this recording in 2006, and once I transferred it to my ipod I probably listened to it for about a week straight before I was able to tear myself away and focus on something else. I had always been a mild Ramones fan before hand, and had owned their compilation album Mania for a few years. But I didn't really 'get it' until I heard this live bootleg titled Rock & Roll College, recorded way back in October of 1979 at Northwestern University. There's just this mass of energy being put forth that they supply virtually non-stop for 60 full minutes, and it's awesome to hear the crowd pay the band a proper tribute. It motivated me to go out and purchase a few Ramones DVDs afterwards (Raw, End of the Century), just to make sure that I got the full effect.
This performance is comprised of a whopping 31 tracks, so I'll be putting it up in two parts. I know that I probably repeat this over and over again, but a quality pair of headphones (see: not earbuds) and high volume really is the only way to go with stuff like this.
The Ramones - Rock & Roll College Cahn Auditorium, Northwestern University Evanston, Illinois October 13, 1979
Here's the second half of some live Girl Talk action...
If you recognize any samples please leave it in the comments.
Girl Talk - Live Nine (1:53) * Elastica - "Connection" Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It" 2 Live Crew - "If You Believe In Having Sex" Nazareth - "Hair Of The Dog"
Girl Talk - Live Ten (2:11) Nazareth - "Hair Of The Dog" Deee-Lite - "Groove Is In The Heart" Young Dro - "Shoulder Lean" The Cars - "Just What I Needed" Three 6 Mafia - "Stay Fly" * Spank Rock - Backyard Betty
Girl Talk - Live Eleven (3:39) Daft Punk - "Technologic" Peter Bjorn and John - "Let's Call It Off" Christina Aguilera - "Ain't No Other Man" * Uniting Nations - "Out of Touch" * Creation - "Making Time"
Girl Talk - Live Twelve (2:46) Steve Winwood - "Valerie" / Eric Prydz - "Call On Me" Elton John - "Tiny Dancer" The Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy" Paula Cole - "I Don't Want to Wait"
Girl Talk - Live Thirteen (4:41) The Eagles - "One Of These Nights" Crime Mob - "Knuck If You Buck" Too Short - "Blowjob Betty" Queen - "We Will Rock You" Ace of Base - "All That She Wants" Kelis - "Bossy" (Feat. Too Short) Snoop - Drop It Like It's Hot (Feat. Pharrell Williams) James Taylor - "Your Smiling Face" * T.I. - "Top Back"
Okay, so I've got my hands on this fantabulous live recording of Girl Talk (aka Gregg Gillis) that went down on January 27 at Chop Suey in Seattle. The only snag is that I don't have any official titles for most of the tracks, assuming that they do have official titles. Many DJ sets are pretty much a musical free-for-all, and Girl Talk is no exception. If anything, he's the rule.
So to make up for that, I'm going try my best to point out the samples that each track is made of. I recognize many of the samples but I just can't put my finger on some of them. If you're good at music trivia or love to play name that tune, please help me fill in the blanks. If you thought Girl Talk's 2006 release Night Ripper was an instant classic like I did, then you'll love this stuff.
Girl Talk - Live One (2:48) Ciara - "Goodies" Boston - "Foreplay/Long Time" Beyonce - "Ring The Alarm" Rich Boy - "Throw Some D's" Ginuwine - "Pony"
Girl Talk - Live Two (2:16) Ciara - "Goodies" Ying Yang Twins - "Jigglin" Jackson 5 - "ABC" *Cat Stevens - "Here Comes my Baby"
Girl Talk - Live Three (2:50) * The Game - "One Blood" Girl Talk - "Unnamed Original Track" * Ludacris- "What's Your Fantasy?" Wu-Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M" Birdman & Lil Wayne - "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" Manfred Mann - "Blinded by the Light"
Girl Talk - Live Four (2:24) Clipse - "Wamp Wamp" * Fine Young Cannibals - "Good Thing" The Verve - "Bittersweet Symphony" Kelis - "Bossy" (Feat. Too Short)
Girl Talk - Live Five (2:43) DJ Cerla - "Yo DJ" Neutral Milk Hotel - "Holland, 1945" Soul II Soul - "Back to Life" * Cream - "Sunshine of Your Love" E-40 - "Tell Me When To Go" Digital Underground - "The Humpty Dance" Technotronic - "Pump Up The Jam"
Girl Talk - Live Six (3:10) Technotronic - "Pump Up The Jam" Pras/Ol' Dirty Bastard/Mya - "Ghetto Supastar" * Amerie - "1 Thing" Missy Elliot - "Work It" * Beck - "Cell Phone's Dead" Lakeside - "Fantastic Voyage" E-40 - "U and Dat" Zhane - "Hey, Mr. DJ"
Girl Talk - Live Seven (1:58) INXS - "Need You Tonight" Young Gunz - "Set It Off" Keak Da Sneak - "That's My Word" Lil Scrappy - "Money in the Bank" Styx - "Renegade"
Girl Talk - Live Eight (1:41) Lady Sovereign - "Love Me or Hate Me" *The Beatles - "Lady Madonna"
You can click over to Good Weather for Airstrikes and Each Note Secure to read a couple of live reviews, and hear a couple of the most recent remixes Girl Talk has crafted below:
Feb 14 2007 Aladdin Theatre - Las Vegas, Nevada Feb 16 2007 Michigan League Ballroom - Ann Arbor, Michigan Feb 17 2007 Mercy Lounge - Nashville, Tennessee Feb 24 2007 MX Festival Guadalajara - Zapopan Jalisco Mar 2 2007 Casa Nueva - Athens, Ohio Mar 3 2007 Buskirk-Chumley Theater - Bloomington, Indiana Mar 11 2007 Markham Park (Langerado Music Festival) - Sunrise, Florida Mar 16 2007 Emos - Austin, Texas Mar 17 2007 Elysium - Austin, Texas Mar 23 2007 Stonefly Brewery - Milwaukee, Wisconsin Mar 24 2007 Union South - Madison, Wisconsin Mar 30 2007 Andy Warhol Musuem - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Apr 13 2007 Soundlab - Buffalo, New York Apr 28 2007 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival - Indio, California May 4 2007 The Living Room - Providence, Rhode Island
That was the first single from a singer-songwriter M. Ward's brilliant 2006 release on Merge Records titled Post-War. Actually that's the new version of "To Go Home" that is featured on the artist's upcoming single of the same name that is being released on February 20th.
The first single from his recent masterpiece, Post-War, is an instant pop classic written by the inimitable Daniel Johnston. Features three non-album tracks, including the epic Jimmie Dale Gilmore penned "Headed For A Fall", and featuring special guests Nico Case, Nels Cline, Howe Gelb, Mike Mogis, and Jim James. Preorders will be shipped to arrive on or around the February 20 release date.
Of course you can always pick up the disc out at a live M. Ward performance, and he's got a bunch of gigs booked with Norah Jones that you can view at myspace.com/mward.
I'm coming to find that Constellation Records' stable of artists becomes more impressive with each release that I hear from them. The most recent Do Make Say Think is a strong statement from start to finish, Godspeed You! Black Emperor create some of the most powerful post-rock around and are a heavy force in a live setting, which also goes for A Silver Mt. Zion who are associated by shared musicians. Right on the heels of these popular acts is fellow Constellation cohort and multi-instrumentalist Sandro Perri, who also goes by the handle of Polmo Polpo with his solo music project.
Sandro Perri's 2006 release of Sandro Perri Plays Polmo Polpo finds the Canadian artist working with friends and fellow musicians to put the polish on some of his previous work that was featured Polmo Polpo's first Constellation release, 2003's Like Hearts Swelling. The EP itself contains five tracks including two of the most recent compositions in "Dreaming" and "Circles," and clocks in at 27:01. This isn't music designed to wake you up in the morning, nor to set the tone for your next house party. Rather, it serves as a midnight treat that lays you down for a nice relaxing rest, but will not release its grip on your consciousness until the last guitar string is plucked.
Below is a bit of info Sandro Perri Plays Polmo Polpo from Constellation, followed by two tracks to preview.
These are lovely tunes that extrapolate beautifully from their origins in Perri's more diffuse, multi-layered, pulsing electronic compositions. But they also serve to remind that Perri has always played guitar; Polmo Polpo merely swaddled it in a throne of drones and submarine beats. Perri still takes the clustered, layered approach to propel the opening track, "Romeo Heart (slight return)", using an additional nine players (from Toronto's out-music and improv community) to generate a rippling fabric through which the original melody now weaves. The four songs that follow are each distinct in approach, but strip back to Perri solo or with one or two other players. In every case, Perri's voice carries an infectious, quietly ecstatic tune.
A must for Polmo Polpo fans and a sweet collection of songs in its own right, Sandro Perri Plays Polmo Polpo is another window on Toronto's improv and avant songwriter culture. A Sandro Perri full-length is due to follow this spring.
Sandro Perri Plays Polmo Polpo is available on CD or 180gLP, and the LP jacket is a 2-colour silkscreen assembled by hand. Put in an order for your own copy, as well as the aforementioned Do Make Say Think, at the Constellation Records Online Shoppe.
