Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Music Video Friday
A few of the more interesting videos I've seen circulating this week...
Fredrik - Viskra from The Kora Records on Vimeo.
Beach House "Silver Soul" from Sub Pop Records on Vimeo.
Parenthetical Girls "Evelyn McHale" on Vimeo.
Love at 20: 'Waiting' (Music Video) on Vimeo.
The xx - "VCR"
Surfer Blood - "Swim"
Futurebirds - "Dirty D"
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Pantha Du Prince
Beggars just hooked me up with Black Noise, the latest album from German minimal techno artist Pantha du Prince. Featuring collaborations from Noah Lennox (Panda Bear, Animal Collective) and Tyler Pope (LCD Soundsystem, !!!), the album will be released on February 8th on Rough Trade Records. The album's constant, minimally pulsating beats invite repeated listening, even if for nothing more than stimulating background noise. Fans of The Field and Begone Dull Care-era Junior Boys should definitely take this one for a spin. I got your preorder info right here:
"The music on Black Noise balances precariously on the slippery threshold between art and nature, between techno and folklore. Nature and technology become indistinguishable, all authenticity evaporates. On this album, rifts, fractures, and digressions are not flaws in the system but acoustic micro-vectors that drive the narrative. The intros serve to present the source sounds recorded “out there”—knocking, barking, ringing, tinkling which are then soon caught in the currents of vaguely psychedelic mutations. Noises blend into one another, and the most diverse acoustic designs are in play: steel drums and marimbas as well as physical modeling."
Friday, January 22, 2010
Basstape
This Bassnectar guy certainly has it going on. He's soon out on a nationwide tour in support of his eighth full-length album, Cozza Frenzy, including a stop at Coachella. We danced like fools during his set at ACL Fest here in Austin last year, so I recommend hitting up one of the tour dates posted on myspace. Hopefully he will be able to fit in another SXSW gig somewhere...
Check out the new mixtape via Bassnectar.net:
"This episode is 44 minutes and 25 seconds of 10th-generation genre-re-wiring, exploring bass music through an open-minded lens, regardless of tempo, or even beat-structure… this sound clash aims straight for your body, with the intent to melt you down into a fidgeting, wobbling mess of enthusiasm and delight. In addition to some of my favorite old records and samples, this mix features several brand new Bassnectar tracks, heaps of exclusive edits, re-edits, and re-re-re-edits. We tore our favorite drum & bass to shreds, injected hip hop with some pogo-stick bass, amped up the tempo of dubstep, freaked out the gypsies, gave a nod to the dreamy 80’s and ended up similar to where we started off: omni-tempo maximalism strikes again."
Tracklisting:
01. Azzido Da Bass - Doom’s Night (Timo Maas vs Bassnectar)
02. Bassnectar - Cozza Frenzy (Mega Bass Mix)
03. Rye Rye - Bang feat. MIA [aca]
04. S.C.A.M. - Let Me Hear You Say
05. Stagga – I Got Bass
06. Seductive Dubz - Hey!
07. Caravan Palace - Starscat
08. AAK & Double Step - (Bassnectar Edit)
09. Bassnectar - Boombox (Bassnectar Remix)
10. The Pixies - Where is My Mind? (Bassnectar Remix)
11. Nextmen - The Lion’s Den (Sigma vs Bassnectar)
12. Zen - Your Shout ft. Killabeats & Gry (Bassnectar Re-edit)
13. Bassnectar - Teleport Massive (Bassnectar Remix)
14. Bassnectar - Slam Dunk feat. Dunkelbunt
15. Bazznectar Medley - Tears for Modern English Masher
16. Damian Marley - It Was Written (Chasing Shadows Remix)
17. Kid Cudi - Day & Night (JOTS vs Crowdrock vs Bassnectar)
18. Malente & Dex - Lions (Bassnectar & iLL Gates Remix)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
jj
Swedish duo jj emerged on Sincerely Yours Records in 2009, who released the duo's first full length album, jj n° 2. The album received a Best New Music nod from Pitchfork, was named "The Year's Greatest Musical Obscurity" by Paste Magazine, and was listed among the year's best releases by the likes of Pretty Much Amazing, Prefixmag, and Obscure Sound.
According to the bio, jj favor "an artfully enigmatic presentation that has engendered near-complete Internet silence concerning the group's identity and back-story." Secretly Canadian will release their next album, jj nº 3, in March. Sincerely Yours recently gave away a couple of new songs from jj, one from the forthcoming album and another featuring a verse by Lil Wayne. jj will soon be on tour with The xx, and will be making their way to Austin for SXSW.
Machine Dreams
My first introduction to Little Dragon was seeing them open for TV on the Radio at Stubb's last year. Their set was a lot of fun, so the next day I looked around to see what I could find as far as their recorded material was concerned. I wasn't overly impressed with the self-titled Little Dragon album, and then pretty much slept on the follow-up, Machine Dreams, which was released last year on Peacefrog Records. That was until I finally put it on after the new year and discovered that it was a pretty damn good album, and a lot more in line with the funky hybrid of electro-pop I heard at the live show. Here are two of the better cuts from Machine Dreams:
Sleepydream
Teen Dream
The new Beach House album Teen Dream is out next week via Sub Pop. On top of being a joy to listen to, both the CD and LP formats of the album will arrive packaged with a companion DVD featuring a video for each song on the album, each by a different director. If you want to try before you buy, GvB is premiering a different video from the collection every day this week. The video for "Walk in the Park" went up today. Don't forget, Beach House are at Emo's on Thursday, Apr 22 with Washed Out. Tickets are here.
"Recorded in upstate New York, in a converted church called Dreamland with producer/engineer Chris Coady (who has worked with TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blonde Redhead, and a bunch of others) Teen Dream is the third album from the Baltimore-based duo Beach House, and their Sub Pop debut. The new album gives voice to a full universe of unbridled imagination, and the manifestation of Teen Dream has been a welcomed and all-consuming obsession for Beach House the past 9-12 months."
Monday, January 18, 2010
Memory Tapes
New Jersey producer Davye Hawke is a man of many aliases. One is Memory Cassette, one is Weird Tapes, and another is the dreamy, dance-pop alterego Memory Tapes. The debut album under the Memory Tapes handle, "Seek Magic", arrived in 2009 via Acephale Records. The stay-at-home dad creates some brilliant electronic moments on this release, a nearly flawless effort filled with bouncy synth lines and funky guitars that fall somewhere between New Order, Boards of Canada and Hot Chip.
Memory Tapes recently played their very first live show, in front of packed-to-capacity audience at a club in Manchester. Judging by this picture and the review, they are off to a good start. Memory Tapes will be performing in Austin during SXSW, so take note.
Gil Scott-Heron
Gil Scott-Heron is a spoken word artist who has been called the "Godfather of Rap" and the "Black Bob Dylan". On February 9th, he will release a new album titled "I’m New Here" on the independent label XL Recordings. Produced by XL label owner Richard Russell, this is Scott-Heron’s first album in thirteen years.
"I’m New Here" sees Scott-Heron reflecting on his life with his trademark vocal power and insight, sharing his visions among Russell’s flickering, electronic soundscapes. Check out this video and article to learn more, and click here to preorder.
Video: Toro Y Moi
Toro Y Moi video for "Blessa", from the Carpark Records debut "Causers of This." I can't get enough of this album right now.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Hot Rats on Letterman
Rock'n tune. I love that they decided to have a couple mannequins hanging out on stage with them. Take note, two-piece bands. 2010 is the year of the mannequin. The Hot Rats are a cover band formed by two parts of Supergrass. They re-do Bowie, Beasties, Floyd, Doors, Kinks and more on their album "Turn Ons" for Fat Possum Records.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Bibio
Bibio is the recording project of multi-instrumentalist Stephen Wilkinson. His latest album touches on a pot luck of genres, from electronic to funk to folk to soul and disco. "Ambivalence Avenue" was released on Warp Records in 2009 to critical acclaim, and ended up on many best-of-the-year lists. One of those, Tiny Mix Tapes, said "the album's evocative found sounds and obscure field recordings enhance its dreamy, surreal atmosphere, often providing nice segues between wildly disparate tracks. It's an album that defies expectations, and it is also Bibio’s most creative and penetrating release yet."
Friday, January 15, 2010
Concert Calendar
Looking at my concert calendar for the next few weeks, here are some of the upcoming events that stand out amongst the crowd.
Click the links for more info and stuff.
- Goodie Mob performing with all original members, backed by a full live band. Scarface will be there too. At Emo's 1/16
- Austin Video Bee and Church of the Friendly Ghost present AVB JAMZ Music and Video Extravaganza with music by Daniel Francis Doyle and Sunset, with cool video artists and more at the Salvage Vanguard Theater, 1/16
- Dax Riggs at Emo's, 1/22
- Casual Victim Pile shows at Beerland. 3 nights! Thu, Fri, Sat
- RJD2 at Emo's, 2/13
Moon Duo
Moon Duo come from San Francisco. The band consists of Wooden Shjips guitarist/singer Erik "Ripley" Johnson along with his female partner Sanae Yamada, and together they make a sound as big as the sky. Focusing heavily on guitar, percussion, keyboard and organ, Moon Duo create psychedelic Krautrock that lures its prey with a trance-inducing, hypnotic bop that extends to infinity.
The band released an acclaimed EP and single in 2009, and will be releasing their debut full-length "Escape" on Woodsist in February. Both of the releases from last year are cool in different ways, and from what I've heard the full-length continues that trend. It's hard to believe drone can come in so many tasty flavors. "Moon Duo keeps the three D's (drone, distortion, dissonance) going but adds a little more melody." -SFweekly
Moon Duo will be heading to Austin for SXSW in March, before the Wooden Shjips set sail for Europe in April.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Fungi Girls
Fungi Girls are three teenage dudes from Cleburne, Texas whose favorite subject in school is knowing how to rock. The band released their debut LP "Seafaring Pyramids" in the Fall of 2009 on Play Pinball! Records, which caught the ear (and affection) of folks like Impose Magazine, The Tripwire, We Shot Jr., and Gorilla Vs. Bear. Their music is a smokey brand of garage rock mixed with shoegaze and surf, creating a sound well ahead of the curve of what you would expect from a group of 15-16 year olds.
The label describes their debut as "a blistering album of concise and experimental songs ranging from shoegazing grooves and stoner rock riffage to psychedelic pop freakouts, channeling everything their teenage brains can handle." Check out the tracks below, and if you wanna hear more the band is giving the album away for free download at the link. They currently have a show lined up with one of my favorites of '09, The Fresh & Onlys, and will also be gigging around town during SXSW.
Toro Y Moi
Man, how hot is this Toro Y Moi album? It's definitely one of the coolest things to come in 2010. Take a listen, and follow the links to preorder "Causers Of This" or get it on iTunes. Toro Y Moi will be in Austin for SXSW too.
Bio:
"Toro Y Moi is 23 year old Columbia, South Carolina native and resident Chaz Bundick. His songs are born from a plethora of different genres, from freak-folk to R&B to French House. This multi-cultural juggernaut gathers up the best musical elements from around the globe— R&B, Indie Rock, Electronic Dance and Psychedelica —and creates something-freaking-else!
Over the course of his first groundbreaking full length “Causers Of This”, Toro Y Moi turns the aforementioned musics upside-down with his breathtakingly innovative approach. The incendiary power of Toro Y Moi’s funky synth and guitar play, pumping digital rhythms and gorgeously bright vocal harmonies makes for a formidable combination."More info:
Friday, January 08, 2010
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Various Artists
Warpaint are three ladies and one gent from L.A. who recently signed to Rough Trade Records, who will release the band’s first full-length album later this year. They are currently in the studio recording the album with producer Tom Biller who has produced Beck, Karen O, and Liars. Their debut EP, Exquisite Corpse, was mixed by John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Released on Manimal Vinyl, the EP captures the band’s unique blend of psychedelia and dreamy vocals that they’re known for creating live. Warpaint will be coming to Austin on February 24 with Akron/Family, and they'll be back in town in March for SXSW.Los Angeles Times:
"Combining the dense, shadowy mood of some early Cure with the sonic drift of Mazzy Star and Cat Power's more hazy vocal work, Warpaint occupies a challenging space where the mood can vary from deep woods come-down to fierce primal ritual. It hits an especially sweet spot live, where the ladies sometimes swap instruments or hone in on those spine-tingling harmonies."
I've mentioned Ty Segall a few times before. After clawing his way out of the Bay Area garage scene with a frantic one-man-band act that the locals couldn't get enough of, Segall has now given up the solo act for a three piece that destroys sonic and melodic boundaries with manic glee. The new live setup is a better reflection of his studio work—which generally starts with his one-man-band setup and builds from there. The sound is still his own brand of neo-psych garage rock, with waves of reverb and thud straight from the 60s. Ty Segall will be in Austin for SXSW.
Buddyhead:
"Lemons gives new life to a psychedelic garage sound bolstered with giant riffs meant for huge venues. And in the hands of a manufactured monstrosity like Jet, this approach led to commercially-viable disaster. But Ty Segall isn’t a fake. Lemons dials up the wattage and bombast with hooks that stray often and unabashedly from the soulful-screeching of his self-titled debut, but without sacrificing the intensity that won him notice."
The good folks at Matador hooked me up with the Casual Victim Pile about a week before Christmas, and I listened to it cover to cover at least five times before the new year. I had seen most of these band names on various bills around town, but had never actually heard a lot of them until I got my hands on this compilation. It's the best regional rock compilation I've heard since The Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit. Other than Woven Bones, who I was already a fan of, I've been most impressed by the songs of Lost Controls, The Distant Seconds, Follow That Bird!, and Elvis. Find more CVP info at the link.
The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs version of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" is worth taking for a spin. This track featuring Peaches and Henry Rollins in one of the better moments on the album if you ask me...
Stumbled across this David Bowie BBC Radio collection while listening to Pandora...
I saw this DOOM album on a few "Best of 2009" lists and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did, because it's some of the best hip-hop I've heard this year. Whether you're a long-time fan or a newcomer to this guy's innovative style, this is an album that deserves multiple listens. This is DOOM's first output after three and a half years of near-complete silence. In addition to tracks produced by DOOM himself, the album includes production by frequent collaborator Madlib, as well as the late J Dilla.
Predator Vision is the New Jersey/New York-based trio featuring Matt Mondanile of Real Estate and Ducktails, Etienne Pierre Duguay of Real Estate, and Ben Daly of Wavehead. As Predator Vision, these guys do nothing but deliver the most stoned-out, meandering psychedelic guitar jams ever put to cassette tape. Fire it up and push play.
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