Tuesday, January 31, 2006
The latest
Psapp record
Tiger, My Friend is pristine elecronic pop that ranks right up there with The Postal Service's
Give up and The Notwist's
Neon Golden as tops within the genre. It also occurred to me that I've been listening to quite a bit of this stuff lately. You know, poppy electronica that’s been peppered with glitchy blips and looped acoustic guitars, music box sounds, whirrs, bouncy beats, and great melodies. Psapp (however) stands out a bit because of Galia Durant's lovely soothing breathy vocals. I swear she oftentimes sounds just like Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab (which is a very good thing). They also stand out because where other artists might overindulge, Psapp aims for a quieter more restrained space. Listening to this makes me want to feel the warm glow of a fireplace as I look out over a snow-covered mountain village.
Tiger, My Friend is out now on
Leaf.
MP3 |
Psapp - Electricity In Pine Boxes Tiger, My FriendMP3 |
Psapp - Curuncula Tiger, My Friend
Monday, January 30, 2006
I laughed when I read their sound descirbed as, "Imagine a 5 year old playing Nintendo and drinking Kool-Aid as he gets run over by Pantera’s tour bus," and I'm laughing as I write this. Mainly because
HORSE the Band is a terrible name for a band and also a terrible name for a horse, but also because I can't believe how much I like this (actually I can). HORSE the Band is a (strangely) amazing metalcore band from California whose gimmick is incorporating silly 8-bit sounding keyboard parts into their tunes. While it sounds ridiculous it works. I've heard their sound described as "Nintendocore" which is pretty accurate, but rather then simply playing Nintendo game theme songs like The Advantage, HTB (instead) creates the soundtrack to (what could be) the gnarliest video game ever.
Musically they sound like a cross between Reggie and the Full Effect, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Alexisonfire but with those damn video-game sounding synthesizers added to the mix. It isn't something that I really should like, but its like a car wreck on the highway that you can't take your eyes off of. Its nothing more than schizophrenic technical metalcore with screamed/spoken vocals and (sometimes) inane lyrics. Highly recommended. Their latest full-length,
The Mechanical Hand is out now on
Koch Records.
MP3 |
HORSE The Band - Birdo The Mechanical HandMP3 |
HORSE The Band - The Black Hole The Mechanical Hand
Sunday, January 29, 2006
This past Wednesday (1/25/06) my friend
Jacob went to see Jeff Tweedy at the
Abbey Pub in Chicago. I (unfortunately) was busy and couldn't attend this benefit show for Gary Schepers in which 100% of all ticket and door money went to him and an additional $1800 was raised through a ticket auction. I did (however) manage to ge my hands on an excellent recording of the show. Keep reading for more info...
"If you have been a regular concert-goer in Chicago during the past twenty plus years, odds are strong that you have benefited from the ubiquitous and experienced ears of Gary Schepers behind the soundboard. He has been the big man with the big voice and the good heart working the sound at Lounge Ax, the Abbey Pub, Empty Bottle, Martyr's, Fitzgerald's, Schuba's and every other venue you can think of. He's been the sound man for Eleventh Dream Day, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Material Issue, and John Parish. In short, Gary is one of THE unsung people that help keep our city the vital and accessible music scene that it is.
Recently, Gary was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and has spent the holiday season in a hospital room recovering and getting treatments. Like many people in the music industry, Gary is without health insurance. To help defray his mounting medical bills, there will be a series of benefit concerts featuring just a tiny percentage of the artists he has worked with over the years. The speed and ease with which these fundraisers have come together, and the breadth of talent participating in them, is testimony to the appreciation and high regard held for him within the community of musicians that have performed in this city." - Bloodshot RecordsFrom the audio below, the shows sounds like it was fun and that Tweedy was is top form. It was for a good cause and I suggest that anyone who can donate (info below) as much or as little as you can.
Download tracks
01-09 10-16 17-23 01. Intro
02. The Ruling Class
03. < sound system problems, banter >
04. Summerteeth
05. Was I In Your Dreams?
06. Bob Dylan's 49th Beard
07. Please Tell My Brother
08. Blasting Fonda
09. Pieholden Suite
10. Is That The Thanks I Get?
11. Airline To Heaven
12. I'm The Man Who Loves You
13. Heavy Metal Drummer
14. New Madrid
15. ELT
16. Someday Soon
17. A Shot In The Arm
18. Hoodoo Voodoo
19. Henry And The H-Bombs
20. Theologians
21. Spiders (Kidsmoke)
22. I Can't Keep From Talking
23. Acuff-Rose
Additional donations for Gary Schepers, made payable to "Gary Schepers Trust," can be made at any National City Bank branch location, or mailed to:
National City Bank
1520 N. Damen
Chicago, IL 60622
Saturday, January 28, 2006
My
wife and I enjoyed
Obadia's EP
Where Does Dust Come From? during a friendly game of scrabble (which I won) last weekend. This fun little 7-song EP contains "traces and excerpts from a larger mass of recordings" that film-maker and knob-twiddler (Stéphane) Obadia recorded between April 1998 and December 2003 in Paris and Stockholm. It is filled with the sort of easy-going glitchy folktronica that would fit perfectly in your collection next to your Four Tet or The Books records. It is a warm and pleasant blending of organic/acoustic elements and the childlike electronics reminiscent of DAT Politics or even Mouse on Mars. And while the music certainly occupies the same territory as scores of other artists', Obadia incorporates a playfulness that makes this EP a breath of fresh air. You can download the entire EP for free from
Autres Directions.
MP3 |
Obadia - Don't Forget To Be Late Where Does Dust Come From EPMP3 |
Obadia - Some Hot Lazy Day Where Does Dust Come From EP
Friday, January 27, 2006
Smoke or Fire was originally known as Jericho before they moved to Richmond, VA from Boston. After the move they changed their name to Jericho RVA and (later) to Smoke or Fire. Their latest album
Above The City is a fast and furious 12 song barrage that is (as is the case with so many great punk records) over way too fast. The music is melodic, rough, and at times poppy, but this ain't pop-punk. Lyrically (and somewhat musically) Smoke Or Fire follows the same path as RVA bands like Avail and Strike Anywhere by walking a fine line between the political and the poetic. Their sizzling-hot street-smart sound is razor sharp and full of all the necessary ingredients (gritty vocals, pounding drums, melodic bass, buzzsaw guitars) to make this taste just right. And just like those two aforementioned RVA bands, Smoke Or Fire's tunes also have an anthemic sing-a-long quality to them that is perfect for long drives or mosh pits. They've toured with the likes of Against Me and Lawrence Arms and
Above The City is out now on
Fat Wreck Chords.
MP3 |
Smoke Or Fire - Loving Self-Loathing Above The CityMP3 |
Smoke Or Fire - Fire Escapes Above The CityMP3 |
Smoke Or Fire - Filter Above The City
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Paavoharju hails from a remote corner of Finland and (perhaps) because of their isolation (at least to my ears) their music is quite unique. The music on their latest album
Yhä hämmärää is very hard to pinpoint or label. There are certainly nods to the music of India and the east and almost medevial sounding melodies, but there is also the influence of modern electronica and avant-garde music as well.
If you aren't listening intently you might (at times) mistake them for
Cirque du Soleil performers, but if you listen closer they reveal so much more. Songs are complex and abstract but have a little pop familiarity that sometimes makes them seem like part of the fabric of humanity. The vocals are gorgeous, soaring, operatic, and almost ghostly. They drift in and out of a haze of skittering beats, acoustic guitars, lo-fi synths, and piano that is then wrapped up tight in a blanket of electronic static and noise into an almost alien musical landscape.
Because I don't understand any of lyrics as they are being sung, the album is that much more obtuse and exotic. The vocals are sometimes echoed, covered with delay, or even pushed out of the forefront as the fuzz of static and feedback are pushed louder. They are used very instrumentally similiar to the way
Sigur Ros treats their vocals. No sounds are safe from ambient effects and atmospheric textures and as the electronic elements are combined with field recordings the music is swirled into a beautiful haze.
The music is dense. There is so much going on that one can easily become disoriented listening, but I think thats part of the magic. When translated to English, some lyrics from the song "Syvyys" read
"Into the mysterious veil of the opaque/To be heard only as a whisper to the gardens of earth/When I was listening to the earth's song and travelling further/Too much dusty earth/I could not help but scream." They aren't concrete and concise (but rather) poetic and conceptual as is Paavoharju's music. It transports the listener to somewhere else, even if it is a place that only exists in dreamscapes.
Yhä hämmärää is out now on
Fonal Records.
MP3 |
Paavoharju - Valo Tihkuu Kaiken Lapi Yhä hämmärääMP3 |
Paavoharju - Puhuri Yhä hämmärää
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
So last week I told everyone that I was looking for a little help making a new
mix CD for my wife to listen to. I asked the readers of this here blog to give suggestions and send in some songs. Well, the response was more than I expected (apologies to everyone who's songs didn't make it) and what I ended up with is a damn fine collection of reader-submitted tunes for her to listen to. Take a look and a have a listen. (Contributers are listed in italics)
CYSTSFTS Readers Mix (download
part 1 part 2)
01. Unrest - Sammy's Mean Mustard
Amy from Shake Your Fist02. Jack Johnson - Badfish/Boss DJ
Luis from Mexico03. Amadou et Mariam - Pauvre Type
Wolfgang from The Monkey King04. Lali Puna - Faking The Books
Kelly from Sensory Overload05. The Secret Machines - Alone, Jealous, & Stoned
Justin from Live Music Blog06. The Lucksmiths - A Hiccup In Your Happiness
Gina from Hello Gina07. The Shins - Saint Simon
Conor from Roshambo08. Haley Bonar - Drinking Song
Heather from I Am Fuel, You Are Friends 09. Billy Bragg - Waiting For The Great Leap Forward
Jason from Simon's Blog10. sourceVictoria - The End Is Just The End
Kevin from So Much Silence11. Astrud Gilberto - The Gentle Rain (RJD2 remix)
Jacob from Cannot Be Trusted12. Seu Jorge - Bem Querer
Kelsey from Analog Giant13. The Boy Least Likely To - Be Gentle With Me
Kelly from Sensory Overload14. Iron And Wine - Love And Some Verses
Bob from The Shippen News15. Sia - Sunday
Peter from tmwsiy16. I'm From Barcelona - Treehouse
The Sad Pandas17. Velvet Crush - Goin' To My Head
Laura from Tales Of Tababa18. The Bens - Bruised
Luis from Mexico19. Wilco - Ashes Of American Flags (Live)
Eric from Theme Park ExperienceAnd since I know you didn't think that I would get out of this without doing anything, below is the mix that I made for my
wife. Its a bit more predictable than the one above but also a little more her style.
Wife's Mix (download
part 1 part 2)
01. Devin Davis - Iron Woman
02. Small Towns Burn A Little Slower - Alias: The Bee Keeper
03. The Clash - Spanish Bombs
04. Alkaline Trio - Don't Say You Wont
05. Troubled Hubble - I'm Pretty Sure I Can See Molecules
06. The Smiths - Girlfriend In A Coma
07. The Firebird Band - Nothing Not Dance Party
08. My Morning Jacket - Off The Record
09. The Mountain Goats - This Year
10. Hot Hot Heat - Goodnight Goodnight
11. Hail Social - No Title
12. Gratitude - Sadie (Acoustic)
13. Nick Drake - Northern Sky
14. AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long (Live)
15. Minus The Bear - Memphis And 53rd
16. Smoke Or Fire - Loving Self Loathing
17. Lucero - Bikeriders
18. Rocky Votolato - Tennesee Train Tracks
19. The Shins - New Slang
20. John Cougar Mellencamp - Hurts So Good
21. Screeching Weasel - Your Name Is Tattooed On My Heart
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Part Chimp hails from the UK and plays noise rock that (even at moderate volumes) sounds deafeningly loud. They (for the most part) throw melody out the window and spew forth a sludgey and bombastic cloud of pummeling guitar feeback and crashing cymbals. Even when the music quiets and the guitars go clean, you know its only a matter of seconds until the onslaught of riffage begins again. I am sure that the amps used by the guys in Part Chimp go to eleven and possible higher. This is music that will make your ears bleed with pleasure. Their sophomore album
I Am Come is out now on the UK label
Rock Action Records. RIYL: Lightning Bolt, QOTSA, DFA 1979, Black Sabbath.
MP3 |
Part Chimp - Bakahatsu I Am ComeMP3 |
Part Chimp - War Machine I Am ComeMP3 |
Part Chimp - Doctor Horse Peel Sessions
Big thanks to everyone that submitted music for the
CYSTSFTS? Mix Tape Project as I now have more than enough great songs to put on a CD for my
wife. The results will be posted sometime this week along with the mix I made (which is much more predictable) for her.
In sadder news Jacob over at
Cannot be Trusted is taking an indefinate hiatus from blogging. He is the person that pushed me into the blogosphere and really got me going on this here site. His musical/personal/political rants will be missed.
Music later.
Monday, January 23, 2006
The latest offering from acid-folk singer songwriter Brendon Anderegg is called
Falling Air. From one track to the next the album is a mess of different genres but somehow ends up being a (sometimes uneven) but cohesive whole. The music touches on everything from
Hail To The Theif style low key electronica, to Nick Drake-ish folk, to dronescapes ala Keith Fullerton Whitman without ripping off any of them. It is a quiet affair that uses a vast array of instrumentation (vocals, guitar, banjo, organ, Rhodes, horns, chimes, drums, assorted percussion, electronics) to create quiet textures that weave throught the songs as well as the more experimental pieces. While it would be easy to overdo something on an album like this it is Anderegg's subtle restraint that holds the whole thing together.
Falling Air is out now on
Psych-O-Path.
MP3 |
Brendon Anderegg - Street Lights Falling AirMP3 |
Brendon Anderegg - Rode, Riding To Falling Air
Sunday, January 22, 2006
If you have never heard the music of
Konono No.1 stop whatever you are doing and download this track. They make some of the most strangely mesmerizing music I've ever heard. The music sounds like it was scooped fresh from the pot that contained earth's primordial soup.
Konono No.1 was founded some 25 years ago by Mawangu Mingiedi in the Kinshasa area on the Congo/Angola (formerly Zaire) border, and is steeped in traditional Bazombo trance music. They use a combination of three amplified likembes (thumb pianos) pitched to bass, middle, and treble along with a collection of makeshift percussion instruments constructed from (among other things) hubcaps, pots, pans, and scrap metal.
What makes them even more interesting is that in order to hear their music over the din of the city streets, Mingiedi created his own lo-fi system. He built pick-ups for the likembes from magnets salvaged from old car parts, wooden microphones (for the call and response chanting), and pluggled them all into home-made amplifiers powered by car batteries and megaphones left behind by Belgian colonists.
Vincent Kenis (a music producer from Brussels) tsearched out the band in 2000 and discovered it sounded exactly as it did 20 years earlier when he first heard Konono No.1 on a French radio station. He was shocked to find that none of their outdated equipment had been replaced. Kenis recorded
Congotronics outdoors using an Apple laptop and a few microphones and mixed the entire thing in his hotel room with members of the band. You can read more detailed version of that story
here.
The results are oftentimes harsh and otherworldly trance-inducing percussive jams that have almost as much in common with modern experimental electronic music as they do with traditional African music.
Congotronics is out now on
Crammed Discs.
MP3 |
Konono No.1 - Lufuala Ndonga Congotronics
Friday, January 20, 2006
While I am no jazz expert (by any means) I know what I like and what sounds good to these ears. And, as a fan of a lot of music that could be considered noisy, I absoultely love the work of saxophonist
Ornette Coleman.
Jazz critics all agree that Ornette Coleman was one of the most important (and controversial) innovators of the jazz avant-garde. He was a revolutionary and challenged the notions of what jazz should sound like when he burst on the scene in 1959. His music may sound tame by today's standards, but back then it was a bold new statement that rattled, turned off, and even frightened many listeners. Even Miles Davis said, "Hell, just listen to what he writes and how he plays. If you're talking psychologically, the man is all screwed up inside."
Now my first exposure to jazz music was (as a kid) to the the generic, boring, click-track stuff you can readily hear on smooth jazz radio stations. I wasn't impressed at all and forgot about jazz until sometime in college when I was exposed to Miles Davis'
Kind Of Blue. I discovered that jazz could be really good and (over the next few years) slowly expanded my collection and knowledge of the genre. In my early 20's I stumbled upon some recordings by Ornette Coleman in the library. I took them home and put 'em on the stereo. As my jaw dropped I may have said something like, "Holy s#!t, what the f#&k is this?"
I had never heard jazz music like that before. Ornette's performances were virtuostic, emotional, and exciting. His music was all over the map and seemed to just flow and move along as if it had a life of its own. The music wasn't so much dissonant as it was chaotic and definately pulse-quickening. If Thurston Moore played saxophone he might be Ornette Coleman.
In 1961 Coleman released
Free Jazz, a 37-minute improvisational jam that featured Coleman, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Eric Dolphy, and others as a double quartet. The left channel features Coleman's quartet and the right channel features Dolphy's. This is glorious noise and (although a bit challenging) pure musical magic.
MP3 |
Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz Free Jazz
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Since it was only yesterday that I posted on a British post-punk group, lets make it two in a row.
Maximo Park is yet another British group that plays that popular-with-the-kids melodic post-punk. This band (however) is one of the best of the lot. They are from good old Newcastle Upon Tyne which is probably better known for
brown ale than rock music. Far removed from the London scene that seems to be spawining a lot of these groups, Maximo Park is a little different. Yes, they have the angular guitars and the sneering vocals, but they just seem a little more sincere than most. Maybe it's the singer's thick British accent (which I find endearing because it displays an honesty and realism that many of their contemporaries are lacking) or perhaps its the lyrics that seem to be sung right off a page from a spiral notebook. I can't put my finger on it exactly but you know these guys aren't just posing and aren't faking anything.
Either way their tunes just explode out of your speakers with such an urgency that you can't help but (at least) tap your foot. I dare you to listen to "Apply Some Pressure" and not be humming or singing it afterwards. Their debut album
A Certain Trigger is out now on
Warp Records. Again, I triple dog dare you. RIYL: Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Futureheads.
MP3 |
Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure A Certain TriggerMP3 |
Maximo Park - The Coast Is Always Changing A Certain Trigger
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
If you like the danceable post-punk stylings of bands like Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, and Maximo Park, you
might like
Arctic Monkeys. Might. While they (sort of but not really) fall into that category of recent British exports, Arctic Monkeys are different. They add a harder edged element to that music; a stripped down sound that recalls the swagger of 70's British rock groups like The Who or even Zeppelin, the brash snotty attitude of early 80's punk bands, and even the combination of those two found in more modern stuff like Mclusky or The Libertines. At many points their singer (Alex Turner) even sounds a little like Mike Skinner (of the Streets) vs. Liam Gallagher (of Oasis) going at it in a bare knuckles brawl.
While there is considerable hype surrounding them, they have had a number one single in England and (IMHO) these guys have what it takes to back it up. Their debut album
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not is out soon on the
Domino label.
MP3 |
Arctic Monkeys - From The Ritz To The Rubble Whatever People Say I Am...MP3 |
Arctic Monkeys - Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor Whatever People Say I Am...
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Hey bloggers! I need some help. My
wife has had the same mix CD in her car for the last year-and-a-half (or so) and desperately needs a new one. I am in the process of making her one, but I am also asking for a little help from the readers of CYSTSFTS? I could just head over to
Tiny Mix Tapes for some ideas, but how much fun would that be?
How would you (yes, you who is reading this right now) like to help make a mix for my wife? I'm calling on everyone who is interested to submit a song (high quality MP3) or link via email to
canyouseethesunset@gmail.com. I'll take as many submissions as I get and put them all together and post the results for everyone to hear. Thanks (in advance).
[1/17 UPDATE: I'll take submissions through the end of the weekend (1/22)]
I've been meaning to write about this for awhile now, but never got around to it. And now since I finally ripped all my Dinosaur Jr. discs to MP3, I thought it was about time. Anyhow, here is the good part (slightly old news). The original
Dinosaur Jr. lineup is back and are about to tour Japan and Australia as well as play
ATP (in the UK) on May 19th. Their first three albums have been re-issued by
Merge and did I mention that the original lineup (
J. Mascis,
Lou Barlow, and Murph) has reunited and is touring? Hot damn.
I was about to post a brief history of the band but I found a good (and pretty comprehensive) one
here and figured that most of you know their story anyhow, so I'll leave it at that. Dinosaur Jr. was a huge influence on me and (for the sake of comparison) their music of is what you'd get by putting Sonic Youth and Neil Young into a blender. It was the accessibility of what were essentially pop-songs that drew me in, and Mascis' off-key warble (as well as his cacophonous guitar feedback assult) that kept me there and made them one of my all-time favorites. For those of you unfamilar with the band, the songs below will serve as a pretty good introduction.
MP3 |
Dinosaur Jr. - Little Fury Things You're Living All Over MeMP3 |
Dinosaur Jr. - Freak Scene BugMP3 |
Dinosaur Jr. - Just Like Heaven FossilsMP3 |
Dinosaur Jr. - The Wagon Green MindMP3 |
Dinosaur Jr. - Not You Again Whatever's Cool With MeMP3 |
Dinosaur Jr. - Start Choppin Where You BeenMP3 |
Dinosaur Jr. & Del The Funky Homosapien - Missing Link Judegment Night OSTMP3 |
Dinosaur Jr - Feel The Pain Without A SoundMP3 |
J. Mascis - Blowin It Martin & Me
Monday, January 16, 2006
Tristeza is an instrumental post-rock band from San Diego, California and they have been doing their thing for a few years now. They've released two great albums (
Spine And Sensory and
Dream Signals In Full Circles) as well as a bunch of EP's and 7" singles and even a record of remixes. All that aside, their latest effort
A Colores is the group's first without founding member James LaValle who left in 2003 to pursue his
Album Leaf project full-time.
I loved their EP's for
Gravity Records as well as
Dream Signals and really didn't know what to expect from this new Jimmy-less Tristeza. Well, it is more of their signature indie rock on psychedelics that (for some) might seem repetitive and relegated to simply being background music. This is not the case. Each successive listen reveals more layers that pull the listener into the dream worlds they create. The music is intoxicating. Atmospheric, melodic, beautiful lush soundscapes are exactly what you'll get on
A Colores. It is out now on
Better Looking Records.
MP3 |
Tristeza - Balabaristas A ColoresMP3 |
Tristeza - Wand A ColoresMP3 |
Tristeza - Building Peaks Dream Signals In Full Circles
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Well folks, its finally over. The only thing that console me after watching the Bears defense get shredded like swiss cheese by the Carolina Panthers is knowing that the Steelers (my wife's team) are still in it. Another thing that is consoling me right now is the
Voxtrot EP
Raised By Wolves.
I know I'm a little late with this one and that I'm probably the last music blogger on the face of the earth to post about Voxtrot, but this quintet from Austin, TX is just too good to ignore. Their decidedly un-Texas britpop sounds very similar at times to groups like The Beatles, The Smiths, Belle & Sebastian, and even Interpol. It is near-perfect danceable sunshine twee pop that is the cure-all to wash your sorrows away. Voxtrot also has a new EP entitled
Sisters, Daughters & Wives due out on April 4th. Oh, if Morrissey hears this EP he'll be jealous.
MP3 |
Voxtrot - Raised By Wolves Raised By Wolves EPMP3 |
Voxtrot - Missing Pieces Raised By Wolves EP
Saturday, January 14, 2006
I am not ashamed (and will readily admit) that I am still a fan of well-played catchy-as-hell pop punk. You know, the kind that sounds best in your car with the windows down and the volume way up.
Minneapolis'
Small Towns Burn A Little Slower is just one of those bands. Their debut full-length
Morality As Home Entertainment is out now on
Triple Crown Records. It is full of searing guitars and rapid-fire drumming that set the backdrop for one catchy melody after another. And although the songs can easily get stuck in your head, there is a grit to them, and edginess that makes the sugary sweet moments that much more enjoyable.
Listening to Small Towns reminds me of being young and carefree. Their music rekindles that youthful spirit I once had. Even if it is just the nostalgia talking, these guys are still one of the best pop punk bands around today. Besides, how can you not love a band that has covered one of my favorite Rocky Votolato songs and has song titles like "1970 Topps Burt Blyleven Rookie Card?"
MP3 |
Small Towns - Forget The Fashion Morality As Home EntertainmentMP3 |
Small Towns - Alias: The Bee Keeper Morality As Home EntertainmentMP3 |
Small Towns - Suicide Medicine There Is No Place Like MPLS
Friday, January 13, 2006
Hi everyone! In case you didn't know, Ryan from
Muzzle Of Bees posted an interview with yours truly for his ongoing "get to know your blogger" series. Head over to
Muzzle Of Bees to read it, or just click right
here.
I'll leave you with a few renditions of Radiohead songs for solo piano by
Brad Mehldau and
Christopher O'Riley. Enjoy.
MP3 |
Brad Mehldau - Paranoid Android Deregulating JazzMP3 |
Christopher O'Riley - Let Down True Love Waits
Below are some random thoughts and some odds 'n ends for this wonderful Friday (the 13th) morning.
First things first. Kristi over at
Frontier Psychiatrist posted the new single from the Flaming Lips forthcoming album. Download it
here.
Does anyone else think that
The National is a bit overrated? I mean, there are a few standout tracks on their album
Alligator but after that is just gets a bit boring. Overall a decent album, but nothing really special.
Stars (on the other hand) made an album full of pop glory that for some odd reason really reminds me of the Smiths. Maybe it is some of the melodies, maybe the vocal phrasing, I don't know. Either way, their latest album
Set Yourself On Fire is now CYSTSFTS? approved.
Jacob over at the always great
Cannot Be Trusted is now posting the songs that get stuck in his head. So in a little tribute to him and the fact that he got me started doing this whole blogging thing, I am going to post the Interpol song "Evil." My
wife keeps singing, humming, whistling, the opening line (wait, only the first word) "Rosemary..." over and over and now I can't get it out of my head. Evidently that song is on an old mix I made her that she refuses to remove from her car's CD player. I think she needs a new mix.
MP3 |
Stars - Ageless Beauty Set Yourself On FireMP3 |
The National - Mr. November AlligatorMP3 |
Interpol - Evil Antics
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Yesterday afternoon I listened to the lastest album from
The Books,
Lost And Safe. It is all that has been playing on my iPod since then. It is a beautiful folktronica mess that is much more accessible and listenable than their previous work. Rather than a free-form collage of found sounds,
Lost And Safe is more song-oriented and uses more acoustic instrumental sounds. It is not as experimental and doesn't rely as heavily on sampled material as
The Lemon Of Pink, but still has a very playful spirit to it.
Moka was definatley onto something in calling this the best album of 2005. It is damn good.
2005 also saw The Books collaborate with Prefuse 73 as he remixed/reworked their sounds into the
Prefuse 73 Reads The Books EP. It is exactly the sort of avant-folk with huge post hip-hop beats you would expect it to be.
Lost And Safe is out now on the great German label
Tomlab and the Prefuse EP is available on
Warp.
MP3 |
The Books - Smells Like Content Lost And SafeMP3 |
The Books - An Owl With Knees Lost And SafeMP3 |
Prefuse 73 - Pagina Dos Prefuse 73 Reads The Books EP
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
I first heard the music of
Beth Orton over the crappy speakers at a Tower Records store. I loved it (even through the terrible sound system). Her powerful breathy vocals coupled with her gentle acoustic guitar and traces of warm electronica were an instant hit with me. Needless to say I bought that album
Daybreaker before I left the store.
Her music is perfect for both lazy summer afternoons or late night chillouts sessions. It is an amalgamation of folky acoustic guitars, subltle electronica, and trip-hop beats. Some have even compared her to a female Jeff Buckley.
Anyhow, Beth Orton's new album
The Comfort Of Strangers hits stores on Feburary, 7th.
Jim O'Rourke (Wilco, Stereolab) produced the album and also contributed bass and piano on the record. And if that weren't enough, Beth co-wrote the album's title track with O'Rourke and
M Ward. I'm looking forward to this one.
MP3 |
Beth Orton - Conceived Comfort Of StrangersMP3 |
Beth Orton - Feral Children Comfort Of StrangersMP3 |
Beth Orton - Daybreaker (Four Tet Remix) The Other Side Of Daybreak
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
The world of music bloggers is seemingly going to hype
Tapes 'n Tapes to death. Everyone has been posting about them lately, and if they weren't so damn good, I might complain a little.
Addie sort of posted about them yesterday so I thought I'd follow that up with one of my own. But other than saying that if I'd heard their album sooner it would have most certainly made my best of 2005 list, I'll let you see what some others have written about them.
"The heavy buzz on these guys has been brewing like some other bands you might remember from last year, but don't let that stop you from checking them out...you'd kick yourself later." - Aquarium Drunkard"Goodness knows the indie trio Tapes 'n Tapes were a big delight of this past fall for many in the blogosphere. Their solid, Wilco-esque single "Omaha" had me tapping my feet for just about the entire month of November...I dare say this record is going to continue to be something of a soundtrack for me for these first few weeks of the new year. Tapes! Tapes!" - Hello Gina"Listening to Tapes 'n Tapes reminds me of the first time I heard some of my favorite indie bands. Not so much because they sound like Arcade Fire or The Robot Ate Me, but rather it's the same feeling that Tapes 'n Tapes are positively bursting at the seams with potential. "Cowbell" is definetely one of the best songs I've heard all month. It fits in nicely with the other crazily awesome songs on The Loon." - You Ain't No Picasso"And if you wanna know how I know it's good: it sounds good on my work computer's speakers, and nothing sounds good on my work computer's speakers." - Gorilla vs. BearThey've been doing their noisy, unshaven thing in MNPLS for a few years now. Maybe they're even the city's best kept secret, or, maybe people there hate the band and are going to throw rocks at me for falling prey to their hype. But I don't care, because there is no hype -- just amazing, amazing songs. Listen to this damn thing. Just listen to it. I listened to it at least a dozen times yesterday. I love it. It's ["Insistor"] a thing of beauty, and one of the catchiest singles I've heard this year. It very quickly has shot to the top of my ranks this year, and that's what this thing is all about...If I were pitchfork this would be my best new music." - Music For RobotsMusic For Robots also (just today) posted a Tapes 'n Tapes
video that is definately worth checking out. Their latest album
The Loon is available now at
Insound or directly from the band's website.
MP3 |
Tapes 'N Tapes - Insistor The LoonMP3 |
Tapes 'N Tapes - Omaha The Loon
Here are two radically different versions of one of my favorite songs. Most people know the original version by
John Cougar Mellencamp (when he still had the cougar) but not the boot-stompin' version by RVA's
Avail. I like em both.
MP3 |
John Cougar Mellencamp - Pink Houses Uh-HuhMP3 |
Avail - Pink Houses Dixie
Monday, January 09, 2006
Everyone loves
Madlib. I do. You do. He is the producer/beat-making genius behind such projects as Madvillain, Quasimoto and Yesterday's New Quintet.
Now I was not too familiar with YNQ until recently when I heard Madlib's
Sound Directions The Funky Side Of Life which began as an offshoot of YNQ. It is Madlib's first full length collaboration with session musicians (including wicked UK drummer Malcom Cotto) and is a collection of "vintage soul grooves, electronic freewheeling funk, and fusion-oriented jazz breaks" that are all given the Madlib treatment. His grimy abstract hip-hop beats still mess through the tracks but aren't necessarily their central focus. By incorporating live instrumentation (including drums, bass, horns, rhodes, and guitar) Madlib pays homage to the old school jazz that has influenced him and lets us come along for the glorious (and certainly funky) ride.
Madlib presents Sound Directions
The Funky Side Of Life is out now on
Stones Throw Records.
MP3 |
Sound Directions - Dice Game The Funky Side Of LifeMP3 |
Sound Directions - On The Hill The Funky Side Of Life
Sunday, January 08, 2006
So last night the
wife and I (with our little baby in tow) headed out for an evening of fun with
CBT and his
wife (and their little one). We talked, watched what the kids did, listened to music, ate some delicious falafel (along with some of my home made hummus), and had an all around great time.
One of the albums that Jacob played for me was
Rabbit Fur Coat by
Jenny Lewis and the
Watson Twins. It is fantastic. While I am familiar with Lewis' work in Rilo Kiley (as well as her career in TV and films), this is a big departure from that. It is a collection of fantastic tunes that showcase Lewis' stong personal, political, and confessional lyrics and are musically more traditional country than anything Rilo Kiley has done (with the harmonizing of the Watson Twins adding a definate soulful and gothic element to the songs).
Rabbit Fur Coat will be released January 26th on Connor Oberst's
Team Love imprint and features a great cover of a classic Traveling Wilburys song with guest appearances by none other than Connor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Ben Gibbard (Death Cab), and M. Ward.
MP3 |
Jenny Lewis - Rise Up With Fists Rabbit Fur CoatMP3 |
Jenny Lewis - Handle With Care Rabbit Fur Coat
Friday, January 06, 2006
Milwaukee's
New Sense is making some of the loveliest pop-rock music I've heard in quite some time. These Midwesterners released a self-titled EP a few years back that fell right in line with the sounds of the Postal Service's breakout hit
Give Up, but have since added more live drums and louder guitars and moved past those comparisons and into something new.
Comprised of two former memebers (Ryan Weber and William Seidel) of the great band Camden (they also played on the Promise Ring's final album
Wood/Water and are currently members of
Decibully) as well as a bassist that was formerly in Paris Texas, New Sense (suprisingly or not) sounds pretty radio-friendly without being predicitable or generic.
They use soaring synth lines alongside breathy weightless vocals to carry the melodic load. There is bouncy bass and biting choppy guitars to propel these tunes. But it is William Seidel's vocals that are a huge part of this band's sound. They remind me of a smoother Simply Red with a killer falsetto. Yeah, describing their music and making comparisons is a bit dangerous. They are better than my words can describe them. If I said that they combine the poppy sounds of 80's groups like Tears For Fears with a twist of Maroon 5-esqe pop and wrap it all up in a blanket of shoegazing indie emo-rock what would you say?
Their latest record
Flowers Before Hours is out now on
Brilliante Records and is totally good. My
wife (who is now offically an MP3 blogger) likes them as well.
MP3 |
New Sense - What If I Get Sick Flowers Before HoursMP3 |
New Sense - Sticks And Stones Flowers Before Hours
The Chicago quintet
Bound Stems were featured as the band of the day at
Spin.com last week. I didn't realize that they were getting that much attention, but it is certainly deserved. While I can see the comparisons to Broken Social Scene and Modest Mouse, what this band does seems effortless and natural. Bound Stems play indie rock of the highest quality and their EP is currently on repeat in my iPod, and at only 26 minutes in length, it fully whets my appetite for their upcoming full-length
Appreciation Night (due summer 2006). That (folks) was a run-on sentance.
Their new EP called
The Logic Of Building The Body Plan is out now on
Flameshovel Records. It is full of complex and beautiful songs that don't forget to have a sense of humor. I highly recommend checking this out if you have the means as this is easily some of the best new music I've heard in awhile.
MP3 |
Bound Stems - Totipotent The Logic Of Building The Body PlanMP3 |
Bound Stems - Wake Up, Ma And Pa Are Gone The Logic Of Building The Body Plan
Thursday, January 05, 2006
As I was driving home tonight, I was flipping around the radio dial (something I almost never do) while searching for a broadcast of the
Illinois basketball game, when I heard a familiar voice like a beacon over the airwaves. Mucho kudos for
WXRT for playing a little
Sufjan Stevens. It's nice to know that not all mainstream radio totally sucks.
Now I was searching for that basketball game because tonight was that start of the
Big Ten men's basketball conference schedule. My beloved (and still undefeated)
Fighting Illini beat the Spartans of Michigan State. With the teams ranked #6 and #7 in the nation, this had the making of a great matchup, but what we got was the
Dee Brown show. He was on fire from behing the 3-point line. That along with Illinois' stifiling defense (which held MSU to over 30 points below their season average) sealed up the victory.
Oh yeah, and for all you
Page France fans out there, you should head over to their new
myspace page because frontman Michael Nau keeps posting new songs every day (but has taken down the eight that were up yesterday and today). I'll repost them if anyone wants them. Their last album
Hello, Dear Wind was #7 on my top albums of 2005 list.
Remember those salsa commercials where the cowboy questions that it's made in New York City? Well
Finian McKean is from Brooklyn but despite the urban locale his music sounds like it is hundreds of miles away. He says he is "Tired of the city, yearning for the deep woods." That sentiment shines through his music and is perhaps one reason why I am drawn into it. I too want nothing more than a peaceful escape.
All that aside, Finian McKean is one helluva talented singer/songwriter and musician. His songs sound like tapestries that are woven from litte pieces of the fabric of America. His latest album
Shades Are Drawn is a genre-spanning affair in the same way that many Brendan Benson records are. He touches on everything from Devendra-esque folk to sixties psych-pop to blusey backwoods stomps that remind me of my fondness for Red Red Meat. Ranging from uptempo rock songs to fragile piano ballds, all of Finian's songs are shards of raw-indie pop splashed with classic melodies that are comforting while never sounding contrived. He is a fresh new voice in a musical landscape so often flooded with mediocrity.
His advice is simple: "Play it loud." My advice is to follow his. And if you are in NYC on January 9th, go see him live with Tapes n' Tapes at
The Mercury Lounge. Should be a great show.
MP3 |
Finian McKean - Shades Are Drawn Shades Are DrawnMP3 |
Finian McKean - Black Hole Shades Are Drawn
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Bobby Burg has played on records by and been part of bands like Hertzsprung Gap, Joan Of Arc, Make Believe, and he also runs a
Record Label.
Love Of Everything is essentially Bobby's solo project. He makes music that is right in line with the music he makes with the Kinsella brothers in Joan Of Arc and Make Believe.
Disjointed pop music that is frayed and worn all around the edges like that blanket you always carried around as a kid. It looks like shit but is the only thing that can comfort you in your time of need. Love Of Everything has records out on
Brilliante Records, but his latest is out on now on
Redder Records.
For his latest record,
Handjob Community, Bobby brought in some of his friends from bands like Storm & Stress (Touch & Go Records); Rainer Maria (Polyvinyl Records), The Race, Make Believe (Flameshovel Records); Euphone, Joan of Arc, Owls (Jade Tree Records); and Pinebender (Lovitt Records) to expand his sound.
MP3 |
Love Of Everything - I Love All You Guys Fast Handjob CommunityMP3 |
Love Of Everything - Proud Brave Nothing Handjob CommunityMP3 |
Love Of Everything - Strip To The Sky friENDS
Yes its true.
TW Walsh has decided to leave
Pedro The Lion and (thus) main man David Bazan has decided to stop using the Pedro moniker and fly solo using his own name. I checked my facts and it is true despite the fact that I found this out from a man that
Cannot Be Trusted.
PTL has released a number of fantasic records. Most of them are available through
Jade Tree including
The Only Reason I Feel Secure (from which my dear friend
Sarah takes the name of her blog),
Winners Never Quit,
Control, and (most recently)
Achilles Heel. Bazan has also recenty released an album by his electo-ish band
Headphones that
Hello Gina recently posted about.
For those that are unfamiliar, Bazan has a vocal style that is unlike anyone else and is unmistakeable. That along with his descriptive (and often disturbing) narrative lyrics make for a powerful and unforgettable listening experience. While Pedro The Lion may be no more, I'm sure that we haven't heard the last of David Bazan.
So without futher ado, here is my PTL mega post featuring some favorites as well as a new demo, a Mazzy Star cover, and Bob Nanna covering one of my favorite PTL tunes.
MP3 |
Pedro The Lion - The Devil Is Beating His Wife (Demo) Previously UnreleasedMP3 |
Pedro The Lion - Fade Into You (Live) Previously UnreleasedMP3 |
Pedro The Lion - Transcontinental Achilles HeelMP3 |
Pedro The Lion - Simple Economics Winners Never QuitMP3 |
Pedro The Lion - Backwoods Nation Location Is Everything Vol. 1MP3 |
Pedro The Lion - Indian Summer ControlMP3 |
Pedro The Lion - Big Trucks It's Hard To Find A FriendMP3 |
Bob Nanna - Big Trucks Previously Unreleased
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Don't you hate it when you find out about a great band only to learn that they are broken up? That what just happened to me with the emo/punk powerhouse that was
Salt The Earth. I didn't realize that they broke up but I got an email one of the band members (Matt) that stated the following:
"Salt The Earth was a band from 2001 - 2004. We toured the country many of times but we call Lawrence, Kansas home." From what I can tell they have an EP and a self-titled full length available that I highly recommend. Fans of Grade, Hot Water Music, or early Rise Against take notice. This was a band from the heartland that rocked hard and played their hearts out.
MP3 |
Salt The Earth - Baseball S/TMP3 |
Salt The Earth - Still Waters Run Deep S/TMP3 |
Salt The Earth - Walking Wounded Previously Unreleased
Monday, January 02, 2006
Welcome to 2006 everyone. I hope the Holidays were great to all of you! My daily grind of work and school starts again tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to it one bit. Having over a week off has been great and the best part has been spending time with my
wife and little daughter. They are what makes all my days worthwhile.
In the meantime though, I present you all with CYSTSFTS Podcast #1. Just a few tunes to ring in the new year with and get you through these dreary (but suprisingly balmy) gray Chicago winter days. Enjoy.
CYSTSFTS Podcast #1 (128 kbps VBR, 70.4 MB)
01. Paul Duncan - This Old House
02. The Clash - Rock The Casbah (Extended Version)
03. Foreign Islands - Fine Dining With The Future
04. Black Dice - Smiling Off (DFA Remix)
05. Clor - Stuck In A Tight Spot
06. Steve Earle - CCKMP
07. Jose Gonzalez - Crosses (Jori Hulkkonen Remix)
08. Part Chimp - Bring Back The Ride
09. Paavoharju - Vitivalkoinen
10. Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone (Jason Nevins Club Remix)
11. Broadway Project - Raga 5
12. Gang Gang Dance - God's Money VII
13. Spoon - I Turn My Camera On (John McEntire Remix)
14. Sharks And Seals - Little Blinking Bus
15. Phosphorescent - Not A Heel
16. Tom Vek - I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes (Phones Remix)
17. DZUSA - Thomas Window Paine
With a total running time of 77:08, this mix should get everyone through at least a few miles on the treadmill as you try to keep your New Year's resolutions. You can probably buy most of this music at either
Insound or
Amazon if you hear something you like. I think 2006 is going to be a good year.
