New Caribou track – “Odessa”
On April 20th, Caribou releases his new album, Swim, onto the masses on Merge Records here in the states and City Slang in the UK and Europe (released on 19th). The first track to come out is Odessa.
While I’m excited for many albums this year (Hot Chip, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, etc), Caribou is definitely at the top of my anticipation list. This track just fuels the fire. With his signature tribal / psychedelic undertones, this track is a killer. However, it’s more dancey then some of his other material. The drums aren’t as jittery. They’re more straight forward and don’t stray too far off the four beat reservation. There’s a real disco vibe, most notably pronounced by a treble heavy guitar riff that pops it’s head out from time to time. But there are twist and turns that keep the Caribou signature in tact. Overall this is a fantastic song and I look forward to hearing more of the album when it comes out.
While one of the biggest reasons I admire Dan is his versatility to mix complex rhythms with psychedelic melodies, I’m quite confident that if he decides to infuse dance music in this next album that he’ll take the genre by storm and show most of these kids who think they know how to create a good electronic dance album a thing or two.
Recently added video (2/19) for Odessa:
Buy Caribou (formerly known as Manitoba) albums
Decade in Review: Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
When it comes to music geeks, you don’t have to look much further then the trio from Yo La Tengo – James McNew, Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley. What started out as a husband and wife project in the early 80s is now considered one of indie musics more sought after acts. It’s amazing to think how long these guys have been around. When you think of bands like Rolling Stones or Aerosmith, you don’t often think about their new albums or songs. You go after their original music because that is where most of their inspiration lies. Today, they’re burnt out and are barely capable of writing a good rock song even if their life depended on it. Yo La Tengo on the other hand have fans clinging to every new album, song and note that they produce – myself included.
I remember the first time I listened to “And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out”. I was driving up to what would be my new home for the next 6 years and counting, Boston, and I remember wondering why I hadn’t listened to or heard about these guys before. This alone made me curious to wonder what else was out there that I have been missing for oh so many years. The song, “Last Days of Disco”, means a lot to me. I put it on my first mix tape for my soon to be wife, Amanda.
2009 Album: Popular Songs
Got me hooked: And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
Bonus Download: “Periodically Double or Triple” from Popular Songs (MP3 courtesy of Matador Records, their label).
Instrumental music from Asthmatic Kitty Records
Asthmatic Kitty Records has some pretty cool stuff going on with their catalog series that includes a number of popular artists playing instrumental music based on certain themes (Insomnia, Tropical Savagery, Memory). Their hope is that this music will eventually play as background music for when you’re doing dishes, commuting, cooking, sleeping (or trying to sleep), and one that caught my eye, playing high stakes poker. Our poker club has a tourney coming up so it’s perfect timing.
Here are some samples from some of the catalogs available and if you dig, click on the volume to purchase the full album.
“Alpha to Theta” (by Lowell Brams feat. Sufjan Stevens)
From: Music for Insomnia: Vol 4
“Amazonian Pacific” (by Roberto Lange)
From: Music for Memory: Vol 5
“Conquerers” (by Yuuki Matthews)
From: Music for Tropical Savagery: Vol 6
And one of my favorites is this soul shakedown from volume 2, Music for Measurements. This is the one that you play right as you’re staring your opponent down in a high stakes poker game, with sweat from your brow, you give him a wink and throw in all your chips with a smirk and a grin. “Bring it on”, he says.
“Law 2″ (by Law of the Least Effort)
From: Music for Measurements: Vol 2.
But in all seriousness, give this Volume 2 more of listen over at Law of the Least Effort’s myspace page and check out these jams.
Atlas Sound and the magical vamp of Bradford Cox
Slowly but surely Bradford Cox has become one of my favorite artists over the past couple of years. Ever since I saw Deerhunter at the ICA down on the Boston Waterfront I’ve been craving any and everything that Brad puts his hands on.
I just picked up the new album, Logos, from Atlas Sound, Brads other outfit. I’ve completed one full cycle of the album but the songs “Walkabout”, which I first heard on the Mondo Boys Weird Summer mix that I picked up from Aquarium Drunkard earlier this summer, and the Laetita Sadier vocal track, “Quick Canal”, have been on repeat for the entire week. Those two tracks alone are vaulting this album clearly into my favorite albums of the year list.
“Walkabout”, the Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear) guest vocal track on the album, was a quick favorite among bloggers back in the summer. And “Quick Canal” is quite possibly one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in a long time. The opening vamp envelopes you in comfort and the beat keeps you from falling into a coma while Laetita’s voice seduces your brain waves. But that underlying keyboard vamp stays with you. I’m a big Dogtown and Z Boys fan and the vamp that surfaces throughout the soundtrack, that vamp that emulates the “dreams come true” phenomenon of those kids, is a powerful sound. One that Brad uses masterfully on this track.
And how can you not love an artist who frequently gives away his work for free. Head over to the Deerhunter blog where Brad posts mixes of his favorite music and also gives away b-sides from both Deerhunter and his Atlas Sound projects.
Download Atlas Sound covering Fleetwood Mac cover - “Walk a Thin Line”
Download – “Walkabout” (ft. Noah Lennonx)
Members of Black Moth Super Rainbow and others release Halloween single
They’ve already got a creepy vibe going so having members of Black Moth Super Rainbow as part of your Halloween special is a good start to a creepfest.
They have a CD that glows in the dark accompanying two tracks (“Shrieks” and “Creaks”). The collaboration includes members of BMSR, The Appleseed Cast, Casket Girls and Dreamend and they’re going by the name of Marshmallow Ghosts. Kind of lowers the creep factor after you reveal their band name.
Download & Listen to a snippet of “Shrieks”
Order the single at Graveface Records - or buy it from a local record shop
You can feel the chilly, damp breeze as you walk down those dark, back country roads that the kids from BMSR live around in their sleepy Pennsylvania town. I can almost smell the acid dripping from the rusty nails dangling from atop of the haunted mansion.
Washed Out is a blow out – “Belong”
I have a new obsession and it’s called Washed Out. The man behind the music is Ernest Greene and he hails from Macon, Georgia. I spent some time traveling to Savannah, GA during my college years and I can tell you that the slow grooves felt throughout his music is a perfect back drop to the Georgia lifestyle.
As noted in his Pitchfork interview, he grew up in a very rural part of Georgia where peaches flow like wine. This rustic environment may have led to one of the strong points on his songs which is the muffled production that creates a lo-fi, muddled sound. Like a tape that’s been sitting in the back seat of your car for too long, melting in the sun.
Speaking of tapes, he’s releasing a cassette-only release on a small label from Charleston called Mirror Universe. As of his interview with p-fork, they were only set on releasing 100 copies. By the sounds of the voices calling out from the online universe, that is not nearly enough.
But do not fret, most of his music is available digitally and also on vinyl. I highly recommend you check out his EP, Life of Leisure, which is available in places like eMusic.
A track not found on the latter EP, “Belong”, is what first beckoned me to learn more about this southern musician. It encompasses all that is great with 80’s synth-pop and then some. There’s so much reverb and echo on his vocals that there’s no helping your mind from being pulled into submission. From there, the beats and bass pound away till your legs, feet and arms subconsciously flow in unison.
Download & Listen: “Belong”
Buy Washed Out music: (eMusic) (Amazon)
Washed Out is on the Mexican Summer label which is an off shoot from Kemado Records.
The Clean – new album out September 8th
These New Zealanders have been rocking since 1979 and show no signs of slowing down. They release Mister Pop (Merge Records) on September 8th and you can download two tracks from the album over at RCRD LBL. Give them a listen below and get excited for an entire album full of sharply written pop jangles.
The xx – new from across the pond
The XX came across my radar after filtering through the MBV blog crew (Fluxblog, Catbirdseat, Chromewaves, Said the Gramophone, Large Hearted Boy). This site almost makes me wonder why I even have a blog.
But I guess if it were up to The XX and for the whole new age of musical acts, if smaller blogs like mine on the outer ring of the giant blogosphere don’t pick these things up and share then it puts a crack in their momentum. So, I guess I’ll continue to do my part.
The XX are young high school friends, as told by Mike over at Obscure Sound. They’re not afraid to admit their admiration for the pop world (Rhianna, Aaliyah, etc.) and aren’t afraid to inject those pop influences into their music.
“Crystalized” stands out as a key track. It starts out slow and quite with a feeling that it could explode at any minute. When this particular song does explode, it’s still just a simple guitar riff that doesn’t over power the vocals or the foundation instruments (drums / bass). It stays subtle and mellow throughout, keeping the explosion to a minor threat to the ears of the listener.
Their first full length album, 2.0, is due out on October 20th on XL Records but it’s currently available through Young Turks in the U.K.
Download & Listen to “Crystalized”
Purchase 2.0 (U.K. Only on emusic)
Monsters of Folk on tour and mp3
You have to be wary of supergroups. From the Traveling Wilburys (George Harrison, Tom Petty, Roy Orbinson, Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne) to The Highwaymen (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson) to Velvet Revolver (yikes), you never know what you’re going to get. It could either be amazing energy or it could be too much energy, too much star power or too much ego for one room to handle.
Monsters of Folk started when Conor Oberst (better known as lead singer of Bright Eyes) and his cohort in Bright Eyes, Mike Mogis, joined up with Jim James of My Morning Jacket and M. Ward on a tour where they sat in with each other on a number of occasions. Each one talented in their own right and plan to keep the “freewheelin” vibe going by switching up instruments both on the album and during their fall tour which was just announced.
They released a single, “Say Please”, which you can run over and grab right now for free on their website (www.monstersoffolk.com). Not sure if there is anything specific that you need to type in to the form to get the mp3, but I put in “please” and that seemed to do the trick.
The song begins with Conor and M. Ward trading off vocal duties leading into a big chorus with everyone chiming in, “hold out your hand – hold out your hand – darling (conor only) – hold out your hand – say please (conor only)”. Nothing crazy to report about the song itself. A pretty standard tune (verse, chorus, verse, bridge, verse, chorus, etc.). I have yet to hear the rest of the album but this very well could be a supergroup whose only purpose is to ellicit joy in the artists for jamming together and to raise money for local non-profits. They parterned with Air Traffic Control, a group that helps the musical community with philanthropic and social change efforts, and are donating $1 for every ticket sold on the tour to local non-profits. I’m assuming that by local they mean all the cities that they’re visiting this fall.
They’re coming to Boston on November 3rd at The Orpheum. Check out the rest of the tour on their website.
Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)
What a freaky day in icon world. Not only does every boys fantasy girl pass away after a long stand fighting cancer but the freaking KING OF POP dies! I don’t want to over shadow Farrah Fawcett because once again, she was and probably will remain to be every young male’s fantasy girl, but when you go on the same day as someone like Michael Jackson who not only defined one generation but multiple and brought together soul and pop music to create what has been hailed as the greatest cross over album in the histroy of recorded music, Thriller. Well, there’ s not much more I have to say.
There’s no question that my obsession with music was partly due to the “man in the mirror”. I’m not ashamed to say that I stood in front of the TV when Thriller came on trying to memorize the dance moves with my sisters.
Here’s a little playlist of some, and I stress some, of my favorite MJ tunes. Enjoy.
About Editor
Name: Luke "Kip" Owen
Location: Boston, MA
Contact: kippy[AT]hip2besquare[DOT]net
Twitter: twitter.com/kipdog
Youtube: youtube.com/kipdog
-
-
