Decade in Review: Yo La Tengo

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Kip

2009 year end music and album list

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

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Kip

poker-dog 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

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Kip

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)

Buy Logos

Members of Black Moth Super Rainbow and others release Halloween single

Posted on October 24, 2009 by Kip

black-moth-super-rainbdow-creepy 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”

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Kip

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.

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Tag Archives: MP3