Posts in Music

First of all, i’m going over this Deodato(which is the cover art above) live version of Do It Again and I realized I heard the best thing ever which is just ONE guy whistling really loud in the middle a key solo like it was the only record he had at home. These 4 tracks have something in common other than just being old, you can file them all under Yacht Rock which is an amazing genre of music if you like your brass section epic, your bass guitar lines soft and smooth, your keys saturated like off white stage light glare and most importantly strings being played like your in a 70’s spy movie chase scene in speedboats. It’s an easy genre to rip on i’m sure for people that don’t dork out on the certain instruments that I mentioned before but if you take all the labels off of it or any bad memories then this music has a lot to offer in my opinion.

Stephen Bishop – Save It for a Rainy Day

Deodato – Do It Again

Starbuck – Moonlight Feels Right

Chuck Mangione – Give It All You Got

We have written about this release before here with the Tycho free single and here with a bit more information about the project, now after the free download its officially out in digital retail stores with an exclusive Solvent track and available in physical CD format. Here is what Ghostly International had to say about the release thats #5 on iTunes Electronic charts – “Cartoon Network’s genre-defying [Adult Swim] programming rearranges comedy’s basic building blocks into oddities like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!; Ghostly International’s artists scramble the language of dance and pop music into something strange and artful. It was only a matter of time before the two found each other and made adorably freakish babies.

The Ghostly Swim compilation is a collaboration between Ghostly International and [Adult Swim], a 20-track mix (curated by label founder Sam Valenti IV) of tracks from Ghostly’s avant-pop mainstays like Matthew Dear, Michna, and School of Seven Bells, alongside kindred spirits like Milosh, FLYamSAM, and Mux Mool. Ghostly Swim’s best tracks embody the label’s trademark mix of playful darkness and irreverence – Deastro’s lurching robot-rock anthem “Light Powered,” The Chap’s bizarro-world pop hit “Carlos Walter Wendy Stanley,” Michna’s slinky-smooth “Triple Chrome Dipped” – making them an ideal accompaniment to, say, pissing in your pants over Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law.

Ghostly Swim was initially released in early 2008 as an exclusive free download on [Adult Swim]’s website. Now, the groundbreaking compilation is available both on iTunes and as a limited-edition CD (available only through the Ghostly Store, free with a purchase of $20 or more), and includes a bonus track: Solvent’s banging cover of Madonna’s “Hung Up.””

FLYamSAM – The Offbeat

Deastro – Light Powered

Mux Mool – Night Court

Michna – Triple Chrome Dipped

I’m really impressed by Warp’s new signing Hudson Mohawke, I’ve had this song Monde on repeat for days now and it deserves the love its getting and has been competing with Animal Collective on my iTunes this week. Fun little fact, did you know that the new Animal Collective LP debuted in the Top 10 in the Billboard charts? I’m loving 2009 more and more.

Mux Mool sent me this track by Erobique which is on iTunes Indie Spotlight this month. The record label looks like it has some raccoon dog on it that’s wearing a hat, which I kinda love. I’d love to know what he sampled for the vocal though, its epic and comes in like a J Dilla track vocal, dare I say this might be what Dilla would of sounded like if he had to make one disco cut.

So you have bought all the Gas and Burger/Ink LPs, now what else is there? well Kompakt reissued Wolfgang Voigt’s Studio 1 alias on CD which grabs up some tracks that we’re vinyl only for awhile. It’s very minimal and straight forward dubby techno on a regular house system but when DJ’s play these tracks out I always flip for them.

I know its Caribou now since the forced name change but i’ll always think of Manitoba when I pull out his Up In Flames LP to listen to. Who can hate this Hendrix With Ko song? no one thats who because Its got something for everyone. Anyone know what synth that is at 2:40? is it just digital replica? because I want it following me around everyday.

Hudson Mohawke – Monde

Erobique – Endorphinmachine

Mike Ink. – Light Blue

Manitoba Feat Koushika – Hendrix with Ko

Before Justice and when Daft Punk was starting off there were some big names in the house(vinyl only) world like Bob Sinclar, Doc Martin, and Louie Vega. None of them besides Doc Martin are worth checking out now since they’ve failed in my opinion especially if you compare recent work to old. Those 3 guys though back then had catchy hooks without the flash and trendy effects over them, this Supreme track by Mogi Grumbles feels like the perfect bridge to get all this distortion house back to a enjoyable level for all the different fans on the dancefloor.

I saw Eliot Lipp play the other night with Laser Sword, Glitch Mob, and a few others. The man is very impressive live especially when he’s on the Moog playing the songs. Looks like he’ll be touring the US more in the coming month, he’s definitely worth checking out.

Sam Valenti posted this Peter Schilling song on Facebook the other day and I haven’t heard a catchier chorus in a song like this since Simple Minds I think, also you can’t ask for more than a repeating chorus at the end of a song that goes into a fade out.

If you watch TV at all you’ve probably seen the Nike LeBron James commercial with this song by Cornershop, the song is perfect for the video, I hope to see more commercial licensings as good as this in 2009. *throws chalk up in the air*

Mogi Grumbles – Supreme

Eliot Lipp – P.L.W.3-D

Peter Schilling – Major Tom

Cornershop – Candyman

I talked about the new Junior Boys a little bit here last week and now a couple days later they have shared a few tracks from their forthcoming album Begone Dull Care. Seems like a very promising LP, hopefully some remixes and limited vinyl pop up soon after the album drops.

Tracklist:
1 Parallel Lines
2 Work
3 Bits and Pieces
4 Dull to Pause
5 Hazel
6 Sneak a Picture
7 The Animator
8 What It’s For

Junior Boys – Parallel Lines

Junior Boys – Hazel

Anytime I start hating on living in Brooklyn it totally redeems itself within days. The other night I was searching for music to listen to and stumbled upon a post that said Beirut free show in Brooklyn and I looked at the clock and just grabbed a taxi and got there right on time for the first song. Beirut live is worth $30+ in my mind, the man has my full support, his voice was exactly what I wanted to hear after listening to a ton of instrumentals all day long.

I got into Sun Ra probably later than most people, every time someone tells me a story about him playing live its always really absurd which is great to hear.

Mike Dykehouse had an LP that come out a few years back that he attempted to make shoegaze via only using his computer and a guitar plugged into it. The LP came with a couple of these short interludes all the way thru that I really loved, maybe one day he’ll revisit them and make epic longer versions? I can only hope. The artwork for the Midrange LP was done by Deanne Cheuk which many of you may already know.

I saw Keith Kenniff play live a few months back as Goldmund hoping he’d maybe sneak in some of his Helios work in as well but there was no need, he did all these slower piano pieces that I really enjoyed. This track Evelyn off his new LP The Malady of Elegance I recommend as a nice introduction into his work.

Beirut – The Concubine

Sun Ra – Saga Of Resistance (Theo Parrish mix)

Dykehouse – Garden

Goldmund – Evelyn

As some of you maybe already know, Charlie Cooper — one half of Telefon Tel Aviv) — passed away last week. We just wanted to pass on our sincere condolences to his close friends and family. Charlie, your genius will be missed.

I feel like i’ve used up all the adjectives that describe dreamy post rock already in this blog so its really hard to explain how beautiful this song is without using the same old ones. Can you just imagine being back in the mid 80s and just watching VHS’s of Cocteau Twins live shows in poor quality and driving around listening to this on cassette and sharing it for the first time with friends? so so good.

This has become my favorite Deerhunter song after going thru their catalog over and over. Listening to all the parts that make up the song, i’d be even content with just the hand claps and the pitched up synthesized voices that go thru the whole song.

I don’t think Ariel Pink gets your attention right from the beginning if you put in one of his records. It’s a sound that grows on you, this song has this early 90’s local cable recording quality to it and how he sings the chorus is addictive to listen to.

The Sundays at times ride this thin line of something you wouldn’t play for friends but you just can’t deny the songwriting and musicianship here, if I heard this live and at this quality i’d think they’d be one of the best band around.

Cocteau Twins – Sugar Hiccup (BBC Sessions version)

Deerhunter – Dr. Glass

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – For Kate I Wait

The Sundays – Goodbye

One of my favorite records that I loved playing out when I DJ’ed was Four Tet – Pause because it had so many good dj set starters no matter where you played. Lately all i’ve wanted from Four Tet is for him to stop collaborating with other musicians and start on another record like Pause or Rounds, just a detailed melodic driven 180 gram colored vinyl that I can stare at and listen to all day.

I just posted Bon Iver a couple weeks ago but another EP popped up which was decent, could of been amazing but there’s this song called
“Woods” on it that I couldn’t handle to the point that I just threw that track away. As for this track “Blood Bank” I think it might be better than any track off his recent LP.

Junior Boys just announced they have a new LP slated for April 7th in the US, the album is called Begone Dull Care. I’d put Junior Boys down as the most listener friendly cross over band to play when you have a variety of friends over. “Under The Sun” is one of the more simple songs the Junior Boys have done but its so rewarding.

I don’t know much about Damn Arms besides remixes, as for dance music its pretty similar to your Cut Copy, College, and Midnight Juggernauts. The thing I do like about this song is the flute, i’m not gonna lie it grabs my attention and also reminds me of this Paul Simon video.

Four Tet – You Could Ruin My Day

Bon Iver – Blood Bank

Junior Boys – Under The Sun

Damn Arms – Destination Pt. I

I’ll be driving up to Sacramento for the Dusty Brown show on Sunday, should be a good one. Word is they’re going to have a live drummer so definitely try to make it out if you can. Here’s the details:

Dusty Brown LIVE
w/ Musical Chairs
CLUB POW! @ Press Club
2030 P St. Sacramento, CA 95814
Sunday, 01-25-2009
Cost: $3