Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Bloated and In Need of Sleep

Hope everyone in the US had a great long holiday weekend. I drank - a lot - and am dreading tomorrows return to work. Beautiful weekend here in the Philly area though - official start to summer indeed.

So a quick bit for the web...

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Wolfmother - Woman

Here is the single version of the song (remix below in the last post). Very guitar heavy, rockin jam. These guys are from Australia and seem to be similar in their revialist desires to fellow Aussies Jet. While not nearly as sing-a-long-catchy as Jet they put down some solid tunes on their self-titled debut. This single is actually a bit different than the album version - much better i think. It's tempo is a bit reduced in comparison.

Just Like We (Breakdown) (DFA Remix)

This mix is the B-side to Over & Over. Hot Chip is on the DFA label which is enough for me to pick up their stuff. These London boys have a kind of Postal Service meets the Beta Band vibe, a nice indie dance act. The original of this track can be found on their set: The Warning which is out in most of the world now and drops June 13 in the US. This mix amps up the dance quotient, as the DFA are wont to do with epic synth stabs and a quicker beat than the original but you don't lose that languid meloncolic feel in the vocal - if you like Tracy Thorn's delivery style in Everything but the Girl then you'll dig all 8 and a half minutes of this mix.
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K, thats all. Hope you enjoy, and now back to the grind.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Worldwide Mix Tape Trading and other Hippiesque Persuits

Its called Summer Burn - basically you make the best damned, laid back, sun shine dripping, make even the Chilli Pepper's jealous, summer mix tape you can with the choon's at your disposal. Then you sign up, make two copies and mail them to whomever the Funjunkies tell you to. In return you will get two mixes from different people and everyone gets to experience new music and maybe a great summer soundtrack. Yes, its a bit Haight/Ashbury but hey, it could be fun. Click the title to be taken to the site for more info - anyone know any good songs about swamp ass? (Thanks to Steph for the link)

A few MSTRKRFT remixes i like...
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Death From Above 1979 - Sexy Results (MSTRKRFT Version)
Bloc Party - Two More Years (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Wolfmother - Woman (MSTRKRFT Remix)

Toronto duo DFA79's debut You're a Woman, I'm a Machine, had some great tracks and some so-so ones. However, 1/2 of that band has a dance project alter ego known as MSTRKRFT and has nailed every production he's done. The first single was an iTunes SOTW earlier this year (dead-on Daft Punk impression) and there are a slew of fantastic remixes including Annie, Metric, The Kills and an upcoming mix of She Wants Revenge for interested people to track down.

The remix of the DFA79 original can be found on their remix album Romance Bloody Romance with a bunch of other treats (check Erol Alkan's toss up of their hit "Romantic Rights"). It goes from machismo fuled stoner rock to a kitchy indie-dance meets 60's bossa-nova number with a few french lyrics.

The Bloc Party original was released as on a double single with Hero after the massiv success of their debut Silent Alarm - currently i have no idea where this remix can be found outside the net. The original will likely also pop up on their forthcoming sophomore effort. I can't stop listening to this track.

Wolfmother came out of Australia with the nearly the same level of back home hype that the Arctic Monkey's enjoyed when they finally landed stateside from snaggle-tooth island (that's Britian). The remix chops up the obvious classic rock of their track and gets all electro-funk up in there with hand claps, synths, cowbells and a guitar sans fuzz.

and just for good measure here are 2 hilarious vids - "Sexy Results":



and their first single, the french house slathered "Easy Love":



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Next time I'll see if i can put up some of the originals for comparison.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Content 'eh?

Hey, need some more content? (Don't we all?) Then head over to Draxhall's blog: Big Thoughts From A Small Mind. It's filled with clips, mp3s, cd reviews ect - and the cat's got good taste... oh and he's from Canadia but don't hold that against ;) For the link just click the title. He's currently sporting some stuff from Tribe, MF Doom, Daft Punk & The Fiery Furnaces so you know the net is cast wide.

And look, Titles & Sidebar links! Slowly getting the hang of this blog thang down!


Now 4 more tracks I like...
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Jamie Lidell - What's the Use

Latest iTunes US Store Single of the Week (so DL by Monday @ 11:59 EST). This is a nice funky piece of neo-soul. I am a big fan of the SOTW as it lets you discover things like this. Excellent replication of Shuggie Otis ("Strawberry Letter 23" - He's a woefully underappreciated genius) style 70's sound with real attention to interesting production. Starts off as a pretty simple beat with some atmospheric shades and a funky bass line but as the track progesses the beat meanders incorporating an odd break here and there while some other sounds and harmonies fill up the sparse musical space - including a subtle but deadly horn off in the distance during the bridge. Ace.

The Sounds - Painted By Numbers

An ass shaking bass line that gives way to a piano breakdown, lalalas and dramatic 80's synths highlight this perfect pop/rock gem. Naturally, The Sounds are from Sweeden. If you like Blondie you'll love this shite. Singer Maja Ivarsson has that a trace of a Joan Jett snarl in her voice that cuts through the pop sheen and lets you fall head over heels in love with the track. The track is from their second CD Dying to Say This to You which came out back in March.

Jedi Mind Tricks ƒ Killah Preist - Saviourself

Repin' the 215 (that's Philly) JMT are celebrating 10 years in the game. MC Vinnie Paz's voice tends toward the grating but his lyrics however drip with Egyptian and other ancient world imagery and make for a flow that takes you off to his world. The verse from Killah Priest, turntable play and Indian inspired production smooth the whole package out. It's this last element however that really makes the track. Its an oustandingly listenable beat that I could easilly loop on instrumental and get lost. the track is off their 2004 release Legacy of Blood

And here is an amazing image - the cover art for the disc that preceeded Legacy. That is City Hall in Philadelphia:



We Are Scientists - Inaction

This Brooklyn trio's first set, With Love and Squalor, dropped in Jan and is packed with 12 catchy, art rock, tracks that sound like Bloc Party, the Killers, ect. Unlike thise bands WAS seem to have a tounge in cheek delivery that starts with the cover of said disc:

Where as Bloc Party inhabit the political and the Killers have a hyper-dramatic pomposity about them this track is has a self depricating, loser way about it.

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All for now and remember "Ape shall never kill ape!"

Sunday, May 14, 2006

For the not-so-techno-savy

Just occured to me that some may not know how to download these tracks - for most of them if you click the link you can listen in a window and if you right click and select "save target as" you can dl to your hard drive. I know there is a different way for Macs but i don't know it. For some links a download dialogue box will automatically open up and for iTunes links you need to have iTunes installed to get the track.

Here are 3 more tracks that I like...

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Andy Dick - Cosmic Dust

Yes, that Andy Dick. This is goofy experimental/surf rock number feels like a B-52's b-side. Dick channels Fred Schnieder at times as well. There's some lyrics about sniffing lines (duh) and "the moon, who's one good eye's on us." Yes this is very camp but its a catchy number and good for a laugh or two.

Kula Shaker - Diktator of the Free World

The lads from Kula Shaker are back! Anyone remember Kula from the 90's? Lots of 60 Psychedelic influences, Indian sounds and chanting? Ok, I was a big fan at the time (their debut K was and is one of my most played cd's) and they recently released an ep on iTunes with 3 other tracks beside this one. Diktator is one for the anti-bush crowd. Lyrics are in the first person as though W is on vocal and its pretty scathing (first line: I'm an A-1, major league, sociopath/My daddy's in oil and my life is a gas) but never fails to be a rousing rockin number - lots of guttural howling and some psy-organ noise. So if your a neo-con that just likes solid rock tracks then you might dig it as well.

Mike Doughty - Looking At the World from the Bottom of a Well

Doughty is the former lead singer of the singular act Soul Coughing. This track is the lead off on his 3rd and latest solo disc Haughty Melodic. Sounding a bit like mid-era R.E.M. or the Counting Crows with a nice upbeat folk style acoustic strum that gives way to some of the more "produced" sounding music he's done since SC split up. Doughty biggest strength is his highly literate lyrical mastery and playful, catchy delivery of those lyrics. Based on the album title, he obviously know this.

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Late-

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

And a 5, 6, 7, 8...


Post 2 and it starts with a bang. Here are 4 more tracks that I like...
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Editors - Feel Good Inc. (Acoustic)

Sweet damn, this is really hot. If anyone picked up their single Munich a few weeks ago when iTunes has it as their free DL of the week then you know that its a soaring new new wave track in the same vein as Block Party. Well they recently did a spot on Radio 1's Live Lounge and went thru this great acoustic cover of the Gorillaz smash hit "Feel Good Inc". They also get a few bits of "Munich" in at the end of the song. Just DL this - NOW!


Man Man - Engrish Bwudd

Man Man - I'd Rather Go Blind

File under experimental rock. This insane set of characters from Philly (E-A-G-L-E-S...) just released their second disc titles Six Demon Bag on Ace Fu Record. You can't read a review of them without a reference to Frank Zappa or Capitan Beefheart - I listen to a lot but never got into either of them but if they are as excitingly odd and refreshing as Man Man I'll have to pick some up. Bwudd is an over the top sing along with strange lyrics ("He traveled across the sea in the belly of a Japanese businessman / on a pleasure ship to France"). Kind of like the Squirrel Nut Zippers on LSD. The second track is a sublime and faithful cover of the Etta James blues classic. Lead singer Honus Honus delivers an honest heartfelt rendition without a trace of irony that you might expect after listening to the first track.

Grandaddy - Rear View Mirror

After 14 years Grandaddy decided to break up early this year - however they recorded a final album before that happened! It out today and called Just Like the Fambly Cat. This track is a sprawling mini-epic clocking in at 6:06. Bits of psychedelia soak up the front end of the track about a third of the way along they kick it up to a solid driving rocker before heading back out. Shows that even up till the end they were turning out great tracks.

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And I'm spent.


Thanks-

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Hi Mom, Thanks for reading my blog!

Just in case anyone else stumbles by though, i guess there should be some kind of JFE (justification for existence) statement or at least an attempt to explain what it is i'm attempting to do here.

Well, imma kick this thing off as an audioblog - a little review of various mp3s that are available around the net and the links of course so you can listen your damn self. I know, i know - i saw an already over crowded market place and said "me too!" I feel just like Antwon Bugleboy. All links will be to legally dl-able files that the band or their record label decided that you should have. Since there is so much stuff out there this thing will be like a strainer so you can keep hold of the tasty ravioli while letting the rest of the water run down the drain. But who knows where it will go, this is my first attempt ect ect...

First i should say a bit about what i like - so if your tastes do not match up with my own or you suffer from a lack of adventure you can stop reading now (if you already haven't). I'm very much a part of Indie Nation right now along with the NYC garage revival sound, DiscoPunk/ElectroClash/IndieDance whatever you wanna call it, New New Wave or Art Rock, most of the genres of electronic music (Techno, House, Trance, Jungle...), General Alt Rock, occasionally some Alt Country, i also dig on Standards & Crooners, Pop, Reggae, Hip-Hop - ok actually this is a little useless and i have not the talent of Brett Easton Ellis to make the reading of lists the least bit engaging so basically: i dig music. Now lets dive (off this roof and) into this thing.

Here are four tracks that i like...

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Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. - Whitewash Is Brainwash

19 year old bedroom musicians turn out a lot of crap. Thankfully most of it we don't have to listen to and thankfully this is an exception. The track starts with an acoustic guitar intro just before a mellow breakbeat kicks in. The track has a Postal Service feel to it while the lyrics are a whole lot more cynical - he even calls himself a cynic in the song. The song is a meditation on TV and consumer culture and escapist entertainment but in a fittingly fun, bubbly little pill that's a snap to swallow. The goofy ending is just as endearing - the beat drops out and there's a little acoustic sing along of the chorus followed by a few Yeahs and Woo-Hoos. Fantastic. GCWCF has yet to release a proper album but having just signed to a major label it should be coming out at some point this year.

Elefant - Lolita

This is the 2nd 'single' from NYC band Elefant's second album - The Black Magic Show. A droning, paranoid affair about well - a lolita. The track moves more in an Interpol direction than anything on their previous album, emulating The Cure/Echo & Bunnymen with a more driving urban rock sound. Lead singer Diego Garcia has a romantic yet urgent Morrissey style croon. The first track from the cd has a much different carnival style sound to it so it seems that they are reaching farther sonically that their previous release.

The Raconteurs - Steady, As She Goes (Acoustic Version)

iTunes current free Single of the Week so the free period will expire this Tuesday. Jack White of the White Stripes' side project sounds... well a lot like the White Stripes. Not that i mind. Actually, this acoustic version of the song sounds more like the minimally produced style of the White Stripes than the plugged in version, which has a bit a of a sheen to it. Typically when something new comes along the record company releases the most familiar sounding material first so i don't expect the whole album to sound this similar to the Stripes. The full length drops in 2 weeks and i can't wait to here it.

The Ark - This Piece of Poetry is Meant to Do Harm

Apparently this Swedish glam-rock band has been around sing the dawn of the 90's - who knew. Anyway this is the first track of their newly released disc State of the Ark (clever). There are some video game style sounds, distorted guitars and an overall funky sound that recalls T.Rex with a hint of Devo. Infectious.

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Sweet, well that was relatively painless - though i took it slow. So if you do happen to stumble upon this (or are one of the select for whom i'll send out an invitation) drop a comment and let me know what ya think. I'm going to attempt to add a hand full of tracks every 3-5 days.

late-