The Concert Room

Adam Green - Minor Love Album Review

2011-03-25T04:15:00.000-07:00

ALBUM REVIEW OVER ADAM GREEN’S MINOR LOVE

Artist: Adam Green
Album: Minor Love
Label: Rough Trade Records
Total Length: 32 minutes, 35 seconds
Release Date: February 16, 2010

When reviewing any album, there are three questions a listener needs to know the answer to before having an informed opinion:
1. Are the concepts behind the music relevant?
2. Does the music contain depth and substance in its content? and
3. Is the style of the work impressive?
If we ask these three questions of Adam Green’s 2010 album, Minor Love , we can better understand the legacy of its artistry from our immediate perspective. Green poses many multi-conceptual themes, such as sisyphean drug usage and unrequited sex. The album is chalk-full of value judgments and ideas on his feeling about the human condition. On top of all of this substance, the album’s instrumentation (Green plays nearly each instrument on the album and recorded the album in near entire isolation) consists of his trusty guitar and the stylings of a well-produced, decade-in-the-making artist. Minor Love exists as his most succinct LP to date, with the fewest tracks (fourteen) and the shortest average song time: two minutes, twenty one seconds. Through his refusal to waste space with extended instrumental jams, he appeases today’s Twitter generation with its short attention span. As you’ll see further on in this review, Green shares many of current society’s ills and mental diseases.
Despite the album’s brevity, Green never cuts corners when it comes to his intricate lyricism. He skillfully uses an ekphrastic style to convey as much meaning (and double-meaning) as possible in his always-to-the-point lyrics. Consider Green’s poetic expertise as we review the rhyme scheme in the stanzas of “Cigarette Burns Forever”. Take note that every line ends with a two-syllable rhyme. Here’s the entire rhyme scheme for each of the five stanzas:

1. A / A / A / A
2. B / B / C / C
3. D / D / D / D
4. E / E / F / F
5. A /A / A / A

Notice Green’s aptitude for creating meaningful rhymes, better than most professional poets. Had you noticed that
a. rhymes that are consistently multisyllabic are difficult to achieve?
b. the entire first stanza rhymes with the entire last stanza?
c. with all four lines rhyming in stanzas one (1), three (3), and five (5); and with two halves of the lines rhyming together in stanzas two (2) and four (4), the rhyme scheme is quite symmetrical?
d. he displays the subject of the song through its rhyme pattern: Logically, an actual cigarette that could burn forever would have to start over at the end, just like how Green rhymes, “get her” [A] in the first stanza and the same rhyme, “bet-ter” [A] throughout the last?
Green is an auteur and knows exactly what he’s doing with his pen. He’s certainly well-versed in literary technique and the ideologies of twentieth-century philosophers. We’ll go over his poetic and ideological influences a bit further on. While we’re still on “Cigarette Burns Forever”, notice how he thoroughly covers the conceptual dilemmas of addiction to pleasure yet always finding incessant dissatisfaction:
“I fell into a life of leisure. I saw to a path of pleasure. Don’t it make it that much better, to find a cigarette that burns forever?”
The ending question is tongue-in-cheek speak for, “I’ll never be content in this life because no cigarettes actually burns forever.” I hope you’re a believer in the intellectual depth Green uses when discussing basic aspects of his daily life. Sometimes Green, the idiomatic motherfucker, means the exact opposite of what his words say definitionally.
As he has a good hold on the subjects of philosophy and poetry, it seems Green is a master of symbolism, too. Assuming the French’s view of the artist as auteur, we’ll say that Green really did make those oft-overlooked suggestions about the design of the album’s cover. Sure, the folks at Rough Trade Records probably made the final decision, though I bet a label so D.I.Y. gave Green a decent amount of control over his own product. Let’s analyze some of the symbolism he put on the album’s cover:
First, the photograph’s setting is New York, Green’s birthplace. The cover juxtaposes childish, bright pink handwriting over a vintage, black-and-white photograph of Adam. This recalls a consistently thematic lyric from 2008’s Sixes and Sevens, when he instructs artists to “make it old mixed with new” [“Be My Man”]. The scribbled handwriting on the bottom left displays Green’s often childish verse and emphasizes the fact that he writes the lyrics himself and doesn’t have his label use a type-font for the album cover. Green’s body position looks goofy, even humorous in the photograph, caught mid-dance. His body is overexposed and thus looks overly white. He mixes this with a very dark sepia background. This is all to show how he contrasts lightness and levity within a consistently darker subject material. The star popping out in the background of the skyline is obviously intentional, but why? I say it’s because this is the first album where Green honestly expresses his celebrité and what the expectations are for a star’s life with money and a wealth of substances. The theme of his celebrité is doubly represented by his body being so overexposed (now that he is more of a household name…get it?). The album’s drug motif is shown from the camera’s perspective, through the focus on blurring lights; diagonally-tilted angles (three total); and Green’s off-balance dancing. Lastly, if you’re wondering what fashion of sound he is going for in Minor Love, just check out his clothes on the front of the record: The boots and jeans are a throwback to his time spent in the anti-folk genre [albums: Friends of Mine, Garfield]; the suspenders and cane are in reference to his more recent days of croonier Broadway-type ballads [albums: Gemstones and Sixes & Sevens]. The leather jacket is part of the image found on Minor Love: a turn towards his new tight-knit and cohesive Rock and Roll sound, as a direct descendant in the bloodline of Buddy Holly after 50 years of evolving technology and America’s rapid decline of convention. His outfit, in its entirety, represents a comprehensive image both of Green’s previous and current styles.
On the subject of his previous musical styles, any Moldy Peaches’ fan should try the song “Oh Shucks,” employing the same shrill, grungy electric guitars and pounding drum kit as found in 2002’s Moldy Peaches 2000: Unreleased Cutz & Live Jams. I’ve discussed Green’s overarching career with a few friends who prefer The Moldy Peaches, and each of them said that this album was a turn back in the “right direction” (nearer to his Moldy Peaches origins), after nearly a decade of obscuring and over-polishing his former raw lo-fi energy. The lyrics in “Oh Shucks” are a return to Green’s simpler, less technical times when he was writing anti-songs with Kimya Dawson. The title line is “You’re a scumbag and I’m sad about that, oh shucks. That’s the way I like it--makes me want to shout…" Everyone knows Adam Green plays the novelty card exceptionally well, though its in instances such as this where the novelty is so thick that it coats the listener’s throat as they swallow, leaving a remembered taste and uncomfortable feeling for a decent while following consumption. Fortunately, Green spends most of Minor Love avoiding this pothole by offering his cheesiness in its best form: poignant camp.
Another literary card which Green overplays is his obsession with vulgarity. Pitchfork was apparently fed up with this theme in his previous five records. Their review on Minor Love begins with: “It's the end of an era: An Adam Green record without a single dick joke or crack-cocaine reference.” Sure, Pitchfork, this is technically true. The vulgar lines in this album aren’t about crack or the male phallus. To exemplify Green’s steady refusal to leave bodily humor alone, read the title line of track ten (10) “Castles and Tassels”, when Green sings, “Castles and tassels and flatulent assholes, I love you always.” Once again the snobs with happy-trigger over at Pitchfork jumped to this conclusion while disregarding its inaccurate implications. Some folks doubt that it’s possible, but doesn’t Green almost always use his brain to be vulgar in new, creative ways? His humor reminds me of Woody Allen—both communicate ideas deeply through both verbal slapstick and intellectual wordplay. Adam Green’s trashiness is still in tact, but if his suitors were to play one of his records for her parents, it should definitely be Minor Love, containing minimal vulgarity by the already-desensitized Green standard of what’s appropriate and what’s offensive.
Despite his trekking into the lyrical territories of novelty, camp, and vulgarity; Green’s lyrics are a thing of endless substance. He proves his philosophical chops on Minor Love in particular. I suppose its possible that Green happened upon these philosophies randomly, but one could easily make an undeniable argument that Green exudes postmodernity as well as any artist of his day. Many music critics claim Green’s postmodernity, but few give us reasons as to why. Let’s put Minor Love on the scales of the chief postmodernist, writer/composer Theodor W. Adorno (1903-1969), when he lists the six requirements for art to be considered postmodern in its nature. Green meets four of the requirements stated consistently throughout Minor Love, those being:
1. The album employs multiple interpretations;
2. The characters sang about are contextualized by moral detachment;
3. Green sings personally and from a point of constant self-reference; and
4. Minor Love frequently fulfills Adorno’s concept three-layered concept behind the Meta.
Firstly, on his ability to write through multiple interpretations—Green frequently speaks with a loose narrator’s tongue. Many of his metaphors go unannounced, and Green technically sings of literal objects while also discussing the many ideas represented by such physical things. This is exactly a way in which Green proficiently exemplifies T.S. Eliot’s proposal of the objective correlative—using the literal to speak figuratively. Eliot’s style was stuck in modernity, because he still believed in the absolute nature of being able to interpret intangibles physically. Green, in his postmodernity, instead uses Eliot’s tool in order to display multiple interpretations with a subjective and open-ended meaning. Here’s a lyrical example from the song “Buddy Bradley”:
“You were the flatulent one and I am the boy who has a gun. You ran into me with such force, now all I can be is Buddy Bradley.”
For posterity you just need to know that Buddy Bradley is an alcoholic slacker in a perilous pursuit of love, written into the 1990’s comic book HATE. Green conveys this character’s entire concept while singing out a story about having the wind knocked out of him by a woman and his own shortcomings that pop up thereafter by merely stating, “You ran into me with such force, now all I can be is Buddy Bradley.” However, directly before those two lines is a perfect example of when Green fulfills Eliot’s objective correlative. He does not intend for the statement “You were the flatulent one, and I am the boy who has a gun” to be interpreted literally. For example, 1) He obviously couldn’t possibly possess such a baritone voice, were he indeed a child. 2) Even though I’m willing to look the other way, it’s still technically illegal for children to possess firearms. And lastly, 3) If Adam Green’s ex-wife really was as flatulent as he says, he wouldn’t even have needed a gun to keep away her pursuers.
Anyway, its clear that this lyric uses two literal subjects: a boy and a gun, though its the multi-conceptual, definitional layeredness which the line is evoking that is necessary to view the world through the lens of postmodernity. In this lyric, Green is referring to any number of things beyond a gun—the gun could symbolize an ability to destroy her feelings; a foolhardy desire to act out; it could even be describing his own penis. This is the method by which Green purposefully allows for multiple interpretations of any number of his lyrical verses. Keep in mind: the more possible meanings that exist in a song, the more the lyrics are potentiated into something quite meaningful.
The second qualification of postmodernity that Green meets on Minor Love is an intentional detachment from morality. Try out this lyric from “Boss Inside” and try not to think of Green’s character as a sociopathic serial killer who can’t feel or cry, who contains murderous desires—“He wanted me to kill him but I took his life instead. Ugly moments strung together, and the poor guy couldn’t even find his temper. And he could no longer make me cry I guess the boss inside of him died.”
Don’t be confused by the point of view in these lines—given the context, he is singing about being in a dream-like state and talking to himself, agreeing to kill his alter-ego. Green is using a “he” in order to display a conversation he’s surely had with himself. Not to make Mr. Green feel even worse, but what’s more socially detached than speaking about yourself in third person? Once again, all fathers of the women Adam Green pursues should listen to these lyrics before letting their daughter out of the house. Sorry, but no one said postmodernism was actually popular or even socially acceptable to publicly display for the previous generation…
The third aspect of Adorno’s postmodernity found in Green’s Minor Love is the act of self-referencing. Green has mastered this technique, nearly always speaking from his own confessional standpoint. He obscures his truths as much as he reveals, though the desire to share his insides with the world is as overwhelmingly present as it always has been in his veteran career. As mentioned earlier, Minor Love is particularly honest compared to his past releases. He sings of dealing with fame and a short-lived marriage; he lists any number of substances he’s recently consumed; and he discusses wrestling with mental illnesses including schizophrenia and depression, to cut short a long list of that which he’s confessed on Minor Love. This style of writing is widely prevalent today, though this strong of a brand of Confessionalism didn’t exist until the middle of the twentieth century—but we’ll discuss more about Green’s poetic influences slightly later on.
The last qualification of postmodernity which Green meets on Minor Love is fulfilling the Meta. Remember Green’s skill in conveying multiple interpretations? He employs this technique all over Minor Love to sing in the Meta—in just two lines he can achieve Adorno’s three levels required for a piece of art to contain the Meta. He begins by speaking literally of simple objects (Level 1). The objects listed always have a possible loose interpretation that can include concepts outside of those exact objects (Level 2). In the next line, he’ll use this concept to discuss the state of universal humanity as it relates to the concept (Level 3). Thus, frequently throughout Minor Love, Green meets the requirements of achieving level three of three of Adorno’s philosophy on Meta-Art.
Let’s try an example from the song, “Give Them A Token,” when Green sings on needing to “give them a token to play.” In his own, cutesy superficial way, this line can easily be used to evoke images of a video game arcade (Level 1). More complexly though, Green is admitting to giving out a token song from the album for airplay, and against his will (Level 2). Keep in mind, “Give Them A Token” was the first single off of Minor Love. To complete the Meta, Green applies the idea of his own token song to discussing radio play in general, to the pursuit of not selling out, and to his life as a popular artist (Level 3). He triangulates the truth of the song by synthesizing double-meaning and extending it to a larger concept than either of the original double meanings could have originally implied.
While still on the subject of Adorno’s postmodernity, let’s discuss what Adam Green’s lyricism hath in common with two of Adorno’s recorded piano compositions. First, in Adorno’s “Three Short Piano Pieces” [1945], the piano exudes lightness; also, through the song’s offbeat nature, Adorno communicates surprise twists and endings to the listener. Green’s lyrics too are often humorously light and offbeat. Also, Green is even more so a master at skewing his audience’s expectations by leading them to expect one note and playing another.
Another Adorno song which instrumentally shares with Green’s lyrics is “Piano Piece” [1921]. Both Minor Love and “Piano Piece” display an obscured depression, mental anxiety, and the artist’s need for a cigarette. Both Green and Adorno are great acts to listen to while you become disheveled and grow out your facial hair.
As a testament to Green’s legendary artistry, it’s been pretty easy to relate his music to some of the twentieth-century’s top thinkers. This argument is great support of the fact that Green e has already carved out a relevant niche at the very beginning of the new millennium. More than filling a niche though, Green’s poetry stands on its own. To say that Green’s verse is poetic is quite the understatement. Minor Love shows influences from some of last century’s most forward-thinking poets, such as Stephen Crane, John Cage [composer/poet], John Berryman, and Robert Creeley.
We’ve already discussed Adam Green’s vulgarity and moral detachment. In the very beginning of the 20th century, Stephen Crane (1871-1900) was the first writer to master such a detached persona through his sociopathic word choice and heartless dealing with subject material. Crane must have pre-ascertained the trending of futuristic artists such as Green when opening those new doorways of language for the lost, creative souls who would follow him. Like Crane, Green too sings from the perspective of an objective speaker outside of his own character, feeling little for his self other than boredom and disdain. Green perfectly embodies Crane’s sociopathic lyricism over a century after it was first written.
To use a previous example of Green’s lack of sympathy and his abundance of social detachment, let’s re-read part of the lyric sheet for Minor Love’s “Boss Inside”, where Green openly sings about dreaming that he is a person outside of himself that kills the singer of the song: “He wanted me to kill him but I took his life instead. Ugly moments strung together…” once again, his fiancée’s parents won’t understand the wordplay and poetic value of such a line, and will only read murderous intentions. The truth though is that Green loves airing never-before-heard stories, even if that means exaggerating the truth of his capabilities in order to produce a shocking effect.
Green employs this tactic for reasons much more complex than mere shock value though, such as sharing about his problems to assist others, or absolving his sins through admittance. This isn’t to say that Green views this lifestyle choice as immoral. Remember that he has willfully ignored societally-shared morés. All of this is explained lyrically to further detail in the song “What Makes Him Act So Bad”, where he openly discusses censorship and the overwhelming drive “to act so bad.” He thoroughly comprehends some of the more complex reasons that he acts out. He also intentionally uses his sociopathic nature to the benefit of the amount of the material at his disposal; and also in the pursuit of wooing his young, often emotionally distraught audience with the promise of a more interesting life and comfort upon arrival.
Another writer in the lineage of Adam Green’s poetics is John Cage [1912-1992]. Cage wrote poems in nonsensical “English”, much further past the extent of Bob Dylan’s prose book Tarantula. Through his style of dreamy and overly subjective stories , Cage fulfills the terms of Deleuze and Guattari’s philosophy on the mandate of schizophrenia in 1972’s magnum opus, Anti-Oedipus. This philosophy states how insanity and multiple interpretations are more truthful than your everyday simple, learned knowledge. Mr. Green, too, meets this burden of schizophrenia head-on, when combining everyday subjects with nonsensical contexts to extrapolate greater truths about the subject material, with their meaning enhanced by abstraction. Green takes literal objects and abstracts them, synthesizing the two as he’s singing them, fulfilling his own Hegelian Dialectic in each of such lyrics. Remember the example we gave of this type of three-way triangulation of truth earlier about the song “Give Them A Token”.
The third poet to name, another twentieth-century master, is John Berryman (1914-1972). Berryman is widely known as the father of confessional poetry, beating Plath to the writing board by over ten years. Berryman was as schizophrenic as Cage’s poetry, and a dark-minded drinker with a death drive on overload. Adam Green’s musical persona shares many common interests with Berryman’s depraved mind. Green sings confessions of mental illness [on “Boss Inside”], of consuming endless substances [on “Cigarette Burns Forever”], desiring to die [on 2003’s “I Wanna Die”], and of feeling unlovable [as he sings on “Breaking Locks”, “I’ve been too awful to ever be thoughtful; to ever be nice”]. Berryman was the first poet to write personally on all of these depressive subjects, doing so half a century before Minor Love’s release date. On “Boss Inside”, Adam Green prepares the audience for his tale of depression by guitar-picking the depressing-ass key of A-Flat Minor (capo on the third fret). Within the lyrics, Green self-describes the song as “ugly moments, strewn together”. He tells a creative story of a suicidal dream we’ve mentioned twice already, while giving personal details. This is a greatly poetic current-day example of the genre Berryman created over half a century ago.
The latest dead poet I’ll compare Adam Green with is Robert Creeley (1926-2005). He fits Green’s style more so than the content within his songs. Creeley wrote pre-ekphrastic love poems using succinct punches and no wasted space. Green’s onslaught of action verbs and non-stop motion from one subject to the next executes Creeley’s framework for better poetry through more interesting, quicker production. The same applies to Green’s instrumentation throughout Modern Love: It’s brief, efficient, clean and clear. Another pillar of Creeley’s poetics is that he believed in skewing audience expectations (see 1956’s The Warning). Adam Green was perfecting the art of fucking with his audience even as a much younger band member with The Moldy Peaches. This just adds another one number to the multitude of poetic devices Adam Green employs on Minor Love.
Any literary critic should admit that Green is a perfect candidate for successor to any of these great poets of the last century. As a music critic, I say Minor Love is great support for such a bold statement on Green’s long-lasting legacy and historical relevancy. Did I mention yet that Adam Green’s great-grandmother was once engaged to Franz Kafka, before World War II? Mr. Green is finally meeting the unfulfilled intent of his great-grandmother: to have a culturally significant, literary patriarch as head of the family. I bet any of the poets or philosophers related above would be honored to include Adam Green in their artistic lineage.

SONGS MENTIONED ABOVE

Adam Green:
Off Minor Love
Track 02. Give Them A Token [mp3]
Track 06. What Makes Him Act So Bad [mp3]
Track 08. Cigarette Burns Forever [mp3]
Track 10. Castles and Tassels [mp3]
Off Friends of Mine:
10. I Wanna Die [mp3]
Off Sixes and Sevens:
13. Be My Man [mp3]

And lastly, before this article halves itself like the Titanic, an mp3 from the last centruy's beloved Theodor W. Adorno:

Theodor W. Adorno - Piano Piece [1921] [mp3]

Lady Gaga - Born This Way (The Country Road Version) - mp3 Premiere

2011-03-25T03:36:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Pop Justice

Song Produced by Lady Gaga and Fernando Garibay

Yesterday afternoon, I was checking updates on the blog's twitter account, where I follow any number of musicians. Around 5:00 pm I was surprised that amongst the mundane, I found the beginning of today's gem from Lady Gaga:

Transcription:

Lady Gaga [3:40 a.m.]:
Surprise Monsters!: Born This Way (The Country Road Version) will be released on Twitter tomorrow at 12am PST/3am EST 3/25.

Lady Gaga [11:52 p.m.]:
8 mins monsters!! (pouring glass of wine.)

Lady Gaga [12:00 a.m.]:
The Country Road Version of Born This Way. Produced By: Me + Fernando. Photo By: @popjustice ♥ http://bit.ly/goTPZf

I gave the song a listen. The instrumentation is completely fresh, with, as one might guess, a country take on it. The vocals have the same effect, so we fortunately avoided any sort of Ke$ha yodeling we all could have cringed for. Realistically, it's a head-turning endeavor that comes out simple, which threw me off in itself. There's nothing to really dislike about the song, and nothing to get crazy about either. That is, unless you're something like the 1,000,000 fans who ACTUALLY PURCHASED her iTunes single of "Born This Way" in its first five days. The song has been charting at #1 for 6 weeks now on those ever-a-changing Billboard Hot 100 Stats. So, is the song relevant and prevalent? Yes. Does it need my critique added to the pile-up of opinions on Gaga? Hell no. Thus, I present the mp3 premiere for pirates of her new song, Born This Way (The Country Road Version),

Lady Gaga - Born This Way (The Country Road Version) [mp3]

P.S. This was ripped off youtube.com at 5:25 a.m. CST. For now, we're running exclusive, unless you go to the youtube page she tweeted above (is it better to be hijacking the music industry instead of running it? .... One day.)

Purchase The Original Of What You Just Heard:

Lou Reed - Poetry Reading, NYC [1991]

2011-03-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

These tracks truly speak for themselves, made up of Lou Reed reading his poetry and lyrics for a crowd in New York City, 1991. Heroin is a lyrical masterpiece, so it’s great to hear how he gives these words creedence in the context of intimate poetry. Dirty Boulevard is a great testament of Lou Reed’s love/hate relationship with New York. It Wasn’t Me is a thrilling political piece where he spears those who blame him for being a “bad” influence and causing his listeners to “sin”. The timing can be weird, when someone has to read something originally written in 4/4 time, but listen for things beyond that. I’m so glad I found this poetry reading. Here’s a few tracks from it:

1. Heroin [reading]
2. Dirty Boulevard [reading]
3. Dime Story Mystery [reading]
4. It Wasn’t Me [reading]

Cop the whole thing on The Pirate Bay here:

Lyrics sections from these four songs:

HEROIN TEXT:

I don't know just where I'm going
But I'm gonna try for the kingdom, if I can
'cause it makes me feel like I'm a man
When I put a spike into my vein
And I tell you things aren't quite the same
When I'm rushing on my run
And I feel just like Jesus' son
And I guess that I just don't know
And I guess that I just don't know

I have made the big decision
I'm gonna try to nullify my life
'cause when the blood begins to flow
When it shoots up the dropper's neck
When I'm closing in on death
You can't help me now, you guys
And all you sweet girls with all your sweet talk
You can all go take a walk
And I guess I just don't know
And I guess that I just don't know

I wish that I was born a thousand years ago
I wish that I'd sailed the darkened seas
On a great big clipper ship
Going from this land here to that
In a sailor's suit and cap
Away from the big city
Where a man cannot be free
Of all the evils of this town
And of himself and those around
Oh, and I guess that I just don't know
Oh, and I guess that I just don't know

Heroin, be the death of me
Heroin, it's my wife and it's my life
Because a mainline in my vein leads to a center in my head
And then I'm better off than dead
Because when the smack begins to flow
I really don't care anymore
About all the Jim-Jims in this town
And all the politicians making crazy sounds
And everybody putting everybody else down

And all the dead bodies piled up in mounds
'cause when the smack begins to flow
And I really don't care anymore
Ah, when that heroin is in my blood
And the blood is in my head
Then I thank God that I'm as good as dead
And thank your God that I'm not aware
And thank God that I just don't care
And I guess that I just don't know
Oh, and I guess that I just don't know

DIRTY BOULEVARD TEXT:

Pedro lives out of the Wilshire Hotel
He looks out a window without glass
The walls are made of cardboard, newspapers on his feet
His father beats him 'cause he's too tired to beg

He's got 9 brothers and sisters
They're brought up on their knees
It's hard to run when a coat hanger beats you on the thighs
Pedro dreams of being older and killing the old man
But that's a slim chance he's going to the boulevard

He's going to end up, on the dirty boulevard
He's going out, to the dirty boulevard
He's going down, to the dirty boulevard

This room cost 2,000 dollars a month
You can believe it man it's true
Somewhere a landlord's laughing till he wets his pants
No one here dreams of being a doctor or a lawyer or anything
They dream of dealing on the dirty boulevard

Give me your hungry, your tired your poor I'll piss on 'em
That's what the Statue of Bigotry says
Your poor huddled masses, let's club 'em to death
And get it over with and just dump 'em on the boulevard

Get to end up, on the dirty boulevard
Going out, to the dirty boulevard
He's going down, on the dirty boulevard
Going out

Outside it's a bright night
There's an opera at Lincoln Center
Movie stars arrive by limousine
The klieg lights shoot up over the skyline of Manhattan
But the lights are out on the Mean Streets

A small kid stands by the Lincoln Tunnel
He's selling plastic roses for a buck
The traffic's backed up to 39th street
The TV whores are calling the cops out for a suck

And back at the Wilshire, Pedro sits there dreaming
He's found a book on magic in a garbage can
He looks at the pictures and stares at the cracked ceiling
At the count of 3, he says, I hope I can disappear

And fly fly away, from this dirty boulevard
I want to fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly, from dirty boulevard
I want to fly-fly-fly-fly, from dirty boulevard

I want to fly away
I want to fly
Fly, fly away
I want to fly
Fly-fly away
Fly-fly-fly
Fly-fly away
Fly away

DIME STORE MYSTERY LYRICS

He was lying banged and battered, skewered and bleeding
talking crippled on the Cross
Was his mind reeling and heaving hallucinating
fleeing what a loss

The things he hadn't touched or kissed his senses
slowly stripped away
Not like Buddha not like Vishnu
life wouldn't rise through him again

I find it easy to believe
That he might question his beliefs
The beginning of the Last Temptation
Dime Story Mystery

The duality of nature, Godly nature,
human nature splits the soul
Fully human, fully divine and divided
the great immortal soul

Split into pieces, whirling pieces, opposites
attract
From the front, the side, the back
the mind itself attacks

I know the feeling, I know it from before
Descartes through Hegel belief is never sure
Dime Store Mystery, Last Temptation

I was sitting drumming thinking thumping pondering
the Mysteries of Life
Outside the city shrieking screaming whispering
the Mysteries of Life

There's a funeral tomorrow
at St. Patrick's the bells will ring for you
Ah, what must you have been thinking
when you realized the time had come for you

I wish I hadn't thrown away my time
on so much Human and so much less Divine
The end of the Last Temptation
The end of a Dime Store Mystery

IT WASN'T ME TEXT

It wasn't me who shamed you, it's not fair to say that
You wanted to work I gave you a chance at that
It wasn't me who hurt you, that's more credit that I'm worth
Don't threaten me with the things you'll do to you
It wasn't me who shamed you, it wasn't me who brought you down
You did it to yourself without any help from me
It wasn't me who hurt you, I showed you possibilities
The problems you had were there before you met me
I didn't say this had to be
You can't blame these things on me
It wasn't me, it wasn't me, it wasn't me
I know she's dead, it wasn't me
[ Find more Lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.org/5tEH ]
It wasn't me who changed you, you did it to yourself
I'm not an excuse for the hole you dropped in
I'm not simple minded but I'm not father to you at all
Death exists but you do things to yourself
I never said give up control
I never said stick a needle in your arm and die
It wasn't me, it wasn't me, it wasn't me
I know she's dead but it wasn't me
It wasn't me who shamed you, who covered you with mud
You did it to yourself without any help from me
You act as I could've told you or stopped you like some god
But people never listen and you know that that's a fact
I never said slit your wrists and die
I never said throw your life away
It wasn't me, it wasn't me, it wasn't me
You're killing yourself, you can't blame me

Album Under Review: T.I. & His Collaborators - No Mercy

2011-03-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

T.I. No Mercy – Lit. Review of the Collaborations

FIX OF THE SYLABBLE-CHOPPERS

That slick hiccup of a bump snuffed up the sum of others humming. Here’s those hot collabs of his new album. Get that? What about so fresh hot track, stepped off the rack yesterday they’re mad by way of waiting for Mr. do-time to come home & be released & release steam & release these. It’s amazing so amazing amazing baby baby amazing so amazing amazing baby baby. Who wouldn’t love her brother called amazing? Eminem did get in on this mix, w/ his usual dose of rhymes and mindfuckery. Also, Kanye West & Kid Cudi did that collaboration with T.I. on this first & fulfilled each’s prospective goals---mmmmmm CuDi & head ‘Ye. Mr. TI knows of heady ye, right? I heard this heard this and this heard this so this glitch isn’t as sick as the rips in the mix, get fixed:

1. Welcome to The World (featuring Kanye West and KiD CuDi) [mp3]
5. That’s All She Wrote (featuring Eminem) [mp3]
10. Amazing (featuring Pharrell) [mp3]

Purchase What You Just Heard:

SXSW 2011 Featured Artists On Display with literary reviews and mp3’s

2011-03-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of the 7 artists I'm mostly looking forward to see at SXSW 2011. You definitely should have heard of these artists by now. If not, click around below and turn up your speakers!

OWEN PALLETT:

Formerly, the artist known as Final Fantasy is surnamed Pallett. Apparently #FF was taken. Shucks, so wow-much more nude name now.
What do you get when you mix queer theory as applied in multi-layered solo performances w/ stringed instruments and a man who is now sitting back in a home his records bought, playing video games & D-and-D and dying his hair blonde occasionally? #FF→#OP. I also saw him featured in OUT Magazine a few years back—hot shit oh wait I can’t I’m getting married oh well nice thought right nevermind. Regardless of that theory, Mr. Owen Pallett displays precise control of strings and looping effects through the roof. MINDBLOWING LYRICS IF/when you actually take the time to listen to them [they still won’t make sense]. I saw him play live at a bar/venue/record store in Oklahoma City (The Conservatory, 8911 N Western) back in 2005, 2006. There were only 25ish people in attendance.
I PROMISE this show will be nothing like that. At all…

As Final Fantasy:

1. Peach, Plum, Pear [mp3]
2. This Is The Dream Of Win & Regine [mp3]
3. The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead [mp3]
4. That’s When The Audience Died [mp3]

See a list of Owen Pallett's SXSW 2011 shows by clicking here

SPOEK MATHAMBO:

He changes the beat mid-song, turning on a dime and not looking back to those dusty paths now faded black after long gone from absence of master’s attack. Lift your African eye patch and see clearly these three things: the beats; the way the vocalist sings; and the sick-sick speaks (speakers) arranged around that nu-nu which he creates from within his dense, thick-lipped soul. Holler if you’re gonna see him at SXSW 2011 or definitely comment if you’ve ever seen Mathambo live. I hear the man’s a living myth, no idea about performance quality though. I hope quite such the passionate rush of blood to the front of my groin and guts - - -

1. Mshini Wam [mp3]
2. Jabajaws (Kid Kaio Remix) [mp3]

And a surprise
3. Spoek Mathambo – Ghost Of Bones EP [Unreleased mp3]

MICACHU

Thou music hath twinkled my spine in knots which it then unwinds. You’re music conveys 8 moods a song, all strewn throughout. The absence of instruments and lack of comfortable instrumentation can be characters of the music themselves. Micachu has a heavy imagination—sometimes hears music when it’s simply not there. Nonetheless, no one here dare says she’s not got a great ear. I have grown as an appreciator of music every time I play the Micachu album. I hope one day she’s more sought after than in her current state, which is desirable but hopefully not the end-game. While she may not take over Japanese charts, who’s to say she couldn’t be Ariel Pink-y in her career of being too weird and awkward live, into becoming one of the most technically proficient, best-produced and most sought-after acts of anyone in the know. You’re cool if you know Ariel Pink. Same will be true more massly with Micachu in Ms. Future. In the meantime, contemplate calculators.

1. Golden Phone [mp3]

Micachu and The Shapes songs:
2. Lips [mp3]
3. Calculator [mp3]
4. Guts [mp3]

JAMES BLAKE

Errybody be on that JB-dick y’ahm say’n? Onniways, dose plays make fer great debate on music’s future: defaced & under sutures? Hopeless was the fore-seer JB of his viewed scene; there even being a scene to view was bothersome to many folks in the wilderness. Man did math where scene =science of numbers & 1 / 2’s. Mr Blake finds his profit in this business so I say its“we” who boosted his image. But look above; glorious it is. If you’re a band, listen to these songs if you want a reason you should quit music right now. ‘Cause you will never be James Blake.

See a review on his new album, James Blake, here OR our post on his entire discography here

1. The Bells Sketch [mp3]
2. CMYK [mp3]
3. To Care (Like You) [mp3]
4. I Mind [mp3]

See a total list of James Blake's SXSW shows here

TORO Y MOI

In grooves which slip up and down the neck upon entrance into the brain-member, or the audial-member. Toro knows how to go inside those places behind yer throat and choke your swallow. Quite a following, follow quite harrowing. Fly as a heron or high as the heroin. Did ye dig these ditties already? If not & your tolerance for this soundfucker’s not shot; check the mp3 box below % make a stop.

OR, see one of five of his SXSW 2011 concerts listed here

1. Blessa [mp3]
2. Talamak [mp3]
3. Causers of This [mp3]

Click here for more Toro Y Moi sighting’s at SXSW

WYE OAK [already hosting songs]

I saw this band live back in August, 2010 at ACM in Oklahoma City. I found awe in the bravado of the stage presence of their attitudes; so thick that it has a physical clarity which wants, so tender it can be touched by anyone. And it’s willing to touch you back. They long to play their instruments; they mourn the dead musicians in front of you. They wail their sirens as part of their learned, dollar trade. Please buy this album to support this touring band. Also, check them out at SXSW 2011. STANDOUT TRACK: Holy Holy – this song’s physical texture is warm and inviting, yet detached enough to impress, while raw enough to evoke many emotions. I really dig this new ol’ type of dronin’ rock and roll.

Click for more Wye Oak here

2. Milk and Honey [mp3]
3. Tattoo [mp3]
4. I Hope You Die [mp3]

See Wye Oak's SXSW 2011 Shows by clicking here

SKRILLEX

How now about that sound terrorist! Heard him at a club in Oklahoma & people danced confusedly. Ha! Melting the wax of g-ma’s music collection, do so spinning or thrilling yeh? Gone was tradition by 2011; nonetheless when the shocks get ecstatic and spark and seem to burst at edge-seams – it gets well-listened to by its society. Try to see at least one of his three shows in Austin this upcoming weekend. PS Check song Two--Zedd’s at SXSW too.

1. My Name Is Skrillex [mp3]
2. Do Da Oliphant [mp3]
3. Scatta w/ Foreign Beggars, Bare Noize [mp3]
4. Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites – Zedd Remix [mp3]

List of Skrillex' SXSW 2011 shows here.

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF WHEN EACH OF THESE BANDS ARE PERFORMING!!!

Micachu Experiment w/ mp3

2011-03-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

---Swear, there's an mp3 below.

I've been neglecting this blog for over a day in order to start up a twitter (visible from our site now), and working on a new project which can't be unveiled to y'all yet. Before I consolidate the two worlds of music blogging and music tweeting, and come back here for good, I wanted to try an experiment.

Instead of tweeting about this blog 200+ times in three days, I decided to blog a bit about an mp3 I posted on my twitter. The song is Micachu and the Shapes - Lips off of the album "Jewellery".

Instead of reviewing the song and posting an mp3, I'm going to, to this post's demise, blog a tweet which contains SONG INFO, an MP3, and SONG REVIEW. It's just what we do, and in 140 characters or less.

Here's a link to the tweet with a link to an mp3 of the Micachu and the Shapes song "Lips".

Have I lost you?

Wait till you hear how lost I've become in the new project [a new site], to be unveiled in the coming two weeks. Followers, please plan to transfer...

Fuck it, to stick with tradition and appease y'all masses, here's a link to the actual mp3:

LIPS

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15633933/02%20Lips%201.mp3

But did you see how EEASSSSSYYY the twitter one was? Goddamn, I didnt have to write a sixth of this much, or fix id3v2.2 tags. Oh well, I swear, I'll be back ASAP. Love, #TCR

SXSW 2011 mp3 Mix Pt. 3 [12 Tracks; Theme: Quality, Lesser-Known Artists + Guest Spot by B.o.B.]

2011-03-11T01:07:00.000-08:00

How about, instead of artists everyone’s heard of, let’s now focus on bands that you’ve AT MOST barely heard of, ever. The point of this post is to help expand your horizons this year at SXSW and put down the James Blake and Toro Y Moi singles you've been clinging to. SXSW celebrates an ever-diversifying “line-up” [as if you can ever fit over 2,000 bands into a solid line-up, much less posting the info into just one word document w/o a computer crash]. A large list of very popular acts is not the point of SXSW (just a perk); instead they've opened up the irrigation channels in music to include garage bands out of South America, etc. SXSW does a GREAT job of putting tens of thousands of people's worth of energy into improving the arts community, and providing the medium by which people act themselves. I also love that SXSW doesn't have an easily printable schedule--instead you have to find the venue or band or event host's webpage [or check /our massive flyers list w/ event info here] and give them your hits--which is a good thing. As you can see, this mix is perfectly themed for the overall attitude of SXSW. If you ask the event, it may even say they'd rather you see these shows and support those poor musicians who need resources; rather than give Mr. James Blake a golden throne and platinum spit bucket.

I’ll post a part 2 of this series VERY soon, so check back in soon. Happy festing!

1. The Black Angels - Telephone [mp3]
2. Charles Bradley - The World [Is Going Up In Flames] [mp3]
3. WIN WIN - Releaserpm featuring Lizzie Bougatsos [mp3]
4. Braids - Lemonade [mp3]
5. The Generationals - Trust [mp3]
6. Say Hi - Devils [mp3]
7. Chris Bathgate - No Silver [mp3]
8. Ivan & Alyosha - Glorify [mp3]
9. Menomena - Taos [mp3]
10. OFF! - Upside Down [mp3]
11. Surfer Blood - Swim [mp3]
12. The Dodos - Fables [mp3]

ALBUM ART:

SURPRISE! Easter Egg: B.o.B. will be at the mtvU awards and at Kiss and Fly (tickets for up to $500 a person). Instead of getting robbed, how about I play Robin Hood and do a little redistribution to...you, and...you...and, hold on a second. Still reading? "STOP! Now think about it."

B.o.B. - The Adventures of Bobby Ray

Track 2. B.o.B. - Nothin' On You (feat. Bruno Mars) [mp3]
Track 8. B.o.B. - Magic (feat. Rivers Cuomo of Weezer) [mp3]
Track 7. B.o.B. - The Kids (feat. Janelle Monae) [mp3]
Track 12. B.o.B. - Airplanes, Part II (feat. Eminem & Hayley Williams) [mp3]

HOW TO BUY JAMES BLAKE TICKETS for Sat. May 14, 2011 [The link's on this page]

2011-03-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

via Collective Concerts

ARTIST: James Blake
DATE: Saturday, March 14, 2011
TIME: 9 PM
PRICE: $20 Advance; $25 @ door
VENUE: The Rivoli
ADDRESS: 332 Queen St. West
Toronto, ON M5V 2A2, Canada
PHONE: (416) 977-5082

Age Requirements: Must be 19 years or older

Tickets available for James Blake @ TicketMaster [here]
They don't go on sale until Friday, March 11, 2011 10:00AM

GOOD LUCK HUNTING!

SXSW 2011 - 54 Shows You Don't Want To Miss [Pt. 2]

2011-03-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

Find Part One of this SXSW 2011 Suggested Shows Feed here. Updated w/ new info daily.

Let's start with a hot event: James Blake, Raphael Saadiq, Duran Duran, Bun B; etc.
and then we'll go into the rest. Congrats, we're about halfway through the 54 shows by everyone's favorite sxsw 2011 artists.

Suggested Acts: James Blake (9:15 PM); Raphael Saadiq (11:15 PM); Duran Duran (12:30 AM); Bun B (8 PM); Smith Westerns (10:15 PM) AND MORE . . .
Venue: Stubb’s BBQ
Address: 801 Red River Street; Austin, TX 78701
Date: WEDNESDAY March 16, 2011
Additional Details: OUTDOORS! Requires wrist band…

Suggested Acts: Bun B; Araab Muzik; DJ Nu-Mark of Jurassic 5); Ryan lewis; Grieves, Beats Antique, AND MORE . . .
Venue: The East Side Drive-In
Address: 1001 East Sixth Street
Date: Sunday, March 20, 2011
Time: 11 AM Doors – 10 PM; Afterparty: 9 PM – 3 AM
Host: illroots, etc.
Additional Details: ALL AGES

Artist: Donald Glover (Chidlish Gambino) [8 pm] AND MANY, MANY MORE . . .
Venue: Esther’s Follies
Address: 525 E 6th St
Date: Saturday, March 19
Host: SXSW Comedy
Additional Details: all ages

Suggested Acts: Aaron Lacrate; InnerPartySystem DJ Set; Fitz & The Tantrums; AND Surprise Performance
Venue: Stubbs
Address: 901 Red River Street; Austin
Date: Tuesday, March 15
TIME: 9 PM; Doors at 8:30
Additional Details: SXSW Badge Required

Suggested Act: Frankie & The Heartstrings AND MANY MORE
Venue: Antone’s
Address:
Date : 03-17-11
Time: 11 AM
Host: Live4Ever
Additional Details: A Two Finger Salute

Suggested Acts: Matt & Kim (5:30 PM); Theophilus London (12:30 pm); Foster The People (1:30 pm); Friendly Fires (3:30 PM) AND MORE . . .
Venue: Red River Garage
Address: 505 East Ninth Street [corner of 9th and Red River; across from Stubbs]
Date: Thursday March 17th
Time: 12 PM – 6:30 PM
Host: MTV

Suggested Acts: Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group (of The Mars Volta) AND MORE from his production company . . .
Venue: Emo’s Annex
Address: 603 Red River
Date: Saturday, Mar. 19th
Time: All Day Event
Host: Rodriguez Lopez Productions; Sargent House
Details: Opposite

Suggested Acts: Damien Jurado [4:15 PM] AND MORE . . .
Venue: Shakespeare’s
Address: 314 E 6th Street
Date: Thursday, 3/17
Host: Trailer Fire Records; The New Los Angeles Folk Festival

- - - - - - - -

Here are a few more resources to make your time at SXSW 2011 Better:

Link to Emo’s sxsw Full Calendar

Here's the biggest show, technically:

Auditorium Shores Stage (Lady Bird Lake)
Details: http://sxsw.com/music/shows/auditorium_shores
Suggested Bands for Thursday, March 17: The Strokes [8 PM] [Levi’s Presents]
Suggested Bands for Friday, March 18: Blue October [8 PM]
Suggested Bands for Saturday March 19: [Ground Control Touring Presents]: Kurt Vile And the Violators [3:30 PM]; Man Man [4:30 PM]; Bright Eyes [7:30 PM]
AND MORE
Address: 920 W. Riverside Drive 78704

- - - - -

HOT TICKETS w/ links to the event details. Click the VENUE for more info on that show.

These are all my favorite sxsw 2011 Performers who you won't want to miss, and a list of all their multiple shows:

- Skrillex Shows:
Emo’s – (Outdoors) 03/18
Maggie Mae’s – 03/18 11:10 PM
Mohawk’s Patio - 03/18 11:45 PM

- James Blake Shows:
Stubbs – 03/16 9:15 PM
Central Presbyterian Church – 03/17 1 am
French Legation Museum – 03/18 5:30 PM

- Toro Y Moi Shows:
Klub Krucial – 03/18 /11
512 Rooftop – 03/17/11
Radio Days Stage [Austin Convention Center] – 03/19 - http://schedule.sxsw.com/events?venue=Radio%20Day%20Stage%20Austin%20Convention%20Center
East Side Drive-In – 03/18 6:15 PM
Waterloo Records – Outdoors #FREE SXSW 2011 Concert - 03/17 1:30 PM
P.S. Toro gets credit for being the most prevalent popular artist at the fest [5 shows known of, in 3 days]

- Wye Oak Shows:
The Parish – 03/18 11:45 PM
Waterloo Records – 03/17 6:00 PM; #FREE SXSW 2011 Concert; In-store -

Kurt Vile Shows:
Auditorium Shores Stage – 03/19 3:30-4:30 PM;
Waterloo Records [see above flyer] – #FREE SXSW 2011 Concert In-Store 03/19 – 6 PM

-Talib Kweli Shows:
Emo’s Main Room; - March 16
Scoot Inn – 03/18 1:05 am until 2 am

-Josh Ritter Shows
Radio Day Stage [Austin Convention Center] 1:30 PM
ADDRESS: 500 E Cesar Chavez St (Exhibit Hall D)
- St David's Historic Sanctuary – 03/18 10:00 PM

-Owen Pallett Shows:
Purevolume – March 19, [12:45 am till over]
East Side Drive-In – March 18; 5:00-5:45 PM
Emo’s - March 17th

-BIG SHOW: Purevolume - RSVP Here
Full SCHEDULE
Suggested March 16 Acts: Moby [2 am]
Suggested March 17 Acts: The Limousines [12 am]; The Dears [1 AM]; The Bravery [2 AM]; InnerPartysystem [3 am]
Suggested March 18 Acts: Eisley [4 pm] Special Guest [5 PM]; Jamie Woon [2:15 am]; Mount Kimbie [3 am]
Suggested March 19 Acts: Owen Pallett [12:45 am]
AND MANY, MANY MORE

SXSW 2011 - 54 Shows You Don't Want To Miss [Pt. 1]

2011-03-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

SXSW 2011 Is Here! Check out this page for all your favorite artist's concerts. Some of the more popular shows listed here have up to 8 artists at just one event. Here's to simplifying your SXSW 2011 Trip. If I don't have what you need, you're going to need to google it. I googled all these. Basically, if you've heard of a band AND they're at sxsw 2011, then they're on this list. It will be worth it as I show my (wrist)band to get in to some of these great shows of SXSW 2011. Let's start with a great artist doing a show by themselves, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, then move right into it:

Artist: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
Venue: Kiss & Fly
Address: 404 Colorado Street, Austin, TX 78701
Host: Dickies
Date: Saturday, March 19
Time: 12 am – 1 am
RSVP Here at the purevolume link

Date: Thursday March 17th
Suggested Acts: DeVotchKa (10 PM); Cold War Kids (12 AM) AND MORE . . .
Venue: Lustre Pearl
Address: 97 Rainey St.; Austin, TX 78700
Host: Dickies
Additional Details: There will be a Taco Truck and live poster printing.
- - -
Date: Friday March 18th
Suggested Acts: Alex Winston (4 PM); Noah & The Whale (9 PM); Gayngs (10 PM); Black Lips (11 pm); Little Dragon (12 AM) AND MORE . . .
Venue: Lustre Pearl
Address: 97 Rainey St.; Austin, TX 78700
Host: Dickies
Additional Details: There will be a Taco Truck and live poster printing.
- - -
Date: Saturday, March 19th
Suggested Acts: Asobi Seksu (2 PM); Tapes ‘n Tapes (4 PM) Okkerville River (5 PM) AND MORE . . .
Venue: Lustre Pearl
Address: 97 Rainey St.; Austin, TX 78700
Host: Dickies
Additional Details: There will be a Taco Truck and live poster printing.

Suggested Acts and Time: Indoors - Gold Panda (1 AM); Mount Kimbie (12 am); Jamie Woon (10 PM) AND MORE . . .
Venue: Emo’s
Address: 603 Red River Austin, TX 78701
Date: Tuesday March 15th
Host: Pitchfork / Intel

Suggested Acts: for Thursday March 17th: The Dears (4:05 PM); AND MORE . . .
Suggested Acts for Friday March 18th: Okkerville River (5 PM); Menomena (4:05 pm); Telekinesis (3:15 PM); OWEN PALLETT (Formerly Final Fantasy) (1:35 PM), AND MORE . . .
Venue: Flamingo Cantina
Address: 515 E 6th Street
Date: Friday March 18th
Time: 12 pm – 6 pm
Host: Under The Radar
Additional Details: #FREE SXSW 2011 Concert; Open to the Public

Thursday, March 17th;: at the Hill Stage: Low (5 PM) and Sharon Van Etten (4 PM) AND MORE . . .
Thursday, March 17th;: at The Valley Stage: Ted Leo – Solo (5:30 PM); Hanni El Khatib (1:30 PM); AND MORE
Friday, March 17th;: at the Hill Stage: !!! (CHK CHK CHK) (6 PM); James Blake (5 PM); Cults (4 PM); AND MORE . . .
Friday, March 17th;: at The Valley Stage: Sean Lennon (3:30 PM); John Vanderslice (2:30 PM)
Venue: French Legation Museum
Address: 802 San Marcos; Austin 78702
Hosts: Other Music & Dig For Fire
Additional Details: Event Page (important): http://frenchlegationmuseum.blogspot.com/2011/02/sxsw-dig-for-fire-other-music-line-up.html#comment-form

Suggested Acts for Wednesday March 16: Peanut Butter WOLF (1 AM) AND MORE . . Suggested Acts for Thursday, March 17: Big Sean (11 pm); J. Cole (12 am); and B.o.B. (1 AM); AND MORE . . .
Suggested Acts for Saturday, March 19: God-Des & She (11:45 PM)
Venue: Kiss and Fly
Address: 404 Colorado; Zip Code: 78701
Host: VICE, BET
Additional Details: Tickets Available at Door

Suggested Acts: Thursday, March 17, 2011: Mount Kimbie (3:45 PM) AND MORE . . .
Suggested Acts: Friday, March 18, 2011: Toro Y Moi (6:15 PM); Owen Pallett [Final Fantasy] (5:00 PM); Gold Panda (2:15 PM); Colin Stetson (1:30 PM) AND MORE . . .
Venue: At East Side Drive-In
Address: 1001 E Sixth St; Austin, TX 78702
Host: Offline
Additional Details: Live stream on Friday, 3/18

Suggested Acts: Asobi Seksu; Oh Land, Jeff The Brotherhood; AND MORE . . .
Venue: 501 Studios
Address: 501 I-35 (Fifth and Brushy); Austin, TX 78702
Date: Thursday, March 17, 2011
Time: 11 am-6 PM
Host: Prefix

Suggested Acts: Ted Leo (Solo) AND MORE . . .
Venue: The Eastside Drive In
Address: 6th St & San Marcos; 78702
Date: Saturday, March 19
Time: 11:30 am - ON
Host: FYF Fest / Fun Fun Fun Fest
Additional Details: #FREE SXSW 2011 Concert; ALL AGES; RSVP AT: http://mwtxparty.com/

Suggested Acts: Tennis, Summer Camp, Eternal Summers, Veronica Falls, Oupa (Daniel from Yuck) AND MORE . . .
Venue: Double Down Lounge
Address: 515 Pedernales St.
Date: March 17, 2011
Time: TBD
Host: Free Press Summerfest

Suggested Acts: Outdoor Stage - Toro Y Moi; Lord Huron AND MORE . . .
Venue:
Address: 611 East Seventh @ Red River
Date: Wednesday, 3/16/11
Time: Noon-6:00 PM
Host: Terrorbird Media and Force Field PR
Additional Details: First 100 Attendess receive a free gift bag. Also: Free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream at the venue.
#FREE SXSW 2011 Concert!!! ALL AGES

Suggested Acts for Wednesday March 16th: Fitz & The Tantrums (3 PM); Apex Manor (4 PM); Telekinesis (6 PM) AND MORE . . .
Suggested Acts for Thursday, March 17: Toro y Moi (1:30 PM – Inside); Wye Oak (6 PM)
Suggested Acts for Friday, March 18: And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (5 PM)
Suggested Acts for Saturday, March 19: Neon Trees (4 PM); Kurt Vile (And The Violators (6 PM)
Venue: Waterloo Records
Address: 600-A North Lamar, Austin, TX 78703
Additional Details: All of the Above Are #FREE SXSW 2011 Concerts; In the parking lot of Waterloo Records unless otherwise mentioned

Suggested Acts for March 17: Cults (6:00 PM) AND MORE . . .
SUGGESTED Acts for March 18th: Times New Viking (5-5:45 pm); Wild Flag (6:00 PM)
Venue: Urban Outfitters
Address: 2406 Guadalupe Street; Austin, TX 78705-4809
Additional Details: Exclusive Concert in back of the store

CLICK HERE for post part two of this sxsw 2011 Suggested Acts You Don't Wanna Miss Page.

Recency Under Review - Tuesday, March 08, 2011

2011-03-09T04:12:00.000-08:00

All 7 of these albums were released yesterday, March 08, 2011.

AUTHOR'S TOP PICK: Wye Oak - Civilian

I saw this band live back in August, 2010. I loved the stage presence of their attitudes; so thick that they have a physicality, so tender it can be touched by anyone, and it touches back. They long to play their instruments, they mourn in front of you, they wail their tools as part of their dollar trade. Please buy this album below to support this touring band. Also, check them out at SXSW 2011. STANDOUT TRACK: Holy Holy – this song’s physical texture is warm and inviting, yet detached enough to impress, while raw enough to evoke many emotions. I love this type of droning rock and roll.

Track 3. Holy Holy [mp3]
Track 5. Civilian [mp3]
Track 10. Doubt [mp3]

Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX – We’re New Here

A small revolt is outside your front door. This album mixes toro y moi’s up-and-down frequencies on the volumizer. It also includes smooth beats and synthetic, very busy / very minimalistic. The music contains many opposites and fascinates me regardless of its classicism. I hope these concepts stick around a minute in indie music. Thank God Scott-Heron is finally “be[ing] televised” on the internet. STANDOUT TRACK: NY Is Killing Me has groovy, masculine vocals with slick production from Jamie XX; this is a hit.

Track 4. Running [mp3]
Track 11. NY Is Killing Me [mp3]
Track 13. I’ll Take Care Of You [mp3]

Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo

Oh melodious Mr. Vile, gracias for this new music which we’re about to ingest like bile. Thank you for providing interesting lyrics, droning yet nostalgic vocals, and a simple but unique acoustic guitar sound, also somewhat droning. What more can I say? I just became a big fan yesterday. STANDOUT TRACK: Try all three. Trust me. They’re each individual songs in their own beautiful ways. If I had to pick one though, try Ghost Town – beautiful, stripped down sounding something like a ghost from your more youthful days, say an old childhood friend who had died; that came back from the grave and decided to visit. No wonder they call it Ghost Town, yeah?

Track 2. Jesus Fever [mp3]
Track 6. Runner Ups [mp3]
Track 10. Ghost Town [mp3]

Cut Copy – Zonoscope

I must have blinked as this band fad-ed by. Many man was once a fan until the style once grand later became bland. They may have done something new back then, but they’re sticking to it. Nonetheless, if you want solid background music that does not demand too much attention, intrigue, or though, then listen to his album all the way the fuck through.

Track 4. Pharaohs & Pyramids [mp3]
Track 5. Blink And You’ll Miss A Revolution [mp3]
Track 9. Hanging Onto Every Heartbeat [mp3]

R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now

The band has so many sore spots on this album I would say it is too stained for these tracks to save it. However, these sweet spots hit a rhythm unlike their classics in the absence of any epic style, but more like a band that has a few more songs in them. Was it enough to warrant an entire album? No. Despite the band having so many completist fans, someone should introduce R.E.M. to the concept of an EP.

Track 6. Every Day Is Yours To Win [mp3]
Track 11. Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando And I [mp3]
Track 12. Blue [mp3]

Alexi Murdoch – Towards The Sun

I’ve been watching him for years now. The production looks something like grass or old paint. Nonetheless, Mr. Murdoch, quite the veteran, has made what I’ll call his best album to date. These songs are much fresher than his mid-notties days, when it was more bland. Sure, the lyrics lack depth, and the instrumentation is far from challenging; nonetheless, this guy makes a great, simple, honest folk song. I forgot what he was good at. I’m glad this album reminded me so I don’t have to leave a dick review about the guy. STANDOUT TRACK: At Your Door

Track 2. At Your Door [mp3]
Track 3. Some Day Soon [mp3]
Track 6. Her Hands Were Leaves [mp3]

Grails – Deep Politics

Here I see some interesting intrumentals. All The Colors of the Dark has a catchy, snappy beat. Try that if you like hip-hop beats but want to stick to a near-Devotchka feel on the multitude of organic instruments. None of these songs feel stale. Thank god for new music like this. I’m now won over as a fan as of three hours ago. STANDOUT TRACK: Deep Politics – the title track begins with a swooning piano introduction, until the string section swells and breaks out into an electric guitar. This sets the stage for the band to slice your throat around the 2:38 mark.

Track 2. All The Colors Of The Dark [mp3]
Track 4. Deep Politics [mp3]
Track 5. Daughters of Bilitis [mp3]

SXSW 2011 Mix [19 Tracks from the Largest Artists]

2011-03-09T02:58:00.000-08:00

SXSW 2011 is upon us [Music: March 16-20. To celebrate this festival, I toast with part two of a mix. Part one was posted here.

This full-length mix is meant for those interested in who the premiere groups which SXSW is showcasing this upcoming weekend. I plan to be in attendance [about a 6-hour drive away]. I plan on folding down the seats and sleeping in back of my car. I have gone with zero dollars before, and its fun even if all you can do is eat and walk the streets amongst the crowd of tens-of-thousands. Last year I got lost among the hundreds of musical groups, so I decided to do the world a service and post 19 more tracks from the next 19 biggest artists that everyone knows or should know, just in time for SXSW 2011:

1. The Appleseed Cast – As The Little Things Go
2. The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow [mp3]
3. Colour Revolt – 8 Years [mp3]
4. Eisley – Ambulance (Live) [mp3]
5. Flogging Molly – Requiem For A Dying Song [mp3]
6. French Horn Rebellion – Up All Night [mp3]
7. Gorilla Zoe – Echo [mp3]
8. Graham Colton – Pacific Coast Eyes [mp3] (from Oklahoma City)
9. Hoodie Allen – You Are Not A Robot [mp3]
10. Klaxons – Echoes [mp3]
11. Li’l Cap’n Travis – Violeta, Diamond of the Everglades [mp3]
12. Low – Try To Sleep [mp3]
13. Micachu And The Shapes – Calculator [mp3]
14. The Octopus Project – Fuguefat [mp3] (from Norman, OK)
15. Omar Rodriguez Lopez & ~~John Frusciante~~ – ZIM [mp3]
16. Peelander-Z – Go! Rio! [mp3]
17. A Place To Bury Strangers – Ego Death [mp3]
18. Spoek Mathambo - Mshini Wam [mp3]
19. The Vandelles – California Killer [mp3]

ENJOY and safe mix'd travelling!

Legends: Joy Division [1976-1980]

2011-03-08T01:14:00.000-08:00

Joy Division has been a favorite band of mine for a few years now. When I was younger, I never wanted to be like Ian Curtis. I wanted to be Ian Curtis. In some ways, I was. In other words, if you didn’t know by now, this band is worth obsessing over. This band is worth listening to every song they produced, and then sifting through each track, after many repeated plays, find your favorites. Here’s 5 of mine:

1. She’s Lost Control
"And she turned around and took me by the hand and said, I've lost control again. And how I'll never know just why or understand, she said I've lost control again. And she screamed out kicking on her side and said, I've lost control again. And seized up on the floor, I thought she'd die. She said I've lost control. She's lost control again."

2. Isolation
But if you could just see the beauty, these things I could never describe, these pleasures a wayward distraction. This is my one lucky prize.
Isolation, isolation, isolation, isolation, isolation.

3. Transmission
Radio, live transmission. Listen to the silence, let it ring on. Eyes, dark grey lenses frightened of the sun. We would have a fine time living in the night, left to blind destruction, waiting for our sight.

4. Love Will Tear Us Apart
When routine bites hard and ambitions are low, and resentment rides high but emotions won't grow. And we're changing our ways, taking different roads. Then love, love will tear us apart again.
Love, love will tear us apart again

Also, for those still listening, a live song from the Joy Division's hometown:

Atrocity Exhibition [Live at The Factory in Hulme, Manchester, England]

Purchase What You Just Heard:

SXSW 2011 Mix #1 [15 Tracks from 15 of the Artists with the Largest Markets]

2011-03-07T23:54:00.000-08:00

SXSW 2011 is upon us. To celebrate this festival, I toast with a mix:

This full-length mix is meant for those interested in who the premiere groups which SXSW is showcasing this upcoming weekend. I plan to be in attendance [about a 6-hour drive away]. I plan on folding down the seats and sleeping in back of my car. I have gone with zero dollars before, and its fun even if all you can do is eat and walk the streets amongst the crowd of tens-of-thousands. Last year I got lost among the hundreds of musical groups, so I decided to do the world a service and post 15 tracks from the 15 biggest artists that everyone knows or should know, just in time for SXSW 2011:

1. Asobi Seksu
Track: Thursday

2. Devotchka
Track: 100 Other Lovers

3. Erykah Badu
Track: Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long

4. God-Des & She
Track: Respect My Fresh

5. James Blake
Track: Mount Kimbie - Maybes [James Blake Remix]

6. John Vanderslice
Track: Sea Salt

7. Klaxons
Track: Echoes

8. Micachu And The Shapes
Track: Calculator

9. MSTRKRFT
Track: Easy Love

10. Noah and The Whale
Track: 5 Years Time

11. Skrillex
Track: Fucking Die 2 (€€ Cooper Mix)

12. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Track: I Am Warm And Powerful

13. Sondre Lerche
Track: Everyone’s Rooting For You [with the Faces Down Orchestra]

14. Toro y Moi
Track: Minors

15. Wye Oak
Track: I Hope You Die

Until I see you on the other side, here's to dreams of the sweet Austin skyline

Album Under Review: Do You Like PJ Harvey?

2011-03-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Do you like PJ Harvey? I don't. There are things to like about it, but not inherently within it. I enjoy the moat but not necessarily the citizens within. However, there is an English uprising allegegedly, with the youth, thus the godmother stakes her claim in the issues at hand. More hopeful and positive for future change, despite a grim outlook on status quo. Who's to blame? Not PJ Harvey. Here's four songs to whom the album belongs, dig the song titles, yeh?:

Track 2. The Last Living Rose
Track 4. The Words That Maketh Murder
Track 8. In The Dark Places
Track 11. Written On The Forehead

An Introduction to Mr. Sufjan Stevens for Dr. Salyers [Author's Repost from 2006]

2011-03-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

/ / /
EDITOR's Note: This is a Re-posting that originally appeared on this blog in 2006. It is the third in a series of reposting popular articles from the past. Maybe it's outdated, but evidently that doesn't mean it's irrelevant.
Over.////

An Introduction to Mr. Sufjan Stevens for Dr. Salyers

For ones who may be reading this outside of The King's College and wondering about these four as the chosen songs to introduce the much broader Mr. Stevens to Dr. Salyers, there is an explanation. The explanation requires meeting Dr. Salyers, or seeing him velasaraptoring around our campus. These four may seem among the quirkiest, though know that it is for very good reason. Therefore, chronologically:

Sufjan Stevens - I Saw Three Ships

Ah, the first listed song is a cover - a connection from a pre-Stevens-introductory existence (a Christmasy carol) to the post. (Hint: This was released in 2002, the second of an annual five-year Christmas project [including 2006 [unreleased], excluding 2004 [never released]]). The ending provides as an introduction to the humility of Mr. Stevens.

Sufjan Stevens - For the Widows in Paradise, for the Fatherless in Ypsilanti

Ah, a relatively normal song. This was included in order to add depth to the perception of Mr. Stevens, and to try to represent some of the broader lyrics of Sufjan Stevens. It can be assumed that God is the benevolent narrator for the line: "If you have a father, or if you haven't one, I'll do anything for you. I did everything for you." That is one mere example of such lyrical depth, and the song as a whole "speaks for itself".

Sufjan Stevens - Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step-Mother!

Ah, "Decatur..." moves us back to the silly and strange, though it would be unfair and "irresponsible" to reduce the song to such adjectives. This song is from the concept album known as "Illinois", a collection of songs about a state that Mr. Stevens had merely visited before writing. The song may resemble a children's tale, but know that (according to what research I've done), this song required much study and investigation of the Illinois town Decatur. His noting of "the smell of the grain" and the loose, wild animals are real-life references to Decatur's weird past and present, as the town has a terrible grainy stench and animals from their zoo once escaped. A favorite line: "Stephen A. Douglas was a great debater, but Abraham Lincoln was the great emancipator."

Sufjan Stevens - Dear Mr. Supercomputer

Ah, yes, this song, "Dear Mr. Supercomputer", is my favorite from Mr. Stevens' latest album, entitled "The Avalanche". The song is in unique time, and during a sort of breakdown the all-girls chorus is chanting "1! 2! 3! 4! 5! 6! 7! All computers go to Heaven!" The album is another example of Sufjan's historical references, from Adlai Stevenson to The Vivian Girls.

And there is an introduction, directed toward Dr. Salyers, meant for any. Of course, if you have anything to say, please leave a comment.

(Editor's Note: There are a few items one must understand in order to begin to comprehend what is Sufjan Stevens. Item 1: Mr. Stevens is widely known as a Christian, and is described as the "liberal compassionate" type. Item 2: Mr. Stevens claims O.C.D., and this works out for the greatest good for the greatest number, as his songs have been written and re-written, and in the case of "Chicago", there are around ten different known versions, four having been officially released. Item 3: Mr. Stevens, despite offers from major labels, has maintained integrity and sticks with his label, Asthmatic Kitty. Item 4: Sufjan plays a great multitude of musical instruments, numbered around twenty. There certainly are other such items, though they shall be excluded for personal discovery, and for the sake of those who have already discovered.)

Album Under Review: Devotchka - 100 Lovers

2011-03-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

Devotchka

The new Devotchka album was recorded in Arizona. The tracks sound familiar to fans, though once again this is another 2011 album with exemplary production. The band hath outdone itself not in lyrics or vocals, but in instrumentation and overall feel. While their sound is not as groundbreaking as it once was, there’s not much room for this kind of band to develop when they already started at the limits. Here are four songs off the new album, entitled “100 Lovers”

Devotchka - 100 Lovers

Track 2. All The Sand In All The Sea [mp3]
Track 4. The Common Good [mp3]
Track 6. Sunshine [mp3]
Track 12. The Man From San Sebastian [mp3]

Lastly, here's the video that came from this album, the semi-title track, "100 Other Lovers":

The Line-up: Uffie, Robyn, and Ke$ha

2011-03-06T14:46:00.000-08:00

These three women, lined up to change the world; unlike the other ones, lined up to see them or changing lanes or clinging to coke lines. These three women, wrapped up in linens and examined as is. Three women at a restaurant with no make-up on, run them through a background check. Robyn is more lyrically carefree, all about the dance anthem. Ke$ha is lyrically dumber/funner. Uffie is lyrically more mischievous and intellectual. All three have solid vocals and mess around on the 1’s and 2’s quite a bit. Here are 3 mp3 examples of each, in case you don’t have enough information to judge for yourself.

Uffie

1. Read To Uff [from Hot Chick EP]
2. Pop The Glock [from Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans]
3. Art of Uff [from Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans]

Robyn

1. Dancing On My Own [from Body Talk]
2. Call Your Girlfriend [from Body Talk]
3. Dancehall Queen [from Body Talk]

Ke$ha

1. Your Love Is My Drug [Single]
2. We R Who We R [from Cannibal]
3. Grow A Pear [from Cannibal]

Purchase What You Just Heard:

Artist Under: James Blake - Four Songs For Quick Revue

2011-03-05T23:33:00.000-08:00

Here are four albums with one song example from each. They are all EP's or singles by James Blake, released within the last two years. Below are small writings on or around each.

James Blake - Air and the Lack Thereof

Sparing The Horses [2009] MP3

Quiet intro until builds into snaps where the mind’s edges clap together. Syncopate the tune please and quit freaking me out, man. Oh wait, those vox, so great. Thanks.

James Blake - The Bells Sketch EP

The Bells Sketch [2010] MP3

The Bells Sketch has a long-ol’ intro, though the meltdown of skin and bone once arrival occurs is quite nice. My ears started twisting, and the music screwed itself into the brain canal. The music was a clamp upon the back of my neck. James Blake is a manipulator of the hand which affects.

James Blake - CMYK EP

CMYK [2010] MP3

The beginnings of science and questioning, an omniplex polytone with no colors yet known till the sprinkling of light into our eyes. Look I found oh it’s inside me. DAMN. Found her… please listen to this so I don’t guess at the meaning alone any longer. It’s nice, to be played on speakers, or powder, or New Year’s.

James Blake - Klavierwerke EP

Tell Her Safe [2010] MP3

Who’s yelling in the bathtub, oh my love? How did you fit a piano into the space within my brain. How did the tinkling and clicking enter my bloodstream, and swim through as if a clipper ship, so narrow and thin.

Discovery: Of Weekend AND Riot [Addendum]

2011-03-05T23:06:00.001-08:00

[Discovery]

Discovery was formed from Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend [keyboard/production] and Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles [vocals]. The combination makes for excellent pop, which expanded until flying away, in my town this past summer. The acceptability of the music mixed with its functional erraticism causes surprise on first listen and ear-warmth thereafter, as the ear wormeth. Here is a revue of Vampire Weekend; Ra Ra Riot; and lastly, Discovery.

Parts of

1. Vampire Weekend [members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, Chris Baio]

b. Taxi Cab [track 5 off Contra]
c. Giving Up The Gun [track 8 off Contra]

Plus Parts of

2. Ra Ra Riot [members: Wes Miles, Mathieu, Milo Bonacci, Alexandra Lawn, Rebecca Zeller, Gabriel Duquette]

a. Boy [track 2 off The Orchard]

c. Dying Is Fine [track off Ra Ra Riot EP]

Make for a new

3. Discovery [members: Wes Miles; Rostam Batmanglij

b. Osaka Loop Line [track 2 off LP]

mp3's indluded within equation as purplish links.

DONALD GLOVER IS ... Childish Gambino

2011-03-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

Donald Glover [Community] is the mastermind of Childish Gambino, who would would fuck a bitch to pass the time. That's the same first rhyme of his new song titled "Freaks and Geeks" [mp3]. He used the title as the final punchline. Fuck the old English rule against such. Check the attitude in the video. Is he acting or just acting how he wants? My guess is the second. Either way, it's cool.

Discovery: Of Weekend and Riot

2011-03-05T22:39:00.000-08:00

1. Vampire Weekend [members: Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, Chris Baio]

a. Horchata [track 1 off Contra]
b. Taxi Cab [track 5 off Contra]
c. Giving Up The Gun [track 8 off Contra]

Plus Parts of

2. Ra Ra Riot [members: Wes Miles, Mathieu, Milo Bonacci, Alexandra Lawn, Rebecca Zeller, Gabriel Duquette]

a. Boy [track 2 off The Orchard]
b. Too Dramatic [track 3 off The Orchard
c. Dying Is Fine [track off Ra Ra Riot EP]

Make for a new

3. Discovery [members: Wes Miles; Rostam Batmanglij

a. Orange Shirt [track 1 off LP]
b. Osaka Loop Line [track 2 off LP]
c. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend [featuting Angel Deradoorian] [track 4 off LP]
d. Carby [featuring Ezra Kenig] [track 7 off LP]

mp3's indluded within equation as purplish links.

Album Under Review - Destroyer [One of the best parts of pornography is...]

2011-03-04T00:37:00.000-08:00

Destroyer released Kaputt [aptly titled] on January 25, 2011. Before reading on, please consider the album name with its image. I love the implication of some suicide pact.
Now onto the revue: The songs seemed slow to my taste, though these few stood out hysterically. For fans, the divergence isn’t un-overcome-able. The natural bursts of sparse noise are quite nice, plus production got greater since my better Destroyer days, when Margot Tenenbaum’s record player was more the goal. This is music for fans of viewing Peter Sarstedt’s body after he died. Don’t get me wrong, the smell has been sterilized and it’s a well-made body. Trust me—-you want to look at this beautiful body, don’t you? Come on. Run your fingers through the hair of these next foor tracks.

Track 2. Blue Eyes
Track 3. Savage Night At The Opera
Track 5. Poor In Love
Track 7. Downtown

P.S. Standout track: Track 6, go find it elsewhere. Also, I'll tell you that I hate disco.

Post #51: More Free Weezy [Free-write Attempt]

2011-03-04T00:11:00.000-08:00

Wayne walked in here all fixed up. Look at you. How many are there like us out there? Since when did Chris get in? Were you remained unhit after the incident? Yeah man.

Milli got here fixed up with a white boy. Roman walked in, ended his verse with an unrehearsed 4-line rhyme for same syllable count as Nick and Em’. Did you bring your aluminum translator? How many feet till the bottom of a shallow video set in a tub thrice his size? Six-Seven, since Way went to Heaven, yeh.

Is this under deconstruction? I find such doubtful. Thusly, wasn’t Mugsy born early? How now have thou sprout 6-7? Switch the lever. Hell no.

Check the first three at communion by the coatrack on hurry route. Keep these three wet until moldy and deleted. Pity abound but

I’m fresh out.

A Milli (James Blake Refix)

Chris Brown - Look At Me Now featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Ehymes

Roman’s Revenge featuring Nicki Minaj

New Lil Wayne - 6 Foot Seven Foot Video [via MTV]

Lil Wayne - Music - More Music Videos

P.S. Let me speak clearly: If anyone says they don't "get" the video, tell them it's their fault. The direction is simple--Hype Williams decided to visually display Weezy's loose-tongued lyrics, set in a dream. This is obvious.

And a classic from Tha Carter II days [2005], "Oh Shooter", featuring Robin Thicke [AOL Sessions]:

Watch 6'7 after the six o' clock news.
Watch "Oh Shooter" after Woodstock.

Album under Review: Talib Kweli - Gutter Rainbows

2011-03-03T03:40:00.000-08:00

Talib Kweli is now in his third decade of making tapes, CD's, and mp3's. After a long solo history and roof-opening groundwork with Black Star, he is still at the top point of his game. Gutter Rainbows offers a retrospective on life from a confidently-lipped rapper who has his concepts sealed shut. This artist is not in crisis, yet bore the world’s eyes upon his shoulders and spit it out. Check these four soungs from his new release.

Artist: Talib Kweli
Album: Gutter Rainbows
Release Date: January 25, 2011
Length: 49:13

Track 3. So Low
Track 4. Palookas featuring Sean Price
Track 7. Wait For You featuring Kendra Ross
Track 9. Cold Rain

[Track 1 produced by Shuko; Track 2. Marco Polo; Track 3. S1; Track 4. Ski Beatz]

“You ain’t got a verse better than my worst one.” – Talib Kweli

Purchase What You Just Heard:

The Gorillaz Shitter

2011-03-03T03:11:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to The Gorillaz. They set a goddamned landmark by creating some shit album in less than two months, aptly titled, The Fall. In previous decades, some albums were recorded on the spot. Now, Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn decided to fucking make history by taking OVER a month. To paraphrase an interview, “I wanted to prove I wrote it quickly on an iPad so I released it immediately, otherwise no one would believe how fast I wrote it.” Well guess what, I fucking believe you. Wanna know why? Because my iPad has a loop machine to. To hear some of the shit songs off of The Gorillaz new release The Fall, look below. Don’t worry, I picked the best ones, and they’re still shit. I guess this is what the burning remains of a plastic beach smell like. Shit.

Track 1. Phoner to Arizona
Track 2. Revolving Doors
Track 5. Shytown
Track 10. Amarillo

Waste $14:

Album Under Review: Ron Sexmith - Long Player Late Bloomer

2011-03-03T02:22:00.000-08:00

Ron Sexmith turned 47 years old this past January. His new album is aptly titled Long Player Late Bloomer. Wonder which songs will be covered by future artists? I took a stab at my four, with mp3’s below. The album’s country jangle wears thin, but the lyricism, when the focus, makes Sexmith’s instrumental choices more bearable. STANDOUT TRACK: “Get In Line” is a ballad largely written in A/B/A/B rhyme scheme, with a chorus tying it intogether. Sexmith still excels at cliché love songs with a twist of genius, as evidenced in the second two tracks. The –half title track is a right pick for certain.

Long Player Later Bloomer

Track 1. Get In Line
Track 6. Late Bloomer
Track 7. Heavenly
Track 9. Middle of Love

Purchase What You Just Heard:

Artist Under Review: Ghostpoet [2010-2011]

2011-03-02T23:03:00.000-08:00

Audience: “Wake up, sleepy bones.” - Ghostpoet

Ghostpoet is an intriguing case of British musician, will you allow me to say a rapper on par with James Blake? Consider the noises & accent. Shall we also say he's replacing The Streets [nearly disappeared from the -osphere]? If you don’t dig these slant rhymes and the offbeat lyricism of Ghostpoet, try out the beats. How has this future gotten here so fasssst? Here is a review of his output from 2010 on. I must say that “Cash And Carry Me Home” is the hottest token since Pac Man, yet the Peanut Butter Blues contains about the same number of hits as The Sound of Strangers, an EP from 2010. Let’s hope future output grows longer legs when stepping into 2012 and when the music becomes post-apocalyptic.

The Sound of Strangers EP [2010]

Track 1. Gone
Track 3. Longing For The Night

Cash And Carry Me Home [January 24, 2011 Single]

Track 2. Cash And Carry Me Home (Gang Colours Remix)

Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam [February 7, 2011]

Track 5. I Just Don’t Know
Track 6. Survive It
Track 8. Cash And Carry Me Home
Track 10. Liiines

Purchase What You Just Heard:

Side A: Jesus; Side B: Satan

2011-03-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

A. JESUS MIX
This mix is simple. Each song has the name “Jesus” in its title. [15 Songs]

1. Kanye West – Jesus Walks
2. Tom Waits – Chocolate Jesus
3. Nirvana – Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam
4. Brand New – Jesus Christ
5. Cake – Jesus Wrote A Blank Check
6. Violent Femmes – Jesus Walking On the Water
7. Johnny Cash – Personal Jesus
8. The Velvet underground - Jesus
9. CocoRosie – Jesus Loves Me
10. Infant Sorrow – I Am Jesus
11. Ariel Pink’s Haunted graffiti – Jesus Christ Came to Me In a Dream
12. David Cross – Jesus A Martyr
13. The Flaming lips – Plastic Jesus
14. Woody Guthrie – Jesus Christ
15. Iron & Wine – Jesus The Mexican Boy

B. SATAN MIX
This mix is simple. Each song has the names “Satan”, “Devil”, or “Lucifer” in its title. [19 Songs]

1. Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins – Run Devil Run
2. The Rolling Stones – Sympathy For The Devil
3. Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs – The Devil’s In The Jukebox
4. Bright Eyes – Devil In The Details
5. Echo and the Bunnymen – Angels and Devils
6. The Frames – Dance The Devil Back Into His Hole
7. Charley Patton – Devil Sent The Rain Blues
8. Iron & Wine – The Devil Never Sleeps
9. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! – Satan Said Dance
10. Charles Manson – Devil Man
11. Gillian Welch – The Devil Had A Hold Of Me
12. Pink Floyd – Lucifer Sam
13. Beck – Devil’s Haircut
14. Modest Mouse – This Devil’s Workday
15. A.A. Bondy – When The Devil’s Loose
16. Grateful Dead – Friend Of The Devil
17. Sufjan Stevens – In The Devil’s Territory
18. Robert Plant – Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down
19. Daniel Johnston – Devil Town

For anyone keeping overall score, this adds Satan’s score +4 in the song count category.

Fuck the police

2011-03-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

N.W.A. - Fuck tha Police MP3

SONG WIKI

.

Album Under Review: Wombs - Unitopians [2010]

2011-03-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

Artist: Wombs
Album: Unitopians
Release Date: October 25, 2010
Label: Self-released

I found this album through-a-friend-through-a-friend. I find the album increasingly enticing, and the formerly unbearable tracks gain more plays as time continues. The band’s conquest to tame big pop hasn’t failed—though the screams and rough edges must go before the band is to explode. Here are four tracks that best represent Unitopians, ideally united, without the sacrifices of collective socialism found on some of the other tracks. STANDOUT TRACK: "Protein Shake" – listen for the pull & swell of the strings, the invitation of the drums to join in, and the evocative vocals.

Track 3. Protein Shake
Track 6. Ghost Roast
Track 7. Epoch 0

BUY THE HANDMADE CD HERE

The Dirty Projectors [An Anecdotal Retrospective, 2006-2009]

2011-03-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

The first time I saw The Dirty Projectors in concert was back in 2006. Suffice it to say, it will remain a favorite life experience to have seen the band at a bar with less than 30 people in attendance. They were very friendly at the merch booth. This was right after the New Attitude EP and a few years before Bitte Orca. I listened to New Attitude on vinyl the rest of that night.
To celebrate the leaps by this band since then, here are some highlights of those two releases. The overall production has improved heavily since New Attitude, but the same timing, guitar-picking, incessant rests, vocals in constant pounce, and energetic field are in place. Try some of the older mp3’s from New Attitude if you want to see a more youthful, raw version of The Dirty Projectors.

Bitte Orca

Track 6. Useful Chamber
Track 7. No Intention

New Attitude EP

Track 1. Fucked For Life
Track 3. Imagine It
Track 5. Two Young Sheeps

Purchase What You Just Heard:

Legends: Pete Doherty & The What Became Of...

2011-03-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

When energy flows unnoticed, through deconstructed post-punk, or any other form, analysis falls short.

Imagine reducing rock music to its most basic parts, and re-gluing it back together, on a lot of fashionable drugs. Yes, this niche is necessary outside of Doherty’s celebrity.

Here is a musical and imagic tribute to Pete Doherty. As a songwriter, he’s headed The Libertines and Babyshambles. Here are appropriate proportions of each.

The Libertines

1. Music When The Lights Go Out [from The Libertines]
2. What Katie Did [from The Libertines]
3. What Became Of The Likely Lads [from The Libertines]
4. What A Waster [from Time For Heroes]

Babyshambles

1. There She Goes [from Shotter’s Nation]
2. Fuck Forever [from Down In Albion]
3. The 32nd of December [from Down In Albion]
4. In Love With A Feeling [from Down In Albion]

Adam Green – What a Waster [Libertines Cover]

BUY WHAT YOU SEE:

New'r Disc Jockeys

2011-03-02T04:19:00.000-08:00

Inquire into dirty chaos? I find two debuts: a solo individual signed by a mau5 + three boys & one girl. These be called Skrillex and Crystal Fighters.

Crystal Fighters [theme: -llow] released their debut album, “Star of Love”, on October 4, 2010. Much anticipation had been sweating off the glass. This debut billowed out smoke from the crevices of mouths of critics who let the fog steam up their glasses while watching the production grass grow greener and yellow before peeling now these 4 tracks in 2010. STANDOUT TRACK: I Do This Everyday = This track (she) mixes acoustic tribal drums with youthful chants about being cool as shit and then a rough breakdown with pounding drums and shrilling screams, then a guitar-stroked meltdown, build-up, repeat, etc.

Track 3. I Do This Everyday
Track 4. Champion Sound (Alternative Mix)
Track 9. Swallow
Track 11. Follow

Skrillex [theme: homicide] released “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” on October 22nd, 2010, less than three weeks later. This being his first EP, it debuted at #1 on the iTunes Dance Charts.

Track 2. Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites
Track 3. Kill Everybody

which is not his debut if you include “My Name is Skrillex”, released free online June 7, 2010. Regardless, it was last year- thus a newer d.j. in place. STANDOUT TRACK: “WEEKENDS!!!” where Sirah provides hot spliced vocals over a dirty beat being stretched over a wire slung ten stories up across two buildings.

Track 2. WEEKENDS!!! (feat. Sirah)
Track 3. Fucking Die 1

New Lady Gaga - Born This Way [2011]

2011-03-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

FEATURED MP3: Lady Gaga - Born This Way

Oh my god, it feels like the new Gaga song is following me wherever I go. It popped up in my dream even. Here we have a Gaga in transition (half the pictures light-haired, half dark).

The radio exploded with new Gaga, just one song. Much discussion comes of sophomoric efforts. My fiancée and I discussed in the car as “Born This Way” came on, what is Gaga supposed to do? All eyes will be critical once you’ve topped your genre (since Madonna) in an album and an EP. Where do you turn?
I appreciate that her lyrics cover all colors and all classes, and her entire life from birth, with a really simple beat. How can she get bigger than universal? Maybe from here she has to move towards Ziggy-like space concepts. For now, before it gets any bigger and falls apart, I'm just glad we're back to discussing the music and not the meat dress.

Here are a few mp3's of my Gaga favorites as well as her new goddamned single, “Born This Way”

1. Beautiful, Dirty, Rich [from The Fame]
2. Bad Romance [from The Fame Monster]
3. Teeth [from The Fame Monster]
4. Born This Way [album t.b.d.]

[Editor's Update:

///

Lastly, a sick, infinite vid:

COME GET IT: New, Free Weezy

2011-03-02T00:37:00.000-08:00

Lil Wayne [Dwayne Carter, Jr.] was sent to federal prison almost exactly a year ago, on March 8, 2010. He was released on November 4, 2010. Since then we’ve seen one major single in “Six Foot, Seven Foot” [another hit produced by Bangladesh] and a relevant effort I heard first on the radio around Super Bowl weekend, “Green and Yellow” [makes me wonder how quick it took to get that one from his brain to the mixer]. Let’s note that the year he made a song about Kobe, the Lakers got a championship ring, and now Weezy’s winning streak continues with the Packers.
In the September while he was in prison, his album “I Am Not A Human Being” fell, including Bill Gates, a song I posted on my Famous Names Mix, appropriately. On top of those jays, I found one more gem that needed to be spread off his new mixtape, “The Road to C4” -- the song “Set It Off Tonight”, a club song with a solid verse contribution from Weezy. Lastly, “Su Woo” featuring The Game is perfect for fans of Tha Carter II era, such as myself, with its minimal horns and drums duo and slick, pre-auto-tuned rap. Don’t say he’s lost touch of that same lyricism he had in ’05 after hearing Su Woo.

Unfortunately, the release date for The Carter IV has been pushed to Winter 2011, obviously upsetting for the avid fan. But from the most prolific musician, technically, of his generation, I can’t complain about his recent output. Here’s 5 songs which highlight this last long year for Weezy.

1. Six Foot, Seven Foot feat. Cory Gunz
2. Green and Yellow
3. Bill Gates (Remix) feat. Busta Rhymes
4. Set It Off Tonight feat. Sam Salter
5. Su Woo feat. The Game

Legends: Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy [1973]

2011-03-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

Released: March 28, 1973
Label: Atlantic Records
Produced by: Jimmy Page
Band Members: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham, John Paul Jones

Album Wiki

I recently purchased Houses of the Holy on vinyl. I contemplated buying a newer record, one more relevant to ears tuned to the frequency of recency. Fuck that, I need this album in its original format. I’ll leave the newer artists for the torrents.
Here are a few songs to highlight from the album. I’m obsessed by the epic journey involved in these songs and their realization. “D’Yer Mak’er” is a fun romp. “Over The Hills and Far Away “ makes for a classic road song, with multiple storyline shifts just by way of instrumentations. The layers on “The Rain Song” come with the complexity of weather, feel this one out in your spines tingle, tapped by cloud drops. “The Song Remains the Same” is a hell of a first track, a falling trip into the album’s core feel, an invitation into the Houses of the Holy. Really though, just buy the album below.

Track 1. The Song Remains The Same
Track 2. The Rain Song
Track 3. Over The Hills And Far Away
Track 6. D’Yer Mak’er

The Big Three Killed My Baby: The Story of Jack White; with Additions from his women...

2011-02-25T07:13:00.000-08:00

Instead of posting text for each different project of his, I’ll let them each speak for themselves. Surely you’re already familiar with the big three: his first major group, The White Stripes; and the following super-groups The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. Additionally are his projects with Alicia Keys [James Bond Theme]; Loretta Lynn [Producing “Van Lear Rose”]; Wanda Jackson [Producing her New Release, “The Party Ain’t Over”]; and his family project with Karen Elson [of Taken by Trees].

a. The White Stripes

[with Meg White]

1. The Nurse [from “Get Behind Me Satan”]
2. My Doorbell [from “Get Behind Me Satan”]
3. One More Cup Of Coffee [from “The White Stripes”]
4. St. James Infirmary Blues [from “The White Stripes”]

b. The Raconteurs

[with Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler]

1. Blue Veins [from “Broken Boy Soldiers”]
2. Call It A Day [from “Broken Boy Soldiers”]
3. You Don’t Understand Me [from “Consolers of the Lonely”]
4. Broken Boy Soldier [from “Broken Boy Soldiers”]

c. The Dead Weather

[with Alison Mosshart, Dean Fertita, Jack Lawrence]

1. 3 Birds [Instrumental] [from “Horehound”]
2. Old Mary [from “Sea of Cowards]
3. The Difference Between Us [from “Sea of Cowards]
4. Gasoline [from “Sea of Cowards]

Additions From Four Closely Associated Women:

Wanda Jackson – From the January 25, 2011 album “The Party Ain’t Over”, produced by White
1. Thunder On The Mountain [Bob Dylan Cover]
2. You Know I’m No Good [Amy Winehouse Cover]
3. Nervous Breakdown
4. Dust On The Bible

Jack White with Alicia Keys – Another Way To Die [James Bond Theme from “Quantum of Solace”]

Loretta Lynn– Portland, Oregon [featuring Jack White, off the album he produced, “Van Lear Rose”]

Taken By Trees – My Boys [his wife’s band]

One More Cup of Coffee and Cigarettes Before We Go:

Coffee and Cigarettes - Meg White And Jack White (With Cinque Lee) | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

The Strange Theories of King James [Blake]

2011-02-25T03:58:00.000-08:00

I saw a James Blake vinyl record on sale today for $50.00. I feel this man belongs in a museum already. He won Rookie of the Year in all hearts during early February. I need to highlight some of his music/persona on this blog as is my commission from God.

5 Reasons to Not Hate James Blake just because he’s so popular...

1. The voice, oh god…
2. His impeccable physique
3. The artistry of it all
4. The seamless inclusion of dubstep
5. The fucking album cover.

James Blake: James Blake

Resources:
James Blake Wiki
His Page
His Myspace
James Blake BBC Page
Songmeanings.net Lyrics

Now moreso onto the music: Just listen to it. I see no reason for me to describe the shit. Enjoy it, soak it up. Buy it on mp3, CD, and vinyl. Or get the whole damn discography on your favorite blog aggregator. Secretly, I’m desperate for that fifty-dollar record.

Here’s four songs with mp3's and lyrics for each:

Track 03. I Never Learnt To Share
Track 04. Lindesfarne I
Track 06. Limit To Your Love
Track 10. I Mind

Music Video for The Wilhelm Scream:

I am honored to just mention the name...

Recency Under Review

2011-02-25T03:11:00.000-08:00

1. Radiohead – The King of Limbs [Feb. 18]

R’head is under the influence of age skilled musician, marked by tired; gets jittery. If y’dunno by now, yer gone. Halt to the endless thiefs, let me join ye with these 3:

Track 5. Lotus Flower
Track 6. Codex
Track 8. Separator

2. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes [Mar. 1]

Surprising wavy psyche rock where user flows arms above and below as shown in videos. Esp. check tracks 1 and 6 for this effect. Try again if fails; chiller popper goes more intense. Quick, hit this:

Track 1. Youth Knows No Pain
Track 4. Unrequited Love
Track 6. Rich Kid Blues

Toro y Moi – Underneath The Pine [Feb. 22]

Disconcerting second effort. Try these; some excitement found but not the promise fulfilled from first release. The grooves go deep but the concepts notasmuch or so much growth from ‘em. Go ahead though:

Track 7. How I Know
Track 10. Good Hold
Track 11. Elise

d. Deerhoof – Deerhoof vs. Evil [Jan. 25]

Proceed with heavy, near-metallic feet. Enjoy this off the top of the dropper for it hits in rhythms on the tongue. Let electricity pour through the veins. Hold on tightly. Grip the followings:

Track 2. Behold a Marvel in the Darkness
Track 7. Must Fight Current
Track 10. C’Moon

e. Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will [Feb. 15]

My first attempt at their playing. Not a bad jam. In case you’re interested…

Track 7. George Square Thatcher Death Party
Track 8. How To Be A Werewolf
Track 9. Too Raging To Cheers

Too raging to cheers now that this is over. Happy Tuesdays y'all.

Of Mice & Spin: Addendum

2010-12-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

I incorrectly tagged one of the mp3's on the Deadmau5 / Danger Mouse post I did recently. Here's the link to the song I missed:

Deadmau5 - A City In Florida

Buy the full album here.
Cop the full album here.

Danger Mouse : The Grey Album [ Jay-Z meets The Beatles ]

2010-12-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

Jay-Z's The Black Album [buy it] [cop it]
meets
The Beatles' White Album [buy it on iTunes] [cop it anyway]

I first posted this album a few years ago. Part of coming back to the blogosphere will include re-updating dead mp3's. I was hosting this for awhile, and it was one my my more popular posts. The post was actually featured on Best Week Ever's blog here. I doubt this album needs any explanation after all these years, but in case you haven't heard of this mash-up gem, here's The Grey Album Wiki. While I normally don't post full albums, this one falls into a loophole: while exploiting two artists, it profits off of neither. Thus, there is no issue with giving it away for free.

Without further ado, here's mp3's to the whole album:

1. Public Service Announcement
2. What More Can I Say
3. Encore
4. December 4th
5. 99 Problems
6. Dirt Off Your Shoulder
7. Moment of Clarity
8. Change Clothes
9. Allure
10. Justify My Thug
11. Interlude
12. My 1st Song

Purchase What You Just Heard:

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Official Live EP; w/ Architecture in Helsinki

2010-12-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

Weekly Mix: Famous Names

2010-12-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

As you can tell, each of these songs has the name of a well-known person in its title. Here it is, in mp3 format:

[Editor's Note - Sorry for all the reposts. I finally got the id3 tags to work on this one.]

1. Simon & Garfunkel - A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission)

2. The Modern Lovers - Pablo Picasso

3. KiD CuDi - Ashin' Kusher

4. Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood

5. Outkast - Rosa Parks

6. MGMT - Brian Eno

7. David Bowie - Andy Warhol

8. Sufjan Stevens - Adlai Stevenson

9. Cat Power - Aretha, Sing One For Me

10. Modest Mouse - Bukowski

11. Adam Green - Jessica

12. Marina And The Diamonds - Mowgli's Road

13. The Postal Service - Clark Gable

14. Caribou - Hannibal

15. Lil Wayne - Bill Gates

16. Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley

17. Bob Dylan - Hurricane

18. Weezer - Buddy Holly

19. Arcade Fire - Lenin

20. Belle & Sebastian feat. Norah Jones - Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John

21. Antony and the Johnsons - Hitler In My Heart

22. The Velvet Underground - Lady Godiva's Operation

5 Songs with Famous Names

2010-11-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Most of the mp3's in this post were incorrectly marked, so I just left the ones with proper id3 tags.
See them in their full post here: http://theconcertroom.blogspot.com/2010/12/weekly-mix-famous-names.html

1. Simon & Garfunkel - A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara'd Into Submission)

2. Lil Wayne - Bill Gates

3. Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley

4. Bob Dylan - Hurricane

5. Belle & Sebastian feat. Norah Jones - Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John

Of Mice And Spin

2010-11-30T10:01:00.001-08:00

On Dec. 7th, Deadmau5 has a full-length coming out entitled "4x4=12". This occurrence warrants a post, something clever; of mice who spin...

A.

FIRSTLY, three tracks from the new Deadmau5 album. The first is a great selection, the fourth track on the album, a "Bad Selection" (mp3)

...then come over and relax at Track 3. Deadmau5 - A City In Florida (mp3)

Lastly four mau5y, we have a feature of his backbeat [w/ female rap add-on], the new "One Trick Pony" [mp3 of Track 10 ft. Sofi]

B.

FOR INPUT from Danger Mouse, we turn to his Early Years 12", featuring five mash-ups. Here they're:

Side A.
Tracks:
1. Nas vs. Portishead - It Ain't Hard To Tell (2001)
2. Audio Two vs. Air - Top Billin (2001)
3. Suzanne Vega vs. 50 Cent - Tom's Diner (2003)

Try out track 3!

Side B.
Tracks:
4. Outkast vs. Funkadelic - Whole World (2002)
5. Xzibit vs. Radiohead - Paparazzi (2002)

This is actually a test.

2010-11-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

I am testing the id3v2.3 tags on:

She & Him - This Is Not A Test

Buy It

-giving Day: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Official Live EP

2010-11-27T07:12:00.000-08:00

Editor's Note /// As you can tell, I recently ended the hiatus on this blog. On this Thanksgiving, I decided to check which post had the most re-upload requests and update its mp3's. For those who commented, sorry for the lost years. For newer viewers, here is an EP I picked up at a concert with the same line-up in Central Park, 2006. This EP was only being offered at the shows. All songs are live versions of songs the bands had previously recorded. Enjoy!

MP3's:

01 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder (Live)
02 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Gimme Some Salt (Live)
03 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth (Live)
04 Architecture In Helsinki - Feather In A Baseball Cap (Live)
05 Architecture In Helsinki - It's 5! (Live)
06 Takka Takka - They Built You Up Too Fast (Live)

OR Torrent

///Editor's Note Over\\\

Written September 29, 2006:

On Thursday, September 28th I attended a concert in Central Park. The bands that played were (chronologically) Takka Takka, Architecture in Helsinki, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. I attended the show with Caleb Oakes and Julie Jackson.

We got there early enough to find a decent spot to sit/stand, and I went to the merch area near the beginning. There I found a Fall 2006 Tour EP with live songs by all three bands. Mp3s from the Fall 2006 Tour EP are at the top of this post.

Takka Takka opened:

It was a pleasure to listen to some of their instrumentation.

Next was Architecture In Helsinki:

The portion of the concert where Architecture In Helsinki played was rather bizarre. I was amazed by how strange it was. There was a lot of instrumentation and switching instruments and flashing lights. I expected there to be more people on stage, though. I was not sure if Clap Your Hands Say Yeah would be able to get as good of a response from the audience as AIH, but I was wrong.

Last was Clap Your Hands Say Yeah:

Clap Your Hands' set was quite fun. After AIH wore me out with the huge multitude of songs that they played, it was nice to feel like dancing again. Clap Your Hands got an encore at the end, and played two songs, one being a Dylan cover. They were my favorite act of the night, with a healthy balance between good musicianship and fun vocals/dancing.

Lastly, there is the Fall 2006 Tour EP put out by CYHSY, AIH, and Takka Takka. I gave it a good listen through and am glad I bought it, especially as they seemed to be in short supply at the merch area. The inside of the EP lists the names of the three artists, says "Fall Tour 2006", and lists many upcoming autumn shows. It then has the tracklisting and information and says:

"01 Some Loud Thunder - CYHSY
02 Gimme Some Salt - CYHSY
03 The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth - CYHSY

Live on April 15th, 2006 at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC
Recorded and mixed by Wild Bill Handlin

04 Feather In A Baseball Cap - AIH
Live on November 3rd, 2005 at Brudnell Social Club, Leeds UK
Engineered by Haima Marriot

05 It's 5! - AIH
Recorded May 3rd, 2006 in a motel in Brussels, Belgium
Thanks to JErUme Colin and all his helpers at Vox.
www.vox.skynetblogs.be

06 They Built You Up Too Fast - TT
Live on August 11th, 2006 at the Mercury Lounge, NYC

All Tracks Mastered by Joe Lambert at Truetone Mastering
art & design: Robbie Guertin & Cameron Bird

www.clapyourhandssayyeah.com
www.architectureinhelsinki.com
www.takkatakkamusic.com "

Tuesday's New Releasings /// KANYE & NICKI

2010-11-23T12:36:00.001-08:00

A. NICKI MINAJ - Pink Friday
B. KANYE WEST - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

A.

"Pink Friday" - Buy It
"Pink Friday" - Cop It

Three Tracks from the Album with links to each:

Track 2. Nicki Minaj feat. Eminem - Roman's Revenge

See review below. Lyrically, this is my favorite song on the album, while feverishly the most aggressive. I listened, awed by the vicious Roman character portrayed here. And Eminem, playing himself, proves his upswing is still around.
Track 3. Nicki Minaj - Did It On 'Em

A sick beat with great lyrics. One of the most pleasant and challenging instrumentally.
Track 11. Nicki Minaj - Dear Old Nicki

A great track for long-time Nicki fans, the tale of losing her old self in ambition and its success. At first listen, I thought this was an unrequited love song to a boy. Instead it's a first-person confession on record.

Nicki Minaj is known to excel at her wordplay and rhyming. This is her one-two punch, how she obtained the current title belt in female rap. She's warming her way into the top 5 co--ed rap contenders and her place in history is still up for grabs. With a lot of hype going into this debut album, she pulls it off, but does not necessarily exceed the already too-high expectations.
This album around, she proves she can tell a story and stick to the point (a former sore area for her). The chopped up vocals are innovative and catchy. Her three different personalities (Roman Zolanski [the wicked one], Nicki [the story-teller] and Onika [the seminal character]) keep the listener on their toes. Lyrically, there is no competition too great for her. We see this exemplified in "Roman's Revenge" when she goes toe-to-toe with Eminem, where the winner is the audience (no Renegade).
Overall, the instrumentation is tightly knit, never sloppy, but it rarely exceeds contemporary hip-hop's expectations. That said, the background to her vocals are so consistently pleasing throughout that it is far better than the standard. She brings about the best lyricism from all of the featured rap acts (Kanye, will.i.am, Drake, Eminem).
Concerning the female singers who contributed: I felt Rihanna's bit on "Fly" was average while Natasha Bedingfield's input in the last track was boring. Both songs were pulled off by Minaj though. Singing instead of rapping is a new turn for Nicki, but it never fails--just falls flat sometimes. Remember: the auto-tuning should never be tuned out . Keep listening for her shiny gem word-bombs in those overly-poppy millionaire rags. Overall it is a great debut, with average-to-slightly-above instrumentation and singing. Fortunately it will be ranking high on the year-end list because it contains a few of the greatest rap verses ever heard. And the bar's been raised in many ways....

B.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Buy It
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Cop It

Three Tracks from the Album with links to each:

Track 6. Kanye West feat. Bon Iver, Jay-Z & Nicki Minaj - Monster

If you haven't heard this yet, just download it now. The song requires no explanation other than the featured tracks.
Track 10. Kanye West - Hell of a Life

One of the nastiest beats I've heard Kanye produce, with the frictitious sounds and a great snare roll guaranteed. Lyrically, it gets more nasty than the beat, so if you want to hear about nuns ejaculating and marrying/divorcing a porn star on the same day, this song is yours.
Track 11. Kanye West feat. John Legend & Chris Rock - Blame Game

This song's second verse, with its monstrous voice-transforming, is insidious in the listener's head. After Monster, this track is the one that burrowed most into my brain.

His 5th album blends pop and rap even better than his past attempts. These are some of the best verses we've seen from Kanye, with wound-opening vulnerability (a Chris Rock feature talking dirty to one of Kanye's exes in a misdial, in "Blame Game" [see above]) and grandeur vulgarity ("Make her knees shake, make a priest faint--make a nun cum, make her cremate", from "Hell of a Life" [above]). This album has no homecoming-family love songs. Every song is aptly titled for the album, fitting into his magnum opus: this beautiful dark twisted fantasy. The instrumentation is so futuristic it's hard to call this a recent release. It feels as universal as any all-time classic. I'm eager to watch this album age.

Great Tuesday. Now it's time to go home.

100 Best Musical Releases of 2006

2007-01-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

Best Musical Releases of 2006 : The Ones That I Listened To

It is important to keep in mind that this is a list of the albums that I listened to. That is just one proof of its subjectivity. Another proof is that your list is different, thank God. Another proof is that Dylan got beat out by a debut album and a sophomore album, and with an objective scale, Dylan is second only to Christ, who I hear is also coming out with a release in '07, along with everyone else. The only exception may be when you have a debut like Gulag Orkestar and a somehow five-song full-length from Mrs. Joanna. I felt like it was a good year, as Dylan got fourth, Sufjan's highest was fourteenth, and Grandaddy is viewed as the worst album of the year.
Along with the rankings (first to last, 01-100), there are the additional "awards," such as "Best Album Art of the Year" (Floating World). Two of the many quirks on the list are the Flaming Lips' being listed next to Danielson (they toured together near the end of the year) and Dangerdoom's rare EP being partnered next to Gnarls Barkley's full-length ( highest common denominator: Danger Mouse). There are certainly more. At the end of this post, you should find the scoring system explained. It is real. It is real. Despite its lack of objectivity, this list is real, too.

01. Beirut - Gulag Orkestar

02. Joanna Newsom - Ys (also: best lyrics)

03. Bonnie "Prince Billy - The Letting Go

04. Bob Dylan - Modern Times

05. Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds

06. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (also: best vocals)

07. Jenny Lewis with The Watson - Rabbit Fur Coat

08. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

09. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Etiquette

10. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country (also: best album title)

11. Damien Rice - 9

12. My Brightest Diamond - Bring Me The Workhorse

13. Anathallo - Floating World (also: best album art overall)

14. Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche

15. Neil Young - Living With War (also: best album title)

16. Tilly and the Wall - Bottoms Of Barrels

17. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies

18. Kimya Dawson - Remember That I Love You

19. Jolie Holland - Springtime Can Kill You

20. TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

21. M. Ward - Post-War

22. The Sleepy Jackson - Personality: One Was A Spider One Was A Bird (also: best album title)

23. Xiu Xiu - The Air Force

24. Tom Waits - Orphans

25. Islands - Return to the Sea

26. Sean Lennon - Friendly Fire

27. Cursive - Happy Hollow

28. Pharrell - In My Mind

29. David Bazan - Fewer Moving Parts

30. Peaches - Impeach My Bush (also: best album title)

31. Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All the Roadrunning

32. Cat Power – The Greatest

33. Mates of State - Bring It Back

34. Morrissey - Ringleader Of The Tormentors

35. The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia

36. My Morning Jacket - Okonokos

37. Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - The Dust Of Retreat (also: best new band name)

38. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

39. Daniel Johnston - Welcome To My World

40. Two Gallants - What The Toll Tells

41. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - House Arrest

42. Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope

43. Bright Eyes - Noise Floor (Rarities: 1998-2005)

44. Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas

45. The Starlight Mints - Drowaton

46. Sarah Harmer - I'm A Mountain

47. The Ditty Bops - Moon Over the Freeway

48. Calexico - Garden Ruin

49. Eric Bachmann - To The Races

50. The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun

51. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming

52. Josh Ritter - The Animal Years

53. The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics

54. Danielson - Ships

55. Beck - The Information

56. Anti-Flag - For Blood And Empire

57. Emily Haines - Knives Don't Have Your Back

58. Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) - Another Cup

59. Sound Of Animals Fighting - Lover, The Lord Has Left Us (also: best album title)

60. Sondre Lerche and the Faces Down Orchestra - Duper Sessions

61. Zero 7- The Garden

62. Thom Yorke - The Eraser

63. Half-Handed Cloud - Halos + Lassos

64. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones

65. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways

66. Charles Manson - Sings

67. Yo La Tengo - I'm Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass (also: best album title)

68. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time

69. Josh Rouse - Subtitulo

70. Pretty Girls Make Graves - Elan Vital

71. The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers (also: best new band name)

72. The Pipettes - We Are The Pipettes

73. Brand New - The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me (also: best album title)

74. Devotchka - Curse Your Little Heart [EP]

75. Love Is All - 9 Times That Same Song

76. Nouvelle Vague - Bande A Part

77. Feist - Open Season

78. Adam Green - Jacket Full Of Danger

79. Mogwai - Mr. Beast

80. Paul Simon - Surprise

81. Hot Chip - The Warning

82. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped

83. My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade

84. Cut Chemist - The Audience's Listening

85. Tortoise & Bonnie "Prince" Billy - The Brave and the Bold (also: best cover album)

86. Dangerdoom - Occult Hymn [EP]

87. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere (also: best new artist name)

88. The Blood Brothers - Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck [EP]

89. The Grates - Gravity Won't Get You High

90. Cansei De Ser Sexy - Cansei De Ser Sexy

91. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale

92. Asobi Seksu - Citrus

93. Colin Meloy - Sings Shirley Collins [EP]

94. Alexi Murdoch - Time Without Consequence

95. Be Your Own Pet - Be Your Own Pet

96. The Seconds - Kratitude

97. Ratatat - Classics

98. The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea

99. The Dagons - Reverse

100. Grandaddy - Just Like The Fambly Cat

This scoring system is difficult to explain. Here it is:
I ranked each album's lyrics, vocals, instrumental ingenuity, instrumentation, and overall appeal on a scale of 0 to 5. I then multiplied the lyric's score by 16.666667%. I then multiplied the album's vocals score by 16.666667%. I then multiplied the instrumental ingenuity by 8.333334%. I then multiply the instrumentation by 8.333334%. I then multiplied the album's overall appeal by 50%. When all of these totals are added, it equals
100.000002%, which equals a 5 on the TOTAL 0 to 5 scale.
FYI: Reissues (e.g. Bright Eyes' Noise Floor album was basically an album reissuing older material) were subtracted 10 points out of 100, or .5 out of 5. Classic artists (e.g. Dylan, Simon, Islam, Young) were added .1 out of 5 or 1 out of 100 for longevity. Lastly, EP's meant a substraction of 5 from 100 or .25 from 5.
For further information: the highest score was achieved by Beirut, which was a 4.129166751 out of 5 (or a 82.583335 out of 100). The lowest, Grandaddy's, was 1.54750004 out of 5 (or 30.9500008 out of 100).

Thank God for '06 and God Bless '07.

Best of 2006 (Specific Categories)

2007-01-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

Specific Categories:

Best Album Art of the Year:
Anathallo's Floating World (not just the outside, but the inside too!)

Best Album Title of the Year: The Sleepy Jackson's Personality - One Was a Spider One Was a Bird; Neil Young's Living With War; Yo La Tengo's I'm Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass; Camera Obscura's Let's Get Out Of This Country; Brand New's The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me

Best New Band Names of the Year: Margot and the Nuclear So And So's, the easy choice; The Raconteurs; Gnarls Barkley

Best Song of the Year? I am not going to do this. It is too blind. Fine, Joanna Newsom's "Emily." That is just a shot to the grey. At least I didn't say "Crazy."

Best Vocals of the Year: Neko Case (and you thought that I would say My Bright Diamond).

Best Lyricist of the Year, according to their lyrical abilities: Joanna Newsom

Best Concerts of the Year (that I attended):

1. Sufjan Stevens w/ My Brightest Diamond at The Town Hall in New York City (September)
2. Joanna Newsom at Webster Hall in New York City (November)
3. Bright Eyes w/ Gruff Rhys in Victoria, BC, Canada (June)
4. Final Fantasy at The Conservatory in OKlahoma City (August)
5. Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins at The Town Hall in New York City (October)
6. Tilly and the Wall at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey (October)
7. Anathallo w/ Page France at Maxwell's om Hoboken, New Jersey (December)
8. Danielson at The Conservatory in Oklahoma City (July)
9. Cursive at Webster Hall in New York City (October)
10. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah w/ Architecture in Helsinki at Central Park in New York City (September)

Honorable Mentions: I saw Sufjan Stevens at a Casey Dienel concert; The Woody Allen Jazz Band concert featured Woody Allen, my third favor Jew (third only to Jesus and Bob Dylan). I also forgot about Mates of State and Of Montreal. At least I think that those last two were '06.

From Jay-Z to The Beatles: The Danger Mouse Mash-up

2006-10-23T03:40:00.000-07:00

///EDITOR'S NOTE: FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR THESE OLD MP3'S OF THE GREY ALBUM, They have been updated on my blog here. This post is dead. Visit the new post for mp3's.

From Jay-Z to The Beatles:

This has just been a sort of rap/hip-hop experiment of mine that I started thinking through around three o' clock in the morning when I was in a rap mood. This is basically where we make the connection from Jay-Z to Kanye West to Common to Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek to Dangerdoom, and then ultimately to Danger Mouse and The Beatles. Near the bottom of this post is the entire Grey Album, as was given to me by William Brafford.

Beginning with Jay-Z:
Jay-Z guested on this song from 'Ye's latest album, Late Registration:
Kanye West - Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) ft. Jay-Z

Kanye produced this track for Common, off of BE:
Common - Testify

Common guested on this Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek song, from Reflection Eternal:
Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek - This Means You (ft. Common)

Talib Kweli guested on this Dangerdoom track from The Mouse and the Mask, which consists of MF Doom and Danger Mouse:
Dangerdoom - Old School Rules feat. Talib Kweli

Lastly, Danger Mouse created The Grey Album, the well-known mash-up between The Beatles' self-titled album, a.k.a. The White Album, and Jay-Z's The Black Album. I will be honest when I say that I enjoy it quite a bit. Some of the tracks can be a bit grating, but there are more tracks than not that are fabulous and well-put together and catchy and dancy. Here it is:

Danger Mouse:

01. Public Service Announcement
02. What More Can I Say
03. Encore
04. December 4th
05. 99 Problems
06. Dirt Off Your Shoulder
07. Moment of Clarity
08. Change Clothes
09. Allure
10. Justify My Thug
11. Interlude
12. My 1st Song

There should be little need for me explaining the validity, importance, value, intelligence, and creative spirit behind this album. I also don't see it as my place to tell you that it is, musically, a good, proper album. You have heard that before about The Grey Album, and may even have already heard it yourself. Regardless, I highly recommend tracks 08, 02, 05, and 06. I believe that "Change Clothes" is my favorite by far.

Notes:

1) To download, right-click, and "Save Target As..."
2) I wrote the tags so that, hopefully, when you open it the artist will be Danger Mouse. Feel free to change this. I received it as "DJ Danger Mouse + Jay-Z," and am sure that your way is better for you than mine is.
3) It seems that in the last post, and in prior posts, there were problems with the links. Feel free to let me know what the problem is, and I can hopefully fix it rather soon thereafter.

Thanks. As always, please feel free to comment, esp. if you take any of the songs.

An Introduction to Mr. Sufjan Stevens for Dr. Salyers

2006-09-21T11:36:00.000-07:00

For ones who may be reading this outside of The King's College and wondering about these four as the chosen songs to introduce the much broader Mr. Stevens to Dr. Salyers, there is an explanation. The explanation requires meeting Dr. Salyers, or seeing him velasaraptoring around our campus. These four may seem among the quirkiest, though know that it is for very good reason. Therefore, chronologically:

Sufjan Stevens - I Saw Three Ships

Ah, the first listed song is a cover - a connection from a pre-Stevens-introductory existence (a Christmasy carol) to the post. (Hint: This was released in 2002, the second of an annual five-year Christmas project [including 2006 [unreleased], excluding 2004 [never released]]). The ending provides as an introduction to the humility of Mr. Stevens.

Sufjan Stevens - For the Widows in Paradise, for the Fatherless in Ypsilanti

Ah, a relatively normal song. This was included in order to add depth to the perception of Mr. Stevens, and to try to represent some of the broader lyrics of Sufjan Stevens. It can be assumed that God is the benevolent narrator for the line: "If you have a father, or if you haven't one, I'll do anything for you. I did everything for you." That is one mere example of such lyrical depth, and the song as a whole "speaks for itself".

Sufjan Stevens - Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step-Mother!

Ah, "Decatur..." moves us back to the silly and strange, though it would be unfair and "irresponsible" to reduce the song to such adjectives. This song is from the concept album known as "Illinois", a collection of songs about a state that Mr. Stevens had merely visited before writing. The song may resemble a children's tale, but know that (according to what research I've done), this song required much study and investigation of the Illinois town Decatur. His noting of "the smell of the grain" and the loose, wild animals are real-life references to Decatur's weird past and present, as the town has a terrible grainy stench and animals from their zoo once escaped. A favorite line: "Stephen A. Douglas was a great debater, but Abraham Lincoln was the great emancipator."

Sufjan Stevens - Dear Mr. Supercomputer

Ah, yes, this song, "Dear Mr. Supercomputer", is my favorite from Mr. Stevens' latest album, entitled "The Avalanche". The song is in unique time, and during a sort of breakdown the all-girls chorus is chanting "1! 2! 3! 4! 5! 6! 7! All computers go to Heaven!" The album is another example of Sufjan's historical references, from Adlai Stevenson to The Vivian Girls.

And there is an introduction, directed toward Dr. Salyers, meant for any. To download the songs, Right-click, "Save Target As...". Of course, if you have anything to say, or downloaded, please leave a comment.

(Editor's Note: There are a few items one must understand in order to begin to comprehend what is Sufjan Stevens. Item 1: Mr. Stevens is widely known as a Christian, and is described as the "liberal compassionate" type. Item 2: Mr. Stevens claims O.C.D., and this works out for the greatest good for the greatest number, as his songs have been written and re-written, and in the case of "Chicago", there are around ten different known versions, four having been officially released. Item 3: Mr. Stevens, despite offers from major labels, has maintained integrity and sticks with his label, Asthmatic Kitty. Item 4: Sufjan plays a great multitude of musical instruments, numbered around twenty. There certainly are other such items, though they shall be excluded for personal discovery, and for the sake of those who have already discovered.)

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Etiquette (Tracks 2, 5, 9, 11, & 12)

2006-08-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

ALSO: "Because if I could have my way, I wouldn't be alone." - Casiotone For The Painfully Alone

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Etiquette (Released March 7th, 2006)

- Track 2: "New Year's Kiss" - This song-poem is the why concerning my giving Etiquette's lyrics a 4.26 out of 5 rating. The last line is a painful honest, with an unsympathetic background beat. And he keeps returning to the words "New Year's Kiss" as the narrator, and the subject certainly would do the same, in such a strong pursuit. This song urged me to make this post, and to also start writing poetry again.

- Track 5: "Nashville Parthenon" - This song was mostly included (and originally paid notice to) because a good friend will be moving to Nashville soon. I was surprised when I was listening to the electronic tones, and reading the word "Nashville". My friend has said he's been around the Parthenon in Nashville while visiting. I want to be there some time.

- Track 9: "Cold White Christmas" - Having just graduated (this song is clearly about a post-college commencement, though), I tend to adhere to the opening lines. I also have plans to adhere a picture of my house to a wall in my NY apartment, with the lyric: "Home is a photograph you tape to your wall." It's another example of a realistic look at sad outcomes.

- Track 11: "Don't They Have Payphones Wherever You Were Last Night" - This was my first Castiotone... song, and I was attracted to the title. Thus, once I heard it, I was also attracted to most of the lyrics, as it is a slow-noised short song, with that long drunken line being repeated: "Don't They Have Payphones Wherever You Were Last Night?"

- Track 12: "Love Connection" - The atypical track that proves Casiotone... diversity: female vocals, lyrics about physical pain - as opposed to emotional pain. Lyrically, it is another great song.

Visit Tomlab (label) to buy Etiquette on CD or Vinyl. Also, it would help me out if you commented if you grabbed any of those songs. To download, Right-Click, Save Target As...

Bright Eyes - Live in Seattle and Minneapolis

2006-08-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

It's been just over a week since my last post. I guess I've been great, just without inspiration for this blog, it hasn't been as in the forefront as it was.

I understand that a savefile.com link won't be added to elbo.ws, but that is okay. I belong to a great Bright Eyes community, a board, where we give each other concerts and rarities. And I just uploaded a Seattle concert, and then a Minneapolis show. Here are the links:

Bright Eyes - Live in Seattle (highlights being tracks 1, 5, and 7).
Tracklisting:
1. A Spindle, A Darkness, A Fever, and A Necklace
2. The Big Picture
3. We Are Free Men
4. Going For The Gold (aborted)
5. I've Been Eating For You
6. Joy Division
7. Entry Way Song
8. Waste of Paint

Bright Eyes - Live in Minneapolis (highlights being tracks 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, & 12).
Tracklisting:
1. The Big Picture
2.Something Vague
3. Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man
4. Oh, You Are The Roots...
5. Waste Paint
6. Pull My Hair
7. When The Curious Girl...
8. Sunrise, Sunset
9. I've Been Eating For You
10. Haligh Haligh A Lie Haligh
11.Kathy With A K's Song
12. Laura Laurent

I appreciate Bright Eyes live, and am biased in saying so.

A Seemingly Conceptual Cursive

2006-07-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

Of course, Cursive is not the first band on Saddle Creek Records to move towards deeper political, social, religious commentary. But honestly, they were a one that I least expected it from. Per usual, SC offered two mp3's from the soon fall-coming Cursive release, Happy Hollow, to be released on August 22nd.

For some personally meaningful history: I did not learn of Cursive until Spring-ish 2004, when a girl in debate class showed me The Ugly Organ, almost promising it would change my life. I remember coming to Art Is Hard first, and then The Recluse. Cursive was, in actuality, my first Saddle Creek band. So, as always, it was exciting to learn that a favorite band was releasing another album - but...I squirmed. It makes me nervous, you know? I don't want Cursive to violate who they are in my head. I first knew there was serious change when I learned about Nate Walcott's horn arrangements on the next album, Happy Hollow. But, that was no end...

It turns out that Happy Hollow is on the border between concept album and social venting. But, to read interviews with lead Tim Kasher and guitarrist Ted Stevens, it seems like they know where they are, as far as politics and religion go. It seems as though they have a lot of the same frustrations as I. So, I lost the squirms. This seems to be a comfortable area for them.

The Cursive from debate class controled lyrics that were haunting and beautiful, and I imagine that these will be haunting, in an "Our society stands for that?" way...Nonetheless, I already pre-ordered the album, and am excited for it. It ships two weeks early (the standard SC deal on pre-orders) along with two new SC Samplers.

The first track here is Dorothy at Forty. Make another tally mark for harsh Cursive realism. The song is about Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, and her desperately unrealistic dreams. The song's ending? "Dorothy, wake up, Dorothy, wake up. Dorothy, wake up, it's time for work."

Cursive - Dorothy at Forty

Track two is Bad Sects, a tale from a Catholic priest and his repessed same-sex love. That last lyric is: "I know this is wrong cause we're told this is wrong."

Cursive - Bad Sects

Pre-order the album, Happy Hollow, here.

Sufjan Stevens' Chicago

2006-07-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

In the current issue of Under The Radar I got in the mail yesterday, I quickly turned to a wonderful photo (per usual) and article on Sufjan Stevens inside. I feel as though I could read his words, or even better, hear him speak for quite some time without tiring. And as I read through the article, I found Mr. Stevens talking about the song "Chicago", which was a best song of 2005. Here is the quote:

“I really struggled with (Chicago). I think those versions (in The Avalanche) reveal something about my obsessive-compulsive disorder and my desire to really master that song. It was very frustrating every time. It’s such a primitive song, but there’s something really appealing about it, so I kept trying new ideas. I think every version is in a different key and a different format. We’ve performed it live so many different ways. I don’t think we’ve ever gotten it right. There’s a perfect form for that song, and unfortunately I think it’s like any Coldplay hit. They’ve mastered that song already. I think what I was really trying to do was write a Coldplay song.”

Take those last three sentences however you will (I choose dry humor), but he is right about a few things. There is something very appealing about "Chicago". The other “fact” is how he has performed it live so many different ways. There also happen to be four different “album versions” of the song. Fortunately, Sufjan’s self-proclaimed obsessive-compulsive tendencies worked out for the best of everyone. There are nine different versions here, and they are all different.

Before I put forth nine different versions of "Chicago", as well as the bonus “Chicago Cheer”, I should thank Michael Huff for most of these versions, as well as for telling me of Sufjan (who was Suff-jenn at the time). Click on his name to go to his music page on MySpace.

This is not meant to be a complete listing of each version of "Chicago". I am sure there are more out there, probably a countless number. These were just the ones I had as of when I read the article. Certainly the upcoming version from his soon-coming tour will be just as good as all the others. I am excited to hear it. And they are (in no order, no less):

Sufjan Stevens :

Chicago (Live at WNYC)

Chicago

Chicago (Live at KCRW)

Chicago (Live at The Bluebird Theatre)

Chicago (Live at The Majestic)

Chicago (Live at Paradiso)

Chicago (acoustic version)

Chicago (adult contemporary easy listening version)

Chicago (Multiple Personality Disorder version)

If you ask me, Sufjan Stevens got it right every time.

And, as promised, the

Chicago Cheer.

Buy Illinois or The Avalanche.

Eric Bachmann

2006-07-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

"Hi, I'm a folk singer."
"Ah, the next Dylan..."

I feel the need to apologize, because when I was mustering up what I could say about Mr. Bachmann, the name Dylan has come up quite a few times. Some similarities? Yes. Similar instrumentation, and similar frogs in their lungs they can't avoid. So, I decline to make the full comparison. Lyrically? No. Not even in the same continent.

But in this case, the lyrics go with the music well. Bachmann's words are the kind that you can visit every so often while absorbed in the song, check in on them...yes, still speaking English...singing about wild animals...and then distracted by the vocals, or harmonica, or guitar.

Saddle Creek, as (mostly) always, I am proud of you. This soon-coming release might have made more sense under Team Love, at the same time, I find it is a good move for Saddle Creek, diversifying their folk content outside of Azure Ray (and the branching solo careers), Son, Ambulance, and...sometimes, Bright Eyes.

Overall, this is good music. It can't really compare to much while still being much like an album I've heard a thousand times (in the best way possible). Dondero? Dylan? No, just in a way. It is an example of a strong artist who's achieved solo well. I will start listening to it at an inreasing rate, when I'm by myself, and appreciate the music's complementing my mood. And what mood would that be? Just an Eric Bachmann mood, no one else.

In good SC fashion, a couple of mp3's were put out on the website in support of the album.

Eric Bachmann - Carrboro Woman
Eric Bachmann - Lonesome Warrior

If you like them, pre-order the album here, and of course, comment if you have anything to say, or took and wouldn't mind informing me. For more information on Eric Bachmann, go to www.saddle-creek.com , and then his artist page. The ablum comes out on 08.22.06.

"Happy Birthday, Darling"

2006-07-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Father got an iPod for Father's Day. It seems as though this will be his first mix. So, here it is, a birthday mix for Father. The goal was to get songs that he loves, or that I think he will love. There is a combination between newer things (see 8) and older (see 6). Considering this is his 48th birthday, why not include music from throughout the past and recent years, as opposed to just new or just old?

To download 4 or 10, Right Click, then Save Target As...

1. Bright Eyes- At The Bottom of Everything
2. Belle & Sebastian - The Stars od Track and Field
3. Damien Rice- Delicate
4. Bright Eyes - Entry Way Song (live in Seattle)
5. Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man
6. Buddy Holly - Everyday
7. Don McLean - American Pie
8. Feist - Mushaboom (Live at El Mocambo) (Thanks to All Things Feist, download it there)
9. The Beatles - Hey Jude
10. Iron & Wine and Calexico - Wild Horses (Live @ KEXP)
11. Azure Ray - November
12. Iron & Wine and Calexico - Dead Man's Will
13. Bright Eyes - Make War

Considering those two are live tracks, you can't buy them on an officially released album, but you can go to the Saddle Creek site. The next post should have an Eric Bachmann theme, or Eric Bachmann & Cursive (08.22.06).

Dad's birthday present from me was Neil Young's Heart of Gold DVD. We saw the movie in theaters, and both loved it. We both listened to Neil Young around this age. It was a good memory between the two of us. It seemed like a good present.

I also won an eBay item. It's a Bright Eyes one-sided 7" Promo from 2005. It apparently has When The President Talks To God on it. I also bought Sufjan Stevens' The Avalanche, and enjoyed it to such alarge degree that I bought two more copies for friends (welcome homes). I also got Sarah Harmer's Im' a Mountain. Dad and I gave it a good listen and approved.

Danielson - Live, 07.09.06; Oklahoma City, OK

2006-07-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

Danielson.

Listening to a soulful, peaceful, sometimes motherly, sometimes fatherly Nina Simone on the way to The Conservatory provided a high contrast compared to the Danielson set. It was an energetic night.

The opening band was It's Hysterical, who were enjoyable, but sounded too similar to the next band, a much better Student Film. Check out their music. I liked their being picked as opener's for Danielson. I missed Seth(y) playing in Student Film. And then, after an enjoyable nap between the first two bands, and after the second band, Wayne Coyne (of The Flaming Lips, of course) showed up. No, this does not happen at all the Oklahoma shows. I think I overheard him saying, "I want to see what everyone was talking about". And then Danielson:

They set up their instruments in partial uniform, and then came back on stage after a good amount of time (and a lot of cricket sounds from a cricket) in full Danielson Family Uniform. I clumsily asked Megan after the show at the merch booth, where I bought an LP, if the uniforms were modeled after another uniform, such as boy scouts or a more militaristic one, she said "No, it is The Danielson Family uniform."

Here are Andrew (capless) and Megan modeling the upper-half of the uniforms.

The songs-choice was nice. I appreciated the great amount of songs from Ship being played, as I am a new fan, including a couple of favorites. Beforehand, I assumed I would join all of my courages and ask for the formal set list after the show, but learned that Danielson plans well ahead, and had their music in sheet protectors in folders on music stands. So here is a list of the songs played, in their order, according to my sloppy notes. (To download 5 and 9, Right Click, and Save Target As...)

1. Ship The Majestic Suffix
2. Cast It At The Setting Sail
3. Bloodbook On The Half-Shell**
4. Did I Step On Your Trumpet*
5. Kids Pushing Kids*
6. (Sorry, I don't know the title)*
7. Two Sitting Ducks*
8. (Sorry, I don't know this title, either)
9. Five Stars And Two Thumbs Up*

ENCORE:

10. Cutest Little Dragon***

*Daniel told the audience these were clap-alongs.
**Daniel told the audience this was a snap-along.
***Daniel told the audience this was a sing-along.

Danielson was made up of six people: David, the first-chair percussionist; Andrew, the second-chair percussionist; Jedidiah, the bassist; Evan on the keyboards, vocals, snaps, and claps (probably one of the most entertaining performers I have seen live, at least when it comes to facial expressions); Megan playing the glockenspiel, marimba, claps, snaps, and vocals; and Daniel, who sang lead vocals, played the trumpet, snapped, clapped, footstepped, and played the guitar. All members were fun, entertaining. I was very impressed by the percussion section, and their minimal sets (still sounding great). I also liked Jedidiah's glasses, but thought it would have seemed lame to go up to him just to converse about his glasses.

At the end of the last song, there were swirling lights and flashing lights. It was the first time I had seen the Conservatory do anything of the sort. It was a nice experience.

Overall, the show was great, and great fun, and I have a newly regained respect and appreciation for Danielson.

Jedidiah on the bass

I apologize because the images of the drummers is of such incredibly poor quality (thus, the images shan't be posted).

Daniel and Evan (this was the best I could get of Evan from my angle)

Megan, who I forgot to mention, also whistled along with Evan (and maybe, sometimes Daniel)

Daniel

and Daniel.

Xiu Xiu; Son, Ambulance (similar foundations)

2006-07-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

As opposed to doing another group of the similarly-themed (however desperate the reach was), I decided to join songs that came from nearly opposite ideas. The two don't, though, escape the similar foundation of honesty, certain sadness, and beauty.

I honestly hadn't thought highly enough of Xiu Xiu until I heard Fabulous Muscles. When I heard that song in a car with friends, I realized the honesty held within his vocals, that is released with each gasping sound. I appreciate how he is able to morph words that would otherwise be disgusting in value, and translate them into some other language of feelings and emotion, where the surface is not judged, rather the meaning underneath it.

Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles

Sadly, I don't believe that Son, Ambulance gets the attention they warrant. Albeit, Key was kind of a miss (a friend of mine threw it out of his car window after one listen). I believe it was another case where a band progressed and sounded worse. But this song, Kaite Come True, is pretty minimal (vocals, piano, guitar, drums, am I missing anything?). It was my first Son, Ambulance song, and still my favorite (right next to Brown Park). In fact, those two songs were on my first Saddle Creek mix, which was, in essence, my introduction to my current musical tastes. While we're on the subject, I think I might make a post of that Saddle Creek mix (I believe that all of the mp3's are still at www.saddle-creek.com .
And...Kaite Come True...wonderful song, wonderful idea. Where there is physical gratification in "Fabulous Muscles", there is a lack of mutual emotion (which can be found in "Kaite Come True", as well). Come to think of it, both are about strong, one-sided emotions. They both have quite a bit of longing. Though one (the first) has quite a bit of physical presence from the opposite half, "Kaite Come True" shows a complete lack of physical presence from the other person. Here it is.

Son, Ambulance - Kaite Come True

For more information on Fabulous Muscles, or to buy it, click here.

To buy a Son, Ambulance release, click here.

Cursive - Dorothy at Forty Single

2006-07-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

I received Cursive's latest single in the mail the other day (I promise, pre-ordering is the way to go). So, here is the second track from the latest Cursive, the Dorothy at Forty single. Evidently, as most bands do (seemingly sooner than Cursive has), Cursive moved further down the path of unique intrumentalism, past the cello, past the organ, and is now amongst the horn arrangements composed by Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes).

Tim Kasher's singing voice has somehow become an imitation of Mike Meyers poetic voice found in So I Married an Axe Murderer. I am still trying to figure out why that is. The difference is, the poetry's undeniably better, more mature. Of course, Kasher has been making a living from his writing voice since The Storms of Early Summer. So, here is the second track from the latest Cursive, their "Dorothy at Forty" single. "The Bitter End" contains typical Cursivic pessimistic realism, while moving beyond the Cursive usual.

As this was my first Saddle Creek band, it should be hard for me to move on from the sounds of Domestica, Ugly Organ, and others, but it is too good for me to turn away from. The problem is track three on the record, "The Censor". I thought Tim Kasher swore to stop making music about making music?

Cursive - The Bitter End

Buy the single from Saddle Creek here ($4)

"I don't want to be ashamed to be American."

2006-07-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

A political CD happened to be my music of choice today. This Conor Oberst side-project, the Desaparecidos, has one full-length, released in 2001. Here are two of my favorite songs. This is some of my favorite anti-American music, while still being patriotic in using the freedom of speech. "I don't want to be ashamed to be American." is a quote from the Desaparecidos

Desaparecidos - Man and Wife, the Former (financial planning)

Desaparecidos- The Happiest Place On Earth

This is rushed because there are five more minutes until the fourth is over in the Central Time Zone.

Tilly & the Wall - Bottoms of Barrels

2006-07-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

I missed a David Dondero show tonight. Loneful drives from Oklahoma City to Tulsa are a real pain.

It seems like when I am older, closer to my parents age, or their parents when my parents were my age, I will look behind me to my teen years, late ones. There will be the music that I listened to, some favorite bands, and a couple of albums that are like a subscription ad in a magazine that that you immediately flip to. And then I will think of some youthful angst, some "fuck-'em all", some sexual boy/girl-inspired raw, animalistic, wonderful pacifying party-by-yourself music. The music that I would turn up and scream and clap and pull my hair to. The music that kept me alive.

From what I can tell, right now that music is made by Tilly & the Wall. The latest album is Bottoms of Barrels. And luckily for you (I pre-order, of course), Oberst-driven Team Love offers much free music on their site. If you shamefully, embarassedly, or ignorantly don't have it right now, download the entire Tilly album, Bottoms of Barrels, here...there. My favorite tracks so far are one, five, six, nine, and ten.

It didn't take Team Love too many releases to realize the unprecedented benefits of giving away free albums. In fact, their first release, also Tilly's first, is free. Before I forget, here is the recent-born music video for the first BoB single, Bad Education:

Tilly & the Wall - Bad Education Music Video

It was allegedly named after a movie by the same name, entitled Bad Education. Having rented it, I am not too far into the movie, but it is beautiful so far. It was at Blockbuster. I also appreciate the music video to a great deal, and watching tap-rock is always fun, and entertaining.

Once again, comment if you grabbed any of this stuff. If you are not sure, then trust me, and believe that it is worth it. Hey, it is worth it - and playful.

Buy Bottoms of Barrels from Team Love, get a Bad Education 7" Single for 99 cents.

Note: There were 199 website hits when this was posted.

The Kiwis

2006-07-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

Formerly known as: The Kiwis of the South Pacific

Today, I thought I would be making a post about an attempt for Higher Beauty (musically, of course). Needless to say, once you listen to the Kiwis, you will understand why this post couldn't typically be entitled so. They are musically planets away from the beautiful vocal's of Nina Simone, or the other-worldy instrumentation of Sigur Ros, or Efterklang (from what little I've heard of Efterklang). However, at the same time, I've listened to people talking about an ugly kind of beautiful, where it is so honest and unappealing, that it is beautiful for that reason. Quite paradoxical, I would say. The caterpillar before the coccon is ugly unless you think of what it means. That was not to say that I hope this band does a major transformation to Spektor-ish pop, merely the opposite. I love The Kiwis, and childishly think of them as my "punk rock band", and when I analyze it, I find that necessary. Maybe it doesn't need to be in the genre of "punk rock" for it to be a personally "punk" song. I find this band to be what I want and see in "punk", not only lyrically, but also for what they mean to me. It is a band where I lose my musical senses and shamelessly headbang and fist-pump and scream in my car to songs like "What the hell happened to Weezer". Is this lo-fi punk rock?

I would not be posting this if this band's music didn't mean something true to me. This isn't an attempt to let you know about some "new cool thing" (I don't think they musically fit the bill as a "new cool thing"). Just listen, and hating it is cool. I do, too, while at the same time embracing it completely.

Below is The Kiwis of the South Pacific - Beware of Falling Rock. You can get more tracks of theirs from http://www.kiwirock.net/music.html . Buy things from their store at http://www.kiwirock.net/store.html .

Here is their entire CD "Beware of Falling Rock". Is it unethical to put up an entire CD for download? This is what the Kiwis said on their website:

"Some might ask "Why are you giving away your first cd?" Well, here's the deal: 1) We sold out of all the original copies. 2) We tried to get it reprinted but the company that has the glass masters went out of bussiness. 3) We're planning to release 3 more albums this year. 4) We're so sick of bands whining like little bitches about how people download their music so we thought we'd lead by example."

So, instead of doing to their site to download it, here it is. There are more free tracks on their site though, and for Tilly and the Wall completists, some tracks feature Derek Presnall. Songs with asterisks (*) next to them are ones that I recommend the most. At least download those, and if you like them, come for more.

The Kiwis of the South Pacific - Beware of Falling Rock (Recorded 1997-2003, Released 2003)

*1. 12 Mirrors
2. Neon Money
3. Sea Song 1
*4. Hotel Party (my first Kiwis song)
*5. What the hell happened to Weezer
6. Making up a song about nothing
7. Sweet as Lime Disease
8. Carolines Tripping
9. Jessica (featuring Jessica)
*10. The Tree Song
11. ??????????
12. Sleeping on the sidewalk
13. Mother Timepod
14. Sea Song # 3: A Pirates Lullabye
15. Let's watch television with out third eye
16. Kelly
17. The Sad Machine will cease to function
*18. Steve Wilkinson/Ellen Black (the most beautiful, esp. lyrically)
*19. Mexico (the prettiest)

For longer track descripions, go here

Add them on MySpace
Go to their website

Once again, please comment if you take. But, it certainly is your choice.

Top of the Half-year

2006-06-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

Alternately Titled: Half-way Through Another Year of the Dog Report

I have been repeatedly contemplating this post since after a few seconds of this music blog's being started. I thought of it being a lot more formal, and posting my favorite song for each album. I decided to be more complex, and much simpler at the same time (the twain converged). As to not bore you, I won't explain the system until the bottom of the post. So listed from top (favorite) to bottom (relatively least favorite, but still respectable).

Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat (download there)
Daniel Johnston - Welcome To My World (buy there)
Neil Young - Living With War (listen there)
Tilly & the Wall - Bottoms of Barrels (download full album)
Kimya Dawson - Remember That I Love You (buy there) (download 12/26 here)

David Bazan - Fewer Moving Parts
Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors
Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country
Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
Pretty Girls Make Graves - Élan Vital (listen to a video of the album there) (The Nocturnal House mp3)
The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia (Dirty Business mp3)
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere (listen to two songs there)
The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics (click on "Audio" to stream)
The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers (click, then "M", then "A", then 1 or 2)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
Calexico - Garden Ruin
Alexi Murdoch - Time Without Consequence
The Streets - The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Charles Manson - Sings (Album/Manson review here)
The Sounds - Dying To Say This To You
Grandaddy - Just Like The Fambly Cat

Other 2006 albums that I need to listen to much more of: The Dagons, The Elected (just bought), Keane, Mates of State, and Snow Patrol
Other 2006 albums that I am looking forward to (sometimes wary of, though): Eric Machmann, Bright Eyes, Cursive, Bob Dylan, The Kiwis, The Polyphonic Spree, Sufjan Stevens, and others.

If you want to recommend any unlisted albums, feel free to comment.

So, as I said, the system would be posted at the bottom. Basically I would rank how well I liked the vocals on a scale of 1 to 5 and multiply that by 2.7. I would then multiply the ingenuity of the vocals (1 to 5 scale) with 1.8. I would add those two. I would then multiply their overall vocals by 3, and add that number. I would then add how well I liked their instruments (1 to 5) multiplied by 1.5, on top of the ingenuity of their instrumentation (1 to 5) multiplied by 1. The maximum for this half was 50. I would then give the album an overall ranking from 1 to 50 (usually the two numbers were pretty close). Adding the two numbers (leaving the highest possible score at 100, but the highest attained score at 92.3) would give me the total. I only put albums into the equation that I felt I had listened to enough to do so.

Example: ([Overall lyrics x 2.7 + ingenuity of lyrics x 1.8]+ [overall vocals x 3] + [overall instrumentation x 1.5+ ingenuity of instrumentation x 1]) + (Overall Opinion) = Total.
Specific Example - Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere:
([3 x 2.7 + 3 x 1.8] + [3 x 3] + [4 x 1.5 + 3 x 1]) + (36) =
([8.1 + 5.4] + 9 + [6 + 3] + 36 =
(13.5 + 9 + 9) + 36 =
31.5 + 36 = 67.5

Pardon any mistakes in the formatting of the equation. If I can get a scanner to work, I will post to what a messy degree those sheets in my notebook are.

2006 Artist's whose CD's I need to get ahold of: David Bazan, Calexico, Kimya Dawson, a few more tracks from Ganrls Barkley, Keane, Mates of State, Alexi Murdoch, Snow Patrol, A few more tracks from The Streets.

Also, it would be great if you commented if you listened to any of the streams, or downloaded any mp3's listed here. Also, those are not the only albums that Team-Love lets you download from their site. Go to www.team-love.com for more.

Two Pocket Mixes

2006-06-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Richard is referred to as Pocket, at least when it comes to mixes. What's also unusual, but just as great, are his mixes - as well as the originals that he picks to remix. After Antony Hegarty's latest full-length release, I Am a Bird Now, you probably thought Antony couldn't get any more techno than he already was (which was, in my mind, not at all). But then just a small amount of the My Lady Story Pocket Mix rids that idea away. I appreciate most the way that everything explodes into song along with Antony' voice when the vocals come in.

Joanna Newsom's Bridges and Balloons was fancy and beautiful. Now it is dancy...and still beautiful. Harp remixes like these are probably as unusual as remixes this good.

Joanna Newsom - Bridges and Balloons (Pocket Remix)

Antony and the Johnsons - My Lady Story (Pocket Remix)

(You) Right-click, Save Target As... these. And please, please, comment after/if you download either of these remixes. Seeing any number of outside downloads on these songs brings satisfaction, from the sharing of music (which is really the point of a music blog, isn't it?).

To non-financially support the artist, go to the site (more mixes available there).

For more information, go here.

I decided to e-mail, due to the encouragement at the bottom of the website to do so if you enjoy the mixes (which I, tellingly, did). You should do the same.

-----Live Concert Update - Tonight: Ali Harter

A Literary Bright Eyes

2006-06-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

Chronologically (click on the song to download it):

"And like Neely O'Hara, you swallow your sleep."

- Bright Eyes, "Neely O'Hara" (from Every Day and Every Night)

Valley of the Dolls was written by Jacqueline Susann. Neely O'Hara was one of three main characters. Neely became addicted to pills (she calls them "dolls"), including sleeping pills.

"'I want you to stay next door forever.' 'I can't,' said Mitchell."

- Bright Eyes, "A Spindle, a Darkness, a Fever, And a Necklace" (from Fevers and Mirrors)

In typical Bright Eyes-first-track-fashion, there is an interesting introduction on the first track (this has happened on all of the full-lengths, from A Collection... to I'm Wide Awake... (Motion Sickness intentionally excluded). On Fevers and Mirrors, the opener happens to be a seemingly Mexican boy reading from "Mitchell is Moving", a ready-to-read children's book. Allegedly, Oberst would teach Hispanic children to read English at a center in Omaha, NE.

"'Twas the Night Before Christmas..."

-Bright Eyes, "The Night Before Christmas" (from A Christmas Album)

I considered not adding this one for obvious reasons. Is Conor Oberst doing anything on this track? Who originally wrote this book? Literary? Yes. Bright Eyes? Yes.

"I heard you fell into a rabbit hole..."

- Bright Eyes, "Down in a Rabbit Hole" (from Digital Ash in a Digital Urn)

"The next song's like Alice in Wonderland," allegedly said Conor Oberst at a June concert in Germany - before playing "Down in a Rabbit Hole". Also, the first chapter oof Alice in Wonderland is entitled Down the Rabbit Hole.

"It was Don DeLillo, whiskey, me, and a blinking midnight clock."

- Bright Eyes, "Gold Mine Gutted (James Figurine Remix)" (this version is from the European "Easy/Lucky/Free" CD Single, the James Figurine remix. Originally, it is from Digital Ash in a Digital Urn.)

Don DeLillo is an author, mostly known for having written White Noise and Underworld. I am assuming that Oberst was just reading a DeLillo book, and not actually hanging out with Mr. DeLillo, though the latter is possible.

The music:

Bright Eyes discography for sale on Saddle Creek

The books on Amazon:

Valley of the Dolls
Mitchell Is Moving
The Night Before Christmas
Alice In Wonderland
Don DeLillo's Books

Bob Dylan's Beard

2006-06-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

“So my mom she brushes her hair,
And my dad starts growing Bob Dylan’s beard.”

- Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - The Charging Sky (album version)

“And things got weird,
when I started growing Bob Dylan’s beard.”

- Wilco - Bob Dylan's 49th Beard

Test: Bob Dylan's 49th Beard

Females That Changed My Idea Of Music

2006-06-26T00:13:00.000-07:00

Interchangeably Titled: Females That Are Still Changing My Idea Of Music

Au Revoir Simone – A band made up of three women, each being keyboard-equipped. The story goes ARS was formed (and pop music was reformed) when four girls were on an underground train, and somewhere between departure and arrival, the thought was settled among the females that they each wanted to be in a keyboard band, playing keyboards. One girl less, and years later, the album Verses of Comfort, Assurance and Salvation came out, including the lack of the optional last comma, uniquely beautiful album art, and the song Through the Backyards. I love the idea of an all-girl band, and who wouldn’t, with such results as these? Buy the CD from their label's shop.

CocoRosie – Being a newly born fan of CocoRosie, I am without an expert opinion, and cannot produce a fact-like opinion on the band. I do, however, completely know that the song “Beautiful Boyz”, featuring expert vocalist Antony Hegarty is close to my heart, which cannot be disproven, despite one’s deep and wide, vast, oceanic amount of music knowledge. Judging by the pictures this is an all-girl band as well, involving Sierra (vocals, guitar, flute) and Bianca (vocals, percussion). Beautiful Boyz has deep-contrasting vocals, from the female version of scratching vinyl to Antony’s gorgeous translation of Tongues-to-English. Check out their website and buy their albums here.

Girls Doing Embroidery – Despite the façade of the plural “girls”, the band is Olga Lakomsky, who does it all, including playing knitting needles and singing, and something more normal, such as guitar. She has a small discography of zero albums, but I download each song I can from her often-updated MySpace, where I found this Neil Young cover of Heart of Gold. The reason why she is number three on the list is because it is an alphabetical list, and the “G” is third, alphabetically, on this list. Why she is on this list at all is due to her bravery, to start making music without the ability to play any instrument incredibly well, but only with creativity and a desire to do so. Thank you Olga, for the inspiration.

The Honey Trees (alternately calling herself Becky Filip) – Becky is the frontgirl of The Honey Trees (full band video and songs on her MySpace). I have a hard time comprehending how she does it all so well before the age of twenty. Beautiful all around, including my favorite cover of “Leaving On A Jet Plane” (check her MySpace), Becky is an impressive girl. Buy her live EP on her MySpace.

Au Revoir Simone - Through the Backyards

CocoRosie - Beautiful Boyz

Girls Doing Embroidery - Heart of Gold (Neil Young Cover)

The Honey Trees - Don't Fear

Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man

2006-06-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

"But on the back deck, you admit that you haven't felt much like laughing lately anyway. And so I say, 'That could change.' "

Although the title hints at amateur songwriting, the song is not so. The lines meet the Bright Eyes standard of beautiful, while having an atypical conversational feel. Below is a link to three live versions of Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man, two sounding the same, but one of the two being of video.

Michael Huff, a good friend, mentioned the other day that a sign of a great songwriter is when they forget their own lyrics while performing. This same sign is evident in the version recorded in a basement, where Oberst gets lost in the second-to lost stanza. The visual version can be found in the special features on the Spend an Evening With Saddle Creek DVD, and this song was originally released on a 7" record from Blood of the Young, entitled "Motion Sickness" (hopefully that name for a Bright Eyes release sounds familiar to you).

Bright Eyes - Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man

- Spend An Evening With Saddle Creek DVD
- Motion Sickness 7"

Architecture in Helsinki

2006-06-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

Here is an Architecture in Helsinki track off of their Spring 2005 album, Fingers Crossed. From what I hear, and have seen in music videos (see website below), it is a large band, including some people fulfilling the sole role of hand-clappers. This is one of their relatively mellower tracks, while staying poppy and enjoyable. Being a fun group all around, their website is visually pop-up-bookish, even while on flat screen.

Architecture in Helsinki - Like A Call

The AIH Website
The AIH Store