Monday, August 31, 2009

The Static Is Getting Louder


Three albums in, 65daysofstatic is currently locked away in Sheffield battling with the writing for their fourth album. Mean time, the band and its longtime label, UK’s Monotreme Records, has released a definitive document of the final two dates of the band’s recent 50-something show tour with The Cure. Escape From New York deftly presents what 65daysofstatic are best at: setting the house on fire. For this eponymous CD/DVD release, the houses in question are New York’s famed Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall.

Rolling up to arenas and blasting their confusing noise at shows full of unsuspecting fans of The Cure was an immensely satisfying experience for 65daysofstatic. For a long time, the band suspected that just because 65daysofstatic is an instrumental outfit playing with weird time signatures, the music would be consigned exclusively to bedrooms and club shows filled with the passionate few. It turns out that 65daysofstatic’s sound bounces around nicely in arenas, too. See for yourself...

I Have A Theory


Field Theory combines pop-driven sensibility with the energy of post-punk, hearkening images of the Everly Brothers surrounded by frenetic drums and explosive, distorted bass tones. Not quite fitting the mold of the Indie, Modern, or Noise rock scenes, Field Theory possesses a certain sonic variability, with melodic, yet unapologetic lyrics narrating tales of love, loss, and anger.

Yeah, I know that sounds like ALOT of other bands, but Field Theory have this uncanny ability to switch between epic soaring tunes and gritty nervy power pop that sounds like it came straight from 1993. If you can picture Elbow being young, having ADHD, and stuck in some Midwestern American University in the early 90's you can kind of get a sense where Field Theory are coming from.

As for their recorded output, the band have been in and out of dark basements since their inception in the fall of 2007, they emerged with their debut EP, Paragraph(June 2008), a sonic landscape that straddles the delicate balance between seclusion and revival. In the spring of 2009 they began work on their follow-up work Evidence and Sentiments scheduled for release sometime this fall. Until that time, enjoy a smattering of tracks from the band that knows the difference between hypotheses and theories.


Download: Savior
Download: Who's Paying Attention Anyway
Download: My City

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Dane Jah Ras Jumps Forward To 2019


Dane Jah Ras is one of the top slam poets in Canada, a deadly emcee and a strong vocalist. So what happens when he watches Akira way, way, way, to much? The 2019 mix-tape that's what.

2019 is a hip-hop project that is loosely based on the plot line of Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira". Each track features at least one sample from the film. Samples used include Japanese dialogue, the re-done English dialogue and segments from "The Akira Suite" (The film's score). The mix tape was produced and recorded by Dane. The concept, mix and master are from KnowSomething's DJ D-Mass.

And like the movie, the mix tape is a twisted adventure. Dane and D-Mass push the envelope constantly here and the reward is hip hop that's so far out there it might not ever come back. Dane is a raw talent that can rhyme any two words and make you like it. The mix tape is a fusion of anime, intelligent rhymes, and a dark destructive selection of beats and for those reasons it's pretty much the most original hip hop mix tape/album you'll hear all year.

Download: 2019 (full mix tape)

Vowels Spell Out The End Of The World


UK producer James Rutledge has taken on many personas over the years, and is now moving his efforts and exploration into the Krautrock realm. Rutledge will release this new music under the name Vowels, teaming up with LOAF records (The Chap, Johan Agebjorn/Sally Shapiro, Pete Fowler), for the US release of Pattern Prism on September 22nd. Previously only available on import, Pattern Prism is an extension of Rutledge's continuing interest in Krautrock, and he cites influences ranging from Silver Apples and SunnO))) to John Carpenter and Black Dice among others.

Pattern Prism is the sound of the Dalek conquering earth and destroying everything in it's path. It's dark, mechanical, industrial, and harsh. It's synths sound as sharp as daggers and the proggy haze that surrounds them truly sounds like the most magnificent end to earth the world will ever see.

Bizarre but brilliant, Pattern Prism will pretty much be the soundtrack to the apocalypse when it eventually happens and my guess is Rutledge and Vowels will be well chuffed with that.

Download: ONUP

Friday, August 28, 2009

World Domination is Easy


German Glam-electro duo The World Domination enlisted the bass heavy remixing skills of Mixhell on their latest single "Fxxk Machine," from their most recent album Heat out on 1st Decade Records.

The World Domination have been championed by Kitsuné with their single release vs. Adam Sky who personally approached them for the collaboration. Mixhell does bring the madness to the single with his mix of fidget style breaks, grindcore and ghettotech.

"Fxxk Machine," essentially sounds like a twisted drunk David Byrne vocal warped out on a lot of acid and then thrown into some sort of twisted black hole wrapped around all sorts of dysfunctional beats and then thrown out on the dance floor to sound like a My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult tune. Mixhell then takes that slices and dices it and fucks it up even more so it becomes this violent dance floor workout that's brilliant.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Kemptown Races


After the recent success with his collaborative release with Meat Katie, Marvin Beaver AKA Dylan Rhymes returns with his latest show stopping release featuring the hotly tipped Pablo Decoder who also shared the spotlight on his ‘I Am Sweet’ single earlier in the year.

Known as ' Kemptown,' the tune is a full blooded, roof raising slice of electro tech madness with the trademark Dylan Rhymes production providing the perfect base for Decoders off the hook vocals. Distorted, twisted synths mesh with a solid rhythm track and driving percussion to create and energy filled vortex of a record that draws in all in it’s path.

In other words this is one track you need in your life!

Dylan Rhymes and Pablo Decoder’s ‘Kemptown’ is out now exclusively on Beatport.

Download: Kemptown
Watch: Promo skit (NOT safe for work)

Logan Lynn's Pillar and Post


Oregonian, Logan Lynn is a troubadour who utilizes beats, synths and the preaching of the good word to convince the lovelorn and depressed that there's more to life then being gutted all the time. Having released two previous albums that dwelled heavily on themes of religion, sexuality, and identity, the idea of singing to those troubled by all three is nothing new to Logan. On his third album, From Pillar to Post Logan Lynn has continued to develop his ability to lift troubled souls up via song and has also dived head on into exploring new sonic territory. As his bio states, he's put the disco back in discomfort.

With an approach that's pretty darn near close to the Postal Service, Logan Lynn weaves his tales around a rather shy and introspective voice that sounds as if they were written by the kid no one paid attention to. His outsider looking in perspective serves his ethereal like synth pop well as it sounds as if he's whispering the lyrics to each song into your ear. As a result, From Pillar to Post is an intimate and personal record that anyone who has ever had any sort identity or relationship crisis can relate to.

From Pillar to Post is a lush, faithful and cozy record that will tug at your heart and give you a bear hug. It's an emotional affair that might just bring you to tears. It's Logan's ability to write songs that are that heavy that makes him such a fantastic artist. The fact that he can successfully do it by laying it on the line in and packaging those hopes and tales of love and spirituality in the form of a pop song is a testament to the guy's talent. Synth pop hasn't had this much honesty and heart in a long time and that's why I like From Pillar to Post as much as I do.

Download: Feed Me To The Wolves
Download: Write It On My Left Arm

The Wooden Ships Set Sail



The Wooden Birds' first album, Magnolia, is out now on Barsuk Records. Fans of the AmAnSet will recognize Andrew Kenny's voice and song writing immediately, but the arrangements on Magnolia are more vocal and percussion heavy than anything he's done before.

Full of guitar-top drumming and beautiful harmonies, and anchored by Kenny’s percolating, vibey bass, Magnolia rolls by like a float down an ambient indie-rock river on a lazy summer day. The band documented their recent European tour with Grand Archives, and was able to condense the experience into a few short minutes as a video for the Magnolia standout track "Hometown Fantasy". You can download the tune AND watch the video below.

As for the tune itself, it's a sweet and innocent little ditty. Coming in at just under two and a half minutes it's a shuffly acoustic tune that sounds about as shy as a bunch of kids at their first dance. American Analogue Set, this is not, but it's nice to hear Andrew Kenny still making tunes to sing along to.

Download: Hometown Fantasy
Watch:

I Need An XL


One of the pioneering multi-format dj's in Vancouver, Jon Hamlin was a mash-up artist before the term even existed. Known by his peers to be able to mix just about any genre into a seamless blend of pure party magic, Jon has left a trail of satisfied party goers wherever he has played.

In 2008, iamxl remix productions began to appear online and began circulating amongst various dj's the world over. Jon developed the iamxl persona to symbolize and celebrate musical diversity and his remix credits exemplify this. As a producer his tastes are varied and in a very short span he has already touched on downtempo house, hip-hop, gipsy punk, rock, and banging electro.

Having returned to Vancouver in March 2009, iamxl is once again making an impact on the Vancouver party scene. Whether it be upbeat hip-hop, disco, punk rock, latin, 80’s, or electronic bangers, any genre is fair game in Jon’s eyes.

Don't believe me? The guy has taken the Discovery Channel and put it into a mash-up. He's nuts and when he's not touring around playing records for people, he's bolted down to a chair in front of a computer working on tracks that will make your feet do things they don't want to do. He's got a smorgasbord of new tracks on offer right now that run the gamut. iamxl is a true talent who clearly has the knack for knowing how piece together songs in ways never before imagined.

He truly is the mad Canadian remixer.

Download: D.A.N.C.E. Happens (full mix via Mediafire)
Download: I Need A Freak (iamxl Gangster House Remix) (via Mediafire)
Download: Boom! (via Mediafire) <- bizarre tune of the month.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

I'm Not Anti-Pop...But They Are.


Widely regarded as cutting edge innovators to a broad spectrum of listeners including b-boy purists, experimental electronic heads and indie rockers, Anti-Pop Consortium’s return is anticipated to fill a creative void in not only hip hop, but music as a whole.

This group of alt-rappers have been praised for their stream-of consciousness lyrics, their ability to give seemingly unrelated word clusters hidden meaning, and their sonic backdrops that provide the perfect canvas for their lyrical paintings.

Judging by the 5 minute megamix this record is going to SLAY everything in it's path. Check it...

Wakey Wakey...


I love it when mysterious emails come my way. You get a name and a handful of tracks. No bio, no information, nothing. Now, if I wanted to, I could actually use a couple resources at my fingertips and find out, but why bother, that's half the fun. The mystery is what makes these things so cool.

All that brings me to my point and my post, I got a mysterious email from a Brooklyn DJ/producer (insert things you do w/computers and music here) Peter High who's sent some tracks. Going under the guise of Wake Up Wake Up he keeps himself under wraps and lets his work speak for itself. Working in the shadows and under the cover of darkness, he's reworked a whole host of stuff and judging by what I've seen and heard it's all pretty damn good. Residing somewhere within the world of downtempo and maybe even synthpop proper Wake Up Wake Up has no problems taking a remix down the lush and slow route whether it be hip hop or an upfront banger. It makes for some damn good early morning listening when you need to Wake Up. See and hear for yourself...

Download: Walking on A Dream (Wake Up Remix)
Download: Paris, Tokyo (Wake Up Remix)
(both via Mediafire)

Friday, August 21, 2009

Girls Girls Girls


Built on the powerful songwriting of Christopher Owens and the ethereal production of Chet "JR" White, Girls recorded Album in a variety of bedrooms and rehearsal studios in their adopted hometown, San Francisco. The resulting 12 tracks are the perfect San Francisco summer record, evoking a narcotic, sunny afternoon in Dolores Park, yet promising the eventual hangover of summer's departure.

Album is a redemptive song-cycle about the various characters and desires that colour Christopher Owens's life. Described by the band as "honest, loose, ethereal, obnoxious and perfect," it is a sincere tribute to the majesty of great pop music and the healing power of rock and roll.

Download: Hellhole Ratrace
Download: Solitude
Watch:

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Oh It's Ospada


O'Spada came out of nowhere in June when a track called Time surfaced on a few blogs, and all of a sudden they were all over the blogosphere. Together with the band the label then hosted a remix competition where they gave away all the mix-tracks of Time for free download. They got a great response. So now on it's official release to only present the top 3 remixes seemed like a waste when there were so many great competitors.

So what did the fine folks at Despotz Records do? They released 11 of them for free. In typical Despotz fashion the remixes are all top notch. It would be hard to pick a favorite of the bunch but the Montauk Remix (on Itunes) and the Elan remix (below) are probably my faves.

The next single Ten Strikes will be released in Oct./Nov. and their full length debut album will start to hit stores in February 2010. For those of you who wish to hear the original version of Time there is a great DIY video from the band up on http://www.ospada.se/

Download: Time (Elan Remix)
Download: Time (Andy Crough Remix)
Download: Time (LA Rush Remix)
Download: Time (Conny G Remix)
Download: Time (Extra Cheese Remix)
Download: Time (Superhumans In Real Time Remix)
Download: Time (35 Bag Remix)
Download: Time (Coco Productions & Alvaro Villalobos remix)

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Yo La Tengo's Popular Songs


It's been a long time, since they've rocked and rolled and you might not believe it but Yo La Tengo are back with a new album. Titled, Popular Songs, the album is their 16th and marks their 25th anniversary! It is also a new culmination for a career that has been swinging upwards since 2006’s critical and commercial success, I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass.

A new generation of fans are discovering one of the most influential and intriguing bands in late 20th and early 21st century rock’n’roll. That proposition is kind of scary because for as long as I can remember Yo La Tengo has always been around.

Anyway, Popular Songs crosses many different styles while marking a musical journey through pop history AND the band’s history. It ranges from the wah-wah opener, “Here To Fall”, to the gorgeous Georgia-sung “Avalon Or Someone Very Similar”, to the concise summer anthem “Nothing To Hide”, culminating with three very long songs that close the album, ending with the 16-minute drone freakout jam, ”And The Glitter Is Gone”.

For the fact inclined: the band recorded this album in their home studio in Hoboken with some help from their old friend Roger Moutenot, and the album's cover art is a piece by Dario Robleto made from pulverized bones and trinitite (glass produced during the first atomic test explosion, from Trinity test site, c. 1945, when heat from blast melted surrounding sand). Popular Songs is out September 8th on Matador Records.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Wrangle It Up...


Short and sweet post tonight as I just got home from work...

New stuff from Mr. Dave Wrangler that's a preview of his upcoming album. In his own words..."I've got a new remix album coming out as soon as the artwork and track-listing are finalized! This album has been in the works for several months- a portion of the tracks you may have heard at some point over the past few months while others are as fresh as can be. Some of the original remixes and mashups on the CD include artists such as Major Lazer, Notorious B.I.G., Crystal Waters, Ratatat, Kid Cudi and Kanye West. "

I've posted so many Wrangler tracks, I've lost count. But as always, he destroys it.

Download: Ratatat vs. Outkast - Wheelz of Steel (Dave Wrangler Remix)
Download: Kid Cudi - Day N' Nite (Dave Wrangler Remix)
Other posts are located HERE

Friday, August 14, 2009

The Choir's Voices Are Red


Red Voice Choir was formed in the winter of 2005 by (now former) members of Black Ice, Death of a Party and The Holy Kiss. With a wide range of influences and styles, the Oakland, CA based band featured a darkly beautiful blend of loud and quiet, soothing harmonies, screaming vocals and intense melodies. Their dark, post-punk sound came to an end in early 2008.

RVC's line-up featured Miss Kel, who brought her special brand of emotionally intense vocals and keyboards, Adam Beck who added his voice as front-man and took care of guitar, Dawn Hillis on the bass and Kevin Brown, who pounded away at the drums. Miss Kel's notorious vocal performances and intense energy was complemented by Adam Beck's multi-layered voices and screams.

The collaboration between the two brought new dimensions and dark layers to Red Voice Choir's music and lyrical storytelling. Kevin Brown and Dawn Hillis kept the rhythm section solid, switching between post-tribal rhythms, punk styles and a touch of deathrock. Their live shows were described as a "thunderous seance" both musically and visually. Their first EP, A Thousand Reflections, was regarded as a gritty and emotional DIY gem within the darkest rock scenes. Although the members have since moved on onto other projects (Kevin now in Mis America, Dawn and Adam now in Chambers), this new EP speaks as a frozen moment in time, and a testament to the crimson energy they created. To good to be shelved, Hungry Eye Records is working with the band releasing this EP entitled Apparitions, as EYE19 in a free download.

Download: Apparitions EP

Thursday, August 13, 2009

NAPTa Take Over Fabric



As the third installment of NAPT's award winning N-Funk series draws ever closer and in light of NAPT's performance on August 14 at legendary London club Fabric the Beatport and Breakspoll award winners have produced a special exclusive 12 Inch Dub Mix of their track "Fortune".

"Fortune" was originally released on N-Funk Part 2 on Funkatech Records last year and this re-mix is sure to thrash heads as lights flash and the dry ice flows. What the hell does all that mean? It's a brilliant track...that's what. So snap to it and if you happen to be in London...push your way into Fabric on Friday.

Rave On Raveonettes!



The most rock and roll band on the planet are preparing to return to the fray and as they do so, they've been releasing bits and bobs of stuff from their new album. Will the album be any good. Of course it will! This is the band who got Ronnie Spector to sing for them after all!

Anyway, they've recently been doing all sorts of promotion for the track 'Suicide,' and even stopped by ABC to play it.

In addtion to all that, today, The Raveonettes have announced a substantial companion piece set to accompany the October 6th release of In & Out Of Control at iTunes. Indeed, when fans buy the Danish duo’s fourth LP at the digital retailer, they’ll get a 20-minute video featurette called The Chelsea Sessions, which boasts five performances of new Raveonettes songs, along with an in-depth interview about the making of the record – from its pop sensibilities to opening up the recording process to fans.

Download: Suicide
Watch: ABC Amplified

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Wooded Folk Remix PBJ


Toronto electro-duo Woodhands is back! The band has started into a set of tour dates in the US armed with a new remix of Peter Bjorn & John's song "Nothing." They are also looking forward to performing at this year's Monolith Festival at Red Rocks. Woodhands is currently working on the followup to their celebrated debut from last spring, Heart Attack. The album will be called Remorsecapade and is due out on Paper Bag Records later this year.

In celebration of their return to the US, the band are offering up this remix for mp3 download. Daniel Werb from Woodhands talks about the remix a bit, "...remixing Peter, Bjorn and John was a thrill for us and we wanted to make sure that we didn't just try to ape what they were doing. The vocal lines are so strong that it was easy to build a dance track around them, and the acoustic piano in the back end was our way of bringing out the sadness in the voice while still keeping the track bouncing. And somehow, even though we sped everything up, our version comes out twice as long. Dance music: go figure."

Download: Peter Bjorn and John - Nothing (Woodhands Remix)

Two Is A Mysterious Number


So what do you do when your a band and the term post punk seems almost as run of the mill as music. Well if you're Mystery of Two, you soldier on, throw two sheets (mysterious ones of course) to the wind and crank out the tunes. And that's just what Mystery of Two have done since their first album back in 2006.


Three years later and they're still at it and their self-titled new album, finds Mystery of Two further traversing the boundaries of experimental pop, and no where is this more evident than in the masterful guitar playing of singer/guitarist Ryan Weitzel. Channeling Robert Quine (Voidoids) and Richard Lloyd (Television), Weitzel creates songs that convey a sense of urgency and immediacy, which at times evolve into turbulence's reminiscent of Dinosaur Jr.

It's quirky but excellent stuff that will remind some of David Byrne (see "Repeat It," as an example). In fact maybe the whole mystery of Mystery of Two can be traced back to the Talking Heads. Whatever the comparison or the solution, Mystery of Two should be given respect for plodding along and doing what they love and doing it so well. Post punk might be a thing of the past, but Mystery of Two prove that sometimes the best things lie there.


Download: Repeat It
Download: French Rocking Horse

Monday, August 10, 2009

This Isn't An Old Wives' Tale


Old Wives' Tale are from Miami and they're cool and they're proving that my former hometown is slowly developing into a hotbed of kick ass music. It only took 20 or so years, but it's finally happening and that's awesome...it's just too bad I'm 350 miles north and am missing all the fun. Then again, we have the Black Kids here in Jacksonville so it's not all so bad.

Anyway, The Valencia brothers formed Old Wives’ Tale in 2006 shortly after making the decision to relegate their biology, chemistry, music and audio engineering diplomas to mere wall decorations. Infected by an angst that resonated in every indie club in Miami’s design district, Jaime and Felipe joined their contrasting music personalities to create a fresh sound composed of distorted bass lines, disco beats, ripping guitars, and lyrics referencing alter-egos, heart-breaking love affairs, and one-night stands.

Younger Limbs was recorded in the brothers’ home studio in Miami with additional work in Bogotá, Colombia. Of the resultant “amphetamine music,” the band casually explains with tongue-in-cheek, “We don’t want to be thought of as pharmacists!” More seriously, Jaime and Felipe elaborate, exclaiming, “This is an effect the band has on itself and on the audience. We want to stimulate people so that they don’t let life just pass before their eyes!” With songs as striking as those on Younger Limbs, Jaime and Felipe needn’t worry about that -- our eyes and ears are wide open.

Download: [15] Amphetamine
Download: Royal Flesh

That's A Load Of Cock n' Bull


Born in Hackney, East London, to Ghanian parents, thecocknbullkid is not the most conventional of pop stars. Fortunately, this does little to slow how rapidly she's establishing herself as one of 2009’s brightest pop hopes. She has spent the past three years exploring all manner of influences, forging a wholly distinctive sound. Her style resides firmly on the dark side of pop. There’s an almost Trojan quality to it -- Anita’s ever-expanding repertoire is a subversive, sometimes sinister, and always-sublime mix of sex, death, ugliness, wit and depravity, found amidst the everyday, and pegged onto supremely inventive pop melodies.

She is currently in the process of writing her debut full-length with virtuoso pianist/producer/songwriter Gonzales (who has worked with the likes of Feist, Peaches, and Jamie Lidell). The world can eagerly anticipate her full-length in early 2010, officially shaping up to be the year of the cock n bull!

Download: Kiss Kiss Kill (Esser Remix)
Download: Clean Apart
Download: The cocknbullkid Mixtape

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Neon Bibles for Neon Indians


An elusive new project from composer Alan Palomo, Neon Indian delivers equal parts synthetic nostalgia, dreampop lullabies, and grinding guitar noise to create something eerier than the sum of its parts.

Forged after a hazy winter gathering in Texas, this initial batch of tracks were the result of field recordings, record samples, a collection of bizarre synth sounds. Soliciting the visual acrobatics of Video artist Alicia Scardetta, this project is setting out to be a multimedia maelstrom. Orbiting around the themes of drug induced heartbreak, weary afternoons, and lost chances, this music provides a lush soundtrack to the deadbeat exploits of teenage ennui.

Neon Indian’s bedroom ballads have already forged the upcoming Psychic Chasms, set for release this summer. Think of New Order, early 80's synth pop, and maybe even Future Bible Heroes, and you kind of have Neon Indian in a nutshell. Expect much racket to be had from this fresh faced crew.

Download: Terminally Chill
Download: Deadbeat Summer