
You can't help but admire the winding career of Warren Defever (aka His Name Is Alive), who has followed his muse across all sorts of unpredictable realms, treating some of his best songs as palimpsests. I suppose Stars on E.S.P. was Defever's commercial highpoint, and its various shades of '60s-looking psychedelic pop still sound inspired. The kind of album that just wants to flow and not let you get too caught up in individual tracks. Still, this one sounds pretty nice after [...]

oOoOO and Butterclock performing at MoMA's PS1 Warm Up I had one of the best Saturdays of this dreary summer at MoMA PS1 Warm Up in Long Island City last weekend. The line-up was jam packed with sets from Ayshay , oOoOO , Clams Casino , Black Dice , His Name is Alive , Water Borders and DJ interludes from Robin Carolan, Brandon Stosuy and John Galkin of Tri Angle Records . oOoOO's (surprisingly early) live [...]

photos by Erez Avissar "Ayshay is killing it at warm up right now! oOoOO is on v soon!" - Tri Angle Records "Wow... @oOoOOsounds is playing a mindblowing, amazing set at @MoMAPS1WarmUp right now!" - Anthony Anomalyy "@oOoOOsounds @butterclock u guys were the shit at warm up <3" - Balam Acab [...]
Words by Rick Moslen I briefly considered having a Part 1 and Part 2 for this segment. Why? Well your favorite bands showcased their best work on this English label, and a list of thirty-five albums still runs far too short. A speedy mention of 4AD 's 30-year old history recalls the sweat-enduring mystic of the Cocteau Twins or the glacial European folk of Dead Can Dance . You piss your pants from The Birthday Party 's nihilistic insanity, while tears trickle from your eyes when reading Mojave [...]
MoMA PS1 presents Warm Up 2011, beginning July 2 and taking place every Saturday this summer through September 3. Now celebrating its 14 th year, the museum's highly anticipated outdoor series will continue its tradition of introducing audiences to the best in experimental live music, sound, performance, and DJs. The annual series is held in MoMA PS12s courtyard, which this year features Holding Pattern by Interboro Partners, an immersive environment that is the winning design of MoMA PS12s 12 th annual Young Architects Program. This year's Warm Up marks the second year the series will be [...]
Monday Afternoon Quick Fix runs every Monday afternoon to showcase the best of Chicago music news, views and stories from around the interwebs and blogosphere that we might have missed. • The Chicago Reader has put together a very nice guide to some of this summer's notable music festivals . • Not EXACTLY Chicago, but Pearl Jam are holding their big Lollapalooza-esque 20th anniversary concert at Alpine Vally in East Troy, WI . • WindyCityRock reviews locals In Tall Buildings & His Name Is [...]
By Jason Forrest As much a work of art as any record label could ever be, 4AD was a collaboration between two dudes with arty names: Ivo Watts-Russell and Vaughn Oliver. The label was started in 1980 when Watts-Russell was given the opportunity to start a label with a small budget dolled out from his bosses at Rough Trade - then a successful chain of record shops in London. [1] He and co-worker Peter Kent together released their first 7" and named [...]
A couple weeks ago someone asked me to explain His Name Is Alive after I mentioned them in tandem with Red House Painters. They're different beasts, but were both part of 4AD's classic '90s roster, a period in the label's history that was especially important to me. So, really, it's one of those personal and messy things: You group bands together, basically, because you were listening to them both a lot. (In that sense, it's interesting to find out His Name Is Alive were, in fact, inspired by Royal Trux's Twin Infinitives , an album I listened to incessantly [...]
His Name Is Alive - Dream Rememberer His Name Is Alive - July

The Woodmans (C. Scott Willis, 2010) will be screening at Providence's Cable Car Cinema from January 28-February 3. Images: Francesca Woodman, "Untitled (Providence)," 1975-78 Claude Cahun, "Je Tends les Bras" Paul Nougé, "Le Bras Révelateur,"1929 Jean Cocteau, Still from La Belle et La Bête Amp, "Ombres" (from Amp/3EF/Sadaar Bazaar split 7", 1996) His Name Is Alive, "Caroline's Supposed Demon" (from Livonia [...]
80 mins : 36 secs | 46.1 mb Kanye West "Power" ( roc-a-fella records ) My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [ amazon ] website | myspace | facebook Childish Gambino "I'm On It" ( independent release ) Culdesac [ free download ] website | myspace | facebook Ice Cube "She Couldn't Make It On Her Own" ( lench mob [...]
IDITUS Marion Brown Septet Juba-Lee Fontana : 1966 MB, alto; Grachan Moncur III, trombone; Alan Shorter, flugelhorn; Bennie Maupin, tenor; Dave Burrell, piano; Reggie Johnson, bass; Beaver Harris, drums. THE SOUND OF A SONG Marion Brown In Sommerhausen Calig-Verlag : 1969 MB, alto; Jeanne Lee, voice, percussion; Gunter Hampel, vibes, bass clarinet, percussion; Ambrose [...]

I have final started my podcasts. Its something I have been meaning to do for an age but have never found the time to do it. I have set up a new website for the free music podast . This is my first attempt so be gentle with me! The From a Hilltop podcast has the following track listing: Smiletron – Vestige [...]

Great stuff from touring and local bands alike tonight, starting at the Troubadour where British soul man Jamie Lidell headlines and Minneapolis electro-pop trio Solid Gold [pictured] opens. The Minnesotans (who also play Spaceland on Sunday) recently released their "Synchronize" EP — and the title track got a remix treatment from L.A.'s Morgan Kibby (of M83, doing business here as White Sea ). [ Download it here .] ... Rogue Wave hits town to headline the El Rey Theatre, and the Murder City Devils play the Glass House. ... And at [...]

Nice. In Tall Buildings self-titled debut on Whistler Records is nice. Now, no one wants to be called nice. Your grandma wants you to be nice. Nice guys finish last. Nice is often used to avoid actually telling someone how you feel. But sometimes, as in the case with In Tall Buildings, nice is the highest of high compliments. The world needs nice, and Erik Hall's (the man behind In Tall Buildings) debut is nice in the nicest way possible. It's the Tom Hanks of records. It is accessible to everyone: young, old, edgy, [...]
Starting from the late 70s, US-born / England based duo of identical twins Stephen and Timothy Quay produced a whole number of stop-motion animations and their unique style, in turn, influenced a whole number of other animators. Much of their work is based on writings of Franz Kafka and Bruno Schulz, features little to no [...]
I need to be loved... I need to feel you by my side... I need to feel your heart beating next to mine... I need to see your smile... I need to feel the warmth of your skin next to mine... I need to touch your soul... I need to hear the comfort of your voice... I need you to believe in me... I need you to tell me the truth... I need to see through your eyes... I need [...]

Well after 9 months since I first started this post, I decided I should finish it before the year is out. As I'm wrapping up the 2009 songs in my queue, I look back to the coulda-beens of 2008 and how much happiness each band / album gave me. I love this series as it gives me the off the path list of great bands that you may not have heard of from year-end lists. This list is in no particular order and each album occupied my focus for some time during 2008. [...]

His Name Is Alive - When You Fall For Someone His Name Is Alive - I'll Send My Face To Your Funeral His Name Is Alive - July