Hello babes. It's been a long week, but the new mix tape is finally ready to be birthed into this uncertain world of ours. It will stimulate your aural cavities and bring you to climax. Unless, of course, you don't like good music, in which case I strongly advice you point your browser to another website and never return here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something else to do. Probably. The above picture was taken Tuesday afternoon when Fawn and I took some of her former students Christmas shopping at Target. As I stated before, she [...]
Hello beautiful friends. I trust gravity is not keeping you down on this beautiful Sunday, is it? Unless of course, you're living in Vermont (as pictured above, six years ago), where temperatures are starting to drop already. After a miserable, rainy Friday night, the rest of the weekend has been beautiful. And how did I spend my time, you ask? Why, getting drunk on Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale and Port Brewing Wipe Out IPA of course! Today I joined a local bird-watching group for a picnic and some vino in the park. Then shared tasty [...]
Allow me to don the cap of sports fan for one day, if you will. Last night's Angels/Yankees game was by far the best baseball I think I've ever seen. I can't recall ever going to a Mets games when they were actually good. I didn't go to any games last year, which was their best season in maybe a decade. I certainly don't remember the game I went to in 1988, which was the last time before 2006 when they won their division. Plus, the Mets never win when I see them in person. Sure, they beat the Cubs [...]
Xela: "Bobble Hats in Summer," from the For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights LP (Neo Ouija, 2003)
I wish I was better at describing post-rock / electronica / anything-not-in-ABAB-song-stru cture, so I could tell you why I love Xela so much. I only have the one-man-band's earlier 2003 album, For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights ( rereleased this year), and really, the album title says it all. Similar to Boards of Canada's "vintage" tracks, this is the kind of music you could easily lose yourself in, the scotch and the fireplace for the aurally high-strung. Everything about the music, from the bleeps and blorps to the sweeping one-note [...]
Xela: "An Abandoned Robot," from the For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights LP (Neo Ouija, 2003)
In a style reminiscent of vintage Boards of Canada, please enjoy this track by Xela, from the 2007 release For Frosty Mornings And Summer Nights. Xela - Under The Glow Of Streetlights All Good Funk Alliance have a new record...
The first night of the Bottling Smoke festival was all I could hope for. Lots of fun was had, beautiful psychedelic ambiance was enjoyed by all, and everyone in attendance was remarkably cool. It was a very familial atmosphere at Echo Curio last night. The first person I spoke to while I waited for friends to arrive turned out to be John Twells from Xela, who told me right off I was in for a treat, as he would be performing later in the evening as the "super group" Sea Zombies alongside Brad Rose (The North Sea, co-founder of Digitalis), [...]
So I intended to harp on the many splendors of the Coachella Valley earlier on in the week, but I got taken down very hard by a bout of postpardumb depression that came complete with some world destroying illness. I spent most of the week indiscriminately wafting in and out of some sticky fusion of halfsleep and delerium, with the most tangible moments involving violent lungfuls of Indio's finest. But I did have fun at the time. I just couldn't wring any enthusiasm out of my vacant ass self until right around now... Anyway, quick rundown because I [...]
March: Amon Tobin, Foley Room [Ninja Tune, 2007] Style: Experimental RIYL: Autechre, Matmos Amon Tobin returns with a collection of music based on found sounds, using instruments in irregular ways, and an altogether different approach of sampling and composition. His most ambitious work to date, Amon succeeds in expanding his palette once again, moving further away from his jazz and [...]
Trans Am - 4,738 Regrets (Thrill Jockey 2007) Trans Am – Sex Change / Thrill Jockey The other day while working in my cubicle, a Chromeo track came two-stepping through my speakers which never fails to send me into a head bouncing fit of giggles at it's sheer awesomeness. My adjacent co-worker though was immensely confused by my devotion to a sound so heartedly 80s cheese, a decade I have proclaimed my disgust for time and again to the entire office. I attempted to explain my position that [...]
Jan 1, 2007, 10:50pm
WORD
2006 has been an amazing year for music, both on a personal discovery level, and on a widespread quality level. This fall has especially been fruitful...I've been making weekly stops at Bent Crayon to pick up at least 2 or 3 things pretty regularly since about August. Some of these newer purchases have made me re-examine the earlier part of the year, which started out just as amazing. For me, all this music overlaps in a gorgeous, haphazard way. This year's review will sort of reflect that, in a way that hopefully doesn't come off as completely pretentious [...]
Okay, now that I'm back in the groove of things, here's the next list: 29) Xela – The Dead Sea - This is one of the most impressive ambient/electronic records I've come across this year—and for many, many reasons. John Xela builds layers after layers of noise, chords, and subtle musicality that tests ourselves as listeners. Throughout all the scrambles of notes and rhythms, Xela seems to maintain his focus remarkably well; the songs are pristine, sound, and effective. [ buy ] [ MP3: [...]
Oct 25, 2006, 12:50pm WORD
The first thing I ever heard from Xela was his remix of Machine Drum, which is about as far away as it's possible to get within the realm of electronics as The Dead Sea . But yet...what attracted me to Xela's remix that first time was his sense of atmosphere and narrative. Amidst the beats and the looping Method Man sample, there was a strongly emotional wash of electronics. His following two albums, For Frosty Mornings and Summer Nights and Tangled Wool , played with the juxtaposition of delicate electronics and gorgeous pieces of live instruments, [...]
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onecaseman.com
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indiechristoph
Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane Over the Sea
Mr Fogg - Eleven
Crocodiles - Endless Flowers
Bison - Quill
