Blog: Shameless Complacency

Gonna Work Out Fine Hi there! Remember me? I used to post here, a while ago. Okay, a long while ago. And then I stopped. I didn't have a good reason for doing so, I just sort of lost interest. I'm a little ditzy that way. But now I'd like to start again, just over two years since I stopped. There's so much good music out there these days, and I miss having my own little soapbox to promote it from. So I'm going to try and revive Shameless Complacency over the next few [...]

As if I needed another reason to rave about Hot Chip, I ran across two new tracks of theirs just a few minutes ago. Both tracks are apparently from a limited EP that was given to the first 200 people to arrive at a recent London gig. Thanks to the intarwebs, however, a lot more [...]

• Hot Chip - So Deep.mp3 » 01 So Deep.mp3

edit: Woohoo! First takedown notice since April! It's always embarrassing when a cover of your song turns out better than the original, but I can't decide if that embarrassment would be lessened or exacerbated if the cover is included on one of your releases. Why? have been left to ponder that dilemma, with their latest EP [...]

In case you haven't already heard, Deerhunter's Daytrotter Session was posted earlier today. It consists of two previously released songs; Heatherwood , and a personal favorite, Dr. Glass, along with two brand new songs, Activa and Calvary Scars, which may be the strongest material they've put out yet. Very impressive stuff. Download the entire session here Deerhunter - Activa.mp3 (Daytrotter Session)

For the past month or so, I'd been ignoring the blog-hype surrounding the self-released Forever Ago, For Emma. After all, blogs exist solely for hype, don't they? I'm such a hypocrite, I know. Anyway, you may have heard that Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) recently signed to Jagjaguwar. Jagjaguwar is one of the few labels [...]

"Our world, our lives, our bodies, they are constantly changing. But there's a rhytm that runs through it all," Glass Candy's latest album begins, "And that's where we'll find our true selves. We live in a universe of transformation, but the heavenly beat is a constant." I'm not sure if I believe them, but [...]

Not exactly surprising, but I'll take any Chan I can get. Cat Power - Song To Bobby.mp3 [From Jukebox , out January on Matador]

A dark horse contender if I've ever seen one. Burial - Raver.mp3 [From Untrue , out this month on Hyperdub ]

And I've discovered some things: -Early Cat Power sounds a lot like Kim Gordon. -I miss Stylus. -of Montreal had a much better sense of humor in the nineties. -Dustin Hoffman did not resist the urge to eat the bathtub. -Inland Empire is the greatest movie ever. -The Road is still my favorite book. -I can't choose between the Pixies and Pavement. -Bob [...]

In case you didn't already know (I didn't until just a few moments ago), it was four years ago today that Elliott Smith passed away. Losing such a prominent young musician is always difficult, and the suddenness of his death only exacerbated the already tragic situation. It's hard to overstate what a massive blow his [...]

I've had this on repeat for longer than I care to disclose. I'm sure you'll feel the same way after your eight listen. Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Alive 2007).mp3 [Out November 20th on Virgin]

While 80's synth pop may be the most pervasive element of John Maus' latest LP, don't yourself be fooled; this is a dark, Love Is Real is a dark and fractured affair. A subtle, but effective, filter causes Maus' vocals to sound slightly muffled, as though he's singing from beneath a thick quilt. The entire record is marked by a sense of an abstruse sense of unease, as though something darker lurks just beneath the surface of this seemingly benign pop; there's more here than you may initially believe. John [...]

Two words: epic shoegaze. Alcest-Les Iris [From Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde out now on Prophecy]

When you're tired of listening to In Rainbows , be sure to check out Alaska In Winters latest, Dance Party In The Balkans . AIW are one of those mysterious bands who can't seem to gain any amount fame, despite richly deserving it. Think Beirut, with a dark electronic tinge. Zach Condon features on a few tracks. Alaska In Winter - Dance Party In The Balkans.mp3 [From Dance Party In The Balkans, out now on  Regular Beat]

When I heard that Radiohead would giving away their new album for whatever price fans were willing to pay (including nothing), I promised myself that I wouldn't post a track from In Rainbows . After all, if people wanted to hear the album, it's only a click away. But I can't justify not posting Faust Arp. When fans saw an  unfamiliar song on the tracklist, most expected an interlude ala Hunting Bears; they didn't expect a Beatles/Elliot Smith style pop masterpiece. If, for whatever reason, you're on the fence about downloading In Rainbows,  for God's [...]

I know I haven't posted anything this mainstream in a while (save for Radiohead, but come on, it's Radiohead ) but I think Band Of Horses sophomore album, Cease To Begin, deserves your attention. I went into it with low expectations, after hearing a fair amount of backlash over the album's "low-down" feel, and maybe even more over recent marketing decisions made by the band. Well, I never heard Everything All The Time, so I don't really know anything about the shift in sound between the two. I don't particularly care about who the band licenses their songs to, [...]

The only way to properly describe Washingtons Old Time Relijun would be to smack you in the face with a guitar, and scream into you ear while simultaneously bludgeoning you with a clarinet. If this sounds harsh, or even painful, don't worry; you're gonna love every second of it. Old Time Relijun - Indestructible Life.mp3 [From  Catharsis in Crisis, out October 9th on K Records]

Here's a track that lives up to it's title, from a Cornish group that may  or may not be Richard D. James, the IDM-god of Aphex Twin fame. Whoever made it, it's still awesome. The Tuss - Death Fuck.mp3 [From Rushup Edge, out now on Rephlex Records]

I'm not sure why, but I've been really into The Low End Theory lately. It's pretty hard to believe it's sixteen years old now. A Tribe Called Quest - Butter.mp3 [From The Low End Theory, released 1991 on Jive]

Did you just feel the earth shake? I know I did. About an hour ago, Radiohead officially announced their new album, called In Rainbows . From DAS: Hello everyone. Well, the new album is finished, and it's coming out in 10 days; We've called it In Rainbows. Love from us all. Jonny I know you're not interested in my blather right now, so here's the deal: they're [...]