Blog: Bwank!

December is list-making season. And for us music journalists, it is a time to look back on scores of albums, reflect upon the music and recapitulate our favorites. But this year, just like the last, we took this opportunity to flip that tradition upside down, asking the artists that influenced us what influenced them. The prompt was not limited to albums that came out in 2008. Nat Baldwin Extra Life - Secular Works Kurt Weisman - Spiritual Sci-Fi The Dead Science - Villainaire Skeletons - Money [...]

Eli of the Monolators 1. "With Luv'" by, natch, Luv'. Luv' was a manufactured girl group from the Netherlands circa late 1970's, basically an attempt to cash in on ABBA's success. There's three of them, all girls, and they all have different personas: there's the one who can sing, there's the "exotic" one, and there's the blonde one. Like Charlie's Angels. The thing is, though, the this record is REALLY REALLY GOOD. I highly recommend watching their videos on youtube. For example: http://www.youtube com/watch?v=vHllh7J-g2o or this one, with [...]

Never before in Jenny Lewis' hyper-extended career has the ruddy-haired front woman sounded so affected. Her folksy, small-town image—which has been trumped by her larger-than-life affiliations—does give way to some semblance of musical authenticity. And, surely, the majority of her most ambitious effort to date, 2008's Acid Tongue , is performed with great gusto. But Lewis can not avoid giving the slightest impression that she is straining for her effects. Sometimes in the grip of great passion you fail to uphold your intent. Having followed her trajectory from as early as 2001, there is no [...]

photo by Julius Metoyer It's been a long time coming... 1. Eliot Lipp - "Best Friends" (mp3) Brooklyn-by-way-of-Tacoma electronic musician Eliot Lipp has been on my radar ever since Scott Herron, or rather Prefuse 73, picked up his tracks. And it's plain to see why Herron found Lipp's music intriguing. The production is pristine—volatile little blips and wavering synth lines are juxtaposed with oppressively constant beeps and feverish beats. 2. Empire of the Sun - "Walking On A Dream" (mp3) This is [...]

Annual music marathons like SXSW in Austin and CMJ in New York have long served as industry-only gatherings. But now, like never before, they have become regarded as a necessity for those enthusiasts on the cusp of music. They've evolved into a breeding ground for next year's latest and greatest—a musical pageantry of epic proportions. [...]

To say that Seattle, particularly during Labor Day Weekend, is a haven for music lovers is a gross understatement. The sprawling 74-acre fairground in Downtown that is the Seattle Center serves as a refuge for art in general. The Bumbershoot Festival, now in its 37th year, is in many ways a proverbial port in a storm. The common misconception with regards to the Northwest is that the rain never ceases. And it's not just any old rain—we're talking wondrous deluges of biblical proportions. Still, every year, on what is considered to be the last legitimate weekend of [...]

photo by Julius Metoyer And on the fifth day God said, "Go balls out!"... Update: The After The Jump Fest at the Market Hotel, which was previously scheduled to take place at the Yard, has been canceled altogether... 1:00 PM | High Places @ Market Hotel 2:00 PM | The Homosexuals @ Market Hotel 3:00 PM | Women @ Market Hotel 4:00 PM | Bearsuit @ Market Hotel 4:00 [...]

No sleep 'til... 3:30 PM | Miniature Tigers @ Arlene's Grocery 4:00 PM | Bearsuit @ Seaport 4:00 PM | Starfucker @ Knitting Factory Main Space 4:00 PM | Tenlons Fort @ Knitting Factory Tap Bar 5:00 PM | Restavrant, Best Fwends, Yo Majesty and the Muslims @ Continental Army Plaza in Brooklyn 5:15 PM | Crystal Antlers @ Fader Fort 5:30 PM | Casiokids @ Seaport 6:30 PM | Chief @ The Annex 6:30 PM | Phosphorescent @ Cake Shop 6:45 PM | The Seabellies @ Fader Fort [...]

Your choices for today: 12:00 PM | Twi The Humble Feather @ Pianos (upstairs) 1:00 PM | James Jackson Toth (of Wooden Wand) @ Pianos (upstairs) 1:30 PM | The Muslims @ Pianos (downstairs) 2:30 PM | Peasant @ Pianos (upstairs) 3:00 PM | Friendly Fires @ Pianos (downstairs) 3:45 PM | Crystal Antlers @ Pianos (downstairs) 4:30 PM | The Loom @ Cake Shop (upstairs) 4:30 PM | Passion Pit @ Fader Fort 4:45 PM | Wye Oak @ Pianos (upstairs) 5:30 PM | Phosphorescent @ Pianos (upstairs) [...]

Here are some fine choices for today: 12:45 PM | Rainbow Arabia @ Cake Shop (downstairs) 1:10 PM | Howlies @ Pianos (downstairs) 1:25 PM | Starfucker @ Cake Shop (downstairs) 2:05 PM Shugo Tokumaru @ Cake Shop (downstairs) 2:50 PM | Drink Up Buttercup @ Pianos (downstairs) 3:00 PM | Emmy The Great @ The Bell House 3:15 PM | Tobacco @ Cake Shop (downstairs) 3:50 PM | Women @ Cake Shop (downstairs) 4:30 PM | Chairlift @ The Fader Fort 4:30 PM | Bell @ The Bell [...]

This is where you can find me: 12:30 PM | A Brief Smile @ Pianos (downstairs) 1:30 PM | Rumspringa @ Pianos (downstairs) 1:30 PM | Secret Life of Sofia @ Cakeshop (downstairs) 2:15 PM | The Antlers @ Cakeshop (downstairs) 3:00 PM | Said The Whale @ Pianos (upstairs) 3:15 PM | Pattern Is Movement @ Pianos (upstairs) 4:00 PM | Princeton @ Cakeshop (upstairs) 4:30 PM | Women @ Cakeshop (downstairs) 5:00 PM | Chairlift @ Pianos (downstairs) 7:00 PM | DJ Andre Allen Anjos @ Knitting [...]

Much like Victor Bermon and Minotaur Shock before him, Toronto-based electronic whiz Shaw-Han Liem, otherwise known as I am Robot and Proud, systematically assembles shards of swarming notes. Each symphonic strain—a puzzle piece comprised of blips, bloops and beats—is pieced together in a hyperactive yet thought-provoking manner. The premise alone prods the spirit of inquiry. 2008's debut Uphill City is, as the one-man-band's Myspace headline proudly proclaims, a collection of "songs from tiny pieces." The tedious process of mosaicking becomes clear in the album's title track,"Uphill City." Like the volatile particles of an atom, sequences [...]

photo by Matthew Craig Back to the normal...less rock, more talk... 1. Naomi Shelton - "What Have You Done" (mp3) This sixtysomething Alabama-based soul singer emanates a surly demeanor. Shelton, who is poised to release her latest 7 inch single, What Have You Done , via Dap Tone Records, punctiliously implements painstaking, guttural utterances. Like the deep bellowing of a bull, her vocal approach brings to mind the past masters of R&B, including Mr. Sam Cooke. Strangely enough, "What Have You Done" sort of reminds me of a [...]

The notion of letting it all hang out—whether it be inharmonious or just flat-out detuned—has never sounded so appealing. And as cliched as it may be, the sentiment rings true for Metronomy. The well-coiffed London-by-way-of-Devon electronic outfit simply radiate madcap mischief and a futuristic sense of pop hauteur. Nights Out , Metronomy's much-anticipated debut full length, is a bustling show-stopper injected with rickety synthesizers, jolting bass and uneven guitar lines. Their idiosyncratic sound, as demonstrated in the back-to-back hits "Radio Ladio," "My Heart Rate Rapid" and "Heartbreaker," is as groundbreaking as it is overdue. Everything [...]

photo by Matthew Craig Less talk, more rock... 1. Department Of Eagles - "No One Does It Like You" (mp3) This is Grizzly Bear in its embryonic, dingy dorm-room stage. 2. GoodBooks - "Williams Boat" (mp3) Like the British equivalent of Final Fantasy, only way better. 3. I am Robot and Proud - "The Risk" (mp3) Blip blippin', bloop bloopin' away. A one-man electro-pop band from Toronto. 4. Digitalism - "Taken Away [...]

photo by Matthew Craig 1. Action Biker - "Refridgerator" (mp3) "I can't sleep tonight/ The fridge is making noise/ But I don't want to make it stop/ It goes on and on and on and on." Gothenburg-based Action Biker is Sarah Nyberg Pergament. Wait, the 8-bit video game? Yes, sadly another 8-bit allusion. Be that as it may, Pergament utilizes glumly curious expressions, which are often laden with a quaint timbre. "Refridgerator" brings to mind the playful and breathy melodies of Saint Etienne. Each breeze of resonant synthesizers waft her studiedly [...]

The leading track off 2008's much anticipated God Has A Voice, She Speaks Through Me EP is a curious amalgam of the traditional and modern CocoRosie sounds. Swooshing beats and bouncy bass lines send up a wraith of chilling crooning, resulting in euphoric yet clement instrumentation. The vocal strength simply ebbs away at each turn, bringing the listener into a heavy, electronic swoon. And if you've ever stopped to doubt the virtue of the vocoder, then this song is for you. Bianca and Sierra have successfully wooed the freakish electro fan in us all. [...]

photo by Matthew Craig I know it's been quite a while, but I've taken a little break for my mental well-being. I'll be enjoying the remaining days of summer in Seattle at the Bumbershoot Festival. So expect amazing photos, interviews and coverage. I'll be kicking things into gear upon my return. Thanks for reading! 1. David Kanaga - "The Way I Feel" (mp3) I couldn't believe my ears when I heard even more great electro out of Walla Walla, Washington. Whitman College, of all places, has spawned not only [...]

photo by Matthew Craig I've said it before and I'll say it again: "It was the sound of post-independence Nigeria, not Vampire Weekend." Suffice it to say that Afrobeat has become an increasingly prominent element in today's fusion music. Yet we seldom stop to think where these unique tones originated. So this compilation marks the beginning of a series dedicated to investigating the peaks and troughs of a glossed-over genre. After all, no musical victory is without its unsung heroes. Various Artists - "Advanced Afrobeat For Beginners Volume [...]

photo by Matthew Craig I've said it before and I'll say it again: " It was the sound of post-independence Nigeria, not Vampire Weekend. " Suffice it to say that Afrobeat has become an increasingly prominent element in today's fusion music. Yet we seldom stop to think where these unique tones originated. So this compilation marks the beginning of a series dedicated to investigating the peaks and troughs of a glossed-over genre. After all, no musical victory is without its unsung heroes. Various Artists - "Advanced Afrobeat For [...]