Krug serves up a couple gems, unsurprising considering his last Daytrotter session, and considering he is, ya know, Spencer Krug. "Winged/Wicked Things" would emerge later on Random Spirit Lover in all its sweeping glory, and we got a phenomenal, revved up version of "Shut Up I Am Dreaming" that may have even topped the already wonderful album version. This time around, we get a slowed down "Mending of the Gown," transforming the Lover standout into a gorgeous ballad, and "True Colors," a solid Krug tune first debuted on the Sunset Rubdown EP last January [...]
The Fork spoke to Lupe about his highly anticipated, likely amazing sophomore record The Cool . " Please go and read it. The part about "Gotta Eat" (the much discussed cheeseburger song) is hilarious and the rest is very interesting, especially regarding Lupe's career plans. I really cannot wait for The Cool, considering the two available tracks may be my two favorite songs of the year (OK, that's not true, but they're top ten). Check em. That is, if you're not earless. Well, for that matter, if you're not brainless...like, you know, Ichabod Crane is. [...]
Rating: 3/5 Oh, Wu. While I am occasionally overcome by the musical bulldozer that is Nation of Millions , Enter the Wu-Tang is still my favorite rap record of all time, a timeless, one-of-a-kind, stylistically unmatched masterpiece. It spun off a series of individual classics during the mid-90s at a time when each Wu member was hungry for solo success and the RZA had an absurd (truly ridiculous), seemingly bottomless pit of raw, vivid beats. Then came Wu-Tang Forever , a nearly 30 track behemoth that drained the Clan of fresh, clever [...]
I mean, really. I may just stop listening to new music, because 2007 is just absurd. Hmm, where should I begin? The re-establishment of Radiohead as The World's Best Band, the re-emergence of Jay-Z as the king of rap, the re-uniting of the Wu, and the billion great albums that have come out this year. Just to name a few big players (roughly chronologically): The Shins, Deerhoof, The Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Spoon, Panda Bear, Animal Collective, M.I.A., Liars, Kanye West, Band of Horses. Plus the shitload of breakthrough acts, like, I don't know, Besnard Lakes, The Field, A Place [...]
So as you may know, television writers are on strike and so The Daily Show and The Colbert Report have been sidelined for the time being. Of course, there is an upside to all this: Fox has to deal witht the fact that they currently have nine episodes of 24 written. They should film a tenth episode where Jack just fails, the apocalypse ensues, and the season ends. Of course, they'll find a way to throw in a dozen more filler episodes before Jack saves the day or takes down the president or whatever. And oh yeah, apparently Tony Almeida [...]
Sorry, I haven't written anything in like three weeks. I've been busy, uh, fighting crime. OK, so that's about as believable as, well, Jay-Z holding any "gangster" credibility in 2007. Yeah, American Gangster finds Jigga sticking to the strengths abandoned on the pathetic Kingdom Come , but calling Gangster a true street record is like moving from Bill O'Reilly to Fred Thompson and calling Thompson a leftist. Even on Reasonable Doubt , Jay-Z's style and charisma seemed built for the mainstream, and any underground impulses he may have once had are long gone. [...]
Recently I went with my Dad to see The Blue Man Group for his birthday. The Blue Men put on a great show, but that isn't what this is about. The opening act was what I wanted to talk about. I was a little surprised to see one guy walk out onto the stage for the opening act. He turned out to be a DJ named Mike Relm, and I was a little concerned. I had heard horror stories about opening DJ's who…well…sucked. Mike Relm actually brought a new element of originality that kept his songs interesting and refreshing. He [...]
Hailing from Austin, TX, Spoon have really made a name for themselves on the indie circuit as of late. In fact, I would go so far as to say that with the release of their most recent album, "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga," Spoon have established themselves as the most consistent American indie rock band since Pavement. I got lucky enough to be able to see them play in Philly the past Friday night, and I can tell you that they were absolutely amazing. I honestly didn't know what to expect out of these guys live [...]
On the same day his record TI v TIP took home the Album of the Year at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, TI was arrested on gun charges. TI's bodyguard attempted to buy three machine guns, two silencers, and a pistol without registering them and was subsequently arrested. He claimed he bought the guns for TI, and a search of of TI's car turned up three firearms, plus six more found in TI's Atlanta-area home. Now we know why Mr. Clifford Harris was cast in a film called American Ganster. [...]
It took four years, but it's finally here. And it's good. Really good. That pretty much goes without question. The big question everyone has been asking: "Where does it fall in the band's discography?" Tough to answer, but we'll get to that in a little bit. First off, let's look at the album's individual merits. Musically, the Kid A/Amnesiac sessions may have been the band's final frontier. Even if I had not heard each track off In Rainbows (excluding "Faust Arp") months ago from live bootlegs, nothing here would have thrown me for a [...]
Brain malfunctioning...on third listen...my oh my...care about your house of cards, and I'll deal mine. Full review soon.
After Pitchfork gave music a 6.8 and the State Department warned people about high threat levels due to the airing of "that Full House episode where they meet the Beach Boys", The Onion delivers another gem. Read it and laugh: http://www.theonion.com/conten t/news/new_heart_device_allows _cheney_to Favorite quote: "When he came home, he did not characteristically stomp into the house and grumble about how the 'stupid American people should just be shot,'" Mrs. Cheney said. "Instead, he bent down to scratch the dog behind his ears instead of kicking him, and kissed me off-camera for the first [...]
The new El-P dropped a couple months ago, so I'm a bit behind, but it was one of those records I picked up and then didn't get a chance to listen to. However, I finally gave it a spin, and it kicked ass. Unsurprisingly, I immediately recalled Funcrusher Plus and The Cold Vein, for the record rides the typical Definitive Jux, gritty, apocalyptic sound. However, all the lurking, unsettling, otherworldy synths and bells and whistles would all be just chaotic if not for El-P's intricate, visionary production. It's still chaos, but it's calculated and focused. This overall focus [...]
I often find myself criticized for disliking folk music and singer songwriters. Sometimes it's just tough for me to find the "beauty" in someone crooning over soft acoustic guitar strums. If more folk artists want me to listen to their music, they should take a quick lesson from Tunng. The British collective use some traditional folk structures, but add their own distinctive twist. Tunng uses an array of percussion "instruments" which include anything but a traditional drum kit. Driven by this unique percussion, electronics and other instruments are wielded to add more depth to [...]
OK, so the original report that Wu-Tang used the first legal Beatles sample on their new single "Heart Gently Weeps" was erroneous. However, the RZA didn't need it to create a kick ass beat, as "Heart Gently Weeps" trumps the other new Wu track "Watch Your Mouth" by a couple miles. While his Cuban Linx-enthusiasm seems to have permanently passed away, Raekwon shows dishes a better verse here than on "Watch", while Method Man meanwhile shows up for a brief, effective appearance. Still, Ghostface (mostly rap, partly sing) drives the track alongside that infectiously catchy xylophone (maybe piano? vibraphone?) line [...]
It was not my intention to hurt any one's feelings with my list of top 10 Electioneers songs. I am very proud to have once called myself a member of the band and I am very impressed by what they have accomplished. I meant what I said in the comments about each song and I am not apologizing for them. I just want to make it clear that I was not writing this because I was out to get anyone. I actually like these songs. -Zack
This past Saturday I took an excursion down to Baltimore/DC to see Iron and Wine in concert. The following is a summary of the events that took place. 10:30 AM: I embark on a mission to find myself an FM transmitter, in order to listen to my iPod on the way down. It's a 2.5 hour drive from my house to Baltimore, and I wasn't about to go without music. Of course, the Radio Shack I've gone to in the local mall for 19 years is now closed, unbeknownst to me, so I spent the [...]
With the announcing of their new album, Radiohead is on most of our minds right now. But we (Erik and Zack) would like to take this opportunity to remind Radiohead of its place in the hierarchy of musical artists. And the only way this can be done is by making the list of the top ten greatest Electioneers songs ever written and performed. Erik Honorable Mention: Spoonfed Matt Gasda perfectly captures the uncertainty and disbelief that [...]
Words cannot describe how awesome Radiohead's announcement was. No label, no waiting period, and-the best part-no price! I personally paid a reasonable eight dollars to support the greatest band in the history of mankind. The whole situation is really quite surreal and fascinating for multiple reasons. Pitchfork summarizes it quite nicely: "What Radiohead's doing here is actually pretty cool. Rather than preface their new album's release with the usual three months of press ballyhoo, only to have it leak at some random time before it comes out, they've kept it completely under wraps, then essentially gone and leaked it themselves. [...]
I'll be the first to admit, I've never been the biggest Iron and Wine fan. They were among my ex-girlfriend's favorite music, and as such, I was subjected to a great deal of Sam Beam's lo-fi acoustic dirges. While I did have a certain fondness for a few songs on the Woman King EP, most of his material sounded far too bland and dry for me. I guess I just didn't "get" it. And this is coming from me, lo-fi music connoisseur. Anyhow, upon listening to Iron and Wine's new record, The Shepherd's Dog, [...]
How's the pie?
Bison - Quill
Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane Over the Sea
Shinichi Osawa – Big Beach Mix 2012
