We're getting weirder and weirder here (and a little newer). Starting in 1986, the Dutch label, Taurus Records has been releasing a whole bunch of primarily 12" singles. Most of them are pretty out there and totally underground -- and I suspect that a bunch of them completely blow -- but there're a few gems that stand out, particularly Radiorama's "Fire" 12" from 1988. Radiorama was Mauro Farina on lead vocals, Simona Zanini on female vocals, and Mauro Farina and Giuliano Crivellente on arrangement, composition, and conduction. The Italo-disco act (which eventually [...]
Hercules & Love Affair Interview, Concert, and After-party from Anthem Magazine on Vimeo . Anthem sponsored Hercules & Love Affair's second show ever -- and first in L.A. -- and threw a great after-party (DJ'd by Justin Miller, Hercules & Love Affair, and Nitedog!) at MJ's. Along with Film Editor Sam Kahn and Sarah Hamblin, we filmed everything, including a pre-show interview with Andrew Butler. Check out the HD video above, in a larger format at the Anthem Vimeo page , or at the [...]
Today, I've a couple strange ones for you all. First is Danny Keith's "Keep On Music." The 12" was released via Time Records in 1984 and is a pretty strange one. Imagine Depeche Mode with a slightly less eerie and morbid vibe and less intelligible lyrics. "Keep On Music" is the Italo-disco response to "Enjoy the Silence" (or rather, "Enjoy the Silence" is the post-punk response to "Keep On Music"). The track was "executive" produced by Gianni Corraini (a.k.a. Danny Keith while on Time Records) and produced by Giuliano Crivellente, one of the most prolific of [...]
As with most "scenes" -- especially those tight and condensed enough -- certain labels, producers, and names pop up with surprising frequency. In a lot of situations, this is a good thing. Listeners and distributors are generally smart enough to latch on to stuff that's at least decent , so whether you're in heavy metal or rap, if you're for some reason both sought after by consumers and producers alike, you're in a good place. American Disco was a "big" label in the 1980s, releasing approximately thirty 12"s. I'll admit some [...]
Okay, let's try something new and different here. As longtime readers (or even, to an extent, new ones) have realized, this blog is experiencing a midlife crisis. My work at Anthem consumes too much time for BBBD to be front and center in the way it used to be, and I've generally become disillusioned and dispassioned by the ease with which one can create and sustain a music blog. The joy of discovery and in-depth investigation is what makes blogging so fun -- or at least what used [...]
Love me for this, okay? Escalator Records ' final release will be Yukari Fresh's forthcoming LP, GRRRL SUMMER CAPE KID . The seminal Tokyo-based label has been churning out Shibuya-kei, electro-pop, experimental, and dancey tunes since the early 1990s, and it's with a deep sorrow that we say goodbye to them. One of Escalator's first signings was Yukari Fresh -- albeit not by that name -- so it seems fitting that the long-standing roster member's new full-length will be released on her first (and only) label. After amicably [...]
We were sold by the first second of Pacific! 's debut single, "Hot Lips," a year or two ago. The Swedish duo has since gone on to push its surfer-meets-electro-pop LP all across the globe, from the U.K. to the U.S., and even to India where they're now enjoying the number one slot on the nation's MTV and VH1 music rotations. Not too shabby! There've been many remixes of Pacific!'s work, but this new one by half of Black Ghosts, Simon Lord, a.k.a. Lord Skywave, is one of the most stunning we've been graced with since [...]
Liars Interview from Anthem Magazine on Vimeo . Oh, how I love Liars. The trio is one of those bands that we all know is going to be pumping out albums for years and years to come; one of those bands that will inspire generations of future musicians; one of those bands that will always seem utterly accessible and completely alien (have you ever seen Angus and company live!?) Four albums and a handful of EP's in, countless recording locations later, and [...]
Yesterday, I received an especially brief message from a certain 16-year-old kid named Adam, who makes music under the moniker prds . With a copy of Fruity Loops as his instrument, the Swede pumps out sublime, melancholic instrumental pop gems that shimmer like the setting sun reflecting off a placid ocean. "Lionfish" is a tad repetitive and flat; "Bahamas" is a bit choppy and doesn't spotlight the throbbing bass line that drives the tune quite enough; prds is a work in progress, but with some assuring signs of a positive and creatively fruitful future. Check [...]
Early last month, Los Angeles exports No Age, Mika Miko, and Abe Vigoda performed at the Smell's second annual matinee performance. I'm still a little in the dark as to why they decided to hold such a stellar show during some of the hottest hours during the day and how they managed wrangle up every hipster in the great L.A. region, but -- needless to say -- the mini-festival (or whatever you want to call it) was fun. I did this film for Anthem Online . Check out the original article [...]
When I was younger and on a major Pizzicato Five/Shibuya-kei rampage, I remember taking a great liking to Ursula 1000, partially due to the fact that he used a P5 sample in one of his older cuts. I'm not saying that the loungey heyday of Ursula 1000, Thievery Corporation, and other related artists has come back full swing, but many DJ's seem to be attracted once again to the swanky melodies and rhythms of old jazz jams ... Latin American stuff in particular. One such act is Ray Mang , a.k.a. [...]
John & Jehn is London's latest über-hip duo that pulls simultaneously from old psychedelic acts of the 1960s, garage innovators, and the loungier efforts of outfits like Stereolab. Imagine a pared down reincarnation of the Velvet Underground with a more minimal sound and twist of Jesus & Mary Chain shoegaze grit. At times, they nearly sound like Serge Gainsbourg trying to ape Nico, but at no point do they come off as purely derivative and they remain oddly sweet throughout every song. John & Jehn are endlessly arty -- imagine them playing with [...]
Music Related 's digital imprint, Creation Centre has a new, fabulous release by the soft-spoken Daisuke Miyatani ( MySpace ). The Awaji Island native is an incredibly mellow electronic composer who merges the peaceful calm of the Lost In Translation sound Westerners have come to associate with Japan and the curious energy of fellow folk musicians like Shugo Tokumaru, for example. There's an ethereal quality to the songs that makes them seem other-worldly, but the deeply personal qualities of the syrupy slow arrangements brings them back to real life. [...]
It being the Fourth of July in Los Angeles , it seems only fitting to celebrate another Los Angelino's music. Jaguar Farm is the solo project of Alex Ladarola, a budding songwriter who claims Liars, Animal Collective, Philip Glass, Neu!, Franz Schubert, Steve Reich, Stereolab, Frédéric Chopin, and Kraftwerk as influences. While he doesn't muster up to the more classical on that list and isn't quite as intense as the more modern acts, there's something utterly smart about his wacky pop sensibilities. "Baby's On Fire" -- a Brian Eno cover -- is reminiscent of [...]
I put together a rather lengthy post on Service Records on the Anthem Online site, and since I know not all of you read that Web publication, I'm excerpting some of it here and offering the same MP3s. Read the full article here . First and foremost, the Swedes' control of the English language is subversively contrary to ours. When Lykki Li or Jens Lekman sing of love, they express different experiences, conveniently constructed in a pop manner than alludes to unilateral and exact understanding; [...]
Great Britain's most promising youths, Animals Talking, just finished up in the studio and sent BBBD a couple new tunes that are purely irresistible. "Colours" and "New Dawn" are more contemplative and dark than the gem that is "It Was," but they're certainly no less vibrant or energetic. Animals Talkings' tunes are a whirlwind of spastic punk riffs, time changes, and sugary lyrics that culminate into something more mature than their collective years. While the cuts are still rather raw and in need of a finishing, their freeness and down-to-earth sincerity is still front-and-center. [...]
Who would've thought that Swedish darling of lo-fi pop ballads Jens Lekman ( MySpace ) would sound so good to disco instrumentals? Rollerboys Recordings ' Bogdan Irkük had the bright idea of setting Lekman's sweet vocals to spacey disco beats, with the resultant 12" being pretty awesome. Each edit is a heavy Balearic-infused slow jam that could easily fit in a Studio set or Prins Thomas Italo-disco mix. Check out the Love Nectar mix of "Sipping On the Sweet Nectar" below and buy the whole release on iTunes [...]
You would think that Sweden's long past with utterly cheesy pop acts and botched disco efforts would catch up with the small nation again and everyone would go soft in the head, form Abba cover bands, perm their hair, and bring back bell-bottoms. Alas, the Swedes are still possibly the slickest people on this planet, and they refuse to release anything that might tarnish their collective identity and name. TieDye is the latest entry to the sounds-like-Studio category, but the Italians Do It Better Records signees have something unique to their aesthetic, [...]
Ed Banger Records got too big, too fast. In a flurry of hype, I-was-there-first banter, and musical inbreeding, the Parisian collective represented an alternative cool one minute, a trendy frat boy favorite the next, and an utterly passe aesthetic the next. Instead of turning it down a notch , though, and hiding out for a while (wouldn't some woodsheding help with the creative process?), the crew's insistent on touring forever and releasing something new every couple of weeks. While Justice has been laying lower than their labelmates, their embarrassing remix of MGMT certainly isn't helping restore [...]
It seems a little early to be celebrating the style (or memory?) of Pete Doherty, but that's what Roses, Kings, Castles is attempting ... and they're doing so with success, in flying colors. The Alphaville Records ( MySpace ), London-based band isn't purely derivative, though -- while their lo-fi recordings, charming and earnest arrangements, and cutely strummed guitar melodies do immediately remind one of some calmer Babyshambles works, the Littl'ans, or heartfelt Doherty demos, there's an ingenuity and uniqueness that makes them stick out. Interestingly, Alphaville Records is based in Japan [...]
BiBaBiDi
Avicii – Two Million
Beck – I Just Started Hating Some People Today
iamamiwhoami: kin - Teaser
