Blog: Audio Absinthe

James Murphy's dance/punk style is infectious on This Is Happening , LCD Soundsystem 's 3rd and possibly their last album. Whether it's really the last album or not, fans won't be disappointed. It's the cohesive blend of electronic, dance music and punk rock attitude and style that Murphy is well known and loved for producing. MP3 : LCD Soundsystem - "Dance Yrself Clean" [See post to listen to audio] MP3 : LCD Soundsystem - "You Wanted A Hit" [See post to listen to audio] [...]

Mochilla is a cool production company that created a stunning series of 3 Los Angeles based events to honor composers and arrangers who have influenced hip hop. I was excited when I saw the Timeless series dvd box set for purchase on mochilla.com . I recently received my copy in the mail and it was worth the excitement- music art at it's finest. My favorite is the Suite for Ma Dukes (The Music of James "Dilla" Yancey) which features Miguel Atwood-Ferguson leading a 60 piece orchestra performing the songs of the hip hop producer extraordinaire. [...]

Kele hooked up with dance-rock producer XXXchange for the Bloc Party front man's debut solo album, The Boxer . "Tenderoni" is a powerful single and will certainly lead to a lot of interest and anticipation for the forthcoming album. The single does a good job of distancing Kele's solo project from his Bloc Party affiliation, which is an area where a lot of solo projects fall short. The Boxer will be available on Glassnote Records in June. Kele - "Tenderoni" (produced by XXXChange) The Boxer [...]

The Whigs new album In The Dark is their third full length, released in March 2010. From the first track, "Hundred/ Million" The Whigs show they know how to really rock. If they're in town with Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, or any of the other great acts they tour with, make sure you remember that the Georgia boys' live shows are not to be missed. Check out the performance on Jimmy Fallon below: MP3 : The Whigs - "Hundred / Million" [See post [...]

Gonjasufi seems like a modern day hippie at first glance. The singer/rapper is also a yoga instructor. His debut album, A Sufi and a Killer , is filled with mostly chill, down tempo beats. It's got a hip hop and electronic style while being soulful in an experimental, world music kind of way. The album as a whole is a dark and stirring 21-track journey. It's a great listen if you're into the songs below... MP3 : Gonjasufi - "Duet" [See post to listen to audio] [...]

The smooth and stylish José James is back with his sophomore release, Blackmagic . He's been called a jazz singer for the hip hop generation which is particularly fitting for his collaborations with Flying Lotus who produced several songs on the new album. Blackmagic was released on February 1st. MP3 : José James - "Blackmagic (Produced by Flying Lotus)" [See post to listen to audio] Blackmagic (Brownswood, February 2010)

I have a couple of friends whose musical tastes and opinions I really respect. The one who showed me Foster The People 's "Pumped Up Kicks" expects it will explode on the blogosphere becoming a hit and there's good reason to believe him, it's just starting to happen now. BlackBookMag.com compares their sound to MGMT and Peter, Bjorn, and John, predicting the song to become one of the big hits of this summer. Indie radio stations can be, at times, predictable and if you keep track on Hype Machine and Elbo.ws alone, you'll have [...]

The Radio Dept. is an indie-pop rock band from Sweden. Their upcoming album, Clinging To A Scheme , is scheduled for release in April of this year and will be their 3 rd full length release to date. The single off of the album is called "David" but it's another track, "Heaven's On Fire," that has become one of the most blogged about songs of 2010. MP3 : The Radio Dept. - "Heaven's On Fire" [See post to listen to audio] [...]

Alex Metric is a remix DJ from the UK. His electro-rock, dance floor friendly remixes put a nice twist on the original song while raising the energy to another level. If you're having a party and you want to seem some dancing, try his remixes below. MP3 : Phoenix - "Lisztomania (Alex Metric Remix)" [See post to listen to audio] MP3 : Gorillaz - "Stylo (Alex Metric Remix)" [See post to listen to audio]

Clearly, I haven't been paying enough attention to Yo La Tengo . At least, not until their latest record, Popular Songs . A friend needed only to play me the first track, "Here To Fall" and I instantly realized the folly of my ways. The combination of heavy rock and strings is irresistibly cool. The song is a throwback to Zeppelin and other 70s heavy rock yet it maintains a relevance to today's music. It isn't just enjoyable, it's impressive, especially if you listen to bands like The Dead Weather, Heartless Bastards, or Band [...]

Sub Pop records has joined SoundCloud. They're premiering their newest release by Dear Companion allowing you to stream the full album, song by song. Here are some of the songs from the Sub Pop catalog that have been uploaded to SoundCloud already. If you haven't checked out the new Beach House album, I strongly recommend looking into it... Beach House - "Norway" ( Subpop , January 2010) Flight of the Conchords - "Sugalumps" ( Subpop [...]

When I heard about the upcoming collaboration album between Nas and Damian Marley , I wasn't expecting much. They're both great artists but I thought a collaboration between the two wouldn't amount to anything substantial. I have to admit, "As We Enter," the new track and first single from Distant Relatives , is kind of impressive. Nas and Damian sound good together, trading rhymes back and forth over an otherwise lackluster beat. In terms of lyrics and delivery, the two artists are on fire, but the music itself is a little bland. I'm still not expecting [...]

Under the name Four Tet , Kieran Hebden creates art with music. There Is Love In You was just released on January 25th, over four years since his last full length album. Rich, unique sounds and melodies are designed and arranged into luscious electronic symphonies but the music itself is experimental and mostly donwtempo. The new album is a great listen and each song is a real work of art. MP3 : Four Tet - "She Just Likes To Fight" [See post to listen to audio] [...]

I couldn't find much info on Breakbot . I think he's French, but some people say he's Australian. All I know for sure is, I like the music this man makes. From his own mellow, funky material to his high-energy dance floor remixes, all of Breakbot's productions have given him a name in the blogosphere. His debut EP on Ed Banger Records is set to be released on Valentine's Day. MP3 : Breakbot - "Make You Mine" [See post to listen to audio] MP3 : Pnau - [...]

Fyfe Dangerfield is the front man of Guillemots . His debut solo album is called Fly Yellow Moon and it was released on January 18th in the UK. I've only heard two of the tracks off the album. "She Needs Me" perfectly embodies all of the soft, pop qualities that were already bothering me with "When You Walk In The Room" which is otherwise fun and avoidably catchy. I'm suspicious that the album's overall sound is closer to "She Needs Me" which I didn't really enjoy. There's something about "When [...]

At the end of 2009, Florence and the Machine released a special 4-disc deluxe edition of their debut album, Lungs . The bonus tracks include acoustic versions, remixes, and live performances of the songs from the debut album. Florence's powerful voice shines on these acoustic tracks. "Hurricane Drunk" is the 6th single from the album and will be released on March 22, 2010 with the acoustic version included. Not included in the deluxe re-release was Florence's cover of Robert Palmer's "Addicted To Love." It's a pretty amazing version of the hit song from [...]

- Posted by AGM - It was with little fanfare this past fall that singer-songwriter Devendra Banhart released his seventh album, What Will We Be . Not surprisingly, the public shrugged at the latest release from a guy better known for his early 70's Morrison beard and a tabloid tryst with Natalie Portman than his music. By many accounts, Banhart has been more shtick than star – a five tool player who can't seem to crack a starting lineup. [...]

On January 1st, The Knux announced via twitter the release of a new 5 song EP. The Fuck You EP can't strictly be called hip hop. It's a blend of many genres and styles which is what gives The Knux they're distinctive gritty, alternative electro-hop sound. "Floozy" and "Fuck You" are classic Knux style skateboard hip hop tracks while the rest are a little more experimental. The EP isn't too impressive but it seems like that's kind of the point. That's also not to say you won't enjoy it. The [...]

Danger Mouse and James Mercer of The Shins teamed up to create Broken Bells . Danger Mouse was a big fan of The Shins and the duo first met on the Dark Night of the Soul collaboration album. Their self-titled debut will officially be made available in March of 2010 but the album has been leaked online and it's very impressive to say the least. The single and first track officially released is called " The High Road " which will also be the first track off the forthcoming album. Right off the bat, you can tell [...]

The Flaming Lips just released a cover album of Dark Side of the Moon . Theirs is a very cool take on the classic 1973 Pink Floyd album. In addition to the Lips' hard rock and heavy, psychedelic guitar style that you might expect after Embryonic , the songs feature vocals from Henry Rollins and Peaches . Stardeath and White Dwarfs also join the team to contribute to the cover album as they add their own distinctive sound giving the album even more of a rock edge. Hopefully, [...]