I only first knowingly experienced cumbia last year when Kasey and I visited Colombia. It was everywhere we went. In the tropical wall-ringed Cartagena, for example, rhythmic, Caribbean-inspired cumbias spilled out of small clubs packed full of late night revelers into the early hours of morning. But Cumbia wasn't limited to the coast. In Bogota, when I dragged Kasey to a dusty, local record store slightly off the beaten path and asked the owner what traditional Colombian music he recommended, he produced a foot and a half tall pile of cumbia records. He'd play the records one by one while [...]
When I originally discovered the music from the solo project of Paris songwriter Stéphane Milochevitch I described Thousand (his musical nom de guerre ) by stating that his music exhibits all of the qualities of a glass of fine red wine: it is bold, smooth, and a little spicy. I'd add that like a good red wine, his music also demonstrates a subtle complexity of flavor that makes it particularly satisfying. Milochevitch's baritone is woodsy and cedar-infused and the songs he composes are blended together with the thoughtfulness of a master vinter to reveal the mystery of [...]
I've always thought it was cool that The Walkmen were one of those bands that earned their chops as musicians by playing together , having played in bands alongside each other since the 5th grade or earlier. For example, Bassist/organist Walter Martin and vocalist/guitarist Hamilton Leithauser are cousins and grew up across the street from one another. Like Leithauser and Martin, the rest of the band also grew up in Washington, D.C., and even attended the same school with the sole exception of bassist/organist Peter Bauer. As a result, it probably wasn't surprising that they formed together [...]
There is a neatly arranged time and place for everything in life, including peanut butter. I used to tell Matt, even before we were married, that I believed in the concept of soul mates. Something about our meeting and the way that we clicked made me feel confident that there was a reason that I had never been in love before. Not like that . Matt was not so sure. He thought it wasn't so much that we were 'meant' to be together, but rather, that the timing of our meeting happened at the best possible point in time. Nowadays, [...]
Neil Young's On The Beach was originally released in 1974 as the follow up to the commercially and critically successful Harvest . It was raw and loose, and from the lyrics and sparse production, it's clear that Young was in an emotionally dark place at the time. For a modern equivalent, you could compare it's emotional bleakness to Kanye West's 808 & Heartbreaks , except that where 808s was overproduced with autotune, On The Beach was underproduced (also: On The Beach is just a better record). We find Young here [...]
When I lived in Italy, I learned three very important things. Don't talk about God. Don't talk about politics. And eat pasta as a first course. I've managed to be pretty good at sticking to the first two rules, but it's on the third that I waiver. It's an internal struggle that I have; in America, we are taught to eat pasta out of a giant, never-ending bowl, with a side of cheesy bread whereas in Italy, every meal starts with a small bowl of light pasta. There is one food group, however, that the Italians don't treat with such [...]
It has been said that all art is a product of its context. That is certainly true of the self-titled third album by New Zealand songwriter Annabel Alpers who records solo albums and performs live as Bachelorette . Bachelorette was recorded while Alpers was living a somewhat transient lifestyle with parts of the album recorded in Libya, Virginia, New Zeland, NYC and the UK. Each of these settings left a mark on the album. For example, the album's final track "Not Entertainment" features a sampled Muslim call to prayer that would ring out in her neighborhood while [...]
![Tell Us What You Heart and Win a Set of Heart-Shared Utensils from iHeart-This [Giveaway]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4034964_lg.jpg)
We mentioned in our January newsletter that the February Pairings Box will include some special treats, including a heart-shaped utensil from our friends at iHeart-This . The 'Heart Parts' are an awesome way to share a meal with a group of friends or a special someone. Each Heart Part can be used as a knife, fork, salad toss, scoop and pick...all in one! Each heart-shaped utensil breaks in half and they come in a rainbow of cool colors. Can you imagine pulling these out at your next picnic or [...]
My earliest awareness of the iconic Frank Sinatra came from watching classic Looney Tunes cartoons from the early 40's. In those cartoons Sinatra was depicted as skinny and sickly, often attached to various medical apparatuses as women swoon in increasingly ridiculous fashion as a result of hearing the buttery tones of his hypnotic croon. I always found the juxtaposition of this figure on the brink of death provoking such rapturous responses somewhat disturbing yet very compelling. The indelible croon of 17-year-old Archy Marshall won't soon be mistaken for that of Old Blue Eyes, but the bleak jazz inflected sound that [...]
All of the walls in my house are white. I hadn't intended for it to be that way, but for the past seven years, I have lived in a rented apartment where painting the walls is off-limits. I never thought it would get to me so much. You see, my bedroom in my parents' home was white. My college apartment walls were white. I once lived in a house where my bedroom walls were a baby blue, but that is beside the point. White is as inoffensive as colors get and yet, I yearn for yellow. Or green. Or a [...]
The band The War On Drugs formed the same way many great bands start: two guys with shared musical influences met, had a few drinks together, and decided to sit down and write some music. In this case, the primary songwriter, Adam Granduciel found his creative muse by collaborating with Philly-guitarist and fellow Bob Dylan-fan Kurt Vile. As Granduciel explained in an interview with Slug Magazine : "Playing on each other's songs and having someone to bounce ideas off of is a beautiful thing in music. I don't think either of us would have made the records [...]
New music from Azealia Banks, Deerhoof (feat. David Bazan), The Dø and M.I.A.! That is a lot of great new music for one Single Serving. Thankfully, I think you can take it. What you waiting for: give 'em a play. Azealia Banks - Bambi Uhm, so the new Azealia Bank's track is mind-melting (and, uhm, very N.S.F.W.)! As it stands now, Banks only offers up only a brief, but fiery, rap in the center of the track surrounded by giggling and small talk-like narration, but Pitchfork reports [...]
Elliott Smith wrote some of the prettiest pop songs ever written. Of course, writing a pretty pop song isn't the same thing as writing an upbeat pop song. "Between the Bars" is a perfect example. The melody is touchingly beautiful and unthreateningly gentle. The lyrics, however, are undeniably troubled. Although the song could double as an unorthodox love song (a popular interpretation of the track), the most likely read is that it's about the threat of impending alcoholism. As the track opens, Smith sings ruefully about "the potential you'll be, but you'll never see / the promises you'll only make." [...]
There's a good reason why I've never shared a recipe for kale chips on Turntable Kitchen. The reason is that I had always thought that people who thought kale chips were tasty were batshit crazy. I'm not a potato chips kind of girl, but I've always thought those women who would rave about how their favorite ice cream flavor is actually non-fat frozen yogurt were just fooling themselves. I've done it myself, and I know. But let's get back to kale chips. They are not a replacement for potato chips. Just in case you thought that's where I'm [...]
In a way, Zach Saginaw became an electronic producer by accident. As a self-taught drummer with a love for jazz and hip hop, Saginaw hadn't begun composing electronic music until around 2003. Although his drumming was excellent, his self-taught technique was hard on his body, eventually resulting in chronic tendonitus in both arms. He had to quit playing. When he related to his brother that he missed creating music, his brother installed Reason 2.5 on his computer and suggested he give it a try. Saginaw soon discovered that he loved the freedom that creating music electronically offered, so [...]
Mmmhmm! We've got four new tracks for you to download today that I think you're going to love - I know I'm feeling them. Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments section. J. Mars - Black Diamond Shamballas J. Mars was a happy inbox discovery. This track is the first single released from the Delaware rappers new mixtape, The Reservation , which will be available February 4th. Smooth beats and a nice flow - what more could you [...]
I'll probably be experimenting with the formatting of the Single Servings posts for the next few weeks to find something I like. However, instead of featuring one new track per post, I'm planning on featuring a collection of new singles in each Single Serving post. I really really feel compelled to try to keep tings neat and orderly, so I may try to lump all the Soundcloud-hosted tracks into one Single Serving post, all of the Bandcamp tracks into the following Single Serving post, and then the free downloadable tracks into another. Anyways, if you have any feedback [...]
I had recently fallen into a rabbit hole called Alt Summit (if you've been following me on Twitter , you may have noticed that I was tweeting up a storm about everything I was learning). I've crawled out from under white dresses , sparkles, stationary and balloons to tell you a story about embracing who you are. Not who you project out there, but who you really are, and might sometimes be embarrassed to admit to yourself. This blog post was supposed to a recap of what I've learned. And while I'm sure [...]
Twilight Singers began in 1997 as a side-project for Afghan Whigs frontman Greg Dulli. When the Whigs disbanded in 2001, Twilight Singers became the primary vehicle for releasing Dulli's new material. Released in 2004, She Loves You was Dulli's third release under the Twilight Singers moniker, collecting eleven sultry, slightly debaucherous covers. Dulli is known for both his fondness for reinventing other popular songs, and for his ability make even a simple love song sound like a naughty come on. Indeed, Dulli sounds like the type of guy who just might be pretty good at convincing sweet, [...]
The Clash's "Guns of Brixton" is probably one of the greatest rock songs ever written. Anyways, it is certainly one of the best rock tracks ever fused with another genre (considering it is maybe more reggae that rock). I love the way it just oozes defiance, rebellion and urban menace. The three covers I collected here are all pretty unique and really shine a light on different aspects of the source material. It's also just really interesting to see what the covering bands took from the original and what they discarded. Arcade Fire's live version pretty much strips the reggae [...]
Turntable Kitchen
First Aid Kit – Emmylou
Childish Gambino - "Heartbeat" (Official Music Video)
James Blake – Live Album
Mux Mool
