Some old tunes, some new tunes, all good tunes, most Mondays... Right-Click + Save Link As: Cloud Nothings - Stay Useless Hospitality - Liberal Arts Jacques Greene - Motivation Grimes - Genesis Dive - Human Drake - Marvin's Room (Shlohmo Remix) A Place to Bury Strangers - So Far Away Tanlines - Brothers The Walkmen [...]
Lisztomania - Because everyone loves lists... This past holiday season, I headed off to sunny Key West, Florida with a group of friends to ring in the new year as ridiculously as possible. For anyone who hasn't been, the unsuspecting, small island is like a micro-Bourbon Street, with less public nudity and beignets, more stone crabs and Czech strippers. The open container laws are about even. Such is life on Duval Street. While I was adequately prepared for any and all daytime/evening antics, the bars' DJs did little to vary their nightly setlists. After five [...]
As with every oncoming new year, we take the end of December to reflect on the people we should've kissed, the phone calls we shouldn't have made, the opportunities we squandered, the surprises we relished and, most importantly, our favourite music of the months past. I wish there was more science to lists like these. Nowhere have I been taught a calculated method, nowhere have I read a compelling essay--end-of-the-year lists are confounding, subjective and bullshit, yet important. Whether internalized or not, anyone compiling their 'best ofs' considers themselves tastemakers and one can't shift the [...]
As with every oncoming new year, we take the end of December to reflect on the people we should've kissed, the phone calls we shouldn't have made, the opportunities we squandered, the surprises we relished and, most importantly, our favourite music of the months past. For me, Christmas time and New Year's usually means vacation. Whether it's returning home to Detroit or a haphazardly planned excursion with some good friends, I'm normally away from the internet, soaking up whatever trouble I've gotten myself into. While I've succeed in hedonistically being away from my computer, here's [...]
As with every oncoming new year, we take the end of December to reflect on the people we should've kissed, the phone calls we shouldn't have made, the opportunities we squandered, the surprises we relished and, most importantly, our favourite music of the months past. While these Best of 2011 lists are admittedly overwrought and a little pointless, I can't help but throw my hat into the ring, compiling my top tracks of twenty-eleven, many of which you've already read about here... As with last year, I'm hosting a seamless Soundcloud mix (that you can [...]
When you grow up in the midwest, you almost exclusively experience music in cars. Especially in a state like Michigan, nearly half of your waking hours are dedicated to driving to school, driving to athletic practice, driving to dinner or the grocery store and driving to your girlfriend's house. It was in my dad's truck I first heard Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll," Zeppelin's "Black Dog," the Stones' "19th Nervous Breakdown" and The Beatles' "Helter Skelter." All foundational music experiences, cars gave me blisters on my ears . Moving to New York meant losing my [...]
It's surprising how struck I can be by music over-wrought with familiarity. On the surface, 18-year-old Galapagos isn't doing anything wholly new. Alvin -esque pitch-shifting? Heard it. R&B sampling? Been there. Chopped vocals and beats? Oh, please. Still, there's something I find infectious about his songs and structures, particularly "Feel Things Inside." Surely, its wrong to think of ProTools or Logic as anything other than stringed instruments. If songwriters can produce a dearth of material using the same guitar chords, why can't laptop auteurs do the same with software tricks? [...]
Since it's December, music bloggers are culling through their iTunes catalogues, double checking albums for any amount of worth, revisiting records from months past. While Minks ' By the Hedge won't land on any writer's Top 25 of 2011 list, their Cure , Smiths and early- My Bloody Valentine inspired goth pop deserves a little recognition. Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, the tight record is packed with New Wave allusions and sing-along harmonies; no small feet for a bunch of Boston teens. It's commendable [...]
In 2011, James Blake put out one album, two EPs and three singles. That's 29 tracks or nearly three times his 2010 production. I've argued here at length why Blake is an electronic savant, a dubstep wunderkind, but at some point, tripling your artistic output (all while touring, which Blake has in '11) is going to have diminished returns, right? The last time I discussed Blake in this space was back in June, on the cusp of his "Linesfarne" single release. Since then, he dropped the Order / Pan 12", the Enough [...]
In 2011, James Blake put out one album, two EPs and three singles. That's 29 tracks or nearly three times his 2010 production. I've argued here at length why Blake is an electronic savant, a dubstep wunderkind, but at some point, tripling your artistic output (all while touring, which Blake has in '11) is going to have diminished returns, right? The last time I discussed Blake in this space was back in June, on the cusp of his "Linesfarne" single release. Since then, he dropped the Order / Pan 12", the Enough [...]
When I first saw Azealia Banks, I'd written her off as a copy of a copy, Dominique Young Unique by way of Amanda Blank and Kid Sister. Like Unique, Banks is under 21 and armed with a hyper-kinetic, sexualized flow, but the similarities end there and I've been eating crow for not taking notice sooner. Having attended New York's lauded LaGuardia High School (notable alums: Nicki Minaj, Kelis and Paul Stanley), Banks is more than a rapper--add "slash singer, slash actress" to her résumé--proudly displaying talent and range on "212." Accents, singing and smut come [...]
When I first saw Azealia Banks, I'd written her off as a copy of a copy, Dominique Young Unique by way of Amanda Blank and Kid Sister. Like Unique, Banks is under 21 and armed with a hyper-kinetic, sexualized flow, but the similarities end there and I've been eating crow for not taking notice sooner. Having attended New York's lauded LaGuardia High School (notable alums: Nicki Minaj, Kelis and Paul Stanley), Banks is more than a rapper--add "slash singer, slash actress" to her résumé--proudly displaying talent and range on "212." Accents, singing and smut come [...]
You may recall me blogging the Beach Fossils side-project, Dive . Despite the midnight tones, the group keeps Beach Fossils' chill vibes alive and the same can be said for Heavenly Beat. This second side-project is led by Beach Fossils' bassist John Peña, but opts to combine his home-team sounds with Balearic accents, recalling early Kings of Convenience (in a good way). The group's got two singles to their name with a full-length due sometime next year. Right-Click + Save Link As: Heavenly Beat [...]
You may recall me blogging the Beach Fossils side-project, Dive . Despite the midnight tones, the group keeps Beach Fossils' chill vibes alive and the same can be said for Heavenly Beat. This second side-project is led by Beach Fossils' bassist John Peña, but opts to combine his home-team sounds with Balearic accents, recalling early Kings of Convenience (in a good way). The group's got two singles to their name with a full-length due sometime next year. Right-Click + Save Link As: Heavenly Beat [...]
Some old tunes, some new tunes, all good tunes, most Mondays... Do to life, work and the holiday, November came and went without a single post. While it's a bummer the site wasn't updated in the interim, I was still listening to all kind of tunes. Even though I didn't write about them, here are ten songs I couldn't get enough of last month... Right-Click + Save Link As: Gorillaz - Doncamatic (feat. Daley) Holiday Shores - Spells [...]
Some old tunes, some new tunes, all good tunes, most Mondays... Do to life, work and the holiday, November came and went without a single post. While it's a bummer the site wasn't updated in the interim, I was still listening to all kind of tunes. Even though I didn't write about them, here are ten songs I couldn't get enough of last month... Right-Click + Save Link As: Gorillaz - Doncamatic (feat. Daley) Holiday Shores - Spells [...]
Not to pop my own Dracula collar, but I thought last year's Halloween Mixtape was quite solid, from the movies quoted to the sequencing. Not wanting to disappoint my newfound tradition, I felt a little daunted this year... Thanks to a long night and two full bags of candy, I've put together my finest collection of Hallowe'en anthems yet, primed for later tonight or the weekend, wether you're prepping your gory zombie costume or drinking Four Loko to feel like an actual zombie. Citizen Insane's Halloween Mix [...]
Not to pop my own Dracula collar, but I thought last year's Halloween Mixtape was quite solid, from the movies quoted to the sequencing. Not wanting to disappoint my newfound tradition, I felt a little daunted this year... Thanks to a long night and two full bags of candy, I've put together my finest collection of Hallowe'en anthems yet, primed for later tonight or the weekend, wether you're prepping your gory zombie costume or drinking Four Loko to feel like an actual zombie. Citizen Insane's Halloween Mix [...]
So, am I now on the bandwagon even if it's via a remix-side car? I haven't been a fan of Lana Del Rey from the beginning--the music and video for "Video Games" were more boredom inspiring than, I don't know, blog worthy --but Balam Acab's recent remix is sincerely great, bringing out the best in Rey's pigtailed crooning. Acab's effort, along with Jamie Woon's treatment, has gotten me as hooked as Chris over at GvsB . Cover me in backlash honey and feed me to the hipster bears... [...]
Some old tunes, some new tunes, all good tunes, most Mondays... Right-Click + Save Link As: Ganglians - Evil Weave DOOMSTARKS - Victory Laps (Madvillainz Remix) Weekend - Hazel Julianna Barwick - Vow (Diplo & Lunice Remix) Radiohead - Lotus Flower (SBTRKT RMX) REO Speedwagon - Keep on Loving You Toro y Moi - Freaking Out Case Studies - You [...]
Citizen Insane
First Aid Kit – Emmylou
Childish Gambino - "Heartbeat" (Official Music Video)
Hardwell Bootleg Pack 2012
James Blake – Live Album
Circo Voador anuncia shows de The Kooks, Foster The People, Friendly Fires, Gogol Bordello e mais
