Friday, July 3, 2009

Hey!  We're taking the weekend off to kick back and celebrate the 4th Of July.  Need something to do?  Check out Noah's movie column for what's hitting theaters and/or figure out a way to get a ticket and join me at the Explosions In The Sky show tomorrow night.  Enjoy.

:LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum:

:Joan Of Arc - God Bless America:

- John Laird -

Thursday, July 2, 2009
 

Today's Quick Mention:  Pluckers didn't have trivia last week because of the UT baseball game, so it was nice to return last night, have some good times and snatch up a third place victory.  And what about best team name?  Yeah, that definitely goes to the folks who came up with Now Tito Can Shine.  Hilarious. If you recall, a while back I shared a song from Lightning Dust (Black Mountain's Amber Webber and Josh Wells), and it was awesome.  Now, since they're a little closer to releasing Infinite Light, they've decided to deliver another single.  It's different, but just as good, so scroll down and give it a listen.  Then you can join me in waiting impatiently for August 4 to arrive.  Enjoy.

:Lightning Dust - Never Seen:  Hearing Amber's voice quiver and slide effortlessly between beautiful and haunting isn't exactly a new experience, but I'm used to her having the mighty psych-rock ways of Black Mountain lingering in the background and not a somewhat strange and very 80s mix of synths and piano.  It still works just as well and I think the song is fantastic, but I wouldn't say that it has the same sort of "fresh" feeling that the last single, I Knew had.  By the way, you'll want headphones for this.

Lightning Dust - Highway (Official Video)

- John Laird -

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Austin had a few precious hours of rain yesterday morning that was brief relief from a killer 100+ heatwave.  In honor of that sweet morning shower, I bring you my favorite rain songs:

:The Grim Trinity And DJ Afficks - Through The Rain:  The lo-fi aesthetics and smooth beat of this track make it a perfect one to put on as soon as you hear the thunder in the distance.  The track, like many hip hop instrumentals, is repetitive, but the sequence of layered voices, drum track and scratches are reminiscent of the repetition of rain on the roof with the occasional branch bumping against the window.

:Declaime - Rain:  From 2008’s Astormsacomin, this tracks takes a very traditional bad weather/relationship juxtaposition but improves it with some clever static layering and synth build up.  If you slimmed it down to the high hat and kick drum, you’d have a classic old school jam, but Declaime has updated it brilliantly by using the soundscape of falling rain.

:Warpath - Seattle Rain:  This 90’s Seattle group brings an abstract sound and one sweet sample of a lady’s voice to their interpretation of rain in music.  On this track, the group makes a larger-than-life claim: that they are in fact more ubiquitous than Seattle rain.  Unfortunately, I’ve never heard of them besides this one track on a random underground compilation, but a lot of hip hop is about boasting, and they do it well.

:Aesop Rock - Alchemy (Featuring Blueprint):  This pretty well known track from Aesop Rock’s Daylight EP always come to mind when it’s raining.  Rain is referenced in Blueprints bombastic flow, but the crashing cymbals and skipping keyboard are a near-perfect musical interpretation of a good thunderstorm.

- Leah Manners -

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
 

Today's Quick Mention:  I know it's almost a week old (or as the internet would say, ancient), but have you guys seen the 6.7 review of Pitchfork over at Pop Sense?  I honestly think that it might be one of the best, most honest pieces I've ever read.  You have to check it out. Spoon and I have this weird relationship where I can't ever guess how they'll tweak their sound from record to record, and they never know whether I'll approve.  OK, so they don't really care what I think, but they've readied a sixth LP, I have the first single (by way of the recently released Got Nuffin EP) and I'm filled with curiosity.  Let's listen and then discuss.  Enjoy.

:Spoon - Got Nuffin:  When Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was soon-to-be released and the only song floating around was the static-enhanced, piano-heavy The Ghost Of You Lingers, I was thinking that the band was surely going to deliver one hell of strange effort.  That didn't happen.  So, I won't be making any guesses this time around.  Although, if they decide to deliver a bunch of tunes like this 80s-esque gem, which is filled with hooky guitar riffs and driving basslines, then I won't complain.  At all.

Spoon - The Underdog (Official Video)

- John Laird -

Monday, June 29, 2009
 

Today's Quick Mention:  So much for things happening in threes!  We've now lost Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Billy Mays in the last week.  Does this mean the process starts over and two more celebrities are doomed, or is the magic number now four?  Feel free to ponder aloud. I was very much expecting to be inundated with awesome MJ covers and remixes this weekend, so my plan was to share an EP of those today.  But that didn't really happen.  In fact, I didn't even find one track that I liked in the least bit.  However, what I did come across was a Canadian act who call themselves Wildlife.  They're good.  Enjoy.

:Wildlife - Sea Dreamer:  "We're making our friends/We're making our enemies"  I love this song.  It's infectious, but not just to the point where you're constantly hitting repeat for an extra listen.  No, this is more than that - it embeds itself in your head, makes you sing-a-long loudly, do a variety of air instruments and forces you to want to experience it live (even it means flying to Canada).  That's good stuff.  Now get to obsessing.

Wildlife had no videos to share, so I went with something called Wildlife.  It's sexy.

- John Laird -

Sunday, June 28, 2009

It's been a rough morning/evening/week for music fans as Michael Jackson passed away yesterday afternoon.  It's been amazing, that even under the auspices of his severely scandalized life, the man is still revered by so many people.

I am honestly a little taken a back by his death.  It makes me think of the afternoon I came home from school and my mother told me Kurt Cobain had died.  I just walked in to my room turned on Bleach and cried. 

There will be no crying for Michael Jackson, but there is a kernel of sadness tucked next to my heart, and that kernel, I hold for Michael Jackson.
 

The Good

Who/What: Bobby Ubangi - Where The Old Folks Go (To Get Down)
Where'd I Find It: Raven Sings The Blues, you are always my rock and roll guide.

Why I Like It: This is down south, Black Lips/King Kahn, Atlanta style garage rock.  It's tinny and smells of old carports filled with misused cardboard and oil.  Ubangi's got a voice like a pre-pubescent teenager, but it's high pitched twang settles right in with the almost country guitars and galloping bass.  It'll wake you up, pour you a cup of coffee and hug you before you leave.  It's just that good.

:Bobby Ubangi - Where The Old Folks Go (To Get Down):


Who/What: Mos Def - Casa Bey
Where'd I Find It: Everywhere, Mos Def is a superstar.

Why I Like It: 'Cause Mos Def is back!  This is Mos from Black on Both Sides, this is Mos (almost) from Blackstar (the album actually features Talib Kweili, also sounding particularly on point) and if you don't like that Mos Def, then we can't be friends.  But for serious, this is hip-hop the way I love it, soulful, well-spoken, downright genius.  I was electric yesterday when I dropped the needle on The Ecstatic and it lived up to my ridiculously high standards.

:Mos Def - Casa Bey:
 

The Bad

Who/What: Michael Jackson - Pretty Young Thing

Why I Didn't Like It:  Only because The King of Pop is dead, and it makes this blustery day of sunshine a little bit darker.  And that's a bad thing.  Michael Jackson, your blanket covered children and Razr scootering around Las Vegas will be dearly missed.

:Michael Jackson - Pretty Young Thing:
 

The Misunderstood

Who/What: That Ghost - Friends In Quotations

Why Do I Like It:  It's not that I don't get it, I just don't know if I love it yet.  It's on the road to Woods, but gets detoured in Modest Mouse land, and loses a bit of steam in the dark territories of the casual singer-songwriter.  But I still find myself listening to it ... a lot.  I don't misunderstand the song, I misunderstand my feelings about the song.

:That Ghost - Friends In Quotations:

- Noah Sanders -

Saturday, June 27, 2009

:SOTO - Episode 96:   This week has my latest favorite album and music from Mew, Spiral Stairs, Memory Tapes, the Avett Brothers, Modest Mouse, Apteka and Sinkane.  Enjoy.

If you would like to subscribe to this podcast in iTunes then you can do so here.

- John Laird -

Friday, June 26, 2009

Like most people today, I'm left sitting around and thinking about the life of Michael Jackson.  I very fondly remember all of the big cable concert specials he would do, that bizarre Oprah interview, the way everyone universally referred to him as the King Of Pop, the Sega Genesis game and, of course, the exact moment when the bottom fell out and he went from being a larger than life superstar to just a weirdo.

What a life.

Now, I'm simply not old enough to have actual memories about the Jackson 5 and when they were popular or how MJ ended up achieving so much commercial success when he went solo, so in this little piece today I won't have any "here's how it all started" talk.  No, I just want to share five videos (in no particular order) that best showcase what I remember the most as a kid.  Enjoy.

1993 Superbowl Halftime Performance

Before I even hit up Youtube to find the video I was already picturing it in my head.  After all, not only was it a big Super Bowl for me as a young Dallas Cowboys fan, but the whole "teleporting" all over the place and then jumping out of the stage pretty much eviscerated my 10-year old brain.  To this day it remains the best halftime show I've ever seen.

- John Laird -

Thursday, June 25, 2009
 

Today's Quick Mention:  Yuck.  The triple digit temperatures we've had lately have really been trying to discourage me from attending shows.  Honestly, I'll probably still go anyways, but it does make me wonder whether or not some just don't even bother during the summer.  Discuss! Cymbals Eat Guitars have already put out one of the year's best records, but this week they sweetened the deal by releasing a non-album gem and announcing that they'll be rolling through Austin on September 25 with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart.  That's good stuff.  Why There Are Mountains can't physically be had for a while, but you can get it digitally now.  Enjoy.

:Cymbals Eat Guitars - Tungunska:  I tend to be all about putting a song on an album if it's good, but this carries a different tone than a lot of what's on Why There Are Mountains, so I can see why it didn't make the cut.  Although, it should be said that the band's wide range of influences (my favorite quality) still shine brightly, so it's not all that different than what you've heard from them so far.  It's just a bit more swanky, which is pretty neat.

Cymbals Eat Guitars - Wind Phoenix (Live For KEXP)

- John Laird -

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
 

Today's Quick Mention:  My brand new Panasonic DMP-BD60 Blu-Ray player arrived in the mail yesterday, and I absolutely love it.  That is all. Here's a little hump day EP.  Enjoy.

:The New Time - Neutral Milk Hotel:   It doesn't happen often, but on occasion I do get an email with just facts.  For example, the one from this band, which simply indicated that they'll soon be moving to Austin (from Philadelphia) and a copy of their upcoming EP An Incomplete History is heading my way.  No fancy press quotes, comparisons to other acts or anything else - just information and a song.  Of course, it certainly didn't hurt that said song turned out to be an infectious pop rock gem.  Good work, "local" people.

:Noah And The Whale - First Days Of Spring:  My interest in Noah And The Whale has only ever been mild, so when I received word of a new full length I semi-shrugged my shoulders, downloaded the first single and went about my business with the idea of revisiting it "later".  Now, I'm seeing the error (however slight) of my ways, as it is one beautiful, sweeping effort that blows me away every time I listen to it.  Grab some headphones, and then make a note to look for First Days Of Spring at the end of August.

:Cocosuma - Charlotte's On Fire:  To be honest, I feel sort of weird commenting on this band since they've already put out three records (none of which I've heard) and they're sporting a brand new vocalist.  But oh well.  Let's just pretend this is an all new thing, and the smooth, dance-worthy pop sound that fills this track is all they've ever known.  Or something.  In any case, the French act will put out their next full length on Minty Fresh in August.  It's called Let's Drive Home Backwards.

:St. Philistine - Sad Artist:  "There's no mystery when you're dead"  Maybe I just never noticed before, but it seems as if there are more and more acts like St. Philistine that sound as if they couldn't decide which indie genre they liked the most, so they smashed them all together and called it a day.  Sure, it makes for a diverse listen, but then you're left describing them as a band with a hint of electro-pop, indie rock, and other stuff.  It's silly.  But good, so who knows.  If you'd like more from this Dallas-based act then hit up iTunes.

:His Clancyness - So Bored (Wavves Cover):  Just so you know, I hate Wavves.  I think they are the worst band in a long time, and I may never figure out what anyone could possibly get out of their obnoxious noise.  So, it goes without saying that being able to listen to one of their songs without wanting to stab myself in the face with a pencil is a vast improvement.  Thanks, His Clancyness.  We're now best friends forever.  This song comes from a little collection of covers (they all do the same song) to help launch a collective known as We Were Never Being Bored.  Check it out.

- John Laird -

Tuesday, June 23, 2009
 

Today's Quick Mention:  Well, it would appear that Sunny Day Real Estate are set to reunite for a few shows.  There's one scheduled for San Francisco, another for Seattle and there's a rumor floating around that says they'll also be playing Bumbershoot.  Could be cool, yeah? I've yet to hear all of Cassettes Won't Listen's new instrumental full length Into The Hillside, but I've been really loving a little something called (F)reemix that Mr. Jason Drake seems to have put together to make me talk about his music even more.  It's, of course, free and can be downloaded it in all of its glory right here.  Consider it highly recommended.  Enjoy.

:Faunts - Explain (Cassettes Won't Listen Remix):  As you may already know, Faunts put out a record earlier this year, and this is the song that closes it out.  Well, not exactly the song.  The original is over six minutes, super lush and pretty demanding of your attention.  This, on the other hand, carries half the runtime, a quick pace and a wealth of detail-oriented sounds that somehow avoid being tedious and/or cluttered.  I love it.  You should too.

Cassettes Won't Listen - Freeze And Explode (Official Video)

- John Laird -

Monday, June 22, 2009
 

Today's Quick Mention:  Tonight at Stubb's it's the Heartless Bastards and Jenny Lewis.  Admittedly, I'm only really excited about seeing Erika Wennerstrom and Co. play (The Mountain is such a great record), but the whole thing should be a good time.  Anyone else going? For whatever reason I woke up this morning feeling the need to listen to something that would get me moving, and that lead the way for me to discover Souvenir, who describe themselves as a "Spanish electro-pop duo that sings in French."  I'm not 100% sure, but I think their album Drums, Sex And Dance is already available, so keep an eye out for it.  Enjoy.

:Souvenir - Drums, Sex And Dance:  I don't know what's actually being said in this song (French was not a good experience for me in college), but it doesn't really matter since I get the feeling that it's just about having fun.  And stuff.  Or whatever.  In any case, the point is that with its fantastic driving beat and oddly catchy ways you can just concentrate on your sweet dance moves.  Lyrics can be made up later.

Souvenir - Ta Machine (Official Video)

- John Laird -

Sunday, June 21, 2009

I can’t get over how St. Vincent makes it cool to be smart again.  Seeing her play this past Friday invited pre-show conversations about Arrested Development (namely Bob Loblaw’s Law Blog) and Dylan Thomas (namely that sweet villanelle, "Do not go gentle into that good night" and Wales).  She’s smart that Annie Clark, and I like it.

But you knew that already. Let’s get on with this week’s post.

Things have been what you’d call "slow" around the office lately, in that I haven’t been overwhelmed by a stream of new music.  So this week, instead of the usual re-up on new tunes, I’ll be featuring collected news and releases from Bill Baird’s band Sunset.  Recently, these guys have been all over the map, literally with a huge US tour, and figuratively with new singles, songs and videos.  We’ve got a little of each today from one of the best bands in Austin.

Sunset - Loveshines II

It’s been a couple months since Sunset released this new 45", but with my record player on the fritz (well, fray actually, in the right channel) I’m just now getting a chance to put in some serious listening time.  The title track, Loveshines, and its b-side companion I’m Not A Perfect Person (Looks Like I Fucked Up Again) are exactly what I’ve come to expect from Sunset, and I generally have high expectations for a band that’s proven themselves highly creative time and again.  Loveshines shudders to life with a pulsing, almost motorik piano over which Baird’s signature ghastly vocals develop.  Harmonies sweeten the pot through the chorus, and a flip to the other side reveals an acoustic, self-aware little piece with Baird on all instruments.

Rarely do two Sunset songs sound exactly alike, but there’s a common theme of creativity that’s easy to trace in Baird’s masterful knowledge of music.  It’s that knowledge that brings us odd mixtures of different beats and instruments with both beautiful harmonies and vocals on the cuff of off-putting that always remain squarely enjoyable.  Like the affluent (or at least affluently dressed) have their trusted haberdasher, I have a handful of trusted bands. Sunset is definitely one of them.


Sunset And Weathervane Music

The Weathervane Music Organization is a great little non-profit emerging near Philadelphia to support independent artists, including musicians, producers, film-makers and probably artists operating in mediums that you and I haven’t even heard of yet.  The organization takes the perspective of music as a societal treasure that should be both cultivated and allowed to flourish outside the realms of the income statement.  Personally, I can’t champion such an initiative enough (and if I had any sort of courage I’d be out there helping any way I could).

The first fruits of the new initiative are a collaborative track from Sunset, who stopped by the studio back in April. A song (titled Fishtown) and an accompanying video were recorded, along with a short documentary about the band and the making of the song.  Personally, I think we should check out the documentary first (if only for the great description of Sunset as "floating sounds over hard rhythms") and save the song for desert, but I guess it’s up to you.

WV Project Series 2009: Sunset from Weathervane Music on Vimeo.

Fishtown from Weathervane Music on Vimeo.
 

You can also grab a copy of the song from Weathervane if you give them your email (I’m sure you’ll only get notifications about cool new videos).

As far as I can tell, Sunset have their next show lined up for August, but hopefully they’ll be somewhere in town before then - no rest for the weary.

- John Michael Cassetta -

Saturday, June 20, 2009

:SOTO - Episode 95:   This week has my latest favorite album and music from Dappled Cities, Janelle Monae, Mew, Bowerbirds, Woods, Sean Bones and AA Bondy.  Enjoy.

If you would like to subscribe to this podcast in iTunes then you can do so here.

- John Laird -

Unless otherwise expressly stated, all text in this blog and any related pages, including the blog's archives, is licensed by John Laird under a Creative Commons License.