The Dirty Projectors, what is there to say about this band. Seemingly transforming from a one man act thanks to Dave Longstreth to a four piece band accompanied by his roommate from Yale and two rather beautiful women named Amber and Angel. Longstreth proclaims himself as the “musical director” on their myspace, but he is as active as ever in their musical performance. I saw them this summer at Pitchfork Music Festival and they played the tightest and most “studio-like” performance I saw all weekend, led front and center by Longstreth (and oh yeah, the beautiful girls too, haha). Last year the group released the critically praised “Rise Above” that turned the group from lo-fi one man act, to a band now designed around the entire group. Since then they have been quiet, but in the past week some information about a follow up album has been coming out.
“The album is related to Plaxico Burress,” says Longstreth. Now there is a concept for an album, a man who shot himself in the leg. Do I have any suggestion as far as what the album will sound like? None at all, but I can only dream that it’ll sample some M.I.A. gunshots. In the past Dirty Projector albums have been based on The Black Flag, September 11th, and the Aztecs so what is next will hopefully come as a great surprise. Longstreth apparently wrote pages worth of words or phrases that had to do with his moods or thoughts and that’s what he started the album with. Most of what wrote deals with heartache, women, and loneliness, but how any of that relates to Plaxico Burress is beyond me. Obviously suggestive of pop-like lyrics hopefully the band will continue on its trend towards incorporating the women vocalists and creating a more pop sound compared to the older lo-fi rock that started with Longstreth.
Okay so he’s probably fucking with all of us because the album was finished in September, well before any of this Plaxico Non-sense took place. So what to ultimately expect? I’m not quite sure, but I have high hopes because the Dirty Projectors have been evolving on each and every record, and in my opinion getting better and better. Look for the record in early to mid 2009, though no official date has been set (damnit). Stay tuned for more news!
Alright, so admittedly I am a little late (and by a little I mean like half a year) on this one, but Air France‘s newest release “No Way Down EP” is the perfect album for this time of year in the midwest and one of the better albums I have heard in a while. Finally available in the United States, the EP transcends dozens of musical genres, while creating their own style in the midsts of it all.
Reading reviews of No Way Down you will be sure to find various suggestions to exactly what their music really should be classified as, but their Wiki page gives the perfect definition: “post-rave bliss, beach foam pop, and balearic disco.” So maybe not perfect in what it actually says, because I have no clue what the word “balearic” means at all, but perfect in the sense there isn’t one distinct pattern or idea throughout the three suggestions.
Upon first listen though you will be able to decide from yourself what Air France is really all about. Is about dreamy country-sides and sunny beaches, or is an empty and hollowing album full of laughter at the expense of the listener rather than for the benefit? This is one of the strong points of the albums, the horns, the laughter, the voices all combine for an experience that is like nothing else because at the end it’s still hard to decide if what you just listened left you feeling happy or sad. And its this basic premise that leaves a refreshing feeling, and makes you listen to the album over and over again (I’m currently on take 5 in 2 days).
The opening track “Maundy Thursday” begins with and drones on with a deep mellotron and sounds reminiscent of a type-writer, before a stand up bass drum is beat over and over barreling down the listeners ear like a never ending wave. But just as it grows dreary, you’re met with “June Evenings.” “Spring has arrived early here” a quiet voice chimes in, “a time for lovers. and it is as if the season mocks my sadness” the narrator finishes. Soon after you hear horns blasting the background, quickly being brought the foreground and in full display around this masterpiece of a track. Distorted hand-clapping and echoing voices make this track roar like something off of a Panda Bear album.
“Collapsing at your doorstep” the third track on this EP can be found on numerous year end lists for song of the year, and rightfully so. Beginning again with sampled voices that sound eerily familiar even though I can’t put my finger right on it of two young kids, one of asking “sort of like a dream?” while the other responds “no, better.” The two kids got it right, this whole album, exemplified on this track, is much like a dream; the way it sounds, the images it creates that you just cant explain, the way it ends when you don’t want it to. Air France brings back the horns form the last track, or at least something sounds vastly familiar, but this time adding in a repetitious narrator and some sparse samples in the middle to make the escalating and beautiful music sound even more dreamlike. “Collapsing at your doorstep” ends just as it begins, with the two kids, still exchanging words but this time after the expansive amount music played in between. The answer is still the same, “no, better” but now the listener agrees, Air France is more than a dream.
Air France becomes an idea; It becomes the sunny beach, the expansive countryside, the virgin snow. Drifting in and out of musical genres, from pop to electronic to afro-beat and back again. “No Way Down” exemplifies what music is all about, it doesn’t have to follow any sort of script or central motif it just has to ooze emotion and care. It’s records like this that reinvigorate my love for music and make me beyond grateful for music as a medium for expression and passion.
Recommended for people who enjoy: Panda Bear, Jens Lekman, Devendra Barnhardt, Sufjan Stevens.
Most people seem to know Leslie Feist as the fun-loving, dancing and singing girl from the old iPod nano commercials, but little known is the fact that she actually has songs out there other than the hit “1234.” Last year’s album The Reminder was one of my favorite of the year, and topped the list of dozen’s of critics as well. Tracks like “1234” “My Moon My Man” and “Sea Lion Women” are just a few of the many highlights on an album that keeps the listener in check with the brilliant mix of somber and energetic songs (well, as energetic as Feist can get). Luckily for all of the supporters The Reminder, and there are many including me, Feist recently released some sorta-new, sorta not-new material to hold us over until her next full length LP. What I meant by the wishy washy description of the album is that it’s all remixes and rarities from The Reminder, much like how Open Season was to her first stellar album Let It Die.
Some of the same guests appear on this album (Van She and Gonzales) that helped on Open Season, giving hope of successful remixes of already near flawless tracks. “1234” got an obvious re-work by the likes of already mentioned Van She, and the track doesn’t lose a step in the process. What could have just easily been mistaken for a Daft Punk remix, Van She does an excellent job of adding an electronic mix to the hit while at the same time not over-whelming the listener like so many remixes nowadays end up doing. Gonzales again lends a helping hand, this time to “I Feel It All” and the results are just as successful. The re-work doesn’t drastically change the song, but an M.I.A. styled gun sample added to the chorus sticks out unexpectedly.
Fans of the “Indie” music scene; however, will immediately skip to the Grizzly Bear mix of “My Moon My Man.” Although the track already had some work done to it my electro king pins Boys Noize, Grizzly Bear doesn’t fall short of the high mark. Uncharacteristic of past Grizzly Bear material, they take a slightly ambient-techno route to the song, while not totally changing the main skeleton of the track at all. The result is a fine blend of echoing synths and an easy to love song that lives up to the any billing it may have had.
Other highlights of this re-release include an epic 8 minute rendition of “Lover’s Spit,” a Broken Social Scene track that is essentially strung-out and dumbed-down on this album. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing, Feist is left to slowly wind her way through the song with nothing much other than a piano that seems stuck on repeat and a high hat that never seems to stop rumbling. A great addition for fans of the original and those still praying that Feist will once again do an album with Broken Social Scene, despite the odds apparently dwindling according to various news sources.
Other tracks will be found on the deluxe edition, but none worth discussing at all. But along with the additional music comes a few Music Videos: a very fun and frequent flier friendly rendition of “My Moon My Man” and of course “1234” which most everyone has seen a million times already, but hey, it is pretty awesome…I guess.
The Reminder: Deluxe Edition Re-Release is an excellent addition to anyone’s music collection who doesn’t already own the amazing 2007 release, but for those who do it’s not a bad idea to go the route of mp3 downloading so you only have to pay for the new material not already owned.
7.5/10
As an added bonus I’ll give you lucky readers one other remix of a song from the original album, and in my opinion a mix that is actually better than anything Feist chose for the re-release. Keep reading to enjoy… Continue reading →
Kanye West V. Stephen Colbert: A battle of epic proportions.
Anybody following The Colbert Report or Kanye West’s twitter lately (to anyone admitting to the latter: come on dude) knows what all of this non-sense is about. Let’s lay it all out there in a nice chronological order:
Round 1. Stephen Colbert initiates Operation Humble Kanye, which involves all of his fans buying his new christmas album on the same day so that it would jump 808 & Heartbreaks on the iTunes album chart.
Round 2. Kanye West responds by saying “who the fuck is Stephen Colbert” on his blog. (Very insightful Kanye)
Round 3. The Result: Watch the most satisfying news segment this year here
Round 4. Kanye plays it all off as if someone hacked his Twitter (sorry Knaye put I don’t think anyone knew it existed to begin with) so that he doesn’t look like an absolute fool. Coincidentally this makes him look like more of an idiot.
Round 5. Well there really isn’t a five yet, hopefully Mr. West goes on the Colbert Report to settle all of this though, being that he is the “voice of this generation of this decade”
As if releasing a new album and blogging constantly wasn’t enough work for Kanye, he’s apparently releasing a Christmas album now too. I can’t wait for this one to drop. Preview after the jump… Continue reading →
Hey Everybody! Since I released my year end list in November, here is a nice treat for December. Just a few tracks that are nice for this time of year, or are fresh new songs I can’t get enough of. If you give the whole playlist a listen to you’ll find an eclectic mix of tracks (see Cat Power and Justice, ha) but it all makes for a very satisfying half hour or so. It’s hard to pick one stand-out from the the seven songs to suggest, so just listen to them all and enjoy music at its very finest (that means you Tim! lol). ~~ENJOY~~
U2 may not exactly be my favorite peace-making Rock & Roll band of all time, but they do have some songs I have to admit that I enjoy. Same goes for Radiohead. I’m one of the few remaining people out there that just can not seem to get into Thom Yorke and crew, not that I dislike them, It’s just that I don’t find them to be anything special.
However, the combination of the two, as it turns out, makes for a nice little surprise. Here’s a track a ran across this morning, Radiohead doing a live cover of my favorite U2 song. Enjoy everybody!
Bonus (laughs included for free) for all you funny guys out there, here’s a another cover of that great song done by one of the funniest men alive- Richard Cheese.
Posted in Culture on Thursday, November 27, 2008 by Erik Burg
Hello everybody out there in the interwebs, I hope you are enjoying/did enjoy Thanksgiving this year and that not too many fights broke out between family members. I’m in the dorms this year by myself feasting on pepperoni hot pockets and mountain dew, so I thought I’d drop by and say hello to all those faithful readers out there. Well…that’s all for now, there’s a nice mix below that you can fall asleep to (or dance to) after you stuff yourself full of Turkey.
In a year that brought us the Olympics (Michael Phelps is just starting to dry off I think), a new President Elect (please get rid of the BCS like promised), and endless amounts of slightly above average rap music (yes little wayne, that means you), I present to you the most definitive end of the year list, EVER!
TOP TEN ALBUMZ!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cut Copy “In Ghost Colours”. In a year littered with disappointing releases from formerly impressive acts (see Cold War Kids and Kings of Leon), Cut Copy managed to resurrect their careers with the stellar release of In Ghost Colours. Not that the act was dead, it is just that Cut Copy hadn’t released an LP in years and seemed destined to fall off the map, but they’ve managed to do just the opposite in 2008. Touring around the globe and making people of all ages dance with their 80’s styled synth pop music, Cut Copy is here to stay. Highlighted by booming tracks like “Lights and Music” “Unforgettable Season” and “Hearts On Fire” In Ghost Colours makes a lasting and overwhelming impression on the listener. It’s hard to say enough good things about an album this polished; all that’s really left to note is that if you have not yet heard In Ghost Colours you are either 1) foolish or 2) in denial for not admitting to option one.
Vampire Weekend “Vampire Weekend”. Can Vampire Weekend save American Music? Well it’s hard to say if it actually needs saving, but the boys from out East do a mighty fine job of making sure we have some great music to listen to. From first track to last, the debut effort is the easiest to sing-along to, easiest to bob your head to, easiest to love album of 2008. Accessible and appreciated by people who don’t usually cross into the “indie” genre, this album was probably the most listened to of any on the list. A perfectly tight live performance and some enjoyable b-sides floating around the internet, Vampire Weekend made more headlines than most acts this year…and for good reason.
Hercules & Love Affair “Hercules & Love Affair”. It’s hard to write a summary about an album that just so weird, well, as far as genre goes. This, let’s call is disco-pop, album surprised many fans of their two track ep released a long year before this self-titled debut. Adding vocals, minimal yet effective samples, and an overall tempo much higher than that of the 45, Hercules & Love Affair delivered a delightful and exotic mix of dance and minimalism. Singles like “Blind” and “You Belong” are immersive tracks that repeat while at the same time build and end up exploding in the listeners ears. The opposite of Vampire Weekend, Hercules & Love Affair may be the hardest to love, but it’s certainly worth the trouble of getting use to this fine wine.
Of Montreal “Skeletal Lamping”. I’m not gonna mention the album here, okay I lie. The album is great, go listen, yadda yadda. Praise needs to be given; however, to the work that Kevin Barnes has put in surrounding the album. As I write this I’m wearing an Of Montreal t-shirt, no big deal, except for the fact that this was my Skeletal Lamping album too. The insane packaging offers that Of Montreal did for this release was a fun and different take on the usual four page booklet and otherwise boring cd case. As Barnes suggested, the listener can “wear” the album around, and I’m doing just that. Along with an Album release comes touring, and the Skeletal Lamping tour is nothing short of absolute madness. From faux-gallows to giant nerd rope looking characters, the show is a non-stop romp though the new album, old favorites, and tones of covers (I never live “Smells Like Teen Spirit until the played it for an encore). So yes, Skeletal Lamping is an amazing album that again adds to OM’s expansive and impressive catalogue, but this time around it’s everything else around the release that impressed this listener.
Girl Talk “Feed The Animals”. Any passerby may mistake a Gregg Gillis ran concert for plenty of other shows. I’m willing to bet Kelly Clarkson never had as many people screaming “BUT SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE” at one of her own shows as this summer when Girl Talk took the stage of various music festivals. But If that same person gets stuck on the corner of a street waiting for a light to change he might also note the immediate change in tune, the obvious draw for this mash-up masterpiece. Feed The Animals is more of a lesson in musical history than it is anything new persay, but that doesn’t mean it deserves any less credit. I have been waiting all my life to hear “I wish that I had Jesse’s girl” and “but I’d rather get some head” plastered together, and the day has finally arrived. Sure, a bit unconventional and what many people consider a complete sham of what real music is, Girl Talk delivers one thing that no other band on the list can: pure, and often (thank god) excessive fun.
Department of Eagles “In Ear Park”. Never a fan of any Grizzly Bear effort, I was skeptic before I first played Department of Eagle’s In Ear Park. The Second the album ended however, I immediately opened my MacBook, opened iTunes and easy and conveniently accessed the iTunes Store (pay me Apple, you owe me big) to try and find more material from this group. The first four tracks off of this album are the most carefully sounding songs I’ve heard in along time. Perfectly hollow and echoing music is accompanied with a scratchy vocal lead that makes for a song that could seemingly transcend time. “Teenagers” is the perfect example of this, with the slow strings, mellow piano, and vocals that can easily be confused with a sample from any early twentieth century song. The perfect record for this time of year, In Ear Park is like carefully knitted scarf around your neck- warm and immersive.
Fleet Foxes “Fleet Foxes“. High hopes from the Sun Giant ep, Fleet Foxes did not disappoint on their first full length album. Fleet Foxes features the sounds of four perfectly harmonized, beard adorning, flannel loving Seattle natives. The record can go by fast if you don’t pay attention, especially in the early-going when album highlight “White Winter Hymnal” builds more a mere 2:27 before faintly turning into the expansive five minute “Ragged Wood.” More surprising than the achievement of this great album may be the live sound these guys create. Seeing them this summer at Pitchfork Music Festival I was weary of the terrible acoustics of an outdoor show on a rainy day dragging down their beautiful sound, but Fleet Foxes still delivered and amazing performance, showing the truly unending potential this group has.
Dr. Dog “Fate”. Fate may be the forgotten, or rather the undiscovered, great album of 2008. Taking from the play book of many sixties and early seventies era rock bands, Dr. Dog put together a sound that’s not too Rock and not too Indie but is instead a perfect blend of music and vocals. “The Breeze” barely missed by top tracks of the year list thanks to the layered music, clever vocals, and effective use of those wooden block instruments you always use to use in grade school and thought were probably pointless. That aside, the Fate of this album has already been decided (terrible pun, my bad), people who don’t know about these guys already didn’t seem to hear much of this album in 2008. I hope to see Dr. Dog on plenty of year end lists, gaining exposure for this excellent record.
The Walkmen “You & Me”. Styled much like the already mentioned Department of Eagles album, the Walkmen’s “You & Me” is an empty and yet beautiful lp. When used effectively, You & Me is dominated by guitars that sound miles away, and drums that come to the foreground and paint a picture of fall evenings done by. Look no further than “On the Water” and you will hear exactly what I mean, the guitar draw out and the music all slows while the listener is engulfed by the echoing cymbals. This formula is used on most every track for this album, not necessarily a bad thing for how well it is executed.
MGMT “Oracular Spectacular”. The Justice of 2008, MGMT have been remixed, edited, and covered by more acts than anybody else this year. Not a big surprise though for any listener of Oracular Spectacular. Tracks like “Electric Feel” and “Time To Pretend” just beg to be chopped up, and praised by all patrons of the dance floor. Plenty has already been said about this duo, but I’ll just have to reiterate what the world has already agreed upon- MGMT pretty much rocks, on tons of levels. Oracular Spectacular never lets up from the first synth hit to the last drop, and the countless number of re-works won’t allow for this album to be forgotten anytime soon.
The world of psychedelic disco house has been heating up as of late. Kings of new-era mid tempo disco DFA and their partner record company Death From Abroad have been busy as of late, releasing singles from new and old acts alike. Starting with the new guys on the block, Runaway, Panther, and Yacht have all releases 45’s within the past few months and I’m just now discovering them (thanks iTunes Store (not)).
Although Yacht has releases various material on other labels, their first release on DFA is much different than material from their past. Most fans have heard “See a Penny” a fun electro-pop tune, but their new single “Summer Song” is a more low-fi, hand-clapping, droning vocals mix. Supposedly a track dedicated to James Murphy and the LCD Soundsystem crew from when the two acts toured together, “Summer Song” may come as a surprise to longtime Yacht fans, but the release has definite potential for fans of other acts from this great label. Runaway, the work of Jacques Renault and Marcos Cabral, have released their first single on DFA as well. “Brooklyn Club Jam,” the electrifying seven and a half minute romp, starts as a minimal disco dub and then transforming into an up beat club banger much the likes of anything heard in Brooklyn these days (how convenient). The duo has been getting play around the globe with this hit, most notably Lindstrom and Prins Thomas’ essential bbc 1 mix, while other labels have been taking note as well. Runaway has released singles on Cosmo Vitelli’s I’m a Cliche label and European heavy weights Rekids company as well.
As for the recent releases from prior acts, Mock & Toof, The Juan Maclean, and Holy Ghost have all issues great tracks.
It’s hard to give enough praise to the New Mock & Toof effort “Underwater.” What starts as a pretty basic disco track from any other DFA act, Underwater soon takes off thanks to vocals that sooth more than blow away. The music slowly bends and builds in the six minutes, creating landscapes that relax and at the same time make you want to get up and grab the girl next to you and boogie the night away. Turning the corner at the three minute mark, Underwater takes on an entirely new element- the piano. After a short bit of silence and ambiance, the piano comes back and grabs the listener to create a beautiful and amazingly overwhelming sound that never looks back. Mock & Toof have done it again with this track, and one can only hope a full length will be released eventually instead of the usual two or three track 45s.
The Juan Maclean, busy as usual between full length albums various 45s and Djing constantly, released “The Simple Life” with the help of various friends. Nacy Whang, long time DFA partner and part of LCD Soundystem, lends vocals to the track that spins at a consistent tempo and rhythm. A fan of any other Juan project will find this track to be expected, and a nice layover until the release of his next full length.
Mentioned earlier as well, Holy Ghost has been busy, or rather their fans have been busy. Recently releasing a 45 with two great remixes on it, both remixes of last year’s surprise hit “Hold On.” Mock & Toof lend their hand to both mixes, a remix and a mod mix, both tracks are dance ready and worthy of play for any fan of the original track. On another note for Holy Ghost, Cut Copy‘s latest single is slated to have a remix of “Hearts on Fire”, the horn-friendly track off of their 2008 release In Ghost Colors.
Well for now that’s all I have in DFA related news, more should be expected when it comes about. Hopefully next time I’ll have some new Shit Robot material to talk about but that only seems to be on a year-to-year basis, so I’m not getting my hopes up just yet.
mp3 of these are hard to come by so just hit up the links ive got on their names to find the tracks mentioned. You can find most of the tracks on iTunes as well if you use that or you can buy the 45s from the DFA webstore, for all you vinyls lovers out there.
Alright, so admittedly I am a little late (and by a little I mean like half a year) on this one, but 
Most people seem to know Leslie Feist as the fun-loving, dancing and singing girl from the old iPod nano commercials, but little known is the fact that she actually has songs out there other than the hit “1234.” Last year’s album The Reminder was one of my favorite of the year, and topped the list of dozen’s of critics as well. Tracks like “1234” “My Moon My Man” and “Sea Lion Women” are just a few of the many highlights on an album that keeps the listener in check with the brilliant mix of somber and energetic songs (well, as energetic as Feist can get). Luckily for all of the supporters The Reminder, and there are many including me, Feist recently released some sorta-new, sorta not-new material to hold us over until her next full length LP. What I meant by the wishy washy description of the album is that it’s all remixes and rarities from The Reminder, much like how Open Season was to her first stellar album Let It Die.
MIND INVERSION 