Everyone’s finals are over on Thursday the 18th, and since this is the case, I highly encourage you to all go out to get drinks and celebrate. Any self-respecting Minneapolis metal fan would do well to check out the free (.. yeah that’s right, no cover!) showcase from regional post-metal favorites Battlefields. Black metal visionaries Høst play direct support and Iron Thrones, Empires, and Rise of the Empire open the show.
Hosted by Uptown Bar and Cafe, 3018 Hennepin Ave. S – Show starts @ 9 pm
This split is the second time I’ve heard a release from New York Cities Tombs (not to mention the jaw dropping set I *unexpectedly* saw from them on their tour with Rosetta and Engineer), and probably the last time I’ll hear from them before Relapse releases their next album in 2009.
Inside and out, Tombs capture an essence of something awesome and raw. Their experimental style of doom metal borrows from both black metal and hardcore, rocking brutally hard while appearing celestial and airy. “Gods of Love and Suicide” begins this disc with extremely bleak, blackened overtones; it is a tortured, emotional ballad made for the king ov the underworld. On this song, the young band is particularly tight, and the subtle dynamics and background synths play with my mind in a strange way. “Cypress” brings Tombs out into more familiar territory – a slow brewing psychedelic post-doom epic that cascades into an ending barrage of 3 minutes of brutal riffage and vocal venom. The final track,, “Cheval Noir”, is perfectly in place, but a bit unexpected to be honest. A softly crooned steadily building jam, it is a relaxing contrast to the heaviness of the first two tracks and is a bold way to fade out their half of album. If anything, this split indicates they’ve got a really solid grasp of their attributes and abilites and will have gone into the studio with a fire inside for the next full length. I’ll be looking forward to it.
The Planks half of the split is a bit rough around the edges, but its equally brutal and competent. Three songs of punctuated hardcore-influenced doom metal that are a bit more direct and unrefined than the twisting beauties that Tombs crank out in the first half. All of the tracks are thick slabs of hard-rocking sludge, dominated by a throbbing groove that will get your head bobbing. Right away, “A Sunken City” introduces you to the band with a heavy assault of super heavy molten metal. “Of Tides and Bearing”‘s meandering rocking onslaught takes it to the next level. In particular, the last song”Sirens” locks into an extended intrumental jam that rocks harder than anything I’ve heard from the big names in stoner rock this year. Personally, I really commend them for wrapping songs that sound so huge it a tight package. While short and sweet, Planks’ songs are epic and immense. If I had to draw comparisons, I’d place Planks in the same arena with modern bands like Engineer, Knut, and Buried Inside. I’ll keep my eyes open for more new music from them.
A young VanWyngarden on the right
The track, considering its for an environmental science course, is surprisingly better than expected. It’s obviously nothing that would have made an album cut, but it makes for a delightful B-Side for a band that’s been all over the map this year. To be quite honest, the song sounds quite familiar of some older Of Montreal tracks, say…Satanic Panic era Kevin Barnes. If you fall head over heels in love with this cut though, you can find more from VanWyngarden and his first take a two man band called Glitter Penis here.
Now if only the burning hot lava from the super volcano could come and rescue all of us stuck in the miserable weather this week in Minnesota. It’s effing -35 right now!! anyway, ENJOY!
If you’re cooped inside tonight, tune to UK’s BBC Radio 1 to hear the recent in-studio performance by Philadelphia’s unpredictable electroprogcore scientists in Genghis Tron. Their set will air tonight (Monday, December 15) at 12 midnight GMT (6:00 p.m. CST) on Radio 1’s “The Rock Show with Daniel P Carter”. The program will also be available for seven days at this location. If that’s not enough, the show also showcases the recent heavenly Melvins, Mike Patton curated ATP winter showcase in the UK w/ interviews with the Melvins, Mastodon, and Isis!
Just last week, Genghis Tron released volumes 3 and 4 of their amazing new 5 VOLUME SERIES(!) of limited edition remixes, and it features some of the brightest underground musicians retouching songs from the band. Artists involved include Justin K. Broaderick, Eluvium, Rob Crow, Steve Moore, Tobacco (of Black Moth Super Rainbow), Dntel, Scott Hull, Danny Lohner, Ulver, Telefon Tel Aviv, Odd Nosdam, Tim Hecker, Nadja, and many, many more. Before the show starts, head to their special myspace remix site to listen to some of these unbelievable remixes; as announced earlier, Volume 5 is now up for preorder here.
There’s some new Ed Banger material out there for those who just can’t get enough of the ultra-heavy banging electro record label. The new release comes courtesy of DJ Mehdi, who has quietly been releasing some of the best material on Ed Banger in the form of short EPs. His newest effort, “Pocket Piano EP” is a short four track record that is highlighted by the title track. There’s only two new original tracks it, but it includes two remixes of “Pocket Piano,” one by heavy-weight mix master Joakim and another by Brodinski. The other track on the EP, “Tunisia Bambaata” is a slight dissension from normal Mehdi form, and is the definite let down on the album.
But as I mentioned, the title track is an exciting and sprawling four and a half minute track that is definitely worth having for any French electro fan. There is certainly no shortage of piano keys, just as the title may suggest. I can only describe the song one way: If there was ever a song played during a DJ training montage, you know, kind of like “Eye of the Tiger” is to Rockey, “Pocket Piano” is that song. And if that description doesn’t make you want to listen to it, then I’m convinced nothing will. Enjoy!
mp3: “Pocket Piano” – DJ Mehdi
Here is another added bonus, a remix of “Pocket Piano” by a guy that’s been making the rounds on various remixes, and making impact too because most of his work has been fairly impressive. mp3: “Pocket Piano” – DJ Mehdi (Chewy Chocolate Cookies Remix)
As far as short EPs that have been surfacing from this label for a while, this one ranks near the top of a class that has definitely been slipping lately, as young Abletoners have been beating them at their own game. Hopefully this great single will jump-start a rise in great production that Ed Banger has been able to deliver in the past. Only time will tell I suppose, but one thing is reassured here: DJ Mehdi is somebody
This video was taken on the third of this month at the Red Bull Big Tune Beat Battle finals in New York. Ghost rips through some classic Wu-Tang material such as “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Ice Cream”. Go peep the new Ghostface compilation Ghost Deini The Great. Props to C-Sick for winning the Championships (the kid is 17).
It seems as though the Chef is cooking up some classic material once again. Raekwon talked to Pitchfork about his new masterpiece, the sequel to arguably one of the greatest solo Wu albums of all time, Only Built for Cuban Linx 2. According to Raekwon, “This record is the shit, it’s been getting around in my camp. It’s another masterpiece that is ready to be released.” The Chef also said that he strayed away from all RZA production because as an artist he felt as though he wanted to move on to other things. He noted that he has some of the best producers in the game for the last 20 years on this shit. Who would he be speaking of? Dr. Dre, Marley Marl, J Dilla, Pete Rock and DJ Scratch (holy shit, what a producer list) will be heading the production side of the album and guest appearances will include Ghostface, Method Man, GZA, Busta Rhymes & Inspectah Deck.
If you go over to the original article Rae talks about how he wanted the new OBFCL to compliment the original one coming out. he wanted to “be like seeing DeNiro do a mafia flick, do something completely different and then come back to another mafia film and be the same dude he was in The Godfather.” That’s almost exactly the way that Raekwon’s career has gone, he released two other albums since the original OBFCL and this is like him going back to the stove and cooking up classics.
It sounds like this album is already going to be one of the biggest albums to come out next year. All of you Wu heads out there get ready because this album is going to be exactly what you’ve been waiting for. Based on the last OBFCL I can assure you that chances are, you are going to be seeing plenty of Ghost on this album to.
ALSO… go check out the Wu in your city because they are on the road right now:
12-14 Chicago, IL – House of Blues
12-15 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
12-17 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
12-18 Rochester, NY – Main Street Armory
12-19 Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
12-20 New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place
12-21 Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
12-23 New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
12-26 Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Small’s
12-27 Lancaster, PA – Chameleon Club
12-31 Baltimore, MD – Sonar
01-01 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
01-02 Providence, RI – Lupo’s
01-03 Worcester, MA – Palladium Nightclub
01-04 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
01-07 Norfolk, VA – The NorVa
01-08 Richmond, VA – The National
01-09 Greensboro, NC – N Club
01-10 Charleston, SC – Music Farm
01-11 Charlotte, NC – Amos’ Southend
01-12 Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
01-13 Columbia, SC – Level
01-14 Atlanta, GA – TBA
01-15 Jacksonville, FL – Plush
01-16 Tampa, FL – Jannus Landing
Goodbye, President Bush. Thanks to MSNBC, fresh from Iraq:
mp3 of track from the above video: Arcade Fire – “Cold Wind”
Arcade Fire, one of the most consistently great indie rock bands out there, are releasing a DVD chronicling their 2007 effort Neon Bible. The Film is titled Miroir Noir and as their press release describes it, the vid “follows Arcade Fire through the making and touring of their 2007 album Neon Bible documenting the band at their Montreal studio, the making of promotional films and videos, along with live footage and a few short films made on the road.”
The official release date of the hard copy of the dvd and deluxe edition dvd have yet to be set, but expect to see them in early 2009. The deluxe edition will come packed with added live footage, and most intriguing is that fact that it has footage of their famed SNL set that they played well beyond the allotted time slot causing the set to shut down so Arcade Fire couldn’t play anymore, but it never stopped them, see below for a clip. The digital release of the film is Monday December 15th, so those anxious to get their hands on this (much like I am) can have it asap. Most notably is the fact that you can subscribe to the email list for the movie over at the official website and pre-order a copy of the documentary which comes with an instant digital download upon order confirmation. Sort of like having your cake and eating it too, sort of haha.
I know I’m excited to see the footage from these guys because everything they have done so far in their short and illustrious career has been magnificent.
What a year these three guys from Australia are having. Their full length release this year “In Ghost Colours” adorned the top of my year end list, followed by a few different Single EPs and now this final “Far Away EP” to close out an already stellar year. The EP is available in digital format only in the UK so you can thank me later for gathering all of the tracks together in one spot (consider it my christmas gift to you faithful readers). The remix line-up for this blissful track includes the likes of Hercules & Love Affair and Bag Raiders, two acts that I’ve been in big support of for years. Other than four official Far Away remixes, the other two coming from fellow Aussie Damn Arms and New York’s Golden Filter, the EP contains a remix of “Hearts On Fire ” by Aeroplane (who recently remixed Friendly Fires as well), an edit of “So Haunted” by Knightlife, and the possible highlight of the entire EP: a brand new track entitled “Sands of Time.”
I was expecting to start the review by praising Hercules for their remix because I have been beyond impressed with all of their material to this point, but to be honest their effort on Far Away doesn’t impress me at all, and to be honest it’s my least favorite of any track on the EP. Their typical minimal-progressive-disco style just doesn’t seem to fit in the world of Cut Copy, and the result is an average at best remix that just becomes another one in the sea of never ending mixes these days.
mp3: “Far Away” – Hercules & Love Affair remix
As I mentioned earlier, another Australian can be found on this album, Damn Arms. His mix of “Far Away” is far and way the best edit of this track out there. He doesn’t do anything too drastic to the track, adding some light-hearted fun in the line of bells and chimes, and the result is what a remix should really be: plain and simple a more fun version of the original track, nothing too crazy that it’s overdone.
mp3: “Far Away” – Damn Arms Remix
I’ll let you the reader weed your way through the other official remix, along with some other goodies I dug up. It’s not as if these tracks aren’t worth having, because any fan of Cut Copy will thoroughly enjoy these bangers (I know I really did), It’s just that i I don’t feel like writing a ton about each of them, so enjoy!
mp3: “Far Away” – The Golden Filter Remix
“Far Away” – Bag Raiders Remix
“Far Away” – Bezzi E Fabio Pop Remix
As far as other non Far Away related material goes, this EP still has a lot to offer. The “So Haunted” Knightlife mix doesn’t let down at all, taking a track that I never really enjoyed on the album and transforming it into something more likely to be heard in a club than anything else in the album. Thanks to a repititious and infectious beat that builds and expands throughout the track, So Haunted becomes larger than life this time around.
mp3: “So Haunted” – Knightlife Sun Soaked Reprise
There isn’t much I can add about Hearts On Fire, it’s damn near the best song to come out of 2008. A blissful pop masterpiece that is gleaming with horns and 80’s styled vocals, weaving in and out and taking the listener by total surprise by the end. So here comes the remix, dun dun dun…the verdict isn’t too bad at all. Granted they take a lot away from the album recording and choose to include more of the sampled vocals, Aeroplane end up with with a nice little track that is different from the original in a good sense (they really love that sample, trust me).
mp3: “Hearts on Fire” – Aeroplane Remix
Cut Copy saved some of their best work for last this year, with “Sands of Time” caboosing this excellent EP. The track starts off like nothing else on In Ghost Colours, but eventually evolves into a familiar flavor of delightful electro pop fun. I’m gonna leave this section short, and say that Sands of Time has been on play non-stop on my iPod, and expect the same if you download this great closer.
mp3: “Sands of Time” (previously unreleased)
And as an added bonus for getting this far down in the post I’ll provide you with quaint little DJ mix that they threw together for Radio 1. Enjoy! Radio 1 DJ mix mp3
ONE TIME ONLY! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! Cut Copy’s remix of Maroon 5’s top 100 hit “This Love,” just one of the many incredible bands on their new remix album. “This Love” – Cut Copy Galactic Beach House remix mp3
8.2 out of 10
MIND INVERSION 