Northern Oupost, Episode 11, Summer 2009: The Falcon Arrow

Posted in Video with tags , , , , , , , , , , on Monday, June 8, 2009 by Ryan Buege

Not too long ago, Minneapolis art-rock duo The Falcon Arrow stopped by the Owl Recording Studio to record an interview and in studio performance for the best TC-based multiple camera music show to ever grace web, and on Friday (June 5) their feature was released for public consumption as Northern Outpost‘s 11th episode. This episode proved to be one of my favorites so far, with a candid interview that emphasized some of the struggles of being an independent band in a city that’s already crowded many good ones and one of the most inventive music sets that’s been showcased yet. Through its sparse rhythm-only arrangement, the music of The Falcon Arrow is far removed from the style of post-rock that many of you are used to, yet it still possesses the same entrancing buildups and soothing come-downs that define the genre’s greatest moments. I pressed play not expecting more than a simple indie rock band, and when the replay screen finally came up I was still trying to comprehend how the looping bass of Matt Reintz was able to produce such a beautiful racket..

In two weeks Northern Outpost will be back with Episode 12 with Speed’s The Name, and I’m very excited to see that my buds in Empires will be showcasing their epic, ethereal doom metal for Episode 13. If you enjoy the highest quality music the Twin Cities have to offer, it looks like Max Becker and Northern Outpost have a stellar summer lineup in store for you. Stay tuned to find else what else is on the horizon…

Sonic Youth play “Antenna” and “Sacred Trickster” live on A>D>D; release new album tomorrow

Posted in Video with tags , , , , , , , on Monday, June 8, 2009 by Ryan Buege

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Is anyone as excited to bike over to Electric Fetus tomorrow to pick up Sonic Youth‘s The Eternal as I am? I highly doubt it…

As part of the media blitz for the album release, Sonic Youth seems to have taken up a residency at Pitchfork.tv for the week. Today, things kick off with the band playing two brand news songs, “Antenna” and “Sacred Trickster”, live in the extremely intimate (aka cramped and confined) filming studio for the low-budget A>D>D series…

LIVE VIDEO: Sonic Youth, “Antenna” live on A>D>D

Click the “read more” link because we have embedded more live video of SY playing their insanely awesome first single from The Eternal, “Sacred Trickster” live on Pitchfork.tv’s A>D>D, as well. Enjoy… Continue reading

Sunn O))) schedules Varsity Theater show

Posted in Concert Dates with tags , , , , , , , on Monday, June 8, 2009 by Ryan Buege

The mysterious and bizarre cult of drone known as Sunn O))) has just made plans to grace Minnesota with a rare performance next month during their brief tour of the Midwest. On July 5, 2009, Sunn O)) (featuring Stephen O’ Malley and Greg Anderson) will be at the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown for a incredible sonic experience like no other during a small tour supporting their new full-lenght album Monoliths and Dimensions. Keep reading for all their tour dates… Continue reading

The Juan Maclean remix “No You Girls” for the awesome new Franz Ferdinand album

Posted in Audio, Downloads, Music News with tags , , , , , , , , on Monday, June 8, 2009 by Erik Burg

Though Tonight: Franz Ferdinand was as mediocre as album releases get, and despite my high hopes for it, there were certain songs that still made me tap my toe. Namely “No You Girls”.  You know, the one on the iPod commercial. Anyway, Franz Ferdinand was apparently just as unhappy with the album as I was, so they gave it another try…

Tonight Franz———–>   Blood Franz

Blood: Franz Ferdinand is a track-by-track dubbed-up, electro-exploding remix of Tonight: The album was redone by the band themselves, but there were a few extra cracks at “No You Girls”. There was a Blood: version, now called “Katherine Hit Me”, but in addition to that The Juan Maclean, Vince Clarke, and Trentmoller also remixed the already dance floor single. I’ll of course be hyping up all 8 and a half minutes of the Juan Maclean mix, but the original that Franz did is actually just as stellar. 

The Juan version though is a sprawling reverb heaven. With thousands of vocal over-and-overs, and synthesizers that build to more space themed synths, the track feels at home in the ever growing DFA catalogue. The vocals are right in line with Juan’s material lately, the hap-hazardly-hearted themes, the laughable heartbreak, and so on. The music construction of the song, the Juan production, is simply amazing. It builds, it fades, it blasts. The perfect formula for a remix, a trick that’s usually missed my most remixes. Instead of just trading in the essence of “No You Girls” for Justice-esque noise, The Juan instead carefully edits, manipulates and reconstructs an already fun single into an epic post-disco masterpiece. Bask in it’s greatness people. Or just passively listen, either will work. Enjoy!

Franz Ferdinand – “No You Girls (The Juan Maclean Remix)”

Black Milk Talks About Cam’ron Using The Same Sample

Posted in Audio, Downloads with tags , on Monday, June 8, 2009 by Tim Althaus

As many of you out there know, Black Milk’s track “Losing Out” contains an incredible sample and it was one of the best tracks on last year’s Tronic. Apparently Cam’ron has a new track utilizes same sample. I’m going to go out on a short limb and say that Black Milk’s version stomps on Cam’ron & Jada’s but you guys can be the judge of that.

Listen: Cam’ron, “Let’s Talk About” (Feat. Jadakiss)

Listen: Black Milk, “Losing Out” (Feat. Royce Da 5’9″)

Spotted @ 2DopeBoyz

Black Milk Talks With Pitchfork About Random Axe

Posted in Music News with tags , , , on Sunday, June 7, 2009 by Tim Althaus

randomaxe Black Milk is probably my favorite artist in the game right now (next to Evidence), he has been putting out incredible music with that signature Detroit sound. He linked up with Pitchfork Media (who dissed him in the first paragraph citing his “unspectacular rhyming” on Tronic) about the super group composed of Sean Price, Guilty Simpson & himself known as Random Axe. Personally I feel like Pitchfork is a giant epicenter of pretentious morons, but if it’s Black Milk related I will read it. The Random Axe album is one of my most anticipated albums this year, and I feel like this album is going to be nothing short of great.

Black Milk discusses a lot of issues about how the group came to be (contacting Sean Price for a verse on Guilty Simpson’s album), how he adapts production sounds for certain emcees, how it feels to be on Duck Down Records and how he reacts to people coining him as the “new Kanye” (he cites himself as being much different than Kanye, I personally think he’s better). This interview is great and it gives some good insight into the story of the great super group known as Random Axe. According to the interview, Black Milk won’t be rapping on every verse because he wanted to focus the spotlight on Sean P & Guilty Simpson.

I am going to be impatiently waiting for this album which will be dropping late this year. I can tell you that the beats and wordplay on this album are going to be top tier, and you surely aren’t going to want to miss it. Stay tuned to Mind Inversion for all the news on the Random Axe record. This is just another great example of Black Milk “putting the D on his back like a shirt that he bought”.

You can read the entire interview here.

Sunday Metal Video: Mayhem, “Freezing Moon (live at Wacken)”

Posted in Sunday Metalhead Minute with tags , , , , , , , on Sunday, June 7, 2009 by Ryan Buege

Blackened Fest is here! Weak-minded fools would do best to stay away from Station 4 on Tuesday, when the black metal lords and their legions come out to lay siege to Minneapolis for the first time in over a decade.

LIVE VIDEO: Mayhem, “Freezing Moon (live at Wacken 2004)”

Saturday Single: Equinox – “Vivid Dreams”

Posted in Audio, Saturday Single with tags , , , , , , , , on Saturday, June 6, 2009 by Erik Burg

Saturday Single’s first installment was a hit, so I’m back again to give you all the buzz on wax this week. This time around I’ll be listening to the new 12″ from the UK’s extremely talented Equinox. With a catalogue dating all the way back to 1993, and a sound that’s never devoted to one genre, Equinox is the perfect example of what it means to be a DJ, carefully and skillfully blending various genres.

vivd dreamsRelease: May 12th  Label: Planet Mu  Buy: iTunes / Vinyl 12″

Vivid Dreams; however, might not be the best place to start if you’ve never heard Equinox before. Both tracks on the single rely heavily on the Drum and Bass patterns better known for their appearances in Pi, The Matrix, or just about any bad ’80s prog-techno catalogue than for their stand alone musical enjoyment. To call this kind of music “intense” would be completely cliche, but probably more right than wrong. The title track “Vivid Dreams” is an erie and more mysterious track than what Drum and Bass are usually known for, but it makes for a nice transition from the usually omniscient  songs (Think Silent Hill opening cutscene remixed). As much as I might ridicule it, and with as many bad pop-culture references as I can make, Vivid Dreams is actually really good. What it boils down to is whether or not you like this style of music or not. If you do, perfect, if you don’t, well you’re probably going to make fun of me for listening to this. Oh well I suppose, as Equinox is one of the most consistent and talented underground DJs in the UK.

MP3: Equinox – “Vivid Dreams”

Narrows, the “Gypsy Kids” of post-hardcore

Posted in Video with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Friday, June 5, 2009 by Ryan Buege

Narrows may be new kids on the block to the hardcore and metal scene, but the band’s individual members have been paying their dues for a long time. The band features members of Botch, These Arms Are Snakes, Some Girls and more among its ranks, and they have finally put together a music video for “Gypsy Kids” from their debut album New Distances with some handicams, iMovie, and a little bit of elbow grease. Obviously not for the faint of heart or weak-minded, I’d say the combination of sobering artistry, epic heaviness, super awesome guitar production, and extreme brutality showcased on this video verify that they’re a perfect fit for the Deathwish Inc. imprint that this Mind Inversion blogger already respects so much. Watch if you dare!

VIDEO: Narrows, “Gypsy Kids”

Mogwai in Minneapolis: Barry Burns’ Radio K in-studio, live First Ave. bootleg online

Posted in Audio, Downloads with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Friday, June 5, 2009 by Ryan Buege

Minneapolis is showing some love for Mogwai. It’s been a month since the Scottish post-rockers came to play the mainroom in First Avenue, and in the meantime some great audio from their stay in the city is slowly leaking from the city.

Before Mogwai took the stage on May 10th, Barry Burns stopped by U of M’s Radio K for half an hour to take over the dials and give an exclusive interview to our fine University during the broadcast of nowlikephotographs. Check it:

LISTEN: Barry Burns (Mogwai), DJ Set/Interview

And the best find of all? Empty’s Tapes linked to an exclusive live audio bootleg at The Trader’s Den that captures the band’s First Avenue performance in glorious clarity. It’s worth the download for any fan of the band; all you have to do is register for free and you can start torrenting!

DOWNLOAD: Mogwai, Live at First Avenue, 5/10/09 (FLAC Audio Bootleg)