MIND INVERSION

Sunday Metal Minute: Graf Orlock, “Run Over By A Truck”

Posted in Sunday Metalhead Minute with tags Audio, download, graf orlock, grindcore, Metal, mp3 on Sunday, April 5, 2009 by Ryan Buege

Man, if there were one song title that aptly described how my head feels right now on Sunday morning, it’s this one. But nonetheless, I’ve got a lot of stuff that I have to accomplish today, and Graf Orlock‘s “Run Over By a Truck” (from their new album Destination Time Today) is giving me the proper kick in the ass I need to start my chores.

As a fan of of the heavy, I just can’t help but love a song that sounds so fucking sick and nasty. The heavy riffage on this gem of modern grindcore is caked in dirty, crusty grime and the vocals are spastic and chaotic like no other. Not more than 3 minutes ago I was grudgingly accepting the fact that I’d be in a hard-headed mood today, but the refreshing grind of Gorlock’s “Run Over By A Truck” has helped me thrash the bad vibes out instantly. Thank you, Graf Orlock.

MP3: Graf Orlock, “Run Over By A Truck” (from Destination Time Today, available now)

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Concert Review: Friendly Fires, White Lies, The Soft Pack @ Triple Rock Social Club

Posted in Concert Reviews, News with tags concert, friendly fires, live, minneapolis, photos, soft pack, triple rock social club, Video, white lies on Sunday, April 5, 2009 by Erik Burg

On what turned out to be another snowy April evening, Friendly Fires took stage at the Triple Rock Social club here in downtown Minneapolis to a crowd eager with anticipation all night. As I stood around before the show all anybody talked about was how excited they were to see these guys in such an intimate setting. And rightfully so, as their sound is so tight live and their performance so fun and laid back.

But before the fun really began, The Soft Pack began with their California post-punk music. These guys had their act together, and for me were a nice surprise. The Soft Pack were a fun band, their sound was spot on for the type of music they played, a bit jumbled at times but the whole scope of the show and their sound was always evident. To me a nice surprise, and a sound I don’t usually get into, but hey, I loved it.

Whites Lies. It’d be a white lie if I said I enjoyed their show at all. Sorry guys, but they were just plain boring. I can understand why their new record is getting great reviews, seeing as their sound is pretty easy to just nod your head to but their live act was just plain bland. The whole band seemed way too into themselves and the black and white lighting thing just added to the cheesiness. I tried to like it, I really did, but fervently I stood with my arms crossed front row.

After the atrocity that was White Lies, the headliner for the night saved what was looking to be a dismal evening. And save they did. Blasting off from their first track, Friendly Fires were just as amazing live as everyone around me had been talking about. Possessing a great studio-like sound live, songs like “Paris” and “On Board” captivated the bouncy crowd and got nearly everyone there to sing along (and to that really pissy couple standing next to me, if you’re reading this: lighten up and dance will ya?). So aside from the few stiff legs, the show was stellar, and the lead singers interaction with the crowd was some good fun. So check the pictures below of all the bands, and I managed to get some video again too. Enjoy!

Video: Friendly Fires – “On Board”

(Friendly Fires)

(White Lies)

(The Soft Pack)

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Concert Review: Junior Boys, Max Tundra, & Lookbook @ First Avenue

Posted in Concert Reviews, Mind Inversion Exclusive with tags concert, First Ave, junior boys, live, lookbook, max tundra, minneapolis, photos, Video on Saturday, April 4, 2009 by Erik Burg

Though the show may have been over-shadowed by the apparent pop culture phenomenon Britney Spears playing next door at the Target Center, the electro-pop world right across the street at First Avenue made up for what it was lacking in pre-teen girls in mini-skirts with awesome jams and a crowd ripe with energy.

Duo Lookbook took the stage first, starting the evening with a wide variety of electronically infused pop and slightly slower tracks. Their faster songs got tons of people in gear for the rest of the night, but they cruised through a set so fast I swear some of their song were literally :45 seconds long. At any rate though, it was a good start, and they certainly played to the theme of the evening very well.

Then came Max Tundra, the obvious pick to steal the show for the night. Did he live up to the surrounding hype? I’d say so. With max-tundra-guitar his overly boyish dance moves, insanely paced tracking, and random plethora of instruments, Max Tundra was just as much the headliner of Friday night as Junior Boys were. Opening with the fresh “Which Song” which I had mentioned a few days back, Tundra got the floor grooving and laughing, the perfect opening act.

By the time Junior Boys were ready to take the stage the crowd was overly-anxious, and thanks to a minor audio problem during their first song, we all had to wait a little bit longer. It was all worth the wait of course, as Junior Boys took to the stage for a second time, playing fan favorites and a few tracks off their upcoming album. Jeremy Greenspan, lead singer of the Boys, has to be the most lovable and affable lead man I’ve ever seen in concert. All I wanted to do was run up and give him a big hug, but that’s not the point, was is is Junior Boys absolutely killed it. Sorry if you missed it everyone, but don’t fret, I got some photos for you (even a Max Tundra video too!)

junior-boys-drummer2 (Junior Boys)

junior-boys-guitar (Junior Boys)

junior-boys-blue-synths (Junior Boys)

max-tundra-vest (Max Tundra)

max-tundra-red (Max Tundra)

max-tundra-keyboard1 (Max Tundra)

max-tundra-book (Max Tundra)

look-book-color (Lookbook)

look-book-flash (Lookbook)

Check out this awesome video I shot of Max Tundra as well, it was simply an awesome time Friday night, and hopefully this will take you right there if you had to miss it:

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One For the Team deliver sweet sounds with new Build a Garden EP

Posted in Audio with tags acoustic, afternoon records, build a garden, Indie, one for the team, pop on Friday, April 3, 2009 by Ryan Buege

One for the Team just released their new Build A Garden EP on Tuesday via Minneapolis’s consistently solid Afternoon Records indie imprint. Though it’s only an EP, it’s a beautiful package that can properly introduce new listeners to the sweet melodious indie pop that is quickly making this local band a household name around the country. After receiving nods from SPIN and MTV’s Real World this year, it’s hard to not pay attention to the intoxicating and irresistible songs that One for the Team consistently creates. Sonically on Build a Garden, their lively apartment recordings sound remarkably clean and exude a melalcholic, carefree, modern-yet-classic atmosphere not unlike artists such as The Broken West, Mates of State, and Peter Bjorn and John. Even as a mixed collection of 4 brand new songs and 4 rerecorded tracks, Build A Garden still has a natural cohesiveness that makes it feel like an album, and because of that I think it deserves a purchase. Plus, I don’t know exactly what they’re talking about, but the “unique items” they plan to ship with physical copies make this an alluring purchase for anyone who wants more than just the mp3s.

MP3: One for the Team, “Best Supporting Actress” (from Build a Garden, available now)
LISTEN: One for the Team, “Questions & Panthers” (from Build a Garden, available now)
LISTEN: One for the Team, “Build a Garden” (from Build a Garden, available now)

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Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth to Release Basement Demos

Posted in Music News with tags All Souled Out, Basement Demos, C.L. Smooth, Pete Rock on Thursday, April 2, 2009 by Tim Althaus

pcl An article that I read on HipHop DX said that Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth have some material that is left over from the All Souled Out days. The material is going to be compiled onto a five track EP, and there are only going to be 200 pressings of the EP. The EP is going to be called Basement Demos and is going to cost a quick $80, you heard it right, eighty dollars.

If you are a huge Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth fan this one is for you. The steep price in my opinion is probably worth it, I mean they are only pressing 200 copies. If you do buy this EP you are going to be getting a piece of history. Pete & C.L. will always go down as one of the greatest duos in the history of the game. Even though these demos are from the late 80’s early 90’s, I can assure you that they were far ahead of their time.

The Tracklisting:

SIDE A:
01. “The Midnight Wrecka”
02. “Cool and Calm”

SIDE B:
01. “Go C.L.”
02. “Down To Move Ya Body”
03. “Go With The Flow [Alternate Mix]”

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The Soul Brother #1 Talks Influences

Posted in Media, Video with tags Crate Kings, J Dilla, Pete Rock on Thursday, April 2, 2009 by Tim Althaus

peterock21 Pete Rock is the guy you look to constantly for the most consistent and great Hip-Hop you will hear. There’s no denying that Pete Rock is one of the greatest producers of all time. There is a whole lot of emcees and producers that will make the same statement. I haven’t heard much about Pete since his album NY’s Finest dropped last year, so it’s a breath of fresh air to see this video over at Crate Kings.

In this video Pete Rock talks about his major influences as far as the game was concerned when he was coming up back in the day, as well as who he looks to now as being the best in the game. Pete gives a huge shout out to J Dilla saying that if Dilla was still around he would still be the greatest to have made the beats (I feel the same way). It’s great to hear what the thoughts are from the mind of a genius, make sure you check out the video to learn some lessons from one of the greatest in Hip-Hop.

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Man Man and Gogol Bordello tour together, nominee for craziest concert ever

Posted in Concert Dates, Music News with tags cabooze, concert, dates, gogol bordello, live, man man, midwest, minneapolis, Tour on Thursday, April 2, 2009 by Erik Burg

Okay I made that last part up obviously, but still, if you’ve ever seen/heard anything from either of these two over-the-top and ambitious acts you know exactly what I’m talking about. And the fact that the two are touring together for a short stint at the end of May into early June is some of the more exciting concert news I’ve heard lately. Between Man Man‘s absurd dress and costuming, and Gogol‘s, let’s say “interaction” with the crowd, the possibilities of what you could see or experience on that night are endless. I really like how one Pitchfork writer puts it:

“Even though you know he’s going to launch himself onto the bass drum that the audience is holding aloft, it’s still pretty fucking nuts when he actually does it.”

And if that recollection of a Gogol Bordello show doesn’t make you want to line-up for tickets then I’m just not quite sure anything will, ha. Check out some videos below of each act live, and the list of their Midwest dates.

Man Man in a “Drum off” at McCarren Pool in ’07

Gogol Bordello Live in Boulder

Dates:

5-29 Kansas City, MO Beaumont Club

5-30 Minneapolis, MN Cabooze

5-31 Chicago, IL Congress Theatre

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The Foreign Exchange in Miami Parts 1&2

Posted in Media, Video with tags Foreign Exchange, Nicolay, Phonte on Thursday, April 2, 2009 by Tim Althaus

I found these videos over at Nicolay Music the other day when I was browsing the site. Let me tell you that Phonte is one of the funniest motherfuckers I’ve ever seen on video. In the first video he talks about what the fans have enabled Foreign Exchange to do, and makes an allusion to slavery. In the second video he talks about how sometimes, you just have to forget everything else and reflect. I love how Te informs you but adds a humorous twist to it. Follow me after the jump to watch part 2. Continue reading →

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Atmosphere Brings You To “Your Glasshouse”

Posted in Media, Video with tags Ant, Atmosphere, Slug, When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold, Your Glasshouse on Thursday, April 2, 2009 by Tim Althaus

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Here is the new video for the song “Your Glasshouse” off of Atmosphere’s latest effort When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold. I am happy to see that Slug & Ant are keeping the campaign going for the album that came out last year. This video has great cinematography and has an interesting theme to it (as most of the Atmosphere videos have as of late). Make sure you check out the video, and if you haven’t go out and cop When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.

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mewithoutYou plan U.S. tour with the Dear Hunter and Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground

Posted in Concert Dates with tags kay kay and his weathered underground, mewithoutYou, minnesota, New Album, st. paul, station 4, the dear hunter, tour dates on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by Ryan Buege

mewithoutYou, the Dear Hunter, and Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground have just released all their upcoming U.S. tour dates, and they plan to stop at Station 4 in St. Paul on July 2nd. With a new album called it’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright due out on 5/19, it’s about due time for you to catch yourself up with this band of experimental indie rock misfits. I personally can’t remember seeing this band since they were supporting [A -> B] Life at the Warehouse in La Crosse years ago (..I know Hiz won’t forget that show, either, but I can’t recall who else played for the life of me), and the evolution they’ve gone through since I touched base with them last are pretty amazing. Although it’s still the same band I recall from the debut, the last album Brother, Sister was a matured, refined, improved, and focused mewithoutYou. Admittedly, hearing it the first time made me embarrassed I ever stopped paying attention to them. The Dear Hunter and Kay Kay ain’t bad either, so I’m glad I’ve finally got a chance to reinitiate myself into their following.