Wednesday, May 27, 2009
· Filed under Music, blake · Tagged ambient, Fever Ray, strange, The Knife
One half of The Knife does a solo project. I thought The Knife was ok, but Fever Ray is minus all the sugary synthpop. There is only Karin, her insanity, heavy ambient bass, and the finest prose in all of human history:
i’m very good with plants
when my friends are away
they let me keep the soil moist
on the seventh day i rest
for a minute or two
then back on my feet and call for you
Also consider:
accompany me
by the kitchen sink
we talk about love
we talk about dishwater tablets
and we dream about heaven
One YouTube comment describes it as “morose shit”. I like morose shit…
Fever Ray
Also peep the videos for:
When I Grow Up
If I Had a Heart
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
· Filed under Music, blake
I’ve been listening to a shit ton of music that I’ll post about as I spottily remember it. But first, I want to prattle on about how amazing I think Musiq Soulchild is:
I recently decided to download the man’s entire studio discography. Roughly 80 tracks and not a one of them is bad, granted all of them aren’t spectacular. True, Musiq Soulchild has a great voice and works with decent producers, but that’s just not the point for me. Typically I’m afraid of downloading the discographies of male neo-soul artists because after a handful of songs I get upset about intraracial portrayals of gender in the black community… then I have to turn it off and take a black solidarity, stress-induced nap. Maybe I should lighten up, but I rather just hype Musiq for his positive, not-completely-fucked up accounts of women and storylines that don’t feature black men as violent, misogynist sexual predators.
Though I like all of his stuff, I recommend starting with at the beginning, if you want to try it out:
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
· Filed under Blogroll, Music, rios
Hi everyone,
Its been a little while since the last post. Sorry. I’m just not a good blogger.
Anyways, here is one of my favorite (and probably one of the cutest) records of all time. Awesome Animal Ambulance combines drum machine loops, synths, girl/boy vocals and winds them up into a rare musical gem: a compact, simple, caring, and earnest record that unabashedly revels in its own quirky yet compelling sincerity. This is a bright record that will have even the snarkiest listener headbobbing and smirking.
Buy it here at Aurora 7 Records
And also check out Suzy Coady’s website. She did the artwork.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
· Filed under Creema, Music · Tagged 3oh!3, dance, new music, raprockelectronica, Want
When someone hands me an album describing it as “raprockelectronica” I usually go in expecting a mixture of The Faint, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, and (yes) Limp Bizkit around 1999. But after listening to the most recent album, Want from the band, group, duo 3OH!3 (pronounced “three oh three”) I’m pretty (pleasantly) surprised by Sean Foreman and Nathanial Motte’s genre dissolving style..
Take track 2, ”Punk B*tch”. It morphs from a pretty heavy rap beat to an electronic dance beat all the while maintaining the same feel through the whole song. Tracks “Holler Till You Pass Out” and “Chokechain” are hilariously pompous rap/electro mixes. However, the song “Still Around” is a decidedly slow mix between emo and R&B…which is which is a unique (and addicting) combo. “Don’t Trust Me” is just a straight dance track(complete with handclaps!) but somehow still works with the rest of the album.
Admittedly, some of the lyrics aren’t that deep (ex. I just want you to know that we datin’ mad models and poppin’ mad bottles tonight….) but it’s still one ridiculously interesting piece of work. They have just enough talent and take themselves just seriously enough to make it work.
Holla Back.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
· Filed under Music, blake · Tagged blake, orchestral, progressive rock, screaming
I’ve been listening to a lot of new shit lately. Both last.fm and my late night myspace fumbling have pointed me to Kiss Kiss. I can’t think of anything like them. Their sound is somehow a blend of instrumental baroque pop with screamed hooks and occasional noise. Sometimes it sounds like progressive klezmer, other times it’s closer to melodic screamo. Regardless, it’s beautiful. Decent lyrics too.
Update: I finally found their album Reality vs. the Optimist, also I wasn’t looking very hard the first time…
Sunday, August 3, 2008
· Filed under Music, rios · Tagged cuddles, kovinsky, low fi, pop, punk, rios
This band randomly myspace friended me like a few weeks ago. I thought they would be some sort of inappropriate spam, but they turned out to be amazingly catchy pop music, in the same vein as Beat Happening /Kimya Dawson/ Moldy Peaches/ . Simple, catchy, playful, carefree, low fi, punk songs. Not to mention, they do a Daniel Johnston cover!
I just love this kind of stuff. you guys know what kind of good vibes they bring out. Just look at the influences and sounds like part of their myspace.
Listen to the Myspace
I cant wait to see them play live. I’ll probably be at their death by audio show and maybe one of the trash bar shows. people should come check it out!
Friday, July 25, 2008
· Filed under Music, rios · Tagged british, diy, england, indie, Music, pretty, records, rios, sarah, twee
Sarah records!
Theres really not much for me to say about it. Founded in 1987, in the UK, the Sarah founders, Clare and Matt wanted “to release 100 of the world’s greatest pop-records, to show up all the other labels by doing it properly, and – by means of 7″ singles, fanzines, flexidiscs, jigsaws, board-games and inflammatory literature – to raise the moral and political consciousness of the world to such an extent that, when the time came to release that 100th single, global Socialist revolution would be but a mis-timed handclap away. Sarah reached its century in August 1995, and promptly declared its work here done. The world, sadly, rather missed the boat“. Over the course of 8 years they managed to put out 99 singles, a few LPs, and some compilations of some of the greatest pop music the world has ever seen. Their roster includes such notable bands as Heavenly, The Sea Urchins, The Field Mice, The Orchids. Their DIY model was both inspiration and a reference point for a countless number of record labels, bands, zines, other diy endeavors. For me the Sarah records story makes me bittersweet and nostalgic for something that I theoretically could have, but of course practically never could have really experienced in person, or at least not have digested in any significant or tangible way.
So yah, basically, some kids did something pretty and good, and we should take something away from that 
Air Balloon Road
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
· Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged Music, rios, sludge, the body, yeeeah!
The Body is two dudes from Providence, RI making some amazingly loud jams. Their face.to.the.floor breed of sludge-metal? is somewhat of a departure from most of the music so far featured on this blog. Brain piercing lobotomy sized shrieks and ribcage smashing instrumentals are not exactly on the same level as the whispery cuddlepop of Tokidoki’s “Cookie Cutter.” But, after their recent show in Brooklyn I struck up a conversation with Chip (right), where we talked about touring, luminous and phosphorescent beaches, Providence, technology, and probably some other stuff too. Turns out when i couldn’t find them for their park slope show in April it was because they totally got fucked by some dude they trusted to help them out and couldn’t play anyways cuz the cops shut the show down. I only mention this because I was pretty upset that i couldn’t find the place. I probably should have tried to interview them, but i just didnt realize that id end up talking to them for that long. Anyways, even though they make angry sounding, politically motivated, sure to break your speakers and headphones musics, it all comes from a genuine love of their community, good people, nature, and lots of other things. Don’t worry though they will still rock your basement to rubbles as you stand right there helpless with nothing to do except bang the shit out of your head as you go deaf.
The Body:
(go by the records too, you wont regret it)
Saturday, June 21, 2008
· Filed under Music, friends!, rios · Tagged acoustic, birds, diy, pretty, redwing blackbird
(Photo Credit: Max Gambill)
Redwing Blackbird is two awesome dudes, Austin and Eric, from New Hampshire making beautiful acoustic guitar musics. Eric used to be in Death To Tyrants, another amazing band from the NH. A while back they were in New York and trying to set up a show somewhere in nyc/brooklyn, and it just didnt work, so they ended up playing the open mic at cattyshack in parkslope. I think I was one of like 3 people who showed up specifically to see them. But nonetheless they did did they’re thing. I ended up buying theyre cd and tape and chilling with them for a hot second.
They are just two incredibly nice people making sweet soulful tunes. And they cover their buddies (and one of my favoritest bands) Ampere. Props to the Redwing Blackbird for spreading the goodness all around them.
HERE IS:
CD and Ampere covers tape: O_0
Here is a full Death To Tyrants set from back in the day RH FEST ‘06
HERE
and here is ampere set from the same night (bonus points if you spot me and LEE in the crowd!)
HERE
ALSO ALSO ALSO:
all of these bands sell very good very cheap records, so show some love and get the records too, its worth it. check here http://www.myspace.com/redwingblackbirdnh
Saturday, June 14, 2008
· Filed under Music, friends!, shirley · Tagged dance, diy, electronic, gay, gravy train!!!!, hawnay troof, pure ridiculous, queer, sex, sexy
H.T. gave me an itchin for some GRAVY TRAIN!!! and catherine is SURELY the person to fill it. plus, some more hawnay troof for downloadage.
fwded message from our friend at puzzlepieces.tk:
In what might be the gayest electro upload ever:
Gravy Train!!!!
Are You Wigglin?: http://www.mediafire.com/?5mtedym0pkm
All the Sweet Stuff: http://www.mediafire.com/?jgnly2nmxnz
Hello Doctor: http://www.mediafire.com/?zt0obntme3s
and Hawnay Troof- Get Up Resolution: Love: http://www.mediafire.com/?xmnb42zuqa
THANKS DAWG!
ps happy friday the 13th y’all. i’m going to mexico city for a few days. see ya thar?
