Sunday, January 31, 2010

New Lo-Fi-Fnk song..!

Lo-Fi-Fnk - Marchin' In

Off of their second "yet-to-be-titled" album which is (hopefully) coming out in 2010..

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Cool Video Funtime #132 - Thanatos

New Lemonade album on the way..!

Lemonade "Pure Moods" comes out in March via True Panther/Matador


These guys are so underrated, some of the best Acid House/Disco/World/Indie Pop project ever..

Fol Chen are opening for Liars..!

Fol Chen w/Liars '10

04/10 Los Angeles, CA El Rey
04/14 Washington, DC Rock 'n Roll Hotel
04/15 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
04/16 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
04/17 Boston, MA Paradise Lounge
04/18 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
04/27 San Francisco, CA Slim's
04/29 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
05/01 Seattle, WA Neumo's

and here's why you should care..

&

Great covers, seeing these guys open for Liars would be a-o-k with me..

Free Mux Mool track..

Mux Mool - Lady Linda

Great new(ish) Ghostly signing... Sounds like Hip Hop Space music. Free EP coming soon too!

Stream the new Knife album..

Soo good!

New (yes, another) Serena-Maneesh track..

Serena-Maneesh - I Just Want To See Your Face

"Abyss In B-Minor" comes out March 23rd via 4AD.

Here's another track, if you missed it..

REVIEW: Machinefabriek And Nils Frahm - Dauw

7.25 out of 10

"Dauw" is an impressive spit EP between Machinefabriek, who has had a hand in nearly all (worth while) electronic projects, and Nils Frahm, who is Erased Tapes newest signee/Classical Guru. Machinefabriek lays down some acoustic glitch, minimal bleeps, and a few other damp & droney demeanors. Nils Frahm plays gorgeous piano like he is the loneliest man in the world. If you have ever wondered what it would sound like if an acoustic instrument gave birth to complicated mechanics I recommend starting here.

Laid back and melancholy atmospheres are more than present on this two track EP. During Mf's track I was given the sense of floating in an invisible bubble above an orchestra/chorus during the middle of a concerto. During Mr. Frahm's performance I feel as if I'm slowly morphing into a lingering shadow behind a mysterious man playing a decayed/somewhat untuned piano. It's somewhat short, but definitely worth your time. The last couple minutes of Machinefabriek's version (once the "chorus" comes in) are too die for. The piano on Mr. Frahm's version is so troglodytic that they could make even the toughest of men weep.

If you like Ambient and/or Neo Classical music with microbial touches of electronics this will be good for you. I only wish this was a full length rather than just two tracks..

Standout Tracks: All two of them. Or, if I had to be picky; Dauw.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

I like this...


More acceptance speeches should go down like this..

Cool Video Funtime #131 - Oddsac

In need of some amazing music?

Trust this list.

Stream a NEWsom track..

Joanna Newsom - '81

Off of her upcoming 3 Disc (YEAH 3-DISC!!) album "Have One On Me", out February 23rd via Drag City..

Hurry up and get here already :(

REVIEW: The Seven Fields Of Aphelion - Periphery

8.25 out of 10

I always get excited for side projects, especially when they sound polar opposite to their original band. The Seven Fields Of Aphelion features Black Moth Super Rainbow member Maureen (or "Maux") venturing out on her own for the first time. When listening to "Periphery" it's hard to believe that someone writing music as delicate, mind numbing, and pretty as this would even be in a Freakout/Psych/Electronic Indie band.

When you begin listening to "Periphery" you may be reminded of Boards Of Canada, then William Basinski, Sawako, Brian Eno (Music For Airports era) and a few other Ambient masters. Within "Periphery's" visionary layers of warmth lays comatose inducing theremin-esque sounds, blurbles of low end humming synths, white-washed noises, and a few other sustained delights that place beautiful/Classical piano arrangements underwater, through space, and back to the surface. This is an impressive debut release, as well as quite a resplendent Ambient composition that could easily comfort you and make you feel as if "everything is all right".

Good sleepy-time music. I really can't say "pretty and relaxing" enough when describing The Seven Fields Of Aphelion. Press play, sit back, melt, become numb, and then become sad (because the music has to end eventually). I love when albums have enough enticing tranquility to make you feel immobile/paralyzed. Recommended.

Standout Tracks: Do I have to pick? Rrrr, ummm; Slow Subtraction, Grown, Pale Prophecy, Saturation : Arrhythmia, Starlight Aquatic

Monday, January 25, 2010

EIC'S10Q'S w/Malory

"..To say it's heavenly, reverberated, saturated, layered, or even absolutely perfect in the ways of a Shoegaze classic, wouldn't be enough. All of the right elements are there for a soon to be landmark in Shoegaze history. Long and droning bass lines mixed with dizzy guitar ponds, shimmery drum beats, perfunctory synthesizers, and the alluring vocals of male/female consonance. There really isn't anything "Nu Gaze" about this, it's an excellent homage to the early days with just a few hints of modern technology intertwined.."


Malory
Drowning Sonancy Advocates

Malory Bio:
Malory - formed in 1995 by three former school friends under the influence of the so-called Indie/Wave era - is the German incarnation of the Shoegazer generation.
in 1999 they have recorded their debut album "Not Here, Not Now" sound landscapes from an inverse universe washed against the walls of their studio. Find out what kind of sound walls you can build without synthesizers. Total effects, all guitar, a concentric stream of desire and melancholy. Layer for layer the dome is growing from freely flowing emotions, in the dispute of the musicians. Guitar vs. guitar. His voice against hers.
"Outerbeats" is the title of the second album (2001) - and it's really characteristic for the music. While the first album had this touch of their idols Slowdive, Malory are now defining their own cosmos, their own time.
The songs of the next album the "Third fac"e (2005) open a door to a spheric world. The slowness of the moment becomes a journey through the time, a long way through the orbit. It floats atmospherically around you with angelic vocals and experimental sound scapes using guitars as sound tools. These songs deserve only to be played at high volumes so that the sound swallows your room and your mind.
In January 2010 Club AC30, the London specialist of the new Shoegaze scene, is going to release Malory's fourth album "Pearl Diver". Malory invites the listener to take a seat and to fasten their seat belts that the journey can be started.



Hello, how are you?
All of us are well, thank you. Because of work we did not play music since we’ve finished touring in October.

What are you currently listening to?
Bon Iver, Hammock, Radiohead, ...

Where does the band name Malory come from?
Daniel (guitar, programming, vocals)) and Jörg (vocals, bass, programming) loved historical and fantasy novels in their youth. Therefore they lent the name of Sir Thomas Malory, author of "Le Morte d’Arthur".
In addition, it is it a well sounding girl's name (like Alison ...)

Can you define your music in 5 words?
Emotional, contemplative, melancholic, melodic, picturesque

Is there a pretty decent scene for Shoegaze in Germany?
There are many enthusiasts, but there is no really scene for Shoegaze. There is a lack of general public in radio broadcasting and magazines.

Out of all of your terrific (and way too underrated) albums which one are you most proud of?
We are most proud of our new album “Pearl Diver”. (And that is not an empty phrase.) We adventured ourselves and the album offers the widest spectrum of sounds and songs.

What is the theme/narrative behin "Pearl Diver"?
Our music has been often described with attributes like “wide” or “spacy”. Pearl Diver stands for “deepness” and the search for the hidden secrets.

Will you guys be touring the US anytime soon?
That’s too expensive for us. We would need a financially strong label or agency.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
Daniel: If I could listen to one album only I would choose to live without a CD-player and make my own music.

Are you living your dream?
Sometimes when we write new songs or when we are on stage and the audience is enjoying our music it is like living our dream.

Thanx Joerg!

Malory are currently touring a bit in Europe, it may be a while before they make it to the US, until then soak in their latest opus "Pearl Diver" and become insanely jealous of all the great shows they get across seas...

It's a Fact..


&

&

Bullion - Fact Mix 118

These mixes are the beezkuhneez. And there's more to be had..(but hurry, they expire)

~njoy

Did you know..

Maps was recently remixed by A Place To Bury Strangers?
Did you also know you can get it for free (along with a BUNCH of other great songs) HERE?


Thanx UO!

Cool Video Funtime #130 - When We Parted My Heart Wanted To Die

I didn't want to give in...


&

&


Especially without knowing (my guess is The Knife), but I love these.

I'll let you know more, ....when I know more. Do you know more?

Here clips from the upcoming LCD Soundsystem album..

Can't wait to hear this album..!

New Caribou album announced..

Caribou "Swim" comes out April 20th via Merge..

Here is a free track from said album....

Thanx Strgm!

REVIEW: Malory - Pearl Diver

8.5 out of 10

A few years ago, while working at a record store, I was at the height of my "Slowdive obsessive years". Don't get me wrong, I'm still obsessed, but it was during that time that it all began. I had to, and now do, own everything they touched or inspired. One day while working at said record store I was flipping through one of the those album promo zines that they give to stores to gain interest in selling particular albums. When flipping through the magazine I came across a one page spread on German Shoegaze (now gods) Malory. In the article it mentioned "..reminiscent to Slowdive..", which was all I had to see to go out and purchase the album. The first Malory album I got was their 2000 debut "Not Here, Not Now" and it was every Slowdive fan's dream come true. To pick up where "Pygmalion" left off as well as return to form ala "Just For A Day" is a VERY good thing, begin my new obsession now...

10 years later and Malory are still creating some of the finest Shoegaze in the universe. "Pearl Diver" is Malory's 4th full length album. To say it's heavenly, reverberated, saturated, layered, or even absolutely perfect in the ways of a Shoegaze classic, wouldn't be enough. All of the right elements are there for a soon to be landmark in Shoegaze history. Long and droning bass lines mixed with dizzy guitar ponds, shimmery drum beats, perfunctory synthesizers, and the alluring vocals of male/female consonance. There really isn't anything "Nu Gaze" about this, it's an excellent homage to the early days with just a few hints of modern technology intertwined. Please (if you haven't done so by now) get yourself acquainted with Malory, they have yet to disappoint me. "Pearl Diver" may be their finest achievement yet. Thank you for sharing Malory, ~Slave to your sound♥

Club AC30 really is on a roll this year.. Try to find something wrong with this album, I dare you. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (ESPECIALLY if you like Slowdive or Bowery Electric).

Standout Tracks: All. But mainly; Cache, Water In My Hands, Pearl Diver, Tornado, Ajar Door (Live Version), Sarah (probably my favorite track)

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Check into Roll The Dice..

Apparently this is a Fever Ray off shoot of some sort??

Sounds very John Carpenter-esque mixed with some quircky IDM effects and maybe a little Arvo Pärt..mmmme likey..

Quality Mixtape find..

Discontent - In Teen Dreams

Tracklisting:

1. Roj – You Are Here
2. Black Vatican – Night Is Come
3. Railcars – Cathedral With No Eyes (White Rainbow Remix)
4. Playboy Tre – Sideways (Salem Drag Chop Remix)
5. Shlohmo – Couch
6. Tan Dollar – Untitled
7. Ancient Crux – In Teen Dreams
8. Pina Chulada – Someone Like You
9. Blastcorp – Last (Harp Mix)
10. Syntaks – Sudden Dream
11. White Rainbow – Mind Haze Is Clear Delights
12. LJ Kruzer – Tam8+ei4
13. Kharkov – Folkal
14. Mokira – Seven Ply
15. Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood – Precognition

I'll keep my eye out on other quality mixtapes..

Cool Video Funtime #129 - WTF?

Free (yeah, another) Atlas Sound track..

Friday, January 22, 2010

Thursday, January 21, 2010

The new Lovesliescrushing album is finally out!

Lovesliescrushing "Girl. Echo. Suns. Veils." comes in an ultra-limited edition of 300 pieces. It is a 2-CD set. The CDs are in 5" cardboard wallets, with the AVIANIUM cover hand glued, numbered and silk-screened by Scott. There is an 8 page booklet and a 2 panel insert, both printed on really nice 80# Cougar matte stock. The whole thing is housed inside a small wooden box with a slip out front panel, also silkscreened by Scott. Get it HERE.

I've been waiting too loooong for this.

Check into Coyote Clean Up..


Light hearted Experimental Indie Electronic/Dance music with an R & B edge..

Cool Video Funtime #128 - Saturn Strobe

Have you watched this yet?

This is a score Grouper did for a short film titled Sputnik..

Some more Swans news..

From M. Gira:

Hello There,

I have decided to focus my energy on Swans once again. I'm reactivating that project. A new album is in the works, and touring will follow in fall of 2010. In order to help raise funds / help defray the considerable costs of recording and promoting the new album, I have made a special CD/DVD limited edition handmade package called "I Am Not Insane" available exclusively at the YGR website. You can read about the CD/DVD, and my decision to reactivate Swans HERE.

Thanks Very Much, and God Bless You,

Michael Gira / Swans / Angels Of Light / Young God Records

Prediction: The new Swans album will be one of 2010's Top 20 (if not higher) Albums..

The Xx get remixed by Matthew Dear..!


also


The Xx will be remixing Gil Scott-Heron's latest album (which is really good) "I'm New Here". Definitely a strange pairing, but I'm excited for the outcome..

Here's a song from said Gil Scott-Heron album called "Me And The Devil"..

Here's the artwork for the upcoming Gorillaz album..

Gorillaz "Plastic Beach" comes out March 9th via Virgin

Tracklisting:
1. Orchestral Intro (ft. Sinfonia ViVA)
2. Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach (ft. Snoop Dogg and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
3. White Flag (ft. Kano, Bashy, and the National Orchestra for Arabic Music)
4. Rhinestone Eyes
5. Stylo (ft. Bobby Womack and Mos Def)
6. Superfast Jellyfish (ft. Gruff Rhys and De La Soul)
7. Empire Ants (ft. Little Dragon)
8. Glitter Freeze (ft. Mark E Smith)
9. Some Kind Of Nature (ft. Lou Reed)
10. On Melancholy Hill
11. Broken
12. Sweepstakes (ft. Mos Def and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
13. Plastic Beach (ft. Mick Jones and Paul Simonon)
14. To Binge (ft. Little Dragon)
15. Cloud of Unknowing (ft. Bobby Womack and Sinfonia ViVA)
16. Pirate Jet

Based off of the samples out there I expect quality (which is always safe to assume with Gorillaz)

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

REVIEW: Dorias Baracca - Handsome Melting Point EP

8.75 out of 10

BUY THIS NOW. Dorias Baracca are a group of 17 year old (yeah, only 17) Danish boys who meld lush/ambrosial layers of sound with appeasing vocals and walls of guitar feedback/reverb/other heavenly fx. "Handsome Melting Point" is their debut release, and if it's any indication to where their music will take them, welcome to every Shoegazer's newest obsession. I must apologize upfront, there really aren't enough kind words to describe/justify how satisfying this album is. Dorias Baracca are equal parts Slowdive, Ride, Interpol, Mogwai, and any other project that derives it's sound from soaring guitar transmissions with layers (upon layers) of sustained metagalactic noise. The only difference between this group and previous mentioned groups is that those bands had years to develop their sound. I firmly believe that most people aren't born with the kind of ears it takes to develop these kind of "Rock" records. The unimaginable amounts of layers/filler noise/walls of sounds within Dorias Baracca's debut EP are more than enough to make any veteran rocker jealous. Which is, precisely why it's so important to keep mentioning these guys are only 17 (!). WARNING: If you are a fellow musician and get jealous easily "Handsome Melting Point" may just destroy (or hopefully inspire) all of your dreams and aspirations to ever make it in the recording industry.

BUY THIS NOW. "Handsome Melting Point" starts off with the single/video they released titled "The Only Touch". What starts off as a soothing Alt-Rock/Shoegaze anthem quickly develops into a macrocosm of killer synths with truly desirous guitar sounds (possibly the album's standout track). After that amazingly celestial opus, comes an epic 11 minute track titled "Birthday" which is just as astonishing and just slightly more noisy (also an album standout). Every instrument on every track stands out so much making an ungodly unified/fulfilling album that is just so f^%&ing killer it makes my headphones/heart melt. This is what Shoegaze music should sound like with pristine production and the right musicians (WITH the right ears). Kudos to you Dorias Baracca, KUDOS TO YOU.

BUY THIS NOW, I did, and afterwards I listened to it at 5 times in a row. Perfect album/must own for any Shoegazer fan, if you don't buy this now, you will eventually. This is by far one of 2010's standout albums. (so very) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Standout Tracks: ALLLLLLLLLLLLL, BUT ESPECIALLY; The Only Touch (love the keys in this track, Birthday (love the guitar fx), Silence (about 3:35 in, mmmmmmmhmmmmm), Sandtown (nice vocal layers)

Coachella 2010

Here are the bands I wanna to see...

LCD Soundsystem
Passion Pit
Echo And The Bunnymen
Fever Ray
Yeasayer
Sleigh Bells
Muse
MGMT
Flying Lotus
Gorillaz
Thom Yorke
Orbital
Gary Numan
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Deerhunter
The Big Pink
Gil Scott-Heron
Owen Pallett

Cool Video Funtime #127 - Wildflower Wood

New Cox 'n Co. Micromix..


Tracklisting:
1. Pink Floyd - Fearless
2. The Alan Parsons Project - Nucleus
3. 10cc - I'm Not In Love
4. Markus Guentner - Umgebung
5. Cluster - In Ewigkeit
6. The Beach Boys - Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)~Vocal Snippet
7. Beach House - Silver Soul
8. El Perro Del Mar - Change Of Heart
9. Moondog - Maybe
10. Ela Orleans - Something Higher
11. Van Dyke Parks - Van Dyke Parks
12. The Cyrkle - It's A Lovely Game Louise
13. The Alan Parsons Project - Some Other Time

Thanx BC!

Monday, January 18, 2010

EIC'S10Q'S w/Jimmy Edgar

"..the best minimal electronic music comes from Detroit, you should all know this by now.. Mix that with sleazy 80's basslines & icey-cold synths skipping over IDM glitch. Very sexy and smooth. Great for dancing, sexual encounters, or just chilling out, ..you're getting there..."


Jimmy Edgar
Proprietor Of The Neon Masquerade

Jimmy Edgar Bio:
Jimmy's intense passion for music also propelled him at a young age to learn to play any instrument he could get his hands on, including string instruments, saxophone, and mostly percussion/drum set. By the time he was 15, he started performing at Detroit raves.

In early 1999 Edgar signed his first record deal with NYC based Isophlux Records, following a release of a techno track called "We Like You" on the German label Poker Flat. Then, after only hearing one of his tracks, Miami based Merck Records immediately signed him and released his first full length album "My Mines I" by the "dual alter ego" Kristuit Salu vs. Morris Nightingale. After the release of "My Mines I" in February 2002, Edgar started getting some attention which lead to touring cities in the US, including New York City, performing at the infamous experimental music fest the Miami Infiltrate, Vancouver and selected cities in Japan. Touring he got a good response from his live performances as he carried a distinctive energy on to stage and incorporates visuals such as synchronized projections. He was also asked to perform at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival 2003 which was his debut as a Warp Records artist, and in which Detroit witnessed a legend in formation as even the security got down with the local break dancing squad.His first release on Warp was a 4-track EP, titled Access Rhythm in 2004. In 2005 he followed up a second 6-track EP Bounce Make Model, and then his full-length album Color Strip in February 2006.

A forthcoming album "Deeper" is expected later this year. The first single, "Turn You Inside Out," was released on rcrdlbl.com in July 2008 and became the #1 most popular download within the first week .


Hello, how are you?
I am happy right now. Last night was good, a new moon. and I girl made a wish on my pyramid necklace. I hypnotized her and the law of attraction may attract some good luck to her now. I was very impressed with my dj selection last night considering the crowd was a different Detroit crowd than what I am used to. Impressed, let me rephrase, I'm suprised I was able to pull it off.. I'm hardly ever impressing myself but always trying. Its a passion that keeps that fire burning.

What are you currently listening to?
E40 - "On Oil" and alot of Detroit Ghettotech. Sick of Michael Jackson even though he is #1 for me, so I've been looping DTrain and learning new dance moves from Youtube.

When’s the next full length coming out, and is there a title yet?
Everyones asking me and I keep changing the answer. The real title is "DEEPER" and its done.. artwork and release date need to be official. But I have set a date in the next 2 months that if these labels dont agree with something soon then I am simply releasing it myself and having my girls do press for it. Then I may actually make money off of record sales instead of relying on label advances.I desperately just want it in peoples ears, its been too long and I've pour way too much tears, sweat blood and cum over it.

Your song “I Wanna Be Your STD” was chosen as one of Warp Records greatest songs, how do you feel about that?
They made the right choice. Warp has released some fucking incredible songs and I am honored to no belief to share this title with the rest of the "winners". Especially Windowlicker, how can you deny the brilliance of that video? I feel whoever voted for my song is eternally bound to me by music. and we shall dance in the galaxy in 4th dimensional ways. My music is subconsciously influenced by the androgynous Annunaki women, aliens but often mistaken for angels. Beauty beyond anything comprehendable. Courting and seducing a transdimensional entity is no quiet feat to absorb. They look kind of like we imagine vampires without the fangs.

Is that song about anyone/thing in particular?
It's a love song, like i said. To want to be someones sexual transmitted disease is to want to be the object of their desires with a stgma attached. With our love, you cant get rid of me, even if you dont want to. I've had way too many stalkers to not step into their eyes for a moment, and then I understood. I made the song when I was 18, its actually what got me officially signed to Warp with a multialbum deal. Sexual tension, obscure seduction, and dark loves songs is a primary focus for my art.

Which do you enjoy more doing photography or making music?
Now I prefer photography. I need some music inspiration. I've been through all the different kinds of software and hardware, so I like getting physical and playing instruments more. Whenever I make music now I am writing it on piano now. Urban gospel keys is my style and I cant shake it. I grew up listening to Prince and Michael. I'll never stop making music, I've just made so much.. I have over 5000 songs on my harddrive, and its not my entire catalog. When I was 20 I lost my whole collection prior to. Obviously not all are good, finished, and tolerable. I'm just insomniac and music free's me and lets me express myself.
Photography is different. I get to know someone. not officially, just for the moment. Working with professional models is different as well, since I shoot mostly fashion. I quite like shooting my friends and letting them be themselves, show sexual energy, or maybe its just shyness.. I want people to be themselves. part of my job as a photographer is to inspire them in a way, let them release something.. something only WE could share... and I dont only shoot girls either. Shooting boys, especially gay ones is the same type of thing. There is always this kind of strange sexual tension when you shoot someone... It's just a fact and I like this. I prefer shooting mutliple people at the same time, this is entirely different too. you can explore sexual tension between other people and its this whole experience, very complicated and different everuy time. I've just completed a shoot in Zagreb, Croatia with about 15 models, all very beautiful and only a few were professionals... We drank absinthe and made pure art.

Your behind some of the production on the upcoming Justin Timberlake album aren’t you?
How did that ever come up?

No comment. It was a "rumour". Justin is dope though, and may soon be finessed by my musical grace, thats all I can say.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
It definitely wouldnt be any of my music. Im proud of my music but its for other people. i dont even keep any of my albums, I give them away to my friends I dont like having copies.. I hate nostalgia. I wouldnt keep one album, very bad question for me.

Are you living your dream?
I just had a 20 minute epiphany after you asked me this question. And I went to a thought in my mind about it. Yes, I am living my dream. We create our lives and I've created my dream. I am not nearly done. I am proud of myself, like I said... but I'm not impressed yet. I am just obsessed with working and what I do. I do not love myself, but I am working on it. I say we make our dreams. I imagined myself as a drug addict when I was younger and low-and-behold thats exactly what I became.. living in NYC, like a rockstar junky, making money, partying with models, shooting, playing, fucking, fighting and everything. Anyways, so my point is that I made my dream. and now it continues. I am clean, only occasion fuck ups and making art more, exercising and eating right and loving people. I love my fans eternally. The appreciation and the inspiration that I try and give away is my passion. All I want is for people to want to be something more. I want to inspire passion. Fire. It's nothing mediocre.

Thanx Jimmy!

Jimmy Edgar is about to release his next full length "Deeper", look for that sometime this year...

REVIEW: Kría Brekkan - Uterus Water

7.25 out of 10

Last year Kría Brekkan released one of the best albums of her solo career. Her music is gentle, perplexed, abstract, and a little mind-numbing. For those of you unaware of Ms. Brekkan's genius, she used to be in Mum, she's released an album with her husband (Avey Tare) a couple years back titled "Pullhair Rubeye", and she has gone on to do her solo thing for the past few years now. If you've heard the album "Pullhair Rubeye" you know that the whole thing was mixed in reverse with a few time/pitch changes. It can be a hard album to get into if you listen to it the way it was released. Naturally, I got curious one day and (with the magic of computer software) reversed the album back to it's original format. Once I did that, I found the album quite hard to put down. I'm not sure why they chose to reverse the entire album (other than they said they "prefer" it this way) because it really is quite amazing if you're at all fascinated by the earlier/slightly more ambient/psych days of Animal Collective. So anyway's, back to Ms. Brekkan's 09 release titled "Apotropaiosong Armor"..It was exactly what I was hoping for after hearing "Pullhair Rubeye", a perfect mixture of Campfire Psych, Ambient Drone Bliss, Electronic Collage, and of course Kría's adorable vocals. After hearing "Apotropaiosong Armor" I was more than excited to hear about a new single from her, little did I know how much I would love "Uterus Water". It may be short, but it packs a punch (in the way that experimental bliss should) and leaves you wanting more. Really, this young lady is true visionary as well as one of the most unique/important talents in the Indie "underground" world as we know it.

Organic bewilderment with enchanting/adorable vocals and lush/abstract atmospheres, that's the best way to describe "Uterus Water". To understand Kría is to understand this quote "Early this year I was sick for weeks coughing bad air out of my lungs cause of all the smoke from the fire cumulating in the old electricity. The waters of our insides had already dried up in the heat and would not become of much use to bring the flames braking out down. That night outside wind blew unruly. I was staying in an apartment of a friend who was gone and had a song to make for children to go to sleep to. i crawled onto the floor and created Uterus Water with the instruments i found around me like shelter." - Kría Brekkan

If you got 10 minutes to kill, do yourself a favor and sail away to a beguiling planet made up of unearthly visions/sounds. Kría Brekkan will take you there and leave you in a state of tranquil disorientation. Her sound is unique to her, and maybe Grouper, and maybe Animal Collective (pre (and maybe a little) "Sung Tongs" era). Recommended.

Standout Tracks: There's only 3, I like em' all, I only hope that a full length is on the way soon..

Check into Rob Jacobs..


(truly)Experimental/Abstract Classical Folk Pop (the entire album was done in one take!)

Toro Y Moi 2010 US Tour..

Toro Y Moi '10 US Tour

2/25 Brooklyn, NY Cameo
2/26 Haverford, PA Haverford College
2/27 Frederick, MD Cafe Nola
3/12 Santa Barbara, CA Muddy Waters
3/13 La Jolla, CA UCSD - The Loft
3/14 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room
3/15 Tucson, AZ Plush
3/17 Austin, TX Red 7 - Force Field PR
3/17 Austin, TX Mohawk - Austinist
3/22 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn
3/23 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
3/24 Washington, DC Black Cat
3/25 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie
3/26 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bowl
3/27 Cambridge, MA Middle East
3/28 Winooski, VT The Monkey House
3/31 Chicago, IL Schubas
4/02 St. Paul, MN Turf Club
4/03 Lawrence, KS Jackpot Saloon
4/05 Denver, CO Hi Dive
4/06 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
4/07 Nampa, ID Flying M Coffee
4/08 Seattle, WA Chop Suey
4/10 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
4/12 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
4/13 San Luis Obispo, CA SLO Arts Center
4/14 Los Angeles, CA The Echo


..once again, passed up. Why do I live where I live??

A couple of songs I found (that I like)..



&

Phillip Oskar Augustine - Internal Combustion (feat. Ernest Greene)

~njoy

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Cool Video Funtime #126 - Flower Gardens

New High Places album on the way..

High Places "High Places Vs. Mankind" comes out April 6th via Thrill Jockey.

Tracklisting:
1. The Longest Shadows
2. On Giving Up
3. She's a Wild Horse
4. The Channon
5. Canada
6. Constant Winter
7. On a Hill in a Bed on a Road in a House
8. Drift Slayer
9. The Most Beautiful Name
10. When It Comes

I like High Places.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

R.I.P. Dannie Flesher

From Chicago Tribune:

Dannie Flesher, who oversaw the internationally acclaimed Wax Trax record store and label in Chicago during the ‘80s and ‘90s, has died at age 58.

Flesher died Sunday in his home town of Hope, Ark., of pneumonia. He had dropped out of the music business after Wax Trax folded and his life and label partner Jim Nash died in 1995. Flesher had returned to Arkansas in 2005 to live with family members.

Nash and Flesher opened a Wax Trax store in Denver in the ‘70s, then moved their operation to Lincoln Avenue in 1978. Their store, stocked with imported punk and electronic music, defined the cutting edge and was like the city’s island of misfit toys, where punks, freaks and outsiders gathered to buy music, advertise shows and plot their futures.

In the ‘80s, the store expanded into a label that became the world headquarters for boundary-pushing artists who bridged disco, electronic music, rock, and the avant-garde. Some dubbed the sound “industrial disco,” an umbrella term that included Ministry, Front 242, Underworld, KMFDM, and My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, underground acts who went on to sell millions of records.

Whereas Nash was the flamboyant label spokesman and talent scout, Flesher was the quieter but no less important half of the franchise.

“Jim was the face of the label, but Dannie played a major role; he and Jim brainstormed everything together,” said Reid Hyams, whose Chicago Trax studio hosted countless recording sessions by Wax Trax artists, including legendary bacchanals overseen by Ministry’s Al Jourgensen.

Chris Connelly, one of the label’s key artists, was based in Scotland when he was invited by Jourgensen to participate in a Chicago recording session in 1986. “I had never been to America before, and Dannie came to get me at O’Hare,” he says. “He and Jim pretty much adopted me. Dannie was the rock with the aviator shades and a cool menthol-light cigarette hanging out of his mouth at all times. He had rock-solid info whenever you needed it. Amid all the craziness, a scene made up of complete flakes, he was the reliable one. To live with Jim that long, or to be involved with Trax, you had to bulldoze through.”

Connelly was struck by the modesty of the operation. “I thought every record label in America was in a high rise, but here they were in an apartment above their store, with stacks and stacks of records in the toilet,” he said. “I couldn’t believe the label was being run by two guys who would sit at 1 o’clock in the afternoon and drink a Scotch and smoke a big fat joint. But they had something people wanted, they had great taste in music, and for a while it just got bigger.”

In a 1991 interview with the Tribune, Nash laughed at the notion that he and Flesher were businessmen. “We’re in the business of chaos,” he said. But they had an ear for music that appealed to a large, vibrant audience that was largely ignored by the mainstream music business.

The duo’s cavalier attitude toward business eventually did them in. They never signed contracts with any of the bands they discovered, and ended up losing most of their artists to major labels. Wax Trax went bankrupt and folded in the mid-‘90s, but left behind a towering legacy.

"A lot of things opened up in this city thanks to Jim and Dannie," Frankie Nardiello of Thrill Kill Kult once told the Tribune. "They brought a lot of culture and coolness, a whole bunch of punk glitter, to a place that really needed it."

Flesher is survived by four brothers, three sisters and numerous nieces and nephews. No services have been announced.


Buy this NOW in his honor. It's an album that shaped who I am today..

Check into Shlohmo..


Hazy, laid-back Dub-Step/Electronic bliss from another young prodigy..

New ASDIG EP on the way...

A Sunny Day in Glasgow will be releasing a new EP titled "Nitetime Rainbows". on March 2nd via Mis Ojos Discos. Oh, and they'll also be touring, I highly suggest you go. (I can speak from experience on this, this guys are amazing live).-.


Here is the tracklisting
, below that are the tour dates..
1. Nitetime Rainbows
2. Daytime Rainbows
3. So Bloody, So Tight

4. Piano Lessons

5. Nitetime Rainbows (The Buddy System Remix)

6. Nitetime Rainbows (Acid Wash Edit by Benoît Pioulard)

7. Nitetime Rainbows (Ezekiel Honig Remix)


ASDIG '10

02-26 New York City, NY - Mercury Lounge
02-27 Pittsburgh, PA - Brillobox
03-01 Columbus, OH - Cafe Bourbon
03-02 Champaign, IL - Mike N' Molly's
03-03 Chicago, IL - Schubas
03-04 Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
03-05 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
03-09 Seattle, WA - The Vera Project
03-10 Portland, OR - Holocene
03-11 San Francisco, CA - Hemlock Tavern
03-13 Los Angeles, CA - The Mint
03-14 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar
03-17-20 Austin, TX - SXSW
03-23 New Orleans, LA - TBA
03-24 Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's
03-25 Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree
03-26 Nashville, TN - The End
03-27 Charlotte, NC - Snug Harbor
03-28 Washington, DC - DC9
03-29 Brooklyn, NY - The Bell House
03-31 Boston, MA - Great Scott
04-01 Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie

Can't wait to get me earphones on that...