I bought Wolf Parade’s new album, At Mount Zoomer on a whim the other day because I was feeling majorly out of the loop of recent music releases. I prefer Dan Boeckner’s stuff in Handsome Furs to most things Spencer Krug has done, so be aware of my bias. (Although Shut Up I Am Dreaming is still an awesome song by any measure.) Behold, my impressions!
I have no idea what Wild Beasts are on about, but if that isn’t a catchy song title then I don’t know what is. I’ve recommended this on many occasions and no one seems as struck as me. Granted it’s not very traditional, sounding as if Tiny Tim of “Tip-Toe Thru’ the Tulips With Me” fame took over lead vocals for the Archie Bronson Outfit. Oh, and throw in some of those coconuts banged together from Holy Grail. It just, well, goes. It’s so unusually good that I have to love it. If you like it, then check out out all ten tracks on their new album Limbo, Panto.
Wild Beasts - Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants
Here’s the music video from the original 7′’ recording of the song:
My favourite Labrador artists - The Radio Dept. - are back at it with a new EP: Freddie and the Trojan Horse, and an upcoming new album (titled Clinging to a Scheme) due September 10. At least, this EP was freshly released when I first started to write this post… damned summer apathy.
These Swedish sweethearts slapped us with sincere shoegaze (holy alliteration!) with their 2003 album Lesser Matters. This delicate collection of melodic pop-rock reminiscent of The Field Mice on horse tranquilizers was praised as being not only an achievement in the genre, but a gem of the year. I had a really hard time only choosing one to post. Get this album, I mean it!
Following with Pet Grief in 2006, the boys (as they were now lacking their female vocalist) changed the direction of their music by introducing a drum machine and upping the focus on 80s-toned synth. They still retained their characteristic fuzziness but I think it lacked the charm of their debut disk. Despite this, “The Worst Taste In Music” is seductive for championing the indie-sentiment that a true love could abandon their beau based on their sub-par music preferences. Ah, the indie-kid superiority complex. So cute.
“Freddie and the Trojan Horse” introduced some heavy piano and followed up on the sad-sack mentality, but I’m still loving it. I tossed the new one on here for your perusal, as well as some old favourites and the video to the EP-only “Pulling Our Weight”. As a sidenote, I think that clouds are completely appropriate for a dreampop vid.
The Radio Dept. - Where Damage Isn’t Already Done [2003, Lesser Matters]
The Radio Dept. - The Worst Taste in Music [2006, Pet Grief]
The Radio Dept. - Freddie and the Trojan Horse [2008, FATTH EP]
Albert Hammond, Jr. is back with his second solo album since The Strokes farted out First Impressions of Earth in 2006. Not to diminish his credibility, since Yours to Keep was a fantastic record and a true return to Strokes form. And though this second album doesn’t have the fiery punch of guitar pop majesty that his first album had, there are a few songs to write home about, chiefly “GfC”. Don’t ask me what it stands for, maybe you can find it on Wikipedia. It’s not only the best song on the album, but also the first single from ¿Cómo Te Llama?, which comes out tomorrow.
Mates of State have always been my favourite two piece. They’ve done a lot with just an organ and some drums. None of their records have sounded too much like the last, they’ve always kept it fresh. On their new album, Re-Arrange Us, they decide to throw some more instruments to the mix.
Out is the organ, and in comes a grand piano, and synthesizers. They flesh out their sound with strings and guitars, and even some guest backup singers. On their first couple of records, I always felt their singing felt very DIY, but their harmonies were so perfect and charming it didn’t matter. But on this album Kori’s voice has never sounded better.
All the aspects that make me love Mates of State are still there, the back and forth singing, the harmonies, and that charm that just radiates through them. This album sounds like Mates of State growing up. With 2 kids now, I guess they kinda are. Or they’re just getting better. Get Better! yeah…
Mates of State - My Only Offer
You should buy their records!
The Stills’ 3rd album, Oceans Will Rise, is on its way this August, and the first single, ‘Being Here,’ has made its way onto the interweb. After Dave Hamelin assumed the majority of vocal duties on Without Feathers, it’s refreshing to hear Tim Fletcher’s voice taking centre stage again. Hopefully that trend continues on the new album. Though Without Feathers grew on me somewhat, it still doesn’t hold a candle to Logic Will Break Your Heart. The song harkens back to those days with the soaring guitars and whatnot. I like this.
(Apologies for the Hype Machine link. 56K internet is not conducive to uploading things.)
Danny threatened to suspend his friendship with me if I didn’t start writing more posts. So in a frantic scramble, here’s something to say “ca va cool” to.
The Cool Kids are probably the hottest new thing to come out of Chicago. Self-described as “the new Black version of the Beastie Boys,” they’re hip hop for hipsters… hipster-hop you might say. BMX bikes, stunna shades, fruity pebbles, “with a little bit of gold and a pager.” This is the kind of stuff they rap about, spat over a minimalist beat to accentuate their catchy rhyming schemes. They’re not interested in pimpin or slappin hoes. As their name suggests, they’re more interested in just being cool. Trendy without trying. Fresh instead of hard.
Yes, yes, ya’ll. This track is a salute to the freshest era of hip hop with an anthemic chorus from a line in Nas’ “Made You Look”. It’s mostly a rapper’s brag, but instead of showing off how hard or street they are, they school wack emcees on how to be cool. Modern day fly machines. Graduates of Cooley High. They show off just how fresh they are with comparisons to Will Smith and references to the Safety Dance.
The Cool Kids - Gold And A Pager (Klevers Moon Walk Remix)
The Cool Kids vs. Starski - Stunnas On
These other two songs are from their Collected & Compiled Mixtape. They’ve had one EP out for a while (Totally Flossed Out) and have recently released another (The Bake Sale) just a week ago. They don’t really care for release dates, and said that we can expect their album to drop “When Fish Ride Bicycles” … okay no, they didn’t really say that. They said it would be sometime this year. But that’s what the name of their album was reported to be.
They will also be performing at the Rock The Bells concert, with another of my chi-town favorites, Kid Sister, and not to mention a bunch of other hip hop legends and heavy weights.
Who?: Fred Falke
What?: remixes remixes remixes
Where?: paris of course
Lykke and Ladyhawke are two of my favourites right now so I was ecstatic to come across these lovely remixes. While there have been tons of mixes floating around of both gals’ tunes I found about ZERO that I liked. And then along comes Mr. Falke with his deliciously disco-ish edits. They are fantastic.
Back of the Van (Fred Falke Ultimate Beverly mix)- Ladyhawke
I’m Good, I’m Gone (Fred Falke remix)- Lykke Li
As for The Whitest Boy Alive…Falke has taken ‘Golden Cage’ and fashioned it into a ‘murder on the dancefloor‘ worthy track.
Golden Cage (Fred Falke remix)- The Whitest Boy Alive
This past week I watched the season finale of CSI: NY as well as the movie Collateral (Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx). Both were about shady cab drivers who might just kill you for shits and giggles. So when I stumbled upon the ominous image above, I was naturally quite fearful that the site BlackCabSessions.Com would feature amateur videos of a London-cabby getting his Hannibal Lecter on. After entering the site however, I realized that I’d discovered a sweet sweet gem. No death - pure indie goodness.
The site features videos of a variety of different indie artists performing in the back of “an iconic London-paradigm: the London Black Cab.” The results are “fleeting and beautiful and surprisingly romantic. I’m totally hooked,” says Aaron Dessner of The National. I totally agree with Mr. Dressner.
Here are some of my favorite videos posted so far:
(Enjoy!)
(more…)
There is nothing I love more than really fantastic bubblegum pop tunes. You know, the kind of songs that you would listen to when cruising in Cali with the top down and your hair blowing in the wind while you apply some tasty Diamond Icing Lip Smackers and giggle with your girlfriends. Well, I don’t know if they even make Diamond Icing anymore — they should though, Lip Smackers was the best part of 7th grade — but either way the soundtrack to my little joy ride fantasy would be Annie’s new song ‘Girlfriend‘. Remember Annie? The Norwegian pop singer who put out what Pitchfork called a ‘perfect pop tune’ back in 2004?! If you don’t, than learn. She is from Bergen, she’s blond and her last album, Anniemal was honestly one of the best things to happen back in 1st year university. Heartbeat was on repeat in my dorm room for the entire year and i never got sick of it because 1) it was perfection and 2) there were SO many good remixes — MSTRKRFT, Mylo, Röyksopp, Alan Braxe et al. — that i could switch it up every now and then. Anyways, her new album ‘Don’t Stop‘ will be released in July. There are already some remixes of ‘Girlfriend’… I like the Get Shakes one best, and Feadz is working on one as well… it should be superb.
I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me (Get Shakes remix)- Annie
And just because my love for ‘Heartbeat’ will never end, I’ve decided to throw it in as well. Plus a remix or two… for old time sake.
Heartbeat (Alan Braxe remix)- Annie
ps. pop quiz….. where does the post title come from?! whoever figures this out first gets 10 neon hearts from moi….. and don’t google it… that ruins the fun
