moment2moment: Nat Baldwin's "Let My Spirit Rise"

Roll your eyes and say, "white boys be tryin' to be spiritual again," but if James Blake can do it, Nat Baldwin, bass player for the Dirty Projectors, certainly earns his marks on People Changes, especially the closing track, "Let My Spirit Rise."

Baldwin lays it all bare, falsetto and quivering upright bass, the bones. Like waves, the bass froths and rumbles hinting at a vast ocean underneath our toes. A man begs for salvation on horizon-less seas, begs that one day he will be forgiven. Violins gently glide in, a guiding light in the dark. Playfully we've explored our hearts and by the end, maybe we can transcend this mortal coil.

Listen:
"Nat Baldwin-"Let My Spirit Rise"

Look:
Nat Baldwin on Western Vinyl

soundslikeavisual: How To Dress Well's "Suicide Dream 3"

Yourstru.ly Presents: How To Dress Well "Suicide Dream 3" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

The folks over at Yours Truly have just posted this glorious session with Lo-Fi R&B superstar Tom Krell of How To Dress Well. Last year's wonderfully moving Love Remains is a broken and clattering snapshot of loss reverberating out of a canyon, but the upcoming EP, Just Once, finds Krell exploring orchestral arrangements and stunningly clear vocals. Witness "Suicide Dream 3" above.

Listen:
How To Dress Well-"Suicide Dream 3 (Orchestral Version)"

Look:
Pre-order Just Once over at Love Letters Ink

albumreview: Cults' Cults (2011)

Cults are too surreal of a girl-group homage to belong in this universe. They're probably the number one band in a David Lynch film or the some gargantuan pop duo who rose to fame if The Beatles had never existed.

Shrouded in a certain level of anonymity, they forgo the White Stripes theatrics and give us a genuinely wonderful self-titled debut, Cults, that is engaging, moving and catchy as all hell on Sunday (or any day).

Buzzing internet singles "Go Outside," "Abducted," and the monstrous, "You Know What I Mean," could come off as mere lo-fi reflections of Phil Spector's pop glory, but instead Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion inject a bit of eeriness and instability to the mix, keeping us on our toes.

Whether it's the Jim Jones samples, warbling synths below the standard guitar, bass and drums or Follin's Lolita-esque vocal stylings, something just isn't quite right. The sugary pop hooks belie the insidious underbelly of love and devotion. Cults hit the ground-running with Cults, but it remains to be seen if everyone joins the congregation. Heaven's Gate is waiting and we're all invited.

Listen:
Cults-"Go Outside"
Cults-"Oh My God"


Look:
Cults official site

playingwithtoys: Everything Could Be Fine cassette

Records are for posers, reel-to-reel is for the real deal, eight-track is for the freaks and cassettes are for? Sometimes music just sounds great on that jittery medium. I used to make mixes off of KROQ back in the day on my Sony Walkman and go ride my bike around the neighborhoods of Orange County singing my head off.

Nowadays I mostly wear out an already worn copy of Tracy Chapman's self-titled debut and a few Blanket Truth albums on tape. However, I immediately snatched up Sun Glitters' electro-storm of a debut Everything Could Be Fine on the late 80s kid analog. BUT unfortunately a little gaff at the factory delayed the delivery by more than a month!

The label head of We Get By and Sun Glitters' own Victor Ferreira were kind enough to quell my queries and insure they didn't just, "take the money and run." I happily received it a few days ago and am eager to experience Everything Could Be Fine in a whole new way.

Listen:
Sun Glitters-"Too Much To Lose"

Look:
original 8.Bit Samba review
Sun Glitters on bandcamp

Show Reports: Allo Darlin' Cancelled!

Say it ain't so! Nearly a week before London's favorite local band were to grace Los Angeles, I got wind that something had gone terribly awry. Ticketweb refunded me the cost of the ticket and scoping out their facebook page confirmed the sad news.

Alas visa issues are a constant problem for smaller bands looking to break any shore. One would assume Radiohead has no problems crossing ponds, but the government is stingy on both ends and full of bureaucratic bullshit.

I know Elizabeth was looking forward to making it back out to Cali and with the cancelation of the entire West Coast and South West I can only shake my fist bitterly at the East Coast. The band says they are trying to reschedule and I hope all goes well because they deserve all the success they can get. When they make it back to California everyone will be better for it.

Updated tour schedule:

24 May Vera Project Seattle, WA - (CANCELLED, to be rescheduled)
25 May Holocene Portland, OR - (CANCELLED, to be rescheduled)
27 May SF Popfest at Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA - (CANCELLED, to be rescheduled)
28 May Echo Los Angeles, CA - (CANCELLED, to be rescheduled)
30 May Casbah San Diego, CA - (CANCELLED, to be rescheduled)
31 May Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ - (CANCELLED, to be rescheduled)
01 June Centre for Contemporary Arts Santa Fe, NM - (CANCELLED, to be rescheduled)
03 June Chaos in Tejas Austin, TX - (CANCELLED, to be rescheduled)
08 June Mercury Lounge New York, NY
09 June TT The Bears Boston, MA
10 June Il Motore Montreal, QC
11 June El Mocambo Toronto, ON
13 June Schubas Chicago, IL
14 June The Bishop Bloomington, IN
16 June Black Cat Washington, DC
17 June Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia, PA
18 June Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY
19 June Brighton Bar, Long Branch NJ

Listen:
Allo Darlin'-"My Heart Is A Drummer"

Look:
Allo Darlin's official site

MNDR @ The Echoplex 05.17.11

Couch surfing as I may, I need to see LA and all its splendor (or squalor) whenever I get the opportunity. So after day two of my new job I called up a hip friend in the music biz (as they say) to see what was going on that evening. Turns out a huge dance night at The Echoplex (below The Echo) was going down. How could I say no?

Unplanned and underprepared, we arrived just in time for MNDR. Easily mistaken for my local librarian or a devious cat lady, Amanda Warner, is an electro-pop singer with better chops and less bullshit than some of her more Target-brand peers.

My friends' raved about her pre-show, and like Candian glitter-pop boy Diamond Rings, Warner engaged the entire crowd throughout. It was clear there were some devout followers in attendance that night. And all I can declare is that Warner knows what she's doing and next time she performs locally, you can sign me up, I am now part of the MNDR converted.

Listen:
MNDR-"Cut Me Out"

Look:
official site of MNDR

albumreview: Bon Iver's Bon Iver (2011)

Justin Vernon has learned a thing or two since hanging out with Kanye West and other hip hop superstars. This is 2011, and one cannot just fingerpick woefully alone in the forest anymore. Bon Iver is groovy record. Not to say you couldn't see this coming.

"Holocene," "Michicant," "Calgary," hell, nearly the entire record sounds like For Emma, but with a bigger budget and silkier production. "Towers" uses a swelling undercurrent of horns to represent the bubbling and complicated love of the song's protagonist. "Minnesota, WI" has Vernon getting his sexy Chris Martin swagger on with banjos and slide guitar aplenty. "Holocene," flows with a sensitive lilt before bouncing to life with a stomp and handclaps. Perfect motivation to make it to the top of the mountain.

I have a feeling some folks won't like this follow-up much. It's difficult to pin down, the hooks never simple. Epic 80s closer, "Beth/Rest," features those yamaha electric keyboards stolen straight from a Peter Cetera record or Jackson Browne's Running On Empty. Vernon particularly enjoyed wanking on the cheesy guitar solo that begs us to dig out our lighters and raise 'em high. It's most definitely a power ballad, but feels oddly appropriate at the end of a deeply exploratory journey.

Like Helplessness Blues, Bon Iver is not a picturesque folk record with bohemian nostalgia or dusty longings for the "good old days." Despite the cleansing feeling I get when listening to it, I'm still not sure what to make of it. Vernon and company threw down another gauntlet for us musicians, bloggers and listeners. Are we prepared to step up to the challenge?

Listen:
Bon Iver-"Calgary"

Look:
Bon Iver's official site

Show Reports: Lord Huron @ The Troubadour 05.14.11

As I continue to ingratiate myself into the live music scene in LA, last Saturday night was my first show at the world-famous Troubadour on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. A bunch of us OC kids pilied into a Nissan Sentra to bare witness to Michigan-cum-Los Angeles band Lord Huron.

The bands' Mighty EP and "Into The Sun" single proved incredibly blogworthy, but seemed (to me) very bedroom-centric. The Lion King score meets Fleet Foxes meets pina coladas sound intrigued me, but how was it going to translate live?

It was an evening for celebration. A good friend's birthday just passed, my friend locked picture on her documentary and I just got a job (that's right) in LA. More than you would imagine dear reader, Lord Huron's brand of tropical folkwave was just what we needed. I had a healthy amount of liquor, but lest you think this blogger was too drunk to pay close attention to the bands jubilant and synergistic performance you would be partially incorrect.

Openers, The Union Line got things off to a groovy start so that when Ben Schneider and company came onstage (theremin included) everyone was ready to be whisked away, traveling the globe with this merry band of happy raconteurs. The band, incredibly tight and focused, expanded the sound on the two Lord Huron releases. They sound majestic now, able-bodied, confident and with the Calder Quartet playing alongside, "epic" feels like an appropriate term to throw their way.

After charmingly stumbling his way through a cover of The Boss's "Nebraska," the evening ended with the self-titled track from the Mighty EP, a song that'll force you to take heed of Lord Huron. On the record it's a fun, bouncy and dynamic slice of sun-soaked pop. Live, it soars and declares itself breathlessly. What a way to end a show.

Listen:
Lord Huron-"Mighty"

Look:
Lord Huron's official site

albumreview: Candle's The River You Drink From Will Drown You (2011)

Candle is a rough 'n' ready folk band from the Central California coast where the sea meets the open road. It's an easy place to wander, but the ocean is always a constant gauge of your progress (or lack thereof). After three years of lineup changes, going to school, dropping out of school, traveling to Alaska and Chile, leader Kevin Coons wrangled up the gang in a studio in San Luis Obispo and recorded his latest collection of bright-eyed musings, evocatively titled The River You Drink From Will Drown You.

Ever since Candle's first official release Birds Were Meant to Fly, they have streamlined their post-rock-meets-country stylings to a form that is more assured and (dare I say) accessible. However, it's immediately obvious that the hooks from 2008's Miles and Miles and Miles are missing. What remains is a more measured and raw set of songs that often reward with due attention.

Songs like "Snowfall on an Anchorage Graveyard" and "We Won't Ever Die" benefit from a new stripped down sound. What could have come off as a crawling dirge, "Graveyard" feels alive with the arpeggiated acoustic picking and Coons' developing raspy singing. Lovely vocalist Chloe Smith adds an airy twist onto "Die," a tune so relaxed with its "we will never die" chorus you'd swear we were sitting in a jazz lounge in heaven.

Ironically, just as Miles' brightest moments were due to its pop hooks, many of the poppier numbers on River ("Like Ghosts" or "El Rio") feel obligatory and stiff. The main exception is "My Old Ways," which expresses Candle's ideal attitude. Young people feel pain, but we are still young enough to not lose faith. And with a bit of wandering, we'll find our way home someday.

Listen:
Candle-"My Old Ways"

Look:
Candle on bandcamp

Support:
Purchase from Real Love Records

albumreview: Pretty Swans' We Got Hot & Died (2011)

Stumbling into the woods, Brian Wilson is having a bad mushroom trip. No matter what direction he walks, he can not escape the vast pine-tree forest he has inexplicably found himself in. His brothers and bandmates are gone. Pop music is gone. He managed a tiny campfire in an attempt at survival. The fire grew slowly, but strangled and choked everything around it until Brian could only see a technicolor wall of flames.

We Got Hot & Died is the debut album from Chicago outfit Pretty Swans, the brainchild of former Tinyfolk sensation, Russ Woods. Combining downbeat harmonies and an utter singularity of expression, Hot is a gargantuan forest of sounds to digest.

My immediate points of reference for Pretty Swans recall the American Northwest. The creaky and organic sounds of Mirah and The Microphones are apparent everywhere on songs like, "Go Die in a Car Fire," "We Can Dance," and "Two Trees." Jim Laczkowski's production work here is fantastic, getting the guitar to sound like shimmering leaves. Yes these tunes all have a uniform haze, but you'll never lose your way.

"You Fell Over" is a very clear focal point on Hot. The arpeggiated tenor guitar gnashing like wind chimes, Russ's soothing harmonies describing a single moment in a single moment. We need to figure it out. Repetition is our messiah. Maybe we'll figure out what that moment means. Let's figure it out together.

My only grievance towards Pretty Swans is that the record, at seventeen tracks, is a beast to tackle. I liken We Got Hot & Died to the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions. They contain the extra character moments ("They Found Fire"), longer battles ("I Am Eating Them All") and gratuitous asides of beauty ("Birds and Birds and Birds"). Yes, some tracks are unnecessary to get the story, but once you've heard them, could you in good conscience clip them back out?

Listen:
Pretty Swans-"You Fell Over."

Look:
Pretty Swans at Pattern Hungry Records

you meddling kids: Bon Iver's "Calgary"

By now Bon Iver's debut For Emma, Forever Ago has achieved legendary status. Cutting through the bullshit myth-making and one fantastic follow=up EP, does Justin Vernon and company have what it takes to woo the hearts of indiekids everywhere with a new set of melancholic and angelic folk tunes?

"Calgary," the first inkling from Bon Iver feels like a new-wave hymm combined with Vernon's signature harmonies and somber feel mixed with a bit of sex appeal. Nothing like crying in the back of the club right? Bon Iver drops June 21st on Jagjaguwar.

Listen:
Bon Iver-"Calgary"

Look:
Bon Iver's official site

you meddling kids: Memory Tapes' "Wait in the Dark"

I cannot wait for Memory Tapes' Player Piano to drop on the us kids (July 5th). 2009's Seek Magic was full of modest glo-fi grooves, but with the song "THIS OUR LIFE" and now "Wait in the Dark," Dayve Hawk seems to be taking a more aggressive and openly melodic stance this time out.

"Wait in the Dark" is not nearly as stunning or epic in scale or scope as "LIFE," but it's certainly very charming and filled with plenty of Hawk's signature wah-wah keyboard doodling. The song describes the uncertainties in a crumbling relationship, but the music reflects the inherent liveliness of the times when love (in all forms) puts us at the edge of our seat, sensitive to all possibilities.

Listen:
Memory Tapes-"Wait in the Dark"

Look:
Memory Tapes on blogspot

you meddling kids: jj's "No One Can Touch Us Tonight" and "Ice"

jj are a goofy and ethereal duo from Sweden who make plaintive balearic hip hop-referencing ballads and beats. With such influences they are bound to be hit or miss on occasion (jj no. 3). However, Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander are preparing jj no. 4 for a release in June and after dropping a few videos from past records, they delivered "No One Can Touch Us Tonight" and "Ice" on our metaphorical doorsteps yesterday.

These two new tunes are frightfully exciting because they recall the best of what jj offered on their wonderful debut album. "No Can Touch Us Tonight" contains some fragile guitar-work, icy synths and a classic worldmusic-esque beat that, combined with Kastlander's star-gazing vocals, instantly defrosts the room. Lil Wayne gets a fuzzed up appearance and it's a pretty hilarious ending to an otherwise angelic track.

"Ice" on the other hand is a slow-burning lullaby. Synths and strings swells and Kastlander sings us gently to sleep. Both songs prove that jj haven't nearly fallen off the wagon and places jj no. 4 on my anticipated records of 2011 list. Keep your ears open.

Listen:
jj-"No One Can Touch Us Tonight"
jj-"Ice"


Look:
jj on Sincerely Yours

albumreview: The Head and The Heart's The Head and The Heart (2011)

I want to get a pet peeve of mine out of the way before talking about Sub Pop's The Head and The Heart because I like them. I hate it when my generation romanticizes the time before internet, before television, before retail jobs and suburbs, etc. etc. etc. We seem to believe the begone days were more real and beautiful before all these modern trappings seem to have gotten in-between human interaction. It's a complete lie. Would I really want to work on the railroads all day with little to no rest or little food?

The nostalgia surrounding some golden era was out of date by Dylan's time, so in the age where everyone has a twitter, what's the use in pretending we still use payphones? But I digress, I definitely understand the appeal and so although The Head and The Hear carries plenty of these naive trappings, I get where it comes from, I have them too. So even if "Down in The Valley" has the phony opening line, "I wish I was a slave to an age old trade/like ridin' around on railcars and workin' long days," the excellent piano romper "Ghosts" has singers Josiah and Jonathan declaring, "Is it any wonder why we all leave home?/people say, 'I knew you when you were six years old!'" We've all felt that way before.

I was invited to see the band play in London earlier this year at the tiny pub venue The Lexington without any prior knowledge of their music. Let me tell you, it was an inspiring show. The six-piece in full harmony, belting theses folksy songs at the top of their lungs. And you know what, singing about iphones and suburbia and facebook relationships would seem terribly dreary by comparison. The Head and The Heart are off to a terrific start really. They have the technique and the passion. With a bit of time they'll grow more comfortable in their own skin. Their starry-eyed optimism will be their saving grace.

Listen:
The Head and The Heart-"Ghosts"

Look:
The Head and The Heart official site

albumreview: Vivian Girls' Share The Joy (2011)

I really adore the Vivian Girls and after seeing Cassie, Katy and Fiona at The Echo a few weeks ago I fell in love. However their third full-length Share The Joy is not a great album. That being said, there is a lot of love about this effort from (now) seniors of the "fuzzy buzzy" (or whatever) genre applied to a lot of acts these days combing punk and pop in a way that is more The Jesus & Mary Chain and less Blink-182.

Strangely as Vivian Girls have eased the reigns off the lo-fi distortion, Cassie Ramone's mumble has become more endearing. "Take It As It Comes" is a perfect modern update on the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack," and the searing damnation on "Trying To Pretend" works because of Cassie's acerbic and shakey delivery. With less noise, Katy's bass lines slip around more melodically, but never leave their punk roots. New drummer Fiona adds a bit more dynamism all around (see "Death" or "Sixteen Ways").

Admittedly though, the six-minute tracks, opener "The Other Girls" and closer "Light In Your Eyes" respectively, are a drag. The guitar solos on the record are fatally thin for this blogger. Live, they blister by, chaotically free. Here they are dead in the water.

It's obvious that the girls are stretching their legs on Joy, trying things that are clearly out of their comfort zones. This makes the triumphant lead single,"I Heard You Say," all the more stunning, and in many ways a detriment to the entire LP. This pop masterpiece clearly shows that when all signals align, Vivian Girls can do anything.

Listen:
Vivian Girls-"I Heard You Say"

Look:
Vivian Girls on myspace

you meddling kids: Maria Taylor's "In A Bad Way"

Just as I was wondering what ever happened to Saddle Creek an e-mail arrives in my inbox delivering a new single from one of my early indie crushes, Maria Taylor. One half of dream-pop duo Azure Ray, Maria has been making great little solo records for years, Overlook is her fourth album (third on Saddle Creek) dropping August 16th.

"In A Bad Way" is the first single off Maria's new album and journey's more into the southern-fried rock arena that her contemporaries like Bright Eyes or Rilo Kiley have tried out in the past. However, Maria isn't one to ape genre's so willingly, the rough guitars subdued ever so subtly over the course of the tune.

Listen:
Maria Taylor-"In A Bad Way"

Look:
Maria Taylor over at Saddle Creek

you meddling kids: SASKATCHEWAN's "Dreamboat"

I don't think there's ever been a better time for summer music. "Dreamboat" by Florida band SASKATCHEWAN is the latest tune to cash in (and thankfully so) on the fuzzy buzzy craze currently on blogs, playlists and in our ear buds.

What set's SASKATCHEWAN apart from the pack (besides all those fretfully excitable capitol letters) is lead singer's Chandler Strang's croon that swaggers back and forth with confidence. There is yearning and desire burning here, but I think this guy's got nothing to worry about. It's going to be a fun summer.

Listen:
SASKATCHEWAN-"Dreamboat"

Look:
SASKATCHEWAN on bandcamp

you meddling kids: Sun Glitter's "Things Are"

Just as I was reviewing the debut Sun Glitters record, Everything Could Be Fine, a new song by the Luxembourg artist drops in my tumblr dash, called "Things Are."

The sampling gets pretty extreme on this go around. Like monks in a church, deep howls feel the void between the stop-start beat. Things feel a little messy, aimless, but I think it's Ferreira's intention. The song is called "Things Are" after all. It's another nice addition to the Sun Glitters catalogue, another deeply melancholic wandering to absorb and chew on.

Listen:

Look:
Sun Glitters' official site

albumreview: Theophilus London's Lovers Holiday EP (2011)

Theophilus London is a musician/rapper/fashionista whose debut ep Lovers Holiday, is the perfect little dose of hip summer jams for a playlist mix near you. These songs practically beg to be played at the background of your favorite daytime backyard chill sesh.

Case in point, "Flying Overseas," the track that turned me onto London features a swift chillwave beat and lovely vocal turns by Solange Knowles and Devonte Hynes. The song fits worldly musings into our generation's global aspirations and if we had our way London's very Young MC-style of rapping would be bumping out of speakers from Tokyo to Italy and inbetween.

Holiday isn't afraid to get a little more serious with the other ep highlight, "Strange Love" highlighting a great female vocal sample stuttering under chimes and tongue-twisting rhymes by London. It's thrilling and perhaps the one song best kept for the bedside instead of poolside.

Theophilus London drops his debut LP over the summer and although I'm enjoying this record in a casual kind of way (as I assume it was meant for), I wonder if this hip hop hipster will utilize his strengths and stays away from weaker sounds like on "Girls Girls $." I can only accuse that track for being boring, but Lovers Holiday overall is something to take notice of right now.

Listen:
Theophilus London-"Flying Overseas (feat. Devonte Hynes And Solange Knowles)"

Look:
Theophilus London's official site

albumreview: Sun Glitters' Everything Could Be Fine (2011)

I first discovered Sun Glitters thanks to Anthony Fantano over at The Needle Drop. I was immediately struck dumb by the wave of melancholic grooviness apparent in my favorite Glitters track, "Too Much To Lose." I followed suit and grabbed the entire record, Everything Could Be Fine, off the Lëtzebuerger artist's bandcamp.

Sometimes I have trouble getting into primarily instrumental music. I can't shut up and really listen. Everything Could Be Fine is teaching me to dig deep between the frosty soulful samples off songs like "Feel It" and "A Dragonfly in the City" and let the snyth melodies and purring bass on songs like "Beside Me" and "Find Your Way (See)" pass through me like brisk air currents reawakening the negative space.

Victor Ferreira has crafted sonically united album, but it feels fit for any occasion. Not just for chilling, not just for weeping alone in the bedroom, it could be heard after hours at a club or played on a calm roadtrip down the coast. Everything Could Be Fine is a wonderful album and will get you hooked on Sun Glitters in no time.

Listen
Sun Glitters-"Too Much To Lose"

Look:
Sun Glitters on bandcamp

albumreview: The Mountain Goats' All Eternals Deck (2011)

It's nearly pointless to review a Mountain Goats record for me because I'm always going to love it. All Eternals Deck is John Darnielle's continuing adventures in hi-fi and also recording with permanent band-mates Peter Hughes and John Wurster. I know that many folks miss some sort of overarching concept (a la The Sunset Tree or Heretic Pride), but it's the singular moments in the individual songs that pull me out of my own skin.

Minimal guitar, bass and drums are the workhorses of most Mountain Goats songs over the last few years, but here on Deck the additional arrangements are integral instead of floral. The barbershop quartet rhythm section on album standout "High Hawk Season" perfectly suites the message of the song, Darnielle declaring, "We are young supernovas/and the heat's about to break." I imagine the band in the middle of a protest; signs, bricks and megaphones aplenty. Elsewhere, the string arrangements on "Age of Kings" and the angelic "Outer Scorpion Squadron" add a particular majesty to these tortured souls, Darnielle's hushed voice telling us bedtime stories of the broken.

I sit here at a loss on how I could convince anyone to listen to The Mountain Goats if they haven't before now. It's like a Twilight Zone episode where the protagonist in a small town finds a mountain of gold in his basement. He tries showing the neighbors, his friends, the mayor, but to no avail. No one can see it, but him. Desperately he drags the karats into the streets until people see that through his struggle, he is no fool. My only words to the uninitiated, Darnielle would write a song about this man with dignity and grace. This is All Eternals Deck, and The Mountain Goats, in a nutshell.

Listen:
The Mountain Goats-"High Hawk Season"
The Mountain Goats-"Outer Scorpion Squadron"

Look:
Mountain Goats official site

albumreview: Tyler, The Creator's Goblin (2011)

Tyler, The Creator, lead miscreant rapper and producer of LA's hot rap collective Odd Future Wolfgang Kill Them All, is one of the many alternative celebrities more famous for what they do as opposed to the music they are making. And yes, Odd Future's horror-core rap revival where only good "bitches" is ones who, "suck dick and washes dishes," has garnered plenty of controversy, it's Tyler's playfully antagonistic relationship with bloggers, journalists and just about anybody with an opinion, that is currently in the spotlight.

So does this mean I'm going to wax endlessly about the context in which Goblin was produced (I'm looking at Anthony Fantano) or the nature of why Odd Future is so important right now (I'm looking at you Pitchfork). Tyler, The Creator knows the exact audience that will be listening to his new record.. It's white-bread middle-class bloggers like you and me.

Herein lies the creative spark at the center of Tyler's second album. There are the knowingly ridiculous bangers like "Translyvania," and "Bitch Suck Dick," the songs/skits that are merely there to address/confuse the audience, opener "Goblin" and closer "Golden," and roundabout radio slow jams, "She" and "Analog." Ultimately it's up to us to engage with Goblin's brighter moments.

So yes, a lot of Tyler's album is more enjoyable because of the context of its release, but I hesitate to write off Odd Future as merely progenitors of a new wave of bad taste. Maybe we are long overdue for the release of the suburban Id. Just like the revolutions in the middle east in the spring, a simmering angst lurks in the complacency of the Target generation. Is Goblin a call to arms for a no-holds-fuck-everything-style of chaotic retribution? Time will tell.

Listen:
Tyler, The Creator-"Transylvania"
Tyler, The Creator-"Analog (Feat. Hodgy Beats)"

Look:
Odd Future official site
ps. I'm aware I blathered on about context, but take that to mean what it will

you meddling kids: Panda Bear's "Last Night At The Jetty"

Although I am forever banned from Camp Animal Collective (apparently s'mores aren't vegan) I have found plenty of enjoyable moments on Panda Bear's new solo record Tomboy. "Last Night At The Jetty" is easily one of the best pop songs of 2011, funneling the Beach Boys through a synth pop groove perfect for your nearest drum circle.

At first there doesn't seem to be much complexity to Panda Bear's merry-go-round-esque bubbling underneath those sun-soaked harmonies. It's Noah Lennox's melody, dynamic and subtle, slowly shifting and sliding like the tide over the course of the nearly four-minute tune that really calls us to attention.

Lennox is trying to figure out dreams and what they may mean to a friend (or lover) and through the confusion, all we can say is, "I know, I know." It culminates to a powerful feeling proving that in the Animal Collective camp, repetition continues to be their perfect secret weapon.

Listen:
Panda Bear-"Last Night At The Jetty"

Look:
Panda Bear on myspace

albumreview: James Blake's James Blake (2011)

James Blake and his singer-songwriter dubstep (or minamal electro if you want to start arguing genre-fiction) could have only come from England. He's an astute music student concerned with the details, knows his history and like a lot of English ancestors, is a white kid trying to be soulful. And like his most successful predecessors, he pulls it off so completely, I can't help but want to applaud when his debut record James Blake reaches its finale.

To be clear, the dude can fucking sing. "Give Me My Mouth" reads like Bill Withers on a Sunday. On "Measurements" Blake tuns into an entire gospel choir. If your tempted to chuckle, just wait till you get the lump in your throat.

Elsewhere on the self-titled record, Blake decided that instead of sampling the bins of East London record shops like on his much buzzed about eps last year, he'd chop up his own voice to more immediate effect. "Willhems Scream," is decidedly epic and distills everything you need to know about the guy into a simple calling card. "I Never Learnt To Share," my favorite track, ups the ante, a schizophrenic a capella jam that explodes into dirty dance-floor beat you could hear across the street as you wait at a kebab stand at 2am in London on a Saturday night.

Blake's made the mistake of making a great debut. Will he pillage more dubstep beats and focus more on sampling next time around? Will he strip it all away and focus on tuneful soul ballads? James Blake offers us a world of opportunity, but what a world to revel in, for now.

Listen:
James Blake-"I Never Learnt To Share"

Look:
James Blake official site

Show Reports: Zola Jesus @ The Satellite 05.07.11

Ever since seeing miss Nika Roza Danilova and her two hipster synth-robot men at a Rough Trade instore in London I really wanted to see Zola Jesus in a proper setting. Last night I continued my summer concert series journeying into Silverlake with a truly epic parking job in order to catch out one of my new favorite acts.

For the record The Satellite (formally Spaceland) might officially become my favorite venue in Los Angeles. It smells like an old dive bar with third-rate karaoke and patrons who've been lounging just a little too long. My friend commented on the new ownership, "They added antennae to the disco ball to make it a satellite."

Before the audience was treated to the pipes of Miss Danilova, their were two openers, Hive Mind and Naked on The Vague. Hive Mind droned in the vain of Fuck Buttons without the dynamism and when the Judas Priest-wannabe singer gave us some howls from the bowls of hell I found it just a bit too silly. Naked on the Vague are from Australia and make deeply halloweenish post-rock. It was all right, in an opening band kind of way.

Zola Jesus played nearly all of Stridulum II (UK amalgam of US eps) in its entirety, the band holding the groove on various keyboards and a drum-kit. Miss Danilova looked like a tiny ghost with a howl that could give Edvard Munch a run for his money. Whether it was stalking the stage like a werewolf on "Trust Me" or "Night" or including everyone on the mantra-like "Sea Talk," we were ensnared in her intricate web the entire evening.

As the crowds continue to grow for Zola Jesus, they will continue to get better and better. "Run Me Out," an Inception-in-scope tune that begs to be used in a film trailer, perfectly showcases the scale Miss Danilova and company are operating. Despite how effortlessly they held sway over the tiny Satellite audience, Zola Jesus could enrapture stadiums. And they will soon I'm sure.

Listen:
Zola Jesus-"Run Me Out"

Look:
Zola Jesus official site

moment2moment: "You Know What I Mean" by Cults

Of the smattering of songs we (the blogosphere) have received from San Francisco band Cults, "You Know What I Mean," is the bases loaded grand slammer out of the park into the parking lot right through a car window.

Taking cues from 60s girl groups like the The Shirelles or The Supremes, Madeline Follin lays down the lovelorn soulfulness, dancing around the melody before guitarist Brian Oblivion cranks it up to 11 for a severely mind melting chorus.

The low-to-high transition between verse and chorus is nothing new, but Cults pull it off with panache. "You Know What I Mean," perfectly articulates form without sacrificing any attention to detail or gosh darn genuine emotion. Breathtaking.

Listen:
Cults-"You Know What I Mean"

Look:
Cults official website

albumreview: Thao & Mirah's Thao & Mirah (2011)

One day Thao Nguyen (of Thao with The Get Down Stay Down) and Mirah (of uhh Mirah) decided to collaborate on an album in beautiful and (apparently) fruitful San Francisco. A few years back Thao's band opened for Mirah on tour. I was lucky to have caught one of their shows in Santa Barbara, and I think it's pretty obvious to say their friendship they struck up while on tour turned out to work in spades.

Thao & Mirah is not a cohesive album. Whether Merrill Garbius (of tUnE YarDs fame) turns up for the exotic opener "Eleven" or Mirah coos over the melancholy and ethereal intersteller travel song, "Spaced Out Orbit" or Thao walks with the fucking swagger of a rapper on "How Dare You," this is a collection of tunes that plays out like a summer cum autumn mixtape from 1975.

"Rubies and Rocks" is blacksploitation theme music at it's finest with Mirah getting her sultry James Brown on. "Folks" sees Thao doing what she does best, introspective country with a slightly delirious twist. However, it's when the two performers come together, that Thao & Mirah shines.

"Likable Man" starts off almost typically. Thao asserts herself on an unnamed stranger, "Put your hands down your pants, before your daddies do," and just as the trashcan blues is about to take off, Mirah jumps in with Alison Krauss-like harmonies, playing both ladies a little left of center, but all the better.

I don't think Thao & Mirah is greater than the sum of its parts, but goddamnit they're having a lot of fun. I can't deny opportunities like this, and will gladly accept more if this relationship continues.

Listen:
Thao & Mirah-"Likeable Man"

Look:
Thao & Mirah over at Kill Rockstars

moment2moment: "Marathon" by Tennis

If you're living in the muggy blanket London like I was back in January, listening to Tennis was like having a bucket of sunshine and seawater dumped on your head while taking a nap. Needless to say it was a welcome wake up call.

"Marathon" off their debut Cape Dory is not only the best representation of an idealized summer (highs in lows included), but it's the best synthesis of surf rock and 60s girl group structures all jam-packed into this two-minute and forty-eight second song. Alaina Moore sings in such a delightfully polite manner you'd swear the ocean was begging you to jump in for a swim.

Listen:
Tennis-"Marathon"

Look:
Tennis on myspace

moment2moment: "Vanessa" by Grimes

"Vanessa" by Montreal art-popper Grimes (and D'Eon compatriot) is a delightfully Lolita-esque track that is one-third J-Pop, one-third 90s pop star (via Natalie Imbruglia) and one-third Euro-disco soul. Like D'Eon's "Transparancy," it's the clear standout on her half of their Darkbloom split.

It starts out innocently enough, Claire Boucher lures you in with her coo purring, "oh, I've been waiting definitely." Things take a twisted turn a la the Brothers Grimm and Grimes settles into a smooth groove with a melody that reminded me of ring around the rosy, Boucher singing, " hey hey wanna play baby I can go." Reverb has never sounded this slinky. "Vanessa" is invitingly manipulating and catchy as hell.

Listen:
Grimes-"Vanessa"

Look:
Grimes on myspace

Show Reports: whoigettoseeinconcertsoon

Concerts are now the bread and butter of musicians since the most loyal fans are also too savvy to buy records anymore (7's are the pokemon cards of the hipsters). And now that I work a permanent day gig (collared shirt, parking pass and water cooler included), I look forward to cruising up to LA (in my modest champagne-colored '99 toyota camry), settling in with the hip kids at all the LA venues for a summer's worth of old favorites and up & comers. The list below is subject to more additions (if the gas prices don't kill me).

Zola Jesus @ The Satellite, 05.07.11
First discovered Nika Rosa Danilova at a free in-store show at Rough Trade in London and was supremely blown away by this tiny opera electro-pop singer. I look forward to seeing a full set from her. It'll also be my first time going to The Satellite in Silverlake.

Lord Huron @ The Troubadour, 05.14.11
Fleet Foxes ala Lion King with a dash of pineapple and other tropical fruits, Lord Huron has one grand single and a wonderful EP under their belt. I'm curious to see how it all translates live.

Allo Darlin' @ The Echo, 05.28.11
London's favorite local band, Allo Darlin's self-titled debut was my personal theme music while living in the Great Wen. I also had the pleasure of seeing them at East London venues Cargo and The Lexington. Can't wait to see them in California!

The Mountain Goats @ The El Rey, 06.23.11
Was lucky to see them a few years back at the Henry Fonda in LA and am still kicking myself for missing them in London. John Darnielle is a delightfully charming front man and I can't wait to go to the Church of the Mountain Goats again in June.

Washed Out @ The Echoplex, 07.08.11
THIS IS GOING TO BE THE HIPPEST PLACE IN THE WORLD ON THAT DATE. No really, Ernest Greene will be getting the royal fucking welcome in Silverlake. Viva la Chillwave!

Thao & Mirah @ The Hotel Cafe, 07.11.11
I've seen Mirah three times in Santa Barbara and the last time Thao With the Get Down Stay Down opened for her. I'd like to think my presence inspired them to collaborate together on a record. Should be a great evening even if that isn't true.

Cults @ The Echo 07.27.11
I was just chatting with a friend about seeing this elusive band and lo and behold California dates pop up. I have high hopes that this will be a great little show.

Cults @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts 07.28.11
I've heard a lot of great things about this venue in East LA. It was a former church? Anyway I'm really excited to see Cults two nights in a row!


Who are yall seeing this summer?

Look:
songkick, your #1 place for finding shows

fillingthegap: 8.Bit Samba Kickoff Mix

I have a commensal relationship with the current office day job. I get to immerse myself in the current of new music a lot more than any gig I've had thus far (no, catering with power 106 blaring in the kitchen doesn't count). And so I must "fill the gap" so to speak and catch ya'll up in what's been vibrating in my ears in these last few weeks.

Sun Glitters_Everything Could Be Fine
Could this be the birth of the melancholywave genre? If not then at least the starry-eyed beat heavy sampler debut of Luxumburg's Sun Glitters is on track to be the thing to listen to when the sunshine's got you down.

D'Eon_"Transparency"
Montreal bearded art-popper D'Eon puts his sexy Phil Collins on for a twisted tale of synth love and longing. A highlight off Darkbloom, a split with fellow Canadian, Grimes, there's something simply devilish in those keyboards.

Mountain Goats_All Eternals Deck
Easily the best full-band Mountain Goats record since the cathartic The Sunset Tree, John Darnielle, Peter Hughes and Jon Wurster have crafted a timeless album that eases in the gut with every listen. Try naming a favorite song off Deck, give it a few seconds, and then you'll quickly take it back for this one or that one. Trust me, this will happen.

The Weeknd_House of Balloons
Hate-Sex jams are in full swing early in 2011 with the blogosphere-buzzing debut record from lo-fi r&b act The Weeknd. No matter how ugly you think the album will go, House of Balloons goes deeper with a grand "Hallelujah!" reviling in the beautiful mess that is our "end of the world" generation. It couldn't be more pitch-perfect right now.

Memory Tapes_"THIS IS OUR LIFE"
Piano Player is my most anticipated album of the year so far because of Dave Hawyk's infectious and anthemic lead single "THIS IS OUR LIFE." I mean for god's sakes look at that title! This is like every 60s girl-group shoved into a casio keyboard. I cannot fucking wait.


Listen:
THE MIXTAPE D/L

Look:
Sun Glitters bandcamp
D'Eon on myspace
The Mountain Goats official site
The Weeknd official site
Memory Tapes on myspace

you meddling kids: Washed Out's "Eyes Be Closed"

Holy Hell the summer has finally begun with the arrival of Washed Out's new single, "Eyes Be Closed off his subpop debut Within and Without.

Chillwave king Ernest Greene doesn't fail to disappoint coming in guns blazing with a more treble heavy, swirly synth anthem. When those taiko-style drums kick in its pure bliss albeit a bit short for my taste.

Greene certainly has a handle on his craft and seems ready to bring "whatever you want to call the kind of music he makes" to the mainstream. Everyone is waiting.

ps. I'm seeing him in LA July 8th at The Echo!

Listen:
Washed Out-"Eyes Be Closed"

Look:
Washed Out on myspace

moment2moment: "Mr. Peterson" by Perfume Genius

"Mr. Peterson," by Perfume Genius could easily be mistaken by for some plaintive indie-film ballad at first glance. It's got the bouncy and bright piano rhythm and lyrics detailing a quirky relationship recalling moments when "he let me smoke weed in his truck," and when, "he made me a mixtape of Joy Division."

And yet, Mike Hadreas isn't singing songs for the Little Miss Sunshine generation when the protagonist's lover, "jumped off of a building." It's a startlingly abrupt and tragic event within the song that crystalizes Perfumes Genius's style and attitude. All of the songs of his 2010 debut, Learning, play out like beautifully damaged hearts, but none start out as sweetly as this one.

Listen:
Perfume Genius-"Mr. Peterson"

Look:
Perfume Genius on myspace

Show Reports: Vivian Girls @ The Echo 05.01.11

Vivian Girls played at the Echo a few nights ago kicking off the summer tour season for me as I shuttle up to LA on weekends (hey this guy's gotta go to work). I look forward seeing all the hip young bands I swear the kids are talking about.

The brooklyn-based band just released their engaging third record Share the Joy, but I was surprised to see the club packed to the brim. The buzz for that record has proven lacking (I'm looking at you Pitchfork). However LA's Sweater Girls kicked off the school-night show in an English twee-pop kind of way easing the audience into a receptive state for what would come. 

As Cassie Ramone, 'Kickball' Katy Goodman and Fiona Campbell took the stage whatever outside analysis of the band proved mute. If you thought Vivian Girls merely flirted with 60s girl group form you are correct because they are definitely a punk band first (moshing included).

The ladies thrashed about to cuts from their latest record ("I Heard You Say," "Take It As It Comes") and a few from their first two albums ("The End," "No") including a few "sort of" covers as Cassie stated late in the night. 

One of the biggest and best surprises came early in the evening when Tony Cadena of The Adolescents jumped onstage for a cover of Adolescents song, "Amoeba." Clearly Vivian Girls know their stuff and their confident performance throughout the show proves that they are in control of the mess they're making. All smiles, it looked like they were having a blast and the same could be said for the audience, me included.

Listen:
Vivian Girls-"I Heard You Say"

Look:
Vivian Girls on myspace
youtube video of "Amoeba" performance