tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68629831097728728872024-03-14T00:47:19.455-07:00speed, glue and musicalexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-19195409035122677252011-08-27T15:27:00.000-07:002011-10-01T19:00:35.008-07:00Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - "Garden"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykIKDJVcxBorVdv32ZTMe9W0JRPvEWou8E8H2tbu6Ziu3gIOAdX5bxeXKQWqXpjeXZO9h4dhhROYF2z8ab8N2PXH9A8XTPmTTsxXjIzBVIL757cYduFgVD3scs3b4Fl1o7FirfN-CGGs/s1600/teed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykIKDJVcxBorVdv32ZTMe9W0JRPvEWou8E8H2tbu6Ziu3gIOAdX5bxeXKQWqXpjeXZO9h4dhhROYF2z8ab8N2PXH9A8XTPmTTsxXjIzBVIL757cYduFgVD3scs3b4Fl1o7FirfN-CGGs/s400/teed.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
really loving this one. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (TEED) is a sort of electronic danceable pop project by London, UK artist Orlando Higginbottom, though described by Orlando himself as "just dance music" with no genre associations (which as a sort of anti-genre person myself i can totally support). much of what i've heard online from his other EPs sounds more less like what you'll hear in "Garden", albeit a little weirder/less directly dancey and pop-oriented. "Garden" is really the standout track for me, and for many others as it's been generally received as such. it's that kind of track where you can just feel all the gears turning that an artist is trying to employ, the kind of track where it all just clicks. but really, i think what puts this track over the edge (compared to most of his other work) is the guest vocals by Luisa of Lulu and The Lampshades (a kind of funky-alt Micachu-esque indie-pop group). her voice is just beautiful. was really bummed when i realized she wasn't an actual member of TEED. <br />
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anyway, check it out. it's on Greco-Roman, a label i have yet to explore, but totally will after hearing this. oh and also, this and most of his other videos have great production values and a cool, vaguely avant-garde kind of style and feel to them. refreshing to see someone put some good work into music videos nowadays. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/G-1HNnxb0WE" width="500"></iframe>R.A.Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05804320214263407438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-40446778689285021602011-08-16T12:57:00.000-07:002011-08-16T13:00:19.198-07:00lumerians - transmalinnia (2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgtLv-ehXxmXj5G58Gvjud7kMiNO1W9q-i14er78pKDRw3rOjA5pI4Qv5fw2yi4WUCVmirH47JjtLyD4qfCcJkKAxxo4zv_IS9gL50HCZ-jH8yEsompTbP6WvlUrkbYGKcGPwfMV_jkg/s1600/Transmalinnia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgtLv-ehXxmXj5G58Gvjud7kMiNO1W9q-i14er78pKDRw3rOjA5pI4Qv5fw2yi4WUCVmirH47JjtLyD4qfCcJkKAxxo4zv_IS9gL50HCZ-jH8yEsompTbP6WvlUrkbYGKcGPwfMV_jkg/s400/Transmalinnia.png" width="400" /></a></div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F21259481&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=17d363"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F21259481&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=17d363" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/lumerians-black-tusk">Lumerians - Black Tusk</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F21259483&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=17d363"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F21259483&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=17d363" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/lumerians-hashshashin">Lumerians - Hashshashin</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Lumerians</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Oakland, California, USA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>Transmalinnia</i> (Partisan, 2011)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">http://www.myspace.com/lumerians </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">RIYL: Can, Wooden Shjips, Dead Meadow </span><br />
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Despite this being easily one of my favorite albums this year, I never got an simple handle on how to describe their sound and I never got around to writing a proper review of this. Lumerians' sound is usually referred to as "space rock" or "druid rock" in the reviews I've seen, and while neither of those terms are bad, I don't think that "space rock" really captures the groove and rhythm that Lumerians bring in their cosmic psychedelia. Taking psychedelic rock as a template, most songs on <i>Transmalinnia</i> are built around looping and catchy bass melodies with hypnotic, krautrock-inspired drumming. While your body is locked into the groove, the chiming guitars, squelchy keyboards, percussive flourishes and occasional dripping watery vocals hijack your brain and plot a course for alternate dimensions. There's a certain amount of funk and catchiness that 70's psych and krautrock bands possessed from their rock n' roll roots that many modern psych bands lack, and I think Lumerians bring this back more successfully than any of their contemporaries. It's the combination transporting your body and mind at the same time that makes <i>Trasmalinnia</i> such an exceptional record. Lumerians' live show (which adds projected visuals and sometimes costumes) is just as remarkable and captivating; when I saw them play at aQuarius Record's anniversary show last year, I went in with no expectations and ended up feeling that Lumerians blew all the other bands off the stage (including Date Palms, who upstaged Godspeed! You Black Emperor at Great American Music Hall later last year). While I think this album should certainly be a favorite of anyone who considers themselves a fan of psychedelic music, I also believe that this is rocking and catchy enough to appeal to even more mainstream music fans. I can't say if this band is going to blow up, but I think they've definitely got a sound and a live show that ought to bring them wide success. Definitely check out this record and see them live if you can.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-45198812513733521622011-08-04T19:53:00.000-07:002011-08-04T21:43:48.875-07:00prurient - bermuda drain (2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MkGwjV3eSbK9bPBMBwaf6CQ1OKeVYYZYes06nCEW_KitPamKmLbkATw3EVGRmOCLDi-8EOwCTRBhR_s5PpK3X8JDE6eCO8c-uJVRCFc9DmhyphenhyphenswHDEr_HfTkIU0G5Vfu4c2R0qBqV-L8/s1600/Bermuda+Drain.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5MkGwjV3eSbK9bPBMBwaf6CQ1OKeVYYZYes06nCEW_KitPamKmLbkATw3EVGRmOCLDi-8EOwCTRBhR_s5PpK3X8JDE6eCO8c-uJVRCFc9DmhyphenhyphenswHDEr_HfTkIU0G5Vfu4c2R0qBqV-L8/s400/Bermuda+Drain.png" width="400" /></a></div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F17530665&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=0031a7"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F17530665&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=0031a7" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/hydra-head-records/prurient-a-meal-can-be-made">PRURIENT - A Meal Can Be Made</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/hydra-head-records">Hydra Head Records</a><br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F19458031&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=0031a7"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F19458031&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=0031a7" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/hydra-head-records/prurient-palm-tree-corpse">PRURIENT - Palm Tree Corpse</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/hydra-head-records">Hydra Head Records</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Prurient</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">New York City, New York, USA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>Bermuda Drain</i> (Hydra Head, 2011)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">http://hospitalproductions.net/</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">RIYL: Genghis Tron, Xinlisupreme, Xiu Xiu</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every Prurient release I'd heard prior to this album was harsh, aggressive, dissonant, deeply in the red noise. </span>Earlier this year I found out that the man behind Prurient, Dominic Fernow, had joined Cold Cave for their newest incarnation as boring synth goth rockers, and I was puzzled as to how someone known for such destructive noise could find a home in a very middle-of-the-road leather and sunglasses group. Add those two facts together, and somehow this very bizarre and schizophrenic newest Prurient album makes sense. <i>Bermuda Drain</i> sounds very much like the budget, equipment, and some of the melodicism of Cold Cave crossed with Prurient's deeply fucked up sonic assault. The tracks here are split between Fernow narrating disturbing and sometimes grotesquely sexual images over unsettling keyboard washes (the lyrics make the name Prurient seem all the more fitting), and more upbeat and rocking tracks that could almost pass for The Faint if it weren't for Fernow screaming his guts out over them. It sounds a lot like if Xiu Xiu were way more aggressive, and also obsessed with 80s synth horror soundtracks, or like if Genghis Tron were less metal but way more disturbing. Personally, I have a pretty low threshold for ear bleeding experimental noise, so this direction is way more interesting and a step up in my opinion. It is still a very bold and uneven album, and I wouldn't call it an unqualified success- but it is still one of the more interesting and original albums I've heard recently, and I'd say one of the better albums this year.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-90169191012331190262011-07-13T00:48:00.000-07:002011-07-13T00:55:14.561-07:00RIP brain dead dave, owner of force of habit records<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfUSKDPrr8Vy1ohjmweBkdXQGaARsx_JVdIezw3v_-PYnMMi0uSuPsaAI8ajIkfH9-gX7rnrF0HVNb4yBF2zu5-I5Ev9w-mHV-mQ-NlfgOL1J9QqcID0WSp3GxK8OdJA85Ns55BpcGuk/s1600/playlist+6-4-08+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfUSKDPrr8Vy1ohjmweBkdXQGaARsx_JVdIezw3v_-PYnMMi0uSuPsaAI8ajIkfH9-gX7rnrF0HVNb4yBF2zu5-I5Ev9w-mHV-mQ-NlfgOL1J9QqcID0WSp3GxK8OdJA85Ns55BpcGuk/s640/playlist+6-4-08+1.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVGwW8I0EdAQpKk6RkLdU8WTSDSABYk-cfgg2rNRUG-VQZNvnwYQImg-MFlQFSCn6mxymFo7x5wvWtAjjm34nFvjs9YRHeVkYSFSMXE1OK5A1Jfb5wGUigKHU9CgtWF9T3SF7bSD6qkw/s1600/playlist+6-4-08+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVGwW8I0EdAQpKk6RkLdU8WTSDSABYk-cfgg2rNRUG-VQZNvnwYQImg-MFlQFSCn6mxymFo7x5wvWtAjjm34nFvjs9YRHeVkYSFSMXE1OK5A1Jfb5wGUigKHU9CgtWF9T3SF7bSD6qkw/s640/playlist+6-4-08+2.jpg" width="464" /></a></div>I woke up tonight trying to remember what 90's emo band we were talking about that time you came on my radio show, when we had been at the bar earlier and then on the radio you played a ("pre-nazi") Skrewdriver song and wouldn't stop cussing on air (I believe your parting words to the audience were something along the lines of "goodnight you motherfuckers!"). You were a funny guy, and one who cared deeply about music.<br />
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RIP.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-12371329499486023782011-07-09T13:59:00.000-07:002011-07-09T13:59:56.584-07:00mysterious black metal: mamaleek - kurdaitcha (2010) & murmuüre - murmuüre (2010)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaJCmtAv-cyTcrjdoFT3-SNRwbkm-xLcTN51a_BigCgIPS4VNFHtbovFNIaFoiOg4MIkKbrNQYxGEwu5pi_BGXCBQ7aPXmE7SVsAHuKBJAD6XRMuk59lX88Kj4mKU9FPoFu2dVTQ92bY/s1600/mamaleek.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXaJCmtAv-cyTcrjdoFT3-SNRwbkm-xLcTN51a_BigCgIPS4VNFHtbovFNIaFoiOg4MIkKbrNQYxGEwu5pi_BGXCBQ7aPXmE7SVsAHuKBJAD6XRMuk59lX88Kj4mKU9FPoFu2dVTQ92bY/s400/mamaleek.png" width="390" /></a></div><br />
Black metal is a genre becoming more and more crowded everyday, making the effort to find acts doing something interesting and original with the sound that much harder. Recent trends like an overt shoegaze influence were astonishing when they arrived, and have now become commonplace and BORING. The problem of searching for new sounds is compounded by the fact that trying new things is always risky, and the bands out there making genuine efforts to push black metal forward don't always succeed in making something that's actually good.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmZAiLPb7ivgXKH4joCS_cAhWdF5pYgas6f7t7-lGO4tWZjOxXBVA2jvJG7jlFC5xAXhs7aLFerDLGcGyXmStHE_TbKnflBJHFnnx-lBOqJEndB1SZ8kzjmVuMFkgJPd33Ak2L4ecaGQ/s1600/Kurdaitcha.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmZAiLPb7ivgXKH4joCS_cAhWdF5pYgas6f7t7-lGO4tWZjOxXBVA2jvJG7jlFC5xAXhs7aLFerDLGcGyXmStHE_TbKnflBJHFnnx-lBOqJEndB1SZ8kzjmVuMFkgJPd33Ak2L4ecaGQ/s400/Kurdaitcha.png" width="400" /></a></div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F18720415&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=b1b1b1"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F18720415&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=b1b1b1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/mamaleek-the-hypocrite-the">Mamaleek - The Hypocrite & The Concubine</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F18720499&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=b1b1b1"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F18720499&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=b1b1b1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/mamaleek-my-body-rock-long">Mamaleek - My Body Rock Long Fever</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
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Kurdaitcha is Mamaleek's third album, but it is my first encounter with them. I first heard this album a few months ago, and have been trying and failing to put into words what it sounds like ever since. They are a pair of brothers from San Francisco, but beyond that not much is known about them. It USED to be standard practice for black metal musicians to be "mysterious" and not very press-savvy, but in recent times certain black metallers have embraced press coverage with open arms (hello LITURGY), so it's actually pretty refreshing that I'm not staring at glossy photos of these dudes while writing this. It makes it a lot easier to focus on the music, which is good since this music is AWESOME. Mamaleek's approach to black metal reminds me a lot of Lifelover or Joyless, in that they incorporate many disparate and unusual styles into an overal black metal vibe. On top of the black-metal-appropriate buzzing guitars and pounding drum machine, Mamaleek incorporate sampled pan flutes, unnerving disembodied voices and other unexpected elements. These unusual ingredients are not just garnishes on top of meat-and-potatoes black metal however, as Mamaleek's music is as much industrial, noise and shoegaze as it is black metal. I know I mentioned earlier that I thought shoegaze and black metal was a played-out combination, but it's done here in a less clumsy and more original way, so I don't feel like I'm listening to some trend-hoppers. In fact, despite the reckless mish-mash of genres happening on Kurdaitcha, the album is incredibly listenable. While it might not be sufficiently grim for black metal purists, and too harsh for those not open to metal, I imagine that there is a pretty sizable group of people like me who have been starving for something new that is as WEIRD and RAD as this record is.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryxeLdMSWiY4RKDEZBqPVOacEvSImM14KZ__CwnyAKR7_xZEsG0rQmCWVNdESPo9yqC9p-Sy-hd9jcd0Dh08RXlln-JjpYIPoNHm_BMefLYSWMj-hIR70t7DK3h0h3jUx-1aZUgl8bVk/s1600/Murmu%25C3%25BCre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjryxeLdMSWiY4RKDEZBqPVOacEvSImM14KZ__CwnyAKR7_xZEsG0rQmCWVNdESPo9yqC9p-Sy-hd9jcd0Dh08RXlln-JjpYIPoNHm_BMefLYSWMj-hIR70t7DK3h0h3jUx-1aZUgl8bVk/s400/Murmu%25C3%25BCre.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F18721694&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=fcc200"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F18721694&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=fcc200" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/murmu-re-amethyst">Murmuüre - Amethyst</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F18721795&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=fcc200"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F18721795&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=fcc200" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/murmu-re-disincarnate">Murmuüre - Disincarnate</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
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While Kurdaitcha is an album I've been turning over for months, attempting to unlock its secrets and mysteries, Murmuüre's debut self-titled album from last year is one that I've only recently come across (despite hearing some very high praise from the always reliable aQuarius records last year). Hailing from France, Murmuüre's approach to black metal is as bizarre, adventurous and psychedelic as Mamaleek, but the end result is very different. Murmuüre's music is more open-ended, mostly layers upon layers of thick and threatening atmosphere, only occasionally punctuated by a beat and a few howled vocals. Although not as immediately catchy as Mamaleek, Murmuüre have just as much happening on this album- it is a record both sonically busy yet also subdued. I admit that I haven't listened to too many dark ambient records, but this is probably the most appealing approach to that idea that I've come across, and I suspect I'll be continuing to find interesting and new details the more I listen to this.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-88398245022355970942011-06-29T09:46:00.000-07:002011-06-29T19:35:21.076-07:002011 & 1/22011 is now more than half over, and summer's finally arrived (although if you are in San Francisco you wouldn't know it from the rain). Any excuse to make a list of albums is a good excuse, but "2011 so far" is an extra good excuse. Here's lists from me (aw), destroythescene and R.A.Williams; MRT will be posting his list tomorrow.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>These are the albums I've been digging the most so far this year- I took a few albums off the list at the last second (ducktails, tim cohen, a few others) because I wasn't sure if I liked them THAT much. The ones I like best are in bold. </b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGnwaH1cmUkf9qAGeIzDJnITVupXRSCUQM9dx_oPMSqomRTKSvmbIlQMocVqUi3lMEJVfUK7aprhx5CWhAz0TcHbRJlNdQa53b0OYhtCBMFu1RN89C_wmO72igVAgF56fURFZAazd066U/s1600/battles-gloss-drop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGnwaH1cmUkf9qAGeIzDJnITVupXRSCUQM9dx_oPMSqomRTKSvmbIlQMocVqUi3lMEJVfUK7aprhx5CWhAz0TcHbRJlNdQa53b0OYhtCBMFu1RN89C_wmO72igVAgF56fURFZAazd066U/s400/battles-gloss-drop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b>battles - gloss drop (warp)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15795267&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15795267&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/daftdreamy/inchworm">Battles - Inchworm</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/daftdreamy">daftdreamy</a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQPRAa7HZLEygkFQYviumMcq8Qo82C30-aqAnTHJSSNtVreaWNiObR9VLOftdSGtv8z04ZI2KT4Gv_fhH9Z5AHqvo6giLKPilXV1E2pxxjErWH2jAQMXaFja26JY4sqUBXSaWJwbiDBI/s1600/Circus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQPRAa7HZLEygkFQYviumMcq8Qo82C30-aqAnTHJSSNtVreaWNiObR9VLOftdSGtv8z04ZI2KT4Gv_fhH9Z5AHqvo6giLKPilXV1E2pxxjErWH2jAQMXaFja26JY4sqUBXSaWJwbiDBI/s400/Circus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">black devil disco club - circus (lo)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13249356&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13249356&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fbi-radio/black-devil-disco-club">Black Devil Disco Club - Distrust</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fbi-radio">FBi Radio</a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDROeNXm4yGL9LMnq3419_d0aXwCjTn8Oljc0nsLD-x9LkkZj7wgItszFxxkMNmziYKbkVcy5P7sbPqd_SLp7yg-qszzmgdE0Y1N_6qtQrcOjtSnLBhOvMCMyMRWIpAHWVFovtBevVBA/s1600/Fallen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDROeNXm4yGL9LMnq3419_d0aXwCjTn8Oljc0nsLD-x9LkkZj7wgItszFxxkMNmziYKbkVcy5P7sbPqd_SLp7yg-qszzmgdE0Y1N_6qtQrcOjtSnLBhOvMCMyMRWIpAHWVFovtBevVBA/s400/Fallen.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>burzum - fallen (back on black)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13087044&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13087044&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/metalassault/burzum-jeg-faller-fallen">Burzum - Jeg Faller (Fallen)</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/metalassault">metalassault</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuCoG_S6HUIteHuFDkSR1O6ArE65LEDmu-kbkkSarsL5KhNL2tbwweV2T1gDsEZ8W2kweaGDTVLmqSeLCl26redPMq_FwUINOZHqoXT0z6JNs6mLwgkbYSMWV9eS4Mz-9SNDRkwQhls0/s1600/B-Side+Instrumentals+%2526+Remixes+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibuCoG_S6HUIteHuFDkSR1O6ArE65LEDmu-kbkkSarsL5KhNL2tbwweV2T1gDsEZ8W2kweaGDTVLmqSeLCl26redPMq_FwUINOZHqoXT0z6JNs6mLwgkbYSMWV9eS4Mz-9SNDRkwQhls0/s400/B-Side+Instrumentals+%2526+Remixes+1.png" width="400" /></a></div>clams casino - b-sides instrumental & remixes (self-released)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="25" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_OsaduE566M" width="560"></iframe><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHTBYB7DSFizOsJnuWAgTSMAuIgEXsXDnjsusPg1KR5gZ-mTgmVtRiqmrB-GWo_KLkQVWi1nMo8dEJKAbW1fO__7gWwRtGyN4Vm6wyhrSP0Bkm9CdeZ1YY5qfzMOniCzbZHSXLCpSNE8/s1600/Transmalinnia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHTBYB7DSFizOsJnuWAgTSMAuIgEXsXDnjsusPg1KR5gZ-mTgmVtRiqmrB-GWo_KLkQVWi1nMo8dEJKAbW1fO__7gWwRtGyN4Vm6wyhrSP0Bkm9CdeZ1YY5qfzMOniCzbZHSXLCpSNE8/s400/Transmalinnia.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>lumerians - transmalinnia (partisan)</b><br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13245493&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13245493&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/lumerians/atlanta-brook">Atlanta Brook</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/lumerians">Lumerians</a> <b><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprbHcz881rwHU7npHareQ7qwAZOV-UE7G6wlidD-kZsWKqF7Us8oOrb_zSJkhhd58LY-MfsJfQip0i2R7GcY4NcqWY7nZ6nEdN429cYMq8xytpOe3hSqKhtkyLVgQBPrKusGHLrVNUgM/s1600/Mazes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprbHcz881rwHU7npHareQ7qwAZOV-UE7G6wlidD-kZsWKqF7Us8oOrb_zSJkhhd58LY-MfsJfQip0i2R7GcY4NcqWY7nZ6nEdN429cYMq8xytpOe3hSqKhtkyLVgQBPrKusGHLrVNUgM/s400/Mazes.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">moon duo - mazes (sacred bones)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10181882&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10181882&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/sacredbones/moon-duo-mazes">Moon Duo- Mazes</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/sacredbones">sacredbones</a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfwvBUkWTzctl1JPI0TVUrgfAW6RhV_uzvvdfQnwj-q1Sgoz1-QMp4Vr6BuePlvWW5GiCIiQF4yNbltxcQ4ExdjFaceWFL1tAhPLGLJ64s7butXb8Vh606yWlOm8kaN-ucIO_gw4fIuY/s1600/936.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfwvBUkWTzctl1JPI0TVUrgfAW6RhV_uzvvdfQnwj-q1Sgoz1-QMp4Vr6BuePlvWW5GiCIiQF4yNbltxcQ4ExdjFaceWFL1tAhPLGLJ64s7butXb8Vh606yWlOm8kaN-ucIO_gw4fIuY/s400/936.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>peaking lights - 936 (not not fun)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F11465449&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F11465449&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/tacking/peaking-lights-tiger-eyes-laid">Peaking Lights - Tiger Eyes (Laid-Back)</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/tacking">tacking</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8ci4OZALSjQukXIfHL53LBnC44iIDLZN6gITLcy1JyXcYQDEjqkqRE26G2cJsGFXyX7hxKHezF14BIhcxxXU7ldrGF0gfU_Ft1nis3DjVC47ahXonNdlXLJHUJlROaBZeLxqDBY5nDA/s1600/Vetiver-The-Errant-Charm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8ci4OZALSjQukXIfHL53LBnC44iIDLZN6gITLcy1JyXcYQDEjqkqRE26G2cJsGFXyX7hxKHezF14BIhcxxXU7ldrGF0gfU_Ft1nis3DjVC47ahXonNdlXLJHUJlROaBZeLxqDBY5nDA/s400/Vetiver-The-Errant-Charm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">vetiver - the errant charm (sub pop)</div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16089449&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16089449&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=16b800" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/wattesnl/vetiver-worse-for-wear">Vetiver - Worse For Wear</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/wattesnl">wattesnl</a><br />
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<b>DestroytheScene: </b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b>These are in order from best to last</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihnjGhQcOULvjsZ-7DEbcbWbD626tvVSHuo2-1z_FAlb9g5ve8qt21__sTiNeouyl45sNM7CCepCxkWU2PHwEODV8UyXq9jKXR0bybflLtal5D7C4cLWjEJCBPNYYchYGoFljNhaEaEWM/s1600/laced_psychedelic_horseshit.jpg.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621495806000003778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihnjGhQcOULvjsZ-7DEbcbWbD626tvVSHuo2-1z_FAlb9g5ve8qt21__sTiNeouyl45sNM7CCepCxkWU2PHwEODV8UyXq9jKXR0bybflLtal5D7C4cLWjEJCBPNYYchYGoFljNhaEaEWM/s400/laced_psychedelic_horseshit.jpg.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Psychedelic Horseshit - Laced (Fat Cat)</div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12390805"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12390805" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/thediscoverialist/psychedelic-horseshit-french">Psychedelic Horseshit - French Countryside</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/thediscoverialist">TheDiscoverialist</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNXdR7ABSrB1zsByrF4s6Unt7OeeTB2-1FmsTlp0D4HuBdh581zTZzZWLunCd4LDgWMulUiJQROX-i7Mmk2ykw55mWL9XOHfSu544mcX_dDc2WpHxNC9ufu9c_moEklrxMKYpbGy2yjTq/s1600/do_whatever_you_want_all_the_time.jpg.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621496039949341650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNXdR7ABSrB1zsByrF4s6Unt7OeeTB2-1FmsTlp0D4HuBdh581zTZzZWLunCd4LDgWMulUiJQROX-i7Mmk2ykw55mWL9XOHfSu544mcX_dDc2WpHxNC9ufu9c_moEklrxMKYpbGy2yjTq/s400/do_whatever_you_want_all_the_time.jpg.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Ponytail - Do Whatever You Want All the Time (We Are Free)</div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13626350"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13626350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fbi-radio/ponytail-honey-touches">Ponytail - Honey Touches</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fbi-radio">FBi Radio</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPRasbydHx7vZp9f_NlSzSgxqwo1_-Br43ateQQ3HEiYEvxenuXQE3kgFzyKGTcTd0uEkW_2gNwD9XXPLsTbgdEJWmh68BzVzDkds52fYK1pxhGBWBq2n7Xq4MvHQNc7gsGUwKm4JFziT/s1600/Death-Grips-Exmilitary.jpg.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621496276681378882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPRasbydHx7vZp9f_NlSzSgxqwo1_-Br43ateQQ3HEiYEvxenuXQE3kgFzyKGTcTd0uEkW_2gNwD9XXPLsTbgdEJWmh68BzVzDkds52fYK1pxhGBWBq2n7Xq4MvHQNc7gsGUwKm4JFziT/s400/Death-Grips-Exmilitary.jpg.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Death Grips - Exmilitary (Self-released)</div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F14156108"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F14156108" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/deathgrips/death-grips-exmilitary-3">Death Grips - Exmilitary - 3 - Spread Eagle Cross the Block</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/deathgrips">deathgrips</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiin-CApLF_aWnnKcNfBZj_bLAoYCkyJrAmILv5sUSa0vLrmysDpCp1leWaOcw-IG7LTSg2NVAAIli29xAdapa-nfa-s_6xNkujWXhyphenhyphenhpitku2ieWA22LIxW9uNcPfvgyzLZe_Q8kW67JXg/s1600/fleet-foxes-helplessness-blues-300x300.jpg.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621496455547276866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiin-CApLF_aWnnKcNfBZj_bLAoYCkyJrAmILv5sUSa0vLrmysDpCp1leWaOcw-IG7LTSg2NVAAIli29xAdapa-nfa-s_6xNkujWXhyphenhyphenhpitku2ieWA22LIxW9uNcPfvgyzLZe_Q8kW67JXg/s400/fleet-foxes-helplessness-blues-300x300.jpg.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)</div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15359022"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15359022" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/gypsysphere/fleet-foxes-montezuma">Fleet Foxes - Montezuma</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/gypsysphere">gypsysphere</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobJT5vInpgCUwKguP0zd0FVlVxM9YJZHZVBtJAQ1s2ObwP0aGi2YUuYlXXhZ-RkkVBEa6wwYFXl3dYhLGxRLoqrXRCDIJzd4o6XoZxXnYQVno0YFkTxDK4ezQVmumnJ8kYVLNeIEKQALx/s1600/tuneyards.jpg.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621496614919807474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobJT5vInpgCUwKguP0zd0FVlVxM9YJZHZVBtJAQ1s2ObwP0aGi2YUuYlXXhZ-RkkVBEa6wwYFXl3dYhLGxRLoqrXRCDIJzd4o6XoZxXnYQVno0YFkTxDK4ezQVmumnJ8kYVLNeIEKQALx/s400/tuneyards.jpg.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Tuneyards - Whokill (4AD)</div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10688101"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10688101" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/snipelondon/tune-yards-bizness">Tune-Yards - Bizness</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/snipelondon">snipelondon</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihd2Dm0-5bRz8HvecDiquORQSWXBCZoqet2SauLUTIIxN9ByOys6YGsngmSfQqGtj7siDbVKzt7u5HJ6pAzRC88YKmiy7MpFweEFz6psUE01JwIpV-R22t5eM6sltamCdKdl58gNBeNjOI/s1600/ST-II-Akron-Family-315x315.jpg.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621496794210763410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihd2Dm0-5bRz8HvecDiquORQSWXBCZoqet2SauLUTIIxN9ByOys6YGsngmSfQqGtj7siDbVKzt7u5HJ6pAzRC88YKmiy7MpFweEFz6psUE01JwIpV-R22t5eM6sltamCdKdl58gNBeNjOI/s400/ST-II-Akron-Family-315x315.jpg.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Akron Family - S/T II The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT (Dead Oceans)</div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9407938"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9407938" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/pretty-much-amazing/akron-family-silly-bears">Akron Family - Silly Bears</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/pretty-much-amazing">Pretty Much Amazing</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAyKI8sNTMJdgDUSHVho422FmJvT3b1grcs04MQyNSPnJxy3JYlCbszdcdjEcKhoOM_PYGj2JJO4ItDsq338rNm0pV2zorST-vSsPj5Txn9YrEIYPBd48KxGDy-IDd5JvNYRzHs4lXH2g/s1600/PANDA-BEAR-TOMBOY2-300x300.jpg.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621496923940295698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAyKI8sNTMJdgDUSHVho422FmJvT3b1grcs04MQyNSPnJxy3JYlCbszdcdjEcKhoOM_PYGj2JJO4ItDsq338rNm0pV2zorST-vSsPj5Txn9YrEIYPBd48KxGDy-IDd5JvNYRzHs4lXH2g/s400/PANDA-BEAR-TOMBOY2-300x300.jpg.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Panda Bear - Tomboy (Paw Tracks)</div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10416267"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10416267" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/bigasslens/panda-bear-last-night-at-the">Panda Bear - Last Night At The Jetty</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/bigasslens">bigasslens</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pLXM92JGskSscXdohbeVbVCzU_JWre-x2UwhxEyMy85uIpPH0c3jMW54zx8kO6a29gGAjcg6QDGOfaGNfHrqcQRfnDncbyRhIAZTMM0aD_tppvY5Vx33btxWMat0Cd4EkZltGp1sAGj6/s1600/1300253457-35460_rabbits_lower_forms.jpg.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621497057947301682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pLXM92JGskSscXdohbeVbVCzU_JWre-x2UwhxEyMy85uIpPH0c3jMW54zx8kO6a29gGAjcg6QDGOfaGNfHrqcQRfnDncbyRhIAZTMM0aD_tppvY5Vx33btxWMat0Cd4EkZltGp1sAGj6/s400/1300253457-35460_rabbits_lower_forms.jpg.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Rabbits - Lower Forms (Relapse)</div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12429224"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12429224" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/metalassault/rabbits-a-tale-of-tales-lower">Rabbits - A Tale Of Tales (Lower Forms)</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/metalassault">metalassault</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIW0IAwuxdMHhrEAo8c2GQFKRNMXLAvcWz-TYzaWiC1a4MqrGEAwqXEljyrRKaWwx7DlzlktuTohzLUxj8z3LPCjAITceG8Yi_FY3eN3PqOpaW763QAJwHU3JuyoGAAYw7yosnNr7VFIx/s1600/39136_liturgy_aesthethica.jpg.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621497222226402754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIW0IAwuxdMHhrEAo8c2GQFKRNMXLAvcWz-TYzaWiC1a4MqrGEAwqXEljyrRKaWwx7DlzlktuTohzLUxj8z3LPCjAITceG8Yi_FY3eN3PqOpaW763QAJwHU3JuyoGAAYw7yosnNr7VFIx/s400/39136_liturgy_aesthethica.jpg.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="400" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Liturgy - Aesthethica (Thrill Jockey)</div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F11721158"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F11721158" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/deadcomedian/liturgy-high-gold">Liturgy - High Gold</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/deadcomedian">deadcomedian</a><br />
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<b>R.A.Williams:</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rsCRDn4cwCzfckXzA95mtuJhpBLVT4a5k9vTgXwltqBSs2FjMxjUnjNB8CUbuUhPJaJbqd2GVYaG_RINjFPBollbHamqj_BatUw7AfUX1KXOaEaPVHv3CCoJV8Wh-ERyqtG8s8sFITs/s1600/tim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rsCRDn4cwCzfckXzA95mtuJhpBLVT4a5k9vTgXwltqBSs2FjMxjUnjNB8CUbuUhPJaJbqd2GVYaG_RINjFPBollbHamqj_BatUw7AfUX1KXOaEaPVHv3CCoJV8Wh-ERyqtG8s8sFITs/s400/tim.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">tim hecker - ravedeath 1972 (kranky)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F8843901&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=00aab8"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F8843901&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=00aab8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/kranky/tim-hecker-hatred-of-music-i">tim hecker 'hatred of music I'</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/kranky">kranky</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjow4kAxtIimGJ8_2XedVK6gonS9flFZauErI_GVEvTjVVT1abIokgxGRFnMGtirzOTUuzdgeBy1aavB4xubXB0DVWyL5QRK1g8p7TbOgdxKrHBRDShpJiEi9J8B3ygFfTTYfxIIjzr4jE/s1600/Egyptrixx-470x470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjow4kAxtIimGJ8_2XedVK6gonS9flFZauErI_GVEvTjVVT1abIokgxGRFnMGtirzOTUuzdgeBy1aavB4xubXB0DVWyL5QRK1g8p7TbOgdxKrHBRDShpJiEi9J8B3ygFfTTYfxIIjzr4jE/s400/Egyptrixx-470x470.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">egyptrixx - bible eyes (night slugs)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12823224&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=00aab8"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12823224&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=00aab8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/pdis_inpartmaint/egyptrixx-bible-eyes-chrysalis">Egyptrixx - Bible Eyes - Chrysalis Records feat Trust (Night Slugs)</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/pdis_inpartmaint">pdis_inpartmaint</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_3AVz-AYYP5QBViNtL_ugK5RLqzZLncOjQK8wxNvVTJc9osFmUzK20pGmPrukGT7R2WkFoD6T5LTAj13qfWmMWWKX5fKThh3YIuDITu7ZcoSBAsdjbu3rd-wCETnnDJkX4qJ6vE4O04/s1600/front+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_3AVz-AYYP5QBViNtL_ugK5RLqzZLncOjQK8wxNvVTJc9osFmUzK20pGmPrukGT7R2WkFoD6T5LTAj13qfWmMWWKX5fKThh3YIuDITu7ZcoSBAsdjbu3rd-wCETnnDJkX4qJ6vE4O04/s400/front+cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">clams casino - instrumental mixtape (self-released)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F17979104&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=00aab8"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F17979104&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=00aab8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/clammyclams/motivation">Motivation</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/clammyclams">clammyclams</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fpkHU3HIZzZqfwisMHiq892yKvFR0d9looVNqoSPJk_GpoB-G011evfQtKFXOhBiaQKI7bsZoBSXdYIUI4ldcL6q5vW7KjKc9LXvrZpvj7_c-fQMdZSVHGXfQRYxNusuLGJTwZ2eXsk/s1600/CS1750422-02A-BIG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1fpkHU3HIZzZqfwisMHiq892yKvFR0d9looVNqoSPJk_GpoB-G011evfQtKFXOhBiaQKI7bsZoBSXdYIUI4ldcL6q5vW7KjKc9LXvrZpvj7_c-fQMdZSVHGXfQRYxNusuLGJTwZ2eXsk/s400/CS1750422-02A-BIG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">asc - stutter/leviathan 12" (exit records)</div><div style="text-align: center;"> <object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13788254&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=00aab8"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13788254&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=00aab8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/dbridge/asc-stutter-exit-029-a">ASC - Stutter - EXIT 029 - A</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/dbridge">Exit Records UK</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHu7f160tItnrnD4CXGX639gjUOv0G7lTAaEye4YPGceiLf_UFIVievmhTMX-SRIxizbJA_GUtldjZu6fczVOlCoeFISjsKPsW2_MiRplBPtw8NHPycaGGhxA9hoKSJ1HJSHtF92vsiII/s1600/38855413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHu7f160tItnrnD4CXGX639gjUOv0G7lTAaEye4YPGceiLf_UFIVievmhTMX-SRIxizbJA_GUtldjZu6fczVOlCoeFISjsKPsW2_MiRplBPtw8NHPycaGGhxA9hoKSJ1HJSHtF92vsiII/s400/38855413.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">bok bok - southside ep (night slugs)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16119573&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=00aab8"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16119573&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=00aab8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/ec-promo/bok-bok-reminder">Bok Bok - Reminder</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/ec-promo">EC-Promo</a></div>alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-5122874608280150592011-05-23T13:11:00.000-07:002011-05-23T13:24:34.808-07:00video: performances from "our band could be your life" tribute<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJ6VxqYgPP5srqk8xxkPNHCLu2oCUFvSWbqh1lnX3ZERo1UVG-irTXbJK3i3pz0KBMeZOiDevd71Q9uiZm9xGZltvHM3q4Yr4rbDlQ1tS5GX3BBjzNdjyjOq38mWeAVGtD5bLvkWAdTc/s1600/st+vincent+big+black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJ6VxqYgPP5srqk8xxkPNHCLu2oCUFvSWbqh1lnX3ZERo1UVG-irTXbJK3i3pz0KBMeZOiDevd71Q9uiZm9xGZltvHM3q4Yr4rbDlQ1tS5GX3BBjzNdjyjOq38mWeAVGtD5bLvkWAdTc/s400/st+vincent+big+black.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150272941081000.385303.28015075999">pitchfork's facebook page</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fVhCo7PoVpA" width="425"></iframe></div><a href="http://stereogum.com/709922/our-band-could-be-your-life-tribute-bowery-ballroom-nyc-52211/top-stories/lead-story/">Our Band Could Be Your Life tribute at Bowery Ballroom (Stereogum review)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/05/23/136503845/our-concert-could-be-your-life?ft=1&f=1039#playlist">Our Concert Could Be Your Life (streaming on NPR)</a><br />
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When this show was first announced, my reaction was pretty negative (I think my exact words were "fuck everything about this"). It seemed like a personal affront to me that the man who had written a book about some my favorite bands, and some of the most important bands of the 80's, was putting on a tribute show featuring performances by bands that sounded NOTHING like the groups they were covering. How could it be showing respect to groups like Blag Flag, Big Black, Butthole Surfers and others by staging performances by bands that are not in any way connected to the sounds of those original bands? I understood that The Dirty Projectors had released an album that was at least conceptually connected to Black Flag, even if sonically it had virtually nothing to do with them. But the selection of St Vincent to cover Big Black I could not understand. Oh lord how it made me mad- I had visions in my head of her taking the stage, whipping out a violin, and winking and laughing through a set of ironic Big Black covers. In fact it was such an outrage to me that I tried my hardest to forget the whole thing was happening at all. But yesterday the show did happen, and today my blood pressure spiked when I saw reviews of it popping up on music websites. I almost decided to ignore the reviews for the sake of my happiness and mental health, not wanting to spend the rest of the day fuming about the desecration of music I hold dear. But I took the plunge and watched a few videos, and to my immense relief my expectations were totally wrong about this show. St Vincent's performance of Kerosene not cutesy or fake or ironic, its a performance that actually respects the original. And it's a shock to see the Dirty Projectors playing Black Flag songs not as Dirty Projector songs, but instead more like they originally sounded, with a now long-haired Dave Longstreth forgoing his vocal acrobatics for guttural barking. These were the two performances I was most personally interested in, so I can't really say if the rest of the show was as good as these two, but you can check out the whole concert streaming at <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/05/23/136503845/our-concert-could-be-your-life?ft=1&f=1039#playlist">NPR</a>, or check out loopyvid's youtube channel for other performances from the show.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pqsDRD_4j7Q" width="425"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qNF7ituc8fk" width="425"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0ziyYIkgxx8" width="425"></iframe></div>alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-55881079268098300772011-05-22T19:15:00.000-07:002011-05-22T19:15:44.666-07:00LA weekly interviews Steve Albini about food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xvAuDpsiokpJna-2khmSwyFDZOjbtRjkJ3zqEJcl69Tcc6NORAQGkgezsyPqEJNigxEWOJ1QsHb56G7jDkSVHx7ELP1H31a8FfRF6T3ACaPqTmhZKT97WTGVxtQc94R0mctnB0DmM8Y/s1600/albinikitchen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xvAuDpsiokpJna-2khmSwyFDZOjbtRjkJ3zqEJcl69Tcc6NORAQGkgezsyPqEJNigxEWOJ1QsHb56G7jDkSVHx7ELP1H31a8FfRF6T3ACaPqTmhZKT97WTGVxtQc94R0mctnB0DmM8Y/s400/albinikitchen.JPG" width="380" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2011/05/indie_rock_food_blogs_the_stev.php">Indie Rock Food Blogs: The Steve Albini Interview</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mariobatalivoice.blogspot.com/">Steve Albini's food blog, "Mario Batali Voice"</a></div><br />
I love Steve Albini, I love food, and here he talks about cooking, as well as eating in LA. I don't really think anything more than that needs to be said really, other than that I'm kind of bummed he doesn't like Martha Stewart as much as I do.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-12246384848123477672011-05-18T19:17:00.000-07:002011-05-18T19:17:20.588-07:00video: cold cave - villains of the moon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhEbR853Qa-YLnOXJHWQ2nFMX3FaKyPR4nq0SbXLGicNG89t3PrNQvePa2jy5wkeVf6c_ZGukphQaBqNlHPCVOSrPBLlfZPI7bLIi2vpMqQTYLHGkxushIgb2_w34NCjXVESCTwq0RbA/s1600/l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhEbR853Qa-YLnOXJHWQ2nFMX3FaKyPR4nq0SbXLGicNG89t3PrNQvePa2jy5wkeVf6c_ZGukphQaBqNlHPCVOSrPBLlfZPI7bLIi2vpMqQTYLHGkxushIgb2_w34NCjXVESCTwq0RbA/s1600/l.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YnbjCUx6G8U" width="560"></iframe></div><br />
Some interesting facts about Cold Cave that you may not know (or maybe you do genius, jeez):<br />
- Singer/songwriter Wesley Eisold was the vocalist for hardcore bands XO Skeletons and Some Girls (and on an unrelated but somewhat interesting sidenote, he has only one hand)<br />
- The band used to feature Caralee McElroy of Xiu Xiu<br />
- The band currently features Dominic Fernow of Prurient/Ash Pool and Jennifer Clavin of Mika Miko<br />
- All of these facts should add up to an awesome band and yet somehow this, from their latest album, sucks really hard.<br />
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Their new album, "Cherish the Light Years", is full of songs with brainless hooks and high-school emotions like this one. At best, this comes off as an insincere "sell-out" ploy; at worst, it just makes them seem like terrible songwriters (you are free to reverse the "best" and "worst" in this scenario, but I'd rather think they are trying to "make it" rather than to believe they are just this awful of a band). I'll let this video review serve in lieu of an album review, because this is pretty representative of what the album is like and I don't have any interest in listening to it in its entirety again. I'm hopeful that they take their sound in a different direction, because there's way too much talent in this band to make music this fake and simplistic.<br />
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This, by the way, is what they sounded like on their last album, which to me sounds perfectly mainstream without sounding completely dumbed down:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Fzku_5WB5yE" width="425"></iframe></div>alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-57678775409783676492011-05-17T13:18:00.000-07:002011-05-17T13:22:00.681-07:00video: liturgy - returner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEOqPKW0ZdWQiMW112-G_fbxnQ32JIP_54-jdvILaZYi7qfPLdaxt-sxiDKUDWviK_KbdcGvmQAAhQnOumCZE6DhtfDiF5Lujj5lMPBRnOQNgm9k7oN-Bztg7xm-6KI5fqTIEhKhwp1I/s1600/l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEOqPKW0ZdWQiMW112-G_fbxnQ32JIP_54-jdvILaZYi7qfPLdaxt-sxiDKUDWviK_KbdcGvmQAAhQnOumCZE6DhtfDiF5Lujj5lMPBRnOQNgm9k7oN-Bztg7xm-6KI5fqTIEhKhwp1I/s400/l.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<script src="http://player.ooyala.com/player.js?embedCode=9ldzZmMjp_Mr5dLDuUVOh_hp4Or8UkVC&width=640&height=360" type="text/javascript">
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Liturgy are one of those bands that make it almost impossible to listen to the music without wondering what it all "means": in this case, the "meaning" at hand being the appropriation of outsider music (black metal) by clean-cut pretty boys in v-necks. However, questions about intentions, appropriateness and the legitimacy of the people behind the music should always come second to the music itself. Trying to put my reaction to concepts about black metal and indie "identities" is pretty difficult to do in this case, but I think Liturgy are doing something legitimately unique and sincere. It may come from a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA_p2RLfpsk">sincerely stupid</a> philosophy, but again I feel like its an important personal challenge to reconcile good or interesting music made by people I find obnoxious or repulsive. If I can honestly appreciate Burzum without buying into his white supremacist ideology, I can certainly enjoy black metal made by poser douchebags right? And then, there's an undeniable humor to see black metallers reacting to these guys with the same self-righteous horror with which the cultural mainstream reacts to black metal. In the end, it wouldn't matter at all if the music wasn't any good, and here I think it is. I have yet to hear the new Liturgy album in its entirety, and what snippets I've heard I don't feel are as good as their previous work, but I'm hoping to go in to it with an open mind at the very least.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-34679253505152791552011-05-14T18:03:00.000-07:002011-08-23T23:00:38.774-07:00video: reality 86'd (Black Flag's last tour)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2008/04/black-flag-hair.html" imageanchor="1" "><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_VukDToOiWr_jmMaRagKfm2nsyi2SLSsqHfMoDNjdCuuETMHCAeLQn0pifIDeTHtggrznvYinsC4jeZzGXVEap8WF0W_Z8YAI66hMKoFkT3BsckeyKbgtMwJAzoSfzgq4Gn9Y3-7nOI/s640/black_flag_hair_3.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/23499919">Click here to go watch the movie</a><br />
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Filmmaker David Markey is so cool that he released his documentary about Black Flag's last tour for free for all to watch on Vimeo, yet strangely he is not cool enough to let me embed it here. Oh well, can't win them all I guess. I've gotta go eat crazy-ass Chinese food with my lil' bro so I don't have time to watch this right now, but maybe I'll add my thoughts tomorrow. Or maybe you should add yours in the comment section.<br />
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In the meantime, here's a Black Flag video that will actual embed!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cELZxneoHxU" width="425"></iframe></div>alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-54666297084216098792011-05-03T14:29:00.000-07:002011-05-03T14:29:56.571-07:00phil manley - life coach (2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UosF87cHPx2hdbsQhYf-cK7GdxPQNPTsc82Guo3l0AyxbFdJLbt3n2a3ZVa-_AyrhlJLTB9Je3fqdyZ_F8IyJTncEmdfWAc0Jey6Yll2_zHaOehhgdQLrRIFn8fOx19O2kHIorMjf00/s1600/Life+Coach.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UosF87cHPx2hdbsQhYf-cK7GdxPQNPTsc82Guo3l0AyxbFdJLbt3n2a3ZVa-_AyrhlJLTB9Je3fqdyZ_F8IyJTncEmdfWAc0Jey6Yll2_zHaOehhgdQLrRIFn8fOx19O2kHIorMjf00/s400/Life+Coach.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UosF87cHPx2hdbsQhYf-cK7GdxPQNPTsc82Guo3l0AyxbFdJLbt3n2a3ZVa-_AyrhlJLTB9Je3fqdyZ_F8IyJTncEmdfWAc0Jey6Yll2_zHaOehhgdQLrRIFn8fOx19O2kHIorMjf00/s1600/Life+Coach.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13112941&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=55baf3"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13112941&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=55baf3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/philmanleylifecoach/01-ft2-theme">01 FT2 Theme</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/philmanleylifecoach">philmanleylifecoach</a><br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13112560&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=55baf3"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13112560&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=55baf3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/philmanleylifecoach/04-forest-opening-theme">04 Forest Opening Theme</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/philmanleylifecoach">philmanleylifecoach</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Phil Manley</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">San Francisco, California, USA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>Life Coach</i> (Thrill Jockey, 2011)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://www.philmanley.com/">http://www.philmanley.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">RIYL: Edgar Froese, Arp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><br />
Given today's news about Phil Manley engineering the new album from SF krautsters Wooden Shjips, and the fact that I'm gonna be seeing Phil Manley play live tomorrow with Santa Cruz's best psychedelic detonators Mammatus, I thought I'd take a moment to consider the debut solo album from this noted local guitarist and producer. Manley's longest running music project is Trans Am (he's also been a member of Oneida, The Fucking Champs, and most recently, Jonas Reinhardt), but in my opinion his work as an engineer tops his work as a musician- Alps, Arp, Mi Ami, Moon Duo and Wooden Shjips rank among my all-time favorite bands, and Manley has manned (heyyyyyy) the boards for all of them. Now frankly I don't really know enough about the production side of music to be able to tell you exactly what it is that Manley brings to the albums that he produces, but the fact that he is involved in so many amazing recordings makes me think that he must be doing something special. This is his first record under his own name, although I've seen this project referred to as "Phil Manley's Life Coach" or "Life Coach", rather than being an album titled "Life Coach" by Phil Manley. Confusing, but at any rate, it is Manley's first solo affair, and it definitely follows the path that his both his production work and previous musical output have set. Life Coach is a collection of propulsive kosmische stompers, patiently finger-picked guitar pieces, and humming drones. While none of the tracks on here are standouts in their respective genres, they are all very competent and enjoyable and showcase Manley's adeptedness at a multitude of styles. However, this impulse to work in a variety of genres is definitely this album's biggest weakness, because although individually each track here is worthwhile, the end result is a very scattered and unengaging album. I suspect that these songs were not written specifically for this album, and I don't think the tracks are sequenced here in a way that works very well. Because Phil Manley played the very first KUSF-in-Exile co-present a few months ago, and because his upcoming show with Mammatus is also a KUSF-in-Exile benefit, it made me think about what a perfect record this would have been for radio. The choice of tracks in different styles, Manley's history in the local music scene, and the individual strength of each track would have doubtlessly made this a very successful album on the KUSF airwaves. Had I first approached it from that angle- of playing a single track from it here and there- I might have had a much higher opinion of this album. But taken as a whole, the quality of the individual songs is obscured by the unfocused presentation on the album, and the end result is an album that is promising and yet disappointing at the same time. I'm looking forward to seeing how these songs play out in a live environment (and therefore hopefully in a different sequence), and hoping that any future full-length albums will be more cohesive. alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-22202511836463443182011-03-21T08:30:00.000-07:002011-03-21T09:17:46.559-07:00DJ H▼∆D (+ bonus performance art from aids-3d)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaCL7BPw5Ce1K1GFAcAMuDZiiWgxBnJ6RQBNfmCQmCRxj90iTVVUFsKpTCAFoqLe4sS4lHkUYdn_ZbldYz0Tq8fRcPV6Qi-j7eJzGVdeJ-PPVs8bZ63lAk0r5jrbcxfU_0OmIHfnuy7Zr/s1600/hvad.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaCL7BPw5Ce1K1GFAcAMuDZiiWgxBnJ6RQBNfmCQmCRxj90iTVVUFsKpTCAFoqLe4sS4lHkUYdn_ZbldYz0Tq8fRcPV6Qi-j7eJzGVdeJ-PPVs8bZ63lAk0r5jrbcxfU_0OmIHfnuy7Zr/s200/hvad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586566086201327810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Through random internet searching of something somewhat unrelated, I stumbled on an artist by the name of DJ HVAD. or as he spells it: <span id="eow-title" class="" dir="ltr" title="dj h▼∆d - slow mode bangin">DJ H▼∆D, on his <a href="http://www.myspace.com/djhvad">myspace. </a><br /><br />I'm not sure if there's a particular genre associated with this type of rap and beat-making, but it's very homegrown sounding beats, often with sped up vocals and a bunch of random samples and edits. I'd say that it's vaguely related to the chopped and screwed music side of hip-hop, but y'know, on the opposite end of the spectrum.<br /><br />Either way, I considered it to be a pretty sweet find, a gem that has virtually no exposure in the US.. the biggest evidence of which is that it is hardly google-able. The hooks in the raps and the beats are surprisingly catchy and well constructed. The most information I could get out of his myspace was that he is on a label (equally as mysterious) called Bornwrong Records, and that he's from Denmark. and also that he likes to ordain his page his weird photos of black people, for whatever reason.<br /><br />So on a whim, i sent him a message to ask him where I could buy his music, and to my amazement he responded by initially saying that I could send him some money through paypal for the tracks. I asked him how much and for which tracks and he replied by apologizing for trying to charge me, and told me that since I was from LA and he liked that town, he would send me the tracks for free. He also recommended a night in LA called GROWN at M Bar on temple st. which i am going to most certainly check out the next time i'm out there.<br /><br />still waiting on the tracks (keepin' my fingers crossed), but in the meantime he provided me with his youtube and soundcloud accounts, which I am now providing for your enjoyment. so indeed, enjoy.<br /><br />his youtube channel, interestingly enough is called '<a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3VzZXIvbGlzdGVudG9tb2d3YWk=">listen to mogwai</a>' and his soundcloud is under his other alias <a href="http://soundcloud.com/ristlee2smoeger/tracks?page=2#play">dj yungbukkake / WhyBe.</a><br /><br />for a quick listen, here's a rip of one of his myspace tracks:<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/t3zCKBTKXtY" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" width="480"></iframe><br /><br />all in all, a pretty fascinating character. if i ever get those tracks they will most certainly be a SPEED GLUE AND MUSIC EXCLUSIVE.<br /><br />oh and btw, I found this guy by coming across an event for (i'm assuming) Denmark arthouse <a href="http://www.aids-3d.com/">aids-3D</a>.<br /><br />who also led me to this performance art piece by them called Network of Love:<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/2317983?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" height="265" width="398"></iframe><br /><br />i think it's pretty interesting, but i must warn you, it's probably very NSFW starting at 8 or 9 minute mark. but then again, why are you watching videos at work? GET BACK TO WORK<br /><br />why am i not at work you ask? well maybe because this is my job!.. i'm a professional blogger, OBVIOUSLY<br /><br />alright, i'm done. will return w/ updates, new fun things</span>R.A.Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05804320214263407438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-37822309667497098052011-03-18T17:29:00.000-07:002011-03-18T17:29:49.245-07:00tracks: lil b - various tracks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWEhxhDj7cE2VdCLiL-0bAHHACk_hOUsV3B7wZVd-kXmDZbXGLVl3FO1SKYFf5zeBKmrYXzzZUNPN6FA-SWGhfWGfMlqvXRMOM9aQarkPepDJhMJMBfYUcibI17YbiE08n8-CETtmRU0/s1600/lil+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWEhxhDj7cE2VdCLiL-0bAHHACk_hOUsV3B7wZVd-kXmDZbXGLVl3FO1SKYFf5zeBKmrYXzzZUNPN6FA-SWGhfWGfMlqvXRMOM9aQarkPepDJhMJMBfYUcibI17YbiE08n8-CETtmRU0/s400/lil+b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/izKKWtuSSG0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div>via <a href="http://spaceagehustle.com/post/3837887905/lil-b-illusions-of-grandeur-remix-2011">space age hustle</a><br />
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Lil B has been blowing up lately, but honestly it's a strange sort of success he's enjoying. I've been a fan of Lil B since his days in The Pack, and a few of his latest tracks (especially the ones on <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/09/various-artists-3-years-ahead-cloud-rap.html">this mix</a>) I think are some of the best rap tracks being produced today. Despite that, the fact remains that by almost any criteria you might want to use, Lil B is a terrible, terrible rapper. In fact, one of the first things that made me a fan of Lil B is that he is <i>so bad</i> at rapping. It's a debatable point I suppose, but if you look for cleverness, complexity, and actually rhyming in rap, Lil B is definitely awful. So what's with all of the hype then? Lil B's inability to construct actual raps are part of his larger persona, which is that of unpredictable weirdness. Its impossible to guess what Lil B will do or say next, much less guess if he's going to bother to construct a rhyme at the end of a verse, and that is what critics and fans love about him. That definitely makes it seem like the majority of the attention he is getting is from non-rap fans ironically enjoying a rapper for being strange, rather than for his music. Of course, the nature of hip-hop is such that persona is always at the forefront, so it's hard to be too disappointed in people focusing on the rapper and not on the rap, but I can't help but imagine this probably grates fans of actual rap music the wrong way. Personally I tend to focus more on production in rap than on actual mic skills, so it doesn't bother me much. And Lil B's persona is really entertaining, especially his goofy motivational self-help positivity side . But what I like best about Lil B is that he chooses to rap over unusual beats that you might not hear more conventional rappers utilize. The "Illusions of Grandeur (Remix)" at the top of this post is a great example of this; Lil B says virtually nothing of interest on the track but its got such a huge vibe that it succeeds in spite of his shortcomings as an MC.<br />
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<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F11726890&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=0012e2"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F11726890&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=0012e2" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/everythingswagbased/lil-b-base-for-your-face-ft">Lil B-Base For Your Face (Ft. Jean Grae & Phonte)</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/everythingswagbased">EverythingSwagBased</a><br />
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This Lil B track on the other hand, produced by 9th Wonder and featuring talented word twisters Jean Grae and Phonte, takes the wrong tact. That's not to say it's a bad song, but there's pretty much no reason that Lil B should be on this track. It's a bad fit, and makes it seem as if the established rap world hasn't really figured out how to approach Lil B yet. Personally, I'm hoping that Lil B sticks with the more far-out style of beats.... and that some label or producer manages to step in and do some quality control so that we can get one really good Lil B album rather than dozens of mediocre ones.<br />
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Extra: <a href="http://reesenews.org/2011/02/23/critics-corner-reviews-676-lil-b-tracks/10898/">A ridiculous and hilarious track-by-track review</a> of the 676(!!!!!!) tracks Lil B has released over dozens of myspace pages.... it's EPIC.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-1094938816118637022011-03-15T11:11:00.000-07:002011-08-23T23:01:56.227-07:00video: geneva jacuzzi - clothes on the bed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0Y2bLhCbKaTQceEaOQvEwYnCzyL0bcyysajUoTc6NWaN8C_zhR-ZV-RTCRxWBc2uTeqfw2XSCpnvdi72tzLIKryC8PzoiuvOwUOGi0WsjvFFGO1uXFkK_efAe3AwBIWUVzXC_qV06-Q/s1600/geneva+jacuzzi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0Y2bLhCbKaTQceEaOQvEwYnCzyL0bcyysajUoTc6NWaN8C_zhR-ZV-RTCRxWBc2uTeqfw2XSCpnvdi72tzLIKryC8PzoiuvOwUOGi0WsjvFFGO1uXFkK_efAe3AwBIWUVzXC_qV06-Q/s400/geneva+jacuzzi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TC5KquQ64Jw" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div><br />
Geneva Jacuzzi hails from the same lo-fi glamorous weirdness scene that birthed Ariel Pink and Nite Jewel, and she falls approximately square in between those artists: the bedroom disco chanteuse styling of Nite Jewel crossed with the rinky-dink keyboards and bizarro persona of Ariel Pink is a pretty close description of Geneva Jacuzzi's sound. Given Ariel Pink's skyrocketing popularity over the last year (and the tendency of sites like Pitchfork to find ways to unnecessarily drop his name at every opportunity... their recent description of Gary Wilson as a "proto-Ariel Pink" is just one of many examples), I'm pretty wary of any new artist that is seemingly hitching their cart to his success. Geneva Jacuzzi has been cranking out her lo-fi jams for years however, and her recent full-length "Lamaze" on Vinyl International collects songs from 2004-2009, well before popular acclaim caught up to the music Ariel Pink was inspiring. So despite the fact that this sounds a lot like Ariel Pink, and he mastered and guests on the album, at least she started doing this before it was cool to do so. Another point in her favor is that, despite the fashion and self-indulgence (which honestly I take as a given for any artist coming out of LA), Geneva Jacuzzi seems like a huge dork. The appeal of the lo-fi pop sound to me is that it seems more sincere and honest, due to its indifference (or perhaps inability) to replicate the gloss and sheen of the fake, vapid music it emulates. With the numerable glamor shots, costumes, and multiple videos, Geneva Jacuzzi seems like she is attempting to position herself as a diva, but the oddness of the music and overall low-budget aesthetic points to a more legitimate artistic statement than a simple attempt at pop success. Check out some of her other videos:<br />
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Bad Moods (Rough Edit) featuring Ariel Pink<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_pypklJ3rcM" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe></div><br />
Love Caboose<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F2NQByp791c" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div>alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-69388800630703308382011-03-14T20:08:00.000-07:002011-03-14T20:14:37.374-07:00video: grouper on the experimental 1/2 hour show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-9yxKCTEVrHMa7G5gbYam5FRUQWdWuo7dww0QQWFVPH2ICK7yourvxGHkntR_MfjrSRiIMalQA07ySIewYkqarwpW3fady4kQ9RR5DkKjlvcjtSXLLMta9dMLlwlSHfv5qhtDbMAW9A/s1600/grouper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw-9yxKCTEVrHMa7G5gbYam5FRUQWdWuo7dww0QQWFVPH2ICK7yourvxGHkntR_MfjrSRiIMalQA07ySIewYkqarwpW3fady4kQ9RR5DkKjlvcjtSXLLMta9dMLlwlSHfv5qhtDbMAW9A/s400/grouper.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/20594007" width="400"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/20594007">Experimental 1/2 Hour - Episode XI: Grouper</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/experimentalpdx">Experimental 1/2 Hour</a></div><br />
I'm working on a round-up of various tracks and videos that have hit the net over the last few days, but here's one that's so substantial that I think it needs its own post. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/experimentalhalfhourpdx">The Experimental 1/2 Hour</a> is a Portland community access program that proves that community access television can be more than just City Hall meetings and drug casualty weirdos. This 30 minute set from Grouper closely approximates what it's like to see her in a live setting, but here she is unaccompanied by the nature footage that was projected behind her last time she performed here as part of the On Land Festival. She's not really the most dynamic stage performer, so without the film there's not much going here visually. Fortunately for those curious about her non-musical work, Grouper has released "Divide", a new book/DVD combo on Roots Strata (the book portion of it is really really awesome, but I've yet to watch the DVD). And then there's more music (two albums!) coming from Grouper in April, too: <i>Dream Loss</i> and <i>Alien Observer.</i> While I'm hoping her new records will be a little more engaging than this, this performance is nevertheless a patient and beautiful (and kinda terrifying at the end) ambient piece, and I'm pretty jealous that Portland gets such great community access TV.... who wants to try and get something like this going in SF?<br />
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PS - for extra experimental weirdness, check out <a href="http://vimeo.com/14047765">this</a> performance that launched the Experimental 1/2 Hour show (and was my introduction to the program)alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-41871613447266983702011-03-14T17:32:00.000-07:002011-03-14T17:37:04.834-07:00the austerity program - backsliders and apostates will burn (2010)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQM-LtldNri14mOwgRzjCiHAnRmTkawLUR32lV3WQpWPOzBvyYaulJCTE_Woe345aAc441ucHpZrPhT5-VVebk0Rqlb2qQqqp7_I2SjVd9BhRe4mrUtpUk6n8Dm00gWLjVCwChTCAJBw/s1600/Backsliders+and+Apostates+Will+Burn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQM-LtldNri14mOwgRzjCiHAnRmTkawLUR32lV3WQpWPOzBvyYaulJCTE_Woe345aAc441ucHpZrPhT5-VVebk0Rqlb2qQqqp7_I2SjVd9BhRe4mrUtpUk6n8Dm00gWLjVCwChTCAJBw/s400/Backsliders+and+Apostates+Will+Burn.png" width="400" /></a></div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F11982199&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=000000"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F11982199&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=000000" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/the-austerity-program-song-25">The Austerity Program - Song 25</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F2974812&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=000000"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F2974812&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=000000" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/ourbandcanbeyourlife-77/the-austerity-program-song-27">THE AUSTERITY PROGRAM // Song 27</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/ourbandcanbeyourlife-77">ourbandcanbeyourlife-77</a><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">The Austerity Program</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">New York City, New York, USA</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn</i> (Hydra Head, 2010) </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="http://www.austerityprogram.com/">http://www.austerityprogram.com</a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">RIYL: Big Black</div><br />
Although I'd been planning to sit down and write this review for a few weeks now, <a href="http://pitchfork.com/news/41807-dirty-projectors-titus-st-vincent-tune-yards-dan-deacon-cover-classic-indie-bands/">THIS</a> bumped writing this review up to the top of my list. If you didn't click that link, it's a news bit about how there is going to be a live tribute to the book "This Band Could Be Your Life", featuring the music of the classic bands from that book as performed by some of the fucking LAMEST modern indie bands who have NOTHING to do with the bands they are covering. In particular, I'm pissed that some jackass (seemingly Michael Azerrad, the author of "This Band..."???) thought it would be "cute" or "funny" or "ironic" if St Vincent covered Big Black. Ha ha, isn't that funny? Aren't you laughing? Its like, St Vincent is this twee folk indie chick, and like, Big Black are that seminal pissed-off noise rock group that basically personified seething hate and loathing? GET IT? THIS BAND COULD BE A JOKE HA HA HA OMG LIKE THAT'S SO FUNNY. Anyway, this is a review of an album, not just my raving about some boneheaded indie rock travesty. And the reason that said travesty prompted this review is because The Austerity Program are pretty much the closest modern equivalent to Big Black around. The relentless drum machine, the heavy bass driving the show, the snarky attitude, the intense energy of Big Black are nicely kept alive by The Austerity Program. On previous releases, <i>Terra Nova</i> and <i>Black Madonna</i>, The Austerity Program didn't quite manage to rise above the rank of "pretty good Big Black rip-offs". On last year's <i>Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn</i> EP, however, The Austerity Program have refined and focused their sound, becoming "pretty excellent Big Black rip-offs". While it's impossible for any Big Black fan to listen to this without hearing that band's influence, there are a few differences between them and The Austerity Program. While The Austerity Program's guitarist/vocalist Justin Foley often recites his lyrics in the same deadpan spoken style that Steve Albini used, Foley also stretches his vocal chords out further, reaching for melody far more than Albini ever did. This is one of the band's most notable qualities, because Foley is not a very good singer. However, I think that fact works to the band's advantage: Foley's caterwauling lends a sense of sincerity that makes his darkly humorous lyrics more interesting. And in terms of subject matter, although Foley visits the same kind of bleak subject matter that Albini covered, Foley seems more desperate and out-of-control than Albini did. While my repeated references to Big Black might seem dismissive of The Austerity Program, I think that there's more going on here than simply paying tribute to an older band. And even if they were, seeing as Big Black are better than 99% of any other band (then or now), being a Big Black clone still puts you ahead of the rest. Just don't ask me what I think of bands that "ironically pay tribute" to them...alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-90926599822694048462011-03-08T16:08:00.000-08:002011-03-08T16:23:29.237-08:00horseback - the invisible mountain (2010)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRASN8rMTu4gBYDt8H1-AMVTmj6otrYYA_WpnSKNt3G3DZVIgcATMbJtvQCp7myU5LXtfy5Mzq3H8tTZ2SsDfhx5VN_Ipb737HH4lNHvejAJoA1zKwS0ScQGNaJRxXZxqWLsT8b0fKyQ/s1600/The+Invisible+Mountain.png"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRASN8rMTu4gBYDt8H1-AMVTmj6otrYYA_WpnSKNt3G3DZVIgcATMbJtvQCp7myU5LXtfy5Mzq3H8tTZ2SsDfhx5VN_Ipb737HH4lNHvejAJoA1zKwS0ScQGNaJRxXZxqWLsT8b0fKyQ/s400/The+Invisible+Mountain.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10648115&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=604513"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10648115&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=604513" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/relapserecords/tyrant-symmetry">Tyrant Symmetry</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/relapserecords">RelapseRecords</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10647839&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=604513"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10647839&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=604513" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/relapserecords/the-invisible-mountain">The Invisible Mountain</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/relapserecords">RelapseRecords</a></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Horseback</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA </span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Invisible Mountain</i> (Relapse, 2010)</span></div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://horseback.bandcamp.com/">http://horseback.bandcamp.com/</a></span> </div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">RIYL: Grails, Om</span></div><br />
Originally released in a limited run in 2009 on Utech, Horseback's four-song mini-album The Invisible Mountain was re-released in 2010 to wider audiences on Relapse, one of the biggest metal records in the US. You might expect that would mean that this is a metal album, and I guess if the presence of (rather subdued) scruffy black metal vocals is all it takes to make something metal, then this is. I was certainly expecting this to be metal, since I first heard about this album on Haunting the Chapel's <a href="http://stereogum.com/596411/haunting-the-chapels-top-50-albums-of-2010/franchises/haunting-the-chapel/">best of 2010 list</a>, where it broke the top 10 (besting Burzum even)! But apart from the raspy vox, this is pretty much a straight-forward neo-americana/post-rock album in the vein of Om, (modern era) Earth, Barn Owl, the soundtrack for Jonah Hex that Mastodon made, and most of all, Grails. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing- do you like those bands (and that OST)? There is a good chance that Horseback's trance-inducing basslines, mournful steel guitar, and patiently unfolding darkly Western soundscapes will appeal to you. One noteworthy aspect of this album is how natural the blend of traditional American instrumentation, post-rock structures and black metal tinges is. Horseback's sound, while not terribly groundbreaking, is definitely fully formed- when Horseback hit their stride, especially on "Tyrant Symmetry" and "The Invisible Mountain", the result is an compellingly heavy groove. And the album's final song (the vividly named "Hatecloud Dissolving into Nothing") stretches out over 16 minutes, abandoning the rhythm section in favor of slowly twisting and mutating shimmery guitars and strings, resulting in a very sorrowful and moving epic. That being said, although The Invisible Mountain is well crafted and enjoyable, Horseback have yet to really bring anything new to the post-metal table. I found the mileage I got out of this album to be inconsistent; sometimes I put it on and found myself engaged and taken by the grandiose songs, whereas other times I found myself wishing that there was something more original here. Perhaps most of all I think that this is a very promising start for Horseback, and I'm looking forward to see if they can solidify their place among the already established bands in this genre. However, if you consider yourself an post-metal-stoner-Americana enthusiast, this is definitely an album to check out.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-86447162752997263062011-02-14T11:58:00.000-08:002011-02-15T11:10:06.109-08:00aesahaettr - aesahaettr (2010)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjah9-tkOV1yo3PK2S6TOz58H0S5M-1KqrT27vFEndEuN1rJMJNhutVjiQo2aJJcHlp-IQjfC5U2zfvcGoA0eu8-m7sYoO2o6SZjmdGXaeIiHkwcg3Z-33Ob1WZ10G_5elWOuAGNcIdNOU/s1600/Aesahaettr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjah9-tkOV1yo3PK2S6TOz58H0S5M-1KqrT27vFEndEuN1rJMJNhutVjiQo2aJJcHlp-IQjfC5U2zfvcGoA0eu8-m7sYoO2o6SZjmdGXaeIiHkwcg3Z-33Ob1WZ10G_5elWOuAGNcIdNOU/s400/Aesahaettr.png" width="252" /></a></div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10555781&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=c4946a"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10555781&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=c4946a" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/aesahaettr-the-sundering-blade">Aesahaettr - The Sundering Blade of Bolvangar</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10556096&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=c4946a"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10556096&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=c4946a" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/aesahaettr-the-fury-of-the">Aesahaettr - The Fury of the Panserbjorn</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
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Black metal comes in a lot of different flavors. There's the raw, evil sound of early black metallers, <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2009/03/von-satanic-blood.html">all harshness and aggression</a>. Or the slower, more melancholy style pioneered by <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/03/burzum-belus-2010.html">Burzum</a>, furthered by Weakling, and propagated by about a million <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/02/true-grim-kult-indie-folk.html">modern black metal</a> bands. There's <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2009/05/ddheimsgard-supervillain-outcast.html">industrial black metal</a>, <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2011/01/kvelertak-kvelertak-2010.html">false</a> & <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2009/10/haust-ride-relapse-2008.html">hard-rocking black metal</a>, <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/04/akitsa-au-crepuscule-de-lesperance-2010.html">lo-fi & experimental black metal</a>, <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2009/03/lifelover-pulver.html">shoegaze black metal</a> ("depressive rock"), 8-bit black metal, wooden black metal, epic war black metal, folk black metal, noise black metal, orchestral black metal, etc etc etc ad infintum. It can get overwhelming, and so its something of a relief that Aesahaettr, a new one man black metal project from Montreal, doesn't add anything new to this pantheon of black metal offshoots- in fact, this is almost exactly what I would call the textbook definition of modern black metal. This is not a bad thing, because Aesahaettr do by-the-book black metal right. Side A of this, Aesahaettr's self-titled demo cassette, features black metal in the driving, upbeat, riffing style, all fast picking and programmed drums. I like the sound of drum machines and I like drum machines in black metal, so that was one thing that appealed off the bat. But what I am truly a sucker for (and what I think is the primary thing that sets Aesahaettr apart from other like-minded bands) is hooky, empowering riffs, and Aesahaettr brings some real fist-pumping-head-banging moments on Side A. I have to admit that I do feel somewhat conflicted about this, as black metal is meant to be dissonant, misanthropic, isolating, and basically the opposite of "catchy". But I guess that's why I'll never have trve grim kvlt black metal cred, and instead will spend my time listening to music that claims to be evil, yet sounds like the sort of speed metal used to soundtrack a Mega Man game. Side B of this tape fulfills Aesahaettr's obligation to the <i>other</i> main style of modern black metal, the Wolves in the Throne Room back-to-nature epic that takes at least 15 minutes and requires strings and live recordings of the outdoors- and Aesahaettr succeed in pulling this off. Basically, if you crave something new and different from contemporary black metal, look elsewhere. But while this may be more of the same, its more of the same <i>done really well</i> and should appeal to fans of meat-and-potatoes black metal.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-24468440870246554502011-02-09T22:22:00.000-08:002011-02-09T22:27:19.542-08:00video: C V L T S - "angel chromosome" (from C V L T S/Umberto Split 7" (2011))<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="295" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/18284456" width="400"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/18284456">C V L T S - "ANGEL CHROMOSOME"</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/videoyearbook">Zahid Jiwa</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div><a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/09/c-v-l-t-s-l-v-s-t-2010.html">L V S T</a>, the self-released debut of Kansas' C V L T S, was an excellent assortment of simple yet engaging synthscapes. I'd been looking forward to new music from these guys, and "Angel Chromosome" from their upcoming split with Umberto (who uh I know nothing about) makes for an excellent (though unfortunately brief) reminder of why this group stands out in an increasingly crowded field of bedroom keyboard kids. Sounding retro without sounding stale, sounding epic without being overstuffed or pompous.... C V L T S definitely have a take on synthy drone that appeals to me. Much more than, say, <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2011/02/night-satan-midnight-laser-warrior-2010.html#comments">Night Satan</a>.<br />
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Bonus: <a href="http://www.internationaltapes.com/mixtapes/cvltsmixtape/">C V L T S Mixtape</a>: featuring your favorite experimental electronic weirdos The Skaters, Mark McGuire, Stellar OM Source, Matrix Metals, etc... plus Jan Hammer, and Peter Gabriel(!).alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-42541271304141995882011-02-08T12:02:00.000-08:002011-02-08T12:02:28.435-08:00track review: moon duo - "mazes" (from mazes (2011))<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tvhdCcoiVNR00qMhIlVKcIahEMcduJC8uPBD4lE9TuHoU0yKQiXXKK42EfBnhYDc0v_hDtuLFj44Sn2CyMJWQWaEviAs2NbA35btNY9N963GdA-gq4fg6l3kFnpK872DBlxMKJ4feUI/s1600/moonduo_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tvhdCcoiVNR00qMhIlVKcIahEMcduJC8uPBD4lE9TuHoU0yKQiXXKK42EfBnhYDc0v_hDtuLFj44Sn2CyMJWQWaEviAs2NbA35btNY9N963GdA-gq4fg6l3kFnpK872DBlxMKJ4feUI/s400/moonduo_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><object height="81" width="100%"><param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10019863&"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10019863&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed></object><a href="http://soundcloud.com/souterraintransmissions/moon-duo-mazes">Moon Duo - Mazes</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/souterraintransmissions">souterraintransmissions</a> <br />
One of my favorite San Francisco groups, Moon Duo, announced their newest release (and full-length debut) <i>Mazes</i> today. Like the bizarrely warm weather we've been experiencing here, this news makes me excited for the end of winter and the beginning of long months of sun- Moon Duo's previous EP releases of mellow-yet-propulsive hazy psych were the perfect jamming soundtrack for last summer (<i>Mazes</i> comes out just before the sunny season, on April 18th). The title track, released today as part of the announcement, promises that <i>Mazes</i> will mostly be the same Moon Duo we know and love. It features the same motorik beat, the sustained keyboards, the rising and falling outer-space guitar that carries the music through the cosmos.... but in a more energized form than Moon Duo's previous releases. The chords are a little brighter, a little more upbeat; the vocals are more clear, less hidden by reverb, than older Moon Duo tracks. However, these slight differences do not fundamentally change the overall vibe- I think this bodes well for their debut.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-72871224573653160982011-02-01T17:43:00.000-08:002011-02-01T17:46:23.686-08:00burzum - fallen (2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujuHic4MCmpukFr695_WZMOSPSlWyyhE7IQ_4CVPRFEdxxDAJtigzLjyA74bc6BjllcI0SZbvQrqIiAMycErxzq_-jlJsgQUvP4uH0GIRJGsXhkNnOBc1egorZyxxnI0RR5tHbQCeSEY/s1600/Fallen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujuHic4MCmpukFr695_WZMOSPSlWyyhE7IQ_4CVPRFEdxxDAJtigzLjyA74bc6BjllcI0SZbvQrqIiAMycErxzq_-jlJsgQUvP4uH0GIRJGsXhkNnOBc1egorZyxxnI0RR5tHbQCeSEY/s400/Fallen.png" width="400" /></a></div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9949692&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=c91200"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9949692&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=c91200" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/burzum-enhver-til-sitt">Burzum - Enhver Til Sitt</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9949945&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=c91200"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9949945&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=c91200" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/burzum-til-hel-og-tilbake-igjen">Burzum - Til Hel Og Tilbake Igjen</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
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Proving that the Norwegian prison system works, Burzum has now released his second post-prison album, and has not yet been caught committing any hate crimes. His first post-prison work, <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/03/burzum-belus-2010.html"><i>Belus</i></a>, surprised me with its focus and intensity, and exceeded my low expectations by far (and ended up at the #1 spot on my <a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/12/2010-my-favorite-metal-albums.html">best of 2010 metal albums list</a>). I had no idea he'd follow <i>Belus</i> up so quickly, but nevertheless I tentatively hoped <i>Fallen</i> would match the quality of it's predecessor. It definitely succeeds in doing so- if you liked <i>Belus</i> then you will likely be happy with this. It mostly follows the template set forth on <i>Belus</i>, but this time Varg spends a little more time crooning than before, and several of the songs feature a martial, mid-tempo near-motorik beat (as on "Enhver Til Sitt") that brings a hypnotic groove the record. While most of the album follows a particular formula, "Til Hel Og Tilbake Igjen" ends the album on an odd and spacey note- definitely weird in a good way, but hopefully not an indication that Varg is itching to get relive his ambient days. The biggest fault this album has is the thin production; I thought that <i>Belus</i> sounded thin but figured it might just be low-quality mp3s. <i>Fallen</i> also has a pretty wispy sound, but I found that turning the bass up on my sound system and listening to this at a higher volume improved the experience. Varg definitely seems to found a new sound that suits him well- if he keeps putting out albums of this quality, this period of his career may be regarded as highly as the <i>Filosofem</i> era.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-55978213491982943762011-01-30T18:56:00.000-08:002011-01-30T18:56:22.824-08:00Kvelertak - Kvelertak (2010)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggYeAlC41Lt-2NcYgu8DkefVcfCjdbAMRAjf6ewJQI-_VqAQqvNX3lh4fgKrZCOzhACsRTGLprzVNwjUoX0QsCE0lj46mecyEIYnC9mLkZ5jPdodgzM_S2jpPHKP8TjmsGT0jDH4DROw/s1600/Kvelertak.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggYeAlC41Lt-2NcYgu8DkefVcfCjdbAMRAjf6ewJQI-_VqAQqvNX3lh4fgKrZCOzhACsRTGLprzVNwjUoX0QsCE0lj46mecyEIYnC9mLkZ5jPdodgzM_S2jpPHKP8TjmsGT0jDH4DROw/s400/Kvelertak.png" width="400" /></a></div><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9852233&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=ebde66"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9852233&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=ebde66" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/kvelertak-ulvetid">Kvelertak - Ulvetid</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9853011&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=ebde66"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9853011&show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=ebde66" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw/kvelertak-mj-d">Kvelertak - Mjød</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/speedglueandmusic_aw">speedglueandmusic_aw</a><br />
<u>RIYL: Turbonegro, Satyricon</u><br />
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What's an easy way to piss off a black metal fan? Tell them this was your favorite black metal album of 2010 (it wasn't my favorite, but I did decide to throw this into my top 10 at the last second). Heck, just the fact that I picked "metal - black" as the label for this entry seems debatable at the very least. If you haven't heard this yet, its basically an amalgamation of current-era Satyricon (somewhat) and Turbonegro (mostly): that is to say, major-label friendly black metal and cheesy modern hard rock that Scandinavians seem to love for reasons unknown to me. This album certainly caused its share of controversy when it came out last year; for some people, it was the funnest, hard-rockin'-est, black-metallin' riff-fest album of the year. Or so I hear anyway, because really all I ever saw were metal blogs saying "DAMMIT STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS SHITTY ALBUM". As it so happens though, I like current-era Satyricon and Turbonegro, so I think this album is pretty fun. I think this album would sound good in a bar, or when driving a car really fast. Or driving a car really fast to/from a bar. I can say that it doesn't really suit me as well when I am sitting in front of my computer listening to it, as you undoubtedly are (unless you are in a car or a bar and reading this- how are you doing that??). So anyway, if you think black metal is VERY VERY SERIOUS AND ALSO TRUE AND ALSO BLEAK you will probably HATE this and I won't blame you for that. If, however, you like "riffs" and don't really care if some bros from Sweden or wherever these guys are from are co-opting black metal sounds for their bro-rock fest, you might enjoy this. I guess the question is, can you enjoy music even if the people behind it are total douches? If you like black metal, isn't the answer to that pretty obvious? If you CAN get behind this concept, this album is pretty fun, although the songwriting is not terribly strong- most songs have inspired moments and then a lot of filler. But I'm always in favor of things that sound new and different, and I'd say this is a pretty good sound.alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-22710280266870435262011-01-02T10:29:00.000-08:002011-01-29T18:29:29.137-08:00A Look Back at the Music of 20102010 was a continuation of a most successful run in the overall electronic scene. This seemingly sudden burst in creativity has been slowly building for years, most notably with the rise of dubstep, a term that is becoming increasingly hard to define as it evolves into different sub-genres. It's gotten to the point where people refer to it and all related genres as 'bass music', 'street bass', or something mildly ridiculous like 'future garage' (garage being a kind of 2-step UK electronic music). Either way the scene is definitely flourishing in really exciting ways and shows no real sign of stopping. 2011 will likely start off with a bang as super-awesome dubstep producer Joker releases his very first LP. Not to mention an LP by Egyptrixx, and quite possibly the king himself, Richard D. James. But i digress.. here's a list of my favorite albums/tracks/EPs/etc from this past year. The nature of this genre is such that it's not super LP friendly necessarily, so i'm chosing singles, tracks and EPs as well as albums. Hope you enjoy these as much as i did! happy 2010, looking forward to an amazing 2011.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Top 20 Releases of 2010</span> (in no particular order):<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Actress - Splazsh LP</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlynHWC44fp6Qr4D_oTiSR3A0E_zjTi3hwt8HmHaffdF6tupTz50Wrmlk003zhU3QKVtRNRjg0JbG3QAnQtiBKT_-AuWdNxJoTSzBk6P2Jl47m0X7WmWONMUMuZGWSel-FbyI6uj-0GFCo/s1600/actress_splazsh.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558398306655001778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlynHWC44fp6Qr4D_oTiSR3A0E_zjTi3hwt8HmHaffdF6tupTz50Wrmlk003zhU3QKVtRNRjg0JbG3QAnQtiBKT_-AuWdNxJoTSzBk6P2Jl47m0X7WmWONMUMuZGWSel-FbyI6uj-0GFCo/s200/actress_splazsh.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Actress has an amazingly special sound. Mostly based around straight-up techno, the way he approaches it is weird and interesting in a very subtle way. He adds little flourishes, pacing, vibe, and just random weird effects and textures to a relatively simple format, making his sound really unique. The overall effect is a strange mixture of sublime, brooding, contemplative and funky. Splazsh explores a nice range of sounds while still maintaining that special Actress touch, and that's quite a feat in itself for any artist. One of the most compelling releases of 2010, or any year for that matter. (<a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/06/actress-splazsh-2010-t-wireless-2010.html">review by MRT</a>)<br />
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<a href="javascript:expandcollapse('subtopic2010RAW')"><br />
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<h4><a href="javascript:expandcollapse('subtopic2010RAW')">read the rest!</a></h4><br />
<span class="posthidden" id="subtopic2010RAW"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andy Stott - Love Nothing/Tell Me Anything 12"</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKD6CWWMbpKzBGIC1kjClSlgydzuR5fTxkX7JlgY7yp8X-StZag8sFelKdNI3N_iKBGn315yGEOlfd11GkOSEPHMLtQ1x8Lm-fnNlGnfB_hrThQPK7Njqf1WY23otbM0h8JzRK6nbCMr2/s1600/480.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558398607779087970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKD6CWWMbpKzBGIC1kjClSlgydzuR5fTxkX7JlgY7yp8X-StZag8sFelKdNI3N_iKBGn315yGEOlfd11GkOSEPHMLtQ1x8Lm-fnNlGnfB_hrThQPK7Njqf1WY23otbM0h8JzRK6nbCMr2/s200/480.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 200px; width: 200px;" /></a></div><br />
This is pure minimal house/techno at it's best. Completely dreamy swinging beats with just the right type of ambiance. I'd venture to say that even the average listener couldn't not be swayed by the undeniable groove of 'Tell Me Anything'. It's simple progression just too nice, too smooth. Generic to most maybe, but this is for techno-lovers only.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ASC - Certainties EP</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrAUK590TcnS9xobzgDWInFEaBT0TyW_Hdkd8S_7vu_hEU-OK-HHI4uBDMrcVghJaq3tUjWz3t_ukaO8xRRKzzqrilwtpowxwtB7chaQkGmxSLgx4a24786uDnLfXI82p2-BpxJRbhai8/s1600/002a.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399006368725378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrAUK590TcnS9xobzgDWInFEaBT0TyW_Hdkd8S_7vu_hEU-OK-HHI4uBDMrcVghJaq3tUjWz3t_ukaO8xRRKzzqrilwtpowxwtB7chaQkGmxSLgx4a24786uDnLfXI82p2-BpxJRbhai8/s200/002a.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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ASC has at least one major thing going for him: a super distinctive sound. Existing somewhere between twitchy drum and bass and IDM, his sound is cold in the overall environment it creates. But that seemingly cold environment is home to some pretty epicly emotive and often warm sounds. 'Reality Check' (track review) off this particular EP is a perfect example of that. Well worth the nearly year-long wait between my first listen and the official release.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Autechre - Oversteps</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQc1zTpxsSYPkB3KikE1A4s9PpBgCInp5ubkCoHxhscb7ommJywc-fsYunTB8yBLagneOfLlyY6sZUoQzcqJbVLJwP8rCblOqOR5qkbmcoM9cPeei2Nr0R8ozeEdw1p8dkx6LBqZeMcoUa/s1600/l_3a487a6c66e846d1b2d3848c9bb7ad5a.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399008894964242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQc1zTpxsSYPkB3KikE1A4s9PpBgCInp5ubkCoHxhscb7ommJywc-fsYunTB8yBLagneOfLlyY6sZUoQzcqJbVLJwP8rCblOqOR5qkbmcoM9cPeei2Nr0R8ozeEdw1p8dkx6LBqZeMcoUa/s200/l_3a487a6c66e846d1b2d3848c9bb7ad5a.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 196px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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With this, Autechre didn't just create an album, they created a little musical universe. traditionally their sound had almost exclusively consisted of intense, challenging, grating beats that would leave the average listener feeling pulverized, and maybe even a little worn out (in a good way though). This was a fairly sharp turn, and a very welcome one at that. It's beautifully ambient, while taking their intense IDM rhythms and putting them into a shiny crystalized form. The result is an album that shines exuberantly, and will in my mind at least be remembered as an all-time classic in this field of music. Whatever that may be... (<a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/03/autechre-oversteps.html">review</a>)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Balam Acab - See Birds EP</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQu8GxhBPZDeR7pHUVA0di_Zh1Nm3gXa9CZVdxHiCbUtT5DnZJacj9jS3W2hjS8giFuDh3iDPvCX8XDman91ugZNm4vnxMkQBuVOkcr9j_XWnfKU4eOTrg_LlGeludL_Id-oIBSkA3-0OQ/s1600/BalamAcab.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399017049044130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQu8GxhBPZDeR7pHUVA0di_Zh1Nm3gXa9CZVdxHiCbUtT5DnZJacj9jS3W2hjS8giFuDh3iDPvCX8XDman91ugZNm4vnxMkQBuVOkcr9j_XWnfKU4eOTrg_LlGeludL_Id-oIBSkA3-0OQ/s200/BalamAcab.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Upon first listen, my mind was blown by this EP. I was completely not expecting something so great, just looking up random artists on the Boomkat record site. It was a very pleasant surprise. The EP in it's entirety is very solid, but track that really stood out for me was 'See Birds (Moon)'. just the way the reverb on the snare hits, the keyboard effects come in and out of the background throughout, and the vocals dreamily float through the space they've created make for a completely magical experience. Brilliant. Looking forward to whatever their next release might have in store.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Breach - Fatherless 12"</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOM2xR1XfRBIVf_3SjfqD_-rFuqtdzR1GIxTwKcitXF1Kkzlc_Rz49zs2fJSWasQMwgCcXftwBnx_S0RqPgowPv3kUYHWm9G1ibYEm2R0aMx6Dk38fUxTzQymcdjRx3v_WKiFl0-xMamcs/s1600/1283759567_breach.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399022978744114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOM2xR1XfRBIVf_3SjfqD_-rFuqtdzR1GIxTwKcitXF1Kkzlc_Rz49zs2fJSWasQMwgCcXftwBnx_S0RqPgowPv3kUYHWm9G1ibYEm2R0aMx6Dk38fUxTzQymcdjRx3v_WKiFl0-xMamcs/s200/1283759567_breach.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Breach is a somewhat obscure artist out the post-dubstep/funky/uk electronic scene. Less obscure now after releasing the killer single 'Fatherless'. It possesses a nicely calibrated moody/vaguely sinister vibe, driving beat, tasteful and well-timed use of samples. Just an overall perfect club-killer production. The kind of track that will always get people's blood pumping in a live setting.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Deadboy - If U Want Me 12"</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zE0ykl1AmlYESMv2KAH0XIyq0AW4NhQPB-E1uMtTwlNpG1SPu1FLkTWhyphenhyphenLiUOPnSQkrNaJ5JMd9sTARHOd7MGafuleAGl1lfKIwUg0m3onyiJ3AGHv6jwqZef7GiKErQYg-CfEkAs36U/s1600/CS378285-01A-BIG.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399027838654354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zE0ykl1AmlYESMv2KAH0XIyq0AW4NhQPB-E1uMtTwlNpG1SPu1FLkTWhyphenhyphenLiUOPnSQkrNaJ5JMd9sTARHOd7MGafuleAGl1lfKIwUg0m3onyiJ3AGHv6jwqZef7GiKErQYg-CfEkAs36U/s200/CS378285-01A-BIG.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 190px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Continuing with the club-killer theme, here's another one from [same scene] artist Deadboy. Sounds more or less what Kode9 (great DJ, not greatest producer in my opinion) wishes he sounded like. A sweetly funky beat, a warm synth riding the groove, and the sample "if u want" repeated throughout with nicely timed delivery. Like all music from this scene, the beauty of it is that it's often catchy and infectious, but almost always has an interesting contemplative vibe riding somewhere in the background. It's what gives releases like this a bit of depth and ultimately makes the scene as a whole more worthwhile. I'm all for it.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Demdike Stare - Voices of Dust</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19remTw5BNEg1deFx8xq_t5B3YVqfJikdIV85mqyFtq-rYqouz8Wd0VTP_x3rV1sV4eetLN-Qn1XWY5aDYFDCRCfyB-UO_je54tcB47W2Kko-QRcd9sBhRckVvvQRb146OWSEslOSc8iT/s1600/demdike-stare-voices-of-dust-album-cover-500x500.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399693881410770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19remTw5BNEg1deFx8xq_t5B3YVqfJikdIV85mqyFtq-rYqouz8Wd0VTP_x3rV1sV4eetLN-Qn1XWY5aDYFDCRCfyB-UO_je54tcB47W2Kko-QRcd9sBhRckVvvQRb146OWSEslOSc8iT/s200/demdike-stare-voices-of-dust-album-cover-500x500.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Demdike Stare are pretty prolific for an artist that has basically just hit the scene, having released a trilogy of albums this past year (Symbiosis, Liberation Through Hearing, Voices of Dust). Voices of Dust is really what does it for me though. It kept true to their sound, but is more complete as an album than the other two releases. The usual brooding vibe was accompanied by an insane tribal-chant-laden mindfuck (appropriately titled 'Hashshashin Chant'), a creepy, seemingly Bug-influenced use of sub-bass ('Desert Ascetic'), but most notably.. a beautiful, ambient build of a track that peaks with a gentle warm synth line washing over you for minutes that frankly don't last long enough (the 11 minute 'Repository of Light'). Yet another release that captures an artist's sound very well and just sounds complete as an album. It's what modern classics are made of.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Egyptrixx - Battle For North America EP/The Only Way Up EP</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4N-XBGRZw5LoAvOAhYq1gtf9UNrW4LPFAMiJNn7YCHGN4rdSR_aJkj_x8xdPxhN5_aFl9gEHamnfAx0xEV-DZrmTngZTLF7zto8S7yX6cWPKqjpv_ph6fKT9WRvbfMG6GZg1EEj7P6IJh/s1600/22649_229446569968_34381734968_753567_6582175_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399701746235026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4N-XBGRZw5LoAvOAhYq1gtf9UNrW4LPFAMiJNn7YCHGN4rdSR_aJkj_x8xdPxhN5_aFl9gEHamnfAx0xEV-DZrmTngZTLF7zto8S7yX6cWPKqjpv_ph6fKT9WRvbfMG6GZg1EEj7P6IJh/s200/22649_229446569968_34381734968_753567_6582175_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Egyptrixx might just be my favorite artist of the year. He definitely showed promise in 2009, but this year just blew it out of the water. He's developed a really unique sound palette that is totally out of this world, and seems to have a really good ear for how to actually compose a track (not too long or over-indulgent) which is a lot to say in the current 'cult of the amateur'. The trademark characteristic in his music is a sort of stretched out alien synth, that at certain points is seemingly used vaguely as sort of a psychedelic voice effect. Time will tell if his sound progresses and evolves as excitingly as it has during his debut. But in the meantime, he's basically killing it in a very good way.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Games - Everything is Working EP</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMHz5CTBv2G9_BRKYVZcMSg5YxszVwW4KVOk8_n7qp2qFLycKDPAYq3c5DeKg6tn628q1m5jJnN2zeHJw3C6HT5myFfY5yRZLpw9DnhDE1VZbwFN8qeU1p6RphkIqFJOypeL9JXeZ5WDv/s1600/up-games.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399707565917042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMHz5CTBv2G9_BRKYVZcMSg5YxszVwW4KVOk8_n7qp2qFLycKDPAYq3c5DeKg6tn628q1m5jJnN2zeHJw3C6HT5myFfY5yRZLpw9DnhDE1VZbwFN8qeU1p6RphkIqFJOypeL9JXeZ5WDv/s200/up-games.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Games are one of the most pleasant surprises of 2010. I was already somewhat familiar with Oneohtrix Point Never (one half of Games' main project) and enjoy that quite a bit, but this is the one that really stuck with me. Sounding kind of liked 80's pop filtered through a computer on an acid high, they really found a way to set themselves apart in an age of relative mediocrity. The title track 'Everything is Working' is chock full of ideas and sounds busy and overloaded at times. But upon further listening, it becomes apparent that it all actually works together well, creating a dreamy, chimey, vaguely pop-y track with a nice little beat to boot. Actually forced to change their name due to legal issues, it'd be a blessing if this unit stayed intact and continued this level of output. A group to look out for.<br />
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<div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX - 'NY is Killing Me'</div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFM80_v49PDoo1zEg4059eShDPUWJBIccp57y8pik_8ei1euMhCOvGifoKpLgCfrREFqTd4cH0goDyrx4M43UWMrDYujFu8_l6G-dV_U_Gq1FpyTzKDYF2D5W-9an6fNZMDzuhlWpO4qAh/s1600/Gil-Scott-Heron-and-Jamie-xx-NY-Is-Killing-Me.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399710742161202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFM80_v49PDoo1zEg4059eShDPUWJBIccp57y8pik_8ei1euMhCOvGifoKpLgCfrREFqTd4cH0goDyrx4M43UWMrDYujFu8_l6G-dV_U_Gq1FpyTzKDYF2D5W-9an6fNZMDzuhlWpO4qAh/s200/Gil-Scott-Heron-and-Jamie-xx-NY-Is-Killing-Me.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 116px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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An unlikely duo, these dudes put together a pretty perfect dub track in 'NY Is Killing Me'. Jamie XX is really making a name for himself aside from his role as the [mostly undetectable] beat jockey in the band The XX. Samples of Scott-Heron's voice are basically done perfectly. The dub-y beat flows along just as it should, with a little bit of future-funkiness added into the beat for good measure. Essential stuff. Beautiful little synth work at the end of the track as well. The full album of remixes is due next year.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">GIRL UNIT - IRL EP/Wut 12"</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnBHiHoLGHvc9-FFE88Q61lCMmk__yZoHqf15Se51M_Zef3n5ys2pOG9FKMeLuf4N8ISIHtaDVBRQfRDQnVMqBCi8_6GvZg2y-EWB1G-13eNHUrXJSUS07xcQXFBWNMqixL7sQQJkcb5C/s1600/Girl-UNIT-IRL-2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399713799102578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnBHiHoLGHvc9-FFE88Q61lCMmk__yZoHqf15Se51M_Zef3n5ys2pOG9FKMeLuf4N8ISIHtaDVBRQfRDQnVMqBCi8_6GvZg2y-EWB1G-13eNHUrXJSUS07xcQXFBWNMqixL7sQQJkcb5C/s200/Girl-UNIT-IRL-2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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GIRL UNIT has the formula for club-friendly bass music down pat. A member of the Night Slugs crew that are destroying audiences all over the UK electronic scene right now. Total bangers: 'Shade On' from the IRL EP, and 'Wut' are shiny, hyper-melodic, explosive tracks that would blow away any audience (and have, as witnessed by yours truly at a recent Mary Anne Hobbs gig in SF). Definitely someone to look out for in 2011 and beyond.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John Roberts - Glass Eights</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUnvnkdY6ozTMV_aZmegxP0lvsGSpXrLP_GjHIBbiymeLYg4TAfc9HONIebTR2CSTwdMd3tIWCJBXtIRfegsXIlrecZE1-fN3ks0WoVIc09V6Y8df2bmLIxmsgy414e0FT6EeEMzZYWW7/s1600/1288770097_18495698.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399899268679138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUnvnkdY6ozTMV_aZmegxP0lvsGSpXrLP_GjHIBbiymeLYg4TAfc9HONIebTR2CSTwdMd3tIWCJBXtIRfegsXIlrecZE1-fN3ks0WoVIc09V6Y8df2bmLIxmsgy414e0FT6EeEMzZYWW7/s200/1288770097_18495698.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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I couldn't possibly put it better than fellow writer MRT did in his list of favorites (<a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/12/2010-best-of-list-my-best-of-list-is.html">link</a>), but John Roberts was a great example of techno done right in 2010. Characterized by restraint, a clean delivery, and just a good sensibility for delicate, tasteful melody. In my top 5 this year I'd say.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LA Vampires and Matrix Metals - So Unreal</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2Se27k7d2TPsmHWxCPZ4EhdMM3Hpy_U_WWg9dPyE0FT6jhSpYIRk6XETue5KF4-hBbnesBCQ_qSzKkDl1oTnJ3nQRBCQ07biM64q1j91LX7KJEtLfJRl7FfQo1kWJ4YfaCPklF-AUzJu/s1600/la+vamp.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399909789464194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2Se27k7d2TPsmHWxCPZ4EhdMM3Hpy_U_WWg9dPyE0FT6jhSpYIRk6XETue5KF4-hBbnesBCQ_qSzKkDl1oTnJ3nQRBCQ07biM64q1j91LX7KJEtLfJRl7FfQo1kWJ4YfaCPklF-AUzJu/s200/la+vamp.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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The former Pocahaunted vocalist's collaboration with Zola Jesus was fantastic, but i think this one wins me over. The funky, warped guitar beats of Matrix Metals combined with her dreamy washed-out vocals just really do the trick and make for a great semi-lo-fi experience. Totally far-out dream-rock (somebody help me out on the actual genre here), one of my favorite [mostly] non-electronic releases of the year.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Milyoo - Dasien EP</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBq7lNWPAwMa_2GhgcMDkYxlkbXeVxq5qSKkUrBicDArBMnllk3dcXa0Maw02aSVuJsTbTmDuj99FL1lc5-4_1idZ124PMhwBSjawHP6TYrL9FtkGRfVYts7jXyuV3JZ-Dcz9UEJAPffh5/s1600/202303_2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399914064766818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBq7lNWPAwMa_2GhgcMDkYxlkbXeVxq5qSKkUrBicDArBMnllk3dcXa0Maw02aSVuJsTbTmDuj99FL1lc5-4_1idZ124PMhwBSjawHP6TYrL9FtkGRfVYts7jXyuV3JZ-Dcz9UEJAPffh5/s200/202303_2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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One of the most unexpected releases of the year (hailing from Kentucky, WTF?), this guy has a slight James Blake element to his music, a bit of Raime, and maybe even a little bit of Silkie. But that's not even doing it justice. Just completely surprised at how well developed his sound is in this debut. Sounds like Actress on crack, James Blake with balls, and Silkie put through a warped effects filter. Just a great combination of styles put together in a very cohesive, professional way. There's no way this review/description is doing it justice.. just take a gander if you will.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Onra - 'Bonus Beat'</span> [from The One EP (vinyl exclusive track)]</div><br />
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OK, I ACTUALLY BOUGHT A RECORD PLAYER AND THIS EP ON VINYL JUST SO I COULD HAVE THIS TRACK. Seriously, i could not find it anywhere in mp3 form and it's that good. Nothing too crazy experimental, just the best pop-y instrumental hip-hop-ish track i've heard in a very long time, if not ever. Most sweetly enjoyable track of the year. Feel-good music of the best variety.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Raime - Raime EP</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFYmPUb-AqLMkM-U1XoUK894EcbgFG-DQJbRnxA5W0d9-CsfydCojQCMPNoHqAyvYd5yh5AHflQpfngfgjJRPgiZfVxmgvNbfkLtWlNpNOqXbAFVSqiN_DvWsANmgZ4-V1xN4-C8dumQX/s1600/raime.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558399924321936482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFYmPUb-AqLMkM-U1XoUK894EcbgFG-DQJbRnxA5W0d9-CsfydCojQCMPNoHqAyvYd5yh5AHflQpfngfgjJRPgiZfVxmgvNbfkLtWlNpNOqXbAFVSqiN_DvWsANmgZ4-V1xN4-C8dumQX/s200/raime.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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These guys basically came out of nowhere. Yet another amazing debut. Dark, sparse, yet driving brooding beats with haunting vocals creeping their way in and out. Off a label that i'd most definitely like to look deeper into, Blackest Ever Black. These guys have the potential to open up a new genre of dark, minimal dub-influenced music. (<a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/10/raime-raime-ep.html">review</a>)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Redlight - 'MDMA'</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4McgSAM6ITcf_HQ3x65LGiKy9yG98BVUWc1iFaJ1EJGHeaTrf_f-N2UW-KiBLuvjSi92R3hgha1qsnvcpY-RCuqUdgIDBNWZuQ2UnDno8-QShYJPW61AVfcbSszaTRc2ULgUBhboeDxn/s1600/What+You+Talking+About%2521_+-+EP+1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558414202520182370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4McgSAM6ITcf_HQ3x65LGiKy9yG98BVUWc1iFaJ1EJGHeaTrf_f-N2UW-KiBLuvjSi92R3hgha1qsnvcpY-RCuqUdgIDBNWZuQ2UnDno8-QShYJPW61AVfcbSszaTRc2ULgUBhboeDxn/s200/What+You+Talking+About%2521_+-+EP+1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Absolutely wicked track from drum and bass turned dubstep/funky artist Redlight. With a relatively simple beat with traditional claps as the rhythm markers, a ravey series of synth stabs, the title comes in with the 'rolling' effect that spins back and forth to amazing effect. Apparently created using a technique called sidechain compression, it makes for one the coolest, most enjoyable tracks i've heard all year. From the 'What You Talking About?' EP.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Suum Cuique - Midden</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspemKDIrQFwlbKXpLDcBg70FA_86H-tKiYTjE6KydYW-8gFrIAiYui1xK1KkSHepcpB6vvu83em4w6-kpIBjh847OTaDdyNa1E8xoJFHmRiXTCVF3Z9Lz424uRRkcX9P4oJoqw2cz9O77/s1600/1288598827712_f.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558400056050058658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspemKDIrQFwlbKXpLDcBg70FA_86H-tKiYTjE6KydYW-8gFrIAiYui1xK1KkSHepcpB6vvu83em4w6-kpIBjh847OTaDdyNa1E8xoJFHmRiXTCVF3Z9Lz424uRRkcX9P4oJoqw2cz9O77/s200/1288598827712_f.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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A varied and brilliant experimental ambient album off the Modern Love label. Kind of what you'd expect if you're familiar with said genre, but still great to have in 2010 nonetheless.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shed - The Traveller</span></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAc7EsKfTsXy_Qk4bUnISjxFg-P9b3kDpTk9VqCv71DdOSKc-gH6FAPl2Esf0v0HQLN3wwxM1UxmZ-F1LCFAomClVI6NLP5PEHOS7G2Hmknf-pELOLIo709zXV7SWESGUxQcn4I7CpL1t/s1600/ostgutcd14-frontklein.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558400057510225698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAc7EsKfTsXy_Qk4bUnISjxFg-P9b3kDpTk9VqCv71DdOSKc-gH6FAPl2Esf0v0HQLN3wwxM1UxmZ-F1LCFAomClVI6NLP5PEHOS7G2Hmknf-pELOLIo709zXV7SWESGUxQcn4I7CpL1t/s200/ostgutcd14-frontklein.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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Hands down my favorite album of the year. Just a brilliant amalgamation of different techno and general electronic styles put together in such a beautifully succinct package. 'Leave Things' is an epic closer, with a pulsing amen appearing over a sentimental synth line. It's a perfect combination of reflective vibes and adrenaline. And that more or less sums up the album for me: the sweet melancholy of say, an Aphex Twin synth pad, combined with that gets-your-blood-pumping sense of rhythm and experimentation. Shed creates beautiful little worlds on this album. Little musical worlds that i'll be revisiting again and again.<br />
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So that's it for my musical experience this year, more or less. Aside from these amazing releases there were countless other tracks, mixes and various releases that rounded out the year in a very excellent way yet don't quite fit the end-of year list format. This doesn't really do the year as a whole justice. Just touches the surface of what will hopefully be an era of musical ingenuity that is sustained for the foreseeable future. Amen to that.<br />
</span>R.A.Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05804320214263407438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6862983109772872887.post-64574437636234133962010-12-23T18:23:00.000-08:002011-01-29T18:36:15.973-08:002010: my favorite albums!Ok, so every year when I sit down to make my best-of the year list, I fall into this trap where I start wondering if the albums I'm picking are REALLY the INCONTESTABLE BEST ALBUMS of the year, and it's a pretty bad way to go about making a list. This year I'm trying to take it a little bit easier- this list is not what I'm saying are the BEST albums that will stand the test of time, just a bunch of albums I liked that happened to come out this year. In fact, only my top 6 records do I feel belong in any really top ranking- the rest of the list could have fallen in a completely different order, were I to assemble this list last month or next week or even right now. Anyway, I enjoyed all of these albums in different ways, so let me know what albums were your stand-outs this year!<br />
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<a href="javascript:expandcollapse('subtopic2010AW')"><br />
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<h4><a href="javascript:expandcollapse('subtopic2010AW')">read the rest!</a></h4><br />
<span class="posthidden" id="subtopic2010AW"><br />
30. The Alps - Le Voyage<br />
29. Neil Young - Le Noise<br />
28. Sun Araw - On Patrol<br />
27. Danny Paul Grody - Fountain<br />
26. Afrirampo - We Are Uchu No Ko<br />
25. Arp - The Soft Wave<br />
24. Pocahaunted - Make It Real<br />
23. Abe Vigoda - Crush<br />
22. Aboombong - Asynchronic<br />
21. Emeralds - Does It Look Like I'm Here?<br />
20. Avey Tare - Down There<br />
19. Zola Jesus - Stridulum<br />
18. Ariel Pink With Added Pizzazz -Ariel Pink With Added Pizzazz<br />
17. Nite Jewel - Am I Real?<br />
16. Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky<br />
15. Nice Nice - Extra Wow<br />
14. Julian Lynch - Mare<br />
13. C V L T S - L V S T (<a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/09/c-v-l-t-s-l-v-s-t-2010.html">review</a>)<br />
12. Salem - King Night<br />
11. Nobunny - First Blood (<a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/11/nobunny-first-blood-2010.html">review</a>)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUg4A9CFf0RXndL8u7ENqAD91XV9MpV8E8f4_h8sXE0mInUTL5GOHnXl0fPhownEcPg0hYoez9j6tZDEaeWU45Y_PQK33rwYvBRb3kdJQGucTMsQGcVzTc0EwEn9PoEm3WhlI5eTgcwdE/s1600/%2524O%2524.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUg4A9CFf0RXndL8u7ENqAD91XV9MpV8E8f4_h8sXE0mInUTL5GOHnXl0fPhownEcPg0hYoez9j6tZDEaeWU45Y_PQK33rwYvBRb3kdJQGucTMsQGcVzTc0EwEn9PoEm3WhlI5eTgcwdE/s400/%2524O%2524.png" width="400" /></a></div>10. Die Antwoord - $O$<br />
I think this is one of those things that if you are sick of the joke, you HATE IT. Some people were sick of the joke the second these guys came out. I still think its funny. I'm probably going to be embarrassed I picked this next year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJaN_HcJ7MEFweTfl3wx0SvJfyqmguOTKRqiVhK6uzfeWp3QJCM29VNbuZrMSmAnOH7T2GgP3pGA3lvYpr5eENYT-NeGE8laf1EplCszwYeDMFOFeaeBxHveSvsyHf5bO_Jo9GgsjVNw/s1600/CDR.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJaN_HcJ7MEFweTfl3wx0SvJfyqmguOTKRqiVhK6uzfeWp3QJCM29VNbuZrMSmAnOH7T2GgP3pGA3lvYpr5eENYT-NeGE8laf1EplCszwYeDMFOFeaeBxHveSvsyHf5bO_Jo9GgsjVNw/s400/CDR.png" width="400" /></a></div> 09. †‡† - CDR</div><div style="text-align: center;">Speaking about making picks that will be embarrassing next year.... witch house! This has all of the overwrought epicness of Salem without the incredibly shitty constant drum machine hand claps.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-lyVIjPzGFc_TqloVGjiuZRpxcvTXjwPid469erlGNsaf94j3Vx-KsYhWcsvBfrg7BbJlah-sxJ-VDzU5Sj0dADkf0po6jG464goTc49C1mpJp7lNf_zkFBcTBYa0nlPNtxHLJP0zo4/s1600/sex+church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-lyVIjPzGFc_TqloVGjiuZRpxcvTXjwPid469erlGNsaf94j3Vx-KsYhWcsvBfrg7BbJlah-sxJ-VDzU5Sj0dADkf0po6jG464goTc49C1mpJp7lNf_zkFBcTBYa0nlPNtxHLJP0zo4/s400/sex+church.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> 08. Sex Church - Six Songs By Sex Church<br />
<a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/09/sex-church-6-songs-by-sex-church-2010.html">(review)</a><br />
Now that I'm actually writing these blurbs, I can't really justify why I felt this album/EP needed to be ranked so high. I really dig the downer garage shoegaze schtick though.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNCh6D2dqwmyEucdjnJL5kUdm56v-iYSlNz4AkIw0mjedQOojBd5zRhSRT_1G7FgD0_SfX2J230ENVVf3w-bGDmdRILH4igLgQjzhZkJniERgGrlzRtw60duSr_RU_wMojHA5fNMYKmg/s1600/Wild+Nothing+%25E2%2580%2593+Gemini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNCh6D2dqwmyEucdjnJL5kUdm56v-iYSlNz4AkIw0mjedQOojBd5zRhSRT_1G7FgD0_SfX2J230ENVVf3w-bGDmdRILH4igLgQjzhZkJniERgGrlzRtw60duSr_RU_wMojHA5fNMYKmg/s400/Wild+Nothing+%25E2%2580%2593+Gemini.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> 07. Wild Nothing - Gemini<br />
<a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/09/wild-nothing-geminicloudbusting-2010.html">(review)</a><br />
True, this album is super derivative, but it does it so well! I think 2011 might be the year that I decide I have too many shoegaze bands in my life, however.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcZbYsweCcxjdqVcEVmCQZBOd63NRGaPNiWN0eDn23QfqEdcrH2KLY46xa_F0YfmJbhyphenhyphenH3cfYpcfj2I4iUNUUyaZDALEdN12voD5GUXl_2BCn8qGTOLQOKd-iR01Ed3D01VLQS6sWSdk/s1600/3+yrs+ahead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcZbYsweCcxjdqVcEVmCQZBOd63NRGaPNiWN0eDn23QfqEdcrH2KLY46xa_F0YfmJbhyphenhyphenH3cfYpcfj2I4iUNUUyaZDALEdN12voD5GUXl_2BCn8qGTOLQOKd-iR01Ed3D01VLQS6sWSdk/s400/3+yrs+ahead.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> 06. V/A - Three Years Ahead: The Cloud Rap Tape<br />
<a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/09/various-artists-3-years-ahead-cloud-rap.html">(review)</a><br />
Not technically a proper album, but rather a mixtape made by a blog. But who cares, this would make the top 10 on the strength of the Lil B tracks alone (actually, it pretty much did).<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWlZOuy-S25yvQOk9V_Iko73T1ozwBFW_RP60aqIo07w6qKNa-8SkjymAKXYKrREHu7tIPbL0duMFqucdBCzcAeE7EkI-ttmAr7ALhQafaDS4RQHZOwcNTZxVLbWLGOdh2jVr3UHjfwc/s1600/Love+Remains.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWlZOuy-S25yvQOk9V_Iko73T1ozwBFW_RP60aqIo07w6qKNa-8SkjymAKXYKrREHu7tIPbL0duMFqucdBCzcAeE7EkI-ttmAr7ALhQafaDS4RQHZOwcNTZxVLbWLGOdh2jVr3UHjfwc/s400/Love+Remains.png" width="400" /></a></div> 05. How To Dress Well - Love Remains<br />
<a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-to-dress-well-love-remains-2010.html">(review)</a><br />
I didn't really think I liked this album so much when I started listening to it, but the more I dug in the more I found I really enjoyed it. So damaged and pretty.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGY92sxTz692aIqIBK_N2c0_UTa-tVk2y9yN4avTtzdlqp_I8zvjsyuoo13w2rkShyphenhyphenrOJiEtMsOMo_tuKIYTi1JNkE72cnQGm3qnhtI3mdphDY82sLOGH6sPX-cD3DmlHeohs0x3uolY/s1600/Teen+Dream.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtGY92sxTz692aIqIBK_N2c0_UTa-tVk2y9yN4avTtzdlqp_I8zvjsyuoo13w2rkShyphenhyphenrOJiEtMsOMo_tuKIYTi1JNkE72cnQGm3qnhtI3mdphDY82sLOGH6sPX-cD3DmlHeohs0x3uolY/s400/Teen+Dream.png" width="400" /></a></div> 04. Beach House - Teen Dream</div><div style="text-align: center;">This album leaked last year! But it actually came out this year. It was a good way to start 2010. Such a warm and comfortable sound, for warm and comfortable times.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4An-ZunKx_CcPAYnKSIzlfKWT_GckqIhL9QrchyphenhyphenKdIXpxOInbLDm1-avGFQfilIp2HtYw0mRHtbewR71Mad_A_GkRTHWfT8OxsdZg4kzwh4ONbOFdOGM9y6T68AfnuFNtA2aaYgPtX9o/s1600/Escape.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4An-ZunKx_CcPAYnKSIzlfKWT_GckqIhL9QrchyphenhyphenKdIXpxOInbLDm1-avGFQfilIp2HtYw0mRHtbewR71Mad_A_GkRTHWfT8OxsdZg4kzwh4ONbOFdOGM9y6T68AfnuFNtA2aaYgPtX9o/s400/Escape.png" width="400" /></a></div> 03. Moon Duo - Escape</div><div style="text-align: center;">Moon Duo are kind of like a rehash of Wooden Shjips (the band they share members with), except better. There needs to be more music from this group soon!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKfCMIYTtZR1orBCw0U2kGF3WB8hu6TcwE13sVgCfelv3yFZFbH405pmhGTNMwJnl0_l5nEVU-Lay-0ahhj_gf40H3jW9w8EFHqNTKLXr8-KsGBVNxPi4dhYJt-ikwTk10cmY5bge6tU/s1600/Before+Today.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKfCMIYTtZR1orBCw0U2kGF3WB8hu6TcwE13sVgCfelv3yFZFbH405pmhGTNMwJnl0_l5nEVU-Lay-0ahhj_gf40H3jW9w8EFHqNTKLXr8-KsGBVNxPi4dhYJt-ikwTk10cmY5bge6tU/s400/Before+Today.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> 02. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today</div><div style="text-align: center;">Amazing to me that Ariel Pink managed to pull this off so successfully- who is so joyfully catchy and head-scratchingly fucked up and weird at the same time?<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHx7lvvKv9VKqLTbDLfcf-HNIgtMVgsC_GFvInQaw2TnMW3yizUYn2BZa4OM6-wt2r8dDAQUsUKWLLAfedXgfKP-_Gl0UxPDNvCatqNkp6UT22zEsrquFmCyZnppnul-OSOBmzpvPlKk/s1600/LA+Vampires+%2526+Zola+Jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHx7lvvKv9VKqLTbDLfcf-HNIgtMVgsC_GFvInQaw2TnMW3yizUYn2BZa4OM6-wt2r8dDAQUsUKWLLAfedXgfKP-_Gl0UxPDNvCatqNkp6UT22zEsrquFmCyZnppnul-OSOBmzpvPlKk/s400/LA+Vampires+%2526+Zola+Jesus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> 01. LA Vampires & Zola Jesus - LA Vampires & Zola Jesus<br />
<a href="http://speedglueandmusic.blogspot.com/2010/09/la-vampires-zola-jesus-self-titled-2010.html">(review)</a><br />
Is this actually better than any of the other albums that came out this year? I don't know if I could defend that claim, but its definitely the album I feel the most excited about calling #1. The best thing either of these artists have produced! So effortlessly cool. </div></span>alexandwichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02800605651752994549noreply@blogger.com2