When I first heard Weird Tapes a while back I thought ok this is pretty cool, but a little too spaced out to really get down to. Weird Tapes has recently teamed up with Memory Cassettes to form Memory Tapes whose track Bicycle is currently my object of affection. Seriously I cannot listen to this song enough. With its nearly perfect mixture of ethereal voices, mysterious synths, horns and a surprise dose of New Order guitar, Bicycle (and Memory Tapes) encompasses too much awesomeness to be ignored.
Memory Tapes - Bicycle (YSI) (filesavr) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (Weird Tapes Version) (YSI) (filesavr)
Seriously, the two new mixtapes from B.o.B. and Wale are about as good as they come. I'd never really gotten a chance to check out B.o.B. (a.k.a. Bobby Ray) until recently, and man am I glad I did. His style encapsulates recent trends in hipster hop, but with some ATL grimy-ness that really makes it pop off the track.
And Wale, well...Wale is just bein' Wale. DC chillin', PG chillin', name Wale and he came to KILL IT.
This video gives me shivers - the good kind - the incredible kind - the kind that makes me feel so lucky for what I have, and so inspired by creative people. It's really impressive, I hope you like it too.
Following Rives' lines, which really hit home for me, here's a couple of my favorite hip hop songs with the heaviest bass I know. Play 'em so they throb through your speakers and you can really FEEL them.
Ever since The Very Best released their mixtape last year, I've been anxiously awaiting an official release from the group. The Very Best is composed of British DJ duo Radioclit and Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya, and their mixtape was so good that it made our Best of 2008 list last year.
The Very Best are back with some hot tracks to promote their upcoming album, and they are DOPE. The first, "Warm Heart of Africa" features vocals from Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend. The Very Best covered Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" last year, so this collaboration make sense. Sonically, it shows Koenig embracing the African themes that influence Vampire Weekend, which is pretty cool. The song is great.
The Very Best f. Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend) - Warm Heart of Africa (YSI) (filesavr)
I hate to break my remix-free streak, but I feel obligated to share the remix of "Warm Heart of Africa" by Theophilus London. London is one of my favorite up and coming rappers ("Leader of the New School" is straight fire), and although his verses on this track aren't the best I've heard from him, the remix is good.
The Very Best f. Theophilus London - Warm Heart of Africa (Theophilus London Remix) (YSI) (filesavr)
Finally, a track that comes labeled as simply Esau Mwamwaya - my favorite of the bunch. Not sure if Radioclit is on this one, but the track is phenomenal. Stuttering skips and organ-y synth back Mwamwaya's awesome voice and really show why people should be listening to these guys. Dig it.
How do you eulogize a guy like Michael Jackson? He's an icon and a joke, a beloved pop star and a reviled public figure. His biography is so schizophrenic that it's like reading about two people. He's been the butt of more stand-up routines than probably any other celebrity ever, but he also the only person in the world to ever sell over 100 million copies of an album (1983's Thriller). But, as this is a music blog, and I am a music fan, I want to focus on the side of MJ that always made me smile - the tunes.
Think about that number. 100 million albums sold. That means that for every 60 people in the world, there is one copy of Thriller. That stat is unbelievable. If coordinated properly, one out of every six cars driving around the world could be playing Thriller. One in 3 people in the US could be bumping to that record. How absurd is that? Oh, and he's got 4 other albums that sold between 20 and 45 million more.
There's only one explanation for that - Michael Jackson was something special. His music had the power to cross generations, cross color barriers, cross genres. I heard a DJ last year remark that anytime he wanted to really get a club bumping, he would spin some Michael Jackson in his set. In 2008. The man could hold babies off balconies and still get people to dance.
My memories with MJ's tunes range far and wide - as far back as elementary school, rehearsing dances to "Bad" in my sister's bedroom. "Man in the Mirror" and "Black or White" are mainstays on playlists and mixtapes. I've had entire room sing-a-longs to "Will You Be There" (the Free Willy song). I remember watching the Super Bowl halftime show where he sang "Heal The World" - I was like 8 or something. Get this: for the first time, when MJ performed at Super Bowl XXVII, the TV ratings were HIGHER for halftime than they were for the game.
He started young, carrying a family of talented performers on his back while being exploited by an abusive father. He bridged the child-star gap in a way that few have ever managed, gracefully transitioning to arguably the most lauded solo career of all time. He was one of the first African American artists to be widely played on MTV. He changed the very idea of the music video. He met dignitaries, wore ridiculous outfits, and was a fantastic pop star.
You know what else? In 2000, he was in the Guinness Book of World Records for supporting the most charities of any entertainer. Yesterday, Poet and Rapper Saul Williams tweeted: "I received a MJ scholarship frm the 25 mill he gave UNCF for performing arts students. Thank u MJ 4 inspiring & funding my dreams & education". Bet you didn't know that.
There are two videos that should be watched, I think, to reflect on Michael Jackson. The first is a video of his performance on 1983's Motown 25. It was one of Michael's early solo performances, and shows just what a performer he was. Recent tags as "this generation's Elvis" ring true when watching the clip, he captivates with a music and dance combination that took the world by storm. The moonwalk set the place on fire, and the rest is history.
The second clip is a favorite of mine. It comes from Dave Chappelle, and features one of the best combinations of humor and sincerity that I've ever come across. Still, skip it if you're not a fan of curses and sexual jokes. Chappelle does the usual mocking of MJ for the first 4:30 minutes, but then gets a little more serious. He gets to the heart of the issue - the place of a performer desperate to have people like him. From Chappelle, an entertainer who has also struggled occasionally with celebrity, it's an interesting take.
Well, there you have it. I set out to talk about Michael Jackson's music, and ended up talking about his public perception and criticism. It's tough to separate out the two personalities, even though the issues rarely show through to his work. Fact of the matter is, I still turn on Thriller and Bad when I need a pick me up. Count me among the millions who will keep listening to the King of Pop.
Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel (YSI) (filesavr)
Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror (YSI) (filesavr)
I've been really digging a couple new releases in the past few days - Mos Def's The Ecstatic and Major Lazer's Guns Don't Kill People...Lazers Do. I'm pretty sure Zack has dibs on writing aboutThe Ecstatic, so I'll share a couple tunes from Major Lazer.
Major Lazer is the collaboration between Diplo and Switch - a dubstep romp featuring spots from Santigold, Nina Sky, Amanda Blank, and like 50 other people. It's the kind of album that doesn't grab you right off the bat, but invariably within ten minutes of spinning it you are dancing wildly in your seat. It grows on me every time I put it on, to a contagious degree.
Check these tracks and tell me they don't get you dancing. If you're not grooving to these, you're probably dead. See a doctor.
So the new Mos Def album The Ecstatic has been generally met with really positive reviews and I agree with most of them. The only knocks I have come across are that the album loses vigor at times and that Mos Def's faux singing is a little wack (I find it endearing). I personally love how Mos Def mixes in some very catchy down tempo jams like Priority and History right along side hype bangers like Supermagic and Quiet Dog. If you do not come in expecting a party album throughout, you will be impressed by Mos Def's musicianship, as well as how much fun he's having throughout the album. Mos Def even seems to channel his inner Madlib on Revelations. What brings the album together though is the phenomenal production and beats provided to a large extent by Oh No (Madlib's little bro!), who reuses a few cuts from his excellent instrumental album Dr. No's Oxperiment from a couple of years ago. Most apparent is the Turkish jam behind Supermagic that comes from his earlier track Heavy. With Oh No's help Mos Def is able to use a wide variety of really cosmopolitan samples that elevate The Ecstatic from a good album to a memorable album. Not only am I excited that Mos Def's back, but I also cannot wait to see what Oh No does next.
Stu Reid Under The Covers is back after a bit of a break, and damn do we have some great covers today.
The first has been making its way everywhere across the interwebs. It's a very Grizzly-Bear-esque cover of Judee Sill, courtesy of Daniel Rossen (of said Grizzly Band). The song is "Waterfall", and the take is clean, clear, and beautiful. Rossen has a history of great covers (including a pretty famous cover of JoJo) and this one is no different. Eat your heart out, this track will find itself on mixtapes across the indie globe for years to come.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings give us our next cover, a soulful take on Woody Guthrie's classic "This Land Is Your Land". She completely re-imagines the original melody into a brass and band lounge romp, and it's completely awesome. Sharon Jones just has this voice that evokes Aretha and some of the all-time greats. Glad she's in my life, and that this world was made for she and me.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - This Land Is Your Land (YSI) (filesavr)
The final cover of the day is of one of the most canonical rock songs of all time, Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". Not much can be said about this tune that hasn't already been said. It's a symphonic masterpiece that should be in everyone's music library. This cover - although it can't hold a candle to the original - is pretty great. It takes people with the stature of the Flaming Lips to pull it off, but pull it off they do.
This track landed in my inbox last week and IT. IS. BALLER.
It comes from Jovi Rockwell - who is featured on the track "Can't Stop Now" on Diplo and Switch's Major Lazer collaboration - and is actually from last year. Glad it resurfaced, though, because it's pretty bomb.
It's a new school reggae tune with some swagger to it. Riding the wave of M.I.A. and Santigold's success, along with the recent intrusion of dancehall into the indie consciousness, Jovi Rockwell could see some more facetime in the coming months. If this track is any indication, she has some chops.
Check the track, and the pretty cute vid for the song below:
So I don't really have a verdict yet about Little Boots' debut album Hands. While I do feel that the album has almost an impersonal level of slickness, there is something to be said for a highly enjoyable pop album that is able to appeal to a wide variety of listeners. With a variety of nasty rhythms and of course Little Boots' enchanting British voice, there is plenty to enjoy on Hands. Meddle is a new song that I particularly like, especially due to its unstoppable motor, while songs like Stuck on Repeat and Mathematics remain near and dear to my heart. Previously unbeknownst to me Little Boots was the lead singer in the band Dead Disco that released a few great tracks on an EP last year. The Treatment and this remix by Metronomy reveal a less polished, but still catchy as hell Little Boots. This is pop that hipsters can finally love, sorry Kylie.
Dead Disco - The Treatment (Metronomy Remix) (YSI) (filesavr) Little Boots - Meddle (YSI) (filesavr) Little Boots - Mathematics (YSI) (filesavr)
Thursday night marked the fourth time I have witnessed the spectacle that is Passion Pit live. With the possible exception of the first time at Great Scott and its shock of the new factor, this show was hands down the best set I have seen Passion Pit play. In the midst of a hip as shit crowd, I was so hype by the time Passion Pit took the stage that I hardly remember which songs they exactly played and in what order. But the show was perfect that way. As the last show in their *YO check us out* tour, Passion Pit was all business speaking probably fewer than 20 words to the crowd the entire set and flowing effortlessly between songs.
Seeing the finish line in sight, Passion Pit cranked up the synths and special effects for a massive 45 minute long dance party. Ripping through choice cuts from Chunk of Change and Manners the crowd had barely any chance to catch its breath from dancing during the nine song set. Highlights included the entire crowd screaming OH NO! at the top of its collective lungs in time with Better Things and a full fledged sing-a-long during the chorus of Little Things. Despite a furious pace, Passion Pit sounded absolutely fabulous, great production, along with crisp and clean effects that were especially apparent for me on Folds In Your Hands. As Passion Pit took the quickest break ever before returning to the stage for a stentorian rendering of The Reeling, I realized that A: the entire set had gone by in a blur B: this crowd (myself included) unconditionally loves this band and C: Passion Pit have arrived. I am glad to say that I have witnessed the coming of age of what promises to be a continually creative and exciting band.
Passion Pit - Better Things (YSI) (filesavr) Passion Pit - To Kingdom Come (YSI) (filesavr) Passion Pit - Folds in Your Hands (YSI) (filesavr)
Thursday night, hot on the heels of a long and tiring day at work, Harlem Shakes and Passion Pit erased any speck of fatigue present in my body. Pairing these two bands is like chasing Red Bull with Rock Star. Specifically in that it leads to a great night, an adreneline haze, and uncontrollable dancing.
Harlem Shakes are a young band that have been turning heads in the blogosphere recently. When I say young band, I mean young band. Passion Pit looks like a group of old fogeys next to these kids. Zack pointed out that lead singer Lexy Benaim's neon wristband was basically the only indication that anyone in the band was of age. But despite their apparent youth (or, perhaps, because of it) Harlem Shakes know how to rock with reckless abandon.
The set opened with a percussion heavy rendition of "TFO", an oft-overlooked banger off of their debut LP Technicolor Health. The song saw three members of the band banging away on both the drum kit and a standalone snare, kicking things off with a literal bang. They never looked back.
"Nothing But Change Pt. II" came next, followed by another drumstrong tune, "Strictly Game". In a Passion Pit-esque lineup, Benaim's vocals often soar into open-throat falsetto, sacrificing vocal chords in the name of aural pleasure. It's a blast to listen to.
The rest of the set was great. Heavy on percussion and bass, accentuated with the deep bass of some saxophone, the music got the crowd dancing and singing along whether they knew the words or not. The setlist:
1. TFO
2. Nothing But Changes, Pt. II
3. Strictly Game
4. Carpetbaggers
5. Technicolor Health
6. Winter Water
7. Sunlight
8. Radio Orlando
9. Old Flames
Overall, Harlem Shakes fit the bill perfectly - their summery pop songs brightened up a drizzly evening and set the table perfectly for Passion Pit to rock the house. Keep your eyes on these kids - they have the chops to headline SOON.
A few friends and I are going camping in Maine next week, a trip we’ve been planning for several weeks now. In the planning process, I always envisioned a string of sunny summer days. But the 10-day forecast for New England is looking pretty dismal right now. There isn’t a single day on which rain isn’t predicted. And, while I can’t imagine the forecasters to be 100% accurate, it’s still a bit disheartening.
The only comfort may lie in the fact that there does exist some music that is perfect for a rainy day. For me, that music is generally mellow and contemplative, perfect for staring out a rain-streaked window and losing oneself in thought.
One of my favorite rainy day tunes comes from Jeff Buckley’s Grace. It’s not “Hallelujah,” though that’s not a bad rainy day tune either. Rather, it’s “Lover, You Should Have Come Over.” The lyrics make it a rather obvious fit for a rainy day; the opening two lines: “Looking out the door I see the rain fall upon the funeral mourners / Parading in a wake of sad relations as their shoes fill up with water.” This sets the stage as the song descends into lonely thoughts of a former lover. Buckley’s vocals are, as usual, sublime, and the result is a song that beautifully builds, like a storm perhaps, from a whispered beginning to an impassioned climax.
Jeff Buckley – Lover You Should Have Come Over (YSI) (filesavr)
Another of my favorite rainy day tunes comes from Jackson Browne: “Song for Adam,” off of his debut self-titled album. The song is an understated requiem for a deceased friend (suicide is implied), featuring only acoustic guitar and strings. The lyrics are perhaps be a bit heavy-handed (“I sit before my only candle, like a pilgrim sits beside the way”), but the unadorned performance renders such sentiments potent rather than pretentious. Simply put, it’s a beautiful song.
And, just so this post isn’t too somber, a classic rainy day tune from a classic film: “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Written by none other than Burt Bacharach and Hal David, it is a jaunty ode to defying the rain. While it rains all through my camping trip, I'll try to keep this song in mind.
BJ Thomas – Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head (YSI) (filesavr)
I first encountered the Magic Wands about a year ago with their track Black Magic, which I feel can be best described as a strutting. Dark synths, decisive percussion and a catchy female lead; count me in! But after Black Magic I totally forgot about them and Magic Wands faded into the abyss of my itunes library. But it appears they have just released a new EP including three new songs that are similarly if not more dark and mysterious while continuing some pretty cool rhythmic work. Glad they're back, although maybe they could lighten up a little.
You know who's really pretty? Scarlett Johansson. End of discussion.
She's kind of a divisive character, looks-wise. Some people (usually female) think that she looks "weird" and isn't "attractive". These peeple are completely wrong.
In the latest chapter of Life Isn't Fair, Scarlett has proven that in addition to being a stunner, she's also musically talented. As you've probably heard, she's teaming up with singer/songwriter (and fellow beautiful person) Pete Yorn to release an album inspired by Serge Gainsbourg's duets with Brigitte Bardot. The album was actually recorded in '06, but for some reason hasn't been slated for release until this coming September.
I hadn't had a chance to check out anything from the album - and really didn't know much about the story behind it - until recently. Then I read a quote from Scarlett saying that the album is essentially "two people vocalizing their relationship through duets...I always thought of it as just a small project between friends. It perfectly captured where I was in my life at the time." Sounds pretty awesome.
When I finally heard the track below, "Relator", I was pleasantly surprised. Johansson sings with a gentle twang over an early-Wilco-ish backing. Yorn's vocals mix with ScarJo's really well, and it seems like a good fit. I'm sold on "Relator".
"Shampoo" is the only other cut from the album that I've heard. This one starts up with Yorn on lead and takes a little while to go anywhere. It's not quite as good as "Relator", but is stille pretty enjoyable. Yorn is a great songwriter, and he uses Johansson's voice nicely in his arrangements. Glad to see him getting some publicity - I'm looking forward to checking out his latest LP Back and Fourth in a couple weeks, and the Johansson collaboration Break Up in September.
Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn - Relator (YSI) (filesavr)
Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn - Shampoo (YSI) (filesavr)
Hi all, not much time to ramble right now. Last night was the big summer party at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. As I write this I am feverishly trying to put on my rented tux before heading over for a night of open bar, fancy people and art. It should be a great night. There's even a DJ in the European paintings room! Sunday should be a nice day and with finally having a weekend free from ultimate I am looking forward to spending it in the city. Have a great day.
The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You (YSI) (filesavr) Madvillain - One Beer (Drunk Version) (YSI) (filesavr)
I've heard a lot recently about this band Local Natives, but I hadn't gotten a chance to check 'em out until today - glad I finally did. This song sounds like a lot of music coming out these days, but with the distinction that it's better than most. It's upbeat, a bit of a return to guitar rock roots, and full of airy but unrestrained vocals. Some really great vocal work here too, pinpointed at the 0:37 mark, evocative of Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear but without the seriousness.
The more I listen to this tune, the more I dig it. Always a good sign.
Henry David Thoreau famously wrote in his journal that he was born “into the most estimable place in all the world and in the very nick of time, too” (December 5, 1856). He was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, MA. His comment about the timing of his birth is presumably a reference to being born before the beauty of nature was sullied by the inevitable growth of American industry. Indeed, his masterpiece Walden chronicles Thoreau’s retreat to a simpler life in a cabin on the shores of Walden Pond, away from the schedules and financial necessities of society. Simplicity, said Thoreau, was the key to happiness.
I came to thinking of Thoreau upon a recent listen to Aaron Copland’s Applachian Spring, one of the quintessential pieces of 20th-century American music. The piece was initially composed as a ballet score in 1944, commissioned by the famous American dancer Martha Graham. In 1945, Copland rearranged the work as a suite for orchestra, and this version has endured as a concert staple ever since.
It is a beautiful piece, markedly tonal in an age where European atonality and serialism ruled the classical music world. Composed as the country neared the end of World War II and approached the dawn of the Cold War, Copland’s piece evokes an earlier, simpler time. This evocation crystallizes in the final movement of the work, which consists of a spirited set of variations on the famous Shaker melody, “Simple Gifts,” followed by a subdued, wistful coda.
Today, amidst the distress caused by the recent economic downturn, I find it particularly important to remember the simpler joys of life. So, take a listen to the final movement of Appalachian Spring, and enjoy this quotation from Thoreau’s Harvard commencement address entitled “The Commercial Spirit,” which he delivered upon his own graduation in the 1830s:
“This curious world which we inhabit is more wonderful than it is convenient; more beautiful than it is useful; it is more to be admired and enjoyed than used.”
Appalachian Spring – 7. Doppo Movimento (Shaker Melody “The Gift To Be Simple”) (YSI) (filesavr)
You might have caught on recently that Chris and I like opening bands and that often times showing up to a show early is a revelatory experience. Last week it was falling in love with the Dirty Projectors and soon it may be the Harlem Shakes. Currently touring with Passion Pit, whom Chris and I will have the pleasure of seeing next Thursday, Harlem Shakes hail from New York and at first glace give off a massive hipster hype vibe. After giving their first full length album Technicolor Health a few listens, I am ready for a great performance. Mixing male sunny, pop vocals a la Vampire Weekend with an equally sunny and airy female counterpoint, Harlem Shakes have a catchy blueprint. Add in in some well placed horns, handclaps and cowbells and you have an album of insanely catchy jams for summer. Really, Sunlight is going to be playing at hipster porch bbqs all summer long. In addition to their guitar driven pop, Harlem Shakes have a definite ear for harmony, instrumentation and most of all so positive energy that any listener cannot help but absorb some. I can't wait to see these guys next week.
Harlem Shakes - Nothing but Change Part II (YSI) (filesavr) Harlem Shakes - Sunlight (YSI) (filesavr)
Continuing my remix-free run, here's a track from Vieux Farka Toure. I had never heard of this duder until seeing him on the lineup with Dirty Projectors at the Somerville Theater in Boston next week. Apparently he's a Malian musician, and then son of another famous Malian musician, Ali Farka Toure. Ali who was hailed as one of Africa's most important musicians (and #76 on Rolling Stone's Top 100 Guitar Players list) passed away in 2006. Vieux has been hailed as his heir, and has picked up where his father left off.
Ali's guitar work is phenomenal - check out "Penda Yoro" and "Njarou" below - and has a really distinctive feel. I love it. Love that I'm hearing it for the first time, too. I definitely feel like these are the kind of tracks that influenced Paul Simon's "Graceland" and some Talking Heads stuff, so it's cool to hear the originals rather than the once-removed tracks.
I really enjoy how Vieux has taken Ali's style and adapted it to his own without losing his father's flavor. Totally jealous of Ben, who I think is going to check out Vieux Farka Toure and Dirty Projectors on the 18th. Zack and I are seeing Passion Pit and the Harlem Shakes, which is not too shabby, but Vieux's show promises to be one worth watching.
I had a bunch of things to write about this week. I was all ready to share the Southerngold mixtape that crossed Santigold with Southern rap. I was psyched about a Marina and the Diamonds remix. I was pumped to post some Nick Catchdubs remixes.
Then I realized that I'm getting tired of posting remixes and mashups. Time to get back to roots.
So I made a pact with myself to not post any remixes for the rest of the week. Maybe longer. We shall see. There's too much good original music to continue down this remix path.
I recently listened to the new Sunset Rubdown album, Dragonslayer, an album that needs no remixes. I hadn't caught much from Spencer Krug since an early-in-college Wolf Parade infatuation, when I listened to everything Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown/Frog Eyes I could get my hands on. It was a good break, but it's good to be back.
ESPECIALLY because this new album is incredibly solid. It's tight, it's catchy, it grows on me with every subsequent listen. I'm so glad to be back in the groove - I feel like this album will be spinning all summer.
Here are a couple tracks from the album, which I highly recommend buying - if you pre-order the physical release, you can download it immediately! I can't get enough of this record.
"Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!" is a longer track with a repeated chorus that lodges itself in your brain and never gets out. In a good way. It's Krug in his most storyteller role, and Camilla Wynne Ingr adds some wonderful backing vocals.
"Idiot Heart" is one of the catchier tracks that Sunset Rubdown has ever created, in a weird way. Plus, it mentions Icarus - points from the mythology nerd in me! Check the tracks out, for reals. And join me in embracing the non-remix!
Sunset Rubdown - Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh! (YSI) (filesavr)
Last week I wrote a little bit about Izza Kizza's latest mixtape, The Wizard Of Iz and mentioned that it had some instant cred thanks to production from Nick Catchdubs. But I realize now that not everyone has heard of the cat, or gotten a taste of any of his numerous sick remixes. So here I am, ready to right that wrong.
I first caught wind of Catchdubs on the Re-Up Gang remixtape, a collection of - you guessed it - remixes of the Re-Up Gang. His take on "Re-Up Anthem", which combines original Clipsy goodness with old school Clapton, is dope. No pun intended. I command you to check it out.
Catchdubs has done some great work with other high profile artists as well. Perhaps the biggest name on that list is Sir Kanye himself. When I say "work with" of course I mean it in the "has probably never met" form of the word...it's a remix, not an original production credit. But that being said, Kanye wrote about loving the Project Pat/DJ Benzi mixtape that this track comes from, so we'll go ahead and assume he likes this cut (and Nick Catchdubs) too.
Kanye West - Champion (Nick Catchdubs Remix) (YSI) (filesavr)
Taking a more techno approach, Catchdub has also done a really dope remix of Alexander Technique and Van Scott's "Nightlovers". It's Crookers-esque, and although I don't think it's as good as the Clipse or Kanye remixes, it definitely packs some clubby punch.
Alexander Technique & Van Scott - Nightlovers (Nick Catchdubs Remix) (YSI) (filesavr)
This was my third time having the pleasure of seeing TV on the Radio do their thing live and boy were they great. TVOTR came out to a pretty hype crowd after a great set from the Dirty Projectors and they certainly played off the energy. Standing before a huge, beautiful patchwork cloth backdrop of swirling colors and subtle pattern, TVOTR let lose with blistering renditions of all the heavy hitters like Wolf Like Me and Staring at the Sun that left Tunde literally dripping with sweat and the crowd seething. Because they are such great musicians, TVOTR are able to expand and alter their songs live, creating a unique experience each time I have seen them. Having seen so many concerts in the past year, TVOTR reminded me of what is a truly amazing concert and why they are my favorite band. While they unfortunately did not play Satellite or Playhouses, TVOTR ended their set with DLZ, a personal favorite that I had yet to hear live. With the crowd all singing along, it was a great way to end the set. Chris and I were discussing which songs TVOTR would drop in their encore and instead of the aforementioned Satellite, Tunde started off with a powerful version of Family Tree, followed up by Young Liars. A Method was the final song of the night, for which TVOTR brought out the Dirty Projectors for a massive percussive assault with roughly 10 people banging on various forms of percussion and David Sitek (baller!) pouring water on his drum for sick effect. On a side note, I just want to complement the House of Blues for a well run show.
I posted this track a few weeks ago, but the video(s) need to be shared, since they're so baller.
First up, Mos Def walking down the street in Osaka, Japan, lauding overalls for making dressing easy and then effortlessly dropping the first minute or so of "Casa Bey".
Following that, the phenomenal video for the track, as the words spill out of Def's mouth. I really love this video - so simple and yet so freakin' cool.
I love the Dirty Projectors unabashedly, as I have intoned in this space onmultipleoccasions. But despite giving them thousands of spins, I have only seen them live once - a subpar show in Dartmouth College's Fuel Rocket Club where a broken amp and a questionable sound mix made for a dodgy-but-still-good experience. After hearing them get a little lost in a tiny basement space, I was terrified that they would be overwhelmed at Boston's cavernous House of Blues - where they opened for TV On The Radio on Thursday night.
They were not. At all.
Playing exclusively from their new (and...um...FANTASTIC) album, Bitte Orca, Dirty Projectors melted faces in a weird and quirky way that only they can. Their sound was crisp and clear, with Dave Longstreth's vocals placed front and center where they belong.
Their set kicked off with "No Intention", the second track to drop from the new LP. It's a beautiful track that really flaunts the Projectors' strengths - complex harmonies, insane vocal ranges, sparsely jarring yet melodic guitar work. It was the perfect opener, particularly when followed by an incredible vocal tennis match between Amber Coffman and Hayley Dekle to start "Remade Horizon". Coffman, Dekle, and cute-as-a-button Angel Deradoorian added wonderful harmonies throughout the set, giving Longstreth's voice some depth and punctuation.
I was impressed with how well the crowd reacted, proving me wrong regarding Dirty Projectors' accessibility. They grooved to new stunner "Temecula Sunrise" and rocked out hard as Coffman's vocals ripped apart set-closer "Stillness is the Move". There's no question that Longstreth and co. have definitely matured in the past few years. Dirty Projectors has grown from a one-man side project to a full-fledged band with some mass appeal. God, I love these kids - keep it coming!
NOTICE TO BOSTON PEOPLE: If you're not already going to see Passion Pit and the Harlem Shakes at The Paradise on June 18th, or the Major Lazer/Diplo/Switch/A-Trak/Matt & Kim fiesta at the House of Blues, you should go see the Dirty Projectors play the Somerville Theater with Vieux Farka Toure. It promises to be an amazing concert - what a night for music in Boston!
I am stuck on soul music. And I’ve been stuck on it for a while. Usually these phases pass, but I keep discovering new recordings, and the music just generally seems to lend itself to the warm sunny joys of early summer. So I’m going to write about it today, and make a (perhaps misguided) attempt to describe why I find the genre so powerful.
For me, much of soul’s power lies in its gospel roots. Early on, soul music was decried for mixing religious musical styles with the devil’s music—rhythm and blues. Ray Charles met such criticism when, in 1954, he released the classic “I Got a Woman.” Eventually, though, people found the music simply too good to be stifled. And for that I thank my lucky stars.
It’s difficult, I think, to understand soul music without thinking about gospel music. Gospel music is a shared music—though performers stand at the front of an audience or congregation, there is no invisible wall separating the two groups. The audience lends its own voice, whether it be in the form of clapping hands, joyful utterances or an echoing of the performers. The salvation sought is to be gained through communal experience, a shared expression of joy, sadness or devotion. And so each lends a voice, and the sum is greater than its parts.
Whenever I listen to gospel music, I am always struck by how powerfully and purely the emotion pours from the music. And while gospel tunes are undoubtedly best experienced live, the next best thing might be a live recording. Here’s a live recording of Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers, singing “Nearer to Thee.” If you listen to it, you can hear the contributions of the audience, rising and falling in proportion to how impassioned Cooke’s voice is at any particular moment. And it gets pretty ridiculously impassioned by the end—it’s certainly worth a full, eight-minute listen.
Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers – Nearer to Thee(Live) (YSI) (filesavr)
So at least part of what makes gospel music so powerfully emotional is its communal nature, and soul music maintains many of these communal elements. This is particularly apparent, again, in live recordings. Cooke provides a wonderfully instructive example of traits common to soul and gospel, as we have sublime (live) recordings of him singing in both genres. Take, for example, the superb Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club (seriously, you want this album). The concert features a loud, responsive audience interacting with a particularly impassioned Cooke. The subjects of the songs, largely consisting of simple romantic notions, are entirely secular. I don't mean “simple” in any derisive way. Indeed, in the case of soul, the simplicity allows the music to speak to a common experience. Cooke’s songs speak to naïve teenage love or to nights of carefree dancing, subjects with which many have some experience. And he invites you to dance along, to sing along, to clap along, and to get caught up in this sweaty, shared outpouring of emotion.
Sam Cooke – It’s All Right/For Sentimental Reasons (Live) (YSI) (filesavr)
Listen, for example, to this recording of a medley featuring the songs “It’s All Right” and “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons.” Sam begins the song with a sort of lesson:
Fellas, I want to tell ya, when somebody come and tell you something about what your girlfriend has done, or what your wife has done, I want you to remember one thing: Don’t go home and hitting on her and all that stuff. Whenever they tell you anything about your baby, go home and, if she’s sleeping, shake her and wake her up. And wait til she wipe all the sleep from her eyes, you understand? And when she got all that sleep wiped from her eyes, look her there in the eye and tell her: it’s alright.
It’s not unlike a preacher talking to a congregation, here with a simple secular lesson of nonviolence and forgiveness. And later in the song, Cooke invites the audience to join him in singing “For Sentimental Reasons,” in traditional call-and-response fashion. These are elements right out of the gospel tradition. Or, listen to the recording of "Somebody Have Mercy." The title alone speaks to religion, and the recording begins with a simple, powerful call-and-response. Oh yea.
Sam Cooke - Somebody Have Mercy (Live) (YSI) (filesavr)
People sometimes describe soul as secularized gospel, but to me soul music is just as religious—it just places religion in a different, everyday context. I believe that those people in the crowd at the Harlem Square Club dancing and singing along and clapping were looking for the same sort of feeling of collective salvation that members of a congregation listening to/participating in gospel music seek. It’s all about the shared experience. They call it soul (hardly a non-religious term) for a reason. Or at least that’s what ignorant ol’ me thinks.
I’ve tried to distill what I find powerful about soul music into this piece. And you’re welcome to listen to me, but you’re also free to just listen to Sam Cooke himself, in this chilling recording of Sam Cooke humming “eight bars of what soul represents.”
Last night I had the pleasure of catching Grizzly Bear at the Berklee Performance Center. Great show. Here We Go Magic opened up with some great tunes - really utilizing vocal harmonies from all 5 members of the group. Creator/lead-singer Luke Temple anchored the band, but it really was an ensemble production throughout.
When Grizzly Bear took the stage, you could feel an excited silence blanket the crowd. And Droste and company did not disappoint. Although it wasn't a flawless set - a little too loud at times, not a ton of variation from the album orchestrations, and a questionable encore pick - it was dead on almost the whole time.
The highlight of the show for me , unsurprisingly, was my favorite track off of Veckatimest, "Foreground". The track is epically beautiful, gentle, vulnerable - and in the seated Berklee theater it was perfect. Completely took advantage of the venue's phenomenal acoustics, and took my breath away.
Can't wait for Dirty Projectors and TV On The Radio tonight!
Here's the video for Major Lazer's first single Hold the Line. Reminiscent of an old GI Joe cartoon episode, Major Lazer is unnecessarily jacked and battles a variety of Egyptian zombies and vampires. The animation certainly has that 80s feel and who doesn't love some bright colors. What genius to include the action figure promotional portion at the end of the video. Every kid in America is going to be clamoring for a Major Lazer figure soon. I certainly want one.
Major Lazer is blowing up right now and I am jumping on the bandwagon. Under the moniker Major Lazer, Diplo and Switch have put together an absolute barnstormer of a single in Hold the Line. With hypnotic dancehall reggae vocals provided by Santigold and Lexx and driving baseline, complete with horses sounds, Hold the Line is an instant hipster delight. The video is also an awesome throwback to the old GI Joe cartoons that always were following by cheesy action figure ads. I'll post up the video this afternoon. Here's also the inevitable M.I.A. Major Lazer mashup thats pretty good itself. Can't wait for the entire album to arrive later this month.
Major Lazer - Hold the Line (YSI) (filesavr) Major Lazer vs. M.I.A. - Pull Up the Line (Twist It! Goes Baile Funk Mashup) (YSI) (filesavr)
I spoke last week a little about the ongoing label dispute that is going to preclude a proper release for the phenomenal Dark Night of the Soul. Now I would like to touch on the music. While still managing to make a cohesive album that conforms to their vision, Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse mold each song to fit the style of its guest vocalist. Insane Lullaby featuring James Mercer of the Shins sounds like a twisted Chutes Too Narrow track, while on Little Girl one instantly recognizes Strokes-esque guitars. More than simply the vocals, Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse are so fluent in their craft that they can apply their dark, creaky (but fun) vision to a variety of different song structures and overal feelings. Tracks range from dark folk to pop, but the album's finale Dark Night of the Soul is a terrifyingly languid piano dirge featuring David Lynch (!) on vocals as well. While differing enough to continually entertain, Dark Night of the Soul manages to become a cohesive opus that reveals it true purpose through its final, massive track. Get this album if you can.
Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Little Girl (YSI) (filesavr) Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Insane Lullaby (YSI) (filesavr) Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Dark Night of the Soul (YSI) (filesavr)
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When I first heard Weird Tapes a while back I thought ok this is pretty cool, but a little too spaced out to really get down to. Weird Tapes has recently teamed up with Memory Cassettes to form Memory Tapes whose track Bicycle is currently my object of affection. Seriously I cannot listen to this song enough. With its nearly perfect mixture of ethereal voices, mysterious synths, horns and a surprise dose of New Order guitar, Bicycle (and Memory Tapes) encompasses too much awesomeness to be ignored.
The Very Best are back with some hot tracks to promote their upcoming album, and they are DOPE. The first, "Warm Heart of Africa" features vocals from Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend. The Very Best covered Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" last year, so this collaboration make sense. Sonically, it shows Koenig embracing the African themes that influence Vampire Weekend, which is pretty cool. The song is great.
Stu Reid Under The Covers is back after a bit of a break, and damn do we have some great covers today.
Catchdubs has done some great work with other high profile artists as well. Perhaps the biggest name on that list is Sir Kanye himself. When I say "work with" of course I mean it in the "has probably never met" form of the word...it's a remix, not an original production credit. But that being said, Kanye wrote about loving the Project Pat/DJ Benzi mixtape that this track comes from, so we'll go ahead and assume he likes this cut (and Nick Catchdubs) too.
