Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Thursday, February 11, 2010

S.W.E.D







Karma Kops



I've always been really interested in free jazz. The Duke Elington's of the world are cool, I actually appreciate that stuff a lot more. But I've always been on the search for that super crazy out-there shit. This search lead me to dudes like Ornette Coleman and Sun Ra. It also led me to Pharaoh Sanders and specifically this album. Well, it's more like one 30 minute opus. Like a tecnicolor ferryboat ride on a river of pink flouride, and little Peep's birdies twittering about. This is like medicine for an over-active brain. Especially helpful when you are trying to lay-down after taking some psychedelics. There is enough going on to keep your brain satiated, without de-bugging you brain circuits a-la Aphex Twin....word to the wise-Don't listen to the Richard D. James Album while frying hard on 2-CE. no bueno.
Check The Creator's Master Plan

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Down Til' Im Underground


Bun B is starting the new year out strong! This is F-I-R-E. I love it when southern rappers can actually rhyme, and not just rhyme but freestyle and switch up flows, and rap over New York beats...It's a marriage made in hip-hop heaven, kinda like Erykah Badu and Andre 3000, or Kelis and Nas. Super sick.
Hit Dat Lik

Runnin' Out of Birthdays

Jaga Jazzist/One-Amed Bandit



Hurrah! The first album of the year that I'm absolutely PUMPED on! It's been five whole years since What We Must, so they had soooo much to live up to. First time I heard it, I was like, "meh". But it's definitely grown on me over the last couple of days. Waaay more usage of conventional instrumentation, but in the best way possible. Sometimes it sounds like Peaches En Regalia style Frank Zappa....a lot more groove in the rhythm section(sounds like they are taking a page out of the Omar Rodriguez handbook). But I gotta say that this album gets me fucking pumped. Perfect cold weather music. Also guaranteed to turn your car into a spaceship.

Banditry

40 seconds in this song kicks into the baddest ass fucking groove I've heard in a minute, and then when the horns come over....sheesh. THAT'S what it's all about right thurr.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

T!t$, L@bi@$, and Knock3r$



Cleaning up the Itunes I came across this little ditty. A barely released demo by Tate-Labianca, yet another band with Jawsh Hagemen in it. This one is notable because it's pretty much the last time he played guitar in a hardcore band and the shit straight knocks. Local skate-dude Spencer B. did vocals, and he was among the most thrilling to watch live. Morgan's got it down pat, but Spencer is the original writhing floor creature. Musically simillar to This Computer Kills, Disconnect, stuff that was coming out on Ebullition 8 years ago. A little harder edged than Disconnect, and not all robotic like This Computer Kills....if only they would have been more of a presence! I remember asking for a demo back in the day and he kind of danced around the question saying there wasn't really one. Well by golly what am I listening to now?! All I know is if they shelved it for quality reasons they were some straight fools...Unfortunately I have no access to a picure of these dudes live, so instead be bummed out by the desecrated corpse of Sharon Tate.
Would You Like To Know More?

Why Knot?

Sure it's February, but Ive blown classes all morning so why not a recap on 2009? Best-of lists are impossible for me, I can barely remember what came out last year, plus I usually give shit a year or two of "maturing" time till I give it a proper listen...so this is in no way definitive, only indicative of this particular day.

Tame One-Acid Tab Vocab

This was probably my favorite thing released this year. At first his flow got on my nerves, but after a minute it all makes sense, and you realize he's just a mush-brained genius. But the absolute deal sealer on this one is the BEATS whoa doggy! Where in the hell did these come from?
Highlight tracks-Molly, Ooops, and Suede Adidas. Still haven't picked up the Tame/Del release from last year, but if it's half as good as their collaboration on this, then it's gonna be a doozy.Get Wet

El Perro Del Mar-S/T

Every once and a while Starbucks will turn me on to a band that ends up being one of my favorites at the time. El Perro Del Mar was that band last year. We play that song "Coming Down The Hill" and I would always wonder to myself who the hell it was. After a couple of weeks I checked her out. She has a new ep out, and an album after this one, but for me this album just straight does it. One of the best breakup albums ever. Her voice is super haunting and full of emotion. She is what I hoped Bat For Lashes would sound like.


Vivian Girls-Everything Goes Wrong

What's worse than when an undeserving band get's over-hyped? When a fully deserving band gets slighted for not meeting an impossible mark. Case in point: The Vivian Girls. In 2008 they couldn't be touched, people treated them like The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were chicks. But when they dropped this album everyone was like, "eh, it's good" it's nothing mind blowing. Well they were never mind blowing to begin with. They are a minimalist outfit who deliver a very specific product. And they delivered the goods goddamn it! Everyone digs how Ramones albums all have a different angle. That's what sets "albums" apart from "a good collection of songs". Albums in some way have a cohesiveness, and they created a singular album, while maintaining their identity.....and besides it fucking rocks!Everything Goes Wrong

Prefuse 73-Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian

Guilermo Scott-Herren is one of my picks for musician of the decade(Im not the only one who thinks so). More so than any other artist I think he represents what music should sound like in the future. That's why it took me a minute to get on the Flying Loutus train. Prefuse has been doing him better than himself for waaaay longer. This isn't my favorite Prefuse record, that would be Sercuirity Screenings. But it is pretty damn far up there on the list. Any of his albums are perfect starting off points, but I might even say this would be the best to start out with just because all of his styles are on display here, fully realized. Although it would have been nice to have a collaboration like the one with Kazu from Blonde Redhead, or his work with School of Seven Bells. But I'll live.
Touch Midas

Broadcast & The Focus Group-Investigates Witchcults of the Radio Age

When I first heard the title to the new Broadcast record I thought to myself, "these dudes must be taking the same shit i'm taking....Ive been meaning to investigate witch cults for a minute now....maybe this cd will help." I don't have any pertinent information to share on the subject, but I will say that this album is the shit. I love to watch bands grow and become whole other beasts than they were before. Broadcast had retro-hip, synth-pop, electro-joy, whatever-hyphen down on lock. And then they say to themselves, "let's totally alienate all our too cool for schooler's and drop some occult drenched seance shit. with totally relevant allusions to the current state of Consciousness expansion." Effectual music for the Unaffected.Wee G'z Bored

Herbie Hancock-Maiden Voyage

Maiden Voyage was probably the first jazz song I could pick out and distinguish from the rest. And over the years this album just doesn't lose any punch, you've got some of the most important jazz musicians ever laying it down for Blue Note, with that signature Blue Note sound. Surely music to quell the tempest.


Band of the Year
Best Coast!!!!!!

Lazy westcoast potheads. Yup, sums it up right there. Simply put, the absolute crystallization of the coolest chick ever, and the coolest band. So good I went back and gave Pocahaunted another try. So good, im going to see them twice next week.....once at a Creperie(is it a word? a place to get crepes). All year they would just hit you with a tape here, seven inch there. Made the year fulfilling. A lil' taste
ThereSpace

Favorite Movie of the Year


I can't really think of a movie that has impacted me this hard. It just tore my head off as far as making a movie that could stand up next to Rembrandt's as far as artistic weight. I don't know the words to describe this movie....maybe they are in French, anyways this is the only movie that even crosses my mind anymore. Well this and Gummo, but that's a given.

Favorite Weed Strain of the Year

This ones hard cuz I didn't really pay too much attention, plus if it's really good then you definitely can't remember. I think we smoked a lot of Trainwreck? But who really knows? It's still a purdy picture.


ps-I pilfered all of the links used above.....SQUATTER'S RIGHTS!

More Francis Harold



Here's a full length from these SoCal locs. Loud. Abrasive. Cacophonous. Ya know you want it.
Who Said These Were Happy Times?

Myspace

Monday, February 1, 2010

Everything's Coming to a Grinding Halt




Nu Sensae is the shit, i've been fortunate enough to see them a couple of times now. Imagine the most chaotic Nirvana songs played with a chainsaw, and barked and screamed. There is definite No-Wave tendencies, but they balance it with vitriol, and fury. Plus they have the kind of basslines that make Rudimentary Peni one of my favorite bands. They come from Vancouver which has had many really good bands Shearing Pinx, and Terror Bird, being two of my favorite. This year they already have two dates lined up for Reno, so hopefully they'll get a good foothold on the residents. The first of which is on February 24th with another band from Vancouver(seriously, Vancouver has like a million badass bands) called White Lung that Im not familiar with but none the less seem very promising. Nu Sensae have a one-sided 12", a tape or two, and as least one seven inch. They are a hardworking band and one to follow.

Sample the Wares