2009 September » Passion of the Weiss

Sep
04

Fridays are for Fela. Download: MP3: Fela Kuti-”Kalakuta Show” (Left-Click)

Sep
04

Aaron Matthews uses “lifts” not “elevators.” Leading up to their 1997 self-titled triumph, pundits harped that Blur had won the battle of Britpop but lost the war to Oasis. After all, What’s the Story, Morning Glory was a critical and commercial success, going quadruple platinum in America when Blur could barely crack the Billboard 200. More… Continue reading »

Sep
03

God Help the Girl-”Stills”

From the new EP from Stuart Murdoch’s side project. For those who enjoy Isobel Campbell-era Belle & Sebastian, 60s girl groups, and St. Vincent joints. Ideal for a sensitive but quirky Michael Cera indie comedy with a mawkish soundtrack that will mar this song for eternity. Enjoy it while it lasts. Download: MP3: God Help… Continue reading »

Sep
03

Franz Ferdinand at the Palladium: Let Some Professionals Show You How It’s Done

Photo via Timothy Norris I waited all week to link to my Franz Ferdinand review over at LA Weekly. The idea was to write something in response to Maura’s request that “someone write a really funny and scathing critique of [hipster] culture, so often either rooted in stereotypes that are years and years old, or… Continue reading »

Sep
03

Mary Anne Hobbs-”Wild Angels”

No slang is sillier or more superannuated than labeling someone a “tastemaker.” You might as well reference “brand-building,” “paradigm shifting” or refer to your latest project as an “artistic exploration.” But Mary Anne Hobbs, the British BBC 1 radio personality might be the one of the only people imaginable for whom the sobriquet is actually… Continue reading »

Sep
02

Division Day Brings “Visitation” to Spaceland

Today is hirsute white person day at the Passion of the Weiss. Clearly, it’s a corollary to yesterday’s revelation that I secretly hate hip-hop, especially the dromedary-looking fellow who sampled Orphan Annie. Concluding this bearded extravaganza is Division Day, a local band that has recently and deservedly received high praise from both the LA Weekly… Continue reading »

Sep
02

Hail Mary Mellon (Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, Big Wiz)-”D-Up”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKXyAZWM3gw Aesop Rock doing the Aesop Rock thing: polysyllabic dissonance, sentient robot beats, repelling lasers in a Hazmat suit. Y’know…. From Definitive Jux Vol. 4, which promises to be Def Juxie. Via Shabooty

Sep
02

The Innovative Experimentation of Akron/Family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwcHGtSbaKA Akron/Family performing “Ed is a Portal” at the Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar/Dead Oceans showcase was my favorite moment of this year’s SXSW. The Rza isn’t the only one who is a hip-hop hippie. Of course, watching a secondhand YouTube clip can only do so much for you. Kief-coated Bong rips may help–if you’re into that sort… Continue reading »

Sep
02

Live To Tape: No One & The Nobodies & The Ending World by Nick Rallo

For up-to-the-minute exclusives on aquatic mammal fisticuffs, head to Nick Rallo’s Whale Fight. There are three things a rock-pop band is at the start of their careers: anonymous, cheap and courageous. You have to be to play music in LA and San Francisco, where a poet and a musician are never alone. But technology is… Continue reading »

Sep
01

M.O.P. ft. Redman-”Riding Through”

The rap gods are benevolent today. Just when Blueprint 3 sends my fear and loathing soaring, M.O.P.’s Foundation leaks, to restore my faith in mid-90s New York City street rap. This is like bathing in grimy Artesian water. A full review coming at a later date, but in the meantime, Redman, Fizzy Wo and William… Continue reading »