October 30th, 2009
Once I saw the video for “Do You Realize,” I was hooked. I copped The Soft Bulletin. I listened compulsively, obsessed with its sparkling, widescreen pop. From there, I ran through the Flaming Lips’ discography: Transmissions From The Satellite Heart and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (the Lips were always a covert pop band), Transmissions and Clouds Taste Metallic (filled with brilliant alternate universe top 40 hits–and in the case of “She Don’t Use Jelly,” an actual top 40 Peach Pit hit.) Once you dug through the noise and lyrics about zoo animals and aliens, the tunes were there.
From The Soft Bulletin on, Wayne Coyne’s writing turned inwards, and the band started structuring their songs around their studio capabilities, as opposed to what worked live. Despite their stellar live shows, the Lips had become masterful studio outfit, with guitars beginning to disappear from their records. By Yoshimi, the Lips’ conception of the studio as instrument became readily apparent. Despite its reputation as a retread, At War With The Mystics, showed the Lips’ willingness to experiment with more overt prog influences, including suite-like song structures that included bizarre musical movements. Unfortunately, the song writing was largely weak, with the songs themselves bludgeoned by David Fridmann’s gaudy production, rendering the songs more interesting for their sonic dressings than lyrics or melodies.
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Posted in Flaming Lips, Aaron Matthews | 2 Comments »
October 29th, 2009
Robot Koch. The name sounds like a concept album Lupe Fiasco would conceive were he ever dropped from Atlantic and sent down to Triple A to rap for the label of choice for late-period Mobb Deep side-projects (I refuse to call it E1-it’s not a vegetable juice blend, it’s a record label). Straight out of Berlin, the android born Robert Koch, is slated to drop his first solo full-length, Death Star Droid, following his work in “critically acclaimed band Jahcoozi and post rock/hiphop outfit The Tape vs RQM” (his hyperbole, not mine.)
Originally a hardcore drummer who incubated a love of hip-hop the proper way (via Enter the 36 Chambers), the traces of Koch’s percussionist roots loom large on Death Star, with that rugged boom-bap clap blending nicely with the wobbly dubstep textures and squealing synth lines. Think a Teutonic Nosaj Thing or Hudson Mohawke if he preferred frankfurters to haggis. Koch has already received endorsements from Gaslamp Killer, Mary Anne Hobbs, and Modeselektor. Recently, Flying Lotus asking him to drop a Brainfeeder Podcast, where Koch featured some righteous Fela Kuti and rare jazz cuts, showing off the eclecticism of his bag of tricks. Follow his advice and don’t sleep, Koch is probably the best robot since Japanese Robot Santa Claus.
Download:
MP3: Robot Koch-”Robots Don’t Sleep Mix” (Left-Click)
MP3: Robot Koch-”Brainfeeder Mix”
Posted in Robot Koch, Dubstep | 2 Comments »
October 28th, 2009
During Dam-Funk’s takeover of Benji B’s BBC 1Xtra program this week, the latter told the Leimert Park -based funk pharaoh how much sense his music makes in Los Angeles, describing it as the ideal driving music–a simple but accurate observation. Dam’s slinky, swaying sunshine funk combines his 80s inspirations (Slave, Aurra, early Prince) with the 40’s and Four-Four grooves of West Coast gangsta rap. After all, this is a man who spent a sizable chunk of the 90s playing key boards on Westside Connection and MC Eiht records (on a tangentially related note, there is never a bad time to watch the “Straight Up Menace” video.)
In the midst of promoting the 2-CD release of the excellent Toeachizown, which finally dropped last Tuesday (the full 5-LP boxed set won’t hit stores until late December/Early January), Dam’s been busy, with his Benji B appearance essential for anyone interested in learning more about the man behind the funk (he was also apparently on the I Got the Hook-Up Soundtrack), plus the chance to hear some jams from his new record, some largely unheard CD-R cuts, and esoteric cuts from artists that no one other than Dam and Peanut Butter Wolf are probably familiar with. To add to the haul, Dam also just dropped a new free mixtape featuring tracks from Nite Jewel, Mono/Poly, and another array of obscure old-school funk and R&B jams. You want the funk, you need the funk, you gotta have the funk.
Download:
ZIP: Dam-Funk on Deviation/Soulful Beats with Benji B (10/25/09) (Left-Click)
MP3: Dam-Funk-Beautiful Music 4 Beautiful People Mixtape
MP3: Dam-Funk-”Hood Pass Intact”
MP3: Dam-Funk-”The Sky is Ours”
MP3: Dam-Funk-”Love is Here 2Nite”
Posted in Dam-Funk, Stones Throw | 11 Comments »
October 27th, 2009
I’m not sure whether to laugh, cry, or attempt to discover whether or not this is part of some community service outreach program. First person to explain it to me wins an autographed copy of My World.
Posted in Ron Artest | 6 Comments »
October 27th, 2009
Denny’s, the diner chain of choice for those benighted locales that lack a better alternative (an IHOP, a Steak-N-Shake, a Taco Truck, readily available roadkill) has recently announced their new late night Rockstar Menu, featuring such indelible dishes as Hoobastank’s Hoobaburrito, Jewel’s Acoustic Roasted Chicken Quesadilla, Sum 41’s The Sumwich, Good Charlotte’s Band of Burritos, and Los Lonely Boys’ Texican Burger–who said regionalism was dead?
In an effort to broaden their musical and culinary tastes, I propose adding the options below. I’d say that the customer is always right, but you’d sooner catch me at a Bubba Gump’s than the place that coined the phrase, “Moons Over My Hammy.”
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Posted in It Got Weird, Didn't It? | 3 Comments »
October 26th, 2009
Late pass on Jahdan Blakkamoore, the Brooklyn-based, Guyanese-raised artist on DJ/Rupture’s Dutty Artz imprint. Like his label boss, Blakkamoore switches seamlessly between styles and sub-genres, encompassing everything from roots reggae to dancehall, hip-hop and grime and dubstep. He has yet to incorporate “genuinely Persian music with the electronic tools of the 20th-century avant-garde,” the current post on Rupture’s excellent Negrophonic blog, but there is still time. His solo debut, Buzzrock Warrior, came out last month on Gold Dust and for those nostalgic for Mad Cobra, Mad Lion and Mad Koala (latter may not exist), but who don’t want a strict homage to dead days, this will likely have you saying “Shabba.”
Below the jump, video of Blakkamoore performing “Sound Bwoy Burreil” with Smif-N-Wessum in Crown Heights.
Download:
MP3: Jahdan Blakkamoore-”What You Know About This”
MP3: Jahdan Blakkamoore-”Best I Ever Had Freestyle”
MP3: Jahdan Blakkamoore-”Never Gonna’ Stop”
Bonus: Get “The General” free from Blakkamoore’s Website
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Posted in Jahdan Blakkamoore | No Comments »
October 26th, 2009
The mutual admiration society between Daedelus and The Low End Theory always made sense. Since ‘01, Alfred Darlington (he of the best chops since Ambrose Burnside), has aspired towards a futuristic blur of hip-hop, dance, and grimy, glitchy beats–the same combination favored at the Lincoln Heights hang-out. Last year, he dropped Live at Low End Theory on Daddy Kev’s Alpha Pup label, a record aptly described by Mike Orme, as “gauzy re-interpretations of his own work [that] take on a whole new life as dance music just as critics and fans were writing him off as a niche commodity.”
Since then, the dapper Daedelus has stayed consistently on-point, most recently making the de rigeur stop on Mary Ann Hobbs BBC1 show last Wednesday and dropping a mix of unreleased and classic material from his Ninja Tune and Plug Research catalogue. Along for the ride is Brainfeeder prospect, Lorn, who laces a similarly scorching set from his own stash. Somewhere along the way, there are Joy Orbison, Nosaj Thing, Shackleton, and Madvillain tunes. Good times.
Download:
ZIP: Daedelus & Lorn on Mary Anne Hobbs (10/22/09) (Left-Click)
Posted in Daedelus, Brainfeeder, Mary Anne Hobbs, Low End Theory | No Comments »
October 23rd, 2009
A fixture on the local club scene for the last six months, 18-year old guitar prodigy Avi Buffalo recently signed a deal with Sub Pop. For those interested, I discuss the pact with the recent Long Beach Millikan grad and his A&R over at Pop and Hiss. For PoW purposes, I highly recommend downloading his first single, “What’s In It For,” which I describe at the Times as an “irrepressibly catchy slice of Shins-esque jangle pop just waiting to be snagged for a crucial contretemps in a Michael Cera vehicle.” Listen to it now before it gets Braffed.
Download:
MP3: Avi Buffalo-”What’s In It For”
MP3: Avi Buffalo-”Raccoon”
Posted in Sub Pop, Avi Buffalo | 3 Comments »
October 23rd, 2009
I can’t believed I missed this. Then again, while this went down, I was watching a face- melting performance from Wooden Shjips in front of 100 people at the crackerbox Hemlock Tavern. A worthwhile consolation if there ever was. For those who don’t know, the Low End Theory Beat Invitationals find the club inviting the best producers around and asking them to play their latest greatest beat that they’ve never played prior.
Accordingly, the clips capture new previously unheard Flying Lotus and Samiyam. The video didn’t come out, but the audio is surprisingly clear. Thanks to Dzame for posting these.
Posted in Low End Theory | 1 Comment »
October 23rd, 2009
The Soft Pack work best in the single format. Credit it to their sound, the aluminum clang, garage rock aesthetic so endemic to indie rock over the last few years: a barrage of insanely catchy, proto-punk surf guitar-encrusted nuggets like those collected by Lenny Kaye on the seminal 60s comps. A SoCal answer to The Black Lips, weaned on surfboards, stoner culture, and the San Diego sun. Or White Denim with shorter attention spans and stickier hooks.
Truthfully, I’d sort of written these dudes off after they changed their name from The Muslims. After all, what could be less punk rock than bowing to politically correct impulses from humorless drones-it’s not they were scrawling Danish caricatures of Muhammed or something. But over the last few months, the band has built on the potential they showed on classic early single, “Extinction.” First, with their remix of Phoenix’s “Fences,” which spun the former’s Gallic elan into a psychedelic squall. And now, “Answer to Yourself,” a three minute burst of hard drums, scuzzy guitars, and caustic cold-hearted vocals. Anything but soft.
Download:
MP3: Phoenix-”Fences” (The Soft Pack Remix)
Via Some Velvet Blog via NME Daily Download
MP3: The Soft Pack-”Answer to Yourself”
Posted in The Soft Pack | 3 Comments »
