September 23rd, 2009
Disco Vietnam is a Twitter wunderkind.
Writing from his New Yorker blog, Sasha Frere Jones recently offered his praise to Norwegian wunderkind Sondre Lerche’s latest album Heartbeat Radio, citing the songwriter’s use of “fancy chords” as what most readily distinguishes him musically from his peers. Forgive me if I find this a bit reductive. While Frere-Jones rightly places Lerche firmly within the tradition of similar songwriters Elvis Costello and Andy Partridge (to say nothing of Glenn Tilbrook or a Paul McCartney), it isn’t so much that Lerche’s chords are “fancy” but rather that they are correct: each chord builds on the previous but only suggests what may follow. More than any other contemporary songwriter Lerche understands, both in performance and on record, how to musically incorporate the element of surprise and it’s in that respect Heartbeat Radio may be his finest work to date.
Lerche takes to the stage of the Troubadour Thursday in early support of Heartbeat Radio, his fifth album and follow-up to 2007’s more propulsive Phantom Punch. Heartbeat Radio is Lerche’s most mature record. It’s also his most musically direct, which has made Lerche’s solo performances this tour all the more enjoyable. Stripped to their essentials – guitar and voice - songs like “I Guess It’s Gonna Rain Today” and “Good Luck” reveal an even more efficient approach to melody than we have previously heard from Lerche. The songs are better for it. Nothing fancy about that.
MP3: Sondre Lerche-“I Guess It’s Gonna Rain Today” (Left-Click)
MP3: Sondre Lerche-“Almighty Moon” (Left-Click)
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August 19th, 2009
When he’s not cooking up something marvelous in the lab, Disco Vietnam drops basic instructions before leaving earth via Twitter.
Three minutes after our interview with Austin-based producer’s Eli Elkin, AKA Memory Man, a tweet appeared on Twitter (as they are wont to do) from the Chef himself.
@RAEKWONICEWATER Ayo foreal i dont know who made that new mixtape “Cuban Revolution” been gettn alot of phone calls bout it but Salute who put it out! THANKS
The responsible party is, of course, Memory Man whose Cuban Revolution tape is easily one of the hottest releases to drop in the last … 18 hours or so. The tape succeeds in authentically reproducing the Wu-Tang’s elusive and unique sonic aesthetic, while elevating some perhaps unfairly dismissed Raekwon verses in anticipation of the forthcoming Only Built For Cuban Linx II.
Passion of the Weiss’ contributor Sach O enthusiastically posted the tape yesterday. Today we got to speak with its creator because we’re fucking nice like that.
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Posted in Interviews, Disco Vietnam | 3 Comments »
July 20th, 2009
Fresh off three consecutive weeks in rotation on Hot 97’s Real Late with Peter Rosenberg comes Prafit’s “New York Swing, the Strong Island rapper’s latest collaboration with blog and blunt baron, Disco Vietnam. Like its antecedents, “Nice Weather” and “My Life”, “New York Swing” channels the city’s mid-90s vintage without lapsing into over-cautious rehash. The beat’s piano line lifts like a balloon, with an ascendant organ line also angling towards the heavens. Prafit anchors it back to earth, with some brick-bat, bloody-nose raps that seemingly bear out an influence from Uncontrolled Substances-era Inspectah Deck. Even if this might not match “Rec Room,” it will still make you want to wreck shop.
Download:
MP3: Prafit-”New York Swing” (produced by Disco Vietnam)
Posted in Disco Vietnam, Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought? | 2 Comments »
July 7th, 2009
Great Scott interviews Disco Vietnam. The world will never be the same,
Scott Towler: Aight, so I have to confess right out of the gate here: I literally just learned your name through our correspondence about this piece.
Disco Vietnam: Yes, well my full name is Disco Irwin Vietnam.
ST: Let’s dive right in, shall we? Dolphin-safe tuna: myth or reality?
DV: It’s a myth. No one is safe from a dolphin’s wrath, least of all a school of tuna fish. Incidentally, I’ve recently discovered veggie tuna salad is superior to regular old tuna salad.
ST: If you were at a Waffle House and they asked how you wanted your hash browns (without looking at a menu, mind you), what would you say?
DV: I would ask my hash browns be reverse engineered into French fries.
ST: You realize that’s an insult in more states than Kentucky, right?
DV: As long as one of those other states isn’t North Carolina I suppose I’ll have to be ok with that.
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Posted in Disco Vietnam, Great Scott | 2 Comments »
July 2nd, 2009
Barry Schwartz is the mastermind behind Disco Vietnam, a clan that moves soundlessly through the shadows and works tirelessly to defeat the wicked 10 percent. “Totally Awesome Decisions” coming soon–total awesomeness guaranteed.
“With the same sword they knight you/they gonna good night you with/Shit, that’s only half if they like you/That ain’t even the half what they might do. Don’t believe me? Ask Michael.”
* Jay-Z
As I watched the events of last Thursday unfold I couldn’t help but be struck with an overwhelming sense of dread. People, it would seem, are simply not improving.
When you accomplish what Michael Jackson accomplished, your obituary will inevitably be split between the great things you did and the awful things people have accused you of doing that can neither be proved nor disproved. This is a good thing in some ways; it prevents the dead from being deified. It’s also a bad thing in that it puts a limit on the amount of positive things people will aspire to accomplish.
When you’re a child it’s very easy to know when people are lying. I was only 12-years-old when I watched Jackson on MTV, recounting the humiliation of having his genitals photographed by the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department, an experience he knew stood no chance of proving his innocence against accusations of child molestation, but rather could only provide some doubt as to his guilt. His voice quivering as he begged those who might doubt his innocence to reserve judgment, I remember watching this video and believing every word that came out of his mouth. The idea that this person was guilty of what he’d been accused didn’t seem to make much sense at all. It still doesn’t.
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Posted in Michael Jackson Tribute, Disco Vietnam | 6 Comments »
June 11th, 2009
Disco Vietnam cannot be described in a single sentence, but instead exists as a platonic ideal comprised of equal parts Ecto-Cooler, the Rza, and lightning.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/khnpo5
The recession endures but Mister Softee stays winning. The summer weather made its auspicious debut a little over a month ago, yet not a day has passed that the wind has failed to carry the iconic ice cream man’s 16-bar baroque theme directly to my ears. And it’s positively Pavlovian (or I’m just a gluttonous fat piece of shit); any cash contained within my pockets will inevitably be converted into a chocolate milkshake to be quickly annihilated. Totally awesome decision. Doctors don’t make house calls anymore, but Mister Softee will check up on you everyday just to see if you might need him and pull right into your driveway if you ask him to. Do the math.
Recently, on a particularly warm Saturday afternoon my brother and I found ourselves doing very little at all save for sweating profusely when, suddenly, we heard it. The tune was faint but unmistakable and offered no clear indication of where it was coming from; only that it was close enough to hear and by all reasonable assumptions would be heading closer.
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Posted in Summer Jamz, Disco Vietnam | 1 Comment »
November 2nd, 2008
Lyrically, “My Life,” the latest jaunt from the duo of Passion of the Weiss contributor/marijuana guru/Jedi warrior Disco Vietnam and Long Island’s Prafit, doesn’t extend much further than facile similes, shit-talking braggadocio, and shout outs to the pair’s Strong Isle roots. But as on “Nice Weather,” the pair showcase an impressive chemistry, with Prafit adroitly attacking the beat’s soulful, plangent horn section and stutter-step drums. Plus, extra credit is earned for the name-drop of one of the half-dozen or so redeeming No Limit cuts, Silkk the Shocker and Mystikal’s “It Ain’t My Fault.” All nepotism aside, this is a duo you should be checking for.
Download:
MP3: Prafit (produced by Disco Vietnam)-”My LIfe”
MP3: Prafit (produced by Disco Vietnam)-”Nice Weather”
Bonus: Video for Silkk the Shocker and Mystikal’s “It Ain’t My Fault”
Posted in Disco Vietnam, Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought? | 8 Comments »
February 15th, 2008
On Sunday Barack Obama completed his sweep of the most recent primaries with a devastating win in Maine. At the same time, 3,000 miles away across the country at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, Morris Day and the Time took the stage at this years Grammys for a blistering performance. This cannot be a coincidence. It occurred to me today the narrative of 2008s primary campaign is beginning to eerily resemble Purple Rain.
Barack Obama is like Prince, a somewhat racially ambiguous psychedelic composite of multiple different kinds of awesome; his prodigous showmanship and seemingly boundless natural ability could make him a legend, and yet he remains … an enigma. The club owners want him to play the type of music they think the people want to hear, but The Kid’s got other ideas.
Hilary Clinton is like Apollonia (D-NY), a glorified back-up singer desperate for the spotlight who doesn’t really care who she sings for; she just wants to get put on. “Put me on! Please! Put me on! I’ll do anything! What do I have to do?” Well, for starters, you have to purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. Wait! That ain’t Lake Minnetonka. Sorry, now we’ve lost all respect for you. Oh well.
Let’s Have Some Asses Wigglin’….I Wanna See Some Perfection!
John McCain is like Morris Day and America is like First Avenue. First Avenue is his club, he is the headliner and only he is gonna give the people what they neeeeeeeeed, baby. But he’s got to check himself in the mirror to make sure he looks good before he does it.
Morris Day (McCain) isn’t feeling The Kid’s (Obama’s) style and he will stop at nothing to defeat him. Both of their interests in Apollonia (Clinton) will fall by the wayside, until in the weeks leading up to Ohio and Texas, she reveals her all-girl-super group. Eventually there will be a big show at First Avenue where the people will decide who they love more.
The only question that remains is this: has Barack Obama reached the level of Purple Rain- era Prince, peaking at the perfect time to seize the moment? Or is he more like Prince’s eponymous second album: kicks ass, but he’s flying on a unicorn.
Time will tell if this revolution will make way for a new power generation. One thing is certain: In this life things are much harder than in the afterworld; in this life you’re on your own. But where we are met with cynicism and doubt and fear and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of the American people in three simple words – Let’s Go Crazy!
Download:
MP3: Prince (Obama)-”Let’s Go Crazy”
Posted in Disco Vietnam | 5 Comments »
January 17th, 2008
Welcome to yet another edition of Disco Vietnam’s The Pick-Up Artist, because if there is one thing the members of Disco Vietnam understand it’s women. Today’s lesson will be brought to you, once again, by Disco Vietnam affiliate and board-certified mack Dr. Chet Rockstone. Dr. Rockstone has slept with so many chicks his balls can hold their own presidential primary.
“Black man watch out, she salt-water trout
Al Deuce dug her back out, inside the dugout.
Heard the pussy was good, big niggaz fell victim
Mentally stripped em, one God turned Christian!
- Ghostface Killah, “Marvel”
Yo God, let me pour y’all the science about the womb
It’s a black hole for those who lose control
- RZA, “Marvel”
Full disclosure: I, Dr. Chet Rockstone, am a Giants fan to the death. Let’s Go G-men!!! I never miss a game; I’m on the waitlist for season tickets (35 more years!); I even fully endorse the use of the term “G-fense” in casual conversation. So I might be a little biased when I say I think our defense played their fucking asses off Sunday night baby! Even Eli Manning came through with a gutsy, gutsy performance, a performance made all the more impressive when you consider he’s only 6-years-old! What could you do when you were 6-years-old!? Huh?!
Still, burdened with the wisdom that comes with being Dr. Chet Rockstone, I can find little satisfaction in this victory. In spite of our seemingly great performance I can’t help but think … perhaps ‘twas darker forces that conspired for our favor; dark forces whose power is beyond anything you or I could ever imagine.
Pussy.
Nice Izod Shirt
We have a lot of fun here at Disco Vietnam Pick-Up Artistry, don’t we? We drink some beers, have a couple of laughs, and we learn stuff about chicks to manipulate them into doing things with us they don’t even realize they might like doing yet. But, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get serious for a minute:
When I talk about pussy, I’m not talking about women. I’m talking about pussy. There is a world of difference and understanding this difference is crucial to both your personal and professional survival.
They say behind every great man is a great woman. If we are to accept this rather suspiciously convenient logic (I’m onto you “They.” You’re probably some chick) then, naturally, behind every disgrace, failure and fallen empire is the dry stench of salt-water trout. Women weaken legs but pussy will weaken your entire existence. Especially if you ask it to.
The haunting closing track of Ghostface Killah’s 1996 debut Ironman “Marvel” will tell you everything you need to know about pussy, the nature of pussy and the ways in which pussy can destroy a man before he even gets a chance to become one. A companion piece to the greatest break-up song of all time, the appropriately vitriolic “Wildflower,” “Marvel” is a veritable laundry list of the consequences you invite into your life when you confuse love for lust and let your temptations govern your decisions. Never let your dick think for you. That’s your brain’s job and he’s awesome at it. And never, ever confuse your dick for your heart, either.
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December 10th, 2007
Welcome to yet another edition of Disco Vietnam’s The Pick-Up Artist, because if there is one thing the members of Disco Vietnam understand it’s women. Today’s lesson will be brought to you by Disco Vietnam affiliate and board-certified mack Dr. Chet Rockstone. Dr. Chet Rockstone comes to us with a wealth of experience, having served as the personal mack instructor to the stars for over 10 years. Dr. Rockstone has slept with so many chicks when you ask him for a ballpark figure he says, “Yes!”
Before we proceed with today’s lesson I, Dr. Chet Rockstone, would like to review a couple of things:
1. All chicks are fucking insane
2. See rule 1.
Yes indeedeedoo my friends! The secret to landing that cinnamon bun broad of your wettest waking dreams is to understand chicks don’t really have brains. Dudes have brains! Yeah, and we got something else, too! Haha! Do the math, chumps!
You Can Always Trust a Doctor Whose Name is Rockstone.
You see, dudes are logical; chicks are emotional. That’s the dialectic. When dudes argue with chicks our objective is to present a series of rational explanations for our decisions. When chicks argue with dudes, however, their objective is to get us to lose our fucking minds by forcing us to think with our emotions, something dudes aren’t capable of doing with any proficiency while still being hot for chicks.
So, if you want to land that hot broad you got to make logic triumph over emotion. Understanding the simple logic “all women are fucking crazy” and using that information to your advantage will surely put you on the path to landing that smoking hot delicious piece of salt water trout you’ve been smacking your lips thinking about since you first got a whiff. Hell yeah!
Now, without further ado I would like to present today’s lesson, something I like to call “Splitting 8s.”
Splitting 8s is a highly advanced technique. Some of you may have difficulty grasping the concept and for those people I recommend either reviewing the previous chapters of Disco Vietnam’s Pick-Up Artistry or beating’ off.
Let’s say you meet two hot young chicks, one blonde, the other brunette. They’re two young idealistic 22-year-olds just out of college getting their first taste of the real world. And I don’t need to remind you guys, it’s a jungle out there. You remember, right? Well, guess what? Thing haven’t changed. It’s still a jungle out there and while our two hot chicks may not want to admit to it, you can tell they’re a bit overwhelmed (Don’t forget to prey on their weakness! See chapter 7 for review).
Now, let’s say you’ve met them with some of your friends on a Wednesday night where all of you had a great time dancing to indie rock or early 90s Top 40 rap or something (I don’t know what you kids do). You immediately recognize they are best friends, seemingly connected at the hip, but in their obvious desperation to meet new people and make this gigantic crazy jungle they’ve entered just a little bit smaller they both give you their numbers. Two days later, as is recommended in the guidebook, you call them up to invite them to a chill DJ party in the Lower East Side. They seem interested and sure enough they show up. This time your friends are gone and it’s just you and two girls and here’s where it gets interesting.
You dance with both girls equally, drink with both girls equally, talk to both girls equally, flirt with both girls equally, smoke with both girls equally. By all accounts it’s defintely on. But with who?
Here are your scenarios:
1. Neither
2. The blonde
3. The brunette
4. The blonde and the brunette
5. The blonde and the brunette, at the same time.
As you can see by scenario 5 you have an opportunity of a lifetime here if you play it right. Well, the only way to play this right: split your 8s.
Disco Vietnam’s Pick-Up Artist Book Sold Separately
When playing Blackjack, if in the event you are dealt two 8s, two fairly good cards that appear to be of equal value, it is generally understood you split them. Splitting 8s is generally considered a defensive play, a means of cutting one’s losses. However, in this case I would argue it is a means of maximizing success. 4 of those 5 scenarios are fucking awesome. By splitting 8s what you’re actually doing is letting the game come to you.
You may happen to like the brunette more than the blonde, but let’s not get crazy here. You should never let something as meaningless as your personal preferences leave you with dry balls. You don’t have to choose which chick wants to hook-up with you just as you don’t have to choose which one of your 8s will beat the dealer once you hit. All you can really do is just hit on both individually and get the fuck out of the way. The more you leave these decisions up to girls the more in control they feel. But they’re not in control. Ever. They’re chicks. They’re fucking nuts. You’re in control.
Of course it’s important to note: women aren’t actually cards; women are women, and as we’ve established, women are fucking insane. Don’t forget, you can use this to your advantage in a variety of ways. Create a subtle competition for your affections. Women don’t really want what they want, they just want to get what they want. If you turn yourself into an object instead of a human being before you know it these two best friends/enemies will be fighting over you surrounded by pillows and sheets and all sorts of toys. Threesome! Everyone wins! Most importantly, you! Hell yeah! Split your 8s.
Download:
MP3: Disco Vietnam-”The NP (Natalie Portman)”
Posted in Disco Vietnam | 4 Comments »
