February 2012
8 posts
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fun. "We Are Young" on Conan
It has been so great to watch the trajectory of “We Are Young.” So great to watch the build up to the Some Nights release. So great to see a band give it their all and just get it! So from Glee to a Super Bowl commercial to Conan, “We Are Young” has gotten these guys some much-deserved attention. Now their full record is out and it is fantastic and dramatic and...
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Music video: Lower Dens "Brains"
This video kind of scares me. It’s like I just watched the Ring video and now my time is running out. But the song is oh, so good! Everyone can’t wait for Nootropics to come out!
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Rufus Wainwright "Montauk"
Rufus has a new record coming out in April. It was apparently produced by Mark Ronson, which is pretty sweet. The first track to be released is “Montauk.” It’s pretty beautiful. Rufus Wainwright has a way of making everything sound so heartbreakingly significant. It’s mostly lone piano, with a little bit of synth and drum machine sprinkled in for good measure.
In...
SNL's Blue Ivy Carter sketch.
This sketch is entirely perfect. From Prince slinking around to nightmarish Nicki Minaj to mumbly Jusin Vernon. Perfecrt.
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Bon Iver won Grammy's!
The New York Giants won the football bowl. Bon Iver won some Grammz. (The Grammz for Best New Artist, Best Alternative Artist) It’s like this is the the year for people in my general area - geographical and demographical - to be winners. THIS REALLY WILL BE OUR YEAR!
Pretty cool that Justin Vernon and crew refused to play at the Grammy’s because they didn’t want to play a...
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Fort Lean "Sunsick"
I’ve been huge on Fort Lean’s EP, ever since it dropped (you know, dropped on bandcamp, as a pay-what-you-want download) last summer. And recently (and I know I was a little late on it) I have been hugely into the reworked versions of those songs that the guys played on Big Ugly Yellow Couch. But this new jam? “Sunsick”? This blows away everything I have heard from this...
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Maffew Ragazino "Jackson Pollock"
I can’t tell what’s sincere anymore. This guy Maffew Ragazino has a song called Jackson Pollock, which samples Grizzly Bear and features Das Racist. All of that criteria point to this guy being an “artsy” or “indie” rapper. But…who knows? Is this just sort of like mining for keywords. I guess Heems addresses this by saying: “This is Heems from...
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Music video: Nada Surf "When I Was Young"
I know this video is about a lot more than this. Like nostalgia and being young and attracted to people and running away from things. But all I can think about when I watch this video is that the kid gets on the train at Astor Place going uptown, somehow ends up at West 4th street, and is suddenly at 2nd Avenue. And I’m all “Uhhh???” It doesn’t make MTA sense!
But Nada...
January 2012
13 posts
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Fucked Up "Year of the Tiger"
These Chinese Zodiac singles that Fucked Up put out are amazing. The fifth in the series, “Year of the Tiger,” (which is out February 6) is a 15 minute long, sprawling punk epic. Pretty much what we’ve come to expect from these guys. And it is awesome. Stream it below.
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The Books break up
When I first heard Thought for Food it changed something about the way we could define something as music. This was weirdo outsider sound collage, but it packed all the wallop of emotional rock music, and I would fight anyone who didn’t recognize what The Books were doing was, in fact, songwriting.
But now Nick Zammuto has announced that The Books are no more. Their four studio albums -...
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Music video: Perfume Genius "Hood"
I once saw Arpad Miklos getting out of the subway. But I had never, until watching this video, seen him dressed up as a sexy Freddy Krueger. This song and video from Perfume Genius is all about not wanting to let someone all the way in to avoid them not loving and accepting the full person you are. At the same time, it is so stripped down (the song and the two stars of the video) that you have to...
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New Daniel Rossen "Saint Nothing"
“Whenever possible, I like just keeping the very first impression of an idea, the first take of something. You very rarely get to do that because the recording quality is below standard,” says Rossen. “It’s very liberating to just leave it.”
Grizzly Bear/Department of Eagles cool guy and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Rossen is releasing a solo EP! It’s called...
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Himanshu - Nehru Jackets
Nehru Jackets is the new mixtape from Himanshu Suri (formerly Heems, but now says that name is reserved only for people he went to school with). Das Racist cohort Kool A.D. released his Palm Wine Drinkard earlier this month, and now it’s Himanshu’s turn to release something maybe a little more cohesive. I have been looking forward to this tape for a whole. It features all the big...
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I finally listened to the new Shins track
I am usually about a day behind on things that come up on the internet. And in a world where that already means these day-old things are obsolete, that almost makes me some kind of internet archaeologist. This is partially because most of my reading of blogs and twitters is on my phone, and I am usually hesitant to click links or don’t want to subject the other people around me to the...
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Music video: Real Estate "Easy"
Did you ever feel like there was something a little off about kids who signed up to be on a band’s street team? Maybe they are just a little too willing to go a little too far for promotion’s sake? That’s the idea behind the new Tom Scharpling-directed video for Real Estate’s “Easy” video. While normally listening to this record makes me think of sprawling...
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Coachella lineup!!!
At The Drive-In!
Refused!
Godspeed You! Black Emperor!
M83!
Radiohead!
Everyone! This is our year for Coachella! The odds of me traveling across the country to see a festival are still very, very slim. But this lineup has made it the most tempting of any fest of any years past.
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New Oneohtrix Point Never: "Rubio"
Apparently Ricky Rubio is a basketball player for the Washington Wizards. Dan Lopatin is sort of like a wizard of electronic soundscapes and synth textures. (Check out what I did there!) This new OPN song is called “Rubio” and is a slow-burner. You can put it on and watch slow motion basketball replays, or just practice wizard spells if that is more your bag.
Rubio demo by...
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Music video: Youth Lagoon "July"
I’ve been awake pretty much every day in 2012 so far, so it’s not really the Year of Hibernation. But Youth Lagoon’s record still jams. And this creeped-out video for the song “July” will also help to keep you up at night with worry. Also: bloody noses.
Youth Lagoon - July from Tyler T Williams on Vimeo.
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A bunch of TV show themes
Like Gothamist says about this video of a bunch of people playing 15 TV show theme songs, it’s nice that it’s not unbearably cheesy. It’s musically impressive, cute, and pretty enjoyable throughout. Not like the history of dance guy or any of that bullshit. Plus, it’s under two minutes, which is just how I like my viral videos served.
You can...
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Music video: fun. f. Janelle Monae"We Are Young"
“We Are Young” was one of my most jammed songs for the second half of 2011. And fun. are starting 2012 off right with a sweet video for the song. It’s a slowed down, barfighty backdrop with Janelle Monae keeping her calm in the middle of it all.
Watch it over at MTV.com
Now embedded!
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Kool A.D. - The Palm Wine Drinkard
Good news! Das Racist member Kool A.D. dropped his solo mixtape last night! It’s kinda weirdo, a little all over the place, but damn fun and a good listen on the first morning back to work in 2012.
Download it here.
This will be our year!
December 2011
1 post
Top Records of 2011
10: The Forms - Derealization
9: St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
8: Radiohead - The King of Limbs
7: Toro y Moi - Underneath the Pine
6: Wild Flag - Wild Flag
5: Real Estate - Days
4: M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
3: Das Racist - Relax
2: Bon Iver - Bon Iver
1: Fucked Up - David Comes to Life
November 2011
3 posts
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Fucked Up played (Le) Poisson Rouge
It usually takes years for an album to fall into the canon of “classic albums.” It can take many bands decades to cultivate a following around a particular record large enough to sell out a full venue. With David Comes to Life Fucked Up conquered this milestone within the year. Released in June of this year, by mid-November the band already sold out (Le) Poisson Rouge, the hip village night...
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DOOM, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood: "Retarded...
This song helped me realize my new favorite thing: SoundCloud comments. When people can add a comment to a specific point in the song it is the best thing ever. Because they give such insight like “fire!” or “nice drop!” or just “DOOM!!!!” These are obviously the best people on the internet. (I just realized the version I was listening to isn’t...
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Music video: Oneohtrix Point Never "Sleep Dealer"
Check out this Coke vs. Pepsi ad! Check out this Vitamin Water ad! Check out this guy in a Hunter S. Thompson Halloween costume. Err…I guess it is just a weirdo video for Oneohtrix Point Never’s “Sleep Dealer.” What did you expect? Dan Lopatin not do do something weirdo and sort of creepy for this track from the forthcoming Replica?
Update: Awwwwwwww, yeah! Now you...
October 2011
15 posts
3 tags
Mayer Hawthorne played Letterman
Last night Motown throwback mastermind Mayer Hawthorne and his band The County hit The Late Show with Letterman. They jammed out to “The Walk” from this year’s How Do You Do. And it is pretty much everything you want a 2011 soul band to be. You can say that this is kitschy or gimmicky, but I am in love with this swagger and plus there is absolutely no way to deny how great the...
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New Nada Surf: "When I Was Young"
I’m not a huge Nada Surf fan. And not because I don’t think bands who are publicly considered to be “one hit wonders” are not capable of continuing to make great music after their hit. Nor is it because I haven’t heard any post-“Popular” Nada Surf - I have and it is good. But I can’t listen to everything! That being said, I just listened to this...
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John Roderick's advice to kids
Long Winters’ frontman, and popular Twitter personality, wrote this column for Seattle Weekly. It’s sort of vague, but well-stated advice to aspiring musicians. Here’s an excerpt.
So listening to famous people describe the secret of their success is about as helpful as listening to microwaved popcorn. In most cases they have no idea why they became successful, and...
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Music video: Wild Flag "Electric Band"
Baseball! Bears! Fun! Wild Flag are killing it this year with putting out fun, catchy-ass songs, and so far some awesome videos to accompany them. NPR debuted this today, the Hollerings directed it. And all we have to do is watch it. Over and over again.
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Record review: Real Estate "Days"
It’s rare that something so small and specific can conjure up a whole world and fully formed set of emotions. Real Estate are able to turn a precise guitar tone into a story of growing up in the suburbs looking out into the world, the carefree summer giving way to the grayer days of autumn, growing up and feeling like there is a great pressure to fit into the social constructs of a grown...
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Here's Robin Pecknold and Joanna Newsom...
I’m a little surprised this Under the Radar photoshoot wasn’t happening somewhere in the forest. Because that’s just about the only place that you see either Fleet Foxes or Joanna Newsom when they appear in magazines. But apparently (!) they are real people. Real, smiling, laughing, armwrestling people. Hopefully next we’ll see something like Justin Vernon and Bradford Cox...
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New Oneohtrix Point Never: "Replica"
Dan Lopatin’s Oneohtrix Point Never project has a new record Replica coming out November 5. The first song from that record further proves his obsessive nature. Whether he is obsessing over synthy ’80s hooks as he has been lately with Ford & Lopatin, or focusing on a single repetitive piano line. And that’s what he’s doing here on this title track. It’s sort of...
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Stream Real Estate's new record
Days is the new record by Real Estate. If you’re not already over at NPR listening to the record after just that much information, you don’t know what you’re missing! It’s an excellent follow-up to their 2009 self-titled debut. Sublte, pretty, catchy. A great fall record among a slew of great fall records coming out this year.
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R.I.P. Mikey Welsh
From the Chicago Tribune:
Authorities say a drug overdose is suspected in the death of former Weezer bass player Mikey Welsh, who was found in aChicago hotel room Saturday afternoon.
Welsh, 40, was found unresponsive on the floor after failing to check out of his room at the Raffaello Hotel in the 200 block of East Delaware Place at 1 p.m. Saturday, according toChicago Police News Affairs...
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Show review: Fang Island at Glasslands
Without the collective history of hair metal bands of the ’80s Fang Island probably wouldn’t exist. But yet. Imagine if every hair metal band was like Fang Island: a hugely optimistic outlook; no big, overshadowing asshole frontmen; no shitty makeup; still headbanging in unison and rocking out.
Wednesday night at Glasslands, Fang Island brought their best game. I was a little...
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Music video: Fort Lean "High Definition"
Fort Lean are one of the bands I am most excited about right now. And they are on a straight shot upward and moving quick. Yesterday they played a show at Glasslands opening for Fang Island, but before that in a little place called THE INTERNET, they debuted a new video. It’s for the song “High Definition” from their self-released Bandcamp EP. It’s sombre, but beachy and...
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This makes sense: Method Man rapping about Sour...
I LOVE CANDY! And Wu-Tang! So, naturally, here’s a 3.5 minute long video of Method Man rapping about Sour Patch Kids. This is honestly so much better than when he guested on that Limp Bizkit song.
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Music video: The Stepkids "Legend in my Own Mind"
It’s Tuesday night, so you should probably be listening to The Best Show on WFMU. Best show mastermind, and 2011 wizard of music video direction, Tom Scharpling has a new video out. It’s for the song “Legend in my Own Mind” by The Stepkids. It’s like a throwback to that kind of hazy weekend that you know you have had. It is all slow motion and just walking around the...
September 2011
13 posts
2 tags
Record review: Das Racist "Relax"
In “Michael Jackson” when Heems growls “I’m fucking great at rapping!” it’s perfectly self-referential (he truly did just deliver a fucking great verse) and also one of the most optimistic and uplifting lines on a single in 2011. It makes me feel so good everytime I hear it.
The same mentality holds for “Happy Rappy.” It’s silly and sort of...
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New Rostam: "Wood"
Rostam Batmanglij is that dude from Vampire Weekend who released that radical record under the Discovery brand name a couple years ago. Now, he’s got this new solo track called “Wood,” which is kind of a different thing than either of those other bands. But it still maintains the same kind of care-free attitude and is still a lot of fun to listen to. Possibly an Indian Summer...
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Radiohead on Colbert
The thing that always drew me to Radiohead, from The Bends up to the present, was how deliberate they are about everything. How perfectly planned out they make everything seem (I’m not sure if it is perfectly planned out or not, but they lead me to believe that it is). So their picks of TV appearances this week - SNL on Saturday and Colbert last night - seems to be hand-selected.
This...
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New Real Estate: "Green Aisles"
Real Estate get a lot of associations with the beach. But I think what it really reminds me (and probably most people) of is the beach not during summer, but in the grey days of fall or the kind of cold dirty winter months. It’s the first day of fall and Real Estate released a new song from their forthcoming Days. The song is called “Green Aisles” and has that same feel of...
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New fun. featuring Janelle Monáe: "We Are Young"
This song lives up to the band’s namesake. And collaborating with Janelle Monáe is pretty unbelievable and amazing. Her contribution is subtle, but super effective. If this had been an indie rock envelope just wrapping up a Monáe song, it might not have the same impact of a song truly celebrating just having a good time. ”Tonight we are young/so let’s set the world on fire/we...
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New Childish Gambino: "Bonfire"
Donald Glover’s Childish Gambino has turned from an awesome side project for the comedian to an awesome hip hop act that can legitimately blow other MCs out of the water. This song, “Bonfire” is the first thing we’re hearing from his upcoming record CAMP. It premiered on Hot 97 this weekend and now it is available streaming and it is PHENOMENAL! References to Earl...
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Watch Sigur Rós "Festival" from Inni
This is important. Sigur Rós are one of the most physically moving bands I have ever seen. They have a live DVD and album coming out this fall called Inni. NPR is giving us the first taste of this footage, which was shot in 2008 at London’s Alexandra Palace.
This clip of “Festival” is really amazing. Kind of blurry and vague but still unbelievably powerful. Consequence of Sound...
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Music video: Das Racist "Michael Jackson"
IT’S FRIDAY Y’ALLLLLLLL!!!!!
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Stream Relax
As if you didn’t already know (courtesy of the millions and millions of retweets flooding your feed) the hot new release from Das Racist, Relax, is streaming on Spotify today. Go here to listen to it if you have Spotify. It is so good, you guys! Play it at all your back to school parties! (or just while making pancakes or sitting around your apartment, like I did today.)
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Music video: Battles "My Machines"
You get to watch a guy fall down an escalator for four minutes and it’s not like an America’s Funniest Home video clip. This Gary Newman-featuring Battles song from their record Gloss Drop is actually pretty powerful and artistically great. I like to think that this is the same mall that the video for “You Get What You Give” was shot in.