Winter is normally a drag (said everyone, ever). No need to dwell, but it suuuuucks. So it helps when some fun and uplifting music comes around the blogosphere. Nothing too summery that makes you miss the warmth and relaxation on a Saturday in the Park in Chicago (whhhaaaatt did I just do?) But that will come with time. For now, suck it up, watch a few more movies, catch up on your shows, snuggle with a loved one or two.
Right, music.
I'm a sucker for strong and pronounced baselines. The crunchier the better, and underneath The Knocks' down tempo crashes lays that fret clanging bass. Collab'd with Wyclef this time around, "Kiss the Sky" will be on their new album, 55, due out in March (see fig. 1a).
Speaking of collaborating, who aren't The Knocks working with nowadays? Walk the Moon, Phoebe Ryan, Wyclef, Cam'ron, Powers, and Magic Man are all on the new album. Speaking of Powers, she was featured too on The Knocks' more popular tracks evar (see fig. 1b).
The Knocks - Kiss The Sky ft. Wyclef Jean
The Knocks - Classic ft. POWERS (RAC Remix)
Art by Jeremy Mann
Jan 19, 2016
The Knocks + Wyclef Jean [electro house]
Dec 13, 2015
Mr Little Jeans + Dear Santa [holiday]
This time of year, it's nigh impossible to go to any store, street corner, radio station, podcast, uber, friend's car ride, or waiting room without being innundated with holiday songs. It's cool, I guess. There's the staples like Ol' Blue Eye's rendition of "Sleigh Ride", Mariah's "All I Want for Christmas is You", or even the worst holiday song ever created by Sir Paul.
A few other peeves I have... super religious songs, uninspired classical recreations, or even worse, new and updated versions of iconic staples. So having the common songs observed and accepted, I cant help but get excited when a new song comes by that is actually original, well sung and inspiring. Enter Mr Little Jeans and her motown-inspired original "Dear Santa".
Addictive lyrics and chorus make this an instant favorite (for me). Plus, come on, Mr Little Jeans do a Christmas song? Yes. Please.
Photo by Boqiang Liao
Nov 12, 2015
The Chemical Brothers + Born in the Echoes [electronica]
Yea, this came out over the summer. I missed it. Because I'm out of touch, dumb, clueless and filled with ineptitude.
Having the self defecating out of the way... onto the album at hand, Born in the Echoes. It's The Chemical Brothers' eigth studio release, and first full release since 2010. If you've been familiar with any of The Chemical Brothers' previous work, then you'll probably know what to expect here. Well polished techno-electronica, plenty of percussive layers, distortion, beeps & bloops.
"Go" has a pretty enticing bassline and vocals, and has already been featured in numerous promo spots for Google, Youtube, video games, and probably every sporting event hype-video in the coming future. That's fine, shit happens. And can somebody tell me if that's Q-Tip on vocals or not? It sounds like him, but I dont see him credited anywhere for it.
My other Chemical Brothers posts has consistently been my most viewed and searched out post on the interwebs (which has since been flagged ohhh so many times for DMCA notices, and no longer has any tracks available to it). People love The Chemical Brothers, for good reason, they've stood that paradoxical test of time. Looking forward to adding this album to my collection.
EDIT:
I guess it was Q-Tip... he's been credited on the album along with St. Vincent, Beck, Cate Le Bon, and Ali Love.
Cool. Cool cool cool.
Oct 25, 2015
500 + [/b]
500 posts! Wait, only 500 posts? Hasn't this blog been truckin' along since, what, 2007? Well... when you go thru the usual messes in life sometimes it pulls you away from the inane and insignificant.
I like to look back every now and then on previous posts and all the types of music I've consumed. For the most part since 2007 this has been an EDM blog. Yup, another electro blog born in the heart of the late-aughts blogging era. But I loved the outlet, giving my own opinion on popular tracks of the moment, remixes from hyped up dj's and producers, ogling over the big acts rolling thru the great city of Chicago on any given weekend. It had its perks. I got plenty of free full quality music, tickets and backstage passes for shows in the city, even made it to #1 on hypem for a few days.
But all that's behind me. When I get the time or the urge, I hardly know what to post. Being a dad rocks, but is hard work. Working live a good life, but its not a dream job. I keep this blog as an outlet for nobody else really but myself to blab and vent and put words to a page and keep a history of how things progress from week to month to year, usually by the tone of the music I post. Maybe I'll expand this into all the pop culture things that peak my interest... movies, tv, android, comics (even real big person books!).
The picture I posted is a rendition of my new favorite show, Rick & Morty, characterized as Doc and Marty from Back to the Future. I chose this picture for this post specifically because it represents the transformation I've had. From a typical city dwelling electro-bot into a (somewhat-responsible) single dad wanting nothing more than to protect and provide for my son. But like Rick and Doc (in somewhat different methods) sharing their interdimensional time-travel with their paternal cohorts, so do I wish to share all the cool shit in my life with my son--and just be a good dad.
Blarrghhh, enough. Here's to another 500+
First is one I'd love to put up on a #TBT, but those are harder and harder to muster up the energy on a random weekday. That'd mean I'd have to prepare? What? But Wilco has long been one of my faves, and this is what I think is their best track off their 2002 release Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. "Poor Places" starts off somber but builds and builds itself using bits and pieces of its own background, not using the familial song structure but instead deconstructing itself from a folk song to a--noise? Yea, noise. I'll be looking to post more favorites from my growings ups in the next 500+.
Wilco - Poor Places
Forward 10 years in time. Noise is still noise. Genre's always have and always will change, evolve, meld/mix/match insto other inspiring sounds of the next moment. Not much has come since from Beat Culture, no wiki page, no discogs release, no soundcloud profile. But his 2012 release "Useless" is the best 5 minutes of music I've heard to that point, or since. Okay a bit hyperbolic, and no it's not the best track of all time... But it delves into some of my favorite sub-genres of chillwave, electro pop, shoegaze, experimental, etc. and construes an addicting, ethereal vocal track over chest deadening basslines in ever building intervals from verse to bridge to chorus. I'll be on the lookout for more like this in the next 500+.
Beat Culture - Useless
Art by Mike Walton
Oct 18, 2015
Phoenix + Uppermost [french house]
Haven't heard the non-remixed version, but I do enjoy this french house/nu disco remix from producer Uppermost. Reminds me of some early Alan Braxe & Fred Falke. Pressuring bass under 80's synth drums giving way to funk guitar solos? ...mmmmmmyyeaaa! Unfortunately he could've taken things past the initial apex at the 2:30 mark and continued with an extended breakdown maximizing in what ended up being an abrupt finale. Edit anyone?
Sometimes I love just closing my eyes to a song, tapping my toes uncontrollably, imagining driving down an empty highway in the middle of the night, not another soul for miles. This is peace to me. An illogical surreal setting I know this, but that's what daydreaming to music is supposed to do for you, right? Give you the slightest escape in an otherwise inescapable world.
Phoenix - Bourgeois (Uppermost Remix)
Bonus on the similar dreamy chill vibe... Tycho! I posted Awake nearly two years ago, my god. Still as good as ever if you haven't checked anything by him out before.
Spoon - Inside Out (Tycho Remix)
Art by PascalCampion
Wavves + V [lo-fi]
Is one supposed to tuck in a sweater vest? I saw someone at work with his sweater vest tucked into his pants, and it made me uneasy. Too much, sir. Too much.
Wavves - Pony
Image by YairMor
Oct 16, 2015
Sep 26, 2015
Dan Deacon + Adult Swim [experimental]
Not having cable means one is limited in the media they consume. Either by word of mouth, podcasts, npr, or in this case--reddit. Nine different (read: amazing and unique) animators came together to collaborate a music video for Dan Deacon's track "When I Was Done Dying".
Here are the animators in chronological order per the video:
- Jake Fried
- Chad VanGaalen
- Dimitri Stankowicz
- Colin White
- Taras Hrabowsky
- Anthony Schepperd
- Masanobu Hiraoka
- Caleb Wood
- Kokofreakbean
Much inspiration. Very trip. Sehr erstaunlich.
