Sunday, January 24, 2010

Refresher Course

My morning commute normally is comprised of songs that aren't just stale in my car, they are downright turning rotten. I'm not home long enough after work to ever really play anything but some random things that fill in my void. On those uncommon Sunday mornings and post-nap 2am weeknights, I get a chance to delve into those morels in my pantry. Such a fancy feast includes this compilation from Sympathy for the Record Industry aptly named "Alright, This Time Just The Girls, Volume 2".


The A-lines - Four
Matson Jones - A Little Bit of Arson
Candypants - Nerdy Boys

Favourite line: "Why don't you take off those tight-whiteys. No, I don't think you're butt is pasty... it reminds me of the sands of Tattooine."

Normally, my judgement of music relies on how well my körperteile respond to the aural-to-pelvic triggers found in Out Hud or Vitalic. Not to say that this album doesn't garner a similar experience, it just does it by injecting emotion via my left hemisphere. Find it and listen to it.

Monday, January 11, 2010

The Doctor


Compliments of Jonty.

I have to throw this one up here. I didn't grow up watching the show, but Dr. Who was big in the UK with a theme song that is leaps and bounds better than Knight Rider's or possibly any of these.

Speaking of doctoring, I'm always into analyzing how any particular track is made. It sucks to be at a show and not being able to stop that automatic drive, which is where the booze comes in. I'm pretty sure I can deconstruct rhythmically most songs, but tweaking and finding sounds is a whole different arena. Watching this video gives me a whole new appreciation for The Prodigy. This guy managed to reconstruct Smack My Bitch Up using Ableton, which is impressive, however The Prodigy managed to do it back in the mid-90's without any CuBase's, Abletons, or m-Audio anythings. Maybe my ignorance of their methods it what elevates is to a perceived level, but no doubt The Prodigy has talent.

Friday, January 8, 2010

What's new in the next decade?


I'm not going to joke about it, 2009 was a great year. A ton of shows, an even more number of evening dance events, and meeting some great people. I've had lots of visits from out-of-towners that I need to return the favor to and I'm experiencing the pending return of Intro Body. I've seen the rise and fall of bangers (hopefully), discovered music that isn't joke rap (think Benzino) for the first time in college, and went to a decent handful of Coachellas and Lollas (SXSW's are next). Its difficult for me to grasp the fact that this is a new set of 10 years (2000's were the noughties, we're in the tens or teens now? there's no good way to say it) seeing as I lived through a millennial transition with some heavy playing of the artist-formerly-known-as. Regardless I've got some things to look forward to:

Possible Gary Numan & Little Boots collab?? To those readers who are unfamiliar, imagine taking someone as seminal and experienced in the electronic music world like Kraftwerk and mix with a rising star with angelic voice who already has a set of pop tracks underneath her belt. Numan is responsible for a vast set of influences not least of which are Basement Jaxx, Nine Inch Nails, etc. I only have I, Assassin (remember, there are two ass's in assassinate) and I think half of it is decent and the other half is rubbish, or at least I've never been in the proper mood to relish, but you should appreciate the era this stuff was made in. By the way, read this post about Numan.

New Albums Coming Out
19Jan, Spoon - Transference
26Jan, Beach House - Teen Dream
-Beach House - Walk In The Park
26Jan, The Magnetic Fields - Realism
-The Magnetic Fields - Everything Is One Big Christmas Tree
9Feb, Hot Chip - One Life Stand
23Mar, Goldfrapp - Head First

Jam Shows
Passion Pit, La Roux, King Sunny Ade, Miike Snow, Vitalic, The xx x2, Hot Chip

Things To Do
Go to SXSW, attempt to go to all the events I list on here, learn to play the keyboard, run, design shit, buy a vcr, dj more, blog more, facilitate more hand holding, get out of the country.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Winter Chill


I've been on a hiatus. I've started so many posts that I haven't had the 'proper time' to finish; I am the king of good ideas and unfinished projects. Most recently the Christmas cards (yeah I know, cute) that my roommate finished designing, writing the innards, and putting address labels on around week 1 of December I'm almost done with finally putting my 2¢ of text in. That's really what's eaten up most of my time in the past 2 weeks when looking for something to do with my vacation, which has been anything but relaxing... just the way I like it. But amongst the procrastination, I still managed to pile up a healthy heap of harvested tracks. In the spirit of the Chicago cold causing my lengthy lethargy, queue the Winter Mixtape.

Mayer Hawthorne - Green Eyed Love (Classixx Remix)
Memory Tapes - Bicycle
Fever Ray - Keep The Streets Empty For Me
Ohbijou - Last Christmas
Regina Spektor - Blue Lips
The XX - Fantasy

I always forget that I like Regina Spektor. File her under heart-caressing vocalists swimming in sweetness. These are meant to be listened to under the comforter at 5pm when it's dark out, or in Chicago's case, when there hasn't been any sunshine for a couple of days and you're finishing that raspberry preserve open-faced sandwich while sipping on left over mulled wine from last night's party dinner party.