Thursday, September 29, 2011

Rapture Remix / Dubstep Tribute to DJ Mehdi

Yesterday, DJ/Producer A-Trak put this up on Soundcloud via the DFA Records account. If you enjoy the Rapture's new album or enjoy dubstep, I suggest you check it out. Easy listening on the ears.

I did this remix over the summer, and when I was close to finishing it I played it to my friend, the irreplaceable DJ Mehdi. We often played each other our productions for feedback. As it turns out he and Riton were visiting New York so they stopped by my apartment. I was working on the main version of the remix, the vocal version. I knew I would make a few alternate edits during the mixdown. The funny thing was, Mehdi's favorite part was the ending! He and Riton suggested that I have that part come in earlier. My reaction was: that would work well for the dub version. And sure enough, when I finished mixing it down I made a dub with their suggestion. When I sent it to Mehdi shortly after, he responded (as a joke) that I should call it "Dub For Mehdi". He included it in his "Tunisian Summer" mix. And then, as we all know, the unimaginable happened and we lost our dear friend. The least I can do now is name the edit after him. This one's for you, Memed.
A-Trak



Gold Panda - You

Don't know much about this dude, other than his real name being Derwin Panda and that he hails from just outside of London. Hope you all enjoy this beat:



Monday, September 26, 2011

Action Bronson - Brunch

Action Bronson, respected chef and rising MC.  Makes it kind of tight to watch a dude kill his girlfriend in this one.  Cool video.

Friday, September 23, 2011

M83 - Hurry Up...


Now that we're a mere 3 weeks out from the M83 "release" date I would like to provide a quick primer to the album, which is a bit long - and at times dull - to be consumed casually.  I listen to the whole album straight thru, but I also have an "I'm not stoned and don't have 90 minutes to kill" version, which I've starred those songs that made that list.  If that were the disc it would be much tighter, but hard to complain that he gave us more music considering the current LP climate.


1*. Intro w/ Zola Jesus - I really like Zola and I think this song adequately sets the tone for what you'll get in the album.  If you don't like this then I don't think it's going to get a whole lot better...
2*. Midnight City - ...except for this song.  This is a contender for song of the year and unfortunately placed some unachievable expectations on the album as a whole.  Nothing M83 had done before was like this - but then nothing on the rest of the album was like it either and that was ultimately disappointing.
3*. Reunion - I listen to this song, and recognize this song, and I think like it more than I should because of it's placement on the album after Midnight City.
4. Where the Boats Go - short, purely atmospheric.  Good for couch melting, bad for any other time.  
5*. Wait - This has been criticized as a Coldplay ripoff ("The Scientist" in particular, which if you're going to ripoff one of their songs is a good place to start) but I think it's pretty enjoyable.  
6. Raconte-Moi Une Histoire - it's very funny to be a frog.  But that kid gets pretty annoying pretty quickly.
7. Train to Pluton - filler.
8*. Claudia Lewis - one of the better tracks.  A little faster-paced than most of what surrounds it which this album probably needs more of.
9. This Bright Flash - high quality filler, but still filler.
10. When Will You Come Home - filler.
11. Soon My Friend - longer filler.
12. My Tears Are Becoming a Sea - would probably be useful for an epic movie score but otherwise boring.
13*. New Map - this is a great headphones walking around the city song, for whatever that's worth.
14*. OK Pal - one of the more radio ready songs.
15. Another Wave From You - more high quality filler.
16. Splendor - it's beautiful music I guess, but it never really goes anywhere.  Longer filler.
17. Year One, One UFO - not really feeling it.
18. Fountains - filler.
19*. Steve McQueen - probably my second favorite song off the album, I think it would play well live.
20. Echoes of Mine - some nice crashing filler.
21*. Klaus I Love You - this track is probably the most frustrating on the entire album.  Has almost a Risky Business train scene feel to it, and has the potential to be "Midnight City" level - and then stops.  I can only hope he makes an EP, which after a 22 track double album is probably unlikely, and turns this into an actual song. .
22. Outro - the leaked version is cut short but this is fine for the album as a whole but doesn't work independently.


Essentially he made an album for the 80s, when we didn't have iTunes, Spotify, and our attention spans were longer.  So I respect the ambition.  But it's pretty impractical.  It didn't quite hit as high as you'd hope - or as "Midnight City" led you to believe it might - but I think overall it's still pretty good.  Trimmed down to the 9 tracks I starred gives you the highlights and potential singles off the album while probably losing the overall feel he intended.
- Devo          

Germany. Reggae. Masturbation. This story has it all.


This isn't new, but it's for sure new to me and they just posted their videos, so let's count it.  The band is Seeed and they are, of all things, a german reggae band.  Every time I want to be sick of them, there video is just fucked up enough, their german just weird enough, or Cee Lo shows up on the song.  They are very popular in Germany, and have, according to wiki, really started to spread to surrounding countries.  How german.  Still really quite good.

But, none of that is the best part.  The best part is where I found this band, my best pick up of all time.  Porn.  No joke.  I'm redtubing my night away, watching this high class film, and i start to take notice of the music this well suited, emotionally stable, upstanding couple is listening to.  I skip forward and it's more off this album, it's really good. But of course it's in german, so I can't even google it, and the credits, despite the high production quality and fine script work, were lacking.  What's my next move? Email the company? "Dear DieselTits.com".  So I do what no God fearing, tax paying, society contributing man should ever do...i went to the comments section.  They looked like this, "Yeah! Fuck those tits" "cum on face" "hey what's that band?" "SUCK it" "They are called Seeed, the song is schwinger" "NO MERCY, Cum on her face!!! also the music is really good".

Seeed- Wonderful life (the Aaargh song)

Seeed- Schwinger

Wednesday, September 21, 2011




The Drums - Money


..because I really would like to buy you something, but all I got is street cred.

@whipptsONwkdayz

Autumn Throwback

First day of fall.  Here's a chill track from our friends at Yo La Tengo to help welcome the chill weather.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

ACL in video

Tore my ACL this weekend.  It was pretty fun.  Here are some videos.


Thursday: J Roddy Walston reveals he is really the lust-child of Jerry Lee Lewis and Andrew W. K.  I shake his hand after the show.  Real nice guy when he's not fucking a piano.  Well done.  In other shocking news, Kanye's headline show starts on time.  


Friday: "Carella, get your girlfriend off of there."  You can see that Theo London does not take kindly to being upstaged.  He ends the show abruptly.  Also, Cut Copy is upstaged by Twin Shadow (not pictured), at the last show ever at historic Emo's East.  

(Ed. note: my affiliation with "Party Full of Strangers" got me drunk at a Gears of War 3 launch party Friday morning.  Other attempts to use PFOS to gain restricted access were met with malice.)


Saturday: After a WHOREendous DJ set the night prior, Cut Copy puts on one of the best shows of the weekend - slaughter.  Still, no evidence that Dan Whitford, who could not be any whiter, has anything to do with it.  Then again, he does mention that he can't "find his instrument in all this foliage," which I suppose sort of redeems him, for now.


Saturday - About a quarter of the UT class rolls to Fitz & The Tantrums after PFOS offers some rave reviews.  Killing it on crowd control.  Michael Fitz stays after the show to sign autographs to commemorate the band's big break at last year at SXSW.  Opener Aloe Blacc is also mad smooth (not pictured).


Sunday - Long time members of Brit-rock royalty, Elbow, play opposite of No Homo.  The Elbow set recalls Silence of the Lambs except starring Peter Gabrial wearing a Ricky Gervais suit.  Critically dehydrated at this point so there is only fine powder coming out from my tear ducts.


Sunday - Is something considered weird when you are fully prepared for the weirdness?  Luke Steele, despite being a complete wacko, absolutely shreds.  Also smashes a pretty nice guitar from the looks of it.  You may notice that I'm in a snake pit full of Neons (90's babies).  I hope you like electronica, because I think these little fuckers might elect Skrillex the next President.

Ding

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx

Saw "Drive" last night - maybe the first must see movie of the year.  Awesome in every way, but most surprising was the soundtrack - you can check out the full list here, or if you want to know what you're in for here's Nightcall from Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx.


Friday, September 16, 2011

The Stone Roses


This is the Prig's first post – lucky you.

Allow me to set the mood for a moment:
  • Who is your favorite new band? The last truly great rock / indie rock album came out in June 1997; my soul has been dying slowly ever since
  • Why did the art of songwriting suddenly go south? The internet
  • Why bother posting on a blog? For the kids. A long time ago, the gift of good music profoundly changed my life; I'm paying it forward
  • Don’t you just love the new Cut Copy album? Oh, piss off

There are bands that people listen to their entire lives – these are the bands I bring to you. The music on your Apple branded device will not be there in 3 years. The lack of authenticity in today's music is startling. While you are not spiritually aware enough to recognize this at first listen, your soul knows. I will help you reach enlightenment. And so, for your first lesson:

The Band: The Stone Roses
The Place & Time: Madchester, mid-80s to mid-90s
The Sound: Indie pop, sprinkled with northern soul, Mod and dance music; the band helped form and popularize the “baggy” rave culture
The Band’s Defining Moment: Headlined a concert on Spike Island, May 1990 – dubbed the Woodstock of the baggy scene

Why Do We Care?
The band took the music of the Beatles to another level and helped create a culture / sound that paved the way for a ton of other great bands, most notably Blur and Oasis. Without The Stone Roses, they likely would never have existed, nor would their haircuts have been as sweet.
Oh, and their self titled album is probably one of the greatest ever created.

Dude, I Totally Know This Band!
You probably don’t. Oh well, maybe you’ve heard Fool’s Gold on a commercial. Or maybe you loved "Green Street Hooligans" – I Wanna Be Adored was in that. Or you saw Ian Brown in a Harry Potter movie.

Dude, I love the Kooks, these guys have a similar sound!
Oh, piss off.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Beirut

Beirut is still fairly young, but they've got a pedigree that indie fans will admire (Neutral Milk Hotel member Jeremy Barnes was an early member).  Their latest album, The Rip Tide, represents a shift from experiments with ethnic music to a more American pop sound.  It's very reminiscent of the Talking Heads.  This is my favorite from the new record: Beirut - Santa Fe by Revolver USA

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Reptar

Has anyone mentioned the Reptar EP? It's fantastic although their website isn't nearly as cool as it was. I can't even remember what it looked like, but I just remember feeling like someone punched me in the face with a kaleidoscope.


http://reptarmusic.com/music/

I apologize for the shittiness of this post, I don't know why it looks so bad.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

New UM, Old Kihn Band

New Umphrey's album out today, Death By Stereo.  A few face melters, a few fun experiments, and an unexpected highlight in Booth Love, a toe-tapper reminiscent of a bygone era:

Umphrey's McGee - "Booth Love" by kwall

Can't help but make you think of the great Greg Kihn, a man who could literally give you nightmares with his funky smooth swagger:




To Bayliss et al -- thank you and keep up the good work guys.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Odd Future...The Show?

In the latest chapter of Odd Future's over-exposure, the group is currently working on a television show with the producers of Jackass.  "Loiter Squad" is set to air during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim starting early next year.

I can see this being a defining move, or a jump-the-shark career ender.  If Earl Sweatshirt's video for "Earl" is an indication, the group know how to put on a Jackass style sideshow.

The question is whether they want that image to trump their music chops as the band's defining trait.

Source

James Vincent McMorrow - Straight Croonin'

James Vincent McMorrow has been around for a couple years across the pond but is just starting to get some notice in the US. I'm going to check him out tonight at Bowery so I figured it was a good time to throw him on here. Plus he just crushed "Higher Love" this week:


James Vincent Mcmorrow - Higher Love by ichmibunu

This was the song that I first heard which I still check in on pretty regularly:

James Vincent McMorrow - If I Had A Boat by partisanpr

And this remix of his other most popular song is pretty serious:

james vincent mcmorrow - we don't eat (adventure club dub remix) by iivnaiiv

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Two bands that start with an M

The first is MUTEMATH with Blood Pressure, first single off their forthcoming album.  This band could make waves soon if the rest of the album hits like this one.



Fuck yeah.

The second is Motopony with their downtempo croon King of Diamonds.  When I first heard this song in my car, I thought "wow, its like Tracy Chapman is singing for Radiohead."  But it's a dude!  And they don't really sound like Radiohead.  Either way though, the song is calming and pleasant.

Rainbow Arabia

These guys have been crushing my play count lately.  They have a strong electronica and middle east influence and some videos that are equally eclectic and weird.  This is off their recent album, Boys and Diamonds and is a great track. I also love Omar K and play it almost daily for a pep talk.



Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Ryan Adams

Another track released off the upcoming Ryan Adams album "Ashes & Fire". I'd say this album is going to be pretty strong if you are into his stuff.. which I am.. so there's that.

http://www.twentyfourbit.com/post/9885579201/video-ryan-adams-ashes-fire-last-weeks

Monday, September 5, 2011

Bit Funk

Summer's unofficial end is today, but that doesn't mean the party has to stop. Get to know Bit Funk if you haven't already.


DJ based out of Brooklyn, his latest track is "Rap Music".


Bit Funk - Rap Music by Bit Funk

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Pickwick - Get to Know 'Em

My sister's boyfriend introduced me to these guys and one listen to "Hacienda Motel" blew me away.

You can get their stuff here: http://pickwick.bandcamp.com/.

They're from Seattle and, without trying to be too blasphemous, they sort of sound like the lovechild of the Black Keys and Fitz and the Tantrums. As the blog Folkhive succintly put it: "White dudes, man. White dudes with some serious fucking soul."



Live From The Basement - Pickwick from Sound on the Sound on Vimeo.