Archive for January, 2004

Make Me A Killer Addict

The Bumblebeez "Fluffy White Rabbit" - This is taken from the Australian group's new EP Red Printz, which is an odd mix of lo-fi indie hip hop, electro pop, and punk. They're sort of like the Australian Beastie Boys, but with a distinctly contemporary sound. "Fluffy White Rabbit" is the highlight of the EP, but "Pink Fairy Floss" is definitely worth tracking down.

Love Is The Blood Of Destruction "I Kissed A Ghost" - This is a selection from the recent Electroclash Vol. 2 compilation. Don't let the name of the compilation fool you, though - this song isn't quite "electroclash" so much as it is electro goth. I feel like I should be dressed up like Azrael Abyss when I listen to this.

Also: Sean over at Said The Gramophone has the new Modest Mouse single "Float On," which I strongly recommend trying out. Modest Mouse can be a very frustrating band, since their material is often either mediocre or stunning, with almost no middle ground. "Float On" certainly falls into the latter category, and could be their best song to date.

Please note that despite a false start last week, Freaky Trigger's new MP3 blog Pop Nose is up and running.

Too Much Of Anything Makes You Nutty

Northstar "Duckie" - These are the RZA's new L.A.-based protégés, and officially the first West Coast Wu Affiliates. The record isn't bad, but only offers a few highlights. The four RZA-produced tracks are fine, but somewhat less interesting than the tracks by Armand Van Helden (!) and RZA understudy Mathematics, who produced "Duckie." "Duckie" is a good representative of Northstar's strengths - light-hearted, melodic, vaguely old-school rhyming pitched halfway between West Coast and New York traditions.

TV On The Radio "The Wrong Way" - Since I was not impressed by their debut EP from last year, I was a bit resistant to giving TV On The Radio's forthcoming LP Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes a chance. Overall, I'm still not sold on the album, but "The Wrong Way" has won me over after several listens. It reminds me quite a bit of Suicide, and not just because of the chugging bassline and the singer's vague similarities to Alan Vega. Like the best Suicide tunes, "The Wrong Way" evokes a seedy after-hours urban atmosphere that is as romantic as it is anxious and discomforting.

You Were Dressed Like A Punk But You Were Too Young To Remember

Belle & Sebastian "I'm A Cuckoo" (Avalanches remix) - This doesn't sound much like how you might expect it to - rather than being a dance remix, this is a reworked version of the song with Stuart Murdoch's voice paired with a Sudanese band from Melbourne. Essentially, it's Belle & Sebastian gone world music. It works for me; I prefer the song with this rather joyous arrangement to the Thin Lizzy-aping album version.

Fox and Wolf "Youth Alcoholic" - This infectiously cheerful retro-80s dance pop tune is from the Swedish/Norwegian duo's debut EP, which is apparently only available in Norway.

Sorry for that half-assed write-up, by the way. I'm a bit preoccupied today.

Caught Up In Your Winter World

Lou Reed and John Cale "Waiting For My Man" (live at the Bataclan, 1972) - This stripped-down acoustic guitar and piano arrangement of the Velvet Underground classic is taken from the newly released Bataclan 72 live album, which is notable for being a one-off reunion of John Cale, Lou Reed, and Nico. The three play several VU songs along with selections from their solo albums, all with similarly low-key arrangements, making the record come off sort of like the Velvet Underground Unplugged.

Rekindle "Ice Skating Girl" - This reminds me quite a bit of Max Tundra's last record, but more twee and pop, like a halfway point between Kindercore and the Neptunes. This is taken from the compilation Channel 2: A Compilation Of Output Recordings, which also includes songs by other Fluxblog favorites such as LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Playgroup, and Colder.

Also: How Fluxblog, Said The Gramophone and ILM's Rough Guide threads can help you to "fake music insider status in a hurry."

Kisses For The Lasses

Clouddead "The Teen Keen Skip" - Simply put, this was not at all what I expected from a new Clouddead record. On their new record Ten, Clouddead wisely plays up its strengths (odd structures, unlikely samples, pleasantly awkward arrangements) while keeping their flaws (godawful attempts at rapping, annoying voices) in check. Indie rock sing-song suits their voices far better, and the psychedelic touches are inspired. It's a peculiar record, combining undie hip hop with a mix of Warp Records and Elephant Six aesthetics.

"Change Clothes" (Grey Album version) - This is part of DJ Dangermouse's The Grey Album project, which is one of the most ambitious and cringe-inducingly obvious bootleg/mash-up projects to date. DJ Dangermouse combines a cappella's from every song on Jay-Z's The Black Album with tracks derived from the music of The Beatles' The White Album, with mixed results. On the worst tracks, the backing music fails to match Jay-Z's vocal flow, and sounds overly glitchy and amateurish like a second rate Def Jux production. When the music does come together, as on the mixes of "December 4," "What More Can I Say," and "Change Clothes," it's nothing more than an interesting remix that doesn't come close to the original arrangement.

Also: Scissor Sisters fans should check out the new PopJustice interview with Jake Shears.

My Head Goes Clear

Tussle "Don't Stop" - This is from the new 12"/CD EP of the same name on Troubleman United. If you're into the sort of stuff that DFA and !!! have been putting out, or their antecedents like ESG and Liquid Liquid, then this should be right up your alley. In spite of what the Troubleman and Other Music sites may have you believe, it's not exactly the most original or wildly creative thing in the world, but it definitely works.

Helium "What Institution Are You From?" - Inspired by this ILM thread, I've been revisiting Mary Timony's back catalog throughout this past week. I was a big fan of Helium in high school, and unlike a lot of the music that I was heavily into back then, my love for that band has only increased over time. "What Institution Are You From?" is taken from the Superball + EP, and is a fine example of the band at its mid-90s peak. If you're new to Helium and want to hear more, you should certainly buy the album The Dirt Of Luck, which I believe is one of the best indie rock records of the 90s.

Knee-Deep Snow

Leslie Feist "Mushaboom" (demo) - The melody of this song is just plain gorgeous. This is apparently a rough demo, and as such the sound quality is a bit shoddy and lo-fi. It sounds as though she just recorded it live in some echoey room with the windows open. I'm hoping that this song is fully realized when it is recorded in the studio - I don't think it needs much more in terms of arrangement, but a smoother tone on the solo, a melodic bass line, and some light percussion would definitely be a good thing.

Product 01 "Heart Ov Glass" - This is an electro/glitch cover of the Blondie classic. Or at least I think that's basically what genre it falls into - after googling this song, I've seen it referred to as being "glitchout," which is a term I've never seen before. Actually, I'm not totally clear on what "glitch" is to begin with. I suppose that it is a fairly descriptive term, but as with a lot of subgenres within dance music, I'm never very confident in identifying them by name unless it's totally obvious. Usually, I'd rather just say "dance" or "disco." Such is the life of the dilettante...

I Can See It In Her Eyes

N.E.R.D. "She Wants To Move" - Whoa! Did Pharrell just sing "her ass is a spaceship I want to ride?" Yes. Yes, he did. And then there was a sci-fi sound effect! This is the first contender in the stakes for weirdest mainstream single of 2004 - it's got all of the tell-tale Neptunes signature moves, but manages to sound somewhat alien thanks to the rumbling percussion (which reminds me of early Smashing Pumpkins, believe it or not), guitar squeals, and distinct lack of chorus. Nevertheless, it still comes out sounding like great pop. This is from the forthcoming Fly Or Die.

Vive La Fete "Nuit Blanche" - Their name translates to "Long Live The Party," and the title is a French expression to describe a sleepless night of partying. That should clue you in to the aesthetic of this Belgian duo. Basically, this is catchy dance-pop sung in French. Love it or hate it.

Blonde Redhead "Elephant Woman" - On their forthcoming 4AD debut Misery Is A Butterfly, Blonde Redhead finally evolve beyond their old formula (you can't hear it, but here's my impression: uh uh, eh eh, ah ah, oh oh, ii ii, uh uh) and find themselves sounding like some kind of cross between the Cocteau Twins and Debut-era Bjork. The lush sound suits them well; but even though the new record may be their most consistent to date, nothing on it comes close to the restrained melancholy of "In Particular" from their previous album.

Stay In, Save Your Money

Michael Dracula "Destroy Yourself (Twitch's Optimo Mix)" - This woman's voice is very interesting. This is the first that I've heard of this new Scottish band, and it's a remix by DJ Twitch from the Glasgow club Optimo. I'm very excited to hear their forthcoming EP on Ze Records, because I'm curious to know how much of this song is Twitch, and how much of it is them. As it is, I'm quite fond of how clipped her voice sounds, and the dynamics of the rumbling bass, synths, and beats. That one part where she's singing the chorus of Adam Ant's "Goody Two Shoes" is a bit unsettling, and sounds sort of like Cat Power possessed by demons.

José Gonzales "Heartbeats" - Thanks to Emil Arvidson, one of this blog's Swedish readers, I was alerted to the existence of this lovely acoustic folk ballad cover of The Knife's "Heartbeats." Though his name is very misleading, Gonzales is apparently a very hyped Swedish singer-songwriter. He's got a beautiful voice, and this version of the song is quite nice - it kinda sounds like James Taylor gone indie.

Round Round Round Round Round Round Round

Buffalo Daughter "Cyclic" - This is a selection from their new Pshychic album, which as of right now is only available on Japanese import. It's a very impressive record, and quite a leap forward for the band - they had always said that they wanted to make "techno music in a rock band style," and I think that this album is their most successful attempt at this goal yet. I can hear the echoes of Neu and Kraftwerk in this, as well as elements of postpunk-disco and techno, but the most exciting thing about this for me is that it's almost like a rock version of Terry Riley's "A Rainbow In Curved Air." I had to flip a coin in selecting a song from this record, by the way - I came very close to posting the more aggressive "Pshychic A Go Go," but I'm glad that my quarter landed on tails, because this song is probably the more accessable of the two.

Koushik "One In A Day" - Oh my God, it's downbeat psychedelic shoegazer hip hop! This is going to be really big and ubiquitous in indie circles very soon, and you know it. This is taken from the recent 12" of the same name on Stones Throw Records.

Also: A note to Bloggies voters - just because Moby is a musician, it doesn't make his blog a music blog.