Thought Is Made In The Mouth

Bob Holman “Rap It Up” – This is a recording of some spoken word proto-rap from 1972, predating hip hop as we know it. Holman may be somewhat grating at certain points in this poem, but it’s nevertheless quite interesting and just begging to be sampled.

The String Quartet “All Mixed Up” – This would also probably lend itself to sampling. As I’ve mentioned here before, I have an interest in collecting string quartet recordings of contemporary pop songs. I recently acquired this version of the 311 hit “All Mixed Up” in spite of not actually liking it or 311 at all. Surprisingly, the song sounds fantastic in this arrangement, especially the first 40 seconds. As it turns out, there were some great melodies trapped underneath the oppressive weight of 311’s lame crunchy guitar distortion, halfassed raggae, and obnoxious white fratboy toasting/rapping.

Here’s the Fluxblog challenge: I know that there are a fair few talented musicians reading this blog. If you can come up with a song integrating a significant chunk of either (or both) of the last two songs, please send it to me. If I like it, I will post it here.

Annie “The Greatest Hit” – I only recently found this song, which is widely considered to be a contemporary eurodisco classic. It’s a beautiful tune, with a wistful, melancholy vocal and a simple slinky groove. The song was produced by the Norwegian DJ Erot, who unfortunately passed away in 2001 at the age of 23, only two years after it was released.

Elsewhere: Please say hello to the new MP3 blog on the block, Teaching The Indie Kids How To Dance Again.

They Fake The Funk

Beats For Beginners “Kill All DJs” – “I’m just here to say / let’s kill DJs / for fun / because they’re scum.” It’s basically an anti-DJ polemic set to a catchy electro pop tune that many DJs will find irresistable. Irony ensues. This is the debut single from this Manchester band, who will be releasing their first album in the spring on Faith And Hope in the UK.

International Pony “My Mouth (Phony The Punk)” – This is a thrashy electro-punk tune from a German group better known for turning out low-key funk. I love this guy’s voice – he’s so convincingly frantic and restless, and more so as the song goes on.

Elsewhere: Clap Clap has come up with a handy semantic guide to explain the different “levels” of pop.

Elsewhere, part two: As part of a 90s nostalgia theme, Burned By The Sun has an mp3 of The Caulfields’ “Devil’s Diary,” which is an excellent bit of power pop that I posted here a loooong time ago. If you missed it the first time (and the odds are very much likely that you did, because I had about 1,000 fewer readers back then) then I strongly suggest that you go get it now.

Also: The Pazz & Jop results are in. Not a bad list this year, all told. I’m cool with everything in the top 10 albums list except for the Drive-By Truckers record which I wasn’t into, and the Shins record, which I’m not crazy about at all. The top 10 singles is very right-on if you pretend that the Johnny Cash sympathy vote wasn’t there and that it’s “The Laws Have Changed” instead.

The real fun of this Pazz & Jop thing for me is seeing the individual ballots, and here’s a list of friends and fellow bloggers who were invited to vote this year: Michael Barthel (Clap Clap), Paul Cox (The Rub), Geeta Dayal (The Original Soundtrack), Andrew Earles (Failed Pilot), Tom Ewing (NYLPM), Sasha Frere-Jones (SF/J), Keith Harris (Useful Noise), Jess Harvell (Technicolor), Thomas Inskeep (Oh Manchester), Maura Johnston (Maura.com), Badger Minor, Nate Patrin (Hipster Detritus), Jody Beth Rosen (Freezing To Death In The Nuclear Bunker), Philip Sherburne (Philip Sherburne), Dave Stelfox (World Of Stelfox), and Douglas Wolk (Lacunae).

Eppy gets a particularly great quote in the comments section:

Dear Ryan Schreiber: You said “Stacy’s Mom” was “too catchy.” I am still waiting for you to explain how this is a bad thing and/or to knee you swiftly in the groin. Just use the regular address. Best wishes, me.

Michael Barthel

Brooklyn, New York

Who’s Phantom One? Who’s Number Two?

Nimbus Coleman “Who Is The Governess?” – I’m not certain if I’ve ever heard a record quite like Nimbus Coleman’s. In terms of structure, it recalls Guided By Voices’ Alien Lanes – many short songs which mostly sound incomplete on their own, but flow together cohesively as an album. That’s where the GBV similarities end, though. Coleman favors very crisp production and clean sounds, and much of the album has a lazy, easy going island sound tweaked by strange song structures and unexpected stylistic tangents. Imagine the world’s strangest island cruise bossanova band, and you’re halfway there.

“Who Is The Governess?” opens the album with an opening twenty seconds which comes as close to sounding like Loveless-era My Bloody Valentine as anything I’ve ever heard, but then settles into a soothing bass-and-bongos groove with pleasantly oooooh-ing vocals.

Readers should note that Nimbus Coleman’s record is a self-released solo home recording, and it is not yet commercially available. If you are interested in hearing the rest of his album, please write him at nimbuscoleman @ yahoo.com

Headman “So Then” – This is a song I’ve been meaning to post for a little while now. Fans of the DFA should love this, since the live post-punk/disco aesthetic is about the same. It’s a pretty simple track, but it once you get into it, it is unstoppable.

Sorry, My Cat Was Playing With My Dreads

“The Angry Mr. Bungle Fan” – This skit is taken from the September 25, 2001 episode of the Best Show On WFMU. Andrew Earles plays an obnoxious Mr. Bungle fan who calls in to harangue Tom Scharpling after he puts down Frank Zappa on the air. Earles’ character is a pretty vicious and disturbingly accurate parody of a rather ubiquitous type of music fan that I’m sure all of you have come in contact with at some point in your lives, most likely in college. “You’ve got to respect what they’re doing!”

MIA “Galang” – This is for everyone who missed this song when Gabba / Pod posted it a while back. This 12″ has been pretty popular in the UK dance circles, but hasn’t yet been released in the United States. It’s a pretty interesting and catchy mix of hip hop, dancehall, and electro textures. It may sound a bit harsh at first, but it’s a lot of fun.

Pacing Through The Flickering Light

Squeeze “What The Butler Saw” – This is an obscure song by a band whose catalog is mostly out of print due to the world being a cruel and unfair place. “What The Butler Saw” was the b-side to one of Squeeze’s biggest hits, “Pulling Mussels (From The Shell),” and has since been released on the UK import-only Excess Moderation compilation. It’s unfortunate that this song is so rare, because it is easily one of Squeeze’s finest compositions, with its gracefully thumping rhythm and elegant refrains. According to the Squeezefan website, the song was omitted from the Argybargy album at the insistence of their manager Miles Copeland, who felt that the song was too Barry Manilow-ish.

I swear, someday I am going to post a full week of Squeeze songs just to fuck with all of you.

Gina X Performance “X-Hibitionism” – This is taken from the German singer’s 1978 LP Nice Mover, which has become a cult classic for fans of icy, decadent electronic pop. “X-Hibitionism” has a nice, slow minimal groove with strange, distinctive vocals celebrating narcissism, voyeurism, and yes, exhibitionism.

What’s The Fifth Movie?

Let’s play a game.

From the new issue of Adrian Tomine’s Optic Nerve:

Ben (the manager of the movie theatre): Gene, this is Autumn. She’s just starting today.

Ben: Gene! Let’s try not to scare her off on her first day, okay?

What do you think the fifth movie on Gene’s list was going to be?

Give Me A Contract, Give Me A Sign

Lio “Banana Split” – This is the 1979 debut single by Portugeuse-born Belgian singer Lio, who was only 17 years old at the time of its release. The song is bubbly and infectious, and became a huge hit in France and Belgium. Fans of vintage synths are going to love this – it has that late 70s/early 80s sound that has aged a lot better than the more cheesy sounding synths that were more ubiquitous in the mid and late 80s. File under: New Wave Bubblegum Joycore.

The Chap “I Am Oozing Emotion” – This frantic, jumpy bit of electronic rock is taken from The Chap’s recent EP (Hats Off To) Dror Frangi. There’s an incredible physical quality to this song; it makes me move faster whenever I hear it, and I can’t sit still while it’s on.

It Was A Heavy Atmosphere

Mellow “It Was Raining” – I feel some need to apologize for the number of obscure import-only releases that I’ve been posting lately. It’s unintentional, I promise. I’m not trying to make finding the records overly difficult for you. Mellow’s new album Perfect Colors is currently only available on French import, which I suspect may change in the near future since there are Radiohead and Air fans all over the world who would love this record. “It Was Raining” is a moody, sleepy number with layers of gorgeous overdriven keyboard textures and a main chord progression that I recognize from somewhere else, but cannot place.

Shrag “Punk Grammar” – This is taken from a compilation called Under The Beach, A Heart Attack, which was put together by the men behind the Brighton club night It Came From The Sea. It Came From The Sea’s aesthetic is not far off from that of this blog, and so if you’re in England, it is a must to check out these parties. Shrag is part of the local Brighton scene, and as far as I know, this is their first official release. It’s a fun bit of electropop/punk with cute, shouty vocals about verbs, adjectives, and infinitives. RIYL: Chicks On Speed, Bis.

Also: Paul over on The Rub has the brand new Janet Jackson single “Love Me For A Little While,” which is absolutely poptastic and is not to be missed. It sounds a bit like Janet was trying to make her own “Hey Ya” kind of song, and it works. It’ll be stuck in your head all day long.

We Had No Conception, Coming Out Of Nowhere

J.O.Y. “Sun Plus” (DFA mix) – This song is just…wow! The DFA strikes again; this time lending their signature sound to a track featuring Yoshimi of the Boredoms. It sounds almost like a Slits song turned inside-out, if that makes any sense. Mp3 removed at the request of DFA.

People who missed out on the mp3, but still want to hear the J.O.Y. song can listen to it in the archive of this week’s episode of Brian Turner’s show on WFMU.

X-Wife “Eno” – This is a selection from the Portuguese band’s debut album Feeding The Machine, which is only available in Portugal at the moment. Though the band is signed to an EMI label in Europe, some smart label should find a way to put out the album in North America, because I imagine that this could go over very well right now. They are sort of like a stadium rock Clinic, or a more keyboard-heavy version of The Clean. They definitely have a bit of that New Zealand sound to them, which makes me wonder if that’s their own quirk, or if a lot of other Portuguese bands are like this.

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.

One Two Three Dance Energy

Loose Joints “Pop Your Funk” – This was recently released as a 12″ promo for the new World Of Arthur Russell compilation on Soul Jazz. This was only ever released as a privately pressed 7″ single, and is one of the rarest songs in Russell’s discography. It’s also one of the best that I’ve heard. It sounds very loose and perhaps even improvised. The arrangement is extremely sparse; there’s very seldom anything in the mix other than vocals, drums, and one other instrument, usually an organ. It may not sound like much, but it’s a very compelling track. I’m loving it; I’ve played it at least eight times today already.

Tiga “Burning Down” – I’ve been meaning to post this song for a few weeks now. The phrase “dancefloor anthem” is a bit cliched, but that’s pretty much exactly what this is. London’s burning down down down down down down. New York’s burning down down down down down down. This is one of the songs which makes me most want to get back into live party DJing – it’s been a while since I’ve done anything like that, and I miss it a lot. I’ve got to say, though, that if I played this and it killed the floor for some stupid reason, I’d be heartbroken.

Leave The Party While It’s Happening

Will.I.Am “Go” – It is very hard for me to reconcile that the man responsible for this great hip hop/dance track is a member of the Black Eyed fucking Peas, the absolute worst of all current mainstream hip hop acts. It does my head in, like when I think about how R. Kelly has written both “Ignition (Remix)” and “I Believe I Can Fly.” When I heard this for this first time yesterday (thanks Ben!), I had no idea who Will.I.Am was – I recognized the name, but couldn’t place it – so I came to this song with no expectations, and was impressed. Will.I.Am, if you are a self-Googler and have found this entry, I have some advice for you: Please quit the Black Eyed Peas and make more music like this. Also: I really like that pause at the 1:23 mark. Nice work.

Romanowski “Speaking Of” – This is a selection from the forthcoming Steady Rocking LP on the Future Primitive label out of the San Francisco/Bay Area. As the title of the album implies, it’s homegrown dub and rocksteady raggae filtered through West Coast DJ culture. It’s great stuff, but very difficult to write about. Just listen.