Monday, April 23, 2012
All I Ever Wanted Was To Be That Guy Listening To Archers Of Loaf Instead Of Being At Work
Friday, April 20, 2012
New Maps and Atlases, Now With Fewer Time Signatures!
The new Maps and Atlases wasn't as math rock-y as I wanted, but there are some really beautiful songs on it.
Winter is such a great song with string elements that remind me of Matt Pond PA, although without the thick coat of pathos. Winter in Chicago is so unique in its severity and is irrevocably tied to a thin layer of salt that covers the city like pollen during the Atlanta spring. It's a sign that someone has just come in from the cold and snow and I've always thought of shedding my salt-covered garments as sort of signifying my escape from the otherwise brutal weather. Sure, this past winter wasn't bad, but now we're just where it wants us.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Split Cranium or Discharge
Wikipedia tells me that D-Beat was named after Discharge and is characterized by its distinctive drum beat (see: unrelentingly pounding, small step behind the rhythm instruments). D-Beat is like Crust Punk if Crust Punk is too artsy and doesn't spend enough time singing choruses with phrases like "The fiery father will come down from the sky."
I first heard of D-Beat (which I always hoped stood for Death Beat or something unnecessarily dark) when I discovered Disfear while reading Tom Breihan's old hip-hop blog Status Ain't Hood at the Village Voice. I checked them out because I had never heard of them and because Disfear is clearly an awesome name. I loved it the moment I heard it.
D-Beat is so unrelenting and uncompromising. It's a blunt object, a tidal wave, a rhino driving a dump truck down an icy hill. It's an emotional listen, to be sure. There's not a whole lot going on, yet it demands your attention in a way more simple and atmospheric music never can. I can't say it makes me angry or tense or anything other than mildly amused. If you are in the right place, it's a good time.
This is my latest find, thanks to the AV Club's Loud feature, which is one of their better pieces of music journalism.
Monday, April 16, 2012
We Share Our Mother's Health (Ratatat Remix)
Do you like pulsating synths and jangly guitar lines?
It takes guts to remix a song that, by any objective measure, is pretty much perfect to begin with.
Monday, April 9, 2012
We Young
Mickey Factz's "We Young" sounds like getting paid on the Friday before a three-day weekend. With a hook like that, even I could rap over the track and make it a jam.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Ashtray Wasp
Last track off Burial's Kindred EP. I'll quote Coke Machine Glow on this one: Please, Skrillex, stop, it's already dead.
Ashtray Wasp is emotive in a way Burial has never been. I have often found Burial's singing to be a distraction. The human voice lacks any real pathos and is instead offered to the listener as another feature in Burial's vast and somber landscape. Unlike traditionally sung and recorded songs, Burial's vocals play the role of bystander instead of narrator.
Ashtray Wasp does not do away with Burial's unique production values, but it most certainly showcases the human element more than previous recordings. I'll gladly take it.
I don't want to spend too much time on this. It's a great, complex song that is somehow cohesive and unpredictable. If you like electronic music, it's worth checking out. Immediately.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Something about the Venga Boys and parody as homage
Remember when the Venga Boys were all about poppy, nondescript songs about banging all night? It is such a great piece of ephemeral pop culture. "Boom Boom Boom Boom" was ubiquitous for a brief period and then gone. During its heyday, it was everyone's guilty pleasure.
Rye Rye was nine years old when the Venga Boys released The Party Album, which I suppose is just old enough to be aware of what was going on. I don't think I was listening to the radio on a regular basis when I was nine and I certainly wasn't driving around listening to music or trading CDs with friends. Maybe Rye Rye was. Her song, "Boom Boom" is a ridiculous piece of dance rap that is wonderfully self-aware and the accompanying video is gaudy and fun. All credit to my sister.
Monday, April 2, 2012
MNDR Monday
MNDR says: "I hope you like catchy dance songs and Madonna-inspired music videos."
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