The Black Ghost - I Want Nothing

The Black Ghosts just released their new video for "I Want Nothing," the latest single that they are releasing in the UK. The single has remixes from Sinden, Markus Lange and Vincent Markowski. The Black Ghosts are going on tour in America next month! They are doing a six-city tour with Thunderheist as part of the Vice/Colt 45 tours this summer. All of the shows are FREE and 21+, you just need to rsvp here

May 1st - San Francisco - Mezzanine

May 5th - Los Angeles - King King

May 7th - Atlanta - MJQ

May 8th - Chicago - Hideout

May 9th - Philadelphia - The Barbary

May 10th - Brooklyn - Glasslands Gallery

Gosh golly geepers wouldn't that be fun!!!

Tectonique... your new favorite style.

A friend of mine just returned from France and was excited to tell me about tectonique. Apparently it isn't just a kind of music, or a way to dance, but a way to dress and a kind of attitude as well!



We're talking numerous stores that cater to this kind of cultural phenomenon. Pretty soon that is what Portland is going to look like!



...syke.


Make sure to see Yelle sounding a whole lot better than that come April 23rd @ Rotture for 10 bones.

Take A Tour Of Ida's Home!

Recently my favorite magazine The Fader came to Portland to catch up with Ida No of Glass Candy. Check out her house, and if you're from Portland.... try to guess where the heck it is so we can start sending her chocolates.




Also check out Johhny Jewel's studio, and get a little insight into how Glass Candy get their sound.




Don't forget to check them out for the millionth time come may 5th at East End.

Booka Shade - The Sun And The Neon Light

Booka Shade has been around for a long long time. We're talking over a decade of cuts. Well 2008 marks the year of their 20th-22nd (?) release! and thats not counting all the remixes. In all fairness it will be the year of their third actual album...

The Sun And The Neon Light starts off very slow, with tracks like the title embracing 'Dusty Boots' and Junior Boys-esque 'Solo city'. I literally fell asleep. I wasn't sure whether or not I was dreaming when the gorgeous whispers in 'Redemption' picked up the pace and went full throttle into a very mysterious synth type drone. Still "Dreaming" I heard people making mention of "Booka Shade" as if to call my attention back to consciousness. Had I not heard these voices, waking up would have been inevitable due to the bumping, hand-clap laden, 'Charlotte'. Here we see Booka Shade actually standing the listener up and forcing them to dance.

Booka Shade - Charlotte

This is short lived however, as 'Charlotte' is followed by the subdued nature of the title track. Although the following 3 tracks reach for album stand-out 'Charlotte''s heights, they never quite get there, and we're left with more of what put me asleep in the first place: beautiful chastened electronics.

The album is good, but I'm really surprised at the lack of experimentation, as well as transition from track to track. Anyhow, Booka Shade will be sorely missed by the majority of us at FBM, as we most likely won't be seeing either of their only two west coast performances. (I, on the other hand, will in Chicago!)



Booka Shade's The Sun And The Neon Light is due out May 27th via Get Physical

You Should...

Probably take a second out your busy schedule to make time for some Computer Club.
Who knew such amazing electro could be produced in the states? And Alabama of all places.
But whatever. This shit is amazing! And its only going to get better. Head over to MISSINGTOOF to get one of his songs and an awseome remake of New Orders 'Bizarre Love Triangle'

http://www.myspace.com/okcomputerclub

The Acorn

A friend of mine mentioned that she has been checking this here website out, so these songs are especially posted to catch her interest.

The Acorn is an awful band name, but when you hear the music you'll be like, 'oh, thats kind of a good band name'. Their debut Glory Hope Mountain is a real hit or miss affair, but when they hit, they hit real hard. Take the lead single, The Flood Pt 1, an amazing 4 minutes that evokes everything from Animal Collective to Grizzly Bear, though never quite reaching that level of success. Here we see the more upbeat side of Canada's The Acorn.

The Acorn - The Flood Pt. 1

Crooked Legs follows in similar fashion with experimental percussion backing a really pretty acoustic that eventually bubbles until it coalesces into horns and a rediculously good crooning by singer Rolf Klausener.

The Acorn - Crooked Legs

My very favorite though, is (non-album track) Dents, which exposes their song writing as truly stunning. It's no wonder it didn't make the cut, as it is easily the slowest song they've ever written, but it is here that I am most reminded of Grizzly Bear's Edward Droste. Lyrically and musically this song is not to be fucked with.

The Acorn - Dents


Nicole you're gonna love this, and thanks so much for having that party last night. The asparagus was delicious and I hope you enjoyed our Cordon Bleu and green beans!

Happy Birthday!

The Flood Pt. 1

Hillary Clinton In Oregon

The decidedly less hip Hillary spoke yesterday in a number of Oregon cities. I caught her here in Eugene where she appeared in true bobble-head fashion. This sounds like an insult, but in a lot of ways it truly sums up her advent pretty flawlessly.

The wait for her to go on was a gut-wrenching pep rally that was 90% women whom all seemed ready to vote for Hillary regardless of what she said. She was late, so as to distract us, the crowd was given out call sheets with Eugene residents' phone numbers, names and a script that basically said, "voting for hillary? [If yes] good for you. [if no] well you should." I don't know much about any of the candidates, so I have attended these speeches in hopes of learning more, but this seemed less of an informative get together more of a sitcom screening. In fact, Hillary even said, "Let me look like Oprah here for a second." but truth is, the whole thing felt undoubtedly how an Oprah screening would feel.

She paused frequently in-between her speaking of global warming, education, and health care as if to wave an applaud sign. Maybe it isn't her fault everyone was cheering so much, but she didn't seem to mind, constantly nodding in agreement to the cheers in absolute bobble-head fashion. Like Obama, Clinton made mention of nearly every American lament, of course, and also like Obama, saying she was the second-coming of Christ and able to fix said problems. The problem here, and with Obama's speech, is that everything is so vague. Sure you can make mention of problems and get everyone to agree that they need fixing, but if you don't elaborate on the 'how to' it kind of seems pointless to mention.



As I've now made perfectly clear, however, this appearance was not intended for me, the uninformed. This was obviously scheduled to be a gathering of Clinton fans, sure as shit of whom they're voting for. OH! one funny thing to add... when Ted Kulongoski was introducing her he said, "I'm not just voting for Hillary because she is going to be the first woman president" to which a number of people in the crowd shouted, "I am!". And I feel like thats what is wrong with both democratic candidates. A number of people WILL vote for each regardless of their politics and due to their respective differences from past presidents.

If I gleaned anything from this though, it is that although I would rather see Obama in office, Big Clint wouldn't be the worse president in the world. Anything but that mole-rat McCaine.

Reverend Vanessa

*

Looking through my Moleskine the other day, I ran across a page that wasn't my own handwriting. It said "reverendvanessa.blogspot.com YOUR NEW MYSPACE DEFAULT --- I NEED A ROOMMATE!" Slowly, I began to remember a hazy Monday night at XV, and this girl with a camera who took my picture. I looked up the website today. It turns out her photography is really quite nice.**

Sure, documenting last nights' parties in a blog is nothing new, but it's fun to stumble across a mystery photoblog and see pictures of tons of people I know (it IS Portland though, and Portland hipsters at that. I shouldn't be too surprised.) There isn't much content yet, but I promise to come back if a) she keeps posting rad photography and b) posts that picture of me that she took.

*Photo is from reverendvanessa.blogspot.com.

**Not to detract attention from Fuckbadmusic's fabulous photographers, though!

RYE RYE PLAYS PORTLAND!

I've been putting off buying tickets to M.I.A. so that they would sell out and I could use that as an excuse for not going. That was until today, when I did my daily check of Rye Rye's myspace page to find that she would be opening the M.I.A. show @ the Roseland on May 23. I will now officially refer to this day as D-day, a day when something truly significant will happen.

let me please add that if you are not there, you are officially square.




DJ Blaqstarr - Shake It To The Ground
DJ Blaqstarr - Shake It To The Ground (Air Jared Remix)
DJ Blaqstarr - Shake It To The Ground (Claude VonStroke Remix)
DJ Blaqstarr - Shake It To The Ground (Switch & Santogold Remix)
M.I.A. - Paper Planes (Blaqstarr Remix Ft. Rye Rye & Afrikan Boy)

Who Does That?

I was in such a rush to get to work yesterday. I didn't even have a chance to listen to the stack of records I bought. Lame. But I had already heard them through the blogsphere. Anyways... I got a couple amazing records. One being 'Dirty South And Paul Harris feat. Rudy - Better Day'. Featuring the most epic John Dahlbäck remix. I think this song is going to be huge in the scene that doesn't exist in Portland. To bad. This would be a good summer sing along anthem for everyone to wash off the winter funk. I love happy music and sunshine. I think I might be getting really close to finding a better day.
Dirty South And Paul Harris feat. Rudy - Better Day (John Dahlback Remix)
Heres another present from way back in 2005.
If you don't know who this guy is...
then I cant tell you.
john dahlback-i hear you
www.johndahlback.com

BOUNCE

This is an awful name for a song. I mean first of all it could allude to millions of different things, but also it really offers no indication of what you are about to get yourself into. Luckily with MSTRKRFT's 'Bounce' they have tapped N.O.R.E. and (personal faves) Thunderheist to clarify exactly what to do with that measly one syllable...party.

MSTRKRFT - Bounce

Via RCRD LBL

I mean... "See a lesbian, don't call her dyke." this is worth a download.

Also, don't forget to make your BLOODY MARYs. Recipe courtesy of MSTRKRFT's own Al-P

Failed It/Nailed It

-in which we discuss: Success where others have failed.



Let me preface this by saying, The Juan Maclean do not need to be remixed. Given the nature of their tunes, this is inevitable, but with all the fleshed out blips and beeps in their under-two-to-over-fourteen minute songs, they've pretty much covered every which way to interpret Indie/Disco House/Electronica.

In the Happy House 12" single we see a couple attempts at shortening the track by the likes of Lee Douglas and Prince Language (whose can be heard by clicking his name). Where these remixes fail however is in offering a new perspective on the track. Though titled (Prince Language dub mix) I fail to see any dub influence beyond that which the track itself offers. Lee Douglas comes a little closer, mixing in a way that creates a sort of frantic nature from a track that is fairly mellow albeit totally dancey. His remix, however, fails to give significance to the vocals, using them as a sort of add on rather than justification as on the originals next to 13 minutes.



The original begins in true DFA fashion, bass accompanied by cow-bell esque bongos which lead into hand claps to keep the beat. Keys give the track a real 70's feel and provide a countdown to the 'launching into space'. Between bass, keys and claps we have essentially 3 beats going that could become boring if not for the addition of said cow-bell and vocals to remind us that this track is "Excellent". Though the remixes offer A.D.D. friendly versions of Happy House, cutting at least 4 minutes from the original, they fail in letting the respective mixes flesh out any one of the three beats, leaving the track haphazard where it was originally so focused.

The Juan Maclean - Happy House
Happy House 12" single came out 3/04/08 on DFA


Also unmentioned but sort of note worthy is Them Jeans' take, which falsely implies there is fat here to trim.
The Juan Maclean - Happy House (Them Jeans Trim The Fat Edit)

Striking a balance.

Sometimes I find it hard to find a balance. My life too full of empty pockets and tired vodka breathe? I take April off drinking.
I am spending hours on hours watching The Wire on my couch? Time to take April off smoking.
Too many pictures on my blog and not enough words? Time to scatter brain some thoughts and post some new music.

Words: It would not be too thin of a limb to climb onto to say that this is one of the buzziest artists around. Composed of Simian’s Simon Lord and The Wiseguys’ Theo Keating it's hot blog house at its finest, buzzy electro and bleepy 8-bit. I also keep running into the words like "melodramatic", "personal", "supernatural" and "tormented" associated with the group but I would rather disregard that as a bunch of self built hype bullshit.
MusicThe Black Ghosts-I Want Nothing-
Words: I can't mention buzziest bands around without also bringing up H&A and their brand new single.
MusicHercules & Love Affair-You Belong (Riton Remix)-

FIANALLY:: The Justice you've all been waiting for.

There was friends and family. Bright lights. Substance. Love. Dancing. Stunna Shades. HUGS. High Fives. ...and we all wish you were there!!!
<3z xXx.

I deleted that last post I made because David Blake is right, we should avoid posting full albums. And besides, Moby is like Madonna; there are certain artists that the blog world has learned not to fuck with for fear of bull dogs the mafia and the FCC.
On the plus side of the equation here is another photo blog that Fernando took. I promise the next one will be set at a new bar. I promise...
The Tronik Youth show last night was damn impressive.
Very excited for April.

Happiness is a Severed Hand

Goldfrapp has rejected a remix of "Happiness" from Rex The Dog. Don't know why? It sounds awesome. I think there trying to keep the new album on the more chill side. With remixers like Jori Hulkkonen and Gui Boratto. Oh well... I love it all. Hopefully we'll get to see this on a white label or some form of release. But I'm guessing on the no side when Rex The Dog has myspace headlines like "The New Home of Goldfrapp Rejected Remixes"...

Pretty funny if you ask me.

If It Had A Bathroom I'd Live In It...

Cadillac Vs. Justice


I felt compelled to post this because it is so freaking corny! I guess it was a superbowl comercial or something. Either way it's a good laugh.
Wonder how many escalades they got?
Douche Douche Cadillac!
Theres no imbeded link. Just click here broham.

GReeNGuM part 2.

<3<3<3><3<3<3><3<3<3><3<3<3><3<3<3><3<3<3
PART TWO
Theme From Dinx-Nik 7
Danse En France(D.I.M. remix)-Fischerspooner
Somebody,Somewhere(LIFELIKE Remix)-Cazals
45 Overdrive-Redial
Bassline Time-AC Slater
Graveyard Girl(Yuksek Remix)-M83
Jesus Doesn't Love Me(Lismore Remix)-Dragonette
DVNO(Les Petits Pilous Remix)-Ju




p.s.
zombie jesus loves yooooooooooooooooou!

GReeNGuM

Here be some spanking new music to keep you warm during this insane snowing in march nonsense. What the f Portland???
PART ONE
Die Sleeping-Kap10Kurt
Hey You(Le Castle Vania Remix)-Kill The Noise
Motor(Distort Edit)-SebastiAn
Kid Gloves-Surkin
Love Juice(Moulinex Remix)-SymbolOne
Cross The Dancefloor-Treasure Fingers
Wild Strawberries(Extended Mix)-Pnau
Ce Jeu (Slaughtered By The Videoband)-Yelle

Aladdin Theatre Tonight!

I know you're (I am) already regretting paying $10 to see Gravy Train last night... as their performance was enough to make all the explanation marks they typically tag on to the end of their name null and definitely void. You can, and should, rectify this however by spending another $19 tonight at the Aladdin Theatre... where you will certainly get your moneys-worth.

Jose Gonzalez is at the top of his game right now, covering The Knife, being remixed by Plan B and creating original albums that go double fucking platinum across the world. If this isn't reason enough to take a Friday off from snorting crushed up bones and mellowing out to someone with real talent (I.E. not gravy train...) then maybe the fact that his entire tour will have a total of zero carbon emmission is. Yeah probably not.

03-28 Aladdin Theatre - JOSE GONZALEZ w/ Mia Doi Todd

Róisín Murphy

Cool song and video...
I'm to tired to type...So this is what daily motion had to say about her...
Overpowered, is an insistent, electronic gem and a powerful introduction to the new sound of Róisín Murphy. Written by Roisin and Seiji of Bugz In The Attic and mixed by Tom Elmhirst (Amy Winehouse, Royksopp, Grace Jones), the single is accompanied by a series of brilliant remixes from the likes of Seamus Haji, Kris Menace, Hervé and Loose Cannons. Already a massive club hit, it's rocketing up all the major dance charts, and getting great radio plays everywhere from major players such as Pete Tong and Annie Mac to mainstream support from the likes of Capital Radio.??The album is already creating a huge stir, not just in the UK but across Europe, America and Japan where early listens to the 6-track sampler have provoked a fevered response with many critics already hailing it as one of the albums of the year. A modern disco classic, stuffed full of huge floor-filling pop songs, quirky lyrical genius and hooks galore, 'Overpowered' sees Roisin Murphy deliver the album of her career.


Roisin Murphy-Overpowered(Herve & Roisin in The Secret Garden Mix)

HOLYFUCK!!!

I'm freaking out right now! First of all I found out that Ellen Allien is releasing a new album soon!
And even better yet shes coming to FUCKING Portland w/ Sascha Funke!!!!!!!!!!! Sunday may 4th @ the Holocene. This girl is nuts! Shes been Dj'ing since 92 and never looked back! She is one of the most prolific Techno artist ever! She ridiculously amazing on so many levels!
The new album is going to be entitled SOOL.


Like her last album this one is also going to be a collaborative effort. This time its being produced with fellow Berliner AGF. Heres some blurbs from Ellen about the new album.
"What does minimal mean for me? Minimal is just there. Shaping this kind of immediacy with my own hands—that was close to my heart."

“SOOL is a phantasm, a creation, which reflects the album’s atmosphere, and also my person.
I am me but I am also what you make of me, what you do with me and what I do with you. And, SOOL is curiosity, space and architecture. Sketches, drawing, adhering.”
Geeeeee Whiz... Doesn't she sound dreamy. I would have that womens child. errr uh. you know what mean.


Heres some more blurbs about how she rolls.
"Changing studio equipment keeps the productions flowing. Techno is still what I'm about. It’s minimal, reduced, deep and rough at the same time. I would say that techno and I have developed together."
"Whenever I have time I do my own fashion. In summer 2007 I already launched my third collection. I like doing fashion design - I like to draw and the choose fabrics. I only do very few pieces, it's all very exclusive and it's more my hobby than a business. Music is still my main interest - my love and my life. And it's interesting to see how different equipment and software
changes the styles of music all the time."
"Traveling with my record case, living out of the suitcase. The hotel is my home. Experiencing new worlds and cultures and accepting them; understanding, how things work in other places. sharing views and politics. A club unites people without words. It’s the music that speaks.
Recognizing the beauty of the world and absorbing the otherness. Home is far away and not important. It’s the unknown that attracts my attention, and i want to know it!"
"The mix is everything. I push myself to the absolute limit, sweating, and the thrill is that the room will become our room."
Did i already mention that I'm in love with her!!!
anyways...........................
Heres some tracks for you to get more familiar with miss Allien.

Ellen Allien-Magma
Ellen Allien-chromosoma 23(Vicknoise Remix)
Ellen Allien-Your Body Is My Body(Kikis Body Trip Remix)
Ellen Allien-Open
Paul Kalkbrenner-Queer Fellow(Ellen Allien&Apparat rmx)

http://ellenallien.de/
http://www.myspace.com/agf001
http://www.bpitchcontrol.de/
http://www.holocene.org/calendar/

Being so hip that we don't have to.

I work at the best job ever. They pay me well, we are always slammed-to-the-bone busy and my co-workers (seem to) love me.

I was cruising myspace in a post slammed-to-the-bone stupor and came across this write up on my co-workers blog-

"This is my friend Sasha's blog. It is based around our local Portland music scene and there are several writers that each offer there own unique spin. (I hope to write a few articles myself if I ever find five minutes...) The site contains many links to music downloads so you can hear about the music you are reading about and photo's of nightcubs and seedy basements so yo can get an idea of what you "missed" out on... It can be hard to hear about the latest great band coming up in Portland, as we have such a scene here. Here are some people out there being hip so we don't have to!"

Apathy at Happy Hour.

I have been having more and more conversations with people lately about the youth and the apathy that seems to be having a snowball effect amongst them.

We all see it happening around us and instead of climbing up and out we fall right into it. I'm sure you all know the ways in which we do it, too.

In Portland especially, there are many amazingly intelligent people that have good hearts, access tons of information and connections, and more than anything: potential. Potential to change the world in whatever ways they so choose. And, we all know who's capable of what. Their voices inspire us and leave us filled with hope. Often though, we find ourselves first hoping they will go out into the world and walk the walk instead of just talking the talk.

Even I am capable of doing more in the world, or even just for myself, than writing a blog. But it seems I too have been caught in this downward spiral of an apathetic lifestyle. The roller coaster of emotional instability it creates is constantly breaking my heart.

I may be speaking for myself more than anyone else, but I'm pretty sure there are many of us who look around and see little hope because everyone else we see, also seems to hold no hope. And it goes on and on.

It is the opinion of many that the most we can do for ourselves and those we love is be there for each other. Be a community where people can rely on their friends and ((neighbors)). But it seems the seediness of our social pride and status driven culture takes precedence over the peace and love our hearts yearn for.

Yeah right, I may be preaching another peace and love sob story like those dope smoking hippies who didn't really accomplish much more than our own generation of revolutionaries has, but maybe these conversations that keep happening- `on the streets, in bars, cars, and in our hearts, could start creating tangible motivation.

We go out and fuck ourselves up to forget why we are all so fucked up. While sometimes we crawl to happy hour for happiness, we also invent new reasons everyday for a celebration combined with consumption. Maybe, the reasons we are constantly finding ourselves drinking past social awkwardness and letting go of inhibitions is really so that we may find new doors into new hearts and feel some sense of unity??

My question is, what can we do to change this...

and is there really a point?

Meet me at Happy Hour and we'll talk.

TexasVs.Italy

EmoVs.Headbangbloghouse!
The Secret Handshake is not so much my cup of tea, but the Bloody Beetroots are most definitely my cup of crunk juice. I want to go to Italy and never come home. Life is boring in America...

Secret Handshake - Summer Of 98 Bloody Beetroots Remix)
www.myspace.com/thebloodybeetroots
www.myspace.com/thesecrethandshake

Apocalypso!

Got the track listing and a couple new songs! This album is going to be good, and the remixes are going to be super money!
01 Kicking and Screaming
02 My People
03 A New Sky
04 This Boy’s in Love
05 Yippiyo-ay
06 Talk Like That
07 Eucalyptus
08 If I Know You
09 Together
10 Aeons
11 Anywhere

and don't forget there coming in may!

Barak Obama In Oregon

There was plenty to be learned & taught tonight at Eugene's MAC COURT where Barak Obama is scheduled to speak in relatively 30 minutes. If you can't get in (you can't) it is airing on channel nine, as well as channel 12 here in Eugene.

15 or so people from the door I was turned away only to learn that the 9,000 capacity venue was full! In a hurry I raced to the soccer field where I was told he would be making a brief appearance for those who couldn't make it inside.

The crowd was anxious to hear what he had to say. Turns out Eugene really likes Obama as there were nearly 20,000 people gathered around a 4 feet wide by 4 feet long podium where he would make his appearance. Kanye west was bumping and the girl next to me told me the song before I got there was Angels & Airwaves when she saw me write Kanye down. People were shouting in chinese what the man next to me translated "ADD OIL OBAMA". Still not sure about what that meant. I learned an Obama drinking game in which every time he says hope or change you take a shot. Apparently c-span can get you drunk now.

When he finally took the stage he was charismatic as all hell, greeting us with a hello and "Sorry about the Ducks this year..." following it with, "There's always next year." Last thing I thought I'd hear from a presidential candidates mouth. Obama went on to identify this nation as being in a state of extreme difficulty and in a time of severely damaged trust in our nation(Everyone cheers in agreement). He spoke briefly about the economy problems surrounding every aspect of our nation adding a wink wink to college tuition (Everyone cheers in agreement).

Obama continued by ensuring that he has a plan that will afford us the ability to invest in our cities, address health care effectively and, "finally bring this war to an end". Barak informed everyone that he hopes to be the voice of all of us who have become cynical in our contempt for the state of things and assured us that, "When the American people wake up, nothing can stop us."



His speech was brief but powerful enough to evoke cheers from a crowd rivaling that of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE at last years Coachella.
He ended by saying he wanted to shake some hands. One of which was my very own. Everyone was very respectful and appreciative of his appearance however short, and many of us rushed home (or to the bar, as one person shouting "BARAK AND ROLL!" had surely been doing). That shit was surreal.

It is indeed as he put it, "...a close race", so be sure to get to voting come MAY 20th. If you are in Eugene, again check out channels 9 and 12 in about 10 minutes.



note those pictures were not taken here in Eugene... although that is about what it looked like.