XLR8R has a great interview with Portland's own mastermind: PANTHER!
Interesting thing he says about people feeling they deserve music for free now (Pretty sure I told him just that at Tube a few weeks ago!).
Thursday, February 7, 2008
XLR8R Loves Panther
Panther Loves High Life
XLR8R has a great interview with Portland's own mastermind: PANTHER!
Interesting thing he says about people feeling they deserve music for free now (Pretty sure I told him just that at Tube a few weeks ago!).
XLR8R has a great interview with Portland's own mastermind: PANTHER!
Interesting thing he says about people feeling they deserve music for free now (Pretty sure I told him just that at Tube a few weeks ago!).
Selection Of Songs #1
Each week there is a ton of songs both new and old that I can't stop playing.
This week I got A's on some midterms, and a D on one as well, which has made my mood go from good to great, from great to pretty disappointed, from pretty disappointed to introspective and all the way back around. So it should come as no surprise that this week's tracks are kind of all over the map. These tracks are not mixed together in any certain order so feel free to skip around if there's something you don't particularly like. Tracklisting follows the link.
Selection Of Songs #1
Liars - Panic Button
Black Lips - Veni Vedi Veci (Diplo Remix)
Booka Shade - Numbers
Boys Noize - Don't Believe The Hype (Surkin Mix No. 2)
Uusi Fantasia - Happamat Kallott
Vicarious Bliss - Theme From Vicarious Bliss
Get Shakes - Day Like Today
Grizzly Bear - La Duchess Anne (Safety Scissors Remix)
Hercules & Love Affair - You Belong
Kay L - Ohhh!
Modeselektor - 2000007 (feat. TTC)
Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55 (Metronomy Remix)
So... Which ones did you like? Dislike?
Edit: Here's a cool remix of Diplo's Remix of that previously posted Black Lips track.
Black Lips - Veni Vedi Vici (Diplo Remix)(Mumdance Rework Featuring Jammer)
This week I got A's on some midterms, and a D on one as well, which has made my mood go from good to great, from great to pretty disappointed, from pretty disappointed to introspective and all the way back around. So it should come as no surprise that this week's tracks are kind of all over the map. These tracks are not mixed together in any certain order so feel free to skip around if there's something you don't particularly like. Tracklisting follows the link.
Selection Of Songs #1
Liars - Panic Button
Black Lips - Veni Vedi Veci (Diplo Remix)
Booka Shade - Numbers
Boys Noize - Don't Believe The Hype (Surkin Mix No. 2)
Uusi Fantasia - Happamat Kallott
Vicarious Bliss - Theme From Vicarious Bliss
Get Shakes - Day Like Today
Grizzly Bear - La Duchess Anne (Safety Scissors Remix)
Hercules & Love Affair - You Belong
Kay L - Ohhh!
Modeselektor - 2000007 (feat. TTC)
Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55 (Metronomy Remix)
So... Which ones did you like? Dislike?
Edit: Here's a cool remix of Diplo's Remix of that previously posted Black Lips track.
Black Lips - Veni Vedi Vici (Diplo Remix)(Mumdance Rework Featuring Jammer)
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Westerns are so in.
From casual conversation with drunk people at bars who read this blog I have learned two things. Half of the people just want to read about music and find new music. The other half of my tiny-but-growing readership wants to read about other things.
So I fully plan on writing about all kinds of random topics to keep the masses happy.
And we all love the movies.
And as usual the movies are all about the music.
It seems like Westerns are the new background for semi serious artsy films. In one oscar hunting season we have 3:10 To Yuma, There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men, three mammoths of timing and sparse diologue, three highly intelligent movies by very quirky directors. Big budget and fun with lots of violence, supported by extremely A-list actors.
3:10 to Yuma is nominated for best original soundtrack and No Country for Old Men is almost completly devoid of music, the only score coming from singing bowls and Buddhist standing metal bells. In There Will Be Blood the music is composed by Jonny Greenwood, a member of the somewhat-important-in-the-music-world band, Radiohead.
For the directors that want to be successfull but proud of their work the traditional desert background is once again a place of suspense and one of the few remaining homes for iintelligent and twisty plot lines. The harsh sun and stark backdrops lay open human weakness, and as a jaded audience we need a certain gravity of the environment to forge coming of age stories, peverse human violence and ethically questionable heros.
So I fully plan on writing about all kinds of random topics to keep the masses happy.
And we all love the movies.
And as usual the movies are all about the music.
It seems like Westerns are the new background for semi serious artsy films. In one oscar hunting season we have 3:10 To Yuma, There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men, three mammoths of timing and sparse diologue, three highly intelligent movies by very quirky directors. Big budget and fun with lots of violence, supported by extremely A-list actors.
3:10 to Yuma is nominated for best original soundtrack and No Country for Old Men is almost completly devoid of music, the only score coming from singing bowls and Buddhist standing metal bells. In There Will Be Blood the music is composed by Jonny Greenwood, a member of the somewhat-important-in-the-music-world band, Radiohead.
For the directors that want to be successfull but proud of their work the traditional desert background is once again a place of suspense and one of the few remaining homes for iintelligent and twisty plot lines. The harsh sun and stark backdrops lay open human weakness, and as a jaded audience we need a certain gravity of the environment to forge coming of age stories, peverse human violence and ethically questionable heros.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Super Tuesday
I have this deep seated fear that the forces that be will do everything in their power to give Hilary the election over Obama. Mainstream America fears the black man more than the white women. A charismatic and radical male bursting with vigor and anger? When all most of us can remember for our young lives has been Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush are we really going to be allowed to break the cycle?
There is a reason that apathy reigns, there is a reason that young people feel disempowered. Most of the young jaded hipsters believe that while there may have been no direct conspiracy or cover-up, somethingsketchy happened during the last two elections. Most young people feel it is a gigantic crime for us to be in Iraq- and paying a thousand dollars a second to be there. To have an obvious wrong with no consequence or reaction makes a nation give up, collectively and deep down.
Today Barack took Georgia with blacks casting more then half the votes. The tide may be turning, there are some things you simply can not effectively downplay, and the mainstream Democrats are running out of ways to discredit a man who honestly believes he is the change this country needs.
I have a hard time not agreeing- the years of tired acceptance and disgust get us nowhere. Radical change is needed for this floundering ship to stay afloat. Obama will not be all the change necessary but we must start somewhere.
-Image from Rostock G8 protest where around 70,000 people rioted against "privatization, war and globalization". June 2nd 2007
There is a reason that apathy reigns, there is a reason that young people feel disempowered. Most of the young jaded hipsters believe that while there may have been no direct conspiracy or cover-up, somethingsketchy happened during the last two elections. Most young people feel it is a gigantic crime for us to be in Iraq- and paying a thousand dollars a second to be there. To have an obvious wrong with no consequence or reaction makes a nation give up, collectively and deep down.
Today Barack took Georgia with blacks casting more then half the votes. The tide may be turning, there are some things you simply can not effectively downplay, and the mainstream Democrats are running out of ways to discredit a man who honestly believes he is the change this country needs.
I have a hard time not agreeing- the years of tired acceptance and disgust get us nowhere. Radical change is needed for this floundering ship to stay afloat. Obama will not be all the change necessary but we must start somewhere.
-Image from Rostock G8 protest where around 70,000 people rioted against "privatization, war and globalization". June 2nd 2007
Free Album Download
Almost any instrumental album that isn't DJ'ed gets the ridiculous, and limiting label of 'post rock' attached to it. Such is inevitably going to be the case with The Flashbulb's new album, 'Soundtrack to a Vacant Life', which reaches far and beyond said label. What it grabs at, well I'll let you decide. One thing can be sure though, Benn Jordan sure is passionate about giving his music away for free. And, rightfully so. His politics regarding the downloading as well as purchasing of music don't stray (too) far from my own.
"Want to buy a CD just to show your support?
If you don't particularly like CDs, don't bother.
Retailers like Best Buy and Amazon spike the price so high that their cut is often 8 times higher than the artist's. Besides, most CDs are made out of unrecyclable plastic and leave a nasty footprint in your environment.
If you do particularly like CDs, buy them from the label (in our case, alphabasic.com). After manufacturing costs are recuperated, our artists usually receive over 90% of the actual money coming out of your wallet.
In addition, all of our physical products are made out of 100% recycled material.
Want to show your support?
Go here and browse our library of lossless, DRM-free downloads.
Already have that?
Then feel free to donate whatever you want to your favorite artist. 100% will go directly to them.
Hell, you can even donate a penny just to thank the artist.
If you really like 'The Flashbulb - Soundtrack To A Vacant Life' and want to show your support without it going to greedy retailers, distributors, and coked-up label reps, then click the button below.
If you send us your mailing address, Alphabasic may occasionally send you various goodies (overstocks, stickers, even rare CDs) in appreciation and encouragement for your support.
Thanks for reading.
Who knows if my little business plan here will work to fund new releases, but even failure is better than the crappy label/distributor/retailer system musicians have suffered from for over 50 years.
We hope you enjoy the music as much as we do releasing it.
Finally, if you plan on sharing this release, please include this file. The only reason it is here is to show the listener where he can support his favorite artists!
Benn Jordan
CEO - Alphabasic Records
The Flashbulb - Soundtrack to a Vacant Life
"Want to buy a CD just to show your support?
If you don't particularly like CDs, don't bother.
Retailers like Best Buy and Amazon spike the price so high that their cut is often 8 times higher than the artist's. Besides, most CDs are made out of unrecyclable plastic and leave a nasty footprint in your environment.
If you do particularly like CDs, buy them from the label (in our case, alphabasic.com). After manufacturing costs are recuperated, our artists usually receive over 90% of the actual money coming out of your wallet.
In addition, all of our physical products are made out of 100% recycled material.
Want to show your support?
Go here and browse our library of lossless, DRM-free downloads.
Already have that?
Then feel free to donate whatever you want to your favorite artist. 100% will go directly to them.
Hell, you can even donate a penny just to thank the artist.
If you really like 'The Flashbulb - Soundtrack To A Vacant Life' and want to show your support without it going to greedy retailers, distributors, and coked-up label reps, then click the button below.
If you send us your mailing address, Alphabasic may occasionally send you various goodies (overstocks, stickers, even rare CDs) in appreciation and encouragement for your support.
Thanks for reading.
Who knows if my little business plan here will work to fund new releases, but even failure is better than the crappy label/distributor/retailer system musicians have suffered from for over 50 years.
We hope you enjoy the music as much as we do releasing it.
Finally, if you plan on sharing this release, please include this file. The only reason it is here is to show the listener where he can support his favorite artists!
Benn Jordan
CEO - Alphabasic Records
The Flashbulb - Soundtrack to a Vacant Life
Monday, February 4, 2008
Coachella Mix #2
Regardless of who you are there is always a thing or 5(00) at coachella that you'd probably want to see on a given day. Here's what I want to see Day 2 of coachella, with a couple of reasons why(sans all that you already know about).
------Day 2-------
-Sasha & John Digweed-
Sasha & Digweed truly embrace the idea of a 'wave of sound' in their music. Like characteristics of the ocean, their music often washes over you, seductive in its embrace all the while flowing ever so delicately while still leaving a great deal of mystery. If you think thats corny (okay it is) just download this track.
Sasha & John Digweed - Morgan King/I'm Free
From the 'Northern Exposure 2 disk set'
-Mark Ronson-
Guest spots are always a curious idea concerning an album and its recreation live. Much like Neon Neon or Hurcules & Love Affair, (both of which I will mention in every blog post ever; Read: forget about by next week) Mark Ronson's biggest successes come from his production of albums, (Lilly Allen) and guest spots on his own album. The track I've selected here is what I believe to be most indicative of how is set will go. That is of course unless Lilly Allen shows up; (crossing fingers that she doesn't).
Mark Ronson - Oh My God
From the album 'Version'
-Junkie XL-
This could very well be what I am most excited about at all of Coachella, and the perfect example of why Coachella is so great. Until the line-up was posted, I had only heard of Junkie XL. Now I'm a full blown fanatic, absolutely cringing with anticipation of his live set, as well as his 2008 album, 'Booming Back At You' Due March 11th. He too uses the guest spot, arguably to make his immense talent more accessible, but absence (of said vocals) here would only make his performance more enticing as far as I'm concerned. Well... lets put it this way: at my first Coachella I ignored Robert Smith and The Cure to watch Le Tigre. If Robert Smith were to show up for this track, I'd have all eyes on that stage.
Junkie XL - Perfect Blue Sky (Featuring Robert Smith)
From the album 'A Broadcast From Computer Hell Cabin'
-Erol Alkan-
Sure, you already know about this guy. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say If you haven't heard his Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve project Please Click Here. Amazing.
-Yo Majesty!-
I'm not getting lazy, I swear, I just thought that although you already know and love Yo Majesty!, it was imperative to note that they are featured on the incredible Neon Neon album 'Stainless Style', and that that, in itself, is a reason to watch their set.
-Institubes DJ's-
Composed of three extremely relevant DJ's, Institubes set is sure to be a shit show. From the glitchy incoherent samples of Surkin to the pitch-fucked mixing of Orgasmic, there is sure to be a little bit of something here for everyone. If you are currently living in a small town void of dance music... prepare to explode.
DJ Orgasmic - Feels Like St. Tropez
From the 'Eurogirls Go To Baltimore, Vol. 1' Compilation
-James Zabiela-
This will undoubtedly clash with something else I want to see, and its truly a shame because although I'm only 4 songs into Zabiela's vast discography, I can guarantee this is something that is not to be missed for a variety of reasons. First being that his music is at once ambient covered in distortion and static, while also being extremly danceable not to mention enjoyable. Second is a conflict that is no stranger to Coachella: When will I get this opportunity again? I guess We'll see.
James Zabiela - Perseverance
From 'The Perseverance EP'
-120 Days-
You may (And should) remember 120 Days fantastic 2006 self titled album. Why they are booked for this years Coachella is a mystery to me, but one I'm willing to investigate come April 26th. Still kicking myself for missing them on tour with Ratatat, I look very forward to finally seeing this band, in all their looped electronics, live. Evocative of The Secret Machines both musically and vocally, and no stranger to the 9 minute song, 120 days allows themselves plenty of room to build a track to its veritable breaking point. If there is one 'Rock' act I won't miss this coachella it is certainly going to be Norway's 120 days.
120 Days - Come Out(Come Down, Fade Out, Be Gone)
From their self titled album
------Day 2-------
-Sasha & John Digweed-
Sasha & Digweed truly embrace the idea of a 'wave of sound' in their music. Like characteristics of the ocean, their music often washes over you, seductive in its embrace all the while flowing ever so delicately while still leaving a great deal of mystery. If you think thats corny (okay it is) just download this track.
Sasha & John Digweed - Morgan King/I'm Free
From the 'Northern Exposure 2 disk set'
-Mark Ronson-
Guest spots are always a curious idea concerning an album and its recreation live. Much like Neon Neon or Hurcules & Love Affair, (both of which I will mention in every blog post ever; Read: forget about by next week) Mark Ronson's biggest successes come from his production of albums, (Lilly Allen) and guest spots on his own album. The track I've selected here is what I believe to be most indicative of how is set will go. That is of course unless Lilly Allen shows up; (crossing fingers that she doesn't).
Mark Ronson - Oh My God
From the album 'Version'
-Junkie XL-
This could very well be what I am most excited about at all of Coachella, and the perfect example of why Coachella is so great. Until the line-up was posted, I had only heard of Junkie XL. Now I'm a full blown fanatic, absolutely cringing with anticipation of his live set, as well as his 2008 album, 'Booming Back At You' Due March 11th. He too uses the guest spot, arguably to make his immense talent more accessible, but absence (of said vocals) here would only make his performance more enticing as far as I'm concerned. Well... lets put it this way: at my first Coachella I ignored Robert Smith and The Cure to watch Le Tigre. If Robert Smith were to show up for this track, I'd have all eyes on that stage.
Junkie XL - Perfect Blue Sky (Featuring Robert Smith)
From the album 'A Broadcast From Computer Hell Cabin'
-Erol Alkan-
Sure, you already know about this guy. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say If you haven't heard his Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve project Please Click Here. Amazing.
-Yo Majesty!-
I'm not getting lazy, I swear, I just thought that although you already know and love Yo Majesty!, it was imperative to note that they are featured on the incredible Neon Neon album 'Stainless Style', and that that, in itself, is a reason to watch their set.
-Institubes DJ's-
Composed of three extremely relevant DJ's, Institubes set is sure to be a shit show. From the glitchy incoherent samples of Surkin to the pitch-fucked mixing of Orgasmic, there is sure to be a little bit of something here for everyone. If you are currently living in a small town void of dance music... prepare to explode.
DJ Orgasmic - Feels Like St. Tropez
From the 'Eurogirls Go To Baltimore, Vol. 1' Compilation
-James Zabiela-
This will undoubtedly clash with something else I want to see, and its truly a shame because although I'm only 4 songs into Zabiela's vast discography, I can guarantee this is something that is not to be missed for a variety of reasons. First being that his music is at once ambient covered in distortion and static, while also being extremly danceable not to mention enjoyable. Second is a conflict that is no stranger to Coachella: When will I get this opportunity again? I guess We'll see.
James Zabiela - Perseverance
From 'The Perseverance EP'
-120 Days-
You may (And should) remember 120 Days fantastic 2006 self titled album. Why they are booked for this years Coachella is a mystery to me, but one I'm willing to investigate come April 26th. Still kicking myself for missing them on tour with Ratatat, I look very forward to finally seeing this band, in all their looped electronics, live. Evocative of The Secret Machines both musically and vocally, and no stranger to the 9 minute song, 120 days allows themselves plenty of room to build a track to its veritable breaking point. If there is one 'Rock' act I won't miss this coachella it is certainly going to be Norway's 120 days.
120 Days - Come Out(Come Down, Fade Out, Be Gone)
From their self titled album
Case of the Mondays
fresh off of 3 hours of sleep I wake up to this song in my inbox. I would have done a failed it nailed it segment but I figure anytime this song gets remixed it is going to be golden. While I do admit loving this track with the majority of my heart... does anyone else miss the less vocal more powerful early singles like Roar and Classique #2? How misleading! But I'm still a sucker for Antony.
Hercules & Love Affair - Blind (Serge Santiago Version)
Edit: Is this band huge yet?
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