WIZERD: Music

Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

[music] // MISC: The Middle East Split

If you happened to be at The Middle East's last show on July 31st then you're already aware of the news, but in case you weren't in Queensland recently, Aussie indie darlings TME put out a Facebook note early this morning (or whatever time of day it is in Australia) stating:

"TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN :

writing to inform you that we're ceasing. i'm not sure if we'll make more music later on or not.

we don't feel like playing anymore for a whole lot of reasons that i won't list here and i'm afraid if we continued any longer it would just be a moneygrab. i'd rather go hungry. thank you to all those who came to shows.

we had fun.

t.s elliot wrote 'you are the music while the music lasts', but he also wrote that confusing little book about cats so don't put too much stock in his quotes.

i'm very tired. until next time.

sincerely yours,

the middle east."

Their final record I Want That You Are Always Happy was released this past April.

Friday, July 8, 2011

[music] // PLAYLIST: "Breakfast" -- Chiddy Bang feat. Kate Nash

Super sweet mashup--or mayhaps a remix--of "Skeleton Song" by Kate Nash. It's the Nash-riginal, somewhat truncated, with signature Bang panache and dub-step distortions interspersed. It's an awesome remake of the song, preserving the, what now seems long-lost, Kate Nash style, and the only complaint I have of the track is the abrupt end, peetering out when it feels like there a lot more to offer. Still, up to that point it a real triumph.

Listen to "Breakfast" here:
Chiddy Bang-Breakfast (feat. Kate Nash - Skeleton) by stndrdeviations on SoundCloud

Sunday, June 12, 2011

[music] // PLAYLIST: "Months" by The Middle East

I feel like I make the comparison to Iron and Wine a lot--perhaps it's a thing I have, a complex I'm developing... But for this new track from The Middle East, from their first full-length album I Want That You Are Always Happy, the comparison is apt. "Months" is sad- and southern-sounding, winding through unpredictable acoustic plucking, incorporating a simple bass drum and maraca midway through, and adding some breathy vocals and whistling, straight from The Book of Beam. It's a lovely track though. With each release The Middle East seem to put out a track that really captures you. With their EP, The Recordings of The Middle East, it was "Blood" and with their newest installment, with songs like "Months, there's sure to be something to get you. I Want That You Are Always Happy is out in their native Australia already, and will be available in the US in July.

Listen to "Months":

Saturday, June 4, 2011

[music] // PLAYLIST: "Don't Gotta Work It Out" by Fits & the Tantrums

Fitz and the Tantrums have recently been making the rounds on the late night talk show circuit with their song "Moneygrabber" from their latest album Pickin' up the Pieces (available on Dangerbird Records). The soul/rhythm and bass sextet (five of which are Tantrums) is speared by Michael Fitzpatrick (the Fitz!) and the group have an old school sound that has been re-realized in the last few years with acts like Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Mark Ronson, et cetera, and "Don't Gotta Work It Out" definitely falls squarely within those boundaries. The song funks along with a bouncing piano, soulful brass hits, and disparate lyrics about break-up building through a sing-along choruses (chorii?) to an awesome instrumental end (around 3:30). Pretty cool.

Listen to "Don't Gotta Work It Out":

Friday, May 20, 2011

[music] // PLAYLIST: "Calgary" - Bon Iver

In general, I am distraught that I will not be able to attend the Atlanta show of the upcoming Bon Iver tour due to the extreme cost - EXTREME! - I am happy that the tour signals the imminent release of Bon's self-titled, sophomore album due out next month. Some tracks from Bon Iver are already out there including the one below, "Calgary", which is, in my opinion, super awesome amazing. It's very anthemic, grandiose sounding, a little like Coldplay on A Rush of Blood - though, i'm not sure being compared to Coldplay is a compliment these days. I like it. Though shooting for a larger sound, it still retains a tenderness that is unique to Bon Iver and I'm looking forward to what the rest of the album brings.

Listen to "Calgary":

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

[music] // ALBUM: EP by Childish Gambino

So, you know that show Community? Well, that guy -- Donald Glover -- the one who used to do those skits as part of Derrick Comedy, also makes the raps. And no, it's not à la The Lonely Island: it's serious (but awesome). In terms of production and polish Gambino's new EP is sounding a lot more upscale than the previous two releases, but what really shines through his work are the well-tailored, lightening-fast rhymes and the often witty often depraved delivery. The single "Freaks and Geeks" you can't help but appreciate for being literary [see the part about poet e. e. cummings], dorky [note the many reference to popular primetime television shows and comic book villains] and gross [check out the sexual content of almost every line] in equal parts. And yet the track has not discernible hook, resting squarely on the entertainment-value of Gambino's flow. The production of the EP sounds somewhat like a basement project and could use some vamping, however.

Listen to EP here:

Download EP from Childish Gambino's Blog.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

[music] // PLAYLIST: "Heartbeats" (Originally by The Knife) - Ellie Goulding

I've always been a firm believer that one of the true marks of a song is how many people make awesome covers of it (and when I say "firm believer," I mean that I seem to recall blogging something similar about the song "Stillness is the Move" :P). The Knife's "Heartbeats" -- downright near-perfect electro heaven to begin with -- got reworked by José González into a beautiful acoustic arrangement. And now, Ellie Goulding has made her own version. Though similar to González's cover, Goulding's voice lends itself especially well to the mood the song and the gently lullabying accompanying guitars. Take a listen, you will totes hearts it.

Listen to "Heartbeats" here:

In the event that Soundcloud take down the track above, you can listen to it at Cover Me -- a blog dedicated to covers -- or on the BBC Radio 1 website for whom Ellie Goulding recorded the cover as part of the March 12 2011 Live Lounge.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

[music] // PLAYLIST: "Snake Charmer" - Bag Raiders

One day, way back went, in the days of yore if you will (I think I will), a one Michael James (writer of this here blog) and his talented/vivacious co-host Katie Krieger were allowed to be on GCSU's campus radio station WGUR 88.9FM The Edge, during which time they both developed an unhealthy obsession with the New South Wales house duo, Bag Raider. Rarely a week went by when you didn't here the dance-tastic thump of "Fun Punch" on the show. Sure it was mostly for background music, but when it comes to radio that still counts as airplay.

Well, a few months back Bag Raiders released their first full length, 12-track album called Bag Raiders. Now, I'm taking it slow getting around to listening to it because, well... you know what it's like: when you really like a band you don't want their new stuff to suck. So you put off the actual listening of the new album so you can still be a fan a little longer, right? Okay, so maybe that's not true. Maybe I just didn't check back in to see if the Raiders had made any new music. Look, blogging about music is hard. Do you know how much music is out there? Currently the total number of songs in existence are:

I chose to share "Snake Charmer" with you to showcase a departure from style for the pair. Previously, with tracks like "Fun Punch" and "Shooting Stars," there was a pop-y hook to get down with wrapped in trance (dance) synth such that each song wouldn't feel out of place in one of the fancy dancing night-discotheques but was so raucous that a person could not enjoy them singularly in their home. Well, "Snake Charmer" is completely different. It a little ethnic, a little funky, it diverges (more math terminology!) but in a way that is rhythmically superior.

Listen to "Snake Charmer" here:

Monday, March 14, 2011

[music] // PLAYLIST: "Aarg" (Fishing Remix) - The Book of Ships

Fishing, despite being a band that is almost impossible to Google and find anything close to what you're looking for, are creating amazing electro-pop ambient awesomeness all the way from Australia (where all the decent electronic music comes from). The song "OOOO" made it on to my Top 40 of 2010 list, and now, with the joyousness of summer approaching, it seems only fitting to get some more Fishing in our lives.

A nice lad introduced me to this Fishing remix of The Book of Ships song "Aarg," very much in-line with the up-beat pop-sona the band elicit. A catchy hook picks up the song and repeats almost non-stop while strange falsetto and electronic beats punctuate throughout the song's progression. As mentioned with the whole "impossible Googling," you probably won't easily find this song for super-illegal download (why, internet generation, do you insist on hurting the music industry so!? -- wait, does that rationale hold for unsigned bands...?) but you can stream the remix below. Yay!

Listen to "Aarg" (Fishing Remix) here:

Saturday, March 5, 2011

[music] // ALBUM: Reptilians by Starfucker

Like things that reemerge -- e.g. David Bowie in 1972, "after a three-year period of experimentation... re-emerged during the glam rock era with the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego" -- Starfucker are reemerging, but with their signature indie-pop identity intact. Well, mostly. There was a small moment of fluctuating self-assuredness when the band changed their name... several times. But after 3 years of studio silence it looks like Starfucker are making a welcome return in 2011.

The forthcoming album Reptilians is set to release this March, and I can recommend these two songs "Death as a Fetish" and "The White of Noon" as a starting point to the onslaught of listening pleasure you will receive below (where you can hear the whole album). The former is redolent of the old Starfucker, more instrumental, more human, more pop-y like the commercial friendly "Rawnald Gregory Erickson 2nd", whilst the latter has a modern electro-synth sheen to it, layered with incomprehensible lyrics, undulating with perfectly balanced breaks and builds that make "The White of Noon" simply stunning. Both are pure greatness and the whole album is worth at least a modicum of your listening time in this face-paced, crazy-hectic world of music.

Listen To Reptilians here (until March 8th):

For those of you that missed listening to Reptilians for free before March 8th, you can at least download a free track from the album through the Polyvinyl Records website.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (10-1)

Top Ten Time!

Below's the final (and best) songs from my Best Of 2010 list. In case you missed it, click these super great links to see previous updates of this list:
[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (20-11)
[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (30-21)
[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (40-31)
Best of 2009 (Originally posted on mikejamesanddjkriegs.blogspot.com)
Best of 2008 (Originally posted on Facebook, y'know, the website from that movie)

10. "Howlin' For You" - The Black Keys

9. "Boyfriend" - Best Coast

8. "Rill Rill" - Sleigh Bells

7. "Marchin' In" - Lo-Fi-Fnk

6. "Telephone" (feat. Beyoncé) - Lady Gaga

5. "Giving Up The Gun" - Vampire Weekend

4. "Power" - Kanye West

3. "Glitter Freeze" (feat. Mark E. Smith) - Gorillaz

2. "Young Blood" - The Naked & Famous

1. "San Fran" - Kids Of 88

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (20-11)

Before launching in to the new year, I always like to take some time and remember the music that made the year before. So here's my "Top 40 Songs of 2010, Part Three: 20 - 11." I'll update the top 10 on Wednesday January 05 2010. In the highly likely event that I don't stick to my schedule, this page will be retconned to make me appear more competent than I actually am.

[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (20-11)
[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (30-21)
[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (40-31)
Best of 2009 (Originally posted on mikejamesanddjkriegs.blogspot.com)
Best of 2008 (Originally posted on Facebook, y'know, the website from that movie)

Please be patient while your super crunk music loads... :D It might take a few seconds

20. "Fuck You" - Cee-Lo Green

19. "Tightrope" (feat. Big Boi) - Janelle Monáe

18. "Vesuvius" - Sufjan Stevens

17. "Wait Up (Boots Of Danger)" (RAC Remix) - Tokyo Police Club

16. "The Cave" - Mumford & Sons

15. "Hang With Me" - Robyn

14. "Wires" - Matt & Kim

13. "Monster" - Kanye West

12. "I Think Ur A Contra" - Vampire Weekend

11. "Grow Till Tall" - Jónsi

Monday, January 3, 2011

[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (30-21)

Before launching in to the new year, I always like to take some time and remember the music that made the year before. So here's my "Top 40 Songs of 2010, Part Two: 30 - 21." I'll update 20-11 on Tuesday January 04 2010 and the top 10 on Wednesday January 05 2010. In the highly likely event that I don't stick to my schedule, this page will be retconned to make me appear more competent than I actually am.

[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (20-11)
[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (30-21)
[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (40-31)
Best of 2009 (Originally posted on mikejamesanddjkriegs.blogspot.com)
Best of 2008 (Originally posted on Facebook, y'know, the website from that movie)

Please be patient while your super crunk music loads... :D It might take a few seconds

30. "Wings Out" - Glowbug

29. "Þú Ert Sólin" - Ólafur Arnalds

28. "Collector" - Here We Go Magic

27. "Hall" (The One AM Radio Remix feat. The Los Feliz Ladies Choir) - Baths

26. "XXXO" - M.I.A.

25. "Older Brother" - Pepper Rabbit

24. "Bang Bang Bang" (ft. Q-Tip, MNDR) - Mark Ronson And The Business Intl

23. "She Just Likes To Fight" - Four Tet

*This is a remix of "She Just Likes To Fight"

22. "Mondegreen" - Yeasayer

*This is a live version of "Mondegreen"

21. "Norway" - Beach House

Sunday, January 2, 2011

[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (40-31)

Before launching in to the new year, I always like to take some time and remember the music that made the year before. So here's my "Top 40 Songs of 2010, Part One: 40 - 31." I'll update 30-21 on Monday January 03 2010, 20-11 on Tuesday January 04 2010, and the top 10 on Wednesday January 05 2010. In the highly likely event that I don't stick to my schedule, this page will be retconned to make me appear more competent than I actually am.

[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (20-11)
[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (30-21)
[music] // BEST OF: Top 40 Songs of 2010 (40-31)
Best of 2009 (Originally posted on mikejamesanddjkriegs.blogspot.com)
Best of 2008 (Originally posted on Facebook, y'know, the website from that movie)

Please be patient while your super crunk music loads... :D It might take a few seconds

40. "Sleep Paralysist" - Neon Indian