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Holly Miranda and I recently squeezed in a conversation about...

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:10:29 -0500

Holly Miranda and I recently squeezed in a conversation about her ever-approaching solo album, The Magician’s Private Library, and a good portion of it is featured over at Paste. We’re both ready for Natalie Merchant’s resurgence.

Judging by Holly’s loud rawk past as a principal member of the Jealous Girlfriends, folktacular songs from her more distant past, and the Lauryn Hill cover from her Black Cab Sessions posted above, she can meld her powerful voice to any situation. Her new album is brawnier, knottier and brassier than anything that’s come before, (evidence: “Forest Green Oh Forest Green”) and it’s going to make some artful noise come February.

I Don't Like Portable People Meters, But Rob Thomas Probably Does

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:12:00 -0500

A NYTimes report discusses the radio industry’s switch from survey-based ratings to...

Predict Pitchfork's Top 10

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:23:03 -0500

catbird: Pitchfork is posting their “Best Of” 2009 lists this week (“Songs” = done, “Albums” =...

Melanie Fiona’s “Give it to Me Right” could...

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:00:00 -0500

Melanie Fiona’s “Give it to Me Right” could make my top 10 singles of 2009.

Even if Maxwell’s “Pretty Wings” and the Kells-Keri masterpiece “Number One” place higher on those stone tablets I carve at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31, please join me in celebration of Ms. Fiona for:

1. Being a Canadian R&B artist, and going all Drake or Metric or Gordon Lightfoot on the U.S. market.

2. Snagging a Grammy nomination.

3. Introducing children everywhere to the Zombies’ “Time of the Season.”

Holiday party mix courtesy of Yours Truly (not me) if you, and...

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:20:00 -0500

Holiday party mix courtesy of Yours Truly (not me) if you, and guests who showed up dressed to impress, like crate-digger beats from the past decade.

A Boom-Bap Continuum: Beats from ‘99 to ‘09 features more than “200 tracks by more than 50 producers in a matter of 80 minutes.” A must for any holiday host who spent more than a little time listening to the rawest stuff produced by Madlib, DJ Shadow and J. Dilla, and also let Boards of Canada, Nosaj Thing and Prefuse 73 melt gray matter with their thump-and-grind psychedelia. This is what you want looped all night.

A couple great inclusions:

Erick Sermon’s “Music” featuring Marvin Gaye

Craig David’s “7 Days (DJ Premier Remix)” featuring Mos Def

The High & Mighty’s “Dirty Decibels” featuring Pharoahe Monch

In addition to the heavy hitters, DJs 2tall, Clockwork and Kper have assembled plenty of sorta-knowns, lesser-knowns and never-knowns. Depending upon your level of underground hip-hop completism, this will either sound like a run-through of your recent purchases at Fat Beats, or all the killer moments from your pile of Another Late Night/LateNightTales/DJ Kicks discs with the filler swept under the IKEA throw rug.

Tip: Make sure you’ve got some crudité game if you don’t want the guests to yak up their Sofia Minis all over the fresh hand towels.

"I’m not SELLING OUT by doing a song for NEW MOON… People thought I “SOLD..."

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:10:20 -0500

“I’m not SELLING OUT by doing a song for NEW MOON… People thought I “SOLD...

Unless George Winston takes up skateboarding, moves to Montana...

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:06:48 -0500

Unless George Winston takes up skateboarding, moves to Montana and adds trucker caps to his wardrobe, Jason Lytle has recorded a holiday album of solo piano compositions that only an ex-Grandaddy frontman with a proclivity for chemical experimentation can manage. (Here’s looking at you, “Out Cold On Indian Ambien.”)

The seven batshit-titled, reflective tracks — including a faithful run-through of the Beatles’ “Michelle” — on Merry X-Mas 2009 are available for preview and free download over here.

Based upon a conversation I had with Lytle for Paste earlier this year, this compilation doesn’t come as a complete surprise.

Paste: “Fürget it” and “This Song is the Mute Button” stand out in this collection because they’re so tranquil.
Lytle: It’s good to hear, man. Thanks. I have a lot of songs similar to that that have ended up B-sides, for lack of a better term, castoffs. That’s the stuff that comes naturally to me. It was nice to have a platform for that and not be so worried about: “Gotta make a record, it’s gotta sound like a band.” Blah Blah Blah. I could easily make a double album with songs like that. Actually, one of my concerns with this record was, I wanted it to be a little more adventurous or extreme in some direction, but I knew it was my only opportunity for a debut solo album. I had to think a bit. I had to make it more well-balanced…

Eventually I just got to the point where I wanted to make a well-rounded record. The second one will be a complete mess. I’m looking forward to making the messy one.

He adds on the Anti- Blog that: “I am currently at work on a new album and although I’m quite sure none of the songs will end up on the radio… I’m guaranteeing that this will be the weirdest most wonderful mayhem I have made yet!”

The Gummi Bears didn’t breakdance for nothing. VEVO is up....

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:36:00 -0500

The Gummi Bears didn’t breakdance for nothing. VEVO is up. Google/Universal’s new music video site looks kinda like Vimeo with all of the advert potential you were missing. You are still watching what some call the same lame gimmicks that artists have lately used as blog fuel.

Here, Kid Cudi alternates between popping bottles with regular photo shoot cohort Drake (who doesn’t figure into this recording) and looking like a crasher at his own party in his “Pursuit of Happiness” clip. The lesson: spraying expensive bubbly on the pretty people who were hired for the shoot is not what Cudi signed up for, but the only way to get that across to his viewing public is to still do the deed, albeit indifferently.

By the way:

“Internet rappers have had a great two years, and the fame does count. I mean, every new artist that has made any significant amount of noise is owed to the internet. Take Drake, Kid Cudi, Asher Roth, Big Sean, Wale, etc. Their stomping ground was the internet at first, and they definitely used it to their advantage.”

When you’re done laughing at the Washington Post’s...

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:34:36 -0500

When you’re done laughing at the Washington Post’s “9/11 is a joke” correction, let Stereogum’s montage of bands that (spoiler alert!) went to that champagne supernover in the sky in 2009 be the conversation piece for the weekend.

No one told me that Cyann & Ben broke up. Sigh.

Gold star to anyone who can withstand all six minutes of a Kenny...

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:26:21 -0500

Gold star to anyone who can withstand all six minutes of a Kenny G-flavored version of Beck’s “Sexx Laws” with accompanying visuals. Get more history on the the track, which Mr. Hansen correctly indicates “beautifully evokes the abandon of smooth,” over at LA Weekly’s West Coast Sound.

What's Rocking My Yacht Today

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:26:55 -0500

From What A Fool Believes’ 2009 – Year in Music or: God Bless You Animal Collective (with...

Sound Of The City Saves List of Decade's Worst Songs (Compiled by Two of the Best)

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:31:31 -0500

Sound Of The City Saves List of Decade's Worst Songs (Compiled by Two of the Best) :...

Have we entered an era when the new rock bands build hits with...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:20:00 -0500

Have we entered an era when the new rock bands build hits with pieces of the classic rock bands’ celebrated songs? In my Animal Collective Fall Be Kind EP review for Alternative Press, I describe their use of a vocal sample from the Grateful Dead’s “Unbroken Chain” for “What Would I Want? Sky.” That’s the EP artwork above, by the way.

Sampling, when done well, creates a fresh context for found sounds, and we go “I can’t believe they did that, cool.” The Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, Public Enemy and other rap acts pillaged rock to give a razor-sharp (Razr-sharp?) edge to their beats, but sometimes it was painfully obvious where the beat came from. Several behemoth bands resisted this treatment at the time, and it’s still pretty tough to legally use Led Zeppelin if you don’t have Eminem or Diddy money today. But imagine the Decemberists sampling the Pogues, Man Man lifting a little Tom Waits, the Dirty Projectors hooking up with David Byrn—oh wait.

I had not heard “Unbroken Chain” prior to writing this review, but the experience of listening to the source material and matching it up got me thinking about my youth. I think I first understood what a sample was after watching Vanilla Ice explain to MTV the vast differences between “Ice Ice Baby” and “Under Pressure” (and I wish I could find that interview archived on YouTube). Needless to say, Animal Collective have taken greater steps to create their own song here, but “What Would I Want? Sky” would not be the career statement that it is without Phil Lesh’s distorted flow on the hook.

Required Reading: My Pal Ben's Beer Blog

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:09:37 -0500

My Park Slope neighbor and Turkey Trot adversary Ben has been posting detailed insights on local...

Due to upcoming Facebook changes, my Music data (?) is at risk....

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:20:46 -0500

Due to upcoming Facebook changes, my Music data (?) is at risk. Is Taylor Swift responsible for this?

White, Nerdy and Fabulous: Weird Al helps us better know the...

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:01:00 -0500

White, Nerdy and Fabulous: Weird Al helps us better know the Auto-Tune meme with a cameo by the I Am T-Pain iPhone App.

Best Coast’s “When I’m With You” video...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:43:08 -0500

Best Coast’s “When I’m With You” video co-opts a dizzying dance number from Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (thx, MBV). Look out, lovey dovey mixtapes!

Micachu & the Shapes’ “Turn Me Well” video...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:17:38 -0500

Micachu & the Shapes’ “Turn Me Well” video reminds me of this Beastie Boys clip.

Warpaint, who just inked a deal with Rough Trade, were among my...

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:26:27 -0400

Warpaint, who just inked a deal with Rough Trade, were among my CMJ faves. Just to keep my streak of value-added postings alive, the Los Angeles psychedelic songstresses’ “Stars” video is above.

For anyone who didn’t find their way to my CMJ coverage at Paste’s site with my regular nudges, read my thoughts on day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4-5.

Video: Tegan and Sara - “Hell” I can’t stop...

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:33:40 -0400

Video: Tegan and Sara - “Hell”

I can’t stop listening to the new Tegan and Sara album. Sainthood is a sophisticated collection of pop songs that can set the duo up a lifetime of co-writing with the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry and Pink. Believe.