unpiano: music

I know I’m late on this one, haven’t you figured that out about me yet? Someone always tells me about these bands, but I hear band names so often that I just tune them out. I think I need to hear a song to make it stick. Sort of like putting a name to a face. Anyways, my friend told me about LCD Soundsystem a while back and then yelled at me for playing it in my car last week. I can’t help it though ‘Someone Great’ gets stuck in your head like crazy. It was also just named one of the top ten singles by Entertainment Weekly. That makes me feel weird.

LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great
LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends

I avoided this Battles record forever because the word “prog” kept showing up in every description of them and that gave me the willies. I’m stoked I eventually caved because Mirrored is a ripper. Mathy and quirky, but catchy in a way that technical, math-rock normally isn’t.

Battles – Leyendecker
Battles – Tij
Battles – Atlas

Here are a trio of covers that have been sounding good to me lately. Calexico does an amazing job of breaking down ‘Guns Of Brixton’ and making it appropriately creepy. Yeah Yeah Yeahs create a version of ‘Diamond Sea’ that is even sleepier and more floaty. The Bloc Party cover is cheesy, I know, but have you ever heard that Nelly Furtado song before? I had totally forgotten about it until I heard this cover. Two pop songs colliding together always make me happy (for like the first 10 times). Don’t worry, I’ll hate that one in a week or so.

Calexico – The Guns Of Brixton
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Diamond Sea
Bloc Party – Say It Right

The new wave of shoegaze, nu-gaze, whatever, is a big wet steaming pile of shit. Sorry, but its true. It’s as if a whole generation of kids hellbent on creating their own version of “Loveless” missed the point entirely and instead over-saturated a scene of limp, lifeless, daydreaming gear nerds with soul-less sounds to stare off into space to. I can count the bands on one hand (with fingers to spare) who took the sound of My Bloody Valentine, Ride, etc. and ran in the right direction. Electro Group is one of those very few, and is easily my favorite. Instead of wasting away in dreamy soundscapes of dreamy dreaminess, Electro Group pulled together ripping pop riffs, club-fisted cave-man drumming and drenched it all in tape-melting, ear-splitting white noise. They dabble in tape loops and incidental noise tracks as accents, but steer clear of making 20 minute stoner jerk off jams a focal point to their records. Blissful, blistering pop that achieves a delicate balance of pretty and punishing. After a fairly prolific and high profile few years of shows and releases, the band disappeared almost entirely, only recently reappearing after almost 6 years to start again with a new album and more on the way (fat chance of ever seeing them live again though).

Electro Group -Line Of Sight
Electro Group -Continental
Electro Group -Manimal
Electro Group -Bikini States
Electro Group -Trauma

This Blues Control record crept up on me over a few listens, but once I was hooked, I was hooked. Foggy, fuzzed out guitars, spacey electronics and a layer or two of assorted noise-making junk makes for a hazy head spin into a world founded by Faust, This Heat and the like. The hissing, psychedelic atmosphere created by this duo creates reminds me a bit of Flying Saucer Attack as well. I’ve seen this being held up as one of the year’s best, definitely in my top 10 to put on when coming off a bender.

Blues Control – Always One Time
Blues Control – End Zone

My friend just made a podcast to go along with an interview he had done. On the podcast was this song by the Brooklyn’s My Teenage Stride. The song pretty much blew my mind and I tried to go buy the record. Unfortunately they don’t have any vinyl out, so I have to play these songs on my ipod when I dj which is always lame. On the plus side though, while I was researching them I found a bunch more great songs. Oh, and they are from Massachusetts which makes me like them more I guess, but only for matters relating to hometown pride.

My Teenage Stride – Reversal
My Teenage Stride – Ears Like Golden Bats
My Teenage Stride – American Car
My Teenage Stride – Let’s Go To The Firewalk

Saw The King Kahn & BBQ Show a while back and they put on a pretty amazing live show. I think I had only heard them once before I saw them but it didn’t even matter. I’m not sure how two people can sound so full, but they pull it off. To top that all off they played three shows back to back in San Francisco and Oakland. Now that’s a fucking work ethic.

The King Kahn & BBQ Show – Zombies
The King Kahn & BBQ Show – Why Don’t You Lie?

Bonus:
The King Kahn & BBQ Show – Why Don’t You Lie? (video)

I’ll be honest with you. I stayed up last night till five in the morning drinking and taking drugs (what else is new). I woke up close to 4pm and I feel like I’m going to die. Even after a full meal and lots of water, I’m emotionally unstable and horrifyingly bored. I was debating how I could beat this feeling, until I opened my email. My friend sent me over the new Black Kids EP and it’s so so good. I have listened to it on repeat about 5 times now and I instantly feel better. They have that Cure, Arcade Fire type of melody where you just know everything is going to end up alright. Of course, the other influences are pretty obvious (hear any Morrissey in those lyrics?) but who cares, the songs are enough. An EP where every song is a single is rare in my book. Plus they have no label and are from Florida.. yeah Florida. Maybe I’ve been wrong about that state.

I love when music makes me happy enough not to need anything else to get where I’m trying to go.

Black Kids – Hit The Heartbreaks
Black Kids – I’m Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend To Dance With You
Black Kids – Hurricane Jane
Black Kids – I’ve Underestimated My Charm (Again)

Bonus:
Black Kids – Hurricane Jane (beige remix)