unpiano: music

Portland’s Glass Candy took a few years to settle into their thing. Always fun to see live, their 1st LP as Glass Candy And The Shattered Theater was a bit of a let down. Their 70’s glam-rock schtick was lost in the recording, and the LP ended up sounding like mediocre 90’s girl-punk. I wrote them off until I saw them a few years later with a revamped lineup and both feet fully planted in disco. Sure it’s still a schtick, but it hints at a sense of humor, and they pretty much nail it like no one else has. Here’s a few tracks off their Beatbox tour CD from a ways back.

Glass Candy - Beatific
Glass Candy - Etheric Device
Glass Candy - Computer Love (cover)

Roger Jouret was the drummer of phenomenal Belgian punk favorites Hubble Bubble until he split in 1976 to record a handful of novelty new wave hits under the name Plastic Bertrand. I’ve personally run across about 10 different covers of Ca Plane Pour Moi, from the Damned to The Headcoats to Sonic Youth and I think there are a bunch more. It was a huge European hit and even scored high on American charts, though rumors are still flying to whether or not Jouret was actually the singer, or if the real Plastic Bertrand was his producer Lou De Pryk backed by some studio musicians with Jouret on the covers because he had the look the kids wanted. Either way these early records are shitloads of fun (and the recently reissued Hubble Bubble records are a must).

Plastic Bertrand - Ca Plane Pour Moi
Plastic Bertrand - Le Petit Tortillard
Plastic Bertrand - Sha La La La Lee (Small Faces)

Bonus:
Plastic Bertrand - Ca Plane Pour Moi (live on Top Of The Pops)

It occurred to me the other day that one of my favorite Blonde Redhead albums might not be on the internet. Their first and self-titled album came out in ‘95 is obviously less refined then their latest work which I think sounds great. Personally I always liked when Kazu shrieked during the songs and this album has one of her most heart-wrenching and emotion-filled screams ever. Listen to the beginning of the second verse during ‘Swing Pool’ right when everything comes back in. It’s so high-pitched that it sounds like a guitar and yet it’s a perfectly on key vocal. Whatever note that is she sings is one of the ones that shoots straight into your chest. I just rewind it again and again. Anyways, the rest of the album is pretty amazing as well. The last song of the album ‘Girl Boy’ seems so intimate, especially from the drums. I have no idea how Steve Shelly, who produced the album, figured out how to do it.

Blonde Redhead - Swing Pool
Blonde Redhead - I Don’t Want U
Blonde Redhead - Boy Girl

Here’s a little slice of early 80’s minimal art-funk for the Spring. Just percussion jams and bass for the most part, with some NYC weirdo having at it with the mic. And yeah, Grandmaster Flash sampled “Cavern” for his classic “White Lines (Don’t Do It)”. I always loved Liquid Liquid’s repetitious grooves (probably the thing I liked most about Can), perfect for long drives, bike rides or breaking out of a long winter hibernation, hopping a train and heading to the club. That club being The Attic in S.F. tonight, where Jesse DJs the Tuff Town night with Jay Howell.

Liquid Liquid - Out
Liquid Liquid - Optimo
Liquid Liquid - Cavern

Thom Yorke - Reckoner (acoustic)

It’s from a set Thom Yorke played during Jonathan Ross’s show on Radio 2. You can listen to the original version by clicking here.

After hearing the Coughee Brothaz track ‘We Gettin’ High’, I came to the conclusion that at some point I’ll need to make a compilation of all my favorite rap songs to get high to. I don’t even smoke that much anymore, but I can still appreciate a song that makes you drop your seat to the back of the car. Damn, I just realized that I should have wrote this while I was high. Oh well, I always come up with my best ideas two seconds too late. Don’t be surprised if we’re having a conversation and I bust out with something funny I thought of from five minutes ago. Anyways, these guys are friends with Devin The Dude from out in Houston and anyone who is friends with Devin is a friend of mine.

Coughee Brothaz - We Gettin’ High
Coughee Brothaz - The More I Smoke

Bonus:
Coughee Brothaz - Don’t Get Me Wrong (youtube)

I’ve been listening to a bunch of Dntel stuff lately. It’s really pretty and makes good traveling music, although sometimes I find it a little emo for my tastes. It reminds me of how The Postal Service could have been great if that guy from Death Cab just shut the fuck up. However, having said that.. if I want to wallow and think things over for a while, this is the perfect stuff. It should also be stated that Jimmy Tamborello is pretty much a genius and almost all his projects are worth listening to. I’m also gonna go ahead and admit that I’m borrowing heavily from Hammerhead Shark Attack, which is an excellent blog to check for music and other stuff if you haven’t been there before.

Dntel - Don’t Get Your Hopes Up
Dntel - Turning Red
Dntel - These Days (People Press Play remix)
Dntel - Anywhere Anyone

Bonus:
Sound of Color videos

Sorry that I haven’t posted in a while. I was in New York all last week and just got back home tonight. I promise to post something tomorrow..

EDIT:
Adam (who I just talked about in the post above) posted a couple of good ones in the comments section.

Just watched Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind again the other night. Some people really dislike Michel Gondry and hated the movie with a passion. I never understood why. Maybe it was too much for them to handle as he can be a little jumpy with his film editing sometimes. Anyway, I think one of the things that made it so sweet and sad is the score written by Jon Brion. He’s made quite a career for himself doing the scores for films like Punch Drunk Love and I ♥ Huckabees, as well as working with everyone from Elliot Smith to Kanye West (seriously). He has done solo stuff to, but to be honest I think I like the film scores better.

Jon Brion - Phone Call
Jon Brion - Peer Pressure
Jon Brion - Theme
Jon Brion - Postcard

Bonus:
Audio Clip from Eternal Sunshine For The Spotless Mind
(I’m not sure why, but the way she says “Oh, I’m sorry..” is so loving and sincere that it makes me feel better just hearing it. Too bad it’s so rare to feel like you can tell someone else just about anything.)