Archive for May, 2008

Hi! Hello!

Monday, May 26th, 2008
Hi Hello Hmmm.. So from what I can gather, Hi! Hello! is pretty much this guy from New Jersey named Daryl Shelton. Sounds like he may do all this on his own, but sometimes I see hints of another person in the band. Anyways, these are all just guesses from things I pulled off the web and some emails I've gotten. If anyone else knows more, please say so in the comments. I'd like to hear more from this band and I could probably listen to that 'Rulers (preview)' track all day long (I also have no idea why the preview for the song is not in the actual song). Hi! Hello! - Rulers (preview) Hi! Hello! - Rulers Hi! Hello! - Machine Song Hi! Hello! - Hustle and Flow Bonus: Hi! Hello! - Machine Song (video) You can see more videos, including the writing of songs and some practice recordings here.

Posted in Indie Rock, Math Rock | 1 Comment »

Foals

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
Foals I have a hard time listening to the new Foals record while sitting around the house or in the car, but it's ideal for bike rides when you need some energy or maybe playing records at a bar. I had this same problem with the Bloc Party records and I'm not quite sure why this is. I think I find this type of Brit-pop (and it is pop for sure) borderline cheesy. Maybe it's the accent or the fact that they are taking it so seriously. And I can tell it's serious because the production value is impeccable and the drumming is always so tight and complex (almost math-rock-like). Also, I head they fired TV On The Radio Dave Sitek as a producer because he mixed the record too spacey. Geeez relax guys, there will be another bus along in five minutes.. All this aside though, Big Big Love is a great song and Balloons is classic coke-jam if I ever heard one. Foals - Balloons Foals - Big Big Love (Fig. 2) Foals - Olympic Airways Foals - Heavy Water Bonus: Foals - Olympic Airways (video)

Posted in Indie Rock, Pop | No Comments »

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti

Saturday, May 17th, 2008
Ariel Pink It's still nice and warm out, so here's some more Ariel Pink to play in the park.. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Interesting Results Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Shaven Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Ghost Town Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - My Molly

Posted in Indie Rock, Lo-Fi | No Comments »

Santogold

Thursday, May 15th, 2008
Santogold Wow, it's like eighty degrees in San Francisco right now and it's two in the morning. That happens rarely, even in the summer, and it makes me want to hear summertime music. I read about Brooklyn's Santogold a while back and then after seeing an article in Entertainment Weekly, I decided that I was over it (because I'm a music elitist). However, it got played in my car the other day and I got proven wrong yet again. There are some really good songs on her album. Yes, most of the good songs sound like other bands (M.I.A., The Pixies and Yeah Yeah Yeahs respectively), but her voice is sort of amazing and the songs are produced by Diplo, Switch etc. so you know something good is bound to come out of it. 'Lights Out' is a great track, but it sounded too polished and slightly in the same vain as that Kelly Clarkson song 'Since You've Been Gone'. Luckily there's a remix that takes some of that polished edge off and still keeps that Summertime bike ride feeling. I feel like all these songs might have been made with that music statistics machine I've ranted about before (the ones that music companies use to tell them what combination of notes people like to hear) because I can't get this song out of my head. Or not.. I dunno, I've been drinking and I should probably go to bed. Santogold - Lights Out Santogold - Lights Out (remix) Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes Bonus: Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes (video)

Posted in Electronic, Indie Rock, Pop | 2 Comments »

Portishead

Monday, May 12th, 2008
Portishead Man, I'm really disappointed by the new Portishead record Third. I keep listening to it again and again hoping I'll change my mind, but to no avail. Granted, it gets points for not sounding dated. Somehow they managed to keep sounding like themselves but not sound like it was 1994. That's no easy feat and I give them credit hands down. Unfortunately, it's just a boring record. The production value is incredible as always, but there aren't really any songs that grabbed me or sounds to be intrigued by (remember that kick drum on 'It Could Be Sweet'?). I don't know what else to say about this. Maybe they should have gone out on a high note with that live show in NYC. Anyways, I posted the best couple of tracks below.. and p.s. I think they should do the theme song for a Bond movie at some point. Just putting that out there. Portishead - Threads Portishead - The Rip Portishead - Magic Doors

Posted in Downtempo, Electronic | 1 Comment »

Daniel Paquette

Thursday, May 8th, 2008
Daniel Paquette I wasn't able to find out that much about Chicago's Daniel Paquette. I pulled the name off a mix I heard on a friend's website after hearing the song 'Too Little Too Late'. Most of his music has that sad-but-hopefull feeling that I've come to incorporate into my everyday life. I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to melancholy.. I think I just find it very honest. It doesn't mean you've given up, you're just thinking stuff over.. and it's probably going to be okay. Daniel Paquette - Too Little Too Late Daniel Paquette - Kelso Believes In You Daniel Paquette - For You To Knock Down Daniel Paquette - Jump Into This Sack

Posted in Folk, Indie Rock | No Comments »

Scrabbel

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
Scrabbel Yet another band that has snuck up on me. San Francisco's Scrabbel has been around for a minute but never had a track I felt I could really sink my teeth into. However, it looks like there are some new songs popping up from the new album which could mean I change my tune 180 degrees. Contradiction is perhaps one of my favorite pastimes if you didn't already know. Seriously though, keep an eye out for their upcoming shows, I head the SXSW performance was really fun. Also check out their records covers and t-shirts which are sometimes designed by the always impressive Nathalie Roland. Scrabbel - Emily, I Scrabbel - The Getaway (Sorry, you'll have to listen to it on MySpace) Bonus: Scrabbel - Emily, I (video)

Posted in Indie Rock, Pop | 2 Comments »

The Real People

Thursday, May 1st, 2008
Zach Condon Back in 2001 and before forming Beirut, Zach Condon was part of an band called The Real People (not to be confused with the UK band from the eighties). Like a lot of artists in their early bands, the music is heavily electronic and sort of lo-fi. All of this sounds fantastic however, when paired up with Zach's unbelievable crooning. His mellow delivery just cuts through the synth lines and sits happily out on top. The other amazing thing about this band if he is something like 21 now, he would have been very very young when all this was recorded (try 15). I can't help but draw instant Ian Curtis comparisons, but can you blame me? Young kid with an incredible voice, deadpan delivery, electronic sounding rock band, lo-fi demos.. get my drift? Anyways, all of this talk aside, this record is great.. and long. It clocks in with 21 untitled tracks that were very hard to choose from. The Real People - Track 1 The Real People - Track 2 The Real People - Track 5 The Real People - Track 7 The Real People - Track 10 Bonus: Read more about the album..

Posted in Electronic, Indie Rock | 1 Comment »