tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67666947904695816212010-03-19T13:15:18.962-06:00Philhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14957551497770985215noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-87644131481699603312010-03-14T10:11:00.003-06:002010-03-19T13:15:18.974-06:00<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7348589@N02/4414777654/" title="Weekly Release Spotlight (3.08.10) - Gonjasufi"><span class="photo_container pc_m"></span></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7348589@N02/4431754343/" title="Weekly Release Spotlight 3.14.10"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4431754343_18faa1820b_m.jpg" alt="Weekly Release Spotlight 3.14.10" class="pc_img" width="240" border="0" height="240" /></a></div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">The Besnard Lakes<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night</span> </div><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Jagjaguwar]</p></span> <p><span style="font-family: Arial;">From the swirl of warm red and orange album art and liquid feedback to sweetly harmonized falsetto vocals, The Besnard Lakes explore the frontier of indie pop with their second album, “The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night.” Similar in title to their previous release “The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse,” the Montreal-based husband and wife duo assert confidence in their ability to represent a journey both visually and aurally. Through songs defined well enough to guide listeners while leaving ample space for the introspective experience that shoegaze so often provides, Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas return from the night with a promising message about their musical future.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial;">Recording at Lasek’s studio must have removed a great deal of the time constraints many artists face when making an album, as reflected in the extensive layers of effects-laden instruments. The straightforward songwriting style and overdriven tube amplifiers provide comforting shag carpet-like ground cover in a dauntingly massive room of unfamiliar sound. After floating on a cushion of aquatic reverb guitar and electric organ surrounded by Goreas’ haunting vocals, “Land and Living Skies Pt. 2: The Living Skies” gives way to a harmonized guitar solo driven by more stabilizing drums. Lasek, Goreas, and company remind their audience that there is in fact solid ground somewhere beneath their feet with the chugging “And This is What We Call Progress,” while ambient tunes like “Albatross” and “Light Up the Night” provide more of a bird’s eye view on the sonic landscape.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Arial;">While a lot of epic instrumental music passes so ephemerally by, concerned more with generating an evocative portrait of the current moment, The Besnard Lakes generate subtle hooks that remain embedded in listeners’ minds. While the title presents a foreboding glimpse into a dark abyss, the story told through “The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night” offers reassurance that the group has encountered the boundary between known and unknown. Their exploration has bred the discovery of new musical hybrids, and with a new, accessible album, widespread understanding is soon to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;"><i><i> Written by Alex Hamberger, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p> <p style="font-family: arial;"><strong>Stream: The Besnard Lakes - Albatross</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/BesnardLakes.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/BesnardLakes.mp3">Download</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-8764413148169960331?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-48050634721103750492010-03-07T13:35:00.005-06:002010-03-07T13:43:42.787-06:00<p></p> <div style="text-align: center;"><span class="photo_container pc_m"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7348589@N02/4414777654/" title="Weekly Release Spotlight (3.08.10) - Gonjasufi"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4414777654_7226fab195_m.jpg" alt="Weekly Release Spotlight (3.08.10) - Gonjasufi" class="pc_img" width="240" border="0" height="240" /></a></span></div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Gonjasufi<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Sufi and a Killer</span> </div><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Warp]</p></span> <span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > A quick lesson in Middle Eastern spirituality may serve as the best preface to Los Angeles-raised, Las Vegas-stationed Sumach Ecks’ first album, recorded under the pseudonym Gonjasufi. Sufism, though easily mistaken by Wikipedia readers as simply a branch of Islam, is a belief system centered on the goal of discovering truth by shedding the “false self” and appreciating conflicting points of view. Recent Warp signee Ecks serves listeners a musical stew, combining psychedelic funk, digital circuit bending techno bleeps, trance-inducing sitar melodies and drones, and generally haunting metaphoric lyrics. Using his voice to entice like steam wafting from the curious concoction of complementary instrumental sounds and production techniques, <i>A Sufi and a Killer</i> delivers beauty through opposition, reflecting the Sufi ideological quest for truth through a diminished sense of self.</span> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <br><br>While the production of fellow Warp artists Gaslamp Killer and Flying Lotus create other-worldliness through reverb-heavy synthesizers and echoing looped vocals on “Kobwebz” and “Kowboyz &amp; Indians”, <i>A Sufi and a Killer</i> retains an unmistakably analog vibe, thanks in part to the very organic rhythm section used for the end of “Sheep” and on “Change”. The entire record is accompanied by a steady, scraping hiss that warmly reminds listeners of the “old days”: gathering around the quadraphonic stereo, watching a wax disc spin endlessly beneath a needle, music encircling and engulfing all involved. Ecks and Silver Lake Records artist AGDM spent hours behind the same board the late J-Dilla used to transform rough cuts into intriguing sonic swirls. While fans have the omnipresent digital-age option to purchase (or pirate) <i> A Sufi and a Killer</i> online, Warp Records will be releasing and promoting both CD and vinyl formats, offering listeners who still care to collect music’s tangible artifacts the opportunity to do so. </span></p> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> <br>Paying homage to one’s forebears, both musical and non-musical, is of utmost importance to Sumach Ecks. Acknowledging the wisdom and rebirth that accompany age, Ecks reminds listeners in track fifteen, the down-home-blues-inspired “Ageing”, that “Before you die/you will end up again a child”. After almost an hour’s worth of heavy food for thought, nearly five and a half minutes of silence punctuate the final track “Made” before a rousing outro. Whether the yoga-instructing songwriter included this bit to afford listeners stillness during which to digest or the record company sought to fill otherwise wasted disc space, the listener is left in anticipation of Gonjasufi’s next course.</span></p> <br><br> <p style="font-family: arial;"><strong>Stream: Gonjasufi - Ancestors</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/gonjasufi.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/gonjasufi.mp3">Download</a></p> <p style="font-family: arial;"><i><i> Written by Alex Hamberger, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-4805063472110375049?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-50568672938543359172010-03-01T08:46:00.005-06:002010-03-03T10:14:34.372-06:00<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <span class="photo_container pc_m"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7348589@N02/4403562633/" title="WRS 03.01.10 - These New Puritans [Domino]"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4403562633_e0952ddc1c_m.jpg" alt="WRS 03.01.10 - These New Puritans [Domino]" class="pc_img" width="240" border="0" height="240" /></a></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">These New Puritans<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hidden</span> </div><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Domino]</p> <br><br> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Interesting. Complex. Polarizing. The first words evoked by These New Puritans’ second LP reflect its title well, as Hidden demands a bit more from the listener than the average album in uncovering numerous and wide-ranging influences. Though their debut Beat Pyramid (released in 2008) is structured around references to philosophical antiquity, the content remains fairly accessible thanks to predominantly standard instrumentation and arrangement. Alluding to Greek mythology (the hero Memnon appears in track four, “Hologram”) and legendry of the Middle Ages (Sir Galahad and his fellow knights receiving attention in track two, “We Want War”), the sophomore effort from These New Puritans is a deep narrative delivered through a denser, texturally captivating sound mosaic.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > <br><br> In a collaborative endeavor, UK rock producer Graham Sutton, Los Angeles-based, hip hop-seasoned mixing engineer Dave Cooley, and lead lyricist/singer Jack Barnett pour thick layers of instrumental accompaniment provided by Japanese Taiko drums, Czech and British brass and woodwind choirs, chains, knives, and futuristic synthesizers as a foundation for most tracks on Hidden. Persistently pounding dance-like drumbeats propel more melodically cyclical songs such as “Three-Thousand” and “Attack Music”, while chorale-style instrumental arrangements expand “Orion” and “Drum Courts- Where Corals Lie”. These New Puritans reference antiquity more strongly than ever in this last piece, working with their accompanying ensemble to render a unique arrangement of Sir Edward Elgar’s 18th Century song cycle “Sea Pictures”. <br><br> Perhaps Barnett describes his band’s album when he sings in “White Chords”: “Frames of colour flicker between ancient and brand new”. In addition to the instrumental contrast between contemporary and traditional, the album itself is framed much like a classical music performance. The first and last pieces of Hidden serve respectively as introduction and conclusion, and “Canticle”, the eighth track, provides an instrumental interlude. True to compositional form, melodic themes that the brass and wind ensemble introduce in “Time Xone” return amidst a modernized musical setting in track six, “Fire-Power”. Undoubtedly an album intended to be listened to from start to finish, Hidden offers listeners far more than a collection of eleven separate tracks. Through subtle insinuations paired with danceable rhythms, These New Puritans present listeners a taste of “high culture” format palpable to the masses.</span> <br><br> <p><strong>Stream: These New Puritans - Orion</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/thesenewpuritans.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/thesenewpuritans.mp3">Download</a></p> <div class="MsoNormal"> Find more These New Puritans at the <a href="http://www.dominorecordco.us/mart/">Domino Records store</a></div> <p><i><i> Written by Alex Hamberger, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-5056867293854335917?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-89910600350299723372010-02-21T22:22:00.003-06:002010-02-22T07:16:21.178-06:00<p></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 209px; height: 209px;" alt="http://commonfolkmeadow.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/shearwater-the-golden-archipelago.jpg" src="http://commonfolkmeadow.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/shearwater-the-golden-archipelago.jpg" /> </div> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Shearwater<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>The Golden Archipelago </i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Matador]</p> </p><p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">While Jonathan Meiburg and his band may not have recorded their album in conjunction with the release of a feature film about one young man’s search for meaning and his subsequent travels to Alaska (see <i style="">Into the Wild</i> and dig Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack), the music alone on <i style="">The Golden Archipelago</i> allows listeners the opportunity to imagine the multiple perspectives of life on a small grouping of islands.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">With years of ornithological study (essentially bird watching) affording Meiburg the opportunity to island hop the world over and an appreciation for all things natural, Shearwater’s frontman opens a window into his travels and the melancholy that resulted thereof.</span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Grammy-award-winning producer John Congleton, whose name graces the liner notes of quite a diverse collection of bands including Modest Mouse and The Roots, aided Shearwater in wresting appropriate island images, depending on the song’s narrator.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">While the almost tribal drums in “Landscape at Speed” and sustained string passages and cascading bells in “Hidden Lakes” engulf the listener in mystical beauty, the straight forward driving beats that propel “Black Eyes” and Corridors” are reminders of humanity’s influence on the land.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The introspective songs “God Made Me” and “An Insular Life” feature Meiburg and company’s ability to incorporate slow tempos and warping effects in creating vast ambience.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">“Runners of the Sun” slides back and forth between open string-accompanied vocal melodies and steady rhythmic progress.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">It’s like seeing sections of solid ground amidst an ocean of sound.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Originally intending to include with each purchase of <i style="">The Golden Archipelago</i> a hard copy of what Meiburg has named “The Golden Dossier” but hampered by the realities of funding during hard economic times, Shearwater has now made this collection of photographs available on their website (www.shearwatermusic.com).</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The content is a hand-selected portion of Meiburg’s diary-like record of his travels and studies.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Though scrolling through the fifty or so PDF pages is no replacement for the tactile experience flipping through a tidily bound collection of typewritten documents and color photographs, the downloadable version is thought provoking material to accompany the vivid images Shearwater paints with their music.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> <p style="font-family: arial;"></p> <p><strong>Stream: Shearwater - Corridors</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" height="24" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/shearwater2.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/shearwater2.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Alex Hamberger, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-8991060035029972337?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-18438448929969022642010-02-14T20:40:00.004-06:002010-02-24T08:06:55.513-06:00<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 214px; height: 197px;" alt="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_90euePqSZ78/SzfqOo97ODI/AAAAAAAAAmc/NxnzNymNpyU/s400/Other+Side+of+Love.jpg" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_90euePqSZ78/SzfqOo97ODI/AAAAAAAAAmc/NxnzNymNpyU/s400/Other+Side+of+Love.jpg" /></div><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Malachai<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ugly Side of Love</span> </div><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Domino]</p> <span lang="EN"><p>You may recognize the name Malachai as a book of the Bible, but chances are what rings a bell first is the creepy, red-haired antagonist of the same name in 1984’s <em>Children of the Corn</em> (by the way, we are truly living in modern times when a Stephen King movie trumps the Bible in familiarity). But whether it’s the Old Testament or a horror movie that is this Bristol duo’s muse, the end result is the same: chaos. A descent into chaos is really the only way to describe Malachai’s debut record, <em>Ugly Side of Love</em>. And we’re not talking lame psychological thriller chaotic (or that TV show Britney Spears and Kevin Federline once had). We’re talking unsettling, time/space continuum-defying, vengeful Old Testament God <em>plus</em> evil children lurking in the corn chaotic. And that’s just a few songs in.</p> <p>Discovered by another genre bender, Geoff Barrow of Portishead (whose Invada label originally released it), Malachai does incorporate some of the expected cutting-edge trip hop, reggae, dubstep and samples that are the musical landmarks of the Bristol scene. But just when your brain has gotten used to hearing what sounds like it’s from the future – the dark, pulsing drum and bass of "Blackbird" or the scratched samples of "Only for You" or "Fading World" - an organ, a heavy riff or a distorted Carpenters-esque acoustic guitar loop is magically transplanted from somewhere in the '60s or '70s to confuse and disorient you. "Snowflake," with its funky samples, would not at all sound out of place on <em>Sgt. Peppers</em>, or on the <em>Tommy</em> or (seriously) <em>Jesus Christ Superstar</em> soundtracks. "How Long" even borrows a riff from Canadian classic rockers the Guess Who’s "Hand Me Down Love." </p> <p>More than just past meets future, listening to <span style="font-style: italic;">Ugly Side of Love</span> is like hearing a future your mind can’t quite wrap itself around transmitted through an old AM radio. The ability of Singer G’s voice to shapeshift right along with the music’s devolution into chaos makes for an even more exciting ride, and one you’ll probably never again experience (unless of course Malachai releases another record). Never has anything so confusing made so much sense. </p></span><p><strong>Stream: Malachai - Fading World</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" height="24" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/malachai.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/malachai.mp3">Download</a></p> <div class="MsoNormal"> Find more Owen Pallett at the <a href="http://www.dominorecordco.us/mart/">Domino Records store</a></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-1843844892996902264?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-10578792536388806122010-02-08T07:41:00.004-06:002010-02-08T07:48:53.728-06:00<div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 201px; height: 201px;" alt="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_y5pXc89OkcQ/SzVSwTZ3WKI/AAAAAAAAAWU/lgL9qfJBA4E/s320/1249229236_eyelid-movies.jpg" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_y5pXc89OkcQ/SzVSwTZ3WKI/AAAAAAAAAWU/lgL9qfJBA4E/s320/1249229236_eyelid-movies.jpg" /> </div> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Phantogram<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Eyelid Movies</span> </div><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Barsuk]</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the early 1990s, the burgeoning urban art scene of Bristol, England gave rise to the trip hop and drum and bass movements. Twenty years later, Saratoga Springs may not necessarily seem at first glance to be another hotbed of brilliant beats and electronic innovation. But considering that in the last few years both Ratatat and Phantogram have emerged from this upstate New York college town, beats and samples in tow, perhaps it makes sense to say that trip hop’s influence reached further than anyone had originally thought. Not since Bristol’s heyday has a band so seamlessly and interestingly fused hip hop elements and samples with haunting melodies and psych-pop catchiness. And like Portishead and Massive Attack before them, Phantogram’s collaboration is more than just a sum of its members’ musical parts; it’s a pairing that can’t be replicated.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Keyboardist Sarah Barthel and guitarist Josh Carter formed Phantogram in 2007. With their first two EPs, both released in 2009, they quickly gained national attention as harbingers of a new era of electronic pop. <i>Eyelid Movies</i>, the band’s first full-length, has been highly anticipated – and with good reason. “Running from the Cops,” one of <i>Eyelid Movies’</i> standout tracks, puts a modern spin on Massive Attack-era trip hop. Barthel’s vocals and synth on “All Dried Up” and “As Far as I Can See” respectively recall the bittersweet balladry and the feel-good dance anthems of Goldfrapp and Chromatics. Carter also sings on several tracks (including hypnotic slow jam “You are the Ocean”), which ensures the record never gets boring - not that it was ever in any danger of that. Barthel and Carter have also made public their adulation for French pop provacateur Serge Gainsbourg, and <i>Eyelid Movies’</i> more upbeat moments (“Let Me Go”) prove they’ve done their homework.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Tossing aside the stereotype of “girl plays keyboards and sings breathily while boy plays the ‘real’ instruments and writes all the music,” the very core of the band’s success – arguably, the depth of its layers - is a product of Barthel and Carter’s combined musical repertoires and songwriting talent, making an album that is both compelling and irresistible. From the first five seconds of the opening track, “Mouthful of Diamonds,” each song is so layered and journeys to such unexpected yet satisfying directions that you can’t help but want more. </p><span style="font-style: italic;">Phantogram performed instudio at our live broadcast from the CMJ Festival in New York City last October. Check out the session </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/instudios/phantogram/">here</a><span style="font-style: italic;">!</span> <p><strong>Stream: Phantogram - When I'm Small</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" height="24" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/phantogram.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/phantogram.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-1057879253638880612?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-77748120887737726352010-02-01T20:05:00.007-06:002010-02-02T18:47:28.947-06:00<div style="text-align: center;"> <span class="photo_container pc_m"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7348589@N02/4323434451/" title="Weekly Release Spotlight 02.01.10 - Owen Pallett/Heartland"><img alt="Weekly Release Spotlight 02.01.10 - Owen Pallett/Heartland" border="0" class="pc_img" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2709/4323434451_34de331f3a_m.jpg" style="height: 216px; width: 216px;" /></a></span> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> Owen Pallett<o:p></o:p></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-style: italic;">Heartland</span> </div> <div align="center" style="text-align: center;"> [Domino]</div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> While droves of modern independent musicians were coming of age in a grunge-punk-pop musical vacuum, some of their counterparts' impressionable minds were flourishing a little differently. For some young artists, composing complex string arrangements and orchestral fanfare made more sense than worshipping the teen angst trifecta of guitar, bass and drums. But the musical children of the late 20^th century had one thing in common - they all played video games. Leave it to Owen Pallett, one of these children, to draw inspiration from those games, MIDI and all, in order to create some of the most beautiful music (complete with strings and fanfare) of the last decade.</div> <div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> </div> Pallett, a Canadian who until recently used the moniker Final Fantasy (an ode to the early ‘90s role-playing game), is a violinist and singer who has composed for and collaborated with everyone from Beirut to Arcade Fire. On <i>Heartland</i>, his first release under his own name, Pallett continues on the lush path he set out on with 2005’s <i>Has a Good Home</i> and 2006’s critically-acclaimed <i>He Poos Clouds</i>. Full of references to video games and make-believe lands, Pallett’s prior releases were stunning, yet sometimes almost too subdued and drifting. It often took a few listens to really get to the heart of a song. But he's evolved with <i>Heartland</i>. “Keep the Dog Quiet” relies on a hypnotic rhythm and barely-restrained force, and ends with an intensity that seems new for Pallett. “Lewis Takes Action” combines a sweet pop song with extremely violent lyrics, which works on every level.<br /> <div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> Each song on <i>Heartland</i> is a new act in Pallett’s story of a violent farmer named Lewis. As if shedding the Final Fantasy name has emboldened him, the songs telling Lewis’ story<i> </i>are more satisfying and substantial. Telling a fictional story through his music rather than making introverted musings allows Pallett to distance himself and to tell the story more objectively. The intimacy of <i>He Poos Clouds</i> (which was based on Dungeons &amp; Dragons) is not lost, as Pallett’s bedroom electronic elements and looped strings are still there. But the ideas behind the songs seem to have fermented into something much more conceptual than anything he's done before.</div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> <b>Stream: Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Action</b> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> <object data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" height="24" id="audioplayer1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Action (mp3 provided to Radio K by Domino Records).mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></div> <a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Action (mp3 provided to Radio K by Domino Records).mp3">Download</a><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> Find more Owen Pallett at the <a href="http://www.dominorecordco.us/mart/">Domino Records store</a></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> <i><i>Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-7774812088773772635?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-24090869485237585112010-01-24T21:47:00.002-06:002010-01-24T21:56:24.737-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Retribution Gospel Choir - 2" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2766/4285359649_080b640a94_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Retribution Gospel Choir<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>2</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Sub Pop]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The members of Low have long been praised (however reluctantly) as the grand architects of the slowcore movement. Starting in the early '90s, Low put snowy little Duluth, Minnesota on the map - and helped put Radio K on the map as well - with its glacially paced and artfully restrained songs. But with his side project Retribution Gospel Choir's newest album, <span style="font-style: italic;">2</span>, singer/guitarist Alan Sparhawk once again shatters (literally, by the looks of the cover art) any assumptions about his songwriting. Like he's done with Black Eyed Snakes and Los Besos, Sparhawk has again proven he is more than just the king of minimalism – he can get a little wild and crazy, too.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">2</span> has a rawness and a heaviness only hinted at on the band's self-titled 2008 album and on Low's 2005 release, The Great Destroyer. Starting with the anthemic "Hide it Away," the record keeps the harmonies, drama and moodiness of Low. But where Low is measured and deliberate, the songs on <span style="font-style: italic;">2</span> don't hold anything back. Retribution Gospel Choir (which also includes Low bassist Steve Garrington) crams even the 45-second interlude "68 Comeback" with riffs similar to Sparhawk's blues-rock group Black Eyed Snakes before giving way to the earnest and catchy "Workin' Hard." "Poor Man's Daughter" is perhaps the most reminiscent of Low, yet quickly dissolves into chaotic, epic swells that recall psych-rockers Black Mountain. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> With Retribution Gospel Choir, Sparhawk has found yet another outlet for his superbly theatrical songwriting. His credibility may already be established, but it's still nice to see artists challenge themselves and their fans by venturing into new territory. We Minnesotans love it when a home-state hero succeeds, and with the band's move to Sub Pop (also home to Low), hopefully Sparhawk's wild side can now be shared with, and appreciated by, a wider audience. </p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><strong>Stream: Retribution Gospel Choir - Hide It Away</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" height="24" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/retributiongospelchoir.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object><a class="ouvapxgpbkhkwkiijgeb" href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"></a></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/retributiongospelchoir.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-2409086948523758511?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-3867943845668116232010-01-18T14:55:00.002-06:002010-01-18T15:01:47.828-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Various Artists - Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds, Ghanaian Blues 1968 – 1981 " src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2711/4285852528_e4738c9726_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Various Artists<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds, Ghanaian Blues 1968 – 1981</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Soundway]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> As Craig Finn once put it, most people are DJs. In this digital age, anyone can access almost any kind of music and share it with anyone else. Music is now a collectible item, not an experience or a meaningful exchange. With such a saturation of the music market, it’s rare to find someone who is a DJ in the true sense of the term – a tastemaker who doesn’t just care about matching a beat or showing off obscure records, but who genuinely cares about sharing truly great music with people who wouldn’t ever come across it on their own. Miles Cleret is one of those DJs and, lucky for us, not only does he love to share - he owns a record label. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cleret and his label, Soundway, are behind Ghana Special and the Nigeria Special, Ghana Soundz and Panama! collections, among many others. Concentrating on the 1960s through ‘80s, the compilations showcase music from oft neglected, albeit culturally important, areas of the world. More blues, pop and soul-tinged than the guitar-oriented Nigeria Special and the funky Ghana Soundz, Ghana Special highlights the West African country’s ‘70s, a time when it experienced multiple political coups and when traditional Ghanaian highlife fused with danceable rock, pop, soul and reggae imported from Jamaica, Nigeria, Europe, the UK and the United States. Every song on the two-disc set (two of the most notable are The Ogyatanaa Show Band’s “You Monopolise Me” and Christy Azuma and Uppers International’s “Din Ya Sugri”) does an excellent job of proving that there’s more to West African music than Fela Kuti and Afrobeat, and that great ‘70s rock does not have to automatically mean Zeppelin or the Stones. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Cleret has made a reputation for himself by going way beyond the idea of the compilation as a rough guide. The tracks are painstakingly selected and extremely rare (Cleret, when unable to track down a recording, reportedly just knocks on the musician’s door). He’s meticulously remastered the songs, and the album’s liner notes show that he’s done his homework. Ghana Special may be a labor of love for Miles Cleret and a fun and educational glimpse into Ghanaian history for us, but for the musicians who created these distinctive sounds, it’s a chance to finally get the credit they deserve. </p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><strong>Stream: The Big Beats - Mi Nsumoo Bo Donn</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/ghanaspecial.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object><a class="ouvapxgpbkhkwkiijgeb" href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"></a></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/ghanaspecial.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-386794384566811623?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-87450999896616036622010-01-11T15:50:00.004-06:002010-01-12T10:37:51.971-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Dam-Funk - Toeachizown" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2685/4267314206_a396999319_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Dam-Funk<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Toeachizown</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Stones Throw]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> With his pressed, slicked-back ponytail, neon sunglasses and bright sneakers, it's no surprise that Dam-Funk (né Damon Riddick) is from Los Angeles. And just like L.A., Riddick's music is a sprawling collection of distinctive but cohesive elements. His official debut full-length, <span style="font-style: italic;">Toeachizown</span>, literally sprawls at 139 minutes (it's available on two CDs or five LPs). It's music that doesn't just recall the City of Angels; Dam-Funk and L.A. are one and the same, an inseparable pair. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">First and foremost a DJ, Riddick made a name for himself through his weekly "Funkmosphere" parties, where he spins the finest and rarest in boogie and electro-funk records. He was "discovered" and brought into the Stones Throw fold by none other than label founder Peanut Butter Wolf (who, after his discoveries of Madlib, Dam-Funk and Mayer Hawthorne may soon become the independent electronic and hip hop scene's Dr. Dre equivalent). <span style="font-style: italic;">Toeachizown</span>, which is largely instrumental, seems to be just as influenced by the California air Riddick breathes as it is by the records he spins every Monday night. Songs like "Mirrors" and "Keep Lookin 2 The Sky" audibly shimmer with Riddick's layers of vintage synth and sly drum machine goodness. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Riddick now sits comfortably - with Animal Collective as die-hard fans - as Stone Throw's newest master of musical mise-en-scene, creating downtempo, expansive songs influenced not just by boogie and funk, but by house and hip hop (Riddick has said he's highly influenced by another L.A. tradition, gangsta rap) that enter your brain via your ears and whisk you away to ocean breezes, sunshine and endless miles of beaches and pavement. Whether that's Riddick's intention or not, listening to <span style="font-style: italic;">Toeachizown</span> is a mini-vacation that we all could use.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-8745099989661603662?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-10024658382421696682010-01-04T11:08:00.003-06:002010-01-04T13:56:36.601-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Anders Ponders - Nodes of Overtones" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2687/4245272934_583eceba0e_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Anders Ponders<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Nodes of Overtones</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Self-released]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The conflict between style and substance isn't a modern concept. In 17th century Europe, Baroque art maintained a respectable balance between function and form. Baroque paintings were realistic enough that they effectively told the important stories of the era (mostly biblical or mythological at that time) in an easily comprehensible way, but they were beautiful and dramatic enough that they could be appreciated on an aesthetic level. The art engaged the viewer by being more than the sum of its prettiness and its practicality. Soon though, the Rococo movement came along and, as any art historian will tell you, basically ruined everything. Over-the-top, self-indulgent and frivolous, Rococo artists and designers set aside content altogether. The pieces were pure fluff - giant swirls of pastel and gaudy depictions with absolutely no meaning behind them. Feel free to draw your own conclusions as to what constitutes a modern-day musical equivalent of Rococo, but local musician Anders Mattson may be the most sonically Baroque artist the Twin Cities music scene has ever heard. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Mattson's debut as Anders Ponders, <span style="font-style: italic;">Nodes of Overtones</span>, is both high art and day in the life of a normal dude. Mattson, also a member of Bouncer Fighter, is a talented multi-instrumentalist who started performing as a child. He complements his viola arrangements with loops, effects, acoustic guitars and stripped-down, organic percussion to make music that is slightly more down-to-earth than fellow string enthusiasts Andrew Bird and Owen Pallett. "I don't mean to be the type to moralize/I just want a veggie burger with some cheesy fries," he sings on the unique coming-of-age ballad "Icarus." The intensity and excitement of "How We’ve Grown" is complemented by pain over a lost love in "Mr. Butterfly," a song that recalls the best and most tragic moments of Elliott Smith more than it does Bird or Pallett. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Nodes of Overtones may be approachable, but that doesn't stop it from reaching complex and theatrical heights that are extremely pretty, but not garish. Just like the best Baroque art, each song is more than the sum of its parts. And Mattson is more than just a guy with a viola singing about veggie burgers or a creator of opulent symphonies – he's a true artist.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><strong>Stream: Anders Ponders - The Discuss Incident</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/andersponders.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/andersponders.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-1002465838242169668?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-8004996706113952312009-12-28T09:56:00.002-06:002009-12-28T10:03:14.157-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind [EP]" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2625/4222612020_d07866a305_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Animal Collective<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Fall Be Kind [EP]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Domino]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> To the casual listener, Animal Collective's music can seem like a nebulous jungle of samples, droning and distorted vocals. Yet over the band's decade-long career, these young men from Baltimore have somehow managed to infiltrate the collective psyche of a generation of music fans, making them some of the most important and relevant artists of the era. So what is it about these hazy, dreamlike songs that resonates so well with hipsters, misfits and frat boys alike? Maybe it's that when you listen and really pay attention to Animal Collective, it's like hearing your own heartbeat. The music is rhythmic and reliable, yet at the same time a purely emotional, primal, almost out-of-body experience. You don't have to be cool or artsy to "get it" – you just have to be human. Given this effect, it's no surprise that iTunes describes <span style="font-style: italic;">Fall Be Kind</span>'s genre as "unclassifiable." </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The last few years have marked a new direction in the band's career. Guitarist Deakin went on hiatus after 2007's <span style="font-style: italic;">Strawberry Jam</span> and subsequent releases have been written for a mostly guitarless lineup and are driven mainly by samplers. The result is layers of melodic sculpture coupled with the band's signature candid commentary on everyday life. "What Would I Want? Sky," a live staple, finally gets a proper release on <span style="font-style: italic;">Fall Be Kind</span> and serves as an anchor to the EP (it also includes the first-ever legal Grateful Dead sample). The most experimental track on the record, "Bleed," gives way to the excellent "On a Highway," a song suggestive of Syd Barrett or the more organic moments of Brian Eno. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> While only five songs long, <span style="font-style: italic;">Fall Be Kind</span> still strengthens the argument that a few high school friends fooling around with samplers can change the musical landscape forever. The band's long-awaited visual album, ODDSAC, will premiere at Sundance this year and can only serve to expand the band's impression on minds and hearts around the world. Other artists may attempt such depths, but no one in recent history has mastered the art like Animal Collective.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-800499670611395231?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-43826099486204799502009-12-21T22:07:00.003-06:002009-12-21T22:16:56.708-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Themselves - CrownsDown" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2517/4205424970_2556eee182_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Themselves<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>CrownsDown</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[anticon.]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> There's no mistaking an Anticon label release. As In The Red instantly suggests dirty garage-pop and Bloodshot Records is synonymous with alt-country and roots music, Anticon not only brings to mind unconventional hip hop and electronic music; it has become its own genre. The label encompasses artists from all over the electronic spectrum, ranging from the low-fi bedroom beats of Dosh and Bracken to the frenzied synth cyclones of Tobacco and disturbing vignettes of Why?, yet is always recognizable. Anticon collective members Doseone (Adam Drucker) and Jel (Jeffrey Logan), the duo that comprise Themselves, have been creating anxious, angular hip hop on and off for the label since the late 1990s. And just like Yoni Wolf's creepy, nasal voice is soothing to Why? fans, Themselves' schizophrenic masterpieces can at first come off as insane, but it's an insanity that will intrigue rather than deter. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">While Wolf has always been a poster boy of sorts for this distinctive label, even the casual Anticon listener would instantly recognize Doseone's voice. Along with Jel, he is a member of the non-Anticon band Subtle, and both collaborate frequently with just about everyone in the San Francisco Bay area. Their collaboration as Themselves is a rare one, where it almost seems as if the two forget they are on the same team and decide to battle each other – yet both somehow win. Doseone's high-pitched, robotic vocals (be warned – I'm pretty sure there's a little Auto-Tune on at least one song) sprint to keep pace with Jel's frenetic beats. Or maybe it's the other way around. From the opening tracks, "Back II Burn" and "Oversleeping," Doseone and Jel pull the listener into the ring with them, only pausing to rest on the slower, more thoughtful "Roman is as Roman Does" and "Deadcatclear II." </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> While Themselves may never be the slick hip hop that everyone can like and nobody has to think about, what else would you expect from a label that has made a name for itself releasing innovative and sometimes challenging artists? Doseone's striking voice and Jel's hollow-yet-emotive beats (often evoking DJ Shadow's work with UNKLE) are confrontational and sometimes hard to swallow, but put them together and it makes perfect sense.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><strong>Stream: Themselves - Roman is as Roman Does</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" height="24" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/themselves.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/themselves.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-4382609948620479950?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-91706977181898299072009-12-14T10:36:00.004-06:002009-12-15T16:38:21.501-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4184560591_2470f65587_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Kings of Convenience<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Declaration of Dependence</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Astralwerks]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The public's musical evaluation of so-called "originality" seems to be in the dangerous midst of eclipsing the arguably more valuable notion of sustainability. Case in point: the whisper which saw the recent release of Norwegian duo Kings of Convenience's third album. Commenting on the new collection of timid folk-pop's title, Erlend Øye (also of The Whitest Boy Alive) suggests, "all the freedom we have enjoyed in the last few decades has left us with almost too many options." Thus, latching on to someone or something that provides stability is not necessarily a bad thing. In a day and age where we're clamoring to create new options for ourselves, whether "glo-fi" or "West Side Soweto", we tend to forget about the things that felt good in the first place, and if we just reminded ourselves a little bit, would still feel good again today. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps 2004's release of the two-piece's sophomore effort <i>Riot on an Empty Street</i> (which, by the way, finally gets its title track on the 2009 follow-up) continued to advance the Kings' reputation for soft guitar-led pop composers because it featured embellishments of the percussive, orchestral, and vocal (a then-relatively-unknown Leslie Feist) variety. After all, at that time Øye was wowing ears globally with his electronic music fetish, including an entrancing solo album and a refreshingly warm and pop-friendly reinvention of the DJ mix album. Fast-forward five years and instead of heading into some grand concept album territory or genre-fusing experiment, Øye has returned to the very elemental roots that made his and bandmate Erik Bøe's 2001 debut <i>Quiet is the New Loud</i> skyrocket to indie fame at the start of it all. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> With nary a drumbeat or production flourish present on the album, the subtle cyclical effect Declaration has on the listener is clearly purposeful – so much so it's downright masterful in places. Opening number "24-25" contains the powerful lyric "what we build is bigger than the sum of two" and harks back to a time when something so sparse could create something so rich, without flashy aesthetics or big ideas. "Peacetime Resistance" adds a welcome layer of strings to keep the dual-guitar action engaging and the closer "Scars on Land" contains the single most hypnotic acoustic guitar lick heard on a pop album this year. So when it comes down to whether or not to let an album that doesn't fit into any indie trend or doesn't try to leap out in front of traffic to get your attention lull you into a state of reliable reflection, all one must decide is whether or not it’s nice to depend on an old friend in an era that bombards us with excess. The answer shouldn't just be obvious; it should resound like a declaration eight years in the making.</p> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.lala.com/external/flash/SingleSongWidget.swf" id="lalaSongEmbed" width="220" height="70"><param name="movie" value="http://www.lala.com/external/flash/SingleSongWidget.swf"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="flashvars" value="songLalaId=576742246635866933&host=www.lala.com&partnerId=membersong"/><embed id="lalaSongEmbed" name="lalaSongEmbed" src="http://www.lala.com/external/flash/SingleSongWidget.swf" width="220" height="70" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" wmode="transparent" allowNetworking="all" allowScriptAccess="always" flashvars="songLalaId=576742246635866933&host=www.lala.com&partnerId=membersong"></embed></object><div style="font-size: 9px; margin-top: 2px;"><a href="http://www.lala.com/song/576742246635866933" title="Boat Behind - Kings of Convenience" target="_blank">Kings of Convenience - Boat Behind</a></div> <!--<p class="MsoNormal">Listen to Kings of Convenience's "Boat Behind" <a href="http://astralwerks.edgeboss.net/wmedia/astralwerks/koc/boatbehind.wax">here</a>.</p>--> <p></p> <p><i><i> Written by Chris Polley, Radio K volunteer</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-9170697718189829907?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-72511322755941389352009-12-07T12:06:00.006-06:002009-12-07T12:33:59.666-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Sunset - Gold Dissolves to Gray" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/4166980184_6a0a2560da_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Sunset<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Gold Dissolves to Gray</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Autobus]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Austin-based Sunset have accomplished more musically in a few short years than many bands can hope to in a lifetime. In 2008 alone, frontman Bill Baird, a former member of Sound Team, released <span style="font-style: italic;">Songs the Sound of Myself, as Written by Others</span> while Sunset released the <span style="font-style: italic;">Pink Clouds</span> cassette, <span style="font-style: italic;">Bright Blue Dream</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Glowing City</span> – not to mention the “Loveshines II” 7-inch, a gem of a song that effectively converted anyone who was still on the fence about post-Sound Team Baird. The merch table at shows can be downright confusing as any number of homemade cassettes, drone recordings and other trappings can be found, many of them one of a kind, as Baird and the band write and record at a dizzying pace. But perhaps Sunset’s greatest achievement is that all this musical output is both continually evolving and consistently good. Sunset doesn’t need hype or a label bidding war to prove itself – the music, along with the band’s genuinely humble attitude, stands on its own. Sunset is proof that not only can you simultaneously achieve massive quantity and superb quality, but you don’t have to be some aloof, tortured jerk to do it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Baird and company have developed a craft for writing songs that are completely grounded, yet unearthly. Transcending genre (the closest descriptor you could find would be something like psych-pop-DIY-synth-country-shoegaze-lo-fi-folk) and the politics of the independent music scene (these friendly anti-scenesters have a true work ethic and have stuck with small Austin label Autobus for years), Sunset also transcends traditional songwriting and instrumentation. Antiquated analog electronics, haunting harmonies and unusual recording techniques (plus the oft-neglected handclap or whistle) tie <span style="font-style: italic;">Gold Dissolves to Gray</span>’s widely-varying songs together. “Fishtown” and “Hill Country Smog” are straightforward folk-pop songs with an undercurrent of twang, while “Our Dreams Did Weave a Shade” reaches toward the spookier, effects-heavy earlier Sunset releases and “Sunshine Hair” sounds a lot like Baird’s solo work. “Garden of Eden” and “Civil War” are ballads exploring one of Baird’s favorite lyrical subjects: the folly of human beings. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> If <span style="font-style: italic;">Gold Dissolves to Gray</span> is any indication, we can expect a long, fruitful career from Sunset. And if the band’s work ethic, hand-drawn artwork and endearing lyrics don’t draw you in, its gorgeous songwriting – always evolving, but never forgetting its roots - surely will.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Check out two in-studio sessions from Sunset: <a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/instudios/sunset/">live from Radio K's SXSW 2009 broadcast</a>, and <a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/instudios/sunset2/">June 2009</a>.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><strong>Stream: Sunset - Bones</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/sunset.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/sunset.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-7251132275594138935?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-22533632210574157052009-11-30T20:54:00.002-06:002009-11-30T21:06:07.595-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="The King Khan &amp; BBQ Show - Invisible Girl" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/4148453615_01a82c82dd_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">The King Khan &amp; BBQ Show<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Invisible Girl</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[In The Red]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The last couple years have seen a surge of interest in garage-rock throwbacks. But Montreal’s King Khan and BBQ had already been around the block a few times before ‘60s adulation made its way to the forefront of the musical consciousness. As bandmates in the Spaceshits during the ‘90s, Arish Khan (King Khan) and Mark Sultan (BBQ) forged not only a friendship, but a mutual reverence for stripped-down percussion, jangly guitar and doo-wop vocals. Their relationship has withstood Khan’s relocation to Germany, a veritable saturation of the garage-rock market in the States, and more recently, their arrest for drug possession in Kentucky. More than just a marriage of musical convenience, Sultan and Khan seem to have something enviable and inimitable (especially where the music industry is concerned): a stable and genuine relationship. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">From their first record, released in 2004 on In The Red, The King Khan and BBQ Show was a well-kept secret, although the project’s audience covered a wide spectrum. The band was revered among punks, indie kids, ‘60s girl group fans and garage enthusiasts alike. Even those people you know who collect vintage records and only listen to music recorded before 1980 were probably sort of into it. The catchiness of all the band’s records, including <span style="font-style: italic;">Invisible Girl</span>, is undeniable. Even if songs like “I’ll Be Loving You” seem slightly inane at first, make no mistake – they will be stuck in your head for days. “Animal Party” is pure sophomoric, King Khan and BBQ fun – complete with animal sound effects and a sing-along chorus. “Tastebuds” is also sophomoric, although more so for its subject matter (as hard as you might try, you won’t be able to get that one out of your head either). </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Khan may get carried away with the horns, pompom girls and wild showmanship of King Khan and the Shrines. And Sultan, who fronted Les Sexareenos and releases solo material, has Sultan records to keep him busy. But the duo always comes back to each other. At live shows, they bicker like an old married couple, and when Black Lips fled India after their early-2009 tour shenanigans, they sought shelter with Sultan and Khan in Berlin - a stay that resulted in the first Almighty Defenders record. The King Khan and BBQ Show continues to be Khan and Sultan’s (and their friends’) home away from home, and it’s a bond that will hopefully last for years to come.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-2253363221057415705?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-20367778352121685752009-11-22T22:18:00.003-06:002009-11-23T12:32:38.670-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="El Perro Del Mar - Love Is Not Pop" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2530/4127201748_8685d5610a_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">El Perro Del Mar<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Love Is Not Pop</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[The Control Group]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> As recently as 15 years ago, there were not very many choices for those seeking new music coming out of Sweden - you had upbeat pop and you had sinister metal, with not much in between. Most likely due to the advent of the internet and the subsequent globalization of the music community, the electronic, psych-rock and low-fi twee artists who have toiled in the Scandinavian darkness for years have become Sweden’s new niche exports. And it’s from Gothenburg, the home of two of the country’s musical touchstones (death metal and Ace of Base) that El Perro del Mar and a host of other innovators hail. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The woman behind the El Perro del Mar name, Sarah Assbring, is a prolific young songwriter with a penchant for sad but immediately catchy songs. Though she started performing under the moniker in late 2003, it was her 2006 self-titled album that introduced Assbring to the rest of the world. The rest of the world promptly fell in love with her (Radio K included). Her frank, self-deprecating lyrics, similar to those of fellow Swede Jens Lekman, added a new dimension to the downbeat and sparse arrangements of songs like “Dog” and “Party.” After self-producing and recording <span style="font-style: italic;">From the Valley to the Stars</span> in 2008, for <span style="font-style: italic;">Love Is Not Pop</span> she decided to collaborate with Rasmus Hagg of Studio, a self-described "afrobeat-dub-disco-indie-pop” band also from Gothenburg. Hagg’s influence can especially be heard on “Let Me In” and “Change of Heart,” which layers Assbring’s soft voice (Lykke Li has probably learned a thing or two from El Perro del Mar) over mesmerizing drum fills, piano and bass. Hagg hasn’t necessarily changed Assbring’s sound though – “A Better Love” and “It Is Something (To Have Wept)” will be familiar to those who loved her earlier releases. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Now that Sweden is known as a musical microcosm to the rest of the world (Gothenburg alone boasts the Tough Alliance, Lekman, Sally Shapiro, Love Is All and Jose Gonzalez as natives), it will be interesting to see what shape the music from this country takes. If <i>Love Is Not Pop</i>’s seamless fusion of new elements into El Perro del Mar's low-fi sound is any indication, we can expect hybrid after hybrid of great, new Swedish sounds for years to come.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><strong>Stream: El Perro Del Mar - Change Of Heart</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/elperrodelmar.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/elperrodelmar.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-2036777835212168575?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-85911575479139379232009-11-16T11:41:00.003-06:002009-12-02T15:18:45.798-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="The xx - xx" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2531/4109141023_06f2343642_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">The xx<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>xx</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Young Turks]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Teenage hormones have always been great fodder for pop music. Somewhere between angsty (Romeo and Juliet) and cheesy (Gossip Girl) lies an elusive space where adults can still revel in the trials and tribulations of young love and loathing without feeling self-conscious. The xx might tip toward the angsty side of the scale, but this band of English adolescents’ debut album, <span style="font-style: italic;">xx</span>, is truly a grown-up affair. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">With achingly emo lyrics (for the most part about sex and love) and simple song structure, <span style="font-style: italic;">xx</span> hearkens back to Glass Candy’s dancey minimalism as well as the coolness and the somber, yet heartfelt, subject matter of <span style="font-style: italic;">Black Celebration</span>-era Depeche Mode. “Shelter” is a quietly epic gloom-fest that evokes the band’s hometown of dreary London. This song is presumably what it must feel like to slowly, poetically drown in a dark ocean (or perhaps to shoot heroin?) with the repeated line “Can I make it better with the lights turned on?” Simple guitar work, languid bass and a drum machine mark more upbeat (relatively speaking) songs like “Basic Space,” “Crystalised” and “Islands.” Guitarist Romy Madley Croft and bassist Oliver Sim’s subdued boy-girl vocals are a sadder, less bratty brand of the cheeky storytelling that bands like Black Kids, Magic Wands or The Blow are known for - in fact, Croft’s voice is eerily reminiscent of The Blow’s Mikhaela Maricich. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Even though <span style="font-style: italic;">xx</span> was just released in August (October in the U.S.), several of the songs have already been licensed to TV. The band has figured out how to make those familiar adolescent feelings palatable and commercially viable, which isn’t such a big deal in and of itself. The bigger challenge lies in doing that without being boxed into the vapid gobbledygook we all know as The Pop Song About Love. Leave it to three early 20-somethings to figure that one out.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-8591157547913937923?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-40581576053574451372009-11-09T09:45:00.003-06:002009-11-11T13:57:35.784-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Kurt Vile - Childish Prodigy" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/4089262345_dfccded449_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Kurt Vile<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Childish Prodigy</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Matador]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> With his long hair, down-home sound and ever-present plaid shirt, Kurt Vile seems like he could easily be a transplant from the 1970s era of American FM rock. But Vile is a thoroughly modern troubadour. Where Springsteen and Petty have made livings delving into the factories, the dive bars and the psyche of middle America in an attempt to be the voice of Everyman, Vile is content just to play some rock 'n roll songs about hunchbacks and picking blackberries. If you like them, that’s great. If not, well, that’s cool too. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The Phildelphia-based singer and guitarist is also a contributing member of The War on Drugs and has released other solo albums, but largely flew under the radar until his 2008 album, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Constant Hitmaker</span>. That record and his self-released 2009 Hunchback EP only further validated Vile as a familiar, yet innovative, songwriter. His first full-length for Matador, <span style="font-style: italic;">Childish Prodigy</span> ranges from low-fi bedroom ballads (“Blackberry Song,” “Amplifier”) to bittersweet, Big Star-esque pop (“Monkey”) to psych-rock jams (“Freak Train” and “Hunchback” – a much grittier version than the one that appears on the EP). </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Artists like Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young might be easy reference points to describe Vile’s music, but it would insult his inventiveness to leave it at that. His music encompasses not only the '70s FM rock sound, but the luster of someone who's listened to a lot of My Bloody Valentine, the intimacy of someone who is just as OK recording in a bedroom as he is in a studio, and the relevance of someone who has lived a life similar to yours. The long hair, the jangly guitar and the plaid shirts might still be there, but Vile is reinventing the idea of the blue-collar troubadour. </p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-4058157605357445137?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-25922036704948191462009-11-01T23:17:00.004-06:002009-12-02T15:28:12.729-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Atlas Sound - Logos" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2642/4066871553_8820e8b7c9_m.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Atlas Sound<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Logos</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Kranky]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Bradford Cox is the shapeshifter of the modern music scene. He's considered elusive rock royalty by the most influential hipsters, but he's one of the nicest, most genuine and humble people you'll ever meet. He's worshipped by fans and other musicians as the genius mastermind behind Deerhunter and Atlas Sound, yet he's blundered by accidentally leaking demos onto the internet and for a while used Deerhunter's blog mainly as a medium for discussing the band's bodily functions. Not only can he write an upbeat rock song that will stick in your head for days, he excels at creating inescapably haunting melodies that are ethereal at best and unsettling at worst. With Deerhunter and with his solo project, Atlas Sound, Cox has made a career out of getting under people's skin and staying there, whatever way he can. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cox started using the Atlas Sound name as a teenager in Georgia for the songs he recorded in his bedroom. For years it's remained a way for him to give life to the songs that don't quite work with Deerhunter. <span style="font-style: italic;">Logos</span> is technically Atlas Sound's second full-length record, however quite a few EPs and split releases have come out over the last few years. While Atlas Sound isn't quite freak folk, <span style="font-style: italic;">Logos</span> recalls the freakier moments of artists like Bill Callahan and Animal Collective member Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear). There are definitely pop songs on the album - "Criminals," "Shelia" and "Quick Canal" (featuring Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier) could easily fit in on any Deerhunter record - but the rest of the album evokes exactly what Atlas Sound is: an eccentric guy alone in his room, writing and recording songs about his life. While <span style="font-style: italic;">Logos</span> might wander into idiosyncratic territory, that is balanced by the comforting control in Cox's voice and his cool, deliberate delivery. From the first few seconds of "The Light That Failed," alien-sounding noises propel the album toward the darker side of Cox's musical spectrum. But by the third song, "Walkabout" (which features Lennox), he's brought us back safely to familiar territory. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> That he's managed to hang on to this part of his musical personality through Atlas Sound while turning indie rock upside-down with Deerhunter is a testament both to Cox's shapeshifting nature and to the idea that it's important to remember where you came from. Even at its most peculiar moments, <span style="font-style: italic;">Logos</span> reminds us that no matter where we end up in life or how hip we get, we've all been that eccentric guy or girl alone in our room, and part of us always will be. And if Bradford Cox says that's OK, it must be.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><strong>Stream: Atlas Sound - Walkabout (feat. Noah Lennox)</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/atlassound.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/atlassound.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-2592203670494819146?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-68157143496683977112009-10-27T01:23:00.002-06:002009-10-27T01:38:56.008-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Brother Ali - Us" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3526/4048744867_f52b449075_b.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Brother Ali<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Us</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Rhymesayers]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> At first glance, Minneapolis doesn't seem like a hip hop city, and Brother Ali (born Jason Newman) sure doesn't seem like a hip hop artist. But it's Newman - a white, albino Midwesterner dad who converted to Islam - who is making huge waves in the local and national hip hop scenes. Newman may look very different from a typical rapper, but his music stems from the same places from which some of the most profound hip hop has ever come: pain, redemption and hardship. And he knows these places well. Newman lived in several Midwestern towns but his family settled in Minneapolis in the early '90s. Because of his albinism, he was excluded by many of his white peers and has said he's said he often identified more with black culture. Also because of his condition, Newman's race isn't apparent at first and unfortunately, questions about his background have often overshadowed his music. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">But none of that matters to Brother Ali. On <span style="font-style: italic;">Us</span>, his fourth album, he's beyond proving himself. He's ready to tell all of our life stories, especially those without a voice of their own: immigrants, children of divorce, closeted gay teens ("Tight Rope"), slaves ("The Travelers"), sexual abuse victims ("Babygirl") and hustlers ("Games") alike. Whether his own experience or just an uncanny empathetic ability is what allows him to do it, Brother Ali has a way of channeling almost anyone's pain. He also has an uncanny ability to coolly convey that emotion through smart rhymes adrift a sea of R&amp;B- and funk-tinged beats. Produced by Ant of Rhymesayers labelmates Atmosphere, <span style="font-style: italic;">Us</span> can be enjoyed purely for its lyrics or for its beats and samples, but it's best when appreciated for both. The album isn't without its stereotypical hip hop references to guns, pimps and Newman's perceived "badness," but these moments are just brief repreives from the intensity of rest of <span style="font-style: italic;">Us</span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The scrutiny Newman has received throughout his career would be enough to drive most people away from the spotlight, but he's gone the opposite way. Through his refusal to fit into a convenient category (musical, racial, geographic or religious) and his insistence on telling the stories of the oft-forgotten "Us" (even if they are uncomfortable ones to tell), Newman commits an act of defiance - he continues to exist.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><strong>Stream: Brother Ali - Tight Rope</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/brotherali.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/brotherali.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-6815714349668397711?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-78662861405778642009-10-19T12:40:00.002-06:002009-10-19T12:46:51.803-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="The Raveonettes - In and Out of Control" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/4027043026_408bd5dafe.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">The Raveonettes<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>In and Out of Control</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Vice]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The Raveonettes may have a gimmick, but it's a good gimmick, and it's one the band will freely admit to. The Danish duo pulls its simple structures, stunning harmonies and dark imagery from '50s and '60s rock and adds a layer of '80s and '90s-inspired shoegaze to it. At first it might seem like an unlikely combination, but considering The Jesus and Mary Chain's reverence for all things Phil Spector, it makes perfect sense. Sharin Foo and Sune Rose Wagner are not simply building not only on their own influences, but also on their influences' influences. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Swinging between noisy, wandering feedback and cool Scandinavian restraint,<span style="font-style: italic;"> In and Out of Control</span> is an apt title for the duo's fourth album. Heavily influenced both by the tragic tales of Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes, as well as the gloom and doom of the Velvet Underground and Suicide, even the Raveonettes' darkest lyrics are delivered matter-of-factly. The blatantly violent "Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)" is a happy-sounding singalong, with the angelic refrain of "Those fuckers stay in your head." The song titles alone set the theme – "Suicide," "Oh, I Buried You Today," "Gone Forever" – but the album isn't a downer. The songs have just the right amount of energy to keep them upbeat with just a hint of something sinister in the background.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> On paper,<span style="font-style: italic;"> In and Out of Control</span> sounds like a throwback to bygone eras. But listening to it, it never stops sounding distinctly like a Raveonettes album. While they do draw heavily from the past, Foo and Wagner have struck that delicate balance of modernity and nostalgia that is so rarely successful. Maybe it's the logical and detached nature of their Nordic roots, or maybe it's an innate coolness – but whatever it is, it works.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-7866286140577864?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-39243657583990008352009-10-11T14:55:00.002-06:002009-10-11T15:00:07.491-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2519/4001633687_49e0e42933.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Yo La Tengo<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Popular Songs</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Matador]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Yo La Tengo has been humbly cranking out experimental noise rock for nearly as long as Sonic Youth has. Both bands feature highly-respected guitarists and a married couple. Both have had a huge influence on the bands of today. So why is Sonic Youth a widely-recognized cultural fixture and a touchstone of adolescence for anyone born after 1965, while Yo La Tengo is relegated to "critics' darling" status and a cult following? Honestly, it's probably because they're from Hoboken. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Toiling away in near obscurity for 25 years, Yo La Tengo has always been the (literal and figurative) New Jersey to Sonic Youth's New York City. The NYC no-wavers have spent much of their career on a major label while their bridge-and-tunnel brethren have spent the last 16 years on small, yet dependable Matador. You won't catch the members of Yo La Tengo hobnobbing with fashion designers or naming their child Coco. Georgia Hubley probably won't ever show up to a gig wearing a miniskirt. Sonic Youth has Thurston and Yo La Tengo has, well, Ira.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Popular Songs might seem like a tongue-in-cheek album title for a band of underdogs, but the fact is that it's really hard to find a reason not to like Yo La Tengo and if they weren't so humble, maybe they would be more popular. Their 12th album (as well as their more garage-leaning covers project Condo Fucks) makes it clear that age has not diminished the trio's ability to rock while remaining simultaneously catchy and avant-garde. Strings add a layer of complexity to <span style="font-style: italic;">Popular Songs</span>, which ventures into dream-like territory with the 11-minute 'The Fireside" and the nine-minute "More Stars Than There Are in Heaven." But as far out as the band may wander, it always comes home to the textbook Yo La Tengo method, as heard on "Avalon or Someone Very Similar" and “"othing to Hide" - simple rhythms, three unassuming chords and sweet harmonies.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> As uncool as it may seem to live in the suburbs, truly cool people know hipness is in the eye of the beholder. You don't necessarily need a scene to surround you or to even pay attention to what everyone else is doing. True artists stay true to their art and wait for others to inevitably follow. So maybe it's not such a coincidence that Sonic Youth recently signed to Matador and Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore now live in Massachusetts. Just saying.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-3924365758399000835?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-9822192655770445212009-10-05T19:13:00.004-06:002009-10-06T18:12:21.719-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="WHY? - Eskimo Snow" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2632/3970770103_4c0e8777b9.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">WHY?<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Eskimo Snow</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Anticon]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> WHY? songs have always gone beyond verse-chorus-verse structure, beyond drums/bass/guitar, and beyond the comfortable - especially in terms of singer Yoni Wolf's subject matter. On the Oakland band's fourth album, Eskimo Snow, acoustic guitars, piano and live instrumentation have taken the place of the hip hop loops and beats of past WHY? albums. In the past, the band never made songs in the traditional sense of the word, but created vignettes – the music serving as a backdrop to Wolf's half-sung, half-spoken poetry illustrating the absurdity and intensity of everyday life. Those hip hop-backed vignettes may have finally become structured songs, but that doesn't mean WHY? is any safer. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Wolf's embarrassingly dark and poignant (and sometimes creepy) stories of death, shame and love are more potent than ever on Eskimo Snow. When paired with the more organic sound of pianos and acoustic guitar, Wolf sounds more relatable and more pained than normal. Against the colder sounding instrumentation of previous WHY? albums, the lyrics had the luxury of sounding detached, distant and even robotic. It's harder to sympathize with a robot, and the distance made it easier to digest his sometimes disturbing imagery. But now that Wolf's poetry is more natural sounding and more human, it's hard not to be affected by it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Musically, Eskimo Snow (which features contributions from Wolf's former Hymie's Basement bandmate and Fog frontman Andrew Broder, as well as Mark Erickson) hardly contains a trace of the darkness of past WHY? albums. But Wolf's lyrics – covering topics ranging from religion to sex to death to existentialism and everything in between – is still the glue that binds the band’s sound together, and his uncanny ability to describe the human experience continues to infiltrate the brain of anyone who listens.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><strong>Stream: WHY? - This Blackest Purse</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/WHY.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/WHY.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-982219265577044521?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766694790469581621.post-18313295365603491092009-09-28T09:33:00.003-06:002009-09-29T15:02:10.645-06:00<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 200px; text-align: center;" alt="Ramona Falls - Intuit" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2606/3956314282_232a3e40a3.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">Ramona Falls<o:p></o:p></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><i>Intuit</i></p><p style="text-align: center;" align="center">[Barsuk]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The Portland music scene comprises an especially complex web, and near the middle of that web is one of the city's most innovative and important bands, Menomena. It was from the depths of the Portland musical talent pool that Menomena's Brent Knopf found the support he sought for his debut solo release, <span style="font-style: italic;">Intuit</span>. Enlisting the help of about 35 of his closest musician friends, including Mirah, Kevin O’Connor and Lisa Molinaro of Talkdemonic, and Janet Weiss of Quasi and Sleater-Kinney, Knopf has made an album that not only solidifies his abilities as a solo composer and songwriter, but even further highlights the contributions he makes to Menomena. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Knopf is responsible for programming Menomena's digital loop recorder in addition to playing several instruments and singing (not to mention taking care of MIDI during live shows). He may be technologically savvy, but <span style="font-style: italic;">Intuit</span> still veers toward the organic. Piano, acoustic guitars and strings bring a yielding quality to the record, most notably on "The Darkest Day," "Bellyfulla" and "Going Once, Going Twice." Knopf's voice has the rare ability (just like former Weekly Release Spotlight subject Amber Webber of Lightning Dust) to swing from fragile to forceful and back again, and his arrangements almost magically follow. The dense layering, stop-and-start rhythms and frequent volume changes of Menomena are all still there, especially on "Always Right" and the epic "Salt Sack."</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-style: italic;">Intuit</span> is a thoughtful, earnest record that immediately reveals a labor of love – and of friendship - for Knopf. Not only is he joined on the album by his friends, but bandmate Danny Seim is part of the Ramona Falls touring band (interestingly, Menomena itself started as a side project for Seim’s solo work under the Lackthereof name). And while we might begrudge the fact that we must wait a while for a new Menomena album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Intuit</span> is more than enough to tide fans over and to help them gain even further appreciation for Brent Knopf.</p> <p></p><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;" ></span> <p><strong>Stream: Ramona Falls - I Say Fever</strong> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/player.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;soundFile=http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/RamonaFalls.mp3"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="menu" value="false"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> </object></p> <p><a href="http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/blog/audio/RamonaFalls.mp3">Download</a></p> <p><i><i> Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.</i></i></p><i><i> </i></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6766694790469581621-1831329536560349109?l=radiok.cce.umn.edu%2Fblog%2Fmusic%2Findex.php' alt='' /></div>Off the Recordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09115785638828275605noreply@blogger.com0