Published by James June 30th, 2006
in Random.
I’m not a man that purchases singles, whole albums are what captivate me. To hear an artist’s vision across an hour or so is to be transported for a moment into their world, which is something singles, 12″, and EPs often cannot do. However, when it comes to listening I prefer to toss all those tracks in the air and hear them as they flutter back down.
The beauty of random play is just that: it’s random. All sorts of serendipitous connections are made between what might otherwise be construed as disparate pieces of music. Can a Bach Cantata really flow into an Ellington Ballad to only shift course into a Cumbia number? Only random listening will tell you (for the record it does and amazingly at that). Music becomes a joyous process of rediscovery as artists and songs take on new meaning through different associations and contexts.
The unfamiliar can drive some to distraction. My wife in fact hates random playback as she finds comfort in the anticipation of what song follows; music is linear and therefore should be heard in an obviously sequential manner. Order rules her listening habits. Throw caution to the wind, I say. Two-Step Garage numbers should be allowed to precede Swing, and by all means Post-Rock can follow an flowing organic Ambient piece. Live your life a little less certain and you could be surprised by what you find.
Published by Scott June 28th, 2006
in Meta-Chatter.
There’s a really interesting feature at Pop Matters called I Have Been Floated: An Oral History of the Elephant Six Collective. As the title suggests, it’s an informal look at the origins of that scene told through bite size quotes from the musicians themselves. I already knew some of the story but have always wondered how it came to be more or less centered in Athens. I figured at least some of the people involved must have moved there to attend the University of Georgia. Turns out someone just happened to visit a friend and discovered it was a cool town with cheap rent. The oral history format is compulsively readable and it’s definitely worth looking at if you are a fan of Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, Apples in Stereo, Elf Power, and/or Of Montreal.
Brian Heater, the article’s author, also wrote a brief overview of the collective in a recent Spin issue. I learned about both from the fine E6 blog, Optical Atlas. You can actually read the Spin article, Crash Course: Elephant Six Recording Company, at OA as well as some other scanned features from print sources. That guy has a lot of great stuff to check out so head on over there and look around!
Published by James June 27th, 2006
in Random.
Published by James June 27th, 2006
in Free Tracks, Singles, Review and 2006.
Poirier is back and this time is slinging beats for himself under his own label, Rebondir Records and last week saw him release an EP with Pampa Pimp as the first single. It is classic Poirier with stripped down beats an a retro bump and grind feel to it sort of like Blade Runner meets the Ying Yang Twins. The song is built around a thumping tom-tom line with a percussive line providing a semblance of melody but the focus really is on hypnotic rhythms that are stark yet shuffle about. Worth a listen and I look forward to hearing the rest of the EP when I pick it up.
You can grab it over at his site or at XLR8R for the next week or so.
Published by Scott June 26th, 2006
in Meta-Chatter and Review.
I caught the tail end of Athfest’s free outdoor shows yesterday. Had a really good time hanging out and taking in the scene but was kind of disappointed by the two bands I saw. Dubconscious, as their name implies, play delay heavy, dubbed out rock. They sounded okay but my friend and I lost interest after a while and wandered off to score some burritos. My feeling toward that style of music is ambivalent at best. We missed the mini twenty minute set by The Dexateens but made it back for Drivin’ N’ Cryin’s first song. I love the balance of Southern fried hard/roots rock on their first four albums (haven’t heard the rest) and was pretty excited to see them. Unfortunately, they were only okay. Kevn Kinney has a great voice but it was lost in the mix for this performance. Their albums have some pretty heavy guitar crunch but that edge was shorn off in favor of extended jams and a more classic rock feel. I’m sorry but watching some dude go off on a Hammond XB-2 for multiple solos is about as exciting as watching someone type. Oh well, it was still fun getting out for the evening and the price was right.
Published by Scott June 23rd, 2006
in Album, Review and 2006.
Cheap Trick have soldiered on for more than thirty years now but their output has been pretty spotty since 1979’s Dream Police. I had heard a lot of good things about Rockford though and was happy to see it turn up on eMusic this morning. Sure enough, it’s a solid album that will please both die-hards and casual admirers. On all twelve songs the band displays their mastery of creating not-too-slick arena sized power-pop. Robin Zander’s voice has aged well and his range is what helps make the melodies so catchy. And then of course there’s the guitar heroics of Rick Nielsen, driving the songs rhythmically while simultaneously tearing them up with flashy but tasteful leads. He’s like two guitarists in one! Rockford is an inspired effort of hook filled rock and easily the best Cheap Trick record in years.
Mixtape tracks- “Perfect Stranger,” “This Time You Got It”
Freebies- None but both of the above songs, plus “If It Takes a Lifetime,” can be streamed from the Cheap Trick site.
Published by James June 23rd, 2006
in Meta-Chatter and Free Tracks.
Just wanted to say that I am listening the ever living love out of the Soul Rebels latest, Urban Legend. It is a wild and cacophonious blend of Soul, Funk, and Hip Hop all channeled through the ebullient and boisterous sound of a New Orleans Brass Band. I’ll have a review up in a couple of days but just wanted to give it a shout out for my top summer album of this year. Check out some samples from their 2004 album, Rebulation, over at MySpace.
