Sunday, September 30, 2012

Graveyard: "Goliath"

It's fitting, really: the reunited Witchcraft signed to Nuclear Blast for their latest, Legend, which is where fellow Swedes Graveyard landed for last year's breakthrough album, Hisingen Blues. Both bands are among the elite at what they do, which is basically a souped up 70's blues metal that studiously ignores any influences from the last 30 years. Whereas Witchcraft like to throw a little folkiness in the mix, though, Graveyard just wants to boogie.

Lights Out will be released October 26 on Nuclear Blast, with the "Goliath" single already out and sporting a non-LP b-side, "Leaving You".

Gojira: "The Axe"

Hey, a lyric video for a Gojira song that actually isn't about environmental holocaust! I don't know, this one seems to be some kind of self-flagellation trip over unspecified faults... perhaps Joe Duplantier is kicking himself in the ass over that styrofoam coffee cup he forgot to dispose of properly?

KILLER COVERS || Beck: "Michelangelo Antonioni"

Beck has apparently discontinued his legendary Record Club series - wherein Mr. Hansen and a number of fellow luminaries reinterpreted, song by song, classic albums by the likes of Velvet Underground, Skip Spence and Yanni (!) - but he's not done channeling influences yet. The functionally titled A Tribute to Caetano Veloso comes out October 22 on Universal and features Beck getting all meta by covering a Brazilian singer crooning his own appreciation of famed Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni.

Pig Destroyer: "Burning Palm"

The problem with lyric videos is that they often force one to focus on inarticulate, rudimentary lyrics that he'd just as soon overlook. "I wanted to burn on the outside for a change"? Hate for you to do any heavy lifting on the imagery, bud. At least the energy is real.

Pixelord: "Been Lookin'"

With an exploding club scene in Moscow these days it's not surprising to see Russian producers breaking regional constraints and making a splash on our side of the pond. "Been Lookin'" is one of his more laid back efforts but you can find plenty of his uptempo material over at Beatport. This tune is off that Supaplex EP.

Laetitia Sadier: "Find Me the Pulse of the Universe"

I'd somehow missed the news that Stereolab went on hiatus, in spite of the fact that I haven't heard anything from them the last few years. Apparently singer Laetitia Sadier hasn't wasted any time keeping busy, having just released her second solo LP, Silencio, on Drag City. Single "Find Me the Pulse of the Universe" is right in that French lounge wheelhouse that the more accessible Stereolab material was known for.

The Joy Formidable: "Cholla"

People who claim that "there's no good music coming out nowadays" typically seem to have that attitude because they want music to remain frozen in amber circa whatever era they graduated high school.

Well if you grew up in the 90's there's really no excuse to be sleeping on bands like Metric or The Joy Formidable. Hell, the latter has even been on a major label (Atlantic) since their first - and, so far, only - album, 2011's The Big Roar. The follow up, Wolf's Law, isn't expected until January but recently the band gifted us an advance in the form of "Cholla", a hook-soaked anthem that would have saturated alt rock radio if Garbage had recorded it back in the mid-90's.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The O'My's: "HoneyDip"

Ain't no pimpin' like some 70's pimpin'. The O'My's heard us perpetratin' 'bout how they don't make 'em like that anymore and they were like "oh yeah, mahfackas? Peep THIS!"

It would actually almost be worth losing your girl just to have that frame-worthy note from Milky.

You can get that Chicago Style mixtape here. First taste is on me.

Icona Pop: "Ready for the Weekend" [Club Mix]

Yo, Madonna: when you laid that MDNA rave-turd earlier this year was this what you were trying to do? Silly bitch, new tricks are for kids.

Fight Bite: "Charlotte Iris"

Heard of Neon Indian, right? They got this keyboard player, Leanne Macomber; she does this extracurricular thing, Fight Bite, on the side. Those may be her titties, I don't know. Your move, America.

The Fresh & Onlys: "Presence of Mind"

"Presence of Mind" represents that early New Wave promise: catchy, melodic tunes meant not so much to supplement pop music as to supplant the withered husk of it altogether. The video also recalls that early MTV era, where z-budgets coupled with the knowledge that the channel would play anything just to fill 24 hours of programming resulted in some bizarre clips which probably would have lost 90% of their charm if any real thought had gone into them.

Mexican Summer remembers that halcyon era.

Hundred Waters: "Hydroliction"

Pretty sure "hydroliction" is a made up word, but if so it sounds way too dirty to describe the lilting folk pop of Hundred Waters. If you listen to this carefree, twee ditty in the wrong mood it will actually make you want to go out and hurt someone. They probably deserve it anyway.

Thistle = Owsla got it.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

3 Inches of Blood: "Leather Lord"

Of all the metal bands living out that 1980's revivalist dream, 3 Inches of Blood seem to be weirdly divisive. I don't believe it's so much the fact that they choose to toil in the US power metal vein rather than the more acceptable thrash alternative... I think it's the shrill histrionics of singer Cam Pipes.

Oh, fuck off and grow a pair. How is this shit any different than what Warrel Dane was doing on those old Sanctuary albums? Then again there were plenty of people who refused to listen to Death back in the day due to Chuck's vox only to have to eat their words later, so there's no accounting for bad taste.

DIIV: "Doused"

When it comes to the modern iteration of post-punk (post-post-punk?) you've got your bands like Interpol that seem to crib a large chunk of their inspiration from a particular vintage act (in their case Joy Division) and then you've got groups like DIIV that are capable of summing up every great post-Factory post-punk band out there without digging themselves into a (post-)hole.

The excellent Oshiin is out now on the incomparable Captured Tracks.

Albert Swarm: "Things Fold Into Themselves"

"Things Fold Into Themselves" veers at times a bit too close to that late 90's progressive trance shit that bored me senseless and almost drove me away from EDM forever, but producer Albert Swarm avoids the precious attempts at grandeur and spirituality that were the pitfalls of trance and substitutes them with a keen ear for detail in the form of sophisticated grace notes.

Atoms for Peace: "Default"

Atoms for Peace being the nom de plume Thom Yorke is currently stepping out solo with, bringing along for the ride Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich and Chili Pep-er Flea. Not sure why Flea was required for this largely electronic-sounding ensemble, but I'm not the one writing the paychecks so fuck it.

"Default" will get a 12" vinyl release in October, followed by a full length album tentatively scheduled for somewhere within the entirety of 2013.

Sprutbass: "Norsk Dans"

Squelch's grape juice. Not sure why that popped into my head. Could be the subwoofer flatulence, could be the synth wriggling on the end of the hook like a baited worm... or it could just be all the vino I drank that puckered my synapses.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

DJ Spookz: "Turntabla" [Morcee remix]

The genre regrettably dubbed "electronica" has morphed greatly over the years, but one thing that's largely been lost is the buoyant catchiness of those old rave-era tracks. DJ Spookz is apparently as nostalgic for the old sounds as we are, and it doesn't hurt that Morcee updates his "Turntabla" banger with a bit of that UK bass flavor, UK bass being one of the few modern electronic subsets to bring back that carnivalesque funk.

(download @):

Hiawatha: "Dogs of War"

If chillwave is on its way let "Dogs of War" be one of its last great anthems. Hiawatha is the side project of Night Slugs producer Egyptrixx, though he does a damn fine job covering up that fact on his data-deprived Soundcloud profile.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Frankie Rose: "The Fall" [Fort Romeau remix]

We've showcased Frankie Rose before, but this one is all about the remix, and for that you can thank Fort Romeau. This bad boy is set to be released on a "Night Swim" single along with two demos and another remix (of the same track? Dunno, it's confusing) from The Go! Team. Come get some.

DJ Clap: "Come On"

That's that busy shit right there. Far from being a blur of white noise, however, Phoenix's own DJ Clap maintains a steady, recognizable beat throughout, merely changing the sounds representing said beat every four bars or so. You'll really want to be around for that break at the 2:20 mark.

This is straight up one of the most exciting electronic releases you're gonna hear in 2012.

(via Ad Hoc):

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Big Boi: "She Said OK" [feat. Theophilus London]

"She Said OK" has been around in audio form for a few months now; in fact, you probably absorbed its playful novelty value pretty quickly and forgot all about it. Big Boi can't be havin' that shit, not with Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors not streeting until November 13. So here we get some belated softcore footage to reinforce our formerly fleeting love of the tune.

Dirty Ghosts: "Katana Rock"

Score another one for the SF modern psych scene. Dirty Ghosts put a bit of an electro spin on their acid tinged garage rock, but all that regional competition seems to have helped hone their songcraft. "Katana Rock" is pretty immediate - are hack journalists still (over)using the term "bracing" these days? - which is kind of ironic, since the album (Metal Moon) has been out since February and we're just now getting visuals.

Untold: "Overdrive"

There have been a lot of these mechanistic, geometry fetish animations accompanying electronic songs in music video form lately, but if anyone has earned the right to milk the formula one last time it's Hemlock label boss Untold. The only thing keeping "Overdrive" from being full on industrial is that elastic, boogie down bass line.

From the Change in a Dynamic Environment 12".