Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Freedom Fry: "With the New Crowd"


Half of Freedom Fry call Paris home, so the band name is clearly a tongue-in-cheek jab at a certain French response to the US invasion of Iraq (the most recent one; I should be specific). Friends and Enemies is apparently the third EP from this duo but the first I've heard this. "With the New Crowd" is a little early for the breezy summer beach crowd that it's airy, lightweight melody is shooting for, but with bands like Bleached and Best Coast in the mix I guess that's a year round phenomenon these days.

Paul White: "Street Lights" [feat. Danny Brown]


Running out of hyperbole to spit re: Danny Brown so let's focus on Paul White, a UK producer that I'm hitherto unfamiliar with but who is supposed to be producing a good chunk of Brown's upcoming album. "Street Lights" the single is billed to Paul White, and probably represents a more accurate picture of what he intends for his own material as opposed to what he's bring to the table for the Danny Brown record, but I do like the way Danny sounds over such an obtuse beat. Stay tuned, should be a video for this shortly.

(via URB):


Shlohmo + Jeremih: "Bo Peep (Do U Right)"


I have no idea what's going on with that artwork but this track right here is how shit is done. I'm not too big a fan of Jeremih on his own, and frankly it sounds like he's kinda trying to jump on the cloud R&B trend on "Bo Peep", but Shlohmo can do no wrong. I mean, he probably can but this isn't gonna be the song to end his streak.

Savages: "She Will"


Straight up missed Savages during SXSW, but sleeping on more bands than you actually catch is just par for the course when there's something like 3,000 bands on the roster, and that's only counting the "official" lineup. This is mostly in the vein of early 80's post-punk, but the finale builds up to the kind of mantra-like refrain that was common in 90's riot grrl/grunge, so there's that. I doubt these ladies want to be compared to Elastica, let's just put it that way.

Silence Yourself is out May 6 on Matador.

The Men: "I Saw Her Face"


That's that old Neil Young shit right there. Or new Neil Young shit, sounds like the guitar line could have been lifted straight off Shakey's last album. Funny thing is The Men don't typically trade in proto-grunge classic rock, but their album New Moon was released recently on Sacred Bones, and there's something about being on that label that brings out the fuzzy acid psych in everyone. Nonetheless, this song is a standout anomaly on an album that largely sounds nothing like this.

Dope Body: "Leather Head"


Been kind of a strange trend recently of bands putting out videos (or just audio leaks) of b-sides to their singles rather than the usual a-side. I kind of don't give a shit when the results have this kind of oil tanker bass grooving beneath a minimalist, catchy rhythm. Ghost children of the almighty Jesus Lizard as far as I'm concerned.

Earl Sweatshirt: "Woah"


I still have a hard time differentiating Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, the Creator apart verbally - at least not without a bit of effort - but Sweatshirt seems less playful, more prone to lyrical badassery and unabashed shit talk. It's all in good fun though, as this Tyler-featuring video shows neither Odd Future member taking himself in the slightest bit seriously. Kind of weird that a guy like Frank Ocean came out of this clique but I guess when big titty geriatric ballerinas are on the table anything's possible.

Banks: "Fall Over"


Proving once again that Brooklyn is on the way out and LA is on the way... actually, pretty much already here, Banks follows up last month's "Before I Even Met You" with another radio-friendly club take on modernist Blue Eyed Soul. Girly girl is comfortable enough to not only shoot her newest video like it was a Victoria's Secret audition, but like Mike Jones before her she's even got her home phone number posted to her Facebook profile.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Milk Music: "Cruising With God"


I'll probably rethink this analogy after I've heard this song a few more times, but right now it sounds to me like a mildly David Thomas (Pere Ubu) fronting Dinosaur Jr. with Mike Watt on power bass.

Cruise Your Illusion is out April 2 on Fat Possum, who have been taking some real left turns with their signings lately. Good for them.

Zorch: "We All Die Young"



With SXSW wrapping it up it seems fitting to post a rare song from an Austin band, it being WKMR's backyard and all. Zorch are pretty unclassifiable but their style of frenetic digital psych won't seem too esoteric if you've been keeping your finger on the pulse for the last year or two. Not drastically dissimilar to some of the more unhinged shit that Dan Deacon has been doing, for instance.

I feel like this band has been around forever now in local circles but for some reason are just now getting around to putting our their debut, ZZoorrcchh, this summer on Sargent House.

Hanni El Khatib: "Family"



Nothing says family like riding the back roads in tighty whities with topless women and getting it on atop the mountainside. It's the way John Wayne woulda done it.

Tricky: "Nothing's Changed"


With dream pop and shoegaze having mounted major comebacks in the last few years, can trip hop be far behind? Not as long as Tricky has anything to say about it. The nostalgia nod in the title of "Nothing's Changed" is meant to emphasize that he's back on some old Maxinquaye shit. With no disrespect to Francecsa Belmonte - the featured singer here - she's squarely in that Martina Topley-Bird mold.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Melody's Echo Chamber: "Crystallized"


Seems like I just covered these guys. That's alright, it's a good 'un. Especially like the fuzz bomb rhythm guitar that busts up the joint about three minutes in. Rawr.

Med / Blu / Madlib: "Burgundy Whip" [feat. Jimetta Rose]


One of the things that sucks the most about Cinemax switching to Amercanized softcore sometime in the 90's is that we no longer get to hear the breezy Euro-jazz funk that permeated the soundtracks of Nana and Felicity (if you're over 30 you know what I'm talking about). "Burgundy Whip" harks back to those halcyon, rosy palmed days with a certain wistful nostalgia.