Friday, January 30, 2009

Inadvertent Forgetfulness

You ever think about something so hard you forget it in the process?

Been happening to me all morning, dammit.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Music Monday: More of a Hodgepodge

There is no rhyme or reason to this post, other than within the past month or two I've been slowly accumulating works from these artists. I wish I could put it all together with more of a theme than that, but it cannot be done at the moment. [no album art this time]

Music Monday: Hodgepodge

Rodriguez - Sugar Man -- off the album Cold Fact. Sixto Rodriguez's story is amazing and sad and uplifting all at once. I'll refer you this info page, and this All Things Considered story. The long and the short of it is this... Rodriguez put out Cold Fact back in 69/70 to mediocre reviews. Played only one showcase to industry folks (with his back to the audience no less, a big deal way before Maynard James Keenan started doing it with TOOL), put out one more album a year or so later to even more mediocre reviews and called it quits. Meanwhile, Cold Fact began receiving acclaim in Australia and South Africa, where to this day his name is synonymous with Elvis. He's that big there. You really should read that article and listen to the NPR audio clip. This album is finally getting a proper release as a result of it's comeback in the popular ear. Great stuff... Dylan/Cream, great folk/psychedelia.

Honey Claws - Shout Out -- off of the self-titled LP. This is so bizarre for me. Honey Claws are an experimental/electronic/hip-hop act from Austin. The lead vocalist, Jon Von Letscher, I've known since middle school. Well I should say, I knew in middle school. In seventh and eighth grade he and I (along with two other friends) would make comic books about ninja stick men wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting villains of imaginary cities, he would teach us how to draw manga, we would tower over him (he was a short chubby kid, now he's an average height marathon runner) and we would laugh day and night about the stupidest things and play RISK. So it blows my mind that after, jeez, twelve years I find out he's got a pretty amazing little band going. I ran into him about a year ago and he was telling me about it, but i never really followed up. Wish I had now. Keep an ear out.

Cut Off Your Hands - Happy As Can Be -- off of You & I. I was listening to The Tripwire Podcast and came across this track from the New Zealand quartet, Cut Off Your Hands (nee Shaky Hands, but now COYH thanks to the Oregon band of the same name and a lawsuit. Clever retitled name). I immediately left for the record store and bought the album, which had luckily just come out that day. It is New Wave joy. I wrote a review for the album this past week, and in it you can read why I liked it... THE REVIEW. The Smiths, U2, Joy Division, The Beatles and all the best parts of the insane post-punk revival of about 3 years ago.

Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream -- off of Walking On A Dream. This band makes me feel like a hypocrite, because I don't really like bands like this. But I can't help it. Don't know too much about these guys, but the band's name is EMPIRE OF THE SUN, as in the awesome 1984 novel by JG Ballard (and subsequent awesome 1987 film by Steven Spielberg with a young Christian Bale). Also LOOK at the album artwork. How can you not like that? There's a tiger. Just listen.

Coconot - Conservad El Rayo -- off of Cosa Astral. Also don't know too much about this band, but they're awesome in an experimental, islandy way. Also makes me feel a little bit of a hypocrite, as these guys have been referred to once or twice as a Spanish Animal Collective, and call me crazy but I ain't really that big a fan of Animal Collective. These guys however, sounds like boatloads of fun. Maybe it's because they're from Barcelona.

Cornelius - Toner -- off of Sensuous. I recently rediscovered this album. I reviewed it when it came out back in April of 2007. I love this guy Cornelius (Keigo Oyamada) and I'm on the search for a shirt to prove it. Read THIS REVIEW I wrote for everything I feel about it. This song is made from samples of a PRINTER. He's also got one of the coolest versions of Brazil I've ever heard (for another Music Monday).

Department of Eagles - Teenagers -- off of In Ear Park. I had heard about these guys once before but never paid attention to them. Then let's flashback to about a month and a half ago when I'm in Starbucks waiting for coffee on a cold day, there's a free download card there for a track from this album. I go home, dload it and it's great. About two weeks later I'm listening to KUT and John Aielli's, Aielli Unleashed (pronounced A-Lee), and he offers up another track from the album. I took it as a sign and bought the whole album, In Ear Park. It's great. There's a little bit of Midlake in there, which is what immediately drew me in I think, but there's more rock to it too. More weirdness. It's dark and eerie, and it's fun and light too. One of the more overlooked albums of 2008.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I refer to a post dated 31 January 2008


Because Shit Just Got Real, Again.

Season 5 has begun.



In other news, this blog has just reached 4,000 views

Friday, January 09, 2009

New PB&J

2009 is already starting to sound better than 2008. Peter Bjorn & John have a new album out in the spring and here's two songs for free!

A little different sounding than their last effort, but still reverb-tinged Swedish pop. That's why it's lovable. I feel like I'm back on the train to Malmo.


Tuesday, January 06, 2009

new stuff

i am going to post a new hodgepodge of a music monday sometime this week before i have to go to my cousin's wedding this weekend (i get to be a bartender. which is a weird thing to have a family member included as in your wedding, but hopefully i get to drink on the job).

point is, i want to post something and here it is... went and saw my favorite band in austin play this past weekend. Brazos started off the year musically for me in the exact fashion i wanted.

i even took some pictures. [click it for the link please]