To some the album may seem lame or nerdy (and it might actually be a little of both) but fans of old-school rap and old-school video games, which I'm sure there are a ton of, will be really pleased. The editing is done very well and the separate elements of each song were carefully chosen to fit together surprisingly well. The first track, which mashes Clipse's "Virginia" with the Lost Woods theme, is especially ironic in its combination of the most playful tune in the game with some pretty serious lyrics. The team does interesting work with "Still D. R. E." and the brief 6-second sample that accompanies Link's discovery of a treasure by altering the speed, chopping it up, and flipping it around to make a pretty royal accompaniment to Snoop Dogg's and Dr. Dre's rhymes. The best tracks, however, use the more simple and repetitive rhythms that play in the background during the game (and are thus deeply ingrained into the player's memory.) These include the mix of Goron Village's somewhat tribal percussion-and-yelping theme with Aesop Rock's "No Jumpercables," Spank Rock's dirty "IMC" over the serene and subtle theme from Zora's Domain, and the "Still Tippin'" duet between Slim Thug and Mike Jones with the high-pitched fantasy-synth melody found in all four Great Fairy fountains. The album is short, sweet, and a ton of fun, especially for those nostalgic types like myself, so go make like Link and explore the depths of google.com until you stumble upon this hidden treasure.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Ocarina Of Rhyme
And now for something completely different: Team Teamwork, a blog group that prides themselves on "ghettotech" hip hop remixes, has recently compiled an album of mash-ups that take instrumentals from everyone's favorite game in the Legend of Zelda series, The Ocarina of Time, and overlay them with rap from some of today's better MCs. The Ocarina of Rhyme is available for digital download pretty much anywhere online, so get to it!
To some the album may seem lame or nerdy (and it might actually be a little of both) but fans of old-school rap and old-school video games, which I'm sure there are a ton of, will be really pleased. The editing is done very well and the separate elements of each song were carefully chosen to fit together surprisingly well. The first track, which mashes Clipse's "Virginia" with the Lost Woods theme, is especially ironic in its combination of the most playful tune in the game with some pretty serious lyrics. The team does interesting work with "Still D. R. E." and the brief 6-second sample that accompanies Link's discovery of a treasure by altering the speed, chopping it up, and flipping it around to make a pretty royal accompaniment to Snoop Dogg's and Dr. Dre's rhymes. The best tracks, however, use the more simple and repetitive rhythms that play in the background during the game (and are thus deeply ingrained into the player's memory.) These include the mix of Goron Village's somewhat tribal percussion-and-yelping theme with Aesop Rock's "No Jumpercables," Spank Rock's dirty "IMC" over the serene and subtle theme from Zora's Domain, and the "Still Tippin'" duet between Slim Thug and Mike Jones with the high-pitched fantasy-synth melody found in all four Great Fairy fountains. The album is short, sweet, and a ton of fun, especially for those nostalgic types like myself, so go make like Link and explore the depths of google.com until you stumble upon this hidden treasure.
To some the album may seem lame or nerdy (and it might actually be a little of both) but fans of old-school rap and old-school video games, which I'm sure there are a ton of, will be really pleased. The editing is done very well and the separate elements of each song were carefully chosen to fit together surprisingly well. The first track, which mashes Clipse's "Virginia" with the Lost Woods theme, is especially ironic in its combination of the most playful tune in the game with some pretty serious lyrics. The team does interesting work with "Still D. R. E." and the brief 6-second sample that accompanies Link's discovery of a treasure by altering the speed, chopping it up, and flipping it around to make a pretty royal accompaniment to Snoop Dogg's and Dr. Dre's rhymes. The best tracks, however, use the more simple and repetitive rhythms that play in the background during the game (and are thus deeply ingrained into the player's memory.) These include the mix of Goron Village's somewhat tribal percussion-and-yelping theme with Aesop Rock's "No Jumpercables," Spank Rock's dirty "IMC" over the serene and subtle theme from Zora's Domain, and the "Still Tippin'" duet between Slim Thug and Mike Jones with the high-pitched fantasy-synth melody found in all four Great Fairy fountains. The album is short, sweet, and a ton of fun, especially for those nostalgic types like myself, so go make like Link and explore the depths of google.com until you stumble upon this hidden treasure.
"What Would I Want Sky"
I just found a clean and edited BBC "Freak Zone" session of Animal Collective's new track, "What Would I Want Sky," that they've been playing at live shows recently, so I thought I'd share it. From the explosive percussion of the first half's crashing beat to the warbled vocals, shimmering guitars, glistening electronic effects, and choir-like harmonies that slowly layer to transition into the second, this song has got it all. Panda Bear's repetition of the title in the background of Avey Tare's ever-so-catchy hooks and melody will have you hypnotized and the seven minutes of ear candy will go by before you even know it, leaving you craving another listen. I wonder what delicious treats ANCO has in store for us next?
Refer back to this earlier post to see a video of them playing it live.
Refer back to this earlier post to see a video of them playing it live.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Playlist: Eat Out Your Brain
The next installment in my personal playlist series is complete: check out the 20 tracks that make up Eat Out Your Brain (a lyric from the previously reviewed "Zumbi" that somewhat captures the essence of the mix but is mostly just really amusing) below. Again, it is meant to be shuffled and the songs are in alphabetical order by artist:
1. "Collapsing At Your Doorstep" by Air France off of No Way Down
2. "River" by Akron/Family off of Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free
3. "Summertime Clothes" by Animal Collective off of Merriweather Post Pavilion
4. "Useful Chamber" by Dirty Projectors off of Bitte Orca
5. "Mushaboom [Postal Service Remix]" by Feist off of Open Season
6. "Ankle Injuries" by Fujiya & Miyagi off of Transparent Things
7. "Ready For The Floor" by Hot Chip off of Made In The Dark
8. "Last Exit [Fennesz Mix]" by Junior Boys off of Last Exit
9. "Heartbeats" by The Knife off of Deep Cuts
10. "Yeah! Oh Yeah!" by The Magnetic Fields off of 69 Love Songs
11. "Hold The Line (DJ Edit)" by Major Lazer off of Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do
12. "Zumbi" by Major Lazer
13. "Nonpareil Of Favor" by Of Montreal off of Skeletal Lamping
14. "Moth's Wings" by Passion Pit off of Manners
15. "Eyes As Candles" by Passion Pit off of Manners
16. "Thickets" by Patrick Wolf off of The Bachelor
17. "You'll Find A Way (Switch And Sinden Remix)" by Santigold off of Santogold
18. "Inaugural Trams" by Super Furry Animals off of Dark Days/Light Years
19. "Dinosaur On The Ark" by The Very Best off of The Very Best Mixtape
20. "Damage" by Yo La Tengo off of I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
Though I try my hardest to put unique and unexpected tracks on every playlist, Animal Collective always seems to end up there in some form, so I apologize (but have no regrets.) Also, even though Passion Pit and Major Lazer are on here twice, their songs are different enough from each other and good enough on their own to warrant two separate places on the list. I found most of the tracks with Elbows music blog aggregator (though "Thickets" and the Fennesz mix of "Last Exit" are TPP originals), so follow the links to download your own copy of Eat Out Your Brain.
1. "Collapsing At Your Doorstep" by Air France off of No Way Down
2. "River" by Akron/Family off of Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free
3. "Summertime Clothes" by Animal Collective off of Merriweather Post Pavilion
4. "Useful Chamber" by Dirty Projectors off of Bitte Orca
5. "Mushaboom [Postal Service Remix]" by Feist off of Open Season
6. "Ankle Injuries" by Fujiya & Miyagi off of Transparent Things
7. "Ready For The Floor" by Hot Chip off of Made In The Dark
8. "Last Exit [Fennesz Mix]" by Junior Boys off of Last Exit
9. "Heartbeats" by The Knife off of Deep Cuts
10. "Yeah! Oh Yeah!" by The Magnetic Fields off of 69 Love Songs
11. "Hold The Line (DJ Edit)" by Major Lazer off of Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do
12. "Zumbi" by Major Lazer
13. "Nonpareil Of Favor" by Of Montreal off of Skeletal Lamping
14. "Moth's Wings" by Passion Pit off of Manners
15. "Eyes As Candles" by Passion Pit off of Manners
16. "Thickets" by Patrick Wolf off of The Bachelor
17. "You'll Find A Way (Switch And Sinden Remix)" by Santigold off of Santogold
18. "Inaugural Trams" by Super Furry Animals off of Dark Days/Light Years
19. "Dinosaur On The Ark" by The Very Best off of The Very Best Mixtape
20. "Damage" by Yo La Tengo off of I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
Though I try my hardest to put unique and unexpected tracks on every playlist, Animal Collective always seems to end up there in some form, so I apologize (but have no regrets.) Also, even though Passion Pit and Major Lazer are on here twice, their songs are different enough from each other and good enough on their own to warrant two separate places on the list. I found most of the tracks with Elbows music blog aggregator (though "Thickets" and the Fennesz mix of "Last Exit" are TPP originals), so follow the links to download your own copy of Eat Out Your Brain.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Mind Over Time
I'm not sure when it will be released or if it's even a real Interpol project, but a rarities compilation consisting of 19 remixes and unreleased tracks has been floating around the internet recently. It's called Mind Over Time and it collects Interpol's early self-titled and Remix EPs as well as Japan-exclusive bonus tracks, outtakes, and new mixes of songs from Our Love To Admire, their most recent album. A lot of the remixes are sort of worthless because they sound almost exactly like the originals and true Interpol fans will already have most of the material on the compilation, but there are a few specifics that are definitely worth hearing and owning.
The title track, "Mind Over Time," is a dark, moody piece written and recorded during the sessions for OLTA that resembles the untitled track from Turn On The Bright Lights. It features samples of radio broadcasts and a truly haunting vocal performance from frontman Paul Banks. The entire Interpol EP is also included, but "Song 7" and "Precipitate" are really the only two tracks from the pre-TOTBL era that deserve attention. Banks' alternate version of "Narc" is mostly acoustic and sounds more eerie, subdued, and surreal than the album version. The Carlos D remix of "Public Pervert" is one of the best remixes I've heard in a while, taking all of the best elements of the original song and repeating them over and over in time with a cool electronic dance beat. The Interpool Swimwear remix of "Untitled" is also really interesting as it overlays choppy samples of the song on top of some of the actual instrumentals, creating something both comfortably familiar and excitingly different. The Phones remix of "Heinrich Manuever" is also pretty different from the original and is worth checking out. The closing track on the compilation, "Fog Vs. Mould For The Length Of Love," is actually much better than the Antics version, adding a steady Krautrock beat and switching back and forth between tension and release. The most exciting alternate take presented, however, is the orchestral version of "Pioneer To The Falls," which sounds exactly as it seems: it's as if Interpol were on stage in a theater playing with a full backing orchestra, and it makes the already brilliant song more epic than ever.
The title track, "Mind Over Time," is a dark, moody piece written and recorded during the sessions for OLTA that resembles the untitled track from Turn On The Bright Lights. It features samples of radio broadcasts and a truly haunting vocal performance from frontman Paul Banks. The entire Interpol EP is also included, but "Song 7" and "Precipitate" are really the only two tracks from the pre-TOTBL era that deserve attention. Banks' alternate version of "Narc" is mostly acoustic and sounds more eerie, subdued, and surreal than the album version. The Carlos D remix of "Public Pervert" is one of the best remixes I've heard in a while, taking all of the best elements of the original song and repeating them over and over in time with a cool electronic dance beat. The Interpool Swimwear remix of "Untitled" is also really interesting as it overlays choppy samples of the song on top of some of the actual instrumentals, creating something both comfortably familiar and excitingly different. The Phones remix of "Heinrich Manuever" is also pretty different from the original and is worth checking out. The closing track on the compilation, "Fog Vs. Mould For The Length Of Love," is actually much better than the Antics version, adding a steady Krautrock beat and switching back and forth between tension and release. The most exciting alternate take presented, however, is the orchestral version of "Pioneer To The Falls," which sounds exactly as it seems: it's as if Interpol were on stage in a theater playing with a full backing orchestra, and it makes the already brilliant song more epic than ever.
"Plutonic Dancing"
Though I first heard this song almost a year ago on a mix CD, its genius didn't strike me until I heard it as the closing track to new wave revival group Dogs Die In Hot Cars' album of demos for their second effort, Pop Nonsense. The album itself is rather lackluster, as there are way too many mediocre tracks and only four or five standouts out of a hefty 17, but the few songs that are good are extremely so.
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"Plutonic Dancing" is one of these, if not the best of the bunch. It combines elements of synth-pop, electronica, and dance music to create a clever pop melody with a cheery enthusiasm. The electronics are bright and bubbly, evoking Swedish acts Air France and The Tough Alliance, while the vocal performance is clearly Scottish, highlighting the band's brit-pop roots. Frontman Craig Macintosh follows the recent trend of singing in falsetto, and on this track he steps up to an even higher pitch that gels wonderfully with the musical backdrop. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, but they also work to greater the sum of the parts: an incredibly catchy tune that will make you want to get up and move.
Other similar tracks that capture the same essence are the title track, "Something For The Good Boys," "Real," and "Beauty US." Apparently, the group is going to compile a more focused album of re-worked fan versions of each of the demos, a project which should be completed before the year is out (the deadline for submissions was May 1st.) Fingers are crossed that all of the aforementioned make it to the proper release!
"Plutonic Dancing" is one of these, if not the best of the bunch. It combines elements of synth-pop, electronica, and dance music to create a clever pop melody with a cheery enthusiasm. The electronics are bright and bubbly, evoking Swedish acts Air France and The Tough Alliance, while the vocal performance is clearly Scottish, highlighting the band's brit-pop roots. Frontman Craig Macintosh follows the recent trend of singing in falsetto, and on this track he steps up to an even higher pitch that gels wonderfully with the musical backdrop. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, but they also work to greater the sum of the parts: an incredibly catchy tune that will make you want to get up and move.Other similar tracks that capture the same essence are the title track, "Something For The Good Boys," "Real," and "Beauty US." Apparently, the group is going to compile a more focused album of re-worked fan versions of each of the demos, a project which should be completed before the year is out (the deadline for submissions was May 1st.) Fingers are crossed that all of the aforementioned make it to the proper release!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sholi
I don't even know where I heard about this album, but for some reason it was on my list of things to look for this year. It was released back in February and it's taken me quite awhile to find, but now I'm so glad I tried because Sholi's self-titled debut is worth the work and the wait.
The band was formed in Davis, California by songwriter Payam Bavafa and consists of the typical guitar, drum, and bass found in most rock groups. Sholi's sound is an interesting blend that can only accurately be described as "experimental rock," though it has elements of psychedelia and math rock as well, featuring fast guitar-work, strange chord progressions and bizarre melodic arrangements. It was produced by Deerhoof's Greg Saunier, which may partly explain why it sounds the way it does. The album consists of eight somewhat lengthy tracks, most of which take turns in dramatically different directions at several points throughout the song. The percussion is also very propulsive and gives the music a sense of rapid forward motion, especially on standout track "November Through June." Most of the songs have a rather dark feel because of the heavy use of minor chords, such as lead single "Tourniquet" and epic closer "Contortionist," both of which sound alarmingly urgent. Other notable tracks include wandering opener "All That We Can See" and the more march-like "Any Other God" found much later on the album.
The band was formed in Davis, California by songwriter Payam Bavafa and consists of the typical guitar, drum, and bass found in most rock groups. Sholi's sound is an interesting blend that can only accurately be described as "experimental rock," though it has elements of psychedelia and math rock as well, featuring fast guitar-work, strange chord progressions and bizarre melodic arrangements. It was produced by Deerhoof's Greg Saunier, which may partly explain why it sounds the way it does. The album consists of eight somewhat lengthy tracks, most of which take turns in dramatically different directions at several points throughout the song. The percussion is also very propulsive and gives the music a sense of rapid forward motion, especially on standout track "November Through June." Most of the songs have a rather dark feel because of the heavy use of minor chords, such as lead single "Tourniquet" and epic closer "Contortionist," both of which sound alarmingly urgent. Other notable tracks include wandering opener "All That We Can See" and the more march-like "Any Other God" found much later on the album.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Wilco (The Album)
Combining the meandering laziness of Sky Blue Sky with the more upbeat tunes of Summerteeth, Wilco assemble another album of warm, mellow summer songs, just in time for the season with its release on June 30th.
Wilco (The Album), with its in-your-face title and cover art, is a true testament to the band's progress toward mastery of their unique blend of country music and indie rock. The first three tracks on the album are vintage Wilco at its finest: they exemplify everything I love about the band, including Jeff Tweedy's emotive vocal performance and the group's powerful songwriting. The aptly-titled opener "Wilco The Song" is an upbeat opening track that is sure to get stuck in your head (and with it the line "Wilco, I love you," which could be an interesting marketing strategy but was probably intended as an ironic statement.) "Deeper Down" is more interesting musically, with its Andrew Bird-esque backdrop of high-pitched strings, while "One Wing" is an all-around incredible song that captures the essence of the entire album. "Bull Black Nova" is a more experimental track, with extremely repetitive pulsating notes to balance out Tweedy's smooth lyricism. The next track, "You And I," is the charming collaboration with Feist that everyone has been so excited about, and it certainly lives up to the standards of both artists. The album takes a turn toward the more boring with the next few tracks, but then returns to form with the heartbreaking "Solitaire" and the rock anthem "I'll Fight." "Sunny Feeling" and "Everlasting" (which are both steadily growing on me) end the album as polar opposites, with the former continuing the basic rock styles and the latter closing with an extremely mellow build-up that evokes "On And On And On" from Sky Blue Sky and possibly even "Reservations" from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The comparisons to YHF end there, however, and those expecting a "comeback album" will be disappointed. Fans of Summerteeth, A Ghost Is Born, and Sky Blue Sky won't, however, and the album is a perfectly-fitting addition to Wilco's extensive discography.
Wilco (The Album), with its in-your-face title and cover art, is a true testament to the band's progress toward mastery of their unique blend of country music and indie rock. The first three tracks on the album are vintage Wilco at its finest: they exemplify everything I love about the band, including Jeff Tweedy's emotive vocal performance and the group's powerful songwriting. The aptly-titled opener "Wilco The Song" is an upbeat opening track that is sure to get stuck in your head (and with it the line "Wilco, I love you," which could be an interesting marketing strategy but was probably intended as an ironic statement.) "Deeper Down" is more interesting musically, with its Andrew Bird-esque backdrop of high-pitched strings, while "One Wing" is an all-around incredible song that captures the essence of the entire album. "Bull Black Nova" is a more experimental track, with extremely repetitive pulsating notes to balance out Tweedy's smooth lyricism. The next track, "You And I," is the charming collaboration with Feist that everyone has been so excited about, and it certainly lives up to the standards of both artists. The album takes a turn toward the more boring with the next few tracks, but then returns to form with the heartbreaking "Solitaire" and the rock anthem "I'll Fight." "Sunny Feeling" and "Everlasting" (which are both steadily growing on me) end the album as polar opposites, with the former continuing the basic rock styles and the latter closing with an extremely mellow build-up that evokes "On And On And On" from Sky Blue Sky and possibly even "Reservations" from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The comparisons to YHF end there, however, and those expecting a "comeback album" will be disappointed. Fans of Summerteeth, A Ghost Is Born, and Sky Blue Sky won't, however, and the album is a perfectly-fitting addition to Wilco's extensive discography.
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