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Month: February 2014 Page 1 of 2

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 2-27-14

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for another weekly dip into the pool of music news, interviews and videos that I like to call This Week In Music! Yes, in addition to the normal Pick Your Poison mp3s and Soundcloud streams, I like to toss out links to a bunch of other music-related content that I’ve found interesting or worthwhile over the course of the week. I encourage you to check some, if not all of these things out, particularly if you’re looking to waste some time. There’s plenty to see, read and hear:

Watch a trailer for Kanye West’s forthcoming Yeezus concert film

Music Video: Damon Albarn – Lonely Press Play

Watch a trailer for Lykke Li’s forthcoming album I Never Learn

Watch Sky Ferreira perform “You’re Not the One” on “Kimmel”

Music Video: Fuzz – Raise

Watch David Byrne perform a cover of Biz Markie’s “Just A Friend”

Music Video: EMA – So Blonde

Music Video: FKA twigs x inc.

Watch Haim cover Beyonce’s “XO” live for BBC Radio 1

Music Video: Coldplay – Midnight

Once you’re done with that set of distractions, let me offer up another set via some song downloads and streams. Don’t miss tracks from Cajita, Federal Lights, Mise En Scene, Monster Rally, The Noise FM, Royal Canoe and Saint Pepsi’s Tei Shi remix. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream cuts from Evian Christ, Four Tet and Terror Danjah, Frameworks, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Pia Mia (ft. Chance the Rapper), Screaming Females and Sky Ferreira.

The 1975 – Chocolate (HLM Remix)

Amique – Mercy Light Exposure

Bec Laughton – Gonna Love You (YesYou Remix)

Cajita – Broken Glass

Chris Malinchak – Forever

Federal Lights – I See Love

JP Hoe – Nothing’s Gonna Harm You

Kotorino – Never Had A Chance

Mise En Scene – Endless Summer

Monster Rally – Champagne / Holiday

The Noise FM – Keep Me in the Dark

Posse – Shut Up

Royal Canoe – Birthday

Tei Shi – Nevermind the End (Saint Pepsi Remix)

Album Review: Sun Kil Moon – Benji [Caldo Verde]



When someone’s very personal vision is on display for all to consume, they’re taking a huge risk putting themselves “out there,” since the reaction to it can range anywhere from hugely positive to incredibly negative. Yet there’s also something wholly refreshing about it too, because even if it sucks at least nobody can accuse the artist of compromising or playing it safe. That’s probably why the best books, films and albums also operate on the fringes of popular culture, because people actively crave the most positive and idealistic things, and anything that doesn’t conform or forces you to relate to it in more than a superficial way fails to provide the necessary escapism from their not-so-great lives. Which makes a great case for why there’s likely to be a heavy division between those who love and those who hate Sun Kil Moon’s sixth record Benji. Then again, most of those who won’t like the album are probably not even aware enough about music to even know this exists in the first place. It’s what’s known as a specialty record, with a sharp emphasis on “special.” Rest assured that no matter how you react to it, you’re unlikely to forget this listening experience.

If you examined Benji solely for its instrumental composition and remove Mark Kozelek’s vocals from the equation entirely, there’s a very good chance you’d shrug and think of it as just another folk record. There’s nothing flashy or wholly experimental about the way these songs come together, even though they’re more varied and dense compared to more recent Sun Kil Moon efforts. That’s largely done intentionally, so as not to distract from the lyrics and the way they’re being sung. More specifically, every track isn’t so much a song as it is an intensely personal story pulled directly from Kozelek’s life. He’ll talk about his parents (“I Love My Dad” and “I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love”), other family members who have died (“Carissa” and “Truck Driver”), serial killers (“Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes”), provide explicit details of his sexual history (“Dogs”), and give his perspective on one of America’s most recent tragedies (“Pray for Newtown”). Is any of it true? Is all of it true? A little research about the names, dates and location details in every song appears to point towards complete honesty, though on occasion a name might be changed to protect the innocent. Every tale is told with such interesting and vivid specificity that you can picture it in your head, while also generalized enough that just about anyone can relate to it. That remarkable balance is what turns this from a good record to a great one.

Given that somebody dies in almost every single song on Benji, you might think that this is a pretty depressing album. How Kozelek avoids falling into that trap is by painting vivid portraits of the people he’s singing about. Their experiences turn out to be just like our own, a grand mixture of triumphs and failures, happy moments and sad ones, and everything in between. Don’t be surprised if you find it difficult to make it through this lengthy record in one sitting due to all the emotions it conjures up. That’s just part of what it means to be a living, breathing human being. Kozelek writes about all these people and topics because they’ve changed his life in some way, and creating poetry out of them is his way of returning the favor. One can only hope it will inspire others to do the same.

Buy Benji from Amazon

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 2-26-14

Class of 2014 update! If I can do these once a week I absolutely will, though obviously if there’s nothing new to report then I won’t bother. But this is the third week out of the last four that there’s been things going on with class members, so I’m happy to tell you all about it. Let’s start with Saint Pepsi. His new record Gin City came out yesterday, and is available on Bandcamp as a “name your own price” download. Obviously you can get it for free if you want, but I’d encourage you to chip in at least a couple of bucks because it will help. Lo-Fang’s debut album Blue Film was also released yesterday, and you can download it from iTunes or buy a physical copy from 4AD directly. Watch him perform “#88” live on “Letterman”, and catch him on tour with Lorde this spring! Meanwhile, FKA twigs is up to new things, including a collaboration with electronica duo Inc. that’s going to include a 7″ and a zine. Enjoy this video for an untitled song that they worked on together. Last but certainly not least, Perfect Pussy’s album Say Yes to Love will be out on March 18th, but you can hear a gorgeous new song from it called “Interference Fits” over at NPR. If you’re headed to Austin for SXSW in mid-March, don’t miss the band playing all kinds of shows for everyone from Pitchfork to Stereogum to SPIN to NPR. It’s just more evidence this year is going to be a big one for them. This year also might be a big one for some of the artists who are part of today’s Pick Your Poison, one of which also happens to have the word “pussy” in it. Don’t miss tracks today from 100s, Coldair (covering Justin Timberlake), Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., DNKL, Mannequin Pussy, Reptile Youth and Scary People. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from The Faint, Fear of Men, Inventions, The Mary Onettes, MØ, My Morning Jacket (covering Songs: Ohia) and Shamir.

100s – Ten Freaky Hoes

Coldair – Strawberry Bubblegum (Justin Timberlake cover)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – All Your Base

DNKL – Battles

HOTT MT – Kat Kastle

Kitkkola – Problem Time

Mannequin Pussy – Clue Juice

Owl Eyes – Something About Us (Daft Punk cover)

Quiet Marauder – Accidental Voyeur

Ramaj Eroc – One Day at a Time

Reptile Youth – We’re All in Here

Scary People – Chicago!

Universal Thee – Aranis Natas

Utrecht – Too Far (ft. Jakil)

Pick Your Poison: Tuesday 2-25-14

We’ve hit another Tuesday, where I’m once again pleased to bring you a quick rundown of artists with brand new music coming out this week. The hope is to either inform you about what’s out there, but also to maybe even remind you if one of your favorite artists is putting out something new and you simply forgot about it. So without further ado, here’s your list for this week: Barzin, Beck, Bleeding Rainbow, Bob Mould, ceo, Creative Adult, Davidge, Death Vessel, Delta Rae, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Flagland, John the Conqueror, Lo-Fang, Mike Gordon, Milagres, Natural Child, Neneh Cherry, The Notwist, Patten, Pillar Point, Reed Turchi, Run River North, Schoolboy Q, She Sir, Silversun Pickups, Skaters, St. Vincent, Stromae, Tacocat, Vertical Scratchers, Wild Beasts and Yellow Ostrich. If you’re so inspired please pick some of these records up via your favorite digital or physical retailer! Now let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison, where you can discover even more hot new music. Some key tracks you’ll want to give attention to today come from The Dandy Horses, David Novick, The Jungle Giants, Paper Lions, Protomartyr, Stargroves and Suntrapp. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Cathedrals, Cloud Nothings, OFF!, Sir Sly (covering Drake), Tashaki Miyaki and Tove Lo.

Claire London – Sugar Sweet

The Dandy Horses – My Heart Goes Boom

David Novick – Beneath the Line

Fennec – Woke Up Feeling Disconnected

The Gnar – Great White

Iggy Azalea – Work (Jumo Remix)

The Jungle Giants – She’s A Riot

Paper Lions – Do You Wanna

Protomartyr – Come and See

Ridge – Melt

Spring Offensive – Hengelo (Live Acoustic Session)

Stargroves – Hats in the Air

Stereodyssey – Earthchild

Suntrapp – New Morning

Pick Your Poison: Monday 2-24-14

If you’re planning to do some traveling over the next month, specifically by commercial airplane, here’s a new option to help keep you entertained during the flight: stream the new Beck album Morning Phase. Ideally you could always just buy a digital copy of the record and upload it to your laptop, tablet or smartphone before takeoff, but in lieu of that, in-flight internet provider Gogo has partnered with Capitol Records to host a stream of the Beck album for free over the course of the next month. Basically all you need to do is access the Gogo homepage on whatever wifi-equipped flight you’re on, and that should give you access to the stream. Don’t ask me for any details beyond that, because I don’t know them. The reason I’m mentioning it is because it seems like a unique and somewhat cool thing to do, and that Beck record is pretty great. It might serve as the perfect soundtrack to a flight if you’re staring out the window as well. So consider checking it out if you’re traveling before the end of March. Now let’s get to your Monday edition of Pick Your Poison. There’s some great tracks today from Alana Amram & The Rough Gems, Arum Rae, Cate Le Bon, Dead Stars (covering Nirvana), Eternal Lips, Fat Goth, Plateau Below and The Weeknd’s remix of Ty Dolla $ign’s “Or Nah.” In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Architecture in Helsinki, Bright Light Bright Light and Elton John, Kevin Drew, Maps & Atlases, Ski Lodge, and many more.

Alana Amram & The Rough Gems – People Like to Talk

Arum Rae – 2001

The Assyrians – Baobab

Blue Sky Black Death – Pyramids (Frank Ocean Bootleg)

Cate Le Bon – He’s Leaving

Dead Stars – Old Age (Nirvana cover)

Eternal Lips – Voice (ft. Kyp Malone)

Fat Goth – Sweet Mister Scary

A Forest – Surfaces

Neon Hitch – Some Like It Hot (Mike Bugout & Michael York Remix)

Overlake – Disappearing

Plateau Below – Riverside

Ty Dolla $ign – Or Nah (The Weeknd Remix)

William Alexander – You Can Take It

Song of the Week: Real Estate – Crime


One of the best and worst things about Real Estate is that you can turn on any of their songs and instantly know who it is. The benefits are obviously the ease of recognition; that they have such a distinctive sound and style that you can pick them out of a crowd. Where things turn potentially bad is that with their third full length coming out soon, the idea of forward progression and general sonic evolution appears to elude them to a degree. Put this new song “Crime” on a playlist next to “Suburban Beverage” from their first album, and to the untrained ear they could easily have come from the same record, no matter if it was recorded in 2009 or 2014. Yet maybe the reason why Real Estate continues to pull from the same proverbial sun-soaked and lackadaisical mine a few years later is because it has yet to grow tired or stale. In many ways the music they make is born out of time, and with a clear lack of other artists following in their wake to drive the sound into oblivion, there’s no need to move from their current plane of existence. At least not yet. Looking at the guitar tabs for “Crime,” which the band kindly released in lieu of today’s traditional lyric video, it becomes instantly clear that as relaxed and practically minimal as their melodies may sound, there’s a lot more complexity to them than you might think. Maybe they really have been evolving this whole time in the most subtle and interesting ways, and we’re the criminals for not paying close enough attention to truly notice.

Preorder Real Estate’s Atlas [out 3/4/14] from Domino

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 2-20-14

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for another weekly dip into the pool of music news, interviews and videos that I like to call This Week In Music! Yes, in addition to the normal Pick Your Poison mp3s and Soundcloud streams, I like to toss out links to a bunch of other music-related content that I’ve found interesting or worthwhile over the course of the week. I encourage you to check some, if not all of these things out, particularly if you’re looking to waste some time. There’s plenty to see, read and hear:

Music Video: Ramona Lisa (Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek) – Arcadia

Music Video: Perfect Pussy – I

Watch Stephen Malkmus’ “Ask A Grown Man” advice video for Rookie

The lineup for Bonnaroo has been revealed

Watch Disclosure, Lorde and AlunaGeorge perform “Royals” and “White Noise” at the BRIT Awards

Guitar Tab Video: Learn how to play Real Estate’s new song “Crime”

Watch Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett recording the Her score with director Spike Jonze

Music Video: Forest Swords – The Weight of Gold

St. Vincent talks with Pitchfork about her forthcoming album

Music Video: Kate Nash – Sister

Once you’re done with that set of distractions, let me offer up another set via some song downloads and streams. Don’t miss tracks from Angela Perley & The Howlin’ Moons, Ava Luna, Freeze-Tag, Hillman Lighthouse, The Library Is On Fire and Yell For Help. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream cuts from BRONCHO, Major Lazer, Night Flowers, Nothing, The Range, Trust and Ryan Hemsworth’s remix of Wave Racer.

Angela Perley & The Howlin’ Moons – Ghost

Atlum Schema – Empire of the Soul

Ava Luna – PRPL

Broadcast – Subject to the Ladder (Lil Star Dweller Remix)

Cut Copy – We Are Explorers (Larry Gus Remix)

Freeze-Tag – No Passing (Otto and the Atom)

Gold Light – Last Night (In My Dreams)

Hillman Lighthouse – Six Ways From Sunday

Howling Bells – Slowburn

The Jones Family Singers – Down On Me

The Library Is On Fire – Red Flags

Record/Start – Followay

The Valery Trails – Children

Yell For Help – Trigger Happy

Album Review: Mas Ysa – Worth EP [Downtown]



The journey of Thomas Arsenault and his musical pseudonym Mas Ysa is a strange and interesting one. Without going into too much detail (you can find out more via your favorite search engine), he spent his youth in Canada and Brazil, before eventually making his way to the U.S. for college where he befriended some creative types and really began to play around with instruments and sounds. He’s used those connections and skills to become a legitimate recording artist, complete with a record deal and opening slots for bands like Deerhunter and Purity Ring, before 99% of the world had even heard a single note. It’s impressive, really. Is his status as part of the music world today a result of sheer talent, or simply thanks to who he knows? Well, Arsenault’s debut EP Worth provides a pretty definite answer to that question.

“Why” was the first Mas Ysa song uploaded to Soundcloud last fall for consumption by anyone willing to listen, and the nearly 6.5 minute epic drew quite a bit of the right kind of attention. Given its boundary pushing, devil may care mixture of techno, synth pop, folk and other sounds, it was a breath of fresh air and one hell of a first impression. On the EP itself it comes second, following the brief instrumental intro “Vanya.” Which brings up an important point about construction and sequencing. Worth has the nine song track listing of a full length, but clocks in at just under 30 minutes from start to finish. Five of those nine songs are instrumentals that fall between just under a minute to just over two minutes. It’s easy to think of moments like that as filler, however Arsenault does his best to give each one a unique individual identity that quietly draws your towards it, like a moth to a flame. These small sonic experiments also work as perfect segues between the longer vocal tracks, often mentally preparing you for particular tempos and feelings.

Beyond the complex narrative that is “Why,” the other three “main” songs do a fantastic job of painting a full picture of Arsenault’s skill set. “Years” closes out the EP, and is the polar opposite of the frantic energy found at the beginning. It is a sparse and haunting ballad that makes full use of Arsenault’s often quivering and wounded vocals. “Life Way Up From” does something very similar, but twists ever so slightly towards the instrumentally weird, a move made with such confidence and intention that by the time you really notice you’re already too emotionally invested to resist. By contrast, “Shame” has echoes of “Why,” particularly in its forceful vocals and brisk pace, but the overall approach is less about holding on for the ride and more about introspection.

Perhaps the best thing about the Worth EP is how it comes across as fully realized by its creator. That clarity of vision is something that most artists struggle with early on in their careers, so it’s a great sign that Arsenault has a such a steady hold on it from the get-go. Let’s hope he keeps it going for the next release.

Buy the Worth EP from Amazon

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 2-19-14

Class of 2014 update! Every time I think there won’t be anything to report over the course of a week, suddenly a bunch of stuff happens and there’s plenty to report. So let me start today with Mas Ysa. His debut EP Worth came out a couple weeks ago and is streaming on Spotify. Or buy it from iTunes or Amazon or something. As I also mentioned on Monday, he’ll be performing at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival. So that’s something to get excited about. Next up, SAINT PEPSI. His record Gin City will be released next week, however you can stream a brand new song called “Baby” from it in the Soundcloud section after the jump. Speaking of streaming things and albums out next week, Lo-Fang’s Blue Film is now streaming in full over at Radio.com. Of course I’m going to advise you to check that out. Last but not least, Syracuse punk band Perfect Pussy unleashed their video for the song “I” just the other day. It’s fun and shows off a little of what their crazy live show is like. Not only that, but they also unveiled a limited special edition box set of their forthcoming record Say Yes to Love (out March 18th) that features clear vinyl with singer Meredith Graves’ blood mixed in, among other items. They held it to only 180 units, and it sold out pretty quickly. So you (and I) can’t get a copy unless we find one for sale on eBay or something. It might make for a great collector’s item down the line. Anyways, that’s all I’ve got from the Class of 2014 for now. I’ll have another update for you in a week or two, along with reviews of the new albums on the way from SAINT PEPSI and Lo-Fang. In the meantime, let’s look at today’s Pick Your Poison. Good stuff in this set from Benbrick, Bent Denim, Earl Boykins, Japanther, Low Pros, Owls of the Swamp and PT Walkley. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream tracks from Amen Dunes, Cousins, King Dude & Chelsea Wolfe, Miniature Tigers, Modern Rivals, Odonis Odonis (covering Johnny Cash), and SAINT PEPSI.

Bad Suns – Cardiac Arrest (WoodysProduce Remix)

Benbrick – Forever Holding On

Bent Denim – Fuel

Chance Waters – Bonnie

Earl Boykins – Doves

French Horn Rebellion & Savoir Adore – The Fire (Rubber Ross Remix)

Hotlane – On My Own (Radio Mix)

Japanther – Do It (Don’t Try)

Low Pros – 100 Bottles (ft. Travi$ Scott)

Mahayla – Just Call

Owls of the Swamp – Garden

PT Walkley – Leeches

Velcro – City of Angels

WORKOUT – Katie

Pick Your Poison: Tuesday 2-18-14

We’ve hit another Tuesday, where I’m once again pleased to bring you a quick rundown of artists with brand new music coming out this week. The hope is to either inform you about what’s out there, but also to maybe even remind you if one of your favorite artists is putting out something new and you simply forgot about it. So without further ado, here’s your list for this week: Angel Olsen, Anne Guthrie, Bear Hands, The Caribbean, Dan Zimmerman, Dawn Landes, The Go Find, Guided By Voices, The Jezabels, Kevin Seconds, Lake Street Dive, Lost in the Trees, Lydia Loveless, Mr. Oizo, New Bums, Phantogram, Planningtorock, Roc Marciano, Slothtrust, Sun Araw, Sun Club, Talib Kweli and William Fitzsimmons. If you’re so inspired please pick some of these records up via your favorite digital or physical retailer! Now let’s get to today’s Pick Your Poison, where you can discover even more hot new music. Some key tracks you’ll want to give attention to today come from Broadwing, Clouder, Decent Lovers, Jasper Summer & Tsunaina, Monster Cat, and Trash Talk with Flatbush Zombies. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream new songs from Dinosaur Jr. (covering The Byrds), Elsie, Eternal Summers, Fujiya & Miyagi, Hundred Waters and Sisyphus.

Aur – Nothing But

Broadwing – Anodyne

Clouder – Phantom Girl

Daddy Lion – No Solution But Resolution

Decent Lovers – Compromising Young Thing

Electric Bird Noise – four

If Thousands – Lucky

Illangelo & Rochelle Jordan – What the Fuss

Jasper Sommer & Tsunaina – (en) Terre

Julie Spada – Reptile Mission

Monster Cat – Take Me to Love

Thief – Closer (Set Mo Remix)

Trash Talk and Flatbush Zombies – 97.92

Whales – Pretending

Pick Your Poison: Monday 2-17-14

Here we are in the dead of winter. Chicago got another 6 inches of snow today, and though temperatures are supposed to rise over the next couple days, it’s starting to feel like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Thankfully, last Friday brought a little ray of warmth and sunshine into an otherwise gloomy time of year. Mark your calendars, because the first set of artists performing at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival have been revealed. This year it will take place from July 17-19 as usual at Union Park in Chicago. Headliners for each of the three nights are Beck, Neutral Milk Hotel and Kendrick Lamar. Other artists include a reunited Slowdive (for their first U.S. show in a long, long time), Grimes, Giorgio Moroder, tUnE-yArDs, Death Grips, Sun Kil Moon, Pusha T, Sharon Van Etten, DIIV, Factory Floor, Wild Beasts, The Julie Ruin, The Haxan Cloak, The Range, Circulatory System, Ka, and Class of 2014 artist Mas Ysa. For the full day-by-day breakdown thus far, that information is contained within the individual day ticket purchase pages located here. It’s $60 for a single day pass and $130 for the full weekend. It’s pretty inexpensive when you think about what you’re getting, and there’s still a whole lot more artists that have yet to be announced. We’re not even halfway to the full lineup yet. Honestly, this is my favorite music festival and I always have a great time no matter who’s playing, so please come join me in Union Park this summer! Now then, let’s talk Pick Your Poison. Highlights today come from Carsick Cars, Flagland, Fosthays, George Ince, Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray, Shlohmo & Jeremih and TOTEM. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Frankie Cosmos, Glass Animals, Kaiser Chiefs, Little Dragon, Pure X, Thee Oh Sees and Young Widows.

Boots – Dust

Carsick Cars – 15 Minutes Older

Flagland – Sugarcube

Forsthays – Better Off Now

Freeweights – Your Design

George Ince – Backbone

Hopscotch – Hunter in the Night (Sigrah Remix)

I Am the Albatross – Strugglin’

Mayer Hawthorne ft. Kendrick Lamar – Crime (Vice Remix)

Miss Shevaughn & Yuma Wray – Drifter’s Compass

Shape – State of Mind

Shlohmo & Jeremih – No More

TOTEM – Columbia

Wolf Catcher – No Valentine

Song of the Week: Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks – Little Fang


Dave Portner, aka Avey Tare, has made plenty of fascinating music as a member of Animal Collective, not to mention outside of that band as a solo artist. Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks is his third project, but if you’ve heard anything he’s done previously then what he’s bringing to the table here isn’t a whole lot different. The good news though is that it is diverse and different enough to justify creating a whole new band to put it together. At the same time, whitewashed, fun house psychedelia seems to be a specialty of Portner’s, and it’s almost always a great idea to play to your strengths. So with this track “Little Fang,” the first audio we’ve heard from this new band and from the forthcoming record Enter the Slasher House, we get that tricky blend of strange and trippy composition complete with modulated vocals and stray sound effects. Yet unlike anything else, there’s an extreme clarity and straightforward approach to the song that makes it remarkably easy to digest. For my money, it’s one of the most commercially accessible and catchy things that Portner has ever done, and he’s managed to pull it off without diminishing expectations or sacrificing key elements of his work. If you didn’t know any better, it’d be remarkably easy to confuse it with something by Of Montreal or Ariel Pink. There’s no guarantee the entire record will sound this way, but at the very least it’s a strong introduction to this brand new band.

Preorder Enter the Slasher House (out April 7th)

Pick Your Poison: Thursday 2-13-14

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for another weekly dip into the pool of music news, interviews and videos that I like to call This Week In Music! Yes, in addition to the normal Pick Your Poison mp3s and Soundcloud streams, I like to toss out links to a bunch of other music-related content that I’ve found interesting or worthwhile over the course of the week. I encourage you to check some, if not all of these things out, particularly if you’re looking to waste some time. There’s plenty to see, read and hear:

Watch Chvrches cover Arctic Monkeys’ “Do I Wanna Know?”

Music Video: Death Grips – No Love

Savages will reportedly release a new EP this year

Odd Future has been blocked from entering New Zealand

Music Video: Guided By Voices – Planet Score

Watch Disclosure and Ms. Dynamite perform a cover of Sticky’s “Booo!”

Music Video: The Notwist – Kong

YouTube Audio Stream: Wild Beasts – Sweet Spot

Music Video: OFF! – Void You Out

YouTube Audio Stream: Conor Oberst – Hundreds of Ways

Once you’re done with that set of distractions, let me offer up another set via some song downloads and streams. Don’t miss tracks from Blonde Summer, Fim, A Million Billion Dying Suns, Nat Baldwin, ODESZA (ft. Madelyn Grant), POWERS and Com Truise remixing Weeknight. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream cuts from Black Lips, The Coathangers, Papercuts, Speedy Ortiz, The Trouble With Templeton and The Wytches.

BEGINNERS – Who Knows

Blonde Summer – High Times

Cajita – The Stars

Del Venicci – Teenage Swingers

Fim – Fast Cars

GDP – Why G?

Lovely Quinces – Wrong House

Mapei – Don’t Wait (Cranks Remix)

A Million Billion Dying Suns – Secret Tree

Nat Baldwin – In the Hollows

ODESZA – Sun Models (ft. Madelyn Grant)

POWERS – Money

Stage Hands – Adaptive Lines

Weeknight – Dark Light (Com Truise Remix)

Album Review: Broken Bells – After the Disco [Columbia]



Think for a moment about a disco. Depending on your age, there’s probably a good likelihood that you’ve never actually been inside of one, given most of them have long since died out to be replaced by the common night club atmosphere of today. But thanks to photos and videos, maybe even a little Saturday Night Fever, everybody has at least some idea of what the experience of walking into a disco might have been like. The mirror ball hanging from the ceiling and the multicolored light up checkerboard floor were the two key components to any disco, outside of the music of course. It was a fun place to be, especially if you loved to dance. But disco the music style and disco the club type both died off, and we’re left with the considerably less technicolor post-disco era. While we as a society are arguably better off without it, there’s still a hint of sadness at the loss of some of those elements. Use that as a starting point for Broken Bells’ second full length, After the Disco. The duo’s 2010 self-titled debut album was a multicolored, eclectic and moderately fun affair that allowed James Mercer to play around with some different styles outside of his work under The Shins name. Meanwhile Danger Mouse got to add another dynamic collaboration to a resume already packed with them. That first record and the subsequent Meyrin Fields EP might not have been the best things associated with either one of the principal members, but they were satisfactory given the circumstances through which they were birthed.

Over the last few years, Mercer returned to The Shins reinvigorated and provided a great reminder that bouncy indie pop is what he does best, and Danger Mouse produced a few more records for different artists that all wound up sounding similarly retro to one another as a result. Broken Bells was starting to feel like an afterthought, to the point where the announcement of After the Disco seemed to be met with a collective shrug all across the web. To a degree that same mentality comes across in the music as well. Gone is the melting pot of styles and genres, replaced with a more subdued and unified spacey synth pop sound that only manages to truly work for them on a couple of tracks. Single “Holding on for Life” is one of those particularly strong moments, with an earworm of a chorus that feels inspired by the Bee Gees. The delicately crafted groove of “The Changing Lights” also marks a great showcase for Danger Mouse, and it’s just about the only time he shines on the entire record. If you’re looking for the weak link among the duo, he is clearly and unfortunately it. While Mercer does a fine job singing and certainly knows his way around a lyric, the cold, plain and emotionless compositions distract from a lot of the good that’s being done. It leads to moments like “Medicine” and the title track, which have solid dancefloor tempos to them but fail to connect or stay with you in any meaningful way. At least the first Broken Bells album had some variety and curveballs to keep you interested even as it made some wrong turns. With After the Disco, the neon lit floors have been shut off and the mirror ball has been cut down. Turns out a dance club can be a pretty depressing place once someone turns the house lights on.

Broken Bells – Holding on for Life

Broken Bells – Leave It Alone

Buy After the Disco from Amazon

Pick Your Poison: Wednesday 2-12-14

This upcoming Friday is Valentine’s Day, and if you’ve got a special someone I wish you all the best for the holiday. I hear all these stories every year of people completely forgetting about the date and running to the store at the last possible minute hoping to find something to get for their significant other. Yet that’s also never happened to anyone I know. Maybe it’s those couples who tell each other “no gifts this year,” but one of them doesn’t really mean it. Still, it’s probably less of a common occurence than the media makes it out to be. Of course I DO know people who choose poorly when it comes to gifts from year to year. You think you’re getting your boyfriend or girlfriend something special, but you completely misinterpreted the situation and he or she winds up hating it. Some relationships don’t come back from that. I guess what I’m saying is, be careful. Birthdays and anniversaries can be tough to navigate, but Valentine’s Day might be the toughest of them all. Friday will also be Singles Awareness Day, reminding those of us without someone in our lives that there’s a void that “needs” to be filled. As someone who is perpetually single and has had a total of two Valentine’s Day dates in his entire life, I used to get bitter and depressed whenever this holiday rolls around. But I’ve given up the resentment in favor of warmth and kindness towards others. You could say that I’m spreading the love around. It’s also the sort of day that single people can be incredibly selfish and it’s not frowned upon. Want to treat yourself to a big steak dinner, then bring it home to eat in your pajamas in front of the TV? Knock yourself out. That’s not just something you can do on Valentine’s Day, but everyday if you’d like, since nobody will stop you. If you feel like V-Day is just something invented by greeting card companies and restaurants to make some extra money, you might be right, but there’s also something nice about taking a day to celebrate love in all its forms. Yeah, that’s something we should incorporate into our everyday lives, but since 95% of the population can’t seem to really do that (at least not in the right way), this holiday will have to suffice. So no matter what your situation or whatever you’re feeling on Friday, take some time out to love. As The Beatles famously said, love is all you need. Now then, let’s talk today’s mid-week Pick Your Poison. Plenty of things I hope you’ll love in this set of music. Key tracks today come from Avon Dale, Cassorla (ft. Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes), COnfluence, Midnight Magic’s remix of Holy Ghost!, Ryan D. White and VEDAS. In the Soundcloud section after the jump, stream songs from Circa Waves, Cloud Nothings, Courtney Barnett, Moon Bounce, Spiritualized and Woods.

Avon Dale – Roll Your Tongue

The Band Called Fuse – Soul Rock Anthem

Busy Signal – Well Prepared (Lorde “Royals” Remix)

Cassorla – Future One (ft. Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes)

Confluence – The Line

Digits – Shake Your Body Down

Hollow & Akimbo – The One Who Has To Carry You Home

Holy Ghost! – Bridge & Tunnel (Midnight Magic Remix)

Låpsley – Station (BUDO Remix)

Made Violent – Inside Out

Ryan D. White – Love Story

Sphynx – Hunger

T.W.i.N.S. – Republic of Banana

VEDAS – Ruin

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