Transport is a short film collaboration between comedian/musician/maverick Reggie Watts and photographer Noah Kalina. Watts not only makes crazy beats and sounds with his voice, but also acts in this elegantly shot black and white walkabout.  Check out more of Watts here. 

As the 90s came to a close, the business of music began to change profoundly. New technology allowed artists to record and produce their own music and music videos, and the internet became a free-for-all distribution platform for musicians to promote themselves to audiences across the world. The result was an influx of artists onto the cultural scene, and audiences were left wondering how to sort through them all. In this episode of the PBS series Off Book, watch as Jon Cohen (Co-Founder, FADER Label), Ryan Dombal (Senior Editor, Pitchfork) Blake Whitman (VP of Creative Development, Vimeo) and Anthony Volodkin (Founder, Hype Machine) discuss these massive changes, and reveal how music blogs and websites have arisen as the new arbiters of quality.  Produced by Kornhaber Brown, with music from Flex Blur, Mindthings, Dub Terminator and Nestor Gonzalez.

Artists from Music Video Section:

Rihanna – We Found Love - vimeo.com/33123323
Miss Eaves – Diva Pop - vimeo.com/34415367
My First Earthquake – We Float - vimeo.com/31941995
Moullinex – Catalina - vimeo.com/19723907
Sleigh Bells – Riot Rhythm - vimeo.com/16668477
Keep The Heat
Morning Teleportation – Expanding Anyway - vimeo.com/14304059
Da Silva – Les Stations Balnearies - vimeo.com/33569324
Goose – Synrise - vimeo.com/20913850
Tim and Puma Mimi – Perspective - vimeo.com/11742651
DYE – Fantasy - vimeo.com/30798517
Dan Wholey – Amateur Rocketry - vimeo.com/29672263
Health – We Are Water - vimeo.com/10818338
Colours – Colourfornia - vimeo.com/26906724
Dancing Pigeons – Ritalin - vimeo.com/13639493
The Naked And Famous – The Sun - vimeo.com/27790801
The Limousines - vimeo.com/18665622
Flying Lotus – Kill Your Co-Workers - vimeo.com/15568767

Follow Off Book:
Twitter: @pbsoffbook
Tumblr: pbsarts.tumblr.com/

Celestial themes such as violent star systems and lunar tranquility set the groundwork for ”Nothing Exists but Atoms and the Void”, the sophomore release from Brooklyn-based band, Spaces. Band members, Duke Ahrens and Franco Colon, continued with an unconventional approach to songwriting by building a recording studio in a decommissioned ferryboat. The pair drew inspiration from their surroundings to create music that reflects the beauty and wonders of the Universe. This ambitious album encompasses a sonic landscape from intense rhythmic movements to introspective orchestral pieces, making Spaces voyagers of the over-saturated post-rock galaxy.

Leeds quartet Alt-J (aka ‘triangle’, aka △) is a band that should be on everyone’s music radar in 2012.  On their AA sided single Matilda / Fitzpleasure - released courtesy of Infectious Music-  Alt-J masterfully gush bright reverb-drenched blues vocals over a variety of heavy bass fuzz, guitar scratching, skittish percussion and intricate vocal harmonies.

Fitzpleasure by alt-J

Tessellate (demo) by alt-J

Tessellate (demo) by alt-J

Remember mopeds? Well they’re making a revival. Two moped gangs in Brooklyn, NY show us why the bikes, old and new, are still kicking around – and share a little bit about the elusive ‘gangs’ that ride them.

Born in New York, The Bicycle Film Festival has evolved hand in hand with the unprecedented boom in urban cycling internationally. From its roots in New York City, The BFF has grown into a multi-faceted, global event that will travel to over 25 cities this year, from Milan to Tokyo, Minneapolis to Sydney. In 2001 Brendt Barbur, Founding Director, was compelled to start the Bicycle Film Festival after being hit by a bus while riding his bike in New York City. He was inspired to turn this negative experience into a positive one, and created a festival that celebrates the bicycle through music, art, and film. The festival merges many creative communities, including fashion, music and art, as well as various bicycling communities – road cycling, mountainbiking, fixed gear, BMX, cyclocross – over a shared passion for bike riding. Watch above as Discosalt goes inside The Bicycle Film Festival’s headquarters in New York with its creator Brendt Barbur.

The Widest Smiling Faces is Brooklyn singer-songwriter Aviv Cohn.  On his second full length LP, Me and My Ribcage (available for free on The Widest Smiling Faces Bandcamp page), Aviv channels his subconscious mind, by creating an equally fragile and uplifting sophomore album sounding as if from within a lucid dream. I had the pleasure of talking to Aviv about the release of Me and My Ribcage, the Brooklyn “visual” music scene, and spending 2012 in an underground bunker.

DS: Who or what was responsible for The Widest Smiling Faces coming to be?
TWSF:Art has been a major part of my life as long as I can remember. Growing up I had wanted to be a filmmaker, then for much of my early adolescence I was interested in being a video game designer. But when I started playing Guitar and appreciating the ability of music to convey elaborate, beautiful imagery through melody and timbre, I realized there was nothing in the world as compelling, and that it was how I wanted to spend my time. I began writing music even before I knew what I was playing, and have continued since then.

DS: The Widest Smiling Faces has always been a band heavy on visuals. Me and My Ribcage looks very different from Rituals; It’s oils instead of acrylics or mixed media instead of “other” mixed media. In your opinion, what other musicians or bands would you consider visual?
TWSF: I think all music can inspire feelings of synthetic color and visual imagery if one listens to it with the right mentality (or is predisposed to experiencing music in that way). Certainly though, some musicians clearly seem to have it in their minds more than others. I think of Boards of Canada as one example of a band that puts a great amount of attention towards the imagery their music inspires. Of course that’s just how it strikes me personally.

Watch the first trailer of upcoming Wes Anderson ensemble film Moonrise Kingdom, starring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDorman, Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton. Set in the sixties, Moonrise Kingdom was filmed in New England and co-written with Darjeeling co-writer Roman Coppola.

“Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, MOONRISE KINGDOM tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore — and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle. Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents. The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the boy and girl.” [Apple Trailers]

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage…

Director Rick Meriki spent last summer making this compelling one-minute video called  “Move” with two of his pals as they traveled to 11 countries over 44 days, walking through a dazzling variety of cultures, locations and images. The film was part of a three-film series of short subjects commissioned by STA Travel Australia, based on the concepts of movement, learning and food. Jealous? You have to watch this a few times just to absorb it all.

Now that it’s 2012, here is a look back at the past year in music. We’ve rounded up the usual suspects, sat back, reflected and squared in with discosalt Magazine’s “top 10″ best albums of 2011.

CLICK HERE

Two weeks ago,  The Vaccines released an official new video for the band’s latest track “Tiger Blood”, recorded with Albert Hammond Jr. of the Strokes and Gus Oberg.  Today Columbia Records is releasing a Digital 45 for the track along with a b-side, ”Tuck and Roll,” to listen:
“Tiger Blood” (Single) | Available Now by The Vaccines

The band are currently on tour in Europe through the end of the year. Their debut release “What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?” has notably garnered some year end attention with NME naming the album their # 14 favorite album of the year and Paste Magazine calling the act a ”Best New Band of 2011.”

Paper Tusk is the work of Patrick Everman’s project Bronson (formerly behind HORSES). With only a $3.00 price tag, Paper Tusk, is the perfect stocking stuffer for that sad sack on your list. Recorded in a cold cathedral outside Anacortes, Paper Tusk envelopes romantic lamentation at its peak. The album is available for pre-order on cassette (yes, cassette), CD, or digitally here.  You can download the track “My Idle Bed” below: 

MP3: Bronson – My Idle Bed 

Never underestimate the power of a dare. What originally began as a 48-hour challenge between two best friends has blossomed into one of Brooklyn’s most exciting and unique young bands- Savior Adore. With an experimental approach to their writing and recording, Paul Hammer and Deidre Muro weave a magical musical tapestry with their distinct voices, lush harmonies, and wild sonic palette. Somewhere between dream pop and adventure wave, their songs transport you to a world that is both foreign and warmly familiar.

Savior Adore recently released the track “Dreamers” on limited 7″ via Neon Gold Records with a remix from Lightwaves and Xaphoon Jones.>Give a listen the Lightwaves, remix below:

MP3: “Loveliest Creature” (Lightwaves Remix) - Savoir Adore [exclusive]

The new Metronomy EP Everything Goes My Way drops today (12/6) via Big Beat and Because Music. In anticipation for their upcoming Spring tour, the EP features the original single off their album “The English Riviera”, plus four new remixes including the below by Enchante. Feel free to share, after all – ’tis the season…

http://soundcloud.com/wearebigbeat/everything-goes-my-way

The Black Keys, once again, manage to keep on keeping on, only more so, with their new full length album El Camino. Oiling up their gritty back-to-basics blues engine with some new sonic lube worthy of classic rock torque,  El Camino promises to be yet another soulful modern exploration of traditional blues rock themes, gunning down broken dreams and witchy women with a raw intensity uniquely The Black Keys. While the album doesnt officially drop until December 6th, you can stream three new songs- “Gold on the Ceiling”, “Little Black Submarines”, and “Sister”, in addition to  “Lonely Boy” and “Run Right Back” right on the bands website. A fair trade for an email address. 

Tomorrow, November 29, Jagjaguwar is releasing a deluxe edition of Bon Iver‘s album Bon Iver on iTunes, with a limited edition DVD coming in early December.  As a special treat, you can watch a sneak preview of, one of the track-by-track short film accompaniments, that will be included in the package.  Isaac Gale and David Jenson direct this warm, glowing video for the track  ”Hinnom, TX”; an atmospheric synth-pop ballad, which finds Justin Vernon dreaming of a burial place for strangers near Jerusalem, and relocating the bodies to the heart of the Texas desert. But for a song about burying strangers, this is also a song about buying the stranger within yourself and starting anew;  as much about the end of life, as it is about the beginning.

The Vaccines recently went into the studio to record with Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes and Gus Oberg. The product of that session is the band’s latest track “Tiger Blood.”  Watch the official new video for the track right here. “Tiger Blood” and The Vaccines b-side “Tuck and Roll” will be available digitally December 13th on Columbia Records. The band are currently on tour in Europe through the end of the year. For more on The Vaccines visit: http://www.thevaccines.co.uk Winning!

This week, Discosalt caught up with Darby Cicci; the keyboard, trumpet, banjo contingent of Brooklyn band - The Antlers,  to discuss life on tour, duck sex, zombie heads and their most recent album Burst Apart.

DISCOSALT: What have you been up to today?
DC: I sat in the van for 3 hours on the way from Manchester to Glasgow, during which time,  I watched Dario Argento’s horror film Tenebrae. We also went to the best highway stop in the world – near the border of England and Scotland.  It has an amazing selection of lamb and deer meat products!  I also watched (and filmed) some ducks mating…

DS; Duck porn? That could be an untapped market to get into, that is, if the band gets tired of recording albums. Speaking of which, congrats on your most recent album Burst Apart. We have it on heavy rotation. It’s much more up-tempo than Hospice, and surprisingly more electronic. How would you describe the album?
DC: It’s kind of like those ducks,  who were dunking each other under the water in their act of sexual intercourse. That’s the way they mate I guess, by hopping up and down on one another. Afterwards, they didn’t seem to want to get anywhere near each other. Hospice is sort like, if the ducks needed to stay together out of guilt, and Burst Apart is more like, what actually happened. They’re both about different kinds of relationships.

DS: “I Don’t want love” is such a powerful song, both musically and lyrically. Is there a story behind the song?
DC: No story, really. It started out as this uplifting, triumphant song that kinda sounded like it could be an Olympics theme or something. That’s was the working title actually: “Olympics” (All our songs have ridiculously stupid working titles). Later it got changed to “Old limp dicks,” which sounds like “Olympics”,  if you say it out loud.

DS: Old-Limp-Dicks… Old-Limp-Dicks… O-Lympics! You are right! That’s a good one to remember to shout out loud on tour, I bet. And the band has been touring a lot this past year. Do you have a best friend on tour?
DC: It’s basically a constant struggle to stay at peace with yourself; try not to let exhaustion and emotions get the best of you. It’s impossible to live a normal life when you’re on tour for 7 months out of the year. Learn to accept your own insanity and have fun with it. I watch a lot of horror movies. When I’m on tour,  I feel a bit like a serial killer who is on the run; kinda separated from society, except for intense moments of human interaction. Those moments would be shows. Otherwise, it’s just: van, hotel, highway stop, dressing room. Not a lot of normalcy.

DS: Since on tour, have you found a favorite spot to play in? Do you prefer playing the clubs or music festivals more?
DC: I like both, for different reasons. Venues of course are more comfortable,  and you always have time to sound check and fix equipment, and sit around and play on the internet. Festivals are more fun…more lively, but generally require a little more frantic loading of gear, and more stressful situations.

DS: Last year, you had a chance to tour with one of my “other” favorite Brooklyn bands, The National. Can you tell what the tour was like?
DC: The National completely rule. They’re incredibly nice guys; really organized, and the band and crew are extremely professional. I wish every tour was like our two with them. I’m a huge fan of their music, and I watched them every night without fail. We got to play some of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever performed in. It was an experience I will always remember.

DS: If you could have a free pass to one music festival, which one would it be?
DC:  Primavera in Barcelona is pretty special. We haven’t been to Coachella yet, but I hear it’s pretty cool. I really loved Pitchfork festival a few years ago. Really hope we get invited back to that one at some point. Some of the best festivals are the really small 2 stage festivals throughout Europe. They just feel really local, with tons of character and local flavor. And they always have great food.

DS:  When you are moody, do you have a “go-to” song that cheers you up?
DC:  [Wilco’s] Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has always been a “go-to” calming record for me. Or, [The Beach Boys] Pet Sounds. Or,  anything from Au Revoir Simone. Or, anything from Elliott Smith or Bjork. A lot of times,  I just drink and watch horror films. Watching zombies get decapitated always cheers me up.

DS:  Nothing like a decapitated zombie head to scare the tears away.  Now that we are toward the end of this year, what have been your  favourite albums of 2011?
DC: I would say St. Vincent, Bjork, Braids, Modeselektor, Youth Lagoon, Phantogram, Gil Scott Heron & Jamie xx. Fuck,  there are too many. I’m really not good at picking favorites; they’re just too different.

DS:   Is there any band you would like to collaborate with in the future?
DC: Modeselektor.

DS: If you were in  a band from seventies or eighties, who would it  be?
DC: Maybe, Depeche Mode. Maybe, Stone Roses. Or, any band with a lot of “synths”. Maybe Phil Collins and I would have gotten along?

-Hayalsu Altinordu