THE GET UP KIDS COVER “GIRLS AND BOYS” BY BLUR
The Get Up Kids recently dropped by The AV Club to contribute to their ongoing Undercover Series. The AV Club, in conjunction with their readers, picked a list of 25 songs for 25 bands to cover. Every time a band comes in, they pick a song from the list and cross it off. The Get Up Kids chose seminal track “Girls And Boys” off the 1994 album Parklife by Blur, a song they often play during soundchecks.
The Get Up Kids cover “Girls And Boys” by Blur
WATCH “GIRLS AND BOYS” VIDEO
OFFICIAL TEDDYBEARS VIDEO: CHO CHA (FEAT. CEE LO AND THE B-52S)
Here is Teddybears’ official video for “Cho-Cha” feat. Cee-Lo and The B-52’s and starring Jeff Turner (the focus of the documentary ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ about a man stalking Tiffany) directed by Zach Shields. Opening with a bevy of breathless beauties perched on the sofa of a dimly lit room this video is frighteningly clever. Buy it now on iTunes: http://atlr.ec/qceXCx
LISTEN TO “VOMIT” FROM THE NEW GIRLS ALBUM
Click HERE to get a free mp3 and exclusive listen to ”Vomit” from new Girls album – ”Father, Son, Holy Ghost”. You can also pre-order the album and get loads of unique offers and exclusives direct from Girls store HERE or from Girls Facebook Page HERE. And for those of you in the U.S. – exclusive offer from Insound (free poster exclusively designed by Christopher Owens)
CD: CLICK HERE
LP: CLICK HERE
Q + A: JEF BARBARA
Our friends at Sick Of The Radio recently caught up with Jef Barbara right before kicking off his European tour, to talk to him about his newest release Cocaine Love w/DannielRadall, and also his plans post-tour.
s.o.t.r.-You just released the EP Cocaine Love with producer DannielRadall. The song “Cocaine Love” originally appeared on your debut Contamination. How did this new EP with Radall come about?
Jef-I became aware of DannielRadall because we’ve both released on AMDISCS. I remember him being quite excited about Larmes de crocodile, off my Contamination tape. A few weeks after the record came out, Rado (label head) asked if I could send Danniel the stems for Cocaine Love and I said yes. I was told that it was going to be a Tears For Fears-type remix but that didn’t pan out.
Still I wanted to push Cocaine Love with a video, which I had already shot scenes for. And because I felt Contamination had run its course, I needed to find a way to get the song the attention it deserved. So I asked Radall if he was down with making more than one remix and the rest is history.
s.o.t.r.-Your music, especially with “Cocaine Love”, seems to have a heavy 80’s feel. what about the 80’s culture attracts you the most and what artists would you say influence your work the most?
Jef-I was born in the 80’s. The 80’s have impacted my musical identity like no other decade, although at times, I’m more of a 70’s guy. I’ve always loved how 80’s pop stars projected larger-than-life personalities, in line with that decade’s glitzy excess, which can be assessed when watching MTV staples like Beat It and Express Yourself. With time though, I’ve ventured beyond the obvious, and started listening to things that weren’t as easily accessible when I was younger. Namely Francophone New Wave like Elli & Jacno and West Coast P-Funk like Cameo. But these are just examples of how varied my tastes are. Furthermore, the 80’s seemed to be infused with that sort of fantasy that died as we entered the 90’s. Even masculine androgyny was seen as cutting-edge because homosexuals had not yet fully impregnated collective consciousness, via reference points like Will & Grace. Hence why such looks were perceived as daring and artistic, rather than just gay. Gender-bending singers now tend to be constantly affected by acceptable ideas of how to look gay. It’s just not as freeform as it used to be.
s.o.t.r.-What are some current artists that you find favorable and that our readers should check out?
Jef-There are so many. I could tell you about labelmates like Pears, whose next album I’m really looking forward to. And then there’s Montreal acts that I dig, mostly friends. Bernardino Femminielli, who co-wrote both Cocaine Love and Wild Boys, has got a few recordings under his belt. He put out his last tape on his own record label, called Los Discos Enfantasmes, which has some releases worth checking out. Most of the other acts on the label venture into noisier pastures though. I also dig the shoegazey noise of the Rape Faction. One of my favourite songs from the past year is called Où sont les fleurs? by a talented young woman named Xarah, who plays in a band called Léopard et Moi. It’s got the the weirdest Oriental-type time signature that I can’t follow when I hear it yet it’s so damn dancey!
s.o.t.r.-The release party for Cocaine Love is on July 27th in Lodz, Poland. How was that location chosen and what are the plans for the event?
Jef-I picked Lodz out of all the other dates on the tour because the organizers have been staunch supporters thus far. They hosted a one-hour radio special on Radio Zak a few weeks ago and they turned out being total nerds, referencing things I did years ago, which I don’t really want people to know about. Hence why I decided to have the release party there. I don’t know what I’m gonna do, in addition to introducing the DannielRadall remix. I’d rather be spontaneous.
s.o.t.r.-You are undergoing a European tour right now, what are some of your favorite places to play in Europe? How would you say European audiences differ from Americans? Often times Europe is seen as more welcoming to innovative and new artists, would you agree?
Jef-Europeans are known to be more open to eccentricity, whether it’s in music, film, or even politics. I must say people’s reaction to me has been more intense in Europe than in America thus far. But I guess it’s something I will have to confirm once I’m done touring both continents. In answer to your other question, I can’t say what my favorite places are, as this is my first time playing Europe and I have yet to play my first gig, which is tonight. I’m kinda bummed out because I missed my flight to Prague. So I’m at the Paris airport, making the most of my time by writing well thought out answers.
s.o.t.r.-What are you plans post-tour? Are there hopes for a full-length release with Radall?
Jef-I would be open to collaborating with Radall in the future. I believe he’s very talented, like all the wonderful people I surround myself with. However for now, my main priority is a follow-up to Contamination, which I’m planning to wrap by this fall. So studio time is definitely in the cards and I can’t fucking wait!
Get Jef Barbara‘s Cocaine Love split EP that you via Amdiscs HERE.
Buy Contamination HERE.
BON IVER: BON IVER
[rating: 5 stars]
Bon Iver: Bon Iver
Label: Jagjaguwar
Release date: June 21, 2011
When Justin Vernon holed himself up in a remote cabin, writing For Emma, Forever Ago, there is no way he could have foreseen the span of impact his album would exonerate, nor could anyone else. Like a folk story echoed from generations ago, the goal was to hibernate and purge a year of personal trouble, pain, lack of perspective, heartache, longing, love, loss and guilt into a deeply affecting nine-song avalanche of gorgeous, fragile catharsis. A year later, he would be taking calls from Kanye West, summoned for an indie all-star team recording eighties inspired love songs, releasing an auto-tuned EP, and closing Coachella.
After three years, Bon Iver, Bon Iver arrives into a world not only aware of it’s conception, but anticipating it’s birth with yearning. Thankfully, fans of Vernon’s lauded but comparatively skeletal predecessor albums, will not be disappointed. Bon Iver, Bon Iver masterfully combines the fruit of these labors,“bringing it all back home”. Like For Emma, Forever Ago, Vernon’s unmistakably earthy voice feels warm and personal amidst the minimalist composition residue lingering on this album; the organic sound of drumsticks bumping together, fingers sliding along a fretboard, all nestled inside a new collection of quietly introspective folk songs like “Holocene” and “Towers”. The guitar at the beginning of “Holocene” is even reminiscent of Vernon’s pre-Bon Iver solo track “Hazelton” and there are post-rock echoes of Vernon’s experimental side-project Volcano Choir on songs like “Perth”, which transcends conventional verse and song structure. Even more, striking comparisons can be drawn to the Blood Bank EP, whose auto-tune legacy is, once again, re-visited with surprisingly tactful results.
But, Bon Iver, Bon Iver is built on a much more vibrant and lush linchpin than anything prior. These arrangements are more sophisticated and robust, and flourish from a consistent reciprocity of warm, beatific instrumentation consolidated by studio finesse. On the dramatic “Wash.”, Vernon’s virtuosic falsetto co-exists elegantly alongside the steady rhythm of keys before being tirelessly joined by separate layers of bold instruments punctuated by horns and synth. The song titles on Bon Iver, Bon Iver are named for, or reference actual locations; a wash of memories from places visited or dreams of places to go. But unlike Band of Horses or Sufjan Stevens, these songs are less about the geography or culture of specific locations and more about breaking away to a state of mind; living outside yourself and finding beauty in that space.
For an album written about escape, Bon Iver, Bon Iver puts forth a valiant effort at staying the course.
BATTLES: GLOSS DROP
[rating: 4]
BATTLES: GLOSS DROP
LABEL: WARP RECORDS
RELEASE DATE: JUNE 6, 2011
How many bands can you think of that lost their lead singer and didn’t completely fold? Probably not many. But for Battles, the show goes on after the departure of Tyondai Braxton, the central figure of 2007’s break-out album Mirrored. As you’d expect after such a line-up overhaul, Gloss Drop is noticeably different from its predecessor, though many of the qualities that made their debut such a hit are still at play: high energy, strong musicianship, and an abundance of addictive weirdness.
It wouldn’t be fair to say that Braxton’s presence isn’t missed here, because it is. But the remaining members of the band – Ian Williams, John Stanier, and Dave Konopka – have done a fantastic job of brining in outside vocalists to complement their groove-heavy, mathematical-leaning sound. “Ice Cream,” a track that’s been kicking around for a while now, is one of the best examples of this, welcoming Matias Aguayo to the microphone to lay down crisp, almost ska-inspired vocals that wildly flirt with the frantic, rhythmic instrumentation. Later, the band collaborates with Gary Numan, Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino, and Yamantaka Eye on the elborate closer “Sundome”. And remarkably, these guest spots rarely sound like guest spots at all. Each of these artists blends so well- maybe it’s the production, maybe it’s the way the record was arranged, or maybe Battles just have keen ears for what precisely fits their aesthetic- that Gloss Drop sounds every bit as cohesive as Mirrored (even if there are less vocals.) It also helps that these featured artists were used in moderation. Only a quarter of the tracks have outside hires and each guest appearance is nicely bridged by the group’s quirky instrumentation, which prevents the album from sounding like an off-beat collaboration.
Yet, while there is no distinctly weak track on the album, there are, at points, moments that repeat, or songs that go on for longer than necessary. To put it another way, at times, Gloss Drop plays like a jam band with experimental, math-rock tendencies. “Futura” is one track where this really jumps out. For more than half it’s duration, the track is intense and gripping. But at some point around it’s final two minutes, the song starts to lose traction. The rhythms and cadences of the instrumentation might actually be duplicating but it sure sounds like that’s what’s happening. By no means does this wound the album as a whole, but it does grow sort of tiresome; just as it can be exhausting to hear a band stretch a three minute song into a 10 minute song in a live setting. It’s a bit of overkill- especially when a track like “Dominican Fade” proves they don’t always need to go the excessive route.
Most bands ravaged by turnover would have simply fallen off the face of the Earth, but it almost feels like the remaining members of Battles thrived on the challenge of picking up the pieces and carrying on. Depending on your own personal metrics, it’s entirely plausible to discover that this record is actually better than the first. It isn’t flawless, to be sure, but Battles have surely survived the wreckage with minimal scarringl with a successful album that asserts there’s more to come.
-Andrew Bailey
DAWES: NOTHING IS WRONG
[rating: 4]
DAWES: NOTHING IS WRONG
LABEL: ATO RECORDS/ RED
RELEASE DATE: JUNE 7, 2011LABEL: ATO RECORDS/ RED
When Taylor Goldsmith rips into a staccato-laced solo toward the end of “Fire Away” on Dawes’ second LP, Nothing is Wrong, the band emphatically declares their expansion. With more time to write and focus their efforts, Dawes managed to honor their modern, Laurel Canyon country folk by adding moments of increased muscle and bright, new flourishes to their striking harmonies within a wider palette of sound. While“Fire Away” burns with more power live, here the track is subdued. Working withinthis template of reverent albums androcking live shows the band has, for the second consecutive time, created an album that crackles with pristine sound andcarries an instantly classic resonance in its powerful intimacy. Even the packaging and gatefold lyric book (in the vinyl version) echo the simple clarity that pulses through this band’s sound.
Nothing Is Wrong kicks off with“Time Spent in Los Angeles,” a nearperfect slice of quintessential Dawes that aches and echoes the struggle of sustaining relationships while living on the road. Lead singer and songwriter Taylor Goldsmith shines right off the bat, flaunting his uncanny ability to resolve a melody with the best. “My Way Back Home” is the first new example of a Dawes calling card on the new record. Plaintive, majestic and sincere, their ballads display an inherent musical patience. Couple this restraint with a vintage, honest heart andthe ability to craft warmly rich hooks, and surrender is only natural. Dawes couldn’t fake it if they tried.
It is rare for such a young band,drummer Griffin Goldsmith is only 20, to play with such earnest focus and pitch perfect tone. Music seems to float effortlessly from their core. And lyrically, Goldsmith continues to build a reputation forbeing wise beyond his years. Singing ina plaintive call on “My Way Back Home:”“If I can place it all together /Make out the nature of the call / I start to feel the love and the silence / That was always at theroot of it all.”
“Coming Back to a Man” was originally played as a ballad at the tailend of the North Hills tour, but now hasmore of a barnstorming, country feel to it due to its punchy drum work. The bounce and the timeless harmonies of “How Far We’ve Come” signal a progression forthe band. Like the perfect soundtrack for an intimate pool-side barbecue, the song unfolds in such a delightfully ageless waythat its catchy phrases, warm piano, and buoyant hum simply feel like home. Letout a celebratory sigh as the band sings “The only point of clocks and maps / The only point of looking back / Is to see howfar we’ve come.”
“Moon in the Water” strongly suggests a nod to a 70’s singer-songwriter style reminiscent of Jackson Browne with more gorgeous piano work and a melody that slowly seeps in. It is a track that exemplifies Nothing is Wrong’s ability tofoster deeper appreciation after repeated listens. Because the strong songwritingrelies on traditional country rock structures,but imbues them with lucid, melodic work and incandescent harmonies, some songs only reveal their true powerin time. An easy-going playing style is afactor as well. Their style doesn’t try toimpress with technical flourishes, rather itslowly burrows into your pores with narya note wasted or misplaced.
Dawes’ talents have recently been stamped by two rock legends thattapped the LA youngsters as a backingband for hire. Robbie Robertson askedthe four-piece to help him promote Howto Become Clairvoyant, his first LP in 20 years, and Laurel Canyon-icon Jackson Browne lined them up to support him onan upcoming tour of Spain. Those gigs,coupled with an opening slot on Alison Krauss and Union Station’s “comeback”tour, rave reviews from national and underground publications, and a burgeoning reputation as a full throttle live band, has Dawes primed to thrive. With Nothing is Wrong’s ability to fire poignant and lasting musical arrows straight from a heartof gold, Dawes signals they are here tostay.
– Chirs Calarco
YACHT: SHANGRI-LA
For me, YACHT has always beenone of those bands that is better in myhead than in reality. That isn’t a slight,mind you. See, Mystery Lights is a solidrecord, but it’s easy for judgment toremain unclouded when the phenomenal“Ring the Bell” and “The Afterlife” areyour memory’s sticking points. And so,with such great tracks as benchmarks,the excitement of gearing up to listento the band is often disproportionate tothe consistency of the catalog. But withShangri-La, that disconnect has fadedsignificantly. In fact, while moving at amuch steadier pace, YACHT has comeup with their best work to date.
With this new record, YACHThasn’t so much reinvented its sound,but rather, better channeled the old one.Shangri-La remains heavy on percussionand electronics, and retains plenty of popelements, but it has managed to mature;to bring them all together cohesively,while shaking off much of the band’s tendencyto meander off into filler-country.With “Utopia” and “Dystopia,” the first twosongs on the tracklist and two of the bestcuts the band has ever recorded, YACHT lays all the necessary groundwork forwhat’s in store, both sonically and thematically.A glimpse of the album’s coverhelps drive home the songs’ thematicelements. The cover is a map full of roaringterrain and flowing rivers titled Utopia(er, VTO PIAE), which, along with someof these tracks – not just the first two,though those are the ripest examples -highlights exactly what the band aims todo: to use their music as a vehicle for amake-believe spot on the globe wherethings are just a little bit brighter, and alittle less hostile. And, like watching themiles drop on your GPS, listening tothese tracks steadily builds toward thedestination.
In many respects, Shangri-La isa lot like those old drugged up hippierecords that have since become synonymouswith Woodstock and tie-dyedpeace symbols. Though there are a lotof religious references, the lyrics don’tpreach; instead, they offer a welcoming‘whoever-you-are-and-whatever-youbelieve.’“Tripped & Fell in Love” is allabout cherishing family values, whichfits in nicely with some of the brother/sister sentiment sprinkled throughout the LP. And while it isn’t the premiere songon the album, “Paradise Engineering” isthe most apt example of what’s happeningon Shangri-La. This is also the mostLCD Soundsystem-esque track from aband that has garnered comparisons tothe recently defunct outfit. On this track, Claire Evans rants and raves more thanshe sings, though her delivery is poisedand poignant. As the title suggests,she effectively spends this song layingout her proposal for a better livelihood,while inviting her listeners to join her.
YACHT has yet to fulfill all of itsenormous promise. But it’s taken marvelousstrides and formulated a brilliant poprecord; one full of imminently enjoyablemessages and melodies that no doubtdeserve repeated listens. And, if youare one of those people who look to thisband as a potential replacement for thenow-departed LCD Soundsystem, well,Shangri-La certainly instills hope. And ifyou aren’t, then, as this record suggests,you’re just as welcome so long as youcome in peace.
-Andrew Bailey
FREE MP3 FROM YACHT’S NEW ALBUM: SHANGRI-LA
Y.A.C.H.T’s (“Young Americans Challenging High Technology”) new album, Shangri-la is a strange and hypnotic mixed bag of idiosyncratic beats, charming synth sound and new age / DIY punk-mystic vision. Like See Mystery Lights, Y.A.C.H.T’s second album bends synthetic components with abstract lyrics to create an oddly organic, stripped-down experience (that you can dance to!) Download “Dystopia (The Earth Is on Fire)” and preview two other tracks off the album below:
MP3: YACHT: “Dystopia (The Earth Is on Fire)”
Tripped an Fell in Love
Shangri La
STREAM THE HORROR’S NEW ALBUM: SKYING
The Horrors new self-produced third album Skying leaked over the weekend, so XL decided to stream the album in full before the official release on July 11th. This is by far one of the most solid efforts to follow-up the hugely acclaimed Primary Colours, and maybe a sleeper best album of 2011. Check out the track “Still Life”, a catchy shoegaze drenched Echo & The Bunnymen reminiscent track that is sure to be the psychedelic jam of the summer.
NEW COMPILATION ALBUM FEAT. PAPERCUTZ + TEEEL MIXES SOUNDS OF PLANETS
It’s cold in space, but did you know that celestial body`s and planets produce sounds through radio waves that can sound warm and beautiful from light to dark? Jupiter sounds almost angelic like, while mercury sounds eerily creepy. This summer a group of artists have gotten together for a compilation album using those sounds called “Celestial Summer”, featuring tracks by Teeel, Moth, Summer Heart, Culture Voyage, Starfawn, plus textural maestro Bartosz Dziadosz aka Pleq. Space out to a track from Papercutz & Pleq below or check out the whole album HERE:
:papercutz & Pleq – Neptunian Moons by :papercutz
NEW MUSIC FROM THE KNUX: RUN (FEAT. KID CUDI)
The Knux already impressed us with “She’s So Up” earlier this year, and now they’re back with an even better single. Kid Cudi continues his rock experimentation and joins the innovative duo on “Run,” an upbeat number that conjures images of the beach, women, and good times. Add this one to your summer playlist ASAP.
The Knux will be performing alongside Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire and Party Supplies at Webster Hall on July 30. Get your tickets for one of the hottest shows of the summer here.
Listen: The Knux f/ Kid Cudi “Run”
BAND RADAR: GEOFFREY O’CONNOR
Vanity Is Forever, being released September 27th via Chapter Music, is Crayon Fields frontman Geoffrey O’Connor’s first album under his own name, and his most ambitious, dynamic and sophisticated work yet. O’Connor’s fractured romantic reflections and lustful tributes play out over vast synthscapes, colossal stadium drums and flanged orchestral sweeps, creating a world that is at once ethereal and strikingly vivid. With a combination of restraint and fearless abandon, O’Connor embraces the conflicts of modern love in a manner as ambiguous as it is blunt, and as shameless as it is generous. His songs indulge in ecstasy, love, pride, failure and all the glamorous contradictions they become. He is both an adult with a juvenile mind, and a geriatric in the body of a young man. Painstakingly refined over two years, Vanity Is Forever is O’Connor’s most fully realized album to date, an epic pop melodrama that shifts seamlessly between seductive high-production dance hits, suave funk joyrides and modern synthetic power balladry.
Listen to “Now and Then” HERE.
MEMORY TAPES: WAIT IN THE DARK (JENSEN SPORTAG REMIX)
A summer sleeper hit-to-be from MEMORY TAPES – “WAIT IN THE DARK” (JENSEN SPORTAG REMIX) Taken from the Memory Tapes Tour EP. LISTEN to the track below:
While you are here, you can also DOWNLOAD THE MEMORY TAPES TOUR EP (remixes by Jensen Sportag, Seams & Nazca Lines). Just click HERE.
You can also grab some JENSEN SPORTAG CUSTOM REMIXES. Just click HERE.
SHABAZZ PALACES: BLACK UP
[rating: 4.5 stars]
Shabazz Palaces: Black Up
Label: Sub Pop
Release date: June 28, 2011
Black Up is a hip-hop album that sounds unlike any other hip-hop album this year. Borrowing from African roots, jazz, ambient, electronic and dub-step and led by enigmatic Seattle based rapper Ishmael Butler aka ‘Palaceer Lazaro’, once ‘Butterfly’ of Digital Planets, Black Upis both dense and dissonant. This is a sonic move reminiscent of early Wu-Tang and J-Dilla mixed with the atmospheric magic of DJ Shadow, sounding at once throwback but some how still miles ahead.
SUN GLITTERS: LOVE ME (PAPERCUTZ REMIX)
Director Vladimir Miladinović spends his days backstage Fashion Week parties with undressed models. Somehow, he still gets his game on as creative director for campaigns like Puma and shooting covers for Belgrade’s fashion mag, Prestup. We think his lo-fi voyeuristic way of filming his models is a perfect marriage with the Papercutz remix of Sun Glitters “Love Me”.
DANIEL ISAIAH GETS FOLKY ON LOWER EAST SIDE
Daniel Isaiah’s recent release High Twilight winds it’s way through years of folk references with some refreshing indie ingredients. There are tracks that speak to Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Conor Oberst, but with bursts of a youthful Montreal indie rock sound. For those looking for an energetic update to more traditional folk songwriting, Isaiah delivers with tracks like “The Naked Night” which features some heavier guitars and synth backgrounds and “Candlemaker Row” with stark percussive interludes. His charming French tracks “J’habites un pays” and “Mélissa” are a sweet addition and also offer a soft contrast to his folkier sounds. I like that he follows “Mélissa” with “Ogygia” which has a similar quality, but is sung in English. The two songs speak to each other melodically and tonally.
Check out “High Twilight” and “The Naked Night” now and don’t miss Daniel Isaiah live Friday 6/24 at Pianos or Saturday 6/25 at Rock Shop.
BAND RADAR: LIFE IN FILM
THE COOL KIDS: SWIMSUITS (FEAT. MAYER HAWTHORNE)
I’m wearing my swim trunks in our sweltering office today. They breathe nicely. Similarly, this new cut from The Cool Kids and Mayer Hawthorne is real breezy. “When Fish Ride Bicycles” drops July 12th.
The Cool Kids feat. Mayer Hawthorne – “Swimsuits”
The Cool Kids – “Swimsuits” (Featuring Mayer Hawthorne) by greenlabelsound
EROL ALKAN REMIXES METRONOMY
Metronomy – The Bay (Erol Alkan’s Extended Rework) PREVIEW by Erol Alkan
