Should I Listen?, Tour
Fool’s Gold Remix Local Natives Into Hip-Hop Summer Jam + Tour Dates
Nick Nicoludis :: Thursday, July 8th, 2010 5:15 pm
Question: What makes a great summer jam? Answer: A tune that is super casual, you can sing along to and has a head-bobbing beat that gets you psyched to do anything. Lewis Pesacov of Fool’s Gold has discovered this formula in his remix of the Local Natives track “Wild Eyes” from their Gorilla Manor album. Check out the track after the jump. MORE »
Bands, Live Reviews, News, Should I Listen?
Live Review: Warpaint at the Knitting Factory
Danielle Johnsen :: Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 1:06 pm
After listening to Warpaint’s first EP “Exquisite Corpse” to the point of obsession, I was fearful to see them perform last night at The Knitting Factory. Sometimes bands are a pale imitation of their recorded selves live, but Warpaint exceeded my expectation and more with their impeccably tight and transcendental set, which had a sold out crowd entranced and dancing along. Coming off of their successful Bonnaroo set, the band stopped by NYC to play two sold out shows, and reintroduce themselves to the music scene that fell head over heels after last year’s CMJ performance. At the conclusion of last night’s show and their nearly ten minute jammy version of “Elephant”, which garnered them a spot on Pitchfork’s Top 100 of 2009, I felt like I was let in on a secret the whole music world will soon know about. MORE »
News, Should I Listen?
New Gang Of Four Song (!?)
Nick Nicoludis :: Thursday, May 27th, 2010 1:25 pm
That’s right, those hip English post-punk rockers are back with a new song after what seems like a million years. I’ve always loved their mix of funk, punk and minimalism, and the fact they rhyme leisure and pleasure (see: “Nature’s Not In It”), something only a Brit can do. I know what you must be thinking: Great, another band I love from the ’70s is putting out new songs and touring just cause they’re running out of money and their kids are about to head off to college. Don’t be discouraged! The new track is reminiscent of their old bangers. Click through to hear the new jam. MORE »
Should I Listen?
Stream Ratatat’s New Album on NPR
Johnny Sanford :: Monday, May 24th, 2010 9:03 pm
Get ready for a mental boner if you’re a fan of glitch pop, because you can stream Ratatat’s new album LP4 a good two weeks early on NPR. As I write this post, I’m listening to the great new single, “Party With Children.” The album is full of unexpected turns and musical oddities. Check it out here.
Should I Listen?
LCD Soundsystem New Album Streaming Free
Amy Rose Spiegel :: Tuesday, May 18th, 2010 12:15 pm
Today marks the release of LCD Soundsystem’s new album, This Is Happening, and to stem the leaky internet, they’re streaming the album for free on their website here. It’s poppy, dancey, and the beats are sure to fuel your PBR-fueled hipster loft/rooftop parties this summer. Check out “Dance Yrself Clean” and “Drunk Girls.”
Free Download, Should I Listen?
Finally, A Hip-Hop Album Inspired by The Big Lebowski
Johnny Sanford :: Thursday, May 13th, 2010 12:00 pm
As the years move on, more and more people are pulled into the Lebowski-obsession camp. Now, after years of waiting, a hip-hop album that’s solely inspired by the cult-classic film has become a reality. And it’s available as a pay-what-you-will download after the jump. MORE »
Should I Listen?
Matthew Carefully Leads Pack of Upstaters On the Move
Shannon Hassett :: Monday, May 10th, 2010 11:30 am
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Upstate New York is not limited to its references in anti-Soda tax ads and its abundance of farms offering up goods at Green Market. There is a budding music scene, and while it may be a slower paced, more tightly knit and networked community of artists, concerned with the lives of their fans (who double as friends) over the fastest route to Pitchfork, this makes it all the better. MORE »
Should I Listen?
Ratatat to Release LP4 on June 8th
Johnny Sanford :: Thursday, May 6th, 2010 1:00 pm
LP4 is sounding pretty rad. Download the first release of the album, Party With Children, here by right clicking ‘save as.’ According to their press release, they describe it as “a ‘weirder’ listen than LP3, with a much braver approach to the arrangements. Ratatat incorporated even more sounds and instruments into the mix on this album, working for the first time with a full string section, which they recorded at Glassworks Studios in Manhattan.”
A string section?! That’s gonna be pretty awesome. Based on “Party With Children,” it sounds like Ratatat could’ve scored the soundtrack to Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure with no problems at all! MORE »
Should I Listen?
Buffalo Moon
Nick Nicoludis :: Friday, April 30th, 2010 2:10 pm
As spring begins transform itself into summer, and cool evenings become sweaty sun-drenched afternoons, a palpable transition of musical taste starts to occur. Enthusiastic springtime jams become lazy pop tunes around this time of the year. Finally, summer beach songs are starting to surface, and one band in particular is kicking my nonchalant summer mindset into gear. That band is Buffalo Moon. Hailing from Minneapolis, they perfectly blend bossa nova grooves and ’60s surf-pop. Hear some tunes après le jump. MORE »
Should I Listen?
Track Review: “Beautiful People” - The Books
Amy Rose Spiegel :: Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 4:25 pm
Wait, did Jorge Luis Borges write a pop song? “Beautiful People” was a pleasure to finish and begin again as I tried to properly map the splintering paths that this labyrinthine wonder deceives and delights with. The vocals in “Beautiful People” sound as though Jonsi and Imogen Heap had a difficult-to-understand baby, but that’s not a bad thing. The somewhat garbled vocals fit prettily in between the well-paced percussion. The melodies themselves recall structured scales for just a moment before quickly lapsing into what sounds like skillful, whimsical improvisation. The listener can tell, though, that the song is too nuanced and honeyed to be anything but the result of a keen ear and labored tweaking. Three minutes melted rapidly while I tried to keep up with the song as it raced ahead in unexpected directions and finally culminated in a startlingly ambient ending. This song is the musical equivalent of a brain teaser, and within that, it’s delightful. the The new Books album, The Way Out, is due out in July on Temporary Residence.
Should I Listen?
Track Review: “Tell ‘Em” - Sleigh Bells
Amy Rose Spiegel :: Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 2:40 pm
“Tell ‘Em,” the new track from indie darlings Sleigh Bells, debuted today. It’s kind of insane, but not quite in the way that it was intended to be. The music is reminiscent of a fight song played at an enormous stadium, and I feel that it would probably be best experienced in a similar way. Maybe if I had heard this song amid hundreds of grinning, sweaty, slightly drunk revelers, I’d be more inclined to like it. As it stands, I’m not looking to listen to the grating “Tell ‘Em” during my day-to-day life in the same way that I’m not trying to make “Who Dat?” part of my regular rotation. The song’s tone is certainly different from a lot of other music garnering attention right now, but sometimes different isn’t enough to compensate for tunelessness…or the fact that I feel like it would be fitting to witness a pack of scantily-clad, overly-tanned women jump and gyrate in the middle of a field with this as the score. Sleigh Bells are incredibly talented, but this song is a misstep.
Reviews, Should I Listen?
Fuck Buttons: Daytrotter Session
Nick Nicoludis :: Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 6:20 pm
Daytrotter, which I’ve mentioned before, is the source of all things good in world..of music, at least. They ask the best musicians out there right now to perform a live set in a studio, and the results are always a magical experience. Bands are able to demonstrate their live show abilities within the comfort of a studio, which in turn produces the incredible sessions Daytrotter is known for. Today’s session featuring British electro-heads Fuck Buttons is no acceptation to the forever-amazing rule. MORE »
Should I Listen?
Listen To New Flying Lotus
Nick Nicoludis :: Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 1:40 pm
Flying Lotus’ sophomore album Cosmogramma is due out May 4th here in the US and May 3rd in the UK, but you don’t have to wait that long to hear all the psychedelic, glitch-filled tracks off the new album. Right now, yup right this very second, you can head to the Flying Lotus myspace page and hear all the new tracks; even the song featuring Thom Yorke. MORE »
Bands, Should I Listen?
Department of Eagles To Release Archive 2003-2006
Amy Rose Spiegel :: Friday, April 23rd, 2010 2:15 pm
Department of Eagles, responsible for one of the best albums of 2008, the lush, swooning In Ear Park, are releasing a collection of “lost tracks” spanning from 2003 to 2006. It chronicles the progression of the band, comprised of Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen and school roommate Fred Nicolaus, from like-minded college students to fully-formed and capable musicians and promises to be an interesting listen. The compilation, Archive 2003-2006, is due out on American Dust on July 20, but you can stream the track “Brightest Minds” on Pitchfork now. It’s interesting to hear a band so frequently praised for their symphonic sound rely on much less production, especially on the scattered, fluttering piano and guitar melodies. If you’re one of those people who likes to obsessively peruse a band’s musical history, it’s definitely worth a listen. But hey, even if you’re not, it’s still a pretty enjoyable song. Check out “Brightest Minds” here.
Should I Listen?
LCD Soundsystem’s New Album Streaming on NPR!
Amy Rose Spiegel :: Friday, April 23rd, 2010 1:25 pm
This is Happening, the new LCD Soundsystem scheduled for release on May 18, is now streaming in full on NPR’s website. Please give it a listen, for your own sake. It’s amazing how incredibly easy on the ears James Murphy makes electro-pop. This album would be equally suited to your living room couch or a packed dance party, and that takes some serious mixing chops. The first song, “Dance Yrself Clean,” alone was enough to leave me wanting to get up and dance around wildly, but alas, I’m at the office. Maybe, though, you can do it for me. God knows you’re going to want to when you hear it.
