I'll put it to you bluntly: UConn is in the middle of nowhere. It's farm country. I am not kidding when I tell you there are times I wake up to the smell of cow manure drifting into my window. On extra special occasions when the wind is blowing in the right direction, the entire campus is blanketed in a scent of animal feces (my random transfer roommate last year loved these days). Due to its seclusion, UConn usually only gets around one big name concert for a semester, so in most instances you have to cross your fingers and hope it's someone good (this semester's fall concert was wasted on Ludacris). Also, since there isn't anything in the area, there aren't any venues to explore and the best you'll get is some unknown band playing at a local bar. Basically, there isn't much going on music-wise here. That's why I was ecstatic to see a band called The Macpodz was playing at a nearby pub tonight; to have such good band play in such a small venue is a rare occurrence, this never happens!
I never knew that indie hip-hop producers traveled to places like Stockholm, Lagos, or Khartoum. Apparently, though, producer Oddisee has proven me wrong. Earlier this year, he came up with a fantastic idea for a hip-hop album; creating a song to capture the feel of every city he toured in. While in each city, he would make a short, instrumental, hip-hop song to try and acquire the essence and flavor of each location. Such places include the likes of New York City, Boston, Philly, or international cities like London, Tokyo, or Melbourne. I think it's a really creative and ambitious task to pursue such a goal as this, trying to put a label on a city musically. In most cases, it works well. I certainly like the songs, but then the question of accuracy comes into effect. Obviously, I've never been to Khartoum, so technically Oddisee can make any song, label it "Khartoum", and I'd have to believe him. To me, though, I find it intriguing to try and imagine the city through his eyes. Or, if I have been to a city he makes a song about, not to judge it on accuracy but instead look at it through his own personal perspective. With the release of this new CD, I've started the tradition of putting on a song of the city I'm visiting. When I went to visit my cousin earlier this year, I threw on "New York City", and when I was on the subway in Georgia on the way to a wedding, I put on "Atlanta". Each song is a small sampling, barely eclipsing one minute for each song, which allows for a broader range of cities. On the album Traveling Man, there are 24 tracks (or cities) to explore, coming only to a total of about 45 minutes. Below, I have posted a few of my favorite places/songs; "Stockholm", "Inglewood", "Long Beach", and "Atlanta".
The music genre post-rock was a term popularized by music critic Simon Reynolds in 1994, he described the music as "using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, using guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures rather than riffs and power chords." Post-rock bands typically produce instrumental music (or have a strong focus on instrumentation), and are usually associated with epic builds and crescendos of sound. Anyone familiar with Explosions In the Sky, Sigur Rós, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, or Talk Talk wouldn't be surprised to hear that. A year or two ago, one of my really good friends introduced me to one of the most unnoticed post-rock outfits called El Ten Eleven. More specifically, he made me listen to their self-titled 2004 debut, El Ten Eleven. I was pretty blown away by it, and listened to it pretty consistently. El Ten Eleven follows all the post-rock guidelines, they use their guitars for texture and have a heavy focus on instrumentation (well, they're instrumental, so I guess they'd have to). The tone of El Ten Eleven is slightly subdued and softer in comparison to some of the aforementioned bands, making it very tranquil. For a while now I've considered the song "My Only Swerving" as one of the absolute best late night driving songs. On top of that, the whole album flows extremely well together, almost becoming one full song. After a few listens, I couldn't believe these guys didn't get more recognition for their work. They have a new album coming out November 9th, and I'm hoping it lives up to expectation. Below I've posted the songs "My Only Swerving" and "Sorry About Your Irony" from their 2004 album El Ten Eleven.
Late sophomore year, I went through an LCD Soundsystem resurgence with the impending release of This Is Happening. The listening party I went through with LCD led me to explore more bands that had an atypical, upbeat, dance sound. I was intrigued by LCD's abnormal technique; I have never danced so hard to a song like All My Friends where it literally sounds like someone is just jumping up and down on a piano. James Murphy's ability to have something as chaotic like that sound incredible had me thinking, what else is out there that is unique and upbeat? Throughout my search I found one of my favorite albums of all-time Thunder, Lightning, Strike by The Go! Team and another band that caught my attention called Grand National. They are upbeat, and they most certainly are unique. Instead of using a lively and colorful singing voice like James Murphy or Michael Angelakos (Passion Pit), the lead singer of Grand National subdues his voice, and in many cases sounds like he's whispering. Also, they tend to stray away from the common synth use of most dance artists. Although it makes for a peculiar sound, I find it incredibly catchy. Unique is what I was looking for, and unique is what I got. To get a sense of what I mean, I have posted the songs "Drink to Moving On" and "Coming Round" from their 2004 album Kicking the National Habit.
At times, I can't help but feel that one of this year's most overlooked albums is Elsinore's Yes Yes Yes. This also ties in with the EP they released in January called The Chemicals. Although the releases experienced some very moderate success, overall it seems as though both have flown under the radar. I am kind of surprised by this. They have a very youthful, college pop sound that I would think my generation would enjoy. Yet it also steers away from a lot of synthy, electronic computerized sounds that my parent's generation wouldn't like. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel like their sound can be enjoyable to several age groups. Despite this, Elsinore hasn't caught on. |
| Yarg! I'll fight you with my level 60 Mage and pwn you newbs. |
Seba Jun is one of the more tragic stories in music. At 36 years old, he got into a car accident in Tokyo that took his life on February 26th, 2010. He made music under the name of Nujabes (Seba Jun backwards) and consistently worked with some of the better underground hip-hop artists like Five Deez and Cyne. In the past, he had also worked with C.L. Smooth, one of the more recognizable names in early '90s east coast hip-hop. There's a good reason he worked with C.L. Smooth; the rap production of Nujabes carries much of the same jazz elements that was present in the Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth duo. In fact, many of the songs on his 2003 album Metaphorical Music sound like a jazz track with a side of hip-hop instead of the other way around. This helps create a very casual atmosphere to his music, and from top to bottom, it's not quite like any other hip-hop album I've heard before. I think this speaks to the range that Nujabes was able to reach and the talent that he possessed. He and his music will be greatly missed.
The Stockton, California duo of Justin Vallesteros and Frankie Soto have been pretty busy the past year making some damn good music. Their band, Craft Spells, released a single in February of this year entitled The Fog Rose High and later released an EP in July called Beauty Above All. Also, at some point they will have a full album called Idle Labor. Craft Spells is releasing these on Captured Tracks, the same label that has signed the likes of the Dum Dum Girls, Beach Fossils, and (one of my favorites) Wild Nothing....so they're in good company! Chances are if you like the aforementioned bands, Craft Spells is something you'll be in to. In fact, Craft Spells sounds like a hybrid of Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing, fusing the upbeat lo-fi pop of Beach Fossils with the dreaminess of Wild Nothing and putting that over some catchy electronic beats. You can also tell that Craft Spells is trying to urge you to get up and dance around a little bit, whether you do or not is up to you. Below I've put the tracks from their newly released single Party Talk ("Party Talk" and "Ramona"), which are also from the EP Beauty Above All. Hope ya dig it.
Ahhhh California...the land of sun, waves, surfing, and big ass trees. In parts of the state, California is basically a paradise. Many people who think of California view it as a hub of relaxation and absolute beauty. Therefore, I guess it would make sense that some of the best beach-bummin' music would come from bands who have lived there to experience it. Sublime was from Long Beach, The Beach Boys were from Hawthorne, and The Grateful Dead from San Francisco. That same style of sun-soaked music is what's coming from San Diego based TV Girl currently. They're still unsigned to a label and have yet to come out with an EP (which is still forthcoming), but one of their tracks "If You Want It (You Got It)" has made its way onto the internet. It's a pretty infectious song, and since it's relatively short, it's easy to play over and over and over. I like to picture myself walking down Venice Beach, iPod in hand, listening to this song in a pair of worn out Sanuks. Gotta love those Cali-vibes! Check it out below:
Most people know of The Zombies because of their song "Time Of the Season". Why not? It's a pretty memorable and remarkable track. But the fact of the matter is that the true Zombies sound is vastly different, and I didn't realize this until I listened to their album Odessey and Oracle. Their real voice is a psych-folk, sunshine popish, summer of the '60s type that I am sure would dispatch a wave of nostalgia over my father. It's pretty shocking how the rest of the album is completely overlooked.
As much as I enjoy watching music videos, I've never considered it an essential part of my music experience. Yet, every once in a while one comes up that completely floors me; a video that not only has killer music but has a visual appeal that seems to make the song even better. Such was the case this summer when I was introduced to Blockhead (the solo project of Tony Simon), who is the well-respected hip-hop producer of Aesop Rock, a relatively popular rapper that started gaining underground prominence in the early 2000s.
The story behind Houses is as romantic as it is inspirational. For you see, Houses has finally answered the age old question: What do you do if you get laid off from your job in Chicago and have nothing in your savings account? Well, move you and your girlfriend to a cabin with no electricity in the remote town of Papaikou, Hawaii of course!
