sharks

Good Hodgkins went through the trouble of converting the amazing Cadence Weapon/Final Fantasy CBC Radio session into mp3 format for us, and for this, we thank him. This version of "Sharks" is ridiculous: gone is the dark 8-bit beat from the original; instead, Cadence Weapon drops his menacing flow over Owen Pallett's warm (gentle, even) violin parts, which include samples of Andrew Bird's "Imitosis" and "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head."

mp3:
Cadence Weapon Sharks (feat. Final Fantasy)

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Download the rest of the session here. And here's the album version of Cadence Weapon's "Sharks," as well as the kickass video:

mp3:
Cadence Weapon Sharks

grizzly bear stuff

Grizzly Bear

The best thing you'll find on the internet today, hands down, is Grizzly Bear's Daytrotter Session. Download beautiful versions of "Shift" and "Little Brother," as well as the best recording of "He Hit Me" you'll ever hear.

In other Grizz news, read Ed Droste's highly entertaining Coachella diary at Rolling Stone's Rock Daily.

dirty young folks

Here's Diplo's new edit of PB+J's "Young Folks," blended with "Shake That Ass" by Bmore pioneer Tapp. According to Diplo: "i dont think its even playable or on beat, but it makes me laugh to hear it..." It is kind of hilarious in some spots, but this would still kill in the club.

mp3:
Diplo young folks pu$$y

tittsworth

coincidentally, this photo is actually from a Tittsworth party

Tonight, the Central Booking/The Party crew brings URB Next 100 Party Starter/badass club DJ Tittsworth to Dallas for the official Art Prostitute afterparty (see flyer below). I've never experienced a Tittsworth set, but based solely on hearsay and the above photo, I'm going to guarantee that Zubar is where you want to be this evening.

mp3:
Justice D.A.N.C.E. (Tittsworth remix)

Download more Tittsworth mixes, including one based around a Don Imus sample (yeah, that one), at his website.

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mohawk residency

Man, are we psyched about this: Hot Freaks + Gorilla vs. Bear present the Mohawk Residency, sponsored by KEXP, The Onion, and Austinist. The first four Tuesdays in May will feature alternating performances by Peel and White Denim. I think we might've mentioned (numerous times) that White Denim is our current favorite band, and we're pretty fond of Peel as well. Here's the schedule, hope to see you there, Austin:

May 1: Peel
May 8: White Denim
May 15: Peel
May 22: White Denim

The cover for these 18 and over shows is only $2 (or $4 if you're under 21). Doors open at 8 pm. The opening act (to be announced) will begin at 9:30 pm and the headliner will take the stage at 10:30.

mp3:
Peel Oxford
White Denim ShakeShakeShake

modern art

mom

Pretty unbelievable show going down tonight at the Fort Worth Modern, featuring DJ Sober, Denton electro-acoustic duo MOM, and the great Kid Koala. We were first turned on to MOM by our friend C.J., and we've been impressed by everything we've heard from them. Here are a couple of highly recommended tracks from the duo:

mp3:
Mom Green Echo
Mom Icicles

Tonight, MOM will be debuting their newest material, "Little Brite." This 28 minute piece (2 sections) will be released this June on Pancakes for Mattie records. The set times for tonight look like this:

Sober - 7:30
MOM - 9:30 (in the Sculpture Garden)
Kid Koala - 10:30

what we had

Handsome Furs

We've been listening to the Handsome Furs' new LP, Plague Park, all week, and it's really starting to get under our skin. Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner and his fiancee Alexei Perry have crafted a uniquely dark and sad record that (not unlike Wolf Parade) manages to remain both distant and totally affecting. Here's the album's amazing lead track, "What We Had," which the band has made available for download on their myspace page:

mp3:
Handsome Furs What We Had

We've also been digging "Dumb Animals," despite (or maybe because of) this incredibly creepy, fucked up video:



Plague Park comes out on Sub Pop on May 22.

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elsewhere:



Hot Chip is playing in Dallas at the Granada tonight. We've never had the chance to see them live, so we're pretty excited about it.

tapes 'n tapes on blog radio

Josh of Tapes 'n Tapes

We will be joined tonight on Sirius Blog Radio by Tapes 'n Tapes frontman Josh Grier. Josh talks about Tapes' love for video games, their current 2K Sports tour, new music that he's into (including Grizzly Bear and an unreleased track from Fog), and most importantly, the band's new songs. Tune in to Left of Center channel 26 at 10 PM Eastern. If you don't have Sirius, you can listen for free here.

ola podrida

We almost forgot to mention that our friends in Ola Podrida released their self-titled debut LP today on Plug Research. This is one of our favorite releases of '07 so far, so make sure to check out this MP3 mix, featuring minute-long snippets of every track from the album.

mp3:
Ola Podrida Album Sampler (21 mb)

Ola Podrida played our gorilla vs. booze party at sxsw, and were awesome. Check them out at their CD release party Thursday night at Union Hall in Brooklyn. Pitchfork has their excellent song "Cindy" on repeat, and you can still download it here.

gorilla vs. bear's top 25 hip-hop albums of all time

Inspired by Passion of the Weiss' call to arms (via email, of course) to compile a bloggers' list of the top 25 hip-hop albums of all time, here is my list. As usual, these are just my personal favorites, as opposed to a critical "best of" list. My list is influenced by my age as much as anything, as many of these are painfully obvious choices for a kid who started getting into hip-hop in the late '80s/early '90s. In fact, the majority of the albums on my list--and all of my top 10--were released between 1989-2000.

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25. Method Man--Tical (1994)
24. Clipse--Lord Willin' (2002)
23. De La Soul--Stakes Is High (1996)
22. Mos Def + Talib Kweli--Black Star (1998)
21. Beastie Boys--Paul's Boutique (1989)
20. Ol' Dirty Bastard--Nigga Please (1999)
19. Dr. Octagon--Dr. Octagonecologyst (1997)
18. Madvillain--Madvillainy (2004)
17. Camp Lo--Uptown Saturday Night (1997)
16. Deltron--Deltron 3030 (2000)
15. A Tribe Called Quest--The Low End Theory (1991)
14. Nas--Illmatic (1994)
13. The Streets--A Grand Don't Come For Free (2004)
12. Dr. Dre--The Chronic (1992)
11. Notorious B.I.G.--Ready To Die (1994)

The Top 10:



10. Public Enemy--Fear of a Black Planet (1990)



9. Ghostface--Supreme Clientele (2000)



8. Raekwon--Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995)



7. The Pharcyde--Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde (1992)



6. De La Soul--3 Feet High and Rising (1989)

As a 12 year old kid whose hip-hop knowledge was limited to Licensed To Ill and a little Run DMC at this point, I'm not ashamed to admit that it was the videos from 3 Feet High... that made me fall in love with hip-hop.



5. Outkast--Aquemini (1998)

I liked Outkast before this record came out, but Aquemini just blew me away. A huge step forward (both sonically and lyrically) from ATLiens, this nearly flawless record established Dre and Big Boi as one of the best hip hop acts of all time.



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4. GZA--Liquid Swords (1995)

The darkest, bleakest album I'd ever heard, Liquid Swords featured some incredible guest turns, and RZA's production at its peak. I'm not sure how they're going to re-create this thing at the Pitchfork Festival, but I can't wait to see them try.





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3. Wu Tang--Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (1993)

This one is self-explanatory. One of the most influential albums ever, and I don't think this left my 1986 Honda Accord's sweet 3-disc CD changer for over 2 years.



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2. A Tribe Called Quest--Midnight Marauders (1993)

While Low End Theory generally receives all the critical props, you can't convince me it's a better record. This is arguably my most listened to album of all time.



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1. Digable Planets--Blowout Comb (1994)

Blowout Comb alienated the majority of casual DP fans who were expecting more of the hippie/happy cosmic vibes of Reachin'. This record was too black and too militant, and as a result, it relegated the Digable Planets to one-hit wonder status in the mainstream. Which is unfortunate, because this is one of the best albums ever.

free wu-tang

GZA/RZA/Bill Murray

Thanks to Spine Magazine for pointing us in the direction of Wu Tang Corp, where you can download over 200(!!!) rare/unreleased/mixtape/demo Wu Tang tracks from the likes of Ghostface, Method Man, Rza, Raekwon, ODB, etc. There are some true gems buried in there, so spend the rest of your afternoon at work/school downloading and listening. Here are a couple of our favorites:

mp3:
Ghostface The Forest (feat. Raekwon)

Lo-fi 1992 Demos:
Wu Tang Clan Bring Da Ruckus(demo)
Wu Tang Clan After The Laughter (demo)


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related:

The Passion of the Weiss and Straight Bangin' have begun compiling a bloggers' list of the top 25 hip-hop albums of all time. Check out Weiss' list here, and expect our list later this week. Like, tomorrow. Because we love lists. And we have nothing better to do.

you look real funny

Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear first told me about SSION (pronounced "shun") when he guest-DJ'ed our Sirius Blog Radio show a few weeks back. He was extremely enthusiastic about "Clown," taken from SSION's upcoming LP, Fool's Gold. Anyway, I totally forgot about the song until it popped up on shuffle over the weekend, and I couldn't help nodding my head to the campy, sort of out-there electro-disco jam. After listening to a few more songs from the band on their myspace page, I found myself at a loss to describe their bizarre style, so I will defer to the Chicago Reader, who says SSION is "like a no-budget Fischerspooner by way of Hee Haw." Not sure what that even means, but it's kind of appropriate.

mp3:
SSION Clown

Hear more SSION on myspace.

peter and the wolf on Daytrotter

Head over to Daytrotter to download 4 beautiful songs from Peter and the Wolf's SXSW Daytrotter session, including a new song that will appear on his upcoming LP, Sunchasers, as well as an alternate version of "Lightness."

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elsewhere:

Bjork was the lone highlight of last night's painfully unfunny episode of SNL. I'm still not sure how I feel about Volta's lead single, "Earth Intruders," but I can't wait to hear the album version of "Wanderlust." This video will probably be gone soon, so enjoy it now:

pete rock

The legendary Pete Rock plays a DJ set tonight at Minc. Our dudes from The Party (Sober and $elect) open. Pete Rock is responsible for what is arguably the best hip-hop single of the '90s, so you should probably go.

liquid swords

Well, Pitchfork just gave us the best news we've had all week: GZA has been added to Friday's ATP/Don't Look Back/Pitchfork Music Fest lineup, where he'll be playing his classic Liquid Swords in its entirety. Not only is Liquid Swords undoubtedly one our top 5 hip-hop albums of all time, that makes three (along with De La Soul and the Clipse) of our favorite hip-hop acts ever on this year's bill. Nice work dudes.

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elsewhere:

Remember when we posted on Ghosthustler--the unsigned Denton dance act who had yet to play their first show--a couple weeks back? Well, Marc Hogan over at P-fork likes 'em too, and he posted another rad song from the band here.

tapes 'n tapes in dallas

Tapes 'n Tapes are rolling through Dallas this evening (on their Derek Jeter-emblazoned tour bus, no less) to play at the Granada Theater. The dudes promise at least a couple brand new songs, so we're pretty excited about the show. They also brought along their pals from Brooklyn, the Harlem Shakes, whom we've heard nothing but great things about.

mp3:
Harlem Shakes Carpetbaggers

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Here's a clip of the Tapes performing "Insistor" on the streets of Paris, courtesy of the great La Blogotheque:



mp3:
Tapes 'n Tapes Omaha

blog radio

This week's episode of gorilla vs. bear blog radio on Sirius was basically a compilation of our favorite songs of 2007 that have been made available by bands and/or labels as free + legal mp3 downloads. Click the read more link to view the playlist and to download all of the songs, and marvel at just how much great music bands/labels have given away for free so far this year...

right click/save as to download:

1. Busdriver--The Troglodyte Wins
2. Notorious B.I.G.--Party and Bullshit (Ratatat remix)
3. Thunderheist--Suenos Dulces
4. St. Vincent--Now. Now.
5. Arcade Fire--Black Mirror
6. Panda Bear--Comfy in Nautica
7. Bill Callahan--Sycamore
8. Blonde Redhead--23
9. Deerhoof--+81
10. Voxtrot--Kid Gloves
11. Black Lips--Not a Problem
12. The National--Fake Empire
13. Low--Breaker
14. Menomena--Wet and Rusting
15. Papercuts--John Brown
16. Rosebuds--Get Up Get Out
17. Bodies of Water--These are the Eyes
18. Shaky Hands--Why and How Come
19. The Besnard Lakes--And You Lied To Me
20. Odawas--Alleluia
21. Paul Duncan--Red Eagle
22. Great Lake Swimmers--Your Rocky Spine
23. Andrew Bird--Heretics
24. Shapes and Sizes--Alone/Alive
25. Fujiya and Miyagi--Ankle Injuries
26. YACHT--See A Penny (pick it up)
27. CocoRosie--Rainbowarriors
28. Air--Once Upon A Time
29. Black Moth Super Rainbow--Sun Lips

oh boy

Ladies and gentlemen, we give you "My Dumps," featuring Peaches, Yo Majesty, and friends (the vocals are actually by the lovely Inara George). Shot on a rooftop near Dodger Stadium. This has gone way too far.



Perhaps Peaches was taking a cue from this kid's version (wait for the :33 mark).

copy

We were first turned on to Portland's Copy over a year ago after hearing his genius Diva mixtape, which featured his electro re-interpretations of "classics" from TLC, Mariah, Whitney, and the like (trust me, it's better than it sounds). His new record, Hair Guitar, features more of his signature minimalist 8-bit electro-bangin style, and has drawn comparisons to dudes like Ratatat + MSTRKRFT. Here's the album-opener:

mp3:
Copy Fist

Hair Guitar comes out May 29. But you can order it now from Audio Dregs, and get a free copy of Copy's awesome Bone Thugs-N-Harmony-N-Copy mixtape. A preview:

mp3:
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony-N-Copy tha crossroads

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also:

Check this video of L.A. MC Busdriver kicking an insane nerd-rap freestyle for the G4 network. He gets off to a slow start, but he seems to find his flow around the 1:30 mark:



Head over to So Much Silence to download a new Busdriver remix.

rap derek jeter

ghostface

Nobody is perhaps best known for his stellar production work on Busdriver's RoadkillOvercoat--peep the Yes sample on "The Troglodyte Wins"--which we absolutely love. So we were psyched to see that he'd posted a new remix of one of our favorite tracks from Ghost's Supreme Clientele on his myspace page recently. Now normally we'd be adamantly opposed to messing with the perfection of the daunting original version, but Nobody turns it into something special. Early candidate for hip-hop remix of the year:

mp3:
Ghostface Killah Mighty Healthy (Nobody remix)

rolling down the hills

Glass Candy

If you've been reading the blog for a while, you know we've been way into Glass Candy's newer stuff, and their brand new myspace demo might just be our favorite yet. We said before that the Portland duo's latest tracks sound like authentic old-school roller-skating disco jams, and "Rolling Down the Hills" definitely fits that bill, while still managing to sound futuristic at the same time. I can't stress enough how great Johnny Jewel's production is these days; just listen to that muted horn section. And Ida No's sultry-as-hell voice provides the icing. Thanks to Big Stereo for the tip.

mp3:
Glass Candy Rolling Down the Hills

Download Glass Candy's "Miss Broadway" here.

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also:


Chromatics

Speaking of Johnny Jewel's production, Chromatics has a new haunting/sexy (we can't decide) demo up for download on their myspace page as well:

mp3:
Chromatics My Only Love (demo)

forgetmenot

Here's the brand new video for Tacks, The Boy Disaster's "Forgetmenot," directed by our friends in Austin's SUPER!ALRIGHT! Media Collective. The video was done "Exquisite Corpse" style, with each portion directed by a different SUPER!ALRIGHT! member in their spare time, and the results are amazing. It was made in the following order:

Erik Horn (Piano), Chris Rose (Drive In), J.P. (Van and UFO), Gates Bradley (Elves), Garrett Johnston (Hummingbird), Erik Horn and Stephen Huff (Live Performance), Rich Cornelisse (Abstract)



In other Tacks, The Boy Disaster news: Daytrotter has posted the band's excellent SXSW Session, which was recorded in east Austin at Big Orange Studios. The band played 3 songs from Oh, Beatrice (one of the best EPs of 2006), as well as an unreleased track called "Dying to Know," which frontman Evan Jacobs says is his oldest song. Download them all here.

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mp3: (from Oh, Beatrice)
Tacks, The Boy Disaster Matilda

dandelion gum is rad

I'm a bit surprised at just how much I love Dandelion Gum, the new record from Pittsburgh's Black Moth Super Rainbow. I mean, I really enjoyed The House of Apples & Eyeballs too, but I guess I just sort of assumed that was because of the Octopus Project's involvement. Plus, bands with names as incredible as Black Moth Super Rainbow usually fail to live up to their insane monikers. Well it turns out that these guys are really great, and as a result, Dandelion Gum has been my go-to driving music for the past week or so.

The whole album feels like a dream fusion of your favorite low-budget early-'80s kids show, vocoder and mellotron-laden French synthpop, and the entire decade of the '60s. The band says it's a "concept record about witches who make candy in the forest," which inexplicably begins to make sense the more you listen to gems like "Rollerdisco" or "When the Sun Grows On Your Tongue" or this, the whimsical "Sun Lips."

mp3:
Black Moth Super Rainbow Sun Lips

Dandelion Gum comes out on May 15, just in time to be the soundtrack for your summer. Pre-order it here for only 10 bucks. The band also likes to give away free mp3s, which can be found here and here. Here's a remix by Austin's the Octopus Project:

mp3:
Black Moth Super Rainbow Drippy Eye (Octopus Project remix)

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related:

Speaking of the mellotron, you can waste a good 10 minutes of your work/school day messing with the authentic mellotron samples provided at this cool little site.

the hood internet

Thanks to Aaron Brink for letting us know about his new musical endeavor, the Hood Internet. Just when we think we've had our fill of mashups, these dudes (Aaron and one of his bandmates) prove the genre--and the accompanying artwork--can still be fun as hell. Here are a couple of our favorites:



mp3:
Crystal Castles vs. The Pack I'm Shinin' Like a Crystal

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mp3:
Broken Social Scene vs. R Kelly I'm A Flirt (Shoreline)

Head over to the Hood Internet for more, complete with artwork for each mash, including: Lil Wayne vs. Modest Mouse, Trillville vs. The Knife, Rhymefest vs. !!!, and uh, a surprisingly awesome mashup of The Shins vs. Crime Mob.

premiere: "stitch me up"

Jagjaguwar has been responsible for some stellar 2007 releases thus far (see the Besnard Lakes and Odawas), and they continue their solid run with the newest album from Lawrence's Minus Story, entitled My Ion Truss. Recorded with Texas' own John Congleton (who also co-produced the upcoming Polyphonic Spree album), Truss is a powerful (and often moving) record that has more than its fair share of emotionally cathartic moments. Here's one: thanks to Jagjaguwar for allowing us to premiere of one of the best songs from the LP, the anthemic "Stitch Me Up."

mp3:
Minus Story Stitch Me Up

My Ion Truss is due out June 19. Buy it here.

best contest ever?

Les Savy Fav

Les Savy Fav wants you to sing along to bits of their brand new songs. Go here, listen to the snippets, then call 718-228-8954, and "sing your ass off into the phone." The best part of the whole thing? I don't think you even win anything! Although I guess there's a chance they may use your singing on their new record. So, it's more of a funtest, really. Thanks to Ben for the tip.

St. Vincent to Open for the Arcade Fire

St. Vincent at SXSW '06

Much has been made of the fact that the National will open the majority of dates on the "the greatest little big band in the world"'s upcoming North American tour, but little has been said about the 4 dates (two in Montreal, one in Chicago, on in B.C.) that will feature support from Dallas' own St. Vincent. Just thought we'd throw that out there.

mp3:
St. Vincent Now. Now.
The National Fake Empire

view all Arcade Fire dates here

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elsewhere:

New remix courtesy of Ratatat:

mp3:
Jay Z + Biggie Allure (Ratatat remix)

wtf

This was probably more fun than it should've been:





Post yours in the comments. Or don't.

the lake pt. 2

Here's another track from Paul Duncan's sublime new record, Above the Trees, which comes out on Home Tapes on May 1. We've been listening to this thing quite a bit lately, and like his last record, it's the epitome of a grower. Above the Trees features guest spots from members of Grizzly Bear, Tortoise, and more.

mp3:
Paul Duncan The Lake Pt. 2

Download another track we posted from Above the Trees here, and purchase the record from Home Tapes, preferably on vinyl (look at that cover art!)

person pitch words

Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear) posted the lyrics to Person Pitch (our undisputed album of the year) on his official myspace blog. I realize this will have limited appeal to most of you, but we were (relatively) excited about it, as we've spent countless hours trying to decipher all of Noah's utterances. Just kidding. Sort of. One of our favorite excerpts, from "Carrots":

get your head out from those mags
and websites who try to
shape your style
take a risk just for yourself
and wade into the deep end of the ocean

Also, in case you haven't heard our song of the year so far:

mp3:
Panda Bear Bros (edit)

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elsewhere:



For those who have asked, we've posted the full playlist for last night's gorilla vs. bear blog radio show on Sirius, complete with assorted mp3s, after the jump...

Right click/save as to download the mp3s:

1. St. Vincent--Now. Now. (mp3)
2. Department of Eagles--No One Does It Like You (mp3)
3. Chromeo--You're so Gangsta
4. Ghosthustler--Parking Lot Nights (mp3)
5. Glass Candy--Miss Broadway (mp3)
6. Felix Da Housecat--Ready 2 Wear
7. Notorious B.I.G.--Party and Bullshit (RATATAT remix) (mp3)
8. Plastic Little--Crambodia (Hot Chip remix)
9. MF Doom--Elite Scooby Doo Shit (mp3)
10. Ghostface Killah--Whip You With a Strap
11. J Dilla--Nothing Like This
12. J Dilla--Wild
13. White Denim--I Can Tell
14. Black Lips--Not A Problem (mp3)
15. Battles--Atlas
16. Low--Hatchet (Optimimi Version)
17. Smith--Baby It's You
18. The Blow--True Affection
19. Panda Bear--Bros (edit)
20. The Besnard Lakes--Disaster
21. Broken Social Scene--Cause=Time
22. Jana Hunter--Babies (mp3)
23. Jracula--Carpopolis
24. 13th Floor Elevators--You're Gonna Miss Me
25. The Polyphonic Spree--Mental Cabaret
26. Joanna Newsom--Colleen
27. J Tillman--Ribbons of Glass (mp3)
28. Low--Violent Past

who he got his style from, his pops?

We've been somewhat intrigued by the whole Clutchy Hopkins mini-investigation that's been going on over at Idolator for the past couple of weeks (see their posts here, here, and here). Clutchy, who allegedly resides in Apple Valley, CA, has an insane (and very obviously fabricated) backstory which involves being trained by Japanese monks and hanging out with Moondog.

Anyway, this would all be extremely tedious and boring if Clutchy wasn't such a talented multi-instrumentalist, and if his beats weren't so damn good. Our Idolators and their sleuthing commenters have speculated that Clutchy is actually DJ Shadow (doubtful), a Beastie Boy (no way), Madlib (this would be hilarious for a number of reasons), or Cut Chemist (definitely possible and probably the most likely option). Odds are that he's none of the above, and just one of those bedroom genius type dudes that likes his anonymity. But he has been getting attention from some labels, and the Idolator posts led to this mention in East Bay Express, which provides the most info we could find anywhere online. Here's an mp3 from the MF Doom Meets Clutchy Hopkins bootleg that Clutchy has been known to send out with purchases of his records:

mp3:
MF Doom vs. Clutchy Hopkins Air

You can buy Clutchy's stuff here. Highly recommended for fans of old-school soul drum breaks and instrumental hip-hop. And if anyone ends up hollering at Clutchy (his phone number is on his site), let us know what he says.

everybody get low

We're off to take in our first Rangers game of this young MLB season, but we wanted to leave you this afternoon with the latest mashup from Austin's Car Stereo (Wars). They sent us this blend of Chamillionaire's "Not A Criminal" and Ratatat's "Seventeen Years," and as usual with these guys, we're digging their song selection:

mp3:
Car Stereo (Wars) I Been A Criminal About Seventeen Years

Blender mag named Car Stereo (Wars) their Discovery of the Night at SXSW. Make sure to check out their equally dope previous mashups:

Ghostland vs. Ghostface Ghostface Observatory mp3
Ghostland vs. Kelis Ghostland Gets Bossy mp3

jana hunter and other stuff

Jana Hunter

Devendra Banhart's Gnomonsong label has posted another mp3 from There's No Home, the Jana Hunter record we talked about a couple weeks ago and still can't get enough of:

mp3:
Jana Hunter Valkyries

There's No Home is out now, and can be purchased on CD or vinyl here. We recommend it.

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elsewhere:

Daytrotter's Sean Moeller tells us that he and the other Daytrotter guys will begin posting their SXSW sessions this week, and will proceed to post 4 sessions per week (!) over the next four months. We had the pleasure of sitting in on a couple of the SXSW Daytrotter sessions at Big Orange (Alela Diane and Brother Ali), and as we've mentioned before, the experience was one of the highlights of the festival for us. According to Sean:

"We've got Brother Ali and Tacks, The Boy Disaster this week, Peter and the Wolf and The Little Ones next week, and Malajube/The Comas the week following. Should be awfully rad. And next week's regular sessions are sweet as well -- 4 all new unreleased songs by Jolie Holland and two brand new songs from Eef Barzelay"

Download the Daytrotter sessions as they are posted here.

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Ed Rec Vol 2

Finally, here's a little 10-minute mix featuring a medley of tracks from the Ed Banger compilation, Ed Rec Vol 2, which comes out today on Vice. Artists on the mix include Justice, Busy P, SebastiAn, and more. If nothing else, it's a quick little intro to the Ed Banger roster:

mp3:
Ed Rec Vol 2 Feadz Medley (13.5 mb)

no one does it like you

Department of Eagles

I know this has been posted elsewhere, but Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear sent us his other band's brand new demo over the weekend, and it's way too fucking good not to post. Like IGIF says, Rossen's voice has something "strangely satisfying" about it; you might even call it hypnotic. I must've listened to this track 50 times over the last few days, and I remain in awe of the song's throwback production techniques and gorgeous vocal harmonies:

mp3:
Department of Eagles No One Does It Like You (demo)

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bonus:

Mr. Rossen also hooked us up with this haunting cover of traditional folk ballad "Deep Blue Sea" when he was on our Sirius show a few weeks back, and it's still in constant rotation around here. In case you missed it the first time around:

mp3:
Daniel Rossen Deep Blue Sea

premiere: "now. now."

We've been waiting impatiently for St. Vincent to drop her first LP for well over a year now, having fallen in love with what this review calls her "beautiful, playful, smart, intense jazz-folk-pop-classical hybrid thing" sometime back in 2005. In the time that's passed, we allowed our expectations for the record to reach some ridiculous astronomical heights, based mostly on her spectacular live show, the handful of rough early studio recordings we listen to on a daily basis, and most importantly, the notion that Annie Clark is basically capable of doing whatever she wants.

Put simply, Marry Me is even better than we had hoped. The LP, which features contributions from David Bowie pianist Mike Garson and assorted members of Annie's other band, is not only one of the most strikingly bold, self-assured, and ambitious debuts we've heard in forever, it's also one of the best records that will be released this year. And while it's definitely important to note Clark's obvious technical prowess and gift for crafting stunning, elaborately-arranged pop songs like "Marry Me" or "The Apocalypse Song" or the incomparable "Landmines" (wow), those aren't necessarily the things that make Marry Me so wonderful. The time Annie put into fashioning every moment of every composition into exactly what she envisioned is evident, and nearly every risk she takes on Marry Me pays off, giving the songs the kind of timeless feel that allows the album to transcend the "outstanding indie record" tag and venture into "unclassifiable instant classic" territory.

Our words clearly aren't going to do it justice, so here's the premiere of the album-opener, courtesy of Beggars Banquet:

mp3:
St. Vincent Now. Now.

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Marry Me comes out on Beggars Banquet on July 10. St. Vincent is currently on tour with John Vanderslice. View all dates here.

ribbons of glass

J. Tillman's Cancer and Delirium

Seattle's J. Tillman posted this beautiful new track on myspace this morning, taken from his from his new LP, Cancer and Delirium, due out Tuesday on Yer Bird Records. We've only heard a couple tracks from Cancer and Delirium, but the Stranger calls it "some of the most beguiling, depressing-yet-uplifting material you're likely to encounter." Based on this track that seems like an apt description:

mp3:
J Tillman Ribbons of Glass

J. Tillman is playing a Cancer and Delirium CD release show this Tuesday at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle with Richard Buckner and Six Parts Seven.

neon neon

Neon Neon

Neon Neon, the collaborative project of Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals) and Boom Bip, posted their highly anticipated (by me) first track today on myspace. "Trick for Treat" features Naeem of Spank Rock and Har Mar Superstar. Listen here.

Other guests on the upcoming record, due out at an unspecified date on Lex Records, include Fatlip, Yo Majesty, and (possibly) Beck. Count us in.

ghosthustler

Thanks to our friends at We Shot J.R. for the heads up on Denton's Ghosthustler. It's extremely rare that we get this psyched about a North Texas band, especially when the dudes have never played a live show and we're forming our opinion on the promise of a couple of myspace tracks. But it happens that those two (presumably demo) cuts hold their own with a lot of the Ed Banger and Kitsune stuff we've been getting into lately, while also boasting the immediate accessibility of the eminently danceable synth-pop stuff that the blogs are going nuts over these days (think Chromeo or Junior Boys). Not so coincidentally, some of the aforementioned artists are cited as influences on Ghosthustler's myspace, but they aren't biting by any stretch, as you'll be able to hear for yourself. We can't decide which song we like better, so download "Parking Lot Nights," then take a listen to one more at the band's myspace:

mp3:
Ghosthustler Parking Lot Nights

Ghosthustler plays their first live show tomorrow (Saturday) night at Rubber Gloves in Denton. We Shot J.R. promises more info on these guys in the very near future (UPDATE: here's their review of Ghosthustler's first show) so check back with them.

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also:


The Party

Dallas, start your Friday night with the Central Booking DJ's Sober + $elect at Adikt for The Vicious Cycle art show from 6-9 PM. (Free) Beverages will be provided. Then head over to the (free) afterparty at the Monkey Bar. Free.

TV On The Radio: Live in Dallas

TV On The Radio played to a packed and refreshingly enthusiastic crowd last night at the Granada Theater here in Dallas. This was TVOTR's third Dallas performance in the past year, and it was really great to see how well they were received. They played an incredibly engergetic (if not a bit short) set, opening with an awe-inspiring rendition of the classic "Young Liars." The band then proceeded to tear through most of ...Cookie Mountain, before returning for a blistering encore that included "Staring at the Sun" and an epic version of "Method," which was possibly the highlight of the whole set. We were able to meet up with the guys for a bit after the show. Polaroids ensued.

(all photos by David)


Tunde and tiny moon


Kyp


Sitek


Jaleel

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mp3:
TV On The Radio Dry Drunk Emperor

Interview: John Vanderslice on the Future of Media and Music

John Vanderslice's spring tour with St. Vincent begins tomorrow night in Portland. Garrison Reid caught up with JV before the tour to discuss the current condition of independent music, and to get an explanation of a specific mention on a recent tech podcast.



As a podcaster and serious Apple geek, This Week In Tech's MacBreak Weekly, a podcast which discusses Apple issues, product rumors and product recommendations, has become a must-listen. Nearly each episode, hosts find their way into conversational "ratholes" on a variety of tangent topics. Merlin Mann is a frequent guest on the podcast as well as an editor of multiple blogs. Most recently, Mann has begun The Merlin Show, an amazing new video podcast of interviews. Since it began last month, the podcast has featured Mann's friends, including John Vanderslice and John Roderick.

At some point during February 17's edition of MacBreak Weekly, Mann alludes to a prior conversation with Vanderslice in which John mentioned that for his next record no money will be spent on print advertising. This past month, John Vanderslice was generous enough to expand on Merlin's allusion. Vanderslice is one of the absolute smartest characters in the music industry, from his work at Tiny Telephone in San Francisco to his holistic approach to making, promoting and living within the indie music world. Here, in this exclusive, Vanderslice offers no shortage of insight on the latest affairs of media, survival and the music industry.
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Garrison: Why do you think a better executed mix of media selection is so important for bands now? Is this selective media planning merely a financial, and marketing, necessity, or is there something larger at stake?

JV: When you initially emailed me, I was sure I could respond to these questions quickly, but the more I thought about these things, the longer and more complicated my responses became. Then I realized: bands have to come up with a new marketing plan on each record. Things are changing quickly, and if you think these things don't matter, wait until you get your quarterly statement from the label. That's your money they are spending. Sometimes to great effect, sometimes not.

I have a permanent band now -- 3 amazing musicians that need to get paid. So I think about these things way more than I used to. So for me [the decision to go print-free is] mostly financial. I'm not an anti-advertising purist, I am completely at peace with selling art. If Vanity Fair emailed me and said: "we'd love to give you a pull-out three page ad spread for free because we want to break the record for most ad pages this month!", who would turn that down? But is it worth $17k? A quarter page ad in glossy magazines is very expensive, and it's very tough to tell currently if that ad is going to motivate someone who isn't interested in what you do anyway, right?

That's why print media is problematic for music. You can't hear the music. On the web, it's a given. You can listen, and you can listen right away. This matters more and more when there are dozens of great records coming out every week -- from every country, in every genre.

Why are labels struggling so? Why are traditional media marketing and advertising initiatives falling so flat?

You can't buy your way into sales and that's why the majors are hurting. I'm still confused as hell but it's not "why doesn't the model work?" it's "what's the new model?" It's evolving much faster than a record cycle.

So the 1/4 page, 4-color ad that costs the band $2,000 is basically a notice to fans: THE RECORD IS OUT! Why can't you do that on the web?

I love magazines, I subscribe to tons of them. everything from Dwell to Wire to Harper's. I just don't think print media is an efficient way to sell art.

The limitation of a print ad carries over to a review. If your record is reviewed in a block of fifty other reviews, who actually sees it? Who actually remembers it? If people don't know who you are, the words are totally disconnected from the music. Much more than say reading a book review on a subject you know nothing about.

One reason why this equation is so different now is the immediacy and directness of the web. When you go to SixEyes, you are reading the thoughts of Alan Williamson. There are no other mediators: no editors or designers, no lead time, no ad or marketing departments, no overhead and no deadlines. He is beholden to nobody. The birth of credibility!


Click the read more link to read the rest of Garrison's interview with John Vanderslice, and to download a couple tracks from Scott Solter's remix of JV's Pixel Revolt...


JV: At some point, the question has to be: Does spending this money do anything for my career in the long-term? Have you ever bought a record because of an ad or a print review? NEVER! You buy a record because someone you trust tells you the new Field Music or Lil' Wayne record is good.

The goal for any band should be fostering a career, and on the scale of me and my label, and my band mates, and my manager, that means recouping.

If you aren't profitable,
1. Your crew is going to eventually give up on you.
2. You will lose your autonomy and you'll start doing weird things to make money.
3. You'll have to work. This is a big mistake!

The music will eventually suffer, and therefore your career will eventually suffer.

So that's where the financial considerations come in. You have to get ready for the death of the cd. It's happening, and it's going to hurt everybody. You better start thinking critically about the budget and where money is being spent. The numbers on CD sales are spiraling down, and it's not a market anomaly. It's a trend, and it's going to keep trending in that direction.

All that said: my interest in new media is not just because it's cheap! I consume it. It's how I start my day, and it's how I find out about new bands -- like St. Vincent, who we're taking on a U.S. tour in the spring. It's how I found out about Black Fiction and Annuals and tons of other bands. For me, the key is making a good record. After that, it's getting love on the web and touring your ass off.

Are "consumer journalists" in this modern era of media and communications as knowledgeable as traditional critics? How does one's knowledge play into the big picture? Do we live in a wiki-world where an author's resume, or expertise, no longer matters?

YES! The reason people go to blogs is that they get to know the individual voice of the writer, and they respect that person's aesthetic leanings.

I'm not sure if an author's resume matters, they earn credibility by being good. I don't know anything about Dodge at My Old Kentucky Blog, other than that he lives in Indiana. That's it! But I love his site, and I listen to what he writes about. Same with David Gutowski. Same with Ryan at Catbirdseat.

We all know that some of the traditional print critics have been pushed around by their employers. Who's gonna push around a blogger? Without freedom, art is DOA!

In your decision to go print-free, what reactions do you foresee from your choice to avert/abort traditional methods? Do those potential reactions worry you?

I don't worry about stuff like that. You make many, many decisions when creating a record. All of which can excite or piss off people that pay attention to you. After a while, you just trust your own instincts.

And who knows if we can follow through with it 100%? I've had tons of ideas that were great on paper...

What has Barsuk said about this decision? Does your label support your methodologies?

Barsuk is a very smart and progressive label. Every time I talk to Josh, one of the owners, we have very interesting conversations about the future of records and record labels. They are changing as well.

The MacBreak podcast goes on to describe a possible future where a non-label, perhaps a company like Apple, has a role in pushing and publicizing artists. Instead of the release schedule that's beneficial for the label and for their full roster, this option puts the power in the hands of the artists themselves. If you, an artist, could directly publish, say, the iTunes Music Store, would you?

Well sure, why not? If that becomes a reality, digital distro and file sharing is here to stay. There are so many ways to reach music fans. Of course, the easiest way is to make a good record! Currently, you can actually just make interesting music and find fans, without any mediators or gatekeepers! amazing...

What would that do for the future of published music? How big of a concern is this for labels?

Oh man, I am very happy I don't own a label right now. Labels are going to survive, but there's a feeling everyone's stumbling in the dark looking for the light switch. Now, I'm not so crazy to think that "the industry" is going to lose here. There's no question the powers that be will find a way to make all these changes work, and they'll find a way to continue to make money. But this little pocket we're in is quite interesting and I think this shift, which might be brief, has moved power and influence around in a way that will be very formative in whatever new power balance comes from the new media and new technologies. I do believe that indie labels have benefited from all these changes. The majors seem paralyzed in fears over digital distro, DRM and P2P.

I have my own problems, I run a recording studio filed with old analog gear that's quickly turning into a "museum of recording technology." The landscape is changing for everyone.

What does that mean for fans? The fans could get music as the artist deems it worthy for us. Would that allow for the creation of better music OR do the label's precautionary steps/meddlings elicit the creation of better music?

It'll be way better for fans. There's amazing music coming out every week now. You'd have to be a corpse not to see that. You do want pure democracy in art. You may get more shit but certainly get more beauty. Isn't that always better?

Think of how arbitrary the 10 song/ 40 minute LP format was, solely based on the limitations of vinyl. maybe as iTunes becomes more important, the iTunes EP will have more weight? It seems that songs could be released in smaller packets more frequently. Anything is possible right now.

mp3:
John Vanderslice Trance Manual (Solter analog remix)
John Vanderslice Exodus Damage (Solter analog remix)

John Vanderslice & St Vincent - 2007 Tour Dates

FRI 4/6 - Portland OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
SAT 4/7 - Seattle WA @ The Triple Door
MON 4/9 - Salt Lake City UT @ Kilby Court
TUE 4/10 - Denver CO @ The Hi-Dive
THU 4/12 - Ames IA @ The Maintenance Shop
FRI 4/13 - Chicago IL @ The Lakeshore Theater
SAT 4/14 - Grand Raipds MI @ Calvin College
SUN 4/15 - Athens OH @ Ohio University
TUE 4/17 - Philadelphia PA @ Johnny Brenda's
WED 4/18 - Hoboken NJ @ Maxwell's
THU 4/19 - New York NY @ The Mercury Lounge
FRI 4/20 - Boston MA @ The Middle East
TUE 4/24 - Baltimore MD @ Sonar
WED 4/25 - Washington DC @ The Rock and Roll Hotel
THU 4/26 - Carrboro NC @ The Local 506
SAT 4/28 - Charleston SC @ The Map Room
SUN 4/29 - Columbia SC @ The (ART) Garage
MON 4/30 - Athens GA @ The 40 Watt
TUE 5/1 - Birmingham AL @ The BottleTree
WED 5/2 - St. Louis MO @ St. Louis University
THU 5/3 - Springfield MO @ The Randy Bacon Gallery
SAT 5/5 - Denton TX @ Dan's Silverleaf
SUN 5/6 - Austin TX @ Emo's
TUE 5/8 - Phoenix AZ @ Modified
WED 5/9 - San Diego CA @ The Casbah
THU 5/10 - Los Angeles CA @ Largo

hang up your chick habit

This Friday sees the release of the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez helmed double-bill, Grindhouse, which was shot entirely in Austin, TX. We've been rocking the soundtrack to Tarantino's half of the double-feature, Death Proof, in anticipation of its release this Friday. Tarantino films always have great soundtracks, and this one is no different. The highlight for me is this awesome April March song, which I would've sworn was a lost surf-garage gem from the '60s. Turns out this is actually the title track of April's 1995 release, Chick Habit:

mp3:
April March Chick Habit

Purchase the Death Proof soundtrack, which also features an amazing version of "Baby It's You" by Smith, here. Here's a little more from Ms. April March:

premiere: "You're Gonna Miss Me" trailer

Here's the trailer for Keven McAlester's outstanding documentary, You're Gonna Miss Me, which chronicles legendary 13th Floor Elevators frontman Roky Erickson's downward spiral as a result of his battles with drug addiction and mental illness. Although I was aware of the Austin band's far-reaching influence, I was embarrassingly unfamiliar with Roky's life story, and this transcendant documentary (which is nominated for a 2007 Independent Spirit Award) presents a moving and engaging (and often heartbreaking) look at Erickson's life.



Roky Erickson will play on April 15th at NYC's Bowery Ballroom. The show is sold out.

mp3:
13th Floor Elevators You're Gonna Miss Me

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You might've picked up the Scion/Vice CD that Flosstradamus mixed, which was released at SXSW. Well, apparently, due to "some deals not going through and some of the foul language" the version on the CD was not the original, intended version. The Flosstradamus dudes have made the original, unedited version of the mix available for free download here:

mp3:
Scion Presents Vice Records: Mixed By Flosstradamus (45 mb)

i only play the games that i win at

One of our favorite new blogs is Stretch Armstrong's Konstant Kontakt, where Stretch posts the kind of lost and mostly impossible to find hip-hop demos and cassettes from the '80s and '90s that only he would have access to. Most (if not all) of these rarely heard songs were digitized from cassettes that Stretch compiled during the run of his legendary Stretch and Bobbito radio show in NYC. My favorite find thus far is this insane demo from a young MF Doom, recorded in the mid-'90s while Doom was staying at Stretch's house. Not sure how rare this really is, but I'd never heard it, so here y'all go:

mp3:
MF Doom Elite Scooby Doo Shit

EDIT: Thanks to our friend Douglas Martin for pointing out that this demo appeared (in only slightly different form) as "Hey!" on MF Doom's 1999 solo debut, Operation: Doomsday.

Hit up Stretch's blog for more amazing stuff you've never heard before, including demos from Nas, Kool Keith, and more.

new Birdmonster: "Only One"

Here's a video of Birdmonster performing a brand new song, entitled "Only One," at MPR studios. The video is special for a couple reasons: first, it's a rare acoustic performance, featuring a beautiful piano melody from bassist Justin. Also, the guys are sitting down instead of jumping around like insane madmen and injuring themselves and their helpless instruments.



IGIF and MOKB have two different mp3 versions of "Only One" for download.

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elsewhere:

Peter and the Wolf are playing (as a trio) at Club Dada tonight in Dallas, and Red will hopefully have copies of his brand new handmade, lo-fi tour-only CD, entitled Fireflies. The show's only $4.

human giant

In case you haven't heard, our boy Aziz Ansari and friends have a show called Human Giant, which premieres Thursday (April 5) on MTV. But, you can download the first episode, which features Ghostface Killah and our favorite actor from Freaks and Geeks, Linda Cardellini, now for free on iTunes. Here's the trailer:



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New Yorkers Sam Champion sent out a myspace bulletin pointing us in the direction of their brand new song, "Like a Secret." Stereogum beat us to the punch, calling it the band's "best yet," and we wholeheartedly agree:

mp3:
Sam Champion Like a Secret

miracle fortress

That guy in the drawing up there is Montreal's Graham Van Pelt, and you may recall we went nuts over his other band, Think About Life, sometime last year (check them out if you haven't). Well Graham also has a band called Miracle Fortress (Jordan from Sunset Rubdown is also a member) who happens to be getting some serious blog-love these days from such esteemed hot spots as MOKB, YANP, and BV, and for good reason. I'm really digging anything that has a distinct Brian Wilson influence these days (see Panda Bear, Besnard Lakes) so this is right up our alley. Miracle Fortress' layered, dreamy pop is a perfect change of pace from the far more hyperactive and frenzied Think About Life stuff:

mp3:
Miracle Fortress This Thing About You

A full-length, entitled Five Roses, is imminent, but you can purchase Miracle Fortress' new 12" single (which includes an awesome John Cale cover) here for only $7.99 Canadian! I think that's like a dollar.

uh-huh, i like it

We've posted on Portland's Glass Candy before, and while we find their material to be a little hit-or-miss, it's probably because we're total amateurs when it comes to the weird hybrid genre of electro/glam/italo-disco/whatever. With that said, we're pretty much astounded by the production on their new song, this Belle Epoque cover, which does an incredible job of re-creating some vintage disco roller-skating jam in the vein of Chromatics' "In the City," only slightly darker and almost certainly coke-fueled. See, told you we were amateurs. Recommended for fans of the late '70s, and/or the early '80s.

mp3:
Glass Candy Miss Broadway

let's bury the hatchet

Today's song of the day is this entirely re-worked, Mimi Parker-fronted version of Low's "Hatchet," taken from the Drums and Guns promo 7" that Sub Pop included for free with pre-orders of the LP. And while it's obvious why this wasn't included on Drums and Guns, we definitely prefer this fuzzy, upbeat, AM radio-friendly version:

mp3:
Low Hatchet (Optimimi version)

Buy Drums and Guns here. In other Low news, The Smudge of Ashen Fluff has mp3s of the band's performance on MPR's The Current, including a heartbreaking rendition of "Violent Past," which is quickly becoming one of our favorite songs of the year.

new Hot Chip: "my piano"

The upcoming Hot Chip-curated DJ-Kicks release, due out May 21, features a predictably unpredictable lineup of tunes from Tom Ze, Etta James, Young Leek, New Order, Positive K ("I Got a Man" was the jam back in 8th grade) and more. Hot Chip even contributes a brand new song to the mix, entitled "My Piano," which can be heard at the band's myspace page.

so whaddya say dummies?

white denim

Kinda last minute, but two of our favorite bands in the world are playing tonight in Austin, so if you happen to be down there, head to Emo's to see Peter and the Wolf and White Denim. Party starts at 10 PM.

mp3:
Peter and the Wolf Safe Travels
White Denim ShakeShakeShake

not an april fool's day joke

Chandra

Thanks to Ed Droste for telling us about Chandra Oppenheim, who was 12 years old in 1980 when she recorded her 4-song Transportation EP. Apparently, there's not too much info about her to be found, but from what I've gathered from various points across the internets, 12-year-old Chandra was backed on Transportation by either: a. post-punk band The Dance, or b. another post-punk band called the Model Citizens (depending on the source). Andy Warhol and Mary Tyler Moore were fans, she commanded up to $1000 a night to play some of NYC's hottest clubs, and she even made an appearance on Captain Kangaroo. It's sort of obvious that she wrote the lyrics here, as they're teeming with the kind of pre-teen angst only a 12-year-old girl could come up with, but Chandra ended up with something more akin to a young Deborah Harry than novelty kid's music.

mp3:
Chandra Kate
Chandra Subways

(mp3s via Waxidermy)

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elsewhere:

In case you hadn't noticed, De La Soul was added to the exceedingly awesome Pitchfork Music Festival lineup, along with Malkmus, the New Pornographers, and Battles. We're feeling pretty good about the value of those 3-day passes we bought for $45 bucks, because that makes two of our favorite hip-hop acts of all time on the bill. So now if you guys could go ahead and add A Tribe Called Quest, we'll be all set.