Tuesday, December 27, 2011

New Find: CANT

So I posted a video from CANT on a previous Video Tuesday and mentioned talking about them (him) more.  The more I listen to the new album, the more I like it.

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Particularly this song (play it loud):

Here's a live version from KEXP (and here's the rest of the videos).

A bit more info…

CANT: From Grizzly Bear's Friction, A Solo Gem : NPR

" as far as side projects go, Grizzly Bear is basically a high-school valedictorian."

CANT is the latest addition to the pedigree — a Chris Taylor solo outfit with a moodier strain of after-hours sultriness than can be heard in Grizzly Bear's lofty melancholia. Its debut album, Dreams Come True, grooves as readily it sulks, borrowing liberally from Prince and Depeche Mode, and "She Found a Way Out" is a clear standout. Taylor's sparse guitar arrangement and airy harmonies evoke intimacy akin to Daniel Rossen's take on "Deep Blue Sea," right up until the sucker-punch second half erupts. Synths wash over the track, nearly swallowing the heavy bass-snare hits as Taylor professes, "She can't / She can't / She's gonna find a way out."

The result has all the grandeur of Gary Numan's Pleasure Principle, and belongs nowhere near a proper Grizzly Bear album, but as Grizzly Bear's Yellow House proved, a little friction makes for better music. Best of all, in that band's case, what doesn't fit makes for great solo material."

(Continued... CANT: From Grizzly Bear's Friction, A Solo Gem : NPR)

 

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Pitchfork Music Festival Paris Documentary

Knowing how much I love both La Blogotheque and the Pitchfork Music Festival, you could imagine my delight to see them converge in Paris.  Watch the magic.

Article: Why Rappers Are Suddenly Speaking Out in Support of Gay Pride

What a breath of fresh air...

Why Rappers Are Suddenly Speaking Out in Support of Gay Pride - The Daily Beast

Hip-hop and homophobic hate speech have long gone hand in hand—but now MCs from Fat Joe to The Game are changing their tune. Chris Lee on rap’s gay-friendly tipping point. Print Email Comments (10)

Has hip-hop finally had it with homophobia?

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Since the genre’s explosion into the public consciousness in the early ’80s, rap music has stood apart as one of popular culture’s most unregulated forums for anti-gay hate speech. From Ice Cube’s paean to male anal rape, “No Vaseline,” to Big Daddy Kane proclaiming himself “anti-f----t” and Eminem’s scorching repudiation of homosexuality on 2000’s “Criminal”—“Whether you’re a fag or lez / Or the homosex, hermaph or trans-a-vest / Pants or dress / Hate fags? The answer’s yes”—MCs have unleashed homophobic rants and hurled slurs in songs without fear of censorship or reprisal for nearly three decades.

But in the last few months, seemingly unprompted by anything more than some new wellspring of compassion, major hip-hop artists have been speaking out in vehement condemnation of old homophobic tropes, calling for greater tolerance toward gay people, urging closeted gays to come out, and expressing admiration for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in ways that would have been unimaginable a generation ago."

(Continued... Why Rappers Are Suddenly Speaking Out in Support of Gay Pride - The Daily Beast)

 

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Video Tuesday

Party hard this week with Deer Tick's raucous video for Main Street  Next up is a dizzying new video for YACHT's I Walked Alone.  Finally a new Goldfrapp video for Yellow Halo, a new track on their upcoming Singles release (2/6/12)   …and another "bonus" video this week.

Another wacked out video, this time from Major Lazer, feat. Diplo!

 

Coming Thursday: Paper Thick Walls @ Wilbert's

It's been quite a dry spell for shows these last couple weeks, but that's going to change - at least for a night. I got word that Paper Thick Walls are performing at Wilbert's on Thursday. While I already had plans for that night, I should be able to catch these guys first. Nothing like two shows in one night…

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Check out this gorgeous live video of Liar's Lawyer shot for AudiotreeLive.com.

Pretty cool stuff, looking forward to this show…  Check out some of their other stuff.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Great Gift Idea! Put the Needle on the Record

Have you got your copy yet??  http://matthewchojnacki.com/book/store/

Cover Story | Music Lead | Cleveland Scene

""The '80s were all about complete oversaturation of imagery," he says. "I was looking for things that just popped for me, whether they were representative of the decade or they just stood the test of time." Chojnacki's tastes aren't confined to one genre. The 45 and 12-inch sleeves in his book — which come from his personal collection of 5,000 — include everyone from Madonna, Peter Gabriel, and the Smiths to Run-DMC, Twisted Sister, and Dolly Parton.

"I wanted every page to be a unique experience," he says. "I probably looked at more than 10,000 images." He also got the stories behind the pictures, interviewing many of the musical and creative artists."

(Continued... Cover Story | Music Lead | Cleveland Scene)

Needle Cover 2

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Video Tuesday

I missed last week, but this week's a can't miss (includes a "bonus" video below). Starting off with CANT's video Too Late, Too Far (I want to talk more about this band more soon).  Next up is a *great* video by Handsome Furs for Serve the People.  Ending with Bombay Bicycle Club's Leave It.  Don't forget to check out a little Duck Sauce for dessert.

I can't believe I'm posting this one.  But it's just… incredible.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

New Plants & Animals / Free Download

I feel like with every Plants & Animals release, I like them exponentially more.  This new single "Lightshow" for The End of That (out 2/28/12) keeps that trajectory.  Listen and download it here: