Clams Casino Instrumental Mixtape [Type Records] [Self-Released digital] Clams Casino really blew up in 2011 and he did it the best way possible: by playing by his own rules. It started with this, his self-released FREE mixtape, then he followed up with a release for Tri Angle and then appeared all over one of the best hip hop mixtapes of 2011. Clams has this sound that sometimes plays out like TV on the Radio turned into DJs; it's big, it's dirty, it's evocative. This is one for anybody who likes music at all ever.
Peaking Lights - 936 [Not Not Fun] Now this is an ALBUM. You have to play it from beginning to end and once it's over you'll hard pressed to find a world like it to immerse yourself in. Dub, pop, lo-fi experiments, radiophonic weirdness; it all comes together to form one of the hookiest records of recent years.
Tokyo Bloodworm - Palestine & Palestine Remixes [Moteer] I reviewed this album for Fluid Radio earlier this year here. Of all my selections this takes the most time to grow, but when you get there..wow.
Honourable Mentions: E and I - An Indescribable Brightness Shone (Nathan Thomas's review for Fluid Radio here) Hakbune- I Discover I'm missing (my review for Fluid Radio here)
When Holy Other dropped his 7"single via Transparent in 2010 it sort of felt out of place. Transparent has their finger on the pulse but due to the diversity of their roster it was hard to really locate Holy Other's music on any continuum. And the single itself was half greatness with Yr Love and half unassured exploration with We Over. However, if Transparent was an odd birthing place, Tri Angle seemed a perfect homebase to unleash With U on the world. Somehow, an artist who seemed mysterious, got even more mysterious... but his sound had evolved too; he sounded much more assured as he was getting bolder, which is a rare balance to strike.
Every song on With U is totally different, however they fit thematically. With U is the sort of musical introduction by an artist that suggests they are drawing from this rich palette, and just by combining elements in different increments they arrive at very different results. I'm thinking of, say, Seasons (Pre-Din) who blends drone, modern classical and out and out experimentation, but by combining them in different ways he creates works that are all unique. Holy Other has a similar ability, whether it's RnB, techno, ambient his ability to blend chopped vocal samples or a deep sub-bass synth lines with skittish beats in different increments seems to create not only very different songs, but songs that almost seem like they are in totally different genres. It almost seems an injustice to label With U as anything other than simply an 'electronic' album because any other genre or even sub-genre name just seems too limiting. With U is the sort of rare musical moment where an artist seems to be offering a brief of history of electronic music up until now combined with elements that hint at a bold future for a myriad of genres and electronic experimentation in general. Either way, this is the sort of confident songwriting that few artists have the capability of, especially when they are seamlessly blending genres like this. How does he do it? With U is the sort of album that wins over people that don't like this 'type' of music and leaves those that do love it in awe of the slight miracle of its existence.
It's been a minute (read: almost a decade) since a Hip Hop Artist really caught my ear. There have been songs but not artists that really grabbed me. Genres fluctuate. This year I'd be hard-pressed to name an indie rock outfit that even edged on to my radar. However, Hip Hop got really interesting. And for me that began with Danny Brown. When I first saw the cover to DB's XXX mixtape I was intrigued. When I saw it was on A-Trak's label, Fools' Gold, I was further intrigued. Then I head Monopoly. Honestly, I probably played this song more than any other this year.
Danny Brown's flow plays like a Jekyll and Hyde routine with DB playing both parts. Honestly, the man sounds crazed. His voice has this menacing high pitched thing going on that just furthers that mad-man mystique. And his flow is just bizarre. BUT the man knows what he's doing. His lyrics often blend the mundane (check the"Hoes-Toes" line), the profane ( check the "Doritoes" line) and the profound ("Fiends on their menstrual" line). And half the time you have to stop yourself just to process how the ideas connect.
Add in the weird haircut, missing front teeth, and skinny jeans and this guy is just plain interesting. And the beats and samples on this track by Quelle are unbelievable - seriously, this guy deserves more recognition. In a recent P4K post Brown said he keeps his ear to the ground for UK producers because they are ahead of the game. That says something about how serious this guy takes his craft. Enough chatter. Hit play. Then hit Repeat.
Mike Kinsella (AKA Owen, that dude form American Football, etc) is one of my favourite musicians of all time. I'm pretty picky when it comes to the whole 'just a guy/gal and an acoustic guitar' thing but Kinsella's sense of melody is just ...well, sublime is about as good of a word to describe it as I can come up with.
As for this video, I've been playing it on repeat for days; its just mesmerizing. Owen's new album Ghost Town is out now on Polyvinyl Enjoy this over and over and over again.
** Be warned: Mike's dog starts barking at about the 3 minute mark and it scared the crap out of me and MY dog the first time I heard this.
Just like a Christmas gift (that arrives so late you cant afford it!) Demdike Stare released part 1 & 2 of Elemental, a new 4 part album set to complete in 2012. With that same giving spirit in mind, and thankfully-so for those of us who already blew our 'me' fund for the holidays, they now bring us 'Irrational Advice', a new and FREE 51-minute mix. Not many bands are fitted to dust off 50+ minute mixes without a sweat but Demdike was designed for this sort of thing, hence the loooong/multi-part albums. Enjoy. And Seriously, don't be scared of that duration; it flies by... Demdike Stare - Irrational Advice Demdike Stare - Irrational Advice by modernlove
Halloween is sort of my favourite holiday of the year, mainly because I get to immerse myself in the world of horror films and Millennium re-runs with purpose. As a guy who writes horror films, it's borderline religious. This Saturday here in Ottawa is the annual Zombie walk in support of the Ottawa Food Bank. However, the night before, the Mayfair Theatre is doing a midnight screening of Lucio Fulci's 'Zombie'. And having had to sit through that trailer 4 or 5 times this month already, this little piece of music by Fabio Frizzi has become lodged in my brain and is easily my favourite piece of music I've heard in the last month. I haven't seen 'Zombie' in years and certaintly don't remember the score, but damn this thing sounds great. This theme music has a very mournful quality and those tinny sound drums remind me of Salem in many ways. You can see the influence on every italo-disco influenced act of today that's for sure.
Italians Do It Better bring us more Glass Candy and hopefully the attention paid to the 'Drive' soundtrack will lend this great label even further momentum. As for 'Warm In the Winter', it's an unapologetic slice of dance floor fun. Besides, who doesn't like when a band tells you they love you over and over again in song?
Matt Christensen is a member of Zelienopleand and this song is taken from his release "A Cradle in the Bowery" which was released on the incredibly excellent Under the Spire label. This album was actually released earlier in 2011 but I just received my white label via Chris at UTS and have been digging this one. This is a seriously underrated song for 2011, it has a sort of dark take on Americana to it, but the adept songwriting is reminiscent of someone like Neil Finn/Crowded House in that it is perfectly written, arranged, layered, produced, etc. This one is kind of dark, but kind of fun. Do it. Matt Christensen - Someday I Won't Matter by Under The Spire
These first two Lana Del Rey tracks from her debut 7" are really killing it for me. And now we get Balam Acab to give 'Video Games' that extra midas touch with this ethereal, hissy mix. Video Games (BALAM ACAB Remix) - Lana Del Rey by BALAM ACAB
I've sort of been putting Lana Del Rey on the back burner for a moment. All the usual suspects have been touting this girl and she looks so Hollywood-hot I had to wonder. Now that it's been a minute I've given her due and the girl's got chops. Honestly, this girl could pull an Amy Winehouse and creep into mass consciousness. Everything about her just works: the music, the image, the videos. She's the product of pop-culture but makes no qualms about it and is as drawn to the dark allure of it all as she is swept up in the saccharine sugar-coatedness. In a way she reminds me of JJ in her ability to cull from different sources and create a pastiche of influences that almost run counter to each other. Hit play on each of these songs more than twice and the girl owns part of your soul...and I mean that in a Robert Johnson sort of a way. See you at the crossroads.
Order the 7" here. It should be a collector's item in about 5 seconds.
And from Grouper, we move to another one of my favourite 7s of the year. Now, Transparent recs/blog are usually on point with their releases but occasionally they release something so good you know they've tapped an artist with serious talent. Such was the case with Purity Ring's 'Ungirthed' earlier this year and now Blood Diamonds brings us 'Grins'. When I first heard this Blood Diamonds 7 it absolutely did not work for me. In fact, I turned it off half way through the first track. It sounded like one too many layers to my ears. A month later I gave it another shot and it all clicked. This big-orchestral-melodramatic-pop-by-way-of-stuttering-electronic-beats sound that is Blood Diamonds finally made sense to me. And dammit, it works well. Give this one a minute. Absolutely lovely stuff.
Blood Diamonds - Grins by TransparentRecs Blood Diamonds - Move The Stars by TransparentRecs
Grouper released a new 7" called Water People. As per usual with Grouper releases, it sold out in pre-orders. I, however, (for a change) managed to pre-order one and I can't wait to hear this vinyl. As with all of Liz's work this is just pure enchanting beauty sent from another planet. Get lost in this.
Grouper - Water People by pmwtumblr
I just recently discovered UNO records, a great label out of NYC who specialize in dance floor euphoria. So far, three records in, the cast of artists has been stellar: Eddie Mars got things started with a killer Italo-Disco bender, man of the minute Jacques Greene did his thing for UNO002 and now CFCF brings his game to the table. Just the other day I was thinking how killer CFCF is on the remixes but on his release for the label, it's fellow Montreal native D'eon that really takes this song to the next level. Need proof? Check it below.
Sleep Over have a new album due Sept 27 on Hippos in Tanks. HIT recently made Billboard's list of the 50 best indie labels and while the quantity count isn't that high, the quality control from the label has been a feat. Which brings us back to Sleep Over, whose Outer Limits release on another great label, Forest Family, was one of the best 7"s of 2010.
As for Forever, every new preview suggest greatness. This one is on my most anticipated for 2011 list. Hit up "Romantic streams" below to get another taste.
And for those of you needing even more, well, get on it and check the previews via amazon.
Korallreven had one of the best songs of the summer of 2009 with 'Loved-Up'. They followed up with one of the best songs in the summer of 2010, 'The Truest Faith'. Shortly, we get a new single and an album. But for now there's this...
BRITNEY SPEARS - TILL THE WORLD ENDS (KORALLREVEN VERSION) by KORALLREVEN
Brand new track from the forthcoming 'Hurry Up We're Dreaming' LP. Head over to ilovem83.com submit an email address and the song shall be yours to enjoy. In the meantime..
MYTHS are a wicked band from Vancouver, getting ever wickeder from the sound of things (and, yes, wicked is the word for them). They have a new album that is available to purchase for those that see them on their current tour, and following the tour, it will be available to the rest of the world
MOST IMPORTANTLY if you live in Ottawa or are attending this year's Bluesfest in Ottawa, MYTHS will be playing tomorrow (Sat. July 9) at 3:30PM on the Subway stage. Don't miss it...for real. They're known for putting on a killer show.
Oh, how this song sticks in my head. It's makin' waves here in Ottawa too, even on hit radio stations. Listen, but most importantly, don't deny it. The Naked and Famous - Young Blood
A teaser of a new Little Loud remix! Can't say enough good things about this guy's work. You should hit up his soundcloud page after hearing this to see how consistent he really is. waylayers - hear no lies (little loud remix) clip by little loud
New Bon Iver album drops June 21. This first taste is pretty different from "For Emma..." but also seems quite natural. After all it isn't the instruments you use, it's how you use the instruments...
Best three albums of 2011 thus far: Tokyo Bloodworm - Palestine, Peaking Lights - 936 and this: the Clams Casino Mixtape. And this one is FREE below. CC does beats for Lil B and Soulja Boy among others. But this is beyond hip hop, this has more in common with Warp Records stuff or TV on the Radio's shoegaze-y components. Hell, even that cover looks like it belongs on a Grouper record. It's amazing how these songs work as hip hop tracks but completely work as borderline-ambient electronic instrumental pieces as well. Seriously, even if you don't like instrumental music this may change your mind. Deeply moving and utterly captivating with killer beats to boot. That's all I have.
One of the best of 2011 thus far. Get it for FREE here courtesy of the artist himself.
This song has been crawling its way toward my 'best of 2011 thus far' list. The love keeps growing. Boy Friend is made up of the ex Sleep Over gals. Sleep Over's "Outer Limits" single on Forest Family records was one of the best things I heard in 2010. This song is actually on par with that release, which is an amazing feat. Boy Friend previously released a digital four song EP via their bandcamp page. Lovedropper shows enormous growth already. Hit play a few more times.
Kate Bush is on my all time musical-loves list, and Hounds Of Love is one of the best things ever on planet Earth. This is a video for a collection of reworked older material called Director's Cut which is due out on May 16.
I mainly know this guy via his Delorean remixes. Th good nes is this totally lives up that standard. nice and sunny, You deserve this for a Friday. JOHN TALABOT / Families (Ft Glasser) by Young Turks
Love Grimes. She's Canadian too. This is from her split with D'eon and is released by two awesome labels: Arbutus and Hippos in Tanks. This fan video features scenes from 'Alphaville'. Check it.
Alela Diane is criminally underrated. Criminally. She has a new album out via Rough Trade featuring her all new band; hopefully, this begins to rectify the situation.
I did not like Death Cab's last album at all. I'm not into this yet, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm hoping Plans isn't he last great album this band releases. I have faith..
Cold Cave released the awesome 'Love Comes Close' two years ago, and now they're back with a new album called 'Cherish the light years'. Not ones to disappoint, this lot.
Those cruel folks at Tri Angle have decided to share this 3 months in advance of the release date of the actual EP. Enjoy it. You have three months to. Holy Other - "Touch" by znaki.fm
I don't normally review records on here, but Ambiguous Records sent this one over and it was just too good not to write about at length...
Alice Gun – Blood and Bone
Alice Gun is a promising newcomer to the music scene. And that’s an understatement. To make it clearer: picture it’s 1994 and you’ve just seen an ‘unknown’ named Cat Power. Or picture it’s 2000 and you’ve just seen two sisters named Tegan and Sara performing their album ‘This Business of Art’ at a small club. Or (just one more, I promise) picture it’s 2003 and you’ve just heard a girl called Feist singing with Broken Social Scene. Getting a clear picture here? That’s what being introduced to the music of Alice Gun at this point in time is like. You’re right there at the beginning of something you know is going to bloom into something big. Needless to say Alice Gun is a singer-songwriter with enormous potential.
Alice Gun’s first album ‘ Blood and Bone’ is as solid a debut as you’re going to find from a singer-songwriter in recent years. Does it have signs of being a new artists first album proper? Well, yes, but note the above-mentioned artists: they all took a minute to hit their stride and when they did there was no going back. But first and foremost we are here to focus on the positives, and this album oozes positives. If I had to give a few reference points I would say think of a female Tom Waits meets Cat Power. In fact, Alice has a little bit of Kate Bush heiress quality to her too. Note: I said a bit; Kate’s a hard act to follow.
As for ‘Blood and Bone’, it opens with “Horrible Soul” and instantly we get a sense of the dramatic almost theatrical approach to songwriting. The lyrics introduce us to Alice’s self-deprecating side, a recurring theme within her songs, and also have a highly personalized quality that borders on confrontational; think Perfume Genius, Bright Eyes, Morrissey - artists that throw their observations about life in your face, horrify you, then beg you to disagree knowing full well you can’t. From there we are on to “The Swimmer” which starts with aggressive, muted strings hovering over big sounding percussion that has a nice loose quality to it. Many of the songs feature Alice’s vocals and playing right up front but the additional instrumentation is wonderful, layering the songs with as minimal additions as possible. It makes the record worth repeating to see the little nuances that each player adds to the songs. It’s as if by adding minimally it’s easier to see each instruments contribution clearly. It also for a more poetic approach to songwriting in that each player has to say a lot with as few notes as possible. Whether this approach was incidental or by design, it serves the record very well.
“Not Made for this world” serves as particular standout, as does “Metal Spider” and Alice has done well to highlight these tracks as they seem to be the early sneak peeks at the album. They both have the feeling of being singles but also do well to represent her overall style.
If “Not Made for this World” is Alice at her most vulnerable//insecure then "What Can I get Me” is Alice at her most abrasive, and she wears it just as well.
Title track “Blood and Bone” is fittingly the albums grandest statement with its big strings and percussive swells. Again, there’s a little bit of Kate Bush dramatics to the piece.
Album closers “Minty Fresh” and “ Bad Maths” are both well-constructed songs with strong lyrics but play as little bit more staid than the rest of the songs. And this brings me to my one complaint: I like Alice’s quirky side, thus I don’t want to hear her play it safe. All of the artists I mentioned in the first paragraph have thrived on their somewhat oddball personas. From another artist these two tracks would play as fine, but for an album this bold to suddenly get reserved in terms of its musical ambitions feels like a bit of a lateral move into the wrong field. Sure it proves that Alice can play it safe and ‘gets’ the genres she plays with, but it’s not at all necessary. And just to be clear: I am only speaking about two songs out of twelve, so as the only complaints to be made, they are fairly small in contrast to the enormous potential on display here.
Alice Gun’s debut is a strong one and something tells me as the year progresses we are going to be hearing more and more about her, and deservedly so. I hope this one finds its audience because I think what Alice is able to do is rare: she has the ability of writing songs that are highly personalized yet can reach a broader audience without signs of compromise. You have to know yourself AND know your audience to achieve that symbiosis. Personally, I can’t wait for Alice’s second album. A weird thing to say when this record has yet to be released, I know; but ‘Blood and Bone’ is a record that makes clear Alice Gun is just getting started and has barely scratched the surface. Something tells me the deeper we go with Alice’s material the harder she is going to be to ignore. ‘Blood and Bone’ is an important first step and, as an album, one not to be missed for 2011.
The Shoes are continuing to kill it. It's great to see two dudes who performed such killer remixes translating that into great originals, which are at the same time fitting BUT also signs of evolution. This is seriously fresh stuff. The Shoes: Wastin Time by Southern Fried Records
From the new split 12" with Dan Snaith (aka Caribou). Man, Four Tet knows how to release a split 12. The world's still recovering from Burial/Four Tet. Dig it. Happy Friday! Pinnacles by Four Tet
SLEEP ∞ OVER as we knew it has essentially broken off into two bands. Boy friend is Christa and Sarah, while Stephanie has continued the Sleep Over moniker. I have to say this was a curious arrangement when I first heard it; I loved last year's "Outer Limits" 7" a whole lot and hated the idea of seeing this band die before it could fully bloom. The good news is both projects are very good. Casual Diamond still retains that creepy, ethereal beauty that marked other Sleep Over tracks. Been listing to this track all week and can't wait for the debut album to drop in May via Hippos in Tanks ( a great label that you all should be watching!)
This album is getting ton of love and I've yet to hear it from beginning to end. It is on my to-do list though. This video pushes it a little higher on that list.
100% Silk is a new Not Not Fun related label ('sister label' is the relationship) that specializes in the more dancey end of the spectrum. Still skwewed, still forward thinking, it keeps in line with the interesting/challenging releases offered by Not Not Fun. So far 100% Silk has been one of the highlight labels of the year for me. Specializing in sort of left leaning electro, and more specifically: a little italo-disco referencing. To date 100% Silk has released four 12"s ( all of which play at 45rpm) and all of which have been stellar. Seriously. This is a label to keep your eye on. Gorgeous art + killer tracks = mandatory. And these things are only $8 (US) per 12"!
First up on the player we have Maria Minerva with Disko Bliss which sounds like Olde English Spelling Bee gone disco. It's a lose and percussive affair with a serious FM bent to it. Layered and punchy, but also possessing a pastiche-like quality, it's disco for those that do or do not love disco sounds.
Then we have Cuticle dropping Flair a bouncey, squelchyelectro number that again is forward thinking enough to have those that don't normally like 'this sort of thing' re-thinking their stance. And as a PS I HIGHLY suggest you click the link below from Boomkat to preview more of the Cuticle tracks...wow!
For more sneak peeks check out the labels discography via Boomkat
Monster Rally remind me of: Avalanches/Madlib/Air/Air France/Onra/etc. Yet, Monster Rally is its own beast. Below is the whole album "Coral" for your listening pleasure. I recommend you hit play and give this one a taste. This is a great one to get lost in and is sure to elevate all those with the winter blues.
If you want the 12" (and you ought to) grab it from Gold Robot.
Years ago Rainbow Arabia added me as a friend on myspace. I always kept an eye on them, and now they have a new album due on Kompakt. This is good news. Kompakt is a forward thinking label mostly associated with techno, yet always brave enough to delve into the peripheries of electronic music. "Without You" is the first single we are hearing from Rainbow Arabia's soon to be released (Feb 2011!) album Boys and Diamonds and it is damn impressive. RA have evolved and have found their own niche within the overcrowded world of electronic-tinged pop. This is special stuff. Needless to say, keep this album on your radar.
Visions of Trees have been on my radar for quite some time, mainly due to Osker and his wicked blog no modest bear. Now we have this lovely new 7" out on Moshi Moshi. "Sometimes It Kills" is ethereal and glitchy. Two words that don't normally go together, sure, but I guess all it really took was waiting for a band that had the right touch. Enjoy! Sometimes It Kills by Visions of Trees
Glass Vaults are from New Zealand and make ambient/big bat/shoegaze music according to their myspace page. I hear quite a bit of a balearic influence in there as well. Ambient balearic; a rare combination I think. Anyway, their Glass EP is a great little offering that you can snag for FREE via their bandcamp or better yet purchase from JUKBOXR. New Space is the 5 song EPs mid-point and could you write a better midpoint to an EP of this sort? The slow build to that huge beat and those slow swells of bealearic beats n' busy-ness. Great stuff! DO NOT MISS. Remember: I said FREE.
The new Keep Shelly In Athens 7" is being put out by the consistenetly-on-point Transparent recs and is up for pre-order at Puregroove.co.uk right here. KSIA released one of my favourite songs of 2010 with Cremona Memories and Hauntin' Me is another winner from these guys. Order away because their 12" on Forest Family Recs sold out so quick it broke my heart. Keep Shelly in Athens - Hauntin' Me by TransparentRecs
I really should give the Black Acre label more love on this blog - it's in my heart, I just need to write it down more. Kelpe is their latest artist to drop a stellar 12". This is some tight production. Those synths and beats bounce together so well it's hard to distinguish what is what. Kelpe - Toy Castle by Kelpe
I've been thinking about how the world of electro has been missing those artists who know how to drop a huge beat and some dirty synths, and the along comes this gem from Skies. This one goes out to all my fellow North Americans drowning in snow and longing for the sun to come out...I'm not with you in your desires, but I feel for you nonetheless. Twin Shadow - I Can't Wait (Skies Remix) by Skies
The Shoes are one of my favourite remix duos of recent years. There has been a long history of really great DJs who switch from doing remixes to writing originals with rather dismal results (I won't name names). And I do mean a lot. For some reason, everything that makes them so killer on the remixes is thrown out the window in favour of trying to re-invent themselves as some sort of minimalist post-punk revivalist or some other tongue in cheek approach to being a rock star. Thankfully, if this song is any indicator, The Shoes are getting the job done. It combines the heavy hitting dance edge to what they do with a melodic sensibility that sounds like...well, it sounds like The Shoes being The Shoes, only this time the track is an original. Enjoy this one and breathe a sigh of relief with me.
I guess James Blake is some new golden boy of everything electronic and post-dubstep. Personally, I think the guy is pretty hit-and-miss and while I certainly applaud his experimentalism and his courage to push genres, some of his stuff is a little cerebral for my tastes. Well, he has his debut album set to drop in February and I am intrigued after hearing this lovely little number. This is James mining new emotional depths and I like to hear it. It proves there is more to his work than intellectual exercise and that combination of raw emotion and experimentation definitely has me re-thinking my stance on the man's work.
Toro Y Moi's debut hit me by surprise last year. An album I didn't expect much from ended up being one of the year's highlights. That's because Chaz showed a serious evolution on that record and the whole thing felt like a dance party for one in the most liberating way possible. Now he has his second album geared up and ready to drop. 'Still Sound' shows a more sparse and 'live' instrument approach, but the dude still knows how to hook you. Seriously this is like Jackson 5 goes outer space. Toro Y Moi: Still Sound by TheMusicFile
