Tyler the Creator is Goblin is cool is ready to take over the hip-hop world
Band of the Day (4.1.11) Goblin
Seriously this is no April Fool’s joke. Tyler, the Creator, is amazing, he is a founding member of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA), the 10-person hip hop collective that are roaming around your inbox. Tyler, the Creator, has made a splash of his own. On December 25, 2009, Tyler self-released his first album, Bastard. The album, quickly buzzed for its dark energy and punishing beats and eventually ranked 32nd on Pitchfork Media’s list of the Top Albums of 2010. In early March Tyler released his new single “Yonkers” and since that time, Kayne obsessively called it the video of 2011, and Diddy has called him the future of the music industry. Now it’s your turn to be the judge, watch the video of “Yonkers”, listen to a few tracks and grab his new vinyl here.
Vitals:
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Members: Tyler the Creator AKA: Wolf Haley, Ace
Sonic Soulmates: Seriously, it’s deep dark and unique enough to say, can’t find one. MellowHype? Maybe?
Trackables:
“French (Toro Y Moi Remix)”
“French” – Great track from TTC Goblin’s first record.
I’m a sucker for a pretty voice. Aren’t we all though. If you really think about it, a pretty voice just makes your day so much better. She can make sad moments more uplifting and can make happy moments happier. Fine, I’m softening up in this so called Year of Rock Revival, but what do I care…really. Mechanical Bride’s label Transgressive sent over her lead track this morning and it took me approximately 18 seconds from the moment I hit play to start this post. That’s fast folks, super fast because I think the 25 year old songwriter and self-taught maestro Lauren Doss has something special, a very pretty voice and a history some great music. I doubt I’m the first to write about her sound since she was the owner of 2009’s beautiful folkish Rihanna cover of “Umbrella”. Much like Belleruche last week, Lauren Doss AKA Mechanical Bride, has a voice that really is special. Thank God they coupled her music with some fantastic production, layered self-harmonies, splash drums and a simple piano structure. She’s released some EPs, that have awarded her some critical acclaim, but she still needs our love to gain the fame and riches. Take a listen and spread the word. Her voice is one part PJ Harvey a whole lot of Bat for Lashes and maybe a dash of Björk
Vitals:
Hometown: Brighton, UK
Members: Lauren Doss
Sonic Soulmates: Bat for Lashes, PJ Harvey and Björk
Trackables:
“Colour of Fire” – Soft piano driven tune with beautiful production.
Grab the exclusive stream. ‘Colour Of Fire’ is available to download for free from the Mechanical Bride official site now. ‘Colour Of Fire’ is taken from Mechanical Bride’s debut album ‘Living With Ants’, released June 7th via Transgressive.
Belleruche is was and is our Hummingbird for 2011...GREAT!
Band of the Day (3.23.11) Belleruche
It was 2009 when we went to see Belleruche. We heard good things, but we weren’t sure what to expect. Well we got something incredibly awesome. But time passed and we got busy. So when we saw them at SXSW last week we couldn’t help but take our love and re-post it. If you don’t know Belleruche — First, the DJ spins a intoxicatingly hip but dark backing track. It’s Portishead on crank. Then the vocals are sexy, and Kathrin deBoer of Belleruche pushes her to the top as my favorite female vocalist. The tracks waste no time, they get in and get out. They perfect pop perfection. deBoer is accompanied by DJ Modest on turntables and Ricky Fabulous on bass and guitar (occasionally you’ll find backing vocalists, more decks, cellists and, a typewriter…). I’ve posted three tracks and I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll love Belleruche as much as I do. I thank Ed of MudHut for keeping Belleruche at the top of my email inbox. Paid off brother, they kick a$$ and their dusty turntable soul music should be on every NBD fan’s rack.
Vitals:
Hometown: Established in 2005 from London, UK
Members: Kathrin deBoer vocals, DJ Modest on turntables and Ricky Fabulous on bass and guitar.
Sonic Soulmates: xx, Portishead, PJ Harvey, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Christian, Cut Chemist bass lines from Metallica, DJ Modest rivals DJ Shadow and others
Trackables:
“3 Amp Fuse” – PJ Harveyesque and the most recent single from 270 Stories, GOOD!
“Northern Girls” – Released in 2009, quite possibly still my favorite song 2 years later.
If By Yes is a creative collaboration that is brilliant!
Band of the Day (3.21.11) If By Yes
he buzz from Austin this year centered around last year’s buzz bands like Cults or James Blake. I also saw a ton of Mexican Summer artists’ like No Joy, etc. It was also a hip-hop reunion event with Snoop, De La Soul, etc. What wasn’t obvious was that the female lead is taking over 2011. With bands like Puro Instinct,Gypsy Death and You, Wye Oak, La Sera and many many more. I didn’t hear the buzz from our favorite females which means they need more love. That’s why today we present the incredible If By Yes and their debut LPSalt on Sea Glass, a collaborative project created by two fairly well known indie pop leads. Petra Haden, the vocalist behind the groundbreaking vocal projects Imaginaryland and Petra Haden Sings The Who Sell Out, is Elizabeth Frazeresque with her complex vocalizations and searing falsetto harmonies. Yuka Honda is the electronic wizard behind Cibo Matto, but she’s dabbled in jazz, and hip-hop over the past decade and half in NYC. These ladies and men are accompanied by David Byrne and Nels Cline of WIlco and their debut album is shockingly good.
If By Yes also includes guitarist Hirotaka “Shimmy” Shimizu and drummer Yuko Araki, both long time members of the Japanese band Cornelius. For Salt On Sea Glass, special guests include David Byrne (vocals & lyrics) on “Eliza”, guitarist Nels Cline, and remixes by Keigo “Cornelius” Oyamada. Also…you’ll find Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle/Fantomas/Madlove) on bass, Michael Leonhart on trumpet and Courtney Kaiser on backing vocals.
Buy the debut album on 3.22.11 (My Birthday) here
Vitals:
Hometown: New York
Members: Yuka Honda, Petra Haden, Hirotaka “Shimmy” Shimizu, Yuku Araki and guest appearances from David Byrne and Nels Cline
Sonic Soulmates: Sia, Cocteau Twins, Zero 7, Dead Can Dance
Trackables:
“You Feel Right (Cornelius Remix)” – Beautiful etherial mix.
“Eliza (Featuring David Byrne)” – David Byrne makes this a classic track. Yuka Honda shines here.
James Blake is our modern day soul singer. Saying that, so is Bon Iver. It’s heavy electronic chillwave background instead of, let’s say, Ray Charles’ piano. Nicholas Jaar takes it up a notch by adding some international flare. He was born in NY, then quickly moved to Santiago, Chile. His love of electronic experimentation started at the ripe age of 14 and now he’s perfected the sound on Space is Only Noise. The latest fare from Jaar sounds a whole hell of lot like James Blake a sprinkle of Roger Waters’ Pink Floyd and a dash of Bon Iver. It’s brilliantly produced and it’s what will make 2011 a stand-out year.
Vitals:
Hometown: NY and Santiago, Chile
Members: Nicholas Jaar
Sonic Soulmates: James Blake, Bon Iver and Roger Waters’ Pink Floyd
Trackables: “Colomb”
“Too Many Kids FInd Dust In The Rain”
“I Got A Woman” – Crazy way to give us Ray Charles..Jamie Foxx free…thank God.
Montreal is not just Arcade Fire land...it's home to the coolest band of 2011 The Luyas
Band of the Day 3.15.11 The Luyas
Another Canadian band, and this time it’s an ensemble with three records to their credit. The Luyas performed live for the first time in December 2006, released their first record, Faker Death in August 2007, and now have Too Beautiful To Work , one of the coolest records of the year. Buy it here on Vinyl please. They’re part Stereolab’s cool free form electronic rock/jazz with the simplicity of Architecture of Helsinki and the celebration of Los Campesinos! At times I think I’m listening to a clever Bjork album with Jessie’s vocals, but really I find her vocals to be right in line with our past BOD La Sera. It’s a moody album and the band definitely shows it’s Arcade Fire DNA. If you’re already a fan, then pass the link along, if not let them know how cool they are.
Vitals:
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Members:
Pietro Amato
Mathieu Charbonneau
Stefan Schneider
Jessie Stein
Sonic Soulmates: Los Campesinos!, La Sera, Stereolab, Tortoise and a little Arcade Fire
Trackables: “Tiny Head” – My favorite track from the new record!
Manchester heroes might just have their moment with Lifeline - The Answering Machine
Band of the Day (3.9.11) The Answering Machine
The boys and one gal from Manchester have been creating music since their days at the University of Manchester, circa 2005. Martin and Pat wrote songs together in their final year at university, and Gemma joined on bass shortly afterwards. Do they qualify for a Laney Boggs award? Yes they do, having worked their tails off touring, releasing several albums and capturing a fairly large following along the way, but still haven’t had their moment in the sun. It’s really the release of Lifeline, that’s catapulted them into a stardom, though it still does irritate me that labels can’t break a British act in the US. Why the hell can’t they. The Answering Machine are part The Radio Dept., the vocal soulmate of Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke and whole lot of bell ringing and melodies from Sparklehorse or Los Campesinos!
Vitals:
Hometown: Manchester, England, UK
Members:
Martin Colclough
Pat Fogarty
Gemma Evans
Ben Perry
Sonic Soulmate: The Radio Dept., Bloc Party, Sparklehorse, Los Campesinos!
Trackables: “Hospital Lung” – A good quick little Bloc Party ditty from The Answering Machine
“Video 8” – The Radio Deptish track
“Lifeline’ – Title track and it captures the best of the band. Great work here.
Ahhhhh I’ve been waiting to present this band for some time. The AZ Turk sent me Wye Oak’s most recent release Civilian I was giddy. We’ve loved them since 2008 and 2010, was their moment. But, today we call Wye Oak day, because Civilian is a brilliant piece of artwork. It’s layered electronic folk sounds, wailing electronic guitars and a catalog. Really, if this XX/XY duo didn’t take their lead from Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot we’d be shocked. The band is part Rogue Wave, part Stars and whole lot of Wilco’s experimental fuzzy rock. Hell, it could be Crazy Horse playing back-up for Stack and Wasner. Wasner has that gruffy Aimee Mann sound and it works with all that noise. I love this record, I love this band and I thank God every day that I have two ears that work….
Buy the new album on vinyl here
Vitals:
Hometown: Baltimore, MD, USA
Members: Andy Stack (drums, keyboards, backup vocals) and Jenn Wasner (vocals, guitars)
Sonic Soulmates: Rogue Wave, Wilco, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Aimee Mann
Trackables:
“Civilian” – Title track and it’s quite good. Already racing up our Hummingbird list. It’s part Wilco, part Rogue Wave and a little Neil Young & Crazy Horse
“Plains” – Bring it down a notch and enjoy the beautiful Wasner
“Holy Holy” – Wilcoesque
“Doubt” – Secret love tracks are my favorite. The album has such great progression and it just closes so beautifully with this track.
Best new band from Baltimore shows why Rock is Back
Band of the Day 2.28.11 Arbouretum
I’m not going to let it die. There are more rock bands than ever this year. Yeah sure, there are always rock bands, but the genre is filling up nicely with bands that have the right sound and it is the right time. Arbouretum is Baltimore’s best rendition of 70’s hard folk rock. Jethro Tullish, but more down the line of Black Mountain. The heavily distorted electric guitar is coupled with the poetry of vocalist Dave Heumann and the sonic similarity of Ian Anderson’s wailing. It’s Bad Company meet’s Jethro, meets Richard Thompson. Clever interludes and a great use of deep vocals and smoke screened guitars. Love these guys and they probably will love you when you become a fan. Their new record The Gathering, their 4th full length was released on 2.22.11 and it’s a beauty. Pick it up on Vinyl. Swear to you that Rock will rule this year.
The Gathering as described by Heumann:
“The album is inspired by The Red Book by Carl Jung, or more specifically, Jung’s pursuit of the inner images that led to the book’s writing. Dave Heumann, the singer, guitarist and main lyricist of Arbouretum, has long been a fan of experiences that surpass comprehension and describe the numinous. The narrative of ‘losing one’s way and finding it again’ resonated deeply and it was in this context that the songs that comprise The Gathering came to be.” Just listen.
Vitals for Arboretum:
Hometown: Baltimore, MD, USA
Members: Dave Heumann (Guitar // Vocals), Corey Allender (Bass), J.V. Brian Carey (Drums), and Matthew Pierce (Keyboards and Percussion).
Sonic Soulmates: Warren Zevon, Richard Thompson, Jethro Tull, Kyuss, Black Mountain, Bob Seger
Must Hear Tracks:
“The White Bird” – Just what the Tull ordered! Makes me want to protest something!
“The Highwayman” – Their cover of Jimmy Webb’s The Highwayman is a great track, probably the best on the album.
“Song of the Nile” – Mood track with Kyuss overtones!
SF Fuzz rockers bring it with 22 new tracks on their new record!
Band of the Day (2.23.11) Sic Alps
Following-up on my theory that this year’s music babies are from two distinct camps…the ladies of fuzzy Phil Spector and garage rock…Where La Sera was the former today Sic Alps is the latter. I can’t say enough about the vibe from Sic Alps. They crush it and they’re not embarrassed to own it. I the fact that they grind out the catchable hooks and they repeat what they love. Arizona Turk has a hidden rock love underneath his electronic skin, so I know when I get rock bands from him, they’re going to be quality. There isn’t a rock genre that he’s missed. What I love most about Sic Alps is their ability to combine their fuzzy garage rock vibe with classic sounds, strong hooks and harmonies that rival some of the best and they’re unforgiving with 22 tracks. 22 tracks and I can’t find one that sucks. Really! Give em a whirl and admit that you love them. When they slow it down, they’ve got a little Elvis Costello vibe.
Grab Napa Asylum now on a 2X Vinyl set…came out on 1.25.11
Vitals:
Hometown: San Francisco…THE PLACE IS RULING THIS YEAR!
Members: Mike Donovan and Matt Hartman
Sonic Soulmates: Lou Reed sometimes, Elvis Costello sometimes, Thee Oh Sees, 90’s fuzz rock (Pavement), Ty Segall and 60’s Bay Ares Psych rock
Must Hear Tracks:
“Jolly” – Opening track gives you the hint!
“Nathan Livingston Maddox” – Slow it down Lou Reed style
“Meter Man” – My favorite track….not so lo-fi, but fuzzy and brilliant!
Today is the day….the day my fine feathered friends dropped a little treat onto my hard drive. New Radio”F$%*ing”head…. what do I think??? Well as the Arizona Turk pointed out at 5am this great morning, “They had two years to produce something and it sounds rushed” well it’s first listen and we’ll have more to say after a day of it with headphones. “Little By Little” is a rad as is “Codex” let the debate start. Is this album speaking about the “Death of the Dictator” ???? Listen and learn.
What was next to my Radiohead treat…? Cinemascopes! Brighton garage rockers with a flare for wailing guitars and synth craziness. But then you get to track 4 of the EP and it’s there, the brilliance of the band. I’m hooked badly on this track. It’s called “Lost Children” with a sense of great early Snow Patrol, Bloc Party basslines and just good rock drum and guitar. You be the judge of Leon Morgan, Milo Boyd, Owen Thomas and Steffan Eliades 3 tracks. The new self-titled EP is FREE here!!!
Vitals:
Hometown: Brighton, UK
Members: Leon Morgan, Milo Boyd, Owen Thomas and Steffan Eliades
Sonic Soulmates: Thievery Corporation, Snow Patrol, Bloc Part, Thurston Moore led Sonic Youth, Neu
Must Hear Tracks:
“Lost Children” MP3 –>Cinemascopes Lost Children
Föllakzoid will take you to places you never thought you could go!
Band of the Day 2.14.11 Föllakzoid
Chile is due. With coal miners, earthquakes and just pure bad luck, it was time for something brilliant to happen. Well, it’s our belief that Föllakzoid (pronounced foll-ack-zoid) are the reason to believe. If they’re the tip of some Chilean psych scene, then we are in for a friggin’ treat. Stumbled on these bad boys last year and I’ve been waiting for a new release to announce their loveliness. They’re part Verve, part Dungen, part Tame Impala. Their groove is harder though. They have a vibe that helps them pull away from that Sabbath rip-off sound. They started playing together three years ago in Chile when they were twenty years old. The first time they jammed together they played nonstop without speaking for two hours and were seemingly over taken by a trance without any clear reference point. The music is big and deep. It will definitely envelope you. I read somewhere that they called it Krautrock…maybe, I call it fantastic.
Vitals:
Hometown: Santiago, Chile
Members: Domingo Garcia-Huidobro on Guitar, Diego Lorca on Drums, Juan Pablo Rodríguez on the bass, Francisco Zenteno on Guitar and Gonzalo Laguna as a Lead Singer. Since 2008 Ives Sepulveda is also playing keyboards and shakers.
Sonic Soulmates: Dungen, Tame Impala, Verve
Must Hear Tracks: “IV, III, II, I” – One track is enough. 9:00 minutes of grooved out bliss. I like to play Gran Turismo to this, but it’s just me.
Portland deliver's the XX/XY duo of John Heart Jackie
Band of the Day (2.9.11) John Heart Jackie
I was in the for some moody female vocals today. Nothing depressing, just something sweet and moody. I received an email from John Heart Jackie with their new album and it fit my pleasantly perfect day. They’re an XX/XY trio from Portland. It’s folk driven music that brings light through your ears. Pleasant song structure and lyrics that are nice…couple that with Jennie Wayne’s Jenny Lewis vocals and a Peter Murray’s best attempt at Beck’s Seachange vocals. Kinda love Jennie Wayne’s voice when it’s solo….I listened to the record and was begging for a little more Jennie. Love Peter’s vocals on the track below, but it’s angelic airy layers of Jennie’s interludes that make it sound so much better. Really love these guys and I know you will too.
Vitals:
Hometown: Portland, OR
Members: Jennie Wayne and Peter Murray
Sonic Soulmates: Beck, Jenny Lewis
Awards: NPR Song of the Day
Must Hear Tracks:
“What Came Before” – This is the money track. Peter’s Seachange moment…
“You’ve Been on My Mind” – Jennie wow’s me here…Love this track and it make me want to surprise her with a doorstep appearance and a couple of daisies.
NewBandDay 