Month: September 2009

Jay-Z is old and cranky, but still shows off talent on The Blueprint 3

Jay-Z is old! Get the man a pair of too-short shorts and loafers, stat. Maybe a “compact disc player” on which to play “compact discs.” The Best MC Of All Time is on his 11th album in 13 years, making him one of the biggest veterans in the game. It’s easy to gush over Jay-Z’s… Continue reading Jay-Z is old and cranky, but still shows off talent on The Blueprint 3

[MP3] Tim Williams – “I Hit Another Wall”

Want a nice little ditty? Well, I got a nice little ditty, just for you. It comes courtesy of Tim Williams, the NYC-based songwriter. The song moves along behind what sounds like a constant drum machine and a bunch of assorted guitar and synth tones, combined with Williams’ agreeable voice. It’s pretty neat. I have… Continue reading [MP3] Tim Williams – “I Hit Another Wall”

New Midnight Madness: “Preacher’s Son”

Brooklyn music project Midnight Masses has released a new track from the upcoming debut EP, Rapture Ready, I Gazed At The Body. Ooo, dramatic! The single is equally dramatic, with dark, hollow and almost creepy sound. It’s fun in that deep, eerie kind of way, ya know? Like, “I’m writing a screenplay about a dark,… Continue reading New Midnight Madness: “Preacher’s Son”

[MP3] New Fredrik: “Locked In The Basement”

Fredrik?? Fredrik! Yessss. Our favorite Swedish band (lies – we actually love all Swedish bands, duh) and yours is back with some new material in the form of an mp3 off their forthcoming album, Trilogi – which drops November 10 on The Kora Records. “Locked In The Basement” starts off with a simple acoustic rhythm… Continue reading [MP3] New Fredrik: “Locked In The Basement”

[MP3] New The Most Serene Republic: “Aveern”

Along with a slew of tour dates, The Most Serene Republic have offered up a B-side from their latest album, the critically acclaimed …And The Ever Expanding Universe. The song, “Aveern,” is easily good enough for an album (as we so often say about B-sides in general), but its raw tendencies and jagged guitar probably… Continue reading [MP3] New The Most Serene Republic: “Aveern”

Neon Indian announces North American tour dates

Neon Indian (aka Alan Palomo), our favorite new bedroom electronica project (who isn’t Washed Out or Toro Y Moi) is touring the continent this fall on his upcoming album, Psychic Chasms. Is this promising? Yes. The first released singles from the album are good, not mind-blowing, but very good. Palomo has already impressed with material… Continue reading Neon Indian announces North American tour dates

[MP3] Los Campesinos: “The Sea Is A Good Place To Think About The Future”

Oh, Los Campesinos… Why can’t you make song titles a normal length, hmm? Do they all need to be sentences? Regardless, here’s another from the overachieving twee group. I’d say it’s a promising improvement on material from their last album, but they still have a way to go to escape the bubbly twee pigeonhole they’ve… Continue reading [MP3] Los Campesinos: “The Sea Is A Good Place To Think About The Future”

“72 Musicians” showcases musicians’ awesome and sucky lives

Remember that time you got hammered at a concert only to see the band was more drunk than you were?? Me neither, I was too wasted. But the point is, I’m sure it’s happened to all of us, maybe suspecting the artists are playing on crack or ‘shrooms or just plain Vitamin Water, though never… Continue reading “72 Musicians” showcases musicians’ awesome and sucky lives

Vivian Girls miss it by THAT much

It’s easy to get caught up in a trend. Remember when pogs were in and you totally bought a purple slammer with a skull and “Poison” on it? I don’t think I ever actually used that slammer. In the last couple years, a lo-fi trend has been sweeping the music world, with blogs giving great… Continue reading Vivian Girls miss it by THAT much