John Maus x Molly Nilsson

So I've been eagerly awaiting John Maus's upcoming album We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves ever since hearing its abso-fucking-credible first single, "Believer." So when I heard "Hey Moon," the fourth track on the aforementioned fifth album from the reclusive Minnesota native, I figured it was another product of his songwriting genius. Guess I was a little premature. The track is still awesome, but it turns out the song was actually originally written by the equally mysterious Stockholm freeform dream-pop singer Molly Nilsson.

She seems to be closely associated with the Dark Skies Association label, and she's touring the U.S. for the first time in November. She's still booking her tour, so send her a message if you want her in your town. The original version of "Hey Moon!" appears on her 2009 full-length These Things Take Time, and you can grab it below, along with the John Maus cover.

MP3: Molly Nilsson - "Hey Moon!"

MP3: John Maus - "Hey Moon" (Molly Nilsson cover)

Back from retirement

A lot happened while we were away.  Goblin leaked.  Thom Yorke and Flying Lotus played a surprise show in Los Angeles.
Here's some other stuff that I wanted to note; some of it is from before we retired:
The Purity Ring 7", "Ungirthed," is pretty dope.  It came out like three weeks ago on Transparent and is an exotic and careful and well-executed pair of upbeat tunes.  Check half of it out below:
"Lofticries" -  Purity Ring


Washed Out released a single from their upcoming album--Within and Without, out on Sub Pop in July--and it doesn't disappoint.  Rather, it's that chill dancey bump that we've come to know and love.  I kind of feel like I've got a soft spot for this dude, and even though the genre that Washed Out helped create has sort of collected some dust or w/e I mean let's think of it as a new imprint of an old favorite.
"Eyes Be Closed" - Washed Out


And speaking of chill old favorites, the always-busy Chaz Bundick of Toro y Moi made a mix in bed for Modular's Modcast series called "Made in Bed."  It's a pleasantly varied collection of sounds, from heady blunted dub to like trumpet-heavy swinging stuff to understated spacey lo-fi then to 60s-esque psychedelic guitar solos and there's also some Italian music and some Julian Lynch in there, why not.  It's always interesting and it's always inviting you to take it easy and take a listen.  So take a listen. 
"Made in Bed" - Toro y Moi  


Lastly, there's this other mix that totally fucking rules by L.A. DJ duo Nguzunguzu.  I'm listening to it and more or less every couple of minutes I'm overcome with this like Goddamn-dude appreciation.  But yeah it's not just appreciation; I'm impressed at the completeness and innovativeness, the sample use--rap and r&b from the 00s that we all thought was 'hot' when we saw the videos on MTV Jams kind of stuff--and then the way it flows and everything.  I'm like really feeling it impressed.  It's groovy, in a swagged out L.A. after hours kind of way, where you kind of get a sense of your own breathing and stuff while you're driving back from the show like to wherever you're gonna get a late night snack, or something.  It's called "The Perfect Lullaby," and if it's a lullaby then it's like yeah you're going to sleep but you had a good night, you know?
"The Perfect Lullaby" - Nguzunguzu


In the future, look out for philosophical reflection posts packed with all the invaluable wisdom we learned from our time as retired people.

Natural Child new album and interview etc.

Natural Child's debut LP, 1971, came out last Wednesday, 4/20. The kind of album it is, it's such a surprising and exciting thing to hear, because yeah it sometimes sounds like the Stones or more generally an album from 1971, except it's in 2011 and these are just some regular dudes; they haven't made history yet. But then, these songs are cause enough to reconsider how regular these dudes are. They're regular, I mean, in that they're not millionaires yet, not headlining music festivals at any California speedways yet, not making movies yet. On the other hand, the songs aren't regular at all, and the feel and the attitude, and that they did all this stuff all the while being just some regular dudes--none of that is regular. It's really new, however reminiscent of old it is. It's a sound that nobody's putting out, but that everybody's getting into. But it seems like Wes and Zack and Seth have been into it for a while; the Stones and Stooges and Neil Young and Bob Dylan and all those 60s and 70s rock and folk and blues records that everyone's looking for are their influences, except that they've figured out how to keep it at that, at just influences, and how to keep their sound theirs. The result is this solid album, which is like a showcase for how to be inspired but original, rock-n-roll but honest and still confident, high as fuck but at the same time talented as fuck. So the album rules.


The interview here is from a couple weeks ago. I talked with Wes and Zack on Skype about the West Coast half of their nationwide tour. After, I sent them a transcription to look over, but they had already left for the East Coast, the other half of the tour. I wanted to wait until we had it all straight before putting up this review and everything, too, so that's why it's only being put up now. I heard from Wes last night; he said the interview was "fucking hilarious" and "perfect." I asked him how the rest of the tour went and he asked me, "You ever seen Jackass 2? Jackass number two. It was just like that."

Here's a couple of back-to-back tracks from 1971.

"Yoko" - Natural Child

"Let It Bleed" - Natural Child

Pick up the album from the Infinity Cat store.

Also, I encourage you to check out Nashville's Dead's hell of a good album review. It's like, after reading that review, I had to think really if there was a point to writing this one.

And don't forget the interview below!

Read more »

Premiere: Swimming

Neil Lord (of Niall & Voyageurs et al.) sent me this track from his new project, Swimming, with Jared Hennessey (pictured above) and Brian Kupillas of Where's Lawrence?. Really great stuff, kinda sounds like Robin Pecknold singing for Real Estate, only with more sinister undertones than that pairing would imply. Swimming's album will be out "in the next few days," according to Neil, and the track below, "Summer Turtleneck," is apparently about "a guy coming to our bassist's door in Houston and asking, 'Do you wanna fool around?'" It's also going to be featured on the forthcoming Art Amiss 13 compilation.

Swimming will also be playing at the final show at the Brick House, along with Cats Purring denizens FLIGHT and Fort Smith surf-punkers Taifas. If you're not super stoked about this show already, you should be.

MP3: Swimming - "Summer Turtleneck"

Star Slinger mix

For real, I'll probably just keep grooving to this whole R&B/soul thing for as long as it stays fresh. This is a mix that UK producer Star Slinger did for Yours Truly's Other People's Poetry series. It's called What Your Mouth Don't Say, Baby Your Thighs Do. Be sure to check out the original post, as it has more pictures and is generally cooler and more professional.

And for even more smooth sounds, here's this mp3 from Odd Future dude Domo Genesis that should've been posted yesterday but yesterday everybody was stoned.

"Cashmere" - Domo Genesis

Dirty Gold

You might remember Dirty Gold from their sundazed track "California Sunrise", which was our #19 track of 2010. In the meantime, these barely-out-of-high school kids have come out with their debut EP Roar. They still practice the same dreamy afro-pop as before, but this EP shows them broadening their range. Opening track "North" could be a lost Vampire Weekend cut, and closer "Overboard" is equally indebted to Teen Dream-era Beach House.

Listen and preorder Roar on their website, or grab it now on iTunes. And grab "Quiet Life," the fourth track, below.

MP3: Dirty Gold - "Quiet Life"

Tonstartssbandht - Susie

Tonstartssbandht - Susie

I learned of Tonstartssbandht via Boy Attractions and these brothers have some crazy stuff going on. Their style of psychedelia is much in the vein of the tropical niche similarly found in Ducktails or Sun Araw. This song, "Susie," comes off their most recent tape, Hymn, which was originally meant to be a tour only cassette, but now available to everyone via bandcamp. This song lasts about 8 minutes long and moves in and out of some great layers and textures. Also, check out their Guest Mix on Rose Quartz where they play some Lynyrd Skynyrd and Audioslave.

Trouble Books & Mark McGuire

Trouble Books & Mark McGuire - Song for Reinier Lucassen's Sphinx

Every time that Mark McGuire releases new material, it is always worth getting excited for. Whether it be his solo stuff, with Emeralds, or with the husband and wife duo from Ohio, Trouble Books. Trouble Books & Mark McGuire have announced a collaboration LP, which will hit the shelves early this summer via Bark and Hiss. "Song for Reinier Lucassen's Sphinx" is a terrific blend of Trouble Books' synth work and McGuire's signature guitar work. Keep on the look out for this LP.

Watercolor Records

So I was reading up on the consistently wonderful Head Underwater and his post on Matthew Papich's Baltimore-based woozy/dubby sample-pop project Co La, and a few clicks later (while in pursuit of some Co La mp3s) I found myself on the website of Watercolor Records. I couldn't find any information on them except that they were based in Bmore, released mostly on tape, and had put out stuff by area mainstays Cex and Teeth Mountain.

There's tons of more music to be found though. Most of their releases are available for free download, and include the aforementioned (and excellent) Co La tape Rest in Paradise and an intriguing release by Ponytail guitarist Ken Seeno called Open Window, which will remind more than a few of you of the kosmische musik-inspired explorations of Emeralds.

Give it a click, though. Great ground-breaking stuff for sure. And grab the two mp3s by Co La and Ken Seeno below.

MP3: Co La - Dreamin (Hair Splitter Version)

MP3: Ken Seeno - Another Leaf Lying on the Ground

It's the Weeknd

It's sort of surprising that I first heard the Weeknd on this past week's show, since the free mixtape he released on Sunday brings up its own News page on Google (and has already caused several websites to crash?). But the hype is for real. House of Balloons is so innovative and inspired that it's hard to believe this guy is only 20 years old. The combination of his originality and his youth has generated apt comparisons with Odd Future--which is not necessarily to suggest similarities in how it feels or how it's played, but just to say that here are these kids with the creative spirit to match demand for some new sounds with a quality product. One difference with the Weeknd, though, is that the quality has been esteemed par with the xx's debut and like Timbaland's greatest hits. It's like this guy (real name Abel Tesfaye, maybe) recognized that people wanted to like R&B, that smart, chill, smoothed out music with cool ass lyrics is always appreciated yet scarcely heard. But the mixtape is all that stuff--smart, chill, and, indeed, silky smooth. And it's got this coolness to it, too; it's got the potential to be one of those albums you put on while you're pouring your first drinks and getting ready to go out.House of Balloons has the daring and assuredness enough to make its generically R&B-type confessions of cheap lust, exorbitant spending and doin drugs perfectly chosen, and makes the work as a whole well-ahead of its time. He does it with samples from like Siouxsie and the Banshees and Beach House brilliantly backgrounding the fucked up dramatic and surprisingly rich stories of vulnerability and nightlife. As the Village Voice notes, albeit with a tone of bitterness, these tracks are pro. Yeah the kid is only 20, but there's a lot of production expertise behind him, with Illangelo and Don McKinney collaborating on the beats. But that's cool, because I think the Weeknd is accomplishing something important with these songs--also noted by the Village Voice: they're changing--I'd say refreshing--a genre.

For more writing on how this mixtape is effecting R&B, head over to the yes-that's-right-motherfucking Guardian. Check out the Weeknd's website, which'll basically connect you to everything else. And definitely give a listen to these samples below.

"What You Need" - The Weeknd

"House of Balloons" - The Weeknd

"The Morning" - The Weeknd

P.S. These three songs are consecutive, in this order, on the album. I mean goddamn.

P.P.S. Have a good weekend, y'all.

Shortcircles

Via the always-interesting Life:Aquatic, I've come across the music of shortcircles. shortcircles is Matthew Tamariello of Oakland, and he makes wispy, glowing tunes that exist somewhere between Air France and Baths along with nods to the Avalanches and instrumental hip-hop. His debut 3-track EP is available for free download via the Mapzzz bi-weekly EP series, also something worth keeping bookmarked. The georgous slow-building opening track "Iwishthatyouwould(pleaseloveme)" features a litany of perfectly-chosen vocal samples plus what may be the best use of a saxophone since Cut Copy's "Hearts On Fire."

MP3: shortcircles - "Iwishthatyouwould(pleaseloveme)"

Jungles

Wow so look, there's an explanation for our absence--some explanations, really:
I'm in Brazil and well it's a jungle out there. Last week + a few days ago was Carnaval, and then after Carnaval I went to the beach for a few days, and I mean the only music I've been listening to really is some samba from the 1950s and two OFWGKTA albums which I can't blog about because they're making their way into blog antiquity but I'm nevertheless addicted to.
And then that Toro y Moi remix of "French"? Oh, eff.
Meanwhile, the better two-thirds of us is marooned in an Amazon or else maybe it's more like a Congo of schoolwork. Wish them luck/get them an aid package it costs like $12 at Lake.

And all this stuff about jungles--well it's kind of funny because somewhere probably in a tropical rainforest in Mexico Danniel Radall recorded his totally rad new album, Pardo. Vibrant but relaxing, with a candidly clean-and-cool 80s feel, it's pretty much exactly what I would want to be listening to while cruising to the beach from like a nightclub. It's definitely Danniel's most refined and most exciting album; sample it below and chill or dance.

"Broke and Broken" - Danniel Radall

"Love is You" - Danniel Radall

P.S. It's SXSW coming up of course. Any of y'all going, check out Altered Zones's guide. Y'all not going, probably start figuring out a way to go.

Week's end

I know I'm kind of late on the Valentine's day tip, but hopefully y'all were too preoccupied on Valentine's day anyway to check out the variety of mixtapes that some of our blog buds put out in the name of love. Unholy Rhythms and Cactus Mouth tag-teamed on this mixtape and I mean let me tell ya it's stimulating and gratifying. Yvynyl also composed a mix that's like a it's-our-first-valentine's-day-together-card that says, you know, Let's keep it quality and casual. My favorite mix, though, is from Digital Outhouse; it's a mix of some kind of dated but probably classic smooth dance-y electronic music--I mean I'm just a sucker for that sort of thing--and Daft Punk is on there.

But in any case, listening to these mixtapes has introduced me (& thanks again blog buds) to these interesting acts:

Sutja Gutierrez is a dude from Spain who is also in the Fruhstucks who are also pretty cool but Sutja's songs are a little more toned down and rawer and kind of poppier or something--catchier, and like you can tell it's just one talented guy making music. His website is impressive and all his stuff is available for download there. He released a song especially for Valentine's day called "I Can See the Devil (Valentine's Day)" which he described as a song for the devil which I mean hell yeah but there's another song called "Lucy (Love Scene)" that was on that yvynyl mix (and also on this Matinee as Hell mix which is, by now predictably enough, solid) that I like better:

"Lucy (Love Scene)" - Sutja Gutierrez

Moths makes beautifully smart beats and is from celtic old County Kildare, Ireland. It's cheerful and original music, with real subtle, lo-fi hints at dubbier stuff, I'd say. Fun and enjoyable to listen to. He collaborated with Synesthesiae Films to make this really kind of breathtaking video, for the track "<3"

"<3"> - Moths

And check out Moth's bandcamp too.

And here's an extra mp3 of the Cold Crush Brothers, pictured at the top of the post, talkin' about, Y'all it's the motherfucking weekend. Have a good one.

"Weekend" - Cold Crush Brothers

Compilation Watch

"There's a world outside this blanket, but right now we're all that we have."

For a city that routinely weathers snowstorms several orders of magnitude larger than the ones that have shut down most of Arkansas several times this year, Chicago was thoroughly humbled by last week's record-breaking blizzard. So while most of us in the South know the feeling of being snowed in, unable to go anywhere, it's a relatively uncommon occurrence in the Windy City.

Enter Chicago DIY institution Ball Hall, which has put together a a free two-disc compilation of songs Chicago musicians wrote on their snowed-in day. Entitled Deep Shit Vol. 1 and Deep Shit Vol. 2: Deeper Shit, they're a great window into the varied and talented Chicago music scene. Vol. 1 runs the gamut from spoken word to thrash-punk and airy electro-synth (with everything in between), while Vol. 2 showcases more long-form drone and ambient compositions.

Grab Sheep Numbers' Pavement-inspired "All We Have" and The Humminbird's beautiful and creeping vocal performance on "Adorned With Feathers" below, or better yet, head over to Ball Hall's blog and download the whole thing for yourself.

Cover art by Pizza Gang.

MP3: Sheep Numbers - "All We Have"

MP3: The Humminbird - "Adorned With Feathers"

Promises

Jeremy Malvin of Ann Arbor's Chrome Sparks just started what he's calling a "new lo-fi pop project" called Promises. Check out his Bandcamp, where he just posted a pair of early Beach House-inspired tunes. "One Two Thirteen" is the "Apple Orchard" to "I Was Wrong"'s "Master of None." If my metaphors are too messy for you, just head over there and check it out for yourself, or grab A-side "One Two Thirteen" below.

MP3: Promises - "One Two Thirteen"

Chrome Sparks Bandcamp

Previous Chrome Sparks coverage

Promises Bandcamp

Sgnow Sowngs

Tuesday a couple of EPs dropped that'll fit your feelings about the snow y'all are either ensconced or enshrouded in (depending on your feelings, right).

Atlantic at Pacific is a chill mustachioed producer from Santa Cruz named Austin Wood. His new EP, Seasons, was released on Eric and Adam Sarmiento's Alchemist Records (as was his full-length album, Weddings like back in August). The cheery and layered sounds blend kind of jazzy, easygoing, almost Dilla-type hip hop beats with the kind of wintry but somehow upbeat piano-y instrumental music of maybe like the Album Leaf or somebody. Fix up some Swiss Miss, check out this track and lounge.

Atlantic at Pacific - "My Fault"

Or, if your soul is swooning slowly as you hear the snow falling faintly like the descent of the last end upon all the living and the dead or whatever--like, the snow's kind of a bleak thing for you--then zone out and brood with ∆Aimon's new Amen EP out on Tundra Dub. The album is creepy in a heavy epic and mischievously smirking sort of way. Fucked up stuff. Get gloomy I guess and maybe let this song drone out the existential burdens the weather's making metaphors of.

∆Aimon - "A Screw (Holy Money)"

And well here's a bonus track in case what you're feeling about the snow is to do some drugs. Enjoy.

Chrome ft. Frayser Boy - "What Cha Need"

Announcing: Kudzu Music Fest

It's here! Johnny Whopper, working with The Ivory Tower (full disclosure: I work with both organizations) is pleased to announce Kudzu Music Fest, to be held March 12, 2011 at Brick House in Conway, AR.

Heading off the billing are Denver's heavy chaos-trippers Woodsman, who just released their latest album, Rare Forms, on Lefse/Fire Talk. You might have heard their mega-jam "Insects" on episode 14 of our show, but if not, you can grab it below.

Representing Fayetteville are blown-out swamp reverb gods Voyageurs and lo-fi retro-psych dealers Niall.

From Russellville, William Blackart lends his guitar and gravelly voice to his "poor man's Gothic" songs, and Conway collage composers The Light Brigade round out the bill.

More acts will be announced, though, so stay tuned for additional information, as well as complete coverage of the festival itself.

MP3: Woodsman - "Insects"

MP3: Voyageurs - "Lil' Jimmy Swing"

MP3: Niall - "Faces"

Hear Hums

We're barely 40 days into 2011 and it's already off to a fast start. Aside from the quality LPs we've seen from Tennis, James Blake, and Smith Westerns, Hear Hums have dropped one of my surprise favorite albums of the year. We first heard from the Jacksonville, FL trio (wonder if they hang out with unouomedude?) on the Dope Mountain Fuck cassette, where their 6:23 marathon jam "Mokom Wolos" made episode #9 of our show. Then the beautiful Feels-inspired "BXYZ" made epsiode #14 of our show last week.

On their second album, Psych Cycles (Crash Symbols, 12/21/10), there are no shortage of beautiful songs, from the soundscapes of "Mokom Wolos" to the stuttering breakbeats of "Change" to the, well, sunsoaked shimmer of "Sunsoaked." And, of course, there's "BXYZ," which could legitimately be accused of sounding a little too much like "The Purple Bottle," but we're not going to bother with pedantic influence-spotting exercises because it just sounds so good.

Besides, Psych Cycles never lets one influence dominate. The fact that all of these songs can fit together in one album means you should go buy it now. It's only limited to 300 copies, and because Hear Hums are nice dudes, there's even a free download link further down the page.

MP3: Hear Hums - "Woo"

MP3: Hear Hums - "BXYZ"

Hear Hums Bandcamp

Hear Hums Blog

Crash Symbols Bandcamp

Galapagos

Galapagos makes songs that remind you of how pretty soon you'll be sitting outside pretty much doing nothing but sitting and there'll be lemonade and girls in shorts and the grass will be a healthy green stretch to lie on if you feel like it because it'll be Spring. And it'll be songs like this one below playing in the background from somebody's iHome, and people will remark like, "Who is this? This is cool." Maybe things are like that all the time in Phoenix which is where this guy is from, and that's how he can make such take-it-easy sounding songs in the dead of winter. Hell yeah. Pretty sure he puts out his stuff on his own, too?

So check out his Soundcloud and Bandcamp--lots of good vibes and downloads, too.

"No Where Else," Galapagos

DUDES - King of the Hips

DUDES - King of the Hips

DUDES is an elusive solo-project or group project from San Diego. Their only page contains no information on who or how many people are in the band. It certainly seems that some of the members from Da Bears have something to do with DUDES. But all of this doesn't matter. With an EP due out at some point this year, DUDES have created some sweet tunes that are rather endearing. Until NARCISSISTS ANONYMOUS comes out, dig on the above mp3 and this video.