Blog-achella 08: Now, back to good music

Okay, so I got out some bile in that last post... let's get back to the warm and fuzzy, shall we?

Cut Copy



Who they are: Three mates from Down Under, a place where more and more good music is coming from lately.

What they sound like: Basically, if you like Hot Chip or Junior Boys, you should dig these guys.

Cut Copy - Saturdays (ysi)

What I think: I personally like Hot Chip and Junior Boys, so I dig these guys. Whoa, bet ya didn't see that one coming, did ya? And, well... that's all I got today.

Blog-achella 08: In which I may come off like a dick, and am totally ok with that...

I'd like to start this post of with a disclaimer: Blog-achella (trademark pending) is a public service, and inasmuch I feel obligated to present each and every band at Coachella for your previewing purposes, regardless of my personal opinion of them. That is not to say that the management of Tonegents condones the existence of each and every band at Coachella. Oh, far from it! To wit...

The Black Lips



Who they are: A bunch of knuckleheads from Atlanta... well, at least Atlanta still has the strip clubs to rest it's laurels on.

What they sound like: Kinda like if you gave a bunch of Ritalin-addled teens instruments and locked them out in the garage in hopes that they'd wear themselves out so you could get some damn sleep for a change... but it doesn't work and the noise coming from said garage makes you want to puree your eardrums with a hand blender.

The Black Lips - Stoned (ysi)

(Amazon link withheld because no one should buy this, ever)

What I think: It almost pains me to put music this bad on my blog. But the Indie kids love it. And they should be locked in the same garage with this band, along with a '76 Buick with a busted carb that is running and belching out smoke the color of Dr. Phil's soul. Trust me, it would be best for everyone.

(Let the flaming begin!)

Tsk, tsk. White people...

Okay, before we get back to Blog-achella and yet more Indie Dance flavor-of-the-blog-week acts, its time for one of the masters' first appearance at Tonegents...



It really kinda sucks how Bob Marley's music, for a lot of people, has become synonymous with drunken white frat boys, but pretty much anyone who's gone to college in the US at any school with a "fraternity row" knows what I'm talkin' about. Rich white kids get their first taste of the ganja and it's "No Woman, No Cry" at top volume while they do keg stands in the front yard... and then comes the date rape. Yep, once again, white people ruin it for everyone. It's literally made many people I know unable to stand hearing any of Bob's songs... sigh. But I decided to transfer my spite directly to the frat boys, sparing Bob the wrath, because he was pretty darn good at music...

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Brand New Second Hand (ysi)

Ha! See what I did there? I gave you one Peter Tosh sang on... curveball! But anyhoo, if you can relate to my little rant above, give Bob another chance. One.

Blog-achella 08: Get yer tracksuit on!

Yet more tunes to put some dance in yer pants...

Datarock



Who they are: A couple of wacky Norwegians who rock spiffy tracksuits at all times. Tracksuits, not just for Jerry Seinfeld's dad anymore!

What they sound like: Similar to our last couple of artists, but more along the lines of, say, Chromeo i.e. Electro-pop w/o guitars for the most part. Love the little "Grease" moment in this song...

Datarock - Computer Camp Love (ysi)

What I think: Not, that I like "Grease", because that would make me ghey. Well, I wouldn't say these guys are as good as Chromeo (whom I just saw live and they were the shizzle, nizzle!), but I hear Datarock put on a good show, too. Fun music if not life-changing, and hey, sometimes fun is all ya need. Except for the times that you don't need fun, for instance, um... when you're dead, I guess. Check 'em out.

Blog-achella 08: Get off J.M.'s jock already!

Due to technical error (that's my fancy way of saying I forgot to upload a freakin' tune this morning before I shuffled off to work :P ), there will be no regular Tonegents post today, but Blog-achella, however, proceeds...

Professor Murder



Who they are: Four sorta robot ant lookin' dudes from Brooklyn. Strange.

What they sound like: Now, with a name like Professor Murder, I woulda put my bet on some Dancehall Reggae, maybe? Wrong! Actually, it's time for more mediocre Indie Dance Rock... yay.

Professor Murder - Free Stress Test (ysi)

What I think: It's the shitty vocals that kill this one for me. At least the guy in the last band could sing a bit. This genre is getting so watered down right now, that I think it's just about over. Sure, the good ones will survive... and let's add The Rapture to yesterday's short list... but this here is just aping a sound that other folks do better, without addin' nothin' to it. Double negative, beeyatch! Suck it!

Blog-achella 08: Time to testify?

A band from the church of which James Murphy is probably the Pope...

Reverend And The Makers



Who they are: A whole bunch of folks from Sheffield in the UK.

What they sound like: Well, under "sounds like" on their Myspace, it says "the best band you EVER heard", which is both a) vague and b) a bit cheeky, no? You better be careful with that 'round here, chillun. What they actually sound like is one of those bands that's a little of the rock and a little of the dance... seems to me there are a couple bands out there that have tried that combo lately...

Reverend And The Makers - Heavyweight Champion Of The World (ysi)

What I think: ... and there are certainly other bands out there that do it better. I like this song well enough, but was less than impressed with the rest. (Check out that rhyme, I should be a rapper). Hey, if you're gonna play the Dance/Rock game, you're playin' with people like LCD and !!!, so you better have some game. That said, I can't see this show being a terrible time, because you will get to jump up and down and shake your stuff a bit, and I know you like to do that. But as for the record... meh...

Sexy time music

You probably don't come by here expecting tracks from obscure 4AD acts, but that's what yer gettin' today, and yer gonna like it!



No really, you're gonna like it a lot. Boy/girl duo Insides dropped their debut record in 1993 or so to little or no fanfare, and I can't even remember how I came around to buying it. I seem to think I found it at a $1 sale and I just liked the kinda sexy cover, so I put it in my pile. Hey, I'm a guy, I'm shallow like that... sue me. But my shallowness served me well, because this record is awesome. It's all light electronics, heavily effected guitars and Kirsty Yates' breathy, sultry voice... kind of an ambient version of Trip-Hop a year or two before people decided that was what to call it... This track here, in my opinion (which is the only one that counts :P ) might just be one of the sexiest songs ever put on wax...

Insides - Distractions (ysi)

Yeah, you feel like makin' the sexy time after that, don't ya? It's okay, run with it...

Blog-achella 08: Bees!

I know the photo doesn't look promising, but bear with me, folks...

The Bees



Who they are: Also known as "A Band Of Bees" in the States for legal reasons (I think it involves some contraband hamster trafficking, but don't quote me on that) these guys are from The Isle of Wight, which is just about the coolest name for a place ever.

What they sound like: Heavy on the '60s psychedelia, with the requisite modern touches.

The Bees - Left Foot Stepdown (ysi)

What I think: Well, it didn't take long to find the first band I'd never heard of that I like quite a bit. Kudos, The Bees! Now make me some damn honey!

It's all getting fuzzy

Ah crap, is it Monday already?



How the heck did that happen? Oh well, guess you're going to be wanting some music then, huh? Okay, fine... So, today the shuffle lands on Long Beach, CA rappers Ugly Duckling. These guys are along the lines of Jurassic Five with that "back in da day" sound. Here's where I promise not to go on a "New Rap Sucks!" rant...

Ugly Duckling - Now Who's Laughin' (ysi)

Okay, look... I'm trying to not smoke today, and although it's been only three or four hours, my sanity is teetering on a very narrow ledge right now. I can barely remember my own name, so I apologize if this post seems scattered. Wait, who are you? Why am I typing this?...

Blog-achella 08: Cabeza de radio

Because the word Radiohead = hits on yer webs page...

Porter



Who they are: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Mexican Radiohead...

What they sound like: I didn't make that up by the way, I read it somewhere on teh interwebs that these guys list Radiohead as their #1 influence. Them and Sigur Ros and bands like that. So how does the Mexican Radiohead sound? Almost exactly as dreadful as you'd expect.

Porter - Espiral (ysi)

What I think: Um, thank you for playing, guys, but you lose. No new dishwasher for you, but please accept this lovely parting gift, a year's supply of foundation make-up. Looks like you need it. I mean, I never realized that people could actually come in black & white. You should maybe have that looked at...

Ho-hum

In the midst of all of this Blog-achella business, let us not forget that it's House Music Friday!



Today's another one of those days where there's not a whole lot of info I can give ya. 2nd Shift are a couple of L.A. guys, this much I know. Seasons Recordings was a local label that put out some good quality stuff, bringin' the deepness... this one's picked from a mix, so there's a little bit of stuff goin' on at the beginning and end... deal with it! :P

2nd Shift - Somethin' Else (ysi)

And thus concludes (with the exception of the tune), the most boring post in the history of this blog.

Blog-achella 08: Man, this is going to take a while...

And now, Coachella brings you another Indie Rock band that has benefited from a solid commercial song placement. What, this song was in a Zune ad? Okay, maybe it wasn't so solid...

Rogue Wave



Who they are: Oakland dude works at dot.com, dot.com eats shit, dude forms band, band does pretty well, dude is still broke but at least he gets pussy now...

What they sound like: Melodic, layered Indie Pop with some Shoegaze-y guitar business. Wait, there's no joke in that sentence...

Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan (ysi)

What I think: Can't hate on these guys, 'cause I really dig this tune. I'll leave the hatin' to the pros...

Blog-achella 08: Have yer way with me

And now, welcome back to Blog-achella, Tonegents' slightly retarded, antisocial roommate with a Pine-Sol huffing problem...

Modeselektor



Who they are: A couple of jolly German fellows.

What they sound like: Kinda hard to pin down, as they don't really sound like anyone else. You could use words like Techno and Electro with a side of Dubstep and a dash of Hip-Hop if you liked... and for those of you crying that Radiohead won't be playing Coachella (and I'm not being snarky, I'm right there with ya), maybe Thom will show up and perform this song with 'em. Let's start a rumor!

Modeselektor - The White Flash (ft. Thom Yorke) (ysi)

What I think: Really lovin' these guys right now, for the exact opposite reason I gave the "meh" to whatstheirbandname yesterday. Originality gets you pretty far with me. Probably even to third base if I've had enough to drink. Hey, don't call me a slut! I'm just easy... there's a difference...

Ya don't say!

Had a request for some more Dub-style goodness, and I aims to please... although this isn't quite traditional dub...



Actually it's more of a jazzy dub/drum & bass combo deal thingy courtesy of France's Sayag Jazz Machine. I just got hipped to these guys and they have an interesting combo of beats, live horns, turntablism and such going on. I can't find out much more though, because all the info I can find on them is in French, which is all Greek to me. (Wow, that was a bad joke even by my standards.) The record's called No Me Digas, which means "Ya don't say!". I ran the song title through Babel Fish and got "Before it does not speak", which makes not much sense. I'm all about the translations this week...

Sayag Jazz Machine - Avant Qu'elle Ne Parle (ysi)

Nice stuff. These guys are also heavy into the video element. Check out this cool-ass "trailer" for their live show.



Yep, I think I'd like to see that!

Blog-achella 08: Bang for your buck?

You know what one of the fun parts of doing this is? Making sweeping snap judgments on bands based on quickly listening a randomly selected song or three for the first time...

American Bang



Who they are: Four high school friends from Nashville. I don't think they're still in high school though... a couple of 'em are a little too beardy. They didn't let us get away with that where I went to school! Also, they used to be called Bang Bang Bang, but had to change their name... I suspect !!! might have had something to do with that...

What they sound like: Their bio says Southern-Fried Garage Rock... did you know that what truly constitutes "Southern-Fried" chicken is a highly debated topic in the South? Skin or no? Fried in oil or lard? Wars have been fought, brother has been turned against brother, and, um... a lot of people have suffered from high cholesterol... Anyhoo, here's the only song of theirs I could find for you, a T. Rex cover they made available on their Myspace. And although it's a cover, it's, you know, it's what they sound like...

American Bang - Jeepster (ysi)

What I think: (listening to their Myspace player as I type) Way too derivative to get any more than a "meh" outta me. I mean, there's a million bands in a million bars that sound exactly like this, and all of those bands sound exactly like the same 5 Classic Rock bands, so, if I may get a bit Simon Cowell on their ass, why should I care? But hey, they got a Verizon ad and a major label, so good for them. I will, however say, that I'll take these dudes over Kings of Leon, for what that's worth. Can't stand that guy's voice...

(Insert bad "flavor" pun here)

Yet another flavor of breaks this week... it's like a pu-pu platter, I tells ya...



This flavor is best described as Ambient Breaks (second place, strangely enough... "tangy with a hint of saffron"), and is brought to you by one of my favorite producers, Mr. Tom Middleton. He's best known as one half of Global Communication, but of course records under a bazillion aliases, perhaps the strangest of which is "Tom Middleton". Anyhoo, here's a long, downright mesmerizing track from his recent digital-only EP, Excursions 1. Fans of Orbital or Irresistible Force definitely need to peep this one...

Tom Middleton - Shinkansen (ysi)

By the way, "Shinkansen" = Japanese for Bullet Train. Around here, you get some good music, and you get learned somethin'!

Blog-achella 08: Yep, it's back.

So here's the thing... I started out in this bloggin' game by doing act-by-act previews of Coachella for my friends because I am obsessed with Coachella and have only missed 1 of 8, and I like to know everything so I don't miss anything) It's become a tradition. But... I like the music selection I've been blogging and the little niche I'm delusional enough to think I've carved out for myself here in the blog-o-sphere. So, what do I do... keep on with the goodness or change the pace around here for a couple months? The answer...

Fuck it, I'll do both! :P

From now 'til the end of April, expect your usual Tonegents post of the best of all things funky, plus your Blog-achella post previewing the greatest concert festival in the world. I figure it's always good to discover even more great new music, and also it is really fun to write nasty sometimes. I love to talk a little shit, and I especially love getting flamed by illiterate Tokyo Police Club fans. Gives me a chuckle. So, let the highly-opinionated fun begin, and actually this year it begins quite well.

Luckyiam



Who he is: A founding member of the Living Legends crew, and sometimes blogger.

What he sounds like: Just good Hip-Hop. What, you want some flowery description?

Luckyiam - The Best I Can (ysi)

What I think: Da good ish. Living Legends are, erm, legendary in West Coast underground Hip-Hop (making their name quite appropriate). They may not be nationally known, but the headz recognize. And you know, what's national success, fame and riches when you can have the adulation of a small number of white guys with hoodies and backpacks? Anyhoo, once again this year, there's not a whole lot of Hip-Hop goin' on at the Coachizzer, so definitely check him out if that's how you roll.

Shake it 'til you need a hip replacement!

Keepin' it funky today, with a record I recently stumbled upon and just love...



Now, when I was out and about in the scene in SoCal in the late '90s, the funky breaks were big. I particularly remember the Fresh Produce parties... good times! But I'm not so sure about what's going on these days, because I'm an out-of-touch old fogey. Sure, you got your Plump DJ's and Stanton Warriors and stuff, but the sound seems quite different, cleaner and tech-ier. Now, I know nothing about the Dutch DJ Badboe that I didn't read off his Myspace page, but lemme tell ya, this kid is bringin' tha real breaks biznezz back. A total throwback record for me, raw and dirty and sample-riffic and funky as fuck...

Badboe - Loose Your Funky Self (ysi)

Yeah, if I ever got my geriatric ass out dancin', I would shake it 'til I needed a hip replacement to that one... hmm, I like that phrase... I should put it on a T-shirt or something...

Coachella has landed

(Click to enlarge)


Discuss.

Some JB's for MLK

Ok, so I'll spare you the "I Have A Dream" samples on MLK day...



... but the shuffle did land on a song from the era, how apropos! Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s were, of course, James Brown's backing band during the funkiest years of his career, so I shouldn't need to say any more. Because if ya don't know anything about James Brown, you're obviously in a coma and have been for a very long time, so you're probably not reading this blog, what with you being all comatose and stuff. For everyone else out there, though, here's a cut from Vol. 1 (of 3) of the James Brown's Funky People series, put out on Jame's own People Records, which is where his backing players got to step off and do their own thing....

Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s - Same Beat (Part 1) (ysi)

Some of the most essential funk cuts ever on these comps. And now for some essential words...



Peace.

This post has a twist

House Music Friday is gettin' all vibey on yer ass...



Yeah, man, it's like spiritual and shit... but what do you expect when the maker of the music apparently walks around with a bone in his nose. Hey, just check out Osunlade's photo on his website if ya don't believe me. Dude is down with his Yoruba heritage, so you better recognize, whitey. Anyhoo, Osunlade has been putting out that super-deep, spiritual, "Body & Soul" style house for years, and although his music isn't exactly peak-time, throw-your-hands-in-the-air stuff, it's certainly very powerful...

Osunlade - A Cloudy Mist (ysi)

Maybe more for the head than the feet, although I always liked to hear this kinda stuff as the sun rose outside on a Sunday morning.

But check it out, dude was a bit of a "pop" producer before he went all native, and believe it or not, is the bro responsible for this...



For real! And if that doesn't get you pumped for the weekend, I don't know what will... have a great one!

Well, it certainly gives his alias layers...

So, do you like your dub with a side of sexually confused?



Okay, I'll explain. Lightning Head is an alias for Glyn Bush aka Bigga Bush of the awesome-but-now-defunct Rockers Hi-Fi. Now, upon meeting someone who goes by such a name and produces such music, one would assume that this person was quite possibly a large, dreaded black man. One would be mistaken. Actually, Mr. Bush is a large, white, skinny... cross-dresser. Well, I don't know if that's how he rolls 24/7, but he was on the night I met him. Make-up, mini-skirt, the works. Bit of a surprise, to say the least... not that there's anything wrong with that. But hey, doesn't matter when you make good tunes, and that's what Mr. Bush does... so throw on your favorite sundress and check out the heavy heavy dub stylee...

Lightning Head - Stilla Move (ysi)

Rude bwoy, er... girl... er... whatever...

Masters of the sound

Yesterday I offered proof that real Jazz is alive and well... and today I have proof that real Funk is, too!



I'm talkin' real, old-school, down and dirty, raw as fuck, stinky-ass, gutbucket funk that sounds like it came off some old 45 you found at a garage sale. They're calling it the Deep Funk scene, and I guess I'm okay with that label, it's relatively accurate... and it's headed up by bands like The Bamboos, The Heliocentrics, Orgone, and the UK's The New Mastersounds, just to name a few (and there are plenty more to name). And, um... well, I guess I already described the sound in the first sentence up there, so let's just get straight to the tune...

The New Mastersounds - 102 Percent (ysi)

Yes, yes and hell yes. That's so good, you get some YouTubes, too...



All day, folks... all day...

Yet more Japanese Jazz?

You better believe it! They like the the Jazz in Japan, yesiree...



... and they are making some of the best new Jazz out there, in my highly unqualified opinion. I mean, I tend to avoid new Jazz, because most of it is either the same old standards played not nearly as well as the masters did, or lame new shit that tries to throw in a hip-hop beat or some nonsense like that. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with that... but hey, it was called Acid Jazz, and it's been done and it's been over for quite some time now. But these guys here, the quartet Quasimode bring the real heat. Their sound is a pure throwback to the heyday of '70s Soul Jazz like on the Strata East and Black Jazz labels. Besides, if you're gonna name a song something like "Percussion Revolver", that song had better kick some ass...

Quasimode - Percussion Revolver (ysi)

... ass kicked. Good to know real Jazz is alive and well. Oh, and for more of hot Japanese action, be sure and peep here and here... and by "hot Japanese action", I don't mean tentacle rape anime... so don't be disappointed, pervos... :P

The music inside (my pants)

House Music Friday goes a bit darker and techy-er today, so how about that?



So here we have a record by an act called Killerloop. Fairly generic sounding name... but it's actually a team up of a couple of well-known dudes, namely Layo of Layo & Bushwacka and Mr. C of, get ready for it... The Shamen! Haven't heard that name in a minute, have ya? This record is on Mr. C's End Recordings label, home of some top quality Tech House. It's long, it's dark, it's a bit tribal... kinda like Manute Bol (major bonus points for anyone who gets that joke)...

Killerloop - Music Inside (ysi)

This one's out of print, but I was able to find the vinyl available here should you be inclined to pursue it. Hmm, that sounded a bit hoity-toity, didn't it? Oh well, whatevs... have a great weekend!

(Oh, and go Giants! Beat dem 'Boys!)

Hot Chick + Nerd, always a good match!

Today, the first team-up of now well-known Electronic music Superfriends...



Singer Roisin Murphy and mad scientist Matthew Herbert have teamed up many times over the years, with the partnership culminating in Roisin's most excellent Ruby Blue album (get a taste of that here). But here is what must be their first work together, Matthew's remix (under his Doctor Rockit moniker) of Roisin's band Moloko's first single. This one falls under the "Completely unrecognizable but for little vocal snippets from the original" school of remixes, and I'm okay with that. While the original "Fun For Me" was an uptempo electro-funk bomb, this is a head-nodding downtempo version...

Moloko - Fun For Me (Doctor Rockit Remix) (ysi)

... which is better than putting out a remix of a single that only gives you the same song with 8 slightly different house beats... I hate that!

And here's the video for the single, just so's you can see what I'm talking about...



Roisin looked hot with that dark hair, eh?

Swedish chicks dig jazz

And for your first Jazz track of 2008, I present an artist with a very typical story... an American-born, Muslim-converted ex-pat who lived and recorded in Sweden and Norway... dime a dozen, really...



Although he was born Eddie Gregory, sax/flute man Sahib Shihab got down with Allah and made his name way more confusing. Then he was all like "screw these racist white people in America" and moved to Scandinavia. Or at least that's what he'd like you to believe. We all know how hot the Scandinavian women are, so don't front with the whole "oppressed brother" story, dude. You wanted some of that Swedish Bikini Team action... and trust me, no one is gonna judge you for that!


"Ya, we dig the Jazz!"

But, um, yeah... dude was a very accomplished player before the move, recording with Monk and Coltrane and some of the other heavy hitters, and recorded a number of highly-saught-after sessions in Europe. Companionship is a 2-album beast of a record, and it kicks off with this huge number right here, with Shihab rockin' some bugged-out Jazz flute, lots of serious percussion, and even some chanting...

Sahib Shihab - Om Mani Padme Hum (ysi)

Fantastic stuff, and unfortunately out of print, although I did find a nice compilation for you to peep at Dusty Groove. Pick it up and brace for the Nordic love!