Anotha funky sista

You know another favorite genre around here that got criminally neglected during Blog-achella? The Broken Beat goodness...



... and today we right that with a three-nation collabo, featuring Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators (she's from Brooklyn, they're from Finland, where funk bands are a dime a dozen) remixed by London's Afronaught, one of the members of the mighty Bugz In The Attic crew. Now this Nicole Willis is flying under the radar a bit, but she should be in the same conversations as Sharon Jones, because she brings the same retro Soul/Funk heat, albeit with a bit less baaaaadass-ness. That's not a slam, it's just that there ain't no sista as baaaaadass as Sharon Jones right now. But enough with the chit-chat...

Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators - Holdin' On (Afronaught Remix) (ysi)

... but of course that remix isn't going to demonstrate my Sharon Jones comparison very well, so here's some YouTubes of the un-remixed Nicole...



... so now you see what I'm talkin' bout, eh? Good.

Coachella was not so jazzy

So, with all that Coachella business going on the past couple months, there hasn't been much Jazz going on 'round here. Let's start to fix that, shall we?



And what better way than with a track from the legendary Strata East label. These guys are were the finest purveyors of the Soul Jazz (or Spiritual Jazz, either of those terms basically being code for groove-based awesomeness), coming out of New York in the early '70s. Now, I can't find a dang thing on Billy Parker anywhere... which is odd since the Jazz-bos are usually so big on documenting the shit out of everything... all I know is he was a percussionist who played on a lot of label's sessions, and this album he did as a leader is pure fire...

Billy Parker's Fourth World - Home (ysi)

Unfortunately, like most of Strata East's catalog, this record is way out of print. But if you want to know more, check out The Strata East Fan Club and get yer learnin' on. We're talking some of the most amazing jazz ever made, folks... dig it.

Another week has just begun

You know what's better than Monday? Everything...



So, last Friday we had some sample-source fun and today the shuffle gives us another very heavily sampled, certified funk classic, courtesy The Jimmy Castor Bunch...

The Jimmy Castor Bunch - It's Just Begun (ysi)

You may also remember this jam as being the only good song in Flashdance (dodges chair thrown at him by the president of the Michael Sembello Fan Club)...



And, um... yeah, not feelin' to verbose today, so just put that in yer iPod, grab yer cardboard box and go to town, son!

Friday Fun with Steely Dan

Since we're back to normal around here, that means it's House Music Friday... well, starting next week I guess. 'Cause I just got this and had to throw it up for ya...



It's in the same ballpark, though. You could totally drop this into a House set. Funky breaks from Canada's DJ Wood with a damn good remix of a Steely Dan classic. That's right, you heard me! Steely Dan, suckas! Don't even front...

DJ Wood - Eye No (ysi)

It seems that this vinyl has sold out it's run, though, as I've checked out just about every online record store I can think of and they all say "out of stock"... hmph! Too bad, too, because the other two cuts on this one are hot as well...

--------------------

But then that song reminded me of the first time I heard this someone flip this Steely Dan track... you know where this is going, don't you? Well, you should...



Yeah, you totally knew that...

De La Soul - Eye Know (ysi)

And seriously, if you don't own 3 Feet High And Rising, um... what's wrong with you anyway? I'm not trying to be Mr. Condescending Blogger here, but... seriously, why don't you have this? What's your major malfunction, Private Pyle?

--------------------

Which brings us to the original...



And although I've heard it a million times, I had no idea that the name of this song was "Peg". I though it was "Foreign Movie" or "We'll Come Back To You" or something. Hell, the part where they say "Peg", I always thought that was "Hey". I bet you thought that, too. Well, guess what it's "Peg". Who knew? (How about like millions of people, Tone?) Oh, shut up, you.

Steely Dan - Peg (ysi)

And there you have it, the many lives of an AM radio staple. Have a great weekend, especially those of you at Coachella!

Run, hippies!

With all that talk about hippies yesterday, it's quite fitting that the iTunes on shuffle served up some absolute hippie-repellent today...



Yep, some straight-up Black Panther style hip-hop should have 'em shakin' in their Birkenstocks... we're talkin' Dead Prez, the Florida rappers that would kick your ass long before they handed you a flower, bee-lee dat, Whitey! And these guys are pretty darn good, especially for their forward-thinking beat selection... definitely no run-of-the-mill beats on a Dead Prez record. This song's probably their biggest hit, and that might have something to do with Dave Chappelle picking it as his theme song... just sayin'...

Dead Prez - Hip-Hop (ysi)

Take that, ya patchouli-reekin' tree-huggers!

The return of the good-good

All righty, then! Blog-achella is completed, and we now return you to your regularly scheduled programming... which around here is nothing but great music. And I'm gonna begin the return to normalcy with a song I've been dying to share here since Raul Campos dropped it on his show a couple weeks ago...



Thief is a collaboration between a singer/songwriter dude and a couple of the bros from Jazzanova. Now, the cats at Sonar Kollektiv have taken to calling it Nu-Folk, a term I will admit I'm not too comfortable with... cuz, ya know Folk="Kumbaya" and shit... campfires... hippies... (shivers down spine)... so, lets agree not to call it that, and just call it an incredible song...

Thief - Sunchild (ysi)

Just makes ya all warm and fuzzy, don't it? Aw, crap... hippie term! (more shivers)

Blog-achella 08: The Big Finish!

Okay, so while I've been plowing through the list, there have been some late additions to the lineup, so let's go through those first...

First off we have Vas Defrans reppin' North Hollyhood with some kinda interesting instrumental Rock. But they lose all points for being named after part of my balls...

... then, well... if it isn't Perry Fucking Farrell. You knew he'd worm his way on there eventually... it is tradition! Seriously, though, his fall from singer of one of the greatest bands of all time to unsufferable douchebag has been quite painful to watch, no?

Next, L.A.'s Jupiter's Ring, who appear to all be about fifteen years old, so instead of listening to their music, I shall shake my fist and yell at 'em to get off my lawn.

Moving on to Jesse Murphy, bass player of the fine Brazilian Girls, who apparently does some kinda DJ thing. Hey, as long as he doesn't suck as hard as Carlos D... wow, I've gone an entire Blog-achella without mentioning "fuck Interpol"... hey, not any more!

How about Redd Kross? I sorta remember they had a song once that I heard...

Which leaves us with the two big Friday adds...

Goldfrapp



Who they are: They are the diva Allison Golfrapp and um, some dude... but does anyone care about the dude? Nope. Hey, he knows what he signed up for... :P

What they sound like: Well, this new record certainly is a lot mellower than the last couple. No dance anthems here, but it's still very, very good...

Goldfrapp - Road To Somewhere (ysi)

What I think: I've heard that Goldfrapp put on a fantastic live show, and I would definitely add them to the "must-see" group for Friday... and I'll do the same for the next one...

___________________________

Aphex Twin



Who he is: He's Rick James, bitch!

What he sounds like: He's done everything from the most relaxing Ambient to the most brain-shattering Drill & Bass, plus a little bit of everything in between. I'd guess this set might be some of the recent Analord stuff, but there's no tellin' with this wacko. Here's a classic...

Aphex Twin - On (ysi)

What I think: From what I've heard he's just as likely to take the piss as rock the party... but I'd be there to see, fo sho!

----------------------

And to finish up this long-ass post, the Sunday rundown:

Must-See: Sia, Linton Kwesi Johnson, The Field, Dimitri From Paris, Booka Shade, Chromeo, Roger Waters (at least for a bit, ya gotta)... which is by far the weakest Must-See group of the weekend, but these are the only ones I'd have as a top priority, plus, when supplemented by...

Worth A Look: Deadmau5, Manchester Orchestra, Duffy, Kid Sister, Holy Fuck, Cool Kids, Autolux, Murs, Simian Mobile Disco, Justice, Spiritualized, Love & Rockets... once again you've had a fine day of music, which is what yer after, no?

Meh: Grand Ole Party, Shout Out Louds, Plasticenes, Annuals, Black Mountain, Metric, Danny Tenaglia, My Morning Jacket... please disperse, nothing to see here...

Teh Suck: Austin TV, Brett Dennen, I'm From Barcelona, Sons & Daughters, Gogol Bordello and an honorable mention to DJ Medi4, but you do have to option to not see him at Bonarroo...

And there you have it, another year of Blog-achella hits the fan. I have in the the past done a recommendations post when the set times come out, but it has always proven to be a futile excercise... hell, I don't even follow my own recommendations! Coachella's about goin' with the flow. So take what you've "learned" here and use it to have a freakin' amazing time, fuckers!

Blog-achella 08: We got beef!

Happy Monday, all. So over the weekend, I got a fantastic comment from one DJ Medi4. Ever heard of him? Me neither. Anyhoo, he left a doozy on the Love & Rockets post. Go ahead and read it. I'll wait...

...

...

Wow, the old man's up there in his rockin' chair and he wants me off his lawn, don't he? Well, I had prepared a long, detailed, witty (dude, it was totally witty) retort, you know, something about coming to someone's site, reading 3 posts, jumping to a bunch of false assumptions and yada yada. It was quite a retort, but a bit long-winded... so I distilled it down to it's purest essence. Here is my reply to DJ Medi4...

"Gargle my cocksnot, douchetank! Don't you come all up in my interwebs talkin' smack! You don't knows me!"

"Oh, and you ugly! Pwned!!1!1"

Yep, that about covers it.

Roger Waters



Who he is: He's the dude from Pink Floyd.

What he sounds like: Well, if ya don't know what Pink Floyd sounds like, I would find that odd. Because they're pretty big and stuff. So anyhoo, Waters has been doing a special "Dark Side of the Moon" Tour... why he'd want to tour such an obscure album, I have no idea... :P

Pink Floyd - Speak To Me (Breathe) (ysi)

What I think: It'll probably be pretty damn cool, what with the special Pink Floyd-approved sound system and the super-crazy visuals and stuff. But then, the dude is 142 years old, so I'm sure all the bells and whistles are a big help. Either way, though... if I was going Sunday, you bet I'd check it out.

I'll get to the Sunday rundown in the next post. I think I should go back and cover the late additions I missed first...

Blog-achella 08: Only a week away now!

Let's start Friday by glossing over My Morning Jacket, whose stoner Rock can be interesting at times, but is too appealing to dirty hippies... and we don't want to encourage those people, now do we?

Love And Rockets



Who they are: The band that sprung from the ashes of Bauhaus.

What they sound like: Considering they haven't put out an album in a decade, I guess I might actually have to tell some of you. They're kinda rock and kinda electronic... kinda like Trip-Hop with guitars...

Love And Rockets - Trip & Glide (ysi)

What I think: You know, this isn't exactly a reunion that has the kids drooling in anticipation, but I think it will probably be pretty darn good. Have a great weekend, everyone, and then we'll finish this puppy up on Monday!

Blog-achella 08: The Spaceman

Getting close now! And even closer when I gloss over Gogol Bordello! And you know what, I'm not even going to make a joke about this one... I'm skipping them because they're fucking horrible. There, I said it... I hope I don't get kidnapped by Gypsies for saying it, but what's done is done... moving on...

Spiritualized



Who they are: They're that band that's really only one guy, Mr. Jason Spaceman up there...

What they sound like: Big, epic noisy Brit Rock, but like many one-man projects they sometimes suffer from the up-his-own-arse syndrome. Despite that, when it's good, it's really, really good... to wit...

Spiritualized - Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (ysi)

What I think: I would be all over this were I going Sunday, but I'm not, so I guess it sucks to be me... nah, 'cuz I'm gonna see Prince, bee-yatch!

Blog-achella 08: Le Hype

I just read something that said Coachella's line-up looks like "the Hype Machine threw up all over it"... funny and true, and there's no better example of that than...

Justice



Who they are: The much-hyped darlings of the Frenchy House scene, these were the guys that opened the floodgates of "fidget".

What they sound like: You know, here's the thing... despite the undeniable genius of "D.A.N.C.E.", is there really anything separating these guys from the 520 other similar acts playing at Coachella? I say not really...

Justice - DVNO (ysi)

What I think: I guess if you're gonna check out any one of the Frenchy Housers, these would be the guys to check, but don't expect anything terribly different... these guys aren't Orbital or Underworld and they got a long way to go to even get tickets to the ballpark the big boys play in... just sayin'...

Blog-achella 08: Tenaglia? I just met ya!

And if you think that was a bad one liner, you just hold on tight...

Danny Tenaglia



Who he is: One of the old school New York DJ's... emphasis on old. Dude's first turntables were a pair of these...



Yup, when this guy started it was still called New Amsterdam!
These are the jokes, people!

What he sounds like: You know, despite the fact that he's a House DJ, he's never been one that I followed at all, so I'm not sure exactly what his sound is. How's that for informative?

Danny Tenaglia - Bottom Heavy 2008 (Phunk Investigation Instrumental) (ysi)

What I think: Sure... why not... what the heck...

... okay, I think I've run out of gas for the day, huh?

Blog-achella 08: Fun

After a bit of inner debate, I'm gonna gloss right on past Metric. It's weird... on the surface these Canucks have some of the ingredients needed to liked by me... normally if an Indie Pop band has a girl singer and some keyboards they have a good chance. And as much as I would think I could get behind these guys (and I've tried), well... they really are just "meh"... especially when you compare 'em to these other Canucks...

Chromeo



Who they are: Montreal natives Dave One and Pee Thug... from Wikepedia: "The two have been best friends since childhood and they describe themselves as the only successful Arab/Jewish collaboration since the beginning of time". Now that's funny. Oh, and I can use this time to correct a mistake I made a while back and was informed of by a kind commenter. I had said that Kid Sister was A-Trak's sister, when she's actually the sister of one of the guys in Flosstradamus. I bring this up because it turns out that Dave One is actually A-Trak's big brother. Wow, I just spent a lot of words explaining something no one cares about...

What they sound like: Like fun personified. I mean seriously... in a world that cared about fun, Chromeo would be bigger than U2, R.E.M. and Bruce Springsteen put together.

Chromeo - Bonafied Lovin' (ysi)

What I think: Saw 'em in January and you know what? It was really fun. So, don't miss Chromeo unless you hate fun. Have I said the word "fun" enough times in this post yet? Fun fun fun.

(Narrowly avoids shoe flying past head)

Blog-achella 08: Monkeyin' around

Here's an act that realized being a middling Indie Rock band is not nearly as much fun as rockin' a party...

Simian Mobile Disco



Who they are: Like MSTRKRFT, these Brits used to be in a Rock band (Simian), but when the band broke up, they chucked their guitars and bought samplers.

What they sound like: Actually they sound kinda like MSTRKRFT, too. Crunchy Electro-style house goodness, but not really going quite to the Frenchy extremes...

Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler (ysi)

What I think: I like them quite a bit, and I like the video for this song even more...



Yup, that's a good one... what? You already know I'm a perv... :P

Blog-achella 08: Don't be (Booka) shady

Might only get one post in today, but at least it's a good one...

Booka Shade



Who they are: A German duo, co-founders of Get Physical Records, who we've talked about 'round here before.

What they sound like: Another act on the "Is it Techno or is it House?" border, which makes you realize that border is stupid and the only real question is "Is it any good and/or can I shake my stuff to it?"... And the answer for Booka Shade is "yes" and "most of the time", and I say that because the new record is a bit of an introspective affair. But that for me is one of these guys' best qualities... they really nail "atmosphere" in their tracks... whatever the hell that means. But they do. Like, totally...

Booka Shade - Karma Car (ysi)

What I think: One of my favorite newer electronic acts, and moving up the list. They do a pretty cool live thing, too... same kind of setup as Royksopp...



Don't miss this one... unless you suck, then miss away... :P

Blog-achella 08: Another "Legend"

You know, sometimes I really got nothin' for this opening sentence... this is one of those times...

Murs



Who he is: Although his real name is Nick Carter, he is not the one from Backstreet Boys. You're just gonna have to trust me on that one... actually he's a rapper from L.A., and the second member of the Living Legends crew performing at the 'Chella, along with Luckyiam.

What he sounds like: Good underground beats and above-average rhymes. Dude can really put some great lyrics together and can be really funny when he wants to be...

Murs - She Had A Nascar (ysi)

What I think: One of the better guys out there that not too many people have heard of... why don't you get yourself off that list and go check him out?

Blog-ahella 08: Shiny Disco Balls

And now for something completely different...

Dimitri From Paris



Who he is: He is the very sophisticated Frenchman with the very sophisticated sound.

What he sounds like: Actually, it's changed up a bit. He used to be quite synonymous with the Lounge sound (like on his great artist album Sacre Bleu), but it seems that lately Disco is his thang... what with a bunch of Disco mix CDs and re-edits to his name. Here's one of the re-edits, and big props to American Athlete (once again) for the tune...

Goody Goody - It Looks Like Love (Dim's Compiled Edit) (ysi)

What I think: I think a Disco throwdown in the Sahara tent would be equally fantastic and awkward. I mean, what are all the shirtless pill-monkeys gonna do? Are they gonna bust out their Saturday Night Fever moves or actually venture out into the sun? "It burns! It buurrrrrrnnnnsss!"

Blog-achella 08: Don't wear new shoes

To me, it seems quite fitting to start Monday off with something a bit on the mopey side...

Autolux



Who they are: An L.A. band! I use the exclamation point because there have been very few L.A. bands on the bill this year that I can remember, which seems a bit odd considering. I mean, why import crappy bands from elsewhere when there are plenty of crappy bands in L.A.? But then again, L.A. has a music scene that... well, if it was crappy, that would be an improvement, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

What they sound like: They sound like the good ol' days of Shoegaze, which I was actually quite into for a minute...

Autolux - Blanket (ysi)

What I think: This is the perfect band for all of those who whined and whined when My Bloody Valentine didn't get booked. But be careful... as you gaze at your shoes you'll realize how wrecked they've gotten over the weekend... just sayin'...

Blog-achella 08: In which I turn you on to a new blog

From Jamaican Dub to Swedish Techno... one of the reasons Coachella is so cool...

The Field



Who he is: A Swedish dude named Axel Willner, and living proof that not all Swedish people are good-looking. I honestly thought they all were, but now my bubble has burst. Eh, maybe it's just the glasses. Why am I spending so much time pondering some guys looks, anyway? I'm not even a gay...

What he sounds like: It's sorta in between Techno and Trance somewhere, but don't let the 2 "T" words scare you off, it's real good...

The Field - Over The Ice (ysi)

What I think: When I covered him last May I said... wait a minute, I don't have to repeat myself. Just click the damn link and see what I said for yaself...

Also, an amazingly talented friend of mine has produced a video for this song, so why don't you peep that, and also check out his blog. He's just started, but it's going to be a veeeeeerry interesting place (said in that tone of voice that kind of half gets you excited and half creeps you out at the same time)...



Pretty fuckin' cool, eh? Wish I had that kinda game...

Have a great weekend!

Blog-achella 08: LKJ

Today we start with probably the most "serious" guy on the bill...

Linton Kwesi Johnson



Who he is: Jamaican-born, British-raised, highly educated speaker of truths. I mean, he's like only the second living poet to be published in the Penguin Classics series. Now, I really have no idea what that means, but I'm sure it's very impressive to those who do... :P

What he sounds like: LKJ is known as the "dub poet"... he does a spoken word style over dense dub beats in a Jamaican patois that only barely resembles English and that I am quite fascinated with. I mean, look at the title of this song... what the hell does that mean?

Linton Kwesi Johnson - Come Wi Go Dung Deh (ysi)

What I think: This certainly ain't no UB40 shit here (not that I have a huge problem with UB40... they were really good until they got old and started doing nothing but bad cover songs), this is some real intense stuff. Spark one up and get some knowledge...

Blog-achella 08: All the cool kids are doin' it

The next band on the list is Sons & Daughters a really mediocre Scottish Rock band, but I will give them (or rather their website) credit for one thing... introducing me to the awesomest new website I've discovered in a while. It's called FabChannel, it's got tons of streaming full live concerts, and the best part is... quite a few of them are actually from bands you'd want to see. Check it out... I'll wait...

...

...

...

Pretty freaking cool, eh? Moving on...

Cool Kids



Who they are: A Chicago/Detroit Hip-Hop duo.

What they sound like: Very indie Hip-Hop with sparse beats and clever rhymes. They gave this track away for free, so enjoy guilt-free...

Cool Kids - Action Figures (ysi)

What I think: Okay stuff, but I think I gotta hear more to form a real opinion on 'em... this from a guy who loves to jump to snap judgements on bands based on checking out snippets of their tracks from their Myspaces... what can I say... I'm a paradox, yo!

Blog-achella 08: The goofy chick

Now for a singer with a very unique voice... and comedy stylings...

Sia



Who she is: Aussie singer who got her first big break singing for Zero 7, her second when her song "Breathe" was used for the final scene of "Six Feet Under" and her third when she broke her arm falling out of a tree. Boy, that was a corker there, huh... hey, it ain't all comedy gold...

What she sounds like: Well, her solo work really does sound a lot like Zero 7, but is that just because she sings for Zero 7? Discuss...

Sia - Beautiful Calm Driving (ysi)

What I think: Caught her live once at an Amoeba in-store, and even moreso than by her singing, I was struck by what a goofy chick she is. Seriously, she practically does stand-up comedy between songs, then busts out with this super emotional singing. Very odd. But regardless, she is a fantastic singer and will most likely do some of your fave Zero 7 hits as well... bonus points!

Blog-achella 08: Guess they heard Prince was playing, too...

Let's start Thursday off by saying... "Holy crap! Prince is playing!"... yup, still pretty stoked about that...

Less stoked about Raleigh, NC's Annuals and their mellow Indie Pop. Not bad, but nothing I'd get terribly excited about. I'm sure Nic Harcourt loves 'em, though. That's not necessarily a compliment...

Also not quite doin' it for me is Black Mountain from Canada. Seems like they're trying to channel Led Zeppelin somewhat, but the results are "meh", and "meh" don't get you the full treatment when Tone is in a hurry.

Holy Fuck



Who they are: A bunch of wackos from Toronto.

What they sound like: Purely instrumental, kind of on the LCD Soundsystem tip, but more noisy and choatic. They've been getting a lot of pub lately for their smashing remix of Radiohead's "Nude"... be sure to cop that one. I have a feeling you might be able to figure out why I chose this song to post, though...

Holy Fuck - Tone Bank Jungle (ysi)

What I think: They are supposed to but on a very good live show... despite their electronic elements, they play it all live without any laptops or such things and use some very unusual "instruments"... I'd definitely give 'em a shot.

Blog-achella 08: Back to Sunday

Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way and I have composed myself, let's get back to what we were doing before the big Purple surprise...

Kid Sister



Who she is: Rapper gal from Chicago, the real-life kid sister of Kanye's DJ, A-Trak, who will be supplying her beats at the big show.

What she sounds like: Fun club hip-hop with an up-to-the-minute electro edge... wait a minute, what the hell was that? Am I writing PR copy now?

Kid Sister - Pro Nails (ysi)

What I think: As long as she does "Beeper", I'm down. If you don't know what I'm talking about... well, find out!

:P

Blog-achella 08: Yes!!!!!!!!!

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

Prince



Who he is: He's Prince, goddammit!

What he sounds like: He sounds like Prince, goddammit!

Prince - Housequake (ysi)

What I think: Wow... nice add, Coachella! Only the guy right up at the top of the list of people I've always wanted to see in concert, and on the one day I was planning to go. There's really not much more to say... Saturday might now be the best single day of Coachella ever. Too excited to type in anything other than sentence fragments... must... find... water...

Blog-achella 08: The White Winehouse

Looking forward into Sunday's lineup, there really aren't too many more bands I'll be glossing over, so don't worry that I'm taking the (super)easy way out, but here's another one. I'm From Barcelona doesn't get the full love because they're not from Barcelona, and I'm not going to tolerate two straight bands that have names that say they're from somewhere when they're not. My mama told me lyin' is wrong, dammit! They're actually from Sweden, there's about 30 people in the band, and although it's kinda catchy, it's the kind of hippy-dippy "Up With People" ass-clownery that makes me wanna punch people... Swedish people. Except for the ones that read this blog, who I will instead hug... :)

Duffy



Who she is: A new singer from Wales.

What she sounds like: Kinda like a white version of Amy Winehouse... and yes, I'm well aware that Amy Winehouse is white (and possibly part condor... think about it), but Amy don't sound white, do she? Duffy has the same throwback '60s Girl-Pop vibe (lots of people are throwing out Dusty Springfield comparisons)... but whiter...

Duffy - Mercy (ysi)

What I think: I'm kinda diggin' it... not as good as Amy though, but hey few are... that girl may be a hot mess, but she can sang! You know, I think its that little dash of teh crazy that separates the true artists from the merely talented singers... discuss...

Blog-achella 08: False advertising?

From the pleasant surprise files, here's our next band...

Manchester Orchestra



Who they are: Well, they're not from Manchester, and they're not an orchestra... so WTF are they? A band from Atlanta... barely out of their teens. Doesn't sound promising, but...

What they sound like: ... a very promising young band. See what I did there? Turned that shit around! Writing, bitches! Anyhoo, these guys certainly surprised me. There's a Brit Rock epic-ness to their sound which I totally dig, the songwriting is real solid... my only qualm is the guys voice, but what do you think?

Manchester Orchestra - Where Have You Been? (ysi)

What I think: Definitely some serious potential here. A band to watch. Maybe even at Coachella!

Blog-achella 08: Super glossin'

Okay, time to tackle Sunday, and due to the fact that I have about two weeks to get this sucka done, I'm gonna have to gloss over a few acts. But I encourage you to click on the links and check 'em out for yourself, although you must remember they're getting glossed over for a reason... that I would rank them as "meh" or worse...

First off, we have Brett Dennen, who seems like another one for the Jack Johnson crowd, with his tepid acoustic flim-flammery and Paul Simon-esque voice. I bid you good day, sir...

Then there's Plasticenes, who are interesting for the fact that they are a French, all-girl garage rock band. Garage rock in French, eh? I thought all the garages in France were full of stinky wheels of cheese... or am I taking that too literally? Anyhoo, the girls are cute, yes, but the music is nothing special...

I went into this morning thinking that Sweden's Shout Out Louds might be deserving of the full treatment, but I guess I had them confused with someone else. Proof that Europeans can make Indie Pop just as "meh" as Americans can...

And, um... yeah, the bottom of Sunday's lineup just isn't as strong as the bottom of Saturday's...

San Diego's Grand Ole Party are a three piece fronted (or possibly behinded) by a girl drummer/singer, who sounds like a female Jack White. Interesting... sorta not really...

And Austin TV continue this year's trend of poorly chosen Mexican bands on the bill. They're instrumental, yet extremely bland. Maybe they should try a singer... or some spicy jalapeno dip...

And now, finally someone who can get the full treatment...

Deadmau5



Who he is: A relatively new and fast-rising producer from Toronto. Apparently, he came up with this moniker when a mouse crawled into his computer somehow and got fried... bonus points!

What he sounds like: Does it surprise any of you that the first Sunday artist I give the full treatment to does House? Well, it shouldn't... pay attention, dammit! Anyhoo, the sound rides between Tech & Progressive House, but with very little cheese. Mouse... Cheese... get it? I kill me!

Deadmau5 - Alone With You (Original Mix) (ysi)

What I think: I'd say it's the cat's pajamas... get it? I'm on fire today!

Blog-achella 08: Power of the P (plus Saturday wrap-up)

And now, your Saturday headliner, a band a lot of us have been waiting a looooooooong time to see...

Portishead



Who they are: Remember when they had that thing called Trip-Hop? Anyone? Well, these guys pretty much perfected and defined it.

What they sound like: I shouldn't have to tell you that... but let's talk about the new record... it's full of that Portishead-y goodness you've come to expect... deep beats, Beth Gibbons hauntedly off-kilter vocals... and a few suprises. Take this track, which leads it off. It's probably the most uptempo, aggressive number they've done...

Portishead - Silence (ysi)

What I think: Are you kiddin' me? I'm down like Charlie Brown, clown!

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And now, Saturday in a nutshell ("Help! I'm in a nutshell! How did I get into this bloody great big nutshell? What kind of shell has a nut like this?")...

Don't Miss: Portishead, Kraftwerk, M.I.A., Hot Chip, Mark Ronson, The Cinematic Orchestra... Wow! Yeah there's only a half a dozen, but what a half dozen. I've sorta surpised myself by throwing Mark Ronson in there, but I think he's gonna be fun as hell. Now the great thing is, even if it's possible to catch all of the above, you're still gonna have time to choose from a really excellent second tier...

Worth A Look: Death Cab For Cutie, Sasha & Digweed, Kate Nash, Calvin Harris, Junkie XL, The Teenagers, VHS Or Beta, Erol Alkan, Yo Majesty, Bonde Do Role, MGMT, Institubes Paris Terror Club, The Bird & The Bee, Yoav, Uffie... yup, and a couple of these I would almost put in "can't miss", but I'm gonna be a twat and let you figure that out for yourself. So between these two groups, Saturday is officially going to be off the fuckin' hook. But wait, there's "meh"...

Meh: Cafe Tacuba, Rilo Kiley, Cold War Kids, DeVotchKa, Flogging Molly, Turbonegro, Boys Noize, Little Brother, St. Vincent, James Zabiela, SebastiAn, Kavinsky, Dredg, 120 Days, Electric Touch, Yelle... none of which I'd hate myself for catching a couple tunes by, but the need probably won't be there... and finally...

Teh Suck: Dwight Yoakam, Animal Collective, Stephen Malmkus & The Jicks, Scars On Broadway, Islands, Above & Beyond, Enter Shikari, Carbon/Silicon, Man Man, Akron/Family... who should collectively be thrown into a bag and drowned.

So there's that, Sunday to come, and I'm gonna have to burn through it, but get there I will!

Blog-achella 08: Die Mensch-Maschines!

And now to introduce a band that needs no introduction...

Kraftwerk



Who they are: They are the godfathers, the forerunners, the creators... put 'em right up there with James Brown as the two artists who are responsible for all dance music to this day, more or less. They are also robots... and as you can see above, not the most high-tech robots ever. But hey, they were created in the '70s, cut 'em some slack.

What they sound like: Boing peng boom tschak tschak peng, boing peng boom tschak zzzzong, boing peng boom tschak ppppeng, boing peng boom tschak tschak tschak tschak... you get the idea. And here's a treat for ya... their full set from the last time they played the big show (and yeah, I know I posted this before, but c'mon, what better to put up?)...

Kraftwerk - Live @ Coachella 2004

What I think: I saw 'em then and you can bet your sweet ass I'll see 'em now, on the Main Stage, no less! Fuck and yes! Screw your blog-approved flavor of the week and check the real shit, kiddies. You might just learn something...

Blog-achella 08: Curse you, Death Cab!

Hey hey, it's Monday, and today we're gonna wrap up Saturday...

... starting by glossin' right over Cafe Tacuba. Now here's the thing with these guys... they would be a good band if their singer didn't have such a weird-ass voice. He sounds like some sort of troll guarding some Mexican bridge somewhere and he wants a cookie for you to pass. I'm not even talkin' out my butt here... I saw them at the Hollywood Bowl last year, and although the largely Mexican crowd were losing their collective shit the whole time, I was like, "Damn, dude... what's with the troll voice?"... just sayin'... anyhoo, the next band I was tempted to gloss over too, but for one small fact...

Death Cab For Cutie



Who they are: They are the sensitive side of Seattle. They prefer sweaters over flannel, Chai lattes over Red Hook Lagers, and book club readings of David Eggers to banging the shit out of slutty groupies.

What they sound like: Okay, here's the thing... normally these guys are a bit too twee to really do much for me, but dammit if they didn't make possibly the most perfect Pop song of the Oughts... and I hate them for it...

Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body (ysi)

What I think: If I were to catch 'em, it'd have to be because I psychically knew exactly what time they were going to play that song, and then I'd feel like such a wuss for going out of my way to hear it... so no deal!

Blog-achella 08: The (Pasty, British) Wonder Twins

Now, as much as I think Dwight Yoakam is a pretty cool guy (he was in Wedding Crashers, after all) I'm gonna skip him because he does Country music, and the only Country music recognized here is Johnny Cash. Sorry, just a rule...

And I think I'll skip Rilo Kiley, too, because a) I don't think Jenny Lewis is nearly as cute as most bloggers do and b) they're ultimately kinda boring. Actually I'm pretty sure the Indie Kids only like this pretty boring band because they can rub one out to pictures of it's pretty lead singer... that's right, I went there!

Feel free to check out both band's links though, and give me the business if you think I'm wrong...

But since it's usually House Music Friday around here, I think it's only fitting to end the week with...

Sasha & Digweed



Who they are: They were the first of the superstar Progressive House DJ's, and to this day they are most likely still the best.

What they sound like: And they're the best because they (especially Diggers) for the most part stay well away from the fromage... here's a link from which you can download a 4-hour set, if you wanna go that hard (thanks to Ryhthmism.com)...

Sasha & Digweed Live @ Bonaroo 2007

What I think: As much as I'll take these guys over a million Tiesto VanOakenDyks, since they are likely to being going head-to-head with Portishead and/or Kraftwerk, their chances of being seen by me are exactly zero... too bad, guys...

Have a great weekend!

Blog-achella 08: I'm having an Arulpragasam

To start off your T.G.I.F., it's a return appearance from the artist responsible for one of my favorite Coachella sets of all time...

M.I.A.



Who she is: She is one hot Sri Lankan chick who you do NOT want to fuck with.

What she sounds like: Man, it would be really hard to try to explain what M.I.A. sounds like to someone who's never heard her... let's just say it's kinda like a party in your ears, and everyone's invited...

M.I.A. - Paper Planes (ysi)

What I think: As I said, M.I.A.'s performance at the big show in 2005 was absolutely sick, one of those special Coachella sets where everyone there is so into it and the artist brings the goods and the tent almost gets ripped from it's poles. Here's a clip, which includes bonus footage of a hot chick in a bikini at the beginning, which is always nice...



Miss this one at your own peril, bitchez!

Blog-achella 08: White Boy Nerd Funk

Time to get yr nerd on...

Hot Chip



Who they are: Every blogger's favorite loveable Brits. I've said it before, you just wanna squeeze their little rosy cheeks.

What they sound like: I dubbed their sound White Boy Nerd Funk last year, and it still fits...

Hot Chip - Hold On (ysi)

What I think: Very excited to see these guys as I heard they were super fun last year... hmmm... let's look into that...



Not the best quality but you get the idea...

Blog-achella 08: Visit Fullerton!

Continuing with the chaff-cutting, it's now time to tell Animal Collective to suck it hard. I reviewed them two years ago, the last time they played the 'Chella, and found them to be a big steaming pot of suck. Weirdness can be good, but weirdness taken to the point of not making any friggin' musical sense at all, I can do without. Naturally the Indie Kids love 'em, and the Indie Kids can suck it, too.

Don't worry, by the way, I'm not going to skip over too many bands, just the truly shitty ones... to wit...

Cold War Kids



Who they are: A band from Fullerton, CA... which, if you've never been there, you're not missing anything...

What they sound like: Perfectly serviceable Indie Rock, dude even sounds a little like Thom Yorke once in a while, though not so much on this one... and you know, since they're from Fullerton, I'm sure they vacationed every dang time they had a chance...

Cold War Kids - We Used To Vacation (ysi)

What I think: Nothing terribly wrong with that, but nothing terribly interesting either... their big steaming pot turns out to be full of "meh". Fullerton Rocks!

Blog-achella 08: Wheat - Chaff = Blog

Sorry I missed you all yesterday. You probably won't believe this, but I couldn't blog because I spent most of the day bowling with Jimmie Walker (J.J. from Good Times) and a bunch of midgets. The midgets won. And let me tell you this, those who think you've seen everything, until you've seen a midget do The Worm in a bowling alley while being heckled by Jimmie Walker, you have not seen everything...

But! Since I missed yet another day yesterday, I'm gonna have to pick up the pace a bit... and I'm gonna do that by just glossing over the bands that suck. Hate to do it, but to form some semblance of completion around here I'm gonna have to. The Virgo in me is quite irate about this, but I can usually quiet him if I drink enough... anyhoo...

Let's start the wheat/chaff separation by glossing right on over Stephen Malmkus & The Jicks, mostly because I can't think of a more overrated band that Pavement. Sure, that "Cut Your Hair" or whatever it was called was a cute little track, but other than that, I'm not sure why folks are so on this guy's jock. Check the link and check the vid on the front page of his website... blech. Okay, let's get to the next good one...

Kate Nash



Who she is: A young British gal who gets compared to Lily Allen quite a bit...

What she sounds like: ... and that's probably because she sounds a hell of a lot like Lily Allen, minus the reggae bits. This is not a bad thing though. Now, I know this next song is the "hit", but hey, it's the one that turned me on to Miss Nash and maybe it'll turn you on, too...

Kate Nash - Foundations (ysi)

What I think: Call me a wuss, but I'm really loving it. Is it so wrong to enjoy some sunny pop music? Oh, wait... if you're a blogger, it kind of is unless you're being ironic... okay, well, lemme find a Deerhoof B-Side for you... NOT!

Blog-achella 08: More furriner music

More World Music meets Rock combo action...

DeVotchKa



Who they are: A band from Denver, CO... which doesn't seem all that odd, I mean, I'm sure they have music of some kind in Denver, right? But then...

What they sound like: They, to lift from Amazon "combine Gypsy, Greek, Slavic, and Mariachi influences with American punk and folk roots", and um... I didn't realize that Denver was overrun with Gypsies and assorted other swarthy characters... what did I miss?

DeVotchKa - Undone (ysi)

What I think: Kinda cool, but can I find time in my Coachella schedule for them? Hellz no! I am a busy man! I have no time for your tepid World Music fusion now, sirs! I bid you good day!

Blog-achella 08: Do the Indio jig!

Time to get yer drinkin' hat on...

Flogging Molly



Who they are: An Irish band, a real one... which means they will first kick your ass, then buy you a beer, in that order... got it?

What they sound like: A mix of traditional Irish music and Punk... what, you've heard that before? Me, too...

Flogging Molly - Tobacco (ysi)

What I think: Now, I have absolutely no problem with this kind of music... if I'm in an Irish Pub, drinking a Guinness. But at Coachella? Not so much... it ain't Bar-band-chella. Although I guess they could play in the beer tent... I could get behind that!

Blog-achella 08: The TMZ version

Someone's playing Coachella who has close links to both Lindsay Lohan and Amy Winehouse... and I'm surprisingly down...

Mark Ronson



Who he is: British-born DJ, but now an American citizen (what was he thinking?! :P ), who produced a little record by some chick named Amy Winehouse... never heard of her...

What he sounds like: Well, other than that, his latest album, "Version", has become quite popular what with all the clever cover tunes, but I'm gonna throw you a track from his first record, which was much more about the Hip-Hop and was all original tunes. Now, considering the title of this track, he certainly found an appropriate singer, didn't he?

Mark Ronson - I Suck (ft. Rivers Cuomo) (ysi)

What I think: While his crunchy lesbo younger sister runs around with Lindsay and Paris, all this guy does is make good music. I think he's been touring a live band, but even if this is a DJ set, I'm down... expect special guests, too.