We're Not Dead!

Please bear with us. We're busy fellas right now, but spring break is right around the corner, which will give us the chance to jump back on the horse and get this thing going again. In the meantime, do yourselves a favor and check out Sugar Glyder.

Adrenaline Rush: Engage

Above: Basshunter redefining the word douche.

First off, I'd like to apologize for the relative lack of posting activity here on Muzjiks. The unfortunate truth is that DJ TB and I are college student-athletes with a lot on our plates. Please bear with us; spring break is just around the corner, which will definitely allow for more content. Trust us, we've got some excited new stuff up our sleeves. In the meantime, please tune on on Thursdays at 10 PM EST to our live radio show, subscribe to our podcast, and accept this mp3 as an apology. Now, allow the adrenaline junkie inside of you to take over. Enjoy.

Basshunter: "Russia Privjet"
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YouTube: Busking for the Internet Age

YouTube is one hell of a website. Not only is it the most effective time-waster known to mankind, but it also enables anybody to make a name for themselves. There's the self-made millionaire, Fred, who has made it big simply by manipulating his voice to be so high-pitched and annoyingly squeaky that even Alvin and the Chipmunks want to beat his ass. Then there's Ed Bassmaster, whose comic genius has gained such a following that he's met with Sean Penn to work on a feature film. The examples are innumerable and ever-increasing, and even with every douchebag who owns a guitar playing their version of "Banana Pancakes" (I rest my case), YouTube offers an invaluable platform for budding musicians trying to make it in the cutthroat industry. It's essentially busking for the Internet age.

Perhaps the most compelling story of this nature comes from Ronald Jenkees, the self-taught pianist who throws down improvised beats after a charming "Hello, YaTubes." Although he does have a strong following in the YouTube community, which has landed him some legitimate studio time and allowed him to record two LPs, his music unfortunately hasn't gained much traction beyond this niche group. However, Muzjiks is here to bring the blogosphere Mr. Jenkees the notoriety he deserves with the absolutely infectious "Disorganized Fun" and "Throwing Fire." When the beat drops on "Disorganized Fun," you will wonder why this talented dude isn't a household name. Whatever your opinion of his work, though, take heed of Ronald Jenkees' motto and always have fun. Enjoy.

Ronald Jenkees: Disorganized Fun [buy]
Disorganized Fun [alt]
Throwing Fire [alt]

Episode 9: Blogshank Redemption

Playlist
(1) Yeasayer: "I Remember"
(2) Gucci Mane: "I Be Everywhere (DZ Remix)"
(3) Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: "Woke Up Near Chelsea"
(4) Margot & the Nuclear So and So's: "Black Demon"
(5) Lightspeed Champion: "Marlene"
(6) Noah and the Whale: "2 Atoms in a Molecule"
(7) Local Natives: "Wide Eyes"
(8) Suffering Fools: "White Whine '89"
(9) The Hood Internet: "How Purple Can You Go (Ludacris vs. Joker)"
(10) Wiz Khalifa: "SmokerFace"

Your options are: (a) stream the podcast using the embedded player above; (2) refer to the podcast symbol in the right sidebar to subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or any podcast manager; (3) download the podcast directly using this link. Enjoy.

NOTE: Due to technical difficulties, part of this podcast is incomplete. We have fixed this problem so that it will not happen again in the future, and we apologize for the inconvenience. Please refer to the playlist for the full set of songs played on the show. Thank you for your understanding.

TGIF... Almost

You can almost taste Friday—it's so close. Here's a fun mashup to help you ride out the rest of this Thursday night (until you tune in to Muzjiks Radio at 10 PM EST, of course)...

DJ Stroke: "A Milli vs. My Life (ft. Lil Wayne and The Game)" [re-up]

Reminder

Believe it or not, tonight at 10 PM EST, Muzjiks Radio will be back on air after two months off. Click the link in the right sidebar to get the live stream.

Say A Little Prayer

Pulling a Grizzly Bear...

In an ongoing effort to stay relevant in this fast-paced blogosphere, Muzjiks is selling out with yet another batch of mashups. Don't you fret, though. I mean, all the big names in indie are doing it (see above). You might call Muzjiks the Funeral of blogs...

DJ Gizmo: "What You Know About Beatin' It (Michael Jackson vs. TI)"
ComaR: "Billie Jean, My Love (Michael Jackson vs. Justin Timberlake)"

Post-Rock Does Pop

Post-rock occupies a rather abstruse corner of the indie scene, its vocal-less compositions and double-digit durations alienating to the average listener. Bridging the gap between post-rock and indie, however, are bands like The Album Leaf and The Appleseed Cast that interpolate pop melodies and song structures with post-rock atmospherics and mood. Hailing from San Diego, The Album Leaf is a member of the indie behemoth Sub Pop, which released the band's fifth full-length, A Chorus of Storytellers, at the beginning of this month. However, this number comes from 2006's Into the Blue Again and is arguably the closest the post-rock genre will ever get to a mainstream breakthrough single, for an infectious synth riff contributes to an absolute earworm melody but somehow manages to preserve elements of post-rock. Enjoy.

The Album Leaf: "Always For You"
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I Wrote This Song a Long Time Ago

Posthumous releases are always quite puzzling. Remastering lost tracks is complicated. Publicizing a dead artist is complicated. Motives will always be up for debate. Here's the latest Jimi Hendrix single--yea I said it. Surprisingly, its pretty awesome. He must have wrote it a really long time ago.

Jimi Hendrix: "Valleys of Neptune" [Buy]

'Roo for Me and You

So the initial Bonnaroo 2010 lineup is here. A little underwhelming, in my opinion, but I give the marketing guy props for the rather genius unveiling technique that began at noon today on MySpace and involved a reveal of a new act every six minutes...

How Indie Goes Green

A Minneapolis-based collective headed by the husband-wife duo Craig and Connie Minowa, Cloud Cult is an indie band for the environmentally conscious age. They travel around the country in a biodiesel-powered van to get from gig to gig. They record their albums at Earthology Records on the Minowas' organic, geothermal-powered farm that's built from reclaimed wood and recycled plastic. Their non-profit label only uses recycled materials and donates all the profits to environmental charities. Obsessed? Maybe.

Regardless, Cloud Cult has been churning out innovative indie since for over a decade and a half, in addition to a unique live show that includes interpretive art created over the course of the gig as Connie Minowa and Scott West transmute the emotions they feel as the music is played into a tangible concoction of paint on canvas. To give you an overview of what Cloud Cult is capable of, I offer you several selections from a number of their LPs, although CC certainly falls in the category of an "album band," their musical compositions not fully appreciated unless experience in the context of the ebb and flow of a full record. Enjoy.

Cloud Cult
Breakfast With My Shadow (Aurora Borealis) [2004]
Washed Your Car (Advice From the Happy Hippopotamus) [2005]
Pretty Voice (The Meaning of 8) [2007]
Everybody Here is a Cloud (Feel Good Ghosts) [2008]

Midday Pick-Me-Up

Here's a musical espresso double-shot to get you through the rest of your day...

Jay-Z & Notorious BIG: Allure (Ratatat RMX)

SOTD 2.8.10

A little over a week ago, I posted a couple new tracks from Indianapolis's scarf rock collective Margot & the Nuclear So and So's. Since then, I've managed to get my hands on the other track from Margot's new Birds/Bubble Prick 7". Although I'm admittedly nostalgic for the days of the original Margot sound and lineup, Richard Edwards's musical genius never ceases to shine through in everything he does, and today's SOTD is no exception. "Bubble Prick" is a slow-burning folk tune that hearkens back to stripped-down acoustic numbers from the Dust of Retreat-era like "Hip Hip Hooray."

Check the band's MySpace page for recently announced tour dates that span several midwestern states. If you get the opportunity, don't miss out on the chance to hear Edwards's gravelly, cigarette-battered croon live. Since we all aren't so fortunate as the Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana residents who will have this chance in the coming months, here's a taste of what Margot's been up to lately...

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's: "Bubble Prick"
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Saturday Remix

A little mid-day jolt to the system here--I was sent this remix a few days ago. This is a little different take on Yeasayer's big ole single, "Ambling Alp." This one seems to be a little more playful, a bit bouncier, but it all seems to fit. The remix is done by Alan Wilkis.

Official Website
MySpace
Facebook

Yeasayer: "Ambling Alp" (Alan Wilkis Remix)

My Errything

Something you've known for some time now, Muzjiks is sex. Just to further today's theme of chivalry, romance, and grind, I give you more of a classic love song-- Stevie Wonder's classic, "My Cherie Amour" with gangster rap killer, Drake, spitting over top. Yo--its chill and sensual and all that jazz.

From the Room for Improvement (2006) Mixtape
Drake: "Extra Special"

Knock yourself out...

...all Muzjiks asks is for you to be safe this weekend.

Since there's obviously a high demand for his kind of stuff, here's some mashup bangers brought to you once again courtesy of DJ Stroke to temper the chill-worthy SOTW...

DJ Stroke: The YouTube Mashup Project [free download]
My Closet is Dead and Gone (Eminem vs. TI) [re-up]

House of Money (Money to Blow RMX) [re-up]

I'm So Believin' (Akon vs. Journey) [re-up]

SOTW 2.5-2.7

If you're anywhere near Muzjiks' neck of the woods, the weather of late has been rather dreary with snow and fog and ice graying just about everything. Mirroring my environment, my musical selections have been accordingly languid and brooding. Loosely fitting into this category is Husky Rescue, a band that hails from Finland and purveys a interesting brand of ambient pop. In my estimation, they're essentially Metric on downers with a tinge of '60s psychedelia. The quintet's third proper LP, Ship of Light, was released on February 1, and in support of their new album, Husky Rescue is set to begin a brief tour of Europe beginning today in their home country and wrapping up in Amsterdam at the end of March. To give you a taste of what they'll be playing for these lucky Europeans, here's three cuts off of Ship of Light...

Husky Rescue: Ship of Light
Sound of Love
Wolf Trap Motel
Fast Lane

So Sweet of You

There are few things better you can do for your community than give back--everyone knows this. What Justin Vernon, of Bon Iver and Volcano Choir fame, has done is established the frame work for a new music in his native Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The new venue will be called Union College and will feature both a performance space and instructional studio to help people record their own music. Justin--amazing. Full write up here.

Volcano Choir: "Island, IS" [Buy]

SOTD 2.4.10

I don't know about the Muzjiks readers, but I quite literally listen to music 24 hours a day. As long as I'm not in class or at baseball practice, I've either got my ATH-M50s cupped over my ears or my earbuds fitted snugly in my ear canals. When I'm studying, when I'm falling asleep, when I'm walking around campus, I'm listening to music. Accordingly, I need music to suit every possible mood or circumstance that may arise over the course of the day. As the day winds to a close and dusk usurps the sky, I often find myself tending toward drone. Now, many may find this genre intensely boring, for the compositions lack lyrics or any real rhythm, but this is music about textural orgies, atmospheric engulfment, and feedback headfucks, not conventional song structure or poppy accessibility. Offering such delicious sonic qualities are the craftings of Oneohtrix Point Never, whose music sends the listener on an aural journey that's the equivalent of hurdling through Space Mountain on peyote. This is some good shit.

Oneohtrix Point Never: "Physical Memory"
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SOTD 2.3.10

Similar to Lil Wayne in that, for whatever reason, he's gained the support and approval of the indie scene, KiD CuDi was perhaps 2009's biggest breakthrough hip hop artist, save (arguably) Drake. Although many became familiar with Mr. Mescudi with the stoner anthem "Day 'N' Nite," the Cleveland native has been grindin' long before he freed our minds at night. Even as far back as his demo, he's been proffering his laid-back, everyday struggle raps with their signature lunar flair. Also potentially in the footsteps of the ever-prolific Weezy F, CuDi is already at work on the sophomore follow-up to Man on the Moon, which will be entitled Cudder: The Revolution of Evolution. According to an interview with MTV, this album is "gonna' be the complete opposite of what Man on the Moon was. Man on the Moon was so serious. This one is gonna be more playful and fun. It's about having a good time." If we're about to get a full-length of "Up, Up, and Aways," then the hip hop game better buckle up. Now that you know where KiD CuDi's going, let's see where he's been with today's SOTD...

KiD CuDi: The Demo Tape [full mixtape]
Do It Alone [re-up]
I Hear Them Calling [re-up]
Follow Me [re-up]



















UPDATE on 2.4.10 @ 11:08 AM EST: New links uploaded, since our bandwidth was pillaged once again...

SOTD 2.2.10

It never ceases to amaze me the vastness of the indie music scene. With the advent of first MySpace Music and then the blogosphere, everything from a local start-up band to some dude's bedroom laptop experiments are at our fingertips. Many of my favorite bands were revealed to me by fortuitous happenstance—a click to a message board post on some cached, now obsolete website; an accidental visit to a MySpace top eight page of a band's friend's friend's act; a lazy Sunday's bored web surfing of last.fm.

Such is the case with today's SOTD band, This Day & Age. I was actually in the process of trying to find out news about the disappearing act better known as Weaver at the Loom, and some forum user with three posts mentioned this Buffalo quintet. Indeed, TD&A is essentially Weaver with a more prominent punk edge, and it's glorious. I've had their 2006 album, The Bell and the Hammer, on heavy rotation for months now and have yet to grow remotely tired of it. Although the band has split up and members have since reformed under the jazzier outfit Reign of Kindo, they leave behind three solid LPs. To give you a taste of This Day & Age's brilliance, I offer you the first three tracks off of The Bell and the Hammer. Enjoy.

This Day & Age: The Bell and the Hammer [Buy]
Always Straight Ahead
Second Star to the Right...
The Bell and the Hammer

SOTD 2.1.10

Behind this ethereal, '60s-influenced pop of Prints are multi-instrumentalist Kenseth Thibideau and vocalist Zac Nelson. Furthering the lushness of the textures laid down by Thibideau is Nelson, who not only improvises lyrics on the spot, but also utilizes his voice to add oohs and ahs and other subtle scats that add to the otherworldly atmosphere of the songs. One could argue that this is Animal Collective minus the synth focus and injected with a more concrete pop sensibility and structuring. Released on the post-rock powerhouse label that is Temporary Residence Limited, the home of such seminal acts as Explosions in the Sky and Mono, Prints' self-titled debut hit the shelves silently in 2007, but we at Muzjiks are here to make sure such quality music doesn't go unnoticed. Enjoy.

Prints: "Easy Magic"
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New Time