This post is RAD... Sike!!

I miss the 90s. More specifically, I miss the '90s music. I'm not talking Radiohead. Yeah, what many would consider the golden age of Radiohead occurred in the '90s and arguably hit its pinnacle at the turn of the millennium with Kid A, but that's not what I'm referring to. I'm talking about the mainstream stuff. The stuff that everybody knew. But unlike the popular music of today, this stuff was actually good—really good. I have these flashbulb memories associated with OMC's "How Bizarre," Hootie and the Blowfish's "Only Wanna Be With You," and Del Amitri's "Roll to Me." Then, there's the glory days of grunge and alternative: Blind Melon, Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Alice in Chains. Or maybe the lighter fare of alternative rock was more your speed: Third Eye Blind, Fastball, The Verve Pipe, Marcy Playground, No Doubt, Semisonic. What happened to those days?

For me, every summer is a revival of '90s pop. The two are inextricably linked. Nothing conjures more nostalgia than blasting "Jumper" with the car windows down on a warm summer evening, especially when the song hits its climax in the guitar solo. More likely than not, my partiality toward '90s radio has to do with it being the decade of my childhood, my formative years. Children of the Naughties very well may reminisce longingly ten years down the road about how The Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus would be on every radio station. I hope not, but it's definitely a possibility. I guess it's just a case of each generation believing that "their" music is best.

So, as the warmth days of spring hint at the dog days of summer and all the memories that will inevitably come with them, here's a taste of just a handful of the 1990s hits that defined my grade school years. This is beyond indie; this is my boyhood.

Third Eye Blind: Jumper [alt]
Eiffel 65: I'm Blue (Da ba dee) [alt]
Eagle Eye Cherry: Save Tonight [alt]
Goldfinger: Superman [alt]

All those who believe in psychokinesis raise my hand

Here's a couple more mashups that I think you will like. As always, leave comments if you wish; we encourage lively discussion. Enjoy.

KiD CuDi vs. The Postal Service: Man on the Moon (Such Great Heights RMX) [alt]
Bob Marley vs. MGMT: I Wanna Know Now (Kids RMX) [alt]

Episode 13: Triskaidekaphobia

Playlist
The Nkengas: Anyi Bundi Igbo [intro]
Phantogram: Turn It Off
King Geedorah: Fazers
The Good, The Bad, and the Queen: Kingdom of Doom
The Very Best (feat. Ezra Koenig): Warm Heart of Africa
Animal Collective: For Reverend Green
The Radio Dept.: A Token of Gratitude
You and Your Effects: Wombmates
Drake: Forever (Nosaj Thing Remix)
Lil Wayne: I Feel Like Dying (Flying Lotus Remix)
Lil Wayne: A Milli (Flying Lotus Remix)
The National: Bloodbuzz Ohio
Michael Jackson: Can You Feel It

Stream. Download. Subscribe on iTunes. Enjoy.

Edit: our apologies, but it seems like there is a volume issue with the majority of the show. Please use headphones to listen to the podcast this week--should come through loud and clear.

Shout!

Muzjiks has recently integrated a shoutbox widget into the blog, which can be located in the left sidebar. We hope that you will utilize this feature to engage in real-time discussion about topics related to all things indie and Muzjiks-related. As always, we also would like to encourage you to not be shy and post your thoughts, concerns, opinions, reviews, and anything else you deem worthy in the the comment section of our posts. It's our hope and aspiration to create a community of like-minded music listeners here at Muzjiks. Check out the shoutbox, and have a great weekend.

Fondly,

Eminem, Wind, and Fire

No one can resist the infectious funky grooves of Earth, Wind, and Fire. Although the original of "Groove Tonight" is far and away better than this mashup, this does put a modern twist on an old favorite, perfect for dancing away the summer nights that will be here before we know it. Enjoy.

Eminem vs. Earth, Wind, and Fire: "Without Groove (Zenit Incompatible RMX)" [alt]

Every Day's a Great Day to be a Wildcat

As you may or may not know, Danny and I are members of the Davidson College baseball team. Like any team, we have our fair share of inside jokes and bullshitting that take place on a daily basis. In addition to the frequent quoting of modern-day comedy classics like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Anchorman, and The Hangover, music factors heavily into our team's culture. Every day, Lil Wayne's No Ceilings mixtape can be heard blaring from the clubhouse, imitations of Mike Posner's distinctive nasal croon are exchanged during warm-ups, and Scissor Sisters' Mika-esque "Don't Feel Like Dancin'" and Jason Derulo's either wonderfully tongue-in-cheek or hilariously bad "Hit Me With a Text" are queued up after victories. Because Danny and I know that it's everyone's dream to be a Wildcat, here we offer you a sample of Davidson baseball's musical palette.

Lil Wayne (feat. Birdman): "No Ceilings" [alt]
Scissor Sisters: "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" [alt]
Jason Derulo: "Hit Me With a Text" [alt]

If you would like to keep up with Davidson College baseball, you can visit its website here. Further, you can listen to live radio broadcasts of the games and watch live stats. While these mediums allow you to track Danny's offensive domination of the SoCon, there's unfortunately not a live feed of the bench, so you'll just have to take my word that I'm actually on the team. Thank you for your interest and support.

Pitchfork On Suicide Watch

According to an interview by BBC with Animal Collective's Panda Bear, there's a chance that AC could be no more.

Asked whether this was the end for the band, Panda Bear replied: “There have been times in the past when I’ve thought we were done.

“So I don’t know, this could be it. I don’t expect it to be, I should say, but you never know.”

I'm not particularly worried by this news; the band has put out some 13 albums among all the members over the past decade. Combine their prolific work ethic with their extensive touring schedule, and you've got yourself a recipe for a burnt out group of musicians. They'll be back. In the meantime, we've got Panda Bear's sophomore solo LP, TOMBOY, on its way, which is tentatively scheduled to drop in September.

Oh, and here's the languid second track from Person Pitch just because Muzjiks loves you...
Panda Bear: "Take Pills" [alt]

Teaser

Here's a little preview of this week's radio show--an artist that will be featured, Phantogram. I have been listening to their debut, Eyelid Movies, in conjunction with the amazing Gorillaz LP, Plastic Beach. They seem like adorable matches.

Phantogram is an electronic duo from Greenwich Village. They kinda need your attention. "Mouthful of Diamonds" is the first song from the band's debut LP.

Phantogram: "Mouthful of Diamonds" [Buy]

Spring Is In the Air

Finally, it seems like the warm spring weather is upon us. What better way to sit back and relax Mother Nature's gift than a mashup of some classic feel-good songs? Enjoy.

Don't Worry, I'm Yours (Jason Mraz vs. Bobby McFerrin vs. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole) by DJ Dain

A Change of Pace

For whatever reason, the indie community is also typically interested in quality stand-up comedy. In light of this peculiar connection, I've put together a post highlighting several of my favorite stand-up acts at the moment, both of the past and present. In lieu of uploading mp3s of their performances, which often lose some of their appeal with the visual component being absent, I've embedded some of my favorite YouTube performances of the comedians; however, if you'd like me to put up some mp3s, I can arrange for that as well. Just leave a comment if you're interested in some more material or just want to offer your opinion. Enjoy.

Brian Regan

Clean comedy that comments on the nuances of life in the vein of Jerry Seinfeld. Probably my favorite comedian.

Jim Gaffigan

Although he's most well-known for his Hot Pockets routine, Gaffigan is another rather clean comic who gets me every time. I'm particularly fond of his high-pitched asides and imitation of audience thoughts.

Steven Wright

The king of one-liners and deadpan, Wright has inspired such comics as Mitch Hedberg and Zach Galifianakis. Not only is his material funny, but it's clever as hell and really makes you stop and think.

Zach Galifianakis

Most of you know him from his breakthrough role in The Hangover, but Galifianakis has been around for a long time—even pre-beard. The current king of awkward comedy, as evinced by his Between Two Ferns skits, Galifianakis is also quite the stand-up comedian, mixing a sentimental piano-playing bit with deadpan delivered one-liners.

George Carlin

Part social commentator, part comedian, Carlin is, quite simply, the fucking man. May he rest in peace.

Aziz Ansari

Arguably the most indie of the bunch, Ansari has hung out with the likes of Animal Collective and David Sitek (of TV on the Radio fame). The Indian equivalent of Dave Chappelle, Ansari is set to blow with his debut comedy album, Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening.

Disney Goes Gangsta

Last week, I posted a mashup of The Lion King's "Circle of Life" and Lil Wayne & Birdman's "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" that received a surprising amount of attention. In the comments section for that post, the creator of the mashup, DJDOYOU offered a link to his site, so with this post, I would like to recognize his efforts and offer you a few more selections from his Stuntin' Like Mufasa mixtape, which you can download for free on his website or by clicking on the album cover below. I appreciate his creativity in tapping into the Disney film music that our generation grew up on. Please visit DJDOYOU's site and express your gratitude.

Can You Feel the Best I Ever Had (Timon vs. Drake) [alt]
I'm a Lion King (Simba vs. T.I.) [alt]
Make a Man Touch the Sky (Mulan vs. Kanye) [alt]
Rock the Boat Under the Sea (Ariel vs. Aaliyah) [alt]

Givin' Y'all Nothin' But the Lick Like Two Broads

With "hip hop" like Soulja Boy and Black Eyed Peas dominating the airwaves, it's easy to agree with doomsayers that hip hop is dead. Just as there exists a thriving world of exciting indie underneath the nauseating Nickelbacks and Lifehouses of the world, so is there a mind-bending underground hip hop movement beneath the mindless bling-bling bullshit. There's the fairly well-known artists like MF DOOM, Atmosphere, Brother Ali, and Immortal Technique, but that's just the beginning. To assume that that's the extent of underground hip hop would be to assume that The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie, and The Strokes are the extent of indie.

I'll begin to scratch the surface of what the underground hip hop scene has to offer: Columbus-based rapper/poet Illogic is one particular compelling act who blends Saul Williams-esque lyricism with ambient-leaning production. iCON the Mic King is another interesting MC who exudes arrogance and has a swagger that rivals Weezy, and in Dwayne Michael Carter fashion, iCON offers head-scratching non-sequiturs and "did he just say that" quotables. The underground equivalent of Young Money, the QN5 crew includes the slick-tongued Tonedeff and the dirty south trio CunninLynguists, which features the remarkable production of Kno (who might be best known for his efforts in remixing Jigga's The Black Album). There's far more where this came from, but these exceptional musicians should hold you over for now.

Please comment if you would like more of an artist mentioned in this post or would be interesting in some follow-up posts on the underground hip hop scene. Enjoy.

Illogic: "Perfect Storm" [alt]
Mr. SOS: "We R the Champions Freestyle" [alt]
iCON the Mic King: "Iron Will" [alt]
CunninLynguists: "616 Rewind (feat. Tonedeff, Sankofa, Kashal-Tee & Celph-Titled) [alt]

Gorilla Love

Here is the video i referenced during last night's show along with the stand alone stop motion animation. It's all pretty damn creative.

Episode 12: What's Another Word for Thesaurus?

REMINDER: Tune in tonight from 10-11 PM EST for the live broadcast of episode 12 of Muzjiks Radio. Follow the "Listen live!" link in the right sidebar to listen in iTunes or your preferred music program. Also, check this space for the podcast after the show is over. We hope that you'll be listening!

–The Muzjiks Brethren

Weezy Meets Rafiki

I just stumbled upon this mashup of Lil Wayne and Birdman's "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" and the theme song from The Lion King. Interesting to say the least. To temper this ridiculous mashup with something of more legitimacy, here's quite possibly my favorite mashup of all time: The White Panda's "Stuntin' Like My Energy." Enjoy.

Lil Wayne vs. Lion King: "Stuntin' Like Mufasa" [alt]
The White Panda: "Stuntin' Like My Energy" [alt]

Food for Thought

Unless you lived under a rock for the past year, you heard Jay Sean's breakthrough single "Down." Who knows if his meteoric rise will be sustainable with continuing hits or if he'll be another one hit wonder to add to the ranks of Aqua and Buster Poindexter. Regardless, that's not why I'm posting about Jay Sean; indeed, he's just about as far from indie as they come. Instead, my motive is based in curiosity about American culture. You see, a quick Wikipedia search will reveal Jay Sean's real name as Kamaljit Singh Jhooti.

Consider this: There is an alternate universe where everything else is exactly the same. The only difference is that instead of Jay Sean collaborating with Lil Wayne on "Down," it's Jay Sean going by his real name, Kamaljit Singh Jhooti. That's the name that goes on all the promos and the singles and the album covers. It's the same exact song, but American political and cultural climate and generalized xenophobia considered, does anyone listen now that Jay Sean's Punjabi name is affixed to it? Just something to think about.

Stevie Wonder vs. Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne: "Downtight (Chambaland Mashup)" [alt]

On the Up and Up: Suffering Fools

On the first edition of Muzjiks' thinly veiled knockoff of Pitchfork's "Rising" feature, "On the Up and Up," we will be focusing on the work of lo-fi indie geek rock band Suffering Fools. The duo's debut LP, Speaking of Biscuits, was released at the beginning of this year on CD and digital download, although it was originally recorded on a 4-track tape recorder in glorious low fidelity analog. For reasons undisclosed, the members do not wish to reveal their identities; however, what Muzjiks does know is that this album was a long time coming, its roots dating back to the early '90s when the concepts for Biscuits first originated. A decade and a half later, we're lucky enough to have the finished product in our hands.

If you're into Ben Folds or They Might Be Giants, then this is right up your alley; if you're more interested in current indie acts like Wilco or The Decemberists, then this will probably suit your fancy, too. It is said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture, so at this point, I'll let Suffering Fools' music do the talking.


White Whine '89: A catchy acoustic folk pop number complete with an Andrew Bird-esque whistling solo. [alt]

Inner Mission: Rather obviously influenced by Pink Floyd, this largely instrumental interlude features a single disconcerting "Echoes"-esque piano key strike and Live at Pompeii "Saucerful of Secrets" drumming. [alt]

First Monkey Laugh: The band's self-proclaimed "hit single." Give it a listen. [alt]


If you like what you hear, refer to the information below to purchase Speaking of Biscuits in its entirety and get more information about Suffering Fools.

Official website
Official store
CDBaby

Happy Weekend

Since we know you guys eat this stuff up, here's some more mashups to bump at your weekend festivities. Expect some legitimate music posts soon. Until then, knock yourselves out with these...

Britney Spears vs. Black Eyed Peas vs. Flo Rida: "3 Sugar Feelings" [alt]


DJ Jeff Jones




















"I Want Your Replay (Iyaz vs. The Jackson 5)" [alt]
"Party In The Empire State (Jay-Z vs. Miley Cyrus)" [alt]
"2009 in 4:44 (30 '09 Artists)" [alt]

Episode 11: Is the Auto-Tune On?

We apologize for what have become ongoing technical difficulties, but we are continually trying to smooth it all out. For now, a little over 42 minutes of our hour-long show will have to suffice. Again, we are sorry for the inconvenience. We want our shows archived as much as you. We appreciate your ongoing listenership.

Please subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or just stream/download it above. If you have any questions concerning the playlist or otherwise, please post a comment and we'll be happy to help.

Radiohead Update

With all the information that flies around in this day and age with the Internet, magazines, TV, and every other kind of media out there, it's hard to keep up with all your favorite bands—and by favorite bands, we mean Radiohead. To combat this inundation of info, Muzjiks has collected all the latest goings-on with the Oxfordshire quintet and put it one place to make your lives easier:

• Thom Yorke's other band, at one point called Thom Yorke????, has been officially named "Atoms For Peace," and the band will embark on a brief tour next month that will culminate with a Coachella appearance. Other than Coachella, Flying Lotus will be opening for all gigs. The dates are listed below, and you can find ticket information here.
  

Mon 5 | Roseland Ballroom | New York, NY
Tue 6 | Roseland Ballroom | New York, NY
Thu 8 | Citi Wang Theatre | Boston, MA
Sat 10 | Aragon Ballroom | Chicago, IL
Sun 11 | Aragon Ballroom | Chicago, IL
Wed 14 | Fox Theater | Oakland, CA
Thu 15 | Fox Theater | Oakland, CA
Sat 17 | Santa Barbara Bowl | Santa Barbara, CA
Sun 18 | Coachella Festival | Indio, CA

• On February 25, Thom Yorke played a solo gig at the Green Party benefit at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge. In addition to rarities like "I Froze Up" and "True Love Waits," Thom graced concertgoers with three brand new songs. Titled "Give Up the Ghost," "The Daily Mail," and "Mouse Dog Bird," it remains to be seen whether these songs are Radiohead, Thom solo, or Atoms for Peace material. Also played at the gig was "Lotus Flower," a relatively new offering that was debuted last year by Thom but has since been confirmed as a Radiohead song. You can find videos of the three brand new songs below and even more videos of the concert here:

"Give Up the Ghost"


"The Daily Mail"


"Mouse Dog Bird"

• Jonny Greenwood will return to film scoring as he writes music for Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood. Previously, Jonny has composed for There Will Be Blood and Bodysong, both of which were stellar scores.
• Despite some short-lived hysteria and excitement, a TinyMixtapes article that claimed to have discovered the tracklist and album name for LP8 was found to be a hoax.

Until next time, keep your vinyl copies of OK Computer close, and say a few prayers. Who knows, maybe we'll wake up to a new Radiohead album one morning. After the revolutionary In Rainbows distribution, nothing is too far-fetched for Thom and the gang.

Hopefully this post was helpful to you. Feel free to discuss and comment. Take care, friend.

Not Sure How I Feel About This...

Clint Mansell is my favorite current film music composer. Although some of my affinity for him is undoubtedly linked to his collaboration with Darren Aronofsky (Pi, The Fountain), a good portion of it also has to do with the way he musically skullfucks the viewer with his haunting, brooding compositions that fit perfectly with Aronofsky's psychological thrillers. Likewise, I think that Lady Gaga is doing some of the most exciting things for pop music since Madonna; she's managed to construct this larger-than-life persona who's wonderfully eccentric and still musically talented. Just look at this YouTube video of her performing without all the frills—this girl's got some pipes, and even sitting down at a keyboard in an empty studio, her energy and showmanship (showomanship?) come through.

So where am I going with this? As I surfed around the blogosphere today, I stumbled upon this mashup by your run-of-the-mill YouTube DJ, but the pairing intrigued me and actually functions decently well. That said, I still despise mashups in general, but they're part of the whole blogging gig, so Muzjiks will cover it. Hope you enjoy. And as always, feel free to leave comments; we encourage discussion.

Lady Gaga vs. Clint Mansell: "Requiem for a Romance (Robin Skouteris Mix)" [alt]

NEW HWGM

Here We Go Magic will release their second LP, Pigeons, on June 8 of this year. Their eponymous debut was subtle and warm--Muzjiks is excited to see where this second record will go.



Pigeons
01 Hibernation
02 Collector
03 Casual
04 Surprise
05 Bottom Feeder
06 Moon
07 Old World United
08 F.F.A.P.
09 Land of Feeling
10 Vegetable or Native
11 Herbie I Love You, Now I Know
via P4K

To accompany my Herman Melville seminar this semester, I give you "Ahab" from 2009's Here We Go Magic.

Here We Go Magic: "Ahab" [Buy]

Smitten by Natives

If their stellar debut, Gorilla Manor, wasn't enough, according to an interview posted up today on Pitchfork, Local Natives are "all pretty big Radiohead fans." I think I'm in love.

Local Natives: "Shape Shifter" [alt]
Buy

Welcome to PB

Since Steven has started to write again, I feel obliged to contribute.



Plastic Beach, the new effort from Damon Albarn's Gorillaz, is druggy and dynamic. It is as backspin as it is Flaming Lips. Here's the first track from the LP. It features Snoop and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble--enough said.

Gorillaz: "Welcome to Plastic Beach" (feat. Snoop Dogg and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble) [Buy]

I Think I'm Bleeding Inside My Chest

You've never heard Rick James' "Superfreak" like this before. Courtesy of dubstep-influenced hip hop producer Slugabed. Cocaine is a hell of a drug...

RIYL: Flying Lotus

Slugabed: "Superphreak" [alt]

We're Back Like We Forgot Somethin'

We apologize for disappearing. You see, Muzjiks is a labor of love that Danny and I fit in between academic and athletic obligations at Davidson College, and sometimes those obligations simply become too much and Muzjiks must take a back seat for a while. With the baseball season in full swing, opportunities to provide content with the frequency we would like are scarce, but we will be posting weekly at the very least with mp3s and news. Additionally, the radio show and podcast will still be happening every Thursday from 10 PM to 11 PM EST, so you can always count on that too. Until next time, here are some sonic goodies...

TI: "I'm Back" [alt]
Gorillaz: "On Melancholy Hill" [alt]
The Radio Dept: "Heaven's On Fire" [alt]
Broken Bells: "Sailing to Nowhere" [alt]