Now Until Sin: 12.26.10

I decided to take Christmas off for the series. The time off allowed me to take inventory of the amazing releases from Xmas 2010. Now, I have never celebrated Christmas "officially," but I assume there has to some kind of hangover involved. Heavy meats, deserts, booze, and distant family can be a lethal mix for someone trying to be productive on the Sunday after Christmas--so, what's the point? Embrace it and enjoy the 2nd track from The Fall, the Gorillaz iPad album (when is the marketing for that little Damon Albarn nugget going to start, Steve Jobs?).

You have to love the inclusion of the nylon strings on the album. On both "Revolving Doors" and "Hillbilly Man," those guitars paint beautiful soundscapes on their own. Can't wait to hear some acoustic versions of these songs. For now, we'll just have to do with this. By the way, each track comes with its own photograph--the photo for "Revolving Doors" is included below. What a nice touch, 2D.

Christmas is over, we made it another year my Jewish brethren.

Gorillaz: "Revolving Doors"



dw|tb

Phoner to Arizona

As the Christmas Eve offering of the Gorillaz advent calendar, Damon Albarn and the gang have released the first cut off of The Fall, an instrumental track with a lot of synthesized bleeps and bloops. It's only track one, though, so I guess you could consider this the equivalent of Plastic Beach's "Orchestral Intro." Only one more day to wait until we have the LP in its entirety! There's literally nothing Santa schlep down the chimney that would make me a happier SWiNE than The Fall—which is a good thing because that fat schmuck doesn't come to my house.

Gorillaz: Phoner to Arizona

B-A-N-A-N-A-Z

For normal people, Christmas is about family and giving thanks and presents and food and all that lovey-dovey bullshit. For me, Christmas 2010 is about one thing and one thing only: The Fall. On Saturday, Damon Albarn and the Gorillaz will be releasing their so-called "iPad album" on their website. (It's only available to stream for non-fan club members, but fuck knows it will be all over the Interwebz minutes after it's put up.) Comprised exclusively of songs written and recorded during the Gorillaz American tour, The Fall is a separate entity entirely from Plastic Beach; however, the LP is sure to have ample noodlings of Albarn on synthesizers, a direction hinted on Demon Days cuts like "Dare," developed further throughout PB, and continued on "Doncamatic (All Played Out)," the only track we've heard since Plastic Beach's release this past March.

It's this "Doncamatic" track that's likely to offer the most accurate hints in terms of what kinds of sounds will be populating The Fall. Although the original version of "Doncamatic" is stellar in its own right, the Joker remix found on the single release puts a purple spin on the tune. Let this one hold you over until Christmas morning, kiddies.

Gorillaz: "Doncamatic (Joker Remix)"

Summer Playlist Pt. 1

The story of my life...

It's the dog days of summer here in the great American Southeast, and there's not much better than speeding down the interstate with the A/C cranked, the windows rolled down, and the music blaring. Muzjiks is here to help you with that last part. Here's an assortment of summery, feel-good tunes we've had in heavy rotation lately...

Grouplove: Naked Kids [alt]
Although the entirety of Grouplove's self-titled EP could easily double as the soundtrack to your road trip, this track serves as an appropriate sampling of what the five song release has to offer.

The Radio Dept.: Where Damage Isn't Already Done [alt]
This reclusive Swedish dream pop outfit can do no wrong when it comes to wonderfully fuzzy melodies. If you haven't already done so, do yourself a favor and check out the band's most recent LP, Clinging to a Scheme, an album that will definitely contend for a top spot in Muzjiks' end-of-the-year honors. However, this offering comes from Radio Dept.'s critically acclaimed debut full length, Lesser Matters.

Gorillaz: Empire Ants [alt]
Having quickly skyrocketed among the ranks of my favorite songs of all time, this track off of Plastic Beach has one of the most mind-numbingly dope buildups ever. Listen to this and try not to dance—I dare you. Turn up the volume, turn up the bass, and throw your inhibitions to the wind because the guy at the red light next to you is about to look at you like you've got epilepsy when this thing hits the halfway mark and the groove overcomes you...

Deadmau5: Strobe [alt]
Arguably at the top of the electronic genre right now, mau5 is regarded as a must-see on the festival circuit. Listen to this track and you'll quickly understand why. Ideal for nighttime driving.

Tiesto (ft. Tegan and Sara): Feel It in My Bones [alt]
With it's pulsing bassline, trance synths, and sultry female vocals, this song has all the makings of an indie club banger. Once again, I dare you not to dance. Seriously. This thing is infectious.

Wiz Khalifa: Cabin Fever [alt]
Whether you toke or not, this song has one of the sickest beats I've heard this year. Along with Big Boi and Big K.R.I.T., Wiz has released some of the most exciting hip hop this year. Another staple of my nighttime driving playlist.

Third Eye Blind: Motorcycle Drive By [alt]
A summer playlist would not be complete without a nostalgic 90s tune, and there are few bands as quintessentially 90s as these Californians who blew up with "Semi-Charmed Life" and "Jumper." Another track off of their self-titled 1997 debut, "Motorcycle Drive By" features a beautiful acoustic guitar-driven buildup that goes perfectly with a sunny afternoon.

Keep your eyes peeled for more music worthy of participation in your summer memories here on Muzjiks because, frankly, we're sitting on some gems. After all, we can't pull out all the stops at once...