Monday, December 7, 2009
Bradford Cox Stole Your Super Nintendo
A clip from Pitchfork's Surveillance Series comes Atlas Sound's "Untitled." Avoid the Goombas if you can.
Song of the Day (12/7/09)
To help with your case of the Mondays as college finals approach and winter tightens its chilly grip, today's Song of the Day evokes thoughts of a mid-July night when the warm breeze wisps through the window as you drive down the highway with your significant other by your side—just pure youthful, summery bliss. Essentially an indie-fied incarnation of Bruce Springsteen, the Gaslight Anthem specializes in feel-good alternative pop with a rockabilly tinge. Pour yourself a glass of iced tea, shut your eyes, and escape from the winter doldrums for three minutes with some sweet sounds of Americana...
The Gaslight Anthem: "Old White Lincoln"
The Gaslight Anthem: "Old White Lincoln"
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Sugar Glyder: Soaring Beyond the Limits
Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, indie rock quartet Sugar Glyder is just bubbling beneath the surface of the independent music scene, possessing all the makings of a band primed to break through. In order to fully appreciate what the men (Daniel Howie, Chris Rigo, and Bobby Matthews) and woman (Emily Aoyagi) of Sugar Glyder do, one must examine their output from the beginning, for their style and mastery of their craft clearly evolves from release to release.
After two demo releases in 2003 and 2004, Sugar Glyder came out with their first proper EP, The Unsaid and the Obvious, which featured a rawer punk style driven by Howie's powerful vocals. As Unsaid gave way to their second proper release, an LP entitled We Cracked the Sky, a distinctive style was beginning to emerge as the instrumentation featured on the album expanded and a departure from the pop punk leanings yielded a more experimental inclination. Moreover, a certain ethereal quality could be heard with songs like "Flowers" and "Grace the Fulcrum" containing fuzzier guitars and sweeping vocals that fashioned a sort of soundscape in which the listener could get lost. Then came Sugar Glyder's most recent record, 2009's Poor Baby Zebra, when the nascent elements of what would become the band's characteristic sound became more developed and defined.
In experiencing Zebra, I can't help but think of this as the equivalent of The Bends-era Radiohead where the band has moved from a solid but altogether atypical and embryonic Pablo Honey-type release to one that is not only far superior musically, but also hints that there is something masterful on the horizon. Howie's vocals are impressively versatile, strong and dominating when necessary on energetic numbers like "Blackbeard Has Feelings Too," yet gentle and subdued on "In the Rising Light." They have a timbre similar to Matt Bellamy of Muse and a range similar to Gareth Jones of People in Planes, but to emphasize these comparisons too heavily would be to unfairly imply that Daniel Howie's talents are commonplace. In addition, there are tracks like "BCDE," a brief ambient interlude akin to The American Dollar or "Treefingers" and complete with "Fitter, Happier"-esque digitized text-to-speech, which offers teasers of what genre exploration may lie ahead in future work. Then you get a track like "Everyday Above Ground" that incorporates a Weaver at the Loom-like keyboard-driven melody and provides welcome contrast to upbeat songs like the title track. In all, what you get with Poor Baby Zebra is a meticulously constructed album so cohesive and aurally appealing that there's simply not one song where you're inclined to even consider pressing the skip button.
However, in order to fully appreciate what Sugar Glyder can do, one must see the band perform live in all their glory as I had the privilege of doing when they opened for Silversun Pickups at the Fillmore Charlotte on October 10. Touting more gear than fellow opening act An Horse and main act Silversun Pickups combined, the stage was filled with all kinds instruments, including a bass drum with their logo on it and another drum sprinkled with blue glitter that was played by Rigo. With the glitter on the drum splashing up and dancing about throughout the show as the sound waves egged it along, a spunky Aoyagi rocked the bass while playing the tambourine with a bare left foot, a wonderfully bearded (second only to Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio and Rain Machine) Rigo banged out the melodic guitar licks, a proficient Matthews thumped the percussion along, and a dynamic Howie flawlessly recreated his studio vocal performances, complete with the high-pitched cry that rounds out "Blackbeard." In my opinion, Howie and the gang stole the show that night—I went in for Grammy-nominated Silversun Pickups, but I'll be coming back for Sugar Glyder.
So, what are you waiting for? Go pick up Sugar Glyder's discography from Manifest, order it online from their MySpace page, or grab it off of iTunes. Also, make an effort to go see the band perform live; perhaps even consider sharing your New Year's celebration with them at the Double Door Inn this December 31. Whatever you have to do, find a way to hear Sugar Glyder because the sky is truly the limit for this group of gifted musicians.
Links
Myspace
YouTube
PureVolume
And just because it brought me so much happiness, please do me the favor of skipping to around 1:30 in the video below where you see Sugar Glyder stuck in traffic during a thunderstorm listening to "Optimistic"...
Song of the Day (12/6/09)
One of the most underrated guitarists of all time, in my opinion, is Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. I'm not exactly sure how technically difficult the things that Gilmour does on the guitar are, but his utterly angelic guitar tone injects a certain inexplicable emotion that tugs at one's heartstrings. With the prominent pitch bends and wailing notes, there's just this unique sensuality to his playing. What shouldn't be forgotten either is his beautiful singing voice, either sharing vocals with Roger Waters or going solo on most Pink Floyd songs—or, the best pairing in my estimation, Gilmour's harmonizing with keyboardist Richard Wright on Dark Side of the Moon's "Us and Them." As the relation among Floyd members began to dissolve with Roger Waters' increasing dominance over the creative process, David Gilmour pursued a solo career. He achieved fairly significant success with his self-titled debut in 1978, bolstered by the single, "There's No Way Out of Here." Today's Song of the Day selection comes from a much more recent solo effort, On An Island from 1996, and features the distinct Gilmour guitar that Floydians have come to know and love, along with signature Gilmour vocals. Sit back, relax, and let it the classic rock sound wash over you...
David Gilmour: "On An Island"
David Gilmour: "On An Island"
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Song of the Day (12/5/09)
Okay, so today's Song of the Day is not really a song per se, but I don't think you'll be disappointed...
First thing's first, you're going to need a pair of headphones in order to properly experience this recording. Referred to as a "binaural recording," this kind of captured sound is achieved using a special recording technique that uses a dummy human head that is outfitted with microphones placed strategically inside the ear molds (like this), which essentially recreates the hearing we do on a day-to-day basis. This may not sound particularly extraordinary, but what results from this process is an I-feel-like-I'm-really-there sonic experience. It's important, however, not to confuse binaural with stereo, as stereo doesn't take into account the spacing between one's ears or one's "head shadow".
Now, follow these directions: put on your headphones (it's vitally important that you put the left earphone on the left ear and the right earphone on the right), find a spinning chair, put on a bib, and get ready to listen to today's "Song" of the Day...
Binaural recording: Barbershop
Above: Binaural recording mannequin head in foreground, Thom Yorke in background.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Part of the information included in today's Song of the Day post was brought to you by our friends at Wikipedia.
First thing's first, you're going to need a pair of headphones in order to properly experience this recording. Referred to as a "binaural recording," this kind of captured sound is achieved using a special recording technique that uses a dummy human head that is outfitted with microphones placed strategically inside the ear molds (like this), which essentially recreates the hearing we do on a day-to-day basis. This may not sound particularly extraordinary, but what results from this process is an I-feel-like-I'm-really-there sonic experience. It's important, however, not to confuse binaural with stereo, as stereo doesn't take into account the spacing between one's ears or one's "head shadow".
Now, follow these directions: put on your headphones (it's vitally important that you put the left earphone on the left ear and the right earphone on the right), find a spinning chair, put on a bib, and get ready to listen to today's "Song" of the Day...
Binaural recording: Barbershop
Above: Binaural recording mannequin head in foreground, Thom Yorke in background.
FULL DISCLOSURE: Part of the information included in today's Song of the Day post was brought to you by our friends at Wikipedia.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Neutral Milk Hotel and the Musical Genius of Jeff Mangum
Thanks to a YouTube member called goldenpuppy1, a number of videos from a 1998 Neutral Milk Hotel concert at the Knitting Factory in New York City have been popping up. This footage is surprisingly clear in terms of picture quality, and more importantly, the audio is rather crisp, all things considered. This recent resurgence of NMH material gives me the perfect excuse to muse about Jeff Mangum and his incredible band.
Although NMH did have a debut album entitled On Avery Island, it is almost completely overshadowed by their sophomore and final (more on that later) release, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Conceived as a response to recurring dreams that lead singer Jeff Mangum had after reading the The Diary of Anne Frank, In the Aeroplane... is comprised of songs written in a sort of emotional purging process, a kind of outpouring of passion that Mangum felt he needed to do in order to come to terms with these dreams. What resulted was what is often considered the greatest indie album of all time.
Featuring trumpet, strings, and a musical saw, along with Mangum's guitar and distinct vocals, the album creates this eerie, yet uplifting atmosphere and thereby evokes a sensation in me unlike any other piece of music has ever done (yes, even Radiohead). The quality of Jeff Mangum's vocals are so rough and probably borderline cacophonous to some, but what Mangum lacks in prettiness, he more than makes up for with his unadulterated emotional and impassioned wails. Even in his live performance, as illustrated in the video of "Oh, Comely" embedded below, one can see in his eyes the almost possessed state he goes into as he completely immerses himself in the music and the places and memories and feelings it evokes within him. Not many performers in this day and age put this much of their heart and soul into their work, but Jeff Mangum is the exception—and it shows in the quality of the music.
Now, the story of Neutral Milk Hotel after In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is a bit hazy and a lot mysterious. After releasing the album and gaining such notoriety for it, Mangum began to turned even further inward than this introverted personality already induced. The band split up, and Mangum more or less disappeared. Reportedly, he is effectively homeless, moving from one friend's house to the next and sleeping on couch after couch. He's shown up unannounced at a few shows once in a blue moon to play one song and then promptly disappear again. He's not signed to a label. He's doesn't put out any solo material other than an odd field recording mix of Bulgarian folk music and a live solo recording that was likely just orchestrated by the record company to cash in on bootlegs that they saw were grabbing top dollar on eBay. The only piece of music that exists post-Aeroplane is a bootleg from an acoustic solo performance at the birthday party of a friend named Chris Bilheimer. He's just this enigmatic musical genius who graced us with his brilliance for a decade-long span from 1991 to 2001. Who knows if we'll ever hear from him again, but at least we have his wonderful music to relive his unique gifts whenever we so please...
Jeff Mangum: "Little Birds"
Above: A screenshot from Jeff Mangum's performance of "Little Birds."
Some further reading about Jeff Mangum
All are great reads if you have the time; Mangum really is one of those once-in-a-lifetime minds whose mystifying story only adds to his allure.
Although NMH did have a debut album entitled On Avery Island, it is almost completely overshadowed by their sophomore and final (more on that later) release, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Conceived as a response to recurring dreams that lead singer Jeff Mangum had after reading the The Diary of Anne Frank, In the Aeroplane... is comprised of songs written in a sort of emotional purging process, a kind of outpouring of passion that Mangum felt he needed to do in order to come to terms with these dreams. What resulted was what is often considered the greatest indie album of all time.
Featuring trumpet, strings, and a musical saw, along with Mangum's guitar and distinct vocals, the album creates this eerie, yet uplifting atmosphere and thereby evokes a sensation in me unlike any other piece of music has ever done (yes, even Radiohead). The quality of Jeff Mangum's vocals are so rough and probably borderline cacophonous to some, but what Mangum lacks in prettiness, he more than makes up for with his unadulterated emotional and impassioned wails. Even in his live performance, as illustrated in the video of "Oh, Comely" embedded below, one can see in his eyes the almost possessed state he goes into as he completely immerses himself in the music and the places and memories and feelings it evokes within him. Not many performers in this day and age put this much of their heart and soul into their work, but Jeff Mangum is the exception—and it shows in the quality of the music.
Now, the story of Neutral Milk Hotel after In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is a bit hazy and a lot mysterious. After releasing the album and gaining such notoriety for it, Mangum began to turned even further inward than this introverted personality already induced. The band split up, and Mangum more or less disappeared. Reportedly, he is effectively homeless, moving from one friend's house to the next and sleeping on couch after couch. He's shown up unannounced at a few shows once in a blue moon to play one song and then promptly disappear again. He's not signed to a label. He's doesn't put out any solo material other than an odd field recording mix of Bulgarian folk music and a live solo recording that was likely just orchestrated by the record company to cash in on bootlegs that they saw were grabbing top dollar on eBay. The only piece of music that exists post-Aeroplane is a bootleg from an acoustic solo performance at the birthday party of a friend named Chris Bilheimer. He's just this enigmatic musical genius who graced us with his brilliance for a decade-long span from 1991 to 2001. Who knows if we'll ever hear from him again, but at least we have his wonderful music to relive his unique gifts whenever we so please...
Jeff Mangum: "Little Birds"
Above: A screenshot from Jeff Mangum's performance of "Little Birds."
Some further reading about Jeff Mangum
All are great reads if you have the time; Mangum really is one of those once-in-a-lifetime minds whose mystifying story only adds to his allure.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Tommy Emmanuel: The Best Guitarist You've Never Heard Of
In one of the earlier episodes of Muzjiks, I mentioned Australian fingerpicking guitarist Tommy Emmanuel. I personally consider him the greatest guitar player of all time—yes, better than Hendrix, better than Clapton, better than Stevie Ray Vaughan. Admittedly, this is a controversial statement, but I'm not making it as a holier than thou kind of thing. If you listen to what Emmanuel does with the instrument (or, even better, watch), you will see the technical ability required to pull off what he does. However, Emmanuel isn't just fast fingers and some unconventional use of the guitar as a percussion instrument; he is able to hone these skills and compose beautiful melodic numbers with them.
So, now that I have this medium to provide visuals for what is discussed on air, I am posting a YouTube video of Tommy Emmanuel performing a cover of "Classical Gas." The reason I've chosen this particular song is not necessarily because it's his best song; rather, it showcases his virtuosity quite well and thereby illustrates my points. As an extra treat, I've also uploaded a Muzjiks favorite by Tommy Emmanuel entitled "Mombasa" so that you can get this man on your iPod and spread the word of his excellence to your friends.
Tommy Emmanuel: "Mombasa"
So, now that I have this medium to provide visuals for what is discussed on air, I am posting a YouTube video of Tommy Emmanuel performing a cover of "Classical Gas." The reason I've chosen this particular song is not necessarily because it's his best song; rather, it showcases his virtuosity quite well and thereby illustrates my points. As an extra treat, I've also uploaded a Muzjiks favorite by Tommy Emmanuel entitled "Mombasa" so that you can get this man on your iPod and spread the word of his excellence to your friends.
Tommy Emmanuel: "Mombasa"
Song of the Day (12/4/09)
Think of them as the Danish prog-rock fusion answer to Muse. Mew, the artist responsible for today's Song of the Day, has a distinctive dream pop sound with elements of progressive rock, although the prog rock qualities didn't really come to the forefront until the band's latest album, No More Stories / Are Told Today / I'm Sorry / They Washed Away / No More Stories / The World Is Grey / I'm Tired / Let's Wash Away (note the pretentiousness typical of prog). This number, however, comes from their third release, Frengers, which touts a more accessible pop sound. I think what makes "SheSpider" so effective is its masterful use of the quiet-loud dynamic pioneered by the Pixies. The verses slowly build to their inevitable climax and release that comes in the form of a soaring chorus with powerful vocals and aggressive guitar licks. Now, go find your favorite hipster and witness this song's epicness together...
Mew: "SheSpider"
AMUSING SIDE NOTE: Mew is known within the indie community for their laughably horrendous album art. If you think the cover above is bad, check this out or, even worse, this.
Mew: "SheSpider"
AMUSING SIDE NOTE: Mew is known within the indie community for their laughably horrendous album art. If you think the cover above is bad, check this out or, even worse, this.
Song of the Day (12/3/09)-TB
Today's little nugget comes courtesy of the ever-present Beirut. I'm not going to act like I know a whole lot about Zachary Condon aside from the fact that he consistently puts out interesting records. Venice struck me immediatley as a much more legitimate version of one of my guilty pleasure, Milosh. The synth soundscape feels like its going to explode and just never does, and that's just the beauty of it all--the anticipation. Let it soak.
Beirut-Venice
Beirut-Venice
Song of the Day (12/3/09)
Imagine for a moment that your last name was Frongello and you happened to play college baseball. Now, imagine that you had to pick a walk-up song to be played as you strode out to the mound to make your pitching appearance. You could opt for a classic headbanger like "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne or a badass rap joint like "Still DRE" by Dr. Dre, but what if you had your own personalized song to play as your sallied forth to the bump? Well, today would be your lucky day because singer-songwriter Luke Temple's project, Here We Go Magic, has a song on his eponymous debut entitled "Fangela" (close enough). Combining a lo-fi recording style with hushed vocals, subdued percussion, hand claps, gentle guitar strums, and psychedelic synths, this song is not exactly your run-of-the-mill walk-up banger, but bear with me—just think how cool it would be if everyone in the stands would join in with the hand claps. Too bad this is all hypothetical...
Here We Go Magic: "Fangela"
Here We Go Magic: "Fangela"
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Song of the Day (12/2/09)
Cited by Thom Yorke as a favorite of his, today's Song of the Day is definitely one of least melodic pieces ever posted on the Muzjiks blog. A track by Squarepusher and Aphex Twin, two pioneers in the genre of electronic music, "Freeman Hardy & Willis Acid" features a lazily rolling beat in the foreground with quick, glitchy blips in the background that establish the tempo. It's a genius piece of music that puts on display why these two acts are revered as they are within the electronic music scene. If you don't believe me, wait until right before the three-minute mark when the song shifts into the fifth gear and explodes into a flurry of climactic percussion. Although the title of the song may prompt you to break out your LSD stash and go for a psychedelic journey, I would suggest holding off, as the unsettling atmosphere created by Squarepusher and Aphex Twin is likely the recipe for a bad trip...
SIDE NOTE: Compare this with Thom Yorke's solo work on The Eraser to see the obvious influence this song and others of its likeness have on the Radiohead frontman's style.
Squarepusher and AFX: "Freeman Hardy & Willis Acid"
SIDE NOTE: Compare this with Thom Yorke's solo work on The Eraser to see the obvious influence this song and others of its likeness have on the Radiohead frontman's style.
Squarepusher and AFX: "Freeman Hardy & Willis Acid"
Episode 6 Playlist
1. Pictureplane: "Goth Star" [intro]
2. Kevin Drew: "Lucky Ones"
3. Animal Collective: "What Would I Want? Sky"
4. The Hood Internet: "Two Weeks of Hip Hop (Grizzly Bear vs. Dead Prez)"
5. Big Boi (ft. Gucci Mane): "Shine Blockas"
6. Girls: "Laura"
7. Martin Jondo: "Jah Gringo"
8. Wilco: "Jesus, etc."
9. Madvillain: "Accordian"
10. Blakroc (ft. Jim Jones and Mos Def): "Ain't Nothin' Like You (Hoochie Coo)"
11. Girl Talk: "Hands In the Air"
2. Kevin Drew: "Lucky Ones"
3. Animal Collective: "What Would I Want? Sky"
4. The Hood Internet: "Two Weeks of Hip Hop (Grizzly Bear vs. Dead Prez)"
5. Big Boi (ft. Gucci Mane): "Shine Blockas"
6. Girls: "Laura"
7. Martin Jondo: "Jah Gringo"
8. Wilco: "Jesus, etc."
9. Madvillain: "Accordian"
10. Blakroc (ft. Jim Jones and Mos Def): "Ain't Nothin' Like You (Hoochie Coo)"
11. Girl Talk: "Hands In the Air"
Song of the Day (12/1/09)-TB
Sorry I've been dormant for a while, Swine has really picked up my long trail of slack. I'd like to share a newer track from the godfather of trip-hop, Massive Attack. We've talked a bit about dub-step here and I feel this is a worthy off shoot. You may know MA's work used as the theme for House, but they are much more than that. Pray for Rain, their first single off of their new album, Heligoland, features Muzjiks favorite Tunde Adebimpe and is as dark and brooding as you would come to expect from MA.
Enjoy in a poorly lit room.
Remember, we go live at 8 tonight. Listen or we will find you.
TB
Reminder
Just a reminder to tune in tonight from 8PM to 9PM on WALT for Episode 6 of Muzjiks! Also, check back after the show for a playlist and tomorrow for the podcast link.
Song of the Day (12/1/09)
Rapper One.Be.Lo hails from Michigan and is probably known best for his participation in Binary Star, the rap duo in which he went under the name OneManArmy and paired with Senim Silla to put out the 2000 underground hip hop classic, Masters of the Universe. However, this particular joint comes from his sophomore solo release, S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M., which is part of a series of loosely related concept albums (i.e., Project: F.E.T.U.S., The R.E.B.I.R.T.H.). Boasting a chill, old school hip hop beat laced with a flowing organ melody that melds nicely with Be.Lo's laid back, smooth rhyming style, "enecS eht no kcaB" gives the rap purist faith that conscious hip hop still is still alive and well.
One.Be.Lo: "enecS eht no kcaB"
One.Be.Lo: "enecS eht no kcaB"
