For whatever reason I was thinking about this snippet of conversation I overheard on wreck beach the other day:
"I was just having this same conversation last weekend when we were camping: never forget your pineapple!"
***
As an addendum to my last post, go here and download Todd Terje's re-edit of Paul Simon's "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" (scroll down to the very bottom). Talk about reclaiming resolutely middle-brow dad-rock!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
tempo change
Okay it's official: Studio's new album West Coast is my favorite album of the year. It brings together a whole slew things I've been digging recently: the slow-mo disco, the balearic rivival dance-rock, the groove-locked krautrock, the dubbed-out post-punk, the long-form dance mystery. This is it. I've been listening to it several times a day since I downloaded it on saturday. If I post it here, will you promise to buy it? At least if you really like it, as much as I do? Cuz there's no way these guys are making a living off of this record, the previous 12"s were in runs of 500, you can bet your ass they have a day job to pay their bills. and yet THIS IS AWESOME. It deserves all our support. I'm ordering it, you bet I am! That's why I'm putting it up on yousendit only for a week, so it's not just a giveaway to random googlers months from now.
studio - west coast (pt 1)
studio - west coast (pt 2)
K, so a couple weeks ago I made a mix of stuff sort of along these lines, balearic dance-rock slow mo disco italo krautrock goodness (balearic is the new buzzword, watch for it--it's a reference to 80's era ibiza, where a much more eclectic dance culture ruled, kinda). I really really like this mix actually, i think its one of the best ones i've made in a while. You might be able to tell this sound has definitely got its grips on the old brain-muscle. It's enticingly free-form too, you can throw in influences from almost wherever you like; just keep the rhythm going, keep the vibe fresh and the rest will follow. Thus I present the second treat of today.
das turtles - the beard mix
01 - Findlay Brown - Losing The Will To Survive (Beyond the Wizards Sleeve Reanimation)
02 - A Mountain Of One - Innocent Line
03 - Quiet Village Project - Can't Be Beat
04 - Rune Lindbaek - Afrika
05 - Harmonia - Notre Dame
06 - A Mountain Of One - Warping of the Clock
07 - Quiet Village Project - Too High To Move
08 - B-Movie - Nowhere Girl (12-inch version)
09 - Yellow Magic Orchestra - Behind the Mask
10 - Talking Drums - Courage
11 - A Mountain Of One - Our Eyes
A couple of comments: before I heard studio, a mountain of one would have been my top nu-balearic group, and I'm still really looking forward to their forthcoming compilation of tunes. The two groups are definitely on the same page though, apparently studio will be remixing AMO1's next single, which I'm pretty hyped for. Anyway, I'm quite excited by these couple of bands (I would also throw Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve in there). I mean they're technicially indie rock (cuz they play something rock-derived and they make independant music) but somehow manages to avoid the absolutely dead sound of the currently omnipresent complacent indie rock milieu. Two points save them, I think: the focus on staying (roughly) within a "dance" sound, and their co-opting of a resolutely uncool populist, "dad rock" sound to make actually quite innovative and interesting music. It creates a very strange tension between its seeming familiarity and unplaceable new-ness. Both Studio and AMO1 invoke some forgotten rock radio classic while never being actually mistakable AS such a thing. They've packed a few too many disparate influence into their sound to fit into any one place perfectly, yet recall many simultaneously. Sure this is problematic, indie has been accused quite justifiably of regressive retro-ism and ironic pastiche, substituting quotation of once great music for creation of their own. Certainly this balearic rivival thing could easily turn in such a direction, but this music seems to be quite without irony; it appears to be a genuine appreciation of a more populist, popist sound. To me, there is genuine mystery and intrigue here, something that doesn't quite fit in my head, tickling a spot that I can't quite reach. And I want more.
The rest of the mix fits more along the beardo-disco axis, which is certainly a related field (prins thomas and todd terje both remixed studio's "life's a beach" and they're pretty much the poster boys, along with lindstromm, for beardo/neo-cosmic disco). I've extolled my love of quiet village project before, and I could have put even more of their tracks on here, but I restrained myself. But the mix has nice slow-tempo feel, moving across what are ostensibly a lot of different genres, yet maintaining an overall cohesiveness. And that Harmonia track comes in like the voice of Zeus or something, I'm really proud of that one. Also, spot the Toto re-edit!
N E WAY, i hope you like it. I do.
studio - west coast (pt 1)
studio - west coast (pt 2)
K, so a couple weeks ago I made a mix of stuff sort of along these lines, balearic dance-rock slow mo disco italo krautrock goodness (balearic is the new buzzword, watch for it--it's a reference to 80's era ibiza, where a much more eclectic dance culture ruled, kinda). I really really like this mix actually, i think its one of the best ones i've made in a while. You might be able to tell this sound has definitely got its grips on the old brain-muscle. It's enticingly free-form too, you can throw in influences from almost wherever you like; just keep the rhythm going, keep the vibe fresh and the rest will follow. Thus I present the second treat of today.
das turtles - the beard mix
01 - Findlay Brown - Losing The Will To Survive (Beyond the Wizards Sleeve Reanimation)
02 - A Mountain Of One - Innocent Line
03 - Quiet Village Project - Can't Be Beat
04 - Rune Lindbaek - Afrika
05 - Harmonia - Notre Dame
06 - A Mountain Of One - Warping of the Clock
07 - Quiet Village Project - Too High To Move
08 - B-Movie - Nowhere Girl (12-inch version)
09 - Yellow Magic Orchestra - Behind the Mask
10 - Talking Drums - Courage
11 - A Mountain Of One - Our Eyes
A couple of comments: before I heard studio, a mountain of one would have been my top nu-balearic group, and I'm still really looking forward to their forthcoming compilation of tunes. The two groups are definitely on the same page though, apparently studio will be remixing AMO1's next single, which I'm pretty hyped for. Anyway, I'm quite excited by these couple of bands (I would also throw Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve in there). I mean they're technicially indie rock (cuz they play something rock-derived and they make independant music) but somehow manages to avoid the absolutely dead sound of the currently omnipresent complacent indie rock milieu. Two points save them, I think: the focus on staying (roughly) within a "dance" sound, and their co-opting of a resolutely uncool populist, "dad rock" sound to make actually quite innovative and interesting music. It creates a very strange tension between its seeming familiarity and unplaceable new-ness. Both Studio and AMO1 invoke some forgotten rock radio classic while never being actually mistakable AS such a thing. They've packed a few too many disparate influence into their sound to fit into any one place perfectly, yet recall many simultaneously. Sure this is problematic, indie has been accused quite justifiably of regressive retro-ism and ironic pastiche, substituting quotation of once great music for creation of their own. Certainly this balearic rivival thing could easily turn in such a direction, but this music seems to be quite without irony; it appears to be a genuine appreciation of a more populist, popist sound. To me, there is genuine mystery and intrigue here, something that doesn't quite fit in my head, tickling a spot that I can't quite reach. And I want more.
The rest of the mix fits more along the beardo-disco axis, which is certainly a related field (prins thomas and todd terje both remixed studio's "life's a beach" and they're pretty much the poster boys, along with lindstromm, for beardo/neo-cosmic disco). I've extolled my love of quiet village project before, and I could have put even more of their tracks on here, but I restrained myself. But the mix has nice slow-tempo feel, moving across what are ostensibly a lot of different genres, yet maintaining an overall cohesiveness. And that Harmonia track comes in like the voice of Zeus or something, I'm really proud of that one. Also, spot the Toto re-edit!
N E WAY, i hope you like it. I do.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Post-83 Guitars!
Because I enjoy making ridiculous sweeping generalizations, I made a claim a couple weeks ago while out drinking with folks that there hasen't been any good guitar-based music since '83, except in isolated pockets. Well here is an example of some post-'83 guitar-based music that I like; in fact, I'm currently totally obsessed with this track.
Studio - West Side
It's modern, hip guitar-y music, but it isn't crappy indie-rock nor is it even crappier fifth-generation grunge retreads, mall-punk emo or (worst of all) jack johnson. No, it's a couple of swedes making music that sounds like it should have been an extended album track on some stoned 70's prog rock band. I love it. I've made a mix with some more tunes like this on it that i'll probably post soon, but this track is even better. maybe.
Studio - West Side
It's modern, hip guitar-y music, but it isn't crappy indie-rock nor is it even crappier fifth-generation grunge retreads, mall-punk emo or (worst of all) jack johnson. No, it's a couple of swedes making music that sounds like it should have been an extended album track on some stoned 70's prog rock band. I love it. I've made a mix with some more tunes like this on it that i'll probably post soon, but this track is even better. maybe.
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