Radiohead | All I Need

I had a long post written about how this video is great and all but that I was unhappy with it and how the song has nothing to do with the video and how if Radiohead is so forward thinking in terms of distribution why are they working with MTV, the musically enlightening equivalent to huffing freeon. But then I read it and realized it made me sound like I don't support overtures to stop child-slavery. So I'm going with it.

Check this shit out. It's sad and well made! I love that!

J Dilla | Nothing Like This

J Dilla, "your favorite producer's favorite producer" is such a posthumous badass that when he's not (already having laid) down beats for Common or Kanye West or Pharell, he's (already made) fucking awesome Detroit-throttled, neo-soul jams. I don't know who made this video, but this is one of those videos that makes the rest of the scene look like they're just not trying.

Rest in Beats, J Dilla.

Ladytron | Velocifero

Whereas previous Ladytron records focused on more steady cadency and reoccurring vocal patterns, Velocifero (meaning Bringer of Speed) demonstrates more confident shifts in rhythm and tone. A more intense and urgent sound, akin to mid-90s Depeche Mode, emerges on their new record- like there is something to ve conveyed.

"It can be good to have a chip on your shoulder when you're making music, it is an energy for some", Daniel admits, "but that doesn't need to manifest itself in an emotional way. It's like putting down "Black Cat" as the first track. It's setting the scene for the rest of the album. It's a statement of intent."

That first track, "Black Cat," is sung in Mira's native Bulgarian tongue - not the only track not in English. The girls do sound like they've explored their voices a little more- but not in some awesome lesbian vocal way, but in that there's a little more touch-and-go with the vox.

Velocifero is nonetheless a solid effort- It's slated for release in the US and Europe May 30th so keep your eyes peeled.

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DWNLD | Black Cat

Lykke Li | I'm Good, I'm Gone

Uhh... LOVE this video. And it's got such a well articulated beat. And it's by a cute 21YO Swedish chanteuse that does an equally cute boxing dance. Very pouty vocals with an eccentric staccato-ness to it- like a little pouty girl scuffing her shoes. Enjoy this song before it's remixed (read: raped) by Spanish DJs, because it's totally headed there. Mmmm... Ibiza...

Joe Coleman | Devotio Moderno

(Coleman's) fascination with themes derived from religion and primitive painting, and his meticulous and detailed style of unabashed realism, have led to numerous comparisons between his art and the paintings of the northern renaissance. All his works are united by a very personal autobiographical theme, and in many ways relate to the early primitive devotional paintings. This exhibition allows admirers of Joe's work to see the imagery that influences him, and provides a unique opportunity to see masterpieces of the northern renaissance side by side with masterpieces by today's greatest "primitive" painter. Similarly, seeing works by Memling and his contemporaries in this setting, gives us an opportunity to truly appreciate their shameless realism, and the modernity of expression they gave to religious work of the 15th century still provides a resonant critique of the human condition today.

Björk | Wanderlust

This video is, in a word, luscious.

Directed by Encyclopedia Pictura. Apparently a 3D version exists if you have the necessary eyewear. Want!

Portishead | Machine Gun

Portishead's new album is amazing. So many good tracks, dude, so many But Machine Gun was one that I thought could be skipped over without detrement to the oeuvre of the album. Oddly enough, that's the first single/video from the album. Huh.

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bear like mouse | Rue St. Anne

I had big plans this weekend. Drinking with the guys. Hip hop show. Finishing the last chapter of the book on overcoming procrastination I've been working on. Somehow I instead found myself perched over my pedal board and loop machine with my Mac burning a hole through my leg. I ended up spending a decent amount of my weekend making a new song and I ended up really, really liking.

I'm gonna call it a Gaze-Hop tune because, while I could wax genrefication, at its core it's a dronal shoegaze song with a trip-hop beat (maybe Shoetrip would be better?). Also, it's 15:51 long, making it the longest BLM song yet (though Ben and I have one in the works that may be longer).

Check this noise out...

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bear like mouse | Muxtape

Muxtape was an online mixtape community that was the toast of the Twitter for about five minutes. Anyway, I made a mix as well and I think it's really good. Go check it out (now.).

CLCK: Bear Like Muxtape

The Grape Lady Remix

If you don't already know what this is, watch the first video, then put on your dancing shoes and watch the second one. (I realize this is in moderate-to-very bad taste, but I'm going to rationalize it by saying that she did try to cheat!)

Menomena | Evil Bee

Cult of Luna | Dim

You know what? This blog has been way too wimpy way too long. Growing up I was fortunate enough to have a wide variety of music to listen to. My first two albums that I ever purchased with my allowance were:

Paula Abdul- Forever Your Girl
AND
Slayer - Reign in Blood
I can get down to a dancey tune, chill out to a little spacey post-rock, hell, I'll even listen to some feminist bitch over her acoustic guitar from time to time. But when it comes down to it, I'm never not in the mood for something that's way too loud.


Sweden's Cult of Luna do that so well, dude, so so well. Emerging from a similar vein as Isis and Neurosis and Godflesh, these guys have, in my opinion, got massive-sounding, low-end, sludgey metal down to a science. I know, I know, get seven well-dressed, good looking Swedish boys, give them a shitton of amps and guitars and synthesizers and try not to get a good band. This is one of the most well-recorded and immense-sounding records I own.

This song, "Dim," is off their latest (though not necessarily new) album, Somewhere Along the Highway, which also features one of my most-scrobbled tracks ever- "Dark City, Dead Man."

UPDATE:
CoL just announced the completion of their new album, "The Eternal Kingdom", this morning. Supposedly a "much heavier and darker affair than previous albums." Kind of scary considering that I don't know that they can get much heavier. Darker, sure, but who can't sink a little deeper. I'll keep you posted on this because I'm really excited about it.


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DOWNLOAD | Dim

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Thom Yorke | And It Rained All Night (Burial Remix)

Fresh off my own Radiohead remix, I thought it appropriate that I just discovered these Thom Yorke remixes. Truth be told, Thom Yorke's work lends itself much more heavily to being remixed than does Radiohead.

There's something about to incessant click and blip of both the beats of Thom Yorke and Burial that makes this such a flush remix. It's not a departure in anyway from Thom Yorke's original work but it unquestionably smacks of Burial. This is from a new The Eraser remix album that also features Modeselektor - another appropriate track.

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And It Rained All Night (Burial Remix)


Skip Divided (Modeselektor Remix)

Sigur Rós | Heima

I've been meaning to post this. This movie is fantastic.



Pick it up here.

Solid Gold | Bible Thumper

How many of you remember THIS show? Absolutely phenomenal. The way their bodies writhe and sommersault about, imposed upon Top 40 80's hits that were never meant to be danced (let alone coreographed) to. It really is solid effing gold.

In much the same way (but without any self-referential irony) the Minneapolis band, Solid Gold, conducts the same kind of "should I dance? Yeah... I probably should" magic. This band is pretty much one well-thrown party away from blowing up. Throbbing basslines, sugary synths, and dark-stroke-soothing vocals wash all about like a bleary underwater disco. Read: you can move all you want, but ultimately you move where the ocean wants you to.

Go listen to the below song. The get your PayPal UserID ready (and/or pray they get a distribution deal) and buy the album. Dudes, you know you can put this on iTunes you know!?)

LISTN | Bible Thumper

bearlikemouse | Nude (bearlikemouse mix)

Dear Radiohead,

Here you go.

Also, thanks for letting us do this. That was a lot of fun.

Cheers,

Justin

Monkeys on Motorcycles

This reminds me a lot of the overloaded-with-cute post I had a while ago about the Japanese Monkey who had to wrangle five bulldogs across a city.

This actually seems kind of dangerous for the monkey, but they sure know how to drive a motorcycle. I'm impressed that they even use the brake.