Blur - Think Tank

This is a really good album. Forget about it at your own peril. While I'm too young and not British enough to really understand this band (teenage years spent reading Q magazine drilled this fact into me before I realized that the publication was more or less Anglo-centric bollocks (a similar experience happened with Rolling Stone magazine or at least the Australian version, but the problems with that one was simpler, the writing was fucking shit.)) but I've always really appreciated their stuff; from the Brit-pop that made them famous, to the more avaunt-guard work on this album.

Ambulance is an amazing song once you get into it, really beautiful stuff, as is Good Song and Out of Time. Crazy Beat is a Fatboy Slim-produced last-ditch attempt at the charts, but least its fun and a nod back to those long gone days of Song 2. Jets is just really fucking cool.

This one of those albums that doesn't deserve to be forgotten. I know there's constant barrage of new music to our ears, and there's a more or less agreed upon list of classics to go back to. But remember, every year there is a wealth of quality and interesting albums that score (unfortunately adopting the Pitchfork scale here) a positive 7 to 8 and are subsequently forgotten about once the year is over. Maybe in criticism we should start playing favorites a bit more instead of the 'right' answers. Might mix up the lists a little bit, maybe for the better.

Blur - Ambulance

The White Stripes - "Rag and Bone"

Fuck, well there goes one of the most important and awesome bands of my time. Like it was obvious they weren't probably gonna be doing much anymore, there was always the faint hope they still had one more awesome album of songs in them like Icky Thump. Apparently it just wasn't meant to be. Its good that they seemingly have ended on terms that were good and theirs, but its still a bummer that theres not going to be anymore music coming from them from now on.

That being said, here is this awesome song from their final album, and it feels like a fitting eulogy and mission statement for the band. It captures the insanity, energy, simplicity and personality that made the band what it was. Gonna miss you guys.

James Blake - James Blake

I haven't been writing as much lately. Its a bad habit to get into as I think I've been getting better and the blog has seen a bit of growth in terms of traffic and response. Beyond that it's a really good way to organize my thoughts about music, and as such it's not something I wanna let go.

That being said, it's the beginning of the year. Last years stuff is getting wrapped up and compartmentalized in my head after my ridiculous Best of 2010 shenanigans, and I think I'm more or less waiting around for new awesome stuff to get me inspired again. Until that happens I'm more or less going to be devoting my time to practice and mixtape making (got a few on the way, stay tuned).

However the one thing that has really caught mine and everyone else's attention has been the stunning debut album from James Blake. I've written a fair bit on bass music on this blog and this stands as a crown jewel on the non club side. It comes from the same place as the XX, with a similar appeal, yet with a far reduced pallet of sounds. It continues bass musics fascination with 'pop' music (read R&B), and once again forgoes commercial appeal for a sweet bass sound, with its eyes firmly fixed on the floor.

End of the day this isn't really a coherant piece on the album itself, just trying to sort out some thoughts on it on the screen. The album is fantastic, I can't stress that enough. Only real question is, how important is this album going to be down the line?


James Blake - Unluck

Morning Benders - Excuses

Sorry for being slack on the posting. Really haven't been in a writing mood lately and finishing my top 3 for Bestof2010 is seemingly like too daunting a task right now. As an apology enjoy this (now that I think of it, strangely appropriately titled song) nice music. These guys are cool.

Best.of.2010 #4 - The Suburbs

Following the release of this album, I tried to write something about it a few times. The album really captivated me and I wanted to do it justice when writing about it. Originally I was sucked in by the fact that they’d traded in some of their grandiose for catchier riffs and it was a pretty cool album to listen to as a result. Plus I’m a sucker for any sort of concept and the lose one about suburban life is one I can relate to.

Is it white people problems? Maybe, but the album isn’t a bitch and whinge thing, it’s more of an exposition. For me, my city is one that is essentially entirely suburbs. The city is a huge sprawl, isolated from not only the rest of the world but also the rest of the country. A veritable sea of houses that clings to the coast for a glimpse of water. It’s a fairly boring city, one that has the hits of the 70’s and 80’s blasting out of car stereo’s and a number one radio station that sticks to its promises of no rap and no hard rock. It’s a city that a lot of people my age plan on leaving as soon as they graduate university. Its not a bad place to live by any means, but having seen the rest of the world, coming back to it seems like being stuck in purgatory.

The Suburbs works because it captures this idea of the sprawl through its extended tracklist and evoking the artists and music that echoes through its streets and living rooms, from classic rock, to folkier fare, to punk, to 80’s pop. Using these genres as templates, they’ve made some of the best songs of their career, while still being Arcade Fire. As such, between the songs themselves and the overarching concern of the disc, we have of on the best albums of the year.

Arcade Fire - Ready To Start - LINK REMOVED

Best.Of.2010 Honorable Mention - Lisbon

This one surprised me. Usually I don’t like The Walkmen. Apart from the blistering ball of awesome rage that is The Rat, I’ve always found them kind of boring and their lead singer annoying. Perhaps this record just found me at the right time.

I’ve been trying to work out what it is exactly about this record that makes me like it so much. Here are the top contenders so far:

• It’s Little Joy’s belligerent, drunken cousin.
• It’s like waking up on a beach at sunrise with a wicked hangover yet having the most beautiful view in the world.
• It’s a well-made and refreshing guitar pop album at a time when I’d been listening to nothing but hip-hop.
• Its got this strange blend of restlessness and contentment and maybe that contradiction is what makes it so engaging.
• Hamilton Leithauser finally chilled the fuck out
  

So if any of those things appeal to you, then maybe, just maybe, Lisbon is the album for you.

The Walkmen - Stranded

Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks

Latest song I'm obsessed with. Sweet little tune from an LA band that sounds like Peter Bjorn & John but on a more lo-fi thing. Apparently its also been getting some play on Triple J, so its getting close to actual summer jam status. Just give it a listen and you'll no doubt be playing it again.

Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks

Curren$y x Gold Panda

"Gold Panda, I wish that was my name." - Curren$y

When Pitchfork and hip-hop get mentioned in the same sentence, there’s usually some sort of eye rolling or hesitation involved. Not entirely sure why, but I’d wager its due to a perception that the arrogance, agenda setting and pretension present in its Reviews section which deals mainly in indie rock and pop is also applied to the genre of hip hop, which beyond being what people dislike about Pitchfork in the first place, it’s simply not its traditional territory of criticism.

Fortunately, there’s the Pitchfork TV show, Selector, which is more similar to the unbridled enthusiasm of the News section than the cold pretension of the Reviews. The set up is simple: take a Pitchfork approved rapper (Clipse, Big Boi, Freeway and now Curren$y) and interview them about how they pick the beats they rap over. Then play them a few indie pop, underground hip hop or LA beat examples, get them to pick one, explain why and let them freestyle away on their unconventional choice to the delighted squeals of fans who finally get to the Clipse over an MF DOOM track.

And you know what. It works! Despite the Pitchfork indie awkwardness of the whole endeavor, the intent is genuine and it gives more insight into the rapper and their creative process than the usual interviews that a promotional cycle yields. Especially this weeks episode, which features a well toasted Spitta yoga dancing, getting incredibly enthusiastic about a Gold Panda beat and hypothesising on what sort of car he drives to the studio. Its clear the man just enjoys rapping and music in general (second only to more weed), and as mentioned before it’s always a trait of a great rapper. (Weed doesn’t hurt either.) Also doesn’t hurt that he sounds right at home over Gold Panda too.

The Drums a.k.a "Can it be so simple?"

Sometimes music doesn't need to be super complex or meaningful to be deserving of attention. Sometimes it doesn't need to be the avant-garde to be written about or exclaimed. Sometimes I write about its 3 to 4 months after its been released cause I simply forgot to get it.

In this instance I'm talking about the self-titled debut from The Drums. Despite the inconspicuous name (apparently some members used to belong to a more awesomely titled band, Goat Explosion.) they make wonderfully fun music. First heard them last summer with their jam "Let's Go Surfing". There's nothing new here, nothing ground breaking, nothing to really set them apart from the field, except for the fact that they make good music. Simplicity works sometimes.

I chucked on their album while I was unpacking my new turntables and it was a perfect soundtrack to the happiness I was experiencing. I can say with absolute confidence this will be a soundtrack to my upcoming summer. I'd write more now but my brains in more of a disco space than an indie pop one, so whatever. Just go and cop the album, its summery goodness for your ears.

The Drums - The Future
Wu Tang Clan - Can It Be So Simple?

I'll Believe in Anything

This is a classic song. Every few months or so I just get obsessed and listen to it on repeat. Dunno what it is about it. Probably just makes my middle class boredom/sadness seem more epic. Kinda like the anti-National. Screw lives of quiet desperation, I want my melancholy with Victorian era bombast and fanfare. Plus dueling is totally OG.

Dave Sitek is a Cool Motherfucker

Fuck this is dope. Dave Sitek brings his general production chops to his solo work, under the name Maximum Balloon, with this jawn with a singer who sounds awfully like Tunde Adebimpe. None the less this is a sweet song, really reminiscent of the dancier TVOTR stuff, coupled with a batshit insane video. MEOW, MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW MEEEEOOOOOOOOWWWWW.

PS Still waiting on that RAAAAAAAANDY mixtape

let me go home

My friends often ask me why I have so many remixes. They're convinced that I'll never listen an original song, only remixes or circa 2 or 3 years ago, mashups. Personally theres a couple of reasons why I would have so many. Firstly, practical reasons. Often songs I love really aren't suited to djing and its necessary to have a quality edit or remix for the dancefloor. And since i organise my Serato through itunes, they all wind up on my ipod.

The second reason is more personal. I fucking love a good remix. Something that takes the original somewhere awesome or unexpected. The one thats really taken my attention at the moment is RACs remix of Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Now I was of the opinion that the original was amazing and pretty much unfuckwithable. However the RAC are known for their quality and this remix is no exception. And while I'm not going to claim its necessarily a better version, but theres something beautiful about this one. It keeps the integrity of the original while adding a strange melancholy with a gentle piano part and some wistful trumpets. This is required listening.

Home (RAC Mix) - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros