What up? We'll have a post up some time this weekend summarizing everything worth mention for New Year's Eve, so stay tuned for that. Also, local record reviews and various other odds and ends are on their way as well. Here's what's up for the weekend: FRIDAY
Starkey | Tiny | Keith P | Select (Green Elephant) Select's birthday party features Phily's Starkey, who brings the usual combo of Ghettotech, dubstep, grime and hip hop tracks (with a focus on rough, minimal beats) to Green Elephant, which honestly has one of the better sound systems you'll find in Dallas outside of one of those big hip hop/techno clubs downtown. SMU douchebags in the house? Sure. But a lot of those guys clear out for Central Booking stuff, leaving most of the club free for decent human beings to have fun. Just kidding Stangs, I love you bros!
It's What We Get | Jeremy Jackson (The Cavern) Alan Palomo's excellent DJ crew It's What we Get will bring their eclectic record collection to Dallas tonight for a Melissas Delux show. Expect to hear everything from Italo to the latest French club tracks to classic Detroit and Chicago. I'm not sure that I've ever seen one of Jeremy Jackson's sets, but from what I hear he has a similar command on the all the latest shit as well as ghosts of dance music past that are continuing to be turned into dance music present.
SATURDAY
Black Mayonnaise | Breathing Problem | Taint | Chief Death Rage | T.E.F./ SUBKommander | Voyant (House of Tinnitus): A somewhat metal focused show at H.O.T. that probably won't be much fun for anyone going through a "freak folk" stage. BM's myspace page doesn't feature any music, and I haven't heard them through any other source (other than some short clips), but they do claim to be inspired by bands like Butthole Surfers, Godflesh and Big Black, and they describe themselves as "experimental sludge metal," so I'm guessing they could be pretty good, or pretty rude, or both. Being compared to "Sleep with DJ Screw producing" doesn't hurt either. Austin's Breathing Problem fool with television recordings and waves of violent white noise and feedback to produce a rather bleak ambiance, while Denton's Voyant work from a more electronic oriented base that features the slightest hint of rhythm scattered throughout the static transmissions. SUBKommander's slightly quieter and more atmospheric pieces will provide a nice change of pace during the show, as will Chief Death Rage's punishing stoner rock.
Florene | Bryce Isbell | Sunnybrook and members of Mom | David Larsen | Verulf | Peace Corpse | Gun Gun (J&Js) This thing gets kicked off at 5pm at J&Js, and although I'm not certain of the order of the line up, I think it's a pretty good bet that you'll enjoy most of these bands, especially if you ARE going through a freak folk stage. Of course, Peace Corpse don't have much to do with folk, instead bringing a bit of airy light synth pop with various new romantic and classic house influences. The goofy vocals make the whole package a bit, uh, "challenging" at times, but it could be fun. Elsewhere, Gun Gun club is a local band I've never heard before, and considering that I know about everything before everyone, it's kind of surprising. What is even more surprising is that they're quite good, featuring Record Hop's Ashley Cromeens and a lo-fi folk/bedroom pop approach that works quite well with the group's simple pop songs, calling to mind the early 90's DIY/twee aesthetic. I haven't had a chance to see the haunting Verulf live before, but anyone who digs Phosphorescent and some of the quiet Akron/Family tracks will surely want to catch the set. Sunnybrook's electroacoustic stuff is also solid, and at the end of the day, my freak folk joke falls flat because this line up is rather diverse and should make for a good time.
Van Morrison (Meyerson Symphony Center) If you have a minimum of $150, you can rock and roll at this show. I love Van Morrison as much as the next guy, but I'm not even gonna joke about paying for this show.
Hot Flash with Killtronix/Schwa (Fallout Lounge) The Cool Out dudes bring the party to Fallout, and it's always a good, cover free spot to check out on a Saturday evening. I mean Cool Out events, not the Fallout. Not sure if Big J will be in attendance or not.
SUNDAY
Nothing I could find as of now, but we'll keep you posted if anything comes up.
Hey everyone... here's the weekender. Since baby Jesus' birthday is coming up soon, we've decided to take a few days off, but we'll be back on Thursday the 27th with some local focused year end stuff and a few surprises for you. Happy Holidays everyone, you're all very special to all of us at WSJR HQ*:
*Just kidding, we hate you
FRIDAY
The Party (Zubar) So last month I was all "Man, I've been to every Zubar party for the past year, so I'm gonna take a break from it tonight." And then after a few hours when I couldn't find anything else to do, I cruised by Zubar only to find that there was a huge line, the place was packed, and it looked really fun. But it was raining and I didn't feel like waiting in line so I said screw it. Guess I should've just gone in the first place.
Mom | Balmorhea | The Theater Fire (3114 Swiss Ave) Another edition of the always fun Swiss Ave parties, this one features Mom, who might have produced the most widely praised and commerically successful local release of the year (this side of St. Vincent), and Theater Fire, who received their fair share of praise last year along the same lines. These parties are always $5 and BYOB, although they typically have some free kegs inside if you get there early. I've heard that the door guy tends to Dude Bro out on people from time to time, but the atmosphere is always very friendly and a lot of fun once you get inside. Balmorhea is an Austin acoustic group that is like a more mellow, less electronic Mom. Quite subdued, but the DJ playing Italo disco in between sets should add some energy. The fliers say the party starts at 9, but these things almost always run well past two.
Laptop Deathmatch Christmas Party (Minc) Various deathmatchers will be performing tonight (including the acclaimed Convextion) before Wanz, Alex Ander and Robert Taylor spin a variety of dance tracks on Minc's above average sound system.
Pleasant Grove | Baboon | King Bucks | Greater Good (Doublewide) I would call this show one of those WTF Doublewide mismatched line ups, but its a 1310 The Ticket show, so it gets a couple bonus points for a something less than P1 ticket listener. I would head over there just for the chance to watch Danny be rude to some of the dorky p1s that will surely be in attendance.
The Crash that Took Me (FREE- Good Records) So The Crash that Took Me has been getting a little "buzz" around town lately, meaning that a couple of their little buddies at the Observer have decided to start writing about how "totally amazing" and "rockin" they are so that they can all feel cool together. But I really shouldn't dismiss the press they've received as some sort of aging hipster quid pro quo for guest list spots to half empty shows, because in all honesty, this band is an Observer critic's wet dream: imagine if U2 borrowed the Verve's equipment for a few days and started performing songs written by that dude from the Goo Goo Dolls, and you'd unfortunately be pretty close to how these guys sound. It's as if the mid 90's never went away with these people, you know? And no, little Nigel Godrich lazer sounds do NOT make your band either shoegaze OR experimental, ok my man? But they will be having free beer for some kind of video release party this evening at 8pm at Good Records, so I might go there and scoop up a couple cups and buy some magazines or something.
Strawberry Fields will be showing a surprise movie at 9pm tonight. BYOB if you're down.
SATURDAY
Hands Up with Blaqstarr | Rye Rye | Playboy | The Party (The Loft) Baltimore Mad Decent DJ, M.I.A. collaborator and mixtap superstar Blaqstarr comes through Dallas with his city sound in full force and his ultra hip connections on full display. The guy has been profiled in URB and the Fader as well, meaning that his club cred is well established at this point. However, I'm actually most excited about seeing Rye Rye's performance since she is one of the youngest, sassiest and most skilled female MCs I've heard in a long time-- great minimal production from Blaqstarr only helps to emphasize her strong flow as well, and I'm hoping she's learned how to rock a mic live. I'll probably be there early to see for myself. Props to Central Booking for putting a really exciting show together.
The Frenz (Space--6pm) Part of a large visual art show featuring free drinks, etc. Good way to start the evening. Space is at 2814 Main St. in Dallas.
King Harvest Winter Solstice Festival (Hailey's) A variety of local Denton bands will be swapping members and covering various songs by various musical heroes. Details here.
Stereo on Strike Holiday Party (Zubar) Solid line up of DJs including Sean Vargas, Robert Taylor, Wanz and others. No cover.
10. Red Krayola, Sighs Trapped By Liars: Red Krayola reunites with the conceptual art collective/activist group Art And Language, for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century to produce one of the year's surprise releases and the closest thing to a "new" release from a reunited band I had on my list. The music found on their old releases, "Kangaroo," "Black Snakes" and especially "Corrected Slogans," I used to put on to push the buttons of Blood Brothers fans who thought they had pretty "out there" tastes. This record was expectedly a little smoother than some of the spiky structures and absurdist radical lyricism on their old recordings, but some of the vocals are still strange enough to wrinkle the brow of the average indie rocker, and their political and social conscience is obviously still bothering them. You'll miss the lopsided bitchiness of Mayo Thompson's insane singing voice, but marvel at how well the Art And Language collective has aged and matured.
9. Various Artists,After Dark Compilation: Upon first aural examination this seems like a dance music compilation, largely indebted to disco, paying direct tribute to Kraftwerk and early electro, nothing too complicated there. I've probably listened to this while working my straight job more than just about any other release this year, and there is something intriguingly somber and longing about most of these songs. This isn't just another coke abuse soundtrack but instead, the music that accompanies the void that encompasses you as you drive home from the club, city skyline in your rearview mirror. Perfect for Dallas. This is the celebratory release of a new Mike Simonetti venture, a man who has stayed a step or two ahead of the music industry for a long time now. If someone knows whether or not he ever released that Breadwinner bootleg he was threatening to subversively let loose on the market, please email me.
8. ESG,A South Bronx Story Vol. 2: The first South Bronx Story compilation by ESG was one of the most mind-blowing comps I had ever heard, all the way back in 2000. As entirely accessible as it was historically significant, it was great to find that this second volume was almost every bit as good as the first. Combining rarities and b-sides, this is incredibly immediate music, by a group that shares the very rare position of being pioneers of post-punk, hip-hop, and dance music, all without sounding like idiots. As the album progresses, the ability to still come up with beautifully simplistic basslines, obnoxiously danceable funk drumming and often hilarious upbeat vocals with the same enthusiasm for over two decades is astounding. Some of the cheap sounding guitar fuzz solos from the later years bothered me at first, but only added to the fun upon repeated listening.
7. Violent Squid,FYG Trio Split LP: One of the things I noticed about this album was the way it made people say things like, "It's too bad this isn't on a nationally distributed label. People should really hear it." Or similar sentiments expressed by people who usually don't care about such things. It is actually a shame considering this album was one of the most noteworthy releases this year period. It left me dumb-founded after each listen, scratching my head at how out of time and place it ultimately sounds. More specifically, the ghosts of 20th Century Avant America haunt the creaks, scratches and bleats of the record, ironically inoculating it from ever having to suffer the trend-scarred effects of age. Sans reissues, I don't even know if I could say that for the other entries on this list.
6. Shellac, Excellent Italian Greyhound: Thought at first I was sometimes confused and disappointed by Shellac's newest record, I realized that their last album "1000 Hurts" also had some unexpected turns that threw me when I first heard it, and it has since achieved a classic status with many of its fans. Comparing a band's newest record to live shows you've caught or bootleg performances you've heard is often a futile exercise, and it helps to try to separate a record from those expectations, if possible. There are definitely some weird moments here but there are also some strange moments in their live show, therefore making the record more of an accurate representation than previously thought. I've gotten used to the long-winded monologues but I still don't know if I can deal with a Strongbad cameo. When the speeches end and this record really kicks in, there's nothing else like it.
5. Neurosis,Given To The Rising: Over the course of several diverse projects including Tribes Of Neurot, a collaboration with Jarboe and their last full-length, "The Eye Of Every Storm," longtime Neurosis fans might have had the understandable concern that these Metal and Hardcore pioneers had softened for good. Though Neurosis had taken a respectable stab at so many different styles and concepts, you often found yourself wondering if they would return to their notoriously punishing selves. This record should lay to rest such fears, as it certainly did my own. This two disc set was a welcome beating, and its strength lies in its direct attack. There is very little time change gimmickry and other hallmarks of the prog metal they've inspired, instead there is the constant barrage of a basic Sabbath-sized seventies groove beat that keeps pummeling for over an hour. Expect to embarrassingly be unable to stop yourself from making demonic faces while air-drumming in slow motion.
4. HEALTH, HEALTH: For a group that has so meticulously plotted each concept, visual representation, feedback loop, vocal effect and analog drum pad sound , it's a wonder that HEALTH still made a record that sounds so ready to fly off the hinges and singe your eyebrows as it blasts through each of the carefully crafted tracks. Ambient room sound compliments the huge drumming, in direct contrast to the chilling lilt of singer Jake Duzsik's voice, thusly creating a deftly honed hysteria that claws its way through the sizzle and spark shower of hot-wired electronics. One of the uniting forces between those who dance and those who slam dance.
3. Death Sentence: Panda,Festival Of Ghosts: One of the more overlooked bands from the extremely active West Coast music scene, Death Sentence Panda utilize horns in their No Wave inspired music, reminiscent of "Don Gavanti," which is hailed as being the lone operetta that the genre yielded. Almost completely forgotten (but not quite thanks to Ze and Atavistic reissues) is the way that No Wave progressed, surprisingly similar to more boring strains of 70's rock, and eventually incorporated elements of World Music into its sonic vocabulary. This is mirrored in "Festival Of Ghosts," which brings to mind gamelan orchestras, The Sun City Girls Eastern influenced experimentation, and the unraveling rhythms of Albert Ayler's spiritually inspired work. This risky and unexpected move from such a young group is actually excellent, and its ominous clang will stick with you. The second side of this vinyl release is very different live material from an earlier stage in DS:P's development and will quickly convince you what drew people to this band in the first place.
2. Koji Kondo/Eat Avery's Bones, Split 7 Inch: Koji Kondo rose from the ashes of Blonde Girls, who made my top ten records list last year and I'm not surprised to see them here again, with another excellent seven inch. They were one of the most ferocious live bands this year, a status they absolutely catapulted to by destroying living rooms and spaces all around town. This record captures a band that isn't just chugging out crossed-arm dudecore, but a handful of some of the most inventive and dynamic charged bits of music that the area has ever produced. The tug, push, and pull of this sophisticated punk is only heightened by the thoughtful and often poetic bite of the lyrics, that take the long way around "Fuck You." The other side is almost the opposite in many ways, since Eat Avery's Bones is probably more interested in being as grotesque as possible with the Eff Word as opposed to telling anyone off. They're too busy having fun for that. Their keyboard infused gross-out music with the busy rhythm section has been a favorite of the blog since its early days, and it was a true joy to throw that vision on the turntable for the first time.
1. Pylon, Gyrate Plus: As I mentioned in a "Heavy Rotation" piece earlier this year, I don't know if the "Gyrate" reissue fully demonstrates the point that Pylon are early dance-punk pioneers as well as their second record does, but it hardly matters. The fact that this is in print is definitely something we should all think DFA for. The scratchy guitars chicken pecking at the melodic basslines over the shifting drum beats and of course, the occasional disco rhythm is a sound that has aged so well that eighteen year olds are still churning this kind of thing out, and that's remarkable. But this band should also be remembered for the uniquely vulnerable and angry vocal performances of lead singer, Vanessa Briscoe Hoy. Their work might have been even more marginalized if it weren't for her. This is truly a band that should be held in the same esteem as Gang Of Four or Mission Of Burma and it's nice to see someone as popular and busy as James Murphy took the time and energy to acknowledge that.
These fliers were so cool, I had to include both of them...
Kilt | Acre | Bully Pulpit | PSOAS (House Of Tinntus) This noise show looks to be heavy on formlessness and drone, and it sounds like it will be on the harsher side of things, as opposed to ambient. Acre might be the lone exception, as their serene name suggests. PSOAS is a collaboration between House Of Tinnitus | Aphonic Curtains' member Rob Buttrum and Jonah from The 8th Continent. Jonah will be using his DIY electronics which I've seen him use live before, and they create a pretty impressive racket. By the way Kilt, that's a hell of a URL you've got there.
Antelope | Attractive and Popular | El Paso Hot Button | Balthazar | Prince William(City Tavern) This looks like a pretty good show, especially since it's free. Antelope describe themselves as playing "meditative, stripped-down punk music" of the sort that you don't hear much anymore. Attractive And Popular make yet another appearance featuring their straight-ahead dance rock and uniformed live antics. El Paso Hot Button has a pretty interesting one-man band routine, but the music is fairly standard riff rock. Prince William will be spinning records in between bands.
Strawberry Fields' Short Attention Span Theater (Rubber Gloves) Tonight will be a Christmas edition featuring holiday commercials, videos, and other thing you might enjoy watching drunk. They'll also have $1 PBRs and a free copy of the Denton Deluxe CD to give away.
Bridges and Blinking Lights | Colour Revolt | Handbrake (Hailey's) I honestly haven't been to Bridges and Blinking Lights' Myspace page in a long time, and I had kind of forgotten what they sounded like. Based on the tracks I just listened to, the band is pretty all over the place stylistically, with influences such as Elephant 6 and R.E.M. and Big Star and Led Zep and various 80's college rock staples shining through most clearly. It doesn't make me want to puke, and that's pretty cool considering that I'm sick right now. And although they are listed in the middle of the line up, I'm guessing that Colour Revolt are headlining. They sort of sound like what would happen if Uncle Tupelo reformed as a Snow Patrol cover band and started thinking Radiohead was totally sweet.
Despite what the little link says at the bottom of the post, these are my (Stonedranger's) favorite albums of the year. DL's will be coming a little later today in another post that will also say "Defensive Listening" at the bottom. Cool? Let's do it (we're missing a couple download links, but they will be there some time today)
Favorite DJ Mixes (Not in order)
Spank Rock, Fabriclive 33
Jesse Rose, Body Language Vol. 3
Lindstrom and Prins Thomas, Essential Mix
Ellen Allien, Fabric 34
Booka Shade, DJ Kicks
Keith P, Bass Music
Skull Disco
Prince William, XXXL (We Shot a Mix Vol. IV)
James Murphy and Patrick Mahoney, Fabriclive 36
Honorable Mentions (Albums)
Cass McCombs, Dropping the Writ
Ariel Pink, Scared Famous
A Place to Bury Strangers, s/t
YACHT, I Believe in You, Your Magic is Real
Psychedelic Horseshit, Magic Flowers Droned
Bjorn Torske, Feli Knapp
Modeselektor, Happy Birthday
Ulrich Schnauss, Goodbye
Dan Deacon, Spiderman of the Rings
M.I.A., Kala
Dirty Projectors, Rise Above Soft Circle, Full Bloom
Health, Health
The Clientele, God Save the Clientele
Pissed Jeans, Hope for Men
Electrelane, No Shouts, No Calls
Wolves in the Throne Room, Two Hunters
Big Business, Here Comes the Waterworks Strategy, Future Rock
Gui Boratto, Chromophobia
16. The Tough Alliance, New Chance: Although this is a Scandinavian dance pop record with dream pop tendencies that incorporates Afro-beat, reggae, house, hip hop and Latin influences effortlessly, it's still surprising how strange this album is. The two teenagers behind Tough Alliance seemingly came out of nowhere this year (although they've been making music for several years) to create a sugary sweet pop record that is way too emotionally complex, powerful, and memorable for two damn kids to have made. This is just a really fun pop record that doesn't feel stupid. 16 is a strange number to start a year end list with, I know, but I just had to say something about this album.
15. No Age, Weirdo Rippers: So L.A. hardcore is cool again and all that shit, but to me the real story here is how this is only sort of a west coast punk record. Of course there are some total fist pumpers on here for sure, but whenever No Age starts getting into noise build ups and ambient/shoegaze experiments is when the album gets really interesting, making the fast/loud ones seem that much more urgent while injecting a degree of variety and sophistication that separates this album from a pack of similar art/core west coast releases this year. They remind me of the excellent Japanther in many ways, but that never hurt nobody.
14. Black Moth Super Rainbow, Dandelion Gum: Another record that I couldn't get away from this year, this one had a mood all its own, and the album cover probably provides a pretty good visualization of its sound. Technicolor, abstract and just a little bit goofy, bits of Air, Beta Band, Stereolab and various hip hop influences combine on a record that you'll either love or hate: if you can hang with the robot vocals found on pretty much the entire album, you'll enjoy discovering all the surprises found in the bright sounds and generous grooves. If not, then I don't know what to tell you. Probably a good album for French new disco kids to listen to on a weed break or whatever it is they do when they aren't getting their pictures taken. LINK "Neon Syrup for the Cemetery Sisters"
13. Times New Viking, Present the Paisley Reich: It's rare to see the phrases "harsh noise" and "power pop" used to describe the same record, but you could probably apply both of those descriptors to this record and end up being sort of right. Times New Viking sort of remind me of the punk rock I listened to in high school and junior high, and the album kind of sounds like it was recorded by the same dude who recorded my friend's high school punk band in his parents' garage, but it all totally works far beyond nostalgia. The fierce, bassless lo-fi aesthetic is completely perfect here, as the ultra catchy sing song choruses found throughout shine through with an even greater sense of urgency and excitement thanks to the savvy, less-is-more production choices. Coming off as a long lost late 80's/early 90's Olympia band with a jones for the Descendents and X Ray Spex, Times New Viking have produced an energetic, instantly charming punk as fuck sing along album that I'm praying I'll get to hear live some time soon. LINK"Devo and Wine"
12. Phosphorescent, Pride: This one really struck a chord with me the instant I started listening to it, as the opening lines " I don't want to take it baby, I don't want to break it baby, I don't want to try and make you anyway" start to spread out from a simple acoustic guitar/voice set up into a haunting production with a full band (although lone member Mathew Houck plays every last note) that inhabits a dreamy, almost otherworldly space without wandering far from the organic qualities that make this record so pleasant. The whole thing is quiet, loose, and certainly not a pick me up, but it sounds like it was written by a person who has spent a bit too much time in isolation, and the chance to peer into such an existence is quite rewarding when it sounds this striking and sad. LINK "Wolves"
11. A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Scribble Mural Comic Journal: I'm actually a bit surprised by the lack of attention this album received in the blogosphere, because I though it was one of the most interesting and truly adventurous new records I heard all year. A Sunny Day in Glasgow on Mushrooms would probably be a more complete and appropriate name for this band, as their entire debut record seems to maintain a relaxed, breezy disposition with a clear level of paranoia and chaos resting beneath the surface. Bits of shoegaze, early IDM and avant noise/ambient sound collage are peppered throughout an album that always seems just about ready to ditch song structure and melody all together without ever actually doing it. A truly gorgeous and easy collection of songs that takes risks and rewards listeners who stick around for at least a couple spins.
10. King Khan and the Shrines, What Is?!: Fuck. The reason this album rules is actually pretty simple: it is completely exciting in every way that you could possibly expect a rock n roll album to be. I like Black Lips as much as the next dude I suppose, but to me, this was the "garage" record of the year by a long shot. Mixing varying dosage levels of punk, soul and motown in addition to a spastic, electrifying brand of rock n roll that very few people seem to be able to capture anymore, King Khan digs through the vaults to produce a record that succeeds where so many others like it have failed-- it sounds as dirty and authentic as you could want it to without ever resting on the laurels of a well executed genre exercise. It sounds like King Khan is hearing all this music for the first time.
9. Burial, Untrue: So it seems that this has become the album that you have to include on your 2007 "Best of" list if you want to seem edgy and cool, but shit, denying its greatness because everyone else is jamming to it would be just as bad as singing its praises for the same reason. The truth is, Untrue is probably the most approachable dubstep album ever produced, but that doesn't mean it is any kind of dubstep-lite: dark, druggy liquid basslines rumble in the background as vocal samples and rushes of reverb fade in and out like the soundtrack to a dream as Burial deconstructs R&B and hip hop in a way that someone really needed to. It's still headphone music for record dorks in most parts of this country, but we're lucky enough here in Dallas to have an excellent dubstep night with a great soundsystem (Dub Assembly at Green Elephant) that allows us to hear this material in the right context: loud and with an audience.
8. Studio, Yearbook 1: One of the most surprising records of the year for me: two Swedish dudes were somehow able to take The Cure, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, and even a dash of New Order to make what was primarily a kraut influenced rock record that ended up sounding like a space disco party mix gone pop. Reads like convoluted bullshit, right? Well try listening to it, because that is really what it sounds like.
7. Ricardo Villalobos, Fabric 36: Villalobos sort of has a reputation for being a druged out buffoon on a permanent "K" trip, but the thought and precision involved in creating the material found on this, one of the best Fabric records ever produced, could not have come from someone who didn't know exactly what they were doing. These all original tracks build up in such a subtle manner that you don't even realize the direction their headed, and by the time the album takes off at the end with two tracks heavily influenced by anthemic South American folk pop, the fact that people all over the world are calling Villalobos' material "protest" music doesn't seem quite so surprising anymore, even if the dancefloor is the place where he thinks it will all go down. A truly stellar collection of tracks that form the kind of full length many probably doubted Villalobos was capable of making.
6. Various Artists, After Dark: I know this isn't an album in the sense that it isn't all original material performed by a single artist, but I had to give this one some serious props since it happened to be one of my most listened to records of 2007. These days, most people who read music blogs are more than familiar with the existence of "Italo Disco," so citing it as an influence is no longer the hipster trump card it once was. But where so many who dabble in the genre are simply rehashing long lost dancefloor classics in order to cash in on cool currency, the groups on Italians Do it Better have created a musical universe all their own, taking Euro disco, early German electro and traces of funk influenced American mainstream disco and turning into something that stands entirely on its own. Most of these tracks are icy, sexy, and a bit audacious, but their heavily stylistic nature never overshadows the great substance to be found in the production, which will likely render this group of artists something more than a passing hipster fad.
5. Caribou, Andorra: Dan Snaith always seems to make the kinds of records I would love to make if I made music. Andorra is pure psychedelic pop for the present era, and it is Snaith's greatest achievement as a musician thus far. Heavily steeped in the 60's without ever looking to the past for more than a moment, every song on this album is immediately memorable thanks to a set of influences that ranges from The Zombies to Silver Apples to Arthur Russell and somehow finds quite a happy medium among them, thus helping to push the evolution of psychedelic pop in all the right directions without a single nod to Elephant 6. LINK
4. The Field, From Here We Go Sublime: The label "minimal techno" seems to universally strike fear in the hearts of almost all American audiences, but The Field presents a pretty good argument for how this bias might be overcome. Of course, the only real reason why someone might want to call this a "minimal" record is because of its spot on the Kompakt roster, because when you consider its mesmerizing layers of sound, subdued nostalgic samples and somewhat dancefloor friendly beats, the real achievement of this record truly shines through-- it caters to no particular genre army while revealing the possibilities for emotionally accessible dance music to reach a broader audience. Sure, it's cold, strange, and very Euro, but the mysterious space it inhabits proves quite inviting whenever you permit yourself to stay there for a little while. A perfect soundtrack to a winter of ups and downs.
LINK
3. Panda Bear, Person Pitch: There probably isn't much else that can be said about this album that you haven't already heard, but as a person who was skeptical of its greatness at first, I can say that it took me a little time to figure out exactly what was going on here. Put in its proper context, Person Pitch is an album that is probably stuck between a rock and a hard place in the sense that it is entirely too strange to receive proper recognition from the mainstream as an achievement in pop, while at the same time remaining accessible and familiar enough to be dismissed in some circles as "not breaking any new ground." All that is well and good, but when you permit yourself to get lost in its surprising song construction, triumphant samples and warm, sunny production, "proper context" doesn't seem to matter too much anymore. LINK
2. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver: Just when it seemed like it was time for everyone to start getting sick of this smart ass James Murphy character, the guy went ahead and stuck it to the cynics with an album that was leaps and bounds beyond LCD Soundsystem's exciting yet spotty debut. A lot has been made about some of the slower, more melodic song oriented pieces on the album ( "Someone Great," "All My Friends"), but the dance tracks were equally thrilling-- "Get Innocuous" sounds like David Bowie should have sounded on Let's Dance, and "Watch the Tapes" brims with the kind of excitement that you probably wouldn't expect from "a fat guy in a t-shirt doin' all the singing." The only near misstep is probably album closer "New York I Love You," an obvious ode to Berlin era Lou Reed, but the balls it took to close this album out with a slow, heartfelt piano/vocals piece more than makes up for its initial awkwardness. And oh yeah, I ended up really liking it after a while too.
1. Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedala: Vice Magazine's review of this record ended with the sentence "The only thing gayer would be to put a homo getting a haircut on the cover." When I first read it, I thought it was one of Vice's funniest reviews in a long time, but it didn't stop me from coming back to this album time and time again in just about any circumstance I encountered over the past few months. I listened to Lekman's larger than life post-modern pop both in moments of great happiness and at my lowest point of the year, and it resonated with me in those contexts more than anything else I listened to in 2007. Not that it's an emo cry fest by any stretch, but the unique combination of sarcasm, sadness and joyous sing-alongs made it pretty perfect for just about any mood. This choice for a #1 is probably more directly motivated by personal experience and circumstance than any other choice I made while making this list, but that is part of why this record was so much fun to listen to, and it's probably why it will be the album that brings me back to these times when I listen to it in the future. But I'm seriously not a homo, dude, I'll totally kick your ass.
Usual stuff happening tonight around town... check back later for a really big post and a really small post.
And by the way, anyone who went to Zubar for Cool Out's Saturday evening set can probably tell you how excellent it was... lots of old school r&b and disco, and it all felt really good to hear with a crazy crowd and a good sound system. Gotta give those guys credit. Anyway, they're playing tonight, as usual, at the Cavern.
1. FM3 Buddha Machine 2. Sigur Ros - Heima (DVD) 3. Dawn McCarthy & Bonny Billy - Wai Notes 4. The Crash That Took Me - Orchestrated Kaleidoscope 5. Phosphorescent - Pride 6. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup 7. Mom - Little Brite 8. Interpol - Live EP 9. Sigur Ros - Hvarf-Heim 10. Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas 11. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - American X: Baby 81 Sessions 12. Ghostland Observatory - Live from Austin, TX (DVD) 13. Tunng - Good Arrows 14. The Fiery Furnaces - Widow City 15. Sole & the Skyrider Band - Sole & the Skyrider Band 16. The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army 17. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala 18. Burial - Untrue 19. Ben Harper - Live at Twist & Shout 20. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
Good Records Local Top 5
1. The Crash That Took Me - Orchestrated Kaleidoscope 2. Mom - Little Brite 3. The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army 4. St. Vincent - Paris is Burning 5. St. Vincent - Marry Me
Strawberry Fields Local Top 3
1. Denton Deluxe v. 3 2. Violent Squid - Banned from denton trilogy 3. Forbes, Young and Gonzales - untitled
Recycled Books Local Top 3
1) Brave Combo – It’s Christmas Man 2) Brave Combo – Polka’s Revenge 3) Bubba Hernandez with Alex Meixner – Polka Freak Out
THU: Parade of Flesh Christmas with Ant3lop3/Attractive and Popular/El Paso Hot Button/Balthazar/Sober (City Tavern) THU: Kilt/Acre/Bully Pulpit/PSOAS (House of Tinnitus) THU: Matthew and the Arrogant Sea/Florene/Scarily Terrible/Verulf/Backflap (Rubber Gloves) FRI: The Party (Zubar) SAT: Hands up with Blaqstarr/Rye Rye/Playboy/The Party (The Loft)
Had to be a tad short on descriptions today, but you still want it:
FRIDAY
Tittsworth | Klever | The Party (the Loft) Most of the Klever stuff I've heard has been of the mash up variety, which usually pisses me off when I'm sitting at home listening to it by myself. When you listen to them that way, mash ups are so annoying that even making fun of them is annoying. But I have to admit, I recently caught a bit of a Klever set on vacation in another town, and it was pretty fun. There were enough people going crazy and enough things to drink to make me not care so much about my anti-mash up agenda. In short, it was a party, and it was good. Am I saying that you'd have to be drunk to like it? No. But I'm also saying that you probably shouldn't judge a party DJ by listening to a mix at home by yourself. Tittsworth basically takes the concept of irony (the hipster one not the real one) and turns it upside down with sets that are so hit heavy and populist that you can't even tell whether the guy is being sarcastic or not. I think he was rockin' to Kris Kross the last time I checked in with him.
Character Flaws (Tractorbeam) This art show, curated by DJ Sober, will feature work by Tony Bones, Matt Rodriguez, Michael Sieben, and Pars. Takes place at Tractorbeam, located at 325 S Central Expressway in Dallas, and goes from 6-9pm. I'm guessing free food and drinks are involved.
SATURDAY
Nouns Group | Kaboom | The Numerators | La Panza (Strawberry Fields) Couldn't locate any information on La Panza (maybe someone can get us a Myspace link in the comments or something), but this Saturday night show, which has become a regular event at Strawberry Fields (everyones new favorite place to see a free show), features a couple local favorites as well as Lubbock's Numerators, who sound like a band well worth seeing. Fans of Nouns Group or Koji Kondo will likely dig their stuff, although they seem to go off into quiet little experimental pieces from time to time that border on goofy but are still pretty interesting.
Teenage Cool Kids | Koji Kondo | Angry Businessmen | Hide and Secret (715 Panhandle) This is the last local show in the immediate future for both of these bands as they will be hitting the road for a tour in the coming days. Panhandle is a place where these groups seem to be most in their element, so expect a packed house. Seems like the current musical climate is just right for a band like Koji to start building an audience outside the area, and maybe this will be the tour where they start doing it.
Vorvadoss | Four Days To Burn | Life Death Continuum (918 Cameron in Dallas) This is a BBQ potluck thing that starts at 3pm in celebration of the birthday of someone. Not sure who, but everyone is invited, and if I know the crowd that will be inhabiting this party (and I think I do), this will be interesting to say the very least... and a lot of fun too.
Quick Holiday Party with Cool Out (Zubar) Cool Out dudes will be spinning classic funk and soul all night for those who wanna hit it and quit it.
Smif N Wessun | The Party (Ridglea Theater) Free party at the Ridglea should bring out a hell of a crowd for the mass appeal tracks of Smif N Wessun....and by mass appeal, I mean kinda stupid and pretty fun.
Gil Mantera's Party Dream | Faux Fox | Prince William (Hailey's) Caught Gil Mantera's performance at the Cavern last year, and although I wasn't blown away by the jokey, throw back 90's synth funk/pop, the show was a pretty good time, and those who are into this sort of thing will probably like it quite a bit. Isn't it Christmas break for the Denton types anyway? Sunday is the new Friday for the next few weeks I guess.
VHS or Beta | Adult | Black Tie Dynasty (House of Blues) This FREE, invite only Camel event sounds fairly lame to me (the combo of VHS or Beta and Black Tie doesn't do it for me dude), but the fact that they'll be allowing people to smoke inside at the House of Blues (the venue is different, but the joke is the same) for the first time almost makes me want to go so that I can blow smoke in the faces of all the people who think our smoking laws should "be more like Austin's, man." Ha Ha. Adult does some decent classic Detroit influenced dirty electro stuff that you might want to check out too. Apparently you don't even have to have an invitation either... just be old enough to go and walk in.
It's a slow night and Christmas is coming, so I just want everyone to pause for a second and remember that Stonedranger and I aren't the kind of assholes who fill out one of those Amazon.com wishlist things and expect you to buy us something. I can't speak for all of our contributors, but I don't imagine they're that way either. You're welcome...
Lost Generation (Fallout Lounge) Stereo On Strike has some new mixes on the SOS blog, including a Frenz reworking of a Red Monroe track.
Boogdish | Heartstring Stranglers | Fake Blood (1919 Hemphill) Boogdish is a one man bass and synth act. Fake Blood is a newer duo from Fort Worth that combines keyboards, a standing drummer and a lot of spirited shouting. I can't wait to hear some recordings, as they are excellent.
