My Shitty Lolla Flickr

If it were any good then it means I wasn't enjoying the shows.

Take a look at the general goings on.


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Lollapalooza 2008

Lollapalooza 2008 was like watching a David Blaine magic trick. It was, simply and crudely put, a gigantic mindfuck. There's really nothing more surreal than walking from a seizure inducing, big beat Kanye show to a seizure inducing, big beat Nine Inch Nails show. Here are some of the highlights and lowlights of my weekend in Chicago:

• The Black Keys' set rocked out and was the best show I've seen them perform. This is sort of strange because I assumed these guys were better suited for a small venue.
• Cat Power was disappointing.
• Cadence Weapon, whom I'd never heard of, was a great surprise. Imagine MCing over House music.
• The Cool Kids fucking tore it up. Their beats translate very well to the live sector, not to mention their DJ was impressive in cutting in outside music.
  
• Radiohead blew me the hell away. I got a chance to see them back in May in St. Louis a couple rows back. However, this time I was much further back and got to see the light show a lot better and it added to the experience. Plus I finally got to see Dollars & Cents. I'm pretty sure I looked like I was tripping acid during this entire set.
• Booka Shade was awesome.
• MGMT somehow forgot that they weren't performing for Oakdale Retirement Community.
• Explosions in the Sky maintained the most festival-like experience for me this year. My girlfriend and I just sat down and listened to an hour of relaxing post-rock. One of my top highlights this year.
• Uffie, although late, stirred up a great dance party. She knows how to get a crowd going. I'm just sort of upset that she didn't bring the Ed Banger crew to do an after show.
• I had heard so many great things about Broken Social Scene live, but it was forgettable. They are, though, without some of the talent that made them as good as they once were.
• Rage Against the Machine was insane. I can't wrap my head around anyone seeing Wilco instead. Zach De La Rocha's continual requests for everyone to "take five to ten steps back" to save the poor people in the front from getting their ribs crushed is about the best way to describe what went on during their show.
• I went to an after party at The Hideout to go see Oh Snap!!, Cadence Weapon, and The Hood Internet. I got there really early and, to my delight, got to speak with Steve and Aaron of The Hood Internet. They were very kind and put up with me being a drunken jack ass. If you haven't checked these guys out, do so. They are doing some of the best mash-ups on the planet right now.
  
• Chromeo could've been so much cooler if they were on a smaller stage. Their sound just didn't translate as well on the big MySpace stage.
• Franki Chan of iheartcomix is a fine DJ. He controls the crowd extremely well and uses that edgy French sound that has been kicking so much ass lately.
• Saul Williams is a trip. The band sounded great and he commands the mic well. A true MC for a type of music you wouldn't normally think had MCs.
• Girl Talk was the dance party of the weekend. Honestly, this guy puts on about as good of a show as you can for someone who only has to use a few mouse clicks an entire show. By the end of the set Gregg Gillis was crowd surfing on a raft.
• Kanye West was supremely impressive. The lights, the sound, his MCing, everything. For anyone thinking a rap show can't be just as impressive live as it is on CD, you're wrong. His set was fresh and I especially loved his breakdown during the middle of the set when he did a little rap about his late mother.
• The Nine Inch Nails light show was on par with Kanye's. Trent sounded great and, of the songs I saw, they put on a fantastic show. It was hard to pick between Kanye and NIN and, even though I would've loved to see more of NIN, I can't complain about my decision.

This was easily the best festival I've ever been to, and I'm wondering how or if they can top it next year. We'll see.

Stay tuned for a flickr set here today.

(Pic above courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan)
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MGMT - Electric Feel (Justice Remix) - Boy I should've posted this a while ago.

Electric Feel is by far the best remix Justice has done, and it's incredible to see how well they are progressing as musicians. Their metal background (believe it) definitely gets into their sound, displaying tons of edgy synth and bass. I like a lot of electronica, but these guys are some of the most distinct in the genre. Keep in mind they've been only doing this stuff for a couple years. I've been trying nonstop to achieve that nasty bass sound they get running throughout this track. Unbelievable.

This may be my track of the year. It is featured on the newly released Electric Feel single by MGMT. The original is pretty awesome as well, and on that note, check out MGMT's debut album Oracular Spectacular.


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Things I learned from 80/35 in Des Moines

80/35 was a festival highlighted by its surprising local acts and, of course, The Flaming Lips and The Roots. A lot, however, went on, and these are the things I learned from an altogether pleasant festival-going experience:

• The Flaming Lips still put on the funnest show in the world.
• Festivals always seem to attract its fair share of hippies.
• Jakob Dylan drinks as if he were still relevant.
• Yonder Mountain String Band drinks like they know they should.
• Des Moines has some impressive DJ talent, as evidenced not by one, not by two, but by three separate occasions (more on this in some ensuing posts).
• Des Moines drinks, and it drinks well (more on this later as well).
• Des Moines appreciates typography as much as I do.

Check out the whole flickr set here. FULL POST

happy birthday, you!

Happy Birthday, America. In your honor, I am celebrating this occasion by doing something truly American: I'm going to guzzle the shit out of some gasoline. That's right, I'm taking myself and my car roughly 300 miles north to the wonderful state of Iowa. And then, of course, another 300 back the way I came, only adding to my already overloaded patriotism. What brings me away from my natural habitat? Well, a certain little lady whom I call girlfriend, a music festival featuring The Flaming Lips and The Roots, and, though this wasn't always an intention or a reason for going, an intriguing micro-brewed stout that sounds delicious.

The weekend should be full of some good times, even for reasons not listed, and hopefully the events will breed some enjoyable posts for you all to read. Hope everyone has a great weekend and, please, feel free to share what you plan on doing to celebrate the 4th.

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the 8 best albums in 2008's first half

Yes, yes, the obligatory list to exemplify ones perceived sense of good taste. In all honesty, I do have it--good taste--and it's probably much more refined than yours. So, instead of keeping it all to myself, I thought I'd share with you the best music to be released in this first half of 2008, with absolutely no exceptions. These are the 8 most crucial albums thus far in 2008.

8. Portishead -Third: Portishead came off a ten year hiatus of new material to release their newest album, Third. And although you'd have to find someone in 5th grade to have even been born the last time Portishead released new material, Third does not miss a beat in the slightest. It's fresh and yet still undeniably Portishead, fusing some really great acoustics with crushing electronic beats. Songs "Silence", "The Rip", "Threads", and "Machine Gun" especially stand out in an album full of great tracks.

7. M83 - Saturdays = Youth: M83 took a huge turn from its previous release, Before the Dawn Heals Us, with the most recent album, Saturdays = Youth. Straying from the shoegaze feel of previous works, Anthony Gonzales of M83 has ventured back to his more youthful years. For those who grew up in the 80s, this album sounds like a trip down Memory Lane. The conglomeration of synths, drums, and vocals sound like the brainchild of Berlin and Tears for Fears, with some cameos by Sinead O'Connor and Simple Minds, respectively. This probably sounds awful to a lot of people, but it's not. It just isn't.

6. Flying Lotus - Los Angeles: An awesome trip-hop album that resembles some of the best producers this decade has seen--Madlib, J Dilla, MF Doom, etc. A wonderfully textured album that is electronica, IDM, and hip-hop all at one time. If I were an MC and not an irrelevant blogger, I'd want FL producing my beats.

5. Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple: For the record, I didn't like St. Elsewhere at all. I thought it was underdeveloped and shallow; it didn't nearly exploit the true talent of producer Danger Mouse. The Odd Couple, however, is amazing, exploring all sorts of tiny crevices of sounds and textures. Where St. Elsewhere was an attempt at 60s funk and soul that came up short, The Odd Couple takes that same idea and incorporates many more fresh ideas that make the album function much more efficiently in today's world. It's not just some re-imagined cultural artifact; it has reinvented a sound from decades ago and has put the appropriate spin on it. A fantastic album beginning to end.

4. The Black Keys - Attack & Release: Not coincidentally, another album produced by Danger Mouse, and yes The Black Keys needed him. Whereas before the Keys were a solid blues rock band, releasing really only one truly great album, Magic Potion, they have now advanced their sound beyond what most people would have expected from the duo. However, the truth is, they haven't really added anything. No new instruments or crazy sounds to really alter their vibe too much. The real key here is how the album's been mixed, EQ'd, and overall produced--thanks in part to the incorporation of Danger Mouse. The album sounds beautiful and features all the ups and downs that any good blues album should have. The reverb on "Lies" is just unbelievable in setting the mood, and their single "Strange Times" features one of the most memorable drum beats in the past couple years. There's not much you can find wrong with Attack & Release.

3. Kelpe - Ex-Aquarium: Kelpe's most recent release is a lush combination of the two most apparent sides of indie music--pastoral, organic, live instrumentation, and urban, futuristic, computerized blips and beeps. It combines head-bobbing beats and lush synth with live drums and guitar chords. Not to say that other bands don't do this, but I find Ex-Aquarium has balanced the two elements so well that it deserves a spot on this list. The album manages to paint an aquatic landscape and place you in it for the duration. Do not pass this album up.

2. Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust: When Takk was released I was very excited; ( ) was one of my favorite albums of all time and it seemed only natural to me that Sigur Rós would advance beyond that. However, Takk, while advancing the sound with the addition of new instruments and such, was not nearly as impressive to me. With the new album I decided that the days of slowly building songs and exploding into incredible crescendos was over for Sigur Rós, and so I looked toward Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust with an open mind. And what a good decision that was; the new album is beautiful and utterly simplistic. The focus here is Jónsi Birgisson's vocals and they shine better than ever. The entire album is stripped down and ethereal, and it reminds you what music is intended to do for the human mind. You'll have to listen to know what I mean.

1. Hol Baumann - Human: Every so often some new musical entity comes my way and aggravates the hierarchy of bands or artists that has been formulated within my brain. When this happens, I will admit, I probably become over-excited about it, subduing myself to extended listening, over listening, and finally obnoxious listening. Hol Baumann has garnered this attention from me, but I have a feeling this album will rest somewhere high in this so-called hierarchy for quite some time. Human is a blend of glitched-out sounds, deep bass, stunning sampled vocals, and a bit of ethnic instrumentation (and so much more). Hol Baumann has seemingly constructed the perfect companion to relaxation. This album is meant to be listened in its entirety; the mesmerizing blend of sounds is something that, on its own, is great, but as a whole is exceptional. FULL POST

flying lotus - los angeles

When I sit back and consider the best record labels for experimental and innovative music, Warp always comes to mind. While they are regarded mostly for electronic artists like Autechre, Boards of Canada, Squarepusher, and the iconic Aphex Twin, the label has a few tricks up its sleeve when it comes to venturing to new soundscapes. Recent indie phenom Battles, along with Grizzly Bear, are just a few examples. A relatively new artist that also fits into this category of Warp-gone-eclectic is Flying Lotus. If you are the type to stay up late watching reruns of Aqua Teen Hunger Force or the charmingly-bizarre Assy McGee, you've probably heard his beats during commerical breaks. He's just released an album titled Los Angeles, and it's proof-positive that Warp is headed in the right direction.

If I were to steal a fellow blogmate's literary techinque and do a review in eleven words, I'd say Los Angeles is like an MF Doom album minus MF Doom. That is, there are no vocals. However, don't take this as an album that's missing something; for everything it misses out vocally it makes up for musically. This is such a rich album, and its texture is unbelievable. Its got a nice warm, fuzzy feel, incorporating all kinds of little sounds to complement the basis of each track. And while it may at times sound like a track Viktor Vaughn should be rhyiming over, the album quickly makes you forget that, fusing elements of IDM and electronica that are akin to Massive Attack or Portishead. Overall, you get a nicely done album that doesn't allow itself to stick to the confines of one genre. FULL POST

girl talk's "feed the animals" is at the top of the mashup game

Mashup's been around for a while. Every Saturday night you can turn on your local Top 40 station and hear the beat of one song juxtaposed with the vocals of another. For the most part, that shit is boring and predictable. Girl Talk, on the other hand, takes the act of mashing artists and turns it into an art form.

Gregg Gillis, aka Girl Talk, just finished his new album, Feed the Animals. It has some new, some old, and some straight up unthinkable tracks laced into the album. Yeah, there's the obligatory Flo Rida and Kanye West, but Metallica, Radiohead, and Sinead O'Connor make the cut as well, and it's as fitting as anything else you've heard in the mashup game. So much makes it into the album, even if only for a few seconds. Oh, and of course Phil Collins' famous "In The Air Tonight" drum break makes it in there.

Feed the Animals is one of those albums that can make a party out of nothing. You can put it on repeat and not worry about tending to your iPod for the rest of the night. It's just got that level of production and Gillis has created a seamless blend of music spanning all kinds of genres, which really attests to his musical prowess. Feed the Animals is available the old Radiohead way, in which you can name your own price. Check it out.

For more excellent mashups, check out The Hood Internet. FULL POST

korg nanoseries is a dj's dream for portability

Forget the nanoSeries for portable use--this seems legitimate as a main interface for a learning producer. Korg's three new interfaces--the nanoPAD, nanoKEY, and nanoKONTROL--are designed "to meet the needs of artists who like to make music on the go but don't want to make any sacrifices in the control department." The nanoKEY is a 25-key keyboard, the nanoPAD is a drum machine/sampler, and the nanoKONTROL is an EQ device including 9 faders, 9 knobs, 18 switches and a transport section. Are all powered via USB which makes for an ultimately light production set-up.

No word on price yet, but reports say it won't cost anymore than £60. I don't know how much that is, but that weird looking L totally dominates the $.

(Found via Music Radar & Billionaire Boys Club) FULL POST

avid acutus reference turntable reminds me that people do actually make money

This year I've been slowly getting into music production and have been looking for a turntable and thought I'd just go ahead and start out with the Avid Acutus Reference Turntable. It's only $24,000. That's pretty reasonable, right? I was thinking I'd just Danger Mouse it and blow all my student loan cash on it. Who needs education when you got sick beats? The Avid website gives an overview of the turntable:

"Vibration caused by the stylus during playback is transmitted to the subchassis directly through the bearing and not absorbed into the platter. This is achieved using a unique matting material and clamping system. External vibrations are isolated by a unique suspension system, now conveniently adjustable from above. A purpose designed power supply coupled to a unique hand made motor, 10 times more powerful than normally used, drive a massive 10Kg platter. Recently improvements to the suspension, now allows adjustments from above, making set-up easier.

Also the out-board power supply has a cosmetic facelift with universal approval.
Stunningly finished in Polished Chrome or special order plated Gold, this product is the natural choice of equipment for those who demand the best."

Hey, I have no idea what that means, but it sounds bad ass. And that's what matters.

(Found via Crate Kings) FULL POST

new single from tycho, "adrift"

Graphic designer/musician Scott Hansen, a man I posted about not too long ago, just released a new single today under his Tycho name, titled "Adrift". It's currently available on iTunes and will be sold on some different sites as well in about a month. The cover for the single, pictured above, was designed by Hansen also, under his ISO50 moniker. I just downloaded the track and had a listen and it's really beautiful--right on par with the rest of Tycho's catalog. I'm really looking forward to his next full-length.

You can sample "Adrift" on Hansen's blog, ISO50. FULL POST

radiohead 5/14/08 in st. louis

I was fortunate enough to see Radiohead this past Wednesday at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis. This was the second time I've seen my favorite band, and the third will be this August at the wonderful Lollapalooza (which also features Rage, NIN, and Kanye West, among many others).

The opener was Liars, a band that I do like. However, the set was sort of uninspired. It's just really hard for me to get into a show at an amphitheater if it's daylight and there aren't any people there yet. The lead guy, though, was very interesting, to say the least.

The Radiohead show was really pretty fantastic, incorporating the best light show I've ever seen done for a concert, in person or otherwise. It's really too hard to describe, and I can say that catching a glimpse via YouTube videos does not really do it justice. Here is a picture I took at the very end of the show (spoiler to some degree, I suppose):

This picture reminds me of some kind of prayer done at one of those radical Evangelical, Jesus Camp-ish churches in the Bible Belt. Whoever Yorke & Co. hired for this tour to do the stage set-up is really creative and genius in many ways.

As for the performance: I'm not sure if it was because it was so early in the tour or if Radiohead is just in a good head space right now, but they we're really playing well, and looked to be having a lot of fun doing it. They had awesome energy and overall it was probably the best show I've seen in my short lifetime.

There's really not much point in going into more detail about it because I can assure that if you care you already have seen them this tour or have tickets in the future, or you don't care about Radiohead at all. Those seem to be the two general constituencies.

You can see my pictures from the show on my flickr set.

P.S. Props to Radiohead for a., covering Portishead in their sound check, and b., playing the entire Burial album "Untrue" in between the Liars and Radiohead sets. FULL POST

enyo creative guitar modification

Artist Josh Kenyon, of Enyo Creative, took some of his creativity and plastered it on a guitar. I really wish I had a nice custom guitar with some cool artwork on it. Actually, I wish I was good enough to warrant a nice custom guitar with some cool artwork on it. It still doesn't mean I can't admire it, though.

(Found via Changethethought) FULL POST

the hood internet is pretty damn good

The last weekend of the school year did not let my inner party-goer down. Although I probably should have been writing the two papers due today, I think most of you would be hard pressed to say I made the wrong decision to see The Hood Internet this weekend at the local Mojo's.

If you aren't familiar, The Hood Internet is a duo of mash-up DJs by the names Aaron Brink and Steve Reidell. I had been to their blog once or twice in the past but didn't know too much and had only heard maybe a couple of their tracks. However, looking back I prefer it this way; being introduced to their mash-ups for the first time in person, with a whole bunch of drunk people dancing their body's capacity of sweat completely away, was favorable, to say the least.

Even though it was only the Steve Reidell (STV SLV) half of Hood, this show was insane. It was just one big dance party; and, I give major credit to Hood for being real eclectic in the different tracks used to mash-up. Justice vs. Genesis? Yes. Burial vs. Spank Rock? Yes. Eve vs. Radiohead? Yes. Their mixing transcended some musical boundaries that I never thought could really be crossed. It was a damn good time. Check out their blog, where they provide their mash-ups, for free. Oh, and they just happen to be playing at that deceptively awesome Monolith Festival.

This mash-up is especially amazing. FULL POST

scott hansen/iso50/tycho, you've wowed me

I really don't like the look of 95total--at all--so I spend a good chunk of time in the various crevices of the Internet trying to find some sort of inspiration for a new design. I somehow came across this ISO50 site, which is "The Visual Work of Scott Hansen". I'm blown away by this guy's art, which spans across print, logos, web, and photo. He's got this way cool vintage vibe that's not unlike something you'd see on a Boards of Canada album cover. A lot of it's real 60s/70s with a good grounding in contemporary design.

But then, the kicker (which made me feel I had either come across an undiscovered gold mine of talent, or that I've been tucked away in my basement too long eating Girl Scout Cookies and playing 360 to ever hear of the guy) is that he dabbles in the trade of beats and melodies. On the ISO50 portfolio site you notice there's some music accompanied to your viewing. Turns out those are Hansen's chilled-out tunes penetrating your skull. Under the name of Tycho, Hansen tours and plays venues all over, creating very good IDM/electronic music that's not unlike, get this, Boards of Canada. I smell some influence.

Seeing how proficient this guy is in multiple areas has me impressed and wanting to develop my own abilities in those areas. Oh, and he blogs, too. Quite the show off, eh Scott?

Check out what this guy has to offer; it's a lot. FULL POST

ten year hibernation, portishead? make more music, more frequently, please.

I've really been liking this new Portishead album, "Third". It's been like a decade since Portishead have released new material, but you can't really tell. They haven't missed a beat. That isn't to say, though, that some of this stuff isn't really fresh; you can tell that Portishead have changed up their philosophy a bit. I only own "Dummy", but "Third" has a different vibe for sure. It is good, very good, though. The last half of the album is especially awesome.

You can stream the entire album here. FULL POST

justice headlines a deceptively awesome monolith festival

A buddy of mine pointed me towards this Monolith Festival that I had vaguely remembered hearing about but didn't pay much attention to. I suppose I figured this year's Lollapalooza had fulfilled my festivalarian desires. But, hell, Monolith Festival 2008 is sort of under-the-radar good.

Sure, the festival lacks that monster headliner; but what it loses in having a superstar it gains in stage presence. Featuring Justice, TV on the Radio, Silversun Pickups, Band of Horses, Devotchka, Neko Case, Holy Fuck and, to my dismay (and indie fans' rejoice), Vampire Weekend, those alone have me wanting to go. Justice? C'mon, you know that's gonna be ridiculous. TV on the Radio? Only one of the best, if not best shows I've ever witnessed. Not to mention it's at the gorgeous Red Rocks Amphitheater; the same place I so unfortunately missed out on when Daft Punk last toured. Looks like I need to right those wrongs.

The icing on the cake is that a day pass is only $60, and a two-day pass is a reasonable $105. So, if you can't quite shell out the couple hundred bones for Lollapalooza this year, I would say this is more than a valid substitute for saving money. It's at Red Rocks--have you seen that place? Best venue in America, hands down. FULL POST

ed rec vol. 3 tracklisting announced

That upcoming Ed Banger compilation I mentioned a few weeks back just got a tracklisting (and some pretty album art, too). Ed Rec Vol. III will do what its predecessors did best in promoting the talent of the label, featuring some new, some old, and some remixed tracks all across the electro dance collective.

It's coming out June 9th and features the likes of Justice, SebastiAn, DJ Mehdi, Uffie, and Busy P., among others.

Ed Rec Vol. III:

01 Mr. Oizo: "Yves"
02 Busy P ft. Murs: "To Protect and Entertain"
03 Mr. Flash: "Over the Top"
04 SebastiAn: "Dog
05 Uffie "Robot Oeuf"
06 Justice: "Stress (Autoremix)"
07 Mr. Oizo: "Minuteman's Pulse"
08 DJ Mehdi: "Pocket Piano"
09 Krazy Baldhead: "No Cow, No Pow"
10 DSL: "Find Me in the World"
11 Feadz ft. Spank Rock: "Back It Up"
12 So Me: "Decalcomania"

You can listen to a sample of the compilation here.

(Found via Pitchfork) FULL POST

more diy: youth guitar turned functional radio

What can I say--we're crafty. Just last week Rich unveiled his all-too-authentic retro iPod speaker unit; and although impressive, he's the first to admit that he had some help in the matter--from a good friend by the name of Randy. Randy's also in the diy business, recently completing his youth guitar turned functional radio.

Of the project, Randy said:

I took a youth guitar that had a mini amplifier and speaker in the body and a 1980's am/fm radio and combined the two. The [original] radio was gutted for parts and retro-fitted into a made-from-scratch body for the guitar. I used all old parts from the original guitar except the tremelo bridge. I added wood to the headstock to make an exaggerated "Stratocaster" style head.

Aside from the coolness of the radio, it stands as an art piece as well. While Randy said to me that it's "a statement about appearances in the music industry," the work, to me, resonates as a criticism towards the creative possibilities of an instrument as dwindled through a corrupt medium of communication. But, hey, I may be a tad cynical about all that stuff.

What do you make of Randy's work?

More pics of the finished project here, here, and here. FULL POST

what, 58 year old radio for an iPod? yeah, thats right.

Recently my friend Randy and I turned an old 1950s Emerson 642A radio into an iPod/computer speaker. Because, as has been the trend with me, it's mid century. Everything about it says 1950, most notably, the dial numbers. The outside is all original to the radio, but inside it has been gutted and everything replaced. It now houses two older, but legit, speakers and a small subwoofer. Hooked up to an iPod it sounds great. And, although there is no functioning radio inside, hooked up to my iTunes I get KMOX, NPR, and hundreds of other streaming radio stations. I'm really excited to make another one. Oh, it's just perfect!

Three more pictures here, here, and here.

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