Wednesday, February 4, 2009

This is Radio Clash



Interrupting all programmes
This is radio clash from pirate satellite

Orbiting your living room,
Cashing in the bill of rights
Cuban army surplus or refusing all third lights
This is radio clash on pirate satellite

This sound does not subscribe
To the international plan
In the psycho shadow of the white right hand
Then that see ghettology as an urban Vietnam
Giving deadly exhibitions of murder by napalm

This is radio clash tearing up the seven veils
This is radio clash please save us, not the whales
This is radio clash underneath a mushroom cloud
This is radio clash
You dont need that funeral shroud

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty

Hands of law have sorted through
My identity
But now this sound is brave
And wants to be free - anyway to be free

This is radio clash on pirate satellite
This is not free europe
Not an armed force network
This is radio clash using audio ammunition
This is radio clash can we get that world to listen?
This is radio clash using aural ammunition
This is radio clash can we get that world to listen?
This is radio clash on pirate satellite
Orbiting your living room,
Cashing in the bill of rights
This is radio clash on pirate satellite
This is radio clash everybody hold on tight

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Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Livin' a Movie


Raise your inner Comic-Con geek if you're excited for The Watchmen movie! It's been a long time coming, seeing as we got teaser trailers for the epic over a year ago. At that time, everyone who hadn't heard The Smashing Pumpkins rarity "The Beginning is the End is the Beginning" before, went ape bananas over the track. And rightfully so.

I've always maintained that the simple pairing of images to sound is one of the most powerful conduits between sensory processing and emotional output. That's why music supervision is so badass. Like a scientist playing with test tubes of combustibles, if you are perceptive enough to pair the perfect sensor and actuator, your chemical formula can provoke an emotional response from your audience. Even more BA (badass) is the certainty that your handiwork will illicit varying results among individuals. You work hard to produce one final product (like the trailer below), but combined with the unique, and usually unpredictable chemistry of different people, you get amazingly diverse receptions. Think of your favorite music moments in movies and TV. You're most likely not alone in your selections. And yet even those who agree with you on a scene/song's effectiveness, probably feel something entirely unique in response.



Now that I've gone all formulaic on your asses, how's about we take a peek at the official Watchmen Soundtrack, hitting stores March 3rd.

Twelve songs deep, the album mostly calls on classics from the past with a cover lead-in from My Chemical Romance. Although I am already prejudiced towards MCR (passionately not a fan), I can say subjectively that their reworking of Bob Dylan's classic "Desolation Row" makes itself easy to dismiss. Not only is Dylan's recording superior on all levels, but MCR's attempt to turn the lengthy Highway 61 Revisited classic into a punk-rock/life-as-a-teennager-is-so rough anthem (does this band make another kind of song?) makes my ears hurt. Just watch the video and you'll know I ain't lying.

Lucky for us, it's all uphill after track one. Powerful recordings from Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix, and Dylan himself, more than make up for any initial disapppointment. In other words, if this soundtrack were a red carpet, it's full of all A-listers. At moments nostalgic, and other times romantic, I'm impressed by the daring production decision to allow classic songs to narrate a futuristic world. Not only that, but nearly all the tracks inspire a calm you might not expect to find in a movie about BA superheroes who get fed up with protecting the world. A movie we know will have plenty of explosions, carnage, and all that good vs. evil havoc.

Watchmen Track Listing
01. My Chemical Romance - Desolation Row
02. Nat "King" Cole - Unforgettable
03. Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin
04. Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence [mp3]
05. Janis Joplin - Me & Bobby McGee
06. KC & The Sunshine Band - I'm Your Boogie Man
07. Billie Holiday - You're My Thrill
08. Philip Glass - Pruit Igoe & Prophecies
09. Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah [mp3]
10. Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
11. Budapest Symphony Orchestra - Ride of the Valkyries
12. Nina Simone - Pirate Jenny [mp3]

Sidenote: Love that they threw in Wagner's classic "Ride of the Valkyries." Yours truly played a nibelungen (slave child) in the Seattle Symphony production of The Ring when I was a kid. Going to hair, makeup, and wardrobe everyday when I was too young to appreciate it = golden memories.

So if I was peeing in my pants to see this movie before, the soundtrack has only exacerbated an unpleasant situation. Billie Holiday has only added to my excitement of seeing Billy Crudup all blue and superhuman. Bring on the inner geek! Who am I kidding? I've never been able to keep that sucker in.

Peace, Love, Soundtracks, and more of the Zack Snyder we love,
LTK


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Stripped


In honor of the Cherrytree Sessions, take it down a notch, relax, and get your love on for these stripped versions of our favorite songs. Taking off your clothing is optional. Lady GaGa would certainly encourage it. That, and some Bowie like face-painting. Viva La Glitter!

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Monday, February 2, 2009

Disco Infiltrator

Don't worry this isn't a seventies music revival. Rather it's a long overdue shout out to one of my favorite new DJ sets. The three man tag-team known as DiscoTech: Danny Maze, Joe Maz and Gigamesh have defined the hot twentysomething nightlife soundtrack from coast to coast this past year. From DJ Am's infamous hotspot LAX in Hollywood, CA to Miami's own CAMEO and MANSION.
Not only are their club appearances making waves, but publications like Rolling Stone have even picked up on their infectiousness. In October of last year, RS posted DiscoTech's remix of Kanye West's "Homecoming" on their website. I'm just loving the fact that this trio has enough disco balls to rework everything from The Police's "Roxanne" to The Rolling Stone's classic "Satisfaction." Still, they make time to hit up Top 40 tracks like Britney's "Circus" and Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." Get it while it's hot y'all. These guys are about to blow up and become too expensive for my live pedigree.


Listen / Love / Buy More at DiscoTech's section of DJ Haven Crooklyn Clan Vault

You know the drill,
LTK
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Sunday, February 1, 2009

Lion in a Coma: An Animal Collective Review

Animal Collective's ninth album, Merriweather Post Pavilion hit stores January 20 to a slew of positive reviews. Hate to bandwagon the masses on this one, but I completely agree. After eight years together, AC is still inspiring the kind of enthusiasm and overt curiosity in listeners that made 2005's Feels such a success. Creepy and comforting, pulsating and yet hauntingly smooth, MPP is even knocking Strawberry Jam off my record player for awhile.

The first single, "My Girls" opens to some call and response vocals by bandmates Avey Tare and Panda Bear, paired perfectly over one of AC's more infectious, uplifting pop beats (courtesy of mixmaster Geologist). Don't be deceived by your foot tapping and head swaying however, this track is far from an unsentimental smash. Lyrically crafted with care, "My Girls" is the expression of one father's devotion to his wife and daughter; a man whose selfless determination to provide the necessities of love and shelter for his family warms your heart.
Is it much that I feel I need /A solid soul and the blood I bleed
With a little girl, and by my spouse / I only want a proper house
I don't care for the fancy things / Or to take part in a precious race
Children cry for the one who has / A real big heart and a father's grace
I don't mean to seem like I care about material things
Like a social status
I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls
Other favorites of mine include "Guy's Eyes," "Summertime Clothes," and "Lion in a Coma." Though it must be said that every track stands alone as stellar. I thought "No More Runnin" seemed like a mellow place for the boys to close out, but instead they concluded with a much more appropriate jubilant burst of soundscape, "Brother Sport." If you're not convinced it's buzzworthy after the first listen, allow yourself a couple more spins for the creativity of this masterpiece to penetrate.


Now that I've given Merriweather a very large stamp of approval, I can tell y'all there are a few (positive) reviews I took issue with. I enumerated my objections, but tell me if you disagree.

Pitchfork writes: "It's of the moment and feels new, but it's also striking in it's immediacy and comes across as friendly and welcoming."
I yell in objection: Animal Collective has never been an "of the moment" group. Although their experimental sound has become somewhat a formulaic success after several albums, I've always considered AC beyond the zeitgeist. They are destined to be the band we look back on, gasp, then reprimand ourselves for our former under-appreciation. How could we not have realized they were actually light years ahead in symphonic composition? They are the future, not the present, in music.

Entertainment Weekly writes: "Merriweather Post Pavilion won't land the band the opening slot on a Coldplay tour, it cleaves closer to 'Pitch's' more listener-friendly aesthetic, abandoning the self-indulgent impulses that sometimes muddied last year's Strawberry Jam..."
I yell in objection: First, Chris Martin should be so lucky. Second, I fail to see a single tarnish on the immaculate Strawberry Jam. That release was such a testament to Animal Collective's creative evolution. I understand that in juxtaposition to the odd intricacy of MPP, Jam may appear inadequate. Still that in no way "muddies" the unique accomplishments of the previous album.

Now that I'm ready to do some fighting / throw some bows, I'm going to turn on Pineapple Express and mellow out. Memorizing lines from that movie comes so naturally to me it's scary.

P, L, and "Feeling like a slice of butter meltin' on top of the ... big ol' pile of flapjacks... yeah",
LTK
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Louden Up Now



Some songs just sound better blasted over your speakers. If you've already got these gems, but haven't tried raising the decibel level, give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Q-Tip - Breathe and Stop
The Ramones - Sheena is a Punk Rocker
Tom Waits - Big in Japan [mp3]
Kings of Leon - Red Morning Light [mp3]

Peace, Love, and Knowing my Hearing is Overrated,
LTK

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Saturday, January 31, 2009

The Very Best

One album I missed enumerating on my 2008 list, and should probably be sentenced to torture by Dave Matthews* for forgetting to mention is Esau Mwamwaya (vocals) and Radioclit's (beats) collaboration mixtape, The Very Best. Inspired by his Malawian roots, and maybe in smaller doses, his immigration to Britain in '99, Esau has gone from bakery worker, to construction hand, to second-hand furniture store owner, sustaining his musical passion inspired in adolescence throughout. FADER did an amazing profile piece on "The African Phil Collins" that should be considered required reading.


You might hear some familiar sounds on The Very Best. For instance, Mwamwaya's reworking of Vampire Weekend's smash "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," M.I.A.'s "Boyz, and " Michael Jackson's "Will You Be There." His catchfest track "Tengazako" - translated in English to mean "Take What's Yours" - is nothing but beautiful vocals over M.I.A.'s Clash-sampling "Paper Planes." Still not convinced this is a must have? Check out some live videos of Esau performing for last.fm below / kicking it with Radioclit and other cool cats and try, just try not to get addicted.

Tengazako Live


Messing Around / Beat Sampling / Hanging with Radioclit and Ezra (Vamp Weekend)


Secousse Live


He can't stop smiling. I can't stop smiling. The second vid of Esau messing around with beats, world instruments, different house guests, all from some obscure apartment inspires me. That's exactly how I want my life to be: A 7-day a week informal recording studio where friends stop by my unglamorous house and we just cut crazy tracks. 

Check out The Very Best MySpace for a Completely FREE Album Download. Do it.

Peace, Love and Bringin' World MusicBack,
LtK

* In case of offense: Dave Matthews is a perfectly nice /amazing human being. He lives in Seattle which definitely = smart. He just happens to make music I dislike (with a passion). Feel free to disagree with me on this one; most of America does. iTunes may have his total song count at 250, but as far as GDM is concerned, he's made the same song 250 times. 

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Friday, January 30, 2009

C-O-A-C-H-E-L-L-A

It's that time of year. Well 76 days off actually. But it's time to start obsessing about the newly-released lineup of 10-yr music festival alum: Coachella. I don't think this year's slew of talent could disappoint if they tried. I have never wanted to go so badly - and on every single day. I won't even get into my favorites because the list would look something like the entire line-up. LOVES it. Now.... who is going to be my date?
3 Day Passes = $269
Single Day Passes = $99

Remember, these suckers sell out. Fast.

FRIDAY APRIL 17: Paul McCartney, Morrissey, Franz Ferdinand, Leonard Cohen, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Beirut, The Black Keys, Girl Talk, Silversun Pickups, The Ting Tings, The Crystal Method, Ghostland Observatory, Crystal Castles, The Airborne Toxic Event, We Are Scientists, N.A.S.A., Patton & Rahzel, M. Ward, The Presets, The Hold Steady, A Place to Bury Strangers, Felix da Housecat, Buraka Som Sistema, Ryan Bingham, Bajofondo, Peanut Butter Wolf, Noah & the Whale, White Lies, The Bug, Alberta Cross, Los Campesinos!, Craze & Klever, Molotov, Switch, Gui Boratto, Steve Aoki, The Aggrolites, People Under the Stairs, The Courteeners, Cage the Elephant, Dear and the Headlights.

SATURDAY, APRIL 18: The Killers, Amy Winehouse, Thievery Corporation, TV on the Radio, Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Atmosphere, Mastodon, TRAV$DJ-AM, Henry Rollins, Crookers, Turbonegro, Hercules and Love Affair, Superchunk, Glasvegas, Dr. Dog, Drive-By Truckers, Booker T & the DBT’s, Amanda Palmer, The Bloody Beetroots, Surkin, Para One (Live), Calexico, Liars, Bob Mould Band, Zane Lowe, Electric Touch, Blitzen Trapper, James Morrison, Drop the Lime, Glass Candy, Thenewno2, Gang Gang Dance, Billy Talent, Ida Maria, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Zizek, Cloud Cult, Tinariwen.

SUNDAY, APRIL 19: The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Throbbing Gristle, Lupe Fiasco, Paul Weller, Peter Bjorn and John, X, Antony & the Johnsons, Roni Size, Public Enemy, Jenny Lewis, Groove Armada, Paolo Nutini, Christopher Lawrence, Lykke Li, The Kills, Okkervil River, M.A.N.D.Y., Clipse, Sebastien Tellier, Fucked Up, Perry Farrell, The Horrors, Late of the Pier, K’naan, Junior Boys, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Supermayer, No Age, Vivian Girls, Shepard Fairey, Themselves, Gaslight Anthem, The Knux, Mexican Institute of Sound, The Night Marchers, Marshall Barnes.

P, L, and Leonard/Morrissey/McCartney same-day magic,
LTK

P.S. Stay tuned for a Coachella 09 Mixtape. Maybe I'll even break it down to a day-by-day three parter.
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