I Follow Rivers

"I follow you, deep sea baby."

Photo Credit Helen Korpak

I have a rule where I’ll never post something unless I’ve listened to it—at the very least—3 times. That’s the bare minimum; the usual pre-post play count is most often around 5. Actually let’s be honest, with my tendency to over-play a song to high hell, it’s more like 10. Consequently, it is highly unlikely that this blog is ever going to break the hottest, trendiest, most buzz-worthy tunes before anyone else because of the nature of this personal rule. The thing is, I believe in only posting songs that I am passionately fond of, and I don’t think I can fully judge a song after merely a couple listenings. A few days ago I saw that Sweden's Lykke Li had released a new single. I listened to it once, all the while thinking “damn this is good”. I wanted to post it. Very badly. But I refrained because I have morals and a mantra and they both center something along the lines of “don’t sell yourself short for popularity.” Or something like that. So I didn’t post, and then of course I got busy, time passed me by, and now it looks like I’m late on the uptake, because this song is the new hot ticket. In reality, I’ve had the incredibly catchy, bouncy, and almost tribal-y I Follow Rivers stuck in my head for the past week. The mini-obsession reached a climax today when I found myself whistling the chorus constantly on the Metro, which was garnering me pissed-off looks from the Frenchies. That can only mean one thing: it’s time to post. This song further cements my growing suspicion that Swedes can do no wrong. Also, the piano-driven remix by The Magician is well…nothing short of magical. I can’t decide which I like more—I think I like them equal—so of course I have to post both. Who cares if I am late on the uptake; this train is better caught late than never.

I Follow Rivers--Lykke Li


I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix)--Lykke Li

Hawaii

Photo Credit Ryan McGinley

I have about 20 songs lined up to be posted next, but I'm nudging them all back a day (or two, or three, or four) to make way for Xinobi. Like Moullinex--who I featured a few weeks ago--he too is a D.I.S.C.O. Texas member, and so is inherently amazing. A couple weeks ago he released his new song Hawaii for streaming on his SoundCloud. It will be released on his Best of Me EP, which is coming 'soon' on Paris' own Work It Baby. I was going to hold onto this track until just before the release date, but I can't wait for whenever 'soon' is. This song is begging to be posted tonight because the repeated cheering of "ooh! yeah!", infectious bassline, and jubilant wooh-ing, with a riff that sounds like a KC and the Sunshine band sample (but isn't), perfectly sums up my mood. I'M FEELING AWESOME. It's my first Friday night in Paris. And hey, it's your first Friday night this week. Celebrate!

Xinobi - Hawaii by Xinobi

Turn It Out

"I know you have so much to say to me, but I'm on the move."

Photo Credit Basilio Silva

When I upload the week’s new Loose L!p-St!ck Song (see sidebar) I usually refrain from making a hoopla about it. I tend to just casually change the song, then leave you to your own devices to discover it and do further research if it so pleases you. This week is a little different though, and hopefully it will be a welcome break in tradition. You see, I’m having a serious nostalgia trip. This has been manifested in my repeated, nearly unending playing of Death From Above 1979, the greatest punk band ever. Yes, you heard me. Ever. I once read an album review of their classic You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine that described the band perfectly. I can’t remember the source, and I’m paraphrasing to kingdom come, but the message went something like this: There are two types of people in the world, those who love Death From Above 1979, and those who have never heard them. Truth. Motherfuckers.

For all of you who fall into the latter category, I’m glad to introduce you (that’s my intention after all), but conversely sorry to tell you that you missed the boat. Formed in the early 2000’s by Jesse F. Keeler (of modern-day MSTRKRFT fame), and Sebastien Grainger, they erupted in a fury of blast beats, gritty reverb, and post-hardcore misogynism before imploding just a few years later. It is either punk’s greatest tragedy or greatest triumph that the duo never released more than one proper full-length. Tragedy because we the people were robbed of further greatness, triumph because the band essentially avoided ‘the sophomore slump’ and the possibility of ever releasing anything sub-excellent. That said, if there were one band I could resurrect in the history of music-dom, it would be these guys. No other act to date has been quite able to capture the raw energy and angst so conveyed by DFA 1979; and never before nor since has being young, horny, and fucking furious sounded so good.

Here's an extra song in addition to the week's St!ck:
Turn It Out--Death From Above 1979

Comedown Sunday: Madrid

Photo Credit Acid III

Ok, so it’s not quite Sunday. I wanted more than anything to post this song yesterday as this week’s Comedown Sunday tune, but I was far too busy packing to get on the computer. So while this is late, it’s not for lack of planning or effort. Just think of it as a Comedown Sunday on a Monday. I've had a whirlwind past 48 hours: I relocated. I’m living in Paris for the next 4 months, though I’m not-so-secretly hoping that I never leave. (Is it wrong to use my blog as a platform to make friends? Oh well: Any Paris readers…get in touch with me, I’m new here and I don’t know anyone.) As for the song, it’s by a French band called Holden that no one I know has ever heard of. I myself don’t quite remember how I stumbled upon them; I think I received their album in one of those random accidental file transfers back in the days of Soulseek. Funny how accidents sometimes have a way of working out for the better, as Holden ended up being one of my favorite go-to chillout bands throughout my teenage years. With their unique blend of indie-rock-cum-bossa-nova styling, capped by lush female vocals (singing the worlds most romantic language—French—no less), Holden create captivating soundscapes invoking languid days and easy living. Madrid, a song about the joy of friendship in light of new adventures and locales, uses dreamily weaving guitars, subtle organ ornamentations, and delicate hi-hats to invoke a placid mood celebrating the pleasures to be found in life’s little adventures. It's the perfect soundtrack to my preparation for a new life abroad.

Right Click to Download: Madrid--Holden



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The Hype Machine

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Prophet

Photo Credit Janelle Dry

A week ago I received a track in my dropbox from a certain Datahowler, who described himself a producer/multi instrumentalist which a penchant for vintage sci-fi aesthetic. Seeing as space disco is my favorite genre, I figured I could dig it. Well, as it turns out the song sounds nothing like the type of ‘space’ music I had it mind, but it is just as amazing in its own right. Prophet begins by fading in to a polyphonic, ethereal chorus of “ah’s” undercut by electronic bloops before breaking into soaring synthetic chord progressions held together by unique kick/snare break patterns. It is captivatingly beautiful and indeed otherworldly—its ambient whirls serve to transport you to another time and place. When I snapped out of my music-induced daze, the first thing I did was check to see just who this Datahowler was. That’s when I saw: He’s from Dallas. Finally, I had stumbled upon an independent, self-promoting, inspiringly talented artist right in my own backyard! Of course I then took the next logical step and sent him a frantic email freaking out about how I loved him and we were basically brethren because we were from the same city. Come to think of it I probably sounded like a raging lunatic. Lucky for me he just rolled with it, and here I am today, elated to present you with one of Dallas’ own rising stars.

Datahowler will be playing his first show next Saturday, Januay 15th at Club Dada. If you like what you hear be sure to go out and support him. He’ll be using two MPC’s (here’s an old video of him performing with just one, under a different alias), those little sample devices that I admittedly know nothing about yet am fascinated by, so expect an engaging and unique show rather than the all-too-typical ‘push play on a laptop and go’ type gigs that so many of today’s producers are fond of. Additionally, he just received enough Kickstart funding to finish and package his Slowdrifter album, so keep an eye out for it sometime this month!

Right Click to Download: Prophet--Datahowler

Moment 4 Life (Star Slinger Remix)

Picture Credit Mishel Vermishel

I’m having a hip-hop love affair as of late. It started with Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Fridays, when I was first introduced to Miss Nicki Minaj. Though her guest spot on Monster was undeniably genius, when I started reading about her I prematurely decided I hated her. She and her alter egos were just too damn weird. But as time passed and I further explored her work, I realized the error of my ways. Her weirdness is what sets her apart from the rest of the female rap/hip-hop world. Well, that and the fact that she can spit like nobody’s business. Now, I can’t get enough of her. As you might have heard, this past weekend Kanye West’s Monster video leaked. I refuse to post the link or video here until the fully mastered version is made available, because it is so amazing it deserves to only get attention in all of it final polished glory. As I was trolling the internet after having watched the video, girl crushing on Minaj and wishing something half as awesome as Monster existed, I clicked on my SoundCloud and what did I see?! The heavens had opened and STAR SLINGER HAD JUST UPLOADED A NICKI MINAJ REMIX. In typical Star Slinger fashion (who is a genius in his own right), it utlizes choppy and repetitive vocals seamlessly tied together by original synth work, glittering chimes, and subtle bass. I went so far as to say this on the track comments…and I mean it. Star Slinger does it again, ladies and gentlemen (and again, and again, and again). In a month he’s embarking on his first US tour, be sure to check out the dates here, as you absolutely cannot miss him. Seriously. This guy is a legend in the making.

Moment 4 Life (Star Slinger Remix)--Nicki Minaj

Comedown Sunday: Ganja Babe

"My sweet Ganja Babe, I love the way ya love me and the way ya misbehaving."

Photo Credit Jamie Nelson

Edit: Haha, my god. I just realized today isn't Sunday. It's only Saturday. Wow...shows you where my head is at. Well, think of this as an early treat for the holiday.

Happy New Year! Can you believe it's already 2011? And that we only have another year before the world ends (via the Mayan calendar)? Shit. I trust that you are all brutally hungover right now, and so it is my pleasure to try and help remedy that by providing you with this year’s first Comedown Sunday tune.
Not only does today mark the start of the New Year, it also marks my 3-week anniversary of marijuana sobriety. If you know me, you’ll know that’s a big deal. I hadn’t gone that long without smoking in three years. Mind you, just because I can pass a drug test doesn't mean I now condemn smoking. It’s just that doing it every day wasn’t really working out for me or my productivity, so I decided it was time for a change. I do, however, still appreciate the world’s greatest herb, and so, in irony and nostalgia, I present you with Michael Franti & Spearhead’s Ganja Babe. In it, Franti—San Francisco’s reigning reggae don—sings about a lover who’s both a smoker and a grower. Sexy. Since we all know that the only surefire hangover cure is a fat blunt followed by indulging in your munchies, usher in your New Year the right way. Save yourself one more day to abstain from vices; your pounding head will thank you. Light one up, put this song on, and watch your pain disappear as you slip into hazy, chilled-out bliss.

Ganja Babe—Michael Franti & Spearhead