Some April Snow

SC is back!

2007-09-03T05:58:00.000-07:00

After perusing the stats for SC, and then the stats for SAS,, I've decided to go back to posting at SC. I didn't build that blog from the ground up just to let it rot on the vine over a little squibble with a label. So, SC is back! I'm not sure what that means for this blog, but I doubt I'll completely forget it. So, get over to SC!

http://shamelesscomplacency.wordpress.com/

Science Fiction Double Feature

2007-08-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

First, a track from one of the last major unleaked '07 releases. That's right, it's Roisin Murphy!

Roisin Murphy - Let Me Know (Radio Edit).mp3
[From Overpowered, out October 15th on EMI]

And now, the incomparable deep funk stylings of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings! I can't even begin to express how pleased I am with their new album.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Let Them Knock.mp3
[From 100 Days, 100 Nights, out September 25th on Daptone Records]

A Band You'll Feel Weird About Googling

2007-08-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

You know that feeling when you hear a really good song from an unknown band for the first time? You know, it's great that you found a good song, but at the same time, you're a little worried that whatever album it comes from can't possibly live up to that one song? Most of the time, the album doesn't meet your expectations, and you go on searching for new music, just a little more cynically than you did before. But every now and then, the album turns out to be great, or *gasp*, even better than you had hoped. That happens to be the case with A Place To Bury Strangers self-titled debut. Seriously, these guys are great: think pristine guitars over insane levels of feedback, in some sort of shoegaze-meets-noise-rock fantasy. I'm gonna to go ahead and label APTBS my new favorite band. Check this band out, now.

A Place To Bury Strangers - My Weakness.mp3
[From A Place To Bury Strangers, out now on Killer Pimp]
APTBS Official Site

Oh How The Days Go

2007-08-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

Guero may not be the greatest album, but it still contains its fair share of gems, escpecially the slower-tempo tracks towards the end. In fact, it's home to one of my favorite post-millennium Beck songs, Broken Drum,. It's flashes of brilliance like these that keep me coming back to Beck, no matter how many half-baked singles *cough-timebomb-cough* he releases.

Beck - Broken Drum.mp3
[From Guero, released 2004 on Interscope]

No Hot Air Balloons?

2007-08-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

So, the new Beirut leaked last night. Unfortunately, I found out a little too late to listen to it then, which meant I heard it for the first time this morning. Some people are calling it Gulag Orkestar #2, which I can sort of understand. But for me, The Flying Club Cup definitely has a different vibe than it's predecessor. So far, my favorite track is 'Cliquot', which may or may not feature Owen Pallet. Also, here's the official tracklisting, for anyone who may be confused:

00 "A Call to Arms"
01 "Nantes"
02 "A Sunday Smile"
03 "Guyamas Sonora"
04 "La Banlieu"
05 "Cliquot"
06 "The Penalty"
07 "Forks and Knives (La Fête)"
08 "In the Mausoleum"
09 "Un Dernier Verre (Pour la Route)"
10 "Cherbourg"
11 "St. Apollonia"
12 "The Flying Club Cup"

And yes, the the 00 track is official.

Beirut - Cliquot.mp3
[From The Flying Club Cup, out October 9th on 4AD]

Tell Me

2007-08-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Lush, gorgeous slowcore. More proof that Jagujaguwar is one of the best labels around.

Spokane - Tell Me.mp3
[From Little Hours, out now on Jagujaguwar]

Crazy

2007-08-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

I used to think all that "greatest rapper alive" hyperbole was just that - hyperbole. But after listening to Da Drought 3 a few dozen times, I'm not so sure. Lil' Wayne is definitely a contender for that title. Here he is rapping over the beat from last year's megahit, 'Crazy'.

Lil' Wayne - Crazy.mp3
[From Da Drought 3 mixtape]

Wizconzin '95

2007-08-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

Remember when Boys Noize remixed Feist earlier this year? Well they'll be releasing their debut LP pretty soon. The first single, &Down, was released a little while back, and while the song is pretty good, it's the bonus track that makes it worth the purchase. A little bit like Justice, but different enough for them to establish their own identity.

Boys Noize - Wisconsin '95.mp3
[From the &Down single, out now on Boysnoize Germany]
Boys Noize myspace

Edit: Fixed link, sorry for the mistake!

Babies In My Arms

2007-08-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

I really love these guys. And not just because they're from one of my favorite cities in my home-state.

MV + EE - Poor Boy.mp3
[From Mars Delta, out now on Child Of Microtones]

Hyper-Accessible Indie-Pop

2007-08-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

I've been hitting you pretty hard with psych-folk, noise, etc. for the past few days, so here's some hyper-accessible indie-pop. Accessible doesn't mean crappy, in this case, you should remember. Vaguely reminiscent of Dan Bejar.

Matty Pop Chart - Rainy Season.mp3
[From Everybody Does Everything, out now on Plan-It-X]
Matty Pop Chart myspace

Classically-Influenced Experimental Noise-Drone Folk

2007-08-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

Noise is too crude a term for Charalambides latest album, Electricity Ghost, I'm sure. But what else can I call it? Psych-folk? Doesn't touch it. Experimental noise? Redundant. Classical noise? Paradoxical. If you've ever heard Charalambides before, particularly their 2004 masterpiece, Joy Shapes, you'll understand my dilemma. When I think noise, I think constant, randomly placed noise blocks, organized in only the loosest sense of the term. But that description could never apply to Charalambides. No, everything on Electricity Ghost is placed exactly where it should be, and was done so with the utmost precision. Recorded during the Joy Shapes sessions, Electricity Ghost echoes its predecessor in all the right ways; increasingly menacing female vocals and spine-bursting climaxes create an experience every bit as beautiful and disturbing as one could wish for. A stunning throwback to darker days.

Charalambides - Electricity Ghost II.mp3

More Barn Owl

2007-08-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

It's barely been a week since I told you about Barn Owl's Foxglove debut, but they've already released their sophomore album, Bridge To The Clouds. It's just as good as their first, with more druggy psych-rock and burnt-out vocals. This one's self-released, so it's release is even more limited than the first. Only about fifty copies, total, so grab this ASAP.

Barn Owl - She Swims In The Clouds.mp3
[From Bridge To The Clouds, self-released and out now]
Barn Owl myspace

r u nekkid? :o

2007-08-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

Great minimal techno from Israel, in the vein of The Field.

Guy Gerber - Are U Naked.mp3
[From Late Bloomers, out now on Cocoon]

Assorted Randomness

2007-08-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

So, now that I've finally absorbed the final episode of one of my favorite HBO series, I decided it was time to look for a new show to fill that Sopranos-shaped hole in my brain. I ended up choosing The Wire, after hearing so many good things about it over the past few months. Like any self-respecting TV-geek, I started out from the beginning. I've watched about six episodes now, and I'm not disappointed. The only bad thing I have to say so far is that Dominic West's character is a little cliched (an alcoholic Irish cop who plays by his own rules? I've never seen that before!) and annoying, but the rest of the cast is strong, and the story seems suitably intelligent. I especially taken a liking to Clarke Peters character, Lester Freamon (I guess cliches are more tolerable when they're quiet), so I was pleasantly surprised to hear a Miles Davis tune playing in the background during Peters first major episode. I can't find any info about The Wire's music, but unless my hearing has started to fail me at an extremely premature age, I'm sure what I heard was from Kind Of Blue. So here's my favorite track from that album, 'Blue In Green'. Oh, and in case you haven't heard, On The Corner is getting seven-disc box set reissue next month. Be sure to pick it up if you happen to have a small fortune just laying around, collecting dust.

Miles Davis - Blue In Green.mp3
[From Kind Of Blue, released 1959 on Columbia]

Pretend Not To Love

2007-08-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so that's the cover of Tigercity's new EP, Pretend Not To Love; white horses galloping on a pristine beach. Cheesy, right? Well, it actually suits Tigercity's sound remarkably well. You see, Tigercity sound like a dance-pop band straight out of the eighties. But, strangely enough, it works for them. I listened to Pretend Not To Love for the first time a few days ago, and wrote it off as a cute, if unremarkable, distraction. Then today, as I was drudging my way through one of the metal albums on my desktop, I randomly thought, "I want to listen to Tigercity again". And so I did, and it's undeniable this time; I love this EP. And once you cut through your own inhibitions about this style of music, I'm sure you'll feel the same way.

Tigercity - Other Girls.mp3
[From Pretend Not To Love, out now on iTunes]

Tigercity Myspace

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

2007-08-09T08:36:00.001-07:00

I have no idea how King Khan & The Shrines aren't at least seven times more popular than they are; no modern band is making better classic rock than them. Don't believe me? Check out 'I Wanna Be Girl', from their latest album, What Is?! (exclamation point and question mark included free of charge). It's so easy to see this song next to punk classics like 'Blitzkrieg Bop' and 'Lookin For A Kiss' that you almost forget it's only a few months old. Do yourself a favor and check this out.

King Khan & The Shrines - I Wanna Be A Girl.mp3
[From What Is?!, out now on Hazelwood]

You Speak Only To The Ringmaster

2007-08-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

When I first heard 1990's debut, Cookies, I immediately thought of the Arctic Monkeys. I mean, they're both bands composed of young(-sounding) Brits who make hook-laden pop rock. After a few listens, however, it was clear that a few things separated the two bands; early punk influences, intelligence, talent, and restraint. 1990's have all of these things, whereas the Arctic Monkeys have none. Basically, 1990's are the anti-Arctic Monkeys. Considering my disdain for the latter, you can imagine how happy I was to discover Cookies. Today I'll leave you with the tenth track from Cookies, Weed, which just happens share its name with my favorite TV show, Weeds, which happens to feature one of my favorite Ween songs in an upcoming episode. Whew, that's a lot of tangential association.

1990's - Weed.mp3
[From Cookies, out now on Rough Trade]

Ween - You Fucked Up.mp3
[From GodWeenSatan: The Oneness, released 1990 on Twin/Tone (now defunct)]

Rest In Peace Lee

2007-08-06T05:48:00.000-07:00

As you've probably heard, Lee Hazelwood died on Saturday, after a battle with renal cancer. Hazelwood was most famous for writing 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin'', Nancy Sinatra's 1966 #1 hit. Later, he went on to record several collaborations with Sinatra, including the legendary 'Some Velvet Morning'. He was seventy-eight. May he rest in peace.

Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra - Some Velvet Morning.mp3

Barn Owl

2007-08-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice slice of psych-folk, from the nice folks that make up Barn Owl. I first listened to this early this Sunday morning. When you hear this, I'm sure you'll understand why that's important. Oh, and if you like this, be sure to place your order quickly, as only 100 copies exist. Personally, I love it in all its codeine-injected beauty.

Barn Owl - Snow Swamp.mp3
[From Barn Owl, out now on Foxglove]
Buy Barn Owl
Barn Owl myspace

It Runs In The Family

2007-07-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

New from Oh No, brother of Madlib, and son of Otis Jackson, here's 'Heavy'! Reminds me of Dilla's Donuts, so check this out if you liked that. It's beatastic!

Oh No - Heavy.mp3
[From the upcoming Dr. No's Oxperiment, due 8/14/07 via Stones Throw]

Spiritus Sanctus In Nomine

2007-07-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

This track blew me away the first time I heard it. It's remarkably odd for an album that achieved such mainstream success.

Kate Bush - Waking The Witch.mp3
[From Hounds Of Love, released in 1985 by EMI]

Sometimes It Snows In April

2007-07-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Indeed, it does. Welcome to my new blog, Sometimes It Snows In April. This isn't my first attempt at blogging, but hopefully this will go better (i.e. a little less insane) than my last blog. I made the mistake of rambling last time, but I won't make that same mistake here. So, here's one of the standout tracks from Sunset Rubdowns stellar Random Spirit Lover, 'Colt Stands Up, Grows Horns'. The very creepy piano(?) at the end is brilliant.

Sunset Rubdown - Colt Stands Up, Grows Horns.mp3
[From the upcoming Random Spirit Lover due 10/9/07 via Jagjaguwar]