Found Vinyl: Oliver De Coque - Born Singer

Sometimes African rhythms just feel right, and so i came home from the record store yesterday with the "Born Singer" LP from Nigeria's Oliver De Coque and His Expo '76 Ogene Sound Super of Africa.  While that may be a mouthful, the music is pretty chill, with elements of funk, blues, and Afro-beat interspersed throughout.  It's good vibe jams for peace and love, and damn if it doesn't make me want to drink a beer outside.  Take a listen to "Peoples Club of Nigeria" below.



The man recorded over 70 albums in his lifetime, a prolific guitarist and innovator, popularizing the Ogene dance movement in Nigeria.  He passed away in 2008, but he left us with a groove.  Listen to the album's title track below.

Fantastikoi Hxoi

Fantastikoi Hxoi hails from Athens, Greece, and the new "Dream Weapons" EP is like some kind of soundtrack for an opium binge.  A groovy and trance inducing mix of traditional Greek music, electro-fuzz, warm synth beats, and Balearic dreamscapes, this is your trip man.  Download for free right here and listen to "Nemesis Beat" below.

CHVRCHES - Gun

Here's a new single from Glasgow's CHVRCHES.  "Gun" is another electro-bubblegum goodie.  Seeing these guys next week, and the 13 year old girl who lives inside of me cannot wait...that didn't come out right. Listen below.

Belle Mare

Perfect, moody music for a Sunday morning, Brooklyn duo Belle Mare craft melancholy dream-folk, that's at once airy, wistful, and hypnotic.  Grab their "The Boat of The Fragile Mind" EP here and listen to the title track below.

Disclosure

British duo Disclosure have gotten all kinds of ink on the net and blogs, and the hype has been building towards their debut LP, "Settle," due from PMR next month.  I don't know if it's all warranted or not, another duo fusing elements of R&B and electronic music to get the asses shaking.  It seems like we've all been there a million times before.  What i do know is that album opener "When a Fire Starts to Burn" is an absolute jam, a party starter just in time for the beginning of summer.  Listen below.  Happy Saturday everybody.

Ghost B.C. covers Depeche Mode

Swedish metal provocateurs Ghost B.C. cover Depeche Mode's classic 1990 ballad "Waiting for the Night," and it's fantastic!  Listen below.

New Boards of Canada

I'd be remiss if i didn't mention the new song from Boards of Canada that popped up earlier today.  Listen to the all-encapsulating moodiness that is "Reach for the Dead" below.  The "Tomorrow's Harvest" LP will be out next month on Warp.

HAERTS - All The Days

Hooray!  A new jam from HAERTS!  "All The Days" is another anthem that screams closing credits to an 80's movie...and i love it for that.  Listen below, and fingers crossed that we'll see a proper LP sometime this fall.

Tree

Chicago rapper Tree just released a new mixtape, "Sunday School II: When Church Lets Out," and it's a doozy.  The rapper's self-described "soul-trap" is a mix of growled vocals, soul samples, and doom blues.  It's a pretty ambitious mix, and can be downloaded for free right here.  In the meanwhile, listen to "The King" below and dig on those Elvis-as-chipmunk samples.

Found Vinyl - Quintessence

A bunch of spiritual cats out of the UK in the late 60's got together to create albums of life affirming, all-spiritual encompassing, good karma jams.  It was the late 60's, the drugs were still good, The Beatles were doing it, so it only makes sense that it would happen on a broader scale.  And thus we get the trippy good vibes from Quintessence and their self-titled 1970 release.  Lead singer Shiva Shankar Jones (i'm not making that up) hums, croons, chants, and wails through a self-styled spiritual odyssey touching on aspects of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and any other religion you can throw in there.  Varied instrumentation (a psych groove here, a holy mantra there) holds the whole thing together, and actually makes for a pretty engaging listen.  It's like someone saw "Hair" and was then inspired to create somewhat serious music as an homage.  I'm probably not selling this very well.  You just need to listen.  Here's the psych rock jam "Sea of Immortality."



And here's the aforementioned holy mantra that is "High on Mt. Kailash."



If this album was released today, i'd probably write the whole thing off as some sort of pretentious mess, or as a big joke, but being that it's over 40 years old, it works on its own merit.  Well played hippies.  Here's one more, album opener "Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Gauranga."

Lace Curtain

Here's a groovy, pulsing, Kraut-inspired synth jam from Australia's Lace Curtain.  "Falling (II)" comes from the upcoming "Falling/Running" 12" out June 11th on Mexican Summer.

Daft Punk - Horizon

Yesterday at the record store, i had a choice between the new Daft Punk record or the recent reissue of Vangelis' soundtrack to "Blade Runner."  I chose "Blade Runner," and i stand by my choice, but i might be regretting it if our American version of "Random Access Memories" included the Japanese version only bonus jam "Horizon."  It's marvelous.  Listen below.

1000 Homo DJs

Shawn C. Baker has been running the nostalgia treatment on me lately with his posts on various industrial/electronic jams from 20-25 years ago (Skinny Puppy, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, etc.), which has in turn put me on my own nostalgia trip.  I too was a sucker for some scuzzy, noisy industrial music (Wax Trax artists in particular), and so here's one of my all time favorites from Ministry side project 1000 Homo DJs and their amazing take on Black Sabbath's "Supernaut."  This was on everybody's mixtape.

The band consisted of a plethora of industrial and electronic artists, most notably Al Jourgensen from Ministry and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails (Reznor's vocals on the original mix were scrapped due to some licensing bullshit between different record labels).  Legend has it, partying with each other would lead to these various industrial super group recording sessions with whomever was drunkest manning the drums.  That's probably too awesome to actually be true, but my heart chooses to believe it anyway.  Listen to "Supernaut" with Jourgensen on vocals below.

Glass Candy - Warm in the Winter

It seems like i post another track from Italians Do It Better's new "After Dark 2" compilation every few weeks, but the sucker has finally come out (digitally at least), and so here's the video for Glass Candy's "Warm in the Winter," the album's opener.

RIP Ray Manzarek

I have kind of love/hate thing with The Doors, but RIP Ray Manzarek...and i've said it a thousand times, but fuck cancer.

Crocodiles - Cockroach

San Diego's Crocodiles will be releasing their/his fourth album "Crimes of Passion" in August from Frenchkiss.  The surf rock and Jesus and Mary Chain obsession evidenced on previous efforts shines though once again, this time around with Sune Rose Wagner (The Raveonettes) manning the boards.  Listen to the druggy, reverby, and organ-y "Cockroach" below.

Kylesa live at Mohawk pics

Squeezing in some last second fun and music before fatherhood, and was lucky enough to catch Kylesa's stop in Austin while touring for their excellent new record, "Ultraviolet."  Opening was the loud-as-hell wall-of-sound of psych rock band White Hills, followed by the witch-centric flute and organ metal of Toronto's Blood Ceremony.  They looked like a bunch of drama majors, but were a lot of fun.  Flute jam is the best kind of jam.

Kylesa were everything i wanted them to be...part stoner metal, part sludge, part shoegaze, and they threw a theremin into the mix as well.  And there was some kind of instrument made out of a skateboard, so you know they're innovators.  Anyway, here's some pics, and re-listen to "Unspoken," one of my favorite songs of the year so far.

White Hills

Blood Ceremony

Kylesa

Kylesa

Kylesa

Man's Gin

Man's Gin is the project of Cobalt's Erik Wunder, and sophomore album "Rebellion Hymns" is as bleak and devastating as the album art would suggest.  Dark folk with stretches of frenetic energy and badlands Americana, the songs on "Rebellion Hymns" play out like some hopeless murder ballad.  It's beautiful and soul crushing...and probably my favorite thing right now.  Look for the record in the near future from metal label Profound Lore and listen to "Deer Head & The Rain" below.

Egyptian Sports Network

Egyptian Sports Network is Matt Mondanile of Ducktails and Real Estate fame and Spencer Clark of The Skaters.  The duo's aesthetic could best be described as warped library music from some 80's local network television station or cable access channel blasted through outer space using rudimentary tools.  So yeah, i'm hooked on this trip.  "Leo in Cyan" has the added benefit of Mark McGuire of Emeralds on synthesizer duty.  Listen below and pre-order the "Interstitial Luxor" EP from New Image Records.

The Reflections

It's not quite summer yet, but i spent most of my day outside today, yard work, running, and spending some time at Ladybird Lake with my dog.  LA's The Reflections, the side project of Bleached drummer Jon Safley, provided the perfect soundtrack for said day, offering a collection of dreamy, jangly, sun drenched jams on their debut LP, "Limerence," from Arc Recordings.  Listen to "Summer Days" below.

Found Vinyl: The Pandoras - It's About Time

Popping up during the 60's garage/psych revival of the 1980's, LA's The Pandoras were the girl group of the "Paisley Underground" scene.  The band combined elements of surf rock and garage noise to create riotous, go-go vibed music.  Take a listen to the instrumental "Haunted Beach Party."



Band leader and singer Paula Pierce sang in guttural and hoarse voice, screeching in a way that would later become synonymous with the riot grrl acts of the 90's.  Listen to "James" below.



The band's first album, "It's About Time," came out in 1984 on Bomp! Records, and the girls continued to make music until the untimely death of Ms. Pierce in 1991.

Considering our current garage rock revival, this record is a great fit.  Here's one more, "Want Need Love."

V/H/S 2 trailer

Holy crap!

Weed

I'm digging on the 90's-inspired noise rock right now, so here's a sludgy number from Vancouver's Weed.  While "Set Me Back" may have its influences written all over it (Dinosaur Jr. anyone?), i still love getting caught in a cacophony of warped reverb.  Their "Deserve" LP is due in July from Couple Skate.

Roomrunner

I've been meaning to write about Baltimore's thrashy, noisy post-grunge act Roomrunner since i caught them last March during SXSW.  They're loud and raucous, but tight and precise, and are perfectly reminiscent of a period of my life during high school...way back in the mid-90's.  Let the 120 minutes revival begin!  Listen to "Weird" below and look for the "Ideal Cities" LP later this month from Fan Death.  (While you're over at Fan Death, be sure to check out the equally awesome track, "Bait Car."

Postiljonen

Dance!  Everybody dance!  And listen to the warm beats of "Supreme," from Stockholm's Postiljonen.

The Focus Group

I first heard The Focus Group a few years ago on their wonderful collaborative album with Broadcast, "...Investigate Witch Cults of The Radio Age," a strange and eclectic mix of organs, sound effects, bits of obscure film, and an overall feeling of European horror movie trippiness.  Excellent stuff.  Their latest, "Elektrik Karousel," from Ghost Box keeps moving forward with the assistance of the surviving half of Broadcast, and some forays into freaky folk.  There's still a total Giallo vibe, which is nice, as well as some bits of prog, psych, and jazz.  Perfect experimental music.  Listen to "SPOLK" below.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

I gotta love it when something makes my inner nerd excited, and the promo that was released yesterday for the upcoming "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." on ABC got me wiggling.  Joss Whedon is on board, as is Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), and one can only assume that any number of Whedon players could possibly show up as the show progresses.  It will be interesting to see how a TV show moves and shakes throughout a universe that takes place on the big screen.  Watch below.

Twin Tigers

Mopey, sinister music out of Athens, Georgia, Twin Tiger wastes no time dolling out their influences on their sophomore LP "Death Wish."  Equal parts Bauhaus and Joy Division with some Depeche Mode and The Cramps sprinkled throughout, i'm digging the hell out of these guys.  Listen to "Racecar" below and grab the album from Old Flame Records.

Sin Cos Tan

Finnish duo Sin Cos Tan (hooray math references!) released their self titled debut album via Solina Records late last year, but i'm just hearing about them now, having seen the awesome video for their jam "History."  Moody synth-pop meets trippy 70's horror movie visuals.  Sign me the hell up.  Watch below.

Peter Gordon & Factory Floor

A pulsing beat, cold, minimalist synths, far away digital vocals, and an occasional moan of a saxophone, and we have the new collaborative track "Beachcombing" from Peter Gordon (Love of Life Orchestra) and Factory Floor.  It's hypnotic, trance-inducing, and all around awesome.  Music to make robots to.  Listen below and look for the 12" single from Optimo Music.

Smith Westerns - Varsity video

Chicago's Smith Westerns are prepping their latest album, "Soft Will," for release next month on Mom + Pop.  Jangly guitars and hints of glam rock abound, as per usual, to great and catchy effect.  Watch the colorful video for first single "Varsity" below and feel good about yourself.

Found Vinyl: Hardin & Russell - Ring of Bone

I've been all over the board lately musically, and that suits me fine, especially when crate digging for artists and albums that i might otherwise ignore or pass over.  One of my latest gems is the country/folk 1976 album "Ring of Bone"  by Hardin & Russell.  Recorded in Austin, the duo of Patricia Hardin and Tom Russell combined their shared love of Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, the Beat Generation, and classical music to create a really solid piece of work.  The two didn't stay in Texas for long though, moving to San Francisco shortly after the album was out to join the ongoing west coast fold scene.  One more album followed before they broke up around 1980.

All of the songs on the record tie together pretty nicely, though still touching on different styles and themes.  The piano and strings on the title track carry a sense of 1970's melodrama to them, but the song is beautiful and definitely worth a listen.



The duo weren't just about sad bastard music though, as evidenced by the parlor-filling and jazzy "Mrs. Zeelsdorf's Garden."  (My dad would have loved this song.)



And then there's pure Americana with "Beneath Canyon Walls (Bert Loper)."



And here's one more just for the hell of it.  "Mojave."  Dig on that proggy jazz flute.


All in all, "Ring of Bone" is great piece of Americana folk music, and i would suggest to anyone with even a passing interest in the folk genre.  (Plus, the old man on the album cover looks like he's primed to be in one of those early 90's heavy metal videos where half naked old dudes hung out in dirty, confined spaces.  You know what i'm talking about.)

New music from These New Puritans

It's been a while since we last heard from London's These New Puritans, and it's good to know that the band is as dark, brooding, and foreboding as they ever were.  "Field of Reeds" is due out next month, but you can listen to the simple and melancholy (yet totally ominous) "Fragment Two" below.  Get the album from Infectious Records.

RIP Ray Harryhausen

Stop motion special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen passed away today at the age of 92.  RIP.

Pharaohs

New Age grandiosity meets baggy-pantsed Madchester rave monkeys in the debut full length LP, "Replicant Moods," from LA's Pharaohs via 100% Silk.  Listen to "Syzygy" below, grab the album here, and shake that booty.

Three Winters

No one does cold, darkwave, goth-infused synthesizer music like the Norwegians.  I dare you to prove me wrong.  Anyway, Oslo's Three Winters have an excellent EP called "Atrocities" out on Swedish label Belaten.  Listen to the icy title track below.

 

Numerators

Texan-implant Brooklyn screaming noise makers Numerators do just that on the latest 7" release from Suicide Squeeze.  "Finally See" is raucous, explosive garage rock mayhem at its best.  Listen below and pre-order here.

MS MR & CHVRCHES

NYC duo MS MR will be releasing their debut full-length LP "Secondhand Rapture" next week, but in the meantime, you can listen to Glasgow's CHVRCHES' montage scene-ready remix of last year's "Hurricane."  Get ready to master a skill over the next three minutes.

Small Black - No Stranger

Here's another new track from Brooklyn's Small Black's new album "Limits of Desire."  The new record sees the band abandoning a lot of the "chill wave" vibes they started out with in favor of a more 80's influenced, synth pop sound.  Listen to "No Stranger" below and dig on the New Order/John Hughes movie goodness.  It's pretty.  "Limits of Desire" is due out next week from Jagjaguwar.

Black Lips - Cruising

Every year, Adult Swim of late night TV fame sees fit to give us an array of excellent free music, from their summer singles series to their different compilations of metal, hip-hop, etc.  The latest, "Garage Swim," is a mix of modern garage/punk songs from the likes of Thee Oh Sees, King Khan, Mikal Cronin, and more, more, more.  Check out the cool new jam, "Cruising," from Black Lips below and go here to download the whole album for free.

Eluvium & Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo)

Eluvium's new album "Nightmare Ending" is due out in a couple of weeks from Temporary Residence Ltd.  Check out the melancholy, downtrodden, piano-led track "Happiness," featuring Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan on vocals.  This one should put you right to sleep.

Deafheaven

I love that shoegaze meets black metal is starting to become more of a thing.  It makes so much sense, that it's ridiculous it didn't start surfacing a long time ago (i realize that there may be some underground misfits that i've never heard of who were doing this sort of thing well before it was "cool").  Ugliness and beauty at deafening, blissful levels.  San Francisco trio Deafheaven will be releasing their "Sunbather" LP in June from Deathwish.  Everything i've heard sounds amazing.  Listen to first single "Dreamhouse" below.

RIP Jeff Hanneman

RIP Jeff Hanneman.  The Slayer guitarist passed away earlier today at 49.

Animal Collective & Shabazz Palaces

Animal Collective's 2012 album "Centipede Hz" gets the remix treatment later this month from Gang Gang Dance, Teengirl Fantasy, and more on Domino.  Listen to the spacey, strewn-across-the-cosmos remix of "New Town Burnout" by Shabazz Palaces.  It's pretty damn cool.

Marina & The Diamonds & Charli XCX

I've been very hesitant to hop on the Charli XCX bandwagon, as at times it just sounds like teeny-bopper schlock-pop to me (which betrays my age i suppose), but the girl will occasionally get involved in something that piques my interest: mixtapes, remixes, a guiltiest of guilty pleasures song from Icona Pop, and this new collaborative jam with Marina & The Diamonds, "Just Desserts."  It's a moving, shaking, radioactive dance floor anthem in the making, and i'd be lying if i said it wasn't fun.  Listen and download below.

Standish/Carlyon

Conrad Standish and Tom Carlyon are members of the long silent moody Australian band Devastations (2008's "Yes U" is fantastic, part Nick Cave, part Tindersticks, part The National, all mixed together with a sexy groove), and the two are readying new album together of dark and warped electronica.  Listen to the pulsing "Subliminally" below and look for the "Deleted Scenes" LP from Felte later this month.