I Drank What?

Within the last five or so years, the 1950s and 60s rock n' roll template has come back--and boy has it been overdone. A fantastic idea in theory, to combine a snappy, Beach Boys style melody with a lot of distortion and fuzz. This trend is what gave us Wavves, Best Coast*, Nobunny, and Ty Segall (to name just a few). Only two bands have been able to make the lo-fi, surf rock style work: Purling Hiss, and Coachwhips (yes I am willing to go on record saying that). Coachwhips takes an overused garage-rock sound, and imbues it with a pulsing, gritty energy. Bangers vs. Fuckers, if the name doesn't give it away already, has an obvious, aggressive sexuality to it. It's a grenade of a record. Artists like Wavves and Ty Segall don't sexualize their music, there's no sense of immediacy or desire--which is so apparent in Bangers vs. Fuckers. 

I also love how damn cheeky this record is. From the name of the record, to the cute (and weird, but cute) album art, and the track names "Purse Peekin" "You Gonna It" and "I Drank What?," this record clearly has a personality all its own.

dance floor bathroom

*I like Best Coast. She's a dumb person who makes dumb music and you know what? That's okay. So sue me.

Ease It Halen

The Drop Nineteens are more than just a 1990's college radio crush, they're a solid band that was unfortunately neglected in the wake of bands like My Bloody Valentine and Chapterhouse. Delaware is a charming record, full of dreamy, distorted guitars and gentle lyrics, very much like Ride's Nowhere. Delaware doesn't push the envelope, its name isn't particularly memorable, and the cover art is a tad bit cheesy. It's clear that Delaware is dated, the cover art pictures a young woman in a baggy sweater, aimlessly holding a gun, her mind perhaps more full of apathy than angst---she is grunge at its best. Music critics tend to chastise records for being too "dated," but I think that Delaware is a nostalgic little time capsule, and that's maybe the way we should look at it. The track "Winona" feels like the soundtrack to a teenage boy's sexual fantasy, an ode to Winona Ryder, whose career was at its height in the 90's. The album winds down with the sweet and whimsical "My Aquarium," a male-female acoustic duet which manages to win the listener over instantly.

Welcome to space, there's nothing. 

grab it here

 One More Hour: Sleater-Kinney 

Fall 2011 Mix

Just because.

Tracklist:

1) Believer: John Maus
2) Baltimore: Kindest Lines
3) City Girl: Kevin Shields
4) One More: Medicine
5) Demo (Icelandic): The Sugarcubes
6) Ocean City: Kurt Vile
7) Silver Stallion: Cat Power
8) Station Grey: Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter
9) Walk on the Moon: Asobi Seksu 
10) Down In A Mirror: Jandek
11) Schizophrenia: Sonic Youth
12) Blue Collar Love: Starflyer 59
13) Slip: Autechre
14) Bat's Mouth: Bat For Lashes

a forest

This song is damn catchy but completely lacks any sort of climax--which is why it confuses me, and why I love it.

The Comsat Angels: Total War

Label Profile: Wierd Records

Wierd Records (started by Pieter Schoolwerth in 2006) is NYC's resident analog synth label, which has released a steady string of incredible French cold-wave and industrial records. Wierd Record's popular DJ nights are held at the Home Sweet Home bar in the Lower East Side. (I highly recommend stopping by on a Wierd night for a good dose of dark, ethereal synth pop.) I respect Wierd Records for its devotion to authenticity. I guess you could criticize Wierd for sticking so closely to cold wave/industrial, and not branching out and discovering new talent. However, when so many labels are under pressure to choose talent based on the potential for popularity (cough cough Captured Tracks...and sadly, you too Sacred Bones), Wierd sticks with what suits it, good, solid minimal-synth music. With a reverence for the archaic 1980's analog sound, and an eye for talent both local and international, Wierd Records is quickly becoming one of my favorite labels.

Tracklist:
1) Die in Bed: Frank (Just Frank)
2) Baltimore: Kindest Lines
3) You Today: Martial Canterel
4) Rendez-vous d'or: Xeno and Oaklander
5) Schéma Corporel: Automelodi
6) poll gorm: Led Er Est
7) Odessa: Blacklist

Wierd Records Mix 

New Xeno & Oaklander single!

So good.

I have a long post in the works but I apologize for being such a lazy, non-contributing zero in the past few weeks. More will be posted soon.

Xeno & Oaklander: The Staircase 

School Jerks S/T E.P

There is no excuse for you NOT to listen to this little 7". It's 4 minutes long. Total crap recording quality, obligatory white-kids-being-unnecessarily-edgy swastika on the cover, barely discernible lyrics. It sounds exactly like Crazy Spirit, except School Jerks is from Canada (apparently people make music up there?).

Riff Raff Records, 2009

Frank (just Frank)

So yes I've bombarded pretty much every social media outlet I am connected to with Frank (just Frank) this week. And I am posting this song for two reasons: 1) I speak French, and I like singing the words to this in the car. 2) The caption for the video reads, "French coldwave (not chillwave or Cold Cave)." Given my strong opinions on both chillwave and Cold Cave, I can get down with that.

It's Friday, here's something to listen to.

Y-Control: one of my favorite songs of all time. Karen O is like Riot Grrrl for 21st century chicks who date dudes but make out with girls on the weekend.

The music video is awesome.