DISKULL PARTY
Add comment May 19th, 2008 marco
Man Man - “Rabbit Habits”
Part swampy juke joint brawlers, part smooth Philly warehouse doo-wop crooners, a sprinkling of wild-eyed, demon-haunted art hustler, and a hint of punky kindergarten playroom Pollyannas, Man Man bring their incomparable vision of “pop music” to bear with Rabbit Habits, their Anti- Records debut. Having honed their legendarily exuberant live show to hypothalamus-tickling perfection opening for such indie stalwarts as Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire and Cat Power, the band has captured the fiery spirit and essence of a Man Man show and etched it into 45 minutes of the most raucous, weirdly moving, spiritually uplifting music this side of Oppenheimer’s great beyond. Stand-out tracks such as “Top Drawer” and “Big Trouble” illustrate Man Man’s ability to provoke and inspire in a single instance.
Man Man’s power isn’t derived from the genres they stumble across, or the maniac light in their eyes, or the sweat pooling in their beards. It’s the unbearable sadness in their marrow and how they transform it, like the existentially distressed but heroically steadfast men men they are, into a terrible and lionhearted joy.” Pitchfork
Taken from: ANTI
Add comment May 13th, 2008 marco
The Death Set
Meet the new Minutemen! With not a song over 2:24, the Death Set’s Worldwide is an amalgamation of lo-fi electronica and old school punk rock a la Minutemen and their cited influences: Black Flag, the Buzzcocks, and Minor Threat. I’m not so sure I heard the Buzzcocks so much as I heard the Go! Team’s “Thunder, Lightning, Strike” (without the horns) - a DIY sound, an overdriven Casio with frenetic guitars backing up sideline cheerleaders of the 21st century. An apt reference is our local team, No Age who have combined punk and surf with new aesthetics. Other notable tunes on Worldwide are: “Intermission”, “Around the World”, and the transcendent “Impossible”.
The Death Set have achieved considerable renown in Baltimore for their live sets (check out the pics on their website) but they are depriving LA of their presence on this tour at least - dammit if they aren’t teaming up Brazilian power group Bonde do Role who are only making it out as far as Arizona. In the meantime, this is a fun record to enjoy until they do make it to LA hopefully in the second half of this year.
Taken from: laist.com
Add comment May 13th, 2008 marco
MGMT - “Oracular Spectacular”
40 years after the Summer of Love (and 30 years after the Summer of Hate), MGMT is celebrating the grand re-opening of the third eye of the world with Oracular Spectacular, the duo’s much-anticipated first full-length album, an enigmatic and prophetic collection of hallucinatory sounds and hook-riddled pop tones for the new millennium.
Taken from: insound.com
Web: myspace.com/mgmt
Add comment January 23rd, 2008 marco
The Magnetic Fields - “Distortion”
Stephin Merritt has quite openly admitted that his newest offering is an homage to the Jesus and Mary Chain, and indeed this does sound a hell of a lot like Psychocandy. The strings and pianos are still there, but buried under a bed of reverb-drenched distortion and shrieking feedback.
Considering how unique and iconic an album Psychocandy was, borrowing so heavily from it could have ended up going very badly. But somehow it works quite well with his songwriting. While the Jesus and Mary Chain might have been limited by their musical ability and knowledge, Merritt and company understand the pop principles they’re working with.Taken from: nowtoronto.com
Web: houseoftomorrow.com
Web: houseoftomorrow.com
Add comment January 23rd, 2008 marco
White Williams - “Smoke”
It makes sense that a protégé of Girl Talk’s Greg Gillis would specialize in pop appropriation and cross-pollination, two things Joe “White” Williams brings in spades to Smoke. But Williams’ debut induces tender gasps and organic contractions in its meticulously tweaked songcraft: “New Violence” sounds like Sparks with Euro-pop training wheels, but the thudding bass and shrill synths have a will and pulse of their own. There are traces of Tiga’s electro-slanted élan—minus most of the dance-floor pandering—to Williams’ “Going Down,” but its lush glitches, glutinous low-end, and space-plus-samples collage aesthetic owe more to Brian Eno’s tenure with Talking Heads. Gillis’ influence rears highest in a dull version of the Strangeloves-by-way-of-Bow Wow Wow classic “I Want Candy” and the throwaway “Fleetwood Crack”—but the lopsided laptop funk of “Smoke” is nothing short of nauseously gorgeous. The world probably doesn’t need a new Beck, but Smoke proves there’s one floating around, just in case.
Taken from: avclub.com
Add comment January 23rd, 2008 marco
Discovered
Parisian duo Thomas Bangalter & Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo aka Daft Punk quickly rose to acclaim by adapting a love for first-wave acid house and techno to their younger roots in pop, indie rock, and hip-hop. Formed in 1993 the duo released their debut single ‘Alive’ on celebrated techno label Soma which was instantly hailed by the dance music press as the work of a new breed of house innovators, the single was followed by ‘Da Funk’ the bands first true hit, they were quickly signed to Virgin Records and in 1997 the ground breaking ‘Homework’ album was released.
Albums: Discovery, Human After All, Musique and Alive have since followed to huge critical and commercial success all containing their unique dancefloor-oriented blend of house, funk, electro, and techno, with sprinklings of hip-hop-styled breakbeats and excessive, crowd-firing samples.
Albums: Discovery, Human After All, Musique and Alive have since followed to huge critical and commercial success all containing their unique dancefloor-oriented blend of house, funk, electro, and techno, with sprinklings of hip-hop-styled breakbeats and excessive, crowd-firing samples.
What their legions of fans and dance music lovers may be not aware of is their love of a good sample, some of which have been rounded up on this crucial collection - original tracks that form the basis of their most known hits including ‘Da Funk’ , ‘Around The World’ and ‘Harder Better Stronger Faster’ and may more…
Ten years on since the release of ‘Homework’ the band continue to win new fans and remain in the spotlight, playing at every major festival and embarking on a world tour and releasing their debut film ‘Electroma’
Add comment December 22nd, 2007 marco
Calvin Harris
We all know that ‘Acceptable In The 80s’ is among the Top Ten best things to happen this year and now here is the full Calvin Harris long player. Living up to the debut single was always going to be hard work but Harris makes a bloody good go of it: follow-up ‘The Girls’ sounds like a tune you’ve been dancing to for the past six years, as well as sounding like it’ll be on the radio every few minutes for the next six months. Even better is ‘Merry Making At My Place’, which is like ‘Rudebox’ but with a proper bassline and a point. Other moments of goodness include the title track and ‘Vegas’, although the 80s-aping latter does veer dangerously close to self plagiarism with a bassline almost identical to ‘Acceptable In The 80s’. At times Harris seems a little unsure of who or what he wants to be - ‘Neon Rocks’ sounds like something Gwen Stefani might Hoover up for one of her big important albums, the title track wouldn’t sound out of place on a Daft Punk album and ‘In The Industry’ wobbles dangerously near to The World Of Indie. But if everything sounded the same we’d be listening to a Snow Patrol record and we’re not. This is Calvin Harris, and bloody good his album is too.
Taken from: popjustice.com
Add comment December 22nd, 2007 marco
Siouxsie - “Mantaray”
Dear fierceness –can you come out to play? Goth-punk goddess Siouxsie Sioux hasn’t sounded this tough since the Banshees fell apart more than a decade ago. She recently split with husband and musical partner Budgie, who drummed for the Banshees and joined her in the globe-trotting adventures of the Creatures; it’s the goth equivalent of a royal divorce. But with all her cities in dust, Siouxsie concentrates all her eccentric music powers on her first solo album ever, one where you don’t have to keep telling yourself “but it’s Siouxsie” to pay attention. Great hooks like “Loveless” and “About to Happen” twist the tricks she’s re-learned from young disciples such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars and Arcade Fire. She busts out her Frau Blucher voice for crypt-cabaret ballads like “Sea of Tranquility”and “Heaven and Alchemy,” switching into latex-dominatrix mode for the brassy ersatz Bond theme “Here Comes That Day.” After thirty years in the game, Siouxsie still can’t be stopped.
Taken from: rollingstone.com
Add comment December 22nd, 2007 marco
Prinzhorn Dance School
Dear DFA, why wasn’t there a label like you around in 1990 when me and my friends had about 15 pretentious and arty bands exactly like prinzhorn dance school? If anything, I love this prinzhorn dance school album because it perfectly preserves the memories of skinny black-clad, cheap red wine swilling art scoundrels the world over. Minimalist and repetitive, most of the tunes are just bass and drums, or bass and guitar, with shouty verses of two or so stanzas, perfect if you are drunk, or on meth or both.
The album is stunningly simple and uncomplicated - my 3 year old gets it and I can’t argue with that. Now we both stomp around and shout out the songs together while his sohpisticated and disapproving 5 year old sister watches until, she too is forced to join in.
Taken from: laist.com
Add comment December 22nd, 2007 marco
Balkan Beat Box
The Balkan Beat Box got the party started while performing at Joe’s Pub in Central Park, Wednesday the 26th. Introducing some of their new songs from recently released alum, Nu Med on JDub records, the BBB were anything but short on great energy.
The main band mates Tamir Muskat and Ori Kaplan were brought up in Israel, but that doesn’t limit their music. While they definitely incorporate traditional rhythms; New York City, along with numerous regions of the globe, has influenced this band to experiment and mix jazz, electronic beats, and Balkan, to their Mediterranean roots.
Tomer Yosef, the group’s MC/ singer, continuously enticed the audience to dance and get crazy. Yosef not only got everyone out of their seats, but actually raised the vitality of the audience to a level of self-indulgence. People were dancing in the isle ways, clapping with beers in their hands, some singing along, but mainly jumping around to the music simply because they were having a fantastic time. The band’s raw passion for their music was conveyed by their intense solos, rapping, and Yosef running around the stage fanatically.
The band has a vision to create ‘cross-border brotherhood’ and while it’s visionary, it seems to be working.
The main band mates Tamir Muskat and Ori Kaplan were brought up in Israel, but that doesn’t limit their music. While they definitely incorporate traditional rhythms; New York City, along with numerous regions of the globe, has influenced this band to experiment and mix jazz, electronic beats, and Balkan, to their Mediterranean roots.
Tomer Yosef, the group’s MC/ singer, continuously enticed the audience to dance and get crazy. Yosef not only got everyone out of their seats, but actually raised the vitality of the audience to a level of self-indulgence. People were dancing in the isle ways, clapping with beers in their hands, some singing along, but mainly jumping around to the music simply because they were having a fantastic time. The band’s raw passion for their music was conveyed by their intense solos, rapping, and Yosef running around the stage fanatically.
The band has a vision to create ‘cross-border brotherhood’ and while it’s visionary, it seems to be working.
For more information visit balkanbeatbox.com
Maria Del Carmen Del Mar
42 comments October 7th, 2007 marco
Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
The Black Lips fifth album, and first studio album for VICE, is titled Good Bad, Not Evil. The title Good Bad, Not Evil is inspired by the Shangri-Las song “Walk Right Up To Him (Give Him A Great Big Kiss). The album was produced by the band in their hometown of Atlanta at The Living Room studios aided by the band’s friend Ed Rawls, a bartender at the nearby Drunken Unicorn bar, just around the corner from where fellow Atlantans Outkast work.
The Black Lips formed when as teenager after school friends Cole Alexander (guitar / vocals) and Jared Swilley (bass / vocals) signed up their friends Joe Bradley (drums / vocals) and Ben Eberbaugh (guitar). After swiftly becoming one of the Atlanta underground’s most talked about bands, and along the way being banned from numerous venues for their wild live shows, the group released albums and seven inches on different underground garage labels like Bomp and In The Red. Tragically, Eberbaugh was killed in a freak traffic accident but the band carried on with New Orleans-born Ian St Pe. These events would go on to influence the song “How Do You Tell A Child That Someone Had Died”, a stand out track on Good Bad, Not Evil. The album ranges from dirty psychedelic blues songs about Holy World War 3 “Veni Vidi Vicci” outright pop hits like “Katrina” (written the night the band found out that the Hurricane of the same names had devastated New Orleans) and Bad Kids (based around certain band members’ experiences with juvenile detention centres). There’s also the bruised, tender album closer “Transcendental Light”, a song written by Ian about discovering his mother’s body. Cole Alexander told us: “On this album we were really inspired by ourselves, especially our first two albums. They really changed the way the whole game was played. I think our work really transcends all genres and continues to influences us all on a daily basis” For us, the album’s a fresh, exciting take on the wildest records of bands like 1960s Peruvian punk bands like Los Saicos, the Stones, 13th Floor Elevators and the raw pop exuberance of Cavern-era Beatles. It’s probably the most out-there, funnest album you’re going to hear all year.
Taken from: vicerecords.com
MySpace: myspace.com/theblacklips
Add comment September 20th, 2007 marco
JOE’S PUB IN THE PARK
Returning for the first time since it was initially staged in 2004, JOE’S PUB IN THE PARK captures the quality and range of performances that have made Joe’s Pub, now in its ninth year of providing music at its downtown home, one of the most acclaimed and popular clubs in New York City. Pub in the Park brings that talent and diversity into The Public Theater’s most visible and accessible venue, the annual home of Shakespeare in the Park. Drawing from a pool of the literally thousands of artists that have performed at Joe’s Pub, the event’s programming combines musicians from varying genres and backgrounds together onto multiple full-length artist bills designed to bring disparate audiences together.
Highlights include:
Beirut / Balkan Beat Box / NY Gypsy All Stars
September 26th 2007 7:00PM
Indie pop and global sounds collide with a bang! Don’t miss the fireworks as underground sensations Beirut, raucous multidisciplinary party band Balkan Beat Box and the world-class instrumentalists of the NY Gypsy All-Stars storm Central Park, presented in association with the NY Gypsy Festival.
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20th Century Boy: Marc Bolan and T.Rex 30th Anniversary Celebration / David Driver Sings The Scott Walker Songbook / Justin Bond is Close to You: The Songs of the Carpenters
Saturday, September 29th 2007 7:00PM
An evening of tribute to three great musicians as David Driver performs the work of Scott Walker, Tony nominated performer Justin Bond recreates The Carpenters’ Close to You album and an all-star collective commemorates the memory of T. Rex leader Marc Bolan.
Add comment September 11th, 2007 marco
