Sunday, April 27, 2008

Pushing Buttons, Making Waves


The Caribou show is Sunday night at Emo's here in Austin. If anyone was at the Club Deville show a few months ago then you know what you'd be missing out on if you decide to pass out instead. The kicker this time is Fuck Buttons, so show someone you care, e.g. dance. I'll be the guy dressed like Liza Scissorhands. Wave.

Caribou - The Barn
Fuck Buttons - Bright Tomorrow

Bonus:
Manitoba - Jacknuggeted

Monday, April 21, 2008

Never Underestimate the Power of an Admiration Complex

For a couple weeks now I've been getting continuous positive comments regarding the Diplo remix I posted. I thought I might acknowledge said reactions a little bit more and let go of some other tracks that manage to indulge similar feelings of guilty nostalgia while simultaneously generating some refreshing sensibilities.

All of these tracks desperately strive to be passe, but manage to hook me back into my troubled youth, relentless in their refusal to let certain conditions and moods wane their own momentum. But I project...

Perhaps, maybe these songs are in just need of revamping in order to reflect a new wave of perception. If I have learned anything over the past year its that a complete overhaul of an individual's state of affairs, e.g. location, career, relationships, interests etc., can often be an arduous and unnecessary process, devoid of any real personal growth...

Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side ('03 remix)
Archie Bronson Outfit - Dead Funny (Four Tet remix)
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Arthur Baker remix)
cLOUDDEAD - Dead Dogs Two (Boards of Canada remix)

...or maybe their originals are just timeless in nature and the propensity to post after my weekly therapy-session should be heavily reconsidered. And now for something completely different:

Loco Dice - Pimp Jackson is Talkin Now


Friday, April 18, 2008

Minimal Empathy...


My day is past, night is gone...a way to forget, is nowhere shone.

The Field - Night

Friday, April 11, 2008

Would Someone Please Send in the Goddamn Clowns

Well, its Friday and I'm about the leave for the Caspa show. But first I thought I would include another exciting edition (first and only to be exact) of "Remixes of Already Amazing Songs, Done only Slightly Better and Without Forfeiting the Hooking Essence That Made it Amazing in the First Place Friday."

Classic tracks that need no discussion include "Must be the Devil" (reworked by Diplo), MFA's "The Difference it Makes" (Petter's Version) off MFA's 2003 EP, and Datassette's version of "Untitled" by Interpol - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Pixies - Must Be the Devil (Diplo remix)
The MFA - The Difference it Makes (Petter's Different version)
Interpol - Untitled (datassette version)

The Beck addition is a little bazaar but give it a chance, you won't be disappointed. Villalobos takes a seemingly forgettable ad-pitch song and transforms it into the minimal anthem of the fucking century (or at least the last few weeks). After you're pleasantly locked in electro-land for a few minutes, not wanting to emerge having heard a mere day-maker, just wait because it plays for another eleven minutes. Enjoy

Beck - Cell Phone's Dead (Villalobos Entlebuch Remix)

Finally, after seeing Simian Mobile Disco perform over SXSW I can honestly express my understanding and absolute love for their chronic, sometimes overly-cheesy pop-synth approaches. Listen to this remix from the Teenagers and forget about those fucking clowns. Later

Simian Mobile Disco - Its the Beat (The Teenagers Remix)


Visit Chelseaartgalleries.com to see more.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Electricland Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Club


My new friends over at Electronic Austin are posting some great things regarding the ever-present, but admittedly grounded, electro-club scene here in Austin. "Club scene" obviously can have a particularly vague and ominous subtext. However, this site has found a way to circumvent faulty translation and misdirection, as well as avoid tiresome sub-genre categorizing: THEY DON'T POST SHITTY MUSIC.

Having said that, I now feel confident enough to humbly pass on their words of recommendation regarding some of the better live shows going on in town. Though such major events are few and far between, it is important to commend venues like Plush, Beauty Bar and Room 710, who churn out great dance parties on a weekly basis (depending on the spirit of its promotion).

One such event will be happening this Friday (11th) at Room 710. Dubstepper Caspa, from London, will be playing a set with residents DJ I/O, Innerlign and Tyrant. It's not to be missed, no matter your preferred escape, e.g. grime, minimal, prog-house, dubstep [Insert obscure, irrelevant sub-genre here].

You can pick up some old Caspa mixes here. Otherwise, I included a few other completely unrelated tracks here to help set the mood for the weekend or if you just want to hear some more amazing snap-clap digi-dancehall (legitimization on genre pending).


Daedelus - Fair Weather Friends

Mathew Leutwyler - Jovencitas

Late of the Pier - Space and the Woods (Toxic Avenger remix)

Bonus
More Electric Gypsyland:
Smadj Kocani Orkestar - Mi Bori Sar Korani

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Feels like a Collective Day

Today had me making some very important decisions regarding the welfare of my collective conscience. I made the important decision early to surround myself with noise, fleeting convention while immersed in essence. I included some tracks in this post that, while not necessarily adhering to these designed specifications, still maintain to enlighten, intrigue and rally feelings of pure amazement, sprinkled with a sort of indescribable nostalgia. Hopefully by collating these emotions, a new scheme can emerge and our present concerns will become obsolete.

If one were to try and gather as much Animal Collective (related) sound as possible they would surely not even begin to crack the surface. Their art is copious and everywhere. Even when idle, their influence, individual or otherwise, spans cultures, continents and classifications. I have a few fairly rare recordings that prove the vitality of this presence:

From the amazing Electric Gypsyland 2 (2006):
Animal Collective/ Kocani Orkestar - Oi Bori Sujie

From the Planet Claire Sessions (2005):
Animal Collective - Flesh Canoe (minimal)

From the Rare Book Room Compilation (2007):
Avey Tare - I'm You're Eagle Kisser

Bonus Recommendation for when its all said and done:
Animal Collective - Sleeper Factory

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Does Anyone Remember That Game "Joe and Mac"...

...for SNES? I just picked it up yesterday at this local retro-gaming store. It's undoubtedly a classic, despite its numerous flaws, e.g. length, control lag, difficulty level, etc. I managed to conquer the final "half-cherub, half-devil" boss in just under forty minutes, faster than my girlfriend could get primped for the Xiu Xiu show.

The Xiu Xiu concert...thats what I want to discuss. All in all it was an amazing show, minus the absurdly misguided hecklers that tainted the Mohawk sky deck. Their observations managed to bleed significant insight, "You're music's wierd!" However, the ever composed Jamie Stewart managed to cast off their words with some light comical retort:


Alright, its not that hysterical but I do thank these guys so much for making my week. I was also excited that they decided to keep "Clowne Towne" in their setlist, having at least one track to lip to. I did buy the new album a couple weeks ago but my dog managed to eat it before I could finish listening, or uploading...so there's that. Anyway, below I included three tracks with three very distinct messages of jubilation...for my night of equal emotional value.


Xiu Xiu - Ceremony
Joy Division - Ceremony (live)
Galaxie 500 - Ceremony

Bonus, to mix a bit:
Xiu Xiu - Bishop, CA (Kid 606 version)


By the way, who was that guy masturbating on the front of the band's t-shirt?

Thursday, April 3, 2008

I Had the Wierdest Fucking Dream Last Night

You weren't there but alot of yelling and commencing was involved, as well as an abridged manifesto put forth by my cousin Lindsay of all people and also four cities of equally neighboring distance, soley bent on detroying each other's arsenal of cannon fodder and first-borns. Vincent Gallo made an appearance and so did Michael Showalter and my old cat.

What transpired suggests one to imagine a high dive above an ocean, so raised as to completely diminish any shimmer of seaway, which should be impossible given that there is only water surrounding this elevated plank. When jumping from this height imagine no wind hitting your face. Only the subtle whistle of exposed button slits indicates your free fall, again a seemingly impossibility.

Finally, imagine hitting a surface, initially taught while generating only a slight bounce, but upon redescention becomes increasingly pliant, slowly melting into an abysmal mess of sin, hate, pain, evil, sadness and talking vampires. You wade through without movement, only to emerge the other end of whatever wherever, able to make that now obvious decision to heed your own rationale and scratch that itch that's been piercing your nodes since last Wednesday.

In this themeless post I included some tracks I've been kicking around lately, a few old, a couple new, all sexy. The first is more minimal magic from electronic guru Deadbeat. Based out of Montreal, he stays pretty rogue for the most part, but still manages to generate alot of press for himself on the global circuit (wherever that is)...and rightfully so. Snap-Clap Digital Dancehall...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Deadbeat - The Heckler

Next is the Boards of Canada remix of Why's Good Friday that I may have mentioned in a previous entry. Again, it deems all other variations obsolete while simultaneously blowing kisses to disinterested bitches...such is Anticon.

Why? - Good Friday (Boards of Canada remix)

Next is an old Matmos track that I just heard for the first time a couple days ago. If I dreamed in fluid streams rather than frenzied flashes these guys would be my favorite digital experiment, but alas Odd Nosdam still holds that position. Cable in the Sky is a long track but hold out 'til around the 3:40 mark and the rest will come smoothly and effortlessly...and selflessly.

Matmos - Cable in the Sky

Now comes a track from one of my favorite films, All the Real Girls. I don't know much about Mazinga Phaser, but they've perfected the dancing-clown genre, and not a moment too soon...watch the film to witness semblance...and prestine irony.

Mazinga Phaser - Apocalypso

And finally to celebrate Xiu Xiu coming to town on Saturday I included a classic song (to me anyways) from Fabulous Muscles. If anyone is in Austin this weekend, Mohawk is happening. Yes, even if that means missing Octopus Project...for the third time. Damn your efficiency or: dam your efficiency.

Xiu Xiu - Clowne Towne