The initial blurpy synth sounds suggest a detour into Anti-Pop territory for Cyne, but then the skittering hi-hat/drum and walking bass enter and recontextualize the sound into a Roots-worthy vamp. Two white boys from Florida twiddle the knobs for West African MCs Akin and Cise Star, who contribute casually delivered and relentlessly positive rhymes, including [...]
Not quite as mind-blowingly rapturous as their Mint Records labelmates (at times) and fellow Canucks The New Pornographers (okay, high bar), Novillero trades in the same type of incessant, multilayered power pop that can never seem to cram enough choruses into one song. Where they differ from most other bands of their ilk is with [...]
Yeah, the VMA’s were tired–even Stereogum got bored. But what can one do? Here’s a start–a collection of some of the most interesting videos from the past 2 years–most animated, all downloadable:
Quasimoto-Bullyshit (James Reitano, dir.)
Marbles-Magic (Greg Gilpatrick, dir.)
Chemical Brothers-Galvanize (Adam Smith, dir.)
Guided by Voices-Back to the Lake (MK12, dir.)
The Shins-Pink Bullets (Adam Bizanski, dir.)
Interpol-Evil (Charlie [...]
My immediate (and to most of my friends, annoyingly overzealous) appreciation for 2003’s “Move Your Feet” was due in large part to its mysterious origin. Before seeing a picture of Junior Senior (not that it would have helped), I couldn’t decide if the song was the product of a neo-soul shouter imitating a teenage Michael [...]
Merging American west-coast psychedelia with a distinctly British pastoral vibe, Coley Park’s Down at the Devilin Tree will sate those eagerly awaiting the next Beechwood Sparks album. Twangy and brief album opener “Milky Moon” (mp3) features Mojave 3 leader Neil Halstead (whose label, Shady Lane, released the album) on [...]
News of Rhino’s re-release and re-mastering of Talking Heads’ entire catalog (in DualDisc format, with a 5.1 version and videos, etc. on the flip) comes as a relief to those diehards (myself included) who lament the muddy and primitive digital mastering of their first three albums, especially Eno’s first knob job, Fear of Music.
To celebrate, [...]
1994 was musically dominated by multi-platinum pop-punk and post-grunge bands, so it’s understandable that a group like Dag slipped by relatively unnoticed. I worked at a college radio station at the time, and the single “Lovely Jane” made its way into our rotation. A high-energy Prince-copping guitar and keyboard funk workout, it was impossible to [...]
Prior to his stellar hosting work on “That’s Incredible” and “Hollywood Squares,” John Davidson honed his acting chops on “Love American Style,” “The Jonathan Winters Show,”and, featured here, “The Streets of San Francisco.”
“Streets” aired on NBC from 1972 to 1977, starring Karl Malden and Michael Douglas (yes, that Michael Douglas, who left in 1976) [...]
British expats Coloma (Robert Taylor and Alex Paulick) re-envision the tuxedoed new romanticism of late period Roxy Music and ABC, ornamented with delicate and distinctly German electronic flourishes (they live and record in Cologne). First track “The Price of a Perfect Smile” begins with a cold, echoed drum machine, giving way to a [...]
The ABC music/variety program “Music Scene” lasted but one season (1969-70), but provided its share of memorable moments. Its core gimmick was collaborating with Billboard magazine, and showcasing popular “Hot 100″ artists. The performances were frequently lip-synched, and staged with a eye toward very, very literal interpretations of lyrics. Between performances, bewilderingly popular host David [...]