Palease

...

More proof that Count Bass-D could be the Moshiach.

Count Bass D & DJ Pocket – Palease [In The Loop, 2009]

Top bands of the 00's

Liars: Basically, they owned the decade. Their first album both started and finished off an entire genre (dancepunk), then they put out three more albums, two of which will be influential for years. A fifth album (which is completely MASSIVE) is also coming out just a few weeks into 2010. They've been totally inscrutable - it took me a couple weeks to figure out They Threw Us All in a Trench, but four years to figure out They Were Wrong...

Liars - Grown Men Don't Fall Into The River, Just Like That [They Threw Us All In A Trench And Stuck A Monument On Top, 2001]

Broadcast: I may have listened to Broadcast more than anyone else. Tender Buttons in particular really grew on me - my pick for "most underrated album of the decade."

Broadcast - Corporeal [Tender Buttons, 2005]

Akron/Family: The most exciting band of the decade, and they're still getting better.

Akron/Family - Dylan Part II [Akron/Family and Angels of Light, 2005]

MF DOOM: Operation: Doomsday! was 1999 but Madvillainy and tons of other solid albums/projects (MM..Food? was ignored for some reason) are more than enough to put DOOM here.

MF DOOM - Hoe Cakes [MM..Food?, 2004]

Tom Ze: On this list for Estudando o Pagode. It seems appropriate to make blustery proclamations here, so: best album of the decade.

Tom Ze - Mulher Navio Negreiro [Estudando o Pagode, 2005]

The Fall: I think the 90's weren't very kind to The Fall but they put out three really good albums in the 00's - Real New Fall LP, Fall Heads Roll, and Reformation TLC.

The Fall - What About Us [Fall Heads Roll, 2005]

British Sea Power: their first album is still their best, but despite "getting bigger" their newer albums are still good. A lot of reviewers mentioned Echo and the Bunnymen when they first came out, I think that's still a good comparison considering their popularity/ability to stay somewhat "true" to their music.

British Sea Power - Remember Me [The Decline of British Sea Power, 2003]

Honorable Mention:

Out Hud - real sad they broke up, I'll be first in line to buy tickets for their money-grubbing reunion tour after the hot dance producers of 2040 champion them as pioneers ahead of their time ["How Long"]
Brightblack Morning Light - my favorite hippies of the 00's ["All We Have Broken Shines"]
Count Bass D - so underrated as a producer and rapper it hurts ["Antemeridian"]
Skygreen Leopards - great under the radar California jams ["Belle of the Woodsman's Autumn Ball"]
Mclusky - "Collagen Rock," among others, made Do Dallas an essential... well... college-rock listen ["Collagen Rock"]

Best of the 2000s

Hey folks. I reeeeally shouldn't be starting this list now, as I have two exams in the next five days. But here goes. Here go six, rather. For now.

1.jackson and his computer band: smash

No album of the 2000s blew my mind quite like this one. An old review described it perfectly: 'Jackson Fourgeaud doesn't write songs. He builds elaborate toys that run on their own silicon-plated gears.'

Jackson And His Computer Band - Radio Caca [Smash, 2005]


2.plaid: double figure

Plaid – Twin Home [Double Figure, 2001]


3.ellen allien: berlinette

Ellen Allien – Open [Berlinette, 2003]


4.luke vibert: lover's acid

Luke Vibert – Gwithian [Lover's Acid, 2005]


5.diplo: florida

Diplo – Way More [Florida, 2004]


6.stephen malkmus: face the truth

Stephen Malkmus – Pencil Rot [Face The Truth, 2005]

and finally, yes, you knew it.

+
+
+

Alan Braxe and Friends – Rubicon [The Upper Cuts, 2005]

Lucio Battisti!!

yeah that's seriously him, awesome right

OMG we're back. I'm excited. I listened to a bunch of good music over the summer and now I can blog it - bless Fileden. Unless it dies like our last "storage solution."

Anyway dig on these tracks from Lucio Battisti. This stuff sounds like a raving Italian stumbled into a Mutantes jam session circa 1970, but the music is actually made by other Italians. I wish that it were just Lucio Battisti running around banging on all the instruments himself but it's totally not, Wikipedia told me so.

This stuff sounds so fresh, like you KNOW that if some 20 year olds in Brooklyn had hit upon this it would be totally big - and with good reason!! Somehow old Lucio created songs that lasted a solid 30 years. But he wasn't actually some recluse living in his basement, he was a giant pop star who was mourned by all of Italy when he died. Or that's what Wikipedia said at least. The tracks aren't as good but I just want to copy and paste the titles of some of the songs on this album, Amore E Non Amore:

• "Seduto Sotto Un Platano Con Una Margherita In Bocca Guardando Il Fiume Nero Macchiato Dalla Schiuma Bianca Dei Detersivi"


• "7 Agosto Di Pomeriggio Fra Le Lamiere Roventi Di Un Cimitero Di Automobili Solo Io, Silenzio Eppure Straordinariamente Vivo"


• "Davanti Ad Un Distributore Automatico Di Fiori Dell'Aereoporto Di Bruxelles Anch'io Chiuso In Una Bolla Di Vetro"


• "Una Poltrona, Un Bicchiere Di Cognac, Un Televisore. 35 Morti Ai Confini Di Israele E Giordania"

Actually it's sad, I like the songs with regular titles way more. "Supermarket" is totally a song about stuff he's buying at a supermarket. Dig!!

Lucio Battisti - Dio Mio No [Amore E Non Amore, 1971]

Lucio Battisti - Supermarket [Amore E Non Amore, 1971]

OK OK OK

No new files up yet. The old files are basically dead. Sorry about that. We feel your pain.

But hey. You can listen to a couple of rad-badical tracks over at Tumblr.

Also, check this out. My sister made a pretty sweet new website which has mixtapes. I'm enjoying the first one.

Yo yo yo

All of our files are down, we know. We're all kind of busy right now but we'll figure something out eventually. The music must go on right? The world needs our mp3s!

This summer I'm listening to Nagisa Ni Te, check out their album "On The Love Beach." How's that for some avant garde mp3 blogging huh?? HUHH?????

Could have been a jackrabbit [Skygreen Leopards]

New Skygreen Leopards!
New Skygreen Leopards!

The new album, Gorgeous Johnny, is good. "Just in time for summer." California California California San Francisco, "lazy," "slow," "kind of hippy." I dunno what to say about music anymore. Skygreen Leopards are my favorite band from SF, so I'm just happy to listen to be able to hear new stuff, they've been off and on over the past few years.

The Skygreen Leopards - Gorgeous Johnny [Gorgeous Johnny, 2009]

The Skygreen Leopards - Paid by the Hour [Gorgeous Johnny, 2009]

King Khan sound from Japan [The Ton-up Motors]

The Ton-Up Motors live at Bar Jam in Shinjuku, Tokyo

Finally spending time in Japan yields a good new band. The Ton-Up Motors played an amazing show when I saw them a few months ago, playing a very LOUD style of rock that reminded me right away of King Khan. The lead singer is crazy although not in the don't-give-a-fuck way like Khan, more in an "oh my god is he gonna kill me?" kind of way. Click on that first picture to see his facial expression better, he's really into looking right at people in the audience. It's exciting, I enjoyed it.

The band plays soulish punk rock, and the singer has the Suntory-and-cigarettes voice to back it up. The recording of their album was a little bit cleaner than I would like, but I think you can still that they're a real rock band. Enjoy!!

Note: I used online translation for some parts of the titles, so the English is not exact. Strangely enough I am most sure about "Right Hand Man Fire"

The Ton-up Motors - Stupid Smile (バカ笑い大将) [Soul is Dynamite, 2009]

The Ton-up Motors - Our Ballad (俺達のバラッド) [Soul is Dynamite, 2009]

The Ton-up Motors - Right Hand Man Fire (右腕ファイヤー) [Soul is Dynamite, 2009]

BRUTAL BASS SOUND [RSD]

I'm living in Japan now. A friend here recently sent me an email with a link to a mix he did, saying "enjoy brutal bass sounds." I've never really gotten into dubstep (still do not understand Burial except when paired with Four Tet) but this is gonna do it for me.

RSD - Jah Way

I Was Wondering How You Felt.

I'm going to go with this.

1) Wowee Zowee (Black Out!)
2) Slanted And Enchanted (Zurich Is Stained!)
3) Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (Stop Breathin'!)
4) Brighten The Corners (Stereo!)
5) Terror Twilight (You Are A Light!)

Pavement – Black Out [Wowee Zowee, 1995]

Black Moth Super Rainbow

----[[[[]]]]----

Black Moth Super Rainbow – American Face Dust [Eating Us, 2009]

Major Lazer

MLlll

Major Lazer: Diplo, Switch, Santigold.

Thank You For Making This Happen, God.

Major Lazer – Hold The Line [Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do, 2009]

UPDATE:

Major Lazer – Hold The Line (Ghislain Poirier Remix)

Great moments in Hey! Student comments

La Dentista! has left a new comment on your post "AFX Coachella set [Aphex Twin]":

I Saw Aphex Twin this year, on the 4th of April. It was BRUTAL.
After 2 hours of awesome acid/techno, the visuals were replaced by autopsies of transexuals and sickening scat porn.
Nobody danced, nobody leaved..You werent sure why you were still looking at the screen, while the most gruesome noise was coming out of the speakers at 120 dB.......
It took about 25-30 minutes till the promotor pulled the plug out.

Only Richard D. James could get away with that!

Hey! Student Mixtape #1

Today's a particularly wonderful day in New York City, a balmy though pleasant 85 degrees and sunny. To celebrate what I'm calling the first day of Summer in NYC, I bring upon our loyal readership the inaugural Hey! Student Mixtape.

I laid down this 30-minute bite-size mix earlier this afternoon. Styles that can be heard run from italo disco to french house to electro revival, and all of it will surely get you in the dancing mood.

Hey! Student Mixtape #1

Tracklist:

1) Five Letters – “Tha Kee Tha Tha”
2) M.E. –“R&B Drunkie”
3) Alan Braxe – “Most Wanted”
4) Material & Nona Hendryx – “Bustin’ Out”
5) Kaos – “Feel Like I Feel”
6) Was (Not Was) – “Out Come the Freaks”

Any feedback is appreciated. Enjoy!

Not-new Super Furry Animals

SFA OK

Matt's post about the new SFA album comes at an interesting time, as I have just been heavily digging their last one, Hey Venus!, which is great. It never showed up on my radar, but I picked it out while flipping through the catalog at this place in Phnom Penh which sells you mp3s. Such is my laziness...

The songs on this album are definitely up to the standard set by their "golden" albums like Radiator and Guerrilla. (I like Phantom Power a lot too) This one has a track called "Baby Ate My Eightball." That's a funny title, plus the song is good.

Super Furry Animals - Baby Ate My Eightball [Hey Venus!, 2007]
Super Furry Animals - The Gift That Keeps Giving [Hey Venus!, 2007]

New Super Furry Animals

The SFA

Haven't heard the whole album, but wanted to post this song, as this is the Internet age, and I've already lost my patience somehow.

Before I go, though, I'd like to take a moment to celebrate the fact that, you know: SFA are great. Rather: Were, are, will continue to be. Some of my fondest memories of college are biking to the cleaners to Rings Around The World – especially 'Receptacle,' right before it descends into a Gwarr-y hellscape.

Well done, guys.

Super Furry Animals – White Socks / Flip Flops [Dark Days / Light Years, 2009]

Blitzen Trapper

So, Blitzen Trapper. I like these guys okay...Say, 7 out of 10. It's easy folk, and, for all of the Pavement comparisons they get, they're actually much closer to something like CSNY: good'n'pretty'n'kinda'boring. However, when it comes to their Big Hit, Wild Mountain Nation, I've got to tip my hat, avert my eyes, bow in gratitude, and slink backwards out of the room. Malkmus, who ended up doing a few shows with them last year, summed the situation up nicely:

I was blown away by that (song). But then Janet’s like, ‘That song is absolutely amazing, but don’t worry, not every song on the album is that good. They’re not going to completely shred us.’

Honestly, I'd be shocked to see these guys doing any shredding whatsoever, let alone of the fucking Jicks. But this song will make your day, gar-on-teed.

Blitzen Trapper – Wild Mountain Nation [Wild Mountain Nation, 2007]

Two dancefloor burners

Nothing much to report here. Just two tracks of pure disco enjoyment, and a picture of Superpitcher to get you in the dancing mood.

Mark E - R&B Drunkie (10/10 hotness factor)
Panthers - Goblin City (Holy Ghost! Disco Dub) (like 8/10)

In The Studio: Dan Deacon

Above: Dan Deacon puts the finishing touches on his new LP, Bromst.

"What's the significance of the title?"
"Bromst? It's like when a dragon wakes up and it's not horny, but it knows it could easily become, ah, horny."

New DFA goodness [The Juan Maclean]

image courtesy Google Reader

I think the new Juan Maclean Album is a small success. Less Than Human was kind of like the underrated #7 hitter to LCD Soundsystem's cleanup swagger. (These are the kind of metaphors you get with an off-brand mp3 blog) It made sense for LCD and Juan to tour together back in 2005 (the Sony Playstation tour, ha) but that's not true anymore: LCD has stayed somewhat close to a "rock" sound on the last couple of albums, but Juan Maclean is going very electronic on this album.

With the exception of the single "Happy House," this album is not quite ready for the dancefloor, but it's pretty close. I think Juan might be just be waiting for a couple of friendly remixers to come along to really make these songs bump.

In a way this album is like what Out Hud did going from their first to second albums - this one is a lot more stripped down, closer to the dancefloor and features female vocals (from LCD's Nancy) up front.

The Juan Maclean - The Simple Life [The Simple Life, 2009]
The Juan Maclean - No Time [The Simple Life, 2009]

Lazpod

Damian Lazarus, founder of Crosstown Rebels

Lazpod is a monthly podcast collated and curated by Damian Lazarus, founder of the excellent UK-based electronic music label Crosstowns Rebels. Yet despite Crosstowns' pension for the electronic, Lazpod is surprisingly varied and illustrates Mr. Lazarus impeccable and incredibly diversified taste in music. In short, he's what DJs should aspire to be.

A musical grab-bag, Lazpod plays everything, including:

Tropicalia

Spaghetti Western soundtracks

80's Top 40 synth pop

Nursery rhymes

Minimal techno

70s funk and soul

Golden age rap

Obscure covers of famous pop songs

This is what radio is supposed to be: non-discriminatory. Lazarus' motto is "if it sounds good, than play it."

You can download Lazpod here. Some of my favorites are Lazpod 4 (it's got one of my favorite guilty pleasures, Thompson Twins' "Hold Me Now") and the South American infected Lazpod 8.

Nimoy!

Music To Watch Space Girls By

I can't claim to be much of a Trek watcher, but for whatever reason, I've always had a particular admiration for the work of Leonard Nimoy: His two autobiographies (I Am Not Spock [1977] / I Am Spock [1995]), his wondrous turn in Information Society's Pure Energy, his recent jaunt into BBW photography. Which is all to say I was not surprised, my friends, to find myself in awe of this -- his 1967 opus, the secretly great Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space.

True, it may appear like some shameless, assembly-line bit of Trek-schlock, but in time, I've come to think of it as A.O. Scott does The Wrestler: "It’s a bit phony, perhaps, but to refuse to embrace [the subject's] deep hokiness would be to cheat yourself of some of the profound pleasure it offers."

Yes: Nimoy – perhaps the only Jew on Earth gifted with a listenable baritone – really seems to've put his heart into this album, and that is what makes it so endlessly, inconceivably good. This thing has everything from the solemn spoken word to the lighthearted '60s romp, from mini-plays ("A Visit To A Sad Planet") to torch songs ("Lost In The Stars" -- co-written by Kurt Weill!), and even a bizarre closing track about a sea war ("Amphibious Assault"). Why Nimoy took this so seriously, and how he actually ended up succeeding, our simple human minds may never be able to fathom.

Oh, Music From Outer Space. If only we had more things like you down here on Earth.

Leonard Nimoy – Spock Thoughts [Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space, 1967]
Leonard Nimoy – Highly Illogical [Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space, 1967]

Some More Fine German Electronic Music [Efdemin + Mobilee Records]

Germany continues to be the leader in fresh electronic music. Home to many of the best electronic music labels (Kompakt, Bpitch Control, Perlon, Trapez, et al), I feel like Germany's electronic music scene is difficult, nay impossible, to beat today. A couple of fresh new mixes from some Germans are here to continue the streak.

First up, Efdemin. Efdemin's self-titled debut made it on my top ten list for 2007, and with good reason. Efdemin's style is certainly minimal but also efficient, milking sonic pleasure from the smallest musical elements, such as a dry snare or simple bell chime. His smartly titled mix CD, Carry On - Pretend We're Not in the Room, is equally as wonderful, mixed with deep house ("Soul Revival"), mimimal techno ("Blank Scenario") and even spoken word ("Watcha Waiting For?"). The spoken samples are perhaps the standout element of this mix - the beat verses in "Watcha Waiting For" are wonderfully abstract, and the use of a Gus Van Sant short, Do Easy ("Doiicie (A)"), and Gossip Girl monologue (gasp!!!) are clever pop culture nods. Here's a couple of tracks from the mix below:

The Showroom Recording Series - Watcha Waiting For? [Carry On- Pretend We're Not in the Room Mix, 2008]

Minilogue - Doiicie (A) [Carry On- Pretend We're Not in the Room Mix, 2008]

Next is the inaugural podcast from Mobilee Records, another fine German mimimal techno shop. Though strictly mimimal techno, abstract vocal snippets are peppered throughout to give the mix an organic feel. Something great to listen to at night to melt away the daily grind.

"Relentless Nights" (Mobilee Records Podcast 001)

These podcasts are set to be released on a monthly basis, so RSS junkies, update your reader apps!

Finely Cut Electronic [Rex the Dog]

adorable aesthetic with a bite

I first got turned onto Rex the Dog when I heard his single "I Look Into Mid-Air" on the nearly perfect Kompakt Total 6 Compilation in Winter 2005. There is an undeniable sonic and visual aesthetic with this fantastic cut-up electro artist. First, the music: Rex the Dog produces bangers that are sonically dense, finely cutting synths, drums and vocals in hyper-rhythmic fashion. Second, the visual: Rex the actual dog (pictured above), who is featured in all of Rex the Dog's music videos and cover artwork, is absolutely adorable. Who says electronic music lovers can't "feel"?

Case in point: watch the music video for the song "Bubblicious" below and if you aren't smiling and nodding your head in absolute glee, I owe you a coke:



Also, for your listening pleasure, check out two additional Rex the Dog tracks below:

Rex the Dog - I Look Into Mid-Air

The Knife - Heartbeats (Rex the Dog remix)

Dub Punk [The Ruts + Mad Professor]

Still waiting for "Volume 2"

Music inherently is an art form that builds on itself, often developing new genres by mixing previous ones. Rock sprung from jazz and the blues, house music from minimalism and disco, hip-hop from funk and so forth. However, sometimes new music forms are created by literally slapping two seemingly opposing genres together to create something wonderful. Such is the case with the marriage of punk and dub.

Lately I've been listening to a great piece of "dub punk" called Rhythm Collision, an LP produced by the punk group the Ruts and modern dub aficionado Mad Professor. Originally released in 1982, Rhythm Collision is two music genres bringing the best out of each other. Filtering punk music through dub gave the former greater sonic diversity, while dub itself was given greater notoriety and respect by attaching itself to a popular music genre at the time. While punk groups like Public Image Ltd., the Clash and the Slits made punk music that incorporated elements of reggae and dub, Rhythm Collision represents a rare musical work where the two genres are given equal standing.

Ultimately, Rhythm Collision is proof that what's on paper doesn't necessarily translate to what is practiced. The seemingly contrary marriage of dub and rock is now widely accepted, with many modern rock bands, particularly those of the dance-rock persuasion, emphasizing dub in their musical compositions. It's safe to say that Rhythm Collision helped bring that reality to fruition.

The Ruts/Mad Professor - Push Yourself (Make it Work) [Rhythm Collision LP, 1982]

The Ruts/Mad Professor - Weak Heart Dub [Rhythm Collision LP, 1982]

Eeeelectro!

Dedededededede-Destruction

1980s, 808s, vocoders, robo-speech, and crazy, stilted, high-wire beats. Is it any wonder this was too good to last?

1) Jam On It! by Newcleus. Chipmunk vocals, rapid-fire synth, and one of the best bass lines this side of 1975. And just wait for the break at 1:50! You will like it.

2) Hip Hop, Be Bop, by Man Parrish. Wikipedia says:

When Parrish was first breaking, hip-hop was still dominated by African Americans and white performers were often considered interlopers. Whether because of this fact or his preference for theatricality, when Parrish appeared onstage he was often heavily made up and wore fanciful outfits that made it impossible to determine his ancestry at a glance. That Parrish was not black often came as a surprise to his fans. At one memorable performance at Studio 54, in a pause in Hip Hop, Be Bop, a young African American audience member close to the stage shouted out in amazement, "Holy s**t, Man Parrish is a White Boy!"

3) 19, by Paul Hardcastle. Perhaps the best known song of the genre. Hardcastle cut up clips of newsanchor Peter Thomas' reports on Vietnam, and, in an insane stroke of genius, placed it over a madcap dance beat. Thomas was initially unhappy about the sampling, but eventually let the song come out. Today, we are the better for it.

Newcleus – Jam On It [Jam-On Revenge, 1984]
Man Parrish – Hip Hop, Be Bop [Man Parrish, 1982]
Paul Hardcastle – 19 [Paul Hardcastle, 1985]

Black Secret Technology [A Guy Called Gerald]

Gerald Simpson, aka A Guy Called Gerald

Black Secret Technology is my newest musical obsession these days. Produced by A Guy Called Gerald (formerly of acid house collective 808 State), the album is one of the original drum n' bass long players and considered by many as the genre's crowning achievement. There is a reason for this - the album doesn't skip a beat, providing a seamless blend of pummeling high-BPM jungle beats, smooth bass and eloquently direct and soulful vocal work.

One of the albums greatest attributes is its production. While there are several formidable drum n' bass albums, including Goldie's Timeless as well as fare from LTJ Bukem and Klute, much of them sound almost too clean, methodically constructed to the point where the human element seems to be missing. Black Secret Technology, and Plug's Drum n' Bass for Papa for that matter, don't have this kind of production. They are works of perfect imperfection - sometimes the vocals are too close in the mix and the drums snares slightly muddled - but this is what makes them sound raw and, ultimately, a greater pleasure to listen to.

Unfortunately, today's drum n' bass doesn't have the punch it once had, often complacently played at low volume in modern clothing boutiques or that new hip lounge everyone is talking about. Though drum n' bass's early works, notably Black Secret Technology, still retain that sense of raw madness that helped coalesce a genre built on speed.

A Guy Called Gerald - Finley's Rainbow (featuring Finley Quaye) [Black Secret Technology LP, 1995]

A Guy Called Gerald - The Reno [Black Secret Technology LP, 1995]

Live Review: A Milky Disco Affair [Lindstrom]

el girafa "quadrophonic"

This past Thursday I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Lindstrom perform live at "off again, on again" Studio B in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. By now Hey Student! readers know we have a slight bias towards this slinky Norwegian and his absolutely creamy disco beats, with his latest LP Where You Go I Go Too topping our best of 2008 lists. Lindstrom's performance, much like that album, didn't fail to disappoint and was one of the better live electronic events I have seen.

With Lindstrom set to perform at 1 AM (!!!) that night, I knew sleep was not going to be an option. After having a few drinks at a quaint bar in my hood, me and a couple of my friends jumped into a cab at around midnight to make our trek to the cavernous, though, sadly, poorly located Studio B. Arriving at around 12:20 AM, we were greeted to some highly danceable tuneage from the opening DJ, including a fantastic remix of Cut Copy's "Hearts on Fire", which I am having difficulty locating (can any Hey Student! readers help a brotha out?).

Lindstrom surprising took stage at the advertised start time of 1 AM, opening with the always epic title track off Where You Go I Go Too. At that moment I knew this show was going to rock. Hard. What followed were several Lindstrom burners, including the track that started it all, "I Feel Space", the sprawling, groovetastic "Another Station" and fist-pump inducing "Grand Ideal." For the final track, Lindstrom ended where he began, giving an encore performance of "Where You Go I Go Too," giving closure to a wonderful live performance.

Arriving home at around 3:30 AM and waking up four hours later for work was a painful exercise, though the sacrifice was worth it. Do yourself a favor and see this man live - he will not disappoint.

Another Delicious Diplo Remix [Bingo Players]

Ahh yea. This track burns a bit like Audion.

Bingo Players - Get Up (Diplo Remix)

New Animal Collective

Man. I know everyone has already praised the everloving hell out of the new Animal Collective album, Merriweather Post Pavilion. But there is one simple reason for that: It Deserves It.

¡Les Saludo, Amigos!

Animal Collective – My Girls [Merriweather Post Pavilion, 2009]

LOS HIJOS DEL SOL

bandleader Angel Anibal Rosado

Time to gather round and worship at the feet of some really excellent music out of Peru.

Chicha started out in the late 60’s, in the oil-boom cities of the Peruvian Amazon. Cumbias Amazonicas, as they were first known, were loosely inspired by Colombian cumbias but incorporated the distinctive pentatonic scales of Andean melodies, some Cuban guajiras, and the psychedelic sounds of surf guitars, wah-wah pedals, farfisa organs and moog synthesizers.

Chicha, which is named after a corn-based liquor favored by the Incas, quickly spread to Lima. It became the music of choice of the mostly indigenous new migrant population – mixing even further with rock, Andean folklore and Peruvian creole music.

Very much like Jamaican Ska or Congolese Soukous, Chicha is western-influenced indigenous music geared toward the new urban masses who wholly identified with the new hybrid. Chicha is at once raw and sophisticated - and until now, it had never been released outside of Peru.

I can barely describe how fresh these songs are. If you like, you can check out the full compilation of Peruvian chicha, or listen to more of Los Hijos del Sol here.

Big ups to my sister for turning me on to this.

Los Hijos del Sol - Si me quieres [The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru comp, 2007]
Los Hijos del Sol - Carinito [The Roots of Chicha: Psychedelic Cumbias from Peru comp, 2007]

Somewhat slept on in 2008 [Cheap Time]

Here are a few tracks by Cheap Time. It was sort of a Dusted favorite in 2008, it's the kind of band that you can sort of always find somewhere - fast paced rock songs which get in and get out quickly. They remind me of The Thermals a little bit, except nowhere near as annoying. I'm on a rock kick lately, so this has seen heavy rotation.

My two second blog research tells me they are from Nashville, and that Jay Reatard digs them. Enjoy!

Cheap Time - Too Late [Cheap Time, 2008]
Cheap Time - Push Your Luck [Cheap Time, 2008]
Cheap Time - Over Again [Cheap Time, 2008]

New Knife tracks, almost [Fever Ray]

video for "If I Had A Heart"

Fever Ray is the solo project of Karin from The Knife. I have found myself listening to Ghostface Killah's Ironman album over and over for the last two weeks straight, but this may be the one thing to break me of it. It's a bit sparser than The Knife, kind of makes you wonder if Karin's brother isn't just there to push the "snare" button.

Fever Ray - When I Grow Up [Fever Ray, 2009]
Fever Ray - Seven [Fever Ray, 2009]
Fever Ray - I'm Not Done [Fever Ray, 2009]

Plug one, plug two [Luke Vibert]

D n' B for Papi

A Hey Student! stalwart, Luke Vibert's consistency is also incredibly diverse. While I'm a fan of all Vibert's incarnations, be it Wagon Christ, Amen Andrews or Kerrier District, no alias of his provides me more satisfaction than Plug.

Drum n' Bass for Papa, Plug's sole LP, is easily one of the more satisfying electronic music releases of the 1990s and, much like Vibert's other releases, turns genre conventions on their heads.

A common complaint among critics is that drum n' bass can sound stale and is inflexible to change. Not the case here. Anything but a conventional d n' b piece, Drum n' Bass for Papa is high concept marriage of drum n' bass, ambient and music concrete. Exemplary of many Vibert pieces, a myriad of found sounds can be found here, from obscure vocal samples to crackled ambient noises. It will also get your head nodding and feet tapping.

Two choice tracks from the album are posted below.

Plug - Delicious [Drum n' Bass for Papa LP, 1996]

Plug - A Subtle Blend [Drum n' Bass for Papa LP, 1996]

Arthur King!

The Holy Grail.

While perusing a few 2008 best-of lists over break, I kept finding they all had tracks by a certain DJ named Arthur King. First I thought: man, what's next, Elizabeth Queen!! (I am sorry.) Then I thought: God almighty, this music is good-sounding in my ears. It is this: a disco-Staxy-funked out sound that brings me back to a time before I ever existed. Yes, some of the mixes are compilations with little mixing, but the man earns his keep on the strength of the selections -- a little something like Tom Moulton. In conclusion: go get more of his music immediately.

Ecstasy – Endgames [Nunk, 2004]

I Like It – Young And Company [Summer 2008]

Je Suis Funky [Podcast, 2008]

Artist: [Kid Cudi]

Meet the man responsible for one of the finest singles of 2008*, Kid Cudi.

Incidentally, it's pronounced KUH-DEE.

Kid Cudi - Day 'N' Nite [Day 'N' Nite 12'', 2008]

*Note: it is unclear how Pitchfork missed this.