Happy Friday

 

Here's just a couple feel good tunes to remind us all to not take ourselves too seriously.
Have a good weekend everyone!

1. Tanlines - Reinfo
   I couldn't wait until summer to post this.  A fan just sent this video to the band and they turned it into their official video.  Sound like nice guys.
2. Tourist - Placid Lake
   What a great kickstart to a weekend.  You're feeling a little tired, a little beaten down from the work week and then BAM you remember how fun weekends can be.
   
3. Faith Evans - Love Like This Before (B+S Edit)
   I don't find something like this too often.  It has some real rhythmic attitude, but gels perfectly with dance vocals.  This is more than an choppyy edit.  This is a whole new song. Nice work.
4. Todd Terje - Inspector Norse
   A clever use of the bounce.
5. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime (Moplen Remix)
   
   Just for fun.
 

image: sezio

Happy Friday

Here are some slick, jazzy house tunes to get it started this weekend. 
Make sure you have some good speakers or headphones.
Gentleman, this is vodka.
Enjoy.

1. Robert Dietz - Pandemic
   This is what the getaway driver listens to...
   
2. Mendo - Inocencia
   Don't expect anything big to come from a tune like this.  It's not about big build ups of white noise and dubstep bass drops.  It's about the overall vibe.  By the time a song like this comes on, everyone is well beyond the initial awkwardness of dancing and has moved on to being hypnotized.  It's like those moments where you step back and realize that the night is going better than expected.
   
3. Tim Green - Lone Time
   It's refreshing to hear analog percussion like these brushes on the snare drum in an overtly electronic track.  Just something to get the blood flowing.

Scroll up to hear Pandemic.

image: Familiale

Happy Weekend

   
Here are some gems that I couldn't wait to share. 
They work well with a giddy weekend vibe.

1. Tycho - A Walk
   Tycho released his much anticipated new album Dive this month.  With these seven new tracks (and three re-releases) Scott Hansen breathes new life into his sun-drenched, Northern California wonderland.  You can't say this sound comes from the Haight & Ashbury 60's, because it's far too optimistic and perfect to be rooted in reality.  It's more like the soundtrack to your memories of a perfect day on the Mendocino coast.  I love a good album opener and A Walk delivers.  This is the best intro I've heard since the Secret Machines'   Alone, Jealous and Stoned.
2. Real Estate - It's Real
   The new surf rock of New Jersey's Real Estate returned this month with Days.  RE really gets me, because you can listen to their whole albums straight through and then easily decide to do it again.  I wish they had released Days on tape so it could be that album that never left my car's tape deck player - a perfect go-to that is creative and laid-back but not without it's sing-a-longs (see It's Real).
3. Os Mutantes - Bat Macumba
   The next time I come back from a particularly fruitful banana picking adventure, I'm going to load up my old wheelbarrow and throw this on.  The bass sounds like a rubber band.
4. Daphni - Yes, I Know
   I could never really get into Caribou, but Daniel Victor Snaith's side project, Daphni, has my full attention.  Snaith picks his samples wisely: a soulful chorus, native chants and tribal drummings - then he arranges and tweaks them in the true Caribou fashion to make an utterly timeless piece of music that is as much for your body as it is for you head.

 

Happy Friday - Dub

 

Some laid back dub to get you acquainted with the heat.  Wash these down with a Red Stripe.

Im & David - Wish Bone (Funky Reggae LP, )

Brethren/Tapper Zukie - Rub a Dub a Weh Them Want (Trojan Dub Rarities Box, )

Love the tone and mood from these horns.

Augustus Pablo - Fat Girl Jean (Trojan Dub Rarities Box, )

Sepalcure - Your Love (Fleur EP, )

Breezy and creative buildups from Brooklyn.

Monster Rally - Rainbow Rd. (Coral, )

Super catchy loop.  Had to include it's video by Green Crate Films below.  It's a great example of what lo-fi can do for a soundtrack.  It takes a completely different, almost comedic take on an intense scene.  His albums are up on his bandcamp page for pay what you want.

Have a good weekend.

1

Happy Friday

 

Happy Friday, folks.  You don't get too many 69 and sunny days in western Oregon so today a group of us will be jetting early from work, snagging some trail mix and climbing the hillside above (Hamilton Mountain).

I have setup an elaborate soundsystem in the forest so every hundred yards their is a new speaker with this playing:

Robin Pecknold - Derwenwater Stones
and this



You can download the rest of Pecknold's solo 3 song EP here for FREE.

Happy Friday

image - Jeff Masmori

Diskjokke - Panutup (smalltownsupersound, 2011)

I have been waiting all week to share this as a Happy Friday post.  It has that lighthearted feel that works so well on a Friday afternoon, but is really made for a sunny Saturday when your packing up a backpack to take for a day of adventures.
  I think I like it so much, because it is not too eager to get to the hook.  Most of the elements are there in the beginning, but it does not hit the sweet spot until halfway through.  It reminds me of looking at one of those 3D illusion books.  At first it looks like a bunch of blue triangles, but if you stare at it cross-eyed long enough you eventually see the unicorn.

Happy Friday

Bibio - K is for Nelson
(Mind Bokeh, 2011)


In my opinion, Bibio is one of the most creative and intelligent artists out there at the moment.  He manages to capture a childish playfulness that is both catchy and new.  It's lo-fi samples with quirky percussion and hip-hop beats.  Makes me want to play on one of these.

Mind Bokeh was released this week and I will mot definitely be buying it.  That's right.  I will pay for music.  You should too.  Its the kind of album you want on vinyl.

Stay tuned for a spring mix sometime next week.

Happy Friday

image TangYauHoong

Ndumiso - Mofolo Hall
                 (African Groove, 2003)

           Heres a great one for Friday at 5 o' clock.  I can see Tadhg dancing to this. Alone.
           Relax, I know it's cheesy.
           Embrace it - you'll have fun.  Thanks to Hank for this.

I couldn't resist throwing this in there as a little bonus:
           Austra - Lose It 
           (Feel It Break, 2011)
        
           Fans of Florence and the Machine will dig this.
           Schmidt will be singing along to it in about a week.