The Top 25 Tracks of 2013: 1-10

Alright here we go. 10 to 1. 0 to 60.  Back to front. Moms and dads. 

(Again not all of these were on Spotify so you'll have to click the links for the ones in blue.)

• 10. Nils Frahm - Says - Brian Eno's Big Ship used to be my go-to for huge, epic sounding ambient that made any normal day seem like the last hours you would spend on Earth. Now Says has taken the torch on that one.

• 9. Close - My Way ft. Joe Dukie - Simple, short, and sweet. You don't need flashy effects when the core elements already sound so good. This one was on repeat for weeks.

• 8. Darkside – Golden Arrow - Darkside is Nicolas Jaar's new project with his friend Dave on guitar. Jaar is a master of dynamics and uncommon builds. Add in some choice guitar licks and you have one juicy piece of music. Let this one fill up the room. The video is pretty badass too.
• 7. Tessela - Nancy’s Pantry - This one is unruly.  It sounds like nothing else in 2013.  It feels underground in that it is so different from your typical dance music formula and yet it is eminently danceable.  I see it being an anthem to a huge basement party for the Occupy crowd.
• 6. Foxygen – No Destruction - Sure you could track down and buy a bunch of exquisite vintage gear and hire some knowledgeable producer to record your would-be 60's psychedelic album, but at some point you'd need to play those instruments and make real music. What sets Foxygen apart is their ability to master both - the music and the sound. If someone played this for me blind I would not be surprised at all if they said it was recorded in '68. This is really a placeholder for the whole album, No Destruction is just one of the more fun, whacky tracks off of it.
• 5. Disclosure – Help Me Lose My Mind ft. London Grammar - I'm not one for singing along to songs, but your better believe I was testing out the pipes on this one.
• 4. Dirty Projectors – Socialites (Joe Goddard Remix) - Joe Goddard consistently puts together well-rounded tracks that make you want to play them over and over. The muted intro and steady build made this one my go-to for leaving the office and re-entering the madness that is New York City.
• 3. Jon Hopkins – Open Eye Signal - Hopkins has spent most of his career creating moody, ambient albums rather than dance music and you can tell. The songs on Immunity are long explorations into simple grooves that are in no rush to pull any gimmicky bass drops or cameo appearances. They kind of just grab you by the ears and say, 'hey look at this.' That being said, there is a lot of energy here and the album is a ton of fun to listen to while you yourself are in motion - on the train, running, biking whatever. Open Eye Signal captures that well and made a lot of Best Of lists as a result.
• 2. Jim James – State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U) - This song came out around the time New York was dealing with the reality of Hurricane Sandy's devastation. It was insane. Everywhere below 39th St. in Manhattan, which might as well be the center of the modern universe, was dark - unable to function. ("I mean it, the powers goin out). People lost so much: TVs, rugs, whole homes, tragically even fellow family members. When you go through something that traumatic it makes you more grateful for the things that truly matter in life. You start to question all the things that you thought were important ("state of the art technology, supposed to make for better living"). What does it give us anyway? ("Are we better human beings?"). State of the Art felt like someone pulling back the curtains reminding us that we are merely human despite our best efforts to distract ourselves into thinking we are more.

• 1. Rhye - Open - This one speaks for itself.

Thanks for reading folks. Godspeed in 2014.

image: forgotten-hopes

The Top 25 Tracks of 2013: 11-25

This blog was never designed to be a music news blog, but if I don't post my favorite tracks from 2013 as a compilation then they will never get posted in a soundtrack-style playlist at all.  So without further ado, here are my Top 25 Tracks of 2013 - the songs that rose above the noise, pushed boundaries, and made me excited about music again.

(Not all of these were on Spotify so you'll have to click the links for the ones in blue.)

• 11. Bibio – A Tout A L’Heure - Bibio has always had a great texture to his music, but it wasn't until A Tout A L'Heure that he managed bring excellent vocals into the mix. This one is going to make every vacation playlist I make from here on out.
• 12. Phosphorescent - The Quotidian Beasts - Call me crazy for not putting Song for Zula in this slot, but Quotidian is really the one on this album that does it for me. The guitar line that holds it all together, filled with attitude and experience, is one that doesn't happen so often in music nowadays. It's an ambitious tune and even Phosphorescent barely has the years under their belt to pull it off... but they do... and it's awesome.
• 13. Blondes - Andrew - Swisher was my favorite electronic album of the year, because it was made for the club, but could easily be dissected by a group of intellectuals over a bottle of wine. Andrew is representative of Blondes' slick attitude and knack for the adventurous. DJs use this to separate the early stage of the night from gametime. You're not messing around when you throw this on.
• 14. Juana Molina - Eras - The guitar here really reminds me of early Radiohead and I love it.
• 15. Sophie - Blipp - Imagine a DJ dropping this in the middle of a house set? Everyone would lose it. It's so different, but immediately likeable. I imagine people absolutely breaking it down, kind of like the dance scene in Two Lovers.
• 16. Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardener - Talk about a head trip. It's rare to find a song where the vibe between the lyrics and the instruments meet up so well. Barnett pulls off the straightforward indifference to her own anxiety problems so well that someone should probably call a doctor.
• 17. Toro y Moi – Rose Quartz - the best build of the year.
• 18. Burial – Rival Dealer - Just before the end of the year Burial released the Rival Dealer EP composed of three cinematic tracks that surprised pretty much everyone for their dramatic departure from his slow, sparse dubstep history. Hiders is a close second here, but Dealer wins, because it drops a relentless jungle beat out of nowhere. Not only is it a surprise in the song itself, but in the context of Burial's career no one saw that coming. So to hear it for the first time was truly mindblowing.
• 19. Daft Punk - Doin’ It Right ft. Panda Bear - Who knew Panda Bear and Daft Punk would sound so good together? Random Access Memories is cool in that before Daft Punk would just sample a vocal like this, but here they actually collaborated on new material with leading musicians from a couple different genres and eras. Kind of refreshing in the age of digital everything.
• 20. Almunia - Wrapped In Your Hair - My new favorite roadtrip album. The guitar line around 3 minutes gets me every time.
• 21. Motor City Drum Ensemble - Send A Prayer pt. 2 - throw it on some good speakers and pour yourself a drink.  What a good track to play in the middle of a classy party. Just people floating around from room to room checking out the scene. Sheesh. The double bass beat is so damn confident it’s sexy.
• 22. White Denim - Pretty Green - Sometimes I feel like new indie bands hide behind their trendy lo-fi fuzz effects, too afraid to play it to us straight.  Not White Denim.  They want you to hear what’s going on and that is a very good thing, because these guys have serious chops. 
• 23. CFCF - Beyond Light - The Last of the Mohicans meets Mission to Mars.
• 24. Eluvium - Rain Gently - Rain Gently is Eluvium doing what he does best, slowly creating introspective atmospheres that start out as songs and evolve into something much more.  It’s the sound of you having an epiphany. The title is downright corny though.
• 25. Finnebasen - Bella - You’re driving your red 1969 Ford Mustang Boss through the Nevada desert at night.  It was hard to leave but you had to.  Things would have never worked out between you two.  Have you really been driving all night? I guess so... the sun is about to come up.

1-10 will be posted later this week.

image: Fedrigoni Woodstock

Say No to the Keystone XL Pipeline

There is so much to be said about the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, but at the end of the day it comes down to the idea of justice.  Justice, because the companies that stand to profit from the project are destroying our climate and that of our children in the process.  Fast Company just posted an article that listed the Alberta Tar Sands as one of the 14 Carbon Bomb projects, that if exploited, would lead to disastrous long-term temperature increases.  Even the Dalai Lama and Nobel Peace Laureates are against this thing.

Yes, we use oil everyday. But stopping the Keystone XL is a crucial first step to creating a safe future for all of us.  It will send a strong signal to oil, coal, and gas companies around the world that people are pissed off at their reckless strong-arming of our energy policy and are prepared to take true action that will cure us of our fossil fuel addiction.  We are already capable of doing this through existing renewable energy technologies and smart energy efficiency policies.  And if it's jobs you're worried about - research from Cornell shows that the project would "kill more jobs than it creates by reducing investment in the clean energy economy."

On Sunday thousands of people will convene on Washington D.C. for the largest climate rally in this nation’s history.  I’m going, because this is one of those moments where we, as everyday citizens, have power.  By showing up in massive numbers, the media will take notice and that will give Obama and the State Department license to reject the pipeline.  This could actually work, people.

The Sierra Club is arranging for free buses and cars to take people from all over the country.  You should consider going. You won’t be alone.

Here are some tunes that try to put this exciting moment in history into perspective.  I imagine masses of people of all ages marching around the White House in slow motion, with no sound, but this music.  Then there would be cuts to shots of tar sands extraction and oil executives watching the protest on the news.

These are two runner's up:

Jeff Tweedy - The Ruling Class

The Cure - Faith (Tienanman Square Version)

And here are some reliable links that will explain the situation:

• The Keystone XL Project in a 4 minute video (NRDC)
• Project facts via the National Resources Defense Council
• Tar Sands and the Carbon Numbers (NYTimes)
• Is it worth it? (Patagonia)
• Why are tar sands worse than regular oil? [video] (Josh Fox, Academy Award Nominated Director of Gasland).
• "When This Oil Spills, It's a Whole New Monster" [stream] (NPR)
• Game Over for the Climate (James Hansen of NASA via NYTimes)
• Video from last year's XL protest - 10,000 strong (DemocracyNow)

Coverage of previous pipeline oil spills:

• Michigan
• Yellowstone River, Montana

image: NYTimes

Getting It Right

This is for those times when you come home from work, throw your keys on the table
and know you've just put in a good days work.  It is full of front porch guitar, positive rock, and retrospective folk.  This is not the mix you put on when you build the log cabin.
This is the mix you put on when you want to remember building it.

Keep it simple, friends.

1. Leo Kottke - Part Two
2. Tallest Man On Earth - Troubles Will Be Gone
3. The Head and the Heart - Lost in My Mind
   Can't argue with these harmonies.
4. Alt-J - Something Good
5. Here We Go Magic - How Do I Know
   Try listening to this while walking down the street without smiling.
6. ALO - Blew Out the Walls
   Those big chords in the middle will shake up your day.
7. Broken Social Scene - Meet Me in the Basement
8. Megafaun - Heretofore
9. Jack Johnson - Enemy (Worst Friends Light Leak Remix)
10. John Renbourn - I Know My Babe
11. Mark-Almond - Friends

image: theyardpdx.tumblr.com

Lost in Summer

This is a reserved summery-slowjam playlist that goes well
with mornings, latenight bonfires, and a cerveza. 

Sorry for the lack of blog activity. 
Who would’ve thought your free time becomes
limited once you land a real job??

1. Brian Briggs – Aeo (Pts 1 and 2)
   Welcome to what is quite possible the best morning song: it creeps in gently, it is light and fun-loving, it has a repetitive rhythm… it makes you coffee.
2. Patrick Lee – Hovercraft Song 
   Just uncovered this older Patrick Lee jam.  Some of his hip-hop pieces are too glitchy for me. He is best when he keeps it straightforward and simple.  This is the getting out of work on payday jam.
3. Sorcerer – Cobra Coven
   Taking it back to Miami.
4. Sandro Perri – Changes
   Changes wins the award for the most unexpected song twist.  The chromatic breakdown in the middle surprisingly doesn’t sound out of place.  Thanks to Jack for the suggestion.
5. Umberto Tozzi – Dummi Di No (Nassau Poste80 Edit)
   If I ever landed a sweet job in the 80’s I would put this on as I exited the elevator.
6. Steely Dan – Peg
   Couldn’t resist…
7.  Sailcat – Motorcyle Mama
   You can’t listen to this without clearing the sweat off your brow with a cold Sol.
8. The War on Drugs – Taking the Farm
   TWOD are the band of the year for me (although technically Slave Ambient came out in 2011).  You could argue that a lot of their songs sound the same, but I love that sound.  As Johnny put it, “It’s like driving a red convertible in the desert while smoking a cigarette.”
9. Marco Benevento – You Must Be a Lion
   Sorry to bring you down, but I have been wanting to post this track for awhile now.  Something about it reminds me of the feeling you get when you know you are growing up.  The outro is incredible.  By the way he is playing a free show at the City Winery on July 10^th if anyone is interested.
10. AA Bondy – No Man Shall
    AA Bondy used to front a punk band. His most recent work is all acoustic, but no less punk in spirit.  Really great for night walks. 
11. The Books – There Is No There
    If I had any say I would’ve picked this song for this Oregon timelapse video – especially for the night sequences.
12. Damian Jurado – Cloudy Shoes
    Big thanks to BK for introducing me to Damian Jurado through this Berrics skate video.  Can music get any more introspective?
13. Jeff Tweedy – Sunken Treasure (live)
    Just give it a listen – preferably with no one else around.  Thanks to Hazlett for recommending the Live in the Pacific Northwest album, which is fantastic.

image: Oh Pioneer

Like Riding a Bike

 

For those of us who like a good bicycle ride.

Originally made for my brother's morning commute,

this has equal parts motivation, fun and patience.

1. Karl Denson's Tiny Universe - Shake It Out
   Throw some gear in your backpack or basket and let's go...
2. Amadou & Mariam - Dougou Badia (ft. Santigold)
   Best played loud.
3. Gang of Four - Natural's Not In It
4. Buddy Holly - Slipping and Sliding (Jacques Renault Remix)
   The part of urban biking that gets me is the feeling of gracefully sliding in between the immobile skyscrapers and slow pedestrians.  It's like you've discovered a better way to travel and everyone else is still asleep.  It's fun to cruise around, look up at the buildings and see how the daylight changes from street to street.  These next three songs go well with that feeling of awe.
5. Air Waves - Knockout
6. Flume - Sleepless (feat. Anthony for Cleopatra)
   At first this will sound like just another instrumental hip hop track, but the tension and build up lead to an all-encompassing outro where vocal samples are coming from all angles.  Great stuff.
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dance, Dance, Dance
   Yeah that's right, I put a Chili Peppers song on this playlist.  I wouldn't normally put this much bubblegum on the blog, but I happen to put this on when I was biking home from Mt. Tabor at sunset and it just FIT.  Best going downhill so you can feel the wind on your face.
8. SBTRKT - Pharaohs
   Somehow London's Aaron Jerome managed to squeeze two of the most fun tracks of 2011 on his selftitled album.  I almost didn't put it on here, because I didn't want anyone dancing so hard they don't notice that truck heading right for them.  You're on your own.
9. High Contrast - Racing Green
   Now you're not going to want to listen to this when it starts, but give it time and you'll soon be cutting off taxis running red lights.  The genius of High Contrast is that he hooks you with emotion rather than aggression like most Drum 'n Bass artists. He almost tricks you into becoming a DnB fan.
10. The Winstons - Amen, Brother
    When you get hired as a bike messenger they give you a Walkman
    with Amen, Brother and Sea Groove on it.
11. Big Boss Man - Sea Groove
12. Youth Lagoon - Daydream
    How can you have a bad day and listen to this song?  Man I feel like I just had a picnic with my sweetheart and now we're biking home in tweed on a Saturday in June.  Sheesh.
13. LCD Soundsystem - All I Want
    For those long rides alone.

 
Links
------------
Interview with Brendt Barbur, Founder of the Bicycle Film Fest
NYC to get largest bike-share effort in the country
Copenhagenize (pre-eminent bike blog)
Support NYC Bike Efforts
Reasons to bike to work
Bowery Lane Bicycles
Extraordinary Paths
NYC Bike Maps

Friends can message me for a download.

image: Design Sponge and Regular Basis

The Long Journey Home

Saying goodbye to the Doug Firs and hello to the people.

As it turns out, America is beautiful.  We all just need to get outside more.
I just got back from a coast-to-coast trek across this great country with my Dad.  We visited too many microbreweries to count, built campfires under the stars and generally got on each others' nerves. 

These are the songs that make a roadtrip worthwhile
and will always remind me of those 4,632 miles.

1. John Prine - Flashback Blues
   Thanks to Johnny for turning me on to The Singing Mailman Delivers.
2. Tom Vek - A Chore
   All packed up...
   
3. Waylon Jennings - Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way
   Cruise control
4. George Harrison - Wah-Wah
5. Dawes - My Girl To Me
   Dawes albums are the closest I'll get to books on tape.
   
6. The Wood Brothers - When I Was Young
7. Jerry Douglas, Russ Barenberg, Edgar Meyer - Big Bug Shuffle
   I used to drink coffee. Now I listen to Big Bug Shuffle.
8. The Middle East - Hunger Song
   No action is boring or overlooked when you listen to The Middle East.  Every day has destiny attached to it.  Checking the GPS becomes an epic discussion of charts and routes to the Motherland. 
   
9. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - The Wind Cries Mary
   We were fortunate enough to visit Marin County, California where Jimi serenaded The Monterey Pop festival-goers in 1967.  With his aggressive, loud style it was refreshing to return to Mary - an unflinching poem with utterly beautiful guitar-work.  I can't imagine something this intimate, head-strong and powerful being created today.  I couldn't find an mp3 version from Monterey, but I encourage you to listen to a live version instead of the studio.
   
10. LCD Soundsystem - Home
    Any long journey that ends in New York needs an LCD track.  Home is the song from This is Happening that stuck around for me.
    
11. College - The Energy Story
12. The War on Drugs - Come To The City
    I must have listened to TWOD's Slave Ambient upwards of 10 times on this trip.  It flows like a good book and begs close listening.  Fall roads and late-night trips really bring out the album's core.  Highly recommended.
13. The Arcade Fire - Une Annee Sans Lumiere
    End it at a sprint.
    
    
    
    Image: Noel

Occupy

1% of Americans own 42% of US financial wealth.
The US ranks 93rd in "Income Inequality" (behind China, India and Iran.)

Occupy protests have spread to over 50 cities.
Over 10,000 people marched in Portland last week.
JP Morgan & Chase donated $4.6 Million to the NYPD on the eve of protests.
(The largest in the foundation's history)

There is a lot of unrest out there.  People that are not normally politically active now find themselves in an emotional throng of protesters.  The apathetic, confronted with the 99% statistic, are provoked to think about the nature of our political system.  Regardless of your perspective on the protests, there is no denying that there is a movement taking place that has challenged the status quo.  It is refreshing to know that common people, when organized, still have a voice and are capable of creating an atmosphere that makes change possible.

I hear people saying that they are frustrated with the lack of structure and demands from the swarming masses, but this is still the early stages of a movement.  I say let them voice their frustrations.  Give them the mic.  We'll get into the specific financial and legal corporate reforms once leaders organically emerge.
 -----

And of course, unsettling times call for unsettling music.  These songs are on the darker side that reflect the greedy, dog-eat-dog nature of capitalism.  If you think about it too long you start to worry where we will be in 50 years...

1. Radiohead - Up On the Ladder
2. Do Make Say Think- The Landlord is Dead
   Half of Canada's Godspeed! You Black Emperor make dark, winding multi-instrumentals that scare the hell out of me.
3. The Constantines - Life or Death
   Wish I could sing like this.
4. Radiohead - Go To Sleep (Little Man Being Erased)
   "We don't want the monster taking over"
5. Radiohead - Codex
   Sorry about all the Radiohead, but this was a quick mix and they kind of own this sound.
6. Bob Dylan - When the Ship Comes In
   Classic. 

Here are some good reads on the movement, it's methods and what can actually be achieved.

Business Insider "What the Protesters Are So Angry About"
Krugman, Panic of the Plutocrats
Video: Kristof, Advice for the Wall Street Protesters
Must see video explaining Citizens United vs. FEC
Foreign Policy: Why the Wall Street Protests Actually Matter
The stats behind "The 53%"
Brooks, reminding us that simply protesting will get us nowhere in The Milquetoast Radicals

And a video from the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective. 
I like how they let the ambient sound tell the story rather than a narrative.

Drinkin Beers

There's something to be said for drinking beer with a group of friends.  The camaraderie and low key vibe allow conversations to flow and occasionally drift into goofy territory.  On one hand it's an opportunity to have a long, in depth conversation and on the other it is a vacation or an escape of sorts - a reminder not to take things too seriously.  What follows is some crisp rock, sweaty funk and the occasional "Oh what the hell is this? I gotta get up and dance!"  Ideal for pregames and tailgates.

1. Booker T. Jones - Rent Party
2. Stretch - Why Did You Do It?
3. Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra - Che Che Cole
4. Cyril Ferguson - Gonna Build a Nation
5. Al Green - I'm a Ram
6. The Barons - Making It Better
7. The Black Motion Picture Experience - 2001
8. Pearly Queen - Quit Jive'n
9. Dazz - Brick
10. Stealers Wheel - Stuck in the Middle with You (Todd Terje edit)
11. James Brown - Give It Up or Turn It Loose

Also how sweet are these vintage beer can photographs?

image: Heidi

MFNW - Day Four

Typhoon in Pioneer Square

Saturday
Explosions in the Sky
The Antlers
Typhoon
Eluvium

Portland's Living Room was the perfect setting to experience the instrumental post-rock of Explosions in the Sky and the big-picture ambient droning of Eluvium.  Pioneer Courthouse Square is a brick covered park in downtown Portland that is surrounded by skyscrapers and constant city life.  

If you bought a wristband to MusicFest NW you were able to go to every club show and one of the big three shows (Iron & Wine, Band of Horses and Explosions).  Having seen Band of Horses before (excellent) and being not so enthused about I&W's newest release I opted to see Explosions in the Sky again given the urban setting.  The fact that you had to put some thought into going to this show meant that everyone there really did want to see one of these bands.  You could tell this type of crowd could get into emotionally charged power chords and maybe even a Friday Night Lights episode or two.

Can you count how many people are wearing feathers in their caps?

I have been a big fan of Matthew Cooper's ambient releases as Eluvium for a long time.  Ambient music requires a certain setting and the listener to be in certain mood in order for it not to sound like overhyped nonsense.  Don't click on these links and expect to immediately "get it".  Don't even try to listen.  Instead I encourage you to listen to something like Indoor Swimming at the Space Station  as you go to sleep tonight.  Eluvium excels at transferring emotion and atmosphere into long pieces that truly transport the listener to a different level of consciousness.  Time seems to slow down and reality is observed rather than experienced.  I believe they call it "an out of body experience."
   Going to an ambient concert is bizarre in that nothing much happens in the way of visuals but yet there is an incredible layering of sound for your brain to process.  Eluvium's Matthew Cooper (Portland via Kentucky) came on stage in a humble manner, picked up his guitar and slowly hypnotized everyone in attendance.  It didn't make sense at first, but once he had looped a few guitar lines without you noticing, the streetcar that could be seen over the venue wall slowed down and the sun on the skyscrapers turned a little more orange as their shadows shifted to the right.  By the time Cooper finished Underwater It Glowed I had to shake my head to remember where I was.  He played a few gentle piano pieces like Radio Ballet that didn't quite hit home for me like they do on the album.  He ended by looping a dark, sustained piano tone to the point where it absorbed every other sound. 
  And then it stopped.

Typhoon huddle up before the show.

Oregon native Typhoon was next up.  Kyle Morton could put on an interesting singer-songwriter show all by himself but he takes it to the next level by inviting 12 or 13 ragtag musicians to bounce through his serious harmonies with him.  I was getting hints of Arcade Fire.  Two synchronized drummers made the live show pretty fun to watch and the band has a clear chemistry on stage as if they're delighted to be together let alone playing to a big audience.
   The Antlers play some version of post-rock that I never care to listen to again.  Too many bad hairdos and I'm sure there's some street performing drummer that could have done a better job in the percussion department.  Although there was a cool moment when a fire truck drove by with its siren blaring and surprisingly, instead of ruining the music it went perfectly with the sparse, distorted guitars and moody keys.  

Explosions in the Sky playing that one song where the running back beats that one tackle only to turn around and see his girlfriend necking with the new kid in the bleachers.

The guys in Explosions have clearly been seeing some success.  They know which songs people have played on repeat late at night while they waited for sunrise or walked by that one swing set.  First Breath After Coma and Your Hand In Mine definitely steal the show.  They also have somewhat of a light show that adds to the "epic" effect.  

Seeing them again reminds me why they were so cool to begin with.  They play conventional rock instruments in a different manner entirely.  Instead of simply picking a rock beat, drummer Chris Hrasky will do a build up on the cymbals to set the scene and then fire off machine gun snares.  Basic song structures are nowhere to be found and stories are told through quiet periods (there were literally a few moments of complete silence) and suspenseful, quick passages.  Long before Friday Night Lights hit the small screen EITS evoked the stark desolation of small Texas towns (its home state).  Yet despite this bleak setting their is a sense that change can occur, that there are bigger players at work here....that there is hope.
  

Musicfest Northwest wraps up under a harvest moon.

Images: Noel

MFNW - Day Two

The global sounds of Little Dragon.

Thursday
Sun Angle @ Holocene

Little Dragon
Unkown Mortal Orchestra
@ The Hawthorne Theater

Thursday started out at a relatively empty Holocene with some noisy bursts of energy from Sun Angle.  Noise rock was never my thing, but you get the feeling that this trio is on to something.  With a well known DJ on bass (Copy) and a quirky drummer with enough energy to power a small car you feel compelled to do a little dancing.  That gets lost in the rough distortion and feedback from synths and guitars, but hey, maybe it's an intellectual thing.

After reaching the conclusion that Little Dragon was not to be missed I decide to head to the Hawthorne Theater early.  It doesn't hurt that opener Unknown Mortal Orchestra had been compared to Led Zeppelin and Big Audio Dynamite.  Packing into the back room of the Theater, it was evident that something was in the air.  A noticeably more vibrant crowd had come out to get down.  UMO lived up to the Zeppelin reference with big funk rock drum beats and loaded bass lines.  Ruban Nielson knows how to write a vocal hook.  It sounded like white people's response to hip hop - still playing rock instruments but with a goofball attitude and fun vocals.  It doesn't surprise me that they have opened for Toro y Moi.
  But the real treat of the night was Little Dragon.  Having heard a few mellow remixes I wasn't quite sure what I was in for, but was intrigued by an "electro-soul" tagline that someone had given them. Hearing that they were from Sweden sealed the deal.  If there's one thing I've learned it's that the Swedes know how to make good music. 
   They came out in typical rockstar fashion, one at a time, layering their individual sound on top of one another - it doesn't make sense at first but once they're all moving you realize the submarine has left the dock.  I can really appreciate the hybrid dance bands that are creeping up, because I often get bored with the extremes - authentic rock bands and straight 4/4 DJs.  Bands like Little Dragon take a little bit from both and manage to put on a great show.  They played two 10 minute percussion-driven jams that scared away the straight-edge crowd, but brought everyone else that much closer to ecstasy.  This was the most animated I have ever seen a crowd of people in Portland - we're pretty reserved here.  But people were screaming at almost every change in the music and masses were grooving.  It's been awhile since I've seen good dance music so this might be commonplace, but I doubt it.

The show ended shortly before midnight and while everyone was pulling themselves together in the sweaty exit hallway I had my eyes on Phantogram at the Doug Fir.  Apparently there are a lot of "pysche pulse" fans in Portland because the line was around the block even after they started playing.  I decided that latenight hypnosis was best served on a weekend so I hit the road.

Sun Angle - Vague Light



Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Thought Ballune
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - How Can You Luv Me
Little Dragon -Ritual Union
Phantogram -Mouthful of Diamonds

Unkown Mortal Orchestra brings the New Zealand brand of psychedelic funk

Little Dragon gets weird.

Images: stereogum, Hannah Gregg, Noel

MFNW Preview

 

All my new-playlist-digging time has been devoted to biking around to different shows at Music Fest Northwest this week.  (Think Austin's SXSW, but smaller and with more moustaches.)  Now I don't see this blog as a music journalism site, but when an expertly curated music festival happens to occur in your city and you find yourself blogging about music, then well, I guess you should at least mention the highlights. 

All that and more is still to come, because the Fest is only getting started (it began on Wednesday), but in the meantime here are some well-crafted songs that I have come across while sifting through the largely underground lineup.

 Celilo - Baroque Blues myspace

 Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard

Typhoon - The Sickness Unto Death/The Honest Truth (first video)

The Heligoats - Goodness Gracious 
and Glass of Water (second video)
 

p.s. If you have time look at the Willamette Week's write-up on each artist.  They manage to capture each act's essence, history and hook in a few sentences.  Excellent reporting. 

Beautiful Oregon - A Roadtrip Mixtape

I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown; for going out, I found, was really going in.
- John Muir

This past year I have been fortunate enough to live in the great state of Oregon.  Portland has an intoxicating vibe of idealism and creativity, but for me the best part of the state has been the unparalleled access to stunning nature areas.  Nowhere else can you get dense old-growth forests, fog-drenched coastal cliffs, clear blue lakes and majestic mountains all within a few hours drive.  The further you get from the city the more it seems like Mother Nature is the one in charge and man is merely permitted to stay on the property.

Of course in order to reach the wilderness you are required to traverse narrow, winding roads where the only sign of civilization is the skeleton of an old barn and a Datsun pickup with weeds growing through it. 

            And on these roads you need music.

Below are many of the tried and tested songs that have made many of these roadtrips special.  Hopefully you can find a way to enjoy them too.  I tried my best to capture the vast and epic quality of Oregon's landscapes.  The first half is all about the open road and the excitement of what is to come.  And the second half is for the night ride home.  Nothing but headlights on the road.  All the windows are down and everyone in the car is trying catch a glimpse of the moon in between the trees. 

  If you want the full experience check out my flickr page for some of the
year's better pictures while you listen.

1. Paul Simon - Dazzling Blue
   There is a certain spaciousness to this song - like there could be so much more going on, but he keeps it simple to great effect.
2. Junip - In Every Direction
   Jose Gonzalez's side project is not to be missed.
3. My Morning Jacket - Circuital
   Great songwriting, americana vibe and raw power make MMJ the obvious go-to on a roadtrip (at least in the States).
4. The Wood Brothers - Luckiest Man
5. The Benders - I Can't Wait
6. The Clean - In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul
   This is the best song I've heard all year.  I must have been asleep at the wheel, because the Clean have been around since '78.   Very excited for their new release, Mister Pop, on 9/8.  They remind me of The Waterboys. 
7. Tapes 'n Tapes - Freak Out
   Great chorus.  Not to mention a clever video.  I gave these guys another shot after Outside called them one of the finest garage rock outfits around.
8. Phish - Golden Age (TV on the Radio cover, Gorge Ampitheatre 8.6.2011)
   TV on the Radio got the Phish treatment at the Gorge this month.  Personally I think they do it better than the original.  They tease out the subdued funk and know how to make the chorus really hit.
9. Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon - Middle of the Road
   Suntan lotion. Shades. Snacks - check.
10. Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood - Can't Find My Way Home
11. Bon Iver - HoloceneIn part named after a Portland club.
    
12. Great Lake Swimmers - River's Edge
    Great Lake Swimmers know how to set an atmosphere.  If the lyrics alone don't get you, the way Tony Dekker sings them will.
13. Bibio - Saint Christopher
    Bibio knows what I'm talking about.  His video for The Ephemeral Bluebell was filmed along the Oregon Coast Highway.
14. Geotic - Beaming Husband
    Will Wiesenfeld of Bath's has an ambient side project called Geotic.  Definitely some gems in his catalog so far.  Get them for free here.

 

images: Noel

Get Weird

Occasionally there is a need to bust out some stupid dance moves. 
When that time comes you need stupid music to dance to.  

This is that music.

So put on your Daniel Boone hat, cape and bowling shoes and lets get to this.

Inspired by

TomHaverFoods.com

The dancing in Stop Making Sense

Crimpin'

The fan dance move that Phil Collins does here at 1:25

Moving Like Bernie
any music video from the tracks below
annnd

Maths. 

1. Shannon - Let the Music Play (The Best of Shannon, 2004)
   Well, no use beating around the bush. Might as well get this started...
2. Tensnake - Get It Right (Get It Right, 2010)
   It was a mistake to listen to this on the plane.  I was shaking the seat in front of me and leading conga lines down the aisle.
3. Nu Shooz - I Can't Wait (Poolside, 1986)
   I always imagine the synth player when I listen to this.  He isn't jamming nearly hard enough.
4. Toro y Moi - New Beat (Underneath the Pine, 2011)
   The weird is most definitely catching on these days.
5. Madonna - Holiday (Madonna, 1983)
6. B.B. & Q. Band - Imagination (Imagination 12", 1982)
7. Daft Punk - Short Circuit (Discovery, 2001)
8. Fantasy - Move to the Groove (He's Number One, 1985)
9. Howard Jones - Things Can Only Get Better (Dream Into Action, 1985)
   Like really?  Sometimes I feel like people were asleep at the wheel in the 80s.  The video is ridiculous too.  The piano jam at 2:40 is money.  Almost as money as his orange suit.
10. Banarama - Cruel Summer (Banarama, 1984)
11. Polygon Palace - Tokyo Getaway (Tornado Wallace Remix) (Tokyo Getaway, 2010)
    Can't get enough of this one.  Head to Polygon Palace's bandcamp page to name your price.  Thanks to Headup for this.
12. The Funkmasters - It's Over (It's Over, 1983)
    Tensnake samples this in In the End

Get Weird Mix by SNDTRKDLFE
Click the arrow on the right to download.

images: awful library books, GiorKonducta, everythingyouaskme