so i mentioned...

...free downloads that are ethically ok in my book in the last post.
what i meant was something like this:

http://research.culturalequity.org/home-audio.jsp


i don't know if this is actually available to download, but damn. it's momentous that it's online now. we owe a lot of gratitude to Mr. Alan Lomax.

rootless quasi-mega post

I can't compete with DC's artful photos or anything, but here's a quick round-up of new shit I'm listening to:

--Young Magic, "Melt": I'm still digesting this album, and for some reason I can't stop associating it with hip-hop, the name just sounds like some kind of MC. But it's really indie-rock with a lot of electronic elements. It moves in a lot of different directions, that's probably why I'm still working through it, but it's a good listen.

--Daughter: They have a few EPs that I've been listening too. I've been into female vocalists lately and these are full of dark themes, good song-writing.

--Nicholas Jaar, "Space is only Noise": I think this dude is an early 20-something student at Brown, his family was artsy and Chilean, and he was supposedly exposed to a lot of different music and weird situations early in his life. I really like this album. It's got great spoken word samples, the kind you find in Board of Canada where you stop what you're doing and listen closely to what's being said. Some really subtle cool songs here, at times it's dance music, but way more cagey and interesting than most dance music.

--White Rabbits: These guys are from Brooklyn and have a few albums, I've been working through their oeuvre, they kind of remind me of Cold War Kids a bit, check out a track called "the company I keep", that's my fav.

--Chairlift, "something": this is an electronic duo and some of ya'll would hate it (you know who you are), but it's a really killer album. the singer has a great voice and presence, the songs are super-catchy, really original. check out the video for "amanaemonesia".

--Daniel Rossen: this is one of the guys from Grizzly Bear, if you like them you'll like this, really good stuff.

--First Aid Kit: I think these chicks are sisters from Sweden? I think that's what I heard, I don't feel like looking it up, but it's kind of the country tip, think Nekko Case, feeling this on car rides lately.

DC mentioned Mirroring, that's been in rotation, that is Grouper + Tiny Vipers and I've been checking out Tiny Vipers a bit, pretty cool. DC also mentioned Jason Urick, that album's been in high rotation for a while. I've had a car for the last few months and really there isn't anything better when driving than the Black Keys and the War on Drugs.

EJ mini post Q2 2012

Yeah, it's been way too long since I've posted too. I've been thinking about downloading pirated music, Spotify, iTunes, and buying CDs the (haha) old-fashioned way in a store. Honestly, I think it's a really interesting subject to explore and I'm happy to say that I have NO definitive answers about any of it.

All I can do is disclose what I think is a good way to approach the whole situation, a way that feels like I'm not ripping off artists, yet I'm not supporting the inherently evil music biz.

I'm at a point where pirated downloads don't feel right to me, unless it's out-of-print music, public domain, or music where the artist isn't going to get some compensation in any case (like a long-deceased artist or an artist that is OFFERING a free download).

I will still download music for free if I'm on the fence about buying or if I don't know any of the artist's work and I want to check it out. If I end up liking what I hear, I will buy some of their music.

In the case of artists that I know and like, I will buy their music through any avenue that they're selling it...except Spotify. For instance, I'm a big Jeff Parker fan, and I saw he has a new album out. Instead of going straight for the "mediafire" option, I found where he was selling the album, took a chance, and bought it. Happy to say, it's a great record and I feel the money was well-spent. Go give it a listen, buy it if you like it!

DC MEGA POST Q1 2012

Hi bros. It's been a minute since i rapped at ya.

I recently got a sweeet DVD from my buddy in Maplewood, so sweet with such top secret gems that I'm hesitant to even release these certified bangers to the WWALT community too quickly because it would freak you out.

One jam in particular really got me, a CD by this band Plankton Wat. Recorded live (proudly) to cassette 4-track in Portland, the vibe is Six Organs / Fahey / Woods / Freak Out. While researching on the interwebs I wound up at one of my favorite spots in the world, Mimaroglu Music Sales. I like this one so much I threw down on the physical media copy with red colored vinyl.



Plankton Wat is just one guy who plays all the instruments. He's in another band called Eternal Tapestry which I also recommend. That one is just EPIC JAMZ, a la Magic Lantern (if you feel that) or maybe Wooded Shjips / Moon Duo. Straight up, i can't pretend that Eternal Tapestry joint is anything other than four dudes in the midst of weed and beer fueled jams in their Portland jam space... but that hits the spot sometimes. Plus they have song titles like "Cathedral of Radiance" and "Temporal Starshine Voyage"... EPIC BRO!!!

Continuing down that K hole I found another gem, Garden Sound (umlauts over the A and O) which is a side project of 2 guys from Eternal Tapestry and the guys from WWALT favorite Barn Owl (If three or more dudes like an album it is considered "WWALT Favorite" -Ed.). The first jam is a moody, restrained gem of a song, the rest gets pretty sludgy fast, but this is another good'un. All these joints are available using the old +Mediafire trick, FYI.



This one has been on my radar for a while but i haven't pulled the trigger. Glad I did, the "FRKWYS" series has been a bunch of collabs with new noise makers with old school legends. This one has Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never, et al), James Ferraro (The Skaters, Vodka Soap, etc..), and Lauren Halo playing with synth minimalism titan David Borden & long-time sideman Sam Godin. The result is solid goodness, synth weird out but never crossing into painful noise, good textures. I wish I had the language to pin point what I like and what I don't with this kind of bug out music, because there is lots I don't like, but this one is in my sweet spot. The covers pay tribute to the old Folkways covers from the 60's and 70's, if you feel that.



I also got that new Oneohtrix Point Never joint on cassette so I can listen to it in my 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee:



I got this Pierre Schaeffer record. I have so much early electronic / musique concrete stuff, but this one caught my ear when i checked an audio sample. It's good and listenable:



Last but not least, I threw down on this one. Way too much money but i just got my bonus at work and so I said F it, treat yourself, Donald. This is a super deluxe 5 LP box set of all the records that Dome put out. Dome was the side project band that formed after the seminal punk band Wire broke up in the early 80's. Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis of Wire did a complete 180, went into the studio and used the "studio as an instrument" and just bugged out. I've only come across only one Dome record in all my years record collecting, including blogs/mediafire trick, so glad ot have the whole batch, and the packaging by label Editions Mego is really beautiful and on point. Pretty stoked for this.



Word up. hope all you guys are doing well, hit up the blog with the latest and greatest. The Shins have a new one out, I give a Meh minus. Rootless hipped me to "Mirroring - Foreign Body" which is a Grouper side project that is doooope. Good looking out Rootless.

Later.

dc

Went to a record store that had a nice bunch of electro and reggae records. I like the cover with the sharp dressed Dr. Dre.

A Little French New Wave for that Blasé Saturday feeling

... "things to make it look good"

for no other reason (besides the fact that i listened to this song twice today), I post this:

http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/2801/

Some of my favorite rock lyrics of all time. I can't think of any other lyricist or even writer in general who made more effective use of the word "good" than Syd Barrett.

Where can I find the good shit?

The whole Spotify thing is cool, but one of the downsides is I trade music with my homies less. We still might say "hey, you check out so & so" or whatever, but I feel like I'm generally exposed to a little less than in the past when I used to get 4 gig hook-ups on the regular.

So I find out about music where I can. I check the Pitchfork reviews, read Brooklyn Vegan, Glowing Raw (where you can still generally download a whole album if you're so inclined) and a few other things. But Altered Zones is gone. I was wondering if ya'll could shout out some other websites you check out to hear about new bands, new albums, etc.

BTW, any of you read about Bradford Cox freaking out after someone shouted he should play "My Sharona"? He then launched into "an improvised, hour-long rendition"? I love that dude, what a brilliant nut. Here's my favorite quote in case you don't want to read the whole thing:

"Section three: I am a terrorist. As a homosexual, my job is simply to sodomize mediocrity. I am terrified and horrified and shocked that anyone would mention Phish in any article related to me."

The Caretaker

Wow, things are slooooooow on the old WWALT Blog.

I've been meaning to post about this. Any one here check out "The Caretaker"? All I have is his new one, "An Empty Bliss Beyond This World". I'll let you google it youself if you want the guys' life story, but the gist is he makes music using only old 78's of jazz/ballroom music and effects. It creates kind of creepy yet relaxing ambient music.

At first blush it sounded like some guy just playing 78's through a reverb pedal and that's it... but upon repeat listens (and I keep listening...) there is more going on, it's subtle, I honestly don't know how i feel about it. I think i like it. Anyone here check him out? I'd love a second opinion.



Believe it or not, i'd call this one the "single" off the LP.

dc