New Atmosphere–free and legal EP. Download now, and say thank you.
Tags: Hip Hop
This is why mp3s are killing creativity . . . No great album covers!
Far as I know, these are all real records, too.
And if you thought that one was offensive, check out this one:
Tags: Picture of the day
Let me make one thing clear at the outset of this post: I’m writing about the band called “Broken Records,” not the record label. I first wrote about the Scottish septet last year, when they released an EP, and I compared them to The Killers. The comparison is still apt, though they’ve added a bit more longing and country to their overall sound. That, and the fact that they’ve got an accordian and a stand-up bass, produces a sound that has more texture and variety than most Killers’ songs. I like The Killers, too. But I recognize their limitations, being stuck in format and genre. Broken Records, aptly named, seem hell-bent on shattering expectation and bending genres. A very solid debut.
I understand this is number 2 of 3 mixtapes 50 Cent will drop this year. Maybe he’s trying to get back into rap after his acting stuff–I dunno. The last one was pretty good, but not great. Dude needs to focus, hone his skills. Maybe he’s too old to be cutting edge again, but I think Jay-Z has proven that age doesn’t have to mean you’re out. Hova’s “Death of Autotune” cut is ferocious. Too bad Eminem didn’t bring the heat with his new release.
Tags: 50 Cent is Whack, Hip Hop, Mixtape
NEW BUDDEN! AND ORTIZ! AND ROYCE! AND CROOKED I!
Holy shit. Two of my favorite underground rappers with two more pretty-damn-good underground rappers.
I’m hot and cold on B.o.B. The “vs. Bobby Ray” mixtape didn’t break new ground, but other stuff he’s done is hot as hell. It’s too early for me to tell with this one, which I’ve only listened to once.
Do you have the Stamina – Kanye West and B.o.B.
NEW MIKKEY HALSTEAD!
Halstead kicked ass on his recent mixtape, promises to make more fire this year. Check out this latest cut.
Changing of the Guard-Mikkey Halsted feat. Truck North & Ken Rock (Produced by Gcasso)
Tags: Hip Hop, Joe Budden, Mixtape
When I was a young lad I got this groovy cassette deck. Kids, that was what dinosaurs listened to before CDs. My birthday was coming up, and all I had to play on my new piece of equipment were blank TDKs that I used to tape obscene phone calls with. One time, we called all the guys named John Rambo at 3AM, and made sounds of explosions and gunshots. Yeah, we were a scream. Pissed ourselves laughing.
But I digress. I needed some tunes, so I asked my buds to get me ‘em for my bday and the first one I opened was The Kinks, Misfits. I was so disappointed it wasn’t LowBudget. But it soon became my favorite album ever. Put that on the shelf with Give The People What They Want, Arthur, Low Budget, Lola vs. The Powerman, To The Bone, Schoolboys in Disgrace, Village Green . . . You’ve got yourself the perfect record collection.
And now you’ve got yourself the perfect indie covers collection . . . And somewhere, lurking in the alphabet, is the zip file. I’m forcing you to at least skim my post. Ha!
A is for Act Nice And Gentle with Me-The Black Keys.
B is for Bouncing Souls-Better Things.
C is for Counting Crows-Better Things.
D is for Dar Williams-Better Things. One of my all-time fave songs, ever.
E is for Elliot Smith-Set Me Free (live). There’s a ton of Elliot Kinks covers floating around.
F is for Feist-Nothing in the World Can Stop Me Worryin’ About That Girl. A bluesy tune, covered again later.
G is for Guster-Days (direct link).
H is for HBO, because if it wasn’t for the soundtrack to Six Feet Under, I might never have understood how brilliant Sia is. Check out her contribution to the A to Z: I Go To Sleep-Sia. Voice like an angel.
I is for Islands-Waterloo Sunset. This is such a pure, simple cover, but it works well. Maybe it’s because The Kinks made such pure, simple music themselves.
J is for Johnny Thunder-Counting Crows. A twofer from Duritz and co.!
K is for The Kooks-Victoria. I’m not a huge fan of this band–they seem kinda bland–and this song selection is a little bland, too, but hey, it’s a “K”. And it doesn’t suck.
L is for Mark Lanegan-Nothing in the World Can Stop Me Worryin’ About That Girl.
M is for Montreal’s namesake, Of Montreal, who cover Days and Tired of Waiting.
N is for never heard of these guys before, but I was poking around and found this: Pi Theory-Sunny Afternoon (direct download). A very manly acoustic cover. Nice job.
O is for Old 97s-She’s Got Everything. I love this cover.
P is for pseudonym. This Is Where I Belong-The Condo Fucks. From the great “Fuckbook” album, released earlier this year, featuring member of . . . Aw, I’m not going to spoil the surprise. Read down to “Y.”
Q is for Queens of the Stone Age-Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy.
R is for Robyn Hitchcock-Waterloo Sunset (direct download).
S is for Ron Sexsmith-This Is Where I Belong. Today’s best indie nerd covering one of the most talented rocker nerds in history. Perfect!
T is for Trappers Cabin-Shangri-La. Very faithful rendition.
U is for utensil. Spoon-Situation Vacant (direct link). Spoon obviously owes a great debt to the kind of simple, catchy rock pioneered by The Kinks. Wish they’d release a trib album.
V is for Village Green Preservation Society-Kate Rusby.
W is for Oklahoma, U.S.A.-Wilco. A somewhat sad acoustic cover.
X marks the spot of the zipfile!
Y is for Yo La Tengo-Act Nice and Gentle. This is a clean, well constructed cover. Unlike their version of “This Is Where I Belong,” which Tengo did as The Condo Fucks. (see “P” above.)
Z is for Zwan-All Day and All of the Night
What’s better than a new Spoon album? Well, nothing. But what’s almost just as good? The new White Rabbit album. It’s Frightening is produced by Britt Daniel, and the album sounds like a constant tug-of-war. White Rabbits’ debut was terrific, but at spots it was a bit inaccessible. Here, Daniel injects his beat-beat-beat driven style into White Rabbits’s more adventurous, experimental, and spacey musical instincts, resulting in incredible combinations like the James Bond bassline, played on piano, on “Lionesse,” creeping under stellar vocals and fantastic guitar work. You simply will not find a better indie rock album this year. It gets my highest praise, my strongest recommendation, and has already gotten five straight-through listens from me. In my busy, music-laden universe, that’s the highest possible praise. From TBD Records, the folks behind Radiohead’s “In Rainbows.”
BONUS SPOONFULS!
A Good Flying Bird (Guided By Voices cover)
Tags: Covers
Ketch Harbour Wolves are so confident you’ll dig their new album that they’re giving it away for the price of an e-mail addy on their website. It’s definitely worth
your time to go check it out there. Think The National and Interpol, but not quite as depressing, and with more vocal range.
I know what you’re thinking: There’s too many bands doing this kind of slow indie rock with a deep voice and heavy lyrics. Well, you’re right. But there’s room for Ketch Harbour Wolves — they’re very good at this. Maybe it’s because they’re from Canada? I dunno. But they get a thumbs up from me.
