THE PURRS-Tearing Down Paisley Garden

Posted on June 6th, 2010 by ekko

At $6.99 for a CD Baby digital download, “Tearing Down Paisley Garden,” the sixth album from long-standing Seattle’s The Purrs is quite a bargain.  The band’s sound mines a rich and fertile area between dreampop and an edgier early 1970s sound.  Like the heroin-rock of Velvet Underground, bass player and lead singer Jima has a talking/singing style, which is accented by Dr. Robert and Jason Milne (the two guitarists) who play off each other with slightly fuzzy, whammy chords.  There’s no real hooks here–just a lot of grooving atmosphere. I mean, there are definitely hooks in the songs, but you won’t notice them.  You’ll be too overwhelmed by everything else going on.  This isn’t an album, it’s a world.

The opener, “Only Dreaming,” is a cover of a one-hit-wonder (original by Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry), and there’s another cover here as well (Lee Hazlewood’s “I Move Around”), but the rest are originals.  Every song is good, but there’s one I want to mention special: “It Could Be So Wonderful.”  It’s not that the song stands out or apart from the rest of the songs on Paisley Garden–the album has a definite sound and theme, and doesn’t waver–it’s just that it is so . . . Perfect.  Building drum riffs (I haven’t mentioned drummer Craig Keller yet, and he deserves a name-drop for sure), keyboards adding to the urgency, and Oasis-style soaring harmonies . . . It is wonderful indeed.  I can’t imagine how tremendous it must be to hear this live.

I’ve listened to this album three times since I received it, and each time I find more here.

It Could Be So Wonderful (direct link)

BONUS OASIS COVERS:

Wonderwall-Ryan Adams (direct link)

Supersonic-Counting Crows (direct link)

Wonderwall-Cat Power (direct link)

Tags: Covers, Indie rock, Psychedelia

PICTURE OF THE DAY + HIP HOP OF THE WEEK

Posted on June 6th, 2010 by ekko

Seems like the perfect picture for these rapid-fire nuggets . . .

E THE REAL-Wall St. Project

I love, love, love this free album.  It’s got everything: Smart lyrics, actual content, and great beats and flow.  It’s also got a theme: It’s about (guess what?) the greedy Wall Street lifestyle.  It even has a tribute to Gordon Gecko.  Reminds me a lot of 3d Bass.

E The Real has done a few missions for Stones Throw (home of MF Doom), but this one he’s let out the bag for free at Bandcamp.

Get the whole thing here.

G.R.E.E.D.Y – E the Real feat. Timmy Wiggins (Prod. Paul Mighty)

Flat Caps and Fedoras (Prod. Paul Mighty)

SHAD-TSOL

Shadrach Kabango, a.k.a. Shad K., raps about love.  He’s also got actual instrumental ability, which is all too rare among hip hoppers.  He’s not a Native Tongue rapper in sound, but he’s one in feeling. If you like the music in the video, buy the whole platter here. The video is frickin’ hilarious:

Tags: Free Album!, Hip Hop, Picture of the day, Wu Clanner

GO AWAY!

Posted on June 5th, 2010 by ekko

• Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim has a free, new Madvillain track!  MF Dooooooooooom!  They also have a free Bonnie Prince Billy song, and they’ll have more each week.  Or you can just get it right here: Papermill.

• The NJ Underground writes about The NJ Pop Punk revival Tour, and offers a free compilation, here.

• Wow.  I never thought my kids would see the day when The Rolling Stones, ACDC, and a Marley all had albums in the Billboard top 20.

• Go here to learn about why rappers hold their guns sidewayze.

• I don’t support the vandalism, but I do support this sentiment.

• This guy says he’s a Republican for a buncha reasons that don’t even makes sense . . . I’m not saying I’m anti-Republican, but self-righteous hypocrites drive me crazy.  He says:

* I believe in freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. But prominent Republicans like Pat Robertson and Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann openly ridicule the Muslim religion and attempts by the Obama administration to hire Muslims.

* I do not believe in big government; and * I believe higher taxes are part of the democratic agenda and lead to a dependence upon a large government.  But the Bush administration grew government more than any administration since FDR (he created a whole new Cabinet-level Department!), and he also raised taxes to a higher per capita rate than Bill Clinton and spent way way waaaaaaaay more money!  At the same time,  Obama has delivered the biggest tax cut since before Ronald Reagan, yet workers are worse off than ever.

* I believe government control of the healthcare industry will destroy the best healthcare in the world; and * I believe that a large standing army is the best deterrent to violence in the world today.  Yet increases in the budget of the Department of Veterans Affairs–Government-run healthcare–are always supported by Republicans (and in fact VA health care has been found by independent international review agencies to be the best run large health care system in the world).

* I believe that marriage has always been and should always be between one man and one woman.  Yet Republicans in Congress divorce at a higher rate than Democrats–and many of them get re-married.

• Is it too soon to note that Gary Coleman died of a stroke?  Get it?

• I love the idea for this post–”popscurities“….

• The Rolling Stones get the Covered in Folk treatment.

• Cover Me has wisely left Blogger before Blogger killed the site.  Update your bookmarks, and check out the terrific new look.

• Keane-My Shadow (Danny Dance remix)

Tags: Covers, Go away, MF Doom, Television

EMINEM ON JONATHAN ROSS SHOW

Posted on June 5th, 2010 by ekko

I have to give Em respect for admitting that the songs on Relapse “weren’t making me feel like [my old songs] used to”, and that it was really only worth hearing once. Usually his interviews suck, but he’s very candid here.

Tags: Hip Hop

SMASHING PUMPKOVERS (An A to Z Post!)

Posted on June 4th, 2010 by ekko

There was a time, not so long ago, when The Smashing Pumpkins were one of my favorite live bands.  I haven’t enjoyed them of late, but they still hold a nostalgic place in my heart.  I posted an A to Z a long time ago, leeching off of a huge database of SP tunes.  That database seems to be dead now.  Hence, the need for an update.  And this time, it’s only covers!  There’s a zip file, of course, and a few choice flavors to taste.  If you like it, please consider thumbing up the songs on Hype Machine, submitting to Digg, etc.  Or even dropping me a nice comment!

A is for the always classic, “All the Young Dudes.”  Nobody can mess up this tune.  Nobody.

B is for Boys Don’t Cry (Cure cover). It’s kind of annoying how (Ginger?) keeps talking over it, but it’s still pretty cool anyway.

C is for Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young).  Another tune that’s really hard to f*&%k up.

D is for Duran Duran’s “Nightboat.”  Very esoteric selection there, Billy.

E is for eeek!  The zip file! It totally snuck up on me!  Better cop it before it goes away, ’cause once it’s gone, it’s gone.  I don’t do reups.

F is for Forever Young (Bob Dylan).

G is for another eclectic selection, “Girl Called Sandoz” by The Animals.

H is for the Holidays!  Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

I is for I Want You To Want Me-Smashing Pumpkins with Cheap Trick. Two great tastes that go great together!

J is for Jean Genie (David Bowie).  Another complete reworking, but this one is done with the Man Who Sold The World Himself: David Bowie!  Look at this A to Z I’m giving you, two great team-ups in a row.

K is a tough one, so I’m gonna use the k in the middle of Steve Miller’s The JoKer.  Sorry if that’s cheating.

L is for Lucifer Sam-Billy Corgan solo.  A Pink Floyd/Syd Barrett classic.

M is for the monster in Smashing Pumpkin’s classic favorite cover of Godzilla (Blue Oyster Cult).

N is for Never Let Me Down Again (Depeche Mode).

O is for Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr, two key members of the Cars! You’re All I’ve Got Tonight (The Cars). Love love love this cover.

P is for the people in Beautiful People (Marilyn Manson).

Q is for the proudly queer Joy Division, and SP’s cover of their tune, “Transmission.”

R is for The Rolling Stones’ Stray Cat Blues–one of my favorite Jagger/Richards tunes.

S is for Sookie Sookie (Steppenwolf).

T is for Once in a Lifetime (Talking Heads). This is the Corgan version.  It’s pretty much a new song–very little left of the original.

U is for U2!  Stay (U2 cover).

V is for Velvet Underground’s Femme Fatale (Billy Corgan solo).

W is for White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane) with Heavy Metal Machine.

X is for . . . I got nothing.  Sorry.

Y is for Young Love’s cover of Smashing Pumpkins’ classic, 1979.

Z is for thin liZZy’s, “Dancing in the Moonlight.”  A very nice, gentle cover.

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Tags: A to Z, Covers, Smashing Pumpkins

LADY DAISEY-In My Pocket

Posted on June 3rd, 2010 by ekko

Well now, this is a surprise. This album isn’t just good, it’s fantastic.

Lady Daisey is a Brooklyn girl billed as a hip-hopper–and a member of the Rawkus 50, but her music is far more Jill Scott than Lil’ Kim, and more Macy Gray than Nicki Minaj. Yeah, she kinda raps on “Day Old Bread,” but with the quick-and-light tinkering in the background and the harmony on the hook, I’m hearing the Bangles, not Jean Grae. So if you’re looking for hardcore, sex-puppy, or street cred, this is not the album for you.  The closest this gets to that level is on “Wants And Needs,” a bluesy tune with a break by Boston’s Akrobatik.

On the other hand, if you’re open to upbeat R and B, sunny pop, and a soulful mix of singing and spoken word, I can’t think of a better 2010 release to buy.  Lady Daisey shouts out to Sade, but she’s not sultry like that.  She’s a lot more like the British soul/rap fusion artists who came across the pond a few years ago–Corrine Bailey Rae was the best of them.  Lady Daisey is clearly having fun while she sings, and it seems impossible to imagine that you, the listener, won’t have fun, too.  It’s infectious.

Day Old Bread

Tags: R and B, Soul

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Posted on June 3rd, 2010 by ekko

Serves this guy right. Bullfighting is a brutal, unnecessary sport.

Tags: Video of the day

PICTURE OF THE DAY + Plus some tunage!

Posted on June 3rd, 2010 by ekko

9.  POST SOME TUNES!!

I don’t usually post singles or review a band who only have a few songs to offer, but today I am making an exception.

First, a cover of Candi Staton’s “Young Hearts Run Free” by The Swell Season.  This is far and away the best cover I’ve heard this year.

Young Hearts Run Free – The Swell Season

Second, a submission from New York’s “The Enthusiasts”, whose two-song single In The City is available from Infirmary Phonographic records. Solid newbie Punk.

In the City

Tags: Covers, Picture of the day, Punk

THEOPHILUS LONDON-I Want You (Mixtape)

Posted on June 2nd, 2010 by ekko

Be prepared for a mixtape unlike the vast majority you’ve heard on this page. For one thing, like my all-time favorite hip hop icon (MF DOOM), Theophilus London is a rapper and producer. But unlike DOOM, Theo isn’t looking to make gangsta grime or wild, stream of consciousness poetry. Instead, London seems more interested in creating sounds. He weaves in and out of classic songs by Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, puts his own spin on the pop classic “Ooops!” (originally by Tweet), adds his own vocals and instrumentation throughout . . . And it all seems seamless. This kind of project could easily have been too busy, or it could have descended into biting off established artists, hoping their own brilliance would rub off.

It’s not that the tape is flawless. Sometimes, it doesn’t work—it just seems like too much, entirely unchohesive. Like a ten-year-old’s collage about Pokemon, Baseball, and candy. But like a child, TL clearly loves his work. So when it works, it works amazingly well.

Plus, dude is from Brooklyn. Props!

Get the whole mixtape here or here.

Ooops! (Oh My) (Tweet) (direct link)

I Want You (Marvin Gaye) (direct link)

Tags: Covers, Free Album!, Hip Hop, Mixtape

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Posted on June 2nd, 2010 by ekko

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