New Music Tuesday

Brendan Canning - Love Is New
Canadian rock collective Broken Social Scene has been a fertile testing ground for many a budding indie rocker. Some are better known than others - Feist and Emily Haines (Metric) and Amy Millan (Stars) all have contributed. The last year has seen several good solo albums from some of the guys, namely Kevin Drew and Jason Collett. Now comes the latest - Broken Social Scene Presents Brendan Canning. Something For All Of Us... hits shelves today. It is a nice collection of songs and instrumentals, taking in gentle ballads, lots of horn parts, urgent indie rock and some semi-psychedelic spazz outs - a perfect mix of melody, rhythm and noise. It is interesting to hear these solo projects, to hear what each individual brings to the main group, and this one is no different. Considering that Brendan is not one of the major songwriters for the group it is amazing to hear how much this album sounds like a BSS record. His band mates back him up ably, and this record reminds me a lot of BSS' You Forgot It In People, which is my personal fave. The one track that really grabbed me first is Love Is New, a midtempo groover that Pitchfork calls the worst track on the album. Whatever. I really dig the spacy, funky vibe.

Funky Friday Vacation Edition

The family and I had a little vacation in Chicago this week, which explains why there have no posts these last few days.
The wife took the daughters for a day at the American Girl Doll store - "OMG!! SO MUCH FUN DAD! They had this, and that, and this and that. It was the best day of my life, EVER!!" etc. etc. etc. We also had dinner at the cafe there that evening, and I have to say that it was better than I had expected. On the walk home we were passing the Peninsula Hotel and there was a photo shoot going on - hotel bellboys with arms full of bags and flowers around some woman. They were massed on the corner and we stepped aside to go around them. The photographer turned to look at us and said we weren't in the way and could keep walking. Right away I recognized that it was Annie Leibovitz, which I blurted out to the missus. She pulled out the camera to try and get a pic but Annie and the crew had moved to the front of the hotel and she never turned around.
That's her in all black, hand on her hip.
I had intended to go to the Virgin Megastore to shop while the girls did the doll thing - until I found out that it had closed a year earlier. I walked past where I thought I remembered it being but there was some clothes shop there. Back at the hotel I googled and found out that it had closed. Bummer. We did a few other touristy things - The Field Museum - "lets go see the mummies and dinosaurs Dad!"

and Navy Pier. A good time was had by all.

Millennium Park was one of my favorite parts of the whole thing. The Bean sculpture is fantastic and trippy.

So is the neighboring splash park with it's towering water/video installments. It was in the 90˚s the whole time, so I would have loved to immerse myself in that water! Too bad we couldn't stay more than three days, but I'm sure its a trip we'll do again. Now on to the funky stuff...
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Beck - Youthless
Busy P - Pedrophilia
Morgan Geist - Detroit
Vibert Simmonds - V.A.J.
Nightmares On Wax - 195LBs
Black Affair - Pills
Black Affair - Just Keep Walking
Midnight Juggernauts - Dystopia (Turkish Prison Mix)
Hercules And Love Affair - You Belong (Hercules Club Mix)
Manu Chao - Politik Kills (Dennis Bovell Remix Feat. Linton Kwesi Johnson)

Funky (Nassau) Friday

Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story 1980-1986 is a stellar compilation from the recently reactivated Strut Records. I cannot recommend this compilation enough. Led by Sly & Robbie, the Compass Point Allstars were the house band for the Compass Point Studios, with producer/studio owner/Island Records mainman Chris Blackwell and his right hand man Steven Stanley behind the controls, often in conjunction with Alex Sadkin. The band included keyboardist Wally Badarou, Mikey Chung, Barry Reynolds, and Uziah "Sticky" Thompson. Reggae, dub, disco, funk and even a bit of rock all figured into the equation, and the band was smoking hot, capable of slaying you with a killer groove. Back in the day I would buy a record based on the fact that this band was on it - that's how good they are. The list of their seminal recordings is long, and this comp is a good place to start. There are some well known tracks and some unknown gems too. Today's selections are a mix of those - a known favorite by Talking Heads taken from their seminal record Remain In Light which was recorded at the studio, the obscure and short lived Set The Tone deliver a tough as nails funk workout, and Gwen Guthrie's slice of island disco is sublime. Mmmm mmmm good.

1 Grace Jones - My Jamaican Guy (12" Version)
2 Tom Tom Club - Genius Of Love
3 Talking Heads - Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)
4 Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Lady O K'pele
5 Set The Tone - Dance Sucker (Francois Kevorkian Mix)
6 Guy Cuevas - Obsession (Nassau Mix)
7 Gwen Guthrie - Padlock (Larry Levan Mix)
8 Bits & Pieces - Don't Stop The Music
9 Sly Dunbar - River Niger
10 Cristina - You Rented A Space
11 Ian Dury & The Seven Seas Players - Spasticus Autisticus (Version)
12 Chaz Jankel Feat. Laura Weymouth - Whisper
13 Will Powers - Adventures In Success (Dub Copy)

Orange

Today's flower of the day is the poppy. We have some fluffy, orange beauties that emerge from their furry alien pods in April and May. They are a welcome sign of impending warmth after a long, mid-western winter.

Boards Of Canada - Orange Hexagon Sun
Boards Of Canada - Aquarius

Moonbabies - The Orange Billboard
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The last five posts to my tumblr...
1. The new Grace Jones video - woo-hoo!
2. The latest We Are Scientists video - dog mania!
3. Time lapse photography of California wildfires.
4. Post-punk photo exhibit.
5. Santogold on stage and backstage. She is terrific.

Seventies Sunday

I haven't posted in over a week, so here is a random Sunday post of sweet selections from the '70s to make up for it. The photo I took in my back yard a few weeks ago. Yes, I'm a bit of a gardener, and have some lovely flowers to show for it. This week I'll be accompanying all of my posts with shots from my yard. Enjoy...

6ix - I'm Just Like You
Jeff Beck - Come Dancing
Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
Little Feat - Time Loves A Hero
Robert Palmer - Every Kind Of People
Dr. Hook & The Medicine Band - The Cover Of The Rolling Stone

New Music Wednesday

Hercules' Theme
Blind (Hercules Club Mix)
Regular readers of my blog will already know that I love Hercules & Love Affair, the latest hipsters signed to the always good DFA Records. When their album came out earlier this spring I did a piece on it where I gushed over my love for it. OK. maybe I didn't gush, but I do love it. Produced by DFA main man Tim Goldsworthy, I wrote "it is a disco stunner. And by disco, I mean the good stuff - the '70s underground, Arthur Russell, Ze Records, Giorgio Moroder, Grace Jones and Larry Levan's Paradise Garage mixes all come to mind. It is a throbbing mix of classic disco influences, live instrumentation and current electronic production. There are strings, horns and synths. There are funky instrumentals." I also point out that Antony Hegarty, lead vocalist for Antony & The Johnsons, sings on several tracks. I a not a big fan of the the man's regular work, but I find his unique vocal stylings well suited to the disco grooves on offer here. The record has been well received by the music press, and I can see why. It has pop smarts, some serious club bangers, '70s disco authenticity, and just the right amount of artiness. The album finally got a US release this week via Mute Records, who have put it out with two extra tracks (Classique #2 & Roar) as well as the video for Blind. It is a fine record, probably one of my faves of the year so far, and I heartily encourage you to investigate it further!

Funky Friday / Jam & Lewis Edition

S.O.S. Band - The Finest
S.O.S. Band - Just Be Good To Me
Cherrelle - You Look Good To Me
Alexander O'Neal - Medley: Innocent I/Alex 900/Innocent II
Janet Jackson - What Have You Done For Me Lately?
Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation
Human League - I Need Your Loving

You Got To Know Your Chicken

I played Cibo Matto's 1996 debut album Viva La Woman! today for the first time in quite a while. I was quickly reminded of why I loved them and their records so well. Formed in '94 in New York, the music of Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda went from the sublime (Sugar Water) to the ridiculous (Know Your Chicken). They were obsessed with food and sex and hip hop, all mashed it all up with bits of J-pop and art rock and ambience. The record was produced by Tchad Blake and Mitchell Froom, and features the ace Bernie Worrell on keyboards ("organ de plaisir" is how he is credited). It's a lot of fun and still holds up well these 12 years (!) later. If you've never heard them go pick this album up. If you already own it, pull it out and give it a spin - guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

Know Your Chicken
Sugar Water

New Music Tuesday

Coldplay - Strawberry Swing
Hi. My name is Michael, and I like Coldplay.

Or at least I did for a while. That last album (XYZ) of more of the same pretty much did them in for me. I think I played it two or three times before shelving it. Then I read last year that they had decided to record with Brian Eno at the producer's helm, and that intrigued me. He has a proven ability to reshape a popular band's sound - just ask U2, or Talking Heads, and he can be both formulaic and experimental. I picked up the resulting album Viva La Vida... this morning and been able to listen to it twice.

I am pleased with what I have heard. Co-produced by the band and Eno cohort Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire/Björk), you can spot the changes right away. There is a far more worldly sound at play here, apparent from the opening instrumental with it's hammered dulcimer. It is a tougher, harder rocking set with political overtones, and Eno's "sonic landscapes" work well with the band's dynamics. There are still several classic Coldplay moments, but there are also several songs where you might find yourself wondering who it is thats playing. I think that I'll be listening to this one more than just a couple of times. I just played Eno's Here Come The Warm Jets yesterday, so his influence here is freshly apparent to me, especially when you listen to the massed guitars and dense percussion of Strawberry Swing.

Funky Friday

Japan - Swing
N*E*R*D - Windows
Adele - Cold Shoulder
Sam Sparro - Clingwrap
Alpinestars - Hyper Hyper
Sam Sparro - 21st Century Life
Young MC - Bust A Move (Diplo Remix)
My Morning Jacket - Highly Suspicious
Grace Jones - Nipple To The Bottle (12" Version)
Santogold/N*E*R*D/Julian Casablancas - My Drive Thru
A fine assortment of grooves to move you; Japan really do swing on this bit of early '80s art-funk, with tasty fretless bass and horn riffage. N*E*R*D embrace the new wave/funk hybrid. Adele has a killer set of pipes like Amy Winehouse, but without all of the chav drama. Sam Sparro's self titled debut hits US shores on the 24th of this month, and if you love the '80s r'n'b and electro and have a good sense of humor you will LOVE this record. It's electrofunksoulpop that has the freshest grooves and beats, as well as some very amusing lyrics. Alpinestars seemed to be up and comers at the start of this decade, but are no more, and Hyper Hyper is a nice bit of electro from their 2000 debut B.A.S.I.C.. Young MC's classic gets a Diplo update. My Morning Jacket try some Prince-ly funk rock falsetto-ing. I've been listening to a lot of Grace Jones this week, so enjoy the extended pleasures of Nipple To The Bottle. Finally, could there be a hipper combo act than Santogold, N*E*R*D and Julian Casablancas all rolled up into one? I think not.

Random Sunday Post

I have been rather broke these last few weeks, so as a result there hasn't been much in the way of new music. This has led to fewer posts, including two weeks in a row without Funky Friday! Today I am cleaning out my inbox, and you are getting some rather tasty tracks out of the deal. The Amplive remix of MGMT is beefed up with a rap from Mistah Fab. Cage The Elephant bring the skank on this remix. Van She give Pendulum the crispy Franco-electro workout treatment. The Hues Corporation is a '70s pop soul classic - thanks to Greg for hearing my special request and sharing! Hopeless rocks the bad haircut - click the link for a bunch more music, including the Haircut 100 sampling original version! Lulu Rouge are a Danish duo who are collaborators of Trentemøller. Bless You is the title track from their new album out this week, and is some nice dubby techno in the vein of The Knife or Gus Gus. Comment over there >>>>>>>>

MGMT - Of Moons, Birds & Monsters (Amplive Remix feat. Mistah Fab)
Cage The Elephant - Wicked Devil (Ain't No Rest Remix)
Pendulum - Propane Nightmares (Van She Remix)
The Hues Corporation - Rock The Boat
Hopeless - Haircut 100 (Remix)
Lulu Rouge - Bless You
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Last 4 posts to my tumblr...
1. Radiohead's Nude played on some seriously vintage technologies.
2. Solange's I Decided video, a great pastiche of styles through the ages.
3. Muto, a killer graffiti animation by BLU.
4. Boards of Canada vs. David Hasselhoff. Yeah, you read that right.

New Music Tuesday

Ladytron - They Gave You A Heart, They Gave You A Name
Ladytron's new album Velocifero hits record stores today. I have been listening to an advance of it for about two months now and I am a huge fan. The band put in a special request to work with producer Vicarious Bliss, who is part of the Ed Banger Records crew. Does this mean that Ladytron have gone all hipster French electro? Nope. This record pretty much picks up where they left off with 2005's Witching Hour. That record began to hint at a more poptastic direction, and this one has taken that even further. The sound is punchier, less murky than previously. There are a bunch of memorable songs, with lead single Ghosts stomping along like Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus, all glitter beats and twang, until that dreamy chorus hits and carries you away on it's synth pillows. Runaway, Burning Up, Versus and Tomorrow are all brimming with pop hooks. There are plenty of moody moments (Black Cat & Kletva, sung in Bulgarian), lots of tasty electronic touches, and several tracks where the quartet rocks out (The Lovers), reminding you they are a band and not just a bunch of synths. Like I said, I really like this record and I recommend it highly. Lovely cover too...
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Also out today; The Futureheads' This Is Not The World, The Ting Tings' We Started Nothing, Radiohead's Best Of and Manu Chao's Politik Kills remix EP.
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For some reason Haloscan commenting has decided not to work on my blog anymore. I am trying to work something out. Any ideas? Email me - djrez1 at silenceisarhythmtoo dot com.