The End of Freedom

The album format extinct?

2007-03-28T14:33:00.000-05:00

"Last year, digital singles outsold plastic CD’s for the first time. So far this year, sales of digital songs have risen 54 percent, to roughly 189 million units, according to data from Nielsen SoundScan. Digital album sales are rising at a slightly faster pace, but buyers of digital music are purchasing singles over albums by a margin of 19 to 1.

Because of this shift in listener preferences — a trend reflected everywhere from blogs posting select MP3s to reviews of singles in Rolling Stone — record labels are coming to grips with the loss of the album as their main product and chief moneymaker. "

- from this NY Times article

I first saw this article today through the brilliant English mp3 blog, 20 Jazz Funk Greats and I felt one of their writers made a funny, but good point. (It's always funny and well written, by far one of the best mp3 blogs I have come across in terms of writing and content and taste.)

I still don't think albums will die in certain instances; jazz, classical and indie rock, maybe certain electronic. But I do agree that the reason the big labels are suffering is because they have been schilling shit for years. Albums of crap by crap artists with no longevity. I'm not sure how they don't see that after all this time, but I guess if they were smart they wouldn't continued on the path they have been on for so long. We can also blame such an easily entertained, lazy and in my opinion ignorant audience for letting them get away with it.

Lets face it, it's highly doubtful that a major will release many important albums ever again unless they continue to cherry pick indie (Modest Mouse, Decemberists) and electronic (LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip) acts from the indies and harbor a few token 'important' acts like Radiohead. And even some of those artists, will many of them produce a 'classic' album again or ever? Some of them are past their prime.

I think some of the ideas in the article are actually good for certain genres: country, rap, mainstream pop, and r&b are not really made for the album format. Those have always been primarily singles genres of songs that live in the moment, rarely anything that will be celebrated beyond the few months of its popularity and radio play.

We are still so early into this digital sales thing in music that we won't know what it will be like 2 years from now, much less 5. I think the labels, all of them from the biggest major to the smallest indie, are trying to figure this new game out. And they/we are all watching with interest this wild new market.

Last year was the first year I bought more music online than physical cds. I never thought that would happen, ever. The cds I bought were mostly because they were artists not available on eMusic or sometimes even iTunes. But even my early resistance to buying stuff from iTunes (DRM is the devil and a last vestige of ignorant thinking by the record labels) and other sources (like Beatport and Kompakt) has dropped significantly this year as well. Now I think about an album and wonder, do I really need this on cd? Do I care that much about this thing, the packaging? Some things, like the new Panda Bear, I do because the album is a classic and has beautiful artwork.

One thing I am considering more is buying albums I really love on vinyl instead of cd because there is still some form of fun and discovery in putting on a record these days, compared to cd. With the new record player Kim got me, I can finally hook it up to modern stereos and even my computer so I can rip the vinyl to mp3. For instance the newly released Beach House on white vinyl.

So, yes, I think most physical music will eventually go away and only specific things will still be available on vinyl or cd. I don't think the album format will ever die though.

I don't understand the resistance any longer to subscribing to eMusic and using iTunes and other sources regularly. I still don't support stealing music through Soulseek and other file sharing services though. I think that kind of thing will eventually hurt the whole industry so much that artists and labels won't be able to afford to produce, record and release any albums or songs. The digital age, despite its many unknowns, has made this the best time to be a music fan. So many great mp3 blogs, online music mags, even MySpace and other sources has made music discovery and artist discovery the easiest and most fun it has ever been. I only wish they had all this when I started out with my love of music back when I was young.

Kraftwerk on YouTube

2007-03-12T14:29:00.000-05:00

So, I stumbled across these in a very roundabout way. First one is listed as "Truckstop Gondolero" but I have no idea if that is a song or what, played live on a show called Club Beat in Germany in 1971. What is awesome is this features an early lineup of Kraftwerk when featuring Klaus Dinger on drums and Michael Rother on guitar, who very soon after this went on to form Neu! Florian Schneider is playing a flute through some electronics and the sound is more psychedelic and freeform than the robotic and electronic groove of later Kraftwerk. Dig the traffic cones on stage in relation to the covers of Kraftwerk 1 and Kraftwerk 2. It sounds a bit more like what Neu! would be doing later than the Kraftwerk we commonly know.

Next up is a live video, promo thing, of "Autobahn" on the show Midnight Special from 1975. It shows the classic lineup of the band with the full electronic sound in tow, the clean cut image and those really cool homemade drum machines. Just watching the guys play the Moogs is a treat, but those drum machines are so cool.

In other news, I read on Tiny Mix Tapes that Animal Collective were done recording so that should mean a release this year. Could be quite a year for them with Panda Bear and Avey Tare's solo releases too.

Also, according to their MySpace, Liars have started recording in Berlin. Hopefully this means a new one from them soon as well, I'm looking forward to what they cook up next.

Panda Bear

2007-01-16T11:04:00.000-06:00

One upcoming release I'm looking forward to this year is the new Panda Bear solo effort, Person Pitch, out in March. It is different enough from his Animal Collective work to warrant attention and from what I have heard of it, it may be nothing short of amazing.

The songs and the melodies I have heard are a bit more straightforward pop than some AC stuff with rousing vocals bathed in cavernous reverb, but the music is still experimental, eschewing much of his earlier folk acoustic approach for the sampling and electronic sounds of the DJ culture. While it is more electronic sounding, it still doesn't lose that joyous organic campfire feel that he and the Collective share.

Some of the songs can be tracked down as they have been released as limited run 12" eps. "Bro's" is available now on iTunes and I cannot recommend it enough that you buy the ep, it is totally worth the 4.99. This 12-minute plus song is awesome as it evolves and builds in cresecendos of echoing vocals and sounds. You can stream the first half of it on Fat Cat's website here.

You can also download the first song, "Comfy In Nautica," here on the Paw Tracks presspage.

All this has been easily available on the blogs so far...

Another 12" ep is out on Jan. 23rd, a split with Excepter, as well as a new AC ep...hopefully out on eMusic. The new AC album could be released this fall... we hope. They are touring this year, hitting TX on May 26th in Dallas and May 27th in Austin.

I may preview some other releases I'm looking forward to as the week/s go on...

The Best of 2006

2007-01-08T11:38:00.000-06:00

I'm late again this year, shit happens. Holidays and other things get in the way sometimes. 2006 was a pretty mediocre year for the most part. I spent more time listening to and discovering old stuff than bothering with all of the hyped crap and the constant flow of the same-old boring indie-pop. I rediscovered my love of electronic music and noisy stuff, returning to my roots I guess, and sought out more challenging things to listen to. Not everything was bad, Liars and the Knife especially kept the faith, and even some of the really hyped stuff was great, but I think it is telling that I can't even bear to do a top 20, 15 was the best it gets with a few 'honorable mentions.' This isn't to say that I think these records below aren't good or great, they are, but I didn't get that excited about a lot of things this year.

The good news is that 2006 is over and 2007 is looking very bright especially early on in January-March.

I'll have my traditional best-of mix soon as well.

Here's the list, I tried to make it shorter, more concise, enjoy:

Worth mentioning:

Aloha - Some Echoes
Tussle - Telescope Mind
Clark - Body Riddle
TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
The Evangelicals - So Gone
Bishop Allen - the 12 month EP series
Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
Fujiya & Miyagi - Trasparent Things
Ghostland Observatory - Paparazzi Lightning

15. Man Man - Six Demon Bag

This rambunctious album of maddened gypsy-folk is a great time, if a bit weird. Rowdy songs like “Black Mission Goggles” and “Engrish Bwudd” never got old, but the band and singer Honus Honus show their tender, soul and jazz side on “Van Helsing Boombox.” Still haven’t seen them live, much to my disappointment.

14. Indian Jewelry – Invasive Exotics

Psychedelic noise that only Houston could spit out; this band could be the heirs to the Butthole Surfers’ scattershot weirdo-mess. We Shot J.R. and Dusted Mag introduced this to me late in the year but it has gotten quite a bit of play from me since I picked it up. With its echoing vocals, hypnotic bassline, guitar noise and 10 minute length, “Going South” is a delight.

13. Califone – Roots and Crowns

A fantastic marrying of sounds of sparse electronic sounds and laptop production combined with traditional blues and folk music and even Eastern sounds. I got into this album really late, otherwise it would be higher on the list. The cover of Psychic TV’s “The Orchids” was one of the most beautiful songs I heard this year. Thanks to Brett for the recommendation.

12. 120 Days – 120 Days

These Norwegian kids had some buzz behind them along with an excellent epic 8 minute song to lead off with. They combine a krautrock pulse and the sense of the cold Nordic never-ending nights to make an electronic-rock hybrid that at times was compelling. Its hypnotic, driving and buzzing.

11. Nobody & Mystic Chords of Memory – Tree Colored See

This is a collaboration between Chris Gunst of Beachwood Sparks and Nobody, a bay-area psychedelic hip-hop producer. Soft subtle psyche-folk tunes are complemented by drum samples and looped effects, pianos and guitar strums. It makes for a great listen and one of those records that got quite a bit of play. Check out “Broaden a New Sound” for an example of this mix of the old and new with the dubbed-out looped beats and the 60’s psyche-rock feel.

10. Brightblack Morning Light – Brightblack Morning Light

This north Cali freak-folk group hit on something with its slow motion gospel-soul-blues on cough syrup sound. The album is best enjoyed at home, in it’s entirety, as it is hard to pick out a single song and the chill-out quality is not for driving a car. Extra points for including 3-D glasses, printed with marijuana leaves on them no less, to enjoy the album art with and making the album packaging made of completely recycled enviro-friendly materials. Hippies.

9. Midlake – The Trials of Van Occupanther

Some deride this as yacht rock, but I really enjoyed this album, from one of Denton's best. “Roscoe” was definitely one of my favorite songs of the year and it really encompasses what this whole record is about. I think they nailed that warmth and vague fuzziness in production that some of those old 70s records had. I really thought there soft-rock and CSNY-inspired harmonies were great.

8. The Black Angels – Passover

On Passover, Austin’s Black Angels make dark psychedelic drone-rock that touches on legends like the 13th Floor Elevators to the Velvet Underground to Brian Jonestown Massacre. The urgent, epic menace of “The Sniper At the Gates of Heaven” was one of my favorite songs of the year, with it’s guitar squalls, droning buzz and great vocals from Alex Maas.

7. Sunset Rubdown – Shut Up I Am Dreaming

Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade puts out a more emotional, dark and not as immediate album as his other band's work. It got continual play all year long and he has become one of my favorite song writers of late. I think the song that drove it home for me was the powerful anthem “Us Ones In Between.” Lo-fi produciton quality, murky reverb on everything and lots of organ and toy instruments, this record has a dreamy, dense sound.

6. Oneida – Happy New Year

This NY art-rock band has a distinct sound crafted from many elements and genres. Oneida use repetition and noise to great effect, at times creating dense, tight songs with harsh sounds and interesting structure. One thing that stands out immediately is the insistent drumming of Kid Millions, exhibited on songs like “Up With People” or “The Adversary.” The title of the album reflects a new beginning and Oneida’s continuing 60’s style optimism is felt throughout.

5. Grizzly Bear – Yellow House

A gorgeously produced album with so much depth it takes multiple listens to digest. Like Animal Collective, this group has beautiful vocal harmonies that defy description and with the help of studio trickery swirl and hang in space. It has such an inviting feel and warmth in the sound. Songs like “Colorado” and “Knife” are stunners and demand repeated listens.

4. Beach House – Beach House

Don’t let that name fool you, it is not some sunny pop record. I think this one took many people by surprise with its simple, timeless beauty, the warmth of it a perfect fall companion. A duo from Baltimore, they complement each other perfectly: her organs and voice, his slide guitar a gentle accompaniment. The lo-fi production, the simple drum rhythm, the song writing/structure are all key in making this a special record. “Apple Orchard” is the one that got a lot attention, but “Master of None” was a personal favorite. Seeing them live, outside in 40 degree weather at the New Amsterdam was a great experience.

3. Asobi Seksu – Citrus

This was one of my most played records of the year. I just loved it from front to back and singer Yuki Chikudate’s songs wormed their way into my heart. This NY band has a lot of promise with their experimental take on shoegaze noise-pop. The back to back greatness of the songs “New Years” and “Thursday” that opens the album are the obvious highlights. Nothing groundbreaking here just good music that can be enjoyed by anyone at any time

2. Liars – Drum’s Not Dead

Not number one after all my adoration for this album??? Let me not be mistaken here, this is a fantastic album that intrigues me and this really could be a tie for first, they are so close. Drum’s Not Dead’s stripped down percussive assault and droning noise was vital and much needed for me. I love their second album, and this one breaks that no wave sound down into a primitive, tribal feel. Some people dislike this album, but while I think that it is confrontational, it is also refreshing. I think it takes a lot of drive to make an album that is so far off from what is the norm, especially for a band with such huge expectations on them, and after their last album wasn't recieved well. Liars are exploring rhythm and sound and repetition and yet also finding beauty as evidenced by album closer “The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack.” The space in between the sounds was like another instrument. Certainly something that will be remembered and referenced long after many records of this year are forgotten. As I listen to their catalog more and more, one thing is sure: Liars are one of, if not the single, most important band of this decade.

1. The Knife – Silent Shout

This record really grabbed me from the very beginning and never let me go. I am enamored of this Swedish duo’s dark, stripped down electronic sound here and it really restored my faith that people could still make interesting, and substantial music in this style. It's departure from their earlier work, which was a bit brighter and feaured less vocal manipulation. There is not one weak track on Silent Shout, but there are clear standouts. The title track has the darkness and nightmarish quality that pervades the album and Karin Dreijer's frighteningly distorted vocals. Then there is “We Share Our Mothers’ Health” with the drunken synths swirling about like they are about to break down, a stomping beat, and the eerie vocal duet. It’s a fascinating listen throughout and highly recommended for anyone looking for an electronic record that is not too beholden to current club trends and shows a wide range of influences delving deep into the genre's history.

The End of Freedom Vol. 2

2006-12-18T19:23:00.000-06:00

Yep that's right, another mix to foist upon my friends and torture them with music they didn't really want to hear in the first place. I never posted up the first one... I was lazy. This one is mostly made up of tracks from this year all of them in an electronic/post-rock style range. This year definitely saw me regain my love for electronic-type music, so this celebrates some of my favorite tracks of the year in this style.

I got the pic above from google. Someone took it in Philly of where the Freedom trail deadends at some steps. Thought it was pretty cool.

If you want a copy of the cd, I can send you one. Shoot me an email. I'll be finishing the fading and editing with help from Kim this week hopefully. Eventually I'll get these zipped for downloading. Maybe.

The End of Freedom, Vol. 2:

1. "Boy From School" by Hot Chip (from The Warning)
This song, from the DFA's prodigal sons and maybe the best remixers around, has a great groove and a nice hook. The whole album is solid, but this one is the standout with it's great vocal refrain and subtle synth loop. One of my favorite tracks of the year.

2. "Vibrate" by Ghostland Observatory (from Paparazzi Lightning)
These cats from Austin are an amazing and energetic live act and their recorded material successfully transfer that energy as well. This song makes even my lame-ass want to cut a rug with that deep bass and the spooky synths. But what really gets me on this one is singer Aaron Behrens killer vocals and the vocoder chorus.

3. "In The Morning" by Junior Boys (from So This Is Goodbye)
This song is off their very highly regarded album that I never could fully get into, but this song is great example of their brand of electro-new wave-pop. Great beats and synth sounds, good vocals and the production shines.

4. "Heartbeats" by The Knife (from Deep Cuts)
Steel drums! Yeah it takes balls to loop a steel drum line and throw it into an electronic song. This is from 2005, but I didn't get into the Knife until this year and this album was finally issued in the states this year. Probably their most famous and recognizable song, it's beautiful and moody and has a timeless sound. Perfect example of less is more in simplicity of programming. The version they are playing live currently is much darker to fit in with the Silent Shout material.

5. "Dead Shark Eyes" by Clark (from Throttleclark exclusive downloads)
This was one of three tracks previewed on Chris Clark's website before Body Riddle was released. This is a fantastic instrumental track with dark, echoing, rubbery synths and a pounding rhythm. It goes off in several directions, evolvling, devolving but always returning to the core theme. It blows me away everytime I hear it. Chris Clark is cleary one of the best of the electronic producers following in Aphex Twin's steps.

6. "Young Bride (CWL remix)" by Midlake / Cassettes Won't Listen (from CWL Remixes)
Gorilla vs Bear introduced me to this guy's remix work. This is one of the best, it retains the original's important elements: the emotional feel and weight as well as the song's structure. It augments it with cool synths and a drum loop that builds and expands upon the original's already driving beat.

7. "Like Eating Glass (Ladytron Zapatista Mix)" by Bloc Party / Ladytron (from Silent Alarm Remixed)
Ladytron turns one of the better Bloc Party songs into one of their own. Sleek and dark electro-pop with a simple pounding beat and the vocals buried under heavy reverb. I heard this really loud one night when local DJ Wanz Dover played it during his set and it sounded great.

8. "Lazy Eyes" by 120 Days (from 120 Days)
These Norwegian kids infuse their electro-rock hybrid with a great sense for the building and climax of great electronic club tracks. Much of their music is infused with the krautrock motorik pulse of Neu! and this one definitely has that driving beat. Dark synths with a wailing siren-like sound give this one an urgent feel until it builds to a crescendo of saxophone, synth and vocals, then releases. Play this loud.

9. "Second Guessing" by Tussle (from Telescope Mind)
Krautrock meets dub ina funk style. Like Liquid Liquid hooked up with Can, this instrumental quartet from San Francisco hits a groove and then locks down tight. Two drummers provide the backbone as spare electronic sounds swirl and echo about in the space. Yummy.

10. "Skara Brain" by Feathers (from Synchromy)
Who knew Miami had people making post-rock? I thought it was all booty-bass rap shit there. And no, this isn't the hippy granola heads of the same name that make freak folk with Devendra. This track has a hawt groove laid out on live drums and a nice bassline. Then the keys lay in as some dirty electronic sounds echo about. Cool thing is, just as you get used to one thing they switch it up and move on.

11. "Vodiak" by Stereolab (from Fab Four Suture)
Oh that's right, Stereolab is so last decade and you are just too cool for the new stuff. I disagree, this band still produces some top-notch songs. This is the best off this ep collection. I like the analog synths and that reverb-ey drum fill that rolls in on top of the live drums. Stereolab still make the best sounding/produced records in my humble opinion. Check it on headphones as the keys go from channel to channel, it's pretty damn cool.

12. "Ankle Injuries" by Fujiya & Miyagi (from Transparent Things)
This English trio with a Japanese name have the motorik pulse down. They hit that lockgroove sound and don't let go. A throbbing beat and rhythm augmented by simple synths and vocals. This could go on for 10 minutes and I wouldn't get bored.

13. "Way Out" by Ellen Allien & Apparat (from Orchestra of Bubbles)
German micro-house and trance, but not the shitty kind of trance. Two of Germany's finest got together to put out this very nice album. Featuring Allien's vocals, this one is short and sweet with the bubbling analog synths and moving beat. I liked the sound of the drums the best.

14. "The Eraser" by Thom Yorke (from The Eraser)
While this album was a major disapointment, this song however, delivered. Nice glitchy, laptop techno with typically good and eeire vocals of Yorke. I really like the simplicity of the song and how it changes up at the end. Too bad the rest of the album wasn't as impressive.

15. "Colors Shifting" by Christopher Willits (from Surf Boundaries)
Guitar whiz Willits utilizes a glitch laptronica approach to make a very warm and engaging song. Supposedly much of the sounds are made from his guitar which he runs through some custom built equipment to manipulate the sounds into an electronic sound. The vocals remind me of Broken Social Scene. Yes, this song is supposed to sound like it is skipping...

16. "Montezuma" by Shogun Kunitoki (from Tasankokaiku)
More Japanese fakers! These guys are actually from Finland (maybe Finnish-Japanese?), completing my tour of the nordic nations in this mix. Using only analog, old school synths, keyboards, drum machines and effects, they craft stark and elegant compositions. It has such a clear, clean sound the building synths and driving beat on what sounds like live drums to me.

I'll have my year end list ready soon and a mix to accompany that as well. Stay tuned!

The Happy Bullets and Tah-Dahs this weekend

2006-12-11T13:38:00.000-06:00

Both bands head out for Austin and San Antonio this weekend. Be sure to get out and see them. Dates below:

December 15th - Austin, TX at the Mohawk. Callithump Showcase featuring Prayer For Animals and Haunting Oboe Music and special guest Laura Palmer. $6.00 at the door.

December 16th - San Antonio, TX at the Limelight. With Big Soy and Pocket Symphonies.

Picture courtesy of Sara Jane Semrad, 2006.

The Theater Fire take their show to Georgia

2006-12-09T14:19:00.000-06:00

This upcoming week, The Theater Fire hit the road and head out for Atlanta and Augusta. If you are in the area, check 'em out.

- December 15th - At the Earl w/ Hope For a Golden Summer and Daniel Clay

- December 16th - At the Soul Bar w/ Hope For a Golden Summer

We've heard rumblings that they are working on recording new material.... from the live versions we've heard, they'll be fantastic.

Some great shows this weekend

2006-10-12T19:05:00.000-05:00

For your Friday the 13th fun we have these things to do:

- The Theater Fire in Dallas at the Lakewood Theater for $10. Here's the lowdown: Sound and Picture video/music intallment part 2: Film is Love. 16 short films tell the stories behind the songs of The Theater Fire. The band plays live with the films projected behind them. Proceeds go to victims of the Isreal/Lebanon bombings. Follow this link for more: http://www.blackleaderfilms.com/snp/

- The Tah-Dahs in Denton at Hailey's opening for Now It's Overhead and Summerbirds In the Cellar for $8 in adv. and $10 at the door.

- The Happy Bullets in Dallas at the New Amsterdam Coffee Haus. $5 and playing with Pegasus Now.

Saturday's shows:

- The Happy Bullets in Dallas at Club Dada. With Handclaps and Harmonies, Millicent Friendly & Honeybug.

- The Tah-Dahs in Dallas at DoubleWide. $5 and playing with Red Monroe for the Zac Crain for Mayor Benefit.

Check our Calendar for more details about each show and for a full list of all upcoming shows for all three bands.

Enjoy your weekend!

Undeniable Records

The Theater Fire - Best Local CD Release

2006-10-06T16:52:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Observer has named the Theater Fire's Everybody Has a Dark Side as the year's Best Local CD Release! Congrats guys! We couldn't be happier either. It's nice to see our local press selecting such a great record and we are humbled that our releases have won two years in a row.

"Is there a better way to describe the Theater Fire than "the Fort Worth sound"? It's the phrase co-songwriter Curtis Glenn Heath picks when asked about the "border sound" tag the band has received countless times, thanks to its blend of mariachi and country."

Read it here.

News From the Front

2006-09-12T13:56:00.000-05:00

The Theater Fire are a part of Entertainment Weekly this week. "Kicking Up the Darkness" is one of this week's featured downloads on EW.com. Click here to check it out.

Also, be on the lookout for upcoming reviews in Magnet and Paste Magazine.

The Happy Bullets will be appearing at this year's CMJ Music Marathon in New York City! More details as we get them.

Upcoming shows and the Theater Fire tour

2006-09-05T16:05:00.000-05:00

Alright, busy schedule...

This week we have:

The Theater Fire, Sept. 6th at Emo's in Austin, TX opening for the Weird Weeds' cd release party. This should be a great show... I count myself a fan of the Weird Weeds' experimental pop.

The Theater Fire, Sept. 8th at Lee Harvey's in Dallas, TX. They are playing two sets that nite so get on out to one of the coolest bars in town and enjoy some good tunes.

The Happy Bullets, Sept 8th at the Cavern in Dallas, TX. The Bullets don't play live that much right now so this is one of your few chances to see them. I'm sure they will be playing a lot of new material as well.

The Theater Fire, Sept. 9th at the Longbranch Inn in Austin, TX opening for White Ghost Shivers. I have to say this is one cool bar after visiting it this weekend so don't miss out.

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The Theater Fire Tour info:

Sept. 29th - Chicago, IL at The Hideout with Dogme 95 and the Attic Recordings
Sept. 30th - Philadelphi, PA at The Fire. Early show starting at 7 with Robert Gomez.
Oct. 2nd - Boston, MA at P.A.'s
Oct. 3rd - New York, NY at the Delancey
Oct. 4th - New York, NY at Piano's
Oct. 5th - Brooklyn, NY at Pete's Candy Store
Oct. 6th - Brooklyn, NY at Goodbye Blue Monday opening for O' Death and Apothecary Hymns

This is a nice little trek here covering some miles and some good cities and venues. We will post more info about a few of the shows as we get it.

Recent Sounds

2006-08-25T17:42:00.000-05:00

Here's what I have been listening to lately. Some new, some old. I think I listen to a wide variety of stuff and I go through cyclical phases. My taste definitely intertwines through themes that I tend to enjoy. This year has begun to pick up a bit for me in terms of new releases, but I still have been less than impressed. So here it is, sorry for it being long:

The Knife - Silent Shout

Ok I totally slept on this and I am late to the party. I only started listening to this when it was finally issued here in the US and Rhapsody had it. Probably some of the best electronic music I have heard in some time and it is the only thing I have heard yet that could challenge Liars for album of the year. Pitchfork called it 'haunted house' and I think that describes it ok. It is dark, moody, atmospheric and minimalist in it's sound. Each song has at times a very creepy vibe to that is made more so by singer Karen Dreijer Andersson's vocals being layered and run through a pitch shifter. At times this remnds me in a very good way of some of the industrial stuff, like early Skinny Puppy, that I loved (still do some) back in the day. I highly recommend this as the finest electronic album you find this year.

Aloha - Some Echoes

Thanks to We Shot J.R. and Sam M. I gave this a try... or really, I accidentally hit 'download this' on eMusic and got the album whether I wanted it or not. But they inspired me to check it out nevertheless. I have to say this seems to be really overlooked and is clearly one of the best records I have heard this year. Not sure what all the influences are, but you will hear a post rock thing mixed with a 70's prog thing, but not in a bad way because I hate a lot of that prog stuff. The vocals are great and the production is outstanding, especially for the drums and these really cool drum fills and flourishes like on opener "Brace Your Face" and the use of a vibraphone on several songs. I could write a few sentences about how cool "Brace Your Face" is, but I won't. Highly enjoyable of a listen.

Kraftwerk - Minimum-Maximum

Finally picked this 2 cd live set up because Rhapsody doesn't play in my car. Plays like a great remastered greatest hits and this the best thing you can get by them right now until the delayed remasters of their albums are finished. Crowd noise is minimal and the sequencing and mixing is almost perfect. I had never really heard the "Tour de France" songs before and their driving trance sound is cool along with the long, updated version of "Radioactivity" and the pounding electro of "Elektro Kardiogramm" which I don't remember ever hearing before. Tour the US, please?

Oneida - Happy New Year

I really like just about everything these guys have done and this is another strong album. While it doesn't hit as immediately as The Wedding or Secret Wars, it still is a fine album. I like the quieter almost folky vibe to a few of the songs like the opener "Distress." You still get the nice drone, krautrock, avant garde sound and repetition that we all love them for. This is highlighted on "Up With People," one of the best songs of the year with that long length almost unnoticable due to its driving rhythm and near-funk beat. Worth repeated visits.

Thom Yorke - The Eraser

When compared with the Knife, this seems like middle of the road IDM/techno. It's not bad, but it's not stellar or that interesting considering Radiohead's output. I enjoy certain songs: the title track, "Harrowdown Hill," "The Clock," but some are just boring and repetitive in a bad way. It's stark and minimal and Yorke's voice actually sounds good without all the reverb but it feels like it is missing something... the band maybe? Cool packaging for the cd though....

Midlake - The Trials of VanOccupanther

I really enjoy this album, despite the fact that it could win worst album title of the year award. The sound is a mixture of 70's rock and some modern touches of keyboards and production. The warmth of the record is great and it has a definite feel of autumn or winter to it so I think it will sound even better when the temps drop. The vocals are a bit CSNY meets Fleetwood Mac and the song structures shine on tunes like "Bandits," "Young Bride," "Head Home" and of course that monster song "Roscoe" which has failed to get old for me.

A few short takes:

Finally got a copy of disc one of Chris' Pere Ubu - Datapanik In the Year Zero box set which covers '75-'77. Wow, that shit is good. Ohio man... Devo, Pere Ubu... early post-punk... some of the best with cool guitars, noisy bits and electronics. "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," "Cloud 149," "Final Solution" that's what I'm talking about.

Man Man - Six Demon Bag. Yeah I slept on this too, but by god this is really fun to listen to. Eastern-Gypsy-Folk music meets Captain Beefheart. Can't wait to see them live.

That's about it for now... Like Chris said, those Talking Heads re-issues are fantastic and he made a copy of the Radio One Stereolab sessions which is a fucking great collection of songs. Man, I love me some Stereolab. Oh and I just downloaded that Nobody & the Mystic Chords of Memory that won't leave the Good Records charts... dumb name, cool music from one of the founders and singers of the late, lamented Beachwood Sparks. Tasty psyche-folk-broke-down-electronic.

News From the Front

2006-08-22T13:09:00.000-05:00

In exciting news for us, Carrot Top picked up the Theater Fire album for distribution. This means we get better, wider distribution to more stores nationwide. Obviously this is a good thing for the Theater Fire and the label as a whole for our growth and viability. It's starting off small, but we hope to see things get better and then get distro for the whole catalog.

The UnRec catalog is now available online for digital streaming and download at Rhapsody, along with eMusic and iTunes this gives us coverage in what I consider the big three of digital sales. We firmly believe in the future of online music.

The UnRec catalog is also available for purchase in cd format, online at Amp Camp. Visit our label page to check it out. Almost all music review sites link to this online store and I personally have found it to be very cool and the customer service to be excellent.

Look for the Theater Fire to be on the Hear TX Here Listening Station at Waterloo records starting 9/21 and running to 10/18.

The Theater Fire's upcoming Fall tour is almost finalized and as soon as it is all worked out we will post up all the details. Looks like the east coast, midwest and south is going to get to experience their fantastic live show.

We have a lot of cool press links to put up and I'll get to that later tonight or tomorrow.

Shows

2006-08-11T17:49:00.000-05:00

We are going to see The Clientele this weekend in which The Theater Fire are opening. We are huge fans of the Clientele and if you have not heard this band get with it. They are one of the best bands going right now on either side of the pond. I could go on about them quite a bit, but that might be boring so just read allmusic or something if interested. Chris has seen them before but this will be my first time. Looking forward to it.

Hailey's Denton, TX $8 in advance, $10 at the door.

If you are in Georgia, you better be going to the Athens PopFest where our very own Happy Bullets are playing at Little Kings on Saturday at 5pm. I'm jealous... Deerhoof, Circulatory System and the Mountain Goats are there, as well Denton faves Fishboy amongst a truck load of others.

The Theater Fire News

2006-08-10T10:21:00.000-05:00

NPR's highest rated nationally syndicated show and one of my favorite things to listen to on the radio, All Things Considered, did a cool feature/review of the new Theater Fire the other day. Listen here.

They were also interviewed for the Dailysonic Podcast. Listen here.

Late to the Party

2006-08-07T11:39:00.000-05:00

Shit - I forgot all about this thing. Despite my original obejections to Drum's not Dead when Zak would make me listen (such as - "I already have Second Edition, thanks" and "turn that shit off now,") I have succombed as well. Best record I have heard all year. Black Angels is also quite good. I don't get the whole Tapes 'n Tapes thing tho'. I think they are getting that same Fiery Furnaces unwarranted hype from last year. Not that the 2 are anything alike, I just can't drink that Kool-aid.

Centro-Matic is always a good choice. Gotta run out and get the rest of that shit from his list.

Looking forward to:

Pshchocandy re-issue - As I uderstand it, 5.1 surround??? What - 1 instrument per channel? My 1st experience with the 5.1 R/I is "Fear of Music" and it is tremendous. Can't wait to hear what this reverb fest sounds like remastered.

Pink Flag / Chair's Missing / 154 re-issues - If you can, stop everything and go buy these if you don't own any already. You can thank me later.

Chavez all inclusive re-issues - One of the most underheard of the 90's Matador bands (next only to Bailter Space) gets everything pacgaged on 2 discs. Can't wait to see if the mix of Ride the Fader sounds as good on these as my vinyl copy.

BTW - for all you who still claim that there is no difference between CD and Vinyl, or that CD is superior, take the Pepsi challenge with Loveless on disc vs. wax and Ride the Fader. Go on - I dare you. Come on over. You'll have to bring me a record player though, all 4 of mine are kaput. Digital does not have the same rumble down low.

New Yo La Tengo - always a reason to rejoyce.

The Clientele fall tour. They were tremendous last time I saw them. Get your ass to Denton.

Unnecessary - Spoon reissues. Again, Don't believe the Hype. They are moderately OK at what they do now. (10 bucks says this is on Zak's shopping list, and I'll get shit about it when he reads this.)

Listening to:

Black Angels, Liars, Going through another Steroelab phase, re-discovered Bardo Pond, and I am being unwittingly sucked in to those 30 or so SMiLE bootlegs from the 60's my friend from Houston left at my house last year. Needle in a Haystack, but man, when you find something good on those it is so worth it.

Next up - why the Denton and Dallas scenes should unite and take over the metroplex. This us against them shit is for the birds. Probably some f-bombs, I kept it kind of PG since it was the 1st entry and all.

Also - Why is no one going out and giving the Wedding Present back catalog a good treatment? I mean, damn, if some label can tackle the Fall's early records, it sure makes the weddoes output look tame. And some of that stuff (Read: Seamonsters) could really stand to be brought forward.

WORD
--cgh--

News From the Front

2006-07-25T02:14:00.000-05:00

Recieved word today that NPR's All Things Considered will be reviewing Everybody Has A Dark Side on a to be determined show and date. This is awesome news as this is a show that reaches a wide and diverse audience.

"Fiddleback Weaver" will also be a download of the week for Entertainment Weekly soon... we'll let you know more soon about that as well.

We also recieved word of something else brewing that could be really cool if it happens, but we don't want to say anything just yet...

Also, D Magazine named the Happy Bullets as one of the best live acts in town in their recent August Best of issue.

This Friday, in Austin, The Theater Fire will be performing live at Emo's with Brothers and Sisters and Pink Nasty. Go out and show your support!

Theater Fire, Friday nite

2006-07-13T18:44:00.000-05:00

This is where Chris and I will be: The Cavern, Friday nite for the Theater Fire. I always look forward to their shows as they are quickly becoming top notch live performers. The last time I saw them, they closed the set with their magnificent version of 'Members of the Show'Em How It's Done" and when that accordion kicked in midway, I got chills (yeah, I'm lame like that)...

I have no idea who the openers are and don't care too much because I'm going to spend my time upstairs preceding the show checking out gorilla vs bear's DJ set, The Jump Off. I bet he plays some stellar music so I'm looking forward to finally catching him.

Come out and join us...

EDIT:

Oh and check this out in Theater Fire related news:

They won Best Song ("These Tears Could Rust A Train") and Best Album (Everybody Has A Dark Side) from the Fort Worth Weekly Awards, voted on by the readers. So congrats to them!

And if you want to hear a stripped down acoustic set (featuring the musical saw and other cool shit) by them check out their recent appearance on the Adventure Club last Sunday. You can download the mp3s and enjoy...

The Best So Far This Year

2006-07-11T18:54:00.000-05:00

So here's my list so far this year. It's not in order because I only do that for my end of the year list and I will say that, with a few of exceptions, I have been underwhelmed so far. Yes, I have enjoyed a lot of albums I have picked up this year, but not many that have just stood out. Usually though most good records come out in the fall so it'll probably pick up. My cut-off point is July... I have not had enough time to formulate opinions on some other records.

Liars - Drum's Not Dead
Clearly the best record so far this year is Liars' Drum's Not Dead. It sounds nothing like anything else currently, save their last record. They seem to be following their own path where they draw from a lot of sources like early industrial, krautrock, tribal shit, and post punk like This Heat and others. It is a fantastic record where the beauty is found in the rhythm and that space and absence of sound that just hangs there. There are no huge pop songs (and at times lately I have gotten so sick of the same old retread pop), no easy hooks, no unnecessary instrumentation. I have yet to get sick of this and still crave to listen to it. The first five songs blend so well together that is almost best as one piece and the final song, "The Other Side of Mount Heart Attack,"is sure to win over even the staunchest of haters. Plus, their live show this year was easily one of my favorite of all time and I have seen some great shows.

Asobi Seksu - Citrus
This is a really good record and makes for a perfect summertime listen. It's shoegaze that is bright and warm and upbeat with a great sense for a good pop song. Yes, there are similarities to My Bloody Valentine and some others, who cares? It's a good record even if it does have some clear throw-away pop songs at the end and as stated before draws from the old playbook a bit but they do have more to offer than straight shoegaze. "Strawberries" and "New Years" are a great one-two punch to start off the album and are near perfect as shoegaze songs get. (Yep I said it) Definitely one of the shining lights of the 'new' shoegaze scene.

Islands - Return to the Sea
Ok, forget about me saying I'm sick of pop. This is great music. If you loved the Unicorns you should love this as well. Not nearly as much of the corny humor but that is a good thing because you can only take that so far. "Rough Gem" grabbed a hold me and wouldn't let go for days and still has me hit the back button on the player when it is over. Great instrumentation and song structure throughout, good songs, solid singing, hooks and even a couple of rappers on one song.

Tapes n' Tapes - The Loon
See every blog and every review. This one delivers. Is it overhyped? Yes. It's not going to save your soul or change your life, but it's a very good record.

The Black Angels - Passover
I love their sound, yeah it's derivative of a lot of things but what really sets it apart for me is the combination of sounds along with that droning repetitve sound... but not in a bad way... if you like drone. I think this has been really overlooked this year.

Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
A side project from Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade. A bit rawer and less immediate than his other band but still filled with great singing and that anthemic quality. Very good stuff and deserved all that initial hype.

The Court & Spark - Hearts
This has gotten some fair to bad reviews, I don't get it. It's not outstanding but I feel the band searching for ways to break free of that restrictive and boring 'Alt Country' tag. I like the studio tweaks and the dubby, narcotic haze it has. M.C. Taylor has a great voice and a way with words. Maybe not as good as 2004's Witch Season, but worth a listen. I'm hoping they continue to try new things.

The Theater Fire - Everybody Has A Dark Side
I guess I'm biased, but I love this record. First time I heard the early demos, I knew it was going to be good. It turned out to be great. It has such a cool atmosphere and feel and transcends any kind of genre, hell, time period, you try to put them in.

A few others (that I like):

The Pink Mountaintops - Axis of Evol
Bishop Allen - 12 Months ep series
Ghostland Observatory - Paparazzi Lightning
Mission of Burma - The Obliterati
Brightblack Morning Light - s/t
The Evangelicals - So Gone
Centro-Matic - Fort Recovery

Ain't no 'I' in team

2006-07-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

Made this a team effort by adding Chris (co-owner of UnRec) as a member. This is a good thing because he is way more entertaining than me as a writer and if he gets into this whole thing I can see him being a solid contributor. We'll probably argue quite a bit. It'll be fun. It's love-hate with us.

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In other news... going to try and have some sort of logo designed. Going to add some more links. Will have some 'real' posts soon.

And yeah... movies. We saw Superman Returns and Pirates of the Caribbean recently.

Superman overall was ok, but I'll not want to watch it again. Yeah, it was really well done with amazing special effects, acting was fine - Kevin Spacey was great as Lex Luthor, blah blah. Lois Lane was cute though. But, really did anyone ever get worried that Superman was going to lose? Were you on the edge of your seat in anticipation to see if he would pull out of it ok? Was Lex really going to win this time? No you weren't because it is Superman the guy with every cool power who is invincible (basically). Oh and it was confusing to have the guy that plays Cyclops from the X-Men as Lois Lane's boyfriend. I kept waiting for him to bust out the laser beam from his eyes... what a disapointment. And really, nobody has yet to figure out the whole Clark Kent - Superman thing? Do the glasses and goofy demeanor really fool all these people? Superman as a hero sucks. I'm an old school comic book fan and I never liked him. I want somebody dark like Batman or a team of people with powers, not one all powerful basically god-like figure. I can't relate. And his outfit sucks. Call me biased. That's my motto.

Pirates however was very entertaining. It may not be 'cool' or whatever to say you like those movies, but the first one was fun... this one was fun. I could watch Johnny depp do his Captain Jack Sparrow routine for hours. It's awesome. Cool special effects and good direction with some great over-the-top acting. Go for a matinee to kill some time and have some laughs. Now I'm primed for the third installment. Oh yeah... stay till the end after the credits.

Why a blog?

2006-06-25T20:21:00.000-05:00

Why another useless blog? I don't know, I was bored tonite. Really, I got inspired for some reason to do this while driving in my car today. I was listening to the first Wilderness album and became totally engrossed in song 4, 'End of Freedom.'

Something about the slow beginning, the icy guitars and then the song picks up with a driving beat and guitars build and finally we get a call and response with the singer asking "What is ending?" and is answered by some female vocalists intoning "the end of freedom." I don't know why this resonated with me, but it did and I thought about those words and said to myself, 'that might be a cool blog title.' So there we go.

I had toyed with the idea before, but always shot it down because I figured none of my friends will read it and no one cares about a new blog. I had thought about writing about the record label too on a blog so maybe I'll carry that on over and do that. I think I'll write about whatever interests me and what comes to mind. A lot of it will be about music though and my always put off but always on my mind mix cd series I have wanted to do for some time. Or maybe I'll turn that cd series into a podcast, but I have to research the legalities of all that. I'll try to update regularly until I get bored or until I realise no one reads it and no one cares...