Leilani– New in 2010 Playlist:Ali Baba's Tahini, Living Room (July 13);Hey Marseilles, To Travels & Trunks (June 29); Regina,Puutarhatrilogia (June 22); *Revolver, Music for a While (due out August 24 on Astralwerks); and White Car, No Better EP (due out August 31 on Hippos in Tanks)
Listening to a playlist of very (unintentionally) eclectic selections that includes the first several songs of the aforementioned bands and albums, trying to figure out whether to give them a few more spins for possible review. Ali Baba's Tahini [image-1]is the South Bend, Indiana project of not-taking-himself-too-seriously songwriter/bassist/vocalist Karl Engelmann and shred-capable singer/guitarist Jake Cinniger of Umphrey's McGee; the four-piece fuses jazz, reggae, quirk rock and otherness into an idiosyncratic brew. Seattle indie septet Hey Marseilles offers up lush, grandioise folkestral pop prettiness filled out with mandolin, trumpet, accordion, cello, viola, and percussive textures, acoustic guitar melodies and pleasantly earnest vocals. Regina offers up electro-pop something-or-other from Finland, the lead singer delivering Finnish lyrics in a high, girlish tone. I downloaded France's Revolver because the PR folks repping them were responsible for turning me onto another French band under their wing, Tahiti Boy & Palmtree Family, that I've been loving on for the past few months. So far, the named-for-an-awesome-Beatles-album band offers up really captivating, light-meets-dark and dissonant chamber-flavored pop with vocals rising in haunting or bouyant harmony. *I will definitely be listening to this one again, in full, once my playlist plays itself out. And "Spaced-out synth-funk" was the description that led me to download the four-song EP of Chicago's White Car. It's definitely a bizarre time; kind of reminds me of what David Byrne might have done had he decided to go the industrial route, then went on to score the original 1984 Terminator soundtrack. Have to listen to this thing again just to figure out if I like it or hate it.
Check out some tracks from the Hey Marseilles album below; I recommend "Cannonballs."
[image-2]This is the second LP from the all-star metal side-project featuring Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul and Mudvayne frontman Paul Grey (who sounds out of place here). If I wore wife-beaters and enjoyed pounding Bud Light with my boys in the bed of a pickup, Hellyeah would be my jam. But I don’t, so I’ll give this LP to the nearest Black Label Society fan and resume living my life.
Ivan– Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse, Dark Night of the Soul (2010)
This is one of the best records Danger Mouse has put out. The suicide of Mark Linkous (the artist otherwise known as Sparklehorse) makes this a bittersweet release, as he and Danger Mouse co-wrote all the tracks. They have some stellar collaborators: James Mercer of The Shins, The Flaming Lips, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Frank Black of the Pixies, Iggy Pop, Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Suzanne Vega, Vic Chesnutt, David Lynch, and Scott Spillane of Neutral Milk Hotel and The Gerbil. There is a limited edition of the album that features a hand-numbered 100 plus page book of photos taken by David Lynch. Check this one out!
I missed the free show with these dudes at Flybar last night so I'm making up my lost time now. You might recognize his name from being the other leading man of Hot Water Music (alongside Chuck Ragan), but his debut LP is where the attention should be now. A great cross-section of Americana and folk influences with the tinges of punk Hot Water was known for. A gruff, baritone delivery and knack for introversion make him sound way beyond his years...in a good way. This effort shows that Wollard is incredibly poised and comfortable in his shoes as a solo frontman. I'm really hoping there's more to come soon.
What are you listening to right now? We want to know! Leave your answer below in the comments section...
The latest edition of the CL Music Team's weekly compendium — what are we jamming to get us through the Monday? Check out this week’s selections.
– Janelle Monáe,The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) (2010)
Rarely does a release bounce between genres as successfully as this album does. It's grounded by Monáe's stunning voice and a sci-fi concept, but the unexpected elements are what make it so much fun to listen to. The ArchAndroid reminds me of Erykah Badu's New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) in the way it delivers something new on every spin. This one's definitely worth the hype it's receiving.
Amber – The Doors, Strange Days (1967), Morrison Hotel (1970), L.A. Woman (1971)
Finally got to see When You're Strange, a new rock-doc on the band. Great stuff. Can't get The Doors out of my head now. Stay tuned for a review on the film.
After spending a little time with The Scorpions last night, I felt the need for some more rock from my teenage years. One of my favorite live albums of all time, Live is among the best Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush recording available. It captures Marino's raw energy, stunning guitar work and some great cover tunes, like Slim Harpo's (aka James Moore) "I'm a King Bee" and Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze." It also offers a great version of "Electric Reflections of War," which features THE definitive rock guitar solo of all time.
I was cleaning out all the CDs in my trunk and found this, an item I misplaced months ago. Remember that awesome television show that used to be on Adult Swim that no one ever watched called Home Movies? Of course you don't. But included in the Season 4 DVD was a 50-plus track CD that included the songs and musicals of the series. The epically absurd tale of Robin Hood and King Arthur becoming friends is hilarious even without the visuals [check out the video AFTER THE JUMP], but regardless of the... wait, did you see Inception? Man! Inception is cool.
