add salt

new track from St. Vincent, "Surgeon"

2011-07-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

Who likes the new St. Vincent?!

Me!

You know what else I like?!

That the album art for her forthcoming record, Strange Mercy, resembles a dental dam!

Strange Mercy, indeed!

St. Vincent - Surgeon

Seriously though, sans the abrupt ending, "Surgeon" is a damn-near perfect song. That Bowie-esque bassline, the nauseous synths...Mmm. Would not be surprised if this makes the top tracks cut this year. I'm hunting around for Annie Clark's producer...more on that when I stalk the info out of the web.

Strange Mercy will arrive September 13th on 4AD. You can also stop over there right now to grab a free download of "Surgeon".

new video from Pusha T feat. Tyler the Creator, "Trouble On My Mind"

2011-07-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

My roommate clued me into this Pusha-T/Tyler the Creator release, informing me that he "knows a guy who knows the guy" who directed this video. Good enough for me. I think part of this was shot down skid row. Don't quote me on that, I just noticed the tents. Oh, and the cops.

"Trouble On My Mind" will be featured on Pusha T's upcoming release Fear of God 2: Let Us Pray, out in August on GOOD Music.

lost cut: Steve Spacek's "Reversible Top"

2011-07-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry in advance for having to use so many videos in my posts of late. There's so much good ish to cram in here, and sometimes I don't feel like hunting down a working link for a soundbyte, or [heaven forbid!] creating my own. That's right. I'm apologizing to you for my laziness.

I basically feel too cool to do anything at the moment. It's this track. The one I'm about to post the video for. Like some sort of shimmering lost Curtis Mayfield cut, Steve Spacek is too chillaxed to resist a listen. The worst part - he's been making music for over a decade and nobody told me about it.

"Reversible Top" is off Spacek's 2005 album Space Shift, which completely makes sense. This fits right in between Quantic's Apricot Morning and Nostalgia 77's The Garden on my sequentially-cataloged music shelf - the one in my mind, that is. No word on further releases since '05, although he has gone on to perform with Katalyst under the name Space Invadas.

Saturday Mix!

2011-07-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

How's your Saturday going? I thought I'd add some summer to it. And nothing says summer like a nice mix for firing up the grill, drinking whiskey, or hanging out with old friends, all of which I'm about to do. Jealous? Don't be! Play this!

Toro Y Moi - Saturday Love
The Cool Kids (feat. Mayer Hawthorne) - Swimsuits
White Denim - It's Him!
Breakbot feat. Ruckazoid - Fantasy
Little Dragon - Ritual Union (Tensnake Remix)
Old Man River - Shanti Aaye (Luke Steele Remix)
Inc. - Millionaires
Gross Magic - Tonight We're Awake
John Maus - Keep Pushing On
Keren Ann - My Name is Trouble (Walter Sobcek Remix)

new Skrillex Remix: Benny Benassi's "Cinema"

2011-07-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

I have to give special thanks today to Jason Bentley of KCRW, who consistently provides excellent background music during my commutes to the office. This morning he followed up Bjork's stunning new release "Crystalline" (I think we can all agree it's stunning) with the little number I've posted below for your listening pleasure.

I literally

turned off my car's engine

reclined my seat

and blared the bass.

It was awkward

because I was outside

of Starbucks.

This track kept me a full three minutes from my first coffee of the day. I can honestly say that I don't think anything else, musical or otherwise, has inspired such a pause before.

Now that's not to say this is hands-down the new fucking awesome, but little by little I am changing my attitude towards dubstep. (Probably because it is the only genre that has been producing good music this year with any consistency.) I give full credit for this track's ferocity to Skrillex, although to be fair (or blunt, or whatever) I haven't been able to give Benny Benassi credit for anything in awhile. The full cut (this is the radio edit) isn't nearly as concise. Doesn't pack the same punch. If you don't believe me you can find the full version on the interwebs. But I don't know why you wouldn't believe me. I'm totally reputable.

So now I invite you to turn up the bass and let this track keep you from whatever menial task you thought was important. Cheers!

new discovery: Whqles

2011-07-10T14:19:00.001-07:00

Whqles (pronounced "Whales") is a band I happened upon last night, playing, of all places, in Montana L.A. on Sunset. The Los Angeles-based duo describe their sound as "oceancore", and they recently released an EP of interesting psych-laced and loop-ridden covers. Hear their take on John Lennon's "Jealous Guy" below.

Jealous Guy by whqles

You can listen to their most recent EP, OPP, in full on their bandcamp site. It's like...ten minutes long. You have the time to spare.

new discovery: SBTRKT

2011-07-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

I decided to cut my trolling short tonight when I saw a car cruising down Vermont with it's headlights off. I assume it's driver was likewise unawares. Okay, bad joke. But seriously, don't drink and drive. However, if you're not drunk, and looking for a good song to drive to, I have one for the occasion:

SBTRKT - Pharaohs

Mmm. That's tasty bass. SBTRKT is a London producer who just released his self-titled debut album on Young Turks. I hear the dude wears a mask on stage, that whole, "revealing your identity obscures the meaning of the music" thing. Isn't that a gimmick? Doesn't that make your identity more distracting? Whatever. That masks reminds me of The Mighty Boosh anyway.

new-ish track from Here We Go Magic, "Tulip"

2011-06-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a delightful track that slipped through the cracks at add salt: Here We Go Magic's entrance into stadium rock territory by way of acts like Lush and My Bloody Valentine. "Tulip", Luke Temple intones, "You can only see yourself in others". I have no idea what it means, but I really like Jen Turner's bass lines. Listen with your headphones on.

Here We Go Magic - Tulip

"Tulip" is available on Here We Go Magic's January EP, out now on Secretly Canadian.

Organisation footage from 1970

2011-06-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Every so often I get on a Krautrock kick, which dominates my media scavenges for about two weeks at a time. During these occasions I peruse old German public television specials (mostly to see if I can understand the language, which I'm currently studying) and watch documentaries and concert clips. Last night I was lucky enough to find a couple of great albums, including one by Harmonia (Cluster and Brian Eno's collaboration - everyone should have a copy). I also came across some footage of Organisation, which seems to begin in the middle of one of their jam segments of "Ruckzuck" (roughly translated, "In a Flash"). I thought I'd post it here as

a. it seems to give a pretty good representation of where Krautrock had got to in 1970, and proves an interesting parallel to the acid-drenched rock of the States, but mostly because

b. look at Florian Schneider. He's the dude on the right playing the flute. If he seems familiar, you probably recognize him from Kraftwerk, a band he would form with Ralf Hutter the same year this video was shot. Now, can you see his shirt?

Why is he wearing a shirt with his face on it?! Is this the first example of an ironic t-shirt? I'd like everyone's thoughts on this please, mostly because I know more about music than shirts. Did someone do this before 1970? Maybe Warhol and I just missed it?

Whatever, at least it's not a picture of him smiling. Guy looks terrifying when he smiles, like he's gonna unhinge his jaw and swallow you whole.

Since you guys were so good to get through that last clip, here's a recording of Kraftwerk doing the same song, which is a little bit more digestible. Plus there's no screaming guy wearing a fez.

Kraftwerk - Ruckzuck

The Rapture release new track, How Deep Is Your Love?

2011-06-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

What the hell is this nonsense?

The Rapture - How Deep Is Your Love?

I know that 2006 is over. It's been explained to me. But talk about a final nail in the coffin. Apparently this is what The Rapture has spent the past five years preparing to make: house music? I didn't even need to hear it to know it was a house track. You can't title a song "How Deep is Your Love?" and expect anything else. And even if I was getting ahead of myself with that assumption, in comes the classic piano riff, the disco beats and, oh, here's a ridiculously abrupt saxophone too, so no one has any doubts.

Don't worry - I'm bemused, not distressed. I love saxophones! And pianos. And of course, reverently, disco beats. The Rapture just took me off guard with this 180. I started having flashbacks about the year Pieces of the People We Love was born into, a time of asymmetrical haircuts and maritime chic. A year where you could have a dance party soundtrack comprised entirely of bands like Moving Units - and that was not only socially acceptable, it was hip. But perhaps those days are not gone forever. Perhaps we have just evolved.

Hey, The Rapture, what's gonna be the name of your new album? Oh, In The Grace Of Your Love?

Fucking hippies.

In The Grace of Your Love is due September 6th on DFA.

new album from Com Truise, Galactic Melt

2011-06-23T20:07:00.001-07:00

Following two independently released EPs, Com Truise has produced a very fine full-length, Galactic Melt, which is out now on Ghostly Intl. add salt has been on to Com Truise from his humble beginnings, stalking him through an internet world which resembles tiny buildings, flying between digital streams of color, rollerblades on. Yes, exactly like the plot from Hackers. Please support Com Truise. I would really like to spend as much time as possible on his analog adventure.

Com Truise - Cathode Girls

new album from YACHT, Shangri-La

2011-06-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Almost everything about YACHT has the potential to annoy, from their self-aggrandizing lyrics to their preposterous acronym of a band name (Young Americans Challenging High Technology) to singer Claire Evans' mock Annie Lennox hair cut, and the list goes on. These offending obstacles were present when they released their first album, which I initially didn't like, and then felt compelled to play again, and then again and again and so on. And despite my developed appreciation for their music, I found myself in the same boat as I played through their latest work, Shangri-La. Something about two seemingly privileged art school kids bitching about the state of world affairs and the human potential and love and all of that fuckery...they remind me of...me.

Well, I encourage you not to discount Shangri-La after only one listen. You will probably be irked at first with such songs as "Holy Roller" or "Paradise Engineering", because they really do more to antagonize the listener than "bring them into the fold", which seems precisely at odds with the songs' intentions.

But the laptop will beckon you back, I guarantee it. You will become compelled to dance or chant their choruses, and "Shangri-La" and "Dystopia (the Earth Is On Fire)" will likely make it on to more than a few top tracks listings by the end of the year. My favorite songs are the ones that advocate psychotropics or entheogens ("One Step", "Tripped and Fell in Love"), and there are several "a-ha!" moments which are genuinely observant and funny.

Who knows how long the below links will last. I feel like YACHT is a band that I'll get a copyright notice for, so enjoy them while you can, and if you don't catch them here, Shangri-La is out now on DFA.

YACHT - I Walked Alone
YACHT - Tripped And Fell in Love

Pssst, they'll also be performing at this year's FYF Fest!

new track from Washed Out, "Amor Fati"...

2011-06-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

Washed Out fans, rejoice. Yet another track from Ernest Greene's highly anticipated debut LP, Within And Without, has appeared on the nets, available below via Sub Pop for your downloading pleasure. If you're wondering about the improved recording quality, I'd wager that the Sub Pop signing is partially responsible, and the rest has to do with co-producer Ben Allen. (He's the dude who produced Merriweather Post Pavilion. I know, right!) Listen, now.

Washed Out - Amor Fati

Within and Without is due July 12th on Sub Pop.

John Maus' new album streaming on NPR

2011-06-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

John Maus' new album, We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves, won't be out for another week, but you can stream it in it's entirety right now on NPR's First Listen. His latest of several love letters to eighties atmospherics and instrumentation, We Must Become elicits nostalgia, vicariously experienced. Forgotten childhood, anticipated future, lost and found love can be seen within, as well as musings such as "pussy is not a matter of fact", which is certainly a truism. Winners include "Quantum Leap" and "Head for the Country".

Maus tends to remain stylistically (and philosophically) consistent, barely deviating from the formula established on Love Is Real. And that's totally okay with me. Synths, church organs, reverb. I consider that a recipe...Yes, definitely a recipe...and for something delicious! If you're not finishing it I'll take your portion.

I found the below track particularly captivating. It's Maus' first duet, featuring Swedish vocalist Molly Nilsson, who penned the song.

John Maus - Hey Moon (feat. Molly Nilsson)

Inc. release new track, "Swear"

2011-06-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

We're back!

No time to lose! Let's get the summer kicked off with Inc. (formerly Teen Inc.), the moniker of Los Angeles brothers Daniel and Andrew Aged, who create soulful funk gems with an 80's RnB edge. I had the pleasure of seeing these boys last November with Ariel Pink, and they are probably the coolest people alive right now. June 9th saw the release of "Swear", a bit of coyly-delivered pop which will satisfy in the bedroom as well as on the dance floor.

No new tour dates have been announced yet (trust me, I've had one ear to the ground), but a 12", 3, featuring the aforementioned track will be out later this month on 4AD, and we finally-FINALLY- have word on a full length, slated to show up early next year.

Inc. - Swear

"Swear" can be found as a free download on 4AD's website.

new track from tUnE-yArDs, "Bizness"...

2011-02-16T21:11:00.000-08:00

After a year spent wringing my hands in anticipation, Merrill Garbus, aka tUnE-yArDs, has released a brand new track, along with details for a forthcoming album and tour. While the lo-fi nature of BiRd-BrAiNs appears to have been discarded for cleaner production, "Bizness" showcases a heightened focus on tribal beats and an even keener understanding of instrumental layering, an inevitable bi-product of taking her talents to the festival circuit.

w h o k i l l is due April 19th on 4ad.

tUnE-yArDs - Bizness

new track from John Maus, "And The Rain"

2011-02-10T22:11:00.000-08:00

Here's a brand new lo-fi pop number courtesy of former Ariel Pink-collaborator John Maus:

John Maus - And The Rain

His third album, We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves, is due this spring, but as usual, information on his comings and goings is scarce. His previous record, Love Is Real, seamlessly blended nostalgia, romance and futurism, and was one of add salt's top albums of the aughties.

More information on Upset the Rhythm.

new track from Beans feat. Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio, "Mellow You Out"

2011-02-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

So it seems TVoTR are back in action and ready to release an album this coming spring. We've had a few sideprojects to tide us over since Dear Science , notably Dave Sitek's Maximum Balloon and Kyp Malone's Rain Machine. Tunde Adebimpe lended vocals to Massive Attack's "Pray for Rain" on Heligoland, and now to this short but sweet number from Brooklyn poet Beans:

Beans - Mellow You Out (feat. Tunde Adebimpe)

More info as more info surfaces.

MUNK releases new EP, Keep My Secret

2011-02-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

Mathias Modica of MUNK has spent the past two years since his last release helping other artists promote their work. As co-founder of Germany's GOMMA Records, he's produced tracks for Die Sterne and others. But according to the GOMMA website, Munk is planning a 5-track EP release for late February, featuring a new song entitled "Keep My Secret". Remixers will include from Jacques Renault and Rory Phillips. The track is a precursor to MUNK's full length album, The Beat and the Bird.

Here is the Rory Phillips mix, a stellar disco cut with krautrock flavors that lends it a slight sonic resemblance to Fujiya & Miyagi.

Munk - Keep My Secret (Rory Phillips Club Mix)

new album from Peaking Lights, 936...

2011-02-04T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a bass-heavy track from Peaking Lights which makes me regret giving up on drugs:

Peaking Lights - Tiger Eyes (Laid Back)

Their new album, 936, dropped on Wednesday, and is chock-full of lazy dub noises, chillwave atmospherics hearkening to early 90's house, and something that sounds like the vibraphone sample on my old Yamaha keyboard.

Peaking Lights - All the Sun That Shines

More info here.

new track from Leno Lovecraft, "Planet Sextron"...

2011-02-03T23:55:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I realize it's been awhile since I've posted, and yeah, I realize that I completely spaced on a January Mix (although it is fully compiled, waiting for my lazy ass to create an appropriate accompanying image for display purposes), and YEAH, I realize it's the middle of the night...

...but my ears are being assailed by a fucking amazing track. And wouldn't you know it would have a name like "Planet Sextron".

Leno Lovecraft - Planet Sextron

Leno Lovecraft has recently moved his glittery italo-beatz from New Zealand to Paris, in order to, I don't know, continue getting sexier or something. His debut album, #1 is available on A Low Hum today! I'm fucking getting it! You should too!

new remix from Nite Jewel, "Frozen Moments"...

2011-01-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

Check out Nite Jewel's remix of Silk Flowers' "Frozen Moments" below:

Silk Flowers - Frozen Moments (Nite Jewel Remix)

Spooky funk.

new remix from Dark Sky, Kelis' "Brave"...

2011-01-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

You've probably noticed an astounding lack of dub material on add salt. I'm not big on dub-step. Confusing, irregular time signatures maybe? Overtly sexual ambiance? These don't qualify as stepping stones for me, being favorite attributes of music in other genres. Truthfully, I can't say why I haven't connected to the style.

I've enjoyed a few of the classics, Burial, et al. But I have been seriously digging Dark Star lately, a trio of London-based producers who released their debut EP, Frames, last year on pictures.

This "Crystalised" remix was arguably the most popular track from that EP, and I can see why (the end is crazy delicious)!

The xx - Crystalised (Dark Star Remix)

But this remix of Kelis' "Brave" was the cut that caught my ear right off the bat (a sentence which sounds hilarious without context). The track was released this week and is available to purchase here. Check it out below:

Kelis - Brave (Dark Sky Remix)

Here's to giving new things a try in 2011! *clink*

1.10.11 | Cult Film Mix

2011-01-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

___________

Music, or the lack thereof, sets the tone for film in ways which no other medium can match. Consider why The Shining is so terrifying or The Godfather so compelling. Narrative arc and director's intentions aside, the score of a really memorable film engages the audience in the storytelling process. This mix was inspired by several days spent stationary watching cult classics...If you haven't seen these films yet, they should be on your list.
___________

Part One

Heavy Metal - Don Felder - Takin' a Ride (Heavy Metal)
The Warriors - Barry De Vorzon - Theme From 'The Warriors'
Moonwalker - Michael Jackson - Speed Demon
A Clockwork Orange - Erika Eigen - I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper
Escape From New York - John Carpenter - Main Title
Nightmare on Elm Street III - Dokken - Dream Warriors
The Labyrinth - Trevor Jones - Hallucination

Interlude

Liquid Sky - Margaret's Room

Part Two

The Hunger - Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead
The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come
Rock N Roll High School - The Ramones - Rock N Roll High School
Agilok & Blubbo - The Inner Space & Rosy Rosy - Kamera Song
Fire Walk With Me - David Lynch - The Pink Room
Thrashin' - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blackeyed Blonde
Legend - Tangerine Dream - Loved By The Sun

new track from Craft Spells, "After the Moment"...

2011-01-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

"Finally. Something worth blogging about."

Literally words that came out of my mouth after a 2 hour man/witch/band hunt for something - anything!- blog-able in 2011. Yeah, I realize it's only a week into the new year, but I find myself wading through a lot of mediocrity in order to reach the shore of decent sounding music.

Thankfully Craft Spells has showed up, a fmly affiliate who will be unveiling his debut LP, Idle Labor in March, following the single release of After the Moment on January 18th. The title track is a cheerful cut, essentially a dance number tempered by guitars and chillwave-y vocals. I would listen to this song on a boat. In fact, it would probably sound best on a boat. And that boat will take you to the shore of decent sounding music.

Craft Spells - After the Moment

new discovery: Total Slacker

2011-01-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit late jumping on the Total Slacker bandwagon, but then, that almost legitimizes me as a testament to their name. Hailing from Brooklyn, the lo-fi trio craft stripped-down indie rock ballads, smart in their simplicity. As the legend goes, guitarist Tucker Rountree and bassist Emily Oppenheimer formed the band after meeting in a laundromat. Their first 7", Crystal Necklace was released last year and is available on Impose Records. Full-length soon? Maybe if they get around to it.

Also this:

Total Slacker - Psychic Mesa

NPR breaks the news everyone already knew about

2011-01-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

NPR's music blog, The Record tells us some information we already know in the aptly-titled "2010 Was a Very Bad Year For Trying to Sell Music".

Regardless of what you think of the mainstream acts in the article, it's an interesting read with major implications for the music industry. Thoughts?

M.I.A. releases new mixtape, Vicki Leekx

2011-01-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

On New Years Eve, M.I.A. released a free 19-track mix on her website entitled Vicki Leekx. Intended as a pun and commentary on the controversial Wikileaks website, the download is available for the price of your e-mail.

Certainly this is not the first time a musician has offered their work for free, although her position as a Grammy-nominated major-label artist (see : Radiohead) calls into question the legitimacy of the industry and copyright law in ways lesser-known indie artists fail to. It is clear that the "Vicki" moniker will serve as M.I.A.'s new persona as well as mix title, and her objectives are clearly defined:

"I'm not saying it should be free / I'm saying it should be freer / I'm not saying it should be freer / I'm saying music should be free."

What better way to start off the new year than with some good ol' fashioned forward-thinking? Oh yeah, she also enlisted Diplo, Blaqstarr, Danjahandz and a bunch of other sick producers to oversee the effort.

Exchange your e-mail for the mix on her website. And then give it to your friends.

Tracklisting below:

.16 - The World
1.39 - Bamboo Go
2.37 - Illy Girl
3.23 - Super Tight
4.50 - Let me Hump You
7.00 - WWW/MEDS/FEDS
8.57 - Steppin/Up
9.58 - Go At It
11.30 - Vicki Intermission
11.50 - Gen N-E-Y
14.55 - Bad Girls
17.08 - Dutch Dutch
17.27 - Marsha/Britney
19.43 - Tamil Beat Munchi
21.00 - Listen Up
23.48 - Mudersounds Munchi
26.18 - Overdrive
29.30 - My Love (feat. Rosaly)
32.38 M.I.A. - Get Around

happy New Years Eve from add salt!

2010-12-31T12:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years Eve from add salt! I am back on the mainland and ready to get my drank on. Have decided to kick off 2011 with Nite Jewel and Kenan Bell at the Echo (1822 SUNSET BLVD.). 18+, $15 at the door. The Echoplex is hosting a party of it's own, so you have some options. Come hang out tonight!

Nite Jewel - Tonight (Prophet Cover)

merry whatever from add salt!

2010-12-25T05:49:00.000-08:00

add salt wishes you and yours a merry whatever!

12.20.10 | December Mix

2010-12-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

__________

I made this mix while drinking hot chocolate. Tis' the season.
___________

Beach House - I Do Not Care For The Winter Sun
Cloud Nothings - Morgan (Truman Peyote Remix)
The Pass - Criminal
Washed Out - New Theory (Teen Daze Remix)
Zomes - Cosmovital Force
Solar Bears - Dolls
ceo - Halo (Beyonce Cover)
Baths - Aminals
Sister Crayon - In Reverse
Beat Connection - In The Water
Cassette Schwarzenegger – Play
Stay Cool Forever - Young Wiley
___________

Photo via unclear. Show their album some love!

new track from Maserati, "We Got The System To Fight The System"...

2010-12-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

Here's a new one from psych-rockers Maserati, who, thanks to generous exposure from KXLU, is becoming a staple of add salt's musical lexicon:

Maserati - We Got The System To Fight The System

"We Got The System To Fight The System" is off of their latest album, Pyramid of the Sun, available on Temporary Residence.

come check out the Tiny Creatures show tonight in Echo Park!

2010-12-18T18:45:00.000-08:00

add salt's gonna check out the Big Deal, Tiny Creatures show tonight at the DIY Gallery (1549 W. SUNSET BLVD). Free before 9pm, $5 after. Art installations and performances by Clouds, Embarrassing Powers, Mecca Vazie Andrews and Geneva Jacuzzi. Come out and play!

Geneva Jacuzzi - Do I Sad?

new track from Ghostface Killah, "Troublemakers"

2010-12-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

"Troublemakers", the new track from Ghostface Killah, features Raekwon, Method Man and Redman and is available to stream on Hip Hop Dx. Sick beats. Choice flows. Mentions spiced ham.

Ghost is set to drop his new album Apollo Kids, December 21st via Def Jam.

Teen Inc. adopt name change, release new video!

2010-12-17T12:17:00.000-08:00

So I saw Teen Inc. perform a few weeks ago and had my mind certifiably blown. A quintet of young, hypertalented Los Angeles musicians who make funk tunes akin to Prince, their song "Fountains" was add salt's #3 track of 2010.

To give you an idea of how cool these guys are, they had a chick sit stoically onstage with a glass of champagne for the entire performance. And no, she did not drink the champagne.

Now Teen Inc. have dropped the "Teen" and become simply, "Inc.". This video, called "The Usual Thang", is a one-take recording of "Special Tensions" and "Fountains" directed by longtime Ariel Pink collaborator, Nicholas Amato. I've already watched it a dozen times, now it's your turn:

add salt's tracks of 2010

2010-12-16T10:49:00.000-08:00

___________

So we're at the end of another great year in music. But I must say, I didn't lose any sleep over this list. I wasn't waking up in cold sweats debating a rank change or a replacement. Everyone had a proper spot. It seems to me that the excellent tracks this year have been really excellent, and the new players very innovative....but there wasn't a great deal of either of them. I think we need an influx next year, (come on! Make my job difficult!), and we'll probably get it, when the lo-fi movement morphs into twelve other indiscernible genres, like lo-glo and fi-fi. I mean Sufjan just autotuned. Maybe Kanye will try chillwave. We have to wait and see. Until then, it's been a pleasure exposing what's new and good and now.
___________

add salt's tracks of 2010

30. The New Pornographers - We End Up Together

29. Hot Chip - One Life Stand

28. Teengirl Fantasy - Cheaters

27. Battles - The Line

26. Crocodiles - Sleep Forever

25. The Deluge - Liquid 7th

24. Happy Birthday - Girls FM

23. Animal Collective - Mr. Fingers

22. tUnE-yArDs - Do You Wanna Live?

21. HEALTH - Die Slow (Pink Stallone Remix)

20. Harlem - Friendly Ghost

19. Neon Indian - Sleep Paralysist

18. Solar Bears - Neon Colony

17. Gorillaz - Melancholy Hill

16. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Fright Night (Nevermore)

15. Evan Voytas - I Run With You, Spirit Animal

14. Surfer Blood - Swim

13. Nite Jewel - We Want Our Things

12. Joanna Newsom - Easy

11. Gauntlet Hair - Our Scenery

10. LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean

9. Arcade Fire - We Used to Wait

8. Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill

7. Janelle Monáe - Tightrope feat. Big Boi

6. No Age - Fever Dreaming

5. Caribou - Odessa

4. Fang Island - Daisy

3. Teen Inc. - Fountains

2. Crystal Castles - Baptism

1. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round & Round

Happy Birthday add salt!! | 12.09.10

2010-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

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Today marks add salt's first birthday, an important milestone, considering I started this blog a year ago with little idea how it would evolve. To reward readers I've put together a (rather righteous) mix of songs that proved instrumental in add salt's development. Thanks for sharing in the adventure so far! There's more to come!
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Wilco - Bull Black Nova
The Dead Trees - OK Standby
Laughing Light of Plenty - The Rose
Beck - Milk & Honey
Emil & Friends - Downed Economy
Broken Social Scene - Meet Me in the Basement
Animal Collective - No More Runnin
Portishead - Chase the Tear
Hurricane Bells - Monsters
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - If Love Is The Drug
LCD Soundsystem - One Touch
Massive Attack - Atlas Air
Primitive Radio Gods - Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hands
Sleigh Bells - Tell 'Em
Nite Jewel - We Want Our Things

add salt's albums of 2010

2010-12-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

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Here are add salt's top albums of 2010 for your listening (and purchasing) enjoyment. Disagree with me? Like the choices? Feel personally cheated that I didn't include anything from Kanye West? Leave a comment, let's chat. If you are a party seeking the removal of one of your tracks or images, please contact me personally at addsalt.mag@gmail.com.
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+15 Beach House
| Teen Dream

MP3: Beach House - Zebra
MP3: Beach House - Norway
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+14 Four Tet
| There Is Love In You

MP3: Four Tet - Love Cry
MP3: Four Tet - Circling
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+13 Big Boi
| Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

MP3: Big Boi - Shutterbug (feat. Cutty)
MP3: Big Boi - Tangerine (feat. T.I. & Khujo Goodie)
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+12 Reading Rainbow
| Prism Eyes

MP3: Reading Rainbow - Wasting Time
MP3: Reading Rainbow - Always On My Mind
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+11 Sufjan Stevens
| Age of Adz

MP3: Sufjan Stevens - Too Much
MP3: Sufjan Stevens - Now That I'm Older
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+10 Surfer Blood
| Astro Coast

MP3: Surfer Blood - Take It Easy
MP3: Surfer Blood - Twin Peaks
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+9 Fang Island
| Fang Island

MP3: Fang Island - Life Coach
MP3: Fang Island - Sideswiper
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+8 Gorillaz
| Plastic Beach

MP3: Gorillaz - Stylo (feat. Mos Def & Bobby Womack)
MP3: Gorillaz - White Flag (Feat. Kano, Bashy & The Lebanese National Orchestra For Oriental Arabic Music)

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+7 Arcade Fire
| The Suburbs

MP3: Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
MP3: Arcade Fire - Rococo
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+6 Sleigh Bells
| Treats

MP3: Sleigh Bells - Crown on the Ground
MP3:Sleigh Bells - A/B Machines

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+5 No Age
| Everything In Between

Everything In Between came as one of the greatest surprises of the year. No Age have intrigued audiences with their blend of punk and shoegaze, but Nouns, as a whole, failed to impress or dazzle me. After witnessing them at Sasquatch! I revisited Nouns with newfound zeal, and it's a good thing, as it readied me for Everything In Between, an album which is sonically unique, compelling enough to be absorbed in one sitting, and ambitious without being egotistical. It is considerably boosted in rank because it fucking rocks in all the right places.

MP3: No Age - Life Prowler
MP3: No Age - Valley Hump Crash
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+4 Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
| Before Today

After a decade producing lo-fi albums utilizing 8 track tapes, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti has signed to 4AD, heralding a game change which has been a much-talked of topic in the blogosphere this year. The resulting effort, Before Today, is comprised of "polished" tracks which broaden the scope of Ariel Pink's songwriting and reveal his lyrical wit (which is often too muffled to decipher). To speak of accessibility would be fair but also irrelevant. This is a genius album. It would be genius if Ariel had made it in his basement using a Little Tikes sing-along cassette recorder. It also includes the best song of the year, which cannot be found on this page, as it will be showcased on my top tracks list.

MP3: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Beverly Kills
MP3: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Butt-House Blondies

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+3 LCD Soundsystem
| This Is Happening

This Is Happening was always going to make the cut. James Murphy never fails to amuse and enlighten with his straightforward insights into life, love and "the scene". While perhaps not a huge progression in the band's sound, (the formula here is simply an extension of the most popular cuts on their previous albums) LCD Soundsystem craft an infectiously danceable contemporary pop masterwork, which translates as well to the stage as it does to your bedroom when you think no one is looking.

MP3: LCD Soundsystem - Pow Pow
MP3: LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change
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+2 Joanna Newsom
| Have One On Me

A concept which initially inspired anticipation and simultaneous apprehension, Joanna Newsom's triple-album could have gone horribly wrong. Fortunately for us, Have One on Me combines sweetness, humor and provocative sincerity into one exquisitely subtle package, demonstrating that the girl-child harpist has grown up into a woman full of rather thoughtful ideas, not a one of them poorly executed. Her affinity for weaving complex song structures and cohesive narratives has rarely been so well defined...or so beautifully composed.

MP3: Joanna Newsom - Good Intentions Paving Company
MP3: Joanna Newsom - Esme
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+1 Crystal Castles
| Crystal Castles II

With glittering production, punk lyricism, and jagged, menacing dance beats, Crystal Castles II (Crystal Castles' 2nd eponymous album,) weaves together screams and solemnity, tender inclinations and bloodthirsty ones, and adds a Sigur Ros sample for good measure. Progressive and damn catchy, it both conforms to and transcends the notion of a pop song structure. Plus, there's something here for every mood: brokenhearted, amped, vengeful, in love. It's the best album of the year, but more importantly, it's an album that has epitomized Crystal Castles' evolving musical maturity.

MP3: Crystal Castles - Pap Smear
MP3: Crystal Castles - Celestica
MP3: Crystal Castles - Suffocate
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Honorable Mentions
Caribou | Swim
Das Racist | Sit Down, Man
Massive Attack | Heligoland
Harlem | Hippies

Albums I haven't listened to correctly/given due credit to
Deerhunter | Halcyon Digest
Kanye West | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Tame Impala | Innerspeaker
Best Coast | Crazy For You

Do any songs seem to be conspicuously absent here? Tracks that were break-out hits or tracks that defined the albums?

Maybe you'll have to check back for my top tracks list, coming soon.

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Photo via stOOpidgErL. MAJOR props.

Reading Rainbow release Prism Eyes, sign to Sub Pop...

2010-12-03T17:54:00.000-08:00

Reading Rainbow's sophomore LP, Prism Eyes is out now on Hozac, and the cuts I've heard so far have been pretty exciting: as exciting as minimalist, lo-fi garage punk can get. If you grew up in the early 90's (as I did), RR are guaranteed to conjure up imagery long since forgotten, however ubiquitous...good climbing trees...scraped knees...the feeling of being smaller than everything around you. Seventeen years ago [christ], these guys would have undoubtedly scored a cameo on The Adventures of Pete and Pete. Now they've been signed to Sub Pop, confirming, if anyone had doubts, that nostalgia is hot this season.

Have you seen the video for "Always On My Mind" yet?

"Always On My Mind" was directed by Amanda Finn in the style of "french new wave films from the 60's".

new track from The Black Ryder, "Let It Go"...

2010-12-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the opportunity to see TEEN Inc., Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, and the immortal Os Mutantes, all of whom put on fan-fucking-tastic performances. As you can imagine, my brain is still fuzzed-out in concert mode.

In the spirit of feedback and reverb, here is a sprawling shoegaze track from The Black Ryder which you must listen to very loud on excellent speakers or headphones:

The Black Ryder - Let It Go

"Let It Go" is off The Black Ryder's debut album Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride, available via EMI.

new track from Sweaters, "Can't Stop Winning'"...

2010-12-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

Brennen from Rock Steady Music was kind enough to send over a new track from Sweaters, "Can't Stop Winning", which appears on their newest 7", out now on White Iris. The cut was allegedly (...no it really was) produced by Lewis Pesacov of Fool's Gold, and features subtle hints of Pavement and notes of Trip Shakespeare before surging into a Joe Cocker-inspired breakdown which would satisfy any palette, no matter how discriminating. Taste it below:

Sweaters - Can't Stop Winning

More on White Iris.

new discovery: The Naked and Famous

2010-11-25T16:56:00.000-08:00

Last week while heading to work I tuned into KCRW's The Morning Becomes Eclectic and was turned on to the workings of The Naked and Famous, a New Zealand 5-piece who make glittery anthems for both recovering and burgeoning hipsters. The track played, "Young Blood", reminded me alternately of MGMT and Arcade Fire: a combination I could get behind. It's one of those throw-a-bag-in-the-back-of-your-car-and-leave-town-to-find-your-destiny kind of songs. I listened to many of those songs while I was making the drive to my new home in L.A. a little over a month ago.

So it's Thanksgiving and this morning I found myself eating biscuits and home made peanut butter in the company of new friends, mostly New England transplants like me who found our way to the opposite coast, therefore unable to be with family for a holiday with few legitimate historical merits, but many legitimately tasty and flavorful merits. Little things. New friends. Biscuits. Peanut Butter. These are the things I'm truly thankful for. The below tracks by The Naked and Famous reminded me of what I came out here to find and have achieved: beautiful moments.

~~The Naked and Famous - Young Blood~~

~~The Naked and Famous - Punching In A Dream~~

You can buy The Naked and Famous' new LP, Passive Me, Aggressive You here, and check out their myspace too.

Com Truise remixes Neon Indian...

2010-11-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

Chillwave: once an irrelevant misnomer, now a veritable pejorative. Are bloggers allowed to use the word anymore? If I label a musician's work a chillwave by-product, am I insulting them, or am I complimenting them by suggesting they have achieved the zenith of cool? Has anyone decided whether or not chillwave is "so 2009"? Can I be the one to do it?

Chillwave is so 2009.

How then does one go about categorizing the work of Jersey beat purveyor Com Truise? We can start with the basics: it's really, really good.

Then we can assess his workload in the past few months. He's a busy guy, dropping remixes for Twin Shadow and now Neon Indian, and releasing a second EP, Cyanide Curcuits, hot on the heels of his Pyragony/Tripyra EP, which appeared last August.

Everyone is going on about this dude chillwaving it up. I wonder, had Boards of Canada come on the scene RIGHT NOW, if the same would be said about them? In any case, this "Disorder' Remix of Neon Indian's "Sleep Paralysist" sounds more like a nod to Tron than anything else:

Or try the warbly, warped VHS version here:
Neon Indian - Sleep Paralysist (Com Truise 'Eyelid' Remix)

I really like the handling of this track, which is also one of add salt's top tracks of 2010. Look for that post in the near future.

More deets at Green Label Sound.

new single from The Dead Trees, "Back to L.A."...

2010-11-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

I have just a quick minute in between one job and...you guessed it: another job! But I felt it pertinent- nay - necessary, to rep the work of buddies and rock wizards The Dead Trees, whose new single "Back to L.A." made it's debut on Pitchfork today.

P to the F calls it "awfully Strokes-y", and while that might be a fairly accurate assessment, I think it's important to consider the single in light of the Dead Trees' previous "less Strokes-y" material. "Back to L.A." bears none of the grit of "Loretta", but all of it's staying power. You might call it easier to digest. You may call it less controversial. It's a move that most bands are eventually forced to make when confronting rising popularity, but lacking that pressure, the Trees assert the tasteful notion that catchiness is not to be equated with simplistic songwriting.

The Dead Trees - Back to L.A.

The Dead Trees' new 7" is out tomorrow on White Iris. On a related note, they play the Viper Room tomorrow night. add salt is totally gonna be in attendance.

[via]

new discovery: Rangers

2010-11-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

Rangers craft swirling hypnagogic ballads heavily influenced by space rock and shoegaze. With intriguingly sensual atmospherics, Rangers records are bound to elicit phantom nostalgia, conjuring memories of 80s after school specials, B horror flicks, or that day in the park when you took too much cold medicine. Their latest album, Suburban Tours was released earlier this year via Olde English Spelling Bee, responsible for recent releases from Matrix Metals and Ducktails, so you KNOW it's a winner.

Now they've debuted a new single, "Zombies", off a forthcoming as-yet-unnamed EP. It's the most exciting (and funky) AM-radio imitator I've heard since Teen Inc.'s "Fountains". But don't just take my word for it:

Rangers - Zombies

[via]

new discovery: Labyrinth Ear

2010-11-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Labyrinth Ear hail from New Cross, England, where they specialize in deliciously ominous electronic dance music. Comparisons to Ladytron will almost certainly spring to mind, and a nod to Crystal Castles would also be fair. How about Ladytron and Crystal Castles riding on Falcor the Luck Dragon to a score composed by John Carpenter? That do anything for you?

Sound-alikes aside, Labyrinth Ear unleash some pretty unique compositions on their debut EP, Oak Ear, ones that are enchanting and simultaneously disquieting. Tracks like "White Gold" and "Lithium" use synths to set evocative futuristic dystopian scenes. "Snow White" is a cover of the title track from the eponymous Disney film, courteously translated into a contemporary dance floor number. And "Navy Light"? Have a listen. Shimmery and sun-bleached, it's probably going to be their break-out hit.

Oak Ear, is available to stream or download for free on Labyrinth Ear's website. Enjoy!

Labyrinth Ear - White Gold

Labyrinth Ear - Navy Light

[add salt] HAS RELOCATED!...+ a new track from Dâm-Funk

2010-11-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Now bear in mind, little bloglings: this relocation is physical rather than cyber. It means that you don't have to change your bookmarks.

My absence for the good part of October had to do with a move to Los Angeles. Now I can bring you the latest and greatest from the center of the universe. In the next two months I'm hoping to bang out a few mixes and debut my year-end "best of" lists, in addition to keeping you guys updated on what's good. For now, I'll send you off with something new from L.A.'s own Dâm-Funk, who's set to debut a split 7" with Computer Jay tomorrow on All City. Dâm's pretty adept at defining city nightlife. "3012 Luv Affair" speaks to the future of [add salt]: it's gonna be a damn sexy time.

Dâm-Funk - 3012 Luv Affair

[via]

Avey Tare pens "Lucky 1", I question his motives...

2010-10-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

Avey Tare, we've been tight for awhile right? I appreciate your yelps and howls. Your composition: so choice. I love when you smear paint on your face and march through a field before fire spinners wearing a headdress.

But then you go and pen a song called "Lucky 1", which means that you're one dangerous nuspeak step away from collaborating with Akon on a song called "Broz 4Everz". I've mostly liked your solo work...mostly. But "Lucky 1" seems...tired. Your electronics are neither as polished nor as memorable as Geologist's. And your vocals...sound a little bit like Panda Bear.

Now now! Don't B Hert. I haven't listened to the rest of your album, which I know you've put a lot of time in to. But I'm tempted to just hop on the Panda train at this point, if he ever actually decides to release TomBoy. Show us your real stripes, Avey. And when your new LP, Down There, drops October 26th on Paw Tracks (...cease plugging), I will give it the attention it deserves.

Avey Tare - Lucky 1

Must-See Interactive Arcade Fire Music Video!

2010-10-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

Today my coworker turned me on to this FUCKING AMAZING interactive music video for Arcade Fire's "We Used to Wait", designed by Chris Milk, curator of The Wilderness Downtown Project. You will need Google Chrome for full compatibility. Simply provide your first home address (I entered my old middle school for convenience), and let the story unravel. I got chills.

"We Used to Wait" is off of Arcade Fire's exquisite album The Suburbs. More info here.

new track from Simian Mobile Disco, "1000 Year Egg"

2010-10-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

So Simian Mobile Disco have a new jam called "1000 Year Egg", which is a little bit darker and a little bit denser than their usual fare. I was immediately struck by the design of this cut as a narrative rather than an out-and-out club track: a dangerous move.

It's not that SMD haven't pulled this move in the (recent) past, and their work has always borne the potential to resonate thematically with an audience. But I'd caution the listener not to get so mired in "the story" here that you forget to move your body. I try to avoid mixing dance music with philosophy: two concepts which, if combined, carry the potential to topple societies.

As an alternative, I plotted setting this to visuals, specifically to a segment of the 1940's Disney classic Fantasia, entitled "The Rite of Spring", but which readers might recall fondly as "the dinosaur bit".

Lo and behold - it syncs up perfectly!

~~Simian Mobile Disco - 1000 Year Egg~~

"1000 Year Egg" is the B side to a recently released EP: Casu Marzu/1000 Year Egg, an effort wholly unrelated to their forthcoming full-length mix, Is Fixed, due October 12th. The hotly anticipated record will feature cuts from such notables as Hot Chip and Pantha Du Prince. More info at Defend Music.

Release date confirmed for Daft Punk's Tron Soundtrack...

2010-09-27T16:09:00.000-07:00

Over the past two years, through moves, breakups, a broken foot and the tidy start-up of this blog, there has been one singular constant in my life: the knowledge that at some undisclosed date in the future

Daft Punk Would Create a Film Score for Tron : Legacy.

Now, an official release date has been confirmed by Disney, so on November 22nd be prepared to have your amps blown by epic futuristic orchestral electronica, with our favorite robots at the helm. Hopefully this new work will surpass the disappointing assortment of remixes and compilations we've had to remember them by in the last several years.

If you're like me, that is, anxiously ringing your hands in anticipation, you can hold yourself over with the clips Disney has provided on their official Tron website. Get on your light bikes and ride!

White Denim releases new album, The Last Day of Summer

2010-09-25T11:26:00.001-07:00

Here's a tasty heads-up: White Denim just sneak-released a brand new album onto the nets a couple days ago. The Last Day of Summer, (appearing true to it's name, on the day before the equinox,) is apparently something they just 'whipped up' while working on their pending third album. A letter to the fans explains that many of the new songs "have been bouncing around since the formation of the band back in 06". The jam aspects are still present, but they've incorporated some free-form jazz which gives the project an alternately contemporary and vintage feel...rather reminiscent of the end of a season. Denim has never sounded quite as close to the Dead, and I'm okay with that.

White Denim - our get
White Denim - if you're changing

Get it for free (with donations encouraged)here.

new track from VHS Head, "Twitch of the Nerve"...

2010-09-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Last fall VHS Head released "Rent Responsibly" and promptly fell off the planet. Producing excellent cut-and-paste electronica under a shroud of anonymity, I feared that we would never hear from him/her again, unless perchance as a new incarnation: as a boy band or the host of an infomercial. VHS Head could be that Beiber kid everyone's always going on about, and I secretly hope that he/she is.

Fortunately, the rumor-cogs on the inter-webs began churning again last month, followed by a full-length release from Head entitled Trademark Ribbons of Gold.

Here is "Twitch of the Nerve" off of that album, a track which sparkles like a Los Angeles DJ set but rents as aggressively as Aphex Twin. Choppy, atmospheric and industrial all at once, it's really, really hard not to appreciate Head's technique.

Twitch of the Nerve

Check out the details and purchase here.

Previously from VHS Head:
Rent Responsibly

new track from Warpaint, "Undertow"...

2010-09-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a new one from L.A.'s Warpaint, who are gearing up to release their first full-length, The Fool, next month on Rough Trade Records. "Undertow" at first seems a far cry from their tracks on the Frusciante-produced Exquisite Corpse, with sparse guitar and a focus on harmonies. Fortunately the quartet of sirens build to a psychedelic apex that overcomes their initially imposing wistfulness.

Warpaint - Undertow

"Undertow" is available as a free download from their website, here.

Previously from Warpaint:
Warpaint - Elephants

No Age remixes Crystal Castles' "Baptism"...

2010-09-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Pitchfork debuted this impressive No Age remix of Crystal Castles' "Baptism" (the original track appeared on Crystal Castles' second self-titled album, released earlier this year). Increasingly known for their aesthetic, advocacy and proclivity towards blending punk and shoegaze, No Age surprised me with the delicate handling of an already strong track. Here, the blips and beeps are absent and replaced with a muddy drone, one which compacts all of Alice Glass' nuclear emotion and raw grit into a solid wall of impenetrable sound. Truly one of the more special remixes I've heard in a long time...have a listen...

Crystal Castles - Baptism (No Age remix)

new track from Catcall, "Swimming Pool"...

2010-09-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Sydney's Catcall, real name Catherine Kelleher, has been around for some time. I remember when her first album dropped in 2008. I also remember not listening to that album because an accidental - albeit fateful - mis-click sent me spiraling through the cosmic wormhole that is the internet and straight into the open arms of Vanshe Technologic. I immediately forgot about Catcall and every other Australian artist for two years.

What interested me about Kelleher's return to the mixing board was the rumor that GLOVES was producing her track "Swimming Pool". Thoroughly jacked, I went on the hunt.

Unfortunately, the original cut seems to be elusive. What I did find was a bit more surprising: a re-edit of "Swimming Pool" by Julian Mendelsohn, the British record producer famous for producing Liza Minelli's Results in the late 80's alongside the Pet Shop Boys. His reworking is a glittery, empyrean slow jam, which allows Kelleher's vocals to shine between effervescent percussion layers and a sultry bassline. Listen below, don't accidentally click elsewhere.

Catcall - Swimming Pool (Julian Mendelsohn Extended Remix)

Animal Collective remixes Pantha Du Prince's "Welt Am Draht"...

2010-09-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a beautiful remix Animal Collective put together for Pantha Du Prince's "Welt Am Draht" (translation: "World at the Wire"). Curried with chimes and rife with delay, the track is refreshingly indicative of both artists in equal parts. Unusual for the world of remixes.

Pantha Du Prince - Welt Am Draht (Animal Collective remix)

In other news, I just got my hands on a copy of ODDSAC. Waiting for the correct mental state to give it a try. More on that very soon.

Weekend Mix | 8.27.10

2010-08-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

add salt has a new weekend mix for you guys! Couldn't resist. There were just too many good tunes this week and I couldn't keep them all to myself.

Ugly Cassanova - Lay Me Down
Arcade Fire - Rococo
!!! - Steady as the Sidewalk Cracks
Ducktails - Art Vandelay
Ghost Hunter - Island Barbados (Kisses Remix)
Chromeo - Don't Turn On The Lights
Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People... (2000 rarity, props to CitizenInsane!!)
Tobacco - Sweatmother
Panda Bear - Slow Motion
Of Montreal - Sex Karma (feat. Solange Knowles)
Zomes - Clear Shapes

Strange Weather Isn't It? out now on Warp!

2010-08-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

Who's excited?

Me!

!!! - The Most Certain Sure
!!! - Even Judas Gave Jesus a Kiss
!!! - AM/FM

Buy now, here!!

new tracks from Celebration...

2010-08-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

Celebration hail from Baltimore and make tribal/psychedelic music evocative of indigenous societies, notably Africa and the islands. Previously signed to 4AD, they've recently switched labels to Friends Records, and will be releasing Hello Paradise this winter, their first physical release since 2007.

Celebration - Hands Off My Gold

Celebration - Shelter

Additionally, they've started up this, the Electric Tarot project, where they pair their songs with arcane visual representations. New track = new card, so in effect, they build a new deck. According to their website, "Major Arcana will be studio recordings, Minor Arcana will be soundscape home recordings and Court cards will be Celebration videos. These virtual cards will be laid on full, new moon and high holidays". Clicking on the "deck" is an interactive, free-form divination exercise. Great concept!

More info on Celebration's myspace.

recent discovery: John Surman

2010-08-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

John Surman began his career in England in the late 60's, playing baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone and clarinet under jazz bandleaders. In 1968 he recorded his first solo album, and started playing with the concept of modal jazz, which is an unconventional branch of jazz utilizing improvisation to riff on standard chord changes.

In 1972 he recorded the album Westering Home, where he expanded his repertoire to include synthesizers, and where, when reading his biography, my interest piqued. Of course, in '72 synthesizers had had a good 30 years in which to evolve and become integrated into contemporary music. But it seemed such a pleasing, simple merger: jazz, which is ostensibly "American Music" and the synthesizer, a European instrument. Since he also used European folk as the basis for his earlier albums, there is an expansive aural dimension in his work, one which tangibly integrates past and present, time and timelessness, a sense of being neither here nor there...or both at once.

This track is from his 1979 album, Upon Refection, where he used overdubbing as his creative process:

Each one of Surman's songs serves as a novella, relying heavily on modal jazz principles for conveyance. Quite probably the reason why his atmospherics are so all-encompassing is because he has the freedom to improvise within his own framework. I think it has a rather existentialist feel, and this is probably why Mirrormask, Twin Peaks, and Terry Gilliam come to mind.

Here's one extra, a glimpse of his evolving stylings in his 1987 album, Private Reflections...

John Surman - Roundelay

John Surman has an extensive discography and put out an album as recently as last year. He also writes for film scores. Visit his website for more.

new track from Truman Peyote, "Turn Into Feathers"...

2010-08-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

The new single from Truman Peyote feels like this:

Truman Peyote - Turn Into Feathers feat. Emily Reo

Compared to Truman Peyote's previous releases, "Turn Into Feathers" seems downright pop-timistic. This might have something to do with Emily Reo, whose sleepy shoegaze appears to have mellowed out the frantic, at times ominous musings of the boys from Jamaica Plain. I noticed, while perusing her myspace, that she's also recorded a track with the mysterious Philip Seymour Hoffman. Looking forward to hearing more of her work in the near future...plus, you can try this out.

previously from Truman Peyote:

Truman Peyote - New Wife, New Life
Truman Peyote - Sidewalk Sludging (Airbud)

More information on this release is available on Post Records.

new track from Small Black, "Photojournalist"...

2010-08-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Small Black has upped the anti with their latest single, deviating from their standard descriptors (shoegaze, tape music) by adding hazy synths to the mix. The result is a song which packs such an atypical punch that it can hardly be considered lo-fi fare.

Small Black - Photojournalist

If you must use the moniker of chillwave to describe "Photojournalist"...well, just don't. As "chill" as chillwave has become, it implies something stylistically trite. Maybe even lazy. Or worse, to combine the aforementioned adjectives, "lite", which to me carries all the connotations of a bad beer or a child whose parents have yet to invest in Hooked on Phonics. So just start shying away from that label right now.

Small Black's charm lies in their affinity to create great beats which would be perfect for the dance floor if their fanbase wasn't so goddamn high. Their instruments might be awash in reverb, but at least it's not drowned in hiss (a style which works for about three artists out there right now, and only three), and this move of pairing reverb with a strong cadence makes them as likeable to Ghostly fans as Jagjaguwar fans. Incidentally, their forthcoming album, New Chain, is due out October 26th on Jagjaguwar, following last April's self-titled EP release. Until then, I'll be trying to insinuate new genres into the cultural lexicon, like "laxcore".

previously from Small Black:

Small Black - Despicable Dogs
Small Black - Bad Lover

Here We Go Magic cover Neon Indian's "Terminally Chill"...

2010-08-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

add salt can't spend too much time with you today, cause' add salt's got cake in the fridge that's overdue for eating. So I brought a snack to share with you bloglings while I enjoy mine : Here We Go Magic's cover of Neon Indian's 2009 summer jam, "Terminally Chill". Luke Temple and the gang make this track their own with acoustic guitar, organic percussion and the liberal use of keyboards which remind me a bit of Juana Molina's "folktronica" circa Son. Nom nom nom.

Here We Go Magic - Terminally Chill (Neon Indian Cover)

new track from Dreamend, "Magnesium Light"...

2010-08-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

When Ryan Graveface isn't running the Chicago-based Graveface Records or playing guitar for Black Moth Super Rainbow, he's crafting songs for Dreamend, a largely solo effort featuring a rotating cast of musicians. On Dreamend's latest album, So I Ate Myself, Bite By Bite, Graveface worked with The Appleseed Cast to produce a manic though queerly uplifting concept album about the thoughts and deeds of a serial killer. It's fabulous. Largely banjo-centric, but featuring appearances from the glockenspiel, bells, piano and organ, SIAMBBB's composition lends itself to a walk through the forest, and its honest lyricism to a night of soul-searching. Check out "Magnesium Light" to see what I mean..

Dreamend - Magnesium Light

So I Ate Myself, Bite By Bite is out now. More information at Graveface Records.

...Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, a pseudo review...

2010-08-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

Let's talk a little bit about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Edgar Wright's film adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novel series, which manages to capture and condense all of my pop-culture loves into one glorious package.

Last week I verbalized that cinema had yet to accurately capture the excitement and scope of contemporary music. Barring documentaries, I was skeptical that a script could be written about music without smart-ass dialogue and self-important posturing. That being said, Scott Pilgrim is not solely about music, and it helps that the plot is more complex than a few record-store douchebags naming their top tens and bitching about how hard love is (if you caught the references you win the prize).

What else is there then, you ask? Well, there's an authentic love story reinforcing the bulk of the film: one which showcases adolescent mistakes and triumphs in all of their idiocy. Everyone shares a little bit of the blame and everyone learns a little something in the end, which is generally how love goes, excepting, perhaps, the cathartic experience of pulling a flaming sword out of your chest while an announcer proclaims that you've achieved the "Power of Self-Respect".

Which brings me to the second part of the awesome: ubiquitous 8-bit video game references. This is great for anyone who's ever played an 8-bit video game, or anyone who's ever viewed their life as an evolving organism in tandem with technology, or anyone who's ever felt nostalgic about anything. I'm guessing that's about 98% us. The idea of film-as-gaming-platform allows for a slew of clever battle sequences that any joy-stick user would appreciate, meshing kung fu and dance-offs to entertain Street Fighter and DDR fans alike.

So, no, Scott Pilgrim is not only about music. But music plays an integral role, and it is showcased as its own entity. Scott is part of a band called Sex Bob-omb. Of the 7 Evil Exes he must challenge to win his love, 2 exes (really 1 ex and 2 twins considered as 1) are in bands, and still another is an industry mogul. As you can imagine, there are quite a few songs being performed throughout the duration, and with all the opportunities for tasty jams it was important that the soundtrack composers knew what they were doing. This is probably why half the soundtrack was written or performed by Broken Social Scene and Beck, a move which puts the project on good footing immediately.

All of Sex Bob-oms' guitar-driven thrash anthems were written by Beck, lending legitimacy to their on-screen personas. He also contributes "Ramona", a string-laden ballad which - and I'm sure I'm the upteenth person to say it now - rings of a lost Sea Change outtake.

Beck - Ramona

Broken Social Scene - Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl

Broken Social Scene provide their own ballad, "Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl" (beautiful, listed above), and composed two others for Crash and The Boys entitled "I Am So Sad, So Very, Very Sad" and "We Hate You Please Die". These songs please me.

Crash and the Boys (Broken Social Scene)- "I'm So Sad, So Very, Very, Sad"

"We Hate You Please Die" clocks in at 59 seconds, in case you were interested.

Probably the album's most widely publicized track was written by Metric. "Black Sheep" didn't make the cut on Fantasies, but provides the perfect ambiance for Scott Pilgrim, reving up the intensity with a high octane alt-pop number.

Metric - Black Sheep

The soundtrack also features Frank Black, Blood Red Shoes (thought they were extinct), T.Rex and The Black Lips. The whole project, from visual to aural, rocks hard, which is the entire point.

If you haven't seen it already, go do. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is now in theatres. To stream the soundtrack, go here.

new track from Ducktails, "Hamilton Road"...

2010-08-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

Matthew Mondanile, better known to the world as Ducktails, is slated for a fall release of his latest album, Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics. The LP will include this gem of a track, "Hamilton Road", which showcases Mondanile's vocals and country-inspired composition. It still sounds like a Ducktails piece, but it's one that lilts rather than thrashes, concretizing out of an ambient shell.

Ducktails - Hamilton Road

More information is available at Woodsist Records.

new discovery: Com Truise

2010-08-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

Com Truise is a Jersey-based artist who describes his sound as "mid-fi synth-wave, slow-motion funk". I stumbled upon his Pyragony/Tripyra EP today, completely by accident, and was quite impressed. Also impressed that his cover art features what appears to be a floppy disc.

Com Truise - Pyragony

Com Truise - Tripyra

The EP is available as a free download here.

new track from Animal Collective's ODDSAC, "Screens"...

2010-08-11T21:03:00.001-07:00

Tonight, the only thing I need is a good lullaby.

Animal Collective - Screens

ODDSAC is now available on DVD, and I must say, the full package looks pretty epic.

new tracks from Miami Nights 1984...

2010-08-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Check these tracks from Miami Nights 1984:

Elevator Of Love

Early Summer

Miami Nights 1984 are part of the Rosso Corsa collective, which, according to their website, has one goal:

"to bring back the feeling and emotion of the 80s in a fast driven sports car"...

It might not be the cure for world hunger, polio or the hantavirus, but I think that's a pretty reasonable objective. Cause who else is gonna help? Don Johnson? He hasn't done shit since Nash Bridges.

Early Summer is out now and available here. Put on your finest white suit jacket and give it a listen.

happy Saturday mix from add salt!

2010-08-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice Saturday mix for everyone - some new and old favorites for barbecuing, getting sexy, smoking that dank chronic, or in my case, sitting in a creek, drinking PBR and hoping my neck doesn't spasm. Enjoy!

New Order - Thieves Like Us

Apes & Androids - Radio

Birds & Batteries - Sneaky Times

Here We Go Magic - Ahab

Nite Jewel - All Out of Order

Prince - Erotic City

Telepathe - Chrome's on It

John Maus - Pure Rockets

Cabaret Voltaire - Sensoria

Radio Citizen feat. Bajka - The Hop

great summer mix from Violens...

2010-08-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

add salt is out of commission with a ridiculously asinine neck injury. Now I have the perfect excuse to listen to Violens' Summer Mixtape, which deserves such rigorous head-bobbing as is currently beyond my capacity. The free download features reworkings of Nite Jewel, Washed Out and Chairlift (their bit is fabulous), among others. It's well-worth the listen.

For more information on tracklisting and tours, visit Violens' website.

recent discovery: The Black Stilts

2010-07-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

The Black Stilts have been invading my aural brainspace for the past week. Comprised of Chelsea Dixon, Duncan Calver, Andrew Wisler, and Clint Havard, the Portland four-piece play a blend of trip-hop, electro and shoegaze, weaving together mesmerizing synth-oriented pieces.

According to their myspace page, their influences run the gamut, from enigmatic songstresses Kate Bush and Bjork to beat purveyor Ulrich Schnauss. Tracks like "Silver Tongue" and "The Beast" showcase their knack for expressing intrigue and sensuality with original, emotive composition. They also give nods to David Lynch and Gregg Araki, and the feeling of dreaming while awake is a tangible sensation in many of their songs. I'm looking forward to a full-length from these guys.

The Black Stilts - Silver Tongue

new track from Unouomedude, "Birthday Party"...

2010-07-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

Try out "Birthday Party", a new classic from Unouomedude (you know you owe me dude)...

<a href="http://unouomedude.bandcamp.com/track/birthday-party">Birthday Party by unouomedude</a>

"Birthday Party" is the hook-laden exception to the rule on Marsh, Unouomedude's first EP, which cultivates a predominantly chillwave aesthetic. He hails from Jacksonville and his work keeps sonic company with similar east-coast glo-fiers Millionyoung and Toro y Moi. A bit of Animal Collective's pop influence drips in there too, but just enough to give the pieces heart, and this move comes off as neither trite nor derivative.

You can find links to his tracks on any conceivable social networking medium, but check out Unouomedude's website to download the EP for free!

Also, "Birthday Party" is dedicated to one Josh Karp, because it is his birthday today!

new track from Chk Chk Chk, "The Most Certain Sure"...

2010-07-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

"The Most Certain Sure" is the second single from !!!'s upcoming album, Strange Weather, Isn't It? Listen to it below, or you can find it in the dictionary under the heading "uncompromising".

!!! - The Most Certain Sure

Strange Weather, Isn't It? is due August 24th on Warp. Check out their myspace, and backtrack here to listen to their first single, "AM/FM".

excellent documentary from BBC 4, "Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany"...

2010-07-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had the great pleasure of watching BBC 4's engaging documentary, Krautrock: The Rebirth of Germany, which chronicles the rise of German experimental music composition during the post-war years. Krautrock is an excellent introduction to the craftsmanship, ideology and major players in the movement, from pioneering artists such as the orchestrally-oriented Popol Vuh and avant-garde Amon Düül II, to the now internationally-recognized Can, Neu! and Kraftwerk.

And p.s., you will need this last link to get over the hump of Warner Music Group's copyright laws...

Crewdson releases "Mime"...

2010-07-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

Crewdson hails from London and specializes in glitchy electronic pieces worthy of Slowfoot Records: a place where it's okay to have monikers such as "Crackle" and "Snorkle". Apparently he's friends with Herbert, asserting the age-old truth that enigmatic electronic producers tend to participate in games of one-up-manship that result in tracks like this. I tip my hat, sir.

Crewdson - Mime

+via+

new track from Pink Stallone, "Heavenly"...

2010-07-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

I missed the jump on this track by about a month...curiously, as my thoughts never stray far from Pink Stallone.

But right now it's 80 degrees. Sunny, blue sky, light breeze. It's a good time to be alive.

"Heavenly" appeared on the perfect day to compliment that sentiment.

Pink Stallone - Heavenly

Solar Bears release "Neon Colony"...

2010-07-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Solar Bears. What can I say? They are like the fulfilling dream that comes with sleeping more than three hours a night, which I haven't had the opportunity to do lately. Maybe that's why it took me til yesterday to find them: I needed an appropriate headspace to contemplate their sound; one so cohesive, yet seemingly lacking in predecessors.

The only influences I could think of were Bibio, (maybe) Boards of Canada, the visual (not the aural) aspects of Daft Punk's Interstella 5555 (so I guess Leiji Matsumoto's artwork??) and how it feels to be 14 and falling in love. So if these two Irish guys went into the project with the intention of tapping into my personal retrospective on being a 14-year-old American girl, they are doing something really, really right.

Solar Bears recently released their Inner Sunshine EP on Planet Mu, a preview before their full-length She Was Colored In, which is to be released September 20th. "Neon Colony" is not on the EP, but somehow GorillavsBear got their hands on it, so it's a win for the people!

Fall in love like I did...

Solar Bears - Neon Colony

And here's something extra, the Letherette remix of Solar Bears' "Crystalline":

+photo courtesy of Marcus Cassidy+

video for Maximum Balloon's "Tiger"

2010-07-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about a TV on the Radio concert is that you can watch Dave Sitek in all of his nerdy glory: staring at pedals, zoning into the rapturous hum of his guitar. He fucking rocks, but if you saw him walking down the street, he'd probably exude all the bravado of your average joe.

This is why I was a bit skeptical when I saw him dressed up as Bono in the video for "Tiger", the first of what I hope will be many tracks from his new solo project, Maximum Balloon.

Basically, people in this video are being chased by a chinese style dragon with a tiger face. I'm with you so far. And there's Dave Sitek, looking a little too conspicuously cool for his own good. Aku is there too, all nu-rave with his nu-rave sweatshirt. Pass. Lot's of lens flare happening. Pass.

What changed my mind about the WHOLE PROJECT was the bridge, and I quote for you:

"Meow. Meow meow meow meow meow meow."

Maximum Balloon will be out August 24 on Interscope.

Bear on Bear...the genius of "Candy Boy"

2010-07-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I haven't repped this track before.

This is the greatest piece of music you will ever hear.

Bear on Bear - Candy Boy

There you are. Bear on blog.

Courtesy of the fine gentlemen at Recreational Records.

new track from Crocodiles, "Sleep Forever"...

2010-07-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

Here's something new from Crocodiles...

Crocodiles - Sleep Forever

I congratulate Crocodiles for gracing us with another brilliant summer track. Remember last year's "I Wanna Kill"? Off their debut album Summer of Hate? I knew then that I wanted more contempo-shoegaze insta-classics. Especially ones with such cheery titles. Successful delivery!

Crocodiles' new album is set to drop September 14th on Fat Possum. Download "Sleep Forever" for free here!

I wander in to the Forest Family Records site...

2010-07-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

I was never that great at math, but I should start writing music composition formulas and selling them for exorbitant fees to struggling artists.

Dent May - That Feeling

Dear Dent May: Begin with Brian Wilson, add notes of The Flaming Lips circa Clouds Taste Metallic, and write lyrics intended for the karaoke set. Oh, and if you want to use an audio track of children somewhere in your piece too, go for it. It worked well for MGMT. And tUnE-yArDs. And Bibio.

Now is the time I ask myself, how did I end up on the Forest Family Records site in the first place?

Ahh yes. I was looking for this:

Gauntlet Hair - Our Scenery

Gauntlet Hair hasn't disappointed me yet. Which is easy because they've only put out a 2-song EP, which you can find on Forest Family. It's "Our Scenery" plus the FANTASTIC "I Was Thinking".

Dear Gauntlet Hair: Begin with summer. Add reverb.

Done.

CFCF remixes Korallreven's "The Truest Faith"...

2010-07-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Today's jam: CFCF's take on Korallreven's "The Truest Faith". The former spends most of his time sharpening the edges on the original in order to make it danceworthy, which is great, because though the whole Balearic-dreamwave-chillcore sound has it moments, I prefer something with a pulse. CFCF's remix is one of several to appear on Korallreven's new EP from Acephale, which you can't get anymore. Wah wah.

Korallreven - The Truest Faith (CFCF Remix)

+via+

Nite Jewel releases album info, "Am I Real?"...

2010-07-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

Five days ago on her website, Nite Jewel wrote a heartfelt letter to fans concerning the success of her 2008 album, Good Evening, and her subsequent accomplishments, travels, and ever-evolving production techniques. She also unveiled a new track which demonstrates her vocal strength as well as her penchant for philosophical musings.

Here is that track:

"Am I Real?" will appear on Nite Jewel's forthcoming album - tracklist and tour dates are listed on Nite Jewelry - but until then you can grab it here for a couple bucks.

new remix from Baron von Luxxury, HEALTH's "Eat Flesh"...

2010-07-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

The inimitable Baron von Luxxury has gifted us with yet another track, a solid remix of HEALTH's "Eat Flesh". Listen and weep.

HEALTH - Eat Flesh (Baron von Luxxury Extended Remix)

...Courtesy of the most excellent Discoworkout, where Baron von Luxxury is a contributor.

HEALTH - Eat Flesh

Of Montreal releases album info for False Priest...

2010-06-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

Of Montreal recently released information on their forthcoming album, False Priest, which will feature cameos from Solange Knowles and Janelle Monáe (the latter of which I think will make for a particularly exciting cut). Track list is as follows...

I Feel Ya' Strutter
Our Riotous Defects [ft. Janelle Monáe]
Coquet Coquette
Godly Intersex
Enemy Gene [ft. Janelle Monáe]
Hydra Fancies
Like a Tourist
Sex Karma [ft. Solange Knowles]
Girl Named Hello
Famine Affair
Casualty of You
Around the Way
You Do Mutilate?

A free download of their first single, "Coquet Coquette" is available for free here.

Look for False Priest September 14th on Polyvinyl.

Of Montreal - Coquet Coquette

new track from Battles, "The Line"...

2010-06-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

Well we haven't heard from Battles in a while, a fact generally lamented in breweries, bike shops and other indie haunts the world over as "a damn shame". And while Tyondai Braxton's fantastical solo album Central Market, constructed in the vein of a post-rock opera (would we expect anything less?), held me over for a bit, I've been probing the nets for evidence of Battles' next exploit. Turns out, surprisingly, or maybe not so much so, that they've cranked out a song for the extended version of the Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack. The new diddy, entitled "The Line" is a polyrhythmic adventure; like Mirrored, but maybe a bit more grown-up. Primary difference? Lyrics. You can hear all of them! No one sounds like a helium-ingesting cartoon character in a Disney miniseries. Also, it seems that they snuck a little Elfman-influence in there, which is just...so tasty.

Battles - The Line

If you're so inclined, you can go here for more information on the soundtrack for Eclipse, which will feature such acts as The Black Keys, Bombay Bicycle Club and Cee Lo, just to name a few.

new track from School of Seven Bells, "Babelonia"...

2010-06-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

SVIIB is back and better than everz! Here's a tasty bit of shoegaze to pump up your Monday...

School of Seven Bells - Babelonia

Disconnect from Desire is set to drop July 13th on Ghostly Int'l.

new tracks from MyDogJane...

2010-06-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

MyDogJane, the mysterious act from Canada who creates his own brand of low-fi psychedelia, recently uploaded a bunch of material to the internetz, including the new-ish track "Vacuum Smile". Listen to these, and then visit SoundCloud to check out the rest of his stellar material.

MyDogJane-Vacuum Smile(9) by scottdupuy
MyDogJane-Where Ever Is Your Home(44) by scottdupuy

Tobacco releases cracked-out video for "Super Gum"...

2010-06-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

While ruminating on the possible reasons Animal Collective jumped on the chillwave boat for their "Guys Eyes" music video, (and my personal disappointment that YET ANOTHER CHILLWAVE MUSIC VIDEO now exists), I came across Tobacco's video for "Super Gum". Tobacco, of Black Moth Super Rainbow fame, has foregone the "surfin'-with-your-friends" fad that's so hot right now, in order to pull directly from some fucked-up alien fetish porn. Don't worry moms and dads: there's nothing explicit here. Nothing but an uncomfortable feeling in your tummy watching some 18th century motherfuckers bone someone in an E.T. costume.

The Deluge releases first full-length, Inverted Earth...

2010-06-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Deluge has been the brainchild of multi-instrumentalists Matthew O'Rane, Andrew McKee and Grant Jordan for half a decade now, and their first full-length, Inverted Earth stands as a testament to 5 years spent working out all the little kinks to craft an original concept album.

The concept, according to their myspace, involves "placing the Biblical flood story in modern times". And there you have it: an idea so genius, that I may appropriate it in the future when I compose my own instrumental record.

I keed.

It is safe to say then that The Deluge's most ambitious project to date is also their most solid. By crafting and recrafting their post-rock stylings in the vein of jazz, electronic, world and classical, the triad never touch down for too long in one genre before pushing forward to the next. Their knowledge of theory makes this endeavor unique, but their grasp of timing is what deems the project tasteful, molding a sound that is, if not Biblical, certainly epic in it's scope.

While the album aims to superimpose a classic tale on a contemporary setting (a model which I dare say James Joyce would be proud of), the most pleasant aspect of Inverted Earth lies in it's ability to convey multiple atmospheres. Easy example: "The Devil's Postpile". It's nadir conjures images of a smoky nightclub a la film noir, while the climax suggests endless desert sands or crashing waves on lost shores. The Mars Volta has similarly been able to take the listener through several atmospheres and eras in a single song. "Raindrop Matrices", perhaps the album's most intricate, is a song that is as dance worthy as it is lounge worthy. The addition of ambient sounds doesn't add anything to the seamless instrumentation of the artists, but it doesn't detract either, providing commentary on the intrusion of the past to the present.

Then there's "Liquid 7th" and "Undulations", two songs composed so perfectly for their purpose, that the experimental world should collectively hang up their hats and go home. Pushing between an anticipatory and fulfilled melody, the listener becomes caught in the ebb and flow of the music as we watch the world wash away and rebuild itself. And "Root"? Don't get me started on "Root". Have you ever watched something take root and grow? Have you ever listened to it?

The Deluge has a collection of influences, but no predecessors and, as far as I know, no imitators. Tying to find a comparable sound has failed me for 5 years. That is perhaps their defining attribute. That, and the didjeridoo.

Inverted Earth is out NOW. Available here.

The Chemical Brothers release Further: do they go there?

2010-06-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

Everyone, from the critics to the fans knew that this record was going to be a game-changer for The Chemical Brothers. A statement on their career, and perhaps a reaction: a response to the bad press surrounding We Are the Night. Either way, this was no time for box sets. The masters were going to give us something new. And they did. Sorta. They gave us Further. Sorta.

Many critics had a problem with We Are the Night that I still don't understand. Personally, I was glad that The Chemical Brothers were still making dance music, however pop-oriented, while the rest of Britain was attaching itself to the disconcertingly souless nu-rave movement. Of course, by now, nu-rave has become a culture so entrenched that it is something else entirely, but its essence nonetheless continues to permeate the region.

What was the defining factor that caused such distress here? That The Chem Broz were moving away from raves and underground dance music and a getting a bit too mainstream? Were their concert-goers taking the wrong kinds of pills? Or worse! Were they drinking instead of taking the pills?!

Let me be the first to say it: Further owes itself to Dig Your Own Hole. You can't expect to push any envelopes when your new album aims to mimic one of your classics, and poorly. Take the second cut, "Escape Velocity", which sets its formula within the same parameters as "The Private Psychedelic Reel", but then grinds out a beat with an almost - dare I suggest it - Hot Chip feel, producing an atmosphere composed of equally psychedelic British dancehall elements. "Horse Power" waxes "It Doesn't Matter". The list goes on.

Still there's something nagging at me here. A quality. I resist using the words "concept album" to describe Further, because there's not really a concept here. There is, I suppose, the natural inclination on my part to declare that an album full of mediocre, albeit nostalgia-laden tracks would hash well as a soundtrack to a film about living in London and eating lots of drugs. The "concept" present in my mind has something to do with making an album that owes itself to it's ancestry. But we could call that something else: we could call that "laziness".

The listener may observe notes of M83, The Flaming Lips, Delorean, Panda Bear or Animal Collective circa Strawberry Jam jostling around. Even the newly codified chillwave plays an integral part on the record, though it's not as easily discernible. "Dissolve" is the best example of this chillwave incorporation, and to it's credit, it works. But "Swoon", arguably one of the album's strongest tracks, sounds like a couple of amateur LA-based DJs could have hammered it out.

No disrespect to the long lineage of stellar albums The Chemical Brothers have gifted us. Just, nothing really packs the punch here the way it should. It remains to be seen if this album takes their sound, or anything else, further.

~~The Chemical Brothers - Swoon~~

Listen to all of Further on The Chemical Brothers' myspace.

awesome new mix from The Samps...

2010-06-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

Sick day today. Spent a nice half-hour chunk of it lucidly mired in Cole MGN's newest mix, drifting between public access television and 1980's beach imagery. According to gorillavsbear, you can obtain a cassette version of "Windows '69 Edition (on TV)" when you order The Samps new self-titled EP.

The Samps - Windows '69 Edition (on TV)

More info on their myspace, or try here.

new track from Chk Chk Chk, "AM/FM"

2010-06-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

add salt is back from vacation! I have a couple long-overdue reviews to crank out and a Sasquatch report to give, but I thought I'd start everyone off with something special: a new single from !!! (Chk Chk Chk), currently available as a free download on their website. Their new album, Strange Weather, Isn't It? is set to drop August 24th on Warp, and is expected to be at least as groove-laden as anything they've done previously.

!!! - AM/FM

More information on tours and tracklistings is available on their myspace.

Dom releases Sun Bronzed Greek Gods...

2010-05-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

Another summer, another summer album trying to capitalize off the sun-drenched feel of M83's Saturdays = Youth. While there's less 80's-era-Tears-For-Fears-y electronica present here, on Dom's Sun Bronzed Greek Gods, the influence of shoegaze is immediately apparent. "Living in America" utilizes French house to mimic MGMT with an anthemic, albeit unenlightened chorus. "Bochicha" rings of Chug and similar early 90's shoegaze purveyors. "Rude as Jude" and "I Wonder" evoke GIRLS, already dosed with reverb. The sound? Very New England. This album could speak to Passion Pit fans who are willing to trade crisp production and Newbury Street for nostalgia and Boston Harbor. For an album that runs just under 20 minutes, SBGG has a surprisingly wonderful depth to it.

And Dom? He's just a whole other story altogether.

Dom - Living in America
Dom - Rude as Jude

Sun Bronzed Greek Gods is available on Burning Mill Records.

+via 1, 2+

an endorsement for Crystal Castles' second self-titled album...

2010-04-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

I have to say, I wasn't expecting much from Crystal Castles' new album. Their self-titled debut, a schizophrenic adventure with several above-par tracks, but little in the way of continuity, didn't seem like it would pave the way for the electronic duo's survival as a long-standing project. While I heard tell their live shows were something to behold, I kind of expected Alice Glass to be the type of person to suffer a mental collapse and spend the rest of her career curating post-modern art shows featuring antique baby dolls in various states of disrepair.

So let me be the first to tell you that CC's latest album, (also curiously titled Crystal Castles) is fantastic. Unrelenting, unapologetic, it still sounds like "something Crystal Castles would do", but is much more focused on trance elements than screaming for the sake of screaming - although there is that too. I doubt that any of their original hardsuperXcore fans will be alienated by this project. If anything, they've clarified the intentions of the niche rather than attaching a new slogan to it. A Plus!

Crystal Castles - Baptism
Crystal Castles - Vietnam
Crystal Castles - Suffocation

Crystal Castles (again, it's the second one) is out now and available on their website.

+via 1 ,2,3+

new video from Gauntlet Hair fans!

2010-04-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

Saw this excellent fan video paired with Gauntlet Hair's equally amazing track this morning and had to get it out to the people immediately!

Enjoy! I'm off to work!

Gauntlet Hair - I Was Thinking

+via+

DāM-FunK covers Human League...

2010-04-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

It's Dr Martens' 50th birthday! What better way to celebrate than with a video add campaign featuring a slew of contemporary artists covering the nostalgia-ridden classics of such popular acts as The Pogues, The Stone Roses and The Runaways?

This first vid is DāM-FunK's take on Human League's "Things That Dreams Are Made Of", which is pretty choice, especially because it implies that the things dreams are made of include oreos, cupcakes and lollipops.

Directed By: Ace Norton

And if you're interested, there's also a number of limited edition vintage boots available on Dr. Martens site.

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new track from Treasure, "Canada"...

2010-04-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

Akin to some of Evan Voytas' work in composition, "Canada" reveals Treasure's ability to create something more concrete than a glo-fi bedroom recording, but just as beach-worthy.

Treasure - Canada

Read more about the a-typical Londoner on his Myspace.

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