” Music for the month of June ”

01. Don Caballero : June Is Finally Here , What Burns Never Returns (Touch & Go Records , 1998)
02. Portastic : Lively Chase , Who Loves the Sun (Merge Records , 2006)
03. Superaquello : Rompiendo El Hielo , Mu Psiqui Ta (Brilliante Records , 2002)
04. Von Iva : Birds of Prey , Our Own Island (Ruby Tower/Revolver , 2001)
05. S Prcss : I Call I Gorilla (Mountain Lifter) , Taste Like Daughter ( My Pal God Records , 2004)
06. Battles : Ipt-2 , EP C/B EP (Warp , 2006)

note: I feel a bit disjointed when making this list, but shouldn’t be too bad. Overall this is a more math rock piece from betterpropaganda . Definitely enjoyable for afternoon lounging.

see also: betterpropaganda

image: van swearingen

Spring is like a perhaps hand
(which comes carefully
out of Nowhere)arranging
a window,into which people look(while
people stare
arranging and changing placing
carefully there a strange
thing and a known thing here)and

changing everything carefully

-E. E. Cummings , Spring is like a perhaps hand

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” Spring is Almost here. I am Feeling happy ”

01. Evaporators : Nard Nest , Ripple Rock (Alternative Tentacle , 2004)
02. The Paper Hearts : Circles , Hard to Smile EP (Heartshape Records , 2008)
03. Peter Bjorn & John : Young Folks , Writer’s Block (Almost Gold , 2007)
04. Awesome Color : Eyes of light , Electric Aborigines (Electric Aborigines , 2008)
05. Tokyo Police Club : In A Cave , Elephant Shell (Saddle Creek , 2008)

note: I haven’t posted in a long while. Go to Motel de Moka, to look for something in the meantime. So here is one list for sping, punk in flavor. A change from slower more acoustic stuff I’ve been posting. I am not sure what’s happening in mp3 blogging scene. I have to update myself to find the better songs. I don’t have that much time lately. so I suppose you have to suffer a bit more. but … spring is almost here.

image: thingsarebetterwithaparrott, ilmungo, stagewhisper, quiiver, madgickle

Musical prodigy of some sort. But definitely sounds like somebody who has been trained at fine music academy. Hanne Hukkelberg is a norwegian singer with eclectic but subtle sound. She reportely has been doing gig with all sort of bands at young age covering genres like rock, metal and free-jazz. In 2003 she released her first EP “Cast Anchor”, followed by the album “Little Things” in 2004 (described as windswept eccentric pop meets dusty jazz..). Her latest album “Rykestrasse 68” she sounded like Billie Holiday trapped in a some hip norwegian voice. A lovely execution of of that famous strange Billie’s lilt. Nettwerk Recordings released her album last week. Enjoyable evening pop.

Hanne Hukkelberg : A Cheater’s Armoury , Rykestrasse 68 (Nettwerk , 2007)

more samples at sonicbid

see also: MySpace
image: hh

A good simple fun. A bit of a Buzzcocks clone, Plastic Passion may not win the most original punk band. But they are a joy to listen to. The kind of band you bring friends along for weekend show. On genre, this North London trio declare themselves “rock solid punkfunk meets ska and new wave”. They need to work on the new wave part, imho. But, don’t get too artsy, cause then I have to think while bopping my head.

Plastic Passion is Lemmi Eaton (Vocals/Bass), Glenn Clift (Guitar), Mike Frank (Drums)

Plastic Passion : We Have Come So Far , Demo (2007)
Plastic Passion : Everything Changes , Demo (2007)

image: PP

http://www.myspace.com/plasticpassionuk

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I thought I could organize freedom

-flickr

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” Pt.2. Helium Disco ”

01. Sub Dub : Dawa Zangpo , Dawazangpo EP Vol 2 [EP] (Totally Killing It Productions, 1995)
02. Innerstance.Beatbox : Helium Disco , Hazardous Materials (The Consumers Research & Development Label, 2005)
03. Foxgluv : Treats and The Tricka , Flame And Fortune (Cyberset Music, 2005)
04. Teargas & Plateglass : One Day Across The Valley , Black Triage (Waxploitation, 2006)
05. Badawi : Battle Cry , Clones & False Prophets (ROIR, 2003)
06. Cat Five : On the Rise , On the Rise (Catfiverecords, 2002)
07. Approach : Hey Y’all , Ultra Proteus (Datura Records, 2002)

note: Second part of electroclash lists, but with heavy hip-hop.

see also: Electrolicious, What would you do
image: bricolage.108

I sat in silent musing -
The soft wind waved my hair;
It told me Heaven was glorious
And sleeping Earth was fair -

- Emily Bronte, The Night Wind (1659)

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“Yeah, This Stuff too is Electronica”

01. ocp : Basic , operador de cabine polivalente (MiMi Records, 2004)
02. :Zuat-zu: : Dinamyte , Low.E.P (sonetika.com, 2007)
03. Heinemann521 : Right Behavior , Barge (MiMi Records, 2007)
04. Mikel Mendia : Uh ha , Bass Life (Site Record, 2005)
05. Console : Scan Space , Overhead EP (Bump Foot, 2007)
06. AkkordIon : Untitled 1 , Akkord I On (2007)
07. Mikel Mendia : Bass Life , Bass Life (Site Record, 2005)
08. Tatsu : Night Walker , Night Walker EP (Bump Foot, 2007)
09. GodMonster : Ghosts , Imperfection (archive.org, 1998)
10. paniq : Elektronische Musik , Neurons: Fire At Will (paniq, 2005)

note stuff: Various recent netlabel electronica. The texture is a bit monotonic but it serves a function. It works nicely for a night near ambient soundtract. Enjoy, and don’t forget to click the artist homepages.

image: darkmatter

Jamaican root. A soothing track from an anthology/re-released album by Light in the Attic Record. I guess this is for Thanksgiving traveling.

From wiki: Errol “Johnny” Osbourne is a popular Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer who rose to success in the late 1970s and mid 1980s. His album Truths and Rights was a notable roots reggae success and featured the reggae classics “Jah Promise” and the album’s title track, “Truths and Rights”. However, he is probably best known for his mid 1980s dancehall reggae hits “Buddy Bye”, on King Jammy’s classic Sleng Teng riddim, and “Water Pumping”. (link)

see also: discography list.

Johnny Osbourne with Bunny Brown : Love Makes The World Go Round , Summer Records Anthology 1974-88 (Light In The Attic Records, 2007)

image: koelncampus

Cause baby don’t you know
Baby don’t you know
I’ll love you ’til the end of my time
Baby don’t you know
I’ll love you ’til the end of my time
Baby don’t you know
Baby don’t you know
Baby don’t you know
-Richard Hawley

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“Acoustic Wednesday No.54”

01. Joan As Police Woman : The Ride , Real Life (Cheap Lullaby Records, 2006)
02. James Blackshaw : Stained Glass Windows , The Cloud Of Unknowing (Tompkins Square, 2007)
03. Wooden Wand : Spitting At The Cameras , James and The Quiet (Ecstatic Peace, 2007)
04. Bon Iver : For Emma , For Emma, Forever Ago (Bon Iver, 2007)
05. Saturday Looks Good to Me : Make a Plan , Fill Up The Room (K Records, 2007)
06. Richard Hawley : I’m on Nights , Lowedges (Setanta, 2002)

Note: Soft like fall breeze. I did my regular search, after long hiatus. (poor Bricolage Fantasy), then I built this list. I love it. A short tune by Richard Hawley. The slow ballad with simple lyrics and gentle brush on drum. It has echoes of Elvis early rock, yet slow and earnest. James Blackshaw has a minimalist folks, 15 minutes long, but worth listening. And last, Wooden Wand has a new album “James & The Quiet” I can’t quite categorize his sound, always shifting softly between albums to albums, yet there he is. His voice.

OK, have a nice fall evening.

image: Grevel

Such impressions have been put in more general terms in
Anderson’s only successful novel, Poor White:

All men lead their lives behind a wall of
misunderstanding they have themselves built,
and most men die in silence and unnoticed
behind the walls. Now and then a man, cut
off from his fellows by the peculiarities
of his nature, becomes absorbed in doing
something that is personal, useful and
beautiful. Word of his activities is
carried over the walls.

-Sherwood Anderson. Winesburg, Ohio

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” Setting Fire To Sleepy Towns. Acoustic Wednesday No.54 ”

01. Marissa Nadler : Diamond Heart , Songs III: Bird On The Water (Kemado, 2007)
02. The Sleeping Years : Setting Fire To Sleepy Towns , Setting Fire To Sleepy Towns ( , 2007)
03. Dear Euphoria : Something Great , For Everything Of Worth (Stereo Test Kit Records, 2007)
04. Jens Lekman : The Opposite of Hallelujah , Night Falls Over Kortedala (Secretly Canadian, 2007)
05. Shannon Wright : Everybody’s Got Their Own Part To Play , Let In The Light (Quarter Stick, 2007)
06. Peter Case : Million Dollars Bail , Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John (Yep Roc Records, 2007)

Note: semi random acoustic list. It’s mellow if not somewhat somber. I wonder if it’s accidental reflection of time. What artists put out. … who knows.

image: Meredith Farmer

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Dream pop. (Yes, I am still alive.) So here is a cool group Damon & Naomi, a dream pop from Boston, Ma. Formed sometimes in ‘91, Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang created the band from Galaxie 500 (shoegazer/slowcore) ashes. They have several early album in the mid and late nineties, but to me their interesting works are “The Earth is Blue” (2005) followed by several collaboration with japanese avant guarde/psych folks guitarist Michio Kurihara. (see his collaboration with Boris). This album and subsequent collaboration have distint dreamy psychedelic sound like nothing else. It sounded like 70’s folks Pearls before Swine, but with much bigger sound and more sophisticated arrangement. Very satisfying. Or maybe a dab of Yo La Tengo. But then again Yo La Tengo was deep into shoegazer phase.

well, here are something sweet and relaxing tunes.

Currently they are doing east coast tour to support their latest album “Within These Walls”

Damon & Naomi : Beautiful Close Double , The Earth Is Blue (20/20/20, 2005)
Damon & Naomi : The Mirror Phase , Damon & Naomi With Ghost (Sub Pop, 2000)
Damon & Naomi : My Flower (Watashi No Hana) (Damon & Naomi with Michio Kurihara, 2004)
Damon & Naomi : Forgot to Get High , The Wondrous World of Damon & Naomi (Sub Pop, 1995)
Damon & Naomi : The Mirror Phase , Damon & Naomi With Ghost (Sub Pop, 2000)

see also: MySpace, Wiki
image: D&M

I feel like something harder with texture today. Les Savy Fav is a punk quartet founded in 1995 in NYC, all met while attending Rhode Island School of Design. (actually according to betterpropaganda “they moved to Brooklyn in 1996 and used an abandoned Knights of Columbus hall as an apartment and practice space”) Their claimed influence “were in fact heavily influenced by the decadent head-f**k psychos Six Finger Satellite (also from P.). ” Their stated ambition “to have a race for the most exciting new band since the Jesus Lizard and early Seattle scene”

“I was 12 years old and someone handed me a Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Gray Matter tape. That tape changed my life,” says Les Savy Fav bassist Syd Butler. “All of a sudden, I was like ‘This music exists?’ It was the most exciting feeling I’d ever had. I was obsessed with punk rock and obsessed with anything refreshing and new, and looked at the world in a different way. I felt part of something.” - interview

I like their crisp execution, giving that structured punk song that one can bop head while following the guitar line without being too simplistic. It’s rare balance between clarity and complexity.

Les Savy Fav is Tim Harrington (vocals), Seth Jabour (guitar), Syd Butler (bass), Harrison Haynes (drums)

Les Savy Fav : What Would Wolves Do , Let’s Stay Friends (French Kiss, 2007)
Les Savy Fav : The Equestrian , Let’s Stay Friends (French Kiss, 2007)
Les Savy Fav : Wake Up! , The Cat And The Cobra (French Kiss, 1999)
Les Savy Fav : Who Rocks The Party , The Cat And The Cobra (French Kiss, 1999)
Les Savy Fav : Adopduction , Go Forth (French Kiss, 2001)
Les Savy Fav : the sweat descends , Inches (French Kiss, 2004)

see also: wiki, betterpropaganda, southern.
image: pfork

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Today it is often used in a positive sense, referring to quirky or attractive products that are no longer available. For example, “Retro fashion” or “Retro Chic” may consist of outdated styles, such as tie-dyed shirts from the 1960s, or poodle skirts from the 1950s. A love of retro objects (things from the past) is called retrophilia.

Retro often reflects a sensibility aligned with camp. Camp is an ironic attitude, an explicit re-introduction of non-dominant forms. - wiki

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“electro, disco”

01. De Facto : Fingertrap , Megaton Shotblast (Gold Standard Labs, 2001)
02. Calvin Harris : Acceptable In The 80’s , I Created Disco (ALMOST GOLD, 2007)
03. Supermayer : The Art Of Letting Go , Save The World (Kompakt, 2007)
04. Rhythm King And Her Friends : Frankie , I Am Disco (Kitty-Yo, 2005)
05. Lost Fancy Free : Voltage is OK (siriusmo rmx) , Menonita Rock (Bungalow, )
06. U-Roy & François K. : Roostman Dub , Deep Space NYC Vol.1 (Deep Space, 2005)
07. North Valley Subconscious Orchestra : Shimokitazawa Face , The Right Kind of Nothing (Ghostly International, 2006)

Note: Various odd disco retro I recently found. (And yes I ams till alive) This list is heavy with disco retro tinge, but not exactly exact copy of 80’s synthesizer. Tho Calvin Harris certainly makes one nostalgic to the point of clingy polyester suit. I like Rhythm King And Her Friends, It’s disco U2 style. De Facto isn’t disco, but their mysterious mix always draw me again and again. Sexiest Electro + sac there is. okay. that’s a short blurb.

see also: Ghostly
image: [1, 2, 3, 4], [4], [2]

“Dry, Soulful, and Slightly Electronic”

01. Bat for Lashes : Horse & I , Fur and Gold (Caroline, 2007)
02. Blaktroniks : My Word , This is Your Drug on Brains (Reflective Records, )
03. Quant : Tryin , Getting Out (Lax /Majestic, 2004)
04. Alex Attias Presents Mustang : Help Me , Back Home (Compost Germany, 2004)
05. U-Roy & François K. : Roostman Dub , (Deep Space NYC Vol.1, 2005)
06. Trüby Trio : Cruisin’ , Retreated (Elevator Music, 2004)
07. Damon Aaron : All I Need , Ballast (Plug Research, 2005)

note: a quick, soulful electronica. Some people say this is way too smooth, bordering elevator music. Well, it’s relaxing, for some reason it gives me that sparse minimalism on the background mood. I can work while listening to music. Anybody notice, Michael Jackson ballads all sounds like this in the late 80’s? Or Stevie Wonder. … big shoulder pad. ugh.. now that’s a nightmare.

see also : Mellow Blue Sky
image : “La Finca” by Andreas Sjödin

Fun Friday! So I was trying to make a post reviving ’shiny punk’ and bumped into this Canadian guys. The Evaporators.

“As of 2007, the band consists of vocalist/keyboardist Nardwuar the Human Serviette, guitarist David Carswell, bassist John Collins, and drummer Scott Livingstone. The band members also perfom as Thee Goblins and other incarnations. Lisa Marr, formerly of cub, was also formerly a member of The Evaporators.

John Collins is a member of the band The New Pornographers and David Carswell is in The Smugglers. The Evaporators often collaborate with other musicians, such as Rodney Graham.” (wiki)

Their tune has a lot of 80’s metal influence, except faster and with more memorable melody, lyrics are as bratty as it can be. Surprisingly they’ve been around since 1993, when they released their first single. anyway, enjoy.

The Evaporators : Honk the Horn , Honk the Horn 7″ (Nardwuar Records, 2001)
Evaporators / Nardwuar The Human Serviette : Nard Nest , Ripple Rock (Alternative Tentacle, 2004)
The Evaporators : Touch Wood , Honk the Horn 7″ (Nardwuar Records, 2001)
Evaporators / Nardwuar The Human Serviette : Ripple Rock , Ripple Rock (Alternative Tentacle, 2004)
Evaporators / Nardwuar The Human Serviette : Maria (Thee Dublins) , Ripple Rock (Alternative Tentacle, 2004)

I am not sure if the alternative tentacle will allow deep linking, if not go to this page directly.

See also: live at Neumos, Seattle, WA ‘04, wiki

Something fun for Thursday. The 1900s is a Chicago based pop sextet in tradition of Fleetwood Mac, Velvet Underground, and flavor of J-Pop. That warm harmony of psych-pop on top of hummable melody. The 1900s calls it “psychedelic motown“. The band has been running around town since September 2005, their very first show when they open for Bobby Conn. Apparently the Chicago denizens dig them. Soon after they are invited to put out an EP on Parasol.

We’re not like one of those people who says ‘I can’t describe my band.’ I usually say we’re psychedelic orchestral pop music with vocal harmonies, strings and a little folk in there. We’re not trying to be crazy or avant-garde. “With this many people you have to be simple,” explains drummer Tim Minnick. Anderson adds “It’s really easy to get crazy and intense – like the Polyphonic Spree – but it’s better if you just let the beat do the work for you.” (more)

They have opened with The Redwalls, Midlake, The Spinto Band. Their first full album was release recently. (recorded at Clava (4 Deuces) Studio in Chicago with Graeme Gibson.)

The 1900s is Edward Anderson (guitar), Caroline Donovan (vocal), Mike Jasinski (keyboard), Andra Kulans (violin), Tim Minnick (drum), Jeanine O’Toole (vocal), Charlie Ransford (bass).

The 1900s : When I Say Go , Cold & Kind (Parasol, 2007)
The 1900s : Bring The Good Boys Home , Plume Delivery EP (Parasol, 2006)

see also : MySpace
image: t9s