05/19/2013

[Mixtape] A Blogwave Summer: Volume Four

Even though we sorta don’t blog these days, there are still a few things we love to do which is why we keep this site around. One of those things is our series of live music picture posts (next edition coming soon!), and another is our annual blog-curated Blogwave Summer mixtape, which we like to think officially kicks off summer. This is our FOURTH edition, in celebration of what would have been our fourth anniversary had we not sorta quit the game, and it’s really hard to believe this has been going on for so long.

This mixtape wouldn’t be possible without all the stellar blogs who contribute year after year, and for that, we thank all of you. Your musical tastes are well represented in this 20 song mix, and I like you all as IRL people, too (and have even gotten to IRL hang with the majority of you, which is pretty awesome indeed). It’s really the other blogs that make this what it is, and I essentially am just here to sequence the songs as best I can. So since these sites ARE actual blogs, all you readers should check out their sites.

Fine print: Tracklisting is below, with the blog who picked the track hyperlinked next to the song titles. The entire mix is available to download from Soundcloud, and don’t post a comment asking for individual tracks. Because then it wouldn’t a mix! Also, shoutout to my friend Ahed, whose photograph from a recent tropical vacation makes the artwork for this year’s mix. We hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed making it. And here’s to another summer of awesome.

To the tune of “The Real World”
This is the true story
of 20 bloggers picked to live on the internet and have their lives live tweeted to find out what happens when people stop reading the comments and start making a mixtape. A Blogwave Summer Mixtape. Volume Four.

So real that when two blogs pick Autre Ne Veut songs, we use them BOTH.

Airbird & Napolian – In The Zone [dailybeatz]
Jessie Ware – Wildest Moments (Cousin Cole Soul Mix) [creamteam]
Autre Ne Veut – Counting [pigeons & planes]
Viceroy and French Horn Rebellion – Friday Nights (Bronx Night Dub) [the culture of me]
Janet Jackson – Someone To Call My Lover (Giraffage Remix) [smokeDONTsmoke]
Savages – City’s Full [the needle drop]
Isle – Bayview [i guess i'm floating]
FWY! – Garden Grove [stadiums and shrines]
Miguel – Do You… (Cashmere Cat Remix) [unholy rhythms]
Braxton/Palmer – Creeper (Part II) [gluttony is the new black]
Mikal Cronin – Shout It Out [turntable kitchen]
Postiljonen – Supreme [pretty much amazing]
Carousel Beach – Ayahuasca [we listen for you]
Mount Kimbie – Made To Stray [tastes like caramel]
Keljet feat. X Ambassadors – Love of a Life [discobelle]
Jodeci – Freak’n You (Marcus Jakes back to 98 booty) [the leaving scene]
Kisses – Air Conditioning [dipped in dollars]
Blue Hawaii – Sierra Lift [portals]
HAERTS – Wings [no fear of pop]
Autre Ne Veut – Play By Play [gorilla vs bear]

In case you want to play catch up:

A Blogwave Summer
A Blogwave Summer: Volume Two
A Blogwave Summer: Volume Three

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05/02/2013

April Digest

April, you cruel temptress. In last month’s digest, I complained about March’s unseasonably cool weather, but looked forward to the bright future that April promised, only to be crushed once again with temperatures reaching freezing, and actual snow flakes falling from the sky on the luckiest 13th day of April, following a week of nonstop rain, wind, clouds and complete and other gray, followed by more actual snowflakes on April 20 and 24. [Update: Its now May 2 and it's been glorious for a week.] For a winter that also started unseasonably early this year, it’s safe to say that most of the Midwest is on the precipice of losing its collective mind. The people at Coachella complaining that it’s too hot aren’t really helping matters either.

A few things can help cure those mid April winter blues, if you are unfortunate enough to be experiencing them like myself. One of those things is getting to see Disclosure in your very own city. Besides them playing a bunch of new songs from their upcoming album, they talked a bit about how excited they were to be in a city that inspired them so much, and you could tell they meant it. We danced our heads off and all was good.

Another thing that can help is when you’re at home on a Saturday night on a day when you’ve taking 3 multi-hundred question practice exams for a weird certification that you aren’t quite sure why you’re getting, and you find out that Jai Paul has randomly posted a stream of his debut album on his Bandcamp page. I’d heard this was a possibility a while back nothing since, so figured it was just a weird rumor. But then that turned out to be stolen and not really real, even though it was definitely Jai Paul. Just not his actual debut album, which may or may not be an actual thing that exists. In an effort to drown our collective sorrows, it’s important that we set a few minutes aside to listen to “Jasmine” and imagine the day when a real life Jai Paul album might become more than a lucid dream. I think it’s what the world needs right now. You should also go here to listen to the non-embeddable “BTSTU” if you need more convincing.

And since this post has featured young British lads exclusively thus far, let’s keep it going so I can talk about my current obsession with James Blake’s Overgrown. It started with me listening to “Retrograde”, a song I praised in February and forgot about until last week, on repeat for approximately 5 days, finally segueing into the entire album on repeat. It feels like the perfect marriage of his pre-album EPs and the singer songwriter minimal vibe of his first album, and it all works together so naturally. Album opener “Overgrown” is a great example of this. But dang, there are some really fantastic songs on this album. And he’s got quite the soulful voice that makes you feel feelings. And RZA is even on this album and it feels natural and perfect. And the silver lining of my recently cancelled trip to San Francisco is that I will now be in town for what I have to imagine is Mr. Blake’s first appearance in Detroit. It’s a rare and beautiful thing when an artist plays in your town at the very height of your obsession with that artist.

Here’s that RZA collab.

Before we step just outside of the UK, let’s just acknowledge the wonderful fact that Gold Panda is releasing a new album, and then let’s listen to our first taste of the album in “Brazil”. Mad love for the sounds Golda Panda makes.

Let’s move one nation to the west and talk some more about our Irish friends Solar Bears who’ve recently put out their latest album Supermigration. It’s brimming with sounds from times gone by, though they feel quite refreshing in this context, and that’s what these guys do so very well. I’ve been having a tough time trying to describe the wonderful sounds that make up the album, except to note that they are certainly otherworldy and not like much else you’ve heard as of late. Check out the album below, and throw these guys some of your hard earned cash because they certainly deserve it. And if you want to catch them live in action, check out their wonderful Boiler Room set from a while back.

So far, it’s clear that the greater UK area (hope the Irish don’t hate me for that one) are winning music right now. But we can still move outside of that geographical zone, if it pleases the court, and move towards some New England/Chilean vibes via this Nicolas Jaar remix of Grizzly Bear bb’s “Sleeping Ute”. It’s super abstract and minimal for legit 3 minutes, and then this song becomes more Nico Jaar than you thought was possible based on the original. And that’s what makes a remix so special. Something you know and love totally re-imagined as something completely its own. I’ll be seeing both of these acts for the first (proper) time this summer, with Jaar playing the main stage at Movement this year, and Grizzly Bear bbs playing shows in Detroit and a late summer Friday Grand Rapids gig that I just might try to hit up, too. Enjoy the next 7+ minutes of eerie beats.

It’s now the month of May, and besides DEMF (er, Movement Electronic Music Festival) right here in Detroit which officially kicks off summer, there is another certain May tradition that just might make another appearance this year….

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04/02/2013

March Digest

Even though it’s technically April 2, it still feels like early February in what continues to be the longest winter on record. Can someone please file a frivolous lawsuit against that liar of a groundhog? To further add salt to the wounds of this never ending winter, I’ve recently sunburned the scheisse out of my face and my forehead is currently in the process of molting in the grossest way imagineable. But I guess it’s a great pre-summer reminder not to make such an avoidable mistake again when it really matters.

And how did I get a sunburn, you ask? Well, I returned to the annual South By Southwest Interactive, Music, and Film Conference held in Austin, TX each year since the beginning of time. It’s also referred to as sx. Whichever’s easier. It’s one of those things that’s really fun for a day, and after that I usually kind of just want to go back to my normal life. Incomprehensible amounts of walking, standing, dancing, eating, drankin, otherin’, and I’m just not good at marathon events. I like 1-2 days of extremity followed by another 1-2-3-4 of laying by the pool. Or at least taking like 2-3 hours off per day from the longest concert in the world.

But for real, like I’ve said before, I go strictly for the hangs, since all of my internet friends are there. It’s like a national twitter convention or something, and our circle is so huge that you pretty much always have 2 or 3 or more people you know at any given show you go to, and that’s kinda rad. Just don’t think the body can handle it anymore, though, after legit almost passing out/fainting the last night and missing Solange. Maybe/Probably I’m just a wuss. Anyway, I’ll probs go to CMJ because if you are going crazy, you can just be like, “Oh, I’m in New York. I’ll just relax and go to a museum and buy more trainers and eat a delicious meal or two and pretend CMJ isn’t going on” and then you feel better about it all.

It’s all a bit of a blur, but shoutout to the Motown Lowdown showcase and all the folks who put it on. It was a nice little slice of Detroit in Austin and I got to see so many of the local acts that I hear about all the time but have never seen myself. Shoutouts to Flashclash, Phantasmagoria, Jamaican Queens and Passalacqua (all of whom I caught at the show) and to the free McClure’s Bloody Mary’s, even though they did give me the heartburn of death due to my complete lack of water consumption since arriving in Austin the day before.

Other cool acts I saw were Disclosure (way lived up to the hype), Autre Ne Veut, Beacon (one of the Ghostly artists I have yet to explore), Royal Bangs, and Cashmere Cat, off the top of my head. Cashmere Cat set at Live for the Funk showcase might have been my favorite “vibe” of the week. Slick beats in a packed empty salon/spa with the sun shining bright. Super weird and contradictory, but it totally worked. Check out one of his new remixes which I think may have premiered at that show, as well as the entirety of his latest EP, AND a new track from new faves Beacon. It’s some slick stuff.

Since I’m still exhausted from the aforementioned days and days of standing weeks later, and haven’t paid attention to any other music this month, that’s a wrap for March. I’ll try harder next time, I promise.

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02/28/2013

February Digest

It’s February! Which means it’s almost March. Which means it’s almost the official end of winter. Which means it’s almost the official start of Spring. Which means SXSW is really soon. Which means I get to hang out with all of my internet friends really soon at SXSW. Which means I will actually be warm for the first time since October in 2 weeks in Austin. Which means I’ll probably be sick in 3 weeks. But by then it will almost be April, and life will not be so gray and cold pretty soon. In the meantime, here are some noteworthy things related to music that I happened to catch this month and that I would like you to catch.

I’m going to start by talking about Lusine’s new album The Waiting Room and I can’t stop gushing about it. I think it’s the Ghostly album I’ve been waiting for without even knowing it (though I typically love most Ghostly albums). The standout track for me is definitely “Stratus” which sounds like a revelation and/or a really hard math test, in a good way, though. It just grows and morphs and makes me ears rejoice. This rest of the album is also pretty stellar, and if you’re into that Ghostly sound, it is a necessity.

Next up is a totally effing beautiful video from Florida’s Hundred Waters who I was first exposed to at last fall’s CMJ, where I was surprisingly good at staying up late and came out of those 5 nights with only one brutal hangover. Anyway, “Boreal” might be one of my favorite Hundred Waters tracks, and I now like it even more that I get to think about this whenever I listen to it. It starts out quite strangely, but boy does it finish up with an unexpected bang. The video takes a quite unexpected turn somewhere in the middle and it’s really pretty visually stunning when it happens.

It’s somewhat impossible to reflect upon music in the month of February without mentioning James Blake. Mostly because I kinda <3 most of his works, and he is coming to Detroit in May. He was one of those UK lads who I for some reason never thought would stop in our ever so humble town. He's also putting out a new album this Spring-ish and has released the first track in video form. When that chorus kicks in, I can't help but think, "That's rich." Can't wait to hear the rest of this album if it's all as good as this.

I should probably just start a monthly column called “MØ of the month” or something since I’ve posted one of her tracks nearly every month since first seeing her last fall. This one is a remix of “Pilgrim” by MS MR and it’s sort of an 90s R&B take on the normally extremely upbeat track, with vocals front and center. But it totally works and is a strong indicator that MØ is kinda awesome.

While we’re on the topic of understated excellence in remix form, let’s take a listen to this Ryan Hemsworth remix of Rhye’s “Open”. I just got to see Mr. Hemsworth perform last Saturday here in town and he can really throw down a set that can get all the kids going. This remix really shows his versatility and the fact that he can go hard or soft with the same impact. Hoping to catch that bro again in Austin for some happy dance times.

Now time for some VERY exciting news. Namely that dailybeatz up and coming favorites Keep Shelly in Athens have recently signed with Cascine, one of our favoritest labels in all of the land. It’s really a perfect and natural fit for both artist and label, but it’s still pretty exciting. They’ll be releasing their debut full length album this fall and have given us a sneak peak at a new track in “Madmen Love”. It’s got a bit of a different feel at first, almost as if something is off, but then it comes together quite nicely in the end, in a pretty big way.

Let’s close things out on an abnormally energetic note with this Hudson Mohawke remix of Disclosure’s “White Noise” featuring AlunaGeorge. After thinking I would never see Disclosure ever, I will get to see them at least twice in the next month and a half, and that rules. This remix is kind of fantastic. Like when that 1:30 mark hits, just watch out. Enjoy, and seeya next month for more good music and horrible commentary like this.

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02/01/2013

January Digest

Welcome to another edition of me posting once a month, because it’s just better for everyone this way. This month’s theme is songs recommended via Twitter (maybe I’ve used this one already?). When I’m at work, I read the twitter throughout the day and when people I know with fantastic musical tastes post links to songs, I usually favorite them to listen to later and then forget to do that. Until today. All of the songs posted below have been discovered via Twitter recommendations, complete with the actual tweet thanks to the fancy embed functionality of Twitter.com, because I’m probably the only person who still/always accesses Twitter from Twitter.com. Most of the songs are electronic in nature (obvs) and the people whose tweets are reference are also 99% friends that I’ve met from Twitter but have hung with IRL at least once or twice, which really brings it all together. But enough about me….

Our first track comes to us courtesy of @d_e_v who produces the weekly radio show for Hype Machine and is an all around awesome dude with musical taste that is on point. It’s the Two Inch Punch remix of Jessie Ware’s “If You’re Never Gonna Move” which you probably know as “110%”. It’s confusing when song names change after albums are released, but I’m pretty sure there was some sort of legal reason, and Jessie Ware is a babe so we’ll let it go. I can’t say I love this song more than the original (since that was one of my favorite songs of 2012) but it certainly does it great justice as an alternate take on a great tune.

I knew I liked this song before I even listened to it mostly because my boy Sampha was a part of it. He joins forces with Koreless to produce a really unique track that I’m kind of obsessed with after just one listen. I dug Sampha’s stuff with SBTRKT but have come to find that he can hold it down on his own, too. And of course my girl @itsadredogg gets the assist for this one.

Up next is a sort of IRL double-whammy because I’m friends with some of the Portals kids (and met Jake for like 5 seconds at SXSW last year) and have also hung with Chrome Sparks aka Jeremy a few times. In fact, I kicked off CMJ this year with quite a nasty hangover thanks to that bro. Anyway, here’s a rad newish track of his called “Send The Pain On”. And make sure to hit up the link below to read a bunch of words from Jeremy on how the song came about. This song/Chrome Sparks is good.

This next one comes to us from MØ, one of our unofficial most promising new artists out there, which I declared in my head before her CMJ set even finished. She will be releasing her first single next month and hopefully we’ll get some album details soon because we want to hear more from this gal. Regarding Twitter, you may know Rich as the proprietor of The Line of Best Fit and while we are not yet IRL, we are looking to be housemates for SXSW in a few weeks, so the IRL will abound.

This next one was a song I already dug quite a bit, so when Blackbird Blackbird tweeted it, I was stoked to be able to include it in this all Twitter edition without cheating. Nosaj Thing’s new album Home is pretty rad and I’m kind of obsessed with the voice of Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino. The whole song (sans vocals) kinda sounds like it’s being played in reverse or something. Good tune, good album.

It’s music video time! Indie bros Grizzly Bear (who better be playing a show somewhere in the metro Detroit area this year) released a new video for “Gun-Shy”, one of my favorite songs from their latest album Shields. Well, most of the songs on that album are my favorite song from the album. Anyway, the video is super weird, and I adore the way it was shot. Just watch it. Tweet courtesy of blog bro friends/perennial SXSW housemates from I Guess I’m Floating.

Last but certainly not least, some guy I don’t know tweeted that new Bonobo song “Cirrus”. Perhaps it appeared in my feed as a retweet? Anyway, this song kinda rules, and it was just recently announced that Bonobo is playing a show on my 30th birthday in April (#oldmanwinter) and songs like this make that prospect infinitely more exciting.

Ok, fine. One more. Even though this tweet was technically made in February, it still counts. It’s just this little bro in some country I can’t quite identify covering Lykke Li’s “I Follow Rivers”. She tweeted it herself and I didn’t think he could pull it off but he kinda nails it and then some. But even more importantly, this now justifies the gratuitous Lykke Li pic at the top of this post. I forgot how much of a Swedish megababe she is and now I’m obsessed with her again. Sorry, Victoria, for at least a few weeks. And the rest of you, until we meet again next month, maybe.

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01/29/2013

Ellie Goulding @ Royal Oak Music Theatre 1.28.13

Here it is, folks. Our first photos of 2013. In fact, our first photos since mid-October. We’ll blame it on the holidays and the general lack of energy that overtakes life once the weather takes a turn for the worse, in addition to that November/December show slump. We couldn’t be happier to kick off the year with the ever lovely Ellie Goulding, who we’ve been lucky to photograph once before.

I was bummed to miss openers St. Lucia after recommendations from some well-trusted musical resources, especially after I caught their last song and really liked what I heard, but I guess that’s what the internet is for. Ms. Goulding took to the stage in all black with a hooded T, some chunky Dr. Martens, and some shorts that gave just the slightest glimpse of her bum, while sipping on some [iced] tea (how ever so British of her). While much of the crowd could have put me in jail under the wrong circumstances, I was happy to see a bevy of coworkers (past and present) a bit closer to my age also enjoying Goulding’s brand of pop that begs you to move your feet and sing along if you know the words (and boy, did they know the words). She slowed it down a bit in the middle to throw in some of her softer tunes but the energy from Ellie and the long sold out crowd was so thick that you could quite literally barely wade through it, as her light show extended onto the walls and ceiling of the venue. She seems to have hit her full stride this side of the pond and we hope it continues, because we like huge pop stars that seem to be friendly, decent people that are not completely caught up in their own fame as well.

Check out the pics below, as well as this classic Goulding remix by Monsieur Adi, one that Goulding herself said made her cry the first time she heard it. You can check out a few more pics on our Flickr page.

And how about those gams?

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01/03/2013

December Digest

Hey kids – did you miss me? A lot has happened since we last spoke. I went to Chicago to see/swoon over Tame Impala, the Game of Thrones prophecy that winter is coming has turned into winter is here (along with the painfully short days and wretched dry skin that accompanies it), I essentially stole some more awesome furniture and housewares from craigslist, I took part in a friends up north (west, actually) weekend to make up for the lack of such a summer trip, saw Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs at the mother effin Shelter right here in Detroit, and even ventured to Chicago AGAIN for New Years (because yes, it is now January 3rd, and despite me starting the December Digest in late November, I am only just getting back around to it now) where I partook in a late night Sunday funk dance party and went to the coolest party ever at the home of the lovely Veronica of creamteam fame. Ok, I guess it wasn’t that much, but I’m not that exciting of a person.

Oh, so you don’t care about my boring personal life at all and want to hear music? Ok, fine. Let’s start out with the album that I’ve been gushing over the past month or so, the self-titled debut from Melody’s Echo Chamber. The way the story goes, allegedly, is that Melody, a super classically hot French babe, went to see Tame Impala (are you seeing a trend here?) and instantly knew that frontman Kevin Parker had to produce an album for her. She had the songs, but didn’t know how to make them sound just how she wanted, and once she heard the band, she knew he was the guy to do it. And do it he did. If I were to make a year end album list (which I almost certainly won’t), this album would definitely be on there. This gal sure has a way with arpeggios and the songs sound exactly like these videos look. Here are a few of my favorites. Did I mention that Melody is a total babe? She reminds me of the French version of Elizabeth Hurley or something. I need to marry her. Can someone please introduce us ASAP? You probably already know about this, but if just one person learns about these tunes and loves them, it will all be worth it. This album is just so lush and gorgeous as fuck while maintaining that psychedelic element that only Mr. Parker can create. Totally don’t have an obsessive personality. Not at all.



Ok. Sorry, I’m done now. But, while we’re on the topic of musicians who are total babes with total classic good looks, let’s watch another video. This one is the new track from Chromatics, led by classic babe Ruth Radelet. This song is pretty great and seems to be somewhat of a fuller sound from Chromatics. The music between the verses and choruses are like a warm blanket on my cold winter ears. You can pick up the mp3 at purveyor of most things musically awesome, gorilla vs. bear. And since I started this post over a month ago and just finished it in January, this song is super old now (but no less fantastic)

Another babe that I talked a bit about last month was MØ. Yen Sleep did this remix of Maiden and I kinda like it a lot. The vocals feel a lot deeper than before, and the beat gets some nice housey vibes, too. I like all vibes, but especially vibes like this. So excited for a lot more music from this gal and the abundance of killer remixes that they are likely to inspire.

Here’s a tune that appeared in my Facebook feed recently as posted by my girl Dre (proprietor of Gluttony is the New Black and writer for every other site on Earth). Don’t know for sure but it seems like S.Maharba is a babe, too, based upon the pictures that turned up on a quick image search and it was recommended by a babe, so it fits the bill. Just a super lo-fi, super lovely track. Also FYI, it’s not S. Marhaba as my arab self thought it was at first. I threw in another track below as well cuz these are some sick beats.

Another bloke who oft recommends killer jams is Mr. Kowalski of Solar Bears. We’ve posted Solar Bears tunes a few times and are looking forward to them releasing their next album, hopefully some time in 2013. In the meantime, check out this little number from Clu featuring some wonderful vocals from Gemma Dunlovey. This song really comes together as it progresses. And the outer space supersonic riff that shows up a few times in the background is the icing on the cake.

And finally, since I didn’t listen to that much music this year, I thought I’d just mention some neat albums you might have missed that were rad this year. Like the Fort Romeau album, and the TOPS album and the John Talabot album, and the Peaking Lights album, and the DIIV album, and the Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs album, and the Taragana Pyjarama album. Listen to tracks from all of them below. These aren’t necessarily my favorite songs from each album, just the ones that already existed on Soundcloud (cuz I’m lazy and whatnot). I sure hope your 2013 didn’t start with a nasty cold and a kidney stone like mine did.See you in January! Which is actually right now.

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11/05/2012

November Digest

In an effort to divert my attention from all of the pre-election speculation that has been consuming my life over the past week (because I’m completely mortified about what might happen tomorrow evening), I thought this might be a good opportunity to squeeze in another one of those “once a month” big posts I mentioned and have done exactly 1 time thus far.

Let’s start by talking about CMJ. I’ve made it very clear that my goals at CMJ are to hang out with my internet friends who I only see twice a year at best, and that’s exactly what I did. It was an exceptional week in which I shared much food, drink, and camaraderie with internet friends new and old. Just to prove exactly how IRL the week was, below is the list of all my Twitter people that I got a chance to at least have a brief conversation with over the course of those long, tiring, awesome 5 days. This is definitely the most important facet of any de facto music blog convention such as the CMJ music marathon, and these are the people who all helped to make it the best ever, via linked Twitter handle and in rough order of appearance. The fact that I linked them all just proves that I care. I’m sure I forgot people, but seriously <3 u all.

@thinkorsmile
@stadiumsshrines
@jpage
@tonjethilesen
@chromesparks
@carlyatto
@welistenforyou
@theneedledrop
@InfernalDante58
@MewsikBoy
@dangerdome
@d_e_v
@zoyamachine
@retroglo
@teamvicc
@teendaze
@LOOSELIPSmik
@dangervillage
@toomuchfuzz
@psychic_hearts
@CASCINE_
@jensensportag
@itsadredogg
@FLASHTAGGYblog
@banacrisp
@kaylorikay (not @klaurak)
@petgracie
@eamonicyouth
@igifconnor
@father_daughter
@goldestegg
@NYCABADABAD
@majman
@grmnygrmny
@brothertiger
@yvynyl
@GoldroomTunes
@viceroyofficial
@vitalicnoise
@THECULTUREOFME
@ANTHONYc
@paezpumarL
@weallwantsome1
@NanetteNuNuNach
@epicsauce
@mharmala
@LFTFblog
@AndreasDZ
@OlsonCaleb
@_TMDS_
@CampariWithUs
@Lee_Levin
@sarahspy

I don’t hate any of you.

There was also some music at CMJ. Like I said, this was sort of the bonus to the IRL hangout week, but I did catch some good stuff despite my efforts to avoid all bzzbnds since I’ve kind of only been listening to new albums by older favorites nonstop (I’m looking at u Grizzly Bear and Tame Impala). My two favorite acts that I hadn’t heard before (despite much buzz) were probably Denmark’s MØ (have I mentioned that I love Scandinavian music?) and Hundred Waters out of Florida. Two very different sounds, and you can read all up on them on actual music blogs if you want. So yeah, that’s all I have to say about CMJ.




Since I don’t listen to new music anymore, I hopped over to the ever reliable dipped in dollars aka the blog that probably most directly aligns with everything I love about music (especially electronic/dance music). So here’s a little sample of what you might find within their pages. But you should obviously go to their site and listen to everything else on it, especially their doper-than-dope October Mix which includes my potential song of the year. Any ideas which track it might be?

But for serious. Awesome people, awesome music. If you are one of the 3 people who feel a void with my lack of updates, you should head over there as your new go-to.

And since I don’t have anything else to talk about but feel that the above does not yet constitute a “digest”, I’ll just talk about how I’m going to Chicago next Tuesday to see Tame Impala, quite possibly my favorite band of the moment. Yes, this does mean that I will be taking my last two days off work for the year to drive to Chicago on Tuesday morning and to drive back to Michigan on Wednesday. But it will be totally worth it. Their new album Lonerism has been owning me lately and I can’t wait to hear some of the tracks live/hang with my Chicago peeps/totally geek out. Still debating whether I want to photograph this show or just give it my undivided attention. Do yourself a favor and listen to the album opener “Be Above It” loudly every morning to start your day. Preferably on some nice headphones so that you get the full effect of the walls of sound that occur throughout this song which are completely lost in youtube video form. And then just go ahead and let the rest of the album play after that. I’ve also included the album closer for its beauteous melodies and long reverb guitar solo outro.



In other news, it’s cold, the sun goes down at 5pm, and I hate all of those things. See you next month, maybe.

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