Posts published during January, 2010

01/30/2010

foo fighters – everlong

while my past few saturday throwbacks have not been under the radar tunes, they have all been songs that bring me back to some place of being young and naive and just discovering that i liked this music thing that i had been hearing about, and today is no different. in fact, this was perhaps among my favorite songs in high school for so many reasons. and while flipping through the television today, i caught a live performance by the foo fighters (are they still around making new music?) at wembley stadium performing this very song, and it brought back a flurry of memories. not specific memories, moreso just how this used to be my go-to pump you up song. i also think this song is responsible for my desire to become a drummer, because i would always find myself finger-drumming the pre-chorus on any table or surface i could find. and its another michel gondry directed video, complete with giant hands (which were later seen in his excellent film “the science of sleep”). and now that ive remembered this 90s rock gem, i would say that i still consider it among my favorite songs. a true alternative rock classic, i think this is one of those songs that will always make me smile. and it sounds even better as i listen to it right now, as youre reading this, poolside in palm springs.

foo fighters – everlong

buy it on Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape (Special Edition) - Everlong or amazon

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01/29/2010

birdy nam nam – trans bolougne express

its friday. are you ready to party? i know i am, because depending on what time you are reading this, i will be heading to the airport/on an airplane on my way to san diego/palm springs for a nice long weekend of warmth and relaxation. which will make me ready to party, even though im always ready to party. in the spirit of warm weekend partying, a tune today from birdy nam nam which was introduced to me recently by my buddy james over at mediated media. the group is a 4-man french dj crew (aka probably already awesome by association) and their latest album “manual for successful rioting” straight up brings it.

there is really nothing i can say about this track to set your expectations, other than that its three minutes and 24 seconds of straight up dirty electro that you would probably want to hear around 3am on any given night of partying. if you can come up with a better description let me know. the entire album has this same “holy crap, i cant sit down while this is playing” vibe. so you might be better off if you listen to this later in the day, rather than in the morning when you (i) are half asleep.

birdy nam nam – trans bolougne express

buy it on Birdy Nam Nam - Trans Boulogne Express - EP - Trans Boulogne Express or amazon

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01/28/2010

sondre lerche – bluish

last years “merriweather post pavilion” by animal collective was clearly one of the blogospheres favorite albums of the year, virtually guaranteed to be seen on almost every top 10 list of 2009. and of those great tracks, “bluish” was always among my favorites. i think i liked the laidback chillness of that song compared to a lot of the others on the album. but even as accessible as this animal collective album was (compared to albums of anco past), there were still some people who were kind of afraid of it and missed out on its beauty because of that. entre sondre lerche.

the norwegian singer songwriter recently released an acoustic guitar version of the track, and it definitely accentuates the fact that the fellas of animal collective can really write a great tune when it comes down to it. i feel like some people think of them as hiding behind their electronics and effects, but even a completely stripped down version like this is a great listen. dare i say that i like this version just as much as the original?

sondre lerche – bluish

and since we love the fans so very much, a bonus track for you today. and its another case of one of our current favorite artists doing an excellent acoustic cover of an electronic tune from another of our favorites: grizzly bears cover of hot chips “boy from school”. a great twist on one of my favorite hot chip tunes.

grizzly bear – boy from school

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01/27/2010

(fake) justice – beginning of the end

[EDIT: its fake. the blogosphere totally got PUNKD. AGAIN! color me embarrassed.]

holy crap! so, i was just checking the ole twitter feed before bed. because, you know, i use “the twitter” now. i still think its super weird, but i also kind of like it. and there it was, like a beacon of light among the darkness, those three magical words: “new justice mp3″. in my best aziz ansari voice, all i could say was “WHAAAAAATTTT?” as i write this, i am listening to the song for the second time. my thoughts?

i think it just fine, but i dont love it. perhaps they are just teasing us? i do sort of wish there was a little more variety in that theme. and that it picked up a little quicker. cuz i think thats what justice does so well. but i aint hatin on a playa like that. they are another band high on my wish list to see live in 2010. and this mysterious mp3 release gives me a glimmer of hope (well, not that mysterious since they have an album coming out [EDIT: seems this fact is also a LIE!], but it was sent out in a weird way with not much info about it, which seems a little suspect after last weeks daft punk debacle, so i guess we can call it an alleged justice track?).

so the new song is below. but since i dont love it, i decided to also put up another justice song that i love much more and thats perfect for those “i want to listen to justice, but im not in the mood for the heavy beats” moods. which dont happen often.

tell me what you think, if you please.

fake justice – beginning of the end

heres a bonus [EDIT: AKA real justice song].

justice – valentine

buy it on Justice - Cross - Valentine or amazon

6 comments

01/26/2010

yo la tengo @ the crofoot 1.22.10

finally, my first live show of 2010. and what better way to start out the new yea of live music than with the indie rock staple that is yo la tengo? it was especially exciting for me because i was really looking forward to seeing them at last years pitchfork festival, but we arrived just in time to miss their friday night set. the crofoot is a much more intimate venue for a band such as this anyway.

i arrived around 830 to see the openers times new viking about halfway through their set. i hadnt listened to any of their stuff before the show, but i was very pleasantly surprised. i snapped a few pics from the back of the venue, but sadly they all turned out way out of focus — im still learning here — but pretty interesting that it was another 2 male, 1 female crew. i really enjoyed their sound, full of lush and happy chord progressions, as greatly exemplified in the song below. my only complaint is that the recordings are a bit too lo-fi for me. i much more enjoyed hearing the clean sound of their live show. even though they are from columbus, oh, i would definitely go see them again if they came through town.

times new viking – no time no hope

buy it on Times New Viking - Born Again Revisited - No Time, No Hope or amazon

after the strongest double jack and coke ive ever had (completely worth the $12 i paid for it), it was time for the main event. jon, sarah and the others i met that night were hanging on the main floor but i decided to head upstairs for some photogs. as georgia, james and ira moved through their set (which i think lasted about an hour and a half), it became abundantly clear to everyone, fans and non-fans alike, that this three piece can rock out or slow things down with equal passion and intensity. after taking some pics in the balcony, i saw a young lady dead front and center snapping some shots and became determined to make way in that direction. as i moved down through the crowd, one unruly fan pushed me out of his way, but luckily i was shoved right into an opening dead front and center, right next to the aforementioned young female photographer, so that all worked out for the best.

just as i made it down there, georgia came up front and center to strum along with a few songs, what i believe ira called the “quieter portion of the night”. but make no mistake about it, the rockin was not over yet. the highlight for me was definitely the main set closer “pass the hatchet i think im goodkind”. i think it was because as soon as i heard that opening guitar riff, i knew we were in for a solid ten minutes of high energy madness. it was especially exciting to be standing directly in front of ira for that part of the show, flailing about and filling up the venue with the abstract guitar sounds that he does so well. hes such an animated performer, especially when creating these guitar-infused walls of sound.

after coming out for an encore and playing “gentle hour”, ira asked a guy standing next to me what he wanted to hear. after two suggestions from the fan (both of which ira said he would love to play, but that they would completely butcher the tunes), the fan suggested “autumn sweater”, a yo la tengo staple in my book, and the crowd loved it. next up was a cover of “some kind of wonderful” and “did i tell you”, followed by a second encore of “dreaming”. while i always like shows to end with a huge rocker, it seemed to be an appropriate ending to the night. the band was extremely gracious, and i was happy to have finally caught them live. it felt like a bit of my indie rock life was complete now.

after the show, a few of us headed out for some drinks, at which point i noticed dougs phenomenal tshirt pictured below. local humor tshirts rule. all in all an excellent friday night. my next live music dilemma is that st.vincent and kings of convenience are playing at neighboring venues on the same night. what a disaster. pre-show i was leaning towards kings of convenience, but sarah may have convinced me to catch st. vincent instead. decisions decisions.

as always, you can find all of the pictures posted here, plus many more, on the dailybeatz flickr page. and dont forget to catch a yo la tengo track below.

and now, for your listening pleasure, heres the great classic tune mentioned earlier. i dont know why i love this song so much.

yo la tengo – autumn sweater

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buy it on Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One - Autumn Sweater or amazon

2 comments

01/25/2010

pnau – with you forever (fm attack remix)

as we dive back into our regularly scheduled program after last weeks hip hop showcase, i really wanted to start out the week with a smokin hot track. fortunately, this fm attack remix of with you forever by pnau is nothing short of smokin hot. pnau is made up of peter mayes and nick littlemore. nick littlemore is also one half of empire of the sun with luke steele, who is also a member of the sleepy jackson, who was an extra in footloose starring, you guessed it, kevin bacon! of course this isnt true, but isnt that what it seems like? in a very good way of course.

while i like the original version of this song, the real key that makes this remix so memorable is fm attack, the nom du plume of vancouvers shawn ward, who really turned this already excellent pnau track into something really special. the world that fm attack creates is almost indescribable, but i think i can sum it up in three words: hard working, alpha male, jackhammer…merciless….insatiable. but seriously folks, theres no denying the ridiculous synth-infused dreamworld dance party where this remix takes you. instead of me giving more awful description, give it a listen for yourself. i dont think you will be disappointed.

pnau – with you forever (fm attack remix)

2 comments

01/23/2010

a tribe called quest – steve biko (stir it up)


If you asked a true Hip-Hop fan what their top five groups of all time were, it would be shocking if they left this group off the list. Today’s Hip-Hop throwback jam comes from two MC’s and one DJ, but not the ones you just thought of. I’m talking about Phife-Dawg, Q-Tip, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, collectively “A Tribe Called Quest“.

The Tribe joined forces all the way back in 1985 while Tip and Phife were attending high school in Queens. Tip was doing solo gigs, and sometimes used Ali Shaheed as his DJ. It didn’t take long before the three came together and started creating music history. They made five studio albums over a span of 10 years, before breaking up in 1998. Q-Tip was the only one from the group to have any solo success after they broke up, but their best work was done when together.

Their lyrics were smart, thought provoking, and cleverly funny. The production was ahead of it’s time, with samples from numerous classic Jazz artists and unmistakeable kick and snare drums guiding you through every song.

Today’s song isn’t one of their huge well-known hits, but it’s a song that “represent-represent-sents” what most of their songs sounded like and talked about. It’s from their best selling album “Midnight Marauders”, which produced possibly their best-known jam “Award Tour”. This song is the first song on the album, and every time I hear it come on I get extremely excited. Could be because I love the song, could be because I know there are about six more songs after it that make me feel the same way…

I hope you enjoy it as much as I always do!

Today’s Guest Poster, HockBoi, spends his days working on commercials in Detroit, and his nights listening to music and drinking in bars in Detroit. He’s a lover of Hip-Hop, but more importantly, any good music. To find him, email him or check his twitter @hockboi

a tribe called quest – steve biko (stir it up)

buy it on A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders - Steve Biko (Stir It Up) or amazon

1 comments

01/22/2010

jaydiohead – lucifers jigsaw

for all you playas out there who were enamored a few years back by the grey album, the jay-z and beatles mashup record from danger mouse, you might have been excited to learn about jaydiohead, a mashup project of nycs max tannone, which combined jay-z tracks with, you guessed it, radiohead. the original was released in early 2009 and “the encore” containing 5 more tracks was released mid 2009. both are available for download on the jaydiohead site.

“lucifers jigsaw” might be one of my favorites from these releases. i think its because the fast paced lyrics of jay-zs “lucifer” match up perfectly with the frantic music of radioheads “jigsaw falling into place”. plus it contains the classic lyrics “im from the murder capital where we murder for capital”. if you are a jay-z or radiohead fan, even if you are a purist, these mashups are definitely worth a listen. and if you hate either jay-z or radiohead, maybe these songs will provide a nice digestible introduction for you. and if you hate both of them, then youve got big problems. real big. right jerry? and you probably enjoy waterboarding kittens in your spare time. sorry for giving you that mental image tony. i know how much you love cats, and especially kittens.

jaydiohead – lucifers jigsaw

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