Singles - Osymyso

Okay. I just had to do this. Osymyso is a DJ from Britain. Big on bastard pop and breakbeat, he's been doing crazy-ass mash-ups and remixes since the 90's, and he's damn good at it. The reason I'm writing this review is because of the track called Intro-Inspection. This 12-minute track features samples from 101 songs. Yes, one hundred and one songs. And not only that, but also the transitions are BRILLIANT. Overlaying The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" and Guns n' Roses' "Sweet Child of Mine" is one thing, but when that breaks way into "Wipe Out" by the Surfaris, you are dealing with a whole new beast. And this one's on steroids and meth. One of my personal favorites is between The Offspring's "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" and "Barbie Girl" by Aqua, in which the lyrics end up being "...and all the girlies say- I'm a barbie girl!" So anyway...
Here is the list of all the songs put into this masterpiece
And here is Intro-Inspection by Osymyso from his website - GIVE THIS SHIT A LISTEN
over 'n' out

Daedelus

Oh yes, I'm writing this. So Daedelus. What can I say? He is truly a unique artist, even in the electronic scene. As I said, he plays using a Monome 256 (seen here) , but he pioneered combining this machine with the Max/MSP software to create music. What does this mean? This means that live shows are awesome because only he knows what the FUCK is going on, but you get to watch orange lights go by and listen to chill music. And speaking of the music, it's amazing. Daedelus combines electronic sounds, hip hop beats and lyrics, old tracks of string instruments, and random vocal tracks to create a fucking gorgeous sound. I had the pleasure of going to one of his shows, and his performance was flawless; despite a complete lack of gaps between songs, everything seemed to flow together like one giant song. Transitions were subtle, if at all apparent, and artfully executed with his own personal flare. And that flare comes in handy when people get bored of watching orange lights and want to see the person making them flash. It is not a disappointing sight, as Daedelus makes pressing a bunch of buttons to music look interesting and intense. So there you have it: unique music with a great sound, and even better live. Now check out his myspace or the songs Just Briefly and Dearly Departed.
And here's the youtube music videos for Fair Weather Friends and Just Briefly.

Bringing Back the FUNK

As our millions of readers are aware, I haven't posted for those blog in a little while. Not too long, of course... >.> Exaggeration aside (if it's possible to ignore), I cannot continue to deprive people of my extra super greatness. Therefore, I am calling upon a new era! One of great musical prosperity and happiness for all to enjoy. together. And it will all start *pause for dramatic effect* ...soon. This post is more to motivate myself by making a commitment. However, seeing as I should be (and am) studying for finals, I must hold off on the awesome that I'll be spreading. Just know that I will be writing about Daedelus, an amazingly chill electronic guy who uses a Monome 256. More about that later...all you're getting for now is this little sample. Keep up the awesome.
sample: Daedelus' Monome

Rodrigo y Gabriela

These two flamenco guitarists hail from Mexico, but now reside in Dublin after finding that their trash metal band was a little too narrow. They have a distinct and technical style with very fast and rhythmical playing. They use this not only to play their own songs, but also to play increbile covers of Metallica and Stairway (because who can't?). They have five albums currently out, two of which are live. This tells a little about how much these two tour. So here's a link of a pretty good live version of my favorite song by them, Tamacun: . I highly reccomend these two to anybody looking for a good small group to support.

On a side note, I'll be trying to post more and more over the coming couple of weeks, seeing as I discovered a great deal of new music. Anywho, stay frosty.

Octoober Mix Vol. 2

Here is the second volume of the October mix, because I clearly have nothing better to do.

If you want the track list please ask me

http://www.zshare.net/audio/503614975de0c8b2/

edit: the volume levels are apparently messed up, i'm working on it.

October Mix

Ill write about this later.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/198660660585ac2b/

Singles - Incubus

Right, so everyone probably knows about Incubus for one reason or another. I'm sure that more than a few of you people have/have heard of their album Make Yourself from 1999. But I'm not so sure how many people know about the song Battlestar Scralatchtica, even though everyone should. As the name makes perfectly clear, the song involves a lot of scratching. What isn't clear from the name is the inclusion of a sort of trip hop or house feel with dub and great bass. To tell you the truth, I don't really want to keep writing about this song because I decided to post this in an hour I had in between class (or if you prefer, because I'm a self-centered arrogant bitch)...but listen to the song anyway!

The Climax Blues Band

Well...it's certainly been a while. And I am not making my long-awaited, victorious comeback with the band that I thought I was. Instead, I'm going back to my roots of blues rock and awesome. Therefore, I am giving you music by the Climax Blues band (also called the Climax Chicago Blues Band despite being from Stafford, England) formed in 1968. These guys had epic harmonies, and I mean EPIC. This group of amazing musicians formed a crazy lineup when it came to playing together and singing together. I am constantly and consistently impressed with songs they write, as they put all the instruments and voices to use with grace and style. If you can ever call blues graceful. As I am a bit rusty from such a long absence and could therefore never do this band justice, I'll just have you listen to Standing By A River and Mole On the Dole.
Also, here's their official website.

Villains

You may find yourself asking me, “how can you make another post about Los
Angeles music makers? “ while you read on in contempt for my geographic
diversity in terms of music taste. Well, prepare to groan an annoyance because
the answer is, I happen to like the music I find in LA, so I’m right you’re
wrong, I’m big, you’re little, I’m smart you’re dumb, and there’s nothing you
can do about it (by the way, if you didn’t live Danny Devito in that movie, you
probably deserve to be ostracized to the steppes of northern Russia). These
remixing, DJ, stars also played at the aforementioned Electric Daisy Carnival
Event. Unfortunately for me, due to unforeseen circumstances, I missed them.
Villains remixes are some of my favorite, and I haven’t met a person yet who
doesn’t like their very danceable remix of Buzzin by Shwayze. An old favorite I
had for a while was their mix of Steve Akoi’s Cut Me Up. Those two songs found
their way onto many a playlist in the june/july area. They’re fun, and easy to
listen to, so give them a shot, VILLAINS.

The Glitch Mob

Today’s post focuses on a group of DJs from the magical place of wonder andamazement that is Los Angeles. From a first listen the heavy beats sound like theycould be backing an MC as he spits aggressive, hard lyrics with passion at aroaring crowd, however; as you let the music play on, it takes on a life of its own. I discovered The Glitch Mob through my adventures in (and around [ok, a lot around]) the Coliseum for Insomniac Event’s Electric Daisy Carnival. I, never expecting a lack of crowd control that resulted a swarming, pulsing mob of drugged kandi kids, drunk gang bangers, and stoned jungalists, showed up with what I thought was plenty of time to get in and relax. I was dead wrong. As I stood in the giant snake that engulfed the venue, I wondered to myself, “Is this god’s punishment to me for such decadence as a 12 hour massive with 5 stages of kick ass music?”. The answer came back with full force from the circuitGROUNDS stage, located just over a, sadly, impermeable fence. A resounding NO, was heard from the booming speakers as edit, Boreta, Ooah, and Kraddy began their set. The line opened up as the heavy Electronic infused Hip-Hop stylings and the wait became bearable. As the music continued, I heard a remix of Ludacris’ Get Back that had me looking for another listen for a full month (seriously, I can’t find it anywhere, and its pissing me off). Whether you’re a Hip-Hop head who is too afraid to venture into the world of EDM, a Junglism purist decked out in camo, or a Electronica obsessed PLURRite, there is bound to be something you’ll like in this HIGHLY danceable music. One of my favorite tracks of theirs is a remix of Nalepa’s Monday. I will admit to looking quite ridiculous in a drunken dancefest fully at the whim of this songs bass. Its free on their site, which I suggest you check out, as it is full of other things as well. They just played yesterday at the OC's JuJuBeats, but my guess is, you probably missed it.

This is Ivy League

This is Ivy League is an Indie band formed in 2005 in Brookyln. The band was started by Ryan Blackinton and Alex Suarez. Now, if those names don’t sound familiar to you let me refresh your memory. The year is 2006, it’s a hot summer (you may or may not be learning a foreign language lakeside in a place called Dent). The internet has released news of a movie featuring Samuel L. Jackson entitled “Snakes on a plane”(that’s right, mother fucking snakes, on a mother fucking plane). How could one possibly advertise such a movie? With a song like Bring it (Snakes on a Plane) –times are strange, we got a free upgrade for snakes on a plane. But this is not about Cobra Starship. The duo of Blackinton and Suarez were sent up to the international music scene with that hit, and This is Ivy League was not forgotten. In 2008, Twentyseven Records released This is Ivy League’s CD. They have a light pop/folk element similar to that of bands such as Of Montreal, or Harlem Shakes, but vary in their own way. They also have a feel good vibe that can’t let you down. Experience it for yourself with London Bridges, but also check out the rest of their music. As always, let the music speak for itself. Who really reads any of this anyway?

Fakers -Stanton Warriors

I'm about to blow your mind. 3, 2, 1, GO! My last post was about the Jose Gonzalez cover of the Massive Attack song Teardrop, but this time, things are flipped. The bristol based breakbeat duo formally known as Stanton Warriors created a chill remix of Gonzalez's Crosses. The song includes a nice non-imposing beat that hold up the rhythm while a light mix of synth is lain over Gonzalez's guitar playing and an occasional ephemeral piano loop. Gonzalez's voice haunts the song, giving it emotional power and beauty. This track is great for chill music, and who knows, maybe you can slip it on for a little dancing as well.

http://www.stantonwarriors.com/

http://www.jose-gonzalez.com/

Justin Taylor

Well, following suit, I've decided to post this guy. He's a singer/songwriter/guitar player from South Africa who's story is very inspiring and stuff like that. No seriously, check it out: here. So anyways, this guy sings and plays from the heart. All of his stuff is one guitar and one vioce, and it's beautiful. He seems to actually speak to you, but his songs and lyrics don't get old. Of course, I'm a sap, so don't take it from me. His first album From Tiene Street was picked up by none other than Candyrat, who, if you remember, I've posted about in the past (see Andy Mckee). Justin has an amzing talent for writing songs that everyone can feel and understand. I suggest you check him out here and here.

Fakers - Jose Gonzalez

Alright, I realize that this is nothing new, but the blog hasn't been updated in quite a while, so I'm going to try to breathe some life into this thing. Jose Gonzalez does an amazing job covering Teardrop from English Trip-Hoppers Massive Attack , off of the 1998 release Mezzanine. Gonzalez brings his own element to the relaxing-yet-haunting song, taking it back closer to earth from the far-off ethereal classic Massive Attack created. So check it out.

The Subways

So yes, they were on the O.C. a number of years ago, and yes they are at least somewhat mainstream, but I don't regard the second tag as necessarily bad and the band is good enough that I can avoid the first one. Plus, they have a new album hitting shelves in June, and I thought I'd get people excited for it.
The Subways originate from England, near London, and sound much like the Fratellis, not because both bands have lead singers with UK accents, but because both are loud, fast, fun, and easily danceable. If you like anything resembling Punk, Grunge, or Garage bands, then this music is for you. The difference between this band and other post-punk/grunge bands is, they actually have musical talent. The singer is fantastic, the guitarist uses more than his bottom two strings, and the bassist plays more than one instrument (I like that, you may not care so much). Songs like "She Sun" and "Somewhere," although not released as singles and not as popular as the others, prove how much depth this band has. In the end, though, this band still comes down to power chords and fast drumbeats. Simple recommendation: If you liked the Fratellis, even a little, buy a CD; if you didn't, don't. Its really that simple.

The Mountain Goats

The Mountain Goats is the best ever urban folk band in Claremont, California. I would like nothing more than to be lying in the sun on The Grass right now listening to any song off of the 2002 release All Hail West Texas right now. Unfortunately, its dark and cold (California cold at least), and I have a strong feeling that the bed of green is all kinds of wet. So, make believe with me if you care while you read. Last year it seemed as though the wacked out stereo on the Civic would only play The Mountain Goats and because of this I got very sick of the music, and left it alone for a while. I am happy now to have rediscovered the greatness of John Darnielle's simply emotional voice coming through with a strong lo-fi sound. The Mountain Goats later work takes on a different feel. From Tallahassee onwards Darnielle began to work in a studio with a band. While adopting a new sound, the music is in no way inferior. Songs like Broom People are easy proof that even when the circumstances have changed, at the heart of the music, the same artist is still creating. One of my favorite songs by them is Color In Your Cheeks. Not that I think you should probably check it out or something.

Fakers - Scissor Sisters

In the same vein as the most Fakers post, today's will be another cover of Pink Floyd. This time the song is Comfortably Numb (link is to the original). Anyone who's listened to the original would describe it as slow, psychedelic, mellow, and awesome. Scissor Sisters manage to deliver on the last one, but fall short in the other categories. The song starts off with a trademark Pink Floyd sounds, but quickly takes on a hip hop beat, electronic sounds, and crazy dude's falsetto. The chorus' melody and feel are all but lost as they take on a whole new feel, and almost a new meaning. Bubbly, light beeps fill any empty space Pink Floyd originally left, but work unbelievably well. To make things simple, the first time I heard this version, I didn't realize it was the same song. However, if I didn't recommend it, I wouldn't be writing about it. For an entirely different but definitely enjoyable experience, listen to the Scissor Sisters' version of Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb.

Video Kid

At this point in time, you've been living under a rock if you've never heard of Flight of the Conchords. Less famous, however, is the other work of FotC's Bret McKenzie as Video Kid (and a member of The Black Seeds, but that's a different story). Even though I feel a comparison of Video Kid to FotC is technically impossible, I feel it is a good place to start. It would be misleading to assume that the music is of a similar style simply because Bret is involved in creating music for both. Video Kid's music is more electronic, with strong reggae and funk influences and just a tad of hip-hop. At the same time, it is a mellow, indie sound. And the ultimate deciding factor- unlike FotC, it is not folk and comedy oriented. At the very least, Video Kid showcases Bret McKenzie's talent and versatility as a songwriter/musician. Hittin' up the V-section of my iTunes for the second time today, I give you DJz Girlfriend, Let Her Go, and CCTV.

Singles - The Vines

I know that you've all heard of them, I know you've all heard them, but I bet you've probably forgotten about them. With that in mind, I am taking this opportunity to focus some attention on this Australian garage rock group. My love for their music comes from my entirely biased affinity for 60's rock and 90's alternative music. But being a garage band, they give all their songs a sort of punk element, both in the attitude of the music and the length of the songs. If you're at all like me, these guys aren't necessarily your favorite band, but every time you hear them you end up bopping your head to the beat and singing along with the chorus. Ladies and gentlemen, Ride with me.

Human Television

Singles/ Fakers are good and fine (and easy to write) but I feel I need more at times. I am currently in the middle of a pop rock binge. So with this current genre obsession where better to look than Brooklyn, New York? The band's myspace labels the group as thrash, but you wont be confuzed after a second of listening, it must be purely ironic. The music is easy to listen to and chill to. The music slides by with an almost hypnotic, dreamy, surreal feeling. The vocals and instruments blend well to create a cohesive sound where no one voice is the star. A good example is the song In Front of the House from the 2006 release Look At Who You're Talking To. Also to check out from All Songs Written By: Human Television, I Forgot.

MYSPACE.COM/HUMANTELEVISIOn

Happy Listening

Singles - Eric Johnson

Well, I've come to give you Cliffs of Dover. Although many have heard it, the sheer brilliance of it all is enough to re-listen to it. Eric Johnson's most well known and masterful piece, Cliffs has a Jimi style thang going on. It starts with a strong solo following no specific time, but utilizing many advanced techniques such as hybrid picking and some really freakin fast fingers. It then settles into a shuffle beat for the music nerds among us who are interested and enters into motifs and individual melodies which are repeated or riffed on. And finally the outro is much like the intro, ad libbed with extreme awesomeness. Unfortunately, I don't have a really good recording to give you, but the cleanest that I have found a youtube guy who plays it all and plays it well. Check it out.

Singles - ELO

I bring you Electric Light Orchesta's "Fire On High". What can be said about this song. First the obvioust must be established, its opening is pretty fucking creepy. The opening of the sound has lyrics which sound like gibberish, but infact are backmasked. The process was first popularly used by The Beatles. It involves the reversal of lyrics. Backmasking is not to be confused with phonetic reversal (I.E. Stairway to Heaven SATAN SATAN SATAN bullshit). When played backwards, a voice distincly says, "The music is reversible but time is not. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back." This could easily be seen as a joke played bue to accusations of the Satanic nature of "Eldorado" by fundamentist christians. A somewhat similar thing was done at the beginning of the track Still Life by Iron Maiden. Aside from having the disturbing opening it is a pretty cool song. so CHECK IT OUT

Fakers - The Shins

Quick post, this is for The Shins cover of Pink Floyd's Breathe. Breathe shares the opening track to the album Dark Side of the Moon with Speak To Me. It is a good laid back song, and I also recomend looking up the origional version of the song if you aren't already familiar with it from those late night watchings of the Wizard of Oz, which totally matches up with Dark Side of the Moon (if you're trashed...). BREATHE

And ill leave you with this glorious creation

Andy McKee

Many of you might know him from his videos on youtube, such as Drifting. He is truly an inspired composer and, although some may find his work repetitive, very talented. He is still in his twenties and he is a finger-style guitarist. He has four albums to his name and he plays guitar and harp guitar(seen in the picture). A great listen for background music or contemplation, McKee's work is cool and relaxing, but never boring. I cannot recommend his work too highly, especially his album with Don Ross, The Thing that Came from Somewhere. With cited influences from Maiden and Eric Johnson to Neil Young, this guy has been around. Although he started on the electric guitar, he's all acoustic now. And I think that we are all the better for it.

Fakers - Strange Days (Thievery Corporation Remix)

Rehab co-founder and ideas man The Roman and I have decided to introduce yet another new gimmick to our beloved blog. All "Fakers" posts will contain covers, remixes, mash-ups or songs that are in some other way NOT the original. To kick things off, I am bringing you Strange Days (Thievery Corporation Remix). For those of you who don't know, Thievery Corporation the group most famous for the song Lebanese Blonde whose music spans the genres of Electronic, Lounge, Dub, and Trip Hop. I myself almost posted about them, but decided against it in order to use them in this post, thus killing two birds with one stone thanks to their apparent penchant for remixing things. This version of the classic Doors hit features several not-so-classic characteristics for our listening pleasure: a fairly simple repeating back beat and a flood of electronic, psychedelic sounds. It also incorporates jazz elements by using wind instruments to provide both harmonies and melodies at different points in the song. I'll shut up before anyone who knows more about music than I do calls me an idiot. Take a listen; you won't be disappointed.

Singles - Tears in Heaven

Today is a day that shall live on in glory and triumph as the day the Rehab started offering some of our favorite singles (occasionally by more prominent artists than we've posted in the past). To kick off this new section, I am pleased to present you with another great song from Slowhand himself. Yes, I once again am writing about Eric Clapton- yet another display of my borderline-obsessive fandom. But this isn't any ordinary Clapton; what sets this song apart is the event that inspired it. Clapton wrote this shortly after and because of the death of his 4 year old son, Conor. After his son fell from the 53rd story of a New York condominium, Clapton became distraught and pained for months. However, he made it through that horrible time, and what's more, he did it sober. This awe-inspiring tale of dealing with this traumatic experience is a testament to the strength of the human spirit even if the gravest of times. This song along with Clapton's other most personal song "My Father's Eyes" has been retired as of 2004. Though he no longer feels the loss that inspired these masterpieces, they live on as tributes to an amazing musician and the people he lost. Here's Tears in Heaven.

The Gorillaz

The Gorillaz are the only band I know (real or fictional) who can release an entire album of remixes’ and B-sides, and have it be better then the majority of normal releases for your average band. Nowadays, the Gorillaz have pretty much fallen into the status of prolific. They have achieved great success commercially and artistically, all without losing they’re cred and unique style. As such, it shouldn't really surprise anyone that their latest release, D-Sides is a damn fine hunk of music. Honestly, I dont know how they do it. People hemmed and hawed about Demon Days, and I’ll admit, it wasn’t they’re finest work (though I still thought it was pretty good), but if anyone needed assurances that the Gorillaz still have it, D-Sides does it.

First off, there is not a shred of new music one here (technically). It’s all B-sides, re-imaginings and remixes of their music. That said, even the most avid Gorillaz listener will have something to listen to here, as most of the remixes are diverse, and add enough to the songs that they stand by themselves quite well (some of them only bare a passing resemblance to the original song, such as the Jamie T, Turns Into Monsters remix of Kids With Guns). The album’s opener is 68 State, a extremely chill, mostly instrumental ditty that really relaxes you, and sets the mood for the album. The next handful of songs are B-sides and other obscure songs (such as People, a highly enjoyable song that, after several listenings, revealed it’s self to be built of the basics from Oh Green World, from Demon Days), including Hong Kong, a song so amazing they actually put it on twice (it pops up again in the end, as a live version). Then a parade of re-mixes, most of them masterfully done. To be fair, some of these grated on me. The Quiet Village remix of Kids With Guns, a ten minute affair where they appear to break the song down into its prime components, then replace them with acoustic drumming, playing each piece one at a time, all with the suddenly creepy vocals of the song droning disturbingly on top of it. Maybe it’s just me, but that doesn't do it for me. The rest are pretty damn good though, especially the DARE Soulwax remix, and the El Manana Metronomy remix.

If you like the Gorillaz, you should pick up this album. If you like electronica you should pick up this album. If you like techno you should pick up this album. If you dont like the Gorillaz, you should pick up this album, cus it might make you like them. Basically, if you dont pick up this album, I will slap you.

RATATAT

The above picture is Mike Stroud and Evan Mast. They are Ratatat. Really there's not to much more to them. Two scruffy, bearded, New York musicians doing what they do. Oh, and it's fucking mind blowing. There is no drums. There is no bass. Their drummer is a machine. There is just two guitarists and a synthesizer. Imagine, if you will, Bach's approach to electronica, and you begin to understand Ratatat. They are completely acoustic. A few songs have a few seconds of dialog in front of them, but really, no words. Their music starts with Mike Straud's guitar work, which is mesmerizing. The man has the ability to weave a melody that seems simple, but hooks into your soul and makes it sing. Maybe thats why they have no vocals. Because the singing souls of their fans do it well enough. Anyway his riffs are thumping, dancilicius (thats pronounced dance-e-licius) rovers that could make a paraplegic get up and break it down, generally augmented by Evan Mast past guitar work, and into electronic wonderland. On top of the guitar Stroud lays down synth work, which tend to be drawn out and hyper chill. Then Mast takes it, lays down some mean electro-drum work, and does some kind of magic to it all. There has to be magic involved. They call it 'producing', but I say it has to be arcane. The result is hyper chill music that is almost hypnotic but still makes you want to start dancing. Oh, and it summons unicorns.


To date Ratatat has two albums, as well as two re-mix albums. The first, the self titled Ratatat, is a more sparse work. Just Stroud, his guitar, the snyths, and Mast's mixing. It's more contemplative and technical. The second, Classics is a more polished album. It feels cleaner, and more filled in, and as such it loses something of the minimalist feel that pervaded the first album. However, this is made up for the pure beauty and genius of the songs. Both works are brilliant and honestly, you should pick up both.

Just watch out for the summoned unicorns. They dont like being interrupted. They were listening to Ratatat.

Flobots

I just stumbled upon this band recently, so don't expect this review to reveal the infinite wisdom that can only come from a deep, fundamental understanding of Flobots' music. They are an indie hip hop group from Denver that started up in 2005. For people who don't generally like hip hop, the indie element should definitely soften the transition. They use a variety of sounds (I'd say instruments but I can't be sure) for the background to their very relevant and inspiring lyrics. I think that even if they don't enjoy it per se, everyone will at least have this music register as acceptable. If you somehow manage to dislike it, I'll have to pray for you (and I'm not even religious). Here's Combat and Rise for your enjoyment.

The Free Press

Extra, extra, read all about these Canadian pop-rockers in the following review! Witty opening line, I know, but my impeccable sense of humor will only get me so far. Since it's clear I'm not being funny no matter how hard I try : (, on to the writing!
While the first sentence was truly a horrifying display of uninspired writing, it was at least informative. You now know that this five-man band is from Canada (Toronto, in fact), and you know their musical style. Or...at least you think you do. To be honest, despite the labels of Pop and Rock that they gave themselves on indiesolo.com, I am at a loss as to how to categorize their music. Then again, I only have three songs. From what I've heard though, they combine the casual yet wholesome feel-good aspect of pop with wonderful harmonies and poetic lyrics. It is clear from their abilities that these guys have some type of formal musical training, but they're very down-to-earth. This probably is a result of the fact that they're virtually unknown and there's nothing to be arrogant about, but dammit I'm gonna look at it in a positive light: they haven't been corrupted by success and praise. It is therefore my hope that we can all corrupt them together by listening to Love and Wonder and The Beginning of the End of the World.

Update

I severely dislike the chronological system of organization. Therefore I have categorized everything on the side of the page. I realize that there are problems and if you post them I will fix them. The blog archive can still be found below the post list. Also check out the new banner.

Les Cowboys Fringants (or the dashing cowboys, for those non French speakers among us) are a Neo-traditional Montreal rock folk band. Honestly, it's less pretentious then it sounds. Littered with such fun instruments as mandolins, accordions, banjo's, and double basses, they are mostly unplugged and acoustic, but still manage to rock harder then the majority of their electric counterparts. Their music ranges from incredibly cheerful and downright poppy (but in a good way), to morose and drawn out, to just plain epic. Apparently, their lyrics are rather controversial and political (at least to Canadians), but as its all in French the meaning rather went over my head. Check them out and enjoy!

MGMT

Well, I realize that I probably should have gotten around to this earlier, but sometimes it takes having a song like Electric Feel stuck in you head all day to motivate. This post goes out to my friends at Wesleyan University, the birthplace of this band. If you listen to Indie 103.1 or Kroq you've probably heard their song Time to Pretend, with its ridiculously catchy sound, or maybe even Future Reflections. Also, Time to Pretend is featured in the opening of the movie 21 (which is definitely worth checking out). The rising (or maybe they've risen by now...) indie band toured in 2005 with Of Montreal (hint: self promotion for me). Their 2007 album, Oracular Spectacular, is a great listen for those fans of the indie music. For another tease that you may not have heard, check out this song, Weekend Wars a personal favorite. If you want to see the band live, and live in the California area, they are playing at Coachella on the 26th. Check out their myspace page with this link: MYSPACE.

Of Montreal

What with The Blakely having recently written up The Apples in Stereo, I thought I would post about fellow former E6ers Of Montreal. Despite the somewhat misleading name, the band is from Athens, Georgia. The band has a somewhat similar, albeit less electric sound, than The Apples in Stereo. Their Indie Pop music is at times incredibly catchy, and after a listening you might find yourself stuck on a tune for hours.

Their 2007 album, Hissing Fauna: Are You the Destroyer?, features emotional, personal lyrics, held up in harmonies and rhythm. The band was referenced in Poycpak's 2007 short entitled, Hipster Olympics (a funny video and tribute to Monty Python's The Upper Class Twit of the Year) as "a band that had been discovered and since sold out". Check out their song Heimdals Gate Like a Promethean and enjoy.

The Bastard Suns

This post is more about a song than a band. I found these guys on indiesolo.com on the top mp3's list. From the song that I'm posting today, it's easy to see why. The Bastard Suns fit into one and only one amazing genre of music: ska. They're the kind of ska that primarily goes on punk, rock, and reggae sounds to make their music. Today's song shows how well these elements can come together to create an anthem in celebration of beer. Other ska songs that come to mind are Beer by Reel Big Fish, Beer by Mustard Plug, and Beer's OK by Secret Agent 8. The mood is rowdy yet relaxed, which makes for the perfect medium to deliver the lyrics ("...but that's all right as long as I've got a pint") in a convincing manner. The punk rock pace starts quick enough to jump-start your heart and bring it out of that cardiac arrest all your other music has put it into, and soon your pulse starts pounding along with the drums. But then just before you get a heart attack from goin' to fast, they move into a smooth reggae section to bring you back down. Perhaps this type of music isn't your style. Maybe you think it's too heavy or fast or hard or what have you. If that's the case, anyone who likes it doesn't care and wants you to stop whining. The time has come. The phone is ringing, and it's for you. Will you answer? Destiny's on the other line, and in the background it's playing My Pint by The Bastard Suns. Your move.

The Apples in Stereo

The Apples In Stereo are a sorta Indie pop/Indie rock band from Denver, Colorado. Primarily the brainchild of lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist Robert Schneider, they feature an impressive lineup of musicians including TWO people on the keyboards! Sounds like a review I wrote earlier...*cough West Indian Girl cough*
The similarities don't end there (but I'm writing about The Apples In Stereo). They too have a pop/psychedelic combination in their sound, although they are much more light and up-beat than West Indian Girl is on occasion. They are often characterized as having bright and catchy lyrics, and if The Bird That You Can't See doesn't prove it, then may I be struck down now by a flying ice cream truck. *waits*...okay we're good. What's more, these great lyrics are delivered with cheery vocals and soothing harmonies that are more than appropriate for the Apples to produce. But their magic doesn't lie solely in their lyrics; the 60's pop/rock sound that they've adapted and shifted to work with electronic sounds and unconventional beats (at least for that genre) serves to hook you - mind, body, and soul - and never let you go. Every time I hear another song of theirs that I like I wonder how I've managed to live so many years without it. And just to get your feet tapping along, here's 7 Stars and Open Eyes from their CD New Magnetic Wonder.
Just as a reminder: though I called them the Apples a coupla times in the review to save time, keep in mind that they are called The Apples In Stereo. The Apples is actually a Scottish indie dance band, so don't get them mixed up.

The Black Keys

I'm coming back strong (in terms of music, not reviewing prowess) with this blues-rock duo reminiscent of The White Stripes. Both bands have only a drummer and a guitarist, and both have intense, in-your-face, harsh yet AMAZING guitar. One difference between the two is that the Black Keys music always sounds raw. Always, without fail. But I'm not here to describe these guys in terms of the White Stripes. They have a traditional blues-rock sound but an original style. The drums especially give this band a unique feel that I myself cannot describe in words. Call me lazy, but I'm just gonna leave the opinions up to what you think when you listen. They may not be everyone's favorite band (considering how often you hear people raving about blues-rock), but I'm sure everyone can appreciate them. If I could, I'd give you their entire album Rubber Factory, but I can't. So here's Grown So Ugly, When the Lights Go Out, and Till I Get My Way from that very album.

Klaxons

I hate to admit it but the rehab is falling. My, among others, lack of writing has been horific. I would hate to see this thing end so soon, so young. Therefore I met with my cofounder William Wallace Blakely (the third) and we have decided to rejuvinate THE REHAB. So, without further ado, I give you Klaxons. They have been remixed by many, some of the heavy hitters including Digitalism, So Me, and Justice. A radio competition for the band's song As Above, So Below gave rise to French Dance-Punk stars Justice. Pinning a genre on the UK band is less than easy. While looking for help judging what genre(s) to stick the band into, I found conflicting opinions. Before researching, I had described their music as having some Pychedelic, Pop, Noise Rock, and Electronic elements. Now after seeing the various articles about them, I see that I am not alone in having trouble finding a name for music with the energy of rock, the bass of techno, the sweetness of pop, and everyonce and a while something that will just totally throw you off. The owner of their first record label classified the music as Nu Rave, a blend of Electronic, New Wave, Disco, Indie, Hip-House, and Electro Breakbeat among others, and I don't find him far off. My introduction to the band was during the summer through a friends profile song on myspace, Golden Skans. The song lacks some of the strong bass components of their other music. That said, there is a stong driving punk-ish beat that accompanies the pop harmonies of the song. They're worth checking out for anyone who doesn't mind something that may not sound like whatever else you listen to every day, and is looking for a little fun. http://www.myspace.com/klaxons

P.S. for fun, heres a cover of Golden Skans from Mark Ronson.

LIONS

Jordan Romanoff once told me, "It's sad when Guitar Hero starts influencing your music tastes" or something to that effect. Since the bonus tracks are usually bands that have yet to become super mainstream and really need to be discovered to gain a following, my response to that is "fuck you Jordan..."
With that in mind, I bring you yet another band from the Guitar Hero bonus tracks. LIONS comes from Guitar Hero 3 where one can get 98% on their song "Metal Heavy Lady" on the very first try (on expert). Trust me. I did it. It's easy. But that's not what I'm writing about. Because the song is so easy to play and do well on I was able to take some time and listen to what was being played. What I heard impressed me; this Texas rock group really knows what they're doing. They have a signature guitar style that you can recognize instantly and great bass. Occasionally you think the members are just having fun and messing around with their instruments. The lead singer seems to be drowned out by the loud music at times, but his unique brand of vocals is definitely something to listen for. They might be too heavy for an indie crowd, but they're definitely fun. Short breaks and climbing scales, switching effects, sudden starts and shifts in tempo- these are just a few of the things you can expect when listening to LIONS. The only drawback is that some of their songs sound the same : /
check out LIONS at their myspace
Also, here's Come Around

Blodwyn Pig

I have been meaning to write about these guys for a long time. A REALLY long time. They were started by the first and ex guitarist of Jethro Tull after disagreements with Tull's lead singer. However, they don't sound too much like Tull. Think back to one of my earlier posts: Deep Purple. They sound a LOT like Deep Purple. If you liked Deep Purple, you may like these guys even more. If you didn't like them, then a) there's something wrong with you, but on a more positive note, b) you may still like Blodwyn Pig. They are quite a versatile classic/blues rock group. They have songs of almost pure jazz as well as epic rock ballads full of crazy guitar and bass. Their potent, inspired lyrics sung by a talented albeit nontraditional vocalist always make me wish I could find the lyrics online so I can sing along for once. One thing though that sets Blodwyn Pig apart is their use of the tener sax. Much like Jethro Tull's use of the flute, they bring an instrument predominantly used in jazz into a rock situation while never bringing the integrity of the rock or the jazz instrument into question. It just works. It works REALLY well. I will not tolerate skepticism on this. If you don't believe me, listen to See My Way and The Modern Alchemist (jazzy song :D). Unfortunately, their great album Ahead Rings Out is not technically..available in America. So try to find it in the UK or on ebay or something because it is 8 songs of pure genius (plus a 50 second track).

Project

This group will not be everybody's cup of tea. It just won't. It's comprised of three guys: a cellist, a bassist, and a flutist. They play everything from jazz to classical, and are highly experimental. They even bring in a hip-hop beat from time to time. "Built on a reputation of playing diverse music in concert halls, chamber series, vaudeville clubs, rowdy bars and street performing, Winter in June, their premiere album, is a culmination of styles and sounds, breathtaking in scope and vision." (cdbaby.com). I think that if you want to branch out, then get the cd. It's on itunes.

Jamie Lidell

You may recognize Jamie Lidell's song A Little Bit More from target commercials. While I do enjoy that song, what first really impressed was when I heard the song Figured Me Out (LA Garage Mix) by this British-born soul-singer on KCRW of all places. A few genres he touches on are electronic, ambient, funk, soul, pop, and experimental. All well and good, but doesn't really describe the sound as a whole. His beats and funk rival that of club group Justice, and they have his expert soul-singing to boot. What's more, he has been known to layer tracks he makes by beat boxing and doing back-up vocals to turn himself into a one-man band. Proof of his mainstream success can be heard in the form of Multiply, a CD whose title-track was featured on the hit show Grey's Anatomy, which I never watch because House M.D. is 10,000x better. He's also put out a CD of additions to Multiply as well as several earlier albums and EP's.

For Jamie Lidell's music, check out his myspace. If you like what you hear, you can check out a group Jamie is part of with Cristian Vogel, Super_Collider (note the underscore), which is more on the electronic side.

Biffy Clyro

Biffy Clyro was a find with the aid of the ever wondorous PANDORA (I must admit I was in a bit of a dry spell for good new music). The band originated out of the club scene in Kilmarnock, Scotland. Their music comes through with a true passion in the sound that can be sadly lacking in many a modern pop/rock band. Their music calls to mind at times the late '70s post-punk band Joy Division, especially in the percussion. That said, the music does not really ever get to the dark, brooding, depth that can be found in Joy Divisions work. The band blends their non-complex sounds together for a pleasing cohesive sound. Although pop, the vocals are neither sickeningly high-fructose corn syrup sweet, nor I-hate-my-parents-because-I-born teen angsty. They are simple with the occasional harmony thrown in for good measure. The bands Weezer influence is pretty obvious, with much of their latest CD Puzzle sounding like it may well have come strait from The Blue Album.

Puzzle is a good all around CD, for better or for worse, there are no stand out tracks that overshadow the rest. The opening track Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies foreshadows the rest of the album well. The song starts with the energy and emotion seen throughout. The rest of the CD does well for itself as well. The strong instrumental opening of Get Fucked Stud compliments the slower building power of Folding Stars nicely. The closing song Machines is a nince peaceful end to the CD, because lets face it, by this time you may well be a little worn out if you feel so inclined as to actively experience the music.

So maybe this isn't quite the right band to listen to if you're dealing with your complex life in the wee hours of the morn. Maybe you can't exatly rock out to it like its 1975 and you're front row at Van Halen. This is good music to listen to for music's sake if that makes any sence any more. Check out their website

or their myspace

The Verve

I'm sure that everyone has heard the song Bittersweet Symphony at some point in their life. However, that's not all The Verve has to offer. This English band does more than take Rock and symphonic elements and blend them into a smooth, intoxicating mixture ready for consumption. There are songs like The Rolling People that are just Rock, but what's wrong with that? Nothing. At least in my book. They can also be incredibly low-energy and mellow with songs that could even be considered melancholy. There is definitely a lot of Psychedelic in their music which might take some getting used to, but is always worth it in the end. The Verve has something for everyone as long as you're looking to chill out and just listen to music. To get you started on that, here's Catching the Butterfly and Space And Time.

Vampire Weekend

So the Indie Music scene is abuzz with the latest New York Blog Band “Vampire Weekends”, and, being the absolute indie whore that I am, I was beholden to pick up they’re self titled release (through a complex of legally questionable, but morally air tight method’s of course, after all, actually buying music isn’t cool anymore!). [Posters Note: I do not promote stealing music, shoplifting is a crime, but im not sure on how that whole downloading thing plays out....]

I gave it a few listens, and came up with the following opinion: It’s a decent, enjoyable album, without anything particularly amazing about it. They definitely have a sound that is at once unique and, at the same time, strangely reminiscent of quite a few things, calling back the sparseness of 70’s pop rock, oddly ethnic african drumming, and the near obligatory indie oddness in it’s singing (a sort of Jonothan Richman-esque drawl, with the occasional yodeling howl).

The entire album is relaxing in the extreme, even the quicker bits such as Campus. Not necessarily chill or lethargic, but the kind of thing that induces you to put a some what stoned smile on your face and go for a walk. Maybe have a picnic in the park. They make use of a diverse series of instruments, from tribal bongo’s to violin-esque strings, but do it all without losing the uncluttered and clean feeling that pervades the whole CD.

The basic gyst is this. Vampire Weekends is a pleasant and creative album that is worth a listen, but probably won’t be making it to your ‘best bands of all time’ list.

-Sigmund Amadeus Werndorf

Favez

The first time I heard Favez, was their song "The Son of Steeve McQueen" (with whom the band has some obsession...), was in a high energy paintball film featuring the key cool people of the time. Had you told me then that this band is from Lausanne, Switzerland, I would most likely have laughed in you face. Now better informed, I am astonished. The band is able to bring out a sound which I have firmly connected to american rock. Aside from rocking faces off, they also have a more mellow idie sound, which compliments the dirty, hard, rock and roll sound nicely. To wrap this up short, if you like The Ringers, fat licks, heavy kicks, and the like, you might want to check out this fine outfit. Check the myspace at http://www.myspace.com/favez.

Mother Earth

With this post, I am trying to get to the roots of Funky Rehab with a genre full of funk and disco: Acid Jazz. Mother Earth will deliver on all your funk needs with great beats, heavy bass, and the funkiest vocals you'll hear. They're from the U.K., but you wouldn't think that when you hear the music. They throw in just the right amount of Psychedelic for my taste (and hopefully yours), making listening to each song a unique experience. I can't pin down their style too well without overusing the word funk, but that description doesn't do the music justice. It is so much more than just funk; there's soul, there's jazz, there are crazy musical interludes with piano and bass and AWESOME guitar solos. I guess this is the best I can offer you: generally low-key and mellow, occasionally quick and jazzy, and ALWAYS funky, these guys are a must-hear.
Three songs that I hope represent the band well: Stardust Bubblegum, Illusions, and Dragster.

Man Man

Man Man. God, how does one describe this band? Honestly, you can try and liken them to other things, but you’ll never really get it down. iTune’s describes them as “Captain Beefheart and Tom Waits collaborating on your scariest nightmare about clowns.” Which comes pretty close. My first thought was “The Aquabats meets a Klesmer band on LSD”, and a friend of mine attempted “The soundtrack to a nymphomaniac on a bad acid trip.” These really only barely do them justice.

I found Man Man when I went to see Modest Mouse live. Things weren't looking good when they were moved from an awesome venue (the Avalon) to a incredibly shitty venue (the Gibson Amphitheater), and then my friend and I were held at the gate as the attendants scrutinized our tickets, somehow convinced they were fake (”They look like they were printed out of a printer!” complained the attendant. “They were.” I pointed out. “Ticket master had to e-mail us new tickets”). Then we discovered we were relegated to the back seats at the top of the ‘stadium’, not to the pit as we thought we were. Needless to say we were unhappy. However, when the curtain rolled up and to reveal the instruments of the first band our interest was piqued. Two drum sets, two key boards, various metal objects ranging from a car’s tail pipe, to pots and pans, to what could only have been a massive iron dildo, were set up in a very precise fashion. Then the band trooped out. Five men dressed in tattered, but pure white clothes, and all of them daubed in blue war paint. They arranged themselves at the instruments and started playing. Forty five minutes they got up and left the stage. In those forty five minutes they did not stop playing, they did not introduce themselves, and they did not speak. The entire set was a simple wall of unbroken music that segued from song to song flawlessly, and more or less blew my mind. Through out the show they would dance, the two drummers (who sat across from each other) taking turns with the drum line, jumping up and down as if they were on the seesaw, one in the air, one playing. At other times they would almost duel with their instruments, drum sticks being deflected by clarinets, etc. It was a damn near religious experience.

But what do they sound like? That night I picked up Six Demon Bag and was able to listen to them with a bit more clear mind, and ear. It kind of didn’t help. The first song “Feathers” is obviously designed to ease you into the album. It’s arguably the slowest song on the album and inarguably the calmest, a simple piano driven ditty with a dusky chorus going along. However, this ends and they seem to throw away any pity on there listener, going strait into Engrish Bwudd, what can only be described as a insane musical retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, complete with slamming percussion, falsetto howling, and instruments that seem to be played by giant spiders on speed (You will excuse me if I don’t try and break down the instruments, listen to them and you’ll understand). The album just careens off from there with Skin Tension (an intense ballad that’s just a cup of grog short of a sea ditty), Black Mission Goggles (the opening line of which is “The sky is falling like a/Sock of cocaine in the/Ministry of information), Spider Cider (opens with Indian-esque bobbing and howling, and features a grinding, stomach rumbling chorus of “Spider cider spider cider spider cider”) and Van Helsings Boom Box (a heart breaking song of incredible intensity, which has a chorus of “Oh god damn you Michel/god damn/I let down my guard/and there went my heart/just out the door again”).

I dont know if it is possible to describe Man Man, hopeful the above takes a few steps towards it. Man Man is not for the weak of heart, but if you can take it, they are incredible.

-Sigmund Amadeus Werndorf

Here are the only two songs I could get complete versions of: Black Mission Goggles and Ice Dogs

Phillip Glass

Since this is my first post on this thing, I thought I'd take a different tack. On my casual look-throughs of all the posts, I've seen little to no incidences of classical music (although, to be fair, I didn't look at every single post). Not a criticism, just a comment. So I thought I'd throw some in, just for fun.

Philip Glass is one of the pre-eminent and most influential classical composers alive today. He's perhaps most famous for his film scores, having earned himself three Academy Award nominations, most recently for Notes On A Scandal, but this by no means constitutes the bulk of, or even his best, work. He has been described as minimalist, and during his formative years, he was. However, recently, he has taken great pains to distance himself from that characterisation, calling himself a composer of "music with repetitive structures." He is one of the few classical composers alive who could be considered a household name, even having made a brief guest appearance in an episode of South Park.

For an easy introduction to Glass, I highly recommend the Robert Shaw recording of his cantatas Itaipu and The Canyon. The CD has to be my single favorite classical recording (no small feat, considering I've been listening to the Halo 3 soundtrack nonstop for about 3 months now).

Itaipu is easily Glass' most lyrical work; the music follows the course of the Parana River as it flows over one of the world's largest man-made lakes, the world's largest man-made dam, and the world's largest waterfall. The music needs to be suitably epic to evoke images of such awe-inspiring sites, and Glass does not disappoint. From a dark and brooding first movement, echoing the troubled region of Matto Grosso in Brazil, where the headwaters of the river are located, the music turns haunting in the second movement, evoking images of the river. The beginning of the third movement, entitled "The Dam," will leave shatter your ears and leave you as awestruck as the site of a dam nearly as tall as the Chrysler Building in New York City. The movement then turns happy and cheerful, celebrating the promise the dam brings to the nations of Paraguay and Brazil. In the fourth movement, the music suddenly drops off, suggesting the drop over the waterfall that puts Niagara to shame. After a quietly turbulent minute or two, evoking the rapids immediately following the falls, the music becomes serene as the river winds its way through the plains of Northern Argentina into the Atlantic Ocean. The lyrics to the piece are in a language native to the people of Matto Grosso, and they tell those people's primary creation myth.

The Canyon is much shorter (a quarter of the length) and decidedly less epic, but there is no shortage of quality. Glass mainly ignores most of the orchestra, opting to go for percussion and brass for most of it. The cantata is supposed to bring to mind a canyon, any canyon. While not as mind-blowing as Itaipu, the rhythms in this piece are fantastic, and the piece serves as an intellectual counterweight to the crashing line of chords in Itaipu.

Even if you've never liked classical, I urge you to give Glass a try. If the music in Lord of the Rings moved you at all, or if you have a particular taste for the epic, then Itaipu should be an enjoyable thirty five minutes. Here's a link to samples. Enjoy:
http://www.amazon.com/Itaipu-Philip-Glass/dp/B00000277F/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1204524491&sr=8-1

Wolf Parade

At first, Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade really comes off as a spastic Modest Mouse homage, if not downright rip off, though to be fair, it is closer to the older, Moon and Antarctica Modest Mouse, rather then the widely reviled Good News For People Who Love Bad News MM, and this accusation is easy to make considering Isaac Brock’s well known association with the band. However, upon closer inspection, they reveal themselves as much, much more then that.

The band was created when singer Spencer Krug (and come on, how awesome of a last name is Krug?) was offered a gig on the Arcade Fire, Us Kids Now tour. In three weeks he had created Wolf Parade, and they had recorded enough songs to play on the tour. This really reflects them more then you would think, because ‘A torrent of pure genius flowing faster then is probably healthy’ kind of fits them.

They’re only album (though a new one is slated for release june), Apologies to the Queen Mary, released 2005, is a powerhouse of damn fine Indie rock. Quirky, energetic, but with a sense of melancholy, it flows through you like a vanilla milk shake spiked with bourbon. Krugs’s lyrics don’t really translate to anything humanly understandable. Instead, they kind of sit on the surface of your brain in a kind of coital afterglow, almost like they’re to good for you to really get, only helped on by his slightly drawling deliverance, and liberal use of echohing/doubled up vocal effects. Dan Boeckner provides the vital guitar work that is impressive, not so much because of a dazzling display of dexterous finger work, but because they wind together to create such incredible songs. They have the simple (well not TO simple, but simple enough comparatively) elegance of Bowe’s Under Pressure (for god’s sake, it’s two notes!), often making use of basic scale progressions and the like, to beautiful effect.

The drum-work is decent, considering the band started with a simple drum machine, and Arlen Thompson does a good job providing pulsating, driving beat’s that I really provide Wolf Parade with unique sound. What really makes this band shine though, is the synths of Hadji Bakara (that is to say, specifically Hadji Bakara and his synths as, if a Synthesizer a good band made we’d be up to our bloody eye balls in wondrous indie rock). He weaves in toe tapping, mind sticking melodies, fuzz, and effects through out the whole album with masterus effect, like the one guest at a party who make the whole thing enjoyable by bringing out the most interesting attribute of every other person there. To try and choose a favorite song on this album is impossible for me, as it will invariably end up simply being which ever one I have listened to most recently. I highly recommend you throw Apologies to the Queen Mary to the top of your buy list immediately.
You can also take a look at their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/wolfparade

-Sigmund Amadeus Werndorf

Deerhoof

I have sufficiently proven myself lazy (apologies go out to Blakely who has been doing an excelent job of keeping this thing moving single handedly). Deerhoof is a San Fransisco band that is hard to pigeonhole into one definite category. I would be able to talk about seeing them live if I hadn't had a very unfortunate experience and been forced to leave their show midway through the set, but life goes on. Their music combines beats that are reminicent of hip-hop with heavy bass, at times a synthy sounding guitar and the voice of Satomi Matsuzaki for an intense layering effect. The music is not always as experimental or like noise rock as that may have made it sound though. Songs like Wrong Time Capsule (coincidently the song I was introduced to the band through) off of the 2007 CD Friend Opportunity have a sound which is more like Indie-Pop. If you want to practice you Japanese in a fun strees-free minimal work environment then there are some Deerhoof songs that you might think are sent from the heavens with the sole purpose of fulfilling your wishes. The band recently picked up a new guitarist, when Ed Rodriguez became a permanent member. You can find their website at http://www.deerhoof.killrockstars.com/ .