Listen to (at least once): Converge

File this album under Slept-on-in-2009. First time I heard the opening song, 'Dark Horse,' it literally dropped my jaw. Innovation can be hard to come by in the metal and hardcore worlds, and these dudes have been able to do it consistently for 2 decades.

No, you're probably not going to like it, but you gotta appreciate the technical prowess and sheer ferocity of this band. If that doesn't work, just sit back and marinate on the simple fact that there are 4 guys out there inspired to express themselves in this way.

SOTD: Antony & Bryce Denner

One of the many stunners on the Dark Was The Night compilation from last year. With his delicate, womanly voice, Antony seems an unlikely candidate for a Bob Dylan cover. But he completely nails it, bringing added fragility to an already broken song.

You music supervisors out there, this one'll get ya a raise.

Paul Butler: A Hip Hop Theory of Justice

Last night, I went to a lecture by Professor Paul Butler (GW Law) about his book, “Let’s Get Free: A Hip Hop Theory of Justice.” [Disclaimer: I haven’t read it, so I might butcher this a bit.] The premise is essentially that hip hop/rap music has a lot to say about the effects of our criminal justice system on our inner cities. From the values and observations found in hip hop – by really listening to what artists have to say – we can craft meaningful reforms to the criminal justice system that will help curb the vicious cycle of incarceration, crime, poverty, and community decline.

A prime example is the Draconian sentencing we attach to drug laws, which have a disproportionate impact on inner city communities. Because drugs are so prevalent, police are ubiquitous, and drug laws are so harsh, a disproportionate number of African-American and Latino males spend time in jail for non-violent crime, often at a young age; in turn, it is harder for them to seek education and employment after serving time, which often leads to additional collateral consequences (this is of course just one strand in a complicated web of cause & effect). This cycle has a normalizing effect within these communities (being incarcerated is considered an inevitability and not reflective of one’s moral character), and the laws lose their perceived legitimacy and their deterrent effect, thereby stripping their practical justification, on top of being inherently unjust.

This last part – the effects that these laws have on the hood and the attitude with which they are treated – is, I think, where the artists come in. In the quest to create just laws, it is necessary to pay attention to the reality of their impact; listening to hip-hop can help us with that part of the equation. Unfortunately, it seems that few people take seriously what it is that hip hop has to say on the subject, and there is not enough meaningful conversation about the music’s role. If and when that happens, Prof. Butler believes that artists will have an even greater opportunity – and responsibility – to educate.

He points primarily to mainstream artists (Jay-Z, Kanye, Li’l Wayne) rather than the “socially conscious” strain of hip-hop (Dead Prez, Talib), because of their greater impact on pop culture (and, I suspect, because the latter are too progressive and impractical). I have my reservations about the theory – or, more specifically, what hip hop has to offer in the way of theorizing legal reform, rather than pure observational power. Or whether hip hop is the right medium for those that need to hear its messages. But it is definitely one of those simple yet profound ideas that we should be thinking about. Maybe that’s all Prof. Butler’s trying to say. Props to JP for bringing him in.

My favorite jam from the talk (and another Hype Williams-directed classic!):



By the way, y’all know how coincidences bug me out. This morning, I woke up thinking about all of this. When I walked out the door and turned on my iPod, the first album cover that popped up on my screen (out of about 100GB of music, mind you): Dead Prez, ‘Let’s Get Free’ (the book’s namesake). WTF.

Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes - Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See

Still one of the wildest and best music videos ever made, by one of, if not The, most idiosyncratic and versatile hip-hop artist ever (an artist in the truest sense). Directed by Hype Williams at the height of his influence, it contains all his signature tricks - the fish eye lens, shiny costumes, crazy colors (see the videos for 'Mo Money Mo Problems' and 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),' among many, many others) - but with Busta involved, they just get WEIRD. It's a great marriage of creativity, resulting in a fittingly offbeat video for an offbeat song.

I've always been fascinated by Busta Bus but actually never owned this album until today. Still feels fresh.

QOTD: Outkast

"...and I replied that I been going through the same things that he has.
True I got more fans than the average man
but not enough loot to last me
to the end of the week
I live by the beat
like you live to check to check.
If you don't move ya feet
then I don't eat
so we like neck to neck...

Me and youuu
Yo mama and yo cu-zin tooo
Rollin down the strip on foohs
Comin up slammin Cadillac dooohs."

'Elevators (Me and You)'

That kinda mood tonight.

Coachella line-up revealed



http://coachella.com/event/lineup

Uhhhhh, wow. Kids really stepped up their game, didn't they?

A few things

1) When Girls and Beach House are on the bottom line of a festival bill, you know there is a sick amount of good music involved.

2) However, when Them Crooked Vultures get the same billing as Thom Yorke, you know that billing can be misleading.

3) Why the ???? after Thom Yorke? If he's not confirmed, that's just cruel. And kinda shady.

4) Sly is notoriously reclusive. He's either desperate for a little relevance, or they threw a sh!% ton of cash at him.

5) Speaking of cash, I have a feeling the amount of $$$ it must have taken them to put together this line-up will be directly proportional to the amount of sponsors shoving products down your throat. Just sayin. Somebody's gotta pay the bills.

6) Amazing that Public Image LTD and the Specials - two bands my brother loved back in the day (the guy graduated high school a few years before The Breakfast Club came out) - are playing the same stages as Grizzly Bear and LCD Soundsystem. What goes around, comes around.

7) Holy crap, that's a lot of talent. Say what you want about Coachella, but you simply cannot deny there will be truly great music out there in April. Avant garde it is not, but they are clearly back on the right track music-wise.

Thanks for the tip, LA!

Pulled over by the Web Sheriff

When I was looking up that Broken Bells track the other day, I spotted this comment on another website where the song had been posted. Didn't take long for the Web Sheriff to track me down, too. I actually appreciate this approach. The friendly neighbor spin is silly, but it manages to simultaneously guide people to the artist's (legal) material, remind me that they're on the lookout without saying anything threatening, and even show some appreciation for sharing without pirating.

Ironic, though, that the Grey Album mastermind / mash-up poster boy has the Web Sheriff on his dime now. (Well, Columbia would be the one paying, but I'm sure it's part of the overhead that the label recoups).

"WEB SHERIFF
Who You Gonna Call
Tel 44-(0)208-323 8013
Fax 44-(0)208 323 8080
websheriff@websheriff.com
www.websheriff.com

Hi wtb,

On behalf of Columbia Records, Monotone and Broken Bells, many thanks for plugging "Broken Bells" / the artists’ eponymous album on your site (street date 9th March) ... thanks, also, on behalf of the label, management and artists for not posting any pirate links to unreleased (studio) material and, if you / your readers want good quality, non-pirated, preview tracks, then full length versions of "The High Road" (as already featured by you) and "Vaporize" are available for fans and bloggers to link to / post / host etc at www.brokenbells.com ... .. for further details of the new album, special pre-orders, on-line promotions, videos and 2010 shows, check-out the official site, as well as the artists’ MySpace at www.myspace.com/brokenbells and YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/brokenbells ... .. and keep an eye on these official sources for details of further news, preview material and on-line promotions.

Thanks again for your plug.

Regards,

WEB SHERIFF"

SOTD: Juliette Gréco

Saw the film "An Education" last night, and although I didn't love the flick, I immediately had to track down this song. A chanson singer in post-war France (thanks, Wikipedia!), Ms. Gréco is a musical manifestation of Paris. Having just made my brief first trip there, I feel simultaneously excited and cliched to say that, but it's true. You've heard it before, but not any better than this. Not really ipod music, but I'll def keep my eye out for the vinyl...

SOTD: Broken Bells

Courtesy of SRW. First product of the upcoming James Mercer (Shins)/Danger Mouse release. How can it not be good?

Joan as Police Woman @ Black Cat Backstage, 1/14/10

Joan as Police Woman came through last night, and although her last album was an overwrought snoozefest, I still gotz love for the original. Plus, LA gave her live show the stamp of approval, and I was music-deprived. When I tried to describe her to my roommate, I came up short. When ‘Let It Die’ came out, it kinda fell in the singer/songwriter category, but that description wouldn’t do Feist justice, right? I feel the same way about JAPW – she’s somewhere between a glorified singer/songwriter and a stripped down rock/r&b band but with all kinds of unexpected left-turns to throw you off her scent.

And in person, she defied the name-calling even further. She introduced a few new jams, including a soul/r&b-heavy stunner called “Kiss the Specifics,” and unleashed a few wild covers. She rocked out Britney Spears’ “Overprotected”, stripped down David Bowie’s “Sweet Thing,” and – honestly? – kinda nailed “She Watched Channel Zero” by Public Enemy. She even beefed up the entries from her last album. But she was still at her at best and most confident with the ‘Real Life’ material. “Flushed Chest” was extra smoky and cool, "Anyone" snuck up on me as a legit 70s R&B love jam, and she absolutely slayed my favorite, “Save Me.”

Yes, the last album was a loser, but I’m feelin a return to form for Ms. Wasser.

Now, I didn’t mention the gold lamee turtleneck with shoulder pads, tucked into brown leather, zipper-pocket pants up to her stomach, tucked into chrome moonboots with heels, and topped off with a fur coat and a blown-out 80s cokehead haircut. Homegirl is out there. But going on 40, she’s pretty cool.

QOTD: Autolux

“I can’t complain. I’m over it, I guess.
Scattered and gray, so
I hold it back
and keep it sugarless.”

‘Sugarless’

When I listened to this album the other day, it sounded so differently than when it came out in 2004. It felt a bit like the future then – all icy bass lines, stuttering beats, bleary-eyed lyrics, and a quiet cool. Even the name Future Perfect suggested a vision. I was living in their hometown L.A., saw them glide thru Coachella and the Natural History Museum, and thought they had something new(ish) for the city.

But this time, the mid-90s influence was blatant. Slightly affected vocals, slower tempos, the chunky guitars, the feedback. I heard the Pumpkins, Dinosaur, Jr., the Breeders, a little My Bloody Valentine. These cats just had the jump on the Silversun Pickups alt-90s mini-revival by a couple years. Who knew LA could be so retro? Or that the 90s, of all musical eras, would make a comeback? Still a cooler-than-you album and one badass woman on the skins. Mmm mmn. New album next year – will be interesting to see which direction they take.

Listen to: Constantines

Just dug up another gem that I inadvertently got from ML: Constantines. If Hot Water Music - one of my favorite bands ever - had never signed with Epitaph and gone the studio punk route (a truly tragic turn of events; and don't even get me started on The Draft) and instead stayed down South, mellowed out, graduated from the hardcore scene, experimented with some different instruments, wrote a couple love songs, and maybe went on a fun tour with The Hold Steady... they wouldn't be Constantines, but they would make a hell of a double bill. It's my kind of whiskey-drinkin' music - emotional, determined post-hardcore with enough change of pace and creative flourishes - inventive drumming, lite keys, the occasional horns - to feed the adrenaline and give you goosebumps at the same time. The indisputable highlight, though, is Bryan Webb's raspy, soulful, tough and tender voice.

Apparently these Canadians have been around for a decade and put out their first 3, consistently solid records on Sub Pop. And apparently I've been under a rock the entire time.

Lisztomania

Of all the things that inspired me to start writing here, the incredible output of music this year was not the least. I had to expand my end of the year list to 15, because any other collection would have been arbitrary (well, more arbitrary than making Best Of lists in the first place).

For me, there was a 3-way tie for album of the year, simply because I was equally obsessed with all of them. (I will leave the principled prioritizing of music to the critics, of which I have no desire to be one). Each of these albums would have been the best album in almost any year of the decade.

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Coming in behind them, but, I think, still in a category of their own:

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
The xx - The xx

And the best of the rest, in no particular order:

Girls - Album
The Antlers - Hospice
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Up From Below
Cotton Jones Basket Ride - Paranoid Cocoon
Dark Was the Night - A Red Hot Compilation
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Atlas Sound - Logos
Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Flaming Lips - Embryonic

There were a ton of albums that I had to cut that are still heavy in the rotation. As was the case above, a number of vets - Yo La Tengo, Wilco, Camera Obscura, Andrew Bird, DOOM, Robyn Hitchcock, The Thermals, Califone, The Clientele, Sonic Youth, Sunset Rubdown, Deerhunter, Mirah - kept their streaks alive, while some youngins started their own - Bowerbirds, Jack Peñate, St. Vincent, Bibio, Lightning Dust, Times New Viking, Fuck Buttons, Thao, and (by all accounts, though I haven't heard all of it yet) A Sunny Day in Glasgow.

But the debuts this year were particularly outstanding. Fever Ray, Cut Off Your Hands, Washed Out, Suckers, Fool’s Gold, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Neon Indian, Real Estate, Janelle Monae, Delorean, Wavves, and JJ pretty much all came on the scene fully formed, original, and awesome.

For the record, I drafted this up before all the critics lists came out, but looking around at them now, it's exciting to see so many differences of opinion and dozens of albums that I didn't even sniff out this year - which just means more quality sh!% coming our way. Moremoremore. Good times in the music world.

It also means that all these artists need our support more than ever. Go to shows, support artists and your local music scene. Everybody wins.

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