What are you listening to?

HerrHerr · Post by **HerrHerr** » July 20th, 2007, 2:22 pm

If I win the lottery, I want a special music listening room that I will pay Bob handsomely to decorate.

Seriously.

scook · Post by **scook** » July 23rd, 2007, 1:25 pm

mcnichol wrote:

Oooh yeah, fantastic album.

Post by **bradisntclever** » July 23rd, 2007, 1:44 pm

Lately, I've been on a Destroyer binge. Challengers wasn't quite the New Pornographers album I had expected (I still like it), so I had to compensate.

Other than that, I've mainly been listening to the new albums from Spoon, Animal Collective, Maximo Park and Calexico.

mcnichol · Post by **mcnichol** » July 24th, 2007, 11:41 am

Last night, while cutting molding and horribly messing up the joins, Erika and I were blaring that Panda Bear record. I'd been listening to the tracks released individually on singles over the last year plus, and then had been listening to it as an LP off and on for the last few months (and enjoying it). But last night everything just clicked.

This sounds so negative and pessimistic, but I was very ready to not like this album. There had been much hype around its release, and he and the group he is a part of (Animal Collective) already receive so much praise. Because of or in spite of all that, I was ready for this to not work. The songs seem to be mostly sampled loops and beats with Noah's reverbed-to-heaven voice (and maybe some guitar?) over top, and I guess I thought that formula couldn't sustain repeated listens and would seem just like a bunch of neat, ear-candy parts layered on top of one another.

In fact, after playing this repeatedly and letting my ears relax, the songs and the album itself have become greater than those individual parts, such that I can't even hear the seams or the pieces anymore. Many of the songs are mantra-like and repetitive -- when combined with the reverb, the lines around the pieces are blurred anough to make everything seem whole. Also, the songs are full of a joy and a hope that feels honest, even when dealing with heavier themes (ie., "Take Pills"), and that's what I think is missing from so much else I'd plugging my ears with.

If you have the time, give some of these a listen. The first track is quite long -- it's actually two tracks that are fitted together in the middle (unlike the molding I was cutting, which did not fit at all) -- but is well worth the time to download and listen.

Bros (track 3)
Take Pills (track 2)
Ponytail (track 7)

Thanks for reading my ramble.

Chris wrote:If I win the lottery, I want a special music listening room that I will pay Bob handsomely to decorate.

I will gladly work for a post-lottery-winnings Chris Allen.

Post by **bradisntclever** » July 24th, 2007, 11:45 am

mcnichol wrote:Noah's reverbed-to-heaven voice (and maybe some guitar?)

Amen to that.

shando · Post by **shando** » July 24th, 2007, 12:07 pm

It's a really great record.

shando · Post by **shando** » July 24th, 2007, 12:45 pm

What new records are you looking forward to?

Me, I'm game for this:

Some dude's saying good things about it.

mcnichol · Post by **mcnichol** » July 24th, 2007, 1:41 pm

shando wrote:What new records are you looking forward to?

Holy shit!

Here's one of those artists who I hear too much about before hearing them and then just ignore it, sick of the hype. I'm not saying this is a good plan, but this often how my brain works. ...TO MY DISADVANTAGE.

So, I never heard Arular, despite everyone (and every blog) insisting it was the future. Now, not having heard her name mention in a while, and reading what Shannon linked to, I went and downloaded "Bird Flu" and "Boyz." I have been missing out! Add me to the list of waiting for this album.

I'm so out of the loop these days for what's coming up, but I'd say:
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam and live box set
Magnolia Electric co. - Sojourner box (4cd + dvd)
Fiery Furnaces - Widow City
Jens Lekman
MF Doom & Ghostface - Swift & Changeable
Edan - wheneverthehellthiscomesouti'veheardnothingsofarandcheckfrequently

shando · Post by **shando** » July 24th, 2007, 1:47 pm

mcnichol wrote: MF Doom & Ghostface - Swift & Changeable
Edan - wheneverthehellthiscomesouti'veheardnothingsofarandcheckfrequently

!!!!!!!!!

Post by **bradisntclever** » July 24th, 2007, 1:54 pm

If you're looking for more MIA, her Piracy Funds Terrorism mixtape overlaps a bit with Arular, but it's still quality.

shando · Post by **shando** » July 24th, 2007, 2:05 pm

bradisntclever wrote:If you're looking for more MIA, her Piracy Funds Terrorism mixtape overlaps a bit with Arular, but it's still quality.

Yeah, Diplo's production on it is superb. I really really like the "walk Like an Egyptian" sample. On "Bucky Done Gun?" I forget. Either way, yes, good stuff.

Post by **bradisntclever** » July 24th, 2007, 2:08 pm

shando wrote:
bradisntclever wrote:If you're looking for more MIA, her Piracy Funds Terrorism mixtape overlaps a bit with Arular, but it's still quality.
Yeah, Diplo's production on it is superb. I really really like the "walk Like an Egyptian" sample. On "Bucky Done Gun?" I forget. Either way, yes, good stuff.

Diplo's pretty fun live, too. I saw him last summer at the Parish with Cansei de Ser Sexy and Bonde do Role and it was one of the more memorable concert-going experiences I've had. He accompanied both bands a little and also did a really neat video mixing set for a while, until he got tired of how small the stage was and ripped the screen down.

kbadr · Post by **kbadr** » July 24th, 2007, 2:30 pm

I just picked up "Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus", by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Good album(s). Appropriately dark, and a good number of songs with super catchy hooks. I need to see that man live.

shando · Post by **shando** » July 24th, 2007, 2:45 pm

Recent eMusic downloads. Also, I'm a throwback in that I download entire albums.

El-P: Fantastic Damage
El-P: I'll Sleep When You're Dead
The Lounge Lizards: Voice of Chunk
Gogol Bordello: Super Taranta!
Slavic Soul Party!: Teknochek Collision
Rammellzee: Bi-Conicals of the Rammellzee
Bizzart: Bloodshot Mama
Soul-Junk: 1958

Other newish stuff for me:

Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Betty Davis: Betty Davis
Patton Oswalt: Werewolves and Lollipops (recorded at Cap City)
"Blue" Gene Tyranny: Out of the Blue
Pterodactyl: Pterodactyl
Golden Arm Trio: The Tick-Tock Club

I'm probably missing something in there....

shando · Post by **shando** » July 24th, 2007, 2:46 pm

kbadr wrote:I just picked up "Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus", by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Good album(s). Appropriately dark, and a good number of songs with super catchy hooks. I need to see that man live.

Has anyone heard his new Grinderman stuff? Wait, I bet Bob has....