Sublime. Bot'Ox is DFA's imprint label, Death From Abroad's latest signing, and what a signing it is! The Italian electronic act sensually churns out these phenomenal long-playing club tracks that sound like some sort of heavenly Kraftwerk-meets-LCD-Soundsystem hybrid. Extraordinary stuff, really.
"Babylon By Car" is this subversive prog sort of dance tune that, over the course of nearly eight minutes, crescendos into at least a dozen different "sections." The track keeps you guessing -- with so many awesome layers and elements converging every second, how can you not!? -- and bobbing along to the steady, throbbing beat. Pure funk-infused dance music genius. "Tragedy Symphony" is a more robotic jam that reminds me a little bit of a darker Fujiya & Miyagi or something ...
Esoteric, dark, brooding disco prefab for the 21st century. This is boss stuff ... switch on that stereo, turn up the Bot'Ox jams, and be pulled into a hazy jam for a solid fifteen minutes. Better yet, pick up the vinyl when it's made available ... really, you need to hear this on some h-fi wax.
It's only January 8, and the year's already looking (a) very promising and (b) very promising for the Swedes (again!)
Here's another Hybrism gem: TIAC (MySpace). The band sounds sort of like old Magnetic Fields on a very happy day with an extra big dose of guitar pop, synth love, and more forward vocals. So maybe it's not all that Magnetic Fields-ish. There's a little bit of the Cure in there, but there's too much gloss and shine and production to justify a true comparison to the original mopers.
How about this one: Orange Juice plus the Cure plus Altered Images. Yeah, maybe that's a good way to put it. Light on the Orange Juice, heavy on the Altered Images. Regardless, the band's a tremendous amount of fun. An endearing sound that's filled with sexy hooks, excited bass riffs, and a bombastic wall of sound that washes over you like a pleasant summer breeze.
After listening to the two tracks below, pick up the CD-R release, Catalogue Of Failures, from which they're pulled over at the Hybrism shop ... it's a super limited release (just 101 were made!), so get your own copy before they're all gone!
The stupendous Swedish crooner, Moto Boy, just released a new song, "Young Love," on the great record label, Songs I Wish I Had Written. I love this song. Had it come out a few weeks ago, I can guarantee it would've made one of my year-end lists.
A serene melding of Freddy Mercury's vocal talents, the feminine side of David Bowie, and the briskness of great New Wave originators like Echo & the Bunnymen or heck, early U2. This song, this "Young Love" song ... is solid gold.
Download it. Listen to it at least ten times. It'll cradle you to sleep, perk you up when down, or just relax you, wind you down. A beautiful plucked guitar riff, simple, quasi-psychedelic drumming, swooning Beach Boys backing harmonies ... a terrific package.
Hopefully the label'll release a single for the song that you can actually buy ... but until then, we're subjected to listening to a lower fidelity digital download. Damn.
It's been a while since I've heard a really solid group that literally deserves the "indie-pop" classification. The "indie-pop" genre tends to cannot -- in its truest form -- sweet, lo-fi pop songs dripping with heartfelt yet not-quite-pitch-perfect vocal harmonies, joyful arrangements (often times supplemented with warbly horns of holey strings), and a bounce and bop that sucks you in partially because of the energetic hooks but mostly because of the earnestness in which the whole package is assembled. If that makes any sense ...
Anyway, Boy Genius, a Brooklyn quartet, is truly an "indie-pop" ensemble that evokes R.E.M.'s older material, Voxtrot on a good night, and some early New Pornographers demos or something. They're simple and to the point, characteristics that usually get to me for their tendency to not really fulfill me in any way, but I dunno ... Boy Genius just sounds so happy and excited to be playing these songs that it's not my place to call them out for not pouring money into production.
They're a lot of fun. You all really ought to check them out. Buy the stellar new "80s indie rock meets 60s pop" EP, Eureka!, over at CD Baby. It's worth it, trust.
Sadly, New Orleans' Quintron (MySpace) has passed under my radar until ... now. Quintron -- the inventor of the Drum Buddy (which you can read about in depth here ... and even buy for a mere $5000!) -- plays this quirky electronic music that sounds like equal parts Sparks, Numbers, They Might Be Giants, DEVO, and maybe a little bit of the kinky and unorthodox sounds of Negativland or something. (P.S., Laurie Anderson bought her very own Drum Buddy! I want one, too!)
It's really fun stuff to listen to. Jovial, energetic, circus-y, mildly mind-bending (mildly, folks ... don't expect LSD to pop out of your speakers) ... just a pleasure to put on.
For various reasons, I'm on a lot of pain killers for the next couple of days. Maybe that's part of the reason why Quintron sounds so good right now. Makes me think of polka dots and laughing clowns and wacky stuff like that.
Buy the new Quintron EP, Jamskate, as well as everything else he's produced right here. Guaranteed fun for hours.
Keep an eye out for Late Of the Pier, quite easily one of the better U.K. groups you'll hear this year.
The experimental pop group was just remixed by another super cool London band, Portasound. The resultant remix of "Broken" is a lot of fun. It retains enough of the original to not bother any fan (I hate it when that happens -- re: yesterday's Crystal Castles remix), but spices up the rest plenty, too. The song's energetic, heavier on the drums, and dancier ... reminds me of a possible Metronomy remix or something. Very solid.
Anyway, check it out below, but more importantly, check out Late Of the Pier again ... and again ... and again ... and again ...
There's a new garage group that's tearing up Sydney, and soon, the whole world if all goes to plan! CHAINGANG -- comprised of members from Pinky Tuscadero, V'Vaars, and Russian Brides -- sounds like the spastic, brash bar band rock that was Joan Jett or the Runaways mixed with the tribal delight of Siouxsie & the Banshees or something (remember their great drummer/Siouxsie's husband, Budgie?)
Gothic Blondie. I dunno. It's rad, it's rockin', it's flailing down the streets with pants down, it's hooting and hollering, kicking and screaming. Let me go and bang my head to this stuff -- maybe you all should follow suit. Be prepared for CHAINGANG -- they're soon to embark on a slew of shows in Australia ... hopefully America will be next!
DJ Howlermonkey -- the Pittsburgh native who compiled the killer Crystal Castles Omnibus Mix has a new remix of the Canadian duo's "Magic Spells" out. Download it below or grab it over at the guy's MySpace.
It's super weird, so be warned. It's a sort of lounge-y mash-up (gah! Where's that vocal track from!?) ... J.T. on some serious depressants or something. I can't really hear "Magic Spells" through all the low-key tribal beats, but I guess it's in there somewhere, behind the laser sounds and funky rhythms. Pretty cool, regardless ...
I've the sneaking suspicion that nearly every band around today will be releasing some sort of New Year's celebratory song. It's good publicity, to be spreading good will so early on in the year and people are bound to accept it and dig it right about now when they're all high off resolutions, solutions, and reinventions (yeah, right).
Anyway, Bitchee Bitchee Ya Ya Ya has taken this route, releasing a new song, "The Anthem." Maybe that's the skeptic in me. Maybe people won't be "exploiting" the system in actuality ...
Right, the song. It's really quite cool! In fact, this new tune might be my favorite BBYYY track yet! It's got this melodious near-ballad hook that's really good, memorable, but the song is still drenched in noisy excitement and lo-fi production qualities. The usual BBYYY dirty lyrics are still there, too, so at least they've not changed that in the new year. Woot. Party.
Here at BBBD, we pride ourselves for the quality of a few aspects of our blog:
(a) Regular updates (b) High-quality content (c) Meaningful criticisms, endorsements, and general discourse
However, it's hard to stay on top of the blog-o-sphere ball 24/7 and we admit that we've our fair share of shortcomings and short sights.
So here we are, in the eve of 2008, the end of the first decade of the 21st century, arms spread wide, hands laid out in the open, asking for forgiveness: we messed up, we've made a mistake!
Many great bands that were written about on this blog over the course of the past year were omitted from our slew of year-end lists, and we apologize for that! To make up for the mistake -- since we want to support all that we deem worthy! -- we've compiled a list: The Best Of the Rest, 2007. These bands are (a) not "mainstream" yet and (b) not any worse or better than the bands that made the Top 25 Unknown Tracks of 2007 List. They were just ... forgotten! To those of you on the list: our sincere apologies. Anyway, enjoy this final compendium of great music from 2007. We are officially listed out for 2007!
Pacific! It's been noted before, but while there's no shortage of great pop groups hailing from Sweden, there is a shortage of uniqueness and creativity. We eagerly welcome Pacific! for this reason: the Gothenburg duo blends funky soul, Beach Boys-esque pop arrangements and harmonies, and an electronic bite that's just ... wonderful!
Pacific! - Hot Lips
Cowtown Like Mark E. Smith meets DEVO. Stupendously quirky and off-kilter pop songs disguised by abrasive and noisy constructions. Go Leeds!
Poney Poney The French have never been all that great at making rock music (erg, Plastic Bertrand), but Poney Poney shows that genres know now borders, languages, or nationalities: they crank out hooky, simple, and punk-infused tunes that render you a mere puppet dancing to their gritty bass lines and hard beats.
Glasvegas I've been suffering from a Camera Obscura withdrawal. Seriously. I need more dripping-in-reverb, depressed post-punk ballads from the Glasgow group. Fortunately, Glasvegas is picking up some of the slack, reminding us all just how great a music scene the Scottish town supports and how divine a good shoegaze song can make you feel ... even if it is a little heart-wrenching!
Avalon Aide from a few outliers (Cornelius, OOIOO, Boredoms, Boris), Japan just doesn't have that many great bands coming out of it, a is certainly suffering from a lack of boss pop groups. Avalon is an welcome exception. No one knows what the future holds for Escalator Records/Every Conversation, but if they keep signing groups like Tokyo's Avalon, they'll be in good shape. A futurist merging of electronic-driven pop, atmospheric post-punk, and just some great dance music.
the Elephants While I've not heard the entirety of this Danish band's debut LP, I've no idea why it's been generally panned: it's really, really good! A hybrid of twee, bedroom pop and 60s pop with a rare meticulous craftsmanship to add a unique twist to the whole package. Denmark, BBBD feels, is grossly overlooked ... so let's make 2008 the year of the Danish Invasion!
LA Priest Anyone who receives Erol Alkan endorsement (much less a remix by the God of Rave) can't be a half bad electronic act. LA Priest was first recognized for a stellar Envelopes remix, but stayed under the radar for too long. Now the Londoner is back with "Engine," a bouncy, robotic dance track filled with bizarre bleeps, boops, and strange computer glitches. Somehow, it all coheres into one masterfully arranged funky club banger that's too hot to handle. Get on it.
Metronomy Metronomy has had what, a dozen times to make it? The London-by-way-of-Brighton trio remixed Franz Ferdinand's "Do You Want To" fer cryin' out loud! They've finally settled on a sound, though, and now it's time to break! The band toured the N. American Atlantic coast and simply must come back soon! They play these great lo-fi post-punk tunes with equal parts funk, disco, and house elements to them to excite a fan of ... pretty much anyone ... from Fatboy Slim to Bloc Party to New Rave kids to the Unicorns. They rock hard and mighty. Just listen to "Heartbreaked (Live in Turin)" on their MySpace page. You're convinced.
Greengate Another excellent Japanese pop outfit that sounds like Kevin Shields on a happy day or something. They've seemingly been around for years, but because of lineup alterations and an overall enigmatic existence, never really got under anyone's radar. Listen listen listen!
Bitchee Bitchee Ya Ya Ya Is it just me or is Kitsune Records getting stranger and drifting further and further to the left (or right?) every day? One of their most recent signings, Bitchee Bitchee Ya Ya Ya, was first an annoying noise group with lofty aims to me (one of their first P.R. strategies: email all the "big" blogs), but I quickly opened my heart up to the pair and now can't let go. They've remixed CSS (nice!) and continue to churn out awesomely distorted noise ramblings that have just enough pop gusto to carry them over ... they're fresh, fun to dance to, and, quite honestly, strangely sexy in this sort of naive, infantile way. Makes me question my manhood (I kid, I kid).
Kalle J. Did I write about this Swedish kid on one of the other lists? Ach, doesn't matter. This guy is way, way, way too good. I cannot find the words to express how much my heart melts when I hear this day-dreaming, rambling, pop maestro. He's like Jonathan Richman meets Jens Lekman meets someone who's just really good at writing pop ballads that make you feel like breaking down for absolutely no reason. Such good hooks. So infectious. Every time I listen to this guy, I get sad, wallow about in sorrow. I will continue to pay that price as long as he keeps producing. Him and Parker Lewis.
the Coathangers Finally, an American band, right? Many, many U.S. groups have passed under my radar and I've liked -- if not loved -- a gross percentage of them. We make good music! Unfortunately, I don't see a tremendous amount of creativity or uniqueness coming out of the underground American scenes. Maybe that's just me. Maybe I'm just bored. I dunno. The Coathangers rock, though -- they're the Slits for a 2000s generation. Check 'em out.
Elias & the Wizzkids Yup, another Stockholm ensemble. Their contagious sing-along, naive pop music is just too sweet to resist, though. Wish them well.
the Millioners Aside from Dungen and Architecture In Helsinki (which, need I mention, is not from Helsinki!), few bands hail from the Finnish capital and fewer know of any sort of music scene even originating in the cold Northern city. The Millioners -- yes, that is their name, no, it doesn't make sense -- make super awesome, rather chilly electronic dance tracks that are reminiscent of what was being played at the Hacienda during the Madcester days. I feel like the Millioners would be promoted by Dolce & Gabbana, but I don't know why I say that. I diamond in the rough snow.
Unlike most of you, I'm sure, BBBD didn't do much for New Year's Eve. Thankfully, Radiohead -- a band whose resolution was obviously to please all, spread good music deep and wide throughout the world, and usher in the New Year with some of the best live recordings around -- released their Scotch Mist videocast which successfully kept my attention for 52 minutes solid.
What an amazing performance! Watching the Oxfordshire quintet play is mesmerizing ... Thom Yorke's body movements, drummer Phil Selway's stoic, precise-to-the-milisecond drumming, Jonny Greenwood's dutifully captivating performance, and Colin Greenwood/Ed O'Brien's nonchalant playing all converged into this cohesive whole that was hypnotic in effect. Now I must buy the album. I must I must.
I would rather pay money to see a higher-fidelity version of the film that aired on current.tv rather than go to a Radiohead show, where mediocrity is a definite possibility and being stranded in the nosebleed section more than likely.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing up my list of the best "undiscovered" tracks of 2007. It was tough widdling the list down to a mere twenty-five -- there were many more I wanted to add and many more, I'm sure, that I just simply forgot about! -- but I think it gives a good oversight of the more obscure and unknown music I was listening to and promoting over the course of the year.
Now, on the last day of 2007, I present you all with a new mix (and my final for this year!): the Best Mainstream Independent Tracks of 2007.
Whereas the last list was a compendium of allegedly "unknown" tunes, this one is (1) in order (#1 is my favorite, #25 is my least favorite of the bunch) and (2) one featuring only artists of "mainstream independent" standing artists. So while Rihanna (ugh), for example, won't be on the list (not an "indie" artist), LCD Soundsystem will be since it's a "mainstream" independent artist. Even if this doesn't make a whole lot of sense, I hope you all enjoy the thing!
Download the ZIP file here. Read some notes on the selection after the jump.
(1) Spoon - You Got Yr Cherry Bomb (2) M.I.A. - Paper Planes (3) LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends (4) Justice - Phantom Pt. II (5) Deerhoof - +81 (6) Klaxons - Golden Skans (7) Arcade Fire - Black Wave/Bad Vibrations (8) Panda Bear - Comfy In Nautica (9) Babyshambles - Delivery (10)Digitalism - I Want I Want (11)the Go! Team - Fake ID (12)Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire (13)the Raveonettes - The Best Dies (14)New Young Pony Club - Ice Cream (15)Simian Mobile Disco - Sleep Deprivation (16)Enon - Dr. Freeze (17)Hot Chip - Ready For the Floor (18)Bonde Do Role - Office Boy (19)No Age - Everybody's Down (20)Battles - Race In (21)Animal Collective - For Reverend Green (22)Calvin Harris - Acceptable In the 80s (23)Bumblebeez - Dr. Love (24)Shout Out Louds - Impossible (25)Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent Where's Jens? Where's the National? Where's Beirut? Where's a whole slew of people, for that matter? I just didn't like 'em as much. These twenty-five songs are my favorites, my anthems, my sing-alongs, my recommendations.
More importantly, perhaps, why is "Delivery" in the Top Ten? Why is Cut Copy's single on this, when there's no album to compliment it? And why the heck is Spoon's "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" #1? I don't really know ... enjoy it for what it is.
This was the year of solid, matured, intriguing comebacks (Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire); the year of New Rave's rise and inevitable, necessary fall (Klaxons); the year that at least some segment of the population learned what good, smart dance music is all about (Simian Mobile Disco); the year we embraced the international music community (Bonde Do Role); the year we finally ironically embraced the irony with which we originally embraced the 1980s (Calvin Harris); they year we finally heard from Cut Copy ... I'd say it was a pretty damn good year.
The twenty-five songs I've listed out seem to me to not only be the catchiest of the lot this year, but also the most significant and important. May we remember them for decades to come.
Straaatch is a French electronic artist who sounds sort of like MSTRKRFT, Justice, and Teenage Bad Girl all rolled into one big ball and then mixed with some hip-hop beats, extra glitch, and a little dance floor fluff by Girl Talk.
He's fun, he's a little cheesy, he's got a solid sense of rhythm, and certainly the energy and vitality to back it all up. Check out a couple of his tunes below. Fun stuff ... hopefully the Riviera native will be churning out more in the coming year!
BBBD Best Undiscovered Tracks Of 2007 (Part 5 of 5)
I feel as though I sold myself short with my statistical sum-up of the year. It was a little bit too straightforward and was only an indication of what I most frequently listened to over the course of the year rather than what I really liked in the end. There is a difference!
I now present to you the fifth (and final) installation of BBBD's Best Undiscovered Tracks List of 2007. (So now I've done artists and unknown acts, but still no favorite albums or "mainstream" independent favorites -- we shall see what the future holds!)
You can get the ZIP of all 25 of my favorite tunes here or download the MP3s one-by-one over the course of five days.
Ungdomskulen - Ordinary Son Bergen, Norway's Ungdomskulen will make more hair pop up on your chest than a straight double shot of whiskey on the rocks. Play them loud. They are the intelligence of Frank Zappa ("pop music is too much of a constrain for my genius) and the stoic metal fun of Black Sabbath. Priceless. Why didn't this band spring to the scene sooner after the demise of Test Icicles?
Vincent Vincent & the Villains - I'm On My Own Vincent Vincent & the Villains started that whole rockabilly/old school rock trend that we're experiencing today. Step aside imitators, Vincent Vincent & the Villains did it first. They did it best. Had I made a similar list of undiscovered tracks for 2006, these guys would have topped it. Luckily, they released another single this year and now that I've gotten my act together, they're on a list! Woot!
White Rabbits - The Plot Crafty, smart pop music that draws from a plethora of world and traditional musics is so in right now. White Rabbits preempted that trend and got us all on the band wagon. Give them their due respects.
White Williams - New Violence I'm from Cleveland originally. White Williams is our pride and joy; our Beck and Pavement all in one ball. He makes me feel proud to hail from such a depressed industrial city. Keep churning out them hits, White. We love you!
Whitey - Wrap It Up Whitey is the best thing that could happen to the British music scene today. I would post everything from his "lost" album, Great Shakes, if I could/if it wasn't supposed to officially be a 2008 release, but alas, this is all we've got for now. His organic, analog style of dance music is a highly sought-after musical commodity these days -- we need more liek Whitey. Funky, rocky, foot-stomping beats, fat bass lines, and head bobbing guitar/keyboard hooks. Ahhhh ... too good!
BBBD Best Undiscovered Tracks Of 2007 (Part 4 of 5)
I feel as though I sold myself short with my statistical sum-up of the year. It was a little bit too straightforward and was only an indication of what I most frequently listened to over the course of the year rather than what I really liked in the end. There is a difference!
I now present to you the forth installation of BBBD's Best Undiscovered Tracks List of 2007. (So now I've done artists and unknown acts, but still no favorite albums or "mainstream" independent favorites -- we shall see what the future holds!)
You can get the ZIP of all 25 of my favorite tunes here or download the MP3s one-by-one over the course of five days.
the Dodos - Fools Innocuous enough name, right? San Francisco's the Dodos are formidable indie-folk players, though. The seamlessly meld the wackiness of Animal Collective with rhythms that almost robotically trudge along and summery Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies. Oh, and they throw in quite a few mean swooning melodies that will ease you into submission. The Dodos are coming.
the Mules - We're Good People (CSS Remix) The Mules are a minimalist Talking Heads displaced thirty years forward to a present-day London. They're nerdy and clean-cut, yet exceptionally rhythmic and musically creative. Unfortunately, the band's best song is a CSS remix of "We're Good People." Hate it when that happens ...
the Tough Alliance - Something Special You're still not tired of hearing about the Tough Alliance from BBBD? You shouldn't be. The Swedish duo is just as fresh as it was when their music graced the digital pages of our humble music blog last year. Not only do these guys run Sincerely Yours -- one of the best Swedish record labels -- but they also churn out spectacularly fun and vibrant music. It's like New Order doing a beach party, but with an underlying maturity and somberness that's tough to place but memorable and sincere. Breaking down our preconceived notions of pop one song at a time ...
the Virgins - Rich Girls The Virgins are still under-appreciated and undiscovered by the masses. They're a sure bet if you're looking for simple and super-hit rock with an R&B/funk twist. And no, you nitwit -- they're not the second coming of the Strokes. Not gonna happen.
BBBD Best Undiscovered Tracks Of 2007 (Part 3 of 5)
I feel as though I sold myself short with my statistical sum-up of the year. It was a little bit too straightforward and was only an indication of what I most frequently listened to over the course of the year rather than what I really liked in the end. There is a difference!
I now present to you the third installation of BBBD's Best Undiscovered Tracks List of 2007. (So now I've done artists and unknown acts, but still no favorite albums or "mainstream" independent favorites -- we shall see what the future holds!)
You can get the ZIP of all 25 of my favorite tunes here or download the MP3s one-by-one over the course of five days.
Pete & the Pirates - Come On Feet Remember Tap Tap? Pete & the Pirates is Tap Tap's founder, frontman, and main member Thomas Sanders' latest project, and while the filled-out full band does resemble Tap Tap in many regards, there's a lot more going on here. The U.K. quartet plays insanely hooky tunes with the energy of an original punk band and the smart attitude of the Futureheads or Gang of Four. They're an absolutely delight. Forthright (it take barely more than two seconds for a song to kick off), deliberate, and confident, Pete & the Pirates is making us rethink what makes a good pop song and is reminding us that a sharp, jagged melody and lyric can be just as emotionally evocative as Coldplay slosh.
Ponytail - Start A Corporation Many a band has risen from (and fallen out of?) the Baltimore music scene. Many of these bands we all know and many of them subscribe to a certain psychedelic, potpourri of styles folk hybrid, but there are several outliers that are hard to place and especially intriguing. Like Ponytail! I like the describe the Baltimore group as Deerhoof on speed. They brazenly rush through hook-filled songs with a squealing vocalist carrying the tunes along (albeit it in a schizophrenic and claustrophobic manner). They will rock your socks off and send you running ... but then you'll jet back to meet them when they return to your town.
Prinzhorn Dance School - Crackerjack Docker Finally, a band that deserves all the Young Marble Giants comparisons it can rile up. Prinzhorn Dance School is one of DFA's more out there signings. The German U.K. duo sing shout non-sequiturs accompanied by uber-sparse instrumentals. So minimalist are they in fact that the drums, bass, and vocals never seem to hit at once ... the listener is just exposed to one, then the other, then the other. A weird listening experience that requires more concentration and thought than one would expect.
Shugo Tokumaru - Future Umbrella Shugo Tokumaru is an outrageously talented Japanese guitarist who composes they meandering, slight, mystical guitar tunes that span one to eight minutes. Injected with just enough Oriental twang, the pop ballads slowly and seductively wrap around your ears, subversively build to a crescendo, and innocently enough climax into a bang that's impossible to replicate. Good going, Shugo. Once again, Japan has done it better.
Studio - West Side Studio is Robert Smith and the Cure done dub. I've been able to say nothing else of worth about this Swedish duo since I was introduced nearly a year ago. Stunning. My jaw still drops listening to them.
BBBD Best Undiscovered Tracks Of 2007 (Part 2 of 5)
I feel as though I sold myself short with my statistical sum-up of the year. It was a little bit too straightforward and was only an indication of what I most frequently listened to over the course of the year rather than what I really liked in the end. There is a difference!
I now present to you the second installation of BBBD's Best Undiscovered Tracks List of 2007. (So now I've done artists and unknown acts, but still no favorite albums or "mainstream" independent favorites -- we shall see what the future holds!)
You can get the ZIP of all 25 of my favorite tunes here or download the MP3s one-by-one over the course of five days.
Holy Hail - Born of a Star Holy Hail represents the new New York cool. Sort of like Tom Tom Club goes church-y or something. It's Fannypack done folk. It's indie-dance done twee. It's so many things done backwards and contrary to common belief and hipness ... thereby making them the epitome of hip. It's creatives like these guys that we need more of.
Jana Hunter - Babies We're tired of Devendra, we're tired of "freak folk," we're tired of nondescript singer/songwriters like Feist ... we want more authenticity and trueness and now Jana Hunter is here to deliver that to us. The Texas-born singer/songwriter doesn't rely on a especially unique or quirky vocal talent, complex guitar melodies or riffs, or ecstatic stylings like many of her folk and country companions but plain and simple talent. She evokes old standbys like Vashti Bunyan, Nick Drake, and Joni Mitchell while refraining from being derivative, trendy, and hip to the now ... which, again, makes her cool, anyway!
Late of the Pier - The Bears Are Coming I don't know why interest in Late of the Pier sputtered out. They're easily one of the more progressive acts to sprout from the U.K. this year. With their off-kilter tribal-meets-dingy-bedroom-drum-machine beats, soulful singing, and loopy synth and guitar lines, the band represents a weird sort of hybrid of Talking Heads, the Unicorns, and a lo-fi incarnation of the Rapture.
Mancino - L'amour (Or Less) Mancino is the smartest pop group out of NYC this year. Bringin' grunge back in a nerdier fashion. 'Nuff said.
Parker Lewis - Dirty Dancing There have been one too many wussy male singer/songwriters to spring from Sweden in the past few years. One daydreaming Jens Lekman is all we really need, right? Nah ... Parker Lewis brings a whole new level of earnest sweetness and endearing pop writing to the table. He sings from the heart, will undoubtedly make you feel so much emotion for him (a stranger!), and will refuse to let you turn him off repeat. The young musician has been based in NYC for a while now ... perhaps it's the detachment from his home and sorrow from homesickness that has given him such talents, but whatever it is, his sadness is pure beauty. Turn all the noise off. Listen. Fall in love.
BBBD Best Undiscovered Tracks of 2007 (Part 1 of 5)
I feel as though I sold myself short with my statistical sum-up of the year. It was a little bit too straightforward and was only an indication of what I most frequently listened to over the course of the year rather than what I really liked in the end. There is a difference!
I now present to you the first installation of BBBD's Best Undiscovered Tracks List of 2007. (So now I've done artists and unknown acts, but still no favorite albums or "mainstream" independent favorites -- we shall see what the future holds!)
You can get the ZIP of all 25 of my favorite tunes here or download the MP3s one-by-one over the course of five days.
Breakbot - Summer Party 2007 was the year of Justice -- at least on the electronic/dance end of the spectrum -- a statement most clearly illustrated through the sheer number of Justice imitators! From the rest of the Ed Banger crew to Teenage Bad Girl to Yuksek to Brodinski to oh so many more, this year was clearly influenced in a substantial way by the young Parisian duo. Breakbot represents a faction that splintered away from the Justice bandwagon. He retains the same underlying dance aesthetic and robotic swing, but adds an extra dose of funk to the mix. He represents the true successor.
Cheap Beat - Club Cheap Beat Just when the Swedish pop scene was starting to get boring or at least monotonous, Cheap Beat waltzes onto the scene with contagious power-pop licks, Robert Smith-esque vocals, punkier roots, and an overall fresh approach to popular music that their fellow Scandinavian musicians failed to pick up on. Ashame, but at least Cheap Beat is here to save the day now!
datA - Aerius Light While Breakbot represents the suave, classy substitute for Justice (for those of us who have just heard "D.A.N.C.E." one too many times), datA represents everything that's good about the overplayed pair's music. The metal-inspired electronic anthems, tremendous distortions, abrasive sound qualities, and angular, sharp beats can culminate into something worthwhile and fun, and datA proved that aptly this year.
Glass Candy - Beatific I'm not even sure if Glass Candy really counts as an "undiscovered" band, but they certainly haven't received the attention they deserve, so I'm classifying them as such. Johnny Jewel -- a member of Glass Candy as well as of Chromatics as well as the producer for both entities -- is massively under-appreciated. Mr. Jewel is, in BBBD's eyes, one of the greater producers of the 21st century. His crisp and clean style is reminiscent of post-punk legends (Martin Hannett!), but the extra jolt of Italian disco and space rock is refreshing addition (too many New Wave bands these days). Glass Candy's music is all at once digestible and accessible yet exceptionally foreign and excitingly confounding. It's like valuing modern art and pointing out which painter will be "big" in five, yen years time: it's a gamble, but usually, the folks who are most out there and most bizarre are the one who, in the end, will be most prized and valued. So it is with Glass Candy/Johnny Jewel.
HEALTH - Triceratops BBBD is based in L.A., so HEALTH, a four-piece based just around the corner from BBBD HQ, gets extra Brownie points by default. That being said, though, the quartet is an exciting new band that's making those of us who've become a little jaded with the "noise" scene find some solace in the decaying genre. HEALTH infuses true talent with their noise jams ... I only hope it heightens all our appreciations for solid music and good craftsmanship. HEALTH has shown us that noise isn't just for people wanting to form a band but not having the skills and wherewithal to do so. The really rock.
Germany's Choreo is back with a new glitchy electronic dance track, "High Five," one of his best yet. Best electronic music his side of Alsace-Lorraine. The sounds and styles of Justice, the Ed Banger Boys, Brodinki, Yuksek, and all those Parisian kids is spreading faster than any modern French invasion (okay, take it down a notch, Nik), and who am I to complain?! Choreo's stuff is great and will certainly get you pumped up for any and all pre-New Year's parties, New Year's eve celebrations, and just about anything else that involves dancing that you'll be attending in the future.
Coldplay Cover Wham!'s "Last Christmas" Just In Time for ... Christmas!
I've never, not once posted a Coldplay song on this blog, but today, I'm making an exception. While I generally dislike the group (Coldplay = sound effect, not music to me), the video they posted on their website is just too cute. The quartet is staving off the rabid masses with a cover of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" (sorry, no album for you yet).
It's actually sort of sweet and calming -- and I think we can all agree that Chris Martin sings with with a much more endearing and sentimental tone that George Michael ever could claim. Enjoy the MP3 as well! Have a good one, folks!
Our favorite French rockers, Poney Poney, are spreading Christmas cheer from their side of the pond with a brand-spanking-new single, "She Began Telling Me Secrets," which sounds more like a modern rendition of "My Sharona" than a Holiday medley or Christmas carol.
Maybe that's what we need, though! A little romp to spice up our boring (?) yuletide festivities. Enjoy it!
This December, I've been hiding out in a corner, feeling a pretty worthless addition to the Internet music community. No top-fifty, twenty, ten, five ... no 2007 recommendations ... no pulling of forgotten or overlooked gems ... no year-end/holiday offerings from BBBD, everyone's favorite (!) music blog out there!
What's up!? I felt that I couldn't compete with other bloggers ... my top ten would approximately resemble at least five-hundred others', and the prospect of coming off completely unoriginal with a chart that's not up to snuff compared to other bloggers was ... daunting and frankly saddening.
After twenty-two days of intense thought, I've got something different (hopefully) to gift you this year, so here it goes: my top-ten based statistically on the number of plays each artist received from me this year. So, as the first chart below indicates, I listened to Joy Division 488 times this year, making that band the most popular and therefore number one on my un-adjusted, raw chart. Perhaps utterly boring, perhaps completely enlightening.
There are two charts below: one which includes artists/bands that predate 2007/didn't release anything this year and one which only includes 2007 artists. If anything, this might be sort of fun to look over ... and certainly less pretentious than my prepared list would've been (as much as I may claim Panda Bear was one of my top fives, he didn't end up there). Oh and hey -- there's a mix for each list, too (no carryover tracks). Enjoy the free music ... I've some saved up bandwidth!
BBBD'S 2007 STATISTICAL BREAK-DOWN (1) Joy Division (488) (2) Of Montreal (353) (3) Klanguage (338) (4) Babyshambles (286) (5) Klaxons (284) (6) the Arcade Fire (271) (7) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (223) (8) Shugo Tokumaru (222) (9) LCD Soundsystem (221) (10)the Books (216) BBBD TOP TEN MIX (Raw) (ZIP)
BBBD'S 2007 STATISTICAL BREAK-DOWN (Adjusted) (1) Of Montreal (353) (2) Babyshambles (286) (3) Klaxons (284) (4) the Arcade Fire (271) (5) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (223) (6) Shugo Tokumaru (222) (7) LCD Soundsystem (221) (8) Working For A Nuclear Free City (183) (9) Deerhunter (176) (10)the Tough Alliance (175) (11)Deerhoof (163) BBBD TOP TEN MIX (Adjusted) (ZIP)
*Animal COllective, Beirut, Digitalism, Justice, Panda Bear, the Go! Team, Marnie Stern, and Liars would've been included on a Top Twenty list.*
The man-as-pencil guitar god spruced up the otherwise bland "Tick Tick Boom" single with a sharper guitar line, too many "ticks" to count, and a bunch more hand claps. Sharper, more angular, jumpier, more energetic -- I like it.
Damn -- looks like the track's protected. I'll work on that. Download it here. Pretend you're from the U.K. if you don't really live there -- the thing's only available to the Brits.
Mad For It is the newest Swedish record label that ought to be blipping onto our radar screens in the near future.
The first "release" is Parker Lewis' "X-Mas Carol, NYC" video and MP3(both of which you can download here, but why not just check out the video above?)
Parker Lewis seems to have stopped blogging on the blog he once had and closed down his MySpace page recently, so I've no idea what he's up to currently, but he was living in NYC and making great music. This sort of dream-pop stuff infused with the Sound of the 60s that, as usual, works very well for the Swedes in general for some reason. But Parker Lewis creates his stuff in this especially endearing way, so be warned -- download a song by him and it'll be on repeat for at least the day.
Cut Copy (MySpace) has been hiding out since Bright Like Neon Love was released in 2004. Save for some remixes, various mixes, and two new tracks ("So Haunted" and "Hearts On Fire"), they've kept us guessing and wanting more more more!
The wait is coming to a close, though: the Australian trio will be releasing their second full-length album, In Ghost Colours on Modular Records on April 8. Can't wait, right?
The mix below, "So Cosmic," is an exclusive to Anthem Magazine's blog, but since I'm hosting, I've decided to put it up here. Shh.
It's very good. Sixty minutes of Cut Copy compiled tracks, many of which are off the forthcoming LP. In classic Cut Copy fashion, the mix is delicately arranged ... it beautifully showcases some of the more unusual dance tunes and throws in a plethora of special tracks that we're sure most people don't even know! Cut Copy -- forever a band that reverently pays its respects and homage to the past but never loses its modern appeal. Dig it, folks.
I'll be on a bit of a vacation over Christmas, and while I'll be posting as regular, I probably won't be all over the Internet (*ahem* like I usually am) tomorrow, what with a 4-hour flight and time zone changes and all. As you may've already guessed, I'm writing this post on Tuesday, but you'll all be reading it on Wednesday while I'm probably reading Persepolis or something in the air!
Anyway ... I've a parting gift for you all: Yves Klein Blue. The Brisbane quartet is a perfect cross-breeding of the hygienic garage of Dirty Pretty Things and the folksier, sloppier ramblings of Pete Doherty & Co. Really great stuff that'll get you dancing, tapping your feet, whatever. Not one of the group's songs lacks a killer hook or catchy bass line. The vocalist is definitely a crooner, but he keeps everything in check, never letting too loose while adding in ample amounts of rock star charisma. Oh, and in terms of drumming, Yves Klein Blue has it down pat. The songs have this sort of swing to them that lightens the heavier melodies and arrangements and just makes you ... happy!
Unfortunately, I can only offer "Silence Is Distance" as a stream, but you'll love it, so just suck it up and admit defeat: for now, this MP3 is only residing online!
Sad as it may be, I've not listened to Boards of Canada's seminal work, Music Has the Right to Children in something like two years. Their masterpiece -- a beautiful and organic melding of IDM, ambient noises, and ethereal, mystical eletronic melodies -- has unfortunately been collecting dust on my shelf, but this is certain to change now that I've thoroughly listened to Am-boy's (MySpace) output ... which one can't help but call at least a slight homage to the great Boards of Canada.
Unlike B.O.C., though, Am-boy is wildly prolific: he's released approximately thirteen albums and EPs since 1998, some of which were on the archaic technology that was the cassette! I can generally dub his music IDM or something along those lines, but there's a depth and maturity to these songs that's truly unparalleled. Listening to Am-boy, in particular his latest LP, Horrible Oracle Blessedness, I get the impression that he didn't actually create these songs ... no, these are simply found sounds that he's meticulously recorded. The album is enjoyable in its naturalness and smoothness of texture ... it's tough to imagine these tunes being developed on a cold, calculating computer.
Buy the stupendous album over at Attacknine. It's quite a work.
BIBABIDI is spreading the Holiday cheer again with another killer contest for all of you! This one will close a day before Christmas, so if you don't wind up getting anything you want next Tuesday, now you can take the gift giving into your own hands (although we don't recommend this -- there's a small chance of winning).
We've two (2) of these suckers to give away:
- 1 Limited LOLA t-shirt - 1 † album by Justice - 1 Justice tour poster
Nice, huh? I think everyone now owns their own copy of Justice's †, but if you're one of ... those ... who didn't pick it up, your opportunity to get your grubby little hands on it has arrived! But what's this LOLA t-shirt!? LOLA is a NYC-based clothing company that makes some threads. They dedicated their awesome skills to make a beautiful tee that subtly indicates the wearer's massive Justice fandom (who isn't?!) ...
If you would like to enter the contest -- which closes December 24 -- just shoot an email over to bibabidi@bibabidi.com with the subject LOLA + JUSTICE = BLISS and include your name, address, and shirt size, and you might just be lucky enough to claim one of the two (2) packages. Cool? Cool. Best o' luck.
Ahh, Holiday cheer. As it gets closer to Christmas (and other winter holidays that involve gift giving) and people get in an increasingly better mood (no work, presents) the Internet becomes a giant Christmas tree under which loads of free tunes are stashed for all. What a deal!
Tybalt, an Australian DJ and electronic artist, is taking part in the festivities with his new remix of Damn Arms' (MySpace) "Edie." The original, in classic Damn Arms fashion, is this heavy, sludgier number that mixes punk, heavier rock, and the electronic edge and excitement of say ... Klaxons. It's quite a good tune that can be heard at the band's the band's website (I guess they don't celebrate Christmas).
The remix incorporates more club elements into the original, throwing in a dash of synth sleaze and upping the atmospherics with some reverb. I like. It's a great dance track that just got a little chilly and slowed down a bit!
Check out the remix below and grab Tybalt's remix of Cut Off Your Hands' "Closed Eyes" as well!
It's easy to find a new British band every day, and it's almost expected that half of those said found bands will be like the other half. The U.K., it seems, is full of copy-cats, eager to jump on the next trend's bandwagon in a last ditch attempt at maybe garnering some iota of fame.
Pete & the Pirates (MySpace), a Reading Town quintet signed to the wonderful independent, Stolen Recordings, is attempt to garner their own deserved fame and acclaim through something a little different: actual talent, unique musical vision, and a trueness of sound that most other bands -- regardless of geography -- should aspire for.
Pete & the Pirates play some of the most fantastic pop songs around. Most of the tunes on the forthcoming LP, Little Death, clock in under the three-minute mark but compress within that window of time they convey so much. Wildly catchy angular guitar hooks, phenomenal drumming and rhythm keeping that will keep you on the edge of your seat or, better yet, jumping spastically all over the dance floor, and a frantic interplay between the five parts that is unmatched by most bands and certainly is the lifeblood of this indie-pop outfit. They combine the raw energy, sharp corners, and jagged rhythms of dancier groups with a pure punk aesthetic that dirties the whole sound up, adds a little grit and grime, makes it known that Pete & the Pirates are far from perfect. But it's that authenticity in the end that makes the band so damn good.
I cannot rave about these guys anymore. They are beyond words, really, and just need to be fully let into your system.
If you would like another free song, go here, fill out some information, and you'll be gifted "Not A Friend." Check out a few music videos after the jump. Now you're in love, right? Support them -- buy music from iTunes, or Stolen Recordings' Download Shop, or -- better yet -- get hard copies of it all right here!
