Medicine for your consumerist quandary . . .

First off, thanks to Eric for introducing me to the Black Lips. Basically, they're fucking sweet. Second off, if you haven't heard Pavement, it's time you did. The coolest American band of the last decade.

These Black Lips songs are from Let it Bloom (2005), their third studio album, but I can't wait to hear more. Apparently, they've been crankin' out the toons for a few years now. And Pavement is just one of those bands that is impossible to introduce with a hand full of songs, so enjoy this fairly early selection and then frolic to amazon or a cool album shop and listen to some more. Terror Twilight, their final album, is a gem, but, then, they all are. It's cool, though, to see where the band took their sound before starting from the beginning and experiencing it through to the conclusion. (If any former members of Pavement ever read this, I just want to say Thank You).

Perfect Depth - Pavement
Feeling Gay - Black Lips
Cataracts - Pavement
Dirty Hands - Black Lips
Fame Throwa - Pavement
Hippie, Hippie, Hoorah - Black Lips

Peace easy.

Another mixtape: Subtle Catharsis

"Black Eye" by Sally Mann

This mix is less forcibly engaging but more reflective than my last mix, Free. It's meant for gapless playback, so burn it or load it up in any decent media player, kick back, and enjoy.

Mother, skew my designs.
I need to escape.

Mixtape:
01 Moon Moon Moon - The Microphones
02 Grave Architecture - Pavement
03 Birthday Boy - Ween
04 Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 - Bach, Academy of St. Martin
05 Her Disappearing Theme - Broken Social Scene
06 Death is a Star - The Clash
07 To Bits (and Pieces) - Mr. Bear
08 [unknown, edited] - Mr. David
09 Plastic Jesus - The Flaming Lips
10 Red Ink - Deerhunter
11 1 2 3 of Me [noise sampled from Ginsu Wives album] - Black Moth Super Rainbow
12 In Limbo - Radiohead
13 Safer - Animal Collective
14 Fan #2 [cut] - Ronez
15 I Don't Wanna Die [cut] - The Unicorns
16 Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles
17 Spring Hall Convert - Deerhunter
18 Ocean - The Microphones
19 In the Singing Box - Animal Collective

Share the love.

Mysteryfunk EP

This is an uncut, completely improvised stream of musical genius. Garage à Trois is mind blowing. I can't describe it better than some girl named Gina:

All I have to say is, if my mom caught me listening to this, I think I'd be grounded. This is some of the sexiest music I have ever heard in my life.

Side A:
Mysteryfunk
Chupa Cadabra

Side B:
Bwami
FCR Theme

Mysteryfunk is the band's first release, and its a fantastic introduction to one fantastic jazz project. These tunes are infectious, so if you need the alalog experience, get the vinyl.

Super Rainbow Quest

Here's a little mix: A Tribe Called Quest (Midnight Marauders 1993) and Black Moth Super Rainbow (Falling Through a Field 2003, Start a People 2004). Keep it real.

Steve Biko (Stir It Up) - TCQ
Season for Blooming - BMSR
Sucka Nigga - TCQ
Boatfriend - BMSR
Electric Relaxation - TCQ
Smile Heavy - BMSR

Be safe while driving.

This mix is a bit of a journey. It's called Free. Enjoy.

Sample: (EB Prologue + After Class)
Mixtape:
Freee (Part 1)
Freee (Part 2)

State this ache as the final break.
Tender situation--create a good illusion.
Feel the grip of your salvation.
This is, indeed, a tender situation.

Make a move, man. State your case.
Taste the waste, man. Taste the waste.
What is your place in my glorification.
Yeah, this is really a tender situation.

Get off the pot, man. Shake and Bake.
Taste the waste, man. Taste the waste.
Pump it up or stray from that old station.
Yeah, dude, this is really a tender situation.

- Ween

Go to the shore and pray for the sea.
Go towards the mirror and pray that you'll see
someone else.
Downtown. Go downtown.

Go to the waves of grain in the center of the state.
Go away.
Go to a parking lot, sit on the ground and cry.
You'll never know why.

Start over. Start over.
Go to the ocean on a ship.
Wave goodbye to the waves and the frozen shit that was in your heart.
So long.

Time slows when it goes away.
Go away.
Time Slows.
So long.

-Deerhunter

Track list:
01 Tender Situation - Ween
02 Throwin the Round Ball - AC
03 Tropicana- Ratatat
04 Prologue (Earthbound) - Keiichi Suzuki
05 After Class - Atlas Sound
06 Final Battle - Keiichi Suzuki
07 Mourning Glory - Ween
08 Map - The Microphones
09 Doko Doko Desert - Keiichi Suzuki
10 Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel - Atlas Sound
11 Sadhanipa - Ravi Shankar & Philip Glass
12 I'm Not - Panda Bear
13 Sand (Eric's Trip) - The Microphones
14 Small Horror - Atlas Sound
15 Ready Set Glow - Atlas Sound
16 We Have a Map of the Piano - Múm
17 Twilight at Carbon Lake - Deerhunter

Take it easy.

Bite Marks.

I felt the firework crackle of your bitemarks in the deadbeat summer, but I'd rather be sleeping.

There's Diamonds and Pearls in Your Hair...

When you're alone in your bed, I strut my stuff to the banshee beat.

Shows This Week

What a great week for music! This Thursday, Girl Talk is playing at the Rev Room in Little Rock, and on Sunday The Felice Brothers are playing with Old Crow Medicine Show at Minglewood Hall in Memphis. If you don't already have your Girl Talk ticket, the Rev Room will be releasing 100 extra tickets for sale when the doors open at 7:00 PM. As far as I know, the Felice Brothers/Old Crow show isn't sold out yet and tickets are available at the door. I've never seen Old Crow Medicine Show live before, so I can't vouch for them, but I can tell you that The Felice Brothers put on the most hardcore live folk show in existence. So round up some cash, drive your ass to Memphis, buy a 40, and watch The Felice Brothers tear some shit up.

Girl Talk -- Friday Night
The Felice Brothers -- Helen Fry
The Felice Brothers -- Whiskey in My Whiskey
The Felice Brothers -- Ballad of Lou the Welterweight

I Got Stripes

I've been on a White Stripes kick today. Here are some sweet B-sides and rarities.

The White Stripes -- Let's Shake Hands
The White Stripes -- Hand Springs
The White Stripes -- Party of Special Things to Do (Captain Beefheart cover)
The White Stripes -- Conquista

Flaming Lips Covers

I got the Fight Test EP for Christmas and I thought these covers were pretty nifty.

The Flaming Lips -- Can't Get You Out of My Head (Kylie Minogue cover)
The Flaming Lips -- The Golden Age (Beck cover)
The Flaming Lips -- Knives Out (Radiohead cover)

More Live Animal Collective, New Song

Animal Collective played a few dates after their recent release of MPP, two of which were at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC. Nyctaper recorded both nights, which are available here and here. Also, on a recent BBC session, AC put down a great version of what's being referred to in the blogosphere as "What Would I Want Sky," which is either a new song or an MPP outtake. AC has indicated that they have no intentions of releasing an MPP B-Sides EP, so this may be the closest we get to a recorded version of this great song.

Animal Collective -- What Would I Want Sky (Live on BBC)

Animal Collective -- Lion in a Coma (Live on BBC)

French Pop

This is pretty much the best shit I've ever heard.

Yelle -- Ce Jeu
Yelle -- Je Veux Te Voir

Beer and Bob

It's nice outside. Drink some beer and listen to Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan -- Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance
Bob Dylan -- I Shall Be Free
Bob Dylan -- Corrina, Corrina

Animal Collective Live at the Malta Festival 7/1/06

The mix on this video is a little off in parts and whoever made it cut off what was shaping up to be an amazing version of "The Purple Bottle." But all things aside, this a pretty damn good video of one of the greatest bands on the planet. And from what recent concert-goers have said about their MPP tour dates, they've gotten a million times better live. Oh we have so much to look forward to...

Animal Collective Live at the Malta Festival 7/1/06

Coffee and Dylan

It's cold outside. Drink some coffee and listen to Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan/Johnny Cash -- Girl from the North Country
Bob Dylan -- Nashville Skyline Rag
Bob Dylan -- Tell Me That It Isn't True

Some Shit to Freak to

What a great week. Here's some shit to freak to.



Cadence Weapon -- Sharks
The Flaming Lips -- Thank You Jack White (For the Fiber-Optic Jesus That You Gave Me)
The Felice Brothers -- Glory

The Best Band You've Never Heard Of

We Are Good Friends. Yep, that's the band name. They're from LA/Oklahoma City and man do they make great folkish experimental music. The band features Dustin Sanchez and Mickey Reese (El Paso Hot Button), but I'm pretty sure their live group is expanded to include several members. I picked up their self-titled debut at an El Paso Hot Button show last May and I'm convinced it's the best $5 I've ever spent. Imagine Flaming Lips meets Neil Young meets Bright Eyes. It's great.

We Are Good Friends -- The Hole Inside the House
We Are Good Friends -- Simon Killed Garfunkel
We Are Good Friends -- Malcolm X vs. The Lochness Monster
We Are Good Friends -- Long Live Magdelena

Best of 2009 List

#1 -- Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective


Yep. It's that good.

Animal Collective -- My Girls
Animal Collective -- Daily Routine
Animal Collective -- Bluish

Shows This Weekend

Hey bitches and ho's. I figured I should start trying to keep you guys up on sweet shows that are going on in and around the great damn state of Arkansas. First of all, Mr. Bear and my band, May the Peace of the Sea Be With You, are playing a FREE show at The Brewery in Conway Friday night and you should all be there. I'd post some mp3's from Mr. Bear's newly re-released masterpiece, These Machines, but sadly, I don't yet own a copy. The songs below are from his first full length album, Mr. Bear Music, which is available here for free download.

Secondly, on Saturday night at Low Key Arts in Hot Springs, 7 bands, including Church of the Snake, Androids of Ex-Lovers, Itinerant Locals, and Blue-Screen Skyline, will create a circle on the floor of the venue and provide almost 2 hours of non-stop rock, one band right after the other. If that's not cool, I don't know what is. It's called "Spikes All You Can Eat Deep Fried Rock n Roll Birthday Party" and all the proceeds go towards supporting this year's Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival.

Mr. Bear -- Sleepwalking
Mr. Bear -- Bunny Hole
May the Peace of the Sea Be With You -- Helltown River Blues
May the Peace of the Sea Be With You -- If I Were a Bird

Gang Gang Dance

Sporting dancey, spacey, experimental music that has a tinge of tribal and eastern, Brooklyn quartet Gang Gang Dance's fourth full-length effort, St. Dymphna, is one of the most innovative things I've heard all year. It's albums like this that make me think that all those "Best of 2008" list makers should've done their research more.

Gang Gang Dance -- First Communion
Gang Gang Dance ft. Tinchy Stryder -- Princes
Gang Gang Dance -- Inners Pace
Gang Gang Dance -- House Jam