bastardo

Collaborations

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 21:29:00 +0000

Alright? At the end of June, Icelandic freak/genius Bjork and New York's ridiculously productive Dirty Projectors released Mount Wittenberg Orca, a digital release with all proceeds going to the National Geographic Society for projects that ensure the protection of certain areas of ocean from human activity which is really bloody nice of them, isn't it.

More importantly though, that EP happened to be the boom-ting. It is for this reason we're going to have a look at the wonderful, weird and sometimes wikidy-wikidy-wack world of musical collaboration.

Talking of the Dirty Pros, we introduce now a virtual collabo-whore in the form of Monsieur David Byrne. The Talking Heads frontman has combined with, in recent years, The Dirty Projectors, Fatboy Slim, Theivery Corporation, The Fiery Furnaces and N.A.S.A for their 2009 The Spirit of Apollo album, to name but a few. The musical combination of Byrne and Brian Eno for 2008's Everything That Happens Will Happen however, was the effort that sounded most complete, rather than Byrne being used as a cameo player in order to provide an element of retro cool as was evident on the other records mentioned. He seems to care about this record and, although it doesn't provide the dub, funk and electronica present on the pair's previous collab, 1981's Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, you could say this album's shock appeal is it being more easily-accessible than experimental.

Kylie Minogue, man. Is there anyone or anything less offensive? Yes. The musical equivalent of a hate crime is less offensive than her output. So what was Nick Cave thinking when he joined forces with her in 1996, during what is now roundly regarded as her "weird" phase? Where The Wild Roses Grow is a grim song about the murder of 'Eliza Day', Kylie's character, and is as theatrical as you'd expect a Cave-penned number to be. When Bad Seed Blixa Bargeld filled Kylie's shoes for a version that you can find on the B-Sides and Rarities album, it became apparent just how unconvincing Kylie was in her role. Not only was the Bargeld version far superior, but the role of murdered beauty 'Eliza Day' was played with more authenticity by a man who looked like a goth Sonic The Hedgehog.

Now try this:

Not much could really go wrong when Jeffrey Lewis and Diane Cluck, effectively the male and female benchmarks of the anti-folk scene, combined on 2001's aptly named Diane Cluck and Jeffrey Lewis. This is good...

...but Laura Marling really steps up here. This is impressive (and could possibly feature in a later post on cover songs)...

When electro experimentalist Apparat initially got together with thumping beatniks Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary of Modeselektor all was not rosy. The project spawned a rough debut EP (it's translation from German meaning At The Cost Of Health) and then promptly self-destructed. A seven year hiatus followed, put down to creative differences. Everyone was sad. Times were dark. Then in May of 2009 everybody was happy again. Moderat came out, was applauded and contained within, both the otherworldly dreaminess of 'Rat whilst somehow managing to bounce along with the frenetic energy of Mode'. So it all worked out great, really.

Sometimes, when too many experimental types come together, things can get experiMENTAL. Yeah, I said it. Like when creepily private, Swedish, electronic masterminds The Knife become friends with say, Berlin-based performance artist and full-time weirdo Matthew Sims who in turn calls up multi-instrumentalist, audiovisual spazz and the classically trained Janine Rostron aka Planningtorock, all that might happen is that an entire song is dedicated to the sound of wind. Which, obviously, is exactly what did happen this year when the outfits in question created an opera based on Charles Darwin's 'Origin Of The Species'. Prett-ay big subject matter. Eventually the album gains a kind of momentum, and it is all very good at drawing you in but at points you wish they'd all just stop spaffing over one another's creative sensibilities and hit us with a friggin' drop. Tomorrow, In A Year? Sometimes it bloody feels like it.

For those who'd hate to hear Paul McCartney come across as a cringy ol' meshuggeneh, don't listen to this. I told him not to hang about with him. It's gross. On a Dancing In The Street kinda level. Although I'll be the first to say it's a pretty good album otherwise.

Beck and Dangermouse collaborated in the studio for Beck's eleventh LP, Modern Guilt in 2008. It recieved pretty decent reviews universally, although somebody forgot to tell the Guardian that everything Beck touches turns to f*cking gold. It was superb.

And finally, what is essentially a bastardisation of Arular, M.I.A's debut, by Philadelphian DJ Diplo, we have Piracy Funds Terrorism, a mixtape that didn't recieve a commercial release but was distributed at M.I.A live shows. They seemed to hit it off as Diplo remained a collaborative partner on both Kala and /\/\/\Y/\. Aw.

Another Freddie Gibbs Mixtape For FREE - Str8 Killa No Filla

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:20:00 +0000

Follow-up to this years Str8 Killa EP, Freddie Tipton has provided us with yet another free mixtape available to download HERE courtesy of XXL. His album, Baby Faced Killa will be out later this year.

Wolf Parade - Expo 86

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:59:00 +0000

In 2005 a group of Quebecers (it's correct, I looked it up) brought us the dazzling Apologies To The Queen Mary, their debut album on Sub Pop Records and a follow-up to their much lauded, eponymous Wolf Parade EP. In 2010 we have Expo 86.

What happened in those five years in the middle there? Well, aside from a frankly ridiculous number of side project releases (Sunset Rubdown, Frog Eyes, Handsome Furs etc...) there was the brilliant At Mt. Zoomer, an album that took all of the endearingly fuzzy (albeit slightly nervous) noise of the debut and filed it down into a more precise and directed sound. It lacked some of the immediacy that Apologies possessed but after being given time to grow it was clear that the band had done the exact same thing, for better or for worse. However they had not yet grown into a powerhouse, like fellow citizens Arcade Fire for instance. They had conquered Mt. Zoomer but there was still only one direction they were headed.

Expo 86 sounds like all the progress between the first two long players has been taken into account, as has the time between second and third. They've moved forward again, this time the noticeable difference being the huge gain in confidence. Each song comes at you harder and with more force. Opener 'Cloud Shadow On The Mountain' has the foot-stomping elements of stadium rock interwoven with their usual protopunk aesthetic. They come out the traps fast and what is evident straight away is the immediacy that they lacked on Zoomer.

This new-found ballsiness is the sort of attitude you'd expect from what is effectively a supergroup, yet that element has always been missing from the previous output and a sweet vulnerability has always shaped their sound. The songs on this album come over less shy-away and come over more Springsteen and it seems like greater cohesion between the band's members, particularly songwriters Krug and Boeckner, has simply created a less jarring selection of songs.

'Ghost Pressure' is the song of the album; a dark, synth-laden track that sends out menacing tremors throughout. It is, once again, a song that would seem out of place on Mt. Zoomer and would be completely unthinkable to slot amongst the Shine A Lights and the I'll Believe In Anythings of Apologies. The album closes nicely with surfer-rock influenced Cave-O-Sapien playing us out, all free-spirited and exciting.

With an abundance of side-projects with multiple releases, critical acclaim and an ever-growing fanbase, and the safety in the knowledge that nobody in the band really needs Wolf Parade anymore maybe, just maybe the band are confident and relaxed enough to finally fill the very large shoes that come with being part of a supergroup. And it really comes across.

New Shigeto EP For FREE

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:32:00 +0000

Shigeto's Semi Circle EP (pre-cursor to the upcoming Full Circle LP) was released in April on the awesome Ghostly International record label. Promising wasn't the word to describe it. It was liable to eventually cause some sort of brain haemorrhage in someone due to sensory overload. Dangerously good would be more appropriate.

And now we have this:

The What We Held On To EP. Equally effective, only this time it's absolutely free. Don't take this lightly. Zach Saginaw's releases are highly personal journeys that swing from each branch of his family tree, documenting their difficulties along the way; Grandma's Words/Rise Out of the Stone highlighting the treatment of Japanese-Americans after the attacks on Pearl Harbour during WWII.

Here are the tracks from the EP. Have a listen and see what you think.

spring textures by SHIGETO

after she smokes by SHIGETO

Bitter Sweet by SHIGETO

what we held on to by SHIGETO

grandmas words // rise out of the stone by SHIGETO

AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD HERE

Soundtracks...

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:36:00 +0000

As the Twilight franchise smells of rubbish I was pleasantly surprised to notice that it had at least spawned a decent soundtrack. Twilight: New Moon's OST features the likes of Lykke Li, Grizzly Bear and, most surprisingly, Beach House's Victoria Legrand. So I gots to thinking. What is the best movie soundtrack, for chrissake?

I've compiled a list of ten albums, some featuring purely because of the music on offer and others because of where the soundtrack fits in to the tapestry of the film ie. how it works as a cinematic tool.

But mainly because of the tunes, obviously. Let's go.

10. Buffalo 66

Most of the music on this album was created by the director (Vincent Gallo) himself and these tend to be either haunting ambient tracks or aggressive discordant guitars, which serve the movie so well in highlighting the polarised nature of the main character Billy Brown (also played by Gallo). King Crimson's Moonchild is a nice addition to the tracklisting, however it is the auteur's father whose contribution is most noteworthy, his rendition of the 1940s classic Fools Rush In the centre-piece for one of the film's most hypnotic scenes.

9. Pretty In Pink

Yes, of course a John Hughes film was going to feature but if you're expecting the bloody Breakfast Club as well you can bloody sling your hook! This soundtrack is superior to the aforementioned, the title track lifted from one of the best albums of the decade, The Psychedelic Furs' Talk Talk Talk. The songs seem darker than what was on offer a year earlier; contributions from gothic post-punkers Echo & The Bunnymen and melodramatic indie band The Smiths made sure of that. That's not to say it doesn't have enough bugglegum moments to make sure the Molly Ringwald fans are kept happy.

8. Morvern Callar

Creating the soundtrack to accompany the story of a woman who lives in the Scottish port town of Oban who finds her author boyfriend dead after committing suicide was never going to be easy. Cue opening track I Want More from Can's 1976 album Flow Motion. "Whaaaaaa???" you cry. I know! Lynne Ramsay and her music supervisors deserve a lot of credit for bringing a colourful soundscape to Morvern's gritty tale. The Velvet Underground, Boards Of Canada and Aphex Twin also feature.

7. Boogie Nights

Less original and less eclectic than a lot of the other records on the list but who cares when you have so many classics in one place: the album is essentially a who's who of 1970s soul and disco, guitar pop and funky rock. My personal favourite on the album is Animals front man Eric Burdon's eerily catchy Spill The Wine, a song that sounds more like an acid trip than a love song.

6. Greenberg

It's James Murphy's contribution that makes this collection for me. In a year that has seen Murphy effectively say goodbye to the music world in regards to LCD Soundsystem, the Greenberg OST gives Murphy-ites a glimmer of hope and a little insight as to what we have to look forward to from New York native in the future. Murphy's input here is far more mature than his LCD catalogue. He is basically putting forth a series of lo-fi ballads and subtle acoustic or electronic landscapes of sound, far removed from days of dancefloor filling disco-funk. Elsewhere on the album we have classic rock from the Steve Miller Band, shoegaze from Galaxie 500, rock 'n' roll from The Sonics and a little bit of 80s pop from Duran Duran to name exactly four more contributors.

5. The Darjeeling Limited/The Life Aquatic

Couldn't choose between these two. Both soundtrack a Wes Anderson film. Which basically means both soundtrack a slightly off-kilter world of strange and slightly unnatural relationships between strange and slightly unnatural characters. Both feature contributions from famous film composers (Satyajit Ray and Sven Libaek) as well as rock 'n' roll legends (David Bowie, The Kinks, Iggy Pop, The Rolling Stones, etc...). They both find space to include a crooner in Scott Walker and Peter Sarstedt, respectively. So there was really nothing in it. If it came down to a photo finish The Darjeeling Limited might just pip The Life Aquatic to the post. Maybe. I just don't know.

4. The Wackness

This simply does too much right not to be on the list: guests include hip-hop legends Notorious B.I.G, KRS-One and Nas, the latter's contribution coming in the form of the Illmatic classic The World Is Yours. And as well as this it features the only decent thing Will Smith has ever done in music ever, in Summertime. For every gritty Wu-Tang joint (Tearz) you have either Biz Markie having lady troubles in his comically self-depreciating Just A Friend or A Tribe Called Quest asking us whether or not we feel they can kick it. The answer is yes, they can.

3. Marie Antoinette

The first of two Sofia Coppola films to feature in the top three. And deservedly so. Who else would have thought that post-punk aficionados Gang Of Four's 'Natural's Not In It' would have seemed so at home in 18th century France? Or 80s goth types The Cure, for that matter. Both Aphex Twin and Squarepusher also feature, however (just to further defy expectations) we are not gifted any of the anxious, glitchy techno that we are usually presented with by these two. Instead we are treated to their softer side, as they provide pieces to accompany the film's more reflective moments.

2. Midnight Cowboy

Not only included because of Harry Nilsson's epic Everybody's Talking or for John Barry's perfect score. It's included for mirroring perfectly the themes of loneliness and urban depravity that the film explores. For those who have seen the film, listening to the soundtrack brings back the emotions felt as we witness Joe Buck's character being slowly dirtied by his urban surroundings, or Ratso's realisation that he has finally found, in Buck, the only friend he's ever had. Movie messiah Roger Ebert said in 1969, critically, of the psychedelic party scene in the film that "it is a handy way to sneak in one more rock song for the sound-track album". Well nobody's complaining Roger, you jerk.

1. Virgin Suicides

What do you do if you are French electronic music duo Air in 1999, a year after the release and critical acclaim of your debut album, Moon Safari? Sign up to write the soundtrack for the film adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides' novel The Virgin Suicides, directed by Sofia Coppola, obviously. And their efforts are excellent in creating the odd feeling of nostalgia that runs through the film. The mood is not at all comforting though, if anything there is a degree of threat behind the score. Something sinister seems to be lurking around every corner, hidden behind every closed door. The mystery that surrounds the Lisbon girls is effectively woven into the fabric of each song on the album, making this not only essential to the film but to your record collection as well.

(Noteworthy emissions include Lost In Translation, Juno, A Clockwork Orange, Taxi Driver, Unmade Beds, Swingers and Trainspotting...)

Bird Excretes Into Musician's Mouth Again

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:36:00 +0000

Kings Of Leon cut their set short (three songs in) in front of an audience at St.Louis' Verizon Wireless Amphitheater because bassist Jared Followhill caught faeces in his mouth that had been emitted from the anus of a pigeon living in the rafters of the arena. Drummer Nathan tweeted (like a bird): "So sorry St. Louis. We had to bail, pigeons shitting in Jared's mouth. Too unsanitary to continue..."

I don't what the big deal is, KoL have been spewing shit since they've been playing stadium gigs anyway.

Sorry.

TRON SOUNDTRACK
If you would like to get a taste of Daft Punk's 'Tron: Legacy' soundtrack then do so HERE. There is also a new trailer for the film, have a look!

El Guincho FREE Download
Pablo Diaz-Reixa released his brilliant Piratas De Sudamerica Vol.1 EP last week and has kindly provided us with a FREE DOWNLOAD of new track 'Bombay' from his official website this week. The song provides much of what we expect from Pablo, reworking Latin folk and Carribean melody to create a hazy mix of Tropicalia and Afrobeat. Lovely.

Broken Social Scene On Scott Pilgrim Soundtrack
The Canadians have recorded a song for the Scott Pilgrim Versus The World soundtrack. It's three seconds long...

Mount Kimbie/Toro Y Moi/Foxes In Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:22:00 +0000

Mount Kimbie - Crooks & Lovers
It's hard to know where to start with Mount Kimbie's debut, Crooks & Lovers. As far as dubstep goes as a genre, whilst there is plenty of interesting material out there, being subjected to that bass-driven growl for hours on end can grow quite tiring, and because there are far too many producers jumping on the dubstep bandwagon but unfortunately lacking the originality to bring anything new to the genre, some people are beginning to consider the genre to be lacking in innovation and creativity. That's not to say Mount Kimbie deal solely in dubstep but it is the clearest point of reference. There are elements of ambient and techno in there too, maybe even a possibility of post-rock in the same vein as Animal Collective.

What makes this album is its ability to bypass pigeon-holing. It's just far too difficult. Crooks & Lovers is the delicate side of dubstep, or the more exciting side of ambient. So whilst dubstep may be the easiest label to tag them with, the genre should count itself lucky for the duo's refreshing approach to the formula as this is, with absolutely no doubt, going to be one of the albums of the year.

Toro Y Moi - Leave Everywhere

I bet you were expecting that to come over all chillwave, weren't you. Chaz Bundick impressed us all in January with the release of Causers Of This, one of two LPs that will come out this year if you believe his website. For now we are going to have make do with his new 7-inch, Leave Everywhere, a little rock'n'roll ditty recorded in its entirety with instruments, not a laptop in sight.

Foxes In Fiction - Swung From The Branches

Foxes In Fiction is Warren Hildebrand. This is only important because, after listening to Swung From The Branches, you'll soon feel you know him pretty well. Be warned, this album takes patience. It's divulgent, seven tracks in you wouldn't be blamed for thinking you'd been listening to the same song all the way through and it's only for the voice of Charles Bukowski reading one of his own passages that alerts you to the album's movement. And it is only by the end of this song that you realise the album has actually gained momentum, such is its hypnotic nature. The changes are so subtle, but you become so absorbed in the world of Hildebrand in a way that each miniscule change makes a momentous difference. By the time you reach the end of the first side (the album was originally released as a tape) and are introduced to Bronte Balloons you feel as though you have become part of the album and each song seems far more purposeful than it would have without the original drone. The latter stages of the album completes a journey of growth: the sound is more mature and we feel as though we have been taken on a adventure through Hildebrand's adolescence. And after all of it it seems like it was worth the wait.

(If you would like a more detailed description of the album Hildebrand has a track-by-track analysis on his myspace).

Neon Indian 'Psychic Chasms' UK Release

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:24:00 +0000

Alan Palomo (aka Neon Indian) has finally given his debut album, Psychic Chasms, a UK release date...nearly a year after it was released in the States.

On the 20th September we'll finally (wink, wink) get to find out why Palomo featured in so many end-of-year lists and, as a treat for good behaviour, the release comes with a bonus CD entitled Mind Ctrl: Psychic Chasms Possessed which includes a new track and remixes from YACHT, The Antlers and the excellent Toro Y Moi to name but a few.

The Cast Of Cheers - Chariot

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:23:00 +0000

This apparently was made available months ago so I apologise for my ignorance.
The Cast Of Cheers create a noise that sounds like math-rock being played by Death From Above 1979. It would do them an injustice to say they were simply Ireland's answer to Foals as this album comes at you far harder, each melodic intricacy balanced out nicely by a bastard of sound.

Not only is it a fantastic album, but it's available completely free from HERE. Go get it. Now.

Download New Deerhunter Single For Free

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:27:00 +0000

'Revival' the new single from Deerhunter's upcoming Halcyon Digest is available right HERE.

The password is tapereel. No worries.

Mercury Prize 2010

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:00:00 +0000

On Monday, 2010's Mercury Music Prize nominees were announced. This is what we got:

Biffy Clyro - Only Revolution
Dizzee Rascal - Tongue N' Cheek
Kit Downes Trio - Golden
Foals - Total Life Forever
I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
Villagers - Becoming A Jackal
The XX - xx

Cringe. Obviously it would be an absolute travesty if The XX didn't win it, but who were the worthy nominees absent from the list? POW! I'm gonna tell you.

Errors - Come Down With Me
The Glasgow outfit surprised everyone by proving that glitchy electronics and math-rock was not their only forté, they could also make a decent pop tune as well. 'A Rumour in Africa' and 'Supertribe' was the definitive proof that Errors had made decent strides since It's Not Like Something... and the How Clean Is Your Acid House? EP which had already recieved so much applause.

The Fall - Our Future Your Clutter
Only one the finest bands (I say bands, I mean men) to ever come out of this country. Mark E Smith and his ever-changing bunch of collaborators put the youngsters to shame 34 years after The Fall's initial inception. At the ripe old age of 53, Smith's songs still brim with the grit, energy and that hypnotic repetition that they always have. Have they ever been nominated for a Mercury award? No. Would the miserable old bastard care if they were? No.

Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
The follow-up to 2008's Street Horrrsing was an apocolyptic journey through noise. The album managed to be both immediate and slow-building at the same time. 5 minute intros resonated nicely, conjuring up epic psychedelic imagery in the process but also flew by like you'd been dancing the whole time. Tarot... allowed FB to become more accessible without losing that exciting experimentation in oscillating noise that Street Horrrsing possessed. Pretty epic.

Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
Without a doubt LC!'s earlier, jollier and more playful material was brilliant and enjoyable, ironically dealing with the very same adolescent relationships that this album seems to be shunning. This new sceptical outlook is not something we are used to hearing from the mouth of lead singer, Gareth Campesinos!. This album is essentially documenting Gareth's dissolving belief in his idealistic views on romance, the very same ideas that were so prevalent in his earlier writing. You can actually feel him bitterly coming-to-terms with a brand new perspective; it makes for some brilliant listening in a strange kind of voyeuristic sense.

These New Puritans - Hidden
Woooooaaaah! 2008's Beat Pyramid showed ambition, sure, but wow. The album sounds like the bloody soundtrack to a mythical war.

Four Tet - There Is Love In You
Kieran Hebden is back to making the type of music that seems to soundtrack your day. The type of music that, when being played on headphones during a walk through busy city streets on a sundrenched day, seems to manipulate the action around you: people's footsteps moving in sync to the beat, stammering cut-up vocals coincide with the mouths of those around you, the bleeping melodies controlling the movement of the light. This is reflective music at its best.

LOOK AT THESE THREE!

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:04:00 +0000

Vendor Defender
From the pulsating dubstep-influenced beginnings of 'Silver Shakes' through to it's cowbell-flavoured up-tempo ending, VD make sure your head doesn't stop bouncing. The band switch from spiky guitars to soaring synths so quickly that your body has to remain two steps ahead of you at all times; one moment your body may be more than comfortable partaking in a repetitive bass driven sway and before you know it, due to a sudden change in tempo, your neck's getting in on the action, throwing your head joyously from side to side. The control they have over you is worrying....
www.myspace.com/vendordefender

Neonates
Definitely for those who appreciate that DIY sound. Imagine if The Slits spoke Spanish (maybe they do) and all their songs sounded like you were listening to them through a washing flannel. Yeah, something like that. But despite the rough-around-the-edges approach, Neonates have blasted out a little collection of awkward pop songs that stumble about like baby Bambi, only more adorable, which is more than fitting (the moniker meaning newborn child). The songs actually sound curious and infantile; it's as if the band are learning as they go along, each juttering melody mimicking each new bumbling baby step.
www.myspace.com/neonates

Truman Peyote
Peyote is a small cactus plant found primarily in Mexico that contains mescaline, which we all know of course from the famous "lizard" scene from 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' as being a psychoactive drug that causes hallucinations. Truman Capote was an American author whose personal life included numerous breakdowns, drug-addiction, alcoholism and threats of suicide. Put these two together and what do you get? A cocktail of psychedelic sun-kissed, spaced-out pop music and contorted, beat-driven, electronic noise. Does it work? Yes. This particular cocktail goes down so nicely that you'll be entering bat country in no time at all.
www.myspace.com/trumanpeyotemusic

Who are Cults?

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:57:00 +0000

This, apparently, is Cults. I cannot be sure and I absolutely have nothing else to offer you in terms of information as not only do Cults not have a myspace page but they are also practically ungoogleable. You are more likely to have American tanks sent to your house than gain any information on them if you hunt via a search engine. All I know is that you can download their seven inch HERE and it's worth doing so.

For more info I'd probably look to Pitchfork or something, you know...or somebody else who knows what they're doing.

Weird things that happened this week...

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:59:00 +0000

1. Roman Polanski laughs at Raoul Moat's pathetic attempt to evade the law. Polanski (with a little bit of help from the Swiss) is still on the run from American authorities for a toootttallly non-violent sex crime he committed in 1977. He just keeps on hustlin'.

2. Usain Bolt plays a reggae set for a street party in Paris. More from ITN on that one.

3. Magnolia films have announced a September release for a documentary that essentially tracks the mental breakdown of Joaquin Phoenix. The film will be titled I'm Still Here: The Lost Year Of Joaquin Phoenix and charters Phoenix's radical change from star of movies such as Gladiator to an unstable hip-hop emcee who is filmed snorting cocaine off the breast of a prostitute. Not only that, but it is his brother-in-law (Casey Affleck) who has documented his downfall. Hmmm...this whiffs of a publicity stunt.

4. Mark Ronson releases a good song. Insane. Watch this tiny video:

5. Oh, and The Guide feature on THIS MENTALIST who I think is pretty awesome, actually.

Allister Izenberg - Lonesome EP

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:07:00 +0000

Allister Izenberg is a 19 year old musician from Los Angeles, California. More specifically, he is from the Van Nuys district of the San Fernando Valley; an area that has been referred to in the past as 'America's suburb', and is also famously associated with the pornography industry. It's all complexes and boulevards lined with car dealerships: very Americana.

Having never travelled through Van Nuys I have no right to make any sort of judgement about the place, however upon that description it doesn't seem the place you'd expect to discover the floaty music of Izenberg. Paradoxically however, it seems it could be the exact type of location that might spawn precisely the type of escapist dream-pop that he creates. How ironic.

'Lonesome' (his first EP) resonates with all the purity of an angel, whimsical and joyous whilst still maintaining a sense of melancholy. Izenberg's voice flutters through each song teetering on the brink of collapse but without making you feel for a second there was any chance of him sabotaging his own efforts; each haunting song intertwines so perfectly with the next that we can't help but secretly be aware of Izenberg's control over not only his own voice but his subjects as well.

The EP undoubtedly shows a creative maturity that stretches far beyond his years, there are elements of Nick Drake in there, elements of Robert Wyatt (an acknowledged influence) and even a degree of Manchester's Jim Noir, albeit having removed the overtly childish undertones. With an upcoming LP in the pipeline (of which he is very secretive) it is certain that we will be hearing a lot more from this chap and we should count ourselves bloody fortuitous for it too.

Listen here, not only is Allister nice enough to be giving this absolute treat away for free HERE, but he was also nice enough to agree to an interview for bastardo which you can read HERE. Enjoy.

http://www.myspace.com/whosallisterizenberg

Deerhunter reveal new album artwork and tracklisting...

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 13:24:00 +0000

Apparently what looks like a transvestite midget praying sort of sums up Bradford Cox and co.'s upcoming album, Halcyon Digest. The follow up to 2008's Microcastle/Weird Era Continued was publicised by the band by asking their fans to personally download, print out and distribute the album's flyer, and in turn they would allow you the honour of hearing the single first. I would argue that flyer distribution pays £7 per hour, and as somebody who is currently looking for a job, I'd rather take the money quite frankly. Not to say that I'm not looking forward to the 28th September, the date the album is released. For those of you who just cannot wait to hear the single go HERE and start working.

Tracklisting:

01 Earthquake
02 Don't Cry
03 Revival
04 Sailing
05 Memory Boy
06 Desire Lines
07 Basement Scene
08 Helicopter
09 Fountain Stairs
10 Coronado
11 He Would Have Laughed

Wow.

THESE NEW PURITANS to play gigs with orchestra...

Early contender for album of the year, 'Hidden', will be performed live over the course of October, November and December at only three venues across the...erm...continent. London, Paris and Den Hague in Holland will be treated to the exclusive dates which will be the only chance for fans of the band to witness the album being performed how it was originally recorded, a spectacle that will see the inclusion of a full ensemble of brass, woodwind, pianos and Taiko drums.

New HaHaHa remix-x-x-x-xx-x-

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:33:00 +0000

Tune.DJ Gummy Worms - Bass Be Bumping (HaHaHa Remix) by HaHaHa

'The Suburbs' album cover(s).

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:58:00 +0000

These are the 8 "different" front covers for the new upcoming Arcade Fire album. Are you as excited as me at getting to pick which cover really encompasses your personality?

Essentially, are you the hedge or the fence?

Couple of recent releases worth bothering yourself about...

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:59:00 +0000

Allo Darlin' - Allo Darlin'

Infectious twee-pop from the London-based part-Australian band who make tunes that are all Belle and Sebastian passed through Kings of Convenience, only wrapped up beautifully by the voice of Elizabeth Morris. The album is very aware of it's influences (The Go-Betweens emblazoned across their myspace) but there is a far clearer sense of enjoyment here; try to stop yourself sha-la-la-ing through 'If Loneliness Was Art'. Aware of it's place in time it is too with references to Woody Allen and Ingmar Bergam, Camden and Shoreditch, and the inhabitants of said hipster-hotspots and their inability to 'style' an idyllic lake in Sweden ('Let's Go Swimming'); 'this is simple and it's true' she sings. And this ethos is what shapes the album perfectly. It is almost a deconstruction of how we enjoy music, taken back down to it's basics, a simple perception of beauty at it's most pure; there is nothing new to be found on this album but everything borrowed is put together so perfectly that innovation is left outside in the rain looking a little miserable. There is no room for style or pretence, it's just pretty bloody sweet over here.

Wavves - King of the Beach

If you're expecting this to be all scuzzy/white noise/wall of sound, think again, idiot. Nathan Williams' third output has gone all distinguishable instruments on us, and sounds all the better for doing so. There are moments of Animal Collective, moments of Beach Boys, moments of west-coast punk and then moments of pure unadulterated sunshine: this album was absolutely made for Californian beaches, hence the title. This must be what the world feels like after overcoming alcoholism, eh Nathan? He's still a little jumped-up, mind you. In 'Take On The World' he sings 'I still hate my music, it all sounds the same' but don't listen to him. He's had a breakdown remember.

/\/\/\Y/\ - bastardo in 'not joining the M.I.A backlash' shocker!

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:59:00 +0000

In a couple of weeks that have seen celebrations aplenty for both the Spanish national team and Roman Polanski (cough), let's have a look over in the M.I.A camp and see if her fans will be celebrating much after the release of her "ungoogleable" new album, /\/\/\Y/\.

She hasn't done herself any favours recently, has she? In the press, that is. And it's shown in recent reviews where truffle-gate, her "pseudo-political" tirades and the red-head round-up video for 'Born Free' have been the major topics of discussion. She's gone from the left field's golden girl to the picture on the dartboard in a lot of quarters but let's not let this get in the way of the sole fact that /\/\/\Y/\ is another era-defining piece of work from the Sri-Lankan, and a future era at that.

Is there anything on this album that could slot nicely amongst the previous output? Yes, there are moments; 'It Takes a Muscle' has elements of 'Paper Planes', albeit with a far reggae-er bounce, 'Steppin' Up' going even further backwards, it wouldn't seem out of place on Arular. But this album also has moments of far scuzzier noise (which should be expected when New York's Suicide are being sampled) as well as some of the most accessible tunes to date, such as track two, 'XXXO'. It makes sense that in the latter track she continues to repeat, in the chorus, 'You want me to be somebody that I'm really not...'.

The two stand-outs however are the Eno-esque 'It Iz What It Iz' and the real beauty, 'Tell Me Why'. They may both be the softer tracks on the album but offer great lines like 'When I get to where I'm going, you should come with me...' and really highlight how good a vocalist the em-cee, formally of Acton, really is.

All the usual suspects are present (Switch, Diplo, Blaqstarr...) but there are are also cameos from Sleigh Bells' Derek Miller and bass-merchant Rusko, making their presence felt on 'Meds and Feds' and 'Steppin' Up', respectively.

The album comes to a close in style, leaving us lost in 'Space': a song written from the perspective of some sort of entity that orbits the Earth, looking back in from afar. Some tracks on this album will be huge, no doubt, causing her career to really hit the far reaches of the stratosphere, but within this track can we actually hear M.I.A reclaiming her place as pop's most brilliant outsider? There has never been any need for Maya Arulpragasam to cling desperately to this notion, because it's going to take the rest of us a little while to reach the same heights.

rahhhh...

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:49:00 +0000

Roman Polanski jus' keeps on hustlin'.

Ain't No Woman...

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:59:00 +0000

Ain't No Woman Gonna Make A George Jones Outta Me (inhale) are a Glasgow-based three-piece who make music that stir the kind of emotions you would usually associate (I'd imagine) with child birth; unbridled joy mixed (purely due to hormonal imbalance of course) with that kind of sinking feeling you get in your stomach when you remember something embarrassing you've done. Bitter-sweet is the essence of this band. Jaunty tunes drag lyrics about loneliness and broken hearts about the dancefloor leaving you looking like a mother who has just watched her only child leave home for university, tears running down her smiling face.

I don't know if I'm making this clear: listening to the tracks you can find HERE, make me feel both happy AND sad. Yes?

Yes. Anybody who has listened to Biff Rose's 'The Man' or The Velvet Underground's 'After Hours' will know that as confusing as it sounds, the feeling can be somewhat comforting; it's an odd kind of pleasure that seems quite hard to achieve in any medium; maybe in the 1969 Dustin Hoffman film 'Midnight Cowboy'.

The name (a tribute to a Daniel Johnston song) refers to infamous country musician George Jones whose battle with the bottle can give you an indication of the sticky content in Greg Whalen's lyrics. Daniel Johnston is a name in fact that you will often see associated with ANWGMAGJOM as they really do wear their influences on their sleeve. Fans of the early noughties' New York anti-folk scene or Milwaukee post-punkers Violent Femmes will surely find a place on their iPod for these guys. Fortunately, the band have the tunes to avoid accusations of being too similar to their influences.

If you only take a fleeting look at their myspace make sure you give 'Lovers or Nothing' a listen. It's one way to cry yourself happy.

WOOP...

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 15:58:00 +0000

bastardo added to the best blog directory on t'web.

http://music.blogdig.net

WTF!!?? It's ASC!!!

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:27:00 +0000

AAAAAAAAAAHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Heeellllpppp! I've fell into Ocean's criminally under-rated 'Navy Seals' for Gameboy! LOL jk, I'm just listening to Alpine Ski Champion (to speak in the parlance of our times whilst maintaining a degree of retro credibility).

The concept here, I have been told by a very reliable source, is that ASC's music takes place in a fictional world; an 8-bit world consisting of magical mountains and hidden valleys; and it is the task of ASC to take you through this world, acting as a kind of magical tour guide. One of the very few negative things you could say about these transcendental tunes is that you may at some point feel disappointed when you come to realise that 'Puffin Beach' is not actually a real place.

'Castle Technology' is very much the Bowser's Castle of the tracks available on the band's myspace, albeit a far less stringent and controlled level of concentration is required when repeating the sinister-sounding title repeatedly in a robotic voice. These songs are about getting lost in a brightly-coloured candy-laden world and having a little dance while you're doing it. Sure there are the odd moments of darkness (Castle Technology! Castle Technology!...) because Alpine Ski Champion are not in the business of patronising you: nobody said getting to the top of magic mountain was gonna be easy.

The band describe their sound as 'futuristic folk music from the future', and as they have already conjured a sound that firmly lodges itself in the cerebral cortex of anyone who can remember playing their SNES as a child, you need look no further for the sound of the past and the future.

Plus . . . they have cool t-shirts.

http://www.myspace.com/alpineskichampionmusic

Fine Young Cannibals: Glydez & Dirty Den.

noreply@blogger.com (SeanBastardo) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:09:00 +0000

Has anyone ever suggested that your Adam's apple were a literal fruit? What if they were to go on to tell you they were going to rip it out, put it in a smoothie and then 'take a gulp'? Would you even bother telling them that it would not be as beneficial to their health as say, a regular fruit smoothie? No, you wouldn't because you would be very aware you were dealing with something quite dark here. Despite the sophisticated methods this young man would go to murder you, he's still a murderer . . . and a cannibal.

This is one way to look at Glydez & Dirty Den's mixtape Two Sides To The Story. Intricate and intelligent lyrics are coupled with bleak and sinister beats; despite it being UK hip-hop you won't find any references to 'Bonkers' on this gritty long-player. Look more to the harrowing accounts of struggle on Mobb Deep's 'The Infamous' or even the old-school/new-school ethic of Dr. Octagon's 'Octogonecologyst' (in style if not in substance).

'I'm old school like Tony...'

Like Tony Soprano this partnership look backwards. Back towards the good old days in the business; where hip-hop was darker and where gimmicks and cheesy auto-tuned pop hits that are so regularly churned out nowadays were not just considered tacky, but offensive.

If this all sounds a bit too heavy fear not, lighten up with songs like 'After Show Lover' with the smooth vocals of Raheem Bakare or the machine gun funk, Beatmakerz-produced 'Glydez Freestyle'.