Toro y Moi – My Touch

Genre: Electronic

RIYL: Discovery by Daft Punk, Justice, Funk samples

Picks: Lesson #223, Existance Music, Deep Routes, Effective Worthless, Take This

Toro y Moi is the solo project of Chaz Bundick, lead singer of The Heist and the Accomplice. The first time I heard a few of the cuts off “My Touch” I was blown away. It reminded me a lot of Daft Punk’s “Discovery” with more vocals. Chaz’s vocals blend well with his slick production skills that are showcased on this album.

One of the things I would never call this album is ‘predictable’, because it’s far off from that. The track “Take That” is one of the best examples of this, as the beat takes a drastic turn in the first few seconds of the song before returning to the original beat. All of the tracks are extremely enjoyable, as I’m sure you’ve noticed by my five favorite tracks. I highly suggest that you buy this CD at the next Toro y Moi show you go to. It’s extremely difficult for me to explain how awesome it is in words, so I guess you better just hear it yourself. Check out a couple tracks at Toro y Moi’s myspace page.

Toro y Moi will be playing songs from My Touch on tomorrow, Tuesday, December 23 at 7pm on WUSC 90.5 FM Live! He will also be playing on January 20, 2009 at New Brookland Tavern with Austin Crane!

(Photo Credit SKobos)

“Ska Is Dead” IV Tour w/:
Mustard Plug
The Toasters
Voodoo Glow Skulls
Deal’s Gone Bad
Maladroit

New Brookland Tavern

Ska / Punk / Reggae
6:30pm Doors
$12 Advance / $15 Day Of Show
To Purchase Tickets Click Here

Local bands break up all the time with unfinished business.  It usually has to do with band members growing up, growing apart or just scheduling issues.  Playing in a band is time consuming and sometimes you just don’t feel like it’s worth it anymore.  In 2007 after PirateFest, Maladroit decided to throw in the towel.  Almost two years later they have that burning feeling to get back at it.

What you may not know is that they had an EP almost complete when they called it quits.  Next Tuesday at New Brookland Tavern, Maladroit will be back in a big way.  Not only will they be releasing the “The Burning Free-EP,” but they will be opening for big shots Mustard Plug, The Toasters and Voodoo Glow Skulls.  Maladroit has an official CD release planned for early next year along with some supporting out of town shows.

Listen to the New Maladroit Here!

Album Art By Nate Puza

This list is one louder than the others, it also doesn’t represent the opinions of all members of The Fire Tonight.  However, it does represent that I clearly loved this past decade far more than David did.  He showed me his list and Darius Rucker’s solo album is the only thing on it.

11. Muse – Absolution: This probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone who has checked out The Fire Tonight, so I thought I would get it out of the way early.  While in my opinion Muse peaked with this album, that doesn’t change how ridiculously good it is.  The epic songwriting, insane instrumental chops, and huge, yet raw production make this album a fantastic rock opus.  In this day and age it is really nice to get punched in the face by the sound of a rock album.

10. The Bad Plus – Give:  You might not have ever heard of grunge jazz, but you have now.  It is a distinct fusion of jazz, rock, country, big band, I mean really, whatever these guys want to do they do.  The sound may offend jazz purists but  like most jazz musicians they are insanely talented and their abandonment of conventional genre boundaries really sets them apart.  For an introduction, check out their cover of “Iron Man.”

9. Kevin Martin & The HiWatts – The Possibility of Being: The mid-90’s were a great time for rock music, and I always felt that Seattle-based band Candlebox was one of the more underrated acts.  In the late 90’s the band split and the lead singer Kevin Martin formed the HiWatts.  Their one album retains all the energy of grunge and introduces it to the strongest batch of songs that Martin has written.  It is a nice burst of mid-90’s energy for the 2000’s, I guess I never outgrew being a teenager after all.

8. Nickel Creek – Why Should the Fire Die?:  The last album (for now) from the well known bluegrass trio was the first album that really seemed to capture the most unique elements of their sound.  It is dark, eclectic, and hopefully not the last we’ll hear from them.  If I had to pick a favorite song of the decade, “Helena” would not have much competition.  Also, that youtube video just proves that some people need more to do, but at least it does it with gusto.

7. The Dismemberment Plan – Change: Evidently this is the part of my list where I grieve over bands that have moved on.  The Plan was one of the greatest indie bands of the late 90’s and their career was all too short.  Their last effort may be a bit less edgy than earlier releases, but it is a fitting swan song full of jazz and funk inspired rock.  If you haven’t heard this band, look up “The Face of the Earth” to get an idea of what you are missing.  It is even accompanied by a really pretty picture of our dear planet.

6. Rufus Wainwright – Want One: If there ever were an album to be turned into an amazing musical, this would be the one.  This is clearly Rufus’ most well funded release and the layers of orchestration make this album a listening experience like few others.  There are times when I wonder how all of the sound was captured with such clarity, and Wainwright’s signature vocals are always at home in the lush instrumentation.

5. Angie Aparo – The American:  The American was to be the start of something huge for Angie Aparo, but unfortunately not as a performer.  As an artist he has remained in obscurity but has written some extremely popular songs.  Problem is, they all pale in comparison to his solo work.  The American shows off Angie’s absolutely amazing voice and the completely over the top (in a good way) production of Matt Serletic, back when he knew how to make a unique record.  The production takes well written pop songs and turns them into versatile anthems by combining a little creativity with 80’s flare.  At the heart of the effort is Angie’s amazing vocals, which you can experience here.

4. Outkast – Idlewild: Yeah, the movie was terrible, but the album is fantastic.  For the most part the rap music of this decade has been sex-crazed, auto-tuned nonsense, but Outkast has still managed to put out albums that combine innovation with lyrics that are as humorous as they are intelligent.  Idlewild is no different, and it exists as an unexpected yet pleasing ode to 50’s big band and thumping beats.

3. Matthew Good – Hospital Music:  Canadian Matthew Good put out six great efforts with a band and without, and  none of them hold a candle to Hospital Music.  The move from sleek rock to Johnny Cash influenced dirty acoustic sounds may be jarring, but not as jarring as the content of the album itself.  Word is, Good wrote the album following a divorce, being diagnosed as bipolar, and nearly overdosing.  Its a weighty album, but a raw testament to the power of authentic and emotional music.

2. The Mars Volta – The Bedlam in Goliath:  Honestly, I could have put any of the five albums released by the Mars Volta in this spot and been perfectly happy.  They are all unique, rhythmically interesting, and above all non-stop progressive rock.  Before I heard the Mars Volta I didn’t think I would hear a new band that could compete with my absolute favorites of classic rock, and they proved me wrong.  Bedlam shows them at their musical best, and the dark nature of the story takes the band to places it hadn’t gone before.  It also restored hope that good music can still win a Grammy.

1. Ben Folds – Live: For my money, Ben Folds owned the 2000’s.  A live album, a live DVD with an orchestra, an in-studio Myspace DVD, 3 EP’s, a fake album, three real albums, an a capella release, a soundtrack, a reunion, a “mix it yourself” re-release, and even some nice production work (Amanda Palmer anyone?) made Ben Folds a legend in my book.  He has shown himself to be a consistent innovator and one of the most talented pianists around.  Of all his work this decade I picked the Live album because it captures him at his very best.  Folds’ songs shine in a sleek, produced format, but even more so in their native piano environment.  Kudos to Ben Folds for continually pushing the boundaries and perhaps most of all for always doing it without taking yourself too seriously.

Even though my list goes to 11, there were still albums that were left on the floor.  As a result, I definitely give this decade a gold star for great music.  Hopefully the next one will be just as good.

Expectations are high for Marry a Thief. After releasing arguably the best album of 2008, Erich Skelton and crew are back at it with their new EP “Reaction/Explosion.” And There are a couple of things that you should know about this album when you compare it to “I am Dying to Outlive.”  First off, this album isn’t as polished as their last, and that is not a bad thing.  On the new EP Skelton stretches his voice to a Dave Grohlesque screams at some points and it sounds great.  After years on the music scene we are finally hearing a different side to Skelton.  He has found his rock n roll side and he has found the correct band mates to do it with.  Justin Register has taken over guitar duties and is partly responsible for the bands new sound, as the new EP was recorded in his home studio.  Also aiding to the sound of this album is the fact that most of the songs have been played live for the last year as opposed to the previous album.

Fact, Erich Skelton was the only member of Marry a Thief to record on both EP’s.  This album is obviously more of a band effort than the previous release.  After meshing with Skelton for over a year now, drummer Colin Brown has his opportunity to shine in songs such as “Murder” where his use of the high hats will steal your ear.

Looking at the progression of Marry a Thief, they are great at keeping their fan base guessing.  They started off with a heartbreakingly beautiful first album, then cut an Electronic EP out of the Imogen Heap playbook, then on to a stripped down acoustic CD, to where we are today with the higher powered “Reaction/Explosion.”  MAT has a full length planned for early to middle 2010, but what can we expect?  We’ll have to wait and see.

Also playing are Scene SC favorite Sweet Vans and the lovely Cayla Fralick.

Dear WUSC,

I know you need donations to keep up and running.  I need my money to keep up and running.  But if I were able to somehow scrounge up a couple of dollars, the best way to get those dollars from me would be to spin Ryan Adams for an hour and The Avett Brothers for an hour.

Tomorrow(Wednesday 11/10) from 12-2 The Awkward Pretty radio show will feature the Avetts and Ryan Adams in a two hour special fundraiser.  The top person to donate within that time frame will receive a vinyl copy of the new Avett Brothers record “I and Love and You.”

My personal requests are Hard Luck Story, Jacksonville Skyline and all of Strangers Almanac.   I’m fine with any Avett Brothers songs.  They don’t have a bad one.

Love,
David

Shake It Out (Music Video)

Manchester Orchestra | MySpace Video

“Shake It Out” is one of the best songs off the new Manchester Orchestra record, Mean Everything to Nothing, and it is finally getting the video it deserves.  You might remember that the band released an “artsy” video for each song on the album.  While they were pretty cool at first, they got kind of boring to me after awhile.  Now this new video is one of my favorite videos of all time.  A) It is Over the Top themed and B) Andy Hull is badass as a trucker.  Enjoy.

Click the picture above to download the new album from Mark Mathis

Mark Mathis isn’t exactly a secret in this town.  His band, Public Radio, recently released an album on Deep Elm records called Sweetchild that is great.  I’ve had it in my car CD player for the last month or so since their bass player Jeremy handed me a copy after I met him by chance in Hartsville.  You can check out a review of Sweetchild in the latest issue of Alt Press.

Mark’s solo album, Secret In This Town, is a lot different than his work with Public Radio.  PR is like the rock n roll version of The Postal Service.  This new album from Mathis has more in common with Tom Petty and Georgia native Shawn Mullins.  It is a laid back southern album where Mathis voice is less aggressive and shows off more of a twang.

My favorite tracks are *Crazy, *Wandering Star, and *Life and Death of a Rock n Roll Star

Public Radio is coming to town December 3rd to play with Local Indie Rock savior Austin Crane at New Brookland Tavern.

With their EP Release party coming up on the 13th, Marry a Thief has released the first single Only from their new EP titled Reaction, Explosion.  The song can be heard now on The Sixty One and on their Myspace page.

The new songs from Marry a Thief have more of a raw edge than the songs on their last record I am Dying to Outlive You and their electronic EP.  Skelton pushes his voice nearly to screams at places on the new recordings and guitar solos replace what might have been a cello interlude on the last record.  Maybe a preview of what we can expect from their full length due out mid to early next year.

For our first installment, and after reading probably our most accurate installment of the Top 25 albums of the decade, Josh McDowell of The Dirty White weighs in on his top albums.  With a new album and video in the works, we will be hearing a lot from the Florence natives in the coming months.

25. Chad VanGaalen – Soft Airplane

A moving songwriter with a mix of Neil Young and Thurston Moore.

Highlights: Poisonous Heads, Molten Light

24. Islands – Return to the Sea

I discovered many hidden gems while working at a record store. The striking cover peaked my interest and sunny island indie pop is what I found inside.

Highlights: Rough Gem, Don’t Call me Whitney, Bobby

23. Outkast – Stankonia

Soulful, Smooth, Aggressive, Fresh and Clean, just a terrific group at their creative peak.

Highlights: B.O.B., Ms. Jackson

22. The Thermals – The Body, The Blood & the Machine

Rocks a political message without getting preachy. Green Day should take note.

Highlights: Here’s Your Future, Pillar of Salt

21. The Format – Dog Problems

This is the happiest that breaking up has ever sounded. This also gets my vote for best production of the Aughts, because these guys kinda sucked up to this album.

Highlights: Time Bomb, She Doesn’t Get It

20. Wilco – Summerteeth

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot may be the better album, but this album doesn’t take itself so seriously. Also home to the most infectious Wilco tune ever: Shot in the Arm

19. At the Drive-In – Relationship of Command

Exploding out of nowhere, this album is visceral, melodic, pummeling and uncompromising. Some of these songs still make me want to lose my shit every time I hear them.

Highlights: One-Armed Scissor, Arcarsenal

18. Beulah – The Coast is Never Clear

The best Indie Pop record since their ’99 release When Your Heartstrings Break.

Beulah marry the Beatles, Beach Boys and Pavement. What more do you want?

Highlights: Popular Mechanics for Lovers, Silver Lining

17. Thursday – Full Collapse

Thursday helped changed the game back in 2001. This sound has been done to death over the years but give them credit for being early to the party.

Highlights: Cross Out the Eyes, Autobiography of a Nation

16. Flaming Lips – Embryonic

Wow, this was a tough one to slot. Having just come out last month it could still move up. This CD just blew me away at the right time. Embryonic is our generation’s Bitches Brew. It sounds like Joy Division covering Dark Side of the Moon, on the moon. It’s a very challenging record, but highly rewarding.

Highlights: Watching the Planets, The Sparrow Looks up at the Machine

15. No Age – Nouns

This record still feels new, being only a couple of years old. These fellow noise rockers will be a force for years to come and this album shows their potential. Great album that’s smart, high energy and noisy.

Highlights: Teen Creeps, Eraser

14. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm

Bloc Party may have seemed like an emo Gang of Four at first, but this album set the arena rock bar pretty high. So high that Coldplay and U2 are still trying to figure it out.

Highlights: Banquet, This Modern Love

13. Los Campesinos! – Hold On Now Youngster

If you could capture the exuberance of a child after a Jolt Cola, this is what it may sound like. A great fun record for you and your friends to sing along to. I can’t describe the giddiness I feel listening to the chorus of You! Me! Dancing!

Highlights: Death to Los Campesinos!, Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks

12. Sonic Youth – Sonic Nurse

SY eased into their next era with Nurse. More complex and subdued than previous albums, some of the songs (Unmade Bed, Stones, I Love Golden Blue) almost sound…GASP…mature! SY has aged like a fine wine and truthfully, I could have justified several more albums on this list.

11. Madvillain – Madvillainy

Great Beats, Great Rhymes. When Madlib joined MF Doom they managed to capture something rare: a hip-hop album that I can listen to more than twice. Their collective use of non contemporary styles is eclectic without losing touch.

Highlights: Meat Grinder, Accordion

10. Panda Bear – Person Pitch

After hearing about how much I needed Animal Collective in my life, I certainly wasn’t looking forward to hearing a side project from them. Truth is, this album sounds like Brian Wilson if he grew up on NES and played with samples instead of guitars. A listen to Bros. Should tell you everything you need to know about this record.

9. Arcade Fire – Funeral

Possibly the most emotive record of the decade. Rather than hearing someone whine, we actually feel the sorrow. Enough has been written about this record so I’ll leave it at a powerful rush of loss.

Highlights: Neighborhood #1(Tunnels), Rebellion (Lies)

8. Shins – Chutes Too Narrow

I picked this up after only hearing Caring is Creepy from their first record. It seemed every time I listened to it I loved it more and more. There isn’t really a dull moment until the end. Great lyrics that go quite deep for those curious enough to wiki some references.

Highlights: Fighting in a Sack, Kissing the Lipless

7. Cursive – The Ugly Organ

The Ugly Organ was my first exposure to Cursive. The one two punch of Red Handed and Art is Hard completely made me reevaluate where I was musically. The cello and album concept are brilliant. The execution is flawless. Domestica is a great record as well, but The Ugly Organ will stand as Cursive’s masterpiece.

6. Stephen Malkmus – Face the Truth

Having to pick the best Stephen Malkmus album is like trying to pick the best Pavement record. So I picked my favorite Pavement album, Wowee Zowee, and this was SM’s solo equivalent. Sprawling, smart-assed and manic-depressive, Face the Truth is all of the quirks of SM rolled into one album. Freeze the Saints may be his most disarmingly honest track ever.

Highlights: Pencil Rot, Baby C’Mon

5. Liars – Liars

Brooding, cryptic and powerful. Liars make good on all of their previous albums an deliver a knockout. This album is the official pre-show hype record for The Dirty White. We ALWAYS listen to something off of this record before a show. We only wish we were this good.

Highlights: Plaster Casts of Everything, Clear Island

4. The Strokes – Is This It?

So yeah, maybe for a minute in early Aughts, I though The Strokes were gonna be the next Velvet Underground. I was wrong, but this album stands as one of the best rock records you’ll hear this side of the 70’s. Unfortunately, This Was It. (Side note: Also my first Napster record)

Highlights: Barely Legal, Modern Era (original version)

3. Sonic Youth – Murray Street

Murray Street was not only a great album, it was a watershed moment for the band. Read more about the studio, 9/11 and lyrics to Rain on Tin on allmusic or something. This was possibly the bands best effort since Daydream Nation as well. After a few shaky records, SY sounded like they were ready to lead the next generation.

Highlights: Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style, Sympathy for the Strawberry

2. Radiohead – Kid A

This may seem like a token pick, but it really deserves it. Kid A really freaked me out when I first got it. Oddly, I couldn’t stop listening to it. It hypnotized me for a day or so. I wondered if all music would sound like this from now on. To this day, I still hear something new every spin. Kid A will make you feel things you’d probably rather not, but the record is a triumph.

Highlights: How to Disappear Completely, Idioteque

1. Modest Mouse – The Moon & Antarctica

As a young college freshman when this came out, this was a record that changed my outlook on everything. I found Brock’s multiple personalities very appealing as well. It seemed as if there was just about everything on this record. I still listen to this album regularly and I’m still not tired of it.

Highlights: Life Like Weeds, Gravity Rides Everything