This past week has been a tornado of deadlines and meetings - all eventually making me money :) - Numerous web design projects, and of course a lovely illustration for the October issue of the Urbanite. My evenings were pretty much consumed by Photoshop. The good thing about that was that I was really able to soak in some of the new music floating into my inbox. Here’s some highlights:
mp3: Houses - Endless Spring | myspace
mp3: Balkans - Georganne | myspace
mp3: Stay Cool Forever - Darcy/Like/Love/Fade | myspace
mp3: Ice Cream Shout - Tattooed Tears | myspace
mp3: Beast Make Bomb - Rewind | myspace
Happy Birthday Pasta Primavera!
Wow! Three years old - thats like middle aged in blog years. I think I’m starting to get the hang of it finally (it only took 2,402 posts). This past year has been filled with many ups and downs personally - a good friend passed away, lost a job, found a new job, enjoyed life with the family, and, of course, listened to a constant flow of good music. To celebrate I present to you some of my favorite jams since last August:
mp3: Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (Alan Wilkis Remix)
mp3: Bear Hands - What A Drag (Cale Parks Remix)
mp3: Fizzy Dino Pop - Electric Future
mp3: King Charles - Time Of Eternity
mp3: CLAPS - Fold
mp3: Secret Cities - Pink Graffiti Part 1
mp3: The Love Language - Heart To Tell
mp3: Javelin - Oh Centra!
mp3: Gift Of Gab - Dreamin’ (feat Del The Funky Homosapien and Brother Ali)
mp3: Holy Ghost! - On Board (Friendly Fires Cover)
Also I just wanted to give a special shout out to some of the blogs that inspire me everyday with their excellent taste in music and what not. These folks are just rad:
Here’s to another good year of Pasta!
DC’s True Womanhood thoroughly impressed me with their Basement Membranes EP (out via Environmental Aesthetics). Apparently they’ve been back in the studio continuing their work with J. Robbins and Carlos of Ava Luna. “DREAM CARGOES” has just made it over to me via email and I’ve been blasting it loud today. These folks are definitely onto something now. True Womanhood’s overall sound seems to be expanding, multiplying, and dividing itself into a more complicated and radiant contraption. Check it:
mp3: True Womanhood - DREAM CARGOES
There’s an EP/LP in the works for a late release this year. Don’t miss out when they play the Hexagon here in Baltimore this Saturday as part of the Socket Records showcase at BIMA.
Wow. I’ve been playing Ducktails’ “Hamilton Road” song a little too much lately. I guess I’ll now ween myself away from that track and onto the newly released “Art Vandelay”. In my book, anything that references Seinfeld is immediately labeled awesome. Check it:
mp3: Ducktails - Hamilton Road
Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics comes out this fall via Woodsist.
Also, if Ducktails’ homage to Free Willy (via his myspace) doesn’t make you smile, something is wrong with you.
NYC’s HEADLESS HORSEMAN are the duo of Fareed Sajan and Conner O’neill, and they are a band that will surely fill your ears with rough cut noise gold. This band is pretty new, but with an upcoming gig opening for Crocodiles and Avery Tare in NYC (@Glasslands), I suspect more people will be praising them soon (they might already be - you know how the internet is). They currently have 5 songs available to stream on their bandcamp. Here’s one for your weekend mixtape:
mp3: HEADLESS HORSEMAN - Wavlngth
There’s some Deerhoof rowdiness in there that I really love. On the flip side HH slows it waaaay down with this intimate track featuring Kegan Hollister:
The ever friendly Friends Records has been hinting that something big was in the works, but they could not divulge this amazing news they had coming.
In the same turn everyone’s all time favorite local band, Celebration, has been slowly releasing new tracks on their Electric Tarot website, claiming a physical release will see the light of day.
Low and behold Friends Records is proudly releasing Celebration’s long awaited album Hello Paradise on vinyl at the end of the year. As a bonus, they have 4 album tracks (which you might already have if you’ve been hip to the Electric Tarot) available for free download on Friends’ bandcamp. Stay tuned because they’ll be occasionally offering up more free songs and videos. Here’s two of my faves:
mp3: Celebration - Open Your Heart (I like this song sooooo much right now)
Pre-order Hello Paradise on vinyl here.
How about a little more rainbows for your day? Here’s a new vibrant Truman Peyote track that features a collaboration with Emily Reo:
mp3: Truman Peyote - Turn Into Feathers (Feat. Emily Reo)
This is off an upcoming 7” split release with Attached Hands via Post Records.
mp3: Truman Peyote - Magentadoor II
photo by michael collins
This November NYC’s Violens will release their long awaited debut album Amoral. Judging from the previously released “Acid Reign” and this new remix of “Another Strike Restrained” by Sadguitarius (aka Ben Goldwasser of MGMT) Amoral looks to be a winner. Check it:
mp3: Violens - Another Strike Restrained (Sadguitarius Remix)
mp3: Violens - Acid Reign
Some days these tracks remind me of The Smiths, some days Depeche Mode. I have no idea what the original version of “Another Strike Restrained” sounds like, but Goldwasser’s version is dynamite. Keeping up the trend of this previous effort:
mp3: Violens - Doomed (MGMT Remix)
You can also download a superb summer mixtape that Violens has put together on their website. Go get it here.
A few weeks ago I featured London’s Still Corners and their seasonal dream “Endless Summer” on my Sunday Hi-5 playlist. They’ve just released a new single, “Don’t Fall In Love” that continues their homage to noir films and 60s era Spector-like sounds. Hear the dream:
mp3: Still Corners - Don’t Fall In Love
The 7” is currently sold out, but you can purchase their digital tracks (including their 2008 EP) via Still Corners’ bandcamp. Also they have an LP in the works for a release later this year.
mp3: Still Corners - Endless Summer
Photo by Alannah Ashworth
I can still taste the ocean on my lips after listening to Fiveng’s newest 7” Give Me A Taste/Jonah that was just released via Beachtapes new label. This California creation has that sunny vibration that seems to be flowing through the water these days with many bands, but these folks are no hacks - they do it well. Check out “Give Me A Taste”:
Download the full single via Beachtapes.
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