AWmusic

Sometimes words just can’t fully express the feelings that music brings with it. To be lost in a song to the point that all thoughts, issues, problems and pretty much the entire world around vanish and for those couple of minutes, you are able to experience something magical. If you’re like me, so encapsulated in the love of sound, you can’t listen to just anything that’s thrown at you. There needs to be that search involved with the discovery of something new… The excitement of listening to something and having it hit a spot deep within your heart. There also needs to be that emotion behind the song, (whether or not it’s the same emotion that was felt when the artist produced it) having it spark something inside that makes you feel truly alive.

Although put on a bit of a hiatus, the remix party is back! This time around we’re not focusing on any specific theme or artist, just a collection of 10 remixes of tracks that have found their way into that special place – the blend of emotionally charged feelings I find within myself. Maybe they’ll do the same for you.

Let the music do the talking.

Passion Pit – Sleepyhead (Neon Coyote Remix)
Santigold – Lights Out (Tepr Emo Remix)
Feist – 1234 (My!Gay!Husband! Get Up Kid Edit)
Adele – Hometown Glory (Chewy Chocolate Cookies Remix)
Das Racist – Combination Pizza Hut And Taco Bell (Wallpaper Remix)
Vampire Weekend – The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance (Chromeo Remix)
Peaches – Mommy Complex (Barletta and Ernold Sane Remix)
Estelle feat. Kanye West – American Boy (LAZRtag Remix)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll (John Roman Remix)
M.I.A – Paper Planes (Atomic Hooligan Remix)

Yeah Yeah Yeah‘s It’s Blitz remains as one of this year’s biggest releases. Nancy reviewed the album and gave it a 4 out of 5. I personally think that it’s more of a 4.5 out of 5. It’s a pretty good album and has been critically acclaimed. The deluxe edition tracks are awesome as well. Order It’s Blitz here and there.

I think the album is pretty cool that’s why I’m excited to announce a give away. Basically we’re just giving away a CD and a Yeah Yeah Yeahs poster to some lucky US RESIDENT. All you have to do is write a comment below to win. I love the album cover, though being a guy – it hurts sometimes picturing it.

Sorry for the short write up, just need feeling it today and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a pretty well known band so I don’t think I need the usual introduction.

No No No by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Videos for Heads Will Roll (new!):

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My relationship with Yeah Yeah Yeahs has come a long way since “Maps” and “one of the only band names that starts with a Y” which was utterly important during that game where you have to think of a band name that started with the last letter of the band name the person before you posted. You guys remember that shit, right? I’m not the only loser?

Actually, besides “Maps”, Fever to Tell wasn’t an amazing album. It was gutsy and aggressive but largely unpolished and reeked of amateurism. Show Your Bones is the pièce de résistance in their discography. Karen O said that it was the result of sticking a finger in a light socket and in that case, It’s Blitz! is the result of sticking two fingers in a light socket. I think the new album sounds much more like Show Your Bones than their debut which is a fantastic thing in my opinion.

The album starts off with two of its strongest tracks “Zero” and “Heads Will Roll”. It is a little ironic that “Zero” condemns fitting in while It’s Blitz is arguably one of their most mainstream albums with this song a perfect metonymic opening. I’m not too impressed with “Heads Will Roll” but it has such a great danceable beat I’m willing to overlook poetic imperfections. “Dull Life” is awesome, I love the chorus.

I wasn’t too enamoured with the other tracks on the album until I heard the acoustic versions available on the deluxe edition. Even “Hysteric”, which I like as is (a bit of a throwback to Feverl to Tell in a good way) is absolutely tearjerking as an acoustic song. The deluxe edition also contains two bonus tracks, “Faces” and “Clap Song”. I’m not sure how well they fit in with the album so it’s a good thing they’re extras.

It’s Blitz! definitely has a healthy dose of synth/pop which some interpret as a betrayal on Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ part. I don’t think that’s true. It’s foolish to expect bands – especially one who seems so repetition-averse – to reproduce the same type of music over and over again. Are they jumping on the bandwagon? Again, I don’t think so. Maybe, maybe not. More importantly, I don’t think it matters. This album is chock full of solid tracks and it still sounds like Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Is it selling out? No, definitely not. Gets a 4/5 from me – It’s Blitz! is a totally decent album that does not disappoint but it’s not particularly innovative.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Dull Life
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Hysteric (acoustic)

With so much happening in my life recently, my search for interesting and exciting news has kind of taken a back seat. I apologize. With school, work (with lots of overtime) and writing for one food and two music websites, I hardly have even enough time for myself; but alas the light at the end of this tunnel is almost in my reach. OK, enough of my bitching, let’s get our news on.

Winter sucks… Cold and miserable weather gives you a desire to do nothing more than hibernate for those long months, praying to have a glimpse of warmth to defrost your fingers and toes. Fear not my little ones, spring is quickly approaching and here in Vancouver we are already getting a nice taste of it. The development of new life associated with this time of year doesn’t only apply to plants and animals, spring also spawns fantastic music.

Here’s a list of albums to look forward to and hopefully put a smile on your ice chiseled face.

March 10
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz! (originally due to be released April 14 but bumped due to a leak. You can also stream it from their myspace page starting today)

March 17
Les Claypool – Of Fungi and Foe
MSTRKRFT – Fist of God (the much anticipated sophomore release)

March 24
The Decemberists – Hazards of Love
Pet Shop Boys – Yes (for all you synthpop revivalists)
Röyksopp – Junior (there will also be a follow-up album titled ‘Senior’ due later in the year.)

March 31
Leonard Cohen – Live in London (just before he’s live at Coachella)
Peter, Bjorn & John – Living Things

April 14
Metric – Fantasies (from the teasers I’ve heard, this is going to be another classic Metric album)

May 12
Art Brut – Art Brut vs. Satan (If this title is any indication, this album will kick ass)

April 21
Jane’s Addiction – A Cabinet of Curiosities box set (I’m so waiting for this one)
Tortoise – “Title still TBA”

May 5
Conor Oberst – Outer South
Peaches – I Feel Cream (everything about this girl is raunchy and it doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon, thankfully)

May 19
Iron & Wine – Around the Well (this band owns… go buy this album)

June 9
Sonic Youth – The Eternal (another album I’m really looking forward to)

Also, some time in May Green Day will be releasing their eighth studio album titled ‘21st Century Breakdown’ and it’ll be broken into three “acts”, “Heroes and Cons,” “Charlatans and Saints,” and “Horseshoes and Hand grenades”. Check greenday.com for updates.

Röyksopp – Happy Up Here

Happy Up Here from Röyksopp on Vimeo.

Metric’s “Help I’m Alive” (Official Acoustic Version)

(I decided I would talk about sports afterwards, UFC 96 picks and NHL trade deadline thoughts after the track review).

Because IMEEM is being a fucking prick to me right now (not letting me stream the song nor use the embed code for the track – which defies the very purpose of the service. I shall lead you to where you can find the two tracks: Find Heads Will Roll at Bee Charmer and Zero at How Marvellous.

P.S. We don’t do leaks, we’re not exactly the place to go for U2 leaks if you’ve visited enough.

Check out my first (crappy) video:

Here’s my write up Zero and Heads Will Roll (if you don’t want to watch a video):
I wasn’t a big fan of the IS IS EP, like the critics were it was a bit rough and while it was nice to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs experiment musically, it simply didn’t work for me. With their April (well now March) release of It’s Blitz! The two leaked tracks, Zero and Heads Will Roll have taken the dance-punk/ semi-electro (not overly cheesy) route where it pleases both the masses and likely the critics. Thumbs up to both tracks (two big thumbs up).

Y Control by Yeah Yeah Yeahs