AWmusic

The blogosphere is all over the Horchata the new mp3 released on the internet for Vampire Weekend. I’ve been a fan of VW since the beginning, so I’m pretty excited like the rest of the internet. They’ve got a show in October 8th at the Horseshoe, I saw them last year and they were great live.

Anyway their second album – which will be under intense scrutiny due to the high standard the band for themselves, titled Contra which is given a January 12th release. The band released the album cover which features a blonde girl in a collared shirt. Not sure about that choice there…

Horchata features the same shameless world influenced style pop that made Vampire Weekend quite popular while mixing in the classical influences to boot. Rostam Batmanlij proves he’s still that great producer that he showed on the first album.

It’s pretty much a solid track, I’m not calling it GREAT but it’s definitely enough to get excited about. The band keeps rolling out solid tracks whether it’s a cover or a song on a soundtrack (Ottoman was really good). Add in solid contributions from Ezra Koenig to The Very Best’s album and Batmanlig’s to Discovery you have musicians who will be around for a loooong time.

Rating: 4 out of 5
The song is sort of a teaser of what’s to come. It by no means blows me away but I’m still excited/impressed by Vampire Weekend.

Horchata by Vampire Weekend

Anyway the first track out is the title track. While WBBSA featured more Thao Nguyen with her innocent songwriting, it seems like the music has taken a huge step forward and the band members deserve some credit on this nice track (it`s not that their efforts went unnoticed but it was clear who the star was – Thao Nguyen and the band does a little catching up in a good way). Hoping big things from Thao With The Get Down Stay Down.

Know Better Learn Faster by Thao With The Get Down Stay Down

Los Campesinos had a wonderful year last year with two releases Hold On, Now Youngster (one of my favorites last year) and We Are Doomed, We Are Beautiful (which I didn’t like too much). Both albums were a critical success and tying it into a great live show the band is well off to great things. Unfortunately, Aleks the female vocalist is leaving the band this year after recording their third album.

“The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future” sounds like a depressing title for a track with the undertones of a band member leaving – sort of tells a story. The song doesn’t seem to feature any female vocals where Ollie generally has trouble on his own (his voice is annoying even though I don’t mind, some people can’t get over it) he does hold his own on a quiet emotional track. That says a lot because I wouldn’t think he’d be capable of it, although it makes me wonder had Aleks contributed to it (or more, there are some female backup vocals but a lot less then most Los Campesinos tracks).

It’s a good track, not necessarily different from Los Campesinos’ previous work. There’s nothing wrong with that as the band was and is still really good at what they do.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future by Los Campesinos

Check out the video:

The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future from Los Campesinos! on Vimeo.

Considering how often I whip up playlists on my iPod (or Zune, thanks Matchstick!) and how much I enjoy making mixCDs, its kind of bizarre that I tend not to talk about individual tracks. I mean, typically I don’t have that much to say about a single song, but, I feel like there’s a lot of stuff that I’m ignoring because I don’t really have anything to say about the album as a whole (although you should note that this does not apply to Maya, and the This Refers to You EP — Pick of the Week #32).

I suspect the snobbier, more douchey readers, might not appreciate Maya’s brand of pop music. After all, “Red Dress” doesn’t reflect on current events, its not about hard hitting news stories, and for some of you all it may not be “indie” (see the previous post here) enough… if you are one of those people I have likely alienated you already, and if I haven’t, get a haircut. But, if you can get over yourself enough to enjoy music that’s fun, catchy, and that you can roll down your windows and listen to while we still have a little bit of summer left, “Red Dress” is your jam… its kind of sexy… “Baby when you get home I’ve got my red dress on/No turning off those lights, I’ll keep you up all night”… sorry, I’m sweating a little here… I should go…

[mp3] Miss Maya – Red Dress

Hilarious Sidebar: If you google “Miss Maya” the first link is this. That is NOT this Maya…

Glasnost is a Houston, Texas band that has been making a few waves with their recently released single, No Survivor. This single is the first release from their Great Divide – EP which was released this past March at SXSW. I haven’t heard the whole EP I have to admit and any other songs I’ve listened to, other than No Survivor, have been from their MySpace page so I’m really starting from a deficit. I will be looking for their album when it drops though because I would like to hear more from this four piece.

No Survivor is a slice of electro-pop that reminds me of New Order, Cut Copy or Midnight Juggernauts. It has a catchy chorus and irresistible disco beat that soon had me dancing in my chair. The vocals, distorted by a vocoder, could have been a bit more up-front in the mix but a small quibble really. As it is, the lyrics were a bit harder to understand but the songs meaning is typical relational angst – she plays games and he’s confused – and I have to wonder how important they are when this would be played in a loud dance-club anyway. This seems to be a problem with some of their other songs as well, the vocals are a little too low in the mix therefore making the lyrics harder to hear and understand. Otherwise this single is as good a synth/pop song as anything else out there and probably better than most.

The band members are listed as Brandon Duhon (Lead Vocals, Synth), Dan Le (Synth, Backing Vocals), Bryan Porter (Bass Guitar), and Paul Valdez (Percussion) and according to their press kit are multi-instrumentalists. I mention this because it gives them a versatility that is lacking in many bands. (Don’t know who the 5th guy is in the pic, he’s not listed anywhere that I could find. Sorry, anonymous band member if you are currently still with the band.)

Great Divide can be purchased at CDBaby. You can find Glasnost on Facebook, Twitter and on Blogspot as well as the aforementioned MySpace.

Glasnost – No Survivor

You probably don’t want all the gory details, but I’ve been sick all week, hence, no posts. So, sadly, this week’s Pick of the Week isn’t exactly going to be as comprehensive as usual (note: usually they’re not comprehensive, so you’re not really missing much).

The first time I saw this video via Colin Medley (dir.)’s blog I said to Liz “it looks like the guy from the D’Urbervilles got into his Mom’s closet” (jokingly)… kind of like the scene on Friends where Ross dresses up in girl clothes and hosts a tea party… turns out, it is, in fact, John O’Regan of the D’Urbervilles and his alter-ego Diamond Rings.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to make of the song at first — I mean, the make-up and the whole aesthetic of the video threw me for a curve — but I’ve definitely warmed to it, the Seattle SuperSonic (R.I.P.)’s jerseys, the eye make-up, and the whole bit. Most of all, the last couple of days while I’ve been under the weather (and feeling like Armegedon is imminent — the airshow is in town) its been a nice pick-me-up. Basically, its a really fun song, so it’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, comes out of the song (an album? EP?). In any event, it’ll be a good tune to send you on your holiday weekending, presuming, of course, you don’t have to work; but even if you do it might make you feel better about working…

“All Yr Songs” (dir.) Colin Medley

“All Yr Songs” (acoustic)

All Yr Songs by Diamond Rings

Photo credit to Matthew Filipowich

I’ve been really tired of music lately, well new music at least. Bobbie Gentry’s Ode to Billy Joe I heard the first time listening to some oldies station on the way to my cottage, it fit so perfectly driving by all the farms. I really love Gentry’s voice, not enough female singers these days go for a deep note, something Gentry does perfectly. Her southern routes really shine through her music, not that she sounds like a hick, but she has the perfect blend of blues and pop. Even though I really don’t understand what the content is symbolic for within her life, unless she pushed some guy off a bridge, prior to the death of her family, and even the cow, I’m not thinking too much into it.

Ode to Billy Joe isn’t your average song, it is the Angela Ashes (was I the only 10 year old who saw that movie?) of music, its sad from the beginning to the end. Its simplistic and Gentry’s cool demeanor really plays well with they way she performs her material (I suggest you youtube her) She has been compared to Johnny Cash with her autobiographical music and as she was one of the first female singers to write and produce her own songs. Usually I don’t like country or oldies for that matter, so the fact that this song has struck such an interest with me really speaks loudly on just how amazing it really is.

Ode to Billy Joe- Bobbie Gentry

I haven’t reached the point where I understand where No Age’s niche belongs to and haven’t listened to Weirdo Rippers so I’m basically not an expert at all on No Age.

You’re A Target still uses noise but to a more limited extent. No Age is more then just a noise band, let’s be honest, it’s noise because there’s a lot to like. Musically it is high paced as you’d expect but with some simple poppy guitar and screeches here and there, giving a bit of a unique sound. I guess my main argument against this song is that too many things are drowned out. I have a hard time finding something to put my finger on why I don’t like it more. I think vocally it’s too laid back, it’s very laid back (in reference to what I expected on Nouns) and doesn’t have the edge that the music does.

An okay track but I kind of expected a little better from No Age. To be fair though, this will be on an EP and I think this could have the makings of a great song with a few tweaks. Letting things stand out more then others might be beneficial as there’s a lot to like but as a whole I’m not liking it that much. Then again not bad for a sneak peek at an EP.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
You’re A Target by No Age

Remixes/covers should be better then the original and 90% of the time they don’t hence they suck. It takes a skilled person to do a good cover/remix and yeah I’m not really sold on Tobacco’s Die Slow remix. They do try to do something differently at least. A lot of remixes are the identical song but just faster with more bass, Tobacco’s remix is fundamentally different and while that deserve a pat on the back, how much will I listen to the remix anyway? The remix is actually less dancier and slows down the pace of the original. Just showing me more proof, don’t touch a song that is A) Totally fucking awesome B) Still coming out on an album yet to be released.

Rating: 3 out of 5
Not to discredit’s Tobacco’s work on this track but the original outshines probably any remix that would come out of this. (Be sure to check out the original) As good as the remix is, it’s a pass for me.

Die Slow by Health
Die Slow (Tobacco Remix) by Health

Covering Radiohead’s Everything In its Right Place off of Kid A, is both interesting and fascinating. While SONOS is just vocals they use their vocal prowess to create the same sonic sound of the original. Making it a cool and pretty damn awesome cover.

Check it out:
Everything In its Right Place by Radiohead
Everything In Its Right Place by Sonos