11.09.2012
Dela- "Electorpietrus"
Translation Lost is the latest beat tape from genius Dela. The tracks are nothing short of engineering and suppressive, but they'll expedite any mood, too. Percussive, jazzy, and most importantly, deceptive.
7.26.2012
7.25.2012
Comic Relief
Great comic from The Oatmeal about religion and its ways. Although I do think religion does so much good for those who utilize faith as an instrument of optimism, others haven't followed this same path.
French Connection
One of my favorite hip-hop producers Dela is a French puppet master when it comes to putting beats together. He plays and he toggles with snares, jazzy saxophones, and every ounce of what makes hip-hop turn.
This track is Dela pulling the curtains back and letting French rapper Espiiem do the talking. I'll have the lyrics in English to follow.
Here is the portfolio on Dela: Myspace
And Espiiem: Facebook
7.24.2012
the He and the She [lost]
Great story by a tumblr called Coffee and Nights, or Passive/aggressive. Still figuring that one out. Nonetheless, amazing prose
the He and the She [lost]
They were dying to the tune of Mexican music, along with the hum of a great and mighty machine. She could see them in his eyes, tiny silhouettes in the darkened corners of his pupils. Brown, mercy brown eyes that slowly became darkness itself, a frozen lake of cold fury buried in the center.
The dying, the lake, the two - boy and girl, fell into the boy’s gaze. Fell into the labyrinth. Whimpers of fear and hurt came from the “they”, those nameless creatures who huddled together, knee deep in their own pain. The He and the She walked past, eyes averted to the sky of his pupils.
Artist Village: Geographer
The evolution of music is a very comical process sometimes,
as the amalgam of genres and subgenres eventually collide. The birth of
electronica, ska, and various offspring has sent music in a direction that once
held the rudimentary genres of rock n’roll, jazz, and classical music.
Geographer is a child of this movement, a sub-pop mixed with electro beats that
leave a listener bewildered at what to call, or think of it.
This San Francisco trio consists of vocalist (Michael Deni), cellist (Nathan Blanz), and drummer
(Brian Ostreicher) and the best part has yet to come with their music, a
product of the prolific and notorious Bay Area realm of music, and it comes in
the form of their vocals. Michael Deni can be heard amidst synthesized beats
and magnificent cellos. His voice is poetic, somber to the ear and inviting,
welcoming to say the least. The band has been circulating the likes of San
Francisco since they released their single “Kites” in 2009. Now they seek to
toss their music into other arenas of the US and what better place to present
then SXSW. There is no doubt
Geographer can create a crowd or perform an incredible show, they’re music does
not allow for otherwise. The music bites when needed, and relaxes when it is
satisfied. Their singles “Kites” and “Can’t You Wait” introduce electronic
music with drum and cello to produce a beautiful array of sound. But check out
their entire LP Animal Shapes out
now.
7.23.2012
Running on empty
running on empty, a gallery by greenkozi on Flickr.
Beautiful photoessay on rest stops and such, and the melancholy that can be felt in their isolation.
But oh how beautiful that solidarity can stand
Woody Allen Interview with Pessimism
Great interview with director Woody Allen by online interview magazine The Talks. Here is the highlight for me:
Do you distrust the good things in life?
"Life is full of moments that are good – winning a lottery, seeing a beautiful woman, a great dinner – but the whole thing is tragic. It’s an oasis that is very pleasant. Take a film like Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. This is a film of great tragedy, but there is a moment when he is sitting with the children and drinking milk and eating wild strawberries. But then that wonderful moment passes and you come back to what existence really is."
7.22.2012
All The Best As You Leave
On a sadder note, as I was looking into the band I had just posted today Augustana, I discovered some tragedy in the mix. Apparently, after the release of their last album the band has decided to break up according to Red Bull USA. I thought it would be sad news on this Sunday afternoon but in another report vocalist Dan Layus corrected the statement as such on Alternative Addiction:
“It was all true as far as most of the band was moving on… but I was going to continue with the name Augustana. I think he just kind of took the liberty to break that story and catch that headline and scoop it up as just ‘Augustana Breaks Up.’”
Augustana, best known for their radio success "Boston", is a band misunderstood. Not to spite their producers, but their sound is suppressed by their records. Their live outfit was really what should have been their aim. It was probably one of the best performances I have witnessed musically speaking when I saw them at the Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. And that is how I chose to view them, it held a special place in my mind. I shared that video because it relates to their genius, which will no longer exist as it did but in a new effect.
So as I suggest, keep an eye out for the works of the new Augustana as will I. I hope the music does as it once did: permeate.
Rock Witchu: Lego Bass Guitar
There isn't much to do but be amazed at how this guy built such an instrument. Like seriously, a Lego bass guitar?!?
7.21.2012
Make Music Saturday
Tarik is from New York, Mike Stud from Rhode Island. Two great narratives and a great sample of "Boston" by Augustana.
Happy Saturday!
7.20.2012
Artist Village: TV Girl
Trung Ngo and Brad Petering are a duo doing some amazing and
relaxing things in the southern part of California. They go by the moniker TV Girl and hail from that same city I was raving about in my last post, the always-classy
San Diego. And as the summer begins to wind down into its less revealing and
quite sheltered autumn self, the tracks TV Girl has been spitting out remind me
how the summer sun has made me feel for months now. The uplifting and
encouraging indie pop sound of this Diego duo transmits visions of 1960’s beach
side barbecues on grassy knolls.
The tracks below showcase the new EP the band
released in late July, another stellar collection and showcase of the duo’s pop
sensibility. Both tracks (“Baby You Were There” and “Your Own Religion”)
examine the summer love that endures among a city as built for the sun as San
Diego. Although the lyrical ingenuity is lacking in most tracks, the relation
is meant to be the sound. The beats are the memory and the connection, and
perfectly labeled. The EP, titled Benny and the Jetts, envisions a time unlike
our own in a not so distant past. Grab the Benny and the Jetts EP, out since July 2010, for free at
their Bandcamp.
7.19.2012
Artist Village: We Are Trees
Their dreamlike tracks follow with Bon Iver’s elegance adding to their on point snares and acoustics playing in that graceful Grizzly Bear arena. The lyrical implications are too imposing, reaching out to lessons that are nonetheless self-reflexive. Check their tour if the music feels right because I can’t imagine their show anything less than amazing. Apparently the band’s a fan of the late great episodes of Friends, so they should be more than welcoming to all listeners at their shows. Their second EP to date Girlfriend is out now on their Bandcamp.
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