The amazing Pharoahe Monch played at the Zoo last night and I, not really having a spare $65, did not get a chance to see him in action. I know that in a few months (probably weeks) I will regret this, like I always do when something like this happens, but I guess that's life. Anyway, below is the video for Body Baby, one of the more funkier tracks from Monch's 2006 album Desire - I figured this is the least I could do to support one of my favourite hip hop artists.
I first heard about Mayer Hawthorne through the emails I receive from Stones Throw. As I was in a hurry at the time, I never got to hear what all the fuss was about until I was browsing through some records in Rockinghorse a couple of weeks later. I happened to come across his 12" single Maybe So, Maybe No and figured I'd give it a quick listen. I'm so glad I took the time, because Mayer Hawthorne has some talent. Major talent.
At it's heart, A Strange Arrangement is a beautiful soul record, the kind of record you would take with you on a road trip in a big old Cadillac. Not only does he have a killer voice, Hawthorne also provided most of the instrumentation on the album too. So good is said instrumentation that when label head Peanut Butter Wolf heard some of Hawthorne's early songs, he thought he was listening to reworkings of early soul records.
A Strange Arrangement is a great album; if you're a fan of soul and/or hip hop, or you just have an open mind, you'll be eating this up in no time. Get it now!
Man, Defeater are great. This awesome band from Massachusetts play a style of modern hardcore similar to bands such as Ruiner and the now defunct Verse and Modern Life is War. Defeater's debut album Travels had me pretty excited about hardcore again, so when I heard that Lost Ground was floating around on the net I couldn't help myself.
Lost Ground opens with my favourite track of the six on offer, The Red, White and Blues. From the moment vocalist Derek screams "The whiskey burns going down", you know there's no turning back. Lost Ground grabs hold and doesn't let go for its entire 19 minutes; personally I wouldn't have it any other way. The music on Lost Ground is tight and aggressive, and the drummer is amazing. The lyrics are intelligent and well written too, which helps to keep Defeater above the standard hardcore fare. I think it may just be me, but I keep picking up on a bluesy vibe too; it probably has something to do with the awesome artwork. Great band, great EP.
I'm sorry it's been a while; I could throw a million excuses out there but I'm not even going to bother, I'm just going to get straight back into it.
I've been listening to Beggars, the new album from experimental rock quartet Thrice for a solid month now, and I have to say it is the best album they have released since 2003's The Artist in the Ambulance. Since that album, Thrice have grown immensely as individual musicians and as a band and are definitely now a shadow of the visceral post-hardcore band they used to be. Beggars is not a record that hits you immediately; it took me a couple of listens to get my head around this album, and I'm glad I persevered. Thrice have created a record that is cohesive yet jarring; lush yet angular and raw. From the fuzzed out bass intro of All the World is Mad to the stirring climax of the title track, Beggars is definitely an album that should be treated as a journey, not just a collection of songs. I have a feeling this one will be in my top ten at the end of this year.
Note: The physical edition of the album comes with a download card that includes two unreleased demos, two remixes (All the World is Mad & Circles) and a barnstorming version of The Beatles' Helter Skelter.
Here is the video for Every Time I Die's new single, Wanderlust. I wasn't a huge fan of The Big Dirty, but I may be back on board with New Junk Aesthetic because this song is ruling me at the moment. The video is pretty interesting too; just make sure you haven't done any acid before you watch it though.
New Junk Aesthetic will be out on September 15 through Epitaph. Check out the sweet cover below.
I am loving so many bands from Scotland at the moment. I'm not really sure why, but I know that the quality of music coming out of that country is of a high calibre right now and I'm not going to complain about it for one second. There are several bands I'm quite into right now, but I wanted to focus on We Were Promised Jetpacks for today. We Were Promised Jetpacks mix angular, post-punkish guitars and poignant, well written lyrics to create a sound that's distinctively familiar, yet somehow refreshing at the same time. I only found out about these guys maybe a week and a half ago, but I have not stopped listening to their debut album, These Four Walls, since I got it.
Opening track It's Thunder and It's Lightning is an exceptional song, combining soft vocals with an urgent sounding guitar line. The urgency of the track continues until it culminates in an explosion of sound, setting the tone for the rest of the album. Conductor shows another side of We Were Promised Jetpacks, showcasing Adam Thompson's unique voice and powerful lyrics, while the rest of the band builds the song into another powerful crescendo of sound, before bringing us gently back down.
Just over halfway into the album we reach the catchy-as-hell single Quiet Little Voices, which is anything but quiet. Thompson's voice shines on this track, while the chorus is as noisy as it is melodic and is driving without being forceful. It is easy to see why this was chosen as a single, but it doesn't take away from the rest of the album. Immediately after is the track Moving Clocks Run Slow (this blog's namesake by the way!), which develops in a very Foals-meets-Bloc Party way. This again shows another side to We Were Promised Jetpacks, as it is more immediate than some of the other tracks, without sounding forced or cliched.
Towards the end of the album is the epic Keeping Warm, which builds and builds into a very powerful and explosive ending. Keeping Warm has a nice post-rock feel to it, and it helps to build the song into the towering beast it becomes. Finally we reach An Almighty Thud, which brings us gently back down to earth after the journey we've just taken. Normally I'm not a huge fan of bands ending with acoustic tracks, as I feel it takes away from the overall vibe of the album, but An Almighty Thud is a song with such intensity that it helps to bring a finality to the album.
We Were Promised Jetpacks are amazing. I know that they are a young band and they have a lot of growth left in them, but if this is what they came up with on their debut album, I can only imagine what they'll be capable of on their 2nd and 3rd albums. I cannot recommend this album highly enough, and I suggest you pick it up for yourself now!
You can listen to tracks from These Four Wallshere Then go and buy it here
I've been following Snob Scrilla for a good year and a half now. Not in the creepy stalker way, but rather I've watched him rise through the ranks of the Australian music scene with his witty rhymes and futuristic beats. Originally from California, Snob Scrilla (aka Sean Ray) moved to Sydney when he was 18 and I can only assume he worked hard to make some good connections with people who could help get his music noticed by the world at large. Now with two releases under his belt (2008's The Day Before EP and 2009's fantastic Day One LP) I finally had the opportunity to see Snob Scrilla and decide for myself whether or not those amzing tunes of his translated well to a live setting.
Opening with the 7 minute epic King John, Snob got the crowd up and dancing almost immediately. Turns out this guy knows how to work a crowd. Really well. From there, he churned through crowd pleasers Alienation, Chasing Ghosts and Heartbreak Scorsese, whilst somehow managing to crank the energy level up a few more notches in the process. The biggest surprises for me were Mr. Whatever and Mr. Officer off The Day Before EP, and boy do they sound great live. So much so that my girlfriend felt the overwhelming need to join Snob on stage during Mr. Officer, shouting the lyrics straight back into the crowd. Needless to say, it went down well with everyone and was a reflection of how much fun the crowd was having. Snob was only joined onstage by a drummer and a sample/synth guy, and to me it showed how well he was able to carry the show with such minimal backing. Finishing with It's on You from Day One, Snob Scrilla took the opportunity to work everyone into a final party frenzy, leaving us all feeling like we had witnessed something truly special.
Turns out Snob Scrilla is well and truly worth the hype. Now more than ever I am interested to see where he goes from here, and if you haven't heard this incredible emcee then you are seriously missing out. The guy has some amazingly good merch as well!
Day One can be heard in it's entirety here Then go and buy it here
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