Well executed Dub / Electronica from DJ /rupture & Matt Shadetek

Amazing skills at the mixing board.

“Solar Life Raft” is the new release from DJ /rupture and Matt Shadetek. It’s not a wall-to-wall winner, but there’s some outstanding dub on it and I have to say it is the best produced piece of music I have heard in a long time. They pull in a variety of samples, instruments, and cultural influences and mix them with amazing skill. Check out my review on Altsounds: http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/113682-dj-rupture-and-matt-shadetek-solar-life-raft-album.html

Simple but cool big beat music from Brighton Port Authority (nee Fatboy Slim)

Back in August when I wrote up Fatboy Slim, I mentioned that he also performs under the name Brighton Port Authority, though I hadn’t heard any of this work under that name. I picked up a disc at the library called “I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat” by the BPA but didn’t realize at the time what that stood for. Turns out it’s the newest release from the Brighton Port Authority, a.k.a. Fatboy Slim, a.k.a. Norman Quentin Cook, who was born Quentin Leo Cook.

You can run, but you can't hide, Quentin.

If you’re not familiar with BPA’s MO, he is a British DJ, producer, and general big beat artist who likes to work with a variety of vocalists and instrumentalists using his own production, sampling, and looping skills to make the songs hot. On, “I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat,” he works with a different vocalist on every track, including big names like Iggy Pop, David Byrne, Martha Wainwright, and Dizzee Rascal.

Once I realized who BPA was, I was excited about the names of the various collaborators. Sadly, I was disappointed by the Iggy Pop tune and the David Byrne tune. In fact, a lot of it didn’t grab me, unfortunately. There were, however, 4 winners on the disc and you might want to look at picking up the individual tracks.

• So It Goes (featuring Olly Hite) – A little electric piano and some sweet harmony vocals set up a stripped down R&Bish version of this old Nick Lowe song.
• Superlover (featuring Cagedbaby) – This is a pretty melody that Cagedbaby (Tom Gandey) sings sweetly. Like ‘So It Goes,’ the song is simple, but really appealing.
• Spade (featuring Martha Wainwright – Martha is the daughter of Loudin Wainwright and sister of Rufus. No shortage of musical talent in that family. This reggae vibe is beautifully sung and interestingly produced. It might be my favorite on the disc.
• Should I Stay or Should I Blow (featuring Ashley Beedle) – Another simple, but this time highly danceable track. My daughter just commented that she loves this song so I added it to her mix.

Whatever he calls himself tomorrow, BPA has a great knack for picking songs and wrapping cool arrangements around them.

Excellent loop-oriented Rock from Rifle Recoil

Rifle Recoil is one guy, Jeff Kessel, and the main idea he uses is starting with a groove, looping it, and adding more and more to it throughout the song. You’ve heard other musicians do this. Keller Williams do an acoustic pop version of it. Jeff Kessel is really good at it too. He picks cool songs to cover and writes some great hooks himself. This was a gem I got from AltSounds, so the review is posted there. Check it out. http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/112749-rifle-recoil-verizon-shine-album.html

Spotty Electronica with some great moments from Ernest Gonzales

On the Exponential Records website, Ernest Gonzales tells us that growing up in Texas as the only child of an electrician and a Home Depot customer service rep, he spent his childhood on video games, drawing trees, making bow and arrows, too much MTV, and pizza pockets. While he was in school, he used extra scholarship money to buy his first drum machine, and since then has been developing his talents creating electronic music.

It feels like a full band could turn a disc with some great ideas into a great disc.

Ernest Gonzales already has eight releases under his belt, but I must confess I have never heard any of them. His ninth release is a seven-track EP entitled “Self Awakening.” I was a bit worried when the disc began, because the first track, ‘Self Awakening,’ was only mildly interesting. Clean guitar picks out a simple melody with a steady programmed beat and a plodding bass line. The song undergoes no crescendos and no additional melodic lines are introduced after the first minute. It’s a pleasant enough song, but not very engaging.

Then I saw the second track is called ‘Self Awakening (Faunts Remix)‘ and I began to see some of the interest. The same basic idea is in there, but this song sounds very different. The beat is more Rock-oriented. The clean guitar is accompanied this time by stomping fuzzy bass and some keyboards. The song moves through several passages, becoming large and driving before it dwindles back to where it started.

‘Self Awakening (Take Cover)’ is so different it is barely identifiable as the same song. Between the techno percussion, synthesized sound effects, and disjointed vocal samples, all that remains is the chord progression. The other versions were electronic, but this one is Electronica. The first three tracks on ‘Self Awakening’ are an interesting study in theme and variation.

The fourth track, ‘Upon the 19th Day (Cyne Cover),’ features quiet keyboards, synthetic cello, and echoing percussion and reminds me of French New Age musician Jean Michel Jarre, except it is the backdrop for a rap. This track didn’t do much for me because the rhythm of the rap never changes and each line rhymes once at the end. Neither the music nor the lyrics nor the vocal performance are strong enough to really carry a song.

The next track, ‘We Can Live in the Forest,’ has several lines of plucked bass and guitar backed by unwavering electronic percussion. This track needs more but I’m not sure what it needs more of. Ideas, I guess. It is thin and repetitive. Listen to the Amazon sample and you’ve heard the whole song. ‘I’m Here You’re There (Mexicans with Guns Remix)’ is straight up Electronica, possibly aspiring to Rave music. The disc is rounded out with ‘Etchasketch Trees (Yppah Remix),’ a danceable song with dreamy keyboards and wailing guitar in the background.

The second and third ‘Self Awakening’ and ‘Etchasketch Trees’ have some interesting moments, but overall ‘Self Awakening’ suffers from a lack of complexity. The melodies are simple, the production and effects are often gimmicky and derivative, and the arrangements don’t shake things up enough. There are some good ideas in this music, but it felt like it needed either more time being refined and fleshed out or the input of more musicians to add depth and texture.

Hot new Chillout music from Trip Hop pioneers Massive Attack

They could have called it "Creepy Gemini"

So a couple weeks ago I posted a mix of Massive Attack. They have shown amazing versatility for years working with a variety of vocalists, producing many different sounds all in the genre they helped found, Trip Hop. They’ve got a new 4-song EP out. The songs are slow in tempo, but pretty compelling. Read my review at AltSounds: http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/112384-massive-attack-splitting-the-atom-ep.html.

The Friday mix: Movie and TV soundtrack music

One of my favorite things to pick up at the library is a movie (or TV show) soundtrack. They are always hand picked tunes, often with a similar sound or feel. I’ve got a ton of songs on my iPod from movie soundtracks. Way more, in fact, than I could put in one mix today, so expect to see more soundtrack mixes in the future. If you have a great soundtrack that isn’t represented here, please let me know about it. Thanks.

1. Ain’t Nothing Wrong with That – Robert Randolph & the Family Band
   Robert Randolph performs perennially at music festivals all over America. If you get a chance to see them, do it. This is a rollicking rock tune with absolutely sick slide guitar. The ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ folks found this one and put it on their soundtrack.
2. Why Can’t I Fall in Love – Ivan Neville
   Remember ‘Pump Up the Volume’ with Christian Slater waaaay back in the day? Well, they found about the only song by any Neville brother I like. Great , soulful song.
3. Everybody is Someone – Lifehouse
   Here’s another rarity: a Lifehouse song I dig. In fairness, I should mention I haven’t listened to their albums because I haven’t like the singles I’ve heard. The guys who put together the ‘Wicker Park’ soundtrack did, though.
4. Porpoise Song – The Monkees
   No, really. This is a good song. I don’t know who wrote it, since The Monkees weren’t really a real band, but this one sounds like they were ripping off one of the Rolling Stones’ old psychedelic tunes instead of The Beatles. I had never heard it before it hit the ‘Vanilla Sky’ soundtrack.
5. Where Do I Begin – Chemical Brothers
   Also from the ‘Vanilla Sky’ soundtrack and my favorite track on the disc. It opens with a beautiful melody and a familiar-to-everyone feeling and crescendos to a really cool dance beat. Funny, Beth Orton tracks often don’t grab me, but I love it when she works with a very modern producer or someone regrooves her songs.
6. The Equaliser – Clinic
   This one isn’t going to be for everyone, but I love the percussion, whining keyboard, and haunting vocals. I found this one on the ‘Thirteen’ soundtrack.
7. Move On – Mike Doughty
   OK, so this isn’t really a soundtrack song because it’s from the album ‘Future Soundtrack for America,’ which was basically a protest album against the Bush administration. This is a fantastic song that contains the great line, “I love my country so much, man. Like an exasperating friend.” I actually can’t find the studio version anywhere at the moment. Listen to this live version and see if you can find the studio version.
8. The Bed’s Too Big Without You – Sting
   This is better than the original, which he has done before (“Shadows in the Rain”). For this one, Sting taps Ranking Roger (English Beat, General Public) to sing with him and he does his thing very well. This was a surprising pick (to me, anyway) from ‘The Truth About Cats and Dogs.’ You can’t hear Ranking Roger in this sample, but he rocks.
9. All I Need – Air French Band
   The folks from ‘Felicity’ found this one for me. This is a patient, pretty song with a modern, Chillout sound and beautiful vocals.
10. Come Una Pietra Scalciata (Like a Rolling Stone) – Articolo 31
    I like rapping in foreign languages, if it’s well done. There’s something I like about  hearing the vocal rhythms and rhymes without being distracted by the meanings of the words. This is a great use of the old Dylan classic from the ‘Masked and Anonymous’ soundtrack.
11. Angaju (The Latin Project Remix) – Bebel Gilberto
    More Chillout music and more foreign languages too. This is from Volume 2 of the ‘Six Feet Under’ soundtrack. Great keyboards.
12. Funky Nassau, Pt. 1 – The Beginning of the End
    The Elizabethtown Vol. 2 soundtrack has this seriously old school funk with cleanly strummed guitar and island horns. The percussionist(s?) keeps this irresistibly danceable.
13. Dry the Rain – The Beta Band
    John Cusack should be given the task of compiling all movie soundtracks. I love the gems he digs up. This was on the wonderful ‘High Fidelity’ movie and soundtrack.
14. Time of the Season – Big Blue Missile with Scott Weiland
    Best version of this song ever recorded. Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) rocks the vocal line and the band is heavy.

Enjoy with a $5 coke and the contents of a hip flask. Have a good weekend.

The Friday mix: Trip Hop masters, Massive Attack

Every now and then I select a band of which I am a fan and pull together a mix for you. I always like it when someone does this for me with a band I’m interested in but know little about. This British duo has been at it since the 80s and are pretty much considered to have founded the Trip Hop genre. They often invite great vocalists to come in and do session work for them so it was a while before I realized that so many of the songs I had heard were all the same band. If you want to get a single album to start with, I’d recommend ‘Mezzanine,’ but if you’re looking for the best of their music, here is the Cliff Notes version.

1. Protection – The marriage of Massive Attack and Tracey Thorn of Everything but the Girl is a wonderful thing. I love the sentiment of the lyrics and the vocal performance is spot on.
2. What Your Soul Sings – Another beautiful melody this time with Sinead O’Connor providing the vocals. I listen to her performance and wonder who has ever made a sillier career blunder than her ripping up a picture of that old man on Saturday Night Live.
3. Future Proof – This is on the slow end of danceable. I like the overall dark feel the electronic percussion, synthesizer effects, and wailing guitar  achieve in this song.
4. I Against I – Cool song with smooth raps from one of my faves, Mos Def, and video from Hero with Jet Li. It’s a triple threat.
5. Everywhen – Keyboards that are alternately dramatic and oozy set the stage for Horace Andy’s low and slow vocals on this pretty track.
6. Polaroid Girl – This instrmental is from the soundtrack to ‘Danny the Dog’ (‘Unleashed’ in America) with Jet Li. Most of this music was great for the movie but doesn’t really stand up alone. This is an exception. Electric piano, synthesized effects, and patient percussion make this one very cool.
7. Better Things – It’s a little confusing, but it looks like this was written by Robert del Naja and Grant Marshall of Massive Attack, though it was released on an Everything but the Girl disc and Tracey Thorn provides the vocals. They lay down kind of a spacey minimalist Reggae groove for Thorn’s evocative voice.
8. Risingson – The research was tricky, but it appears the two vocalists in this dark but tranquil song are 3D and Daddy G. There are several versions of this song, but this one is my fave.
9. Teardrop – This is a fantastic song from Mezzanine that you have probably heard at some point. Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins provides the vocals on the original. If you’re interested, Newton Faulkner also does an unbelievable cover of this song.
10. Inertia Creeps -  I saw someone online describe this sound as Turkish. I can kind of hear that, I guess. It’s a great groove at any rate.
11. Man Next Door – Another great song off of Mezzanine. This one is an industrial cover of an old Paragons tune about a nightmare neighbor.
12. Black Milk – Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins sings another one for them. They sampled “Tribute” by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, but Manfred never constructed a dark, dreamy song like this one.
13. Small Time Shot Away – Tinny percussion and a non-stop keyboard riff set the backdrop for Damon Albarn’s (Blur) breathy, almost ambient vocals.
14. Antistar – There is something sinister-feeling about this groove. I love it. I feel all sneaky when I listen to it.

Enjoy with a reservoir glass of absinthe. Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Radiohead covers: Jazz, R&B, Electronica

I listened to the coolest CD this morning. Last Wednesday, I wrote up RJD2 and mentioned I was going to look for more of his music. My order came in. Sadly, RJD2’s album, ‘The Third Hand,’ was disappointing. I only liked one song, “Work It Out” (Great video, too).

Great. Great. Great. Do yourself a favor and listen.

However, I also ordered ‘Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads,’  a tribute album to Radiohead to which RJD2 added a track. They got some other cool acts to contribute to the project too, including The Bad Plus, Sia, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, and others. The great thing about the project is no one bothered to just redo the same song; everyone went somewhere new with his or her chosen track.

6 songs from this disc now have a cozy home on my iPod. Check them out.

• Knives Out – Waajeed feat. Monica Blair
  Wajeed turns this into a beautiful R&B tune with a sparse arrangement of ethereal keyboards and a hard snare beat.
• Everything in Its Right Place – Osunlade feat. Erro
  This is an unbelievable interpretation of this song. It’s even more heavily electronic than the original with a danceable beat up front and wailing vocals in the background.
• The National Anthem – Me’Shell N’Degeocello & Chris Dave
  I didn’t realize that what this song needed was horns, but Chris Dave did, and he lays it down. Me’Shell Ndegeocello also does a great job singing this song, but then I would listen to Ndegeocello read a grocery list.
• Blow Out – L.O.Freq
  They make this sound like a Zero 7 song. It’s much smaller than the original, with clean acoustic guitar, gentle percussion, quiet strings, and a beautiful vocal performance that sounds like a young Stevie Nicks.
• Just – Mark Ronson feat. Alex Greenwald
  Jangling guitar, funky horns, and sweet harmony vocals. I might like this version better than the original. Really. It’s that good.
• Morning Bell – The Randy Watson Experience feat. Donn
  This nearly 9-minute version is incredible. Donn croons this song like an old Jazz standard while jazz drums and piano set the mood, colored by lots of electronic effects for color.

I almost pulled Pete Kuzma’s “High & Dry“  but it barely missed the cut. About half of this disc didn’t do much for me but as I listened to these songs again to write up the descriptions I liked them even more.  I am so impressed with how great these versions are. Just on the strength of the 6 I ripped, this is probably the best multi-artist tribute album I’ve heard since ‘I Am Sam.’ Click the links and listen.

Outstanding Funk/R&B/Hip Hop from RJD2

I have had songs by RJD2 in my collection for quite a while, but oddly he sort of flew under my own radar on my iPod. I think it might be because I could never get his name to stick in my head. R2D2 is what I keep coming up with (The nickname RJD2 was used by a friend in his raps and it stuck). Whenever one of these songs comes on in my car, my wife checks to see who it is and I was often doing the same thing. I sat down this morning and listened to all the stuff I have by him and decided to A) write him up, and B) order a bunch of his other music.

Heavy, deep, and deftly layered. Winner.

Ramble John Krohn was born in Oregon and raised in Columbus, OH. He signed with the record label Definitive Jux and released his first album, Deadringer, in 2002. Since then he’s been incredibly prolific, having released 4 albums, 2 EPs, 6 mix albums, 4 instrumental albums, 18 singles, and worked on 9 collaborations. That’s seven years worth of work, kids. Amazing. I had even heard some of his stuff in other places without realizing it. He contributed to the Nightmare Revisited album, which compiled covers of the music from Nightmare Before Christmas (BRILLIANT), and a Radiohead tribute album

His 2004 release, ‘Since We Last Spoke,’ is a great effort and a good introduction to his work. Check out my three favorites.

• Ring Finger – This is a deep piece that ranges from slamming Electronica to delicate Spanish ballad. I actually can’t tell what language the female vocalists is singing in, but the Flamenco guitar at the beginning makes me guess Spanish. The production and instrumentation – particularly the keyboards – are outstanding.
• Someone’s Second Kiss – The percussion is mixed right up front, more prominently even than the dreamy vocals, which are sung in a soulful falsetto. Krohn is an outstanding producer and the flourishes of guitar, keys, and other effects are perfectly placed.
• One Day – Clear piano, handclaps, and flute back up this great R&B tune. Again, beautifully mixed.

As I said, I’ve ordered more of his music. If I had to guess, I’d say I’ll be writing up more of his music in the future. Stay tuned.

http://www.myspace.com/rjd2

The Friday mix: Dance music

This has been the mildest summer I can remember here in the Midwest. It only finally got hot in earnest in the last couple weeks.  Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in…bare feet? Anyway, here is a compilation of some upbeat songs with a great, infectious rhythm. I hope you like.

Dance like nobody's watching.

1. Tonight – Basement Jaxx/Phoebe
   A mix of Spanish and Asian flavors adds spice to the already cool melody.
2. Cliffs [Remix] – Alarm Will Sound
   This is an Alarm Will Sound retread of an Aphex Twin song. Maybe it’s not real danceable, but I like the funky production and the non-percussive sounds used as percussion.
3. Chorando Sim – Almeidinha do el Gringo
   I love the crystal clear vocal performance and the great percussion. Why someone chose to set this song to a collage of Frank Frazetta art on YouTube I don’t know.
4. Time After Time – Amel Larrieux/Towa Tei/Viv
   This is a pure dance party song and is perhaps the poppiest song I like. It’s undeniably cool, though.
5. Purify – Balligomingo
   Breathy vocals + ethereal production+ great harmony at the chorus X a danceable beat = winner.
6. Won’t Talk About It – Beats International
   There are a couple different versions of this song. I went to YouTube looking for a different version, but I like this (the Norman Cook remix) even better.
7. Aganju (The Latin Project Remix) – Bebel Gilberto
   The lovely Bebel Gilberto given this dance club makeover. The original is mellower and prettier, if you like the melody but not the dance beat.
8. Sea Groove – Big Boss Man
   Off the brilliant Outernational Sound album, I believe this is a Thievery Corp remix of a Big Boss Man song. Thievery Corp’s got the beats.
9. Hotel – Broken Social Scene
   This is not really a dance club song nor would you expect to hear Broken Social Scene in a club, necessarily. I think this song works here, though.
10. Chico’s Groove – The Chemical Brothers
    Instrumental and complexly layered. I love the 15 different things they do with this great groove.
11. Busy Child – The Crystal Method
    I defy you to stay in your seat when this song comes on. It can’t be done. The first 5 seconds of this video show promise, then it becomes Top Gun. Alright, the jets are kind of cool, too.
12. Deadweight – Beck
    I believe this was only released on the Life Less Ordinary soundtrack. Given that the movie wasn’t very big nor was there much great music on the soundtrack, it’s kind of a lost Beck tune. It’s a good one too. I guess they thought this would help them sell more copies.
13. Express Yourself (Mocean Worker Remix) – Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
    This was from the Mr. and Mrs. Smith soundtrack when Pitt and Jolie were beating the crap out of each other. Funny use of a great song. This updated version is an improvement, too.
14. Digital Love [Boris Dlugosch Remix] – Daft Punk
    Such a joyful hook. This is my favorite Daft Punk tune. I’m not sure this is the official video, though the characters do seem to be singing along at times.

Enjoy with a tall glass of ice water to cool you off after shredding that rug.