5.25.2010

The CQ's Things

If you haven't heard of up and coming psych-rockers, The CQ, you're totally missing out. Totally.



The CQ plays a soothing mix of pleasant grooves and gazey melodies embracing the textural stylings of lo-fi. They also totally just released a new track on bandcamp-

Also, check some of their other tracks belowww-

5.23.2010

The Summer Jams Cometh

Doomstar!- Rainbow Bloodsucker



Classic Fender reverb drip. Psychedelic grooves thrown in line with indie-pop moments. Lo-fi warmth like the interior of your car in a hot parking lot. A perfect mix of feel-good moments and innate weirdness to make Doomstar!'s recent Rainbow Bloodsucker a great record to blast through your house while you drink a 40 on your front lawn. Pick it up off of their bandcamp page.

Check out some nugs below.


5.21.2010

It's your fuckin' Nightmare

i suppose you can call this a follow up on one of my previous posts from way back in December about the metal band who made it, Avenged Sevenfold. i realize they are becoming a bit more "mainstream metal" so to speak, but when you're in a genre like metal, which is obscure enough as it is, its hard to be an "obscure metal band." at least that's my opinion. even mainstream metal is ignored by the general population. either way, Avenged Sevenfold, who recently lost their drummer the Rev (may he rest in peace), has just released a single off their new album, which is coming out later in July. The album and the single are both titled "Nightmare" which can only foreshadow an eerie, darker sound to the album. The single does remind me of some of their other stuff and I can't say is one of their most original songs, but in the end, I still think its a fucking awesome song to rock out too (or maybe i'm just too hardcore of a fanboy). M. Shadows did say in an interview that this album would be a darker emotional album and that they were dedicating it to the Rev. The Rev actually wrote a piece that he claims to be his masterpiece, which he turned in 3 days before his unfortunate death. I believe this piece was originally titled "Death" but in honor of the Rev (aka "Fiction") they renamed the song "Fiction."


Of course you're probably wondering how they recorded drum parts for the album without good ol' Jimmy Sullivan. Well, they asked one of Jimmy's idol drummers, Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, to record the parts and to go on tour with A7X for a while. This is, unfortunately, just a temporary substitution. After the tour, Mike Portnoy will return to his post with Dream Theater and Avenged Sevenfold will have to get a new drummer.

Anyway, you can read up on the whole thing online somewhere. Wikipedia has some good shit. Here's the single.



5.20.2010

Is it here? Or is it going to drop below freezing again in Michigan?


And no, I'm not talking about picking up that 10-strip from Ricky before seeing _________ Fest or pretending like you're going to have a job outside of food service.

I'm talking about rocking out some jams mid-cigarette while driving someone else's car. I'm talking about waking up to the same damn song every day sometime after 3 pm. I'm talking about that smug grin on your face while you check out summer skin with a pair of shitty headphones on.

You know what I'm talking about.

So here's some nugs:

The Mad Conductor - Members Only Single


Two well-traversed time bending enthusiasts, MC Devlin and MC Kinney give out some mad props to none other than KURT VONNEGUT. Somewhere between Billy Pilgrim and Bluebeard, MC Devlin spits a rude blend of off-kilter rhymes that humanize animals, euthanize virgins, and give you some nice music to get crunk to. I don't like get hung up on things, but these guys get me wet.

On contradictions and crunkness, jam out to an old MC gem-

The Mad Conductor - Tomb Diggin' Shovels

The Mad Conductor may be around in the future; they may have lost themselves within their own consciousness somewhere in Louisiana. Maybe. Check them out.


TWIN SISTER x TEEN DAZE


One of Twin Sister's stellar tracks off their recent release Color Your Life from Brooklyn got remixed and re-vamped up by Arcade Sound labelee Teen Daze.  Enough Said. Yet another fine showcase of the awesome musicians that are coming out of Canada these days (Gobble GobbleKumon Plaza, etc).  This remix throws Twin Sister's track immersed in sweet synth and drum machines with a heavy dose of nostalgia -- to the max.










I'll be honest when I say that at first Color Your Life didn't really live up to my expectations, but good thing I kept it in rotation...this album is for sure a grower.  The first track is certainly a standout for me, with gorgeous synths and driving drums overlayed by beautiful and almost eerie ooh's and ah's to lull you into a warm bliss....tracking in at a full 7:07, The Other Side of Your Face is a slow builder, worth every second.  Head over to their site and grab it for free while you can, and let it be a testiment to why you should pre order it vinyl or CD from infinite best all the same.






Teen Daze also has a EP, Four More Years, coming out soon on Vinyl and digital via Arcade Sound, which from what I hear sounds quite promising as well.  So be on the lookout for those goods too-

mp3:

Twin Sister - All Around and Away We Go (Teen Daze Remix)

Twin Sister - The Other Side of Your Face

5.10.2010

Kohwi - Blindlights Mix

So this is a mix that I started at least a few months back, but it had to take a back seat to some more pressing projects for a while.  School ended, I found myself with some more free time on my hands, and finally got around to finishing this little set.

Today I bring you Tweaking Trays' second mixtape: Kohwi - Blindlights Mix.

A 30-minute set that strives for variety similar to that of a freeform radio show ala my weekly bit on WCBN here in Ann Arbor.  These are all tracks that have really hit me hard over the past year, mostly recent stuff, but there's also some songs that are a little older, tracks that I've recently discovered, or tunes that I just feel never got enough love.  So get yourself in bed, turn on some trippy mood lighting, crank this through your A grade studio headphones, and enjoy the BlindLights.

Tracklist:
1. DM Stith - Abraham's Song (Bibio remix)
2. Mount Kimbie - Vertical
3. Luke Vibert - Porn Shirtwee
4. Mobius Band - The Loving Sounds Of Static (Junior Boys RMX)
5. MillionYoung - Chlorophyl
6. Andre Nickatina - Killa Whale
7. Venetian Snares - Eurocore MVP
8. Static - Untitled
9. Toro Y Moi - Lissoms
10. New Villager - Genghis On
11. Machinedrum - Freshkids (Fresh Edit)
12. Dan Deacon - Snake Mistakes
13. of Montreal - Id Engager (Diplo Mad Decent Mix)
14. Fizzy Dino Pop - Space
15. Alice Russel - Universe (Dave Da Gatos F_uck-up The Festivals Bounce)
16. Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden - Bonkers (Doorly Dubstep Remix)
17. Modem - Three-Year-Old Slug
18. Ernest Gonzales - When You Are Lost I Will Find You


Ps. The new spring schedule begins tomorrow for WCBN.  My show, The Magical Mystery Hour, will be Monday's 3-5:30 from now through the end of June, and fellow tweaker Gargamell will also be storming the airwaves Wednesday nights 11pm-1am right after the Local Music Show.  You can stream 'cbn online ALL THE TIME!

Now I'm out to listen to a live broadcast of Toro Y Moi & Caribou in DC via NPR.  Check it out -- 

-djdrbegone

5.07.2010

wishes Chairman were here.

     

Ann Arbor, MI

5.06.2010

oh em gee its out its out its out


Ladies and Gents, long time no see.

I apologize for my long absence, but you see...I had more important things to do. Well, that may not be true, but regardless, I come bearing exciting news and gifts.

The new Ratatat album, appropriately named LP4, is scheduled to release soon and it is fantastic. How do I know? There was a leak. some dutch guy put it up on /mu/. Those dutchmen are crafty in their ways, y'know. So here's a mediafire link to download the tracks. Unfortunately, you're gonna have to download the tracks individually, but trust me it's well worth it.
I must say, I've never been disappointed in Ratatat. They are some of the finest and most unique musicians I have heard and their following is constantly expanding. So now, be one of the first to have the new LP4 album. You're welcome.