Feature Presentation: J Dilla

Really great mini-doc from Stussy, in 3 parts:

Stussy - J Dilla Documentary Prt3 (of 3) from Stussy on Vimeo.

YoYoYoYoYoYo + Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Sorry for being a bit m.i.a. as of late -- ish gets crazy. Let me make it up to you:

A new song:

"No Fucking Around" -- Rafter -- Animal Feelings (2010)

A synesthetic alliteration monday from Au:

A nice live video of that new White Hinterland joint, "Icarus":

Note the candle.

And backlog of columns:

"Help Wanted for GU's Music Scene" (A diagnosis of the real problem)

"Let's talk about sex...and music" (Valentine's Day edition)

"DJing is a game of fundamentals" (An extended metaphor comparing DJing to little league coaching)

"Yule Tide FM" (Why Christmas music on the radio isn't such a bad thing)

Don't say I never wrote posted anything for ya.

Ooh, How Exciting!: Future Islands

There's no stopping Baltimore bands these days. RIYL: New Order, OMD, Gary Numan, David Bowie growls.

Future Islands - Walking Through That Door - In The Evening Air (2010)

Future Islands - Long Flight - In The Evening Air (2010)

Future Islands - Vireo's Eye - In The Evening Air (2010)

Beard 'druff the radio show

Another show tonight starting at 8 EST

Special guest is Matt Strom

Listen at www.georgetownradio.com

That's Concerting: Jamie Lidell

I'd been trying to track this down for awhile -- it was filmed for the Nigel Godrich series "From the Basement." When I saw Lidell do this song live, the crowd applauded mid-song simply because he had constructed it so well...it's not quite as effective here, but you can get the gist of how cool his act really is.

Frrriday: Charlotte Gainsbourg

Charlotte Gainsbourg - "Trick Pony" - IRM (2010)

Grrr, basically.

Beard 'druff the radio show

Starts tonight @ 8-10 on georgetownradio.com

Tune in to hear music the first hour and talk/music the second half.

Tonight's guest: Margot Reynolds

Album Review: Spoon - Transference

Seven LPs deep and one thing is abundantly clear: Spoon has the paradoxical gift of consistent inconsistency, a sense of “progression” without dilution. Transference has the all the trimmings of a Spoon record — the quiet seductiveness of Girls Can Tell (“Before Destruction”), the quirky pop experimentation of Kill the Moonlight (“Is Love Forever?”), the purist, less-is-more songwriting of Gimme Fiction (“Mystery Zone”) — but it still has a soul it can call its own.

If there’s one thing Britt Daniel seems bent on accomplishing with this latest batch of tunes, it’s distancing himself from the Sixties-glazed nostalgia of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, the group’s 2007 pop opus. Can a song like “Trouble Comes Running” make it onto the radio like “The Underdog” did? Probably not — the first 13 seconds sound like they were lifted directly from a demo rather than meticulously mixed by Berry Gordy Jr. The same goes for “Before Destruction,” when Daniel’s vocals first emerge.

Transference even seems to indulge its own rough-around-the-edges aesthetic: “Mystery Zone” cuts out unexpectedly, as do the reverberant vocals on “Is Love Forever?” These are the sort of amateurish moments that peppered A Series of Sneaks, but 12 years down the road, when “sloppy” doesn’t seem like the sort of sound Spoon should be bringing to the table. But it’s the looser qualities that give the brilliant bits that much more weight — like when the guitars cut back through “Mystery Zone,” or “I Saw the Light” transfigures into something completely different.

Comfort in imperfection — it looks dangerous on paper, but it seems to hold Transference together just fine. Call it maturity, existentialism, or blissful sabotage — it’s what allows Daniel to sing “Are you quite certain of love?” while dancing around the room.

Glorified Karaoke: The Hot Rats

The Hot Rats - "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)" - Turn Ons (2010)

Easily the most accomplished/engaging "cover" on a debut full of them.

Ooh, How Exciting!: Jay Electronica

I'm all for a return to more minimalist rap ("no drums, no hook"), and though most of Electronica's music is not as immediate as this (as of yet anyway--"Exhibit C" is fantastic, but sounds like it belongs on The Blueprint 3), "The Pledge (Eternal Sunshine)" is a great listen. This over Drake forever.

Discoveries Worth Sharing: $1.5 Million

Amazing.

New Panda Bear

From a recent bootleg...





















Untitled 4 (Surfer's Hymn)


Untitled 10

Tickling the Ivories, or the Holidays are over

Alright, I'm back.

Click.

Just in case you missed this.

Ooh, How Exciting!: Nighty Night

Nighty Night -- "Abraham" -- Belle (2009)

MySpace

Download

Let's Take a Poll: Beyonce v. Justin

In all honesty, not enough people read this blog to host a meaningful poll, but I'd love to receive some thoughts from everyone on this one.

As per a debate I engaged in a few weeks ago, I'm wondering who everyone thinks is the most successful American pop idol of the decade. To simplify the matter, I've narrowed it down to the two candidates I think merit the title: Beyonce Knowles and Justin Timberlake.

Here's a few matters to consider before you vote:

Point:
Beyonce's artistic history is perhaps less embarrassing than Justin's -- The Destiny's Child years are full of hit songs that feel antiquated, but not shamefully so.

Counterpoint:
Justin managed to reinvent and distance himself from trickier roots. What other idol can you name took part in the the boy band movement and lived to tell the tale?

Point:
Beyonce sold more records than Justin in the '00s -- Dangerously In Love alone has sold 11 million while FutureSex/LoveSounds sold 9 million (which doesn't even take into account B'Day and I Am...Sasha Fierce).

Counterpoint:
Justin's "FutureSex/LoveShow" is the 18th highest grossing tour of all time. The gross was $130,374,996 (adjusted for inflation), and chances are that Justin saw far more of that money than Beyonce saw for her record sales.

Point:
Between Destiny's Child and her solo career, Beyonce spent 52 weeks at number one of the Billboard Hot 100. That's a full year out of the 2000s spent at #1.

Counterpoint:
Justin was more ubiquitous from a cultural standpoint. Not only was he a part of "Nipplegate" and "Dick in a Box," but he seemed to receive almost no negative press for either. He also won an Emmy, which is a step above a Grammy.

Counter-counterpoint:
Beyonce created the "Single Ladies" video, which inadvertently led to one of the most memorable moments of the decade.

Point:
Beyonce was in Goldmember.

Counterpoint:
Justin was in The Love Guru.

If you have any other pertinent arguments, please feel free to voice them in the comments section. Otherwise: