Thursday, March 31, 2011

new: Sun Ark Cassette Editions

Fuzz

News from the Sun Ark is always good news, and this time it comes in a bundle of goodies. In addition to new 7" on Monofonus, which includes a cover of Teenage Fanclub's "December," which I can happily say I never saw coming. In addition, Stallones is also teaming up with friend Barrett Avner for Hold The Phone:
HOLD THE PHONE is mustard and ketchup on a deviled egg.
HOLD THE PHONE is your dad whistling at a 16-year-old girl.
HOLD THE PHONE is yin all dressed up in yang clothes.
HOLD THE PHONE is Woodstock yelling at Snoopy.
HOLD THE PHONE is Cameron Stallones and Barret Avner.
HOLD THE PHONE is two boy's talkin'.
Hold The Phone- Yellow & Blue (excerpt)

On the other hand, Sadistic Candle (Barrett Avner) is some demonic sourcing, kick-out-the-fuzz-and-beam-into-the-internal/eternal-zone jams. As Sun Ark notes, it is "a statement of purpose."

Sadistic Candles- Dead Ones Cry No More
Sadistic Candle- A1

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

new: Dana Jewell Wants 7-inch

Make My Heart Burn

Friends are fun. What's even more fun?! When friends put out other friends tunes. Friends!

All kidding aside, friends, this one has been a long time in the making and it's really great to finally have it on the turntable. Olympia, Washington's Dana Jewel is no stranger to Underwater Peoples. The head of Wild Animal Kingdom Records used to play in the live version of surf/jungle band Pill Wonder, and has also been featured on the always enjoyable UP seasonal comps...Hey guys, no pressure, but it's been a few too many seasons without a new one…Just sayin' :)(

Now comes Wants, a collection of heart-felt tunes from a man who might as well be considered the product of a one night stand Jonathan Richman had in the PacNW some twenty years ago. (Imagine if Richman sang about Seattle like he did New England….Oh, New England.) "Wants" the song is the perfect duality of yearning for love, and the subsequent rejection of it. Pain is pleasure, and vice versa? If that fits your fancy, be sure to grip Wants over at the UP web zone.


Friday, March 25, 2011

show: MIST, Driphouse, Forma + more

Twin Lanes
Just came across this, but it's hard to resist. Tomorrow night at the Schoolhouse in Bushwick, MIST (Sam Goldberg [Radio People] + John Elliott [Emeralds, Outer Space, Imaginary Softwoods]), Darren Ho's always stunning Driphouse, and Forma, who are about to drop a record on John's Spectrum Spool imprint. Coincidentally, MIST are also about to unleash an LP on Spectrum Spool, which is operating under the inimitable Editions MEGO. Show will also feature DJ sets by Dan L (Chuck Person, OPN, Celtics fan) and Vibes.

"TWIN LANES" by MIST from upcoming 2xlp "House by spectrumspools

NNA011: Driphouse "50/50" [sample] by nnatapes

FORMA - FORMA237B by spectrumspools

Thursday, March 24, 2011

comp: Rose Quartz Christchurch EQ Relief

RQEQ

The fine young gentlemen at Rose Quartz have compiled a collection of tunes to benefit the city of Christchurch, which some of the RQ team call home. If you recall, the Kiwi City was devastated by a recent earthquake, which rattled the city's bones and left it a fragment of its former self. The Rose Quartz team reached out to some of their favorite artists (Thurston Moore, Sun Araw, Grouper, Dolphins into the Future, Monopoly Child Star Searchers, amongst others), many of whom have played in the city, at venues that are now not much more than rubble. The compilation is full of heavy hitters who loved the city. That said, everyone involved would greatly appreciate if listeners could support the relief effort by giving a few bucks to the Red Cross.

RQ CHRISTCHURCH EQ RELIEF 2011 COMPILATION
TRACKLIST:
1. Spelunks - "ba-DUNK"
2. Shocking Pinks - "Black Envelope"
3. Thurston Moore - "Circulation (1st Demo)"
4. Coasting - "Discovery"
5. Canterbury Rams - "Simple Mind"
6. Dolphins Into The Future - "Armona"
7. Wet Wings - "Feeeel It"
8. Golden Axe - "Catmaster"
9. Secrets - "RMBR U"
10. Monopoly Child Star Searchers - "Winds Emotive Inner Key"
11. Mount Pleasant - "Florida"
12. Sun Araw - "Thrasher"
13. Grouper - "He Knows (Live at St. Lukes Cathedral, Christchurch)"
14. With Moths - "We All Sleep"

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

mp3: Twerps "Self Assured"

Black Eyes

Over a year ago I posted a few stunningly melancholic pop tracks from Australia's Twerps. A year later and the group is in the US playing shows. Nice to see these things come together. Anyway, they've got a few 7-inches on the forefront– one on Underwater Peoples, one on OESB, and another on Group Tightener. All of this seems fitting, as last year I remember getting all "I'm obsessed with this. You too?!?!" with all those guys. Something to be said for camaraderie. Anyway, the Twerps are playing their first NYC area show tonight at Glasslands with Family Portrait (Wet Dream lineup), La Big Vic and Chapter Music head Guy Blackman. Peep "Self Assured", which originally appeared on The Report V.II comp and is now featured, in mastered glory, on the UP 7-inch. Word.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

new: Troller

Milk

Adam from SURVIVE has been a busy man lately. I wasn't in Austin last week, but rumor has it that, in addition to hosting two shows, the dude played 12 shows(!) as part of SURVIVE, Thousand Foot Whaleclaw, and his latest act, Troller, which is a collaboration with fellow Austinite Amber Ormand. Reports from ATX have been intriguing, so was stoked to find Troller had uploaded four tunes to their Soundcloud. What's inside? Synthetic cave recordings accompanied by droning vocals that sound like they were recorded by Paulive Oliveros for the Deep Listening Band. Darkness reigns supreme here, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Peace Dream by Troller ATX

Tiger by Troller ATX

Monday, March 14, 2011

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

video: Rene Hell "{e.s. des Grauens in fifths}"

Record


WARNING: Megazord notes, "this may cause seizures." You've been warned.

Zord's latest video work comes in the form of another phenomenal Rene Hell cut. The video seems to take Hell's rambling arpeggiations to heart, remixing (and rehashing) arps as video filters. That is not a technical statement, rather a symbiotic one, more in tune to how Oldham warps visuals around Hell's free-flowing synthesis. It's a non-stop barrage of rippling images that pour through digital streets like faucet that can't seem to stop flowing.

Monday, March 7, 2011

mix: Free Spirit's *I Wish*I Am Love*I Will Miss You* Mix

Good Bye

The .gif says it all. A compassionate mix of longing R&B samples, synthetic swells and submerged re-edits ripe for flooding your basement. Zone out, but prepare to snap back to when the filtered echo of Frank Ocean's "Strawberry Swing" starts to roll in.

Free Spirit's *I Wish*I Am Love*I Will Miss You* Mix

Friday, March 4, 2011

tour: Janka Nabay Goes to SXSW, Sabanoh tape

Bubu King!

If you search Bubu Music in Google, the first eight links are all about Janka Nabay. The ninth is the Wikipedia article on the traditional music of the Temne people from Sierra Leone, made with “old keyboards and by blowing on carburetor pipes and bamboo shoots,” and of which Janka Nabah is universally considered the King. Not only that, Janka was also the first to record Bubu music in Sierra Leone, and his music proved to unite war torn Sierra Leone over ebullient dance music, whose goal was to use the music to promote “peace, good governance and the empowerment of women.”

Janka has been in New York City, regularly playing all over the Manhattan and Brooklyn with a tour de force known as the Bubu Gang, which features members of Highlife, Skeletons, and a plethora of other Brooklyn based musicians helping to re-create Janka’s vision of Bubu with live instruments. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Janka play on more than a few occasions in Brooklyn and each time I leave with my feet sore, but my mind strong. (Bubu proves to be both cathartic and healthy workout.)

Yesterday I posted the A Side to a tape Janka recorded in Sierra Leonne on the Kickstarter blog. To follow up, here's the B-side to Sabanoh. Pledge to Janka's project on Kickstarter.

Download Janka Nabay- Sabanoh B-Side

Download the A-Side to Sabanoh here.