nu musick: Hot Chip

"Colours and Colours and Colours and Colours"

Who knew if you started talking about Christmas you'd start receiving gifts too?! Well thats just what happened today after we posted The Black Art's video for "Christmas Number One", we stumbled on some new Hot Chip songs at the home of fellow Blog Fresh Radio correspondent Headphone Sex. James at HPSex saw Hot Chip a week ago in England and after the show the group was handing out the Normal 7" with new tunes "So Dope" and "With Each New Day." No word yet as to whether or not these two will be included on the forthcoming Made in the Dark LP, which drops February 5th. While "So Deep" represents the fidget funk Hot Chip's known for, "With Each New Day" finds Alexis channeling his inner Elliot Smith. Not that we'll ever stop listening to The Warning but we're really F'ing excited for February 5th.


Hot Chip- So Dope
Hot Chip-With Each new Day

Christmas Countdown: The Black Arts

"Merry Christmas Dad, Happy Christmas Mum, Merry Christmas Everyone"

Last night the AMG Blog pointed me toward this years new X-mas anthem. The Black Arts, a collaboration between Art Brut's Eddie Argos and Black Box Recorder, are set to deliver their first, and possibly only, release "Christmas Number One" on December 3rd. Sleigh bell dreams and indie rock irony (Argos's forte), with some "other festive stuff" make "Christmas Number One" a very Brut-y stab at a holiday rock ballad, not to mention a perfect fit next to "Christmas in Hollis" in X-Mas Jams collection. The video (above) is a satirical take on video Christmas Card complete with K-Mart blends, cuts and kick ass effects. This songs makes me excited about Christmas alot more than Facebook's "Christmas Countdown" application. Click HERE to pre-order the digital download, available 12/3 and a limited edition, eco-sustainable Green 7" record which drops 12/10.

viddyo: Snoop Dogg

"If You Don't Know by Now / Doggy Dogg is a Freak"

Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction
Hosted by Daily Motion

Idolator tipped us off to the amazing new video from Snoop Dogg for the track "Sensual Seduction". Featuring warm synth pads, cosmic flute samples, and a Daft Punk-esque house/rap beat, the track is the lead single off of his new album Ego Trippin, which is set to drop sometime in early 2008. And yes, that is Snoop Dogg singing, although the vocals are unfortunately filtered through that annoying T-Pain/Cher voice modulator. As for the video, it is drenched in late 70s/early 80s nostalgia, harkening back to an era when the music was funky, the coke was plentiful, and the beds were, uh, spacecraft.

Bangers and Mash: the Arbiters

"Fame, Fame, Fame Fame, Fame"

So you loved Girl Talk's Night Ripper. Then you got sick of it. Truth is, Greg Gillis' schizo wild style while an informative pop encyclopedia, isn't exactly what you want when you want to dance all night long (it's more of a 40 minute freakout). Luckily The Arbiters respect the groove. The Los Angeles based producers, a project of Music Supervision mastermind Thomas Golubic, is a groove based psychedelic mash for the ages from a producer who truly understands the word 'mix.' This isn't your standard Hood Internet slice of indie, dash of hip hop, but rather a comprehensive blend of pop music from the last 40 years. The Arbiters make the best of familiar beats like Buffalo Springfield "For What It's Worth", the Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" and The Game's "Hate It or Love It", as well as ear catching riffs from Lou Reed and the Rolling Stones to create seamless grooves with poppin' verses from Biggie, Tupac and Lauryn Hill and punchy spikes from David Bowie and M.I.A. If you think mash ups blow, then I'd stake my musical reputation on you thoroughly enjoying the Arbiters mix-ups, as they don't really mash together high irony but truly, and I mean truly, mix together seemingly contradictory moments from the pop music cannon. The final product is meta- in the best way possible.

The Arbiters- Gimme That Love Thing
The Arbiters-Missing Sweet Love
The Arbiters-Papa Was A Crashing
The Arbiters-Sure Side of Fame

good peeps: Jonathan Richman

"He's Stoned/And I'm Straight"

After the New York Football Giants played one of the worst games in the recorded history of man I knew there was only one way to cheer up. That's where Jonathan Richman comes into play. You may have heard us mention Richman's deadpan wit before, or perhaps your familiar with The Modern Lovers from LCD Soundsystem's history of indie chic "Losing My Edge" ("All the Modern Lovers records"), or maybe you've seen Farrelly Brothers classic There's Something About Mary and wondered who that skinny old dude that serenades you with a spanish guitar is. The answer, of course, is Jonathan Richman.

In his teens the Massachusetts native became infatuated with The Velvet Underground and moved to New York in search of all things VU. He found himself penniless and sleeping on the Velvet's managers couch. After an extended stay he moved back to Boston and formed The Modern Lovers with Jerry Harrison (future Talking Head) and David Robinson (of The Cars). Not a bad crew, respectively. The Modern Lovers are most famous as the fore bearers of punk rock's three chord progression, exemplified in classics like "Roadrunner" and "Pablo Picasso."

Richman's lyrics, often whimsical, come from a place so pure that some songs sound as if they could be credited to a Natick kindergarten class ("I'm a Little Dinosaur"). However, it's his simple sing song, often remiscent of 50's boogaloo ("Dodge Veg-o-matic"), that has endeared pop fans for over 35 years.

"Roadrunner Once/ Roadrunner Twice/ I'm in with Love Rock and Roll/ And I'll Be Out All Night"

Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers- Roadrunner
Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers- Pablo Picasso
Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers- I'm a Little Dinosaur

"I Was Dancing at the Lesbian Bar" at the Knitting Factory, NYC

we love: Junior Boys

"I Think I've Seen You In My Head"

When a friend described the Junior Boys' music as "New Order meets Timbaland" I was so intrigued at what this love-child might sound like, that I immediately walked to the record store to find out more. And as it turns out, that description was pretty on the money: their debut LP Last Exit (released September 04) features the emotive melodies of New Order mixed with the rhythmic complexities of Timbo, and instantly became a favorite; the perfect soundtrack for staring out of a car window on a rainy day. Their sophomore effort, So This Is Goodbye (August 06) is somewhat of a stylistic departure (most notably the drums), but still features the unmistakable Junior Boys sound and themes: electronically-infused melancholy, about longing and lusting.

To get an idea of Junior Boys' style, take a minute to check out Last Exit 's "High Come Down" (streaming below) and the jaw-dropping, fan-made music video for Goodbye's "In the Morning" (above). Learn more about Junior Boys by clicking HERE.

Delta Spirit/Blog Fresh

"The Beard That I'm Growing/ Cannot Fully Grow"

The other day I chatted with the kind folks over at Blog Fresh Radio about one of my favorite new bands, Delta Spirit. The ragged hobo spirit blues of their self released Ode to Sunshine would sit well next to a worn out copy of On The Road, an old Hohner harmonica and a rucksack. With that in mind I highly recommend the record, which I've dubbed "Songs for Dharma Bums."

Buy Ode to Sunshine HERE.
Peep Blog Fresh Radio.
And don't forget to fall in love with Delta Spirit.

nu musik: KILN

Ethereal downtempo psychedelia from Ghostly Records

Dusker is the latest offering from Michigan trio KILN and it has been on constant loop on my mp3 player since it was released this past Tuesday -- I seriously cannot stop listening to this album. It is hypnotic, warm, subtle, spacey, and strikingly original. I could go on, but instead I'll let the Ghostly marketing department earn their paychecks.

Ghostly describes Dusker as an...

aural feast on headphones.... Its lush songs [are] packed with flourishes that appear and disappear, cycling, spilling and disintegrating across the stereo field. KILN have a knack for balancing heart rending melodies & progressions against rhythmic forms & textures of incredible depth, making for a richness of sound that may well be instrumental for the sole fact that words could never express as much.

Stream two tracks from Dusker below and then head on over to the Ghostly store where you can download the album for a measly $7. Headphones most definitely recommended.

Daft Punk: ALIVE!

"Television / Rules the Nation"

Last night I suffered one of the most terrifying nightmares of my life: Daft Punk was playing in my town, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not make it to the venue. To the uninitiated, this might not sound like a big deal. But those who are familiar with the spectacle that is Daft Punk Live can understand the horror of my sleep-induced trauma.

And as sad as I am that I did not get to see Daft Punk 'one more time' (pun intended), I am glad that I will be able to partially relive the concert experience when ALIVE 2007 hits the States in early December. Recorded in front of 18,000 screaming Parisians in July, the live disc features a mash-up of the duo's greatest hits, but inexplicably does not come with a DVD. Instead, we must settle for the official music video for the lead single "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" (above), which was shot in Brooklyn by the fans and is an excellent representation of the live DP experience. As a bonus, check out the beyond-classic video for "Around the World" off of the Homework LP.

Daft Punk- Around the World

we love: Muscles- Guns Babes Lemonade

"Hey Muscles, I Love You/I Wanna Have You Babies"

"I'm Dreaming of a Future Clean Disco For the Children"

Buy Muscles Guns Babes Lemonade at Insound. Now.

Muscles-Futurekidz

*****Hit Muscles MySpace for more.

And an Angel brought: Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabete: In the Heart of the Moon

After Rose Hill Drive threw down in my hood Friday night, I mysteriously woke up hurtin. My neck throbbed from head-banging, my liver hurt from Jimmy Beam and my black t-shirt stank of one too many Marlboro reds. That's when I looked in the mirror, (put my hand up on a cup) and said, "Eek, you need to take a break from being so jacked-up, rock 'n' roll all the time."

Just as I'm about to pull the trigger, a mysterious angel-friend rolls into my apartment. He exhales gently, flops 3 albums on the table and says: "if you only have time for one, make it Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabete: In the Heart of the Moon."
Go figure.

So I unknowingly pop it in the noise-machine and… LO! Mine prayers are answered! The electricity dims and the candles light themselves. The Sun passes behind a cloud and, suddenly, everything smells like Aloe Vera and mountain mist.
…But what's that dripping?

The dripping, I soon realize, are the dueling heartstrings of Ali & Toumani, as they transcend tribe and culture to bring a kind of Malian satori to my mid-morning battlefield.

Writes Ali Farka Toure, inside the album jacket:"I am Arma and Toumani is a Griot. I am from the Songrai/Peul culture in the north and he is a Mandé from the south. It's rare that musicians meet like this from different traditions. But there is something that unites us and it is art and culture, which have no borders."

Indeed this recording, released on World Circuit in June of 2005, is distinguished by its chemistry - apparent even to ears as unfamiliar with the genre as my own.
And while their plucking baptizes me in the dancing flames of West-African celebration, I turn to see my visitor's robes trickling out the door.
"Yo, dog! I didn't catch your n---…"

But he was gone. And I've been drinking Tuareg Tea ever since

As I listen to...
Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate- Ai Ga Bani

under the covers: Grizzly Bear

"When I Look In Your Eyes/ With Every Blow/ Comes Another Lie"

Released on Yellow House over 14 months ago, Grizzly Bear's "Knife" is still making waves. And while the song found it's way onto most 2006 "Best of" lists, it's ability to stay fresh in the ADHD minds of the blog-fueled world is nothing short of remarkable. Think about how sick of Peter Bjorn & John's "Young Folks" you were 6 months ago. That said, the fact that Ed Droste & Co.'s "Knife" is still humming around in the minds of the youth is one hell of an accomplishment. And how do we celebrate accomplishment in the post-Clinton era?? Covers. That's right kids, your favorite bands playing each others songs. What a novel idea!

Last week Grizzly Bear released the Friend EP, a collection of new jams, re-workings and killer covers by the likes of CSS, Atlas Sound and Band of Horses. If your keeping score, P4K editor Ryan Schrieber gave Friend a really, really good review. Good enough that Idolator even made fun of him for it. Not gonna lie, the guys got good taste. Anyway, it's been a week since its release so I thought we'd celebrate by posting every "Knife" related song I have. Now sing it with me kids "Can't You Feeeeel the Knife."

Grizzly Bear- Knife
CSS- Knife
Atlas Sound- Knife
Born Ruffians- Knife
Grizzly Bear- Knife (Girl Talk Remix)
Grizzly Bear v. The Knife- Knife/Heartbeats (by Parrka)

The Bobkast #6: Gray Skies, Sinking Suns

With winter comes snow and trees

Despite Global Warming's best efforts, Winter is officially upon us, and this latest installment of The Bobkast was made with the transition of the seasons in mind. And here's another "Inconvenient Truth": you will likely enjoy this mix, despite knowing little about (or being aesthetically opposed to) 'electronic' music. The tracks featured have a somewhat chilly vibe, but still provide enough warmth to get you tappin' your frozen toes and humming along to the melodies, as they come together to create a sound that can best be described as "indie-electronica." So bundle up tight, put on some warm headphones, and pray for a snow day.

Boards Of Canada- Olson
Mobius Band- The Loving Sounds of Static (Junior Boys Remix)
Matthew Dear's Big Hands- Deserter (live)
Matthew Dear- Don And Sherri (Hot Chip Version)
Hot Chip- The Warning
Aphex Twin- Fingerbib
Four Tet- And Then Patterns
Boards Of Canada- Roygbiv
Radiohead- Reckoner
Amon Tobin- Stoney Street
Prefuse 73- Uprock And Invigorate
Mobius Band- 2 Kinds of Light
The Slip- Mr. Meowskers (live)

DOWNLOAD (Right Click, Save Target As)

PS- Lichtenstein painted the piece above.

under the covers: Leonard Cohen

"Cause You Touched Her Perfect Body With Your Mind"

Whether or not you realize it, you know and love Leonard Cohen. No, not the old jewish librarian at your middle school, rather the Canadian poet, novelist and musician who has written and recorded some of the most unabashedly honest pop songs ever to grace the canon. Cohen's most famous piece, "Hallelujah", has been covered by JJ Cale, Rufus Wainwright and Jeff Buckley, and still gives me goose bumps after a couple thousand listens. If your interested in covers of "Hallelujah" My Old Kentucky Blog has an absurd collection here.

One of my favorite Cohen songs of late has been "Suzanne" from Cohen's first record, Songs of Leonard Cohen. Lines like "you know shes half crazy/ but thats why you want to be there" make the tune personal, while Leonard fleshes out the story of "foresaken, almost human" lovers. His imagery is so vivid that you can actually see Suzanne "wearing rags and feathers from Salvation Army counters."

The same afternoon I began revisting Cohen's debut album Aquarium Drunkard (here) posted on iconic Francophile hipster Franciose Hardy. Coincidently, AD pointed out that Francoise covered Cohen's "Suzanne." Compare and contrast below.

Leonard Cohen- Suzanne
Francoise Hardy- Suzanne

nu musick: The Archivist

"I Look Forward To A Time When We Can Someday Meet Again"

Somewhere between Stephen Merritt and Elliott Smith sits The Archivist, a Milwaukee bedroom musician whose woolen folk often sounds like it was recorded via an ancient walkie-talkie inside a chopper shot down behind enemy lines. At times it's raw, lo-fi aesthetic at its best. However, The Archivist also brings a few synths to the table on the standout track "New Years" which could have been the 70th track on 69 Love Songs. Even his simple, yet universal lyrics are delivered in the same gentle deadpan that won The Magnetic Fields so many broken hearts.

"In ten or twenty years if thats not much too long/I'll try and find you here provided your not gone/ But if you left or if you hide or if you lock yourself somewhere hoping not to be found/ I take it as a sign your well and that you found somebody else with whom you'd be much better off/ I hope I wont be wrong"

If you've been spending endless nights pacing around your bedroom or starring into a half empty glass of red, your in luck as The Archivist has a gift for you. What you might ask? Well it just so happens to be his recently released debut EP "recorded in his bedroom and available for free to anyone with an internet connection." Click HERE to download the whole EP for free, or check out two of my favorites below. For fans of Bon Iver, Sparrow House, Peter and the Wolf, Elliott Smith and general folkie sadness.

The Archivist- New Years(highly rec'd)
The Archivist- Jeremiah (The Archivist)

we love: Delta Spirit

"All You Soul Searching People Come On"

Last night Mort and I headed to Maxwell's (best venue in the metro area) for Dr. Dog. While the Dog show lived up to our exceedingly high expectations, what left us blown away and breathless was the ragged set of jalopy sing-a-longs by opener Delta Spirit. This ramshackle band of soul searching, highway living Kerouacian angels invigorated Washington St. with an angry poet's boiling blood and a coal miner's simple sensibilities. I'm not sure how many times Mort and I turned to each other in amazement but I'm gonna guess around 9. Delta Spirit delivered an impassioned, heart-wrenching set of rock and roll that sounds like it was drummed up by a camp of laborers laying down the Trans-Continental Railroad. At times the songs seemed culled from the majestic "Mermaid Avenue" series, or a punk rock tribute to the Band. This is music for people whose hearts are bigger than their heads. It boils and bleeds and chokes and makes you want to sing from a place deep inside your tummy. I can only liken it to seeing the Arcade Fire at Red Rocks this summer, where everyone seemed to be apart of some cosmic gospel choir. Delta Spirit's recent release, Ode to Sunshine, hasn't left my grasp since the show and I don't think it's going anywhere fast. To quote I Guess I'm Floating "How has this band not been signed yet?" If I had to guess the only reason these guys haven't inked a deal is because they haven't found the right one. I really hope thats the case as Ode to Sunshine has all the makings of a record that stays in your collection for life, only to be picked up by curious kids thirty years down the line and embraced by generations to come. They closed their set with "People, Turn Around" a harmonica blessed acoustic sing-a-long with all the heart and soul of the "I Shall Be Released" from the The Last Waltz. Yeah, this band is that awesome. BUY this album HERE. Peep their Daytrotter session HERE. Did I mention the lead singer played a keg during Dr. Dogs set?!


Delta Spirit- People, Turn Around

viddyo: Go G-Hog!

"Helpin' People is Cool"

Are you a young person living in the state of Pennsylvania? Have you considered a career in health services? No!?! Well perhaps this government-sponsored GIANT RAPPING GROUNDHOG will help you change your mind.

Thanks to our friends at Idolator for the tip.

viddyo: Aphex Twin

Time to get weird

Who knew that Richard D. James (aka Aphex Twin, AFX, Caustic Window, etc.) was such a player-hater? In this Chris Cunningham (Bjork, Madonna) directed video for Aphex Twin's single "Windowlicker" (1999, Warp Records), James picks up some girls in his ridiculously pimped-out stretch limo, beating out two foul-mouthed playas in the process. The video was meant to be a parody of contemporary American rap music, but in the end, the viewer is mostly left with a taste of James' usual creepiness. (Fast forward to 4:15 to get directly to the music)

The music itself is one of my favorite Aphex Twin tracks, a "smooth yet erratic" tune that exemplifies one James' many, many unique (often bizarre, sometimes disturbing) styles. Oddly enough, the track has been featured in a number of advertisements, including Mercedes-Benz and Nickelodeon. Buy the single at Amazon, or get your download on at Bleep or Beatport.

Sunday Brunch: You might also like....

So you've listened to Blog Fresh Radio, you've heard McGregor's commentary on Glass Candy, and now you're in love with Glass Candy (which is a good thing). They've got a sound that's unfamiliar but you won't stop until you have more. But where to go from here?

Amazon.com has been recommending music to me for years:

"Customers Who Bought This Item (Glass Candy - Iko) also bought (CSS - Cansei de Ser Sexy)"

Say you've never heard of CSS (I know, bear with me). Now you go to All Music and check them out. You check out the Genre, the Styles, and the Moods (Amiable, Celebratory, and Effervescent...excellent!). You look at the discography and see which albums are recommended with a check mark (none). So maybe you cheat and go to Pitchfork just to check out their number rating (6.0?). After all this research you still have to listen to CSS to know if you really like them or not.

Thanks to Pandora Radio, the whole process has been made a lot easier.

At Pandora, you type in an artist, any artist (I used Glass Candy). Pandora then uses 400 attributes and over 2,000 focal traits to create a radio queue of similar songs. As you listen, you can tell Pandora which tracks you like (or don't like) to further facilitate the selection process.

After typing in Glass Candy, Pandora told me: "To start things off, we'll play a song that exemplifies the musical styles of Glass Candy, which features punk roots, extensive vamping, a vocal-centric aesthetic, repetitive melodic phrasing, and major key tonality." (Sure Pandora, whatever you say...)

Here's the playlist Pandora created for Glass Candy:

Glass Candy - Lovin Machine
Goldfrapp - Number 1
The Knife - Heartbeats
Laika - Starry Night
Cub - Voracious
Gary Numan - Music For Chameleons
Glass Candy - Sugar and Whitebread
New Order - Temptation
Radiohead - Where I End and You Begin

Check it out for yourself:
(Thanks to Emily for the tip)
Pandora Radio

we love: Bon Iver

It didn't take much for me to fall in love with Bon Iver (pronounced: bohn eevair; French for "good winter" and spelled wrong on purpose). Seconds, literally seconds, after hearing him at CMJ I knew I was a very lucky gentleman. Bon Iver is Justin Vernon, who retreated into sylvan isolation last winter and ended up with a hauntingly beautiful companion piece, For Emma, Forever Ago. His music conjures up long lost walks through snow covered forests and the golden glint of an early winter's sun down. It feels like tweed and wool, itchy and warm. For Emma... is full of heartbreak and nostalgic longings and a simple sense of understanding. It's a break-up record, a collection of songs that will remind you of someone long gone and maybe even provide you a bit of much needed clarity. After his mesmerizing set at CMJ I was lucky enough to chat with Justin and grab one of his last handmade copies of For Emma.... Since then it's been passed around, loved, huged, cherished, and listened to non-stop by anyone I've given it to. It is my "FALL" record and it should be yours too. Unfortunately it's all sold out right now and won't be getting the proper treatment until early 2008 when JagJaguwar sets Emma free. In the meantime, you can stream the entire record HERE.


Bon Iver- For Emma
Bon Iver- Skinny Love

Bon Iver "Skinny Love" at CMJ, Bowery Ballroom

Glass Candy/Blog Fresh/Friendship!

Tuesday the 16th of October was the first day of CMJ and like we've said a few times before (and will do at least once more) we were at the Bowery Ballroom for the Brooklyn Vegan Showcase featuring the Rosebuds, Voxtrot, Shaky Hands, bon Iver, Dean & Britta and the Most Serene Republic (Miracle Fortress was not allowed through the border!). At some point during the evening, after Charles convinced me we need some Patron XO shots, I headed to the bathroom to do what people do in the bathroom. Like any drunk with dancing feet, I had late night on my mind and knew where I was headed...James Murphy at Hiro. Problem was I couldn't remember where the hell the Hiro Ballroom was. Luckily there was a line at the dude's bathroom to ask some peeps. I politely asked the guy in front of me who said "14th between 1st and 2nd." "Thanks alot man, 'preciate it." Tap tap on the shoulder from the guy behind me. "Actually it's 16th between 8th and 9th." I got real lucky he overheard me getting bunk info. A few minutes later I spotted the fellow with the correct address at the bar and had the bartender send him a drink on the Bobka. It was then, after a few minutes of geek rock talk, that I discovered the aforementioned corrector of bad addresses was Bill, the man in charge of Blog Fresh Radio since Ms. Alex went back to grad school.
Long story short, last week Bill gave me a shout and had me spit some ish for the latest edition of Blog Fresh Radio, which as you know is pretty much the best 45 minutes of each week (truth). We chatted about Glass Candy. You can hear all this nonsense HERE.

Glass Candy
Brooklyn Vegan

Debut of Sufjan's ode to the BQE

"Lift Up Your Weary Heads"

Last night thanks to two super sweet friends I was able to attend the world premiere of Sufjan Stevens "The BQE" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The 30 minute orchestral piece on the infamous roadway took Sufjan 9 months to complete and boy was it sweet. BAM's description of last nights event:

The BQE—a 30 minute symphonic and cinematic exploration of New York City’s infamous Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the 11.7-mile roadway championed by Robert Moses and constructed beginning in the late 1930s.
Merging a virtual road trip (shot in 16mm film and Super 8) with an orchestral ensemble— accompanied by hula hoopers—The BQE uncovers abstract musical patterns in the snaking traffic, stunning city views, potholed pavement, billboards, historic landmarks, and badly marked exits. The evenings will also feature new songs by Stevens and orchestrated selections
from his previous albums.

The evening started with swirling arrangements from Sufjan, band, his orchestra, and a few happy go lucky performance artists in uniforms and goofy blonde wigs tossing and twirling and spinning neon hula hoops. All this was accompanied by hyper-speed video footage of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway fused with the music. Needless to say the crowd was smiling and chatty at intermission and no one could stop talking about the hula hoops (which were on sale in the lobby). While it was indeed exciting to be apart of the world premier of one of my favorite musicians new pieces, the real treat was the second act which saw Sufjan & Co. (including massive orchestra) "playing the hits", including songs from Seven Swans, Illinois, Michigan and last year's one off "Majesty Songbird." In all honesty it was one of the most beautiful hybrids of music, art, light, hula hoops I've ever seen. If you're lucky enough to have a ticket for tonight or tomorrow, hold it close to your heart. You're in for a treat. Take a peak at the digital version of the program, including Sufjan's phenomenal essay on the BQE and Hula Hoops, as well as a clip from one of last weeks rehearsals.

BAM's BQE Program with Sufjan essay

A Rehearsal of Movement 6 from the BQE

Panda Bear: "Comfy In Nautica"

"Try to Remember Always / Just to Have a Good Time"

Panda Bear's critically-acclaimed Person Pitch is bound to end up on pretty much every "best of" list at year's end, and with good reason. His "Wilson-esque" indie-psychedelia is full of inventive sound collages and complex vocal harmonies, creating a vibe that is uplifting, mesmerizing, original, and above all, enjoyable. Check out the warm and fuzzy, skater-friendly video for the latest single "Comfy in Nautica" above.

And for those of you trying to figure out a way to put Panda Bear on your next Saturday night jamzz playlist without interrupting the flow of booty-shakin' dance beats, we also present you with the fantastic B-More Club remix of "Comfy", courtesy of Devlin from the Spank Rock crew.

Panda Bear- Comfy In Nautica (Mr. Devlin's Jamaica Plain Humpbacks Remix) [thanks to GvsB for the rip]

(PS- The remix was originally featured in a mix Devlin put together for our friends over at Discobelle in July. Check that out HERE)

How We Spent Our Halloween

"We Came to Get Down"

While you kids were out TP'ing the Jones' front yard and egging the Thompson's house, we were raging the New York Magazine Halloween party at the Judson Church featuring White Williams, Kudu, Chromeo and the man himself, Dan Deacon. Lots of slime and an Open bar! Tough to beat. Hope everyone enjoyed the day of the dead.