Beatbox
Any CMJ showcase called Clusterf#ck gets a couple snarky brownie points from me. Throw in a venue (Glasslands in Williamsburg) known for nudging bands like MGMT & Yeasayer into the spotlight and the potential for a effing good night is solid. Oh, did I mention? Brooklyn-based Israeli alt/punk band Pink Noise (think Sonic Youth & PJ Harvey’s lovechild) starts the killer lineup at 9pm…
I’m one of the oddballs that can play the same song or album on repeat for days on end. The thing is, music tends to blur with everything around you and, months or years later, when you trip over the song in a playlist, not only are you rediscovering a gem, but along with it smells, tastes, all those memories gathered during that first listen. Bob Dylan’s I Want You from his Live at Budokan album triggers springtime at my grandmother’s house in Provence, Tinariwen’s Aman Iman: Water is Life carries me across the Atlas mountains of Morocco. It’s one of those scientific magic tricks that everyone should leverage…
You must listen to Flying Lotus. The mastermind beat-making great-nephew of music legend Alice Coltrane, Steven Ellison puts together some very eclectic & modern beats, full of pixel-ish samples that spark a hint of nostalgia for more than a few of us 80’s Nintendo generation kids. I doubt you’ll make it through half of “1983″ without shaking your tail feathers or breakdancing on your kitchen floor…
I’m left rather speechless about the passing of Michael Jackson this evening. Talented and troubled. His influence in all our lives is easy to spot. Get the Far East Movement T-shirt. And check out the video:
Eeek! Fun fun fun video from Canadian electro-folk singer / songwriter Ariane Moffatt! This amazing celebration of wacky caricatures was realized and animated by Baillat Cardell & Fils, another très talented team hailing from Québec. There’s a high-res version of the video at Ariane’s site plus all the regular details: discography, show dates, etc. I must say, she’s got some catchy little jazzy Franco-tunes…