Written by willshoob on Friday, 3 of September , 2010 at 10:00 am
Check out an AMAZING video of Miguel Atwood-Ferguson’s ensemble, doing Fly Lo’s “Drips//Auntie’s Harp”, before breaking into J Dilla’s “Take Notice.” Fly Lo’s in the background bobbing his head and messing around on the mpc, watching his creations come to life. You can download the mp3 here, and check out the video below.
Every once in a long while a show comes along that matches the perfect band with the perfect audience in the perfect place. Such shows often transcend the normal boundaries of a concert, leaving the audience stunned and the performer(s) far more sure of why it is they started making music in the first place. These shows can be large (Arcade Fire at the Hollywood Bowl, 2007), or they can be small (Bon Iver at the Troubador, 2008). They can come at large festivals (Jay-Z at Coachella, 2010) or in ad hoc venues (Tokyo Police Club at the Hammer Museum, 2008). And while it may be a little bit presumptuous to suppose that the above shows left the performers reassured, reaffirmed and re-inspired, anyone who was at the Anamanaguchi concert at Meltdown Comics last week could tell you that the unity of band, audience and venue afforded by that concert was nothing short of magical. Peter Berkman, James DeVito, Luke Silas and Ary Warnaar left the small back room of the Sunset Boulevard comic book store rejuvenated, having seen their musical and aesthetic vision realized by a sweaty mob of nerdy fanboys.
Berkman had been making 8bit music since 2003, although it wasn’t until 2006 that any of it saw the light of day. The first Anamanaguchi EP, Power Supply, featured 7 blipped out jams at breakneck speeds. The EP gained traction and the band toured briefly across the US and Europe. The legend of the band’s current lineup and epic live show, however, has more or less gone unwritten until today. Berkman, along with Warnaar on guitar and DeVito on bass, was playing a show at the now defunct Zaque Shack (see Fun Fact #1, below), when their drummer unexpectedly dropped out. Out of the shadows stepped Luke Silas. An audience member and megafan, Luke knew the parts to every song on Power Supply. He stepped in and absolutely killed it, and, as they say, “the rest is history.”
In 2009, Anamanaguchi released their second album, Dawn Metropolis, which featured 7 more blissfully chipped, screwed and bouncy tracks. They’ve also been releasing singles all summer, giving away a new group of tracks every two weeks. Their notoriety and fanbase has increased to the point that in March 2010, when Ubisoft announced they would be making a videogame out of the comic book/movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, they also announced that Anamanaguchi would be providing the music.
So, as part of the celebration, Anamanaguchi descended upon Meltdown Comics. Meltdown had been turned into a Scott Pilgrim shrine of sorts, as the Brayan Lee O’Malley graphic novel and Edgar Wright movie have unexpectedly exploded into popular culture. The sold out crowd, mostly store regulars, made its way to the back room, quickly packing the space and containing the overwhelming heat. To give a sense of the main audience demographic, it is important to note the following episode that occured shortly before the concert began.
Girl #1 makes her way through crowd with camera.
Girl #1: Excuse me, guys, girl with a camera coming through!
Guy #1: A girl!
Guy #2: Be quiet! You’ll scare her off!
Guy #3: They really do exist! Not just on the internet!
Girl #2 rolls her eyes as Girl #1 passes by.
The concert began with opening act and Tape bud D/A/D (a.k.a. Zach Robinson). We’ve posted about him before, as his debut EP Supermotives was quite the charmer. D/A/D powered through Supermotives tracks and some new material, littering sci-fi movie quotes as he played. For the first time ever, the audience identified the soundbites. Thrilled that the audience had picked up on the multiple Back to the Future and Bladerunner homages, Robinson closed out the set with a barrage of bass, compression and reverberation that mirrored perfectly the quotes he was dropping–D/A/D nails the “future retro” sound.
FUN FACT #1!
It was Zach’s Shack that Anamanaguchi previously played in! In fact, one of the new Anamanaguchi tunes, “Densmore,” was written by Silas as an ode to the makeshift venue, which was located in the back house of Zach’s home–on Densmore Avenue.
Peter Berkman (right) with budding hypeman Newman Wolf.
After a short introduction from friend and professional orator Newman Wolf, Anamanaguchi took the stage. Starting with the first note of summer single “Airbrushed,” the energy level went from 0-60 in a matter of milliseconds. The temperature accompanied the sweetly loud guitars and all the way through the roof and up to 11. Warnaar and Berkman dueled on guitar, while Silas kept up the lightning speed with incredible precision and stamina.With bleep after bleep and cymbal crash after cymbal crash, Anamanaguchi were, for a moment, pure rock stars. At that time, in that place, they could’ve been Nirvana with a resurrected Kurt Cobain. That’s how much people lost their shit. The show did, in a sense, feel like a Nintendo boss battle. There was the audience, being bounced around trying to break through to the band. Instead, though, of being able to pass through, the band’s sound was kicking the audience’s collective ass back towards the far wall. At the show’s climax, a roaring chiptune cover of Weezer classic “Buddy Holly,” the audience finally broke through. Everyone admitted defeat–the band by the audience members, the audience members by each other. Those trying to ward off sweat gave in, while those trying to ward off exhaustion gave out.
FUN FACT #2!
Guitarist Ary Warnaar and Tape writer hKWAP were next door neighbors. They used to play Grand Theft Auto every day after school!
By the show’s finish, the full synergetic transformation was complete. Just as marketers at E3 saw Scott Pilgrim as the perfect piece of 8 bit visual culture to export, Anamanaguchi established themselves as the perfect 8 bit crossover sound. One part pop rock, one part NES, Anamanaguchi succeeded in melting faces, rocking bodies and thrashing melodies. Berkman and co. certainly haven’t used any cheat codes. They’ve built themselves from the ground up, put in the practice and fought through every level. It seems now as if they’ve beaten the game.
Below are some Anamanaguchi mp3s, all of which are highly recommended. “Airbrushed” is a return to Power Supply, and a perfection of their style. “Densmore” was written by drummer Luke Silas, and is a sweeping, energetic ode to the Zaque Shack. “Another Winter” is off the Scott Pilgrim videogame soundtrack. It pulses through the opening titles of the game, helping the 8 bit aesthetic sink in. As a bonus, we have the RAC remix of ”Airbrushed” and a D/A/D track, “10 Day Vacation.” The RAC remix slows “Airbrushed” down to a more personal tempo, and supplants the NES lead with a horn. The drums also shift from scuzzed, white noise-based videogame sounds to actual drum tones, although the glitch and syncopation remain. “10 Day Vacation” is the perfect accompaniment to a Super Smash Bros. level, building from a fluid synth into a sick guitar solo, then again into a shiny, chordal chorus. Enjoy!
Written by willshoob on Thursday, 2 of September , 2010 at 9:08 am
Danny Brown’s flow is always at 11, with his voice staying at a constant yell, mastering the aggression that Kanye could never quite balance. While Kanye’s flow and lyrical content never really caught up with his beats (post-Late Registration), Danny Brown is quite the opposite. The beats are still great, but so are his tremendously witty raps. The Detroit native released his latest LP, The Hybrid back in March, and it’s still free. I first checked this LP out when Aesop Rock tweeted that this was the only record better than Camu Tao’s King Of Hearts. I loved Camu’s release, and I’m a die hard Aesop Rock fan, so I figured that this Danny Brown dude had to be pretty good. Turns out Aesop was more than right. The Hybrid is the type of hip-hop record that people simply like hearing. He’s smart, confident, emotional, and most importantly – every track is great. Album opener “Greatest Rapper Ever” establishes a firm opinion on the matter, with Danny unabashedly describing just how good he is. The robot sounding vocoder that backs up Danny’s vocals most likely represent “the hybrid”, more specifically the more-than-human aspects of his rap persona. “New Era” is the epic hit single of the album, with a chorus as majestic as they get. Yeah, that is a harp you hear. The verse seems to move along with this tension, as if it knows what’s about to come; giddy that it gets to share its findings with a listener. “Nowhere 2 Go” is the club banger, with futuristic electronics floating through the atmosphere while Danny muses about whatever he wants. “Thank God” is Danny’s retrospective track, where he looks back on his rough Detroit past and shares his story with us. Speaking of his upbringing, I highly recommend you download Hot Soup, Danny’s previous full length. In his own words, “Yep its a classic…. Say what u want but on July 1st 2008 i released in my opinion my opus… this album was about the one thing that made me who i am… Detroit… it was about everything that was goin on in my life at the time…”
Another Detroit connection on The Hybrid is Danny’s track with Chuck Inglish from The Cool Kids. The beat is one of the most sophisticated we’ve seen from Chuck, with a clever piano sample stabbing at the beat. The chorus is carried by Danny and backup vocals doing a call and response of sorts. The Detroit duo is cool to see, and I honestly like it more than Chuck and Mikey. Granted, it’s only one track, but Danny’s lyrical skills are far superior to those of Mikey Rocks.
So along with The Hybrid, I highly recommend you check out Hot Soup as well. It’s all over the internet, I’m sure you blog reading folks will be able to find it no problem. Download a few Hybrid tracks below, along with a link to the entire LP. I’ve also included Danny’s remix of Camu Tao’s “Actin’ A Ass.”
Written by pistachionut on Wednesday, 1 of September , 2010 at 9:36 pm
It’s always fun to wake up to new stuff from Brooklyn’s finest. Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino have been jamming out for years now, whether it be their starter To/From EP, their eponymous full-length debut, or their Brooklyn love tale, Grand. In that time it seems like they’ve been on tour forever, with multiple stops in Los Angeles and constant shows in and around New York City. Their live performances are always fun, always sweaty, and surprisingly naked. As the bearded streaker at Coachella would tell you, a Matt and Kim show is not to miss.
Breaking away from the analog bass sounds of years past, the duo’s new single, “Cameras” continues the slowed-down 2-step of Grand hits ”Good ‘ol Fashioned Nightmare” and “Daylight.” Some marching brass punctuates Matt’s shiny, processed vocals before a chorus of filtered sweeps and wahs. Lyrically, “Cameras” is a logical followup to some of the tracks on Grand. Where “Don’t Slow Down” is about leaving nothing behind and moving at a breakneck pace, “Cameras” finds the duo pausing, if only for a minute, to take in the sights. “No time for cameras, we’ll use our eyes instead,” shouts Matt in the chorus. Perhaps this is where Matt and Kim find themselves at this point in their career. They’ve had the breakneck pace of recording and playing shows; now it’s time to take things down a notch, without sacrificing the beauty of the moment. Could it possibly be that Matt and Kim are getting–GASP–more mature? Just when you think they’ve grown up completely on “Cameras,” the bridge brings back some of that warm, analog goodness. Through the all instrumental section, 8-bit leads pile with a wooden xylophone riff that builds back up into the increasingly infectious chant of a chorus. Matt and Kim throw their cosmology into the open with a chorus b-line–”we’ll be gone when we’re dead.” For the Brooklyn duo, life is Grand just where it stands, living happily from time to time and place to place. There may be no time for cameras, but their eyes are increasingly open to the world around them and the joy their music can bring.
Matt and Kim’s third album, Sidewalks, will be out November 2nd. They’re also touring all fall. Be smart, and don’t miss them. Even though it seems as if you’ll have plenty of opportunities, capture the moment while you can. For all you Angelinos, the show is Saturday October 2nd at the Music Box.
You can stream the song below from SoundCloud, or buy it on iTunes.
Written by willshoob on Wednesday, 1 of September , 2010 at 6:36 pm
I’ve often mocked artists like Neon Indian and Passion Pit, bands that oddly release deluxe and expanded editions of records only months after the originals come out. Yes, they’re trying to build on success and recent buzz, but I normally associate a deluxe re-issue with a seminal album, most often after many years have passed. I’m sure I would have enjoyed both of these expanded editions more if I actually enjoyed said bands, but I don’t. This is where the conundrum comes in. What am I supposed to make of Domino re-issuing Dirty Projectors’ Bitte Orca? It was the best record of 2009, but is it still too soon for a re-issue? The band has been touring for a year and a half straight, which I thought was a satisfactory way to generate the appropriate amount of buzz; but in today’s day and age, that’s apparently not the case. Luckily for Dave Longstreth and Co., they’ll probably encounter thousands of die-hard fans who will most likely shell out 15-20 bucks for Bitte Orca Expanded. The flip side of the coin is the fact that most of the songs on the second disc of the deluxe edition are easily attainable. The first six tracks are live tracks from their performance at Other Music in New York, which seem to be the hardest to track down. The tracks are acoustic, so their NYCTaper recording probably won’t suffice. A simple Youtube search will yield multiple results, although they’re not from the Other Music set. So, if there is a reason to buy the deluxe edition, it’s probably for these six tracks – along with their cover of Bob Dylan’s “As I Went Out One Morning.” Funny how my two favorite bands have now covered the same Dylan track. You’ll also get both b-sides from the Temecula Sunrise EP (“Ascending Melody” and “Emblem Of The World”), along with every track from the Stillness Is The Move EP, which includes “Wave The Bloody Shirt”, “Bitte Bitte Orca”, and “Stillness Is The Move (Lucky Dragons Remix).” While the deluxe edition may not be a fiscally responsible purchase, I’m sure there are going to be plenty of people (including myself) who will buy it. If you’re not so into the whole thing, maybe you’ll want to pre-order their 12″ at the Other Music shop. Test the waters with “Temecula Sunrise (Live At Other Music)” and see if it’s worth it. If not, you can always stare at their lovely new press photo for long periods of time.
Written by willshoob on Wednesday, 1 of September , 2010 at 9:30 am
Just some more goodness from the best beat scene in the entire world. Yuk’s debut record just came out via matthewdavid’s Leaving Records, and it’s a beauty. Ambient soundscapes match up with off-kilter drums to create a dynamic that shouldn’t work, but passes with flying colors. The LP works best in a constant rotation, but I figured it’d be nice to throw up an mp3 anyways. “Emilia Reflection” is the record’s second track, consisting of nothing but beautifully composed haze. If you don’t have patience, this one ain’t for you. But if you hear the potential within the track and want to hear more, I highly recommend you swing over to the Leaving Records shop and pick yourself up a copy.
Next up we got a track from LA’s unknown hometown hero, Teebs. If you’ve ever heard Teebs, chances are you were introduced by Flying Lotus’ apt description. Fly Lo related Teebs’ music to “the way ‘Avatar’ looks”, and he couldn’t be more correct. The dude is only 23 years old and is already creating mind blowing shit. His debut LP, Ardour his hitting stores October 19th and I’m so psyched. Rightfully so, Fly Lo’s own Brainfeeder is putting it out, along with another record by Teebs called Why Like This?. I haven’t heard anything about this, but when I do I’ll be sure to let y’all know. Spotted the new Teebs track over at Pop & Hiss, the great LA Times music blog. I don’t have any mp3s for this, but y’all should definitely keep an eye out for Lorn and his upcoming None An Island EP. I learned about him through the great Surfing On Steam, who does a lot better of a job than I do with the LA beat scene.
Disregard the stupid name, MiM0SA is the real deal. I haven’t heard much besides his KILLER Nina Simone remix, but that last bit should be enough convincing for you. He’s got a new mini LP dropping October 4th, a date I’m eagerly anticipating. It’s a little more dubstep-y then I normally like, but the dude throws in some melody – so I can’t really complain. Last but certainly not least, we have a new track from the dude who probably made the beat scene in LA what it is today. Gaslamp Killer takes some of that Turkish Psych we’re all so into, and enlisted LA’s weirdest beat maker to lay down some vocals. While the sample is great, Gonjasufi really makes this track great. His distinct voice and quirky delivery add a new dimension to GLK’s music. This, like everything else good, is coming courtesy of Brainfeeder. Spotted this over at the amazing Passion of the Weiss.
Let’s quickly review. Before the year ends, we’ll have new records from Teebs, Gaslamp Killer, Flying Lotus, Lorn, MiM0SA, Dibiase, and most likely a whole lot of other dudes. Get psyched my friends, 2010 is just starting to heat up.
Written by pistachionut on Tuesday, 31 of August , 2010 at 9:58 pm
Our homies over at Remix Artist Collective are back on their respective grinds. André Allen Anjos, the brains behind the operation, just put out two great new remixes of Tape faves. First up is RAC’s spin on Ra Ra Riots most recent, “Boy.” Anjos creates a new atmosphere for the track by manipulating tempos and rhythms, subtly tweaking the guitar line into a new riff altogether. The original lick comes back in around the one minute mark, following a bouncy, exuberant chorus. Reminiscent of Phoenix and Two Door Cinema Club, the remix pushes Ra Ra Riot’s chamber pop in a dancier direction without being overbearing or too oppressive. The other remix is a spin on Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros’ “Janglin.” The guitar and drums carry a spring in their step as Alex Ebert’s vocals layer on top of “Hey!”s and soft synthesizers. The track breaks at two and a half minutes, dropping out into soft hooks before building back into the springy, janglin’ chorus. Both remixes do astounding jobs at serving up fresh versions of great tracks without offending the original audience. By avoiding the most common of pitfalls, Anjos and RAC are steadily building a name for themselves as go-to remixers. Enjoy the mp3s below!
Written by willshoob on Tuesday, 31 of August , 2010 at 8:15 pm
J. Irvin Dally exists in his own galaxy, somewhere between homemade folk music and the daunting nebula that is “indie rock.” His Despistado EP is a lesson in creativity, with each track adding something beautiful and unique to a wonderful collection of tunes. As a whole, the EP is fantastic, but it’s even better when analyzed track by track. Dally’s voice is sweet and fairly high pitched, giving him an extra instrument to use in his arsenal. I wouldn’t classify his vocals as classically beautiful, but he uses his voice in such a way that it sounds perfect. “The Little Ones” opens up the EP, and within the first few seconds, the listener knows that they’re in for a treat. Harsh acoustic guitar chords sprawl over random percussion and scarce electronics, until his voice comes in and quiets the storm. It’s as if his voice pacifies all the chaos, even though the chaos is still occurring beneath his voice. The EP moves forward with “Brasil (Adelir de Carli)”, a stellar track and an EP standout, if every other song wasn’t so good. His melodies are a bit more fleshed out on this track, and the instruments have a bit more focus and drive than on “The Little Ones.” “Brasil (Adelir de Carli)” also features an extremely catchy hook, something we don’t see from the first track. “Wild Things” comes next, and is once again one of the best tracks on the EP. A sweet jam with pedal steel and floor tom percussion, and a chorus that Local Natives would be jealous of. “Salt Water” isn’t labeled as part of the EP in my Itunes, but Jordan sent it along with the EP, so I figured I’d mention it. “Salt Water” is one of the only true folk jams Dally has to his name, although it doesn’t last long, as noisy guitars enter the picture fairly quickly. The vocals are great, displaying the immense talent this young buck has.
I’m willing to go all in on this dude, I really think he’s that good. It’s so exciting to see that this dude is from LA, hopefully he can be some kind of LA troubadour or something. Anyways, it’s of my highest recommendation that you purchase this record, because you don’t want to deprive yourself of something this great. You can buy the EP right here, it’ll be the best five bucks you spend all week. Download a couple of tracks below, and catch him on tour if you’re living on the west coast (why wouldn’t you be?).
Written by willshoob on Tuesday, 31 of August , 2010 at 5:43 pm
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, or OFWGKTA for short. The future of California backpack/weed rap has been here for a while, but I’m finally catching up. Domo Genesis’ Rolling Papers LP was released for free yesterday at precisely 4:20. The beats are fantastic, mostly created by OFWGKTA creator Tyler the Creator (also known as Ace Creator), who seems to show some cult leader-esque resemblances. The group is aggressive, but every bit of aggression is equaled in fun and wittiness. For instance, check out “Super Market”, which features Tyler the Creator as well. A sludgy drum pulse moves along with a horn line that sounds like it came straight out of one of the Star Wars movies. Lyrics like “I’m a fucking ninja and a jedi/and I’m from Compton” are riddled throughout the entire LP, making the record equally entertaining and interesting to digest. I’m also digging “Rolling Papers”, which features fractured drums and an equally odd synth, reminiscent of Fly Lo and some other LA beat scene dudes. While Rolling Papers is a great LP, it’s not necessarily the best place to start with the collective. The Fader initially introduced me to the group, and offered up a couple of free MP3s. They also referred readers to the OFWGKTA website, where you can download a ton of free and awesome music.
Download Domo Genesis’ Rolling Papers LP below, along with a couple of standout tracks (although they’re all pretty rad).
Written by hKWAP on Monday, 30 of August , 2010 at 7:08 pm
While purists might attest that music is only music when listened to with closed eyes through a hand-coiled Koetsu cartridge/other signal chain luxuries, it’s hard to argue that cunning and fresh visual aesthetics are crucial to a bands image and ultimately popularity. It’s a huge risk to allow for your music to be put to visuals; marrying your own creativity to that of another artist and (for better, for worse), coloring (no pun intended) the original intention of the piece. Yet when tastefully executed, a visual aid can unearth emotions either subtly hidden or simply unaddressed in the audio format. More recently, videos have evolved away from the dreary alternation between cut scenes of the band and pantomime narratives of the song’s story and now employ advanced media technologies to create highly textural, omni-sensual expericenes. (Think Radiohead House of Cards vid, or Cornelius’ live set) The following are two newer productions, and while they are unrelated in style, they both employ innovative cinematic devices which enhance (without overpowering) their musical counterparts.
1. Baths – Lovely Bloodflow (dir. Alex Takacs and Joe Nankin) Homey, non-quantized and timidly soulful melodies contrasted with brilliantly cinematic visuals to great effect…
2. Arcade Fire – We Used To Wait (created by Chris Milk for Chrome Experiments) A highly personalized, technologically advanced walk down memory lane. (interactive!) Start your journey HERE
Explore the making of this idiosyncratic adventure HERE
All songs featured on this blog are for promotional use only. If your song is featured on this blog and you would like it taken down, or if you would like to have your song featured, just click the contact form below.
