With a week of wide spread revolts and occupation by the 99% of us, the nation-wide mourning of Steve Jobs, and the unfortunate omnipresence of Lana Del Rey, the burgeois agenda of mediocrity ruled supreme. If you think the Nirvana, Nevermind 20th Anniversary exhumations are killing the legend, more material may very well be on the way as Butch Vig revealed the existence of a still yet to be released Nirvana track “Song in D” during a Sirius XM's Lithium channel interview conducted by Jon Stewart. Lady Gaga tried on some awkward Winehouse-esque pizazz in a Tony Bennett duet that was a publicist attempt at the ol' Bowie and Bing booking hook-up trick. Then there was Hank Williams Jr's Fox News banter that threatens to cast a damper on the current reworkings of his respectable father's 66 unrecorded lyrics. But we feel the greatest tragedy here is losing the epic Monday night national call to arms, “Are you ready for some football?” So while we sort out our fantasy football charts and indulge in the contrivances of manufactured nostalgia, let us examine our week's highlights in no particular order.
Nite Jewel does the damn thing and got herself signed to Secretly Canadian. And like all good buzzsters of 2009, she has shed the hypnogogic for some more conventional and cleaner pop sounds. Consider “She's Always Watching You” here, out on a 7-inch courtesy of the Yours Truly label, Love Letters Ink. Reminiscent of Altered Images past, Ramona Gonzalez is emerging from the hazy, lo-fidelity gauze and into the brightness of conventional, tight, professional recording. It also helps to have a spouse in the Haunted Graffiti too I would imagine. Look for Nite Jewel's sophomore album early next year.
Southern Shores released a clubby video for “Meridian” that looks the best when watched from home on a Friday night while standing up friends who are impatiently waiting at the club. It will instill vicarious living sentiments as you watch beautiful people having the time of their life while you think about your not-so-free checking account in the red.
If that video makes your life feel boring, than wait til you see the hot little film short/advertisement made by Aline Diépois & Thomas Gizolme for Susan Lu’s line of Bend Sport Couture, one that features the almost too-lovely-for-words music of Southern Shores. You can listen to their EP Atlantic here, now.
Speaking of artists with a penchant for high end couture, watch Chelsea Wolfe perform “Tracks (Tall Bodies)” “Mer” and “Movie Screen” here. Taken from her recent release Apokalypsis, she builds the mood up to the explosive “Movie Screen” that sounds like the pale screen curtain in a theatre being torn into two pieces. Also look for Chelsea at the CMJ Imposition October 22 at 285 Kent.
From out of Dallas, TX, A.Dd+ released the excellent “Insomniac Dreaming” this week on his bandcamp. The duo consisting of Slim Gravy and Paris Pershun exhibit confidence with flows like “fly lyrics only exhibit as they rip the runway taking off” with some piano driven samples provided by Black Milk's production. Despite this track being a loosie for their dedicated fans, the duo has hinted that a forthcoming EP is on the way soon. More details later.
Lorn Huron released a blissful video for “Mighty” off their EP of the same name. Their recent performance at the Barcade in Outside Lands still remains a highlight of that weekend in the park. Enjoy the sweeping visits of what we can only guess is Lake Huron, one half of the band's namesake, along with spliced National Geographic wildlife footage.
G-Side had an active week with this swagged out number, “Hot Sex and Cold Wine” full of carnal boasts and aphrodisiatic production. We're also super excited to hear that this December the duo has plans to play with Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire in Brooklyn and Main Attrakionz and DaVinci in SF. Winter has never been this cool.
And if you need more, check out G-Side featuring Stalley and Joi Tiffany with “Gettin It.” Amid stories of coming up and making that paper, you have what I am told is a Tame Impala sample re-worked by Block Beattaz. December can't come soon enough.
Zola Jesus rang in the arrival of Conatus with this earth shattering video for “Vessel” with sweeping panoramas of sand dunes, Nika's flowing gowns, liquid designs and enough images to captivate you to other wild desert realms. Look for Conatus out now on Sacred Bones, a definite contender for album of the year.
RJD3 and Aaron Livingston under the Icebird moniker dropped the new single “Charmed Life” this week. This single is in preperation for the release of their upcoming album The Abandoned Lullaby October 11. Good job guys.
League510 released the video for “Soul of Synth,” a hot track from the Oakland crew with production by Flying Lotus. Rumored to have been built off of a sample of incidental music from a Cartoon Network commercial, the sample is fed through some sound bouncing oscillators and strange keys until their company gets so fired up that the song is drawn to a halt by some tail gate party crashers.
It has been reported that singer/songwriter Luke Roberts is giving city life the finger and heading to Montana for a '79 Chevy Tioga. His album Big Bells and Dime Songs drops November 8 and has made a beautiful yet meloncholic video for “Dime Song” to keep you company on dull fall mornings.
And if you need more Luke in your life, you need to listen to the beautiful “Unspotted Clothes” also from the forthcoming Big Bells album from Thrill Jockey.
M.I. and DJ Cutt of Constant Deviants are ringing in the news of Platinum: The Mixtape with the single “Gotta Get Paid (remix).” All this a springboard for their upcoming album Diamond, the single is remixed by Spain's D Cut Love, who M.I. asserts is one of the “dopest producers” he has heard from overseas. Hats off to DJ Cutt's excellent classic approach to scratching, even throwing in a KRS-One sample to further assert their veteran status. Look for Platinum and Diamond on their imprint Six2Six.
And while the Stepkids are getting ready for their upcoming CMJ and West Coast excursions, they were nice enough to drop the video for “Legend in My Mind.” Watch as Wyatt Cenac hustles hop hop discs to an unsuspecting bro who then magically finds himself in an odyssey of juggalos, pie eating contests and plenty of ghettoblaster and urban attire accessorizing.
While the great grandfather of funk George Clinton has continued his battles to get the rights back from the samplers in a series of legal litigations and entanglements, he was kind enough to collaborate with Aleon Craft on a project known as the Mothership: The Decatur Connection. From the following mashup we hear what is the beginning of this newfound partnership between Clinton and Craft with the Southern-fried “Donkey Kong.” A real tuchus shaker indeed.
