Phase Two: June Podcast.1

Good news--I'm pretty sure I've have found a way to maneuver some songs into a download ready podcast. A whole lot of tinkering, drag and clicks, and some serious patience went into crafting this 9 song mix, so hopefully you'll find some new artists/songs to enjoy, and hopefully producing these will become easier with practice.

Feel free to take these files with you and hit me up with feedback/questions. I'd love to hear responses or thoughts on the material. I also urge you to seek out album info and tour dates if you digg what you're listening to. Support the music!

Clicking here will jump you to the host site where you can download the podcast or stream directly. If your accessing our pages via an RSS feed site, an embedded player should appear at the end of the post. (Update: We'll also feature each podcast live in the Gold soundz player above right)

For this first try I compiled a quick batch of records I've been spinning a lot lately.

The Tracklist:

1. "Freeway Mind" by Kurt Vile, from Constant Hitmaker (2008), out now on Gulcher.

First track from Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter's debut album. Vile's music sounds like an unearthed collection of eclectic, decade spanning lo-fi home recordings, but really demonstrate the awesome breadth of his influences and talent. He also plays guitar in War on Drugs, who's sure-fire album comes out later this month.


2. "Deep River" by Hilotrons, from Happymatic (2008), released last month on Kelp Records.

Perhaps my favorite song from this Ottawa band's infectious second release. Their sound may not be "post-" anything, but its a refreshingly simple and innovative take on the often stale indie pop/rock scene.


3. "All Right" from Jim Noir's eponymous sophomore album (2008), available now on Barsuk.

One of those rare albums that manages to acrobatically straddle the vintage/modern divide, Noir's pastiche of 60's surf pop and spacey, psych-rock is unpretentious and endlessly listenable. Except for a few nods from the Glow and other, smaller music blogs, this is maybe the most slept-on album of 2008.


4. "Figured Me Out" by Jamie Lidell, from his second post-IDM release Jim (2008), out now on Warp.

A great pop song from the motown/soul revivalist.


5. "Can't Seem To Make You Mine" by The Seeds, from the The Seeds (1966) available on Crescendo.

While Axe body spray may not excel in subtlety, they sure know how to pick a catchy backing track for a TV spot. This garage-rock gem has been stuck in my head for a week now, and was also sampled by Diplo in his remix of Spankrock' s "Put That Pussy On Me."


6. "Snakes On A Ladder" by the Handsome Furs, from the debut album Plague Park (2006) on Sub Pop.

The anticipation of At Mt. Zoomer has me high on all things Wolf Parade-related. Some people knock the slower, more singular tempo of Boeckner's side project record, but I just can't agree.


7. "Bold With Fire" by French Quarter, from French Quarter (2008) available now on Gilgongo Records.

The first and most conventional track off 19 year-old Arizona singer/songwriter's exciting debut. Simple and undeniable.


8. "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes, from Fleet Foxes (2008) out June 3rd on Sub Pop.

Seattle's own baroque/folky pop singers fill the pastoral landscape their lyrics evoke with swirling rounds of ethereal harmonies over clopping percussion and sunny guitar. The uncanny beauty of these guys' music is well worth the wait and hype.


9. "Keep On Rolling" by Quiet Village, from Silent Movie (2008) released this month on !K7.

UK duo of crate-digging music junkie and dance-oriented DJ pastiche an eclectic combination of obscure samples from all genres to make an impressive mishmash record a la the Avalanches. Perfect afterparty/lounging music. This last track somehow makes flute loops and sea gull squawks seem a natural pair.

Fleet Foxes LP

More Fleet Foxes! They are streaming their whole album - Fleet Foxes - right now for free on their myspace page. Check it out. It will be released in stores on June 3rd.

-johnson!

Testing One Two

Here's a test-run of what will hopefully become full fledged podcasts and downland-able mp3's:


"Freeway Mind" from Kurt Vile's Constant Hitmaker (2008).


If you click on the blue link above you'll be directed to our host site where you can listen to and download the file. Grab it and go nuts.

Or, if you're of the RSS variety, your subscription service should recognize any mp3 or podcast we post and automatically covert it to an embedded player that will allow you to listen to the music directly; just press the play button. To download the file you'll still have to click on the link.

Update about Updates

So, yeah, the electronic halls of this little experiment I just bought the domain rights for have been relatively vacant these past few weeks. Heck, if it wasn't for Nick's sparse but diligent last few posts, you might even think our run was over. But I'll go ahead and take the inspirational-sterility blame on the chin and tell you cryptically otherwise. It's just a slump--like Ray Allen's recent cold streak: the stroke is still there, it's just waiting for that big moment to break out again.

Navigating the post-college transition has kept me busy in the most unproductive and indecisive way. Woe is me aside, the past week or so has consisted of eating repetitive bagel sandwiches, and reclaiming my former bedroom from the unisex and innocuous makeover my mother gave it since I first moved out. But I have managed to spend a good chunk of graduation money on new records, and have slowly caught up on my GoogleReader. Oh, I also finally got a computer, which makes things easier.

The point is, expect the next few weeks to mark some kind of glorious return to form. This summer brings with it an abundance of some really great music: between album releases from My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, and Wolf Parade (just to name a few), local festivals like the Capitol Hill Block Party, PDX Pop Now!, Music Fest NW, and Bumbershoot, and the peak of touring season on the horizon, there should be lots to see, do--and write about.

But this whole blog/website is still an infantile work-in-progress, and I'd hate for us to take ourselves too seriously (at least more than we probably already do). The point is to write interesting things about interesting things we care about and want to share. That's it. No doubt there will be some occasional droughts and speedbumps.

I'm hoping to get album reviews of Kurt Vile, War on Drugs, and Fleet Foxes up by this weekend; and the plan is to make some kind of mp3 posting/podcasting improvements to the Gold Soundz section so you can take the music with you. Until then, keep the faith.



-James

Mindfulness Meditation

On occasion I will comment on topics which are specifically unrelated to music and pop culture.

In today's New York Times there is an article about the Buddhist practice of mindfulness meditation used by therapists and psychologists to treat their patients mental ailments. Some have seen success with this practice while others have not. Most believe further study of the practice will illuminates its effects.

In my opinion, a scientific analysis of this practice is the anti-thesis of mindfulness meditation. Once enough studies have been done to create a "summary" of the experience one creates expectations for the practitioner. While practicing mindfulness meditation one observes without responding. If you expect certain things to happen one will react to those expectations whether they are fulfilled or not. Expectations create responses that may lead to heightened positive or negative emotions in the practitioner. Instead of studying the practice in other people the scientific community should practice it themselves and see for themselves what happens. This is the best insight they can provide themselves about mindfulness meditation

It is important to note, that mindfulness meditation should not be practiced lightly because of what can happen to someone when you give them the opportunity to sit and observe their mind and body. However, while meditating if one is able to observe their heightened and destructive emotions objectively and begin to control how they respond to them you have given them a powerful tool that nothing else can replicate. One has used the experience of observing one's own body and mind. There is nothing more real.

For more information about one form of mindfulness meditation I recommend this site.

-johnson!

Sasquatch Music Festival

I attended the first day of the Sasquatch Music Festival this year at the Gorge Amphitheater in eastern Washington. Here are my impressions of the band's I saw:

Fleet Foxes - I had already seen this band once before, but my initial impressions were confirmed by their stirring set. This band is going somewhere? Where? "Top of the Charts!" Their set was the first of the day, but it proved to be more compelling then a few of the later acts. They ended up playing the main stage twice because The National's bus broke down, which gave them even more exposure to the sold-out crowd.

The Shaky Hands - My only departure from the main stage was to watch this rollicking rock bands set. I had seen this band twice previously and each time their music is increasingly geared towards including all members of the band. I am definitely looking forward to their future e.p. and album release later this year.

Beirut - I was a huge fan of Beirut's 2006 release Gulag Orkestar, but was less enthusiastic about their 2007 release The Flying Cub Cup. They performed the best set of the day. While watching their set I was reminded of the Arcade Fire's performance at the 2005 festival despite Beirut's less soaring and anthemic songs. I'm definitely going to give this band more attention in the future.

The New Pornographers - I was very excited to see this band because of their incredible albums full of soaring pop melodies. However, their overall performance was lackluster. Dan Bejar performed a few songs with the band after finishing a set right before as Destroyer on a smaller stage. He seemed less than enthusiastic about playing with the band and none of the songs seemed to embody the intensity found on their albums. After a performance like this I couldn't help but wonder whether the New Pornographers 2007 release "Challengers" was their last.

M.I.A. - Beirut might have played the best set, but this was the most memorable. The crowd in the pit went berserk. At one point during the set M.I.A. invited the crowd on stage and over a hundred audience members stormed the stage. The security guards could not control the onslaught. I don't think I've seen so many people in one place have so much fun at a concert. The music was also a refreshing contrast to the more band oriented sound of the day. Their isn't any better way to describe her sound then "hybridization-hop." I could write quite a bit about this performance and M.I.A. as a pop-musical-icon figure, but I will save that for another time.

Modest Mouse - I saw Modest Mouse perform at the 2005 festival. What I remember the most is wandering around a lot during their set and then returning to find that they were still playing the same song. I don't mind a good "jam" every once and a while, but Modest Mouse seemed to indulge way to much in "jamming." However, this year the presence of Johnny Mar, former member of the Smith's, keeps the band more focused. There are still way too many playing in this band. What is the necessity of two drummer playing the same thing? Why three guitarists? Regardless, I was more impressed this time around.

R.E.M. - I'm not a huge fan of R.E.M., but they are definitely professional musicians. They played through the rain and were very tight, which isn't surprising because they have been around for way over two decades.

Here are some photographs from the day courtesy of pitchforkmedia.

Here are some BETTER photographs courtesy of stereogum.

-johnson!

New Name = O Nay Logspot Bay

Despite our bear-turned economy, domain name costs are about as low as Ginobli's poll ratings. We've therefore acquired our own:

Our blog can now and forever be accessed in nine less buttons at hellaphilistine.com. That's right, no more blogspot and a lot more (feigned) legitimacy. Tell your friends.

The Old Believers - Betcher Ass

Local Cut, the music site for one of Portland's alternative papers The Willamette Week has leaked a new song off of The Old Believers forthcoming album Eight Golden Greats. I recommend giving it a listen.

http://localcut.wweek.com/2008/05/21/leak-the-old-believers-betcher-ass

Wolf Parade - At Mt. Zoomer

The greatest! band in the world, Wolf Parade, is releasing a new album on June 17th - At Mt. Zoomer. It will be the follow up to their 2005 release Apologies to Queen Mary. They will also be going on tour this summer. I plan on seeing them in Portland on July 15th. Here is the tracklist:

1. "Soldier's Grin" (Boeckner)(4:38)
2. "Call It a Ritual" (Krug) (2:47)
3. "Language City" (Boeckner) (5:03)
4. "Bang Your Drum" (Krug) (3:12)
5. "California Dreamer" (Krug) (6:02)
6. "The Grey Estates" (Boeckner) (3:28)
7. "Fine Young Cannibals" (Boeckner) (6:33)
8. "An Animal in Your Care" (Krug) (4:21)
9. "Kissing the Beehive" (Boeckner / Krug) (10:46)

Tomorrow night at 9:00 (Monday May 19th) on my radio show (The Half & Half Hour at kpsu.org or 1450 a.m. in Portland) I will be playing music by them from their e.p.'s and album. I will also be playing some music by Spencer Krug's band Sunset Rubdown and Dan Boeckner's band the Handsome Furs.

Gold Soundz: May/Launchpad

So this makes for the inaugural lap of what should become a monthly installment slash update of the Gold Soundz player au droit: Here we'll feature (mostly) newer music worth your aural attention. Whether its indie rock, electro jams, ringtone rap, or psychedelic folk rock--all that glitters and then some will grace this, our digital jukebox, courtesy of those progressive-minded folks over at Imeem.

A few highlights from this Month's Gold:

"Bold With Fire" - French Quarter, from French Quarter (2007) on Gilgongo.

The first track from 19 year-old Phoenix singer songwriter's (how can this be a)debut record. Stripped down acoustics, loose, kitchen sink percussion, and a gently nasal croon come together in a song that, kinda like Bon Iver, is able to arrestingly yield something so great from sparingly simple ingredients. The rest of the record is worth seeking out, too.


"Taking The Farm" - War On Drugs, from the upcoming Wagonwheel Blues (6/19/2008) on Secretly Canadian.

Maybe the upcoming record I'm most excited about hearing this year. This is the only song I've heard so far, but I'm sold on its self-assured strength alone. "Taking The Farm" blasts Americana through a post-punk amplifier: Sonicaly dense and distored walls of sound rumble and thunder like a freight train through an open canyon, thrashing about twang and jangle round every turn, while lead-vocalist Adam Granduciel sings about the industrialization of the landscape in Avey Tare-esque yelps and hollers.


"While You Wait For The Others" - Grizzly Bear, from upcoming ??? on ? (2009?)

New song recorded on air at KORW from a band I won't dessicrate by trying to summarize. Like Nick once said: "Man, those guys are musicians." Haunting and enrapturous.


"Steel Your Girl" - Neon Neon, from Stainless Style (2008) on Lex records.


"With The Fishes" - French Kicks, from Swimming (2008) on Vagrant.


"Ships and Clouds" - Jim Noir, from Jim Noir (2008) on Barsuk.


"Electric Feel" - MGMT, from Oracular Spectacular (2008), on Columbia.


"Your Girlfriend's Car" - Throw Me The Statue, from Moonbeams (2008) on Secretly Canadian

not what it is - what it isn't

If you were to walk into a room and hear Mattress with absolutely no reference you would assume someone had broken the speakers or the radio player was tuned to static. However, if one was to listen a little closer you would discover a lot more emerging from the noise. Bluesy soul melodies played through heavy distorted grinding beats with filtered vocals slowly wash you over. You can't avoid the hypnotic bass slowly shaking away your aversion. Once the music abruptly stops you will find more conventional rock music a little unsatisfying. I can't explain the effect of this primal drone, but despite it's electronic tag this is truly organic music.

Hear Mattress here