Caribou recently released a new track, “Odessa”, that manage to slip through the cracks of Pasta Primavera.  But now that I’ve realized my mistake, I can clearly see why this song is being talked about and why I should talk about it as well.  Dan Snaith, the brilliant mind behind Caribou, literally puts every sound imaginable into this lengthy, almost club-like, jam.  Yet it doesn’t feel cluttered at all.  “Odessa” is from the upcoming album Swim which comes out on April 20th via Merge.  Here’s what Snaith had to say about the album:

“The most important thing for me with this record was finding my own sonic vocabulary. That’s why I’m proud of this record.”

Can’t wait!  After the jump you can check the tracklist.  For now take a listen to your new favorite track:

mp3: Caribou – Odessa

Tracklisting for Caribou’s Swim:
1. Odessa
2. Sun
3. Kaili
4. Found Out
5. Bowls
6. Leave House
7. Hannibal
8. Lalibela
9. Jamelia

AmpLive seems to be making a habit of remixing the wonderful world of WHY?.  This time ’round he attacks WHY?’s “Bezerkley” by filling it up with his distinctive harsh cutting style.  This match up just works.  Check it:

mp3: WHY? – Bezerkley (AmpLive Remix)

mp3: WHY? – The Vowels, Pt. 2 (AmpLive Remix)

Tomorrow Yeasayer is set to release the long awaited follow up to All Hour Cymbals with their new one Odd Blood.  Recently they put out “O.N.E.”, the second single from the album.  I’m digging okay, but not as much as the first single “Ambling Alp”.  XXXchange took their chances with a remix of “O.N.E.” whilst my boy Alan Wilkis kicks it up a notch with his version of “Ambling Alp”.  Take a listen:

mp3: Yeasayer – O.N.E. (XXXchange Remix)

mp3: Yeasayer – O.N.E.

mp3: Yeasayer – Ambling Alp (Alan Wilkis Remix)

mp3: Yeasayer – Ambling Alp

Buy Odd Blood via Secretly Canadian

About a year ago I received a 5 track demo from a fairly new DC band True Womanhood.  Their sound was truly unique.  Not overly complicated – guitar, vocals, drums, and the occasional strange sound I couldn’t quite place.  The trio of Thomas Redmond (vocals, guitar), Melissa Beattie (bass, aux), and Noam Elsner (percussion, aux) have since played a slew of area shows and have been highlighted on many blogs.  They have just released a new EP Basement Membranes on local Baltimore label Environmental Aesthetics (home of Weekends, Lands & Peoples, In Every Room, and more) and holy crap is it good.  I knew when they put out the digital single of “Magic Child” a little while ago that they had seriously grown as artists, but hearing this explosive EP has put them on another level.  I’m guessing that working with J. Robbins and Death By Audio had an effect for sure.  The difference between these new versions and the older demo versions is pretty drastic.  The rhythmic intensity on the EP is simply breathtaking and powerful.  I know that seems cliche – but its the friggin truth.  Also, as I stated on our post about the “Magic Child” single, Thomas Redmond’s voice has blossomed into its own powerful entity within these songs.  Previously it seemed to just blend and waver between its other musical counterparts, but now Redmond’s vocals charge to the front.  There’s not much else to say but GET THIS EP then beckon them to get a-workin’ on the LP.

mp3: True Womanhood – A Diviner

mp3: True Womanhood – Dignitas

Be sure to catch them when they come to Baltimore on April 7th at the Golden West Cafe.  More dates here.

SNOWPOCALYPSE!  CRIPPLING SNOWSTORM!  BLIZZASTEROUS!

Yes it’s snowed quite a bit here in the Baltimore area.  Hows about yous?  While you’re watching tv, reading books, sittin’ fireside, or generally enjoying life in your cave why not enjoy this little mix of winter related tracks (sorta) I’ve put together in my newly discovered spare time.

mp3: Nada Surf – Blizzard Of ‘77

mp3: Stealers Wheel – Stuck In The Middle With You

mp3: Abby Mott – Snow

mp3: Mobius Band – Snow On Snow

mp3: Nurses – Winter

mp3: Eulogies – Blizzard Ape

mp3: Pernice Brothers – Snow

mp3: Sea Wolf – Winter Windows

Thanks to Analog Giant and their pretty swell top ten 2009 albums list.  This list turned me on to Lindstrom and Christabelle’s Real Life Is No Cool (which AG selected as their top LP of 2009) – an album I completely missed out on.  If you can imagine some sort of alternate reality where Michael Jackson was a Norwegian woman and waited 30 years to release Off The Wall – then you’d probably be listening to something sounding quite like Real Life Is No Cool.  The duo of Hans-Peter Lindstrom and Christabelle Solale summon that disco funk pop r&b early 80s spirit then splatter it with their modern Norwegian electronic seductive electronic whispering charm.  I slept on this album.  Don’t make the same mistake.

mp3: Lindstrom and Christabelle – Lovesick

mp3: Lindstrom and Christabelle – Music In My Mind

Buy Lindstrom and Christabelle’s Real Life Is No Cool

So there’s a “CRIPPLING” snowstorm upon us here in Baltimore.  Some are dubbing it the Snowpocalypse.  It looks like this is it.  It’s been real…

Seriously though, lots of snow on the way and with this impending doom it feels only right that I make a few comments on the new EELS LP End Times.  Yup you guessed it – it’s a downer of an album about the last days.  That being said, I really dig it.  Since last years release of Loco Hombre and this new LP, I’m starting to believe EELS leader Mark Oliver Everett is a modern day Tom Waits with a freakish Nick Drake sensibility.  While End Times isn’t a “play anytime” album for me, I’ve enjoyed it quite a lot over the last few days of listening.  And this track simply makes the album for me:

mp3: EELS – Mansions Of Los Feliz

Get a free download of “Little Bird” here as well.

And I feel the need perhaps one of my new favorite tracks that I somehow missed when compiling those end of the year lists:

mp3: EELS – My Timing Is Off from Loco Hombre

End Times and Loco Hombre are out via Vagrant.

One of my favorite tracks from last year (though it didn’t appear on any of my lists) “Invisible Forces” by The Fresh And Onlys has just spawned its video counterpart.  This track made its way onto so many personal playlists of mine with its eerie lo-fi garage sisters of mercy haunt.  Check out this equally eerie woods ritual video directed by Craig Oliver and Nathan Gulick:

mp3: The Fresh and Onlys – Invisible Forces

Photo-illustration by Laurent Hrybyk

It’s Thursday and I’m tired.  It’s been a long week of moving and what I’m really in the mood for is RE-LAX-A-TION.  When I get off work I’ve got some time reserved to just sit and space out a bit.  Two tracks that will easily fit my mood will be Body Language’s remix of Toro Y Moi’s “Timed Pleasure” and CRACKS‘ remix of Atlas Sound’s “Sheila”.  Atmospheric…psychedelic…and a good beat (so I don’t fall out).  Try them on for yourself:

mp3: Toro Y Moi – Timed Pleasure (Body Language Remix)

mp3: Atlas Sound – Sheila (CRACKS Remix) thanks to IGIF

Saratoga Springs, NY. Skidmore College. Mostly known in the music world for the place where Ratatat hooked up. Perhaps in the near future it will be known for the place that is home to the duo of Phantogram. Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel make up the twosome that have their debut LP Eyelid Movies about to surface on the fine label of Barsuk.

Imagine some fantastic world where Portishead, J Dilla, and School Of Seven Bells could some how meet and create some stellar cosmic dark soul rough cut trip hop. This is where Phantogram resides. The music on Eyelid Movies draws from artists like that in a big way and it really appeals to me. Sparse yet booming beats, a minimal sample or two, usually some sort of guitar riff, and the soulful vocals of Barthel (though Carter also sings on a few).

It’s dark and cold around Baltimore. I have Eyelid Movies blaring and it seems to just melt into the cityscape around me.

mp3: Phantogram – When I’m Small

Eyelid Movies comes out via Barsuk on February 9th.

Illustration by Laurent Hrybyk

How friggin great is Mos Def. A new track has surfaced (thanks to Kanye) called “The Tournament”. Apparently it’s an outtake from his sweet LP The Ecstatic. This could have easily fit into that album, but I’m just happy to hear it now in all of its Godfather sampling glory. Take a listen:

mp3: Mos Def – The Tournament”

And just because I’m feelin it…a classic for you:

mp3: Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star – Definition

What was going on in 2008 when I managed to miss Brooklyn’s Lemonade’s S/T debut album?  It better have been important because DAMN Lemonade is killing my ears (in a good way of course) this week.  The S/T jams intense sliced up techno tribal explosions that make me want to dance and run at the same time (and I’m not gonna bust out the Running Man fors ya – but I totally could).

So your probably wondering why I was rediscovering an album from way back in ‘08…well just the other day I happened across a new track of theirs “Lifted”.  From the Pure Moods EP, “Lifted” is sampled crazed blissed out bumpy ride.  This track has definitely one of the best things I’ve heard over the last few weeks – so much so that I seriously CRANKED it on my drive home from work (new job YAY!) yesterday.

Check it:

mp3: Lemonade – Lifted

and also the video via Pitchfork:

You can also check out another cut from the EP on their myspace.  Pure Moods comes out on March 9th via True Panther/Matador.  You can order it from here or here or go for the deluxe 3-pack (bundled with EPs from Tanlines and Janka Nabay) for just $21.

extra ->

mp3: Lemonade – Big Weekends off their 2008 S/T

mp3: Lemonade – Big Weekend (Delorean Remix) off of their free Remix album which you can get here.

Catch Lemonade in Baltimore on March 12th at Jesus Camp with These Are Powers and MNDR.