Carl Winslow Vs. Science

Sneak Peek: The National

2010-04-26T15:50:00.006-04:00

Set to be released on 5/11, the National's new album, "High Violet" is streaming on the NYT website HERE. If you're a fan of Alligator and Boxer, chances are you will love this one. It's vintage National - beautiful, haunting melodies and lyrics aplenty. Quite the interesting article on the band as well. Enjoy.

This is Happening

2010-04-15T10:07:00.003-04:00

It's scheduled to come out mid-May but LCD Soundsystem's new album, "This is Happening" is currently streaming on his website HERE. After a couple listens, I can safely say it's his best album yet. It has been well worth the wait - thanks James. Get to it while you can, who knows how long it will be up.

Fear Not

2010-03-31T10:12:00.003-04:00

Friends, Carl has been shirking his duties, and for that he apologizes. Deeply. The blog will be back in full effect soon. In the meantime, I leave you with the following piece of pure majestic zen, courtesy of the Fuck Buttons ("Olympians").

Mum's The Word

2009-12-10T12:27:00.014-05:00

Carl has something very special to share with you today, friends. Every once in awhile, a band comes along with talent so rare, it takes your breath away. On a recommendation a few months back, I began listening to a few of this bands' tracks and was absolutely floored by their beauty, complexity and brilliance. After peeling back the many layers, i quickly decided that musically, these guys were a few levels above anything I've heard lately. The band is Mumford & Sons, a newly-formed folk/rock/bluegrass hybrid Quartet from London. Members are Marcus Mumford (vocals, guitar, drums), Winston Marshall (vocals, banjo, dobro), Ben Lovett (vocals, keyboards, organ), Ted Dwane (vocals, double bass). While admittedly, it's a bit early to proclaim them as music gods, the appeal of their passion, energy and retro-yet-innovative sound is simply undeniable.

Their sound varies throughout their debut album, Sigh No More - you'll hear barn-burning, sweeping banjo-infused bluegrass romps, gorgeously fragile folk ballads and everything in between, but you won't hear a note void of meaning or urgency.

Yes, I realize it's preemptive to lay all these superlatives on a band in existence for less than 2 years, forgive me, for I am enamored - as I hope you will be after giving them a listen. Unfortunately, you won't be able to purchase the album in the US before March 2nd, however, I've posted some songs below on Lala. Because the album isn't released in the US, you cannot listen to the songs in full, only "Little Lion Man" which has been released as a single. Clearly 30-second clips don't do the album justice, but find it, order the UK import, steal it, do whatever you have to do to get the album. I defy you not to love it.

As an added bonus, they are "touring" the US/Canada soon, if you can call four shows a tour. Regardless, if you're anywhere near these cities at these times, I order you to go see them:

2/9: Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
2/11: San Francisco, CA - Popscene @ 330 Ritch
2/15: Toronto, ONT - El Mocambo
2/18: New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom

Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons

Carl's On Your Side

2009-11-12T09:18:00.009-05:00

Friendos, Carl's back with some new tunes and vids for your listening and viewing pleasure. Be excited. Be very excited.

If you haven't by now, join Lala. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Hands down the best music listening/sharing/purchasing community around. JOIN LALA

---Carl 11.12.09

1. Paper Route - "Last Time": Admittedly, I hadn't heard of these dudes until a couple months ago. Upon first listen to their Absence album, this song stuck. And it stuck hard. Roaring guitar riffs, punchy basslines and a catchy melodies aplenty.

2. Pela - "Waiting on the Stairs": Indie rock magnificence is what these guys produce. If you're opposed to magnificence, don't listen. I've posted a song from them before - they aren't a new band, but I am just fully discovering them for the first time, and oh boy are they good. Their Anytown Graffiti album is Carl-Approved. That's how you do it. . . That's how you make indie rock.

3. Great Lake Swimmers - "Moving, Shaking": The Great Lake Swimmers churn out some tuneful, laid-back folk music. This one in particular, is beautiful. Tugs at the 'ol heartstrings a bit. If you dig, check out their Bodies and Minds album.

4. Julian Casablancas - "11th Dimension": This track has been all over the place lately but fuck it, I'm jumping on the wagon. It's too damn catchy. There's been a lot of hype surrounding the Strokes frontman's debut solo album Phrazes For The Young. Some of the hype is deserved, but it's a mixed bag in my opinion, there are some gems (when he sticks to the Strokes-type sound) and some duds (when he delves into other sounds). I applaud the effort as a whole, however.

5. Mumford & Sons - "The Cave": A folk rock group from London currently flying under the radar in the US. These guys are incredible. Banjos, piano, horns, lyrics and lead vocals all come together for a uniquely enjoyable sound. Their album Sigh No More is only available as a UK import right now, not sure when the US release date is, but be on the lookout if you know what's good for you. Carl Approved. A word to the wise: if you do search for the album, try not to get it confused with Sigh No More by Gamma Ray, which is a complete dumpster fire. A video for another Mumford & Sons song, "Little Lion Man" is posted below.

6. Pony Pony Run Run - "Hey You": These Frenchies lay down some catchy dance-friendly pop hooks as evidenced here.

7. Washed Out - "New Theory": Another warm and fuzzy dream-pop gem off Carl-Approved Life Of Leisure. I thoroughly dig.

8. Lake - "Madagascar": As is customary here on Carl, we're gonna switch gears once again. Lake has a lazy, easy-going throwback sound and they do it well. Simple, yet calculated arrangements make them easy on the ears. I think you'll agree. As an added bonus, they have that echo-y 60's Mamas & Papas effect goin on in some of the songs. Their album Let's Build A Roof is Carl-Approved.

9. Why? - "This Blackest Purse": I've seen Why? described as a "Hip-Hop" Indie Rock band. Doesn't make any goddamn sense. Just because the lead singer has a terrible voice and sings in near monotone doesn't make it "hip-hop". I digress. Whatever it is, it's good and it's unique. Their recently released Eskimo Snow is a great listen.

10. Pretty Lights - "Finally Moving": I'm a sucker for sample-infused DJ grooves. This one fits the bill. It feels like it would fit the end credits of a movie where a gang leader just took revenge on the rival gang for killing his brother. Screen fades out as we see him walking out of a dark alley littered with freshly-dropped bodies, gun still smoking in the crisp winter night air.

11. Chromeo - "Night by Night": Chromeo's new single. Hotness. Break out your skinny jeans and weird neon hightops and DANCE, hipsters!

12. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - "Get Yo Shit": a blues band from Austin, TX influenced by James Brown. After you listen to this you'll make the JB connection immediately. More where this came from on Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!.

13. Jackson 5 - "I Wanna be Where you are (Dallas Austin Remix)": The only decent song off the new Michael Jackson Remix albums. Catchy as shit.

14. Monsters of Folk - "Temezcal": Monsters of Folk is a self-described folk "super"group, consisting of Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes and M. Ward. I'd ease up on the self-promotion a bit - their album cover shows their faces enshrined as a Mt. Rushmore of sorts, for fuck's sake. That said, their product isn't half bad. This song is one of the highlights off their (not-surprisingly) self-titled Monsters Of Folk.

15. Starfucker - "Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second": Feels like a care-free jaunt through candyland. This duo has some great tracks on their most recent album, Starfucker.

16. Volcano Choir - "Island, IS": A beautiful song by a newly-formed band consisting of Bon Iver and Collections of Colonies of Bees. Video below.

aaaaand some videos for your viewing pleasure. . .

Volcano Choir - "Island, IS"
I've become fascinated with the beauty and simplicity of this song and video.

Mumford & Sons - "Little Lion Man"
These guys are something special.

Air - "Sing Sang Sung"
New single from Air. And their trippy take on the 'ol bouncing ball effect.

Antlers - "Two"
Spectacular song. Interesting video.

Carl Approved: The Temper Trap

2009-10-13T11:38:00.006-04:00

Hello Friends, it's been awhile, I apologize. Carl's been out of the office for a spell, while he gets his shit together, please have a listen to this incredible debut album by The Temper Trap, Conditions. The album has been out for awhile in Australia and the UK, but was released today in the US. These guys feature tight arrangements, upbeat rhythms, catchy melodies and although he sounds a bit like a leprechaun at times, if you can get past that, the lead's falsetto is simply magical. Their "Sweet Disposition" single was featured as the backbone of the 500 Days of Summer soundtrack (great movie, btw) but other than that, they haven't made a whole lot of noise here in the States. I'm guessing that will change soon. They begin a short US tour tomorrow in LA, moving on to San Fran, Seattle, Chicago, NYC, Philly and finishing in Boston on October 29th. If you're in any of these cities, check them out, it will be your first and last opportunity to see them at such small venues.

In the meantime, enjoy. Some highlights: Love Lost (potential Carl's Song of the Year candidate), Sweet Disposition, Rest, Down River, Fools, Science of Fear.

Conditions - The Temper Trap

Carl Approved Albums

2009-08-28T10:31:00.006-04:00

Good day friends. Today I wanted to share a couple nominations for "Best albums of the second half of 2009" . . .

The first is Hospice by The Antlers, a heartbreaking, delicate and altogether beautiful concept album about a woman named Sylvia on her death bed with the narrator by her side. Sure, the themes of desperation and impending death are a bit gloomy but they are the heart and soul of the album. The songs and melodies themselves are intriguing, but without the despair in Peter Silbman's voice and the sorrowful lyrics, it's a good album. With them, it's a great album.

Hospice - The Antlers

The other is XXby The XX. Who would've thought music this simple could be so beautiful and captivating? The album's elegance lies in it's understatement. In the current environment of noise pop and overproduction, this album is an oasis of simplicity. An amazing debut.

xx - The xx

Carl: The Final Frontier

2009-08-10T10:11:00.012-04:00

People of the blogosphere, Carl is back again. Apologies for the time lapse since the last post. Shame on me. I'll make it up to you, I swear. With that in mind, I have for you today, a concoction of awesomeness for your ears and eyes. And another thing before I forget, join Lala if you haven't already. It's the best music service out there. Enjoy. . .

1. Kid Chocolat - "The Secret of the Zombies": I'm not sure where I heard this song or when, but somehow it ended up in my collection, and man, I'm glad it did. A little digging uncovered the fact that the song is not a flash-in-the-pan. Kid Chocolat is legit and his Zombiparti! album is Carl-Approved. Flowing verses about zombies and horror flick samples over flowing beats. Good shit.

2. Metric - "Twilight Galaxy": The standout track from Fantasies. It is moody and sparse, but I'll be damned if it's not beautiful.

3. The Very Best - "Warm Heart of Africa": These guys make some great ass-shaking, feel-good tunes, here is yet another off their soon-to-be-released LP. It's named after Malawi's tourist slogan and features Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig. Not that that's a selling point, it's a great song with or without him.

4. Lightning Dust - "Never Seen": Lightning Dust is a newer band on the scene with a shitload of promise. This song is one of their most intriguing efforts off Infinite Light. The song is minimalist, highlighting Amber Webber's ghostly voice, and builds a tension that never quite breaks. It leaves you wanting more. In a good way.

5. Neon Indian - "Should've Taken Acid With You": No album from these guys yet, but Carl will be first in line when it's released. Dizzy, chilled-out pop melodies seem to be their M.O., and I love it. With song titles like "Deadbeat Summer", "Terminally Chill", and "Should've Taken Acid With You" I don't think we're gonna hear any foot-stompers from them anytime soon.

6. Neon Indian - "Deadbeat Summer": See Above.

7. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - "40 Day Dream": This is an interesting band. It's made up of 12 people who dress like it's 1970 and drive around together in a converted school bus. They make some good tunes though, including this one, complete with punchy drums and a catchy chorus. Their self-titled album Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros is definitely worth a listen. I'm still trying to decide if it's good or great. I'll get back to you when I figure it out.

8. Antlers - "Kettering": Speaking of great, this song/album from the Antlers is undeniably so. Carl-Approved Hospice in an incredible album start to finish. The theme of Hospice is Centered around a relationship with a terminally ill child. Whether it's autobiographical or not, it certainly feels like it could be. A chillingly beautiful album.

9. Rex The Dog - "Bubblicious": Switching gears a bit here. I posted the awesome video for this awhile ago and may just do it again for those of you that missed it last time. While the video caught my attention first, I realized later that the song was almost as awesome. Dance bitches.

10. Beirut - "Concubine": Beirut aka Zach Condon is an endless source of solid tunes, this is yet another off his March of the Zapotec & Realpeople: Holland double album.

11. Washed Out - "Feel It All Around": From what I've heard, Washed Out (aka Ernest Greene) has a knack for making lazy, dreamy summer soundscapes such as this one. No albums yet, but someone to watch.

12. Theophilus London - "Sabali (Remix)": The UK DJ is hit or miss when it comes to some of his remixes, but he gets it right on this rehash of Amadou and Mariam's "Sabali".

13. The Big Pink - "Velvet": The London-based duo comin' at you with some big-ass guitars. This song just kicks you in the nuts, calls your mom a bitch and doesn't even feel bad about it.

14. The Dodos - "Fables": The Dodos follow up the excellent Visiter with the equally excellent Time To Die. This song stands out as one of the best on the album. Great foot-stomping percussion in this one.

15. Futurecop! - "Tonight's Hero": I know I've sang the praises of Futurecop! here previously, but I'm doing it again. Wanna fight about it? He puts on a great live show, heavily 80's influenced. Synthtastic. Check out his Carl-Approved EP The Unicorn and the Lost City of Alvograth. Beat that name.

16. Freur - "Doot Doot": I heard this bit of hotness from the 80s for the first time the other day and was flabbergasted that I hadn't heard it before. Then I realized it was by a group named Freur and immediately understood why.

---Carl 08.10.09

Gossip - "Love Long Distance"
A disco-pop gem, complete with spandex, keytars and huge balloon heads.

Miike Snow - "Animal"
Good track, decent video.

Banjo or Freakout - Upside Down
Makes you feel like your dreaming. Great tune too to match. Also, a reminder that the last days of summer are upon us, so go enjoy the beach with the grim reaper, policemen, chickens and a huge purple guy.

Brule's Rules
Dr. Brule offers up valuable tips on living alone.

What Would Carl Do?

2009-07-22T11:56:00.006-04:00

Good people of the blogosphere, Carl's comin' at you today with an eclectic mix of some awesome new tracks and videos. Listen up bitches!

1. Wave Machines - "Keep the Lights On": Don't confuse these guys with "Wavves" who deal in lo-fi, scuzzy, static noise rock. Wave Machines are quite the contrary, they have a clean, finely produced groove to them. Their debut album Wave If You're Really There is well worth checking out.

2. Atlas Sound - "Walkabout (w/Panda Bear)": Bradford Cox (of Deerhunter) teams up with Noah Lennox aka Panda Bear on this hazy feel-good throwback. Calliope loops, la-la voices, and a bouncy beat - a summer classic in the making. . .

3. Florence & The Machine - "Cosmic Love": I've read the comparisons to Kate Bush, but I wonder why it is that whenever we hear a woman with a strong voice they're immediately compared to Kate Bush? She sounds more like Annie Lennox to me. Be that as it may, this song is big. Big and powerful. More where that came from on her Lungs album.

4. Pela - "Lost to the Lonesome": An older song that I rediscovered recently. Pela is an all-around solid indie rock band who don't stray too far from the tried and true formula of rhythmic electric guitars, drums, and a whiny self-loathing lead singer. But they do it well.

5. Major Lazer - "Keep it Goin' Louder": Guilty pleasure time. DJs Diplo and Switch teamed up to form Major Lazer, which is both a name for their "band" as well as a make-believe cartoon Jamaican Commando who graces the cover of their debut album Guns Don't Kill People...Lazers Do. For this album, Diplo and Switch have lined up a who's-who of Jamaican vocalists and use their beats and DJ-wizardry as a backdrop. I was skeptical, but it's actually an enjoyable, entertaining listen all the way through.

6. Mogwai - "Auto Rock": Another song unearthed from a few years back. As I said in my last post, Mogwai are the masters of the epic rock instrumental, this is just another example from Mr. Beast. Movie soundtrack producers take note - put this song to any slow-motion "underdog-miraculously-beats-the-odds" scene and you're gold.

7. Bibio - "Sugarette": Off the fantastic, and Carl-Approved Ambivalence Avenue, this track bobs and weaves over, under and around a single beat. It feels pre-meditated and impulsive at the same time. Bibio is a true artist and a damn good technician.

8. Cass McCombs - "You Saved My Life": One of the better songs off his recent Catacombs album which is full of melodic, sparsely arranged songs like this.

9. Delorean - "Seasun": I read about Delorean and saw that they're from Barcelona and thought "well shit, they must be cool if they're from Barcelona. . . " So I checked them out - not too bad. This is a great summertime jam - handclap rhythms, dreamy vocals on top of piano beats and synths. Yay.

10. Shit Robot - "Simple Things (Work it Out)": Shit Robot caught my eye because a) their name is awesome b) they're under the DFA label, and they rarely release crap. True to form, this is not crap. You can feel James Murphy's (LCD Soundsystem) influence in the production.

11. Robert Francis - "One by One": I came home drunk from the bar one night, and i know I was drunk because I started watching "Last Call with Carson Daly." Enough said. Anyway, he had a guest spot with Robert Francis, who I had never heard of, so I gave it a shot. He played this song and by the end of the performance I was singing along, but whether it was because I was shitfaced or because it was actually a good song was a mystery to me the next day. I listened again, and it is indeed a good song. His album, One By One is pretty damn good too. Thanks Carson Daly. I still hate you, though.

Carl 07.22.09

Windsurf - "Weird Energy"
I must say I have a soft spot for shitty 80's montage videos. This is one of the best I've come across. Glorious.

Passion Pit - "To Kingdom Come"
A good old fashioned stop-motion Victorian science laboratory dance party video.

Bark Bark Bark - "I'm Needy"
Prepare to be entertained and slightly confused.

Carl's Songs/Videos of the Week

2009-07-06T18:50:00.013-04:00

Hope everyone had a great 4th full of fireworks, bbq and booze. All in the name of celebrating our wonderful country's birthday, of course. Apologies for the slight absence, but never fear, Carl is back. Enjoy.

1. Holy Ghost! - "I Will Come Back": More known for their remixes, Holy Ghost! is a new-ish band under the DFA (James Murphy aka LCD Soundsystem) umbrella. I like their sound - there's a pinch of Italo-disco, a dash of 80s dance, and a shitload of awesome. Their debut album is scheduled for early next year. Check out the video below too.

2. Temper Trap - "Love Lost": Ever since I heard, and subsequently became obsessed with their first single, "Sweet Disposition" I've been eagerly waiting to hear the entire album Conditions. It's still not out in the U.S. (only in Australia), but I must say, it's damn good and is hereby Carl-Approved. Light falsetto melodies and swirling guitars aplenty throughout the album. This is one of the highlights.

3. Temper Trap - "Fools": Another beautiful tune off Conditions. This one really showcases Dougy's unique vocals.

4. The Golden Filter - "Peter Bjorn & John - Lay it Down (remix)": The Golden Filter has some funky remixes, this is one of their better attempts.

5. Mogwai - "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong": The best song off their incredible Rock Action. Not a new song by any means, but it's one of the best epic instrumentals ever created. Plain and simple. Close your eyes and let it take you to Awesometown.

6. Metric - "Collect Call": Metric's new album Fantasies is a sneaky gem. Led by the baby-voiced Emily Haines, her voice weaves perfectly in and out of shimmering guitars and bouncy synths. The results are catchy as hell.

7. Metric - "Gimme Sympathy": See above.

8. Drake - "Best I Ever Had": A brief history of Drake via Pitchfork: "Relative unknown creates mixtape with a few friends and uploads it to the internet, and then, within a few months, he's maybe/possibly dating Rihanna and fielding seven-figure offers from broke major labels. Except in this case, the relative unknown in question was a star on the Canadian teeny-drama "Degrassi: The Next Generation", and the friends in question are Lil Wayne and Trey Songz and Chris Paul. Even weirder, the main overarching theme of Drake's So Far Gone seems to be the stresses and travails of fame, even if he recorded the damn thing when he wasn't famous in any meaningful way. And now the tape has made him good and famous for real." So Far Gone is the name of the mixtape and is worth checking out.

9. Drake - "Let's Call it Off (remix)": Another remix of a Peter Bjorn & John song. PB&J can't be happy that most of their songs are better as remixes than originals.

10. Miike Snow - "A Song for No One": Swedish producers step out from behind the curtain with their critically underappreciated album. . . Miike Snow.

11. Moby - "Study War": Moby's new release Wait For Me is a throwback to his Play and 18 heyday. This is good news. Save a couple songs, Hotel and Last Night were pure garbage. Though not executed as well as Play, Wait for me goes back to that "Moby Sound" - samples, minimalist beats and strings. I know the poor guy likes to think of himself as a singer, artist, performer, philosopher, techno genius, as well as a producer but unfortunately, he's really only good at producing. Let's hope he's finally realized this, because the sooner he does, the better off we'll all be.

---Carl 07.07.09

On to the videos. . .

Holy Ghost! - "I Will Come Back"

Beirut - "Concubine"

Major Lazer - "Hold The Line"

Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video #1
I'm sure a lot of you have seen these, but they're worth watching, whether it's for the 1st or 776th time.

Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video #2
And the other one. . .

Until next time, enjoy this happy lizard in a chair. . .

Carl's Way or the Highway

2009-06-25T11:50:00.006-04:00

Friendos, I have some more magical music and videos from Carl's endless vault of magical music and videos. Pay specific attention to the Chris Dane Owens video at the bottom. Not sure how I ever lived without this magnificent piece of rock-techno wizardry.

Without further ado, here are some tunes. Don't have time to write about them today, just listen and enjoy.

Chris Dane Owens - "Shine on Me"
I could be wrong, but from what I gather, I think he's taking himself seriously. Unfortunate for him, but a dream come true for us. This is directly from his website (which he clearly wrote himself):

"Chris Dane Owens is a Los Angeles native who distills many of his city's musical styles into one unique brew. Pop melodies mingle with rock guitars, driving beats, and the occasional gleam of techno-wizardry. With confident songwriting, Chris performs modern rock tracks that are crafted with uncompromising care. . . Watch Owens' spectacular new music video "Shine On Me" (the first installment of a trilogy) directed by Academy Award winning special effects artist Robert Short, whose feature film credits include; "Splash" "E.T." "Beetlejuice" and "Ace Ventura". With his custom Gretsch Sparkle Jet guitar in hand, Chris is planning an international tour for the album later this year."

Obviously, CDO's tour is not to be missed. As for the video, It's on a level of awesomeness that I'm still trying to wrap my arms around, just can't quite get there. Bow down to your overlord, Chris Dane Owens. . .

Birdy Nam Nam - "The Parachute Ending"
A new trippy cartoon video from Justice's proteges. Both the song and video simply rule. I see big things coming from these guys.

Busdriver - "Me-Time"
One of those Chuck-e-Cheese robots flips out and terrorizes some kids. Honestly, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. One of the better rappers around, in my humble opinion.

Discovering Discovery

2009-06-19T14:30:00.008-04:00

Discovery is a potentially-Carl-Approved side project of Vampire Weekend's keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot's lead singer Wes Miles. They are scheduled to release their debut LP, named "LP" on July 7 and currently streaming these 4 songs on their website. It's an interesting synthy/glittery sound but I need to hear the final product before I pass too much judgment. I'm currently on the fence because I'm so damn sick of Vampire Weekend, but trying to get past that - maybe 'ol Rostam is sick of his own band too, hence the side project. I am cautiously optimistic.

Carl Approved Vids

2009-06-12T09:17:00.005-04:00

Orange Juice Jones - "Walkin' in the Rain"
A tribute to the 6 straight days of rain here on the East Coast. And counting. The only thing that has cheered me up is Orange Juice Jones. I know he'll do the same for you, rain or shine. Pay particular attention to the spellbinding choreography and his oscar-worthy rant at the end.

The Emperor Machine - "Kananana"
Now we know what the Epcot Center orb does on it's off days. Set to some Space Disco Rock. Far out.

N.A.S.A - "A Volta"
Stop-motion robots fuck each other up.

Here We Go Magic - "Fangela"
The song is better than the video, but it's interesting, nonetheless.

Erase Errata - "Crusing"
Quite possibly some of the scariest shit I have ever seen.

May the Carl Be With You

2009-06-08T21:25:00.012-04:00

Good day my friends. Carl's comin at you again with a fresh mix of songs and videos. So listen up if you know what's good for you. Oh yeah, and sign up for a Lala account so you can listen to the tunes - it takes 10 seconds and it's free.

1. Solid Gold - "Bible Thumper": Hailing from Minnesota, Solid Gold is one of the better new bands around. Check out their Bodies Of Water LP. Shit is hot. Get in the ground floor while you can, I think they'll be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

2. Hockey - "Too Fake": Speaking of great new bands, here's another. Though they have not yet released their debut album (expected this summer at some point), the singles they've released are intriguing. They have a little Strokes-y feel to them, but a bit more beat-driven, a la LCD Soundsystem.

3. VEGA - "No Reason": Looking for a summer dance jam? Look no further. It's got the bouncy beach ball beat, the sun-shiny synths, and the wave-like vocal loops. Weather or not you like it (not even sure I do), it's gonna get stuck in your head, and you're gonna dance.

4. Matthew Dear - "When She Don't Need Me": I've been touting Causes 2 as a top-of-the-line compilation/benefit album - this song is just another example of why.

5. Das Racist - "Combination Pizza Hut & Taco Bell (Wallpaper Remix)": This "song" is simply ridiculous - but in the best way possible.

6. Boys Noize - "Shine Shine": A cosmic instrumental groove. A great song for your next roadtrip mix, even better if your making that trip in a spaceship, flying car, or even a hovercraft. And Oi Oi Oi is a solid album. As an added bonus, the cover art is a diamond-encrusted skull. Everybody wins.

7. Kleerup - "Chords": See above. I just gave you 2 perfect songs for your next spaceship/flying car/hovercraft roadtrip mix. You're welcome.

8. Harlem Shakes - "Sunlight": One of a few fun songs off Technicolor Health. They are touring with Passion Pit this summer.

9. Au Revoir Simone - "Fallen Snow (Teenagers Remix)": A great track off Reverse Migration, an album featuring various artists' remixes of select Au Revoir Simone's tunes. An enjoyable listen.

10. Rural Alberta Advantage - "Don't Haunt This Place": Another band to watch - RAA self-released their Carl-Approved Hometowns awhile back but were recently picked up by the Saddle Creek indie label, signaling big things for the trio from, yep, rural Alberta. These guys will be big one day, and deservedly so.

11. Peter Bjorn & John - "It Don't Move Me": Their new single off Living Thing. Posted the strange video below. Not that a strange video from PB&J is surprising. . .

12. Antony & The Johnsons - "Another World": I'm gonna slow it down here for the next two songs. Off the beautiful The Crying Light this song stands out as one of the more gorgeously haunting songs I've ever heard. The depth of despair and longing this song evokes is simply incredible. Warning: Don't listen to this if you're at work and a little mentally unstable. You will cry.

13. Charles Spearin - "Vanessa": This isn't your average song. It comes off of Charles Spearin's compelling The Happiness Project. By background, the Happiness Project is part spoken-word, part sociological experiment and part musical experiment, it is the result of Spearin's discussions with his neighbors in Toronto about their idea of happiness. He recorded the responses and then reformed them into music, using the pitch and cadences in peoples voices as the basis for his music. The result is a very thought/emotion provoking album not to be missed. This song in particular is extremely affecting in which a deaf woman (Vanessa) describes her experience hearing for the first time.

---Carl 06.09.09

MGMT - "Kids"
Cool video, but at what price here guys? Poor kid is gonna be f'ed up beyond belief.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Heads Will Roll"

Peter Bjorn & John - "It Don't Move Me"
A creepy dad with OCD training his kid to dance like Michael Jackson? Not sure what's going on here. Your guess is as good as mine.

Spontaneous Dance Party
How to start a dance party 101.

Carl Approved: Passion Pit "Manners"

2009-06-02T20:38:00.006-04:00

I wrote about Passion Pit last year (here) after I heard their 6-song EP Chunk Of Change which was a stellar debut. And after listening to their first full-length LP, Manners, I can officially say they are the real deal. That said, they are a polarizing band, you may love em, you may hate em, but they are unapologetically unique and refreshingly exuberant. And for that, Manners is Carl Approved. It's not a perfect album, but perfection is boring. Give a listen. Some highlights: Little Secrets, Moth's Wings, The Reeling, Eyes as Candles, Folds in Your Hands, To Kingdom Come, Sleepyhead (also on Chunk of Change).

Manners - Passion Pit

Drop It Like It's Carl

2009-05-29T10:06:00.011-04:00

Hello friends. I have more music and videos for you to enjoy. So enjoy. Support the artists if you like what you hear.

1. The Hood Internet - "What You Know About Transparent Things": I'm pretty sure I've posted this before but I don't care. It's so awesome, it deserves a double post. A mash of Fujiya & Miagi's Transparent Things and TI's What You Know About That. Creative title, eh?

2. Grizzly Bear- "While You Wait For The Others": Another incredible song off Veckatimest, another candidate for Carl's Album of the Year.

3. Van She - "A Sharp Knife": A somber-yet-catchy tune from the Aussie dance-rockers. Is it just me or has Australia been pumping out awesome bands like nobody's business? A veritable hotbed, i tell ya.

4. LCD Soundsystem - "Starry Eyes": Another glitchy tune from the master of glitch, LCD Soundsystem. This one was done for the Darfur benefit album, Causes 2 which is a superb album, on par with Dark Was The Night, in my humble opinion.

5. Bowerbirds - "Northern Lights": A beautiful song which starts sparse and slowly swells into magnificence. All with a guitar, drums and a piano. This is why I love music.

6. The Avalanches - "Frontier Psychiatrist": A throwback to 2001. I used to listen to this song 10 times a day when it first came out and still love it. The Avalanches (also Aussies) haven't made an album since Since I Left You but damn, was it good. To make the album they used over 3500 samples from records they found at a garage sale. There have been rumors of a new album for a couple years now, but nothing yet.

7. The Bran Flakes - "Stumble Out of Bed": Speaking of samples, these guys do it too, and do it well. Some of their songs are pretty out there, but their album I Have Hands is well worth a listen or two.

8. Solid Gold - "Who you Gonna Run to?": This Minneapolis-based band is one to watch in the future. Their first release Bodies of Water is flying under the radar, even hard to find, but it's a keeper. Enjoyable to listen to all the way through. The record can feel dark and melodramatic at times, but a pulsing rhythm throughout the album balances that feeling. This song is a good microcosm of the darker parts of the album.

9. John Vanderslice - "Too Much Time": This is a standout from Romanian Names.

10. Sebastian Tellier - "Sexual Sportswear": Not sure how the name relates to the song (especially since the song doesn't have any words), but it's groovy indeed. Not that you would need me to point this out, but sex is a pervasive theme on his album Sexuality.

11. Cut Copy - "Strangers in the Wind": Guess where Cut Copy is from. Yep, Australia. And they're awesome. Who knew? This one is just another bad-ass track from In Ghost Colours which is chock-full of bad-ass tracks.

12. Sound of Arrows - "M.A.G.I.C": I feel like most of these songs posted today were a little gloomy - how about an gleeful song with some children singing about magic. Yeah? Here ya go. Yaaaaay!

Carl-Approved Videos:

Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"
Grizzly Bear are some strange guys. And I mean that in the best way possible. If you needed some proof watch this creepshow of a video. It has them in a church, singing and looking quite crazed, then they start to glow and then. . . . . . just watch.

Moby - "Pale Horses"
The second single of his still unreleased Wait For Me. This sounds more like it belongs on Play than it does Hotel. This is a good thing. The video finds a little alien losing all his friends as their washed away in the rain. Really sad stuff here folks, prepare to get dusty.

The National - "Runaway"
The National perform an unreleased song (hopefully) off their upcoming album.

One of the best commercials I've seen in awhile. Pure genius. Keenan Thompson (LeBron) and David Allen Grier (Kobe) do the voices if you were curious. I was.

867-530-CARL

2009-05-21T11:36:00.019-04:00

Homies, Carl's back with a vengeance. Once again, it's time for another mish-mosh of stupefying songs and videos. Without further ado. . .

1. Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks": The first single from Grizzly Bear's new album Veckatimestand it's a beauty. It's a little more lively and upbeat than most of their past work, but when it does show signs of getting a little too glittery, they reign it back in. Still has the same retro-baroque-folk feel as their previous work. Great unofficial video posted below too.

2. Friendly Fires - "Lovesick": My love affair with Friendly Fires remains in full effect.

3. The National - "So Far Around the Bend": Off the Dark Was The NightAIDS awareness benefit compilation. Waiting for their new album with bated breath, but this will have to do for now.

4. Van She - "Kelly": Pure pop excellence.

5. Gomez - "Airstream Driver": I haven't been a fan of Gomez in the past but I was pleasantly surprised with a few song off A New Tidesuch as this one.

6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Runaway": Starts off sounding like a creepy lullaby you'd hear in a horror movie and morphs into a haunting rock anthem.

7. Ladyhawke - "Magic": I'm partial to songs that could be playing with the end credits of a Steven Seagal movie. This strikes me as such a song, playing among highlights of his exquisite head-butts and roundhouses.

8. Sebastian Tellier - "Fingers of Steel": The Frenchman has some smooth grooves on his latest album Sexuality.

9. Stars - "A Thread Cut with a Carving Knife": Yes, they can be sappy and I'm sure their lyrics are quoted in many a high school yearbook. But to their credit, Stars does beautifully combine melancholy lyrics, melodies and atmospheric sounds like few bands around.

10. Passion Pit - "Little Secrets": A highlight off their long-awaited first LP Manners. Has anyone else noticed the strange-yet-effective trend of sampling children singing. Musicians take note - kids singing in your chorus is "hip".

11. Phoenix - "Love Like a Sunset Parts I & II": While I love all the great bouncy, jumpy, synthy songs they create, this epic digs deep and may just be their best song.

Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks (unofficial)"
The song is put to clips from the french film, Le Ballon Rouge and it works well.

Phoenix - "1901"

Animal Collective - "Summertime Clothes" (Letterman)
Interesting performance on Letterman the other night.

Crystal Stills - "Love Like a Wave"

Testing, Testing. . .

2009-05-16T14:48:00.009-04:00

Carl told me he is fed up with IMEEM and you know what? I am too. I'm testing out a different method - Lala (which, by the way, is a Carl-approved site for buying, listening, finding new music, etc). With Lala, the first listen is full length, then 30 seconds for every play after that. Not ideal, but better than IMEEM. If you set up a Lala account (recommended), you can buy "web" songs for 10 cents, this means you can't actually download it but can stream it anytime, anywhere you have an internet connection. Since I've been hyping up the Junior Boys new album Begone Dull Care so much, I'll start with that. Some highlights from the album: Bits & Pieces, Hazel, Parallel Lines, The Animator. . . they're all kick-ass. Happy listening.

Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Carl

2009-05-07T21:51:00.008-04:00

Friends, first off I want to apologize that IMEEM is cutting more songs than usual down to 30 seconds. Believe me, I'm pretty jazzed about it and looking for ways to get around this debacle. In the meantime, it's a pain, but you can click the "listen to full song" link and it will take you to IMEEM's site and play you the full track.

1. The Field - "Silent": The Field is coming out with a new album and if it's half as good as From Here we Go Sublime, we're in for a treat. I'll pay homage to said album with my favorite track. It's special. Just close your eyes and let the song seep into your pores. Don't be scared.

2. The Shout Out Louds - "Normandie": Best track of Our Ill Wills. They need an new album, stat.

3. Royksopp - "A Higher Place": This is off their old Melody A.M. album, but if your a Royksopp fan, it doesn't get much better than this dreamy, bouncy adventure of a song.

4. Justice - "Let Love Rule (Remix)": Not their best, but defintely and interesting choice for a remix. So is thier remix of U2's Get on Your Boots (See Next)

5. Justice - "Get on Your Boots (Remix)"

6. White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun": The NYC sextet shows off some rhythmic intensity here. Feel it.

7. Junior Boys - "Bits & Pieces": Begone Dull Care is steadily climbing up Carl's charts for Record of the Year contender. These guys ARE minimalist electronic music. They define the genre (even if i just made it up).

8. Junior Boys - "Parallel Lines": See above. Go see them live too.

9. Harlem Shakes - "Strictly Game": The best song off their new Technicolor Health album. They might be a bit more enjoyable with a better lead singer, but I still dig, nonetheless.

10. Chromeo - "Call Me Up (Bag Raiders Remix)": Hotness.

11. Bat For Lashes - "Glass": Two Suns is another stellar 2009 album, I've heard the lead singer, Natasha Khan compared to Kate Bush or Tori Amos, I don't know about all that, but I do know her voice is incredible and that "Daniel", which I posted the other week, is my new song-crush of the month (also posted a live performance below). This one is pretty good too.

And now I offer you a treat, the kind of video that doesn't come around all that often. Kinda gotta feel bad for poor old Mr. Wobbles, though. . .

Kid 606 - "Mr. Wobble's Nightmare"

I'm not sure I've ever heard a more stunning live performance than this one from Bat For Lashes on Letterman.

Bat For Lashes - "Daniel"

Carl Approved Video

2009-04-28T11:15:00.006-04:00

I saw this today and had to post. It's an original fan-made video (i.e. not commisioned by Kanye) by a guy named Mykola Dosenko, a graphic artist and lover the song as well as 80's video games. The influences from Mega Man, Double Dragon, etc. are obvious. When I first saw it, I thought it was an edit of an existing video game, but it is 100% original and 100% Awesome.

Carl's Songs (and Videos) of the Week

2009-04-22T09:23:00.003-04:00

Hi pals. Back with another fresh dose of music and videos. New and old, hard and soft, fast and slow, whatever you need, Carl's got you covered.

1. Daedelus - "LA Nocturn": Posted a smokin' hot video for this last week. This song is off Daedelus' recent combined effort with Jogger, Friends of Friends

2. Bat For Lashes - "Daniel": Deservedly, Bat for Lashes has been getting a lot of pub recently for their Two Suns album. I can't disagree with the praise. This song is excellent, as is the fan-made video below.

3. Bloc Party - "Ion Square": Intimacy slipped under my radar and I'm just discovering some of it's treasures now. This is classic Bloc Party.

4. Pacific! - "Sunset Blvd": This Swedish duo shamelessly rips 70s soft rock and 80s synths. . . and I love them for it. There are some great songs on their Reveries album. I read something awhile back that described them as the missing link between Air and Daft Punk. Couldn't be more accurate.

5. Phoenix - "Armistice": Yep. More Phoenix. Deal with it.

6. Midnight Juggernauts - "Nine Lives": This one grabs you from the get-go and roughs you up a bit, just how it should be.

7. Stars - "14 Forever": Off their overlooked Sad Robots EP, which is some of their best work to date.

8. Gomez - "Bone Tired": One of the best tunes from A New Tide.

9. Passion Pit - "The Reeling": The first cut from their first LP, Manners. I'm much more impressed with the songs off their Chunk of Change EP (listen here) but it's still solid.

10. CFCF - "Crystal Mines": The main reason I love this song is because of the outstanding video

Bat For Lashes - "Daniel"
It's not the official video, but it should be. The official one is here but doesn't compare.

M. Ward - "Rave On"

Passion Pit - "The Reeling"

Moby - "Shot in the Back of the Head"
New single/video from Moby. Directed by David Lynch. Apparently they're BFFs now. A match made in weirdo heaven.

Annnnd finally. . . a lemur-type thing getting its armpits scratched.

Mongolian Mixtape Marathon

2009-04-21T10:31:00.006-04:00

I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know about a great cause, please help these guys out if you agree. My friends at Noise Porn are DRIVING 10,000 miles from London to Mongolia in a specially-equipped off road vehicle while raising money for Save The Children, in association with the Mongolia Charity Rally. They are also packing the vehicle full of educational materials and clothes to donate to the Mongolian people and donating the vehicle itself upon arrival.

To help them in their 800+ hour mission, they are asking DJs from all over the world - legit DJs or wannabe DJs (that means you) to upload 1-hour mixes which they will compile and listen to all the way to Mongolia. Once they begin the journey, the mixes will be podcasted to the world and will be hosted on the site for a year after they return. It's a great idea and a great cause.

Check out the website, donate, and submit mixes here: Mogolian Mixtape Marathon

Listen To Your Carl (when he's calling for you)

2009-04-15T09:51:00.015-04:00

Apologies for the brief hiatus, friends. Carl is back, sit back, open your ears and enjoy. . .

1. Kings of Convenience - "I Don't Know What I can Save You From (Royksopp Remix)": Some mellowness from the early '00s. I wonder what happened to these guys.

2. Phoenix - "Consolation Prizes": Yet another Phoenix track. I can't get enough of these guys. Great performance on SNL the other week too. By the way, since when did they become SNL material? No idea they were "big". Fuck it, good for them, they deserve it.

3. The Presets - "Talk Like That": You make me crazy when you talk talk talk talk talk like like like like like that that that that that that. Good song, but the lyrics could use some work. I have heard that they put on a show that's strong-to-quite strong, though I can't confirm.

4. Bullion - "God Only Knows": Another UK producer here. In the same way Dangermouse took The Beatles' White Album and mixed it with Jay-Z, this guy took the Beach Boys' classic Pet Sounds album and remixed it with J-Dilla. Results are mixed, but the album is definitely not to be missed.

5. Futurecop! - "N.A.S.A": I saw Futurecop! in Boston and it was a great show. Check him out if you can. Mostly instrumental with lot of 80's synths, 8-bit beats and general awesomeness.

6. CFCF - "D.A.N.C.E. (Justice)": Countless remixes have been made with this song, but there is something about this one I love. Maybe its the Peanuts-esque piano and simplicity - most remixes like to smash your face in with massive techno beats, completely masking the original song. This one strips it down.

7. Elbow - "Weather to Fly": Beautiful. I've posted thier stuff before but in case you didn't catch it the first time, Seldom Seen Kid is an incredible album.

8. Shout Out Louds - "Very Loud": I saw Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist the other day, the movie itself was mildly entertaining. Some may call it "cute", however, the soundtrack was solid, and this song stuck out.

9. The-Dream - "Take U Home 2 My Mama": How can the song not be awesome with a name like that. Another BLAZING HOT track from my favorite guilty pleasure The-Dream. Turn that shit up.

10. Hint - "Quite Spectacular": Hint's Portakabin Fever, released in the early '00s is quite possible one of my favorite albums. I fell in love with it instantly and still listen to it regularly. All the songs gorgeous intstumentals with colorful, airy melodies, and samples all backed by mid-tempo beats. A perfect soundtrack to anything, really. It's a shame that it's the only record he Hint did in this style.

Videos. . .

Minilogue - "Hitchiker's Choice"
I posted a nutso video from these guys last time. After some research i have come to the conclusion that the guy who creates these videos is a creative and talented individual.

Daedelus - "LA Nocturn"
Both song and video are nasty. Nasty x 2.

DJ Earworm - "United State of Pop 2008"
I posted this song last time. Here is the video. It kinda sucks actually, but fuck it. A few parts work, but I mean, come on. Just goes to show you mashing videos doesn't work the same way as music.

South Park - Kanye West - "Gay Fish"
A song from last week's episode in which Kanye discovers he's a gay fish.

Holy Carl, it's Friday!

2009-04-03T10:25:00.014-04:00

Today we have a grabag of songs for you and, as usual, there is no theme, rhyme or reason to the playlist. Oh wait, there IS a theme - they're all BADASS!

And away we go. . . oh and sorry about the little ads that IMEEM sneaks in the playlists. I guess they have to make money somehow. That said, I'm currently considering other playlist providers.

1. DJ Earworm - "United State of Pop 2008": Earworm took the 25 top billboard singles and mashed them together over a backdrop of Vida La Vida. Pretty f*ckin' catchy I must say.

2. Empire of the Sun - "We are the People": The second single off these weirdos' Walking on a Dream LP. I can fault them for being strange (see video below), but not for creating delightful pop magic.

3. Phoenix - "Lisztomania": I've been posting a lot of songs from Phoenix lately, here is yet another off Wolfgang Amedeus Phoenix. Perhaps not as talented as Mozart in songwriting department, but a touch more fun.

4. Muscles - "Ice Cream": "Ice cream is gonna save the day again. I don't need a number, I just wanna dance with my shirt off." That kinda says it all here.

5. Casiokids - "Fot I Hose": Dudes from Norway deftly piece together glitchy synth sounds and a funky bass line and give us an instrumental of compelling, head-bobbing funk. I was also told that they are "nasty" in concert. This was verified by reviews of their performance at SXSW.

6. The-Dream - "Walkin' on the Moon": Call it a guilty pleasure, call it a man-crush, I don't care, i can't get enough of The-Dream. Love vs. Money is hit-tastic. I'm not a huge Pop-R&B fan and ususally quick to dismiss it, but my guard was broken down by The-Dream. And I'm glad it was. Let him into your life. . . don't be scared.

7. CFCF - "Invitation to Love": A soothing down-tempo jam. A great soundtrack to any daydream.

8. Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - "Lesley Gore on the T.A.M.I Show": Possibly the longest artist/title combo I have written. Simple, sweet and melodic. These guys have more where that came from. See their album Etiquette.

9. Wave Machines - "Punk Spirit": A band from Liverpool. Their first album is due in June. I for one, am pumped. From the songs I've heard, they sound the real deal.

10. Camp Lo - "Luchini": Remember these guys!?!?!? Whatever happened to them? One album then out the door? What gives? I used to dig them. Word on the street is the duo has formed a new group, Freebass 808, and the comeback album is titled MoonBass. . . Yikes. Hey, as an old fan I hope it's good, but let's be honest, this is not a great start.

Vids. . .

Minilogue - "Animals"
The world could use a few more colorful dancing monsters. Incredible video.

Empire of the Sun - "We are the People"
Chances are they're not taking themselves seriously. If they are, beware.

Department of Eagles - "No one Does it Better"
Quoting Pitchfork here: "It's a pretty involved production for this modest (and wonderful) band, filled with singing ghosts, pirouetting legionnaires, and expressionistic death scenes."

Artist Spotlight: Friendly Fires

2009-03-31T08:53:00.004-04:00

I had the opportunity to see Friendly Fires, a percussive dance-pop trio from the UK, here in Boston last weekend at the Paradise. Having only released one full-length LP, Friendly Fires, I wasn't sure if these dudes were the real deal - I love their album, but seeing a band in action is the true test for me. Turns out they passed with flying colours (see what i did there?). They weren't just good, they were great. They came on after White Lies (also a great band from across the pond) with immediate and intense energy that showed no signs of slowing throughout the entire set. They had a giddy, yet clean, tight sound and made everyone in the place dance their asses off. Even their sappy songs felt kinetic, with disco bass lines, hand-clapping, hi-hats, shimmering synths and the constant clip of cowbells.

I posted some of their best songs and remixes below as a warmup but do yourself a favor and go see them tear it up on stage. And I strongly urge you to bring your dancing shoes.

And a "Skeleton Boy" video for good measure. . .

Music + Videos = Music Videos

2009-03-25T09:10:00.008-04:00

Some videos to cure your hump day blues. . .

M83 - "Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun" (Fully Flared Intro)
I'm not a huge fan of skateboarding, but I AM a huge fan of slowmotion skateboarding mixed with explosions mixed with M83's slow-burning dream pop. Incredible stuff.

Panda Bear - "Take Pills"
An creepy/trippy ultra-lo-fi video for Panda Bear's "Take Pills"

Lily Allen - "Not Fair"
I've always had a soft spot for Lily Allen and always will. You wanna fight about it?

Arcade Fire - "Wake Up" (Where the Wild Things Are Trailer)
An alternate version of the Arcade Fire's Wake Up is featured in this trailer. I must say, I'm almost as excited for Where the Wild Things Are as I am for Tron 2.0. And that's saying something.

Songs of the Week

2009-03-19T09:31:00.003-04:00

Hello friends. It's been too long. My apologies, I've been on vacation for a week. Quick post today but there are some gems in here I assure you.

1. Theophilus London - "Hum Drum": Theophilus London is a DJ from London (surprise). His "This Charming Mixtape" has a couple highlights, this is one 'em.

2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Skeletons": The more I listen to It's Blitz! the more i love it. This song is as beautiful as it is haunting.

3. Miami Horror - "Don't Be On With Her": Another bitchin' song from the 80's throwback sensations.

4. Helio Sequence - "Captive Mind": I've been posting a lot from these guys lately. Another solid tune off Keep Your Eyes Ahead.

5. Junior Boys - "Dull to Pause": A yet unreleased song off their yet unrealeased Begone Dull Care. I like what I hear.

6. David Sitek - "With a Girl Like You": Another great song off the Dark Was the Night AIDS benefit compilation which I wrote about breifly here. Gems galore on this thing.

7. Friendly Fires - "Skeleton Boy": Their self-titled album will make you dance. Get it.

8. Phoenix - "If I Ever Feel Better": Their 1901 single from their upcoming Wolfgang Amedaeus Phoenix got me fired up so I went back and listened to some of the classics. This is one of their best.

9. Starfucker - "Florida": I like Starfucker's chill-yet-upbeat sound. . . and their name. Posted a video from them below too.

10. Crystal Castles - "Courtship Dating": Their best song in my humble opinion.

Sigur Ros - "Vaka"
Oldie but goodie. I have always loved this song, but with the video it's even better. Gives me goosebumps everytime.

Starfucker - "Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second"
Not sure why I like this so much. But i do.

Bert & Ernie - "Ante Up"
I coudn't resist. I promise this is the last Sesame Street remix. . . for at least a week.

Thank Carl It's Friday

2009-03-06T10:51:00.008-05:00

Happy Friday homies. Tunes and vids galore below. But first, some exciting news. . .

It has been announced that Daft Punk will be creating an original score for the upcoming Tron sequel. Tentatively titled Tron 2.0, production is set for this spring with a release in 2011. If anything makes more sense than Daft Punk meets Tron, please let me know. Their most recent creations have let me down, but if anything can revive their glory days of Homework and Discovery, this might just be it. I'm having trouble computing how awesome this could be. To celebrate my excitement, the first song, and my favorite Daft Punk song of all time, Digital Love, is dedicated to Daft Punk in their heyday. Make me proud, boys.

More breaking news. U2's new album is garbage.

Without further ado, here are some songs. As always, the selected songs tend to jump all over the place in terms of genre, tone, etc. But thats the way it's going to be. Deal with it.

1. Daft Punk - "Digital Love": Classic DP.

2-3. Stars - "Undertow" and "Going, Going, Gone": Two beautiful songs off their new-ish Sad Robot EP. A very underrated album among critcs, mind you.

4. Friendly Fires - "Strobe": Off their self-titled album. These guys make some great head-bobbing music. The entire album recommended.

5. The Helio Sequence - "Broken Afternoon": As recommended before, their album Keep Your Eyes Ahead is great start to finish. This is one of thier slower-burners.

6. Polly Scattergood - "Nitrogen Pink": Yeah, that's her real name. Interesting song, a slow builder with some real emotion that digs in deeper and deeper as the song unfurls.

7. Miami Horror - "Bellevue": Featured them last week. If you're looking for 80's throwbacks, these are your guys. Their Bravado EP is rad. . . bitchin' even.

8. The Presets - "If I Know You": One of the Australian dance-punk duo's better songs.

9. Glasvegas - "Geraldine": One of my guiltier pleasures, this song has god-awful lyrics and a painfully simple melody, but i can't get that damn riff out of my head. Their self-titled album received a lot of great reviews, but don't be fooled. It's not good. I think of them as Scotland's wannabe Coldplay, with less talent. Segway alert!. . . .

10. Coldplay - "Stawberry Swing": Speaking of Coldplay, I'm not the biggest fan but when i first listened to Viva La Vida, this song stuck out as something special. If it wasn't for Chris Martin's distinct voice, I'd have no idea this was Coldplay. Is that why I like it? Not sure.

11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Heads Will Roll": The second single off their highly anticipated new album It's Blitz! A catchy song with a good beat. I'd give the album a B on first listen.

12. The National - "Brainy": Have you ever fell in love with an album, listened to it over and over, left it alone for awhile and then rediscovered it later to find out you loved it even more than you thought you did? No? F- you then. Well thats what happened for me with Boxer by The National. This is just one of the many gems on the album.

13. Phoenix - "1901": The first relese off Phoenix's new album Wolfgang Amedaeus Pheonix. Not too shabby.

Mr. Oizo - "Flat Beat"
Amazing.

Deathcab for Cutie - "Grapevine Fires"
A boy on a bike experiencing an over-the-top version of what's happening in the lyrics. One of the better songs on their underwhelming Narrow Stairs album.

Sportsday Megaphone - "Meet Me in the Middle"
Wait till the end.

Devo - "Freedom of Choice"
Worst video ever? You decide. Some things are so bad they're funny. But this one is so bad it makes me angry.

Songs of the Week

2009-02-24T12:33:00.014-05:00

Howdy friends, got some sweeeeeeet songs and vids for you this week. . .

1. Blockhead - "The Strain": Think DJ Shadow in his peak years. This song is sneaky incredible, listen to it a few times.

2 - 5. The Hood Internet - Various Songs: The Hood Internet have been on my HEAVY rotation lately. They make some of the best remixes around. You can download a few of their mixtapes for free at TheHoodInternet.com. Similar to Girl Talk but where Girl Talk takes 9-10 songs and mashes together in a single track, these guys splice two songs together, sometimes they flop but most of the time they work phenomenally. Like these. . .

6. Atmoshere - "You": One of the more under appreciated rappers around.

7. Air France - "No Excuses": Also posted one of their music videos below. These guys get it; dreamy, breezy, melodic, gorgeous tunes. Their No Way Down EP was one of the better releases of 2008.

8. Stars - "Elevator Love Letter": An older song, but just felt like posting something from them as one of my favorite bands out there. They don't get a whole lot of pub, but the make some damn beautiful music.

9. M. Ward - "Never Had Nobody Like You": I'm not as big on M. Ward's new album Hold Time as a lot of other people out there, but definitely have a soft spot for this one. It should be noted though, that the album is a grower. Worth a couple listens.

10. Bishop Allen - "Rain": I started listening to these guys a couple weeks ago and couldn't stop. This song is one of their highlights.

11. Beirut - "Venice": As a big fan of Beirut, I was pumped for their new double EP March of the Zapotec/Holland. It did not disappoint. The first half of the album, March of the Zapotec is vintage Beirut - excellent, but the more interesting half is the second, Holland, which is more experimental. Needless to say, Venice is off the second half. It is minimal, mezmerizing and thought provoking. The entire album is highly recommended.

12. Yeasayer - "Tightrope": This song comes from Dark Was the Night, the new all-star charity compilation featuring songs from indie rock's who's who: Arcade Fire, Spoon, David Byrne, My Morning Jacket, Feist, Ben Gibbard, the Decemberists, Beirut, Jose Gonzalez, Andrew Bird, Sufjan Stevens, The National, the New Pornographers, Cat Power, Antony, Bon Iver among others. This song by Yeasayer, however, stuck out to me on first listen. I'm usually not a big fan of compilations as the artists tend to phone it in, but Dark Was the Night is an exception. Great album. I'm sure I'll be featuring more songs as I dig further into it. For now, enjoy this one. On second though, Fuck it! go pick up the album and listen to the whole thing.

Royksopp - "Happy up Here"
Space Invaders hatching from billboards!!!! Hell yes!

Miami Horror - "Don't be on With Her"
This was made in 2008, not 1983. Just so you know. Buy their Bravado album if you like 80's throwbacks. These dudes are nasty.

Aesop Rock - "None Shall Pass"
Older video and song but I still love it.

Air France - "Collapsing at Your Doorstep"
"Sorta like a dream. . . no. better." Insanely good song/video combo.

Kid Cudi - "Day 'n Nite"
Kid Cudi employed graphic artist Bertrand de Langeron, a.k.a So Me to direct this video after deciding that he hated the first video made for the song. Good decision, indeed.

Fun for Your Eyeballs and Earholes. . .

2009-02-18T10:32:00.013-05:00

Some new, some old, all awesome. . .

MGMT - "Time to Pretend"
This is what happens when you blow your video budget on hallucinogens and bows & arrows. . .

Casiokids - "I Fot Hose"
This is the Norwegian electro-pop band's new video for one of their instrumental tunes. Cartoons of their own heads on thier own bodies and on the bodies of ceremonial tribal African dancers. Hooray.

Kanye - "Welcome to Heartbreak"
Here we have a bunch of colorful pixelated Kanyes in shitty 80's sweaters singing sadly to each other about the emptiness of money and fame. Boo fucking Hoo.

Tahiti Boy and the Palmtree Family - "1973"
Dancing trees, singing mushrooms, giant waterfowl. What else could you possibly want?. . . besides the heavy drugs these guys clearly scored.

Chromeo - "Fancy Footwork"
Title track and first video from their latest album. The video plays off the creepy bodyless-leg theme they have going on their album cover and live shows. Not a great video, but the song makes up for it.

Zander Bleck - "Beyond the Horizon"
Last but certainly not least, I saw this on Nialler9, another music blog I frequent. Artists often send mass marketing emails to blogs to get their name out. This Zander Bleck creep sent the following (completely serious) email and video to Nialler9. . .

"Leave it to a talent like Zander Bleck to use his entrepreneurial skills, model looks, and amazing vocals, to create innovative and inspirational tunes and music videos that are generating quite a stir worldwide. Zander Bleck has blended his powerful singing and songwriting talent with the top production of Adam Longlands to create a phenomenal mix of vintage rock, pop and electronic sounds. A fresh fusion of club dance beats, British pop, and timeless rock, Zander Bleck offers an unconventional and refreshing style of music for listeners of every age and musical preference. Zander’s vocal talent resonates with artists like Bono and Chris Martin, and his music is energetic, infectious and distinctly a sound of his own. We would love to be a part of your blog."

In a way, Zander and his "people" are getting their wish, but for all the wrong reasons. A gold mine of unintentional comedy. Enjoy, please.

Songs of the Week: 2/10/09

2009-02-10T14:54:00.011-05:00

Hello friends. I told you I'd have some more tunes for you today and I'm a man of my word. So here you go. . .

1. Temper Trap - "Sweet Disposition": I posted this song a few weeks ago but need to repost because it's just that good. They are a new band from Australia with only an EP released so far. Eagerly waiting to hear more.

2. The Helio Sequence - "Hallelujah": Great song from the electro-indie duo from Oregon. I highly recommend their album Keep Your Eyes Ahead.

3. Animal Collective - "Summertime Clothes": Yet another incredible song off their recently-released Merriweather Post Pavilion album. If you missed my feelings on the album, they are here.

4. AmpLive - "VideoTapez": A great mashup of Radiohead vs. Del the Funky Homosapien.

5. The Hood Internet - "Light Falsetto Music": Another remix by Girl Talk rivals The Hood Internet, this one mixes The Dream with Cut Copy's "Lights and Music," which is a great song in it's own right.

6. Foals - "Big Big Love (Fig.2)": One of the best songs off the British punk-dance band's Antidotes - a solid album.

7. Jape - "Nothing Lasts Forever": Richie Egan aka Jape from Dublin is an interesting one man electro-folk band. Cool stuff.

8. Elbow - "Starlings": I can't get Peter Gabriel out of my head when I hear this guy sing, but that aside, the arangement and beauty of this song speaks for itself.

9. David Holmes - "I Heard Wonders": A song of of Irish DJ/Film Score-Composer David Holmes' The Holy Pictures.

10. Portishead - "Machine Gun": As I've mentioned before, these guys came back with vengance on thier Third album - this is just another example. Admittedly, it's not for everyone, but unique enough to be post-worthy.

Peter Bjorn & John - "Nothing to Worry About"
These guys seem to be pretty adept at creating what-the-fuck?-type videos (see "Lay it Down" in addition to the video below).

To quote Pitchfork's description of this video. . . "Tatted-up balding biker street-dancing dudes with giant coifs have "Nothing to Worry About" in the second clip from Writer's Block follow-up Living Thing. I think the technical term for a cinematic work like this is "quirky as fuck""

Fleet Foxes - "Mykonos"
This is a great song I featured a couple weeks ago from Seattle-based hippie rockers Fleet Foxes off their Sun Giant EP. I'm not surprised that they complimented it with an equally awesome video after seeing their video for "Winter White Hymnal" a couple months ago. These guys get it.

Royksopp - "Remind Me"
This video is a classic. You may recognize a different version of this song from a Geico commercial. Why a remixed version of the song was put to this video, I don't know, but awesome nevertheless.

Why I Hate the Grammys: #598

2009-02-09T13:49:00.010-05:00

Nominee for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: Kid Rock.

Under no circumstances should things like this ever be allowed to happen. There is no excuse for it. Someone needs to be punished for this.

I'm too pissed-off to write or post anything else today. More tunes tomorrow.

Moving Picture Shows

2009-02-04T12:13:00.010-05:00

Hello good people of the interweb. Here's a quick installment of some videos for your viewing pleasure. Let the procrastination commence. . .

N.A.S.A. feat. KRS-One, Fatlip, & Slim Kid Tre - "Hip Hop"
N.A.S.A. stands for "North America / South America," the duo is made up of LA-based producer Sam Speigel and his Brazilian counterpart DJ Zegon. They met at a hollywood party in 2003 and discovered they had a mutual love for 60's Brazilian music. Their debut album "The Spirit of Apollo" comes out Feb. 17th and is studded with an eclectic list of big-name collaborators such as: David Byrne, MIA, Tom Waits, Method Man, George Clinton, Ghostface, Lykke Li, Kanye to name a few. These guys will make a splash in 2009 a la the Neptunes a few years back. Although from what I've heard, N.A.S.A.'s sound is more diverse and unique than their brethren.

MGMT - "Electric Feel"
Nothing says MGMT like an improptu, acid-induced jungle dance party with the creepy animal-robot band from Chuck-E-Cheese.

Fol Chen - "No Wedding Cake"
This song is from the upcoming "Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made" album by Fol Chen. The video features a fish with heavy lipstick, lions working as showgirls, an owl with a bleeding heart at the end of an arrow, and assorted other strange goings-on.

Fujiya & Miyagi - "Knickerbocker"
These guys have a great downtempo sound and some pretty creative videos. Including this one.

Hot Chip - "Colours"
One of their best tracks and videos off the older "The Warning" album. Both "The Warning" and their new album "Made in the Dark" are classics and should be owned by all. Just sayin.

Junior Senior - "Move Your Feet"
An oldie but goodie from Junior Senior. A classic.

Armi & Danni - "I Want To Love You Tender"
I think it goes without saying that Armi & Danni paved the way for every ground-breaking video made to date and that "I Want To Love You Tender" will forever stand as the benchmark for which we measure all music videos ever created. It is the pinnacle of music video mastery. Soak it in.

Christian Bale Rant Remix
. . . Just in case you missed it.

Oh Happy Day

2009-01-29T17:48:00.015-05:00

Let it be known that today is a great day for music and videos. Why? Because I say it is. One of the highlights, “My Girls” by Animal Collective is one of the first couple of singles from their mind-numbingly rich and colorful new album "Merriweather Post Pavilion". I realize we’re only a month into 2009, but it’s my current frontrunner for album of the year, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. It may just go down as one of the better albums of the decade. This album is no f-in' joke.

Animal Collective is often rejected in some circles as being inaccessible or experimental - while I can understand that some people just don’t have an ear for their previous work, this album brings experimentation and accessibility together, with a much sharper focus on melody than past albums. The rewards that come from listening to the album are endless, every time I listen to the album I uncover treasures undiscovered throughout previous listens. This album is worth checking out, no matter what type of music you’re into.

Playlist:
1. "My Girls", the song of the year so far on the album of the year so far (sorry the song is cut short - the full version can be heard with the video below)
2. “Mykonos”, a beautiful song by Fleet Foxes off their “Sun Giant” EP
3. "Can you Hear My Kids Now", The Hood Internet’s nasty booty-shaking mashup of Lil’ Kim and MGMT
4. “Lay it Down”, a catch new single by Peter Bjorn & John
5. “Frank, AB” by a little known, yet awesome band called Rural Alberta Advantage
6. “No One Does it Like You” by Department of Eagles
7. “No Karma” a remix of Jay-Z and Radiohead off the album. . . wait for it. . . “Jaydiohead” by Minty Fresh Beats
8. “Bounce” by Detroit's very own, Black Milk
9. "Berlin" by electro-80's-folk band, Alaska in Winter

Animal Collective – “My Girls”
The video isn’t quite as good as the song, but that would have to be one hell of a video. Still very well done, howeva.

Rex The Dog – “Bubblicious”
One of my favorite videos of the short year so far.

CFCF – “Crystal Mines”
Creepy/weird/funny as all hell – cut from the 1974 French movie "Les Nuits Rouges". Just try to stop watching. . . you can’t.

The BPA – “He’s Frank”
The Brighton Port Authority aka Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim returns with 'He's Frank' featuring the legendary Iggy Pop. Quite entertaining. He’s released two other videos/songs I featured on the blog which are also well done. His album “I Think We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat” is coming out soon, and so far I like what I’ve heard. . .

Peter Bjorn & John – “Lay it Down”
This is video for one of PB&J's songs off their upcoming album “Living Thing.” The video doesn’t make any damn sense, but it's fun to try and figure out what the fuck they were thinking or what types of illicit street drugs they were mixing. . .

Artist Spotlight: Ghostland Observatory

2009-01-26T16:25:00.002-05:00

This is how Aaron Behrens and Thomas Turner describe themselves: “Ghostland Observatory is not a band, but an agreement between two friends to create something that not only heals their beat-driven hearts, but pleases their rock ‘n roll souls.”

I first heard this Austin, TX-based duo about 3 years ago and their sound grabbed me instantly, threw me on the floor and kicked me repeatedly in the groin – and I mean that in the best way possible. On the surface, I suppose you could describe their sound as electro-funk-dance-rock or some derivative thereof, but digging deeper you’ll find that placing a label on their genre is an exercise in futility. Really, it’s whatever you want it to be, and I think Aaron and Thomas would agree. Their music is all about having fun and dancing your balls off. Simple as that. It’s not complex music; at its root, Ghostland’s music is created with a beat-synthesizer, keyboard, occasional guitar and Aaron’s loud pipes. Simple. Basic. But I’ll be damned if they didn’t put those instruments together in a pot, stir them up and create magical dancefloor wizardry.

They have released 3 studio albums to date: Delete.Delete.I.Eat.Meat, Paparazzi Lightning, and their most recent, Robotique Majestique. Each album comes highly recommended and each is filled with its share of floor-shaking beats and dance party classics. Recognizing that this music isn’t for everyone, if you appreciate a unique sound and like to dance, chances are you’ll dig these guys.

Even more impressive than their studio albums are Ghostland’s live shows. I had the privilege of seeing them for the first time about 2 years ago at a small venue in Boston. The energy they managed to create at this 50-person show was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The show was nowhere close to being sold out, but instead of putting it on cruise control, they went ape-shit and blew the roof off the place. Aaron’s ridiculous dance moves and energy are as infectious as I’ve ever seen in a frontman. I also had the opportunity to talk to both Aaron and Thomas after the show since it was so small – they were extremely down to earth, very friendly and unassuming. I got the feeling that they simply love making music and while they are destined for stardom, it seems they are more interested in having fun and sharing their art than making it big. That’s the way it should be. Since that show, they have built up a large following outside of Austin, and their shows have continued to get even better as they refine their act.

Below are some songs I threw together off of each album. If you like what you hear, support these guys – go to their shows and buy their albums. Enjoy.

O-B-A-M-A, Say It!

2009-01-18T13:57:00.005-05:00

Awesome Video.

From the directors Vimeo Page:

"The following is a mixed-media stop motion music video and celebration commemorating the election and inauguration of Barack Obama as the forty-fourth president of these United States. Audibly showcasing Adam Freeland's remix of Daft Punk's "Aerodynamic" and the imaginative stylings of forward thinking toy artists Dalek, Bill McMullen and Kubrick to name just a few. Independently animated and directed by the progressive minds of the directing team GOLD, the piece is a labor of love that invites everyone to join in or create their own celebration this coming Tuesday January the 20th."

Daft Punk Vs. Adam Freeland - "Aer Obama"

Songs of the Week: 1/14/09

2009-01-13T17:02:00.009-05:00

Good day friendos. Today, if you don't mind, I'd like to post another array of random tunes and videos. I'll follow up later in the week with an Artist Spotlight on a kickass band you may or may not know about. Stay tuned for that. I have a lot to share, so I'll throw it all at you and see what sticks. . .

And some awesome videos I've seen recently. . .

I love this song and the video doesn't disappoint either. I think I speak for everyone when I say we could all do with a little less creepy mime-tiger facepaint, though. Regardless, get excited. . .

MGMT - "Kids"

One of my favorite songs of 2007. . .

LCD Soundsystem - "Someone Great"

This is an absolutely beautiful song along with acid-trip-esque video. Check out Portishead's album "Third" as well, one of the better albums of 2008. . .

Portishead - "The Rip"

Oh cute they're playing telephone. . . uhhhhh, wait hold on. . . what are they doing. . . did she just. . . hey, that's not how you play! (Great song too, btw)

Simian Mobile Disco - "Hustler"

I have a love/hate relationship with Kanye, but a love/love relationship with Muppet-ized Kanye. . .

Kanye - "Champion"

Happy New Year Bitches!!!

2009-01-01T16:42:00.005-05:00

Haven't posted in awhile, the holidays really had me by the balls - sorry folks. I will make it up to you by giving you a heap of awesome tunes and videos. So without further ado. . .

Empire of the Sun - "Walking on a Dream"

Amadou & Mariam - "Sabali"

Fleet Foxes - "Winter White Hymnal"

White Williams & TV Carnage - "New Violence"

New Pornographers - "Myriad Harbor"

Ah-Ha - "Take on Me (Literal Version)"

Take on Me: Literal Video Version - watch more funny videos

Artist Spotlight: Tigercity

2008-12-17T21:24:00.007-05:00

As promised, I wanted to do a spotlight on Tigercity - a four man outfit from Brooklyn. I had the pleasure of seeing these guys rip it up on multiple occasions in Boston. Having only released a 6-song EP titled "Pretend not to Love", they are currently jamming in relative obscurity, but they have the type of tunes and stage presence that have me convinced they will be big one day. Catch them while you can at a small venue. I dare you not to dance. As I mentioned in another post, their sound is hard to pin down - but this is a good thing - a unique sound is hard to come by these days. Their influences range from Prince to David Bowie to Daft Punk to Earth, Wind and Fire. They manage to sound like all of them and none of them at the same time. On top of these influences, throw in some infectious disco/dance beats, Bill Gillim's falsetto crooning and you have pure magic. Again, I can't say it enough, what you'll here below is great, but their live shows are incredible. In addition to their EP, they also have a currently untitled LP ready to roll out soon as well. Check it fools. . .

Happy Motherf-ing Monday: 12/8/08

2008-12-08T11:58:00.016-05:00

. . . aaaaaaand we're back. Let's get to the tunes, shall we?

1. The Album Leaf - "Thule" These guys make some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. Simple, clean, melodic and awesome.
2. Tigercity - "Are you Sensation" I saw Tigercity in Boston this weekend and they put on an amazing show. They only have an EP out right now "Pretend not to Love" - but they assured us an LP is in the works. More on these guys in an upcoming Artist Spotlight in a few days.
3. Q-Tip - "Won't Trade" A catchy song off Q-Tip's new album. This album reminds me of his Tribe Called Quest glory days.
4. Tennishero - "Alone" Makes me think of driving a thunderbird along an oceanside cliff in the summer. In the 80s. Why you ask? Not sure.
5. Au Revoir Simone - "Fallen Snow (Teenagers Remix)" A great song by Au Revoir Simone and one of the rare remixes that is better than the original.
6. The Killers - "This is your life" Probably the best song off their new album, "Day & Age".

And a few videos. . .

Fujiya & Miyagi have wireframe exoskeletons. And tanks. Sweet!

Fujiya & Miyagi - "Sore Thumb"

Evil Nine - "They Live"

Jay-Z - "Brooklyn Go Hard"

TV on the Radio - "Dancing Choose"

I can't get enough of these muppet videos. . .

Fraggle Rock - "Let Me Clear My Throat"

Songs of the Week: 11/24/08

2008-11-24T20:17:00.004-05:00

As a Chromeo fan, I'm always pumped when I catch wind of a new song or remix by these dudes. When I heard they were performing "Kids Don't Stand a Chance" with Vampire Weekend on mtvU's Woodie Awards earlier this month, I thought it would be interesting if nothing else. Unfortunately, they laid an egg. Wow, did it f-ing suck. I blame Vampire Weekend - it sounded like they didn't want to be overshadowed by Chromeo's awesomeness. There was a glaring lack of Chromeo's 80's-R&B-synth vibe. Later, Chromeo released a studio version of the remix which was more along the lines of what I was hoping for.

I rustled up some videos for you too:

47 Miller Gang - "If You Blood Throw it Up"

Why? - "A Sky For Shoeing Horses Under"

I'd recommend seeing these guys live if you can. . .

The Go! Team - "Ladyflash"

Below is the first of three new Radiohead videos to premiere on MySpace Music this week. As a grand prize winner in Radiohead's animated video contest, a guy named Tobias Stretch received $10,000 to turn his winning entry into this full-length video. Yeah, it's weird, but it's too interesting to turn off.

Radiohead - "Weird Fished / Arpeggi"

Hump Day Tunes: 11/19/08

2008-11-19T13:40:00.006-05:00

Happy hump day peoples, as usual, I've posted some songs from an array of genres for your listening pleasure: A new song from Beirut, one of Okkervil River's best, a Feist Remix by Boys Noize, a collaboration between Snoop and 100 Suns (a member of Massive Attack) which is featured in the "In Prison my Whole Life" soundtrack, a grooooovy Hercules and Love Affair track, a new song by Ultraviolence, Little Joy's first single and finally, my favorite song off Q-Tip's most recent comeback album, "Renaissance".

Moving Picture Shows: 11/12/08

2008-11-12T15:16:00.004-05:00

Hi Friends, it's been awhile but back today with some videos, some new some old, that are fun for both the eyes and the ears. Enjoy. Happy Hump Day.

Sigur Ros - "Við Spilum Endalaust"

Gnarles Barkley - "Mystery Man"

Radiohead - "House of Cards"

BPA (aka Fatboy Slim) feat. Emmy The Great - "Seattle"

BPA feat. David Byrne and Dizzie Rascal - "Toe Jam"

Kid Koala - "Floor Kids"

Octopus Project - "I Saw the Bright Shines"

Tobacco - "Truck Sweat" (NOT SAFE FOR WORK)

Artist Spotlight: Emancipator

2008-10-31T10:20:00.010-04:00

Last week I posted one of this guy's songs, because quite honestly, it was one of the best remixes I've ever heard (see "Shook"). What I didn't know was that the guy behind this remix was actually a 19 year-old college student from Virginia who also creates original tunes and has ridiculous talent. On his first album "Soon it Will be Cold Enough," he uses elements of jazz, hip-hop and down-tempo combined with violins, piano and samples. The result is beautiful. Listen for yourself below, I posted a few songs. The album is currently only available in Japan and can be purchased as an import, so if you like what you hear, buy his album so he has money to buy ramen noodles and booze, when he turns 21, of course.

Thank Carl it's Friday: 10/24/08

2008-10-24T12:21:00.012-04:00

Here are a few songs that have given me a good, swift kick in the ass here on Friday. The first is a remix by Emancipator which melds Mobb Deep and Sigur Ros together seemlessly, who would've thought? I have a love/hate relationship with remixes, but when they're done like this, It's all love. The second is Matt & Kim's "Daylight", a catchy poppy song that you and I will likely hate in 2-3 weeks, but F- it, let's live in the NOW. I also added the video, which is slightly-to-moderately amusing. The last two are old favorites of mine, one by Apparat & Ellen Allien and one by Statistics. Merry Weekend. Oh, and I left you a treat at the bottom.

Matt & Kim - "Daylight"

I know it's old, but I simply can't get enough of this clip. At the risk of losing all credibility, I also think the song itself heats. . .

Songs of the Week: 10/20/08

2008-10-20T15:17:00.006-04:00

There's no rhyme, reason or theme to these songs. . . other than the fact that they all kick ass.

Scrounged up the video for Sebastien Tellier's "Divine" also. Quite enjoyable.

Sebastien Tellier - "Divine"

Artist Spotlight: Passion Pit

2008-10-15T12:36:00.006-04:00

Good day friends, I wanted to kick off the Artist Spotlight segment with a badass band from Cambrige, MA called Passion Pit. I've been listening to these guys for the past month or so and just can't stop. These guys are talented, unique and their music/beats are - literally and figuratively - tight. They have a self-described "euphoric and blissfully melancholic sound," which I'm going to go ahead and agree with. Even though there are only 6 songs released on their recent "Chunck of Change" EP, you can just tell there's something special about these guys, they just "get it"

There's also an interesting factoid about their recent EP. It was originally recorded and produced by Michael Angelakos (the lead/brains behind the group) as a Valentine’s Day present to his girlfriend which then prompted him to give it out to friends and fellow students at Emerson College. Angelakos wrote and recorded the entire record by himself.

Have a listen. . .

Here is the recently-released video for Sleepyhead. . . pretty sweet.

Passion Pit - "Sleepy Head"

Moving Picture Shows: 10/9/08

2008-10-09T12:30:00.014-04:00

Hello friendos, I compiled some videos for you. Some are a little old, but I don't care. . .

Have you ever played music with the TV on mute and thought "Hey, this music sneaky fits the scene - but wait, now that I think about it, it actually kinda doesn't"? No? Screw you then. Well that's what this video reminds me of. Ratatat is all about the low-budget video, and this is no different. They take an ABBA video, cut and paste their eyes and mouths in different places, give it a splash of 80's graphics, and Voila! they have themselves a video. A little creepy, but a lot awesome.

Ratatat - "Shempi"

Cool video, great song. I've noticed there are a lot of great songs that sample children's voices in the background. I'll have to post a best of songs-that-sample-children's-voices-in-the-background playlist. Watch for it.

Daedelus - "Fair Weather Friends"

I'd be lying if I said this makes any damn sense whatsoever. It kinda looks like a skittles commercial directed by a wizard on acid. . .

TV on the Radio - "Golden Age"

This song simply HEATS, as does the video. . .

Justice vs. Simian - "We Are Your Friends"

Will Smith's hot new track. . .

Will Smith - "Nice Clean Rap"

Hump Day Tunes

2008-10-08T13:13:00.014-04:00

Just a random compilation of some tunes that are helping me fumble through work today. . .

Songs of the Week: 10/6/08

2008-10-06T12:47:00.024-04:00

This week I'm posting songs from artists who have held a spot in my music rotation for months. As much as I love looking for new music, I keep coming back to these bands who all have, and will always have, a special place in my ears.

On a related note, I had the privilege of seeing Ratatat and Chromeo here in Boston last week on back to back nights. If they come to a city near you and you don't go, that would be an extremely unwise decision. Here are a couple of videos from Chromeo and Ratatat for your viewing pleasure. . .

Chromeo - "Bonafide Lovin'"

Ratatat - "Mirando"

Song of the Week: 9/29/08

2008-10-02T16:01:00.012-04:00

Every Sunday-ish or Monday-ish, I'll post a song or few that will knock your eardrums into oblivion.

The first installment of Song of the Week is "Super Copter" by Truckasauras. It's a catchy, blippy and beepy, Nintendo-esque slant on the Airwolf theme song. Yes, Airwolf - the preeminent TV action-espionage-drama of the 80s. . . that one.

Welcome Friends

2008-09-22T15:59:00.006-04:00

Hello peoples. Welcome the inaugural Carl Winslow Vs. Science blog post. For those wondering what to expect from this blog, it is going to be dedicated mainly to really bitchin' music - although I may feel the need to comment about current events or sports at times. If you like it, awesome, thanks for reading. If you don't, read something else.

Enjoy,
Goo