The best weeks are measured by their array of entertainment. We had Disney's Unknown Pleasures Mickey-goes-Joy Division shirt gaffe, the reformed Van Halen equiped with DLR gave us the dad rocker “Tattoo,” and Miley Cyrus's dick cake. But at least, Bonny “Prince” Billy released his own Kona coffee blend available via Drag City, even though perhaps as a publicity stunt to sell more copies of Wolfroy Goes to Town. Join us as we further investigate what we may have missed this week in no particular order.
Oakland's Mwahaha gave us their video for “Love” from their excellent self-titled album. Get ready for a collage of trippy looking foreign film cut-ups and a guest spot from tUnE-yArDs' Merril Garbus on backing vocals. The track itself is born out of updating the “Tomorrow Never Knows” school of effect structuring, while vocally they pay homage to the rising harmony scales of Harrison's “Within and Without You.” But even with all the Beatle pop superlatives, these dudes are meddling with a bigger, more menacing force. Mwahaha's self-titled is out now on their own imprint Mwahaha Music.
What I love most about watching any road tour video from L.E.P. Bogus Boys is for how unexciting they make these cold winter nights spent indoors seem. In the latest we see the Boys with French Montana and Waka Flocka in the recording booth at Daddy's House, NYC, equipped with the infamous Foghorn Leghorn piece of ice.
Sam Haar and Zach Steinman of Blondes released “Wine” to let your hear what aural sulphites are like. The tannic experience will get you out of your seat and inviting over the neighbors for an impromptu tasting of that old vine that you have been sitting on for some time before cutting a rug in the living room. Blondes' self-titled debut album is due out February 7 via RVNG Intl.
Having just released his mixtape, Bass Rock Babies, Beeda Weeda unveiled his new single “Do it Biggie” which premiered on the Bay's 106 KMEL. DespiteKMEL's conflicted history of supporting local Bay Area hip-hop, we welcome the hype from their deejay Big Von who now has the whole Bay swaggin' hard to Beeda's chorus; “Thuggin' like 2pac, Pimpin' like Pimp C, Smoking like Marley, Bitch I do it Biggie!” Beeda Weeda's album Too $hort Presents: Bass Rock Babies drops March 5 on Clear Label Records.
New label Guitars and Bongos are opening up shop in Oakland in a big way. Their first release comes from Israel's Charlie Migera & the Modern Dance Club with Love Police. Get a listen to “Elvis is Not Dead” and you get that Goner sound or the punk band Jonathan Richman might assemble in Jaffa during a stay with his aunt. Even these pithy sound approximations cannot begin to account for further tracks like “Beach Bums Must Day,” “Beneath the Underground,” “Rhythm of Hate,” “The Valley of Tears” and more. Order your double LP of Love Police here.
And if tracks by Boyz Noize and Ed Banger, aka Mr. Ozio drive you absolutely mental; than get a load of their collaborative projected called Handbraekes. You can stream their first EP #1 here.
More dark fun with Chelsea Wolfe in Room 256 with a psyched out performance of “Pale on Pale.” If you like that metallic effect that makes everything look like a photo negative, then you are in for a treat.
A few weeks back we hipped you to Pep Love's upcoming album Rigmarole and now we bring you a first listen with “Can't Nobody Do it Like Us.” With contributions from Tarjai, Opio and production courtesy of Billion Coast; the track bounces with the comeback beat with a video full of fan love and o.g. reassertion from the Hiero crew originators. Rigmarole drops March 6 on Hiero Imperium.
La Sera won the most-darling-charming-video-of-the-week award with rapid scene change drop visuals for “Please Be My Third Eye.” One minute Katy Goodman will kicking it with you in an arcade singing some new tunes, and in the blink of an eye you'll be hanging out at a bowling alley, as if you have been teleported into an indie flick called 500 Days of K. Goodman. La Sera's See the Light comes out March 27 on Hardly Art.
The new title tracks single from The Men “Open Your Heart” has been getting a lot praise and attention this week. What we love about these guys is their indifference to the blog trends and their unyielding passion for everything you love about the rock and roll. Metal? Check. Post-punk savoir-faire? No problem. Alternative sounding '90s grunge that can be played for your Soundgarden-loving bros? You better believe it. Look for the The Men's third album Open Your Heart March 6 from Sacred Bones.
Raleigh Moncrief's video for “Don't Shoot” puts the Sacramento producer's tune to an artistic blending of neo-vintage summer photography. The Miko Revereza video is full of outdoor shots, a midflight plane, old found footage, new footage and flashes of cover to trigger all applicable visual seizures. If Panda Bear's Tomboy left you wanting something more, than Mr. Moncrief has more than answered your prayers with some new hype and bigger beats. Watered Lawn is available now from Anticon.
The Pop Group's Mark Stewart teamed up with Bobby Gillespie and Primal Scream for the track “Autonomia.” Directed by Douglas Hart of the Jesus and Mary Chain, the vcideo assembles a montage edit of Mark and Bobby driving around interspersed with classic images you might find from vintage magazine advertisements. The track was written about autonomist protestor Carlo Giuliani who was killed in the 2001 G8 demonstrations in Genoa and is brimmed with the agitation you would expect from two seasoned anti-establishment artists. Mark Stewart's upcoming album The Politics of Envy is also said to feature the talents of Massive Attack's Daddy G, Factory Floor, Clash/PiL guitarist Keith Levene, filmmaker Kenneth Anger, Douglas Hart, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Richard Hell, the Raincoats' Gina Birch and Tessa Pollitt of the Slits. “Autonomia” the single will be released t on February 20 while The Politics of Envy is due out March 26, both on Future Noise Music.
If improvisational psych is your bag, then Rhyton is what you have been looking for. What you get in this package of fuzzed out voyagers are Dave Shuford from D. Charles Speer, No Neck Blues Band, Jimy SeiTang of Psychic Ills and Spencer Herbst of Matta Llama and Messages. “Stone Colored” is apt name for this mammoth guitar track while the video combines all elements of earth, water, sky, fire and the bright colors that paint them. Look for their self-titled January 24 on Thrill Jockey.
SF's Young Prisms released “Floating in Blue” to keep us slowdiving into their endless world of blue. With a spring tour on the horizon and a sophomore album in the works the Prisms have been refining a sound that encompases influential passions, growth, a smoother gaze and nice glaze applied by producer Monte Vallier. One listen to “Floating in Blue” and visions of driving up and down Highway 1 while playing sun kissed Lush cassettes will dance about in your head. Young Prisms' new album In Between drops March 27 on Kanine Records.
The War on Drugs get all modern western for their new video for “Brothers.” Produced by brothers Alex and Ben Brewer, the video centers around a backwoods Cain and Abel beef that ensues inside an estate that has more suspenseful twists and turns you have seen in any music video this week. Slave Ambient is out now on Secretly Canadian.
Mauro Remiddi embraces his inner young-James Murphy persona in the dramatic black and white video for Porcelain Raft's “Unless You Speak From Your Heart.” Strange Weekend is out now on Secretly Canadian and Porcelain Raft is currently touring Canada and North America.
Everyone is talking about the upcoming Young Magic album Melt and the buzz blitz from their video for “Night in the Ocean.” This video encompasses everything you imagine beautiful scenesters doing on lofty rural getaways to vacation maisons abroad where intimacy occurs on the floor as they lightly mark each others bodies with hipster designs that are no doubt clogging the creative arteries of your local art academies, as evident from student sketch showcases everywhere. Look for Young Magic's full length debut Melt to arrive February 14 on Carpark.
For further Young Magic listening, check out what LA's Matthewdavid does to “Sparkly.” Getting it dragged out into chopped hums, strange vocal delays; the original's underbelly is dragged up, tanned and turned into an altar rug.
Anaïs Mitchell released “Shepherd” in anticipation of her forthcoming fourth album Young Man in America. Pairs well with the upcoming January 30 release of the Karen Dalton's fabled reel to reel tapes from the cabin she shared with Richard Tucker in Colorado titled 1966 coming to us via the Delmore Recording Society. Anais's new album drops February 28 on Wilderland Records and Thirty Tigers.
And on February 4 John Felix Arnold III is presenting new installation and mixed media work along with performances from Cassettes Won't Listen, Bisco Smith, Kool Kreyola and more at his new exhibition “The Love of All Above” that continues his World of Future Antiquity narrative at Quens Nails Projects in SF. Be there.
