We awoke to 2012 late in the morning after attempting to manually forget about the bulk of 2011 within an evening's time. Upon awakening we heard faint Black Keys and Nickelback beefs, the GOP caucus showdown in Iowa, Katy Perry and Russell Brand divorce buzz back to back with tabloid coverage of the Zooey and Ben fallout, the continuity of Drake's Take Care cover parody meme, Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth reunion clamor, Beyoncé bump alerts, excessive reality show transmissions and all the useless new years resolution Facebooks posts you can handle. Let us clear our heads from this mindless madness for a while as we count what we are looking forward to this year so far in no particular order.
David Lynch has a thing for mysterious pale ethereal chanteusses who descend with mystery upon roundhouses and make music from another world. That is perhaps why was so entranced by Zola Jesus's “In Your Nature” that he had to be the first person to ever officially remix a track from the operatic talent of Nika Roza Danilova. We have come to accept that Lynch is serious about making music by getting Karen O to open up 2011's Crazy Clown Time and here the auteur provides sustained guitar chugging and added strums at all the important emotive parts on “Nature.” Look for Sacred Bones releasing a deluxe vinyl reissues of the soundtrack from David Lynch's black and white eternal masterpiece, Eraserhead. As long as that creepy “In Heaven” song is on the wax then deal us in.
Kilo Kish dropped “The Navy” with production provided by Syd the Kyd and Matt Martian's new project, The Internet.
Kish bolsters the vocals full of confidence and star crossed constellations. Syd and Matt bounce the production from samba jazz guitar licks that ground a restrained hum of a subtle but spaced out arrangement. This song automatically puts her on our 'artist on the move 2012' list. Also look for The Internet's January 17 release of Purple Naked Ladies on Odd Future Records.
Should you want more from Ms. Kish, be sure to check out her vocal work on Vince Staples' “Phat Wemin” off of his fresh mixtape Shyne Coldchain Vol. 1. Having already worked with Odd Future mischief makers Earl Sweatshirt and Mike G; the up and coming chillaxed LA emcee has enlisted the production talents of Michael Uzowuru, Key Nyata and Snub Nose Frank and might be an honorary OF member by the time spring gets here. Get Staples' Shyne Coldchain Vol. 1 here.
Brisbane label Lost Race Records has a 7″ split in the works featuring Nite Fields of Australia and Happy New Year from Brooklyn. Having barely been a band for half a year's time, Nite Fields pay a slight homage to The Stone Roses' ubiquitous “I Want to Be Adored” on “Come Down” but exist in a moodier space of vocals that sounds like what happens when the Dayquil wears off. We look forward to hearing more from the Fields as well as the hip and happening sound from Brisbane.
On the flip side there is a Happy New Year's “High Sea” that brings to mind what migh have occurred if Rachel Goswell recorded Souvlaki in Brooklyn with an Australian heart. HNY is Brisbane-born Eleanor Logan, who makes recordings that work within xylophonic textures, keyboard sampled echoes of strings that feature vocals that sing like the words from tear smudged ink on the valentines from yesteryears that you keep taped up in a shoebox. Limited to 150 copies, place your order for Nite Fields/Happy New Year here asap.
Farewell Republic's “Gliss” brings the end of the world angst from their upcoming LP Burn the Boats out February 21 and into your ear drums. Recorded and self-produced at the Chrome Attic in Crystal Lake, IL and the Thunderdome in Ann Arbor, MI; the band's plans to follow up their Gus Oberg produced EP Bridges promises to be a take-no-prisoners approach to keep on rocking within the parlance of our dystopian fixations of 2012 and the aftermath.
Woodsist has new releases on the way from Golden Calves and The Doozer. Jackson Toth's Golden Calves project existed pre-WOODEN WAND AND THE VANISHING VOICE / Dead Machines and was originally released in 1996 with the Money Band LP and Golden Calves Century Band 12″ (a 3-way split LP with Thurston Moore and Dr Gretchen Musical Weightlifting Program) and is now being reissued January 31 on Woodsist in a batch limited to 1000 pressings. If you like experimental guitar tunes about modern probiotic growths that turn weird at the 2:15 mark than this is just for you.
The Doozer on the other hand makes the kind of musings that would sound at home during Pink Floyd's genesis. With the duo heralding from Syd Barrett old's Cambridge stomping grounds they make music for believers that hate the Floyd's entire post-Saucerful of Secrets output and think that Roger Waters ruined the approach to songwriting done in the tune of surreal. Give a listen to “Fold Up Chair” and decide for yourself and look for The Doozer's Keep it Together January 31 on Woodsist.
Beeda Weeda's got a new mixtape that he wants you to hear called Bass Rock Babies: The Leak. From the East Oakland talent powerhouse who gave us Homework, Turfology 101 and Da Thizzness; Beeda has been hard at work with the usual gang of Bay Area suspects like E-40, J. Stalin, J. Diggs, Mistah FAB, D-LO, Sleepy D, DJ Fresh and plenty more to give us the upcoming album Too $hort Presents: Bass Rock Babies coming March 6 on Clear Label Records. Download Bass Rock Babies: The Leak here.
Gangi has been making some press waves this week with their dramatic video for “Outside Ones.” The short film style music video is directed by Montana Casey, shot in black and white with a woman being pursued by a malevolent looking mystery man with a pentagon shaped face in what looks like an updated version of Kafka's The Trial. Frontman Matt Gangi's song depicts the current status quo of disdain for the disenchanted, dissenting outsider fringe marginalized by the one percenters that back the song's refrain of “I gotcha” in a world where peaceful protest is met with nefarious bills like NDAA and SOPA. Matt and crew are finishing up their album Gesture Is that is coming to us soon this spring. In the meanwhile enjoy the video and check out Gangi's Bandcamp for further listening.
Frankie Rose gave us a first listen to her new album Interstellar with the track “Know Me.” Jumping from the Spector girl pop of 2010's Frankie Rose and the Outs onto the '80s bandwagon; Rose contents herself with a track that is 4AD ready but with possibly too much effects on the vocals. If given the chance to make your voice sound far away, muffled, mousey or lo-fi fried, all we ask is to choose one or any combination of these options and go easy on the auto-tuning, especially when making a modern day period piece. That said, Frankie's Le Chev produced Insterstellar comes out January 21 while the single Know Me drops January 17 on Slumblerland.
The Quiet Americans dropped “Weird Mountain” this week. We are told that the Fresno, Californian dudes recorded this on a Tascam 8-track to give it the unhinged and unchained sound you hear from the 2 minute mark onward. We hope you dig.
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Tundra Dubs is kicking off the new year with an EP by these new synth purveying producers Dolphin Logic. More on the Os Ovni vibe than the sea breeze obsessed blog trend runoff; the EP works on an appeal toward entertaining the mental patterns of both humans and possibly mammals of the ocean. The single “Nukular” will make you think of nuclear sonar devices that are attempting to connect with the language of dolphins and perhaps could make ground breaking contact with an errant manatee who is excited that someone is reaching out to him. You can find Dolphin Logic's debut EP Holographic Dreamingg January 10 on Tundra Dubs.
Chicago born and Seattle raised rapper Fatal Lucciauno has a new album in the works with first a sample of the Jake One produced classic toned, “Amazing.” What you get is a peak into Fatal's rough upbringing in Seattle's Central District as he toasts how he got to be where he is today from the ground up. “I have love for my community, no matter what I've seen, it's cool to want nice things – that's what the struggle was for – but don't forget where you come from.” Luciauno's Respect hits the decks February 21 on Sportn' Life Records.
Teen Daze chopped up Earth Wind & Fire's classic for a newfound take with “Let's Groove” that has been lighting up blog hit counts inspiring countless re-blogging, re-posting and repeating. Case in point is that we are suckers for reinventions of familiar classics, like that time we discovered that 2004 white label DJ Jake Childress rework of Lou Reed's “Sattelite of Love” and immediately renewed our progressive house vows while rolling around a blood and glitter collaged dance floor of broken disco ball chards.
Part Time just released a 7-inch on Loglady Records with the excellent '80s time traveling Casio synth piece, “Visions of the Future.” This single has been pressed in a limited edition of 300 with only 100 remaining, it features the B-side “I Won't Be Your Little Secret” and is being distributed through Midheaven/Revolver but you can get yours from Loglady direct. Part Time's release party is coming up on the 15 with friends Permanent Collection and Tint at SF's The Hemlock. Be there.
Way Yes gave us the weird majesty of “Important” that makes us yearn for the 2012 buzz anthems that we want to hear played at festivals year long. Enjoy this massive single as their EP Walkability comes out on March 27 on Lefse Records.
The Babies have a 12″ inch EP of home recordings from 2010 and 2011 on the way but gave us a listen to the intimate “Trouble” first. A kitchen cupboard sounding duet recording between Cassie Ramone and Kevin Morby that would probably piss off the late Lee Hazlewood that finishes off with a brief chorus run through of the Velvets' “Here She Comes Now”. It seemed like just the other night ago when Cassie and Kevin played their first show in the oxygen deprived basement of the notorious Lipo Lounge in San Francisco's Chinatown. The Babies will release Cry Along With the Babies January 10 digital wise and 24 for the 12″ vinyl all through New Images. Catch them on the road later this month in the eastern and midwest states with Real Estate.
Gift of Gab has a new LP on the way this spring and dropped “Protocol ft. Samantha Kravitz” to let us know. Oakland's emcee of Blackalicious fame and Quannum Projects founder has teamed up with producer G Koop, George Clinton and Latyrx to take his game to the next level. Representing his original brand and boasts with “Protocol,” Gab focuses on his family, relationships and hope for the Bay's blight on tracks like “Market and 8th.” The Next Logical Progression drops March 27 on Quannum Projects.
Allo Darlin' revealed their first single “Capricornia” this week from their upcoming album Europe. If you thought “Talulah” had them pinned as innocent twee name droppers, “Capricornia” showcases California-sun-loving power pop that we can never get enough of and crave more. Enjoy the single as we will have until April 17 to hear Europe on Slumberland Records.
Since last Thanksgiving, we have been throwing Expensive Looks' “Nothing More” on our mp3 dance mixes and today we are pleased to give you the latest leak from the upcoming Dark Matter album with “Moving Visions.” Alec Feld has made this track primed for any ballroom hall, record store enviornment and some thousand different ways to illustrate the versatile generosity of what a dance track of this caliber full of sptting cool can do. We will be expecting a video by the album's release date or within a month…we hope. Dark Matter arrives January 17 from Group Tightener.
Trentemøller remixed The Dø's “Too Insistent” on his excellent remix collection taken from the French-Finlanders' 2011 album Both Ways Open Jaws. Listen for the polyrhythmic drum bursts and attractive euro vocal stylings.
And in closing here is a little something from Dudley Perkins and Georgia Anne Muldrow's label SomeOthaShip Connect with the track “Viva Las Vegas” from Stan Sly, otherwise known as Quazedelic. A P-Funk prodigy, Sly's work can only begin to be described as birthed from the Muthaship and boarded onto the OthaShip. Quaze's AnuthaWorld is out now.
