Sunday, January 31, 2010

Dungeon Family Royal Lineage



This post is designed to assemble a collection of my favorite tracks from the various voices of the Dungeon Family hip hop collective. Named after a basement studio where many of the artists recorded their first music, this Atlanta-based soul/funk/hip hop crew has produced hit after hit from members Outkast, Goodie Mob, Mob alum Cee-Lo (AKA the voice of Gnarls Barkley) and more. Some of the lesser-known tracks from these artists and their ATL collaborators are just as brilliant, simply arriving on the scene before the commercial audience was ready for hits as genre-bending as Outkast's "Hey Ya" and Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy." Check the chronology and tracks below to realize just how productive and talented these guys have remained over a 15-year period. From early tracks showing a unique production flair and flow, right up through leaks, guest appearances and soundtrack/compilation singles from the last few years, the Dungeon Family is far more than its string of mega-hit singles spanning from 2000's Stankonia through Andre 3000's "Hey Ya" and Gnarls Barkley's platinum debut. Also, they look like they would throw a great Halloween party...




Outkast - Player's Ball (1994, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik)
Goodie Mob - Black Ice f/Outkast (1998, Still Standing)
Outkast - Skew It On The Bar-B (1998, Aquemini)
Cool Breeze - Watch For The Hook (Dungeon Family Mix) (1999, East Point's Greatest Hits)
Goodie Mob  - Get Rich To This (1999, World Party)
Outkast - B.O.B. (2000, Stankonia)
Dungeon Family - Trans DF Express (2001, Even In Darkness)
Big Boi - Ghetto Musick (2003, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below)
Cee-Lo - The Art of Noise f/Pharrell (2004, Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine)
Big Boi - Kryptonite (I'm On It) f/Killer Mike (2005, Got Purp Vol. 2)
Outkast - Morris Brown f/Scar, Sleepy Brown (2006, Idlewild Sountrack)
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere (2006, St. Elsewhere)
UGK - International Player's Anthem f/Outkast (2007, UGK: Underground Kingz)
Outkast - Royal Flush f/Raekwon (2008, from unreleased Big Boi solo album Sir Luscious Left Foot)
Big Boi - Shine Blockaz f/Gucci Mane (2009, from unreleased Big Boi solo album Sir Luscious Left Foot)

Friday, January 29, 2010

New Music Friday!

Here are some piping hot new tracks for your listening pleasure, consume with care.


Macklemore -The Town

The next incarnation of Seattle hip hop. Macklemore reps the 206 with a socially conscious, laid-back groove that fits right into a scene best known for the Blue Scholars and Common Market. There is everything to like about this this song, even a reference to the legendary Seattle venue, the "Sit & Spin," a brilliant hybrid laundromat/cafe/bar/live music venue that booked acts like Modest Mouse and Voyager One in the late 90's. This is the lead track off his late 2009 release The Unplanned Mixtape.


 M.I.A. - Space Odyssey

A low-quality demo,  but nonetheless the first advance track from the upcoming M.I.A. album due out this summer. Leaked under the name "Theres Space For Ol Dat I See" this track has been confirmed by M.I.A. herself and hints that she'll be shifting back to a mix of rapping and singing (some of us may have forgotten that she sings after last year's beat extravaganza Kala). According to her Rolling Stone interview, you can expect lots of production from Baltimore's Blaqstarr and back-up vocals from Filipino Verizon tech support on one song ("I'm Down Like Your Internet Connection"). Give it a listen and hope for a better-quality version later.


Gorillaz - Stylo (f/Bobby Womack and Mos Def)

The first single off the new Gorillaz album. Does anyone else notice that it doesn't instantly take over your brain like previous banner-carriers "Clint Eastwood" and "Feel Good, Inc."? Kind of a letdown. While Mos Def isn't heavily utilized on this quietly grooving track, he is a good choice to succeed Del Tha Funkee Homosapien as the Gorillaz rapper du jour on the forthcoming Plastic Beach LP, due out March 9, 2010.

Staygold - Backseat (f/Spank Rock and Damien Adore)

Dance-y groove from a pair of Swedish DJ's with fun guest appearances and surprising staying power. Repetitive, but not problematically so, it's definitely worthy popping on to any fun playlist. See the debut live performance with even more kooky guests at an INSANE Swedish awards show (Grammys, take notice) here. If you are wondering why they show an audience member early in the clip with her face melted off, that's Karin Dreijer Andersson from The Knife and Fever Ray, and she definitely wore the mask onstage to accept her award.


Jay Electronica - Exhibit C

With a name that straddles boundaries (Rap & Jay go way back: See Jay-Z, J.D., Jay Dilla, J-Money, but then there's the name, well, Electronica) you wouldn't expect someone so well-grounded in pure hip hop. "Exhibit C" shows off a measured Southern flow that brings to mind a classic old-school jam, from an intro quoting Gil Scott-Heron and Notorious B.I.G. right through the hot verses he lays down over a timeless combo of soul & strings.


Javelin - Vibrationz

"Vibrationz" was self-released last summer but seems like a timely inclusion here, in light of the fact that we can expect their debut full-length album, No Mas, released by Luaka Bop on April 20th. Javelin built some buzz last year with a dance floor remix of "Julia" by The Very Best and a live show with Mos Def, and this track gives you the sense they're talented producers in the vein of Basement Jaxx.


Caribou - Odessa

Caribou crafts a fairly sophisticated, layered electro-pop piece as his first material since 2007's critically lauded Andorra. He seems to have stepped forward in time here, ignoring the 60's vibe of his last album and showing off his studio chops. Like "Hazel," the first single off last year's Junior Boys album, it's a nice song in the right vein, but not a killer jam - let's hope it's just a hint of what's to come on Swim, his new album due out April 20 on Merge Records.


Massive Attack - Saturday Come Slow (f/Damon Albarn)

Another track off the forthcoming Heligoland LP, due out February 9 on Virgin Records. A slow-burner much like another pre-release track, "Pray For Rain" with TV On The Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, here they grab Damon Albarn, of Blur and Gorillaz fame, and he gives us his best Thom Yorke impression. Again, there is no huge crescendo for all of the build-up, but I'm getting the sense this may be a very pretty and atmospheric (if not happy) album.


Our Dreams - Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon's Unnamed Mini-Wu Supergroup

First track from the much-anticipated trio, releasing an album sometime in the first half of 2010 even though they aren't sure what they're calling themselves (the album is tentatively entitled Wu Massacre). The hook is cliche R&B, but the three emcees are ill and it shows. See also their collaboration on Raekwon's recent Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. 2, "New Wu".

Grizzly Bear - And I Was A Boy From School (Hot Chip Cover)

Hot Chip's original is a favorite track of mine - I hope many of you know it as well. Grizzly Bear puts their own tempo and twist on it - not a life-changing musical event, but a fun intersection of two fantastic artists from very different genres.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Featured Artist: Active Child




Every once in a while, I will highlight an artist/song/music scene that you need to know about. I will restrain myself to sharing only that which I cannot keep to myself. Today, I am compelled to share with you Active Child, a relatively new artist out of LA. Please read more and scroll to the bottom to download his music for yourself - he is just the kind of under-the-radar artist with a brilliant sound who will benefit greatly from a broadening fan base.

Active Child has several easily discernible influences. His cathedral-ceiling high voice, gorgeous enough to be used as a weapon, is very reminiscent of Justin Vernon (lead singer of Bon Iver and Volcano Choir). Stylistically, his vocals do not vary too widely from that mold. His genre, however, is re-defined by his laptop-pop backing tracks. Clearly he draws some inspiration from elements of classic 80's synth-ballads, as well as the whirring, swooning compositions Dntel (Jimmy Tamborello) put behind Ben Gibbard's voice on the classic Postal Service album, Give Up. However, the beats remind me of nothing so much as the work Zach Condon (Beirut) has done under the Realpeople moniker, where he eschews his Eastern European horn fetish for home-produced bleeps and warbles.

Active Child's discography is limited, as he has released only two physical items so far. On January 12, a UK music blog, Transparent, released a 7-inch single of "She Was A Vision" on their own tiny record label, with B-side "Voice Of An Old Friend" (get it here). On January 14th, Mirror Universe Tapes released a 100-copy cassette tape run of his six-song album, Sun Rooms (get it here). Yes, it's pretty hipster to release your music on cassette. No, I don't have a tape player either. Ultimately, you're going to have to overlook this and just toss the below downloads onto your iPod until he releases more content.

"She Was A Vision" is a dreamy, gorgeous ballad with a hook that ascends, rocketship-style, straight up through the Pearly Gates. "Wilderness" garnered an 8/10 track review from indie review moguls Pitchfork for its unique sound and slow mesh of warm voice with chilly electronic backing. "When Your Love Is Safe" and "Voice Of An Old Friend" round out the four songs I've heard so far, respectively making their mark with a singular usage of synthesized melody and a willingness to chop up vocals and edge and layer them reminiscent of Miike Snow. Follow the links below to download and thank me later.

She Was A Vision
Wilderness
When Your Love Is Safe
Voice Of An Old Friend

Monday, January 25, 2010

First Take: Spoon - Transference

Spoon - Transference
January 19, 2010
Merge Records





Spoon is one of my favorite artists. Britt Daniel and Co. have a few big things going for them that I can't help but respect and enjoy.

#1 - A wholly unique sound. There is not another band making music today that consistently exercises the level of restraint that Spoon does. When they record an album, the more over-produced it becomes, the more spare and understated it sounds. Their older, simpler jams feature big, rough guitar hooks (Car Radio off A Series of Sneaks) while their most carefully recorded pieces are wispy, borderline ethereal tunes (Paper Tiger off Kill the Moonlight). Nobody produces with more texture and contrast.

#2 - A willingness to morph significantly from album to album. They thinned out their sound, playing more and more with production tricks on  on each of their first several albums before bringing back the heat with the guitar-centric Gimme Fiction. Somehow they followed that with an album that distilled all of their strengths, absolutely did not sell out, and yet became big-time Billboard fodder (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga hit #10 on the US Charts).

#3 - Britt Daniel's voice. It's undeniably sexy and throaty, whether he's howling, snarling, or just narrating a nice little jaunt. I would definitely be willing to listen to a Scientologist recruitment seminar in his voice. Maybe he's not the Morgan Freeman of rock voices (that distinction may go to golden-throated lyrical idiot Chris Cornell), but he's at least the Patrick Stewart (Make It So!).

So here we are, a week after Spoon released their newest album, Transference. I find myself a little bit unsatisfied, though it's hard to explain why. Yes, pieces of it feature production on par with their best ("Who Makes Your Money"), and it does represent a change of direction from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Britt's voice is certainly as charismatic as ever. I worry, then, that Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga has instilled in me a dangerous desire; for Spoon to write full hooks! It's not in their nature. Typically, they deconstruct their compositions until only one or two songs on an album have truly bursting choruses. Even though Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was quite varied in song style, they fleshed out every song to show off what it could be.

Here, Spoon retreats to the showing us skeletons of songs, sketches of directions they could pursue. In light of their recent track record, though, these skeletons are a bit unsatisfying. Rather than structures to build on, showcasing strong rhythm and melody, they feel like fossils, old remnants that have many of the living and breathing parts worn away. A testament to what could have been, but not as remarkable as walking among the originals and experiencing the fully realized potential.

Overall Rating: *** out of *****

See This Post to download singles from Transference.

A Note: If you ever have the chance to see Spoon play live, let it be known that they are perfectionists both in and out of the studio. This means you will not hear a sloppy beat or a note out of place, and they will be extremely professional and impressive on stage. However, it also means that your experience will closely resemble listening to a Spoon album in a good pair of headphones. They do not go "above and beyond" in an attempt to make the live show transcend. All in all, Spoon is a fantastic band with many albums that I have devoured time and again, from first note to last. I eagerly await their next album in hopes that it will again vault them to the heights they typically inhabit.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

New Music Tuesday!




Now that I'm back into the routine, here are some new tracks for your listening pleasure. Forthcoming in my next post will be a review of longtime Daydream Station favorite Spoon's brand-new album, Transference (in stores today, 1/19).

jj - let go

Swede-pop outfit releases an advance single from jj n* 3, due out March 9.

The Drums - I Felt Stupid

The young band nabbed the top spot in the Pitchfork Reader's Poll "Most Anticipated Debut of 2010" based on this stupidly enjoyable lead single.

Empire of the Sun - Walking On A Dream

Apparently this album came out a full year ago, but I just recently caught the blog-hype about these guys based on the absurd number of remixes their songs have garnered. I recommend and am posting the original, however - very 2009 synth-accented indie pop.

RJD2 & Vast Aire - Tippin Dominoes
RJD2 - The Stranger

On rarity "Tippin Dominoes", RJD2 lays down a fantastic, uneasy instrumental for the former Cannibal Ox emcee's steady verses and shuffling hook. "The Stranger", off his fresh new release The Colossus, shows him back in DJ Shadow territory instead of incongruously posing as just another singer-songwriter, sporting a healthy dose of crackling, old-school beats and horns and a talent for subtle ebb and flow.

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
Yeasayer - Madder Red

Yeasayer's newest, Odd Blood will drop February 9. "Ambling Alp" is already as mini-hit, as both of these advance tracks show Yeasayer moving back towards traditional song structure after 2007's surprisingly trippy, tribal All Hour Cymbals.

Fever Ray - Seven (The Twelves Remix)

Catchy remix of a track off Fever Ray's self-titled debut (Fever Ray is the solo project of Karin Dreijer Andersson from The Knife).

Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Action

As weird as it sounds. Owen Pallett switches from the pseudonym Final Fantasy to his real name and writes a concept album from the viewpoint of Lewis, a fighting farmer from an alternate universe. Try this quirky, intellectual, obsessively arranged piece out at your own risk - it may hook or repel you.

The Gossip - Love Long Distance

From 2009's Music For Men release, soul-voiced Beth Gibbons of Olympia band The Gossip lets loose on this cut exploring a long-distance relationship, channeling pain and self-righteous anger and asking for a little more assistance.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The 40 Best Songs of 2009, pt. 4: #10-1

Here is the conclusion of my year-end countdown. My top 10 tracks of the year (click on the song title for a download link I've set up for you) are as follows:


 #10 Vampire Weekend - Horchata
Yes, it has ridiculous lyrics. Yes, it pushes even further into Afro-fetish territory than their last album. But above all else, the hook will stick in your head and the gorgeously overlaid instrumentation remains as good of a listen the 100th time as the first.



 #9 Dirty Projectors + David Byrne - Knotty Pine
In a year where the Dirty Projectors released an absolute masterpiece full-length album, Bitte Orca, they make this list on the basis of a single they recorded with Talking Heads vet David Byrne for the Red Hot charity compilation, Dark Was The Night. Fluttering vocal melodies and careful harmonizing leads into a chorus featuring two-note piano plonks that remind one of the "error" sound in older versions of Windows. I'm a PC, and I like good music.



 #8 Simian Mobile Disco - Off The Map (f/Jamie Lidell)
Simian Mobile Disco has always thrived on the single. They've yet to release an LP with a cohesive artistic statement, but they play with flammable beats and sound effects and sometimes hit on some real pyrotechnics. "Off The Map" brings in neo-soul crooner Jamie Lidell and gets downright sweaty and sexy. He brings his powerful voice down into a suggestive snarl reminiscent of Spoon's Britt Daniel (if Daniel had a bigger set of pipes) and rides the propulsive backing beat into a come-hither anthem.



 #7 Phantogram - Mouthful of Diamonds
The first of two top-10 songs that, at the time of its initial release, lacked a proper album or record label contract. Seattle's own KEXP caught hold of and played this NYC duo, receiving so much positive feedback they brought them in-studio for a live performance. "Mouthful of Diamonds" has a slow-building power, with clear, bright female vocals, measured guitarwork and a liberal use of electronic accoutrements.



 #6 Phoenix - Lisztomania
There's not much left to say about Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. It's the fulfillment of the sound Phoenix has been striving for, and while parts of it blend together, the peaks really stick out. "Lisztomania" sports a pop hook quite spare, delicate and nuanced compared to the energetic verses, and this reversal of vitality emphasizes the songcraft at play here.



 #5 Raekwon - House of Flying Daggers (f/Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, Method Man)
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx finally has a true sequel as Raekwon has come back onto the scene with force. He featured on last year's Outkast leak "Royal Flush", contributed a DOOM-esque associative rap over "Stay Off the Fuckin' Flowers" on the blues rock/rap Blackroc project, and he led off this year's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx pt. 2 with a classic. The Wu-Tang collective is dripping with individual talent and charisma, but they immortalize themselves each time they drop a true posse cut. There is exponential power in numbers as these four MCs attack this epic track and once again tear their way across the rap scene with their ferocity.



 #4 Delorean - Seasun
This song, courtesy of a young Barcelona band, is very simple but it is many things. It is the sigh of waves on a dusky shore. It is the far off beating of a drum. It is the natural rhythm of your breath and your heartbeat as you lay in a hammock. It is the slow crescendo of a cloud of fireflies whirling in an empty field. It is the sound of summer.



 #3 Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
Grizzly Bear make really, really good music. When they play to all of their strengths in a song (notably innovation, harmony, complexity, patience, and a big pay-off in the chorus) it's unstoppable. On "Two Weeks" they have accomplished just as much as on Yellow House standout "Knife" in a completely new and beautiful way.



 #2 Animal Collective - My Girls
A lot has already been written about Animal Collective. Suffice to say, I had never truly fallen for one of their albums before this year, but Merriweather Post Pavilion did the trick. "My Girls" is the clear standout on an album of consistently mind-bending music, with tempo shifts and harmonies that should, by all rights, show the Grammy voters what a legitimately original take on pop music would sound like.



 #1 Sleigh Bells - Crown On The Ground
One of a trio of leaked singles that have since garnered the un-signed Sleigh Bells a record label and a full album release next year, this song is remarkable. It is an absolute BANGER in every sense of the word. The bass is mixed high, front and center. Ditto for the treble. The chorus bears a close resemblance to a police siren. The vocals are riot grrl meets tribal chant. You can dance to this song. You can headbang to it. You can work out to it. You can definitely do things I won't discuss on this blog to it. This is what the future will sound like. Don't expect to get much sleep.