June 2, 2012
judyxberman: VICE WRITERS Music Reviews Rating: X((((((( Ladies, imagine being a Vice writer. Just walking around everywhere with your entitlement and ennui and midlength penis all gently bouncing in step; wearing a male tank top or a waxed mustache or some shit. Imagine having an ironic, retro-sexist dudebro-voice and getting together with a couple of other white guys and some cocaine and making your not-at-all-different voices all sync up as tautly as your nihilistic senses of humor, then snuggling all up together (no homo!) in a big Bushwick loft of partially employed trust-fund kids while something noninformative is happening on the Internet. What a life. I guess there’s the whole “everyone in the world thinks I’m an asshole” thing to deal with, too, but let’s not split hairs here: Vice writers got it pretty fucking made.

judyxberman:

VICE WRITERS
Music Reviews
Rating: X(((((((


Ladies, imagine being a Vice writer. Just walking around everywhere with your entitlement and ennui and midlength penis all gently bouncing in step; wearing a male tank top or a waxed mustache or some shit. Imagine having an ironic, retro-sexist dudebro-voice and getting together with a couple of other white guys and some cocaine and making your not-at-all-different voices all sync up as tautly as your nihilistic senses of humor, then snuggling all up together (no homo!) in a big Bushwick loft of partially employed trust-fund kids while something noninformative is happening on the Internet. What a life. I guess there’s the whole “everyone in the world thinks I’m an asshole” thing to deal with, too, but let’s not split hairs here: Vice writers got it pretty fucking made.

(via amyrebeccaklein)

9:57am
June 1, 2012
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Boy, has it been a minute. Finally back in the states, back on the east, and back to sharing things that I enjoy. I hope you have all been enjoying the extra work Pete and James have been putting in. Cheers.

-Rowland

9:22pm
June 1, 2012

4:49pm
June 1, 2012
lil’ steve elli, son.

lil’ steve elli, son.

2:22pm
May 30, 2012
Aphex List

In 2010 when I met Peter A. LaMalfa III I expressed some interest in Aphex Twin. I knew little about Richard D. James but what I did know was that the guy is a nut and a genius. Thankfully Peter had a ton of his music, so we promptly did an exchange, awarding me with his tons of tunes. Aphex Twin’s music is high in quantity and satiated with complexity. He’s mastered ambient in his early years (Selected Ambient Works ’85-‘92), to the heavier drum-and-base / techno era in the 90’s, and his most recently produced acid-techno Analord EPs in early this century. The gear RDJ has worked with is barely comparable to this decade’s electronic music. Aphex Twin did not push buttons — he engineered programs dealing with actual sound. He long ago set a standard that most popular artists cannot reach, and for that fact do not want to reach because it’s really dense shit. 

I didn’t know where to begin when I got the 300+ tunes from Peter. The amount of music the Richard D. James produced was overwhelming to me. It is not the easiest listening, either. Aphex Twin’s intricate use of 8-bit and other self-programmed drum kits brings his songs so far into detail that it can get discomforting to listen to. Even the songs that are simpler don’t always fly by. It at least would create odd reactions in a social context (once we put on his most popular Windowlicker and people didn’t know how act). This music is fascinating, and that is its best purpose.

Now, I’ve had a few friends express some interest in Aphex, and I’d like to share my favorites with them and who ever might want some too. I want to say that this playlist is in no way the most professional Aphex list of them all, and is based on my opinion towards electronic music in general. I’d imagine that the older Aphex Twin fans would make a different list, or at least add another hundred to it (there are some HUGE fans out there). But in any case, these songs have taken me to states of mind away from reality. Thank you, Richard D. James.

I hyper-linked a few in there. Link at the bottom.

Tracklist: Song - Album

1) Klopjob - Analord EP03

2) Analogue Bubblebath - Classics [Digeridoo EP + Xylem Tube EP]

3) Iz-Us - Come To Daddy [EP]

4) Where’s Your Girlfriend - Analord EP01

5) Alberto Balsalm - I Care Because You Do

6) bbydhonchord - Drukqs

7) Windowlicker - Windowlicker EP

8) Lichen - Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Disc 2)

9) jynweythek - Drukqs

10) Flim - Come To Daddy [EP]

11) Crying In Your Face - Analord EP04

12) R2-D2 - Joyrex J5 EP

13) Wet Tip Hen Ax - I Care Because You Do

14) avril 14th - Drukqs

15) Fingerbib (Demo Version) - Melodies From Mars

16) Cliffs - Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Disc 1)

17) Bucephalus Bouncing Ball - Come To Daddy [EP]

18) Penty Harmonium - Drukqs

Link! Here

-James

11:16am
May 27, 2012

Incredible movie. 

3:25pm
May 26, 2012
Hello and welcome to a new series that features the music from my record collection. These will be records straight from my record player, so a more full, warm sound will hopefully stay with these tracks through the process of getting them on my compooper. This album is yours to enjoy (there’s a link at the bottom of the post to download the album).  This is a record from a great innovator and musician, Dexter Gordon. He’s a total technician but with amazing expression, tone and vocabulary. Although his tone is not light (although at times it can be breathy), there is a playful and relaxed sense to the way he approaches music. This was recorded in the early 60’s for Blue Note Records with Freddie Hubbard and the members of Horace Parlan Trio The opening track, I Was Doing All Right (Gershwin) has a deep laid back pocket and a catchy melody with lots of room for space. The blowing changes do not change keys too quickly either. This tune moves without forcing it. Freddie Hubbard sounds amazing doubling the melody with Dex and blowing his solo. The way the whole group locks up feels real good. You’ve Changed is a popular ballad that was covered by vocalists like Nat “King Cole”, Sarah Vaughan, and Diana Ross. Dexter shows off his vibrato and sense of phrasing, and makes a statement about how lyrical he can be on a head. The rhythm section (Horace Parlan, piano; George Tucker, bass; Al Harewood, drums) really stick with Gordon as he weaves in and out of these changes. Although Parlan’s solo on “I Was Doin’ All Right” is nothing monumental, he swings really fucking hard in the solo and his comping chops sounds really comfortable. He keeps his cool while Freddie takes his solo in and out of a double-time feel on this ballad.            Probably my second favorite track on the album (behind I Was Doing All Right), For Regulars Only features some interestingly dissonant harmonies between Freddie and Dex on the A section, then back to unison on the bridge. I was writing before on how Dexter has a sense of humor about the music. On the last A section of his 2nd chorus, he hits (what I believe is) the lowest note on his horn and is sure to leave plenty of space before and after it. When people hear this record for the first time, a lot of them can’t help but laugh and I feel like that’s his intention. Al Harewood keeps his playing light and full of texture while George Tucker has a great sense of time and a full, round sound. The best part of this rhythm section is that they swing balls even if none of them are taking absolutely killin solos. I think the former is more important. At the beginning of Horace’s solo you can hear the melodic ball being passed from Hubbard off to him, as he repeats a figure that Hubbard finished his solo with. You can hear a lick that Parlan really favors on this whole album, a group of 6, 16th notes that outline the important notes of a transitional (the dominant) chord, along with some color tones that could be considered a bop colloquialism. The head to Society Red is pretty cool; regular blues except for the rhythmic feel of the first 8 bars is straight and military sounding. Freddie gets the first solo on this one, first time on the whole record that Dexter hasn’t taken it. Takes some melodic ideas from the head for some of his second chorus. While Hubbard’s energy rises and he starts to take it into double time, the band stays on the same page but keeps on swinging business as usual. A quick melodic figure breaks up the two horn players’ solos. Gordon really gets the band going though, and Parlan lays down some comping kindling for Harewood to get fancy with the snare comping and light a fire under Dex’s ass. But it’s very controlled and cool, a simmer; it cooks. Parlan seems very comfortable on this tune, and we hear his trademark lick at least twice more. He takes his solo into an interesting harmonic area for his last chorus and finally we hear from George Tucker. His feel is really laid back and cool. It’s so much what he says, it’s more about the way he’s saying it. The first few bars of It’s You or No One start off with a pedal from Parlan that leaves a sense of harmonic tension in the air until the rest of the band comes in. On this track we hear Dexter play more bebop vocabulary than the rest of the album. Freddie explores the higher range on his horn, coming right out of the starting gate screaming for a short, concise solo. Parlan’s solo is based mostly on his favorite lick. After, Al Harewood finally gets some space to blow and really shows off his chops in a tasteful way. The album ends after a tag that goes through a few different keys. I’ve definitely flipped this back over to play side one again a few times. Enjoy: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xilm0n8lac6d5hj/8sLtdLFobH -Pete

Hello and welcome to a new series that features the music from my record collection. These will be records straight from my record player, so a more full, warm sound will hopefully stay with these tracks through the process of getting them on my compooper. This album is yours to enjoy (there’s a link at the bottom of the post to download the album). 

This is a record from a great innovator and musician, Dexter Gordon. He’s a total technician but with amazing expression, tone and vocabulary. Although his tone is not light (although at times it can be breathy), there is a playful and relaxed sense to the way he approaches music. This was recorded in the early 60’s for Blue Note Records with Freddie Hubbard and the members of Horace Parlan Trio

The opening track, I Was Doing All Right (Gershwin) has a deep laid back pocket and a catchy melody with lots of room for space. The blowing changes do not change keys too quickly either. This tune moves without forcing it. Freddie Hubbard sounds amazing doubling the melody with Dex and blowing his solo. The way the whole group locks up feels real good.

You’ve Changed is a popular ballad that was covered by vocalists like Nat “King Cole”, Sarah Vaughan, and Diana Ross. Dexter shows off his vibrato and sense of phrasing, and makes a statement about how lyrical he can be on a head. The rhythm section (Horace Parlan, piano; George Tucker, bass; Al Harewood, drums) really stick with Gordon as he weaves in and out of these changes. Although Parlan’s solo on “I Was Doin’ All Right” is nothing monumental, he swings really fucking hard in the solo and his comping chops sounds really comfortable. He keeps his cool while Freddie takes his solo in and out of a double-time feel on this ballad.           

Probably my second favorite track on the album (behind I Was Doing All Right), For Regulars Only features some interestingly dissonant harmonies between Freddie and Dex on the A section, then back to unison on the bridge. I was writing before on how Dexter has a sense of humor about the music. On the last A section of his 2nd chorus, he hits (what I believe is) the lowest note on his horn and is sure to leave plenty of space before and after it. When people hear this record for the first time, a lot of them can’t help but laugh and I feel like that’s his intention. Al Harewood keeps his playing light and full of texture while George Tucker has a great sense of time and a full, round sound. The best part of this rhythm section is that they swing balls even if none of them are taking absolutely killin solos. I think the former is more important. At the beginning of Horace’s solo you can hear the melodic ball being passed from Hubbard off to him, as he repeats a figure that Hubbard finished his solo with. You can hear a lick that Parlan really favors on this whole album, a group of 6, 16th notes that outline the important notes of a transitional (the dominant) chord, along with some color tones that could be considered a bop colloquialism.

The head to Society Red is pretty cool; regular blues except for the rhythmic feel of the first 8 bars is straight and military sounding. Freddie gets the first solo on this one, first time on the whole record that Dexter hasn’t taken it. Takes some melodic ideas from the head for some of his second chorus. While Hubbard’s energy rises and he starts to take it into double time, the band stays on the same page but keeps on swinging business as usual. A quick melodic figure breaks up the two horn players’ solos. Gordon really gets the band going though, and Parlan lays down some comping kindling for Harewood to get fancy with the snare comping and light a fire under Dex’s ass. But it’s very controlled and cool, a simmer; it cooks. Parlan seems very comfortable on this tune, and we hear his trademark lick at least twice more. He takes his solo into an interesting harmonic area for his last chorus and finally we hear from George Tucker. His feel is really laid back and cool. It’s so much what he says, it’s more about the way he’s saying it.

The first few bars of It’s You or No One start off with a pedal from Parlan that leaves a sense of harmonic tension in the air until the rest of the band comes in. On this track we hear Dexter play more bebop vocabulary than the rest of the album. Freddie explores the higher range on his horn, coming right out of the starting gate screaming for a short, concise solo. Parlan’s solo is based mostly on his favorite lick. After, Al Harewood finally gets some space to blow and really shows off his chops in a tasteful way. The album ends after a tag that goes through a few different keys. I’ve definitely flipped this back over to play side one again a few times. Enjoy: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xilm0n8lac6d5hj/8sLtdLFobH

-Pete

7:32pm
May 26, 2012

11:46am
May 17, 2012
Most badass analogue clock ever

Wait for the page to load, worth it. 

-Pete

1:03am
May 17, 2012
The Avengers

I’m not one for superhero movies anymore, or movie theaters in general really, but I was extremely impressed by The Avengers (Directed by Joss Whedon [Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Angel]). I’m also not sure how accurate this remake was to the original, but I heard there were some scenes that looked strikingly familiar. The dialogue was surprisingly witty (it seems like every time I go to a popular superhero movie now it is cursed with horrible fart jokes and slapstick comedy geared towards the tween crowd ex. Spiderman 3, The Green Hornet, need I say more…) and it held its own as an interesting movie with a *somewhat* realistic plot and relatable characters. The action scenes were intense, there were many side stories to follow as well as character struggles, both internal and external, and the main plot played with the idea of human nature and determinism, similar to the Matrix. My thirst for action and CGI was satiated, but I wasn’t too full. (*cough* MICHAEL BAY *cough*). The choreography was pretty fucking awesome and I was caught off guard a number of times, both by witty remarks and unexpected physical events. 

The humor was dry, the action awesome and the plot followable/interesting. Pretty happy with this film. For what it is, it is awesome. 

-Pete

12:42am
May 13, 2012

12:03am
May 12, 2012

Get ‘dat.

-Pete

11:52pm
May 8, 2012
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Almost certain Four Tet played this live. Really was diggin’ it.

-James

2:52pm
May 5, 2012

2:05. Go there and swim in it. That is all. 

-Pete

3:18am
May 2, 2012
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Luns: sounds like lungs, or buns, but it ain’t. How ever you want to call it, it brings a refreshing sound to instrumental hip/trip-hop. Its groove is composed of frequent glitches and tempo changes, which intimidates a little at first, but is really essential to the album’s overall fun and relaxed attitude. The instrumentals and samples give a solid vibe. Very reminiscent of Madlib. It’ll suck you into one tune and spit you into a different before you know it. Sounds like this guy should be on Stones Throw or Brainfeeder. Hopefully will get more recognition in the near future by them, if it hasn’t happened already. Get the whole album from the Bandcamp:

http://luns.bandcamp.com

-James

5:46pm
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