It’s that time again. Time to get drip like a fish and straight-up lose your mind on the dance floor wit ya boys Ricky Reed and Arjun Singh, aka Wallpaper, Oaktown’s #1 in auto-tune electro-funk goodness.
YOU. ARE. NOT. READY. F’real.
These guys simply do not disappoint. And there should be some new jams in the mix for this tour, which starts tomorrow night (June 25th) in Sacramento, so get excited. Here in San Diego, our resident master of funked-out, talk box pop-genius Rafter is opening, which means I expect you locals to get extra excited. Hit me up if you wanna pre-party!
Flyer and tour dates available after the jump.
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Going to see Rafter live is a real treat. If you’re lucky enough to be in San Diego on April 17th you’ll get a chance to cap off Record Store Day by doing exactly that, with bonus sets from local rising artists Cuckoo Chaos, Lion Cut, and Smile Now Cry Later (aka the dancey, Banda-sampling music project of photographer Lizeth Santos, wife and frequent artistic collaborator of Rafter). Get ready to smile, laugh, dance, jump for joy, and just plain have fun, because this is exactly what virtually every act on this line-up fervently inspires.
In fact, this show is being specifically held in celebration of the release of Rafter’s new record, the bright and bubbly Animal Feelings. Completely unpretentious, his approach here and elsewhere is seemingly straight-forward at heart, but always playful and delightfully weird, unfailingly united by subtle overarching concepts and themes. Many of the tunes on his latest album — like the intimate, homemade mixtape-esque meanderings of Sex Death Cassette and the bedroom booty-bass of Sweaty Magic — reflect the accompanying title, delving into carnal desires, emotions, and thoughts through breezy, infectious, and often funk-leaning pop. Expect vocoded declarations of praise and respect, earnest encouragements, and lots of carpe diem-embracing love-jams. But I guess Rafter is just a stream-of-consciousness, honest-expression-of-intimate-joys-and-pains kinda guy. After all, not too long ago he cranked out two dozen or so free songs for the Asthmatic Kitty site in his ambitious “A Song a Week” column and according to his blog he’s already “nips deep in the next 3 albums”; this kind of primal mind mapping must come naturally.
A handful of those “Song a Week” tracks have been re-recorded for albums, including Animal Feelings stand-out “Paper”. Classic rhythms and chord progressions abound, Rafter exudes irresistible charm in this proclamation of annoyance at losing ideas and thoughts in the recesses of your brain: “You motherfuckers, you motherfuckers where did you go!?”. Luckily a solution is quickly realized in the song’s namesake and catchy chorus, “I need paper, I need paper / I need paper, yes I do / To keep my thoughts from goin’ away / To keep my thoughts from goin’ away”. These days, even when he’s bugged by something, Rafter Roberts prefers to express himself through lovable, dancey, hook-laden pop gems. It doesn’t really seem like the guy even has a choice; he’s a whirlwind of ideas, energy, and enthusiasm that knows better than to do anything but keep riding that wave to its unending conclusions.
Check out the details for the must-attend Animal Feelings record release show down below and the album’s cover art and full tracklist after the jump. You can also see a complete list of Rafter’s tour dates here.
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Although there’s a whole bunch of albums coming out on Sept. 22nd that are worth getting excited about, the debut from San Francisco’s Girls is one of the particularly noteworthy. A band fixated on simplicity — a point driven home by their name, record title (Album), and their music itself — Girls make the most of very little. Reportedly recorded in “rehearsal spaces” with “broken equipment” on reel-to-reel tape machines and an old computer that had a tendency to crash and lose data, Album is an imperfect, emotionally resonant batch of warm and depressive guitar-centered indie pop. And a couple days ago True Panther Sounds and Matador Records made it available to stream, in full, via Soundcloud. Give it a listen down below and fall in love like so many have already.
Girls are about to embark on an extensive European tour next week, but will return for some U.S. shows in November. Peep the domestic dates after the jump (you can view the European dates over at their myspace page).
Don’t call it a side project. Eric Frederic may have started Wallpaper as a spontaneous novelty while recording the debut full-length of his band Facing New York, but now — with many of FNY’s original members gone and a continuously rising interest in Frederic’s infectious and often hilarious pop-satire — his focus seems to be increasingly centered on Wallpaper. And why not? This has been one hell of a summer for the project. Garnering attention from MTV, Pitchfork, The Village Voice, Idolator, and Perez Hilton (!?), it seems to be straight blowin’ up at this point.
Like most good pop music, Wallpaper is built on fun and escapism for listener and creator alike, allowing Frederic to transform from his thoughtful and soft-spoken self into the cool, conceited, and audacious Ricky Reed. This alter-ego exudes excess in all respects, leaving room for all sorts of satire, mockery, and comedy in general. And it comes in many forms: voicemail messages (pager # y’all: 510-493-7835), YouTube video blogs, Twitter, his Cool Genius blog, stage banter, and of course the music itself. But between all the jokes, absurd posturing, and overindulgent use of autotune, lies a batch of well-crafted dance jams that simultaneously pay tribute to the very music being satirized — vocoder-funk, hyphy, R&B, new jack swing, pop. Joined by live drummer Arjun Singh, Wallpaper’s bold electro-funk is even more fully realized at their ridiculously fun shows. Sure, the banter is always golden, but in a live setting the music explodes with energy and absolutely demands that the audience lose its collective mind. I’ve seen them three times in the past five months and it simply doesn’t get old.
A couple weeks ago, Wallpaper dropped the first single from their upcoming debut Doodoo Faceon iTunes (which seems like an unfortunate title until Ricky Reed breaks down the meaning for ya). “I Got Soul, I’m So Wasted”, one of many killer cuts on this record, is an insanely catchy pillar of glam electro. Atop dense, driving percussion, explosions of soaring synth and bass, and revolving layers of drones, tones, blips, and beeps, Ricky Reed lays down massive autotune hooks with copious amounts of swagger. Familiar and yet original in its own right, this track is a perfect introduction to an album that’s perfect for gettin’ dancefloors movin’. Be sure to pick it up when it drops on Eenie Meenie Records on September 22nd and definitely don’t miss Wallpaper when they come through your town (tour dates available after the jump).
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Buy: Pick up “I Got Soul, I’m So Wasted” from iTunes now. You can also pre-order Doodoo Face on CD or Vinyl from Insound. Watch: The video for “I Got Soul, I’m So Wasted” (which coincidentally plays out kind of how I remember the last Wallpaper show I went to) is currently nominated for a vote to be included in the regular rotation over at mtvU. Head over to The Freshman video section and obsessively vote for Wallpaper — if they win they’ll reward fans with an mp3 of the title track from their debut. [Update: They won.]
Today Matador Records reveals the first song from Childish Prodigy, the upcoming record from recent signee Kurt Vile. With washed-out lyrical ramblings, hypnotic guitar drones and repetitive strums, subdued percussion, and a healthy amount of reverb, Vile shows you why he’s nicknamed Philly’s Constant Hitmaker. All ironies aside, I might genuinely concur with that sentiment.
Be sure to check him out on his current tour, dates after the jump. According to Matador, he’ll be touring again soon after the record comes out.
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Exciting news from London’s The Very Best; their debut record will be coming in 2009. The group, formed by DJs/producers Radioclit and Malawi-born vocalist Esau Mwamwaya, have been sitting on the completed album since last year and had to deal with some sample clearance issues, but it seems that all is well now. Warm Heart of Africa, named for a phrase often used to describe Malawi and their hospitable countrymen and women, will feature guest spots from M.I.A. and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend and comes out in the fall on Green Owl.
You can stream “Ntende Uli” from the album down below.
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Also, be sure to pick up The Very Best’s mixtape from last year over here and take note of the dates for their brief U.S. tour after the jump… see you at The Echoplex?
With support dropping from the Wavves camp faster than you can say “Primavera meltdown“, some of you may be looking for some new pop-leaning noise-rock to wash that bad taste out of your brain. Well, if you’ve missed them thus far, Vancouver guitar & drum duo Japandroids just might fit the bill. Though not nearly as grating as Nathan Williams’ bedroom punk — L.A. noise-rockers No Age are probably a more accurate comparison — Japandroids still know their way around a distortion pedal.
Post-Nothing is a bedlam of raucous garage-punk and gritty 90s alt-rock that thunders past in a fit of youthful nostalgia. Youthful being the keyword — Brian King and David Prowse drop the word “heart” in two different song titles, spill their guts like drunken, patience-testing teenagers, wail about being “crazy forever” in the appropriately titled “Crazy/Forever”, and talk about girls in at least half of the tracks. Yet, it all really comes off as more endearing than obnoxious. This may be music unabashedly imbued with familiarity, but Japandroids simply want to transport us back to a time when we might have triumphantly screamed along with them.
“Young Hearts Spark Fire” cranks up the angsty anthemics about as high as they’ll go. Guitar and drums crescendo into an all-out blitz, collapse into a brief moment of respite, only to build right back up as King and Prowse engage in a dual vocal attack full of lines fit for shouting off rooftops after passing around a bottle.
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Download:Japandroids - Young Hearts Spark Fire Buy: Order Post-Nothing directly from Polyvinyl Records as CD or LP (either of which comes with a free mp3 download). Also, be sure to check them out on their re-scheduled tour of North America that kicks off on June 24th (click here for dates).
Here We Go Magic, the latest project from experimental folk-rocker Luke Temple, is enjoying its share of love this year. Moving from the rhythmic, Paul Simon-recalling pop textures of “Only Pieces” through a swirl of top-notch ambient-pop and bedroom psych-folk, their debut record has received favorable attention from Pitchfork, Gorilla vs. Bear, Stereogum, Cokemachineglow, and elsewhere. Even Grizzly Bear’s Ed Droste blogged about his love for the album. And as we near the midpoint of 2009 and I start to reflect on the year thus far (expect more on that in a couple weeks), I’ve got to say that Here We Go Magic has easily become one of my favorite records released over these past several months. Look for them out on tour with Grizzly Bear throughout June (check the remaining dates here).
Recently, Here We Go Magic stopped by Daytrotter and dropped a three song session. Of particular note is brand new song “Collector”, though the live takes on both “Only Pieces” and “Fangela” (my favorite from their debut) are stellar as well. Head over to Daytrotter to stream and download all three tracks.
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Download:Here We Go Magic - Fangela Buy: Order Here We Go Magic from Insound as CD or mp3, or from Western Vinyl on LP (with bonus track). Watch: Peep the video for another standout, “Tunnelvision”, down below… and make sure to full-screen it.
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And, if you haven’t heard it yet, shoot over to NPR and stream Dirty Projectors‘ incredible Bitte Orca in its entirety… seriously, how good has 2009 been so far?
As we officially enter the final stretch in our wait for Grizzly Bear’s breathtaking third full-length, Veckatimest, the band has hit us with a few excellent tidbits to help make the next few days go by that much faster. Yesterday, the boys dropped by the studios of WYNC Radio to give an interview interspersed with performances of some stripped-down, acoustic versions of songs from the upcoming record. I’ve been consistently impressed by the quality of Grizzly Bear’s live sessions — they’re always remarkably tight, textured, and penetrating — and this most recent foray is surely one of their finest sets. You can stream the whole session (”All We Ask”, “Two Weeks”, “Dory”, “While You Wait for the Others”, “Too Little Too Late (JoJo cover)”, “Foreground”) over at NPR.
And now the first video from Veckatimest has arrived. The fantastic lead single “Two Weeks” was the subject for prolific music video director (and member of The Directors Bureau) Patrick Daughters and not unlike Grizzly Bear’s video for “The Knife” (directed by Encyclopedia Pictura), Daughters’ take on “Two Weeks” is pretty effective at fostering some discomfort for the viewer… at least this viewer. Watch the band get their explosive ventriloquist dummy/zombie choir boy on down below.
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Download:Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks Buy: Pre-order Veckatimest from Insound on CD or vinyl and get an awesome free poster (while supplies last). You can stream the whole record at Grizzly Bear’s myspace and don’t forget about their tour (which starts in two days). Check out the dates here.
Brooklyn multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark, who records as St. Vincent, is set to release her sophomore full-length on May 5th via 4AD. Don’t get it twisted, this bona fide indie heartthrob is much more than just a pretty face — aside from her remarkable debut album, Marry Me (which I must point out is an Arrested Development reference), Clark has also spent time as a member of The Polyphonic Spree as well as Sufjan Stevens‘ touring band and before that attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music. But, like any great musician, the elements of her impressive past are really just becoming notes in a constant progression as she unravels a range of emotions and themes in increasingly majestic elegance.
St. Vincent’s latest opus, Actor, is not primarily an Arrested Development reference (though it could be), but instead appears to be an allusion to the songwriting process she adopted for the album. While cycling through some of her favorite films (including Picnic at Hanging Rock, Badlands, Pierrot Le Fou, Stardust Memories, The Wizard of Oz, and Sleeping Beauty) with the volume turned down, Clark began each song on Actor as a kind of soundtrack for particular scenes. These musical interpretations were later fleshed out and propelled into their own artistic orbit with exceptional songwriting, clever lyrics, rich arrangements, varied instrumentation, and notable guitar chops. At once cinematic, intimate, genuine, eloquent and at times playful, these songs represent a new level of artistry for St. Vincent and yield a record that is more comfortable, confident, and cohesive than her previous work.
One of Annie Clark’s most apparent strengths is her ability to incorporate ostensibly disparate elements in graceful juxtaposition. Throughout Actor, sweeping woodwinds and strings collide with intricate and occasionally crushing guitar work, bubbling synth, driving electro-bass, and moments of unsettling dissonance. Album opener “The Strangers” is a pastiche of nearly all these elements — its brief, ethereal introduction quickly fades into forceful kick drum stomps and a mysterious swirl of acoustic guitar picks and what could be effects-laden harmonics. Accented by woodwind flourishes, Annie’s angelic vocals float atop this slowly building crescendo until it all explodes into a dense, distorted guitar attack. The latest single, “Actor Out of Work”, is far more immediate; just over two minutes, the track opens with a quick intake of breath from Clark before an unrelenting burst of bold drums and guitars pierce the momentary silence, with splices of noisy synth cutting in between her smooth, swaying vocals.
Somehow Marry Me was criminally overlooked when I compiled my list of favorite albums from 2007, but I can assure you that Actor won’t experience a similar fate.
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Also, be sure to go see St. Vincent on her upcoming U.S. tour with Pattern is Movement. I haven’t seen her as of yet, but it sounds like her live show is solid. Tour dates included after the jump.
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