Articles written by: Derek
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I am the creator of Brasky.org. I have been dabbling in web projects since I first started using the Internet. Tampa is my hometown, where I attended USF studying Computer Science. I have since relocated to Miami to work in SEO. Music is my main creative interest, a passion that inspired me to join forces with my fellow Braskies and serve up the awesome from the Sunshine State and beyond.
After four weeks of ball-frostingly cold weather, February has mercifully yielded control of the calendar. Despite its chronological impotence, February did find time to produce for us a belly-warming assortment of new music (which we continue to savor, mmm). Unfortunately, we also choked on a few bitter concoctions along the way, and hoping to protect our dear readers, we have chosen to include those in this month’s report.
Without further ado, Brasky team is happy to humbly offer up our assertions on the best–and worst–of new music in February 2010.
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So the time was Fall 2006, when Aaron, myself, and that Colombian pal of ours (we’ll call him “Pablito”) were getting into DXM* (please see footnote) for psychedelic experiences. You can get a bit wacky on that stuff, and Aaron seemed particularly susceptible in that regard. One night, about an hour after taking it, Pablito and I left for the store to pick something up. Aaron, meanwhile, didn’t hear (or comprehend) our announcement, and, starting to succumb to the effects of the drug, was very confused/puzzled that we were gone. Alone and on the Internet, Aaron soon encountered a post on usfbullshit.com by our friend Gina reporting that her hamster had died. His name was Thom:
What happened next is as true as I can recall it.
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DISCLAIMER: Brasky does not recommend this album in the sense that it is good. We recommend it in the sense that it is free. |
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We here at Brasky would like to send a shoutout to our irl friends over at MUSiC SNiTCH, another Florida-based blog that reports on emerging music. Recently they got their hands on some copies of the new Midlake album, The Courage of Others.
To snag a free copy, just join the SNiTCH Twitter or fan page on Facebook and you’ll be entered. No gator motorcycles are being given away.
For more details, hop over to MUSiC SNiTCH and learn how to win*
* seriously, no alligator bikes
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I am trying hard not to slip into an episode of caps lock right now. But I have received news of an amazing raffle going on here in the gunshine state. FloridaInshoreAngler.com is raffling this thing:
Is that a….CHOPPER MADE OUT OF A GATOR? SORRY I COULD NOT TYPE IT WITHOUT CAPS. BUT WHAT IS THIS CROC ROCKET (HAH) (HAH) WORTH???
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Ever wondered what people search for on the Internet when they believe no one’s “looking”? If you work as an SEO (search engine optimization analyst), you have probably undertaken the dubious task of looking through databases of real search queries. Usually they are boring and practical, but occasionally there are some keywords so extraordinarily vulgar or inexplicable, that they beg for your contemplation.
And thus, SEOLOL.net was born.
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While we like to keep things light around here, we have a serious warning. Pandas have escaped onto the Internet and are ravenously consuming data with their bone crushing jaws, bamboo-obliterating incisors, and incendiary temperaments. That is, our friends at Grooveshark would like you to believe that. This past week they issued an advisory to users to upgrade their version of Flash to protect users from a emerging security vulnerability that exposes users to risk of viruses, worms, and–yes–pandas.
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January releases in cinematic terms mean one thing: we are embarrassed, we know these movies suck, but here they are anyway. A studio has to make money, even when Oscar season is stepping up. Who releases a musical album in January, then? The answer is Geniuses. I’m not sure if it is a psychological attempt to be ‘firstsies’ on the new decade so far as releases go, but January was packed with big name offerings. Highly anticipated releases from Vampire Weekend, Beach House, and Jaga Jazzist are exciting early contenders for album of the year. Without further ado, we have reviewed seven albums complete with ratings out of ten. Enjoy (read: Raucously disagree).
Albums:
| Vampire Weekend – Contra |
7.5/10
Highlights:
Holiday
White Sky
Cousins |
This upstart foursome from New York may still be reeling from the success of their first offering, 2007’s self-titled album. Widely regarded as one of the best indie albums of that year, the buzz in anticipation of their sophomore studio album must have seemed daunting. In today’s fast-moving, Internet-spurned music industry, it seems few bands have succeeded in keeping favor with the hip for more than one album. We’re here to say that we think they survived (Just avoid “Horchata“)
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There is no mistaking that this album is by the same band that we all fell in love with in the summer of ‘07. Ezra Koenig’s vocals slide all over the scale, as chirping keyboards and peppy guitars weave around each other in that distinct Vampire way. We think this is no truer than on Holiday, this album’s A-Punk. But despite the familiarity, this album seems to experiment a bit more, perhaps influenced by producer Rostam Batmanglij’s explorative journey as part of the duo Discovery. We have all been running through this album and I think we agree that the tracks almost all seem to grow on you–except that damned vocal hook in “Horchata“. Perhaps we have a band that is here to stay. |
| Beach House – Teen Dream |
8.0/10
Album Highlights:
Norway
Zebra
Used To Be |
Teen Dream is both beautiful and atmospheric; the subtle, almost unnoticeable accompaniment of the piano in most songs is a testament to the band’s instrumental harmonization. Upon first listen, though, this characteristic causes the songs to seem indistinguishable, requiring several listens before I was able to truly appreciate their finespun appeal.
I especially love Used To Be. Its introduction is more powerful than that of the other songs, but it slowly tapers, which is suggestive of a progressively emotional ending – a good formula for this group. |
| Four Tet – There is Love in You |
5/10
Album Highlights:
Love Cry |
For those among us who have followed Four Tet, we know that a Kieran Hebden track is a layered and linear cerebral event. There is Love in You is a collection of tracks carries on his legacy of sample-heavy, drummy, beat-loyal chillout music. This album leans toward the minimalist house ingredient in the Four Tet arsenal, making this album less-than-ideal for a focused listening session. Some of the tracks feel a little lackluster, but it’s hard to dismiss the work of an artist whose stirred the emotions of so many with passionately engineered sonic offerings…. but I think we should suggest listeners skip this one unless they know exactly what they’re bargaining for. |
| Ok Go -Of the Blue Colour of the Sky |
7/10
Album Highlights:
WTF |
Ok Go have historically bucked the trend of being easily ‘classifiable’. Are they a radio rock mainstay, as hits like ‘Get Over It’ suggest? Are they niche-pop superstars, measured roughly by the arcing success of singles like ‘A Million Ways’? Are they
the first true internet band? One would not have to have ever paid a visit to Youtube to have seen their treadmill jumping antics (the original video is nearing 50 million views). But even after all that exposure, has Ok Go successfully cemented themselves as a perennially popular band?
They continue to raise questions with their newest album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky. Although devoid of jaw-dropping, guitar hero worthy anthems, this album is ready for radio, dance halls, and parties across the world. It is unabashedly sexy, fun, and strange. Many of the songs on the album could be from reunited 80s bands, or even dance-punk masters like The Faint or Electric Six. The bass slams, as usual, and many tracks get under your skin enough to force you to stand up and shake them out. The sexy, ‘licked whisper’ lyrics may polarize many listeners, yet the tone is consistent enough to have manageable highs and lows of stylization. Overall, it appeals to all classes of listeners without forgetting what the band set out to do: be as cool as fuck. This is Ok Go’s ‘Icky Thump’… energetic, daring, confident, refined, and well-honed. It also possesses that quality not often seen in major label releases: it gets better with repeated listens. It is well suited as an early decade release: a step forward, and in the right direction to boot. |
| Eels – End Times |
6/10 |
Many gloomy themes have passed through Eels’ world in the past twenty years. After his sister committed suicide, Mark Everett (or simply ‘E’) recorded the dark classic Electro-Shock Blues, and songs like ‘Novocaine for the Soul’ and ‘Cancer for the Cure’ have achieved some commercial success despite desperation and hopelessness at their poignant souls. End Times, Eels’ newest album, was recorded nearly exclusively on four track, and it thematically follows E’s recent divorce. His aging voice hasn’t lost the articulation to adequately voice heartbreak, confusion, and bitterness, and although the album may find itself exploring the new realm of relationships, a moribund approach is what E does best. As E says in the album’s final track, ‘On My Feet’, “I’m pretty sure that I’ve been through worse, [...] but I’m still dying inside.”
Through and through, End Times is a familiar record. Familiar tones, timbres, and topics. But what stands out beyond the foundation of the Eels repertoire is the ease with which these songs seem to flow, and the sardonic sense of humor that it takes to sit alone with a guitar and pluck out hopeful tunes about death by anonymity and suicide bombing is E’s happy place. If you mix Bob Dylan and Beetlejuice, this is the album that would likely be produced. It may not make any year-end lists or top 40 charts, but it does prove a point: that Eels is a consistently powerful band that always finds its muse, even if that muse may resemble a big stone angel hovering above a gravestone. |
| RJD2 – The Colossus |
6/10
Highlights:
Giant Squid
Let There Be Horns
A Son’s Cycle |
On his last album, The Third Hand, RJD2–a.k.a. Philadelphian RJ Krohn–experimented with more instrumentation and started singing on tracks. Krohn offers up vocals again on The Colossus, but shrewdly limits his singing to a few tracks, seeking out the vocal assistance of others instead. The Colossus features guest vocalists and performers on five tracks, varying from loungy serenades (see: Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Kenna) to a full-on hip hop (courtesy the stylings of The Catalyst, Illogical & NP on a strong track, “A Son’s Cycle”).
The album’s overall mood is mellow (psychedelic), funky, and important-seeming in a Flaming Lips meets Amon Tobin way. The production is impressive, something we come to expect from RJD2, but this album’s brew of popular funk/jazz sounds (Jamiroquai? Squarepusher funkscapes?) feels un-serious at times. Or perhaps fit for the movie soundtrack of a PG-13 movie? Or something I’d hear playing in public?
Criticism aside, the album has some good tracks. I especially enjoyed “Giant Squid“, a funky jam that seems closer to the style I had previously associated with RJ’s music. “Let There Be Horns“, the leadoff track, succeeds in entertaining by immersing its listener in Krohn’s world of funky drums, android synths, and–as you may guess-horns. I don’t think fans of RJD2 will be flat out disappointed, but I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone else (in its entirety, at least). |
| Jaga Jazzist – One Armed Bandit |
7.5/10 |
In their new album, One-Armed Bandit, Jaga Jazzist manages a number of feats: they take from their previous styles, while also improving on them and moving in new directions. Lush soundscapes form the background, while a blend of prog-rock, jazz fusion and electronica take the fore.
A Living Room Hush, their most acclaimed album, featured tracks that had musique concrète stylings. (As an aside, some of their songs have been remixed by Dat Politics and Matthew Herbert, groups often classified as musique concrète).One-Armed Bandit sees them moving away from this a bit, and more towards grand orchestral tracks fit for a movie score. Jaga Jazzist has been and continues to be an amazing creative machine that produces music fit for musicians, hipsters, and music geeks alike, |
Songs:
Here are some of our favorites from this month from releases not mentioned above:
I Blame Coco (Feat. Robyn) – “Caesar (Diplo Remix)
The Knife – Colouring Of Pigeons
The Xx – Islands (Nosaj Thing Remix)
Phoenix – 1901 (Memory Tapes Remix)
Gucci Man – Photoshoot (Flying Lotus remix)
Air – Sing Sang Sung (Black Moth Super Rainbow remix) (Download)
Rogue Wave – Stereogum (Download)
For many of you reading this, this is your first time visiting Brasky. We claim no precise niche here, but with us being a bunch of music geeks living all around Florida, music and Florida-related culture will be our focus. We will do our best to serve up content that is worthy of your interest.
The idea of a top 10 albums of the year helped spark the reinvention of Brasky.org, so we spared no effort in preparing a well-researched, carefully contemplated list. We hope that you enjoy this music as much as we have. And note, while we shy away from pop music because of its commercial contaminants, we do keep everything on the radar and do not necessarily dismiss popular acts (but trust me, we choked down some shitty albums during the review period).
Without further ado, here is our first offering, made from 100% Brasky.
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Mark our words: 2010 will be the year of the stream. Music stream services are emerging every month, busy negotiating agreements that keep their inventories growing.
With services like Pandora, imeem, Spotify, LaLa, and Grooveshark breaking onto the scene, it’s becoming increasingly easy to find music online.
Ever wonder why you can’t just “record” the music as it comes in? Well, you can. Here’s how.
Capturing Streams
Turns out there are many programs out there that can do this; some are better than others. I recommend WonderShare’s Streaming Audio Recorder. After you’ve hit record it will automatically detect when the song starts playing (if it isn’t already), and also detects when it ends. This actually allows you to set it to record and it will neatly rip each song on a stream playlist.
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“TITTIEST” wasn’t accepted.
