I was raised on Coldcut, or at least raised after my rebirth as a Ninja Tune baby. Cold Krush Cuts, a two-CD set mixed by Coldcut, DJ Food and DJ Krush, pretty much changed my whole perspective on DJs: these guys could rock a block party ’til the break of dawn with a sound just as at home at the Whitney Biennial as on a dancefloor. They’re still doing it, and like true producer-minded DJs they’ve brought in a stellar cast of MCs and collaborators on their upcoming full-length of originals, so give this one with Roots Manuva a spin or two.
Parts & Labor
Parts & Labor is a Brooklyn trio that makes some noise — some very noisy noise. Don’t let that deter you if it ain’t your thing, because the way all that noise is organized on “A Great Divide,†well, it’s darn near rapturous. Screaming guitars, drums pulsating like helicopter blades, vocals shouted through a bullhorn, bleeps and burps and explosions like a Radio Shack under siege — and it all comes together like there’s a riot in your headphones and everyone’s invited!
b.fleischmann
As I was putting together my best of 2005 list and got to the “artists we wish we could put on 3hive but who don’t offer fre and legal MP3 links so alas…” section, I instinctively started jotting down all my favorite Morr Music artists. Then I double-checked b.fleischmann’s website and realized, while Morr continues to embed their music in that damn lovely, illustrated Flash site of theirs, the artist is a bit more giving of his wares. Working bottom to top, these tracks demonstrate our man’s evolution from laptop glow to a richer blend of analog and digital textures. “Phones and Machines” is a fine example of the latter, a preview from The Humbucking Coil (pre-order from Boomkat). Here’s to more Morr in 2006!!
Deerhoof
I don’t believe we’ve ever tested our readers odd meter. Meaning, how odd do you like your music? What’s your oddness threshold? To some listeners, Deerhoof will sound like Top 40 fodder. Others may find it a bit quirky for their tastes. Deerhoof will make a great gauge. So here’s the test: the following MP3s are listed in order of their palatability. Most palatable, in my opinion, first. Start with “Milk Man” and work your way down, then share with us how far you got in the comments. If all the songs are too odd for your taste, leave a zero; if you get all the way through the songs and are dying to hear more, leave a seven, then get shopping. This much I can tell you, “Milk Man” is gonna make your day. It’s what you’d hear in the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame if it were curated by Willy Wonka.
Twink
Boston native Mike Langlie, a.k.a. Twink, has quite the collection of toy pianos and he’s not afraid to use them — the last six tracks here are proof of that. On his new album he picks apart the childrens’ records he’s used over the years as inspiration for their melodies and moods and rebuilds a dusty, playful romp.
Brokeback
Brokeback — a.k.a. Douglas McCombs from Tortoise and Eleventh Day Dream, and a few friends — offers dreamy release in this lovely track. Let’s see, how many soft and cushy adjectives can be piled up on “Name’s Winston…”? Ethereal, soothing, idyllic, pensive. There’s four, at least.
Explosions in the Sky
We were watching Friday Night Lights and digging on the soundtrack. I was all, “This sounds like Mogwai” and Heather was all “Yeah” and I’m all “But Mogwai in a football movie?” and Heather’s all “Yeah.” Then we froze the credits and had to pick up our jaws from the floor. It wasn’t Mogwai. It was Explosions in the Sky, from Austin, Texas. These two tracks pack a big wallop. Kind of like Texas. Almost sweet at first, once the build hits you, it’s like senior year all over again.
Kingfisherg
Kingfisherg is from Liege, Belgium, and is on Carte Postal Records. Now you know as much as I do about Kingfisherg. But with electronic music this enchanting, that’s really all you need to know. You see, at my new job, I’m on the other side of a raspberry-colored cubicle wall from a woman who listens to easy listening that frankly BLASTS from the radio on her desk. No, it’s not actually that loud, but I cannot think while being forced to listen to this music. Fortunately for me, I can put on my headphones and listen to Kingfisherg’s brand of easy listening.
Skeletons & the Girl-Faced Boys
Weirdo, funk pop that’s sure to “git” the party started. Or not. Depends on the party. Depends on the party favors. Reminds me of this book I’m reading where a young Nigerian boy dresses up like Elvis singing and dancing for tips, but Skeletons & the Girl-Faced Boys are the polar opposite: white boys dressing up and getting funky à la Prince.
Ariel Pink
Don’t worry about the bitrate on these, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference. Ariel Pink is all about lo-fi, right down to the crappy Angelfire website (yes, that’s his official website oops, it’s a fan site — see comments). His songs start with classic pop music forms — here we have psychedelic doo-wop (“Jules Lost His Jewels”) and new wave romanticism (“For Kate I Wait”) — then warp them to the very brink of listenability. But they are listenable, even enjoyable, because they’re like that favorite mixtape that you left in the car on a hot summer day: you still listen to it through the warble and hiss, because you know the music well enough to tune into its essence. “C’est la vie, c’est la vie, comme çi, comme ça…”