Australia’s intrepid loop tamer Faux Pas is back with more flavor than a bag of Sunkist Fruit Gems. His sophomore effort (such a music critic’s term; who in real life ever calls a second album a “sophomore effort”?) is called Entropy Begins at Home. Here are a couple tastes:
For the Trees [MP3, 6.5MB, 192kbps]
Hermann’s Hermans [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]
Barr
Just thought I’d take a sharp turn after all the pop posts of late… Brendan Fowler has been called a “motivational rapper” by some. I wouldn’t call his work “motivational” or “rap” — but I think I agree with the sentiment. I mean, the guy’s doing his thing and no one else’s. And I guess that in itself is motivational. As for the rap thing, Brendan (or Barr) spews disjointed, autobiographical streams of consciousness over basic drum beats — kind of like a more self-aware Wesley Willis, or an introspective King Missile. So it ain’t singing and it’s somewhat rhythmic, but to call it rap… All I know is it’s far more entertaining than most spoken word I’ve ever heard. So I guess there’s my pocket description: “better than spoken word” — have at it.
Is All for Updated [MP3, 3.8MB, 192kbps]
A Call [MP3, 2.5MB, 160kbps]
Lights Out [MP3, 3.2MB, 160kbps]
The Dance Floor, Get on It…This Beat Is Klepto-tronic
If anyone is capable of making the term “mash-up” seem inadequate, it’s the inimitable Kleptones, who have a new double-decker called 24 Hours. Below are a couple teasers, but you can grab the whole thing via torrent or à la carte over at Kleptones Central.
Closer to the Boxer [MP3, 6.2MB, VBR]
The Cure’s “Close to Me” vs. Asheru’s “Think About” vs. Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”
What’s the Matter With Your Lines, Baby [MP3, 4.4MB, VBR]
Duran Duran’s version of “White Lines” (ewww!) vs. Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells’ “What’s the Matter With You Baby”
Imagine the End of the World [MP3, 6.1MB, VBR]
Super Furry Animals’ “It’s Not the End of the World” vs. John Lennon’s “Imagine”
Islands
For some reason I really enjoy beating Clay to the punch. Not even sure why. But I know he’s gonna be bummed he didn’t find this one first, because he really likes The Unicorns. And Islands consists of two members of The Unicorns, Nick and J’aime, after what sounds like an ugly break-up. They crossed paths in Los Angeles on the set of Woody Allen’s “Melinda and Melinda” as walk-ons in the same scene. Fate, and mutual pity, brought the two closer together when both their parts were cut from the film (side note: OK, I’ve always wanted to be an extra in a Woody Allen film—Juliet Taylor if you’re reading this and Woody ever has a bit part for a thumbless guy, call me—and I’d be hating it too if I got that close!). We feel your pain and love the result: more crisp, clean pop from Montreal. Thanks to Filter for digging up the MP3.
Sukpatch
They’re back! They’re back! Sukpatch are back! After a near seven-year hiatus, Chris and Steve are finally about to drop a new full-length full of polished bedroom beats, guitar loops, and slacker poetry on our aching ears. (If you need to get caught up on these fools, head over to Slabco and download their first two albums for free, ’cause that’s how Slabco rolls.) To celebrate their new release, Sukpatch have put out an open call for remixes. Go to the Music section of their site to download remix files and instructions. The rest is up to you…and Reason, Ableton, Cakewalk, Acid, or whatever the kids are using these days. Good luck on that.
The Situation
With The La’s making a comeback, it might be time for some young lads from this side of the Atlantic to bring back that Manchester feeling in their own Americanized way. The strong bassline, Philadelphia-accented nasally vocals, and infectious rhythm make it clear that The Situation have taken their cue from the flop-topped Brit-pops of the early ’90s. But that’s a good thing when you add a little Philly soul.
POSTSCRIPT: As Oliver astutely pointed out in the comments below, The La’s are actually a product of Liverpool, which geographically is just a short drive from Manchester but psychologically may as well be Athens to Manchester’s Sparta—or vice-versa if you prefer. Anyhow, rest assured of one thing: The Situation is still from Philly, and they still rock it.
Guggenheim Grotto
This is soft music with slight edges. As such, it’s probably some of the most accessible stuff posted on 3hive for people into folk, Iron & Wine and understated strings. These tracks from GG’s A Lifetime in Heat EP are touching tracks that your average Sum41 or Good Charlotte fan will run screaming from. These tracks are perfect for bringing up next time someone says, “they don’t write songs like this anymore”.