Friday Finds: Jacob Banks

Jacob Banks - "Worthy"

Fresh: MGMT

MGMT - "Cool Song No. 2"

A much darker direction than the psychadelic rock MGMT has given us in the past. "Cool Song No. 2" is mesmerising and textured, and with that fat, arpeggiated synth it has quite a Nine Inch Nails vibe to it.

Oh yeah, and the film clip only bloody stars Michael K. Williams (amazing).

Fresh: Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys - "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High"

Artist: Korallreven

Korallreven - "The Truest Faith"

So spring is on it's way here in NZ - already the days are longer and the layers are coming off, so the search is on for some great summer playlists. Swedish duo Korallreven have, over the past few years, released a bunch of sunshine-heralding tracks, including 2010's "The Truest Faith", as well as 2011's "Loved-Up" and "As Young As Yesterday" (featuring Victoria Bergsman).

Gig Bite: James Blake

Friday 2nd August, 2013

James Blake performed last night at the Auckland Town Hall, the perfect setting for what turned out to be a mesmerising and soulful showcase of his music. The set began and immediately the hall's wooden floor vibrated underfoot, in sympathy with the pulsing bass. I felt my head fall back to follow the trajectory of the stage lights through the smoke above the gathered crowd, and saw the ceiling rigging cast moving shadows like huge structures on a turbulent white sea.

Fittingly, Blake, accompanied by guitarist Rob McAndrews and drummer Ben Assiter, seemed to craft a tidal performance over the evening, starting with the sparse and staggering "Air and Lack Thereof", and "I Never Learnt to Share", building to songs like "CMYK" that saw people in the stalls and those filling the floor dancing as though hypnotised.

Blake slowed it down at times for crowd-favourites like "Limit To Your Love" and finally ended the set with "Retrograde".

Friday Finds: Nicolas Jaar

Nicolas Jaar - "Why Didn't You Save Me"

Jaar has a textured and very interesting sound - house, but with glitchy techniques and sampling from a mix of styles and eras.

Fresh: Laura Marling

Laura Marling - "Master Hunter"

Not yet decided on this one, but I reckon it's a grower.




Also, how did I miss this one? Highly approve. It sounds like the new album will show a more matured and stripped-back direction for Marling.


Laura Marling - "When Brave Bird Saved"

Fresh: Active Child

Active Child - "Evening Ceremony"

I'd come across Active Child a couple of years ago when "You Are All I See" came out, but only found Pat Grossi's new work today, "Evening Ceremony". Stunning.

Artist: Luke Lalonde

Luke Lalonde - "Rhythmnals" (album)

Speaking of Born Ruffians...shit, listen to this with some nice headphones - this is how music should be mixed.

Artist: Born Ruffians

Born Ruffians - "I Need A Life"

I definitely remember seeing this song late one night on Rage but I'm not quite sure why this Canadian trio (now quartet) fell off my radar. After listening to this great cover of Beyonce's "Countdown" by The Elwins and Luke Lalonde of Born Ruffians for the past few months, I thought I should take another dip into their music.

Playlist: One Hit Wonderful

(p.s. that CD wasn't put there by us...this was just what we found walking the streets of Paris)

A Friday night with a couple of drinks inevitably leads to YouTube hopping. Tonight's theme: One Hit Wonders. So many of these are still on my regular rotating playlist.

1. Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy
2. Haddaway - What Is Love?
3. EMF - Unbelievable
4. White Town - Your Woman
5. Luscious Jackson - Naked Eye
6. Modern English - I Melt With You
7. Chumbawamba - Tubthumping (because why not? I loved this song before I understood the difference between a whiskey, lager, a cider or a vodka)
8. Modjo - Lady (Hear Me Tonight)
9. Semisonic - Closing Time
10. Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock - It Takes Two
11. Snow - Informer
12. Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You
13. The Waitresses - I Know What Boys Like
14. Lipps Inc. - Funky Town (more influence from my parents)
15. Cornershop - Brimful of Asha
16. Tag Team - Whoomp, There It Is

Playlist: Cameo Lover

Gotta love a good cameo film clip.

1. The Shoes - Time To Dance (Jake Gyllenhaal getting all psycho-killer and gym-junkie)
2. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Talk About The Blues (trifecta of Winona Ryder, Giovanni Ribisi and John C. Reilly)

3. Sonic Youth - Sunday (Macaulay Culkin. How cool is that?)

4. Michael Jackson - Remember The Time (Eddie Murphy)

5. Arctic Monkeys - Leave Before The Lights Come On (Paddy Considine and Kate Ashfield)

6. Badly Drawn Boy - Spitting In The Wind (Joan Collins)

7. Moby - We Are All Made Of Stars (various)

8. Chemical Brothers - Elektrobank (Sofia Coppola)

9. Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down (I know, another Arctic Monkeys one, but brilliant because it stars Lauren Socha and Stephen Graham)

10. UNKLE - Burn My Shadow (Goran Višnjić...was in ER apparently? I knew he looked familiar but to be honest this is a sneaky inclusion just because I love it)

11. Fatboy Slim - Weapon Of Choice (how could I forget the ultimate cameo clip star with Christopher Walken?)

On Repeat: Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend - "Step"

Vampire Weekend always put me in the mood to listen to some Paul Simon, so this is a kind of combined "On Repeat" - Vampire Weekend's "Step" and Paul Simon's "Obvious Child".




Paul Simon - "Obvious Child"



Looking forward to the new Vampire Weekend album - also check out (although you already know it, I know you do) "Diane Young". Nice to hear an upbeat, crunchy tune.

Cover It: Hungry Kids Of Hungary

Hungry Kids Of Hungary - "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards"

Some friends from back home - so glad to see how well they're doing! Here's them performing Tame Impala's "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards".

Remember...

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - "Tracks Of My Tears"

This kinda qualifies as an "On Repeat" entry, too, as I seem to be playing this one a lot of late. I can thank my Mum for my interest in Motown and this song was one of the most memorable songs of my childhood.

On Repeat: James Blake

James Blake - "Retrograde"

Friday Find: Jacques Dutronc

Jacques Dutronc - "Et Moi, Et Moi, Et Moi"

Okay, so it's Saturday now but this one still classifies as a Friday Find - I just didn't have the energy to blog last night. First week at a new job (loving it, by the way), and I had to round it off with some music, wine and methodical stirring of risotto, thus no blogging.

So! Jacques Dutronc. "Et Moi, Et Moi, Et Moi" is a great garage track - think the Kinks, Yardbirds, The Who, but with a French bounce. And yet the lyrics are actually quite contemplative and topical.

Playlist: Guilty Pleasures

I really shouldn't have any "guilty pleasures" - if I love a song or an artist than I should embrace it, right? *hiss*

1. Will Smith - Miami
2. Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls

3. Destiny's Child - Jumpin' Jumpin'

4. Dean Martin - Sway
5. Coldplay - Yellow
6. Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody
7. Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River
8. Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
9. R.E.M. - Everybody Hurts (okay, this become more of a rainy-day-pretty-sad playlist)
10. Richard Marx - Hazard
11. Charley Pride - Crystal Chandeliers (there you go, Mum)
12. Usher - Climax (not too embarrassing a track, but a bit melodramatic. Look! The Dirty Projectors cover!)
13. Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al
14. Rihanna - We Found Love (maybe it's just 'cause of the Mancunian intro and the Irvine Welshish atmosphere)

Remember: Icehouse

Icehouse - "We Can Get Together"

So good.

Album: "I Awake"

Sarah Blasko - "I Awake"

I'm a bit late to the game on this one (Sarah Blasko's I Awake was released in October last year), but it's tricky to stay atop new Australian releases from over the ditch (excuses).

Where As Day Follows Night had equal measures darkness and light, I find I Awake submerged fully in shade. As with her 2009 release, the new album features beautiful arrangements and truly interesting instrumentation, but unlike the warmly wistful single "All I Want" or the strong and plodding "Bird On A Wire", I Awake at first appears more fragile and despairing in nature.

The album opens with the title track, "I Awake" - tribal drums and open harmonies are met with a persistent tambourine and horn stabs. It's reminiscent of big-band rockabilly. And yet it's really not: the overall sound is very unique and this can be attributed to Blasko's husky voice, I think. It seems to pull the strands together and ground it within a familiar, but still different place.

Fresh: Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear - "gun-shy"

Almost too-close-for-comfort, the new clip from Grizzly Bear is a gross/magical document of the band members' being subjected to various medical examinations. Also check out some animated gifs of the video right here.

How the shit did I miss...(2012)?

alt-J - "Breeze Blocks"



Everything Everything - "Cough Cough"

Also see: "Kemosabe"

Artist: The Jungle Giants

The Jungle Giants - "She's A Riot"

Very sweet (as in genuinely sugary) band from Brisbane, picked up by Triple J Unearthed. Really catchy and I can't help supporting a good band from my hometown.

On Repeat: SBTRKT

SBTRKT - Trials Of The Past

SBTRKT's self-titled album was out in 2011, but it's only now that a clip for "Trials Of The Past" has been released, throwing it straight back on to repeated-play.

Playlist: Dance, Dance

Some impressive and unusual examples of music video dancing.

1. Janelle Monae - Tightrope (feat. Big Boi)
2. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow 
3. Radiohead - Lotus Flower
4. Daft Punk - Around The World

5. Nouvelle Vague - Dancing With Myself (using footage from Vivre Sa Vie) 

6. Custard - Girls Like That

7. Michael Jackson - Beat It (come on, dancing and knives?)

8. Chemical Brothers - Do It Again 

9. Slow Club - Two Cousins (featured this before, but how can you not?)

10. Beck - Hell Yes

11. Missy Higgins - Unashamed Desire (pretty good actually!)

12. Will Smith - Men In Black

13. Beirut - Elephant Gun