Culture of Fear itself

The other day, I mentioned Thievery Corporation's new CD Culture of Fear was/is streaming live. Now the title track is being offered free @ Amazon.com. Get it while you can! The new album, which was just released Tuesday is gettin' some positive reviews! Thievery Corporation will be playin' @ The Fox Theater
in Oakland Sept 16 & 17!

All Shook Down

We got another festival comin' up and it's petite but packs a punch. All Shook Down is takin' place this August 6 @ The Regency Ballroom and although it's tagged as a festival I can't embrace that tag since it's goin' on indoors. Even so, The Regency guarantees intimate views of performances no matter where you decide to smoke a doobie. What? It is a festival afterall. Crystal Castles is headlining with other performers including The Blank Tapes and Battlehooch, the list goes on. It's an eclectic mix of performers so get to Regency and have some fun damnit!

Diggin' some Beach Fossils

Riding the wave of beach-rock music, Beach Fossils' latest What a Pleasure is dreamy and forlorn. It's more rock than say Best Coast, but it's those echoey vocals that make this album so sexy. I love a good male vocal with a lot of yearning in it and What a Pleasure takes it to another level. Check out 'Adversity' and 'Fall Right In' for two great examples.

Shangri-La has arrived

Yacht's album Shangri-Lais out and streaming for free @ AOL. The interface is pretty awesome. You can also stream the new Thievery Corporation album here! Also a great album, Culture of Fear reminds me of a great videogame called The Getaway. A definite oldie but the soundtrack was kick-ass!

Muse-ic!

Between work and life maintaining a blog is not easy. Big props to peeps who do this day in and day out! I'm thinking about ways to make this work more efficiently so bear with me por favor. Check out these tracks: all good, all fun.

Junior Boys 'A Truly Happy Ending' (Diamond Ring Mix)



Cat's Eyes 'The Crying Game'



Generationals 'Trust'



Theophilus London 'Why Even Try'



Mushy 'No More'

Thundercat...hoooooooo!

Getting groovy at work today. If you're a fan of Toro y Moi you're gonna dig Thundercat. I'd imagine if Ang Lee had decided to take a more Gus Van Sant route on Brokeback Mountain Thundercat would surely have been included on the soundtrack. Just go with it; don't fit it! Dreammmmy.

Viva la Weekend Pride Edition!

Let me see you dance

Nomi Ruiz is performing tomorrow at Som Bar in the Mission. Fans of Hercules and Love Affair will recognize the hottie as the voice behind 'You Belong' and 'My House'. She also has a side project Jessica 6 that's put out some booty shakin' jams! So get to the Mission for some extracurricular Pride fun. Check out the new Hercules and Love Affair track 'Painted Eyes' below and DL it for free!!

Nightlife embraces Gay Fish

So Pride is upon us once again and although I'm not a huge Pride party-boy I've been known to attend an event or two. One of those events happens to be taking place tonight at the California Academy of Science's Thursday Nightlife! It looks to be an entertaining evening. DJ's, drink booths, Trannies, and film shorts from this years Frameline are all on the itinerary! Check it out and show some Pride!

Sit back and relax.

The new Bon Iver album is fresh! I won't lie the first I heard of Bon Iver was on the Twilight soundtrack. Have you heard that track? It's good, so shut it! Back with a new album and more electro than before the self-titled album breaks new ground but is definitely Bon Iver. It's a solid listen that I think you'll enjoy no matter what your musical tastes are. I couldn't find a stream or vid for it but 'Hinnom, TX' is my favorite track! Listen to the entire album HERE!

Playing: Berkeley Greek Theater! Sept 22!

Suck it and See

Arctic Monkeys new album Suck it and See rocks! Playin' catchup at work so can't get too into how much it rocks. Download these tracks stat!

The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
All My Own Stunts
Reckless Serenade.

That's all.

Lord Knows Best, I'm back to the grind.

I've spent the last few days dying and being attacked by rabid animals, but I'm alive and semi-well so here goes nothing. There's something to be said about ethereal rock. You know that ambient kinda Velvet Underground/Morphine stuff that's trippy but catchy at the same time. Dirty Beaches are channeling sum a dat on the album Badlands. 'Sweet 17', 'Lord Knows Best' and 'True Blue' are amazing examples of Dirty Beaches' talent. Dirty Beaches is doing a free show as part of The Clift Hotel's 'Clift Sessions' August 19. Make sure to RSVP for a spot! Check it.

Viva la Weekend!

Not Getting There

Blonde Redhead is coming to The Independent June 30th. They'll be joined by the Luyas, read about them here. They are a great combo and should be a fantastic show! Blonde Redhead has definitely evolved into a more sing-a-long friendly sessy band. Their initial efforts were a bit too harsh for my tastes but the latest CD Penny Sparkle is awesome and sultry. Check it and go to the show June 30th.

Dap that ass!

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are opening the Stern Grove Fest season this year Sunday June 19th! Best of all it's FREE! Cant beat that with a stick. Get there early or bring some binoculars because the Grove gets full fast! Sharon Jones has influenced a genre, Amy Winehouse even kidnapped the Dap Kings for performances. She's a husky-voiced Dusty Springfield that gets the groove just right! Check it...maybe if the stars align I might run into you at the Grove!

Róisín is dat chu?

Everybody's gotta have a favorite Róisín Murphy song, right? She's absolutely amazing and absolutely unique. There was some big hype around Róisín and Lady Gaga as to whether one was imitating the other. Well you know what they say, yeah? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, thank you Gaga. So back to the post at hand. I was shopping the other day and I heard a song that I initially mistook for Róisín or possibly Moloko. It was perplexing because I kinda pride myself an expert on all things Róisín (can you tell I like typing Róisín?). It turns out the song was actually from a group called Belleruche. The song, 'Anything You Want (Not That)' is killer! Their music is oh so Róisín; have a listen. The Express album is a bit more Róisínesque so check that one for sure! Now werq it out!

Feelin' Special

Thanks to all the Happy Birthday wishers! I feel so special; really! I don't have time to do a real post this afternoon but here's a great article from NPR that kinda affirms what I'm doin' here. Check it! Besos!

Special Ed.

So today's my special day, thank you thank you. Boy do I feel special!!! wink wink! I have cupcakes comin' out of my ears! XOXOX. I digress...even though it's my birthday I'm still super biz at work!!! Send xanax! Here's some good music to discover. Esp. diggin' CocoRosie. Check it!

Anne get your gun!

Still workin' at a frantic pace. Newish music: Anne mixtapeone. It's part Raveonettes, part Stone Roses but somehow still comes across as fresh. It's raw rock like I like it. They just did a show in Oakland so not sure when they're back in the Bay. Check it.

You Fell For It

Drownin' in work. Jammin' out to The Whitsundays! Have a listen to Saul their latest. It's a modern-day 70's rockers wet dream. Two of my favorite songs below. Check it.

What a way to earn a livin'

This weekend I watched a funny movie called Easy A starring Emma Stone. It was like 2010's answer to Mean Girls. It wasn't done as well but still provided some great laughs; Emma Stone was hilarious. Anyhoo the movie kinda played off of 80's teen-angst John Hughesy stuff and it got me thinking; what songs would I want in my teen angst movie? Here's what I've come up with:

Anne-Stripping (more on Anne later!)


Raveonettes-I wanna be adored


Hope Sandoval-Charlotte


Broadcast-Come on Let's Go


Crystal Castles-Violent Dreams

Yelle Yelle

If you like fun bubbly pop music then you need to add some Yelle to your life. She recently released an album, Safari Disco Club, with all new tracks and it's a big step in the right direction. 2008's Ce Jeu, while being a fun album, was a little too loud and noisey for my taste. Check out the title track and the vids below. Also if you haven't figured it out yet, the album is in French; don't let that stop you! Check it.

Viva la Weekend!

Foster the People, people!

So I'm kinda feeling better. Work is kickin' my ass hard!!! So a short post this morning. Check out Foster the People's new album Torches. I'm sure you'll recognize 'Pumped up Kicks' it's had some serious play on the radio and has over 3.5 million views on youtube! Truly the entire album is a good time. They're another band that's hittin' up Outside Lands. Sell a kidney if you want tickets! You'll live; you have two you know? Check it.



Not the official video but I dig it!

Even Smokey loves Friendly Fires

I'm at home sick as a dog but need to do something productive today so here's my attempt. Friendly Fires new album Pala is out and damn is it good! We just missed them @ The Independent! Boo for us. Oh well there will be a next time. Have a listen to the album, I'm really diggin' 'Hawaiian Air' and 'Pull me Back to Earth'. Check it and think healthy thoughts for me.

On a Day Like This.

Good things are happenin' people; life is good! Get's even better when you got some good music to listen to. San Francisco based Meklit Hadero is a little bit Feist, Norah Jones, and a wee bit Cesaria Evora all jumbled into one syrupy-voiced chanteuse. She's getting more and more momentum so you'll probably be hearing about her all over the place! Check out the vids below and mellow out...you only live once! You can also see her live @ The Independent June 23!

The Black Keys to my heart.

Been enjoying The Black Keys album Brothers lately. It's bluesy-rockin'-funk that you can get yo groove on to. They're here for Outside Lands, which last time I checked was sold out. BOOO! Don't let that stop you from jammin' to Brothers though. 'Next Girl', 'Tighten Up', 'Too Afraid to Love You'...fuck it the entire album rocks. Check it.

They tried to make her go to Rehab...

You know what I love about having an iPod shuffle? You never know what gem will pop up unexpectedly. For instance today's shuffle artist was Amy Winehouse. It seemed as though every other song was a Winehouse tune. 'Take the box, 'Love is a losing game' and my favorite 'Wake up alone'. Winehouse is raw talent, talent that's sadly going to waste. Who knows what the real reason behind all her troubles are? I'm gonna go with self-esteem issues but jesus it's sad. Other sassy Brit singers have come up to take her place; Adele, Duffy, Jessie J to name a few but none come close to her gritty sound. Argue with me on that point if you want but have a listen to some Winehouse and tell me she ain't a diamond in the rough. Here's to her comeback!

Pretty, Pretty.

If you're a Björk fan, you've most likely heard of Matmos. If you haven't listen up. Matmos, who used to live in San Francisco, are playing tomorrow night @ Bottom of the Hill. Should be an interesting show! Their latest was a collaboration with So Percussion Treasure State and it was stellar. They do experimentational sound like no other! Here are a few Matmos vids to enjoy. Speaking of Björk, she's at it again. A new album is coming soon and it looks to be groundbreaking! More on that later.

One of the last songs I remember listening to with my little brother.

Rockin' Robyn

You've probably figured out I got a thing for Robyn? Ya? Good! I'm super swamped at work but I wanted to share this documentary. It's all about Robyn. Click the CC unless you understand Swedish. Also throwin' a great track by Royksopp. Enjoy kiddos.

Cruise-in' for a bruisin'

Twin Peaks is now streaming on Netflix! I know I've spoken of Twin Peaks here before and if you've ever seen an episode you'll more than likely recognize the voice of Julee Cruise. She released a fantastic album The Art of Being A Girl ($4.59 @ amazon) late last year and if you're into Bossanova lounge lizard stuff you're gonna fall for it. One of my all-time favorite Cruise songs is 'Rockin' Back Inside my Heart' which is classic Cruise.

Wash your Sins away...Weekend Edition.

Enjoy the rain this weekend. Clean your house. Snuggle with yo hunny. Eat, Drink, Love. Just stay dry. On another note: Adele's Saturday concert has been cancelled and rescheduling is up in the air at this point. Poor girl. She needs to put those damn cigarettes down! See ya'll Monday!

NuMusic

So I've included 'Call Your Girlfriend' by Robyn a few times in my weekend playlist and she's finally released the video for it. I'm seriously diging two thangs. Her blonde version of my herrrdo (well sorta) and the freakin dance moves! Werq it out Robyn! Still busy at work so that's all for now. Check it.

Idiot Rain this weekend

So I just read on weather.com that this weekend is gonna be a wet one! REAL WET! FUCK! Oh well, I have a few crafty projects to work on so 'F' you mother nature! Speaking of rain, check out Banjo or Freakout's 'Idiot Rain'. It will play perfectly this gloomy weekend and of course check out the entire self- titled album. (still busy over here)

How to Feel.

Super swamped @ work=short post. New gem: Rochelle Jordan. Have a listen, do some research, love her.



Skip to .52 for song. She's good right?

Preferred: Son Lux

The Antlers tweeted a recommedation; so I've been listening to Son Lux and am impressed. If you like Radiohead (heavy on the Thom Yorke influence), Sigur Ros or even Gus Gus you're gonna enjoy We Are Rising. Listen to this interesting NPR story from All Songs Considered about the impetus behing the album. Check it and enjoy.

UPDATE: Something Good Can Work

UPDATE: TDCC will be playing The Warfield Sept 23! Tickets available soon!!!

The other day I was eating at Suppenkuche and pretty much the entire time Paul Simon was playing. Great music from a musical genius. So it makes sense to me that new rockers would emulate the Simon sound. Vampire Weekend is a great example; but have a listen to Two Door Cinema Club. Their album Tourist History is a breezy ode to summer vacations. You can get the album from amazon for 5 bones! Check out the RAC remix of 'Something Good Can Work'. It's killer! BTW they are touring with no set date for SF but I'm buggin' them about it!