Featured Flashback Album: Ellen Allien - Thrills

Thrills is the fourth full length studio album from German electronic artist Ellen Allien. The ten tracks across the entire album feature blended elements of classic techno and new-age electro. The style of Allien has been said to be tough to pin to a specific genre, as she tends keep even the most flashiest of beats saturated with an experimental feel.

Though electronic in nature, Thrills also incorporates ethereal vocals to compliment the stylistic rhythms of her work. The opening track Come gives off a summative perspective on the album's musical intentions, as it uses heavy synth sets layered over a pronounced bass line. Definitely a good investment.

Tracklist for Tuesday December 23, 2008

Rex The Dog - Maximize 2008
The Knife - Silent Shout
Thunderheist - Bubblegum
Photophob - Huge Storm Coming
Ellen Allien and Apparat - Way Out
CFCF - Arctic
MSTRKRFT - Wow (Kylie Minogue)
Ladytron - Predict the Day
Deadmau5 - So There I Was
I Am Robot And Proud - Something To Write Home About
Danger - 19h11
Dosh - Don't Wait for the Needle to Drop
Junior Boys - Teach Me How To Fight
The Knife - Heartbeats (Rex The Dog Remix)
Headman - Catch Me If You Can (Bag Raiders Remix)
CFCF - Call Girl

Tracklist for Tuesday December 16, 2008

Justice - Phantom Pt. II
Junior Boys - In the Morning
Just a Band - We Are
Deadmau5 - Faxing Berlin
Deadmau5 - Not Exactly
Tycho - Sunrise Projector
MSTRKRFT - The Looks
Crystal Castles - Vanished
Danger - 11h30
MSTRKRFT - Street Justice (Essential Mix)
Mouse on Mars - Chartnok
Caribou - Lord Leopard
Concentrick - Undreamt
Headman - Catch Me if You Can (Bag Raiders Remix)
Apparat - Arcadia
Boys Noize - Oh! (A-Trak Remix)
Caribou - Pelican Narrows
Hot Chip - Hold On

Tracklist for Monday December 8, 2008

The Galvatrons - When We Were Kids (Bag Raiders Remix)
Boys Noize - Oh! (A-Trak Remix)
Crystal Castles - Black Panther
Deadmau5 - Complications
Some German Track I Can't Remember The Name Of
Kavinsky - Testarossa Autodrive (SebAstian Remix)
I Am Robot And Proud - The Catch
Tycho - The Daydream
Holy Fuck - Nude (Radiohead)

A Cross The Universe

Keep It Graphic

The proliferation of films being produced that are adapted or gain inspiration from graphic novels is creating a vivd pallet for all movie-goers alike. The craze beginning primarily with Frank Miller's Sin City has continued to inspire other directors and cinematic visionaries to start projects involving blockbuster films like Alan Moore's V for Vendetta and the visually stunning 300.

This attention to the original art form of these on-screen versions is also on the rise, the films themselves acting as catalysts for marketing. More and more readers are taking notice to this older form of art, which is well deserved. The form of the graphic novel is different from a normal comic book, wherein there is a finite story contained in it's pages as opposed to a continuing saga with endless room for monotony. This gives reader's a more concrete feeling when finishing the piece; it helps to create more substance. There are also many novels who's themes are generated to be darker and more adult in nature, separating the childish enthusiast from the learned theorist.

With the range of topics and stories within the universe of the graphic novel, it's no wonder movies like the upcoming Watchmen are highly anticipated and strongly received.

Accident and Emergency

Un peu transcendantal, non?

The END of the Internet

Make way for...The Grid.

An Epic Conclusion

From The Ground Up

What makes for an enjoyable evening while out?

Often I debate with myself what are the key factors in contributing to the fabrication of a successfully fun outing with friends and found there are, to me anyway, some crucial factors (which must be working in unison), to create a night out or a gathering a good one.

The Location
Usually a bar or pub, the location is the foundation upon which you build your event, and must be evaluated for its quality of drinks, lighting, food, atmosphere, and cleanliness (which the pros must out-weigh the cons).

The Weather
Choosing a home base for the outing ties in to the conditions outside that evening. Plans may go astray if there is too much walking when it is too cold out, or wanting to have a fire for that matter.

The "Meat"
The core of the gathering should be something everyone can relate to (music, cards, games, seal clubbing , etc). This however is subject to utility, where the greatest amount of people should be satisfied, because you'll always have a killjoy.

The Drinks
Just make sure, if there are drinks, that they're cold and plentiful, paying close attention to the specific preferences of others.

The Group
People who have the same interests and tastes which coincide with "the meat" of the evening work best, and will provide the greatest satisfaction during conversation (and being social in general)

These five elements are all attached and must be working for an event to be fully successful, not just for the host, but for all guests. And one last point: Drunkeness is a team effort; if one of your douche friends is falling over, you are obligated to help. Yeah, you.

It Takes More Than Fucking Someone To Keep Yourself Warm

This Scottish quintet from Selkirk, UK was something I stumbled upon by accident, however a prize find nonetheless. This band's second full-length release titled The Midnight Organ Flight is a culmination of fast paced blends of acoustic guitars and accentual fiddles, floating effortlessly over a light bass element and drums. The major feature of the sound is how easily it can conform to a Pub style outfit, where hands are tempted to clap and feet persuaded to stomp.

The vocalist, Scott John Hutchison, performs ballads of outrightly raw depression, passion, and emotional engagement with lyrics that are left out in the sun, vulnerable in every way. It's as i he is trying to show you the pieces of his heart he has personally torn from his chest with every well placed line. The delivery complements the lyrics by which the words roll out in agony as if Hutchinson is trying everything he can to convince you of his feelings.

Not the first Scottish scene performance of this nature, but definitely worth blaring through your headphones over the others on a sunny afternoon, for it never ceases to completely engage your ears.

Presidential Candidate #1

The new album from indie-electro group Electric President, titled Sleep Well begins with a sound-scape that is painted with colours of negativity and melodramatic intent. However, as the album unfolds, a brighter frame envelops the initial dreary sound. The album is especially drenched in radiant colour and emotion from the bright riffs and nonchalant tambourines of "It's Like a Heartbeat, Only it Isn't" to the quick, electronic tempo and uplifting melody of "Robophobia".

This sophomore album aims to impress

Time for Finals...

http://www.helpineedhelp.com/bored/

BLISS

check it.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyid=89528513

:D

Oh, the festivities

The snow has melted and finals are around the corner, which means its time to start thinking about where you're going to find the money to travel across north america all summer.

Lets take a look at summer 2008's music festival prospects:

1. Coachella-  April 25-27 * Indio, California. Lineup:Death Cab for Cutie, Justice, MIA, Dredg, Manchester Orchestra, Minus the Bear, Metric. Youre bound to find a band you love playing. www.coachella.com

2. Bonnaroo Music Festival- June 12-15  Manchester, Tennessee. Lineup: Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket, Sigur Ros, M.I.A, Iron & Wine, Broken Social Scene, Rilo Kiley, !!! and the list goes on. http://www.bonnaroo.com  Minus ten points for Pearl Jam and Metallica

3. Lollapalooza- August 1-3 Grant Park, Chicago Lineup: N/A till April 7th... but rumour has it that the lineup includes Radiohead. www.lollapalooza.com

4. V-Fest September 6-7  Toronto, On Lineup: Bloc Party, The weakerthans, Oasis, Foo Fighters www.vfestival.ca

5.Sasquatch! Music Festivial- May 24-26 Washington. Lineup: R.E.M, Modest Mouse, The New Pornographers, The National, Beirut, Okkervil River, DCFC, Built to Spill. www.sasquatchfestival.com

6. Pitchfork Music Festival- July 18-20 Union Park, Chicago Lineup: Public Enemy, Animal Collective ( how surprising), !!!, Fuck Buttons...  www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com

7. The Bamboozle Roadshow-April 26  Detriot (St. Andrews)  Lineup: Armor for Sleep, Saves the Day, metro Station, Lydia

And fianlly, the only thing I want for my birthday:

8. Cornerstone -  July 2nd-5th Bushnell, Illinois.  Lineup: mewithoutYou, Anberlin, The Almost, Haste the Day, As I lay Dying, Flyleaf

www.cornerstonefestival.com

and if all else fails... theres always warped tour. Scene kids arent so bad...

GOOD IS DEAD. [The Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd]

By now, most students have had the pleasure of an unforgettable professor from hell...the kind that returns assignments with the scent of brimstone still lingering.
Meet professor Sorbeck: an art teacher at a state college in the late fifties. The graphic design prof is your typical, grade A nutcase who (like it or not) will probably teach you something.
One memorable chapter describes an assignment for which the prof hauls students to the middle of nowhere with nothing but a piece of cardboard and a marker. The goal: get yourself home using nothing but these supplies.

Here's how it'll work. The class will hide behind those trees, out of sight of the traffic. One at a time, you will stand at the side of the road, with your sign. A car comes by, you get picked up, it's an A. It keeps going, you drop one letter grade. ..Four cars and no luck, you fail

The narrator is a decent character, but you'll want to be his sidekick's best friend. Himillsy is the kind of twisted, unstable, free spirited liberal arts student that oozes cool. Zippo lighters almost too heavy for her scrawny arms, Raybans, and men's oxford shirts draped on her beanpole frame...did I say best friend? Hell, deep down you want to be Himms.

All praise aside: the ending leaves something to be desired, but it still serves as an entertaining read.

Apologies for the lack of posts!


http://i-rock.wackiness.org/bejaromatic/

go. read. hit refresh. repeat.

Moon Child

On April 15, Anthony Gonzalez will be releasing his moniker's, M83, new full length album, entitled "Saurdays=Youth". WHat the artist is attempting with his fifth studio album is to reconnect himself, and the audience with an inherent feeling of your earlier years, ones filled with stupid decisions, glorious memories, and feelings of freedom and lack of responsibility.

"I loved being a teenager," says Anthony Gonzalez, who is M83. "That's when I discovered music and started to take drugs and party with my friends." That time of discovery – and of course the era in which Gonzalez was a teenager – greatly impacted the making of "Saturdays=Youth."

"On this record I wanted to have the feeling of a teenager mixed with this period of the Eighties."

The music can be summed up as explosive electro-gaze, where riveting vocals pierce through a backdrop of harmonic, electronic patterns that scream with passion. This is definitely something to keep an eye out for in your local music store.

Seven Minutes in Heaven (The Epics)

In light of procrastination I've compiled my 10 favourite 7 minute epics. Special mention to Sigur Ros, Broken Social Scene, Explosions in the Sky, Bright Eyes, Dredg and City and Colour. ready, set, 

10. Mae's The Sun and Moon ( The Everglow) With 17 seconds to spare, Mae pulls together a melodic ending to The Everglow with the help of a piano (and you know how I'm a sucker for the piano.) Unlike most lengthy tunes, redundancy is not an issue, which I appreciate.

9. Anberlin's (*Fin) ( Cities)- This song wraps up their most recent release ever so effectively. The build up to the end of the song can be only

 be described as satisfying.  

8. Jimmy Eat World's Goodbye Sky Harbour (Clarity)- This song comes is as an eight on the epic-ness level and a one on the length level. J.E.W really pushed it with 16 minutes, but luckily they pull this song together exceptionally. This song is an effective completion of one of, if not their best album.

7. Death Cab for Cutie's Transatlanticism ( Transatlanticism) - An eight minute title track is original to say the least, but what I truly enjoy about this song is the simplicity of both the lyrics and piano.  Sad, but not to sad. Mellow, but not too mellow. And of course Ben Gibbard never fails on the feel-good tunes.

6. Of Montreal's The Past is a Grotesque Animal ( Hissing Fauna, Are you the Destroyer?)-I got into this song on the way to New York last summer, after realizing that I had skipped over this song every time I listened to the CD. Clearly a mistake. Of Montreal. 12 minutes. Need I say more?

5. mewithoutYou's The Cure for Pain ( A->B Life) Oh, the joy of finding hidden tracks. mwY threw in a bonus acoustic track " I Never Said I was Brave" about 7 minutes after The Cure for Pain. The completeness of this track (nevermind my life) is compliments of Aaron Weiss and his brilliance. Screaming and acoustic guitar, and you don't even have to change the track. 

4. The Decemberist's The Island: Come & see/ The 

Landlord's Daughter/ You'll Not Feel the Drowning ( The Crane Wife) - As clearly indicated by the title, the Decemberists one-upped mewithoutYou with the three song wonder. Summer never sounded so good. 

3. As Cities Burn's Of Want and Misery: The Nothing that Kills (Son, I Loved You  At Your Darkness) I was quite disappointed that this wasn't played when I saw them at St. Andrews, though the fact that it is almost 7 minutes may be a reason. When ever I listen to this song I feel so sad at about 4 minutes in because I always think its over. Lucky for me, Cody and the gang continue this epic for another 3 minutes and conclude the album. This by far is one of the best album closers I've heard. I wish it was an hour long.

2. Neutral Milk Hotel's Oh Comely (In an Aeroplane Over the Sea)-NMH did 7 minute epics, and they did them right. I had this song on repeat for about 2 hours yesterday, and that in itself should be enough reason for the number 2 spot on this list. How appropriate that this song was the influence for mewithoutYou's We Know Who Our Enemies Are. Incredible.

1. Lovedrug's It Won't Last (Pretend You're alive)- Lyrically brilliant. Dramatic. Instrumentally genius. If I never had to shut off this song, I wouldn't. For the past 4 years Lovedrug has been my favourite band, and this album has yet to let me down in any way. It Won't Last is the closer of the CD ( basically) and is certainly the best closer I've heard. Michael Shepard underlines the brilliance of this album with dramatic his guitaring and his philosophical lyrics. I'm lost for words.

Winter, Winter, Winter

The the midst of midterms, papers, and ridiculous labs, roll down your windows, put on your freakin sunglasses and blast "Everyone chooses sides" by the Wrens. Fuck christmas in july, how about labour day in march.



(and after i hook up chris with some good ol' lovedrug, were even for this)

New City and Colour!

... is pretty mediocre. And why would I update to discuss mediocracy? three reasons
1) Dallas Green's first tour for his debut release "Sometimes" was the first concert I attended. Emotional attachment
2) Brandons a slacker, so Ive taken control of this blog. Plus no one reads this so the likliness that I will recieve complaints is very low.
3) Dallas green is extremely good looking. (yes thats a reason.)

Okay, so.. "Bring me your love" is about as emo as it sounds. I'm probably the last person to critize an artist for being emo, but this album sounds like Dallas' best attempt at folk rock ( "indie" as he labels it on his myspace. Oh, if you could see my rolling eyes right now) and I hate to say it, but sappy folk rock does not mix for me.

The fact that Dallas is as sad as ever is not surprising, unless you havent heard his first release. Yet unlike his debut, the songs are somewhat distingushable thanks to the utilization of various horns and a harmonica. Im not sure if thats a good or bad thing, I'll leave that up to you. Either way the London, On. date is still sold out, which means someone needs to transport me to Toronto ( just in time for my birthday * cough*) to see him again. I'd appreciate it if he played " Confessions" ( not an Usher reference) or "What Makes a Man" ( No emery reference). See where I'm going here?

exactly.

Even Fairytale Characters Would Be Jealous..

.. Of Dan Hunter, the 18 year old lone band member of Playradioplay! And I must say, I wouldn't blame them.




The powerpop- indietronica boy will (finally) release his first full length, Texas, on the 28th day of March. This means that I can finally stop searching desperately in the "PL.." section in various music stores. For now, The Frequency EP should tie you over with catchy tracks such as "Compliment Each Other Like Colours"
And if you have failed to catch on to my excitment, you should come over and watch me dance in my room to his cover of Mr. Brightside. Thats right he's THAT good. Now not only is that song listenable, its DANCE-ABLE.