Friday Flashback: Sonic Youth

Sonic Youth are arguably the original indie rock band in terms of what we talk about when we talk about indie rock, and Daydream Nation is arguably the greatest indie rock album of all time. Twenty years later and it still sounds brand new. Kids that were just toddlers when the LP was released continue to study it, digest it, absorb every sonic explosion and sudden drift of noise that two decades ago redefined the parameters of rock. After seven years and five albums of honing their avant-garde post-punk sound, Sonic Youth matched the art and talent present in the free-form noise experimentation of their predecessors and major influence, The Velvet Underground, with Daydream Nation.

Likely the most accessible track, "Teen Age Riot" opens the album in rare rock-anthemic form, a call to arms for disillusioned and disenfranchised underground youth everywhere. What follows in Daydream Nation is nothing short of the invention of a new genre, the modern-day hipster's bible, and very little since its release has come anywhere close to being as ground-breaking.

You can watch the video with its tinny sound and abbreviated format in what looks like a production budget of approximately $47 (granted, it does feature appearances from the likes of Patti Smith, Iggy Pop and The Beach Boys), or check the mp3 here:


Lyrics:

[Kim]
You're it
No, you're it
Hey, you're really it
You're it
No I mean it, you're it

Say it
Don't spray it
Spirit desire (face me)
Spirit desire (don't displace me)
Spirit desire
We will fall

Miss me
Don't dismiss me

Spirit desire

Spirit desire [x3]
We will fall
Spirit desire
We will fall
Spirit desire [x3]
We will fall
Spirit desire
We will fall

[Thurston]
Everybody's talking 'bout the stormy weather
And whats a man do to but work out whether its true?
Looking for a man with a focus and a temper
Who can open up a map and see between one and two

Time to get it
Before you let it
Get to you

Here he comes now
Stick to your guns
And let him through

Everybody's coming from the winter vacation
Taking in the sun in an exaltation to you
You come running in on platform shoes
With Marshall stacks
To at least just give us a clue
Ah, here it comes
I know it's someone I knew

Teenage riot in a public station
Gonna fight and tear it up in a hyper-nation for you

Now I see it
I think I'll leave it out of the way
Now I come near you
And it's not clear why you fade away

Looking for a ride to your secret location
Where the kids are setting up a free-speed nation, for you
Got a foghorn and a drum and a hammer that's rockin'
And a cord and a pedal and a lock, that'll do me for now

It better work out
I hope it works out my way
'cause its getting kind of quiet in my city's head
Takes a teenage riot to get me out of bed right now

You better look it
We're gonna shake it
Up to him

He acts the hero
We paint a zero
On his hand

We know its down
We know its bound too loose
Everybody's sound is 'round it
Everybody wants to be proud to choose
So who's to take the blame for the stormy weather
You're never gonna stop all the teenage leather and booze

It's time to go 'round
A one man showdown
Teach us how to fail

We're off the streets now
And back on the road
On the riot trail

Official website of Sonic Youth.

-J2

Next Big Thing Alert: Dr. Dog

Okay, so Dr. Dog has been around for a minute now, but surely it's time for them to blow up. Opening shows for the likes of My Morning Jacket and M Ward have certainly helped garner deserved attention, but their latest release, Fate, due out July 22nd on Park the Van Records, should push them over the threshold to become a household name (at least, in indie rock kid households). The Philadelphia quintet's psychedelic pop is as good as it gets on this latest effort, seamlessly blending elements from obvious influences The Band, The Beach Boys and The Beatles, as well as the more recent developments of The Flaming Lips and Pavement. The bittersweet and earnest collection has a timeless and universal feel and appeal. Let's just hope they don't need to sell a track to "Grey's Anatomy" to get noticed.

Here is the first release from Fate, "The Old Days"









Pre-order Fate here.


Be sure to check out Dr. Dog performing live in Chicago on August 2nd at Lollapalooza. See where they'll be elsewhere in the country here.

Make friends @ myspace.com/drdog.

-J2

A Year Later: "Heart It Races"

Sometimes a pop song is so good that every other artist wants to try their hand at recreating it. Don't think that this is a bad thing, either, or else we would've never gotten Hendrix's version of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower". When Architecture In Helsinki released Places Like This last year, something clicked with "Heart It Races". The good folks over at Pitchfork deftly described the original track as such:

A van carrying a college acapella group collides with the tour bus of an African percussion troupe, the twisted metal hybrid sweeps up a guy jamming on a beatbox and a brother-sister folk duo and comes to rest at the foot of a living-room organ, and a new Architecture in Helsinki song is born.

With a most entertaining video accompaniment, here is Architecture In Helsinki, "Heart It Races":


When Polyvinyl Records released the single, it was already accompanied by two covers and two remixes. The latest IMEEM search turned up eight different covers or remixes. The song continues to inspire artists to put their own stamp on it. Here are a couple of the best:

Dr. Dog (cover, from the single)

YACHT ("I Should Coco" remix, from the single)

Trizzy ("Rusty Tin Can" remix)

There is just something universal in the track, something so familiar in the sugary pop sound that mingles with the steel drums and genre-melding rhythms that pulls people in for the trip. It's a rare experience, and another signifier of the power of music. Enjoy.

-J2

If You Ain't Got No Paper Then Steal These CDs

New releases Tuesday today, and a couple of good ones to check out...

Though technically not for release until July 15th, The Hold Steady dropped the digital version of Stay Positive (Vagrant Records) through iTunes today. The follow-up to 2006's critically-acclaimed Boys and Girls in America has Craig Finn and America's Bar Band back to their boozy ways again, picking up where The E Street Band left off. Here is the instant classic, "Sequestered in Memphis":

Party with The Hold Steady at Pitchfork Music Fest July 19th.

The members of Wolf Parade have been busy since 2005's Apologies to the Queen Mary with side projects (see: Frog Eyes, Handsome Furs, Sunset Rubdown). Fortunately they've recently gotten around to producing a follow-up, At Mount Zoomer (Sub Pop). We brought you "Call It a Ritual" a month or so ago, and now here is album opener, "Soldier's Grin":

Don't forget to check out Wolf Parade at House of Blues in Chicago July 8th.

Anyone that's ever clicked around over at Pitchfork knows how much the taste-makers are pushing for David Berman's Silver Jews. Perhaps it's because Berman was arguably a founding member of Pavement, or perhaps simply because the singer-songwriter has some of the most poetic lyrics indie rock has to offer. Either way, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City), is an inviting effort from a talented band poised to steal some attention away from Malkmus and his Jicks this year. Check out the gorgeous "My Pillow Is the Threshold":

As always, Myspace is good for making friends and hearing more music:
The Hold Steady
Wolf Parade
Silver Jews

-J2

A Lil Hip-Hop

Lil Wayne drops Tha Carter III by way of YouTube
- Say what you will about Weezy, but there is no denying his prolificacy. There's also no denying lines like:

Man, I got Summer hating on me cause I'm hotter than the sun
Got Spring hating on me cause I ain't never sprung
Winter hating on me cause I'm colder than ya'll
And I would never, I would never, I would never Fall
I'm being hated on by the season
So fuck ya'll who hating for no reason

That'd be from the Just Blaze-produced, "Mr. Carter", which also features the other greatest rapper alive: Jay-Z.

Oh, and that cover art is pretty f-ing great too, to be honest.

-----------------------------------------------------------














On the unsigned-hype, local hip-hop front, friend-of-the-middleCoast, Hum-V, has put together a fantastic DIY video for his track, "Back in the Day". Sometimes, like he say, reminiscin' ain't hurtful.



-J2

Here Is Why Lollapalooza Is Worth $190

So the schedule for Lollapalooza is available now, again allowing you to create your own agenda for each day. The following is just one of the many options (albeit, this one is mC-recommended) for the three-day festival, once again justifying two bills you'll drop just to get through the gates.

Friday, August 1

• 12:15 PM Black Lips (Bud Light)
• 1:15 PM Rogue Wave (MySpace)
• 2:15 PM Yeasayer (AT&T)
• 3:15 PM The Kills (MySpace)
• 4:15 PM The Black Keys (Bud Light)
• 5:15 PM Mates of State (MySpace)
• 5:45 PM Grizzly Bear (Citi)
• 6:15 PM The Raconteurs (Bud Light)
• 7:15 PM Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks (MySpace)
• 8:00 PM Radiohead (AT&T)

Saturday, August 2

• 11:45 AM Does it Offend You Yeah? (PlayStation)
• 12:30 PM De Novo Dahl (Bud Light)
• 12:45 PM The Ting Tings (AT&T)
• 1:30 PM Dr. Dog (MySpace)
• 2:30 PM The Gutter Twins (AT&T)
• 3:30 PM MGMT (MySpace)
• 4:30 PM Explosions in the Sky (Bud Light)
• 5:30 PM Okkervil River (PlayStation)
• 6:30 PM Broken Social Scene (Bud Light)
• 7:30 PM Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (PlayStation)
• 8:30 PM Wilco (Bud Light)

Sunday, August 3

• 11:15 AM Ha Ha Tonka (BMI)
• 11:30 AM Office (PlayStation)
• 1:15 PM The Whigs (MySpace)
• 2:15 PM Brazilian Girls (AT&T)
• 3:30 PM Black Kids (Citi)
• 4:15 PM Iron & Wine (Bud Light)
• 5:00 PM Saul Williams (Citi)
• 6:15 PM Gnarls Barkley (AT&T)
• 7:15 PM The National (PlayStation)
• 8:15 PM Kanye West (AT&T)

That's 31 bands in three days - and a helluva three days, at that. No doubt Lolla has truly become the premier music festival in the country.

Stay tuned for more Lollapaloozer posts to come.

-J2

The Inexorable Influences of Fleetwood Mac & Steely Dan

This morning alone I have encountered enough music by myriad artists to fully comprehend the undeniable and inexorable influences of Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan upon modern-day musicians. Though it may have begun with a sense of irony, there exists now an entire sub-genre of indie rock that can trace its roots directly to these two pioneering acts. The resurgence of late in this style of jazzy rock saturated with multiple vocals harmonizing effortlessly is a bit puzzling. My question is whether this is simply a passing trend (shall we call it The Fleetwood Dan Influence? The Steely Mac Influence? No, I've got it...), or if The Steelwood Man Influence is here to stay.

I'm not sure who to hold responsible for originally utilizing the sounds of Fleetwood Mac or Steely Dan. Given their own profound influence in the past decade, however, I'm going with Pharrell Williams and his cohorts in The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. - specifically Chad Hugo. With the latest N.E.R.D. album, Seeing Sounds, dropping yesterday, this seems as good a place as any to start. Even though the vast majority of Neptunes' work in the mainstream is known for its minimalist beats (think Clipse, pre-Timbaland JT), the side project of N.E.R.D. has always incorporated a strong Steelwood Man Influence in addition to soulful Motown sounds. More Steely Dan than Fleetwood Mac, check out 2002's "Run to the Sun":

It's practically a remake of "Ricky Don't Lose My Number". Maybe not exactly, but you get the idea. Seeing Sounds gives us plenty of beat-filled dance-jams, but it also gives us the vibraphonic, "You Know What", another undeniable Steely Dan throwback:

Following along the same lineage are Next Big Thing, Chin Chin. The band's own Myspace page describes their sounds as "Brass Construction doing New Edition covers arranged by Steely Dan for Dick James Enterprises". In case the Dan influence wasn't obvious on "You Can't Hold Her":

Clearly Steely Dan have left their mark. Before moving on to Fleetwood Mac, let's first enjoy this classic from The Royal Scam:

Now, the Fleetwood Mac influence upon modern artists is confounding, as their soft rock sound is so iconic to a very specific time period. Female vocalists have been attempting to mimic Stevie Nicks for years (a couple of them recently - Neko Case & Rose - getting very close). But the artists I've heard this morning alone, as I mentioned at the start, are all young up-and-coming indie acts spanning the country, yet all integrating complex harmonizing into their songs.

From Texas, Midlake:

From Washington state, Next Big Thing Fleet Foxes:

From Brooklyn, mC fave Yeasayer:

What's most interesting is that these are modern bands making new music that sounds new, but The Steelwood Man Influence is unequivocal. As these artists continue to make music, and as they continue to garner press and media attention, their own influence will propagate. As a result, the jazz-infused neo-psychedelic blues-rock of the late 70s is poised to stick around. Let's just hope the accompanying fashion statements of the epoch aren't resurrected as well.

-J2

Chicago Concert Calendar: June 12-20

As summer has finally broken in Chicago, the city resurrects with live music. Leading up to venerable festivals Pitchfork and Lollapalooza, here are a few shows in what's left of the month of June to get you geared up.

Who: Oxford Collapse
When: June 12th
Where: Empty Bottle
Price Tag: Free! (Seriously, it's free! Part of the Bottle's free concert series, so you should totally go!)
For Fans Of: Sub Pop Records, Brooklyn Indie Rock raised on '80s movies
What To Wear: Comfy shoes - the Gang of Four influence will be noticed as you find yourself unable to keep from dancing
BONUS: Scottish pop-rockers, Frightened Rabbit, opens!
Listen:

Who: Billy Bragg
When: June 14th
Where: Park West
Price Tag: $27.50 (get tix)
For Fans Of: British troubadours, left-wing politics, Wilco
What To Wear: "Impeach Bush" tee-shirt, free trade garments
Listen:

Who: These New Puritans
When: June 14th
Where: Subterranean
Price Tag: $12.00 (get tix)
For Fans Of: High fashion, The Fall, numerology
What To Wear: Movado timepiece, chainmail hoodie
Listen:

Who: Ladytron
When: June 17th
Where: Vic Theater
Price Tag: $24.00 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Gorgeous Bulgarian vocalists, jet-setting
Best Comparison Quote: "A teasing glimpse of how Britney Spears might have sounded, had she been born in the GDR and a heroin addict."
BONUS: Norwegian electro-poppers, DataRock, open!
Listen:

Who: Crystal Castles
When: June 18th
Where: Double Door
Price Tag: Free! (Seriously!?! Two free shows in six days?!? You know where to find middleCoasters this week...)
For Fans Of: She-Ra, Atari, Digitalism
What To Wear: All American Apparel, all the time
Listen:

Who: The Black Angels
When: June 20th
Where: Logan Square Auditorium
Price Tag: $15.00 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Psychedelia, The Doors (the band), The Doors (of Perception)
What To Wear: Velvet Underground tee-shirt, beard
Listen:


Enjoy.

-J2

"My Drive Thru": Converse Finally Takes Advantage of Hipster Market

Hipsters have been wearing Converse All-Stars for, well, for forever it seems. Or at least since The Ramones started playing CBGBs. Though it seems rather unnecessary now (don't all hipsters and hipster-wannabe's already have their Chuck Taylor's?), the marketing execs at Converse have employed the register of Pharrell Williams, Julian Casablancas, and Santogold for their new promotional campaign: Three Artists, One Song. The result is "My Drive Thru", a frothy pop jingle that is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from these three artists. The gang over at Stereogum are streaming the mp3 of the track - click here to check it out.

The bigger question in my mind, though, is who exactly are Converse marketing to with this campaign? Is this just a big Thank You Nod to all the hipsters out there that have been sporting Chucks all these years, creating a mini little super-group as a show of gratitude? Or are they really trying to go (even more) mainstream with the product? If so, Converse may want to be careful - hipsters have a tendency to immediately shy away from things once the coolness factor becomes too easily accessible. Now that Target is hawking the Converse OneStar brand, it's not unlikely that it won't be long before your mom is rocking All Stars while working in the garden.

Stream: "My Drive Thru" (via Stereogum)

-J2

Update - Here is the video:

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That Time of Year Again: Support KEXP

KEXP needs our help once again. It's the time of year for the Summer Pledge Drive. Click on over to KEXP and give what you can. They are consistently one of the best sources in the US for finding new music of all genres. And they happen to be one of the few ways to hear music for free without advertising interruptions. So please help keep it that way. This is important.

KEXP Blog

KEXP Playlist (deejays John Richards, Cheryl Waters, and Kevin Cole are as good as it gets)

KEXP On Demand (Streaming, Live Archives, Podcast)
- mp3: The Helio Sequence, "Keep Your Eyes Ahead"
- mp3: MGMT, "Weekend Wars"
- mp3: Black Lips, "Veni Vidi Vici"
- mp3: Grand Archives, "Miniature Birds"
- mp3: Jose Gonzalez, "Down the Line"

Also, they have sweet gifts for people that donate...

-J2

My Morning Jacket News

For those of us that can't wait just one more week, check out MMJ's Myspace page - it does, in fact, appear that they are streaming the entire album.

For more, check out the latest Black Cab Session for a live performance of "Touch Me, I'm Going To Scream (Part 2)".

-j2

Did We Mention How Much We Love Yeasayer?

I believe we have actually mentioned Next Big Thing Yeasayer before on mC. Here they are performing instant classic "2080" for Pitchfork.tv's "Don't Look Down" series, from atop a hometown Brooklyn rooftop.



You can also see them perform "No Need to Worry", "Wait for the Wintertime", "Final Path", and "Sunrise" here.

-j2

Next Big Thing Alert: The Shortwave Set

Yesterday we discussed the merits of Danger Mouse producing brilliant pop albums in 2008, and listed, in passing, a new artist out of the UK called The Shortwave Set. Certainly they deserve much more than just a passing mention, and so instead we've liberally deemed them a Next Big Thing.

Their debut EP, The Debt Collection, garnered the attention of D Mouse, possibly due to its description as a "Victorian Funk Masterwork" (never mind that it was the band themselves that described it as such, nor that there isn't much in the way of a Victorian Funk Failure). Earlier this month their Danger Mouse-produced sophomore release, Replica Sun Machine, was released on Wall of Sound. Recorded in LA, the album also just happens to feature orchestration by Beach Boys collaborator Van Dyke Parks, not to mention contributions on two songs from The Velvet Underground's John Cale. Ho hum.

With a psychedelic-cum-a.m.-radio vibe reminiscent of Air in songs like "Harmonia", "Replica", and "Distant Daze", intermingled with 60s dream-pop numbers "Glitches N Bugs" and "Sun Machine" sounding like a British New Pornographers, Replica Sun Machine provides a cohesive collection of atmospheric pop music. And Danger Mouse's stamp is clearly demarcated throughout. Have a listen:

"Harmonia" mp3

"No Social" video


"Replica" video










Go get the album, Replica Sun Machine.


Make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/theshortwaveset.

-J2

Beck + Danger Mouse = Favorite Song of the Day

It only makes sense that Beck and Danger Mouse would eventually work together on a project, and on its way sometime soon is Modern Guilt. Given their affinity for spaced-out, LSD-infused bubblegum-pop and obscure deep grooves from the 60s & 70s, their collaboration was inevitable. And so Danger Mouse has produced Beck's latest LP with a potential release date in June or July.

The first leaked track, "Chemtrails", is garnering justifiable comparisons to Pink Floyd thanks to the thunderous drumming of Joey Waronker. But Beck's lilting and wispy vocals recall Pet Sounds-era Brian Wilson, and until those powerhouse drums kick in, "Chemtrails" crawls through the hills of Southern California more than those of Cambridge.


It's probably safe to say that Danger Mouse gets our vote for Producer of the Year 2008 (if that award exists). So far he's brought us new albums from The Black Keys, Gnarls Barkley, Martina Topley-Bird, The Shortwave Set, and now the latest from Beck. And to think, just four years ago he was a 26 year old up-and-coming DJ who'd illegally made the greatest hip-hop album of the decade that never made a cent.

Check out Beck.com for fun with flash media.

-J2

Hip Hop Is Dead. Long Live Hip Hop!

Big Boi and Andre 3000 may have ventured off in differing directions this past half-decade, but Outkast remains the same. Since December, rumors of Big Boi's next solo album have been circulating, but for the last coupla months, this is the only track we've heard. Still, it's more than enough to keep the hype alive. The album is to be called Sir Luscious Left Foot, and the track, "Royal Flush" features Raekwon and Three-Stacks himself, who's become a bit of a Gandhi of the Streets. On DJ Drama's "Art of Storytellin' Pt 4", Dre deftly postulates:

She said, While you in the club, you don't make it precipitate?
You know, make it rain when you can make it thunderstorm
I'm like, Why?
The world needs sun
The hood needs funds
There's a war going on and half the battle is guns
How dare I throw it on the floor
When people are poor

Here he drops the lines:

When all the other kids are fresh and they got new Nintendo
Wiis
And yo' child is down on her knees
Praying hard up to God for a Whopper with cheese

"Royal Flush" MP3 (that someone else made a video for):


Official Outkast page.

-J2

Friday Flashback: Public Enemy

In excited anticipation of Public Enemy performing It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back at the Pitchfork Music Fest in a couple of months, let's go back 20 years (20 fucking years?!?) and remember why this remains one of the greatest albums of all time.

"Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos"


Lyrics:

I got a letter from the government
The other day
I opened and read it
It said they were suckers
They wanted me for their army or whatever
Picture me given' a damn I said never
Here is a land that never gave a damn
About a brother like me and myself
Because they never did
I wasn't wit' it but just that very minute...
It occured to me
The suckers had authority
Cold sweatin' as I dwell in my cell
How long has it been?
They got me sittin' in the state pen
I gotta get out - but that thought was thought before
I contemplated a plan on the cell floor
I'm not a fugitive on the run
But a brother like me begun - to be another one
Public enemy servin' time - they drew the line y'all
To criticize me some crime - never the less
They could not understand that I'm a Black man
And I could never be a veteran
On the strength, the situation's unreal
I got a raw deal, so I'm goin' for the steel

They got me rottin' in the time that I'm servin'
Tellin' you what happened the same time they're throwin'
4 of us packed in a cell like slaves - oh well
The same motherfucker got us livin' is his hell
You have to realize - what its a form of slavery
Organized under a swarm of devils
Straight up - word'em up on the level
The reasons are several, most of them federal
Here is my plan anyway and I say
I got gusto, but only some I can trust - yo
Some do a bid from 1 to 10
And I never did, and plus I never been
I'm on a tier where no tears should ever fall
Cell block and locked - I never clock it y'all
'Cause time and time again time
They got me servin' to those and to them
I'm not a citizen
But ever when I catch a C-O
Sleepin' on the job - my plan is on go-ahead
On the strength, I'ma tell you the deal
I got nothin' to lose
'Cause I'm goin' for the steel

You know I caught a C-O
Fallin' asleep on death row
I grabbed his gun - then he did what I said so
And everyman's got served
Along with the time they served
Decency was deserved
To understand my demands
I gave a warnin' - I wanted the governor, y'all
And plus the warden to know
That I was innocent -
Because I'm militant
Posing a threat, you bet it's fuckin' up the government
My plan said I had to get out and break north
Just like with Oliver's neck
I had to get off - my boys had the feds in check
They couldn't do nuthin'
We had a force to instigate a prison riot
This is what it takes for peace
So I just took the piece
Black for Black inside time to cut the leash
Freedom to get out - to the ghetto - no sell out
6 C-Os we got we ought to put their head out
But I'll give 'em a chance, cause I'm civilized
As for the rest of the world, they can't realize
A cell is hell - I'm a rebel so I rebel
Between bars, got me thinkin' like an animal
Got a woman C-O to call me a copter
She tried to get away, and I popped her
Twice, right
Now who wanna get nice?
I had 6 C-Os, now it's 5 to go
And I'm serious - call me delirious
But I'm still a captive
I gotta rap this
Time to break as time grows intense
I got the steel in my right hand
Now I'm lookin' for the fence

I ventured into the courtyard
Followed by 52 brothers
Bruised, battered, and scarred but hard
Goin' out with a bang
Ready to bang out
But power from the sky
And from the tower shots rang out
A high number of dose - yes
And some came close
Figure I trigger my steel
Stand and hold my post
This is what I mean - an anti-nigger machine
If I come out alive and then they won't - come clean
And then I threw up my steel bullets - flew up
Blew up, who shot...
What, who, the bazooka was who
And to my rescue, it was the S1Ws
Secured my getaway, so I just gotaway
The joint broke, from the black smoke
Then they saw it was rougher thatn the average bluffer
'Cause the steel was black, the attitude exact
Now the chase is on tellin' you to c'mon
53 brothers on the run, and we are gone

BONUS TIME! Yes, there's more!

Trip-hop patron saint, Tricky, did a sweet cover of this track on Maxinquaye with the help of Martina Topley-Bird which we've always enjoyed thoroughly as well.

Dig it:


-J2

Next Big Thing Alert: Chin Chin

Funky, soulful(/soul-filled/soul-fueled) baby-making music is back, people (though, does it ever really go away?). We're gonna go 'head and give sole credit to Danger Mouse for singlehandedly resurrecting the spirit of Ike Turner, and therefore this current movement.

The latest arbiters of Funk are Brooklyn trio Chin Chin, whose eponymous full-length debut dropped a coupla weeks ago on Def Jux. While at heart a trio - guitarist Jeremy Wilms, keyboardist Wilder Zoby, and drummer Torbitt Schwartz - Chin Chin has many friends that often propel the band into Funkadelic or JB's formations. The resulting sound is somewhere between soul, hip-hop, lounge, and acid jazz, and it's everywhere around groovy.

Comparisons to other artists are inevitable in the blogosphere, so here goes: the same way Kanye West and Daft Punk joined forces, imagine Gnarls Barkley and Air getting together to do Steely Dan covers produced by Pharrell Williams. In fact, it'll be interesting to see if the new N.E.R.D. album due out this summer results in even more attention for Chin Chin and similar bands.

MP3: "Miami"

Video: "Appetite"











Go get the album.

Make friends and hear more @ www.myspace.com/chinchinnyc.

-J2

Help Save Chicago's Music Scene!

Please take a moment, read the following, take action and save the Chicago music community.

PLEASE READ, DISTRIBUTE AND SIGN THE PETITION!

The City of Chicago is trying to pass an ordinance this Wednesday (May 14th, 2008) that could severely damage the live music and theater scene.

In summary:

The "Event Promoters" ordinance requires any event promoter to have a license from the city of Chicago and liability insurance of $300,000, but that's just the start:

* The definition of "event promoter" is so loosely defined it could apply to a band or singer-songwriter that books their own shows or a theater company that's in town for a one-week run.

* "Event Promoter" must be licensed and will pay $500-$2000 depending on expected audience size.

* To get the license, applicant must be over 21, get fingerprinted, submit to a background check, and jump over several other hurdles.

* This ordinance seems targeted towards smaller venues, since those with 500+ permanent seats are exempt.

* Police must be notified at least 7 days in advance of event.


The first link gives a summary of the proposal, and the second is a petition (Chicago Acoustic Underground is one of the sponsors of the petition). Please read the links and contact your alderman before Wednesday, when the City Council will be voting.

SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL:

Jim DeRogatis's story: Chicago Sun-Times

PETITION:

Sign the petition and Save Chicago Culture!

FIND YOUR ALDERMAN & CALL THEM ASAP:

Click here to find your local aldermen.

The alderman for The Empty Bottle is Manuel 'Manny' Flores.

Make your voice heard, call your alderman and call often!

Thank you for support.

*above text taken from Empty Bottle newsletter

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Friday Flashback: Blind Melon

In 1993, Blind Melon gave the world "No Rain". A great song with a great video, it was overplayed to death at the time. Fifteen years later, however, looking back on what a truly brilliant song it is, I admit to getting a little weepy when I hear it (maybe the premature death of one of the most underrated singers/songwriters of my generation plays a part in that). Especially this slowed down, psyched-out version from Saturday Night Live:

(If you want to see the original music video, find it here.)

Lyrics:

All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
I like watchin' the puddles gather rain
And all I can do is just pour some tea for two
and speak my point of view
But it's not sane, It's not sane
I just want some one to say to me
I'll always be there when you wake
Ya know I'd like to keep my cheeks dry today
So stay with me and I'll have it made
And I don't understand why I sleep all day
And I start to complain that there's no rain
And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
And it rips my life away, but it's a great escape
escape......escape......escape......
All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
ya don't like my point of view
ya think I'm insane
Its not sane......it's not sane

Lovely.

-J2

Chicago Concert Calendar: Friday, May 9th

Murphy's Law, we suppose, but there are a gazillion good shows in the City of Wind that are all happening tomorrow night. Here's a little breakdown to help you decide where to go:

Who: The Kills
Where: The Metro
Price Tag: $14.00 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Boy-girl duos, Primal Scream, Jesus & Mary Chain
What to Wear: Skinny jeans, scarf 'round yo neck
Listen:

Who: M.I.A.
Where: Aragon Ballroom
Price Tag: $27.50 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Sri Lankian rebels, dirty-house, M.I.A.
What to Wear: All-over print tees, multi-colored Adidas
Listen:

Who: DeVotchKa
Where: The Vic Theater
Price Tag: $19.50 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Gypsies, the soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine
What to Wear: Eastern European Immigrant Fashions
BONUS: Basia Bulat opens!
Listen:

Who: The Heavy
Where: Darkroom
Price Tag: $5.00 (get tix at the door)
For Fans Of: Dancing, Curtis Mayfield, Prince
What to Wear: Dancing shoes, that new Puma hat
Listen:

Who: Ministry
Where: House of Blues
Price Tag: $41.50 (get tix)
For Fans Of: Overpriced concert tickets, late-80s Industrial Metal, NIN
What to Wear: Black
Listen:

Who: Hum.V
Where: Funky Buddha Lounge
Price Tag: $10.00 (mention Hum.V at the door)
For Fans Of: Local hip-hop, Slim Shady
What to Wear: Flat-billed cap, ice 'round yo neck
Listen:


Who: Presidents of the United States of America
Where: Abbey Pub
Price Tag: $20.00 (get tix)
For Fans Of: That one song, "Peaches", from 1996; or "Lump" from 2000; oh, and they're still making really rocking music, by the way
What to Wear: Flannel? I don't know, they're from Seattle
Listen:

BONUS! I know you just wanna hear "Peaches" now, so:


Enjoy.

-J2

Crystal Castles Love Their Atari

Canadian electro-funk duo Crystal Castles make brilliant background scores for those that wished they lived life in a video game. Their eponymous debut LP (Last Gang Records) came out in March and has been destroying Space Invaders in my head ever since. Oh, and they take their band name from She-Ra's home, so that's cool.

Video: "Courtship Dating"











Go get the album.


Make friends or hear more @ http://www.myspace.com/crystalcastles.

-J2

New Releases Tuesday: Firewater

The latest release from Firewater, The Golden Hour, drops tomorrow on Bloodshot Records. A truly World Music album, frontman Tod A has been traveling across the globe the past few years and recorded with artists along the way. It's an inspirational story he tells on his blog, and this video gives some insight - along with a sneak peak of the music - as to what his travels have meant:



Bloodshot also allows you to stream the first single, "Borneo".

Make friends and hear more @ http://www.myspace.com/realfirewater.

-J2

Next Big Thing Alert: Santogold

Okay, so she may already be The Big Thing, but we here at middleCoast just can't get enough of the Santogold. Along with her compatriot, MIA, this Brooklynite makes pop music as it should be made in our post-contemporary society. The future is now, and Santogold is already there.

Santogold (née: Santi White) - not to be confused with Santo Gold, the wrestler/actor/singer/infomercial-mastermind - dropped her eponymous debut earlier this week on Downtown Records. Having worked with artists and producers such as Mark Ronson (you may remember "Pretty Green" from Version), Spank Rock, and Diplo, along with Miss MIA herself, Santogold's sound is an amalgamation of Hip-Hop, world jams, and girly pop.

We posted the video for "L.E.S. Artistes" last week, but here's a sampling of a few more:

"You'll Find a Way"


"The Creator"


"Shove It" (featuring Spank Rock)











Seriously, go get it.


Make friends or hear more @ http://www.myspace.com/santogold.

-J2

75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)

*Warning: if you are disturbed or remotely bothered by (a) angry black men or (b) excessive use of the term, niggaz, then you may very well be the type of person this song is directed towards.

Rising Down, The Roots' follow-up to the highly-acclaimed 2006 album, Game Theory, came out this week, and after just a few listens it's safe to say that these dudes are pissed. And I don't mean pissed like some Brit-rock boozehounds get pissed. I mean Angry. In fact, the first track / Intro of the album - "The Pow-Wow" - is a recording from the 1994 meeting between Black Thought, Questlove and former Roots manager, AJ Shine, after they got threatened with being dropped from their record label. Needless to say, the fellas ain't happy. Throughout the majority of the album, Black Thought and an array of guest MCs (middleCoast faves, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Common, to name a few) let the listener know with urgency and immediacy exactly how they feel about everything from the climate (both environmental and cultural) being in a downward spiral, to pharmaceutical companies' justifiable drug trade, to the state of the entertainment industry eating itself, to the struggle of poverty-stricken Americans getting no help.

One of most impressive (and rage-filled) rhymes is "75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)" in which Black Thought spits fire for 75 bars. Seriously. In one take. Find me another MC that can do this. I dare ya. Unfortunately, it's the video that is getting most of the attention, as it features a white man being held captive by the band. What? What's the big deal? Check it out first...

The Roots - '75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)'


Now depending on your personality (or perhaps the color of your skin), you probably have differing reactions to seeing that. However, read the lyrics now and see if you can figure out why the video exists as it does...

I’m from the land of the straight razor face beard niggaz
with hammers on their waist, yeah ta waste weird niggaz
and erase scared niggaz, them snake head niggaz
the take care o' niggaz who don’t break bread wit us
niggaz make dead niggaz, and hate black niggaz
brown niggaz high yellow niggaz and them red niggaz
no telling when that bullet comin be prepared niggaz
cause when it do its comin land sea and air niggaz
that’s everywhere niggaz am I the mutherfucking legendary? yeah niggaz
make it very clear niggaz, been looking at y’all in my rearview
mirror niggaz, wanna be a millionare I’m already there niggaz
I’m a debonaire nigga, a bear taking more than my share
Looka here yeah I know it aint fair nigga. neither is a bald eagle wit a hair trigger
haystack try to find a needle up in there nigga leave u up in there nigga
show me the puppet that don’t need a puppeteer nigga shed another tear nigga
I’m the field with a shield and a spear nigga,
I’m in your girl with her heels in the air nigga
I am such a rare nigga, You in a battle telling me you not ready
like u figured imma bare wit cha! I don’t care nigga!
you now listenin to the sounds of the money makin jam trillionares nigga
gentlemen of an extraordinary league, you never see me blowin on no ordinary weed
what I’m smoking aint a product of no ordinary seed, your boy is heavy treed
I’m feelin merry as a Tyler Perry scene mad monetary gangrene
We tried to launder the cash, it never came clean
So now I’m in the story with all them cats before me
in smoke pergutory for doin the same thing
And them niggaz aint change, them niggaz cant change
your moms shake her head say it’s such a dang shame
the train to the bus and then another dang plane?
my stage and my government they aint the same name
I’m a rockstar loving it my wallet chain hang
Im a rider they was sayin, I’m a modern day kang.
My definition I can finally explain, cold smooth like that dude Sean Connery was playin
I just gotta be the man I’m the father figure and
when I spit it its something like a psychology exam,
if you stand where I stood you can probably understand
how that mic feelin like a million dollars in my hand
its the silence of the lambs, go and cop another gram ta twist with your zanny, percoset percodan what's your networking plan?
you better look alive cause them niggaz outside looking desperate again nigga
and the blunts and liquor killin my lungs and liver
the athsmatic drug addict I function wit it
I put a rapper in a hole where the dunce was sittin for spittin a played out pattern that once was hittin
I got news for you all, let me show you how to ball
See the legendary fall? I aint heard of that
Yall niggaz is off the wall like arsenio hall
I’m a put you right back where the dirt is at
450 farenheit pon the thermostat
somebody stalkin like da white jawn Bernadette
but she's not an earner yet, she couldn’t put in no work for Nat Burner yet
the black microphone murder vet, im in a class of my own
if I got beef with you you're the last one to know, I arrive on time I’m never fashionable you late I’m already internationable
I done twirled Berlin banged in Bejing
you never seen nothing cant say the same
tell somebody black thought yeah you know the name ring
so give him the game ring, for bringin what them niggaz cant bring
my hutsle is long my muscle is strong my man put the paper in the duffle I’m gone
yall still a light year from the level I’m on
just a pawn stepping right into the head of the storm
you've been warned, I will blow you niggaz into centigrade
I’m a rebel, renegade must stay paid

Damn.

Now the speculation: Obviously Black Thought has something to say, and most likely feels very strongly about it. He wants you to LISTEN CLOSELY. The seemingly kidnapped white man in the video represents a certain population of white America that are NOT listening. Now, if you've been to a Roots show in the past decade, you'll notice an overwhelming number of white kids in attendance. Artists like The Roots and Talib Kweli have spoken out before on what it's like to make black music with a black audience in mind, and yet have a white audience embrace it as they do. For a black artist, this can present a dilemma. What Rising Down seems to want to do is grab hold of the person listening by the collar (or the jugular) and make them pay a-fucking-ttention. Black or white doesn't matter. Perhaps the harder sound, the sheer force of the album is designed to get black kids to switch off the Lil Wayne for a minute; and, simultaneously, get white kids to do more than noodle-dance to their beats at whatever summer festival they're at. You must pay attention now.

Well when all is said and done, Rising Down remains one of the best releases of 2008 as The Roots continue to be the greatest Hip-Hop band on the planet. Plain and simple.










{Go get Rising Down}


Make friends @ http://www.myspace.com/theroots.

-J2