Video: M. Ward - "Chinese Translation"

This is the best video I have seen all year. I keep coming back to M. Ward ever since I picked up Post-War earlier this year. Thought this was worth sharing.

Battles - Mirrored

When you ask someone what kind of music they listen to, you usually hear one of two responses: 1) "I like everything" and 2) "I like everything but country and rap."  The former is an outright lie (how can you possibly like Celene Dion!), while the latter is a half-truth--when you look at the country/rap hater's musical library, you find Beck, Wilco, Rage Against the Machine, Toby Kieth...alright, no Toby...but no doubt the guy who claims not to like rap or country actually enjoys portions of, if not all, the musical character that defines the genre. I say, let's bury genre-specific music hunting! Be bold and listen to something you might not seek out. This is leading somewhere, you can tell. It's not "math-rock" or "prog-rock," it's the album Mirrored by Battles and it kicks arse!

The album leads off with a fervent cross-stick drum beat on the aptly titled "Race: In" and pretty much never lets up until reprise and closer "Race: Out."  These songs sound as if a bunch of rock/funk/jazz mutts got together in a warehouse somewhere and allowed whatever to come to come--then meticulously shaped the ideas that came out of the meeting. It's not so much about trying to figure out what they are doing, though it is a fun challenge; it's just enjoying the sheer enthusiasm and passion they clearly have for this style of rock. And, as I experienced a couple weeks ago at a show in Portland, it's actually really fun to dance to too!  They--fucking--slew.

They are all incredibly talented musicians with a keen sense of metre, tempo, and space. The band's make-up: a bassist/guitarist (Dave Konopka), an absolutely monster (!!) drummer (John Stanier, formerly of Helmet), and two keyboardist/guitarists (Ian Williams and Tyondai Braxton, also on "vox"). Each member also has an array of noisemakers and looping machines used to create intricate, interwoven beats and [very] hidden melodies.

With all that said, listening to Mirrored may still be quite a challenge for some not already predisposed to "experimental rock" (dammit, I wasn't supposed to give it a title!). Just give it a shot; check out some songs; watch some videos on their myspace page. If nothing else, you may be able to at least appreciate why I can't stop listening to these guys and can't wait for more!!

Listen: Battles on Mypsace

Watch: "Atlas" video

Watch: "Tonto" video

Buy: Amazon

Jens Lekman - "Night Falls Over Kortedala"

This is an easy one. Jens Lekman is a Swedish singer/songwriter that writes poignant, albeit goofy, songs about love, friendship, and playing bingo. His newest is Night Falls Over Kortedala and it is fantastic. I fell in love with his previous album Oh, You're So Silent Jens over two years ago and have been awaiting this album's arrival for some time. Some people liken him to old-school crooners such as Burt Bacharach; I don't think he needs comparison because his songs speak for themselves. Last week, I was lucky enough to see him perform at the Someday Lounge in Portland with a full band and it was a blast! A lot of his songs have a Brazilian tropicalia quality to them and the crowd was very much digging on it. He also has a comedic sixth-sense which is an often overlooked quality in great band leaders.

Check out the links below to listen to some songs and buy the album (or his previous one). Also, I seriously suggest you go to his show, even if you don't know the music. You will not be disappointed (unless you don't like being happy!). The rest of his current tour is linked below. Happy Jens-ing!

Jens Lekman home page

Jens on Tour

Listen: From Night Falls Over Kortedala - The Opposite of Hallelujah [MP3]

MySpace:

The Songs of Jens

Jens Lekman 1

Jens Lekman 2

Buy:

His label - Secretly Canadian

Amazon - Night Fall Over Kortedala

Amazon - Oh, You're So Silent Jens

Let's send some hot air into the ether...

Well, the world can now relax, I have a blog.  I know how jealous you all really are; and by you all, I mean the two people that I've told about this.  Just sit back and feverishly await my amazingly stupendous posts! Don't worry, I won't steal any more time than you already lose on the perverse wasteland known as the internet.

Chris