Wye Oak - the truth about being earnest

If you're Andy Stack of Baltimore-based Wye Oak, and you can play drums with your right-hand and keyboards with your left, you are one badass motherfather. True & livin'. And if you're Jenn Warner, holding down guitars and vocals - you ain't lyin', either.

You'll hear some more earnest folk rock truths with the release of album, Civilian, March 8 - then check them out at Black Cat that Friday.

Oh and I just saw their free download card at Starbucks. People like some honesty with their latte.

**3.8.11 update**

chirgo, mcgaw and mckay will be in attendance at the Black Cat show. huzzah!

Wye Oak // Civilian

Washed Out

To the esteemed Mr. Ernest Greene,

Mr. Greene - I'm writing to let you know that I am a m*th*f*ck*n fan. Ever since you came out with the Life of Leisure EP, you've made me wish I had been a little older to do more than drool and ask for a binkie in '84. Those music beds you've built with late '70s-80's sampling is an excellent choice.

Even better than highfructosecornsyrup sampling is the minimal lyricism modus operandi. Paired with your homemade bedroom-synth, it's like pb&J. Smooth or chunky, grape or strawberry - if you make that sandwich, you better believe people are gonna 'nom.

The fact you got me to say 'nom is ridiculous. But when you're dropping singles on Adult Swim, only one of the best visual assaults on the planet, that's what happens.

keep it stanky,
chirgo

p.s. Caroline Polachek sounds positively dreamy on this track. Maybe I'll buy the last Chairlift record to hold me over since you're taking your sweet-ass time with this late Fall release.
p.p.s. Did you seriously create the Chillwave genre? C'mon bro - that's pushing it.

Washed Out // You and I

Rain Machine

Day three of Hurricane Ida leftovers, Rain Machine is awfully appropriate.

I'll start this by readily admitting I've been a bit smitten with Kyp Malone. He's only produced a zillion things for a cajillion artists. Plays in a little band you may have seen on one or two 'zine covers, TVOTR. Bodacious, bountiful beard. Owly, astounding specs. A strangled, falsetto howl like Darth Vader executing a chokehold on level 2.6.

Yeah I'm into strangling. What?

This new jaunt's, Rain Machine, naming is either one of two things;
1. he thought it would look cooler on a concert tee than KYP MALONE
2. he believes naming efforts is arbitrary and an interpretation of the individual, so why specify. Has anyone ever really stopped and thought about what Led Zepplin truly means? Doubtful. Don't act like you have just to impart on KM that you're deep. His lil gal Isabell is his music-success barometer, he doesn't need commoners like you and me to think on things for him.

Regardless, on this solo effort you're gonna get a lot of "nearlies" so your interpretation nation is given a jolt. Nearly chaotic. Nearly empty. Nearly gospel. Nearly agnostic. Nearly zen. Nearly royally pissed. Irritated yet? Let's move on.

You've probably heard the rollicking "Give Blood" on your local college station, so here's track five. Provocative lyrics, tambourine shakes, handclaps. God do I love handclaps. All giving you a feel for what to expect from the full album.

“...a nearly full spectrum of frequencies audible to the human ear, a reflection of a variety of emotions and situations real and imagined - some rhythm some rhyme." - KM

How could I ever say anything better. Kyp trumps again.

Rain Machine // Free Ride

Shitkatapult - Strike 100 compilation

Shitkatapult is the mostly electronic label out of Berlin started in 1997 by Marco Haas, who is also the artist T Raumschmiere. Sascha Ring, who is the musician Apparat, helped run it for a while but has gone back to strictly makin his own music.

Strike 100 came out at the end of last year to mark the 100th release by the label. It's 2 discs of ambient fuzz that alternates between soft and prickly with also some environmental sounds, though many of the songs do have annunciated beats, and vocals even.

Man it's really hard for me to decide what to upload.

Okay okay okay. One from each disc: Felix, for whom google turns up sparse info, at least in English, and Fenin, whose English isn't very good but who knows the word "homies." A lot of these guys seem to cite reggae and dub as influences, which I find interesting.


Flier for an Apparat CD release party. I might have died.

Felix - Outside on a Cold Day

Shitkatapult // Fenin - Lastkahn

Telepathe 2

So I'm sitting here reviewing this cd for WRIR and realize... I love it. I know I'm not just saying that because the review I wrote was completely dead-on on the first try, after the first full listen. You know what that means? I feel it.

Telepathe Dance Mother
Label: Iamsound
2/25/09
melodic dramatic indietronica (RPM)

Off-key, moany, choral female vocals over bass and drum heavy beats, occasional harpsichords, and dirty south parking lot synth riffs and high-hats. Bold, often violent, Secret-Gardenish lyrics similar to Hole's Victorian fixation.
RIYL Gang Gang Dance, Free Blood, School of Seven Bells

Reviewed by: Mary Claire
Recommended tracks: 1, 7, 9, 2 (see below)
FCC: 8, 2 (at -1:36)

PROPERTY OF RICHMOND INDIE RADIO DO NOT REMOVE

"You could have at least said 'Secret Garden at night.'"

This is the song that made me realize it's appropriate to do a second Telepathe post immediately after the first one.

Michael

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears

Just put on the advance Black Joe Lewis ep, which contains 4 tracks:

1) Gunpowder
2) Bitch, I Love You
3) Cousin Randy
4) Master Sold My Baby

The Black Joe Lewis collective is based in Austin; you can catch em at SxSW if you're headed that way, but if not they'll be doing a tour following the album launch. The full-length comes out on March 17th, called Tell Em What Your Name Is! from Lost Highway.

Otherwise, I haven't found too much press on Black Joe Lewis or the Honeybears, though the promoter did tell me that Obama has endorsed them.


Cousin Randy

Why not send your valentine a "Bitch, I Love You" e-card?