‘A toast to the last of a dying breed…” – Tokyo Police Club

Posted on March 9, 2009 by Cody

I’m not entirely sure why I like Tokyo Police Club the way I do. The core building blocks of the band are pretty straight forward: metronomic indie rock drumming, jagged, occasionally reverbed guitar and a thin but emotive lead singer. All the elements separately wouldn’t stand a chance , but together they coalesce and creates something that exceeds expectations.

Tokyo Police Club – Your English Is Good

When the tempo is pushed forward, the songs are at their best; propulsive head-nodding pseudo-anthems that catch you in their wake and pull you along. Tracks like ‘Your English Is Good’ stomp along with all the fervor of punkrock’s grandchild, but with an added attention to shifting detail. The song is littered with touches; the keyboard line glues together the clicking of the drums and the steady, fuzzy bass. It’s not repetitive; the riffs concise and incredibly efficient.

Tokyo Police Club – In A Cave

I’m not the type of listener who reacts to the lyrics. I tend to process the minutia of the sound production rather than respond to the worlds described by the singer. Dave Monks is an exception as very early in my discovery of the band I found myself looking up the lyrics and additionally, the meaning behind the words to ‘In A Cave’.

The phrasing isn’t always perfect, but his choices create something that is earnest and visual. The narratives twist throughout the song, fragments of images appear and guide you along. I think the almost awkward positioning of some of his word choices are the things that draw me in. The times my ears get confused cause me to only listen closely and examine the narrative better. Like with The Ghost’s Brian Moss, the things that I initially found offputting about some of his lyric choices evolved into the things that I found most endearing about the band.

The Interface has a few fantastic in-studio acoustic performances up as video and for MP3 download. Plus, Monks has a Maps and Atlases shirt on…you know how I love those guys. Always nice to see people you like have good taste as well.

You can download the full set for download as an single MP3 from The Interface, but I took the liberty of chopping it up into individual tracks. Far more useful that way:

Tokyo Police Club – Live at The Interface (Acoustic)

01. Tokyo Police Club – Tessalate: MP3 – VIDEO
02. Tokyo Police Club – The Harrowing Adventures: MP3 – VIDEO
03. Tokyo Police Club – The Nature of the Experiment – MP3 – VIDEO
04. Tokyo Police Club – Centennial: MP3 – VIDEO

The four songs as a ZIP (Sendspace)

Elephant Shell is a great example of quality from a young band that will only grow as time moves on. The songs they’ve presented us are smartly produced, contemporary indie rock that is driving without being lofty or overly anthemic. The live, acoustic cuts strip away the layers and show something of exceptional craft at the core. What they do next will no doubt be well worth the listen.

Bonus downloads:

2007′s Daytrotter Session

Ra Ra Riot’s stellar remix of Juno

2007 Brooklyn Vegan Interview

…In With The New – Andrew Bird’s Noble Beast (MP3s & Tour Dates)

Posted on February 13, 2009 by Cody

As the pastoral album cover hints, Noble Beast is a different kind of Andrew Bird. It’s grounded in a kind of naturalistic realism, a smaller album overall. While not a bad thing, but as it’s a comedown from the dark grandeur of Armchair Apocrapha, there’s definitely a period of listener adjustment that has to happen. Most every moment of Noble Beast is fraught with restraint, lacking the soaring bombast that permeated both its predecessor and …And The Mysterious Production of Eggs. Many of the tracks on Noble Beast are gentle to the core, crafted with touches of straight piano, acoustic guitar and cautious percussion.

It’s definitely a throwback to an older Bird, as there’s many moments where Noble Beast recall the simpler songwriting style of 2003′s Weather Systems which felt like an album of songs to be performed alone. Noble Beast has the essence of being written for someone, a touching living room performance in a house with creaky floorboards and a snow dusted roof.

‘Souverian’ is a good example of the new dynamic. At over seven minutes, it’s the lengthiest track on the album, and it retains touches of the more complex Bird songwriting. It begins a delicate stitch of violin, acoustic guitar and brushed drums that hang against the. The song snakes along, taking it’s time, pausing often to catch its breath; there are moments where you can feel the hints of a build coming, but it’s only a tease. An older Bird would use those moments as springboard into a looped cloud, but instead you get just a taste…a single bowed note arcs higher, reaching out of the mix, then things are quickly grounded. The song shifts in the last few minutes, the drums grow heavy and the melody somber, before taking off slowly into a glacial cloud of guitar noise. The entire song, as well most of the rest of the album is a work of patience…still quintessential Bird, but different in its approach.

Andrew Bird – Souverian

‘Anonanimal’ is an incredibly subdued and interesting track that quickly grew to be my favorite on the album. It snakes around the first half with a deft tangle of prickly guitar, violin and gorgeous wordplay. After a moments pause, it leads the listener along to a pop of Dosh’s skittering drumming and a bolder guitar riff.

Andrew Bird – Anonanimal

Overall, we’re faced with a slow moving, intricate work that takes time to crack open and examine the majesty within. Initially, I wasn’t totally sold on the album as a whole and was prepared to just write it off as a low point in his catalog, but I needed to sit with it for longer in order for it to grow on me. I’m a very staunch Bird fan, but on the same page, I love the complexity and the dexterous layering that made a beautiful fog out of his last two albums. The absence of those elements was off putting at first, but with repeated exposure, became a benefit. The strongest element of Noble Beast stands with Bird’s vocal melodies. While the older albums sucked listeners in with the craft of the music, I think that this album marks a change in his confidence as a songwriter. He’s less afraid to hide behind technical elements and lets the small touches speak just as loud. If you’re not in love with this album instantly, do take the time to get familiar with the melodies, to peek into the corners and find the subtle details that makes this album worthy of many repeat listens.

Tourdates:

Feb 14 2009/ The Rialto Theatre – Tucson, Arizona
Feb 15 2009/ SOMA – San Diego, California
Feb 18 2009/ The Orpheum Theatre – Los Angeles, California
Feb 19 2009/ The Fillmore – San Francisco, California
Feb 20 2009/ The Fillmore – San Francisco, California
Feb 21 2009/ Roseland Theater – Portland, Oregon
Feb 23 2009/ The Moore Theatre – Seattle, Washington
Feb 24 2009/ Knitting Factory – Boise, Idaho
Feb 25 2009/ The Murray Theater – Murray, Utah
Feb 26 2009/ The Ogden Theater – Denver, Colorado
Feb 27 2009/ Slowdown – Omaha, Nebraska
Feb 28 2009/ Hoyt Sherman Place Des Moines, Iowa
Mar 15 2009/ The Pageant – St. Louis, Missouri
Mar 16 2009/ Liberty Hall Lawrence, Kansas
Mar 17 2009/ Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, Oklahoma
Mar 21 2009/ House of Blues – Houston, Texas
Mar 22 2009/ Granada Theater – Dallas, Texas
Mar 23 2009/ The Lyric Oxford – Oxford, Mississippi
Apr 2 2009/ Allen Theatre – Cleveland, Ohio
Apr 3 2009/ Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Toronto, Ontario
Apr 4 2009/ Le National – Montreal, Quebec
Apr 5 2009/ Higher Ground – South Burlington, Vermont
Apr 7 2009/ Carnegie Music Hall – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Apr 8 2009/ Michigan Theater – Ann Arbor, Michigan
Apr 9 2009/ Civic Opera House Chicago, Illinois
Apr 10 2009/ Civic Opera House – Chicago, Illinois
Apr 11 2009/ The State Theater – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Apr 27 2009/ La Cigale – Paris

Noble Beast was released January 20th in North America on Fat Possum Records and February 2nd in Europe via Bella Union/Cooperative.

Glitchy Analog Hugs – Nosaj Thing

Posted on February 9, 2009 by Cody

Los Angeles’s Nosaj Thing was quite possibly my favorite discovery of 2008. A new guy on the scene, with just an single EP under his belt, he’s still created a work of majesty that brings along definite anticipation for currently underway, full length. His tracks are capture a kind of warm analog wonder, peppered with deft drum programming and tasteful glitchy elements.

Nosaj Thing – Bach 1685

Purchase the vinyl from Turntable Labs

From the limited run Stussy x Turntable Lab compilation Beats, “Bach 1685″ was the first track of his that I caught, and it immediately captured my ear with the 8-bit sounding washes and wandering backwards keyboard. The above video features the dance moves of Montreal producer Lunice (who, on a side note, did one of the best remixes of Kanye’s remixes of “Love Lockdown” that I’ve heard so far – download it here)

Nosaj Thing – Hearts Entire

Video by Dugan O’Neal
Purchase from

There’s rarely a person that I play him for that isn’t blown away. It’s safe to say that, in a year, a ton more folks will know about what he does. I’m sad that I left LA without catching his Low End Theory appearances, but from the looks of his myspace, he’s going to be playing out a bit this year. Be sure to catch his live show if you can.

Feb 5 2009 Fox Theater w/ The Gaslamp Killer, Pretty Lights – Boulder, Colorado
Feb 6 2009 Aggie Theater w/ Pretty Lights, Savoy – Ft. Collins, Colorado
Feb 7 2009 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom w/ Pretty Lights & DJ Russo – Denver, Colorado
Feb 13 2009 OBEY RADIO @ The Crosby w/ The Gaslamp Killer – Santa Ana, California
Feb 20 2009 TBA – Richmond, Virginia
Feb 21 2009 BeBar – Washington, Washington DC
Feb 26 2009 Holocene w/ Eliot lipp and Michna! – Portland, Oregon
Feb 27 2009 STS9 after party w/ Free the Robots + the Gaslamp Killer – San Francisco, California
Mar 5 2009 Princeton: Terrace F. Club – Princeton, New Jersey
Mar 6 2009 Zot Bar – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 7 2009 – Tribeca w/ Eliot Lipp + Pnuma Trio – Virginia
Mar 13 2009 11 Minna Gallery w/ Mochipet – San Francisco, California

Portland Post-Folk-Electro-Rock-ish – Talkdemonic

Posted on February 6, 2009 by Cody

I’m a sucker for anything that puts the focus on stringed instruments. Just like how I discovered Dirty Three years too late, I don’t know how Talkdemonic slipped by me for as long as they did.

The music the Portland duo creates is a brooding, deep-woods symphony, reflecting well the terrain of the Northwest. Without lyrics, the instruments do the job of emoting, with Lisa Molinaro’s violin and cello playing working to convey the heart of the music. Kevin O’Connor handles the drums and electronics sequencing and the result is something that broodingly straddles the genres of indie rock, electronica, and post rock to a pleasant end.

The duo released their third album, Eyes At Half Mast in late 2008 and will be playing a show this Saturday February 5th at Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge. Lucky Madison labelmates Ah Holly Fam’ly and local dark folkies Nurses and will be opening up the evening.

Talkdemonic – March Movement

Not All Icelandic Pop Chanteuses Are Batshit Crazy – Lay Low

Posted on February 4, 2009 by Cody

Lay Low was an accidental discovery made while I was blindly walking the streets of Reykjavik during the ’06 Iceland Airwaves. I stumbled into Skífan, one of the record shops on Laegavur to find her alone with an acoustic guitar, singing away to a tiny gathering of folks amidst the CD aisles.

There was something captivating about her performance; she’s got the dark, smoky voice that belies her looks and age and her songs are simple and pleasing, with a touch of Icelandic lilt to her intonation. Completely unlike most everything else featured at that year’s Airwaves, her intimate music floated far higher than some of the loudest of bands.

Her new album, Farewell Good Night releases on March 3rd. It’s an interesting shift from her earlier, more blues influenced work and becomes more a half-drunk love note to both Johnny Cash-style American country and the era of passionate torch songs.

You can get a download of “Last Time Around”, from the forthcoming album, by signing up for her mailing list here.

Check out Mojo Love, from her 2006 release Please Don’t Hate Me:

Lay Low – Mojo Love

“By and By” from Farewell Good Night, performed live at Iceland Airwaves 2008
Frikirkjan Church in Reykjavik, Iceland

“Please Don’t Hate Me” from the 2006 album of the same name.

Feb 5 2009 Kulturkirche – Cologne
Feb 6 2009 Passionskirche – Berlin
Feb 7 2009 Freihez – Munich
Feb 9 2009 Szene – Vienna
Feb 10 2009 Bierhubell – Bern
Feb 12 2009 Magazzini Generali – Milan
Feb 13 2009 Corallo – Scandiano
Feb 14 2009 Sala Sinopoli (Auditorium della Musica) – Rome
Feb 16 2009 Mascotte – Zurich
Feb 17 2009 Les Docks – Lausanne
Feb 18 2009 La Laiterie – Strasbourg
Feb 20 2009 Paradiso – Amsterdam
Feb 25 2009 Linja – Helsinki
Feb 26 2009 Lutakko – Jyvaskyla
Feb 28 2009 Suistoklubi – Hameenlinna
Mar 3 2009 Telakka – Tampere
Mar 6 2009 Nordatlantens Brygge – Copenhagen
Mar 9 2009 Prinzenbar – Hamburg
Mar 10 2009 Admiralspalast Studio – Berlin
Mar 11 2009 Studio 672 – Cologne
Mar 12 2009 The Slaughtered Lamb – London
Mar 13 2009 ULU – London
Mar 24 2009 Fontana’s (with Benny Crespo’s Gang) – New York City, New York

The Un-savior of Hip-Hop – Wale

Posted on August 13, 2008 by Cody

I’m not quick to crown anyone with a title, let alone someone I don’t really know. Secondly, it’s never good to name anyone as the saving grace of hip-hop, as it’s difficult to save anything that, en masse, isn’t in the mood to be saved. Since the birth of the movement, the salvation of hip-hop has been a low priority.

But, along comes Wale and within a few listens, I’m suddenly thinking to against those lines. I downloaded the new Mixtape About Nothing, honestly based on the curiosity at what lunatic would really theme a mixtape after Seinfeld. After the opening few tracks, I’ve got those flutters in my ear that remind the first time I heard Mos Def’s Black On Both Sides, with the slick palatable production and intelligent rhymes. The Mixtape About Nothing itself is a solid work of art, that found itself getting multiple plays over the course of last weekend. He’s smart, without being too aloof. Production choices, like the use of Justice’s D.A.N.C.E as the backing on last year’s 100 Miles and Running shows a smart touch that’ll just make his wider appeal that much more apparent.

I’ve had a pretty love/hate relationship with the last 5+ years of hip-hop, each year offering me less and less that genuinely appealed to my ear. Both production choices and lyrical styles just veered away from my real taste. Lately, production’s been a factor in my drifting off; moving away from a reliance on pricey samples took a little of the soul and swing away from much of the music. It’s cheesy, but I’m a sucker for just a well-aged snare sample. Well, From start to finish both The Mixtape About Nothing and 100 Miles And Running are slick, fun, and smart…a combination just not so often found in hip-hop these days. The choices of backing tracks are amazing, his lyrics are consistently interesting and at times, incredibly insightful (The Kramer). Hell, I’m even entranced by the purposeful contextualization of Seinfeld clips.

Wale is on his way up. Given that the man has produced a few mixtapes that are better than most people’s debut albums in another 6 months, he’ll be someone you’ll struggle to not constantly read blog posts about.

Enjoy his last two mixtapes, which are available as free, digital downloads: