Welcome to this week’s edition of The Monday Mixtape, a weekly update of songs, both old and new, that have been on my personal heavy rotation.
This week’s mixtape is filled with a whole slew of brand new tracks.
I'd like to apologize for the week-long delay, but a debilitating case of strep throat combined with my current rigorous scholastic curriculum forced me to put the blog on the back-burner for more days than I would have liked. However, I'm finally healthy, so things will be back to normal immediately.
Hercules’ Theme – Hercules and Love Affair
Hercules and Love Affair is the electronic brainchild of New York-based DJ, Andy Butler. Released earlier this year in March, Hercules and Love Affair’s self-titled debut (Released on DFA records) is filled with the noise of disco. Thumbing bass, artificial twinkling brass, and inorganic strings are all here and the electronic musician does his best to usher in a revival of 70’s dance music. Despite its heavily vintage sound, Butler manages to bring something unique to dance music in 2008.
Bright Side – The Muslims
Coming out of San Diego, California, The Muslims are a four-piece pop-rock outfit. “Bright Side” has its share of familiar sounds, especially in an indie-music scene that was stormed by Vampire Weekend earlier this year. However, the Californians manage to bring some regionalism to their musical disposition and the result is west coast up-tempo rock with flairs of punk, all of which makes for a solid early summertime listen.
Feast on My Heart – Pylon
Released in 1980, Pylon’s first album Gyrate was an landmark new wave, dance music, and art rock LP. A great influence to such acts as the B-52’s and R.E.M., Pylon pioneered the combination of dance and punk, created music that is brash and rigid, while maintained a strong sense of rhythm and “dance-ability.” “Feast on My Heart” is an exemplary track from the Atlanta foursome as all of the group’s staples are present: Vanessa Briscoe Hay’s cruel moans, Curtis Crowe’s steady, up-beat rhythms, and Randall Bewley’s dry, melodic guitar riffs.
Pork and Beans – Weezer
On June 24th, 2008, Weezer will release their sixth studio album (self-titled, but coloured Red). “Pork and Beans” is the album’s first single and it came out mid-April. Having been a great of fan of Weezer’s earlier material and quite disappointed by their more recent output, “Pork and Beans” celebrates a return of form of sorts for the veteran group: it’s catchy, self-reflexive, nerdy, and it’s an amalgamation of sorts of the group’s Pinkerton and Blue-era sounds. With the release of this single, their forthcoming album promises some interesting listens.
Ants – Blank Dogs
What begins as an exercise in Joy Division inspired no-wave, Casio keyboards, muted vocals, and all, quickly shifts into sun-kissed surf rock and then back again in “Ants,” a track off of Blank Dogs 2008 LP, On Two Sides. Amidst the buzzing keyboards and fuzzed guitars is melody, and the group manages to create a unique sonic experience, which may be best described as dystopian, post-apocalyptic dance music.
Discipline – Nine Inch Nails
Earlier today, that is May 5th, 2008, Trent Reznor digitally released Nine Inch Nails’ seventh studio album, The Slip. Explaining that “this one’s on me,” Reznor has made The Slip available for free from the Nine Inch Nails website in a variety of audio formats. Before today, “Discipline” was released digitally and is considered the record’s first single. The sound of “Discipline” displays the aural elements Reznor employs on the majority of the new album. Unlike the solely instrumental, and often somber, Ghosts I-IV (also released this year), The Slip contains tracks that are reflections of both Broken-era Nine Inch Nails and, more notably, With Teeth-era NIN, all of which can be characterized as power pop plastered by the fervor of industrial rock.
A Thousand Eyes – Crystal Antlers
Fresh of the band’s 2008 self-titled EP, “A Thousand Eyes” embodies the psychedelic, soulful sound of the Long Beach, California five-piece. Comprised of a drummer, a second percussionist, an organist, as well as a guitar player and bass player/blues-tinged vocalist, Crystal Antlers successfully weave an anthemic, blues-tinged track that manages to be both catchy and challenging to the ears.
Sipping on the Sweet Nectar – Jens Lekman
Jens Lekman, the certainly unique Swedish-pop musician, released Night Falls Over Kortedala in 2007 and it was filled with his infectious, affectionate musical style. Combining samples of twinkling 70’s pop with dance-oriented percussion, Lekman procures a heavily original sound which comes off as Belle & Sebastian guitar-oriented pop with an assortment of bells, whistles, samples, and strings.
I Want Wind to Blow – The Microphones
In 2001, Phil Elvrum (under the Microphones moniker) released what many consider to be his seminal work. The Glow Pt. 2 is low-fi indie acoustic rock at its pinnacle. “I Want Wind to Blow,” the albums opener, is definitive of the emotionally heavy sound Elvrum crafts on his seventh musical release. Using cheap, slightly out of tune guitars, random elements of percussion, and his soft fragile voice, Elvrum creates “I Want Wind to Blow,” an exercise in solo songwriting that is brooding, yet musically uplifting. Although the song begins soberly, Elvrum erupts into optimism at the 2:30 mark with a simplistic guitar melody. Eventually, this snowballs into the noise of overdriven drums and a variety of instruments all proclaiming the same, sweet melody.
Inside the Cinema – Culture Reject
Staccato horns, handclaps, gentle double-tracked vocals, acoustic guitars, and a lead guitar melody make up the charming Culture Reject tune, “Inside the Cinema” off of the band’s recent self-titled debut album. Mixing in a handful of other instruments, Culture Reject’s Michael O’Connell crafts a soft indie-folk song peppered with pop ornamentation and Sufjan Stevens-esque instrumental accompaniment, which creates a bright, swirling listening experience.
Enjoy.
