hemlocke springs - "moses"

Springing forth from Zeus like the love child of Prince, Cyndi Lauper, Kate Bush, and Robert Smith, North Carolina artist hemlocke springs' debut album The Apple Tree Under The Sea, is a wondrous clash of influences. "moses" is pure break-beat/80s synthpop perfection. 

Lady Gaga ft. Gesaffelstein) - "Killah"

Mayhem is a return to form for Lady Gaga, leaning more into weird artpop, which is always her sweet spot. "Killah," a collaboration with Gesaffelstein, marries Depeche Mode beats with David Bowie/Prince swagger.

Art School Girlfriend - "I Would Die 4 U (Prince Cover)"

Art School Girlfriend, aka Polly Mackey, shares her cover of the Prince classic "I Would Die 4 You." Mackey eschews the original's go-for-broke energy and turns the song into a moody dreamscape.  

Twin Shadow - "Is There Any Love"

Twin Shadow, aka George Lewis, Jr., was poised to hit the heights that The Weeknd has experienced, but after two brilliant independent records, his major-label release fell flat and his following releases didn't do much to make up for it. If you have seen Twin Shadow live though, you know the man is a born entertainer, who knows how to whip an audience into a Prince-ian frenzy. His latest, self-titled record shows that spark, and on tracks like the funky "Is There Is Any Love" you can see that promise coming through. 

 

Jam of the Day: Janelle Monae - "Make Me Feel"

Killer track from Janelle Monae that channels Prince but with her own indelible stamp.

Jam of the Day: Joker - "Deserted Island"

Prince meets UK bass in this slinky track from Joker.

Album Review: Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks

Nine Inch Nails
Hesitation Marks
Rating: Woof Daddy

Hesitation Marks, the title of the 8th album under Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails moniker, refers to preliminary wounds made before a suicide attempt, and here there are plenty of references to being on the brink, trying to pull oneself back. It is no secret that Rezor has faced his share of demons over the years, but now, nearing 50, he's married, with two kids, and an Oscar winner, he seems more grounded than ever and still able to put out some of his most vital work since his 90s hey-days. Over these 14 tracks, Reznor revisits his past in a way, but looking at it from up above and with a more critical eye, touching on many of the same themes he has always worked with, however, much more wiser and kinder to himself. The sound of the record too touches on every facet of his career, from the electro-EBM of Pretty Hate Machine, studio excess of The Fragile, glitchy/claustrophobia of Year Zero, and even his masterful industrial synthpop of The Downward Spiral. This is not Reznor trying to reclaim what he once was/had or simply an exercise in nostalgia, it is an natural progression and amalgamation of all his incarnations, and one of his most vital records in years.

Working with longtime producer Alan Moulder and current collaborator Atticus Ross, Reznor is working on a more skeletal platform than usual, but instead of seeming too spartan actually helps the progression of tracks, and adds to the feeling of claustrophobia and tension. From the opening synthetic strains of the pulsating and ominous "Copy of A," Reznor builds off a core idea, never allowing the tracks to be overcome by too many elements.



And thankfully, Reznor is not afraid to be generous with the hooks this go around. While more recent works tended to go heavy on atmosphere over melody, here on Hesitation Marks, the hooks are fast and furious and keep on coming. From the lurching and buzzy first single "Came Back Haunted," throbbing EBM of "Running," and even the maligned punk-pop track "Everything"



Reznor shows why he was and still is the master of mixing the alternative and pop together. And yes, "Everything" sticks out like a sore thumb on the record and really doesn't fit in with the theme or feel of the record, but is so darn catchy you will forgive him for its inclusion.

Another interesting thing about the record is that there is an underlying funkiness to it, as if Reznor has been listening to a lot of old Prince albums. "Satellite," my favorite track on Hesitation Marks, has a funky bassline and percolating percussion that underlying its seething edge,



"All Time Low," even reverts back to his rap-sing attempts on Pretty Hate Machine as the deep funk of its bassline and rhythm guitars pushes it forward,

while on penultimate track "While I Am Still Here," Reznor even finds a way to throw in a horn break down.



There is a good mix of different styles and moods on the record even if Reznor tends to stick to a more muted palate, especially on tracks like "Find My Way" and Disappointed" that find him being about as minimal as he as ever been. But Reznor still knows how to provide a sense of drama regardless of what he is working with. There is a dazzling trio of tracks at the end of the record that prove Reznor just gets better with age. "Various Methods of Escape" seethes with an underlying energy that erupts in controlled bursts, "I Would For You" pretends to be a slow burner until the chorus explodes with cinematic grandeur,



and "In Two" finally releases all that pent up energy and anger into a furious swell of dense electronics and roaring guitars.



Ultimately what makes Hesitation Marks such a vital record is that Reznor is doing what he always does, but with more sense of purpose and less clutter. He is simply focusing on the music he wants to make without having to resort to aping his former work, but not neglecting his rich back catalog, using it as a frame reference to evolve his sound, and finally not trying to "sound" relevant by throwing in shameless nods to current trends such as dubstep and EDM. Hesitation Marks is Reznor finding his way again, and putting out one of the records of the year.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

New: TV On The Radio - "Million Miles"

Listen to this new track from TV On The Radio on NPR's website here. It's a different sound for the band, think Prince fronting The National; very soulful yet organic.

Videos of the Week

For a short work week this sure felt like a long one. Let's jet into the weekend with these amazing videos:



This slamming club track gets a video that will make you testify.



This slithery Suede track gets a museum destroying video.



Slick rave-pop track from Katy B gets an equally slick video in the Fast & Furious vein.



Ridiculous track from Major Lazer gets a ridiculous/awesome video (NSFW).



Grainy, in-studio video from Glass Candy.



Baddass live clip from Prince.

New: Janelle Monae ft. Erykah Badu - "Q.U.E.E.N."

New track from her upcoming album The Electric Lady featuring vocal assistance from Erykah Badu has a sleazy, Prince-esque vibe.

Album Review: Lapalux - Nostalchic

Lapalux
Nostalchic
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Twenty-four year old Stuart Howard, going under the name Lapalux, is one of the more accessible artists on Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label, utilizing more pop structures in his work. Not to say that any of the tracks on his debut LP Nostalchic will be climbing the Billboard charts anytime soon, but there is a definite spark to his tracks that reign in his more experimental tendencies. On his previous EPs for Brainfeeder, When You’re Gone and Some Other Time, Howard showed himself to be one of the densest artists working on the label, sometimes seeming as if there were thousands of elements jockeying for position within any one track. When it worked, it reached sublime levels, but too often it bordered on cacophony. For the most part, on Nostalchic he chooses to let his tracks breathe rather than throwing everything but the kitchen sink in, coming up with a delicate harmony between the LA beat scene, R&B, and IDM.

His best work creates a palpable sense of longing and sadness. Lead single "Without You" featuring vocals from Kerry Leatham is a haunting future R&B track taking Leatham's languorous vocals, pitch shifting them until they almost seem to lack meaning, taking the track into almost unbearable depths of despair.



"One Thing" merges 1999-era Prince like moaning synths and clattering percussion with a futuristic Aaliyah vocal turn from Jenna Andrews, creating a gorgeously melancholy ballad.



Howard again utilizes pitch shifting to a highly emotional effect on the Astrid Williamson sung track "Dance," which replicates the way your inner voice inside your head can sometimes get out of control.



And final track "OEA" with a second vocal from Jenna Andrews starts out as a dusky, jazzy guitar ballad before shoveling off into a beatcentric track showing off Howard's future garage chops.



While I had a better connection with his more pop-leaning tracks, that is not to say his instrumental work lacks any appeal. "Guuurl" is a dense collage of fractured synths, tortured vocal samples, and clomping percussion,



"IAMSYS (Tape Intro)" is a perfect L.A. beat scene intro with liquidy keyboards and shuffling programming,



and "Flower" creates a gorgeous dreamworld of reversed keyboards and diva vocal samples.



Howard does overstretch himself on occasion with some tracks that could have benefited from some judicious editing. "Kelly Brock" starts out interestingly with some haunting synth riffs but ultimately loses its way with just too many elements added, miring the beauty of the track, while "Swallowing Smoke" lurches and stutters with no true direction, never really finding its true path. But overall, Nostalchic has a quirky charm to it that pulls you back in time and time again. It is obvious that Howard is a very talented producer that is still trying to see what fits and what doesn't. With each release he is showing more and more confidence, and if he keeps creating tracks like the brilliant "Without You" he will likely strike gold soon.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Album Review: Tegan And Sara - Heartthrob

Tegan And Sara
Heartthrob
Rating: Grrrr

I will admit that I have never really listened much to Tegan and Sara's other albums. I think I had breezed through a couple of their last records and just never felt any connection to them or desire to listen to them again. It was mostly acoustic/indie folk rock that had some interesting lyrics, but was practically indistinguishable from most similar acts. With the release of their seventh studio album Heartthrob, I was not prepared in the least for their 180 degree change in direction. Enlisting producers Greg Kurstin (Santigold, Pink), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Paramore, M83), and Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Eminem) the duo have crafted one of the most aggressively pop records of the year, polishing their sound within an inch of its life, eschewing their more traditional guitar based songs for glitzy synth based confections. The 80s are definitely the touchstone with Heartthrob, with a lot of the tracks borrowing from artists like Cyndi Lauper, Prince, & Heart at their most hook laden and catchy. I have a feeling this complete change in sound and direction will irk a lot of their fanbase, and I am sure more than a few people will claim they have sold out. I suppose those claims will be somewhat valid, but seeing as I was not a huge fan to begin with, this change in direction, for me, is a positive thing. Hearthrob is a glossy, well-produced record that is extremely catchy. It is exactly what it is needs to be, a pure pop experience.

You definitely know you are not in the same territory right off the bat with first track and single "Closer," with its bouncy synths and slick drums and what seems, on the surface at least, to be typical Top 40 ready lyrics which contain a subtle edge, with lines like "All you think of lately is getting underneath me/All I’m dreaming lately is how to get you underneath me."



From there, it is a speedy journey through a pop landscape that you are either going to fall head over heels for or run screaming from. It took me a couple of listens but finally I had to give into it. It's just so damn catchy. From the sugar rush of "Goodbye, Goodbye,"



clever update of Heart-like balladry on "I Was A Fool,"



to the shimmery guitar gloss of "I'm Not A Hero,"



Heartthrob is packed to the gills with enough hits to make most current pop acts seethe with jealousy. While most of the songs seem very tame lyrically, when they are examined a little closer there are many instances where things take a darker turn. "How Come You Don't Want Me" is a particularly desperate song from the point of view of a dumped lover,



"Now I'm All Messed Up" is a haunted breakup track with lyrics like "Stay/You'll leave me in the morning anyway/My heart/You'll cut it out, you never liked me anyway,"



and closing track, the amazingly strong "Shock To The System" is a plea for a friend to get out of their relationship funk.



But overall, there is an easy, fun vibe to the whole record, from the 80s synth blasts of "Drove Me Wild," bouncy keyboards and thumping drums of "I Couldn't Be Your Friend," and gorgeous harmonies of "Love They Say." Heartthrob is just a pleasant surprise for me. Yes, based on most of the music I tend to like, it is very odd that I should like a record like this, but honestly, as long as the track is catchy and well done, I can like it just as much as something more experimental. So, into the second month of 2013, I think I have found my pure pop album crush of the year so far. You other pop princesses better bring your A game.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Album Review: Big Boi - Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors

Big Boi
Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors
Rating: Grrrr

While we continue to await any new material from Outkast, which seems to be a more diminishing position with each new year, we are at least still able to enjoy the output from Big Boi. My appreciation for Big Boi came to the forefront with the release of Speakboxxx/The Love Below, which essentially was two solo albums thrown together as a double album. While I thought I would be more drawn to Andre 3000's half of the record, I was blown away by how fun and inventive Big Boi's was. My respect for Big Boi was further cemented with his first official solo record, 2010's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, which was one of my top albums of that year. A stunning collection of Southern leaning hip-hop, there was a restless inventiveness and experimentation to the tracks that kept you on your toes. There isn't a huge leap forward in style or form on the follow up Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors, however, it does appear that Big Boi is leaning away from more traditional sounds and embracing his indie/electronic side, aligning himself with collaborations on multiple tracks with Little Dragon and Phantogram.

In fact, it is these oddball collaborations that really standout and take the record to another level. On paper, they sound like a mess, and in many cases are a mess, but are so different and interesting they keep you wanting more. My favorite tracks on the record are the collaborations with Phantogram. Their quirky electro-pop complements Big Boi perfectly, even though in theory it feels like it would be a mess. "Objectum Sexuality" has a fun bounce and playfulness to it, Big Boi spitting out his raps with humor and sass, while Sarah Barthel's gorgeous, bored-with-it-all chorus refrains adds needed contrast and texture.



"CPU" buzzes and growls with deep bass synths and keyboards over a chugging beat, with a gorgeous coda. Again, Barthel's voice adds needed counterpoint to Big Boi's flow.



And their additional collaboration with A$AP Rocky on "Lines" is another album standout, featuring a laid back beat amid whirring sythns, picking up on the chorus with bold piano chords. The mix of vocal styles between Rocky, Big Boi, and Barthel is surprisingly fluid.



Everyones' go-to collaborator these days, Little Dragon, offers up two unique tracks with Big Boi. The deep rumble of "Thom Pettie,"



and the delicate closing ballad of "Descending."



There is a very low-key somberness to a lot of the record that I wasn't expecting, and a greater willingness to open himself up to more personal subjects. "Tremendous Damage" is a lovely piano ballad about the death of his father,



and "She Hates Me" which details the ending of a relationship due to his personal faults.



Of course, there are still a lot of fun tracks on the record that keep the right amount of levity to the proceedings. The bouncy and light "Apple of My Eye,"



"Shoes For Running" adds an indie guitar vibe with a cool chorus from Wavves,



and his pop collaboration with Kelly Rowland, "Mama Told Me," steals from Prince's "When Doves Cry" and adds more sass and glitter to things.



Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors can appear scattershot at times and lacking the cohesiveness of Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, but over many listens its charm and quirkiness take root and overwhelm any minor criticisms. I for one hope that Big Boi continues doing exactly what he is doing, taking whatever music is making him happy at the moment and merging it with his unique personal style.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Album Review - Kindness: World, You Need A Change Of Mind

Kindness
World, You Need A Change Of Mind
Rating: Grrrr

Kindness, the solo project of UK/Berlin based auteur Adam Bainbridge, obviously has a penchant for 80s funk pop and slick R&B, tossing in equal amounts Prince and Janet Jackson along with other 80s pop acts that utilized R&B shadings, such as China Crisis, The Blue Nile, Scritti Politti, and even Bryan Ferry. He has been causing a slight Internet buzz with his MySpace page, releasing random singles, from the odd cover of The Replacements' "Swingin' Party," an almost monumentally epic Krautrock cover of Cerrone's disco classic "Supernature," and tracks from Neil Young and The Byrds. World, You Need A Change Of Mind, Kindness' debut album, gets a jump from this buzz, offering many tracks that get under your skin with their retro funk and smooth grooves, and only falters when the archness of the concept gets a little too close to irony for comfort.

Lead single "Swingin' Party" trades the alt-country sweep of the original with a plaintive beat, subtle keyboards, and a hauntingly morose vocal.



"SEOD" could be from a lost Boys & Girls demo from Bryan Ferry,beginning with a lengthy intro of cavernous drums, treated guitars, and a lovely bed of icy cold synths, before evolving into a sultry synth pop number.



"Gee Up" is a slick 2 minute slice of white boy funk.



"That's Alright" builds on dense drum programming, rising synths, funk guitar swirls, and ecstatic vocal samples that is equal measure Chic and LCD Soundsystem.



"Cyan" is slick, futuristic R&B, floating on a twinkling beat and pillows of soft keyboards.



And goes all out disco-funk on final track "Doigsong" punishing a slap bass and killer beat.



Thankfully these high points overshadow the two glaring mistakes on the album. A cover of the theme song to Eastenders, "Anyone Can Fall In Love," is the height of treacly banality, while "Bombastic" reads as an embarrassing lounge lizard karaoke act.



Based on his output prior to releasing this album, plus the sequencing of the album itself, it can, at times, come across a bit scattered. Bainbridge appears to be fairly restless in his musical interests which, while keeping things quite interesting, can make for a less than cohesive listen. Despite this small flaw, World, You Need A Change Of Mind is a wonderful pop album that recalls the best of 80s and 90s styles, yet makes it fully modern and his own.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Grimes: Visions - Album Review

Grimes
Visions
Rating: Jeez Lady

Grimes, the one woman project of Canadian musician/artist Claire Boucher, has released two albums of experimental synth pop that at its best hypnotizes and transfixes, and at its worst confounds and perplexes. Visions, her third album, and first for iconic label 4AD, was recorded by Boucher in her home over a period of three weeks, and is unlikely to change any one's opinion of her or her output. If you enjoyed Halfaxa (which I did immensely) or Geidi Primes (which I did not), Visions will be a welcome addition to your collection. For me, I haven't seen much of a progression over the course of these albums to get really excited about these tracks. The production still sounds relatively bare boned, and instead of focusing on her strengths (which she appeared to be leaning on with Halfaxa) this seems almost like a regression, relying on the same sonic/vocal tricks in almost every track. This tends to make the tracks fade into each other with no real distinctiveness or charm. If the intention was to create more of a suite of tracks that utilized similar themes and motifs, then it fails as none of the ideas themselves add up to much over a 50 minute run time.

In my review of Halfaxa, I mentioned how I loved her combinations of beautiful and harsh sounds, and that her voice, when properly reigned in, was an exquisitely evocative instrument. My problems with the record were when the album flew off into realms of new age gauziness, coming across like a low-rent Enya. Unfortunately, with Visions, Grimes has almost forsaken all of the things that made me love her last record. There are a few tracks that capture the allure of the last record. The vaguely Asian melodies of "Genesis" undulate under Grimes' most ethereal and lovely vocal. Once the beats kick in, the multi tracked vocals take over the lush instrumentation.



"Circumnambient" features sinister blasts of synth lines over a harsh drum beat. Her voice, starting quiet and monotone, erupts further into the track, propelling the track forward. Strangely, it sounds like the perfect marriage between Gary Numan and Madonna.



These tracks work because her voice is working with the track instead of against it, becoming either the driving force, or working in harmony with the other elements. "Vowels = Space and Time," allows her breathy voice to grab onto the chugging drum programming, almost becoming another electronic element in the track.



However, her voice is likely to become the most polarizing thing about this record. Too many times, she sings far too high for the vocal to be effective, taking strange detours into Chipmunks territory, or slathering her vocals with so much reverb it is impossible to tell if it is human or not. Additionally, the music this time feels lazy and slapdash. Previously, Boucher has indicated that she is not a musician per se, noodling around with electronic equipment until she found sounds that she liked. On Halfaxa, this approach seemed to work in her favor, perhaps the luck of certain sounds bouncing off one another somehow worked together serendipitously. Here, that approach was not as fruitful. For the most part, the drum programming is very rudimentary, and at times seems like presets on Garageband. And the melodies mostly float along unmemorable, bleeding into choruses, when there are choruses to speak of. The album becomes almost an amorphous mess by the end, content to drift on ambient washes of keyboards and breathy vocals.

Tracks like "Symphonia IX" float on a pre-programmed beat, barely rising to any peak.



"Eight" suffers from more of the same tinny drum machines and lackluster bass lines, Boucher's helium voice, tweaked and tortured into such high octave extremes it would give even Mariah Carey pause.



"Visiting Statue" starts promisingly as a sort of updated electro take on Prince, but just never goes anywhere, remaining at the same place throughout the track.



"Nightmusic" also starts promisingly as a simple electro track, but Grimes' breathy vocals take over the mix and eventually the music just sets into autopilot.



Based on her album Halfaxa, I was expecting great things from Grimes. While I am not ready to count her out, Visions is a disappointing stumbling block, an album of many ideas, none of which really seem fleshed out well, and none that really struck me as being something that could be fleshed out. I'm hoping this is just a minor setback from her, as she truly has talent, but only needs a stricter hand at editing out the bad ideas from the good. Perhaps working with a producer next time might put things on track. As it stands, Visions is a baffling misfire.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Non-Sequiturs

Love this photo.

Jean Marais was so damn beautiful

As was Guy Madison.

Bears in their underwear.

It's been one of those weeks that seems endless. I am ready for a nice weekend to get recharged. Next week will be a rather short week for me, as Tuesday Kurt and I are going to the Identity Festival to see a lot of really great bands and DJs. Will hopefully be fun.

Happy Birthday to Madonna this week. I have my iPod on shuffle and "Music" just came up. That song is so darn good.

I've been reading up on the so-called "candidates" for the Republican nomination for President. If this is the best they can do, we are in for a heap of trouble. Can't you guys find one person who is not some Christian extremist who feels the job of politicians is to get involved in the most minute aspect of everyones' lives? Whatever happened to your party's belief in less government?

Lyrics Rattling Around My Brain

"Dorothy was a waitress on the promenade
She worked the night shift
Dishwater blonde, tall and fine
She got a lot of tips
Well, earlier I'd been talkin' stuff
In a violent room
Fighting with lovers past
I needed someone with a quicker wit than mine
Dorothy was fast
Well, I ordered - "Yeah, let me get a fruit cocktail, I ain't 2 hungry"
Dorothy laughed
She said "Sounds like a real man 2 me"
Kinda cute, U wanna take a bath?
-do you wanna, do you wanna, bath-
I said "Cool, but I'm leaving my pants on" -she say-
"Cuz I'm kind of going with someone"
She said "Sounds like a real man 2 me"

Prince
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker"

"Oh just one more
And I'll walk away
All the everything you win
Turns to nothing today
So just one more
Just one more go
Inspire in me the desire in me
To never go home"

The Cure
"Homesick"

"Well I hope and I pray
That maybe someday
You'll walk in the room with my heart
Add and subtract
But as a matter of fact
Now that you're gone I still want you back
Remembering
Surrendering
Remembering that part
All of my heart"

ABC
"All Of My Heart"

Appealing Things

Shoegazing
Craft Spells
Attending something you weren't looking forward to and having a great time
The Knife
A Visit From The Goon Squad
Russian Dolls

Annoying Things

People who don't restack weights at the gym
Mr. Sparkly Spandex
People grabbing my man without permission
People who are constantly breaking up and getting back together; there is usually a reason it didn't work out the first, second and third time
All the couples and throuples I know splitting up

Videos of the Week

Another Friday is upon us and thus another installment of the videos that are making me shout whoo hoo!



New video from Arcade Fire directed by Spike Jonze.  What seems to be a simple storyline actually reveals a pretty complicated subtext.  You have to watch the video multiple times to get the full effect of it.



I saw Robyn last week in concert and she put on an amazing live show.  Her pop music smarts are lazer honed, and based on this cover of Prince's hit single, you can see why.



I don't care if Kanye is a douchebag or an asshole.  At least he admits it, and still backs up his mouth with brilliant music.



Funny cover of "Whip My Hair" by "Neil Young" (Jimmy Fallon) and Bruce Springsteen.



Bizarre video fetishizing meat.  Extremely disturbing.



Creepy trailer that seems to imply that a new Aphex Twin cd is coming out in March 2011.  It has been almost 10 years since we had any new music under that moniker, and I for one am very excited. 



New video from Sweden's Lykke Li, showing a more empowered side of herself.  The video and the song are both awesome.



Beautiful song from one of my favorite new artists Teebs.