Interpol - "This Mirror Weighs A Ton"

The title track to Interpol's upcoming record finds them returning to the moody atmospherics and surreal, dreamlike moods of tracks like "Take You On A Cruise" and "Pioneer To The Falls." 

Interpol - "Something Changed"

The second single from Interpol's upcoming record The Other Side of Make Believe is the haunting "Something Changed."  Over a rumbling low-end, the band floats plaintive piano chords, echoing guitars, and Paul Banks' tortured baritone.

Interpol - "Toni"

"Toni" is the first taste of Interpol's new record The Other Side of Make-Believe which was produced by Flood and Alan Moulder. It's a slow-burning track punctuated by stark piano, melodic bass, and a driving beat.

Muzz - "Everything Like It Used To Be"

Muzz, the indie-rock supergroup formed by Paul Banks of Interpol, Matt Barrick of The Walkmen, and Josh Kaufman of Bonny Light Horseman have just released their debut self-titled record. It is a quite beautiful collection of pastoral rock and roll. "Everything Like It Used To Be" uses a shuffling drum beat, forlorn horns, and jangly guitars to accent Banks' haunting vocals.

Muzz - "Bad Feeling"

Interpol's Paul Banks teams up with members of The Walkmen and Bonny Light Horseman to form a new band called Muzz. Their first single is the quiet, delicate ballad called "Bad Feeling," which has quite a striking horn mix towards the end.

Jam of the Day: Interpol - "Real Life"

Interpol seems to have gotten their mojo back on new EP A Fine Mess. Spiky single "Real Life" goes back to basics.

Jam of the Day: Interpol - "Fine Mess"

Interpol's last album Marauder was strangely hesitant and restrained and kept me at arm's length. On the eve of their current tour, the release a non-album cut that brings back memories of the Interpol of old: moody, dangerous, on the edge of being sloppy but with a fire that perks your ears up. I am hoping this is a trend that continues.

Jam of the Day: Interpol - "If You Really Love Nothing"

"If You Really Love Nothing" is the lead track off Interpol's new record Marauder and is a aching song that sets the tone of vulnerability and disillusionment that permeates the record. Kristin Stewart stars in the shadowy video.

Jam of the Day: Interpol - "The Rover"

Blistering new track from Interpol's upcoming sixth record Marauder, due on August 24th.

Jam of the Day: Banks & Steelz - "Can't Hardly Feel"

On paper this collaboration between Paul Banks of Interpol and RZA of Wu-Tang Clan shouldn't work, but somehow it seems to gel well. I really can't stop playing this brooding and somber track.

Videos of the Week

It was a very long and busy week. Here are some videos to get us right into the weekend:

Get More:
Purity Ring, Push Pull, Music, More Music Videos

The first video from Purity Ring's upcoming sophomore record Another Eternity is for the song "Push Pull," which finds singer Megan James in ethereal, gossamer mode.



Zola Jesus as sculpture in this clip for "Hunger."



Intriguing animated clip for this collaboration between Lxury and Deptford Goth.



Humorous clip for Interpol's latest single, showing the band members getting ready for a NYC show, with singer Paul Banks being the dick everyone assumes he is.



Beautifully shot clip from Boxed In features Oli Bayston interacting with a beached whale.



Cloakroom record amid a variety of different landscapes.



Dramatic, shoegazey track from Programm gets an elegantly shot black and white video.



New Zealand trio Yumi Zouma work some Twin Peaks' vibes in this clip.



Trippy clip from Run the Jewels.

Jillian Hervey, the daughter of Vanessa Williams, fronts Lion Babe, featuring her and producer Lucas Goodman. This clip for their song "Treat Me Like Fire" is a simple performance clip, but Hervey is such a striking presence, it is difficult to look away.



Arty clip from Barcelona post-punk band Mourn.

My Favorite 25 Albums of 2014: 5-1

And here are my Top 5 Albums of 2014. Here is hoping for an even better 2015.

5.

Spoon - They Want My Soul

If anyone had told me I would have a Spoon record in my top albums, let alone my Top 5, I would have called them crazy. Not that I have anything against the men in Spoon, I just never thought of them more than just above-average indie rock. Of course, before then, I hadn't heard They Want My Soul. When I heard the blisteringly catchy first single "Do You," I was instantly hooked. A summer jam to be end all summer jams, "Do You" had the right amount of sass, hookiness, and summer weariness to be on constant repeat. What I truly wasn't prepared for was the stylistic breadth of the tracks on They Want My Soul. Spoon moves effortlessly through silky future R&B ("Inside Out"), barn-burning alt-rock ("They Want My Soul"), sparkly new wave ("New York Kiss"), and barroom jams ("Rainy Taxi") without skipping a beat. Each track melts into the next, creating a beautiful collection of tracks that not only wants your soul, but feeds it.

4.

Tinashe - Aquarius

With the perfect mix of Beyonce's confidence, Rihanna's sass, and Aalyiah's sleek sexuality, Tinashe appeared on the scene with her wondrous record Aquarius which is hands down the best R&B record you will hear all year. Whether she is slinking around her hot single "2 On," going to head to toe with rapper A$AP Rocky on "Pretend," strutting around "All Hands On Deck," or showing her quiet side on the breathtaking ballad "Bated Breath," Tinashe shows that she has a vision and will stick to it on her terms. Of all the R&B records I listened to this year, Aquarius is the only one that consistently found itself on repeat. It is sure to beguile you as much as it did me.

3.

Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots

It's hard to believe that in his storied career, Blur frontman Damon Albarn has yet to put out an official solo release. Everyday Robots finds Albarn in a very melancholy mood, ruminating on his past as well as our society's current fixation with technology and the loneliness that it can perpetuate. Working with Richard Russell, the boss of XL Recordings who worked with Damon on Bobby Womack's album, The Bravest Man In The Universe, Albarn keeps a limited palate on these twelve tracks, mostly using glitchy drum machines, piano, strings, and subtle electronics. Every so often, there are glimpses of light and joy, but in his later years, Albarn is more in a reflective mood, casting greys and blacks through a foggy haze. Everyday Robots is that perfect rainy day record that you can sink into the couch and let its quiet power take over.

2.

Interpol - El Pintor

Although Interpol has pretty much been given short shrift since their sophomore record Antics, I have always had a soft spot for them, finding some great music in Our Love to Admire and Interpol, which was my top record of 2010. So when people mentioned that El Pintor was a comeback and major return to form, I was sitting back thinking, for me, they never really went anywhere. El Pintor is the first Interpol record without original bassist Carlos D, and it will be noted that his melodic bass lines are somewhat missed, however, you also notice that for the first time in awhile, Interpol sounds looser and freer than they have in a long time. El Pintor is an exceptionally strong record with a bevy of singles, each of which shines in its own right. We have your typical barn burners like "All the Rage Back Home," "Anywhere," and "Ancient Ways," alongside the brooding and swooning numbers like "Everything Is Wrong," "My Blue Supreme," and "My Desire." It all culminates in two sweeping tracks, the pounding "Tidal Wave," and epic "Twice as Hard." El Pintor is not a comeback, it is a statement of purpose.

1.

The Twilight Sad - Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave

After their phenomenal debut record, the shoegaze masterpiece Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters, The Twilight Sad couldn't quite figure out what to do with their sound. They stalled a bit with second record Forget The Night Ahead which, while a solid release, felt like they were a bit on cruise control. And left field change up No One Can Ever Know, eschewed guitars almost entirely for a robotic synth sheen that felt like a little kid trying on their older brother's clothes. With their latest record, Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave, The Twilight Sad live up to the promise of their debut. Mixing their shoegaze roar with just enough electronics, these ten tracks pulse and throb with energy and purpose, coming across as the perfect overview to their career to date. From the driving and potent single "Last January," to the roaring centerpiece "In Nowheres," the band takes full control of the journey, and when you get to the final, haunting track "Sometimes I Wished I Could Fall Asleep," you know you have been at the hands of masters. Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave is the year's best record.

Favorite Songs of 2014: Numbers 25-1

25.  Aphex Twin - "Minipops 67 (Source Field Mix)"

Not so much a return to form as a reminder that Aphex Twin was so far ahead of anyone else in the electronic music field that it took this long for people to catch up. And still, he pushes the envelope even farther.



24.  Warpaint - "Teese"

The one word that constantly came to mind when listening to Warpaint's sophomore record was liquid. Every song sounded like it moved underneath layers of calm waters. "Teese" is the aural equivalent of immersing oneself in a warm bath under the stars, with only the sounds of your heart and breath to keep you comfortable.



23.  Neneh Cherry - "Blank Project"

Roaring back after an absence of 18 years, Neneh Cherry came back as if no time had passed. "Blank Project" is one of the many standouts on the album of the same name, with the music growing from a steady buzz and pulse into something nearing anarchy, with Ms. Cherry standing in front of the chaos, always and sublimely in control.



22.  Dawn Golden - "All I Want (Nudist Remix)"

I usually don't pick remixes of songs on best of lists, preferring to choose the original version of a track to something that is essentially someone else's vision. With Dawn Golden, their single "All I Want" is a perfectly enjoyable Coldplay-esque track that I can see being used in 10,000 movie trailers and key movie moments. It just ever really jumps ahead into a "must hear" track for me. Nudist's remix, however, takes the song and gently tweaks it, making it more lonely and more longing, and has made it that "must hear" song for me. He really makes you hear the desperate longing that is missing from the original by merely warping the vocals, adding verse repetition, and the heart wrenching piano, creating a haunting classic.



21.  Capital Cities - "One Minute More"

This festival ready sing-a-long is one of those songs that makes you want to dance and not think about a damn thing.



20.  We Were Evergreen - "Daughters"

Melancholy electro-pop from the French trio We Were Evergreen. I love the wistful interplay between the dual vocalists.



19.  Hercules and Love Affair ft. John Grant - "Liberty"

I always like Hercules and Love Affair more when they are slamming you hard on the dance floor. With the urgent vocals of singer John Grant, "Liberty" leaves you gasping for breath.



18.  Róisín Murphy - "Ancora Tu"

From her EP of Ital-disco tracks Mi Senti, Róisín Murphy's track "Ancora Tu" is a gorgeous, minimalist song that focuses on her amazingly emotive voice. While I have no idea what she is singing about, you get every emotional cue from her impeccable delivery.



17.  Lykke Li - "Gunshot"

Lykke Li's "Gunshot" begins with Li's delicate voice and muted backing before erupting into a stunning anthem. I could have put almost any track from her impeccable album I Never Learn on this list, but I kept coming back to this one, its haunting melody a siren's call.



16.  Interpol - "All The Rage Back Home"

El Pintor had almost too many singles to consider in making my list, however, I have always had a soft spot for the opening track whose humble beginnings masks a prototypical Interpol barn burner.



15.  Klo. - "False Calls"

Where pop, R&B, electronica, and hip-hop all collide in this modern world, Aussie duo Klo. mesmerize with this dreamy track.



14.  Sia - "Eye of the Needle"

One of the simpler tracks on her record 1000 Forms of Fear, Sia's "Eye of the Needle" is breathtaking in how she maintains such control over her voice, but that she lets flaws come through at the end. The beauty to me is always in the flaws.



13.  Blonde Redhead - "Penultimo"

Quirky art-pop from Blonde Redhead. I love how the awkward male and female vocals twist and turn around each other in slow dance, their perceptions of place changed by time and distance. An evocative tale of how music was once so dangerous and threatening and now has become something pale and timid.



12.  Tinashe - "The Leap"

Although I easily could have picked a number of tracks from her stunning debut Aquarius, I chose her track from the Mockingjay soundtrack. I love her expressive voice matched against the moody, textural background of the music.



11.  Cathedrals - "Unbound"

Achingly beautiful track from San Francisco duo Cathedrals which mixes delicate guitar work, impassioned vocals, and a buzzy electronic undercurrent.



10.  Lorde - "Yellow Flicker Beat"

Lorde's talent keeps growing with this track that is all about mood, and the build and release.



9.  Oyinda - "Rush of You"

London-based, Nigerian-born singer Oyinda singer's "Rush of You" is a fairly minimal alt-R&B track that hits all the right marks for me. Her subtle voice is the key to this track, as it equates love to a drug addiction, with the withdrawals giving her false hope that her lover will come back. The end of the track is simply the voices in her head clipped and chopped into another instrument as the feelings wash over her.



8.  Manatee Commune ft. Marina Price - "White Smoke"

Gorgeous chillwave from Seattle bedroom producer Grant Eadie, a.k.a. Manatee Commune, featuring luminous vocals from Marina Price. The track is deceptively simple, yet the layers and layers of sound he builds are intoxicating and transcendent.



7.  Kindness - "This Is Not About Us"

There is a ramshackle charm to this track that is infectious. I love how each element is so distinctive, as if created in a vacuum separate from the others, then by some found method are aligned to each other in harmony.



6.  FKA twigs - "Pendulum"

"Pendulum" is the haunting centerpiece to FKA twigs' astonishingly assured debut record LP1. How she can use her soft voice to create a hold over you without the music overtaking her is astounding. And who hasn't been in the situation where you love your partner more than they love you, and you feel helpless watching them slip away. She nails it with the lyrics "So lonely trying to be yours/When you're looking for so much more."



5.  Arca - "Held Apart"

Venezuelan producer Alejandro Ghersi, better known as Arca, is best known for his technical virtuosity, and his ability to twist machine sounds into completely new directions. His work with Kanye West, FKA twigs, and on his early EPs is staggeringly complex and ahead of its time. When selecting a track from his masterful debut Xen, I could have chosen a number of tracks that highlighted this side of this work. But Arca is more than everything but the kitchen sink showing off, there is talent, drive, and purpose with what he does. And never more does he shine brighter than on the heartbreaking treated piano track "Held Apart." This my friends, is looking into the eyes of god.



4.  Wild Beasts - "A Dog's Life"

As they move towards being almost the electronic version of later period Talk Talk, Wild Beasts allow their innate understanding of mood, texture, and emotion to dictate where their songs head. This gut-wrenching tale of a dog's death is the perfect example from their brilliant record Present Tense, reaching an apex of almost unbearable sadness that floods one with memory and regret.



3.  Spoon - "Do You"

I have never included an album or song from Spoon in any of my lists before. I am sure I never truly gave them the attention they deserve, and for that I apologize. Their hooky as hell single "Do You" just kept gnawing at me like a hunger all summer, never shaking it from my head. It is just one of those perfect pop songs.



2.  Damon Albarn - "Everyday Robots"

"Everyday Robots" is the lonely and haunting title track from Damon Albarn's first solo record. Albarn's voice is front and center over the lurching rhythm, African samples, strings, and plaintive piano, lamenting a world where personal interaction has been reduced to the sidelines.



1.  Totemo - "Host"

I can't really provide a concrete reason for why this song has intrigued me so. It has basically been on repeat ad nauseum for months. The song is so textural, you can get lost for days in its many layers, finding new sounds and feelings with each listen. Thematically, "Host" is definitely up for multiple interpretations, for me though, it feels like a spirit taking possession of a person, feeling them fighting against them. The music plays along like a horror film, with eerie creeks and noises echoing all around, adding to a sense of haunted loss.

Non-Sequiturs

Leather Daddy.

Big Bull.

Perfect furry belly.

Yeah, I just stand around holding weights, looking hot and stuff.

So cute.

Yes.

Damn.

Love my stocky boys.

I wouldn't mind getting pulled over by him.

Love his fur.

So cute.

Grrrr.

Sexy fur.

Damn.

Woof.

Hey Daddy.

Gorgeous.

Lift it up.

UNF.

I would love to rub that belly.

Yum.

As far as influence goes in terms of music curating, John Peel was by far my biggest influence. His taste and selection in finding new bands and championing them was impeccable.

While I love going to see concerts, I really don't enjoy the whole process involved: finding parking, waiting on bands to come on, shitty people talking throughout the show, shitty sound, etc.

We went to see Interpol the other night. This was my third time seeing them, and it felt like they were a bit on auto-pilot. I still enjoyed the show though, and the set list was killer.

The band Hundred Waters opened for them, and my friend Niki couldn't stand them because the female singer was too "breathy." She was actually.

This cracked me up.

Gay circuit music definitely has its place, and if I have to choose, a Dave Aude remix doesn't seem to disappoint.

If you make a comment on a photo of me telling me to smile, I am going to delete your comment.
It was such a lovely weekend weather wise, and now the cold blast of arctic air descends upon us.

Bobsled uniforms are hot.

If you have topiary-like patterns for your hairstyle, I can pretty much guarantee you I am not going to be interested.

Exactly.

Are narcissists even aware they are narcissistic?

Speaking of, a friend of mine recently unfollowed a friend of his on FB because "he preaches a lazy and pointless doctrine which is to accept yourself blindly, that self improvement is unnecessary, that the only thing important in life is your own happiness." I'm not sure I would be able to handle this person either.

Perhaps this is heresy, but I prefer A Perfect Circle to Tool.

Why do they keep making sequels for horrible movies that no one cared about the first time, i.e., Horrible Bosses.

So true.

If you have messaged me on two different apps and I have not responded, I am pretty sure that I will still not respond if you message me on a third one.

If the only problems you have are First World Problems, I am not going to have much sympathy for you.

It still amazes me how many gay men have no clue about HIV; even worse, how many gay doctors I have met that have no clue.

Good lord, it seems half my friends are in Hawaii this week. I want to go!

LOL.

I hate when people ask you to do something that they could have easily done in the time it took for them to tell you.

People say the most random things to me on elevators.

Enough with the saying "Real men ________." Last time I checked, just because I didn't do _________, I am still a man.

It is impossible for me to not watch The Devil Wears Prada when it comes on TV.

Amen!

Celebrities spouting their opinions about controversial subjects is about as bad as politicians, who aren't scientists, spouting their opinions on science. STFU.

I detest people who are routinely late. It is inconsiderate and rude.

After five years with my law firm, I finally got business cards.

Your double cute for the day.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Brain

"I slept like a villain and woke up inside you
The years have all vanished and swallowed up the dark
Somebody had finished the book I was writing
The ending was wrong, just went back to the start

A carpet of women rippled with silence
They carving me with remainders from the fir
The lake where I swim in, I melted inside it
And sang to the limits, I've been there once before

Daughters will be sung
Daughters will be sung
Daughters will be sung
Daughters will be sung

We're not gonna make it
We're not gonna make it
We're not gonna make it
We won't make it in time."

We Were Evergreen
"Daughters"

"This place is set to break
It's just as safe for me outside tonight
And I want that
I face the storm's appetite
From the lighthouse

And I want that
I embrace the storm and the night
Whole

What do the waves have to say, now?
What do the waves have to say, now now
Slow now
I let the waves have their way
Now now
Slow
I let the waves have their day

And I want that

Here I've been living unloosened from sin
Upward and outward
Begin, begin

Here I've been loosened, unliving within
Inwardly urgent
I'm sinking again

The lighthouse."

Interpol
"The Lighthouse"

Appealing Things

T.O.L.D.
Finally getting an iPhone 6
Rereading Tales of the City
Beacon
Cooking in
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula

Annoying Things

Polar Vortex
Losing my concert mojo
Gun control nuts
The Sixth Circuit

Non-Sequiturs

I'm all about that belly.

Daddy please.

Adorable.

Meaty nips.

That furry back, that hot ass.

UNF.

Perfect.

Grrrr.

Big boy.

Ginger abs.

Wow.

SBJ.

Bull daddy.

Beefy fur.

Swoon.

Furry belly.

Stretch.

Amazing body.

Sigh.

Woof.

Hot rednecks.  Though the one in front needs to get that grill fixed.

That belly drives me crazy.

Nice chest.

Hey sexy daddy.

Yum.

Condoms just aren't sexy.

Goodbye 22nd floor, it has been an amazing 4 1/2 years.

I love my new office view. I can see Piedmont Park and all the way out to Stone Mountain. Also, I can see the entire Buckhead skyline.

Speaking of Stone Mountain, I have lived in Atlanta almost 22 years, and I have never been there.

Exactly.

I can't stand Bloody Marys.

Sometimes I think all of our contract attorneys have had a collective stroke.

You can't take any of this stuff with you.

Our cat Missy finally gets better after being sick and now turns into a territorial bitch.

I don't enjoy dinner parties of more than 6 people, and even 6 is cutting it close. What's the point with going out with a ton of people and then never getting to speak with half of them?

LOL.

I finally introduced Andrew to the campy joys of Valley of the Dolls. He may never be the same again.

Complaining is not conversation.

I really want to see Birdman and Interstellar.

The stupidity of the voters in this country is astounding.

And the fact that in Georgia only 20% of registered voters voted is appalling.

Yep.

KPMG's discovery platform, Discovery Radar, is the biggest piece of crap I have ever had to work with in this field.  And don't even get me started on their customer service.

You don't owe anyone an explanation if you want to take a break from social media. Just ghost out.

I can't believe it is November already.

We love our cats, but damn, they are trying our patience these days.

Now that I am in an actual practice group, we have two weekly meetings I have to attend. Generally, they last about an hour each, but this week both have run two hours. It is killing me to lose that many billable hours.

Your cute for the day.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Brain

"I’m a princess cut from marble, smoother than a storm
And the scars that mark my body, they’re silver and gold
My blood is a flood of rubies, precious stones
It keeps my veins hot, the fires find a home in me
I move through town, I’m quiet like a fire
And my necklace is of opal, I tie it and untie it

And our people talk to me, but nothing ever hits
So people talk to me, and all the voices just burn holes
I’m going in (ooh)

This is the start of how it all ever ends
They used to shout my name, now they whisper it
I’m speeding up and this is the
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
We rip the start, the colors disappear
I never watch the stars there’s so much down here
So I just try to keep up with them
Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart."

Lorde
"Yellow Flicker Beat"

"There's a devil in your hands, there's a devil in your hands
There's a devil in your hands, that's really not your man
But I'm not speaking for you, you're fine babe, no
There's a devil in your hands, there's a devil in your hands

I don't know what, oh, we died without saying much
So I, malfeasance, malfeasance

There's a devil in your hands, he's wringing out your plans
But I'm not preaching for you, you're fine babe, no
There's a devil in your hands, there's a devil in your hands

I don't know what, oh, we died without saying much
So I, malfeasance, malfeasance
I walk the shore, don't ask me to hide
I lock the door, I won't be denied
I must have seen some part of me that I

I see them be
I see them beneath
I see them beneath me (beneath me, beneath me)."

Interpol
"Malfeasance"

Appealing Things

Redaction Required/Completely Irrelevant
Billie Black
Into The Woods
HonorBound
Making my hours for the year in the first week of November
My office view

Annoying Things

People who don't acknowledge or even return emails
Thinking you have all your bills paid, and then three other expenses come up
Foggy/muggy mornings
People who don't close their doors when they are on a conference call