free dem bots

new album from Free the Robots, "Ctrl Alt Delete" is coming.......

Free The Robots "Ctrl Alt Delete" Promo Video #1 from Alpha Pup on Vimeo.

Hudson Mohawke feat. Olivier Daysoul - Joy Fantastic

Goofy video for an equally goofy song, from Hudmo's newest release "Butter".

May he poop on my knee?

LIVE hip hop: araabMUZIK

it's no longer enough for dj's to just mix the one's and two's. these days, cats are going to the next level with their gear. anyone who goes up on stage with an ipod is just plain lazy (sorry but that's just the way it is). with the evolution of MIDI controllers and performance software, new kinds of live music are coming to the stage that are a direct result of technology moving forward.

for such a long time, i wrote off the idea of live hip hop because to me, it wasn't really live. some dj spinning a record and scratching a wicky wicky every once in a while just doesn't do it for me. the roots were doing their thing, but i wanted more.....

recently i've been seeing live hip hop in a new light. seeing performances by Flying Lotus and Saturn Never Sleeps (King Britt + Ras_G edition) showed me there are some dudes who can construct this stuff on the spot.

this guy, araabMUZIK handles the mpc better than anyone i've seen. imagine this dude with an MC? now that's live hip hop.

araabMUZIK Live MPC Set Part 1 from Death by Electric Shock on Vimeo.

the building blocks of dubstep

a track in 2 hours?

Pondering the Pentatonic

In this video, Bobby McFerrin demonstrates how the pentatonic scale seems to be embedded in our brains, no matter what culture, gender, or age we are.

I think this demonstration sheds light on how musicians learn to improvise with each other in real time: By finding common musical ground and following each others lead; exploiting the knowledge they have of where their musical comrades might be heading to next, and meeting them there.

In a way, this video is like a jam session where Bobby is the soloist and the audience is holding down the chord progression.

so cool

World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

Boards of Canada: Roygbiv

Me and my band (Fatty Acid) played this song last night live, and now I can't get it out of my head.

Dilla on Madlib

Jojo Meyer kills it

Talking Heads, Literally

This could quite possibly be the most innovative and well executed video I've ever seen. Simply amazing!

Music by Scratch Perverts
Video by Chris Cairns

check out the story behind the film HERE

Neurosonics Audiomedical Labs Inc. from Chris Cairns on Vimeo.

Zeo Keating: Avant-Garde Cello

Zoe Keating is awesome. The video speaks for itself. Check her out in a town near you.

Warp Records celebrates 20 years

This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Warp Records, in my opinion the greatest and most influential record label today. They broke artists like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Autechre, Boards of Canada, and Battles. In celebration of 20 years, Warp has put together a special box set.

This thing is quite a collection. New Music, Old Music, remixes, Vinyl; it's got everything! For the somewhat reasonable price of 150 bones, here's what you can expect:

Warp20 (1989-2009) The Complete Catalogue: 192 page book
10” square, 192 page full-colour, perfect-bound book. The complete-ist’s dream – a catalogue of artwork of every Warp release from its inception in 1989 to August 2009. Includes artwork from over 400 sleeves including work by the Designers Republic, Julian House, Build, Universal Everything and Kim Hiorthøy amongst others. Foreword by Warp co-founder Steve Beckett. Black un-coated board cover with debossed and foiled typography.

Warp20 (Chosen): Double CD album
The definitive best of Warp on 2 x CDs. Ten songs chosen by you (Warp20.net), ten songs chosen by Warp co-founder Steve Beckett. Packaged in deluxe case-bound 10” folder, exclusive to this box set. Your personal messages and memories from Warp20.net featured on pullout poster.

Warp20 (Recreated): Double CD album
2 x CDs featuring twenty brand new cover versions of Warp songs by Warp artists past and present; including tracks by Autechre, Harmonic 313, Jamie Lidell, Plaid, Clark, Maximo Park, Leila, Seefeel, Luke Vibert and more… Packaged in deluxe case-bound 10” folder exclusive to this box set.

Warp20 (Unheard): Triple 10” Vinyl
Secret treasures newly rediscovered from the Warp vaults. Unheard and rare tracks by Boards of Canada, Autechre, Broadcast, Elecktroids and others cut to 3 x 10” vinyl. Housed in uncoated card sleeves with debossed typography. Vinyl exclusive to Warp20 (Box Set).

Warp20 (Elemental): CD album
Specially-commissioned hour long piece by re-edit master Osymyso, made from sections, samples, and fragments of Warp music from the last 20 years. Exclusive to Warp20 (Box Set) and packaged in deluxe case bound 10” folder.

Warp20 (Infinite): Double 10” Vinyl
2 x 10” vinyl cuts of hand-picked locked-groove loops from Warp tracks. Four sides of loops for mixing fun. Exclusive to Warp20 (Box Set) and housed in uncoated card sleeves with debossed covers.

I know i'm ordering one. You can too, by clicking HERE.

Classic Video: Jaco plays Tracy

Jaco Pastorius plays "Portraits of Tracy"

Free Erlend Oye from Dublab

Some may know him from the Normwegian Folk duo, Kings Of Convenience. Others, perhaps heard his vocals grace the dance-able club bangers of Röyksopp and The Whitest Boy Alive. Whatever the setting Erlend Oye's voice sounds pure, moving, and undeniable. The first time I heard his song "Misread", I was hooked.

The kind folks at dublab.com have recorded a solo concert of Erlend at their studios in L.A., and posted it for free download for us mere mortals. The set in question is Erlend and an acoustic guitar, doin it solo, and kicks off with the mellowest Purple Rain i've ever heard. Grab it down, slap it on the ole' iPod, and enjoy a day outside with Mr. Oye singing the soundtrack.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW HERE (OPTION + CLICK)

LINK TO DUBLAB'S PAGE HERE

MORE ERLEND OYE HERE

The Focus Group - Reflected Message

put down the phone for a second, open a window, and space out....

get LOVE from akudama...on their dime

More free indie rock fer yer earbuds. This month, Akudama hits us with a track off of their Johnny Appleseed E.P. called "Love". Along with it, a bouncy club banger entitled "Wilted Flower" from aku-side-project Neon Glitter Bliss.

Follow the links for some free downloads. They've also put the recording stems up for download, in hopes of some rocking remixes coming their way. If they get some they like, it will be included in future free E.P. releases. And next time you're in NYC on a Saturday, stop by Spike Hill Music Club in Williamsburg: There's a 85% chance they're playing a show, and a 95% chance guitar player Calvin Pia will be there eating a burger with avocado.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE LOVE E.P.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE STEMS OF "LOVE" TO REMIX

Past Free Releases:
The Arctic Jog E.P.
Fireflies E.P.

Akudama playing "Love" with Daddy Pia @ Spike Hill

Phish Still Rocks

I know what you're thinking. Isn't everyone over Phish already? Aren't they soooo 5 years ago? Jon, you're just a stupid hippie. Maybe, Maybe not. They did manage to sell out every single show on their tour this summer, and 2 nights ago at Jones Beach, they rocked the effing house.

Yes there were bro's high fiving during guitar solos, yes it was hard to breathe because of the patchouli/ganja combo floating through the air, and yes, perhaps the lyrics to their songs are somewhat "cheesy". With all the stigma draped conspicuously over our eyes, Trey, Mike, Fish, and Page played a surprisingly tight-as-hell set.

Highlights included a drawn out "Reba" jam, and a super-heady "Harry Hood" that sent chills up and down my spine (Yes, it was Trey induced goosebumps, now known as Troosebumps). The ease with which the band jumped from Funk to Blues to Rock and back convinced me once again that Phish is one of the greatest and most talented bands playing today.

At the risk of sounding completely lame: seeing the crowd and vibes being passed around at the show almost made we want to put my tie dye back on and hit the road this summmer...almost..

All in all: The jams were heady, the crowd was crunchy, and the pretzels were $8. It was a complete pleasure seeing the band again after all these years, and I hope I can sneak my way into another one in the very near future.

They play 2 more shows @ "the beach", then head off around the country for the beef of their tour.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOW here

SEE THE DATES here

more phish stuff HERE



Related Posts:
Phish Phans REALLY like their drugs

Breakfast @ Sulimay's: Old People Listen to Music too!

Ok, so maybe i'm the 1 frillionth blog to feature these webisodes, but fuck it, this stuff is straight up hilarious, and I HAVE to share it.

The concept is simple. Go to a rural diner in (almost) middle America, pass around an iPod with "hip" music on it, then film the reactions. The director has honed in on 3 painfully normal people, all 50+, who have probably never heard of the word hipster, think Vampire Weekend is when Halloween falls on a Saturday, and think Animal Collective is some kind of pet cemetery.

This one hits close to home, as these reactions are almost identical to the ones I got from my grandparents when I gave them a copy of my album.

Interestingly enough, the reviews are somewhat refreshing. There's no high-brow blogger bullshit clouding the integrity of the review. They're not concerned with image, myspace playlist counts, or how "undiscovered" someone is. And although most of the bands get panned, there are some surpisingly positive reviews along the way (the lady in the middle LOVED Young Jeezy).

So here it is, in all it's glory: Breakfast at Sulimay's. The episode below takes a crack at describing Young Jeezy and Animal Collective.



CHECK OUT ALL 23 EPISODES HERE

p.s. Thin Mints are the best!

NOT SAFE FOR WORK! Flying Lotus "Parisian Goldfish"

This is 100% NSFW, 100% LOL, 100% WTF? Video by the Tim and Eric dudes set to flying lotus's "parisian goldfish". I don't know what to say about this one, its just straight up weird.

New Videos: Daedelus and Tortoise

Enjoy!

Daedelus "La Nocturn"

Daedelus LA Nocturn by Eli Stonberg from Alfred Darlington on Vimeo.

Tortoise "Prepare Your Coffin"