Owen PallettHeartlandDomino Record Company (2010) Genre: IndieRating: B+ Heartland is Owen Pallett’s first record that will not be released under his former moniker, Final Fantasy. On this, his third full-length, first in over three years, Pallett has created a collection of songs that straddles a line somewhere between orchestral, chamber-pop, and electronic. Heartland is a lush, tight, fast moving record that can slip past you if you aren’t listening closely. It’s carried by fluttering strings, woodwinds, and light, but persistent and tight, percussion, held down by moments of big brass, and rounded out by electronic touches that serve to create a smooth sonic landscape within which the other elements exist. “Midnight Directives” doesn’t take long to kick in. After twenty-five seconds of ethereal instrumentation and before the vocals, percussion and instrumentation come in and set the precedent for the rest of the record. Next is “Keep the Dog Quiet,” a song that begins playfully with a bouncing staccato string arrangement which is constant throughout the track as the vocals come in and out and the other instrumentation swells and opens and retreats. “Lewis Takes Action” is the fifth track and is the album’s first single. It’s based primarily around Pallett’s vocals and a catchy melody as well as a few well-placed hooks to boot. In a style of music that’s hard to define, which has it’s feet in three of four different pools, and which is a little too specific to live under most far-too-general genre umbrellas, Heartland exists. It isn’t all classical, it isn’t all pop, it isn’t all electronic, and it isn’t all Andrew Bird (Isn’t he kind of his own genre now?).  No matter what it is, though, it’s a step forward in Pallett’s production, musicianship, and maturity from 2006’s He Poos Clouds, and it’s worth repeated listens. -Todd Miller Listen:“Lewis Takes Action” Owen Pallett on Myspace

Owen Pallett
Heartland
Domino Record Company (2010)

Genre: Indie
Rating: B+

Heartland is Owen Pallett’s first record that will not be released under his former moniker, Final Fantasy. On this, his third full-length, first in over three years, Pallett has created a collection of songs that straddles a line somewhere between orchestral, chamber-pop, and electronic. Heartland is a lush, tight, fast moving record that can slip past you if you aren’t listening closely. It’s carried by fluttering strings, woodwinds, and light, but persistent and tight, percussion, held down by moments of big brass, and rounded out by electronic touches that serve to create a smooth sonic landscape within which the other elements exist.

“Midnight Directives” doesn’t take long to kick in. After twenty-five seconds of ethereal instrumentation and before the vocals, percussion and instrumentation come in and set the precedent for the rest of the record. Next is “Keep the Dog Quiet,” a song that begins playfully with a bouncing staccato string arrangement which is constant throughout the track as the vocals come in and out and the other instrumentation swells and opens and retreats. “Lewis Takes Action” is the fifth track and is the album’s first single. It’s based primarily around Pallett’s vocals and a catchy melody as well as a few well-placed hooks to boot.

In a style of music that’s hard to define, which has it’s feet in three of four different pools, and which is a little too specific to live under most far-too-general genre umbrellas, Heartland exists. It isn’t all classical, it isn’t all pop, it isn’t all electronic, and it isn’t all Andrew Bird (Isn’t he kind of his own genre now?).  No matter what it is, though, it’s a step forward in Pallett’s production, musicianship, and maturity from 2006’s He Poos Clouds, and it’s worth repeated listens.

-Todd Miller

Listen:
“Lewis Takes Action”

Owen Pallett on Myspace

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Listen: The xx - “Islands (Nosaj Thing Remix)”

It’s like two of your high school crushes fighting over who gets to make-out with you first. It’s like your two favorite filmmakers combining their incomparable visions to make a short film just for you. It’s like your two favorite new bands meshing their strongest qualities on a… Wait… This is two of our favorite new artists from 2009 showcasing their best qualities simultaneously!

LA’s new kid on the beat, Nosaj Thing, has grabbed hold of the vocals from “Islands,” one of the stellar singles from break-out UK group The xx, and transformed them into one of his reverberated, bass-addled tracks. The xx’s sensual dual-vocal attack is ripped from the original guitar plucks and drum machine beats of “Islands,” and complimented surprisingly well by producer Jason Chung’s distant clicks, blips, and wobbly low-end. It wouldn’t have been our first guess for a remix pairing, but we’re so happy it exists. Check out the track below and some tour dates for each artist after that.

Listen:
“Islands (Nosaj Thing Remix)”

Download as MP3

Nosaj Thing Tour Dates:
Thursday - Feb 4th - Space 120 - Palm Springs, California
Friday - Feb 5th - Echoplex - Los Angeles, California
Saturday - Feb 6th - Mighty - San Francisco, California
Sunday - Feb 7th - Jambalaya - Arcata, California
Monday - Feb 8th - Rotture - Portland, Oregon
Tuesday - Feb 9th - Fortune Sound Club - Vancouver, British Columbia
Wednesday - Feb 10th - Neumos - Seattle, Washington
Friday - Feb 12th - Hodi’s Half Note - Fort Collins, Colorado
Saturday - Feb 13th - Gothic Theater - Englewood, Colorado
Sunday - Feb 14th - Mad Planet - Milwaukee, Wisconson
Monday - Feb 15th - Majestic Theater - Madison, Wisconsin
Tuesday - Feb 16th - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, Illinois
Wednesday - Feb 17th - Grog Shop - Cleveland, Ohio
Thursday - Feb 18th - Wrong Bar - Toronto, Ontario
Friday - Feb 19th - Le Belmont - Montreal, Quebec
Saturday - Feb 20th - Le Poisson Rouge - New York, New York
Monday - Feb 22st - Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tuesday - Feb 23rd - Bourbon Street - Baltimore, Maryland
Wednesday - Feb 24th - Xscape Lounge - Richmond, Virginia
Thursday - Feb 25th - Club R2 - Charlottesville, Virginia
Friday - Feb 26th - Club 828 - Asheville, North Carolina
Saturday Feb 27th - New Earth Music Hall - Athens, Georgia

The xx Tour Dates:
01-15 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
01-16 Aarhus, Denmark - Vox Hall
01-18 Oslo, Norway - Garage
01-19 Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Slussen
01-20 Gothenburg, Sweden - Pusterviksbaren
01-21 Malmo, Sweden - Debaser
01-22 Berlin, Germany - Astra
02-16 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
02-17 Brussels, Belgium - AB
02-18 Paris, France - Cigale
03-01 Brighton, England - Komedia
03-03 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire
03-05 Birmingham, England - Birmingham Academy 2
03-06 Manchester, England - Manchester Academy 2
03-08 Leeds, England - Cockpit
03-09 Edinburgh, Scotland - Studio 24
03-10 Liverpool, England - Kazimer
04-16 Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
04-19 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
04-20 Toronto, Ontario - Koolhaus
04-22 New York, NY - Terminal 5
04-24 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

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Lindstrøm & ChristabelleReal Life is No CoolSmalltown Supersound (2010) Genre: ElectronicRating: A- It’s hard to explain that feeling when past worlds collide with a modern production aesthetic and it clicks together perfectly. As opposed to a bad amalgamation of reinterpreted influences in the realm of, say, the bombastic pitfalls of production duo N.A.S.A’s collaborations, Real Life is No Cool, the new album from producer Lindstrøm and vocalist Christabelle, takes equal cues from pop, disco, electro, italo, boogie, and baeleric dance music; ultimately churning out a slick, seamless mixture of tracks that highlight many of the best aspects from the relatively underground club world’s past. Unlike a focused project album, Real Life is generally a collection of tracks (dating as far back as 2003’s “Music (In My Mind)”) which all feature the remarkable voice of Christabelle (formerly known as Solale), a singer who sounds uncannily similar to nude model, Canadian B-movie actress, and lead singer of Vanity 6, Denise Matthews. Lindstrøm was able to break away from the self-indulgent analog-space aesthetic of his last album, while still keeping similar sonic elements, and focused instead on concise tracks that often leave you questioning whether or not Quincy Jones was also present in the studio. Christabelle’s voice has a knack for complementing the vibe of each track, shape-shifting her energy to match the divas and harmonizers of yore—remaining subtle and avoiding any overbearing melodramatics all the while. The influences present on the album are pretty obvious and to the point where it feels natural to question whether a couple of the songs were covers of unfamiliar 80’s soundtracks (though the only cover on the album is “Let It Happen” by Vangelis). “Baby Can’t Stop,” the most overt and catchy pop single of the album, wears the pants of MJ’s “Gotta Be Starting Something” and the tube-top of early-80’s Sister Sledge. The song visually evokes a clichéd cinematic hallucination of a lady skipping down the street with a relentless energy so intoxicating that construction workers have no choice but to end the work day solely to lift her onto a suspended beam so she can continue singing and dancing acrobatically whilst smiling extras do gymnastics in the background. A personal favorite, “Let’s Practice” is taken from a previously released 12” from ‘05, and sounds like it could be a classic Emergency Records 12” with the arpeggiated, italo-tinged, Moroder/Summer model applied. Although that warm 80’s dance structure is an overlying theme, Real Life is No Cool harbors sentiments of current femme-vocal pop production à la Timbaland, Neptunes, and Basement Jaxx (see “Lovesick” and “High & Low”). Lindstrøm & Christabelle’s wonderful album has the potential to be the catalyst for an accelerated integration of the throwback disco, italo, and boogie sound (already prominent in club-land) onto larger-scale pop production in 2010. -Randy Ellis Listen:“Lovesick” Lindstrøm & Christabelle on Myspace

Lindstrøm & Christabelle
Real Life is No Cool
Smalltown Supersound (2010)

Genre: Electronic
Rating: A-

It’s hard to explain that feeling when past worlds collide with a modern production aesthetic and it clicks together perfectly. As opposed to a bad amalgamation of reinterpreted influences in the realm of, say, the bombastic pitfalls of production duo N.A.S.A’s collaborations, Real Life is No Cool, the new album from producer Lindstrøm and vocalist Christabelle, takes equal cues from pop, disco, electro, italo, boogie, and baeleric dance music; ultimately churning out a slick, seamless mixture of tracks that highlight many of the best aspects from the relatively underground club world’s past.

Unlike a focused project album, Real Life is generally a collection of tracks (dating as far back as 2003’s “Music (In My Mind)”) which all feature the remarkable voice of Christabelle (formerly known as Solale), a singer who sounds uncannily similar to nude model, Canadian B-movie actress, and lead singer of Vanity 6, Denise Matthews. Lindstrøm was able to break away from the self-indulgent analog-space aesthetic of his last album, while still keeping similar sonic elements, and focused instead on concise tracks that often leave you questioning whether or not Quincy Jones was also present in the studio. Christabelle’s voice has a knack for complementing the vibe of each track, shape-shifting her energy to match the divas and harmonizers of yore—remaining subtle and avoiding any overbearing melodramatics all the while.

The influences present on the album are pretty obvious and to the point where it feels natural to question whether a couple of the songs were covers of unfamiliar 80’s soundtracks (though the only cover on the album is “Let It Happen” by Vangelis). “Baby Can’t Stop,” the most overt and catchy pop single of the album, wears the pants of MJ’s “Gotta Be Starting Something” and the tube-top of early-80’s Sister Sledge. The song visually evokes a clichéd cinematic hallucination of a lady skipping down the street with a relentless energy so intoxicating that construction workers have no choice but to end the work day solely to lift her onto a suspended beam so she can continue singing and dancing acrobatically whilst smiling extras do gymnastics in the background. A personal favorite, “Let’s Practice” is taken from a previously released 12” from ‘05, and sounds like it could be a classic Emergency Records 12” with the arpeggiated, italo-tinged, Moroder/Summer model applied.

Although that warm 80’s dance structure is an overlying theme, Real Life is No Cool harbors sentiments of current femme-vocal pop production à la Timbaland, Neptunes, and Basement Jaxx (see “Lovesick” and “High & Low”). Lindstrøm & Christabelle’s wonderful album has the potential to be the catalyst for an accelerated integration of the throwback disco, italo, and boogie sound (already prominent in club-land) onto larger-scale pop production in 2010.

-Randy Ellis

Listen:
“Lovesick”

Lindstrøm & Christabelle on Myspace

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Diplo Reveals Gucci Mane Mixtape Details

As you may have seen and heard, one of our favorite hip-hop tracks from last year was a remix of the Gucci Mane song “Danger’s Not a Stranger” by Mad Decent label-head Diplo. The producer/DJ managed to marry Gucci’s guttural rhymes and melody with a Mariah Carey instrumental that proved to work impeccably well. The track was said to come from a forthcoming mixtape of all remixed Gucci tracks, and now the sweet, sultry details of that compilation have been released.

Today, over on the Mad Decent blog it reads, “Diplo Presents: Free Gucci (Best of the Cold War Mixtapes) will be available for FREE on Monday morning. And trust me, this mixtape is WELL worth the wait!” After a quick glance at the tracklist and a preview of French producer Douster’s bonus contribution to the comp., we wholeheartedly believe it. You can stream and download Douster’s remix of “No No No” below, and check out the tracklist under that. Get wise now, cause Lord knows we ought to all be copping this sweet deal come Monday.

Listen:
“No No No (Douster Mix)”

Download as MP3

1. Danger’s Not a Stranger (Diplo Remix)
2. Dope Boy (Bird Peterson Remix)
3. Excuse Me (Memory Tapes Remix)
4. No No No (Brodinski & Monsieur Monsieur Remix)
5. Frowny Face (Douster Remix)
6. Frowny Face (Emynd Remix feat Playboy Tre)
7. I’m Expectin’ (Teenwolf Remix)
8. Boi (Zomby Remix)
9. My Shadow (Salem Remix)
10. Excuse Me (Diplo Remix)
11. Photo Shoot (Flying Lotus Remix)
12. I Be Everywhere (Mumdance Remix)
13. I Be Everywhere (DZ Remix)
14. I’m the Shit (Benzi & Willy Joy Remix)
15. Break Yourself (Diplo Remix feat Lil B)

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Mi Ami - “Cut Men” b/w “Out at Night”Thrill Jockey (2009) Genre: IndieRating: B Most artists find it difficult to leave behind their past musical endeavors. It’s especially difficult if you were able to carve out not only a sound of your very own but a significant following dedicated to it. Not to say Mi Ami wanted to distance themselves completely from the post-punk outfit from which they sprouted, Black Eyes, but if their debut album Watersports is anything it’s a massive departure from their DC roots. Living in San Francisco must have encouraged the trio to fully allow their inner jam-band loose, but with their latest release, a 12” with an A-side called “Cut Men” complimented by its B-side “Out at Night,” Mi Ami sound like they may be heading back to their old ways. “Cut Men,” a play on body-building bros who want to look “cut” but really need to be “cut” down, is probably the most straightforward song in Mi Ami’s catalog. The brooding build-up of their past output is almost nowhere to be found as the song is propelled from it’s first moments by a slew of fiery guitar riffs and consistent, propulsive drumming. It’s a blatantly frustrated, energetic song that was recorded in one intense take with only vocal overdubs made after the fact. The record’s other song, “Out at Night,” finds the SF band returning to the fold of reverberated timbres, loose structures, and somber jam-out tendencies. The two tracks even one another out for a record that would fit the collection of Black Eyes and Mi Ami fans alike. - Patric Fallon

Mi Ami - “Cut Men” b/w “Out at Night”
Thrill Jockey (2009)

Genre: Indie
Rating: B

Most artists find it difficult to leave behind their past musical endeavors. It’s especially difficult if you were able to carve out not only a sound of your very own but a significant following dedicated to it. Not to say Mi Ami wanted to distance themselves completely from the post-punk outfit from which they sprouted, Black Eyes, but if their debut album Watersports is anything it’s a massive departure from their DC roots. Living in San Francisco must have encouraged the trio to fully allow their inner jam-band loose, but with their latest release, a 12” with an A-side called “Cut Men” complimented by its B-side “Out at Night,” Mi Ami sound like they may be heading back to their old ways.

“Cut Men,” a play on body-building bros who want to look “cut” but really need to be “cut” down, is probably the most straightforward song in Mi Ami’s catalog. The brooding build-up of their past output is almost nowhere to be found as the song is propelled from it’s first moments by a slew of fiery guitar riffs and consistent, propulsive drumming. It’s a blatantly frustrated, energetic song that was recorded in one intense take with only vocal overdubs made after the fact. The record’s other song, “Out at Night,” finds the SF band returning to the fold of reverberated timbres, loose structures, and somber jam-out tendencies. The two tracks even one another out for a record that would fit the collection of Black Eyes and Mi Ami fans alike.

- Patric Fallon

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Listen: Xiu Xiu - “Gray Death”

Bay Area’s king of fractured, beautiful, and down-right creepy noise-pop, Jamie Stewart is only a touch over a month away from releasing his next album in the legacy of Xiu Xiu, entitled Dear God, I Hate Myself. The record finds the frontman collaborating with new and old friends, including Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier and Xiu Xiu-alum Ches Smith, and keyCMND’s initial listen gave the impression of an album chock-full of haunting melodies and fantastic melodrama.

Here we have the first taste of Dear God, the album opener “Gray Death.” It’s a wonderful song that excites us even more for the full-length’s release date on February 23 via Kill Rock Stars. Check out the song, album tracklist, and tour dates below.

Listen:
“Gray Death”

Download as MP3

Dear God, I Hate Myself tracklist:
1. Gray Death
2. Chocolate Makes You Happy
3. Apple for a Brain
4. House Sparrow
5. Hyunhye’s Theme
6. Dear God, I Hate Myself
7. Secret Motel
8. Falkland Rd.
9. The Fabrizio Palumbo Retaliation
10. Cumberland Gap
11. This Too Shall Pass Away (for Freddy)
12. Impossible Feeling

US Tour Dates:
March 2010
6 - Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn - w/ Noveller
7 - Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree - w/ Noveller
10 - Norman, OK @ Opolis Productions - w/ Noveller
11 - Dallas, TX @ The Cavern - w/ Noveller
12 - Houston, TX @ The Studio @ Warehouse Live - w/ Noveller
13 - Austin, TX @ Red 7 - w/ Noveller
16 - Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture - w/ Noveller, Extra Life
17 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah - w/ Noveller, tUnE-yArDs
18 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echo - w/ Noveller, tUnE-yArDs
19 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place - w/ Noveller, tUnE-yArDs
20 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill - w/ Noveller, tUnE-yArDs
23 - Olympia, WA @ Northern - w/ tUnE-yArDs
24 - Portland, OR @ Holocene - w/ tUnE-yArDs
25 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Scout Niblett
26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Talk Normal
27 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Talk Normal
29 - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Saloon - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Talk Normal
30 - St Louis, MO @ Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Talk Normal
31 - Iowa City, IA @ The Picador - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Talk Normal

April 2010
1 - Northfield, MN @ The Cave @ Carleton College - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Talk Normal
2 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Talk Normal
3 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Talk Normal, Zola Jesus
5 - Oberlin, OH @ The Dionysus Discotheque - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Talk Normal
7 - Cleveland, OH @ The Spot - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Talk Normal
8 - Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place - w/ tUnE-yArDs
9 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom - w/ tUnE-yArDs, Zola Jesus
10 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East downstairs - w/ tUnE-yArDs
13 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church - w/ tUnE-yArDs
14 - Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel - w/ tUnE-yArDs
16 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 - w/ tUnE-yArDs
17 - Detroit, MI @ Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

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Dinowalrus%Kanine Records (2010) Genre: IndieRating: B- What a name. Seriously. Dinowalrus? That could mean so many different things. Creaky, lumberjack-flannelled yawn-rock? Radiated book-pop? Acid-addled space jams? Mouthbreather freak-jazz? Music-major drone? Or just something absurdly, impossibly evil like a Wolf Eyes knock-off. Dinowalrus could be so many niches, and, in a way, they are. On their debut album %, the band manages to synthesize all of those discordant ingredients conjured by their name into a sound that’s obscurely familiar and entirely new at the same time. The prodigious amount of influence behind Dinowalrus’ work gives them a distinctly unpretentious quality. Each of the ten tracks on % work like pop songs—blossoming into life, they intensify in momentum before tumbling down into a walloping big finish. The fourth track, “I Hate Letters,” even features a guitar solo Slash might be proud of; it makes the band easy to root for, especially within the context of its very user-unfriendly noise scene. For a band that focuses on slouched, sprawling, constantly-mutating improvisations, Dinowalrus is surprisingly euphoric in nature. Take lead single “BEAD.” While it has enough punchy yelps and fractured trumpet noodling to be unmistakably considered ‘experimental,’ the heart of the song lies within the frigid, near-electro-pop synthline that carries the track across its four minutes. % can even get downright gorgeous sometimes. On “Haze on the Mobius Ship,” amidst a blearily-gargantuan guitar, the lead singer, known only by the singular name Pete, trades in his screech for a pensive, displaced lament. It’s actually a little jarring for a song so reverberatingly beautiful to come in the midst of a very tongue-in-cheek album, but it’s just another reason why % is so lovable and incredibly easy to recommend. - Luke Winkie Listen:“BEAD” Link:Dinowalrus on Myspace

Dinowalrus
%
Kanine Records (2010)

Genre: Indie
Rating: B-

What a name. Seriously. Dinowalrus? That could mean so many different things. Creaky, lumberjack-flannelled yawn-rock? Radiated book-pop? Acid-addled space jams? Mouthbreather freak-jazz? Music-major drone? Or just something absurdly, impossibly evil like a Wolf Eyes knock-off. Dinowalrus could be so many niches, and, in a way, they are. On their debut album %, the band manages to synthesize all of those discordant ingredients conjured by their name into a sound that’s obscurely familiar and entirely new at the same time.

The prodigious amount of influence behind Dinowalrus’ work gives them a distinctly unpretentious quality. Each of the ten tracks on % work like pop songs—blossoming into life, they intensify in momentum before tumbling down into a walloping big finish. The fourth track, “I Hate Letters,” even features a guitar solo Slash might be proud of; it makes the band easy to root for, especially within the context of its very user-unfriendly noise scene.

For a band that focuses on slouched, sprawling, constantly-mutating improvisations, Dinowalrus is surprisingly euphoric in nature. Take lead single “BEAD.” While it has enough punchy yelps and fractured trumpet noodling to be unmistakably considered ‘experimental,’ the heart of the song lies within the frigid, near-electro-pop synthline that carries the track across its four minutes.

% can even get downright gorgeous sometimes. On “Haze on the Mobius Ship,” amidst a blearily-gargantuan guitar, the lead singer, known only by the singular name Pete, trades in his screech for a pensive, displaced lament. It’s actually a little jarring for a song so reverberatingly beautiful to come in the midst of a very tongue-in-cheek album, but it’s just another reason why % is so lovable and incredibly easy to recommend.

- Luke Winkie

Listen:
“BEAD”

Link:
Dinowalrus on Myspace

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XLR8R Hooks Up Free Tunes

It ought to be said: in addition to keyCMND I write for a few other publications, including the magazine and website XLR8R. While in their office today I was given the task of writing up a new compilation they just finished putting together with Pitchfork, Create Digital Music, and the TV network Syfy. The mix is about 13-tracks of some of the music scene’s most current innovators all across the board of genres. It’s a pretty awesome collection called Music for Our Future, and includes choice tunes from the likes of Hudson Mohawke, Tyondai Braxton, Atlas Sound, White Rainbow, Low Limit, and many more. You can download it for free here. I’m sure between the four massive websites they’ll garner enough attention, but I wanted to make sure everyone checking out this site got a chance to hear about it too. Enjoy!

- Patric Fallon

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Faux Pas - “Silver Line” Genre: ElectronicRating: B Listening to the onset of Australian producer Tim Shiel’s (a.k.a. Faux Pas) new single, “Silver Line,” could be best compared to doing an aural cannonball into a vintage hot tub populated by Tangerine Dream enthusiasts and contemporary pop producers. The atmosphere is thick with steam wafting off their analog bubble bath, but a solitary female voice cuts through the haze—inviting you to discover what lies beyond. Well, it’s more throbbing ambiance, interjected by the occasional guitar lick and un-pitch-shifted croon, but every time Shiel takes you back under for another dip there’s a new sound waiting to further enrich the experience.“Silver Line” will be featured on a forthcoming, self-released full-length album by Faux Pas, entitled Noiseworks, but can also be downloaded as a single from his website along with a handful of remixes from the likes of Loopsnake and Kane Ikin (of Solo Andata). The video for the track can be viewed here. - Patric Fallon Listen: “Silver Line” Download as MP3

Faux Pas - “Silver Line”

Genre: Electronic
Rating: B

Listening to the onset of Australian producer Tim Shiel’s (a.k.a. Faux Pas) new single, “Silver Line,” could be best compared to doing an aural cannonball into a vintage hot tub populated by Tangerine Dream enthusiasts and contemporary pop producers. The atmosphere is thick with steam wafting off their analog bubble bath, but a solitary female voice cuts through the haze—inviting you to discover what lies beyond. Well, it’s more throbbing ambiance, interjected by the occasional guitar lick and un-pitch-shifted croon, but every time Shiel takes you back under for another dip there’s a new sound waiting to further enrich the experience.

“Silver Line” will be featured on a forthcoming, self-released full-length album by Faux Pas, entitled Noiseworks, but can also be downloaded as a single from his website along with a handful of remixes from the likes of Loopsnake and Kane Ikin (of Solo Andata). The video for the track can be viewed here.

- Patric Fallon

Listen: “Silver Line”

Download as MP3

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Flying Lotus Coming With New Material

Everybody, hold on to your fitted caps! It seems our favorite LA-based, ganga-lovin’ beatsmith, Flying Lotus (duh!), is about to blow our minds once again with some new official releases. Over on the Stones Throw website we are told of a new series of 10” releases available now called The Do-Over. Producer Steven Ellison, along with new-comer House Shoes, are compiling one track each for the first installment. Each edition of the vinyl series is limited to 1,000 copies that come complete with crazy cool artwork and extra-special packaging (as seen above) by a different designer every go-around.

A quick trip over to the Brainfeeder website also reveals a new mix coming out called A Decade of Flying Lotus, which is mixed by fellow LA party-starter Gaslamp Killer, and purported to include some previously unheard material by FlyLo. Though, we must say, what excites us the most is the brief mention of Ellison’s new album for Warp, entitled Cosmogramma. Not much else is available on the forthcoming Lotus record other than it will be released on 4/20 (duh!). Now we all have even more reason to celebrate the nationally unrecognized holiday. Below you can check out a new tune by Flying Lotus lifted off the 2010 compilation from Warp.

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ShlohmoShlomoshun DeluxeFriends of Friends Music (2010) Genre: ElectronicRating: C+ I really wanted to like 19 year-old Shlohmo and his album, as young underdogs are consistently ignored (or, conversely, exploited) by labels. I usually enjoy writing reviews full of accolades and praise, but only as long as the sentiments can be wholeheartedly backed up. Unfortunately, for producer Henry Laufer and his re-released new record, Shlomoshun Deluxe, I’ve got to call it like I see it. Shlohmo clearly has skill and some clever ideas outside of being a blind follower of the Flying Lotus (and co.) sound. Blips, bass, stabs, field recordings, and the like are all meshed into leftfield, stutter-step hip-hop instrumentals. Though, when you hear something that doesn’t sound fully developed and the artist’s press release reads, “All the noise was run from the headphone port out to these monitors that I’ve had since I was 14. The tweeters are all pushed in and there’s absolutely no audible low end, so I have to physically touch the woofer to feel the vibrations from the bass,” well, it just makes one think about how much better Shlomoshun could be with more direction and focus. That isn’t to say new gear will necessarily make Shlohmo’s sound better, but a serious artist should be able to at least hear their beat. Still, I’m totally rooting for Laufer. His songs have elements that do work well (like the bassline on “Antigravity” and the beat on “Teeth”), but rarely does everything mesh to really get the head-nod in action (see “7am” and “Dead Pixel”). Shlomoshun’s highlights are actually the remixes by Fulgeance and Low Limit, which, again, speaks to the consistency of Shlohmo’s tracks on their own. It used to be that artists would submit their demos to a label, and, instead of just signing them and mastering the demo, the label would often give the artist some money, time, and motivation to focus on developing and recording their material. Shlomoshun Deluxe would have done well with that model. - Randy Ellis Listen:“Hot Boxing the Cockpit” Link:Shlohmo on Myspace

Shlohmo
Shlomoshun Deluxe
Friends of Friends Music (2010)

Genre: Electronic
Rating: C+

I really wanted to like 19 year-old Shlohmo and his album, as young underdogs are consistently ignored (or, conversely, exploited) by labels. I usually enjoy writing reviews full of accolades and praise, but only as long as the sentiments can be wholeheartedly backed up. Unfortunately, for producer Henry Laufer and his re-released new record, Shlomoshun Deluxe, I’ve got to call it like I see it.

Shlohmo clearly has skill and some clever ideas outside of being a blind follower of the Flying Lotus (and co.) sound. Blips, bass, stabs, field recordings, and the like are all meshed into leftfield, stutter-step hip-hop instrumentals. Though, when you hear something that doesn’t sound fully developed and the artist’s press release reads, “All the noise was run from the headphone port out to these monitors that I’ve had since I was 14. The tweeters are all pushed in and there’s absolutely no audible low end, so I have to physically touch the woofer to feel the vibrations from the bass,” well, it just makes one think about how much better Shlomoshun could be with more direction and focus.

That isn’t to say new gear will necessarily make Shlohmo’s sound better, but a serious artist should be able to at least hear their beat. Still, I’m totally rooting for Laufer. His songs have elements that do work well (like the bassline on “Antigravity” and the beat on “Teeth”), but rarely does everything mesh to really get the head-nod in action (see “7am” and “Dead Pixel”). Shlomoshun’s highlights are actually the remixes by Fulgeance and Low Limit, which, again, speaks to the consistency of Shlohmo’s tracks on their own.

It used to be that artists would submit their demos to a label, and, instead of just signing them and mastering the demo, the label would often give the artist some money, time, and motivation to focus on developing and recording their material. Shlomoshun Deluxe would have done well with that model.

- Randy Ellis

Listen:
“Hot Boxing the Cockpit”

Link:
Shlohmo on Myspace

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keyCMND Best of ‘09: Hip-Hop

We know it’s a bit late in the game to be presenting any kind of year-end list, but we like to think of these posts as less of a definitive stance on the year in music and more of an introduction to what keyCMND likes and aims to cover in the coming months. KeyCMND is presenting three separate mixes (Electronic, Indie, and Hip-Hop) of our favorite songs, in no particular order, from 2009. Each mix will be based on tracks from albums we’ve loved throughout the year, along with singles we couldn’t have done without, but they won’t necessarily include all of our favorites (a ton of wonderful music came out this year). In the interest of saving you time, and saving us some bandwidth, we whittled our massive lists of favorites into hour-long playlists, roughly. Please check back for consistent updates after the New Year.

It seems our list of hip-hop favorites from this year is a bit slight compared to the electronic and indie bunches. Can you blame us, though? Hip-hop has been losing its creative steam in underground circles as of late, not to mention the death rattle most mainstream artists keep regurgitating via MTV and radio. How many hip-hop albums did you buy this year? Rather, how many hip-hop albums did you download and forget about a month later? Well, keyCMND was in the same boat as you, and the following list represents some of the only hip-hop artists that made something we could get excited about last year.

Best of ‘09: Hip-Hop
Download as MP3


1. Flying Lotus & Declaime - “Lit Up”
Whole Wide World EP


2. Raekwon - “Penitentiary (feat. Ghostface Killah)”
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt.II


3. Clipse - “Never Will it Stop (feat. Ab Liva)”
Til the Casket Drops


4. DOOM - “Gazillion Ear”
Born Like This


5. Keaver & Brause - “Bounce”
The Middle Way


6. Mos Def - “Revelations”
The Ecstatic


7. Anti-Pop Consortium - “Get Lite (Tobacco Remix)”
Original track from Fluorescent Black


8. Del tha Funkee Homosapien & Tame One - “Special”
Parallel Uni-Verses


9. Themselves - “Oversleeping”
CrownsDown


10. Chris Brown - “I Can Transform Ya (feat. Lil Wayne and Swizz Beatz)”
Graffiti


11. Dizzee Rascal - “Money, Money”
Tongue N’ Cheek


12. DJ Quik & Kurupt - “Whatsha Wan Do”
Blaqkout


13. The-Dream - “Put it Down”
Love vs. Money


14. Gucci Mane - “Dangers Not a Stranger (Diplo Remix)”
Gucci Mane Mixtape (via Mad Decent)


15. Hudson Mohawke - “Twistclip Loop”
Butter


16. Joker - “Digidesign”
5 : 5 Years of Hyperdub


17. R. Kelly - “Bangin’ the Headboard”
Untitled

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keyCMND Best of ‘09: Indie

We know it’s a bit late in the game to be presenting any kind of year-end list, but we like to think of these posts as less of a definitive stance on the year in music and more of an introduction to what keyCMND likes and aims to cover in the coming months. KeyCMND is presenting three separate mixes (Electronic, Indie, and Hip-Hop) of our favorite songs, in no particular order, from 2009. Each mix will be based on tracks from albums we’ve loved throughout the year, along with singles we couldn’t have done without, but they won’t necessarily include all of our favorites (a ton of wonderful music came out this year). In the interest of saving you time, and saving us some bandwidth, we whittled our massive lists of favorites into hour-long playlists, roughly. Please check back for consistent updates after the New Year.

Trying to classify such wildly changing and unhinged genres all under the name of “indie” seems dubious at first. We do like to take our own path, but, really, would a song by any other name not sound as sweet? Sure, The Flaming Lips are signed to a major label, but they are an outfit of musicians who write challenging pop and rock tunes that rival the ingenuity and experimentation of any DIY group out there today. Isn’t Portishead more electronically-inclined than anything? Yes, they are, but they are also a band who write songs collectively and employ acoustic instruments when doing so (i.e. live guitar and percussion). KeyCMND hopes you’ll be gracious enough to allow these exceptions to prove our rule.

Best of ‘09: Indie
Download as MP3


1. Animal Collective - “What Would I Want? Sky”
Fall Be Kind EP


2. Delorean - “Big Dipper”
Ayrton Senna EP


3. Passion Pit - “Little Secrets”
Manners


4. Micachu - “Golden Phone”
Jewellery


5. Tortoise - “Gigantes”
Beacons of Ancestorship


6. Tyondai Braxton - “J. City”
Central Market


7. Pygmy Lush - “It’s a Good Day to Hide”
Pygmy Lush & Turboslut Split EP


8. Bill Callahan - “Jim Cain”
Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle


9. J. Tillman - “Though I Have Wronged You”
Year In the Kingdom


10. Grizzly Bear - “Cheerleader”
Veckatimest


11. Atlas Sound - “Shelia”
Logos


12. A Lull - “Skinny Fingers”
Ice Cream Bones EP


13. Wild Beasts - “All the Kings Men”
Two Dancers


14. Dirty Projectors - “Stillness is the Move”
Bitte Orca


15. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - “Dragon Queen”
It’s Blitz!


16. Birds & Batteries - “Out in the Woods”
Up to No Good EP


17. The Flaming Lips - “Convinced of the Hex”
Embryonic


18. Portishead - “Chase the Tear”
Chase the Tear Single


19. Tempo No Tempo - “Line Drawing”
Waking Heat


20. The xx - “Islands”
xx


21. Nurses - “Technicolor”
Apple’s Acres


22. Antony & The Johnsons - “Another World”
The Crying Light

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keyCMND Best of ‘09: Electronic

We know it’s a bit late in the game to be presenting any kind of year-end list, but we like to think of these posts as less of a definitive stance on the year in music and more of an introduction to what keyCMND likes and aims to cover in the coming months. Starting today, keyCMND is presenting three separate mixes (Electronic, Indie, and Hip-Hop) of our favorite songs, in no particular order, from 2009. Each mix will be based on tracks from albums we’ve loved throughout the year, along with singles we couldn’t have done without, but they won’t necessarily include all of our favorites (a ton of wonderful music came out this year). In the interest of saving you time, and saving us some bandwidth, we whittled our massive lists of favorites into hour-long playlists, roughly. Please check back for consistent updates after the New Year.

One of the main ideas behind keyCMND is to keep things basic. Essentially, we feel there are three major genres: electronic, indie, and hip-hop. You can argue back and forth about the importance of separating each different sub-genre, but, for the purposes of this website, we’ll be collecting all styles under their own wide-ranging umbrella. For electronic music we coalesce all tracks made by solo producers and DJs, variations of club-friendly music along with more experimental sounds, and basically anything primarily made with synths, drum machines, and computers. Without further delay, here are some of our favorite electronic tracks from this year.

Best of ‘09: Electronic
Download as MP3


1. Fuck Buttons - “Surf Solar”
Tarot Sport


2. Martyn - “Far Away”
Great Lengths


3. Hudson Mohawke - “FUSE”
Butter


4. Four Tet - “Love Cry”
Love Cry 12”


5. Redshape - “Man Out of Time”
The Dance Paradox


6. Etienne Jaumet - “Entropy”
Night Music


7. Simian Mobile Disco - “Cruel Intentions”
Temporary Pleasure


8. CFCF - “Come Closer”
Continent


9. Nosaj Thing - “IOIO”
Drift


10. Lone - “Karen Loves Kate”
Ecstasy & Friends


11. Bibio - “Fire Ant”
Ambivalence Avenue


12. Dam-Funk - “10 West”
Toeachizown


13. Nite Jewel - “What Did He Say”
Good Evening


14. Neon Indian - “Terminally Chill”
Psychic Chasms


15. Memory Tapes - “Stop Talking”
Seek Magic


16. Altair Nouveau - “Sorcerer”
Space Fortress 12”


17. The Juan Maclean - “The Future Will Come”
The Future Will Come


18. Zomby - “Expert Tuition”
One Foot Ahead of the Other EP


19. Joker & Ginz - “Stash”
5 : 5 Years of Hyperdub


20. Joy Orbison - “Hyph Mngo”
Hyph Mngo/Wet Look 12”


21. Telepathe - “In Your Line (DJ /rupture & Matt Shadetek Remix)”
Solar Life Raft

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Introducing: keyCMND

KeyCMND is a brand new website dedicated to bringing its readers the latest and most interesting music available today. We will share with you what we love, our opinion about what we don’t, and aim to provide a forum for readers to tell us what they want to read about. Here’s a brief interview I did:

Come back in the coming week for our first official post, and a peek into what keyCMND is all about.

If you’re interested in contributing to keyCMND, please send an email with a small writing sample to keycmnd@gmail.com.

Patric Fallon
Editor-in-Chief & Publisher

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Listen: The xx - “Islands (Nosaj Thing Remix)”
Diplo Reveals Gucci Mane Mixtape Details
Listen: Xiu Xiu - “Gray Death”
XLR8R Hooks Up Free Tunes
Flying Lotus Coming With New Material
keyCMND Best of ‘09: Hip-Hop
keyCMND Best of ‘09: Indie
keyCMND Best of ‘09: Electronic
Introducing: keyCMND

keyCMND's Favorite Music:





























About keyCMND:

KeyCMND aims to provide the most interesting and exciting music, videos, album reviews, and news. We encourage readers to share with us what they're into and would like to read more about. Please use our contact information accordingly.

Please send materials for review or feature consideration here:
keyCMND
Attn: Patric Fallon
1102 York St.
San Francisco, CA 94110

Alternately, you can send emails here:
keycmnd@gmail.com

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