Oblique lyrics, shimmering vocals, and glittery remixes. The Golden Filter is kind of a mystery at this point - a collective of New York artists and musicians that reach into other peoples' songs and make them ominously gorgeous, and shapeshift them into somthing brand new. There're no stuttery vocal scratches, and tired old loops in these reformed gems, either. Their remix of Little Boots' "New In Town," sounds like two songs battling for dancefloor dominance. It starts with a deep and dark disco tsunami, and ends with a joyous layered chant of the chorus.
With their remix dance card overflowing, The Golden Filter has generated considerable anticiapation for an album of originals. The first single, "Solid Gold," halts all that embarrassment you feel over kinda-sorta starting love disco again dead in it's Fiorucci tracks. If this collection of blissed-out dreamy vocals (harking in a manner, the sensous first third of Blondie's "Atomic") and hedonistic symphonic beats is disco, then screw it, I'll take it. It's music from a different decade of New York - half a soundtrack to key parties and dark corner feel-ups, and equally a soundtrack to an anti-gravity outerspace cocktail reception. From the sound of the demos on their Myspace page, it seems as though the rest of the album will bring much of the same.
Sure, why not?
http://www.myspace.com/thegoldenfilter
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
6/5 - Billy Nicholls
It's raining here on the West Coast today, so I thought I'd feature something lush, warm and occasionally melancholy to match the weather. Billy Nicholls is a woefully overlooked and under-appreciated songsmith from the UK whose late '60s debut LP "Would You Believe" tragically coincided with the collapse of his label, Immediate Records. As a result, the album - a true gem of occasionally folkish psychadelia - wasn't available for consumption until the 1990s.
When I first read about Billy Nicholls in Ugly Things Magazine around about 1998 or so, I embarked on quite a little quest to obtain a CD copy of this album, and after a mere 3 years of looking, ended up instead with a disc of Would You Believe demos called Snapshot before I was finally able, another 2 years down the line to procure a copy of the actual album. Funnily enough, I think I like the sparsity and candor of the demos even better than the slicked-up psych operas of the finished product. But either way, this stuff is good. As well it should be given its pedigree. Billy's studio pals for the album include label mates Small Faces and Steve Mariott.
Thanks to the wonders of the internet, it's a hell of a lot easier to find Billy's work nowadays, and in fact, you can get it directly from his own website: www.billynicholls.com. Sadly, I can't locate my favorite Nicholls song, "Kew," to share with you, but I did dig up these fun YouTube contributions, including my second favorite, "Cut and Come Again," which is exactly the sound I wanted to hear instead of my screeching alarm this wet morning.
When I first read about Billy Nicholls in Ugly Things Magazine around about 1998 or so, I embarked on quite a little quest to obtain a CD copy of this album, and after a mere 3 years of looking, ended up instead with a disc of Would You Believe demos called Snapshot before I was finally able, another 2 years down the line to procure a copy of the actual album. Funnily enough, I think I like the sparsity and candor of the demos even better than the slicked-up psych operas of the finished product. But either way, this stuff is good. As well it should be given its pedigree. Billy's studio pals for the album include label mates Small Faces and Steve Mariott.
Thanks to the wonders of the internet, it's a hell of a lot easier to find Billy's work nowadays, and in fact, you can get it directly from his own website: www.billynicholls.com. Sadly, I can't locate my favorite Nicholls song, "Kew," to share with you, but I did dig up these fun YouTube contributions, including my second favorite, "Cut and Come Again," which is exactly the sound I wanted to hear instead of my screeching alarm this wet morning.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
6/4 - Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
New soul, thankfully, has finally veered away from the silky smooth bedroom ass-tapping come-ons of the 90s. There's a good number of young soul bands out there that dialed the clock right back to Memphis' hot-as-fire Stax sides, and the emergent funk of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul himself. With Sharon Jones out there strutting the stage for the ladies, Joe Lewis seems poised to pick up the mantle for the men. Lewis fronts Austin's Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears like a mushmouthed preacher of garage soul, generating enough energy on stage to light the White House christmas tree. And he does it with a heavy dose of humor and no shyness for occasinal profanity (as evidenced by the stellar track "Bitch, I Love You"). The Honeybears, for the most part, are a group of young white guys. But, don't hold that against them, because a little band called the MGs back in the day could boast the same, and much like the Honeybears, they could really make those horns sing.
While the 90s might have been about Vandross style sex-you-down lovemakers, the best kind of soul, for my money, is the kind that comes in hot and sweaty, like an urgent quickie, then flips you over and gives it to you again. Black Joe Lewis'll give it to you that way any day of the week.
The embedding for the video of "Sugarfoot," the first single off their album Tell 'Em What Your Name Is is disabled, but can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UOJUbiWC5M
Check it out, and see them live if you can. They'll be opening for the New York Dolls all Summer in the South, the East Coast, and Canada.
http://www.myspace.com/blackjoelewis
While the 90s might have been about Vandross style sex-you-down lovemakers, the best kind of soul, for my money, is the kind that comes in hot and sweaty, like an urgent quickie, then flips you over and gives it to you again. Black Joe Lewis'll give it to you that way any day of the week.
The embedding for the video of "Sugarfoot," the first single off their album Tell 'Em What Your Name Is is disabled, but can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UOJUbiWC5M
Check it out, and see them live if you can. They'll be opening for the New York Dolls all Summer in the South, the East Coast, and Canada.
http://www.myspace.com/blackjoelewis
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
6/3 - The Lady Tigra
"We're Tigra and Bunny and we like the Boom!" Ah, 1988. I'm sure there were other things going on in the world, but I was only 13 that year, and I didn't give a crap about anything but making mix tapes by holding a tape recorder up to the radio. Due to the pitfalls of this recording method, Lady Tigra and Bunny D, the Miami teens that made up L'Trimm didn't like the "Cars that Go Boom," on my mix they liked the "Cars that go SHHH! Gahh mom! I'm like recording!?" This may or may not have been worse than the unfortunate unintentional Lionel Richie karaoke I had on another masterpiece mixtape, but since these gems are long gone, I guess we'll never know.
The girls of L'Trimm were hot stuff back in the late 80's to my crowd of teens and tweens, because not only did they pump out some catchy rhymes and wear some dope clothes, but they were also under the age of 18. This doled out a lot of hope to metal-mouthed youths such as myself that superstardom could, good lord, be right around the corner! Although theoretically descendants of the Miami Bass style of rap, L'Trimm (possibly because of their youth) were considered to be better representations of radio-friendly pop music. They knocked out a couple of albums, never finding anything with the hook to follow the success of "Cars With the Boom," and drifted into the mysterious purgatory that houses all one-hit-wonders and the socks you lose in the dryer. Bunny D got married and had four children, and Lady Tigra stayed active in music by managing clubs in Miami. Until recently...
Lady Tigra, sans Bunny, older and wiser, is back on the scene. The odd and perhaps wonderful thing is that her music and style has scarcely changed one iota from the original L'Trimm sound, save for the barest evidence of vocal maturity. Despite this, it sounds shockingly modern. I guess that everything eventually comes around again with fashion and music, and our Lady Tigra happened to be savvy enough last year to recognize that her time is back around. Welcome back, I say, though a little belatedly.
http://www.myspace.com/theladytigra
The girls of L'Trimm were hot stuff back in the late 80's to my crowd of teens and tweens, because not only did they pump out some catchy rhymes and wear some dope clothes, but they were also under the age of 18. This doled out a lot of hope to metal-mouthed youths such as myself that superstardom could, good lord, be right around the corner! Although theoretically descendants of the Miami Bass style of rap, L'Trimm (possibly because of their youth) were considered to be better representations of radio-friendly pop music. They knocked out a couple of albums, never finding anything with the hook to follow the success of "Cars With the Boom," and drifted into the mysterious purgatory that houses all one-hit-wonders and the socks you lose in the dryer. Bunny D got married and had four children, and Lady Tigra stayed active in music by managing clubs in Miami. Until recently...
Lady Tigra, sans Bunny, older and wiser, is back on the scene. The odd and perhaps wonderful thing is that her music and style has scarcely changed one iota from the original L'Trimm sound, save for the barest evidence of vocal maturity. Despite this, it sounds shockingly modern. I guess that everything eventually comes around again with fashion and music, and our Lady Tigra happened to be savvy enough last year to recognize that her time is back around. Welcome back, I say, though a little belatedly.
http://www.myspace.com/theladytigra
6/2 - Chew Lips
Kitsune. Boy is that a word I've been reading a lot lately. The fact that this France-based electronic music label is an offshoot of a hipster clothing line, would probably be really annoying if the music they were putting out just wasn't so damn good. I'll admit, I'm drinking the Kitsune Kool-aid, because more often than not, I find myself pretty excited about the bands they choose to support. Anything from French booty electro punk hotshots Yelle to radio-ready La Roux, Cut Copy, Digitalism, A Trak, etc. etc. is fair game. If it thumps, jumps or humps, and it's brand spanking new, Kitsune might snag it first.
No doubt I'll pick some other Kitsune-approved artists for my Daily Bomb at some point down the road. It's as inevitable as Kenny Rogers' beard staying grey, I dare say. But, first up, I choose Chew Lips. Patterns speak for themselves, so if you've read any other entries here, you may have guessed that I favor a girl singer. No exception here. Honeydripping vocalist Tigs croons over Will & James' warm electronic soundtrack. They describe their own music as "drone disco/space synth pop," and I suppose my ears can back that claim. However, what makes them stand out is that Tigs' vocals take a front seat to the spacedronediscopop, and carry a strength that outstrips a lot of her wispy-voice-as-subtle-instrument contemporaries. Although their tunes are worthy of some sing-alongs, they also don't try too hard to slap you in the face with any kind of sloganeering. It's pop music alright, but is happily lacking in pop's disposability.
http://www.myspace.com/chewlips
No doubt I'll pick some other Kitsune-approved artists for my Daily Bomb at some point down the road. It's as inevitable as Kenny Rogers' beard staying grey, I dare say. But, first up, I choose Chew Lips. Patterns speak for themselves, so if you've read any other entries here, you may have guessed that I favor a girl singer. No exception here. Honeydripping vocalist Tigs croons over Will & James' warm electronic soundtrack. They describe their own music as "drone disco/space synth pop," and I suppose my ears can back that claim. However, what makes them stand out is that Tigs' vocals take a front seat to the spacedronediscopop, and carry a strength that outstrips a lot of her wispy-voice-as-subtle-instrument contemporaries. Although their tunes are worthy of some sing-alongs, they also don't try too hard to slap you in the face with any kind of sloganeering. It's pop music alright, but is happily lacking in pop's disposability.
http://www.myspace.com/chewlips
Monday, June 1, 2009
6/1 - Emil & Friends
Welcome to another episode of Musical Mysteries and Rumors No One Actually Cares About. In this episode, I present to you the upcoming group Emil & Friends. Buzz around the internet, and by buzz I mean nearly inaudible hum, suggests that this group is either A) a musical project of "internationally famous" actor Emile Hirsch, B) actually just one guy with no friends in sight, or C) maybe a band who "plays music inspired by what we believe is God's message to everyone." Well, folks, it's okay to come in off the ledge now, because I think I can shed some light on this worldwide conundrum.
First, I can't imagine that anyone believes that if Emile Hirsch was actually making music, it would sound anything like this at all. Because, probably, it wouldn't. And what Emile Hirsch's (I like to keep repeating that name, because I'm betting that most people reading this are going, "who?") music might sound like, the world may never know, because this isn't it. Secondly, for the time being, according to an interview on asianmandan.com, Emil is friendless. He's just a guy, namely Bostonite Emil Hewitt, playing on his own. But a man likes to keep his options open for a good jam session, right? Thirdly, one only has to guess that these guys: www.emilandfriends.com, who are playing churches and coffeehouses for Jesus are not the same Emil, and probably not his friends either. Though I almost wish that they were. Could you imagine hearing something great on a blog only to later find out that it was played by three guys that look like your dad's old cop buddies from 1987? I think I'd love that, actually.
So, the real Emil & Friends...well, I'm not sure what to call this music. Sometimes, like in "Short Order Cooks," it sounds like something that you'd hear played before an Ashford & Simpson concert. Sometimes, like in "Downed Economy" it sounds like grimy guitar disco with spacepop vocals. Let's just call it a collage and call it a day, shall we?
http://www.myspace.com/emilandfriends
First, I can't imagine that anyone believes that if Emile Hirsch was actually making music, it would sound anything like this at all. Because, probably, it wouldn't. And what Emile Hirsch's (I like to keep repeating that name, because I'm betting that most people reading this are going, "who?") music might sound like, the world may never know, because this isn't it. Secondly, for the time being, according to an interview on asianmandan.com, Emil is friendless. He's just a guy, namely Bostonite Emil Hewitt, playing on his own. But a man likes to keep his options open for a good jam session, right? Thirdly, one only has to guess that these guys: www.emilandfriends.com, who are playing churches and coffeehouses for Jesus are not the same Emil, and probably not his friends either. Though I almost wish that they were. Could you imagine hearing something great on a blog only to later find out that it was played by three guys that look like your dad's old cop buddies from 1987? I think I'd love that, actually.
So, the real Emil & Friends...well, I'm not sure what to call this music. Sometimes, like in "Short Order Cooks," it sounds like something that you'd hear played before an Ashford & Simpson concert. Sometimes, like in "Downed Economy" it sounds like grimy guitar disco with spacepop vocals. Let's just call it a collage and call it a day, shall we?
http://www.myspace.com/emilandfriends
5/31 - Peggy Sue
Formerly known as Peggy Sue & the Pirates, this band has been around for just shy of four years releasing singles and EPs and touring with some UK indie folks like Kate Nash. A few weeks ago they released a new EP called "Lover Gone, " which you can buy from iTunes, or get in a nifty special edition CD that comes complete with a DIY shadow puppet show, whatever that means. Reportedly, they spent some time here in LA working on putting together their first full length album, release date still unreported as of this writing.
Peggy Sue is mostly two honey-voiced lassies named Katy Klaw and Rosa Rex, now joined permanently by a cute skinny boy drummer they refer to as Olly Olly Olly, most likely named such on a drinking binge, which is something the two ladies reportedly enjoy. Their songs, for the most are sweet confections of half-plucked warm guitars, the occasional uke and accordian, upbeat rim-clicking drums, and are dominated by earnestly duetted ruminative and sometimes funny vocal stokes. For whatever reason, it all comes together in a way that makes me want to use the phrase "quite nice" and mean it. Besides the fact, their sparse endeavors into blogging (http://www.peggywho.blogspot.com/) hint that they might be the kind of ladies that might get you soused then break out guitars and make you cry wino tears, then make you dance stupidly until you fall down. Everybody needs more friends like that, really.
http://www.myspace.com/peggysueandthepirates
Peggy Sue is mostly two honey-voiced lassies named Katy Klaw and Rosa Rex, now joined permanently by a cute skinny boy drummer they refer to as Olly Olly Olly, most likely named such on a drinking binge, which is something the two ladies reportedly enjoy. Their songs, for the most are sweet confections of half-plucked warm guitars, the occasional uke and accordian, upbeat rim-clicking drums, and are dominated by earnestly duetted ruminative and sometimes funny vocal stokes. For whatever reason, it all comes together in a way that makes me want to use the phrase "quite nice" and mean it. Besides the fact, their sparse endeavors into blogging (http://www.peggywho.blogspot.com/) hint that they might be the kind of ladies that might get you soused then break out guitars and make you cry wino tears, then make you dance stupidly until you fall down. Everybody needs more friends like that, really.
http://www.myspace.com/peggysueandthepirates
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