Album Review: Hot Chip, "One Life Stand"

Gently straddling the border between electronic and wave stands this English band. As usual, the vocals are shared between the higher-pitched Alexis Taylor and the more mellow voiced Joe Goddard and, as always, the songs benefit from the dichotomy.

Though a lot of the songs are obviously electronics based, their composition and presentation seems more in line with rock music. A lot of their preparation for the album came from extended time in the studio, not something you necessarily expect from an "electronic" band.

The really nice thing, to me, is that each of these songs is an individual on this album, yet it remains distinctively a Hot Chip release.

Some songs seem taken from a house music kind of sensibility (even a Giorgio Moroder/Donna Summer kind of sound on track 8) while others are practically wave ballads.

Special note: Tracks 2, 4 and 6 feature Charles Hayword of This Heat on drums and vox (the latter only on track 6).

1++++(KICK ASS, oscillators), 2+++(nice mix & strings), 3++(electro-dance, auto-tune), 4+++(single, great chorus), 5++(pretty, nice build), 6+++(Hayward on back-up vox, also super pretty ballad), 7++++(gorgeous, low-key yet upbeat), 8 (least favorite track), 9++(interesting percussion, solid), 10+++(nice mix of styles)

I'm Never Gonna Give It To You...

So a few posts ago, we gave you a review of the new Owen Pallet album Heartland. Here is an in-studio (live) performance of "Lewis Takes Off His Shirt" (aka the best song on the album) from CBC's Studio Q (thanks to P4k).

That this is a live performance makes this song even more exciting. If you weren't aware, Pallet primarily performs songs live alone or with one other person (as in this performance, seen here with Thomas Gill) but his arrangements seem to require more than just one or two people. To make up for this (and add a whole lot of awesome), Pallet plays part of the arrangement on a keyboard or violin and then loops it over itself. This deepens the sound and enables him to play something else. I am also in complete awe at his control to play the violin and sing (listen for the chorus's melody on the violin during the 3rd verse).

In other news, the review of the new Hot Chip album will be posted in the couple of days, so be on the lookout.

Theodore In-Studio Part II

Startin momentarily - listen up folks! KWUR.COM / 90.3 FM

photo stolen from theodore myspace

mixed bag

DARONDO - LET MY PEOPLE GO (2006)

Luv N Haight released this compilation of rare 70s soul tracks by this dude Darondo, and we thank them for that.

Download

DJ CAM - MAD BLUNTED JAZZ (1995)

The name really says it all. Cam sorta belongs to the downtempo genre, but this first album (both studio and live tracks) is really just some nice jazz/hip-hop stuff.

Download

MAGNUM - FULLY LOADED (1974)

Funk, soul, psychedelic, etc. Love that album cover.

Download

STACK SESSIONS: REBOOT

Hey all --

stack sessions is back and out of beta! we have a couple of new staff members workin' real hard to bring all sorts of live music to the masses via the KWUR studios. Here's what's set up so far:

February 8: Theodore
February 12: Two Man Gentlemen Band
February 13: Generationals
February 20: Title Tracks

and there's more to come....

OH YEAH DON'T FORGET KWUR Week is coming, too. Check below for the details, okay.

SPRING 2010 SCHEDULE

HERE IT IS

We are live as I write this, folks. The schedule is packed - most nights go until 4 or 5 AM - so if you happen to make an early morning commute along Forest Park Parkway, tune in for 15 minutes. Also I can say, completely without bias, that this is one of the best semesters of programming we've lined up since I've been involved at KWUR. PLEASE LISTEN (here)!

KWUR WEEK 2010 FEB 17TH-20TH RAH RAH SIS BOOM BAH!

Come join KWUR as we celebrate a week of the best in underground, alternative, cutting edge music!

All shows at The Gargoyle (http://studentunion.nts.wustl.edu/~gargoyle). Doors at 8, shows start at 8:30. Free for Wash U students, 5 bucks for non Wash-U folks. Open to the public but 18+ only, sorry.

February 17th: Folk/Blues Night
Drakkar Sauna (http://www.myspace.com/drakkansasauna)
Illinois John Fever (http://www.myspace.com/illinoisjohnfever)

February 18th: KWUR Dance Party/DJ Showcase Part Deux
Phaseone (http://www.myspace.com/phaseonestl)
KWUR faves DJ Invisible Cola and DJs Neil and Greg

February 19th: Hip-Hop Night
Sadat X (of Brand Nubian) (http://www.myspace.com/sadatx)
Dudley Perkins ( http://www.myspace.com/dudleyperkins)

February 20th: Wave Night
Boogie Boarder (http://www.myspace.com/boogieboardertheband)
Darlings (http://www.myspace.com/darlingsokay)
Spelling Bee (http://www.myspace.com/beespellingbee)

OMG GO 2 EVRY SHOW TELL YR FRIENDS!

TILL THE BREAK OF DAAAAAWN!

Album Review: Owen Pallett, "Heartland"

RiYD: St. Vincent, The Zombies, Stephin Merritt, 20th Century Classical Music

The man formerly known by the moniker Final Fantasy finally releases something under his own name. It's definitely the same kind of sound he's had for a while, but it's sonically much more adventurous.

Pallett is known for live sets in which he performs with little more than a violin or a viola and a few loop pedals. Here, he really fleshes out his sound with some glorious orchestrations. This guy really has done a lot over the years to develop a sound that is truly his own and, even though the album is almost too dense on a first listen, its harder to digest bits become all the more rewarding.

In addition, this whole thing is a concept album that forms a narrative about a farmer named Lewis who lives in a world called "Spectrum." Each song is from Lewis's P.O.V. in conversation with his creator (aka Owen Pallett). YES!

Try: 8+++ (great combo of electric and organic, use of "parallax" in the lyrics, joyful build), 1++, 5++ (Be My Baby drums), 6, 4, 11+, 7

Album Review: Postdata, "Postdata"

Acoustic singer-songwriter hustle, the kind with fret squeaks and a singer (Wintersleep's Paul Murphy) singing softly like he wants to bed you. Sounds a bit like Smog, sounds a lot like Bon Iver. Other people might like this more than I do; I found it perfectly pleasant, but not too exciting.

Play: 1, 2, 3+, 7

A Little Something for your Sunday

Hey there internet, it's me, the Philosopher. This is my first blog post on this here illustrious blog and I wanted to share an artist that many of you may not have heard of.

I first saw Portland's Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside open for the Avett Brothers in Asheville, NC (Ford's hometown) on New Year's Eve 2009. I was pretty impressed by the upbeat, folksy sound they have but that was nothing compared to how enthralled I was by Ms. Ford's pipes. The first comparison that jumped to mind was Joanna Newsom, but I don't know how apt a comparison that is. Both women have a way of fiddling with pronunciation just enough to make you cock your head oh so slightly, but Sallie Ford's huskier tone might make her just a little more accessible, at least initially. The band is building themselves quite a reputation in the Northwest and it was awesome to see her performing in her home state.

I ended up seeing the band again about five days later at the Visulite in Charlotte, NC, opening for Sam Quinn (formerly of the Everybodyfields) and was further impressed. They also brought a great, unconventional Tom Waits cover to that show, turning "God's Away on Business" into nearly a gypsy-jazz groover. It was pretty great.

Embedding's disabled on this one, but here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKhKDISR58o