Like Animal Collective? Of course you do, who doesn't love those freak psych-pop geniuses these days? One think about Animal Collective is they have never been very forward with stating who they are influenced by. Yet they did state once in an interview that one living influence of theirs is Sidi Toure, a well respected singer/guitarist from Mali. Since their shout out, Mr. Toure has slowly been gaining a cult following here in the states. La Blogotheque made a great video of him as well. In the beginning of the year Toure released Sahel Folk that is available here in the states. Check out "Bon Koum" below. Africa!
La Sera is a side project for Katy Goodman, one of the members of the chick-garage rock group Vivian Girls. "Devils Hearts Grow Gold" is much dreamier than her past releases. In fact one will find the song's structure very similar to "Where Is My Mind?" by The Pixies. I would go as far to say that La Sera actually has a lot more to offer than her original band.
After being pounded by rain for the past few days, the sun has peeked through and I must say it has been absolutely gorgeous for the past few days in Los Angeles. Here's a song from newcomers Dirty Gold that I am sure will be featured on many blog's summer mixtapes."California Sunrise" keeps nothing hidden, it is a blissful summery west coast indie pop tune that perfectly accompanies a beautiful day like today.
James Blake is an artist that has been placed on my "Best of 2011" potential list that I've started. This debut from the young Brit is extremely impressive. The man has such a powerful and crisp voice. He sounds mainstream yet is obscure enough to grab the indie crowd's attention. His self-titled debut sounds like Radiohead's Kid A meets blue-eyed soul.
Well, it's been a few weeks now, and I still haven't fully recovered. I've listened to their entire discography multiple times in chronological order and it's amazing how fresh and exciting after a decade their music still sounds. Yes, The White Stripes are no longer with us it's true. Jack will go off producing records and playing in thousands of other bands, and Meg will most likely choose a quieter life out of the spotlight. On one hand I'm deeply saddened that they are gone. They've been hinting at new material for awhile and they certainly seemed to have a few great albums left in them. Yet, I'm also proud that my favorite band quit while they were on top, and never released a disappointing record. It's better to leave 'em wanting more I guess. I am not dwelling on why they broke up (though I have theories), but rather I think a great band like The White Stripes deserve to be respected and revered. I've been going through my bootleg collections of their shows, and would like to share my favorite one titled The Boston Tea Party. The quality of this bootleg is superb, this was taped during their Elephant tour, a time that many considered to be their pinnacle. The White Stripes were always one of my favorite live acts. Their simplicity allowed their stage show to be loose and spontaneous. People always criticized Meg for her talents, but I always felt that her simple style was a perfect way to keep Jack in check.
The White Stripes may be gone, but with their five studio albums they have left a legacy that ranks them as one of the greatest bands of our or any generation.
The Veils return with an EP titled Troubles of The Brain. I have never fully dug into their discography but I can say that these guys are extremely varied. The lead song from this EP is titled "The Wishbone." Solid. Solid psych-folk song.
Starting a career in music in one's late 60's is almost an impossible thing to do, except for Charles Bradley. He's another addition to the vibrant new-soul movement that features Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings. Honestly I wouldn't want this guy to be any younger, it's taken years of heartbreak and pain to make his voice into the soulful instrument it is today. He doesn't have the groove of James Brown, but rather is like Solomon Burke or Otis Redding at his more tender moments. If you like vintage soul, this newcomer is for you.
After a solid year of toying with us over Facebook about new material, Seattle folkies Fleet Foxes return with their new record Helplessness Blues and have released the title track for FREE. As far as the song goes, it's pretty solid, it's certainly no "Blue Ridge Mountains" but it has me very excited for the full release. It seems like they are trying to not rely heavily on the harmony making Robin Pecknold the main player in the band.
