On Blast

New single from Gauntlet Hair from the album "Stills." It's only Wednesday and I'm dragging ass this week so this one is capturing the mindset pretty well. Check out that 90's Alt YouTube art.

I don't really know what all I can say about this Airhead cat, but I really like him. From beginning to the end, "For Years" delivers the weird - but you can party to this shit too, I'm talking poppin some bubbly. This track is like a secret level in Donkey Kong Country where Diddy Kong takes DMT and keeps dumping his head in a barrel of water.

Fuck Buttons is intense, you guys. This track off the forthcoming "Slow Focus" is on some mental shit. Fuck Buttons come off as totally confident in their sound which comes in a XXXL size big enough to wreak havoc on entire nations. Play this track and try not to imagine a slow burning neon storm cloud crawling toward your city. Independence Day and that scene from Ghostbusters when that asshole frees all the ghosts while that based Mick Smiley track plays. Seriously, if there was a Mutant League Soccer video game this song would be on a mandatory loop during every match. I tried to hang curtains to this track yesterday and around the 6 minute mark I was compelled to crash through my living room window because I truly believed I could land in stride and run a fucking mile.


        

On Blast: 3/28/13

New mix on the way, as soon as I stop cursing garageband for screwing it up, and just post it. In the meantime, just wanted to share a few things that I've been groovin on. 

RIP Jason Molina, your music was truly one of a kind. Drove back home this past weekend, and listened to hours of songs ohia/magnolia electric company tunes. The rustic scenery of VA's rolling hills  served as an excellent backdrop to his music. Molina's music was sad, raw, aching, and original. A working man's nick drake, with the gothic strangeness of bonnie prince, and off-the-cuff rage of neil young all mixed together. News of his death was truly sad, and I had to make sure NF acknowledged this man's timeless music. 

Been reading Byrne's recent book off and on lately. Not surprisingly, the man's got some interesting ideas on art and music. This cut comes from their early live album "The name of this band is the Talking Heads", which shoes the band stripped down to its most basic form. Even the album's title exhibits the direct simplicity with which Byrne was attempting to communicate his music. Everything from the featureless CBGB, to the frontman's baggy pants-suite, and the ultra-tight punk/dance grooves of the original four piece is reflected on this album. So good. Most bands today can only imagine operating on this level.

Kind of in a deep phase of being real fascinated with these guys. Alien lanes is a indisputable masterpiece, albiet a messy, totally fucked up one. One dude, one 4-track, lots of empty beer cans, and a ton of unforgettable music. Can't get enough of Pollard's lyrical vision. Everything is askew in this band, but makes so much damn sense at the same time. When GBV is firing on all cylinders, there's no other music like it.


 

On Blast 12/3/12

Got some new tunes for ya'll to vibe on. If you're diggin the "on blast" posts, give us a shout out on whatever social feed you rock, or simply spread the word by letting people know about the site. Also, be sure to follow the new non-factor twitter feed. Some of you have asked for an email list, which will hopefully be coming soon. In the meantime, blast out:

Neil Young & Crazy Horse- "Psychedelic Pill"

This album is a pleasant surprise from a man who is an indisputable top-10 all time artist here at the factor. I usually tend to avoid new albums from musicians in the twilight of their careers, but Ol-Shakey is certainly the exception. Neil his trusty backing band really bring it on this album, and true to the bluntly-stated title, he gets his weird on. Gotta respect a man who starts out an album with a 30 minute jam/freak out. The guitar sounds as dark and menacing as when these guys were playing "Cortez" or "Down by the River", and the lyrics are direct vintage Neil. Now I might need to break my habit again, and go check out "Tempest". Check out the video for album highlight "She's Always Dancing" below:

Nite Jewel-
"P.Y.T. (Michael Jackson Cover)"-


I've known about Nite Jewel for a little while, and was stoked to hear her take on this MJ classic. "Am I Real" is what got me into her originally (the guitar break just kills on that joint). She's done some work with Dam-Funk, and has released a few albums on Stones Throw. Sort of like a funkier Grimes, with a more chilled-out west-coast vibe. She crushes this cover, which I've always argued for as the best track off of Thriller.


Nicolas Jaar & Theatre Roosevelt- "The Ego"

If you've ever listened to any of my mixes on here, you might know I'm a huge fan of anything Jaar-related. Not sure who this Roosevelt guy is, but I am diggin on this track for real. Sort of reminds me of a druggier, more disorienting, and funkier take of Kanye's use of mad-cat vocals a-la "Mercy" (which in fact ripped off this Jaylib's "Champion Sound" from years ago... just sayin Madlib did it first). Anyway this track delivers on that heavy, hazed out, beat shit that Jaar does so well. Kind of how I imagine what David Lynch might sound like if he made hip-hop beats.

On Blast

Memory Tapes - "Neighborhood Watch"

I had a strong feeling that whatever Memory Tapes came out with next was going to find itself On Blast. Their new album "Grace/Confusion" doesn't just confirm that, it goes beyond my expectations. "Neighborhood Watch" opens the album and while it appeals to my memory of the nostalgia-heavy chill of Summer '09's "Seek Magic," it also showcases a promising evolution for the band. What's striking on first listen is that Memory Tapes immediately inserts itself into the conversation for the most absolute current sounding band today. This would be an achievement in itself even with just this one song that manages to have everything you'd want without sounding bloated - but the entire album is the showcase of a band who is in total command of a diverse and mind-altering treasure chest of sound.

Rapidgator:Memory Tapes - Grace/Confusion (2012)

On Blast 11/20

Gotta head into work to slang burritos for the man real soon, so no time for a long post. But here's the shit I'm stoked on right now. Dig it:

Captain Murphy

Nobody's really sure who this is that's rapping. Rumor is that this might be flylo, or possibly Earl Sweatshirt, or maybe a combination of both. Can't confirm any of that, but I can attest that this shit is hella dope. Featuring contributions by flylo, madlib, teebs, clams casino, tnght, and Jeremiah jae. Glad to see someone making some freaked out weird ass hip hop again, a la Doom.

Miguel- "The Thrill (Yours Truly Session)"

Slept on this dude for a while. As a loyal, unashamed, and (most importantly) unironic supporter of any type of quality r&b, i gotta say this shit hits hard. Aside from the slightly corny guitar-bro, this live version is what converted me. Dig the real.

Jim James- "Know Till Now"

When I heard Jim was indulging his funkier side on his upcoming solo joint, i figured it would be good, but probably go unnoticed by most critics. Fuck that. This man's pipes are unmatched. As a die hard MMJ fan, I always liked their freakier/groovier stuff better than the slower, lighter-in-the-air, hold-your-girlfriend's-hand stuff. I'm completely down with Jim gettin back on that Tyrone vibe. Go on and get your freak on my man.

Discoverer

 

 Discoverer - Tunnels

 
Out of Overland Park, KS, Discoverer's debut LP "Tunnels" lands at a perfect time of year. It reminds me a lot of a mixture of Beaumont, Com Truise and all the best underwater levels on your SNES. Hit up their bandcamp page to stream the full LP, it delivers the whole way through.

Igloos & kush clouds

Quick post here to let our loyal readers (stay warm alaska) know about some quality music I've come aross while zoning out on the internet lately.

The first is the "Running from the sun" mixtape compiled by the Chromatics. From the same people/record label (Italians do it Better) that contributed heavily to the soundtrack for "Drive", this music goes along the same vein. Excellent for those situations where you are driving fast and moodily against the backdrop of a sunset/away from a city at night/to 7-11 to get snacks... at night. Get it here

The other is the new album from the group Emeralds. This group is an instrumental collective that makes abstract electronic/live-instrumental music. The group has been featured on a few Factor mixes. along with the solo work of their guitarist Mark McGuire (who is seriously dope in his own right). Check it all out. Great for hotboxing your igloo with dense peyote smoke... at night.


Anyway... all these spaced out retro-future vibes are making me seriously consider this purchase... fuck... that looks so fucking cool

Woods

We gotta give it to Woods, we thought we were holding on to summer harder than anyone, but then we heard their new LP "Bend Beyond." This one is gonna usher us in to the fall better than anything else out right now, and that's a damn good thing, brother.

On Blast: 8/27/12

If it keeps raining like this every day I'm gonna have some serious problems motivation wise... But at least it sets the mood perfectly for some amazing music such as the Liars. This is off their self-titled album, which is a great listen back to back. I've also been digging the electro-vibe of their recently released WIXIW. Get your dreary on.

On Blast- 8/16/12

Feelin the weird on this late night bloggin tip. Just now discovering Thee Oh Sees, and I love that they have like 10 albums I've never heard. Acid-fried, garage-pop from San Fran, with a singer who reminds me of this guy. These guys have a new album coming out, which I have yet to hear. Really want to see them in richmond with Ty Segall, but the show is sold out. Can you get me tickets? Please?

On Blast- 8/15/12

This song is a highlight from Zen Arcade, the dense masterpiece by 90s hardcore band Husker Du. It's hard to describe just how good this band is. Once you "get it" their sound hits so hard, and is one of most unique I've ever heard. I you haven't already, do yourself as favor and dig on some husker.

Psychedelic Haystacks

Heads Hands and Feet are a band that released a couple of otherworldly country stompin albums in the early 70's. Albert Lee's guitar work is a frenzied blaze that often leads to mind-blowing romps fit for outer space farmin. The entire band for that matter is extremely tight and I especially dig the psychedelic tone that seeps through their jams.

"Country Boy"



"Warming Up The Band"

"Godamn, you are one suave fucker"

Feeling pretty braindead after almost 3 days of straight watching back to back bball games, reading about how incredible sxsw was (fuck you twitter, I'm not in Austin TX), and sleepily nodding along to slowed down versions of sly&the fam on vinyl (copped Stand for 3$ on ebay). So I'll keep it simple here, and to the point. This is what I've been jammin on lately, and you should too. Oh and one last time... RIP Nate.

James Pants- James Pants (Stones Throw)

 

Arriving just in time for the warm weather, this spaced out funk carries on Stones Throw's almost uncontested reign as one of the most creative and eclectic music labels around today. These songs might not be for everybody (many have totally inaudible lyrics), but this dude obviously does'nt care. I read an interview where james pants says he has chose not to live in a city, as a way to avoid all the overload of influences from various "scenes" that usually reside in urban areas. I can definitely see this reflected in his strikingly original music and production style. Reminds me of arial pink's haunted graffiti, early air, and prince. In fact, Prince would probably kill to be able to still make music this funky. And its being made by this guy. Hilarious. Highlights include "Kathleen", "Clouds Over Pacific", and "Screams of Passion". Small town #swag.

James Pants: "Kathleen" by alteredzones

Dirty Beaches- Badlands (Zoo Music)

I recently drove down to New Orleans to visit for a weekend. I returned with a wrecked bank account, a week-long hangover, and a unshakable sense of "what just happened??". After days of heavy binge drinking (accented by other unnamed substances), the manic sleaze of that place reached a fever pitch more than once over the course of the weekend. It's hard to describe, but the tunes on this album seem to evoke that same hazy state of mind I was in while stumbling around at 4 am, lost on bourbon street . Dirty Beaches is Alex Zhang Hungtai (from Taiwan), and despite having the word "beaches" in the name of his act, his music sounds almost nothing like anything in 2011. The songs are deceivingly simple, yet recorded with such a disorienting production style ("lo-fi" does'nt do it justice) that the texture of the music really takes you to another place, and even another time. Dirty Beaches sounds like the soundtrack to an alternate version of Back to the Future... the one where Marty Mcfly stays in the 50s, gets wrecked on heroin, and continues to fuck with the teenage version of his parents just for the fun of it. Highlights include "Sweet 17" and "A Hundred Highways". Also, when I listen to this album I'm reminded of this:




...which is of course, fucking awesome.


Squadda B- I Smoke Because I Don't Care About Death (Self Released)

Saw a pic of Tyler the Creator on the front page of the Washington Post Style section today (those guys seemed to of laid waste to sxsw). Kind of disorienting how fast acts go from super-underground to getting major attention these days (still processing the fact that the dude from bon iver is now boys with kanye). But whatever, good for odd future, hope they put out some ill shit. In the meantime, I've been feeling some of the stuff coming from the oakland area rap crew, Main Attrakionz (still unsigned, and relatively untouched by the blog-hype machine). They first caught my attention with the "Legion of Doom" Video (featured on Altered Zones). Squadda B is one of the main dudes from that crew, and while the abstract/blunted "cloud-rap" vibe can get a little repetitive (Lil-B), some of his joints are definitely really innovative. Not saying these guys are great (there are some duds on this tape), but they show real potential. Highlights include "2012"and "Ice Nites". Oh yeah, and I dig the reverb-drenched George Carlin samples.


More to come later in the week. Gonna catch the second half of this Duke game (they're down by 11??). VCU- I'm done hating, keep on ballin. Jimmer- the world is yours. Kemba- do work, u got this.