Culture Greyhound

“Black Nails” by Pictureplane (HD) from Milton Croissant III on Vimeo.

Every Saturday, I post a 15-20 minute podcast featuring some tracks I’ve been jamming the previous week, as well as some commentary and random musings from yours truly. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

Tom Waits – Chicago
Deer Tick – Let’s All Go to the Bar
Gross Magic – Yesterdays
Pusha T – Feeling Myself
Escort – Cameleon Chameleon (Club Mix)

Photo by Chad Wadsworth of Pitchfork

I haven’t had an extraordinary amount of time this week to delve into this past weekend, so this post is a little late. I suppose I wanted to let everything settle down and let the experience marinate. And after several days of contemplation, I’ve come to the conclusion that my initial thoughts were correct – this was the best Fun Fun Fun yet, and probably the best weekend of my year. Well done, Transmission. Well done.

I admit I was initially very nervous about the festival’s move to Auditorium Shores; was my favorite little 3-day adventure turning into a mini-ACL? Well after this weekend I understood that it kind of was….but the keyword is “mini.” The location may have changed, the crowds may have gotten slightly bigger (in a bigger park, it really didn’t feel like it, though), but the devil-may-care vibe is still there. Great food, great music, same ideal stage setups. They still haven’t fixed the beer situation, though. Just Heineken and Tecate? I think next year I’ll spring for PIP so I don’t have to pay $6 for that crap. Basically, it was a Fun Fun Fun experience just like Waterloo, pros and cons included, though it felt more smoothly run this time around. You still had the dust problems, the expensive drinks issues, occasional sound debacles….you know, festival stuff. But as far as weekend fests go, Fun Fun Fun still cannot be beat.

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The plain-speaking mind that brought you “Trapped In the Closet” is planning for a spring 2012 release of his autobiography. The title? Why, Soula Coaster of course. And now Kells has a new untitled track dedicated to all them haters bringing “negative shit” about how he was “washed up” because his voice was shot. If this song is the evidence, it’s pretty apparent R’s vocals are far from gone. Quite the oppostie, in fact. And the hook? “Shut Up, Shut up, I’m talking to you.” Catchy as all hell. Kelly’s back, baby!

Best line: Referring to the reproductive power of his music – “How many babies been made off me? OMG.” Listen at Pitchfork….you just have to.

Today I continue a series of posts dedicated to the best albums of the last decade, posting analysis of one album at a time.

34. Beck – Sea Change

In 2002, Beck completely did a 180 and released an album I initially found very upsetting. Well, not initially. It’s still pretty depressing. But in a good way. After hearing the anit-folk of Mellow Gold, the dance rock zaniness of Odelay, the bluesy Mutations, and the boogie-laden Midnight Vultures, I was having a pretty difficult time pinning down the stylings of Beck. He was, and still is, all over the place. He recreates his style with every release. But Sea Change was probably the starkest transformation for the musician. And almost ten years later, it remains my favorite.

Inspired, or maybe tormented, by the breakup with his longtime girlfriend, Beck penned these uncharacteristically un-ironic songs about utter sadness to traditional instrumentation and beautiful string arrangements written by his father. Singles “Lost Cause” and “Guess I’m Doing Fine,” especially the latter, perfectly capture the theme of Sea Change, one of alt-country heartbreak and burgeoning depression. This album is still perfect for comfort after loss, or even just a contemplative drive along a lonesome country road, preferably on the vast, falt terrain that is West Texas.

Listen to Sea Change on Spotify.

Take Care, the new album from Drake (cover art above), drops November 15th, and by the amount of leaked tracks you would think half the album’s already been heard by the masses. Not even close. Today, to add to “Marvin’s Room,” “Make Me Proud,” and “Headlines,” we have three new leaks.

Rap Up’s got the first, a collaboration with the much-blogged-about Weeknd called “Crew Love.” The Source hooks you up with the Rick Ross-guesting “Lord Knows,” and Pretty Much Amazing has the title track featuring Rihanna and sampling Jamie xx.  What do all these leaks have in common?  They’re all awesome.  And they all hint at Drake’s sophomore effort being one of the finest rap albums of 2011.

Mates Of State “Sway” from Barsuk Records on Vimeo.

Every Saturday, I post a 15-20 minute podcast featuring some tracks I’ve been jamming the previous week, as well as some commentary and random musings from yours truly. Enjoy!

This week is a quick homage to my weekend – Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011. Enjoy this quick playlist while you gear up for Day 2!

Tracklist:

Major Lazer – Keep It Goin’ Louder
M83 – Steve McQueen
Passion Pit – Sleepyhead
The Thermals – Liquid In, Liquid Out
Hum – Stars

Today is the first day of Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011, and I trust you are prepared for the multitude of fun you are about to digest. If not, might I suggest this playlist, a quickly thrown-together compilation of my picks for the weekend. Feel free to get psyched while you shuffle through. Who are you kids going to see?

Listen to the playlist on Spotify.

Fun Fun Fun Fest begins tomorrow – just typing that makes me so happy – and I’m sure you wild and crazy partiers have filled out your schedule and convened with fellow fest-goers. What you may not have done, however, is adequately prepared yourself to maximize the fun level. Here are some tips from an FFF veteran, myself, which will hopefully prepare you for the onslaught of awesome you’re about to digest.

1. Wear sunscreen and bring a jacket

Should be a given, but some people forget, and man oh man, when they forget, their weekend is ruined. I know all about it, trust me. The UV rays will be hitting hard because this is Austin, but it might get chilly in the evenings – sometimes we forget down here in Central Texas that it’s November.

2. You’re on your own with parking

Parking was so easy at Waterloo – there were three garages directly across the street. This isn’t the case with the Shores, so I recommend ponying up some cash for one of the downtown garages on 5th street. Since I live on the East side, I will be utilizing the free shuttle and walking down to Red River in the evenings. Neato!

3. Show up early if you want to see the band

Each stage is actually two stages, and they’re setting up one while someone’s playing on another, so I recommend standing near the front in the middle for the best vantage point. If you’re dying to see a particular band, get there early, find a good spot, and sit through the band before, who probably isn’t that bad. All the stages are genre-specific, so you might discover something similar that you like!

4. Make your money count

I know on Friday you’re gonna wanna get wasted and try all the vendors’ food and maybe buy your favorite band’s new record and a collector’s item screen-print FFF t-shirt. I will too. But we must remember that our cash has to last us three days this year, not two. So if you’re unable to partake in the third Fun on Sunday, it’s because you went overboard on the first Fun on Friday. Be wise with your monies. Because festivals aren’t cheap.

5. Stay hydrated

Being on a budget helps to prevent one’s self from consuming too much festival-priced alcoholic beverages. But sometimes, man, you just wanna rage! I wanna be buzzing for Major Lazer!, etc. I understand. Just plan accordingly. Check the time and judge your intake. If you’re getting embarrassing in the evening, make sure you drink plenty of water in the daytime.

Go here for more tips and rules and info about the fest, and I’ll see you there!