Culture Greyhound

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:

Big Black Delta – Huggin’ and Kissin’
Yelawolf feat. Lil Jon – Hard White
Male Bonding – Tame the Sun
Air France – It Feels Good to Be Around You

As previously mentioned, Feist, the iPod commercial queen, is back on October 4th with her new album Metals. The first single debuted today on some radio station far far away from me, but thanks to the wonders of the Internet, we can all listen to it together via Soundcloud. Yay!

How Come You Never Go There by Feist

Surfer Blood – Tarot Classics EP (out October 25)

Mastodon – The Hunter (out September 27)

M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (out October 18)

Hella – Tripper (out August 30)

Feist – Metals (out October 4)

Back in high school, deep in my discovery of the FM-based WOXY web stream, I ran across a pretty excellent song from a band called Mellowdrone, a track called “Fashionably Uninvited.”

That was way back in 2003, but apparently Jonathan Bates and his crew in Mellowdrone have been making music nonstop since, releasing their latest LP in 2009. However, lately, Bates has gone solo with a new project called Big Black Delta, which sounds less like the guitar-based mellow rock of his main project and more like the electro-based, New Order-loving flavor the kids are into these days, akin to Cold Cave and Hooray For Earth. Bates has the sound down, yes, but he adds vocal effects and experimental textures to it for a downright unique, and sometimes foreboding, atmosphere. Tracks like “Huggin’ and Kissin'” and his collaboration with M83 for the Tron: Legacy remix album best display this, and are instant highlights.

Check out the snazzy BBD player below, featuring singles and all of the new EP1; all the tracks are available for free download at the Big Black Delta website.

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:

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart – Heart In Your Heartbreak (Twin Shadow Remix)
Roach Gigz – Fuck a Chorus
Ghost Town DJs – My Boo (Balam Acab Remix)
Drake – Headlines

For many years now, Ben Folds has garnered a huge fan following and significant exposure with minimal conventional promotion.  He’s probably the most popular modern (and musically active) pop pianist.  And he really hasn’t had a notable “hit” per se, at least not since 1997’s “Brick,” recorded with the long-disbanded Ben Folds Five.  And whether you’re a newcomer or a longtime lover of Folds, you’re likely to enjoy this year’s 3-disc The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective, to be released October 11th.

The set impressively covers a prolific career; Folds has certainly released a lot of material over the years, but this cuts to the chase, focusing on highlights and favorites from his quirky work with the Five to his more introspective solo material.  CD2 features a plethora of recorded live tracks, and CD3 delves into deep cuts and rarities.  But the main selling point, for me, anyway, was the inclusion of three new Ben Folds Five tracks recorded exclusively for this retrospective, the first material they’ve recorded in over a decade.  There’s also 55 tracks available in an online vault, exclusively available online through Ben’s website.  Peep the tracklisting below and read more here.

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With yesterday’s lineup announcement from Transmission, my heart is still a-flutter.  Though I’m not crazy about the move to Auditorium Shores, this year’s roster of talent has eviscerated any worry I had that this year might not be so fun fun fun.  The lineup is crazy good; though I’m not familiar with the Black stage as some of you (as is the case every year), I do have some picks from the other stages that you will most likely find me at come November 4-6.

M83

This is the one I’m flipping out over.  I’ve been dying to see an Anthony Gonzalez show for about three years and there’s no way I’m missing this one. Highest priority.

Hum

I’m a big fan of “Stars” and the rest of that seminal, yet somehow forgotten album You’d Prefer An Astronaut, and the kids at Transmission are like daytime talk shows for bands – they always can make a reunion happen.  I’m there expecting some spaced-out shoegaze rock.

Childish Gambino

Community might just be the best comedy on television, and Donald Glover’s Troy might be my favorite character.  But when Glover isn’t making me laugh (he’s also doing a stand-up routine on the Yellow stage), he’s wowing me with crazy wit rhymes.  Dude is a solid rapper, and this show should be nothing but fun.

tUnE-yArDs 

All I keep hearing is how amazing this girl is live, and I finally have the chance to witness it for myself.  Fest-goers and critics called her the indisputable highlight of Pitchfork in Chicago this year, one to not sleep on.  And as awesome as that new album is, you can bet I won’t.

Cold Cave

I saw them in 2009, but since then they’ve dropped the Depeche Mode/New Order thing for the most part – now the vibe, at least on their latest album, is more of a Bauhaus feel, and I’m curious to see how it translates live.

Radio Dept. 

One of my favorite albums of last year – Clinging to a Scheme – had that sweet, jangly shoegaze electro that I love so much down to a high-minded science.  This group has been around for a while, but they’re finally getting the hipster love they deserve, and I’m pumped to see the show they put on.

Cloud Nothings

If you’ve never seen Cloud Nothings kick out the jams, you’re in for a treat.  Just be prepared – you will not be able to stand still. At all.  Show is a rapid-fire blast of percussion and sweet hooks.

The Joy Formidable

One album most people have slept on this year is the surprisingly rock’n’roll Big Roar – I’m curious to see if these newcomers can translate their loud studio sounds and big choruses to a big ol’ park in downtown Austin.  I’ve got high hopes.

Public Enemy

This is probably the festival’s entire highlight – the one for the newspapers and bloggers and whatnot.  Austinites, riddle me this: if you had the chance to see one of the most influential, seminal, and downright badass hip-hop groups of all time, you’d go, right? Of course you would. Believe the hype.

Diplo

America’s Producer is gonna rock your world, along with his Major Lazer crew on the Blue stage.  And I thought I was getting spoiled when I saw A-Trak last year!

Neon Indian

I’m gonna hold off on this one until I hear the new album in October, but if it’s good, you can bet I’ll be wanting to hear those new tracks live.

Spank Rock

Fuck yes.  If any band can bring the fun x3, I’d place my bet on these guys. Sex jams and x-rated hip-hop.  Someone had to pick up where 2 Live Crew left off, and these guys do it properly.

Baths

One of the most legit producers I’ve seen in a long while, the beats and collages this guy cooks up just blow my mind, take a listen to Cerulean if you don’t believe me.

Purity Ring

I’ve been raving about this group for awhile – their music is encompassing of great pop and subtle sounds thrown in to create a pretty progressive, yet undeniably infectious, feel.  I’m very curious to see how they bring that studio texture to the stage.

WTF Award – Turquoise Jeep

I’ve slept on this, mainly because I’m not an Internet meme-chaser or whatever, but apparently these guys are a YouTube sensation and have been for a year or so.  Turquoise Jeep is a mysterious record label, headquarters location unknown, featuring a strange roster of artists that put out hilarious R&B/rap songs and post super-low-budget videos for them.  With a straight face…it’s hard to tell if these guys are in on their own joke or not, but I’m willing to bet they are.  Anyway, they’re booked for Fun Fun Fun, which is….well, it’s not the strangest thing Transmission has ever done, but it’s likely up there.

There are a ton of other bands on the lineup that I’m excited to see that I didn’t list here – these are just the ones that rank as high priorities for me (except for that last one, which I just thought was pretty damn funny.)  Once the schedule drops in September, there’s sure to be some nail-biting conflicts.  Like I said, I’m not too familiar with the Black stage roster, which is usually the case every year – not a big metal/punk/Danzig guy.  What are your picks for the fest?  What did I miss? What Black stage bands are you pumped about that I can’t miss? Educate me!

Just look at that (click on the poster to enlarge, or check out the lineup on the site.) Wow. Thank you, Transmission, for the best birthday news I’ve had in a while. Tickets are on sale now, and they’re going fast – if the quick sellouts of presales and early bird specials are any indication, I would gather you need to jump on this and quick.