Friday, July 29, 2011

Obsessions/Downloads/Concerts

What I am Obsessed with this week:
Cee-Lo's 'Cee-Lo Green...Is a Soul Machine' -- I canNOT get enough of this album! Just non-stop listening whenever I am in my car. Perfect for a sunny day driving around on the KP!
Jamie Cullum was introduced to me last Sunday and I adore him! Wonderful hungover, driving back from the city into the sunny forest music. Nice relaxing jazz. I need to learn more about him and get more of his music. But he does lots of jazz covers.
Jamie Lidell was re-introduced to me this last Sunday during the sunny hangover drive as well. Very relaxing album we listened to that I super dug in succession with Jamie Cullum. I'd known Lidell from his "A Little Bit More" track he did for Target that I've been listening to for a few years (let alone, almost saw him at Splendour 2008 in Australia). I'm working on downloading his discography.
Beastie Boy's 'Hot Sauce Committee Part 2' -- I downloaded this album because I read the track with Santigold was gonna be one of the hit songs of Summer 2011 and I really dig this album! There's even an homage to my first fav. BB song "Brass Monkey" -- the whole album reminds me alot of BS2000 (minus Miho Hatori) and my fav. track is the beat-heavy "Funky Donkey".
As usual...still obsessed with Aloe Blacc and Raphael Saadiq ('Stone Rollin' -- best album of 2011 in my opinion...I forgot that Blogspot was down the week I was obsessed with this man. FIND THIS ALBUM. BUY IT! NOW! NOW! NOW!). CHECK THEM OUT IMMEDIATELY if you have not yet.

Some new downloads I have that I've been listening to alot -- the Yo Gabba Gabba albums -- seriously, these albums are pretty great -- some AMAZING guest musicians: MGMT, Of Montreal, The Roots, Chromeo, Money Mark, etc.....There are some really amazing kid songs on there and in general, just some really great hip hop and beat-oriented songs

OK....New Downloads that I'm freaking about:
- The Good, The Bad, & the Queen -- I FINALLY downloaded this album to give it a full listen, when I'm pretty sure I was introduced to this a few years ago. Its a super group consisting of Damon Albarn (Gorilla, Blur), Paul Simonon (The Clash), Simon Tong (The Verve), and drummer Tony Allen (who i just read was on Charlotte Gainsbourg's album...but not the one I have and therefore I'm SUPER intrigued)...ok...so after reading who all was involved with this project (and I think I'd always been under the impression that Josh Homme or someone from QOTSA was involved) I'm thinking that 'Plastic Beach' by Gorillaz should have been released under The Good The Bad & The Queen because it was definitely WAY more them than anything else I'd heard from Gorillaz. VERY thankful for that ipad-created 2011 release 'The Fall'. I'll check this album out, and appreciate it I'm sure...just wishing Albarn would've stayed true to form with his different band projects.
- Monkey 'Journey to the West' -- this is an Opera written by Damon Albarn -- I'm SUPER excited to check this out! WOW. Something new and interesting (downloading is taking FOREVER. no seeders)
- downloading 16 Bit's discography -- going to see them in a week and a half w/ Noisia (Seattle August 10) so I'm psyching myself up for amazing dubstep!! "In the Death Car" is an amazing track!
- downloaded Bjork's "Crystalline" single...it's Amazing. I had listened to this previously, but was excited to download it and have it to listen to at any moment. LOVE BJORK. hope to see her if she tours this year in the states!
- downloaded James Blake's 'The Bells Sketch' Vinyl EP. Really good! Love James Blake. Def good B-sides from his recent album. He's coming to Seattle September 24 -- if you are around: GO! (I will be back in KS for my sister's wedding)
- downloaded this album I found of Beck's called 'Oar'.  OK. Wow. I just read SO much about this album! I found this album when searching for Jamie Lidell albums. First of all, this is part of a series Beck has been doing for years called the Record Club...and this is like if I was an amazing musician and all of my friends were amazing musicians and we got together and recorded an entire album of someone else amazing...This would be it. SO. basically. This is the entire Skip Spence (who was the drummer for Jefferson Airplane and co-started Moby Grape) 'Oar' album recorded by Beck, Feist, Wilco, and Jamie Lidell. Recorded in one day. Read about Beck's awesome Record Club Project Here: Record Club. Here is what Wikipedia had to say about this whole thing:
"On June 18, 2009, Beck announced that he was starting an experiment called Record Club, in which he and other musicians would record cover versions of entire albums in one day. The first album covered by Beck's Record Club was The Velvet Underground & Nico. Starting on June 18, the club began posting covers of songs from the album on Thursday evenings, each with its own video.[57] On September 4, 2009, Beck announced the second Record Club album, Songs of Leonard Cohen. Contributors included MGMTDevendra Banhart, Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother and Binki Shapiro of Little Joy.[58] In the third Record Club venture, WilcoFeistJamie Lidell and James Gadson joined Beck to cover Skip Spence's Oar. The first song, "Little Hands", was posted on Beck's website on November 12, 2009.[59] The Record Club has since covered albums by INXS and Yanni"
SO. Looks like I have alot of exploring to do to catch up on what Beck's been up to...because ALSO check this out:
"On June 19, 2009, Beck announced Planned Obsolescence, a weekly DJ set put together by Beck or guest DJs. Soon after, on July 7, Beck announced that his website would be featuring "extended informal conversations with musicians, artists, filmmakers, and other various persons" in a section called Irrelevant Topics. Then, on July 12, he added a section called Videotheque, which he said would contain "promotional videos from each album, as well as live clips, tv show appearances and other rarities"."
Well. Now that sounds pretty amazing. (Obviously) I love Beck.
Now this sounds pretty amazing as well: "In late February 2010, it was announced that electronic artist Tobacco of Black Moth Super Rainbow had collaborated with Beck on two songs, "Fresh Hex" and "Grape Aerosmith", on his upcoming album Maniac Meat. Tobacco revealed that in making the album, Beck sent the vocal parts to him, and that they had never actually met.[citation needed]"
So I know now that Tobacco's 'Maniac Meat' will be another of my next downloads!
And to continue on my Jamie Lidell kick:
"In March 2010, Beck revealed that he had produced songs for the new Jamie Lidell album, Compass.[61]"
And for a little Pop culture...

"In the summer of 2010, Beck contributed songs to both The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack, with "Let's Get Lost" (a duet with Bat for Lashes), and True Blood (HBO Original Series Soundtrack, Vol. 2), with "Bad Blood". He also contributed songs to soundtrack of the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, which was released in August 2010."
And my next album I was planning on finding was Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks' because I've seen the name on all the bills of festivals I've wanted to attend (mainly the Treasure Island Festival in San Fran)...and I just read this:
"An album he produced for Stephen Malkmus and the JicksMirror Traffic, is set to be released in August 2011."
And my friend Paul, will appreciate this news:
"Also in 2011, Beck produced a solo album by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth called Demolished Thoughts."
Beck also collaborated with Seu Jorge this year and "He also contributed on the song "Attracted to Us" on Turtleneck & Chain, the newest album from The Lonely Island."

UPCOMING CONCERTS:
August 10 - Noisia & 16 Bit (Seattle)
October 23 - Portishead (Seattle)
RECENT CONCERTS I SAW:
- Cornmeal -- bluegrass from Chicago
- Aloe Blacc -- funky R&B/soul amazingness. Best live act you'll ever see. Sexiest man on the planet. Wow.
...ugh...wow not much...I plan alot out...but mostly I live in the middle of the woods.

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