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Radiohead’s “Lift”

October 21, 2014

Lost Gems is a new feature where I will explore some of the B-Sides, Covers, and Unreleased songs from some of pop music’s greatest artists. Some of the weird, cool, or brilliant songs that for whatever reason might never have gotten the notice they deserve. Today we begin this feature with Radiohead, and the story of “Lift.” “It probably would have been the best song on the record” – Ed O’ Brien In 1996, Radiohead had just released The Bends and was currently on a US tour supporting Alanis Morissette. While the band had just become huge stars in its own country off the popularity of “Street Spirit (Fade Out),“ the five piece was a band still struggling to fight off the one-hit wonder perception over here in the States. Night after night, Radiohead played to largely indifferent crowds who couldn’t be bothered with anything that wasn’t “Creep,“ and new songs like “Paranoid Android” and “Climbing[...]

October 17th

October 17, 2014

Dusky – “Yoohoo” Having become known for their full-bodied, melodic house style, UK duo Dusky deliver yet another intricately-produced track on their latest release for their label 17 Steps. “Yoohoo” features a blend of stark, hard-edged sounds with euphoric, more uplifting elements like an inviting keyboard line and propulsive bass groove. While still referencing a familiar house approach, the pair have carved out an original, forward-thinking sound for themselves that is increasingly hard to categorize. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/171908726″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] FaltyDL – “Do Me (Bruk Mix)” New York producer Drew Lustman, better known as FaltyDL is set to release a new EP, titled ///I\II\\\\ for Ninja Tune following his expansive album In the Wild, which came out back in August. With a jazz-oriented sound, “Do Me (Bruk Mix)” organically incorporates breakbeat, and hip-hop elements to achieve an elusive, more reflective feel. Known for his eclectic sonic choices, Lustman builds around atmospheric percussion,[...]

Column 13: Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch Tries On The Movie Musical

October 15, 2014

Expanding on the world he’s created through his music comes Stuart Murdoch’s God Help the Girl. The frontman of indie-pop legends Belle & Sebastian makes his directorial debut with this coming-of-age musical that brings all the same retro twee kitsch and emotional vulnerability that style his music to his debut film. While the film’s plot isn’t terribly dense, the film rather plays through a series of musical vignettes that flesh out it’s characters and speak to it’s wider themes about the various purposes for musical expression. The transition isn’t always seamless as at times, the change in emotional tone that works well in the music is slightly more jarring on screen. The film also seems to runs a bit longer than it needs to, as if Murdoch was intent on finding room for every song written in the film. That said, when these sequences work (and the majority do), they really[...]

October 10th

October 10, 2014

Doc Daneeka Feat. Seven Davis Jr. – “What’s It Gonna Be?” Berlin producer Doc Daneeka scored a major club hit late last year with the infectious “Walk On In” featuring UK artist Ratcatcher. With a command of subtle changes in energy and strong vocal refrain, the artist once again shows his ability to craft memorable tracks on his latest release, “What’s It Gonna Be?,” which features California producer/vocalist Seven Davis Jr. The tune features a tight groove and understated, yet soulful vocals that make for a moody, subtle house feel. Look for the pair’s upcoming EP, From Mine to Mistress, out November 10th via Ten Thousand Yen. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/171178688″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Session Victim – “Never Forget” The latest track from German production duo Session Victim, “Never Forget,” is the result of classic, soulful sampling, and raw, organic sounding percussion used to create a timeless atmosphere and an instantly engaging[...]

Foxygen’s …And Star Power

October 10, 2014

Back in the before times (in the long, long ago) I wrote an article about Foxygen’s second album, which was audaciously (and a bit pretentiously) titled We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic. The basic idea there was that Foxygen was channeling the Ghosts of 60’s-Music Past, through an extremely self-aware present-day filter. The songs on that album sounded less like the legions of bands that have only mimicked that sound in the past 50 years and more like a band that had somehow discovered a crate of unused A-sides from 1969, covered them, and basically begged you to ask: “Doesn’t this guy sound a lot like Mick Jagger?” Part of that effect had to do with how Foxygen seemingly refused to discriminate when it came to sounding like any particular band from that era. They’d shift from the Beatles to Dylan to the Stones to Bowie[...]

Pile

October 7, 2014

Editor’s Note: Local musician John Toohill (JOHNS and Alpha Hopper) will occasionally sit down with touring bands and ask them some questions. For his latest installment, he spoke with Matt Becker of Boston’s Pile, set to play Buffalo this Sunday, October 12th, at Ocean Garden Oriental Foods (1235 Niagara Street). John Toohill: Hello Pile. Are you a particular pile of anything or can any old heapin’ mass of whatevers load on up and climb aboard? Matt Becker: Hey John. This is Matt, the guy who promised you a show, dropped the ball, and Rick picked up the pieces for me. Sorry about that again. I’m dumb. That’s why Rick takes care of stuff. Basically, we’re not a pile of any one thing. I don’t think a pile should really be one thing. It’s like, if you have a whole bunch of chocolate chips, you have a mound of chocolate chips. Or if[...]

Bill & Jamie’s House

October 7, 2014

The words Bill & Jamie’s House may give you thoughts of stuffy, pompous dinners and cocktail parties, events where you find yourself surrounded by professors and PhD students who manage to speak a lot of words without saying anything. Needless to say, Bill & Jamie’s House never sounds like too much fun, but oh contrary my pessimistic butterfly, the band has more meaning and substance than your graduate school mind can fathom. The new acoustic duo has yet to play a proper show or release any recorded material, and yet they still seem to be creating a buzz for themselves already. What would you expect from Mohawk Place legend Bill Nehill and former Mallwalkers and Sexist member, Jamie Rowitsch? “Although we are very new, it has already exceeded my expectations tenfold,” Nehill says. “Also, I love the fact that we rehearse at Jamie’s kitchen table.” If you have followed the[...]

Column 12: Beauty in the Ugly – The Music of Gone Girl

October 6, 2014

**Warning – This article features mild spoilers for the film Gone Girl** The first memorable musical moment of David Fincher’s recent film, Gone Girl, takes place in a flashback as protagonists Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy (Rosamund Pike) trade witticisms before embracing in a cloud of sugar in a New York back alley. The scene’s mood is set by it’s soft lighting and the gentlest of marimba hits making the moment feel like something out of a fairytale, and that’s because it is. If you’ve seen the movie, it’s clear that, above all, Gone Girl is a film about perceptions and the versions of ourselves that we create, for others and for ourselves. In this early scene, audiences are meant to believe what we’re witnessing is a real event, only to later find out it’s a fictional romanticization by Amy to build a perception of the early stages of her and Nick’s[...]

Cal Dripken

September 30, 2014

The issue with a lot of doom, hardcore, and even punk is that the genres so conforming and formative, that it becomes drone-esque, taking you on a flight plan without showing you any new views of Lake Tahoe. Once you have been to LA, you have been to LA, but how about we go to Narnia instead? That is exactly where the Buffalo sludgy, metal quintet, Cal Dripken, plan on taking you. Then again, what else would you expect from a band that features current members of Fleshy Mounds, Blobs, Aircraft, and Scajaquada Creeps? “You can have a heavy riff and still have a melody that doesn’t have to be a boneheaded melody,” guitarist James Warren explains. “It can have something to it, besides just being loud and heavy. We try to combine both of those things a lot.” What really makes Cal Dripken stand out among the multitude of[...]

September 26th

September 26, 2014

Bicep – “Poly Pineapple” Belfast duo Bicep will finally deliver their long-anticipated BBC Essential mix this weekend and recently shared a new track “Poly Pineapple” via Soundcloud. Recorded in a single live take, the cut features lively arpeggiating synths and typically rough-around-the-edges sounding drums. As usual the pair manage to evoke considerable energy and movement from a fairly simple arrangement, making for a style that balances house energy with techno textures. Listen below. SBTRKT – “The Light” (Feat. Denai Moore) UK producer Aaron Jerome, better known as SBTRKT has become known for his tasteful collaborations with vocalists like Sampha, Jessie Ware, and Little Dragon. In anticipation of the artists’ latest LP Wonder Where We Land, comes the latest single “The Light” featuring lovely vocals from Denai Moore over a minimal, yet strongly emotive instrumental. Listen below [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/168479631″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /] Nachtbraker – “Warme Kachel” Amsterdam based house producer Nachtbraker[...]

Hospitality

September 24, 2014

On October 1st, Buffalo will welcome Jeff Tweedy (and his son Spencer) to the stage of the Town Ballroom for a performance in support of the frontman’s (of Wilco fame, for the few of you who didn’t know) solo album, Sukierae. Opening support on their fall tour comes from Hospitality, a buzzy avant-pop three-piece from Brooklyn, and buffaBLOG was lucky enough to catch up with the band’s bassist, Brian Betancourt, for a little Q&A a few days before the show. Touching on subjects including Hospitality’s 2014 full-length Trouble and ambidexterity, Brian and the blog hit it off well. A warning: both Brian and the blog have the same initials (BB / bB), so read carefully! buffaBLOG: Your latest album Trouble is decidedly spacious and even dark at times, which is a bit of a stylistic departure from your self-titled. I read that the new sound was intentional, what kind of efforts went into[...]

Keller Williams

September 16, 2014

It’s Friday, September 12th, which means Keller Williams’ show at the Tralf is exactly one week away. I sat down to call him on one of those typical, overcast Buffalo mornings of early fall. You know, where the chill makes it hard to get out of bed, and you realize how much you’re still holding on to summer. It’s his second day at the much warmer Utopiafest in south-central Texas, and he’s getting ready to play a set with Grateful Grass, one of the many side projects in which he currently dabbles. They just released their second of two live albums in August—a fundraising initiative to benefit the REX Foundation, a non-profit started by the Grateful Dead. Appropriately, it’s titled DOS. buffaBLOG: Last time I saw you was at Summer Camp in May with More Than a Little. How’s your summer been? Keller Williams: It’s been super fun. It kind of[...]

September 11th

September 11, 2014

Bodhi – “Satisfaction” UK production duo Bodhi have developed a tight, modern house sound that still exudes the funky and flavorful sound that the genre was built on. With previous releases on labels like Ten Thousand Yen, Future Classic, and the Street Tracks compilation, the pair’s latest EP, Satisfaction, comes via Exploited and features three organic sounding dance tracks with a warm feel and enticing grooves. The title track includes a subdued, yet functional vocal sample that keeps the track moving over soulful chords and silky smooth percussion. Listen to a clip of the track below as well as “Soul Music” and “Truth,” also included on the EP out September 22nd. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/166325116″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] Baba Stiltz – “Reality Sparks” Stockholm, Sweden-based producer Baba Stiltz has tracks for cloud-rap sensation Yung Lean credited to his name as well as for the playful house label Studio Barnhus. The young artist’s[...]

HUNS

August 20, 2014

Editor’s Note: Fresh Meat will be a periodical, in-depth look at some of the area’s freshest bands. For the first installment of the series, we focus on the instrumental trio, HUNS. For HUNS, it’s all about the improv, and no, I’m not talking about the comedy club. Improvisational music is usually something that you correlate to jazz, even though there have been a few bands who have thrived on it, such as Fugazi, Mogwai, Kyuss, and Clutch. “We record everything we do right here,” drummer John Neiss says, pointing to a shelf of stacked recording equipment. The shelf is nestled into the corner of Huns’ tiny rehearsal space in downtown Buffalo. “We go back and listen to it,” adds guitarist Brandon Schmidt. According to Schmidt, the biggest obstacle is keeping Neiss engaged. “He is very punctual when it comes to time.” “I can’t stand 4/4,” Neiss chiming in. An interjecting Schmidt[...]

August 19th

August 19, 2014

Caribou – “Our Love” Canadian producer Dan Snaith’s fifth album as Caribou, titled Our Love, is due to be released on October 7th in North America via Merge Records. The title track combines cerebral textures with sounds deeply rooted in club music as a sensual vocal sample is paired with a deep, rumbling bass line and the artist’s typically eccentric synths. A breakdown at around the 2:30 mark makes way for a more straightforward club approach led by a kinetic bass riff and vibrant synth stabs. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/162983976″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]  Les Sins – “Bother” Chaz Bundick is best known for his project Toro Y Moi which started as hazy, bedroom pop before progressing to smooth, slightly eccentric funk and soul. His lesser known side project, Les Sins, debuted in 2012 with a pair of singles on Jiaolong records and now Bundick has released the latest track from the[...]