Little Dragon - Klapp Klapp

I'm not sure what I'll think of this song or band in a year, but for right now, it's in hot rotation on all the music sources I use. I've watched the concert video 3 or 4 times by now, too.

I first became aware of Little Dragon as part of the Gorillaz track called Empire Ants. The music could be attributed to Gorillaz, but with the context I now have, it certainly sounds like a bigger Little Dragon influence. There's no mistaking Yukimi's vocals here, and I remember thinking that she could probably hold down a record of her own.



And sure enough, a few years later I got a notice on Spotify that Little Dragon had a new album on their service. I had heard a few earlier tracks on the Hiatus Kaiyote-based Spotify station, but none had piqued my interest. Then I heard Klapp Klapp.

There's a musical device where a song starts with limited instrumentation and establishes the theme, then the rest of the band kicks in later to great effect. This song has that build and catharsis in a big way, and every time it arrives, I want to crank whatever speakers I'm listening through at the time. Beyond that, I'm not sure I can explain exactly why this song grabs me - it's funky, it's melodic, it's bad ass.



Dig in, friends. Turns out they have lots of music to discover and it'll get your toes a-tappin'.

High On Fire - Devilution

I've always liked heavy music. The Who were the start of it, I think, and later on the Jesus Lizard and Melvins kind of took over my attention. Clutch was there all along, too, but I think there was a lull in the early aughts. Then, B-rad played me some High On Fire. This was the first song I heard by them, and you can maybe see why I was smitten:



The album version is better than the live versions or even the chopped up official video version. The extended intro is pretty crucial. And it's worth noting that at a live show, he plays drums like that the whole time. I'm breaking a sweat just thinking about it.

Felt Pilotes - Never Satisfied

This took me by surprise, although I'm not sure why I didn't look for it before - Bandcamp is awesome for this exact purpose.

This EP represents the first trip I ever made to a recording studio. The Felt Pilotes were a band helmed by John Porcellino, normally featuring legit drummer Don Ogilvie (forgive me if the spelling is off - it's been a few years). For this EP, I had the feeling that John needed to get it out and done but didn't have the resources to connect with Don in Colorado.

It was a short project from beginning to end, but pretty magical. The studio was in a well-traveled section of Schaumburg, but cloaked in trees. Even in the leafless winter, it wasn't easy to find. Once inside, it was like a flophouse, but the whole main floor was wired up as a studio. No real furniture to speak of, but I'm not sure the engineers lived there.

We did a few takes of each song, mostly burning off my nervousness. John was not interested in perfection, but rather in capturing the essence of each song, which was perfect for me. Not too much pressure. I learned a lot that day.

Anyhow, I will always remember this record fondly. Check it out for yourself:

Doctor Werewolf - Trololo Man Remix (Doctor Werewolf Troll Face Mix)

This is at once everything that's wrong with music these days and also something I can listen to for days on end. It's a Youtube-generated meme coupled with dubstep, but then there's that basic, simple beat appended - totally makes the song. I don't really go for the idea of "guilty pleasure" because if I like it, I like it. This song stretches my boundaries - I feel a little guilty.

Decide for yourself:

Pissed Jeans - Ugly Twin (I've Got)

Do you remember the 90s? I do, I suppose. There were long stretches of musical drought after a strong start in 1991. So much seminal music released in 1991: Nevermind, the Black Album, Loveless, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, and so much more. Genres were being defined and experimentation was becoming the norm instead of the "alternative".

Punk rock, in my mind, had already come and gone. In its wake, bands that described themselves as "punk" went down one of two paths; they either followed the "rules" or followed the ethos of punk. The bands that followed the rules ended up being, essentially, fast-playing pop bands with a smart-ass message. These bands became very popular, and eventually quite mainstream.

The bands that maintained the ethos were mostly referred to as "post punk" bands, and there were entire labels that fed the genre - most notably Amphetamine Reptile and Touch and Go. In the new millennium, there are heavy bands, and bands that follow the ethos as well, but very few really capture the mood of the early 90s like Pissed Jeans.



It's interesting that a video by The Birthday Party was the genesis for Pissed Jeans. Makes sense, as they were probably what influenced so many other bands in the late 80s and early 90s. Here's an interview talking about the ethos of Pissed Jeans - tell me if it sounds familiar.



And here's the Birthday Party video he references:

Minutemen - Nothing Indeed

One of my all-time favorite bands. These guys were on SST when that label was bringing the heat, heavily entrenched in aggro punk rock. They did not fit that mold at all, but were accepted, and even revered. They jumped genres way before that was a thing, just by being the dudes they were, and preaching truth over frenetic beats and melodies. Some were not so frenetic. Some had flat out soul, like this track:


For you young'ns, here's the whole album side, youtubized for your modern pleasure:


If your only exposure to the Minutemen is the theme to the show Jackass, you're missing out on one of the great American bands. Hit the 'tubes!

Slothrust - In a Sexual Way

I don't know what their overall deal is, but usually, it's best for me to not know. On the other hand, and I realize that I'm judging a book by its cover here, I get the feeling I'd enjoy a few beers and a chat with these guys. This song is a short but thorny journey, and it goes places that are unexpected. If there's such a thing as post-punk, then these guys are post-L7, specifically. That might be too narrow a scope, but either way, the music scratches an itch.

Observe:


And another because it verifies to me that they're not just cobbling together cool sounds, but rather really listening to music and crafting a sound of their own. (Then applying it to a song that I wouldn't expect, but perfectly fits their style.)

Cornelius - I Hate Hate

I had this song on some compilation record from the mid to late 90s (Grand Royal?) and it stood out then, but it could exist in just about any era. Short, sweet, and to the point - it's Cornelius.



My first exposure to Japanese punk was Shonen Knife. I still have the record - Sub Pop 100. Crazy bit of vinyl there.

Tricot - 99.974℃

I'm digging this band from Kyoto. The drummer has that rhythmic psycho thing a la Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) but it's more under control. They'd sound a bit like Hella if not for the lyrical vocals countering the chaos. I'm catching a dash of Souls (Swedish band nobody remembers) as well, but regardless of the input, the output stands on its own.


The trouble with this type of music is that it can very quickly all start to sound the same. The language divide makes it just a tad more difficult to grab onto something, but so far they haven't lost me. That energy is luminous.

Part Chimp - Sweet T

There's a crossroads between the precision playing of heavy metal and the fuck-all abandon of punk rock. Grunge was that to a degree, but there was a folk element somewhere near its root. I'm not sure what to call the genre that contains the grunt and crunch of punk rock, but also has the melodies and skill of metal, but I like it.

Spotify suggested, based on some other bands I like (Fu Manchu, Clutch, High on Fire, I suspect), that I might also like Part Chimp. I don't always take Spotify at their word, but in this case, the album cover roped me. Every aspect of the band that I've encountered thus far can be described as "kick ass".

Here's a taste:

Hiatus Kaiyote - The World It Softly Lulls

I first became acquainted with this band randomly, through some artist channel on Spotify. The song I heard was Nakamarra (featuring Q-tip) and it reminded me of an even groovier Brand New Heavies. I love that kind of stuff. They clearly have jazz-trained roots, and chops galore.

Further investigation uprooted this song, which I could listen to on a loop forever, I think. It's almost a journey in how it moves through it's completely transformative progressions. None of them are particularly jarring, even though the loop sometimes feels like a tone arm that can't stay situated on warped wax. That's not by accident, either - they're stretching a groove until it flaps, then bringing the whole shebang back into the pocket nicely.

Just when I fear for the state of music, a band comes along that reminds me that people still do practice every day and care about every single note they play. It's heartening.
Please grab a cup of warm whatever and enjoy Hiatus Kaiyote:

Fatso Jetson - Light Yourself On Fire

Nirvana had The Melvins, and Kyuss/QOTSA had Fatso Jetson (Boomer, anyhow). Boomer had the generator that fueled the infamous sessions in the desert that spawned more than a few great bands. Haven't heard them? Here's a start: The desert scene was basically influenced by lots of the same random music that I grew up listening to, and the distillation of those disparate sounds into various other bands works for me. There's a distinct feel to this music - hard to describe, but languid guitars permeate harder rock formations. Good stuff. One more, with a title for a pal:

As Tall As Lions - You Can't Take It With You

Here's a group I've never heard of before, which verifies that I've lost my grip on what's out there. This song has a nice groove, with a killer little hitch in the drum beat. Subtle as all get out, but it gives a decent song a real personality. Listen for the part that sounds like it's dragging in the verse. Switching times or patterns is not hard, but changing the entire feel of the song - but only for a fill, and without derailing the song - that's impressive.

The Shins - Sea Legs

I've always wondered if there are just a few natural tempos that work for pop songs. I know there are chords that are used over and over again in pop music - undoubtedly because there's just something physiologically appealing to them. This song has a lilting tempo and feel that Beck made a living with, but it has as much in common with a vintage Bowie tune as well. I've always liked the Shins, but I think I love this song:

Clarence Wheeler and the Enforcers - Right On

Time to get funktified, brothers and sisters. This came out the year I was born, but I somehow missed it until this very year. Great stuff, if you like bass riffs for days and funky, funky beats.

Manchester Orchestra - Mighty

Chevelle and Pinback had a baby, and it's Manchester Orchestra. Okay, that analogy might not hold for entire records, but it does for this track. I like how this song has parts that could have been plucked from different decades, but the song as a whole makes sense. It's also sticky - I can't get the melody out of my head.

I'm off to Spotify to see if the rest of their stuff is worth listening to, but in the meantime, dig this:

Cody Chesnutt - Til I Met Thee

Don't know much about this guy, but I like his voice and the music under it. I caught him on Later... with Jools Holland (love that show) and he pretty much took over the room. He's got a comfortable, old-soul vibe with some new tricks.

Dig, if you will...

Gary Numan - Down in the Park

This is a great song, and the video below is the best performance of it. I've heard a number of versions of it from different eras, but always preferred this one. Then, I saw the actual film footage and now there's no debate on any level. From the concert Urgh: A Music War!, the stage and props are spectacular and put the perfect atmosphere around a dark and moody groove.

Tune-Yards - Gangsta

4AD has popped back up onto my radar in a big way in the past couple of years, particularly with St. Vincent, but also with the very unique sounds of Merrill Garbus in Tune-Yards. I can't even offer a reasonable comparison, or a combination of other artists who might give an idea of what she's doing. Probably the closest thing would be a mix of Zap Mama and Laurie Anderson, but that's not terribly accurate. Regardless, it's energetic and imaginative, with a dash of technical wizardry added in for good measure. This is the song that got the most attention, but the entire W H O K I L L album is great. Cohesive, even. Enjoy:

The Breeders - Do You Love Me Now?

Cannonball got the attention from this record, but it's solid from front to back. This particular track is one of my favorites: