clever pseudonyms

Jacob do Bandolim is portuguese for "Mandolin Jacob." Jacob do Bandolim played a mean mandolin. He was also an aficionado of well-tailored shirts and tiny mustaches. This beautiful song exemplifies both his technical virtuosity and his restraint, ably creating a graceful melody without ostentation. Can you dig it?

Jacob do Bandolim - Simplicidade

very sweet, like gentle rain

I have a lot of Brazilian music on my iTunes (see last week's post) so I might continue on the theme for a couple of weeks. The first Brazilian musician I really became aware of was Astrud Gilberto, whose version of "Girl From Ipanema" marked the high point of many otherwise unbearable nights spent bussing tables in high school. She doesnt have the most compelling voice in the world, but there's something sexy about her weary, effortless delivery. Unfortunately, listening to a full album of her sometimes chintzy, samba-influenced lite-jazz can get a little grating. Enter RJD2 to give her smoky vocals the treatment they deserve. This beautiful remix is piano and drum driven, and sets Astrud lower in the mix to let her complement the production, rather than overpower it. Today's download is track #38(!) from RJD2's somewhat obscure mixtape "Your Face or Your Kneecaps," and predates his inferior remix of the same song from Verve Records' recent "Remixed" series... as if anyone cares.

RJD2/Astrud Gilberto - Rain

the universal language

School has been seriously kicking my ass and will continue to. I'll be back at full capacity in a couple of weeks but until then I doubt I'll manage more than a couple of short posts. Today's song is fitting considering my current condition: spending way too much time crouched over my computer, drinking all kinds of caffeine and listening to instrumental music that doesn't distract me with the urge to sing along. Hurtmold are a (mostly) instrumental rock band from Brazil. They clearly have listened to their share of Tortoise and Fugazi records, but I don't know much about them beyond that because everything I've found is written in their native Portuguese. Today's song is the title track off their second LP, Mestro, and I think it does a good job of illustrating their strengths. They stay away from the soft-loud dynamics that a hundred post-rock bands have done to death since Mogwai, preferring to experiment with jazzy rhythms and interesting instrumentation including horns, woodwinds, and a vibraphone. If you like it, I strongly urge you to check out the rest of Mestro - it's one of my favorite post-rock albums.

Hurtmold - Mestro

plucking up a perfectly good song

I consider Sufjan Stevens one of the premier singer/songwriters of the past few years. His music is simultaneously humble but adventurous, familiar but idiosyncratic, accessible but incredibly dense, orchestral but rarely over-the-top. This version of "Chicago" comes from his performance last year on Morning Becomes Eclectic. Removing the orchestral flourishes of the album version, he strips the song to a skeleton of fingerpicked acoustic guitar, fragile vocals, and a little bit of trumpet. It sounds more vulnerable without the myriad layers of instrumentation, but it almost seems to do a better job of conveying the song's nostalgic emotions than it's polished predecessor. I bet there's a simple folk song at the heart of all of his elaborate pop epics.

Sufjan Stevens - Chicago (acoustic on Morning Becomes Eclectic)

what having babies will do

For those who don't know me well, it's time for full disclosure (literally, not the kickass Fugazi song). When it comes to underground music, I have a terrible case of DC-philia. I have yet to determine whether its due to my completely valid idolatry of Ian MacKaye, my geographical proximity, or the disproportionate amount of sheer innovative awesome the DC scene has produced. Likely its a healthy mix of all three.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, today's song is not by a DC artist per se, but someone long involved, if peripherally, in the scene. Ben Davis made a name for himself in bands like Sleepytime Trio and Milemarker, who played screamo before it was co-opted by mall punks and made "accessible" with least-common denominator pop-punk guitar hooks and lyrics that conjure up all the 7th-grade love letters I never sent. I'm looking at you, Hawthorne Heights. From the Sleepytime Trio's humble beginnings at JMU in Harrisonburg, Davis' bands made a name for themselves locally and far beyond.

Davis eventually grew up, toured solo for a year, made a baby, and in 2000 released a gem of an LP called The Hushed Patterns of Relief on Arlington's own Lovitt Records, for whom I have loads of respect. His solo work eschews the cathartic intensity of his hardcore past, yet still sounds like the product of a full, collaborative band with hints of Pinback and Elliott Smith among others. "What Drifting Will Do" lives up to its name with it's coasting Middle Eastern-esque melody and psychedelic guitar work. I'm going to avoid dirty three-letter words and say that emotional doesn't necessarily mean pathetic. Here's proof.

Ben Davis - What Drifting Will Do

the weather is sweet

Ah, t-shirt weather. It has finally summoned me from the funk of closed windows and biking with gloves on and smelly old sweaters. Let's hope it sticks around for good this time. A dear friend called today's song "the feel-good song of the decade." For me it's hard to say because there have been a lot of pleasant songs in the past 10 years. Also, I don't speak French. This guy could be rapping about feline AIDS, SARS or global warming for all I know. In my ignorance, however, it seems to be the perfect mix of hip-hop beats and calypso melodies for this beautiful day. French rapping is so damn pretty too.

MC Solaar - Bling Bling

reykjavík's best bulgarian folk musicians

I tried to leave all of my preconceptions at home before my trip to the Black Cat to see Animal Collective last week. I knew nothing about the openers, Storsveit Nix Noltes, but i was having fun trying to guess the pronunciation of their name in my head. Unfortunately, I still don't know. I hope it has something to do with this guy.

Leave it to A.C. to find such an obscure opening band for this tour. Who would have even thought that there were musicians in Iceland (pop. 296,737) playing traditional Bulgarian folk music, much less nine of them? All novelty aside, they put on a great show. The band was all smiles and good energy, and once they found their groove, they put the rock back in Bulgarian folk. Unfortunately and expectedly, this recording does not do the spark of their live show much justice. I still think it's a great song that demonstrates the band's adeptness at breathing an almost punk rock spirit into what is clearly an antiquated piece of music.

Stórsveit Nix Noltes - Isinova Oro

you say you want a revolution

Excuse my bloviating but...

Revolution has been on my mind a lot this week. I guess it started when I saw "V For Vendetta," which is probably the best action film I've seen since "Batman Begins." A couple of days later, some exciting news came out of Euskal Herria - the Spanish/French region known as the Basque Country. ETA, a Basque separatist group that has killed over 800 people in the quest for Basque autonomy, declared a permanent ceasefire "to promote a democratic process in Euskal Herria in order to build a new framework within which our rights as a people are recognized, and guarantee the opportunity to develop all political options in the future." After living in Bilbao, Euskal Herria's unofficial capital, for a semester, I came to understand the Basque passion for self-determinance. They were the region of Spain most oppressed by Francisco Franco's fascist government and they have most idiosyncratic culture in the country. Their language, Euskera, is thought to be the oldest in Europe - no linguist has been able to trace its origins.

Anyways, I never intended this blog to turn into a history lesson, and I swear I'm getting somewhere (musical) with this. I found myself in a strange position in Bilbao because I am all for the demands of ETA, but I didn't like the idea of professors at my school traveling with bodyguards because of their threats. I like to think that violence needn't be a part of social progress and I hope that this cease-fire is a movement towards peaceful revolution. President Zapatero's government seems more receptive to Basque independence than ever. ETA could see itself removed from the terrorist lists of Spain, the EU, and the US and become a legitimate political force. We have yet to see if anything really great will come of it, but I am hopeful nonetheless.

Today's song I think perfectly encompasses this hopeful revolutionary spirit. Gustav hails from Vienna, Austria, and plays bubbly synth-pop with surprisingly provocative lyrics. In a playful, heavily accented sing-speak, she condemns everyday political and corporate attempts to oppress us without getting too worked up about it. She seems confident that the forces of change are ready and willing and I want to believe her. "We shall overcome" indeed.

Gustav - We Shall Overcome

p.s. Less words next time, I promise.

there will always be one more song for you

I'm going to start off today with a few words on lastnight's Animal Collective show, directed at those of you who haven't had the, erm, pleasure of seeing these maniacs perform. Firstly, don't go see the Collective expecting to hear your favorite "songs" per se, especially the jangly forest music of Sung Tongs. There was nary an acoustic guitar in sight. It's my understanding after reading other show reviews that they prefer to explore "soundscapes" on stage, with the set often devolving into blankets of brainpunching effects loops, and I can attest to that. That is to say, unless you're just really open-minded by nature or you plan on going to see them after smoking a lump of opium or under the influence of some other exotic psychotropic, the experience could potentially try one's patience.

But don't get me wrong. The highs more than made up for the lows. When they segued into "Banshee Beat" after what seemed like hours of droning noise, it was almost epic. Other highlights included the relatively catchy closer "The Purple Bottle," and "We Tigers," during which Panda Bear provided some ridiculous neo-tribal drumming and the rest of the band flailed around on stage screaming and chattering like demented orangutans. I was surprised that so many in the audience tolerated their antics and actually summoned them back for an encore, but I'm glad they did. They returned to the stage for a spacey rendition of "Kids On Holiday," and I left the club feeling both enlightened and a little stupider, and I think that's just what they intended.

NOW ON TO THE FRESH ROCK & ROLL



I was initially going to post a track by last night's opening band, Iceland's Storsveit Nix Noltes (check back next week for that one), but after looking back on the night I've decided to go with something a little more familiar.

When I was a young, glue-eating scamp in middle school, my brother's punk band the Roust-A-Bouts were the center of my musical universe. I distinctly remember the excitement over a gig they landed with Joe Christmas (of Tooth&Nail Records fame.) The memory has stuck with me mostly because Joe Christmas was the first band I heard someone describe as "indie rock," some 4 years before the genre would come to dominate my cd collection. But Joe Christmas is also special to me because their singer and drummer would go on to form Summer Hymns, an underappreciated band from the Athens, GA psychedelic pop scene most often associated with Elephant Six Records. Today's featured track is off A Celebratory Arm Gesture, the band's second LP, and it shows traces of some of my favorite E6 bands while remaining decidedly unique. The horns that enter at 3:15 are reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel or Olivia Tremor Control. And it's no coincidence that the badass bassline channels Of Montreal - the bassist left OM to join Summer Hymns. The sound is folkier and earthier than the bands I've mentioned above, and I attribute that to singer/songwriter Zach Gresham's straightforward, heartfelt lyrics and Neil Young-ish tenor. Save this one for a sunny day on a hammock with someone that makes you happy.

Summer Hymns - Something's Going On

winter's love, where could she be?

I'll keep the post short and sweet today. In the spirit of seeing Animal Collective in a few hours, I have decided to post my favorite of their songs. It's kinda like a cracked out 9-year-old Paul Simon wrestling a ukelele in a treehouse. Enjoy.

Animal Collective - Winters Love

they're forecasting a wintry mix

I bought Attic Salt, Kepler's most recent LP, more or less on a whim. I had heard a little collateral buzz about them when their drummer left to join Bowie-approved superstars the Arcade Fire last year. Somehow the dusty cover image and my state of mind converged on a common wavelength that day, compelling me to shell out 15 bucks for an album I knew next to nothing about. I listened to it sporadically for a few weeks, each time uncovering newly intriguing verses and melodies. It has since become a personal favorite. "The Bedside Manner," the nostalgic, bruised narrative of a father lamenting the loss of his paternal relevance, conjures up images not unlike the aforementioned cover art. With broad, pensive strokes of guitar and piano the band paints the scenery, while the singer's understated croon sounds just defeated enough to effectively fill in the blanks.

Makes me think I should make uninformed, compulsive decisions more often.

Kepler - The Bedside Manner

Before there was Ted Leo + Pharmacists...

... there was Chisel. Recently graduated from college, Ted Leo and his quirky pop-punk band packed a tweed suitcase full of funk and relocated from the Northeast to Washington DC in 1994. Alongside acts like the Make-Up, they infused some much needed Soul into the lagging mid-90s DC punk scene. Between 1995-97, the prolific band released three LPs before disbanding.

Today's post is the first (and only, I believe) single from the band's swan song LP, Set You Free. Driven by a woozy Hammond organ, angular guitars, and Ted Leo's unmistakable pipes, the song clearly demonstrates the band's movement away from punk rock to a more inspired mod-rock sound. I'm going to make the lofty claim that it's as good as anything he's done with the Pharmacists, which is saying a lot. I'm guessing it was the move back to Jersey that stunted his maturation.

Chisel - It's Alright, You're OK

this is a test

Ignore this post. I'm just experimenting until someone can show me what I'm doing. Music coming soon.