GAMER PLAY LIST

 Gaming has come a long way since Computer Space. The arid days of analog and Atari are long gone. In their place we have the wide world of MMORPGs and other multi-player platforms like PSN. Much like the essential staple of sugar soaked soda, the gamer's soundtrack can be equally as important as their selection of snacks. In this post, we'll listen to some choice cuts for a gamer play list, which are classified to a specific gamer genre.

Heads Up, Hearts Down by I Fight Dragons - from Cool Is Just A Number (2009)
For Role Playing Games; Especially Zelda

Hailing form the windy city, chiptune band I Fight Dragons incorporate sound effects made by Nintendo consoles into traditional guitar-based rock music. The band formed in 2008 and quickly achieved success around town by winning numerous band competitions. The Deli Chicago named the band "Best Emerging Chicago Artist of 2009." While their music is pop/geek and upbeat; vocalist Laura Trainor's head and heart may be down as the band revealed she is no longer a member as of October 2010. Their latest EP, Overcool, was released earlier this year.




Fall Behind Me by The Donnas - from Gold Medal (2004)
For Racing Games

Before The Donnas went all sludge and hair metal, with 2007's Bitchin', came their most accessible and polished album, Gold Medal. Fall Behind Me is a consummate companion to the competitive racing spirit.




Sonic Reducer by Dead Boys - from Young Loud and Snotty (1977)
For First Person Shooters, Sports

Dead Boys rose out of the ashes of Cleveland cult band Rocket From The Tomb's demise. Their popularity failed to peak in North America, however these CBGB regulars are credited with influencing a slew of modern acts including Pearl Jam. Sonic Reducer would later be sampled by Beastie Boys in An Open Letter to NYC.




Take You On by Peaches - from I Feel Cream (2009)
For Any Versus Game

The majority of Canadian electroclasher Peaches' music harmonizes competently with any gaming experience. Aggressive in nature and based in synthpop, Peaches' pulsating track Take You On matches perfectly with a classic kart game or any versus play.




Going Steady by Death From Above 1979 - from You're A Woman I'm A Machine (2004)
For Any Game

DFA 1979's pulsating music has been featured in various forms of media including games like Project Gotham Racing 3 and Tony Hawk's American Wasteland. See Musical Duos part I for the history behind DFA 1979.




Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones - from Ramones (1976)
For Sports Games, Racing 

A popular sports rallying cry, Blitzkrieg Bop was named "18th Best Guitar Song of All Time" by Rolling Stone and can motivate any gamer to get revved up and ready to go.




Broken Face by Pixies - from Surfer Rosa (1988)
For First Person Shooters, Survival Horror; Especially Zombie Games

Frank Black's screeching vocals and Joey Santiago's frantic guitar work on Broken Face exemplify the Pixies punk knockout punch. Perfect for pulverising perished people in games like Dead Rising 2 or hunting down hicks in Red Dead Redemption.




A Song to Sing When I'm Lonely by John Frusciante - from Shadows Collide With People (2004)
For MMORPGs; Especially World of Warcraft

The title of this gamer playlist entry says it all.





Hot Night Crash by Sahara Hotnights - from Kiss & Tell (2004)
For Racing Games, Sports

Hot Night Crash is played in Burnout 3: Takedown and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam. This garage rock refrain by four Swedish ladies is apt for any game in which you try not to crash and burn. The band's latest album, Sparks, is a collection of covers and includes a rendition of Foo Fighters' Big Me.




Pacman by The Hextalls - from Get Smashed (2010)
For Arcade Games; Obviously Especially Pacman

The Hextalls' album Get Smashed is essential for any gamer who adores pop-punk. Many of their songs allude to gaming, yet their effervescent tracks also speak of relationships (I Met Her At The Ropetow), hockey (I Don't Wanna Be A New York Ranger), alcoholism (I'm Not An Alcoholic!) and one appears to be about pleasuring yourself to country music (My Dad vs. Shania Twain.) This Vancouver-based band is a new incarnation of the now defunct outfit Dr. Evil and much like crashing a castle, The Hextalls may soon be a favourite of Canuck gamers everywhere.





Horse Power by The Chemical Brothers - from Further (2010)
For Racing Games

Realistically any electronic music acts as an adequate addition to the gamer's experience. However some techno songs that feature vocals can distract the player. Horse Power is not only the title of the track but those two words are the only words spoken through out the song, keeping it simple. Further is the first Chemical Brothers album not to feature vocal collaborations. Furthering its pitch perfectness as an addition to a gamer play list.




Phantom by Justice - from Cross (2007)
For Any Game

Hugely popular French house duo Justice's music has been featured in games such as Grand Theft Auto IV and DJ Hero. Honestly any track from Cross fits well with gaming. My pick, Phantom, has the electronic pair doing their best distorted Daft Punk impersonation.




Threshold (8 bit) by Brian LeBarton - from Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Soundtrack (2010)
For Arcade 

L.A.'s Brian LeBarton enjoys incorporating odd instruments into his music. Skilled at manipulating the children's toy Speak & Spell, LeBarton was recruited by Beck to be his keyboardist/musical director in 2004. LeBarton also contributed this track for the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Soundtrack, which is so retro you may be reduced to a pile of tokens.

SONGS FOR A MORBID MOVIE MARATHON

 Thanks to the institution that is Major League Baseball, the Simpsons Halloween special is always shown the following week in November (this year includes a Twilight spoof, yawn.) So every year I seem to have Halloween on the brain long after the holiday is over. If I close my eyes, I can still taste poisoned candy and hear the soft thuds of toilet paper enveloping your house. As horror movie marathons are a staple of the season, in this post I'll run down some morbid movie marathon essentials. These films are paired with a corresponding song, ready to be heard during bathroom breaks. Alternatively you can put them on your iPod as you chase after the kids who just smashed your decaying jack-o-lantern.


Scary Movie: Halloween (John Carpenter's 1978 original or Rob Zombie's 2007 reboot)

 The original was an anomaly of it's time. Produced for under $400 000, it grossed $60 million worldwide. Producer Debra Hill admits Jamie Lee Curtis was cast simply for the fact that she is Janet Leigh's, of Psycho shower scene fame, daughter. Tame by today's standards, at the time critics blasted the film for encouraging sadism and misogyny. I can only imagine what those critics would say had they seen Rob Zombie's 2007 reboot. Ultra-violent is an understatement for Halloween version 2.0. Zombie envisioned Michale Myers as a dog-eating psychopath and Scout Taylor-Compton's Laurie Strode is a fragile victim in the first film. By 2009's Halloween II she becomes as unhinged as her murdering brother. If Zombie does make a Halloween III, prepare for Laurie to don the William Shatner mask.

Accompanying Song: Halloween by Sonic Youth


Scary Movie: Rosemary's Baby

 Understated and slow paced, 1968's Rosemary's Baby doesn't rely on buckets of blood or gallons of gore to terrify the audience. Instead Roman Polanksi's adaptation of Ira Levin's novel is a study in psychological horror. What woman wouldn't be repulsed to learn they have conceived the devil's baby? Look for Ruth Gordon's standout, Oscar-winning performance as a naughty neighbour.





Accompanying Song: Devil Baby by The Demonics (there are a few minutes of dead air after the song)



Scary Movie: Pet Sematary

 The death of a pet is always a somber occasion. In Mary Lambert's 1989 pic, pet death goes from somber to spooky. Personally, I enjoyed the Edward Furlong-starring sequel over this installment. Don't get scared, but a remake is in the works! Paramount Pictures has tapped Matthew Greenberg to pen the screenplay.





Accompanying Song: Pet Sematary by The Ramones



Scary Movie: The Descent

 Easily one of  my favourite horror movies ever. Neil Marshall's 2005 claustrophobic epic stars six femme fatales and a horde of subterranean scares. One thing that sets The Descent apart from other horror movies is the writing- you actually begin to care about the characters. It may start slowly but as the story builds so does the dread. The drama that precedes the darkness makes for a sort of terrifying telenovela. See The Descent Part II  for the return of Sarah and Juno.












Accompanying Song: Underground by Moist




Scary Movie: Scream (Series)

 In 1996, Scream re-invigorated the horror genre. Smart and self-aware, the original grossed over $100 million on a budget of $10 million. The movie also introduced the mainstream movie going public to Rose McGowan's nipples. While 2000's Scream 3 saw the departure of writer Kevin Williamson and with him a dip in quality, the upcoming Scream 4 has Williamson returning for what will hopefully be the best installment in this legendary slasher series.



Accompanying Song: Scream by Michael & Janet Jackson

Scream 4 trailer



Scary Movie: A Nightmare on Elm Street (The 2010 remake)

 Looking back at the original it now seems schlocky and lame. Thankfully we have the recent reboot to stir us in our sleep. While not an amazing re-imagining, music video maven Samuel Bayer's 2010 version is definitely more disturbing. Mostly because of the molestation plot line. After his Oscar-nominated turn in Little Children,I wonder if Jackie Earle Haley will be pigeon holed as a child abuser- an abhorrent fate for any actor. As for the song paired with this movie; the tempo may not cut as sharply as Freddy's faux-fingers, but who else is creepier than that "witchy woman" Stevie Nicks?

Accompanying Song: Dreams by Fleetwood Mac



Scary Movie: Dawn of the Dead (Zack Snyder's 2004 remake)

 Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead is my favourite zombie movie of all time. George Romero's original is a solid scare fest; for it's time. I mistakenly rented Romero's version once and honestly it now plays out as dated and more comedic than it was meant to be. The message of "consumers are mindless zombies" is more prevalent in the first film- yet for real petrification, I need zombies that can run as fast as blood spurting from a jugular wound.









Accompanying Song: Zombie Dance by The Cramps



Scary Movie: Natural Born Killers

 Named the "8th most controversial movie" of all time by Entertainment Weekly, movie goers either loved or hated Oliver Stone's 1994 tale of mass murder. As a whole it is not so much scary as it is simply sick. NBK is memorable not only for the violence, but for its unique style. The film contains over 3000 cuts (mostly films have around 650) and utilizes black and white, unconventional colour schemes and bizarre camera lenses to create an unparalleled package. Released before reality TV was all the rage; NBK remains a prophetic and divisive celluloid chronicle nearly two decades after its release.









 Accompanying songs: I Wanna Kill by Crocodiles


Got Love to Kill by Juliette & the Licks


Scary Movie: It

This movie terrified a pre-pubescent version of myself. Tim Curry is a true chameleon. He can play a sweet transvestite, a bungling butler and a blood thirsty monster without missing a beat. This TV movie does digress from Stephen King's novel but it's hard not to when the source material is over 1000 pages. Watch for a 2011 remake that will hopefully improve on this morbid masterpiece. Now here's Krusty, who I'll be looking for at the Treehouse of Horror this Sunday.

Accompanying Song: Send in the Clowns by Krusty the Clown

DEATH DISCO

  On a Saturday night, many young Ottawans can be found preening and polishing, preparing for a night out at the clubs. While mainstream dance clubs are the usual destination of choice- there are some alternatives in our capital city. If you are looking to escape the hordes of depthless dance floor devotees, Death Disco at Swizzles can act as your refuge from the counterfeit, crowd-pleasing masses. It is true that Death Disco is a pastiche of the goth, industrial, metal, electronica and punk scenes and it seems the darker the scene; the more accepting the individuals who make up that scene are. After all Death Disco's tag line is "sexy, freaky, fun."

Danny Gorny photo

  Death Disco is the brainchild of Ryan Clark, also known as DJ Dolston. Clark was first introduced to heavy music by Kevin Priest who fronts the Ottawa metal band The Haunting. Priest recommended Type O Negative's album October Rust and Clark credits that discovery as the catalyst for his foray into spooky music and subsequent projects. Clark was driven to create an alternative night for the city in 2007 when the annual industrial Ottawa Halloween party was abolished. Clark's dark ambitions fructified in December '07 when Re-Vamp was born; Death Disco followed in March '09.

  "We play heavy, guitar driven music. It's meant to be dark and it's supposed to be heavy," Clark said. "We've really touched a nerve with Death Disco. It is something very unique in North America."

Ryan Clark, aka DJ Dolston

  Death Disco fixture DJ Alice Keller says what the attendee will encounter at Swizzles on Saturday nights crosses all genres.

  "It's not just an industrial night, it's not just a metal night. We try to do everything. Each DJ brings their own flavour to the mix. We have our more metal DJs, like Ryan, and then the more industrial DJs, like Phil and Knived," Keller said. "I guess you could call it a goth scene. Goth is one of those terms that encompasses a lot of things yet also pigeon holes a lot of things too. Goth and industrial kind of go hand in hand."

Alice Keller, aka DJ Alice

  Independent minded music lovers and independent music also go hand in hand, however Death Disco has attracted some big names in the past and hopes to do so again in the future. Darkwave legends Attrition recently graced the Queen street stage and Clark says that their Death Disco performance was a highlight on his extensive list of concert going experiences.

  "We spent two years trying to make Attrition's show a reality and this past June we made it happen," Clark recounts. "I'm sitting there watching them, they are doing their encore and it's 'Mercy Machine' one of their big hits. TyLene [Paisley, Attrition's vocalist] comes over and puts her boot on my friend's back and says 'Everybody must kneel before the Mercy Machine' and the entire bar got on their knees.  Here we are with this massively influential British band doing their first ever Canadian show at Swizzles; what an event."

  It's big bookings like Attrition that prompt club-goers like Faith Graves to sing Clark's praises.
"Thanks to Ryan we have a better scene in Ottawa than those found in Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal," Graves offered.

  As for future events, Clark has his sights set on turning Death Disco's Valentine's Day event, Everyday is Halloween, into a festival and will possibly be collaborating with event planners Harsh Reality for a Canada Day steam punk-themed event. Yet Clark's aphotic aspirations don't end there. He hopes to kick start a scene that will rival those of our larger neighbours- in the opinions of music lovers outside of Bytown's boarders.

  "Everybody sits around and talks about how Ottawa doesn't compare to Toronto or Montreal. I want everybody to know right now that the most interesting things happening in Canadian spooky music are happening right here," Clark explains. "If you're into indie live music, industrial, emo, goth or electronica we are the place to be. In ten years, I want people to look at Ottawa with the same reverence and respect that they look at New York and London's goth scenes with. That's where I want us to be. I say that unabashedly and I think we can do it. I had someone who asked if it's OK to tattoo the Death Disco logo on their arm for god's sake. We are doing what we set out to do. It's one of those ideas. Take over the world with goth industrial music? Why not? Live the dream."

  Death Disco dreamer Josh Mooney adds that however abrasive or sombre the scene may appear to be on the surface, the DD crowd are tolerant troopers.

  "Everyone is welcome here, regardless of if you are gay or straight. It doesn't matter what your background is, if you are a peaceful person you are always welcome. It's a place that accepts the differences in people and promotes positivity. We're not here to hate," Mooney said.


Death Disco
Saturday nights at Swizzles
246 Queen St.
Ottawa, ON
Join the Death Disco Facebook group

Type O Negative - Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young cover) from October Rust


TOKiMONSTA - Death By Disco from Midnight Menu

NEW MUSIC PREVIEW

 The weather may be biting and turning bleak but the presses are burning and producing at a blistering pace; busy spitting out new releases for fall and the upcoming holiday season. In this post I'll look at the releases I'm most looking forward to and some that have recently dropped, including the delayed return of some prolific post-punk pioneers (Gang of Four), a devilish yet dainty DJ (TOKiMONSTA, album cover below), an offering from the UK's favorite pop outfit (Belle & Sebastian) and a box set from Mr. Electric Ladyland himself (Hendrix.)

RECENTLY RELEASED

Manic Street Preachers - Postcards From A Young Man

It's been fifteen years since guitarist Richey Edwards disappeared- yet that unfortunate event didn't stall the Manics' creative output. Following up 2009's Journal For Plague Lovers, Postcards From A Young Man debuted at #3 on the UK charts and James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire have both said the album is "one last shot at mass communication."

Manic Street Preachers - (It's Not War) Just the End of Love

Watch the one-take, embedding disabled video here.


Bad Religion - The Dissent of Man

Check off album fifteen for this renowned Californian punk band. Bad Religion continue to tell tales of dystopian doom and challenge the establishment on their latest effort, fittingly released on Brett Gurewitz's Epitaph Records.

Bad Religion - Devil in Stitches (Live)



Corin Tucker Band - 1000 Years

Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker has teamed up with Golden Bears' Seth Lorinczi and Unwound's Sara Lund for her first solo album. Tucker has called 1000 years "a middle-aged mom record," and if the first single (below) is any indication, she's a mom I'd love to bake cookies with.  

Corin Tucker Band - Doubt



Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

Lanky Kim Deal-lover Bradford Cox is back fronting Deerhunter with their fourth release. On Halcyon Digest the "ambient-punk" label is sometimes shrugged off and sometimes wrapped around their music like a warm, tattered yet comfortable overcoat.
"The album's title is a reference to a collection of fond memories and even invented ones, like my friendship with Ricky Wilson or the fact that I live in an abandoned Victorian auto harp factory," Cox said. "The way that we write and rewrite and edit our memories to be a digest version of what we want to remember, and how that's kind of sad."

Deerhunter - Helicopter



Neil Young - Le Noise

Canadian legend Neil Young has enlisted the producing prowess of Gatineau-born Daniel Lanois for Le Noise. Young's last album, Fork in the Road, left me a bit underwhelmed and I was hoping Le Noise would offer some reprieve; however recent reviews have been mixed. The album peaked at #2 in Canada and #14 on the US Billboard 200.

Neil Young - Angry World


Neil Young - Le Noise - The Film



KT Tunstall - Tiger Suit

Soulful Scottish siren KT Tunstall returns with her well-received third album, Tiger Suit. Recorded at the same German studio where Bowie laid down Heroes, Tiger Suit's blend of light rock and techno-pop may usher in Tunstall's breakthrough on this side of the pond.

KT Tunstall - (Still A) Weirdo



UNKLE - The Answer EP

British electronic outfit UNKLE have dabbled in everything from acid house to experimental rap. The Answer EP may just be remixed remnants salvaged from the scraps of Where Did The Night Fall, but still manages to be captivating and complete (for an EP.)

UNKLE featuring Big In Japan (Baltimore) - The Answer



TOKiMONSTA - Midnight Menu

Los Angeles audio architect Jennifer Lee amalgamates live instrumentation and percussion mixed up with material from vinyl and digital sources under the moniker TOKiMONSTA. Lee's past as "an unfocused pupil of classical piano" has equipped her with an ear for flowing electronica; making for a percolating primordial album.

TOKiMONSTA - Sweet Day


TOKiMONSTA - The World Is Ours



Detroit Grand Pubahs - Madd Circus

I had to include Detroit Grand Pubahs because that Sandwiches song was, and still is, stupefied/superb. Madd Circus follows 2008's Nuttin' Butt Funk and the single below is evidence the Pubahs are still capable of serving up some severely strange side dishes.

Detroit Grand Pubahs - Maybe I Do



Teengirl Fantasy - 7AM

Oberlin College cohorts Logan Takahashi and Nick Weiss are riding the chill wave to club play success as Teengirl Fantasy. Heralding back to dreamy 80's electronica, 7AM is a an album of retro/disco tracks, double-stacked with R&B and delivered on a fluffy pink cloud.

Teengirl Fantasy - Cheaters

OCTOBER

Belle & Sebastien - Write About Love

It's hard to believe that Bell and Sebastien have been dispatching their delectable ditties for close to fifteen years. With I Didn't See It Coming, which has Sarah Martin singing lead, they continue to deliver wistful pop washed over with modern influences. 

Belle & Sebastien - I Didn't See It Coming




Less Than Jake - TV EP

Florida ska veterans Less Than Jake have put together a punk pastiche of TV theme covers. Listen to the sixteen song EP, which runs under 13 minutes, here or a large portion below.

Less Than Jakes - TV EP




Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

Sufjan Stevens has straddled the line between electronic and folk beginning with 2000's A Sun Came. Since then Stevens has put out nine albums, including his latest, The Age of Adz (pronounced odds.) A follow up to the hour long All Delighted People EP, The Age of Adz appears to be Stevens' grandiose pop manifesto, which he describes as "pop songs [that are] kind of imposed over sequences of sound"

Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz



Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon's debut EP fructified in 2003 when four Followills locked themselves in a basement with an ounce of weed. Now on their fifth disc, KoL attempt to build on the massive success of their Grammy winning album Only By the Night. Come Around Sundown will likely feature more sexually charged lyrics not unlike those heard on Sex on Fire, Charmer and Holy Roller Novocaine.
"We're all pretty charming. We're from the South, it's been bred into us," Nathan said in an interview with Xfm.
"I'm better at break up lines, like 'Are there people following you? Because I'm seeing people behind your back,'" Matthew added.

Kings of Leon - Radioactive



Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. - Record Collection

Mark Ronson is not a household name in North America; most people could identify Samantha Ronson before Mark. However unlike Lindsay Lohan's DJ squeeze, Mark Ronson won the Producer of the Year Grammy in 2008 for his work with Amy Winehouse; he has also collaborated with Christina Aguilera, Adele and Kaiser Chiefs. Record Collection marks Ronson's third album with The Business Intl. and said in an interview with The Observer that the album sounds "as if a really talented band from 1972 had got a Daft Punk CD in the mail and had to work out how to play it."

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. featuring Q-Tip & MNDR - Bang Bang Bang


Mark Ronson & the Business Intl. featuring Simon Le Bon & Wiley - Record Collection


Mark Ronson album preview



Gold Panda - Lucky Shiner

Gold Panda's interest in mechanized music was sparked as a teen when his producer uncle gave him an old sampler. By his late 20's, Gold Panda, who claims his birth name to be Derwin Panda, was remixing and producing for British behemoths like Little Boots and Bloc Party. Last year he released limited edition pressings of the singles Before and You; Lucky Shiner is Gold Panda's first full length album.

Gold Panda - Same Dream China

NOVEMBER

Jamiroquai - Rock Dust Light Star

For me Jamiroquai is an occasional guilty pleasure; years have passed where I just wasn't feeling Jay Kay and company's groove. Yet every now and then an earful of one of Jamiroquai's acid jazz joints or neo-soul tracks can alleviate a down turned mood and bust the most funktronic of funks. In addition to playing to old strengths, Rock Dust Light Star will see Jay Kay getting softer on songs like Blue Skies.

Jamiroquai - White Knuckle Ride



Jimi Hendrix - West Coast Seattle Boy

A follow up to Valleys of Neptune, West Coast Seattle Boy is another posthumous Hendrix release overflowing with previously unreleased songs and live recordings. The box set is comprised of four CDs and a DVD of Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child, Bob Smeaton's biographical documentary detailing Hendrix's rise to fame and eventual death.

Jimi Hendrix - Castles Made of Sand (from Axis: Bold as Love - 1968)



Elvis Costello - National Ransom

Declan Patrick MacManus, or the other musical Elvis, has skipped and jumped genres over the course of his continuing career. From punk to new wave to country, Costello has set tuneful trends then turned around and deserted the movement he instigated. This gypsy-like approach to music has produced some interesting records and on National Ransom Costello has allied himself with Academy Award winning producer and songwriter T. Bone Burnett.

Elvis Costello - National Ransom trailer



N.E.R.D. - Nothing

From the trio that brought us that perennial stripper anthem Lapdance, comes Nothing. Judging by the first single (below) the album's contents won't fall into line with it's name. Which is fitting as the music buying masses have come to expect much more than "nothing" from Neptunes Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo and vocalist Shay. Nothing's release date was pushed back from a September release, most likely due to the hiring and prompt dismissal of singer Rhea.

N.E.R.D. featuring Nelly Furtado - Hot-n-Fun

WINTER & BEYOND

Beastie Boys - The Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1 & Pt. 2
release date unknown

Originally slated  for release in late 2009, Beastie Boys' latest album has been on hold since MCA, or Adam Yauch, was diagnosed with cancer of the salivary gland. The Hot Sauce Committee is the follow up to their Grammy winning 2007 instrumental album, The Mix Up. Hot Sauce has been broken up into two parts as the boys created arrangements in excess during the writing process and decided to classify them accordingly.
"Pt. 1, had too many songs, so we recorded some more songs; which sounds bizarre but it actually worked out, because it made it clear to us which songs were going to be on Pt. 1. Then we had this whole other album of songs," Mike D told Drowned Sound in 2009.
As of October 2010, the band posted a message on their site saying that Pt.1 will be delayed indefinitely and curiously, Pt.2 will be released in the the spring of 2011 before Pt.1 hits shelves.

Beastie Boys - Lee Majors Come Again  (from The Hot Sauce Commitee Pt. 1)



Seaweed - Small Engine Repair
release date unknown

The collective indie crowd has been awaiting new material from Seaweed for quite some time- 12 years in fact- as 1998's Actions and Indications was their last album of new material. The release date for Small Engine Repair was announced in 2007, yet Seaweed remains out of stock on shelves across the continent. Enjoy this classic Seaweed track while you cower and cry in anticipation.

Seaweed - Start With (from Spanaway - 1995)



Gang of Four - Content
January 25 2011

Post punk rockers Gang of Four announced the release of a new album last spring, however Content has been delayed countless times and no single has been released as of October 2010. It appears financial troubles are to blame; the band has teamed up with pledgemusic.com in an attempt to raise funds to finish recording as well as contribute to charity. You can watch a comment from Andy Gill and listen to the track Do As I Say here.

Gang of Four - Natural's Not In It (from Entertainment! - 1979)

10 GREAT GEOCENTRIC SONGS

The National - Blood Buzz Ohio from High Violet




Surfer Blood - Anchorage (live) from Astrocoast



Bush Tetras - Cowboys in Africa from Rituals EP

Crystal Castles - Vietnam from Crystal Castles (II/2010)

Joni Mitchell - California from Blue

Beastie Boys - An Open Letter to NYC from To The 5 Boroughs

The Soviettes - 9th Street from LP

Land of Talk - Magnetic Hill (live) from Applause Cheer Boo Hiss

Handsome Furs - Radio Kaliningrad from Face Control

Riverdales - Last Stop Tokyo from Phase 3

MUSICAL DUOS (PART II)

Missy Elliott/Timbaland

 

 Melissa Arnette Elliott and Timothy Zachery Mosely, met while attending high school in Virginia. Both born in 1971, separately Elliott/Timbaland have endured serious strife, yet when they have come together to collaborate the sweet sounds they create have soared into the stratosphere of success.
As a child Elliott knew she wanted to go in to the performing arts. An IQ test revealed Elliott was gifted and she was skipped ahead two grades. Yet the loneliness that came with that promotion prompted Elliott to purposely fail and she was re-placed in her age appropriate class. Living in a squalid shack, her Marine father was frequently abusive.
"We left my father with a fork, a spoon and a blanket," Elliott told the Observer in 2001. "That was the scariest time of my life. I thought he would find us and he would kill us. I lived in fear for a long time."
Elliott and her mother, Patricia, moved to Portsmouth, VA. and there she met a teenage DJ who went by DJ Timmy Tim or DJ Tiny Tim.
Timbaland began his musical career concocting hip hop tracks on a Casio keyboard. Besides Elliott, fellow classmates of Timbaland's included Melvin Barcliff, also known as frequent Timbaland producing partner Magoo, and members of Clipse. While working as a dish washer at Red Lobster in 1986, Timbaland was shot by a local nemesis. The bullet passed through his neck and Timbaland was partially paralyzed for months. During his recovery he taught himself to DJ with his left hand. Bullet fragments remain in his body to this day.
In the early '90s, after hearing his production work Elliott asked Timbaland and Magoo to accompany her rap group, Sista, to New York to an audition for DeVante Swing. Swing quickly signed Sista to his Swing Mob label. Unfortunately Swing Mob folded and Sista's debut was shelved. Upset, Missy turned to Timbaland who invited her to help produce Aaliyah's One In a Million. That record would go on to sell three million copies in the US and eight million copies worldwide.
The massive success of One In a Million spurred the very same record companies who initially turned Elliott down to now come knocking at her door.
"They'd broken my heart," Elliott said. "They said I could sing, I could write, but that I looked wrong. That was the lowest thing you could say. I didn't forget."
Instead of signing with the labels who spurned her, Elliott held out until Elektra offered her the chance to start her own label, Gold Mind Inc, with the stipulation that she would retain all creative control.
Elliott/Timbaland continued to work with a plethora of artists and in 1996 released Elliott's platinum selling debut, Supa Dupa Fly. The album contained the singles The Rain, which sampled Ann Peebles' 1973 ditty, and Hit 'Em Wit Da Hee. Beastie Boy Mike D has said that the album not only changed the face of hip hop, but saved it completely.  
Next came 1999's Da Real World and in 2001, Miss E... So Addictive. So Addictive features the European club hit, and one of my Elliott/Timbaland favorites, 4 My People featuring Eve.
2002's Under Construction moved 2.1 million units and is Elliott's best selling solo album to date. Under Construction featured hits like Gossip Folks and Work It and was nominated for Album of the Year at that year's Grammys. Timbaland and Magoo would release Under Construction II in 2003.
Timbaland would also produce Elliott's next effort, 2003's This Is Not A Test! That album's biggest hit, Pass That Dutch, took samples from War and De La Soul. This Is Not A Test! sold just under 700,000 copies.
Elliott's 2005 album, The Cookbook, saw Timbaland producing only a couple of tracks and was considered a commercial disappointment. The upcoming The Block Party will see Timbaland returning to his usual role as main producer.
"It's called that because there are a lot of dance joints on there. It's one of those albums you can play out in the streets," Elliott said. The album's first single will be a track titled Blow Ya Whistle.
As for Timbaland's solo production work, he is reportedly in talks with Steven Tyler to produce a rap album. Tyler was apparently impressed by Timbaland's work on Chris Cornell's Scream.
The multi-talented, multi-faceted duo of Elliott/Timbaland continue to cast a wide net, lending their skills to artists in need. But it's their work together that proves to be the best catch in this ocean we call hip hop.
"There's a chemistry between us that will never leave. Like Janet Jackson and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Like Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones - that kind of chemistry," Elliott proclaimed to Billboard in 2008.
"People always ask if we're still working together and the answer is we will always work together. He's always going to be involved, even if it is just on one record. That's my brother. I respect and honour what he says."

Missy Elliott - Pass That Dutch (writer: Elliott, producers: Elliott/Timbaland) from This Is Not A Test!

Jimmy Page/Robert Plant

 Page and Plant first came together creatively as the New Yardbirds in 1968. The Yardbirds had been a revolving door of musicians for years. When Keith Relf left the band, Page considered Terry Reid to take over the microphone. When Reid was unable to join he recommended Plant, who was singing for Hobbstweedle at the time. John Paul Jones and John Bonham joined soon after Plant and after completing the New Yardbirds tour the quartet re-branded themselves as Led Zeppelin. Their debut was recorded in under 30 hours and reached #10 in the US. 1969's Led Zeppelin has since been certified diamond (1,000,000+) in Canada and eight times platinum (1,000,000 x 8) in the US.
The band refused to release any singles, spearheading the concept of album-oriented rock. They also had a mutual disdain with the music press of the era and did not give many interviews. This allowed fans to connect with the band solely through their music and live shows, which consistently sold out.
Led Zeppelin II, also released in 1969, was produced entirely by Page and engineered by Eddie Kramer who had previously worked with Jimmy Hendrix. Written while on tour Led Zeppelin II was recorded at various studios around the world including a studio in Vancouver known as The Hut.
"We did that album piece-meal," Kramer told Classic Rock Magazine. "We cut some of the tracks in some of the most bizarre studios you can imagine, little holes in the wall, cheap studios. But in the end it sounded bloody marvelous. There was a unification of sound on Zeppelin II because there was one guy in charge and that was Mr. Page."
Led Zeppelin II features the well-known hit Whole Lotta Love and the album hit sales of over twelve million in the US. 
Advance sales for their next album, the uniquely titled Led Zeppelin III, reached close to one million. The band placed an ad in Melody Maker writing: "Thank you for making us the world's number one band."
1970's Led Zeppelin III was heavily criticized by the press yet went on to be certified six times platinum in the US by 1999.
For their next album, 1971's Led Zeppelin IV,  Page decided not to include any written information in response to the lashing Zeppelin III had endured.
"An untitled album struck me as the best answer to all the critics — because we knew the way that the music was being received both by sales and attendance at concerts," Page told the Times in 2010.
(See my previous post on album art for the story behind Led Zeppelin IV's cover.)
Zeppelin IV would feature the band's best known song and perhaps one of the best known songs of all time, Stairway to Heaven.
"We were able to do, collectively, so much," Page said of the album. "It was a wonderful vehicle to be able to develop."
The band would continue to see success with 1973's Houses of the Holy, 1975's Physical Graffiti and 1976's Presence.
Their 1979 album, In Through the Out Door, was inspired by the death of Plant's six-year-old son Karac. The title also refers to the taxation exile many British bands were forced into by the Wilson and Callaghan administrations. Unable to tour the UK for over two years; trying to regain popularity was like "trying to get in through the out door."
During the recording of In Through the Out Door, Bonham and Page's addictions, to alcohol and heroin respectively, spiraled out of control. 
"There were two distinct camps by then, and we [myself and Plant] were in the relatively clean one," Jones said. This led to most of the music on In Through the Out Door being written and recorded by Jones and Plant.
On September 25 1980 Bonham was found dead of aspiration. It was later revealed that in the 24 hours before his death he had consumed more than forty shots of vodka.
The remaining members decided not to continue on with the band, writing:
"We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend and the deep respect we have for his family, together with the sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were," signed "Led Zeppelin."
All members continued to work in various musical incarnations, then in 1994 Page/Plant joined forces once more to record a segment for MTV Unplugged, or UnLedded. The session was packaged as the album No Quarter. Jones was very unhappy with this title as No Quarter was largely his work and he was not invited to participate.
In 1998 Page/Plant would release an album of new material, Walking into Clarksdale. The album was recorded by prolific producer Steve Albini (see the Pixies entry of musical duos part I.) The song Most High won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.
Many critics lambasted the album for not reaching it's potential and Page seems dissatisfied with the result as well.
"I felt kind of marooned," Page said. "We were still surrounded by the protective shield of who we were, and it meant we were playing big arenas around the world. And I realized once again there had to be another way."
As for the future of Page/Plant, Page says it was Plant who has decided to sever the partnership.
"I certainly had about a dozen numbers written for a third album. Robert heard them and said that some of them were really good, but he just wanted to go in another direction. That's fair enough."

Page & Plant - Most High (Page/Plant/Jones/Lee) from Walking into Clarksdale

Thurston Moore/Kim Gordon

 It is universally recognized that Sonic Youth's guitar-toting married duo of Moore/Gordon set the precedent for late '80s punk. The DIY band formed in 1981 with guitarists Moore and Lee Ranaldo and Gordon on bass. Early names for the outfit included Red Milk and Male Bonding. Eventually they combined the nickname of one of their heroes, MC5 guitarist and Patti Smith's husband Fred "Sonic" Smith, with "Youth" as many reggae bands of the time featured that word.
"As soon as Thurston came up with the name Sonic Youth, a certain sound that was more of what we wanted to do came about," Gordon recalled in Michael Azerrad's 2001 book Our Band Could Be Your Life.
Initially inspired by proto-punk and the no wave genre; their early compositions were coarse and unmelodious, incorporating feedback and aspects of noise rock. The band continues to explore these avenues yet during the three decades since inception they have gained the ability to create uniform songs with traditional structures. On most occasions they will combine dissonance with discipline, making for coherent tracks peppered with chaos. In their early days Moore and Ranaldo began cross-tuning their cheap guitars, a process called scordatura, to produce abnormal, arresting sounds. They still implement this method and as they can now afford many guitars, one guitar will be tuned for a particular song. 
Sonic Youth has featured ten individuals and produced sixteen studio albums. Some do not consider their self-titled 1982 EP an official album and point to 1983's Confusion Is Sex as their first full-length release. Bad Moon Rising and EVOL appeared in 1985 and 1986 respectively. During the break between Confusion Is Sex and EVOL, Moore/Gordon were married.
Murmurs of greatness began following the release of Sister in 1987. 1988's Daydream Nation is frequently acknowledged as the band's preeminent album. The album features seven minute songs like Teenage Riot and 'Cross the Breeze and was chosen by the American Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry as an album that is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform[s] or reflect[s] life in the United States." (You can read about the history behind Daydream Nation's cover in my post on album cover art.)
Their next effort, Goo, was released in 1990 and marked the band's first release on a major label, Geffen's DGC. Goo features a guest appearance by Chuck D on Kool Thing, which remains one of the band's most widely known songs.  
The band would work with producer Butch Vig, of Garbage and producer of Nevermind, for their next two albums 1992's Dirty and 1994's Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star. Dirty was voted Best Album of 1992 by Entertainment Weekly and while it peaked at #82 in the US, it eventually went gold.
Next came 1995's Washing Machine and 1998's A Thousand Leaves. Both albums were well-received by fans and critics alike. 
2000's NYC Ghosts & Flowers was inspired by beat poetry and marked a back step into unkempt, noisy music. Many saw the creative departure as a response to the theft of much of the band's irreplaceable equipment, which was stolen in 1999. Pitchfork critic Brent DiCrescenzo rated the album 0.0.
With 2002's Murray Street Sonic Youth began delivering more accessible music. Murray Street features great, grown up songs like Disconnection Notice and The Empty Page. Next came Sonic Nurse in 2004 and, my personal favorite, 2006's Rather Ripped. Their latest, The Eternal, saw the band leave Geffen for Matador Records. The Eternal marked the band's best chart position to date, reaching #18 on the Billboard 200.
Moore/Gordon also founded the SYR label allowing themselves and their friends to release records without pressure from big time labels.
Now in their 50s, Moore/Gordon continue to tour and parent their 16 year-old daughter, Coco. One might think being in a band with your spouse would be a rigorous road to travel, yet Moore says there's no secret to their longevity.
"We've never sold each other out on anything," Moore said to Spin in 2007. "I can easily follow the allure of wanting to go out and be with the boys, and play industrial noise and smoke pot and drink, but nothing replaces the reality of our relationship. I can't trade that for anything. I can't think of how or where I'd be without Kim's influence. And we're like any couple that's been together for close to 30 years. There's a genuine psycho-physical connection. Sometimes I feel things happening in me, and I know that something's going on with her. When you're married and you have that kind of connection, you become really spiritually, psychologically connected. We grew up together, in a way."

Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot (live) (Moore/Gordon/Ranaldo/Shelley) from Daydream Nation


Sonic Youth - Dirty Boots (Moore/Gordon/Ranaldo/Shelley) from Goo


Sonic Youth - Incinerate (Moore/Gordon/Ranaldo/Shelley/Ibold) from Rather Ripped

Tegan Quinn/Sara Quinn

  Canadian twins Tegan/Sara have blazed their own path in the indie music scene. With their trademark nasal voices and repetitious, usually peppy, rock songs; they have achieved international success without selling out to major labels or hiding who they are when confronted with homophobia.
Born in Calgary in 1980, Tegan/Sara began writing music at age 15. The duo originally called themselves PLUNK, until they deemed that title too silly.
"Basically, we thought we were a punk band, but without a rhythm section we were light punk: Plunk," Sara recently told Spin.
"We knew we wanted to change it and decided to use our own names, thinking it would be a placeholder until we came up with something better. We never did. There's a reason that it's Tegan and Sara instead of Sara and Tegan, though. Ten years ago or so there were all these Sarahs in Canadian music. There was Sarah Harmer, Sarah McLachlan and Sarah Slean. We thought people would pay more attention to us if we put Tegan first."
They also briefly flirted with the prospect of calling themselves Tegan Vs. Sara.
In 1998 Tegan/Sara won Calgary's "Garage Warz" competition, receiving the highest score in the event's history.
The duo usually write independent of each other, then come together to polish off the song as a team. The principal writer will sing lead on their song. They attempted to write together for their latest album, Sainthood, yet all the tracks they wrote together while staying in a New Orleans mansion were scrapped.
Their first release was 1999's Under Feet Like Ours and the album was originally released as Sara and Tegan. These editions are now sought after collector items for die hard fans.
After hearing Under Feet Like Ours, Neil Young signed them to his own Vapor Records. Their first release on Vapor, 2000's This Business of Art was produced by Hawksley Workman and recorded at Hawksleytown Studios.
Next came If It Was You in 2002, which featured energetic indie-hits like Monday Monday Monday (written by Sara), Living Room and I Hear Noises (both written by Tegan.)
Their mainstream breakthrough came with 2004's So Jealous. Critics noticed the shift to a more pop-punk sound and tracks off the album have appeared in numerous television shows and movies.
2007's The Con was produced by Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla and featured personal lyrics dealing with the girls' respective relationships.
Sainthood, also produced by Walla, has been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize and contains songs co-written by AFI bassist Hunter Burgan.
In addition, Sainthood, The Con and So Jealous were all nominated for Best Alternative Album at the Junos, yet the duo (very surprisingly) remain Juno-less.
On the topic of sexuality, Tegan says it's another label slapped on them that they don't attempt to peel off.
"When we put out our second album, so much focus was on us being twins, girls, gay, Canadian. I was like, 'Holy shit, that's a lot of labels!' We spent the last two records trying to shake off the limitations. But I didn't think the gay label was the biggest; I thought being a girl in a rock band was," Tegan told Spinner. "The gay thing doesn't bother me. I think it's important to our demographic. Our fan base is getting really young, and it's important to me to make sure that we're spreading a very honest message. I'm glad there's no part of us that has been reluctant to share who we are. There's still so much homophobia, sexism and racism in younger generations, and yet these kids love us anyway. I think we have a very progressive message. I haven't seen [being gay] as a limitation."

Tegan & Sara - Living Room (Tegan/Sara) from If It Was You


Tegan & Sara - Northshore (Tegan/Sara) from Sainthood


Tegan & Sara - You Wouldn't Like Me (live acoustic) (Tegan) from So Jealous




MUSICAL DUOS PART I