We’re big fans of how garage pop’s lo-fi production balances out otherwise sugary hooks, crafting a fun and fuzzy brew. Sick Sad World’s debut LP “Fear & Lies,” the brainchild of Olympia native Jake Jones, is a great summer record with plenty of west coast vibe, at times recalling early Beach Boys records (albeit sung by weed-smoking skaters born of the mp3 age).
This month’s mix also features plenty of hip-hop (Curren$y, Raekwon), a killer country tune from Nicki Bluhm, synth sounds from Phantogram and Passion Pit, a bevy of singer/songwriters, indie rockers, roots rockers, and more!
BONUS
Speaking of Beach Boys, check out “Love & Mercy,” an exploration of Brian Wilson’s mad genius, in theaters now:
Our latest mix of tunes includes tracks from Courtney Barnett’s stellar sophomore release, which sounds like the best record Liz Phair never made (albeit with a nonchalant Aussie accent). Her keen eye, clever wordplay, and relaxed delivery are definitely worth a listen.
Speaking of flow, there’s also a lot of great hip-hop thanks in part to contributions from the two young bucks Kendrick Lamar & Tyler, the Creator. There’s also a bunch of cool blues, indie folk, and a few bouncy tracks to get yer head bobbin’.
BONUS:
If you haven’t yet caught a screening of the Kurt Cobain documentary “Montage of Heck,” it’s airing on HBO tonight, May 4th. Chock full of animated sequences taken from his diary, it’s a very unique and revealing take on the singer’s brief life produced by his daughter Frances Bean.
Last week was a wild one in Austin, as it tends to be during SXSW. This month’s mix includes some discoveries from the festival, like the Malian desert blues troupe Songhoy Blues, who had to flee their homes due to militant extremists’ ban on music (I guess proving that the world did need a “Footloose” remake after all).
Songhoy’s debut LP was produced by the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Nick Zinner, who also guests on a few tracks. If you want to hear more about the unlikely odyssey of SB and their fellow musicians in exile, check out the trailer for the doc “They Will Have to Kill Us First” at bottom, which also premiered at the festival.
The playlist also features some great hip-hop from Ghostface Killah (continuing his run of live-band-backed albums); beautiful acoustic tunes from Andy Shauf, Iron & Wine, and the always engaging Jose Gonzales; plus plenty of indie rock, and some seriously heavy sludge from Torche.
Around this time last year, Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox was celebrating his contribution to Daft Punk’s Grammy-winning album Random Access Memories (the amazing “Doin’ It Right”). Now he’s dropped his latest LP under his solo moniker Panda Bear, whose hypnotic single “Boys Latin” is part of our first mix of 2015.
Side note: I totally want to start a band inspired by the nickname for China’s hacker collective, Deep Panda. Who’s with me?
Other bands featured in the mix are Purity Ring, Dengue Fever, some serious flow from Lupe Fiasco, and even new material from Modest Mouse (remember the 2000s)?
Our latest Superbowl ad has been getting a lot of love on the interwebs. We’d like to think that it has something to do with our music and sound, but credit must also be given to BSSP for crafting another great spot in their long-running campaign for Priceline, featuring the hilariously self-aware William Shatner as The Negotiator.
Check out the write ups in Adweek, Sports Illustrated, CNN, and of course, Trek Today (as if you didn’t already have that as your browser homepage).
“Wet Dream: A Skateboard Tale” debuts on iTunes today along with some very cool behind the scenes extras, which is great because the film features some unheard of stunts and visual effects.
Seems like we’re finally having a sorely needed rainy season here in LA, which is fitting given that the short film I music supervised, “Wet Dream: A Skateboard Tale,” debuts next Tuesday on iTunes (trailer above).
This month’s mix features a lot of great hip-hop from the likes of Serengeti (in his Ditka-lovin’ Kenny Dennis mode), the Premier & Royce Da 5’9 combo PRhyme, and another live band-backed record from Wu’s Ghostface Killah. Also some great electronic tunes from UK producer Clark, Chromatics, and Royksopp, plus a track from Dylan’s New(found) Basement Tapes.
Click the image below to download our latest recap of new releases:
BONUS:
LA Rain = SNOW in the mountains! Check out this lil ditty we did with Abstract Rude for Mammoth Mountain’s new season.
The Bots are like a 21st century version of Bad Brains — they don’t care what other people expect them to sound like. I’ve included their track “Blinded” in this month’s mix, and I’m looking forward to seeing the duo live at the Bootleg a week from this Saturday. Considering one brother turns all of 18 that night, and the other only recently threw away his fake ID, I’d say these droids just may be a new hope for a brighter future after all.
Another band hitting its stride is the once-side project Run The Jewels, who’s RTJ2 backhands the sophomore slump with the incendiary single “Close Your Eyes (and Count to Fuck)”, featuring none other than Rage’s Zack de la Rocha on guest vocals. Download the whole album FREE off their website.
Rounding out your new gym playlist are singles from Joey Bada$$’s ($’?) highly delayed/anticipated album, afrobeat legend Tony Allen, Canadian alliterati Keys N Krates, Mystery Skulls, and the Tings Tings (remember them?) “Do It Again.”
Just wrapped post-production on an exciting new short film featuring members of the Girl & Chocolate Skateboard crews. In addition to world class skaters tearing up the streets of Los Angeles, “Wet Dream” pays homage to Girl/Chocolate’s long line of iconic skate films, apt given that the sister companies are now celebrating their 20th anniversary (see Vice’s “Epicly Later’d” series).
Having worked on some of those films myself, I can honestly say that director Federico Vitetta’s vision raises the bar for head-scratching special effects. While skate enthusiasts will love the various cameos and easter eggs, “Wet Dream” has an ending that anyone with eyeballs and internet will enjoy.
In just a few weeks you can see the full 17 min short yourself via iTunes. If you can’t wait, grab the newest Thrasher Magazine (on stands now) for a sneak peek and hear about Girl’s Cory Kennedy’s rather unusual day at the office.
No puns were harmed in the writing of this post ; p
Really liking the new solo record from Yeasayer’s Sinkane. On singles like “How We Be” his falsetto recalls a 21st century Curtis Mayfield. Should make for a good show at The Echo next Tuesday.
Other notables in this month’s mix are tracks from the Preatures long-awaited LP (produced by Spoon’s Jim Eno), Karen O’s heartfelt acoustic affair, rollicking baritone blues from Sean Rowe (like the lovechild of Tom Waits and Morphine’s Mark Sandman), and a rare pro-government rap from Homeboy Sandman. Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
BONUS:
The artwork above is by French artist Thierry Noir, the 1st graffiti artist to paint the Berlin Wall 30 years ago. I had the pleasure of DJ’ing a party at Caviar last weekend in honor of Thierry’s LA exhibition, which is going on now through Nov. 9 at the Howard Griffin Gallery.
