A Very Azltron Halloween!

Okay, so tomorrow is Halloween and many people will be gallivanting about the country side in silly costumes (or scantily clad absences of costume) and I will be working. I'm getting through this idea though by putting together a Halloween mix. I played all of these on my show on Monday and I felt like it was one of my best shows yet. Riddled with copyright free Vincent Price quotes and a distinctly eerie yet extremely dance-able atmosphere.

Mp3 - Do they know it's Halloween?

Mp3 - Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Mp3 - Echo & the Bunnymen - People Are Strange

Mp3 - Michael Jackson - Thriller

Mp3 - The Rakes - Terror

Mp3 - The Faint - How Could I Forget?

Mp3 - The Fever - Hotel Phantom

Mp3 - B.A.D.A.B.O.O.M. - World Leader Pretend

Tracks from Monday's Show

I'm going to start posting the MP3's of the tracks that I play on my show, which you can listen to here on Mondays 11am-Noon. So if you miss my show you can still listen to what I played. I'm looking forward to next week when I'll have my show recorded and then all of you will have no excuse for not listening.

MP3 - Desperate Guys - The Faint

MP3 - Scorpio - The Fever

MP3 - Justine- 120 Days

MP3 - Feel the Same - Battle

Another Sound

Plastic Operator came to my attention a couple weeks ago, with their immediately catchy pop melodies and heartfelt lyrics I had no choice but to succumb to rabid fandom. No sooner had I listened to three sample tracks, had the band themselves sent me the album in it's totality. Thus making my day.

Their album "Different Places"is an adventure through poignant lyrics and a variety of sculpted sounds that combine to form polished pop songs. The gentle vocals and cooing synths call to mind a cross between the Postal Service and more traditional dance music. A full range of emotions are employed throughout the album, from deep melancholy, to optimistic introduction, to weary perseverance, to saccharine sarcastic songs. With my predisposition to electronic music and the strength of this release, this album is bound to be on the top of my favorites for this year.

MP3 - The Pleasure is Mine - Plastic Operator

MP3 - Special Case - Plastic Operator

More New Electro!

Nic Nell is an electro artist out of London, give his beats a chance.

MP3 - It's a Trance Off - Nic Nell

MP3 - On Board - Friendly Fires (Nic Nell's N-Tronica Remix)

Matt Mercer is one half of the Chicago based electro group Microfilm, but he also makes stuff on his own (Under, surprise! His own name).Good grooves to be had for sure.

MP3 - Matt Mercer - Simon Says

Mimi & Teft are an electro duo that has an old school feel (Both Electronically and in terms of their sinister pop) from Sacramento, California.

MP3 - Wachu Wanna - Mimi & Teft

MP3 - Fairy Tale - Mimi & Teft

Ooh La La Miss Fairchild

I don't know whether it's the fact that the weekend is approaching rapidly or that I don't have to work tonight, but I am in the mood for some funk. Luckily, Miss Fairchild, a band of white boys from New England with enough soul to take on Parliament toe to toe has recently come to my attention. Their album "Ooh La La Sha Sha", is chock full of of feel good get downs, utilizing horns, flutes, and of course the funkiest basslines this of Kool and the Gang.

Fans of the Scissor Sisters, Sly and the Family Stone, and Midnite Vultures era Beck will find something to love here. Highlights include "Vanilla Place" a groovy party starter if I ever heard one, "Number One", a plea and a play for love out on the dancefloor, and "Cheatin' Man" is the no holds barred freak out funk fest complete with jazz flute breakdowns. That's right, jazz flute.

MP3 - Vanilla Place - Miss Fairchild

MP3 - Cheatin' Man - Miss Fairchild

Movin' In with House of Brothers

1. From Nottingham England comes the work of Andrew Jackson, who under the name House of Brothers released a self titled EP. It is full of beautiful acoustic balladry with gentle assistance from pianos, strings, and wind instruments.
   

MP3 - Deadman - House of Brothers

New Music Tuesday!

So there's this band from Chicago called the Morning Recordings and their sound is what their name implies; light airy, barely awake melodies and hushed vocals floating through a dreamlike soundscape. Their new album 'The Welcome Kinetic' is chock full of these surreal daydreams.

MP3 - The Sugar Waltz - Morning Recordings

MP3 - The Welcome Kinetic - Morning Recordings

Working on a similarly mellow train of thought, only with more of a country feel is a band from Athens, Georgia entitled The Ginger Envelope. They are rife with the poignancy of Wilco as if it were channeled through Ben Kweller.

MP3 - Failsafe - The Ginger Envelope

MP3 - Caretaker - The Ginger Envelope

MP3 - Dirty Penny - The Ginger Envelope

Continuing with the theme of a little bit country, comes the sophomore album of Biirdie, "Catherine Avenue", the album features mellow power pop with a psychedelic edge. While retaining that ever necessary country-ish guitar.

MP3 - Him - Biirdie

MP3 - Estelle - Biirdie

Disaffected Electro Sunday

The temperature dropped today, by 20 degrees. I also received some things in the mail that I was anticipating. One of them the Young Shields EP from CTFPA that features the addictive Prince cover of "When You Were Mine". Somehow I lost that song when I switched over to my lap top. I've been aching for it for a while as it's no longer available on the hype machine. When I put the CD in my drive and heard those first few happy plunky notes my day was made.

Also, I listened to the first Figurine album, "Transportation + Communication = Love" and it is a fantastic self aware adventure through synthpop sounds and endearingly simple pop songs. Like a loose blueprint for Postal Service songs.

Last, but not least is the Broken Spindles remix of the Good Charlotte song "Get Your Hands Off of My Girl". The sinister synth and beefed up beats make this track enjoyable. Although the concept of me posting a Good Charlotte track kind of makes me kind of question my ethics, but trust me, the pop-punk has been removed and electronic dancy-ness has been placed in its stead.

MP3 - New Mate - Figurine

MP3 - When You Were Mine - Casiotone for the Painfully Alone (Prince Cover)

MP3 - Keep Your Hands off of My Girl (Broken Spindles Remix) - Good Charlotte

Take a Little Time to Level Out

Previously, I've never been one to openly admit I enjoy Bright Eyes. Probably due to his overly emotional origins as a frail balladeer. Over time, he created projects that I couldn't ignore, a track with the Faint? I must have it. A split EP with Brit Daniel of Spoon? I need that as well. Then he released a double album with I'm Wide Awake It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, the first one received all kinds of critical accolades, but it was the electronically tinged album that struck my fancy and made me crossover into the world of Conor Oberst. His new album 'Cassadaga' was recieved somewhat strangely by fans and critics, because of it's full departure into the land of alternative country. A place that I had grown to like in the past year or so. So I'm all for the organ hits, steel guitar slides, banjo plucks, and country whine that graces most of the album. I always applaud when artists step outside the boundaries of what they're perceived as and pull it off, despite what might be popular to say about them at the time.

MP3 - Reinvent the Wheel - Bright Eyes (Four Winds EP)

MP3 - Four Winds - Bright Eyes

MP3 - When The Brakeman Turns My Way

Spotsday Megaphone Sports a Party Remix

Our friend Hugh Frost, also known as Sportsday Megaphone has once again graced us with another wild, jittery, electronic remix, this time of the Envelopes' track "Party".

MP3 - Party (Sportsday Megaphone Remix) - Envelopes

As a bonus here is the video for a track by Wax Stag entitled "Short Road" which was featured on Hot Chip's DJ Kicks album.

The OaKs Know Your Dad

The OaKs are a product of Ryan Costello's journey through The Global Hope Network to Afghanistan to help the people there find creative ways of working the land. He was there for two years and became fluent in the language. After each days toil, Ryan would return to his place of residence and try to work out the basis of what had happened that day on his acoustic guitar. When he returned to his home of Orlando Florida in 2005, he reunited with his musical partner, drummer Matt Antolick, and they began to compile what would become the album 'Our Fathers and the Things They Left Behind'. The Oaks partnered up with the The Global Network to release the album, which will donate half of the proceeds to help widows in Afghanistan, because of this, the Oaks were featured in Paste alongside other globally conscious artists like U2. You can read the article here.

Apart from it's politically charged agenda, the music of 'Our fathers and the Things They Left Behind" is quite lush, featuring mandolins, bells, trumpets, the usual indie rock instrumental fair as well as stunning vocals from both Ryan Costello and Melissa Reyes.

MP3 - For Hugh Thompson Who Stood Alone, Mai Lai Massacre - The OaKs

MP3 - My Father's God - The OaKs

Have You Ever Seen a Portal?

Okay, a few things. It's late. I'm behind on a lot of work, I'm in the 24 hour study room of the library and I'm basically screwed. Anyway, like any time I'm stressed I channel it into something creative. Like a mix. I'd like to share a few of the with you.

MP3 - Nashville Parthenon - Casiotones For The Painfully Alone

I got into CTFTPA last winter and like all good synthpop stark emotional statements and stark clean synths and beats always make for the best ironic dancefloor experience.

MP3 - Tower of Strength - Gene Mcdaniels (Burt Bacharach)

I think it was summer 2005, and my mom wanted me to get some Burt Bacharach for her, and I listened to a bit of it and was shocked to find that it was some spectacular poignant pop decades ahead of it's time.

MP3 - Don't Let It Get You Down - Echo & the Bunnymen

Yet another of my post-punk fascinations that has weathered through the years and exists to this day eroded of two founding members but still kicking. Ian McCulloch has a way of making the most mundane and predictable lyrics somehow compelling and intensely emotive. Then again he made nonsense lyrics about waves the most epic song in the early 80's on Ocean Rain, so it's not too far of a stretch.

See you on the other side.