Vinnie the Intern #34: Releases I'm Looking Forward To

Here are three albums with spring releases that I am highly anticipating. Of course there are more: AraabMusik's For Professional Use Only, a new Strokes record that hopefully outshines "Angels," Matmos' "The Marriage of True Minds, the new Vampire Weekend due in May, and" Deltron 3030's "Event II," among many others.

Tera Melos - X'ed Out (April 16,2013/Sargent House)

After an already stellar release of the new album by This Town Needs Guns, Sargent House continues their exciting list of 2013 releases with the new Tera Melos album, X'ed Out, due this April. Check out their Bandcamp to listen to their new single "Tropic Lame" and pre-order the album. Check out another song scheduled to be on the album, "Slimed," below.

Born Ruffians - Birthmark (April 16, 2013)

Born Ruffians have just announced their follow up to 2010's Say It. Due out for an April 16th release, all we have to judge is the song "In Her Shadow" released on New Years Day. It is hard to tell the characteristics of the album, but it appears that it will be more mellow and much less sporadic than their EP or two full lengths. This doesn't mean it will by any means be boring as the Born Ruffians have never been synonymous with boring.   

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito (April 16, 2013)

This March it will have been four years since we've been graced by a Yeah Yeah Yeahs record. A lot has happened in that time. Reportedly, this outing will be a sonically raw album similar to that of Fever to Tell instead of their heavily electronic, expansive last album, It's Blitz. In my opinion, when the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are at their rawest, they are at their most intriguing. Let's hope a single materializes soon.  

Vinnie the Intern #20: "Microwave, Meet Your Maker"

In celebration of 20 blogs, I'd like to give a playlist of my top 20 songs of the week. Some are new, some are old favorites, and some old-but-new favorites.

A video to watch: Check out the new, non-NO LOVE DEEP WEB track from Death Grips titled "True Vulture Bare." The video is a collaboration with Director/Animator Galen Pehrson and just as most of Death Grips' material, it is as unsettling as it is beautiful.

Hymie's Basement (2003/Lex Records)

A song to listen to: Keeping in line with being at times unsettling is Hymie's Basement's "Ghost Dream," which is featured in this playlist. I recently came across Hymie's Basement (a side project of WHY?'s Yoni Wolf and Fog's Andrew Broder). Released in 2003, a majority of the album is a take on the American Dream and way of life. "Ghost Dream" tells the tale of a man who takes a detour to find a bass guitar at a city dump before he makes his way to a school dance. As he swerves his van to avoid a couple he plunges into water and slowly drowns. One of his final thoughts is that the water was soaking out the starch of his new dress shirt. Ending on the the chorus "Brand new skinny ghost, meet your brand new angel monster  Microwave, meet your maker." Any WHY? fan should love it.

Vinnie the Intern #16: Some Tracks Worth Checking Out

This week I will be highlighting several new (or new to me) songs from artists such as Flying Lotus to Titus Andronicus. Enjoy.

XXYYXX's single "About You" contains a hazy, Weeknd-esque beat and a back-masked lyric of "here forever inside." The hypnotic beat grows into a skittering snare and synth saturated blast of energy. It is worth noting that rappers Kami de Chukwu and Brian Fresco used the track for their song "Red Rover."

Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes (10-02/Warp)

The new Flying Lotus album, Until the Quiet Comes, is available to stream now on NPR. It does not disappoint. The immediate standout for me was the gorgeous two suite mix of "me Yesterday//Corded." A bass heavy, jazzy, ascending beat that brings a feeling of euphoria when it hits its climax.

The anonymous Captain Murphy's released his newest track off his upcoming album, Duality, last week."The Killing Joke" features a backing track of something that can be roughly translated to 'bring Lucifer to me, on a tray" and lyrics such as "speculate my identity, good luck, you'll never find me." The track has many references to Batman and the Joker. The Killing Joke is also a title of the titular graphic novel from 1988.

Vinnie the Intern Blog #10: The End of Summer.

The summer is about to end and this intern must resume his scholarly duties. But don't worry, if you have at all enjoyed these blogs, there will be much more on the way. I am happy to report have been given the go-ahead to continue writing a weekly entry for Saki. 

I want to extend a big thank you to everyone who has read these blogs and to Carrot Top who took me in for yet another summer! This was a busy summer of press releases, inventory, and preparing shipments. It is something I surely will miss but I know the good folks at Carrot Top and Saki have not seen the last of me. With four months left in the year, there is still so much talk about. I will be writing about the newest albums and judging by this fall's large amount of highly anticipated releases, I should not be short on music to talk about.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes

Bonus blog within a blog: The new Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti album, Mature Themes, is now streaming on NPR. The album opens with the zany "Kinski Assassin." This Doors-"Light My Fire"-esque track contains the usual Ariel charm: lyrics first seeming out-there and laughable which become infectious upon multiple listens. Try to not repeat the hook "Who sunk my battleship? I sunk my battle ship!" to yourself during your listening pleasure. "Only In My Dreams" is a love song in the way that only Ariel Pink can do love songs and is an immediate standout. Most comparable to their 2010 breakout, Before Today, more-so any other in their catalogue proves to be a good thing. The basslines are just as solid and even possibly improved is Ariel Pink's voice. Anyone looking for the weirdness that is present on their earliest releases can rest easy knowing that it is still very present. "Schnitzel Boogie" is among the more odd tracks including lyrics about eating schnitzel set to a catchy bassline and a gang of lively backing vocalists. "Pink Slime" features some glowing synths and hyper-active vocals which is followed by the dreamier, Beach Boy styled croon of "Farewell American Primitive." The flow of the album is vital to the album's success. Acting as a true closer, the seven-minute murky, hypnotic "Nostradamus & Me" has Ariel announcing "goodbye" through a progressive drone (a contradiction, I know.). "Baby," the actual closer is another stand out. While it is undeniably Ariel, I felt it was best that it put the Donny and Joe Emerson cover at the end of the record as to not disrupt the album's flow as a whole. The album is out August 20th. Make sure you check this one out! Highly recommend!

JJ DOOM - Key To the Cuffs

Animal Collective - Centipede HZ (Set to premier next week!)

Death Grips - NO LOVE DEEP WEB

WHY? - Mumps, Ect.

I will also be preparing a top 50 songs of 2012 in early December. For now I will leave you with "Twenty Seven;" the bizarre, tempo shifting gem from the new WHY? EP, Sod In The Seed, which can be downloaded in its entirety off of their label, Anticon's Soundcloud. Enjoy!

Vinnie the Intern Blog #9: A New Artist To Watch.

Mystery can add to excitement. One of the newest mysteries in music is the identity behind Captain Murphy. Some swear Captain Murphy is the moniker for the collaboration between Tyler, the Creator and Flying Lotus while others attest to it being Los Angeles rapper Zeroh. I am not here to solve the case. A tweet from Captain Murphy himself stated "Doesn't matter who I am. Just listen."  I agree. I love ambiguity in music. I love that I have never seen an interview with MC Ride from Death Grips or the fact that MF Doom chooses to hide his face. I am just hear to pass along that Captain Murphy is an amazing up-and-comer. 

Captain Murphy's Du∆lity

Captain Murphy rose to popularity through the track "Between Friends." The Flying Lotus, Earl Sweatshirt of Odd Future, and Captain Murphy collaboration was released as part of [adult swim]'s Single Program. The track's instrumental is very mellow featuring three different movements with lyrically top-notch performances by Earl Sweatshirt and Captain Murphy. Captain Murphy's rasp and deep voice (a reason for the Tyler assumptions) is distinct as he breaks into his star-making verse. "So unorthodox. Chillin' with a shaman, eating Ramen in a parking lot." His flow complements the beat well. This is easily one of my favorite tracks of the year.

Released a week prior to "Between Friends," Captain Murphy's "Mighty Morphin' Foreskin" seems to be heavily MF Doom influenced with many nods to Godzilla, Street Fighter ("I'll punch you Shoryuken or Haduken"), and even having an outro similar to something that would be heard on Operation: Doomsday stating "Planet Earth is about to be recycled." In addition to Doom, the pitch-shifted and mutated vocals are highly reminiscent of something that would be on any Odd Future track.

Released last week, "The Ritual" takes instrumental of the Madlib-esque Jay Electronica track "Dear Moleskine" produced by Just Blaze and turns it into a delightfully romp filled with debauchery and virgin sacrifice; among many other things. "Been a long time coming, I've been lost in the light, learned how to do the Dougie with the devil in the moonlight." Very Doom influenced as well, the track has yet another dialogue filled interlude before cutting back into the main beat. 

All three of these tracks are available for free from [adult swim] or by the links in both Captain Murphy's videos on Youtube. Duality will be the new album by Captain Murphy release presumptuously sometime soon. Judging by the tracks that have been release so far, it has a lot of hype to live up to. But Duality should hopefully prove to be an interesting listen. 

Vinnie the Intern Blog #8: Cursive at Wicker Park Fest

I stopped by the Wicker Park Fest on Saturday to see Omaha's Cursive, who have been touring in support of their latest album, I AM GEMINI, released in February. It was a nice feeling to finally to add them to my "seen it" list. I remember trying to see The Good Life (Tim Kasher's side project) at the Do-Division Street Fest two years ago, but that ended in failure and I was not 21 yet for the 21+ Subterranean show on January 1st 2011. Needless to say, I was very satisfied with the show.

Photo courtesy of Matt Marten

In typical fashion of my back luck seeing Tim Kasher and company, my friend and I missed the blue-line, separating ourselves from the rest of our group. After being reunited, we proceeded to make our way to the front. After a slight altercation between our group and a group of moshers, Cursive got to the stage and opened abruptly with "The Martyr." Other than Tim's intermittent yelps acting as a transition between songs, he did not speak a considerable amount between songs, focusing mostly on playing through their set. The set featured a down-tempo version of "The Recluse" which fit the mood of the song very well and closed with a song many were equally shocked as delighted to hear, "Sink to the Beat."

The set was a great mixture of mostly Domestica and the Ugly Organ with side portions of The Burst and Bloom, Happy Hollow, Mama, I'm Swollen, and I AM GEMINI. The band (Matt Maginn (bass), Ted Stevens (guitar, backing vocals), Cully Symington (drums), and Patrick Newberry (multi-instrumentalist)) sounded amazing. Mostly notable, they were precisely solid rhythmically despite many drawn out pauses by somewhat vocally unpredictable singer/guitarist Tim Kasher. Cursive will be touring with Minus the Bear starting this September. 

Any fans of Bear vs. Shark, Braid, Cymbals Eat Guitars, or The Dismemberment Plan should definitely check out Cursive if given the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of Keith Solberg

The Setlist:

The Martyr 

Driftwood: A Fairy Tale

The Cat and Mouse

From the Hips 

The Radiator Hums

Wowowow

Retreat!

The Recluse

I Couldn't Love You

Sierra

Dorothy at Forty

Making Friends and Acquaintances

A Gentleman Caller

This House Alive

Art is Hard

Sink to the Beat

Vinnie the Intern Blog #5: Staying Cool This Summer

Last week it pretty much hotter than it has ever been here in Chicago and while this week is still going to be warm, it will be a nice breather from the 100+ degree weather we have been subjected to. Here is a short and sweet 12 track mix to help you stay cool on those sweltering summer days. 

Additional Details:
Wavves - "King of the Beach" - King of the Beach (2010)
So Many Dynamos - "Heat/Humidity" - When I Explode (2004)
SBTRKT - "Heatwave" - SBTRKT (2011)
Minus the Bear - "Ice Monster" - Planet of Ice (2007)
Atlas Sound - "Cold As Ice" - Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (2008)
Mount Eerie - "Cold Mountain" - Eleven Old Songs Of Mount Eerie (2005)
Animal Collective - "Bluish" - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
Helios - "A Mountain of Ice" - Caesura (2008)
The Microphones - "Ice" - It Was Hot, We Stayed In The Water (2000)
Women - "Heat Distraction" - Public Strain (2010)
Panda Bear - "Fire!" - Panda Bear (1998)
The Avalanches - "Summer Crane" - Since I Left You (2001)

Vinnie the Intern Blog #4: The State of Hip-Hop

I have been a hip-hop fan for as long as I could recall. My first memory of hip-hop was playing my brother's cassette of Dr. Dre's "Dre Day" as loud as I could on my boom-box. I chose Biggie over Tupac and Jay-Z over Nas. I shuddered as hip-hop became an auto-tuned, radio-processed mess. But through all of this, there have always been true artists that have continually defined the state of hip-hop. The artists I list in this blog gave me the same feeling that I remembered while listening to "Dre Day" all those years ago. 

WHY? - Sod In The Seed - EP(Anticon/Aug 14th)

Last week Oakland's WHY? released "Sod In The Seed" off their Sod In The Seed EP due out on August 14th. It is WHY? at their finest. With its gripping opening line, "Let's review some recent facts...," I was immediately reminded of the first time I heard Alopecia (2008), my favorite WHY? album (as well as on of my general favorites). The song is available for free download on the band's Soundcloud. The reference of Whole Foods and Mac G4s bring to mind a time when vocalist Yoni Wolf spoke of R. Crumb exhibits, being at a Silver Jews show, and Showbiz Pizza. The band backing the ramblings are sounding as solid as ever. With bells and a steady bass line, WHY? appeal to hip-hop fans and indie rock fans alike.

Joey BADA$$ - 1999 (Cinematic/Creative Control)

Exciting newcomer, Brooklyn's Joey BADA$$ released his mix-tape 1999 with assistance from his group PRO ERA and from producers such as Knxwledge and MF DOOM. While the rousing fact may be that this artist is only 17, I find it equally incredible that this would not be out of place if you nesteled it between A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory (1991) and Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the 36 Chambers (1993). Songs like "Survival Tactics" and "Killuminati" both featuring spots by PRO ERA confidant, Capital STEEZ, are proof that gritty New York hip-hop is not just a thing of the past. Joey BADA$$ and the rest of PRO ERA are true artists to watch out for. Check out the video for "Survival Tactics" below.

Death Grips have earned much praise for their abrasive sound that includes Zach Hill on percussion and MC Ride on vocals. Their videos, similar to their musical prowess, have an emphasis on being innovative without a cushy budget, despite being on a major label (Epic Records). Last week Death Grips released their newest video "Double Helix" off of The Money Store, released in April. 

Another artist picking up quite a bit of attention is Azealia Banks with her debut EP, 1991, released earlier last month. Banks received praise for her single "212" towards the end of last year, which now has upwards of 22 million hits on Youtube. The single, along with the previously released "Liquorice" both made appearances on 1991, making up half the album. The other half, I am pleased to say delivered to these high expectations. Especially the exceptional title-track which takes form more in progressive-house rather than hip-hop. Banks will release her follow up to 1991, the mix-tape Fantasea, next Wednesday.

When I hear claims of the state of hip-hop is in dire need of change, I have to respectfully disagree. There is a lot going on in the world of hip-hop that feels new and exciting. Anyone interested in something new in hip-hop should look no further than WHY?, Joey BADA$$, Death Grips, or Azealia Banks.

Vinnie the Intern Blog #3: A Snapshot of Northwestern Suburban Bands. (Also, Squeamish to play Saturday, June 30th at the Underground Lounge!)

This week on Vinnie the Intern's blog I will be giving a look into bands that my friends and I have been in and will be talking about the newest EP from one of my friend's bands. I have been lucky enough to play alongside some incredible musicians. It has been a while since I have been part of the writing and recording process. It is something I have sincerely missed. 

The band I played bass for, Et Tu? (Shameless plug! Here is our Bandcamp), has dissolved, although never officially disbanded, due to our members being spread out across the mid-west. Being able to record in an actual studio was one of the most exhilarating experiences I have ever enjoyed. I really want to get back to that someday.

Et Tu's lead singer/guitarist went on to join multiple projects in the Northwestern Suburbs, notably including a self-proclaimed "Cruise-Rock" two-piece heavily influenced by Death From Above 1979 and the Cars called No Pony; No Party.

Our guitarist joined several bands in as well such as the Wind & the Sea, Balloon Animals, and Fitness Tapes until there was solidity in line-ups and practices with his newest musical venture. That band, the reason I am writing this blog, is called Squeamish.

Squeamish is an Ohio-based group composed of Sean Kelly (guitar and vocals), Jordan Mitchell (guitar and vocals), Lenny Burkett (bass and vocals), and Kyle Cardwell (drums and vocals). Their EP, Hammerhead, available for download on Bandcamp was mixed by Bobby Leonard and produced by the band.

Hammerhead was released last Friday and I can delightfully say I enjoyed every second of this 14 minute burst of energy. While Squeamish can be classified as pop-punk, there is much here that is similar to At the Drive-In (circa Alfaro Vive, Cajaro!/Acrobatic Tenement). Squeamish's two lead vocalists keep textures interesting and Sean Kelly's angular, spastic riffs compliment a solid rhythm section.

I spoke with Sean about the recording process and he stated:

"Though the recording turned into a bit of a convoluted process, we're all super stoked to have the EP done. There will hopefully be more to come soon. With this tour, we're really just hoping as many people hear us as humanly possible. We're looking forward to a solid time with Steamboat and our friends in Chicago and Kalamazoo."

June 28th marks their first day of their tour. Squeamish will perform at Carabar at 10:00PM in Columbus, Ohio. On the 29th, they will trek to Kalamazoo, Michigan at Fat Guy House at 10:00PM, and then end their trip in Chicago at the Underground Lounge at 8:00 on June 30th.

Brownie Mountain will be playing alongside Squeamish on the 30th. Their newest album, Good Goals, released earlier this March can be listened to on their Bandcamp, Minneapolis-based band Ghost Towns of the West will also be playing on the at the Underground Lounge.

Make sure you get out there and support bands playing passionate music. I will be at the Underground Lounge this Saturday. Hope to see you there as well!

Vinnie the Intern's Blog #2: How To Make An Interesting Mixtape

It's that time of the week for Vinnie the Intern's blog post. This week I will be talking about my choices for what songs to include in a mix tape.

I am passionate about making mix tapes. It may be due to the fact that my commute to work often hangs around the hour mark. Mix tapes have unquestionably made these mind numbing drives tolerable. There is nothing better than being taken over by music and shamelessly dancing, rapping, or singing in your car with the windows down, much to the dismay of the surrounding drivers. I am a frequent offender of all of the above. Below is my list for my ideal mix tape. It blends countless genres making for an engrossing (and hopefully enjoyable) listen. I hope that you check out these songs and that they encourage you to add them to a mix tape you make in the future.

01. The Avalanches - Since I Left You

02. WHY? - Good Friday

03. Atlas Sound - Shelia

04. Wavves - Baseball Cards

05. Badly Drawn Boy - Once Around The Block

06. Maps & Atlases - The Ongoing Horrible

07. Netherfriends - Stop Smoking Asshole Cigarettes

08. Man Man - Van Helsing Boombox

09. Shapes And Sizes - Head Movin'

10. Wolf Parade - I'll Believe In Anything

11. Cap'n Jazz - Ooh Do I Love You

12. Q And Not U - Fever Sleeves

13. Colossal - Give Me Tropical A Contact High

14. The Sea And Cake - Weekend

15. The Streets - Weak Become Heroes

16. Toro Y Moi - Talamak

17. Small Black - Photojournalist

18. PQM - You Are Sleeping

19. Azealia Banks - 1991

20. Death Grips - Hustle Bones

21. Bear Vs. Shark - Catamaran

22. Les Savy Fav - Je T'aime