Saturday, June 21, 2008

Albums you should have by now Vol.1

In 2003 Rolling Stone declared this album to be the greatest of all time

The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers


A stunning example of indie rock breaking into the mainstream without sacrificing anything.

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

Nathaniel Merriweather presents... Lovage: Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By

Okay so first of all with the band members, Nathaniel Merriweather is actually Dan the Automator from Handsome Boy Modelling school, and Chester Rockwell who has a few speaking parts is Prince Paul. The male lyrics are sung by Mike Patton(Faith no more) and the female vocals come from Jennifer Charles with Kid Koala on the turntables.

If you were to take the slower and funkier tracks from Handsome Boy Modeling School like 'the truth' and 'once again' and make an album of then with premise being sex, you'd have Lovage. Even though the album as a whole can't seem to decide whether or not it's a homage or simply mocking all those old soft R'n'B crooners from the 80's that thankfully have dissapeard, it's still a very interesting concept album with good production that is so different from most everything else that it deserves at least a one off listen from everyone, the tracks 'strangers on a train' and 'everyone has a summer' alone save the album for me. On a side note i'm not sure how much of good album this would be to make love to your old lady by, it's possibly the best or worst thing you could try. If you did try it, leave a comment.

Nathaniel Merriweather presents... Lovage: Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By

Better than Ezra; or, those guys with that song from the X-Files movie

Better than Ezra are an alternative rock band from New Orleans, Louisiana. Since the early 90's they've been making some good music and seem to have mostly stayed off the grid of mainstream awareness. This is a 'best of' album released in 2005 that covers just about all the highs these guys managed to hit and does a better job of showing the band's style than most 'best of' collections. This is solid, good for all occasions rock that will probably feel most at home as the background noise for a group of friends who can't seem to agree on the choice of tunes.

Better than Ezra - Greatest Hits

Friday, June 20, 2008

Pure Imagination

This is for the music makers...
This is for the dreamers of dreams...

Willy Wonka 1970 Original Soundtrack

It's all about lounge

Lounge against the machine is the first album by Richard Cheese and as far as first albums go it's really quite something. Richard Cheese is the LA based comedian Mark Davis and his backing band Bobby Ricotta and Frank Feta are actually Noel Melanio and Brian Fishler.

The entire premise behind Richard Cheese is what would happen if you took Metal/Rap/Pop songs and covered them in the most over the top swanky lounge style possible? well the answer is some very funny songs and some surprisingly good music. If your anything like me you'll listen to it a few times to laugh at how deadpan lines like "here's one for the ladies, RAPE ME!" but after a little while you'll stop listening to the lyrics and just appreciate such a well done over the top style of lounge. This is an album i can thoroughly recommend to everyone, you'll come for the kitsch and stay for the camp.

Richard Cheese - Lounge against the machine

Monday, June 16, 2008

Interconnected Networks

Trip Hop, Jazz and Electronica

Tryad are an interesting group. One of the first groups to release all their music and the creative commons license back in 2005. They formed online without meeting each other and have made to excellent albums so far. Luscious vocals, intricate rhthyms and richly textured sounds.

Tryad - Listen

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Stupid is as stupid does; and Lester's done it all

Well these two albums are one's i've had on near constant repeat for the last two weeks. Josh Woodward is another of those indie-folk-rock singer/songwriters that have popped up like weeds over the last half dozen years with the notable exception of actually being good. I have two albums for you hear today the first being 'Dirty Wings' which is the more rock orientated of the two.

I suggest you download 'Dirty Wings' first of the two to decide if you like the mans style, before moving on to 'Not Quite Connected' which is a lighter poppier recording.

Josh Woodward - Dirty Wings

Josh Woodward - Not Quite Connected

Friday, June 13, 2008

Organic Plastic Music

The words "Japanese" and "jazz fusion" don't usually go together. But if at any point in time you have been in a car with me, and i have been in control of the music, you've heard this music before. This gem of a recording is the first album by this japanese jazz duo, and may not initially sound like good driving music but is well worth trying. I especially recommend track 6 'happy valley'


Orange Pekoe - Organic Plastic Music