Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma

There’s a good chance you’ve already heard the hype for Flying Lotus’s new album by now. If you’ve ignored it, don’t. This is the real deal. For those of you who haven’t: Flying Lotus, or Steven Ellison, is an experimental electronic producer who’s beats you might recognize form Adult Swim’s trippy late night image freezes in between commercials. “Cosmogramma” is his third full-length release, which Warp Records has been calling a “space opera.”

May 25th, 2010  |  by camden andrews  |  published in electronica, experimental, jazz  |  3 comments

Minus the Bear – Omni

It’s true, bands do need to develop and grow to prevent stagnation and avoid the risk of becoming a novelty band. But “Omni” does this with weak, cheesy smoothness while abandoning all of the things that made Minus the Bear loveable to begin with. It’s as if the adorable neighbor kid from next door who used to like climbing trees and selling lemonade decided to put on a suit one day and call himself a CEO. This is an album that undeservedly takes itself way too seriously.

May 5th, 2010  |  by camden andrews  |  published in alternative, indie rock, progressive rock  |  8 comments

Live at Coachella: From Ground Zero (2010)

There’s something magical about a big time festival like Coachella. It takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to cross one end of the campsite to the entrance of the festival, which lies adjacent to the other end. During this walk, you pass thousands of cars and tents, some wackily decorated in the spirit of Coachella (my favorite was a van made to look like a giant yellow submarine).

April 26th, 2010  |  by camden andrews  |  published in live shows  |  4 comments

Radiohead – Kid A (DangerDAN Remix)

A few days ago, a virtually unknown British producer by the name of Danger Dan released a remix of Radiohead’s “Kid A” on an Erol Alkan message board, and it’s quickly becoming one of the most talked about tracks in the music blogosphere.  It’s amazing how fast a good track or a remix of a familiar song can put you on the map these days.

April 6th, 2010  |  by camden andrews  |  published in electronica, progressive house, remixes  |  8 comments

Preview: The Tallest Man On Earth – The Wild Hunt

With his second album, Matsson still hangs on to the bare elements of his music while expanding its rustic sound to a more pop feel. It’s still just him and an instrument, but his voice has softened a bit to cover more romantic material, exposing his gritty, lone-ranger persona as someone with high hopes and dreams.

March 31st, 2010  |  by camden andrews  |  published in acoustic, folk  |  3 comments

Le Loup – Family

Even though Le Loup started as the solo project of Sam Simkoff, the band now emphasizes its identity as a family on their website, and the cohesion really comes through in the music. There isn’t a single element of the multi-layered tunes that overpowers the others; not even Simkoff’s vocals. Each member adds an equal contribution to the sound, and the result washes over in waves that are both complex and tranquil.

March 1st, 2010  |  by camden andrews  |  published in experimental, freak-folk  |  3 comments

The Streets – Blinded by the Lights (Nero Remix)

The two-step rhythm in The Streets’ “Blinded by the Lights” makes the song a perfect candidate for a dubstep remix. This new Nero remix doesn’t actually change much from the original, but the ground shaking bass and the trippy delay on the vocals makes for an entirely different listening experience, which is exactly what a good remix should do. Some moments are absolutely flooring. Find some good speakers or some good headphones, sit back, maybe light up a bit, and treat yourself to this bass assault.

December 23rd, 2009  |  by camden andrews  |  published in dubstep, hip-hop, remixes  |  5 comments

Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes (Dam-Funk remix)

It’s amazing how the smallest tweaks in a song can produce something entirely different. Dam-Funk’s remix of “Summertime Clothes” is nothing drastic- the song structure stays nearly the same and he only replaces maybe three of the song’s existing layers with his own signature drum machine sound and some floaty synths.

October 12th, 2009  |  by camden andrews  |  published in remixes

Dam-funk – Toeachizown Vol 1: LAtrik

Dam-Funk creates a similar blend, mixing Kraftwerk’s robotic electro-pop with undeniably funk-influenced bass lines and wonky beats, while throwing in his own element of narcotic spacey-ness. The result is a sedative mid-tempo electronic album with a groove that is more likely to make your head bob than to put you to sleep.

September 24th, 2009  |  by camden andrews  |  published in electronic, funk, instrumental, house  |  6 comments

Mochipet – Bunnies and Muffins

The music is bright and the beats are anything but formulaic, making for a pleasantly cerebral head-trip. This is a great introduction to the skeptics of electronic music looking to get past the typical “oom tss oom tss” repetition, but is a great listen for even veteran electronic music fans looking for something mellow and uplifting.

September 2nd, 2009  |  by camden andrews  |  published in electronic, electronica, instrumental, house