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The crowd at San Francisco’s Outside Lands is in for a treat. Listening to Janelle Monae is like squirting hot sauce over your taco — her fresh sound packs a punch. Monae is only 26, and yet she’s already accomplished more than some artists might ever hope to. She’s touring at major indie music festivals this year, has been nominated for a Grammy, and teamed up with OutKast’s Big Boi to found the Wondaland Arts Society. So it’s no surprise why her first studio album, The ArchAndroid, is receiving a lot of fanfare.

Starting off with a classical overture, the album quickly transitions into lyrical hip-hop mixed with just about any genre you can think of – R&B, soul, gospel, funk, folk, rock, and classical instrumental… just to name a few. Her songs are fast-paced, sassy and weave the story of an android stuck in a futuristic world. If that doesn’t peak your interest, I don’t know what will.

Monae definitely likes to shake things up, and the whopping 18 tracks are a tribute to her creative ambition and vision. If you find yourself wandering Golden Gate Park this Sunday, August 15 at 3pm, head for the Sutro stage at Polo Fields for what will undoubtedly be a stellar live performance.

What others say:

[The album is] about as bold as mainstream music gets, marrying the world-building possibilities of the concept album to the big tent genre-mutating pop of Michael Jackson and Prince in their prime … The most impressive thing about The ArchAndroid isn’t that it bounces between genres, but that it does so without compromising quality or cohesion. – Pitchfork

myspace | myspace.com/janellemonae]]> http://www.indieshuffle.com/outside-lands-2010-preview-janelle-monae-the-archandroid/feed/ 5 http://www.indieshuffle.com/yo-la-tengo-here-to-fall-remixes/ http://www.indieshuffle.com/yo-la-tengo-here-to-fall-remixes/#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 22:02:19 +0000 Taylor Fife http://www.indieshuffle.com/?p=8587

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Last year’s ‘Popular Songs’ from Yo La Tengo had one of my favorite openings of the year. ‘Here to Fall’ starts out slow and weird, but as the song begins to add bass, drums, guitar, synthesizer, strings, and vocals it climaxes into a towering indie rock number from one of the most distinguished groups representing the genre. For their first foray into the oversaturated remix E.P. arena, the band picks some of the grooviest producers around to tweak their track.

De La Soul keep things sweet and simple on their laid back mix, and Pete Rock puts some hip-hop funk into the mix on his. But RJD2 gets the nod for best remix with his jam that makes Yo La Tengo feel right at home in your favorite underground jazz club. Ira Kaplan’s vocals sound perfect over the Hammond organ, slick guitar riffs, and funky baseline. The new drum track is the real clincher that somehow converted a song by Yo La Tengo into my new favorite disco ballad.

myspace | myspace.com/yolatengo]]> http://www.indieshuffle.com/yo-la-tengo-here-to-fall-remixes/feed/ 2 http://www.indieshuffle.com/digikid84-supernature-love-e-p-2/ http://www.indieshuffle.com/digikid84-supernature-love-e-p-2/#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:46:22 +0000 Taylor Fife http://www.indieshuffle.com/?p=8392

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It was obvious that Goldfrapp had been listening to a lot of disco glam when they released their third album back in 2005. After finding a modicum of success using the dancier beats featured in their second album, Black Cherry, they went all out with the four on floor for Supernature. The album proved to be their biggest seller and produced Goldfrapp’s most recognizable songs. And while some critics were not impressed, (I’m looking at you, Pitchfork) it got the duo two Grammy Award nominations, and is a fan favorite for many (myself included).

Digikid84’s hot off the presses Supernature Love E.P. may or may not be a tribute celebrating his love of Goldfrapp, but it certainly shares the same disco dance influences. In fact, Digikid84 takes it up a few notches with some seriously funky basslines and retro synth licks bound to get you feeling like clubbing 1984 style. Goldfrapp’s re-examination of Marc Bolan in ‘Oh La La’ and the ambiguous references to sex, drugs, and a 1983 hit by Laid Back in ‘Ride A White Horse’ are analogous to Digikid84’s answer to Goldfrapp and Donna Summers in his Supernature Love E.P. It’s pure disco goodness, a la Summers, with a funked out bass line, drums made for dancing, violins a-churning, and a voice crooning about love. Digikid84 also drops in a hefty dose of the 80’s, with keys and an overall vibe that conjures visions of white washed jeans, spandex, big hair, and Giorgio Moroder’s official theme for the 1984 Olympic in Los Angeles.

Like Goldfrapp’s Supernature, this E.P. also got some serious remix therapy. The two remixes of ‘Are You Ready’ are my favorites, one is by Xinobi and the other is an electro transformation by Dinamics. The P.A.M.E.L.A. remixes don’t slouch either and would make a great addition to your favorite disco-house playlist. The variety of remixes for those two tracks is a blessing as the original mixes don’t live up to the E.P.’s title track.

Bonus: Chromeo – Night by Night (Digikid84 Remix)

myspace | myspace.com/digikid84]]> http://www.indieshuffle.com/digikid84-supernature-love-e-p-2/feed/ 2 http://www.indieshuffle.com/gayngs-relayted/ http://www.indieshuffle.com/gayngs-relayted/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:21:26 +0000 Jason Grishkoff http://www.indieshuffle.com/?p=8070

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The first time I encountered Gayngs was when Hannah suggested that we write a review about them in the context of “music to have sex to”. The second time I heard Gayngs was at a smooth jazz/90s party where, quite appropriately, they had been selected to segue into a more modern array of genres as the night progressed/devolved. So, who are Gayngs? And are they really perfect for the bedroom?

Personally, the fact that Justin Vernon of Bon Iver is a member caught my attention first. Upon further investigation however, I found myself a bit taken aback by the behemoth cast that constitutes this group. It began when Ryan Olson decided to make a record with Solid Gold members Zack Coulter and Adam Hurlburt. Soon thereafter, as their first recordings began to make the rounds, the snowball-effect began. According to the band’s official bio,

The first people to join the cause were North Carolina’s Megafaun (Joe Westerlund, Brad Cook, Phil Cook), and with them came Ivan Howard (The Rosebuds), and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and Mike Noyce [...] In Minneapolis, Olson brought in Rhymesayers rapper P.O.S and his fellow Doomtree artist Dessa, psych-rockers Jake Luck and Nick Ryan (Leisure Birds), song-birds Channy Moon-Casselle and Katy Morley, jazz-saxophonist Michael Lewis (Happy Apple, Andrew Bird), retro-pop duo Maggie Morrison and Grant Cutler (Lookbook), and slide-guitarist Shön Troth (Solid Gold).

I just tried to count the number of members (did you?). I think I came up with 19. Surprisingly, it only took this motley group about a year to put out their debut album “Relayted”, which I am fairly confident almost all indie fans have found to be a pleasant surprise. Personally, I would never have expected the sound produced by this eclectic cast of characters. Then again, I can’t say I’ve heard 90% of them in any solo context.

Particularly remarkable is how well held-together this album actually is. Hats off to the original trio! I’m fairly certain they’ll be providing background ambiance for a number of romantic evenings throughout the world. So what do you think? Will this album find its way into your bedroom?

myspace | myspace.com/gayngs]]> http://www.indieshuffle.com/gayngs-relayted/feed/ 12 http://www.indieshuffle.com/otis-redding-sittin-on-the-dock-of-the-bay/ http://www.indieshuffle.com/otis-redding-sittin-on-the-dock-of-the-bay/#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:15:53 +0000 Jason Grishkoff http://www.indieshuffle.com/?p=6935

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Song: Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay

What Others Say:

Arguably the best song from the Memphis Stax era’s most powerful and talented singer, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” (1968) takes everyman’s frustration with past decisions, couples it with worries about living up to your family and friends’ expectations, and wraps it up in the most beautiful vocal performance of which mankind is capable. Even on the 3,000th play, this song can send shivers down the spine of anyone who’s grabbed a mike and attempted to sing. But ol’ Otis didn’t do it all by himself: he had Booker T. & the M.G.’s keeping the beat in the background, helping the singer reach sweet soul perfection. For those of you playing Trivial Pursuit: recorded three days before Otis’s untimely death in a plane crash on December 10, 1967, Stax released “The Dock of the Bay” — his only #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — posthumously. – Pop Dose

Bonus: Roots Manuva vs The Barkays – Too hot to witness (Make It Funky edit)

Click image to view band's Facebook

Sounds like: Frank Zappa, Parliament, Allman Brothers

While Pants for Bears is definitely a live band first, I was pretty surprised by the quality and diversity of the tracks. In this recording I hear the ass shaking party grooves of Parliament, the weirdness of Frank Zappa, the down-home soul of the Allman Brothers, and the hundreds of dirty guitar riffs that inspired bands like the Black Keys.

So what is the difference between a progressive psychedelic band with indie cred and one without? Three or four synthesizers? A fabricated lo-hi aesthetic? A complete unwillingness to make music people can dance to? Well the truth is I don’t know, and don’t really care. This is the kind of band that is just going to get better and better on record, with each member pushing each other to get weirder, better, more exploratory, and willing to take risks. The good news is Pants for Bears is ready to enjoy right now as the group is making live sounds that people used to wait months to see. You went to go see Parliament because they had the funk, and you wanted it badly. Well Pants for Bears has the funk…and some pants…for bears.

Elsewhere on the web:
myspace | myspace.com/pantsforbears

Click to download full album.

What’s so good?
Citizen Cope (or Clarence Greenwood and co.) isn’t exactly indie music. If anything, the band’s second album “The Clarence Greenwood Recordings” launched them into relative mainstream pop success. Songs like “Sun’s Gonna Rise” and “Bullet and a Target” remain anthems for many a bar, night club, or sorority girl iPod. Nonetheless, I admit I always enjoyed the hell out of Citizen Cope and was particularly surprised when I found out that for “The Rainwater LP”, they passed up a major record label and decided to launch independently. Passing up the big bucks for an independent release — that’s something we at Indie Shuffle commend, right? Therefore, by definition, “The Rainwater” is an indie album, and not too shabby of one either.

While it’s no “Clarence Greenwood,” the album depicts the softer, more mellow side of Cope’s music; a side that never really got a lot of exposure to the world. I suppose this album will not be reviewed that highly, nor will it get much attention on the charts, but if you are looking for a nice calm blues influenced folk album to pass the time with, throw this one on and give it a whirl. Cope’s unique style never disappoints. Highlights here include “Healing Hands,” a nice little broken heart montage, and “I Couldn’t Explain Why,” a good example of classic Cope blues-funk rock.

PS. For all you DC folks, Cope is set to make a 2 night stand at the 930 club on 4/30 and 5/1.

Sure, many fading artists speak of “opting” to release their music themselves, but most don’t really have a choice. With the decent amount of mainstream exposure he’s had, Cope likely did. After all, he’s been featured on a Carlos Santana album, and his signature single, 2004’s “Bullet and a Target,” remains a beloved commentary on self-loathing and addiction. The self-produced Rainwater, then, is an opportunity to present his uncorrupted vision. Perhaps predictably, the results are often self-indulgent, but there are moments of unvarnished grandeur. His vocals dominate the mix, backed by acoustic guitars and modest percussion. This was a smart decision, as his granular, slightly affected drawl is as memorable as that of the Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz, if not so pandering. The tunes themselves feel especially bluesy, not in terms of chord progressions or repetitive structures but in themes and moods. – Washington City Paper

Elsewhere on the web:
myspace | myspace.com/citizencope

Click image to download full album

Sounds like: Electric Light Orchestra, George Clinton, Steppenwolf

What’s so good?
This is a present day album that can really put your parents’ old turntable to use. In an age when music is becoming increasingly electronic, the Phenomenal Handclap Band’s debut self-titled album is decidedly vinyl. This group is poppy, but with a bass-infused rhythmic vibe and a range of melodies that essentially chronicle mainstream music as a whole from the 1970′s.If the first track hasn’t done anything to get you on your feet, “All of the above” should be sure to do so.

Using a disco-themed, speedy and multi-layered bassline with the support of synthesizers, harmonicas and bongo drums to boot, PHB gives this song a fairly sharp edge. The chorus and lyrics certainly don’t do anything to take out the punch either. But this track doesn’t speak to the entirety of PHB’s first album. Along the way, songs vary from rock to pop to soul, and they do so convincingly.

To be fair, the Phenomenal Handclap Band probably can’t do all things for all people. In some ways, with an end product that is not overly unique or extraordinary, this group might not be able to live up to it’s own name (can you think of a catchier one in recent memory?). But with a core of members from other bands such as TV on the Radio, L’Trimm, Calla, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Mooney Suzuki, and Sí Se, as well as the accompaniment of multiple other cameos, this collective puts forth an album that is undeniably magnetic. Not a single track lacks energy or continuity amongst the group, and the album is quite simply a lot of fun. rest assured, the phenomenal handclap band is a throwback that will most likely find a way to grab the attention of anyone who comes in its path.

Embassy Sound Productions (ESP) emerges with a fresh approach to dance-oriented rock and roll, using live instrumentation to evoke the intricate arrangements of Norman Whitfield, Quincy Jones, and Phil Spector as well as the pared down beats of contemporaries like The Neptunes and Danger Mouse. – truth & soul

There’re spaceship swoops, pulse pad percussion, high buzzing synth riffs and cowbells (of course), but also harmonica solos, alternately weeping or grinding guitar licks, and melodramatic echoing whispers for full Funkadelic props. And the beats, which step, stride and swagger unhurriedly throughout, cohere all 12 tracks together into a nonchalant but focused whole – drowned in sound

Elsewhere on the web:
myspace | myspace.com/phenomenalhandclap

download:
The Phenomenal Handclap Band – All of the Above.mp3

Click image to download full album

Sounds like: Caribou, Bonobo, The Books, Here We Go Magic

What’s so good?
It has been a matter of weeks since I first posted about Bibio and his June 2009 album, Ambivalence Avenue. To be honest, the last thing that I was expecting was to see a new album released less than six months later. And while the feat is perhaps dampened by the fact that only four of these tracks are completely original to the artist, the eight additional remixes featured on The Apple and the Tooth provide some real gems.

Still, the tracks worth particular focus are those that are untouched by anyone but Bibio. With them he has once again demonstrated that his prior sound, which emulated record-label companions Boards of Canada, is dead and gone. The new Bibio knows how to get down, and can do so with some serious style. The attached track, Bones & Skulls, is a perfect example of his versatility and new sound: clean and full guitars backed by somewhat subtle vocals and thick, electronic percussion. To be fair, those descriptions (with the exception of vocals) could easily describe the Boards of Canada production. The emotions produced by the tempo, however, couldn’t be more different.

While his new material is excellent, the remixes are hit or miss. The jerkiness of Clark’s remix of the song S’Vive, for example, can get rather annoying, and does very little justice to the original. But what’s novel here is that Bibio actually remixes one of his own tracks, Palm of Your Wave. This was one of the better (and perhaps sadder) tracks on Ambivalence Avenue,  rooting itself in a purely folk sound (vocals and guitar, alone). For the remix, Bibio has added to what sounds like a minstrel quartet: simple percussion and a harpsichord on crack. Another one that I do like is Lone’s All the Flowers remix:

Remixes aside, who is this Bibio character? Well, I’ve already written about him before, so I’m going to quote myself:

Like English compatriots Bonobo and Caribou, Bibio has developed his own electronica style that is at once warm, funky, and full of all things experimental. Following a few releases that embodied a folk/field recording blend, Stephen Wilkinson signed with Warp records, home of my favorite, Boards of Canada. The product of his evolution stands in stark contrast to his prior work: it is as if he has evolved into a whole new beast.

Elsewhere on the web:
myspace | myspace.com/mrbibio
warp records | warp.net

Download:
Bibio – Bones & Skulls.mp3
Bibio – All the Flowers (Lone Remix).mp3

Click image to download full album

Sounds like: Caribou, Bonobo, The Books, Here We Go Magic

What’s so good?
Like English compatriots Bonobo and Caribou, Bibio has developed his own electronica style that is at once warm, funky, and full of all things experimental. Following a few releases that embodied a folk/field recording blend, Stephen Wilkinson signed with Warp records, home of my favorite, Boards of Canada. The product of his evolution stands in stark contrast to his prior work: it is as if he has evolved into a whole new beast.

I had a chance to listen to his prior album, Vignetting the Compost, which was released earlier this year: while it was obvious that he took many pages from Boards of Canada, the end result was nothing to write home about. With Ambivalence Avenue, however, Bibio has achieved something solidly original: he brought the funk to Caribou, Board of Canada, and Bonobo — definitely worth your checking out.

While these songs are a quantum leap for Bibio, they still reasonably project from the foundation he’s laid. But there’s no accounting for the remainder of the album, which finds him paddling the uncharted waters of hip-hop, techno, and points outlying. “Jealous of Roses” sets lustrous funk riffs dancing between the stereo channels as Bibio belts out a surprisingly effective Sly-Stone-in-falsetto impersonation. “Fire Ant” spikes the loping soul of J Dilla with the stroboscopic vocal morsels of the Field; “Sugarette” wheezes and fumes like a Flying Lotus contraption. The music feels both spontaneous and precise, winding in complex syncopation around the one-beat, with subtle filter and tempo tweaks, and careful juxtapositions of texture (see the arid, throttled voices scraping against the sopping-wet chimes of “S’vive”). Many songs taper off into ambient passages that have actual gravity, gluing the far-flung genres together. It’s the kind of seamless variety, heady but visceral, that few electronic musicians who aren’t Four Tet have achieved – Pitchfork

elsewhere on the web:
myspace | myspace.com/mrbibio
scissorkick review | scissorkick.com/
remix mag review | remixmag.com/
surfing on steam review | surfingonsteam.blogspot.com/

download:
bibio – jealous of roses.mp3

Click image to download full album

Sounds like: Parliament/Funkadelic, Sa-Ra, Kraftwerk

What’s so good?
While funk may not be a viable form of music today, it’s impossible to ignore its influence. Its syncopated rhythms, groovy edge, and its willingness to get a little weird has leaked into jazz, electro, pop, and even rock music. Derrick May, one of the innovators of techno, once said that his blend of music sounded like “George Clinton meeting Kraftwerk in an elevator.”

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. And while most funk-influenced music seems to carry its energy and edge, Toeachizown brings back its groovy earthiness.

Dam-Funk may have replaced the blaring horn sections and scratchy guitars with turntables, but his funk roots are easily the most important element of his style. The CD’s final track, “Searchin’ 4 Funk’s Future,” swims in uncertainty as Dam sings the songs title, which penetrates through the rest of his heavily effected vocals as one of the only comprehensible lines in the whole album. As funk music continues to splinter, Dam seriously reflects on its direction and future. Like any type of music, it must inevitably evolve, but into what? As the album ends with his vocals and a dubious synth, he also seems to ask whether he is willing and ready to carry its torch. But if this album is any indication as to where he can take it, he should be more than capable.

EDIT: Someone brought to my attention that the album I reviewed was in fact the first volume of a 5 LP set.  The first 3 were released digitally, and the last two get released later this fall.

elsewhere on the web:
bang the box download | http://bangthebox.net/
pitchfork review | http://www.pitchfork.com/
prefix mag review | http://www.prefixmag.com/
myspace | http://www.myspace.com/damfunk

download:
dam-funk – toeachizown

Click image to download full album

Sounds like: The Shins, Kings of Convenience, Minus the Bear

What’s so good?
Take Kings of Concenience, and give them some funk. Somehow this group manages to keep things upbeat, dancey, cutting-edge-indie, and yet totally chill. Perhaps it’s the clean sound of the guitars, the grooving keyboard, or (most likely) the mellowed out vocals of their frontman. Word around the webnet is that the band took a more ‘organic’ approach to recording, with all of the tracks being done live with no overdubs or additional effects. I think you’d be hard pressed to find another band doing the same thing these days.

“if the songs from rules …were to be played in a long ride on the elevator, while you’re waiting to be put through to a phone operator, or in one of those godforsaken american bars with a name like, ‘the starlight room’, or, ‘lounge paradiso’, the world would be a lot more exciting place” – the 405