DP39: #20-16
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, party people and music lovers! Let's cut the chit-chat and get to business. What do you say?
20. Bad Dudes - Bad Dudes (Brain Burger)
Rad name. Check. Awesome song titles. Check. Pant-soaking spazzy math rock. Check. It's all there, folks. From the ashes of the underappreciated and short-lived Dim Mak, spazz-pop genius Miracle Chosuke rose Bad Dudes. After you wonder whether they named themselves after the 8-bit NES game or whether they're street-tough, chain-wielding, leather-bearing thugs for about 15 seconds, your ass will be blown away by the thunder they bring. Noodling guitar lines bounce over neck-breaking drum beats, melodic meets robotic, and shit actually gets blown up ("F.F.B.O."). Yes, the "Dawn of the Dudes" is upon us, and it's really your choice as to whether to join up in arms or be trampled by the oncoming juggernaut of dudes.
19. Clor - Clor (Regal)
I'm not exactly sure what "plotz" means but the first time the ringing of Clor's bubble synth pop touched these virgin ears, you could say I "plotzed". You see, I don't speak Yiddish and certainly don't speak "dance", so the amount of joy and unbridled passion running through my veins in the opening bleeps of "Good Stuff" was unexpectedly great and extremely confusing. Channelling Gary Numan, Kraftwerk and at times more current brit-poppers like Futureheads ("Stuck in a Tight Spot") and early Blur, Clor avoids cliche suped-up revival modes of synth pop. This bouncy sound is real, almost lo-fi new wave in a very subtle way, and at the same time their tunes are bubbly and certifiable dance hits. Nearly every single track on Clor is club ready, and certainly Cool Kids Club ready.
18. Edan - Beauty and the Beat (Lewis Recordings)
Disenchanted by hip hop as a whole, I turned to MF Doom and hibernated, only bringing myself to listen his records. When I figured out I couldn't hide from the evils (and mediocres) of hip hop any longer, I was rewarded by my courage to resurface. Edan's Beauty and the Beat found me and restored my faith. Not since Cannibal Ox's The Cold Vein or Madvillain's Madvillainy has there been a rap album so unique and innovative, so fresh and self-inventing. Mixing rock pyschedelia and 70s funk, Edan melts your brain with layer upon layer of sonic bliss, confusing and hazy at first, but like a Magic Eye optical puzzle, when you lock on, things become so fucking clear, you feel like the Dalai Lama. His flow and lyrics are more a product of old school hip hop and backpacking coffeeshop indie-rap, clever and at times weird as hell. The combination of Edan's words and sound is not only intelligent and artistic but the first trippy ass groove where when you dance you don't look like a complete tool. For most people.
17. Menomena - Under An Hour (Film Guerrero)
My whole idea of modern dance revolves around the scene in The Big Lebowski, where the trio goes to see the interpretive dance performance by Marty. The thought of Menomena, one of Portland's brightest and best, soundtracking a group of bald, pudgy dudes, clad in leotards and leaves, doing some over dramatic twirlie-whirlies sounded amazing as much as amusing. However, upon hearing Under an Hour and viewing photos of the Monster Squad dance troop performing, I realized this was serious shit. Hard-bodied athletes, complex and engaging instrumental arrangements and expressionistic use of water, light and flour? I felt ashamed and disappointed. I was ashamed because I mocked something so ingenius, original and surprisingly accesible. And I was disappointed because my baseless and unrealistic dream of Menomena playing a Lebowski-fest came to crashing, burning end.
16. Headphones - Headphones (Suicide Squeeze)
God music is totally making a come back with Sufjan and it's somewhat surprising Pedro the Lion's David Bazan hasn't gotten a little recognition for being one of the original indie rock god-rock gods. Last night in a classic Jewese-Chinish X-mas celebration tour of any open bars in the Mission, Jacob "Hanukkah" Rosenberg and I discussed how Pedro the Lion (and other Jade Tree bands) were emo before emo actually became emo. Yeah. Headphones' lo-fi, bare-bones keyboard/drums sound is the perfect vehicle for Bazan's liberal-tinged, lyrically-visceral drone-pop melodies and his introverted, understated voice. These are some of the best songs Bazan has written, and if emo was actually like this, you wouldn't see fucks wearing "cheer up emo kid" t-shirts on the street, you'd see them sporting beards and corduroy jackets with elbow patches. That's a style I can roll with.
Bad Dudes: http://www.baddudes.net/
Clor: http://www.clor.co.uk/
Edan: http://www.humblemagnificent.com/
Menomena: http://www.menomena.com/
Headphones: http://www.headphonesmusic.com/
20. Bad Dudes - Bad Dudes (Brain Burger)Rad name. Check. Awesome song titles. Check. Pant-soaking spazzy math rock. Check. It's all there, folks. From the ashes of the underappreciated and short-lived Dim Mak, spazz-pop genius Miracle Chosuke rose Bad Dudes. After you wonder whether they named themselves after the 8-bit NES game or whether they're street-tough, chain-wielding, leather-bearing thugs for about 15 seconds, your ass will be blown away by the thunder they bring. Noodling guitar lines bounce over neck-breaking drum beats, melodic meets robotic, and shit actually gets blown up ("F.F.B.O."). Yes, the "Dawn of the Dudes" is upon us, and it's really your choice as to whether to join up in arms or be trampled by the oncoming juggernaut of dudes.
19. Clor - Clor (Regal)I'm not exactly sure what "plotz" means but the first time the ringing of Clor's bubble synth pop touched these virgin ears, you could say I "plotzed". You see, I don't speak Yiddish and certainly don't speak "dance", so the amount of joy and unbridled passion running through my veins in the opening bleeps of "Good Stuff" was unexpectedly great and extremely confusing. Channelling Gary Numan, Kraftwerk and at times more current brit-poppers like Futureheads ("Stuck in a Tight Spot") and early Blur, Clor avoids cliche suped-up revival modes of synth pop. This bouncy sound is real, almost lo-fi new wave in a very subtle way, and at the same time their tunes are bubbly and certifiable dance hits. Nearly every single track on Clor is club ready, and certainly Cool Kids Club ready.
18. Edan - Beauty and the Beat (Lewis Recordings)Disenchanted by hip hop as a whole, I turned to MF Doom and hibernated, only bringing myself to listen his records. When I figured out I couldn't hide from the evils (and mediocres) of hip hop any longer, I was rewarded by my courage to resurface. Edan's Beauty and the Beat found me and restored my faith. Not since Cannibal Ox's The Cold Vein or Madvillain's Madvillainy has there been a rap album so unique and innovative, so fresh and self-inventing. Mixing rock pyschedelia and 70s funk, Edan melts your brain with layer upon layer of sonic bliss, confusing and hazy at first, but like a Magic Eye optical puzzle, when you lock on, things become so fucking clear, you feel like the Dalai Lama. His flow and lyrics are more a product of old school hip hop and backpacking coffeeshop indie-rap, clever and at times weird as hell. The combination of Edan's words and sound is not only intelligent and artistic but the first trippy ass groove where when you dance you don't look like a complete tool. For most people.
17. Menomena - Under An Hour (Film Guerrero)My whole idea of modern dance revolves around the scene in The Big Lebowski, where the trio goes to see the interpretive dance performance by Marty. The thought of Menomena, one of Portland's brightest and best, soundtracking a group of bald, pudgy dudes, clad in leotards and leaves, doing some over dramatic twirlie-whirlies sounded amazing as much as amusing. However, upon hearing Under an Hour and viewing photos of the Monster Squad dance troop performing, I realized this was serious shit. Hard-bodied athletes, complex and engaging instrumental arrangements and expressionistic use of water, light and flour? I felt ashamed and disappointed. I was ashamed because I mocked something so ingenius, original and surprisingly accesible. And I was disappointed because my baseless and unrealistic dream of Menomena playing a Lebowski-fest came to crashing, burning end.
16. Headphones - Headphones (Suicide Squeeze)God music is totally making a come back with Sufjan and it's somewhat surprising Pedro the Lion's David Bazan hasn't gotten a little recognition for being one of the original indie rock god-rock gods. Last night in a classic Jewese-Chinish X-mas celebration tour of any open bars in the Mission, Jacob "Hanukkah" Rosenberg and I discussed how Pedro the Lion (and other Jade Tree bands) were emo before emo actually became emo. Yeah. Headphones' lo-fi, bare-bones keyboard/drums sound is the perfect vehicle for Bazan's liberal-tinged, lyrically-visceral drone-pop melodies and his introverted, understated voice. These are some of the best songs Bazan has written, and if emo was actually like this, you wouldn't see fucks wearing "cheer up emo kid" t-shirts on the street, you'd see them sporting beards and corduroy jackets with elbow patches. That's a style I can roll with.
Bad Dudes: http://www.baddudes.net/
Clor: http://www.clor.co.uk/
Edan: http://www.humblemagnificent.com/
Menomena: http://www.menomena.com/
Headphones: http://www.headphonesmusic.com/
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