Ras G

Leaving Records upped this untitled spacey track from Ras G from his recently sold out Brotha There CD-R (previously available from Poo Bah). The piece moves from musing voices and hiss to damp underground caves to deep, warped rhythms, eventually opening up into some brand of droning 60s psychedelia. It's a great eight or nine minute jam, covers a lot of territory.

Snatch up that download here.

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I mentioned Off Balance Atlas in a recent post about Leaving Records. Turns out they did a druggy Ras G remix, which you can check out at OBA's Myspace here. Also download the free collage from OBA here (via LEAVING).

Too Long

It's been a few days since I last was able to be at a computer for a time. A.C. Newman and Dent May at the Paradise Rock Club Saturday night was a strange endeavor, as my excitement for Mr. May had been increasing over the past week. As this excitement increased (and existed), the anticipation for A.C. was little to none. Luckily I predicted correctly, as Dent played an awesome set while A.C. bored.

The ukulele was on point as Dent and his trio of accompaniments bounced through nearly all his songs, including the Prince cover "When You Were Mine," set opener "Oh, Paris!" and set closer "Meet Me in the Garden," which was surprisingly untrue to its recorded version. All the shooby-do's and varied retro back-up vocals were present, awkwardly piped from the bassist and guitarist. The tropical vibe also persisted, a single lei hanging from a mic stand. While there wasn't much to look at aside from four dudes making pop songs, it was at least a good experience seeing the tunes live. Also, I talked to the drummer, Carr (Dent was chattin up some ladies from his Mississippi hometown), his enthusiasm turning into the solid form of a neon pink "I'm an Alcoholic" coozy. What more can a guy want?

However, A.C. Newman was hardly entertaining. I agree that choreographing seven people on stage to recreate songs is a feat, especially when you've got a violin and four or five part harmonies. The downfall was that each song really sounded the same. I mean, there were self-described "power ballads" and "power waltzes," but everything just seemed like a New Pornographers' b-side. He's playing music which I tend to describe as indie-arena-rock. The sound is huge, but he's playing at the Paradise Rock Club so he can't get that huge turn-out one would expect from such power pop. Perhaps it's cos he's got a lot of competition in Boston for a crowd, but if I wasn't head over heels bout the opener, I'd have skipped it too.

PHOTOS COMING SOON.

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Not a new track, necessarily, but you can download the first track from the Nodzzz self-titled record "Is She There" right from What's Your Rupture. They have few tour dates coming up, all in San Francisco and Texas, but hopefully they'll come back around soon.

Nodzzz - "Is She There"

I've got some good news and I've got some bad news. Bad news is I'm going to have to miss this show my friend Bryan is putting on in Pittsfield - Masshysteri (Swede punk), Mudlark (stompin' posse), Prick Bastard ("70s rock suckerpunch"), and Screaming Females ("The last three "guitar heroes" I saw were women: Marnie Stern, Kaki King, and Marissa Paternoster of the Screaming Females" - Sasha Frere-Jones, via brooklynvegan). Check out the flyer here and go to the show if you can cos, in the words of Bryan, "You have nothing else to do."


The good news is I'm going to Boston tonight and tomorrow will be catching The New Pornographers' A.C. Newman and the hyper-Friendship-Bracelet-approved Dent May (surely with His Magnificent Ukulele) at the Paradise Rock Club. Newman's recently released record Get Guilty is a solid piece of guitar power pop. My favorite track I remember from it is "Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer," which you can download here (via Can You See the Sunset). Also, check Mr. May's cover of Prince's "When You Were Mine" from his A Brush With Velvet EP here (via Chocolate Bobka).

Then, Sunday is the Saint Patrick's Day parade in Boston, which should be culturally enlightening.

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I love this time of year.

LEAVING

Big ups to Leaving Records ("This exploration and ultimate transcendence of genre captures the spirit and scope of Leaving") for some outstanding content on their blog. Leaving has begun digitizing found tapes, releasing tapes, podcasting, making stickers, visual media, you name it. I was just funneled to it from dublab and am currently absorbing the MP3s they have to offer in the relatively brief time they've been posting. I highly recommend the stunning and beautiful Kora tape as well as the Off Balance Atlas collage. Both available at Leaving Records for download, as well as others.

Spring Break Spring Cleaning

Let loose the wonders found in mine camera: