Saturday, March 31, 2012

Video: 2 new videos from Gotye

Animation/design studio Rubber House from Australia recently released 2 music videos for  Belgian/Aussie singer Gotye, "State of the Art" & "Don't Worry, We'll Be Watching You" both from his latest album, Making Mirrors.

I like the song & video for "State of the Art" better out of the two as it synchs perfectly with the song and has a real vibrant style.  "Dont Worry.." gets a bit repetitive but is trippy in its own right.





Both videos are directed and animated by Greg Sharp & Ivan Dixon

Friday, March 30, 2012

Happy Friday! Drunk Man Sings “Bohemian Rhapsody” In The Back Of A Cop Car


Happy Friday! This one is pretty much explained completely in the title, the man seen on the surveillance tape in the back of a police car speaks for a little on the need for brotherhood between men, peppered with protests at the accusations leveled against his sobriety. Then, without warning, he launches into a passionate 5 plus-minute performance of Queens “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Listen: Pillowfight – “In the Afternoon”


We shared a preview of Dan The Automator’s  latest project Pillowfight back in early February, for those who missed it here is a recap.  the group is composed of Dan, who is handling production duties, Emily Wells, who is providing the vocals,  turntable wizard Kid Koala and David Choe who will be providing the visuals. We now have the finished version of lead single “In the Afternoon” to share below, look for the LP to drop sometime 2012.

Listen: Chromatics – “Kill For Love” Full LP


I’m not usually one to post a full stream of an album that is officially out but I’ve been listening to this album heavily since it dropped earlier this week, it will most certainly be on my 2012 best of list and I obviously highly recommend it.  For those  who have been patiently waiting for the latest LP from Portland’s Chromatics, wait no longer,  the bands dreamy synth sounds get right under our skin, and they have very kindly put their full LP ‘Kill For Love’ on soundcloud for us all to stream. You can purchase it in full right now on i-tunes but if you are anything like me and actually like to own the music you pay for I recommend going straight to the source and buying it for a very affordable $5 from The Troubleman Unlimited/Italians Do it Better Store.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Video: Grimes performs live in the KEXP studio 2-20-2012


Canadian Claire Boucher, aka Grimes, grabbed her keyboards and Roland Grooveboxes for a little trip to Seattle’s KEXP radio for a live session back in late February. For those unfamiliar with the artist’s live show it’s an intimate   look as Claire twiddles and configures her complicated setup, creating her songs piece by piece layering her sweet cooing throughout. The 27 minute performance includes “Symphonia IX”, “Genesis” and “Be A Body” which can all be viewed below…

Listen: Blockhead - "Never Forget Your Token"


long time AesopRock producer Blockhead is back with a new LP, his fifth overall, titled Interludes After Midnight. Tony Simon, has traveled the globe and emerged with another collection of eclectic songs,  Interludes title comes to us from an afterhours New York City public access show that ran throughout the 80’s and early 90’s and is Blockhead’s ultimate homage to the times and places that defined his upbringing. The LP will be released on April 30th in Europe and May 1st in the US via Ninja Tune Records. Check out the the lead cut "Never Forget Your Token" below…

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Video: Death Grips - "The Fever (Aye Aye)"


Experimental Sacramento punk-rappers Death Grips will release their first major-label full length, The Money Store, via Epic on April 24. We've already shared "Blackjack""Get Got", and most recently “Lost Boys” only to be gifted with another treat in the form of "The Fever (Aye Aye)." 

Listen: Membrain - "Airic" (Grimes Side Project)


Claire Boucher's of Grimes has teamed up with  Tim Lafontaine of experimental Canadian noise act Cop Car Bonfire, to form Membrain. According to their SoundCloud, a new EP called Sit Back, Rewind will be out this year, but Grimes Tweeted today: "it's really a live thing.. and, Membrain is like 90 % Tim I just do vocals for him."  Listen to "Airic" below which happens to sample material for Boucher's latest LP, Visions.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Nudes in famous paintings re-imagined for today’s model-skinny “standards”

Botticelli's The Birth of Venus as madeover by the artist Anna Utopia Giordano.
Italian artist Anna Utopia Giordano has been experimenting with altering classic Renaissance nudes on her computer to reduce waistlines to meet the demands of modern day weight standards in the fashion world. The results, online HERE, are both fascinating and provocative offering a unique look at our unhealthy standards of beauty and body image.

The original Botticelli Birth of Venus. Photograph: Uffizi Gallery in Florence/Corbis

Thursday, March 22, 2012

James Jean Designs New Talib Kweli LP Cover

Occasionally an artist I enjoy teams up with a musician I enjoy to produce an album cover.  AJ Fosik was responsible for Mastodon’s last album art for example and today we are going to take a look at LA based artist, James Jean’s, art work for Talib Kweli’s forthcoming LP, Prisoner of Conscious. In a day and age where most people just grab their music digitally the LP sleeve is not as appreciated as much as it once was so it’s always great when something like this pops up. Jean’s intricate style works super well on this one, the end result is quite striking, drawing me in instantly, hopefully James has contributed to the overall package design for this release because I love what I see so far.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Listen: M83 - "Reunion" (Mylo Remix)

Most of our readers are familiar with the frenchman M83 and his epic soundscapes inspired by a wide-eyed nostalgic and romanticized  take on what it was like to be young.  Few, however, might remember Mylo's mid 00s electro-house productions and fairly decent album entitled "Destroy Rock & Roll" which was guided by similar motifs.  With this remix of M83's "Reunion" to be featured on the EP of the same name, Mylo is back and I for one forgot I actually missed him.  Listen to a great quality radio rip below:

New Banksy Work

A new piece by Banksy just popped up in what seems to be the UK, here are the first shots to surface snapped by thelonelyvillein .

Video: The Death Set - "They Come to Get Us"

To accompany their new album, Michel Poiccard (Ninja Tune), The Death Set has released a video for their single "They Come to Get Us".  I don't know much about the band and to tell the truth don't really have much to say about the song but the video is pretty sweet.  Other than the fact the singer looks like he is dressed like a 30-year old toddler there are a lot of sweet references throw into this one (Rampage, Rambo, Trolls 2, etc..).


Directed by Guillaume Panariello

Listen: Florence + the Machine - "Never Let Me Go" (Clams Casino Remix)

Clams Casino knows how to exude overwhelming amounts of emotion from his productions, which is why when we heard earlier today that he lent his remixing skills to the Florence and the Machine track "Never Let Me Go" we were all practically drooling in anticipation.  Thankfully, a couple of hours later the track was posted on Soundcloud (thru GorillavsBear).  Verdict: as good as it sounds on paper....stick around for the last bit.  The remix and original will see an official release through a Vinyl Factory x Island Records collab on 500 numbered limited copies of 180 gram white 12" vinyl with the above cover photo taken by Karl Lagerfeld. Listen to the Clams Casino's remix below:

Video: SebastiAn - "Love In Motion" (Featuring Mayer Hawthorne)


Parisian beat maker SebastiAn’s latest video comes in the form of choice tune "Love in Motion" (feat Mayer Hawthorne) off of his 2011 LP, Total. The clip was filmed by Irreversible director, Gaspar Noé, and stars Lente Tresor in what looks to be a game of dress up amongst kids at home. The tune got the remix treatment recently by both Rustie and Skrillex but honestly this song is pretty much perfect as is and any changes are for the worse in my opinion. Enjoy the video and tune below…

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Video: Odd Future Wolfgang Kill Them All – “Oldie”


We got the latest video from Odd Future’s “Mix Tape Vol. 2” today. “Oldie” is a 10-minute long cut that the gang decided to throw out there after filming it at a photoshoot hosted by Terry Richardson. This is probably the largest grouping I’ve seen of these cats in a long while, even Earl makes an appearance. 

Listen: s/s/s - "Beak & Claw" EP

As previously reported s/s/s, a trio of Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux and the rapper Serengeti have been working together on an ep. Beak & Claw, is out now via Anticon and you can listen to it HERE.

Video: Good Books - Metamorphosis

Ad firm Buck directed a created a nice little homage to Hunter S. Thompson and all his drugged out literature entitled "Metamorphosis". The video was created to promote Good Books, an online bookseller who's profits all go through Oxfam.

Props to the art team at Buck as the animation is pretty sweet.

   

Monday, March 19, 2012

Listen: Arcade Fire - "Sprawl II" (Soulwax Remix)


Mashup masters Soulwax  gave dropped a remix of Arcade Fire’s "Sprawl II" Today. Zane Lowe premiered their take off The Suburbs LP on his BBC Radio 1 show. Have a listen below…

Video: The Making Of M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls” Video


We shared M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls” video back in early February and it was a welcome return of the artist whose third commercial LP left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Directed by Romain Gavras M.I.A.'s retooled/updated/new-old single "Bad Girls” was an instant success on the web and a big part of it was due to the exceptionally fun visuals. Vice now has a making of video of the shoot which is well worth the watch, check it below…

Video: Time Lapse of Tara McPherson Painting "Safety of Water"

Tara McPherson recently released a Giclee for her painting "Safety of Water". Originally the image was used as a screen print for a Faith No More show on the Williamsburg water front here in NY, then we got to see the original painting at her solo show "Bunny In the Moon" at the Jonathan Levine Gallery. Now we get a large size art print free of text with an edition of 100 pieces at 24 x 30”. The original painting is oil on linen, stretched over panel and measures 60 x 48 inches and you can see a cool time lapse video of its creation below…

20" x 26" image size
24" x 30" paper size
Edition of 100
Signed and Numbered
Giclee on Velvet Fine Art Paper
Printed with Archival Inks
 


Available for $100 HERE.

Video: Henry Lewis & Lango Oliveira –“ Neon Knights”

Renowned tattoo artists, Lango Oliveira and Henry Lewis from San Francisco ink studio, Skull & Sword, have created an epic and powerful body of work for their latest exhibition, "Neon Knights", which opened to a packed house of wowed viewers on March 2nd at 111 Minna Gallery. There are still some of their works available so drop by the gallery or view the work in the art shop before it’s all gone by weeks end. Oh and check the great promotional video below...

Friday, March 16, 2012

Show Opening: Kris Kuksi – “Triumph" @ Joshua Liner Gallery, NYC

Kansas based artist Kris Kuksi opened his latest show, Triumph, at Joshua Liner Gallery last night to a large crowd of very excited fans. Kris is probably most well known these days for his mixed-media sculpture, and large-scale installations although traditionally Kris would call himself a painter having first established himself in the medium of canvas and brush. Triumph is Kuksi’s third solo outing with the gallery and the most diverse presentation of his work to date.

I really can’t accurately describe how amazing Kris’s work is in person, probably the closest choice of words would be breath taking but even that doesn’t quite describe the feeling you get when you first see one of Kris’s works first hand. For my own part I have been eagerly anticipating this show for a very long while now and it still managed to exceed all my expectations.

Kris Kuksi - "Capricorn Rising" Mixed media assemblage 2012 80 x 72 x 22 in.

I got to the gallery a good 30 minutes before the show officially opened to the public, Josh Liner, friendly as ever, proclaimed with a genuine level of excitement that I was going to be the first person to see the show complete. Without wasting any time I pulled out the camera and started to get as many shots in as I could before the masses were due to arrive, only problem was I kept on getting lost in each piece for long periods of time, new details revealing themselves with each angle I shot from. When it was all said and done I spent over 2 hours taking photos of 9 pieces of which two pieces captured my immediate undivided attention. The large scale show stoppers are two of Kris’s finest works if not the finest period,  "Triumph" centers around a woman and prehistoric looking crocodile and the second, "Capricorn Rising," centered around what I believe to be a goat. Each piece was 7 to 8 feet high, 250 pounds in weight and mind blowing in every sense of the word.

“With its cautionary title, Triumph skewers the hubris and folly of human ambition. This cavalcade of epic works references mythology, the occult, and organized religion, and uses age-old techniques of visual storytelling to voice personal angst.”

Kris is the master of depicting epic themes paired with extravagant embellishments, his convergence of small, mass-produced materials, referred to as “kit bashing” traditionally, (although it should be noted that Kris goes way beyond this idea with his compositions) are intrinsically narrative, with an obsessive excess of detail that the viewer could get lost in for hours at a time.

Kris Kuksi -  "Hercules vs. Diana" Mixed media assemblage 2011 28 x 26 x 10 in.
The subject matter of the show fits nicely into Kris’s existing body of work, further exploring religion, allegory, war and the mythological archetypes of man and woman’s shift of balance in the paradigm of life as we know it today. One such piece entitled "David’ With Pride" centered around the story of David and Goliath, Kris took some time to tell me about the piece saying that when creating it he imagined a world where David had developed an ego over his defeat of Goliath almost becoming what he had defeated in the first place leaving others to follow the same fate.

Also featured is the tenth installment in Kuksi’s trenchant Churchtank series. “These constructions suggest an “unholy” resonance between the pious power of organized religions and the self-righteous imperialism of the military-industrial complex.” Though earlier versions have been smaller and, in the last instance, took the evocative form of a bronze edition, this latest Churchtank is a massive, ten-foot installation constructed of wood.

Kris Kuksi - "David with Pride" Mixed media assemblage 2012 31 x 23 x 11 in.

Check out the slide show below and make sure you click directly on it to get a larger view of the 100 plus detailed photos and if you live in or around the New York area make sure you make it to the show in person even if it’s the only one you go to this year.

Running from March 15 to April 7, 2012.
Kris Kuksi - "Triumph" March 15, 2012 Joshua Liner Gallery NYC - slide show

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Listen: Quakers – “Smoke” (ft. Jonwayne)

On Monday we shared a mix composed by Katalyst, one of the key members of the 35 member hip hop collective known as Quakers .The full length is due out on Stones Throw on March 27th and has got a lot of folks excited as another one of the key members is Portishead’s Geoff Barrow. Now we have a second tune to share in the form of “Smoke.” Featuring L.A. MC Jonwayne on the mic, check it below…

Quakers – Smoke feat. Jonwayne by Stones Throw Records

Listen: Danny Brown – “Baseline”

On Tuesday we shared Danny Brown’s latest video for the tune “Radio Song” from his breakout record, XXX. As mentioned a deluxe version was released on I-tunes for your purchasing pleasure on the very same day. What makes it a deluxe version you ask? Three extra tracks is what. Today, we get to hear one of the bonus tracks in the form of “Baseline,” a tune built on starkly bare-bones production that definitely fits in nicely the rest of Brown’s record.

Video: Fiona Apple debuts new song “Anything You Want” live at SXSW

Songstress Fiona Apple debuted a new song, "Anything We Want", at SXSW yesterday in which she narrates intimate imaginings of escaping to a dream world with a lover. This is the first tune we have heard from her forthcoming 4th LP due out in late June, The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do. Fans are pretty much frothing at the mouth as it’s been about 7 years since her last record came out. Apple will be playing Pitchfork’s showcase tonight leading up to a handful of performances here in NY next week, oh if you want a ticket to one of those shows it will run you about $180 on the second hand market.



BONUS: 3-19-2012
A second tune from Finona's upcoming LP has poped up on the web over the weekend entitled "Valentine." Enjoy the footage below....

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Video: Hand In Hand – Dinosaur Jr. with Henry Rollins on Skateboarding and Music


Ride Channel series Handin Hand did a segment with J. Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph of Dinosaur Jr. The guys sit down to discuss their history with skateboarding as well as the making of their video for "Over It". Guest appearances from Henry Rollins, and Mike Manzoori.

Video: SBTRKT's BBC 6Music Maida Vale Session


This week marks the 10th anniversary of BBC's 6Music. Lauren Laverne and her morning show have been setting up camp at London's famous Maida Vale studios and having numerous Musical guests in to perform. On Monday SBTRKT did his thing and you can now enjoy the entire 30 minutes below…

Listen: Tumblewoof – “M▲JOR”

Tumblewoof is a mashup artist that takes little snippets from songs by such artists as Feist, Drake, AC/DC, Kid Cudi, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, The Roots and many more and then melds them together for one seemless mix. You’re familiar with this process, think closer to Girl Talk in how rapid fire each sample is than a one off song the blends two artists together. Tumblewoof doesn’t always take the obvious route on  M JOR giving this tiny mix a big punch. Give a listen below and download for a price of your choice if interested, and yes you can get it for free if you so choose.

Video: Phil Frost On The Inspiration Of Bob Marley

I’m not really a big Bob Marley guy but I do love me some Phil Frost. What a treat to get a look at the incredibly reclusive artist’s studio space where he talks about how his work and life have been influenced by Marley. The video is in celebration of the upcoming release of MARLEY, Kevin Macdonald's epic feature length doc on the life of the singer which hits theaters and all the digital outlets (including Facebook) on 4/20 and includes never before seen footage and music.

Original Fake KAWS Companion Candle

KAWS and his brand OriginalFake present another great product for Spring/Summer 2012. The new KAWS Companion Candle looks exactly like the Companion character figures that we have seen over the years. They come in black and ivory and if you make a  purchase of more than 50′000 Yen in the Original Fake store in Tokyo, you can choose one of the two as a freebee. Will these make it to the United States?

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Listen: Death Grips – “Lost Boys”


Experimental hip hop has really been making a strong comeback in the last couple years and I’m really loving every minute of it. Sacramento’s Death Grips are a prime example, the band just dropped another barn burner from one of their two forthcoming LP’s, The Money Store, out on April 24th. Stream/Download the hoarse electro jam “Lost Boys” below…

Video: Danny Brown - "Radio Song"


Danny Brown dropped his video for “Radio Song” today. The clip was directed by Alex/2tone and features a multiplied brown rapping in front of a green screen. If you haven’t heard Brown’s phenomenal XXX you shouldn’t be wasting time here, the deluxe edition of the record, which includes three extra tracks, is available on iTunes right now. 

Monday, March 12, 2012

Listen: Balam Acab - "Just Say" & "Come True" (Previously Unrleased)

Balam Acab, the project of 20-year-old Pennsylvanian Alec Koone dropped some unreleased tracks for free today. “Just Say,” and “Come True” are just as solid as any other of the tunes that made the cut on Koone’s fantastic  LP Wander/Wonder, released last year on Tri Angle Records.  Grab them below…

unreleased #1 - Just Stay
unreleased #2 - Come True


Just Stay by BALAM ACAB on Grooveshark

Come True by BALAM ACAB on Grooveshark

Listen: Stones Throw Podcast 72: "Hip-Hop Quake Mix by Quakers"

Quakers are a 35-member hip-hop collective centered around three producers – Fuzzface (Geoff Barrow of Portishead), Katalyst (Ashley Anderson), and 7-Stu-7 (Stuart Matthews). Their album drops on Stones Throw on March 27.

This is the “Hip-Hop Quake Mix” by Katalyst, a 40-minute set featuring some of the work that has inspired the project. No track list has been provided.

Download the Podcast


via Stones Throw

Download: Blue Chips (Action Bronson & Party Supplies)


As we recently reported Action Bronson has teamed up with artist, producer and fellow Queens resident Party Supplies for a project entitled Blue Chips. The collection of songs acts as a thank you to the fans who have supported Bronson throughout his hip-hop journey. PartySupplies‘ dusty production fits Action‘s New York delivery perfectly and gives this project a throwback feel without ever coming across as dated.
Presented by Complex and Reebok. All tracks were produced by Party Supplies and in addition to mic work from the always original Bronson, rhymes come from guest features Roc Marciano, Meyhem Lauren and Kool AD. Dowload HERE.

Track Listing:
01. Pouches of Tuna ft. Roc Marciano
02. Steve Wynn
03. Tan Leather
04. Double Breasted
05. Thug Love Story 2012
06. Hookers at the Point
07. Dreamer
08. Ron Simmons
09. Expensive Pens ft. Meyhem Lauren
10. 9-24-11
11. Arts & Leisure ft.Kool AD
12. Intercontinental Champion
13. 5 Minute Beats 1 Take Raps
14. Blue Chips
15. 103 & Roosy
16. 16 Tapas