Free Energy Concert Review/Album of the WEAK

WOOH! FUCK YEAH! 21^st POST! WILD CARD! SUCK IT!

Note: My apologies for the delayed review post, but I fell into a wormhole earlier this week and just recently got back. Luckily, I did manage to get back before I forgot about seeing Free Energy this past weekend. Check the review after the jump.

20 for 20

hehe see what I did there?

After a long production logjam (read: classes, hangovers, impromptu dancing), we are back.
Every 20 posts we'll throw down a new playlists of 20 songs to keep in mind the original concept behind this blog. Some of these will be new tunes, and old favorites still make for one hell of a playlist. These will remain in the HNW Jukebox until #40. Thanks for stopping by/reading/listening/accidentally landing, and hopefully these songs can make your day better. Love you all.


Full list after the jump.

FlyBro : Album of the Week /// New EP from Flying Lotus

Fans of experimental electronic music such as myself have been enamored over the past couple of years with the rise of LA beatsmith Flying Lotus (real name Steven Ellison). His style really fits no genre, (and recently he did a great job diffusing another potentially shitty genre name), but his work melds jazz, hip hop, and other avant-garde electronic techniques for sounds that don't exist anywhere else. Live performances transcend what was believed to be possible by a guy on stage with a laptop, and his Gobi tent closing performace at Coachella 2010 has been hailed as one of the weekend's finest. Not a small feat, indeed.

His most recent masterpiece, the full length album Cosmogramma was released in May and was another genre-busting affair, fusing synthesized trip-hop beats with a symphonic storyline lurking throughout. Thom Yorke, from that one band who sing "Creep", even lent FlyLo his vocals on the track "... And the World Laughs With You" after letting him open some of his solo dates the previous year. 

The amazing thing about this record is the way it unfolds, taking the listener somewhere into the beyond for almost an hour. He achieved such a unique melding of sounds by blending his samples and beats with the playing of live musicians, something he never attempted on previous records. The result is truly game-changing, and it showcases some of the most forward-thinking music I have ever heard. The album, when experienced as a whole, ceases to be music but rather exists as art that at times is monstrous but always slips back into a staggering, indefinable beauty. 

For all of these reasons, the Album of the Week will be none other than Flying Lotus' masterpiece to date, Cosmogramma. Give it a chance and you will discover an artist who is blurring the lines and pushing the boundaries of modern music. 


//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Along with the Album of the Week (and maybe the year?), Steven Ellison found time to produce yet another release. While his remixes can be interesting, (the Weezy mixes, Reckoner), and Cosmogramma was certainly groundbreaking, the latest EP entitled Pattern+Grid World sees a return to form for his previous releases. He chooses to forego any collaborative music and instead sends out another collection of his spacey beats, and they are a good starting point if Cosmogramma is too daunting of a listen. One of my favorites so far is the second track, "Kill Your Co-Workers"

Nothing like some beats to let your mind wander.
Enjoy.

New Albums from Chromeo, The Walkmen

Today was a shitty day for me. I won't lie about that. However, having a shitty day can result in some of the best music. The best art is often produced not in happiness but in anguish, in turmoil, and in despair. One example of a great song to listen to when you're feeling heated is the song "The Rat" from New York indie band The Walkmen. Pure fury fuels this song, and it also serves as a great entry point to the rest of their solid catalogue.

The Walkmen just released their newest album entitled Lisbon, and It received a Best New Music from Pitchfork, a Pick from eMusic, and a 4 1/2 star review from Consequence of Sound, if you're the type of person that pays attention to such awards. I regrettably am, so I had to download this newest album and was pleasantly surprised to find a record that was clean sounding, lyrically compelling, and generally enjoyable and easy to listen to on the first try. I cannot lay that claim to many albums, so check it out. Below is one of the standouts from Lisbon, "Angela Surf City"



Another new album that I picked up on Tuesday was the Chromeo record, Business Casual.

While The Walkmen can be comforting when you're pissed, Chromeo is a band that refuses to be anything less than groovy and danceable at all times, so it's probably a better way to skip the anger and move right to groovin'. For fans of dance music in general, you probably already know what they are capable of. For new fans, they fall in the vein of LCD Soundsystem, blending soulful vocals, disco synths, and beats perfect for any dance party. "Don't Turn the Lights On" is a seductive lead single for the album.

Another Chromeo classic is Fancy Footwork. (According to YouTube commenters, it was featured in the movie Step Up 3. Yeah, I don't care either.)

Chromeo has also provided songs that are the framework for some of the best remixes out there. Check out the Aeroplane remix of Don't Turn the Lights On, and the Crookers remix of Fancy Footwork.


In other news, Always Sunny returns tonight! Shout out to the bros drinking wine out of soda cans and using the D.E.N.N.I.S. system.

Scooby-Dooby-Doo, VMA Review

The VMAs were great this year. That is, great compared to last year when I tuned in to the wrong program. Let me tell you right now, the Video Music Awards show is much more enjoyable than one called Virgin Man Anus. That’s the last time I ever watch HBO after midnight.

But, I digress…and I should point out that the real VMAs weren’t COMPLETELY terrible. I enjoyed Chelsea Handler’s hosting. I’ve always thought an “in-your-nuts, I don’t give a flying hoot” attitude is refreshing to see from a female comedian, and there’s just something about her that makes me go vroom vroom (she’s a cougar, I tell ya).

Me-ow!

Now that I have weirded out the internet, allow me to rattle off some more highlights from Hollywood’s 3^rd best award show:

-I was preparing to shove hot skewers into my eyeballs from J.Bieb’s performance when he hit a snag, flinging his drumstick into the crowd (avg. age 11). Baby, baby, baby! Let that girl develop forearm muscles before you let her go crazy on a drumset!

-My imagination went CrAzY when I saw Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry presenting Best Male Video (imagine Perry’s magumbos with Minaj’s buzunga…now stop drooling). It was a nice moment until they spoke

-Seeing half of the Jersey Shore cast in a hot tub on stage was great because, well, when ISN’T it nice to see those little macaronis? A’capisce?

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

Before I continue, let me make it clear that I only tuned in to the VMA’s to see Deadmau5 do his thing. Unfortunately, being house DJ at a goofy awards show means that you have to cram your “thing” into the 20 second slot before and after commercials. Rats. I had no choice but to watch most of the show, but all in all it was worth it. Hearing the Mau5man’s funkadelic b34t5 made me forget about all the dumb scripted segues and shoddy performances. He dropped Ghosts ’n’ Stuff (duhhhh) and brought the hau5 down with performances feat. Jason Derulo (Jason DeWHOlo?), Travie McCoy (Travie McWHO?), and P!nk understudy Robyn (oh right, her). IMHO, Robmau5 was the best collab, pairing the sweet, sultry croons of Robyn whats-her-face with a nasty dub5teppy drop from everyone’s favorite rodent. Here's a clip (sorry about the advert):

2010 MTV Video Music Awards - More VMA Video

Everyone pretty much got what they expected out of this year's VMAs: two hours of poopy sprinkled with a few specks of gold. We can only hope that the uneducated masses were paying attention when Deadmau5 was bumping.

Probably not.

Oh well, at least we tried.

Over one billion served,

McCharlie

DJ Gyro

Wrote this review a while ago. Anything in a different color is a new reflection/edit. Figured I'd get it up AT LEAST before DJ Hero 2 comes out. Punctual as usual.

Put your dancing shoes on because the people who brought you Guitar Hero have done it again. Armed with a music repertoire for the ages Activision and FreeStyleGames’ newest attempt at an instrument simulator, DJ Hero, is sure to be a hit with fans of Hip-Hop, rock, and electronic music alike. Much like its predecessor, Guitar Hero, all it requires is the slightest of hand-eye coordination skills and a bit of open-mindedness to dive into a world created by some of the most talented and influential Disc Jockeys ever to spin a record, including Grandmaster Flash, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and my favorite, Daft Punk.

With an artist collection that ranges from Third Eye Blind to M.I.A., DJ Hero’s versatile list of original mixes is sure to delight music fans of all sorts. Even if you do not listen to much music that requires or was created by a DJ, DJ Hero forces you to realize that the music knowledge, rhythm, and ear required to produce such masterpieces is extremely rare and should be appreciated.

FreeStyleGames’ approach to imitating the complex art that is DJing was simple: use all of the fun bells and whistles of a turntable without any of the technical bores (If you want to call them that) that make up much of what a DJ actually does. With this dynamic they were able to capture the heart of the art without harming the credibility of the artists. It is a perfect blend of fun and ease. If you are looking for a real challenge that encompasses all of the techniques DJ Hero’s plastic, single disc turntable has to offer, just crank up the difficulty to expert. Let the good times roll as you provide entertainment for a large house party, or a small dance party amongst close pals.

For those of you that aren’t fans of Guitar Hero (Such as myself), don’t let the similar name and aesthetic design sway you away from playing DJ hero. Although the same company made both games, they are much different. DJ Hero offers much more control to the player over how the song sounds with a Sampler button and turn-able knob that allows the player to control the EQ of the song throughout certain sections.

The turntable device is easy to control, surprisingly smooth and resilient for a product that came in a package with the game-disc (Compared to the cheaply made Guitar Hero controllers that are included in the game packages).

^^^False. Thing can't take a punch. Breaking after being socked in the buttons once for not realizing that I was pushing the button as I spun is unacceptable. These things should be able to withstand AT LEAST 5 punches. I can't be expected to withhold my rage after receiving 3 stars because my controller doesn't recognize when I'm holding down the buttons. Gotta buy a new controller. Probably gonna cover this one in metal spikes so I learn my lesson after a few punches, rather than breaking it.

DJ Hero also has over ten songs that were designed for a DJ Hero turntable and Guitar Hero controller collaboration. This means your buddies with guitar hero can join in as you drop the beats with their Guitar Hero skills.

Need entertainment for the night? DJ Hero also has a “Party Play” feature that plays the songs without anyone controlling the game, and is perfect for entertaining a gaggle of guests. When activated the feature flashes “Auto-Play” on the screen, preventing one from taking any of the credit for actually playing the game. This is bad news for those of us that must rely on pretending to play a video game to attract friends instead of a suave personality or debonair good looks.

Unlike Guitar Hero, DJ Hero lacks a quick play feature or career mode, and you cannot customize your own character. I found this frustrating as one of my most anticipated actions involved creating a cool DJ name and dressing my Avatar appropriately for a rave. By earning stars based on your performance on a song you are able to unlock different set-lists, characters, costumes, DJ Decks (Turntables), and more, but it still doesn’t compare to that feeling of seeing your name on the front of a virtual magazine or newspaper.

Overall, I give this game a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I chose to reduce just a half-point because although it lacks any sort of interactive storyline, it greatly redeems itself with fun game-play and a dance party set-list that would make Will.I.Am jealous (Or Should I say, "Zuper Blahq"). So, start planning your outrageous DJ attire and victory dance (For the DJ head-to-head mode) because DJ Hero is sure to be a favorite of hip-hoppers and head-bangers everywhere.

That's me playing guys.

DJ Hero 2 is going to be incredible. I'm sure that this entire blog family will spend many nights competing head to head for hours. (Dibs on Deadmau5)

P.S. I'm bringin the PS2 back. Just beat Sly Cooper and the Thevius Raccoonus. Moving on to Sly 2 or Rachet and Clank. Ya'll that don't like it are haters. Haters gonnna hate.

Album of the Week: Sleigh Bells - Treats

Wow, what a weekend. Trenches, crazy girlfriends and their movie scenes, chicken outings, and a Wiz Khalifa look-alike were some of the sights down South this weekend, and as for the sounds, they mostly consisted of lifted rappers. While that is not a bad thing, the VMA's last night certainly were. I have never in my life seen a more irrelevant and marketing driven, passion-less display of "music" since, well, the last time the VMAs were on. (Chelsea Handler's "jokes" helped extinguish the cool part of deadmau5 and his amazing lights showing up. Florence and the Machine also finally got the press she deserves.) The concern is not necessarily for the industry, since their manufactured "superstars" took home "award" after "award" for a staggeringly catered selection of artists. The Grammy's is a laughable event anymore, but the VMAs gladly sunk lower, proving that modern music is in the midst of a considerable identity crisis.

NOT PICTURED : BEST NEW ARTIST

Luckily, there are other new artists cropping up every day, and even luckier, nearly all of them are not named Justin Bieber. The cream of the crop for the "Class of 2010" and for all albums released this year certainly includes the debut record from Sleigh Bells, a duo hailing from Brooklyn (shocker). Their sound has been classified as "noise pop", yet another meaningless genre title given to try to box in artists and describe music using superfluous adjectives. (The main issue with that practice is that music fans end up accepting the opinions of these endless adjectives instead of listening to the music and forming their own opinions. But that's a tale for another time.)

Sleigh Bells are one example where an identity crisis is exactly what music needs, because the result sounds truly fresh and invigorating. Allison Krauss provides lead vocals with hooks that manage to be pretty, violent, and surreal in the span of a chorus. The other half of Sleigh Bells is Derek Miller, whose songwriting and sampling create an energizing blend of metal riffs and pounding hip hop beats never explored by bands actually trying to fuse rap and metal. The result is everything pop music today should be: catchy, fun, innovative, and inspired. 

Sit back and enjoy what will surely be a contender for Album of the Year with this week's feature: Treats by Sleigh Bells

Treats

Album of the Week: deadmau5 - Random Album Title // New: Deadmau5 ft. Wolfgang Gartner - Animal Rights

Time to get wobbly. The ever-impressive beat machine known as deadmau5 has dropped yet another track that will bang the clubs all over the world (or rather, in Europe and LA mostly, since no one else in America seems to know house music exists.) This time he teamed up with another piping-hot producer, Wolfgang Gartner. 


Hailing from Austin, Texas, Wolfgang has taken the blogosphere and the electro scene by storm over the past year or so, consummated by his appearances at Coachella and several other festivals this season. His take on Beethoven's 5th Symphony is always a crowd-pleaser, and in general his take on Electro House draws comparisons to Justice. (For the Justice haters, sorry you are too old and washed up to have fun. Let the children techno.) Gartner also just scored a number one club hit with his new track "Coscindo", so the timing of this collaboration could not be any better.


The beauty of this new track is that it represents a genuine middle ground between their two contrasting styles to form a beautiful harmony of a filthy, funky hook and the trance-y bass mastery that only deadmau5 can equal.





You're welcome.


NEXT UP! ALBUM OF THE WEEK


and the winner is....... deadmau5. Again. 
Next week, deadmau5 will serve as the House Act (lolz fitting since he plays house music) for the MTV VMA's on Sunday, September 12th. It is definitely the most irrelevant award session that somehow I watch with giddy anticipation every year. Never fails. Anyway, now that deadmau5 has been tapped and every douchey frat boy and tween Twilight fan will know his name by next week, you owe it to yourselves to at least know why he deserves this fame. 

Released in 2008, Random Album Title remains deadmau5's finest album. While it doesn't pack the poppy punch of "Ghosts N' Stuff", as a whole it showcases his true style and unique take on house music. Random Album Title blurs the lines between trance and house, with each song slinking along different beats, building slowly and teasing big drops throughout. Such a technique is one that deadmau5 has mastered live, slowly raising the energy bit by bit until the room is ready to explode. There really is a mental journey taken from the beginning of "Sometimes Things Get, Whatever" to the dreamland in which the album concludes. If you take the time to listen to this one all at once, by the time you hear the glimmering vocals of "I Remember" and the climax of "Arguru", you will be in a world of swirling dance magic. 


Take the time to let the beats build and infect your brain, where they will stay for a long while, and try not to be too hard on the man for taking his shot at the big time. After all, if it gets more people dancing, what better artist to show everyone where to start? (I'm looking at you, Daft Punk. Get to it.)

Kings of Leon Concert Review

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!


More to come later.


-Charlie


EDIT: Since ol' Chuck was too sauced to really elaborate on what happened, I will recap this event from here on out.

Black Keys started off the night extremely strong, with a fan-base arguably as formidable as KOL, and they blazed through a set of new songs with old favorites peppered in. Some of the high points of the set included "Strange Times" off of their previous record Attack and Release, and new single "Tighten Up," which showcased an unusual sight at a Black Keys show: four guys playing on stage. The added sound is never a bad thing but it does no justice to the fury they play with when it's just Dan on guitar and Pat on the sticks. Closer "I Got Mine", also off of Attack and Release, was undoubtedly the best way to close the show, with it's Herculean riff getting the crowd genuinely amped for Kings of Leon.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Butts, Cincinnati Metromix

To see the full Black Keys setlist...

At this point, Charlie made it clear to me that he was "enjoying the shit out of that" and that he felt Kings couldn't possibly top that set. I scoffed. Kings of Leon proceeded to rock the face off of anyone willing to have a fantastic night. Cincinnati responded to the challenge, providing an even better atmosphere than the reception KOL received at PNC Pavillion on their previous Cincinnati stop.

Coming out of the gate strong with the filthy bass line of "Crawl" and never looking back, the show consisted of equal amounts of music from every Kings of Leon album, including the yet-to-be-released Come Around Sundown, which was a true treat for real fans of the band. The new songs blended in well with their previous catalogue and yet continued to advance their repertoire with the soulful chorus of "Radioactive" and the ode to southern living "Southbound", it is becoming increasingly clear that the Followills can still write a rock record, despite the haters and newfound popularity. Another treat was the first live performance of a new song entitled "Pyro." The climax of the night was a thumping rendition of first-album classic "Trani." The song epitomized the bands true identity, and even though they have aged, they brought the thunder as if it were 2003.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Butts, Cincinnati Metromix

The encore consisted of a mix of poppy crowd pleasers "Closer" and "Use Somebody", along with the achy epic ballad "Knocked Up." The night was capped by a classic KOL set closer from Because of the Times, "Black Thumbnail." This threw a massive bone (lolz) to any fan of their old work, and everyone who knew it basically lost their shit and headbanged like the good ol' days. Once again another Kings of Leon show is in the books and somehow I am already excited for my next one. Shout out goes to the lovely choir of bus riders.

KOL setlist

Highlight reel:

Here Is My Homework

A poem:

Here I sit, trying to shit,

And pass this gargantuan log.

After 4 weeks of waiting,

Sometimes masturbating,

All that came out was this blog.

On a more serious note, 

The power of music is immeasurable. It is true freedom, it is true expression. Nothing else can influence your emotions quite like it. To truly listen to music is an experience. To truly feel it is up to you.

People are losing sight of the purpose of music (Hint: it isn’t Nicki Minaj’s titties). Through this blog we are defending what is obvious to us: music makes the world spin ‘round. Like a record, baby, right ‘round, ‘round, ‘round. Really though, think of the world without music. You wanna live inside No Country For Old Men? You wanna get your brain hole-punched by Anton Chigurh? Of course you don’t. So throw that Justin Bieber CD down the garbage disposal and flush your Seventeen magazine down the toilet because this is a goddamn wake-up call, America. The way things are going now, all good music will be irrelevant within 20 years. People are listening to the same 10 songs on the radio and not asking any questions. There was once a time where good music was APPRECIATED. People listened to music together and a connection was made. Today you can’t even listen to the radio without being interrupted by some wacky morning DJ who says democracy’s a joke. People had it right 40 and 50 years ago. When did all of that die out? And for shit’s sake, why? In the words of a wise Geek Squad employee, Thom, “I wish it was the sixties, I wish we could be happy, I wish, I wish, I wish that something would happen”. Have we really all got the Bends? C’mon folks, you’re better than this. My dream for this blog, which I think we can all agree on, is that it sparks a movement among traditional listeners. We need to bring back pure, good music. It’ll take a lot, but it starts with us.

Viva la revoluciòn!

In the meantime, I strongly suggest you experience Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. It is my favorite album of all time and was very groundbreaking as a concept album upon its release in 1973. My favorite way to listen is to slap on my noise-cancelling headphones and just fucking experience the whole thing in one sitting. If you really get into it, your mind will float free and you’ll feel the music moving through you. Very powerful shit.

I love this blog and I love you all.

Stay real,

Charlie Kelly

Ghostwritten by Stephen Hawking