The French post-punk instrumental group Videoville recently released their third album designated by both the Roman numeral three after the band name and the tag line/title ‘a la recherché de la femme feconde’ (which translates to ‘in search of a fertile woman’). However, no need to be intimidated by the French title because not only do they hail from Montreal but the album is strictly instrumental.
When I say lo-fi-Brooklyn-shoegazing-dream-pop, you say: Beach Fossils.
You check out their grungy tumblr page. You note the apocalyptic album cover. You watch them throw it down live. Now you’re totally pumped, so you stream their new album. Except, pause. Because is this even the same band?? Clash the Truth first impression? Underwhelming, at best. Flash forward, and we’ve been living with their sophomore LP for a little over a week. In spite of initial reviews (ranging from harsh to tolerant), Clash the Truth grows on you.
Kanye West’s GOOD Music label didn’t exactly have the greatest year with 2012. Their extremely hyped collaboration Cruel Summer was received fairly poorly, Kid Cudi’s WZRD largely flopped, and Big Sean, CyHi da Prynce and Pusha-T were mostly relegated to mixtapes and guest verses. So naturally, Kanye and co want to start off 2013 on a strong foot, and Pusha T’s latest mixtape Wrath of Caine is the cure for what ails GOOD Music. Read More »
Just days before being sentenced to 13 months in prison for the distribution of marijuana, Gary Higgins brought together a few close friends to record his first and only solo album, Red Hash, in October 1972. Only 3,000 copies were pressed before he was put behind bars; since then the LP has become a coveted collector’s item among psychedelic folk enthusiasts. Read More »
FaltyDL has been on the scene for almost six years now, but it’s never clear which scene he actually belongs to. Jumping from frenetic rhythms to cooled-off house, Drew Lustman’s recordings are always a bit unpredictable. Having shifted labels from Planet Mu to Ninja Tune to release his third LP, Hardcourage sees Lustman tempering his more erratic tendencies to produce a cohesive album that simultaneously lulls and energizes. Read More »
Approaching Sachin Raj, I was skeptical. The album was mysterious, leaving only a strange name and a key identifying the three parts of the album: “Queen of the Moon,” “King of the Sun” and “Slowly Turning.” This, along with their psychedelic album cover (probably mostly the album cover), disoriented me and I entered ignorant to what to expect. I had never before seen or heard anything about Sachin Raj, but I could not have been more pleasantly surprised by this album. Read More »
As midterms kick into high gear, we all need something to relax and study to. I typically listen to a wide variety of instrumentals while working, and here is a brief sampler. Enjoy and good luck! Read More »
What is punk anymore? Originating somewhere between the shocking antics of The Stooges and the anarchist sentiments of The Sex Pistols, punk is a term that has been hyphenated, used, abused and played out. Having been employed to describe undeserving bands such as Blink 182 or Green Day and weirdo experimenters such as Deerhunter or Wavves, it’s hard to understand exactly what punk is.
