Stateless - England Does It Again

Stateless is a band that I came across randomly, and I think it was through Pandora if my memory serves me correctly.  They are a band based out of Leeds, England who are primarily influenced by Radiohead and DJ Shadow.  I think when you hear Exit, you will understand exactly how those two things go together.  Now granted, I don't really like all of their songs, but they do have some really solid stuff interspersed with the rest.

Now bear with me here... Am I crazy, or do a lot of really great bands come from the UK?  What sort of tragic event occurred that allows for such deep creative genius?  Now I know that great music is everywhere, it just seems that every time I turn around I am hearing about some other awesome British band.  That is of course completely OK with me, I am just wondering how the pattern is so consistent.  Anyhow, I think you will really enjoy these three songs off of their self-titled album from a while ago.

STATELESS


-Exit-
This is by far my favorite song they have.  It is exactly as previously described... the lovechild between Radiohead and DJ Shadow.  It is an incredibly engaging and interesting tune, and one that I find gives me goosebumps at some times if turned up loud enough.  I think you will all really like this one :)




-Bloodstream-
This is a somewhat creepy love-song, but one that I think is pretty well done.  It is a mellow piano tune with some hip-hop overlays.  I don't really think the lead singer is that naturally talented in the vocal department, and you will get more of a taste of that on the next song (no offense to him!).  It is just that he seems to have a fairly weak ear for tone, which is common, and for some reason not that big of a deal in this case.  Hope you like!




-Prism #1-
Pretty damn good song.  Some vocal issues like I mentioned earlier in this one, but all in all I don't think it hurts the overall.  I really like the drum track on this, its unique and very tight.  Enjoy!!




Hope you enjoy, and leave feedback as always!!

Thanks,

-CS

Mason, Prankster / Sasha, Maor Levi - A Couple Trance Around The World Gems

As I have stated in a previous blog, there is an awesome resource for those who are fans of electronic music. That resource is Trance Around The World, which is a podcast that is provided 100% free through the iPod podcast service.  You can 'subscribe' to this podcast, and then every Monday, there is a brand new two hour pre-mixed session that has the ability to either bore you to death, or surprise you with some really fantastic and beautiful songs.

Now my guess is that most people are not much into electronic music, and with that, especially trance.  I can of course completely understand this, as most of the entire classification around trance is its beats per minute.  So naturally you have this very unnecessary similarity between every song, simply because the drum track is running at the same BPM as the previous song.  The other really disappointing thing that one can encounter is the repetitiveness of these songs, which I know can get old.

I think if you recognize the weaknesses that the genre has, and train your ear to ignore them on songs that really have something special in them, then you are able to appropriately acknowledge the beautiful artistry that can take place in this music genre.  I tinker with Digital Audio Workshops all the time, and it is no easy feat to create something that sounds so beautiful and ethereal.  I wouldn't equate the difficulty to that of creating a symphony with a pencil and blank sheet music, but some of that same genius still applies.

Unless you are a rave attending trance addict, this blog post may not entirely be for you.  However I would at the very least give it all a listen, and see what you think :)  I generally try and stay away from songs that don't give me that shiver down my spine the first time I hear some harmonic in it that I just can't get out of my head. As is always the case, this music comes with the "well... that's just the stuff that I like" music-taste-disclaimer.


MASON - YOU ARE NOT ALONE


This song was one that I ran across in Trance Around the World episode #321.  As you will hear in the Youtube video, the DJ Paavo from Above and Beyond exclaims that this song gives him goosebumps and was voted the record of the week.  Well, the same can be said for me.  The first time I heard this song, I was in love with it.  It has this really dark and eerie quality to it, and the base track is an utterly perfect compliment to everything else that was recorded.  Once again, you will notice the prominence of smooth female vocals.  That is something that just always gets me... Not sure why, it just does.  The other thing about this song that really gets me going is its simplicity.  I wouldn't proclaim to know how many tracks this song consisted of, but if my ear serves me correctly, it is somewhere in the neighborhood of 7-10.  It doesn't try to over-accomplish, and somehow that simplicity is beautiful to me.  I am also a huge fan of the harmonies created in this song.  Check it out.




SPOOKY - BELONG (SASHA INVOLVER REMIX) PRANKSTER EDIT

There are what appears to be three artists getting credit for this song.  They are Spooky, Sasha, and Prankster; and I have no idea who exactly to point the finger at.  I am not even 100% sure if Spooky is an artist, but I do know that Sasha and Prankster are.  With that being said, I ran across this one listening to episode #358 of TATW.  It is a repetitive tune, but one that I think is really well done.  It has some really tight layering, and the sounds that are used are quite gorgeous.  There really isn't that much more to say about this one other than that.  It is just a very interesting and cool tune to have playing in the background while doing something that requires concentration or artistic inspiration.  Do your best to ignore the first 40 seconds of another song ending, and the DJ explaining what is next.  Enjoy.





MAOR LEVI - REMIX OF SAMUEL JASON'S MORNING SUN

Maor Levi is about as big a name in the trance world as you can get.  This Israeli producer is an amazing remix artist, and someone who is a favorite among all the guys who really pay attention to this genre.  He spent some time in the Israeli army, which kept him from producing for quite some time, but he has now returned.  This particular work isn't one that he is by any means famous for, but it really is a solid sound-scape of what a great re-mixer he is.  It is once again a repetitive song, but one that really has some beautiful work in there.  Put the headphones on for this one.





You will inevitably see more of this stuff, hope that doesn't bum too many people out!  Thanks for reading!

-CS

Faure's Requiem - Happy Easter Weekend Everybody

Awww man... church music?  Yup.  This stuff is classic.  If you have never heard Faure's Requiem, you really might want to take some time to sit down and listen.  It is by far some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard, and family members of mine have sung many of the songs and done quite well.  So I do indeed have a special place in the heart for this one.  This won't be a long post, but you really should hear this stuff.  Kings College basically dominates this, and makes it sound exactly the way it should in my humble opinion.  I think the reason the Pie Jesu is best sung by a young treble boy is because there is literally no vibrato, which I think is the most important aspect to pulling it off.  The second song is called the Agnus Dei, which is another beautiful song.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy!




Here is the Sanctus, which is another movement in Faure's Requiem.



A happy Good Friday to those who celebrate, and a Happy Friday to those who don't! :)

Thanks for listening.

-CS

The Local Natives: I just ran across this, and had to share it...

Thanks to LaBlogoTheque, and hopefully they don't mind me re-embedding this.  YOU NEED TO SEE THIS BECAUSE IT IS AWESOME.


Local Natives | Who Knows Who Cares | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.


That is all.  Thank you!

-CS

MUTEMATH - The Boys From New Orleans Bring Some Smooth Jambalaya

MUTEMATH was a band that I came across on Pandora one day, and I literally couldn't stop listening to their self-titled album.  The song I think I originally heard was You Are Mine, and I was so impressed with that one that I went ahead and listened to the rest.  Needless to say, the entire album was incredibly good.  They have released some other albums as well, and the only other one that I paid any attention to was Armistice, which I ended up finding to be less impressive.  I think they re-invented their sound a little too much, but even still there are some really wonderful songs on there.

I remember handing this bands name out like candy at a parade, and people were just going nuts over it.  Or they were asking who was playing on my car stereo etc.  They really do have a unique style, one that sort of reminds me of Filter, but only the good Filter songs :)  I also think the lead vocalist Paul Meany has incredible range and ability.  He has this mesmerizing raspy voice that really catches your ear.

MUTEMATH

There are a host of amazing songs on this album, and we'll go ahead and embed those for you.  I think this is the bread and butter album, where they really showcase their "style" of music.  It can be anywhere from hard-hitting, loud and passionate songs to down tempo eerie instrumentals.  Either way this album is a 100% keeper.








-You Are Mine-
Uhh... gorgeous harmonization... it's really that simple.  The lyrics are somewhat repetitive in the chorus, but who really cares when the song is that good.




-Chaos-
Fast paced, beautiful, and just a ton going on.  I have also heard these guys are amazing to see live.  I looked at some of the live performances of this, and it left a bit to be desired.  This may be one of those that is better in the recorded version..




-Stare at the Sun-
This is a phenomenal song, and one that is linked to an incredible instrumental called Obsolete at the end.




-Control-
Yeah... really the whole album is nuts.  I could embed every song to be honest.



Other songs to check out: THE REST OF THE ENTIRE ALBUM.

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ARMISTICE

This album, like I mentioned earlier, seems to be a minor re-vamp in style.  I still think there are some serious gems on here though..












-The Nerve-
This the lead-off batter for Armistice, and I think it most closely resembles their previous style.



-Clipping-
This is a really smooth and gorgeous song, and one that I think was my initial favorite. Enjoy!




-Odds-
A somewhat sad song about moving on.




Other songs to check out: Pins and Needles, Spotlight, Armistice.  In reality it's all good.

Hope you enjoy!

-CS

Rhian Sheehan - Would You Like Some Ranch Dressing With Your GrooveSalad?

Today we are going to look at Rhian Sheehan who is a New Zealander, and a cinematic music or electronica producer and composer.  I have not been able to review some of his newer stuff, so maybe we can visit that another time.  However we are going to get to see some of his earlier works, all of which I discovered while listening to GrooveSalad, which is a SomaFM radio station you can access through the electronic music section of iTunes' radio stations.

I don't really know what it is that gets me about this music.  There really aren't any vocals, which isn't something that I absolutely have to have, its just that in some cases a lack of vocals can cause a lack of richness in what you are hearing. The vocals you will catch are actually old recordings of Carl Sagan in some songs, which are actually pretty damn cool.  Oddly enough, when i hear Rhian's work, I think of flying through space kind of like the character in 2000 A Space Odyssey or something of the like.  I think you will like what you hear, but it may not have enough pace for most listeners.

I do however think it is some pretty complex producing, and he really makes great use of a bundle of eerie and beautiful sounds.  So lets hear it.

-Cosmology-
This song is off of the Tiny Blue Biosphere album and is a really solid tune.  I love some of the overlays that he works with, and it is a really beautiful and ethereal song.  BOSE over-ears, ready go.




-Garden Children-
Another really interesting song, and I think this was the first song I had ever heard on GrooveSalad.




-System-
Want to feel like an astronaut?  Listen.



Other notable songs you should definitely check out are Waiting, Phobos, and She Walks Into Mine.


Down tempo electronic music.  You will see a lot of this, as I love it.  Check it out, and see if you like it!

-CS

Grizzly Bear - Did You Miss Coachella?

5 gum and Youtube teamed up together to stream Coachella live to the masses.  Now this is an incredible feat, and one that I think is pretty groundbreaking for Coachella fans.  They have a small backlog of videos on there for you to see if you choose, and there were some pretty solid acts.  Check it out if you get a chance.

Now here is what I did NOT like about the Coachella live stream.

Ok.... let me be 100% clear here.  Kanye West... cannot sing.  He couldn't sing his way out of a tissue paper bag.  I heard recently that he was quoted as saying his biggest regret in life is that he could never see himself perform.  I on the other hand, regret ever hearing him attempt to sing.  It takes an incredible narcissist to get up on stage, basically present yourself as the next prophet, and then let loose the most tone-deaf series of vocal disruptions I have ever heard.  Let there be no mistake... it is louder than hell at Coachella.  It is extremely hard to sing in that environment, and Kanye West should have left it to people who actually work at it and do it with even the slightest tact.  He was clearly unapologetic for how incredibly terrible it was, and I would venture to guess he thought he was doing us all a favor.  I get all the glitz, and all the cool visuals, and I think he has some great beats.. but I just can't get behind him when he is destroying my ear drums.

Fast forward to the end if you are into self-abuse.



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Now, onto something unrelated.  Grizzly Bear.

You have probably heard of these guys.  They have been touring with the likes of Radiohead and Feist, and have released two albums over their 4-5 year tenure.  The first we'll look at is called Veckatimest.  Now what does that mean?  I have no idea.  What I would say though, is you might want to check out a few tunes. I wasn't particularly impressed with the album as a whole, but Two Weeks is an incredible song, and one that I have been listening to intermittently since the albums' release.

-Two Weeks-
This song is just a really solid feel good song, and one that you can turn up and cruise around to.  I think the melodies are strong, and the rhythm and pace are unique.  I think that off-beat rhythm is something that this band really does well. Warning, the video is incredibly creepy..





-Southern Point-
This almost sounds like a Neil Young song.  Do what you will with that comparison.  I liked it though.




-On a Neck, On a Spit-
 This song is off of their Yellow House album, and I think it is just a really solid portrayal of what these guys are capable of.  The first 30 seconds of this song are gorgeous.  It ends up moving on into some sort of stranger interludes etc, but I really think this is a wonderful song.







Let me know your thoughts on Coachella if you read this, and point me in the direction of some good live performances if you were watching.  They are all over the Youtubes.

-CS

Thrice, The Year of Acceleration, Oceanlab - Sunday's Secret's

Mixing it up on you here this Sunday night / Monday morning...  Three groups that have literally ZERO to do with one another.

First off, let's look at Thrice.  Now this is not my normal cup of tea.  They are an Emo/Punk band from Irvine, CA.  They apparently got together through meeting at a skate park... m'okay..  In no way am I making fun, I have no idea how to even stay atop a skateboard, it's just that Emo isn't usually my gig.

The album we're going to look at here is called The Alchemy Index Vols. I and II: Fire and Water.  Now let me warn you... the fire part of this album is exactly that.  It is some hard core stuff, screaming et al.  The water portion on the other hand is this very fluid, relaxing set of tunes.  I am only going to highlight a few of these, and they are exclusively from the "water" portion like I said.  So let's get it goin..

-Open Water-
I really think this song is a gorgeous one.  It's obviously a very chilled tempo, but I think its the best they have on the album.  I love the vocals, and I really dig the synth, it almost seems like they are literally playing underwater.




-The Whaler-
Another down tempo song, again with a water theme.  I don't get the same chills from this song that I do with Open Water, but I still think its a pretty damn good song, and these guys have some interesting things going on.



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Next well have a quick look at The Year of Acceleration, and a song off of their album Used to Have a Life. 


This band has a real "The Bravery" ring to it.  The lead vocals literally sound like the same guy, and maybe it is, who knows?  They are based out of Tuscon, AZ and it appeared off of their website that they were at some point touring with The Helio Sequence, another pretty solid band.  Not much else to really report, just really like one of their songs...

-Us Against Them-
 It isn't that the rest of the album is filler, its just that I think this song is the best of all of them.  If you want, check out Starlet another decent one, or Prescription Medicine, though I can't embed any of these, because these guys are apparently so obscure they aren't on Youtube?  I will be coming up with a way to create my own videos to get around this issue as soon as I can, but for now, click the Amazon link, and check out the preview!

EDIT:  Enjoy the embedded video!! Finally!




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Lastly, Oceanlab. Now probably 90% of the 7 people who even read this far down probably won't like these songs, because they probably aren't like anything that anyone has heard in a while.  As I may have said somewhere along the line, my music taste ranges pretty far.

Oceanlab is a group consisting of Justine Suissa (the female vocals) and the Above and Beyond trio.  If you have not heard of Above and Beyond, then you simply haven't ever heard any trance.  They are basically the three kings of it, and they have their own label, and put on a weekly Podcast that you can download free from iTunes called Trance Around the World.  Most of the stuff from TATW is just a bunch of unz-unz, but there are a few shows that have some really solid stuff on there.

If you like relaxing, beautiful, melodic and captivating music, then this is your squad.  They are the type you load up on the iPod, and fall asleep to.

-Secret-
This song is just straight eargasm all the way.  Justine Suissa's voice is so smooth.  Turn it up, put on the over-ear headphones, and try not to burst an eardrum.





-Ashes-
Ashes is this really strange and beautiful song.  Not sure what the hell she is talking about, but the lyrics seem to have some greater meaning I haven't really attempted to decipher.  Once again, laid back and smooth, and it works.





Other notable songs are Sirens of the Sea, and Miracle.


See what you think!


-CS