Sander Kleinenberg & Paul Keeley - Sunday Funday Remixes

I wanted to quickly post a couple tracks I heard recently on Pandora.  Both are electronic/house/techno, so buyer beware.

SANDER KLEINENBERG - GENTLE RAIN (JACKED HIGH REMIX)




This tune has some incredibly smooth female vocals, and a really solid composition.  I have been jamming to this one for a while, but it is SO HARD to find a way to get this song without buying the entire album off of Amazon.  This is from his Essential Mix 3 album, and it is a remix of Blackwatch's "Gentle Rain" song.  Not sure exactly what the jacked high part is about, but I guess he can call it whatever he wants...  It's a pretty chill song, and one that I just think has some really interesting elements.


PAUL KEELEY - PAPER JET (BART VAN WISSEN)






This one is a little more up-tempo, but it has a really sweet groove to it once it gets going.  Like most electronic music, it slowly builds and builds.  I caught this one just the other day, and have been listening to it quite a bit.

Hope you like!

-CS

Statefantry v1.2

Went ahead and made some updates to Statefantry.  It is starting to take a little more shape, but still working out some new-to-production soft spots.  I put in a new drum track, added the vocals, and beefed up the MIDI track a bit.

I am not sold on the mixing yet, as it seems to sound different when I play it directly out of Ableton, versus playing it from an exported WAV file.

Frustrating story of the night was me almost flipping out because I couldn't figure out why I kept losing sound quality between WAV to MP3 conversion.  I had the conversion encoder set at 128bit conversion, instead of the allowable 320bit.  That is nerd for "I was being a moron."

Critique away!

And as always, thanks for stopping in.

-CS

Youtube Playlist #1 - Want to know what's playing on my iPod?

You have seen most of this already if you have kept up with the posts, but if you want to cycle through some things, and skip some of the fat (my writing), then have at it!




Check it out!

Thanks!

-CS

The Sundays - British 90's Pop That Never Goes Stale

I was messing around on facebook like every other red-blooded American on a 100+ degree and rainy day.  I came across a post with The Sundays on it, and I was pretty impressed to see it.  I am not surprised that other folks have heard of The Sundays, as they were pretty popular after they scored a soundtrack spot on the movie Fear.  I had only heard of them for this reason, and was soon to discover what a complete and really incredible band they are.  Their album Blind is still one of the best albums I have ever owned, and I credit that to their very dreamy sound, and the lead singer's INCREDIBLE vocals.  It takes a long time to find a voice as pure as Harriet Wheeler's, and she is insanely talented..

THE SUNDAYS










As I said above, these guys gained incredible attention in the early 1990's, but were actually formed in the late 80's.  They are from across the pond, and yes it is yet ANOTHER British band, go figure.  Their most popular single is Wild Horses which is of course a re-write of the famous Rolling Stones song.  We are of course talking about two different genres, but I am partial to Wheeler's version, even over the original; and please don't get me wrong, I love the Rolling Stones.

I think there is a particular place and time for this music.  That place and time is not when you are playing drinking games, or throwin' down at the local watering hole.  I think this is more for winding down the night, driving with the windows open in the country, or remembering some time in life that gave you pause.  This is that type of music that evokes introspection, or elicits emotional recollections.  Once again, I attribute that to its 'dreaminess.'  I have a particular memory that always sticks with me when I listen to The Sundays, and that has to do with some time I spent on a dude ranch in northern Colorado back when I was in middle school.  I think it brings out something different for everyone, but the main crux here is that it is some simple, yet seriously gorgeous music.

I only own two of their albums, and I could stand to grow my collection of these guys.  Without further ado, if you haven't heard these guys, I would suggest checking them out.  If you have heard them, I would tell you to explore even more :)

-Wild Horses-
I think you would be kidding yourself if you think you haven't heard this song before.  This was their bell-cow single, and the one that put them on the map.  It is a truly incredible rendition.




-I Feel-
This is the lead-off batter of their Blind album, and is just a really great song.  It cuts off early, but I think you get the idea.




-Medicine-
Another great song off of the album.  Not sure what the video is for, but it was a good upload, so I used it. This tune takes a little patience, but I still love it.




-Blood on My Hands-
Another favorite off of the Blind album, and just a really nice track.  This is the last one I will showcase from Blind because I am moving onto their Reading, Writing and Arithmetic album.




-My Finest Hour-
This is off of the Reading, Writing and Arithmetic album, which was previous to Blind.  I originally bought this album well after having owned Blind for a long time, and it took me a while to warm up to it.  I will say this though, it is really an incredible album as well.




-Here's Where the Story Ends-
Another really solid entry on their first album.  They have a unique sound, so it won't be much of a departure from what you have heard already.  I would say that you always want to try and listen to Sundays song all the way through.




-Can't Be Sure-
This one I am just fond of the interesting percussion line.  It's a really cool song, and one that has a really beautiful moment at the end.  A little chill down the spine..




I think that should be enough to whet the appetite.  This early 90's stuff isn't for everyone, much like everything else I post isn't for everyone.  I would say though that if you liked anything up here, I would really implore you to check out the rest of their songs.  They are a true classic.

Hope you enjoyed, and I want to also say that I will be getting back into production here very soon.  Been on summer jaunts all over the place, and haven't had any time to get creative.

Thanks for stopping in.

-CS

Blonde Redhead and Kashmir - Alt/Indie Rock's Turn in the CS Limelight

I was looking back and realized I had spent more than a few of my previous posts on electronic groups, and so I wanted to pay some homage to a couple lesser known, and pretty good indie rockers.  I had come across both of these in listening to Pandora, and ended up purchasing a couple of their songs, and even Kashmir's full album after reading a few reviews about it.

I don't know that I was as impressed as I was hoping I would be, but nonetheless it was still a good purchase, and it had some decent replay value to it.  

KASHMIR

Kashmir is a Danish alt-rock band that got its initial start in 1991 under the name "Nirvana", which as you may come to guess would cause a bit of a problem shortly thereafter when Kurt Cobain's Nirvana gained a bunch of popularity in the States.  They changed their name to Kashmir and it has remained there ever since.  The album we will focus on today is No Balance Palace which was a well known and well renowned album. It gained a lot of traction internationally, but more specifically was received very well during multiple Danish Music Awards ceremonies.  They have had a pretty successful career in the EU, and have even recorded their most recent album at Electric Lady Studios in NYC, which is best known as Jimi Hendrix's famous studio of choice.

No Balance Palace was released in 2005, and was the album I ended up purchasing.  It's definitely a very good alt-rock album.  I don't know that they are breaking boundaries here, and there is only one "song" that really causes any goose-bump reaction for me.  Overall though these guys put together a good album, and it has some really solid stuff on it.  I'm not the biggest fan of the vocals, as they are a tad nasal for me. However, they take on a pretty good Weezer quality in a lot of their songs and I love good ole' Weezer.

-Jewel Drop-

This was the song that brought me onto the bandwagon.  I just think its a really good rock song, and I would also argue that it is the best No Balance Palace has to offer. You be the judge :)

-Diana Ross-
This is a little sonic interlude between two other songs that is just insanely beautiful for even a quick moment.  I love the reverberated electric-guitar overtones and the smooth and wispy bell/mallet sound they use.  It only lasts for like 10 seconds, but its just awesome. No vocals, no beat, just pure unadulterated simple and beautiful sound.




-Ophelia-
I love this little ballad, and I think it's a good example of their ability to slow down the tempo a little bit.  I don't know who Ophelia is, but she should be eternally flattered.  This is also the song that leads into Diana Ross.  "You're the pebble in my shoe, and the beauty in my view.."




-The Cynic-
Can you say Weezer?  This is what I am talking about haha.  Not trying to say they are unoriginal, just sayin..




-Pursuit of Misery-
This is actually off of their Trespassers album, which I haven't had much of a crack at, but I liked it.  It actually would warrant more of a listen, as there are some other really good songs on there.




-Time Has Deserted Us-
Ok, last one... then it's up to you guys out there.  This was just another one that I thought was pretty compelling.



Also check out some other songs from No Balance Palace and Trespassers.  Kalifornia is a solid song.

BLONDE REDHEAD












Somewhat creepy pic eh?  This is another early 90's inception alt-rock band that I found randomly on Pandora.  I heard their song Sw and hadn't thought to check out more of their work until I decided to write about them here.  They have a pretty gritty and Sonic Youth-like sound to them in some cases, but I think they tend to be on the cleaner side than a Sonic Youth in most of their songs.  I find them intriguing at the very least, and definitely worth more of a listen.

-Sw-
As I said above, this was the song that caught my ear first.  I don't know why, but I like the wailing vocals and powerful melody.  See what you think..




-23-
This is one I came across perusing these guys on Rhapsody, and I was impressed.  I liked some of the harmonies, and I thought it was a nice departure from what I thought their sound was going to be.  Pretty eerie, but tight all at the same time.




-Spring and by Summer Fall-
Liked this one a bit as well.  The guitar riff is very nice.




Hope you liked tonight's change of pace from the previous entries.  I will try and keep moving around between genres as much as I can just to keep things shaken up.  Let me know if you have some bands you think I should check out, always looking for introductions!  I have gotten a few since this puppy was put up, but am always looking for more!

On another note, this page has just last week shot past the 1000 page views mark.  This is of course not a very great achievement versus other sites on the web, but it still feels pretty good to me!  I can of course only reach so many people every time I announce a post, so I am glad to see that this is somehow making it out into the world a little bit at a time.  If it keeps trending up this way, then I only stand to gain from more suggestions, and broadened musical knowledge :)  Thank you to everyone who stops by once in a while!

-CS

Portishead & Special Bonus 'Moderat' - Throwback Thursday

Awwww yeahh... a little 90's throwback for you today.  For those of you who love a little trip-hop in your cheerios, this is the post for you.  Many of you have probably heard of Portishead, as they have been around since the dinosaurs, but they are still a total staple from the early goings of the trip-hop genre.  I have been a big fan of theirs for years, and I had a chance encounter with them the other day while visiting the local Macy's (don't know how that happened) and decided it was time to put them up here.  I put up a post about the Sneaker Pimps a few weeks ago, and this is the second part of a three-part Trip-Hop series if you will.

PORTISHEAD







Known as one of the originals of the "trip-hop" movement out of England, Portishead brought with it a unique and grimy sound that hasn't ever really been duplicated.  Their first album Dummy is by far my favorite, as it is the one with the most clout, and it has some really great work on it.  The three person band from Bristol, England got their name from a neighboring town of the same name.  Dummy was released in 1994, and was renowned as a great followup to Massive Attack's first album Blue Lines.  They received a lot of praise for Dummy, and they then released a self-titled album in 1997.  Since then they have released three more albums, and have been giving some indication that they may release something more in the future.

I originally came across this group in 7th grade, and strangely enough they have stayed on my list of favorites since then.  They have a truly incredible sound, and I hope you all like!

-Sour Times-
Definitely one my all-time favorites for these guys.  It is the song that really launched them into the mainstream channels.  It is a unique and smooth sound, and one that is a great example of true Portishead.




-It Could Be Sweet-
I absolutely love the beat on this song, and I think it has this very eerie beauty to it.  I love the vocals as well here, as I think she has this strange yet wonderful sound.




-Strangers-
Another one of my favorites, and a really cool song all the way around.  They are really unlike anyone else in the genre.  There is also a live version of this that is pretty amazing.




-Wandering Star-
I love the gritty and grimy sound that they are able to put together.  It sounds like everything is coming through vinyl.




Hope you enjoyed some of their older stuff off of their Dummy album!  If you have any interest in checking out more, be sure to check out their self-titled album Portishead and their album P3.  I am only focusing on Dummy because it has been my favorite for so long.

Now... as a bonus...

-Rusty Nails-
This is a song by a guy named Moderat.  I ran across Moderat after reading he had done some work with Apparat who has been my favorite new pick-up as of late.  This song has an awesome beat, and a really cool and simplistic melody.  I hope you all like!




Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Thursday!

-CS