Pink Flamingos – We Never Close 8.5

FYI: This cover has never been accused of coming from any other decade but the 80s.

                Consider this akin to finding an ancient artifact. I’m so positively thrilled about this album. Each song reeks of the 80s in the best way possible. You want to see pure, uncut 80s nostalgia without all the lenses, distortion and irony installed by chillwave, hypnagogic pop, and so on? Go no further than Pink Flamingos, who make AM hits so good they put my previous favorite (The Doobie Brothers) to absolute shame. Of course your ability to enjoy this will depend very heavily on how much irony you function off of on a regular day. Suffice it to say I’m more than happy about my discovery.

                Every bit of the early 80s is well covered. There are those piano ballads like “Just like in the Movies”. Heavier, more strung out songs are here as well. “Voodoo” sounds better after you’ve listened to homage Ariel Pink has written. In case the rhythm doesn’t get you, maybe the vocal spasm (you’ll see what I mean) about halfway through or perhaps the synthesizer at the end. I’m glad to see these guys (headed by Dave McArtney, a New Zealander) saw so much success in the early 80s. 

                What is the true hit on here though? “Hungry Night” might be the anthem I never knew dedicated to an unproduced 80s comedy. It would introduce the film with stock footage of 80s New York, complete with hard-working construction workers and waiting for trains. Oh man, this might be one of the best, most unintentionally ironic things I’ve ever heard in my entire life. Don’t worry, just because that movie never got produced doesn’t mean you can’t watch their infinitely excellent music video. 

                Slower songs work wonders too. “Anne was Hard” and “Prosperpine” conjure up images of the best of the early 80s. You want to know where the current 80s fetish gets its traction, I can tell. Listen to this, it’ll give you all the information you’ll ever need to know in some of the best pop morsels. Plus, did I mention the singer Dave McArtney has a BA in English and Renaissance poetry. That habit of his weaves its way into lyrics. 

                Man, mere words can’t describe this feat. Hear the history of so many AM-radio worshippers condensed into a simple, highly enjoyable album. It is just amazing the level of 80s AM-pop contained within here. “We Never Close” is such a fun listen.

Maria Minerva – Tallinn at Dawn 8.4

                  Maria Minerva’s sonic universe is a hard thing to describe. I might say she’s a more lo-fi Estonian version of Nite Jewel to give you some idea. That definition is somewhat limiting, as Maria has moved to London. Perhaps her work will herald in a re-evaluation of 80s/early 90s electronic music and its lovable cheesiness.  

                “Tallinn at Dawn” is a short and enjoyable album. Each song has its own personality while contributing to the general atmosphere of the album. A haze is spread thick over the tunes, as if the sound is coming from far away. Her voice has a sweet fragility which sounds sincere and half asleep.  Even the melodies get confused. 

                None of the songs outstay their welcome. Loops are distorted, lose their way, and don’t bother coming back. Sometimes the sounds flirt with the idea of stopping completely as it descends into audio muck. “10 Little Rock Chix Listening to Neu!” starts up and nearly loses its energy. Actually, this makes the song more enjoyable, as the unpredictability and general disarray of the song brings her close to hypnagogic pop’s ideal. 

                Songs become felt both on a hummable, traditional pop sense and a dreamier, more emotional sense.  They differ from the rather straightforward “Hop Hop Gone in Spring” to the sample-laden “Sad Serenade (Bedroom Rock N’ Roll)”. On the latter track, there’s a noticeable 90s influence two-thirds of the way into the song. It is a nice flair to an already solid enough song. 

                A blurring comes along in the other songs where it references multiple sounds at once. “Unchain my Heart” is probably the best example of this approach. Other songs constantly bleed in and out of the mix, like she recorded multiple songs onto the same tape. Then she proceeds to sing along with the other song as it shifts back to the original song. 

                Not Not Fun did a great job putting out this cassette. Give this album a few listens as its many charms require a few listens. It is well-done sonic oddity. She’s collaborating with another favorite of mine (LA Vampires) so thankfully we’ll have more by her this year.

Explorers – Bermuda Telepaths 5.8

                We’re given a look into Sam Mehran’s world of drone. Personally I’m a bit more familiar with his Outer Limits Recordings and Matrix Metals. Here we get to see how exactly he arranges an otherworldly drone. Despite occasional flashes of pure genius, it tends to have too many dramatic transitions without any real rhyme or reason. Usually with drone pieces there’s a greater tendency to smooth these out. But Explorer’s failure to do so is not its only problem.

                A lot of these ideas in general sound too familiar to a poor man’s James Ferraro. James Ferraro does some great otherworldly drone, in a similar vein. While James’ stuff works for the most part (obviously there are dullards there) here Sam’s stuff doesn’t seem as far out there as he would think.

                Side A has “We Thrive Off The Encantic Dance Of Orbs”. I’m not going to judge how good or bad the title is, but the song is disjointed. Great ideas are touched upon, but by him moving around too much, it feels aimless rather than transcendent. “That Beneath Of Realms Fermenting” part II of the sentence is much better. Here he focuses on having the drone evolve less suddenly and more organically. Using less abrupt transitions and generally better ideas helps it out.

                Overall, this could have been better. Moments exist which point to a potential for greater things, but it is a bit of a letdown.

Ducktails – Killin’ the Vibe 12 Inch

             As a member of Matt Mondanile’s generation (80s born and raised), I can’t help but to relate to what he does. Hypnagogic pop speaks to me, and Matt’s approach happens to be one of the more accessible ones in the field. Ducktails is a fun project, and his own evolution from living in his parents’ basement (he moved out this December to Greenpoint, Brooklyn) is an experience countless millions can relate to. 

                He’s now trying to earn money to release a 12 Inch version of his song “Killin’ the Vibe” to the suspecting masses. Besides just asking people for money on “Kickstarter” the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world, he offers goodies. People can opt to get a 30 minute cassette of unreleased songs (known as B-sides or sketches), the vinyl itself with a handwritten note and new songs, or with a Zine (so retro) of his photographs, and finally guaranteed shows of him playing in the Northeast. Apparently his fan base is rabid enough to take up all of this, even the last one with the $500 contribution. In fact, the only one not taken is having him perform in your living room for $1000, which is something I hope gets amended. 

                Now he’s even exceeded his goal of fundraising: he has exceeded his goal of $3500 by about $1940. I guess his chops are complete; he tends to avoid the prolific releases of his friends James Ferraro and Spencer Clark (of The Skaters fame). That’s a good thing; it has allowed me to keep track of his various projects, including his most famous one “Real Estate”. Seeing how he literally lived with those two Skaters in Berlin during a study abroad trip gives me hope for when I’ll be doing that. I always thought study abroad sessions were supposed to be stuffy; his experience proves my theory dead-wrong.

                I’m hoping he succeeds in getting this 12 out. He exists as sort of an in-between point between various different genres: rock, hypnagogic pop, cassette culture, lo-fi recordings, etc. Considering he’s only in his twenties, he’s been lucky enough to tour with some wonderful people (like Emeralds and Deerhunter) has an excellent grasp of aesthetics (Lauren Pakradooni will do the 12 artwork). Plus, and this is huge, he’s managed to show New Jersey as a place where interesting things are going on, where actual art is created. Instead of feeling like they need a crutch of New York City, they show exactly why New York needs more people like him to move here. 

                With that, I’d like to say if you feel like contributing to this guy, or want him to perform in your living room; you might want to go here:

Ducktails – Ducktails III:Arcade Dynamics 7.9

                 Matthew Mondanile works many jobs: besides his better known gig in “Real Estate” he does these personal jams. Compared to his last album, this one feels a bit more organic, a bit less stuffed-sounding. Each song feels like it was exposed to excessive amounts of sunshine and joy. The carefree attitude doesn’t really leave at any point throughout the album. If you’re familiar with his previous stuff, this new material shouldn’t come as a major surprise.

                “In the Swing” sounds like a jaunt through a quaint seaside neighborhood. Most of the songs elicit similar reactions from me. Nostalgia is Matt’s main draw here, but I think his work is more interesting than a lot of his hypnagogic peers. For one, he infuses a great deal of soul. His recording process may be lo-fi, but it doesn’t sacrifice the quality of the song itself, like others enjoy doing.

                Songs like “Sprinter” (what I used to be in high school) and the fragile “Little Window” remind me that summer isn’t that far away with this stuff coming near. “Killing Vibe” is probably one of my favorites on here, besides the obvious EP songs from “Hamilton Road”. “Porch Projector” has the worst fidelity and the most otherworldly nature to it. At times it sounds like guitar strumming being summoned from an alternative universe, one where John Fahey was famous and Garth Brooks starved to death. It is a perfect closer.

                I’m glad this came out in the dead middle of winter. Ducktails will keep you warm until springtime.

Africa Germany Germany Mexico Turkey Australia – Africa Germany Germany Mexico Turkey Australia 7.3

Most likely, Matthew Mondanile’s (of Ducktails fame) is partly responsible for this. It appears on his discography page, so it is probably accurate. Unlike his Ducktails material, this oozes out hot hot heat. There’s a structure, but it is considerably looser, more akin to James Ferraro territory than anything Matt’s been involved with in the past. 

Little chirps start up the first track. Those chirps are existent throughout the album’s (EP’s) running time of about 26 minutes. Hearing the beat for the first time, you figure it will evolve into something mightier. It doesn’t and you’re no worse of for it. 

This is pretty zoned out stuff. Walking around the supermarket listening to this on my headphones, I got to feel a little drunk with it on. Disorientating, without indicating any beginning or endpoint, it just is. You’re better off for it. Olde English Spelling Bee did us another favor with this one.

LA Vampires featuring Matrix Metals – So Unreal 8.1

Having already been exposed to Matrix Metals and LA Vampires collaboration with Zola Jesus this year, I didn’t have high expectations. Both of those recordings left me feeling a little left out in the cold. Amanda Brown was responsible for Pocahaunted (a band close to my heart) and the man behind Matrix Metals created a favorite Outer Limits Recordings, so I felt I owed them another chance. They proved my hope was not misplaced. 

                These two play off each other quite nicely. Matrix provides the narco background, and Amanda’s voice expands into nothing with her carefully honed hipness. Each one goes on far longer than you’d expect, but somehow the length of the tracks adds to what’s going on. Upon repeated listens, bizarre goings on between the loops becomes apparent. 

                “Make Me Over” serves as the single for the group. If you can’t get through this haze, then call it a day. Most of the album follows in the same vein of drugged out lo-fi. But the real winner on here (for me at least) is “How Would I Know”, where rhetorical questions are halfheartedly asked as pieces of sound float on by. The song gets stuck in your head and will never leave. It sounds like a pop song heard while asleep, just perfectly dreamy and almost graspable.

                In case you wondered whether or not they were dedicated to the 80s, or if you needed more evidence, there’s the song “Berlin Baby”. Your confirmation has arrived, the cheesy drum hits and Germany-coolness worship is complete. Things end with the vaguely upbeat “So Unreal”.

                Not Not Fun Records did a great thing with releasing this. Listening to this, I hope they decide to do it again.

Olde English Spelling Bee – My favorite label of the year

Each year there happens to be a great record label. A record label that confirms good music continues to be made. Whether they are trail blazers or not is almost irrelevant. They’ve found a niche that completely works for them and stay steadfast in that dedication, until they finally give up and open their doors for all (remember Warp’s signing of !!!, Grizzly Bear, etc.). 

Olde English Spelling Bee supplied me with the hits I needed this year. Having such a low output anyway makes this all the more remarkable. Most of their stuff tended to veer towards the chillwave/hypnagogic pop area, which is what I’m a sucker for anyway. But their quality control for such a burgeoning scene is admirable, as is their evolution from like the guy who practically invented the genre (James Ferraro/Skaters) to newer acts like Big Trouble, Rangers, and Outer Limits Recordings.

It is doubly nice to have a record label so close to me that I get to see all their Greatest Hits perform. Not only do I have the expected joy of shows, but they even get to curate various magazines mixes for thanksgiving. That’s right, I’m talking about the below:

http://www.viceland.com/music/2010/11/greatest-hits-lsd-karaoke-mix/

Vice Magazine hosted these guys, with all their wonderful taste in pop music trash. Ducktails have a great twitter and probably are the most famous band off the label. Sam Mehran started about a billion different projects, so it seems like the label is even more prolific. And the kicker, all of the people performing on this label looked like cloned versions of themselves. It reminds me of Dr. Venture’s lab, but instead of cloned Hanks and Deans, they have cloned hipsters and allow them to float in tubes filled with liquid irony and borrowed nostalgia. 

The music videos show this off, with weird blurry images of people hanging around, not doing much. Most the videos are fun, quirky, and so cheaply made that my cheapo camera has better resolution. Taking this approach towards the visuals only compliments the tact taken by the artists themselves, of hiding honest-to-goodness pop under layers of fuzz and static. 

Please keep up the winning streak OESB. I believe in you. Your label has convinced me to have a “best of” EP edition for this year. Each release gets sweeter and sweeter. More of your artists need to put out albums. If I need to almost beg you to do this, that’s a positive thing.

Labels like Thrill Jockey, Warp, Tigerbeat6, get your head in the game. These guys clearly do, and rather than having a slick website, they have a myspace and a blogspot. And that blogspot looks like it got set up in 3 seconds by some dude before he went to bed. 

Thank you my favorite label of the year for making me so very, very happy.

Origin Story Number Two

I grew up in a beautiful town out in the Soviet countryside. The middle child, I nonetheless experienced the nourishing tender love and care from my good communist mother and father. My father worked as an engineer and served for many years in the local Communist party. Due to his heavy participation in the party, he was justly rewarded with a plum position working at a local power plant. Playing in the lush green fields, we were happy to call this ravishingly beautiful city home. Even now, I remember my friends being jealous of my good fortune of living in Chernobyl. 

One day I woke up and everything changed. Unbeknown to me, my parents were fighting against the Soviet occupation of their beloved Ukraine. Quickly we were rushed to live in an underground bunker and for several years we crossed between Ukraine and Belarus, seeking the liberation of each country. After the disaster in my old town, I understood why they did it. We were fighting against an evil empire, as Ronald Reagan stated over the radio. His voice reassured me that all was right with the world. Our father promised us that after Ukraine became independent, that we could head over to the US, to a land of milk and honey.

Milk and honey is what we lived off of from local farmers sympathetic to our cause. Finally when I was 12 I saw the empire keel over and die. Excitedly we packed our bags and headed over to America. Worried about the influence that a big city could have over my younger sibling my family moved to rural North Carolina. 

As I entered Middle School there, I realized I was different. I didn’t speak any English, so I forced myself into American culture. I bought Nirvana albums and dressed all Grunge. My parents worried about my style of dress, thinking that American culture would take over my Ukrainian roots. Upon my constant grouching about everything, they felt reassured that indeed I would fit their hopes of me growing up into an embittered, disillusioned, over-educated member of society, just like they did. According to them, the Ukrainian way involved being deeply weird and being kind of a dick, but acknowledging that you’re an asshole. I passed this test with flying colors after I hurled a beer bottle at someone at school, only to half-apologize to them in front of the principal.

Upon graduation from Edenton, North Carolina’s school system, I decided to move to a big city. I missed being around large groups of people. Telling my parents I was going to study Dentistry in Chicago, they initially were concerned. After I told them about the high suicide rate that Dentists suffered from, they gave me a thumbs-up of approval. 

Living in Chicago in the late nineties ended up being a magical time. Around that time, a record label called “Thrill Jockey” grew in importance. In order to pay for school, I did side gigs touring with the famous band Tortoise, playing the vibraphones. Since so many people were in the band, my name usually got mangled. More than a few times some of the musicians who opened up asked me for drugs, thinking I was a Russian gangster. Asking about this profession, I learned that apparently being a Russian gangster paid more than touring with a relevant indie-rock-jazz fusion band. I stood in disbelief, unable to comprehend crime paying so much better than underground rock.

Following my passion, I joined the Russian mob. Since I was technically Ukrainian, I had to pay a higher Union membership fee. My job consisted of manipulating stocks and setting bags of poop on fire. During my years with the Russian mob, I saw more money than I’d ever seen before. After the FBI raided my workplace, I was out of a job. Bored at being a dentist and having genuinely enjoyed my artistic experiences, I decided to write a show about my time with the mob. It was called “The Vakhovskayas” and the pilot was rejected for having too many philosophical references.

Distraught at my attempt to create a hit TV show, I worked as a Dentist in the greater Los Angeles area, still pitching my ideas to whoever was interested. One day a dorky looking bald guy came into my practice. He stated that he read my work would fit his concept for a show. Intrigued, I asked him to proceed. Explaining how it would take place on a deserted island and would explore sci-fi and philosophical arguments, he told me how it could be one of the greatest shows that Television had ever seen. Throwing a few titles out there, he told me, they decided against “Airplane Crash” and went with the simple name “Lost”. 

After having wasted most of my afternoon listening to this, I told him to get the fuck out of my office. This idea he had, I said, would not earn him a dime. Plus, I cancelled several dental cleanings in order to hear him yammer on about his gibberish, money that would take hours to earn back. Later that evening, I left a flaming bag of dog shit on his doorstep with a note that said “This is what your show will be”. 

Even though the show ended up being mildly successful with tepid critical praise, I made the right decision. Instead of focusing on my writing, I turned to music. Working with James Ferraro, I helped the nascent hypnagogic pop and chillwave genres turn into the cultural powerhouses they are today. Due to my participation in this genre, I have made literally hundreds of dollars. However, after my street cred is converted into actual dollars, I’ll have enough money to buy a small Indonesian island.

My coverage of chillwave and hypnagogic pop on this blog isn’t exactly benign. I make no apologies for this, but rather ask what you would do in the same situation. Would you simply keep the good music for yourself, or would you share it with the world, like I have. Thank you for your continued support of this blog. It means a lot to me.

Perverted Pop Playlist (The Triple P) (Part I)

Funny on so many levels

Looking through my posts, I noticed a lack of playlists. This seems particularly egregious an error, since I have actually been listening to specific genres of music lately. Hording them for myself, I forgot to share them with everybody else.  I apologize.

What I have in store for you today is hopefully not the last of its kind. Over the past few weeks I’ve noticed myself going back to these songs again and again, seeking my nostalgia kick. Most of these songs are fairly recent, and fall mostly under the chillwave or hypnagogic pop subgenres. 

Unlike most of my previous playlists, this stuff should strike the casual listener as being vaguely familiar. That’s the way the genres work, by subtly referencing previous works and re-framing it into something brand new. The low fidelity of some of these recordings is deliberate and intentional. Hopefully you’ll be able to fully enjoy these selections, and perhaps I’ll make more playlists in this similar vein, hence the Part I. Or I might have just named it that to mess with your head. Also included is some of what inspired this exploration into the sound in the first place. 

1.       Outer Limits Recordings – I need my T.V.

I’ve been really digging their sound lately. Conjuring up my past via the best 80s worship I’ve heard for a while. Anybody interested in Ariel Pink would be a fool not to check this awesomeness out. The song will get stuck in your head. 

2.       The Samps – Yellowjacket

The Samps are a sample-worshipping group. What I like about this particular song is the hypnotic quality the music takes about halfway into the song. Suddenly the sound begins to glide effortlessly and really become something much greater than the sum of its parts. Let the groove overtake you. 

3.       Rangers – Bear Creek

Going through various Google searches, I see Bear Creek is a small village outside Austin, Texas. Maybe this is where the musician is from, because I do know he’s a Texan. It would explain the certain amount of heart this particular song of his has. 

4.       Casino Versus Japan – Trad Velecido

American-made ambient done right. I thought about Boards of Canada, but everybody talks about them. Besides, I figured with all the madness going on, there needed to be a break.

5.       VHS Head – The Stuff

Perhaps this sort of breaks the lo-fi theme I had. I don’t care. The pop sensibilities are still here, and the samples from VHS tapes make it nostalgic enough. Each segment of the song works perfectly and has a great pulse to it. 

6.       Games – Shadows in Bloom

Games have impressed me of late. This one’s cut up techniques mesh well with what preceded it, and the keyboards are fantastic. Stupid vocals only make it that much better. 

7.       Washed Out- Phone Call

Ernest Greene gets a royalty check every time someone mentions chillwave. In his super-secret parent’s house in a well-to-do Georgia town, he created this out of boredom. The reverb saturates the whole thing into a delightful pop morsel. 

8.       Broadcast and the Focus Group – Royal Chant

Actually, I enjoy both of these groups. For whatever reason, this one spoke to me the most off of the entire album. Once I had finished listening to it, I immediately re-listened to the entire album. This is another palate cleanser sort of track, a bit meditative. 

9.       R. Stevie Moore – Part of the Problem

Writing about music, I feel I can never talk directly about R. Stevie Moore, only his contribution. This happens to be one of his stronger power pop contributions. I like to think of him as the long-lost ancestor to a lot of the chillwave artists today, like from the Cro-Magnon period or something. 

10.   Big Troubles – Georgia

Big Troubles lives in the same state as Mr. Moore, the great state of New Jersey. They trade in a similar stock. True to their name, they engage in a very large sound. I’d say this is a good song to drive to. 

11.   Blank Dogs – Tin Birds

Probably one of the most optimistic songs Blank Dogs ever wrote. I like how the song practically oozes confidence in you. You could run to this song or accomplish something great, since it clearly works as montage music. 

12.   Greatest Hits – Ambulance

Yeah, I know there’s a bunch of Olde English Spelling Bee stuff on here, but that has probably been one of the savior labels for me this year. Anyway, this brings up the best images of early ADULT. 

13.   Optiganally Yours – Stop Touching Me

After the intensity of Ambulance, you might need a break. Using only the oldest technology available (some toy from the 60s) they create the purest homemade pop. It sounds like it breaks from the sheer cuteness.

14.   Ducktails – Hamilton Road

 I now like Ducktails. For whatever reason, I didn’t immediately enjoy this project, but now I get it. Hearing that sound, it reminds me of summer and how far away it is now. 

15.   Nerve City – Sleepwalker

This is as lo-fi as I’m willing to get. Even with that “recorded from faraway” sound, it retains a certain romantic charm. 

16.   Nite Jewel – What Did He Say

Seeing Nite Jewel perform this live helped me check one thing off on my things to do before I die list. No one in the audience bothered to dance or react to it. I was upset with this, but I like the slinky approach to song craft she employs with this little ditty. 

17.   Panda Bear – Alsatian Dam

Hearing this only makes me want his album more. The buildup, a long lost art form, is confidently restored to its rightful place. 

18.   Todd Rundgren – A Dream Goes On Forever

I never get a chance to play this song for people. This is one of the best pop songs you’ll ever encounter. Shame that Todd didn’t have his entire career filled with these gems.

19.   Saint Etienne – Avenue

 A habit of all of my mixes is to put some long meaningful song at the end. I’m not sure why long songs should go at the end, but I want people to kind of drift away with that last track. Right at the very end you hear how someone could “Lose Himself in London”. That was part of the ongoing theme of the whole album, which I strongly suggest hearing.

I hope you enjoy this mix. Perhaps there will be a part II to this, since I deleted a lot of my original suggestions for this, either because they lacked heart or soul. Chillwave and hypnagogic pop will never be torn asunder.