The Kooks on "Down to the Market" bring the hook and the rock in equal doses. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, except that president-dude in Iran with the unpronounceable name and Osama Bin Laden--screw you guys.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
TheShimm: Weekend Edition
So after a week of slavish devotion to The Sea and Cake, I bet you're wondering, "So what else is Pangea listening to??" To which I would respond, "Great question!" To be honest, though, I didn't uncover any great new albums this week. I'm not sure if Field Music qualifies as "rock" music or not. The Whigs are, undoubtedly, a promising, young rock band-- "I never want to go home" is one of my favorites off their uneven second album. And, lastly, "Cheap Wine" by Austin, Texas's What Made Milwaukee Famous. Great lyrics and a rousing chorus, about all i can ask for in a song.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Week in Review: Sea and Cake -- Day 4 (Final Day!!!)
Final Day of Sea and Cake Week in Review. Please don't cry. "Afternoon Speaker" would certainly be a part of any Sea and Cake greatest hits collection. Please use the Sea and Cake in moderation--it's better that way.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Week in Review: Sea and Cake -- Day 3 (Bonus!!!!)
i dig this Sea and Cake song too, thought you should now
Week in Review: Sea and Cake -- Day 3
Car Alarm is the new Sea and Cake album, a quick follow-up to last year's Everybody. Both albums are nearly indistinguishable from each other, and John McEntire's sonic production wizardry is on full display on both. I'm not sure if I posted "The Staircase" a couple weeks back or not, but here it is again. And then, there's "Weekend," another one of my favorites off this album.Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Week in Review: Sea and Cake -- Day 2
i know what you're thinking, "Even the album covers look kind of the same." i know, isn't it strangely exotic and boring all at the same time? That's the Sea and Cake--like an island paradise, utterly serene and exotic-like but with no actual natives anywhere in sight. Oh, rest assured, this vaguely South American-influenced band (the tempo anyways) is entirely made up of mid-western white dudes. And of course, no one would mistake the Sea and Cake for world music. Nevertheless, the Sea and Cake display an affinity for Stan Getz/Antonio Carlos Jobim-style south-of-border refinement and ease. The Sea and Cake's sound reflects the band's appreciation of bossanova (an almost aristocratic style of jazz focused on melody and tempo then on improvisation and technique--basically bossanova is mood music at its finest) without aping it. This is music intended for a tranquil evening with that special person in one's life or maybe with oneself and a glass of wine. It ain't a party and it ain't exactly a bummer either. Undoubtedly romantic, it's not baby-making music either.This Week in Review may be harder to deliver than i thought. Again, iTunes DRM rights are cock-blockin' my posts. But I'll soldier on this week the best I can.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Week in Review: The Sea and Cake
You don’t know how tough it is to highlight the Sea and Cake’s work over the past 8 albums. It’s like picking your favorite fish at an aquarium--most of them are pretty cool and exotic looking. Where to start? One might think the beginning might be a good place, but it’s not like the band’s sound ever really evolved so chronology matters very little. The Sea and Cake were never a metal band that later became this ultra-mannered, incredibly consistent post rock quartet, distilling their equal parts appreciation of Lou Reed, surf guitar, bossa nova and techno-beats into an ultra-refined post rock sausage (they're from Chicago, hence the sausage metaphor). But that consistency can be boring, and the Sea and Cake’s live shows are unfortunately proof of that (last week's show at the Middle East in Cambridge showed a lot of promise at the start before launching into 6 indistinguishable songs in a row and literally losing about a third of the audience. Sure it was late, as the band didn't get on stage until almost 11 p.m., but even this Sea and Cake-super-fan was good to go by 11:45.) To truly appreciate the Sea and Cake, it seems, one needs a good pair of headphones. These first two, “The Arguement” and “Four Corners” are two of my all-time favorites. Most evident on both these tracks is the production skills of drummer-producer John McEntire. While every member of the band is incredibly talented, McEntire is the ace in the hole.
Friday, November 14, 2008
New Hot Band: the Moondoggies
The Moondoggies may regret their slightly dumb name, but with respect to Don't Be a Stranger the Moondoggies have little to regret. This is highly confident, competent and enjoyable debut album. The future is bright for the Moondoggies. There is a slight backwoods, classic rock quality to Don't Be a Stranger that lends to undoubtedly the Moondoggies being compared to the Band (the similarity is pretty apparent on "Ain't No Lord") and the Fleet Foxes, but those comparisons don't exactly paint a proper picture of the Moondoggies. For the most part, this really isn't back-to-basics, somber roots rock. Basically, there are ton of quality songs with various members contributing vocals. I am going to start praying to the concert promoter-gods every night to get the Fleet Foxes, the Moondoggies, Blitzen Trapper and Band of Horses to tour together. Let's not forget that TheShimm was all over the Fleet Foxes before they became a household name; it's not too late yet to get on the Moondoggies' bandwagon. Tell 'em Pangea sent you.
Ryan Adams -- Day in Review
Point, first off, go to Cardinology for a cool album art and typeface. If only this album were as electrifying as its cover. Rolling Stone goes way over the top in praising the album, while Pitchfork does its best to take any wind out of Adams' creative sails. The truth lies somewhere in between. Cardinology has more than a few winning moments, but like all Ryan Adams' albums it drags in spots with overly ponderous country songs (complete with Emmylou Harris duet). This particular live version of "Dance All Night" is my favorite song of his. When he's not singing into his beer (and/or speedballs), Adams can really sing. Speaking of singing, "Two" is supposed to be a duet between Adams and Sheryl Crowe. Get out your good headphones as pinpointing Crowe's vocals on "Two" is nearly impossible.
Sound Team -- A Week in Review: Day 5
Final Sound Team post, I promise. "Free" comes off Into the Lens from 2002. "Electric Stallion" is off the recently released You/Every Day is New Year. Thursday, November 13, 2008
Sound Team -- A Week in Review: Day 4
"Up from Ashes" comes off the band's Empty Rooms 12'. It's another fantastic instrumental. I'm really struggling to figure out whether Sound Team has reorganized or what. Unfortunately, this blog is a little off the radar and I'm not getting much feedback on my beloved band. You, dear reader, will be the first to know. Nevertheless, their body of work is significant as these postings pay tribute to. As we near the end of this Sound Team Week in Review, I feel your need to get past Sound Team. (I'm getting closure this week, damn it!!!)
Special Note to Dedicated Readers of TheShimm.com: Week in Review to Extended
Due to the overwhelming success of the Sound Team Week in Review (ha!), TheShimm is changing formats just slightly for the next couple months. To continue with this endeavor, as a mostly one-man operation (except for occasional recommendations from my brother, Jacob, keep 'em coming!) I need a little structure for the site. I've decided that TheShimm will heretofore spend a week on an individual genre, artist, geographic region, time period, etc, which should make things interesting enough. Of course, when a really fantastic underground single breaks, you can be assured that TheShimm will be handling it, but let's just say the bar has been raised. Next week is Sea & Cake Week!!! Requests will be considered--leave a comment.
Special Note to Dedicated Readers of TheShimm.com: Week in Review to Extended
Due to the overwhelming success of the Sound Team Week in Review (ha!), TheShimm is changing formats just slightly for the next couple months. To continue with this endeavor, as a mostly one-man operation (except for occasional recommendations from my brother, Jacob, keep 'em coming!) I need a little structure for the site. I've decided that TheShimm will heretofore spend a week on an individual genre, artist, geographic region, time period, etc, which should make things interesting enough. Of course, when a really fantastic underground single breaks, you can be assured that TheShimm will be handling it, but let's just say the bar has been raised. Next week is Sea & Cake Week!!! Requests will be considered--leave a comment.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Sound Team-- Week in Review: Day 3 (bonus post!!!!)
Here's another song "Feeling of Wonder" off the newly released (or is it newly re-released???) Sound Team album called Yes/Every Day is New Year. It's a bit like their second album Into the Lens, a bit puzzling and most instrumental to boot. So what to make of it? i dunno, I'm still not sure whether it's some sort of odd 'n' sods collection or not, except to say that it's a got certain logic or flow to it, that makes me wonder if this is some half-assed attempt at a new album. I mean, I like when they sing, so what's with all the instrumentals??! Still, "Feeling of Wonder" is good like Radiohead is good. It's hard to put your finger on what exactly is pressing your buttons, but it's doing it. This is majestic stuff, the stuff of importance. This is music to an important yet unmade film of limited release and appeal. If you had a gallery and maybe some taste, you just might loop "Feeling of Wonder" ad infinitum, and no one would exactly complain. Every one would probably go looney-tunes though.Sound Team -- A Week in Review: Day 3
Movie Monster, released in 2006, is Sound Team's finest album. I bought it off iTunes a couple of years and my favorites are, sadly, off-limits, all except the title track, "Movie Monster." Also posted is an alternate acoustic version of "No More Birthdays," which appears on Movie Monster.Special Note about TheShimm.com:
My blog has moved up 1.5 million places in the rankings!!! Thanks for putting me in 2,536, 241st place among websites. If get in the top 100,000, maybe just maybe, I can quit my hypothetical day job (and start dying just a portion of my hair an outrageous color.) Make it happen for me, people. You're my only hope.
regards, Pangea
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
that is not me repeating myself. Here are two versions of one of my favorite Sound Team songs, "Your Eyes are Liars." The version w/ vocals came from an Urban Outfitters collections (#22 to be precise). The instrumental version comes off the newly released Sound Team -- A Week in Review: Day 2
Into the Lens, released in 2002, is officially Sound Team's second album. It's a pretty weird album, and it's way too long. Their sound would change dramatically on their follow-up Monster Movie. "Out of Control," an instrumental, is one of the standouts.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sound Team -- A Week in Review: Day 1
I'm making an executive decision to make this week, the week of Sound Team. Their current status is kind of mystery to me. I saw their "final" show in 2007 in their hometown of Austin, Texas at Austin City Limits Festival. It was an early afternoon show--easy to miss, but I was insistent to the rest of my group that we we would be remiss to miss this final Sound Team show. It was my first and last Sound Team show...or is it???? In October, Sound Team released a new album (maybe it's a collection of b-sides and an unreleased songs, I dunno, but it sounds cohesive if not a little bit light on actual songs) and a single. The album is a whole lotta instrumentals--not exactly for the masses but a-must-listen-to for fellow Sound Team-fanatics like myself. I'm not disappointed. I'm just confused about the status of Sound Team. Are they back??? After googling it, i'm still not sure. So in an effort to build enthusiasm for a great and slightly unsung band from Austin, I am devoting this entire week to Sound Team in an effort to encourage them to keep making brilliant music and saying Fuck YOU to pitchfork for forever dogging them. Sound Team, I might just be your biggest fan outside Austin. Shimm readers, you will not be disappointed by this week of free music. Get Ready to meet your new favorite band.
Unreleased Q Tip -- Kamaal: the Abstract
For reasons not known by me, Q Tip's second album Kamaal: The Abstract was never released. Given Tribe's predilection for jazz samples and use of live instrumentation, Kamaal doesn't seem to me to be that radical a departure for Q Tip--he's certainly not the first to use guitar and drums. As always, his lyrical flow is unique. I am hoping that the mp3 file is actually two songs "Barely in Love" and "Heels." Saturday, November 8, 2008
Not New Aretha Franklin
Sorry to leave all of my legions of fans hanging with this very shimm Aretha Franklin tune without a pictures and . "Respect" might be the best known tune on I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You, but for my money "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream" is my favorite on this album (oh but it is so hard to choose). Simply put, this is not just the Aretha Franklin album, this just might be the very finest soul album out there. If it's not, then it is, without a doubt, the finest soul album by a female artist. For those that only know Aretha from the Blues Brothers movie or as the sweaty corpulent diva with more chins than chinatown, Aretha once had an incredibly fine voice, great material and unlike so many present day soul singers she exercised restraint. She wasn't a show-off; she didn't have to--her talent was mothertrucking obvious.Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
New Q-Tip -- The Renaissance
Q Tip has one of the finest voices in hip hop. And he had used it as a solo artist very sparingly, and maybe that has made my heart grow fonder. After 8 years, I'm not prepared to say that the time has been incredibly well spent, but I for one am glad to welcom Q Tip back to the fold.
New Blitzen Trapper -- Furr
Paul and Jessica's wedding in Napa, subtitle: Planes, Trains and AutomobileLast weekend, we traveled to Napa, California for a wedding. Getting there from Boston was an adventure. That is, an adventure if your idea of an adventure is making use of subway, light rail, megabus, plane and rental car, sleeping on the floor at LaGuardia, wandering aimlessly in Flushing for an airport shuttle at 3.30 a.m., waiting 6-9? hours at the Denver Airport to fly to San Francisco, only to be redirected to San Jose, and just like that, 29 hours later, we were in Napa on Halloween, thoroughly exhausted. Best Halloween ever....wait for it...wait...not!
Anyways in all that "traveling" I listened to my iPod. A lot of the music that I've posted this week has been byproduct of all that bullsh!t time wasted. Blitzen Trapper settle down on Furr and bare some similarity to Dylan, the Band, Beck, and CSN&Y in their slightly modern take on alt-country classic rock. It vaguely reminds me of the Broken West
Anyways in all that "traveling" I listened to my iPod. A lot of the music that I've posted this week has been byproduct of all that bullsh!t time wasted. Blitzen Trapper settle down on Furr and bare some similarity to Dylan, the Band, Beck, and CSN&Y in their slightly modern take on alt-country classic rock. It vaguely reminds me of the Broken West
Raphael Saadiq
Former member of Toni, Tone, Tony! (I know i got that out of order and w/out enough exclamation points), Raphael Saadiq, has got the voice and instincts for retro-soul. I can't verify that the Dap Kings actually play on this album but it sounds like it. Nevertheless for relatively minor pop star, he attracts heavy hitters like Stevie Wonder, Jay Z and Joss Stone. Wonder's wonderful harmonica playing is worth noting on "Never Give You Up;" it's fine baby-makin' music. "100 yard dash" sounds like vintage Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.New Sea & Cake -- Car Alarm
The Sea and Cake are sort of like Stereolab in that they seem to do what they do, time after time with ever so slight advances in sound and texture. I really like consistency but the Sea and Cake prove at times that too much consistency can be a bad thing. Sam Prekop has used same vocal tone and style backed by a pristine afro-latino-caribbean-bossa-nova guitar style and a percolating rhythm section for the past fifteen years. My first reaction to Car Alarm was "Pitchfork said this was the best album yet and those motherfuckers always get it wrong--they made me buy the Mastodon album!!!!...." and anyways it sounded really similar to previous albums, but perhaps a little too similar. But if they didn't do that, they wouldn't be Sea and Cake. So my final verdict is this is a Sea and Cake true believers only--us, true believers get it.Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Menahan Street Band
Menahan Street Band features members of Antibalas, the Dap Kings and El Michels Affair. Maybe those names are foreign to you, but it means something to me. These fellas are the closest thing we got to Motown's Funk Brothers (the dudes that made most of the music underlying Motown's early hits). I'm a sucker for horns, and this stuff is just too g-ddang smooth. Last year, Jay Z utilized the Dap Kings to great effect, and Menahan Street Band pays homage to the horn arrangement on "Roc Boys" on "Make the Road by Walking." "The Contender" is exactly that. This is fine, fine stuff. President Obama....Don't Let Me Down
I'm struggling to find words to express myself...I'll leave it at that. Tuesday, November 4, 2008
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