Buy it for your coffee table, which is where I have my copy (yeah there’s beer spilled all over it). When I have a copy of this book laying around, nothing screams ‘OMG, Nghia I never knew you were on such a sensitive tip with cute furry animals and were so knowledgeable and cared so much about the War, politics, the environment and all that stuff. You’re so deep can I sleep with you?’. Then I put on some Usher then I’m like ‘Yeah, I like to be on top the world’s issues and stuff, that’s like one of my interest in life. Take off your bra, I’ll show you my Purple Heart later’. I once showed this book to Crystal Castles and they went ga-ga wild over it, they were really impressed and even smiled.

You too can impress people, get your copy now.

[MP3]: Lissy Trullie “Self Taught Learner”

Back in March, I mentioned that New England-based post-rock band, Apse, would be re-releasing their 2006 gem, Spirit, on ATP Recordings later this year and had plans to tour the UK. Fast forward to three months later and the band has played ATP vs. Pitchfork, finished their tour, and has three U.S. dates scheduled. Lucky for us, one of those dates is for the stacked ATP New York Festival on September 20th - a thin layer of icing on an already sweet, sweet cake.

I’m not usually into these “fan generated” videos, and to be honest, they sometimes downright creep me out. However, this video done by Mr. Alvaro for Apse’s “The Crowned” off of the soon to be re-released Spirit (July 7th) is kind of badass. It has an antiwar theme running through it as two tribes of shirtless dudes meet in a woodland clearing to do battle a la Braveheart, only instead of using hatchets and swords, they employ pillows. Hmmm…not liking the way this is sounding, but trust me, it’s totally safe for work.

Spirit is out on Monday. Listen to unreleased and remixed Apse tracks on their Muxtape. Happy 4th.

[MP3]: Apse  ”The Crowned”
Spirit, ATP Recordings; 2008

Listening to the eighteen surviving tracks from Skip James’ 1931 recording sessions in Grafton, Wisconsin give a sense of nostalgia. Clicks, hisses, and pops of muffled seventy-year old vinyl along with James’ frail falsetto create an evocative, otherworldly atmosphere highlighted by his unique self-invented three-finger picking style. A mixture of delta and piedmont blues, James’ music is haunting, desolate, and achingly beautiful - the world just kind of stops and floats every time I listen to it.

Fortunately, the good people at Mississippi Records have taken their shot at reissuing twelve of James’ earliest recordings and released them in the form of 1931 Sessions. Known for their exquisitely designed and packaged obscure blues, folk, world, and R&B compilations, Mississippi doesn’t disappoint with this compilation. Tonevendor boasts this comp has “better sound quality than any reissue they’ve heard…it is Skip James though, so expect pops and crackles.” A rarely seen photo of James’ is hand glued to each album cover. Highly recommended.

Tracklisting: Side A: “I’m So Glad”, “Cypress Grove”, “If You Haven’t Any Hay (Get on Down the Road)”, “Drunken Spree”, “Yola My Blues Away”, “Devil Got My Woman”, Side B: “Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues”, “Jesus Is a Mighty Good Leader”, “Special Rider Blues”, “How Long?”, “Jesus is Gonna Come”, “Illinois Blues”

Order 1931 Sessions and other Mississippi Records releases from Forced Exposure.

[MP3]: Skip James  ”Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues”
The Complete Early Recordings of Skip James, Yazoo; 1994

Thanks to everyone who made it out to FRICTION at Cake Shop on Sunday night. Many thanks to Crystal Stilts, Tickley Feather, Rings, PWRFL Power, and Anicet DJ for putting on such a great show. We loved the vibe of the night and venue, so keep an eye out for future shows at the shop. For now, you can catch FRICTION (as announced on Monday) at The Mercury Lounge with Crystal Antlers, Chairlift, and Religious Knives on July 8th. Photos from Sunday night are up on our Flickr page.

The Verlaines made their recorded debut on Side 2, EP 2 of New Zealand’s seminal Dunedin Double EP in 1982. The compilation featured three other Dunedin, NZ groups including The Chills, The Stones, and Sneaky Feelings, each getting their own side of a 12”. Dunedin Double marked the first compilation released by the burgeoning Flying Nun, the record label that championed “The Dunedin Sound,” a phrase coined by The Clean’s David Kilgour. Since Flying Nun had minimal funds and many of the musicians were unemployed, the EP was recorded on a portable four-track, lending it a lo-fi sound quality.

Originally forming as a five-piece in 1980 and later stripping down to a trio, The Verlaines took their name after French poet Paul Verlaine (as did Television’s Tom Verlaine). Fronted by classical music student Graeme Downes, the band combined jangly guitars, stark basslines, and a pop mentality with precise classical compositions and instrumental arrangements. Like early Bunnymen, The Verlaines music was manic, angular, and energetic – cleverly shifting, twisting and turning in an unconventional shell of classical structure. Frantic up-tempo playing offset Downes’ mournful, sometimes downbeat vocals, while tracks like the epic “Slow Sad Love Song” from the group’s sophomore effort, Bird Dog, capture melancholy in the most beautiful, moving, and personal ways.

On the heels of Dunedin Double, an EP and a couple of singles, the band dropped their debut LP, Hallelujah All the Way Home, in 1985 on Flying Nun (and later on Homestead). Downes submitted the album as a part of a composition paper for his Honors Degree in Music, which garnered him an “A.” Hallelujah built upon the scholarly sound of The Verlaines early singles and brought Downes’ disturbed stories of isolation, betrayal, and disillusionment to life with lilting melodies tinged with classical strings and horns. Bird Dog followed in 1987 and it’s probably the record I listen to the most from the group, with two of my personal favorites of all The Verlaine’s songs being “Cd Jimmy Jazz and Me” and the aforementioned “Slow Sad Love Song.” Downes croon sounds eerily similar to Ian McCulloch’s, while the composition and swirling orchestration stacks up to anything on Ocean Rain.

The Verlaines released two more records on Flying Nun/Homestead, Juvenilia (an early singles and EP comp) and Some Disenchanted Evening in 1987 and 1989, respectively. The 90s saw the band jumping to Slash and Sony for three releases, until they went on hiatus 1996, reappearing last year with Potboiler.

[MP3]: The Verlaines  ”Cd Jimmy Jazz and Me”
Bird Dog, Flying Nun; 1987

Video for “Bird Dog” (1987):


Previous “Trackback” Posts

This will be the last of what seemed like a crazy string of shows every other week since the beginning of May, as FRICTION returns to its once a month schedule for the remainder of the summer. Advance tickets are on sale now, doors at 7:30pm.

With a lineup that’s a little bit Philly and a lot of New York, FRICTION returns to its roots in Manhattan with a cast of “local” acts this Sunday at Cake Shop. Crystal Stilts, who have recently been buzzing in NYC, bring their unique brand of of moody, catchy, and upbeat surf-inspired tunes to the Shop. Mischevious outsider-folkie PWRFL Power, Paw Track signees Rings, and Philadelphia’s mysterious Tickley Feather, with her lo-fi blend of psychy bedroom pop, round out the lineup. Anicet spins between sets.

Tickets are only seven bucks and available at the doors, which open at 8pm. Full show details here. GET HYPE!

[MP3]: Crystal Stilts  ”Bright Night Nursery”
Crystal Stilts, eMusic Select; 2008

Jahtari steps out with its first-ever label compilation full of their unique slant on heavy dub, dancehall, and dubstep. The Leipzig, Germany label that coined the term “Digital Laptop Reggae” produces some of the finest classical computer generated dub and reggae. You won’t find Dub-techno, straight bassdrums from this reggae label, just a classic dub approach, done with at computer.

With this comp, Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 1, Jahtari digs from the low-end depths of dub and features seven new tracks along with three new artists that captures the “deep” spirit of the label. Disrupt contributes three heavy-hitters including the 8-bit dub blowout “Kozure Okami” and the deep reverberating “Selassi I Continually.” The mighty Afrikan Simba shows a glimpse of his lyrical flow alongside Rootah on the lead-track of the album “Alternative Power,” while John Frum delivers deep atmospheric gems with “May In Dub” and “January Dub.”

Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 1 is available now via the label and digitally from eMusic. Highly recommended for fans of Lee Perry, Burial, Disrupt, and maximum low-end deepness.

[MP3]: Afrikan Simba and Rootah  ”Alternative Power”
Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 1, Jahtari; 2008

When I first heard Aussie/LA/Londoner Sam Sparro a month ago, I immediately thought he was of black descent considering his booming soulful voice. I was wrong, this white boy can sing! Already a huge music chart climber in the UK, Sparro isn’t just a singer but a musician that writes, performs, produces and arranges all of his own material.

You may think why does the world need another Calvin Harris or Mika who likes to dabble in RnB and electro? I don’t know but his voice is easier on the ears than those other two guys. His self-titled was just released in the US yesterday. The song ‘Hot Mess’ stands out to me because you definitely hear some Prince and Gap Band. If you wanna hear the where is he now D’Angelo check out ‘Cottonmouth’. My real attraction to this album is it harkens the now cheesy mid-90’s acts that I loved like SWV, Jodeci and Blackstreet with the artificial sounding instrumentals (keyboards, synthesizers and beats). Throw in some English flavor from acts like Black Box and KLF and you have a description of this soulful-electro album.

You can buy it on Itunes right now.

[MP3]: Sam Sparro “Hot Mess”

Check out the Falco looking video for “Black and Gold”. Yeah he’s out of the closet.

It’s going to take me a little while to fully comprehend what just happened these last three days, right now I’m somewhere between complete exhaustion and stoked that this festival went off without a hitch. In short, I need a few days to really take things in as the weekend was a non-stop whirlwind. The early reviews have been pretty positive and it seemed like a lot of folks were really enjoying themselves, which brings a huge smile to my face. Pat recapped it best with his haiku about POPPED! on Saturday:

saturday was fun.
the bands were cool.
weather was hot.
justin was sober…
nghia was not.

Philebrity has a slideshow of pictures up from the weekend’s festiveness, while Music Snobbery has complete (and extensive) coverage from Saturday.

All of the pictures below were taken by Nghia, while the photo at the beginning of this post was captured by Dan Murphy. More photos to follow on Flickr here. I’ll get back into the swing of things in a few days. Thanks to everyone who made it out.

DAN DEACON @ POPPED! 2008

CRYSTAL CASTLES @ POPPED! 2008

MATES OF STATE @ POPPED! 2008

VAMPIRE WEEKEND @ POPPED! 2008

Today marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, with the sun not setting until a late 8:31pm. Kick back with your favorite iced cocktail and chill to the dubbed out cosmic-disco vibe of Studio’s remake of A Mountain of One’s “Brown Piano.” Go ahead and make the track your jam for Summer Solstice ‘08 - staying up late and waking up even earlier as the planetary grooves play out in the background. Summer’s officially here. Embrace it.

[MP3]: A Mountain Of One  ”Brown Piano (Remake by Studio)”
Yearbook 2, Information; 2008

On the heels of last year’s captivating Yearbook 1, the Swedish duo are primed to release seven more unique takes on everything from pop princess Kylie Minogue to California folk act Rubies to the aformentioned remix of England’s dreamscapers A Mountain of One.

Yearbook 2 is out June 23, on Studio’s own label Information. Check out the preview video for the record above and grab “Brown Piano (the Studio way)” above.