Ben Klock | “Czeslawa”

Chalk this one up to the album art catching your eye before you even hear a note of music. I picked up Ben Klock’s “Czeslawa” 12” (b-side “Warszawa”) solely based on its Sailor Jerry-esque cover art which reminded me of the “Rose of No Man’s Land” tattoo. The tattoo’s roots lie in a 1918 song by James A. Brennan song called the “Rose of No Mans Land,” which paid tribute to the nurses of World War I.

Ben Klock’s “Czeslawa,” was recorded specifically for his sets at Berlin’s decadent Berghain techno club – it’s minimal, yet heavy techno with deep thumping bass and a catchy hook that will leave you hypnotized on the dancefloor. “Euphoria with a rough bass” as one press clipping described.

The twelve is out now on Ostgut Ton and he also has a track (“Similar Colors”) on BPitch Control’s Camping Vol. 3 which was released earlier this year. Check out “Czeslawa” below and pick up more of Klock’s work over at Beatport.

[MP3:] Ben Klock  ”Czeslawa”

Typographic Illustration

This is fun.  The people behind ni9e.com used different fonts to create animated sketches set to music.  My favorite was Baskerville Old Face set to Notorious B.I.G.  Turn up your volume and check it out. 

pic of the week — black orchid

[MP3]: Lilys  ”There’s No Such Thing As Black Orchids”

Or so Philadelphia native Kurt Heasley would lead you to believe on Lilys’ 1992 debut long-player, In The Presence Of Nothing. Contrary to the song’s title, there are actually black orchids, the DC comic book heroines (thanks Dot), the Chicago nightclub, as well as the flowering plant. Coelogyne pandurata, commonly referred to as the “Black Orchid” is a rare species of orchid from Borneo that is much sought after by hybridizers for its truly black lip (according to Wikipedia).

I have no idea what the song “There’s No Such Thing As Black Orchids” is actually about because the lyrics are buried so deeply beneath layers of noise and can’t be deciphered. In The Presence Of Nothing is likely my favorite Lilys record and it’s hard reading anything about the album with out seeing the three words My, Bloody, Valentine. In fact, some refer to the album as the follow up to Loveless that never happened…blah, blah, blah. Granted, Heasley did record a single in 1991 titled “February 14” as a tribute to MBV at the height of his devotion to the band.

Surely, Kevin Shields was a big influence for Heasley on Presence and the album is hardly groundbreaking, however, it’s a staple of American shoegaze. It has a good kick of Dinosaur Jr. thrown in there too and may be one of the best American shoegaze records from the genre’s heyday along with Swirlies Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, of course. For me, it’s right up there with Souvlaki, Isn’t Anything, and the aforementioned classic Loveless.

Anyway, if you’re a fan of any of the other aforementioned bands and albums, pick up Presence, you won’t be disappointed.

The Killing Moon

[MP3:] Nouvelle Vague  ”The Killing Moon” (Echo & The Bunnymen cover)

Sorry for being so morose on such a such a gorgeous day, but I caught a glimpse of a crescent moon the other night hovering over the city and it made me think of this song.

You would think that an album named after my favorite movie of all time, consisting of bossa nova covers of new wave and post punk favorites, and fronted with soft beautiful female vocals would be right up my alley. But, for some reason, Nouvelle Vague‘s sophmore effort, Bande à Part, never really clicked for me in the same ways as their 2004 self-titled debut. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a fan of the band and there are some gems on the record, including their elegant interpretation of Echo and The Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon” and their cover of Bauhaus’ “Bella Lugosi’s Dead.” The French musical collective is very successful in giving the Bunnymen classic a sweeping warmth, perfect for these summery nights.

The good news is that Nouvelle Vague is swinging into New York City next Friday (June 1) for the Guggenheim’s First Fridays and will be performing songs from both of their records. Tickets are a bit steep for the general public at $25 a pop, but free for museum members.

If you don’t feel like dropping $25 on a show, Music For Robots and Melody Nelson both have contests going where you can win a pair, but hurry – the giveaways end today. If you don’t win tickets, look at it this way, the event will be sponsored by French liqueur company, St. Germain, so you can get your drunk on pour libre! Don’t miss it.

above pic via twoeightnine

Banksy Busted?

This story has been circulating since last week’s New Yorker article about the always elusive art phenom known as Banksy. Seems like this article has contributed to figuring out the Brit’s identity, or at least what he looks like. I say if its really him; just leave the guy alone. This pretty much crushes his mystique. Probably another one of his jokes on us anyways, that would be great.

More over at Complex and Slam Hype (pics).

Lee Misenheimer | Destroy Rock City

It’s hard to believe that this piece was done entirely with a ball point pen.  But much of the work of artist Lee Misenheimer is simple in media, yet rich and elaborate in design.  This Brooklyn artist is the man behind Destroy Rock City, his website with a unique flash browser.  Misenheimer has also created works as part of New York-based graphic collective one9ine, whose creative projects include clients like Sony, MoMA, Whitney Museum of American Art, Columbia Records and Blue Note Records.

pic of the week — adriaaaaan!

nothing like spending your first saturday in philly by kicking back a few yards and hitting up the art museum to check out some fine art and random people posing as rocky in front of the famous staircase. check out the comcast center going up in between the dudes arms, it will soon become the tallest building in philadelphia when completed this fall.

[audio:http://diddywah.lunarpages.net/Bill%20Conti%20-%20Gonna%20Fly%20Now.mp3]
bill conti  ”gonna fly now”