Mike James & DJ Kriegs

2.1) “XXXO” – M.I.A.

Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam, a.k.a. M.I.A., has taken a turn for the pop with her new single "XXXO" which for some might be a little troubling. But, as the lyrics state, this mainstream delight isn't without purpose as she sings "You want me be somebody who I'm really not" to a background of catchy beats and electronic blips, letting everyone know she hasn't lost her deviant charm. "XXXO" is deliberate anti-pop pop, but whether you like it for that reason or not, it's still a really great song.

2.2) “Gifted” (Mattb Remix) – N.A.S.A.

Sheesh! Gee Golly Jowzers! Kanye West is getting a lot of MJKK blog-time this week! Back in the days of the old Mike James & DJ Kreigs show, “Gifted” by N.A.S.A. received quite an abundance of airplay, what with it being, y’know, supertight. Kanye West, Santogold, and Lykke Li anchored the track, and in the light of 2010, Mattb has given it new – somewhat M.I.A. sounding – life with this remix.

Download this song for free by clicking the down arrow on the right side of the player below.

2.3)  “Be Still” (feat. Janelle Monae) – Big Boi

Atlantan Janelle Monae shared the mic with Outkast’s Big Boi for the stupendous “Tightrope” earlier this year – a song, by the way she awesomely performed on Jimmy Kimmel – the first single from her new album The ArchAndroid. Now she is returning the favor by hittin’ the hook for “Be Still” on Big Boi’s new album Sir Lucious Left Foot. A little cheeky, Big Boi is deceptively charming, spewing glitter-filled rhymes over oriental-sounding synths for a purely magical collaboration.

Hi there! How’s your summer been? Oh! Mine!? Well, thank you for asking. It’s been a great summer for me. I got a summer job at a day camp looking after people who are mainly less that 4 feet tall and less than 6 years old. Here’s a picture of me with some of my new friends:

Oh wow. Look how adorable I look. But enough about that; let’s talk about music instead.

I suppose you have been keeping up with your prolific music cannibalism, consuming as much as you can on a regular basis. It’s important to meet your daily recommended values y’know. Quavers, semibreves, bar lines, clefs, diatonic scales, atonalisms, etc. – they’re all essential (and delicious). Well, in case you didn’t, I present to you this 3 part series of summer songs to gorge yourself on. If you need to vom, remember to step back from the computer… Seriously, the smell never goes away once it seeps between the gaps in your keyboard.

Summer Playlist 2010 (Part 1): Emotional Dudes

1.1) “Wolf River” – Denuo

Can Tom Mason’s Denuo really be described in such paltry terms as words and sentences? Apparently not. Information about the Cardiff based one man band is hard to come by, especially if you’re like me and spend less than 3 minutes researching the topic. But what really stands out in “Wolf River” is a sullen sound of empty, echoing landscape. There’s an introversiveness (not a word) to Mason’s acoustic strumming, and a pensivity (also not a word) to his voice. It’s as if he’s a man that has all the time in the world to think, and getting lost in thought has given “Wolf River” a unparalleled beauty and simplicity.

• Listen to “Wolf River” here: .
• Download Blalock’s Indie/Rock Playlist June 2010 for free in which “Wolf River” is included.
• Check out Duneo’s MySpace page to listen to more of his music.
• Denuo’s EP Wolf River was released in April 2010.

1.2) “Whirlwind” – Death In Plains

“Whirlwind” excites me in the same way Passion Pit’s Chunk of Change EP excited me when it was released more than a year and a half ago. It has the same synth-pop peppiness and multitudinous confusion of sound. Don’t let that mislead you in to thinking that this track is a hubbub of unlistenable noise – far from it. The complexity of layered sound is still firmly held in place by structure. What you have, then, is something interesting yet fun.

• Listen to “Whirlwind” here: .
• Download “Whirlwind” here for free!
• Check out the “Whirlwind” video on Vimeo.
• Download this other song “Yeah Go” by Death in Plains via ArtRocker.com.
• Death in Plains’ Mustard Polo will be released on August 23rd of this year.

1.3) “Ray Gun” – James Yuill

One of the gems on James Yuill’s album Movement in a Storm is “Ray Gun” – it’s a soft-synth dream! Combining love and science fiction Yuill’s deadpan British vocals decry “[n]ever was my ray gun on you, if it was you some how slipped through,” with notable tones of regret carrying through the unwavering, inelaborate melody of the chorus. There’s something fantastical listenable about the track however, the lightness with the compunction and loss is mesmerizing with the merest hint of agonizing remorse, and certainly devoid of the droning of heartbreak songs you usually hear.

• Listen to “Ray Gun” here: .
• Download Blalock’s Indie/Rock Playlist June 2010 for free in which “Ray Gun” is included.”
• Check out the official James Yuill website.
• The album Movement in a Storm was released earlier this year.

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Reading Pitchfork reviews is both infuriating and enlightening. However much I want to shun their pretentions, I can’t help but find logic in words of their reviewers and an insightful truth to their grasp of music trends. I was looking through the site for a soundbite on Ellie Goulding (well, and hopefully a free download—which I didn’t find), who’s song “The Writer” is a subtly stunning ballad that’s easy to like if not appreciate. It’s hard to pick apart the argument in Pitchfork’s review of Lights, Ellie Goulding’s debut album, except to quote the conclusion: “at its best Lights feels remarkably uncontrived, cantering across genres, following personal whims and visions rather than marketing agendas. Unusually for a British pop debut album, it doesn't seem desperate for the immediate approval of chart success.” This is high praise from the site, and the album is definitely worth a listen. “The Writer” has made quite an impression on me, and I hope Goulding has a lot more up her sleeve.

Listen to "The Writer" here:

MGMT’s next album, Congratulations, is still a month away (April 13, 2010) but they’ve been generous enough to give fans a free download—”Flash Delirium.” Now, I can’t say that it’s the track I’ve been waiting for these long, cold, dark winter evenings—hopefully they’ll be on the album—but it’s worth a listen. So download it! Then you can start forming opinions about MGMT so in a month, when Congratulations drops, you’ll be ahead of the curb. Stupid curb.

Download “Flash Delirium” here: http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/mp3/MGMT%20-%20Flash%20Delirium.mp3.

February 26 2010

Lund, Sweden! A city over 1000 years old inhabited by 45,000 cycling-enthused residents and the other 55,000 who run them over in their tiny, eco-friendly cars! Home to Lund University, Lund Cathedral, and other such landmarks with the word “Lund” in title! Lund!—where The Radio Dept. are from! Okay. It seems Sweden’s becoming a little bit of a theme when it comes to new music I immediately become obsessed with, “Heaven’s On Fire” being the latest track. It’s a catchy dream-pop that’s spiked with jazzy guitar and saxophone riffs and a nineties piano sound filling in the low points. When I was brainstorming descriptors before writing this post, Weather Channel music was the first word that came into head, which it kind of is, but since that’s essentially an insult to musicians, I’m obliged to say that it’s kind of so much better than that as well. The vibe is there, but if you think about it too much you’ll start to feel really lame for liking “Heaven’s On Fire”—and you will, like it I mean :-)

Download “Heaven’s On Fire” for free right here! Also, how great is free stuff? I mean honestly…: http://downloads.pitchforkmedia.com.s3.amazonaws.com/Radio%20Dept%20-%20Heavens%20On%20Fire.mp3.

As a special treat for not being on air this week, I wanted to share a song that we’re going to be hearing on next week’s show. The band’s called The Middle East, the album The Recordings of The Middle East, the song—no, not “A Song by The Middle East from the album called The Recordings of The Middle East,” but—“Blood.” It’s not as macabre as all that. In “Blood,” the Queensland five-piece combine the acoustic delight of Iron & Wine, the breathy falsetto of Jonsi, and, as an indie staple, indulge in the playing of bells and whistling, creating a five minute wonder worth of a spot on the Where The Wild Things Are soundtrack. Though somewhat heard-of in their native Australia (well, so says Wikipedia), they're picking up speed here, playing SXSW, Coachella, and the Sasquatch Music Festival. Take a listen, and if you like The Middle East you can download “Blood” free from their website.

Listen to “Blood” here:

Download “Blood” here for free: http://www.themiddleeastmusic.com/home.