Buy This Album: Rafter "Sex Death Cassette"

Spring is here and I couldn't think of a better album to welcome it with than Sex Death Cassette by Rafter. I'm walking down the streets of downtown Tulsa with this album, smiling at hobos and jumping wet cement. Hell, I'm practically skipping with this shit. School girl skipping-- real girly like. I'm Christopher Walken up in this mother, dancing around the room. I'm a robot. It's a happy robot parade.

Rafter's Influences (According to his own MySpace page): magicians doing magic, sweethearts making eyes, components doing their thing. house anthems, industrial screeches, big bands, sloppy singers, being in love, sweating. sweat. water. fat.

Ergo-- I am an influence of Rafter because I am fat, in love, sweat, and a sloppy singer.

Ergo-- No wonder I love Rafter . . . I created him. . . . Okay, that's a bit much, but Rafter is one of those artists that makes music I think I would like to make. After several failed attempts in high school, I gave up on creating music and now just enjoy enjoying it. But every now and then I hear an artist that is making music that seems to come from my own head. And as stalkerish as this is beginning to sound, I mean it in the most nonthreatening way. I'm just saying I can relate to it-- instantly. It's what girls and beatniks call "emotional connection," but I like to refer to it simply as familiar.

I want to slide. I want to kick shit for fun. I want to throw round shit into make-shift hoops. Ghetto school yard with this album. Eat jolly ranchers, drink whisky lemonade. I would wear a tank top for this shit and strut like a limping elephant. You don't even want to see my in a tank top, but I don't care. Sex Death Cassette is just that good.

ODDS & ENDZZ

• Rafter MySpace
• Rafter's awesome Asthmatic Kitty Bio
  

Buy This Album: Darondo "Let My People Go"

From the schools of Al Green, James Brown and Curtis Mayfield came Darondo. Once a contemporary of these greats, Darondo, a rumoured former pimp, disappeared for a few decades and has recently re-emerged at SXSW in Austin after the release of Let My People Go.

The album is a collection of Darondo's singles from the early 70's and a few recently discovered gems from the same period. I'm anxious to hear what he sounds like today and hope he records soon because what I'm hearing on Let My People Go is "amaaaaaziiiiing" (I say in my best falsetto voice).

It's exciting to hear badaaaaaasssss soul music for the first time. So many of the great hits get replayed over and over again due to radio, advertising, and . . . I dunno . . . Tarantino movies and they can sometimes lose their edge after so many listenings (not just a flaw of soul music, mind you). That's why there is something soul stirring about hearing a great old R&B record for the first time and this is just the way I felt when listening to Darondo.

From the politically motivated title track to the all out sex jam of "Legs," Darondo gives you everything a good soul record should. It makes you want to vote and it makes you horny. He even has a song about his momma and poppa. The dude was probably a pimp which-- I'm sorry-- makes him cool. A pimp from the 70's? I mean, c'mon-- awesome. Even awesomer is a pimp who loves his mom and dad.


It's all in the track names:

1. Let My People Go
2. Legs
3. Didn't I
4. I Want Your Love So Bad
5. How I Got Over
6. My Momma and My Poppa
7. Sure Know How to Love Me
8. Listen to My Song
9. True
   

Buy This Album: Why?'s "Alopecia"

A few days ago I got Alopecia from the band Why? and holy shit this album is good! Seriously, internets, you got to check this out. For God's sake, it's got horses walking on clouds and shit. Four open palms, dude, coming out of another cloud. These guys like clouds.

Brilliant lyrics and layers upon layers of terrific sounds weave this album in and out of various genres. It's great for any mood. I've never been so vocal while listening to an album for the first time. "Fuck yea," "Aww shit," and "Yes!" peppered a stream of giggles as I drove down 244 on my way to work. However, later, I listened to it in bed and the album that had me vocalizing dirty sex sounds hours before had me quietly contemplating, reminiscing, and feeling all "dude that's deep."

Simply put, I would say this is music that can move you in all sense of the word, but that sounds too gay so I'm just gonna say this: It's music for awesome listening.

As for the sound itself, Why? really is a melting pot of hip-hop/electronic-pop/post-punk/art-rock and probably any other hyphenated sub-genre you can think of. Some people will hate it because they can't categorize it, others will hate it because it's not innovative enough. I say those people need to get laid.

These dudes are from the Oakland Bay area and they don't fuck around.

"The Vowels Pt.2" is the first song that won me over. It mentions a Chevy Cavalier, which immediately makes you kick ass.

"The Hollows" is pure brilliance. The lyrics to this song invoked the "Fuck Yea" mentioned earlier. I'm looking for the lyrics online so I can post them here. They are too brilliant for me to try and listen and copy them down. I'm known for seriously botching up lyrics-- just ask my wife. You know what . . . just listen to this awesome stuff yerself . . .

Watch Video:

The Hollows (WHY)

Video Code provided by MusicRemedy.Com

Buy This Album: Bon Iver "For Emma, Forever Ago"

The weather in Tulsa is cold and getting colder. A big sleet & ice storm quickly approaches and even though I'm itching for Spring, the sounds of Bon Iver soundtrack the closing moments of winter so perfectly that I'm okay with these gray and bitter days.

Not to say that For Emma, Forever Ago is a dark or sad album. Actually, it's beautiful and ghostly sounds are more peaceful than sad. There is a haunting tone that creeps behind the acoustic guitar and the outstanding vocals that gives them an uplifting airiness. This is music of the winds and skies, songs best heard in coats and hats, or melodies to enjoy alone indoors looking out at the bare trees, beaten by the season's weather, waiting for life to blow through again.

Bon Iver, whose real name is Justin Vernon, first released this album last year via the web only, but it got a wider release yesterday. For me, it couldn't have come at a better time. I'm at peace with the winter and while I'll welcome Spring when it's time comes, today I'm fine with just bundling up and holding on.

Check it if you like:

• The vocal work of T.V. on the Radio
• Ray LaMontagne, but are embarrassed to admit it
• Wearing big coats or at least a hat and a scarf
• quiet late nights

Odds and Ends

• MySpace
• Dude, he's got a Virb
• Stereogum Interview

Buy This Album: Northern State "Can I Keep This Pen?"

Even I am a little behind sometimes. Can I Keep This Pen? by the New York trio Northern State came out about 6 months ago, but I just heard it for the first time about 2 weeks ago. It grew on me-- a lot. At first, I found it simple, if not shallow, and yet I kept returning to it over and over again. It's now a favorite-- one I think that many people would enjoy.

The first comparison I always hear about this group has something to do with being the "female Beastie Boys." While that is a fair comparison, I think it sells the group short. While they do have a flavor reminiscent of the Beastie's label-mates Luscious Jackson, Northern State's Hesta Prynn (my new favorite MC name), Spero and Sprout offer a variety and a wackiness that the Grand Royal girls never had.

It would help to note that this album is on Ipecac, a label started by one of the crown princes of Freak Rock-- Mike Patton. Those familiar with Patton's wide range of influence will appreciate the diversity showed by Northern State. The label is an obvious fit for them.


Sample "Oooh Girl" and "Mother May I" for a good sample of their hip-hop stuff, but move on to "Good Distance," "Fall Apart," and "Cold War" for proof of their diversity (read "longevity"). Most of all, this is just an unpretentious album that is a lot of fun and great to share. Play it with friends and co-workers. Have a good time.

Check it if you Like:

• Old School Rap
• Hot New York Ladies
• Playing Music with Your Windows Down
  
• Scarlet Letter Empowerment
  

ODDS & ENDs

• Northern State's MySpace
• Sample Music From their Official Page
• Ipecac Recordings
  

Rapid Fire: New Album Reviews

Hot Chip - Made in the Dark


London's Hot Chip is back with their first set of all new material since the amazing Warning album of 2006. While, song for song, it doesn't hold up to it's predecessor, Made in the Dark has many moments of electro pop goodness. Check out "Bubbles they Bounce" and "Touch too Much" for proof.

Check it out of you like:

• Either of their first 2 albums
• LCD Soundsytem
• Junior Boys
• "Gay Party Music"
• Chicks who love "Gay Party Music"

Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off the Lavender Bridge


Lightspeed Champion released a great album last year that I just recently got around to hearing. Apart from having the best album cover I've seen in a while, along with some great (albeit deceiving) song titles like "Devil Tricks for a Bitch," "Everyone I Know is Listening to Crunk," and "Let the Bitches Die," the album also brings a solid collection of simple indie pop rock that doesn't shine in the innovation department, but doesn't have to. It simply delivers music that is accessible, catchy, and all-around solid.

Check it out if you like:

• Morrissey
• Elvis Costello
• The Stars
• Dudes with Mr. Rogers sweaters and yellow bowties.
  

Times New Viking - Rip It Off

Rip It Off brings you short catchy songs marinated with that great flavor of rock-- distortion. From Sonic Youth and The Pixies to Deerhoof and Love is All, Times New Viking have taken note from their Ragged Rock forefathers to bring one of those albums that grows on you with each listen. . . .Warning: listening at full volume will make your ears bleed. (And that's Awesome).

Check it if you like:

• Any of the bands listed in the above paragraph
  
• Treble
• Feedback
• Cassette recordings of your college garage jam sessions
  

Buy This Album: Vampire Weekend

The only thing wrong with Vampire Weekend's full-length debut is that it came out about 2 months too early. This album radiates Springtime. It's got too much meat to be a throw-away summer record, but just enough pep, jangle, and worldly rhythm to make you long for the sun and short sleeve shirts.

Lucky for me it was sunny and in the 60s in Tulsa today so my purchase of Vampire Weekend's highly-anticipated self-titled release was quite appropriate and made driving with the windows down all the more sweeter.

Genre-busting innovation isn't at play here as much as genre-updating or even genre-perfecting. You've heard the sound of white-boy college rock mixed with African influences before in bands like The Talking Heads and a post-Garfunkle Paul Simon. It's been a while, though, and Vampire Weekend does a great job at making the sound fresh and fun again.

And don't get me wrong, there's more than just the world-rhythm influence at play here. You'll find lots of good pop rock jingles and all-around tight musicianship.

Try it if you like any of the following:

• The Talking Heads
• The Strokes
• rhythm sections
• listening to whole albums
  
• Spring Break
• Ivy-League New Yorkers
  
• references to Lil John
• references to Peter Gabriel
• doing the "white-boy shuffle" (must include biting your lip while dancing)
  

LINKS AND OTHER ODDS & ENDS

You can find Vampire Weekend on their website and their MySpace.

Find free legal downloads of an exclusive performance over at Daytrotter.

Watch their awesome exclusive performances on The Take-Away Shows.

Check out their guestlist on Pitchfork to find out what the band themselves are into.

Results for a Google image search of "Vampire Weekend at Bernies" can be found here.