Sunday, January 31, 2010

MP3 blog 2010/01/31

blog 2010/01/31 - oh the muscles ache but there just isn't time for rest.

Nuh uhh, I can't leave you alone.  I just can't.  There's too much!!!  Too many awesome new releases!
So many great works have been seeping out during this crazy winter, my 2010 favourites list getting additions weekly.
   
As communication expands, talent pool expands and the bar is raised.  The great albums get greater and more numerous.
Our heads will explode with music.


Banjo or Freakout - Breathe Out:  I CHOOSE FREAKOUT!!!!!

Basia Bulat - Gold Rush
Basia Bulat - Go On:  The new LP Heart Of My Own is out, and oh gosh, it's amazing!  If you love that down-home Canadiana folk, this album is full of all sorts of goodness.  It's not quite her debut LP in terms of immediate lust-on, but it is working its way up the ranks with each repeated listen.

Bill Callahan - Jim Cain:  "Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle" made it on almost every single best of 2009 list, but didn't make it on to mine.  I don't know, I just can't get in to it all.  It just seems too earnest and plodding, y'know?  But  I feel shame.  Oh I feel the shame.  I like this song a lot, but not many of the others...  but hey, once upon a time I wasn't in to the Mountain Goats either.  I'm still young and stupid.

Bring Me the Horizon - Sleep With One Eye Open (Tek-One Remix):  Oh my.  This was inevitable, wasn't it?   Screamo meets dubstep?   woah.  I'm sure so many of you will skip over this, but props to those of you that let this sucker just pound on through.  Screamo gets so little cred.  Cheer up screamo kid, we loves you.

Daniel Haaksman - Kid Conga ft MC Miltinho (Dubbel Dutch Remix):  Kid's are cute.  Adorable.  Downright innocent.  Basically the perect thing for a house song.  Oh what's that, I have no idea what he's saying?  Even better!  Fuck yes, let's dance.

Deadboy - U Cheated:  A bit of a garagey stepper, this one has synths that seem like a mature version of '93 jungle with a clippy little vox loop that makes me smile.  If raves still existed, I wish they'd feature stuff like this.

Dre Skull - I Want You (AC Slater Remix):  1992 never died!  It has been found live and well.  Classic Hardcore is herein ressurrected for the 21st century.  Thank you, AC Slater, for you badass curls, wicked-ass biceps, and kick-ass choons.

Fanfarlo - Harold T. Wilkins, Or How To Wait For A Very Long Time:  from the 2009 LP "Reservoir", the name inspires Sufjan Stevens, but the epic rock cites more Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene.  A joy.

Four Tet - Love Cry
Four Tet - Sing:  The 2010 LP "There Is Love in You" is making huge waves.  Imagine taking "A Smile Across The face" and removing the most experimental parts, and making the dancey parts in to a whole album.  You'll definitely see this on the "best of 2010" lists.  This owes far more to Herbet than to Fridge, and we are all better off for it.  Without trying to be it, one of the sexiest deep house albums of the year!

Jamie Jones feat. Ost & Kjex – Summertime:   Did someone mention deep house?  Why the fuck does Prince not just make house music?  The guy could just grab his master tapes and make a mint pumping out deep house singles.  Until he has that brainstorm, we have tracks like this.

Mimosa - ETG
Mimosa - F.T.A.M.F.:  Dubstep full-lengths are a bit of a head-scratcher.  who wants to listen to a full album of just tracks?  But if you take it in doses, "Flux For Life" is  winner.  Full of juicey singles, the album doesn't work as an album, but is quie the value when you consider the amazing singles within.   Check this one out you breakbeat Djs you.  Oh you're so cute with your break patterns.  Awww.

Red Snapper - Deathroll (Robert Logan Remix):  And I'll leave you here with a little slice of IDM bliss that channels that Warp Records heyday.  Fabbo.

Super Beagle - Dust A Sound Boy:   OK, just kidding one more.  Just for you. 



THIS WEEK'S TRACKS

Banjo or Freakout - Breathe Out
Basia Bulat - Gold Rush
Basia Bulat - Go On
Bill Callahan - Jim Cain
Bring Me the Horizon - Sleep With One Eye Open (Tek-One Remix)
Daniel Haaksman - Kid Conga ft MC Miltinho (Dubbel Dutch Remix)
Deadboy - U Cheated
Dre Skull - I Want You (AC Slater Remix)
Fanfarlo - Harold T. Wilkins, Or How To Wait For A Very Long Time
Four Tet - Love Cry
Four Tet - Sing
Jamie Jones feat. Ost & Kjex – Summertime
Mimosa - ETG
Mimosa - F.T.A.M.F.
Red Snapper - Deathroll (Robert Logan Remix)
Super Beagle - Dust A Sound Boy



breath this in to me:  http://thetastates.com/mp3s/blog/blog20100131.zip


Stay on top of everything new at http://djcpi.blogspot.com

More info:
DJ mixes
Blog archives
CPI fan page
Buy me books
Friend me on Last.FM to see what I am listening to

Enjoy!
~CPI

Sunday, January 24, 2010

MP3 blog 2010/01/24

blog 2010/01/24 - I'm trying to stay awake right now so you should take this with you, it's magical you know?

I've been oh so wanting to get this update out before the end of the weekend, so time to just cough this up at your feet and leave the room with my dignity partially intact.



Antony Hegarty & The Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra - Nessun Dorma:  Where did this come from?  It seems almost EXPECTED.  My god, people have been describing Antony as operatic for years and years, but this is the first time I've heard him do it straightup.  So good.

Artful Dodger ft Craig David - ReRewind (HavocNdeeD Remix):  FUCKING SLAMMING!  The original breakbeat classic is flipped and twisted in the most delightful ways here.  Absolutely killer.

Arthur Russell - How We Walk On The Moon (Youth Return to Base Edit):  Oooooo!  A smooth groover, taking Arthur Russel to some blissout chill house.  Wonderful and buttery and full of kisses.

Au Revoir Simone
- Another Likely Story (Aeroplane Remix):  Another hot remix!  Aeroplane did a wonderful remix of their song Paris before, and do an equally bang-up job here.  This is what happy electropop is all about.

Balkan Beat Box - Bulgarian Chicks (INSPKTR Bootleg):  ...and we're back with another banger!  Sax loops are irresistible in dance music.  They are nearing the precipice of where we won't be able to stand them, but until they've officially oversaturated the dancefloor, let's just enjoy this flaming hot house track.

Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers
Bear In Heaven - You Do You:  These are from the album Beast Rest Forth Mouth, and as much as I LOVE the White Trash Heroes Archers Of Loaf kinda sound on these tracks, the album as a whole didn't get me too moist.  Enjoy these fab snippets though.  These singles are pretty great.

Fragile - Infinity:  From "Into The Night", the persistent wobbling subbass reminds me of Ras jubngle productions from back in 1995, before "Hoover bass" was even a term.  Things are slowed down from back in those days, with the dubstep style ending up as a perfect inheritor for this pants-wetting bass track.

Technical Itch - Death Jazz VIP:  Tech Itch always has a way of producing these intensely yummy techsteppy nuggets.  And you just know that if you go to a few jungle shows, tracks like this will be annoyingly PLAYED OUT in about 8 months, but you try not and think about that because you love mr. creepy robovoice and the echoey pitched up vox that sits stealthly in the background.

Thavius Beck - Go!
Thavius Beck - Money
Thavius Beck - Painful:  "Dialogue" is a hot little bunndle o innovation.  Something I slept on in 2009, it's been knocking my block off a bit for the past month.  Highly recommended for fans of El-P and Antipop Consortium.

tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (The Small Is Beautiful Remix)
tUnE-YaRdS - Real Live Flesh:  This woman just makes me smile all ridiculous and goofy, and the Bird-Droppings EP, new for 2010 is a delight you really need to treat yourself to.  Avant shout-along pop bliss!  Rambling hippy cuddlepiles!  All this and more!

Vampire Weekend - Diplomat's Son
Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The Gun
Vampire Weekend - Horchata:  Right at the beginning  the gauntlet is thrown down.  Does rhyming balaclava with horcata make bile rise in your throat?  Does a weak (by comparison) homage to Paul Simon's Graceland make you groan?  Do preppy musicians with nothing really important to say socially bug you?  If you answered yes to any of the preceeding three questions, "Contra" might not be for you.  But for the majority of you that just replied "BUH?" you'll love this charming little upper-middle-class album.  It won't change your world, but at least you'll be all bouncey at your first springtime suaree.

Xiu Xiu - Chocolate Makes You Happy
Xiu Xiu - This Too Shall Pass Away (For Freddy):  The new Xiu Xiu is called "Dear God, I Hate Myself", and as you'd expect from that charming and oh so brutally revealing title (BLACK!  BLACK IS THE COLOUR OF MY DAMNED SOUL!  THAT IS WHY I WEAR BLACK AND CRY BLACK TEARS!), the album is primarily aimed at one target:  The tried and true Xiu Xie fans.  There are some moments like these two singles where the ghost of Robert Smith drifts into the track and we end up with some hella catchy spookypop.  (I know he's not dead, but Mr. Smith haunts people in his spare time, k?)




THIS WEEK'S TRACKS

Antony Hegarty & The Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra - Nessun Dorma
Artful Dodger ft Craig David - ReRewind (HavocNdeeD Remix)
Arthur Russell - How We Walk On The Moon (Youth Return to Base Edit)
Au Revoir Simone - Another Likely Story (Aeroplane Remix)
Balkan Beat Box - Bulgarian Chicks (INSPKTR Bootleg)
Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers
Bear In Heaven - You Do You
Fragile - Infinity
Technical Itch - Death Jazz VIP
Thavius Beck - Go!
Thavius Beck - Money
Thavius Beck - Painful
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (The Small Is Beautiful Remix)
tUnE-YaRdS - Real Live Flesh
Vampire Weekend - Diplomat's Son
Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The Gun
Vampire Weekend - Horchata
Xiu Xiu - Chocolate Makes You Happy
Xiu Xiu - This Too Shall Pass Away (For Freddy)


Box by box, I've dug myself down to a place where I can finally get down to work.  Finally, I can think:  http://thetastates.com/mp3s/blog/blog20100124.zip


Stay on top of everything new at http://djcpi.blogspot.com

More info:
DJ mixes
Blog archives
CPI fan page
Buy me books
Friend me on Last.FM to see what I am listening to

Enjoy!
~CPI

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

MP3 blog 2010/01/20

blog 2010/01/20 - now 18 great songs closer to our death!

AFTA-1 - 7th Sun (first draft):  a little nugget of soulful bliss...  A preliminary leak from their super smooth mixtape.

Alan Pownall - A Life Worth Living (Jakwob Remix):  The joyous vocals just gush all over the place!  This out-shines even Passion Pit for sheer exuberance.  But fuck, wait a sec, we have JACWOB on the beat, and this becomes an ecstatic stormer, and an instant classic.

Alina Orlova - Lijo:  No idea what she is saying it, but this track from the 2008 album Laukinis Suo Dingo is simply stunning.  She is super cute, Lithuanian, and wonderfully talented.

Dan The Automator - Rapper's Delight (Tepr Remix):  Having witnesses enough breaker battles, I am so fucking sick of Rapper's Delight and the classic breaks and funk that is on at every single throwdown.  So hell yes to Mr. Automator for flipping the classic, and hell yes to Tepr for dicing it up and distilling the cheeseball goodness for a new generation.

Deru - Fadeaway:  I highly coveted my copies of Pushing Air and Pushing Soil, those cute little 10"s from way-back-when.  You can even find tracks from them on my Robots Are People Too mixtapes.  Well Deru is back with a new album, Say Goodbye To Useless, and it is certainly worth the wait.
Deru - I Want:  Doing the contemporary thang where he straddles that line between downtempo, breakbeat and IDM fans, this album successfully appeals to all and alienates few.  There is less sonic exploration than on his earlier works, but that is in exchange for a production maturity and album consistency.  Recommended for fans of Alias, Panty Raid, Bass Nectar, Blockhead, Harmonic 33, etc.

Ekelon - 7th Soul:  From the Techrishe EP, here have a dubby little stepper with some IDM flair and a wonderfully chosen vocal sample. 

Goodbye Ivan - Jonktion 1205:  Continuing with the instrumentally goodness, we tone down the beats and add some guitar smoothness.  This sounds like a simpler take on mid-90s Tortoise, and I mean that in the best possible way.  I hear it and I just think of baleen.

Miami Horror
- Don't Be On With Her (Treasure Fingers Remix):  The most direct successor of the high-pitched Kissy Sellout sound, Treasure Fingers whirls on the synth leads and overlays the pop goodness with the best of them.   I am hoping I don't reach total burnout with this producer like I did with Kissy Sellout, but right now it's a toe-tapping indulgence.

Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Off His Shirt:  HOTNESS ALERT!  HOLY SHIT, PAY ATTENTION!  Heartland is the new LP from Owen Pallett, aka Final Fantasy, and it is wonderful, immediately staking claim on the top albums of 2010 lists everywhere.
Owen Pallett - Oh Heartland, Up Yours!:  Like his earlier stuff, it exists within it's own soundworld that is all his own.  You have to give it a moment, you have to pay attention, and you have to just sink in to his logic and WOW the payoff is huge. 
Owen Pallett - Tryst With Mephistopheles:  So he is dropping the Final Fantasy moniker.  Apparently he wants to call himself Skylord, which is like the best name ever.  An awesome contraction of SKYMASTER and GAYLORD.  If I was rich enough, I'd pay Owen Pallett to perform at my wedding, and white rose pedals would magically float down from the ceiling.

Speech Debelle - Better Days ft Micachu:  Speech Therapy is a rather remarkable album.  Debelle's guarded, sometimes nervous flow rides perfectly.  Most of the beats are interesting, and in some cases genius (see: Live & Learn)
Speech Debelle - Live & Learn:  The album as a whole doesn't do it for me, but the strength of the winners overshadows any gullies.
Speech Debelle - The Key:  One thing that can definitely be stated is that Speech Debelle takes the reins from Jean Grey as the most interesting female MC out there, for sure.

The Albertans - I Want You:  Some mellowness, seemingly taking a smooth blissout base of Orange Cake Mix, it barely raises a stir.  But really, sometimes the understated whispered ones like this are just so full of charm.

The Count And Sinden - Elephant 1234:  Sinden, off on his own, has produced some pretty grating stuff, but kudos to the Count of Monte Christo for always reigning in the flamboyance and getting things back to the solid dancefloor business.

XXX Residents - Black Eyeballs Are Coming!!:   So an album comes along entitled "Attack of Killer Black Eye Ball!!!!" and so of course I have to check it out, being a life-long obsessive fan of The Residents.  And what?  Masami Akita is involved on a track?  Weird.  The album itself it most just poor techno, and sometimes you can spot some samples from The Residents on there.  Two tracks do it for me, but especially this one.  The creeper bassline seems to sit perfectly with The Moles Are Coming, and the iconic synth lines.
I can't recommend the album, but oh how this track makes me smile!


THIS WEEK'S TRACKS

AFTA-1 - 7th Sun (first draft)
Alan Pownall - A Life Worth Living (Jakwob Remix)
Alina Orlova - Lijo
Dan The Automator - Rapper's Delight (Tepr Remix)
Deru - Fadeaway
Deru - I Want
Ekelon - 7th Soul
Goodbye Ivan - Jonktion 1205
Miami Horror - Don't Be On With Her (Treasure Fingers Remix)
Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Off His Shirt
Owen Pallett - Oh Heartland, Up Yours!
Owen Pallett - Tryst With Mephistopheles
Speech Debelle - Better Days ft Micachu
Speech Debelle - Live & Learn
Speech Debelle - The Key
The Albertans - I Want You
The Count And Sinden - Elephant 1234
XXX Residents - Black Eyeballs Are Coming!!

There is an addictive yawn towards the collective blaise notions:  http://thetastates.com/mp3s/blog/blog20100120.zip


Stay on top of everything new at http://djcpi.blogspot.com

More info:
DJ mixes
Blog archives
CPI fan page
Buy me books
Friend me on Last.FM to see what I am listening to

Enjoy!
~CPI

Thursday, January 14, 2010

MP3 blog 2010/01/13

blog 2010/01/13 - I'm just exhausted from the act of being polite.

Life is so incredibley hectic, but here I am, still chugging away. The old patterns hold us in place, and give us some foundational strength.

I guess the prevailing theme of this update is covers and blatant samples...


Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Graceland: The classic Paul Simon track gets the lofi rework! I haven't been a huge fan of CFTPA since their earlier stuff, but the 2009 collection Advance Base Battery Life has a couple pop gems on it.
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Lesley Gore On The T.A.M.I. Show (Version): This kind of honest and unapologetically mopey lofi music sends me back to first hearing Eric's Trip. And this track here reminds me of Au Revoir Simone, except without the retro kitsch, and banging snares.

Chiddy Bang - All Things Go: Oooooooh shit! You know those opening notes. They send shivers down your spine. It's SUFJAN STEVENS, looped and chopped and dropped.
Chiddy Bang - Kids: OK, so perhaps the writ could be a bit tighter and elevated, but the beats are irresistible.

Elbow - Running To Stand Still: This comes from the benefit album War Child Presents Heroes, which altogether is a huge dissapointment, but this one stands out. An album of great artists covering tracks by classic rock artists? How could they have gone so wrong? This U2 cover is the reward. And seriously, it's been a while since we heard from Elbow, and I'm so glad that they at least delivered the goods.

Jemapur - Maledict Car: Just a straight-ahead bumping instrumental track here. Love the skitter, love the breathing pulses.

Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo: This dope little stepper is super awesome. Hella awesome. Great sounds, great subbass, super happy chopped vox. All my favourite things. But best track of 2009? Maaaaaan, why do we have to do this? Stupid Resident Advisor making claims... Now all I want to do is tell them why they're wrong and jeez look at the rest of their list, are they serious? OK OK, some decent tracks, but lots of derivative fluff. And it's not like this track will melt the world or anything. BUT, still a great track.

Mokira - Lord, Am I Going Down: In the style of Ekkehard Ehlers' Plays series, the delayed loops seems to tumble over each other. Then near the end we get a Basinki-esque degradation. An ambient homage pieces? From the 2008 LP Persona.

Nat King Cole - Day In Day Out ft Cut Chemist: I got this album with the fullest expectation of it sucking and being uber cheesey and poorly done, but then it kind of caught me off guard. There was some solid stuff on here. Take Nat King Cole's old recordings, jam them up with some new beats, and do some duets on top of his timekless crooning. It actually works. And hell, you never had any doubts about Cut Chemist.
Nat King Cole - Straighten Up And Fly Right ft Will.I.Am & Natalie Cole: And it's great to hear Natalie Cole going on top of one of her father's most famous songs. While certainly not completely stellar, this album is a guilty pleasure for Nat King Cole fans like myself, and is worth checking out for the 6 songs on it that I guarantee you'll love.

Rufus Wainwright - Smile: Like the Elbow track above, another one salvaged from the mixed-quality War Child Presents Heroes comp. This one makes me especially happy since the song is by Brian Wilson, and of the roster on the comp, only Rufus here could give it the beautiful damage it demands.

Sigur Ros - Untitled #1 (Vaka) (3rd Remix): A little treat from the Vaka 3" CD that came out in 2003, a wonderfully minimal remix of slow moving strings. So. Good.

The Whip - Frustration (Hearts Revolution Remix): Hearts Revolution add their grittier party-the-fuck-up kind of vibe to this 80s-inspired pop number. Like Billy Idol for the 21st century.

Two Fingers - Bad Girl ft Ce'cile (King Canibal Remix): Two Fingers' self titled album goes on the list of amazing albums frmo 2009 that I didn't hear until 2010. Dayyam.
Two Fingers - Better Get That ft Ms. Jade: The MCs drop heat, the beats are banging, and there is variety and cohesiveness.
Two Fingers - Jewels & Gems ft Sway: Highly recommended for fans of BOTH hiphop and grime. I know I know, daring.

Wintersleep - Miasmal Smoke & The Yellow Bellied Freaks: Busting out some post-rocky chops for the first few minutes, this track then explodes forth with some pop edge and The Twilight Sad insiration.
Wintersleep - Weighty Ghost: Stompin', Clappin', and chanting'. A great recipe for a Canadian classic. These are both from the 2009 album Welcome To The Night Sky. I didn't find the entire album engaging, but check it out if you like these.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sheena Is A Punk Rocker: The final orphan from War Child Presents Heroes, how could I resist this one?



THIS WEEK'S TRACKS:

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Graceland
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Lesley Gore On The T.A.M.I. Show (Version)
Chiddy Bang - All Things Go
Chiddy Bang - Kids
Elbow - Running To Stand Still
Jemapur - Maledict Car
Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo
Mokira - Lord, Am I Going Down
Nat King Cole - Day In Day Out ft Cut Chemist
Nat King Cole - Straighten Up And Fly Right ft Will.I.Am & Natalie Cole
Rufus Wainwright - Smile
Sigur Ros - Untitled #1 (Vaka) (3rd Remix)
The Whip - Frustration (Hearts Revolution Remix)
Two Fingers - Bad Girl ft Ce'cile (King Canibal Remix)
Two Fingers - Better Get That ft Ms. Jade
Two Fingers - Jewels & Gems ft Sway
Wintersleep - Miasmal Smoke & The Yellow Bellied Freaks
Wintersleep - Weighty Ghost
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sheena Is A Punk Rocker


There's no obligations now, not anymore: http://thetastates.com/mp3s/blog/blog20100113.zip


Stay on top of everything new at http://djcpi.blogspot.com

More info:
DJ mixes
Blog archives
CPI fan page
Buy me books
Friend me on Last.FM to see what I am listening to

Enjoy!
~CPI

Friday, January 8, 2010

MP3 blog 2010/01/07

blog 2010/01/07 - I was once slow and now I am not slow but oh still so far behind.

OK, let's just get straight to it!

Ancient Astronauts - A Hole to Swallow Us (with Phat Old Mamas):  A damn fine downtempo album.  This is the kind of release that classics are made of.  Like Aim, like Downtempo, like RJD2, Ancient Astronauts have a winner with "We Are To Answer".
Ancient Astronauts - I Came Running:   If you enjoy the sexy beats, and I know you do, I highly recommend this album.  Great production, mostly wonderful guest spots, and enough variety to keep your attention the whole way through.

Andrea Riberti - El Sabor:  I love my techy house, but what does it here is the area recording sounds that are just embedded throughout.  Taking notes frmo KLF's "stadium house" sound, here we have "pedestrian mall house".  And oh yeah, that juicey sax lick sure helps, too.

Anneke Van Giersbergen & Danny Cavanagh - The Blower's Daughter:  I wasn't in love with the entire performance on "In Parallel", but I couldn't resist this straightforward cover of Damien Rice.

Annie - My Love Is Better:  The 2009 album Don't Stop didn't really do it for me, but this is Annie we're talking about, the LPS aren't the point.  She's not quite Robyn or La Roux, but in the world of electro, she's def a shining star just begging for 20 remix versions.  Total pop cheese fun.

Bee (Aloe Blacc + Cradle) - Still A Rose:  I am super in to Aloe Blacc's goodness, but the album, "Open Your Mind", didn't wow me as a whole.  But this track is some powerful crooner ish.  It's the best of Ben Harper, Seal, etc.

Holopaw - The Cherry Glow:  Some of you might be put off by the distinctive, breaking warble in his voice, but Holopaw's "Oh, Glory. Oh, Wilderness." offers fragility without being overwrought. 
Holopaw - The Lazy Atador:  This is a great little folk-rock record for fans of something a bit more subdued, building, and mature.

Metric - Gold Guns Girls (acoustic):  I put one of these on the best-of blog, but I wanted to drop another.  Metric's acoustic renditions on Plug In Plug Out EP are a 360 degree flip, and really show off the maleability of the songs.

Okkervil River - Westfall:  I had a flashback to seeing Okkervil perform this track last summer and WOW it was such a powerhouse live.   This digs back to their 2002 Don't Fall in Love With Everyone You See album, but thought I'd share it because it's been getting much rotation here.

Portland Cello Project - Beat (Health, Life And Fire) ft Thao:  There is no sexier instrument than a cello!  Well, almost, but damn a group of cellists together is super duper sexy.  Toss in Thao from Thao And The Get Down Stay Down, and you have a boiling pot of hotness right there.
Portland Cello Project - Hungry Liars ft Justin Power:  These are from the "The Thao And Justin Power Sessions", and definitely deserve a gander.

Roll Deep - I Will Not Lose:  I posted some of this up on the "Best of 2009" lists, but oh there's so much Roll Deep goodness on their best-of retrospective to pass around.  This track embodies so much of what is right about grime.  (and there's not much that is right....)

Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover):  Oh this is just too fucking perfect!   Take the riff that Dr. Dre made famous, and queue it up for a soulful interpretation of The Dirty Projector's single of 2009, and it is some hot hot goodness.  Smiles all around.

Talk Normal - River's Edge:  Another track from 2009's Sugarland LP.  It reminds me Lydia Lunch & Thurston Moore's EP, and omg the nostalgia!  It is also vital and current one of the most exciting things I've heard in rock since The Dirty Projectors...

Valgeir Sigurdsson - Grylukvaedi:  I dare you not to just love Greenland after this track.  Part IDM, part dark folk, all wonderful!
Valgeir Sigurdsson - Helter Smelter:  Here he abandons the poppier overtones and goes straight for the striking classical progressions and small symphony arrangements that herald epic doom.  The album is called Draumalandid, and it is a fantastic and engrossing listen.  Recommended.


THIS WEEK'S TRACKS

Ancient Astronauts - A Hole to Swallow Us (with Phat Old Mamas)
Ancient Astronauts - I Came Running
Andrea Riberti - El Sabor
Anneke Van Giersbergen & Danny Cavanagh - The Blower's Daughter
Annie - My Love Is Better
Bee (Aloe Blacc + Cradle) - Still A Rose
Holopaw - The Cherry Glow
Holopaw - The Lazy Atador
Metric - Gold Guns Girls (acoustic)
Okkervil River - Westfall
Portland Cello Project - Beat (Health, Life And Fire) ft Thao
Portland Cello Project - Hungry Liars ft Justin Power
Roll Deep - I Will Not Lose
Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover)
Talk Normal - River's Edge
Valgeir Sigurdsson - Grylukvaedi
Valgeir Sigurdsson - Helter Smelter



There is just enough love:  http://thetastates.com/mp3s/blog/blog20100107.zip


Stay on top of everything new at http://djcpi.blogspot.com

More info:
DJ mixes
Blog archives
CPI fan page
Buy me books
Friend me on Last.FM to see what I am listening to

Enjoy!
~CPI

Monday, January 4, 2010

MP3 blog 2010/01/04

blog 2010/01/04 - AND WE LIE HERE PROSTRATED BEFORE YOUR AWESOMENESS.

WE ARE BACK!

Did you miss us?  Did you think we'd let you settle in to 2010 without the constant reminder at how wonderful music is?
Of course you didn't!  That'd be silly.  And if there's one thing you are not, it's silly.


But we come bearing one important bit of preamble.   Stated firmly for the big 2010...


THE CPI'S MP3 BLOG MANIFESTO:

"This MP3 blog will exist to provide my friends with much of the best new music they will need to live.
It will keep them abreast of the latest quality cutting-edge sounds, and will only require them to add new songs once or twice per week.
The songs will be easily sorted via basic genres that focus more on the where and how you will be using the song.
My friends love music, but they are very busy people and shouldn't waste their lives doing the research.  I will do the grunt work for them."


To that effect, there will be a major change.
To speed up the process of sifting through the songs, all tracks will be tagged with a genre.  When you import a new update in to your mp3 library, you will be able to browse by the genres you are currently interested in.
The genres used will be broad swathes, but should greatly speed up your experience.  They are:
  Hiphop:  self explanatory.  The rhymes and the beats.
  Dance:  Tracks for the DJs, bedroom dance parties, and gym bunnies.
  Beats:  Any other beats, like dubstep, IDM, downtempo.  Great music for chilling at your computer.
  Pop:  The largest and broadest category, anything radio-friendly for lunch-making boogies.  Play anywhere.
  Folk:  The quieter and delicate aspects of pop.  Music that can be listened to without bouncing.
  Experimental:  The ambient, the drone, the noise, the freakouts.  For late-night adventurous types.
  Harder:  For anything that doesn't fall in to the above categories, I'll just dump the harder stuff here.  Like punk, metal, prog, etc.
  Lighter:  The catch-all for lighter stuff that doesn't fit in the above categories, like some jazz, classical, etc.

Other new changes:
 - I will not regularly include URLs for artists in the updates.  You all know how to google.  If you have a hard time finding music to purchase by any artist,  I'll be happy to help you.
 - 50% more sass for the regular price!
 - Not a change, but I will restate my pledge that all updates will come in under 80 minutes in case you ever wanted to burn it to a CD.

If you can think of other ways this blog could be more useful, please reply or message me directly.
It should be easy as pie (pie!) to just dump in the new songs and enjoy.



AND NOW THE MUSICS!

Beach House - 10 Mile Stereo:  Beach House!  They were the first 2010 album I heard and what a way to start.
Beach House - Norway:  Their album Teen Dreams is ethereal, slightly beachy, slightly dreamy, and totally poppy.
Beach House - Take Care:  Recommended for fans of other Beach House, Panda Bear, Grizzly Bear, and uhhh...  Koala Bears.  Who doesn't love koala bears?

Beck - Sisters Of Mercy:  Beck continues his sessions of covering entire albums.  The results remain mixed, but since the original material is so good, so inevitable gems shine through.
Beck - So Long, Marianne:  The "Songs of Leonard Cohen" is of course for diehards of Cohen or Hansen, and probably won't convert fans of neither.

Byob - My Best Shoes (Qemists Mix):  DJ K sent this my way.  Kind of Pendulum-y in execution, Qemists are quite the goodness.

Danny Norbury - This Night Is For You And For Me:  Light in August is a stunning classical work that evokes readily accessible comparisons like Kronos Quartet as easily as it does Yo-Yo Ma. 

Faux Hoax - Your Friends Will Carry You Home:  Simply epic.  If you only get pathetically wasted with friends to one song this holiday season, turn off Green Day's Time of Your Life and listen to Your Friends Will Carry You Home instead.

Hossein Alizadeh & Djivan Gasparyan - Sari Galin:  This incredibly stirring piece comes from The Rough Guide To The Music Of Iran, a remarkable little overview compilation and a must-have for fans of contemporary composition.

The Apples In Stereo - Can You Feel It:  While never having a traditional 'HIT', these songs are all pop gems that easily could have raced up any roller-disco dance chart.  "#1 Hits Explosion" delivers the poppy goods.
The Apples In Stereo - Energy:  The Apples In Stereo sound like an incarnation of They Might Be Giants that tries to endlessly ressurrect The Beatles, with occassional forays in to sounding a bit like Odelay era Beck.  If that sounds good to you, dive in.

Vampire Weekend - Cousins:  New Vampire Weekend!  Short and sweet, still waiting for the album to drop.

Wordburglar - Showtime In 09 ft Timbuktu, Manalive, Jesse Dangerously, Choke, Mc Frank Deluxe, Psybo/More Or Les, Thesis Sahib, Ghettosocks:  Holy shit, what a major posse track.  Dropping this in here for the Jesse Dangerously appearance that just kills it.

Wu-Tang Clan - Do It Big (Baobinga & I'd Remix):  The future is awesome.  The future gives us releases like "Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture Vol. 2: Enter The Dubstep", and the future is good.
Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang (DZ Remix):  I highly recommend this album for any Wu-Tang fan.  Also for any dubstep fan, but really, who doesn't like Wu-Tang?  You can even skip over the bullshit in their lyrics and just ride the bass.

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp:  HOLY SHIT!  What a way to start the year.  First Beach House kills it, and then Yeasayer puts out an album that is already gunning for a spot on the "best of 2010" lists.
Yeasayer - One:  Just go buy this album.  It's as good as Phoenix, good as Grizzly Bear, good as Animal Collective.  It's good.



THIS WEEK'S TRACKS

Beach House - 10 Mile Stereo
Beach House - Norway
Beach House - Take Care
Beck - Sisters Of Mercy
Beck - So Long, Marianne
Byob - My Best Shoes (Qemists Mix)
Danny Norbury - This Night Is For You And For Me
Faux Hoax - Your Friends Will Carry You Home
Hossein Alizadeh & Djivan Gasparyan - Sari Galin
The Apples In Stereo - Can You Feel It
The Apples In Stereo - Energy
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
Wordburglar - Showtime In 09 ft Timbuktu, Manalive, Jesse Dangerously, ...
Wu-Tang Clan - Do It Big (Baobinga & I'd Remix)
Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang (DZ Remix)
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
Yeasayer - One



It is a new year.  It is a new CPI'S MP3 BLOG.  There is fresh blood along the lips.  It gets better.  http://thetastates.com/mp3s/blog/blog20100104.zip


Stay on top of everything new at http://djcpi.blogspot.com

More info:
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Enjoy!
~CPI