It is the holiday season, as the integral contributor to MiS shared below. The band outta Tennessee – who everyone on this blog is scared to write anything about – got into the holiday spirit, too. Below, are the quirky popsters being simply…gay and merry, as they break it down. Besides the obvious musicianship here, one can begin to see the playfulness involved in a Heypenny gig. 2009 could yield some masterpieces, if we’re lucky…
Archive for December, 2008
24
Dec
08
Sing along; it’s Christmas!
24
Dec
08
This Christmas
photo credit :: toomuchrock.com
It’s been a while since I’ve seen Elizabeth Elmore out and about. She may be taking after another member of MiS, or perhaps I’ve just missed her. I suppose her full-time lawyer gig keeps her busy. Her previous bands, Sarge and the Repuation are on indefinite hiatus, so all we can hope for is the occasional solo performance. Dave and I were lucky enough to catch her as the opening act for Josh Caterer back in 2006. With nothing but an acoustic guitar, she ripped through a bunch of songs that served as a terrific precursor to the evening’s main event.
As Christmas quickly approaches, I share with you Sarge’s version of the holiday classic, This Christmas. Best wishes!
23
Dec
08
And the Chicagoans of the Year…
Obviously, I wasn’t the only own who held Local H’s Beat Kitchen residency to high praise. The Chicago Tribune too? Check out Greg Kot’s article on the Chicagoans of the year…
21
Dec
08
2008 In LP Form…
If there was a central theme/trend this year in music, it spun right past me. But by no means do I feel outta the loop this time around – but I’ve realized in the past few weeks how many albums I entirely missed. Obviously, it’s not realistic to aspire to hear all the records on your favorite website’s end-of-year-list, right? Back in January, I began to compile an Excel spreadsheet of new records I was listening to in 2008 – that lasted maybe a month, maybe even less. To me, this year was full of an overabundance of full-length LPs at my disposal; at times, the queue was too deep to even bother with many records. What lies after the jump, are the records that didn’t end up in my digital trash can and received a lost count of spins…
No question that Spank Rock‘s 2006 debut was one of the more party oriented albums to be unleashed in some time. But that is creepin’ up on 2.5 years ago. Sure, we have received a sprinkle of the M.C.’s flow here and there – with the offspring of 2 Live Crew earlier this year appearing on Neon Neon’s debut LP. One has to assume 2009 will be good to us and the B-More trio will deliver their follow-up LP to YoYoYoYoYo. In the meantime though, Naeem Juwan (aka Spank Rock) guests on a track from NYC’s hipster-thrash duo Hearts Revolution.
“Ultraviolence” is a spacey minimal techno number – with the MC gracing his slick flow over the pulsing beat. For some, this may fill in the gaps since his last true release….
Hearts Revolution :: Ultraviolence featuring M.C. Spank Rock
18
Dec
08
Kick It Out!
The Japanese version of Muse? That’s a tall comparison for anyone who has witnessed Muse’s stage act. Boom Boom Satellites have been been a hit in their country for more than ten years and have built up a reputation for their blazing live performances. Their songs are crafted with an electronic rock back bone, with break-breaks tossed around elements of jazz and punk which creates a colorful concoction.
“Kick It Out” is featured as the first track from their 2006 album, On. I’m not sure if there’s another song around that conjures up a vision of crowd pandemonium – jumping in unison to the musical break after the chorus. A perfect driving song if there ever was one.
Hit me up if you’d like the file.
18
Dec
08
12 Years Late to the Party…
She came from Greece. She had a thirst for knowledge. She studied sculpture at Saint Martin’s College, that’s where I caught her eye. She told me that her Dad was loaded. I said, “In that case, I’ll have a rum and coca-cola.” She said, “Fine”.
If anything this year, I embraced pop – but British pop, to be more specific. When the English accent isn’t as prominent and the buildup is as brilliant as “Common People” by Pulp, I tend to destroy things. As this banger radiated from the speakers, my cell phone would routinely turn into a drum stick and my steering wheel posed as the skins. After cracking a personal item or two, I realized that maybe it was time to explore Pulp’s catalog. My first venture was Different Class, from 1996, which as any British pop aficionado knows, is monumental – maybe even a near flawless record? It’s sure got one hell of a three song combo; you can experience this brilliancy below…
and probably the true classic of the record…
Documentaries are usually made about movements, a band’s yearlong tour, a president, but an hour feature on one song? This stomper became such a phenomenon that you have 60 minutes of your time to allot to discover everything you ever wanted to know about Pulp’s “Common People”.
17
Dec
08
Embrace This…
Out of all the bouncy electro tracks I stumbled upon this year, PNAU’s “Embrace” with Ladyhawke on lead vocals was one I consistently returned to. Maybe an updated “Flashdance…” with a Madonna-like “Holiday” swing is what drew me in. Or simply, a hard hitting beat – with tough, yet welcoming vocals layered over the rhythms. Regardless of why I fell for it, Ladyhawke paired with a duo of Aussie popsters is a formula not to be stepped to…
16
Dec
08
My (Re) Discovery of the Year…
And herein lies the dilemma of this guy. People say he needs an editor, but people can never agree on which songs he needs to get rid of. Give ’em all to us, I say… and let us decide which ones we don’t want to hear.
It took a thread on Ryan Adams to help me discover the above sentiment proclaims nothing but the truth. I’ve been a believer in the man’s talents – heartfelt lyricism, potential to turn the country twang on, ability to concoct pop songs in their simplest form; and a man not intimidated to pay homage to his influences. He may spit out more albums than most, but there is always a central purpose on each – which after a few spins, seem to always hit me just right.
If I had to select the best thing musically I found on the Internet in 2008, it would have been this epic thread – a comprehensive collection of Ryan’s catalog. I know, with the man’s prolific nature, this is no easy feat. At one time, I had two LPs from Adams on my iPod; now the count is at 12, but with my newfound respect and sincere adoration for his catalog, I know that new number will inevitably increase. Below, three of the various tracks I was enlightened to this year, or in one case, reacquainted with…
One of the timeless numbers off 2005’s Cold Roses…
I drew a half-sincere connection to the following phrase taken from “29” – Most of my friends are married and making them babies/To most of them I already died. The truth? Of course not, but it resonated with me. Opener to 2005’s 29…
A sucker I am for a generic sounding rock n roll song. B-side to this year’s Cardinology…
If there were a word that could combine ‘pioneer’ and ‘godfather’…
If you have yet to get your hands on the the 69 minute documentary showcasing Soulwax, you’re in luck. Pitchfork.tv is offering up the DVD in its entirety for one week’s time. Yea, watching movies on your computer’s screen isn’t for everyone; live footage, interviews with numerous blogged about bands on here, and a peer inside of who the Dewaele brothers really are await your patience though. The boys at Pitchfork were nice enough to break up the mayhem into chapters, so watch it in increments, at your own leisure. Highly recommended….
MiS | Moving in Stereo 
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