Music
Essays, blog posts, playlists, and more focused broadly on music. For more playlists visit my Spotify profile.
- Mashups of the Week: Amanda Blank & the Beatles ()
Received this directly from DJ Paul V late last week, but considering today’s Q&A with the rapper/singer and her show this evening at the Triple Rock with Matt and Kim, posting it seemed oh-so-timely. From Paul, “Pretty simple A + B vs. C – but hopefully making for some happy, sex-sweaty dancefloors! J’adore the new Amanda Blank CD, and forever […]
- Japandroids Critics’ Pick ()
After a hazy guitar intro, the second track on the Japandroids’ debut album, Young Hearts Spark Fire, rolls into a an introductory beat comparable to that on Phoenix’s summer hit, “Lisztomania.” Mere moments after that the similarities between the two bands end, however, as the Vancouver-based duo take flight into the sonically explosive track with an energetic power […]
- Matt and Kim Critics’ Pick ()
Recent statistics show that nearly 10 percent of the adult population in the U.S. is affected by some sort of depressive disorder. And not to detract from the seriousness of the issue, but the vast majority of those afflicted could offer themselves some temporary reprieve simply by attending a performance by Matt and Kim. There’s something […]
- Divide & Kreate Interview ()
When did you start making mashups? Divide & Kreate: December 2004 Was there any other mashup producer, or producers, that inspired you to get started? Divide & Kreate: I think it was that Soulwax As Hear On… that got me started. Have you had any legal threats or issues arise surrounding any of your bootlegs? […]
- Mashups of the Week: “Hook” & La Roux ()
I have no idea what to call this, but if ever the term held true, bastard pop might be the most suitable categorization. I’m clearly late to the game in terms of this guy’s work, but Western Australia’s POGO has amassed a stunning collection of similar videos that have received a breathtaking response on YouTube; the producer’s […]
- Autolux Critics’ Pick ()
Pop quiz: Name a band from Los Angeles that has connections with a Nobel Prize winner, St. Louis Park, and Trent Reznor. Give up? The answer is eclectic California rock quartet Autolux. The band formed in 2000 when Carla Azar and Eugene Goreshter met while writing the score for Accidental Death of an Anarchist, a play written by Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo. By […]
- Lucy Michelle & the Velvet Lapelles Critics’ Pick ()
It’s been a little over a year since Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles dropped the band’s independently released debut album, Orange Peels and Rattlesnakes—and, oh, what a year it has been. A month and a half after the CD-release show, the band, led by the ukulele-strumming songstress Michelle, edged out Gospel Gossip by a mere two votes […]
- Aesop Rock “Daylight” ()
I can recall but a few truly positive memories from last summer; one that floats to the top of the muck is seeing Aesop Rock at Soundset 2008. Strictly as a performance, it might not top his set at First Avenue that I’d seen the previous year, but it had a feeling that was a […]
- Mashups of the Week: Daft Punk & classic rock ()
Mark Vidler is widely considered one of, if not thee best producer to ever concern himself with mashups; then he retired for a while; then he un-retired… Now Vidler, under the guise of his Go-Home Productions moniker, has taken an advanced step towards pushing the understanding of a bootleg forward into mainstream production by shifting […]
- Kelly Clarkson Critics’ Pick ()
Few artists have seen such levels of both success and criticism in 2009 as Kelly Clarkson. Take her latest release, for example; All I Ever Wanted debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and has already outsold 2007’s My December. In January, the album’s first single, “My Life Would Suck Without You,” leaped from #97 to #1 on the Billboard Hot […]
- Bonnie Raitt Critics’ Pick ()
While names such as Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, or Ida Cox might initially come to mind when thinking of classic female blues singers, it’d be hard not to include Bonnie Raitt among the names of the best blues singers—male or female—who followed. And she can play, too. Despite having released 15 studio albums, Raitt might best be known for her biggest […]
- Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd Critics’ Pick ()
It might not make complete sense to call it the “CMT generation,” but the country music channel has certainly had an undeniable effect on the face of the genre. Historically, there’s clearly been crossover appeal between the country standards and Southern rock bands, but the past decade has seen an unusual collision between country, pop, […]
- Bran Van 3000 feat. Curtis Mayfield “Astounded” ()
Largely remembered for the band’s 1997 single “Drinking in L.A.” (the single being from the album Gleewhich would yield the collective a 1998 Juno award for Best Alternative Album) Montreal’s Bran Van 3000 reinvented itself somewhat with the first single from its 2001 album Discosis. Blending electronics with a bit of disco flavor, the song […]
- The Chemical Brothers “Star Guitar” Video ()
At this point in time I’m not even sure that a rehashing of Exit Planet Dust could make up for the atrocity that was 2007’s We Are the Night. But earlier in the decade, before the duo had done “The Salmon Dance” with Fat Lip, the Chemical Brothers were still riding a wave of success […]
- Hank Williams III “Six Pack of Beer” ()
Hank Williams III has been my favorite country musician for years; Johnny Cash included. I’ve seen him play Minneapolis’ First Avenue a few times, and as time went on, more and more people began showing up to the shows alongside me. The last Hank Williams III concert I attended was last August, and that will […]
- The Tragically Hip “My Music at Work” ()
When the Seattle Weekly asked “Can anyone explain the Tragically Hip to me?” this past March, the first thought I had was: no. The comment that fell in line with my thoughts on the subject read “As for explaining The Hip… well, there is no explaining. You either get it, or you don’t. And when […]
- Matt & Kim vs. Beastie Boys mashed by DJ STV SLV ()
If there’s one thing that can still be said of the Beastie Boys that is as true now as it was when they were at their commercial peak, it’s that they are as much fun to watch as they are to listen to. I had the privilege of seeing Matt and Kim this past December and the […]
- Clipse at First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN) ()
Video of Clipse’s August 14, 2009 Sneaker Pimps show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN featuring performances of “Til the Casket Drops,” “Momma I’m So Sorry,” “We Got it For Cheap,” “Hot Damn,” “Riding Around Shining,” “Wamp Wamp (What it Do),” “Mr. Me Too,” and “Kinda Like a Big Deal.” [This post was first published […]
- Mashups of the Week: Madonna, Kylie Minogue & more ()
After opening with “It’s A Fact (Printed Stained)” at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival, Matt & Kim broke into a song that found the crowd responding with a boisterous thunder: a rendition of Dead Prez’ classic “Hip-Hop.” The song’s electronic-based loop is one of the most recognizable to come from the decade and one that […]
- Reel Big Fish Critics’ Pick ()
Despite having been a band since 1990, Reel Big Fish didn’t really make waves until ska’s revival in the mid-to-late ’90s, when the band had their biggest hit to date, “Sell Out.” Later, they appeared in Trey Parker and Matt’s Stone’s spoof comedy BASEketball, in which they performed a rendition of a-ha’s “Take on Me.” Potentially it was simply a […]
- Blink-182 Critics’ Pick ()
Nearly four years after the group went on hiatus, the members of Blink-182 announced at the Grammy Awards this past February that they would be reforming. With an album of new material in the works, the group took to its first tour this past July—a 50-plus-date journey that will see the band on the road through October. Known for […]
- 40 oz. to Freedom Critics’ Pick ()
Though it might be a little much to expect any surprise guests to show up (as happened at the band’s recent Hollywood show, where Angelo Moore of Fishbone joined the band for “Date Rape”), it wouldn’t be unreasonable to hope to see a few shots of Jäger to be downed, or a hell of a show from what is arguably the […]
- Mashups of the Week: Bootstock, Jamie Foxx & more ()
Though he’s been on a hiatus from creating mashups (since his contribution to last year’s 2008 Mashed compilation, actually) Sweden’s Copycat has returned with a fresh track in celebration of AudioPorn Central‘s two year anniversary. From the Cat: “One of my absolute favorites during APC’s two-year existence is without a doubt Little Boots. We were quite early picking up La […]
- Bat for Lashes Critics’ Pick ()
Past winners of the U.K.’s Mercury Prize include the Klaxons, Dizzee Rascal, and Badly Drawn Boy; this year Natasha Khan’s Bat for Lashes could very well be added to that list. This is the singer’s second nomination, following a 2007 nod for her debut, Fur and Gold. Her latest effort, Two Suns, has been heralded as one of the year’s best albums (in […]
- Tori Amos Critics’ Pick ()
Showing no lack of creativity, Tori Amos’s 10th solo studio album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, is a 70-plus-minute journey that explores the relationship between faith, sin, and romance. But the album goes even further than the title suggests, as Amos explained in an interview with Billboard at this past year’s SXSW; it is meant to reflect on the continual conflict […]
- 999 Critics’ Pick ()
While there are many bands who helped shape the face of punk, many of them are rarely recognized for their work. Including bands such as Wire or Sham 69, the list of groups who helped steer the direction of the genre is a lengthy one. Another band of such caliber is 999–and unlike those previously […]
- Mashups of the Week: Annie Lennox, Iron Maiden vs. the Monkeys & more ()
A few weeks back Jimmy Kimmel hosted an interview with comedian David Cross on his late night TV program (though somehow the video now alludes me). Throughout the lengthy discussion Cross talked about his single attempt at trying crack an how he (sort of) met a member of Korn (which made for a fairly smooth […]
- Vans Warped Tour Critics’ Pick ()
Now in its 15th year, the Vans Warped Tour is returning to the Twin Cities with an impressive lineup of nearly 70 bands. As with years gone by, the tour is largely constructed from a solid foundation of punk bands; this year the lineup includes such Warped Tour veterans as Anti-Flag, Less Than Jake, Bouncing Souls, and Bad Religion. But this […]
- In Defence Critics’ Pick ()
Few bands are able to trace their existence back to one memorable anecdote, but In Defence’s backstory is one for the history books. As the legend goes, the Twin Cities hardcore group was set to play its CD release show at Nate’s Dungeon in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Cops infiltrated the crowd at the house show and […]
- Solid Gold Critics’ Pick ()
While every year another set of musicians get labeled the next big thing to break out of the Twin Cities, this past year has seen one rise above all others: Solid Gold. Within the span of a little over a year the group of electronic-rockers have made the transition from headlining shows at the Uptown Bar […]