The post Disclosure – Settle appeared first on CMJ.

 
Panda Bear’s guest vocals on “Doin’ It Right” (called “Doin’” despite the pronounced enunciation of the missing G) is a nod to the album’s “now” sound. It’s a strong note for Noah Lennox: Where his collaborations with Zomby and Ducktails have fallen flat, here his organic cadence flows nicely when juxtaposed with Daft Punk’s perfectly executed robotic monotony. And where Lennox establishes some indie cred, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo called upon Pharell Williams for the mainstream dance and pop set. A dance-club worthy album cut of “Get Lucky,” RAM‘s premier single and catchy grower also featuring Rodgers and some extended glossy late ’90s dance-hall production, is equally the Neptunes as it is disco Daft Punk. On “Lose Yourself To Dance,” Williams is ambiguous in his falsetto as per the genre. His vocals are strong and faceless, but they accentuate the production rather than overpower it.
 
Unbound by convention, Daft Punk seamlessly included whatever the hell they wanted on this record. Not just because they’re musically sublime robots from a future of hovercrafts and Judy Jetson discotheques, but because Daft Punk knows when to edit and when to fall free. The orchestral intro of “Beyond” could have scored a futuristic montage in Fantasia and the beautifully textured “Touch” employs a choral section above growing blips and vocals from Paul Williams (yep, the Paul Williams of “Rainbow Connection” notoriety), and nothing sounds even a hair out of place.
 
The Strokes’ Julian Casablacas is featured on “Instant Crush,” which, while it fits in nicely with the mood of RAM, falls a bit short when placed next to the second half of the album, which, stacked with “Doin’ It Right,” “Get Lucky” and the guitar-and-keys heavy closer “Contact,” is hard to beat. Beginning with a Space Odyssey-esque decription of the vastness of space, “Contact” builds and ends Random Access Memories, simultaneously functioning as a pipe organ funeral dirge and a musical black hole, sucking all-night dancers into an abyss of hypnotically perfect music. Please don’t let me out.

The post Daft Punk – Random Access Memories appeared first on CMJ.

 
Some things don’t change—Ezra Keonig still delivers metaphor-laden non sequiturs in a naturally calculated cadence, occasionally breaking into a stirring falsetto as Batmanglij steers the melody unpredictably—nor should they. This is still a Vampire Weekend album and to expect something aside from outre Americana would be foolish. The deceptively simplistic “Hannah Hunt,” a minimalist ballad of a couple on the road, is a perfect storm of Keonig’s taste for escapism both then—it could be a follow-up to Contra‘s “Run”—and now.
 
Modern Vampires Of The City is big. Not big in stature or structure, but the band has finally mastered the art of the crescendo—taking the listener to the brink and holding them there, wobbling, just long enough to lose their footing before tumbling down the rabbit hole. This is most evident on single “Ya Hey,” which builds on a Handel-like choral and a spoken-word Rolling Stones nod. Sample-heavy funeral dirge “Hudson” is the stone thrown furthest from the band’s earlier work, and, therefore is one of the standout songs on an album packed with stars. The ghostly lament is thick with the weighty themes running throughout the album: the heaviness of being and the incessant tick-tocking of time. And, true to form as a beautiful breakdown, innovation is gorgeous.

The post Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires Of The City appeared first on CMJ.

The Orwells @ CMJ 2012 by Clayton Carr

 
Tour Dates For The Orwells:
06/06 – Madison, WI – Memorial Union Terrace
0
6/07- Detroit, MI – Majestic Theater
06/08 – Detroit, MI – Orion Music Festival
08/04 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
09/20 – Santa Barbara, CA – Velvet Jones*
09/23 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress*
09/24 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Club*
09/26 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge*
09/27 – Kansas City, MO – Czar Bar*
09/28 – St. Louis, MO – Firebird*
09/30 – Columbia, MO – Mojo’s*
10/02 – Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn*
10/07 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks*
10/14 – Nashville, TN – Exit/In*
10/16 – Columbus, OH – The Basement*
10/18 – Toronto ON – Hard Luck*
10/19 – Montreal QB – Il Motore*
10/23 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair*
10/24 – NYC – Bowery Ballroom*
10/25 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church*
10/26 – Washington DC – Rock and Roll Hotel*
10/28 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Smiling Moose*
10/29 – Cleveland Heights, OH – Grog Shop*
10/31 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean*
11/01 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon*
11/02 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry*
 
* with FIDLAR

The post The Orwells Plot Massive Fall Tour With FIDLAR appeared first on CMJ.

 
Tour Dates For CSS
06/14 – Santa Ana, CA – Observatory*#
06/15 – Los Angeles, CA – Fonda*#
06/16 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent*#
06/17 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall*#
06/19 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom*#
06/20 – Seattle, WA – Showbox#
06/22 – Denver, CO – The Summit#
06/25 – Minneapolis, MN – Fineline#
06/27 – Detroit, MI – Majestic#
06/28 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop#
06/29 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall#
07/01 – Washington, DC – 930 Club#
07/02 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer#
07/04 – Toronto, ON – The Opera House#
07/05 – Montreal, CA – Le Mondial Loto-Quebec#
07/06 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair#
07/08 – NYC – Bowery Ballroom#
07/09 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl#
07/16 – Baton Rouge, LA – Varsity Theatre%
07/17 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s%
07/18 – Austin, TX – Emo’s%
07/19 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues%
07/20 – San Antonio, TX – White Rabbit%
 
* with MS MR
# with IO Echo
% with MNDR

The post CSS Announces North American Summer Tour, Releases “Hangover” Video appeared first on CMJ.

 
Now, after a long time out of the spotlight, Hesketh has gone all-in on the indie side, beginning with the single “Shake,” which was, at first, released to the web to little fanfare in late 2012. Now Little Boots is back with a sophomore album, Nocturnes, released on her own newly-formed label, On Repeat. It’s apparent that this new arrangement has provided her with extreme creative control.
 
And On Repeat certainly isn’t the only indie feature on Nocturnes. Every good dance album needs powerful production, and Tim Goldsworthy of DFA fame produced seven of the album’s ten tracks, most notably the sultry “Motorway” and the earworm “Broken Record.” Hercules And Love Affair’s Andy Butler produced two, including the dance jam “Every Night I Say A Prayer.” The gleefully fun sci-fi track “Satellite,” co-written by the ne’er-do-wrong Ariel Rechtshaid (Sky Ferriera, Charli XCX, Theophilus London, Usher), is as equally “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and that damn Neverending Story song as it is closing-time-at-the-discotheque.
 
And Nocturnes is all disco, harkening to classic stars like Donnna Summer and still-modern dance queen Kylie Minogue. It’s dance music without the heart-exploding bass thumps—the Tenori-on, keyboards, synths and stylophone are Boots’ weapons of choice. In fact, almost every track would make excellent fodder for a house remix. But thematically, the record is a bit thicker. The record casts Hesketh in various roles: self-referencing wit (“Broken Record”), dreamer seeking the dusky illusion of escape (“Motorway”) and nostalgic romantic (“Satellite”). “Touch down, you’re far too close to the sun,” she sings on the album’s closing track. “Your wings may still yet come undone/learn how to walk before you run.”
 
There are shortcomings, like the filler track “Strangers” and the personal “It’s All For You,” which performed live in a minimalist setting was quite lovely, but the studio version is too heavily laden with distracting backbeats. While maintaining her space as neither and sexpot diva or a grossly doe-eyed ingenue, Little Boots remains unapologetically sincere in her words, and the crowd will still mainline the disco beats and, save for a few lulls, dance until we die.

The post Little Boots – Nocturnes appeared first on CMJ.

Mammane Sani Et Son Orgue on KDHX

Long-established organist Mammane Sanni Abdoulaye released his signular album and haunting vibratos in 1978 in his home country of Niger. His organ takes the lead and all other distractions are eliminated. And now, 35 years later, Sahel Sounds has given it a state-side rerelease; it gladly came to CMJ via KDHX’s Jazz Chart this week.
 

TEAADORA on WXYC

WXYC is no stranger to Chart Discovery, and when the always-forward-looking station charted A Vierge Jemaise/Virgin Forever by minimalistic singer-songwriter Teaadora, I was immediately taken by the ghostly nature of the serenely echoing vocals.
 

The post Mammane Sani Et Son Orgue (KDHX) and Teaadora (WXYC) appeared first on CMJ.

The post Little Boots, Avan Lava @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg: May 7, 2013 appeared first on CMJ.

Saddle Creek co-founder Robb Nansel posted the following today:

Measuring the value of art based on sales figures is a ridiculous idea; and clearly there is no direct correlation between album sales and quality. But every once in a while we get reminded of why we do what we do; that our efforts aren’t completely futile; and that music, as cliché as it may sound, can change the world. This feels like that type of moment.

You can read the full statement at the Saddle Creek site. Listen to “Road To Joy” off the record and check out Conor Oberst’s solo tour dates and dates with Desaparecidos below.

Conor Oberst Tour Dates:
10/03 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery
10/08 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern
10/09 – Las Vegas, NV – House Of Blues
10/10 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s

Desaparecidos Tour Dates:
08/28 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
10/20 – Englewood, CO – The Gothic Theatre
10/21 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall
10/22 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room
10/24 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
10/25 – Chicago, IL – Metro
10/26 – Cleveland, OH – House Of Blues
10/27 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
10/28 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom
10/30 – Austin, TX – Mohawk
11/01 – New Orleans, LA – Voodoo Music And Arts Experience
11/03 – Pomona, CA – The Glass House
11/04 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre

The post Bright Eyes’ ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning’ Goes Gold appeared first on CMJ.

The post Watch: PVT’s Choppy New Video For “Homosapien” appeared first on CMJ.

Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg with Andrew W.K.

The post Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg With Andrew W.K. @ Santos Party House: May 3 appeared first on CMJ.

The post Os Mutantes – Fool Metal Jack appeared first on CMJ.

 
Tour Dates For Jeremy Messersmith:
04/29/13 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair #
04/30/13 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s #
05/02/13 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom #
05/10/13 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line *
05/11/13 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar *
05/13/13 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge *
05/14/13 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge *
05/16/13 – Seattle, WA – Neumo’s *
05/17/13 – Vancouver, WA – Commodore Ballroom *
05/18/13 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge *
05/20/13 – San Francisco, CA – Café Du Nord *
05/21/13 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour *
05/22/13 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour *
 
# with Tom Odell
* with Daughter

The post Jeremy Messersmith Signs To Glassnote, Tours With Daughter appeared first on CMJ.

A few years later the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ ballad-like “slump,” if you will, Show Your Bones, maxed out at No. 2 in May 2006. But It’s Blitz, with all its glitz and spectacular displays of showmanship, reached No. 1 on April 14, 2009 and held the spot for a full month. And rightfully so: It’s Blitz was the band’s starmaker. It ushered in younger fans, as well as those who previously found Show Your Bones to be too low-key. And their show only got showier. To use the high rollin’ festival circuit as a gauge of mass-appeal success, the YYYs really upper their cultural currency. That year, they headlined Goldenvoice’s now-defunct NYC-focused festival All Points West, Glastonbury and Lollapalooza.
 
And now here we are, coming on a decade after Fever To Tell wore itself out in my car’s self-installed CD player, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs live in a rare space as both bonafide stars and critical darlings. Whether Mosquito (which CMJ gives a big thumbs-up) will follow its predecessors chart-wise… well, check back in a few weeks.
 

The post 10 Years Of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Fever To Tell appeared first on CMJ.

While college radio has and does support all genres of music wholeheartedly, with very few exceptions—mostly the Beastie Boys—the top spot on the CMJ charts has been firmly occupied by indie-rock and major-label rock artists for the better part of three decades. Above Discovery, it was Guided By Voices, the quintessential indie-rock band whose pure existence seems to propel the band to the top 5 with every release, that took No. 1. So would a No. 1 spot be more of a solidification of the corporately named EDM’s acceptance in the indie music world? I’m going to say no, because Daft Punk has reached a somewhat legendary status headlining Coachella, which is a king’s jeweled crown, not his revolution. In fact, one of the most exciting things about “Get Lucky,” which has already broken one-day streaming records, is its ability to eschew the now-inflated sense of self that pervades today’s dance scene—a scene over saturated with former students of “Da Funk,” “Robot Rock” and “Harder Better Faster Stronger.”

The post CMJ Charts April 17, 2001: Daft Punk Is Playing At My House appeared first on CMJ.