Diggin' now... Cee-Lo 'F**k you'

Short post: This is a great track, and made me really excited for Cee-Lo's coming record. It's been a while since Mr. Green's been around solo, and this is a great come back.

DISCLAIMER: People easily offended by certain parts of the English language maybe should've watch this.

Digging Now... Isobell Campebll & Mark Lanegan - 'Hawk'

One is a former singer and cellist with Belle and Sebastian. Another comes as the leading man in the Screaming Trees. As this Pitchfork review notes, you may not have guessed, but this combination works. It really, really works.

I decided to check out this duo's latest record, 'Hawk', yesterday after reading the afore-linked-to review, and already I think this could be one of those super underrated records that never really gets much of the attention it deserves, but really, really should. Perhaps one of the most criminally underrated records of the year.

What we have here is great combination of folk, blues, country and general rock-a-billy, rock & roll music. Much of the record rests squarely in the folk/country realm, with what I can only describe as blues sensibility mixed it, and you can tell these two have solid rock chops. It's not necessarily strict folk/country, despite first impressions, and that's probably because these two are experienced, talented and very different musicians.

To prove my point, I chose to post a video to the title-track, Hawk, above. Imagine yourself listening to a record that's been mostly folk-y and country sounding, with some forays more into rock, and then, halfway through, THIS distorted, bluesy freakout of an instrumental track hits you. With the chatter at the beginning, the screaming throughout, the horns, the heavy drums, the scratches and sounds mixed it, it sounds like someone gave the Blues Brothers some acid that night at the Palace Hotel Ballroom -- 106 miles from Chicago -- and said have at it, boys.

To be sure, Hawk is an anomaly, and the rest of the record fits into that folk/rock/country mold that Pitchfork review and I have mentioned. And the rest is really good too! But damn, that Hawk track. Do yourself a favor and check out the rest.

Diggin' now... (again)... TWDY - Players Holiday

"I'm just sittin' here timin' like a Rolex watch..."

These days, I don't have a car of my own -- I got these bikes though! So, anyway, last night when I borrowed a vehicle from my parents I was without the usual iPod adapter or selection of CDs that I would most likely have in my own car. For a minute, this was disappointing. But, then I went digging through the glove box and center console for something to listen to.

I found a host of mixes I made circa 2003 - 2005, basically from the point I got my drivers license through graduating from high school.

Perhaps, the best find was the song in the video above: TWDY, which stands for The Whole Damn Yay and the classic track 'Players Holiday' featuring Mac Mall, Otis & Shug and..... Too Short (!). The song begins with a reference to the, shall we say, less consequential affairs of the Bill Clinton presidency. The artists' astonishment that he got away with it leads them to deem this day, OF ALL THE DAYS, "Players Holiday," and the song unfolds from there.

Oh, and it includes one of my favorite lines of all time: "I'm just sittin' here, timin' like a Rolex watch."

Maybe it's nostalgia, or maybe it's a really great song -- probably the former. But, on a day like today, it seemed appropriate. And, well, here we are.

Dear Cheapo: I think you're great

Since the very beginning of this blog I lamented the fact that I was, in fact, located in Washington, D.C., half the country away from the record stores of the Twin Cities, where all of this began. Sure, I grew to find some really good shops in Washington, met some cool people and found some good stuff. But the whole time, I was always comparing it to what I left, and I publicly celebrated my (first, temporary) visit to the Twin Cities followed by my permanent move back.

The whole time, I always had one shop in mind: Cheapo Records. It has two locations in these Twin Cities, one in St. Paul a mile or so from where I live, and another in Uptown Minneapolis. The former is in two locations, one for CDs and DVDs, another across the street strictly for records and tapes. Minneapolis' is in one location, with the entire basement containing only vinyl records. So, yup, I really like it.

So far, I've visited St. Paul's Cheapo twice, and both times I walked away with more than I had intended to buy and more than I could've hoped to find. Today's buys?

• The Sex Pistols -- Never mind the Bollocks
• Woody Guthrie -- Best of (2xLP)
• Jefferson Airplane -- Volunteers (which happens to be one of my favorite records from the whole West Coast, San Francisco 60s sound/era).

On my first trip?

• An Ella Fitzgerald/Billie Holiday compilation
• Neil Young -- Harvest
• Sly & the Family Stone -- Greatest Hits

Not bad, and that was just in the recent arrivals. So, yeah. In short? Looking forward to visiting many more times, and buying many more records, for a while.

White Stripes to reissue catalogue on vinyl

Perhaps I'm late to this, but I read today the White Stripes have plans to reissue their catalogue on vinyl. Needless to say, um, that'd be pretty awesome, and it's definitely one of the few vinyl reissues that I'd feel almost compelled to drop way too much money on investing in the handful or more new vinyl releases.

But that -- god, $100+? -- would be well worth it in my mind. And until they figure out a way to 'burn' your own record like you would a CD -- seriously, how crazy would that be? -- buying great music like this upon reissue when you get the chance is likely the only way to hear it in the best way possible: on wax, of course.

Diggin' now... Stereo Total

It was just a random link on a blog to this song, Je Rêve Encore de Toi, from the Berlin-based, German/French/English/Japanese language duo known as Stereo Total.

Here's how the group's Web site described Stereo Total and its music:

The music of the chanson- electro- nonelectro- garage- rock'n'roll- french-pop- rock-à-billy- disco- international- underground- duo Stereo Total can be described as:
40% Yéyétronic, 20% R'n'R, 10% Punkrock, 3% electronic effects, 4% French 60ies beat, 7% genious dilettantism, 1,5% Cosmonaute, 10% really old synthesizers, 10% 8-bit Amiga-sampling, 10% transistor amplifier, 1% really expansive and advanced instruments, a minimalist production, meaning a home- made- trash- garage- sound crossed with underground, authentic as well as amateurish, ironic as well as effective, pop as well as political.
Stereo Total are Françoise Cactus, (from France, drums and vocals) and Brezel Göring (guitar, synthesizer, sampler).

Right. If that sounds as awesome to you as it does to me, click play on the video above, check out this other song 'Prends-Moi' (translated: Take Me), watch the other I linked to above and just generally start exploring the catalogue. The group has released eight albums since 1995 (!) and the way the sound includes so much of the mashup, genre-bending style that's become a staple of recent music is really astonishing. Oh, yeah, and it's a hell of a lot of fun too.

A note on the language, I'm no linguist, but I have read the lyrics in fact do range from English to French and German to Japanese, maybe more. My French isn't what it used to be, but I can pick up pieces here and there. I'd imagine the same would go for German speakers as well, and for Japanese speakers on whichever songs employ that language.

But, really, it's different. It's strange at times. But I'm definitely digging it right now.

July 25, 1965: Dylan goes electric at Newport Folk Festival

Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone 1965

On this very day (July 25, 1965), 45 years ago, on a Sunday in Newport, R.I., Bob Dylan 'went electric,' as the moment is called now. He was roundly heckled and booed for the performance, as many of the folk-heads seemed to be channeling their more picky and fickle hipster counterparts these days.

Anyway, it was a really important moment, for Dylan and music. Check out the video, and the link above. If you want to know more, check out Martin Scorcese's Dylan flick 'No Direction Home', in which 1965 Newport performance is played as an important event as well.

Or, just watch the embedded performance. It's great, too. Enjoy.

Today's burning question: Pulp's 'Common People'... Great song, or greatest song of all time?

First things first: Our things came today, so the turntables, records, stereo and such have returned. Expect a return to crate digging/blogging soon, this time live from St. Paul.

BUT, in the meantime, here I have for you my song of the moment: Pulp's 'Common People' which I've loved since I saw a video riffing off of the song back during the British election (I've posted that one below.)

Anyway, watch the video and follow the lyrics below. Great. And check out below as well.

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 rum and coca-cola
She said "fine"
And then in 30 seconds time she said
"I want to live like common people
I want to do whatever common people do
I want to sleep with common people
I want to sleep with common people like you"
Well what else could I do?
I said "I'll see what I can do"
I took her to a supermarket
I don't know why
but I had to start it somewhere
so it started there
I said "pretend you've got no money"
but she just laughed
and said "oh you're so funny"
I said "Yeah
Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here
Are you sure
you want to live like common people
you want to see whatever common people see
you want to sleep with common people
you want to sleep with common people like me?"
But she didn't understand
she just smiled and held my hand
Rent a flat above a shop
Cut your hair and get a job
Smoke some fags and play some pool
Pretend you never went to school
But still you'll never get it right
'cos when you're laid in bed at night
watching roaches climb the wall
if you called your dad he could stop it all
yeah
You'll never live like common people
You'll never do whatever common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
and then dance and drink and screw
because there's nothing else to do
Sing along with the common people
Sing along and it might just get you through
Laugh along with the common people
Laugh along although they're laughing at you
and the stupid things that you do
because you think that poor is cool
Like a dog lying in a corner
they will bite you and never warn you
Look out
they'll tear your insides out
'cos everybody hates a tourist
especially one who thinks
it's all such a laugh
yeah and the chip stain's grease
will come out in the bath
You will never understand
how it feels to live your life
with no meaning or control
and with nowhere left to go
You are amazed that they exist
and they burn so bright
whilst you can only wonder why
Rent a flat above a shop
Cut your hair and get a job
Smoke some fags and play some pool
Pretend you never went to school
But still you'll never get it right
'cause when you're laid in bed at night
watching roaches climb the wall
if you called your dad he could stop it all
yeah
You'll never live like common people
You'll never do whatever common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
and then dance and drink and screw
'because there's nothing else to do
I want to live with common people like you.....

And the political video riffing off it. (Hint to non-British-election-savvy readers, David Cameron, the main subject of the video below, was the conservative candidate in the last election. He's now Prime Minister.)

Altered Zones is a really great blog

OK, so I said I probably wouldn't post much for a week or so at least, but I went against my own statement to point out this new blog collective dubbed Altered Zones, which has some kind of relationship with Pitchfork, although what that relationship is, exactly, is unclear to me.

Anyway, the upshot is this: Altered Zones covers musical territory way down in the ether. The writers specialize in lo-fi, D.I.Y., emerging and just generally unknown artists and genres and they appear to know their stuff, in my opinion, based on how much of the music I've enjoyed already. The best part about the site? Its built-in media player. Each post consists of one artist and one song, the latter of which can be played right there on site with no downloading or anything. Then, as one song ends, it goes right to the next, meaning you can just let new song after new song, new style after new style, play and play as if it was your own iTunes. Don't like something? Skip it, because you can do that to. On to the next.

Another great feature, made possible I'm sure by the upstart status of most of these artists, is the fact that a number of the entries have links where you can download the songs and albums featured on the blog for FREE. Legally. That's right: Free music, legally.

Anyway, I've personally found myself just going to the site and letting the media player go. If something really catches my ear, I'll see if a free download link is included. Simple as that. The music might be a little out there for some people -- it's a lot of noise-style music, digital music, and whatever new term for such things I don't even know yet. But to me, it's been a great place to hear some new stuff. That's what it's all about.

I downloaded the Surf Noir EP from Beat Connection last night and am definitely liking it so far.

Dateline: ST. PAUL, Minn.

It's official: This blog -- well, this blogger, at least -- has relocated to where the vinyl adventure first began: Minnesota's own Twin Cities. I'm living within walking distance to a Cheapo and biking distance to another Cheapo and a host of other record stores where I first started picking up records here and there.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was considering some kind of thoughtful farewell to D.C. and the shops there, but it never really came together. I'll definitely miss CD/Game Exchange, and there were a few other shops where I found some great things. But all in all, it'll be nice to get back to some of the spots I haven't been able to visit for quite some time.

Until I start doing that, this blog will probably stay pretty quiet. We haven't had our things delivered from the East Coast just yet, so I think it would be cruel to myself if I started crate digging and picking up vinyl just to wait to listen to it on my stereo/record player. Hopefully, though, our lack of things/furniture will change in the coming days and record playing/crate digging/comfortable sitting can resume once again.

5th of July Pickups

As I mentioned earlier, I am indeed leaving D.C. and headed back to Minneapolis. Vinyl-wise, I'm excited to do some digging at my old favorite shops. But I'm quite sad to be leaving CD/Game Exchange, which I've mentioned a number of times on this very blog, mostly because I tend to go there and find great stuff all. the. time.

So, despite the heat today in D.C., I biked on over to CD/Game Exchange this afternoon and found out there was a 20 percent sale going on. You didn't have to tell me twice, and I left with seven great albums, five of which are pictured above.

Here are the pickups:

• Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass -- Going Places
• Frank Sinatra -- Strangers in the Night
• Ella Fitzgerald and the Tommy Flanagan Trio -- Live, Montreux '77
• Kiss -- Alive (!!)
• Talking Heads -- Speaking In Tongues
• Black Giants -- Compilations of jazz featuring Armstrong, Ellington, Davis, Monk, Gillepsie and more.
• Ella Fitzgerald -- Newport Jazz Festival, Live at Carnegie Hall '73

Now, I realize Kiss is way out of place on that list. But, I used to have Alive on TAPE when I was younger, and as I was looking over the sleeve and the full-color photo book that came with the record I knew I was going to buy it that very moment. Who could pass that up, honestly?

Anyway, once again, CD/Game Exchange pays off. It'll be too bad when it's no longer a short bike ride away. But, I plan to keep talking about how great it is here at least until I leave -- truth be told, I almost bought a store T-shirt today, but opted to buy more records instead of the shirt. It was the best choice, I imagine.

Hopefully sometime this week I'll have a great, thoughtful opus on D.C. record stores before I leave -- but, honestly, I report and write for a living. This blog, the more work I put into the writing and so on seems more and more like work every day. To that end, it might not be so great, or thoughtful, this opus I'm talking about. But, I hope to have something. Until then, I'll be listening to some great jazz, big band and 70s-80s glam rock/new wave to pass the time. Sounds good to me.

Janelle Monae Revisited: Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the style

If you've heard the name Janelle Monae, chances are you've seen this video, heard this song, or both. My first listen came via the video, and I liked what I heard. But what I didn't get was how this song -- and the entire album it was released on 'The Archandroid" for that matter -- immediately shot to the top of 'best-of' lists for 2010 and received lavish praise from a lot of people I tend to go to for music criticism. It's been called the best album of the year, and others have called it the best album in the past few years. Talk about praise.

Still, I didn't get it. I love Big Boi, who's featured in 'Tightrope' and the song was nice. But it's really outside the kind music I generally find myself listening to. R&B isn't something I tend to listen to, even 'good' R&B, as it were, as I've heard this record described. I gave part of the album a quick listen -- OK, I more had it playing in the background while I did other stuff. Eh, I thought. It's good, but is it that good? I didn't think so.

That has since changed.

Driving back from New York last night, I was listening to an 'All Songs Considered' podcast as they detailed the best albums of 2010 so far. Naturally, this was on the list, and both hosts continued the praise for this record. Now, I don't know if they chose this particular song I posted before knowing it might change the minds of holdouts like myself. But it definitely worked. The song is 'Come Alive (The War of the Roses)' and it is phenomenal. Between the cool, jumping bass line, catchy drums and guitar riffs -- not to mention Monae's voice -- it's a great product.

As I've mentioned on this blog, I try to refrain from music criticism and just say what I like and try to explain why. But this song struck me as the kind of song Gwen Stefani wishes she would've recorded before she became a 'Hollaback Girl' who only worked with hand-clappers and drum machines and wrote songs like 'Hella Good' even as her music became less so. Really, Come Alive is a great song, and it caused me to revisit the whole record. I'm not convinced it's the best album of the year -- certainly not the best of the last few years -- but it is damn good. And that's Janelle Monae Revisited: Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the style.

You Tell Me (vinyl white whale edition)

I've referenced a few times that, for the most part, I feel as though I have a lot of the albums that are among my favorite of all time -- the non-obscure ones I set out to find on vinyl in the first place when I got the record player.

I'm thinking of Blonde on Blonde, Velvet Underground & Nico, Led Zeppelins, and so on. Now don't get my wrong, as I've documented on this very blog, I've come across some very surprising albums that I bought on a whim or because I liked the artist but hadn't heard a particular record. I've grown to love many of these, and I've already really enjoyed picking up new releases on vinyl right off the bat. The latest Black Keys -- a group I'm convinced are meant to be heard on wax -- was great in this regard, as was picking up Merriweather Post Pavilion (finally) on vinyl.

Given all that, and the fact that I can still go into most any record store and, if money was no object, find a whole bunch of records I'd like to buy, I'm asking for help. I'm looking, essentially, for a new white whale or two. There aren't many of my favorite albums of all time that I don't have on vinyl anymore. So, dear readers, you tell me: Tell me what is or was your white whale, or your favorite record or two that you own, or one you spent a really, really long time looking for.

The best submissions will get a prize, most likely my enduring respect and admiration.

Diggin' now... David Byrne (h/t Brian Eno)

OK, first, yes these two songs are from the David Byrne AND Brian Eno album, 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts', so maybe the title of this post should be 'Diggin' now... David Byrne and Brian Eno.' But it's not, because it's mostly about Byrne. So, moving on.

I've been slowly getting into David Byrne. I've loved the Talking Heads for a while, but I always thought I should dig into the Byrne catalog. After I saw this talk (embedded below) he gave on how architecture -- from CBGB to opera houses -- influence how one creates music, I set out.

The problem is, it's not particularly easy, mostly because the guy was -- and continues to be, to a lesser extent -- prolific. Byrne has released eight studio albums, 12 soundtracks, four live albums, 14 singles and one remix album. The first question I had to tackle was, where do you start? The next problem was the fact that near the end of his Talking Heads days and since, Byrne has done a lot in the realm of experimental music. He's cut clear across, rock and roll, new wave, experimental pop, so-called rock operas and even, as some people call it although I hate the term, art rock.

What that means is it takes a bit more time to get into some of this stuff, especially a record like My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, which I'll talk more about in the next paragraph. It's not all 100 percent easily accesible, and he works in a lot of nontraditional song forms, uses heavy sampling and few vocals at times and just generally creates music that would cause some to wonder what they're listening to.

But I like that stuff. So, I started with My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, an album that, believe it or not, was released in 1981 (!). Most every voice on the album is a sample, and the thing was put together with analog technology, not pieced together digitally like a lot of people with an Internet connection and a laptop can do these days. On top of that, according to liner notes, they'd do things like use a normal drum set, but instead use a cardboard box for the bass drum, or a frying pan for the snare.

What's crazy, though, is how great it sounds. The music flows, it's put together well and you'd never know it was made in a time before most people could really even fathom what a computer could do. Making use of all the samples -- which I've read were synchronized with the instruments through trial and error -- and having it sound so great is even more impressive.

This is one Byrne album I keep going back to. The songs above are the first and third tracks on the album, respectively, titled 'America is Waiting' and 'Regiment'. Check them out, and then check out the whole record. And check out that speech (it's only 20 minutes) too.

Russia's Medvedev [hearts] Vinyl

I came across this post from the Washington Post's Reliable Source blog today and knew I had to post. How often, on a day the U.S. government raids a Russian spy ring (SERIOUSLY) can you also fit the Kremlin's own Dmitry Medvedev into a blog post about vinyl records?

Answer? Never.

But that's what we're up to here. Apparently, when Medvedev was in Washington for his powwow with President Obama, he sent out a few members of his staff to do some crate digging in the wonderful shops D.C. has to offer.

Why, you ask?

Apparently Medvedev and I have similar (and similarly awesome) taste in music. He's a big fan of Duke Ellington, B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix, among others. In sum, the Medvedev staffers dropped $150 at Washington's own Som Records. I don't know what's more amazing to me about this story though. The fact that Medvedev, who is 44 according to The Post, is into vinyl enough that he'd send staffers out during a diplomatic trip to Washington specifically to a record store. Or, on the other hand, that somewhere between working in the Kremlin and sitting atop the Russian oil monopoly Gazprom that he developed such great taste in music, although Wikipedia says he was a big Black Sabbath (!) and Deep Purple (!!) fan in high school.

Anyway, I don't have much else to say on this, mostly because I can't believe it actually happened. That, and I really wish it would've been Vladimir Putin who was over here crate digging by proxy -- I wonder what kind of vinyl he likes to spin after a long day out riding horses on the Russian countryside.

[Photo cross-posted from Post story.]

Diggin' now... Gang of Four

I had never heard of Gang of Four -- the rock band, not the leftist political faction comprising, you guessed it, four Chinese Communist Party officials of the same name -- although they may share some political tendencies if not musical stylings.

But an NPR: All Songs Considered podcast I was listening to the other day introduced us, and it was great. The program was about great first tracks on an album, and the song above, 'Ether' was featured. It's the first track of Gang of Four's debut album, Entertainment! and it's great.

It's a bit hard to believe it came out in 1979. I remember the hosts talking about how it was received, with its political lyrics -- the rest of the album gets more overtly political, while this song is lyrical in its protest. But the point remains. And the way it makes use of the bass to drive the song, the way the beat is super-jerky, making you uneasy, kind of like its lyrics:

Trapped in heaven life style (locked in Long Kesh)
New looking out for pleasure (H-block torture)
It's at the end of the rainbow (White noise in)
The happy ever after (a white room)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
Is at the end of the rainbow
Dig at the root of the problem (Fly the flag on foreign soil)
It breaks your new dreams daily (H-block Long Kesh)
Fathers contradictions (Censor six countries news)
And breaks your new dreams daily (each day more deaths)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
Is at the end of the rainbow
White noise in a white room
White noise in a white room

Check out the whole record. It's worth it.

BLOGGER M.I.A.

Severely neglecting doesn't even begin to describe it. But I realize I've mostly just stopped dealing with this blog lately. There are a few reasons why, and I'll detail them here.

1) The World Cup. For two weeks I haven't slept past 7 a.m. and have watched more soccer than I ever thought possible. My focus has shifted, and this blog has taken a back seat to the World Cup.

2) Broke. Crate digging is expensive.. that kind of explains it.

3) Moving. We're moving back to Minneapolis July 8, which means there have been job-hunting, job-leaving, freelance-writing-conversations, apartment-hunting, sublease-hunting, and other move-related things to take care of. I hope to also have a few posts on the area here before I leave.

All that said, I am not finished with this blog at all. I have a few draft posts that I just need to make worthwhile and kind of get back into the swing of things. I hope to, in the next week maybe, get back into this thing.

Stay tuned.

The Flaming Lips DSOTM clear vinyl vs. the CD

I've been a big fan of the Flaming Lips' version of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon since I first heard it on my clear vinyl copy from Record Store Day -- all vinyl color confusion aside.

But in coming back to Minnesota, I was quite excited to bring my CD copy of the album back and drive around and listen to it at a very high volume, as I like to do here and there.

But when I finally got a chance, the only word I had was disappointment. Every sound and part of a song which I loved before seemed flat. It was like I was hearing the top 10 percent or 15 percent of every song and sound rather than the full range the artists intended (both the original Dark Side of the Moon record and the cover are great records, sonically speaking.)

But anyway, it was a disappointment, to find that certain parts of songs or sounds in any given track on the Flaming Lips' version of that classic record just were not the same on the CD version playing in an automobile. But at the same time, it really got me thinking about the difference between CD and vinyl in the first place.

The first time I really noticed the difference was when I was in Indianapolis with some of the other inters listening to Bob Marley's Exodus on my stereo. It was on CD, initially. Then I remember I had it on vinyl, so I put that on. Going from one to the other, with the exact same songs, really shows the difference and makes it infinitely clear why vinyl is so superior.

This experience with the Flaming Lips' version of DSOTM was just the latest incarnation of this reality. If anyone doubts the superiority of vinyl over the MP3 or CD, I challenge you to listen to a CD or MP3 on a stereo system and them listen to the same music on vinyl on the same system. The difference is ridiculous. And that's why we love vinyl.

Diggin' now... Tame Impala

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- I have been witholding a post on this band, Tame Impala (great name), until I was able to really give a listen to their record, Innerspeaker. Too often, I think, I get recommended a new album or band, and I take a listen and I'm instantly sold, and proceed to sing their praises all over the Internets and in real life, too.

So, I first listened to this band and loved their album. Then I came back to Minnesota, burned the record to a CD and kept listening to it. Conclusion? It's great. There's this weird sense of Animal Collective-ish sound, with some more traditional rock, and some moment where I swear it's what the Beatles would sound like if they were still making records as their former selves come 2010.

Anyway, I've chosen two songs here to show what they can do. First is 'I Don't Really Mind' which is the last song on the record. Go ahead, try and tell me you don't love that drum beat. The second song, 'It's Not Meant To Be' I think shows a good cross-section of the sound. It mixed the sample-ish, dreamy-type sound with the things that make for a great rock record and the result is something that's truly worth a listen and, I think, is likely to end up on a lot of 'Best of 2010' lists come December.

Going going, back back, to (Minnesota)

That's right, folks. Headed back to Minnesota at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon, landing right at 7:30. Really looking forward to getting back. Word is there's a record fair in Minneapolis' Lyn-Lake area Saturday morning (awesome). Also, really looking to spending some time at various Cheapos around the cities, not to mention Electric Fetus, Treehouse Records, and everything else (friends! family!) that makes the Midwest -- mostly Minnesota -- just grand... I believe god's country is a fair description.

Above? Two videos to mark the occasion: Notorious B.I.G.'s "Going Back to Cali" and Minneapolis' own Atmosphere's homage to, you guessed in, Minnesota (and the Midwest, too.)

Enjoy.