We're Not Floating - Free Music Blog

A slightly more polished and bleeped up remix by CSS. Featured recently, in the UK, on some advert for shoes recently - the brand I can't recall.

There are obvious visual similarities in the styles of these bands despite existing 20 years apart and both have that vibe of fun summer music - I guess a vibe that will be eternal.

Enjoy

B-52s - Funplex (CSS Remix)

Labels: b 52s funplex remix css pop electro

I first heard John Matthias on Coldcut’s ‘Man in a Garage’, the standout single from the 2005’s fairly dull Sound Mirrors.

Evermore comes off his debut album ‘Stories from the Watercooler’, released on Ninjatune.

It’s a smouldering, lushly produced growling folksy tune that breaks beautifully into an uplifting falsetto chorus, something John proves adept at throughout the album. The somewhat sparse production deserves a big stereo/good earphones to appreciate the layers of echoing guitar and various electronic elements.

While the whole album can get a little rich and his attempt at what occasionally sounds like glam rock is a little abrasive – there are some brilliant moments alongside Evermore that make this a worthy purchase.

Mp3 John Matthias - Evermore

Labels: john matthias evermore

Brightblack Morning Light's new album Motion to Rejoin was released 23rd September on Matador and I'm very happy to make this my return to music blogging.

It's a difficult to define sound. Similar to Morphine in it's lack of extroverted instrumentation but dense and sweet at the same time. Some describe it as psychedelic folk, a description I like the sound of.

Brightblack Morning Light MP3 - Opressions Each Available free via Matador.

BBML Interview in Rolling Stone

Labels: Brightblack Morning Light - Opressions Each matador records

Something classic I may have recently heard on a Friends episode. Most of the Friends soundtrack was pretty crass, featuring the horrendous Hootie & The Blowfish and Barenaked Ladies. Even the great Grant Lee Buffalo contributed lame version of The Beach Boys - In My Room.


The Pretenders – Angel Of The Morning mp3

Labels: Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini iceland icelandic music

Released in 2007 on their 7th album Moonshout album this tune brilliantly combines dancehall ragga and d&b styles with lushly produced backing vocals and guitars. The production seems to distinguish it from the more stripped back dub sound usually associated with dancehall. It would also fit just as well into a d&b with the song's high paced percussion. The rest of the album is less dancefloor oriented with an emphasis on the using combining many global styles of music.

Transglobal Underground are based in London and formed in 1991. They won best Club Global in the BBC's World Music Awards 2008.

Transglobal Underground - Dancehall Operator

Myspace

Labels: Transglobal Underground - Dancehall Operator drum bass dancehall ragga

Fanboy/Fangirl - Scion Money

I’m not a US college, spring breaking, Miami Winter Music Conference attending hipster but I can appreciate this funny little namedropping song. There’s nothing musically exceptional about this but occasionally the lyrics of a song can be the sole hook.
The song covers a, presumably college, student’s spring break trip to the Miami Winter Music Conference. It’s a straight forward narrative of his trips to various parties and encounters with scene electronica DJs.

The funniest bits are the spoken verse descriptions of people like Tommy Sunshine that make them sound like mythical figures.
“The sun shone through his hair and he looked like Jeeesus”. Produced with an echo for added surreal effect.

Scion is a music label launched by Toyota, after the car of the same name. The Scion story is an interesting one, Toyota appear to be trying to break into the music industry by signing underground bands and creating a community around the concept. Supposedly it’s an altruistic project focussed on raising their stakes in the “pimp my ride” market for everyday passenger cars.

Reminds me a bit of King Missle...

Labels: fanboy fangirl scion money larry tee tommy sunshine treasure fingers

This is amusing and bound to cause offence to nearly anyone who thinks they have a decent taste in music. The 10 Most overated albums of all time

Labels: The 10 Most Overated Albums Of All Time

A collection of songs that I like to think have an audibly summery feel.

KC & the Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight (A Tom Moulton mix). I was always a bit 'so what it's nice' about the original version of this tune. This Tom Moulton mix takes the original and spaces it out to 9 minutes. Thankfully it's also a rearrangement which minimizes the camp disco and make it sound almost like modern day DFA type recordings.

Sly & the Family Stone - Hot Fun in the Summertime. Another classic, this time in it's original form. I love how loose and unreaheased a lot of Sly's music sounds and this is a perfect example.

Cocteau Twins - Summerhead. From their 'Four Calendar Cafe' album. This is about as obviously cheerful as the Cocteau Twins ever sounded. This always reminds me of Christmas, the height of summer in New Zealand, because I heard it on the radio one Christmas morning.

Mystery Jets - Two Doors Down. This song is often scorned as part of neo-80's movement but it's just a cheerful, unpretentious pop song about a girl.

Pete Rock & CL Smooth - They Reminisce Over You. The generation defining hip hop classic from 92. Still sounds timeless and fresh.

5 Songs for Summer

Labels: 5 summer songs pop kc sunshine band get down tonight sly family stone hot fun summertime cocteau twins summerhead mystery jets two doors down pete rock cl smooth they reminisce over you

The Pixies front man released his first solo album 'Frank Black' in 1993 after the Pixies disbanded, changed his name from Black Francis to Frank Black, put on loads of weight and become a UFO enthusiast. The sound was much cleaner than early Pixies albums and was often critically acclaimed but never much of a commercial success despite the more mainstream sound of solo work compared to the Pixies.
‘Hang on to Your Ego’ is a cover of The Beach Boys and shows Frank’s musical style diversifying from the rock band ethos of guitar/drums. The incorporation of synthesisers and ska style music came to characterise his early solo work.

I Heard Ramona Sing
Hang On To Your Ego
Ten Percenter

Labels: frank black solo first album beach boys pixies

Calexico are one of my favourite bands. Formed in 1996, Arizona, they have been consistantly excellent at producing textured "alt-country" along the lines of Wilco & Lambchop. What makes Calexico stand out is their incorporation of different musical elements such as Spanish guitar and horn sections.

Two Silver Trees comes from their new album coming in September, titled Carried To Dust. The song features a beautifully intergrated plucked harp melody that gives it a classic oriental feel.

Calexico - Two Silver Trees

Calexico Website

Labels: calexico two silver trees carried to dust new album wilco lambchop mp3

From the new album Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!.
Been listening to this tune regularly for a couple of months now and still loving it.
For a band that's been making music for over 20 years this sounds so lively and spontaneous - like a band that sounds like they love just jamming together.
I might go out on a limb and say it's my favorite Nick Cave song.

Nick Cave - Lie Down Here (and be my girl)

Labels: nick cave did lazarus lie down here and be my girl

Another cover I'm loving lately...

A playful gender/ethnicity bending cover of The Ting Tings by Mr Rascal and Calvin Harris.

The Ting Tings seem like a total manufactured CSS clone audibly and visually but their songs are catchy.

There's one lyric I can't figure out that sounds like "don't call me my ute"? Anyone?

Dizzee Rascal - That's Not My Name

Labels: dizzee rascal that's not my name ting tings cover remix calvin harris hip hop

Labels: simon baker minimal techno acid u 2020 infant records

Another one from the Seattle scene. Telekinesis is Michael Benjamin Lerner when at home and a 3 piece when live. That's about all the info I can dredge out the Myspace site. Death Cab for Cutie recommend them. Unfortunately when you google a term like telekinesis, you don't get much relating to music. KEXP has featured him and a my google search found this site - The Sixty One, a music recommendation site which looks interesting.

Telekinesis - Coast of Carolina

Labels: telekinesis

For anyone who remembers the original or in my case the 1989 cover by Sinitta, this will give put a silly little grin of nostalgia on your face.
I think my favourite part is the little drum breakdown at about 2:15 but the whole song is lushly produced guitar pop.
The song is in 320 kbps too which always helps.

I guess if I heard this song without knowing Army Navy, I would guess they we're just another pop band jumping on the covers wagon but Army Navy produce decent original songs when not covering camp disco classics.

Army Navy Myspace

Recent news

Army Navy - Get Right Back mp3

Labels: Army Navy get right back cover pop maxine nightingale mp3

CSS are back with their third album due for release in July. You really can't get a much bigger pop band that don't feature on the mainstream radio radar (perhaps due to the frankly sexual references in their songs). Does that still make them pop?

They apparently have the most video views on Youtube with a homemade video for Music is My Hot Hot Sex. This is rumored to be a glitch in the view counter because if you search by highest views it doesn't show up. Anyway, at least CSS may have some clever hacker friends on their side.

See their official website to buy the new album - Left Behind

CSS - Left Behind

CSS's cover of L7's - Pretend we're Dead

Heard this on the ever entertaining Guardian Music podcast

Cansei De Ser Sexy

Labels: css cansei de ser sexy left behind pretend we're dead youtube hot sex guardian music podcast

Definitely in my top 5 schizophrenic 'change to something completely different halfway through' songs. Released on the legendary Rumors album in 1977. I recently heard the Vitamin String Quartet tribute to Rumors and The Chain is a stand out on the album.

Fleetwood Mac - The Chain

Rumours

Labels: fleetwod mac the chain rock pop something old

I was getting worried finding something new to write about. Did I want something just new by someone like Beck or something by a new artist (to me at least) or an artist, old or new, that had a new kind of sound...
So anyway I settled on Gotye. He's from Australia and isn't exactly brand spanking new as this song was released in 06. Just love the little accordion stabs and the sparseness of the production which leaves the chirpy bassline as the centrepiece to the song.

Gotye - The Only Way

Buy Gotye's music from his website

Labels: gotye the only way australia pop mp3 something new

Released last year and coming out on Zo! & Tigallo's 'I love the 80s' cover album. The album is limited to 2500 copies with no digital release planned. If this song is anything to go by it'll be brilliant and very tough to find. I know this came out last year but rumours are still around about the actual release date. Their Myspace site hints at early July. Here you can also listen to Human League's - I'm Only Human and Toto's - Africa
Phonte & Carlitta Durand - Take On Me

Labels: Zofeat Phonte Carlitta Durand Take On Me cover Aha 80s