New Matthew Friedberger Track/Promo Video

Friedberger's Solos series is the best thing to happen in 2011.  It's an eight LP vinyl set sent to your home every other month.  There are only a few subscriptions left and as I said time and time before, the $70 dollar price tag might seem high, but it works out to $7.50 a vinyl and shipping is included.  This is a must buy.

Matthew Friedberger - "Meet Me in Miramas"

Matthew Friedberger - Meet Me in Miramas promo video from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

BUY THE SERIES HERE 

MF SOLOS Tumblr

The Ten Best January/February Tracks Of 2011

It's been an outstanding start for music in 2011 and here are my favorite tracks so far.  Only one track per band to keep things fair.  Enjoy.

10.) Starfucker - Millions (Reptilians)

09.) Airlines - Burial Grounds (Visions EP)

08.) Braids - Lemonade (Native Speaker)

07.) The Seedy Seeds - Verb Noun (Verb Noun)

06.) Bright Eyes - Shell Games (The People's Key)

05.) Beach Fossils - Calyer (What A Pleasure EP)

04.) Matthew Friedberger - What A Weird Weird Weird Weird (Napoleonette)

VINYL ONLY.  Go BUY IT HERE.

03.) Mother Mother - The Stand (Eureka)

  

02.) The Deloreans - Buffalo (American Craze)

01.) Radiohead - Codex (The King Of Limbs)

WLFY Oscar Predictions

This is my least favorite day of the year.  Here are the predictions:


BEST PICTURE:
Who will win: The King’s Speech
Who should win: Winter’s Bone


DIRECTING:
Who will win: David Fincher, The Social Network
Who Should Win: None of them.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
Who will win: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Who should win: None of them

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
Who will win: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Who should win: Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone (Best female performance of the last ten years, what a shame).

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Who will win: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Who should win: John Hawks, Winter’s Bone.  Would also be happy with Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech who was excellent.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Who will win: Nobody ever gets this one right.  Ummmm...I guess Melissa Leo, The Fighter but who knows.
Who should win: Jackie Weaver, Animal Kingdom


ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Who will win: The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing), Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
Who should win: The Social Network (Sony Pictures Releasing), Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin (Amazing script/mediocre film, no question this should win).

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Who will win: The King’s Speech (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Seidler
Who should win: Flip a coin.  All standard, nothing special.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
Who will win: Biutiful
Who should win: Animal Kingdom (Why this was not nominated...)  (Because I'm an idiot...just assumed any foreign film is nominated...it's in ENGLISH so therefore it's not foreign LANGUAGE).  Still an amazing film.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
Who will win: Toy Story 3
Who should win:  Didn't see the other two, but Toy Story 3 was dreadful.

CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Who will win: True Grit (Paramount) Roger Deakins
Who Should Win: True Grit (Paramount) Roger Deakins (It's fucking Deakins)

FILM EDITING:
Who will win: No idea.  Black Swan?
Who Should Win:  None of the nominated films.  Editing...Inception works for me.

DOCUMENTARY:
Who will win: Inside Job
Who Should Win:  I like them all.  Pick and I'm happy.


ORIGINAL SCORE:
Who will win: Social Network or Inception
Who should win: Inception

ORIGINAL SONG:
Who Will Win: Toy Story 3
Who Should Win:  Give me a fucking break.  None of them.

VISUAL EFFECTS:
Who will win: Inception
Who should win: Inception


SOUND EDITING
Who will win: Inception
Who should win: Inception

SOUND MIXING
Who will win: Inception
Who should win: Inception

WLFY Oscar tradition is posting this:

Tom Waits Working On New Album!!!

Get ready to be rained on by your own .38.

Unofficial Muppets Do LCD Soundsystem's "Dance Yrself Clean"

This is Happening was probably one of the more debated albums for me last year, with me coming down on the "pro" side and a lot of other folks being "con." To which I would answer "Have you heard 'Dance Yrself Clean?'" Now you can hear it with Muppets.

Have You Bought Deerhunter's iTunes Live Session yet?

...well you should. It's amazing. Here.

"REVIEW": Radiohead - "The King Of Limbs"

“We've only heard it once, but Radiohead's The King of Limbs hardly sounds like a band breaking new ground.” – The Guardian

“There has to be more” –Twitter User

“It’s no Kid A or OK Computer” – Anonymous

I don’t care what you think about “The King Of Limbs”. 

It’s fine if you want to tweet your opinion or do a super early review of the record, I just want you to know that I don’t care…and you shouldn’t either.  This is one of those records where the event of the release is currently bigger than the music.  It’s impossible to even focus on the eight tracks with everyone rushing to get their thoughts into presentable form first or come up with the best overdub to the “Lotus Flower” video.  In this “review” of “The King Of Limbs”, I only want to talk about what I know now and address a few things about how the release is being handled by fans/critics.  This is one of the rare times where I’m glad WLFY moved away from the numerical review system, because I don’t know what number to give this record, and I’m fine with that.  I can only let you know how I feel now and anyone who is speaking to you in what seems to be full-formed opinions about “The King Of Limbs” should be ignored.  I’ve done reviews the same week I’ve listened to an album, but there is so much context and excitement surrounding Radiohead’s new release that time is a very crucial tool in determining the worth of “The King Of Limbs”

So, what do I know?  It sounds simple, but “The King Of Limbs” sounds like a Radiohead record.  Big deal right?  Actually, it’s very important.  It’s hard to name more than five bands that started in the early 90’s, like Radiohead, and continue to make solid music that’s worthy of their original praise.  It’s a rarity for a band with success after success over such a long period of time to stay both original and true to why fans fell in love with them in the first place.  Mix that with every future release being compared to two of the greatest records of the last several decades (OK Computer/Kid A) and you have the perfect storm for disaster.  Despite it all, Radiohead continued to push forward with “Amnesiac”, “Hail To The Theif”, “In Rainbows”, and now with “The King Of Limbs”.  Love or hate these albums, you can’t deny that they are all unique to Radiohead and never once made a record that seemed like a betrayal to their sound/vision as a band.  So, while the idea that “The King Of Limbs” sounding like a Radiohead record as a huge compliment might sound pedestrian, scroll through any great band’s discography and the inconsistency of quality content, breaking up, reuniting, changing genres, reformation, etc makes this feat a very important achievement for an album released eighteen years after the debut LP.

To quickly address the people crying: “hope the rumors of more music are true” or “there has to be more…I waited four years for this?”…go fuck yourself.  These cries all occurred within days of the release and highlights what I hate the most about the current music scene.  There is so much music out there that we as listeners are becoming conditioned to consume, judge, and throw the scraps aside, half digested.  How are you already complaining for more tracks when there hasn’t been enough time to take in the eight given?  For those who say that the 37.4 minutes is way too short I have two responses.  First, some of the greatest records of all time are even shorter.  My personal favorite is Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” which clocks in at 28.22.  Secondly, the record doesn’t feel quick, rushed, or unsatisfying (in terms of length).  In the first days of playing this record I’ve continually found myself lost in time.  Tracks like “Give Up The Ghost” and “Bloom” feel different (concerning length/time) with each play.  Sometimes they feel like the listed running time and with other plays it can feel like an hour in those four to five minute tracks.  If you’re really that upset about the length, remember “In Rainbows” was a whole five minutes longer.

“The King Of Limbs” is an album and I don’t think people are used to “album albums” anymore.  If you flipped track after track with each thirty seconds to find a hit or something quick to bring you in, well, you’re out of luck and doing it wrong.  Love or hate “The King Of Limbs”, the ending of each of the eight tracks spends a few seconds (sometimes more) setting up a bridge to the next.  The album has an emotional arc both melodically and lyrically that spans throughout.  This is not simply a collection of songs written while touring and then thrown together because it’s time for a new record.  Tons of records today feel like a bunch of songs with no connection that surround a few hits and when there are enough of them…well, it’s an album.  Before you click the comment box to talk about how some of these tracks have been floating around for a long time, let me finish.  I’m not saying that “The King Of Limbs” was created in a room in one thoughtful meeting.  What I AM saying is that this album was constructed around a singular vision of what the album should ultimately become and you can hear it in every moment of “The King Of Limbs”.    There isn’t a single moment that feels different than the world of sound set up in the first track.  If you find the album boring or too reliant on loops, you still have to agree that the things you don’t like string throughout creating a single piece.  If you love this record than I bet the qualities that make you swoon run throughout as well.  Either side of the judgment table, the idea that this is an “albums album” remains true.

So…we know it sounds like Radiohead, length complaints are ridiculous, and it’s an album’s album.  Fuck you WLFY, thanks for nothing, can I have my ten minutes back?  Nope…they’re mine forever.  This may sound obvious or simple, but these points are the immediate pitfalls that a band of Radiohead’s stature has to avoid.  They successfully navigated the early obstacles and now time will tell how “King Of Limbs” stands with the rest of their powerful discography.  When I feel ready I will review this record, but I for one think that Radiohead over the eighteen years and eight full-length albums have earned a level of respect that listeners and critics are generally ignoring.  This is not some new buzz band that needs press this instant or they will go away.  It’s all about the fact that everything has to be immediate in today’s Internet culture.  While we have become conditioned to manufacture opinion quicker than reason, it’s just not fair to a band that has done everything to earn our musical trust.  As I said before, I don’t care what anyone is saying about this record at this specific point in time.  I’m concerned with listening to the record and letting it all sink in.  The hype dust kicked up from the event surrounding the release will clear and all that will be left is the album itself.  At that time, with clear eyes, I will begin to read reviews and gain knowledge/perspective from other critics/bloggers/music fans.  Until that time, I’m perfectly satisfied enjoying what we have, eight tracks of new Radiohead material.

Radiohead - Lotus Flower Lyrics

Wow:

I will sneak myself into your pocket
Invisible, do what you want, do what you want
I will sink and I will disappear
I will slip into the groove and cut me up and cut me up

There's an empty space inside my heart
Where the wings take root
So now I'll set you free
I'll set you free
There's an empty space inside my heart
And it won't take root
Tonight I'll set you free
I'll set you free

Slowly we unfurl
As lotus flowers
And all I want is the moon upon a stick
Dancing around the pit
Just to see what it is
I can't kick the habit
Just to feed your fast ballooning head
Listen to your heart

We will sink and be quiet as mice
While the cat is away and do what we want
Do what we want

There's an empty space inside my heart
And now it won't take root
And now I set you free
I set you free

Because all I want is the moon upon a stick
Just to see what it is
Just to see what gives
Take the lotus flowers into my room
Slowly we unfurl
As lotus flowers
All I want is the moon upon a stick
Dance around a pit
The darkness is beneath
I can't kick the habit
Just to feed my fast ballooning head
Listen to your heart 


(Via SongMeanings | Lyrics | Radiohead - Lotus Flower)

Track Of The Day: Jenny O. - "Won't Let You Leave"

This song makes everything feel right.  Puts a smile on my face every play.  Soft and smart music to take you into the weekend.  It's not blues, but the guitar line sounds like a nice nod to Mississippi John Hurt, a WLFY favorite.

Jenny O. - Home EP (http://jennyo.bandcamp.com/)

Out on Manimal Vinyl on March

The Dance Craze Sweeping the Nation...

Cuz you can get your new Radioheads today: here.

Music Bloggers Are Dumb (Odd Future)

If I get behind a band/artist it’s because I feel a connection to their music.  Music as we all know is a very powerful art that can make a listener happy, sad, or feel a range of emotions.  Last night I witnessed a general wave of buzz from music bloggers that could only be defined as hypocritical and disgusting.  Yes, I agree with the majority that the performance below was high energy and entertaining, but as a human, a flashy object doesn’t blind me from seeing the whole picture.

For context sake, here is the performance everyone went nuts for:

But let’s start at the Santo’s Party House in NYC the day before. 

That’s right.  Kill People, Burn Shit, Fuck School.  Also, “I want to slap the fuck out of parents, and all bloggers, and ugly people.”  Well Tyler, we all agree about ugly people, right guys??? But bloggers?  Ok, so we have this rebellious youth who doesn’t give a shit about bloggers…fuck them, right?  If you see one of them you will punch them in the face, right?  Right?

 

Ooooooops.

You had the opportunity to punch the king blogger and you called him “chill”.  I also really enjoyed the fact that the audience in the above video is comprised of %90 Caucasian hipsters who have the money to live in New York and attend shows like that at Santos.  One could only gather that more than half of them have at the very least undergraduate degrees…but still chanting “fuck school”…which is probably more to the point of “fuck school, for putting me into debt with these student loans and then graduating into the real world during a recession”, yeah, that’s what Tyler meant by “fuck school”. 

The paradox in art and culture right now is that smart people are championing dumb people, often times in jest.  In the end, it’s the smart people who are fooled.  Jersey Shore is a hit show and the cast members make millions a season off of smart people watching the show just to make fun of them.  It’s the same trend here with Odd Future.  If you honestly enjoy the music, then good for you, you have every right to do so.  But, is it that hard to break down a few of the illusions and wade through the bullshit to get a better answer?  Odd Future is being handled by the most powerful people in music.  Tyler (the captain of the group) signed a one off deal with XL Records and Pitchfork will write about anything they do…that’s a deadly combination that we’ve seen work before (VW's Contra goes #1). 

The problem I have is how we as music consumers are so easily swayed by buzz.  The most common tweets about the Fallon performance focused on how scary they were, how punk they were, how out of control they were, and how Mos Def repeated SWAG over and over.  We’re talking about a group of youngsters signed to XL, supported by Pitchfork, adored by the white middle class educated youth, who have a youtube channel, tumblr, twitter account, and are relegated to the lowest common denominator of communication (repeating words over and over like SWAG or saying fuck _________).  That’s scary?  That’s punk?  No...it's just dumb.

Maybe it’s just me, but as a music blogger and someone who enjoyed my education, I find the mocking of the things that make me who I am a turn off and not a reason to chant along like a sheep.  The problem isn’t with Odd Future it’s with music bloggers. Odd Future has every right to say what they want and produce the music that they want to make.  It’s up to the music blogger to share with their loyal readers quality music that reflects why the listener choose them as a source for finding music in the first place.  It’s up to the music blogger to spot hypocrisy and not promote it.  I for one view Odd Future in the same vein as ICP.  A group of shock and awe musicians whose content when analyzed if nothing more than ridiculous for the sake of being ridiculous.  ICP puts on a pretty fucked up, high energy, insane show…why don’t you blog about them? 

It’s not about how crazy an artist can be or the image they create of themselves.  It’s about the music and nothing else.  The music of Odd Future plays like a disgruntled middle school kid who throws out as many shocking phrases to get attention.  The use of rape, Nazi imagery, and violence based lyrics by Odd Future is no different or more artistic than the bands/rap groups bloggers make fun of and would never write about.  Yet, last night Odd Future was the talk of the indie music bloggers…why?…because it was the thing to talk about and nothing else.  The buzz was sweet and people were hungry.  Do your readers a favor and don’t push shit down their throats because it’s simply there.  I’m turned off of the whole blogging world at the moment and where I go from here I don’t know.  I do know that if I continue with this site you’ll never see me support music that completely contradicts who I am and what I stand for.  

Kraak & Smaak -"Squeeze Me" (Music Video)

Some videos you watch for artistry more than you watch for music (think OK Go!) this is a pretty cool example by Kraak & Smaak with flip book joy:

Kraak & Smaak from WEAREWILL on Vimeo.

VINYL SPOTLIGHT: Aguaturbia

Buying records has become more of an event for me lately. Here in Scranton, PA, there's one local record store, Embassy Vinyl, and we're thankful for that. But, their stock is mostly used and briefly culled over. It's like going to a giant Salvation Army that's been stocked by records from your parent's house. Embassy Vinyl's emphasis is on trade and quantity. The next likely candidate for shopping is at the pretty delightful Main Street Jukebox in Stroudsburg - almost 45 min away.

So, on a recent trip to Massachusetts, after hitting the obvious Newbury Comics, I got lead to Feeding Tube records which is a little out of the way (meaning just off the main strip in Northampton, MA). And there I found Aguaturbia. Let me drop a little more praise for Feeding Tube real quick. There are different kinds of stores -- some overwhelm you with quantity and quality like Amoeba others are quantity warehouses, trying to cater to all tastes and taking forever to dig through, others are small, well-vetted collections made by a discerning eye. I have to say that while each kind of store has its own joy (who can deny getting really excited to find that rare album in the $5 pile?), I tend to enjoy small, well-crafted collections like Feeding Tube's the most. For one thing, it turns me on to new albums, because you feel that nothing there can be a bad record.

Aguaturbia (who, you can see, has one of the best covers ever) was one of the greatest psychedelic groups to come out of South American in the late 60s/early 70s. Arguably the best reissue label going these days, Light In the Attic, last year, reissued a compilation of the band's best tracks. The result is a delicious mix of psycho goodness. Aguaturbia (Spanish for "Dirty Water") invites the inevitable comparisons to their US counterpart Jefferson Airplane with the insane guitar work of Carlos Corales and the unbelievable vocals of his wife Denise. Aguaturbia even nods their heads to Airplane with their tune "Alguien Para Amar" or "Somebody to Love." They even manage to sneak in a cover of Carla Thomas's "Baby." But, the undoubted highlight on this album (and perfect for you post-V. Day lovers) is "Erotica." It begins with Denise cooing: "Please, babe, make love to me..." before the bass kicks in with this insane groove that notches this song up there with the great psychedelic tracks of all time.

If you've ever wanted to get into that murky (and totally misrepresented) category of "World" Music -- see: music not from the USA -- and didn't want to stomach the embarrassment of buying the Putomayo bullshit from Starbucks, start with Aguaturbia, it's amazing, psychedelic, sexy, and sung in English! And then go check out your local record store and see if they have more suggestions for you.

Radiohead - "The King Of Limbs" Vinyl Options

Trying to keep you vinyl fans ahead of the curve, here is a breakdown of the confusing new Radiohead record on vinyl format.  If you go to their site and pre-order now you get the following:

Radiohead's new record, The King Of Limbs, is presented here as the world's first* Newspaper Album, comprising:

• Two clear 10" vinyl records in a purpose-built record sleeve.
• A compact disc.
• Many large sheets of artwork, 625 tiny pieces of artwork and a full-colour piece of oxo-degradeable plastic to hold it all together.
• The Newspaper Album comes with a digital download that is compatible with all good digital media players.
• The Newspaper Album will be shipped on Monday 9th May 2011 you can, however, enjoy the download on Saturday 19th February 2011.
• Shipping is included in the prices shown.
• One lucky owner of the digital version of The King Of Limbs, purchased from this website, will receive a signed 2 track 12" vinyl.

The greatest thing ever, Record Store Day, announced today that they will have a cheaper option for release on 3/29.  It is confirmed that it will not be the "Newspaper Album" but a different packaging for a cheaper price.  Now, record stores can decide what price to put on the vinyl, but it seems like it will be around the 20-30 dollar price tag rather than the $48 pre-order.

I personally shelled out the $48 because I'm not going to miss any first runs of Radiohead records, but if you're not into all the frills than the RSD edition will get the music on your turntable, which means all is right in the end.  

STACKIN – Jimmie Spheeris – “Isle Of View”

“Stackin” – The obsessive act of flipping through massive amounts of vinyl records to find the standout gems in a sea of discarded standards.

The story of Jimmie Spheeris is as heartbreaking as the music he left behind.  In the early hours of July 4^th, 1984, Spheeris was driving his motorcycle when he was struck and killed by a drunk diver.  He had just put the final touches on his fifth studio record and was heading home when it all ended suddenly.  Spheeris had his cult following but never found commercial success regardless of being signed to Columbia and Epic records.  While Spheeris has an eclectic mix of sounds in his later albums that lean toward jazz-rock fusion, his debut record “Isle Of View” is a ten-track folk rock masterpiece that shows off Spheeris as one of the most dynamic and charismatic singer songwriters of the 70’s. 

“Isle Of View” constantly flirts with soft explosions.  Spheeris baits the listener into a trance with whispering pianos and soft vocals, only to have the melodies burst into a “sit upright in your chair” dynamic shift.  Listen to the opening track “The Nest” and notice the ease in which Spheeris moves from a gentle melody to a thunderous chorus and back again. 

The album also displays stripped down moments that shows off Spheeris in his rawest form.  His one radio single off “Isle Of View”, “I Am The Mercury” is much more about his voice than the melody.  His voice drifts, snaps back, and floats in the foreground until reaching the tipping point at the 3:58 mark when Spherris’ voice takes off.

I recommend picking up every Spheeris record, but for those starting off “Isle Of View” is a great beginning.  Here is a little look at some of his songs off other records.

Stackin Advice: You can find “Isle Of View” in most used stacks at your local record store.  Regular price should be $5.99-$8.00.  Only pay up to $15 if the record is sealed or in mint condition.  

Van Dyke Parks Does Daytrotter

Move over Arcade Fire and Radiohead, the biggest news story today is that Van Dyke Parks did a Daytrotter Session.  Well, not really, but it's still a WLFY dream come true.  Parks is a musical genius who stands in the elite company of a few.  Known for his lush arrangements and masterpiece LP "Song Cycle", Parks stopped by Rock Island to record five tracks.  If you don't know Parks than this is a great introduction to the master.  If you like what you hear go explore his full albums, you won't be disappointed.

GO TO THE SESSION

Cheyenne Marie Mize Covers Bonnie 'Prince' Billy For Valentines Day

The best singer songwriter that should occupy your ear time but probably doesn't is Louisville's Cheyenne Marie Mize.  I can't think of a better audio sweet for this day of love than this Bonnie 'Prince' Billy cover of "I Called You Back".

New Radiohead LP Out Feb 19th!!!!!!

Yes.  yes.  Yes.

Radiohead announced today on their site that their new album titled "The King Of Limbs" will be released digitally on Febuary 19th.  Wow.  My hands are trembling writing this.  Get excited.

Arcade Fire Wins Best Album Of The Year. Why It Doesn't Matter.

Hipster hypocrisy was in full swing last night on twitter as bloggers, music labels, pr firms, bands, and music fans of the “indie” persuasion posted tweet after tweet about only watching the Grammys to make fun of it.  140 character wit was running high as we all agreed that the self proclaimed highest honor in music has become the MTV music awards twin.  The show is bloated with radio friendly tween pop stars, mainstream rappers, and the few “indie” bands that have long ago shed the confusing title of indie and are now “Juno Indie”.  Some twitter jokes landed, some went ignored, but one thing we all agreed upon was that this show has zero relevance to “us”, the large group that could tell you about the first time we heard “Funeral”.  Then in the cut of an envelope everything changed.  Arcade Fire won album of the year.  The “indie” twitter feed erupted with people shouting we did it, the glass ceiling of indie rock has been broken, this is huge moment for indie rock, game changer, congrats to “indie” label Matador Records, and so on.  What the hell just happened?  One of “our” guys wins and now the Grammys are no longer a joke?  No, sorry friends, the Grammys are still a joke and Arcade Fire winning does nothing for the legitimacy or future progress of "indie rock".

Where to start? 

Oh, the Grammys are bat shit crazy and should be ignored…let’s start there. 

+ There are no rules that say an artist can’t win more than one award…several bands/artists won numerous Grammys last night.  Yet, the album of the year, Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs”, lost to the Black Keys in the Alternative Album category.  That is some major MTV music awards “let’s spread out the awards and screw logic” shit.  I understand why sometimes the winner of the best director Oscar doesn’t win best picture, but if your album is the best album of the year…well then it’s the best album in every category your album fits.  Maybe the Grammys didn’t think “The Suburbs” was alternative enough for their taste…well, then why was it nominated in that category?  It’s this ignorance that is only acceptable at bullshit award shows.  If you displayed that level of crazy in the real world, a nice fitting jacket would be waiting for you accompanied by four very soft walls.

+ I’m not making this up:  the last ten nominees for Album of the Year are Beyonce, The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga (twice), Dave Matthews Band, Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Arcade Fire.  Taylor Swift won in 2010.  Yeah, once again, Taylor Swift won in 2010.  What does it mean that one of the “indie” bands beat out complete drivel?  Why is this a great victory?  So far we have one of the LARGEST “indie” bands beating out a field of worthless “musicians” at an award ceremony that is illogical. 

What will happen now?  

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for Arcade Fire, out of the albums nominated they had the best one.  This is not a bashing of Arcade Fire, they just showed up and accepted the award. I’m pointing a finger at the dumb hipsters who think this is a “big win”.  What will follow is a huge surge in album sales for Arcade Fire.  I love bands good and bad making money, so good for Arcade Fire.  Money in the music industry is hard to come by and if you can get it than great.  With this award will come a new wave of fans.  I’m a supporter of people expanding their comfort zones in art, so if a teenager puts down their Kesha record and picks up “The Suburbs” than I’m happy.  The band will continue its high level of production, leaning toward indie mainstream like they displayed on “The Suburbs” and the large venues will continue to sell out.  That is the future for Arcade Fire pending a Win Butler solo project or band break up.

What does this mean for indie rock?  Good stuff right?

NOPE.  It means nothing.  All over the Internet article after article discusses what it means to be “indie” or what has become of “indie rock”.  The problem is that it means a lot of different things just like the word hipster can mean pretty much anything now.  It has zero meaning outside your own personal definition.  There are very complicated layers and levels of what indie is and it just doesn’t matter anymore.  Now it’s all about the known and unknown on every level of music.  Have you heard the band/artist?  Do your parents know them?  Can they sell out Madison Square Garden?  Arcade Fire might make music that sounds like something people consider “indie rock” but compared to some guy in Maine posting tracks on Bandcamp for free, Arcade Fire is the Beatles.  The fact is this wasn’t an indie win, rather a band we all saw grow from an unknown to a very well known won a pointless award that none of us took seriously until they agreed with our personal taste in music.

“The Suburbs” went number one in the US and the UK.  It ended 2010 as the 80^th best selling record on the year-end Billboard 200.  I hate to shatter any delusions, but Arcade Fire isn’t this little hidden gem anymore.    They sold out arenas, did a youtube-streaming concert to millions, and were covered by almost every major music publication.  It is hard to find a bigger band than Arcade Fire that are still considered “indie”.  The gates are not open for any indie artist to come marching into the Grammys next year with their basement demos.  The way to be nominated for this pointless award is very clear: you have to be a commercial success.  That’s it.  Arcade Fire has been in numerous commercials, SNL, and even had their song used during the most watched television program: the SUPER BOWL. 

In the end.

The biggest point I hope you take away is that the celebration of Arcade Fire breaking down doors occurred a long time ago.  I can’t pin point the moment, but they broke away from being an “indie” band and into the arms of the mainstream way before the idiotic Grammys gave them album of the year.  While I prefer indie music, a band can be great as a struggling unknown or with a huge audience.  It’s all about the music and your personal connection with it, the experiences you build around the album and how the memories pop back up with the touch of the play button. 

But don’t be fooled into false celebration.  The Grammy message is quite clear: we will embrace the most mainstream form of indie rock.  For you bands/artists out there thinking this makes a difference…get cracking on selling out Madison Square Garden and getting a placement during the Super Bowl where a whopping 105.97 million viewers listen to a thirty second clip of your single.  If 105.97 million listeners isn’t indie than I don’t know what indie is.  Well, that’s because I don’t know what indie is because nobody does…it has no meaning and we should all be fine accepting that.  This was not a win for the small guy, indie rock, or your personal taste that you consider to be better than the Katy Perry listener…this is a win for a band that grew steadily behind two very impressive records and now have the honor of walking the thin line between pleasing their old fans and the new ones.  Good luck Arcade Fire, enjoy your meaningless award, and thanks for “Funeral”.  

Track Of The Day: Ennui - "Coconino"

Everything Tennis does wrong in this genre of music making, Ennui does right:

off self-released Formation of Tides out April 5th

In Defense: Tapes 'n Tapes "Outside"

We live in a world where albums are classified by the simple values of amazing or horrible.  The middle ground of "just ok" or "fun listen" are shrinking like America's middle class (getting political here at WLFY).  With hundreds of new albums leaking onto your computer months before their release, even the best records get quick hype and are replaced by the next great thing.  The listener is in a flooded boat with a small bucket trying to keep up and not drown in the hundreds of albums that are must listens.  I'm not complaining because with the large amount of music being thrown out into the world, there are even more amazing records to be heard.  The problem is some of my favorite records required time, numerous spins, and a digestive moment for the ears.  Trying to keep that metaphorical audio boat a float, it's hard to find time to go back and give records a second chance.  Immediacy is the new king in music and if you don't find time to let certain albums simmer than a lot of gems will go unnoticed.

I found my first listen to the Tapes 'n Tapes LP "Outside" to be a nice experience but nothing really stood out or won me over.  Over the next few days a track would pop up on shuffle when I was walking around town and every time I would think, "this is good...who is this?"  Sure enough, Tapes 'n Tapes.  I found myself oddly pulled back to the album for more plays time and time again.  Wanting to support a self released record I purchased the vinyl and took it for a "proper spin".  The record really shined on wax.  Now I consider "Outside" to be one of the better listens of 2011.  I can't convince you to like a record or would ever want to.  My goal is to convince you to give "Outside" another spin or if you avoided it, a first listen.  What happens from there is up to your own taste, but here are a few reasons why you should listen to "Outside".


The genre of indie rock has changed in two ways.  First, it's now an aesthetic rather than something with a definition.  Indie meant independent, no label support (now there are indie labels and so on).  Secondly, the music that is "now" or "cool" focuses on everything that indie rock wasn't in the 90's or early 2000's.  For a band to play the style of original indie music today is a death sentence.  You have to throw on reverb...be more experimental, haze, fuzz, chill, gaze the shit out of everything (whatever that means).  The greatest indie rock songs are straightforward but slightly crooked.  Looking at my favorites: Pavement's "Shady Lane", Of Montreal's "Don't Ask Me To Explain, Pixies "Debaser",  or Neutral Milk Hotels' "Two Headed Boy"; all of the best indie rock songs are voices in their raw form, emoting in the only way they know how.  Indie rock was great because even when it was bad it was at least honest.  Indie rock has been taken over by a uniting aesthetic that feels extremely forced.

I'm not calling "Outside" an indie rock classic, but it fits both parts of what indie rock was intended to be: it's a self release and the songs are sincere.  The vocals on this record are extremely refreshing.  They're upfront, no effects.  The end result is the listener makes a connection with an actual person who has something to say.  The melodies are not flashy, they do their job.  Simple groves are hard to come by and Tapes 'n Tapes craft these seemingly simple songs that work so much better than 90% of new music because each instrument is working to the greater goal of the track rather than to get immediate attention from one loud standout section.  The best example of the opposite is Sleigh Bells.  Not to say what they do is good or bad, but the loudness is hard to ignore, you either love it or you hate it.  That's the trend, wipe out the middle ground so opinion can be formed quickly.  "Outside" isn't flashy and you really have to let it grow or it doesn't stand a chance.

I feel really bad for Tapes 'n Tapes.  Most of the reviews I read concerning "Outside" are much more concerned with context than the actual sound.  How does this compare to the first two records?  Why aren't they a bigger name by now?  They had it all and never delivered on their immediate success.  Why did they drop the major label?  And so on.  I could care less about any of this.  I really enjoyed the first record, was so so on the second LP, and I'm currently having a lot of fun with "Outside".  The bloggers in power have reconditioned the taste of their readers away from simple indie rock and this leaves bands like Tapes 'n Tapes, The Henry Clay People, Pomegranates, and other straightforward indie rock bands who honestly write what they like to play out in the cold.  Where do they fit in with the world of Salem, James Blake, lo-fi, and everything that's as far away from rock as possible?  "Outside" is a fun, straightforward indie rock album that would have made millions drool in the early 2000's.  The times have changed and people want them to adapt.  I say screw that, bands should write the music they would like to hear when picking up a record for themselves.  I love indie rock and "Outside" delivers what I'm looking for in a rock record.  It's as simple as that.

Akron/Family - "Silly Bears" (Music Video)

I've always liked me Akron/Family much more "Ed Is a Portal" and much less "There's So Many Colors" so I'm pretty stoked about the hyper-psych of the new record, Akron/Family II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT.

Silly Bears by Akron/Family from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

The Greatest Thing Concerning Sound

It's not a band, album, vinyl reissue, or live show...it's a damn podcast.  That's right, the best thing going right now in the world of sound is Comedy Death Ray, a weekly comedy podcast in Los Angeles.  For context sake: former Mr. Show writer Scott Aukerman (@ScottAukerman) started a weekly show at M Bar in Los Angeles which brought in comedians each week and after two years moved to the UCB Theater (where the show currently resides weekly).  It was in 2009 that Aukerman began doing CDR as a hour long radio show on Indie 103.1 which, like all the best things, quit broadcasting and moved to Internet radio only.  CDR moved to Earwolf Studios where it currently broadcasts as a radio program and is posted for download as a podcast.  A new episode takes place every Monday and the podcast is FREE.

My love for CDR began last year as Joey (@changingmyplea) from Backseat Sandbar and I drove from Louisville to Austin for SXSW.  I created twenty playlists highlighting every song I've loved from the 50's on.  I slaved over these mixes and we didn't listen to a single one.  Instead, Joey introduced me to the wonderful world of CDR.  He pressed play and then, blink, we arrived in Austin.  It was incredible.  It's hard to be the best in the world at anything, even if it's ridiculously specific, but I can say Scott Aukerman is the best in the world at podcasting.  He approaches his hosting duties with such an ease and honesty that it's impossible not to enjoy his show.  The key to CDR's success is the fact that Aukerman is not the funniest person on the program.  With numerous comedians featured on each episode, Aukerman brings out the best in each of his comedic guests.  We're talking about Nick Kroll, Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Silverman, and many more.  They're all at their best on CDR and it's because Aukerman creates an environment to challenge these comedians to reach new levels of humor. 

My favorite part of the show are the characters the guest comedians create.  The standouts include Nick Kroll doing Fabrice Fabrice (craft service to the stars) Bobby Bottleservice (Jersey Shore/Ed Hardy) and El Chupacabra (Hispanic Radio Host).  Paul F. Tompkins does Cake Boss, Ice Tea, and an insane Andrew Lloyd Webber character.  My personal favorite is James Adomian who does Huell Howser (an insane host of a PBS program California Gold), Jesse 'The Body' Ventura, and a dead on Paul Giamatti.  CDR is responsible for one of the greatest comedic characters of all time with the wonderful Bob Ducca played by Seth Morris (Ducca is Aukerman's ex-step father who is riddled with problems).  Check out a clip:

The show is also breaking new talent in the world of comedy.  One of my favorite new comedians is Harris Wittels (@wittels).  He's a Parks And Recreations writer but on CDR he has a segment where Wittels reads off random thoughts that he has typed out on his phone.  I could listen to them for hours. Aukerman and Wittels' have a natural banter that highlights why CDR is special. 

It's tough to be funny or interesting for an hour, especially without any moving images or quick cuts in this ADD riddled world we live in.  Aukerman has created the best hour of comedy that can be found on any platform.  That's right, a radio show podcast is funnier than any current films, television programs, or live comedy shows going right now.  WLFY is a music blog, but I needed to write about CDR because if I have any readers who aren't listening to this show, I would be doing a disservice.  Last week I moved from Louisville to Los Angeles and polished off 28 hours of CDR on the drive across the country.  A driver that should have taken three days was accomplished in two because I didn't want to stop listening to the magic that is Comedy Death Ray.  The show comes with the highest stamp of approval WLFY can put on anything. 

Also, this is a plea to bring back "What's up, hotdog?"

You can subscribe and download CDR episodes on iTunes.  Links and info HERE.

The Ultimate Music Blogger Super Bowl Pool (PICKS)

PACKERS

BACKSEAT SANDBAR (NICK) / THE DELOREANS / GB 27, PS 21 (734)


BACKSEAT SANDBAR (JOEY) / THE PASS / GB 34, PS 21 (756)


PIE TONIGHT CHEESE / THE WHITE BUFFALO / GB 21, PS 17 (720)


BABY, YOU GOT A STEW GOIN'/ TEREU TEREU / GB 30, PS 21 (616)


THE WILD HONEY PIE / TENNIS / GB 27, PS 24 (694)


DAILYBEATZ / BANK HEIST / GB 28, PS 24 (580)


KNOX ROAD / HANDS / GB 28, PS 24 (618)


5 SCORE PACHYDERM / THE WARBUCKLES / GB 24, PS 21 (835)


LOVE SHACK, BABY / SAMANTHA CRAIN / GB 31, PS 17 (269)


WE LISTEN FOR YOU (ZACH) / HIP HATCHET / GB 34, PS 24 (798)


STEELERS


1000X/MINUTE / ICE CREAM SHOUT / PS 23, GB 20 (615)


LISTEN BEFORE YOU BUY / GHOST HEART / PS 33, GB 21 (522)


SIFTING THROUGH THE MADNESS/ MEETING OF IMPORTANT PEOPLE / PS 20, GB 17 (666)


WE LISTEN FOR YOU (HANK) / RADICAL DADS / PS 28, GB 17 (702)


DEAD AS DIGITAL / FLASHING RED LIGHTS / PS 21, GB 17 (615)

Pitchfork Steps Up

For over two years I've been a huge advocate of music blogs thinking of new ways to help out independent artists and labels.  In my opinion it's not enough to have a readership and through plugging an unknown band feeling good about helping.  It's every music bloggers job (who cares about the current state of music) to recondition how the consumer treats music as an art form and not a free commodity.  WLFY does it fair share of Pitchfork bashing and people always ask why we care so much.  The simple truth is Pitchfork back in the late 90's and early 2000's was a huge influence in shaping my musical appreciation.  When they do something I don't like I'm going to point it out.

The good should be voiced as well.  Today Pitchfork announced that they will be curating a Kickstarter page where they highlight projects in need that they deem worthy of support.  Kickstarter has its critics and these people couldn't be more wrong.  It's the best platform out there for creative types to pursue actually making projects that currently only dance in their own heads.  It's not about handouts as each level results in a product. Bands can sell the album before it's even created and more importantly before the option of a free download is available.  

Pitchfork doing this is a very important step forward simply because their readership is huge.  I really hope they don't stop with Kickstarter.  I've said for over a year Pitchfork's impact on the music industry could be much greater than it is now.  We all know about the "Pitchfork Bump" for best new music unknowns, but if they created a visualization of their numbers album sales would double.  What I suggest is a value meter next to the album review with links to where to buy (Physical and Digital).  Be it amazon, bandcamp, etc...after an album sales on those sites, if linked from Pitchfork, the sale is put into the visualization album sale meter.  This creates a group mentality for buying music.  If you went to a review and saw it had made 10,000 dollars from Pitchfork linking, then that number would double in sales because people see people buying music.  

For now I'm thrilled Pitchfork is helping with Kickstarter projects and here is to hoping that their involvement with directly influencing bands/artists financially continues. 

Track Of The Day: Evening Man -Telegraph Peak

Off the LP "The Last Night"

(Get the full album on Bandcamp)

Thanks to Bears Eat Beats for the heads up

The Exotcia Project

Have you ever turned one of those corners of the internet and had it open up a whole new galaxy of possibilities? Yeah, it's a total Wrath of Kahn moment. I had one today when over at BoingBoing, Bill Barol posted about Dan Shaiman, who runs Office Naps (a site dedicated to 45 curios), and is curating the Exotica project. As Barol says:

It's easier for me to define exotica, a lush, atmospheric, sometimes-sappy instrumental pop music of the '50s and '60s, than it is for me to explain why I love it. I think it has something to do with nostalgia for a time I didn't really live through -- a late-postwar period in which the world was bigger and stranger, and unfamiliar locales could be described with a straight face as "exotic." (One historical theory holds that the music was initially marketed to ex-GIs home from the Pacific, and trickled down to the populace at large.) There's something emotionally resonant in that idea. It's like we're looking back at a generation that looked forward, and out to a larger world it hadn't yet subsumed. Also: While the music is frequently syrupy, some of it is unironically pretty.

From the couple spins I've taken around the Exotica Project, it's pretty damn mind-blowing and proves that the net is one of the greatest memory repositories...if we have great curators. You got a fan in us, Dan.

Check out the BoingBoing article here.

& the Exotica Project here.

Marissa Nadler - "Rosary" (Music Video)

"Rosary" a track from Nadler's 2009 LP Little Hells gets a fantastically spare video rendering in this gorgeous nugget of a music video.

Papercuts Offer Up Two New Tracks And One Exclusive

Fading Parade by the Papercuts is one of WLFY's most anticipated records of 2011 and now they're exchanging two new tracks off the record and one exclusive in return for an e-mail.  Make the deal:

  

REQUIRED LISTEN: Airlines

When putting together WLFY's first Los Angeles show (GOING DOWN TONIGHT) I began down the rabbit hole of clicking LA based bands on myspace, clicking their friend's bands, and so on.  I was becoming discouraged when suddenly Airlines appeared.  Just because we're conditioned to do so, immediate comparisons to Yeasayer, Cut Copy, and MGMT will be attached, but it's important that they add their own element to make the sound unique to Airlines.  Soaring ambient synths drive dance beats that swirl around with understated vocals.  The music I love always creates an image and Airlines is a grapefruit orange sun set in a tropical location....with lasers.  Airlines is a party, but a sophisticated one.  Airlines is at the top of my list for band to watch in 2011, get to know them now, it's always fun to watch a band take off.  See what I did there.

Drag City Drag Down

We told you this was going to be good. Dave Berman (of the Silver Jews, RIP) has been posting some treats over on mentholmountains.blogspot.com anything from Jewish mysticism to Kenneth Koch. And today's little musical tidbit is too damn great to share.