Basement Jaxx, Crazy Itch Radio, A meritous follow up to a stupendous career.
Basement Jaxx are hands down the masters of reinventing accessibly awesome dance music. They push the envelope by infusing rhythms and powerful noise that don't belong with the result of a dance track that every fratboy and trixie hum to themselves on Monday morning. Every track is "of course, that's the new limit of human achievement. But it's also a track I can send home to my family."
Crazy Itch Radio is the first album where BJ doesn't keep their upward momentum. It's not as hard hitting, not as innovative as previous efforts. To their credit, Basement Jaxx on their worst day are superior to most dance producers on their best. Let's hope they keep it up. They might raise the bar again.
Who would like this album: People who yearn for the embodiement of the extremes of human expression in dance music.
Who would hate this album: Oh, I don't know. Satanists? Perfection Junkies?
Justin Richel is a busy and talented artist. I was first attracted by his talking paintings, images with movable mouths. The rest of his artwork is equally intriguing. He seems to like to take historic images, themes, and art styles and stand them on their heads. A smart person will add his work to their walls.
It's not that we're really going anywhere (and who can blame us: a weak US dollar, economic refuge into oil speculation causing high prices, a housing slump), it's just that we spend a perfectly good workday doodling instead creating concrete content. Also, our backup day involved taking a long walk alongside a train-track (which also involved ignoring the hobo (no, really) ). The end result? Summer vacation. Enjoy.
A recent Metalocalypse cartoon featured the drug Yopo. I just thought I would shed some light on the drug by featuring the wikipedia page.
The Postmodern Sideshow does not recommend taking any one psychadelic drug more than 10 times as it may damage your psyche and cause you to wear sunglasses permanently. That and give up control of Pink Floyd or your equivalent to some younger, more accesible guys. It may also make you think you have found your totem animal.
Kwaii not is a cute collection of mini-vector art comics. I wish I would drop my whole artistic drive crap and just simplify to a formula like this comic, because they have perfected it. Four panels of near deadpan and 2-d cuteness driven by anthropomorphism drive this strip to a classic success. For those still left behind Kwaii is Japanese Schoolgirl for "cute".
Architecture in Helsinki, Places Like This, An ever eclectic follow up to a two-run cutesy legacy.
Architecture in Helsinki is an amazing live band. When they came to America to debut their first two albums, it was a crazy parade of instruments, some used only once per song. It's like they raided an elementary school percussion cabinet and swore they would use every maraca, woodblock, and chime they could lay their hands upon.
Their third major release, Places Like This, looses a female vocalist and much of the micro-cussion chicanery as well as some of the cutesey yet heartfelt music. In exchange, they develop another, different, signature sound. I'm amazed at their ability to reinvent themselves and constantly infuse their music with novelty. With a track record like this, they could be indie music darlings for many years to come.
The music is passionate and inventive, with strange rhythms and explosions of yelling. It's certainly less accessible than their previous efforts, but I applaud them for reaching for new territory. I rank them as a must-see live.
Who would like this album: Novelty Junkies. Those who would like to see the best that the first decade of the new millenium has to offer.
Who would hate this album: People who need music explained to them.
Another showcase of an artist I met at Pitchfork. In addition to being an extremely outgoing and hilarious person, Moe also has mastered the Glass. She specialized in eyeball popping textured glass. You can get plates, nightlights, and other beautiful works.
The modern hausfrau, the stay at home mom is attacked from both sides. Women who are professionals stare daggers at the perceived regression. Families walk all over their stay-at-home gender slave (you can see where I stand). The end result? A spectacular display of aggression.
Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy is what the German's call a Radler (Bicyclist for those english speakers around here). A traditional radler is 1/2 Beer and 1/2 lemonade. You know, for when you have to ride your bicycle home. A traditional summer radler is the father, the sun, and the holy ghost desending upon your tongue. It gets you drunk, and it is refreshing as all get-out.
The Leinie's version is an honest attempt that is mostly authentic, yet falls short of full pleasure and refreshing. Don't get me wrong. I finished the six-pack, but I'd probably never drink it again. I will however, continue my search for a Radler in Chicago. (I guess I _could_ always make my own). If you're doing manual labor, I would recommend their berrywies instead. It's not really beer, but it is refreshing and drinky.
Kari Byron of mythbusters fame made an appearance at FHM. Now I personally think that FHM stands for "Faggot Homo Magazine". Granted I like the homos. They are the paprika in my vanilla stew of existance, however, straight people hate being called gay. For that very reason, I like to call the misogynistic and barely literate fratboys who read FHM, gay. On the other hand Kari byron is 1) a redhead, god's firey gift to mankind 2) smoking hot 3) can work a chop-saw.
Watch Kari work the magic of diet coke and mentos...wearing next to nothing. Keep in mind that she has declared that "her toast always lands butter side-up". Meow.
