sanscosm

nevver: Hitchcock does Pulp Fiction, Trix’s

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:30:45 -0700

Hitchcock does Pulp Fiction, Trix’s

tuneage: Jesca Hoop - “Seed of Wonder” Jesca Hoop was...

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:30:47 -0700

Jesca Hoop - “Seed of Wonder”

Jesca Hoop was “discovered” while working as a nanny for Tom Waits’ kids. She gave Waits a demo that he liked, and he then passed it around until it found its way into heavily-requested rotation at KCRW. Not a bad way to make it, really.

Jesca’s style roughly fits in with the “Freak Folk” crowd (Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, etc), though that’s largely for the quirkiness that can run through her music rather than its freaky folkiness. This song, “Seed of Wonder”, is the demo song that eventually made it onto the radio and landed Jesca a record deal. This version of the song (a re-recorded version for her debut album Kismet), pushes the uniqueness of the song forward a bit by using changes of rhythm and some sprinkles of hip-hop and Native American flair. I hadn’t heard about Jesca Hoop until recently, but hopefully this isn’t the last I hear about her.

nevver: Gotham

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:30:46 -0700

nevver:

Gotham

tuneage: Peter, Paul and Mary - “Leaving on a Jet Plane” In...

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:30:45 -0700

tuneage:

Peter, Paul and Mary - “Leaving on a Jet Plane”

In 1961, former Bob Dylan manager Albert Grossman wanted to put together a folk music super group. He gathered Peter Yarrow (the good looking guy), Paul Stookey (the funny guy), and Mary Travers (the tall blonde). Together they formed the aptly named Peter, Paul and Mary. They began performing in a coffee shop in Greenwich Village but quickly attained superstar status, with all three of their albums in the Billboard top ten by November of 1963. They parted ways in 1970 to pursue solo careers, but they reunited in 1978 to protest nuclear energy and began recording and touring together again.

Although they were probably best known for their song “Puff the Magic Dragon”, it was their final single, “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, which was their only song to reach number one on the Billboard charts.

In 2004, Mary was diagnosed with Leukemia which hampered their touring efforts and forced them to cancel several shows while she recovered. She received a bone marrow transplant and was thought to be on her way to recovering. Unfortunately, on September 16th, Mary Travers passed away due to the side effects of her chemotherapy treatments. She was 72.

nevver: Where the Wild Things Were

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:30:46 -0700

nevver:

Where the Wild Things Were

tuneage: We’ve written about Caroline Smith and the Goodnight...

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:28:48 -0700

tuneage:

We’ve written about Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps before. Their songs are delightful and as the video shows, they can pull it off in nearly any setting. Since our last post they have even recorded a Daytrotter Session.

This weekend they embarked on a westward tour with shows in California, Texas, Iowa and everywhere in between. You can check out their myspace page for the dates. If they are coming anywhere near your town I would recommend that you go hang out with them.

Check it out for their Acoustic Cover of Dr. Dre’s “X-plosive”.

tuneage: Take - “Fall in Love Again” Take, aka Thomas 2000, aka...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:27:18 -0700

tuneage:

Take - “Fall in Love Again”

Take, aka Thomas 2000, aka Thomas Wilson can be found on the lefty spectrum of hip-hop. If the likes of Kanye and Jay-Z can be considered the center (it is sad that those are the two names that came to mind), and the conservative right is anything from the bass-heavy southern rap to the Bay Area’s hyphy movement, Take dabbles with instrumental and experimental beats. On a related note: conservative rap is shaping out to be pretty shite!

While his usual stuff is akin to Flying Lotus, Daedelus, and Dabyre, this song — from his album The Dirty Decibels Of Thomas Two Thousand — is definitely leaner and toned down. It’s easy on the electro-synth and generous with traditional acoustics. The brevity of the song seems to underscore the talent - you will definitely be using the repeat function.

This guest post was written by Avi Jaisinghani. Thanks, Avi! If you want to submit your own guest post, head on over to our submission page and get writing!

yvynyl: This is one of the most eye-catching album covers of...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:05:51 -0700

yvynyl:

This is one of the most eye-catching album covers of all time. And you can find your own copy in any thrift store in the United States *right now*. Not sure what that means when records turn up over and over and over again in the bargain bins of the world. Did they sell a ton of ‘em back in the day and the extras trickled into the thriftstream? Or did everyone just dump their copy all at once?

I actually have this record. And never listened to it.

tuneage: Free Energy - “Dream City” My name is Mitchell London,...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:52:40 -0700

tuneage:

Free Energy - “Dream City”

My name is Mitchell London, and I’m new to the Tuneage gang (Tunegange?). First, a little about me: I have two solo dance moves. Exactly two - the “Reach Up at the Sky and Pull Down Fiercely” and the “Very Excited Stationary Jogger.” When I try to push the boundaries, incorporate a new move - something, say, lateral instead of vertical - I abandon it in less than four bars and retire to the corner of the party, head hung in shame.

Fortunately, there are a few songs out there that accommodate - nay, are meant for - my hyperkinetic prancing. “Dream City” is one. The opening power chords are a statement of purpose; they let the listener know exactly where Free Energy is coming from. 1974. If the forces of punk, rap, dance, or irony have ever registered on the Free Energy radar, they certainly don’t show it here. Instead, they dabble in the simplest expressions of joy - handclaps, “Wooooo woooo woooooo” bridge harmonies, lyrics about stars, Rhodes Piano chorus breakdowns. If you’re not jogging in place after that post-chorus snare hit or clutching at the empty sky during the sax solo, you’ve clicked the wrong play button.

yvynyl: “What are you doin here Bill...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:41:57 -0700

yvynyl:

“What are you doin here Bill Murray?”

(via neighborhoodthreat)

tuneage: Headlights - “Get Going” On October 6th, Headlights...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:34:56 -0700

tuneage:

Headlights - “Get Going”

On October 6th, Headlights will release their third album, Wildlife. Recording this release proved to be a lot harder then their previous two albums. With two new members added to fill out the sound, a change in band dynamics almost forced them to split. After regrouping and restarting the album they created a highly personal, yet wonderful album for your listening pleasure.

You can pre-order Wildlife from Polyvinyl Records or check them out when they come to your town.

yvynyl: Ice Cube - then and now (via mrshl)

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:30:46 -0700

yvynyl:

Ice Cube - then and now

(via mrshl)

tuneage: Shafiq Husayn ft. Fatima - “Lil’ Girl” One could spend...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:19:57 -0700

tuneage:

Shafiq Husayn ft. Fatima - “Lil’ Girl”

One could spend quite a few paragraphs detailing the artists that Shafiq Husayn has produced and written for during his career, but I’ll just do a quick run-down for ya: Ice-T (on O.G. Original Gangster… yeah), Jurassic 5, John Legend, Erykah Badu etc. His main role in the past decade has been as a songwriter and member of Sa-Ra Creative Partners (G.O.O.D. Music), creating boundary-pushing hip-hop and soul.

Shocking, then, as the Tuneage-endorsed En’ A-Free-Ka is his official debut album. With so much influence and reach - whether writing for Erykah Badu’s excellent 2007 return New Amerykah: Part One or behind the boards for so many others; he clearly could have a number of solo albums under his belt right now. But you have to assume that’s just the way he likes it.

En’ A-Free-Ka exemplifies the burgeoning and magnetic Los Angeles music scene right now: forward-thinking, style-melding, unabashedly original. “Lil’ Girl” finds Husayn linked with up-and-coming U.K. songstress Fatima. It’s perhaps the most straightforward song on the album but give it a deep listen, and you’ll hear skittish samples in the same vein as Flying Lotus and dynamic, slightly off-beat percussion. After a bit of vocal interplay between him and Fatima, she comes on top of the subtle brass crescendos with “Eventually you shall embrace the last day/Time is running, better choose the fast way.”

(via mmddyyyy)

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:16:51 -0700

(via mmddyyyy)

tracks: Kid Cudi- The Prayer Features some excellent sampling...

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:16:45 -0700

tracks:

Kid Cudi- The Prayer

Features some excellent sampling of Band of Horses’ The Funeral.

(thanks to liftyrskinnyfists)

yvynyl: “…believe me, your kids are gonna love it!” (via...

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:16:47 -0700

yvynyl:

“…believe me, your kids are gonna love it!”

(via supersonicelectronic)

bunkercomplex: Percy Sledge - “I’m Hanging Up My Heart For...

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:16:45 -0700

bunkercomplex:

Percy Sledge - “I’m Hanging Up My Heart For You”

Sunday Soul.

"Many people reach their conclusions about life like lazy school children. They copy the answers from..."

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:16:45 -0700

“Many people reach their conclusions about life like lazy school children. They copy the answers from the back of the book without troubling to work out the sum for themselves.”

- Soren Kierkegaard (via bunkercomplex)

kagami: Broken on a wheel (via Smabs Sputzer)

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:16:46 -0700

kagami:

Broken on a wheel (via Smabs Sputzer)

bunkercomplex: Karen O and the Kids - “Worried Shoes” (Where...

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:16:47 -0700

bunkercomplex:

Karen O and the Kids - “Worried Shoes” (Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack)