WAMR Radio: Mid-Spring 2005 New Releases Playlist

 

sElf - Summersound 3:35

Klimt 1918 - They Were Wed By the Sea 4:35

The Receiving End of Sirens - This Armistice 5:55

Shaman - Reason 4:46

Gospel - Congratulations...You've Hit Bottom! 3:41

Shadow Gallery - The Andromeda Strain 6:46

dredg - Hung Over on a Tuesday 4:05

Dream Theater - These Walls 7:36

The Chap - Oozing Emotion 2:41

Time of Orchids - All We Ever Wish 8:06

Subterranean Masquerade - Six Strings to Cover Fear 6:48

Cloud Cult - Transistor Radio 4:08

Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country 5:11

The Most Serene Republic - Where Cedar Nouns and Adverbs Walk 4:32

Ulver - It Is Not Sound 4:37

------------------------------------

This is a beta test/dry-run deal. That's a playlist for May/Mid Spring 2005. 

15 Songs/Tracks 2 hours, 11 minutes exactly or 131 minutes.

Script? haven't done it yet or for this one, but I may try. I would estimate if this is the 2 hours 11 minutes it is, with talking, the Podcast would go maybe but not quite 3 hours, but close.

Josh Rouse + Grant Lee-Phillips @ The Cedar Cultural Center 10/20/18

I saw Josh Rouse again on Saturday night with Grant Lee-Philips (of Grant Lee Buffalo).

Grant played 1st, and it was just him and his acoustic guitar. Very singer/songwriter and folky of course. I probably know or would know him best from his appearances as the roaming Troubadour in Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls.

And I do slightly recall a video from Grant Lee Buffalo on Beavis and Butt-Head in the 90's.

I enjoyed his stuff, namely the tunes he did extending his vocals, by wailing a bit. "San Andreas Fault" probably being the biggest highlight.

So Josh Rouse, whose last show(s) my wife and I saw back in May at The Dakota, were awesome with his incredibly tight band. But Saturday night it was only Josh and his electric guitar. He even donned a suit, looking almost like Kyle MacLachlan from Twin Peaks in some ways, especially without his signature hat on.

But Josh was really great, both from a performance and set list standpoint especially. I mean certainly many of the tunes were stripped down, or re-arranged a bit. But they still worked.

Winter in the Hamptons being a tune I have been enjoying more and more lately, may have been the biggest highlight for me.

And the encore duet with Grant doing The Church cover Under the Milky Way, really was great. Especially per The Church were just at The Turf Club last Monday and I missed them unfortunately.

Anyway, the set lists below ARE NOT 100% ACCURATE as they are guessed and taken largely from some other recent shows per setlist.fm

I was thankfully able to chat with both Grant and Josh after the show. I even got to ask Josh about Pete Finney who has recently been playing Pedal-Steel guitar with Michael Nesmith and the National Band. But Pete played on Josh's album Subtitulo in fact. I asked Josh if he ever wanted to work with Pete again, or maybe have him out with his band live, etc. And he mentioned how Pete may be pretty busy (besides with Nez) and actually how there are tons of guys IN NASHVILLE who people hire like him. Not that Pete is bad, as he remembered his playing being great, but that given Josh lives in Nashville, there are a lot of highly talented Pedal-Steel players there.

One he mentioned to me was named Fats Kaplin in fact.

But the other thing I mentioned given he lives in Nashville now (moved back a year ago, after living in Spain for like a decade), is Matt Mahaffey aka sElf. He I guess knows Matt, and I just asked if he ever might want to work with Matt. Maybe have him produce something, and Josh mentioned he might be interested.

My jaw might drop through the floor if that happened.

Anyway, great show, my 4th Josh Rouse, and 8th for my wife. And it was cool being the final night of this tour.

Josh Rouse Set List (not 100%)
Come Back (Light Therapy)
Businessman
It's the Nighttime
1972
Love In The Modern Age
Dressed Up Like Nebraska
Middle School Frown
Salton Sea
Julie Come out of the Rain
Winter in the Hamptons
Saturday
It's Good to Have You
Love Vibration

Encore:
Under the Milky Way (The Church cover) (with Grant‐Lee Phillips)
Empire State (with Grant‐Lee Phillips)



Grant Lee-Phillips Set List (guessed per taken from another show on setlist.fm)
The Wilderness
Something's Gotta Give
Far End of the Night
Smoke and Sparks
Mighty Joe Moon (Grant Lee Buffalo song)
Honey Don't Think (Grant Lee Buffalo song)
Mockingbirds (Grant Lee Buffalo song)
San Andreas Fault
Buried Treasure
See America
Lily-a-Passion
Walk in Circles
It Ain't the Same Old Cold War Harry

Kai Danzberg - Pop-Up Radio (2017-2018)

So per Jellyfish and most recently Beck's band, Roger Joseph Manning's post on Facebook about this guy

Imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery, so w that in mind...thank u Kai Danzberg

I discovered the video below, and despite the blatant references, as a Jellyfish, Beatles, Pink Floyd fan, etc, it kind of hit home. And it does sound like a JF track.

So naturally I went to check out the album the track "Welcome to the Show" comes from, Pop-Up Radio, which was released on January 1, 2018.

So Kai Danzberg's music, at least on this song is rather power-pop-ish. I couldn't help but be reminded of Jellyfish or even the likes of Bend Sinister and Timmy Sean in some ways.

This guy I guess is from Germany, and this is his debut album I guess. Although he put out an EP titled Unacceptable last September which is catchy, but also has a New Jack Swing element to it. And he mentions Michael Jackson among the music he's inspired by, Which I actually hear a bit of sElf in the stuff on there.

At any case, I'm going to try and check this whole album out more (I've listened to maybe 2/3 of it, but there wasn't much time at work today = new job, etc), but it's great hear someone new doing proggy Power-Pop.

And that video: I wonder how he did it/how much time, money, etc it took.

Kai Danzberg on Facebook




1. Overture 00:42
2. Welcome To The Show 03:47
3. Yes We Can 03:38
4. Just Listen To Me 02:59
5. You're The One 03:02
6. Puppet On A String 03:45
7. Stranger 05:37
8. How Can You 03:01
9. Too Late 03:35
10. What The F 03:50
11. Sophie 03:28
12. I Should Try 04:22
13. Sleep (Tell Me) 04:08

November 2017 Videos: CDs, Vinyl, Collectibles

So I decided to upload and share these videos from November 2017 that I made in the Storage space (and of course not edited. I know YouTube does have an editing function that maybe I'll have to try and play around with soon).

I guess these and some of the others are kind of obvious why making videos isn't too easy for me (the space/situation and of course TIME among other reasons).

And my head does get cutoff frequently, but so be it, maybe I'm and even others don't mind or are used to it.

The 2nd video the LIGHTS GO OFF (turns black) per the hallway lights at the Storage space are on a timer and I think it's like 15 or 20 minutes, which I need to remind myself whenever I may be making videos there in the future.

Had that not happened, there likely would have only been 3 videos.

The 4th video is up so close, dunno why I didn't realize that, but again, so be it.

Also in reviewing these, I have a few more items still to show, namely Extreme and a Rush 7" I think from Black Friday Record Store Day. Maybe soon, perhaps when some of the other Vinyl I'm expecting come in (Subterranean Masquerade, Typhoon among others).



CDs
Team Me - To the Treetops
Mew - Visuals
Faith No More - Angel Dust [Deluxe]
Bend Sinister - The Other Way [EP]
Snarky Puppy - Culcha Vulcha
L.E.O. - Alpacas Orgling

VINYL
Nektar - A Tab in the Ocean
sElf - Porno, Mint & Crime
sElf - Ornament & Crime
Mutemath - Play Dead



VINYL
Oceansize - Effloresce
Major Parkinson - Blackbox




VINYL:
Major Parkinson - Blackbox
Team Me - Blind as Night
Pat Metheny Group - Pat Metheny Group
The Dukes of Stratosphear - 25 O'Clock [EP]
East of the Wall - Farmer's Almanac
Scott Matthews - Elusive [7"]
Galactic Cowboys - Long Way Back to the Moon



Joey Secchiaroli (of The Reign of Kindo) - Answers to Questions You Never Asked (Book/Booklet)
The Crimson Cube (King Crimson Rubiks Cube)

Matt Mahaffey aka sElf on Recording Studio Rockstars Podcast (90+ mins)

http://recordingstudiorockstars.com/rsr069-matt-mahaffey-the-band-self-composing-music-for-cartoons/

I've made it through a little over an hour of this 1h 48 minute podcast (I've been interrupted/busy at work of course) and while some topics may not be brought up, like a lot of his own music/songs and even detailed History with sElf. And Apes and Androids/Call Florence Pow; there's still a ton of good insight and information about Matt's history and where he is now. His career for scoring Animated movies and television, and producing work.

Even just his way of producing/recording drums and drum production/sound etc.

Drummers, in other words, would probably enjoy hearing this, along with people who want to produce and engineer recording.

My comparison to Kevin Gilbert and where Kevin might be if he were alive, kind of is even more supported by Matt's career. Although I sense Matt's not really as much of a control freak or even a perfectionist, to the same degree Kevin was.

But the man is prolific and has found a way to make a good living out of doing it, the same thing Kevin was doing back in the 90's. And also the same thing Jason Nesmith (1 of Mike's sons) does. Even Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne (and Stewart Copeland has done as well), have done.

I do hope Matt does have the opportunity to compose/score music for a Live Action movie/(s) given how he said he wants to if for no other reason, it would be less time-consuming and easier per his difficulty/time demands to do them for Animated shows and film.

Anyway, I'll hopefully be able to finish it in the next day or 2, and maybe some insight into what his plans are in the near future outside of Scoring..sElf music or producing perhaps. Would love for him to work with someone like Kimbra or Fjokra. Kimbra oddly enough, I noticed on twitter follows Brian Jacobs (Majestyy) which who knows how she found him (me/my blog? I doubt it, but who knows), but it's very cool to notice that. Maybe Majestyy will do a Kimbra remix? or even work with her someday. She does now live in NYC anyway (Brian and Apes and Androids being from Brooklyn too).

Also I may have to check out more of this podcast now. The host sounds an awful lot like Alex Dandino to me (of The Dear Hunter Graphic Novels and Podcasts with Casey).

Indietronica: Great History, but if/when will there be More?

Or Call it Collegerocktronica or Electronic-Rock for the 21st Century, etc.

I'm posting this entry about it as it sort of crossed my mind talking to my wife driving to the store this evening.

This so-called genre, or really subgenre of a subgenre, was a big deal to me not that long ago, but it has really been a number of years since I discovered anything new from it. New band/artist or new album.

And for some reason many of these bands/artists are from NYC, specifically Brooklyn. And are Duos, and very weird, artsy, costume-wearing.

Also many are like that from some part of the UK, maybe London.

Not sure if that is coincidence, or there's a reason for that.

I guess where is this music being made now? Is any of it any good? Will there ever be any really great albums to come out in this style again? If not, maybe it will be seen as kind of an era/age. Although most styles, if they have any kind of following, do come back in some way or another. So chances are it will happen, but it may be awhile either before it does, or at least I find it of course.

That being said, I guess just to give some background, which I'm pretty sure I've written about, but it was many years ago, so it may warrant some rehash.

Apes and Androids  (and Call Florence Pow, from Brooklyn,NY) were the key band who got me into it. And their album Blood Moon is a landmark record to me, and what I see as the definitive release of this so-called style of music.

And naturally I wanted to find music like Apes and Androids, ideally as good if not better.

Well that still has yet to happen, and really I've come to conclude, Apes and Androids and Blood Moon are incredibly unique and quite possibly I will never find anything as good as them.

But I still found some other bands/artists in this style that I enjoyed.

Brian Jacobs has of course released some Remixes of some pop songs, both new and old, and some "Jams" per say under the name Majestyy (with 2 y's). But its been rather scarce and random. David Tobias on the other hand, I thought I read a few years back, plays in a band in NYC. But the impression I've been given is, he's out of the limelight with Social Media overall as his Facebook page I only noticed a few years ago. I sent him a Friend request, but he never added me of course.

I also thought about this topic and Apes and Androids the other day per a new Twitter Page was setup in January 2017. That along with the Soundscape reunion got me wondering.

Late of the Pier - (UK) Their only album Fantasy Black Channel from 2008, while wasn't as creative and maybe original as Blood Moon, still worked well. Great energy, and cool use of synths. Unfortunately like Apes and Androids, they broke up not that long after its release, in the year 2010. And sadly, their drummer Ross Dawson died at the young age of 27, in 2015.

Now I recall reading some stuff, but didn't keep up with them. Their frontman and 1 of the main songwriters I guess, Samuel Eastgate, released music under the name LA Priest including a debut album in 2015 titled Inji. I actually wishlisted it on RYM around the time it came out, but never checked it out. And in sampling some of it on YouTube, while it's different than Late of the Pier, its not bad and still very electronic/synthy. Maybe more funky and chill in some ways, but maybe not to the point it'll put me asleep. I dunno, but I am planning to check it out now.

LA Priest also has another group that put out a debut album in 2016 called Soft Hair. That one, I'm a little more gunshy about after checking out a track. That does seem more slow tempo-ed and such. I guess I will wait and see about LA Priest 1st and then move on to that one later.

The Chap -  (UK) When I 1st discovered them, I almost found them to be like a UK version of Apes and Androids or Call Florence Pow. Their 2nd and 3rd records Ham and especially Mega Breakfast, I enjoyed, although not to the point of Apes and Androids, but they were electronic and quirky and melodic at times. Their song "Proper Rock" could have been an Apes and Androids song.

But I'll admit, I have checked out their other albums since, and have not been able to get into that much. Too political? or just nothing stands out all that much. I dunno. At the same time, I still check them out and certainly don't hate them, but they are one of those bands whose early work is what holds water for me at this point.

NewVillager -  (Brooklyn, NY) When their Self Titled debut album dropped in 2011, while I never felt they were reaching the brilliance of Apes and Androids, I for one enjoyed it enough, it led me to believe they were a band to have hope for. The song and video for "Lighthouse" alone gave me hope. And they kind of were the 1st new band in a few years to impress me with new music since 2008.

Unfortunately, it's now been 6 years since that debut album and next to nothing has happened. The last I read, they posted plans in 2016 to release a new single and publish a book of artwork and other things from their members. I'm not sure either happened unfortunately.

But among the bands in this style, at least I don't see them finding the same exact fate as others of breaking up, etc. at least this point.


Some others:

The Age of Rockets - (NY) Their 1st 2 albums definitely used synths with rock music rather well. The long worked on and delayed 3 super self-indulgent Choose-Your-Own-Adventure album Adults which finally came out in 2013. Sadly, I never got too attached to it, even though it had some good moments. But I recall it didn't have as much electronics as the previous stuff.

Hannah, their 2nd album, I suppose is the 1 I still would go to.

Unfortunately, they seem to be done or on a long hiatus, as Andrew Futral seems to be doing other things, like working with Field Mouse, touring included, etc.

Also I just noticed on RYM, he may have had another band titled The Robot Explosion which released an EP in 2006. Just for the sake of curiosity, I wonder somewhat about that. But then again, trying to find it, unless it's on YouTube may be next to impossible.

sElf/Wired All Wrong - (TN) I love sElf and Matt Mahaffey, and of course he worked with Call Florence Pow and Apes and Androids. sElf's actual music does include work in this style, but I guess the majority of it is more mixing power-pop with stuff like Weezer or Beck..or Prince even.

Wired All Wrong, is more overt in this style. However, I cannot say I have loved the 1 album from them to the degree of maybe any of the sElf albums. Not sure why, other than I found the kind of guitars and vocals didn't quite fit as well as the sElf stuff.

But I'll admit, its been many years since I've revisited Wired All Wrong, so I may want to go back to their 1 album.Breakout the Battletapes from 2006. But like sElf, WAW has been pretty quiet since then. Matt's a busy guy living in TN now I recall, tending bar. The sElf EP from a couple of years ago was good, but of course us fans want more. Not sure, but it seems more likely he'll be doing soundtrack work again, before another WAW record. But at least sElf seems to be something he wants to continue. Although how much of it ends up being electronic is unclear. My guess would be not much.

If the stars aligned though, I would flip for Matt to either produce or play on an album with Brian Jacobs and David Tobias again 1 day. But the odds seem remote for that anytime soon, but who knows.

Clor - (London, UK) 1 Self Titled album in 2005, and then they broke up in 2006. I recall enjoying them, but not as much as some of the others. Still, given they broke up in 2006, it makes me wonder what they may have done later.

Sigmund Droid - (NY) 1 or more of the members of this band played live with Apes and Androids. They released 2 EPs, Maximum Grind in 2009 and Black Motorboat in 2011. Nothing new has come since. They haven't announced a break up though, but very little activity on Social Media has made me wonder what their future is. I did just go to their FB and at least it seems they are using it as they posted a new photo and a video link just last month in January. Given they have not made a debut album, I still would love to hear what they could do. They are I suppose less electronic, but more mechanical and guitar driven from memory. But given their backgrounds

edit: they actually have 3 EPs, 1 they released in 2006 titled Interpretations of Screams which I may have heard and just don't recall. It's not on RYM at this time.

Operahouse - (London, UK) Another band who put out a decent debut album, in 2009 titled Escape from the Sun, and then broke up. Their vocals are rather Bowie-like, which is a common trait among this style. I suppose like Late of the Pier, I wonder if the members have done anything new since.


Pepe Deluxe - (Finland) I'm including them in here only per their history since their early stuff was more electronic than what became on their last couple of albums. And the fact some of their music actually reminds me of Apes and Androids and sElf (their newest Speak-and-Spell effect track included). Granted, their masterpiece, Queen of the Wave from 2012, still stylistically is more similar to the 60's and 70's psych pop/rock stuff. It does seem they incorporate enough of the electronics in their sound, I suppose I can look at them as the best thing to come into this style since, even if it's extending the umbrella a bit.

And their next album is a huge anticipation for me of course, whether it be in 2017 or later.

Chrome Canyon - (NY) Morgan Z who played with Apes and Androids, put out an intriguing debut album in Elemental Themes, on Stones Throw records no less a Hip-Hop label that Mayer Hawthorne of all people used to be on. I recall it was long and verrry synthy. Almost so much, it was more like Tangerine Dream or something New Agey, rather than Rock Music.

That being said, given his background, I'd like to hear what Morgan Z could do in the future, as it has been now 5 years since that record.

Metronomy - (London, UK) I would like to like this band, and kind of like the song "The Look" even though it seemed to get played a ton on Radio K in 2011 and 2012. I guess the other music I've heard from them has never impressed me enough. But to be fair, I can't claim to have heard any of their full albums besides the album with "The Look" which is The English Riviera, which I only gave 2.5 stars on RYM back in 2011.

Shiny Toy Guns -  (Los Angeles, CA) I remember when they opened for Mutemath and thought they were okay. But then I noticed on Myspace and Last.fm, a ton of the Apes and Androids fans loved them. They are I suppose at heart, more of a Goth-Rock band, sort of more directly influenced by 80's New Wave bands like Depeche Mode and The Cure. But given the amount of popularity for them with Apes and Androids fans, I have often felt I may not have given them enough of a chance

Aloha/Cale Parks - (Ohio) Brian Jacobs of Apes and Androids I recall produced? or worked on 1 of Cale Parks solo EPs and I remember enjoying it. As far as Aloha, I honestly never found them all that amazing. Rather chill, but not highly memorable, even though they got airplay on Radio K and possibly 89.3 as well.
.

Alt-J - (London, UK) I met a girl at a show at First Avenue a few years ago who loved this band. I forget what show, it may have been Everything Everything now thinking about it. And the Hipsters wouldn't shut up about them when they popped up on the scene in 2012. The song or 2 that 89.3 and/or Radio K (along with Brian Oake from memory) played I found nothing special, but I suppose given I never checked out their albums, I might not know what they are capable of.

Black Moth Super Rainbow -  (Pittsburgh, PA) very hipster and college radio. Although they are trippy and I could see their live shows being better.
Franz Ferdinand - (UK) Hipster, and I found Bloc Party better, although they and BP seem more in the Post-Punk vein but share things in common with Apes and Androids.
Ghostland Observatory - (Austin, TX) checked them out and never got into. Too synthy to the point, it lacked the Rock element.
Innerpartysystem - (Reading, PA) same as Ghostland Observatory from memory.
MGMT - (Brooklyn, NY) Fjokra covered 1 of their most well known tracks, but like Alt-J, the hipster vibe really bugged me about them.. Somewhat of the thought why they got popular, while Apes and Androids or even Late of the Pier never did, etc. And like many of these bands, came around in the mid-late 2000's and were a duo from Brooklyn I think.
Neon Indian (Mexico originally, now in Brooklyn, NY)
Antony and the Johnsons (New York, NY)
of Montreal (Athens, GA) I often compare Apes and Androids to this band for those who never have heard Apes and Androids, but I say Apes and Androids actually can sing really well, whereas I have never been able to tolerate Kevin Barnes voice. Similar issue I have with bands like Radiohead, Circa Survive or The Flaming Lips (or The Postal Service/Death Cab for Cutie). Musically though I actually could enjoy them, although I've heard they have kind of dropped off or repeated themself a few times, to not look too favorably across their entire catalog. Because they have like 15 or 16 albums, which might be a case of quantity over quality. I can't imagine if we even had half that many albums from Apes and Androids, lol.
Phantogram (Saratoga Springs, NY)
The Postal Service (Los Angeles, CA) Never cared for Ben Gibbard's voice.
TV on the Radio (Brooklyn, NY) see Alt-J

Bands I enjoy, but like Pepe Deluxe or even Sigmund Droid, they maybe are not purely of this style, but with hints of it.

Some Power Pop, and especially Post-Punk and Dance Punk elements as well

!Forward, Russia! (UK)
Bloc Party (UK)
Chroma Key (Canada?)
The Dissociatives
Emanuel and the Fear - also from (Brooklyn, NY) I recall. Not highly electronic, but some moments here and there.
Fluid Ounces (TN)
Foals (UK)
Men, Women and Children/Cubic Zirconia (New York, NY)
Menomena (Portland, OR)
Janelle Monae (Atlanta, orig Kansas)
Muse (UK)
Mutemath (New Orleans)
OSI (CT/Canada?)
School of Seven Bells (NY)

Pretty & Nice - Golden Rules for Golden People (2013)

I've been meaning to post something about this band over the last week, but never got the chance to.
I was suggested this band Pretty and Nice by a new friend on Rateyourmusic.com who I've been suggesting music back and forth with.

He recommended this band to me after I was telling him about Apes and Androids. And I follow that to an extent, but actually there music reminds me more of sElf actually than Apes and Androids.

sElf and The New Pornographers, with a bit of a Post-Punk element sort of in the AandA's or Bloc Party vein at times. And I'm referring to just on this newest record of theirs Golden Rules For Golden People which was released in 2013.

They're also on Equal Vision Records, the same label The Dear Hunter is on, which makes me wonder if they'd ever get the chance to tour with them. Perhaps it will happen as they are based now in Boston (and originally from Vermont).

Definitely one of the best new bands I've discovered of late, and in the Power-Pop or experimental Pop style. This record is consistent track-2-track with really strong energy and melodies yet still having that quirky, left-of-center experimentation to it.

I want to now check out their other records of course, which they released 2 others previously. And I imagine since this dropped in 2013, Pretty and Nice could be coming out with something new soon, like in 2016 even.

edit: they also released an EP in 2014 titled Infinitely Forever which includes a couple of tracks on this record.


https://prettyandnice.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/PRETTYandNICE
Facebook

New Vinyl Videos (August 2015)

Some new vinyl to show. The 2nd Screencap jpeg was not the image I meant and have now since edited, but it still shows up for some reason, Very silly expression on my face.

I have some more videos coming soon hopefully, and I suppose part of making videos now is more people have subscribed to my channel (thank you again).

Like many, I have a couple of hundred or more vinyl records I haven't shown on camera, which I will try to in due time. Per, this isn't all the vinyl I've picked up this summer (music collecting, and vinyl the last few years is an addictive habit of course).

I also look to share videos for the Retro Favorites Series soon (and making 50 videos eventually, seems like a tall task, but somehow I will try and do that over the next X-number of months or year or 2 time/interest permitting).

sElf - Trunk Fulla Amps into Back in Black (Live at Grimey's)

Love this, even though he only did an excerpt of TFA's. This kinda shows how Matt can perform as the band name suggests.

Maybe Matt needs to add an extra verse "like AC/DC" + add a "mother" in a high screechy aussie accent, lol.

Also here's a few other videos from the same performance

sElf on Last Call with Carson Daly 11/10/14 (and 9/25/14)

The videos of these 3 classic tracks from Gizmodgery, Breakfast with Girls and Subliminal Plastic Motives at least for me are a bit choppy, but the sound seems to stream fine. I did see Matt Mahaffey post this on Facebook last night, but I forgot to try and set up my DVR. I wonder if Carson said anything about sElf or Matt or interviewed him. Not that I'm a huge fan of Carson Daly, but it is cool he is giving sElf this kind of exposure now, and I'd be curious if there was more that I am not finding on the show's website.

That is now 2 or more? talk show appearances for sElf (Jimmy Kimmel Live I recall). I wonder what it may mean though as it appears the sElf/Matt Facebook Page is only at 5000+ likes still, for what it's worth.

Maybe it's worth repeating, but the more I have thought about it, I see Matt very much like how Kevin Gilbert would be if he was still around, career-wise. His talent for songwriting is uncanny, and it may only be a matter of time when he writes a song so good, it will become a hit. But then again, be careful what you wish for or speculate, I suppose.

I do know that after seeing those videos, I really would love to see sElf live someday. Tennessee to Minnesota isn't all that far, so a small tour that hits Minneapolis may happen eventually, as long as sElf still plays live.

and here's a clip of "Sophomore Jinx" back in September

sElf - Super Fake Nice [EP]

7/31/14 5:57AM
On Jimmy Kimmel Live last night. Kind of doubt they'll blow up from this appearance, but stranger things have happened.



If only they could have played "Hey Hipster"..man that song is fucking gold in a lot of ways. Reminds me a bit of "I Hate Music" from The Reign of Kindo last year in that it basically exposes a group of people who are likely far too naive and full of themselves, they have absolutely no clue how repulsive they come off.

"We Are Portland, We Are Minneapolis. We Are Hipsters. Everyone Else Go Fuck Yourselves!"

In due time perhaps when a direct link is available I should pass it along, but just for now this song could easily be referring to/directed-at of course the Pitchfork, Citypages and 89.3 supporters (and even those entities themselves of course, among others). Yeah, they act like they have the greatest taste on the planet and you'll never even come close to be the tastemakers they are, lol.

So, the song is dedicated to them. They should hear it and realize how admirable they are, lol..

7/27/14 10:45AM

Cute and Funny cat video for the opening track "Runaway"

for better or for worse, this video is getting publicity as noted here on Yahoo. I wonder if they'll show it on Wednesday night on Kimmel?



7/24/14 8:22PM
Stream the whole EP and Matt Mahaffey interview

Great collection of new tunes. Pretty much adds to the quality of more or less all of sElf's music. Catchy, quirky, funny, lyrical and some added textures/electronics.

Nice production too.

just skimming the interview, this question is probably worth passing along.

I have to ask about "Hey, Hipster" from the upcoming EP. Do you really hate hipsters?
I have no beef with hipsters. Some of it is just really comical, it's almost like a costume. You're kind of old enough to know better than to wear these costumes. Pabst Blue Ribbon is the drug of choice in hipster Nashville. You'll be at a bar and see someone order a PBR and they'll be like, "We don't serve PBR." And they'll order some esoteric $9 craft beer. So that kind of defeats the purpose of their whole vibe. I'm just observant of the hipster. I'm not condoning or putting them down. I just find it interesting, that's all. 

I wanted to go for that John Linnell/John Flansburgh type of humor without being Mickey Mouse about it. It's a popular topic and it's a little passe but at the same time I needed something to fill out the EP. I was kind of like, I like this piece of music and I don't care what anybody thinks of it. In the back of my mind it was kind of like Peter Gabriel's The Barry Williams Show. When Montel Williams and all these day-time talking heads were having white trash beat each other up in front of the camera, [Gabriel] wrote this Barry Williams Show song and I remember being like, "What are you doing?" I just hated it. This hipster song is my Barry Williams Show but I couldn't help putting it on there. 

Oh, and sElf is performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live next Wednesday July 30th.
Matt's announcement on FB

7/16/14 9:08AM

release date July 29th, 2014. ( per their label's Facebook Page)

Cover:




1 Runaway 3:18
2 Subconscious Life 3:12
3 Gonna Rock 3:14
4 Hey, Hipster 2:41
5 Looks and Money 2:14
6 Splitting Atoms 3:04

itunes


6/3/14 5:55AM

FB link

5/24/14 10:19PM
Facebook Link

Logic might say the recently released "Stranger Than Strange" will be included on this. I'd love to submit something for the cover, but I don't exactly have those kinds of talents. Format? I'd love to pick this up on vinyl of course.

On KFAI Radio's "In Your Ear" 6/12/14

should be available (STREAM and DOWNLOAD) until June 26th until 1:59AM
RIGHT CLICK "SAVE AS" to DOWNLOAD
http://kfai.org/archive


The Family Crest - Beneath the Brine - Beneath the Brine - Tender Loving Empire
Anathema - Ariel - Distant Satellites - Kscope
Forest Park - Golden - Forest Park [EP] - S/R
Miracles of Modern Science - Dear Pressure - MEEMS - S/R
Queen - March of the Black Queen - Queen II - EMI
sElf - Ordinaire - Gizmodgery - Spongebath Records
Bruce Peninsula - Steamroller - A Mountain is a Mouth - Outside Music
Shadow Gallery - Floydian Memories - Room V (Special Edition) - Insideout Music
Time of Orchids - All I Ever Wish - Sarcast While - Tzadik
Time of Orchids - Whim - Sarcast While - Tzadik
Team Me - Show Me - To the Treetops - Propeller Recordings
Jazzkamikaze - Bring Back Spring - Supersonic Revolutions - SevenSeas Music
Foals - Spanish Sahara - Total Life Forever - Transgressive Records

background
*Shels: various clips from Plains of the Purple Buffalo

Good show. Just me. In some ways easier for me, but who knows how much that has to do with it.

The Midnight-2AM thing on a weeknight? who knows when the next time will be.

sElf - Stranger Than Strange [Single] (2014)

Great tune, and great to hear a NEW track from Matt aka sElf finally. It's part of a new benefit compilation titled Songs for Blake: Embracing Autism.

Which is available to stream/download HERE

Self - Subliminal Plastic Motives Reissue/Vinyl

I guess I am unable to post about every reissue and vinyl release, just because, I don't have enough time. But for now, I guess I'll pass this along. This is the debut record from Self, being re-released/remastered and printed on Vinyl,

Subliminal is not my favorite Self record, but I enjoy it. And want to support Matt, I didn't want to pass on this.

I am hoping this may lead to some of the other Self records being printed on Vinyl as well, namely Gizmodgery and Breakfast With Girls. We'll see.

BUY HERE
http://www.fatpossum.com/news/383


Fat Possum Records and the band Self release 1995's Subliminal Plastic Motives on vinyl, 20 years after its original release, and reunite for their first concert in almost 10 years at the Gramercy Theatre on January 10.


It's been almost twenty years to the day since Self released their hit cult record Subliminal Plastic Motives. The record's dense and eclectic take on 90's rock still resonates with fans two decades later, and will soon be discovered by a new generation of indie rock lovers asFat Possum Records prepares to release SPM on vinyl later this year.


The recent signing of founding and principal member of Self, Matt Mahaffey, by Fat Possum Records allows fans to take in SPM on vinyl for the first time and will open the door to long awaited new material from the band.


Since the original release of Subliminal, Mahaffey has become a legend in his home state of Tennessee. An accomplished Producer and Composer, Matt has produced hit records for HelloGoodbye, Parachute, The Sounds, Forever the Sickest Kids and many others while also composing music for hit TV shows and feature films such as Shrek. Mahaffey has withstood the test of rock n roll, proving himself to be a talented and diverse musician and creator.


With the original lineup in tow, Self now prepares to hit the stage for their first show in nearly a decade, playing at the Gramercy Theatre in NYC on January 10th. This show is sure to bring fans back to the days of Subliminal Plastic Motives while readying them for an upcoming new release from the band. The bill also includes Chicago's I Fight Dragon's


Tickets for this show are on sale now through Ticketmaster and the Gramercy Theatre Box office with a limited number of tickets being offered to include a copy of the new Fat Possum vinyl release of Subliminal Plastic Motives.

NOT FROM THIS REMASTERING:

Regardless the solo in this song is amazing.

Matt Mahaffey aka sElf : (15min) TED Talk/Performance

he's the perfect person to do one of these. Like Amanda Palmer, he can speak to being blue-collar and not compromising (or at least for the most part).

The thing he mentions about commercials is so true, but also as I've known for a few years, his stuff is all over television ads and animated movies. I've probably heard dozens of his scores and compositions, and wasn't even aware of it.

I also think, the more I think about it, his lifestyle and approach quite easily might be what Kevin Gilbert would be doing today. At least in some ways; as a producer/engineer and someone who not only makes his own music, but also makes music through being resourceful in the entertainment business.

I wonder if Matt's ever heard of Kevin. The similarities are somewhat eery to me. But of course that is all just hypothetical and guessing.

Now, the actual state of sElf and their upcoming music still remains to be announced. The album sampler that was posted a few months ago was the last thing I have seen. I know Matt did a special show, I want to say in February or March in his home state of Tennessee.

And reading some of his FB posts, he seems to be doing much of the day or nightjob thing, as I thought I saw he was tending bar not too long ago. So, the music he is making or has made recently, maybe has taken a bit of a backseat to paying his bills with other means.

Perhaps with some of this exposure per a TED talk, it may get the ball rolling a little more with the future work for sElf or any other *original* rock/pop music he may make.

sElf - TBA (2013..or 2012?)

Wow, this sounds pretty awesome. The post on Facebook about it almost suggests it might get released before the end of 2012. Regardless, whenever this record comes out, it's worth keeping in mind.

Also cool how Matt made this sampler free to download.

sElf - 615 Day Full Session (21 minute set)

link

even as stripped down as this is, it sounds pretty sweet as sElf music usually is. Some of these tunes likely are intended to be on the record Matt's been making/planning etc, for a release at some point. When that is? later this year, or within the next couple of years, perhaps. But until then, things like this will have to tide Us fans over.

sElf - Looks and Money (Digital Single)

Amazon link



new single. I don't use iTunes, although it's there as well. I hope this is the just a taste of what's to come soon for a new sElf record in 2012.

sElf - A little update

This isn't anything highly detailed, or actually entirely new. But this story explains a bit of where Matt Mahaffey is at, and why the potential new record has been on the back burner for awhile.

He moved to Tennessee, and in LA he didn't have time to make sElf music, like he should and wanted to. But it sounds like his life settling down a bit out there in TN, the next record's progress is starting to take shape. But to expect it this year might be a bit premature right now. Maybe if some more detailed news about it comes this Summer, I'll start to get excited about it.

Keep your shirt on. The profile of pop renaissance man Matt Mahaffey is forthcoming, but first kindly indulge us with a round of word association. Here goes: What immediately springs to mind when you hear the words “Expedia.com”?


If you’re like most, you imagine the company’s catchy jingle, featuring a twangy bluegrass quartet crooning the name of the popular online travel site.


Matt Mahaffey wrote that.


As that jingle so gloriously illustrates, Mahaffey is one of the most ubiquitous songwriters you’ve probably never heard of. The memorable Expedia jingle is just one of many mind-muddling musical accomplishments logged by this singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, film composer and sideman. Mahaffey has produced and/or performed with an all-star cast of popular artists including P!nk, Beck, Beyoncé and more. Mahaffey composed the only song expressly commissioned for the original 2001 Shrek movie that launched the lucrative animated film franchise.


Mahaffey’s band SELF—actually a DIY studio project featuring Mahaffey playing most of the instruments himself—is a power-pop group the singer describes as “kind of schizophrenic” along the eclectic lines of Ween and They Might Be Giants. Releasing four solo albums to date, Mahaffey became a sensation years ago when a clip of him performing a one-man-band interpretation of AC/DC’s “Back in Black” went viral. Mahaffey’s cult following is so rabid that two of his fans slapped up an archival Web site cataloging nearly all of Mahaffey’s solo recordings.


Though Mahaffey calls SELF “a huge priority,” his commissioned work has kept him so busy that he rarely gets to perform solo. Mahaffey recently moved from L.A. to Nashville in hopes of rectifying that situation. “There’s nothing I would rather do (than perform solo),” Mahaffey says. “In L.A., I’d literally be doing three things at once. Granted, my résumé is fantastic and I’m extremely grateful for that. But I have a thousand ideas that I’d love to lay down, and I can’t get a word in edgewise to finish anything.”


The Expedia jingle is a bittersweet homage to Mahaffey’s East Tennessee roots. “I grew up in the hills—you know, home of the redneck,” Mahaffey says. “It was also the home of bluegrass, so I grew up playing bluegrass.”


The jingle’s cornpone guitar riff was performed by Mahaffey’s late brother Michael, who died in 2005. “It was terrible,” Matt Mahaffey says of his sibling’s untimely death. “He played in my band for years and we lived together for a long time. I had just landed in London on the Beck tour and my wife called. I had to fly back to Tennessee to do funeral arrangements. It was devastating.”


Now, some six years after his brother’s demise, Mahaffey is working towards reviving his solo career with SELF. “The plan is to build my (recording) facility, finish a record then put a band together,” Mahaffey said. “Then I’ll be playing a lot.”


Written by Bruce Britt

AllMediaReviews Music Essential: Apes and Androids/Call Florence Pow

Apes and Androids/Call Florence Pow



The short-lived "Kokoro" blog is responsible for bringing the name Apes and Androids up to me I believe it was in February 2008, not too long before or after the official release date of Blood Moon.



I was just thinking earlier, in the 2+ years or so I've found myself attached to their album Blood Moon I've really never waiver-ed or doubted it's brilliance. I've probably never been so consumed by a band and their 1 single release like this (save for Soundscape's Discovery perhaps). Is it due to it's originality? perhaps. Is it due to it's obscurity? probably as well.

When I heard this album at 1st, well at 1st actually I was never able to get through it all, mainly due to bad timing. I'd put it on and get interrupted. I probably put it on five or six times between February/March and early May of 2008 without making it more than half way through. From memory, I believe that was only due to purely timing. I'd have something I needed to do at work, when in the middle of it.

And one other factor may have not helped, due to the fact the version I was playing was tagged inaccurately. The track numbers were labeled incorrectly.

But come May, I had found it had enough on it, that I wanted to make sure to give it more time. And even (not aware of) my playing it out of sequence, I was shocked and totally had my world turned upside down at exactly what this band was doing.

Was it humor? yeah it was. Was it subtle? yes, definitely. Did it have very well thought-out, fine-tuned melodies? yep. Somehow, these elements, along with using synthesizers with rock in a very trippy, hypnotic way, totally got my attention after about 3 times through. Their vocal harmonies went from what the fuck, to holy shit these guys can totally write and sing falsettos! Like Queen and David Bowie and Prince and even Pink Floyd.

Then the whole story/concept approach began to increase how much I began to consume this thing. It was some kind of futuristic Scifi space opera, that took what I perceived to be an influence of 80's Scifi cinema. "Apes and Androids" the ole Man vs Machine. The Terminator, The Matrix, Battlestar Galactica and some other stories crept into my mind as I tried to decipher any and all things from it.

Along with that, the rest of 2008, into 2009, this album just was one of those go-to records. Energy albums. The energy from track to track. The flow. It really was as much an escape and therapy album as anything else.

I probably played it 100 times over the course of 9 months. I still play it regularly. For one thing, it's still pathetically sad how few people know of the band, or have caught on to them. And in 2009, word came out they had to call it a day, at least for now. Blood Moon had been in the making for many years. Really going back to when David Tobias and Brian Jacobs were doing Call Florence Pow around 2002 or 2003.



I eventually started seeking any and all information and resources about Apes and Androids and especially the main 2 masterminds/songwriters David Tobias and Brian Jacobs. I came to learn they had a band under the name Call Florence Pow that released a debut lp called These Are the Plans in 2000, and then a follow-up ep titled The Strange Situation in 2002.



Call Florence Pow wasn't exactly like Apes and Androids, but it was still music I enjoyed. It was less electronic and more humorous I guess. But the music still had a lot of thought put into it. And it was definitely something I followed how those 2 guys evolved into the sound on Blood Moon.

Two other big things also came to light at that point about Apes and Androids.

For one, Call Florence Pow's 1st lp These Are the Plans... was released on "Spongebath Records" which was a record label founded by Matt Mahaffey. Mahaffey was a musical genius in a lot of ways himself, and actually worked with Apes and Androids and CFP on their music. He mixed and played drums on a little of Blood Moon for example. But Matt also had this project/band called sElf which as it turns out, seemed to be quite influential on the guys in A&A's, especially the CFP material. But one of the things about sElf was they had a rather extensive catalog of albums and songs. However, they were also rather hard to find hard-copies of. I would eventually track down most of the discs that were printed luckily. Gizmodgery, Breakfast With Girls, Subliminal Plastic Motives and Half-Baked Serenade. sElf also had a bevvy of songs and albums that were made available exclusively online.

I think sElf, truly had a big part in the foundation of Apes and Androids and the 1st CFP album. Although I've grown to love These Are the Plans... and The Strange Situation, probably even more than any sElf album at this point. But sElf have so much music, that still less than 2 years in, I am continuing to learn how much I enjoy their music as well.

But the other big part of what Apes and Androids and sElf to an extent, is it introduced me to a so-called genre of music that I 1st would describe as just electronic/electro experimental power-pop. But it's become more commonly known as "Indietronica." I suppose music that has or is thought-of as "Indie Rock" ("College Rock") but also features to varying degrees electronic elements.

Now some groups I had been a fan of before this like Mute Math, Pure Reason Revolution, Muse, Men Women, and Children, and even Chroma Key (or OSI) could be regarded as this style. And certainly those bands on paper kind of do have much of this sound. But where Apes and Androids differ is they kind of created an almost over- the-top cool way to use synthesizers within rock. They took more post-punk and 80's elements I suppose, with modern production standards. Thomas Dolby and The Talking Heads they could be compared to, as well Cafe Jacques and even a large glam side, that gave them comparisons to Sparks and of course David Bowie, along with a contemporary of theirs in of Montreal and certainly a big influence upon them in Beck.

But what I came to find is there were and continue to be many bands who have a similar approach in this style. Some of the better ones being bands like The Age of Rockets, The Chap, Emmanuel & the Fear and Late of the Pier. Sadly, as good as some of the bands who I've found doing this kind of music, none of them have come close to comparing to Apes and Androids. Which in a way sort of makes them stand out even more.



To add to all that, they came to be known as an outrageously unusual live band. At their concerts would feature the members dressing up in face-paint, have cheerleaders, props, tribal drummers, strobe lights, etc the whole 9 yards. Very much in the spirit of David Bowie's glammiest and Pink Floyd along with a Danny Elfman 80's horror element. The CFP track "Creepy Girls" was a staple piece especially. Sadly, they wouldn't play incredibly often, especially after the release of Blood Moon. So that made their concerts all the more special. One of the members was once quoted about their live approach "There isn't a ton left to do with Recorded music, so trying to be as original live is where an artist still can standout, and give their fans their money's worth."

Unfortunately I never got to experience that, but some of the live videos at least support how important their shows were to what they were about.

Albums: Blood Moon, These Are the Plans..., The Strange Situation EP
Songs: Riverside, Hot Kathy, Golden Prize, Johnny and Sarah, We Don't Understand You, Make Forever Last Forever, Periodic Table, Preparation For Battle, the Great 3 & 4 Part Tones

audio