SuperSmoothSpin

“Acts Of Man” by Midlake

Is anyone out there right now not listening to this record?.

Album cover of the year, if not disc of the year.

“Brothers” by Hot Chip

From their new album One Life Stand, set to release on February 9th.  You can check out the video for the first single, also called “One Life Stand”, here on YouTube.

I was going to post the actual video here instead of providing a link.  However, embedding has been disabled by Hot Chip’s record company because revenue cannot be earned if the video is not played on YouTube’s website. This is a very interesting phenomenon which you should read more about here in a very articulate letter written by Damian Kulash of the band OK Go.

“The High Road” by Broken Bells

This is the first single from Broken Bells, the first “supergroup” of 2010, consisting of James Mercer from The Shins and Danger Mouse from Gnarls Barkley.  They sound exactly like you would expect a Shins/Gnarls combination to sound.  Which is good.  A little electronic, a little jangly, a little spacey.  It’s too late to change your mind…

And in other news, I already hate that fucking Vampire Weekend album.  It took three weeks.

“Rub My Love” by Nice Boyz

This is the jam that I recorded with the Norwood Jug Band All-Stars - a.k.a. the Nice Boyz, during my trip to Cincinnati in November.  The goal was to write and record a song in one evening.  This is usually the goal for all of the music we make.  There has been a lot of chatter about this song lately, so I’m glad it’s finally being released into the wild.

You can download the MP3 for free:

http://www.mediafire.com/?5tnmwtzzzak

Here’s the crew on this one:

• Vocals:  P-Fizzle Flip
• Acoustic Guitar:  Stunt Dork a.k.a Stork
• Lead Guitar:  P. Carnez
• Bass:  The Boy
• Keyboards:  Scotty (recorded later in San Francisco at Delmar Studios)

Produced by DJ SuperSmoothSpin

“There Is No Sun” by Jay Reatard

“Madder Red” by Yeasayer

This is the hottest shit on the streets right now.  The new album Odd Blood is a sonic adventure through the future.  Ever relenting and merciful, yet wonderfully casual.

If you like naked chicks, horses, and people without faces fighting with silver boxing gloves, then you should also check out the video for the first single “Ambling Alp.”  It’s perfect for you.

“Wake” by The Antlers

I was driving to work this morning by myself thinking about Chris Henry when this song randomly came on.  It gave me chills.  It’s from an album called Hospice, which is a concept album about a man who meets an abusive and depressed woman with cancer and falls in love with her as he slowly watches her die.

The guy from Antlers that wrote this album locked himself away in “social isolation” for two years while he was writing it.  I don’t know exactly what social isolation means, but this is a pretty fucked up record with some really dark and emotional subject matter.   Heavy stuff.

In February, NPR was already calling Hospice the best album of 2009.  Here’s what people wrote about this song on songmeanings.net

This is essentially the theme song to my life. I can’t believe people haven’t commented yet.

I get chills every time I hear “It was easier to lock the doors and kill the phones than to show my skin,

because the hardest thing is never to repent for someone else,

it’s letting people in.”

Every time this song gets to the last few lines, I start crying. I tried to help someone, but loving them with my whole heart wasn’t enough to save them. I failed everyone. And as stupid as this might sound, the only time I feel really forgiven is listening to this song.

beautiful song, the lyrics are really heavy

“When your helicopter came and tried to lift me out,

I put its rope around my neck.”

geeze, and the ending is just wonderful

This song literally makes me weak. FUCK THIS ALBUM RULES

“Some patients can’t be saved, but that burden’s not on you.

Don’t ever let anyone tell you you deserve that.”

It’s as if he’s saying “Despite our best efforts, you’re going to die. Our hours will be meaningless, but that isn’t your fault.”

And holy fuck I am crying like a three year old right now.

I thought these comments were worth publishing because they are not the typical air-filled blather that you see on these song meaning websites.

“11th Dimension” by Julian Casablancas

I’ve been listening to this record a lot lately.  Definitely the best solo project out of all the members of The Strokes.

“Christmas In Da Club” by Nice Boyz

Download a free MP3 of this song:

http://www.mediafire.com/?bh0zhmmhmmd

Merry Christmas.

“Basic Space” by The xx

Modern R&B from the UK.

“Singer Songwriter” by Okkervil River

A better song from this album is “Lost Coastlines”, but I like the lyrics to this particular number.

Your great-grandfather was a great lawyer,
and his kid made a mint off the war,
your father shot stills and then directed films
that your mom did publicity for.
I saw your older sis on the year’s best book list,
and your brother, he manages bands.

And you’re keen to downplay
but you’re quick to betray
with one well turned out wave of your hand,
you come from wealth,
yeah, you’ve got wealth.
What a bitch they didn’t give you much else.

I heard cuts by The Kinks on your speakers,
I saw Poe and Artaud on your shelves.
While The Last Laugh’s first scene
on your flat panel screen
lit Chanel that you’ve wrapped around yourself.
You’ve got outsider art by an artist who arguably kidnapped a kid on your wall,
while your designers have slyly
directed the eye down clean lines in your well-lit hall.

You’ve got taste, you’ve got taste,
what a waste that that’s all that you have.

You wrote your thesis on the Gospel of Thomas,
you shot some reversal film in Angkor Wat,
and this book you once read
says there’s less people dead
at this point now than those who are not.
And this film we once saw was reviled for its flaws,
but its flaws were what made us have fun.
And the life some folks had might have made us feel bad,
why feel bad man, it’s nothing that you’ve done.
It’s all in your hand, it’s all in your hand,
like a gun, like a globe, like a grand.

And this thing you once said disappeared from my head
in the time that it took to be amazed.
And this thing you once did might have dazzled the kids,
but the kids once grown up are gonna walk away.
And your world is gonna change nothing
And our world is gonna change nothing

“Up Up & Away” by Kid Cudi

I almost gave up on rap music.  I was convinced it was dead.  Nothing but radio pop chart music.  Cookie cutter song formulas.  Auto-Tune talent.  A marketing scheme.  A corporate brand.  A product.  Not art.

But then this new fellow named Kid Cudi came along…

Four reasons why I like this kid:

1. He makes my booty shake and my mind think.
2. He has a song with MGMT and Ratatat.
3. He’s from Ohio.
4. He’s from Outerspace.

“That Look You Give That Guy” by The Eels

New album from Mr. E.  There are a few more gems like this out there.  The title either means “werewolf” or “cohiba cigar”.  I’m not sure.  Video here scares me.

“Crackin’ Up” by King Khan & The Shrines

I’m currently obsessed with this band.  This guy is like the modern day Chuck Berry.