Gang Gang Dance have successfully avoided genre labels up until now, so I’m not going to be the person who attempted to pigeon hole them.  In a telling interview with Vice earlier this year, GGD talks about making music in reaction to their dislike of other music being released.  They go on to say that although their process might start from a negative place, something musically beautiful usually comes out of it.  Given the amount of times I’ve gotten lost in God’s Money - I’d have to agree.

Three years since the release of their first LP, Gang Gang Dance has a multitude of treats for you.  First off, the group released an amazing visual experiment titled Retina Riddim, which you can view for free (this week only) on Pitchfork TV.  If you are prone to seizures you might want to avoid this one.  Next, they have their sophomore full length coming out in Oct , titled Saint Dymphna, and judging from the press release it’s going to be quite the ride.  Finally, we have a preview of sorts to the upcoming release with xxxchange’s remix of “House Jam.”

[mp3] Gang Gang Dance - House Jam(xxxchange remix)

Artist Page  | buy God’s Money

We here at RC love us some Shawn Kim. Nobody knows who he is, but are all 1/2 talking about him when raving about Patrick Daughters videos.Shawn co-directed (and I’m guessing completely traveled and shot) this one with Aaron Stewart-Ahn, and it seems to have been glossed over a bit. This is good stuff. It takes its time and takes you along for a journey.As a guy who reps his Death & Dismemberment tour t-shirt sparingly for fear of anything happening to it, I Will Possess Your Heart is a return to some pretty good Death Cab. Droning into American Analog Set territory a little.Relax a minute, let go of your mouse completely, and sit though it once. Watch for the cliff to frame in through the window on the train.

Its a bit of a spectacle with this whole ‘Broken Social Scene presenting’ platform.  How am I supposed to objectively listen to an album when it says right in the title that it is backed by one of the most acclaimed of super groups and collectives of the present.  Its like a proclamation to all would-be listeners: “this is going to be good, trust us.”  And after giving Brendan Canning’s Something For All Of Us… a few listens through, it really is good.  Trust us.

Its hard to know who is put on display though.  Its partly obvious that Brendan Canning is under the spotlight, but on a stage and theater run by Broken Social Scene, in a city populated with BSS soldiers and civilians, and with a backing band made up of a lot of your friends from BSS.  Its like BSS has gone corporate and has created this reciprocal solution of success for the members of the band collectively as well as individually.  I don’t have a problem with this semi-sponsorship/name dropping approach to getting new music out to the right customer.  I guess its just nice to find new music from people you can trust.

[mp3] Brendan Canning - Hit The Wall

This album came up in Brendan Canning’s guest list over at Pitchfork.  It would seem that any record that influences the sound of a band like Broken Social Scene or the great new record from Canning would be worth a listen or two.  After giving it the once over, Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-sounds & Nigerian Blues 1970-6 is a great supplement to any summer playlist and would fit in nicely with anything that induces cloudy visions of setting, shining suns.  Personally, it sounds like a late summer record ready to use during those burnt out, late August afternoons when one has lost the energy to actually make it out to the beach but still wants the transportational effect of getting out of the apartment.  Listen to some samples below.

Where have you been Zack de la Rocha?  The world’s falling apart around us, and you’re nowhere to be seen.  Yeah you’ve played some shows with Rage, but that just doesn’t cut it - we need to know what you’re thoughts on our present situation.  The explanation for the band’s name might help explain Zack’s approach to music:

“The name taken from the infamous 1970 black and white, captured by legendary Chicano photographer George Rodriquez featuring a center framed  tag on a white wall in an unspecified section of Boyle Heights.  It reads: ‘It’s better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb.’ This record is a stripped down attempt to realize this sentiment in sound.”

This sentiment is alive in the difference between Zack’s post Rage Against the Machine career and the rest of the band.  From what I can see Audio Slave is nothing but a productive lamb, yet Zack’s presumed silence keeps him the stalking lion waiting to unleash.  To be fair though, at some point it does become more about what you accomplish than merely speak about.  With that say hello to One Day As a Lion.

One Day As a Lion is still a bit of a mystery, but “Wild International” motions towards a sparser, more electronic Rage Against the Machine with distorted keys, popping drums and of course an attack of syllables.  We’ll keep you posted on any potential shows coming up.  Right now you can only hear “Wild International” on their Myspace page, but the EP is out today so go buy it.

Myspace Site | buy One Day As a Lion

I can grasp the frustration of anyone that comes out of a manically organized O.C. suburbia like Irvine.  With 2/4 of the members of Bodies of Water claiming Irvine, CA as their hometown, that innate frustration of growing up as an upper middle class youth is completely tangible to me.  I use to hold a grudge against Bodies of Water for their lambasting of some esteemed artists like Jeff Buckley and Joni Mitchell.  Luckily my ill will has lapsed and I am able to enthusiastically welcome the new Bodies of Water record, A Certain Feeling, with all of its jazzy, stoney, 90s, rock jam goodness.  For me the opening track off of A Certain Feeling falls somewhere between a balls out snow ball fight and some long winded south swell surf session.  In other words, its as fun as it is epic, as bright as it is cool.  Check it out below.

[mp3] Bodies of Water - Gold, Tan, Peach, and Grey

Similar Artists: Arcade Fire, Karl Blau, Parts & Labor, Bowerbirds

| Artist Page | Pre-order A Certain Feeling |

Later this month Takka Takka’s sophomore album, Migration, is being released, an album that out runs the sophomore slump with the power of re-invention.  While We Feel Safer At Night embraced acoustic guitars, Lou Reed talk-singing and straightfoward rhythms, Migration focuses on more subtle nuances in muted guitars, hushed recording and more complex rhythms.  Both albums have a deep New York center, they just approach the music with different decades of influence.

“Everybody Say” is a good representation of the album as a whole.  The song is subdued  on all fronts.  A muted guitar acts more as a rhythm line, and Gabe’s vocals sound like melodic speaking.  The song refuses to build - content with it’s single frequency delivery.  Yet, there’s nowhere it needs to go, because it’s completely hypnotic and soothing as it is.

[mp3] Takka Takka - Everybody Say

07-15 – New York, NY @ Pianos (Record Release Residency)
07-22 – New York, NY @ Pianos (Record Release Residency)
07-24 – Chicago, IL @ Daytrotter Session!
07-25 – Chicago, IL @ Shubas
07-26 – Madison, WI @ The Frequency - Madison
07-29 – New York, NY @ Pianos (Record Release Residency)

| artist page | preorder Migration here |

A lot of people loved them and a lot of people got tired of them.  Come this September, the Cold War Kids are going to try and strengthen the testimony of their followers or convert the nonbelievers with their sophomore release Loyalty to Loyalty.  Though the Cold War Kids were one of my favorite local, LA-based acts of 2006, I find myself in need of some convincing that their new album will be “something of a masterpiece…brimming with the poignant, intimate narratives and brooding atmospherics”, as their press release states.  I am hopeful though after I heard this little snippet from the upcoming album:

Loyalty to Loyalty tracklisting:1. Against Privacy
2. Mexican Dogs
3. Every Valley Is Not A Lake
4. Something Is Not Right With Me
5. Welcome To The Occupation
6. Golden Gate Jumpers
7. Avalanche in B
8. I’ve Seen Enough
9. Every Man I Fall For
10. Dreams Old Men Dream
11. On The Night My Love Broke Through
12. Relief
13. CryptomnesiaDates in Full:
08/22/08 Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco, CA
08/23/08 Sunset Junction Festival, Los Angeles, CA
08/24/08 Les Schwab Amp, Bend, OR
09/20/08 Street Scene, San Diego, CA
09/27/08 Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
09/28/08 Richards on Richards, Vancouver, Canada
09/29/08 The Showbox at the Market, Seattle, WA
10/01/08 The Neurolux, Boise, ID
10/02/08 In The Venue, Salt Lake City, UT
10/03/08 Boulder Theatre, Boulder, CO
10/10/08 Fine Line Music Café, Minneapolis, MN
10/11/08 Vic Theatre, Chicago, IL
10/14/08 Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
10/15/08 Webster Hall, NYC
10/16/08 Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
10/17/08 Theatre of the Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
10/18/08 Nightclub 9:30, Washington, D.C.
10/20/08 Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
10/21/08 Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN
10/23/08 Lola’s, Ft. Worth, TX
10/24/08 Emo’s Alt. Lounge-Outside, Austin, TX
10/25/08 Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
10/26/08 Voodoo Music Experience, New Orleans, LA

Tickets are available through the band’s website www.coldwarkids.com

[mp3] Cold War Kids - Tonight, You Belong To Me (Cover)

| Artist Page |

Lackthereof, Danny Seim’s side project, doesn’t attempt to step outside the Menomena shadow it’s been veiled under, and why should it?  I’ve been wanting to hear a new Menomena song for a while, and “Last November” is a great addition to the catalogue.

Much like Autolux, Lackthereof / Menomena focuses heavily on setting the mood of a song through droning keys/guitars and crisp, up front percussion.  Danny Seim’s drum sounds make other drummers weep in shame, and just to prove it’s not some studio magic he brings the same tone and precision to his live show.

Your Anchor comes out on July 22nd through Barsuk.

[mp3] Lackthereof - Last November

| artist page | buy album

Any fan of Autolux understands the pain and frustration that comes from waiting for a new album release.  So it is no minor news to present the new single “Audience No 2″ from Autolux’s TBD new album.  It’s been four years since Future Perfect was released, and although they did a lot of touring on that album it still lends the question - what took so long?  There were announcements on their site back in 2007 about the new LP, but nothing ever materialized.

Despite the TBD on both release date and title, Autolux have given us a treat to chew on while the main course is wheeled out, and boy is it tasty.  Within the first two bars of “Audience No 2″ it is clear that Autolux are still the band I know and love.  Taking cues from “Turnstile Blues,”Carla Azar delivers another haunting percussion beat, while Eugene and Greg come in with just the right bit of feedback and ghostly tone to make this album even more anticipated.  The recording on this song (and all of Future Perfect) sounds like it was performed in an abandoned warehouse on the moon, and yet they somehow manage to keep everything sonically perfect.  Enough of me, go enjoy the song.

Download “Audience No 2″ at Autolux’s site.  They are asking for a dollar donation if you have the heart.

| artist page | buy Future Perfect |