For anyone who doesn’t know the musical biography of Jay Dee aka J Dilla, I encourage you to go read and explore the recent Pitchfork article charting his influence and story. His story was tragically cut short at 32, dying of a rare blood disease TTP, but his rich catalogue of beats continues to be used today - over four years after his death.

The singularity is near!  Ray Kurzweil’s book of the same name describes a time where human’s will transcend biology, and listening to “Wilderness” made me conscious of where music sits in relation to this revolutionary precipice.  In some ways there is nothing fresh about Active Child’s production - vocals backed by an electronic beat began several decades ago.  On the other hand, there is something very new about the ease and availability of technology and where it is leading us.  A project like Active Child can simultaneously sound lo and hi-fi.  The lo-fi element comes from the warmth of analog.  It’s why human’s gravitate towards vinyl, Bob Dylan and Daniel Johnston.  We want that hiss and pop and human inflection.  The hi-fi production comes from the immense technological resources at our fingertips.  A studio full of equipment is now available with one click of the mouse.  And it’s finally real. We’ve reached that tipping point.  What’s emerged from this are a group of artists (Memory Tapes, Active Child, new Animal Collective, Neon Indian etc…) who give technology an analog heart.  The days of “Drum Machines Have No Souls” bumper stickers are over.

So where does that leave Active Child. On the surface Pat Grossi’s project is a dubby, basement producer’s take on Grizzly Bear.  It’s lo-fi in all the right places, but facilitated by technology’s democratizing presence.

[mediafire] Active Child - Wilderness

(photo cred: Mike McDougal)

We all have that one friend who always manages to pull out a guitar at get-togethers, as semi-circles of friends form around them for a mini performance of old cover songs, inviting sing-a-longs, or something new and unique. But not all of us are lucky enough to be able to be a part of a semi circle around someone as talented as the scruffy Mr. David Bazan.  After all, it isn’t every day that the mastermind behind Pedro the Lion does a tour of solely intimate house shows, with only forty tickets sold per house. I was one of the lucky few that got a ticket after hovering over my computer mouse until the tickets went on sale, only to be sold out twenty minutes later.

He sat at the edge of a long couch in the cement-floored loft, embracing his acoustic guitar, as the city lights of downtown Los Angeles glowed through the window behind him. Bazan opened by saying that he’d mostly be playing new material from his anticipated album, Curse Your Branches, coming out August 25th.  Having never seen Bazan live before, I was slightly disappointed that he only played a couple of Pedro the Lion songs, but it was refreshing to hear something fresh and new without a band behind him. With a raspy voice and a squint in his left eye, he sang in the acoustically accommodating loft, as everyone sat staring and listening, as young children would sit around an elder, gazing upward in awe and astonishment.

What really made this performance unique was the way David Bazan paused between each song to ask if anyone had any questions.  At first it seemed as though he wanted people to ask about his music, but when he asked the group what their favorite movies were, it was obvious he was just a down to earth dude wanting to get to know his fans. He even told a story about paying for some program that taught him sweet dance moves, and how his wife walked in on him attempting the moves and failing miserably.  The echoing laughter brought such fantastic energy that added to the already radiant loft.  While playing a bit of a downer song, the host’s Dachshund interrupted the performance, and as Bazan laughed he said how difficult it was to sing about death when a cute dog is chilling next to you. His last song was the cover “Hallelujah,” initially written by Leonard Cohen, but covered by many, including Bob Dylan and Jeff Buckley. Bazan’s brutal and honest songwriting makes him one of most well rounded artists of today, and being able to see him perform his trade with his overwhelming raw emotion in such a setting allowed for a truly exceptional musical experience.

The legal and ethical questions around downloading music often lie in the murky gray zone between right and wrong; however, an exclusively recorded charity album for AIDS awareness is a clear cut decision.

Dark Was The Night is a collaborative music project created by members of The National and John Carlin (founder of Red Hot Organization).  Instead of just curating an album of pre-existing songs, these guys approached the biggest talents in independent music and recorded an exclusive track for the compilation.  The result is an astonishing 29 track exploration of the artists who will define this era of music.  It sounds silly to say that in the present, but who can deny that Andrew Bird, Arcade Fire, Beirut, Bon Iver, Conor Oberst, Feist, Sufjan Stevens, Yo La Tengo, Dirty Projectors, Kevin Drew and a host of others will be the musicians that embody the 00’s.

Go buy the compilation, support a worthy cause and enjoy some great music!

South by Southwest (March 18th– 22nd) is one of the largest musical festivals in the U.S. and features what seems like a bazillion musical acts from around the globe.  The bands perform on over eighty stages in downtown Austin, Texas, all hoping to generate buzz and make it big in the coming year… unless of course they’ve already made it.

Here is the official 2009 schedule

To call is overwhelming is an understatement. I counted about 100 bands JUST listed under the letter A.  To help wade through all that madness, here are a couple of links with great pre-festival coverage.

SXSW official site:

In addition to news updates and interviews, they’ve got a great music player that streams artists all day long.

NPR’s Austin 100:

NPR listened to more than 1,000 SXSW bands.  Then they whittled those acts down to their favorite 100 songs. You can stream or view that list here. You can also download a 10-song sampler.

Austin Chronicle:

This is a fantastic site.  I love their pick/sleeper choices for each day of the festival.

Austin 360:

Tons of great SXSW blog links.

“It’s hot in here,” Cursive front man Tim Kasher said as he worked the mic in front of a sold out crowd Friday. “It’s getting very sexy up here.”

The girl at the base of the stage fondling her man friend nodded in agreement.

This was the Omaha band’s second performance in Los Angeles this week.  The Troubadour and Spaceland shows were part of the promotional tour for their sixth album -Mama, I’m Swollen-, which hit the shelves March 10th.

“This is the week our album came out, so we’re really happy to be here,” said the pretty damn charming Kasher, who sported a plaid shirt and scruffy beard.

While Pitchfork.com said Cursive fans are “likely to be divided” over the new album, I didn’t pick up any “I miss the old stuff” vibes at the show.  I’ll admit it, I’m not a die hard fan and couldn’t always distinguish between the new and the old material, but the audience seemed to be singing, fist pumping and crying during every song the Omaha kings had to offer. OK… Maybe not crying.

One of the old iones I’m certain they played was “The Recluse.”  It’s a song off their Ugly Organ album that every Cursive fan knows by heart. (Well, not every fan. I have no idea what the guy next to me was singing during that number.)  When the choir of fans belted out the chorus of “I’m not that desperate. Oh no. Oh God… I am,” it was pretty amazing.

At one point during the set, it looked like all the energy in the room was going to channel itself into a mini mosh pit, but two girls in the front put the kibosh on that one.  “Chill out,” I saw them mouth as they shoved a guy in back of them.

Kasher made time to thank the two Saddle Creek bands that opened the show, Little Brazil and Ladyfinger.  He said their albums were two of his favorite records this year.  “If you don’t have our record, I’d prefer you have their records instead. They’re great. Check them out.” He insisted this wasn’t a fake sales pitch.

Cursive’s performance ended around the same time their late night television debut aired on David Letterman.   They played “From the Hips” off the new album.  It was much hotter live.

It doesn’t take long to get a sense of what Dan Deacon is all about.  On his breakout album Spiderman of The Rings, Deacon’s hi-pitched, electro, one man dance party sucks you in and forces you to have fun.  Check this video if you need a visual.  That being said, Spiderman was a few years ago and Deacon is a two months away from releasing his next statement, Bromst.  Until now the album has been a mystery, but with today’s release of the Dan Deacon / Adventure Split 12″ we have our first album track “Get Older.”

The biggest departure Deacon offers on Bromst is a more ensembled cast of instruments.  Instead of just utilizing his tray of lo fi synths, he’s brought in acoustic instruments, drums, brass etc…  From “Get Older” it’s apparent that these additions have done nothing to tamper with the heart of a DD track, but have only created a fuller sonic experience.

Bromst will be released on March 24th and Dan Deacon will embark on yet another massive tour this Spring.  Check dates after the jump.

[stream] Dan Deacon - Get Older

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Over at Rewriteable Content, I used to write a reoccurring post that paired up recent books I’d been reading with a corresponding song.  I thought I would start that tradition on this blog as well.

Infinite Jest

[mp3] Antony and the Johnsons - Another World

Rant

[mp3] Bonnie Prince Billy - The Seedling

The Year of Magical Thinking

[mp3] Department of Eagles - What Can Be Done

Ghost Wars

[mp3] Black Mountain - Tyrants

The Road

[mp3] Modest Mouse - Tiny Cities Made of Ashes