Perfect Albums: múm – Summer Make Good

This is one of my favorite albums of all time.

It is the third album from the Icelandic band múm. They couple lush electronic soundscapes and pulsing rhythms with the most beautiful organic instrumentation one could possibly instrumentate. Pair this with the delicate childlike whisper-singing of Kristín Anna Valtysdottir scattered throughout the record and you obtain what could very well be the most gorgeous album ever recorded.

I’m pretty sure it’s safe to assume every artist from Iceland is damn near amazing, what with the country’s track record of Sigur Rós, Björk, and the lesser known Amiina, and Stórsveit Nix Noltes (which includes current and former members of múm).  That leads in to a bit of a sad thing for me, which is that the original lineup of múm is no more. Twins Gyða and Kristín Anna Valtysdottir left the original 4-piece band, which has since inflated to over 8 members. Gyða actually left before Summer Make Good, but it still turned out to be 100% good. Unfortunately, once Kristín decided it was time to focus on solo material (under the name Kría Brekken), the band had to undergo a massive transformation; one that just isn’t as great as the previous incarnation.

BUT. We must not spend our time lamenting. They did leave us with three brilliant albums [Yesterday Was Dramatic…Today is OK, Finally We Are No One, Summer Make Good], and truth be told their subsequent album [last year’s Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy] wasn’t bad when you consider it on its own merits.

Anyways, here are some songs.

Weeping Rock, Rock

Island of the Children’s Children

Summer Make Good was released in 2004 on Fat Cat. Be watchful of a DMM 180g vinyl reissue of múm’s second album Finally We Are No One sometime in the near future. It’s aaaalmost as good as this one.

Keep it ril.
CIN_ S_FF_RY

P.S. I hope somebody is reading this.

DAN DEACON READIES “BROMST”

DAN DEACON
BROMST

Dan Deacon goes more organic, employing the use of many live instruments amidst his synths. Have a  listen.

Dan Deacon – Snookered

Dan Deacon – Woof Woof

Bromst is released March 24th via Carpark Records.

Also, be absolutely sure to see him April 17th, when he will be playing in some caverns in Burnet, TX, where he will be playing with the full 15-piece ensemble. Get your tickets at Transmission Entertainment. Dan Deacon shows are always the damn best. Don’t miss it.

Cina

NEW AKRON/FAMILY ALBUM

Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free

I’ve got the dang flu, so I’ll keep this short.  This album is really sweet. Here is the first track. It is bangin’.

Akron/Family – Everyone is Guilty

The album comes out May 5th on CD/LP via Dead Oceans

They’ll be around for SXSW.  Don’t miss ’em.

–CCIINNAA!!

DIRTY PROJECTORS

This is a band you must know and love.

THE NEXT TIME THEY COME TO TOWN (there were rumors that it’d be SXSW) YOU ARE REQUIRED TO SEE THEM.

It was hard to find videos of them with good sound quality, but here are the best ones.

The full band:

An acoustic show in an apartment:
Vodpod videos no longer available.

and their awesome Take Away Show…

These songs are from their 2007 album Rise Above, which was band mastermind Dave Longstreth’s reimagining of Black Flag’s album Damaged. This album is one of my favorites of 2007.  Be sure to check it out. Something else to look forward to? TWO new DP albums coming out this year. Yup. Life’s good.

Stay champions.
Cina ❤ ❤ ❤

Tonight, we toke in hell!

Originally posted by Robert Rich on 1/25/08

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Remember in 2004 when that little quartet from Glasgow (Franz Ferdinand) rocked your face with “Take Me Out?” Remember how great that self-titled album was? Remember how disappointed you were the next year when they released You Could Have It So Much Better, a record that wasn’t really bad, but at the same time offered nothing new for your listening pleasure?

And now, for the last five years, you’ve sat around, wondering what happened to those guys, yearning for some great dance-rock album you can put on your iPod for when you run or use as the soundtrack for some drug-addled night of debauchery.

Well, they’ve finally done it. Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is a meaty slice of synthesizer-driven rock fortified by some of the juiciest dance beats this side of Justice. Highly recommended.

You can stream the entire album right now on the band’s MySpace page (my personal favorite track is “Lucid Dreams”), and check out the video for lead single “Ulysses” below.

Neil Young Gets It

Originally posted by Blake Hurtik on 1/21/08

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Hello all. I’ve kind of established myself as the resident old man of the group, so most of my posts will pertain to the music I know best. Anyway, if you know me at all, you know I’m a giant Neil Young fanboy and he just released a new single on his website about a week ago. Props to fellow MEC-er Chris Burchsted for bringing it my attention.

If you don’t know anything about Young, he’s had about as diverse of a career as possible, and lately has emerged as sort of a sage voice of reason and protest in these turbulent times. His new album will have a song about electric cars. He’s converting his ’59 Lincoln Continental to all-electric. He’s the fucking man.

His new song fits perfectly with the mood of the inauguration and also the cold realities that are being felt in its wake. He basically rips Bush and Wall Street a new asshole. Gotta love his black humor. I personally love his jab at the iPod. I’ll be getting his new album on vinyl, for sure.

Neil Young- “Fork in the Road”

Lyrics:
Got a pot belly. 
It’s not too big. 
Gets in my way 
when I’m driving my rig.
 Driving this country
 in a big old rig, 
things I see
 mean a lot.

My friend has a pickup.
 Drives his kid to school.
 Then he takes his wife
to beauty school.

 Now she’s doin’ nails.
 Gonna get a job.
 Got a good teacher.

There’s a fork in the road ahead.
 I don’t know which way I’m gonna turn.
 There’s a fork in the road ahead.

Forgot this year, 
to salute the troops. 
They’re all still there
 in a fucking war. It’s no good.
 Whose idea was that?

I’ve got hope,
 but you can’t eat hope. 
I’m not done. 
Not giving up. 
Not cashing in.
 Too late.

There’s a bailout coming but it’s not for me. 
It’s for all those creeps watching tickers on TV. 
There’s a bailout coming but it’s not for me.

I’m a big rock star.
 My sales have tanked,
 but I still got you.
 Thanks!
 Download this.
 Sounds like shit.

Keep on bloggin’ ’til the power goes out,
 and your battery’s dead.

Twist and Shout. 
On the radio.
 Those were the days.
 Bring ’em back.

There’s a bailout coming but it’s not for you.
 It’s for all those creeps hiding what they do.
 There’s a bailout coming but it’s not for you.
 Bailout coming but it’s not for you.

Got my new flat-screen.
 Got it repo’d now. 
They picked it up.
 Left a hole in the wall.
 Last Saturday.
 Missed the Raiders game.

There’s a bailout coming but it’s not for you.
 There’s a bailout coming but it’s not for you.
 It’s for all those creeps hiding what they do.