(Formerly known as "Music Goodies") The Indie Antechamber is a collection of music that Joe Wierzbicki (author) has on high rotation, finds interesting, or feels the need to express his thoughts to the web. The Antechamber is a refreshing take on new/upcoming/unknown artists and plans to become a unique source for music.
So this album leaked several days ago and I got it, legally of course. ;) Well anyways I was gonna do a full analysis of this, but since it took me a couple days to get to this I'm gonna half-ass it. Um some BBC article mentioned that this album is Arcade Fire's Ok Computer, but better. I hate when people use comparisons like these especially when it involves putting one above the other because who or what is better is all a matter of opinion [more so than rating an album based on it's quality itself]. I actually don't really know what the author is trying to say with that statement. Since I think The Bends is better, does he/she mean that The Suburbs is great but not as great as Funeral? I don't really know. I think it is obvious that you cannot match something as perfect as Funeral. However, after listening to this album for the past day or so, I can tell you that this album is very satisfying. My half-ass is kicking in; go by this album when it comes out on August 3rd.
In case you didn't already know, The Faint are awesome. I saw them on friday at the Metro and I have to say you missed out on the best $27 tickets one could ever buy. But the show would be severely tested with many worst-case scenarios.
The show started with Codebreaker first opening the show, late. They weren't terrible, but the singer just got on my nerves because he said the same five words over 6 minutes songs. After they finished, late, I had to listen to the worst band I have ever heard in my entire life, Zola Jesus. While they played their terrible music, I could stop thinking about that one episode of south park with the goths versus the douche bag vampires. This band must think, "Oh, no one understands our music, but we still rock."
Oh, but everyone there understood that you suck, Zola Jesus. What an unfortunate name, and probably the worst reference Jesus could ever have. And as I kept wishing for Jesus Christ to smite this terrible band, the lead singer (who reminded me of a train-wreck Christina Aguilera on meth) decided to pace back and forth off the stage, as if she was a rat trying to find the nearest exit out of the simplest maze.
Ooo0o0o0ooo00ah...GOD NO MY EARS!!!
As if that was not bad enough, I have to add the story my adventure trying to get home from this concert. Because the concert ended later than expected due to the two horrible opening acts, we had missed the last Metra train at 12:40pm. So, our best bet was to take the red line down to the chicago loop, and then transfer to the blue line all the way to Forest Park, and get someone to pick us up from that stop. Well, of course at midnight, there was a torrential downpour. Not only that when we get on the blue line, the first train we got on had to go out of service at UIC-Halsted and we had to wait there with the occasional ghetto folk asking if we smoke weed.
Twenty minutes later, we hopped on the next CTA train. Some guy wearing a trash bag over his body comes up to us four and mumbles a story about how he needs two dollars for a bus ride in Cicero. We don't budge at first, but the guy keeps mumbling his "story." Finally one of us cracks, probably due to fear he had a weapon under his garbage bag, and gave him two dollars. Lucky his stop comes up shorty afterwords and we never see him again. Seconds later, we learn that the train has to stop at Austin because of flooding at Oak Park. Yes, Austin. In case you didn't know the neighborhood, Austin is the largest neighborhood in Chicago, 87% African American, and 3 days before 7 people were shot within the hour. Oh, and did I mention I am still in my work clothes?
So once we walked out of the Austin station, there were two buses waiting to take everybody either to the westbound or eastbound destinations. We got on the westbound bus and overheard that it has been sitting there for already an hour. (Screw this!) I tell my friends to just call our ride and tell him to pick us up at the Austin station. An hour later after waiting in the station with various questionable people and two cops, in the torrential rain, our ride finally shows up. It was 3:00am at the time.
Even after the insane pain, agony, and fear I had to get through that day, The Faint Concert at the Metro was still one of the best concerts I've ever been to. Front row, with a perfect set-list, and killer performance for $27 is definitely something worth risking my life for.
Speaking of the set, The Faint had these alien statues all around the stage made out of what looked like plastic wrap and newspaper, and a couple of them had LED light eyes. You can kind of see them in the video.
Well it's the final day of Pitchfork 2010 at Union Park in Chicago, and if you ended up buying tickets before they sold out, I hate you very much. Although I am still pretty pissed about missing today's epic lineup, my anger has subsided due to one performance on the Friday lineup. Robyn. I had listened to her new album a month before and liked many of her songs, but something about her performance was truly electric (accidental pun). Maybe it was all her perfectly performed songs. Maybe it was her awesome dance moves that looked like a hipster version of Andrew W.K. Either way, Robyn almost came out of no where and delivered. Therefore I must show you awesome songs that you missed from her. [EDIT] CHECK OUT THE VIDEO FROM PITCHFORK (and there's more on youtube!)
Here's a new psychedelic band from Chicago. You can't buy the album yet (their bandcamp page says August 3 2010 on it so I assume that is when it will be released) but you can listen to the whole album here on this post or on their bandcamp page. Secret Colours [on Bandcamp]
Listen to the full debut album from Best Coast here thanks to urban outfitters. If this isn't a perfect complimentary summer album, then I don't know what summer is.
I guarantee you when we look back at this current decade from the year 2020, we will see it as the age of electronic collaboration. From 2009 to today, we have experienced the wonders of brilliant works from Animal Collective, Caribou, Dirty Projectors, the Flaming Lips, Panda Bear, Fuck Buttons, Neon Indian, Hot Chip, Gorillaz, Delorean, Flying Lotus, Janelle Monae, my two previous posts, and much more. Not only that but more and more band are collaborating the typical four man band with electronic sounds, and hip hop artist themselves are starting (at least some of them) to create more musical electronic eargasmic sounds. [I'm talking about sounds more than an obnoxiously loud solo bass in "a mili"] Anyways, the way artists are perfecting and understanding the electronic sound (for example by replicating realistic sounds) are getting better and better. There is no turning back. Sorry, but electronic, or what you may call it (could be the next extremely broad genre like alternative) will only grow exponentially.
Which brings me to my next electronic band love-affair: Baths. Like I said... exponentially.
Maximalist
<3 (yes the song is indeed called <3)
Lovely Bloodflow
Buy the album here on amazon:
MP3 download- Cerulean
CD- Cerulean
This guy is very strange, based on his music video of come with me. His music on the other hand is awesome. I love strange people with awesome musical talents.
For all of the Hype I had been hearing about this album, Big Boi w/o doubt delivers with a very impressive album. Depending on how much the pop demographic knows about this album, this could be the top album of the year. Take a listen of the entire album here at myspace and watch the crazy video of shutterbug.
Welcome to a new segment of my music goodies miniseries, Soundtrack of My Life, where I find cool ass tunes that I would put in my movies/youtube clips if I had anything interesting to make a video about a video recorder. Anyways this group of tunes each had great sections that would be great to hear during the beginning or [preferably] the end. Hell, maybe I'll write justifications for each song, or maybe I will disappoint you once more with my newly acquired third-grade writing skills.
Hollywood- Dog & Panther
Alright so yes I have been boasting a lot about this group lately, yes I already have the entire album available to listen in my previous post, and yes I would use every song to soundtrack my videos to death like everyone does with coldplay's parachutes. Oh and yes Dog & Panther is awesome. Q.E.D.
Oh Little Brain Oh Little Brain- STS9
Another band where literally many of their songs could have been chosen for this soundtrack category.
Vio spilum endalaust- Sigur Ros
A very lovely song. Sigur Ros is a must have in everyone's music library.
Cascade- Hyper
If there is anyone out there that has a video recorder and who free runs, this is definitely my soundtrack for my first parkour vid (or maybe the end credits theme?). Also if there is anyone reading my blog...anyone...please do let me know.
Take It In- Hot Chip
You know what? Just go back to the Hot Chip post from June and listen to it there, okay? Can't I be lazy for once?
Bad Light Bad Light- Built to Spill
Another must-have song, from a must-have album, from a must-have band.
The Rolling People- The Verve
It really grinds my gears that everyone has and knows "bittersweet symphony" yet no one had the decency to listen to the rest of the album by the verve. Oasis feels that pain as well.
This is an edit to my first ever post, however it is so important that I needed to re-post this artist again. Apparently Modern Rivals released a debut EP for FREE including "The Accidental" from my first post. Download it! Did I mention it's free?!
Just found out about this band today. They are really unknown throughout the web, so let's hope I spread the word! You can listen and purchase the album here.
Audio CD
