Today’s bloggin’ best…
- Check out the new XXXChange powered track by Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke, “Tenderoni.” Pitchfork
- Phoenix performs acoustic in the rain on the Spin rooftop. Spin
- New Lupe Fiasco video, “I’m Beaming.” MissInfo
- The guy in The Flaming Lips who does heroin is hospitalized. Palm Beach Post
- Theophilus London new mixtape, I Want You. Hypebeast
- RZA announces Liquid Swords 2. URB
“What is music?” is a question that seems to be on the mind (or meme) of a lot of people lately. Last year’s best selling book This Is You Brain On Music took a scientific shot at explaining the phenomenon of rhythm, tone and timbre while indie documentary The Heart Is A Drum Machine takes a far more anecdotal approach to the question. In fact, anecdotal is what defines this film (released on DVD last week), which culls together 70-plus minutes of interview footage with an eclectic assortment of music practitioners and enthusiasts that range from Red Hot Chili Pepper guitarist John Frusciante and actress-turned-rocker Julliette Lewis to comedy team Tim and Eric and scientist Ann Druyan.
Today’s Best Bloggin…
- Phoenix “Lisztomania” is covered by NYC elementary school kids. Prefix
- Wayne Coyne is making another movie. Billboard
- Blondie has a new disco-punk-new wave line of Converse. Spin
- D’Angelo pays for sex, but only $40. AOL
- NPR is streaming the new White Stripes live album. NPR
- Raaaaaaaandy disses Justin Bieber. 2DopeBoyz
- Keith Richards still gets hiiiiiiiigh! Rolling StoneDaily
With a name like Cloud Cult and some admittedly somewhat slightly mad-looking musicians, the band packs a sound that is more affable and subtle in tone than anything else. But here’s a fairly diverse and well-schooled group of virtuosos — it’s almost as if Julliard had a mental ward, and these seven had just managed to escape their straitjackets, get loose on the streets and find themselves a studio.
Words by Kyrstin Stone
When I first saw the artwork for the new Ape School album, I was expecting something completely over the top, but upon hearing the first song Wail to God, I was shocked (a good shocked)! Armed with a Moog synthesizer that dates back to 1965, Michael Johnson and Company deliver music that is sure to put you in a dreamlike state. Even though they are classified as Neo-Psych and constantly compared to groups such as the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev, Ape School is definitely in a league of its own. The catchy hooks paired with innovative sounds are what make Ape School a band truly worth checking out, especially if you are in the hunt for “a more cohesive, dramatic, and accidental love affair between machines and, less so, American Whitey.”
Ape School – Wail to God
Ape School – Wail to God Remix
