Music for days, new and used and mixtified

While I'm *actually* listening to the wind rustle the tall trees in my neighbor's backyard - a gentle sound occasionally punctuated by the rr-buzz of a powersaw or the k-thapp of a hammer employed somewhere in the neighborhood - I could be drowning out all those external sounds with the help of my laptop. You see, over the past couple of days, I've brought a mad amount of new music into the house and haven't really dug into it yet.

This haul comes in three batches, the first of which is a bunch of dancey blog downloads.. and since I haven't really listened to them yet, I can't really comment (and steer you down the path of up-to-the-minute bliss). For now, just check out the links under "Aural Delites", and get these beats direct from the, um, horse's electronic mouth (note to horses: you might better be served by carrying a USB flashdrive here in the 2008). Carry on!

My commentary only starts with this second batch, five physical CDs I brought back from a work trip to the Raleigh Durham area of North Carolina this past week.

1. NEW: Body Language Vol. 6 by Junior Boys
2. NEW: Ghostland Observatory - Robotique Majestique
3. USED: Godspeed You Black Emperor! - F♯A♯∞
4. USED: Godspeed You! Black Emperor [sic] - Yanqui U.X.O.
5. USED: Lansing-Dreiden - The Incomplete Triangle

I love Godspeed You! Black Emperor [sic]; I've mentioned this before, for sure. And, so, I couldn't resist buying up CD Alley's selection of used GY!BE albums (CD Alley is an awesome gem of a music shop in Chapel Hill, NC; and I always make it a point to go there whenever I'm in the area). Having the physical CDs in this case is a special treat because GY!BE CD cases + liner notes contain lovely artwork and ramblings supplemental to the music. I highly recommend all of GY!BE's work - and CD2 of Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven, in particular (a CD I already have); listen in a time of quiet reflection (or if you want to get there). If you see them - or any of their related projects - back on tour, let me know!

After satisfying that small indulgence, consumer bloodlust sank in and I searched the rest of the tightly-packed store; I was going to buy more music.. I mean, I download so many mp3s from a variety of sources (some more legitimate than others), so I do cleanse my conscience from time to time at great local shops like this one (including my hometown slice, Aquarius Records).

Next up, Lansing-Dreiden is a group that you love or hate.. or love to hate. I think more people would enjoy the music if they didn't know about their backstory: they sell themselves as a nameless, faceless, art collective that mixes their buzzing pop sound with a bit from other genres, including 70's glam or crushing metal - sounds good so far - but they also add a whole lotta ostentation (which you figure out when you start reading their liner notes or any other of their printed manifestos.. or attend any of their art shows).

I don't know.. even after seeing their West Coast debut - Myth By Method - at New Langton Arts last year, I can separate out the high-falutin' attitudes from their audio projects. In short, I like their stuff, but won't overly gush over it; it's good to play in the background. The irony is that me "separating out" anything from their body of work is antithesis to the holistic image that they have been trying to cultivate, but, well, what you gonna do? ;)

What I really would like to tell you about is the Body Language mix series. Just out of luck - and faith in the Junior Boys - I grabbed its latest installment (Vol. 6) from CD Alley's just-in selection of new CDs without ever hearing about it before; in fact, I hadn't even heard of any of the songs in the mix.. and only had heard of a handful of the artists involved. Still, I *had* heard about Junior Boys' selector skillz, and a knew of their general aesthetic so - again, I was on a spree - I threw it down in the pile. Buying a CD without having heard it before is such an old-school concept in an age of instant-access media, huh?

Well, the Boys lived up to their reputation; I've been pretty much playing it every day since I got back to town (when I'm not rock climbing at Mt. Diablo State Park or cycling around Nicasio Reservoir over the kickass weekend). Each of the tracks has an underlying structure composed of the brand of warm minimal techno that the Junior Boys themselves are known to produce, but any given track could be influenced by disco, house, or electro - and come from some of the top names (I later find out) in the biz (name check, for example: Matthew Dear, Prins Thomas Miks, Todd Terje); they make great beats. It's definitely some soundtrack for your next afterparty where you're still wanting to get your seductive dance-on (without diving into the cliché of Al Greene or Cafe del Mar). ha! It's got me wondering what's going on with the five prior Body Language releases..

In any case, before I dive into the third batch of music, check the last CD I picked up on my trip to Chapel Hill: the new full-length from Ghostland Observatory, Robotique Mystique. I've mentioned these guys a few times before, so let me just say that I've seen them twice now, en vivo, and I couldn't *not* get this album, if only because seeing their name reminds me of their rocking liveshow. In fact, I'm seeing them again this Thursday at Mezzanine with a friend, so I should use my new CD to study up on some lyrics right now (as if you need to *really* know the lyrics to enjoy the sonic swagger of Ghostland Observatory). All I know is that I'm ready to get my sweat on. ;)

Whew!

I guess this brings me to the last bit here, where I found a nice surprise on a Saturday morning: multiple mix CDs, homemade and musically diverse in my mailbox; it seemed to be the time of the year to reap the mix-CD-by-mail bounty that I done sowed at the end of February. I noticed that the mixes are definitely more "indie rock" heavy than I typically listen to these days - same as in the last mix CD "cycle" - but I guess part of the charm of this friendly (and friend-of-friendly) program is that I have a chance to listen to things that aren't on my usual laser-focused radar. So, King of Prussia and Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, here I come! Or, rather, they come to me! It's a good system. haha.

So that's that.

As a bonus, let me direct you to the new Sam Sparro music video for "Black and Gold" - in case you missed its debut last month. I like (video). But maybe that's because I do love me some post-production gold dust à la Chromeo's Needy Girl video? I can say that that's certainly part of the appeal (ha!), but "Black and Gold" - as a song - has been one of my favorites from Mr. Sparro since even before the single was officially released last year. So, I say to you: enjoy it now!