Beach House - Gila 

I am a forty watt light bulb on the awning of a small cabin hidden amongst a forest of Wisconsin confiers. At night I cast fluorescence upon a patio of warped wooden planks and mismatching rocking chairs which sway carelessly whether or not they are occupied. I am another sun, I attract the fleeting insects, I nourish the lonely few that occupy the cabin. I should have expired a year ago but I continue to radiate upon the encroaching black curtain of the wilderness. Sometimes I flicker. Mostly I shine.

—–

Sam and I are slowly coming back to this site, apologies to everyone.

Photo by Pat Henson..

Elis & Tom - Aguas de Marco 

So apparently this is one of Brazil’s most popular and adored songs, though I never had the pleasure of hearing it until my good friend Micah included it on a mix for me not two months ago. A glorious piece of bossa nova.It’s awfully odd for me to imagine those countries south of the equator entering summer now as I regularly don ill-fitting sweaters and outlandish gloves. I hope this song cheers everyone who listens to a pleasant duet with the upcoming season. A charming little waltz. Make your decisions, shift, direct yourself steadfastly. Obligingly northern winds eddy in response. Everyone is home for the winter. You pick up the pace. Jauntily, jealously, winter matches your speed, chills. But you have a red scarf, you’re warm. Seasons change, partners pair and part.

Check out the marvelous Elis & Tom CD on amazon.

Picture by pullmanka.

Dragonette - Black Limosine

I’m going to post little disclaimer on this song: it will ruin your musical taste. I can’t stop listening to it. The lyrics and sound jive in a way that creates an indomitable sync of shimmering lux power. Honestly the song speaks for itself. Just listen.

image by v’ls

The Pipettes - Sex

A much belated thanks goes out to Alex who helped construct this site under the maladroit guidance of two computer churls. Once we go viral the first bottle of Korbel will warmly go to you.

In the first of many segments exploring the glories of pop music I present to you The Pipettes with their jaded take on the birds and bees. Dawdle a bit over romances or prospectives as you rest your pretty head, maybe divulge some passionate intents to a third party because later if you’re lucky then there’s no need for talking in what you’re about to do (read).

Check out more from The Pipettes here.

Photo by Meemz.

Slaraffenland - Watch Out

The tenacity of my caution in unremarkable circumstances must be one of my worst flaws. A guarded disposition for the duration of a party, the timidity I miraculously surmount against tele-marketers, any form of eye contact–perhaps this pseudo-agoraphobia serves well to keep me on alert against whatever it is I have in mind that thrives on my ruin, but life would be so much easier without some overzealous traffic officer lording over my synapses.

I like to imagine this song by the remarkably talented Copenhagen-based Slaraffenland as a sort of rough blueprint for the anxieties of all those folks out there that don’t quite have sociability down pat. A heaving interchange of sounds halcyon and frenzied, soothed and agitated, punctuated by the reprimand “YOU BETTER WATCH OUT”. Relentlessly we avoid the uncomfortable louder moments for those that may be silent now but nothing ever is for long. Why?

I never really know.

Photo by the vicious one.

Girl Talk - Non-Stop Party Now

Girl Talk - Overtime

You know how you can smell the heat in water right before it begins to boil? That smell is the odor of potential. That smell yields one conclusion: the inevitable explosion of heat and intensity that will swallow up and transform anything in proximity. This same scent of uncontrolled potentiality blanketed Stage 3 at FFF Fest last Saturday night with Girl Talk’s performance. It took seconds for the excited crowd to rush on-stage and commence in a wild dance party once DJ Gregg Gillis bawled “LETS GET THIS SHOW A LITTLE CLOSER!” The gig was absolutely absorbing.

This was my first time seeing Girl Talk, and I can say that I’ve never seen a more involved / totally chaotic audience ever. His endless mashups lasted for over an hour and evoked a compulsion towards mania, yielding dives from the 20ft rafters and at least a dozen security guards fruitlessly attempting to prevent gaggles of scensters from scrambling on-stage. I had a hoot.

Sorry I’m late.

photo by Fibers

So we took this video of Final Fantasy playing the Destroyer song “An Actor’s Revenge” featuring Dan Bejar and Cadence Weapon. It was off the chain. Could Dan Bejar look like any more of a badass with that nonchalant swagger?

Prince - Purple Rain

I think Of Montreal might have been my favorite show that night, performing in all their psychedelic and suggestively androgynous glory. They played a solid hour+ set, and at certain choruses in the more poppy songs the entire crowd grooved as one cohesive funk-vehicle for Kevin Barnes’s molding. One of their last songs was a cover of the song above. Needless to say it was fulfilling.

Picture by Chris Nguyen.

Au Revoir Simone - The Lucky One

I saw this trio a few months back with Oh No! Oh My! in Houston. An untimely cloudburst threatened the band’s mountain of cables and pianos as they were moving into the venue, so naturally my friends and I helped out and were able to talk with the lovely ladies before and after the show. It has been my experience that getting to know a musician’s general disposition usually induces a revelation for the ethos of the music that they create. Such was certainly true for Au Revoir Simone. Their gentle voices and thinly cracked smiles aptly reflect the whimsical lyrics and celestial melodies. Every time I listen to this album–which is becoming more and more frequent as winter approaches–I too crack a smile recalling the impassioned minds that collaborated to make such tender tunes.

I strongly suggest the album The Bird of Music.

More on Au Revoir Simone here.

PS
FFFFest picture/video technical difficulties are pointing to posts covering the shows later on in the week. Amazement was had by all!

photo by Martin Hyers @ aurevoirsimone.com

Fun Fun Fun Fest most certainly lived up to it’s name. Though Sam and I saw only the Saturday segment of the festival we definitely witnessed some highlights of the show. Final Fantasy, Of Montreal, and Girl Talk were glorious. Pictures and more info very soon. In the meantime, enjoy some Of Montreal from Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

Thunderheist - Horny

I guess I’ll unveil my love for nasty rhymes early in. Sometimes I come across songs like these two that are too goddamn catchy (albeit zany) not to nod one’s head/hips to. Both are evocative of my Missy Elliot days with a bit of Cut Copy folded in. The beats are fierce in my book.

This weekend is FunFunFun Fest in the ATX. Keep an eye out the next few days as we’ll be seeing and posting on Explosions in the Sky, Girl Talk, Final Fantasy, and more!

Now take a gander. Dance a little!