Tag Archives: Shugo Tokumaru

Music Monday 5.3.10

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Last.fm was being a little jerky boy this week and it carried over some artists from last week, so I just cut it down to six.

I got very into Harlem this week. I had heard a few songs a while back and dismissed them, and then kind of put them in the back of my mind. But this week I re-listened and I wondered why it didn’t click the first time. So many catchy songs, so many catchy melodies, and just an over all recklessness that you can’t help but love. Gay Human Bones is such a good song title, and song.

I somewhat strangely got into an Eminem cyclone this week and literally could not get enough. It all started when I heard a new track which is being billed as a freestyle (which i doubt it is, because it’s just too good….but even if it’s not, wowwwwww), and I was blown away. He honestly is probably the best rapper of our time, and despite all his crudeness and controversy, he’s phenomenal at putting words together. Take a moment and listen to this new one Despicable or this older one tearing up Mariah Carey.

I realized I didn’t have Vetiver’s More Of The Past so I grabbed that and loved it, and did as I do anytime I listen to one of their albums, listen to all of the others. They are one of the best bands going right now and I think will be looked back on with the same favor as bands like The Band.

I experienced some extreme TIME WARP going back to summer 2005 with Mates Of State. I’m not sure what propelled me to download Team Boo but I did, and seriously started to physically feel strange because of how nostalgic it was. Music seems to be able to do this like nothing else. And you know what? Mates Of State is actually decent and I didn’t mind listening to it.

I gave Girls a listen a few months ago, but I didn’t give them a fair enough chance. I tried to, but his voice sounded really corny and strained at times. However, I really like their song Laura, and this week I finally got into the rest of the album a bit more. I saw this make a lot of “Best Of” lists, and I don’t know if I’d put it in the same place, but for the most part it ain’t bad. Saint Bad.

And finally I was still hanging out with Shugo Tokumaru some more. I mean, take this as a cue to give this guy a listen.

As always, let’s be friends on Last.fm.

Music Monday 4.26.10

Posted on by under Uncategorized


I thankfully came across Shugo Tokumaru this week. He’s a Japanese artist combining folk, pop, electronic, and irresistibly. I read about his new album Port Entropy and listened to a few songs on his myspace and realized I needed not only that album, but also his previous Exit. Sometimes it’s hard for me to have interest in music from other countries, but I seriously had no problem getting into this, and I don’t think you will either. For fans of Jonsi’s funky stuff, this is calling your name.

The New Pornographers new album Together was this week’s unexpected gift. This is some of my favorite stuff I’ve heard from them, and for anyone (if there is anyone) who’s doubting their ability to put out good music, this should squash that. This is another one I recommend checking out right away. Something tells me this will be a very summer album.

REAL ESTATE. I’ve been feeling these guys so much over the past few weeks, and just last Sunday I finally got to catch them live at The Barbary in Philly. Seeing a band who you’ve never seen live before lets you hear their recordings differently after that. It’s one of my favorite things about music. It literally transforms songs almost to the point of you hearing them for the first time again. Anyway, after I saw them, I needed to re-hear that album again over and over again.

I started getting into Bill Callahan last week, and this past week I just kept on loving it. I got Rough Travel For A Rare Thing which is his latest, a live album. I’m always really hesitant about live albums. I tend to feel like it’s not the real thing. But I fortunately keep learning that it’s just a different thing. This album is one for the books, and if you’re trying to feed your Callahan fix, hit this up now.

I had such a Secret Mountains day yesterday. I feel like I say this every time I talk about them to anyone, but I’m just so proud of them. They are getting all sorts of press and becoming one of Baltimore’s brightest shining stars. If you’re not already listening to these guys I need you to fix that now. They have two FREE recordings online, their Kaddish EP, and a mobtown studios session. Start listening now before they blow up and you come in late on the game, like an idiot.

Simon & Garfunkel. So I went to Kirby’s friend’s birthday get together this Saturday night at a bar at Seaside. There was a lot of people who I only kind of knew, and much more who I didn’t know at all. While Kirby was making rounds, I watched this old TV above the bar that was on mute with subtitles playing the YES channel, which yes, that’s a Yankees channel. BUT, it had an interview with Paul Simon on it, and I was just so into it. He talked about how he met Art in the 4th grade. Art got up to sing and Paul looked up and was wowed. The interviewer asked him if he thought it was because he had a beautiful voice, and he said no, it was because that was the first time he realized that he wanted to do that. After that, I needed to listen to Simon & Garfunkel in the worst way.

Still experiencing some Broken Social Scene fever due to their new album which will be another summer smash.

I finally got the new Black Churches EP, Black Gold which features some of their finest written and produced songs yet. The songs are just so slick and smooth, but dark and rough at the same time. Another group of guys who I just love. Check out the shirt I made for them just a few posts down.

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