Tag Archives: Toro y Moi

Music Monday 2.14.11 OFWGKTA

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OFWGKTA is one of the most interesting and talented group of musicians making music right now. They make their own beats, they record their own music, they do their own art and promotion, they self release all of their albums and then give them away for free, and they tear everything to shreds. This week a new video was released from ring leader Tyler The Creator, and it’s a really great video. One of the best in the recent years. The whole thing is rather simple but it’s such a great idea and seems to fit everything perfectly. Just watch it. These guys are gonna be on Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday night. If you can stay up that late, reward yourself. If not, you can check the internet the following day, like I’ll be doing. I think everything about these guys is fantastic and they’re going to take the music world for a spin.

Update: Thanks to the powers of tumblr, I just got an email from Julian Berman, friend of OFWGKTA and the photographer of the shot I used to start this illustration. I’d like to point out that Julian was totally cool about this and instead of going all AP vs Shepard Fairey on me, he only asked for some much due credit. This guy is taking all sorts of incredible photos, so check him out.

I got Toro y Moi’s new album this week, something I’d been pining for. Get it? Underneath The Pine. This album is different from the last in the sense that it seems songs were written with the intent of being played with a live band. This is somewhere between Causers Of This and the Daytrotter Session he did. If you liked his other stuff, there’s no reason you won’t like this.

Music Monday 10.4.10 Sufjan Stevens

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Sufjan Stevens released another album. Am I surprised? Well actually, surprisingly, no. By now I’m not surprised by anything he does, or how, or when he does it. He’s producing such a high quantity of quality. So much on both accounts that it’s left him fairly unparalleled. The Age Of Adz is his latest; a proper full length (his first since Illinois some could argue) and it’s on a different page from anything we’ve heard yet. It’s Enjoy Your Rabbit meets The BQE meets All Delighted People. But more importantly it’s just really good. I’m certain that we’ll be teaching Sufjan Stevens to our future music majors of the world, and I’m even more certain we’ll be hearing Chicago at high school football games half time shows in 2050. Probably sooner. I’m sure it’s already happened.

Anyway, I wanted to make something that touched on not only the very electronic side of Sufjan, but also the colorful and layered nature to all his music.

Music Monday 8.9.10 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

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This week I discovered a little band called Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. through the extremely awesome website Daytrotter. I was drawn to them because the name made me laugh, and once I listened to them I was pretty much immediately hooked. I’m not entirely sure how to describe them, because some songs are just unbelievable grooves, and some just going to make you smile. They do a cover of The Beach Boys’ song God Only Knows which is a high mountain to climb, and they hike it. Head straight over to download the Daytrotter now.

Because of the obvious connection with the racecar driver by the same name minus one Jr., I wanted to make them their own racing jacket. I was also exploring a lot of new techniques for creating and manipulating textures. This was a very fun piece to make.

Some other highlights this week include Fruit Bats, who have become my summer go-to band, We Barbarians, who came as a recommend from my buddy Biff who caught them with Local Natives. They can best be described as Cold War Kids meets early U2. Definitely check them out.

Static Sex is the project from my buddy Dana Yurcisin, who just released an album called Bedrooms which is all over the internet for free. The whole thing is really great, and highly inventive for a home-recording of that nature. Lots of great songs. For fans of Neutral Milk Hotel or anything Brian McLendon does.

Murder Boats has been described by John Andrews of Wisdom Tooth as the best band in the world. I’m certainly not going to disagree with that. Cannot wait for this full length.

#musicmonday 2.22.10

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Again, Local Natives took up the majority of my listening this week. I’m becoming obsessed with them. I found out their playing at Kung Fu Neck Tie in May, and I’m getting excited already. Such a great band, listen to them if you haven’t yet.

I heard a little more of Hot Chip than I was familiar with while driving with my friend Anthony, and I liked what I heard so I downloaded some of their stuff, and I’m diggin’ on it. Very cool dancy stuff, just really fun.

Another peak of interest for Surfer Blood, who hit the nail on the head picking a name describing their sound. Another really fun band.

Both Raekwon and Dangerdoom showed up because of my new embark on an M Nice project. They are two of the top rappers today, and listening to them helped me get back on my game. MF Doom makes these unreal rhymes with off the wall references that make you think, and then make you laugh. The Dangerdoom album is one of the few albums I can listen to at almost any point. Ever.

The Drums are a super cool band I literally stumbled upon, and I’ve been loving them the past few months. The trouble is, since they only have an EP out, they’re never getting onto these lists, because there’s just not enough songs to make a heavy hit. But I was listening to a bunch of EPs this week, and this one got action a few times.  It’s Beach Boys meets Joy Division.

Toro Y Moi, you know about, but if you don’t listen…just go ahead and start.

Chalk Talk recorded a live set at WUML, and that aided to their plays. I love these guys. So fun, so nice. Learn their lyrics, see them live, sing along, have a blast. Download the live set here.

Add me on last.fm and we can be e-buds.

#musicmonday 2.15.10

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Local Natives took over the past few days with force! I checked these guys out after hearing a few more things about them, and they have quickly become one of my new favorites. I haven’t been this into a new band in years. I highly recommend listening to these guys, and I anticipate them gaining a lot of attention in the next while.

I have to say, I sometimes forget about Dr. Dog, but I was just reading about their new album due in April (I think?) and it got me excited, so I went back and listened to Fate, which is such a great record, and then went back and listened to some older stuff which I hadn’t had. They’ve got that unique psych-rock sound without it being annoying or contrived.

I was turned onto the The Morning Benders after watching this video. They’ve got a new LP coming out, so I stocked up on past releases to hold me until them. I’m definitely anticipating what that’s got to offer.

Owen Pallett ditched the Final Fantasy moniker (for legal reasons I assume) and put out his new batch of cuts Heartland. The cover for this album is another great one, and I obviously wouldn’t be talking about it if the music wasn’t just as good. He’s got the violin act down pat.

Toro y Moi is more new music to me. I had heard the name, and finally just checked it out. It’s in the style of bands like Four Tet and Tycho, but I feel like this is just a bit edgier than acts like those. And the guy went to school for design, so you know I’m interested.

Volcano Choir hit the right note with me this week, and I was loving it. Put this on while driving through some snowy scapes, and enjoy the ride.

CAKE is such a bizarre band. I only started listening to them this summer once I knew I was going to be playing with them at Art Scape, and it opened a world of unknown. CAKE garnered some success on a few songs, but they are so much more than what I think the general public recognizes them as. If you don’t already, try to give them a listen, I think you’ll be surprised with the songs you’ve never heard.

And of course I’ve talked about Beach House before, but they caught a few more listens this week because of their new record Teen Dream which I think is their strongest yet.

Get on over to last.fm and check out what I’m listening to at any point, or if you’ve got an account, we can be friends.