Monday, November 30, 2009

Together Through Megabytes-The Hood Internet


Welcome to a new segment of the blog that we would like to call "Together Through Megabytes." We will be providing you with interviews, conducted via the internets, with some of our favorite bands and artists. First up, is the Hood Internet. The Hood Internet just released their 4th mixtape full of mashups earlier this month. If you've never heard of the Hood Internet think Girl Talk, but with less chaos. And if you've never heard of Girl Talk, your life is probably boring and you should stop reading this right now and re-evaluate things. If you're still reading, read on and listen to what 1/2 of the Hood, STV SLV, has to say about the new mixtape, smoking weed with the GZA, and world domination.

MRLT: Mixtape 4 was released this month, congrats. Did you guys do anything special to celebrate such a momentous occasion?

STV SLV: I emailed ABX some virtual champagne.

MRLT: What's the process you guys go through putting a track together?

STV SLV: Sometimes it's a great idea that works right away, moreso there's a lot of trial and error, but generally it's things like: isolating loops to make instrumentals, getting the vocal cadence to fall in the right place, tempo stretching, pitch bending... various permutations of those processes.

MRLT: Have there been instances where you guys try a combo and it just doesn't work?

STV SLV: Numerous. We post some of those (that fall on the tolerable side) at the end of every year. Some are too bad for that, even. I did this Doobie Brothers vocal over a Broken Social Scene track... major fail. That one probably won't get out.

MRLT: Some might say that you're trying to be ironic mixing all this Southern hip hop and indie together, but you're really big hip hop fans and Cash Money for life, right?

STV SLV: Yep. I didn't really get into hip hop until college, and I started out on that underground shit (Hieroglyphics, Rhymesayers) before I got hipped to CMR and Three 6, etc. There's so many good facets to almost all styles of rap and hip hop. Just as there are to almost all genres of music.

MRLT: Recently heard that you guys did some work with the GZA. How did that come about, and did you have WTF moment, like "he's from the slums of Shaolin and I'm from Minnesota?"

STV SLV: The GZA is a big Mando Diao fan and wanted to rap over one of their tracks, so he called on the Hood to remix their song "Dance With Somebody" so he could put some bars on it... then we flipped it and got the homie Cadence Weapon in on it too. Had a bit of a WTF moment since it's one of the biggest projects we've worked on to date, but the WTF was moreso from the amount of weed being smoked, less regarding geographic origins.

MRLT: Ever tried to get any of the artists that you use to perform together? Friendly Fires and Bon Iver could have worked at Lollapalooza... And if you could get any of the combos that you've guys have used to play live together which would you like to see?

STV SLV: There was actually a performance on the Brit Awards earlier this year where Estelle and the Ting Tings performed together in the precise style from a Hood track that had preceded the award show by 8 months.



MRLT: How'd the cover art come about and are your muscles really that big?

STV SLV: We hit up our girl Karen Tisel to make this cover epic. We were thinking: Mixtape Volume Four, we're gonna need four swords. And the only reason to have four swords is if you're slaying a fucking dragon among a bunch of other what have you. As you can see from the cover, all of the aforementioned was slain.

MRLT: Now that the mixtape is out what are you guys working on next? World domination?

In 2010 we'll be working on a Hood Internet album that's not going to be mashups. We're gonna have a bunch of original production on there with some guest spots from musicians that are our friends or acquaintances. From there, yes: world domination.

Download the Hood Internet's lastest mixtape, Volume 4, over here

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Blur Documentary-No Distance Left to Run

This looks absolutely amazing.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Fuck Buttons-Empty Botttle-11/21/09

It should be noted that in a 48 hour period, the Empty Bottle had 3 different shows with headliners named Fuck Buttons, Depressed Buttons, and Fuck Knights. Sadly, I missed the last two because I am neither depressed or a knight, but I'm super into buttons and I don't give a fuck, so I just had to see this show. Right, right, right....

Actually, I had to see the show cause Fuck Button's sophomore album, Tarot Sport, has been in my playlist quite alot lately. The English duo, consisting of Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power, got things off to a banging start on Saturday night with "Surf Solar," the lead track off Tarot Sport. From there they just kept on going for an hour straight, barely stopping, and continuing their aural assault on an audience that, at least in the front, was feeling the beat. In concert, Fuck Buttons raise their music to another level. The noise is louder, the beats are heavier and the atmospheric epicness is increased tenfold. The music makes you feel like you're running in a marathon in slow motion and you're about to win the race. Like "Chariots of Fire," but with a really fat beat. I think it would be fair to say that all in attendance won the race, but probably lost some hearing...

Between the Pixies and Fuck Buttons it was a highly successful weekend of music! A few Fuck Buttons pics below.






Sunday, November 22, 2009

The Pixies-Aragon Ballroom-11/20/09

The Pixies played the Aragon on Friday night in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the release of Doolittle. The night started with the some b-sides, then Doolittle was played in its entirety, in order, note for note, and done so with precision and perfection. As uncomfortable as they may seem on film, the Pixies seemed pretty comfortable playing together on Friday night. Simply put, they were amazing. Highlights included a sing along during "Hey," strobe lights galore during "Into the White" and a all girl mosh pit during "Isla de Encanta" and "Nimrod's Son." People still mosh? Click here to view the setlist. Pics below.... And video of "Dead!"





Friday, November 20, 2009

Cousins-New Vampire Weekend Video

2010 is looking pretty darn good for new releases. Spoon, Hot Chip, Interpol, and Vampire Weekend will all be releasing new albums before you can even say Arcade Fire. Watch "Cousins," the first video from VW's sophomore release, Contra, below. Such a catchy, little song, innit?



Tuesday, November 17, 2009

THE HEAVY

Thoroughly enjoying The Heavy's sophomore release, The House That Dirt Built. The Heavy hail from the UK and cross genres like soul, garage rock, and reggae that help create a chaotic beauty of an album. Would not be surprised to see them hit up the U.S. summer festival circuit as the token "soul" band.

Watch the video for the rocking single, "How You Like Me Now?" below.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Annie-Don't Stop


After much delay, Annie will finally be releasing her 2nd album, Don't Stop, this Tuesday. This album finds the Norwegian making a slight change in sound. The beats are harder, the voice is stronger, all the while Annie maintains her adorable Scandinavian charisma that made her first release, Anniemal, so addicting. On "The Breakfast Song" Annie asks, "what do you want for breakfast?" Well... Pannekaker, Annie! Duh. And your hand in marriage...

Watch the video for the ready for the dance floor banger, "Songs Remind Me Of You" below.

Friday, November 13, 2009

In the Flowers- New Animal Collective Video

Probs my favorite track off Merriweather Post Pavilion. The video, like the song, is everywhere, but equally as awesome.

"No more missing you while I'm gone."

Thursday, November 12, 2009

The xx-Islands

Just watch and listen and enjoy... "I am yours now, so now I don't ever have to leave."

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Goodbye Sonotheque...


Sonotheque will be closing its doors for good this weekend. Sonotheque was most definitely, by far, my favorite place in Chicago to go cut the rug. It was a club, without being a "club." You could wear whatever you wanted to, and the buttoned down shirt, douchebag factor was almost non-existent. The thing that I liked most about it is that it crossed genres. Indie kids, hip hop heads, goths, and just regular old people looking to have a good time got down to business on the dance floor together with no real pretensions. It goes without saying that the soundsystem was banging and the dj's, no matter what night, got people moving.

I will forever associate Sonotheque with a certain group of people and a certain place in time...Blackout Sunday during Lollapalooza won't be the same without a trip to Sono. Where else could I have met Hot Chip and in a drunken stupor ask them repeatedly who their favorite soccer teams was? I think the Chubby Chipper wanted to kill me, I annoyed him so much. Ahh, too many fun memories...

Rest in peace Sonotheque... and lets cross our fingers that something lame doesn't open up in your place.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Joakim Hearts Diplo

Joakim Noah getting down to Diplo at Lollapalooza this year. Also, if you're wondering, Joakim is wearing Le Coq Sportif hi-tops this season. How cool is that? Thanks for the info Mikeshot.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Morrissey-Started Something, But Couldn't Finish (again...).

Morrissey took a bottle to the head last night in Liverpool and instantly said goodbye to the stage and audience. Just two weeks ago Morrissey collapsed onstage and had to cancel some dates on his current tour. Poor Moz...

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Oh Yoko

Will you tell your mom to quit screaming into the microphone... Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band visited the Jimmy Fallon Show on Thursday night. Results below...






Thursday, November 5, 2009

Halloween-Minor Update


I'm still trying to brush off all the candy from Halloween so we'll keep this simple...

Chromeo, Crystal Castles, and Boys Noize was pretty amazing. Scariest costume of the weekend has to go to Alice Glass from Crystal Castles dressed up as herself. Seriously, she is absolutely mental. I think she eats children at snack time.

Other costumes that I enjoyed included Teen Wolf, a very nicely constructed "Were the Wild Things Are" costume by my old roommate and her boyfriend, and myself as Prince. I also played DJ at a Halloween party on Saturday night and by all accounts it was a raging success. FYI, I am available for all occasions. Baby showers, Thanksgiving, golf outings, etc. You just let me know. Oh, and all apologies to the girl dressed up as Lady GaGa who kept asking me to play Lady GaGa. I'm sorry, but I don't support terrorism.

Look out for a ton of concert reviews, some album reviews and maybe an interview or two in November. It's all happening...