New music reviews: Good time grooves

The Wild - The Wild EP

Looking to extend summer past its September 22nd expiration date? The Wild's debut EP was released over Fourth of July weekend and as such is full of songs ideal for campfires, the beach, and other summery locations. The EP's five tracks are full of harmonica, twangy guitar (both acoustic and electric), and wistful vocals singing about singing along to songs and missing friends and, well, summer. See the theme here? Unfortunately, the final two tracks sort of just plod along and are less interesting than the first three. But hey, considering the EP's available to download for free, you have no excuse not to download the album to see how big of a smile emerges on your face from hearing the first three songs.

You can download the EP for free from Quote Unquote Records.

Girls - Album

Sporting the retro lo-fi sound that's so popular in 2009, Album by the much talked about San Francisco band Girls succeeds by making songs that would be catchy and powerful with or without member Chet White's production trickery. First track "Lust for Life" is neither a Stooges cover nor about a lust for life (just for romantic companionship, a common theme in the album), but that won't stop you from singing and dancing along to the song. Later, singer Christopher Owens tells a girl named "Laura" that he wants to be "friends forever" despite the fact that she's been "a bitch" and he's been "an ass." Whatever, right? Then the beautiful Beach Boys-esque outro hits and once the song ends, you're left wondering how 4 minutes and 44 seconds passed by so quickly. Other moments, like the percussion in "God Damned" and the lyrics and overall mood of "Hellhole Ratrace" ("And I don't wanna cry my whole life through/I wanna do some laughing too/So c'mon and laugh with me"), serve to keep your ears perked throughout the course of the album. Overall, Album is big, bold, and bashful. Don't get turned off by the hype - make sure to check it out.

Album will be released on September 22nd by True Panther Records. You can stream the whole album on True Panther's website right now.

That Generic Variety Show (09-17)

Aileen's songs are in yellow; Victor's are in black.

"Do You" ~ Portugal. The Man
"The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" ~ Jason Mraz
"Head For the Hills" ~ Saves the Day
"Out Tonight" ~ from Rent
"Feathers" ~ Coheed & Cambria
"The Church of Hot Addiction" ~ Cobra Starship
"Cryptograms" ~ Deerhunter
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" ~ Cyndi Lauper
"There's No Penguins in Alaska" ~ Chiodos
"Every Time You Lie" ~ Demi Lovato
"Sweetness" ~ Jimmy Eat World
"Be Prepared" ~ from The Lion King
"Pacucha Sunrise" ~ Minus the Bear
"Coming to Terms" ~ Carolina Liar
"Bloodmeat" ~ Protest the Hero
"Waiting Up" ~ Remember Maine
"Between the End and Where We Lie" ~ Thrice
"The Waiting" ~ Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
"Friends in the Armed Forces" ~ Thursday
"She Is" ~ The Fray
"Backfire" ~ Mutemath
"Holly (Would You Turn Me On?)" ~ All Time Low
"Don't Hate Me" ~ The Get Up Kids
"Unwell" ~ Matchbox Twenty
"Repeater Beater" ~ Mew

Weird Noises 9/16

Charlemagne Palestine - Cataclisma 3
The Cure - Pornography
Lucky Rabbit - performed by Seymour Wright and Ross Lambert
Gyorgy Ligeti - Le Grand Macabre, Act 2
Pere Ubu - Go
This Heat - Health and Efficiency
Jacques Lejeune - D'Une Multitude En Fete
Tandem Electrics - Intaglio

Ambient Signal - 9/15/09

WRPI 91.5fm!
http://www.wrpi.org/ for webcast
Tuesdays 4-6pm

Code.

Pre show- Code in the clouds - Don't go awash

The Octopus Project - Malaria Codes
Four Tet - My angel rocks back and forth
Q and not U - Sleeping the terror code
WHY? - Against me
Bright Eyes - Arc of time
Tiesto - Kaleidoscope (Featuring Jonsi of Sigur Ros)
itsnotyouitsme - Throne built for the past (playing wednesday at RPI at 7:30! Visit arts.rpi.edu for more info!)
Ramona falls - Going once, going twice
Le Loup - Morning song
Slaraffenland - Open your eyes
Mew - Introduction palace player
Yo la tengo - Avalon or someone very similar
Amy Millan - Towers
Windmill - Ellen save our energy
Orba Squara - All the colors (picture perfect)
Alan Singley and the pants machine - Lean in
Vivian girls - Walking alone at night
Port o' brien - Oslo Campfire
Grizzly Bear - While you wait for the others (Playing Sept 25th at Skidmore!)
Annuals - Springtime
Cmaera Obscura - Away with murder
Feist - Let it die
Orenda Fink - Let it die
Halou - Morsecode
I'm from barcelona - Paper planes

Darling Tuesday - 9/15/2009

Hey WRPI listeners,

This is the first post on ilikewrpi for my new show, Darling Tuesday. A grand mixture of electronic, indie, and pop, you can listen in every Tuesday aternoon from 2-4pm. Listen online at wrpi.org/listen or 91.5 FM in the Capitol Region.

Here's the playlist:

Artist - Album - Track
port-royal - dying in time - hva (failed revolutions)
port-royal - dying in time - nights in kiev
Helado Negro - Awe Owe - Venceremos
Arnaud Rebotini - Music Components - The Spirit of Boogie
Grafton Primary - Eon - Telling Lies
Radio Knox Five - Radio Free DC Remixed - The Party Pushers
Radio Knox Five - Radio Free DC Remixed - Sao Funky
Kevin Saunderson - History Elevate - Diva Drive / Agoria
Shantel - Planet Paprika - Citizen of Planet Paprika
Picture Plane - Dark Rift - Solid Gold
Gus Gus - 27/7 - Hateful
Royksopp - Happy Up Here: The Remixes - Holy Fuck Remix
I Fight Dragons - Money
Infected Mushroom - Smashing The Opponent - Smashing The Opponent (J.Viewz Remix)
Mew - No More Stories... - Introducing Palace Players
Scratch Perverts - Beatdown (first 4 tracks)
Paul van Dyke - The Best Of - New York City
Chromeo - DJ KiCKS - Gonna Get Over You by Donna Allen
Hot Chip - Made In The Dark - One Pure Thought
Arnaud Rebotini - Music Components - Horns 0f Innocence

Plan B, 9/14/09

Well, well, well. I've finally decided to join the herd here at ilikewrpi. I'm not sure whether to call it coming around or caving, but however you or I choose to see it, here's this week's playlist. Focus albums for the week are Cougar's Patriot, Choir of Young Believers' This Is For The White In Your Eyes, and Codes In The Clouds' Paper Canyon. I'm feeling especially post-rocky this week.

(Plan B can, of course, be heard Monday evenings from 10pm until midnight.)

((Track - Artist - Album))

We Are Water - Health - Get Color
Stay Famous - Cougar - Patriot
Hollow Talk - Choir of Young Believers - This Is For The White In Your Eyes
Armslength - Moving Mountains - Foreword
Flaming Arrow - Jupiter One - Sunshower
Sitting Nearly Invisible Off In The Jagged Distance - Andrew Spink - Speak Away
Easy To Persuade - Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio
Daunte v. Armada - Cougar - Patriot
Don't Go Awash In This Digital Landscape - Codes In The Clouds - Paper Canyon
In Violet - Health - Get Color
Closing In - Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself
Why Must It Always Be This Way - Choir of Young Believers - This Is For The White In Your Eyes
Burden - Mute Math - Armistice
The Distance Between Us - Codes In The Clouds - Paper Canyon
Growing - Laredo - Bury For Growth
Technicolor - Nurses - Apple's Acre
Rhinelander - Cougar - Patriot
Beggar's Bowl - Polvo - In Prism
2-1 - Imogen Heap - Ellipse
Wintertime Love - Choir of Young Believers - This Is For The White In Your Eyes
Fractures - Codes In The Clouds - Paper Canyon
The Road - Frank Turner - Poetry Of The Deed

If you've been smitten by the talented man behind the microphone but would rather have your ears bleed and/or be mildly entertained, check out "The Pete and Brian Show" on Thursdays from 6pm to 8pm.

Video from Phantogram show in Saratoga Springs 9/5/09

Phantogram - When I'm Small (Live @ Saratoga) from blair neal on Vimeo.

This is video from one of the sets I did with Saratoga's own Phantogram (formerly "Charlie Everywhere"). This was a street performance they did for The Final Stretch festival, and they were performing in a drive through banking tunnel. I performed improvised video for their 3 sets that night, using custom software and a couple projectors and a lot of screens. A very fun show! Phantogram is going on tour in Europe and other select stops in the US coming up soon.

Hear more at www.myspace.com/phantogram