Thomas Barrandon

Throwback electronic. All the benefits of modern equipment and production software with all the glory of early digital sounds. Thomas Barrandon has a weird last name, but this Frenchy sure knows how to make a cohesive and delightful album.

I've been listening to the album on repeat for a few weeks now.

Enjoy it here or on Spotify.

Zircon

As a slight departure from the retro new-wave we have been inspectigating over the past couple weeks I would like to introduce you to a more electronic act. You see, now that I've transported you back to the 80's your mind will so much more astounded by the fruits of modern electronics! Careful though, such amazement is known to cause spontaneous combustion, and that is the last thing that I would want for you, my friends.

The album:

http://zirconstudios.bandcamp.com/album/antigravity

This album is fresh to death. Pretend that a talented DJ asexually reproduced multiple times, that each one of his spawn pursued a different electronic scene, rose to the top of their respective genres, and then collaborated for an album. This junk has straight techno, drum & bass, trance, big beat, and what not, all packed into the same album but all while feeling unified and directed. 

Be prepared for delightful melody and jungly beats, even a talented female vocalist who is featured on two of the tracks! Frankly, the mixing *could* be slightly better, but it's hard to compare anything to the very technical production of Pendulum or Skrillex. Nevertheless, this album does deliver some memorable synth lead parts. Think early Mega Man. Neat. 

Get to it. 

Enjoy.

Fear of Tigers

Pretend there was a theme in the musical journey of this blog.

You are probably pretending (correctly) that this theme revolves around how awesome I am. However, allow me to direct you to a second theme that is becoming apparent to me as well: tigers and pretending it's the 80's. You see, though we've all taken our fair share of mathematics, nothing could prepare us for the holy addition of these two items.

It's simple!

 

+  

=

http://grooveshark.com/album/Cossus+Snufsigalonica/3813967

This album is simply delightful. Somewhere between the nether-sphere of new-wave and disco sound bites lives an album that will casually lull you into its safety net of enjoyment. No joke, be prepared for straight-up 80's synths, floating pads, and the enjoyable sounds of tiger fear that blend and bleed throughout the tracks. If you are looking for a super high tempo excite-a-thon this may not be the place to look, then again, it might. You won't know until you've given it a listen.

Tesla Boy

OoOoOoOoOoh. I hear you miss the good ol' days. Back when synths were analog and the vocalist wasn't afraid to pump up the reverb. I hear that you collect vinyl records and do your hair in a pompadour. I hear that you can't get enough of Tesla Boy.

If your life is missing the high pitched whine of a Russian playboy stuck in the 80s then look no further. I present  to you:

http://grooveshark.com/album/Modern+Thrills/4522362

Be aware that when you step back 3 decades that it may be impossible to return to the "present." Many a man or woman has fallen into the snare of Tesla Boy's album, ne'er to return again. With that fair warning I fully endorse attempting to do so. I hear that it was a simpler time.

Anyways. This album is full of pads, you know, that sound that movies play in the background when the scene takes place in the clouds, heaven, or underwater. Its a soft, persistent sound, and it persists the whole album. Chances are you will mistake your listening experience for a dream or that trip you once made to the bird people in Cumulus City. Either way, it will be relaxing and pleasant. That's one of the reasons that I chose this album this week. It has the strange ability to put me in a trance and entertain me at the same time.

But for those who know me you'll realize that I really only picked this album because the cover is purple...

It is my goal to make this thang a weekly thang, and I'll start updating every Thursday. Chances are if you leave comments and share the page with other people that I post more frequently. Do you want a steady helping of new music or a weekly punch in the face? Of course, just like those special Goosebumps books, this is a choose your own adventure and I'll do whatever you tell me to. I mean, I'm just going to keep finding new stuff and storing it in my musical duffle bag for when yall are ready.

Peace.

Stepdad

Bear with me.

Imagine, if you will, a beautiful spring day. Imagine this beautiful, sunny day in a green field, perhaps in a valley high in the mountains. The sun is shining in a clear blue sky. You lay back to bathe in the warmth and as you close your eyes you start to feel all bubbly Actually, lets make that literally, like, now you're composed of a million tiny bubbles that are bouncing with the energy of the sun rays that so deliciously tingle your now weightless body. You open your eyes and there a five tigers running through the field. Stop being scared, scared guy, they are nice tigers. They begin to dance with you and everyone starts laughing (if the tigers can dance, they can laugh.) You all collapse into a pile and burst into a pixelated nebula in the middle of that field. 

Ahhhhhhh. That was pleasant. With that experience fresh in your mind I present to you: 

http://stepdad.bandcamp.com/

Who are they? Beats me. Apparently they come from the mysterious land of Michigan, wherever that is. What I do know is that they know how to make music. Entertaining music. Hear that synthesizer? Hear that other one? Yeah, me too. Good, neither of us are deaf. 

Stepdad has an extraordinary ability to be both funny AND talented. This is of course rare, because most people who decide to start dabbling in humor to reach a new audience come off as mentally challenged and socially awkward, and the successfully funny tend to do it at the sacrifice of their musical skills. No more! Stepdad blends arpeggiated synths with upbeat/delightfully falsetto singing and a combination of metaphorical and outrageous lyrics. No joke, give it a listen.

May I recommend: My Leather, My Fur, My Nails.

(http://stepdad.bandcamp.com/track/my-leather-my-fur-my-nails)

Wow, that one's a doozy. Gets me every time. Do you begin to understand the imagineering I had you do at the beginning of this post? I mean, that IS this music. Doesn't it make you happy? Doesn't it make you want to frolic? To help old ladies cross the street? To hug a tiger? Neat. Keep listening.

I would like to thank Curtis Mackay for stumbling upon these guys.

My life is at least 2% better as a result.

Blog Conversion

It's that time of year again! No, I'm not talking about the Deaf and Dumb Killer Whale Emancipation March (though equally as obstructive.) I'm talking about finals.

Now that I'm done talking about finals I will propose my new method of ignoring finals: converting my blog to a music review site! "Yay!" the crowds scream (quite loudly.) "We don't have enough of those!" they mention, non-sarcastically.

Sure enough, my life is a musical wonderland and it just so happens that I stumble upon gems every day. Of course, new wave/electronic/euro indie rock is the new name of the game and I'm ready to share my ears with you. Best get pumped, I'm sending you some audio candy.

Being Social

Among other things, this is not something that has helped compose my recent activities.

There are a few fundamental attributes of the human race that seem to astound sociologists. The ability to communicate on such a complex scale as we do is one of those items. That we can quickly articulate our thoughts and feelings and simultaneously interpret this conveyance by others is taken for granted by many, counting myself among this group. Indeed, the success of society and social groups is almost primarily dependent on this communication. It is surprising to me, then, that some like myself could drift from this practice of communication.

It appears uncommon for people to become wholly antagonistic to conversation altogether. This is not what I am talking about. The antisocial tendency I see myself slipping into is a nonchalance, an antipathy to friend making and friendly chatting.

Do I love friends?
Absolutely.
Do I want to meet new people?
Sure.
Am I going to do anything about it?
Well, no.

You see, I am the kind of person who is going to get things done. I have a board full of things to do, and I'm going to do them. Friends kind of... come after that. Yet when those things are done I don't have a particularly large and active friend circle to occupy my time with, so I get ahead on my list of things to do. The cycle continues and I don't care much as long as I'm busy.

It's the weekends that get me thinking it's about time to reach out.

This attitude and tendency I am talking about is not only different from the human trend, it also shields those that employ it's wiles from the magnificence of societal mingling. When the prideful or fearful barrier that individuals maintain is forfeited they can be free to explore the diversity of humankind, with the many ideologies and interactions that people offer. Truly, there is no boundary that prevents new friendships from being made except those invented by the individual. Sadly, it seems that these barriers pervade public groups.

These barriers are inside me. They are firmly entrenched.

The goal, then, is to move beyond our boundaries. I believe that this could be done instantly, but is most likely to occur gradually and with the help of someone we already trust. We must first commit to do it and then start out small. Like all goals, a clear and achievable outline and someone to account to can make us more effective in achieving success.

Do I believe that the benefits of increased social interaction outweigh the mental championing required to do so?

Why not? The mind is free and self-improvement always has residual benefits.