Home Taping Is Killing Music #4
Gosh! It's been a long time, hasn't it? Apologies about this, but I've had Christmas (merry Xmas) and New Year (happy 2010) to contend with between this Home Taping and the last. I've also been throwing up on other people's sofas and wallowing in a filthy, dimly lit hell-hole of a bedroom until four in the morning watching endless Seinfeld too though, so don't go thinking I've been putting myself through too much. Anyway, as it's been so long I thought I'd ply you with a bumper edition this week, so if you can't bare even the thought of more of my clumsily-worded diatribe than usual then just skip to the links.
Motorpsycho – ‘Starhammer’
Still here? Why thank you. You know how on the Spotify homepage they have all those new releases that no-one really pays much attention to? Yeah, I clicked one of those. I could claim it was a valiant and noble self-sacrifice in the name of you, the dear reader, but in fact I was just hella bored. Also, with an album cover like this, how was I ever going to resist? Motorpsycho (great name) are a Norwegian prog-metal band that formed in the late 80s. I know, that sentence would usually send me running for the hills too, but their new LP Heavy Metal Fruit (great name) is actually rather excellent, and opener 'Starhammer' is no exception. As it's thirteen minutes long I shan't try and sum it up, except to say that it sounds a bit like Sunn O))) and a bit like Bitches Brew. Fighting. It won't be to everyones taste, but do give it a go, if for nothing then for the fact that they're Scandinavian. [DOWNLOAD HERE]
Freddie Gibbs – ‘Crushin’ Feelin’s’
Freddie Gibbs is a rapper from Gary, Indiana - which, as I'm sure you're aware, is where the Jackson family hail from. 'Crushin' Feelin's' may not have a wealth of vocal harmonies or a star-spangled chorus like the songs that made The Jackson Five world-beaters, it still has one of the most stylish rap beats you'll hear in a while, with a mournful jazz guitar solo played out over a subdued yet propulsive rhythm section. Gibbs matches the sumptuous beats with a sparkling, forceful flow, and it's a weird kind of rap he delivers - confrontational, boastful, but not looking for any trouble; "I can easily bring you defeat with my vernacular/I'm too deep in the streets to be beefin' with a rapper". As he says, he "loves the rap game", the oldest line in the book - but every word is that of a man out of love with the baggage and the cliche of the modern hip-hop personality, and the beats and the rhymes reflect this, as they seem to be of a man that both respects and rejects his history and his heritage. Keep an eye on this one. [DOWNLOAD HERE]
Gorillaz – ‘Stylo’ (feat. Bobby Womack and Mos Def)
… Do I really need to tell you why you should listen to this? [DOWNLOAD HERE]
Bass Clef – ‘Kiss Me’
Bass Clef, the elusive trombone-playing ruffian, releases his sophomore album May the Bridges I Burn Light the Way on the 15th of February, and this is the first juicy little taster we have been gifted. While there may be less trombone this time around, there is most definitely more bass, and Monsieur Clef manages to create a witty and thought-provoking techno track that pulls off the feat of sounding both simple and deft. Propelled along by a wonky synth hook, with a beat that sounds at times rather unhinged, 'Kiss Me' sort of wraps around itself and you until it fits you in a cocooned trance of sound. Sort of like a butterfly, but made on ProTools. Checkit. [DOWNLOAD HERE]
Pit Er Pat – ‘Water’
Carrying on in a bassy vein, Pit er Pat give us the first little taster from upcoming record The Flexible Entertainer. As the title may suggest, the song's all about water, with lots of and drip-drip beats"drip-drip" vocals. In fact, 'Water' is an aural feast, with little quirks of sound thrown in at every twist and turn - Portishead-esque electric strings, alien zaps, off-kilter vocal harmonies; you name it, it's probably in there. It's creepy, dark and delicious fun. I'd honestly never heard Pit Er Pat before this was flung my way, and I can proudly call myself an instant convert to their wacky, schizo sound world. Most likely, when you hear 'Water', you will be too. [DOWNLOAD HERE]
Is Tropical – ‘When O’ When’
Having been bubbling under on the London scene for quite a while now, Is Tropical finally get round to releasing their first single this week, a double A-Side of 'When O' When' and 'Seasick Mutiny'. Both are quite a treat, particularly the former - sort of lopsided pirate-punk with a healthy dash of blippy keyboard. Lyrically it's not much cop (they use that "over/Dover" rhyme that almost derailed Parklife), but when things really kick off about 90 seconds in you cannot resist the shotgun bassline worming it's way into your hips and making you dance in a slightly emaciated way. And that chorus you'll be singing right until they re-release it as a top 40 hit. 2010 could well be Tropical. [DOWNLOAD HERE]
Dimbleby & Capper – ‘Slick Maturity: Black Smoke’/’Burning House’
Long time RFB favourite and be-sequined femme fatale Dimbleby & Capper is currently gearing up for the release of her first official EP, D E C P, late this month, and has been streaming two of the cuts, 'Slick Maturity' and 'Black Smoke/Burning House' on her MySpace for a while now. I was going to include just the one, but they're just so good I could help myself but slip both in. Oh, you lucky things. The former is a deceptive major key stomper that looks to throw you at every turn - just when you're settling into the groove, there'll be a wash of crunchy dischord; just when the track seems content in major key happiness, she exalts over and over that "they killed it up, they didn't need it". A big, eerie fuck you, and a brilliant one. 'Black Smoke/Burning House' is in a similar vein, with the same rolling drum beat pushing on an embittered and empowered D&C, who delivers another exceptional vocal performance that soars above the fuzzy bass and whirring guitars. We've known about this girl for a while - by the end of 2010, we're betting a whole lot of other people will, too. [DOWNLOAD HERE]
That's yer lot for this week. Hopefully this time it won't be two months until we meet again. Byo!
Artists in this article: Freddie Gibbs, Gorillaz, Motorpsycho, Bass Clef, Is Tropical, Dimbleby & Capper