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The Presets: "Are You the One?"
The Presets are an electro duo from down under that sound like suicide and the faint with just enough David Byrne/Talking Heads to make them strangely intimate. They are on the Modular label (who released the Avalanches). Their album, "Beams," will be out April 18th. "Drifting through twisting drum patterns and rolling, atmospheric blips, "Beams" paints a broad brush stroke, where simple deliveries meet sleazy electro and floor-stompers." - Rolling Stone Australia.
Devendra Banhart, Iron & Wine, Percee P
The Download Music crew, working under the brand new name of "Crossfade TV," gives you the lowdown on new albums from fast-rapping hip-hop icon Percee P and former folkies Devendra Banhart and Iron & Wine.
The Softlightes: "Heart Made of Sound"
?Musically, we don't know what the end destination is, and I like it that way. Whatever we've created, it wasn't by accident, but it certainly wasn't on purpose. For me that makes music honest,? says Ron Fountenberry, the principle songwriter and unofficial captain of the good ship that is the Softlightes. It?s fitting that Fountenberry references bedrooms when he speaks of the Softlightes? incandescent and joyfully experimental music?it?s there that he tinkers endlessly with a dizzying array of instruments in search of the perfect melody; a way to channel an equal appreciation for Alvie Singer, Ready Made Magazine, Ali G, Boba Fett, Playstation and Larry David? a way to be real and make someone happy through song. But what?s more important to our chat right now are the products of the Softlightes? collective imagination and recording sessions: the dazzling pop songs that are collected on their shimmering debut album for Modular Recordings, Say No To Being Cool - Say Yes To Being Happy. Without digging too far back, the Softlightes story begins (roughly) in 2003, when Fountenberry and bassist Kristian Dunn?s previous project, the electro pop group The Incredible Moses Leroy, had caught the ear of one Mr. Cody Chesnutt. Or was it the other way around? ?I remember seeing a four star review of Cody?s album in Rolling Stone and thinking to myself ?It?s not that often that a black artist who isn?t doing a straight r&b thing gets that kind of attention,?? remembers Fountenberry. Meanwhile, up the California coast in Los Angeles, Moses? first album Electric Pocket Radio (E.P.R.) was becoming very popular at the rising star?s house. From there came a string of connections between Moses? and Cody?s management. Before long, Cody took the band on tour with him for a string of sold-out club shows. ?He and his management were always promoting us to other musicians and people in the industry,? says Dunn appreciatively. One of those people happened to be Modular Recordings impresario Steve Pavlovic. He immediately took a shining to the radiant pop that Moses were creating after hearing a copy of E.P.R. passed to him by Cody?s Australian tour manager. After releasing two buzz-garnering albums and working with acclaimed producers and musicians such as Joey Waronker (Beck) and Keith Cleverlsly (the Flaming Lips, Spiritualized), Moses disbanded and Fountenberry and Dunn and started up the ?idea of the Softlightes? in the fall of 2004. ?Professionally it felt as though it was time to move on, or maybe throw in the towel completely. We really didn?t have a lot of options. I just figured if we were going to try, I wanted to be happy and make music that was close to my heart, even if that meant sounding silly to some people,? says Fountenberry. ?Since it felt as though it might be our last chance, we decided to go for broke... something like that Eminem song or Rocky! We just tried to create a lush and beautifully balanced pop record, like the old days, even if we didn?t? have a record deal or access to a studio.? Over the late summer and fall of 2005, drummer Tim Fogarty (?besides being great drummer, he had a cool electronic drumset, so we knew we had to have him in our band ?) and pianist Andrew Van Baal entered the fray and the four embarked on endless sessions at Dunn?s Los Angeles home studio?better known to most as his garage. As the songs with the full band took shape, Dunn would send CDs to Fountenberry in San Diego, where the singer would tinker endlessly with melodies, harmonies and arrangements before calling Dunn to request changes (and more changes and more changes.) What resulted was a new home grown masterpiece. From the breezy sun-soaked opener ?The Ballad Of Theodore and June? to the glitchy electronica of ?Girl Kills Bear,? the thundering ?The Robots In My Room Were Playing Arena Rock,? to the utterly infectious ?The Microwave Song,? Say No To Being Cool Say Yes To Being Happy is a celebration of the sounds that would be blasting on your radio in a more perfect time. ?The thing I kept asking was ?what would happen if?,?? says Fountenberry of the experimental climate that recording at home allowed for. ?What if I used a vocoder here or replaced synths into this guitar part? What if I sampled the sound of my neighbor upstairs walking really hard and made a beat out of it? You just can?t work like that when you are on the clock.? Dunn adds, ?We?d all try to think about what a regular rock musician would do and then do the opposite.? Now that all the what ifs have been answered, the noise is about to begin. Please bask in the warm glow of the Softlightes with us.
Hot Swedish electro artists The Knife?s third studio album Silent Shout will be in stores on July 25th. Based in Stockholm, Sweden The Knife create subversive, shape-shifting soundscapes that defy categorization. Moving between realms, from highly danceable to tightly intimate spaces, theirs is music left of center and on the avant tip. Silent Shout, The Knife's third album, debuted at #1 on the Swedish charts. Mute will release Silent Shout, The Knife's first domestic release on July 25, 2006. "Silent Shout," the first single and title track, will be released on 12" and CD June 27, 2006 and features remixes from Shinedoe, Troy Pierce and more. Brother and sister, Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer Andersson, began making music together as The Knife in 1999, releasing records under their label Rabid Records. Deftly utilizing technology to strip, break down, defile, rebuild, and renew, their self-titled debut album The Knife, released in 2001, was followed by a soundtrack for the independent film Hannah med H, and their second artist album, Deep Cuts, both in 2003. The Knife is also famously responsible for penning ?Heartbeats?, a soul-tugging track made popular by Mute label-mate (and fellow Swede) Jose Gonzalez.
Mediaeval Baebes: "Temptasyon"
The Mediaeval Baebes are eight young women who share a passion for music several centuries old but are as 21st-century as they come. Their first album, "Salva Nos", released in 1997, went to Number 2 in the classical charts, earning the girls a silver disc. Subsequent albums include "Worlds Blysse" (which went straight to Number 1), "Undrentide", "The Rose", and "Mistletoe & Wine".
Maximo Park: "Apply Some Pressure"
Maximo Park have taken the world by storm and proven themselves as one of the last truly original acts to make it through the closing door of the new wave of young British rock acts. Their debut full-length "A Certain Trigger" launched a wave of frenzy in the UK that began with an endless string of sold-out shows and emphatic praise from rock bible NME. It's recently ascended even further with record sales landing the band a Gold Record for the album, appearances on the legendary Top Of The Pops television program and a headlining spot on this year's NME Awards Tour alongside upstarts Artic Monkeys, joining Maximo Park in good company with past NME Tour headliners Franz Ferdinand, The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs. In addition to their superstar status in the UK, Maximo Park have made a great impression on US shores with praise from MTV and Rolling Stone as well as Andy Warhol's Interview, and a tour with modern-rock darlings The Bravery. More a companion piece to "A Certain Trigger" than a full-fledged Maximo Park album, "Missing Songs" is meant to act as both a treat for hardcore fans and a welcome addition to the collection of new converts. The record is comprised of nine tracks that were featured as b-sides on the band's UK and European singles but only two of which ever appeared on a US release (the limited "Apply Some Pressure" single which you'll also find in this package) and never-before-heard demo versions of three of MP's most popular tracks. On the import-single, you'll find the original version of the new single, "Apply Some Pressure" while "Missing Songs" features an acoustic version of the same songs as well as live favorites such as "A19" and "I Want You To Leave" that have become staples even though they've been essentially unavailable in the US.
Loads of sparkle makes this Shape UK video a treat.
Lavender Diamond: "Open Your Heart"
The debut album from Los Angeles-based Lavender Diamond is a tour-de-force of gorgeous melody and uplifting sentiment.
The longer versions of these tracks, featuring Jack DeJohnette and Foday Musa Suso will be available on the album by "The Ripple Effect" :"Hybrids" released October 4th 2005 on Jack's label "Golden Beams Productions".
The Project: The Ripple Effect was conceived of as a project to blend some of the elements of modern electronica/dance music with previously recorded music by Jack DeJohnette and some of his collaborators. All of the music on this album was taken from multitrack recordings. Some elements were added, sometimes overdubbed and edited, while other parts were omitted. The structure and composition were altered, but the musicality was retained. While staying true to the original?s feel, a new piece of music was created.
We believe this hybridization of styles is a part of the natural developmental flow of music. Enjoy.
The Artists: As a leader, composer and drummer, Jack DeJohnette has supported some of the most important and innovative musicians of our time, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Carlos Santana, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny. Widely regarded as one of jazz music?s greatest drummers, DeJohnette?s playing has long drawn on sources beyond "jazz." Never willing to sit still long enough to be categorized, he was already describing his work as "multi-directional music" thirty years ago. See http://www.jackdejohnette.com for more information.
Foday Musa Suso is an internationally recognized kora (West African 21-stringed harp lute) virtuoso and a Mandingo griot.Born in The Gambia, Suso grew up in a society where griots function as walking libraries, singing their stories for the community while providing history, wisdom and entertainment. Suso has performed and recorded worldwide with many prominent musicians including Herbie Hancock, Philip Glass, Pharoah Sanders, Ginger Baker and Bill Laswell. See http://www.fmsuso.com for more information
Composer/multi-instrumentalist John Surman is one of the key figures in a generation of European musicians who have crucially expanded the international horizons of jazz. He is acknowledged as an improvisor of world class, and composer of a body of work which extends far beyond the normal range of the jazz repertoire. He has performed and recorded with musicians including Elvin Jones, Gil Evans, Karin Krog, John Taylor and Dave Holland. See http://www.johnsurman.com for more information.
Remixer/Musician Ben Surman is involved with electronica projects including Third Zomby and Mind over Rhythm. He is also currently working on remixes for Karin Krog, Colin Walcott and various other artists. As an engineer he has worked with many artists including Herbie Hancock, Bobby McFerrin, Dave Holland, Hermeto Pascoal and Jim Hall.
Marlui Miranda is the most acclaimed and recognized performer and researcher on music from the Brazilian Indians. She has interpreted and adapted traditional chants and songs from many Brazilian Indian nations. Miranda worked with Hector Babenco in the film At Play in the Fields of the Lord. She is a recipient of several grants including a Guggenheim and the Cultural Merit Medal and has recorded and performed with leading Brazilian musicians including Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Egberto Gismonti and Nana Vasconcelos.
Producer/Engineer Big Al is best known for his work with various projects including Mind Over Rhythm, Clone Theory and Clip. His recording studio "The Sonic Kitchen" is responsible for some of the highest quality electronica and dance music to come out of the UK in the past 15 years including work with Plaid, The Black Dog, John Holt, Youth, Dennis Bovell and Zomba Records.
"Ancient Techno" and "Ocean Wave" appear in their original form on Jack's previous release on "Golden Beams Productions": "Music From the Hearts of the Masters."
For more information please visit http://www.jackdejohnette.com
Motion City Soundtrack: "Hold Me Down"
The way it works, everyone likes the first record better. You're a music fan, presumably, so you probably understand the idea here that, when placed in historical context, a band's initial statement to the world is often seen as its most lasting. Motion City Soundtrack began in Minneapolis in 1999. Two years ago, they released their first album, I Am The Movie, crawled inside a van for seemingly the end of eternity and shot a video with their friends back home for "The Future Freaks Me Out," a loud and instantly enjoyable anthem that has become such an undeniable apex at the band's live shows that it is no longer sung by singer/guitarist Justin Pierre as much as it is sung back at him. But as ubiquitous as it became, the song perfectly captured Motion City's allure. Irresistible and unhinged, "The Future Freaks Me Out" was a reference point for what was to come with Commit This To Memory, ironic considering they wrote the song in mere hours and it almost didn't even make it onto their debut. "Two weeks before we went in, [guitarist Joshua Cain] played the part and I sang those words and that's what came out," Pierre says now in amazement. "It was completely random. But that's how we work. It's funny when there's talk about how this record could 'make or break us.'" He laughs. "This band has always gone on its gut instinct." Last year, by way of the unrelenting schedule they kept behind I Am The Movie, the band was asked to join Blink-182 on a tour of Europe and, then, Japan. Somewhere backstage and in between, bassist Mark Hoppus modestly mentioned to the group that he was interested in pursuing production work once Blink took a necessary pause later in the year. Though he didn't know it at the time, Hoppus had just found his first client. "We thought of it almost as a joke,'" Cain recalls. "But on our last day of tour I asked him, point blank, 'Do you want to produce our record?' When he said, "Fuck yeah" I was like, 'Okay... can I get your phone number then?'" Stretching out in Los Angeles later that fall and occasionally propped up by some of their other famous friends, Commit This To Memory finds Motion City the sort of definitive record usually reserved for much later or---to really bring this full circle---slightly earlier in a band's career. "Everything Is Alright," the album's first single (with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stumph and Limbeck's Rob MacLean and Patrick Carrie there in the background), isn't about writing off their past as much as it is putting a fine point to it. With Hoppus' encouragement, Pierre, alongside Cain, bassist Matthew Taylor, moogist Jesse Johnson and drummer Tony Thaxton have begun stepping back from---and outside of---their roles when necessary. "Any time we wanted to take a chance with Mark he would go for it," Cain recalls. "He was so supportive. He would always say, 'Your name is going to be a lot bigger on the front of the record than mine will be on the back.'" The relationship that they developed with Hoppus may have helped hone Motion City's uniquely and cinematic sound of sound but, more importantly, it encouraged them to open the windows and allow themselves room to breathe. The space inevitably allowed Pierre's charismatic personality the room it has long since needed. A former film school student who has always likened himself to a director first, a musician second, and now some fascinating form of the two, is projecting his own life here. Songs like the plaintive, near-ballad "Hold Me Down" and the incredibly candid "Resolution" are among the most personal that he has ever written. "I think I tried to be as honest as possible on this record," he stresses. "I was less inhibited on this one from hiding. In the last two years this was what was going on." While it's true that Commit This To Memory can trace itself incredibly close to Pierre's personal life, with repeated listens it's clearly more the work of five musicians, finding themselves and turning to one another. "We've learned the reality of what we were doing," Cain says humbly. "When we left [I Am The Movie producer] Ed Rose, we left with a record that was better than our band. So we went home and had to become that good." Which is otherwise what they've done. But really, it's also where all these rules about second records and inhuman expectations begin to reverse and turn in on themselves. Motion City should have been trying to outdo themselves this whole time with Commit This To Memory. They found themselves instead. "I really think we've achieved everything we can as human beings playing music," Pierre says with a slight hint of laughter. "Really, we just played in our own city, selling out a show at [First Avenue], which is where we saw all our favorite shows. And that was something that I've wanted to do since I was 14." In a way, Commit This To Memory recalls the lost indie heroes Cain and Pierre spent those formative years in Minneapolis poring over, but there's also a slight irony in the fact that this is the one record that seems destined to lead to their own version of this. "I would love to say that I don't care what people think," Pierre stresses. "But you know, I am like most people. I do hope people like it." Whatever you make of the second Motion City Soundtrack album is now left up to the songs you're currently holding onto. As for us? We couldn't possibly be any prouder.
