Video: The xx “As I Am”
Back in 2009, we were treated to simplistic, dark thought provoking pop from a band of teenagers hailing form London. A foursome at the time, their simple guitar and drum beats underneath masterful back and forth vocals inspired an album that would come to be, and still is, an all time favorite of mine. From “VCR” to “Basic Space” to “Heart Skipped A Beat”, every song was a masterpiece in it’s own right. Then, four became three, and we were left to try and figure out what was next. Sure, the band lived on and toured these fantastic songs, but a new sound had to emerge at some point.
And thankfully, that time is sooner than later. The xx have been playing new material at their live shows recently for an album that is expected to drop later this year. Below, you can watch a video for “As I Am” caught from a recent gig at the Battersea Arts Centre. An natural extension from the first album, the same simple musical charm emerges forth with those same heartbreaking lyrics. Hopefully, the rest that is still to come is as good as this. Happy Monday.
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The xx Announces U.S. Tour Dates via Consequence of Sound
Written by Greg Dahman
Album Preview: The Mynabirds ‘Generals’
My ears tend to perk up whenever I learn that Richard Swift has his grubby paws on a project. We are big fans of his work with Jessie Baylin on her album Little Spark (review), released earlier this year. Swift has kept busy in 2012, working on keyboards and backup vocals for The Shins. On June 5, another Swift-produced project will see daylight in the form of The Mynabirds‘ sophomore LP Generals.
Swift served as producer on The Mynabirds underrated 2010 debut What We Lose in the Fire, We Gained in the Flood. The gang appears to be back in full force. Watch a trailer, view the track listing and stream the title track below. Pre-order your copy of Generals via Saddle Creek.
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Album Stream: Jessie Baylin Pleasure Center EP
Track Listing:
1. Karma Debt
2. Wolf Mother
3. Generals
4. Radiator Sister
5. Disaster
6. Mightier than the Sword
7. Body of Work
8. Disarm
9. Buffalo Flower
10. Greatest Revenge
Written by Rob Peoni
Fresh Track + Video: Illogic & Blockhead “Matter of Minutes”
Illogic has been one of my favorite MC’s ever since I first heard him on the Aesop Rock song “One Brick” back in 2001. Aesop’s primary producer at the time, Blockhead (who just released the excellent instrumental album Interludes After Midnight), has found himself with a lot more free time recently since Aesop has decided to fully produce his upcoming solo album Skelethon. Thankfully, Blockhead has stayed busy and has been working with several of my favorite MC’s these days, including billy woods, Open Mike Eagle, & MarQ Spekt. Illogic is the first MC that he’s worked with extensively since Aesop though, and their Preparing for Capture EP is set to be released on June 5th. The EP is the first in a line of several releases the duo have lined up for 2012, and if this new song/video is any indication, we have a lot to look forward too from Illogic and Blockhead. Illogic’s primary appeal as a rapper is a combination of his extensive vocabulary and the use of that same vocabulary to convey primal, introspective messages and ideas in abstract ways. “Matter of Minutes” is a perfect example of that style, peep the video and grab the mp3.
Written by John Bugbee
Thought on Tracks 