A bit of a departure this week from the local underground, and more geared towards national acts; I will be covering 3 records that I have been listening to nonstop lately. Ready Set Go!!!
The Flaming Lips, Stereodeath, and White Dwarfs-The Dark Side of The Moon:
-Fresh off the release of their newest LP Embryonic, The Flaming Lips decide to group with their friends and family to cover one of the highest selling records of all time. Featuring cameos by Henry Rollins and Peaches, they really cover all the bases and nuances of the orginal while creating a sound specific version to that of The Flaming Lips. Definitely more erratic, fast, and danceable than the original. This is a really great idea that was exectued with the utmost success. After listening to it many times, it makes me want to go back and do compare and contrast with the original. If you're interested in giving a listen and drawing your own conclusions, click here
Charlotte Gainsbourg-IRM
-Charlotte Gainsbourg's newest effort was co-written and produced by Beck. The album plays like a Beck record with a female vocalist. It is a good progression from her last record 5:55 which was co-written by Air. IRM is a riskier venture for Gainsbourg, as it employs the use of genre-melding and vocal effects. 5:55 had a unique sound that was specific throughout the entire record; but with IRM the sound jumps from large orchestral compositions to heavy rock songs to even country based ditties. Everytime I listen to this CD i find some different nuance or a really cool idea. The songs that really stood out for me were: "IRM", "Le Chat Du Café Des Artistes", "Time Of The Assassins", "Trick Pony", and "Voyage". Pick up the CD here and let me know what you think!
The Soft Location-Diamonds And Gems
-Ok, this has been one of my favortie records for quite some time now. There is honestly no better record to fall asleep to. The Soft Location is pretty much now defunct, but seem to play a show around Detroit/Hamtramck every 1-2 years. This is a largely mellow CD, with a defining sound that is tied together by the vocals and swooning chord progressions. Every song is a great song constructing this masterpiece. I can't stress enough how this record will become one of your favorites if you add it to your repotoire. To order/buy, visit here. I assure you, you will thank me for this!
-jr is a musician/dj/blogger/writer from Detroit, MI. He performs in the band The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre and writes a cultural blog under the same moniker. When Dj'ing he uses the handle DJ JCM. He has been an integral part of the Detroit Music mechanation for the past 10 years. He knows just about everything about music on both a local and national level. His opinon is gold and is infallible.