Dan Deacon Tour Concludes - Sick Video

Since being unwillingly dragged to a free Dan Deacon show in St. Louis more than a year ago, I have become an avid fan of his chipmunk-churned, hyperactive, insane music style that comes together for the most fun, unique concerts that I have ever attended. In St. Louis, I was immersed in the body sweat of the people surrounding me, pummeled by elbows, broken up into teams for a dance-off competition, and then forced through a tunnel of sweaty armpits and I still cannot recall any concert that I have gone to where I have had more fun. His music throbbed throughout the entire room and pulled the otherwise unenthused St. Louis audience to the brink of ridiculous.

I have seen him a handful of times since going to school in Jersey and having such easy access to New York City and have been greeted by a more passionate and willing fan base which often makes it easy to lose oneself in the sea of jumping chaos during his shows. His style has remained and his new album Bromst proves to be more accessable as he has utilized more traditiona instruments (if a glokenspiel can be considered the least bit traditional). He has also taken on an entire ensemble to bring greater complexity to his shows. My ONLY critique of the new setup is that the ensemble tends to blur the sound that Dan is striving to achieve during his shows and makes songs like "Snookered" actually much more simple and less danceable than the album version. I will, again, give Dan Deacon and the ensemble the benefit of the doubt, however, as I saw them at NYU at the very begining of their tour, AND this awesome video provided by NPR makes my heart skip a beat as I am reminded of my first Dan Deacon experience.

NPR Video

tUnE-YaRdS – BiRd-BrAiNs

Merrill Garbus, with her extremely dynamic vocal range going from deep, melodic blues style into chipmunk screeching similar to Dan Deacon, has created a complex incorporation of folk and tribal elements using lo-fi production techniques. The most prominent instrument she uses throughout the album is a mandolin which she uses brilliantly to bring folksy upbeat feeling to songs like “WHENYOUTELLTHELIONS” that would otherwise bring about as much joy as Clint Mansell. With use of her wide range of vocal styles and use of mandolin, yodeling, and heavy beats, BiRd-BrAiNs creates an distinctive array of moods and themes.

In a very Holden Caulfield-esque manner, the album proves to be the competition between the innocent childlike characteristics of her music and lurking mature lyrical content throughout. The immature elements of the album remain obvious in the capitalization of the title of the album, leaving me reminiscent of 7th grade AIM, along with the incorporation of children’s’ voices between tracks and vocals in songs like “News” that assume innocence. But every song is weighed down upon by the heavy lyrical intention as songs like “News,” assuming innocence, actually builds up to reveal that the news is that “I don’t need no booze to get it up in the morning.” In “SAFETY” tUnE-YaRdS actually creates a direct conflict between innocent, mandolin accompanied lyrics seen throughout the album and the dark, realistic lyrics accompanied by heavy drumming and results in total chaos.

The album itself results in a nearly-chaotic conclusion as stand-out tracks, although the highlights of the entire album, don’t seem to fit in with the remaining tracks. “Sunlight” is untouched by the rest of the songs on the album as tUnE-YaRdS uses the blues element of her voice (with what sounds like an actual drum kit) and proves to be the most cohesive song. Other songs that come close are “Little Tiger”, “WHENYOUTELLTHELIONS”, and “Little Tiger”. All of which feature the blues element in her vocal style, which happens to be my favorite of her styles, but also seem to be much more cohesive in their use of instrumentals. So while her use of yodeling on top of intense beats is intense and unique, her strengths remain in her blues style.

Tiny Mix Tapes

Dan Deacon, Frog Eyes, and Mount Eerie have come together to create an album with all the profits going to benefit Darfur. Regardless of how much you may be sick about all this crap with Darfur and the raped women, children, blood flowing throughout the land, and complete detestation of the region and surrounding countries, you can get a high quality mix and benefit a good cause. Not only does it go to a totally secular organization and 100% of your money goes directly to the cause, but you can also rest easy knowing your money isn't going to fascism, ie EMI. Enjoy!

http://www.tinymixtapes.com/FOR-SALE-Tiny-Mix-Tapes-Vol-1

the cause

Happy May Day

First, this is a declaration of love for my family, both blood and organic, human and non-human.

Second, this is a declaration of war against all self-interest, selfishness and again to the people who designed, implemented, and maintained this system called capitalism that rewards people for robbing our mothers; our future children for money.

Thirdly, this is a dedication to all who make sacrifices in this struggle against this rotten world; quiet cancer system; especially in how it manifests itself internally.

And fourth, if me talking about politics and reality instead blinking and blocking bothers you, then go fuck yourself, because I have enough friends as it is.

- 1-Speed Bike, "The Day That Mauro Ran Over Elwy Yost"

myspace