Oum says it’s my turn to post. I just want to say I love winter break. Both my sis and I are students still so we just hang out and listen to records all day. My sister is in one of her bi-annual oldies phase. She asked me to post these tracks from the Vocaleers. One of many great vocal groups in New York during the 50′s the Vocaleers recorded a little more than a handful of singles during their time. Oum said she picked these songs to show the group’s transformation, each of these have a different lead and according to Oum a progressively more commercial sound but we’re no scholars on this so to all the experts: sorry if we get it wrong. “Be True” (1953) has original lead Joe Duncan who is clearly the most interesting lead vocal (out of these three). With his almost slurred words and heavy mouthy delivery, Duncan singing feels uninhibited but also very careful. The vocal arrangement here is great too with that jazzish falsetto second lead do runs behind the lead. “I Need Your Love So Bad” (1959) has original Vocaleer Herman Dunham doing a more standard smooth soulful lead. “Here My Plea” (1960) sounds like oldies radio, we don’t know who is singing lead on this or if this was a effort for more sales or what. “Here My Plea” still manages to be an enjoyable song but doesn’t really touch the magic on “Be True” and their other early tracks.

The Vocaleers- Be True
The Vocaleers- I Need Your Love So Bad
The Vocaleers- Here My Plea

My pick for today is Murderbot. Jungle music is far too often a self contained genre, which is why Murderbot’s pop-heavy take on it is so fun. And I don’t mean that in a belittling way, Murderbot is schooled in pop music and can skillfully insert would-be gimmicky pop music samples among frantic jungle beats in a way that is more bold than just a clever mash up move.
Go to his download page and check out the DeBarge chorus in “Purple Skunk”, I was grinning pretty hard when I first heard that. Also his critically acclaimed Amerie “1 thing” remix (Dead Homies 001) is a must hear. Oh yeah and here is his Dead Homies label page, which has new Jacky Murda single due in Feb. available to hear.

These links come from his discography page which you should check for more Murderbot.

Murderbot vs. Americ- 1 thing
Murderbot- Purple Skunk

-crish
image by skwak from illustrationmundo

I hope I will dance some of those songs on New Year’s Eve; mmm… “black & pink party” ;)

*in english
Madonna – Material Girl
Cher- Walking in Memphis
Jimmi Somerville – Don’t leave this way
ABBA – Take a chance on me
Sin with Sebastian – Shut up
Culture Club – Karma Chameleon
Counting Crows – Mr. Jones
Gnarls Barkley -Crazy

*in spanish
Camen de Mairena – Yo soy esa
Raffaella Carrá – Caliente, caliente
Mecano – Me cole en una fiesta

The image is a Kahlo’s self-portrait :D

The mp3 blogs root heavily themselves on hyperbole, you may have noticed the way thousands of mp3 blogs had Sufjan Stevens on their year end lists and he was easily the most overhyped artist of 2005, but you have to admit it, this boy has talent.
Sufjan’s sound has clearly been more influenced by people like Steve Reich rather than by folk heroes like Nick Drake or John Fahey (although he did covered a song by Fahey on a tribute record called “I am the resurrection”) and I feel he owes much of his success to this influence that gives his folkie music a certain worldly quality to his sound.
Back in 2002 Sufjan released a completely electronical album based on the chinese horoscope entitled “enjoy your rabbit” on which you can hear clearly the Reich influence I was writing about. Year of the dog features some sort of vocals by Stevens (he rarely sings on this one) on top of some watery electronics, it’s actually one of my favorite tracks on the release (along with “year of the ox”).
I’m sorry for succumbing to the hyperbole (cause I’m sure you’ll see this certain song on many mp3 blogs by the end of the year). I’ll see you back on January 2nd. Have fun.

Sufjan Stevens – year of the dog

Image: “the master bedroom” by Andrew Wyeth.

First things first, be sure to read Moka’s interview with the refreshmints posted earlier today!

Okay, I’m Oum. Big bro Cris and I are pleased to be new contributors here. Holidays mean visit to Oklahoma which equals family activities. We had to go to the mall. It was a terror. Anyways we got some new music from the family, I got American Primitive Vol. II, The Flamingos Collectables set, and Crish got me Quintron The Unmasked Organ Light-Year of Infinity Man. Anyone get any super exciting box sets or anything?

Anyways My post today is about Elvis movie songs. Most families have Hitchcock movie marathons or whatever, we’ve done that, but really, the Elvis movie nights is where it’s at. These songs I’ve picked are interesting enough just on their kitsch value, but the writing is so audaciously ignorant they become oddly charming representations of 60′s Hollywood culture. “Harem Holiday” comes from a movie called Harum Scarum where Elvis roams through unspecific Middle Eastern countries rescuing women and children, beating up bad guys, making money, and singing songs. “Mexico” is from Fun in Acapulco which sort of the same thing but in Acaupluco and I don’t know where “Kissin’ Cousins” is from ….yet!

Elvis Presley- Harem Holiday
Elvis Presley- Mexico
Elvis Presley- Kissin’ Cousins

Here is Crish’s post:
I wanted to share something off the Nautical Almanac record Transcripted Divisons Oum gifted to me, but it is a record so instead i will share a track from their outstanding Cover the Earth album from this year. Futuristo primitive rhythms and circuit bending freakouts sure but Nautical Almanac are not another aimless noise act playing with broken toys. They’re making a strategic retreat underground where they are still free to make ape sounds, indulge intuition, turn our technology against us, and invent. This music exudes dogma and conviction, but however engaged I am I can’t wrap my mind around it.

Nautical Almanac- Megacorps
Nautical Almanac- stopstart

Image is from Thinkmule.

I’ll be gone to the mountains on Thursday morning. There’s not that much to do in there, I’ll probably spend the rest of the week drinking, thinking and losing money while playing “albures”. I’ll probably come back here tomorrow to write a short post, I offer you this little compilation of electronic songs for you to enjoy while I’m gone, hope you like them.
Apparat joined one of those great John Peel sessions and he got accompanied by a cellist, a violinist, a vocalist and a clarinet player, after the session he went home and messed the tracks on his studio to release them as the Silizum Ep. Organic and warm glitches.
If you’re feeling sad or find the usual stuff from the Animal Collective too sappy for you, I’d recommend you to listen to the rollercoaster project remix to “spirit they’re gone, spirit they’ve vanished”. He has also made a great remix of one of my favorite Cat power songs, “peking saint”, which is available as a free download right here.

Apparat – Silizium
Jan Jelinek – western mimkry
Venetian Snares – hiszekeny
Animal Collective – spirit they’re gone, spirit they’ve vanished (rollercoaster project rmx)
The Mountains – blown glass typewriter
Fernpunkt - the prepared piano
Tellaro – 1985
Letting up despite great faults – maybe I’ll hide with you

Image by artist Leslie Shows.