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Free ANTI- Records Sampler

2009-11-22T05:09:10Z

The Swell Season

ANTI- Records was founded in 1999 as a sister label to Epitaph Records. It's the byproduct of its founder, Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, growing up a bit and realizing that he has broadened his musical horizons beyond just punk rock. Sure, the Distillers and one of ANTI-'s earliest signings, Tom Waits, are both punks at heart, but they hardly make good labelmates.

The latest crop of releases from the Swell Season, Neko Case, Os Mutantes, Islands and Booker T. are kind of all over the place stylistically; they almost make you think there oughtta be yet another sublabel under the Epitaph roof. Irish-Czech emo-pop (the Swell Season), cheeky alt-country (Case), Brazilian psychedelia (Os Mutantes), Hammond organ-infused blues-rock (Booker) and preciously baroque indie rock (Islands) hardly share a common note, but maybe that's the point.

Here's a taste of free tracks from the label's latest.

American Synth-Pop, from Lady Gaga on Back

2009-11-11T20:06:06Z

Ever since the early days of MTV, Flock of Seagulls haircuts, and Spandau Ballet new romanticism, it's been widely accepted that synthesizer pop is a mostly British (or at its weirdest, continental European) phenomenon: "Glitter-disco-synthesizer night school, all that noble savage drum drum drum," the band X ranted in their 1983 anti-Anglo tirade "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts." Americans were just too gritty and guitar-loving for all that silliness, right? Well, not all of them. Lady Gaga is only the latest -- and potentially the biggest -- artist from U.S. shores to re-imagine Anglo/Euro technopop, fashion sense and all. Here's a rundown of electronically inclined Americans who preceded her.]]> your free trial Rhapsody membership. At Rhapsody, we not only have the latest and greatest premiers, we also all the an extensive selection of the catalog material you crave.

Sparks: Ron and Russell Mael only seemed British; really, they were two L.A. brothers who moved to England in the mid-'70s to make some of the archest glam-rock around. But by the time Giorgio Moroder synthesized them starting with 1979's heavenly No. 1 In Heaven, they were back on American shores.

Devo: These flowerpot-topped Ohioans' journey to the future ensured that their new wave jerked back and forth in a robotic fashion even when they were punks, so funking out with synth-beats on 1980's Freedom of Choice was a natural (and quite lucrative) devo-elopment.

Missing Persons and Berlin: Respectively fronted by Dale Bozzio and Terri Nunn, these kinky L.A. outfits both had a smattering of hits in the '80s, and both directly presaged Lady Gaga's look to a probably not-coincidental extent. How to tell them apart: Missing Persons had fishbowl bras; Berlin had a No. 1 single ("Take My Breath Away," 1986.)

Early Madonna: The only act here whose popularity Gaga hasn't eclipsed -- at least not yet. And though Madonna obviously did far more than just synth-pop, she also did "Into the Groove."

Early Ministry: By the late '80s, this Chicago gang got a whole lot louder and angrier, incorporating dub, then industrial and then metal, and paving the way for Nine Inch Nails. But inititally -- on 1983's With Sympathy, especially -- they seemed to be aiming to be the American Depeche Mode.

Information Society: Rarely mentioned now, these commendably rhythmic Minnesota techno-popsters actually had two Top 10 hits in 1988 -- "Walking Away," which went to No. 9, and "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)," which hit No. 3. (Trivia bonus: What Jewish Minneapolis proto-synth-popper had an even bigger hit in 1980? If you guessed Lipps, Inc.'s Steve Greenberg with "Funkytown," you win!)

Book of Love: These shy-sounding late '80s/early '90s kids opened for Depeche Mode; they were on Erasure's label; they covered songs by Mike Oldfield and Swiss post-punks Kleenex/Liliput; they hit the Top 100 once. But they were from Philadelphia! Then they moved to ... New York. (For more hit Philly synth-pop, see Pretty Poison, of 1987's "Catch Me (I'm Falling)" fame.)

Fischerspooner, Peaches, Adult: From New York, Toronto (OK, not the U.S., but close), and Detroit -- early '00s electroclash Americans wishing they were German (or wishing they were Lil' Kim, take your pick). The quasi-decadent fad was a fairly big commercial deal across the Atlantic and mere hipster cult fodder at home. But Gaga was probably taking notes.

3OH!3 and Breathe Carolina: And the synthbeat goes on, in the most emo-misogynist quarters of Colorado, of all places. It's not even worth complaining about. Might as well make like Helen Keller, and talk with your hips.

Concentric Pleasures: Phoenix, Vitalic, Redshape

2009-11-08T23:56:06Z

There are three really cool things about my job. One of them is getting to turn people on to the music I'm most jazzed about: it's a license to pontificate, really -- a pulpit for strictly musical evangelism. But, recognizing that my own tastes can be, shall we say, peculiar, I also try to listen with open ears and the humble reminder that what doesn't float my boat (a rather cramped dinghy, it sometimes appears) may carry another listener's craft all the way to shore. They talk about the critic's role as a "filter," but I'm really more like a theater usher, lighting your way to the appropriate aisle.

]]>
Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Remix Collection)
Let's face it: it's hard to further polish a gem like Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. And to be fair, this collection of remixes from the album doesn't really try, offering instead a selection of agreeable alterations from the likes of Alex Metric, Passion Pit and others, who generally tug the French rockers off the stage and into the middle of the dancefloor. But the best mixes go further afield, like Turzi's hushed electro reverie, YACHT's Phillip Glass disco revamp and, particularly, Animal Collective's reverb-soaked reverie.

Vitalic, Flashmob
Pascal Arbez keeps up his walloping pace on the follow-up to 2005's electro-house touchstone, OK Cowboy. His mechanized disco rhythms are as overdriven as ever, and his synths are as subtle as paint stripper, peeling back the high end in an ecstasy of treble. But while these rave-tested anthems are built to thrill, there's enough pop structure and sonic nuance to keep the mood versatile.

Redshape, The Dance Paradox
The musician known as Redshape's identity is still a secret, but no one wonders much about the man behind the red mask these days because, frankly, his music says more than any bio could. In keeping with his 12-inch singles, The Dance Paradox revels in the steely melancholia of classic Detroit techno, with synths creaking and battered drums swinging like a post-apocalyptic playground. Imagine Burial illuminated by spotlights and given a high-voltage jolt, brooding and punishing in equal measure.

Neon Indian, Psychic Charms
There's little wonder about Texan Alon Palomo's moniker on his debut, a home-produced blast of fluorescent effervescence and Day-Glo tone color. He wields samples like the Avalanches and drops fuzzy, gritty funk in a Stones Throw vein, on tracks that are nominally lo-fi but have plenty of punch behind their yacht-rock choruses. What do you call this kind of psychedelic, style-scavenging indie pop? Who knows, but lined up with Cfcf, Wavves and even Animal Collective, it sounds very 2009.

Various, 5: Five Years of Hyperdub
After five years of warping dubstep into ever wilder, woolier shapes, London's Hyperdub label -- home to artists like Burial, Zomby and label-head Kode9 -- releases a sprawling compendium of counterintuitive bass explorations. Running from lo-fi, video-game bleepery to digital lovers' rock, the double-disc comp encapsulates half a decade of dance music on the peripheries -- and suggests plenty of evolutionary possibilities in the years to come.

F*ck Buttons, Tarot Sport
F*ck Buttons' second album features Two Lone Swordsmen's Andrew Weatherall on the boards, but don't expect another Screamadelica. Laying into savage, techno-ready kick drums and cranking the synths and guitars well into the red, the Bristol band achieves a rare fusion of dance-music form and oozing, psychedelic content. "Olympians" is throbbing fluo-pop like a niced-up HEALTH; "Phantom Limbs" turns This Heat's metallic clang into bracing, wind-tunnel funk. It's ecstatic, mind-bending stuff, and it might just change the way you think about both "rock" and "electronic music."

The xx, The xx
Twenty-year-olds aren't supposed to sound like this: this confident, this subtle, this sensual, this weary. Borrowing the pace from slowcore icons Low and an R&B rhythmic sensibility from electro-poppers Junior Boys, the London co-ed quartet turns spindly four-bar progressions swathed in reverb into minimalist pop that's alternately jewel-toned and charcoal-streaked. Breathy boy/girl vocals up the intimacy factor even as they dissipate into a world-weary haze, making this the perfect accompaniment for breakups and breakup sex alike.

Free Kranky Sampler

2009-11-04T18:22:03Z

(Pictured: Deerhunter)

Chicago-based Kranky records has been tearing both electronic and rock music a new one since 1993. From the droning post-rock of the label's first signing Labradford, to the crackling landscapes of Tim Hecker, and the rumored-to-be-defunct, lo-fi pop act Deerhunter, the label has chucked the envelope clear out the window into a nebulous cloud of beautifully musical goo.

For neophytes and fans alike, here's a free Kranky sampler of recent releases to get your get your feet--and ears--wet, including tracks from Atlas Sound, Pan American, Windy and Carl and more. Soon you too, ladies and gentlemen, will be floating in space.

Playlist: Everything You Need to Know About Blister Pop

2009-11-03T05:09:06Z

Blister Pop is the name of an album from the Embarrassment, this wonderful little band that has become something of a cult legend over the last two decades. The Kansas-based group crafted a shambolic -- and really quite nervy -- brand of underground awesomeness that fell in the cracks between post-punk, hardcore, power pop and Attractions-style pub rock. Nowadays, the Embarrassment would be considered indie rock or quite possibly pop-punk, but back in the 1980s there wasn't a quality name for what they were doing.]]> the Feelies and all them great Boston bands: Mission of Burma, Volcano Suns, Big Dipper and, of course, the early Lemonheads, long before Evan Dando became a famous-for-15-seconds alterna-hunk.

The West Coast also produced its fair share of relevant acts: Flop, Red Kross, Wipers and the Urinals. The Minutemen, not long before D. Boon's tragic death in 1985, also helped define the blister-pop sound, with its more "commercial" offerings.

Though both coasts produced a slew of great bands, "blister pop" found its purest voice in that sprawling expanse known as the American Midwest. This has to do with the fact that punks in states like Minnesota, Kansas, Michigan and Ohio held a place in their hearts for classic rock's edgier groups, stuff like Cheap Trick, the Who and the Kinks. In the Midwest -- pre-Internet, that is -- there was no sealing yourself off from mainstream culture. There was no Lower East Side-type hipster bubble to hide inside, and so alterna-types in the middle of the country tended to mix everything together into one big stew. This how you get Husker Du, a group that found a way to fuse insanely thrashy hardcore and 1960s-inspired pop.

Scott Stevens, drummer for one of blister pop's great unsung heroes from the Midwest, the Sinatras, explained it best when, like a total fanboy, I recently e-mailed him and gushed about the group's amazing new compilation, Life in Flames. Do check it out.

"We were too punk for pop," he wrote back, "and too pop for punk."

Other Midwest bands that totally tore it up include Scrawl, Great Plains and the Mice, a Cleveland-based group that exerted a huge influence on Superchunk and Guided by Voices.

For a primer on blister pop crank the playlist below, or go here and have at it!

Playlist: Unpacking The XX

2009-10-19T18:57:34Z

The likely pick for my favorite album of 2009 is looking to be the self-titled debut from the xx, a co-ed London quartet of 20-year-olds whose self-produced album is a masterpiece of sensuality and restraint. Even I'm surprised at my enthusiasm for the record: it doesn't necessarily reach out and grab you on first listen, favoring atmospheres over hooks and suggestion over immediacy. Still, I have a hard time listening to it only once in a given sitting (one of the pleasures of a 39-minute album).

One of the things I like about the record is how it distills so many influences into such a simple, unassuming form: there's a vintage rock 'n' roll patina borrowed from Sun Studios-era Elvis and, less authentically vintage, Chris Isaak's "Wicked Games" (which serves as the barely disguised foundation for the xx's "Infinity"). The welling bass is reminiscent of dubstep and UK garage, and the sullen ambiance recalls post-punk and early goth; the song structures suggest the molasses Americana of Galaxie 500 and their prot�g�s, like Low, Yo La Tengo and Mazzy Star.

The more you listen, the more references you can spot, floating like drops of oil on the surface of the xx's inky, glistening infusion. Since I can't just keep listening to their album on a constant loop (can I?), I put together a playlist that pulls together a number of possible xx influences—as well as a few contemporaries who achieve a similarly dark, viscous bliss in their music—including all the above plus Slowdive, Hugo Largo, David Bowie, Massive Attack, David Sylvian, Cocteau Twins, Seefeel, Brian Eno and many, many more. Listen to a sampling below, and check out the whole playlist here at Rhapsody's Playlist Central.

The Popular Classics of Grunge: A Stock Report

2009-10-13T20:06:50Z

New albums from Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam have me daydreaming about the days when grunge stormed America and wrapped just about every high school between Seattle and Syracuse in red-and-black checked flannel. Those were heady days for me and my alternative pals Jay, Kerry, Jared and Ted. In the summer before senior year, we’d sit around Ted’s house (his parents were never home) and impatiently wait for MTV to play the “Alive” video or maybe even Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike." Feeling intensely nostalgic, I’ve been spinning the popular classics of grunge over the last week or so. Some of these sound really great, others kind of dated and a few haven’t changed at all. I figure I'd share my discoveries … in the form of a stock report.]]>
Nirvana: Nevermind
There is no expiration date for these tunes, however overcooked. “Lithium” slays. That “yeah, yeah, yyeeaahh, yyyeeeaaahhhh” chorus perfectly encapsulates the kind of inchoate angst that rock 'n' roll has always been about. But what’s up with Butch Vig’s production? I don’t remember the bass, guitar and drums melting into gooey blah. It’s hard to take. In Utero is better.
Stock: DOWN
Listen: Nevermind

Alice in Chains: Dirt
Are you effing kidding me? This record drops one piledriver after another. Not only that, the songwriting is sick. From the sidewinder riffage to the contorted vocal work, everything about this album feels twisted, inverted and gutted. Vedder’s teen-drama shenanigans on “Jeremy” feel sophomoric when compared to the anguish that is “Rain When I Die.” Exposing myself to this kind of pain gets harder and harder with age, however.
Stock: UP
Listen: Dirt

Pearl Jam: Ten
Spinning Epic's Legacy Edition is cheating, I suppose. E.V. sounds silly ranting about loving himself on “Once” -- or is it me lacking that youthful angst? Another thing about this opening track: what’s up with the fretless bass? It’s smooth jazz. Kind of funny how my friends and I thought Ten was a major break from hair metal. Production-wise, it and Nevermind -- the two titans of grunge -- are awfully slick. But hey, “Black” is gorgeous. (Note to Kerry: At Lollapalooza II Eddie Vedder, a real man of the people, made his way through the sweaty masses. You saw him and ditched us. I got all pissed off, as you have often reminded me. But what you have to understand is this: I had a huge crush on you. There, I finally said it.)
Stock: HOLDING STEADY
Listen: Ten or try the Legacy Edition

Stone Temple Pilots: Core
Core came out in 1992, yet it really is the first post-grunge album. Culturally speaking, the Pilots didn’t fly the flannel. Had they been around a decade earlier they would’ve been chasing pop-metal stardom on the Sunset Strip. Still, the production here beats both Nevermind and Ten. That’s because S.T.P. weren’t hung up on authenticity (Pearl Jam) or afraid of sounding too "big business" (Nirvana). After cranking Dirt, however, “Wicked Garden” and “Sex Type Thing” feel like the Spinal Tap of grunge. “I wanna run through your wicked garden”? What in the hell does that even mean?
Stock: DOWN
Listen: Core

Nirvana: In Utero
This record scared me in 1993, and it scares me now. Nirvana sounds unhinged, particularly on the hellish “Scentless Apprentice.” Steve Albini’s production comes from the “punch you in the face and gouge out your eyes” school. Unlike so many underground bands, Nirvana’s major-label output was far more challenging than their indie stuff. Both sonically and emotionally, In Utero just might be the most extreme album to ever top the Billboard.
Stock: UP
Listen: In Utero

Hole: Live Through This
Though the following statement could land me on Courtney’s hit list, I subscribe to the theory that Kurt wrote most of this album. Even if he didn’t, Ms. Love totally ripped off her hubby’s songwriting tricks. Though I do have to admit: there is no denying Courtney’s howl. It’s a rusty shiv plunged into the base of the spine, especially on “Plump.” Then again, whenever I’m in the mood for tormented grunge full of stop/start dynamics and Pixies-inspired hooks, In Utero is my first choice.
Stock: HOLDING STEADY
Listen: Live Through This

The Screaming Trees: Sweet Oblivion
Despite Cobain digging them, the Trees aren’t loved like their peers. Moody Mark Lanegan is too tall and detached, while the Connor brothers are too large and detached. Too bad, because they are my fave of all the grunge gods. Sweet Oblivion, which includes “Nearly Lost You,” the band’s killer hit off the Singles soundtrack, is one prescient album. It possesses the same balance of alternative cool, neo-metal heft and classic rock that Queens of the Stone Age have since taken to the bank.
Stock: UP
Listen: Sweet Oblivion

Soundgarden: Badmotorfinger
Because Superunknown feels more like Soundgarden’s “we’re not grunge; we’re classic rock” album, I went with this slab of thunderous man-jams. With a newish album featuring Timbaland and Justin Timberlake, Chris Cornell is lost in the wilderness. The Hollywood suit who convinced him to try and play the genre-hopping solo artist angle needs to be escorted from the building. He’s no Mark Lanegan -- he’s a handsome dude with a preternatural roar tailor-made for neo-Zep bombast best performed shirtless. This is an unfortunate development. Badmotorfinger, a play on Montrose’s “Bad Motor Scooter,” is an insanely visceral listen. One of Cornell's good friends needs to lock him in a room with a copy, so he rediscovers the path.
Stock: HOLDING STEADY
Listen: Badmotorfinger

Mudhoney: Piece of Cake
Reprise never would’ve signed Mudhoney had grunge not gone global. They’re just not marketable. That’s why Piece of Cake doesn’t click. Ditching their Neanderthal sludge for sometimes-catchy alternative rock, Mudhoney sound neutered. Not surprisingly, the group released stuff both before and after that’s far better. But if any band deserved a little fame and money, it’s the group that more or less invented grunge!
Stock: DOWN
Listen: Piece of Cake

Singles soundtrack
To answer your question: yes, I wore a flannel button-up the night Singles opened at the local cineplex. I can say with absolutely zero sarcasm that it turned my life, as well as my wardrobe, upside down. You see, I didn’t know anything about Sub Pop or grunge or Seattle before it all blew up. Anyway, this soundtrack contains ace tunes from Pearl Jam, AiC, Soundgarden and the Trees. It also has an intriguing, but ultimately irrelevant, track from Mother Love Bone, a band that wasn’t grunge. They were more “painter’s cap alt-rock” a la Jane’s Addiction, Faith No More and Ugly Kid Joe. Billy Corgan, Inc. also make an appearance with the gorgeous psych-jam “Drown.” I don’t consider the Pumpkins grunge either. In the band’s pre-Siamese Dream days -- and this is something a lot of folks don’t seem to remember -- the group had one foot planted firmly in the neo-hippie scene. In fact, Corgan circa 1991 looks like the kind of shady longhair you’d buy weed off of at a Phish concert in Ithaca, New York.
Stock: HOLDING STEADY

Temple of the Dog: Temple of the Dog
An odd backstory: it’s a one-off tribute to a fallen comrade, Mother Love Bone’s Andrew Wood, who was barely known outside the Pacific Northwest. Furthermore, Temple of the Dog was released on a major label, A&M, before Nevermind, Ten and Badmotorfinger. So all the musicians involved were barely known outside the Pacific Northwest as well. The album then proceeded to go platinum. There are a few chestnuts here, including “Say Hello 2 Heaven” and “Wooden Jesus.” But these guys produced better material in their respective bands, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
Stock: DOWN
Listen: Temple of the Dog

Even More Listening: The Popular Classics of Grunge playlist

Concentric Pleasures: Basement Jaxx, Massive Attack, Fennesz

2009-10-13T08:02:41Z

The fall release schedule has kicked in, in earnest, and the electronic-music world is humming like an overheated Theremin. From Basement Jaxx' cyborg pop to the nether reaches of the underground, here's a selection of recent records that don't require a PhD in electronic subgenres to appreciate.

]]> Basement Jaxx, Scars
The Jaxx are back, and as always, they're sounding weird -- in a good way. Despite protestations that Scars would mark a return to their club roots, this is brain-scrambling future pop. The sitars-'n'-filter-disco rush of "Raindrops" is an obvious crowdpleaser in vintage Jaxx mode, while "Scars," featuring Kelis, sounds like a 21st-century rendition of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. And while I've never been entirely convinced by Santigold's carefully styled cool, I can't help but fall for her on "Saga," which takes direction straight from the hyperkinetic playbook of two-tone veterans the Selecter.

Massive Attack, Splitting the Atom
Perhaps spurred by Portishead's unexpected 2008 comeback, Massive Attack return from several years of virtual inactivity sounding unexpectedly inspired. The organ-drenched "Splitting" features the honeyed voice of Horace Andy and sounds something like Stereolab chopped 'n' screwed; "Pray for Rain" pairs TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe with waterlogged pianos, rolling toms and the kind of brooding bass that's always been Massive Attack's forte. "Psyche (Flash Treatment)," featuring Martina Topley-Bird, evokes a little of Fever Ray's bleepy melancholy, while Fever Ray co-producers Van Rivers and the Subliminal Kid put a techno tinge on "Bulletproof Love," fronted by Elbow's Guy Garvey. The EP is a teaser for a new Massive Attack album due out in February. If that's got you salivating, get a load of this news: Massive Attack's Daddy G has said that the group is also planning a dub version of the album, akin to 1995's Mad Professor-mixed No Protection, in collaboration with none other than U.K. avant-dubstepper Burial. (Then again, given what came of Burial's long-promised, never-delivered DJ Kicks mix, we'll believe it when we see it.)

Cortney Tidwell, Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up Remixes
Nashville's Cortney Tidwell was responsible for one of 2007's cult faves in the form of "Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up," an ethereal, guitars-'n'-glitches ballad graced by her spooky, heartbroken croon; Ewan Pearson was responsible for spinning its golden filaments into the year's unlikeliest dancefloor anthem. Now, the recently revived R&S label has reissued the single with additional remixes, and it's just as essential as before. In addition to Pearson's original "Objects in Space" remixes (in vocal, instrumental and radio versions), there's a delirious drums-and-voice workout from minimal technician Sei A. But the most stunning selection is Pearson's "All This Has Happened Before" mix, which turns Tidwell's vocals, along with M83-caliber guitars and synths, into a beatless, nine-minute swoon.

Loscil, Strathcona Variations
Ambient fanatics, rejoice. Three years after his masterful album Plume, Vancouver's Loscil is finally back with another slab of infinite bliss-out. Only three tracks long, the EP -- released on Ghostly, rather than Loscil's longtime home base, Kranky -- may be short, but man, is it sweet, suggesting Arvo P�rt as interpreted by Fennesz or Klimek. Rinse, repeat and drift off.

Sparklehorse + Fennesz, In the Fishtank 15
Finally, speaking of Fennesz, the Viennese ambient maestro expands his list of unlikely partnerships -- which includes Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jim O'Rourke and Pita -- with In the Fishtank 15, a collaboration with the Americana-tinged Sparklehorse. Tremolo-treated vocals bubble up like fish hiccups while battered electric guitar lines corrode beneath layers of digital effects. They couldn't have chosen a better title for this curious, captivating set of underwater meditations.

All the Single Ladies

2009-09-29T18:16:43Z

With the release of Paramore's new album, Twilight's Kristen Stewart rocking her best Joan Jett for an upcoming bio-pic and Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O leading an all-star cast of indie rockers on the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack, it's really not a bad time to be a chick in a rock band. But of course, all chicks fronting rock bands face the age-old question at some point: To go solo or not to go solo? It's a question Paramore's Hayley Williams had to quash when rumors swirled this summer over a possible solo move when she contributed a track to the Jennifer's Body soundtrack. She's stayed adamant that Paramore is going nowhere, but this got us thinking -- as tempting as it is to reach for the brass ring, is going solo always a good idea? We lined up a few examples Ms. Williams might want to consider for future reference. (And please to be remembering: if you dig Paramore, solo projects, Wild Things, or all of the above, then get on the jet with a Rhapsody subscription -- try it for free right here, right now.) ]]>

Jefferson Airplane vs. Grace Slick

Though she'd recorded these tracks previously with the Great Society, it wasn't until Slick joined Jefferson Airplane that "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" helped define the San Francisco Haight-Ashbury acid rock scene. Solo Slick, on the other hand, never quite discovered terra firma. In the '80s, her solo albums committed various synthesizer crimes. She eventually reunited with the band for 1989's Jefferson Airplane. In 1996, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Side note: Though Jefferson Starship/Starship were more commercially successful than Jefferson Airplane, they are banned from competition based on illegal use of "We Built This City."

Fleetwood Mac vs. Stevie Nicks

While the trembling rhythm of "Edge of Seventeen" is certainly catchy and her duet with Tom Petty on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" difficult to resist, solo Stevie, like solo Slick, got a bit stuck in '80s trendville (ahem, "Stand Back"). And the Mac's Rumours was such a high-water mark, it was almost pointless to try to outdo it. Like Slick, Nicks reunited with Fleetwood Mac, which lead to the mega-selling The Dance, and the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Blondie vs. Debbie Harry

You can't deny the timelessness of 1978's Parallel Lines, with tracks like "One Way or Another," "Hanging on the Telephone" and "Heart of Glass." Blondie helped put punk, new wave and the CBGB's crowd on the mainstream map. Debbie solo, on the other hand, didn't quite have the beat, though 1981's Kookoo is a noble effort. Like Slick and Nicks, Harry has continually gone back to her first love: Blondie, also a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

No Doubt vs. Gwen Stefani

This battle is a toughie. When No Doubt released one of the dumbest songs of 2002, "Hella Good," their mojo was clearly flagging. Sure enough, a year later Gwen released her solo debut, which ditched the ska-rock in favor of straight up dance-pop. Though she's seen plenty of success on her own, none of her solo work packs the punch that No Doubt's does. And, like those before her, she's back on top ... touring with her band.

Hole vs. Courtney Love

Love her or despise her, Courtney Love was a key player in the early '90s grunge scene. With her band Hole, she was making her mark even before her relationship with Kurt Cobain overshadowed everything. Still, Hole's Live Through This stands as one of the great albums of the grunge era. It wasn't until after the band dissolved that Love tried her hand at a solo career, releasing her debut America's Sweetheart in 2004. The album was a commercial flop. So while this rock battle is still up in the air (Love has a follow-up set to release in 2010), Hole's work has Love's pretty much pinned.

So does this mean going solo is a bad idea? Definitely not. Prime example: Bjork, whose former group the Sugarcubes could never compete with the Icelandic oddball's influential work. With Bjork setting the precedent (and Hayley Williams possibly on her way?), here are a few other rock chicks we think could help break the going-solo curse:

Metric's Emily Haines (who already has one solid solo disc), Evanescence's Amy Lee, The Duke Spirit's Liela Moss, Noisettes' Shingai Shoniwa, The Kills/The Dead Weather's Alison Mosshart, Gossip's Beth Ditto, Black Mountain/Lightning Dust's Amber Webber, Flyleaf's Lacey Mosley and Karen O (sans the Kids).

New Moon Rising

2009-09-25T16:53:35Z

The era of the celebrity DJ is on the wane. These days, the real big-tent tastemakers are music supervisors: the behind-the-scenes types with the knack for administering just the right dose of Snow Patrol at the tear-jerking climax of a Grey's Anatomy episode. And no one does that better than Alex Patsavas, whose keen ears and bursting Rolodex have put their sonic stamp on Grey's Anatomy, The O.C., Gossip Girl, and a little yarn about vampires called Twilight, whose soundtrack went on to sell 2.2 million copies.

]]> Iron and Wine and the Black Ghosts alongside megastars Muse and Linkin Park, Patsavas drinks deeply from the indie-rock vein with his selections for New Moon. Last week Stephenie Meyer, author of the best-selling novels behind the films, announced the sequel's soundtrack on her blog. The track listing offers a who's who of both yielding sensitivity and kohl-eyed cool, featuring artists like Death Cab for Cutie, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and the Killers, all experts in nocturnal angst. (Not to mention OK Go, whose superhuman stamina on the treadmill suggests that they might actually be vampires themselves.)

Perhaps we shouldn't give all the credit to Patsavas: after all, Meyer herself is an avowed fan of left-of-field faves like Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear, and the latter turn up on New Moon with a new song, "Slow Life." While Brooklynites may be scratching their rumpled heads over that one, it's not the only surprise on the album. Radiohead's Thom Yorke makes a rare appearance, as do the folksy Bon Iver and St. Vincent, teaming up in an even rarer duet performance. Even hardcore indie insiders may be unfamiliar with Hurricane Bells, aka Longwave's Steve Schlitz, who until just a few weeks ago was still flying in stealth mode, as he told EW.com in a hastily arranged interview.

The New Moon soundtrack comes out October 20, a month before the film hits theaters nationwide. See below for the track listing. At Rhapsody, you can listen to all these artist, anytime, and you can even take it with you anywhere with our new iPhone app. So, be sure to sign up for your free trial Rhapsody membership, and, in the meantime, whet your appetite with our exclusive playlist of tunes by the soundtrack's artists. After all, with vampires on the march, don't you want to be prepared?

Death Cab for Cutie, "Meet Me on the Equinox"
Band of Skulls, "Friends"
Thom Yorke, "Hearing Damage"
Lykke Li, "Possibility"
The Killers, "A White Demon Love Song"
Anya Marina, "Satellite Heart"
Muse, "I Belong to You (New Moon Remix)"
Bon Iver & St. Vincent, "Roslyn"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Done All Wrong"
Hurricane Bells, "Monsters"
Sea Wolf, "The Violet Hour"
OK Go, "Shooting the Moon"
Grizzly Bear, "Slow Life"
Editors, "No Sound but the Wind"
Alexandre Desplat, "New Moon (The Meadow)"

A Get-Well-Soon Playlist for Marilyn Manson

2009-09-24T22:00:18Z

The H1N1 Influenza virus -- popularly known, to the chagrin of the Other White Meat industry, as "swine flu" -- keeps spreading. And with some estimates claiming that it could affect as many as two to three billion people, it's only natural that celebrities will be stricken, along with the rest of us schlubs. (I'm not a doctor, but I play one on this blog.) From the cases reported so far, it looks like swine flu is not immune to irony. CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta got it. Epidemiologist and Huffington Post medical blogger Larry Brilliant, M.D. got it -- just days after agreeing to write an article on the disease, at that. (In addition to all its other evil powers, swine flu also apparently rifles through your email. Maybe they should call it crazy ex-girlfriend flu?) And now, it turns out, Marilyn Manson has gotten it too.]]>
I know that swine flu is no laughing matter, despite the HuffPo doc's assertion that many people "joke about it and don't give it the respect it deserves. Swine flu is the Rodney Dangerfield of pandemics." (Who am I to argue with a guy named Dr. Larry Brilliant? I don't laugh at Rodney Dangerfield jokes, either.) After all, when even a dark prince like Marilyn Manson proves susceptible to snout gout, who among us is safe? (You'd think that the virus would have taken one look at Manson's terrifying visage and turned on its amoebic heels. With his pallor, how did the microbic critters even figure out he was alive in the first place?)

"Unfortunately, I am going to survive," wrote Manson on his Facebook page, clearly taking things in stride. We'll strike that "unfortunately," because frankly, a world without Marilyn Manson is not a world we really want to imagine. (Where would we get our Mansinthe?) Having lost the King of Pop, we're not about to lose the King of Shock-Schlock. So, wishing our beloved Celebritarian a speedy recovery, we whipped up an audio get-well card: a whopping dose of tunes dedicated expressly to our favorite cross-dressing, human-skeleton-collecting, starlet-dating-and-divorcing, scary-contact-lens-wearing Man in Black: James Brown's "Cold Sweat." Run-D.M.C.'s "You Be Illin'." M.I.A.'s "Bird Flu." Peggy Lee's "Fever." Ne-Yo's "So Sick." Queens of the Stone Age's "Sick, Sick, Sick." Motley Crue's "Generation Swine," of course, along with Today Is the Day's "Kiss the Pig." Even Jello Biafra's Tumor Cirus doing the scarily prescient "Swine Flu," from way back in 1991. And much, much more. If this "Soul Vaccination" (Tower of Power) doesn't do the trick, we recommend you "Up the Dose" (Mentors). With cuts from the Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, TV on the Radio, Misfits and more, the antibody's gotta be in here somewhere. But whatever happens, just remember Screamin' Jay Hawkins' sage advice, and "Shut Your Mouth When Your Sneeze."

Get well soon, Marilyn. If we can do anything for you while you're down -- send out for pork fried rice, BLTs, a piping hot bowl of chitlins -- just say the word.

Supergroups We've Known and Loved

2009-09-22T21:42:42Z

From left: Mike Mogis, M. Ward, Jim James, Conor Oberst

The concept of the supergroup is older than fishing -- literally! Jesus and his Disciples were certainly a supergroup, and we're pretty sure Jesus invented fishing. Yes, bands of preternaturally talented brothers (and sisters) have been joining forces for millennia. With this week's debut from Monsters of Folk -- a supergroup comprised of Mike Mogis, M. Ward, My Morning Jacket's Jim James and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst -- we thought we'd reflect upon some of our favorite supergroups of years past. Was the whole greater than the sum of the parts? Read on to find out, and don't forget: if you dig supergroups, regular groups or anything in between, Rhapsody has you covered. Take a free spin to see what unlimited, unfettered music access tastes like (surprisingly unlike chicken, we think you'll be pleased to discover).

]]> Monsters of Folk. In recent interviews, the Monsters have downplayed any notion of their superiority, but fans of these dudes' respective acts will likely agree on how cool it is to hear them harmonizing together on tunes like "Slow Down Jo" and "Goodway," among others. And Mogis adds touches (steel drums!?) you're not likely to encounter in any of their other tunes. As an added bonus, the collective body odor of these four crusty indie rockers is no doubt something to experience.

The Traveling Wilburys. It is damn hard to argue with the pedigree of a supergroup featuring Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff "Strange Magic" Lynne, so argue with the milieu of that group instead: the late '80s. It's a credit to the Wilburys that many of their tunes manage to get out from under Lynne's, shall we say, indulgent production, but at the end of the day it's their look that stands out -- that hair, those sunglasses, those sport coats and T-shirts … the Wilburys weren't a supergroup, they were a Miami Vice subplot.

Velvet Revolver. You'd think a band featuring GN'R's Slash, Duff and Matt Sorum plus S.T.P.'s Scott Weiland would result in a string of trashed hotel rooms and paternity suits, but by the time V.R. formed they had ditched Mr. Brownstone for Mr. Coffee and the morning paper. Consequently, they rocked about as hard as Slash's curling iron.

The Highwaymen. This is one supergroup you wouldn't want to get in a bar fight with. As Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash took turns beatin' on ya, Rhodes Scholar Kris Kristofferson would recite the true meaning of outlaw country as Willie Nelson passed out samples of Maui Wowie. To get a sense for what it'd be like if these guys had your back in such a fight, check out "We're All in Your Corner," a sing-along drinking song if ever there was one.

Damn Yankees. Featuring members of Styx and Night Ranger, plus Ted Nugent (aka Deadly Teadly, Theodocious Atrocious), Damn Yankees were the epitome of an empty threat: we're gonna rock the curls right out of your perm! They made good on it, too, delivering a pair of albums in the early '90s that packed all the testosterone of a wilting chrysanthemum. "High Enough" may actually be the least masculine thing Uncle Tedly Von Nugeberg's ever had a hand in.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The quintessential supergroup, C.S.N.Y. played their second show ever at Woodstock in '69, then released D�j� Vu a year later. The album became a cornerstone of the folk-rock movement and included hits like "Teach Your Children" and "Our House," which themselves became cornerstones of the movement to sell baby boomers things like cookies and auto insurance in commercials featuring songs from their salad days, thus making the album's title seem very ironic indeed.

Honorable Mentions: Tinted Windows, Blind Faith, Bad Company, Oysterhead, Zwan, Chickenfoot, The Dead Weather, A Perfect Circle, Humble Pie. Please feel free to point out supergroups we left out in the comments!

Concentric Pleasures: Remixing LCD Soundsystem

2009-09-21T04:20:05Z

You have to give DFA credit for not resting on their laurels. The label's a figurehead of this decade's indie-dance scene, with an almost unnervingly astute sense for the nuances of 21st-century cool. And yet, aside from certain hallmarks of the DFA style -- ropy bass lines, disaffected vocals, judicious use of cowbell -- they have yet to settle into a pattern. (Black Meteoric Star's psychedelic, home-soldered acid house isn't exactly par for the indie course.)

Their habit of reaching outside their own scene when commissioning remixes is equally commendable. In addition to marquis names like Soulwax and Franz Ferdinand, DFA also tap artists -- like Carl Craig, Baby Ford and Luomo -- who resonate with house and techno die-hards, but have little foothold in American indie circles. It's not just a question of credibility; the stream of new input keeps DFA's mutable sound continually refreshed.

A stellar new collection of remixes of LCD Soundsystem's 45:33, James Murphy's Nike-sponsored album from 2006, is a case in point. Theo Parrish, Prins Thomas, Runaway, Trus'Me, Prince Language, Padded Cell, Pilooski and Riley Reinhold all take the ball and run as far as they can, touching down everywhere from Detroit downbeat to Norwegian disco. Read on for a rundown of the parties involved, with recommendations for further listening from each.

]]> Theo Parrish
He's a Detroit legend, but Theo Parrish's legacy isn't limited to techno. Like Moodymann, he injects house and techno with a heavy dose of funk and disco, and the results smolder until they explode. His 1998 album First Floor finds him worrying away at hypnotic loops of battered synths and sampled soul; his 13-minute rework of Sun Ra's "Saga of Resistance" is a masterpiece of moody groove.

Prins Thomas
A frequent collaborator with his fellow countryman Hans-Peter Lindstrom, Norway's Prins Thomas is a master of unassuming drama. His long, evolving, percussive reworks take "cosmic" disco ever further into the outer limits: see, for instance, his four expansive edits of Lindstrom's Where You Go I Go Too. He shows even more variety on reworks of the Figurines' "Hey Girl," Toby Tobias' "A Close Shave" and Studio's "Life's a Beach!"

Pilooski
This French artist, affiliated with Paris' D-I-R-T-Y Soundsystem, is seriously bananas flamb�. His LCD remix is typically mutant electro-pop, with the vocodered phrase "Do you like something French" repeated ad absurdium. For those who answer "yes," don't miss his soulful edit of Nina Simone's "Take Care of Business" or his clattery rework for Von Sudenfed (aka Mouse on Mars and the Fall's Mark E. Smith), which stacks its chunky guitars, vox, keyboards and drums like a game of Jenga.

Runaway
Runaway -- Marcos Cabral and Jacques Renault, with birth names so cool they don't need aliases -- live in Brooklyn and vibe off old New York and Chicago house. Their "Brooklyn Club Jam," released jointly by DFA and Radio Slave's Rekids label (and also remixed to blissful effect by New York's Brennan Green), is a chiming piano-house epic that evokes the spirit of Berlin's thundering warehouse parties.

Prince Language
Like DFA's Still Going, Prince Language draws inspiration from the crossover between disco and early house, but his productions don't sound any less urgent for their debt to an era of kinder, gentler dance music. His dub of the Juan Maclean's "Happy House" is the bees' knees (for bees that stage roller discos on grand pianos).

Trus'Me
Gilles Peterson calls Trus'Me "the most interesting and promising young producer in the country right now." He means England, but you wouldn't necessarily guess that Trus'Me is a Mancunian, given his penchant for low-slung, Midwestern funk. Check his 2008 album Working Nights plus remixes for Amp Fiddler for a taste of his slow-mo stuff.

Padded Cell
Like their DC Recordings labelmates White Light Circus and the Emperor Machine, Padded Cell (Bronx Dogs' Richard Sen and Dirty Beatniks' Neil Beatnik) specialize in dark, slightly menacing funk with a retro-futurist touch and a dubby disco blush. Explore more on their 2009 album Night Must Fall along with multiple EPs, and dig deeper with DC's Death Before Distemper volumes three and four.

Riley Reinhold
Riley Reinhold helms the labels Traum, Trapez and My Best Friend, which -- along with Kompakt -- helped establish Cologne as the world capital for a particular strain of resonant, reductionist electronic music. He's not the most obvious choice of remixer for LCD. Hear his spare, slightly melancholic interpretation of classic minimal techno on singles like Lull, Sunset Sound and Balsamic Times, whose title goes to the heart of Reinhold's bittersweet undertones.

Take the He/She Challenge

2009-09-17T18:50:39Z

I’m no Perez Hilton, or even a young Joan Rivers for that matter, but I think I’ve spotted a pop trend -- albeit a minor one. It dawned on me when I recently stumbled across the video for Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat's “Lucky.” (Nine months behind schedule, I know.) It was the same day I read about Break Up, the new album from Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson. I'm talking about this whole he/she retro-pop duo thingy. I’m calling it a trend because I can name four additional examples. There’s She & Him (M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel); Wilco and Feist; Mark Lanegan and Isobel Campbell; and Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs. Without sounding too reductive, all these acts are variations on a theme: take a little Lee and Nancy and some Serge and Brigitte and filter them through a modern alt-pop sensibility (with a dash of Americana thrown in for good measure, of course).]]>
Because fellow Rhapsody nerd Rachel Devitt’s Madonna vs. Whitney throwdown was such a killer read, I’ve decided to rip her off. To determine which of these six duos reigns supreme, I’ve decided to judge them across three vectors: killer jams, hot looks and real-deal staying power.

Read on to find out who climbs to the top of the heap.

JASON MRAZ/COLBIE CAILLAT
Killer Jams? The pair has produced just the one single, “Lucky.” It’s bubbly, fun and petite. Think She & Him for fans of Sheryl Crow and John Mayer who’ve never read Pitchfork.

Hot Looks? Mraz is your typical scrawny troubadour who waltzes into Urban Outfitters once a month and snaps up all the faux-vintage fedoras. Caillat, on the other hand, is something special. In that “Lucky” video, she nicks tricks from Jewel's old-school busty-nature-babe routine and flirtatiously wanders through some kind of low-tide flood plain in a snow-white dress. It's beyond pure.

Real-Deal Staying Power? Mraz will become a popular emcee on the adult alternative oldies circuit in exactly two decades (along with fellow fedora fans Gavin DeGraw and Matt Nathanson). As for Caillat, she’ll either blow up, wig out and head to Nashville (again, just like Jewel), or slip back into obscurity and become a honey-skinned surfing instructor just north of San Diego, where she’ll fall in love with me after saving my butt during a freak boogie-board accident.
Further Listening: "Lucky"

WILCO/FEIST
Killer Jams? As with Caillat and Mraz, they’ve produced but a single tune, “You and I,” the lead-off single from Wilco’s latest album. I love these guys, but c’mon Tweedy, you didn’t really share any top shelf material, now did you? I mean, it’s a pleasant enough melody, but it really is way more Poconos than Adirondacks when compared to, say, “Either Way” or “My Darling” or "Say You Miss Me."

Hot Looks? Feist is definitely an indie-pop cutie, yet she’s a little too Gap commercial. She needs a hairy mole or a big schnoz -- that little something extra to inject some character into her look. Now that I think about it, Feist is basically Charlotte Gainsbourg without all the bony awesomeness. Tweedy, meanwhile, is really starting to freak me out. In addition to patchy facial hair that resembles a Halloween prop gone wrong, he’s slowly morphing into my dad, which is kind of strange, considering Pops is an Italian/Puerto Rican mix who still insists on wearing a 20-year-old Caesar-styled toupee.

Real-Deal Staying Power? None whatsoever. Tweedy and company are so soft rock these days that he’ll quickly ditch Feist and shack up with Carly Simon.
Further Listening: "You and I"

PETE YORN/SCARLETT JOHANSSON
Killer Jams? Break Up is good, clean fun, if a bit schizo. Half the time Pete and ScarJo are chasing after She & Him: rootsy alt-rocker and sexy actress with quasi-indie cred, cranking out bubbly retro-pop. The other half finds them gunning for the adult alternative charts, with falsetto-laden balladry. The album contains one real misfire: Scarlett trying to tackle Chris Bell’s “I Am the Cosmos.” That's just plain wrong.

Hot Looks? What male under 70 hasn’t googled pix of ScarJo at least 100 times in the last three years? She just might be Hollywood’s pin-up of the decade. The lass bares creamy inner thighs without ever looking like a lady of the night -- or Fergie for that matter. How did Yorn get any work done in the studio? Poorly shaven dude must've been as nervous as a 13-year-old boy whose hot teacher bends over his desk to double-check his multiplication.

Real-Deal Staying Power? No offense to Pete, but he’s a strange match for an A-list star who could have the pick of the litter. The fact that Scarlett didn’t snag Chris Martin or even Jeff Tweedy makes me think she’s not taken seriously in the music biz. I give this collaboration an additional EP. But who really cares? Pete totally scored and surely enjoys Scarlett draped all over his shoulders during photo shoots. Good work, my man.
Further Listening: Break Up

SUSANNA HOFFS/MATTHEW SWEET
Killer Jams? Matt and Susie have churned out two albums of classic rock and baroque pop covers: Under the Covers volumes 1 and 2. Both are carefree affairs, bordering on karaoke toss-offs. That said, when you’re Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs -- power-pop icons both of them -- your karaoke toss-offs are better than most pop musicians' serious work.

Hot Looks? You'd think ScarJo would receive my vote for hottest retro-pop duo babe, but you'd be dead wrong! Susie Hoffs is tops in my book. First off, she looks fantastic for a classy lady born in 1959. Secondly, there’s the teenage lust factor. I dreamed nightly about Hoffs in the late 1980s. Each new Bangles video meant a new mini-skirt. Then there was the The Allnighter, this terrible flick from ’87 that will be remembered only because Hoffs sported a bikini for, like, 60 magical seconds. As for Sweet, he needs to hire Susanna’s trainer ASAP. He wasn't at all bad looking back in the Girlfriend days. In recent photos, however, it looks as though he’s hitting the In-n-Out Burger on Sunset about four times a week.

Real-Deal Staying Power? This is just a pit stop. Both are long overdue for some nostalgia love: recreating Girlfriend live, a Bangles reunion, maybe The Allnighter II...
Further Listening: Under the Covers Vol. 1

SHE & HIM
Killer Jams? M. Ward and Zooey have crafted the single-most consistent album here: Volume 1. This duo knows their Brill Building/girl group history. Each track is exquisitely arranged and filled with sonic coolness. Plus, Zooey’s voice hiccups with sass and preciousness. She can drill a melody straight into the skull. Throw great production into the mix, and you have yourself perfect polka-dot-bikini beach music.

Hot Looks? You know how certain rich kids look good only because they can afford fine designer threads and high-quality makeup? Well, that’s M. Ward and Zooey. It’s all in the shopping. Dress these two up like a couple of third-shift steel workers from Buffalo who shop at Kohl’s, and you wouldn’t even notice them. That said, Zooey's sister Emily has a stunning jawline.

Real-Deal Staying Power? Totally. These two have such fantastic synergy that Zooey is going to ditch main squeeze Ben Gibbard. Of course, their relationship will end badly (that whole business/pleasure thing), with a string of harrowing breakup albums credited to “She” and “Him” individually. Unfortunately, no one will ever get to hear them until the deluxe reissues 30 years later, because googling “she” and “him” turns up a bunch of nonsense. Further Listening: Voume 1

ISOBEL CAMPBELL/MARK LANEGAN
Killer Jams? Oh, hell yes. Though neither of their two albums, Ballad of the Broken Seas or Sunday at Devil Dirt, is quite as consistent as She & Him’s Volume 1, their peaks are unrivaled. What a genius idea: take the queen of Scottish twee and pair her up with hard rock’s last raspy-voiced titan. Listening to these two sing together is like diving naked into a pool of fuzzy bunnies and sandpaper. Talk about Lee and Hazelwood's cowboy gothic groove -- right now, we’re neck deep, friends.

Hot Looks? I dig the ladies, but there are two men whom I would consider making sweet love to: Jim Morrison and Mark Lanegan. But let's not overlook Campbell. Her hushed chirp makes you think you’re listening to one of these hipster waifs. Of course, she’s cute. But with a face often plastered with too much makeup, Campbell looks more like a waitress at the local diner. We’re talking well-worn sexiness, especially when she croons, “Tell me, baby, tell me pretty lies.”

Real-Deal Staying Power? These two are wandering spirits, so this won’t last too long. Maybe another record? What’s interesting to note is that it's Campbell’s project. She writes the songs and calls the shots, something you just don’t assume when you see the diminutive blonde standing next to this hulking beast, whom you expect is large and in charge.
Further Listening: Sunday at Devil Dirt

And the winners are ... She & Him. But wait a minute! Just as the duo reaches the podium to accept its award, Lanegan enters from stage right with Campbell hoisted upon his shoulders, kind of like Master Blaster from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. He kicks both M. Ward and Zooey into the orchestra pit and claims the brassy statue.

Concentric Pleasures: El Guincho, Lusine, Vladislav Delay

2009-09-12T15:57:26Z

El Guincho (photo: Oliver Faig)

This week's column has no explicit theme, but there might be an implicit one: all five of these albums explore what happens when you combine traditional acoustic and electric instruments with electronic processing and production. Three of them make heavy use of vocals. Four are new, another is a decade old, and one of them sounds way older -- in a good way.

El Guincho, "Antillas" remixes: EP1 and EP2

El Guincho's music is so full of energy and ideas, it's often hard to believe that it's the work of a single artist: listening to his 2008 debut, Alegranza, feels like standing on a hilltop equidistant from three or four different stages at a world music fest, with soca, Afropop, tropicalia and psychedelic rock swirling in the air and shifting with the winds. Now the Spanish musician has reissued "Antillas," one of the album's standout tracks, to a diverse crew of remixers who take his ideas even farther afield. Most of them stay true to the sunny-day spirit of the original, homing in on Highlife-inspired guitars and delirious, Animal Collective-styled chants. Spank Rock's XXXchange comes up with a dazzling slab of Technicolor exuberance in the spirit of DFA or Carl Craig. Norway's Prins Thomas, a master of hypnotic disco, seems to have come across a few of the helium-fueled balloons that once floated above the floor of David Mancuso's Loft; full of bluegrass guitar and manic hand claps, it's as unstoppable as a five-year-old's birthday party. Cee, of Germany's dub outfit Al-Haca, takes the opposite approach, layering atonal voices over quavering bass and stripped-down percussion halfway between dubstep and the bleakest techno: it's "Antillas" all right, but as heard from the other end of a black hole.

]]> Lusine, A Certain Distance

Built upon a bed of Seattle producer Lusine's typically fine-tooled rhythms, A Certain Distance indulges a jones for lushness with enveloping synths, acoustic samples and quietly dazzling vocals, layered and processed to spine-tingling effect. Downbeat in mood, the tracks sparkle with unusual clarity. There's no blur in Lusine's ultra-HD world. The easygoing "Twilight" projects singer Vilja Larjosto's supple voice as if through a prism, throwing rainbows in its wake, and "Two Dots" is even more colorful, with Larjosto's multitracked vocals fluttering like pennants stretched to the horizon. The album's out on Ghostly, which only makes sense: file this one alongside School of Seven Bells' Iamundernodisguise.

Vladislav Delay, Tummaa

Sasu Ripatti (aka Vladislav Delay, Luomo and Uusitalo) has often alluded to his background as a jazz drummer, and he recently picked up the sticks again for the Moritz von Oswald Trio. He must be making up for lost time with his new album, Tummaa. The rhythms derive from Ripatti's own playing — not on a traditional drum kit, but rather a battery of metal objects and custom percussion instruments — and he's assisted by Lucio Capece playing reeds and Craig Armstrong on piano and Rhodes. The results, torn between dub pulse and arrhythmic flicker, are as immersive as anything he's done to date. Dark and free-spirited, the album draws equally from dubstep and free-improvisers AMM -- a neat trick.

Robin Guthrie, Carousel

I won't pretend that I've followed Robin Guthrie's career post-Cocteau Twins with much diligence (I was surprised, in fact, to find that Rhapsody has five albums by him, both solo and with Harold Budd, plus two EPs). I also won't pretend that he doesn't sound a lot like a version of the Cocteau Twins sans Liz Fraser on Carousel, his new album. But who's complaining? Cotton-candy guitar filigree runs through oodles of reverb -- carried by the Cocteaus' brooding bass and drum interplay, what more could you want? Instrumental or no, these are fully formed songs, not just Frippertronic atmospherics, with generous depth. If you'd have told me these were unearthed sessions from two decades ago, I wouldn't have doubted it. Not that the album sounds dated. Quite the contrary: it only reinforces how singular and enduring Guthrie's supple sound has always been, and remains.

Mr. Scruff, Keep It Unreal (10th Anniversary Analogue Remaster Edition)

You never need an excuse to pull out Mr. Scruff's Keep It Unreal, but we'll give you one anyway. The Mancunian doodler's sampladelic masterpiece turns 10 this fall, and to celebrate the occasion Ninja Tune has released a remastered version of the album complete with eight new tracks. His vintage-leaning, fun-loving cutups haven't aged a day: this is timeless, toe-scuffing funk tailor-made for road trips, picnics and weekends at the beach. (Perfect, in other words, for Rhapsody on your iPhone.)