scissorkick

I'll admit it right now. If one half of Boards of Canada suggests an album, I'll give it a go. It's not that I'm impressionable (okay, maybe a little) but where's the harm in a five minute scan. Generally speaking of course, five minutes, or approximately 30 seconds or so of each track, is enough to get a feel for a record, especially one like Bibio's Fi, soon to be released among a string of electronic records put out by Mush. While I can't in good conscious call the 17 tracks on this debut by Stephen Wilkinson "songs," I do enjoy them tremendously as ambient guitar pieces, eerily reminiscent (and more accomplished) of the stuff I tend to write in my downtime. Expect lots of reviews using words like organic, pastoral, bucolic and idyllic. Click here for more info on Bibio and links to purchase the record.

Bibio :: "Bewley in White

Posted by Steve at 11/30/2004 07:18:14 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Today you get a quick post, only up this week, of a track from Scott Herren's Piano Overlord project. Instead of just regurgitating what is already online, I'd click here to read all about it. Less complex than his Prefuse 73 stuff, it still adheres to Herren's taut beat programming and angular melodicism even though the tracks are constructed with only piano and drums. And while I have always been a big fan, I have to disagree with him on his recently worded generalities regarding posting music online. In fairness, I have pasted his comments below:
My emphasis is this; if this project interest you then buy the record. Do not steal the music from some bitch website because you're only contributing to the problem - i would also emphasize in not downloading anything unless you plan to pay for it because you are only stealing from the artists that you so call - "respect".
Readers know that Scissorkick has never been exclusively about downloading music, but utilizes the downloads to get people to further explore the artists (and buy) the records posted. So here is your track. Trust me when I tell you to pick up the Money Studies 7" and be on the lookout for an EP and full length. And while Herren may bitch at all of us, he may want to actually make his records more available to the public. After an exhaustive online search, it seems it is sold out at Turntable Lab, Boomkat and other retailers. The only spot that seems to have some is over at Warp Records where Americans can pay a shit exchange rate and shipping charges. Nice.
Piano Overlord :: "Walk Home"

Posted by Steve at 11/29/2004 03:38:11 PM | Permalink | Comments   

In a recent interview with DJ/Rupture for Resonance we talked briefly about the increasingly populous MP3 blogging landscape and what elements make up a good blog. While I'm pretty sure scissorkick isn't one of Rupture's IE bookmarks, we did agree that the posts shouldn't just be random, but rather should communicate a bit of the personality of this person, this blogger, who is truly nothing but the most noble of pirates. So today you get some DJ/Rupture and not just because he is such a nice and intelligent guy, but because his newest record is one of the crowning jewels of no-boundaries production in 2004. It is a complex musical statement with a subtle yet deeply entrenched political bent. A departure from his DJ mixes for sure, but nonetheless a compelling slab of future dub for the space between your ears as evidenced by this sick remix of "No Heathen" featuring Rupture's blacksmith riddim. The original was released on Shockout Records as part of their awesome series of international soundclash experiments.

DJ Rupture :: "No Heathen" Featuring Wicked Act (blacksmith mix)

Posted by Steve at 11/23/2004 04:37:15 PM | Permalink | Comments   

You just have to love a producer/DJ who not only has mastered the hallowed Akai MPC 2000XL, but also does it while fashionably rocking sick Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling masks. That's Kutmasta Kurt for you and while he has been sweating away under his embroidered nylon since the early JVC Force days, he has arguably become one of underground hip-hop's most respected producers working with everyone from The Beastie Boys to Mos Def, but is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Kool Keith on just about all of his solo records. Consider the awful Linkin Park remix as simply a smartly calculated payday. A new compilation of some of his tightest rarities, b-sides and unreleased tracks has just been released on Waxploitation Records and to the dismay of the International Olympic Committee has been titled Redneck Olympics. Today's post was originally released as a Chocolate Industries 12" and takes Prefuse's original and enlarges it for dancefloors.

Kutmasta Kurt :: "Wylin' Out" (featuring Mos Def & Diverse)

Posted by Steve at 11/18/2004 05:48:59 PM | Permalink | Comments   

It seems like November is slowly turning into Chicago music month here on scissorkick. Without any planning, we've already posted Quantazelle, Sam Prekop and L'altra (with Pit er Pat on the way), and today you get a nugget from Windy City locals The Changes who are quickly becoming a Fall favorite on the heels of their excellent EP, "The Machinery" available here. As is a prerequisite for carrying the infamous "The" prefix in a band name, you can expect some garage rock tendencies but delivered in a much more complex package that balances jazz-rock (Steely Dan, Sea & Cake), dance punk (check the break in "The Machine"), and breezy indie prep-school groove (Death Cab, Aluminum Group) with a vintage 80s sound recalling the The Fall and Police. They are most certainly a band on the cusp of great things and I bet my nearly 30 years that they will take over the indie press as soon as a full-length drops. You can listen to six more tracks on their Web site by clicking here.

Posted by Steve at 11/17/2004 01:37:12 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Been really busy preparing some portfolio stuff, so apologies for not posting in the last 4 days. I will be back regularly starting today and have accumulated so much stuff, that I am set for at least 2 weeks, so please check back each day for new stuff from One Be Lo, Sage Francis, Toytronic, Thievery Corporation, Low, Landau, Merck Records and much more. Today's post however presents the inimitable Sharon Jones, who I proudly hail as the current Queen of contemporary soul music. With her band, The Dap Kings, Ms. Jones has indeed invented a time machine, with vocals so gifted and production so authentic, that it is nearly impossible to believe you are listening to music made in 2004. Funky like The Meters, poignant like Etta James and as nostalagic as a '57 Chevy, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings have exhumed the holy ghost of Motor City's most respected crooners. Coming out soon on Daptone Records, fans of dusty groove and soul would be remiss to pass on this.

Posted by Steve at 11/16/2004 01:25:51 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Now for today's post and this is one band I am determined will become a favorite, if of course, you enjoy melancholic pop with subtle electronic embellishment and alternating male/female vocals. L'altra is a Chicago band recently signed to Hefty Records centered around the duo of Joseph Costa and Lindsay Anderson and features the programming/production of Joshua Eustis from Telefon Tel Aviv. Anderson has lended her vocals to records by Telelfon Tel Aviv and Slicker so you may recognize her delicate touch on the mic. Like Savath & Savalas or the aforementioned Telefon Tel Aviv, L'altra (which means "the others' in Italian) mesh organic and electronic elements to produce subtle yet powerful melodies that ring with the cinematic tones of an evening spent introspectively alone. With contributions from cellist Fred-Longberg-Holm and Pulseprogramming's Marc Heller, the sound is rich, astutely produced and a savvy intepretation of lost blues and folk through a contemporary kaleidoscope. "Sleepless Night" builds slowly while increasing tension before a satisfying payoff. Please look for the full-length record, Different Days out on Hefty in January and stop by the Hefty store to pick up the "Bring on Happiness" single.

Posted by Steve at 11/10/2004 01:21:12 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Just got a promo of the new Sam Prekop record -- Who's Your New Professor -- and while the press materials try and fool you with misguided talk about "different directions" you can (and should) expect the same, ever-reliable Prekop you've grown to love. With some artists we expect constant evolution, yet with this talented Chicago crooner, I tend to hope he stays the same on each record, whistfully spinning tales with that reedy voice; an undeniable mixture of Muzak, Prozac and Amtrak (Prekop is great for road trips.) This record doesn't come out until Spring '05 so I wont say much about it and simply warn that these MP3s will only be up for a week or two because it is such a rare occassion that scissorkick gets such prized promotional stuff. So download and enjoy! Expect another MP3 sometime in early Spring when the record drops. And make sure to grab all of his stuff available on Thrill Jockey. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Also, big John over at Tofu Hut , one of the Web's most eclectic and knowledgeable MP3 blogs, has published an interview with scissorkick in his Meet the Neighbors section that he posts each week. I had a chance to drunkenly eat a turkey club while talking/spitting about music one night after a DJ gig and he is all that the site purports. I was about 10 seconds away from opening his chest up with a butter knife to see if there was a hard drive under his rib cage. The dude simply knows too much. The interview will also be posted on Better Propaganda so check it out if you want to know more about the site and its influences. Enough on that.

Posted by Steve at 11/08/2004 08:17:27 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Today you get some timely, upbeat IDM from Chicago-area producer Quantazelle aka Liz McLean Knight, who also moonlights as an editor of Modsquare.com, a highly informative and passionately produced e-zine dedicated to electronic music culture. Her first full-length release is titled Coaster and represents the initial output from Chicago's Subvariant Recordings. The two tracks posted today represent the more saccharine side of her production, incorporating piano and synth melodies over fluttering percussion developed by manipulating environmental sounds. While I tend to shy away from applying the often-misdirected IDM label to electronic music, the quality of Quantazelle's tracks really surprised me with their balance of technique and emotion, perfect for private listening or progressive dancefloors. Moments of Aphex, Plaid and Mike Paradinas shine through at the most climactic moments. Definitely look out for future stuff from the talented producer; it can only get more lush and evocative from here.

Posted by Steve at 11/03/2004 10:20:17 AM | Permalink | Comments