Ty Segall, Garage Punk & You...

as the world morns over the death of the almighty Jay Reatard some time back, we wonder about the shoes being left to fill in the garage punk world. with bands like Harlem, Love Boat, & the Overnight Lows we just begin to scratch the surface of contenders to the fallen-king's thrown.

one gent however, is standing out quite a bit lately. and that gent is none other than Ty Segall.

hailing from San Francisco Ty has been quite the busy man jumping from label to label and releasing a slew of singles, splits, eps, & way more. and, in typical garage punk fashion, you gotta do your best to track down all of his stuff- especially the vinyl formats.

but luckily for us in today's day and age one doesn't need a turn table to keep track of the massive garage punk scene. you would give yourself a major heart attack trying to do this if you pointed your nose up as a 'vinyl only' stalwart when it comes to this genre. i got TONS of garage punk and it's all in digital format purchased via iTunes or better yet, eMusic.

so why did i throw in the above comment? simple. Ty Segall as well as all garage punk deserves to be listened to. and i'm not gonna lie. if you wanna absorb this genre your gonna have to have some help. and while garage punk is best played loud on a record player, when it comes to certain obsessions, we take what we can get!

and no, before you jump to conclusions i am not obsessed with Ty Segall. i am however somewhat obsessed with garage punk- and to a degree, obsessed over Jay Reatard. so as i go thru my various blogzines that i read regularly i am noticing a trend that it's starting to gain momentum again, and that's probably due to Jay himself crossing over to mainstream indie rock.

in the 90's garage/surf/raw punk was pretty effin' popular with little exclusive records sprouting up such as the entire Estrus Gentleman's Club series, releases on Crypt Records, or if you really knew what was up, records on Planet Pimp. it seems that 10 - 15 years later, it's starting up again. amen to that and score one more for RockNRoll lovers all over the world.

so as i post up a few of these mp3s to listen to or download, keep in mind its only scratching the surface to a scene that's way bigger and dynamic. if your town has a record store and you see records by bands like these- snatch 'em up!! because in about the time it takes you to walk over to where the latest Grizzly Bear album is, that garage punk record will be gone and then posted on ebay for like a gazillion dollars.

ENJOI!

Le'

please click the 'DOWN ARROW' button to download tracks.

Ty Segall 'Bulletproof Nothing' b- side to the Caesar 7" single
the biggest contender to Jay's thrown is represented with the b-side to his latest single. why the b-side and not the a-side? well, to be honest, i didn't care for the a-side. i heard Mr.Segall's work before and the b-side is a better representation of what the man is about which, coincidently with this song, is a cover track.
Ty Segall 02 Bullet Proof Nothing by djle'le'AKA
Ty Segall on myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/tysegall

Harlem 'Mood Ring' digital single
from Texas comes this musical juggernaut that has been gaining speed over the last year. not nearly as many releases as Segall, but all that is released is strong. 'Free Drugs' was the band's last lp, and as we speak, there is a new lp on Matador about to drop really soon. 'Mood Ring' is a digital single that was released a couple of weeks back about the same time they released a digital single for 'LSD Saves'. i prefer 'Mood Ring'.
Harlem 01 Mood Ring by djle'le'AKA
Harlem on myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/harlemduh

Hunx and His Punx 'You Don't Like Rock and Roll' from the album "Gay SIngles"
Hunx/Punx has actually played shows with Mr.Reatard and were part of his Shattered Records Tour w/ other garage punk bands like No Bunny, Cheap Time, Useless Eaters & more. i first heard them on the single 'Teardrops on my Telephone' which completely reminded me of Pansy Division but no where near as poppy. the album has that single on it and it smokes from beginning to end and is recommended big time! Hunx And His Punx 01 U Don’t Like Rock N Roll by djle'le'AKA
Hunx on myspace:
http://blogs.myspace.com/hunxsolo


Shattered Records/Jay Reatard info:
http://www.jayreatard.com/category/catalog/

Moon Trent - Old School Dance

from the bay area of Cali, now living in the Central Valley of Merced comes a little techno pop secret known as Moon Trent.

well, you can't really call him too much of a secret. Moon has been putting out music consistently for over 10 years. he was at the helm of SF gay punky stalwarts Brown Star. he kicked it with Pansy Division and modeled on their album covers. he bounces around on stage and loves what he does. truly a one man band in the truest sense. he's also a solid good person and a really great friend of yours truly.

Moon's method of expression has always been on the electronic side. when you listen to his music the love for 80's synth pop is apparent. when i first saw him play in like the early 90's he would stomp his feet to the techno beat made by his keyboardist and lone musician in the band. we're talking a good 15 years before the Jersey Shore fist-pumpin' that a lot of douche bags do now.

when i caught up with Moon he was ecstatic that Rodney Bingenheimer of KROQ fame played his track, 'old school dance'. being the swell guy he is he lovingly sent him a thank you card and showed appreciation for 'Mayor of the Sunset Strip' playing his single. just like Moon. an all around good guy.

to celebrate this little victory i told Moon i'd put up the single, and also mention his new album coming out titled "In Person". so there's the plug. now on to the track.

ENJOI!

Le'

click the down arrow key to download!!

Moon Trent-Old School Dance  by  djle'le'AKA


COPY AND PASTE THE LINKS TO A NEW BROWSER WINDOW (or highlight the link and right click and 'open in new tab, browser, etc...)
Moon Trent myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/moontrent

Love is All - Two Thousand and Ten Injuries

i have to admit that this band flew under my radar. and let me tell you my radar is pretty low that i don't miss much.

so for this review, i will have to leave out any prior knowledge of the bands pre works. i understand they have a small but close together back catalog that includes quite a few singles and have been around for a wee bit forming from the ashes of other bands from their home area of Gothenburg, Sweden.

ahhh Sweden. right now Sweden is responsible for a bevy of electronic acts and a very distinctive sound as exampled by bands like jj, the Knife, or Little Dragon.

Love is All sounds nothing like those bands.

and here's where my curiosity was somewhat peaked. you see i had read a review that compared Love is All to the bands and music that's all the rage in Sweden right now. man, was that review like effin' wrong.

so what does Love is All sound like? glad you asked. it sounds like a band that may have felt at home in the indie rock 90's. not ALTERNATIVE rock 90's, but the indie rock 90's. think Huggy Bear, Velocity Girl, cool 7" singles, and really bad haircuts. matter of fact, speaking of 90's i hear a lot of the 'Riot Grrrl' sound in their music. not saying that it's a dominant factor, but you can for sure hear it.

and if you haven't already guessed by the above reference- the vocalist is female. and when she wants to, can make you dance and bounce with her as apparent on the opening track "bigger and bolder". or if she wants to can sway a jury to see her point of view as we hear on "repetition". and if she wants us to fall in love with her, she can; if she sings to us like she sings on "take your time".

like i stated above, the music itself is a 90's throw-back sound. now, if you're a little too young to know what i'm speaking of, or don't understand the references listed a few paragraphs back, the closest sounding band currently making music would be Vampire Weekend. the guitars on both bands sound pretty damn close to one another.

so how do i feel about this lp? well, first i am very pleasantly surprised that it's not another Sweden 'tape loop' band like i expected. and while i'm sure that the music scene in that part of the world is full of way more bands than the 'tape loop electronic' scene, it seems to be that genre gaining momentum. maybe this band can help change that. now that i said that, i can say this: i really, really, really like this lp a lot. but then again, i'm a child of the 90's yo.

word!

Le'

COPY AND PASTE LINKS PLEASE TO A NEW BROWSER WINDOW IN ORDER TO OPEN THEM!

Love is All webpage:
http://loveisallright.blogspot.com/

order the lp/cd direct:
http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/

"repetition"mp3
http://www.mediafire.com/?i2tjjnmwbmd

"early warnings"mp3
http://www.mediafire.com/?mizwzcetmtm

"take your time"mp3
http://www.mediafire.com/?0jymnmk1tjf

MGMT - Congratulations

so it's the album that a lot of the indie rock community has been waiting for.

sooooo much buzzing around it.

the new MGMT album 'Congratulations'.

so, what to expect from a band that helped get the Brooklyn scene noticed and indie rock itself by creeping on to the tongues of the mainstream with hits from their last album that even hit the most Top 40iest of dance floors in the clubs?

well, do NOT expect the same album twice.

in the first album we heard a band that seduced us with really odd loops and electronics. however, on this lp, as apparent in the first few songs, that's thrown out the window.

for example, the first two songs, are, no shit now, straight up Surf rocked influenced. don't believe me? then listen to 'Song for Dan Treacy'. Surf rock right down to the organ yo. but i'm not saying that its bad or you should start frowning. remember those are only the opening tracks.

continuing the album the listener is comforted by songs that sound like a MGMT record. 'Someone's Missing' is a tread back to familiar turf for the band as does their first single from this album 'Flash Delerium'. but when comparing it to their first lp, the listener gets HINTS of pre MGMT work, not necessarily the same band. once again not a bad thing really.

however, this album carries a lot of weight on it's hands. everyone wants the new 'Electric Feel' song. everyone is expecting the latest indie-rock crossover lp, well, while this lp deserves to be picked up by everyone, if you're expecting that kind of creation again- you will not get it.

instead MGMT have managed to deliver a truly great lp that is great for it's own separate reasons.

chanting choruses, references to a Beatles influence or ever 'Pet Sounds' era Beach Boys influence, excellent musical arrangements, some 70's AM radio pop sensibility, and experimentalism make this a great album. one you should OWN.

so please, enjoy 'Oracular Spectacular' for what it's worth. then, clear your ears and absorb this album at full capacity. the band is just getting warmed up.

street date 4/13/2010

Enjoi!

Le'

COPY AND PASTE LINKS

"song for dan treacy"mp3
http://www.mediafire.com/?dm24wmdd5mz

"flash delirium"mp3
http://www.mediafire.com/?mli0cdr3zml

Minks - Funeral Song 7" single

unless you've been under a friggin' rock, you know how hot the Brooklyn scene is right now. with bands like Grizzly Bear, MGMT, Real Estate, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, just to name a few, make the place a musical hot-bed. so many distinct sounds in a scene all cozy and close net in friendship.

Minks hail from said scene. though this is the case, i don't see them kickin' it with the above bands any time soon. not saying that they may not be doing that- but they seem to be cut from a different fabric.

that being said, i enjoyed their current 7" single big time.

'Funeral Song', is the single's a-side and it throws you back about 20 plus years to a time when the Brit scene was running rampant with post punk bands that teetered on the Goth scene. The bassline is very noticeable and extremely repetitive and the guitars jangle on against some vocals that you cant seem to understand while the drum beat keeps it all together.

music instrument break-downs aside, this is a single that could have been released in 1984 that you would find in a record store in Soho that had a box with a sticker on it that read: 'goth/post punk'.

in other words it sounds a lot like Joy Division and the Cure. while that may make for some gloomy company, the truth is that the while the lyrics are intangible, you can hear that whatever the singer is singing about- it's a positive thought that will turn to a positive memory.

the b-side is titled 'Drunk Punks'. once again you're treated to the same type of instrumentation and intangible vocals, but just not as catchy as the a-side. it's definitely b-side material. that's not a bad thing. but there is a reason b-sides exist.

pushing the review to one side, i'm surprised this band is from the brooklyn scene let alone the USofA. in a scene where there are so many bands that stick out and unique, i developed quite a soft spot for their unique throw-back goth sound and expect big things of them over the next few months. here's to hoping a full length is in the works.

Funeral Song - Minks by Tough Love

COPY AND PASTE BELOW LINKS

Captured Tracks Records homepage to order direct:
http://www.capturedtracks.com/index.php

Minks on myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/iamwitchcraft

download the track:
'funeral song'mp3
http://www.mediafire.com/?noztgjmmhmm

word!

Le'

Sacramento homies check out FUCK FRIDAYS

i had the pleasure of DJing with legendary Sacramento party boy Shaun Slaughter at his premier indie rock tuesday night gig, LIPSTICK at Old Ironsides in downtown Sacramento, CA. Its always a hoot and one-of-a-kind. but its only a prelude to his FUCK FRIDAY shows at the Townhouse. the best jams in house, electro, remixes, indie, and more along with some CRAZY theme nights make this night bitchin' and a thing to do when i'm in Sac on the weekends... you'd be tarded not to go.

FRIDAYS 9pm 1517 21st Street Sacramento, Ca

DJs:
Shaun Slaughter
Jon Droll
Roger Carpio
3-5$ cover....
21 & up

word!

Le'

Glass Candy - Feeling Without Touching 12"

so this was released a little under a month back, this review is slightly late. even though i have my head to the ground with the record label that put this release out, Italians Do It Better, i've been caught up with soooo much music that it slipped my radar. so first an apology for that. now lets get to the release....

first of all, the title track was on Glass Candy's 'Deep Gems' collection released a little over a year ago. but, keeping in the grand Italians Do It Better tradition, they re-released it with a few extra tracks onto vinyl for more eclectic DJs and collectors alike- and always limited quantities. but if you don't mind lookin' for musical gems; or know how to use a web-browser to look & shop online at cooler sites that would carry great vinyl, this release is WORTH the trouble.

a brief history of this portland band finds they went from Runaways style rock on their earlier releases and then dabbled into electronic music. to be more specific, Italian styled space disco: a genre first poppin' up in the 70's with bands like Cerrone 3 or Italian splatter horror disco gabbers Goblin. there is definitely a revival of sorts for this and its a few years strong with bands like Pink Stallone, Lindsrtom and Christabelle, Ghost Note, or, for a stronger and excellent musical example, label mates Desire.

and for the last few releases Glass Candy have reflected this genre well- and this EP is proof. its well produced and sounds rich. Johnny Jewel, the man responsible for making music that throws you into space does not hold back the launch pad. for the next four songs, his music owns you and before you come back down to earth, there are two extra instrumental versions of tracks that if you close your eyes can make you feel like you're on the Great Space Rollercoaster. extremely minimal at times, Johnny once again uses a lot of older analog technics to produce the music on this gem. add to that simple drum beats, pounding gloomy bass, synthesizers and his good ear and you have music that can throw you into space 30 years from now, but at the same time keep you on earth 30 years ago.

music aside one cannot escape the second half of this pair....

also back is Ida No. the musical anti-diva that commands more respect and eye stares that the most biggest of Lady GaGa wannabes walking into a night club would try to get. she delivers anecdotes of despair that compliment Johnny's music well. she does not hold back at what's going on inside her. or her possible warped take on the world. on the opening title track she warms up, singing to the tones of the music. a great track to warm up the dance floor. but that's only the OPENING track. the real story is on the subsequent tracks that come after it. on the second track "sugar & whitebread" she seems hurt that nice young boys that play grow up to be men that make bad decisions. 'hey, what's the difference between a piece of garbage and a man?!!' is explained after her plea is made to the boys of the world is made. the next track, my personal fave, and perhaps the stand-out is a track called "covered in bugs", an expression one uses when they feel the effects of heroin. least, thats what my friends used to say when they take a little too much or were coming down hard. now i'm not saying that's what she means by it- but i can almost see her looking into a mirror calling for her friend Eva and explaining to her that she can't relax in which the lady in the mirror responds to her: 'you just need to relax'. at which that point the two continue onto a conversation about Ida's lament over how the sky used to be. 'we didnt have anyway to make our world pretty', states a somber yet almost giddy Ida.

when compared to their older proper album release, 'b/e/a/t/b/o/x', 'Feeling Without Touching' while only 4 songs deep (remember 2 instrumental versions), holds its own as a big step for the duo. it sounds very tight and strong and there's an obvious synergy between the two that can only be called 'unique'.

with that stated, i forgot to leave out one little detail about this release: it's available online on iTunes or eMusic if you cant get to a record store, or the outlet you go to is outta touch, you can get it via the all convenient digital download.

i also gotta add that this genre is one i'm familiar with quite well. i used to DJ a haunt in my home town and would open up with Desire & Glass Candy tracks always. the space disco/italo disco revival is a interesting one to follow. if you like this release or want to learn more then i would recommend you lend your ear over to the After Dark compilation or the Milky Disco series of comps. the roots of which can be found out 'Italo Disco - Essential Disco Classics 1977-1985', another fine comp.

word!

Le'

Italians Do It Better Records webpage & myspace page:

http://vivaitalians.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/italiansdoitbetterrecords