BJÖRK!

A little over 11 Years ago, Björk released her 4th studio album, Homogenic, a beautiful ten song masterpiece that some would argue "took music to the next level."

While I do know of more than a few people who would disagree with this assertion (myself not included), I can't imagine anyone denying the fact that from this album comes five of the coolest music videos ever made by anyone for any song.

NOTE:

The video for "All Full of Love" was nominated for Best Music Video at the 1998 Grammy Awards, but my personal favorite video is "Hunter."

The five videos in chronological order:

"Jóga"

"Bachelorette"

"Hunter"

"Alarm Call"

"All Full of Love"

BY THE WAY:

My favorite Björk song ever happens to be "Jóga" which I have found bizarre covers of by Ben Gibbard and New Found Glory that are definitely worth checking out.

My Drive Thru

And also check out Santogold's single with Julian Casablancas of the Strokes and rappers N.E.R.D, "My Drive Thru".  Originally recorded for a Converse campaign, the song really is a blend of Santogold's music (however unclassifiable it is), the Strokes' indie alternative rock, and N.E.R.D.'s diverse rap.  The three-note pulsating guitar riff is nothing special, but less is more: it hypnotizes you and only changes key, once.  We get a taste of everything, and are whipped from Pharrell's Prince-like falsetto verses to a melodius Casablancas singing over bell-like synthesized chords, right back to a fierce Santogold whining at the listener with her signature bleak, stark vocals that cohere with her electronica-rock-dub-hiphop sound and make you want to scream them back at her.  

And it has the best Santogold-Casablancas-NERD line ever: "I may look young but your game is prepubescent."

Santogold

Imagine M.I.A. and Beck had a lovechild, and that child grew up in the 80s, and lived across the street from Feist and upstairs from TV on the Radio, and spent her pre-adolescent years sitting in her room with a Walkman and a pair of headphones on. And then the child became an immensely talented lyricist. And then spent years working in the music industry before recording her own album. This child would be named Santogold.

Santogold (aka Santi White) released her self-titled debut album last April. It is an amalgam of about a trillion different genres. It is delicious. Every song seems to allude to a different group of artists. The opening track, "L.E.S. Artistes," could be a Yeah Yeah Yeahs single. Taken out of context, the instrumentals of "Lights Out" and "You'll Find A Way" could have been recorded in 1987. "Creator," a highlight of the album, begins with a fast-paced jazz drum line but quickly descends into complete hip-hop/electronic-dom. A reggae guitar lick and electric rock instrumentals are seamlessly combined in "Shove It," another standout track, in which Santogold clearly defines herself as a fringe artist, calling mainstream music a "joke."

Perhaps the album is best defined by the chorus of "Creator": "Me, I'm a creator / Thrill is to make it up / The rules I break got me a place / Up on the radar."

Though on occasion the album comes dangerously close to being overly-eclectic, Santogold's distinctive vocals, firm grasp of a wide variety of genres and fearlessness in combining all of her influences makes her an artist to watch.

Get the whole album. Now.

ITUNES LINK: Link

Fall Live

          MMJ

_________________________________________________________

For my inaugural post, I thought I'd make a list of some NYC shows to look forward to this fall, excluding all of the awesome 18+ shows in the city.  And if you're 18, check out the Webster Hall schedule... you won't be disappointed.

Stars w/ Bell X1- Terminal 5, Sat September 20 

Worth mentioning even though it was last Saturday, because the show was as epic as a large club show can get.  Montreal's Stars ("beautiful, eloquent indie pop") creates sonic constellations that include raging guitars, an array of different synths and moog sounds, trumpets, blow keyboards (the keytar's cousin: a keyboard that functions like a wind instrument), and more.  

__________________________________________________________

Beck w/ MGMT - United Palace Theater, Wed-Fri Oct 8-10

Singer-guitarist-rapper-("in the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey")-psycho Beck is back with a killer new album, Modern Guilt, and of course a tour with 3 NY dates.  His new songs aren't as big stage productions as older stuff ("the new stuff is easier to play"), but Modern Guilt's mix of alternative rock, electronic sounds, and a soul/R&B touch hits the spot.  And what could be better: they brought along the most blogged and talked about indie act since the Strokes.

Ra Ra Riot w/ Walter Meego & the Morning Benders - Bowery Ballroom, Thu Oct 16 (16+)

Ra Ra Riot is fun and  easy to listen to (that's not always bad!) alternative indie with a cello and violin, Walter Meego calls his music Pop/Experimental, and the Morning Benders are Kooks wannabes (whether that's a good thing or not) --they opened for them earlier this year--and they're starting to pull it off.

Deerhoof w/ Experimental Dental School & Flying - Irving Plaza, Wed Oct 22

The Killers - Hammerstein Ballroom, Fri Oct 24

They're back with a new album in November, and in the style of Lenny Kravitz's show at Hammerstein in February, they're using the venue as a pre-release in-concert test of the new material.  However, they'll obviously be playing all the songs that you really liked dancing to in 2005 ("Mr. Brightside," "Somebody Told Me"), and all the underrated synth-laden tracks from Sam's Town  ("Bones," "Read My Mind").

The Black Crowes w/ Patti Smith and her Band - Hammerstein Ballroom, Halloween

The two acts played Halloween in NYC last year at the United Palace, and there going at it again, with a GA floor replacing orchestra seats.  The Crowes' blues-rock brings you back and rocks hard, and Smith's anti-rock star persona and music (and awesome cover choices--I hear she's playing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" these days) is legendary. You'll have to weigh it out though--Halloween party or getting spooked out by the Robinson bros?

Smashing Pumpkins - United Palace Theater, Thu/Fri November 6/7

Billy Corgan and co. (original drummer Jimmy Chamberlain and newbies Jeff Schroeder and Ginger Reyes), since their reunion last year, never really came to New York, but in November they're here.  As opposed to the arenas they used to rock, you can pump your fist to their influential grunge in a theater setting.

Drive-By Truckers & The Hold Steady - Terminal 5, Thu/Fri November 6/7

Sounding almost as good as just hanging out with Craig Finn (tHS), the pairing of DBT's southern rock and the Hold Steady's regular guy indie rock (does that exist? they created it.) will make for a great double-headlining show.  

Girl Talk w/ various openers - Terminal 5, Sat/Sun/Tues November 15/16/18

Mashup DJ mixes and weird variations of electronica, mixed with weird-cool-fun stage pranks like crowd surfing on a mattress will make this night awesome.

Tina Turner - Madison Square Garden, Mon December 1

Anyone with any musical sense would 1) be happy TT is finally back and 2) not make fun of two guys going to a Tina Turner show and singing "What's Love Got to Do with It" (not that I'm doing that or anything...) because she is arguably the greatest female performer in the last 50 years (Aretha Franklin's ego has to calm down--Beyoncé calling Turner "the queen" bruised it for some reason).  She looks and sings like she's half her age.

Neil Young w/ Wilco & Everest - Madison Square Garden, Mon/Tues December 15/16

Toronto's finest brings Chicago's finest and newcomers Everest in for the 2-night stand finale of his Chrome Dreams II tour.  You'll get a mix of "Rock/Americana/Indie", wilco music (and that's "wilco" being used as an adjective), and classic rock, folk beauty, and rocking new Neil tunes.

My Morning Jacket - Madison Square Garden, NEW YEAR'S EVE

Get down on your knees, right now, and pray that your parents aren't taking you to some stupid location for a "family vacation" to celebrate the coming of 2009.  As I am already subject to that (what the hell do you do in Phoenix, Arizona in December?!), I hope as many people as possible can experience the thing that is My Morning Jacket.  The most anticipated concert of the rest of 2008, MMJ will be jamming for at least 3 hours, and you will be dancing like you've never danced before to "Highly Suspicious" (which for some reason Evan has mistaken as "bad".) Do yourself a favor and listen to some real good new rock music, and appreciate the genius in our favorite Louisvillians (?): Jim James, "Two-Tone" Tommy Blankenship, Carl Broemel, Bo Koster, and Patrick Hallahan.

Q: Are we not human? A: We are Killers!

A new Killers single was released yesterday.  I'm not personally a huge fan of Brandon Flowers et al, but I did see them in concert a few years ago in Central Park and they were pretty good.  Hot Fuss, The Killers debut album released in 2004 was decent for what it was and included some pretty cool songs:

Smile Like You Mean It:

Somebody Told Me:

The group's sophomore album, Sam's Town (2007) was a good-intentioned swing and miss at making an arena rock album and featured the sub-par single "When You Were Young":

The band's third studio album, Day & Age is set to be released later this year (November 25th, to be exact) and will feature the single, "Human."  In my view, Hot Fuss was a somewhat OK album and its been downhill from there, but judge for yourself:

The Killers- Human

Auto Tune (Let It Rock)

Tally ho.

Has anyone else noticed the influx of the "talkbox" effect in mainstream rap as of late? This aurally pleasing effect of auto-tuning ones voice to hop between different pitches in different registers has become one of the most popular tools in the rap game. from Kanye West, to T-Wayne, to E 40 (joke), this over the top doodad (sp) can be heard on almost any recent song from the past couple months or so. Im not debating whether or not this effect has been in use for a decently long time. It has. I remember (and I am sure my generation remembers too) of a certain techno pop group called Eiffel 65, who pretty much killed the talkbox effect in modern pop, at least for awhile. Even before Eiffiel 65, Guitarist and Songwriter Peter Frampton utilized the talkbox to be intwined with his guitar playing, something that is very strange, but not unpleasing to the ear.

I just dont feel that in the longterm, this effect will continue to shine as one of billboard rap's leading attractions.

Kevin Rudolf (Ft. Lil' Wayne)- Let It Rock

Bajofondo: Mar Dulce

What's more exhilarating, more intoxicating, and sexier than Latin dance? Nothing. Period. I listen to my fair share of American and European electronica; anything that makes me bob my head and tap my foot. But never in my life have I felt the need to get up out of my vinyl blue chair, fly to Argentina, find a sexy Argentinian lady, and do the tango. I have always wanted to feel this need, and up until a week ago, I thought this desire was unattainable. But then, in a miraculous moment, the Music God heard my prayers, and sent to me, Bajofondo!

Bajofondo is a group of producers and musicians, led by Gustavo Santaolalla (a mega producer who has contributed to the music in films such as The Insider and Babel), whose objective is to seamlessly blend tango with modern electronica. This fusion of styles creates an uplifting, invigorating sound. The tracks combine traditional acoustic instruments (accordian, piano, and violin) with programmed beats and sampling, as well as vocals on some tracks. Nelly Furtado, Julieta Venegas, and Elvis Costello are all featured on "Mar Dulce." The album opens up with "Grand Guignol," a drum n' bass driven song that shifts effortlessly from booming piano chords to a tasteful accordian solo, with a drum track pumping all the way through. This tune sets the stage for the rest of "Mar Dulce," which never loses its edge and never produces anything but sheer brilliance. "Ya No Duele" and "Pa' Bailar" will rock any party, that is, if you party with people that have good taste, and "El Mareo" and "Pulmon" will soothe your earbuds, that is, if you have good taste.

Welcome electronic tango into your world of music. Not only will you be amazed by the album but Bajofondo will expand your horizons and get you listening to music you never thought you would be listening to.

Jack's like King Midas as I was told, Everything that he touched turned to gold

Jack White. Since rising like a phoenix from the ashes of a dying Detroit garage scene, White has become a defining figure in modern music. Not only has he stayed true to his garage roots by recording some of the finest albums from the dawn of the new Millennium, but White has worked with artists from Lorretta Lynn to now Alicia Keys. This brings me to the point of my post on the man. White. Jack White. As hopefully some of you out there know, White has recorded the title track for the new Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, starring buff and blond superman Daniel Craig. While the film hopes to live up to Craig's debut as Bond in 2006's Casino Royale, White's track, entitled "Another Way To Die" and featuring Ms. Keys, has little competition from Royale's title track. Some of you may remember Chris Cornell's foray in Bond-land with "You Know My Name," but "Another Way To Die" already outshines it even though it was only released as an instrument for a Coke commercial so far. I eagerly wait for October 28, when the full song will be released. I can only hope its as tasty as new Coke Zero Zero Seven.

Coke Commercial:

Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy!

Four days ago, Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy and American Dad, launched the first in an online series of cartoon comedy shorts.  He intends to release a new one every week and they can be found either on youtube or his website.  

Warning: If you are one of those people who hate the random cut-aways that occur bi-minutely on  Family Guy, this probably isn't for you.

Super Mario Rescues The Princess:

Why Bob Marley Should Not Have Acted As His Own Attorney:

...Brain Music...

While everyone was posting their summer playlists and trying to hold onto the past, I decided to look into the future, to find something new, to find something to look forward to. Glancing into the New York Times' Arts section yesterday, I found exactly who I was looking for: Alex Chechile and his digital electroencephalograph. In simple terms, an electroencephalograph, or EEG, measures the waves produced by the brain and transcribes them down onto, in his case, a computer. What makes Chechile so special is how he takes something so far from music and creates noises a common instrument is unable to create. By connecting his head to the EEG, then the EEG to his computer, he is able to record the waves of his firing neurons, convert them into sound and edit the noises he, in a way, "imagines" by using software on his computer and better yet, is able to do all of this live without delay. His sound is very comprable to the supposed "drugs" from the Japanese scientists of i-Doser. Brooklyn's Chechile is now teaming up with Mercury Rev, a psychedelic rock band reminiscent of the Flaming Lips, to produce a live sound never seen before. Their first show ever together was last night at a small club in East Village and while Mercury Rev's seventh studio album, Snowflake Midnight, is planned to be released the 29th of September, Chechile came on board after they recorded it. Below is some of Chechile's Brain Music and Mercury Rev's track entitled "Goddess on a Hiway".
Future: 1, Past: 0.

Summer Playlist 3.0

I might as well add on to the collection....these songs are in no particular order and random but bring back memories of a chill summer!

CSS- Music is My Hot Sex

MGMT- Electric Feel

Yelle- A Cause Des Garcons (Tecktonic Remix)

My Morning Jacket- I'm Amazed

John Mayer- Free Fallin

Kooks- Crazy (Gnarls Barkley Cover)

Black Kids- Hurricane Jane

Bob Marley- Jammin

Matisyahu- Jerusalem (Swisha House Remix)

RIO- Shine on (Spencer and Hill Remix)

Strokes- Between Love and HAte

The Virgins- Fernando Pando

The Enemy- Technodancaphobic

The Zutons- Valerie

Vampire Weekend- The Kids Dont Stand a Chance

Rolling Stones- She's a Rainbow

Led Zeppelin- When The Levee Breaks

Lynyrd Skynyrd- That Smell

Beatles- I've Just Seen a Face

Wolf Parade- I'll Believe in Anything

Libertines- Can't Stand Me Now

Aesop Rock- Citronella

Tribe Called Quest- Bonita Applebum

Justice (Boyz Noise Remix)- Phantom Pt. II

Bob Sinclar- Pjanoo

Lil Wayne Ft. Jay Z- Mr. Carter

Estelle FT. Kanye West- American Boy

Basshunter- Now you're Gone

Chromeo- Fancy Footwork

The greatest, so old school... check it out:

Love Letdown...

Mr. West debuted his new single, Love Lockdown, off his upcoming album, 808's and Heartbreak, on Sunday at the VMA's and left everybody shocked.  Throughout the performance, he left us waiting for the beat to kick and a verse to rip, but he just continued to sing.  It definitely sounded like it was missing something, and that was probably rapping.  Though it sounded a little off at the VMA's, I was optimistic, hoping it would sound better on CD quality, but that was even more of a disappointment.  The production isn't bad but his vocals don't work at all with the hook.  It sounds even more overproduced on mp3, and Kanye has crossed the line with the Vocoder (T-Pain) effect.  We all loved it on the Lollipop Remix and Put On, but now Yeezy's inner longing to sing is becoming apparent and is getting played out.  Even though this is a sub-par Kanye single, I don't doubt that it will be successful just because he is the Louis Vuitton Don, and it will probably be appreciated by the pop audience.  Let's hope the whole 808's and Heartbreak isn't at this level.  It's very possible that it won't live up to the classic standard that Graduation set, but just because Kanye had one off single doesn't necessarily mean he's past his zenith... but it might.

808's and Heartbreak is set to drop on December 16.

Track:

Love Lockdown- Kanye West

Live:

Summer Playlist 2.0

Since Dan was so kind to share his summer playlist with everyone, I figured I'd do the same.  I tend not to listen to specific songs because it's the summer, so in that sense its not really a "summer playlist" per say,  but here's what I listened to over the past few months. Enjoy more!

Titus Andronicus- Titus Andronicus

Embrace The Martian (feat. KiD CuDi)- KiD CuDi

Lights and Music- Cut Copy

Sci-Fi Kid- Blitzen Trapper

Modern Girl- Sleater-Kinney

Drivin' Down the Block (Remix)(feat. Bun B, Pusha T, & The Cool Kids)- Kidz In The Hall

Water Curses- Animal Collective

Teen Drama- Times New Viking

DVNO- Justice

I'm Allways In Love- Wilco

Out Here Grindin'- DJ Khaled

First Class Riot- The Tough Alliance

The Jessica Numbers- The New Pornographers

Man On The Moon- KiD CuDi

What Up Man- The Cool Kids

A Milli- Lil' Wayne

Joga- Bjork

Everyone Nose (Remix) (feat. CRS & Pusha T)- N.E.R.D.

Heavy Metal- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Play Your Part (Pt. 2)- Girl Talk

Summer Playlist

Today I sat down and looked back at the summer, and thought about the upcoming school year, and realized that I don't have much to look forward to other than the new releases from Kanye, Deerhunter, Eminem, and the eventual print release of Amplified. Until us at Amplified sit down in the Cohen Dining Commons and share an eating experience and discuss the logistics of printing a magazine, this blog will have to suffice. While you wait for Amplified to become a full-fledged magazine, here's my post-summer summer playlist so I can listen to summer even during the middle of winter. Enjoy!

Seventeen Years- Ratatat
Pa' Bailar- Bajofondo
Ce Jeu- Yelle
& Down- Boys Noize
You, Me and the Bourgeoise- The Submarines
The Chills- Peter Bjorn & John
Get Over It- Ok Go
Sunrise- Yeasayer
The World Should Revolve Around Me- Little Jackie
Electric Feel (Justice Remix)- MGMT
Ooh Yeah- Moby
Dr. Carter- Lil' Wayne
Miami- The Tough Alliance
I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (The Twelves Remix)- Black Kids
Melody Day-Caribou
Hanging On Too Long- Duffy
Marquee Moon- Television
Butcher's Tale (Western Front 1914)- The Zombies
Hung Up- Madonna
Seven Nation Army- White Stripes

The Virgins- The Virgins

The Virgins self-titled LP, The Virgins, released on June 3, is a semi-reproduction of their original 2007 five song LP with an addition of five new songs. While some claim that the original album was recorded better than the ten song LP, the alteration of the original five songs was somewhat negative because the music was less raw and more fashioned. Still, this styling quartet, famous for their trademark rolled up skinny jeans, generated a fantastic group of songs worth listening too. The final cut of the album which some have called too short is composed of 10 very well crafted songs which fit snuggly together.

The Virgins is an easy listen to from start to finish. Often compared to The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, and We are Scientists, the four man band is powered by four talented musicians: Donald Cummings, Wade Oates, Eric Ratensperger, and Nick Akerman. Singer Donald Cummings is reminiscent of Elvis Costello and his captivating voice really is the basis for the success of these songs. The Virgins’ sound can be described as Indie-infused 80’s disco music with a catchy yet dirty pop sound. The funky beats, upbeat bass lines, and overall fast tempos will move your body and get you to dance. The hipster New Yorkers pass on many elaborate stories through their somewhat poppy songs ranging from their experiences in New York including those about rich girls, crazy parties, and sex affairs. The genuine lyrics come directly from frontman Cummings’ tough life, who spent time homeless on the streets of New York. To some, the lyrics may seem over-explicit or ridiculous but fellow New Yorkers can relate to topics ranging from growing up in the big city, nights in the park, getting high, and casual sex. Cumming’s voice is able to move from tender to strong intonation, the whole time maintaining a sexy New York sound. All of the songs on the album manage to have grand choruses’ which beg you to sing along.

Rich Girls clearly is the hit of the album because of its playful sound, which was able to switch from funk to pop to rock with lyrics like “Hey, rich girl! / Well, can you tell me why/ You're so stuck up?” Love is Colder Than Death has a poppy-funk sound and is really held down by the great bassline and the distorted guitar hits. One Week of Danger comes off with an old-sound kind of vibe and resembles a rocker version of the song I Like The Way You Move by Bodyrockers. The Virgins slow down a bit in Fernando Pando their ballad about one high lover searching for another. And Hey Hey Girl which is composed of a simple progression and basic chord changes, has a cleaner California type sound and a really catchy chorus describing a wild teen girl living an intense life of partying in the city. I only give the Virgins 4 ½ stars because their sound was somewhat altered when redone, but the album was a treat to listen to. If the Virgins keep making records like this one they will become stars. Along with MGMT's debut Oracular Spectacular, The Virgins is definitely one of my favorite albums of the year, and I strongly recommend purchasing it.

Kanye West Swaggers on a Hundred Thousand Trillion, Set to Earn a Hundred Thousand Trillion More This December

Like many of you devoted Amplified readers who have been swept away by Kanye West and his band of merry gangstas, I have been eagerly awaiting the new Kanye West album since the day Graduation leaked last August. On this historic date, September 4th, 2008, less than a year after Graduation was released, Kanye West has announced a new album to be released this coming December. New York Magazine stated that "Kanye West has now solidified his status as the world's most productive person," and us Yeezy-heads at Amplified could not agree more. After writing the story line for animated Good Morning music video, producing a new Jay-Z album, collaborating with "The Internet's Favorite Rappers" T.I., Lil' Wayne, and Jay-Z on the new track Swagger Like Us (featuring the worst use of an M.I.A. sample known to man), traveling the world with the Glow in the Dark tour, launching a restaurant ownership corporation, and writing a book of inspirational quotes given out after every performance, we are still amazed that Kanye can have the time to create fresh new songs about drunk and hot girls while sampling Daft Punk. Kudos.

Kanye West- Good Morning (Video)

An even better cover...

Kooks covering Ace of Base....truly spectacular thing, boys and girls.

Gotta give them the love.

-IS

The Kooks- All That She Wants (Ace of Base cover)

Summer has come and passed...

On this night, the eve of the first day of school, I figured I'd post the most awesomest cover of the most awesomest summer song ever written as a tribute for the all too short season as it comes to a close.  Enjoy and get ready for a fantastic school year! 

Marah

The veteran band Marah has created a small, but passionate and devoted fan base. Although the band formed in the early 1990's and released their first full-length album over ten years ago in 1997, they remain relatively unknown to the general public. The band's obscurity, however, largely contributes to their uniqueness.

Dave Bielanko, from Conshocken, Pennsylania, formed the band with two other members, Danny Metz and Ronnie Vance in 1993. Two years later, Dave's brother, Serge Bielanko, joined the band. Throughout the subsequent years, the Bielanko brothers would stay in the band, trading in and out various other members. Currently, Dave Bielanko (vocals, guitar, banjo), Serge Bielanko (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Christine Smith (keyboard, accordian), Johnny Pisano (bass), and Joe Gorelick (drums) make up the band.

Of their thirteen albums, 20,000 Streets Under the Sky (2002) and If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry (2005) are two classics. Both albums share the unique sound that is Marah, but still have their own idiosyncrasies and unique quirks.

   In their earlier album, If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry, shows Springsteen-like energy and purity in each song. In their more mature album, If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry, the hard rock sound coupled with more melodic tunes creates the perfect balance of the band's obvious passion for music and easy listening. The album starts of with the energetic song "The Closer," which immediately captivates the listener. 

 Anyways, I highly recommend listening to either of the aforementioned albums or any other one that interests you.