Nobody. Not Even Your Grandfather

Obscure Marx Brothers references aside, DJ Nobody has been quite the bisy backson of late. In addition to his stellar collab with Nocando as the Bomb Zombies and his always impressive work with the Low End Theory podcast, old boy also has been quite busy on his own.

Most recently, he dropped One For All Without Hesitation, a bit of a departure from his more hip-hop oriented work. Comprised of material from as far back as 2006, Nobody compiled the final CD in a scant 17 days. Of particular interest, each and every track employs auto-tune. Now, as someone who grew up with Zapp in his life, i say if you're going to go the voice modulation route, go whole hog and fuck auto-tune. That being said, even though i knew this was an AT affair before i hit play for the first time, i could not skip one track on this puppy. In no small part thanks to Nobody's stellar production work, the entire piece works. Nobody uses the vocals more as an instrumental add-on as opposed to the more traditional sense, but the overall affect is far more soothing and inclusive than one might think. Very few people get AT right. Nobody does.

mp3: Psycho Alpha Theta (Nobody from One For All Without Hesitation)

mp3: Hip$ters (Nobody from One For All Without Hesitation)

And if that weren't enough, he put together a kick-ass DJ set for Self-Titled's Needle Exchange that shows the master in his main arena, throwing treats like a deranged madman on an LSD-laced Halloween binge. You've got everything from dubstep drones to hip hop bangers, from Bomb Zombies to OFWGKTA. Nice, nice, nice. And that's all i have to say about that.

mp3: Needle Exchange 049 (Nobody from Self-Titled)

Singles Club: La Sera

It's still Baltic cold up in this area, but I'm feeling a little bit of thaw thanks to my glee at having bought my plane tickets for April's excursion out to my second Coachella. Sure, it happened yesterday, but dangit I'm still over the bloody moon. But back to the whole thaw thing. I was pawing through my inbox when I stumbled upon the new single from the exceedingly nifty La Sera. And I thought, hmm, there's some thaw to this here song, too.

Listen closely and you'll hear the icicles melt, feel the sun warm just a touch, and see the last piles of snow melt away. Between the fuzzy repetition and the lovely lady vocals, "Devils Hearts Grow Cold" is a winner.

mp3: Devils Hearts Grow Cold (La Sera from Devils Hearts Grow Cold)

100 Shows Of 2010: The Round-up

When first I dreamed up this little folly that came to be known as the 100 Shows project, I couldn’t have imagined how very amazing (and challenging) it would be. I brushed off the looks given to me by my nearest and dearest, the ones insinuating I was a little wacky, and got ready to sink my teeth in. It began, after much planning in late January and early February, down in Richmond with my first show on a chilly night in March, and ended just two days before Christmas at the venerable Arlingtonian venue Iota (also on a rather chilly night, as luck would have it).

Now, some of you might go out this much all the time and think nothing of it, but for the rest of us, think of it thus: Over the course of ten months, I went out once every three nights on average. Yeah, it turned out to be a little crazy. But I tell you what, friends, I wouldn’t change a thing. I saw more ridiculously good live music than I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Of the shows I came and saw and reviewed, there wasn’t a bad one in the bunch. Not bad for 100 shows, eh?

So then I thought, well, now that it’s all done and dusted, I really should pick my favorite shows. The ladies and gentlemen will want to know. It was a torment to pick just ten from my hundred, but below are my most favorite shows of the entire project. They’re in no particular order, and stood out not necessarily as the best shows, but just the ones that I loved the most.

#56: A Place To Bury Strangers @ Rittenhouse Square (Philadelphia), 8/25/2010

#65: The Charlatans @ Black Cat, 9/9/2010

#88: The Dandy Warhols & Hopewell @ Ram’s Head Live (Baltimore), 11/9/2010

#13: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ 9:30 Club, 4/5/2010

#86: The Black Angels @ Theatre of Living Arts (Philadelphia), 11/6/2010

#32: The Brian Jonestown Massacre/The Young Sinclairs @ Theatre of Living Arts (Philadelphia), 6/8/2010

#71: James & Ed Harcourt @ 9:30 Club, 9/27/2010

#38: Ceremony @ U Street Music Hall, 6/17/2010

#84: The Phantom Band @ 9:30 Club, 11/1/2010

#79: Gary Numan @ Black Cat, 10/20/2010


I met some great people, saw a whole lot of great music, and have one heckadoo of a great time. In closing, I want to send out massive thanks to all the bands, PR folks, label folks, and management that have been so very open and supportive of this gargantuan little undertaking of mine. Y’all are the bestest, and I couldn’t have done it without you. Sloppy kisses to all, and to all a good night.

mp3: Telephone (live) (The Black Angels from Phosphene Dream)

Singles Club: Sex Beet

When they're not off wreaking havoc and involving themselves in international incidents, Sex Beet makes some damn fine music. When they're not causing trouble, these gents abide by the sneering rock ethos of The Black Lips, all snarling and vicious and undeniably killer.

Yeah, I've posted about them a few times of late. But if I were you, friends, I'd get used to seeing them here. For your listening perusal this time, they're going and showing off by successfully covering Sonic Youth's "Dirty Boots." All that furious, ferocious fuzz and howling vocals really get the blood pumping, no?


mp3: Dirty Boots (Sonic Youth Cover) (Sex Beet from their forthcoming LP)

Comedy Gold: Hilarious by Louis C.K.

i believe i've mentioned my love for Louis C.K. on these pages before, and if i haven't, allow me to rectify that now. i lurv me some Louis C.K. i've caught his last couple of tours through town and watched his show and various series. As luck would have it, his latest CD/DVD, Hilarious, is taken from his most recent tour, and let me tell you--this is some funny stuff right here.

i'm not sure if i can think of a better comedian who bemoans how shitty life is in such a hilarious manner. And while his riffing on dating as a newly single 40-something dad are knee slappers, it's when C.K. gets into his family life that things turn to the "i'm laughing so hard i can't breath" funny. Fortunately, there's plenty of that on Hilarious. i don't want to give anything away, but when he gets to the Shit Family, well, i almost drove my car off the road, i was so amused.

The latest from Comedy Central's comedy CDs is another home run. Their ability to pick rising and established stars that put together tear inducing humor is seemingly unparalleled. Now if they'd only allow more profanity on their TV specials...

But enough of such conjecture. On with the show, as they say.

Video Vixens: The Albertans

Not surprisingly, one of the easiest ways to get a mention here is to have a song named either something to do with Chris or Megan. The Albertans has that covered with the song "Megan," but they also are so nifty they didn't even have to go that route to get my attention.

Though not all original Albertans, The Albertans are all awesome. Their video for "The Wake" is a good representation of their tunes: Lovely and layered, with just a touch of spooky kookiness thrown in for good measure. Breathy, haunting vocals and a jingly jangle, with the added bonus of folks wearing papier mache monkey masks and tooling around on bikes, not to mention carnival rides? I don't know about you, but I really couldn't ask for more.

mp3: The Wake (The Albertans from the forthcoming New Age)

Project: Mooncircle Jazzes Things Up

Psst, Project: Mooncircle. Seriously, what's the deal? Don't you know that you're supposed to save your kick ass releases for later in the year so you can make various "Best Of" lists? Music bloggers typically have the memory skills of drunken goat herders. How are we ever supposed to remember something this good that came out this early in the year? Bucking tradition, i guess, P:M kindly has shared their January/February offerings with LET, and lemme tell you, these things are beasts.

While the label remains a beat factory first and foremost, upcoming CDs by Long Arm and Graciela Maria are decidedly more jazz oriented than listeners might expect from their standard P:M fare. Both names should be familiar to longtime P:M fans--Long Arm was on both The Moon Comes Closer and the Russian beatmaker edition of the Finest Ego series, while Graciela has been working with Robot Koch for the past couple of years now (incidentally, he produces this one).

Long Arm's The Branches (release date: February 11, 2011) is a study in instrumental jazz. Employing standard beat production, LA creates music unlike many of his peers. This is not simple looping and sampling, this is the taking of the old to create something uniquely new. If you simply want crate digging, go check out some of Madlib's stuff. If you want to hear the future of jazz, check out this noise.

mp3: When Children Sleep (Long Arm from The Branches)

Ms. Maria does much the same on her Many Places (release date: January 28, 2011), updating an older sound for a new beat-oriented generation, making her a laser pointer chanteuse in a land of torch singers. Her voice is at once powerful and subdued. Koch's beats, incorporating soothing strings and gentle percussion, provide the perfect backdrop, allowing Maria to do her thing while making sure the heads keep nodding. i'd love to hear Graciela open up and belt out a little stronger occasionally, but, hell, nearly every note here is beautiful, so i'm arguably just being picky.

mp3: Through the Night (Graciela Maria from Many Places)

Newsflash!: LET Birthday Contest!

As some of you know, on the first of this year we celebrated birthday number 3. We're getting old! But we like to think we still look pretty good for our age. Anyway, digressions aside, Chris and I kinda felt like celebrating. And part of this celebration, dear friends, is for you. Yes you. We're offering one lucky, lucky son of a gun the chance to win a nice little bundle of musical goodies from your favorite DC bloggers.

What does that mean, exactly? Well, basically, friends, you could win a tidy little stack of grrrrrrreat CDs, including some that you'll see in my favorite records of the year, as well as some other fun stuff like band stickers and other little surprises. We like you so very much, we just can't not do this contest. To enter, simply email us and tell us why you love us. Hey, we're as narcissistic as the next guy, and we like heaps of praise. It can't be helped.

Details: Contest is open to anyone and everyone. If we like what you have to say the best, we'll ship your goodies just about anywhere. So make it good. Let's say we'll stop accepting entries on the 1st of February. That gives you plenty of time to come up with great reasons why you love and adore us. So Happy Birthday to us, and happy contesting to you! Good luck!

mp3: Subliminal Message (Happy Birthday from Happy Birthday)

Singles Club: Ducktails

So really, really, really exciting news this week, y'all! Two seriously major bands are getting together and bringing their combined awesome to the road, and it's gonna be insane. Who am I so excited about, you might be a-wonderin? Well, I'm in a tizzy about the upcoming Woods/Ducktails tour, of course! It's a cute little small tour, so if you live in one of a handful of cities, or within driving distance, you're in luck. Having already seen Woods, I know they're worth a bit of a drive, and being way in love with Ducktails I'm pretty sure you'll find me at the Ottobar up in Baltimore for this here show.

In the meantime, here's a little lovely enticement from Ducktails. It's lusciously, languidly lo-fi and all sorts of lazy day dreamlike. It's daggum beautiful, and if you've not yet heard it, well, you're welcome for making your day that much better.

mp3: Hamilton Road (Ducktails from Ducktails III)

Terrible Chris' Fave Albums of 2010, Part the Last

That's right, kids, suck up my wisdom. It'll make you feel good, feel good, feel good...

Next week, back into the swing of 2011.

16. Bonobo, Black Sands--Whether this is the future of trip hop, it's last dying breath or something else entirely, me likey a lot.

17. Tobacco, Manic Meat--This is another one i'm surprised didn't place more prominently on more lists. If you're not into spastic beat music, well, sir, we should part ways here and now.
18. Mount Kimbie, Crooks & Lovers--As if the chilled beats weren't stellar enough, did you catch the ass on that cover? If that didn't make you want to listen to this thing, well, we certainly shouldn't be having this discussion in the first place. Damn Philistine.

19. DREAMEND, So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite--A stylistic smorgasbord, these cats were only better live.

20. Dirty Projectors & Bjork, MOUNT WITTENBERG ORCA--Who doesn't love oddly beautiful vocal arrangements? Nobody. Not even your grandfather.

(No mp3 for this one, as it's a charity affair, but you can pick it up for yourself here)

ALL MP3 LINKS ONCE AGAIN REMOVED BY ORDER OF THE MAN.

Singles Club: The Moondoggies

Y'all, I just can't help myself whenever I see the name The Moondoggies. I think of some wacky spacecake of a Scooby Doo character and I just smile like a fool. Rest assured, though, the music these Seattle dudes make is anything but cartoonishly cute. They're earthy, you might could say, but rather powerful.

"What Took So Long," the latest single from Tidelands, is deep and rich, a slight whiff of vintage swamp rock hanging over the layers and textures of this hearty little number. It's a rather fine song, and I suggest you stop whatever it is you're doing and give it a listen right this very minute.

mp3: What Took So Long (The Moondoggies from Tidelands)

Singles Club: Birdlips

Once upon a time, then-Charlottesville-ians Birdlips played LET's first EVER show down in Richmond. Since they, they've picked up stakes, moving first to San Francisco and then to, well, nowhere in particular. You see, you rascally rabbits you, Cliff and Lindsay are indulging in a rock&roll fantasty lifestyle: tooling around in their van, whereever their hearts (or GPS) might lead them.

This is good news for just about all of us, because while the adorable nomads are on their fantastic voyage, they're recording tons and tons of excellent music as they go. Their spacey, psychy, folky, beachy, wacky music is a joy to behold, so get thee to the beholding sharpish. They're also lovely people, so make sure to take them out to lunch/dinner/cocktails whenever they end up in your neck of the woods. Bonus for DC folks: Birdlips plays the Black Cat tomorrow night.

mp3: Under Crooked Trees (Birdlips from One Tongue)

Terrible Chris' Fave Albums of 2010, Part Trois

Ready for some more? The build-up is orgasmic, isn't it?

11. Autolux, Transit Transit--Sure, i would have liked to have heard this a few years ago, too, but that doesn't make it any less impressive.

mp3: Supertoys (Autolux from Transit Transit)

12. Baths, Cerulean--Yet another kick ass beat CD.

mp3: Lovely Bloodflow (Baths from Cerulean)

13. jj, Kills Mixtape--A free mixtape that stacks up with some of the best of the year. Take that, you RIAA motherfuckers.

mp3: KILL THEM (jj from Kills Mixtape)

mp3: NEW WORK (jj from Kills Mixtape)

mp3: HIGH END (jj from Kills Mixtape)

14. Liz Phair, Funstyle--Fuck you, Bitch Spork, this thing had plenty of moments.

mp3: Oh Bangladesh (Liz Phair from Funstyle)

15. Vampire Weekend, Contra--While my esteemed contemporary at Berkeley Place felt much differently, i thought this was a nice, light hearted pop affair that holds up after multiple listens. If nothing else, it shows how to use Autotune correctly.

mp3: Horchata (Vampire Weekend from Contra)

Terrible Chris' Fave Albums of 2010, Part the 2nd

i know, i know, you were so blown away by yesterday's list, you're wondering if you can take anymore. All the money i spend up in this bitch, you best believe you are.

6. Alex B, Moments--i dig Alex B's sound in a BIG way. Possibly my favorite beat album of the year.

7. Teebs, Ardour--Or maybe this one. Both were damn fine beat records. 'Nuff said.

8. Grinderman, Grinderman II--i've said it before, and i'll say it again--i can only hope and pray that my mid-life crisis sounds 1/100th this kick ass. This, my friends, is gutter rock blues at its finest.

9. Big Boi, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty--The until-now-less-heard-from-half of Outkast proves his worth and then some on perhaps the best rap CD of 2010.

10. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah, Part Two (Return of the Ankh)--Ms. Badu continues her perfection of odd funk and R&B.

ED. NOTE: ALL MP3 LINKS WERE REMOVED FROM THIS POST AS DICTATED BY THE MAN.

Terrible Chris' Fave Albums of 2010, Part the First

OK, now that the 2010 is behind us, and we have ALL the facts in front of us, here's my list of favorite CDs of the year past. As Megan will tell you, i'm not a huge fan of lists because, quite frankly, they're all just opinions. And as we all know, my opinion is superior to all others, so i just feel bad when i put out lists that so obviously trump all others. Oh well, it's my cross to bear.

And because i spent so damn long on this list, posting the links, etc., i'm breaking it up into a four parter. Be still your beating hearts, i know.

Now, part the first.

1. The Black Keys, Brothers--OK, i lied. This clearly was the best CD of 2010. Paraphrasing one of the better reviews i recall reading, the Keys didn't reinvent the wheel with this one, they just proved they could make it rounder, rubberier and added spokes.

mp3: Tighten Up (The Black Keys from Brothers)

2. Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra, Honker--Probably the best CD of the year by a guy of whom you've never heard. Hopefully, the future will change that, as he's quite possibly the wittiest lyricist out there today.

m4a: You Were Right & It's OK (Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra from Honker)

3. Reggie Watts, Why Shit So Crazy?--This is more of a comedy/performance piece, but Watts shows what a sense of humor, a loop machine and a strong sense of lyrics can do.

mp3: Thus Far (Alternate Version) (Reggie Watts from Why Shit So Crazy?)

4. Project: Mooncircle Artists, The Moon Comes Closer--Yes, i'm a Project: Mooncircle junkie, and this probably was my favorite offering from them in '10. The fact that it contains a huge chunk of their roster certainly didn't hurt.

mp3: The Moon Comes Closer Snippet (Project: Mooncircle Artists from The Moon Comes Closer)

5. Admiral Radley, I Heart California--i can't believe this wasn't on more "Best Of" lists. Critics and bloggers who are not me can be such maroons.

mp3: I Heart California (Admiral Radley from I Heart California)

Happy New Year, Y'all!

It's been one heck of a year for us here at LET, and we wanna give a big ole thank you and big sloppy kisses to show our appreciation. 2010 was our Best Year Ever, and we're gonna make sure we keep you even more entertained in 2011.

Not only is tomorrow New Year's Day, but it also just happens to be our 3rd Birthday. Happy Birthday to us! We'll be home celebrating and probably not blogging. Keep your eyes peeled for a special celebratory contest coming soon, as well as our massive Best Of 2010 missives, and my recap of the 100 Shows of 2010.

Best Wishes for a Bonne Annee to you all! xoxo

mp3: Auld Lang Syne (Wooden Shjips - Buy Stuff!) (many thanks to the glorious Mad Mackerel for this here gem)

Video Vixens: Roll Tide

As a University of Alabama alum, I would be seriously remiss if I didn't post this here little video for your viewing pleasure, in honor of the Crimson Tide's appearance against Michigan State tomorrow in the Capital One Bowl (Roll Tide).

Now, as regards ESPN, I've long been of the opinion that, aside from the whip-smart SportsNation (we heart Colin and Michelle), the best thing about ESPN is their series of hilarious promo spots. This one is without question one of their best (though the Albert Pujols as a robot one is also daggum hysterical). Perhaps a smidge unrealistic (in my four years in Tuscaloosa I think the only times I said "Roll Tide" to anyone was during football games/during pre- or post-game drinking), but it's pretty rad all the same. And now, without further ado, Roll Tide, y'all.

mp3: Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd Cover) (The Dream Syndicate live in Rotterdam - Buy This and Be Happy)

Singles Club: A.R.E. Weapons

Sometimes I run across songs that, for reasons I'm not totally sure of, I end up falling totally in love with. While going through my inbox for buried treasure, I stumbled across one such song.

"Mr. Creature," by those NYC musical eccentrics A.R.E. Weapons, is kooky and spooky and a whole lotta daggum awesome. "Am I livin' in a madman's dream," asks the band with vocals somewhere between "Goody Two Shoes" Adam Ant and Billy Idol, as they traverse wacky sonic landscapes of spaghetti dance rockishness. It's a fantastic piece of aural disorientation, and it might could get you groovin' at your New Year's Eve party, too.

mp3: Mr. Creature (A.R.E. Weapons from Darker Blue)

Video Vixens: The So So Glos

The So So Glos are definitely among the ranks of the favorites around these parts. That foursome of young rabble rousers is quite enough to give anyone a fit of teenage kicks. But danged if it hasn't been a heck of a long time since I talked about these boys. Time to right that particular ship right this very minute.

The video for "Fred Astaire" features the guys dappering it up in some snazzy suits as they unleash some of their infectious, brashly frenzied NYC rockadoo as a dancer paying homage to Astaire taps and twirls his way around New York, top hat and all. Quality.

mp3: Fred Astaire (The So So Glos from the Low Back Chain Shift EP)

"Fred Astaire" - The So So Glos from Matthew Greeley on Vimeo.

100 Shows of 2010 - #100: Hoots & Hellmouth @ Iota, 12/23/10

This, my little woolly lambs, was one heck of a bittersweet evening. Oh, sure, I was thrilled to pieces to finally be seeing those feisty Philadelphians Hoots & Hellmouth in the fleshy liveness, but there was a big part of me that felt more than a little bummed out that this big bad mamma jamma of a showstravaganza had (finally) come to a close. However, there appears to be no better cure for the End of Big Ole Feature Blues than those Hoots & Hellmouth gents. They sure do know how to show a gal a good time, and then some.

MINI RECAP: Hoots & Hellmouth = Honkin' & A-tonkin'! Overall Score: B+

I've wanted to see Hoots & Hellmouth for many a moon, yet somehow those pesky stars had never managed to align. Finally, though, I got to see this self-proclaimed "new music for old souls," and I'll tell y'all what, it was a mighty fine time. They were the perfect band to finish off with, infectious from the start and full of goodness gracious good times. I dug the clear, warmly enveloping vocals, the captivatingly kicky stomp, and of course, that hearty dose of sass they brought down from Philly. "You and All of Us," for example, was nigh on rollicking, full of rootsy twangy fierceness, getting the bodies moving with their appealing and unavoidable throwdown.

My toe kept (involuntarily) tapping all night as the band played song after glorious song. My frown quickly vanished, thanks to this seriously solid band with both musical chops and endearing personlities in spades. Bless their hearts, they sure did play with some exuberance, too. "Root of the Industry" kept the kids a-dancin', and kept my foot a-tappin'. "Returning In Pieces," a newish song they're tweaking, was maybe my favorite of the night, with a misty, almost delicate intro and vocals nearing gentleness. The song got bigger and better, and it really was just lovely. I can't wait to hear that on a record. The firecracker that is "Watch Your Mouth" got some hootin' and hollerin' from the crowd, and was full of swagger. Talk about a romper stomper.

Having seem them and enjoyed them, friends, I can say with no small modicum of confidence that for a good time, you need only to call Hoots & Hellmouth.

mp3: Known For Possession (Hoots & Hellmouth from The Holy Open Secret) (Muchas gracias to the mucho awesome The Wheel's Still In Spin for the songage)