Beat Meet: The Galloping, 24-Hour, Throttled Edition

With the weather in D.C. today being of the stay-indoor variety, today's beat tracks seem particularly apropos. Drop the following onto your mp3 player of choice, take two, and funk me in the morning.

First off, can i once again declare my love for XLR8R? This recurring post would have a lot less material if those cats weren't surfacing some of the best stuff out there for nerdish collectors such as myself to devour, and this week is no different.

i meant to post this earlier, but Mt. Kimbie dropped a full podcast for XLR8R, and, as you'd expect, it's a laid back chill trip of the finest degree. Of course, there's ample booty shaking grooves on this roughly 45 minute mix, with tracks from Zomby, Dam-Funk and Kode 9, amongst others, so there's something for head nodders of all shades here.

mp3: XLR8R Mix (Mt. Kimbie on XLR8R Podcast)

i figured Baths would take the crown as the Brainfeeder champion for 2010, but Teebs continues to make his push to snatch the royal dome for himself. While i anxiously await the October 9 release of his Ardour, he continues to be the gift that keeps on giving with tracks like this for the latest in the on-going LA Series by All-City (the other side of this release shared with none other than Daedelus).

mp3: Anchor Steam (Teebs from LA Series 6)

My aural equivalent of Ju-On, Shigeto is back in the mix. In anticipation of his Full Circle hitting shelves November 9 by way of Ghostly, he's dropped the single, "Relentless Drag." It starts off with droning Asian strings before settling into a groove before kicking up the freak factor in the closing minute. This kid continues to grow on me.

mp3: Relentless Drag (Shigeto from Full Circle)

To close things out and simultaneously show that i do read more than just XLR8R, Caribou recently posted a Daytrotter set. i've had tickets to see the former Manitoba twice now, but keep getting called out of town for work when he does show. Here's a taste of what i keep missing.

mp3: Bowls (Caribou from Daytrotter Session, 9-16-10)

A Terrible Concert Update

While Megan clearly has been the concert lead for LET this year, tonight starts a pretty decent run of shows for me, and since i don't have anything else prepared for today, you get to check out what i have deemed worthy of my attendance. As always, if you see the lumpy, bald guy with the red beard in the corner, and you mention this ad, you'll get 50 PERCENT OFF your next order!!! Now all i have to do is start an import/export business, and we're styling.

May 4, 9:30 Club, Sia

(That's tonight, suckas, so be there or don't. Your call, really)

mp3: Drink to Get Drunk (Sia from Healing is Difficult)

May 10, Rock 'n Roll Hotel, Caribou

(Don't have tix to this one yet, but i always kick myself when i miss him playing 'round these parts, so this time, i'm going. Damn it.)

mp3: Hello Hammerheads (Caribou from The Milk of Human Kindness)

UPDATE: This one is sold out, so unless i get off my ass and pull the old "let the blogger in" card, i guess i'm going to have to wait AGAIN to see Dan. Damn it two times.

May 21, Sully's in Chantilly, 3rd Rail

(A friend of mine's band. She keeps promising me an mp3 for the site, but i'm going to break my own rule just for her and mention the show SANS music for all ya'll to enjoy.)

May 29, DAR Constitution Hall, Erykah Badu

(Not my favorite venue, but this is what we do for Badu)

mp3: Amerykahn Promise (Erykah Badu from New Amerykah Part One (4Th World War))

June 3, Velvet Lounge, Elastic Waste Band

(The latest iteration of the remaining boys from Morphine. Saw them at the Mark Sandman Tribute Concert, if memory serves, and they were money)

mp3: Damn Fool (Orchestra Morphine ft. Laurie Sargent from The Sandman Project)

June 17, 9:30 Club, Evelyn/Evelyn

(Amanda Fucking Palmer's new gig.)

mp3: Do You Swear To Tell, The Truth The Whole Truth, And Nothing But The Truth, So Help Your Black Ass? (Amanda Palmer from her website)

June 27, DC Improv, Jim Gaffigan

(In case you needed to find me when you can't locate me at the Hole show, C.I.T.)

mp3: Bacon (Jim Gaffigan from King Baby)

July 17, Verizon Center, Star Wars in Concert

(May the Nerd be with You)

mp3: The Imperial March (Kuricorder Quartet from Ukulele Force: Star Wars Best Covers)

July 26, DAR Constitution Hall, The Black Keys

(See the above note re: Ms. Badu, but come up with something that rhymes with "Keys" in the second verse)

mp3: If You Ever Slip (The Black Keys from The Hottest State Soundtrack)

Undoubtedly, there will be some more, and i'll do a write-up on each one after the fact. If there's somebody kick ass coming we truly should not miss, feel free to plug your band in the comment section.

Free Music Friday: The Timely, Canadian, Rationalizing, Sickly, Give Me Your Email Address, Up and Down Version

For whatever reason, the Powers That Be opted not to drop copious amounts of free mp3s into ye olde inbox this week, but fret not! It'll just harsh your buzz if you do. Besides, because i am such a helluva guy, i scoured the Interwebs near and far to find your lazy asses the best new freebie schwag out there today.

To get things started, we've got the return of Field Music. The boys in the band (brothers Peter and David Brewis [vox], Kev Dosdale [guitar and keys] and Ian Black [bass]) are coming off a "self-imposed three year hiatus" with a new 20-track monster, Field Music (Measure). The boys are touring, too, but alas and alack, are coming nowhere particularly near our neck of the woods. Seriously, though, is it just me or are the vocal similarities between the Brother Brewis and Steely Dan downright uncanny? Regardless, you can stream the entire new CD over here at KCRW.

mp3: Each Time Is a New Time (Field Music from Field Music (Measure)) (right click)

The next few tracks are going to cost you something, but they're three stellar fucking tracks, so get over it. As i mentioned recently, the new currency for most free mp3s is your email address. Take solace in the fact, however, that as soon as these boys (hopefully some of your favorite bands) put out that next 7" that they're only releasing on Record Store Day, you'll be in the know.

Caribou nee Manitoba has a new one coming, too. His Swim hits is scheduled to hit shelves April 20. Each of his CDs has been successively better, so i, at least, have high hopes for this one. His expertise lies in creating electronic music that sounds like anything but. First single "Odessa" is a bit heavier than some of his earlier stuff, but dense means good here.

mp3: Odessa (Caribou from Swim) (left click)

i didn't really know the morning benders for more than their sometimes excellent bedroom covers CD, but it appears i was cutting these cats much less slack than they deserved. Their Big Echo is due March 9. If first track "Excuses" is any indication, this puppy is going to be a monster. Have you seen the accompanying video yet? Old boy is going for a Phil Spector Wall of Sound vibe, and i'll be damned if he doesn't nail it.

mp3: Excuses (the morning benders from Big Echo) (left click)

One of my top five favorite bands, Broken Social Scene, is back after far too long away. Sure, the white Canuck version of Wu-Tang put out a couple of stellar "Broken Social Scene Presents" CDs, but those still weren't the same thing. Can a RZA or Ghostface Killah solo joint ever be quite as strong as a collaborative group effort? i argue no. It appears most of the dates for the upcoming supporting tour for Forgiveness Rock Record (out May 4) are taking place overseas in Europe. Did somebody say "Euro Trip?" Anyway, first single "World Sick" is the type of sprawling rocker we've come to except from these masterful bastards.

As a complete side note, i recently almost broke down into fisticuffs when someone disagreed with me that You Forgot It In People was hands down one of the top 10 CDs of the Aughties. Fortunately, i'm lazy and out of shape, so that didn't happen, but the fact remains, these cats kick a tasty groove, and there ain't no bout a doubt it.

mp3: World Sick (Broken Social Scene from Forgiveness Rock Record) (left click)

To wrap things up, i just received the latest from LET's preferred charitable organization, the Mark Sandman Music Project, who are back with three new free tracks this week. Over the past few months, they've had a very successful run bringing musical opportunities to young people in the Greater Boston Metro Area. They've taught some audio engineering classes, recorded some young up and comers out of high school, and are in the early stages of offering an intensive songwriting and recording class. Of course, none of that is possible without a few ducats from cats like you and me, so let's get with it people, and get to giving. It's the least you can do after all the excellent music the late Mr. Sandman and the boys in Morphine gave and continue to give to the world.

mp3: Yo Yo (Mark Sandman from the Mark Sandman Tribute Recordings) (left click)