Free Music Friday: The Drunk and Markered, Geographically West, Shel Silversteinish, Youth Amnesia, Trying Not to Get Lost Edition

Guy walks into a bar. Free Music Friday.

OK, that makes no sense, fair enough, but the fact remains: it's Free Music Friday, so shut your bitching hole.

Guess who got their grubby, little paws on a copy of the new PJ Harvey CD, Let England Shake? As someone who has been following Ms. Polly Jean for some years, with all her albums and a concert or two under my belt, i can unabashedly say i dig it. It's not the powerhouse freak PJ of her earlier days, but it still maintains the odd vibe that marks some of her best work. Call it heavy folk, perhaps? The opening eponymous track and "The Words That Maketh Murder" are the standouts here for me, with Harvey's slightly fuzzed vocals and guitars creating a subdued yet powerful sound. She's doing a handful of U.S. dates to promote the new one, but no 9:30 Club date as of this writing. Did i mention that the most packed show i've ever seen at the 9:30 was PJ? i believe i just did.

mp3: Written on the Forehead (PJ Harvey from Let England Shake)

It's no secret that i'm a beat freak, and i find myself in the midst of a Jaylib bender right now. How fortunate for me, and by extension, you, that Stones Throw just dropped a 14-track digital release of bonus beats from Madlib Medicine Show #11.

mp3: L.A. California (U.S.) (Madlib from Beat Konducta Around the World)

You know how broken up i am about the White Stripes calling it quits (yawn). Whoever shall pick up the banner for scuzz bucket blues? Oh, i dunno, maybe about a dozen better bands? One of my favorite garage punk blues bands these days (and for some time now) has been Left Lane Cruiser. The timing for their third LP, Junkyard Speed Ball, couldn't have been more fortuitous, i suppose. This time around, the duo of Freddy J. Evans IV (axe/vox) and Brenn "Sausage Paw" Beck (skins/vox) are joined by none other than Alive Naturalsound label mate Rev. James Leg of the Black Diamond Heavies on keys for five tracks. i, for one, cannot wait for the March 1 drop date.

mp3: Giving Tree (Left Land Cruiser from Junkyard Speed Ball)

Speaking of fuzzy duos, the Raveonettes are getting ready to drop another one, too. Raven in the Grave will hit shelves on April 5 in North America, April 4 everywhere else. Fate does go our local way this time, though, with a scheduled appearance at the Black Cat on 4-17. Which is nice.

mp3: Forget That You're Young (The Raveonettes from Raven in the Grave)

Lykke Li teaming up with Tyler the Creator? Say what now? OFWGKTA's top dog gives LL's "I Follow Rivers" the remix treatment, adding his trademark low end synths and overall dark vibe, as well as spitting some verses towards the end. On first listen, i didn't think i wanted his chocolate in her peanut butter, but i have to say, i'm really starting to dig the taste of this one.

mp3: I Follow You (Tyler the Creator Mix) (Lykke Li from the OFWGKTA Website)

Free Music Friday: The Junkie, Rented, BRRRR, Ravey, Percussiony, Cartoony, Shoed, Toyed, Napkiny Edition

Ah yes, another Free Music Friday, which differs from every other free music day at LET in ways that are hard to explain, but they're there. Or i simply couldn't come up with a better intro paragraph today, so this is what you get. The price is right, so deal.

Tobacco's Maniac Meat is quickly becoming one of my favorites CDs of 2010. His chopped up style of electro/sampling just does something for me. Which is probably why i'm really digging Junk Culture, a new project by Deepak Mantena with his younger brother, Nitin, on skins for live performances . i'm obviously not the only one who hears the similarities, as JC will be joining Tobacco and Dreamend (whose So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite, is another fave CD this year) on their tour this September. Unfortunately, i missed their headlining spot at IOTA just the other night, but i've already got my tickets to their DC9 gig on September 9. i recommend you do the same.

mp3: West Coast (Junk Culture from West Coast)

For those familiar with the Rentals, you're obviously familiar with last year's Songs About Time Project. For the rest of us, the band decided to create three-hundred and sixty-five days of photography, fifty-two weeks of film, and four albums of music. Initially, very little was released, but the Rentals have come back with a vengeance with a new boxed set, appropriately entitled Songs About Time, that gives us gems like this dream-pop number.

mp3: Honey Life (left click to download) (The Rentals from Songs About Time Chapter Three The Future)

While white guy piano rap may or may not be the next big thing, Chilly Gonzales finds a way to make it work. Sure, his cadence is a bit stilted, but i think that's supposed to be part of the charm. Regardless, the man definitely has a way with his rhymes, which is saying more than you can for half the shit getting pushed these days. Which is nice.

mp3: Never Stop (Rap Mix) (left click to download) (Chilly Gonzales from Never Stop)

LET stalwarts The Raveonettes dip their toes into the remix pool with their spin on The Drum's "Let's Go Surfing." Remix may not be the best description, on further thought, as it really sounds more like the Ravenonettes simply playing over the record itself. The end result, i think you'll agree, speaks for itself on this fuzzed-out, surf-rock number.

mp3: Let's Go Surfing (The Raveonettes Remix) (left click to download) (The Drums from Let's Go Surfing)

Digital Underground alum Money B. has a new project, M.A.S.K. While i assume it stands for Money (B.) And Scott Knoxx, i'd like to think it's also an homage to the Mobile Armored Strike Kommand. While it appears an album still is in the works, both cats show they're still at top form on these two head nodders.

mp3: Lemme See U (Dirty Version) (M.A.S.K. from TBD CD)

mp3: Gettin' It In (Dirty Version) (M.A.S.K. from TBD CD)

For the summer of 2010, i've pretty much crowned Best Coast as your best bet, go to band for appropriate soundtracking. The folks at Converse Shoes, of all places, must have agreed. Check out this team-up between them, Kid Cudi and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend. (Quick note to Cudi--dude, no need to be lonely. i'll smoke with you any time you want.) While it's a bit much to declare this THE song of summer 2010, it certainly should make the playlist.

mp3: All Summer (Best Coast, Kid Cudi and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend from Converse)

At long, long last, it appears Autolux FINALLY is going to release the hotly anticipated (at least by me) follow-up to their freaking phenomenal debut, Future Perfect. Transit Transit is expected to drop this August 3rd. The band trotted out a few numbers their last time in town at the Black Cat, and i, for one, cannot wait to hear the entire thing on wax. If this single is any indication, expect more of that spacey, fuzzed out alt-rock goodness. Do the smart thing and see them when they return to the Black Cat on September 1st. If nothing else, it's another opportunity for you to not introduce yourself at yet another concert i've plainly told you i'll be attending myself.

mp3: Supertoys (Autolux from Transit Transit)

And to close out this edition of Free Music Friday, Black Lips are back with their own style of blues-infused rock. Whereas some might go the purist route, the Lips sound like they'd be more comfortable taking it out behind a shed, getting it shitfaced on corn liquor and high on mushrooms before taking advantage of it. Whether or not the Blues was asking for it is a question i shall not even attempt to answer. Check out this one and decide for yourself.

mp3: Best Napkin I Ever Had (left click to download) (Black Lips from Scion A/V Garage: Black Lips / Pierced Arrows)

Megan's Top 25 of 2009: 25-21

What a group that kicks things off in this first set of five. We’ve got beloved old friends, wonderful new friends, and a rather humorous not-Australian folk-parody duo. Here’s the skinny on the first fifth of albums in my top 25 of 2009.

Beloved Welsh spacestonerpopsters Super Furry Animals get things going at #25 with yet another great record. While it didn’t quite make me fall in love as much as others (And I’ll say right not that if you don’t own the classic Furries record Fuzzy Logic, hang your head in shame), Dark Days/Light Years is still a mighty fine listen. How can you not dig an album with a song called “Crazy Naked Girls?” The bonus being that it, like so many songs here, is quirky, wacky, and unmistakably Super Furry. SFA is definitely, definitely still ok.

mp3: Crazy Naked Girls (Super Furry Animals from Dark Days/Light Years)

I’m going to go out on a limb here and declare The Young Sinclairs not only #24 on my Top 25, but also one of the top 5 bands in all of this here great Commonwealth of Virginia. Who knows, they might even be the best within state lines. Pay attention to the name, friends, because trust me this band could (and should) get big. Songs of The Young Sinclairs isn’t technically a “new” record, it’s a collection of songs pulled from various Sinclair records and EPs. Released on Kindercore, it shows off their brand of neo-psych that takes heavy cues from the California sound of the 60s.

mp3: Cancelled Flight (The Young Sinclairs from Songs of The Young Sinclairs)

The Raveonettes return with yet another record of shoegaze-cum-surfy retro pop, sitting pretty at #23. While not quite as mind-blowing as 2008’s Lust Lust Lust, In and Out of Control is a darned fine record. And I’ve gotta get behind a record with the whole “Boys Who Rape (Should Be Destroyed)” thing. It’s a little bit dark, but these Danes sure know how to make misery sound beautiful.

mp3: Breaking Into Cars (The Raveonettes from In and Out of Control)

The darling Kiwis of Flight of The Conchords might have broken hearts (including mine) by announcing their hit HBO show wouldn’t return for a third season, but they also induced some serious giggles with their second collection of ridiculously amusing songs. I Told You I Was Freaky is full of comedic highs, some of my favorites being the saucy ode to the other male anatomy, “Sugalumps,” the absolutely hilarious “Too Many Dicks (On The Dancefloor)” to which we owe the terms “brodeo” and “bro-ho ratio,” and the somewhat bizarre Russian folk epic about cannibalism on the high seas, “Petrov, Yelyena and Me.”

mp3: Sugalumps (Flight of The Conchords from I Told You I Was Freaky)

Elvis: quite a big name to fill, but #21 Elvis Perkins does admirably. “Come with me/I’ll take you anywhere,” he croons deliciously in “Hey,” and I believe him hook, line, and sinker. Elvis Perkins in Dearland is filled with glorious swirling tracks and Perkins’ buttery voice. First song “Shampoo” was my introduction to the record, and it’s just one of the lovely tunes that await the listener.

mp3: Doomsday (Elvis Perkins in Dearland from Elvis Perkins in Dearland)

And there you have it, friends, part one of...several. Stay tuned for further revelations, coming soon.

Megan's Top 18 of 2008 - #12 - The Raveonettes

I do believe Lust Lust Lust is the only album my dear partner and I have in our top list at all this year, which means of course that it's twice as nice.

Before Lust Lust Lust, I had seen the Raveonettes live once or twice, and felt just kind of, well, indifferent about them. And then, that wily Danish duo went and made this album, a Valentine to both the late 50s/early 60s and shoegaze. I pretty much gushed about it (read: foamed at the mouth over it) when Chris and I did our joint review way back towards the beginning of the year, and my love of this record has yet to abate. It's gloomy, it's sexy, and it's almost just a little bit dangerous. It's like one of those early 60s, black and white flicks involving chicks in tight sweaters and cigarette pants and leather jacket-clad dudes drag racing on back roads in the blackened, misty midnight or something.

"Dead Sound" was my ringtone for months and months. "You Want the Candy" is adorable, painfully loud, and effortlessly danceable (and the "boo hoo" line is pretty fantastic). "With My Eyes Closed" is a delicious little mopey ballad, channeling the moroseness of Morrissey with ease. Did I mention I love this album? Because I do.

It totally changed my mind about the Raveonettes, and I'd emphatically say it definitely deserves its place here among the best of the best.

The Top Albums of 2008 According to Chris: #14 - The Raveonettes (Honorable Mention)

Man alive, we certainly lurved us some Lust Lust Lust when it first came out, but I'll be damned if it didn't seem to miss everyone's "Best Of 08" lists. This was so much so the case, I even went back and double checked the release date (Feb 19, 2008, in case you cared).

So why the sudden lack of love for this reverb-heavy, certainly sexy music?

Maybe it was all the EPs the band released as the year continued.

Maybe it had to do with a track or two leaking back in 07.

Regardless, it seems a shame that it's getting lost in the shuffle, so I'm going to throw it on my Honorable Mention list.

And if this video doesn't make you want to see the Raveonettes live, well then, something clearly is wrong with you.







You've got to admit, the Danish duo have a sort of sinister snarl to them that makes their grooves infectious.

Singles Club: Raveonettes

If there are two things we love here at LET, it's the Raveonettes and free music. Combine the two and, hell, that's better than marshmallow fluff and sex, as far as I'm concerned (though Megan says the jury's still out). The Danish duo is releasing a series of four digital EPs over at Vice Records and they were kind (or inebriated) enough to offer the first one for free. I understand you have to pay for the others, but how much of a good thing can you expect?

For this outing, the band employed the aid of producer 80KIDZ, Alec Empire-conspirator Nic Endo and Danish DJ Trentemøller. Now, if you felt the one thing missing from Lust Lust Lust was a complete re-interpretation of some of the tracks into heavily techno jams, well, today is your lucky day, indeed. I've always felt that the best covers of a song dramatically change the structure while retaining the original feel. If that's the goal, mission accomplished here.

Album Review: The Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust

There is one guy and one girl in the Raveonettes. As luck would have it, there is one guy and one girl here at Les Enfants Terribles. In honor of the new Raveonettes album, Lust Lust Lust, we're gonna try something new: a track-by-track, he-said, she-said style review. We have no idea if this is a good idea, but we are rather fond of taking risks. Please indulge us.

Megan: In the past, I considered myself a casual Raveonettes fan at best. Sure, I thought their Whip It On EP was really great, especially the frantic, fuzzy bum rush of "My Tornado." But after that my affections went a bit south, and I never regained my footing on the bandwagon of pro-Danish love. The times could be a-changing, however, because I think Lust Lust Lust is simply luscious, and I’m rather gobsmacked by how much I love it. It's delicious boy-girl, Jesus & Mary Chain-worshipping bliss.

Chris: Well, you've already got a leg-up on me. I recall checking out Pretty in Black at Tower Records, not even listening to its entirety. I kind of liked what I heard, but not enough so to buy the thing.

"Aly, Walk with Me"
C: OK, I can tell this is going to turn into a gushy love fest. I first heard this track a few months back when the band's PR folks started dropping it around the blogospheres. The heavy distortion and pseudo-surf sound instantly captivated me. A kick ass way to kick things off--it's dark, dangerous and damn captivating. Starting things off with one of the CD's top three tracks always is a winner to me.

M: Hot damn, this is good. Sharp guitars, a little foray into some beats…and the best part is, it only gets better from here. And it’s not even in my top three tracks off the album.

"Hallucinations"
M: These two really harmonize wonderfully together. Sune and Sharin have such sweet voices I can't stand it. To me, this is the epitome of the Raveonettes; those intensely saccharine vocals offset by blistering guitars and lots and lots of noise. Beautiful.

C: I really dig how they slowed down the pace a bit and reigned in the fuzz ever so slightly. Sure, they kick it back up towards the mid-way point, but I like the softer intro.

"Lust"
M: The lines "I fell out of heaven/to be with you in Hell/My sins not quite seven/nothing much to tell," do nothing short of rock my world. Add the haunting coos in the background and that saucy sound and you've got a dynamite track.

C: Funny, not my favorite track here. While I appreciate the almost spaghetti Western feel to it, the slower tempo seems almost out of place to me. This is an album best appreciated at high decibels and I don't feel the desire to do that here.

M: Actually, it sounds great the louder you listen. Promise.

"Dead Sound"
M: The jauntiness of this one comes as a complete kick in the ass after the honeyed hypnosis of "Lust." I'm kind of in shock at this point as to just how deeply I am in smit with this album.

C: Definitely one of my other favorite tunes on the CD. It builds out of nowhere and then kicks into an up-tempo pop rocker of confectionary goodness. If I were going to try to get someone into the Raveonettes sound, I might well use this one as my hook. I had forgotten they put out a slightly different version on the Warm and Scratchy compilation from Adult Swim last year. I like this one even better.

M: This is now the ringtone on my phone.

"Black Satin"
M: This definitely makes me think of the Jesus & Mary Chain. It's got the background of "Just Like Honey," but with a slightly sunnier overtone. Nice guitar solo, too. I'm a sucker for things that sound like they'd split my eardrums apart at a live show.

C: Have I mentioned that your descriptions scare me sometimes? That being said, whereas "Lust" felt somewhat out of place to me, for reasons I can't explain, the slower tempo works much better for me on this track.

"Blush"
C: I like the vocal change-up here. My only problem with the CD is the danger of it sounding repetitious towards the end. While maintaining the overall sound and feel, switching the vocals is a good call.

M: More of the same, please.

"Expelled From Love"
M: Ah, moroseness! Other people's heartache can sound so good, as is the case with several songs on Lust Lust Lust. Slow and moody, it's a lovely song.

C: Well, I guess we're not going to do quite as much agreeing as I originally thought we would. Sure, it's a lovely song, but I don't listen to these cats for "lovely." More jangly, pumped-up fuzz for me, please.

"You Want the Candy"
M: This is utter poptasticness. It is inescapably catchy. Heaven help me, but I want to put on some boots made for walkin' and hit the dance floor right about now. While pouting at some boy across the room, of course.

C: Yeah, definitely one of the other top three winners on this outing. And have you seen the video for this? Good Lord and Butter, I'm seeing these cats when they come to the Black Cat on March 29.

M: See? We do agree. This is in my top three, too.

"Blitzed"
M: I feel like a broken record, but this one is great, too. I guess I'm back on the Raveonettes Kool-Aid.

C: Agreed, though it is at this point I'm beginning to think this album could wrap itself up.

"Sad Transmission"
M: Something makes me think of "Duke of Earl" here, but even without this the song is very 60s to me. Oh, and it's also really fucking good. "Let me hold you for one last time" gives a hint of the overall tone, and once again it's deceptively cheerful.

C: The clip-clop drum opening the track is a nice touch. Everything the Raveonettes do has a very 60s feel to me, but I dig what you're putting down.

"With My Eyes Closed"
M: Ok, I think this one would be, if I was forced to choose, my favorite. It's got that certain something, every piece of the puzzle fits just right. It's mopey enough, it's sweet enough, it's tighter than tight. And the line "it was never meant to be/for me" appeals to the little black cloud in my heart. Close to perfect.

C: See my thoughts on "Expelled From Love."

M: I bet it grows on you. So there.

"The Beat Dies"
M: Distortion, distortion, how I love thee. And so too do the Raveonettes. Sharin's voice sounds particularly girl group-esque here, all she needs are some doo-wops. And yet, once more, it's darker than it sounds, kids.

C: A good closer, if for no other reason that it sounds slightly different from the rest of things.

Closing Remarks

M: I can't believe how good this album is. I was not prepared, I was not expecting this at all from the Raveonettes. I feel ambushed. How dare they make an album this amazing? But really, kudos to them. This is truly the best album I've heard so far this year, with all due respect to Radiohead. I have fallen in love with this black-clad, Scottish and Spector-influenced album, that like most matters of the heart, caught me completely off guard. And I wouldn't have had it any other way.

C: While I'm not quite as blown away as my lovely partner, I will agree it's already got a shot at Top 10 Best of 08 in my book. As I mentioned above, I might have whittled it down a track or two, but only because the sound is a tad redundant. That being said, I reiterate my thumbs up status and can't wait to see these cats live.