The Republic Tigers

Alexei usually types something here. He’s a twatmuffin, though, and didn’t this time. He’ll probly remove this once he sees it, but only because he has a fragile psyche that can’t handle ridicule. Yep.

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So, let me be real with you. I’ve been mad busy lately, and the blog has become more of an afterthought. I finally have a new iPod (iPhone to be exact) though, so I’ll be able to listen to and discover music everywhere I get 3G coverage. Unfortunately, that’s nowhere according to commercials, which I always believe without question (why would a reindeer lie?). Today, though, I don’t feel like doing any real work, so I probably won’t offer much more than Wikipedia would on the same subject. But this is cooler because you can’t edit incorrect information I might post; you just have to live on knowing I’m brainwashing the population. Now that my vague, shaky intro is done, let’s talk about music.

The Republic Tigers are the last band everydaymusic will profile this year. Originally a side project formed off The Golden Republic, they share a record label with Twilight star Rob Pattinson. Before you start to hate them, let me tell you that they’re from Kansas City – but the good one, not the one where creationism has been scientifically proven. They currently have only one album out, Keep Color, which dropped back in May 2008. The band has since received minimal buzz, landing a spot on David Letterman and scoring some songs on Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, and other terrible shows kept alive intravenously by copious amounts of estrogen.

Despite all their negative associations, this band kicks ass. Their song “Buildings & Mountains” has been featured as an iTunes download of the week (and also as a Banda Bears beat) and the band has toured with the likes of Nada Surf, Weezer, and Matt & Kim. Their sound is along the same lines as Radiohead, The Airborne Toxic Event, Maximo Park, and Matt Pond PA. This is a young band that I genuinely enjoy listening to, and most of you hipster bastards will dig it as well. But shit, challenge my authority and find out for yourself! Happy New Year, everybody, and check back next Thursday when I talk about Jacksonville singer-songwriter Katie Grace Helow.

Top 10 Albums of 2009

I’ve been slacking like no other. I admit it. But, in my mind, as long as I eventually make up for it, I’m not doing a terrible job. Today, newcomer Dave Schneider gives us his Top 10 Albums of 2009. He’s also graciously provided everydaymusic with four other top 10 lists, so that’s pretty much what the next few weeks will be based around. All together now… Thank you, Dave!

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A lot happened in the 2000s. This is a cultural/artistic review of the decade and the year 2009.

2009 was a particularly bad year for the arts but I put together lists anyway, often with numbers 10 through 4 being begrudging fillers. Some of these lists don’t have explanations because I either didn’t care enough to justify the list or I had already written an expanded list elsewhere.

Happy New Years, everyone! Onward to the 2010s! God bless!

The Top Albums of 2009

10. Inglourious Basterds Soundtrack

9. UGK 4 Life by UGK

8. Man on the Moon: The End of Day by Kid Cudi

7. MTV Unplugged by Katy Perry

6. The Resistance by Muse

5. Only Built for Cuban Linx, Pt. 2 by Raekwon

4. Black Gives Way to Blue by Alice in Chains

3. The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z

2. The Ecstatic by Mos Def

1. Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective

The New Pornographers

I’ve considered writing about this band every week since I started this blog. The only thing that’s kept me from doing it is the fact that I don’t think I can do them justice. This is one of my favorite bands of all time… of all time! Definitely top five. It’s the New Pornographers.

So, I was going to provide a link to a free download of a live show of theirs, but all the files were .m4a’s, and it would’ve been a bitch to deal with. Instead, I found a link to a download of an album of theirs, and while I do feel bad providing it to you, I feel like if you like the group, you’ll go out to buy their music. Karma will get you if you don’t.

I celebrate this group’s entire catalogue. I’m being completely literal when I say this. When I feel like listening to the New Pornographers, I go to my iPod, I start with the song I’m in the mood for, and then I just let it play through all of their albums.

Currently, “Jackie” is probably my favorite song by the New Pornographers. It’s off of their first album, titled Mass Romantic, which was released in 2000. That’s crazy. It’s been almost ten years since their first album. They’ve released four albums, all of which have been great.

In 2003, they released Electric Version. When I first started listening to the New Pornographers, this was definitely my favorite album. Out of the 13 tracks, something like seven of them have held the title of favorite New Pornographers song for at least a little bit. “Chump Change” is my favorite from that album right now.

Pitchfork’s favorite New Pornographers album was released in 2005. They gave it 9/10. It’s called Twin Cinema, and the title track was the first song I ever heard from this group. Every track is dope, and “Streets of Fire” is a track I’m considering sampling.

2007 brought Challengers, which was yet another fantastic album. “Entering White Cecilia” was my favorite song off that album for the longest time, but I think that “Unguided” is my current favorite. I’m considering sampling that one, too.

Either way, all their stuff is dope. Listen to as much of their music as you possibly can. It’ll impact you in a positive way. I guarantee it. The download’s of Mass Romantic, by the way. Their first album. The only way to start your New Pornographers adventure. Enjoy.

Download it.

Top 25 of the Decade: 5-1

First things first. I boxed myself into a corner with the name everydaymusic. It means I have to update every day, which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s definitely tough to keep up with. So, we decided to take a Christmas vacation last week. And now we’re back. Best Christmas present ever? I think so. Today, Curtis is bringing you the final installment of his Top 25 Tracks of the Decade. The 5 best songs of the last ten years. I told you we were back. (In case you missed ’em: 25-21, 20-16, 15-11, and 10-6.)

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These are the cream of the crop, the songs you will most likely see most played over on my last.fm, the songs I listened to the most, care about the most, the songs that made me laugh, made me shed a tear, and made me shit my pants in awe. Heeeeere we go.

5. The White Stripes – Fell in Love With a Girl

See, I’m not as pretentious as I seem. I like the White Stripes as much as everyone else, maybe more because I’ve actually heard and love De Stijl even though I can’t pronounce it. But everything on White Blood Cells is just so much better, especially this doozy. I’m tempted to pair it with “Expecting” because hearing those back to back leaves me exhausted, but, of the two, how can you deny this song? I’m sick of the video and I could give a shit about it. I just like hard and fast music, and this song is one of the hardest and fastest this side of metal. How big is Meg White? She looked about 5′ in that video (that video you know, the fake one) but she can fucking pound on those drums. I don’t give a shit what the lyrics are. Play it again.

4. Ghostface Killah – Shakey Dog

It’s not even a question for me that Ghostface is the best in the game, maybe ever. While “One” was a stream-of-consciousness George Bush-and-cocaine inspired gauntlet, “Shakey Dog” is a Chicken Koop fried chicken ketchup packet Scarface-and-cocaine inspired gauntlet. Ghost can do it all. He rips through this song so aggressively and off the rails that when the song is over you’ve probably only taken a single breath trying to process what is probably the greatest crack rap story ever told through song. Big head Bruno, hitting the bathroom “butt first,” fried plantains and rice…where does he get all this shit? You and I walk into a room with our guns out and we see terrified faces, babies crying…Ghost does the same and sees the big breasts on that woman and baseball bat sized fries. Okay.

3. Madvillain (MF DOOM and Madlib) – Accordion

“Slip like Freudian the first and last step to playing yourself like an accordion.” The crowd golf claps. All throughout the album, which may be the best of the decade., we get this shit, but none better than “Accordion.” The Daedelus copped Madlib beat may be the best of his career, but with DOOM it’s just a day at work which is like winning a gold medal for the rest of us. Where does he get this shit? I sit on the couch all day trying to come up with shit like this and it just pops in his head (seemingly) all the time. “Just keep your eye out like eye eye captain”…”giving yall nuthin but the lick like two broads”…”and get more cheese than doritos cheetos or fritos.” I’m never rapping again. The universe is going to curve in on itself when the StarksDOOM album comes out.

2. The Arcade Fire – Rebellion (Lies)

Listen, I’m not big fan of that Muse/U2/Queen uplifting stadium rock shit either, but come on. Okay okay, just wait, before you read on, YouTube search this song, see them play it in concert. See that girl in the front row with the single tear like she’s 50 after taking out a homie? This song changes everything. I soon as I heard this, I knew the system would win in the end, that Bush would win, but I still had hope. I knew the youth would rise up and rebel. And while Obama’s now taking us like the Polish facing the Nazis into Afghanistan, at least there was a song that told me I would have my moment, we would have our moment, no matter how short.

1. Animal Collective – Winter’s Love

So, #1. Considering I think Animal Collective is pretty much the best BAND of the decade (DOOM, Ghost, and Dilla are still better), there’s no question that they would have a song high up. To be honest, the only thing I did know about this list is that this song would be #1 for me and I moved from there. Looking at some of my favorite songs, they all have the same quality in that they move me in some way that only the best music does. I don’t give a shit about technical skill or good singing, I just want a song that moves me. That’s what music is supposed to do. But by the same token, with songs like this it’s hard to pinpoint what’s so great about it. It’s not the singing, it’s not the bare bones instrumentals, it’s simply the way that it sounds like they’re putting their heart and soul into this shit. They’ve never stopped doing that, and that’s why they’re one of the best. “Winter’s Love” is everything great about this side of music.

Sparktones – 1984

Am I cheating with this post? Technically, yes, but a bit of shameless self-promotion never hurt anyone. It’s another free mixtape download on everydaymusic. That’s 4 in 5 days, mind you. Be thankful.

So, this mixtape is my December mixtape. It’s called Sparktones – 1984, and it consists of 10 hip-hop instrumentals, created by yours truly. If you want to use a track for a mixtape of your own, let me know, and we’ll get it all arranged. My contact information is on the Contact page. Makes sense, right?

Like I said, the download’s free, so you’ve got nothing to lose. You can visit the bandcamp site to get it. It’ll be on the latest album, but there’s a menu on the right side of the screen, and if you click on Instrumentals, you can also download the mixtape I released in November. I didn’t know about reverb or mixing or mastering or anything at the time, so sorry if the levels are off. Either way, I really appreciate any support I get. I don’t see it getting many downloads, but currently, the plan is to release a mixtape a month, consisting of at least 10 tracks. Hopefully by like September 2010 I’ll have around 100 tracks uploaded on the web. That’s it. Thanks!

Download it.

Chris’s YouTube Favorites

Today Chris busts out his YouTube favorites. YouTube favorites: The product of laziness. Enjoy.

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Yo, so, I really don’t feel like writing right now. I know I only have to do this once a week, but whatever, I have poor time-management skills. So instead of doing real work, I’m gonna spend 15 minutes or so watching YouTube videos of dank bands, and then I’m gonna post them here. Let’s be realistic – you didn’t really wanna read anyway.

fun. – “All The Pretty Girls“

The New Pornographers – “Challengers” (Editor’s note: The video for “Challengers” was taken down by YouTube, so the link’s just to the song.)

Jupiter Sunrise – “Kaye“

Guster – “Satellite“

Badly Drawn Boy – “Year of the Rat“

Ok, well, that’s just what I came up with for today. Special props to Guster for the length of their video. Anyway, I’m sure sometime soon I’ll get lazy again and find 5 more I like. You’ll like them too.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – VS. EP

I’m really shitty at updating this on time. Luckily, it’s another free mixtape download, so hopefully that keeps you satisfied. It’s the long-awaited download of the VS. EP from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Hell yeah. Props to 2db for providing the linkage.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis let us hear “Otherside” a bit before the album dropped, and that’s what really got me excited about the release. As you may have assumed, the track involves a sample from the Red Hot Chili Peppers track of the same name. You can hear a version of them doing “Otherside” live on KEXP 90.3 right here. Seattle Show Gal did a little interview with them that can tell you a whole hell of a lot more about the EP than I can. Check it out.

“Irish Celebration” and “Vipassana” are two tracks I really liked off of the EP. That’s just a knee-jerk reaction, though. My favorites may very well change in the next few weeks. Either way, get the VS. EP. Support Macklemore. Support Ryan Lewis. It’s free.

Download it.

WEIRDO (Remix Suite)

Free download today. It’s the WEIRDO (Remix Suite). It’s a collection of remixes of the song “Weerdo” from Hollyweerd. There’re a bunch of dank producers on it. Download that shit. For free. At the bottom of this post.

I found this mixtape on 2DB. As soon as I saw the track list, I was impressed. There’s work from 9th, Aeon, Khrysis, Miles Bonny, and more. The one way it could be better is if it was just the beats, but beggars can’t be choosers. I mean, that shit’s free. The horn part at the end is bangin. That’s the upside of every track. Bangin horn part. Album art’s pretty great, too.

It’s definitely worth downloading. You can never have too much music. Enjoy.

Download it.

Stik Figa

Recently, I’ve been bad at updating this on time. My last exam is tonight, so hopefully I’ll be able to be a little more on top of things soon. Having said that, today’s article is about Stik Figa. There’s a link to a free mixtape at the end, so at the very least, get that.

I found out about Stik Figa through a MelloMusicGroup tweet. I’ve gotta confess, I clicked his name because it reminded me of stic.man. You can visit Stik Figa’s official blog. Look around, there might be some good stuff. It’s where I found the mixtape.

The mixtape’s called Hello, Goodbye, and it’s produced by D/Will. It’s all out of Kansas City, Missouri, which isn’t the first place I’d think to look for hip-hop, but these dudes are holding it down. The production is super clean, and the flow is smooth. The overall feel of the album is pretty somber, dealing with suicide and whatnot, but it’s done very tactfully.

“Happy” and “Goodbye–Credits” are probably my favorite tracks. I especially love the beats on these tracks. “Goodbye–Credits” is almost eight minutes long, and it includes three different beats. The best beat of the entire album is the last one on this track. It plays the album out, with no words over it or anything. A perfect ending to a great mixtape.

Also, “Starched Dickies” has a video that you can watch. It’s pretty dope. I also found this video of D/Will and Stik Figa live. Watch it.

You should definitely download the mixtape, especially considering it’s free. Stik Figa and D/Will deliver. It’s called Hello, Goodbye, and you can get it for free right here.

Download it.

The Mercury Program

When Eu linked me to Antarctic the other day, I found out about another band called The Mercury Program. They’re from Gainesville. And they’re plenty dope.

I’m not gonna lie to you, my 3 readers. Every song is good. They have a formula, seems like they’ve been using it, and it works. They’ve been around since 1997. “You Give Me Problems About My Business” is a dope track, and it’s the most played on their MySpace. “A Crusading Theme” is another one you can listen to. Both of those tracks are off of 2003’s EP Confines of Heat.

The Mercury Program released their latest album this past November. It’s called Chez Viking, and as soon as I scrape up enough money, I’m planning to make a purchase. They‘re a very consistent group, and I’m glad they’ve recently released stuff. I’m probably going to sample a few of their tracks; they seem like a very sample-worthy group.

You can buy Chez Viking from The Mercury Program’s official site. The album’s $12, and not only do they play great music, they’re out of Gainesville. It’s a group you should definitely support. Listen to them, and if you’ve got the money, buy their album.