hi.fi.crime

eMusic

2009-03-25T22:04:00.001-07:00

You know ... a little new music in your life goes a really long way. And it's never been easier to connect with incredible shit, never been easier to make it or get it.

I'm a big fan of eMusic. They're pretty much the #2 online retailer at this point ... and they have DRM-free stuff of solid quality (bitrate-wise) for pretty damn cheap. They do a monthly subscription system where you get so many tracks per month and it works out really well. They mostly do indie labels and artists (whereas iTunes and Amazon carry major labels) and they have some incredible stuff.

I'm also a big fan of buying music vs. downloading it for free. Its never been easier to pay for music and know that it goes mostly to the artists not the middlemen. And you know ... when you pay for something you kind of enjoy it more. Or you have the proper respect for it and that feels good. That being said, I'm also going to give a few copies away of this or that ... and I might just grab something here or there that's on a blog (and is free as such) but I do want to spend some money on music. Honestly there isn't a lot that makes more sense to spend money on. Music is art and you should surround yourself with art and pay the proper respect to the artists.

And as I was saying to my man Dan tonight ... the great thing about music ... is that no matter how into it you are there's always going to be 1000 things you've never heard of and hell, genres you didn't even know existed, even. And you know, some of that shit is going to be incredible. Even if you were just picking at random (which you don't have to).

My entire life has been a progression through so many artists and kinds of music ... there have always been new things I've discovered and never knew about that are amazing.

It's like ... there's gold fucking nuggets just waiting for you in the field ... you just have to look a little.

You know ... those albums that are just classic ... that almost define an era for you ... like the Beastie Boys' Check Your Head or Nine Inch Nails' Downward Spiral or Pearl Jam's Ten ... ? Or whatever they might be for you? Those experiences with music are still happening with new stuff all the time if you make the time to connect with it.

Anyway ... eMusic is nice cuz you just get three or two or four albums a month and you can really enjoy them and keep 'em coming easily. Direct debit from your account like $15/month or something. Easy. Certainly there's a lot of other quality distribution methods including the humble CD store ... but yeah. Do it!

Paper Pissin

2008-12-24T02:49:00.000-08:00

I was playing around with some stuff... got a new mash up together. It's hardly perfect, but there were a few things that came together really easily on it. Enjoy.

MIA vs Nirvana - Paper Pissing (Mud Mash)

S.O.V.

2008-12-19T04:09:00.001-08:00

So about a week ago the new Lady Sovereign track hit the web, "I Got You Dancing". I was a hater at first, but I've given it a few passive listens and it started to grow on me. I think this is one time where the video kinda made it click for me. Something about her expressions and delivery. Check it.

It also reminds me I have to bump Warriors up on my Netflix queue.

Cool Out

2008-11-27T12:38:00.000-08:00

The Bug has made a big splash this year with an exciting heavy dubstep-ish sound, but right now winter is about hit, and i'm feeling a need for something a bit more... relaxed. Well the Bug has been working on something for just such an occasion. King Midas Sound is cool, cool, cool soulful reggae influenced dubstep. I'm digging it this thanksgiving morn. I got this tune on repeat right now.

King Midas Sound - Cool Out

Let Thyself be Touched

2008-11-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

Mowgli

2008-11-17T19:33:00.000-08:00

shit damn. I've had like 5 things to post, but just heard this track and all others have been demoted. This takes priority.

Mowgli - Pa Po Pon (Original Mix)

DJ Barisone - Soul's Yer Face!

2008-11-11T17:53:00.001-08:00

Barisone droppin' the new shit ... new soul mix ... hot off the presses. Verrrry nice! Up on the Grove archive site HERE

Enjoy!

High Fives Are At An All Time High

2008-11-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

Dead Prez put out a new single from their upcoming album (early '09). Finally some folks are talking about Obama with some realizm. Damn right I voted for him. He seems legit, but any politician is still a politician. Especially when one seems too good to be true. But enough politrickkks. I gotta go look for a job.

Dead Prez - PolitricKKKs

and I'd like to change my vote. Mos Def for president.

it's funny 'cause it's true.

Fall...

2008-10-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

Another stunning fall day in Oregon. Brilliant light, a crispness to everything... Colors, fresh air, a sweetness, a sadness, a hum... Here are some chill tracks for the changing seasons--

Guinea Pig is a brand new one from longtime producer/DJ Ben Watt, of EBTG fame. This track, released on Watt's own Buzzin' Fly records, is much more atmospheric than his usual work. Hypnotic echoes, glittering highhats, spare vocals.... Some of the finest vocal house I've heard in a long time...

Ben Watt- Guinea Pig (Vocal Variation Featuring Julia Biel)

Square Up (John Tejada Remix) ..... ooooh shit that bassline! Super simple but it works so well... Tejada's richly textured remix flows and pulses in just the right way. This track is pure, understated genius.

Jimpster- Square Up (John Tejada Remix)

Over The Ice, by the Field. Repetition in its finest form. Listen on headphones, or while driving... Transcendence.

The Field- Over The Ice

Happy fall.

Let Me Do My Dance

2008-10-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

Since becoming unemployed I've found that dj'ing at random parties and venues can lead to some interesting nights.

OH SNAP!! - Let Me Do My Dance

Djuma Soundsystem - Les Djinns (Trentemöller Mix)

Shantel - Bucovovina (Felix B Booty Mix)
Shantel - Şuşuleker

-let us dance.

Woolfy

2008-10-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Just found this on my computer. Don't know where I found it, but i dig it.

Woolfy - the Warehouse

Z-Trip Obama Mix

2008-10-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

Z-Trip put his recent Obama themed mix online check it out HERE

Lucius

2008-10-12T23:47:00.000-07:00

Posted a super nice mixtape from our friend Lucius ... new-ish DJ type (plays Saturdays at Bo) around here ... really sick indie electronica ... great grooves ... super nice beats ... tons of cutting edge pop. Essential.

HERE

Cobra Commander

2008-10-12T23:12:00.000-07:00

the Teddybears - Cobrastyle

Robyn - Cobrastyle

I'm still digging the original more, something about the dancehall style vocals from Mad Cobra.

Robyn - Cobrastyle

Mud Music

2008-10-09T00:43:00.001-07:00

Not only can you read pithy banter about music from Mr. Mud but you can also hear him play music. On a ... big ... sound system! Halloween.

Heartbreaker

2008-10-08T23:29:00.000-07:00

I love me some sad bastard music. How can you go wrong with songs about girls breaking hearts? Beautiful video in my opinion.

Metronomy - Heartbreaker

A few more keystrokes for Kanye.

2008-10-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

God lord! Could it be?!? Another blog post on the internet about Kanye West? Today he has once again given more reason to talk, with his debut of the video for Love Lockdown (below). I have said plenty of praise as well as some harsh criticism in the past, (rhyming "Klondike" with "blond dyke"? Seriously?) But I'm going to have to admit that Love Lockdown is pretty nice. I know auto-tune vocals are getting a bit overplayed, I really don't want to hear another T-Pain hook. But somehow this tune doesn't shut me off completely. It's been growing on me for the past few weeks, and I'm ready to accept that I totally dig it. When I break it down it's odd, 90's piano stabs, sparse 808 kicks on verse, and some nice tribal drums on the chorus. It's sparseness just makes it so clearly NOT intended for a dancefloor, but he went around this by releasing all the materials needed to remix it via his blog a while back. This led to many a remix hitting the blogs days later, some good, many not so good. But this sorta allowed him to write a song, rather than writing a dancefloor track. The concept is pretty cool. He can make the art and then let others Andy Warhol his shit and make it palatable for the floor. Pretty smart.
Who knows I very well might end up hating this tune in a months time though. It wouldn't be the first time that's happened to me with a Kanye tune.

Kanye West - Love Lockdown (Flufftronix edit)

when you look for trouble you find it.

2008-10-07T16:47:00.001-07:00

Today while sitting in front of a coffee shop downtown with some friends, a reporter from the local paper comes by and asks us questions about how the economy is hitting us. We all said basically the same thing, that so far it's business as usual. He really wanted to hear us talk about how we lost our jobs and we were broke and desperate for work. Every attempt he made to coax that out of us failed. It just seems like people are looking for the devastation to some degree. We all want to focus on how fucked everything is. I pass a newspaper box and find a picture of a sad guy on the trading floor moments after this discussion with the reporter and I can only shake my head.

I found a blog of "Sad Guys on the Trading Floor". It's beautiful.

And a song to jam to:

Tigarah - Money (Speed Dub Remix)

A Pretty Nice Haircut

2008-09-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

I was joking about posting a video of myself cutting my hair and the first song that pops into mind of course, when i sat down to edit the video... Cut Your Hair by Pavement. I'm always a sucker for some 90's alternative/college/indie rock.

Obviously Cassettes Wont Listen has some affinity to the 90's long hair, torn-jean genre as well, as demonstrated with the ep One Alternative that came out a while back. 5 covers of Blind Melon, Pavement, Sebadoh and others done in his unique and mostly likely laptop composed style.

Cassettes Wont Listen - Cut Your Hair (Pavement cover)