I think I'm done writing these monthly music things.
Keep an eye on my social media* if you're really interested in my occasional reviews, and original music as Purple Rectangle (new EP coming soon), and I might still post something here if I feel like it, but otherwise,...yeah, I think I'm done here.
* Primarily Instagram as my Facebook is set to private and Twitter is a sad, angry toilet without a drainage point
9.01.2018
End of the Month Music Bitchfest - August 2018
Inspired by both Thom Yorke shows at Kings Theatre selling out in less than a minute, I decided to check out the Eraser remixes, which, though I’d obtained them years ago, I’d never actually given a spin.
Turns out I wasn’t missing that much*.
And, since I wrote the word “remix” and since everyone likes...nay...LOVES lists, I’m going to list some of my favorite remixes by one of my favorite artists and then some of my favorite covers by another!!!
IN NO PARFUCKULARTICKING ORDER!!!
As I peruse this list, I realize that Guero seems to contain my favorite remix fodder. Interestingly enough, it's not really my favorite Beck album, but it seems like it was pretty fertile remix soil.
Beck
E-Pro (Ghost Range) - The toothless, backwoods feel and that breakdown at the end. Sooo filthy...
Que Onda Guero (Nortec Collective remix) - I love the absurdity that these horns bring. Tuba? Yes, please.
New Pollution (Mickey P. remix) - I didn't even know this fucking thing existed until a few months ago, but since then, it's become a fixture. The Dust Brothers and Beck have such a glimmering track record, and this remix perfectly encapsulates the 90's remix feel without feeling too dated. It brings new life and depth to the original, one of Beck's most overplayed tracks.
Sexx Laws (Night Flight to Ojai) - Midnite Vultures is officially** my favorite Beck album. It's filthy and tasteless and mo' funky than your grandfather's feet, as an old, dirty bastard once said. There's a b-side called "Dirty Dirty" that is just impregnating...but this...this cheesy, lyricless, smooth jazz cover of "Sexx Laws" is just indescribably glamorous yet gross in some way; like a really expensive silk shirt stained with sweat and droplets of semen from a well-intentioned yet hurried handjob before a Vegas encore.
Heaven's Hammer (Missing Remix by Air) - Just as with the Dust Brothers, Air pairs so perfectly with Beck. This has never been made more clear than with this remix. I like this miles more than the original and firmly believe that THIS is the "correct" version of "Missing", not what we got on the album. Every element those French dudes add is absolutely perfect, revealing the true heart of this gorgeous and heartrending track.
Gucci Bag In Flames (Hell Yes) [Green, Music and Gold] - While the whole thing is great, making "Hell Yes" less funky, robot rap and more sweaty, funky funk-funk, it's that keyboard breakdown at the end that pushes this into favorite territory.
Strange Invitation - An acoustic, string-driven cover of "Jack-Ass". In the list of Beck contributors and collaborators that bring something special out in his music, David Campbell is among one of the most skilled. The strings here (and on Sea Change and Morning Phase and everything else the man has ever touched) were all arranged and conducted by him and he just gets Beck and what his strings can do for his son's work. Both grounding and elevating at the same time, this is yet another example of a perfect partner for Beck.
Also, I should mention that there was a new remix of "Colors" released this month. The Picard Brothers remix, to be more precise. It did a really great job of draining all color from the song. These brothers must own a mortuary...
Eels
Since their first tour back in the mid to late 90's, there's never been an Eels show without at least two covers. Mark Oliver Everett is just great at finding something worth exploring in other artists' work and using that work to forward his own nefarious musical goals and expand the scope and meaning behind his own concerts. He's also covered four Prince songs in his career and I hope he continues to do so.
When You Were Mine by Prince - Now that he's gone, everyone's covering Prince. But, something about E covering Prince feels more sincere. That theme is going to come up a lot here...
When Doves Cry by Prince - The depth that E finds on his version (played on a KCRW live appearance in September 1994) is just amazing. It's solemn and beautiful. You should track this down if you're a Prince and Eels fan.
Rock Show by Peaches - Peaches. Man, that bitch is crazy. I think I like the original more than the cover because of her raucous, screaming energy, but E's ragged yells add something as well. A big, gigantic cock show indeed.
The Quack by Smoosh - The original is weird and Eels covering it is even weirder.
Get Ur Freak On by Missy Elliott - Yes yes, a white guy covering a rap song, ha ha ha. It's funny because he's white. No, cockballs, it's funny because E is giving 110%, because of that "Who's that? BUTCH!" moment, and because it's a fantastic reinterpretation.
King of the Road by Roger Miller - An impromptu duet between E and Steve Jones on his Jonesy's Jukebox show. Their languor is devastating. Their Slack palpable.
Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley - It's just a simple, beautiful piano rendition, but somehow manages to capture all the ups and downs of being in love with someone. This guy...
Oh, What A Beautiful Morning by Rodgers and Hammerstein - While it's a bit tongue in cheek, it's just so goddamn happy. And that horn section seals the deal.
When You Wish Upon A Star by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington - Heart. Breaking.
Pretty Ballerina by The Left Banke - You know...I don't know why I like this so much...I dig the original and pretty much every cover I've ever heard of it, so I suppose that means it's just a great song.
Cake
That new Cake song ("Sinking Ship") that McCrea says "doesn’t sound like them" sure sounds a lot like them, live at least. Lyrically it's about how we're having fun even though things are falling apart around us. Yeah, totally a new chapter for Cake. And, while this is a legit new Cake song, this dogcock says it's only for a 12" single they're putting out, although a new album isn't not in the cards or something stupid.
Ugh.
WHY DO I HATE ME SO MUCH?!
St. Vincent
St. Vincent remixed something by Maroon 5 (which is somehow still a thing) and Cardi B (after hearing one remix with her I think I'm set). It's better than the original, which didn't need to happen. Take what you will from that.
They Might Be Giants
You don't know fear until you've turned up early on a Wednesday morning, expecting to find a fresh, new, piping hot TMBG track in your inbox only to find dust and penis enlargement*** spam. Yeah, the email notification has been a few hours late, but the official Dial-A-Song website is always up to date, right?
Wrong, motherfucker.
So. Wrong.
For twenty-nine weeks in a row we've gotten a new song (or a song from I Like Fun) every Wednesday at 12:00 am until the first Wednesday in August. Out of fucking NOWHERE, TMBG has taken a hiatus for August.
Guys, you can’t deprive a junkie of his junk like that.
The rest of these tracks best be GOLD, gents.
Finally, I'll be reviewing the new LP from Drew McDowall (The Third Helix) and the new EP from Aphex Twin (Collapse) soon. Here's something funny...a few years back, DREW MCDOWALL released an LP called Collapse! WHAT?!
WHAT??!?!?!
FUCKING WHAT???!?!??!?!?!?!?!
* "Skip Divided (Modeselektor remix)" added some more choppiness, "Harrowdown Hill (The Bug remix)" added a darker, harder edge and some cool textures, and "Atoms for Peace (Four Tet remix)" focused on increasing the warmth and brightness.
** CALL THE POLICE!!!
*** I'm just kidding; Gmail is actually pretty fantastic when it comes to filtering out spam.
Turns out I wasn’t missing that much*.
And, since I wrote the word “remix” and since everyone likes...nay...LOVES lists, I’m going to list some of my favorite remixes by one of my favorite artists and then some of my favorite covers by another!!!
IN NO PARFUCKULARTICKING ORDER!!!
As I peruse this list, I realize that Guero seems to contain my favorite remix fodder. Interestingly enough, it's not really my favorite Beck album, but it seems like it was pretty fertile remix soil.
Beck
E-Pro (Ghost Range) - The toothless, backwoods feel and that breakdown at the end. Sooo filthy...
Que Onda Guero (Nortec Collective remix) - I love the absurdity that these horns bring. Tuba? Yes, please.
New Pollution (Mickey P. remix) - I didn't even know this fucking thing existed until a few months ago, but since then, it's become a fixture. The Dust Brothers and Beck have such a glimmering track record, and this remix perfectly encapsulates the 90's remix feel without feeling too dated. It brings new life and depth to the original, one of Beck's most overplayed tracks.
Sexx Laws (Night Flight to Ojai) - Midnite Vultures is officially** my favorite Beck album. It's filthy and tasteless and mo' funky than your grandfather's feet, as an old, dirty bastard once said. There's a b-side called "Dirty Dirty" that is just impregnating...but this...this cheesy, lyricless, smooth jazz cover of "Sexx Laws" is just indescribably glamorous yet gross in some way; like a really expensive silk shirt stained with sweat and droplets of semen from a well-intentioned yet hurried handjob before a Vegas encore.
Heaven's Hammer (Missing Remix by Air) - Just as with the Dust Brothers, Air pairs so perfectly with Beck. This has never been made more clear than with this remix. I like this miles more than the original and firmly believe that THIS is the "correct" version of "Missing", not what we got on the album. Every element those French dudes add is absolutely perfect, revealing the true heart of this gorgeous and heartrending track.
Gucci Bag In Flames (Hell Yes) [Green, Music and Gold] - While the whole thing is great, making "Hell Yes" less funky, robot rap and more sweaty, funky funk-funk, it's that keyboard breakdown at the end that pushes this into favorite territory.
Strange Invitation - An acoustic, string-driven cover of "Jack-Ass". In the list of Beck contributors and collaborators that bring something special out in his music, David Campbell is among one of the most skilled. The strings here (and on Sea Change and Morning Phase and everything else the man has ever touched) were all arranged and conducted by him and he just gets Beck and what his strings can do for his son's work. Both grounding and elevating at the same time, this is yet another example of a perfect partner for Beck.
Also, I should mention that there was a new remix of "Colors" released this month. The Picard Brothers remix, to be more precise. It did a really great job of draining all color from the song. These brothers must own a mortuary...
Eels
Since their first tour back in the mid to late 90's, there's never been an Eels show without at least two covers. Mark Oliver Everett is just great at finding something worth exploring in other artists' work and using that work to forward his own nefarious musical goals and expand the scope and meaning behind his own concerts. He's also covered four Prince songs in his career and I hope he continues to do so.
When You Were Mine by Prince - Now that he's gone, everyone's covering Prince. But, something about E covering Prince feels more sincere. That theme is going to come up a lot here...
When Doves Cry by Prince - The depth that E finds on his version (played on a KCRW live appearance in September 1994) is just amazing. It's solemn and beautiful. You should track this down if you're a Prince and Eels fan.
Rock Show by Peaches - Peaches. Man, that bitch is crazy. I think I like the original more than the cover because of her raucous, screaming energy, but E's ragged yells add something as well. A big, gigantic cock show indeed.
The Quack by Smoosh - The original is weird and Eels covering it is even weirder.
Get Ur Freak On by Missy Elliott - Yes yes, a white guy covering a rap song, ha ha ha. It's funny because he's white. No, cockballs, it's funny because E is giving 110%, because of that "Who's that? BUTCH!" moment, and because it's a fantastic reinterpretation.
King of the Road by Roger Miller - An impromptu duet between E and Steve Jones on his Jonesy's Jukebox show. Their languor is devastating. Their Slack palpable.
Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley - It's just a simple, beautiful piano rendition, but somehow manages to capture all the ups and downs of being in love with someone. This guy...
Oh, What A Beautiful Morning by Rodgers and Hammerstein - While it's a bit tongue in cheek, it's just so goddamn happy. And that horn section seals the deal.
When You Wish Upon A Star by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington - Heart. Breaking.
Pretty Ballerina by The Left Banke - You know...I don't know why I like this so much...I dig the original and pretty much every cover I've ever heard of it, so I suppose that means it's just a great song.
Cake
That new Cake song ("Sinking Ship") that McCrea says "doesn’t sound like them" sure sounds a lot like them, live at least. Lyrically it's about how we're having fun even though things are falling apart around us. Yeah, totally a new chapter for Cake. And, while this is a legit new Cake song, this dogcock says it's only for a 12" single they're putting out, although a new album isn't not in the cards or something stupid.
Ugh.
WHY DO I HATE ME SO MUCH?!
St. Vincent
St. Vincent remixed something by Maroon 5 (which is somehow still a thing) and Cardi B (after hearing one remix with her I think I'm set). It's better than the original, which didn't need to happen. Take what you will from that.
They Might Be Giants
You don't know fear until you've turned up early on a Wednesday morning, expecting to find a fresh, new, piping hot TMBG track in your inbox only to find dust and penis enlargement*** spam. Yeah, the email notification has been a few hours late, but the official Dial-A-Song website is always up to date, right?
Wrong, motherfucker.
So. Wrong.
For twenty-nine weeks in a row we've gotten a new song (or a song from I Like Fun) every Wednesday at 12:00 am until the first Wednesday in August. Out of fucking NOWHERE, TMBG has taken a hiatus for August.
Guys, you can’t deprive a junkie of his junk like that.
The rest of these tracks best be GOLD, gents.
Finally, I'll be reviewing the new LP from Drew McDowall (The Third Helix) and the new EP from Aphex Twin (Collapse) soon. Here's something funny...a few years back, DREW MCDOWALL released an LP called Collapse! WHAT?!
WHAT??!?!?!
FUCKING WHAT???!?!??!?!?!?!?!
* "Skip Divided (Modeselektor remix)" added some more choppiness, "Harrowdown Hill (The Bug remix)" added a darker, harder edge and some cool textures, and "Atoms for Peace (Four Tet remix)" focused on increasing the warmth and brightness.
** CALL THE POLICE!!!
*** I'm just kidding; Gmail is actually pretty fantastic when it comes to filtering out spam.
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