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One Track Mind: Sri Aurobindo – “Soul Vibrations of Man” / “Don’t Know”

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  1. MP3: Sri Aurobindo – Soul Vibrations of Man
  2. MP3: Sri Aurobindo – Don’t Know

Sri Aurobindo are back again, this time with a release on Bmore Musically Informed‘s new imprint Friends Records. Cave Painting being their second full-length release, they really stepped up to the plate, delivering on expectations of a vital brew of psych goodness. The sound throughout the album oozes a primitivist feel, something less rooted in the realm of mind-altering psych and more in the ritualistic. You can easily imagine these songs soundtracking the Sris as a tribe, hovering around a billowing blaze barely contained by a stone circle.

Lead single “Soul Vibrations of Man” is a slice of classic psych, the blown out bass guitar line playing the foil to the lofty and crisp quality of the elevating guitar melody. Arinoldo’s vocals ring as if echoing through a metal canyon, and you get a solid sense of expanse and a bit of wonderment. “Don’t Know” roars to life with the rumbling storm of bass and rhythm guitars, a bed for the wailing the lead guitar to slowly percolate through. The doors are blown open when both guitars and bass tear into epic freakout solos near the halfway mark, gradually drifting off and dissolving into muffled, noisy moans. Easily my favorite track on the whole LP (aside from maybe the highly infectious “My Luv Is Stoned” with its ebullient, titular shouts).

Local psych enthusiasts already know they will love this (and most any) outing from the Sris, but this release manages to provide enough edge from other influences to make them sound much more unique than a simple homage to a genre. They continue to wrangle some fantastic guitar and bass tones (probably due in no small part to studio whiz Chris Freeland), yet this go-round they have crafted their most distinctive and cohesive offering yet. A blast to listen to, Cave Painting sounds ripe to give them broader appeal, something well-deserved and perhaps overdue.

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One Track Mind: Height With Friends – “Cold Crush”

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MP3: Height With Friends – Cold Crush from the upcoming LP Bed of Seeds (2010) on Friends Records

Height With Friends plays the Windup Space with The Snails, Dope Body, and King Rhythm on Sat Mar 20. Doors @ 9PM, $7 cover.

Height is on a roll. Not only did he and his Friends drop some free knowledge on everyone earlier this week via the release of a free EP (Druid Hill Lake), but he also bids our fair city a temporary farewell with a tour send-off show this Saturday (the show is formerly known as a record release party). The crew hits the road on tour with Nuclear Power Pants.

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the release of his next LP, Bed of Seeds, had to be delayed. Fortunately, the latest EP is culled from those tracks, so you get a good sense of what they have to offer. Let us add one more bell to that Pavlovian response as we premiere “Cold Crush.”

On Bed of Seeds, Dan and his cohorts’ impeccable ear for quality samples and beats has broadened to include a wider and more dynamic range, stretching from the expected territories of blues and soul, into the frontiers of gentle acoustic balladry and bubbly pop melodies. “Cold Crush” features a simple, smoldering sax line to back Height’s reflective narration on hip-hop pioneers The Cold Crush Brothers’ brush with wider fame and recognition. The track is as much celebration as lamentation, its descending lines underscoring the group’s fading hopes of eventually nailing down mainstream success and exposure.

While not quite a household name in hip-hop, the influence of the Cold Crush is undeniable, from their infamous live performances and tapes, to a number of moments where they seemed on the brink of blowing up. Their most high-profile run-in occurred with a donated verse on classic anthem “Rapper’s Delight.” Member Grandmaster Caz hoped to get some reciprocation for his goodwill to Hank of the Sugar Hill Gang, but got no such love. Down the line, he eventually spoke his peace on the matter with the retort “MC Delight.”

Tour dates for Height With Friends and Nuclear Power Pants after the jump.
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One Track Mind: MGMT – “Flash Delirium”

Editor’s Note: To the right is one of the most hideously obnoxious album covers ever, for MGMT’s upcoming release Congratulations.

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MP3: MGMT – Flash Delirium from upcoming LP Congratulations

I never really liked MGMT’s first album, Oracular Spectacular, but I’d be lying if I said its three singles (“Time to Pretend,” “Kids,” and “Electric Feel”) didn’t approach guilty-pleasure status. What surprised me more was how the band’s Idiot’s Guide to Psych Pop approach managed to reel in a lot of my friends who wouldn’t ordinarily get into music this, well, weird.

I still can’t figure out why this happened. Having a very danceable beat certainly helps, and in that age-old pursuit of getting the opposite sex on the dance floor, MGMT seemed to work as effectively as “Party in the USA” or the latest Lady GaGa track. Despite the lack of any surface-level similarities,  it wasn’t unusual to hear such a pairing when I was out with said friends in Federal Hill (don’t crucify me). And sure enough, people danced. But I don’t think that entirely explains why this band was so universally appealing. To me, it’s still a mystery.

At the time, I thought their crossover success could be a good thing, like it would serve as some sort of gateway to enlightenment and much better music. Surely people could find bands with similar sonic elements to MGMT but much more complex arrangements and the light bulb would go off. In my own little circle, that didn’t really happen.

Now I can only imagine how my friends will react to the train wreck that is “Flash Delirium,” the first single off the band’s sophomore album, Congratulations. Essentially, the band took any redeeming qualities they once had (however few), and any good will they had earned from a living organism with a working pair of ears, stabbed them with a dull butter knife and then pissed all over what was left. We better hope some higher-up at the Pentagon doesn’t get a hold of this and ship it off to Guantanamo, because it will easily become the most effective torture device ever. [/snarky hyperbole]

But really, one can only imagine what the band was thinking when they sat down to write this, somehow thought it was worth recording and then, defying all sense of reason, released it into the world. There should have been red flags all throughout the process signaling the time to torpedo the track once and for all.

Oh wait, there were. MGMT’s Ben Goldwasser told Spinner recently: “When we first wrote that song, we were laughing so hard. Andrew [VanWyngarden] just reminded me of that — that we thought it was the funniest thing we’d ever heard.”

Okay, Ben, glad to know your ear drums are still intact. So why make the rest of us suffer?

“And then we got used to it, it started to sound more normal.”

It did? Really? How many opiates did you have to consume to reach that conclusion?

“It’s not a single, but we thought it was a good way to entice people to listen to the whole record.”

Seriously?! This?!

“I’m sure there are plenty of people who think it’s completely weird and not what they were expecting. I’m sorry.”

As well you should be. Too late now. Only time to analyze.

Basically, what they tried to do was take all sorts of genres and reference points– from a brief visit to their own electric origins to post-acid Beatles to punk –and cram them all into one 4-minute song. Some of the homages are only 30 seconds or so long. It’s like they tried to create the musical equivalent of that YouTube video about the evolution of dance, only they didn’t bother using any semblance of a chronological order… or transitions that make sense… or good judgment.

You won’t find any of the beats or hooks that endeared them to so many. The end result, if it isn’t already painfully clear, is an incoherent disaster the likes of which hasn’t been seen in a very long time. Everything they tried for, or at least what I think were trying for, didn’t work in any conceivable way.

So why?

Goldwasser said in the interview that the record was a response to the band’s rapid ascent to fame.

“We’re trying to come to grips with that world,” he said. “It’s not our world. We don’t feel comfortable in it. But we didn’t want to make that typical second album either, about fame. So we’re definitely observing it, as opposed to revelling in it.”

Their cure for that uncomfortable feeling, it seems, is to take that world and destroy it– to push everything away that brought it into existence. If the rest of Congratulations is half as bad as “Flash Delirium,” then they will truly get their wish, because the people who loved them before most certainly will not be back.

One Track Mind: True Womanhood – “Dignitas”

True Womanhood - Magic Child

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MP3: True Womanhood – Dignitas from Magic Child Digital Single (2009)

True Womanhood have taken direct aim at one of the main limitations I initially appraised in their sound, namely a lack of diversity.  Without deviating from their dark and moody musical stew, they wring more refined permutations, nailing laser-precise shades of grey in their music to keep things always fresh and vital.  This maturation over a short period of time puts them, in my eyes at least, in rarefied air: they manage to take early, lofty expectations and praise and burn through it as fuel, evolving fast enough to keep pace with the landslide of praise.  And then outrun it.

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One Track Mind: Elvis Perkins in Dearland – “Doomsday” / “Slow Doomsday”

Elvis Perkins in Dearland @ the Ottobar

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MP3: Elvis Perkins in Dearland – Slow Doomsday from the forthcoming The Doomsday EP (Oct 20th)

MP3: Elvis Perkins in Dearland – Doomsday from Elvis Perkins in Dearland (2009)

Elvis Perkins in Dearland follow hot on the heels of their excellent self-titled release with word of an EP to flesh out the periphery of their ringleader’s musical vision, things that may have gotten left on the cutting room floor.

The Doomsday EP centers on a wondrous re-working of the already awe-inspiring ebullience found in “Doomsday,” a highlight from Elvis Perkins in Dearland.  With “Slow Doomsday,” you immediately know what to expect technically: a largo rendition of the eponymous track.  Beyond this, we find the more measured version brings us closer to the gospel roots of the track with its wide and stately expansion of sound and space.  The extra time on each and every note brings out untold levels of soul, wringing every last glorious feeling from each tone.  The coasting, newly formed solos are heartfelt and bracing testimonials, affirming Perkins soaring vocals in full affetuoso.

I would highly recommend you check out his live show, and keep Oct 20th on your calendars for a trip to the record store for this EP.

Check some videos after the jump.

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One Track Mind: Beach House + Celebration – Billie Jean (Live, Michael Jackson cover)

_MG_5943

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MP3: Beach House + Celebration – Billie Jean (Michael Jackson cover)

I thought this little tidbit deserved its own space.  And given that I didn’t really make a big to-do about Michael Jackson’s death, I feel like this is a good, locally-grown tribute.  Let me break it down for you.

The formula: Beach House + Celebration + Michael Jackson + Metro Gallery Outdoors + Cool Summer Night = Win.

This special collaborative cut served as a wonderful nightcap.  After Celebration’s last song, the bands merged for an encore treat: Michael Jackon’s “Billie Jean.”  Victoria Legrand and Katrina Ford traded off vocals while the rest of Celebration and Alex Scally reproduced that supple, instantly recognizable throbbing beat that just moves you in the way few can.  A faithful rendition with a bit of added flourish in the form of richer synth tones, some and vocal tweaks.  Two of Baltimore’s best, covering one of pop’s icons.  Doesn’t get much better.

Stay tuned for the full sets from both Beach House and Celebration (taped by the Baltimore Taper) later today.

One Track Mind: New Untitled Track – Wye Oak (Live from Whartscape 2009)

_MG_4738Just thought this deserved posting.  Our Wye Oak love continues unabated (wait til you see all the superlatives I hurlat upcoming album The Knot) with this brand spanking new track, live from Whartscape 2009 in front of the BMA:

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MP3: Untitled New Song – Wye Oak, Live from Whartscape 2009 (by the Baltimore Taper)

Jenn & Andy also won the awards for Best Dressed and Artist Who Is Most Likely To Play As The In-House Band For A Church.

One Track Mind: Discovery – I Want You Back (In Discovery) / Jackson 5 Cover

discovery

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MP3: Discovery – I Want You Back (In Discovery) from 2009′s LP (Jackson 5 Cover)

Editor’s Note: LP was dropped a week early for $8.  $2 goes to Oxfam America.

I think I’ve done my fair share of radio bashing here at Aural States. Whether it was by wholeheartedly agreeing with Spectre’s assessment of modern hip hop radio, or whilst dissing the filler-engrossed waves put out by what was once 99.1 HFS, I think I’ve made my opinion clear (of course, for these purposes, I ignore the few respectable oases still in operation today. Props to WTMD and WPFW for solid programming).

As if to spite FM radio’s gloomy condition, Discovery, the product of Ra Ra Riot vocalist Wes Miles and Vampire Weekender Rostam Batmanglij, have found something to like about turning on their dials. They find use for the treading beats and beaten-to-death subject material thrown together by dozens of half-assed MTV projects, the difference being that their output is surprisingly enjoyable in its entirety, rather than only mildly so in single form.

The most interesting track on their debut, LP, comes in the form of a Jackson 5 cover. They deftly dodge the the problem of recreating Mr. Jackson’s superpitch vocal work by using R&B’s recently popularized all-purpose miracle cure–autotune, suitably reimagining one of Motown’s greatest tunes in context with modern radio conventions (right down to the too-fake-for-life drum kit and glazed-slick production). The funny thing is, it sounds completely authentic, like something blasted out of a high-schooler’s mom’s minivan on the ride home after senior prom. Because they’ll remember that moment for the rest of their lives.

Their song selection couldn’t have been more appropriate for a good-ol’-fashion modern-meets-classic comparison. The Corporation-written chorus progression translates well into any medium, and the lyrics remain just as relevant today as they were 40 years ago. Past releases have proven that all performers involved have a keen eye for catch, making Discovery’s cover an ideal candidate to show where pop music has gone.

One Track Mind: Cex – “Last Gazp” / Bonus: “Brains out”

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MP3: Cex – Last Gazp

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MP3: Cex – Brains Out

Cex aka Cexman aka Rjyan Kidwell recently dropped his new wax, Bataille Royale, on a Baltimore scene that is more than ready for this addition to its musical vocabulary.  This record is unquestionably the product of a bombed out soul, a spirit that is truly and uniquely urban.  Here we find soundscapes that, much like dub, reflect the darker side of the metropolitan experience.  Kidwell has openly stated this is a response to the predominance of standard (and saccharine) tropes of indie rock and psychedelia, and it certainly succeeds in presenting an alternative flavor.  Cex has carved a musical document that channels Baltimore while pond-hopping around various subgenres of electronic and hip-hop.

The first track, “Last Gazp,” is a burnt-out aural landscape: expansive and distant, while somehow, paradoxically, claustrophobic and overbearing.  Recurring machine-gun rattles are jarring and immediate, especially when juxtaposed to the mysterious melody.  ”Brains out” is a dark and foreboding, borderline psychoses-inducing cut of techno, the only words being exhortations of: “Blow your brains out.”  These tracks, and this record, deserve to be digested and pored over.  Each listen brings out more and more facets of this gem.

But, the real meat of Cex lies in his masterful live sets.  Lucky for us, this month’s More or Less party at the Hexagon has Cex performing tonight (he’s even giving away some copies of Bataille).  You can pick up copies of Bataille Royale at the lovely True Vine.

One Track Mind: Mike Watt – “Dirty Blue Gene” (Captain Beefheart cover)

neon-meate

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MP3: Mike Watt – Dirty Blue Gene (Captain Beefheart cover) from Neon Meate Dream Of A Octafish (2003)

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MP3: Captain Beefheart – Dirty Blue Gene from Doc at the Radar Station (1980)

In my review of Mike Watt’s brilliant performance Saturday night (outshining even the massive Dinosaur Jr.), I remarked that he bears some startling similarity to Captain Beefheart.  From the scorched-raw vocals, to the frenetic free-jazz breakdowns soaked in punk rock, there were just too many instances of this parallel for it to be coincidence.

I love it when I’m right.  Behold, a little searching unearthed Mike Watt contributing an extremely faithful cover of “Dirty Blue Gene” to a 2003 Captain Beefheart tribute comp titled Neon Meate Dream Of A Octafish.  The original was a classic Beefheart track: blistering, mind-bending instumentals (only outdone by the lyrics themselves) that congeal into an oddly satisfying and remarkably funky groove.

I think it pretty much speaks for itself.

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