Eclectic Grooves

Today, while sifting through my Twitter feed, I noticed a Pitchfork news item that was retweeted by UMO.  I couldn't believe it when the headline of this article read something along the lines of New UMO album and tour dates .  As I am not familiar enough with the lead single "Multi-Love" yet, I can only say that the sound of this track is light years away from their last two albums.  The production is practically sumptuous, with crisp drums and synthesizers replacing the requisite psychedelic guitars and reverb.  It's too early to say what my take is on their new direction, but the melodies of this song are already circling through my brain waves. Have a listen for yourself on their soundcloud page.

If you live in Portland OR, you have no excuse for missing the Hail Mary Mallon show tonight at the Hawthorne Theatre. Hail Mary Mallon is the culmination of two top-tier MC's from the Rhymesayers stable: Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic. The duo's latest long player was one of my most-played records from 2014, and continues to stay on repeat in 2015. Aesop Rock has been one of my favorite MC's ever since the lyrically and verbally dense Labor Days has graced my ears with its presence, and Rob has been Aesop's partner in crime ever since the glory days of the now defunct Definitive Jux label. For my review of their latest record Bestiary , click here , and go to #11 on the list. And for the uninitiated, check out the following YouTube video of their album complete with one of the best  Donkey Kong games ever played. You'll thank me later!

A couple weeks ago I was talking to a friend while we waited for our pizza when a song from the short-lived 90's band Filter played on the restaurant's PA. This lead us into a discussion where I admitted to liking them at one point, but going on to say that I don't really listen to aggressive, angst-filled music at this point in my life. He asked me what kind of music I did listen to these days, and I literally drew a blank.This is probably due to the fact that I listen to so much music that eventually it all starts to run together in an endless stream of chords and notes. Such is the life of a music junkie. I realized that it wasn't accurate to say that I didn't like angst-filled music anymore, just not the same type that fueled my teenage years. The answer that I was able to come up with is that I am currently digging music that has a funky groove or rhythm with unexpected drum breaks, and copious amounts of fuzz-guitar laced with wah-wah. Of course, he wanted ...

Once again, it's that time of year again where I dedicate my listening to records that were released or reissued during the calendar year, and compile a list of my favorites. From the looks of things that I have read so far on the Best Music of 2014 lists, the general consensus would lead you to believe that there are only twenty records worth listening to in 2014.  I think that the majority of the popular blogs and magazines share playlists with each other so they can all compile lists that cater to the mainstream listener's idea of good music. It's really unfortunate that this happens, as a plethora of fantastic music was released this year that will sadly not be heard by the general public. As of the beginning of December, it would seem that Thom Yorke's controversial decision to release Tomorrow's Modern Boxes via the "pay what you want" platform on Bittorent would be the story of the year in music. However, the glory would be taken from him by the ...

The 2014 Halloween edition of the I Hear a New World Podcast is available to listen to here, and to listen/download at http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com . Every year around the first of October, I start compiling another batch of songs for the Halloween podcast. After scouring through a massive folder filled with tracks that barely missed the cut from previous mixes, I completed the final track sequencing a couple days ago. While I was in the process of adding the tracks into Audacity today, it crashed right before I was about to add the last song. Damn computers!  I had been working on this for over 2 hours, and had lost my entire project.  While I felt like throwing in the towel, I powered through and recreated the entire mix in Audacity, though this time I saved my changes every time I added a track. I guess this is all part of the creative process, but it certainly threw a monkey-wrench in my day. Those of you who recall my mix from last year...

Before I let the month of September slip through my fingers, I wanted to let you all know about that projects that I will be working on in the near future. Some of these, I hope to complete in the next several weeks, while others may take a bit longer to come to fruition. First, back in 2011, I had started compiling a mix of songs to listen to while driving through the desert at night. It was tentatively titled Desert Mariachi Swing Mix, but was shelved for the past three years. Truth be told, my perfectionism stepped in the way of progress, rearing its ugly head once again. Damn you, perfectionism! Another post that has yet to be completed is one that has also been on the back burner for awhile called "The Evolution of Hip-Hop" where I plan on exploring the true pioneers of the rap game such as The Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Afrika Bambaata, etc. This will likely be a multiple-part series that touches on the highlights of hip-...

Before my already fading memory fails to recall the details, I wanted to share my recent experience of a coincidental music discovery. I was at two concerts in the past month that both referenced the music of a particular band in two very distinct ways. I'm being ambiguous as I don't want to divulge the band name until I get to that part of the story. The first part of this story takes place at the Wonder Ballroom. On this particular occasion, I was going to check out the Breeders, as I had missed the opportunity to see them when the original lineup played Last Splash in its entirety for the 20th anniversary of the album's release date. While this story isn't intended to focus on the Breeders, I have to at least say that they were in fine form, playing like a band who knows exactly what they need to do to get the crowd fired up. They played a rapturous set filled with fan favorites like "Last Splash", "Divine Hammer" and "Happiness Is a Warm ...