Seems like whenever I need it most, there’s something waiting in the ol’ Suggestion Box. Not just something (there’s always something), but something right for me and my everchanging mood. This morning was no exception. Right at the top of the pile was a suggestion from Garret: Vancouver, B.C.’s North Atlantic Explorers, aka Glenn D’Cruze and his many instruments. There’s more music where this came from but this particular track is drowsy, optimistic, and gorgeous — just what I needed to ease into an otherwise overwhelming week. So thanks Glenn (pictured)! Thanks Garret! And thank you, trusty Suggestion Box!
New Seedy Gonzales MP3
Podcast #16 Awaits You
3hive’s Top 10 Downloads in December
Protokoll
Given the Great Polarizing Talking Heads Comparison of 2005, I will attempt to describe Protokoll without referring to any beloved bands from the past four decades. Okay, here goes… Protokoll is a GANG OF FOUR scrawny, unshorn lads from Boston. It’s a real JOY to see such a young band blur the DIVISION between style and substance. While Protokoll’s nervous, synthy punk often bears all the charm and warmth of a BAUHAUS structure, one mustn’t INTERPOLate from that a lack of feeling. Jose De Lara’s dark, stoic vocals belie very simple and very HUMAN sentiments which alone puts Protokoll in a LEAGUE apart from the more fashion-conscious derivative acts of their vintage. This will set them apart down the WIRE, if they continue writing such memorable songs. There, that wasn’t so hard.
Percee P
The Rhyme Inspector Percee P!! I can’t think of another living rap artist to build such a massive rep on just a handful of solo tracks. Fortunately, he’s always down for a collaboration, such as this percussion-crazy track with Four Tet. He’s also allegedly working on a solo album (produced by Madlib!) due out…well, it was summer of 2005. So the single “Put It on the Line” on Stones Throw on Wax may have to last you a while.
DoCopenhagen’s Top 50 Music Vids of 2005
3hive Readers’ 2005 Year-End List
The Presets
2006 will be a good year if we keep getting MP3s from Australia’s Modular Records. Home to a wide range of goodness — from the epic rock trip that is Wolfmother to the Avalanches’ turntable bricolage — Modular is set on opening the world’s ears to Sydney duo The Presets, whose dark, moody (and sometimes sleazy) electro funk gets remixed here by labelmates Cut Copy. Sounds like they dialed up the “Underworld” setting, if there is such a thing. Now, if we could just get Modular to offer up a Cut Copy original, that’d be one more band I could cross off my 2005 wish list.
b.fleischmann
As I was putting together my best of 2005 list and got to the “artists we wish we could put on 3hive but who don’t offer fre and legal MP3 links so alas…” section, I instinctively started jotting down all my favorite Morr Music artists. Then I double-checked b.fleischmann’s website and realized, while Morr continues to embed their music in that damn lovely, illustrated Flash site of theirs, the artist is a bit more giving of his wares. Working bottom to top, these tracks demonstrate our man’s evolution from laptop glow to a richer blend of analog and digital textures. “Phones and Machines” is a fine example of the latter, a preview from The Humbucking Coil (pre-order from Boomkat). Here’s to more Morr in 2006!!