This seemed like an appropriate track for the day after Christmas. While Hanukkah is still keeping some of the world honest, the rest of us will be drawn in by the lure of Boxing Day Sales and New Year’s debauchery. That other Man in Red sure moves in quick, don’t he? Enough preachin’, let’s get on with the music… You may not know hip-hop producer Ayatollah by name, but if I told you he’s the mastermind behind Mos Def’s “Ms. Fat Booty” (mmm, fat booty…see what I’m talkin’ about??) you’d probably start to nod your head instinctively. He’s got his own thing coming out toward the end of January. This ought to get your mouth watering.
zooey
It’s funny how everything comes together around the holidays. I was assembling my Christmas-cast last night and wanted something…wasn’t sure what. Then, I check my email to find that Zooey (one Matthieu Beck from Bordeaux, France) has just wrapped up his melancholy Grey Christmas single and, like everything Matthieu creates, is giving it away for free. It fit nicely into the mix, a delicate, flickering little Christmas miracle. That track and his latest full-length, Pique-Nique et Jeux Dans L’eau, are .zip files. So you’ll have to go to Zooey’s downloads page to get your hands on those. However, if you’re looking to escape the weather of the season, we’ve got “Endless Summer on the Beaver Island” with it’s lazy, hazy ode to warmer days.
Sam’s 2005 Year-End List
A Christmas Podcast for You From 3hive
The Nicest Thing Joe Has Ever Said to Me
Cassettes Won’t Listen
I just finished posting Forget Cassettes and noticed the next artist in my queue is NYC’s Cassettes Won’t Listen. That’s too much of a coincidence to pass up, so I’m making it a cassette-themed 2-for-1 day at 3hive! Cassettes Won’t Listen couldn’t be more different than Forget Cassettes, except that they’re both good. These cats do sprawling, warm synthy pop epics (some with a beat you can nod your head to). You’d expect the label to read Morr Music — it’s that good — except those fools don’t offer free MP3s (come on, Morr, share a little why don’t you?). Thankfully, CWL’s label Dope Lotus does share. And so do we. Happy Cassette Day!
Forget Cassettes
A swirling, blistering wind blows from down Nashville way… Forget Cassettes toy with a precarious (and ultimately intoxicating) mix of combustible garage rock and precise math rock. As a band, they’re tighter than Jon’s mom’s wig. But what stands out most are Beth Cameron’s agile vocals. Much like the great Polly Harvey — and understand I’m not trying to make a direct comparison here — Cameron’s got character and dynamics to spare. Whether she’s at a whisper or a caterwaul, she’ll suck you in like a tractor beam. Oops, there I go mixing metaphors again. Just listen and figure it out for yourself, okay?
Nick Robin
I recently bought this and this from Insound. The package they arrived in included the usual 2:1 ratio of collateral marketing material to music product. Among the collateral was a small, square glossy catalog/zine. The theme of the issue was “indie rock road trip” and it was actually a pretty good read. However, nowhere did it mention perhaps the best driving-themed song I’ve heard all year: Nick Robin’s “Drive-On”. Nick’s slow, careful folk glows with yearning. And it’s got vibes, which earns automatic bonus points in my book. Go buy the album here. (Many thanks to Lise for the suggestion.)