I mean this in the nicest sense, when i say that multi talented musician Bobby Birdman is a crooner. Hailing from Los Angeles his real name is Rob Kieswetter and he released an album only a little while ago called New Moods. I bought it on vinyl, (because honestly is there any other tangible form of music that can compare?) and have been listening to it on repeat for about two days. Yes I may have overdrawn my bank account buying it, but if there was one thing that I was going to do that on it would be this album. It’s really good. Not blow your mind make your ears do inappropriate things amazing but still really well done. Filled with various songs that you will no doubt listen to while driving during the summer, with the sun in your hair and your friends are sitting to the right, it is a a very hit you in the chest with beats than give you a break with some stunningly good slow jams album.

And man these slow jams are good.

That is just one of them, and is actually the only real video made for the new album, called New Moods. My main complaint with this album is that I had so much anticipation built up before listening to it, that when I finally got around to it I was slightly let down. I don’t really comprehend why either, and that’s the worst part of it. I think that for me at least this album is going to be alot like “Where The Wild Things Are”. Meaning that right now I am  underwhelmed, but when I listen/see it another three times I’ll probably be moved to tears.

The album is starts off with the synth pop gem Only For a While. Filled with jittering drum beats and Bobby’s voice in all it’s warbly glory it sets the tone for the rest of the album. Overall if I were to rate this album (which in all honesty I think is an overly simplistic way of reviewing music) I would give it an 8.5 out of 10. This will probably change in about two days though, when I listen to it more than three times.

Primary 1 is the work of British synth pop producer Joe Flory. His new album Is about to drop very soon, and the video he made for the first single off the album titled “Princess” is amazing. It, in essence takes the paintings of surrealist artist Magrite and turns them in to a music video. His music seems to be a mix, of Animal Collective, and dance hall grooves, if that makes any sense. It probably doesn’t. It will though when you watch the video.

Also to give people credit, i found this on the website http://www.booooooom.com/

Local dance punk staples Guidance Counselor just released their new album, and holly balls is it good. Like, I don’t think you will understand how good it is, until you listen to it and realize the shear awesomeness  blasting into your ear holes.

Both my brother and I call this band, for next big thing out of Portland. We sincerely believe that they are going to be the next, Starfucker, or Elliot Smith, or…. nope that’s the only famous Portland musicians I can think of. With songs that are this well made and this catchy, I can’t see why they wouldn’t be.

The stand out songs on this album, are in my opinion “Life is Tyte” and “I don’t want to speak”

The first is a pop/dance gem effortlessly switching between joyous and melancholic. Starting out with rippling synth and then building up to a perfectly timed crescendo into a dance hall beat. Ian Anderson’s vocals work magic here, leaning between a melancholic voice that mumbles the words out, and singing joyfully.

“I don’t want to speak” is a synth punk dance masterpiece. Ian’s voice screams and cracks, like a better version of James Murphy over crunchy synth beats, and a driving bass heavy drum beat. With a great breakdown in the middle that then goes into the final moments with cymbals blazing away, it blew my mind the first time I heard it. Especially so since, I remember seeing him perform two years back with only a bank of electronics in front of him, and a microphone to scream his lungs into.

Kudos to Ian, Andy, Brett, Keil, and anyone else who worked on this album. You have created something that is incredible.

This is a video of people getting hit in the face with cupcakes. The song behind it is ” I don’t want to speak”

When you use pandora a lot, random artists that you probably haven’t heard before show up often. This is how I discovered The Polish Ambassador. David Sugalski produces and performs great 8-bit pop electro sounds that you will enjoy. It’s honestly hard to dislike the sound of this music. If you like Copy, he’s similar. They did a show together in Portland a while ago, which I missed. But back to the music. It’s upbeat, major toned, and fun. He started making stuff way back in the day, releasing his first album, Diplomatic Immunity, in March of 2007. Five months later he followed that up with The Phantasmal Farm, and a little over a year later, released I Found Him Now I Must Kill Him. His most recent work is a collection of remixes that he has done. Free Range Electro Remixes For That Ass is a free compilation that you can download on his site. I’ll give you a link, don’t worry baby birds, I’ll feed you. So check it out. Did you like it? What should I have written about instead? Do you think you could do any better? Here’s a music video he made:
His Website (you can find links to his facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. here)
Free Range Electro Remixes For That Ass (Direct Download)

The Polish Ambassador - Earth vs The World Music Video from David Sugalski on Vimeo.

I know this album came out about a week and a half ago(which in blog time, is like a year and a half ago), but Caribous new album is really cool. It’s a very layered, very intense almost, on the verge of being, brooding album. The best way I can describe the album, entitled “Swim” is that it’s a mix of deconstructed dance hall beats, layered dark synth lines, and Royksopp like singing by lead crooner Daniel Snaith. Glitched out in places, dreamy in certain places, shake your booty in certain places, it seems to have a mix of everything, for everyone, without sacrificing anything as far as quality of music goes.  It’s not perfect however, as some of the songs overstay their welcome and begin to feel less like songs and more like garage band loops. Overall it’s a very well done album, and the only complaint I have about it is that, like I said it’s a little over done.

One of my favorite bands, Gogol Bordello, just released their first major label album. Trans-Continental Hustle may be their first major album, but they haven’t changed their style at all, which I love. Creators of gypsy-punk, the style of music is exactly what you would image. Its wild, full of energy and makes you dance and mosh at the same time. After having three albums with SideOneDummy, a well known punk specific label, Columbia Records released this album and hopefully it makes them huge. Appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on April 26, they rocked the stage even with an audience in their chairs. It’s obvious that Eugene Hutz and his gang really care about their music. This is a fun sound that everyone can listen to and enjoy, the Slant review on the album said it best, “the music, aided by its breakneck pace and hyper-stylized showmanship, seems almost impervious to critical analysis.” The songs keep a fast pace and slow down right when you need a break. It’s music that you can party to, study to, do “other things” to, and everything else that you do to music(gypsy-punkercise?). Back when I first heard them on a warped tour sampler, I think it was 06, the song Start Wearing Purple instantly got me hooked and I had to find more of their music. Gypsy Punks:Underdog World Strike, is one of my favorite albums of all time, and something that you should definitely check out some time. You’ll have fun, and if you don’t, no one is forcing you to listen to it. So here are two songs, one new and one old. Pala Tute is from their new album and Start Wearing Purple was previously mentioned. Enjoy it and tell us what you think of the new site.

Gogol Bordello - Pala Tute by musicnerds

LXUJ by musicnerds

Did you know that there is a new Rogue Wave album that just dropped? Did you know it’s really, stunningly good ? It’s melancholy, and beautiful, and joyous all at the same time. With richly layered guitars, cascading over each other, distorted angular beats that are perfectly timed, and beautifully graceful voices it really is one of the best albums I have heard in a long time. My only issue with it, is that it seems to lean almost a little too much on the teachings of The Shins/Death Cab for Cutie. While some may think this isn’t a bad thing, to me I find it distracting from how good the songs that don’t rely on that formula are. The first single off of the record entitled Permalight is called Good Morning (the Future), and is a electronic twinged  up-beat song with a driving beat and a tendency to repeat itself. While I personally don’t think it’s the best song off of the album, it does seem to be the most mass media friendly. Here’s the video they released with it.

Rogue Wave - Good Morning from Rogue Wave on Vimeo.

Local group, to Oregon, they’re from Portland/Corvallis, Team Banzai have been making music as a team for the past year or so. Consisting of  Andy and Charlie  Team Banzai is an electronic group of a DJ and Producer not to be trifled with. They’ve remixed everything from Elton John to Lil’ Wayne, while also making their own original music and developing their own sound. With a style ranging from chiptune, techno, electro, psych, trance, metal, and pop to funk, house, breakbeat, and synth; they have proved that they can never be defined with one word. Now that you now a little about the group, check our more of their music here:
SOUNDCLOUD
FACEBOOK
MYSPACE

Now check out this newest track, which is actually one of my favorites of theirs.
Drama by TEAM BANZAI
Stay pretty you guys.

Copy is Marius Libman of Portland, Oregon. A producer of 8-bit synth dance beats that can only be descibed as awesome.  Starting with remixes, he created a name for himself by combining nerdy 8-bit sounds with heavy drum beats and some deep fast synth. While all of the music seems like it needs to be in the clubs right now, it’s much more fun to see him live. He uses an older thinkpad laptop and a keytar and just rocks the place like nobodies brisness. Seeing him at the Hush (moment of silence) was an amazing and terrifying experience, If you’ve been there, you know what I’m talking about. Nobody rocks a keytar harder, except maybe Lady GaGa.  Just have a listen to this song and see what I”m talking about.

Copy - A Slight But Delicious Warble by musicnerds

Have a listen: http://www.myspace.com/copy

Then buy something: http://us.7digital.com/artists/copy/mobius-beard/

The Portland based electronic group Yacht have just recently changed their name to Yacht and the Straight Gaze ( get it?!?! LAWLZZZ).  The group started out with just Jonah Bechtolt making glitched out mind bending beats and noises. Live he would project home made videos behind him, and dance crazily, in a feverish, what at times seemed almost trance-like, state. He gained a reputation for being able to whip crowds into frenzied dance parties, and after putting out three records of his own mashed up sometimes confusing music, he released “I Believe in you, Your Magic is Real” in 2007.  A groove-tastic mix of  precisely programmed beats and repetitive slowly layered dreamy synths, it was one of the break out Portland albums of that year, and to this day is also one of  my favorite albums of all time.  It’s difficult to convey in written word the actual brilliance of the music they make and the live shows that are filled with lights and projections, and synchronized dancing. In this album we also heard back up vocals by the lovely and talented Claire L. Evans. She would become a staple of the live show and then a full fledged member of Yacht. After traveling to Marfa Texas, (a town renowned for a mysterious phenomena involving glowing nocturnal lights ) They created there newest album “See Mystery Lights” A more mature darker version of Yacht emerged in this album. Songs focus on the spiritual wholeness of humans, and what happens to our material goods after we are gone.  They also sang about the summer. So it wasn’t all doom and gloom, but the live shows became almost sermon like with Jonah dressed in all white and Claire in all black. With this new identity, the also made Yacht into a belief.  The triad became the symbol that they used in all their visuals, and over all, there was a serious shift in the ideals and thought process behind the band.  Now in 2010 they have changed their persona once again, turning in to a four piece band called Yacht and the Straight Gaze. The new members include Bobby Birdman (real name Rob Kieswetter) and Jeffrey Jerusalem (real name  Jeffrey Brodsky) and with the amount of talent that the four of these people have individually I can not wait to see what they all do together. Here are all the websites and a song Because i love you that much. Don’t fight the darkness, bring the light and darkness will disappear.

http://teamyacht.com

Yacht - I’m In Love With a Ripper by musicnerds

http://www.myspace.com/bobbbirdman

http://www.myspace.com/jeffreyjerusalem