MUSIC: New Backyard Tire Fire Album

One of my favorite festival performances last year was done by Backyard Tire Fire. This excellent trio crafts some lonesome whiskey tracks, including a new full-length called Vagabonds and Hooligans. You can stream the entire album over at their official website or check out these tracks (including my favorite, "Downtime").

::: Backyard Tire Fire - Vagabonds and Hooligans
::: Backyard Tire Fire - Downtime

They've also got a number of US tour dates lined up with the likes of MOFRO and The Slip.

[Backyard Tire Fire Official Website.]
[Backyard Tire Fire on myspace.]
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Tags: music, mp3, backyard tire fire, blues, rock, macktronic

MUSIC: New Ratatat Remixes Vol 2

Word on the street is that Ratatat is getting ready to drop another mixtape on us. If it's anywhere near as good as Volume 1, then sign me up. I'm just a huge fan of their wall of sound. If you haven't seen them in concert then do yourself a favor and get out there and check them out. Anyhow, they even were generous enough to provide an mp3 of one of the new remixes.

::: Z-ro, Devin the Dude, & Juvenile - The Mule (Ratatat Remix) [ezArchive]
::: Z-ro, Devin the Dude, & Juvenile - The Mule (Ratatat Remix) [Box.net]

There's no ordering info on the mixtape just yet, but you can get the back catalog of Ratatat music here if you're so inclined.

]Ratatat were part of one of my most favorite shows in recent history. Check it out.]
[Ratatat on myspace.]
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[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]

Tags: mp3, music, hip hop, ratatat, rap, macktronic

MORE: Madvillain (again)

I wrote on this a couple back, but I received my Madvillain figurine in the mail today along with the Fourtet & Koushik remixes CD. Along with the previously released Fourtet remixes (amazing) and some instrumentals (cool) there are some new remixes. Thanks to KidRobot and Stones Throw for doing this project. Listen to the tracks:

::: Madvillain - Curls (Fourtet & Koushik Remixes)
::: Madvillain - America's Most Blunted (Doom's Verse) (Fourtet & Koushik Remixes)

You can buy albums by Madvillain, Madlib, and Talib Kweli at Insound and get 10% off at checkout by using the code "insoundrocks10" at checkout.

[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to dreadedphoto.]

Tags: mp3, music, madvillain, hip hop, rap, mf doom, fourtet, macktronic

MUSIC: Monotekktoni

While galavanting around Germany this summer, I picked up a number of records. One that stuck with me until now is by a girl out of Berlin. Her CD titled How To Reduce Power Consumption To a Minimum is a great collection of minimal electro-pop. While this kind of music is huge over in Europe, it hasn't quite caught on here in the states. Here are three brilliant tracks off that album.

::: Monotekktoni - Chemicals
::: Monotekktoni - The White Shark
::: Monotekktoni - Short Before Heartattack

[Monotekktoni on myspace.]
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[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]

Tags: music, monotekktoni, mp3, macktronic

SOLOS: Colin/Sebastien/Albert

Lots and lots of musicians doing the solo thing these days; some as a side project and some because their former band is kaput. However, in all cases, it gives us some new music that oftentimes shows a new twist on a familiar voice. Here are three songs that've been getting alot of playtime in my head of late.

The lead singer of the Decemberists always seems to release some good solo stuff. (I would, however, like to see him veer a little of the trodden path.) Remember the Morrissey covers tour-only CD? And the Shirley Collins one? Really good work. Here's a live solo track off of the excellent Yeti 3 compilation.

::: Colin Meloy - Every Day is Like Sunday (live) [ezArchive]
::: Colin Meloy - Every Day is Like Sunday (live) [Box.net]

Me and everyone else in the blog-reading world is excited about the US release of Albert Hammond Jr's debut solo album called Yours To Keep. I'm a Strokes fan (is that out of style these days? I can't keep up.) so I'm a AHJ fan.

::: Albert Hammond Jr - Back to the 101 (alternate version) [ezArchive]
::: Albert Hammond Jr - Back to the 101 (alternate version) [Box.net]

An album that rests comfortably in my top 10 of all time is DFA1979's Your a Woman, I'm a Machine. That break-up, although not totally surprising, resulted in a two-headed beat of MSTRKRFT and now Sebastien Grainger's new solo stuff. I have to admit that I've been listening to this for a while now but didn't want to share it. Now, due to Pitchfork writing about it, the whole plan is shot to hell.

::: Sebastien Grainger - When You Go Out [ezArchive]
::: Sebastien Grainger - When You Go Out [Box.net]

(Side note: I hate the new forkcast thing, I liked the old single tracks reviews. Much much better than this new crap. And I'm actually a fan of Pitchfork! Bring back the arbitrary grades! Bring back introducing me to 4-star rap songs that I would never have heard previously! Maybe I'm just resistant to change.)

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[Photo credit goes to grandylion, i love her shots more than life itself.]

Tags: music, mp3, albert hammond jr, sebastien grainger, colin meloy, decemberists, macktronic

MUSIC/NEWS: Stones Throw / Madlib / Talib Kweli

The good folks over at Stones Throw Records are giving away and album called Liberation by Talib Kweli and Madlib, complete with downloadable artwork. Head on over to their website and get your hands on it. Here's a couple of my favorite tracks:

::: Talib Kweli & Madlib - The Function (feat. Strong Arm Steady)
::: Talib Kweli & Madlib - What Can I Do

Also, in Stones Throw news, a limited edition Madvillain figurine is being released in cooperation with Kid Robot on January 11. Looks pretty awesome.

You can buy albums by Madvillain, Madlib, and Talib Kweli at Insound and get 10% off at checkout by using the code "insoundrocks10" at checkout.

[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to the flickr account of Misfires and Strange Errors; I know that's not Doom himself, but it's a cool Halloween picture.]

Tags: macktronic, madlib, madvillain, mfdoom, mp3, music, rap, talib kweli, macktronic