REVISIT: Blonde Redhead

Blonde Redhead is a band that I often come back to, but never during the day. It's night music, if that means anything to you. I don't think a band encompasses haunting and beautiful as well as this truly talented group. Here's a track that stuck with me last night, from 1998's In Expression of the Inexpressible.

::: Blonde Redhead - Led Zep

Buy the entire album here.

[Blonde Redhead official website.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to Anna Kryzinski.]

Tags: mp3, music, blonde redhead, led zep

MUSIC: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

I first got turned onto this band at the High Sierra Music Festival a couple years back. Now they're about to release their major label debut This Is Somewhere on August 7th. Here's a track off that release which shows the extremely talented Grace Potter at her best.

::: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Ah Mary

You can stream to entire album here. You'll probably be able to order the album soon over at her online store. Also, their lives sets are pretty amazing, you can find a number of them through archive.org by clicking here.

[GP&tN official website.]
[GP&tN on myspace.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to friedpixphoto.]

Tags: mp3, music, grace potter, nocturnals, folk, rock

MUSIC: Office

Here's a catchy new song from Chicago band OFFICE. They've got a new album coming out via Newline/Scratchie on September 25th, so keep an eye out for that. It's called A Night At The Ritz, so that would make this track a pseudo title track.

::: Office - The Ritz

Apparently, they were born out of a series of conceptual art pieces. And I'm always a fan of that.

[OFFICE official website.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to kayon.]

Tags: mp3, music, office, chicago

VIDEO: Roman Ruins - "Bird Island"

Check out this video for the brand new Roman Ruins track titled "Bird Island". Great song, interesting video. Also, here's a track (that I've posted before) from his limited edition 7-inch record on Gold Robot Records.

::: Roman Ruins - Releasing Me

Get your own copy for 5 bucks here.

[Roman Ruins on myspace.]
[Gold Robot Records on myspace.]
[Current macktronic contest.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]

Tags: mp3, music, roman ruins, video, bird island

RANDOM: Odds and Ends

One of the new additions to my art collection is a piece by Matthew Feyld, a great artist out of Saskatoon. My piece isn't on his website (I should take a picture, I know), but I like the painting seen above. He's got alot of art for sale from his flickr page linked below, so go get yourself some of that goodness.
[Matthew Feyld flickr page.]



The first run of Gold Robot Records t-shirts is almost sold out! It comes in olive green and yellow gold colors on American Apparel unisex t-shirts. Super cheap at only 12 bucks. The next run will be on heather gray tri-blend AA tees (men's and women's sizes) with gold ink. If you want to reserve one of those, email me at goldrobotrecords(at)gmail(dot)com. Also, the third release is about to be properly announced, so keep an ear out for that.
[Gold Robot Records official website.]
[Gold Robot Records on myspace.]



I'm still in love with my Buddha Machine (seen above).
The Buddha Machine is a little plastic box that plays music. Specifically, FM3 constructed nine drones, varying from two seconds to 42 seconds, which repeat endlessly in the listener’s ear until the “track” is switched to the next drone (or the two AA batteries run out). The machine has its own built-in speaker, in case one would like to fill a room with the drones, but there is also a headphone jack for more personal meditative experiences. There’s a switch on the side that allows for traversal of the tracks, and a DC jack (though an adapter is not included) for those who would like the Buddha Machine experience be truly endless. In a way, it’s like the cheapest pre-loaded IPod you’ll ever be able to buy.
- excerpt from review at PopMatters.com
Buy one of your own for here.
[Official FM3 website]



There's a sick show coming up on Saturday July 28th here in San Francisco. It's the Terrorbird 1 Year Anniversary plus a Daly City Records release party. It'll have sets by Boom Bip, Mochipet, Panther, Copy, Meanest Man Contest, Daedelus, Jel, The Bad Hand, and many others. Plus art and other assorted great things. It's being held at 111 Minna Gallery and is sponsored by XLR8R. Tickets are 10 bucks. I'll be there, and you should be as well.



Like the masses, I'm a fan of The White Stripes. Therefore, I always jump at the chance to catch them live. They're playing at the Greek Theater in Berkeley on September 21st (with support from the Cold War Kids). The new album is fantastic, especially when heard on vinyl (of course, I'm biased).
Buy the Icky Thump vinyl here.
[Official White Stripes website.]

And what would a music blog be without some tracks?

::: The White Stripes - Icky Thump
::: Mochipet - Robot Girl (feat. Ellen Allien)
::: Meanest Man Contest - I Was Only Kidding
::: Copy - This Is Promotional
::: Panther vs Quarterbar - Secret Lawns Remix
::: Cold War Kids - Saint John

That's it for now, over and out. Sorry for the random nature.

[Current macktronic contest.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]

Tags: matthew feyld, buddha machine, fm3, gold robot records, terrorbird, white stripes, panther, meanest man contest, copy, cold war kids

MUSIC: Kosovo

Ran across this band recently and immediately grabbed onto the songs. Comforting electro-pop tracks, easy-to-digest, and beautiful. Here's their bio:

Formed in early 2006, Kosovo is a 3-piece outfit from Austin, TX who combine live instrumentation with electronic production techniques to create hybrid, genre-defying downtempo with a strong pop sensibility. With influences that range from ambient and electro to all flavors of modern electronica, their organic-yet-restrained sound makes you wonder where the man ends and the machine begins. Their instrumental Pascal EP will be self-released in 2007, while they continue recording their debut LP.

Here's some sample tracks for your enjoyment.

::: Kosovo - A Terraformed Existence
::: Kosovo - Milk of Magnesia

[Kosovo on myspace.]
[Current macktronic contest.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to dwaoka.]

Tags: mp3, music, kosovo, austin

MUSIC: The Counterlife

One of my favorite releases a couple years back was by a band out of Arkansas called Kings of New England, which sadly disbanded after the recording of the excellent On The Cusp. (You can still get a copy of that album though Robot Lake Records, and I suggest you do just that.) However, members of KONE have now formed a new band called The Counterlife and have just dropped a new EP titled Sing Song Sung, again on Robot Lake. Here are a couple tracks off the new release.

::: The Counterlife - Transubstantiation
::: The Counterlife - Away Out Is The Way In

In addition to the EP, they're embarking on an ambitious US tour. Here are the dates, I highly suggest catching a show if they're in your area.

Aug 2 - Odessa, Texas (Einstein's Revenge)
Aug 4 - Tucson, Arizona (Haus of Music and Art)
Aug 5 - Long Beach, California (The Que Sera)
Aug 7 - Pasadena, California (Old Towne Pub)
Aug 8 - Santa Barbara (Josh's House)
Aug 10 - Santa Barbara (TBA)
Aug 11/14 - Bay Area (TBA)
Aug 16 - Olympia, WA (Le Voyeur)
Aug 17 - Seattle, WA (TBA)
Aug 20 - Salt Lake City, UT (Anna's House Party)
Aug 21 - Salt Lake City, UT (Monk's)
Aug 24 - Ottumwa, IO (The Casbah)
Aug 27 - Des Moines, IO (Vaudeville Mews)
Aug 28 - Columbia, MO (The No Coast)
Aug 29 - Kansas City, MO (The Record Bar)
Aug 30 - St. Louis, MO (Lemp Arts Center)
Aug 31 - Springfield, MP (TBA)
Sep 8 - Tulsa, OK (Under The Mooch)

Keep an eye out on their myspace page for more dates and show details. You can order a copy of the EP by messaging the band (info here).

[The Counterlife on myspace.]
[Robot Lake Records on myspace.]
[Current macktronic contest.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]

Tags: mp3, music, counterlife, tour, sing song sung

MONDAY: Motivation

This has to be the most songs I've posted at a single time in quite a while, but I just wanted to pass them along. Two sets of 5 tracks, the first set being remixes and upbeat songs with the second a collection of instrumentals. All excellent.

::: Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (MSTRKRFT Remix)
::: Yazoo - Don't Go (Quarterbar Rum Remix)
::: Teddybears - Cobrastyle (Diplo Remix)
::: Panther - Use Your Mouth To Breathe
::: Thunderheist - Suenos Dulces

::: E*Rock - Living, Breathing, Etc.
::: Global Goon - Dead Weird Keks
::: Roman Ruins - Panic Disorder
::: Bell Orchestre - The Upwards March
::: Tiga - Far From Home (DFA Instrumental Remix)

[Official Bell Orchestre website.]
[Audio Dregs website.]
[Quarterbar website.]
[Official Panther website.]
[Roman Ruins on myspace.]

[Gold Robot Records.]
[Current macktronic contest.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to martin isaac.]

Tags: mp3, music, justice, mstrkrft, yazoo, quarterbar, teddybears, diplo, panther, thunderheist, erock, global goon, roman ruins, bell orchestre, tiga, dfa

CONTEST: FADER + Yacht / Black Lips Vinyl

UPDATE: This contest has ended, congratulations to Evan of Brooklyn!!! You can always find a direct link to the latest contest using the "current contest" link found in the sidebar.

A while back, Pitchfork ran an article about an extremely limited split 7-inch release sponsored by FADER featuring exclusive tracks by Yacht and Black Lips (cover seen above). Essentially, they said that "you probably can't hear it" since it's limited to 500 copies. Well, now's your chance to get your hands on one of these suckers and become much like the "top DJs, artists and influencers" mentioned in the article. It's super easy to win, details are included below. Here's the vinyl tracklist:

A: Black Lips - "Wild Man"
B: YACHT - "No Favors Policy"

The current issue of FADER features articles on Lil Wayne, Bonde Do Role, and many others. You can actually download the PDF and Podcast for FADER 47 for free!

And here are some sample songs for the artists featured on the split 7-incher.

::: YACHT - See A Penny (Pick It Up)
::: YACHT - Platinum (feat. Bobby Birdman)
::: Black Lips - Hippie, Hippie, Hoorah
::: Black Lips - Gentle Violence

To enter the contest, simply send an email to macktronic (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject line "FADER 47 CONTEST" and your mailing address in the body of the email. A winner will be chosen at random on Monday July 30. Good luck!

[YACHT official website.]
[Black Lips on myspace.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]

Tags: mp3, music, yacht, black lips, fader, contest, free

REMIX: Gang of Four by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

I love Gang of Four, and I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, so it only makes sense that I'd like this remix. Especially since Karen O adds some vocals to the track. I could tell mildly entertaining YYY stories all afternoon (or at least for a couple of minutes).

::: Gang of Four - I Love a Man in Uniform (Yeah Yeah Yeahs Remix)

By the entire album here.
Pre-order the new YYY EP titled Is Is here.

[Official Gang of Four website.]
[Gang of Four on myspace.]
[Official YYY website.]
[Yeah Yeah Yeahs on myspace.]

[Current Macktronic contest.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to micaela.]

Tags: mp3, music, yeah yeah yeahs, gang of four, remix

REVISIT: Okay

Since I'm hoping to catch these guys tonight at the Hemlock Tavern here in SF, I thought it was an opportune time to post some tracks that visited long ago here on Macktronic. These two albums have stayed with me, High Road in particular, for the duration. Marty Anderson (aka Okay) can write some damn good songs, and his delivery is original and deeply enrapturing.

::: Okay - Have [from High Road]
::: Okay - Oh [from Low Road]

Buy Okay's albums here.

[Okay on myspace.]
[Current Macktronic contest.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to Courtland.]

Tags: mp3, music, okay, oakland, high road, low road

CONTEST: Editors New Album!

UPDATE: This contest has ended, congratulations to Adrian of Pasadena!!! You can always find a direct link to the latest contest using the "current contest" link found in the sidebar.

New contest time! Editors is dropping their new full-length album titled An End Has A Start on Tuesday July 17th and they've been kind enough to offer up a Deluxe Edition CD for FREE. Entry details can be found later in this post.

Building on the success of their previous releases, the new album showcases more catchy NYC rock stylings. Here are a couple tracks off the new album.

::: Editors - Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors [link removed]
::: Editors - The Racing Rats [link removed]

And here are a couple bonus tracks off the Back Room Remixes, which has some great takes on the originals. The good folks over at Stereogum pointed me towards these tracks back in December (see that post here).

::: Editors - Camera (Rubber Bullets Remix)
::: Editors - All Sparks (Phones Remix)

To enter the contest, simply send an email to macktronic (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject line "EDITORS CONTEST" and your mailing address in the body of the email. A winner will be chosen at random on Thursday July 19. Good luck!

[Editors official website.]
[Editors on myspace.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]

Tags: mp3, music, editors, contest, free, remix

MUSIC: Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band

Took the annual weekend trip to the High Sierra Music Festival over the weekend and came away with some good new music. I'd heard of Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band before (from Dodge over at MOKB), but hadn't ever seen them live. They're just an excellent, excellent live act..... so much so that I was a little disappointed upon buying the album. Don't get me wrong, it's a damn find album, but I just loved the live show. That Rev is a showman. Anyhow, these kids specialize in some fairly jagged, certainly beautiful delta blues. Here's the leading track off their latest release.

::: Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - My Old Man Boogie

[RPBDB official website.]
[RPBDB on myspace.]
[Current Macktronic contest.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to mattchandl3r.]
[Traskblueribbon has some nice shots too.]

Tags: mp3, music, high sierra, reverend peyton, big damn band