MUSIC: Spoon (Get Nice EP)

I'm loving the recent trend of including digital file downloads when one purchases a (real) full album, especially for folks like me who buy vinyl LP's but want the digital versions as well (thanks MERGE!). The recent acquisition of Spoon's new album (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga) upped the proverbial ante with an EP full of outtakes and alternate versions. It's beautiful, sparse, strange, and a perfect compliment to the brilliant proper release. Check out this track.

::: Spoon - I Can Feel It Fade Like An AM Single

Buy the album in either CD or LP, you won't be sorry.

[Official Spoon website.]
[Current Macktronic contest.]
[Download Music from eMusic; free 25 song free trial.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to hrsj.]

Tags: mp3, music, spoon, get nice, rock

NEW RELEASE: Meanest Man Contest

Gold Robot Records is pleased to announce the newest release, out officially on September 1st. It features the hip-hop stylings of Meanest Man Contest and includes a remix by COPY. This limited edition (500, individually numbered) 4-song vinyl EP is a collection of 3 previously unreleased tracks, plus an a cappella version of "They Do" (from their split LP with Languis). Trackilist:

A1 - Meanest Man Contest - Throwing Away Broken Electronics [mp3]
A2 - Meanest Man Contest - We Wouldn't Want It Any Other Way
B1 - Meanest Man Contest - Throwing Away Broken Electronics (COPY Remix)
B2 - Meanest Man Contest - They Do (A Cappella)

Other details include:
Cover artwork by San Francisco's Casey Jex Smith.
Tracks A1/B1 feature guest vocals by Marchelle Bradanini (Bedtime For Toys)
Track B2 features guest vocals by Kaia Wong (Mixel Pixel)
Two cover versions: gray and green
more info here

Each EP will include a download code for a digital download of all songs.
Additionally, uncompressed versions of the "They Do" a cappella track will be released for a remix contest in the near future. Stay tuned for details on that.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW

Here's some bonus tracks from the amazing artists involved in this project.

::: Meanest Man Contest & Languis - Sneakmove Split Sampler
::: COPY - This Is Promotional
::: Bedtime For Toys - Cold Fever (more on myspace)
::: Mixel Pixel - You're The Kind Of Girl (more here)

[MMC on myspace.]
[COPY on myspace.]
[GRR on myspace.]

[Current Macktronic contest.]
[Download Music from eMusic; free 25 song free trial.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]

Tags: mp3, music, gold robot records, meanest man contest, copy, mixel pixel, bedtime for toys, casey jex smith, vinyl, independent, label

VINYL: Comanechi / PRE on Merok Records

There's a hot new single coming out on Merok Records on August 20th, it's a split 7" vinyl featuring tracks by Comanechi and PRE. Just some beautiful beautiful noise. Both bands on the limited edition (500) release feature the stylings of Akiko. Merok says:

"on one side you have comanechi. where she sings and plays drums while this guy simon plays heavy royal trux / doom metal guitar. the song's an angry, self-hating love song that sounds like if karen 'o or yoko ono sang for a heavy metal ramones / misfits group. on the other side is a pre song called 'popping showers' and it reminds us of an exotic be your own pet or if blonde redhead were actually still interesting."

Blonde Redhead (good-natured) blasphemy aside, this is a great release. And they've been kind enough to provide digital copies for the masses (along with some remixes you'll see all over the web before long). Enjoy.

::: Comanechi - Death of You
::: Comanechi - Death of You (Gentleman Drivers Remix)
::: PRE - Popping Showers

Buy the sweet sweet vinyl here.

[PRE on myspace.]
[Comanechi on myspace.]
[Merok Records on myspace.]

[Current Macktronic contest.]
[Download Music from eMusic; free 25 song free trial.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]

Tags: mp3, music, comanechi, pre, merok

CONTEST: Placebo Lithograph

UPDATE: This contest has ended, congratulations to Sara of Boulder!!! You can always find a direct link to the latest contest using the "current contest" link found in the sidebar. (I have no idea why they took down the image of the lithograph above)

In celebration of the release of their new EP titled Extended Play '07, Placebo is giving away some limited edition lithographs (seen above!). If you want to get your hands on one, simply send an email to macktronic (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject line "PLACEBO CONTEST" including your mailing address in the body of the email. A winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday Aug 22nd. Good luck!

Here are a couple tracks off one of my favorite releases, 1998's Without You I'm Nothing.

::: Placebo - Pure Morning
::: Placebo - You Don't Care About Us

Buy some amazing Placebo albums here.
Also, here's a link to the Infra-Red (live) audio stream.

[Placebo on myspace.]
[Placebo official website.]
[Download Music from eMusic; free 25 song free trial.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]

Tags: placebo, mp3, music, contest, lithograph, meds

MUSIC: All Teeth And Knuckles

Here's a band that I just caught onto recently, even though they're from my backyard. Catchy electro-dance tracks (and brilliant titles) abound in the new release titled Club Hits To Hit The Clubs With. I loved DeliSF's summary:

"If you left the bar at 1:30 AM on a Saturday, then went out dancing to three different house parties, then took a bump of coke around 3 so you could stay up and fuck until sunrise, then woke up the next day and still had twenty bucks in your pocket, then recorded the soundtrack for that experience you would roughly have ATAK's Club Hits To Hit The Clubs With."

Here are some tracks off that album.

::: All Teeth And Knuckles - Let's Undress and Listen to CSS
::: All Teeth And Knuckles - Look So Good

Buy the album here.

[All Teeth And Knuckles on myspace.]
[All Teeth and Knuckles official website.]
[Current Macktronic contest.]
[Download Music from eMusic; free 25 song free trial.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to Ferdinandesu.]

Tags: mp3, music, teeth, knuckles, san francisco

MUSIC: The Budos Band

My musical tastes often meander in different directions, and the new album by The Budos Band encompasses one of these forays outside the standard aural protocols. It's track after track of funk/jazz/afrobeat awesomeness. Check out these tracks, and pick up the album for yourself.

::: The Budos Band - Scorpion
::: The Budos Band - Chicago Falcon
::: The Budos Band - Budos Rising

Buy the new album here, in either CD or Vinyl formats.
You can also download it from eMusic as part of their 25 Free Downloads.
(This is certainly one of those albums where you want (need!) the whole thing, as the extended listening experience is much better than just a single track)
(Plus, we gotta support smaller acts like these guys, right?)

[Budos Band official website.]
[Budos Band on myspace.]
[Daptone Records official website.]

[Current Macktronic contest.]
[Download Music from eMusic; free 25 song free trial.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to classy sparrow. That's the Scorpion Sub on the left, and if you've seen the cover of the new Budos Band album, then you'll know the connection.]

Tags: mp3, music, budos band, jazz, funk

CONTEST: Subaru/FADER mixtape

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

For all you mixtape fans out there, I've got something for you. FADER and Subaru have teamed up to release a WRX MIX by Nick Catchdubs. The tracklist is as follows:

Tabi Bonney, "The Pocket"
Cool Kids, "I Rock"
Daytona f. Jim Jones, "Homeboy What You Lookin At"
Wale, "Breakdown"
Burro Banton, "Badder Dan Dem"
Bunji Garlin, "Brrt"
Tony Matterhorn, "March Out"
Turf Talk, "I Got Chips"
Dyme Def, "Clap Clap"
Mic Terror, "Pump Ya Fist"
Kid Sister, "Control"
The Pack, "Vans [DJ Eli Remix]"
DJ Blaqstarr, "Shake It To The Ground"
Sinden, "Beeper"
DJ Mehdi f. Chromeo, "I Am Somebody [Switch Remix]"
Editors, "Camera [Rubber Bullets Remix]"
Bonde Do Role, "Gasolina [Scottie B & King Tutt Remix]"
Magic Juan, "Sudor [Sweat]"
Mavado, "Mr Informer"
Vybz Kartel, "Mofraudo"

To enter the contest, simply send an email to macktronic (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject line "SUBARU CONTEST" and your mailing address in the body of the email. A winner will be chosen at random on Monday Aug 13th. Good luck! (Sorry, only US residents are eligible)

Download the current issue of FADER and the accompanying podcast here.

[Subaru website.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]

Tags: subaru, fader, contest, mixtape, catchdubs

COVER: Jim James does Elvis Presley

As we all know by now, I'm a huge fan of all things My Morning Jacket. This certainly includes the solo shows Jim James does every now and then. Thought I might pass on this live cover he did of Elvis's "Suspicious Minds" in 2000 at Ancienne Belgique.

::: Jim James (My Morning Jacket) - Suspicious Minds (Elvis Presley cover)

Buy some My Morning Jacket here. Jim doesn't have any proper solo releases (and it's a pipe dream of mine to have him do something for GRR).

[Official MMJ website.]
[Buy music from Insound.]
[Find/Listen/Download music at The Hype Machine.]
[Photo credit goes to violinsoldier.]

Tags: mp3, music, cover, jim james, my morning jacket, elvis presley