KZUU Top 30: 9/30/11

Well, for the second week in a row, our DJs spun Neon Indian‘s new album Era Extraña all the way to the #1 spot. This is the first time in a long while we’ve had an artist stay at the number one slot for multiple weeks! Good on ya, Mr. Palomo. Now come back to the Palouse and play another show. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah flew up the charts to #2 and the Dum Dum Girls hit #3 in their first week.

1. Neon Indian – Era Extraña

2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Hysterical

3. Dum Dum Girls – Only in Dreams

4. Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know

5. Pajama Club – Pajama Club

6. Washed Out – Within & Without

7. Beirut – The Rip Tide

8. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

9. The Drums – Portamento

10. Gabriel Miller Phillips – One for the Crow

11. I Break Horses – I Break Horses

12. Ironwood Run – Songs for Bailey EP

13. Megafaun – Megafaun

14. Release the Sunbird – Come Back to Us

15. Stephin Merritt – Obscurities

16. Apparat – The Devil’s Walk

17. Blasted Canyons – Blasted Canyons

18. Dirty Mittens – Heart of Town

19. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost

20. Hemmingbirds – Death Wave

21. Memory Tapes – Player Piano

22. Portugal. The Man – In the Mountain in the Cloud

23. Sleep ∞ Over – Forever

24. The Terrordactyls – Rage Mountain

25. Widowspeak – Widowspeak

26. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation

27. Balam Acab – Wander / Wonder

28. Teen Daze – A Silent Planet

29. Teen Suicide – Bad Vibes Forever

30. Tommy Keene – Behind the Parade

Prospect of the Year: Cities Aviv

Not only has Cities Aviv album “Digital Lows” given listeners an album filled with dynamic twists and turns that mirror the production quality of RJD2 but it is already one of the most overlooked hip-hop albums released in 2011. Released around late June this album is nowhere to be seen when you look at top hip-hop charts of 2011 or up-and-coming underground artists. Cities Aviv, or Gavin M. as some may know him, has definitely given the hip hop world today a distortion of what we’re usually used to hearing. Not only is his wit present in every song on the album but the listener gets the chance to listen to hear a rapper who’s at odds with not only himself but the world around him.  As he lets us know in his song “FuckEverybodyhere”,  “in this 8-bit world he’s Bowser” so check out this album and give it the love it deserves.

Band Of The Week: Correatown

I remember when I first heard Correatown’s “Everything, All At Once”. I was a freshman in college and for many of us that means loneliness, apprehension, and confusion. In such an awkward phase in my life music played such a crucial role in escaping from those troubles. Angela Correa’s songwriting felt so honest and sincere, that playing this particular track on repeat felt like the only light at the end of the tunnel. In a roundabout way, I find myself wrapped up in recalling my freshman year through the lense of Correatown’s debut album.

Correatown’s “Pleiades” is a collection of songs that convey an arrangement of emotions. With the vocals so crisp and lyrics that seem so overwhelmingly personal, you can’t help but to fall in love with it. Angela Correa’s vocals seem to cross paths those of Camera Obscura and the likes of Azure Ray, accompanied by the bands lush instrumentation it paves the way for a very intimate experience with the listener. This isn’t just another cheesy singer/songwriter album, this one feels sincere and manages to engage the listener in a series of unexpected melodies and enchanting song structures. Tracks such as “Further”, “Everything, All At Once”, “Sunset & Echo”, and “Shine” leave rewarding melodies backed with a feeling of hope. Angela Correa’s message seems rather jaded, while her songs seem depressing they are masked with a spark of inspiration. This is what makes Correatown an obvious choice for our Band of the Week.

KZUU Top 30 & New Adds: 9/26/11

Well, would you look at that! Summertime is over and Neon Indian’s new album Era Extrana, full of chilly synths and 8-bit, blasts to the #1 spot. Other cool charters: Washed Out, still going strong at #3, St. Vincent debuting at #12, Girls at #14 and the Drums at #22.

KZUU Top 30, 9/23/11

1. Neon Indian – Era Extrana

2. Fruit Bats – Tripper

3. Washed Out – Within And Without

4. Beirut – The Rip Tide

5. Brilliant Colors – Again and Again

6. Portugal. The Man – In the Mountain in the Cloud

7. The Rapture – In the Grace of Your Love

8. The Terrordactyls –  Rage Mountain

9. Wet Wings – Glory Glory

10. YACHT – Shangri-La

11. Hella – Tripper

12. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

13. Com Truise – Galactic Melt

14. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost

15. Pure X – Pleasure

16. Teen Suicide – Bad Vibes Forever

17. Waters – Out In The Light

18. The Bilinda Butchers – Regret, Love, Guilt, Dreams

19. Blasted Canyons – Blasted Canyons

20. Blitzen Trapper – American Goldwing

21. Chrome Sparks – My ❤

22. The Drums – Portamento

23. Fool’s Gold – Leave No Trace

24. Gabriel Miller Phillips – One for the Crow

25. Jacuzzi Boys – Glazin’

26. VHS or Beta – Diamonds and Death

27. CANT – Dreams Come True

28. Gardens and Villa – Gardens and Villa

29. Idaho – You Were A Dick

30. John Maus – We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

KZUU New Adds, 9/26/11:

Shimmering Stars – Violent Hearts

Gem Club – Breakers

Exitmusic – From Silence

Correatown – Pleiades

Sarah Jaffe – The Way Sound Leaves a Room

S.C.U.M. – Again Into Eyes

Caroline Smith & the Good Night Sleeps – Little Wind

Dawes – Nothing is Wrong

Pallers – The Sea of Memories

Big Troubles – Romantic Comedy

Wilco – The Whole Love

Twin Sister – In Heaven

Young Man – Ideas of Distance

The Big Scary – Four Seasons

Ohbijou – Metal Meets

Band of the Week: Born Gold

Born Gold, the musical project of Edmonton madman Cecil Frena, released their long-awaited debut LP this week. It’s been a long wait for a full-length album from the trio, who recently changed their name from Gobble Gobble to represent this new beginning for them. The album consists largely of older songs that were re-worked with a few newer jams thrown in for good measure.

If you’re not familiar with Born Gold’s brand of hyperactive, electronic pop, it’s hard to classify. The self-proclaimed “terror pop” makers take inspiration from nearly every genre of music, from chiptune to indie pop to glitch, and blend it together to create their over-the-top songs. Each song has a grinding, bass-driven beat underneath video game samples, bright synths, and Frena’s chopped up and autotuned vocals. It’s so over-the-top that it’s impossible not to smile while listening. This is music that forces you to move your body without even thinking about it; perhaps a nod to this is in the name of the album, Bodysongs.

It’s also impossible to mention Born Gold without talking about their live show. Although they haven’t played a show in Pullman (yet?), the group tours the majority of the year and plays frequent shows all over the continent. If their recorded music can be considered “over-the-top”, there’s probably no phrase in existence that could describe their shows. You can see for yourself in the video below, which don’t even come close to showcasing the experience of seeing them live. Spoiler alert, if you do ever see them live: think flashing lights set to the music (operated by Frena himself, fairy wings and skirts, electronic instruments made out of toys, half-naked men carrying huge drums and other instruments for audience participation, and sweat – tons of sweat.

Definitely give Bodysongs a listen and spin it on your show. This is some of the best non-commercial pop music you’ll hear this year and you’d be a fool for passing them up.

<3,
Kelsie

What’s New @ KZUU: 9/19/11

#63 Born Gold – Bodysongs (synthpop, glitch)

#71 Painted Palms – Canopy (synthpop, psychedelic)

#115 Dandelo – Dandelo (garage rock)

#14 Big Black Delta – BBDLP1 (indie pop)

#36 Big Tree – This New Year (indie pop, folk)

#57 The Barr Brothers – The Barr Brothers (indie folk)

#4 Warm Ghost – Narrows (chillwave, indie rock)

#212 Dum Dum Girls – Only In Dreams (garage rock, indie rock)

#210 Brandon White – Everything A Weapon (folk, lo-fi blues)

#100 Megafaun – Megafaun (folk, experimental pop)

#35 Run DMT – Dreams (lo-fi, ambient)

#45 Apparat – The Devil’s Walk (electronic, indie pop)

#70 Teen Daze – A Silent Planet (ambient, folk, electronic)

Folk is Back in Town with ‘Birds on a Wire Mini-Fest’!

Remember back in Spring of 2010, when Pullman had the most incredible folk-music festival you had ever seen? Well, get ready to welcome back some great folk-rock artists. Stereopathic and The Belltower Concert House & Venue are bringing Birds on a Wire back to you; Mini-Fest style!

That’s right, over a span of 8 days there will be 5 amazing shows lined up!

Check out the full schedule:

9/25 – The Moondoggies w/ Cody Beebe & The Crooks, New Lagoon
9/27 – Vetiver w/ Mon Cheri, The Horse Thieves, Nate Esway
9/28 – Cataldo w/ Cassowaries, Cooper Trail
10/1 – Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter w/ Alameda, Terrible Buttons
10/2 – The Wandas w/ (TBD), Ironwood Run

Some of you might be wondering who these bands are, and where they’re from. No need to fret, we’re going to give you the lowdown on all these fantastic bands coming your way!

The Moondoggies are an insanely good folk band out of Seattle, WA. They played our last Birds on a Wire Festival and are back to kick off the Mini-Fest. KZUU’s own advisor and Pullmanite singer/songwriter extroadinare, Dan Maher will be starting off the night with a pre-show. You don’t want to miss him! Alumni Cody Beebe & the Crooks join the lineup as well as new local super-band New Lagoon featuring Ted Powers (Yarn Owl), Luke Taklo (Moss Campions), Sean Knox (Buffalo Death Beam), and singer/songwriter Bart Budwig.

If you love REAL American folk then you’re not going to want to miss Vetiver. This show could possibly be the steal of the entire mini-fest. Vetiver is a band who often works with Devandra Banhart and Joanna Newsom. If you haven’t checked out their new album ‘The Errant Charm’ give it a spin. Spokane bands: The Horse Thieves and Mon Cheri will be opening along with Nate Esway, a California singer/songwriter.

Where to start with Cataldo? Let’s see..he’s a Moscow-born native! Oh, and his new album ‘Prison Boxing’ is probably one of the best albums of this year. It’s being released today, September 20th.

Jesse Sykes new album, “Marble Son” came out in August and has won over the likes of the New York Times and Spin magazine. Her unique vocals take psychedelic rock to a complexity reached by very few others. Also playing are Alameda from Portland and 7-piece americana/folk band, Terrible Buttons from Spokane.

The Wandas will close out the mini-fest with local favorite Ironwood Run. Although The Wandas are probably one of the least known bands in the whole festival, they are by no means a weak finish. Also sporting a new album, these Boston Natives have been compared to the likes of Wilco and herald high acclaims from USA Today and The Boston Globe.

If you’re interested (which you should be by now) you can purchase a mini-fest pass for $25 in advance, or $30 at the door. Doors open at 7 PM for all shows, music starts at 8. Single night tickets can also be purchased. Tickets and the full schedule are now available online at belltowerpullman.com.

KZUU Top 30: 9/16/11

This week’s #1 is from the always reliable New York label Captured Tracks, home to such KZUU favorites as Craft Spells, Minks, and Wild Nothing. Widowspeak is a new addition to the CT lineup and their self-titled debut rocketed to #1 this week. The always reliable Gardens & Villa falls just behind Widowspeak at #2. Sub Pop garage-rockers Male Bonding peak this week at #7, and last week’s #1 Balam Acab drops to #21.

1. Widowspeak – Widowspeak

2. Gardens & Villa – Gardens & Villa

3. Canon Blue – Rumspringa

4. Tallahassee – Jealous Hands

5. Yellow Ostrich – The Mistress

6. Fool’s Gold – Leave No Trace

7. Male Bonding – Endless Now

8. Blasted Canyons – Blasted Canyons

9. Blood Orange – Coastal Grooves

10. Bodies of Water – Twist Again

11. Cult of Youth – Cult of Youth

12. The Terrordactyls – Rage Mountain

13. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Lenses Alien

14. Dirty Mittens – Heart of Town

15. Mister Heavenly – Out of Love

16. Peter Wolf Crier – Garden of Arms

17. Portugal. The Man – In the Mountain In the Cloud

18. Wet Wings – Glory Glory 

19. YACHT – Shangri-La

20. 1,2,3 – New Heaven

21. Balam Acab – Wander / Wonder

22. Boy + Kite – Go Fly

23. Dotsun Moon – 4AM

24. Iceage – New Brigade

25. Idaho – You Were a Dick

26. Teen Suicide – Bad Vibes Forever

27. Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver

28. Com Truise – Galactic Melt

29. Cut off Your Hands – Hollow

30. Dakotafish – Many Moons

Seattle’s Brothers From Another–Kzuu Interview

MC Tiglo Goonstar & Cole from BFA

A couple weeks ago KZUU DJ Brittany Ward (B-Monz) interviewed the young Seattle duo Brothers From Another on her show The B-Side. Coming off their last Ep that came this past winter called ‘Two Weeks Vacation’, which fittingly was recording in 2 weeks that MC Tiglo Goonstar & Cole were together, the group is back at it again with their new full length LP called ‘Quality of Living’. (Free DL here: http://brothersfromanother.bandcamp.com ). An instant classic in my mind and a perfect fitting album to wind down summertime. The phone interview talked about the new album, how BFA came to be, what influences have crafted the BFA sound and much more. Click here to listen to the full interview! 

Here is the music video for Beeba Vision Pt.2 off Quality of Living (personally my favorite song too): 

Check out BFA’s ‘Two Weeks Vacation” as well: http://brothersfromanother.bandcamp.com/album/two-weeks-vacation

They still may be in the minds of some as up and coming in the Seattle scene, however, they are making their mark and their music speaks for itself. So I suggest you download this ‘Quality of Living’ tape and crack open a Rainer brew (BFA fans know what Im talking about haha).

-Bryce Poulin

Band of the Week: Laura Marling

There are an immeasurable amount of genres and styles of music today. I once heard someone say “It used to be a new musical style would develop every decade or so, now it happens every day before I wake up.” A lot of the stuff you’ll hear on KZUU falls into that category, but once in a while you find an artist who blurs the line between new and old so well that to an unfamiliar listener, it might be a challenge to guess what decade they were born in. This week’s Band of the Week, Laura Marling, is a perfect example of this.

Laura first broke into the music scene as a member of indie-folk band Noah and the Whale, performing on their first album before leaving to pursue a solo career. Her first album Alas, I Cannot Swim was released in 2008 and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, as was her second album I Speak Because I Can. While she’s been celebrated for close to four years in the UK, her music is still relatively underground over here in the States. That’s probably going to change with her newest album: A Creature I Don’t Know.

While Marling is a child of the 90’s, and barely 21 years old, she sings with a full timbre that sounds like trained vocalist who lived through the Dust Bowl. It’s a slightly smoky voice, with just a hint of country twang and her native British accent. Her lyrics recall some of the woodland folksy tales of bands like Fleet Foxes and The Tallest Man on Earth. Paired with her ambiguous accent, the songs sound like folk tales from a different world, like something out of a J.R.R. Tolkien novel.

Musically, the album bounces from soft-strummed folk to bluesy rock stompers akin to Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks”. The real magic happens when you get into the midsection of the album, specifically the song pair of “Don’t Ask Me Why” and “Salinas.” Both songs on their own are fantastic pieces of music but its the seamless transition between the two that makes the album become more cohesive and full. The penultimate track “Sophia” is another gem, leading into the folksy singalong “All My Rage.”

All in all, A Creature I Don’t Know is an earthy, strong folk album that will probably appear on many “Best of the Year” lists come December. Below, check out a video from the BBC of Laura playing “Salinas” and check out her new album that was just released this week!

-Adam