WHY THE TERRORISTS HATE US

A THOUSAND SHARK'S TEETH

This will undoubtedly be one of my favorite albums of the year. The official press release:

EH, HEM... A SHARK ANNOUNCEMENT

Release Date: June 17, 2008

Charming, playful, daring, foreboding, graceful, eclectic, exciting and visceral: these are all the first words that come to mind after a full listen through A Thousand Shark’s Teeth. It is a record that evokes and challenges, full of the sorts of melodies and arrangements that stay with you long after the album’s stopped playing. Combining songs that were written both before and after the release of Bring Me the Workhorse, and produced and arranged by Shara herself, A Thousand Shark’s Teeth reflects different times, feelings, musical genres and facets of one’s personality, all perfectly sewn together by the powerful thread that is Shara’s dynamic voice.

Originally meant to be a more classical, string quartet affair, A Thousand Shark’s Teeth slowly evolved and refined itself over a period of six years. The record, which was mixed by Husky Höskulds (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello), was recorded in Berlin, Los Angeles and New York City, and features twenty different players all contributing little bits of musical magic. Influenced by artists such as Tricky, French composer Maurice Ravel and Tom Waits, in addition to the star exploration themes of Anslem Kiefer's paintings, the imaginary landscapes of photographer Robert ParkeHarrison, films by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and Alice in Wonderland, A Thousand Shark’s Teeth is a musical snowglobe that sparkles each time you touch it. The songs, whose themes broach intimacy, kisses by moonlight, laundry, lost friendship and more, marry vast instrumentation – marimbas, harps, clarinets, French horns, rabid guitars, vibraphones to name a few – to create an unequaled amalgamation of style and color. In simple terms: it’s beautiful, and there’s nothing else quite like it.

Opener and first single “Inside A Boy” is classic Diamond – slippery guitars meet with gorgeous strings and Shara’s powerhouse voice, which folds nicely into “Ice and the Storm,” a driving foot-stomp of a tune full of swirling vocals, metallic crackles and a stuttering beat. “Black and Costaud” borrows lyrics from a Ravel opera and sees Diamond full of dramatic flourish, while “From the Top of the World” vibrates with soulful swagger, showing off Shara’s tremendous guitar playing. “Apples” is Diamond at her most coy, her vocal line delivered with quite a flirtatious smile, “Like a Sieve” twists a Tricky sample upside down, and “Goodbye Forever” swells with a string-heavy chorus as Shara sings of things lost in a fire, literally and figuratively, exploring both beauty and danger in a shark’s kiss.

The tracklisting:
1. Inside A Boy
2. Ice and the Storm
3. If I Were Queen
4. Apples
5. From the Top of the World
6. Black and Costaud
7. To Pluto’s Moon
8. Bass Player
9. Goodbye Forever
10. Like a Sieve
11. The Diamond

June 17 sure does seem like a long, long, time away...

NO NEED TO ASK MY NAME TO FIGURE OUT HOW COOL I AM

It’s almost as if a group of people got together and said, “You know what? Trance music sucks and DFA can’t release a track under eight minutes long, something has to be done.” And just like that, the streets were running with MSTRKRFT, Justice, LA Riots, Le Castle Vania, FELIX CARTAL, SebastiAn, and Crystal Castles. All was right with electronic music once more.

“DVNO” is undoubtedly one of the best tracks off Justice’s debut, and they just released a video for it, once again directed by So Me (the guy who directed “D.A.N.C.E”). If we know anything about Justice and So Me it's that they’re pretty fucking cool when they come together.

Justice: DVNO


Justice are also releasing a remix EP for “DVNO” featuring reworks by Surkin, Sunshine Brothers, LA Riots, Petits Pilous, and themselves. See below for my favorite of the bunch.

[MP3] Justice: DVNO (Petits Pilous Remix) (right-click to download)

Justice [MySpace]

YOU CAN HOLD ON BUT I WOULDN’T WASTE YOUR TIME

In case you forgot, you should have picked up the new Kills’ album, Midnight Boom, yesterday. I bought a copy and, as expected, it’s totally worth it. I can’t remember the last time I was so excited by an album booklet, and music you love always sounds better in physical format rather than MP3. Midnight Boom reminds me of a time before the internet, before the overabundance and accessibility of music, when I used to find one awesome album and invest all my time into it. Believe me when I say you need Midnight Boom. More than any other album this year, thus far*.

[MP3] The Kills: Cheap and Cheerful (right-click to download)

The Kills [Official] [Midnight Boom] [[MySpace]

* Yes, even more than the Louis XIV album (which I admittedly overreacted about).

YOU GOTTA SPEND SOME TIME, LOVE, YOU GOTTA SPEND SOME TIME WITH ME

Oh, St. Patrick’s Day, how you bring out the drunk in me. I’m sure many of you took a trip to Black Out City last night, and why wouldn’t you? While you’re nursing that evil hangover why not enjoy some new Death Cab for Cutie?

Clocking in at eight minutes and thirty-six seconds, “I Will Possess Your Heart” is the new single from Ben Gibbard and Co’s forthcoming album, Narrow Stairs, due May 13. Last night, my friend Brian Johnson and I got to hear all about how great this album is from a guy who works for terrestrial radio. Why anyone from Atlantic Records would send someone out to Reno with a promo of the album, two months before its release, is beyond my comprehension. Hey, maybe we're moving up in the world.

[MP3] Death Cab For Cutie: I Will Possess Your Heart (right-click to download)

Death Cab For Cutie [Official] [MySpace]

STRANGE TIMES ARE HERE

If you ever find yourself in Vallejo, California the best thing to do there is leave. It doesn’t matter which direction you go, either. San Francisco, Sacramento, Napa, they’re all much better options than Vallejo. Believe me.

While you’re leaving, the best thing to listen to is the new Black Keys’ album, Attack & Release. Thick with guitars, it’s bluesy, groove-heavy, an 11-track ache, rattle, and roll of bar-room anthems. I’ve been finding new reasons to love Attack & Release for a week now, what with the slow-simmer of “So He Won’t Break,” the midday-on-the back-patio evocation of “Psychotic Girl,” and the steady pound of “I Got Mine”. Attack & Release will surely be on repeat during the coming summer months. And did you know it was produced by none other than Danger Mouse? Go figure.

Attack & Release hits shelves April 1st. In the meantime, satiate yourself with this:

[MP3] The Black Keys: Strange Times (right-click to download)

The Black Keys [Official] [MySpace]

Pre-order Attack & Release from Amazon.

I KNOW WE’RE GONNA BE THE LUCKY ONES

Yet another reason to love Kevin Drew. Directed by George Vale, filmed at Lee’s Palace in Toronto, the video features Tom Cochrane of “Life Is A Highway” fame and 600 shots of tequila. Liqueur always tastes better when it’s illegally distributed.

Kevin Drew: Lucky Ones


Kevin Drew [Official] [MySpace]

GHOSTS AND SOBRIETY

I know I’m sick when my girlfriend tells me about a new Nine Inch Nails’ album and I can’t summon the energy to get excited about it, write about it, or even look into how I can acquire it. This goddamn flu. What a waste of time.

I’ve always thought sobriety was for pussies. Leave it to Trent Reznor to make it seem cool. While most people lean on the crutch of religion and become ten-times-less exciting versions of themselves, Reznor has entered the most lucrative part of his career: two awesome albums, an intense worldwide tour, an incredible live DVD, and a fun-to-follow viral campaign. How lucky that we get to reap the benefits of his drug-free lifestyle.

Yesterday, Nine Inch Nails released Ghosts I-IV, a “brand-new 36 track instrumental collection,” featuring, “almost two hours of new music composed and recorded over an intense ten week period last fall...” according to nin.com. In the vein of Radiohead’s In Rainbows, Reznor is offering the first nine tracks of Ghosts for free, or the full album, including a 40 page PDF booklet, for $5, or a slew of other options. I pre-ordered the $10 two disc set. The cool thing is, with every pre-order you get an immediately downloadable version. Mine is downloading now. While I’ve yet to hear anything off Ghosts I’m sure it will be great.

Ghosts I-IV [Official]

THIS ARMOR DOES NOT PROTECT MY FEELINGS

Frisky Dingo, the best cartoon / show in the universe is back. The link, to witness the new episode in all its glory, is below. The end.

Frisky Dingo [adult swim]