KSLU – St. Louis University Radio has been nominated for the ‘Best College Radio’ award by mtvU! Alison and I both work at the station, thus that may be the reason why such an honor has been bestowed on KSLU. But the winners are peer-chosen (read: BY Y’ALLS) and we would love it if you guys could help us out! Here’s an excerpt on how we were chosen:
“For the first time ever, mtvU is honoring 20 pioneering college campus radio stations committed to bringing students the latest indie and emerging music. Lauded for championing artists before they achieve mainstream success, these student-run radio stations represent the new music vanguard long since abandoned by traditional FM radio. The top stations were chosen based off accolades from CMJ College Radio Awards, Princeton Review Nominations, and independent questionnaires completed by a cross-section of record labels. One station will bring home the inaugural Woodie for Best Campus Radio Station, as voted on by their peers.”
So I just watched Marnie Stern’s video for her new single, “Transformer”, and I feel like it just slapped me in the face. Was it her insanely awesome guitar-shredding skillz? No. Well, kinda. What I am getting at is in one of the scenes she looks like the third Nelson Twin. Which would technically make them triplets, in that case.
While that statement is neither here nor there, I encourage you to go out and cop her new record which is so concisely entitled “This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That”. THANKS, MARNIE <3
That’s all I have to say about that, so Happy Friday y’alls!
Although it’s a day late, it is that sweet, sweet time of the week once again. Better late than never, yeah? This week, I am particularly excited about my offerings, and I hope y’alls are as well.
On October 21st, Brooklyn tribal-noise pioneers Gang Gang Dance are set to release their new album Saint Dymphna (named after the patron saint of mental health and possessed peoples, if that gives you any insight), their latest since 2005’s amazing God’s Money. Although I feel that they’re trying to stay true to their tribal dance-punk sound that we know and love, GGD’s new album is going to be their most accessible yet. It has much more of a house feel than previous albums, which is a bit of a change. I’m dealing with it. Don’t get me wrong, it really is a beautiful record, just a bit of a departure. And will you LOOK at the album art? Tiiiiight!
Religious Knives will be releasing their new album The Door on October 14th via Ecstatic Peace, Thurston Moore’s label. The album was produced by Moore and RK and from what I’ve heard so far, it’s going to be just splendid. Founding members Maya Miller and Michael Bernstein met in New York a decade ago, however the group has existed as a four-piece for little over a year now. This expansion is quite apparent in their growing sound as a band.
That’s right! Animal Collective is set to release Merriweather Post Pavilion on January 20th, 2009. Get excited. This is their 9th full-length album. If you have had the opportunity to see AC within the past two years, a few of the songs on the album will already be familiar to you.
The record will be released via Domino Records and was recorded in early 2008 at Sweet Tea Recording Studio in Oxford, Mississippi with the engineering expertise of Ben Allen. The album will be available on CD, 2xLP and digital formats.
Tracklist:
1. In The Flowers
2. My Girls
3. Also Frightened
4. Summertime Clothes
5. Daily Routine
6. Bluish
7. Guys Eyes
8. Taste
9. Lion In A Coma
10. No More Runnin
11. Brothersport
I have been waiting a few years to hear these songs in an album format. I am already certain that it will be on the top of my Favorite Albums list for next year.
On rainy days like these, they often make me seek for the beauty in life. I know that rain is a fascinating element, but it is so gloomy and draining. Sometimes I just want to see something pretty or listen to something pretty. It is definitely a lot harder these days to simple find beautiful music because you have Sigur Ros, Amiina, and Explosions In The Sky, but what is there that is new? So luckily enough the spectacular indie classical electronic band, Hauschka entered my life at just the right moment. The music is absolutely breathe taking and it is hard not to be mesmerized by the work.
Hauschka consists of German piano player, Volker Bertelmann and this one man band makes sure to utilize all classical elements. His latest album is Ferndorf and you can listen to a stream of it, here. It is quite sad that the vinyl is sold out, but what did I expect that a lovely album like this would remain unknown? This man is recommended if you like Devotchka, Yann Tiersen, and Andrew Bird. Please check out tracks below.
Devastator is the lastest release from the Chicago, (originally from my hometown of Elgin) IL band Catfish Haven. They are simply the loves of my life and I really have to say that I have been waiting for this album for a really long time. They have been performing new tracks from this album for a while and it’s about time it formulated into a glorious album. As much as I loved their prior album, Tell Me, this latest one definitely has a more cohesive feel to it. The middle of the album starting with “Play The Fool” going through with “Half Time Show” and ending with “Full Speed” is my favorite and it is basically impossible to listen to one song without the others. It is obvious that many of these songs are old songs that have recently been used on the album because there is an obvious difference between the older sounding songs and the newly written ones. The latest single, “Set In Stone” is a catchy ass song featuring their backup singers and a new sound, the baritone sax which makes the song sound a lot more 80s than it should, but I still love it and yell out the lyrics at the top of my lungs. “Valerie” is quite beautiful when performed live and it pleases me to know that the recorded song does not lose that impact. This album is definitely a step in the right direction for this band considering they are now a featured band on Myspace! This album does not disappoint and any fan of their prior work should pick up this newest one. It’s a wonderful mixture of devasting love songs and catchy bass driven classic rock. Check out my favorite track from the album below.
Deerhoof is a lovely experimental pop rock band and I can say that they are one of my favorites. Their latest release is Offend Maggie and I am always quite surprised when bands release albums so quickly. Friend Opportunity came out last year sometime and as much as I loved “The Perfect Me” and “Believe E.S.P.”, it simply was not The Runners Four or Apple O’.Offend Maggie started exactly where Friend Opportunity left off. It is a continuation of unrecognizable singing by Satomi Matsuzaki and almost math rock driven guitar pull quirks from John Dieterich and new guitarist, Edward Rodriguez.
The band is moving towards a clean pop sound and Satomi has taken a bigger role in the singing then she had on the past. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Satomi’s voice and the band’s sound would take a beating without it. The album is great and it is hard to choose a favorite song. “Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back” brings back great memories of “Spirit Ditties of No Tone” from The Runners Four. Also I’m going to say that “Eaguru Guru” sounds a lot like the theme song for when you are fighting a boss in Super Mario(specifically called the Bowswer Castle Theme song if you really want to get nerdy.) As much as you can listen to my word, as a Deerhoof fan, it is best to hear things for yourself. “Fresh Born” is a simply a fresh track and all I really want to say is that it rulez ballz. My best recommendation is take Offend Maggie with a grain of salt. It may or may not be the best work by Deerhoof, take it simply as you will.
Stand out tracks for me is “Snoopy Waves”, “Offend Maggie”, “Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back”, and “Fresh Born.”
I thought that was a little bit funny. No? Ok. Sacrimento California’s Hella have been up to a lot in addition to the insanity they project as a progressive/spazz group. Members Spencer Seim and Zach Hill have both recently taken some time to explore the realm of side-projectdom, and the results are quite lovely.
Hill released Astrological Straits back in August via Ipecac Records, and I gotta say it sounds a lot like Hella, which is never a bad thing. The album features the help of an all-star cast: Marnie Stern (whos new album is AMAZING), No Age’s Randy Randall and Dean Spunt, !!!/LCD Soundsystem’s Tyler Pope, and many more mentionable characters contributed their individual craftsmanship, and these contributions are quite apparent on the record. I give it my two thumbs up.
sBACH is Spencer Seim’s spastic-electro-pop cray cray mess of a side-project, and he released sBACH in August via Suicide Squeeze. It is definitely more of a departure than Hill’s album is, but it still stays true to the Hella sound. Check out sBACH’s cover of Paula Abdul’s “Cold Hearted Snake”, it’s pretty rad!
This week, I present two lovely little ditties by bands that have caught my attention as of late. Enjoy!
Rainbow Arabia is a duo that definitely cannot pretend they aren’t influenced by the likes of El Guincho, Panda Bear, and M.I.A. That being said, I think The Basta EP is rad and it is something I wouldn’t mind getting buck to even though I feel like I’ve heard it all before. Full of high-pitched wailing and tribal calls, it is sure to bring out the gypsy in you at first listen. Soon, you’ll find yourself scratching tourists on the streets of Italy and you’ll be thinking to yourself, “what happened?” And, they’re going on tour with Gang Gang Dance in November. Siiiiiick.
Texas’ Restavrant has some friends in high places. Having shared the stage with the likes No Age and White Denim, their sound combines all of the right elements of White Stripes-esque garage rock and Beck’s synthy beats. Weird combination, yes, but their folky techno sound works just dandy for these ears. The duo’s newest album, Returns to the Tomb of Guiliano Medidici, came out September 30th, so cop that disc now!
The God Warrior of the Week for September 28th is Disaster Experiment
Disaster Experiment (a.k.a. Kyle Sennish) is a one-man electro outfit based out of Saint Louis. His influences range from David Bowie (his own personal God Warrior) to brit-pop bands like Bloc Party and Arctic Monkeys. The illustrious Disaster Experiment spawned over the course of last summer, where Kyle spent many a lonely day and night in his basement honing his booty-bouncing sound that rivals the glory of Pegasus itself.
When not experimenting with various disasters, Kyle holds down his job at KSLU as General Manager and spends most of his time studying Aerospace Engineering (see: obsessing over various nuclear missiles in hopes to one day destroy the world).
BUT WAIT! This week, we are takin’ it to the streetz and offering all of you single ladies the chance to win a date with this gem of a man! Just answer the crucial questions below and we will pick a winner. He has no choice but to take you out.
1. What is your name and age?
2. Do you view the glass as “half-empty” or “half-full”?
3. How would you deal with a man who values his bike (which was recently added to his parents’ house insurance) more than he values you?
4. Would you be jealous if he wears a smaller pant size than you do?
Email submissions to toetapsandspasticclaps@gmail.com
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RECORD STORES, YA HEARD??
We here at Toe Taps and Spastic Claps love free music as much as the other, but these mp3s are for promotional use only.
If you really enjoy the artist, it's highly recommended that you buy their work. If you are an artist and would like us to take down your music for whatever reason, please feel free to contact us at toetapsandspasticclaps@gmail.com and we'd be much obliged.
KSLU – St. Louis University Radio has been nominated for the ‘Best College Radio’ award by mtvU! Alison and I both work at the station, thus that may be the reason why such an honor has been bestowed on KSLU. 
But the winners are peer-chosen (read: BY Y’ALLS) and we would love it if you guys could help us out! Here’s an excerpt on how we were chosen:
Subscribe to Our Feed
Stumble It!
Catfish Haven- Devastator
David Vandervelde-Waiting For The Sunrise
Tobacco- Fucked Up Friends
Skeletons - Money
Religious Knives - The Door
Grampall Jookabox - Ropechain
