by travestyofthecondition

Asobi Seksu is Laying Down The “Trails” to Greatness

The count is album number four for artist Asobi Seksu. Fluorescence is available is available to all of North America just one day after the U.K. release on the 14^th. It will be on a variety of formats such as CD, LP, Digital Formats, and for those super-fans a limited edition pink vinyl. So you heard it here there are only 1500 of those puppies get it first. They are promoting their album with the single “Trails” which is now open for MP3 Download. This wonderful track will be accompanied by a video at the start of the New Year, can’t wait to see it.

It seems that sometimes the best defense is a good offense. That is the approach that was taken going into this album. Do the opposite of what you intend and get the best result. James Hanna puts it this way “This time, our agenda was not to have one at all; to be mellow about the entire process instead of obsessing over everything.” Personally I don’t think Mellow is the right word. Maybe strategic chaos. I know that’s an oxymoron but I have heard the single of the upcoming album myself and it combines illusionary synthesizing with a strong grunge-pop core to set your mind of balance. And just when you think you have a grip on the sound…. BAM! They through in these glorious vocals like a celebration of the comsuming anarchy falling around you… It’s pretty intense but please don’t take my word for it go download it yourself, who doesn’t like a free experience?

12.16.10

by travestyofthecondition

“Lookout, Lookout” Here Comes Perfume Genius

On December 9^th Perfume Genius released its new video for the single “Lookout, Lookout.” The video was directed by Patrick Sher also directed the video for MOBY’s “Wait for Me.” If you haven’t seen this video by now I would suggest making it a top priority on your to-do list. It’s a very simple and realistic video but it definitely puts of the vibe of the complex emotions poured into the track. You really can get a grasp of the song through the video. I’m a firm believer in not allowing a Video to impact the actual music to any measure of extent but this one just spoke to all my insecurities, and I found myself responding to it more with the imagery, than without it.

12.02.10

by travestyofthecondition

Lykke Li; My Kind Of Woman

Growing up is something that, no matter how old they get, every person experiences. With Artists however, it usually changes the way they look and/or sound in their music. Lykke Li is no exception to this principle. When she was only 19 she dropped her debut LP Youth Novels which painted Lykke as a “shy, shy, shy girl who cooed longingly”. The latest album however displays a new dark, rage like “Pussy Power”. Wounded Rhymes is sure to be a wakeup call for all those who have previously misconceived Li as a girly girl to be thrown into a separate group. She is here to stand in the ring with the men.

Lykke flat-out told Pitchfork “I dove into the craziness and did things that maybe I would think twice about when I get older. And I’m a really restless person; I’m tired of the way I sounded or looked yesterday.” She also told Pitchfork that she wanted people to actually listen to what her message is instead of showing so much concern over her image; And honestly, isn’t that what music is all about??? Spreading your message and your story; that’s the reason people listen to music. She claims that with the new edginess there is angriness about certain things in the world.

Her first single of the album Get Some is a truly unique swapping of roles. In this song she sings “I’m your prostitute” but this is “not about being a sex prostitute.” Says Li “It’s about this power play in the war of the sexes.” This seems to be just a glimpse of what her new album is all about. By saying “I’m your prostitute.” Lykke is actually saying “I’m the power.” She got the idea while she was reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle “where there’s a woman that calls herself a mind prostitute and she goes into this man’s mind so he thinks that they are getting it on; he fantasizes about her. They’re not doing it she’s just in his mind to steal information.” This would explain the looks of the video for this song as Lykke has created a world in which a cult of women lure you in and “bam!—she’s going to crush you.”

Lykke has been inspired by many great women including Anais Nin, Simone de Beauvoir, Edith Piaf, Patti Smith, and Gena Rowlands. Her five favorite “badass women.” She says that she believes women are extremely powerful and strong but the sometimes give in to these insignificant events in life. While she was in L.A. recording her new album to escape the winter she met a lady who she quotes “She’s open, hungry, and still feels like the key to a good life is finding things you want to master.” This is obviously a mentality that Lykke believes in and follows. I believe that we can expect a power house effect for women to come of Lykke Li’s Wounded Rhymes as well as her albums to come.

12.02.10

by travestyofthecondition

OFF!…..Is Totally On

Nothing in the world is better than the snide and cynical “Tell All” story of a punk veteran. Keith Morris is the founding vocalist for the punk band Black Flag and also served many years as the poster child for the Circle Jerks. Now however, he is here to tell us about his new super group OFF! This Punk alliance consists of Dimitri Coats, former front man for Burning Bridges; Mario Rubalcaba who is known for the three bands Hot Snakes, Rocket From the Crypt, and Earthless; and Steven McDonald of Redd Kross. Morris is more than ready to move on from his previous failures with the Circle Jerks (for whom he had no polite expressions). Pitchfork caught the original interview with Morris to talk about what we can expect from the highly anticipated EP due December 14.

The Band all started after the laziness and the stupidity that Morris suffered while in the circle jerk. “It got like a classroom filled with kids with down syndrome” Keith told Pitchfork. After 30 years of the same bullshit Keith Morris must’ve gotten tired of the petty bickering and very high-school approach to every situation. So he did the opposite with his new group. The thing that makes this EP so freaking great is the vicious original sound it carries to our ears. Pitchfork actually compared it to early Black Flag, right down to the very recording quality of the demos. The initial idea and approach to making the EP was “Let’s just go in and do it.” And so they did. The result of this GO GET IT! Attitude was a four song EP recorded over the period of two days! There is so much that you can do with recording equipment these days but none of that can ever tap the resource of raw, in the moment passion that seems to be almost palpable through these first four songs.

As fate would have it, Morris confronted Album Artist Great, Raymond Pettibon to create the artwork for his new band, as he had done before for Black Flag. Over a lunch two years previous to the EP release, Raymond invited Keith back to his work place which Keith quoted as “a big chaotic mess.” He also told Pitchfork that there were piles and piles of art pieces worth thousands lying around that Raymond offered him to take if he liked. Morris quoted Pettibon saying “Come in here, and whatever you see that you like, you can take with you. If you get in any kind of trouble and you need any kind of financial help, you’re more than welcome to come in here. Consider this to be a bank.” Morris told Pitchfork he was “Floored” by the offer.

OFF! Told Pitchfork that they were in fact planning to tour after the release, after a fast paced formation of the band, and a three show success they’re “getting ready to fight a war” and take on the world. It appears that through everything that has occurred in Morris’ life he fought the good fight to come out on top, once again. Only this time he is back with a vengeance and a goal to take over the world.