Using My Own Scissors.

I've been a baaaad blogger, I know. Frankly though, my life was been wild lately and I just haven't had the time to invest the necessary time in writing, uploading, etc. Believe it or not, this is a very labor intensive blog for one person. Plus I have an annoying habit of being an anal retentive perfectionist, so a half-ass job just wouldn't fly with me. I want to apologize to those of you who have contacted me regarding promotion. I'm not a flake. I'm just incredibly busy, which brings me to my next topic/request/inquiry.

Is there anyone out there who'd be interested in a blogging collaboration with me? If you think you might be interested, drop me an email at goodsouldept@gmail.com and introduce yourself. Be capable of using proper grammar and punctuation (or at least be familiar with the concept of spell/grammar check). The more intellectual, the better. I'm still listening to as much music as I ever have and I look forward to a meeting of minds. If I don't hear from anyone, this blog will continue to be parked until I'm ready to resume blogging by myself.

On a side note, some names you should be familiar with:

Empire of the Sun
FM Belfast (...a no-brainer, really. The new album is ace.)
Monosurround
Lulu Rouge
Grafton Primary
Theresa Andersson
Passion Pit
Little Pictures
Faded Paper Figures

Here are a couple mixtapes I compiled for friends:

GSD Decadanse Mixtape (August 2008)

Tracklist:

1. Deeon - Gimme Head (K.S. Mix)
2. Enur ft. Natasja - Calabria 2007
3. Del Shannon - Gemini (Pilooski Edit)
4. SolaZul - Remember
5. The Cribs - Men's Need (CSS Mix)
6. Little Pictures - I Wish I Could Keep You
7. Faded Paper Figures - Polaroid Solution
8. Black Kids - I'm Making Eyes at You
9. Pnau ft. Ladyhawke - Embrace (Fred Falke's Miami Horror Mix)
10. Late of the Pier - Random Firl
11. Bufi - We Begin
12. Leif - Black Magic
13. Lykke Li - Little Bit (CSS Mix)
14. Jape - Graveyard
15. Bon Voyage - Diary
16. Pogo - Alice
17. The Millioners - Up to You (Ercola Mix)

GSD Decadanse Mixtape (September 2008)

1. Chairlift - Bruises
2. Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream
3. Elke - Til I'm Gone
4. Moulinex - Come on Closer
5. Rex the Dog - I Can See You, Can You See Me
6. Sleep With All Your Friends - Losers Lovesong (Andi Mullers Mix)
7. Le Grand Popo Football Club - My Territory
8. Bumblebeez - Rio (Etienne de Crecy Dub)
9. Sunny Day Sets Fire - Wilderness (CSS Mix)
10. Monosorround - Cocked Locked (Summerized)
11. Tetine - I Go To the Doctor (CSS Mix)
12. Round Table Knights - Hold Me Back
13. Grafton Primary - Colour
14. Starskee - My Way (LE DEFI Mix)

October/November editions comings soon.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Escaping Inevitability.

I'm officially moved into my new residence in San Francisco & the process has been exhausting. My main objective this past week was to walk around and familiarize myself with the complex infrastructure (aka the grid from hell) and the public transportation system. I must've walked at least 20 miles, which is a feat when you consider the entire city is only 7 X 7 miles. Even though I'm amidst sensory overload, I think I'm gonna like it here. With all the walking I'm doing, my iPod & I are getting even more intimately acquainted.

It's been 3 long years since the initial release of Budapest and we finally have a full length from Poni Hoax. Took long enough! With the hype surrounding the Budapest and Involutive Star EPs, I understand why it was necessary for composer Laurent Bardainne to pace himself in order to avoid premature overexposure. After hustling up a rather formidable band featuring Nicolas Ker as the new lead vocalist, the Joakim-produced Poni Hoax debut Images of Sigrid (2008 Tigersushi) is ready to plow through the stables. The album combines the rowdy beats of disco and the New Romanticism of New Wave to create a sound that lands somewhere between Placebo and Marc Almond (more specifically, Soft Cell). The world should brace itself... Images of Sigrid is epic.

Poni Hoax "Antibodies" (video)

Poni Hoax "Budapest" (video)

Poni Hoax "The Paper Bride" (mp3)(ZS)

BUY Poni Hoax

On a softer note, I've recently discovered the modest charms of Pennsylvania-based folk artist Damien Derose, who performs under the humble alias Peasant. He's set to release his debut On the Ground very soon on Paper Garden Records. It's a heartfelt record that reads like pages out of a private journal, delicately introspective and candid in it's vulnerability. The most effective tracks are those which feature Derose alone with his guitar as ethereal nuances swirl around him.

Peasant "Manners" (video)

Peasant "Those Days" (mp3)(ZS)

BUY Peasant

The first Duke Spirit album was too hard-edged for my taste, which is why I'm so pleased the band has decided to tone it down a bit with the release of their sophomore effort Neptune (2008 Shangri-La/You Are Here). The new album is a deliberate attempt to showcase Liela Moss's soulful, brassy vox (a wise move, I say), as indicated by tracks like visceral ballad "Wooden Heart" and the piano-driven single "My Sunken Treasure."

The Duke Spirit "The Step & the Walk" (video)

The Duke Spirit "My Sunken Treasure" (video)

The Duke Spirit "Wooden Heart" (mp3)(ZS)

BUY The Duke Spirit

Mermaids is the title of Slow Runner's 3rd semi-self-released album (J Records is no more) and it's undoubtedly Micheal Flynn's magnum opus thus far. The album is a rousing suite of melodic folk rock offset by gentle lo-fi rhythms. In their myspace bio, the band describes Mermaids as "a brilliant 14-year-old debutante with a drinking problem," perhaps alluding to the raw emotional content of the lyrics elegantly juxtaposed with dashing musical composition. Some of the melodies are even sublime enough to make Chris Martin weep. An excellent example is the brutally forthright ballad "I'm Gonna Hate You When You're Gone." Never before have a banjo and a sequencer gallivanted together so effortlessly.

Slow Runner "Love & Doubt" (video)

Slow Runner "The Stakes Were Raised" (video)

Slow Runner "I'm Gonna Hate You..." (mp3)(ZS)

BUY Slow Runner

Finally, The Silent Years are set to release The Globe in August (2008 YTBD), which will boast the talents of producer extraordinaire Chris Coady (!!!, Grizzly Bear, Blonde Redhead, etc). Judging by the material posted on myspace, the philosophical meandering and contemplative introspection the band is renown for is still very much in tact. Back in 2006, The Silent Years released their self-titled debut which produced the break-through single "Someone to Keep Us Warm." The track is a gorgeous ballad steeped with themes of self-renuance and the pursuit of universal truth. I've listened to it at least 50 times this past week.

The Silent Years "Someone to Keep Us Warm" (video)

The Silent Years "Black Hole" (mp3)(ZS)

The Silent Years "Someone to Keep Us Warm" (mp3)(ZS)

BUY The Silent Years

Funky Nôze.


Parisian duo Nôze just released their third album Songs on the Rocks (Circus Company 2008), a exuberant exhibition of minimal beats, big baselines, old world instruments and blip hop. Bearing some similarity to Matthew Dear and Herbert, Nôze fuses minimal house with traditional French folk and menacing vocals to create a sound that is left field, yet intrinsically groovy. I freaking love it.

Nôze "Kitchen" (video)

Nôze "L'Inconnu du Placard" (mp3) (ZS)

Nôze "Kitchen" (mp3) (ZS)

BUY Nôze

Also hailing from Ile-de-France is Sporto Kantès, whose latest album 3 at Last (Le Village Vert 2008) takes experimental punk to new bewildering extremes. The album starts out conservative enough with "Concrete," a ethereal little incantation featuring Michael Robinson on vocals (bearing a vague resemblance to Antony Hegarty). But don't get too complacent... to follow is a nutty (at times down-right uncomfortable) exposition designed to assault your senses and leaving you scratching your head. Despite the ensuing chaos, the boys of Sporto Kantès manage to propagate melodies, even if they are in fragmented form.

Sporto Kantès "Whistle" (video)

Sporto Kantès "Concrete" (mp3) (ZS)

Sporto Kantès "Liquid" (mp3) (ZS)

BUY Sporto Kantès

Another new French album comes from Protoypes, an electronic band comprised of members from BOSCO and vocalist Isabelle Le Doussal of BuBBle Star. Their sophomore effort Synthétique is a straight-forward electro record in the Vive le Fête tradition, with retro rhythms and the occasional "punch crunch" to keep things interesting.

Prototypes "Synthétique" (mp3) (ZS)

BUY Prototypes

I have a strange affinity for balkan-fusion music even though I rarely post about it here. I'm making a quick exception from Brooklyn-based collective Firewater, who recently released The Golden Hour in North America (Bloodshot 2008). It's an aggressive collection of hard-edged world punk that has been described as "an indie rock answer to M.I.A.'s much-ballyhooed Kala" by Mike Usinger of No Depression. With the upcoming ousting of führer Bush and the presidential elections just around the corner, the appropriate selection seems to be "Hey Clown." Raise that frosty mug & bounce to those bass drums!

Firewater "Hey Clown" (mp3) (ZS)

BUY Firewater

Sound of Decadence.

Labrador recording artist The Sound of Arrows just released their long-awaited first single/EP Danger! featuring a few original tracks as well as remixes by Mr Pedro, Cotton Crew, Panache and Ice Cream Shout (whose ukulele-flute-bossa remake is probably the most successful). The single premiered on Pitchfork back in March and has been gaining momentum ever since. Frequently likened to Jens Lekman, stylistically I think a more realistic comparison would be Sambassadeur meets The Tough Alliance meets Saint Etienne. MFR put it best: "[Danger! is] a compelling juxtaposition between the child-like nature of the music—filled with ebullient keyboard lines, gorgeous electronic flourishes and elegant melodies—and the paranoid warnings of the lyrics."

Sound of Arrows "Danger!" (mp3) (ZS)

Sound of Arrows "Danger! (Ice Cream Shout version)" (mp3) (ZS)

BUY Sound of Arrows

I'd been looking forward to the release of the new Walter Meego album Voyager (Almost Gold 2008) ever since Big Stereo previewed "Girls" several weeks back. Although it's taken some time to warm up to the album, there are definitely quite a few quality moments. The opening track "Forever" is an immediate crowd-pleaser that contains a seriously infectious 4-key air guitar riff. The track showcases the playfulness and stripped-down romanticism that stream throughout the album. The closing ballad "In My Dreams" was recently featured on an episode Ugly Betty. Voyager should faire very well on dancefloors.

Walter Meego "Wanna be a Star" (video)

Walter Meego "Forever" (mp3)

BUY Walter Meego

What might happen if Brazil's Edu K toned the baile funk down a bit and teamed up with Gotan Project? It might sound something like the South American collective Bajofondo, whose third album Mar Dulce was released last year on ViBRA surco universal. The album is a mash-up of traditional Argentinian/Venezuelan tango (featuring gorgeous strings, horns and accordions) w/ thumping baselines and programmed beats. Noteworthy as well, is the uber-cute promo clip (directed by Alma Har'el) for the lead single "Pa Bailar con Julieta" featuring Ryota Komatsu playing the bandoneón, a nail salon, and a widow's tango.

Bajofondo Tango Club "Pa Bailar con Julieta" (video)

Bajofondo Tango Club "Pa Bailar con Julieta" (mp3) (ZS)

BUY Bajofondo Tango Club

Apples & Tangerines.

When everyones sitting around talking about movies they've seen, I'm usually the one on the sideline with a blank look on his face. Blame it on situational ADHD or whatever, but unless a movie hooks me in the first 10-15 minutes, I completely lose interest. I'd rather be listening to music anyway.

So it goes without saying, I almost never buy movie soundtracks, which is why it's so odd that I've already snatched 2 this year. The first was the hipster folk soundtrack to Juno (which I highly recommend) and more recently, the soundtrack to the dark romance Eagle vs. Shark, an indie flick from New Zealand directed by Taika Waititi and starring Jermaine Clement (one half of kiwi musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords) and the adorable Loren Horsley (my girl-crush du jour). Without revealing too much of the plot, it's an awkward little story about nerd love that'll tickle your heart and make you appreciate pocket protectors a bit more. Eagle vs. Shark won best screenplay at the US Comedy Arts Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.

Much like the Juno soundtrack, the music featured in the film is folksy, quirky and somber at times. The major contributor is kiwi folk rock ensemble The Phoenix Project with appearances by Devendra Banhart, Age Pryor, M. Ward (doing a Bowie cover), The Reduction Agents and The Stone Roses. You just can't go wrong with a lineup like that.

Eagle vs. Shark (trailer) (video)

The Phoenix Foundation "I Love You, Awesome" (mp3) (ZS)

The Phoenix Foundation "Blue Summer" (mp3) (ZS)

Devendra Banhart "The Body Breaks" (mp3) (ZS)

Tessa Rain & Age Pryor "Funny Shadow" (mp3) (ZS)

BUY Eagle vs. Shark OST

Get Hot!

What can I say about Austrian live wire Parov Stelar that hasn't already been said a million times before? The fool's just so damn hip to the jive! Last year he released the prodigious Shine, his 3rd full length which produced marvels like the brassy jingle "Charleston Butterfly" and the moby-esque "On My Way Now." This year, he's back on top of his game with the release of the Flame of Fame EP (Etage Noir Recordings). It just proves that Stelar knows what's exactly happening in electronic music today; All 4 tracks are slammin' floorflushers boasting bitcrushers, filthy beats, stank synths and that ever-so-seamless sampling that makes Stelar so slick. The "Puttin' on the Ritz" loop in "The Flame of Fame" will jerk you right out of your chair into a frenzied shimmy. The 1920s never sounded so Stelar.

Parov Stelar "Matilda" (video)

Parov Stelar "The Flame of Fame" (mp3) (ZS)

Parov Stelar "Charleston Butterfly" (mp3) (ZS)

Parov Stelar "A Night in Torino" (mp3) (ZS)

BUY Parov Stelar

All That Glitterz.

I first discovered Polish band Loco Star a few years back when I happened to stumble across their video for So Light (2004) on youtube. Newly signed to Kayax Records, they've reemerged this year with the release of their second mini-album Herbs, which is a sensual exhibition of dreamy pop & organic beats. Marsija's cool vocals instantly call to mind that of Lou Rhodes, formerly one half of the now-defunct cult band Lamb. Herbs should help pull Loco Star out of obscurity and into the spotlight the band rightly deserves.

Loco Star "Steppin'" (video)



Loco Star "Herbs" (mp3) (ZS)

Perhaps one of the most highly-anticipated releases of 2008 belongs to Swedish band Zeitgeist (of the plethora of bands that share the same name on myspace, this is the only one worthy of your attention). Having already released a few unmixed demos, the band is scheduled to release their first full-length album The Jade Motel in Scandinavia on April 30th (the lead double single "Humanitarianism/Bunny" is already available). "Princess," whose icy screeching is almost identical to that of Karin Dreijer Andersson, is joined by Per & Mattias to create a bizarre, yet inherently charming brand of electronica that sounds like a cross between The Knife (well... duh) and Familjen. If you ask me, "The Jade Motel" totally annihilates The Knife's last album. Furthermore, I'm incredibly impressed by the gorgeous artistic direction of this album! I guess that's to be expected when you're taking cues from Comme des Garçons, Andy Warhol and Alexander McQueen. Just wait until you see them live - to say it's absolutely thrilling would be an understatement.

Zeitgeist "The Lake" (video)



Zeitgeist "Wrecked Metal" (mp3) (ZS)



Zeitgeist "Bunny" (finished version) (mp3) (ZS)

Helsinki-based band The Millioners quietly released their first album in March of last year on KHY Suomen Musiikki Oy Records. A full year later, their latest single Body in Use is still being played in heavy rotation in clubs worldwide (a formidable accomplishment in the fast-paced world of electronic music). Though at first glance, the tacky album title "Most Sexiest Music" and kitsch sleeve art will certainly raise a few reluctant eyebrows, you'll surely conclude that no other title would be appropriate after hearing the album. The Millioners are purveyors of uber-sexy disco infused w/ 80s nostalgia, playful wit and bouncing melodies. Royksopp meets Daft Punk. They will not be denied!

The Millioners "Body Into Use" (video)



The Millioners "Up to You" (mp3) (ZS)



The Millioners "My Great Regret" (mp3) (ZS)

Brooklyn genre-bending heavyweight Santogold is no stranger to the blog world (in fact, most of the tracks on her debut album have already leaked online). I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon for the sole purpose of reiterating that this lady is pure, glittering GOLD. She is the hottest commodity because she does it all: produce, write, sing, play and perform. She's also coincidentally one of the best lyricists I've encountered in long, long while. Santi's self-titled debut (available tomorrow on Lizard King/Atlantic Records) is guaranteed to burn a big fat hole in the music history book. Catch her tonight on Conan!

Santogold "L.E.S Artistes" (video)



Santogold "I'm a Lady" (mp3) (ZS)

I've come to the conclusion that fileden sucks, therefore I'm trying out hosting services again. In the meantime, zshare will have to do. Thanks for your patience.