Archive for July, 2009

DJ Sprinkles – Midtown 120 Blues

July 17, 2009

midtown 120 blues cover

I had never heard of veteran artist and producer DJ Sprinkles (real name Terre Thaemlitz) until earlier this year, when I was turned on to his/her album courtesy of Resident Advisor. And ever since, “Midtown 120 Blues” has been in fairly constant rotation on my stereo. This is house music that conjures up the classic sounds of Chicago and Detroit and is very rewarding after repeated listens. Like “Endtroducing” is so much more than just a hip-hop album, so is “Midtown 120 Blues” more than just deep house. There’s soul here, techno, nostalgia, and rich ambience. The monologues and voice snippets are interesting and introspective and deal with the politics of music and identity. Tracks “Ball’r (Madonna Free Zone)” and “House Music is Controllable Desire You Can Own” are highlights that play just as well in a party setting as they do in a horizontal one. Sexy, sad, deep, smart, and emotional music. Smoooove.

Edit: Read a fantastic interview with Terre Thaemlitz here courtesy of Little White Earbuds.

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Flying Lotus at Tattoo Rock Parlour in Toronto

July 10, 2009

flylo

9 July 2009

Warp Records budding superstar Flying Lotus (nee Steven Ellison) dropped his cyber-slick sounds on a crunked and over-capacity crowd last night in Toronto. And hot damn was it ever good. We walked in to opener mymanhenri playing Dilla and Doom and setting the mood just right. FlyLo hit the stage next and within seconds sized-up the crowd he had in front of him. “These peeps ain’t just drunk, they’re all super fucking baked,” was no doubt his assessment, because he immediately pressed the “drug” button on his groove box and the bass just cooked the crowd and made us scream and jump and grin and shake our booties. It was infectious and trippy, full of reverb and snare pops and bad ass bass rumbles and soul.

I gotta admit the sound system at Tattoo is pretty awesome and FlyLo’s set was so crisp it sparkled. There was even a crowd surfer at one point. I think Flying Lotus was genuinely amazed at how gonzo the crowd was going all around him. He was smiling and laughing the whole set and brought the energy and rhythm to an absolutely feverish pitch. He crescendoed with some subtle Michael Jackson nods from “Off the Wall” that sounded as fresh as ever under his care. A fitting farewell to the King of Pop and a musical highlight of the year for mmmlele.

Ahh…wait for it…mazing.

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Jay Reatard Doesn’t Really Act Like One

July 1, 2009
29 June 2009 - The Mod Club (Toronto)

29 June 2009 - The Mod Club (Toronto)

Anyone who likes Jay Reatard already knows all about his ‘legendary’ Silver Dollar show in Toronto last spring. If you’ve never seen it, peep it below from 1:30 onwards. Rock and roll!

Then he came back to town in the fall for a Fred Perry sponsored show at Wrongbar and stormed off the stage after a pedal malfunktion. Watch it too, it’s funny.

So when me and my friend Stew got tickets for his show at the Mod Club we were expecting some rock n roll smackdown dramatics with spit and violence and pretension and blood. Unfortunately for us, there was nothing but a little ego – nevertheless, flying vee’d Jay Reatard, afro’d bass Steve Pope and drummer Billy Hayes still tore it up with attitude and style. They played it safe and I loved it anyway. ‘Cause in the end It was still balls out sludge rock with tight musicianship the entire set from the trio. At one point, as I slammed back a Corona, they looked like the animated criminals from the cartoon “Superjail”. Freaky and Southern. Kinda sweaty and fat. But I’m sure Reatard still gets retarded with the ladies, especially after they see him jump up on a green gear box at the end of his sets and wail out! I definitely thought their was some sex to him, but in a Jon Spencer kinda way. Not sure if I’d buy the whole package . . . but you can bet yer bony ass I dug the head-banging, short but sweet, fuck you you piece of shit set the band delivered this time around in the T-drizzle. Even if the crowd stayed away…

EDIT: RIP J.R.

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