Hello everyone. Are you sneezing your brains out because of the horrific amount of pollen in the air? Sweet! Us too! Get through the “hay fever blues” with some tight songs from your friends at your favorite music blog. This month we’ve got all kinds of good stuff for you to listen to. It’s time for another brand new BHAMFM Mixtape.
Check out the songs below and make sure to hit “follow”.
Draggin’ ass? Need motivation? Wanna fight? Rage? Burn this mutha down? Then you need to tune into this playlist. It’s full of distortion, pedals, riffs, static, greasy hair, sweat, and blood (probably). It’s the perfect combination to kick Friday right in the mouth. Enjoy your weekend, losers! Happy Holidays!
Spotify Link:
http://open.spotify.com/user/1214727292/playlist/5a3eoLkx2E3QqcvsCkWCkl
Track Listing:
1. Titus Andronicus – Titus Andronicus Forever
2. Metz – Get Off
3. Japandroids – The House That Heaven Built
4. Hanni El Khatib – Family
5. Natural Child – B$G P$MP$N
6. Double Fuzz – Mountain
7. FIDLAR – Cheap Beer
8. Zeke – It’s Alright
9. Wavves – Lunge Forward
10. Nightmare Boyzzz – Devil III
11. Jay Reatard – My Shadow
12. Bass Drum of Death – Nerve Jamming
13. The Thermals – Born To Kill
14. BRMC – Conscience Killer
15. The Walkmen – The Rat
16. The Vaccines – Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)
17. Pujol – Mayday
18. Diarrhea Planet – Field of Dreams
19. The Cants – Jack The Ripper
20. The Orwells – Mallrats (La La La)
Year end lists are probably the last thing you want to read right now. I moan about the internet’s saturation with them myself. Alas, I am a music editor and spend alot of the free time usually reserved for being productive or building things to daydream about listening to music.
I promise not to be boring. I promise not to push anything fed to me by others that I was just “meh” about. And finally, I promise to explain my reasoning behind every choice.
I anticipate alot of this is new to y’all because I seek out alot of things that aren’t Southern music made good, faux bluegrass or YEEEEEEEEEEZUS because there’s an entire internet dedicated to that, mmkay.
“Holy Fire” – FOALS
This past summer, I stood in with some studio & session musicians in town and was asked to suggest and sing “indie” songs in a more soulful Southern style.
My first choice was Foals “Bad Habit”. It was a no brainer for me. The other two were “Destroyer” by The Stills and “Cheat On Me” by The Cribs, both ineligible for this list.
That’s yet to be released so I can’t share (meehhhhhh) but I think that gives you a glimpse into my love of Foals. I’ve been with them ever since their first single “Cassius” and have all three albums on vinyl. Their lead singer famously declared that math & indie are dead in NME magazine, going on to say that their band was “unashamedly funk”. See? That shit’s enough to turn you off, but please don’t.
It’s glorious and cinematic and allows you to embrace that last little bit of math rock you’ve been embarrassed to enjoy since freshman year of college.
The have a long history of sweeping sounds and kickass videos. Get after it.
“6 Feet Beneath The Moon” — King Krule
I wrote a piece on King Krule when we first relaunched this site, so take a read and then listen below. The kid will blow you away. I have a feeling this is the album from this year that will stick with me for a looooooong, long time. Warning though: you’ll get caught up in your feelings so hard with this one.
“AM” – Arctic Monkeys
Again, my long and obsessive unrequited relationship with the Arctic Monkeys is well documented. This year, they snuck their 5th studio album on us and it was amazing. Josh Homme (QOTSA, Them Crooked Vultures) had a heavy hand on this record and thank God above it shows. AM is on Spotify and available to purchase now, too.
Here, watch them covering Drake. LOL.
“Drenge” – DRENGE
I fell in love with DRENGE during a music drought. I hadn’t listen to anything new in a month or so and so I set off on my own to find out what the hell I could tolerate. DAMN. I did not expect a band this heavy and genuinely rock to exist. Especially held up by two British teenage brothers. Every song is catchy. Except maybe Dog Meat. Ugh. Look at this cool ass video with a moody & violent ending though….
“Dromes” – Younghusband
Back before Thanksgiving, I discovered what might be my cure for James Mercer withdrawals. If you like dreamy pop that’s kinda upbeat but still garage-y, holler at em.
“Optica” – Shout Out Louds
This is hands down my most listened to album of the year. I was inside of a deadend job and listened to “Hermila”, “Where You Come In” and “Destroy” every gray and cloudy lunch for MONTHS. If you’re a fan of the band’s previous albums though, you might not be as big of a fan as I was. It’s much more gloomy and less of the dude singer. Sorry bout it?
“Feast of Love” – Pity Sex
This was my surprise favorite album of the year. I’ve heard rattlings of an emo revival and these dudes (and lady) stand a good chance of snatching From Autumn to Ashes’ legacy if I’m being real with myself. HOWEVER, it’s redeemed by the fact that it’s vaguely psychy surf rock and alt 90s, so I’m very very very much in. So wow. (If you’re under the age of 25, just keep scrolling. You have no idea what I’m talking about.)
You can hear THE ENTIRE ALBUM here:
“180” – Palma Violets
Probably (AM excluded for legacy purposes obviously) my favorite British export of the year. Somebody’s older siblings listened to The Ramones, The Clash and The Smiths all at once. And good for them. I pre-ordered this and blasted it on the record player the day it come out on “Best of Friends” influence alone. I’m so in love with the singer’s wailing. BRITISH SCREAMS AND REVERB, I REQUIRE ALL OF THEM!
“Body Music” – AlunaGeorge
By far the best pop album of the year. Forget Ariana Grande, ol Mariah Carey impersonator. Aluan George is a dancey duo that is fronted by the adultest most beautiful woman baby ever. Her force is so infantile and the beats are so addictive that you acquire positive moods and start singing along like you’re on a party drug. Disclaimer: I bet this album is very good with party drugs, too.
“Clash the Truth” – Beach Fossils
This record must be listened to all the way through. It was my summer soundtrack. I even remember recalling at the time “this is perfect winter music”.
If you miss Pretty In Pink, Annie Potts being a punk and Ducky, this one’s for you.
NOW FOR A SHORT INTERRUPTION!
These three albums are the biggest bangers that you already know about, so you don’t really care what I gotta say. Listen again anyway!
“Don’t be S.A.F.E.” – Trinidad James
“The 20/20 Experience” – Justin Timberlake
“B.O.A.T.S. #METIME” – 2Chainz
_____________BACK TO THE MUSIC Y’ALL__________________
“Pollen” – Wave Machines
Here I am again, looking for music that can only be described as “lovely”. And Wave Machines succeeded. It’s like if Flight of the Conchords had serious lyrics. Or if Blood Orange were any good whatsoever.
“Devotion” – Jessie Ware
The best R&B album of the year. She’s a buzzhound, so just wonder on over to any other site on the internet if you don’t believe me.
Her voice is ageless and stately. I love it. I love her persona. Her lyrics are muted and the subtly in her voice would normally be such counterpoint, but with the massive bass and heavy sounds, it gives it more meaning. The sincerity in her voice is contagious and your brain turns into Aretha Franklin after a few listens.
Here’s my favorite track from Devotion, “If You’re Never Gonna Move”:
“Bad Blood” – Bastille
In typical “best for last” scenario, I bring to you Bastille. He is a genuine pop star in the UK. His singles Pompeii and Bad Blood have made it all the way to #1. Very, very refreshing to hear vaguely choral, electronic, Tears for Fears shit on the airwaves. Maybe the movement will cross the Atlantic. It certainly did for me.
It’s that time again! This go round we’ve added some of our other contributors to help out with our mixtape and we’ve got a wide array of tunes to share with our readers. Blast this mixtape as you drive home for Thanksgiving or, better yet, AT Thanksgiving. You know you want to tune out that weird Uncle that asks you about your love life!
Thanks to Joshua Matthews, Whitney & Chris, Culture Czar, Artallo and Adam for sharing five great songs a piece.
Some of our writers were nice enough to even add a few words about each song they chose.
CULTURE CZAR::
I went with three 2013 songs and two older songs this month.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – “Stranger Than Kindness”: Surprisingly, Nick Cave recently announced another US tour in the summer of 2014 after completing one in the spring of 2013. Great news for what is often a deprived American fanbase. I’m super psyched and have been listening to all of his incredibly deep catalog. This is off of his 1986 album, “Your Funeral…My Trial.”
Anna Calvi – “Eliza”: This is off of Calvi’s 2013 sophomore effort “One Breath.” She gets a lot of comparisons to PJ Harvey because of her voice and stellar guitar playing, but she’s definitely got her own thing going. Nick Cave took her out on tour in Europe when her first record came out and Brian Eno also sings her praises. She seems to be a European phenomenon so far as I literally know no one that listens to her.
Wovehand – “Dirty Blue”: The other older song from me this month (from 2006…sooo old!) Wovenhand is the project of David Eugene Edwards of Denver, CO. Though he’s American, all of his success is in Europe. He plays to half empty, tiny bars in America and packs out theaters and concert halls in Europe. Maybe I just need to move.
TV on the Radio – “Mercy.” A 2013 single from Brooklyn’s finest. TVOTR has expressed reluctance in going into the studio for a full length any time soon, but has said they’ll get together periodically and release a song or two or three. This is the fruit of that mindset and it is mighty fine. I just hope they keep touring.
M.I.A. – “Bad Girls” This is technically a 2012 song, but it came out as a digital single and now it’s appeared on her late 2013 release “Matangi.” Forget the Super Bowl nonsense, she puts out hard hitting dance music that makes you think as much as it makes you want to shake your ass.
WHITNEY::
My list is based on “big sounds”, so obviously a few Jon Brion-produced tracks. Also, some new songs from the Saint Heron compilation, its curator Solange & that powerful wall of sound from the British supergroup The Last Shadow Puppets that all fit the mold nicely.
ADAM::
CHVRCHES “Science/Visions” – It took me a while to admit that this band was more than just a guilty pleasure, more than just a poppy version of Purity Ring, and more than the one song Sirius XMU played nearly every hour. What’s exciting about the album as a whole is the juxtaposition of that poppy sound–courtesy of Lauren Mayberry’s sweet vocals–with the darkness of the lyrics behind those melodies [The very bouncy “Gun” has this chorus: “You’d better run, you’d better run and/Hide, hide, I have burned your bridges/I will be a gun, and it’s you I’ll come for”]. Buried deep in the tracklist of their debut album “The Bones of What You Believe” at track 9 (past singles “The Mother We Share”, “We Sink”, “Gun”, and “Recover”), “Science/Visions” is decidedly darker in tone musically than the rest of the album. An arpeggiated synth beat pulls you into the song, and the haunting echoing pre-chorus “I (I) hear (hear) your (your) breathing/I (I) feel (feel) you (you) leaving” keeps you there waiting for the climax.
Failure “Heliotropic” – Since my fanboy post about the band reunion, Failure have very strongly hinted at doing a tour and even making new music. I said before that “Fantastic Planet” very rarely leaves my car CD wallet anyway, but this past week, it’s barely left the CD player at all. Rounding out the back end of the album, where singles “The Nurse Who Loved Me” and “Stuck on You” hang out, at track 16 (!!!) “Heliotropic” screams with feedback then pounds away with a heavy and heavily distorted bass riff coupled with a furious barrage of tom runs that drive the song while the guitar slowly builds from ambient “space noise” to octave runs dripping with chorus and delay.
Miike Snow “Silvia” – What do Madonna, Britney Spears, Kelis, and Kylie Minogue have in common? Besides massive pop exposure and success, they all worked with the music producers Bloodshy & Avant who comprise 2/3 of Miike Snow (yeah, it turns out that’s not the guy’s name: the Swedish group is Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg, and American Andrew Wyatt). When they aren’t winning awards for “Toxic”, they’re making beautiful, catchy, and emotional electropop. Get ready to shed a tear while you dance to this tale of unrequited love: “And your voice cries out for the coup de grace/when the lights go out, will there be a trace?/I don’t know Silvia/That I loved Silvia”.
My Bloody Valentine “In Another Way” – ICYMI, MBV released their first album of new material in over 20 years earlier this year, and then totally trolled the US by announcing a “tour” that was six dates on the west coast and in Texas. They later tacked on some dates to make sure and hit NYC, but still didn’t come within driving distance of Birmingham. So it goes. Anyway, this is my favorite track from the simply titled “mbv”, an album that makes the 20 year gap seem to be completely nonexistent: every track (well, except “Nothing Is” that’s just a heavy looping riff, and “Wonder 2” with the weird filter drumming sample thing…and what happened to “Wonder 1” anyway?). (Not on Spotify, but we tried y’all!)
Wild Nothing “The Blue Dress” – If you were at Iron City when Wild Nothing opened for Local Natives, I was the guy jumping around going crazy when they launched into the opening riff for this song. Not to be confused with “Blue Dress” by Depeche Mode (which is INCREDIBLE, by the way), this song continues the tradition of catchy single note guitar riffs that Wild Nothing has perfected (see “Shadow”, “Midnight Song”, and “Nocturne”). Even more forlorn lyrics: “Falling through your songs/my desires come undone/Though I looked for you all night/The words were never heard/When I dreamt of you so sweet/In the garden of my touch/Drowning into sheets/Imaginary love”.
CHRIS::
I decided to go in cold and find some new music. I started with Related Artists of Titus Andronicus, because that’s the kind of thing I would do.
First up, a home run. PAWS out of Glasgow from their 2012 epically-named album Cokefloat.
Paws – Sore Tummy
After some Inceptioning through Related Artists, I end up on Milwaukee’s Jaill. Described as jangly, and I think accurately so. Would love to see these guys live. Based on past experience they probably played Bottletree last week.
Jaill – Beggar Sincere
And then I end up down under with Royal Headache, which sounds like Husker Du. I’m totally OK with that. Also, the lead singer’s name is Shogun.
Royal Headache – Psychotic Episode
After this I went down what could best be described as a Husker Du-shaped noise hole. I re-emerge with the tamer, but nice and fuzzy California X, from Massachusetts, of course.
California X – Mummy
We need to calm down. Take us home, Sonny & The Sunsets. Sonny made 100 fictional bands for an art project. This is a good palate cleanser.
Sonny & The Sunsets – path of orbit
A. R. Tallo::
Brenda and the Big Dudes – It’s Nice to Be with People :: I found this song while listening to a DJ set from the great Awesome Tapes from Africa and I cannot stop listening to it. Its a fun track to incorporate into a party mix or a DJ set, if one is so inclined. If you are interested in international music (specifically African) or just like music at all you need to check out awesometapes.com. This song is also perfect for Holiday gatherings because it really IS nice to be with people.
The Who – Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand :: I love The Who. Especially the record “The Who Sell Out”. This song is super catchy and it will just get stuck in your head in the most fun way. I think it’s about a girl that Pete knew who was extremely “friendly” with the boys but no one really knows.
White Fence – Mr. Adams/Who Feels Right? (Live in San Francisco) :: White Fence is part of the current movement of 1960s sounding psych/garage rock bands and they recently released a live show on vinyl, cassette, and CD on Castle Face Records, the imprint run by John from Thee Oh Sees. I fell in love with WF from the recorded version of “Who Feels Right?” and this is just an onslaught of rock and roll music in your face. Tim Presley’s whiney vocals and crunchy guitar, and that British invasion style drumming make you want to shimmy and shake all night long.
White Denim – A Place to Start :: White Denim (different band with “white” in their name) just released their new album “Corisicana Lemonade”. This is a band that should be way bigger then they are. I loved their last two albums and this one is quickly becoming another favorite of mine. They will be in Birmingham at Bottletree next year and you don’t want to miss it. They could blow up soon.
The Beach Boys – You’re Welcome :: I just love this song and this is one of my favorite bands of all time. This one is a B side to the brilliant “Heroes and Villains” single from 1967. It’s also a perfect way to end this mixtape. You’re welcome.
Our roving regional reporter Justin Tidwell begins his new series of playlists based on local, regional & indie artists and upcoming shows. He’ll be bringing updates on bands playing all over the South and highlighting the best concerts every week!
He’s a rabid Auburn fan and kickass Twitterer. Y’all welcome him to the family.
A Lucero fan? Check out his tribute to them playing the ATL over on his blog.
This week, he begins by showing love to artists who’ve played BHAMFM shows in the past: Wess Floyd, American Aquarium & Lauderdale.
It’s an early Christmas for y’all with a sweet tooth for Southern Rock — Arliss Nancy (featured last week on our site), perennial favorites Drive-By Truckers and Alabama boys Fistful of Beard as well as Doc Dailey.
We, the fine people at BHAMFM, are dedicated to expanding your musical horizons by bringing you interviews, album reviews, show reviews, and the occasional non-music-related (but Birmingham-related) item. This month, we are starting a brand new monthly playlist of songs currently spinning on our record players, blasting from our car speakers, or just ruining our hearing in our headphones.
These tracks were hand-picked by some of our staff and our editors. Hopefully by now you are using Spotify, and you will be able to partake in this curated playlist. If not, go look up the songs and listen to them anyway.
Enjoy.
For a while I thought my first post here would be about my hatred of all things Americana. I was going to make a pie chart of clichés versus original phrases in that Lumineers song. I was going to bake an actual pie to illustrate it. I had fake band names by the fedoraful.
And then I thought hey, there’s enough negativity on the Internet already. Let’s talk about something I actually like.
Let’s talk about Basil Poledouris.
You may think you’ve never heard of the guy, but I promise you have (unless you’re Amish or one of the kids from Flowers in the Attic, in which case happy rumspringa or eww, as the case may be). He did the soundtrack for RoboCop. The Hunt for Red October. Starship Troopers. FREE WILLY.
What I want to talk about today, though, is Conan the Barbarian.
Yeah, it’s kind of a weird film. You can trust me on this because I watched it once a year in college. I was in a fraternity, we had a Viking-themed party, it was a whole thing. Anyway, the acting isn’t great, the pacing is odd, and Robert E. Howard nerds will tell you it’s not particularly faithful to the source material.
What’s great about Conan is the music. It should have been a silent movie, and the first part of it, with the slaughter of Conan’s folks and the big wheel and the sex witch, nearly is. If there was a cut with all of the dialogue removed, I would sell it on street corners. It would be operatic. You’d lose Arnold’s accent, James Earl Jones’s phoned-in performance, and that weird undercurrent of misogyny (“you’re all sluts!” and the sex witch being notable examples). You’d keep the grand vistas, a guy who looks built to play Conan, and that guy punching a camel, all accentuated and made transcendent by one of the best film scores ever recorded.
It has everything you like. Big drums, big brass, big choral moments. A piece called “The Orgy.” There are even some quiet parts. The music speaks so eloquently of the grandeur and mystery of the Cimmerian’s quest that it builds a better Conan movie in your head.
It will make everything you do more awesome. And I mean that in the original, undiluted sense of the word.
Listen to it while you mow the grass, and imagine that you are crushing your enemies.
Leave it on in the other room while you’re washing dishes and see their dirt driven before you.
Put it on while you’re leaving snarky comments on some kid’s YouTube video, and hear in it the lamentations of his women.
And watch this video of Conan punching a camel, because seriously, it rules.
birminghamfm.wordpress.com 