Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Flying Lotus


Flying Lotus - Los Angeles [Music Video - HD] from Brendan Sinnott on Vimeo.


This unofficial Flying Lotus video from Brendan Sinnott blends some wonderful scenes from essential Sci-Fi films. Be sure to also check out Bredan's bonus video. Another bonus; Flying Lotus did a 2 hour mix for the BBC1 radio show Essential Mix, which you can download over here.

The sci-fi element reminds of the promo videos Kanye had made for his listening parties for his Graduation album. The one below borrows from 2046 from Wong Kar-wai. I think this version of Flashing Lights was way better than the official video directed by Spike Jonze. Speaking of Spike, do check out the Where the Wild Things Are trailer. It's amazing!


GRADUATION ALBUM LISTENING EXPERIENCE PT. 6 - FLASHING LIGHTS from kwest on Vimeo.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Wild Is The Wind

I finished watching Steven Soderberg's CHE (Parts 1 & 2) at the Bear Tooth, which is a second-run theater/restaurant. The charm to this Anchorage establishment is that you can order REAL food, and it will be delivered to you while the film plays. If you're +21, then you order beer/wine on the first floor. If not, no worries, since you can enjoy the film on the balcony. I kind of prefer the view from the top because it reminds me of watching films on the military base growing up in Hawaii.

The Bear Tooth used to have a better art house selection years ago, but I could only assume management realized that profits were better off by showing more "Hollywood" films. I'm still amazed that people will show up and not know what is playing. All they want to do is eat, drink, and zone out to whatever is on the big screen.

aNWAYs,
Nina Simone's version of "Wild Is The Wind" is a perfect selection for the trailer to Revolutionary Road. It's very haunting, but fits so well. I tried a video search for an actual Nina Simone performance of this song, but no-go, instead I found a pretty cool black and white video of David Bowie tackling "Wild is the Wind."



Saturday, March 21, 2009

The Feeling - Peter Bjorn & John (Matchstick Remix)



DJ Addverse/Matchstick is a DJ/Producer up here in Anchorage, Alaska. He hit me up with his latest remix, which makes its blogsphere debut here on Push Play. He tackles "The Feeling," a Peter Bjorn & John song from their upcoming album. Cheers!

The Feeling - Peter Bjorn & John (Matchstick Remix)

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

I <3 URB Mag

I was going to blog about losing a cd and the pains of music karma, but then I realized there is an easy solution to my conundrum. Back-up your data, and make copies.

When I first really got into music, URB magazine was a fundamental resource. Living in Alaska, you're kind of detached from whatever "scene" is happening and this was right before file-sharing became all the rage. URB filled a void that I desperately needed during my high school years. I still have a box of back issues in my parents home. [Sidenote, it was funny to hear at a lecture the person introducing someone say "featured in U-R-B."] The magazine has been around since the early 90s and the video below helps to explain the history and role of URB as told by the creator Raymond Roker.


Episode 02-Raymond Roker-Hay Fam Show from Hay Fam Show on Vimeo.

URB is still going strong and I have to give props to two recent posts found on their blog that coincidentally give props to Detroit. One is a video on Detroit techno label Underground Resistance, which is right below. The other post is a link to a New York Times article titled "This Band Was Punk Before Punk Was Punk," which pretty much says it all.


Thursday, March 12, 2009

Wow!

I'm drifting away from my usual music-based posts, but it still kind of fits in. There's an awesome music video for the Handsome Fur's song "I'm Confused," which is really cool but not the focus of this entry. Do check out that video, can you ever go wrong with zombies?

Whenever I like a video posted on the internet, I try to check who posted it because often times they'll have other stuff worth watching. The editor to the Handsome Furs is Sarah Marcus, and I don't know much about her, other than she has some videos up on vimeo. I was completely floored by her documentary that's a work in progress. I'm not going say too much about it, other than check it out;


Feature Doc - Work in Progress from Sarah Marcus on Vimeo.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

USC Marching Band W/Radiohead

In February, I watched the Grammys while working on a Sunday. The work was stressful since it was my first time handling a Sunday shift, but we made it happen. Most of the Grammys I didn't care to watch, but sometimes you zone out when the TV's on. During one of the performances, the intern asks "who is this band?" I reply "It's Radiohead." I didn't even know it was them until she asked, and I had to stop and listen to the group. I thought it was cool that they were performing with a marching band, but then my thought was wrecked by the next thing the intern said; "they suck." *sigh* Damn young kids, don't know what's good music. I thought about defending the group, but that didn't happen because I told myself; don't worry, she's young, plus she was home-schooled. Not that I have anything against home-schooling.

Here's a video behind the scenes with the USC marching band;



Here's the actual Grammy performance;

At Home



The Fader visited the Brick Bandits headquarters in New Jersey, and it was really cool to see like-minded creative people excited. Brick Bandits are a collective of club djs/producers spread across the East Coast. Reppin' Jersey, Philly, and Chi-town.

Not necessarily connected, but seeing the Brick Bandits place reminded of MTV cribs. I only liked seeing the musicians homes because all the other famous people's homes were lame. "Hey, look at my fridge...look at my cars..." Yawn! Some of the musicians were also lame, but those were mainly singers. If you were actually a producer or a real musician, then we always got a sneak peek into the creative work place, which was the best part of the show.

I think my favorite cribs were Moby and Redman. Moby had a cool Manhattan spot and was insightful about his home. Such as the irony of having a dinner table that was once a butcher table since he's vegan. Also, a book shelf! Redman had a great sense of humor and I always wondered if he was joking, but I think he was for real and he's a funny dude. "Rub these wires together for the doorbell" or "Everyone needs a money box"

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Beats In Space



I don't remember when I stumbled upon Tim Sweeney's radio show "Beats In Space," but I wish I found it sooner. His website updated last month, and is looking fresh. If you're in New York, then catch it on WNYU 89.1 FM every Tuesday night from 10:30pm to 1:00am. On the web, there's a plethora of archived shows that you can stream or download over here. If you're a fan of LCD Soundsystem or DFA records, then his show is a perfect match for you.


ELSEWHERE;

Speaking of site update, Pitchfork must have updated in the last two weeks and I totally missed it while making the rounds.

I had no idea Jessica Suarez had a blog. I remember her writing in the CMJ monthly and Pitchfork, and totally agreeing with most of her work that I read without even knowing she wrote them until I checked the author.

Stones Throw x Ed Banger Records photos. Plus, ST has the new Savath & Savalas (Prefuse 73's side project) album coming next week.

In case you didn't know, Daft Punk is doing the soundtrack for the sequel Tron 2.0

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Mary Anne Hobbs, I so have a crush on you



Sounds a little creepy whenever somebody admits their crush in public, but it's true. Women with good music taste, instant crush. Then reality hits, not a chance. *sigh* At least we have the music.

Mary Anne Hobbs hosts a radio show over on BBC1, which is pretty amazing. It fulfills that weirdo-electronic taste you didn't know you have. In this video from the wonderful magazine XLR8R, she drops some knowledge on why she's digging some West Coast sounds and the UK scene. Also, big ups to the late John Peel and she rocks a wicked pair of shoes.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

J'adore Paris



The Take-Away Shows over at La Blogotheque is one of the best music video websites you can visit if you haven't done so already. The performances appear really stripped down, and that creates a new level of beauty and intimacy if you're familar with the source material. Even if you're not familar with the songs or artists, you can still appreciate these videos.

I really like the videos shot in Paris because there always seem to be something unexpected that adds a unique quality to the perfomance. Check out Arcade Fire in an elevator or the kids jamming to Menomena. Plus, I've always wanted to visit Paris anyway and these videos just re-enforce my urge to go.

Monday, March 02, 2009

library love


(Photo credit: SomewhereinAK)

Before the Internet made things more accessible by a simple click download, getting good music took a little more savvy. One of the best places to go is the library. We all know that it's the place for books and reading, but I had no idea there was a media section when I was a kid. It blew my mind and I would constantly check out my limit of 5 cds. Near the library exit, there was a discard bin with free magazines and books. Years later as I got into vinyl, it dawned on me that the discard bin was an old wooden record shelf. When the Internet really took off, I kind of abandoned digging through the library cd collection. I still check out books and dvds, and will occasionally read some magazines when I have a couple free hours. It's still a great place to visit, and easily one of my favorite places in Anchorage or any city.