Album Review; The Boxing Lesson - Wild Streaks and Windy Days

The departure of planetarium-esque aesthetics and spacey sound scope from the music industry has fueled a few artists to revel in the now lonely genre. Hell it was lonely before -- the only artists I can think of are Spirit and Pink Floyd -- but now it's a dead zone. There seems to be an unassailable catalog of reasons for this affirmation: one being; if the artist(s) is not Pink Floyd, the audience tends to range in the not give a shit column. And; everyone wants to be Pink Floyd. Either reason leads the listener to detract to a very large extent, unless you only liked Roger Waters and David Gilmour in the first place.

That's the minor feeling attributed to The Boxing Lesson's new album Wild Streaks and Windy Days. The entirety of the twelve tracks, from the opener "Dark Side of the Moog" (ugh) to the instrumental heavy close of the title track, the range The Boxing Lesson could accomplish feels significantly short. It's a diminutive synth heavy record that echoes 'borrowed' or 'old,' and doesn't come forth to any range not before reached. That may be asking a lot, but when your largest influence is Pink Floyd, you're gonna have to bring something larger than this.

That being said, the album does survive with a few bright spots. "Lower," "Muerta," "Scoundrel," and "The Art of Pushing Me Away" all bring out the best in the Boxing Lesson. The atmosphere of guitars and vocal breaches show flashes of promise, but still hold back with the borrowed factor. Yet, as a whole, tracks like, "Dark Side of the Moog," Hopscotch & Sodapop," and "Hanging with the Wrong Crowd" drag Wild Streaks and Windy Days down to an unimpressive hole.

Score: 4.4 out of 10

Wild Streaks and Windy Days is Out Now. Check out The Boxing Lesson Myspace for Further Information about the Band.

New Deerhoof - Fresh Born (Video)

The quirky levels are pretty high when you encounter anything by Deerhoof. Their last two efforts, The Runners Four and Friend Opportunity, stand as some as the most off-kilter work the group, and anyone else for that matter, for the past few years -- with lambasted song structure and minimal vocal interlude, all finding suit to cascade the subtle voice of lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki. Empowerment, in an oddly eclectic sense.

Check out the group's newest video for "Fresh Born" off their forthcoming album, Offend Maggie, out October 7th, via Kill Rock Stars.



Thanks to Shawn Smith for the Video at Radio Exile.

Always Use Star Wars In Real Life

I found an article on Cinematical about some Star Wars slippers that would become useful if I ever was lame enough to wear slippers. It's good enough to look at though and realize that there's someone has the wear-with-all and time to make these.

Posted by Erik Davis at Cinematical.

More Reckoner Remixes

Here's another "Reckoner" remix for you guys from Europe in Colour, sent to me by ... Alt, apparently. Hopefully, a couple hundred more groups will jump on this idea and send me their remixes very soon. I'm thinking about a party and only playing "Reckoner" -- the idea sounds pretty alright, but probably after a half hour or so it'll die and people will want to listen to something else. Like Fergie.

Anyway, here's Europe in Colour's remix. You can check out their Myspace and Facebook groups here too.

Reckoner - Radiohead (Europe in Colour Remix) - Stream

New Music; Wilco and Fleet Foxes - I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan Cover)

A while ago I posted a video of Fleet Foxes and Wilco covering Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" on their current tour, but up until now that's the only thing anyone could find of the two groups working together. Fortunately, they decided to release that performance as an MP3, but only under one condition -- you have to vote. Just follow the link to the website, enter your name and email, along with the pledge to vote in the upcoming presidential election, and you'll be sent the "I Shall Be Released" performance.

Pledge Here Kidz.

New Music; Telefon Tel Aviv - Helen of Troy

Telefon Tel Aviv's 3rd album Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt has been renamed a less recessive Immolate Yourself (really?). The Chicago duo are stilting away, according to Marc Hogan at Pitchfork, "their usual instruments -- and signature attention to micro-edit detail." Their last album, Fahrenheit Fair Enough was a beautiful touch of minimalism and ambient structure, emphatically portrayed their the title track. But, if Hogan's right, I.Y. wont be much of the same joy that Fahrenheit Fair Enough was. You'll have to wait until January 20th to find that out though. In the mean time, here's the first single from the album, "Helen of Troy."

Telefon Tel Aviv - Helen of Troy - MP3

MP3 Posted by Marc Hogan at Pitchforkmedia.

Kanye's Muppet Show

I kid you not, but word from THR.com says that Kanye West and Comedy Central have teamed up to create a show that the network described as, "hip-hop meets the Muppet's." I can finally mark this off my hopes for future list, right after a Brett Ratner unemployment plea.

The project has been set to air next year, and is produced by Mr. West and Rhymefest, alongside Jackhole Production's Daniel Kellison. Plus, the pilot title "Alligator Boots," has already been shot.

So, everyone, get ready for something. I have no idea what this something may be, but get ready for it incidentally.

Michael Moore's Slacker Uprising

Michael Moore's newest documentary, Slacker Uprising, is now free for all to watch at the movie's website. Enjoy!

New Music; The Killers - Human

I'm kinda nit-picky about Brandon Flowers and The Killers considering I really only like their singles and not so much their albums (Sam's Town is awful, really). And even with their singles, I kinda only really like two of them ("All These Things That I've Done," and "When You Were Young.") I guess you would say I don't really like them ... damn ... oh well, check out their new single "Human" from their upcoming album "Day & Age."

Sorry to bring you guys down.

The Killers - Human - MP3

Thanks to Shawn Smith at Radio Exile for posting the MP3.