The Big Beat

DOWNLOAD The Big Beat 'cast 42

2012-02-10T08:19:00.000-06:00

Here's this past week's show, available as a download for a limited time only. Access the stream and view the tracklisting here.

TODAY: Amazing Radio

2012-02-09T03:44:00.000-06:00

It's Thursday, so it's my turn behind the mic on Amazing Radio. I'll be spinning two hours of new music from emerging artists tonight from 10p GMT. That's 5p ET, 4p CT, etc. (Yes, in the UK I'm on "from" 10 while in the US I'm on "at 5. Two countries divided by a common language. Oddly, I can understand and argue for both uses).

This week, I'm playing ERRORS, BETH JEANS HOUGHTON, THE KABEEDIES, MERCY, SPEECH DEBELLE, SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS, LOVE INKS, CULTFEVER, PHILCO FICTION, and lots of artists you've not heard me play on TBB. So, is it worth your time to hear both my Amazing show in addition to TBB? Hells Yeah, it is!

If for some reason you miss it, I'll post the archived audio & tracklisting here within a few days.

Amazing Radio is heard throughout the UK on DAB (similar to HD Radio in the States, but infinitely more widely accepted), Worldwide at amazingradio.co.uk, and time-shifted to all 4 US Time Zones at amazingradio.com.

LISTEN: The Big Beat 'cast 42

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

Nearly a dozen artists make their first appearance in the 'cast this week including ANDREW BIRD, BEACH FOSSILS, SCUBA, BARRY ADAMSON, ADMIRAL FALLOW, ROYAL BATHS, THE MARY ONETTES, FRANKIE ROSE, FAST YEARS, KINNIE THE EXPLORER, and M.I.A. My Wild Card pick is from another artist that’s probably never been heard on DIY Radio before. They just released their first album in nearly 15 years. I hope you'll listen to find out who it is. Just press play & let 'er rip.

By the way, if you ever want to listen to a previous TBB show, hit the DIY Radio link on the upper right side of the page. The last 6 months worth of shows are there. You can also look at my KUT playlists (no archived audio, sorry) and coming soon, I'll try to have all of my Amazing Radio shows stored in one place. Until then, just look for 'em on the blog.

On another note, The Big Beat Facebook page just passed 400 'Likes'. Thank You!

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (7th February 2012) by Diy on Mixcloud

BLEECH "Mondays" (n/a), video

ANDREW BIRD "Eyeoneye" (Mom + Pop), from Break It Yourself

LANA DEL REY "National Anthem" (Interscope), from Born To Die

TEEN DAZE "Brooklyn Sunburn" (Lefse), from All Of Us, Together
M.I.A. "Bad Girls" (Interscope), single
PHLO FINISTER "Bang Bang" (Yolo), from Crown Gold EP
WILD NOTHING "Nowhere" (Captured Tracks), single
ADMIRAL FALLOW "Beetle In The Box" (Nettwerk), from Tree Bursts In Snow
NIGHT FRUIT "Dark Horse" (Forty Four Distro), single
SCUBA "Flash Addict" (Hotflash), from "The Hope" single
THE MARY ONETTES "Love’s Taking Strange Ways" (Labrador), from Love Forever
MOZART PARTIES "Where Has Everybody Gone?" (self-released), from Memory Thunderstorm EP

DE STAAT "Ah, I See" (Mascot), from Machinery

CURXES "Haunted Gold" (self-released), single
SWISS LIPS "U Got The Power" (self-released), single
FAST YEARS "Young Heart" (self-released), single
KINNIE THE EXPLORER "Scissor Dance" (Alcohol), from Kinnie The Explorer
ARTHUR BEATRICE "What We Hoped To Achieve" (self-released), n/a (TBB coverage)
FRANKIE ROSE "Night Swim" (Slumberland), from Interstellar
ROYAL BATHS "Faster, Harder" (Kanine), from Better Luck Next Life
-> Mike's Wild Card Pick of the Week <-

THE 2 BEARS "Work" (DFA), from Be Strong (video)

MAGAZINE "Hello Mister Curtis (With Apologies)" (Wire-Sound), from No Thyself
BARRY ADAMSON "Black Holes In My Brain" (Central Control), from I Will Set You Free
ALABAMA SHAKES "Hold On" (ATO), from Boys & Girls
->Super Double Super Secret Wild Card Pick of the Week<-
BEACH FOSSILS "Shallow" (Captured Tracks), single

Music via: Pitchfork, Side One: Track One, Indieball, The Last Python, Largehearted Boy, The Pop Cop, Stereogum

Hear The Big Beat on DIY Radio Today

2012-02-07T01:52:00.001-06:00

It's Tuesday, so that must mean another two hours of quality new music from yours truly on DIY Radio starting at 4pm Eastern, 3p Central & 2100 GMT. As ever, I'm excited to spin you a bunch of tunes that I think you need to check out, and this week's no different.

A dozen artists make their premiere this week including ANDREW BIRD, BEACH FOSSILS, SCUBA, BARRY ADAMSON, WILD NOTHING, ADMIRAL FALLOW, ROYAL BATHS, THE MARY ONETTES, FRANKIE ROSE, FAST YEARS, KINNIE THE EXPLORER, and M.I.A. My Wild Card pick is from another artist that’s probably never been heard on DIY Radio before. They just released their first album in nearly 15 years. I hope you'll listen to find out who it is.

I'll post the Listen Again archive of the show and tracklisting tomorrow, and the download of the show within a few days.

DOWNLOAD The Big Beat 'cast 41

2012-02-06T09:14:00.000-06:00

Here's this past week's show, available as a download for a limited time only. Access the stream and view the tracklisting here.

LISTEN: Amazing Radio (2 February)

2012-02-06T05:00:00.001-06:00

If you missed my show on Amazing Radio the other night, check out the archived audio and tracklisting right here. I'm on every Thursday 'from' 10p GMT and 'at' 4p ET & 3p CT. It’s a new kind of radio where everything you hear is sourced entirely from the companion site Amazing Tunes, where artists get 100% of the download revenues. It’s definitely the first one where all the music comes from new and emerging artists. And, just so you know, there are no commercial advertisements.

If you're an artist: to have a chance of airplay on Amazing Radio, go to Amazing Tunes and create a user account. Read and agree to the Terms and Conditions, then upload as many songs as you want as MP3s. It has to be new music and you have to own it.

Some really terrific stuff this week. I didn't care much for TENNIS' debut record beyond the first single but this new, Patrick Carney produced disc is promising. FAST YEARS is a new Brooklyn band and if their debut single is any indication, they should earn some of the buzz Howler is getting at the moment. There a bunch of emerging UK bands that might be new to you: CURXES' new tune has a gothic, retro vibe that fans of Siouxsie should dig; THEME PARK sounds like they've got a a few Talking Heads records in their collection; and then there's KINNIE THE EXPLORER's psychedelic ambient rock. Hit play to listen, and let me know what you think.

TEAM ME "Dear Sister" (Propeller), from To The Treetops
TENNIS "Origins" (Fat Possum), from Young and Old
FAST YEARS "Young Heart" (self-released), single
KINNIE THE EXPLORER "Scissor Dance" (Alcohol), from Kinnie The Explorer
THEME PARK "Milk" (Luv Luv Luv), single (video)

FIRST AID KIT "Emmylou" (Wichita), from The Lion's Roar

SIMIAN GHOST "Wolf Girl" (Heist Or Hit), from Youth (video)
ZULU WINTER "We Should Be Swimming" (PIAS), single (stream)
THE ABC CLUB "Thieving Magpie" (Things To Make and Do), single
ARRANGE "Sun Showers" (JUKBOXR), from Five Years With The Sun EP
SPOTLIGHT KID "Plan Comes Apart" (Tri-Tone), from Disaster Tourist (video)
CURXES "Haunted Gold" (self-released), tbd
QUADRILLES "Gong Hey Fat Choi" (self-released), free download (video)
WET PAINT "Gone So Long" (Records Records Records), from Woe

BLEECH "Mondays" (n/a), video

DAUGHTER "Run" (demo) (self-released), demo
ERRORS "Tusk" (Rock Action), from Have Some Faith In Magic
SHEARWATER "Breaking The Yearlings" (Sub Pop), from Animal Joy
DEVIN "You’re Mine" (Frenchkiss), from You're Mine EP
PLAITUM "She Speaks Spanish" (self-released), free download
BRETON "Interference" (edit) (FatCat), from Other People's Problems
MMOTHS "Heart" (feat. Keep Shelly In Athens) (SQE), from Mmoths EP
APPLE RABBITS "I Could Not Care Less" (Kilburn State), from Kilburn State
SARAH WILLIAMS WHITE "Hide The Cracks" (Strangers remix) (self-released), free download
CORRIDOR "Pieces of Work" (Manimal Vinyl), from Real Late
NEW LOOK "Nap On The Bow" (!K7), from New Look

BLONDES "Wine" (RVNG Intl.), from Blondes

Music via: Earmilk, Electric Panda Music, mu-sique, The Burning Ear, The Music Wins, Austin Town Hall

LISTEN: The Big Beat 'cast 41

2012-01-31T20:14:00.001-06:00

18 artists debut on this week’s show including BRETON, BEAR DRIVER, BLEECH, BLEACHED (it’s a good week for the letter B), LADYHAWKE, DEVIN, EXITMUSIC, PORCELAIN RAFT, DE STAAT, DU NORD, POLIḈA, and CHARLOTTE & MAGON. Veterans FIELD MUSIC, THE MAGNETIC FIELDS, and SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS are back with new music, along with the first new song from SAINT ETIENNE in 7 years. My Wild Card Pick this week might surprise you - the artist has a connection to the guy in the picture. Press play to listen and find out.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (31st January 2012) by Diy on Mixcloud

SWISS LIPS "U Got The Power" (self-released), single

BOS ANGELES "Wild Things I Did Before" (Melodic), from Hearing Aid Vol. 2 (free download)

DEVIN "You’re Mine" (Frenchkiss), from You're Mine EP

DISCLOSURE "Tenderly" (Make Mine), from "Tenderly" / "Flow" single

SAINT ETIENNE "Tonight" (self-released), (stream)

DJANGO DJANGO "Default" (Because), from Django Django

DE STAAT "Ah, I See" (Mascot), from Machinery

BEAR DRIVER "Never Never" (Adventure Club), from "Never Never" / "Let The Club" single

PLAITUM "Late Night TV" (self-released), free download (TBB coverage)

POLIḈA "Lay Your Cards Out" (Totally Gross National Product), from Give You The Ghost

BLEACHED "You Take Time" (Art Fag), from Carter 7"

BLEECH "Mondays" (n/a), video

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS "Andrew In Drag" (Merge), from Love at the Bottom of the Sea

FRIENDS "Friends Crush" (Lucky Number), single (video)

PORCELAIN RAFT "Unless You Speak From Your Heart" (Secretly Canadian), from Strange Weekend

SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS "Lafaye" (Vagrant), from Ghostory

SHEARWATER "Breaking The Yearlings" (Sub Pop), from Animal Joy

DU NORD "The Sunset" (self-released), free download

CHARLOTTE & MAGON "The Mining" (n/a), from Life Factory (video)

FIELD MUSIC "A New Town" (Memphis Industries), from Plumb

BLONDES "Wine" (RVNG Intl.), from Blondes

FIRST AID KIT "Emmylou" (Wichita), from The Lion's Roar

-> Mike's Wild Card Pick of the Week <-

BRETON "The Commission" (FatCat), from Other People's Problems (video)

EXITMUSIC "The Modern Age" (Secretly Canadian), from From Silence EP

LADYHAWKE "Black White & Blue" (Modular), from Anxiety

LIGHTOUTS "The Official Ironmen Rally Song" (self-released), from The Cure For Shyness EP

MAX & GABRIELLE "Lights" (self-released), free download

Music via: Brooklyn Vegan, Musigh, Listen Before You Buy, Rollo & Grady, Chromewaves, Largehearted Boy, Tell All Your Friends, La Nueva Escuela,

LISTEN: My Amazing Radio Debut (27 January)

2012-01-27T09:16:00.008-06:00

If you missed my first show on Amazing Radio yesterday, fear not. Here's the archived audio and tracklisting of the show. I'm unsure how long this'll remain online but I'll find out and post the info.

For my debut I pulled a ton of great tracks, all from the Amazing Tunes site, stuff I've not played on TBB for DIY Radio: ERRORS, 2:54, BRETON, ZULU WINTER, MILK MAID. Plus, as a way of introducing myself to the Amazing audience, I spun a handful of favorites from the last few years just to give 'em an idea of what this new, funny soundin' guy was like. Hear it live on Amazing Thursdays from 10p GMT, 5p ET, 4p CT & 2p PT.

DJANGO DJANGO "Default" (Because), from Django Django

ERRORS "Pleasure Palaces" (Rock Action), from Have Some Faith In Magic (video)

FRIENDS "Friends Crush" (Lucky Number), single (video)
WILD FLAG "Romance" (Merge), from Wild Flag
FANTASY RAINBOW "Cool Ridge" (Tiny Lights), from Teens EP (video)
ZULU WINTER "We Should Be Swimming" (PIAS), single (stream)
SHEARWATER "Breaking The Yearlings" (Sub Pop), from Animal Joy
MAX & GABRIELLE "Lights" (self-released), free download
I BREAK HORSES "Winter Beats" (Bella Union), from Hearts
ALT-J "Fitzpleasure" (self-released), download
BRETON "The Commission" (FatCat), from Other People's Problems (video)
SKY LARKIN "Molten" (Wichita), from The Golden Spike (video)

WE HAVE BAND "Watertight" (Naive), from Ternion

BLONDES "Wine" (RVNG Intl.), from Blondes
PLAITUM "Temptress" (self-released), free download (TBB coverage)
POOR MOON "People In Her Mind" (Sub Pop), from Illusion EP
CLOUD NOTHINGS "Hey Cool Kid" (Carpark), from Turning On
THOSE DANCING DAYS "Those Dancing Days" (Wichita), from In Our Space Hero Suits (video)
TEAM ME "With My Hands Covering Both of My Eyes I Am Too Scared To Have a Look At You Now" (Propeller), from To The Treetops
AIR CASTLES "Falling To Pieces" (Winter Hymns), single (stream)
WORK DRUGS "Swimmer Girl" (self-released), from Aurora Lies (video)
SPOTLIGHT KID "Plan Comes Apart" (Tri-Tone), from Disaster Tourist (video)
MILK MAID "Not Me" (FatCat), from Yucca (video)
MILAGRES "Glowing Mouth" (Kill Rock Stars), from Glowing Mouth
2:54 "Scarlet" (Fiction). from Scarlet EP (video)

STILL CORNERS "Endless Summer" (Sub Pop), from Creatures Of An Hour

YOUTH LAGOON "Cannons" (Fat Possum), from The Year of Hibernation
DUM DUM GIRLS "Bedroom Eyes" (Sub Pop), from Only In Dreams

Tracks via: Pitchfork, Epitonic

DOWNLOAD The Big Beat 'cast 40

2012-01-27T00:29:00.001-06:00

Here's this week's show, available as a download for a limited time only. Access the stream and view the tracklisting here. Those of you scoring home may have noticed that the download for TBB 39 hasn't been posted yet. I'm planning to retool the production of that one, and will get it up as soon as possible.

You Heard It Here First: Mike Taylor joins Amazing Radio

2012-01-25T12:49:00.010-06:00

It's with great pride to announce that your Humble Curator will be hosting a weekly show on Amazing Radio. The two-hour program airs Thursdays from 10p GMT, 5p ET & 4p CT starting tomorrow. This won't interfere with my work for KUT and DIY Radio so if you like hearing me and the music I play, well, there's just more to love.

Amazing Radio is based in Gateshead, England, and available throughout the UK on DAB (digital) and online worldwide. Amazing is the only national UK radio station dedicated exclusively to playing new and emerging music and my friends, that is no joke.

Amazing Radio is affiliated with Amazing Tunes, where music lovers can stream songs uploaded to the site, create playlists, buy music and grab free downloads. Artists can upload their music and keep 100% of all sales profits. Registration is super easy. It'll take just a second, so go there right now and do it.

Each of my shows will not only be archived but you can listen to the station on a time-shifted basis from each US time zone. I'll embed each show's archive here on the blog shortly after they're available, or you can visit my page on the Amazing site and stream it from there. Believe me when I say there's a lot to like and I know you will.

As with KUT & DIY, I'm honored be joining a lineup full of fantastic music radio people, all known for their keen ear for discovering and presenting new, exciting sounds. I hope you'll listen.

LISTEN: The Big Beat 'cast 40

2012-01-25T04:00:00.001-06:00

I've made it to 40 Beat'casts with this week's show. That's worthy of a celebratory drink, wouldn't you say? Have to admit, back in the day me and the boys used to play quarters with oh-so-deadly Olde English 800. Charcoal Filtered, yo! But it was either that or Mickey's Big Mouths, Robin Hood Cream Ale or other fine swill we youngins could pick up. Needless to say, I practiced getting good at sinking that quarter. Anyways...cheers.

This week, I’m spinning 10 artists for the first time including MIND SPIDERS, TINY VICTORIES, BLONDES, POOR MOON, & SANTIGOLD (U.S.A.); BUILDINGS, SWISS LIPS, and VIRALS (U.K.); FIRST AID KIT (Sweden), and ALPINE (Australia). I’ll give spins to the latest from GRIMES, HOWLER, ALT-J, NICOLAS JAAR, SIMIAN GHOST, LOWER DENS and AIR. Plus, new music from (putting it politely) veterans THE FALL and MAGAZINE, their first release in 30 years!

And don’t miss my Wild Card Pick of the Week, where I’ll dip into my personal collection to play something a little out of the norm. This time, it's the debut single from one of my very favorite bands, released 35 years ago this March. Think you know it? I hope you'll listen and find out. Bottoms up!

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (24th January 2012) by Diy on Mixcloud

WORK DRUGS "Swimmer Girl" (self-released), from Aurora Lies (video)
SIMIAN GHOST "Wolf Girl" (Heist Or Hit), from Youth (video)
GRIMES "Genesis" (4AD), from Visions
MIND SPIDERS "Wait For Us" (Dirtnap), from Meltdown
-> Mike's Wild Card Pick of the Week <-
HOWLER "Back of Your Neck" (Rough Trade), from America Give Up
FIRST AID KIT "Emmylou" (Wichita), from The Lion's Roar
FANTASY RAINBOW "Cool Ridge" (Tiny Lights), from Teens EP (video)
SANTIGOLD "Big Mouth" (Downtown/Atlantic), from Master Of My Make-Believe
SWISS LIPS "U Got The Power" (self-released), single
POOR MOON "People In Her Mind" (Sub Pop), from Illusions EP
YOUTH LAGOON "Cannons" (Fat Possum), from The Year of Hibernation
BUILDINGS "Eyes On Sunrise" (Tall Story), single
ALT-J "Fitzpleasure" (self-released), download
LOWER DENS "Brains" (Ribbon), from Nootropics
VIRALS "Magic Happens" (Sexbeat), single (free download)
FRIENDS "Friends Crush" (Lucky Number), single (video)
TINY VICTORIES "Lost Weekend" (self-released), from Those of Us Still Alive
TEAM ME "With My Hands Covering Both of My Eyes I Am Too Scared To Have a Look At You Now" (Propeller), from To The Treetops
WE HAVE BAND "Where Are Your People?" (Naive), from Ternion (free album sampler)
MAGAZINE "Do The Meaning" (Wire-Sound), from No Thyself
THE FALL "Taking Off" (Cherry Red), from Ersatz G.B.
SHARON VAN ETTEN "Serpents" (Jagjaguwar), from Tramp
BLONDES "Business" (RVNG), from Blondes
AIR (feat. Victoria Legrande) "Seven Stars" (Astralwerks), from Le Voyage Dans La Luna
ALPINE "Hands" (Ivy League), single (video)
NICOLAS JAAR (feat. Scout Larue) "With Just One Glance You" (self-released), free download

Music via: The Last Python, Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good, mu-sique, Amazing Tunes, We All Want Someone To Shout For, This Is Fake DIY,

LISTEN: The Big Beat 'cast 39

2012-01-18T05:00:00.001-06:00

There's 29 tunes stuffed into this week’s show and yet, I still found time to talk a bit. I’m playing 14 artists for the first time including THE 2 BEARS, HOWLER, ALT-J, NICOLAS JAAR, BEAR IN HEAVEN, GRACE WOODROOFE, PLANNINGTOROCK, PHLO FINISTER, THE BIG SLEEP, DEATH RATTLE, THE COUCH and AZEALIA BANKS, who finally released a tune clean enough for me to play. Hear the return of THE SHINS and A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS; plus I’ll revisit records by GIRL IN A COMA, ST. LUCIA, FLORENCE + THE MACHINE and ALABAMA SHAKES. My Wild Card Pick this week is from a band that, seemingly, drew up the blueprint for HOWLER. At least I think so. Think you know ‘em? Press play to listen and find out.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (17th January 2012) by Diy on Mixcloud

THE 2 BEARS "Work" (DFA), from Be Strong (video)

PHLO FINISTER "Bang Bang" (Yolo), from Crown Gold EP (free download)

THE SHINS "Simple Song" (Columbia), from Port of Marrow

FRACTURES "Nicotine" (self-released), free download

WE HAVE BAND "Watertight" (Naive), from Ternion

NICOLAS JAAR "With Just One Glance You" (self-released), free download

ALT-J "Tessellate" (self-released), free download

GIRL IN A COMA "Adjust" (Blackheart), from Exits & All The Rest

BEAR IN HEAVEN "The Reflection of You" (Dead Oceans/Hometapes), from I Love You, It's Cool

PLAITUM "Temptress" (self-released), free download (TBB coverage)

ST. LUCIA "We Got It Wrong" (HeavyRoc), from single

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS "So Far Away" (Dead Oceans), from Onwards To The Wall EP

OF MONTREAL "Dour Percentage" (Polyvinyl), from Paralytic Stalks

GRACE WOODROOFE "Transformer" (Modular/Fontana), from Always Want

GUIDED BY VOICES "Spiderfighter" (GBV, Inc.), from Let's Go Eat The Factory

PLANNINGTOROCK "My Valuable Hunting Knife" (DFA), from DFA Holiday 2011 Compilation

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE "Lover To Lover" (Universal Republic), from Ceremonials

THE BIG SLEEP "Ace" (Frenchkiss), from Nature Experiments

-> Mike's Wild Card Pick of the Week <-

HOWLER "Back To The Grave" (Rough Trade), from Give Up America

LANA DEL REY "National Anthem" (Interscope), from Born To Die

VICTORIES AT SEA "Future Gold" (self-released), single (video)

THE COUCH "The Way You Came" (self-released), from Old & Touchin' Blue

ARTHUR BEATRICE "What We Hoped To Achieve" (self-released), n/a (TBB coverage)

SIMIAN GHOST "Wolf Girl" (Heist Or Hit), from Youth (video)

ALABAMA SHAKES "You Ain't Alone" (self-released), from Alabama Shakes EP

DJANGO DJANGO "Default" (Because), from Django Django

AZEALIA BANKS "NEEDSUMLUV (SXLND)" (self-released), free download

DEATH RATTLE "The Dig" (self-released), free download (video)

Music via: Pick Up The Headphones, Pitchfork, ACE, GIMME TINNITUS, Fluxblog, The Last Python

HEAR / NOW: Phlo Finister

2012-01-17T10:26:00.010-06:00

Phlo Finister | "BANG BANG" from 3qtr on Vimeo.

20 year old Elijah 'Phlo' Finister was born in Oakland to a half Portuguese, half black mother and an Irish father. Moving to L.A. as a child, she started singing in the church choir where her grandfather was pastor and took to modeling after dropping out of high school her junior year.

She met influential industry insiders after working as a stylist for artists on Def Jam and as an editor for the urban fashionista mag Persona.

Although influenced musically by R&B stars Aaliyah (see the video for "Shades" below) & TLC as well as classic rock (check her take on The Doors' "Riders On The Storm"), it's Finister's striking looks and fashion sense that really give her the total star package.

She's immersed herself in trying to revive the Youthquake movement of the '60s, when waifish models like Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton and Edie Sedgwick used Swingin' London as their daytime workplace and nighttime playground. It stands to reason then that even for a West Coast girl, she has a connection to the British capital, even shooting the stylish (of course) video for her take on the Cher hit "Bang Bang" (above) there.

Debut CD Silver Hill came out last year to little fanfare but she's faring a better with her follow-up, the Crown Gold EP, available as a free download.

DOWNLOAD The Big Beat 'cast 38

2012-01-13T07:50:00.001-06:00

Act now while supplies last! This show will available as a download for a limited time only. Access the stream and view the tracklisting here.

LISTEN: The Big Beat 'cast 38

2012-01-12T05:19:00.001-06:00

...And Leon's getting LAAAAAAAAAAARGER!

I think you, like me, were ready to put 2011 in the rear view and move forward. This week, I've got two dozen new tunes for you. So much for a starting the year slowly. I’m spinning 13 artists for the first including FOE, TEAM ME, BOY (actually, two girls), U.S. GIRLS (actually, one girl), ARTHUR BEATRICE, FRACTURES, WOOWOOS, FAMILY OF THE YEAR and COUCHERON. I’ll also play you the latest from OF MONTREAL, WE HAVE BAND and THE TWILIGHT SAD. Plus, It girl LANA DEL REY, DAUGHTER, PAPER CROWS and THE BLACK KEYS. And don’t miss my Wild Card Pick of the Week, where I’ll dip into my personal collection to play something a little out of the norm. Press play to start the show.

Sorry for being a day late on posting this. I hope it's worth the wait. And speaking of waiting, I've got some pretty cool news to share in the next week or so. Watch this space.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (10th January 2012) by Diy on Mixcloud

HOSPITALITY "Betty Wang" (Merge), from Hospitality
THE TWILIGHT SAD "Another Bed" (Fatcat), from No One Can Ever Know
LANA DEL REY "National Anthem" (Interscope), from Born To Die
FOE "One Man Down" (Mercury), from Bad Dream Hotline
OF MONTREAL "Dour Percentage" (Polyvinyl), from Paralytic Stalks
MAX & GABRIELLE "Lights" (self-released), free download
BOY "This Is The Beginning" (Grönland), from Mutual Friends (free download)
ARTHUR BEATRICE "What We Hoped To Achieve" (self-released), n/a (TBB coverage)
FAMILY OF THE YEAR "St. Croix" (tinyOGRE), from St. Croix EP
PAPER CROWS "Cloudbusting" (self-released), free download
REHEARSED LIVING "Hurdles" (self-released), from Rehearsed Living (free download)
COUCHERON "Outrageous (Original mix)" (Big Beat), from Coucheron EP
CHARLES BRADLEY "Stay Away" (Daptone), from No Time For Dreaming [expanded]
THE BLACK KEYS "Gold On The Ceiling" (Nonesuch), from El Camino
WOOWOOS "Fizzy Lettuce" (Moshi Moshi), single
LA SERA "Please Be My Third Eye" (Hardly Art), from Sees The Light
GUIDED BY VOICES "The Unsinkable Fats Domino" (GBV, Inc.), from Let's Go Eat The Factory
FRACTURES "Nicotine" (self-released), free download
PLAITUM "Late Night TV" (self-released), free download (TBB coverage)
Mike's Wild Card Pick of the Week
DAUGHTER "Youth" (Communion), from The Wild Youth EP
MINT JULEP "Why Don't We" (Village Green), from Save Your Season (video)
U.S. GIRLS "Island Song" (KRAAK), from U.S. Girls on KRAAK
WE HAVE BAND "Watertight" (Naive), from Ternion
GRIMES "Genesis" (Arbutus), from Visions
TEAM ME "With My Hands Covering Both of My Eyes I Am Too Scared To Have a Look At You Now" (Propeller), from To The Treetops

Music via Austin Town Hall, Pitchfork, Sunset In The Rearview, The 405, The Mahogany Blog, Spinner, Something For All of Us, The Steam Engine, The Guardian Music Blog, Faronheit, The Muse In Music

DOWNLOAD The Big Beat 'cast 37

2012-01-09T06:58:00.001-06:00

Here's the download of last week's show, all in one file. I've been splitting them into two easy-to-burn-onto-one-disc portions but how many of you really do that (any more)? If it'll just be played back from your computer or mobile device, now you can enjoy it in all its connected splendor, the way it was intended to be. No flipping to side two needed....

BTW, I've got a stellar new show for you this week. Tune into DIY Radio tomorrow at 4p ET, 3p CT (2100 GMT) to hear nearly two dozen new tunes and new bands, including FOE, BOY, WOOWOOS, REHEARSED LIVING, LA SERA, MAX & GABRIELLE, FRACTURES, TEAM ME, WE HAVE BAND, MINT JULEP and DAUGHTER to name but a few.

HEAR / NOW: Arthur Beatrice

2012-01-06T10:51:00.005-06:00

One song.

For me, that's all it takes. Give me one song from a new band that rings my bell, blows my mind, etc., and I'm smitten. And if I'm that taken, I don't need to wait for more. I'm off to the web to learn who/what/when/where and so on. Thanks to my friend Giselle, I was directed to ARTHUR BEATRICE. Boy, what a good call.

A quartet from London with absolutely zero releases to date, names like The Sundays, The Smiths, and The xx have popped up in coverage and for starters, those are reasonable touchstones to toss out. As you can tell from their site, they're keeping their cards pretty close to the chest. Still shrouded in mystery, they don't have much for anyone to go on. At all. Paul Lester's excellent New Band Of The Day column squeezed out about everything that's known about the group. But this performance video of "What We Hoped To Achieve" should be all you need. It's all I needed.

What We Hoped To Achieve (Recorded Live at Flesh + Bone) from ululation on Vimeo.

They're SXSW-bound so hopefully some music will appear prior to that. In any event, when I get more from Arthur Beatrice, you'll hear more. It could turn out that they'll be - indeed - golden in 2012.

HEAR / NOW: Plaitum

2012-01-05T09:18:00.010-06:00

In 2012, I'm going to try to blog more regularly about a particular artist or release (new or old) that I think's worthy of greater attention. Mind you, I load up every Beat'cast with bunches of 'em but realize that sometimes a larger spotlight is needed to really draw your focus. First up then is PLAITUM, a duo from Colchester, England: Abi Dersiley and Matt Canham.

They've described themselves as Witchhouse/Dub/Electronica/??? on their Facebook page and as muddled and uncertain as that may seem, it's actually not too far off. For the most part, the dreamy and at-times-spooky vocals are buried under a deep, dark layer of synthesizers. The duo's been adding music to their Soundcloud page pretty regularly for the last few months.

The creeping "District" was featured on the Beat'cast in October (TBB 28) and new song "Late Night TV" was dropped into the mix last week (TBB 37). That one, my friends, is a tune! It's been rockin' my world and have had it on repeat ever since. What's more is the downtempo "Temptress", a delightfully surprising turn that shows a softer, more delicate side of the pair. Now, this may sound like an awful comparison but for the old-timers especially, they remind me of the Kelli Ali-era Sneaker Pimps of the mid/late 90's, albeit all updated for 2012, and I'm quite OK with that. Hear 'em now, because some label's surely gonna come along to sign 'em up....any minute now.

LISTEN: The Big Beat 'cast 37

2012-01-04T04:00:00.004-06:00

Unless you’re still nostalgic for 2011, let’s move forward with a bunch of new music on 2012’s first edition of The Big Beat 'cast. This week, I’m spinning 16 artists for the first time including DOLDRUMS, WORK DRUGS, MOZART PARTIES, BEN KWELLER, DR. DOG, VICTORIES AT SEA, MINT JULEP and more. Plus, I’m launching a new feature: my Wild Card Pick of the Week, where I’ll dip into my personal collection to play something a little out of the norm. This week’s selection is a stone cold classic. Press play to start the show.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (3rd January 2012) by Diy on Mixcloud

DOLDRUMS "I’m Homesick Sittin’ Up Here In My Satellite" (No Pain In Pop)
MINT JULEP "Aviary" (Village Green), from Save Your Season (video)
MOZART PARTIES "Where Has Everybody Gone?" (self-released), from Memory Thunderstorm EP
DR. DOG "That Old Black Hole" (Anti), from Be The Void
FOLKS "Skull and Bones" (Big Flame), from I See Cathedrals
BEN KWELLER "Jealous Girl" (The Noise Company), from Go Fly a Kite
NERVES JUNIOR "As Bright As Your Night Light" (sonaBLAST!), from As Bright As Your Night Light
VICTORIES AT SEA "Future Gold" (self-released), single (video)
GOTYE "Smoke and Mirrors" (Universal Republic), from Making Mirrors
THE BAMBOOS FEAT. MEGAN WASHINGTON "The Wilhelm Scream" (Tru Thoughts), single
WORK DRUGS "Swimmer Girl" (self-released), from Aurora Lies (video)
FANTASY RAINBOW "Cool Ridge" (Tiny Lights), from Teens EP (video)
NIGHT FRUIT "Dark Horse" (Forty Four Distro), single
MAX & GABRIELLE "Lights" (self-released), free download
Mike’s Wild Card Pick of the Week
JUST AN ANIMAL "Kamikaze" (self-released), from Lonely Hunter
TRAILER TRASH TRACYS "You Wish You Were Red" (Double Six / Domino), from Ester (video)
FOTOSHOP "Becoming Zen" (self-released), from Lifeforms
SOLA ROSA FEAT. IVA LAMKUM "Turn Around" (Melting Pot), from Get It Together
FEAR OF MEN "Doldrums"(self-released), from Alice Munro Demos
THE HISTORY OF APPLE PIE "Mallory" (Rough Trade), single (video)
THE ABC CLUB "Get Set Go" (MAP), free download (EPK)
PLAITUM "Late Night TV" (self-released), free download
REHEARSED LIVING "Hurdles" (self-released), free download
TOY CAMERA "Tall Trees" (self-released), from Blissful Youth EP (video)

Music via: Over Muziek, Austin Town Hall, Faronheit, Buzzbands LA, Tympanogram, Altered Zones (R.I.P.), A New Band A Day, Indie Here

The Big Beat 'cast 36: Wrapping Up 2011

2011-12-27T08:46:00.001-06:00

My final Big Beat 'cast aired last week on DIY Radio so if you missed it, here it is. It's my final look back at 2011, spinning a few more of my favorite tunes of the year. But after spending a few weeks doing nothing but looking back, I’d been itching to get back to playing new music so I’ve sprinkled in newly released tunes from SLEIGH BELLS, DAJANGO DJANGO, SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS, HEARTLESS BASTARDS, a brilliant James Blake cover by THE BAMBOOS and more. Thanks to everyone for listening to and supporting The Big Beat in 2011. I hope you had a Merry Christmas and will have a safe and Happy New Year. I’ll be back next week with a brand new show loaded with more new music.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (20th December 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART "Belong" (Slumberland), from Belong
SLEIGH BELLS "Born To Lose" (Mom + Pop), from Reign Of Terror
HIGH PLACES "Year Off" (Thrill Jockey), from Original Colors
DJANGO DJANGO "Default" (Because), from Django Django
HEARTLESS BASTARDS "Parted Ways" (Partisan), from Arrow
NEKO CASE & NICK CAVE "She’s Not There" (WaterTower), from True Blood, Vol. 3
THE FIELD "It’s Up There" (Kompakt), from Looping State of Mind
MILAGRES "Glowing Mouth" (Kill Rock Stars), from Glowing Mouth
THE WHIP "Movement" (Southern Fried), from Wired Together
SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS "The Night" (Vagrant / Ghostly), from Ghostory
MEMORYHOUSE "The Kids Were Wrong" (Sub Pop), from The Slideshow Effect
LINDI ORTEGA "All My Friends" (Last Gang), from Little Red Boots
ICEAGE "White Rune" (What's Your Rupture?), from New Brigade
SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS "Ain’t No Chimneys in the Projects" (Daptone), single
ANNA CALVI "I’ll Be Your Man" (Domino), from Anna Calvi (SPIN performance video)
JAMES BLAKE "Limit To Your Love" (Universal Republic), from James Blake
THE BAMBOOS FEAT. MEGAN WASHINGTON "The Wilhelm Scream" (Tru Thoughts), single
THE HISTORY OF APPLE PIE "Mallory" (Rough Trade), single (video)
THE GO! TEAM "Buy Nothing Day" (Memphis Industries), from Rolling Blackouts
PJ HARVEY "The Words That Maketh Murder" (Vagrant), from Let England Shake
THE NATIONAL"Exile Vilify" (self-released), from the videogame Portal 2
KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS "Hauntin’ Me" (Transparent), single
SHAPES HAVE FANGS "Rattle and Confuse Me" (self-released), from Dinner In The Dark
SHARON VAN ETTEN "Serpents" (Jagjaguwar), from Tramp
ELEPHANT "Actors" (Memphis Industries), from “Allured”/”Actors” single
MOON DUO "Mazes" (Sacred Bones), from Mazes

Music via: mu-zique, The Last Python, Stereogum, Les Marchands de Bonbons, Rolling Stone, Music Is Art, Earmilk, ilictronix, Pitchfork, Austin Town Hall

New Song from Nneka "My Home"

2011-12-14T13:27:00.001-06:00

Most of you know that after WOXY closed down, I stepped away from absorbing new music in mass quantities for a while. I reintroduced myself to my existing collection and as a result, didn't feel up to compiling a Top 20 for 2010 (sad face). Nonetheless a few albums managed to penetrate my consciousness during this time, one of which was the American debut from Nneka, a Nigerian-born German singer. Concrete Jungle was a compilation of her work to date, and served as a fine introduction to her hip-hop flavored R&B. She returns with a new disc Soul Is Heavy on February 28th. Watch, listen and/or download the first single "My Home".

Nneka - My Home by DeconRecords

LISTEN: The Big Beat's Top 30 of 2011 (TBB'cast 35)

2011-12-14T12:49:00.002-06:00

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (13th December 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

Here's the complete list. Click above to hear my countdown of the Top 20 as it aired on DIY Radio.

#1 - #10, #11 - #20, #21 - #30

1. Anna Calvi Anna Calvi
2. Yuck Yuck
3. Wild Flag Wild Flag
4. The Black Keys El Camino
5. Washed Out Within and Without
6. TV On The Radio Nine Types Of Light
7. Lindi Ortega Little Red Boots
8. Not In The Face Bikini
9. Dum Dum Girls Only In Dreams
10. The Feelies Here Before

11. Braids Native Speaker
12. Widowspeak Widowspeak
13. SBTRKT SBTRKT
14. WU LYF Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
15. Loomer Ceiling
16. Ringo Deathstarr Colour Trip
17. Rumer Seasons Of My Soul
18. Cults Cults
19. Raphael Saadiq Stone Rollin'
20. I Break Horses Hearts

21. Lykke Li Wounded Rhymes
22. The Weeknd House Of Balloons
23. Elbow Build a Rocket Boys!
24. Radiohead The King of Limbs
25. Other Lives Tamer Animals
26. Mogwai Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
27. Kate Bush 50 Words For Snow
28. Girl In A Coma Exits & All The Rest
29. The Horrors Skying
30. James Blake James Blake

The Big Beat's Top Albums of 2011: #1 - #10

2011-12-13T17:00:00.001-06:00

To recap, here's #11-#20 and #21-#30. But now, here's the Top 10....

10. THE FEELIES Here Before (Bar None)

After reforming in 2008, their first album in 20 years picks up right where they left off. Their signature sound remains intact: jangly, nervy guitar pop that owes more than a bit to The Velvet Underground at their most melodic. The aptly named Here Before finds them energized, with the impression there’s more to come.

[MP3] The Feelies "Should Be Gone"

9. DUM DUM GIRLS Only In Dreams (Sub Pop)

The clad-in-black L.A. quartet debuted last year with I Will Be, filled with short, fuzzy, lo-fi songs that were equal parts Ramones, Ronettes, and Jesus & Mary Chain. The cleaner production on Only In Dreams firms up some rough edges while losing none of the urgency and serves to let some sunlight into their sound. Still clad in black, now sporting shades.

[MP3] Dum Dum Girls "Coming Down"

8. NOT IN THE FACE Bikini (Electric Factory)

Austin’s Jonathan Terrell & Wes Cargal concoct a barroom-ready brew of self-described ‘punkabilly blues’ that mixes Paul Westerberg, Jon Spencer, Jack White and the Black Keys that’ll have you knockin’ back round after round.

[MP3] Not In The Face "Downtown Girl"

7. LINDI ORTEGA Little Red Boots (Last Gang)

Ortega’s a Canadian alt-country singer born to a Mexican musician father and a mother of Irish heritage. Her music has the requisite amount of twang but with enough of a pop edge that she’s earned the name “Indie Lindi” back home. A bit sassy and sounding juuust a little like Dolly, you won’t hear Ms. Parton purr quite like Ortega does on the title cut.

[MP3] Lindi Ortega "Little Red Boots"

6. TV ON THE RADIO Nine Types of Light (Interscope)

Arriving after a short hiatus that allowed members to work on other projects, TVOTR's 4th disc is largely a mellower affair, stripped of the angst that dotted earlier releases. Still, their mix of post-punk, late night grooves and soulful introspection make an intoxicating potion. An interesting kick off to the band’s second act.

[MP3] TV On The Radio "Second Song"

5. WASHED OUT Within and Without (Sub Pop)

The crowning achievement of the chillwave movement may be the debut from Perry, Ga.'s Ernest Greene. Looping electronic beats atop synthesized ambient sounds, it’s a direct descendent of the lush dream pop and reverb-laden shoegazing of the 80’s and 90s. Within and Without is warm and soothing with enough bounce to give it a little pop.

[MP3] Washed Out "Before"

4. THE BLACK KEYS El Camino (Nonesuch)

Superstars-in-waiting following last year’s Brothers, the Ohio duo hit it out of the park with a big sounding, end of year party record. Taut and lean with only one song over 4 minutes, the Keys’ embellish their brand of Rust Belt blues ‘n’ boogie by adding a few more 70’s style riffs aided by a chorus of backing vocals that's best exhibited on “Lonely Boy”.

[MP3] The Black Keys "Lonely Boy"

3. WILD FLAG Wild Flag (Merge)

Whoda thunk one of the CD's of the year came from an all-female quartet whose average age is 40? Carrie Brownstein penned an article two years ago lamenting the rise in popularity of mostly bearded men making very sensitive music. She and her bandmates made a melodic, post-riot grrrl kick in the pants full of meaty, muscular riffs that revels in its exuberance.

[MP3] Wild Flag "Romance"

2. YUCK Yuck (Fat Possum)

If originality über alles were your standard, it’d be easy to dismiss the debut from this London-based quartet. Daniel Blumberg and Max Bloom's songwriting ultimately wins the day, crafting an album that sounds like a pastiche of early 90’s alt-rock (Dinosaur Jr., Teenage Fanclub) and plays like a collection of chart-worthy singles, failing to live up to its name.

[MP3] Yuck "Holing Out"

1. ANNA CALVI Anna Calvi (Domino)

Calvi’s debut is a rich, slightly gothic soundtrack with songs of love, lust, and Lucifer. Blessed with a huge, soaring voice and influenced by film, classical music and flamenco guitar, her music has a dark, sensual quality that’s drawn comparison to PJ Harvey and Patti Smith. It was my favorite record upon release early in the year and stayed so throughout.

[MP3] Anna Calvi "Blackout"

The list of the entire Top 30 is after the jump.

1. Anna Calvi Anna Calvi
2. Yuck Yuck
3. Wild Flag Wild Flag
4. The Black Keys El Camino
5. Washed Out Within and Without
6. TV On The Radio Nine Types Of Light
7. Lindi Ortega Little Red Boots
8. Not In The Face Bikini
9. Dum Dum Girls Only In Dreams
10. The Feelies Here Before

11. Braids Native Speaker
12. Widowspeak Widowspeak
13. SBTRKT SBTRKT
14. WU LYF Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
15. Loomer Ceiling
16. Ringo Deathstarr Colour Trip
17. Rumer Seasons Of My Soul
18. Cults Cults
19. Raphael Saadiq Stone Rollin'
20. I Break Horses Hearts

21. Lykke Li Wounded Rhymes
22. The Weeknd House Of Balloons
23. Elbow Build a Rocket Boys!
24. Radiohead The King of Limbs
25. Other Lives Tamer Animals
26. Mogwai Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
27. Kate Bush 50 Words For Snow
28. Girl In A Coma Exits & All The Rest
29. The Horrors Skying
30. James Blake James Blake

The Big Beat's Top Albums of 2011: #11 - #20

2011-12-13T16:45:00.003-06:00

Jump back for #21-#30 or forward to view the Top 10.

20. I BREAK HORSES Hearts (Bella Union)

[MP3] I Break Horses "Winter Beats"

19. RAPHAEL SAADIQ Stone Rollin' (Columbia)

[MP3] Raphael Saadiq "Stone Rollin'"

18. CULTS Cults (Columbia)

[MP3] Cults "Go Outside"

17. RUMER Seasons Of My Soul (Atlantic)

A 2010 UK release that was scheduled to come out in the US late in 2011. After promo copies were mailed, the release date was pushed back to Jan. 2012.

[MP3] Rumer "Slow"

16. RINGO DEATHSTARR Colour Trip (Sonic Unyon)

[MP3] Ringo Deathstarr "So High"

15. LOOMER Ceiling (Bon Voyage)

A November 2010 Australian release that is n/a on the US iTunes store and Spotify.

[MP3] Loomer "Ceiling"

14. WU LYF Go Tell Fire To The Mountain (LYF)

[MP3] WU LYF "Dirt"

13. SBTRKT SBTRKT (XL)

[MP3] SBTRKT "Wildfire"

12. WIDOWSPEAK Widowspeak (Captured Tracks)

[MP3] Widowspeak "Gun Shy"

11. BRAIDS Native Speaker (Kanine)

[MP3] Braids "Lemonade"

The Bamboos - "The Wilhelm Scream" (James Blake cover)

2011-12-13T11:39:00.000-06:00

Here's reason #52,864 why I love curated (read: DJ) radio: I hear something that makes an instant connection, and then I'm off trolling the web to find out more. I love the immediacy of hearing it, falling for it, wanting more right then and now. As a radio host and blogger, the next step is to play it for you.

So, props to fellow DIY Radio host Nick Taylor (no relation) for dropping this stunner during his Unmapped show yesterday. Self-described as Australia's "greatest modern funk and soul band", The Bamboos strike me as fitting nicely alongside the Dap-Kings and Budos Band on the Daptone label. Here's their soulful take on James Blake's "The Wilhelm Scream" released as a one-off limited edition single, aided by Aussie indie/jazz singer Megan Washington (who records as Washington).

[MP3] The Bamboos feat. Megan Washington "The Wilhelm Scream"

The Big Beat's Top Albums of 2011: #21 - #30

2011-12-11T14:48:00.001-06:00

Random thoughts on the year-end best of list....

- I love this stuff. Our year end roundtable at WOXY was one of my favorite things we ever did although, admittedly, probably the most self-indulgent. Music nerdness run amok, but the best fly-on-the-wall experience we could give. If you liked the inside baseball aspect of it, then you probably dug it. Mind you, it was programmed to fill space during the holidays and given its length, did so in spades.

- 2011 was a pretty damn good year in music. But, as is usually the case for me, I tend to spend more time seeking out what's next than staying put on what's just been found (i.e. the 'next' of months prior). This represents what stayed with me and as a result, what I reached for the most. As this blog - and podcast - tends to favor new music from, in particular, emerging artists, there's no reason to be surprised that debut records comprise a large chunk of the list. To that end, I'll admit to not showing an equal level of interest for new music from artists that failed to grab my attention previously. A cursory spin, perhaps, but without a compelling first track to hook me, the time or curiosity usually isn't there.

- Try as I might, it was impossible to get to all of even the most well reviewed records of the year. But isn't that always the case. Made a good run at a lot of 'em these past few weeks, I did. In the end, this is very representative of what I've featured on the blog/show. Traditionally, I've only done a Top 20 and that's why these are separated out yet still worth sharing.

As for the big reveal? I'll countdown the The Big Beat's Top 20 of 2011 Tuesday at 4p Eastern, 3p Central (2100 GMT) on DIY Radio, and then post 'em here on the site upon its completion.

And now, on with the countdown....

30. JAMES BLAKE James Blake (Universal Republic)

[MP3] James Blake "The Wilhelm Scream"

29. THE HORRORS Skying (XL / Beggars)

[MP3] The Horrors "Moving Further Away"

28. GIRL IN A COMA Exits & All The Rest (Blackheart)

[MP3] Girl In A Coma "Smart"

27. KATE BUSH 50 Words For Snow (Fish People / EMI)

[MP3] Kate Bush "Wild Man" (Radio Edit)

26. MOGWAI Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (Sub Pop)

[MP3] Mogwai "Mexican Grand Prix"

25. OTHER LIVES Tamer Animals (tbd)

[MP3] Other Lives "Tamer Animals"

24. RADIOHEAD The King of Limbs (tbd)

[MP3] Radiohead "Separator"

23. ELBOW Build a Rocket Boys! (Fiction / Polydor)

[MP3] Elbow "Neat Little Rows"

22. THE WEEKND House Of Balloons (self-released)

[MP3] The Weeknd "House of Balloons - Glass Table Girls"

21. LYKKE LI Wounded Rhymes (Atlantic)

[MP3] Lykke Li "Get Some"

The Big Beat 'cast 34: (Some of) My Favorite Songs of 2011

2011-12-06T10:13:00.001-06:00

That's right - only some, at least this week anyway. Once I started getting mapping out everything I really dug and wanted to feature, I realized two hours wasn't going to do it. So, consider this merely Part One. Next week, I'll count down my Top 20 albums of 2011 and then circle back to finish off my favorite songs the following week, just in time for Christmas. That'll make 4 programs covering this past year. That oughta do it.

You can hear the show on DIY Radio today at 4pm Eastern, 3p Central & 2100 BST to hear the show but alas, if you're unable to or just can't wait, press play below.

As the year winds to a close, a heartfelt thanks from me for giving some of your time and attention to my little blog and podcast. It's truly a labor of love and I'm always flattered by your kind words and comments. Additionally, I'm incredibly fortunate to have a few platforms to share music and words, via DIY Radio from London (eternal gratitude to Stephen & Harriet) and KUT here in Austin, only the best damn radio station in Texas. That's a pretty good combo if I do say so myself.

So, on to my favorites of 2011...I'm reluctant to call 'em 'the best' (even if I think they are): that's for you to decide. Some of these might very well be repeated next week as being representative of a favorite album but then again, there are some albums I'll be ranking that probably doesn't yield a favorite song. It'll be that the record as a whole got to me, rather than one song. Check back next week for that.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (6th December 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

(Some of) The Big Beat's Favorite Songs of 2011

JAMIE WOON "Lady Luck" (Polydor UK), from Mirrorwriting
ST. VINCENT "Cheerleader" (4AD), from Strange Mercy
THE HORRORS "Moving Further Away" (XL), from Skying
WILCO "I Might"(dBpm), from The Whole Love
NIKKI LANE "Gone, Gone, Gone" (IAMSOUND), from Walk Of Shame
SBTRKT "Trials of the Past" (Young Turks), from SBTRKT
TV ON THE RADIO "Second Song" (Interscope), from Nine Types of Light
PETER BJORN AND JOHN "Second Chance" (Startime Intl.), from Gimme Some
LYKKE LI "Youth Knows No Pain" (Atlantic), from Wounded Rhymes
FRIENDS "I’m His Girl" (Lucky Number), single
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM "Us v. Them" (DFA / EMI), from London Sessions
THE JOY FORMIDABLE "Whirring"(Canvasback /Atlantic), from The Big Roar
YUCK "Shook Down"(Fat Possum), from Yuck
MOUNT MORIAH "Lament" (Holidays For Quince), from Mount Moriah
WILD FLAG "Racehorse" (Merge), from Wild Flag
WIDOWSPEAK "Nightcrawlers" (Captured Tracks), from Widowspeak
WASHED OUT "Before" (Sub Pop), from Within and Without
GUIDED BY VOICES "The Unsinkable Fats Domino" (GBV Inc.), from Let's Go Eat The Factory
LEMURIA "Irregular" (Bridge Nine), from Pebble
GARY CLARK JR. "Don’t Owe You A Thang" (Warner Bros.), from The Bright Lights EP
GOTYE "Somebody That I Used To Know" (Samples 'n' Seconds), from Making Mirrors
M + A "Liko Lene Lisa" (Monotreme), from things.yes
GIRLS "Vomit" (True Panther), from Father, Son, Holy Ghost
RINGO DEATHSTARR "So High" (Sonic Unyon), from Colour Trip
BEST COAST "When You Wake Up" (Mexican Summer/Fat Possum), from Summer Is Forever EP
LITTLE DRAGON "Nightlight" (Peacefrog), from Ritual Union

The Big Beat 'cast 33: The 2011 Rookie Class

2011-11-29T09:35:00.001-06:00

While others may be rushing to post their Best-Of-Everything lists, The Big Beat recognizes that the year’s not quite over yet. So while I feverishly listen to more music, study charts and make lists (you’d think I was preparing for a fantasy football draft), I thought this’d be a good time to take another listen to some of the artists that have yet to release their full-length debut. The rookie class of 2011. Virtually all of ‘em are poised to make a bigger splash in the new year, so listen up for what the future holds in store.

THE HISTORY OF APPLE PIE "Tug" (Roundtable), free download

SULK "Wishes" (self-released), single

LANA DEL REY “Video Games” (Stranger), "Video Games" / "Blue Jeans" single

HELLA BETTER DANCER "Hundred Balloons" (Roundhouse), from Swimming EP

FRANK OCEAN "Thinking About You" (Zone 4), from (V/A) Legs Up Face Down Part 2

STAY+ "Stay Positive" (Double Denim), single

PURITY RING "Ungirthed" (self-released), single

CURXES “Creatures” (self-released), from “Creatures”/”Jaws” single

DAUGHTER “Love” (Communion), from The Wild Youth EP

WORLD TOUR "Sparks" (Cascine), single

GUNG HO “Twin Rays” (self-released), single

BNLX "Burn The Boats" (Susstones), from EP #5

ALABAMA SHAKES "I Found You" (self-released), from Alabama Shakes EP

FIDLAR “Bummed” (n/a), n/a

ELEPHANT "Wolf Cry" (Memphis Industries), from "Ants" / "Wolf Cry" single

KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS "Campus Martius" (Planet Mu), from Campus Martius EP

BOS ANGELES "Beach Slalom" (self), from "Days Of Youth" / "Beach Slalom" single

ABADABAD "Indiana" (self-released), single

FRIENDS "I'm His Girl" (Lucky Numbers), single

TROPICAL POPSICLE "The Age of Attraction" (Volar), from The Age of Attraction EP

OUTFIT “Vehicles” (Double Denim), from "Two Islands" / "Vehicles" single

TASHAKI MIYAKI “Somethin’ Is Better Than Nothin’” (Sounds of Sweet Nothing), single

SPIRIT SISTERS "Up" (self-released), free download

HALLS "Kaleidoscope" (self-released), from Halls EP

SLOWDANCE "Sweetness" (self-released), from Light & Color EP

FIXERS "Amsterdam" (self-released), single

FEAR OF MEN "Phantom Limb" (Sex Is Disgusting), from Hanna Schygulla Demos
MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY “King Complex” (Lost Balloon), from King Complex EP

COLD SPECKS “Holland” (paradYse), single
HOSPITALITY "Betty Wang" (Merge), from Hospitality

The Big Beat 'cast 32

2011-11-22T06:36:00.001-06:00

Be listening to DIY Radio today at 4pm Eastern, 3p Central & 2100 BST for an all-new edition of the Big Beat'cast. The show's back to a healthy two hours this week but in preparation, I was faced with a bit of a quandry....

What to do when the stream of new music trickles to a drip and you’re not quite set for the year-end list-o-mania? You go to the vault! Since 1991 is getting all the attention, and because you can only celebrate a 25-year anniversary once, we’ll take a fond look back at the music of 1986. It’s a year when college radio broke all the cool bands, major labels actually cared about music and the influence of a little cassette tape was felt far and wide. This week’s Beat'cast is both a history lesson and an audio archive. So follow me into the wayback machine, with the course set for 1986….. do you remember?

If you're unable to tune into DIY today, or just can't wait, press play below. The tracklisting is after the jump.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (22nd November 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

LOVE AND ROCKETS “Kundalini Express” (Big Time), from Express

VIOLENT FEMMES “Children of the Revolution” (Slash), from The Blind Leading The Naked

AGE OF CHANCE “Kiss” (Virgin), from Crush Collision EP

THE FALL “Mr. Pharmacist” (Beggars Banquet), from Bend Sinister

THE MIGHTY LEMON DROPS “Happy Head” (Sire), from Happy Head

HUSKER DU “Don’t Want To Know If You’re Lonely” (WB), from Candy Apple Grey

TALKING HEADS “Puzzlin’ Evidence” (Sire), from True Stories

MINISTRY “All Day (Remix)” (Sire), from Twitch

KATE BUSH “Experiment IV” (EMI), from The Whole Story

THE CHAMELEONS UK “Swamp Thing” (Geffen), from Strange Times

THE FEELIES “Slipping (Into Something)” (Twin/Tone), from The Good Earth

SHOP ASSISTANTS “I Don’t Want To Be Friends With You” (Blue Guitar), from Will Anything Happen

NEW ORDER “Bizarre Love Triangle” (Qwest), from Brotherhood

BEASTIE BOYS “Fight For Your Right” (Def Jam), from Licensed To Ill

RUN–D.M.C. “It’s Tricky” (Profile/Arista), from Raising Hell

THE SMITHS “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” (Sire), from The Queen Is Dead

TALK TALK “Happiness Is Easy” (EMI), from The Colour of Spring

THE PASTELS “Breaking Lines” (none), from NME”s C86 compilation

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES “Cities In Dust” (Geffen), from Tinderbox

JOE JACKSON “Right and Wrong” (A&M), from Big World

PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. “Rise” (Elektra), from album

CICCONE YOUTH “Into The Groove(y)” (Geffen), from The Whitey Album

COCTEAU TWINS “Love’s Easy Tears” (4AD), single

R.E.M. “Fall On Me” (I.R.S.), from Lifes Rich Pageant

THE GODFATHERS “I Want Everything” (Link), from Hit by Hit

THE SOUP DRAGONS “Pleasantly Surprised” (Sire), from Hang-Ten!

THE CRAMPS “Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?” (Big Beat), from A Date With Elvis

The Big Beat 'cast 31

2011-11-09T05:00:00.005-06:00

Hiya Gang! Steve Kirk, who I grew up listening to on WING-AM in Dayton, Ohio.

This week's Big Beat'cast has kind of a laid back, chilled vibe to it which speaks to the surge of electronic-based artists at the forefront of today's indie scene. Example: the largest crowd I saw at this past weekend's Fun Fun Fest may have been for M83 (and whose Hurry Up, We're Dreaming debuted at #15 on the US album chart).

On TBB 31, I'll spin more from the new discs by JAMES BLAKE, YOUTH LAGOON, ALABAMA SHAKES, and DAUGHTER; give you new tracks from CLOUD NOTHINGS, FACTORY FLOOR, and KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS. Plus, I'll give first spins to new artists FOTOSHOP, ST. LUCIA, and REHEARSED LIVING. But I suppose the big story this week is the reemergence of veterans MAZZY STAR, ORBITAL, and the "classic lineup" of GUIDED BY VOICES. The show kicks off with the first new music in years from each of them.

And speaking of GBV, I'm headed back to Ohio to see family and friends later this week. I haven't spent any appreciable time in Dayton in several years, so I'm looking forward to see what's changed, what hasn't and if the hostess at The Pine Club is still the craggy ol' you-know-what she's been since I was a kid. (I've heard it's gone downhill in recent years, but it's one of the few touchstones of the old Gem City I still, ahem, pine for. Nostalgic sap.)

Also - all of the hyperlinks below are downloads. I just got tired of putting [MP3] or [DOWNLOAD] in front of 'em. But you probably knew that, right?

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (8th November 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

GUIDED BY VOICES "The Unsinkable Fats Domino" (GBV Inc.), from Let's Go Eat The Factory
MAZZY STAR "Common Burn" (Rhymes Of An Hour), single
ORBITAL "Never" (n/a), free download
DAUGHTER "Medicine" (Communion), from The Wild Youth EP
JAMES BLAKE "A Case of You" (Universal/Republic), from Enough Thunder EP
FOTOSHOP "Too Little, Too Late" (self-released), from Lifeforms
CLOUD NOTHINGS "No Future/No Past" (Carpark), from Attack On Memory
EVANS THE DEATH "I'm So Unclean" (Fortuna POP!), from "Threads" / "I'm So Unclean" single
WASHED OUT "Call It Off" (Weird World), from "Amor Fati" single
ST. LUCIA "We Got It Wrong" (self-released), from St. Lucia EP
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND "High Low Middle" (Asthmatic Kitty), from All Things Will Unwind
SPECTRALS "Big Baby" (Slumberland), from Bad Penny
ELEPHANT "Assembly" (Memphis Industries), from Assembly EP
REHEARSED LIVING "Expectations" (self-released), free download
GIRL IN A COMA "Smart" (Blackheart), from Exits & All The Rest
M + A "Liko Lene Lisa" (Monotreme), from things.yes
COLD CAVE "Youth & Lust" (Matador), from Love Comes Close
FACTORY FLOOR "Two Different Ways" (DFA), single
ALABAMA SHAKES "I Found You" (self-released), from Alabama Shakes EP
DIRTY PROJECTORS "Cannibal Resource" (Domino), from Bitte Orca
LUSCIOUS JACKSON "Citysong" (Grand Royal/Capitol), from Natural Ingredients
FRIENDS "I'm His Girl" (Lucky Numbers), single
KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS "Lazy Noon" (Forest Family), from Our Own Dream EP
YOUTH LAGOON "Cannons" (Fat Possum), from The Year of Hibernation
120 DAYS "Dale Disco" (n/a), n/a
THE MOOR "Warm Winter" (Dilettante), from The Moor

Tracks via: Stereogum, Pitchfork, Tympanogram, Superfan2011, mu-sique, Audiocred, Pasta Primavera, Some Of It Was True!, Tastes Like Caramel, Rollo & Grady

The Big Beat 'cast 30

2011-11-01T08:22:00.004-05:00

Be listening to DIY Radio today at 5pm Eastern*, 4p Central* & 2100 BST for an all-new, 2-hour Big Beat'cast. I'll introduce you to a few bands that turned heads at the recent CMJ Festival in New York like ALABAMA SHAKES, FIDLAR, and TROPICAL POPSICLE. You'll also hear from a bunch of bands playing this weekend's FUN FUN FUN FEST here in Austin: M83, WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS, SPOON, NEON INDIAN, LYKKE LI and THE DAMNED to name just a few. Plus, hear the latest from THE STRANGE BOYS, WASHED OUT, THEE OH SEES, KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS, and the solo debut of KATE JACKSON of The Long Blondes. Just press play to start with one of the best tunes of the year from THE BLACK KEYS. It's like having a kickass jukebox on shuffle.

If you can't wait, just press play and go.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (1st November 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

THE BLACK KEYS "Lonely Boy" (Nonesuch), from El Camino (video)

TROPICAL POPSICLE "The Age of Attraction" (Volar), from The Age of Attraction EP

M83 "Claudia Lewis" (Mute), from Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

SLOWDANCE "Cake" (self-released), from Light & Color EP

ALABAMA SHAKES "You Ain't Alone" (self-released), from Alabama Shakes EP

CONNER YOUNGBLOOD "Australia" (self-released), free download

KATE JACKSON "Wonder Feeling" (Vinyl Factory), from "Wonder Feeling"/"The Atlantic" single

THE STONE ROSES "Waterfall" (Silvertone), from The Stone Roses

SULK "Wishes" (self-released), single

ABADABAD "Indiana" (self-released), single

STILL CORNERS "Endless Summer" (Sub Pop), from Creatures Of An Hour

SIMIAN GHOST "Bicycle Theme" (Heist Or Hit), from Lovelorn EP

NEON INDIAN "Hex Girlfriend" (Mom + Pop), from Era Extraña

ESCORT "Caméleon Chameleon (Club Remix)" (Escort), original version on Escort

LYKKE LI "Get Some" (Atlantic), from Wounded Rhymes

THE BUDOS BAND "Ride Or Die" (Daptone), from The Budos Band II

GARY CLARK JR. "Don't Owe You A Thang" (Warner Bros.), from The Bright Lights EP

THE STRANGE BOYS "Doueh" (Rough Trade), from Live Music

SPOON "Believing Is Art" (Merge), from Girls Can Tell

FIDLAR "Got No Money" (n/a), n/a

GRIMES "Oblivion" (Arbutus), from Visions

PURITY RING "Belispeak" (Fat Possum), from split 7" (with Braids)

KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS "DIY" (Forest Family), from Our Own Dream EP

THEE OH SEES "The Dream" (In The Red), from Carrion Crawler/The Dream

SHAPES HAVE FANGS "Rattle and Confuse Me" (Reverberation Appreciation Society), from Dinner In The Dark

THE DAMNED "Neat Neat Neat" (Stiff), from Damned Damned Damned

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS "Human Error" (FatCat), from In The Pit Of The Stomach

WASHED OUT "Call It Off" (Weird World), from "Amor Fati" single

THE GOOD NATURED "Skeleton" (Astralwerks), from Skeleton EP (video)

Tracks via : mu-sique, Rollo & Grady, Le Choix, The Vinyl District, Some Of It Was True!, Epitonic, Alive Through The Music, Pitchfork, Listen Before You Buy, Gorilla Vs. Bear, Austin Town Hall

* Air time is normally 4p Eastern, 3p Central, altered this week only due to the UK's daylight savings change. It'll resume airing at that time in the USA next week.

My Last Show on WOXY.com

2011-10-24T12:58:00.006-05:00

I've long since burned myself out talking about the demise of my former employer WOXY.com, the place most of you probably first became familiar with my work.

With the knowledge that its days may be numbered, I recorded the first two hours of my final, regularly scheduled show on Friday, March 12, 2010. Now, I was still on-air the following week during our SXSW broadcasts, but this represents the last show I hosted without interruptions for guests or performances. I just had a sense, you know?

So, while The Big Beat'cast takes a breather this week, I thought you'd enjoy listening to a time capsule of one of WOXY's final days. If you dig on TBB, you might like this. The tracklisting is after the jump.

[MP3] Mike Taylor - final WOXY show 12 March 2010

9:06 am Sufjan Stevens “Decatur”

9:10 am The xx “Crystalized”
[snip]

9:19 am The Feelies “Perpetual Nervousness”

9:25 am Cold Cave “Youth and Lust”

9:29 am The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart “Everything With You (SXSW Lounge Act)”

9:32 am Dum Dum Girls “Blank Girls”

9:36 am Local Natives “Sun Hands”

9:41 am Here We Go Magic “Fangela (Lounge Act)”

9:47 am The Flaming Lips “Race For The Prize”

9:51 am Bettie Serveert “The Pharmacy”

9:57 am Fanfarlo “Fire Escape”

10:00 am The Replacements “I Will Dare”

10:03 am Broken Social Scene “World Sick”

10:10 am Frightened Rabbit “Swim Until You Can’t See Land”

10:15 am Sons & Daughters “Taste The Last Girl”

10:17 am Elbow “Fallen Angel”

10:22 am Portishead “The Rip”

10:27 am Ted Leo / Pharmacists “Woke Up Near Chelsea”

10:31 am Belly “Feed The Tree”

10:34 am Ume “Pendulum”

10:39 am Radiohead “15 Step”

10:43 am MGMT “Flash Delirium”

10:48 am Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore “Try”

10:53 am Blitzen Trapper “Furr”

10:57 am Blair “Hearts”

11:01 am !!! (Chk Chk Chk) “Me And Giuliani Down By Schoolyard (A True Story)”

11:13 am Massive Attack “Splitting The Atom”

The Big Beat 'cast 29

2011-10-19T04:42:00.022-05:00

Be listening to DIY Radio today at 4pm Eastern, 3p Central & 2100 BST for a taut, lean 60 minute Big Beat'cast. This week, I'll play new tracks from a few acts who've been in my heavy rotation lately: ELEPHANT, LANTERNS ON THE LAKE, and DAUGHTER. Also, more from the DUM DUM GIRLS and WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS records, in addition to new tracks from BOS ANGELES, ESBEN AND THE WITCH and JAMES BLAKE.

The Beat'cast will return on November 1st with a new two-hour show. Next week, I'll post something that may be of interest to anyone who enjoyed listening to me on WOXY. It's something I ran across - right around two hours long - that oughta bridge the gap until then.

If you can't wait, just press play and go.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (11th October 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

ELEPHANT “Assembly” (Memphis Industries), from Assembly EP

JAMES BLAKE “Enough Thunder” (Universal/Republic), from Enough Thunder EP

TASHAKI MIYAKI “Somethin’ Is Better Than Nothin’” (Sounds of Sweet Nothing), single

DAUGHTER “Home” (Communion), from The Wild Youth EP

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS “Picture Of Health” (FatCat), from In The Pit Of The Stomach

DUM DUM GIRLS “Bedroom Eyes” (Sub Pop), from Only In Dreams

PUBLIC ENEMY "Shut Em Down" (Def Jam/Columbia), from Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black

BOS ANGELES “Days Of Youth” (Roundtable), from “Days Of Youth”/”Beach Slalom” single

LANTERNS ON THE LAKE “I Love You, Sleepyhead” (Bella Union), from Gracious Tide, Take Me Home

JEWELLERS “Tape” (Sounds of Sweet Nothing), from Sleep Education

FUTURE ISLANDS “Balance” (Thrill Jockey), from On The Water

ESBEN AND THE WITCH “Hexagons II (The Flight)” (Matador), from Hexagons EP

BORIS “Spoon” (Sargent House), from New Album

PHANTOGRAM “Don’t Move” (Barsuk), from Nightlife EP

Tracks via: mu-zique, Alive Through The Music, inALLcaps, Listen Before You Buy, Pitchfork

The Big Beat 'cast 28

2011-10-05T03:30:00.005-05:00

One of six boy/girl duos on this week's Beat'cast, Curxes.

So, boy/girl duos are the new 'Panda', right?

I mean, it's not like they're a new development in indie music: The White Stripes, Fiery Furnaces, Raveonettes, She & Him, Beach House, Cults, Mates Of State, Viva Voce, The Knife, Wye Oak, Sleigh Boys, The Swell Season, Summer Camp, Matt & Kim, and so on. If this week's TBB lineup means anything, they're comin' on strong like a hurricane. Say hello then to newbies ELEPHANT, GEM CLUB, THE MOOR, PLAITUM, NEW LOOK, and CURXES (pronounced curses). All of which are featured on this week's Beat'cast and all are pretty damn good. A table for two, perhaps?

Hit the start button to stream it from this page, or go here and here to catch up on any recent ones you may have missed. Check back tomorrow for downloads to this week's show.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (October 4th 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

WIDOWSPEAK “Gun Shy” (Captured Tracks), from Widowspeak

DAUGHTER “Love” (Communion), from The Wild Youth EP

YOUTH LAGOON “Afternoon” (Fat Possum), from The Year of Hibernation

STILL CORNERS “I Wrote In Blood” (Sub Pop), from Creatures of an Hour

NERVES JUNIOR “Kale” (sonaBLAST!), from As Bright As Your Night Light

DEPECHE MODE “Strangelove” (Sire/Mute), from Music For The Masses

CURXES “Creatures” (self-released), from “Creatures”/”Jaws” single

NOT IN THE FACE “Yuppie Monday” (Electric Factory), from Bikini

ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS “Maelstrom” (Fire), from Barfly

WILCO “Standing O” (dBpm/Anti), from The Whole Love

TEEN DAZE “Surface” (Waaga/Lefse), from A Silent Planet EP

BJORK “Moon” (Nonesuch), from Biophilia

ELEPHANT “Actors” (Memphis Industries), from “Allured”/”Actors” single

COLD SPECKS “Holland” (paradYse), single

NEW LOOK “Janet” (!K7), from New Look

GEM CLUB “I Heard The Party” (Hardly Art), from Breakers

PINK FLOYD “Lucifer Sam” (Capitol), from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

THE MOOR “Warm Winter” (Dilettante), from The Moor

FLUME "Over You" [Feat. Anthony From Cleopatra] (Future Classic), from Sleepless EP

THE FIELD “It’s Up There” (Kompakt), from Looping State Of Mind

VERONICA FALLS “Misery” (Slumberland), from Veronica Falls

GIRL IN A COMA “Smart” (Blackheart), from Exits & All The Rest

TURF WAR “Cheers To The Years” (Old Flame), from Years of Living Dangerously

PLAITUM “District” (self), demo

BRAIDS “Peach Wedding” (Fat Possum), from split 7” (with Purity Ring)

WATER MOCCASINS “Stay Here” (self-released), from Broken Tone EP

Tracks via: 32ft/second, The Hungry iPod, Sonic Itch Music, ACE, My Old Kentucky Blog, AWmusic, Rollo & Grady, mu-sique, Spinner, Vacay Wave, Alive Through The Music, No Fear Of Pop

The Big Beat 'cast 27

2011-09-28T07:23:00.002-05:00

Turning people onto new bands and new music they may not hear otherwise is what I enjoy most in this blog/podcast endeavor. And so that's why I'm really into this week's show: it's heavy on new discoveries like FIDLAR, TASHAKI MIYAKI from the West Coast, OUTFIT, DAUGHTER, EVANS THE DEATH and TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS from the UK, M + A from Italy and FRIENDS from NYC. Not forgetting the ATX, there's BOY + KITE and FOLLOW THAT BIRD. And what's going on Down Under? Found a lot great new bands from Australia for this show: TWERPS, GUNG HO, and MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY. Then, there's new music from WILCO, ST. VINCENT, DUM DUM GIRLS, REAL ESTATE, and THE TWILIGHT SAD.

And if that's not enough, we'll look back 20 years to some of 1991's most important releases. Unquestionably an extremely important year in popular music.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (27th September 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

DUM DUM GIRLS “In My Head” (Sub Pop), from Only In Dreams

THE STRANGE BOYS “Me and You” (Rough Trade), from Live Music (via Largehearted Boy)

FIDLAR “Bummed” (n/a), n/a (via Rollo & Grady)

NIRVANA “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Geffen), from Nevermind

OUTFIT “Two Islands” (Double Denim), single

ST. VINCENT “Cheerleader” (4AD/Beggars), from Strange Mercy

TWERPS “Dreamin” (Underwater Peoples), from Twerps (via Pitchfork)

R.E.M. “Texarkana” (WB), from Out Of Time

FOLLOW THAT BIRD “Wooden Bones” (Mt. Fuji), single

M + A “Liko Lene Lisa” (Monotreme), from things.yes (via Some Of It Was True!)

WILCO “Art Of Almost” (dBpm/Anti), from The Real Love (via Visble Voicei)

MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY “King Complex” (Lost Balloon), from King Complex EP (via Pick Up The Headphones)

MASSIVE ATTACK “Unfinished Sympathy” (Virgin), from Blue Lines

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE “Shake It Out” (Island), from Ceremonials (via Alive Through The Music)

REAL ESTATE “Green Aisles” (Domino), from Days (via The Last Python)

TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS “Garden” (Polydor), from Garden EP (via mu-sique)

FRIENDS “I’m His Girl” (Lucky Numbers), single (via mu-sique)

BOY + KITE “Think In Stereo” (self-released), from Go Fly (via Citizen Dick)

EVANS THE DEATH “Threads” (Fortuna POP!), single (via Superfan 2011)

PIXIES “Subbacultcha” (Elektra), from Trompe le Monde

GUNG HO “Twin Rays” (self-released), single (via Ride The Tempo)

THE TWILIGHT SAD “Kill It In The Morning” (FatCat), from No One Can Ever Know

DAUGHTER “Love” (Communion), from The Wild Youth EP

TASHAKI MIYAKI “Somethin’ Is Better Than Nothin’” (Sounds of Sweet Nothing), single (via Alive Through The Music)

PRIMAL SCREAM “Loaded” (Sire), from Screamadelica

RITES WILD “Seasonal Shine” (Faux Friends), single (via No Fear Of Pop)

Keeping up with The Big Beat

2011-09-23T10:48:00.001-05:00

Even though I'm just now posting this week's show for download, I'm surprised at how many times it's already been streamed via the same via Soundcloud link. That must mean a few of you are following me over there, so thanks very much.

Aside from visiting the blog, you can keep up with TBB'cast via:

- This Is Fake DIY, for the latest, most recent shows.
- The Big Beat on Mixcloud, where I'm building up an archive of everything back to the beginning.
- Then, there's Spotify, where I'm also slowly building playlists of past TBB'casts (just music, no Mike) in addition to my playlists from KUT (same deal).

By the way, if you like what you hear on DIY, please let 'em know. Likewise, if you're diggin' the KUT stuff, drop 'em a line.

Have a great weekend!

The Big Beat 'cast 26

2011-09-20T09:22:00.003-05:00

Another Beat'cast of brand new tracks this week, delivered compactly in a tight 60 minutes. Hear the return of The Big Pink, and more from Wild Flag, Girls, Still Corners, Weekend, and Lanterns On The Lake. Plus, meet boy/girl duo Elephant, NYC psych rockers The Living Kills, the nerdy, lo-fi indie pop of Yellow Ostrich, and New Build featuring members of Hot Chip. Dig the new grooves...

Don't forget - the show premieres on the most excellent DIY Radio today at 2100 BST & 4p ET / 3p CT.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (20th September 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

THE BIG PINK “Stay Gold” (4AD/Beggars), from Future This

STILL CORNERS “Into The Trees” (Sub Pop), from Creatures Of An Hour

YELLOW OSTRICH “WHALE” (Barsuk), from The Mistress

TWIN SHADOW “Changes” (4AD/Beggars), single (via Listen Before You Buy)

THE LIVING KILLS “Long Shadow Of The Day” (Past/Futures), from Faceless Angels

WILD FLAG “Romance” (Merge), from Wild Flag

ATLAS SOUND “Te Amo” (4AD/Beggars), from Parallax (via You Ain't No Picasso)

ELEPHANT “Actors” (Memphis Industries), from “Allured”/”Actors” single (via The FADER)

WEEKEND “The One You Want” (Slumberland), from Red EP

GIRLS “Alex” (True Panther), from Father, Son, Holy Ghost

BLITZEN TRAPPER “Street Fighting Sun” (Sub Pop), from American Goldwing

LANTERNS ON THE LAKE “Keep On Trying” (Bella Union), from Gracious Tide, Take Me Home (via Chromewaves)

NEW BUILD “Finding Reasons” (self-released), free download (via mu-sique)

ACL Fest Day 1 - capsule review

2011-09-17T13:23:00.010-05:00

James Blake @ ACL Festival. (Photo: Justin Ward, Live Music Blog)

The Austin City Limits Festival is under way here in the "Live Music Capital of the World". Attendees were greeted by a rarity in Central Texas: cloud cover, with an even greater rarity, rain, making a cameo appearance. The rain/clouds mix have helped keep high temperatures in the low 90's rather than the triple digits that have baked locals all summer. It's a huge relief.

I had a purposefully abbreviated schedule for Day 1, highlighted by my first time seeing James Blake. Playing to a decidedly younger crowd in relation to the concertgoers at large, a mid-afternoon slot at an outdoor Festival sure wouldn't have been setting I'd have chosen. But the Englishman held the majority of the crowd's attention during his his hour long set, accented with a few selections from his upcoming EP Enough Thunder, out October 10th. (A humorous exception being a middle-aged man weaving his way through the crowd in a 'pardon me,excuse me' manner by repeating 'this is weird, I don't get this').

The throbbing low end Blake employs on songs like "Limit To Your Love" brought many in the crowd to bust out their best hip hop stance. It's like "why didn't I see this? James Blake, bustin' out of hatchbacks everywhere. Detectable from several blocks away". In any event, I enjoyed the set.

This week's show comes complete with an ACL Preview of select artists. Get the tracklisting and individual song streams/downloads here.

The Big Beat 'cast 25 - Austin City Limits Festival preview

2011-09-12T13:20:00.003-05:00

(Godkin Photo)

This weekend's 10th Austin City Limits Festival is viewed by many to be highlight of the Live Music Capitol of the World's calendar. That's saying something in light of the behemoth known as South By Southwest (SXSW) and the upstart Fun Fun Fun Festival. (The Austin Psych Fest and the nearby Kerrville Folk, and Old Settler's Festivals are also worthy of a shout). What started as an extension of the Austin City Limits television series, the lineup focused for many years on Texas singer/songwriters, country and folk performers, and instrument specialists but over the years has evolved into a multi-genre smorgasbord that's included metal, hip hop and dance.

Now, I'll make no excuses: I'm a SXSW guy. Sure, the cost of a badge is ridiculous if'n you can't finagle one otherwise. But while you could argue that the cost keeps casual fans away, the reality is that's simply not the case. They just come for the unofficial free shows, which have exploded in number as a direct response to Festival's high price. Besides, I'll take a seeing a band in a small club vs. a big outdoors crowd every time. Either way, since it's truly the place to catch buzzworthy up-and-comers and that's your thing, then you've gotta be there.

ACL, on the other hand, is where you're likely to spot Mom & Dad out for a day that's been circled on the calendar for months. The lineup is usually stacked with more mature artists who've been around a bit, designed to lure fans who enjoy music but don't have the desire to delve into the blogosphere. Historically, it's much lower on the hipster quotient (which is where Fun Fest comes in, but we'll talk about that another time). Still, they manage to hit the right balance almost every time.

This year's headliners include Coldplay, Stevie Wonder, Kanye West, Aracde Fire, and My Morning Jacket along with Bright Eyes, Fleet Foxes, Death From Above 1979, Elbow, Santigold, Foster The People, Sara Bareilles, Mavis Staples, Pretty Lights, Cults, Iron & Wine, Court Yard Hounds, Alison Krauss & Union Station, the North Mississippi Allstars, Gillian Welch, Cut Copy, Manu Chao, Empire Of The Sun, Cee-Lo, James Blake, Social Distortion, Broken Social Scene, and The Walkmen. Lots more, too.

On this week's show I'll touch on a few bands I'm looking forward to seeing this weekend, alongside a host of new music you should be listening to. Two hours of The Big Beat starts at the press on a button below.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (13th September 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

LOS CAMPESINOS! “By Your Hand” (Arts & Crafts), from Hello Sadness

LANA DEL REY “Blue Jeans” (Stranger), single (via Earmilk)

NURSES “Trying To Reach You” (Dead Oceans), from Dracula (via Austin Town Hall)

SIMIAN GHOST “Free Agent” (Heist Or Hit), from Lovelorn EP (via Pitchfork)

WILD FLAG “Racehorse” (Merge), from Wild Flag

THE WAR ON DRUGS “Baby Missiles” (Secretly Canadian), from Slave Ambient

KURT VILE “The Creature” (Matador), from So Outta Reach EP (via This Is Fake DIY)

SMITH WESTERNS “All Die Young” (Fat Possum), from Dye It Blonde (via Obscure Sound)

GARY CLARK JR. “Bright Lights” (Warner Bros.), from The Bright Lights EP

THEOPHILUS LONDON “Lighthouse” (Reprise), from Timez Are Weird These Days

FANFARLO “Replicate” (Canvasback/Atlantic), from forthcoming 2012 album (via SF Critic)

CASIOKIDS “Det haster!” (Polyvinyl), from Aabenbaringen over aaskammen (via Consequence Of Sound)

KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS “Our Own Dream” (Forest Family), from Our Own Dream EP (via Gorilla vs. Bear)

THE ANTLERS “Parentheses” (Frenchkiss), from Burst Apart

TV ON THE RADIO “Wolf Like Me” (Interscope), from Return To Cookie Mountain (via Music For Kids)

CUT COPY “Take Me Over” (Modular), from Zonoscope (via Nite Versions)

STEVIE WONDER “I Wish” (Tamla/Motown), from Songs In The Key Of Life

WIDOWSPEAK “Gun Shy” (Captured Tracks), from Widowspeak (via Rollo & Grady)

RADIANT DRAGON “Terminal” (self-released), from Screengazers (via Pitchfork)

GOTYE “Somebody That I Used To Know” (feat. Kimbra) (Samples ‘n’ Seconds), from Making Mirrors (via The Music Ninja)

SPOTLIGHT KID “Forget Yourself In Me” (Tri-Tone/PIAS), from Disaster Tourist

WE ARE AUGUSTINES “Chapel Song” (Turnout/Oxcart), from Rise Ye Drunken Ships

ELBOW “Leaders Of The Free World” (V2), from Leaders Of The Free World

DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 “Romantic Rights” (Vice), from You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine (via Austin Town Hall)

ARCADE FIRE “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)” (Merge), from Funeral

The Big Beat 'cast 24 - 120 Minutes You Can Count On

2011-09-06T08:08:00.005-05:00

I had so much fun putting together the last, two hour new music extravaganza that I've repeated the trick this week. I'll post a downloadable version of the show, via Soundcloud, in a day or two. However, I love the the idea of you hearing it on the DIY stream as it's first presented. Call me old fashioned and increasingly, that's what radio has become, but I like not knowing what's next. So whether you hear it live, or via stream or download at your leisure, it's great to have you listening. I think you'll enjoy the nearly two full hours of new music on this week's show.

BTW - The Beat'cast has settled in on DIY Radio Tuesdays at 4p Eastern/3p Central (2100 BST).

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (6th September 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

GIRLS “Honey Bunny” (True Panther), from Father, Son, Holy Ghost (via Side One Track One)

ST. VINCENT “Cruel” (4AD), from Strange Mercy (via Side One Track One)

SISSY & THE BLISTERS “Let Her Go” (Fierce Panda), single

I BREAK HORSES “Wired” (Bella Union), from Hearts

DOVES “The Cedar Room” (Astralwerks), from Lost Souls

GOTYE “Somebody That I Used To Know” (feat. Kimbra) (Samples ‘n’ Seconds), from Making Mirrors (via The Music Ninja)

SBTRKT “Pharaohs” (Young Turks), from SBTRKT

TORO Y MOI “I Can Get Love” (Carpark), from Freaking Out EP (via Thats Deck)

RYAN ADAMS “Lucky Now” (Capitol), from Ashes & Fire

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE “What The Water Gave Me” (Island), single

LOVE INKS “Be Brave” (City Slang), single (via Alive Through Music)

ASH “Burn Baby Burn” (Infectious), from Free All Angels

THE JIM JONES REVUE “Dishonest John” (Punk Rock Blues), from Burning Your House Down

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG “Terrible Angels” (Because/Elektra), from Terrible Angels EP (via Klubb ACE)

BODY LANGUAGE “Falling Out” (Om/Lavish Habits), from Social Studies EP (via All Things Go)

THE WEEKND “Lonely Star” (self-released), from Thursday (via Salad Fork)

THREE TRAPPED TIGERS “Noise Trade” (Blood and Biscuits), from Route One Or Die (via Sentric Music)

GARY CLARK JR. “Don’t Owe You A Thang” (Warner Bros.), from The Bright Lights EP

MILAGRES “Glowing Mouth” (Kill Rock Stars), from Glowing Mouth (via Earmilk)

PALLERS “Humdrum” (Labrador), from The Sea Of Memories

THOSE DANCING DAYS “Space Hero Suits” (Wichita), from In Our Space Hero Suits

JAMES BLAKE & BON IVER “Fall Creek Boys Choir” (Polydor), single (via Klubb ACE)

THE FIELD “Arpeggiated Love” (Kompakt), from Looping State Of Mind (via Relics Of Our Time)

Shameless Plug: 'Music with Mike Taylor' on KUT

2011-09-06T00:28:00.007-05:00

I know many of you came across The Big Beat as a result of my many years at WOXY. Truthfully, I was always warned against getting into radio as a career, so after college I went another way. Nevertheless, I started at WOXY in a part-time role mainly as a hobby, working off and on until 1999, when I left a corporate job and dove in full-time. Hung with it through its ups and downs, right through its relocation to Austin and closure last year. (WOXY's owners Future Sounds finally went out of business itself recently).

Last September, I joined KUT here in Austin on a part-time basis. KUT is, literally, one of the highest rated and most successful public broadcasters in the country. Since then, I've been hosting the news/talk programming block on Saturday mornings and have occasionally filled-in as a host on both prime time news and evening music programs. I've also worked behind the scenes in a few different areas and provided production assistance to the most recent volumes of their KUT Live CD.

Starting tonight, I'll be hosting my own regularly scheduled music program, 'Music with Mike Taylor', on Tuesday & Wednesday nights from 11p to 3a local time. (Note: most of the station's shows are titled 'Music with (Host's name)'.

Straight up: KUT is an adult alternative (AAA) formatted station, albeit well left of center than most others in the format: everything from rock, soul, blues, country, jazz, indie and electronica. You'll hear me play music that I might never feature on the blog or the Beat'cast and vice versa. Still, there's a lot of crossover between the two. I'm pleased that they're committed to presenting quality music, emerging sounds and artists of all stripes, and being second to none in supporting music from local Austin & Texas artists. Here's KUT's latest airplay list.

So, whether it's last call in the East, late night in the ATX, or your wake up call in the EU, I hope you'll give me a listen: kut.org.

The Big Beat 'cast 23: a 2-hour New Music Bonanza

2011-08-23T07:22:00.005-05:00

AAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDD NNNNNNNOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!! The starting lineup for your Big Beat'cast...*

As The Big Beat now airs as part of the fledgling DIY Radio, it took me all of two seconds to realize that mine was the only hosted show that clocked in at one hour, rather than two. So this week, we go long.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (23rd August 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

The Beat'cast is still in the process of nailing down a permanent time slot in the DIY Radio lineup but for this week, it airs today at 4p Eastern/3p Central (2100 UK Time), and on Wednesday at 9a Eastern/8a Central (1400 UK Time). I love the the idea of you hearing it on the DIY stream as it's first presented.

Either way, I know you'll enjoy two full hours of new music on this week's show. It might be my favorite to date.

WEEKEND “Hazel” (Slumberland), from Red EP
THE DRUMS “Money” (Island), from Portomento
BARE WIRES “Cheap Perfume” (Southpaw), from Bare Wires
STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS “Tune Grief” (Matador), from Mirror Traffic
THE WEEKND “Heaven Or Las Vegas” (self-released), from Thursday
MAYER HAWTHORNE “The Walk” (Universal), from How Do You Do
GOLD LEAVES “The Ornament” (Hardly Art), from The Ornament
GALLERIES “Young Wounds” (self-released), single
AIRBIRD “City vs. Mountain” (Software), single
THE WHIP “Movement” (Southern Fried), from Wired Together
WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS “Medicine” (Fatcat), from In The Pit Of The Stomach
VERONICA FALLS “Bad Feeling” (Bella Union), from Veronica Falls
MALE BONDING “Tame The Sun” (Sub Pop), from Endless Now
WIDOWSPEAK “Puritan” (Captured Tracks), from Widowspeak
SPIRIT SISTERS “He” (self-released), download
AIR FRANCE “It Feels Good To Be Around You” (Sincerely Yours), download
CYMBALS EAT GUITARS “Rifle Eyesight [Proper Name]” (Memphis Industries), Lenses Alien
NIKKI LANE “Gone Gone Gone” (IAMSOUND), from Walk Of Shame
LINDI ORTEGA “All My Friends” (Last Gang), from Little Red Boots
GIRLS “Vomit” (Turnstile), from Father, Son, Holy Ghost
THE LIMINANAS “Down Underground” (Trouble In Mind), from The Liminanas
THE TRAVELLERS “Waiting” (Expat), from For The Waves
THE HORRORS “I Can See Through You” (XL), from Skying
LANA DEL REY “Video Games” (Stranger), single
REPTAR “Stuck In My I.D.” (Make Records Not Bombs), from Oblangle Fizz, Y'all! EP
LITTLE DRAGON “Ritual Union” (Peacefrog), from Ritual Union
LIBRARY VOICES “Generation Handclap” (Dine Alone), from Summer Of Lust

*I lived in Chicago from 93-96, where watching the Bulls was first-rate nightly entertainment.

The Big Beat On DIY Radio

2011-08-18T03:05:00.003-05:00

If you've managed to catch the Beat'cast at any time since the start of the year, you've no doubt heard that the show has a second home over on the most excellent UK-based music site This Is Fake DIY. Recently, DIY has gone where so many sites have not and launched their own radio station: DIY Radio. Not only is The Big Beat a charter member of the programming lineup, the station launched its worldwide transmission two weeks ago by airing the Beat'cast (#21 - 2 August). I really like where they're headed with this, and am confident you will too.

In these early days, the great majority of the time is dedicated to a carefully crafted automated jukebox that leans heavily towards new music. The rest of the lineup is left to hosted programming, much like The Big Beat, that features tastemakers, erm, making taste. In short, if you enjoyed what we did on WOXY, you'll feel mighty comfortable at DIY Radio. Plus, they'll maintain an archive of all of the Beat'casts, utilizing the easy to follow Mixcloud.

DIY Radio can be accessed through their site or, perhaps easier, in the iTunes Radio section under Alternative, and that includes the US. I'm extremely honored to be a part of it.

Now, get listening!

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (16th August 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

The Big Beat 'cast 22

2011-08-16T03:08:00.003-05:00

I'm back after a week off with a solid selection of new tunes. Straight up: I like rummaging through new releases and picking out an assortment of new tracks, new bands, and the occasional curiosity. Aiming for a balance as always. Two hours of new stuff? Well, that might be a tall order. An hour seems about right to me. For now, anyway.

Enjoy, and feel free to leave a comment.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (16th August 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS "Tiger" (Matador), from Mirror Traffic (via This Is Fake DIY)
NEON INDIAN "Polish Girl" (Transgressive), from Era Extraña (via Tympanogram)
EL-P "drones over BKLYN" (Adult Swim), download (link)
FEIST "How Come You Never Go There" (Arts & Crafts), from Metals
FLUME "Sleepless" [Feat. Anthony From Cleopatra] (Future Classic), from Sleepless EP
WARPAINT "Billie Holiday" [remix] (Rough Trade), from The Fool [Deluxe Edition]
WIDOWSPEAK "Nightcrawlers" (Captured Tracks), from Widowspeak (via This Is Fake DIY)
JENS LEKMAN "An Argument With Myself" (Secretly Canadian), from An Argument With Myself
REGINA "Jos Et Sä Soita" (Friendly Fire), from Soita Mulle (via Pitchfork)
WU LYF "Cave Song" (LYF), from Go Tell Fire To The Mountain (via Indie30)
REMORA "My Brothers Guns & Knives" (Silber), from Scars Bring Hope
HIGH PLACES "Year Off" (Thrill Jockey), from Original Colors (via Brooklyn Vegan)
TRAILER TRASH TRACYS "Dies In 55" (Double Six), download (via Pitchfork)

The Big Beat 'cast 21

2011-08-02T03:12:00.003-05:00

While August vacations are being taken on both sides of the Atlantic, the music biz is preparing their Autumn releases. As a result, we benefit by getting the first taste of long awaited efforts from M83, NEON INDIAN, ST. VINCENT and GIRLS. Austin is well represented by LOVE INKS, PURE X, and UME. Hear those and more on this week’s all-new edition of all-new music on The Big Beat.

The Big Beat 'cast 21 - 2 August 2011 by The Big Beat on Mixcloud

FRIGHTENED RABBIT "Scottish Winds" (self), from A Frightened Rabbit EP
NEON INDIAN "Fallout" (Static Tongues), from Era Extraña
M83 "Midnight City" (Mute), from Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (via Listen Before You Buy)
FRANK OCEAN "Thinking About You" (self), tbd (via Earmilk)
GIRLS "Vomit" (True Panther), from Father, Son, Holy Ghost (via Pitchfork)
THE HORRORS "Moving Further Away" (XL/Beggars), from Skying (via Chromewaves)
UME "Captive" (Modern Outsider), from Phantoms (via We All Want Someone To Shout For)
LOVE INKS "Wave Goodbye" (City Slang), from E.S.P. (via Pasta Primavera)
PALLERS "Come Rain, Come Sunshine" (Labrador), from The Sea Of Memories
ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER "Roosevelt Island" (Merge), from Last Summer

Eleanor Friedberger - Roosevelt Island from Merge Records on Vimeo.

PURE X "Voices" (Acéphale), from Pleasure (via Nasty Panda)
ST. VINCENT "Surgeon" (4AD / Beggars), from Strange Mercy (via Citizen Dick)

The Big Beat 'cast 20

2011-07-26T04:00:00.005-05:00

Here's a guided audio tour of a few of this year's favorites, a companion to my recent post "33 1/3 CD's for the first 6 1/2 months of 2011". Some have been widely acclaimed while others have flown under the radar. Here's to you finding a new favorite of your own.

The Big Beat 'cast 20 - 26 July 2011 by The Big Beat on Mixcloud

CULTS "Never Heal Myself" (Columbia/INTO), from Cults
WASHED OUT "Amor Fati" (Sub Pop), from Within & Without
THE GLOBES " A Stitch Couldn't Save The World" (Barsuk), from Future Self
TV ON THE RADIO "Second Song" (Interscope), from Nine Types Of Light
THE FEELIES "Nobody Knows" (Bar/None), from Here Before
RADIOHEAD "Little By Little" (self), from The King Of Limbs
RINGO DEATHSTARR "So High" (Sonic Unyon), from Colour Trip
ELBOW "Neat Little Rows" (Fiction), from Build A Rocket Boys!
THE WEEKND "What You Need" (self), from House Of Balloons
RUMER "Slow" (Atlantic), from Seasons Of My Soul
SBTRKT "Wildfire" (Young Turks), from SBTRKT
BRAIDS "Lemonade" (Kanine), from Native Speaker
LINDI ORTEGA "Little Red Boots" (Last Gang), from Little Red Boots
YUCK "Shook Down" (Fat Possum), from Yuck
ANNA CALVI "Desire" (Domino), from Anna Calvi

The Big Beat 'cast 19

2011-07-19T00:10:00.006-05:00

Keen observers will have noticed I've not used the 'New Tunes Tuesday' tag in a while. First, it immediately dates the show, as if its sell by date is only 7 days max. That and, rightly or wrongly, I feel its cheating to throw in an oldie, and so on. Nevertheless, this one is indeed wall-to-wall, back-to-front new music. By the way, Spotify entered my life last week. Life is good.

The Big Beat 'cast 19 - 19 July 2011 by The Big Beat on Mixcloud

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY.

NEKO CASE & NICK CAVE "She's Not There" (WaterTower), from True Blood, Vol. 3 - The music supervisor for the television series went into a record store, started thumbing through the C-section and came up with the idea to have the closely named stars remake the Zombies classic for the show. Although that sounds totally made up, it's totally true.

LANTERNS ON THE LAKE "You're Almost There" (Bella Union), from Gracious Tide, Take Me Home - One of my SXSW highlights, this is the first track to emerge from their full-length debut due in September. This Is Fake DIY has the song's video. Hear previous single "Lungs Quicken".

BJORK "Crystalline" (Nonesuch), from Biophilia - We live in a music world where most albums are judged by their opening week, just like movies. Go for the big open, hope for the best. Heaven knows there probably won't be much of a budget to promote it beyond that. While it's great to know that Bjork scored a Top 10 record with her last disc Volta, she hasn't had a gold record in the US since Homogenic. That was 14 years ago. The days of radio play are, outside a small number of tastemaking outlets, long over. I enjoy this new single, but it's sonically not a whole lot different what you've heard over her last few efforts. And that's probably not gonna earn her much of a look-see from casual listeners. Search the web and download another new track "Cosmogony".

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS "Act On Impulse" (FatCat), from In The Pit Of The Stomach - First track from the Scots' second record, due the first week of October.

BOS ANGELES "Beach Slalom" (self), demo - Just as one might amend the name of your town with 'Vegas' (Nashvegas, Glasvegas, etc.), this trio from the seaside town of Boscombe, known as the "heroin capitol of England", do, er, kinda the same thing. Presumably their first demo recordings, they really nail it. A tight l'il guitar-based indie rock song: lean and mean, over and out in barely two-and-a-half minutes. This Is Fake DIY has more.

[MP3] I BREAK HORSES "Winter Beats" (Bella Union), from Hearts - I know. It's only chilly, Scandinavian electronica but I like it. A duo from Stockholm, their full-length debut arrives next month.

WASHED OUT "Before" (Sub Pop), from Within & Without - Call me crazy, but this might be chillwave's crowning achievement to date. Yes, I'll readily admit to wondering if Ernest Greene is simply Howard Jones v.2011, but the disc works for me. I especially like the glitchy track included here.

CHAIRLIFT "Amanaemonesia" (Terrible), single - Singer Caroline Polachek guests on the Washed Out record while bringing the goods on this new song, released as an indie single prior to their second full-length coming out via major label Columbia. And, is this even a word?

[STREAM] Amanaemonesia by Chairlift

SBTRKT "Right Thing To Do" (Young Turks / Beggars), from SBTRKT - Jessie Ware takes the mic on another track from the self-titled gem of a debut, one of my favorites of the year so far.

[MP3] HTRK "Eat Yr Heart" (Ghostly International), from Work (work, work) - London's (via Melbourne and Berlin) HTRK's dark, druggy debut from two years ago, Marry Me Tonight, sounded like a loaded needle in search of a vein. Sadly, the band's Sean Stewart took his own life in March 2010. The remaining members of the trio, Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang, chose to carry on and secured a proper US release for their new CD in September. Sample the first track from it.

LITTLE DRAGON "Brush The Heat" (Peacefrog), from Ritual Union - Singer Yukimi Nagano has scored prime guest spots on the new discs from SBTRKT and Raphael Saadiq, lifting her band's profile in the process. I haven't taken to Ritual Union as immediately as its predecessor Machine Dreams, but I can't deny her milky smooth vocals will keep me listening. The laid back lounge clubbiness of this track won me over.

TOM VEK "A Chore" (Downtown), from Leisure Seizure - It's been a full six years since Vek's debut We Have Sound came out. Supposedly working on the follow-up ever since, Leisure Seizure arrived last month to a much different musical landscape than 2005, the year of debuts from Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Yep, it sure seems like a lifetime ago. Expect a proper US tour in the Fall.

TOTAL BABES "Like They Always Do" (Old Flame), from Swimming Through Sunlight - A few of the guys in Cloud Nothings not named Dylan Baldi set out on their own with the side project Total Babes which, at first listen, sounds a bit like the mothership. Not a bad thing. The record hits next month via Old Flame Records, headed by my pal and ex-WOXY staffer Rob Mason.

33 1/3 CD's for the first 6 1/2 months of 2011

2011-07-11T22:38:00.006-05:00

I've been threatening to put fingers-to-keyboard in order to summarize my favorites of 2011 so far, and here it is. I've grouped them in bunches that make sense to me and hopefully, my explanation will bear out why that's so. With the exception of the first three, I'll make no claim to any kind of ascending order. I think it's been a pretty good, just short of great year. How about you?

The Unimpeachable Top
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi

Yuck - Yuck

Lindi Ortega - Little Red Boots

Calvi's been on top literally from the start. She has a style and a persona that will likely make me a lifelong fan, much like an artist down the list with whom she's oft compared to. Yuck's simply made a record that sounds like a collection of singles. I dig its cohesion. And maybe it's my coming up on two years in Texas but I've gotten a bit more receptive to tha twang, which Ortega's got in abundance. She's major label talent - signed to Interscope at one time - one can presume they didn't know what to do with her. It's an indie country-pop album: lots of catchy tunes with a li'l bit of sass.

And Then There's...

Braids - Native Speaker

SBTRKT - SBTRKT

Braids does dream pop. No big whoop in the present landscape but a heavy Cocteau Twins influence sets 'em apart from the pack and into my heart. Check back with me in December to see if SBTRKT turns out to be more than a fleeting crush, which it currently is. My guess is yes: a clubbier version of the James Blake/Jamie Woon debuts, if you will.

More Debutantes

Cults - Cults

The Globes - Future Self

Iceage - New Brigade

Rumer - Seasons Of My Soul

Washed Out - Within and Without

The Weeknd - House Of Balloons

Those with a low tolerance for sugar should steer clear of the Cults disc, even though it personifies summertime indie pop v.2011. I thought Barsuk would've given The Globes a bit more of a push. Released in May, reviews have been scarce. They have a slightly prog, quiet-loud-quiet sound that on occasion, reminds me a bit of the Dismemberment Plan. Shamefully being slept upon. OTOH, Iceage (You go, Denmark!) seem to have been anointed as the saviors of Class of '77 punk rock, and why not? They've got the genre all to themselves and thankfully, they've also got the chops. A welcome kick in rear at a time when most seem content to chill; wave. The debut from Rumer, not out in the US until September, takes me back to a safe place: childhood. 70's style soft rock, Karen Carpenter smooth. A little Dusty without quite the soul. A palate cleanser. But if you must do the chill, wave; you'd be hard pressed to do better than Washed Out's debut. When you look back at what 2011 sounded like, you might point to this disc as Exhibit A. The Weeknd disc seemed to arrive from nowhere (can this really be the third Canadian act so far? Beauty.) It's dubstep, neo-soul, trip hop and witch house all in one sitting. So cool it's, um, chill.

Veterans Day

The Feelies - Here Before

Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Radiohead - The King Of Limbs

The Radio Dept. - Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010

The freakin' Feelies! Please don't stay gone 20 years next time, k? Folks, this is how you make jangle pop and honestly, I hope Stipe, Buck & Mills hear this and decide hang their shit up. Y'know, I finally saw Mogwai live and my brains didn't bleed out of my ears. Not even once. Truth is, anyone can play it loud these days but their pretty is better than most everyone else's pretty, and Hardcore was best when it was pretty. PJ, my love, you've bored me for a decade and while conceptually, you had this one down, I still wasn't blown away. I still respect you in the morning and all but I can't stop looking at Anna cuz, girl, she done studied you up. Radiohead showed up one day, let everyone download their latest, then asked if we were happy and told us not to bother them again until after Phil releases a few more albums. Radio Dept. put out the one compilation everyone should have. Listen to it and wonder why they don't have Casey Anthony's lawyer suing all of these bands who're doing the chill; wave. Because they should.

Old Dogs, New Tricks

Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See

Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light

I kinda like where Alex Turner's going, primarily because he doesn't care what you think. Dude's doing it on his terms. Much respect. What makes me a bit sad about Elbow is the realization is that (like Doves), they're probably never gonna do what it takes to make it in the States. Whether it's writing the song or not touring here like they've got a cab waiting and the meter running. Truth is, that like EU politicos, they simply don't need to dick with the Home of the Brave in order to make coin anymore. Just ain't gonna happen, unless Coldplay handpicks them to open every date on the inevitable 100 city US tour; and then 'maybe'. Fleet Foxes: not as pretty as their first, but a solid listen. Just not a band I can get excited about. Would've liked Tunde to rock me a bit more but in any event, TVOTR just may be the best US band of the last 7 years or so. Agree?

There are hundreds of bands from Austin. Here are 3 of them:

Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Trip

Not In The Face - Bikini

Shapes Have Fangs - Dinner In The Dark

There's very little that's original on Colour Trip, right down to the British spelling which outs them as pretentious Euro wannabies to most Tea Party types. Did I mention originality is overrated? Especially if it's in a style I like. I mean, some guy told me once he could never like Arctic Monkeys because he already had Green Day and that's all he needed in that 'punk' style. He was lame, RD is not. Not In The Face (BEST NAME EVER) have the two guys, Black Keys thing going but if Dan Auerbach was Paul Westerberg. Bikini is barroom ready, a record to drink Lone Star to if I ever heard one. You know what's lo-fi about Shapes Have Fangs? Everything. A greasy, grimy, sloppy little Texas psych punk record. Very little in the way of pretension; never mind that it first came out on cassette. It's worth owning.

Everybody sing! "We like American Music.."

Mount Moriah - Mount Moriah

Other Lives - Tamer Animals

Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'

David Wax Museum - Everything Is Saved

If Dolly Parton was an indie chick, she'd probably sound like Heather McEntire from Mount Moriah. Their debut is soulful Americana with a spring in its step. They're from North Carolina. Other Lives is from Oklahoma, just like The Flaming Lips, but sound nothing like them. Not even a smidge. And their 2nd album has so much orchestration on it that it's safe to assume that a few of the band members might be from somewhere else or have actually left the state on occasion. (I keed!) Saadiq is a smooth cat. He's got soul and gets major props for pulling in Yukimi from Little Dragon on a cut. Robert Randolph, too. Your parents would like it. David Wax's name is really David Wax. Thankfully it's not David Wax Jr. Jr.. Anyway, he spent a lot of time in Mexico and that's deeply influenced this little self-released record that's earned good notices but precious little in the way of buzz. Damn hippies.

...and then there's these:

James Blake - James Blake

Conquering Animal Sound - Kammerspiel

The Phoenix Foundation - Buffalo

Young Prisms - Friends For Now

Younger Brother - Vaccine

WU LYF - Tell Fire To The Mountain

Let's see: Blake, Younger Brother and WU LYF are English, Conquering Animal Sound is Scottish, The Phoenix Foundation are Kiwis, and Young Prisms are from San Francisco, which is equally as foreign in the eyes of most Americans. All have released CD's in the first half of 2011 worth investigating. And so say all of me.

The Big Beat 'cast 18

2011-06-30T08:29:00.007-05:00

The Big Beat 'cast 18 - 28 June 2011 by The Big Beat on Mixcloud

The premise behind The Big Beat‘cast is simple: I’ll play you some new tunes that I think you ought to hear. That buddy who tells you about a new song or band, that excitedly drops by to play you that new record. So whether it’s discovering a new favorite or latest from an old one, my hope is to always introduce you to something you’ll like and want to know more about.

There’s been far too much good stuff lately to cram into one program. So, just like Use Your Illusion I & II, here’s the second equally-good-if-not-better selection of tunes for you to stream or download.

Tracklisting - The Big Beat'cast 18 - 30 June 2011

[MP3] THE HORRORS "Still Life" (XL/Beggars), from Skying (via We All Want Someone To Shout For)
[STREAM] BON IVER "Holocene" (Jagjaguwar), from Bon Iver, Bon Iver
[MP3] LITTLE DRAGON "Nightlight" (Peacefrog), from Ritual Union (via earmilk.com)
[MP3] HANDSOME FURS "Repatriated" (Sub Pop), from Sound Kapital
[STREAM] THE SOFT PACK "Parasites" (Kemado), from The Soft Pack
[MP3] THE BRIGHT LIGHT SOCIAL HOUR "Bare Hands Bare Feet" (self), from The Bright Light Social Hour (via Perfect Porridge)
[MP3] SUN AIRWAY "Wild Palms" (Dead Oceans), single (via Pitchfork)
THE CHILLS "Heavenly Pop Hit" (Flying Nun), from Submarine Bells
[STREAM] ECHOBELLY "King Of The Kerb" (Favue), from On
[MP3] THE GLOBES "Stay Awake" (Barsuk), from Future Self
[MP3] THE HISTORY OF APPLE PIE "Tug" (Roundtable), free download
[STREAM] BLACK TAMBOURINE "Throw Aggi Off The Bridge" (Slumberland), from Black Tambourine
[MP3] FEAR OF MEN "Phantom Limb" (Sex Is Disgusting), from Hanna Schygulla Demos (via Some Of It Was True!)
[STREAM] RAPIDS! "Little Blood" (Heist Or Hit), from Fragments
[STREAM] LYRES "Help You Ann" (Ace Of Hearts), from On Fyre
LEMURIA "Irregular" (Bridge Nine), from Pebble
[MP3] ICEAGE "White Rune" (What's Your Rupture?), from New Brigade

The Big Beat 'cast 17

2011-06-28T04:30:00.012-05:00

So, where were we?

Included in this hour of handpicked sounds is the latest from old hands WILCO, ARCTIC MONKEYS, and THE APPLESEED CAST, plus the fast rising SBTRKT, WASHED OUT, WU LYF, CULTS, STILL CORNERS and MOUNT MORIAH. Meet NOT IN THE FACE and LINDI ORTEGA, and hear classic tracks from ANIMAL COLLECTIVE, SEBADOH, LET'S ACTIVE, and GLEN CAMPBELL. (Glen Campbell?)

It's good to be back.

The Big Beat 'cast 17 - 28 June 2011 by The Big Beat on Mixcloud

Tracklisting - The Big Beat'cast 17

[MP3] WILCO "I Might" (dBpm), from The Whole Love (via ACE)
[MP3] LINDI ORTEGA "Little Lie" (Last Gang), from Little Red Boots (via Spinner)
SBTRKT "Trials Of The Past" (Young Turks / Beggars), from SBTRKT
[MP3] CULTS "Oh My God" (Columbia/INTO), from Cults (via earmilk.com)
[MP3] WASHED OUT "Amor Fati" (Sub Pop), from Within & Without (via Listen Before You Buy)
[MP3] ARCTIC MONKEYS "The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala" (Domino), from Suck It And See (via Alive Through The Music)
[MP3] STILL CORNERS "Cuckoo" (Sub Pop), from Creatures Of An Hour (via ACE)
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE "Bluish" (Domino), from Merriweather Post Pavilion
[MP3] WU LYF "Dirt" (LYF), from Go Tell Fire To The Mountain (via Captain Obvious)
SEBADOH "License To Confuse" (Sub Pop), from Bakesale
[MP3] NOT IN THE FACE "Downtown Girl" (Electric Factory), from Bikini (via Austin Town Hall)
[MP3] LET'S ACTIVE "Every Word Means No" (I.R.S.), from Afoot (via Review Stalker)
MOUNT MORIAH "Social Wedding Rings" (Holidays For Quince), from Mount Moriah
[MP3] THE APPLESEED CAST "Middle States" (Graveface), from Middle States [EP] (via Austin Town Hall)
GLEN CAMPBELL "Wichita Lineman" (Capitol), from Wichita Lineman

New Tunes Tuesday / The Big Beat 'cast 16

2011-05-24T14:00:00.005-05:00

Hear a baker’s dozen of new tunes this week, including a pair of vintage tracks from newly reissued discs by THE KINKS and SUPERCHUNK. Start withe the haunting new BON IVER track, and keep an eye (and an ear) on MOUNT MORIAH, a boy/girl duo from North Carolina who play sweetly gentle Americana. Listen to the sloppy yet melodic garage punk of BASS DRUM OF DEATH, another new single of balearic bliss from jj, the noodly prog of OMAR RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ (of The Mars Volta), and another track from soul smoothie RAPHAEL SAADIQ. Something for the whole family, really.

The Big Beat 'cast 16 - 24 May 2011 by The Big Beat on Mixcloud

[DOWNLOAD] BON IVER "Calgary" (Jagjaguwar), from Bon Iver (via Pitchfork)
[DOWNLOAD] MOUNT MORIAH "Lament" (Holidays For Quince), from Mount Moriah
FRIENDLY FIRES "True Love" (XL/Beggars), from Pala
[DOWNLOAD] TELEPATHE "Throw Away This" (White Iris), single (via ACE)
MAN MAN "Spooky Jookie" (Anti), from Life Fantastic
[DOWNLOAD] WILD BEASTS "Bed Of Nails" (Domino), from Smother (via ACE)
THE KINKS "Got Love If You Want It" [alternate take] (Sanctuary), from Kinks [Deluxe Edition]
[DOWNLOAD] SUPERCHUNK "Hyper Enough" (Merge), from Here's Where The Strings Come In (via Review Stalker)
[DOWNLOAD] BASS DRUM OF DEATH "Get Found" (Fat Possum), from GB City (via Brooklyn Vegan)
[DOWNLOAD] jj "No One Can Touch Us Tonight" (Sincerely Yours), single (via My Old Kentucky Blog)
RAPHAEL SAADIQ "Just Don't" (Columbia), from Stone Rollin'
[DOWNLOAD] OTHER LIVES "Dust Bowl III" (tbd), from Tamer Animals (via earmilk.com)
OMAR RODRIGUEZ LOPEZ "Coma Pony" (Rodriguez Lopez), from Telesterion

Other Lives - Tamer Animals

2011-05-20T10:06:00.006-05:00

Stillwater, Oklahoma. Home of Oklahoma State University and, no offense, probably not a musical hotbed. Perhaps that'll change with the release of the second full-length from OTHER LIVES.

Signed to industry heavyweight Phil Costello's tbd label, Radiohead's American home, Other Lives should appeal to fans who dig the same lush but moody orchestration the 'head have been known for. Tamer Animals has a beautifully dense quality that envelopes the listener, really hitting its stride with one-two mid-section punch of the title track and "Dust Bowl III", no doubt drawing inspiration from their geographical origin in the Sooner state. Don't sit on this one.

The band is currently on tour in the US through mid-July (Austin: June 24 @ The Parish, opening for The Rosebuds).

The title track is included on The Big Beat'cast 15.

The Answering Machine Split

2011-05-18T09:57:00.002-05:00

If it's not all-too-obvious already, the whole reason this blog exists is to champion music and artists I feel strongly about and share them with you. Sadly, one of those I cheered for the hardest have called it a day. In a handwritten note posted Monday on their website, The Answering Machine announced their split, effective immediately.

On a personal note, they're one of only a small number of bands I've gotten to know better away from the stage. So while I'll miss hearing any more new music and cheerfully supporting their cause, I know that each of them have a bright future no matter what they choose to pursue. As a final farewell, their recently released Lifeline will soon be available on vinyl. Check out the video of the title cut, directed by their touring 5th member Luke Bellis.

The Big Beat 'cast 15

2011-05-17T21:29:00.003-05:00

I did away with the usual format for this week's Beat'cast. Armed with a stack of CD's, I just hit record and let the funk flow. Played with a few less rules, I did. Kind of a 'back to the egg' program. I hope you like it.

And the funk does flow: BEASTIE BOYS, RAPHAEL SAADIQ, and CEE LO GREEN for starters. Hear a new tune from YUCK; plus, meet Austin's FOOT PATROL and JEFF LOFTON. Stream the show right from this page.

The Big Beat 'cast 15 - 17 May 2011 by The Big Beat on Mixcloud

BEASTIE BOYS "Nonstop Disco Powerpack (Capitol), from Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
RAPHAEL SAADIQ "Heart Attack" (Columbia), from Stone Rollin'
FITZ & THE TANTRUMS "MoneyGrabber" (Dangerbird), from Pickin' Up The Pieces
THE O'JAYS "Back Stabbers" (Sony), from Back Stabbers
BOOKER T. JONES "Representing Memphis" [feat. Matt Berninger & Sharon Jones] (Anti), from The Road From Memphis
THE JEFF LOFTON ELECTRIC THANG "By Any Other Name" (self-released), from Chasing The Voodoo Down Live At The Cactus Cafe
OTHER LIVES "Tamer Animals" (tbd), from Tamer Animals
FOALS "Total Life Forever" (Sub Pop), from Total Life Forever
CEE LO GREEN "Bright Lights Bigger City" (Elektra), from The Lady Killer
FOOT PATROL "Mudslide" (self-released), from Pussyfooting
PREFUSE 73 "The Only Hand To Hold" [feat. Shara Worden] (Warp), from The Only She Chapters
WARPAINT "Bees" (Rough Trade/Beggars), from The Fool
YUCK "Milkshake" (Fat Possum), single

New Tunes Tuesday / The Big Beat 'cast 14

2011-05-03T00:01:00.027-05:00

Don't know if you noticed but last week's Beat'cast had a distinct lack of ladies on the playlist. So this week, we've bent over backwards (thankyou, thankyouverymuch) to change that, in addition to paying tribute to the late Poly Styrene. Plus, there's lots of other good stuff on there as well. Would I lie? Simply press play to stream the show right from this page.

The Big Beat 'cast 14 - 3 May 2011 by The Big Beat on Mixcloud

X-RAY SPEX "The Day The World Turned Day-Glo" (EMI), from Germ Free Adolescents
NIKI & THE DOVE "The Fox" (Sub Pop), from The Fox EP
LYKKE LI "Rich Kids Blues" (Atlantic), from Wounded Rhymes
HANDSOME FURS "What About Us" (Sub Pop), from Sound Kapital
KNESSET "Bitter Hearts" (& Records), from Coming Of Age
FLEET FOXES "Lorelai" (Sub Pop), from Helplessness Blues
THE DONKEYS "Ceiling Tan" (Dead Oceans), from Born With Stripes
LE BUTCHERETTES "I'm Gettin' Sick Of You" (Rodriguez-Lopez Productions), from Sin Sin Sin
THE RUNAWAYS "Cherry Bomb" (Mercury), from The Runaways
X-RAY SPEX "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" (EMI), from Germ Free Adolescents
POLY STYRENE "I Luv Ur Sneakers" (Future Noise), from Generation Indigo
WU LYF "LYF" (LYF), from Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
MOGWAI "How To Be A Werewolf" (Sub Pop), from Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

R.I.P. Punk Pioneer Poly Styrene

2011-04-26T06:06:00.003-05:00

Sad news this morning, made sadder by the fact that she'd just re-emerged from a long hiatus. Poly lost a short battle with cancer. She was 53. NPR's All Things Considered just ran a piece on her yesterday. A simple statement on her website, dated today, reads:

We can confirm that the beautiful Poly Styrene, who has been a true fighter, won her battle on Monday evening to go to higher places.

Love,
PS team.

Born Marianne Elliott-Said, as a teen she formed X-Ray Spex, whose Germ Free Adolescents is routinely listed among the most important albums in rock history, certainly in the annuals of punk. The band's "Oh Bondage Up Yours!", featuring her spoken word intro and unhinged vocal, is a one-of-a-kind landmark from that era (and for which we'd always reserve a place for it on the Modern Rock 500 at WOXY).

X-Ray Spex ran its course within a few short years and split in 1979. Solo debut Translucence came in 1980 before she gravitated to the Hare Krsihna movement, releasing the spiritually tinged Gods & Goddesses EP in 1984. Aside from the infrequent public appearance or X-Ray Spex reunion show, she pretty much remained out of the spotlight. Her first record in 7 years, Generation Indigo was just released in Britain last month.

05 80's-X Ray Spex-Oh Bondage up yours by club80s

08-X-Ray Spex Identity by tommy t

New Tunes Tuesday / The Big Beat 'cast 13

2011-04-25T23:29:00.003-05:00

Bigger, badder and back like a heart attack, here comes the latest and greatest Big Beat'cast. A ~~weekly~~ fairly regular selection of handpicked tunes - mostly new - curated by yours truly. Simply press play to stream the show in its entirety and relive the experience of yesteryear: not actually knowing what comes next. Y'know, kinda like radio. Retro! Or, simply download it and listen at your leisure. If'n you wanna peek, the tracklisting is after the jump.

The Big Beat 'cast 13 - 26 April 2011 by The Big Beat on Mixcloud

ELBOW "The Birds" (Fiction), from Build A Rocket Boys!
FLEET FOXES "Bedouin Dress" (Sub Pop), from Helplessness Blues
TV ON THE RADIO "Second Song" (Interscope), from Nine Types of Light
RADIOHEAD "The Butcher" (self-released), from 12" single
THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART "My Terrible Friend" (Slumberland), from Belong
CRYSTAL STILTS "Through The Floor" (Slumberland), from In Love With Oblivion
SUEDE "Metal Mickey" (Columbia), from Suede
WHITE HILLS "Upon Arrival" (Thrill Jockey), from H-p1
YOUNGER BROTHER "Train" (Twisted), from Vaccine
KATE BUSH "Deeper Understanding" (Fish People/EMI), from Director's Cut
THE NATIONAL "Exile Vilify" (self-released), from the videogame Portal 2
MOON DUO "Mazes" (Sacred Bones), from Mazes
THE BRIGHT LIGHT SOCIAL HOUR "Shanty" (self-released), from The Bright Light Social Hour

Let's Talk About Blog, Vol. 2

2011-04-24T18:11:00.005-05:00

...because there really was a Volume 1. Just sayin'.

So, this 3-week hiatus has made for a pretty tidy break from the blogosphere. To be honest, I probably went over two weeks between logins here and, for the most part, that's extended to Facebook and Twitter as well. I'm telling you, my Klout score has been in freefall! Truthfully? I've enjoyed the break.

Now, before anyone gets the idea that I'm backing away from this li'l endeavor, well you're just wrong there, bub (or bubette, I s'pose). But you know how whenever a sports season ends, you tend to take a little time away? I mean, unless you're just crazy nuts about (American) football, for example, after the Super Bowl you tend to give it a breather, right? Same thing after the Champions League or World Cup final, it's not like talk at the watercooler is going to be who's gonna be in the semis in 12 months time. It's just....time....to chill. Well, for as much as I (and this blog) had whipped myself into a fine froth over SXSW last month, to me, it was like the season-ending championship game. It felt like my entire blogging pursuit had been leading up to that. So when it finished, I sought that season-ending break. Got me?

It's also given me time to think about the direction of TBB and how best to proceed. I genuinely love curating the Beat'cast, putting it together and digging up new artists to share, so that'll continue. While I take a lot of pride and put a lot of effort into composing a li'l blurb about each Beat'cast selection (I find disseminating information essential), it's awfully time consuming and from a standpoint of eyeballs, it simply doesn't matter. Just slapping up some links often yields the same amount of traffic, or more. While I've no intention to fundamentally change NTT or the Beat'cast, I'll probably chop up the info into multiple posts over an extended period of time. Less pressure of a deadline, more bang from each post.

So, let me sign off here and get to work on this week's Beat'cast. It should be to go by Tuesday. This Tuesday, that is. Thanks for hangin' with me.

New Tunes Tuesday - 5 April 2011

2011-04-04T22:45:00.011-05:00

Reverting back to the ol' NTT format to bring you a handful of new ones this week....

THE ANTLERS "Parentheses" (Frenchkiss), from Burst Apart -
[STREAM] The Antlers - Parentheses by Frenchkiss

WU LYF "LYF" (self-released), from Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
[DOWNLOAD] WU LYF - LYF by Nialler9

THURSTON MOORE "Benediction" (Matador), from Demolished Thoughts -
[DOWNLOAD] Thurston Moore - Benediction by brooklynvegan

KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS "Yellow Man" (Sixteen Tambourines), from Keep Shelly In Athens (cassette) -
[STREAM] Keep Shelly in Athens - Yellow Man by Sixteen Tambourines Recs

ERRORS "Magna Encarta" (Rock Action), from 7" single -
[STREAM] Magna Encarta by Errors

GRIMES "Vanessa" (Hippos in Tanks/Arbutus), from split 12" EP (w/ d'Eon) -
[DOWNLOAD] Grimes, "Vanessa" by The FADER

CLOCK OPERA "Belongings" (Moshi Moshi), single -
[STREAM] Clock Opera - Belongings by moshi moshi music

THE GOOD NATURED "Wolves" (Regal), free download -
[DOWNLOAD] The Good Natured - Wolves by The Good Natured

SIGUR ROS "Svefn-G-Englar (1999 demo)" (n/a) -
[STREAM] svefn-g-englar demo 1999 by sigur rós