Happy Birthday Damon Albarn!

Damon Albarn is an English musician best known as the frontman of sensational 90’s britpop band Blur and one of the two masterminds behind highly successful virtual alternative hip-hop group Gorillaz. But did you know that in his highly prolific career as a collaborative and solo musician he has also released a record as the frontman of an unnamed supergroup featuring members of The Clash, The Verve and Fela Kuti? Did you know that he has done two film soundtracks, did production on a Massive Attack record, wrote the music to the Gorillaz-esque 2008 British opera Monkey: Journey to the West, is currently about to release a collaborative record with Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and was named fourth greatest frontman of all time in a 2010 UK poll for Q Music magazine, behind Liam Gallagher, Bono and Freddie Mercury? So here’s to Albarn, who is turning 44 today. Below are a few notable tracks from throughout his career, both well-known and some more obscure, which any seasoned Albarn fan would know and which any new listener should certainly enjoy.

“Beetlebum” Blur (1997)

Blur’s second single to reach number 1 and lead single off their fifth eponymous album Blur, the song is written about Albarn’s long standing then-girlfriend Justine Frischmann of Elastica and of her heroin use. It was the first of many songs in which Albarn would describe his sadness upon their breakup.

“I Need a Gun” Damon Albarn (2003)

Gorillaz fans will recognize this as the tune that evolved into single “Dirty Harry” off the 2005 Gorillaz album Demon Days. The demo version, which appeared on 2003 album Democrazy, was recorded while on tour for the 2003 Blur album Think Tank and was issued in limited numbers on just vinyl. A true Albarn fan’s dream!

“Out of Time” Blur (2003)

Following the departure of Blur’s guitarist Graham Coxon from the band in 2001, the group finished off album number seven, with Albarn’s role in the band taking a turn to be entirely influential. With a new lo-fi experimental sound, a slew of hip-hop producers on board (including The Neptunes and The Dust Brothers) and album artwork by street artist Banksy, it was a very ambitious album, and was certainly more than some Blur fans were expecting. “Out of Time” stands out on the record for its distinct world music sound, with a careless chorus and Eastern orchestral flourishes.

“Hong Kong” Gorillaz (2005)

Originally recorded in one day for charity compilation album “Help! A Day in the Life” for War Child UK, this song appeared alongside contributions from the likes of other Put a Bird on It covered artists Radiohead and Damien Rice. The song was later re-recorded and re-released as part of Gorillaz b-sides compilation album D-Sides featuring a new string orchestration by Albarn. It heavily features the Chinese zither, an instrument that would later be further utilized by Albarn in the soundtrack for the opera Monkey: Journey to the West.

“Nature Springs” The Good, the Bad & the Queen (2007)

Following the first and second Gorillaz records, Albarn did an album with Paul Simonon of The Clash, Simon Tong of The Verve, and Tony Allen of Fela Kuti and afrobeat fame. The record, titled The Good, the Bad & the Queen, focused around modern life in London and was produced by Danger Mouse. “Nature Springs” is one of Albarn’s most environmental songs, detailing his concern with the future of the Earth and his distrust with British lawmakers’ role in the matter.

“Poison” Rocket Juice & The Moon (2012)

This song is a cut from an upcoming eponymous funk album featuring Albarn, Tony Allen of The Good, the Bad & the Queen and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album will be released this month and will be their first release since first forming in 2008. However, if you’re looking for a “Rocket Juice” tour you’ll be out of luck; while the band has previously played at the Cork Jazz Festival in 2011, they will not be doing any more performances until the Chili Peppers get off touring for their new record in 2013.

Stateless: Another Fabulous English Band

Hailing from West Yorkshire, England, Stateless formed back in 2003 and possess a sound that is sort of a Portishead/Radiohead mix. Originally signed to Sony Records, Stateless has since downsized to the indie label Ninja Tune with whom they released their second full-length album last February, titled Matilda. The band’s sound is catchy enough to immediately grab listeners, and it is unique and dreamy enough to sustain listeners for long periods of time… AKA it is music with some considerable depth to it. I’ll stop my aimless writing now and leave you with two tracks, the first, “Bloodstream” is the song that hooked me, and the video below for “Ariel” is a catchy tune with some pretty sweet visuals. Enjoy!

“Bloodstream”

 

The Los Angeles Electropop Scene: yOya and Faded Paper Figures

So, as typical weeknights go, I was on Pandora surfing the wide world of music when I came across yOya, an LA band originally from Corvallis, Oregon. Alex Pfender and Noah Dietterich created yOya after being friends/bandmates from a young age, and were largely into folksy/acoustic music (largely because of the infamous NW winter, filled with grey skies and rain). The two decided to go to school in LA to study music, and it was at this point that yOya’s folky sound directly collided with LA’s booming electronic scene… Do you see where I am going with this one?

Yes, yOya is an acoustic/folk/electronic/pop band. Who knew that was possible? To me, it sounds like a cross between a more subtle version of the Postal Service and the Shins… Which is a ridiculous idea, ridiculous in the best way. yOya are very young, having released their first album (the entirety of which is below) in April of 2010, followed by a West Coast tour where they shared the stage with the likes of Avi Buffalo, Dawes, The 88, and many others. They played SXSW in 2011 for the first time, toured extensively throughout this past summer, and are currently on tour again (they’re not making it to Seattle, but they are in Oregon for 5 shows at the start of November). Point being, these guys are working their butts off, making good music, and I think that if you enjoy it, you should support them and spread the word because young bands are almost always broke and need to eat.

Nothing To Die

(Check out “Fireworks” and “Dusty Loners”)

That same night I came across Faded Paper Figures, yet another product of the LA electropop scene. Often compared to the Postal Service and Belle and Sebastian, Faded Paper Figures consist of three members, John Williams, Kael Alden, and Heather Alden (cute right?). Formed in Irvine, California, back in 2007 the three worked on their debut album which was released a year later by the title Dynamo. Their second, and most recent album, New Medium, came about in 2010 and Faded Paper Figures backed that album with a summer tour that year. As of late the band has had some obligations outside of music, predominantly the fact that Heather Alden is at medical school at UCLA and John Williams is teaching at Yale (I guess you have to be really smart to make indie electropop…); but not to worry, Faded Paper Figures are still writing and recording music bi-coastally. We can hope for/expect a summer tour as a break from their life of being too smart for their own good, so keep an eye on that as time progresses. Lastly, rumors are stirring about a new album in the near future, so don’t hesitate to give that a listen once it is released!

Here’s the whole Dynamo album.Why not?

(Check out “North By North” and “Future Self”)

Passion Pit: Sleepyhead

Indie Synth-Pop band Passion Pit was formed in 2007 at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. The band has only released one full-length to this point, titled Manners back in 2009. The lead single off of that album was “Sleepyhead”, sort of a spacey, even psychedelic little tune. In all honesty, I’m not a huge fan of this band, but I love this song. The samples, the bells, and vocalist Michael Angelakos’ voice all make for a pretty hip track. Enjoy!

Shlohmo: A Smooth Track To Vibe With

Here is a quick post from an LA producer named Shlohmo. His new LP Bad Vibes dropped this June and I am sure it is filled with smooth tracks such as the one below, titled “Places”. Enjoy!

Bjork: Crystalline (Woah)

Bjork has a new single out, and it does not disappoint. The brilliant Icelandic musician has done it again, giving listeners a catchy, musical, and original sound (the end of the song is absolutely remarkable). The new album, Biophilia is set to drop on September 26, it was recorded partly on an iPad and will be the world’s first ever “app album” in collaboration with Apple… so mark those calendars. I haven’t got much else to say, just enjoy this one.

(Although this post is old, I found a live version from November of 2011, and its too damn cool to not put up. So here she is on Jools Holland)

Marlo: Secrets Of The Universe

Back in the days of middle school, I encountered a pretty neat recess duty by the name of Danny V. It was right around the time that I had started playing music of my own so we naturally had quite a few talks about the art, thus leading him to introducing me to his band, Marlo. I would classify the band as an electronic/indie/pop gem that was created by Danny and a friend. It’ll take you to space. Marlo has ceased to exist as of about 4 years ago, however Danny is still making music and just finished an album this month (there will be a post when it officially comes out around July… its REALLY good). So enjoy this fun little post about a fun little band, if you like it you can just click the download button on the right of the track. Enjoy!

“22”

“Diamond Smuggling”

“Ivy”

The Glitch Mob: “An Audio Assault”

This three-piece electronic group from LA has made a great deal of noise within the national electronic scene. With a big sound and a will to play a show practically anywhere (as you’ll see in the video), this group has gained a great deal of recognition. Hailing from the same scene that produced other electronic artists such as Daedelus and Flying Lotus, The Glitch Mob are another force in the ever-growing world of instrumental electronic music. The video below is a very cool and very funny little documentary about the guys running around San Francisco and playing shows on the street corners. So, check it out and if you like it, they’ll be at Sasquatch as well!

Chad VanGaalen: Sub Pop + Canadian= Score

Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Chad VanGaalen (AKA Black Mold) has been making music since 2001. With a sort of electronic indie folk sort of vibe going on, VanGaalen is truly a unique artist when it comes to sound and innovation. To date he has released four full length albums as well as four EPs, the most recent of which was titled Diaper Island, and it dropped just two days ago. The video below is from his 2006 album titled Skelliconnection, and the song is titled “Red Hot Drops”. So, check out something that you may not have heard, enjoy it, and go buy it!

Imogen Heap: Hide And Seek

This 33-year old singer/songwriter made it big with this hit back in 2005. In her career, Imogen Heap has won multiple grammy awards, and is a great live performer. Below is a live video of her performing “Hide and Seek” on Indie 103. Enjoy!