ATOMS FOR PEACE MURAL PREDICTS "HOLLYWOOD DOOM" PRIOR TO "AMOK"

The post-apocalyptic mural, "Hollywood Doom", is a spin-off of the album art from the forthcoming Atoms For Peace debut, AMOK. Currently veiling the exterior of the XL Records building, the mural turned animated GIF is a collaboration between Stanley Donwood and INSA. 

In his bold graphic style, Donwood depicts Los Angeles flooded and burning, with fireballs raining down from the sky. His argument being, that Armageddon's already here - we've squandered planet Earth, exploited each other to make a buck, and polluted our drinking water in the process. 

At first glance, I enjoyed the novelty of animating a mural and the cool, graphic design. But as nihilistic as Donwood's evaluation of our current state of affairs is, it's easy to appreciate the truth in his words. It wasn't until I looked at the piece with that frame of mind that I found it disturbing. Looking at the city I live in being simultaneously torched and swallowed by the ocean was uncomfortable, because perhaps it's not far off.

AMOK is set for release Feb. 26, 2013 and represents the official debut from the Thom Yorke / Flea supergroup, despite having formed to tour Yorke's solo album, The Eraser. At that time the band didn't have a name, so their early shows were billed Thom Yorke ?????? or just ??????

If you're a fan of Radiohead's sound, you should like that Atoms For Peace feels more or less the same, but with a relentless rhythm section including Flea on bass. 

In other words, they're epic as fuck. 

This track, "Cymbal Rush", is from the last album but it should give you an idea how hard they crush it.

Clearly, these guys live up to their supergroup status.

For longer listening, check out the below mix Yorke contributed to Dazed Digital along with band-mate Nigel Godrich. It's a full 25 minute set featuring many what I like to call "Yorke on Yorke" remixes. 

MIX TRACKLIST: 

• Cycles MK 3 - Thom Yorke
• You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry (unfinished mix) - Atoms For Peace
• Mali: Kono, the Sacred Bird - Mali Musicians
• Proud Evolution (Thom York 500quid rmx) - Liars
• I Don't Need An Excuse (unfinished) - Thom Yorke
• Bloom (treatments) - Radiohead
• Morning Shiver Down The Back Wood River - Anstam
• Give Up The Ghost (Thom Yorke rmx) - Radiohead
• The Grind - Average Joe vs Unless - Atoms For Peace

TYCHO'S THE TOTAL PACKAGE

Last weekend Tycho played a pair of back-to-back shows at The Troubadour in West Hollywood.

And just so you don't make the same mistake I did, let me clarify -- though both are from San Francisco and both start with "Ty", Tycho and Ty Segall put on two very different shows. 

Yes, admittedly, I thought I was going to see a garage punk band, but ended up with possibly the furthest thing from that: Tycho's subdued mix of ambient tunes. 

What can I say? There's a lot of music out there that I'm ever-exploring and my wires got crossed.

No harm, no foul though. 

While it was far less aggressive than the punk rock attitude I was expecting, Tycho made up for it in their extremely polished performance and chilled out vibes. 

Scott Hansen, a.k.a. Tycho, is also well-known for his graphic design work. His blog, ISO50, was featured on Paste's Best Design Blogs of the 2012 list. For Tycho that means developing dreamy visuals of rolling surf and sand dunes, and projecting them on stage. A perfect pairing with the spacious, instrumental music: the two become natural companions, so that one informs the other.

The unexpected star of the night was Rory O'Connor, the drummer, who's super dynamic and tight rhythms elevated the entire outfit. And it turns out Tycho isn't the only group benefiting from his mad skills either - he also plays drums in Com Truise.

IS "NOT FADE AWAY" THE NEW "ALMOST FAMOUS"?

Ahhh, le sigh.

To answer my own question, no. It is not. This is not a movie full of glory and fame. These guys don't make it big, but just a quick look at the movie poster and I'm sold. 

Care to spend a few hours in a dream of rock n' roll romanticism? All day, er' day.

But the fact that this was made by one of the most celebrated TV writers of our time, David Chase (Sopranos), makes it that much better. Plus, according to a Rolling Stone, this project was specifically about the music, from the start. Said Chase, "Rock and roll is at the heart of the movie because for some of the characters, rock music is the gateway to transcendence..."

Hell yes - give it to me!

On a related note, if you want a behind the scenes look at the folks responsible for the song selections, "The Music Of The Sopranos" is totally worth checking out.

TOP 25 SONGS OF 2012

First of all, how dope is this cover art from Divine Fits?

Raw youth.

They were my number one of the year for a reason...

Anyway, back to the point -- a couple days ago I published my Top 10 Albums of 2012. It was a fun, but at a certain point it's hard to choose one band over another, especially when they're a favorite of yours. Plus, a list of 10 albums doesn't exactly cover everything from the year in music. 

So to pick up where that left off - and to really showcase some of my favorite particular songs - I've come up with this list for the Top 25 Songs of 2012.

TOP 10 ALBUMS 2012

DIVINE FITS, A THING CALLED DIVINE FITS

Slick, straight forward rock n' roll with a vaguely new wave vibe. This collaboration between Britt Daniel (Spoon) and Dan Boeckner (Handsome Furs) is too cool for school. Case in point, when delivering the lyrics, "She could really get me going" they can't be bothered to say "going". No, they're so cool they say "gone".

But what really sealed the deal was seeing an absolutely magnetic live performance. These fellas live and die by rock n' roll, that much is evident.




GARY CLARK JR., BLAK & BLUE

Heavy blues balanced with soulful R&B. He is my new Dan Auerbach. Somehow between the dirty blues riffs and the smooth vocals I get a vibe reminiscent for me of The Black Keys, Brothers.

I was smitten by the handful of gnarly guitar tracks that anchor the album. But the songs interspersed between them hit all the right notes, creating an incredibly well-rounded experience.




SANTIGOLD, MASTER OF MY MAKE BELIEVE

The sheer volume of great tracks makes Santigold's sophomore album one of my best of the year. She's right at home making melodic, high-energy dance tracks with tons of attitude (check out "Look At These Hoes"). Plus, it's got one of my personal favorite songs of the year, "Fame", a slow-jam of epic proportions.



EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROES, HERE

Again competing for best all around. With so many great tracks its hard to deny how complete this album feels, from start to finish. But right off the bat, three songs stand out amongst the rest, "That's What's Up", "Dear Believer", and "Fiya Wata".





FIONA APPLE, THE IDLER WHEEL

Can't say it any better than NPR DJ, Anne Power, who described this album as, "raw as a bite of garlic, sweet as honey dripped on flesh...". 

I hung onto every word of Apple's nuanced delivery on the first track, "Every Single Night" and the deal was done hearing her guttural plea mid-way through the second track, "Daredevil".  A musically sparse album, it comes across almost as spoken word.

JAPANDROIDS, CELEBRATION ROCK

First of all, Celebration Rock? Yes, please. Second, and I know this is a polarizing reference, but these guys almost sound like Blink 182 grew up. It's a more mature take on adolescent punk rock. If you're in need of a personal anthem (and who isn't), then "The House That Heaven Built" is a must-hear.





HOT CHIP, IN OUR HEADS

Striking a balance between meticulous and unrestrained, slightly absurd, yet totally serious. These guys do it right. Often dance-able and unpredictable, you can get lost in these tracks, which makes for a good time.




FIRST AID KIT, THE LION'S ROAR

Young folk duo, these sisters out of Sweden offer easy listening, nostalgic of simpler times. I've always got room for more of this in my repertoire.




DEADMAU5, >ALBUM TITLE GOES HERE<

Two words: "Fn Pig". Hands down one of the catchiest dance tracks of the year.




CODY CHESNUTT, LANDING ON A HUNDRED

In his own words: rock n' roll, gospel, soul, the truth. This is a beautifully modern record if you're seeking any of those classic intangibles.

HARD: DAY OF THE DEAD

The Saturday after Halloween, SoCal club kids flocked to Los Angeles State Historic Park to throw down at HARD Haunted Mansion Presents: Day of the Dead. A one night event host to 28 electronic dance music acts, across four stages. One thing’s for sure, the kids weren’t burnt out on Halloween parties. They came prepared to go hard (pun intended). 

You know that sinking feeling you were told it was a costume party, but when you get there you’re the only one dressed up?  

You don’t have to worry about that at HARD. These kids wore a standard uniform of thong underwear, bra tops, furry boots, fishnets, and tutus. Day of the Dead face paint was probably the only addition to “normal” festival attire. Whether they knew it or not, with nearly everyone dressed the same, the party people were upholding the Unity pillar of the rave credo, Peace Love Unity Respect (PLUR).

The entry gates were packed throughout most of the night, with long lines at the ID check point. Looking back, this makes sense because the audience was mostly 25 and under. But if you're a music fan on the up and up, you got there early for one of the first - and most hyped - sets of the night. UZ, like the gun, went on right at 6:00 PM. Having just hit SoundCloud this year, UZ's a newcomer to the burgeoning EDM scene with his own genre, trap muzick, and an EP by Diplo's Mad Decent imprint, Jeffrees.

Speaking of Diplo - he's everywhere! Not only were multiple artists from his label on the bill, but he performed two headlining sets that night: one as Diplo, the other as part of Jamaican dancehall duo, Major Lazer. 

Stage-hopping at HARD, one thing became clear. This is a community that understands the value of a good remix. Justice essentially created a two hour mash-up of their entire catalogue, with some tracks flowing in and out over the course of the set. It makes sense though considering these artists are really producers, not mere “DJs”, as some folks like to argue.

All in all, if you’re going to go to HARD be prepared for some seriously harsh tunes because this brand of music can be very aggressive. Not unlike death metal. The kids didn’t seem to notice though and I can’t blame them, sometimes the harder, the better.

SUMMER'S OVER PLAYLIST

Fact: This playlist is based off the actual albums I brought with me on a camping trip over the summer.  

Sound: Because it was a down-to-earth, outdoorsy trip - I packed a lot from the folk, singer-songwriter genre. Of course, nightfall comes, and when it does the stars come out and there may be an opportunity to dance.  
Motto: Always leave room for fun.  

Epic Adventure: Paddle boating around the bay at 4:00 am, a la Johnny Depp in The Rum Diary.



Track List: 1. Girls, "Alex" 2. Fiona Apple, "Anything We Want" 3. J Mascis, "Is It Done" 4. Whiskeytown, "The Ballad of Carol Lynn" 5. Fleet Foxes, "Someone You'd Admire" 6. First Aid Kit, "This Old Routine" 7. My Morning Jacket, "I'm Amazed" 8. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, "Fiya Wata" 9. Band of Horses, "Evening Kitchen" 10. Girls, "Forgiveness" 11. Whiskeytown, "Jacksonville Skyline" 12. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, "Dear Believer" 13. Fleet Foxes, "The Shrine" 14. Girls, "Vomit" 15. Fiona Apple, "Hot Knife" 16. M83, "Splendor" 17. First Aid Kit, "King Of The World" 18. My Morning Jacket, "Smookin' From Shootin'" 19. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, "That's What's Up" 20. Washed Out, "Before" 21. M83, "Intro" 22. Santigold, "The Keepers" 23. My Morning Jacket, "Highly Suspicious" 24. Justice, "Audio, Video, Disco" 25. Santigold, "Freak Like Me" 26. M83, "Raconte-Moi Une Histoire" 27. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, "Mayla"