Punchy guitar chords, a drum machine, lyrics about heartbreak, DNA, and outerspace, and a quirky but loveable indie pop-rock voice that reminds me of Built to Spill's Doug Martsch, Midlake's Tim Smith, and Grandaddy's Jason Lytle are what make up Darwin Deez's awesome self-titled release.
Self-described as "happy music for sad people," "white music for black people," and "indie rock with a side of calisthenics." Listen below. So far, this is one of my favorite albums of 2010.
Simon Rex went from gay porn star to MTV DJ to D-list actor to comedy rap producer to comedy rapper Dirt Nasty. You might have heard of My Dick … um, I mean … the Mickey Avalon single “My Dick” which Rex produced and rapped in.
Dirt Nasty is immature humor, appropriate for 14 year old boys – My Dick is on the same album as Baby Dick -- but tongue in cheek enough for twenty-somethings. Rex is in his thirties, and thirty-somethings who don’t take themselves seriously and who would still take a bong rip if it was passed to them would probably dig this too.
I've included his only album, Dirt Nasty, as well as a track that samples Calvin Harris' "Acceptable In The 80's"; a weird autotuned, glitched out track about Lortab; a beef track about Ed Hardy; and the only good remix of "My Dick": an electro house jam with electric guitars.
Lush, warm, ethereal, and uplifting, Riceboy Sleeps is an ambient album not only to appreciate but to love. It is the result of a collaboration between Sigur Rós lead singer Jonsi and his boyfriend Alex. This album makes me even more excited for the upcoming Sigur Rós release in 2010. Excellent for meditation.
What makes Music For Airports work is the pauses, not the texture of the sound itself. This is a classic album everyone should hear at least once. Excellent for sleeping.
Kristian Matsson (The Tallest Man On Earth) is Swedish, but he owes his influences to American folk. Matsson has a melodious voice, with warmth and texture, but he purposely disfigures it for a folksy, gravely style. Think Dylan, only prettier. The songwriting is surreal.
I’m gonna float up in the ceiling I built a levee of the stars And in my field of tired horses I built a freeway through this farce. Hell, if I ever get that slumber I’ll be that mole deep in the ground And I won’t be found.
