David Lynch - "Good Day Today" (2010)

Good Day Today by threeminutesthirtyseconds

David Lynch's illustrious career as a filmmaker is well deserved. His genre-hopping films prove he's a creative force to be reckoned with, but when I heard about his supposed venture into music I was skeptical. Surprisingly enough, I was greeted by a pleasantly optimistic track that's both charming and mesmerizing. "Good Day Today" comes across as professional and it does so in all the right ways. The synths quietly pulse throughout the song and Lynch's heavily processed vocals play into the song's innocence. It doesn't take any risks, but it ultimately doesn't have to. "Good Day Today" says everything it has to with the refrain and there's nothing wrong with that.

3.5/5

James Blake -s/t (2011)

In 2010, the blogosphere was in an uproar over the sensational The Bells Sketch, CMYK, and Klavierwerke EPs. These albums were the creation of 22 year old James Blake, a UK dubstep producer attempting to revitalize the largely split electronic scene. Praised for it's r&b influence and futuristic sound, James Blake approached the genre with an open mind and dexterity. What's mostly impressive is just how overwhelming the production is on these albums. For starters, there's the sharp, precisely timed 23^rd century synths cutting in and out of the mix. It's matched by glitched out vocals, muffled bass drum hits, and swift hand claps, all layered upon new-age sounding bleeps and held down piano chords. And then there's the bass, an instrument that has become a staple for the dubstep genre, used so subtly that it's arguably the most powerful part of these albums. There's no “wobwobwobwob” breakdowns or cliched samples from popular movies; the sound itself is so new and matured that people are defining it in a genre completely separate from dubstep altogether.

James Blake, the 2011 self titled debut, shows a different side to Blake's character: his voice. The EPs approached the vocals by distorting, cutting, and sampling them; but on his self titled debut, Blake sings in a notably beautiful and soulful tone. If you thought there was an R&B influence earlier, it's now entirely noticeable. “Lindesfarne”, a two part song that splits the LP in half, begins with a two and a half minute Bon Iver-esque vocal solo. No sub-bass, no rising synths, no 2-step madness; it's simply Blake singing a song to the listener. It all sounds unusually calm, possibly even out of place; But the more I think about it, the more I realize how restrained this album actually is. This could be either a good or bad thing regarding how you look at it, but for an “electronic album”, it's definitely experimental. Going from intimate vocal verses to quiet dubstep territories is a tricky subject, but Blake deals with this with such sophistication that it almost seems natural. If anything, James Blake is an album that truly explores Blake's true intentions; instead of hiding behind a shroud of effects, he's singing directly to the audience.

Herein lies the problem with James Blake; while I do appreciate the creative expression that Blake is exhibiting, I can't help but admit that it's a bit of a buzzkill. Don't get me wrong, I really do love his voice and I have nothing wrong with this album's soulful approach, but going from the intense ending of “I Never Learnt to Share” to two minutes of uninterrupted singing in “Lindesfarne” doesn't totally work out. I mean this in the most trivial way, but it's worth mentioning to a fan base that has grown to love his eccentric style. If anything, the only thing to really blame here is that some songs are just better than others. Whereas “Unluck”, “The Wilhelm Scream”, the aforementioned “I Never Learnt to Share”, and “I Mind” are sensational and inspiring tracks that improve with each listen, “Lendesfarne I”, “Give Me My Month”, and “Why Don't You Call Me” are just decent, the latter two being sprawling piano tracks with no real direction. These songs aren't bad per se, but they're just not entirely necessary.

With this new release, Blake has yet again certified himself as the leader of an entirely new electronic movement. Call it what you want, but Blake has delivered a debut LP which shows his outstanding production skills as well as his sincere talent. It is lacking towards the middle, but his utmost intelligence and unpredictability asserts himself as an artist who's career has really just begun.

4/5

Recommended Tracks: "I Mind", "I Never Learnt To Share", "Unluck".
Listen to a sampling of the tracks here

Flying Lotus - Camera Day

Flying Lotus - Camera Day (taken from Pattern+Grid World) by Warp Records


To date, Cosmogramma is arguably my favorite release of the year. It's so layered and complex, I just can't get enough of it. What better way to follow this up than with the release of a brand new 7 song EP? Pattern+Grid World is due out September 21 on Warp Records.

To prep the release of this new EP, Warp Records has released a brand new track from Flying Lotus. You can check it out streaming above.

Tracklist:
01 - Clay
02 - Kill Your Co-Workers
03 - PieFace
04 - Time Vampires
05 - Jurassic Notion/M Theory
06 - Camera Day
07 - Physics For Everyone!

Oval - Ringtone (2010)

Glitch artist Oval has released a new EP online which you can download for free. It's definitely got it's moments, even if it is extremely abstract, loud, and poppy. You can stream the album here, and if you dig, you can download the album.

Major Lazer - Lazers Never Die EP (2010)

Hear the entire EP streaming here. Support the artist by buying the record at Amazon.

RxRy - s/t (2010)

I love me some ambient, minimal techno. I also really enjoy albums that artists release for free. If you agree with both of those previous statements, go here to download RxRy's self-titled release.

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Baths - Cerulean (2010)

Go here to listen to the entire album streaming, RIGHT NOW

Baths has been gathering quite a bit of buzz over the past year, but now I think it's safe to say that, after the release of this album, he is going to get pretty big. You can listen to the entire album at the above link, and if you like what you hear, you can purchase the album at that very same website.

iamamiwhoami - t

If you aren't familiar with the mysterious iamwhoiam, then you haven't really missed much. Although many speculate that it is a side project of Jonna Lee, it is still generally unknown who is the main artist behind the act, or if this is even a collaboration and not a solo project. Here's another video by iamamiwhoami, showing off another great song, and a well directed music video.


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Song of the Day 6/30/2010

Ghost Hunter - Island Barbados

Island Barbados by ghosthuntersounds


From his soon to be released Island Barbados 10" (on House Anxiety), the title track is an excellent collage of swirling synths and dubstep rhythms.

Sadsic - [son] (2010)

Click album cover to download, or click here for a stream of the album.


In the span of 2 years, Sadsic has released 9 albums. You'd think the guy would take a break, but his latest, [son], is an hour and thirty minutes long, and full of lo-fi electronic goodness.

Magic Man - Real Life Color (2010)

Click above album cover for free download

Fantastic debut from the Boston duo; This one's too good to be free.