Ch-check it out: Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2

Beastie Boys. They come from before my time, but there is something amazing about them.  Their new album Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 drops May 3rd.  Until then, here is a YouTube playlist I made of a few of the tracks off the new album.  Enjoy!

Who did it better? - Aphex Twin vs. Kanye West vs. Lonely Island

Today's Who Did it Better is tied between three folks. All three use the same foundational piano track, but take it in different directions.

But as Levar says, you don't have to take my word for it.  It's up to you (in the comments and on Facebook) to tell me... WHO DID IT BETTER?

Aphex Twin "Avril 14th".  Known for aggressive techno, Aphex Twin wrote the piano track on his double disc noisescape album Drukqs. I love this track.  There's a delicate teetering to it that I would love to replicate in anything I write.  Without any accompaniment, the track absolutely stands on its own.

Lonely Island "Iran So Far".  This parody song used the link originally without permission, but eventually secured it.  Memorable for crazy guest appearances by Jake Gyllenhal et al, this was a particularly incredible SNL Digital Short

Kanye West "Blame Game".  This song came up randomly today, and uses the loop effectively again to convey his ever so smooth rap stylings. With an intro by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver fame, the film is captivating albeit unofficial. Check it out!

Ch-Check it out - New Strokes Album

Listen to the new Strokes album, Angles, today.

On first listen, it doesn't seem like the Strokes are breaking any new ground, but it's the Strokes and they are consistently good.  So, it's kind of like getting news that you are going to receive more candy.  Never a bad thing.

One thing I noticed about this album was the increased use of background vocals and harmonies.  Nice touch, Strokes.  Nice touch.

Song of the Day - Songs:Ohia "Lioness"

Song:  "Lioness"
Artist:  Songs:Ohia (a.k.a. Jason Molina)
Album: "The Lioness"

My Promise to You:
That this will be the single greatest, most heart-wrenching, achingly beautiful love song about two lions that you will ever hear.

Jason Molina (of Songs:Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co.) is quite literally our generation's Neil Young, in my humble opinion, and is well worth checking out if you're a fan of Young (or anything similar).

Album Grades: Mogwai: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

Mogwai: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will [2011]

Grade: A-

Hometown: Glasgow, Scotland

Recommended Tracks: Rano Pano, You're Lionel Ritchie, George Square Thatcher Death Party

More interesting, engaging, and memorable than Radiohead's latest?  Yes, yes, and yes.

• Instrumental rock, with a handful of fuzzed-out vocals.
• For fans of Explosions In The Sky, Sigur Ros, The Appleseed Cast, Godspeed You Black Emperor, and the like.
• I'm one of those Mogwai fans who has never ceased to be disappointed by a single album over the years.  They've twisted and turned into different directions within their own genre that they've almost single-handedly created, but I don't feel that they've missed yet.  And this album is no different.
• After just a couple listens, I would describe it as perhaps the most accessible and immediately rewarding album of the 8 or so in their catalog.  There's more melodies, more prettiness, more sheen, more electronics, on the songs than in past releases.  
• And, for better or worse, the songs don't punch you in the gut as much as they used to, which means that this would be a decent album to share with that neighbor or letter carrier who you've been meaning to introduce to Mogwai all these years, but haven't worked up the courage or found the right moment.  [Maybe in that sense, it's kind of like giving a 'Perfect Circle' album to someone who you've always wanted to introduce to 'Tool'...?]
• As has been their style over the last several albums, "Hardcore Will Never Die" begins by pulling the listener in with a slow, quiet build of a first song, gently bringing out the fuzz and layers one at a time.  Following this intro, "Mexican Grand Prix" is an intro to what the rest of the album holds.  Heavy on the keyboards, programming, and processed vocals, the mid-tempo track is poppier and more upbeat than their norm -- as is the rest of the album.  The rest of the songs provide a mix of atmospheric march, chugging shiny distortion, plinking synthesizers, and attractive melodies, all in 5-minute chunks of build-release-build-fadeout.  It's not a great leap in a different direction for the band, but it's an enjoyable ride.  
• I know that there are 7 million instrumental rock bands out there now [or post-rock, or whatever].  and I know that Mogwai weren't necessarily the first [Slint, perhaps?].  But damn, they just do what they do so well.  They're absolute masters at their craft.  Few bands that I know are so brilliant at the quiet, and so brilliant at the loud.  For many groups, the quiet part is just a breather or a pause, but Mogwai put as much effort and beauty into one as the other.  And it definitely pays off here.

Bonus: If you don't know Mogwai, and you've got 12 spare minutes, this video below is the single best argument I can present for why you should dig them.  It's a live version of "Mogwai Fear Satan", off of their 1998 debut.

Mogwai - Mogwai Fear Satan from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.