I recently published a piece (via LA Weekly) detailing, blow-by-blow, the way in which Wallpaper’s Eric Frederic, helped by a cadre of rabid friends (myself included), took his latest remix incredibly viral. Which remix? Why the one in which he AutoTunes Jay-Z, of course. Read the new article here.
And watch this too:
Truth be told, I’ve been a fan of Southern California’s Rx Bandits since I was a high school junior. That was when the band skewed a wee bit ska and their resonance seemed doomed to passing fad. At least, to the outsiders. Those of us really listening knew that a long and illustrious career of genre-bending and “weird music” (singer Matt Embree’s phrase) would follow. Whether you got it then or not, the band’s new record, Mandala, is strong prog-punk worthy of stronger praise. Read what Embree had to say here.
Trip out:
R.I.P. Deciders Los Angeles and San Fransisco.
In the last year and a half, the particular din made by L.A.’s own Abe Vigoda — a steely, punky, happy sort of noise — has been emanating in ever-broadening swaths from Downtown’s renowned all-ages venue, The Smell. The quartet is currently on the road into August, supporting February’s Reviver EP (PPM). In this interview, guitarist Juan Velasquez talks about touring, the Vampire Weekend comparisons, and the band’s next album.
The band actually resides inside of Abe Vigoda's left eyebrow.
The Dirty Projectors may be responsible for the year’s best album, a manic and schizo piece of art-pop released last month titled Bitte Orca. It’s the kind of record that begs a lot of questions — thoughful questions that couldn’t, say, be crunched into the 140-character limitations of a Twitter post, or squeezed to the parameters of a series of SMSes. And yet, the latter is exactly what went down when, after ducking my best attempts to conduct a proper interview, DP’s David Longstreth at last offered his undivided attention — via text message. Click here to read the story (via LA Weekly), which unfolds this modern narrative in the context of the new album’s importance.
Howdy there web friend. Things will be a little quieter around Funny Ha Ha for a little bit, as this blog’s sole author/editor is heading to Guatemala tomorrow morn. I’ve got a ton of fresh work dropping while I’m gone, starting with this somewhat unusual Dirty Projectors piece, Balls Deep In The R&B (via LA Weekly). I’ll attempt brief updates from time to time but all bets are off until my return. Fresh jungle air is calling…
Seattle-based Sub Pop soloist Tiny Vipers, a.k.a. Jesy Fortino, specializes in a particularly dooming brand of barebones folk. Her new record, Life On Earth, is the kind of thing that rattles around your head for weeks on end — welcomely, I might add. Visit A.V. Club Denver to learn just how Fortino creates her haunting compositions, and what she thinks about huge magical castles.
Baltimore post-punk trio Double Dagger has just released a real beast of a record, MORE (via Thrill Jockey), which juxtaposes the moodiness of Fugazi against the searing energy of Fucked Up. It’s a great album, bar none, and turns out these fellas are also a great interview. Click on over to A.V. Club Austin to read about the album’s bizarre birth, the band’s choice to completely eschew the use of electric guitar, and uses for metal band names that you haven’t yet thought of.
Listen to Double Dagger’s “The Lie/The Truth” in Now Hear This (right).
Chris Writes Things 