Guess what. The Man in Black wins every time. Cash is king. A.V. Club.
Tag: Domino
Junior Boys Want You to Do It
It’s All True. No really, it is. Read about it via the A.V. Club.
Review: Bristol’s Malachai Explores Ugly Side
Their album art is horrid, so here's a scary press shot.
Malachai is too easily overlooked. This Bristol duo has got a lot to offer music aficionados, if only they’d stop saddling their pretty interesting records with pretty awful cover art. We’ve spared you that here, in the interest of hoping you might give this review a read.
Here’s an excerpt: “In a way, it’s as if The Beta Band was reborn with straight faces and a love for Portishead.”
I mean, that sounds interesting, right? Check it out via the A.V. Club.
Q&A: Four Tet Talks Euphoria
I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Kieran Hebden, better known as innovative electronics maven Four Tet, for The A.V. Club on the subject of his superb new album, There Is Love In You (read a review of that here). Check out our chat to learn more about his process, his motives, and why you should start ripping off clothes four minutes into the single, “Love Cry.”
Love is all around him.
Q&A: The Vulgar, Decadent World of Wild Beasts
Last month I had the opportunity to interview one of my favorite up-and-coming bands — responsible for the most interesting new music to come out of the U.K. in a few years — Leeds crew Wild Beasts. Truth be told, these guys have been around for a minute, having dropped a hugely promising debut on Domino in 2008, but their latest, Two Dancers, is a strange masterpiece. Learn more from our chat over at The A.V. Club.
A singing Beast.
Review: Four Tet, ‘There Is Love In You’
Four Tet, There Is Love In You (Domino)
Four Tet, 'There Is Love In You'
These songs make no bones about their rhythmic inspiration. Most are four-on-the-floor, built atop recurring samples, but only the single, “Love Cry,” outwardly indulges in Ibiza-flavored house. (Even then, it’s under a dark cloud of dubstep digitalia.)
Grade: A (via The A.V. Club)
Stream The Phenomenal New Four Tet Record
Turning in a review of this record, to be published next week, but this one is so good, I don’t see why ya’ll don’t just cut to the chase. Click below to stream the entirety of There Is Love In You, by Four Tet.
Feature: Dirty Projectors interviewed by SMS
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.
Vamos a Guatemala!
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…
Cult Bit: Best Music Of 2009 (so far)
Us A.V. Clubbers have spoken regarding the wonderful glut of great music 2009 hath wrought thusfar. You’ll find me at the top of the pile (read it here), waxing hyperbolic about: Animal Collective, DM Stith, Grizzly Bear, WHY? and Dirty Projectors. Read on from there to find some unexpected entries from Leonard Pierce (a vote for a recent Rhymesayers record) and Genevieve Koski, who brings a much-needed femme-focused perspective to the discussion.
Chris Writes Things 