Epitonic Newsletter: Vol. 4, No. 26 'Midsummer Missive'
07/15/02
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Greetings, fellow music maniacs. We trust that those of you who
reside in the You Ess of Ay enjoyed your long Fourth of July weekend and that those of you who do not are enjoying the summer, or, if it's winter where you are right now, that you're at least enjoying yourselves.
Those of you who hang on Beck's every move will be pleased to learn that the postmodern prankster has a new album, The Golden Age, in the works. Mr. Hanson will be streaming new tracks from the album on his website each week until the record comes out on September 24. Beck will be touring this fall. The Flaming Lips, meanwhile, are streaming their entire new album, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (which comes out tomorrow), from their website. The Lips will also be touring in support of their new record, heading the eclectic Unlimited Sunshine bill which will also feature Cake, De La Soul, Modest Mouse, and Kinky.
Though we did make a half-hearted promise not to put any more obits in the newsletter and he wasn't a musician, we'd still like to say goodbye to John Frankenheimer, who died a week ago Saturday at 72. One of the finest American directors of the last half century, Frankenheimer made two of his best movies, Birdman of Alcatraz and The Manchurian Candidate, in the same year (1962). He was the master of the paranoid thriller, going on to make Seven Days in May, Seconds, and Black
Sunday. After disappearing from view for several decades, he made a comeback in the '90s with the Robert Deniro action vehicle, Ronin, which featured some of the best car chases ever.
In this newsletter, we want to catch you up on some of the fine new music on the site (including the aforementioned Kinky) since last we spoke. As you listen, consider the following: Is there any better demonstration of the aphorism "like father like son" than the two Bushes' first terms? Both earned high marks for their swift and vigorous responses to acts of aggression originating in the Middle East. Both then saw all that apparent goodwill dissipate thanks to their inability to deal with sagging economies at home. Both have some image problems. Does this mean that Bush the Second will be a one-termer too? We can only wait and (depending on our partisan feelings) cross our fingers.
"Odyssea (Radio Edit)"
by
Fussible
The leading agents of Mexico's Nortec movement, Fussible fuses elements of traditional Norteño and Tambora street music -- from mariachi horns to button accordions -- with the pulsing electronic rhythms of modern techno. The result is hypnotic, seamless, and unique, with a subtle border town flavor.
"Blood Tree"
by
Mary Timony
Ex-Helium mainstay Mary Timony keeps the pop magic realism coming hard and fast with impenetrable yet fascinating medieval rock tunes that play like pages torn from a child's fairy book.
"Saturday Afternoon Plans"
by
I Am Robot And Proud
If you long for the computer game music of old and don't have the quarters or the attention span to make it through an entire game of pole position then I Am Robot And Proud is what you've been waiting for. This disc sounds as if all the techies who made music for the Colecovision back in the early '80s got together to make an album...
"Anorexic Freaks"
by
Kinky
Here's some good-time electro-rock from Monterrey, Mexico. This five-piece band makes dance music with guitars (and even a touch of button accordion). With effortless enthusiasm, literary lyrics, and techno meets Norteño grooves, Kinky is irresistible.
"No-Life Crisis"
by
The Vermicious Knid
The Vermicious Knid is a youthful and energetic sounding mixture of hardcore, math, and indie rock sewn together with reckless but thoughtful abandon, and all from Southern Ontario.
"Sex God Sex"
by
Swans
The Swans are perhaps the darkest and most disturbing group in the history of the underground. Their pounding stream-of-consciousness and overall sickness disregarded all the swagger of The Birthday Party and cut to the bone of Sonic Youth's noise, delivering something truly horrifying.
"Salyut"
by
Pepito
San Francisco duo Pepito is truly one of a kind, a wildly ambitious, forcefully eclectic project that traffics in everything from IDM glitchery to post-punk guitar dynamics, while singing on a variety of topics, both silly and serious, in a variety of tongues, including Spanish, English, and French. Diverse and polyphonous, just like the 21st century California from which they come. Es el sonido de nuestro futuro.
"Here, Bass"
by
Stereobate
Complex and interesting guitar work complements solid bass and precise drums in this Brooklyn trio's ever-evolving post-punk/post-rock world.
"Alabama Blues (Shazz Remix)"
by
St. Germain
St. Germain pioneered the sensual and sophisticated French house music by fusing soulful, organic deep house to classic jazz, creating a luscious, laid-back new sound that has often been imitated.
"Hypocrite"
by
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra
Antibalas, Spanish for bulletproof (quite literally, anti-bullets), follow in the footsteps of the almighty Fela Anikulapo-Kuti with their modern Afro-beat sounds. The fourteen-plus Brooklyn-based jazz and funk ensemble is as political as it is funky.
"Indigo Blues (Alexkid Remix)"
by
Llorca
Hailed as the next St. Germain, Llorca's soulful jazz-influenced house is deep and funky in equal measures. He runs the Brique Rouge label with David Duriez and has licensed his productions to an array of labels, including France's premier imprint, F Communications.
"Bagel Rape"
by
Jacob London
Jacob London produce tearing tech-house from their underground base in Seattle. With releases under their belts for EatHouse and Built, the duo formerly known as Vitus Dance plans to take over the dance floor with their own label, squid:records.
"Back From Exile"
by
Timewriter
Jean F. Cochois stands alongside Terry Lee Brown Jr. as one of Germany's premier tech-house producers. His mouth-watering music has made it onto labels such as Wave, Plastic City, Fiji, and Driftwood.
"For A Running Dog"
by
Pan-American
Pan-American's sound is menacing, sinuous, and darkly beautiful, as slow-moving and graceful as a panther in the underbrush, patiently stalking its prey. With a minimum of dub, techno, and bossa nova-inflected instrumentation, Pan-American creates a maximum of atmosphere, mood, and emotional effect.
"NYC"
by
Interpol
A young and upcoming group from NYC, Interpol has been releasing music and traveling Europe for some time. Now they've signed to Matador Records and are beginning their trek into the U.S. The droning dark moods are unceasingly melodic, invoking the shoegazing classics of the '80s.
"The Wellbeing"
by
Miguel Graca
Miguel Graca is a well-polished house producer with a resume of releases dating back to '87. His sultry, late night garage house hybrids have been licensed to labels such as Ferox, Tag, Earth Recordings, and Bombay.
