TRMW Archives

* FYI, this stuff is old. The current TRMW is here.

March 4, 2006

Nice Nice: Christmas in India (mp3)

nice nice - fall

OK, so it’s not super obvious at this point given my recent super weak updating frequency, but trust me, I have big plans for TRMW in 06. One of these plans involves regular posting of unreleased stuff by bands I like. And when I say bands I like, you know I mean Nice Nice, because you know Nice Nice is pretty much the musical magna carta thrown down ‘pon the earth like molten hot fire. I’ve recenty taken to describing these guys (one Jason Buehler and one Mark Shirazi, both old buddies currently residing in Portland) as the best no-wave fusion jam band on the planet, which is sloppy at best but kind of gets at it. To be clearer: Nice Nice is Jason playing guitar and shouting through a megaphone whilst simultaneously twiddling a vast selection of effects boxes and synth pedals, whilst Mark beats the skins (old-school and electronic) with primal abandon / lazer precision. The result is a driving, pulsing future-music that comes off like “Remain in the Light” era Talking Heads jamming with “On the Corner” Miles Davis and, uh, Can.

Except on this track. Getting back to where I started, I originally received this track in it’s rougher form, and was planning on posting it as the first in my series of unreleased TRMW jams for 06. But the days led to more days and here I am posting the final version of the track, the album already having been released. Which means nothing except a small reduction in blog cred (aka NOTHING) and an even tighter version of the song. Taken from the Fall installment of Nice Nice’s excellent series of seasonal EPs (four in total, released on Temporary Residence throughout 05), “Down, Down, Down Part 1″ is the kind of warm, chiming acoustic lullaby I wouldn’t expect from this band in a million years, and enjoy all the more for it. My friend says it sounds like “Christmas in India” and that seems about right. The slide guitar has that sitar-y vibe going, and there’s a glowing, winter wonderland feeling throughout. The rest of the EP is similar in acoustic warmth and loveliness, and stands in stark relief against (a) the other three’s foreboding pysch drones, and (b) pretty much all recorded Nice Nice music ever. It’s a talented band that can drop something this amazing in a style completely different from (what I thought was) their own without making it seem like a genre exercise, all while communicating something emotional and deep. So yeah, reason number 500 why Nice Nice rules the universe.

I should probably also mention that these four EPs will soon be bundled together in some sort of box set, so keep an eye out for that. Nice Nice is also currently recording their next album. Jason tells me they just finished this track called “Freak Flag” that is “really catchy” and “just might be the title track.” They’re also about to begin a biweekly residency at the Towne Lounge, where I’m told they’ll be debuting some new material on March 23rd. Needless to say, you should go.

Merry Christmas:

Nice Nice - Down Down Down Part 1

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January 21, 2006

Best of 2005

So I’ve got some other things I wanna post but first I feel obligated to somehow attempt to wrap up my year in music. Last year I went with a kind-of freeform approach. I did that because I couldn’t remember what the hell I listened to and I didn’t feel like my listening habits, what impacted me, etc really fit into the stock format. This year I feel even more scattered, but what the hell. 2005 in general saw lots of cool things happening, old genre-barriers falling down, interesting new hybrid musics coming out, and some very awesome albums and songs and live shows. Let’s break it down…

2005

AMAZING ALBUMS THAT CAME OUT IN 2005

Ethan Rose Ceiling Songs (Locust Music)

This record is so amazing. I’m friends with Ethan, so it took me a while to get past the “Oh, I’m probably totally biased in thinking this amazing” to get to “Holy shit, my friend made my favorite record of the year.” But shit, this thing is amazing, beautiful, transcendent. More adjectives here.

Jamie Lidell Multiply (Warp)

Classic soul run through the post-electronic filter in the most tasteful, song-focussed way possible. I was pretty much sold on this guy after hearing the album, and the live show show reduced me to slobbering fanboy status. The record is amazing, but Jamie Lidell Live is basically everything I want music to be in 2006: looking forward and back, high and low tech, virtuosic and stupid.

Sleater-Kinney The Woods (Sub Pop)

Brent says this album “draws a pretty convincing line between Wire and Led Zeppelin,” which is about as good a description of this amazing music I’ve heard. Double props for making something that begins to express just how fucked up the USA was in 2005.

Deerhoof The Runners Four (Kill Rock Stars)

This album is too long, but the highlights blew my face off. The part at the end of “Running Thoughts” where the roof comes off and Deerhoof becomes Can and Boards of Canada and jams into the OM. The guitar solo at the end of “Wrong Time Capsule” that sounds like Brian Eno playing a dail-up modem. The building synth at the beginning of “O’Malley, Former Underdog” that is the happiest piece of music ever recorded.

Nice Nice Yesss EP (Audraglint)

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it now: Nice Nice is the best band on the planet. Here they ditch the no-wave fusion jams of their last album and head straight into M.I.A. style tribal electro (sans, uh, M.I.A.). What? YESSS!

Broadcast Tender Buttons (Warp)

Dryer and fuzzier than I expect this band to be. My favorite thing they’ve done.

AFX Hangable Auto Bulb (Warp)

How can I not put this on here? This shit is my punk rock. Just… really really great.

Amadou & Mariam Dimanche a Bamako (Nonesuch)

I actually just got this and it’s totally knocking me out. Wonderfully imaginative music from a blind Malian couple as assisted by Manu Chao. Sweet, sweet melodies, high production values, trancey guitars, siren synths, and bongos. Way good.

Stephen Malkmus Face the Truth (Matador)

Malkmus gets domestic, and so do I.

Clor Clor (Regal)

Electro-indie stuff, really solid. Mostly on here for “Outlines” which is a perfect song. RIYL Cut Copy, Indie Rock.

V/A Bro Zone (States Rights Records)

Playful indietronic party jams. Tropical music for Portland summers. This makes me feel good about where the Northwest is headed musically. I wrote a review of it here that says these same things in more words.

A-Frames Black Forest (Sub Pop)

EEEEVILLL CRUSHHINGGG

Animal Collective Feels (Fat Cat)

I like “Sung Tongs” better, but this is still great. 2005 was the year I realized the hype was for a reason. This band is amazing. See “Purple Bottle” below.

OTHER ALBUMS THAT WERE GREAT

Caribou The Milk of Human Kindness (Domino)

Super Furry Animals Love Kraft (XL Recordings)

Menomena Under an Hour (Film Guerrero)

AMAZING SONGS 2005

Animal Collective “Purple Bottle” off Feels (Fat Cat)

I know this person that I love so much it feels like the cosmos falling into place. I’m not sure what the words to this song are but I think it’s about the beginning of that feeling, of being taken over by this giant ball of positive, life-changing energy. This song speaks to that part of me that is in love and makes me want to cry big purple tears of joy. BIG FEELINGS PEOPLE!

Amerie “1 Thing” off 1 Thing (Sony BMG)

I totally missed this song when it came out, but sought it out after seeing it at the top of everyone everywhere’s best singles of ’05 list. And HOLY SHIT!, it so deserves to be right where it is, at #1. Like The Meters vs. early Neptunes w/ Beyonce on top (maybe). Everything about this song is perfect.

Spankrock “Put that Pussy on Me (Diplo Tonite Remix)” 12″ (Money Studies)

Big props to Diplo for sampling one of my favorite garage rock tracks ever, The Seeds “I Can’t Seem to Make You Mine.” I got into that song not too long before this one came out, and pretty much shit myself on first listen. Booty bass electro beats + spooky 60s guitar riffs = totally rad. Bonus points to Diplo for those excellent Gwen Stefani and Ray Charles / Kanye remixes.

The MFA “The Difference It Makes” 12″ (Kompakt)

I heard this at the Superpitcher show in Seattle, didn’t know what it was and subsequently forgot it. Thanks to the tinyluckygenius for pointing me back on track. This song is so euphoric it almost reminds me of the cheesey progressive trance tapes I used to rock in high school, but somehow it stays earthbound enough to feel genuinely deep, instead of OTT x-static and saccharine. It’s also got the octave basslines and cosmic sweep that trance has, things I didn’t realized I missed so much. Just beautiful, cosmic dance music.

Klatta “My My” 12″ (Playhouse)

Props to e*rock for keeping the shelves at Ozone stocked with with the best electronic music in the world. I found this flipping through the bins one day, and it’s awesome. Stuttering, really funky beats with blurping synths and sick sick sick baseline. Weird, amorphous techno funk of the highest order.

Hot Chip “Over and Over” 12″ (Astralwerks / DFA)

I really didn’t like Coming on Strong at all, and had pretty much dismissed this band as hype bullshit. But, jesus, this song SLAYS. Tribal percussion, synth arpegios, fucked guitar solos, crazy catchy choruses… how can this be so awesome? It’s the lead single off their new album, so I’ll definitely be checking that out.

Nice Nice vs. Strategy “onneon rmx” off Planet of the Fight Club (Tigerbeat6)

Two rights make a rad!

Blood on the Wall “Stoner Jam” off Awesomer (Social Registry)

AWESOME STONER JAM! I bought this *today* and it is so freaking good!

KILLER NIGHTS 2005

PDX Pop Now @ Loveland

Kiki & Herb @ Wonder Ballroom

Mikaela’s Fiend @ Someone’s Basement

Jamie Lidell @ Doug Fir

Deerhoof @ Berbati’s

Crackerbash @ Crystal Ballroom

Copy + DJ Brian Foote + DJ BJ @ Crush

Superpitcher / Ada / Metope @ Chop Suey

Tussle + Out Hud @ Holocene 2 Year Anniversary

DJ Beyonda @ Everywhere

THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2006

CEX Actual Fucking (Automation) (full disclosure: I’m working press on this. AND I AM REALLY REALLY PSYCHED ABOUT IT.)

new Nice Nice album

new Hot Chip album that has that awesome song “Over and Over” on it

new Blitzen Trapper album, plus UK release of Field Rexx

debut Panther full-length

new Flaming Lips album (the one song I heard was pretty awesome)

About Bongo (Cock Rock Disco)

And of course all the other stuff I forgot.

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October 28, 2005

Yeessssss!

Yesss! #1: BUSH’S SHIT IS HITTING THE FAN. And the best part? This case encapsulates in one sensational nutshell so much of what is fucked up about this administration, and there it is, right on prime TV, for all to see. Politics over truth, drive for war over rational debate, CORRUPTION CORRUPTION CORRUPTION. All this on top of the 2,000th death in Iraq, Miers resignation, Katrina, etc, etc. For the first time in a while it feels like extremely powerful spades might actually be called spades; I smell hope.

Yesss! #2: Two of my favorite bands in the word, Nice Nice and Deerhoof, are playing together for the first time tonight, and many of my favorite people on the planet will be there, all at one show for the first time in forever, maybe ever. Nice Nice’s latest EP is entitled Yesss!.

YESSSSSSS!!!!!

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August 7, 2005

popfest day 2: soul hug

Yesterday, the second day of popfest, was a warm hug and a high five. I had some anxiety going into it: sequencing things as we did – out bands like jackie-o, electronic groups like ainu, pop groups like derby, and not one but four hip hop acts on the same two stages – is asking a lot of the audience, namely, wide open minds and hearts. Some of the initial reactions we got to this year’s line-up were really negative, like a big middle finger to the whole open-minded, one love concept. But what I saw yesterday was the opposite. Every single band that played received a warm reception, and every single band embraced a new audience. It was wonderful. Nice Nice played heavy ass experimental funk to a “pop” audience of 700 people, and brought the house down. Later on, special guest Lifesavas came out and got a crowd of tired, hot people out of their funk and into the funk, clapping hands, DANCING, and chanting “L-I-F-E” in celebratory unison. They finished off with a monologue – no, manifesto – involving community and independent culture that summed it up so nicely. It’s not about music anyway, really. It’s about breaking down walls between people and connecting through art, asking people to open their minds within this small domain, in the hope that this exercise might transmute to other parts of their lives, and in that small way make a better city, and a little better world. To whisper that in Portland’s ear and get a thousand YES’s back – that’s maybe the best thing ever.

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April 15, 2005

Church of Psychedelia #4

Went to this show this past Sunday. This series is curated by Josh Blanchard from the band Point Line Plane, who I finally met this time, and who is totally nice. He’s also rad for making this night happen; it’s been a wonderful thing for Portland, and Berbati’s, and it keeps getting better.

This time there were only two bands, Rollerball and Nice Nice. Rolerball have been kicking around Portland for quite a while now. I’ve heard a couple of their records and they’ve always sounded a little thin and cold to me. So I was blown away by how huge and alive they sounded at this show. Both the singers have amazing voices; the lady wails like Grace Slick in her prime. And the dude gets real into it, so into it that he starts busting out weird ninja chops and shit. AWESOME. Chantelle told me this guy used to break glass on himself and shit. Core.

Then it was Nice Nice. Apparently Jason from the band reads this blog (me: “i just got out of band practice” jason: “oh yeah? i heard you guys sound like nice nice but dancier” me: *blushing*) so I’ll have to stop bad-mouthing his crappy band on here. Actually that’s a load of steaming poo, because Nice Nice is seriously THE SHIT ™. There’s so much to love. Brain-love: they’re trying to do something new, aren’t nostalgic in an age of nostalgia, they are unique. Body-wise: They are really fucking good at their instruments and totally entrancing to watch. They read each other’s faces and gestures and react on a dime, like they’ve been doing this for years, and they have.

BEST PART: I love it when local bands get encores. When a local band gets an encore from a local crowd, it’s not because that crowd knows that if this band doesn’t come back out and play some more songs right now they might never see them again, ever, or they need to get their money’s worth or some shit. When a local band gets an encore it’s because the crowd is FEELING IT HARD, and they want more. People were stomping on the floor, screaming for more Nice Nice. And then they got it, and hippie-danced to it like total dorks. Awesome.

I leave you with this video of Nice Nice performing at one of the last Alarmist shows ever, at the Fritz, not sure when. Enjoy!

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Blast from the present!