. A versus by Ernessa T. Carter and Kyle T. Wilson After a 2-week hiatus, we’re back like a heart attack — but hopefully without the dire consequences — with another song exchange. First check out the two songs that we can’t stop listening to: Ladyhawke – Magic: of Montreal – For Our Elegant Caste: Now for KTW’s Take: Ernessa wanted to get back to work this week, and asked me to pick a song I can’t stop listening to. What I cannot stop listening to is of Montreal’s latest, Skeletal Lamping, although it’s hard to narrow down to just one song. On first listen, I was a little disappointed that it doesn’t really compare to Kevin Barnes’ last album, Hissing Fauna, Are you the Destroyer? But how could it? That CD is a masterpiece. Unlike Hissing Fauna, Skeletal Lamping has a slow burn. It sounds like a make-out album penned by a pansexual lothario, complete with the requisite falsetto crooning and dirty talk-singing. This brings me to the song I’ve narrowed down as the pick I can’t stop listening to, “For our Elegant Caste,” which has the following as its infectious refrain: “We can do it softcore if you want / but you should know I take it both ways.” Now that I’m beyond over Prince, since the author of “Erotic City” apparently thinks he can moralize about the fall of Sodom without sounding completely ridiculous, I nominate Kevin Barnes to take his place. Thank you. Ernessa picked “Magic,” a song by a band called Ladyhawke, which is a nice addition to the pantheon of pop songs named “Magic.” This number has a kind of dark, 80s synth-pop wall-of-sound quality about it, and the hand-claps will be great on the dance floor. Still,...
KTW vs ETC: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
posted by Kyle Wilson
Group out off Denmark, taken under the wing of English producer Mark Ronson. Do we love it or hate it like we decided to hate Amy Winehouse after she hit the crack pipe? Let’s find out. First the music: Then we’ve got something to say about it after the jump: First Kyle’s Take: Something people may not know about me is that I reserve the right to talk serious shit about certain pop stars (say, Kanye West, for example), and then bounce a little to them if someone plays them on the jukebox in a bar. Call me hypocritical, but I think we can all agree that just about any music has its purpose in the right context. When I get tripped up is when I try to transplant music that is awesome in one context (like, say, the dance floor), to a setting that is completely inappropriate (my drive to work). For example, Madonna’s Hard Candy was super fun at Craft Night at Akbar, but when a friend of mine burned me a copy at work, I took it out of the car stereo after about three songs. I mention all this because upon first listening to Asteroids Galaxy Tour, I think B-52s or Dee-Lite. I taste watery cocktails. I picture funny hats. I imagine bobbing my head at a happy hour in WeHo while I catch up with friends. These are wonderful things! And yet, the more I listen, the more Mette Lindberg’s slightly unhinged caterwaul starts to grate, and the more I think the only bit that really grabs me is the sexy chorus of “Push the Envelope.” And then I start to think I’m not being fair. This is party music after all. What else could it possibly be? So,...
KTW vs ETC: Jean Grae vs Kanye West vs The State of Hip-Hop
posted by Kyle Wilson
. A versus by Kyle T. Wilson and Ernessa T. Carter First the songs: Then Kyle’s Take: Ernessa decided to shake up our weekly throw-down by suggesting that we exchange songs that we can’t stop listening to. She picked Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown,” so I thought I’d stick with the hip-hop theme and pick “My Story” by Jean Grae. I discovered Grae thanks to a review of her new CD, Jeanius, on NPR. Just let that sink in for a minute. How fierce and nerdy is that? Jean’s been around a while, although there were rumors earlier this year that she’d quit recording altogether. I’m glad she didn’t, but if “My Story” is an indication of how confessional she is as a songwriter, I can understand why she might need to take a break. The middle verse of the song takes place in an abortion clinic. It’s so intense she ends it by admitting “I can’t finish this.” Most rappers wish they were this tough. As for “Love Lockdown,” it makes sense that ETC would be into this song; I recently read an item where New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica called it “the biggest TV on the Radio song of 2008.” I get his point, although I’d listen to TVOTR singing “Feelings” before this mess. I should’ve warned ETC of my ever-growing disdain for Kanye and everything he stands for. Actually, I’m not sure what he stands for exactly, except for this avant-pop poseur bullshit he’s dishing lately. He didn’t always do this, did he? Honestly Kanye, congrats for discovering Takashi Murakami and all, but please just give me some mediocre attempt at straightforward hip-hop and stick to sampling songs better than you can actually write instead of your bad vocals, boring...
KTW vs. ETC: etc’s Top 5 Downloads
posted by Kyle Wilson
. A versus by Ernessa T. Carter and Kyle T. Wilson First the setup: Neither of us were super-excited about any one album or EP, this week, so we decided to review Ernessa’s Top 5 Download List. Then the songs: And now our opinions on all of the above after the jump: ETC’s Take: An exact transcript of the email I got from Kyle after the big announcment: “Okay, since you’re pregnant, are we still doing a column this week?” So obviously Kyle done bumped his head. Of course we’re still doing a versus this week. Got to start teaching the dot in my womb about good music sooner than later. And to that end, I decided to choose 5 great songs that I downloaded on Tuesday as opposed to our usual EP or album: First up, “The Chain (Live at the Webster)” by Ingrid Michaelson. I’m mad at singer-songwriter-self-starter for getting rid of her glasses for the cover pic for her latest album, Be OK. Four-eyes represent! But she kind of makes up for it with “The Chain,” which reminds me of lying in my college dorm room and listening to The Indigo Girls, and wanting to be desperately in love, before I truly knew what love was. Next up, as many of you know, the only thing I adore more than effed-up love songs is this new wave of Swedish acts (Lykke Li, Robyn, Adam Tensta). So Ane Brun (who was born in Norway, but lives in Sweden now) hit both of my sweet spots with “The Fall.” And the unbelieveably angsty “Lullaby for Grown-Ups” is like a lost cut from the soundtrack to my 20’s. “The Puzzle” didn’t make my Top 5, but it’s worth a listen as well. Her voice...
KTW vs ETC: Angus & Julia Stone – Just A Boy EP
posted by Kyle Wilson
/ A versus by Ernessa T. Carter and Kyle T. Wilson Okay, they’ve popular enough abroad, but can Australian brother-sister act Angus and Julia Stone win over our American indie hearts? Time to find out. First, the EP: Then ETC’s Take: So Kyle claimed to be too tuckered out by his sister and nephew visiting last weekend to pick this week’s KTW vs. ETC track on Tuesday. I’d like to meet this nephew. He sounds like a handful, or maybe he’s just a kid, and we’ve grown unused to that particular breed of person here in L.A. But the main point is that I chose the Just a Boy EP from Angus and Julia Stone, because it seemed exactly like the kind of plaintive mumbly indie that Kyle would like. I’m actually not a fan of their title track as it’s a little too coffeehouse and — deadly sin alert — it employs a harmonica. But the EP gets rather lovely after that. “Little Bird” makes me feel like it’s Sunday, even though it’s Thursday. Brother and sister switch off on lead vocals for “All of Me,” with Julia declaring her undying love, and in a nice little twist, her tone is rather sad and heartbreaking. Then boo! — the harmonica comes back for “Stranger,” but other than that, it’s a perfectly enjoyable song. “Another Day” feels like it belongs on an entirely different album with it’s jaunty circus piano, but I think it’s one of the best tracks on the EP. And “What You Wanted” is lyrically impressive, if a little musically boring. All in all, I don’t think that they’ll make a huge splash in The States indie scene. But they have a ton of potential, and I will seek them out...
KTW vs. ETC: Ernessa Picked the Choke Soundtrack
posted by Kyle Wilson
. A versus by Ernessa T. Carter and Kyle T. Wilson Does one of Ernessa’s favorite books + one of Kyle’s favorite TV dads = one of the great soundtracks? Let’s find out. First here’s at least one song, we can both agree we like, “Navy Nurse” by The Fiery Furnaces: Then here’s Kyle’s Take A soundtrack, Ernessa? Really? Hold on a second while I pick my head up off the desk and splash some cold water on my face. Okay, it seems to me that soundtracks are most successful when they’re either trendsetting or unexpected. We love it when Tarantino pulls some obscure but perfect song out of someone’s back catalog and slaps it up onscreen. Or when Cameron Crowe reminds us of “Tiny Dancer,” or…. Sorry, I can’t stop yawning. What was I saying again? Oh right…anyway, for all I know, the soundtrack to Choke works beautifully in the context of the film. I haven’t seen the movie yet, although I may go just to support its director, Clark Gregg, who happens to be my favorite TV dad in his role on The New Adventures of Old Christine. One listen to his soundtrack doesn’t have me making plans for opening night, though, as it mostly comes off like a perfunctory smattering of buzz bands from the last three to five years. Shout Out Louds, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, (my beloved) Fiery Furnaces, My Morning Jacket, Death Cab for Cutie…they’re all on here. I have no beef with any of these songs necessarily; I’m just not inspired by the collection. Luckily there are a few highlights. Its always fun to hear Greg Dulli, even if his Twilight Singers (“There’s Been an Accident”) only makes me nostalgic for The Afghan Whigs, and a...
KTW vs. ETC: Passion Pit – Chunk of Change Ep
posted by Ernessa T. Carter
. A versus by Kyle T. Wilson and Ernessa T. Carter First, you should click play on the below EP, so that you can listen to the Passion Pit while you read our versus: Then ETC’s Take: Now, I almost don’t want to tell you guys about Passion Pit, because right now they/he feel like my secret boyfriend. It’s a little like discovering Santogold (thanks Kasey Bomber!) before she was a Converse pitchwoman. Or TV on the Radio (thanks Karen O from The Yeah! Yeah! Yeahs I-Tunes Celebrity Playlist!) while they were still doing $25 shows at the MusicBox. Or Little Jackie (thanks David B!) before they were featured in People magazine. However, I’ve come to accept about myself that if I know about an act, then they’re just a Wikipedia entry away from no longer being underground. I’m just not cool enough to know about bands before everyone else does. So now, I’m having to thank Kyle, because he suggested this clever little band/project out of Massachusetts by way of Emerson College for this week’s versus. Basically it’s one guy (Michael Angelakos) with a synth hard-on putting together the music and a 5-man set-up representing for him on stage. And the results are just too listenable. I would recommend the entire EP, as it’s hard to listen to just one song, and they seem to be designed to weave seamlessly into one another. My only complaint about the Passion Pit is that they often sound like some other great synth-heavy band you like. Not derivative – but perhaps overly influenced by 80’s forces. Especially towards the last few tracks when they start running out of ideas. However, 3 out of 6 (7 if you count the remix of their current single “Sleepyhead”) ain’t...
KTW vs ETC: TV on the Radio – Dancing Choose
posted by Ernessa T. Carter
. A Nerd Versus by Kyle T. Wilson and Ernessa T. Carter Our favorite (mostly) black nerd band, TV on The Radio released the second single from their upcoming third album on Tuesday. Are we still in love? First the song: Then Kyle’s Take: I’m over-the-moon in love with TV on the Radio’s new single from their forthcoming album, Dear Science. The song is “Golden Age,” and it’s absolute po-mo disco perfection. It’s a little bit smart-assed, like Midnite Vultures-era Beck, but without a hint of parody. It’s also somehow dreamy and ethereal, like beatific Zooropa-era Bono. It feels authentic too, like New York in the 70s, or even the 80s, which might be less apt but seems somehow cooler. Imagine a scene from Paris is Burning or Grace Jones dancing in Keith Haring-applied bodypaint as you listen. I used to find this band merely interesting; now I want them underscoring my next night on the town, complete with a hot new outfit, Delia Hauser-approved shoes and androgynously cool eye make-up. I wasn’t asked to comment on “Golden Age.” Instead, I got the new album’s second single, “Dancing Choose.” If “Golden Age” is disco, this song is more pogo, like the way we used to jump up and down whenever the DJ would play “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” at school dances. Or when Ernessa and I were hopping around to The Go-Gos at that Monday night party during finals week in some grad director’s apartment in Pittsburgh. Remember that, Ernessa? And then the cops closed it down? I know…crazy, right? Now can you skip back to “Golden Age” again? Thanks. And Then Ernessa’s Take after the jump: Now the first time I heard “Dancing Choose,” it was hate...