Weird Spring

This has been a weird start to spring. The weather, the imminent threats and unrest around the world, that enormous moon...shit, in the same week, New England has seen everything from beaming sunshine and 70 degrees to hail, sleet and snow. As many of my posts are inspired by the tone of the season, the music here is inspired by weirdness, in one way or another.

NewVillager might be one of the weirdest/most intriguing groups that I know. They have only released three songs up to this point and their music is inspired their own mythology which is based upon a ten-part cycle exploring transformation, adolescence, and the formation of new ideas. I know. Weird. I was a huge fan of their previous 2-song release, Rich Doors/Ghengis On. This is their third release and it is fantastic.

NewVillager - Lighthouse Link removed by the man! Check it here on YouTube.

James Blake is gaining some serious ground as a popular, weird-ass musician. His music is a mix between dub from 2080 and noises from the Matrix. Say what you will but, it just somehow works. Here, Lucid Rhythms inserts a nice beat backbone and turns this great, yet weird track into a head-nodder.

James Blake - Limit To Your Love (Lucid Rhythms Remix)

This song is only weird in the sense that it took Fleet Foxes four goddamn years to release a new album. I love this song, this band, and all their weirdness. Listen for the Simon and Garfunkel influence.

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Last summer, I blogged about Providence, RI-born/Brooklyn, NY-based band Javelin. Rhode Island is a weird yet awesome place, and its influence shines through on this weird yet awesome group. Here they remix Warpaint's "Undertow" with a thick beat and some seriously weird effects. Enjoy.

Warpaint - Undertow (Javelin Remix)

BONUS:

Warmth is just around the corner! Go Outside!

Can't get it out of my head

This track crushes it beyond belief. Zero 7 adds a heavy dose of 70s glam t0 Mos Def's smooth lyrics. Mos Def is at his best here, and I apologize that I could not find a link for you all. Regardless, this song is worth a listen over and over. Don't be surprised if this is stuck in your head all week.

I am a little short on music today, so I thought I would kick in some of my favorite work from UK Street Artist Banksy. Banksy is known for his smart commentary through stencil like grafitti. He has recently been working around LA and I think you'll enjoy some of his work.

Many write him off as a vandal, but others consider him the Andy Warhol of our time.