Album of the Week: Toro Y Moi causes confusion

Toro Y Moi: Causers of This

Part of the first allure of Toro Y Moi, 23-year-old South Carolinian Chaz Bundwick’s nom de musique, was the mystique (the odd Spanish-French name, the photo-filled blog) and the burgeoning go-in-any-direction talent. The few early tracks posted on his MySpace page and elsewhere, while rooted in the new chillwave sound, also showed flashes of funk, surf rock (“109,” which found its way onto the Blessa EP) and pop (including his terrific take on “Human Nature” off a Michael Jackson tribute record). A bunch of those songs have made it to the full-length Causers of This CD, including the hard-to-pin title track and the stop-start treat of “Talamak.” But aside from new song “Low Shoulder,” the rest of Causers of This is less invigorating and more chillwave-y than I expected. Odd. B

Toro Y Moi: Causers of This (from RCRD LBL)
from the CD Causers of This
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Next Big Thing: MNDR

Caps-locked NYC-via-L.A. DJ/singer MNDR (real name: Amanda Warner) has been steadily building a Lady-Gaga-meets-Santigold buzz for her smart beats and blow-’em-away live sets. Details and tracks are scarce on her MySpace page, but “Fade to Black” (as can be heard on JeffMix2010.01.24) and the slowed-down, brilliant left turn “I Go Away” (promo video below) show huge, OMG upside.

MNDR: Fade to Black (from Pitchfork)
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Song of the Week: Lo-Fi-Fnk march on

Swedish electropop duo Lo-Fi-Fnk take their time between releases, but when they put something out, like 2008’s straggler single “Want U” (which can be heard on JeffMix2009.03.28) or 2006’s “Wake Up” (from their only proper album Boylife), they’re usually heat-seekers. “Marchin’ In” (which, according to their MySpace page, the band has “leaked” themselves) is no different, a slinky, radio-friendly banger with song-of-the-year potential. Imagine if they put out more than one song every two years…

Lo-Fi-Fnk: Marchin’ In (from Stereogum)
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Album of the Week: Laura Veirs’ tame Flame

Laura Veirs: July Flame

Laura Veirs’ new CD July Flame was on my shortlist for highly anticipated albums of 2010, based on the strength of two previously available tracks, the delicate “I Can See Your Tracks,” and “July Flame,” an exquisite slice of folk pop (which can be heard on JeffMix2009.10.25). Both songs lead off the CD, but the magic soon stops with “Sun Is King,” the kind of dreary folk song that can make one swear off the genre. Thankfully, July Flame picks up from there, yet doesn’t deliver on the more polished promise of the first two tracks. Veirs’ comfort zone is wordy, unadorned acoustic ballads – like “Where Are You Driving?” and the Jim James (My Morning Jacket) duet “Make Something Good” – solid, yet safe. More flame please. B

Laura Veirs: Sleeper in the Valley (from KEXP)
from the CD July Flame
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New Sounds: LOGGY logs on

Cali college all-capped rapper LOGGY is riding several musical waves on his debut mixtape, Up All Night. The Asher Roth / Atmosphere comparisons are evident – and promoted on his MySpace page – but he also aims for music bloggers’ soft spots by sampling liberally from indie hits, capitalizing on a smart, growing trend (see Chiddy Bang). “Our Little Secrets” (downloadable below) bumps Passion Pit’s dancefloor-friendly “Little Secrets” and “Rich Girl” gives The Virgins’ similarly named track its sample-ready due. (And there’s a sample in “We Lounge” that I know I know but can’t figure out its name!) LOGGY might have trouble clearing these samples for a proper album, but they’re right on for a mixtape.

LOGGY: Our Little Secret
from the Up All Night mixtape
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Song of the Week: Drive-By Truckers work it

Georgia rockers Drive-By Truckers add to the take-this-job-and-shove-it canon with a perfect Monday morning song, the hardly subtle “This Fucking Job.” They might be full-time rock stars now, but Patterson Hood and his band still understand how “working this job can be a kick in the pants; working this job is like a knife in the back.” Ace riff, too.

Drive-By Truckers: This Fucking Job (from Stereogum)
from the upcoming CD The Big To-Do
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Album of the Week: Four Tet’s ambient Love

Four Tet: There Is Love In You

I was lured into Four Tet’s new album by the fantastic slow-boil single, “Love Cry,” coming on the heels of “Moth,” his dark, groovy collaboration with Burial released last spring. But There Is Love In You is mildly disappointing, despite being the sort of smart, well-crafted ambient house record that Four Tet is known for. “Moth” and especially “Love Cry” (which hits a deep, powerful second gear at the 4:25 mark) had me prepped for a more crowd-moving record. Instead, with atmospheric electro songs like “Circling” and “Plastic People,” it’s really more soundtrack-like, especially good for pending documentaries by Gary Hustwit of Helvetica fame, or perhaps as an interesting selection if you worked at a funky clothes store. Yes, it’s Gap-worthy. B-

Four Tet: Love Cry (from KEXP)
from the CD There Is Love In You
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Next Big Thing: Nottee

The Lykke Li / Robyn comparisons are inevitable, so let’s get those out of the way right now. Yonge, blonde, Swedish, eccentric, minimal dance-y Björk-influenced pop – it also describes the provocatively named Nottee (née Nova Drougge), who, on the strength of only two tracks on her MySpace page (one of which is featured on the latest, influential Kitsuné compilation) is quickly gathering buzz. I was kind of hoping “Control” was a cover of the Janet Jackson classic, but Nottee’s track is just as jamming. Nice.

Nottee: Control (from NME)
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JeffMix2010.01.24 – the best in new music

This month’s podcast features music from Blah Blah Blah, Cocosuma, So Cow, Blind Pilot, Two Door Cinema Club, Tap Tap, MillionYoung, Cloud Nothings, Paul and The Patients, 87 Stick Up Kids, Darwin Deez, Eels, The Soft Pack, MNDR, The Futureheads, The Swell Season, We Have Band, Tapetheradio, The High Wire, an Wolf Gang.

To purchase music from these artists, visit jeffmix.com.

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Song of the Week: Telephoned are Deee-lite-ful

I would give props to any act that covers The-Dream. But Telephoned, a newly formed DJ/singer duo out of NYC, give the R&B star’s track “Rockin’ That Thang” a complete re-working, turning the silky single off The-Dream’s sinfully good Love Vs Money into a disco workout. There are a few other fresh re-takes on their MySpace page, including a thumping version of T-Pain’s “Can’t Believe It,” all with a Deee-lite-ful shine. Makes me want to dust off my old copy of “Groove Is In the Heart”...

Telephoned: Rockin’ That Thang (from Pitchfork)
from the Telephoned EP
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Album of the Week: Vampire Weekend’s Contra kills

Vampire Weekend: Contra

On Contra, their newly minted No. 1 record in the U.S., Vampire Weekend had a tough act to follow: themselves. Their dud-free, self-titled debut record was my favourite of 2008, and possibly one of the best rookie records of all time. But Contra may be an even more impressive record, if not more enjoyable, as the four Ivy League indie Afro-popsters avoid the usual sophomore-record pitfalls (lack of follow-up material, over-production, excessive experimentation) and deliver a finely honed, equally strong set of tracks as their first disc. Plus, on songs like the auto-tuned “California English” and the groovy, complex Joe Strummer tribute “Diplomat’s Son,” they show a musical maturity that bodes extremely well for what’s to come from VW. If you’ve been on the fence about Vampire Weekend and their un-ironic, preppy, Graceland-soaked pose, get off it now – there’s greatness here. A+

Vampire Weekend: Horchata (from Pitchfork)
from the CD Contra
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New Sounds: Idolizing The Shape of the Earth

Each time American Idol comes on the air, I fall under the influence of Simon Cowell and pretend to be a star-maker. And so, let me say that The Shape of the Earth – a Cali three-piece with a jangly, indie-rock sound somewhere between Snow Patrol and Spoon – have star written all over them. Well, they’ve got one sure-fire hit, the downloadable-below “Alone In This,” and a bunch of other heart-on-the-sleeve, highly polished tracks on their debut record Do I Dare Disturb the Universe? (I’d also like to thank them for introducing me to the particular talent that is LisaNova, a YouTube phenomenon who featured TSOTE’s music and has somehow eluded my pop-culture radar.) Check ’em out, dawg.

The Shape of the Earth: Alone In This
from the CD Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?
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Song of the Week: Jay Reatard “Always Wanting More”

Death sucks, and there was a lot of it last week. The epic tragedy of the Haiti earthquake, of course, and on Wednesday the news that 29-year-old Memphis punk/garage rocker Jay Reatard, born Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr., had died. (And let’s not forget Teddy Pendergrass’s passing at the too-soon age of 59.) Because he was so young and his shot-out-of-a-cannon music was full of such promise, Reatard’s death – the details of which are sketchy right now – has resonated with the indie music community. If anyone could have brought punk music back to a Clash-like mainstream prominence, it would have been Reatard. Rest in peace.

Jay Reatard: Always Wanting More (from Matador Records)
from the CD Matador Singles ’08
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Next Big Thing: Joy Orbison

2010 is shaping up to be a joyous year, with big things planned from both The Joy Formidable and UK garage-dub DJ Joy Orbison, aka 22-year-old South Londoner Peter O’Grady. His first single, “Hyph Mngo” snuck onto several year-end lists (just missing out on mine) with its mix of soulful grace and powerful beats. A new EP, streaming here, is more ambient and makes me wonder if Joy Orbison will be less a mainstream sensation than an underground hero. No matter – a joy formidable, nonetheless.

Joy Orbison: Wet Look (from NME)
from the “Hyph Mngo” single
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Song of the Week: Rogue Wave go rogue

Usually, when I pick a Song of the Week, I like the song; but this week, I’m not so sure. Or as Rogue Wave’s Zach Rogue sings on “Good Morning,” I’m not surprised. Check that: I am surprised, greatly surprised at Rogue Wave’s 18o-degree turn from softer, acoustic-tinged Cali rock to Owl City-ish, club-friendly pop. I love Rogue Wave, having caught them live a couple times and adored many of the tracks off their first three softer, acoustic-tinged Cali rock albums – especially the incredible, hand-clapping “Lake Michigan” off 2007’s Asleep at Heaven’s Gate. But I don’t know what to make of this.

Rogue Wave: Good Morning (from Stereogum)
from the upcoming CD Permalight
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Top 20 songs of 2009

As can be heard on my latest JeffMix podcast, which you can subscribe to in iTunes here.

20. “Quiet Little Voices” by We Were Promised Jetpacks
If you were actually expecting quiet little voices, you’d be highly disappointed. But you’d get a shouty Kasabian-meets-Arctic Monkeys debut single from the promising Scot band with the best name in rock. Best line: “Quiet little voices / creep into my head / I’m young again, I’m young again.”


19. “I Love College” by Asher Roth
I don’t care what anyone says, this is a great song. Best line: “I am champion at beer pong / Allen Iverson, Hakeem Olajuwon.”


18. “Shelia” by Atlas Sound
Fragile Bradford Cox makes the most delicate love song of the year. Best line: “Shelia / You’ll be my wife / you’ll share my life.”


17. “Embers” by Just Jack
Captivating, poignant and virtually ignored in North America. Hope this one gains some traction next year. Best line: “Through all of the develish things we do / We are all embers / from the same fire.”


16. “Warm Heart of Africa” by The Very Best ft. Ezra Koenig
The Very Best give Vampire Weekend singer Koenig a chance to go even more Graceland. Fun stuff. Best line: “Zip operator / I don’t know / The boys move fast / You should take it slow.”


15. “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap
I thought this song would get a more sizable bump from its prominent placement in the decent rock-romance flick (500) Days of Summer, but I clearly don’t know much about the music business. I’ll take this over Owl City any day. Best line: “A moment, a love / A dream, aloud / A kiss, a cry / our rights, our wrongs.”


14. “Raindrops” by Basement Jaxx
A stomping, welcome return from Simon and Felix. The Jaxx was baxx in 2009. Best line: “On those lonely afternoons, in June / I need you / Just like raindrops.”


13. “Quiet Dog” by Mos Def
This might be the first boogie-woogie rap song, expertly done by Mos Def, sounding smoother and groovier than ever. Grab your zoot suit. Best line: “And the rocket don’t stop / Brooklyn and the kids heat up the stovetop.”


12. “Something Good Can Work” by Two Door Cinema Club
Big things are in store for the barely-out-of-their-teens trio from Ireland, and no wonder based on this infectious, exuberant, well-crafted first single. Can you tell I like it? Best line: “Let’s make this happen, girl / You gonna show the world that something good can work, and it can work for you / And you know that it will.”


11. “Who Do You Love” by Museum of Bellas Artes
Can a song be a one-hit wonder if it was never big? I’m not sure, and I’m also not sure whether we’ll hear more from the oddly named Museum of Bellas Artes. But in a year when critics fell in love with lighter electro pop (jj, Javelin, La Roux), this out-of-left-field cover of an obscure 1960s R&B track was the best of the bunch. Best line: “Mama said you were bad / And I should leave you alone / You had a playboy’s reputation / With all the girls you know.”


10. “Tonight’s Today” by Jack Peñate
Another from the rank of woefully under-appreciated, UK troubadour Peñate adds a slinky bassline and shuffling beat to his usual high-quality pop songwriting. Best line: “I’m ringing church bells, church bells.”


9. “Heads Will Roll” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
And now the over-rated … or at least I wish the new YYY album It’s Blitz matched the intensity of this blistering, glammy track. Best line: “Off with your head / Dance ’til you’re dead.”


8. “Young Hearts Spark Fire” by Japandroids
Existentialist punk at its best. Best lines of the year: “We used to dream / Now we worry about dying / I don’t want to worry about dying / I just want to worry about those sunshine girls.”


7. “The Reeling” by Passion Pit
I had a hunch that when I kept ace track “Sleepyhead” off my list last year, Passion Pit would deliver better in 2009. And, by turning up the funk on “The Reeling,” they sure did. Best line: “Look at me, oh look at me / Is this the way I’ll always be / Oh no.”


6. “Cosmic Love” by Florence & The Machine
After a string of brilliant leaked tracks, I was mildly disappointed with Florence Welch’s full-length CD Lungs. But not this stunning, pounding album track. Harp never sounded so good. Best line: “The stars, the moon / They have all been blown out.”


5. “Brother Sport” by Animal Collective
When this song first leaked last winter, I was blown away. I thought it did for pop music what Avatar wants to do for movies. Okay, that’s overstated, but it really is nothing like anything you’d call pop music: no chorus, tribal beats, screams, sirens, lyrics repeated over and over. And a harbinger of what was to come with the mind-blowing, album of the year Merriweather Post Pavilion. Best line: “Open up your, open up your, open up your throat.”


4. “Animal” by Miike Snow
Swedes really do know how to do pop music better, and Miike Snow pick up where Peter Bjorn and John left off, turning up the electro heat on the shuffling “Animal.” Best line: “I change shapes just to hide in this place / But I’m still, I’m still, an animal.”


3. “Lies” by Fenech-Soler
And the award for grossly under-rated song of the year goes to this cracker of a dance-rock track by UK trio (despite the French-sounding name) Fenech-Soler. Disregard it at your peril. Best line: “You’re telling me white lies / Sleeping with another man.”


2. “Dominos” by The Big Pink
A superbly produced gloom-rock anthem, ebbing, flowing and peaking at exactly the right moments. Magical. Best line: “As soon as I love her / It’s been too long.”


1. “1901” by Phoenix
Phoenix really pulled off quite the hat trick in 2009: a hit-filled album (my No. 2 of the year), my favourite concert of the year (including two plays of this song, with the last a triumphant, sweat-filled, stage-diving encore), and with the sly, spunky chart-topping “1901,” my favourite song of the year. Hell, they’re also my artist of the year, something I would never have expected from the lightly-registering French indie rockers. They’ve made great alt-pop tunes in the past, but this year they proved they could do it better than just about anyone else. And if you’re counting at home, that’s two for France: best techno act (Daft Punk) and best indie-pop act (Phoenix). Harder, better, faster, stronger. Best lines: “And I’ll be anything you ask and more / Going hey hey hey hey hey / It’s not a miracle we needed /And no I wouldn’t let you think so / Falling, falling, falling, falling.”


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And please make sure to check out my list of the Top 10 albums of 2009.