Terrible Chris' Fave Albums of 2010, Part Trois

Ready for some more? The build-up is orgasmic, isn't it?

11. Autolux, Transit Transit--Sure, i would have liked to have heard this a few years ago, too, but that doesn't make it any less impressive.

mp3: Supertoys (Autolux from Transit Transit)

12. Baths, Cerulean--Yet another kick ass beat CD.

mp3: Lovely Bloodflow (Baths from Cerulean)

13. jj, Kills Mixtape--A free mixtape that stacks up with some of the best of the year. Take that, you RIAA motherfuckers.

mp3: KILL THEM (jj from Kills Mixtape)

mp3: NEW WORK (jj from Kills Mixtape)

mp3: HIGH END (jj from Kills Mixtape)

14. Liz Phair, Funstyle--Fuck you, Bitch Spork, this thing had plenty of moments.

mp3: Oh Bangladesh (Liz Phair from Funstyle)

15. Vampire Weekend, Contra--While my esteemed contemporary at Berkeley Place felt much differently, i thought this was a nice, light hearted pop affair that holds up after multiple listens. If nothing else, it shows how to use Autotune correctly.

mp3: Horchata (Vampire Weekend from Contra)

More Goodies to Keep Scrooge at Bay

Hopefully, you kids are out drinking eggnog or some other holiday-related activity that bespeaks intoxication and good times. i expect no less from my LET brethren and sisteren. For those of us with Scrooge for a boss (working for oneself is such a hassle), i do have a couple of goodies to help you get through the rest of the day while you think about what you want to do with your significant other and a sugar plum later this evening.

You know i lurvs me some Autolux. Meg and i will get to our "Top CDs of 2010" lists in the coming weeks (seriously, how can you make a "Best of the Year" list before the year even is over?), but i'll tell you right now that Transit Transit is going to make one of my lists in some fashion. As luck would have it, the band just did a LiveBuzz session and decided to share this mp3 goodness with all y'all lucky bastards.

mp3: Audience #2 (Live) (Autolux from LiveBuzz Sessions)

i hold Sun Araw in similar rarefied air, but i'll let Aristocrat P. Child do the talking about this next jam. The legendary invite-only parties at SUN ARK STUDIOS had reached a sort of frenzied climax in late summer of 2010, steamy and yet ambiguous police actions, multiple lenticular object sightings, and spontaneous dance-floor teleportations all were pointed at some sort of budding vortex, a sinister portal that was going to have to be danced through. Everything was coming up fungal, spiral filaments wrapping around wrists and ankles, yanking some chains. For the 3am set, MATTHEWDAVID joined SUN ARAW onstage for what would be the moment of germination: SUN ARAW passing retrieved melodic objects while MD dilated, distended, folded, and then flung them through the gateway. After listening from the control room with eyes closed, I wandered out onto the dancefloor to take stock: the partygoers as I remembered them had vanished, and the entities that were moving to these grooves were tough to identify, multiplying rapidly in fractal-like patterns and then slipping sideways into shadow. I caught a cab and got out of there. I have no idea who finished the recording.

mp3: Side A Track 3 (Sun Araw & matthewdavid from LIVE PHREAXXX)

Deck Them Halls and Fa La La La La

Just a few more days to finish up that Xmas shopping, kids. i've been done for a while myself, that is, until i just learned that one of my brothers is bringing his girlfriend to the family festivities. Good thing i've got some more of this soon-to-be-done-with Xmas music to get me through the mall without murdering anyone.

Brendan Benson is not chincy with his holiday cheer. Not only did he share the holiday spirit with us, he wants to share it with you, too, on this acoustic rocker from the wonderful Holiday Undercover series.

mp3: Merry Xmas Everybody (Brendan Benson from Holiday Undercover 2010)

You know you're going to see this track again come Halloween, but it's intended for this holiday, so here we go. If your idea of a thumping good time is a dubstep beat peppered with Christian zealot ravings, have i got a track for you!

mp3: Zombie Jesus Dubstep Bazaar (Falside from Zombie Jesus Dubstep Bazaar)

Wanna know how those OFWGKTA kids feel about Xmas? OK. If you thought it included butt fucking Yoda, well, you'd actually be right.

mp3: Fuck This Christmas (Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler The Creator And Hodgy Beats from their website)

That enough Xmas music for you for now? Good.

100 Shows of 2010 - #60: Autolux @ Black Cat, 9/1/10

I'll let you in on a little something, friends. It's always a good time when you get the two of us Terribles in a room together, and when you throw in a fantastic band like Autolux, well, you get a damn fine evening. Thus was the case at the Black Cat, where I had the pleasure of not only Mr. Terrible's presence, but Autolux's presence for the third time, and it was, in fact, the charm. And for the record, Chris doesn't have the monopoly on gushing over Miss Carla Azar, otherwise known as Autolux's seriously fierce drummer. She was ridiculously awesome, but then, I'd say that sentiment pretty much applies to the entire set (excess reverb and all).

MINI RECAP: Autolux = Deliciously Dark! Overall Score: B+

Even before they played a note, I was impressed. Walking out to Brian Eno's "Here Come The Warm Jets" will win me over every single time. As for the band themselves, well, the three of them impressed the hell out of me, too, moreso than ever. Right from the start, Autolux showed off their big, dark, layered sound, so finely textured and so atmospheric and so full of reverb (to Chris's slight chagrin but my delight). This is a band that takes advantage of every note, cramming as much noise into each song as humanly possible. The power and aggression in the songs was accented by a slight hint of something wicked, something sinister, giving it a delicious feeling of almost devilish decadence.

The assualt on the eardrums was simply glorious. Chilling, brutal, but somehow lovely at the same time, especially when Miss Azar lent her voice as well as her sticks to the cause. Her sultry softness tempered the darkness, with beautiful effect. The songs tended to be severe and scathing, but not in a way that was at all off-putting. At times, it felt that the line between vitriolic and seductive had been muddied, with splendid results. Somehow, Autolux songs have always seemed almost catchy to me, and this night was no exception. Catchy though the songs were, all that wonderful reverb and distortion and fuzz is what tends to float my boat, and Autolux delivered and then some.

Another night, another great set by Autolux. I second my partner's notion that you should go see Autolux whenever the opportunity presents itself. You'll be so glad you did.

mp3: Supertoys (Autolux from Transit Transit)

Live Review: Autloux, Black Cat, 9-1-10

The stars have aligned yet again, and Megan and i found ourselves enjoying the same concert together in one another's company. As such, expect her take on things shortly. In the meantime, i'm guessing mine will be the only one of the two that admits to a troubling fascination with Carla Azar's drumming, but who knows? Maybe Meg will surprise us both.

i try not to get too effusive about Autolux, as i invariably focus in on my own infatuation with Ms. Azar, who, as far as i'm concerned, is the greatest female drummer out there today, and probably in the top ten drummers over all, if i can be both honest and sexist at the same time. i'm not sure what it is about the band, but every time i see them (and this was at least my fifth show, if not more), i find myself uncontrollably bobbing my head. While George Clinton or Prince might get my booty shaking more, or House of Pain might make me jump more, no other band i've ever seen has that same hypnotic effect on me that Autolux does. And this time around at the Black Cat, things were no different.

The band played pretty equally from both albums, but the clear winners of the night were from debut album, Future Perfect. And it's easy to see why, as the band has had the time to make them anthemic and intimate at the same time, truly mastering the tracks in a live setting. Tracks like "Blanket" and "Robots in the Garden" had the house swaying. In an obviously crowd pleasing mood, Azar not only rocked the skins all night, she was given more vocal duties than i can recall her ever being given at any of the past shows i've attended.

If there was any complaint to be had, i'd argue bandmates Eugene Goreshter (lead vocals, bass) and Greg Edwards (guitar, vocals) both went a tad overboard on the reverb. What i couldn't tell is if that was their doing or the Cat's older speakers simply not having the juice left to handle the boys' desired effect. The sad part is these guys write killer hooks, and according to my brother, "if you didn't know those songs, you could hardly tell what they were playing." Except, of course, for the steady, almost robotic hand of Azar. No matter how far afield the boys might wander, she was there to anchor each song methodically. In a fitting gesture, as the band closed the set, each member walked off stage without saying a word. The boys left first, leaving Azar to hold the fort and soak up the last of the well deserved applause as the appreciative audience clapped and stomped and hollered.

i can't say it enough--if you're lucky enough to have Autolux blow through your burg, go. And thank me later.

mp3: Capital Kind of Strain (Autolux from Future Perfect)

mp3: Persons and Machinery (ft. Autolux) (U.N.K.L.E. from War Stories)

Free Music Friday: The Junkie, Rented, BRRRR, Ravey, Percussiony, Cartoony, Shoed, Toyed, Napkiny Edition

Ah yes, another Free Music Friday, which differs from every other free music day at LET in ways that are hard to explain, but they're there. Or i simply couldn't come up with a better intro paragraph today, so this is what you get. The price is right, so deal.

Tobacco's Maniac Meat is quickly becoming one of my favorites CDs of 2010. His chopped up style of electro/sampling just does something for me. Which is probably why i'm really digging Junk Culture, a new project by Deepak Mantena with his younger brother, Nitin, on skins for live performances . i'm obviously not the only one who hears the similarities, as JC will be joining Tobacco and Dreamend (whose So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite, is another fave CD this year) on their tour this September. Unfortunately, i missed their headlining spot at IOTA just the other night, but i've already got my tickets to their DC9 gig on September 9. i recommend you do the same.

mp3: West Coast (Junk Culture from West Coast)

For those familiar with the Rentals, you're obviously familiar with last year's Songs About Time Project. For the rest of us, the band decided to create three-hundred and sixty-five days of photography, fifty-two weeks of film, and four albums of music. Initially, very little was released, but the Rentals have come back with a vengeance with a new boxed set, appropriately entitled Songs About Time, that gives us gems like this dream-pop number.

mp3: Honey Life (left click to download) (The Rentals from Songs About Time Chapter Three The Future)

While white guy piano rap may or may not be the next big thing, Chilly Gonzales finds a way to make it work. Sure, his cadence is a bit stilted, but i think that's supposed to be part of the charm. Regardless, the man definitely has a way with his rhymes, which is saying more than you can for half the shit getting pushed these days. Which is nice.

mp3: Never Stop (Rap Mix) (left click to download) (Chilly Gonzales from Never Stop)

LET stalwarts The Raveonettes dip their toes into the remix pool with their spin on The Drum's "Let's Go Surfing." Remix may not be the best description, on further thought, as it really sounds more like the Ravenonettes simply playing over the record itself. The end result, i think you'll agree, speaks for itself on this fuzzed-out, surf-rock number.

mp3: Let's Go Surfing (The Raveonettes Remix) (left click to download) (The Drums from Let's Go Surfing)

Digital Underground alum Money B. has a new project, M.A.S.K. While i assume it stands for Money (B.) And Scott Knoxx, i'd like to think it's also an homage to the Mobile Armored Strike Kommand. While it appears an album still is in the works, both cats show they're still at top form on these two head nodders.

mp3: Lemme See U (Dirty Version) (M.A.S.K. from TBD CD)

mp3: Gettin' It In (Dirty Version) (M.A.S.K. from TBD CD)

For the summer of 2010, i've pretty much crowned Best Coast as your best bet, go to band for appropriate soundtracking. The folks at Converse Shoes, of all places, must have agreed. Check out this team-up between them, Kid Cudi and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend. (Quick note to Cudi--dude, no need to be lonely. i'll smoke with you any time you want.) While it's a bit much to declare this THE song of summer 2010, it certainly should make the playlist.

mp3: All Summer (Best Coast, Kid Cudi and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend from Converse)

At long, long last, it appears Autolux FINALLY is going to release the hotly anticipated (at least by me) follow-up to their freaking phenomenal debut, Future Perfect. Transit Transit is expected to drop this August 3rd. The band trotted out a few numbers their last time in town at the Black Cat, and i, for one, cannot wait to hear the entire thing on wax. If this single is any indication, expect more of that spacey, fuzzed out alt-rock goodness. Do the smart thing and see them when they return to the Black Cat on September 1st. If nothing else, it's another opportunity for you to not introduce yourself at yet another concert i've plainly told you i'll be attending myself.

mp3: Supertoys (Autolux from Transit Transit)

And to close out this edition of Free Music Friday, Black Lips are back with their own style of blues-infused rock. Whereas some might go the purist route, the Lips sound like they'd be more comfortable taking it out behind a shed, getting it shitfaced on corn liquor and high on mushrooms before taking advantage of it. Whether or not the Blues was asking for it is a question i shall not even attempt to answer. Check out this one and decide for yourself.

mp3: Best Napkin I Ever Had (left click to download) (Black Lips from Scion A/V Garage: Black Lips / Pierced Arrows)