SoundCloud Gems: Anomie Belle
Check it—my latest in 303 Magazine features Seattle songstress, Anomie Belle. If trip hop or post-rock or dark synth has a place in your music library, you’ll probably dig Anomie Belle. She’s toured with Tricky, Little Dragon, and The Album Leaf and collaborated with a bunch of others, so she most definitely deserves a listen.
Matt Kiser: The Blueprint: A Five-Point Plan for the Future of Media
At SPIN, we believe that magazine-grade music journalism on the Web is the future of our business; premium content pays in other words. If that sounds scary in a world of Demand Media and SEO wizardry, just look at what Bill Simmons has done with Grantland.
This post is inspired by a…
I couldn’t agree more with what’s said here.
Source: matt-kiser
D'écriture has an official FB page
I finally have a journalist page on Facebook where I’ll be updating a little more about the bands/musicians I’m covering, so check out (especially if you’re a musician and think I should be aware of your work!)
Out of my head and into my ears
I can’t complain about how I make my living: I write…and I write mostly about music. I go to shows for free, I hang out with musicians, and I get to listen to some of the most spectacular tunes being composed right now. It’s not all good—sometimes I’m overbooked to the point that going to one more show makes me want to run to my bed, sometimes the venue management and security are morons (no heat during a show in November? When it’s 20 degrees outside? Seriously?), and sometimes the album is a horrible ripoff imitation of music that came out 20 years ago and I want to bang my head on the table…but don’t because it’s not headbanger metal.
Either way, the last year heard the good, the bad, and the “why on earth did I voluntarily put myself through that?”
The Good
Hands-down, these bands and musicians rocked my speakers and my ears.
- Blue Sky Black Death: For fans of instrumental hip-hop, it doesn’t get much better than this. Again, this was a group that has continually colored my speakers the last couple of years.
- Fotoshop: This was a serendipitous find during a night of blog-surfing—electronica that’s reminiscent of Brian Eno at certain points and then completely original at others.
- Beirut: See this band in person. Their studio work, while a treat for the ears, cannot compare to experiencing them live. Yes, it is an experience and one unlike any other.
- KMFDM: What better way to knock off a bucket list item than getting paid to photograph and review a band that you’ve wanted to see live for more than a decade?
By and far, however, the most spectacular band I’ve crossed paths with recently is Army of the Universe—an English-singing Italian industrial band whose debut album was produced by Chris Vrenna. There is something untouchable about this trio—the music alone is accessible in a way that most industrial music is not. There’s a strange nostalgia about the sound, but in no way is it dated.
The Bad
There’s been little music I’ve heard that has rendered itself a poor review. However, efforts from The Horrors, Ginuwine, and Off Color certainly made my ears bleed in a bad way and seeing Billy Corgan “cover” the Smashing Pumpkins live as “The Smashing Pumpkins” made my skin crawl. Maybe it’s time to retire the moniker since none of the other band members remain?
Again, though, I can’t complain.
