NICOLAS JAAR - “STAY IN LOVE”
He’s only 21, but he’s been making electronic music for over six years now, using unpredictable samples in his mixing (say, for example, The Clover’s 1959 hit “Love Potion No. 9”) and has forged quite a name for himself in the electronic community. So what if he was born in New York? His upbringing in Santiago, Chile gives everything he touches a whimsical latino feeling, like he wants us to conjure up a scene of beautiful people dancing outside in some cool Chilean summer air. His mix for notable British electronic web-zine Resident Advisor took his career to the next level, and he has since gotten great recognition from indie rag Pitchfork for his new LP, Space Is Only Noise; they rated it an 8.4, earning it a spot in their career-making “Best New Music” section and the rest is history, at least for now. He’s still got his youthful spirit and while his jams aren’t exactly poised to become club anthems, he’ll be playing at an underground spot near you in no time.
Check out Nicolas Jaar’s Soundcloud here. (It also doubles as an indie record label called “Clown and Sunset”)
Check out his Resident Advisor bio page here.
NOSTALGIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK
R.E.M. - “RADIO FREE EUROPE”
jj - “ECSTASY”
jj is part of a new proliferation of indie bands (alongside Girls, Hype Williams, SALEM, etc.) who, before they got very famous, were essentially (excuse my use of this convoluted word) un-google-able. If you threw jj into the search engine a year and a half ago, you would be met with millions of useless hits. Now, their Wikipedia page comes up as the first. And so it goes that two Swedes with an affinity for hip-hop have made it big; big enough at least to lose their status as “elusive internet band.”
With a reputation as a pair who expel a gentle debauchery -smoking cigarettes, making out, and referencing drug-use on stage -jj have nestled themselves into the emerging rap-influenced plateau of the indie scene. Like Chicago’s How To Dress Well, they make their love known, covering Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop,” personalizing the lyrics to suit their apparent love for a certain serotonin-depleting drug. Still, they are notable for having stripped away the harsh bass that is so integral to rap music and infused quiet, airy vocals. It’s kind of like what I picture Lil’ Wayne’s heaven to sound like.
Check jj out on their official blog. (Great rap recommendations!)
Check jj out at Secretly Canadian records.
NOSTALGIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK
NEW RADICALS - “GET WHAT YOU GIVE”
TY SEGALL - “CENTS”
Mr. Segall, are you “sea-gull” or “se-gall”? Perhaps I’ll never know.
Some things I do know: Ty has a great love for masks, most especially Halloween-type masks with monster faces. Not only do he and his bandmates wear these masks throughout the video, the cover of his last LP Melted features a a similar one. Is he hiding? Does he wish to be seen as a pariah? After seeing the energy of his live show, I’m not so sure.
From his CENTS 7-inch put out a while ago on Goner, Segall exemplifies youth in revolt. And I don’t mean youth in a rainbows and candy and teddy bears kind of way; these are drug-experimenting, sexually liberated, rock ‘n roll youth.
Check out Ty Segall’s MySpace here.
Check out an interview with Ty Segall in ‘SUP Magazine here.
