Artist To Watch: Stephen McGregor

Who:Stephen McGregor
Location: Kingston, Jamaica

The son of veteran roots singer Freddie McGregor, 18-year-old wunderkind dancehall producer Stephen McGregor (a.k.a. Di Genius) began wandering into the studio as a small child, recording his first track at age six and ultimately teaching himself five different instruments. These days he’s one of Jamaica’s hottest—and youngest—dancehall producers, crafting beats for a-list artists like Mavado, Vybz Cartel, and Bounty Killer. Known for fearlessly incorporating a wild mash of sounds, his riddims—with titles like Shadow, Ghetto Whiskey, and Red Bull & Guinness—are taking dancehall into the future.

Watch: Vybz Kartel – “My Scheme (Darker Shadow Riddim)

Watch: Wayne Marshall – “Me By Myself”

Watch: Sean Paul – “Watch Dem Roll”

Horace Andy & Ashley Beedle “Watch We (Pinch Remix)”

Dubstep iconoclast Pinch takes on reggae legends Horace Andy and Ashley Beedle with this remix. The original version of “Watch We” appeared on Andy and Beedle’s Inspiration Information collaborative release, but here, Pinch gives the roots and club reggae sounds some heavy bass and ethereal atmospherics.

Horace Andy and Ashley Beedle – Watch We (Pinch Remix)

Audiojack Radio

On the debut full-length from Leeds-based duo Audiojack (Jamie Rial and Richard Burkinshaw), unusual accents and the creative integration of live instruments puts a fresh spin on things. “Jack the Keys” features subdued notes of off-kilter piano that speed up into funky, somewhat sinister house. Meanwhile, “Radio” scatters static over a sturdy techno foundation; the effect is akin to a broken television being dropped into the middle of a dancefloor. “No Control” decorates a lopsided tribal rhythm with effervescent synths, ambiguous moaning, and what sounds like an electric didgeridoo. The album takes a dark pass on “Shanghai” but ends on a decidedly high note with the chime-dappled groove “Sun Through the Ceiling.”

Mixtape: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Just Another Day at the Mall Mixtape by Kip, Peggy, and Alex of The Pains of Being Pure At Heart.

1. Girls “Lust for Life”
It’s a great pop song, every bit its namesake’s equal. At one point, the singer sings, “I wish I had a pizza and a bottle of wine,” and I totally wish I had that, too. It speaks to me.

2. The Manhattan Love Suicides “Veronica”
A blast of fuzz-pop wonder. This one reminds us of Winona Ryder’s character of the same name in Heathers, where she’s a genius but still trying to be popular. But then she kills the popular kids, and realizes that isn’t all that cool either.

3. Hotstylz “Lookin’ Boy”
The best goofy snap-diss track that no one cared about.

4. Atlas Sound “Activation”
One of the million tracks Bradford Cox gave away free on his blog. Simple, arresting, and basically perfect.

5. Crystal Stilts “Prismatic Room”
If you walked into the coolest party ever and there was a band playing, it would be Crystal Stilts. We hear a lot of Dylan in this song, without the vocals sounding anything like Dylan. That = awesome.

6. Knight School “You are the Key”
It brings to mind The Vaselines covering GBV. Like, instantly catchy and awesome, without all the arena-rock gestures.

7. Zaza “Arm’s Length”
It takes about 2:45 to realize just how good this song is, and then you realize the whole thing has been awesome and you want to listen to it again. It’s like The Usual Suspects in that regard, but sounds far more unusual.

8. The Primitives “Lazy”
It’s one of those rare instances where the verse is actually better than the chorus.

9. Shrag “Hopelessly Wasted”
We always fall for the ballad on any album, but the whole thing is pretty epic, intense, and righteous.

10. Wake the President “Miss Tierney”
This is about the singer’s girlfriend, who is really cool and stuff—that’s why the song is equally cool (and stuff).

Photo by Annie Powers.

Lissom Nest of Iterations

While the term “ambient” may conjure notions of laptop wankery and songs that could only vaguely be described as musical, Oakland sound and video artist Tana Sprague (a.k.a. Lissom) has impressively bucked those trends on Nest of Iterations, her debut full-length. Sleepy without being sleep-inducing, the album’s sparse mix of field recordings, acoustic dabblings, and stark notes is bathed in a soft fuzz that warmly envelops the music’s rather deliberate machinations. Nest of Iterations may be repetitive, but it’s never boring. Next time you’re looking to chill out, toss out your wave machine and put on a copy of this record.

Kush Arora “Come From Yard Feat. Juakali”

S.F.-based DJ and producer Kush Arora has teamed up with Trinidadian toaster MC Juakali for this track, off Kush’s fourth full-length, The Dread Bass Chronicles. As suggested by its title, the new release is a futuristic dancehall collection that sees contributions from an all-star cast, including Warrior Queen, MC Zulu, the aforementioned Juakali, and others.

Kush Arora feat. Juakali – Come From Yard

Strut Releases Ze Records Retrospective

Cult imprint Ze Records will mark its 30th year in the biz with an all-star comp set for release entitled Ze 30: Ze Records 1979 – 2009 . Launched in 1979 by French art student Michel Esteban and British journalist Michael Zilkha, Ze tapped into the art-fueled, post-punk goliath that was New York City’s underground music scene in the early ’80s. The label signed artists like James White & The Blacks, Suicide, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, and Marie Et Les Garcons. Judging by the tracklisting, we can’t think of a better way to celebrate this special occasion.

Ze 30: Ze Records 1979 – 2009
01 Was (Not Was) – “Tell Me That I’m Dreaming (Traditional 12” remix)”
02 Don Armando’s Second Avenue Rhumba Band – “Deputy Of Love (Mutant Disco version)”
03 Cristina – “Things Fall Apart”
04 Lizzy Mercier Descloux – “Hard-boiled Babe”
05 Alan Vega – “Jukebox Babe”
06 Casino Music – “The Beat Goes On”
07 James White & The Blacks – Contort Yourself (Album version)
08 Kid Creole & The Coconuts – “Something Wrong In Paradise (Larry Levan mix)”
09 Material feat. Nona Hendryx – “Bustin’ Out (Seize The Beat version)”
10 Garcons – “French Boys”
11 Aural Exciters – “Maladie D’Amour”
12 Suicide – “Dream Baby Dream (Long Version)”
13 Michael Dracula – “What Can I Do For You”
14 Marie Et Les Garcons – “Re Bob Electronic”

Suicide – “Ghost Rider”

Lizzie Mercier – Descloux “Ou Sont Passées Les Gazelles”

Pictured: Lizzy Mercier Descloux

Two-Song EP Dedicated to Charlie Cooper

The end of January brought the tragic news of Charlie Cooper’s untimely death. The Telefon Tel Aviv member disappeared one evening and was later found in the Near Northwest Side neighborhood in Chicago, and many are still reeling from his death.

Fhloston Paradigm created a two-song EP in honor of Cooper, which is currently being given away through King Britt’s FiveSixMedia imprint. According to a recent press statement, the release is “a two-song EP that represents Mr. Coopre’s transcendence into the next dimension.”

“Charlie Sleeps”

“Mission 44”

Cooper (left) and Eustis.

Justice “One Minute (Toy Selectah Remix)”

Justice has the feedback-laden electro sound down pat, but here’s another take on the ridiculously popular Paris duo’s music, courtesy of Mexico’s Toy Selectah. The recent XLR8RArtist to Watch has a free EP currently up for grabs on the Mad Decent blog, in which he’s remixed the likes of Santigold, Boys Noize, Devendra Banhart, and others. Here’s a cumbia-infused version of the aforementioned French duo’s track “One Minute to Midnight.”

Toy Selectah – One Minute pal Cumbion!!!

Cryptacize Mythomania

When it comes to off-kilter art-pop, there are few bands more loveable than Cryptacize. Mythomania is the group’s second album, and it continues their exploration of unusual pop sounds and instrumentation. While Chris Cohen occasionally still cribs guitar sounds from his time in Deerhoof, Cryptacize has impressively expanded their sonic palette to include piano, keyboards, electric bass, and even autoharp. Yet even as their music becomes more complex, it remains undeniably light and cheery, due in no small part to the vocals of Nedelle Torrisi, whose chiming tones wouldn’t have sounded out of place on ’70s AM radio. The breezy skronk of opener “Tail & Mane” is the album’s true star, but Mythomania is full of pleasant pop moments.

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