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Pokey LaFarge

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I started the week off by pimping one NPR Music service … why not kick off the weekend the same way? Bob Boilen, the host of All Songs Considered (and my personal hero), also hosts a series of in-office performances called Tiny Desk Concerts. The bands actually play at Bob’s Desk. Neat idea. Even neater bands. They recently featured the amazing Pokey LaFarge and his band The South City Three. Pokey hails from St. Louis, and carries an old-timey swagger as he deftly performs a lively brand of blues and swing music your grandparents might recognize from their childhood. To my ears, the style has aged well, and I’d like to think we’ll hear more. I know I will … because I couldn’t stop myself from hitting up ebay for a vintage parlor guitar like the one he plays in the video.

OFWGKTA

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In high school, we all trusted my friend J Clyde to let us know which rap music was good. He never steered us wrong, and has gone on to be successful as a DJ and producer of nasty beats. So when I heard about a collective of teenage indie rappers/artists/producers/godknowswhatelse called Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, it seemed appropriate to consult J Clyde. He offered a favorable review, and urged me to check out the video for “Yonkers” by the group’s oldest member, Tyler, The Creator. A few minutes later, I was horrified … and totally hooked. The video and song are disturbing yet strikingly artful, which typifies OFWGKTA’s music. If you dig it, check out EARL, a free album by group member Earl Sweatshirt, who may presently be marooned in a center for at-risk kids in Samoa.

Taj Mahal

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The Real Thing

Frankie and Johnnie (sometimes called Frankie and Albert) is a good ol’ fashioned traditional song about killing your sweetheart for cheating on you. All the greats have covered it. Johnny Cash, Sam Cooke, Elvis … Lindsay Lohan. But it was Jack Johnson’s version that led me to Taj Mahal. Jack mentioned he styled his version after Taj Mahal’s, and it was the first I’d heard of the legendary, influential blues musician. That’s the amazing thing about covers – they form an endless chain, leading from one band to the next, cluing you into who influences who and who to check out next. My father-in-law recently clued me into The Real Thing, a high energy live album Taj Mahal recorded with a sizable backing band in 1971. It’s some of the most uplifting blues you’ll ever hear, with ENOUGH TUBA TO KILL A HIPPO!

Curren$y

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Pilot Talk

As you grow up, shit just keeps changing. You get into college, get a job, get a different job, get married, etc., all of which can mean moving halfway across the country. The good news is, with certain friends, you can share the experience of finding and listening to new music, and suddenly it’s like they’re sitting in the room with you, even if they’re a thousand miles away. My friend and bandmate 4eva Doug (who I have to thank for my Wilco obsession) went to law school and moved away, but has not stopped telling me when he comes across a band or artist he thinks I should check out, as he did with Curren$y. I’ve recently been getting into his major label debut Pilot Talk, which is made up of quality hip hop with clever lyrics, awesome guest appearances and laid back beats. Can’t wait to check out Pilot Talk II.

tUnE-YaRdS

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w h o k i l l

Waiting for the release date of an album sucks. Downloading a leaked version sucks more. Makes one feel icky. You know what doesn’t suck? NPR’s First Listen. Each week, the fine people at NPR music work with artists to offer these full-album streaming previews, sometimes several weeks before the release date. It’s also a great way to find new music, since you get a complete picture of an artist without a hint of moral ickyness. I first heard about tUnE-YaRdS on All Songs Considered, and since her new album w h o k i l l is coming out tomorrow, I took advantage of the First Listen preview. It’s wildly enjoyable, full of every musical style you can imagine. With one set of vocal chords, Merrill Garbus produces a dozen different voices, but the album still has the feeling of a cohesive, complete and totally listenable piece of art.

James Blake

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James Blake

I dunno about you, but I’m not always an early adopter of new music. Often I’ll hear a new artist’s name and read a good review or two, but it usually takes a push from the right person at the right time to get me to dive in. Such was the case with James Blake. After some encouragement from a very trusted source, I finally heard his eponymous album yesterday, and it’s fantastic. I don’t care whether you call it dubstep or not (seems like a silly distinction to me, and James Blake agrees). All that matters is that it’s one of the most elegantly produced albums I’ve ever heard. I have a feeling I’ll be spending a lot of time with this one.

Brian Eno-David Byrne

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My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts

I filled up my laptop’s hard drive (mostly with music), then tried starting a DVD conversion project. Turns out computers don’t like to boot up when they’re too full. Whatever. The upside is that transferring music to an external drive has helped me discover music I own but haven’t explored yet. For example, a while back, my friend Tex homeshared with me My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, and after finally diving in, I found that it’s a fascinating record, full of rhythmic craziness and imagination. All the vocals are sampled (IN ANALOG, which must have been an unholy pain in the ass), which makes each track a unique piece of art, worthy of exploration and enjoyment. Hard to believe this record was released in 1981.

Jogger

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This Great Pressure

Important Follow-Up Message: Jonathan Larroquette, half of the hilarious podcasting duo that gives us Uhh Yeah Dude (described below), is also half of a musical duo named Jogger. I learned about Jogger from the same friend that recommended UYD. Their album, This Great Pressure, features rich and diverse electronic music that’s anchored by guitar and moves from one genre to the next fluidly. The album is at once sparse and chaotic, dark and uplifting … it’s an immersive roller coaster ride, perfect for people who love all types of music. As my friend who told me about them would say, “Get that shizz!”

Uhh Yeah Dude

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I have a friend named Giselle who has crazy good taste in music. She’s also the one that told me about Uhh Yeah Dude, a two-man podcast that is hilarious, meandering, abstract and brilliant. The two LA-based podcasters are named Seth Romatelli and Jonathan Larroquette, and in each hour-ish long episode, they chat about recent events, scientific studies and celebrity goings-on, among other topics. The show has never failed to make me laugh out loud. If you like being happy and random conversations, subscribe on iTunes ASAP. Seatbelts.

Panda Bear

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The wait is (sort of) over! Thanks to the amazing people at NPR music, we can stream the new Panda Bear record, Tomboy. I’d heard a few evolutionary versions of these tracks, and a few final cuts when Panda Bear (real name Noah Lennox) played a guest DJ set for NPR, but I’m so excited to be exploring this beautiful record in its entirety.