Straight out tha trunk

The EP is an interesting format. Between releases, it's a teaser, leading fans along an audible path of the attention span of the artist. As a debut, it's but a taste, or a test. Like perfume samples in a magazine, though it would be hard to rub an mp3 all over your neck. Give it a shot anyways.

Music crush of the week #1: Lavender Diamond.

First, the music. You Broke My Heart (mp3), from The Cavalry of Light EP, out on Matador.

Becky Stark sings with an earnestness that comes from the depths of sadness, the ecstasy of love and the joy of knowing that life is there for the living. Her band holds her on high, sweetly supporting her lilts and wavers. Steady and plodding, the track builds like a growing parade - quiet and introductory followed by little chimes and hi-hats. A piano shares the rhythm with the percussion, giving it shape and health. This is the kind of song that gets stuck, nay, glued to your head for days. Keep an eye on these guys. They've just been signed to Rough Trade UK, and are set to support Colbert foes The Decemberists on their upcoming UK tour.

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Music crush of the week #2: Beirut - the new, digital-only EP Lon Gisland. (emusic)(Insound).


The song is called Elephant Gun (mp3), and it serves as an appropriate introduction to the follow-up to the first record, Gulag Orkestar. It's big and brassy and eastern and loud and bombastic and GREAT. Lots has been said of Zach Condon and his stealing adopting of Balkan music for modern pop tropes, so I won't dive into it here. Not everyone loves it; the idea, that is.

"Musical Tourism" isn't new though. Look at the popularity of African sounds in some of the best-selling records of the 80s:




It's true what they say, "everything old becomes new again".
THEY are sure wise, aren't THEY?

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Disco D is dead.

Sad but true.

Read about it. Booty.de has a nice tribute. So does Pitchfork.

I'd only recently pieced together his massive contribution to the Ghettotech genre (including possibly NAMING the damn thing), so I'm especially saddened by such a loss. It's one thing to be a contributor, but as a leader, an innovator - it's shocking and disturbing.

You may be more familiar with him that you might think.

Fiddy was all over him before anyone.



But I think Sesame Street got him first. Or he got them. I can't tell.



Enjoy the tunes, friends.
Maybe this Disco D thing is making me worry too much, but if you know someone who you worry about, make the call; you might save their life.