Kishi Bashi’s Tiny Desk Concert

This is Kishi Bashi’s live performance ya’ll. It’s like you get whole different set material from what you hear on his album - which is out now by the way - and it’s just exactly what I want out of a live performance. I especially like the unexpected twists and turns he takes with Bright Whites. He breaks it down, then builds it up and we’re left with some kind remix of Bright Whites.

It might not come as a shock for you out there who read this - because we work with Kishi Bashi and obviously love his work! Then again I don’t feel like I see a lot of improvisation and straight up joy in live performances any more.

Perhaps I need a new place to look! Anybody out there got an artist that can lay it down like this?

Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” as performed by Dirty Loops

This is pretty much a video full of juxtapositions - younger Swedish dudes - each look like they should be in a pop, pop-hardcore and blues-rock respectively - play Adele’s Grammy winning sad tune “Rolling in the Deep” in an 80’s fusion aesthetic.

You would ask “what could go wrong?” - thinking that the “what” should really be “everything” - as in “everything could go wrong.”

But they got major chops! Does this mean that we can have more 80s jazz-fusion in our lives?

The Effects of Dubstep on Water

Sure this is an optical illusion (but probably some kind of dubstep ice 9).

‘Give Me Butter! Always Butter!’

Fernand Point is the father of modern French Cuisine. He knew a thing or two about butter. The book featuring his notes and quotes, Ma Gastronomie, is being published again - this time with a forward from the brilliant Thomas Keller and features Point’s fried egg recipe:

“I was most impressed with Point’s fried-egg “recipe”: warm butter, don’t let it sizzle, slip in the egg, keep the heat low, wait until the white is creamy and the yolk hot. It’s perfect, foolproof, easy, yet not intuitive.”

You can read the New York Times article on Ma Gastronomie here!

Tupac Shakur’s Poltergiest Performs at Coachella

R.I.P. Tupac

Rammstein’s “Sonne” as performed by children

Rammstein’s “Sonne” - as Rammstein’s “Sonne” was meant to sound. Finally.

Music Video: Kishi Bashi’s Bright Whites

Kishi Bashi - Bright Whites from Brett Vaughn on Vimeo.

Kishi Bashi’s Bright Whites Video is a little trip-factory and it is great. There is an almost Alice in Wonderland quality to the characters going in and out of delightful and terrifying.

Apparently you have to be smart to watch this music video. Their description of the video says that there are over 50 common idioms represented in the video. See if you catch them all or solve the riddle. Get to it, Encyclopedia Brown!

Faux Fix @ Whisk and Ladle, April 1st

Andrew Sherman and I went to a living room show at Brooklyn’s underground Whisk & Ladle on Sunday night. The moody alt-pop duo Faux Fix captivated the crowd with their haunting melodies and atmospheric arrangements. Though Katie Chastain’s vocals would be enough to transfix any audience, the rich soundscape was sweetened with an antique Marxophone, tuned wine glasses, and this iPad app. Sunday’s show was the last stop on a 2 week living room tour across the country, but don’t worry, they’ll be back soon. Let us know if you want to get in on their next exclusive performance. 

Here are a few photos from the evening’s performance. Special mention must also go to the opening act, Jonny Rodgers. His gorgeous and inventive songs were a perfect way to start the set.

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The Great GoogaMooga

This is the Great GoogaMooga - not the Meh GoogaMooga or even the Ok GoogaMooga that they throw in Bryant Park - this The Great GoogaMooga. It’s going to be packed with tons of live music and food! They’re saying that it’ll be a “culinary revolution that is transforming a whole generation into food enthusiasts.”

Best of all it’s free!

It’s coming up on May 19 - 20. Reservations might be closed now but they’re going to be releasing more tickets as the event approaches so keep your eyes open foodies!

Every band that is playing at sxsw - pretty much

Listening to this playlist is like drowning for your ears. Be careful when listening to this playlist. The worst part of me wants to start a tired argument to be had about gatekeepers and the vice and victory of the internets - but really this just a playlist with every band that is playing at sxsw - pretty much!

On the sxsw website there is a list of bands and artists that are going to be playing shows at the festival next week. That is a long list and it’s not even that comprehensive! So using the mighty powers of Spotify - I put all the performing bands going to sxsw into one gigantic 24 Hour playlist of music:

sxsw comprehensive-ish playlist

In a way this playlist is indicative of the sxsw experience. There are so many bands buzzing around that you’re pretty much inundated into a music coma. This playlist will be good exercise for your ear muscles - when you’re taking a white cab alongside the cab driver’s girlfriend and teenage daughter to a Diplo concert at 2a in the morning you’ll be happy that you did!