13&God streams Own Your Ghost. In full. For free.

Like I just said, 13&God is streaming their new album, Own Your Ghost, right here. Don't say I didn't tell you.

Newish Music: Cloudkicker

They said the death of the record industry would be a bad thing. We were asked who would possibly want to release music without record sales propped up by major label distribution. And yet, the world hasn't fallen silent. I know because I listened to Cloudkicker's "We're goin' in. We're going down." all day today. I'm not sure, but I don't think the world has ended yet.

Cloudkicker is made of Ben Sharp and his computer. Mr. Sharp has a day job, and he self-produces and distributes his instrumental metal releases from Columbus, Ohio. Sharp offers CDs and vinyl, but also gives away downloads of his albums for free. So, you can't tell him what to do. You can buy a shirt from him, but he won't play your town. He's not playing concerts at all, and seems fine with that. Cloudkicker looks like just another thing that Ben Sharp is working on, which is becoming a part of the business model these days (Buck 65 called it in November 2009, and here we are). You'd better have more than one job, and you might as well give your shit away for free, because people will just steal it if they want to. Make it good enough that people want to buy it, and then make it worth the money in some tangible way.

But I rant. I'm happy that we have an artistic climate and an information infrastructure that lets people make art for themselves, and put it out there, just in case want it. I'm happy to live at a time when I can find new favorite artists out of practically infinite options, instead of choosing from the small selection provided by people I've never met, who presume to know what I like. That system created an illusion of artistic scarcity, and taught us falsely that only special people can make meaningful things. That terrible outlook is being challenged by a growing army of folks making headlines and becoming part of people's lives, and doing it without much besides a laptop and a Tumblr account. I'm happy about that.

Cloudkicker is over this way.

http://www.cmj.com/features/2011/03/video-premierqa-13-and-god/

SXSW 2011 Highlights

Aaaaand we're back, what a week. The dust has settled, the tourists have mostly left, and downtown smells like pee, even in the parts that don't ALWAYS smell like pee. Shows were seen, and a few shows were missed, for reasons ranging from exhaustion to canine ocular trauma to gorgeous weather. I won't bore you, but here's some broad strokes.

Wednesday: Sumerian Records Showcase

This was the first actual show I sought out, mostly to see Tosin Abasi's outfit Animals as Leaders, but I'll get to that. Opening the show up was New York's Ultrageist, a forward thinking act specializing in idiosyncratic breakdowns and bizarre vocal textures. Vocalist Gabriel Perez at first brings to mind Glassjaw's Daryl Palumbo, but strikes out into his own sonic territory by using an array of delays, distortions, and octave pedals to warp his voice on stage in real time. Interesting stuff, I'm looking forward to more. These guys were followed by Tamworth, England's Structures, leaning both melodic and death metal, but rarely at the same time, making dynamic songs out of crushing verses and the occasionally merciful break.

And then, Animals as Leaders. I was impressed by AAL's self-titled debut when it came to my attention last year, for a few reasons. Despite being something of a 'virtuoso' album, Abasi actually writes songs that have their own merit, instead of just being a framework for his shredding. There's long been a battle in heavy music over who can tune lower, and while AAL's low-E tuned 8 string guitars are certainly front runners in this, it's the way Tosin Abasi manhandles the damn things that really sets him apart. Rather than just relying on competitively low notes, he really stretches out into the space an instrument like this affords, utilizing broadly spaced intervals and chord voicings, and occasionally being his own bass player, using his low string for percussive patterns and slapped lines, while his right hand taps melodic runs on the tree trunk of a neck his guitar has. On AAL's self-titled debut, all strings were played by Abasi, with drum and synth programming handled by Misha Mansoor (guitarist with fellow djent O.G.s Periphery), but the album's striking elements translate well live, and rhythm guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Navene Koperweis (who is an absolute monster on his kit) enhance the sonic landscape, rather than dilute it. Tosin Abasi and company make music that is more than just skillful or interesting, it really is beautiful. This right here is Mr. Abasi solo, playing "Wave of Babies", a digital single released shortly after AAL's eponymous debut.


Thursday: Friends of Friends Showcase

I was at this thing all damn day. Thankfully not an official SXSW event, but a free party hosted by Friends of Friends Records, Barcelona on 6th evolved from a sparse early afternoon gathering to a heaving molasses of bass over six short hours. A varied set from DJ Sodapop (aka Anticon label manager Shaun Koplow) opened things, followed by a brief set by Baths. After Non Projects labelmates Asura and Anenon, Shlohmo took the stage and delivered a set with an energy his albums don't really indicate, making good use of Barcelona's impressive system. The next big highlight was Ernest Gonzales' masked luchador alter-ego Mexicans With Guns (pictured below left), a throbbing ghettotech Hyde to Gonzales' shimmery Jekyll.

Closing the party was beat scene lifer Daedelus (pictured right), whose recent shows have been seamless club sets, fully of glitched highs and huge modulating basses. Definitely one of my favorite days of last week.

Saturday: Buck 65 @ M for Montreal Party

I've waited to see Buck 65 for a long time, and after a handful of badge-only shows through the week, he played at the free M for Montreal party, accompanied by the talented vocalist Jenn Grant. Combining Grant's sweet voice with Buck 65(aka Ricardo Terfry)'s gravelly but thoughtful raps and live turntable work, the duo offered reworkings of oldies like Roses and Bluejays, and new songs (such as Paper Airplane, shown here in an early incarnation circa 2009) from this year's 20 Odd Years, touted as "The most beautiful hip hop album ever made". Terfry is a pleasure live, as interesting on stage as on his numerous records. Check out the album version of Paper Airplane and other new songs at Buck65.com.

And that was the gist of things. Not by any means a full list, but a few high points from SXSW 2011. So here I am, sore and sunburned, exhausted in the best way possible. Back to work everyone.

New Songs from 2/3 of The Nevermen, The Cool Kids

Lex Records is edging closer to the unveiling of The Nevermen, the mysterious vocal supergroup of TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, Themselves/Subtle/13&God frontman Doseone, and Faith No More/Ipecac Records' Mike Patton, but two of the three have releases in the meantime. TV on the Radio has a new album out April 12th called Nine Types of Light, and Will Do is the first track available off of it, listen to it here. It's still a few weeks until 13&God releases Own Your Ghost, but the string of leaks continues with Old Age, free for your ears via Pitchfork

It's been three years since The Cool Kids announced that their debut LP, When Fish Ride Bicycles, was definitely coming out in 2008, and a handful of EPs and mixtapes later, we're still waiting. So the word is that Spring 2011 will actually see the group release their first full length album, and an actual first single, Bundle Up, makes it a little more believable.

RECAP: Baths @ Mohawk, Austin TX

I like Baths. I could tell you I like him as a part of the beat scene I've been fixated on lately, or because he's a part of one of my favorite labels, or because he injects a personality and heart into the often sterile world of electronic music. But watching him tonight, I realized that boiled down to it's base, I like Baths because he's so unashamed. His music is brave and expository, and it's comforting to see public experimentation this bold. I've seen Will Weisenfeld perform three times since the release of Cerulean on Anticon Records, and even with one album under his newest moniker's belt, each performance is fresh. Experiments happen, and new songs are tested out each time I've seen a Baths show. Even his beat manipulation gets a little more tweaked out, adventurous, and glitchy. On top of that, he always seems genuinely excited and blessed to be doing what he does, and people respond to that. Definite highlights included a few new songs, including "The Nothing" from his new 7" on Anticon, and selections from his tour-only B-side collection. Not new, but he also slipped in a Shlohmo remix that I love, and which can be yours here, at Potholes in My Blog

Darkest Hour announces new album, The Human Romance, offers preview

Washington D.C.'s Darkest Hour have been putting out albums for over a decade, but particularly since 2005's Undoing Ruin, they've been reinventing and refining themselves in ways acclaimed both critically, and by their fans, including yours truly. Earlier this month, they debuted the surprisingly melodic skull-basher Savor the Kill, the first new track from The Human Romance, on the street February 22nd through E1 music.