Sam Fason

10Nov

By Sam FasonNo Comments

Song of the Week(end)

SONG OF THE WEEKEND: Faust – Jennifer

https://open.spotify.com/track/71WhsFMZI3JhEczyfbaq9d Faust's fourth and arguably best album, Faust IV is one of the best krautrock records ever recorded. Full of the usual frenetic, psychedelic, free-form jams Jennifer is a gorgeous psych ballad. The lush, repetitive guitar arpeggio and oscillating bass drones meld into a reverberating soundscape, only to be interrupted by a wonky riff that seamlessly flows back into the verse. Jennifer is Faust at their most meticulous and refined, without loosing their experimental nature. As the weather gets colder and winter sets in, I keep coming back to this song. Dig it.

Song of the Day: Royal Trux – “Granny Grunt”

3Apr

By Sam FasonNo Comments

Uncategorized

Song of the Day: Royal Trux – “Granny Grunt”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDGCnxjNvPU Over spring break I went back home to Austin for the SXSW, a week-long music festival where hordes descend upon the city while locals bitch about all the fucking people. One of the highlights of SXSW was catching Royal Trux at Hotel Vegas on Friday. Royal Trux is an experimental noise rock band that was active during the late 80s through the 90s, but until recently hadn't played a show since 2001. They closed out the LEVITATION day party, where Wand, Merchandise, Cherry Glazerr and some other great bands also played, but seeing Royal Trux killed, and it made me listen through some of their records I was less acquainted with. One of those records was 1995's Thank You, which features some of their most straight-up alt rock material. "Granny Grunt"...

29Dec

By Sam FasonNo Comments

Reviews

The 12 Best Records of 2016

2016 was undeniably rough. Lots of shit happened, and most of that shit sucked. Still, it's worth taking a look back at the year, because a lot of fantastic music came out. These are, in my opinion, the best projects of 2016. Whether you agree with me or not, hopefully this list will point you towards some new tunes. Honorable Mentions: These are thirteen fantastic records, in no particular order, that I didn't feel particularly inclined to write about. And that's on me/ But these are among the best releases of the year, and I felt that they at least deserved a mention. Holy Wave - Freaks of Nurture Anderson .Paak - Malibu Swans - The Glowing Man Preoccupations - Preoccupations Woods - City Sun Eater in the River of Light Ty Segall - Emotional Mugger Parquet Courts - Human Performance R...

Song of the Day: Galaxie 500 – “Tugboat”

15Dec

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Song of the Day: Galaxie 500 – “Tugboat”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEwouUjDTTE After his time as the Velvet Underground's guitarist and bassist, Sterling Morrison left New York for Houston of all places, and became a tugboat captain. Galaxie 500 singer Dean Wareham seems to like that idea, too. Simplicity is a staple of Galaxie 500s music, but it never becomes boring. Reverb-soaked vocals and dreamy, distant chords are cut by gorgeously melodic riffs that make you nostalgic for something that you can't quite place. "Tugboat" is a hazy, blissful, sincere song. It makes me think of aspen trees in the fall, and I don't know why the fuck that is. And maybe thats why this whole album is so amazing. Galaxie 500 evoke vivid imagery without saying much at all. And given the sound of indie rock in the late 80s, Galaxie 500's Today ...

Song of the Day: R.E.M. – “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”

10Nov

By Sam FasonNo Comments

Song of the Week(end)

Song of the Day: R.E.M. – “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”

https://open.spotify.com/track/2oSpQ7QtIKTNFfA08Cy0ku That's great, it starts with an earthquake. An escalator, actually. "President-elect Donald J. Trump?" Christ. Well, at least Lenny Bruce is not afraid. Because he's dead, presumably. Don't misserve your own needs. Seems a little late for that. Reporters baffled, trumped, tethered, cropped. TRUMPED. What in the fuck, Michael Stipe. What a prophetic line. Except who the fuck saw this coming? But while you and I are freaking the fuck out, the vitriolic and patriotic sure are feelin' pretty psyched. Six o'clock, TV hour, don't get caught in Trump Tower. A tournament, a tournament, a tournament of lies. No shit. Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline. Sounds like a quote you'd see in gilded letters on a wall in Donald's...

Song of the Day: Broadcast – “Black Cat”

28Oct

By Sam FasonNo Comments

Song of the Week(end)

Song of the Day: Broadcast – “Black Cat”

https://open.spotify.com/track/2u24s40bXEMu896fEs1L9L My first exposure to Broadcast was "Come On Let's Go" off of their stellar debut LP The Noise Made By People. That track, characteristic of Broadcast's glitchy, psychedelic brand of dream pop is truly unique. "Black Cat", while still retaining the repetitive, minimal melodies and atmospheric drones Broadcast mastered on their first two records, is a different beast; Broadcast trade in live drums for a drum machine and replace gentle synth swells with glitchy melodies and walls of feedback. "Black Cat" features a simple groove that gets turned on its head by fuzzy, stuttering synths and swells of guitar noise. The late Trish Keenan's hypnotic vocals rise above the droning instrumentation, floating gracefully above a sea of static. It is...

Song of the Day: Talk Talk – “It’s My Life”

18Oct

By Sam FasonNo Comments

Song of the Week(end)

Song of the Day: Talk Talk – “It’s My Life”

https://open.spotify.com/track/4jhsuQCUCJKA5f0bXb6XdJ Fourth week, tuesday night. The most savage night of the most savage of weeks. Coming to you from the fishbowl, downing coffee, writing an essay on this band, Talk Talk. Dare I say one of my favorite bands. Their final two albums are utter masterpieces (Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock for the unfortunate bunch to not have these albums enter their ears), but here's an earlier cut, one from 1984's It's My Life. This fine piece of synthpop seems kinda relevant, since living your life is probably hasn't been in cards for you this week. Whether writing, studying, or swirling about in a downward spiral of anxiety and despair, power through it. It's your life, don't you forget. And if you're like me, you did fuck all the past three weeks of...

25Apr

By Sam FasonNo Comments

Song of the Week(end)

Song of the Day: The United States of America – The American Metaphysical Circus

https://open.spotify.com/track/04ezdCPZeafm0rGdm1X6mO This song is from one of my favorite albums. The man behind it, Joseph Byrd, moved from New York (where he was studying under John Cage) to Los Angeles in late 1963. So he did what anyone would do: he joined the Communist party, started an experimental rock band, and called the band The United States of America. Byrd wanted the project to be "an avant-garde political/musical rock group with the idea of combining electronic sound, musical/political radicalism, and performance art." So, it being the 60s and all, the band was signed to a major label. Gone are the days of major labels signing experimental psychedelic bands self described as politically radical. But damn, I'm glad those days happened. Like so many of the best psych bands f...

13Apr

By Sam FasonNo Comments

Song of the Week(end)

Song of the Day: Woods – Can’t See It All

https://open.spotify.com/track/47Qz2csZ85ihW02y2zItPL Woods has been one of the most consistent bands over the past decade, releasing one solid lo-fi psych-folk record after another on lead vocalist/songwriter Jeremy Earl's Woodsist label. That being said, Woods usually never deviates far from their roots. While Woods has never dropped a downright bad album, the band has certainly become predictable. Or so I thought. Woods new record, City Sun Eater in the River of Light (review comin' soon, maybe) is Woods' most adventurous and experimental record to date. Here, Woods explores some new territory, with prevalent reggae and jazz influences. "Can't See It All" is a prime example of this stylistic shift, and the results are fantastic. Like any Woods song, lead singer Jeremy Earl delivers his...

Song of the Day: Brian Eno – King’s Lead Hat

29Mar

By Sam FasonNo Comments

Song of the Week(end)

Song of the Day: Brian Eno – King’s Lead Hat

https://open.spotify.com/track/4kWkthAKzqYgI2tk0iHOqv Brian Eno is one of the most prolific, innovative, and influential musicians around. His first four solo records are all fantastic, he was a pioneer in the field of ambient music, and his collaborations with Robert Fripp, David Byrne and Cluster are excellent. From '73 - '83, Eno was killing it with each and every release. He even developed a way to help musicians break creative blocks, called Oblique Strategies. Now, you might think you've never listened to a song by Brian Eno. And you're probably wrong about that. Eno collaborated with David Bowie for his entire "Berlin Trilogy" (Low, "Heroes", and Lodger). He also produced three Talking Heads records: More Songs About Buildings and Food, Fear of Music, and Remain In Light, which are...