Seattle super producer Jake One teamed up with rapper Freeway on the new release, The Stimulus Package. Freeway’s gruff voice commands you to listen and Jake’s production is top notch. The CD packaging is as strong as the music. The liner notes are huge dollar bills in a bank sleeve wrapped around the packaging like a big stack of money. After removing the sleeve and the bills you see the CD is inside a cardboard wallet, complete with a download credit card for the instrumental versions. This is by far the best CD packaging I’ve seen in 2010. Art Direction and Design is by Brent Rollins Design Explosion.
Seattle band Head Like a Kite have a new video titled “Director’s Cut” featuring Tilson from Saturday Knights. Seattle Photographer Chase Jarvis did a great job directing this video. The track is in support of giveseattle.org.
2009 has been a super strong year for music from both new bands and old. My top 11 song list is based on tracks I have repeatedly listened to or were amazing live performances.
Peter Bjorn & John “Nothing to Worry About” - Stomping handclap beat with kids singing “I got nothing to worry about”. So good! Check out the video featuring Japan’s 50’s greaser culture.
Phoenix “1901″ - Synths and guitars gallop along on this catchy tune. The whole Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix LP is great.
Matt & Kim “Daylight” - If there was garage rock in the 1930’s it would sound like this. It’s amazing that this band is only 2 people, a drummer and a keyboardist.
Animal Collective “Summertime Clothes” - Another infectious track that was made for summer drives with the windows down.
Passion Pit “Little Secrets” - The squiggly synth hooks you in the beginning and takes you “higher and higher” to the chorus. They put on a good show in an ice cold Moore theater.
Dyme Def “I’m Gone” - Lots of great Seattle hip hop this year with Dyme Def at the top. Upbeat funky track with fast rhyming, solid! The iPhone video through the streets of Seattle was a great concept too.
Chali 2na “International (featuring Beenie Man)” - Manic dancehall hip hop track from this Jurassic 5 member’s solo album.
White Rabbits “Percussion Gun” - aptly named song with great percussion and a pinch of Radiohead.
Pearl Jam “Gonna see my friend” - PJ went back to basics with some raw, gritty, rock on this track! I was stoked to see this record for sale at Target this year. When’s the last time vinyl has been sold there?
Fresh Espresso “Big or Small” - The production is future flavored mixed with a floaty BeeGee’s sample over the top. Both Dyme Def and Fresh Espresso killed it at the KEXP free concerts at the Mural last summer.
Grizzly Bear “Two Weeks” - Nice harmony over a rolling piano riff.
My favorite radio station, KEXP 90.3, now has it’s own iPhone app. You can listen to the station on the go and see the live playlist. It’s simple to use and FREE!
Harry Smith’s compilation of music from his record collection let to the American folk revival in the 1950’s and 1960’s. KEXP’s Greg Vandy gives a talk on Dec 3rd at the Frye Museum about how this collector effected that era’s music.
Seattle’s big/small festival, Expo 87, is happening this November 19-21st, featuring the chillwave sounds of Universal Studios Florida and others. Click here for the full schedule.
U2 has opened up their live show to the world, with the the rebroadcast of the full live streaming performance from their October 25th Rose Bowl appearance. It’s pretty amazing to be able to watch the entire 2 hour, 21 minute concert on your computer monitor.
Seattle hip hop crew Dyme Def just finished their new video for the song “I’m Gone“, shot using just a couple of Apple 3G S iPhone’s and it’s new video functionality. Very cool! You can see Dyme Def and Fresh Espresso play for free Friday Aug 7th at 6pm at the Mural Ampitheater at Seattle Center.
