Cassette #016 - SPRING BREAK

There are two girls passed out on my floor, and it isn't even spring break yet... Okay they aren't passed out but they are randomly lying there. I'm not even sure who they are. But I do know spring break is just around the corner for University of Minnesota students and many others across the nation, and spring break means lots of travelin' Cruisin' USA-style, maybe even Cruisin' World. It is for this reason that we have put together a playlist for all of you with just that thing in mind, spring break and travel. So because I am done with all things school at this point, I'm going to bring us to the end of the post earlier than I normally would. I hope you aren't upset about it. Even if you are I don't care... Okay maybe a little.

PLAYLIST:

1. "Start Of Something"/Voxtrot

2. "You Have Boarded"/Rogue Wave

3. "Major Tom (Coming Home)"/Shiny Toy Guns

4. "Such Great Heights"/Postal Service

5. "Sailing To Nowhere"/Broken Bells

6. "Eyes On The Horizon"/Brendan Benson

7. "Steady As She Goes"/The Raconteurs

8. "Oregon Girl"/Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

9. "Chicago"/Sufjan Stevens

10. "Holiday"/Vampire Weekend

11. "Brother Sport"/Animal Collective

12. "Plastic Beach"/Gorillaz

13. "Beach Bums"/Afternoon Naps

14. "Got Nuffin"/Spoon

15. "When My Time Comes"/Dawes

(DOWNLOAD @ LINK BELOW)

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Physically, Mentally, and Emotionally Tired,

-(A Portion Of) Magnificent Music That Isn't Bad Staff

P.S. Joseph Kingston likes country music!

Wiki Wiki Wednesday//014

GOOOOOOOOOD MORNINGGGGGGGG MUSIC LOVERRRRRRRS! (Imagine Ty Pennington through a bullhorn) This Wednesday's edition of Extreme Makeover: Song Edition, features hip-hop artist Wale with his single "World Tour" and classic rockers Grand Funk Railroad with their song "Walk Like a Man." Titled the "World Tour (Chop Suey Slash-Up)," The two songs have been twisted into one great tune by none other than, Objektiv One. Though he has some sweet mash-ups, Objektiv One is also a designer with some really great artwork. If you are wondering who to thank for this mash-up, look to none other than The Music Ninja. This mash-up was exclusively released to them by Objektiv One himself. To see more from the designer/"Señor Fusion" check out his myspace and his website. Happy listening everyone.

(DOWNLOAD @ LINK BELOW)

"World Tour (Chop Suey Slash-Up)"/Objektiv One

K, Bye,

Joseph Kingston

Up and Comers: Cults

This band might as well not exist because if you want to find out anything more than the fact that they are a boy/girl duo from NYC you are going to have a tough time. Seriously, there is more information on the interweb about the social impact Captain Planet had on the American culture than there is information about the band Cults. Although, it doesn't really matter because they are still great.

Imagine, if Animal Collective, The xx, and Architecture In Helsinki had a threesome and from it came a two children, a girl and a boy, they would eventually grow to make music under the name of Cults.

The song I have decided to share with you today is "Go Outside," which is from the band's first 3-song EP, Cults. You can download the whole thing for free here (via Bandcamp), or if you don't really care for 3 free songs you can download just the one from us. Either way I hope you enjoy the musical supplement.

P.S. The Notorious B.I.G. / Big Poppa' / Biggie Smalls / Frank White / Christopher George Latore Wallace died 13 years ago today. To pay respects to a well worthy rapper, click here.

(DOWNLOAD TRACK @ LINK BELOW)

"Go Outside"/Cults/Cults

Word Nerd,

-Chuck Ryan

Super Special Song of the Week//014

The brother/sister duo that is Angus & Julia Stone can only be described as beautiful. Originally from Australia, this duo is preparing to release their sophomore album titled Down The Way, this March, worldwide (Australia - March 12, UK/Europe - March 15, and US/Canada - March 30.)

What's interesting about these two is the way they make music. Each sibling writes and sings their own unique song and receives background vocals and the sweetest of harmonies from the other. They view each one of their songs as an individual project, however the other one is always their for them to make the song that much more special. Their light voices seamlessly fuse together soothing the mind and body.

The simple bass line, dreamy strings, and steady snare beat of "Black Crow" seems to me to be a perfect song for long road trips winding through the mountains, along the coast, or wherever your exploration may take you. It gives your mind a well deserved rest and just lets it wander for a while. Listen to the song below, enjoy it and take a minute to relax. Also check out the band's myspace and support them when their album is released later this month.

(DOWNLOAD SONG AT LINK BELOW)

"Black Crow"/Angus & Julia Stone/Down The Way

One Love,

Johnny Mac

Spotlight Sunday : What's The Haps In Minneap?

Hey all you cool cats out in MTIB-land. It's ya boy Deuce bringing you the first installment of what I hope will be a weekly post: Spotlight Sunday. Every Sunday I'm going to bring you a taste of a different city, and together we will take a musical journey across the US. If that sounds good to you, great! If not, keep it to yourself...

I've decided that the best place to start would be to introDeuce myself (clever, I know), and I can't think of a better way to do that than to start our trek in my hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesnowta. So, without further ado (and bad faux-thug grammar) here are three songs from the Twin Cities area that I hope you all enjoy.

When you think about Minnesota hip-hop (and I know you all do frequently) Atmosphere comes to mind, and why shouldn't they. They have been pioneering the indie-hop genre for over a decade. With Ant supplying a steady stream of fresh beats and Slug's one-of-a-kind flow, Atmosphere has proven themselves a force in the underground community. This video features Slug, but is actually by another up and coming Minnesota artist, P.O.S, who is a member of the Twin Cities based hip-hop collective Doomtree.

Although not born in Minneap, Mason Jennings gets a free pass. He came up here, refined his sound here, and taught us all a thing or two about modern day folk in the process. His distinctive voice, catchy yet simple rhythms, and articulate songwriting make Mason a perfect candidate to rep the midwest.

I hope my last selection will show a bit of the diversity of the music coming out of the Twin Cities scene. Jeremy Messersmith's understated voice and calming vibe will entrance you. While, at the same time, his diverse sense of sound leads to a wide range of subtle indie gems. Take a listen.

Other Bands Worth Checking Out: Vicious Vicious, Tapes 'n Tapes, White Light Riot, Joey Ryan & The Inks, A Night In The Box, The Hopefuls, Beth Orton, Bella Ruse, Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Dosh, The Pines, Peter Wolf Crier, Cloud Cult, The Suburbs, The Alarmists, No Bird Sing, Chris Koza, Solid Gold, and I'm sure there are many more that I missed.

Hope you enjoyed the first installment, thanks for listening, and if you have any suggestions of bands/songs you'd like to hear from your hometown hit me up!

Paz,

D

Album Review//Rogue Wave's Permalight

Its the 2nd day of March, 2010 YEARS AFTER CHRIST, I awake at 8 a.m. only to find a buddy ready to talk about what he quoted as "THAT album" on Facebook's poor excuse of a chat machine, yes Facebook Chat. Being unaware of the date, I continued to find out what album was being mentioned. Low and behold, it is THAT day. This highly anticipated (to say the least) album, Permalight, has dropped and I couldn't be more excited to spend my day listening to my favorite band, Rogue Wave's, new album. This is bigger than Christmas ya'll.

This Cali-born band has released three albums prior to Permalight, for each a heavy hitter of its own. To say that they had big shoes to fill is a understatement. With the single, "Solitary Gun" I could tell Rogue Wave wanted to add an upbeat feel (I completely refuse to say pop like everyone else out there) to the album, but I could see how this was going to be a great change.

Anyways, I've bull-shitted enough, time for the review. Rogue Wave did add that upbeat feel, and it was one hell of an upbeat feel. When listening to "Good Morning (The Future)" , "Solitary Gun", and "You Have Boarded" one that has experienced Rogue's previous albums can tell there is a special something added. These songs are going to make you cut the rug. However, at the same time, I can't lie. The added synth has me on the fence. For how catchy these songs are, for how many times I've been caught with them in my head, I keep thinking of "Asleep At Heaven's Gate" and the natural drum beat. When further listening to Permalight's more upbeat tracks I miss Mr. Schwartz's sweet, consistent voice beautifully followed by that unbelievably distinct, heavy-hearted acoustic guitar. Fear not, Rogue Wave is still here, making unbelievable jams, but I wouldn't say this is their best.

You can still enjoy their roots in the a few jams such as "I'll Never Leave You" and "We Will Make A Song Destroy". These tracks permeate the consistency we know and love, along with the soothing feel Rogue never fails to add, all summed up with the new feel.

Just to reiterate, don't be confused with the criticism. Permalight is a change. Simply, take it as that. This album is in my car and will continue to be for quite some time. The tracks with that 'new feel' are some of my favorites, especially "Good Morning". It's embedded in us music loving fools to always want, and expect the next album to be better, but the same as the last (read that twice). It doesn't always work that way. A beautiful band, making beautiful music is still among us.

This past week my friends, Rogue Wave, delivered a more than a generous serving of music that isn't bad, and that is all we here at MTIB are looking for. So thank you Rogue. Also enjoy the live acoustic versions of these tracks compliments of Relix.

Later Skater,

XOXO

Donnie Featha

Key Tracks: Solitary Gun, Good Morning (The Future)

Concert Review: Free Energy @ 7th St. Entry

It is Wednesday night and as I look down at my cell phone its digital clock reads 10:21 pm. In my company are Joseph Kingston, Johnny Mac, Donnie Featha', and the one and only Veloci-Manther (long story). Our shins all touching the front edge of the stage and at least a hundred hipsters at our backs, we wait eagerly for the first power chords to fly out of the amplifiers. Free Energy stands on the stage lit by blue and red lights and the rhythm guitarist reaches down to shake Joey's hand and asks, "you ready to do this?" The answer, we mutually agree, is "yes."

Our excitement swells as the drummer and his epic 'stache finally settle behind the kit. The band all look at eachother, nod, and out blasts the first notes of "Hope Child." Raw energy and passion is the only word that can truly capture what happens thereafter. The lead singer and his retro Nikes dance around the stage as the band plays a brand new b-side (listed on the setlist as, "C'mon Let's Dance"). It sounds like a less-polished version of a Rooney song, which may sound like a bad thing but I assure you it most certainly is not.

Next in the set, resembling the more pallatable Ramones' singles, is "Bang Pop". By far the best song of those that I had not heard prior to the concert. With its catchy chorus, most of the crowd is yelling, "Bang, Bang, Pop, Pop," along with the band by the end.

Once "Dream City", "Something In Common", and "Free Energy" roll around, everyone in the small, intimate venue is rocking out, and I mean ROCKING out. Of the three,"Something In Common" was by far the most enjoyable song of the set. Not a soul in the audience can resist the thumping bass riff when the song starts. The girl to our left is losing her mind. What her body is doing, we really are not sure, but clearly she is enjoying herself, and we can't blame her.

The band raps the show up with an extended version of "Bad Stuff", and the show is over, the show that I never wanted to finish has come to a close. I turn to my right and Johnny Mac has got a huge grin on his face. "Amazing," he says, and I agree. If you ever have the chance, see Free Energy. Good guys, great jams.

-Chuck

Cassette #015 - No Vox

(INSTRUMENTAL)

PLAYLIST:

1. "Vessel"//Jon Hopkins

2. "Reset"//Mute Math

3. "Yeah (Pretentious Version)"//LCD Soundsystem

4. "Postcards From Faraway"//Coldplay

5. "Your Hand In Mine (Friday Night Lights Cut)"//Explosions In The Sky

6. "Kensington Blues"//Jack Rose

7. "Untitled (Samskeyti)"//Sigur Rós

8. "Comptine d'Un Autre Été"//Yann Tiersen

9. "Airtap!"//Erik Mongrain

10. "Ocean"//John Butler

11. "Gettysburg"//Ratatat

12. "Sunshine And Clouds (And Everything Proud)//Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

13. "Love Like Sunset Part I"//Phoenix

14. "La Femme D'Argent"//Air

(DOWNLOAD @ LINK BELOW)
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(DOWNLOAD @ LINK ABOVE)

-MUSIC THAT ISN'T BAD STAFF (BEING CLEVER/LAZY)-

Wiki Wiki Wednesday//013

Oh hey music fans. Another Wednesday has come around and you know what that means: it's the 4th day of the week! Also, I've got another sweet remix that's a sure ear-pleaser and for the second week in a row, I'm keeping my focus on the stars. Ellie Goulding is an English, singer-songwriter and guitar player who is on her way. Her first ever album, Lights, was released just two days ago and the single "Starry Eyed," the feature for today's remix, has already reached the top 10 in the UK charts. The mastermind behind the remix is Russ Chimes. Producing tracks for artists such as Chromeo, Chimes is also someone to keep an eye on. My advice, try not to listen to this while driving, it may cause you to speed. Happy Wednesday.

(DOWNLOAD @ LINK BELOW)

"Starry Eyed (Russ Chimes Remix)"/Ellie Goulding

K, Bye,

Joseph Kingston

Up and Comers: Bella Ruse

Folk music will always have a warm spot in my heart. Music from Minneapolis, MN will always have a warm spot in my heart. When you put the two together you get heartburn! Ok not really but you do get this week's up and comer, Bella Ruse.

Bella Ruse is a dynamic indie folk duo comprised of Kay Gillette and Joseph Barker, who creates magically delicious music. Don't believe me? Give the song below, "Dark Horse," a listen. If it is has got you feeling enthusiastic about Bella Ruse, you should head over to their website, or mySpace. If your further exploration has got you even more enthusiastic (enthusiasticker) about this band, which it no doubt will, then look forward to a full-length LP 'cause they are working on one. Yup.

"Dark Horse"/Bella Ruse/Bella Ruse - EP

There is no sign-off that could be as awkwardly written as this post,

-Chuck Ryan

Super Special Song of the Week//013

Oh Canada, the country that brought us such wonderful things as pictionary, washing machines, and the antigravity suit has now given us another awesome gift... a song titled "World Sick." This nearly 7 minute long experience twists, turns, dips, and dives all over the musical spectrum creating a dramatic and almost blissful feel which leaves you continually wanting more.

Based out of Canada, Broken Social Scene has been creating music for fans all over the globe since 1999. Although they have not released an album since 2005, May 4, 2010 marks the date of their album release titled Forgiveness Rock Record. This album is sure to be stupendous so check it out when it hits stores near you. In the meantime listen to the song below and enjoy.

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE'S MYSPACE

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE'S OFFICIAL SITE

(DOWNLOAD @ LINK BELOW)

"World Sick"/Broken Social Scene/Forgiveness Rock Record

One Love,

Johnny Mac