Lakeshore's Heat Wave Playlist

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Lakeshore’s Heat Wave Playlist:

Its time for barbeques, kicking it outside, and trying to put out that grease fire that started cause you didn’t clean the grill.  We only have a few short months to enjoy the chance to be outside, so we have made a summertime companion of 8 songs for you to make any gathering into a real party.  So put on your flip flops, stop watching Netflix and move your sound system towards the windows cause here is Lakeshore’s Heat Wave Playlist.

1. Tegan and Sarah – A Little Bit Closer:  This little gem sparkles with fuzzy synthesizers, huge drums and choruses that would make Katy Perry blush.  With the help of Greg Kurstin (Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Lilly Allen, The Shins) bubblegum pop makes a triumphant return from an unlikely place.  Even the most stoic critics  would be hard pressed to not crack a smile at the larger than life melodies.  You can thank Tegan and/or Sarah if they ever show up at that late night pool-side dance party you sent them 12 invitations to.

2. Daft Punk – Get Lucky:  Maybe the catchiest song of the year, Daft Punk is back and better than ever.  The duo put together the record “Random Access Memories” (released in May 2013) and say it is heavily influenced by the sounds of the 1970’s and 80’s. "Get Lucky" is the second song on the album to feature Pharrell, who clarified that the title phrase does not simply refer to a sexual act, but to achieving chemistry with someone else. When he had first heard the song, Pharrell said it evoked the image of a "peachy color[ed]" sunrise on an exotic island.   Bottoms up Daft Punk.

3. LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk Is Playing At My House:  “Daft Punk is playing at my house…my house!”  James Murphy may have been fantasizing about a personal concert from the men with space helmets and vococders, but what he got was a well crafted song of preparation for a night of partying hard and paying off the neighbors.  “There's a freak out brewing in my house, my house.”  Here’s hoping there is a freak out brewing in your backyard and that LCD Soundsystem will show up at your house and you can write your own party preparation song.

4. Prince – Literally ANYTHING off Purple Rain:  Prince may be an enigma (rumored to have only granted interviews extremely infrequently on the rare occasions he did, he didn’t allow the use of a note pad or tape recorder) but why should he have to explain himself when he can MAKE you dance?!  Listening to Purple Rain all the way through on Vinyl was an experience I should have had years ago, and if you haven’t had the pleasure yet, get out that dusty receiver, wire up the ground lift, and put the needle down on Purple Rain.  Seriously, if any guests are too cool for Purple Rain, they aren’t cool enough to be drinking your beer.  Prince says “I would die 4 you!” Luckily he doesn’t have to, he just has to be in your record collection.

5. Phoenix – S.O.S In Bel Air:  On their fifth studio album Phoenix delivers.  It is European disco throwback, in the most positive sense. Feel good indie pop that makes you move,  so get that second wind, power down another PBR put on your sunglasses cause Phoenix sparkles on Bankrupt.

6. Bloc Party – Ares:  Feel like you could benefit from an army of 808’s in your backyard?  Put on Intimacy and immediately feel the raw power of sub bass.  Don’t worry, your neighbors won’t be mad, maybe that McDonalds commercial where the two dudes want to have band practice and pay off their neighbors with dollar menu items could work for you too.  If it doesn’t, or maybe that’s just not in the budget for them, get them a copy of this record to blast in their car when they’re stuck in traffic…They’ll thank you.

7. Vampire Weekend – Diane Young:  A mixture of Vampire Weekends own brand of quasi surf rock, old school guitar riffs, and new vocal treatment, Diane Young is immediately infectious and perfect for the drive to the beach for a midnight bonfire. “Baby, baby baby, baby, baby right on time.”

8. Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough:  The king of pop may have passed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t honor his memory with this gem off of Off The Wall.  The first song to be WRITTEN by Jackson it shows that he was more than just a performer, but a truly talented artist.  If you somehow missed out on this (I’m pointing at you children of the mid 90’s) then stop “tweeting”, “instagramming” and “socializing” on your phone, listen to this song with good friends and the bass cranked.  After that you can return to your interwebs.  The King is dead…Long live the King.

Be Prepared!! Buy Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob NOW! 

Foals - Holy Fire

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For a while, Foals was a band I was reluctant to listen to because of how much they had been talked up to me.  Whenever I listen to a record for the first time I want to go into it with very limited expectations so that I can form my own opinions about the experience.  I am lucky to be in a position where I can sit down and listen to an album from start to finish, reflect and let the album digest, then pop it on in the car and catch nuances or subtleties I missed the first time around. 

I finally got around to listening to Foals, Holy Fire, their 3^rd studio full length (released February 11^th 2013).  Holy Fire is filled with infectious Minus the Bear-ish guitar riffs and plenty of low grooving bass.  A sonic watercolor painting full of ambient textures layered underneath Yannis Philippakis’ smooth, rhythmic vocals, complete with big roomy drums that give the record an honest feel.

The songwriting is strong and the songs sound confident on their own and as a part of the whole record.  Sonically you can hear a touch of Fleet Foxes in the vocal tone, and the presentation of the lyrics.  The guitars sound fantastic, and have their own character.  It is clear a lot of time was spent making sure the layers were tasteful and with purpose. 

            “My Number” moves with delayed guitars that could make The Edge jealous, and hooks that put Foster the People to shame.  Rather than rely on gimmicks, these songs stand out as well thought out, well written, well played and well recorded.  Holy Fire is worth 50 minutes of your undivided attention. 

 Get your copy now!

Electric - Pet Shop Boys

As their 12^th studio album “Electric” hits US shelves today, it is hard to imagine the Pet Shop Boys not sounding current, since bands like the XX and Beach House sound suspiciously like Pet Shop Boy’s 1990 album “Behavior”.  The now 23 year old album has the wash of synthesizer pads, thick bass and staccato funk guitar riffs that one comes to associate with the (current) post new wave genre.  Even the choruses are doubled in the soaring falsetto that draws a comparison to bands like Passion Pit and Empire of the Sun.  So, why all the current comparisons?  Because Pet Shop Boy’s new album takes the band to a more current place where saw-tooth synths rip through the stratosphere and the noise oscillators are turned up to 11. The new hard-hitting production comes courtesy of Stuart Price (New Order, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Brandon Flowers, Gwen Stefani and his own solo projects) who shared the sonic reigns with Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe.  Not to say that the new production style detracts from The Pet Shop Boys signature sound.  At the core of the album, they are still the same band that released “West End Girl” and “It’s a Sin”, but with a touch more edge. Employing a variety of new sounds ranging from the now infamous frequency modulated overdriven bass (thanks a lot for ruining it for everyone, Skrillex), and the radio favorite synth-swoops into big choruses.  The band is none the worse off with its new sonic palette, if anything it shows a willingness to experiment and compete amongst a new generation.

“Electric” really puts the new sonic structure to work for the band, with the builds lasting just long enough to keep you interested, and enough give and take to not get boring.   A pleasant mix of what we’ve come to expect from Pet Shop Boys, and experimentation on the part of the band and the producer, its is clear that they aren’t fighting to stay relevant, rather just reminding everyone that they can do new wave, and they can do it well.  “Who will be the last to die for our mistake?” asks Tennant right before the melodic hook in the aptly named “Last to Die”.   Its safe to say they won’t be dying out soon, after almost 3 decades of making music, they can still experiment, and there is no mistake in taking chances.

*for a limited time get a free Pet Shop Boys Lithograph with purchase of Electric*
Buy your CD with free lithograph now

 

Light Heat - Light Heat

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In the wake of a recent explosion of “nu-folk” artists like the Lumineers and Mumford and Sons, it is easy to get swept away by the overwhelming volume of bands that have tried surfing that wave.   That being said, I felt a small spring of joy well up inside me when I listened to Light Heat’s new self-titled record.  Rather than join the ranks of bandwagon acts trying to capitalize on the latest trend, Light Heat does straight-up feel-good indie, and they do it well.  Reminiscent of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s 2005 (self-titled) release in terms of song structure, and sonically similar to Wilco’s “The Whole Love” and The Dodo’s “Black and White”, Light Heat takes you to a place where you can put the hood down on the convertible and cruise with no particular destination in mind…but that’s okay.  The destination doesn’t matter when cruising feels so awesome.

            Light Heat dispenses solid rhythms without sacrificing melodic stability, and even when singer Quentin Stoltzfus gets kind of quiet and Thom York-ish, the songs retain a sense of purpose, and make the larger parts stand out.  “Dance the Cosmos Light”, the album’s first track, immediately tells you with its wash of reverb-heavy guitars and subtle horn melodies “Don’t worry about where we’re going, cause its going to be pretty cool”.  There is a pseudo Beach Boys feel to the production, filled with organ arrangements, verb-y tacked pianos and plenty of telecaster jangle without feeling contrived. 

If you’re craving a summertime fling with songs to make us New Yorkers feel good about the few months of light and heat we have, Light Heat will be that summer love you don’t forget about, and visit when the air gets to cold.

Tricky False Idols

Our favorite mad-cap rapper from Bristol is back with False Idols! Finished with his recording obligations with Domino, Tricky sounds refreshingly relaxed and grounded. Two decades after the release of his breakout release, Maxinquaye, an album that skyrocketed the ripe 18-year-old into the limelight and the public eye, he takes issue with the concept of celebrity. Being that trip-hop has fallen in and out of fashion, Tricky's musical (and acting) career has seen extreme ups and downs, so he has first-hand experience with the trappings of fame. Former L.A. connections led to some misguided, obligatory team-ups, like working with the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Live's Ed Kowalczyk, for instance, so it's a relief to see him on a musical path where he is paired with artists who are cut from the same cloth. The most high-profile guest appearance involves the Antlers' Peter Silberman on a reworking of his indie band's song "Parenthesis," which updates the original by transforming the lush Radiohead soundscape into a stark beat and a Yeah Yeah Yeahs-styled guitar riff. It arguably improves on the original. However, the best songs on False Idols involve new vocal collaborators Francesca Belmonte, Fifi Rong, and Nneka Egbuna. Their seductive voices are reminiscent of Tricky's earlier work with Martine or Elizabeth Fraser, and when paired with beats that feel fresh in 2013, but are also based in the expected '90s Bristol dubby atmospherics and trip-hop beats, songs like "Is That Your Life," "If Only I Knew," and "Tribal Drums" stand up with his career highs. I'd say this album brings Tricky back on top of his game and this album is almost as good as the first three albums. Take a spin! Buy your copy of False Idols here.

Daft Punk--Random Access Memories

The moment of late spring has arrived--New Daft Punk!!!! And yes, it is worth the wait and worth owning!! Believe it or not, this time they have a full orchestra, a choir, and a host of bad ass modular synths ready...this is not a sample heavy album, it is an homage to all things analogue! Inspired by the AM-Radio, soft-rock, prog-pop, and disco eras of the late 70s into the early 80s, this album feels futuristic and retro at the same time. With luscious production and guest appearances from none other than Giorgio Moroder and Paul Williams, RAM has no shortage of surprises at how they make it work. We are meant to listen to RAM as a whole, a people did in the vinyl era, pre-walkmans and ipods. A particularly brilliant example is "Touch," where singer/songwriter Paul Williams conflates his work in Phantom of the Paradise and The Muppet Movie in the song's mystique, charm, and fragile yet unabashed emotions. Often, there's an almost gooey quality to the album; Daft Punk have never shied away from "uncool" influences or sentimentality, and both are on full display here. At first, it's hard to know what to make of all the fromage, but Random Access Memories reveals itself as the kind of grand, album rock statement that listeners of the '70s and '80s would have spent weeks or months dissecting and absorbing -- the ambition of Steely Dan, Alan Parsons, and Pink Floyd are as vital to the album as any of the duo's collaborators. For the casual Daft Punk fan, this album might be harder to love than "Get Lucky" hinted. After three listens, I feel it is a rewarding experience and I look forward to taking in the vinyl at home. Check out Giorgio Moroder talking about dance music and his work with Daft Punk! Buy your copy of the double 180 gm vinyl or CD here.

Little Boots--Nocturnes

Nocturnes is a sultry, slow burn of an album that finds the British electronic diva building upon the anthemic dance-oriented sound of her 2009 debut Hands. Having carved out a niche on the increasingly crowded dancefloor amongst a gaggle of similarly inclined acts like Ellie Goulding, La Roux, Robyn, and Lady Gaga with such cuts as "Stuck on Repeat," and "Earthquake," Victoria Hesketh aka Little Boots has found a more personal niche within the genre on Nocturnes. Subsequently, though still an infectious listen, Nocturnes is a surprisingly low-key affair. Tracks like "Strangers" and "Motorway," in which Little Boots fantasizes about jumping in her car and getting away from her troubles in a kind of road-trip catharsis, have an expansive, ambient quality that seems to reflect a more introspective mood. However, there are still enough vintage-influenced dance sounds and winky, glitter-mascara moments to appeal to even the most camp-oriented club kid. To these ends, the house-influenced "Every Night I Say a Prayer" brings to mind Blonde Ambition Tour-era Madonna, and "Broken Record," with its pulsing Italo-disco beat and church bell accents, sounds like an ABBA club hit produced by Giorgio Moroder. I have to say I like this album more than her prior efforts and it is an enjoyable listen. Turn it up! Check out my jam from the album, "Shake" Buy your copy of Nocturnes here.