Blog Director

Today we’re not looking at the tennis player (that would be an odd choice for a music blog, huh?) but rather, the other James Blake: a 22-year-old British producer and DJ, whose recent foray into the world of songwriting has been widely acclaimed by tastemakers such as Pitchfork and BBC Radio. After teasing his fans with several EPs over the last year, James finally graced us with his debut LP on February 8. It may be cliché to sing his praises considering all the hype surrounding him online, but I believe James Blake truly deserves it.

Wild Nothing is the one man project of Virgina-based musician, Jack Tatum. Golden Haze is the EP follow up to his debut album, Gemini. Strongly influenced by 1980s UK bands like Joy Division and the Smiths, Golden Haze is packed full of mid-tempo, layered indie-pop. Tatum expertly weaves delicate guitar and synth lines together over bouncy bass and drum parts. Tatum crafts clean, crisp guitar-pop.

Congratulations to Smith Westerns for having the top album last week at KSPC! Dye It Blonde is the sophomore album put out by these Chicago indie rockers, and us DJs here can’t get enough of it! Tune in to 88.7FM or listen online at KSPC.org to hear some and check out the rest of our top 30 after the jump.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I know it’s almost the end of the day, but us blogstars down here in the KSPC basement decided to throw together a little collection of tunes for everyone to carry you through the holiday! After much deliberation, we have each chosen a lovely track to share!

Sometimes I wish I were Aladdin. My reasons for this are numerous: his partner in crime is a monkey, he can pull of harem pants with a greater ease than MC Hammer, and his primary mode of transportation is a magic carpet. But beyond those reasons, I really wish I were Aladdin so that I could be granted one wish. And if I could make any wish tonight, it would be for Anna Walton and Emi Meyer to be famous.

I’ve been a loyal servant to Say Hi To Your Mom since I got Numbers & Mumbles for Christmas when I was a 7th grader. I remember spinning that album for about months straight, I remember my shock and awe at the shortening of their name (now Say Hi), I remember anticipating their adorable album art… I also remember shelving the band in my mind as a transitional indie band. I look back on times when I would consider Say Hi as juvenile as … Bright Eyes (Disclaimer: I never liked Bright Eyes. Disclaimer 2: No offence.) When I found out about this new Say Hi release (via an episode of Gossip Girl of all places) I decided I ought to give it a chance, for old times’ sake.

Hexadecagon by The Octopus Project is KSPC’s top album of the week for the 2nd time! Check out our review of the album from October and see the rest of our Top 30 after the jump!

In his latest album, Small Craft on a Milk Sea, famed producer and ambient-music pioneer Brian Eno doesn’t necessarily knock one out of the park with waves of pure innovation, to horribly mix metaphors, but he crafts an intriguing and listenable soundscape that is inclined toward drifting sound but includes a couple more active songs.

Last night Deerhoof murdered at the Echoplex.

I’ve never seen the band perform live before, so I didn’t know what to expect as three rock-band-lookin’ dudes and the petite, eccentric Satomi took the stage. A quick scan revealed a twelve string and a baby-sized guitar (what do I know), a good amount of sparkly eye makeup, and a drum set stage left, even with the other bandmates. It was a sort of bizarre arrangement, but would later make sense as the four musicians played back and forth with one another, not missing a beat.

We bloggers down here at KSPC have compiled a very special list for everyone this holiday season. After much deliberation, we have created a top ten KSPC-friendly (small labels, sometimes local, etc) albums from 2010! All of these records are fabulous, so tune in to KSPC 88.7fm or listen online to hear some, or go check out these bands on their websites, myspaces, bandcamps, etc!

Dark Light, the latest musical offering from the immensely talented Carolyn “Cubby” Berk’s Lovers, covers a wide range of feelings in a creative and revealing way. Whether you want to jump happily around on your bed and sing along (see: “Barnacle”), or you’re more in the mood for brooding over significant others on a lonely street corner (“No Regrets”), you’ll find something to float your emotional boat here. Even though most of the lyrics nod to the latter, more sobering situation, in the end, Dark Light shines optimistically thanks to its well-constructed melodies and strong backing beats.

*Slightly humorous Troubadour slipup*

Last night at the Miniature Tigers/ Freelance Whales show at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, I learned three very important things. 1) I want to marry a dapper, adorable indie rocker; 2) It is indeed possible to die of happiness (and I can say that from experience, since I died of happiness at least 5 times last night); And 3) There’s nothing quite like the magic of an intimate underground concert. While I’ve been to my fair share of amazing concerts over the years, last night’s show might take the cake as the best one yet.

Some things are pretty fun (for example, trampolines, high fives and not being around Mel Gibson) and some things are so much fun that your brain explodes into a rainbow and soars over a mountain made of gum drops directly into the sun. The show I attended at Scripp’s the Motely pushed dangerously close to brain exploding.

The totally lovable female trio Lovers have this week’s top album at KSPC! Dark Light is a sweet, poppy, catchy, dancey, and all-over infectious album! Hailing from Portland, Oregon, these ladies are super cool, and they played a show here at The Motley last month! Tune in to KSPC 88.7FM to hear more!

Read more after the jump for the rest of our top 30.

Last Friday the concert I’ve been organizing for over a month took place, featuring the Denver-based group Tennis and LA-local Kisses. It was one of the most stressful days of my life. I kept thinking of all the terrible scenarios that could occur that would turn the night into one hella-mediocre event that students would be all “eh” about. Fortunately, shit came together last minute and I got to have that feeling when everyone is happy for you and patting you on the back and you’re listening to sweet jams with everyone you like and people are happy, because of something you did. I mean, I pretty much just made up “that feeling”… but it happened, and it felt like my birthday!