Sonic Opus: Recent Episodes
Kieran Newton, Dakota Lopez, and Anthony Gunsch
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NPR truly is the best when it comes to giving us free listens to new music. In fact, here's a first listen to the new Yacht release 'Shangri-La.'
Lil Wayne has released a song that was created to be a sequel to the Eminem song "Stan." It's decidedly a much more beautiful and benevolent song than the Eminem song, seeing as how nobody kills themselves at the end, but is rapped in the form of a letter he writes to a girl named Anne. Great song. Free song. This will NOT be included in Tha Carter IV, so get it now.
Link
Last week gave us the debut of one of my new favorite bands. I've been tracking them for a while, but this album really stuck the nail on the head. You should reaaally check this badboy out. It's full of sweet indie melodies that both rock and swoon and you're left with a feeling of happiness, even on the saddest rhymes. It's really a great listen.
Cults - Cults: CD, Vinyl
After a long wait, and the beginning of an indefinite hiatus from two of our members (Dakota and Anthony) due to scheduling and other life issues, Kieran Newton is back for the 8th episode of Sonic Opus. We're happy with the recording, and we hope you enjoy the podcast.
Sonic Opus #8
If you enjoyed the intro to Sonic Opus #7, you may want to hear the full remix. Completely free, with no charge whatsoever, here is Pure Imaginationality, with samplings from artists like, Best Coast, Gene Wilder, Avey Tare, Atlas Sound, AIR, and Boards of Canada. ENNNjoy.Pure Imaginationality
Episode 7 of our Sonic Opus podcast, is waiting for you to listen to it. What could you possibly be waiting for?
Sonic Opus #7 (Be sure to 'Right Click' and 'Save As...' if you'd like to download the track and put it on your iPod. If you have trouble uploading the file onto your iTunes library, be sure to rename the file '09SonicOpus7.m4a' instead of '09SonicOpus7.m4a.mp3') or subscribe on iTunes and make your life incredibly less difficult!
Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit: CD (highly recommended)The Midnight Juggernauts - The Crystal Axis (+ Surplus Maximus EP): CD (highly recommended)
If you liked this podcast and wish to help us out, donate to our cause and keep this podcast going!
Our second 'weeklet' is all about the two Smashing Pumpkins songs 1979 and Perfect, and it's our most unedited piece yet. Also, it's a cool look behind the scenes as to how we do all the magic. Completely unedited.
Sonic Opus #6.1 - Weeklet (Be sure to 'Right Click' and 'Save As...' if you'd like to download the track and put it on your iPod. If you have trouble uploading the file onto your iTunes library, be sure to rename the file '08SonicOpus6.1-weeklet.m4a' instead of '08SonicOpus6.1-weeklet.m4a.mp3') or subscribe on iTunes and make your life incredibly less difficult!
The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness: CD (classic)
The Smashing Pumpkins - Adore: CD, Vinyl (classic)
If you liked this podcast and wish to help us out, donate to our cause and keep this podcast going!
Our sixth episode begins a new chapter in the way we review music: by record labels. We hope you enjoy the few changes to the best of your tolerance!
Sonic Opus #6 (Be sure to 'Right Click' and 'Save As...' if you'd like to download the track and put it on your iPod. If you have trouble uploading the file onto your iTunes library, be sure to rename the file '05SonicOpus5.m4a' instead of '05SonicOpus5.m4a.mp3') or subscribe on iTunes and make your life incredibly less difficult!
Deadmau5 - 4x4=12: CD, Vinyl
Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People [EP]: CD, Vinyl
If you liked this podcast and wish to help us out, donate to our cause and keep this podcast going!
We've decided to do something a little different this week, by adding a special mini episode. It's fun, exciting, funny, and comes with a free guest speaker.
Sonic Opus #5.1 - Weeklet (Be sure to 'Right Click' and 'Save As...' if you'd like to download the track and put it on your iPod. If you have trouble uploading the file onto your iTunes library, be sure to rename the file '06SonicOpus5.1-Weeklet.m4a' instead of '06SonicOpus5.1-Weeklet.m4a.mp3') or subscribe on iTunes and make your life incredibly less difficult!
Daft Punk - Tron: Legacy: CD
If you liked this podcast and wish to help us out, donate to our cause and keep this podcast going! (But only if you really like us, or else we won't appreciate it in the slightest).
Our fifth episode explores a few possibilities we can choose to take in future episodes to come. We hope you enjoy the few changes to the best of your tolerance!
Sonic Opus 5 (Be sure to 'Right Click' and 'Save As...' if you'd like to download the track and put it on your iPod. If you have trouble uploading the file onto your iTunes library, be sure to rename the file '05SonicOpus5.m4a' instead of '05SonicOpus5.m4a.mp3') or subscribe on iTunes and make your life incredibly less difficult!
Black Eyed Peas - The Beginning: CD, Vinyl (highly recommended)
Forest Swords - Dagger Paths: (to our chagrin) MP3 (interesting)
Victoire - Cathedral City: CD (highly recommended)
Robyn - Body Talk: CD (highly recommended)
The Beatles - Help!: CD, Vinyl (classic)
The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour: CD, Vinyl (classic)
Feist - The Reminder: CD, Vinyl (classic)
Passion Pit - Manners: CD, Vinyl (highly recommended)
If you liked this podcast and wish to help us out, donate to our cause and keep this podcast going!
Get ready to delve into another great week full of new sounds with the fourth episode of our newly established podcast, Sonic Opus.
Sonic Opus #4(Be sure to 'Right Click' and 'Save As...' if you'd like to download the track and put it on your iPod. If you have trouble uploading the file onto your iTunes library, be sure to rename the file '04SonicOpus4.m4a' instead of '04SonicOpus4.m4a.mp3') or subscribe on iTunes!
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: CD, Vinyl (eh)
Röyksopp - Senior: CD (recommended)
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: CD, Vinyl (highly recommended)
Death Cab for Cutie - Plans: CD, Vinyl (classic)
Josh Rouse - Nashville: CD (classic)
Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream: CD (highly recommended)
If you liked this podcast and wish to help us out, donate to our cause and keep this podcast going!
Get ready to delve into another great week full of new sounds with the third episode of our newly established podcast, Sonic Opus.
Sonic Opus #3
(Be sure to 'Right Click' and 'Save As...' if you'd like to download the track and put it on your iPod. If you have trouble uploading the file onto your iTunes library, be sure to rename the file 'SonicOpus3.m4a' instead of 'SonicOpus3.m4a.mp3')
Below are some albums we discuss and links to where you can order them online:
Bombay Bicycle Club - Flaws: CD, Vinyl
Stereolab - Not Music: CD
Girls - Broken Dreams Club EP: CD
The Killers - Hot Fuss: CD, Vinyl
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular: CD, Vinyl
Be sure to check us out on iTunes as well!
It's up! The second episode of Sonic Opus! We're very excited to share our views and opinions on new music and old alike with everyone, so please listen in and let us know what you think.
Sonic Opus #2
(Be sure to 'Right Click' and 'Save As...' if you'd like to download the track and put it on your iPod. If you have trouble uploading the file onto your iTunes library, be sure to rename the file '02SonicOpus2.m4a' instead of '02SonicOpus2.m4a.mp3')
Below are some albums we discuss and links to where you can order them online:
The Tallest Man on Earth - Sometime the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird [EP]: Vinyl (highly recommended)
Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager: CD, Vinyl (highly recommended)
Weekend - Sports: CD, Vinyl (interesting)
Lady GaGa - The Fame Monster: CD (highly recommended)
Radiohead - OK Computer: CD, Vinyl (classic)
Jethro Tull - Minstrel in the Gallery: CD, Vinyl (classic)
The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love: CD, Vinyl (highly recommended)
At long last, our very first episode for the Sonic Opus podcast is free to listen to live! It's a little (very) long, but we broke it up into chapters for your listening experience and enjoyment. We go through a little history of music, reviews, a song analysis, and then talk about albums that helped shape who we are today.
Sonic Opus #1
(Be sure to 'Right Click' and 'Save As...' if you'd like to download the track and put it on your iPod. If you have trouble uploading the file onto your iTunes library, be sure to rename the file 'SonicOpus1.m4a' instead of 'SonicOpus1.m4a.mp3')
Below are some albums we discuss and links to where you can order them online:
Dead Can Dance - Aion: CD (classic)
Matt & Kim - Sidewalks: CD (highly recommended)
Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown: CD, Vinyl (eh)
Brian Eno - Strange Craft on a Milk Sea: CD (interesting)
Gorillaz - Demon Days: CD (highly recommended)
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots: CD, Vinyl (classic)
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend: CD, Vinyl (highly recommended)
Nirvana - In Utero: CD, Vinyl (classic)
That's it. I'm starting this blogalog back up. I miss it. And yeah, I already have another blog, but what the heck. The more the merrier! Don't be surprised if I start another! So ha!
Anyway, a friend of mine and I are thinking about starting up a podcast on music discussion. It excited me, so I felt that this would be a great time to return to Sonic Opus. Here I am. This friend of mine, let's call him Kieran (because that's his name), is the actual brainchild of the podcast, but I gave him the idea, so he wants to work on it with me.
As far as what this podcast will be entitled or how often we'll produce episodes, I can't be certain. But it should be fun.
(Psychedelic Rock)MGMT has at last released a new song for us to indulge in. Off their new album, Congratulations, "Flash Delirium," is a wild new track, that isn't too far off from their last release, Metanoia. It still has that poppy bliss, and maintains that psychelic Love we've come to expect and love from any MGMT song. Personally, MGMT is one of my favorite new bands and this track takes a few listens to soke in, but I'm definitely happy with it, and cannot wait any longer for Congratulations, which is due for release next month on the 13th. Hopefully I can catch them in concert before tickets become obsolete. I've seen them before, but I want to see them in a closed venue. Download the free MP3 of Flash Delirium on the band's website.
(Indie Rock)Giving Up the Gun appears on Vampire Weekend's second album, Contra. Contra is easily one of the best releases of 2010, so far. Vampire Weekend burst onto the scene in 2008 with their eponymous first release, which melded the worlds of Ivy League "preppyness" with their distinct love for world beats/African rhythm. This style is carried over nicely on Contra, but, unfortunately, is not shown very well on Giving Up the Gun. I personally didn't like this song on the album. It was simply... too simple. Too regular. Nothing about makes it appealing to me, whereas the rest of the album is unbelievable.The video for Giving Up the Gun is entertaining, however. This song has nothing to do with tennis, but that's all that is conveyed in the video. With actors and artists such as RZA, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lil Jon, and Joe Jonas, it becomes more comedic than meaningful. I feel it's worth a view.Buy Contra on CD: Contra or vinyl: Contra
(Indie Rock, Baroque Pop)Owen Pallett is a one man genius. I love his work. Heartland is his latest release, and the first under his own name. Prior records were released under the name Final Fantasy, based off the popular Japanese video game series (which is what originally drew me to his work. With Heartland he used a lot of violin arrangements melded together through digital bleeps, and carried along with his voice. Definitely a nice album for anyone interested in softer music.Probably the most popular song on the album, Lewis Takes Off His Shirt, is the first track to get it's own music video. Personally, I didn't find the video that entertaining. It was just off in my opinion. Symbolism? Maybe? Idk, there is a lot of hidden themes it was trying to convey. Orange soda, stabbing yourself, hockey mask, blowing dust, stacking soap... Anyway, check it out. Great song.If you like Owen Pallett, or Final Fantasy, get the CD: Heartland or LP: Heartland (2 LP)
(Indie Rock, Freak Folk)I had friends and family over this past weekend and it's been a great time; for me, and for them. Like I've mentioned, we went record shopping and such. This particular album, though, was just introduced to me. It is Local Natives debut album, Gorilla Manor. If it wasn't introduced to me by one of my friends, I probably would have let this album float down the stream and into the ocean of unheard items I will never listen to. But it was, and I am oh so grateful for it. I fell in love immediately. The tunes, different as they are (freak folk style), melt effortlessly into your mind, and you'll find that you'll be humming them in your head at the most mundane of times, wishing they were playing. This is an instant indie classic, for all (cultured) audiences out there, and any occasion, be it on the road, at a party, or to put you to sleep. It's amazing. As bands from the West Coast go, I usually don't find myself too amused by artists coming out of the Los Angeles region too often, but this is most certainly an exception. I just find that many LA bands copy each others sound way too often and there's no originality, whereas I believe most of the good indie/underground scenes come out of the East Coast area. I am very glad to have given this a listen. Some of the few highlights you'll find are tracks 1, 2, 4, and 5: Wide Eyes, Airplanes, World News, Shape Shifter. Not that the rest of the album isn't highlightable, because it ALL is. It's a wonderful album, but these few songs just catch me by surprise and take me to that fortress of solitude where I can ponder EVERYTHING. World News in particular is my favorite on the record. It feels, to me, like their take on A Day in the Life. Completely different song, but it gives you a glimpse of how they as people perceive the world, just as the Beatles did in their song. It is equally as depressing and reminiscent as it is playful and new. Genius. The whole thing. 9.5/10
Take a listen to World News, and tell me it isn't a beautiful thing:
World News - Local NativesBuy CD: Gorilla Manor Buy Vinyl: Gorilla Manor (For all you daring souls switching back to it)
(Minimal Techno)Hey all. I just realized that Pantha du Prince and Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) releaseda music video to their single Stick to My Side. It's not the greatest video. In fact I was a little disappointed, but it's not bad either. It's just... really weird. But maybe all you weirdo's out there will like it a little more. It's a great song by Pantha du Prince, featuring Panda Bear (of Animal Collective), and the video actually does capture the essence that the song is trying to convey (I think...). Anywho. There is a bigfoot-esque character in here that seems to be like friends to this human and the human lets him stay in his house. And later he runs out and finds another monster thing and hugs it incredibly awkwardly. That sums up the video... in the snow.Support Pantha du Prince (and Noah Lennox). Buy the CD: Black Noiseor buy the vinyl: Black Noise
As I posted yesterday, I went into Manhattan yesterday looking for a new record store with a friend who came up from Miami to visit. We decided on a small place on 5th and 18th called Academy Records, and that wasn't what I expected. It was ALL classical music; LP and/or CD. Luckily, they had a neighboring store on 12th street, called Academy LP. THAT was a record store. Check it out sometime. Anywho, long story short. I did not end up buying too much. I want to wait till Record Store Day to spend some real cash on any vinyl. I ended up getting the latest Joanna Newsom triple LP, Have One on Me, the latest Via Audio album (on CD), Animalore, and the classic 1982 LP by Roxy Music, Avalon.
I TOLD you how much I LOVE the latest Joanna Newsom album, in my first review.
Via Audio's latest release wasn't given the greatest review on Pitchfork, but I reeeeaaally liked the album artwork and it was a $5 CD, so no loss. I'll give it a review in a few.
And last, but not least, Roxy Music's Avalon. Absolute classic, and I considered myself lucky to find an original printing of the record from 1982. The music is priceless, and I was happy to spend an easy $8 on it. I'll most certainly review this Sonic Opus for you all. It's a must have in any collection.
(Art Rock, New Wave)As I mentioned in an earlier post, I bought myself a copy of Roxy Music's Avalon the other day on vinyl, in the city. It's a classic example of New Wave at it's prime, being released in mid-1982. It's considered in Rolling Stone magazine's top 500 albums of all time, which is an unbelievable honor. After buying this gem, I took a gander at their Wikipedia page and found that this was actually their eighth and final studio album. It's unusual for a band to end on a classic LP, and this was certainly their magnum opus (great piece). The artwork is great to look at on vinyl, also, with an almost viking-esque figure looking over the clouds, holding a hawk on his arm. This picture set the mood for the listen remarkably, because it put you into that fictional "Avalon."
Each song, standing alone, is a sweet listen and trip back into the 80s. You feel the love that goes into each piece and all those eighties synths and textures, blended with the jazz ensemble leave you feeling... happy. The title song, More Than This, was very popular upon it's original release and is always featured on movie soundtracks and such. After your first listen, you'll be belting this tune out so hard... It's funny. Beautiful album in general. 9.5/10. You NEED this.
More Than This - Roxy Music
Buy CD: Avalon
I'm in the mood for some record shopping. What better place to go than NYC? None. I'll tell you about my endeavors later.
(Electronic Rock, Psychedelic Pop, Indie Pop)This album took me by surprise. I was still recovering from how good Pantha du Prince's Black Noise was, when this crept into my ears, ever so jumpily. Phantogram's debut album is an instant classic psych pop record. Reminiscent of MGMT's phenomenal debut, Oracular Spectacular, Eyelid Movies truly lives up to the genre's finest. They're self proclaimed "street beat, psych pop" genre fits their sound ever so sweetly, with heavy synth-padding and dance-inspiring beats. The first time I listened to their Running from the Cops single, a few weeks back, I told myself these guys really had something going for them, and the enormity of this record shows their overall skill as musicians, and deserve a warm welcoming into our hearts. The eighth track on the album, Bloody Palms, is just indescribably awesome. There is no way you can play that song in the car without turning the stereo up after hearing that rhythm. This album truly is a sonic opus, and I loved every minute of it's eccentricity. 8.9/10Take a listen to Bloody Palms:Bloody Palms - Phantogram
Buy CD: Eyelid Movies Buy Vinyl: Eyelid Movies (For those bold souls switching back to record players)
