Due Diligence – Vol I {11/5/09} /// DEBUT!!

We live in a world with a lot of musical debate and discourse. Too much, even. My aim with TBE is to be like good pair of Bose headphones and filter out that static, bringing you only the best sounds. With that said, I come across a lot of tracks that are highly anticipated, or getting hyped out the ass, but in the end are just not very good? You should know they exists but probably don’t want them diluting the fountain of magical regular posts, right? What am I supposed to do? Well, like any good maniacal despot, I take off my pants, crack a few brews, and get to scheming. My result may be less intimidating than Kim Jong Il’s inner thigh, but I think you will find it more palatable. Welcome to a feature that until seconds ago was titled “Duty VS. Doodie” (I’m not ruling it out) and will periodically recap recent hype-nuggets, for whatever they are worth. Like Kim Jong* said after standing up and grabbing a fresh sixer, “Let’s do this bitch!”

♫ Girls – Lust For Life – If you have managed to make it this far without having this band shoved down your throat then congrats. I actually like this song (and the singer’s crazy backstory) but the rest I’ve heard is too downer and not that interesting to me.

♫ Chiddy Bang – All Things Go – My love affair with Chiddy Bang follows many lines of your typical naïve relationship. We’ve passed through the blissful attraction phase, through the confusion and frustration era, back through the glimpse-of-what-we-fell-for week, and now have solidly entered the welling resentment and distaste part. I’ve already started flirting with other hip hop groups at the bar. (They have a new mixtape out here)

♫ N.E.R.D. – Soldier (Feat. Santigold) – We love our Santigold, we love our N.E.R.D., and we love our soldiers, but we just don’t love this song. Like it? Sure. I dig the energy and ska-punk vibe but I expected more.

♫ Frightened Rabbit – Swim Until You Can’t See Land – It’s good, sure, but’s it’s no “Keep Yourself Warm” and that is the close-minded standard I am holding them to.

♫ Lil Wayne – Run This Town – Yes Weezy, you run this town, but you are still going to jail. And if this is your send off then I’m not gonna miss you much. There is more on a new mixtape but I can’t be bothered.

♫ Weezer Feat. Lil Wayne – Can’t Stop Partying – Speaking of missing you, we have been missing Weezer for a decade. Throwing a audibly stoned Weezy on the track aint changing that. Even my air-guitaring appearance in last year’s “Troublemaker” video  didn’t get that track more that 3 listens in my iTunes. This slop fest will get less. (Although I am kinda down with first single “I Want You To.”)

♫ Vampire Weekend – Horchata – I love Horchata & I love VW (and VWs) but this is luke warm rice-drink at best. 2 years and this is what you came up with. The slightly annoying “Blake’s Got A New Face” had more charm than this.

♫ “Jesus Christ.” (the indie band) – Is This Really What You Want? – Carles and his questionably-related Hipster Runoff cohort, Tao Lin, collaborate on a perfectly titled track to parody the glo-fi baloney that has been frying the blogs all summer. And it’s not half bad!

♫ Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM – The actress tries goes for try 3 at making an album, this time with Beck at the helm. Pitchfork, among others, went moist over it but to me this just doesn’t have listenability.

♫ Chauffeur – Soles of Fire – A Gucci sponsored supergroup of Mark Ronson, Theophilus London and Sam Sparro? Yes please! Music that sounds like this? Fuck no. Life is full of contradictions.

♫ LCD Soundsystem – Bye Bye Bayou – We waited 2 and half years and you show up with this? I don’t care that it’s a cover, I care that it’s boring as hell AND expects me to stay bored for seven minutes.

~~~

This one was a bit long and some tracks not so oven-fresh but future installments wont be months in the making. Ya dig? So, you feeling this feature? Or did you just dip through via HypeM to jack an mp3 before you go punch a kitten? Either way, take a second and let me knowing if I’m doing right by you. I’m a little more open to feedback than my boy Kim Jong.

* Epic photo was the second result after google-image searching “leader” on a whim. Awesome.

Written by: Brandon on November 5, 2009.

Tagged as: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Chauffeur, chiddy bang, frightened rabbit, Girls, Hipster Runoff, Jesus Christ, LCD Soundsystem, Lil Wayne, N.E.R.D., Tao Lin, vampire weekend, Weezer