Nu Rave Brain Wave

If my last mix was meant to augment yr sense of weird June gloom, then this one is definitely the antithesis of June gloom. Enjoy.

01 Bass Drum of Death – Young Pros (Daytrotter Session)
02 Ty Segall – Sad Fuzz (Live in Aisle Five)
03 Wavves – TV Luv Song
04 Bazooka – Shame Take My Brain
05 Dear Eloise – 城堡
06 Allah Las – Catamaran
07 The Fabulous St. Knicholas Cage – Bloody Beach Blanket
08 Bitch Prefect – Marilyn Monroe
09 Bobby Chiz – Brooklyn Mouth
10 Gross Magic – Sweetest Touch
11 Icky Boyfriends – Nervous Guy
12 Dent May – Fun

mp3: NRBW x June 2011 Mixtpe

We all know that sometimes (infrequently) I live abroad in England, but nothing will ever change my innate Californianess. However, I am forgetful and I have to fully disclose that I completely forgot to apply to get my expatriot ballot or whatever they call it, for the California state vote on November 2nd. That DOESN’T MEAN that I can’t haphazardly in a daze create a playlist based around my favorite Proposition, #19 and urge you to vote Yes on Prop 19 if you too have the greatest blessing of being born in or living in California. We also all know that I don’t try and give off the impression of intelligence when I write this blog (have you ever read it?) so I won’t give you my reasons behind wanting Prop 19 to pass, but just know that not only am I informed, but me/my friends/my state would benefit greatly from the passage of this Proposition. That alone is reason enough for you to vote yes, no? Find a mix of my 12 favorite (and totally not just whatever jumped out at me while hastily browsing iTunes) songs that are either 100% about weed or mention it/other drugs. ENJOY. Free Drugs ;-)

01 The Growlers – Drinkin’ The Juice Blues
02 Crusaders of Love – Good Time All The Time
03 Bob Dylan – Rainy Day Women #12 & #35
04 King Tuff – Sun Medallion
05 Black Lips – Drugs
06 Best Coast – The Sun Was High (So Was I)
07 Wavves – Weed Demon
08 The Strange Boys – Drugs Iggy Drugs
09 Black Lips – Dirty Hands
10 Adam Green – Drugs
11 Black Lips – Stoned
12 Ella Fitzgerald – When I Get Low, I Get High

mp3 | Nu Rave Brain Wave’s ‘Yes on 19′ Mix

Photo Courtesy of | Chris Collins

It’s getting very, very close to FYF Fest this year, and while most of these bands have been playing LA for quite some time over at the Echo/Echoplex/Spaceland, this still seems like a super dope event that, if I could, I would be attending. On this basis alone, I have concocted a schedule in which you can see the festival through my eyes. Though, why you would want to do that, I don’t know. Consider it our preview and listen to our recommendations and you’re guaranteed a good time.

12-O’clock Hour
Definitely get to the festival before 12:15 so you can catch England’s awkward, noisy lads, Let’s Wrestle 12:15-12:40 @ Sequoia Stage. Having seen them earlier in the year at Bootleg Theatre, I can tell you that earplugs are necessary, but their finely crafted pop songs sung in a completely distant, awkward tone really rule. Leave Let’s Wrestle a few minutes early to catch uber-buzzy, The Magic Kids 12:35-1:05 @ Oak Stage. Their debut album just dropped via True Panther and I’m loving their 60s pop, completely hook laced tunes.

1-O’clock Hour
You’re a complete fool if you miss The Growlers 1:20-150 @ Redwood Stage. You’ve been reading this blog long enough to know that I consider them to be the best band in the world and they have written some of the most perfect songs that I’ve heard. The kind where you hear it and go “Oh, I love this one!” after every single song. If I need to sell them to you any more, I’ve got an awesomely special post coming up which will introduce you to the best band ever.

2-O’clock Hour
The 2pm hour is a complete toss up. Well, no, I’d go see The Blow 2:15-2:45 @ Sequoia Stage. Khaela doesn’t tour very much, and I haven’t been able to see her since SXSW 2008, but her album ‘Paper Television’ is basically one of the best things ever. A truly intimate portrait of a tender, sweet singer with an incredible outlook on life and love. Although she won’t (probably) make this into the song-writing workshop that it was back in 08, where you could get a visual into what was going through her head as she wrote these songs, she won’t disappoint. Her voice is crystal clear and incredible live. If I wasn’t busy seeing that, I’d catch the weeded out Best Coast 2:15-2:45 @ Oak Stage.

3-O’clock Hour
PR’s Davilla 666 3:10-3:40 @ Oak Stage are guys I’ve been meaning to catch for ages now and just haven’t. Selling point: their on In The Red. That’s pretty much as strong of a recommendation I can give to a band I’ve never heard, but they rip, I’m sure.

4-O’clock Hour
I’m hoping Wavves 4:00-4:30 @ Oak Stage lacklustre performance at the Glasshouse a few weeks ago was just that — a one off. I’d still mosey down and try and catch his newly minted pop-punk, mall-rat stuff in the hopes that he’d play old timey stuff.

5-O’clock Hour
Ew! Super toss-up! I’d probably spring to go see The Soft Pack 4:50-5:25 @ Redwood Stage mainly because they’ve never, never disappointed live (and seeing them like 10 times would make me an expert, right?) and their album released earlier this year was excellent. The last set I saw on Valentines day ruled. LA pride, baby. However, The Oh Sees 4:50-5:25 @ Oak Stage were great at KSCR Festival down at USC earlier in the year, so that wouldn’t be a haphazard choice, either.

6-O’clock Hour
Off

7-O’clock Hour
Off

8-O’clock Hour
Off

9-O’clock Hour
Off

10-O’clock Hour
I have no clue how Panda Bear 10:20-11:15 @ Oak Stage sounds live, but Person Pitch has been on my stereo a lot this year and I’d wait my ass around FYF for four hours of boringness to see this cute little bear perform. Seeing ‘Carrots’ live would be an excellent highlight to the festival…

11-O’clock Hour
And finally, I’d probably stay for a little bit of my favorite weirdo hobbit Ariel Pink’s Haunted Grafitti 11:10-11:50 @ Sequoia set. His new album didn’t strike a super chord with me, but I love his old stuff.

mp3 | Best Coast - Our Deal
mp3 | Magic Kids - Superball
mp3 | The Growlers - Soul of Coral
mp3 | Wavves - Post Acid

I’ll be there! … Just hiding in the back. Should be good though, for $10…

mp3 | The Growlers - Soul of Coral
mp3 | Wavves - Post Acid

The 2010 Fun Fun Fun Fest happens  November 5-7 at Waterloo Park in downtown Austin, TX. With a lineup that almost reaches the maximum heights of FYF Fest, you’d be a fool to miss out on Woven Bones, Wavves, Ariel Pink, Best Coast, Magic Kids, etc.

Pick up your tickets here.

mp3| Woven Bones - I\'ve Gotta Get

Photo Courtesy of | Ian Whitlin

Wavves is celebrating the physical release of his third album, King of the Beach, with a release party at the legendary punk venue, Madam Wongs in Downtown LA on August 4th. Sadly, the venue is closing so best to get there before it closes on August 14th.

Limited tickets to see Wavves at Madame Wong’s will go on sale to the public today, Friday, July 30, at 4pm via Ticketweb for $10.00 a ticket. Also if you buy the record at Origami Vinyl, you get a free ticket from Tuesday.

mp3 | Wavves - Post Acid

01 Fergus & Geronimo | Girls With English Accents
02 Wavves | Convertable Balloon
03 The Jim Jones Revue | Hey Hey Hey Hey
04 Tennis | South Carolina
05 Chuck Berry | Havana Moon
06 Monster Rally | Maori Mai
07 Fair Ohs | Hey Lizzy
08 Happy Birthday | Subliminal Message
09 The Growlers | Average Man
10 The Pixies | Gigantic

DONWLOAD -> Nu Rave Brain Wave June 2010 Mix

Wavves has just released his Mountain Dew single (I think) and it’s called ‘Post Acid’. Let me show you what Pitchfork said, just so you know the exact opposite of what I think, “Nathan Williams of Wavves knows a thing or two about bad trips, and on “Post Acid”, the first single from Wavves’ forthcoming King of the Beach, (courtesy of Green Label Sound) he’s square in the middle of one. “Misery/ Will you comfort me/ In my time of need/ To understand,” he pleads over a triple-time guitar riff, before switching emotional gears and exclaiming, “That I’m just having fun”. The song title, then, is incorrect– if anything, it sounds like he’s still deciding whether he’s having a blast or, uh, melting down– but there’s absolutely nothing wrong about “Post Acid”‘s meth-addled Descendents-recalling attitude, or that huge chorus that sounds a million miles long. The recording quality is much better than it’s ever been for these guys, too, matching the song’s central idea and evoking that state of mind when everything burns a little brighter.”

I feel the exact opposite. I think this song lacks all of the charm of his previous hits. Wavves can write a catchy song, but by no means is he an excellent song writer – half his appeal is the down-home, bedroom-recorded charm of his previous album(s) so when he cleans up, there’s nothing to disguise or distract the listener from the fact that his songwriting is just lacking. I thought this sounded heavily like Blink-182 and not even in a fun way. As I was saying to a collegue last night, and he agreed, hopefully this is the track that doesn’t belong on the record, and furthermore, hopefully the rest of the album is more like Mickey Mouse or Cool Jumper, more sample based. Still, there’s plenty of love for Wavves round NRBW HQ so definitely check his live show out if he’s coming to you:

Jun 18 2010 NXNE Lee’s Palace Toronto, Ontario , CA
Jun 19 2010 NXNE Yonge-Dundas Square Toronto, Ontario , CA
Jun 20 2010 Il Motore w/ Cloud Nothings Montreal, Quebec , CA
Jun 21 2010 Club Metronome Burlington, VT Find Tickets
Jun 22 2010 Great Scott w/ Cloud Nothings Boston, US
Jun 24 2010 Knitting Factory New York City, New York , US
Jun 25 2010 Rock and Roll Hotel Washington DC, Washington, US
Jun 26 2010 The Barbary Philadelphia, Pennsylvan, US
Aug 6 2010 Lollapalooza Chicago, Illinois, US
Aug 7 2010 Lollapalooza Chicago, Illinois, US
Aug 8 2010 Lollapalooza Chicago, Illinois, US

DOWNLOAD -> Wavves - Post Acid

Mr. Nathan Williams, aka Wavves, has released the album art for his forthcoming, real studio recorded “third” album. It’s above. Apparently cat covers are way tubular and in this year…. The album entitled, “King of the Beach”, is due out August 3 in the U.S. on Fat Possum (August 2 in the UK on Bella Union). Way stoked, dudes.

Best Coast, a lovely miss Bethany Constantino, has also released some early info for her debut album (sure to be a hit) entitled, “Crazy For You”. Her record will be released through the great Mexican Summer on the 27th of July. Get ready!

DOWNLOAD -> Best Coast - Make You Mine
DOWNLOAD -> Wavves - Cool Jumper

King of the Beach, Mr. Nathan Williams aka Wavves, is planning a short-notice instore at the great Origami Vinyl in Echo Park, TOMORROW at 7:45pm. Hopefully he’ll play some cuts from his upcoming album aptly titled (tentatively) King of the Beach. Origami Vinyl is located at 1816 W. Sunset Blvd right next to the Echo and Two Boots.

DOWNLOAD -> Wavves – Weed Demon