One of the perks of being Bob Duvet your "music valet" is access my Duvetians. With so much music being run up the flag pole, sometimes you need a middleman to do the saluting. Hence, the need for this blog and others like it. I mean can you really trust the 1% over at Pitchfork.com? With the preamble out of the way, I give you this diamond in the rough and soon to be adorning the blog-o-sphere's middle finger (another way of looking at the flagpole/salute metaphor). Today we are hollering about Secret Music! I know extremely little about the seeming duo from Brooklyn, other than I love them and want you to have the opportunity to fall in love as well. A source close to the band has allowed me to preview their as yet untitled, upcoming release and we are bullish on Secret Music here at WDS! The music has a BIG, multi-layered guitar approach at its core with plenty of oblique hooks to keep you interested. I'm reminded a bit of another Brooklyn-based purveyor of noisy glory, Japanther, with a bit of The Naked and Famous to keep you swaying in place on that cliff the Cure's Robert Smith dances on in the "Just Like Heaven" video. The songs are all consistently in the red, with big beats, anthemic chorus and impossible to ignore dance floor remix potential. There are plenty of dynamics to be found in Secret Music's music. Sheets of sound suddenly clear to reveal a bassline washing up on a sonic shore and then suddenly hoisted back into the sea by an army of distorted guitars. This is dense music with extreme care to production. A welcome return to 90's production sensibilities in fact and hopefully a trend to combat the staid glut of bedroom recordings. Below you will find the video for their single "T.O.Y.S", as directed by TV Carnage, easily one of my favorite videos of the year. Also, check out their digital 7" available on their Bandcamp site or via Black Bell Records.
Jason Duplissea & Robert "Bob" Duvet...The Men of Duvet
WDS’s FIRST EVER CONTEST!! The “Win a Dream Date with Bob Duvet or Jason Duplissea (but certainly not both, as that would not only be highly unlikely and impractical but people might talk) Contest”!! Here’s all you have to do to lasso yourself a night out on the town with one half of the most sought after duo in all of Internet-dom, simply help “harvest” as many “Likes” on the “What Duvet Said…” Facebook page, OR, get folks to “Follow” @BobDuvet on Twitter. It’s just that EASY!! So that’s what WE get but what’s in it for YOU? ONLY!! A night out on the town (towns to include but are certainly not limited to either LA or SF but are, in fact, limited to LA or SF) with your pals and purveyors of some of the most necessary unnecessary programming and writing on the web!! The men behind “What Duvet Said…” have proven to be well-connected and well-…versed in movies and music, so they want to share their industries with YOU!! Winners will enjoy an advance movie screening with “Hollywood insider” and member of the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Film Society, Jason Duplissea (airfare, hotel, and popcorn not included), OR, a Rawk –n – Roll night out on the town with famed “scenester” Bob Duvet (drugs not included)!!
Previous contest winner with Bob Duvet
To redeem your prize you need only “drive some traffic” and then YOU too can get stuck in traffic with Jason in LA or get caught up in trafficking with Bob!! Winners will be chosen based on how many confirmed “Likes” or “Follows” they drum up, gender, general HOTTNESS determined by the “Men of Duvet” in regard to specific and more general preferences and fetishes, availability, and approval by Bob’s wife (in most instances some form of payola will suffice). You are by no means obligated to redeem your prize and may fulfill conditions of this contest out of the goodness of your own heart (preferred method of redemption among good Christians, civic-minded individuals and Occupy Wall Street protesters). If you must win, then drop us a line at whatduvetsaid@gmail.com to sing your praises and tells us about all the folks you turned on, tuned in and dropped by! Winners will be announced in the first week of January 2012 on “The Tank with Jason & Rob” and “What Duvet Said…About Music” podcasts (as well as on Twitter & Facebook). So there are your marching orders loyal and trusted Duvetians!! Go forth and multiply!!
Or simply go to the right of this post and click on the Facebook badge or click on @BobDuvet's "LIVE" Twitter stream...
Light em' up! Kreayshawn surrounded by HYPE! photo..HFC
Bob Duvet took his blogging Dog & Pony show on the road to Miami Beach this past Friday night. Armed with nothing but a "banana sling", Axe body spray, and a soon to be maxed out credit card, he descended on South Beach to support the Yeah Area's own, Kreayshawn. First off, BIG UPS to the fine folks at Exclusive Access/EAN5's and Thaddeus McAdams for hooking me and the Mrs. up with two FREE passes to one of SOBEs HOTTEST clubs, Mansion. I highly suggest you go and check out both Exclusive Access' and Mansion's websites because in both cases, "a picture says a 1,000 words..." Mansion is undeniably, like Miami, a one of a kind playground, with an AMAZING sound system. Friday night's DJs AFFECT and EFX knew how to get the most out of it - playing a SLAMMIN' mix of hip-hop backed by some hard-hitting house music. The accompanying light show, dance floor replete with stripper poles and manned by some of the FINEST dancers to work said poles, and a provocative coupling of two furries in the middle of the VIP, set the stage for Kreayshawn's Miami Beach debut. Kreayshawn is riding a hype wave generated by the viral success of her video for the song "Gucci, Gucci". The young rapper/video director/budding fashion icon/SWAG -generator/Twitter feed-a-holic and rumored to be a signee to a multi-million dollar record deal with Columbia, was in Miami to play a set as part of Mansion's "We Rock Hip-Hop" event. Yours truly, while a veteran of many club shows, admittedly, is not as well-versed in the nuances of Da Club shows, so the expected set time of 1am came and went without so much as a fist pump from the clubbers in the direction of the performer and her crew gathered in the VIP to the right of the stage.
One VIP full of bad bitches...photo by HFC
Kreayshawn, V-Nasty, various dopplegangers and attendant crew happily texted away and snapped camera phones pics of each other flipping the bird. SWAG. This went on for close to 90 minutes with the DJ revving up the crowd only to have someone whisper in his ear that there were still Tweets to deliver and birds to be flipped. This was a bit of a disappointment to the faithful gathered in front just outside the VIP's hazy Valhalla. Kreayshawn's army were ready and awaiting their MOBBIN' orders! Bartenders and dancers alike were festooned in over-sized, black-rimmed eyeware and Edie Sedgwick eye makeup, in contrast to all the, "Gucci Gucci, Louie Louie, Fendi Fendi, Prada..." toting "basic bitches". We were ready for the Bay Area to represent and blanket Miami Beach in SWAG fog. We waited and no one seemed to care one way or the other. Just one BIG room full of bad bitches and the men who love them. By the time Kreayshawn and crew hit the stage (and by crew I mean anyone who happened to be remotely connected to her entourage) at 2:45am any good will and hype that I felt going in was squandered. Maybe I don't quite understand the idea of partying with your friends, just out of reach but in full view of your fans, is supposed to endear me further to a performer. It all felt just a little douchey, for lack of a better word. I'm told it was V-Nasty's birthday, which might explain why the DJ prior to Kreayshawn's set seemed preoccupied with asking, "WHOSE BIRTHDAY IS IT UP N HER'?!?!" Regardless, I would have thought KILLIN' one of the top club spots in the country/world would have been a higher priority for both Kreayshawn and V-Nasty. Instead, those that were anxious to see what all the fuss was about got treated to a two song set of "Bumpin' Bumpin" and "Gucci Gucci".
"Bumpin, Bumpin" with somethin somethin...photo by HFC
That's right, two songs...six minutes. Kreayshwan was no match for the sound system or Grey Goose being passed around prior to her taking the stage. Both rappers affected the same indistinguishable tone - somewhere between a whine and a thugged-out cadence delivered under the effect of helium. There was little energy in the performance and no attempt at puttin' the smack down on SOBE. It felt a lot like watching Kreayshawn's hometown Oakland Raider fans all decked out in make-up and ghoulish costumes menacing for the television cameras, while the team on the field limps to a 4-12 finish. Earlier in the day my wife and I coincidentally ran into the diminutive rapper at a pizza place on Lincoln Road. She was sweet and seemed excited to be in Miami for the first time. I wish that enthusiasm made its way onto the stage at Mansion. I had seen Kreayshawn in August at San Francisco's Slim's where she delivered a high octane and focused 35 minute set. She hit the stage with energy, purpose, and tons of her signature SWAG! Where was that girl in Miami Beach?
Carter Tanton alone in his room with a magnificent view...
From the opening strains of "Murderous Joy",the leadoff track from Carter Tanton's new release Freeclouds, I instantly remembered what it was that I loved so much about the singer/songwriter's previous incarnation Tulsa. Tulsa was one of those bands that I was infatuated with and was lucky enough to see at 2008's NoisePop Festival in San Francisco. They had a Neil Young-influenced sound that combined jangle and groove, mysterious yet defined, delicate but forceful. At the center was Tanton's ethereal and haunting vocals and guitar. I just assumed I'd have another opportunity to see them play on their next swing through the Bay Area. Fast forward three and half years and I'm finally getting that opportunity in the form of Carter Tanton solo - opening for Purling Hiss and War On Drugs at the Independent this Sunday, October 23rd. The Massachusetts-based Tanton (and latest addition to Baltimore's Lower Dens) brings a unique quality to the "neo-folk" movement - that includes contemporaries like Kurt Vile - and that is a gift for combining yearning with confidence.
His album Freeclouds, out on Western Vinyl, is an exceptional musical statement. At its core are songs that seem born of nights spent strumming an acoustic guitar alone in a bedroom. Listening to a song like "Pitch Bent Flute" you can almost see the sun begin its ascent into the sky when viewed through a window criss-crossed by the iron of fire escapes. The music washes over the listener in waves and layers with Tanton's angelic voice to calm the musical wanderlust. "Fake Pretend" (whichfeatures a vocal by Marissa Nadlerwho Tanton has worked with) plainly states, "I'm nobody's fool but I've got nothing now." What he does have, is a perfect blend of drum machine beats, shimmering effects on densely layered guitars, and some lovely organ carving out his musical landscape. "Gauze of Song" is a dreamlike serenade with the vague sound of horns in the distance and anchored by a bassline that rolls in and out. "Saturday" is a well-crafted ballad with an acoustic refrain that drips with melancholy minus the melodrama. This song is followed by "Horrorscope", a 3:50 second lo-fi gem that is the most reminiscent of his work in Tulsa. The song will make you want to put on your headphones and hit the streets. In fact, it might render you invisible to everyone participating in the street theatre, save for the dumb, knowing grin of glory the song inspires. "Pasture Sounds" even dabbles in dub and reggae characterized by its reverb-drenched beat. There are so many wonders to be found in this album, it truly bears repeated listens to get at all of Freeclouds nuances and subtleties. This is a can't miss album and a must see bill. Tanton will be joined this Sunday at The Independent by two of Philadelphia's best Purling Hiss and War On Drugs. DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!
One of WDS's flagship podcasts, "What Duvet Said...About Music", was recently nominated for this year's People's Choice PodCastAwards in the category of "Best Podsafe Music Podcast". The 7th annual event is designed to recognize the best podcasters in the world by allowing podcasters and listeners to nominate their favorites in a variety of categories. Founded by Todd Cochrane - podcaster, new media expert, and author of the first book on podcasting "Podcasting: Do It Yourself Guide" - these awards are expected to generate some 750,000 hits per day during the voting window which runs from October 12-27th. "What Duvet Said...About Music", recently added to Mevio.com,is one of ten nominees in its category. The bi-weekly two hour podcast is hosted by the venerable WDS CEO and self-proclaimed bon vivant, Bob Duvet. His podcast has been featured in the Nashville Scene for its Issue 18 dissection of "Music City's" underground scene. Many of the show's interview subjects (which have included Caitlin Rose, Tristen, Daniel Pujol, Tim Cohen, Tamaryn, The Soft Moon, Olin & The Moon, et al) have gone on to receive national/international attention despite having appeared on the podcast.
Mr. Duvet is a notoriously secretive, some even describe as shadowy, internet presence and has been using his music podcast to influence impressionable minds with his hypnotic vocal delivery and adventurous playlists. The show features interviews, reviews, and rambling incoherent pontificating and seems to be at the forefront of a music movement in need of rambling, incoherent pontificating. When told of his nomination for "Best Podsafe Music Podcast", Duvet reportedly became highly agitated and blamed the government for singling him out. When explained that this was, in fact, quite an honor, Duvet thanked Jesus Christ.
Winner announcements will be sometime in mid-November with prizes in each category to be determined. Given the coveted nature of these awards and their cultural significance, Duvet is rumored to be leveraging the proverbial "farm" on what he has determined to be a "given". When pressed further on the topic Mr. Duvet was succinct, "Anyone that tells you being nominated is like winning is a LOSER." WDS stock has been soaring in market trading since the announcement and has aroused the suspicion of not only podcast enthusiasts but also SEC investigators. Mr. Duvet is oft characterized as a master manipulator and is sure to exploit even the slightest stream of goodwill for his own benefit. If you would like to see this happen and help to contribute to what is sure to be a grave miscarriage of entertainment industry glad-handing, go here to vote for "What Duvet Said...About Music" in the "Best Podsafe Music Podcast" category. Below is the video hosted by Cochrane for the slate announcements of nominees in the various categories for this year's PodCastAwards.
Ever find yourself questioning the creativity of a previous generation? Well, there is something to be said for being able to remember a time before the internet and then using that experience to inject new technology with old aesthetics. Music legend Tom Waits puts the private back in "private listening party" in advance of his newest release "Bad As Me" - due to drop October 24th in the US. Waits puts his bona fide acting chops and quirky sensibility to good use in creating this fun and critical jab at the lack of true exclusivity in the "iShare" generation's most treasured creation, the internet. Waits is streaming his soon-to-be-released album as an invitation only listening party. Click on title above to find out how you can crash....or simply watch the instructional video below for the full manifesto. See how a few "bad apples" can spoil the bunch!
