Dead Presidents' Social

I'm Gon Be Famos!

2012-01-31T14:46:00.001-06:00

Hey sexys,

Good news! I'm featured in a new music video. I know, I can't believe it either. I mean, it's happened before. But this time it's for a song that's actually good.

First, I guess I should mention the time I was in a music video before. It all began when my friend Shelby brought me along to a frat party, but not just any frat party. No, this was a frat party thrown by a buncha black kids (and if I'm not mistaken, there was also a handful of Indian dudes too).

So yeah, this was like a regular frat party, but there weren't a bunch of douches in pastels listening to Old Crow Medicine Show. So far so good.

I handled myself the way I handle myself at any other fratastic event: I got nice and drunk and tried to avoid eye contact with those of the Greek persuasion while I danced too hard.

Fastforward to the next week or so where I discover that a music video for a Mr. T Fowler was being filmed that night. You can see the entire video for the song right here:

I showed up at around the 0:48 second mark, if you missed it.

Anyways, that song was called "Who's got the Keg?". And obviously from the YouTube page, we see that it is the "Official" video. Because I'm sure so many people are making their own versions to Mr. Fowler's ho-hum party track.

So yeah, that was my first experience in a music video (at least that I'm aware of). And this next one is a lot more exciting for several reasons:

First off, I happen to think the musician making the track is much more talented than T Fowler
Secondly, the video is much more pleasing visually; it's not just a bunch of hipsters getting drunk
And finally, I'm in it for longer than two seconds.

And now, without further rambling on my part, I'd like you all to enjoy the new Daniel music video. It's for his new track, "dept. stores & dinos". It's a laid back, almost mournful, little gem that I can't get out of my head. Check it out, yo.

much love,

-Conway

Cover Song of the Year?

2011-12-28T16:02:00.002-06:00

Hey lovers,

I hope everyone's been having a bitching holiday brizzake. Mine's been off and on. First I spent a bunch of days sitting around reading and centering my chi, then my lady friend came and we had so much crazy sex that we seriously messed up my knees, her lower back, and I don't even know what else. (true story, bro)

But where was I? Oh, yes. I've been meaning to post this for a while now but I'm lazy and forgetful and whatever. It's a cover of Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" and if I'm not mistaken it's probably the best cover song of the year. It's by the mysteriously sexy and sexily mysterious Mr. Little Jeans and I believe my roommate Max summed up this track perfectly when it came on at a party about a month or so back.

This isn't an exact reproduction but the exchange went something like this:

Conway - Yo, Max, WTFuck is this awesome noise?!

Max - Mr. Little Jeans! It's a cover of "The Suburbs"!

Conway - No shit? This is off the chain.

Max - Yeah! Fuck Arcade Fire. This is way better.

And you know what? I agree. As much as I love the The Suburbs the album and "The Suburbs" the song coming out over Win Butler's hip lipz - and don't even get me started about how rad the Spike Jonze video/short film is - I think the dystopian lyrics and quiet desperation just "click" better with Monica Birkenes' haunting vocals and skittering synths swirling around the downtempo (but still very danceable) beats.

Here's the excellent fan-made video by the High 5 Collective. Enjoy

Lemme know if you think any other cover song is better, so I can tell you you're wrong

Much love,

-Conway Stiles

My Key's Been Hanging Out with My Nose, My Nose Been Getting Down With My Key

2011-11-08T13:28:00.003-06:00

Hey team,

I just now sobered up from Fun Fun Fun Fest this past weekend and hot DAMN was it fun. (get it??)

Lots of wonderful things happened this weekend: I watched Odd Future get all silly and violent or whatever. I witnessed what I believe is called "Fucking Slayer". I ate some chicken and waffles. I'm pretty sure I saw Flying Lotus walk on water at some point. That, and I drank a lot of whiskey.

All in all, I'd say it was a success. I may mention a few more highlights as I sober even further up but as for today I'd like to talk about one of the more enjoyable shows I had the pleasure to witness: Spank Rock.

Now, I don't know how the hell this happened but I had never sat down and listened to any Spank Rock before I saw the show on Friday. I suppose this is my fault, but I'm also going to place a fair amount of the blame on Global Warming.

Regardless of this fact, thanks to the fucking phenomenal live set I saw last Friday (featuring a special appearance from Big Freedia), as well bitching lyrics like "All you white girls shake it 'til my dick turn racist", Spank Rock is quickly becoming one of my favorite acts.

To bring home this point, I'd like to share with you kids probably my favorite party song in the last who knows how long. It's all about doing blow and being exclusive and doing cool shit. Fittingly, it's called "Cool Shit", and I can't stop playing it on repeat.

My new response to, "Hey Conway, where the hell were you?":

I was at the cool shit doing cool shit.
Much love

Loss of Innocence

2011-10-25T16:14:00.001-05:00

Heyyo!

I don't have too much that is incredibly important to say today but I was messing around on the popular social networking site, "Facebook", (heard of it?) and I came across this little gem of a music video and I felt compelled to share it with y'all.

Apparently the music is the work of a solo project by one of the dudes from Joakim that's calling itself Dye. The track, "Fantasy", is off the debut album Taki 183, which upon first listening seems very much worth of checking out. The visuals are the work of the simultaneously incredible and ridiculous Jérémie Périn. I don't want to say too much about the video, it's kind of something you just have to experience. But I will say that it's definitely NSFW and it just might remind you of what being a young teenager was all about.

Props to Shelby for putting this on her man-friend's wall so I could see it. I love her, but she already knows this.

That should be enough crazy for one day,
-Conway Stiles

Future Islands "Give Us The Wind" Video

2011-10-23T22:51:00.002-05:00

Hey lovers,

I apologize for not updating as much as I should. I've been balls deep in all sorts of nonsense. It sucks, but whatevers.

So anyone else a little disappointed by the new M83, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming?

I mean, it's not bad, but after watching this shit I was expecting a bit more. I don't know, I'm kind of depressed about it. I don't wanna talk about it anymore.

On the other hand, the new Future Islands, On The Water, is wonderful. Here's a video for one of the many good songs on there. It's not the coolest music video, but it's a pretty groovy song.

Much love,
-Conway Stiles

King Krule - The Noose of Jah City

2011-10-12T16:54:00.001-05:00

Hey lovers,

So this came out a few weeks back but it's so goddamn good I couldn't help but put it on here. It's the track by King Krule (you may remember him as Zoo Kid) that's making its rounds on the interwebs to stir up hype for his new album coming out soon.

King Krule- The Noose of Jah City by truepanther

It's great. If you enjoy, I'd recommend checking out his earlier stuff under the name Zoo Kid, particularly the incredible "Out Getting Ribs", which I have the video for here:

I've gotta run though so keep it real,

-Conway Stiles

Let's All Put on Masks and Do It or Whatever

2011-10-10T19:33:00.000-05:00

Hey team,

So it's Halloween soonish and with this in mind let's check out the classic "Monster Mash":

If you're looking for something a little scarier here's Bill Clinton playing Incubus:

But what I REALLY came here to talk about is the closing track off the new Mayer Hawthorne, How Do You Do. It's called "No Strings" and it's got all the baby-making soulfulness that I've come to expect from Mr. Hawthorne.

Mmmm, cuddling music. Much love, y'all

-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to Music in 2011 so far #1

2011-09-26T22:22:00.007-05:00

#1 The Weeknd - House of Balloons
So I've been slacking and kind of forgot about writing the number one album/mixtape of 2011 up until now. I'd like to say it's because I've been working this post for the better part of a month, but you and I both know that's bullshit. I've just gotten distracted by school and girls and the inevitable nonsense that follows both.

Regardless of whatever my excuses are for taking so long, here we are, at the number one spot on my list what was supposed to serve as a pseudo six-month report on the music of 2011.

Now, a lot of good music has come out since I started this list, but I've stuck with my initial lineup that I came up with when I started this son of a bitch because those are the rules I decided on. If I don't get too distracted I'll update more regularly and have a year-end list too.

But let's get to the music. Try to think back to March of this year. It was a different time. But as difficult as it is to imagine this strange and distant past, try and situate your imagination in that point in time. Now imagine coming across this incredible drugged-out r&b sex music and also realizing that no one knows where it came from:

A lot has been said by myself and others about the beneficial influence a certain degree of mystery can add to an aspiring artist (remember back when no one knew who Odd Future was?) so I'm not going to get into it now. But it's definitely worth noting that when The Weeknd first showed up on the scene, all I had to go off of was a Tumblr filled with black and white erotica (fine by me), a rumor of a connection to Drake (alright I guess), and a free mixtape filled with some of the best music to do drugs and have filthy dirty incredible sex to. (Fuck. Yes.)

Since this initial period of mystery, the all-knowing internet has come to figure out that The Weeknd is actually Canadian Abel Tesfaye, and he's even released another free mixtape called Thursday (although it pales in comparison to House of Balloons). But even without the admittedly very sexy appeal of being mysteriously unknown, House of Balloons still stands on its own as an incredible work.

It's dark and sensual. The hazy samples, heavy bass, and cooing vocals all swirl together to create a sensation that's not unlike feeling some good drugs start to kick in. There's this sense of recklessness that combines with a hedonistic ignorance to the idea that the sun will come up or that the coke will run out. This is music to have the best drunken sex you'll never remember to.

And that's why it's number one of the list so far. It's not just because I like getting drunk and having sex (even though it is true that I enjoy both of those things immensely) but because this collection of songs knows what it's trying to be and accomplishes this so fully, seamlessly, and eloquently that it's difficult to not be impressed.

From the opening track where he slips a girl some ecstasy because (trust him) she wants to be high for what's in store to the impeccable Beach House-sampling "Loft Music" towards the end, every second of this mixtape drips with a consistent sexiness unseen on any other album this year.

It's so good in fact that it set the bar too high for his follow up mixtape which could only disappoint me after having my world rocked by House of Balloons. They're both free to download from The Weeknd website here, but I'd definitely recommend starting with Balloons first.

It's all good, and if you're doing it right you'll be too distracted by your drugs and partner to hear individual songs but make sure to check out "What you Need" (video above) and the second half of "House of Balloons - Glass Table Girls" when the trip suddenly gets a little bit darker than expected and shit gets real. I don't want to go into too much detail because a lot of it speaks for itself. Put it on the next time you're faded and getting busy.

And there you have it, a comprehensive report on all the music the DPS has gotten into so far. We here at the DPS would like to thank you for your continued readership and encourage you to stay tuned for our evaluation of all the other shit we haven't gotten to yet.

Alright, well I'm outta here, much love
-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to Music in 2011 so far #2

2011-09-01T15:16:00.003-05:00

#2 Destroyer - Kaputt
I think Dan Bejar pretty much sums up Kaputt when he recounts some girl calling him aside in "Poor in Love".

This moment arrives about halfway through the album, after he's made sure you're listening with the opening gems like "Chinatown"(which you can download here) and "Blue Eyes", and just before he solidifies the eternal grooviness of the album with the epic "Kaputt"(download).

She calls him over, this mystery woman, and she bestows him with one of the best lyrics on the album: "...all you've got is style," effectively illuminating pretty much everything that makes Kaputt an incredible album.

Dan Bejar, for the uninitiated, is probably best known as "the dude from The New Pornographers". He's an undeniably talented musician. His work in Destroyer and indie-super-group Swan Lake can attest to that. But despite all of this, he also kind of gives me the vibe that he's an insufferable asshat.

Now, I've never met him, but his too-cool-for-school-itude seems to seep out of every pore of each of his musical projects. And while this kind of bugs me on some level, it never gets to the point where I can't just roll with it.

I attribute this to the fact that the music he makes happens to be pretty good. Or in the case of Kaputt, it's phenomenal. It's a cool, smooth, mysterious dream of sexy bass lines and sexier saxophones. Like I mentioned in the beginning of this post, there's a lot of style.

I could go into detail about how that style includes lots of retro-smooth-jazziness and whatnot, but what I'll do instead is post a link to what might be the best music video of the year so far and let sexy girls in leotards, flying whales, and thirsty desert men do the talking for me.

Go download this album if you're looking for something a bit classier to put on at your next coke party.
much love,
Conway Stiles

DPS Guide To Music in 2011 So Far #3

2011-08-25T15:40:00.006-05:00

#3 Yuck - Yuck
Alright, so before I get started about how much I fucking love Yuck's debut self-titled I feel like I should address my biggest complaint about Yuck.

It's a tricky thing to complain about, especially because it's something I personally don't hold against Yuck at all. But essentially it boils down to this: these youngsters from London happen to be making some fucking incredible indie rock (whatever "indie rock" means these days), and that incredible indie rock music that they make also happens to sound a lot like their influences.

Here's where my problem with all of this comes in. I'm fucking sick of hearing everyone (i.e. music critics) talk about how much Yuck sounds like Dinosaur Jr. or Pavement or Built to Spill or (insert any other great rock band that has no doubt influenced Yuck's sound). It's fine and dandy that you can see their inspirations, but these British kids have released what is probably the best rock album of the year and they deserve more than to just be written off as just "those kids who sound like Sonic Youth".

What gets me angry about all of this is that no band or bands should have a monopoly on teenagers making heartfelt angst-y rock songs. And this is exactly where Yuck excels. They manage to tap into that well of emotions that every 17 year old has to deal with. They take that moment when you watched the girl that you loved go to prom with someone else and they bring all that anger, frustration, and hurt you felt right back to the surface.

It's a difficult task to skillfully articulate the emotions of a teenager, and it's especially difficult to do it as well as Yuck does. Like at the end of "Shook Down" when singer Daniel Blumberg calls out, "You could be my destiny/You could mean that much to me" over that heart-wrenching riff. Fuck, man. That's what it feels like to be young and sad.

Pretty much every single track on Yuck is phenomenal and has the youthful longing that only good rock music can express. "The Wall" (which you can download here), is a playful romp of noise that hints at something deeper with lyrics like "And I know that it's not real/ It's just the way that I feel". "Suicide Policeman" is a beautifully depressing swirl of melody and acoustic guitar. "Georgia" is the 21st century pop-rock equivalent of Yo La Tengo's "Sugar Cube". And "Operation" perhaps rocks out the hardest, with it's slow build into that awesome screaming chorus of "I wanna be well designed!".

Side note - You should definitely check out that Yo La Tengo video I linked to if you want to see some awesome 90s David Cross action. Also, you can download both "Suicide Policeman" and "Operation" if you click here and then scroll down just a bit.

I could keep going on about how awesome each track on here is (I really could) but I'm going to cut myself off with a music video to their epic album-closer "Rubber". I've posted this on the blog earlier, but it's a great song and I've got a crush on the girl in it (and as an added plus, she gets naked!). But if you're not into that, you can just download the 8 minute slow-burner here.

Much love,
-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to Music in 2011 so far #4

2011-08-23T16:54:00.005-05:00

#4 John Maus - We Must Become The Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
When I first found out that John Maus was pretty good friends with Ariel Pink (of Haunted Graffiti fame) I wasn't surprised at all. I had been describing his music to my friends for the past month or so as sounding very similar that of Mr. Pink, but with a healthy dose of electronic awesome.

And although I'll admit that I'm derelict in my hipster duties in that I haven't perused his extensive back catalog of underground recordings, and that Pitiless Censors is my first experience with John Maus, the more I find out about this crazy motherfucker the more I'm further convinced that he's a total genius.

Really though, a quick look at his wikipedia shows he's getting a PhD in political philosophy. That's pretty neat. And in this interview with Pitchfork, we find him explaining his love of classical music alongside his respect for South Park.

He's also refreshingly modest, saying he can't shake the feeling that he should pay people to listen to his music instead of the other way around. Which is interesting, because he's making making some phenomenal music definitely worth paying for.

Just listen to "Quantum Leap" (which you can download here), the first single off his new album. That grooving bass, the arpeggio on the synths, that clap doused in reverb, they all come together in such an incredible whirlwind of noise. It's great. But be careful jumping right into the whole record. We Must Become The Pitiless Censors of Ourselves is a grower. Similar to how I felt about Ariel Pink when I first started getting into him, I wasn't sure if all the weirdness was genius or just weird. But just give it some time, doubters, and after a few listens it'll hopefully click and you'll understand the beauty of songs like album-closer "Believer". The video for "Believer" is below but you can also download it here.

Other highlights include a cover(?) of Molly Nilsson's "Hey Moon" that's pretty fuggin awesome. Or perhaps the best mix of weird/groove/and catchiness on the album, "Head for the Country".

But for reals, John Maus is kicking out some bitching jams, and I highly recommend you check out the whole album

Alright, I'm about to go read some philosophy and get ready to go back to school tomorrow or whatever. I love you.
-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to Music in 2011 so far #5

2011-08-17T17:08:00.004-05:00

#5 Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
So the new Shabazz Palaces record is pretty much incredible. I'm finding it hard to describe, though. It's a dark and murky underworld of melting synths wrapped around haunting vocal samples with glitchy bass to hold down the sharp, stream-of-consciousness lyrics.

The best way I can describe it is that it just "sounds like it's from the future, man"....And that's not necessarily a bad description of Black Up.

In an age where rappers are expected to be the larger-than-life attention whores that rock and pop stars tend to be (just take a look at Kanye West), it's interesting to see a critically acclaimed act like Shabazz Palaces clouded in such secrecy. It's refreshing. That being said, a lot of acts have recently used mystery to their advantage. Remember how vehemently people searched for Earl Sweatshirt?

But it doesn't really matter where Shabazz Palaces came from. (If you must know, it's the latest project from Ismael "Butterfly" Butler, of Digable Planets fame.) It kind of adds to the effect to not know the background. It's not like 50 cent, where you are kind of curious if some dude who got shot nine times can also rap well.

This is the freshest sounding rap album I've listened to in a while. It sounds unlike anything I've ever heard before. All the songs are like club jams to play in an old asylum haunted by jazz musicians. It's dark and unpredictable while also possibly the best rap album of the year. I had a friend who loves this album but is too afraid to listen to this album at night after he gets too high. So yeah, whatever that means.

The black cover art and cryptic song titles also help in creating this aura of awesome obscurity. "Swerve... The reeping of all that is worthwhile (Noir not withstanding)", the album closer that you can download here, is an example of their awesome tunes as well as their difficult-to-remember song titles.

It's one swirling pit of black quicksand and it's definitely worth several listens. You'll still have lots to discover after that if my experience is any indicator. Here's one more song that I particularly like called "Youlogy", I recommend turning up your speakers and enjoying the bass. It totally sounds like aliens from the future are here to fuck some shit up.

Alright, I'm off to go do whatever it is I do when I'm not listening to hipster music.

Much love,
Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to crazyfuckingdancemusic #6

2011-08-12T01:18:00.004-05:00

#6 Pictureplane - Thee Physical
Sit down and shut the fuck up. Coach Danger in the fucking house and I'm about to drop some goddamn knowledge on y'alls pussy asses (or whatever other holes you got...*wink*)

My boy Conway called me up and was all like "Yo, Coach D, what's some music I should put down on the Dead Presidents' Social for this bullshit list I'm working on?"

I told him the same thing I'm about to tell you, "That new Pictureplane better be on that son of a bitch. I will fuck some shit up if it's not."

Wisely, Mr. Stiles understood that I do not fuck around when it comes to my crazy fucking dance music and decided to just let me write the goddamn post so that no one got hurt.

So here we all are. You beautiful blog readers, me, these jumpoffs I brought home tonight, and this soon-to-be-in-my-brain eightball. I'll give you one guess what we're listening to.

If you guessed the Thee Physical, then highfive and a line to you, cause that's exactly what I'm blasting. Denver's Travis Edgey has really outdone himself this time. Did you know this nigga lives in a place called Rhinoceropolis? I'm not making that shit up. I read it on the internet.

Anyways, Thee Physical. This shit goes so fucking hard. It's all crazy 90s-rivival gender-bending goth-rave-emo-techno. Just look at the album art. It's a fucking latex glove touching another hand across one of those fucking pictures I can never make work for me. You know what I'm talking about, that shit that's all, "Half-cross your eyes and you'll see a dolphin!" Well fuck that noise, I never saw the dolphin.

But for serious this shit is actually incredible, lemme show you what I'm talking about with the first track, "Body Mod":
Body Mod by PICTUREPLANE

Yeah. Fuck yeah. This is some shit to do some ecstasy in a warehouse to. Now imagine a whole fucking album of that.

There are a couple themes that pop up throughout the album. One is this weird badass technology fetishism transgenderism. For examples of this, check out the tracks called "Techno Fetish" or "Trancegender"....or "Body Mod"....or "Sex Mechanism".... or "Post Physical"...or ____, it really keeps going on like this.

Another theme is fucking incredible dance music with the synths turned up to eleven and wobbly beats and all sorts of fuck yes. This noise is so goddamn good. Seriously, this is the best party album of the year, Conway agrees with me on this.

Put this one once everyone gets drunk and hands and hips will getting up all over everything in the right (and wrong) way.

I'll be honest, I was a fan of the earlier Pictureplane album, Dark Rift, but as a whole this has got to be best dance music I've heard in a looong time. I like almost every song on here, as it lends to getting freaknasty on the dance floor (or even freakier in the bed room), but shit man, I put this record on before I take a nap. It's just bitching noise I can't speak highly enough of.

I don't know what my favorite tracks are, because I'm usually too fucked up to remember when I'm really enjoying them. But here are links to download ones that I know I like a lot. "Trancegender ft. Zola Jesus" - with lyrics like "could you be my boy/if I was your girl?" (sung by a dude) this song just bangs too hard for anyone to notice the craziness. "Real is a Feeling" - You just have to listen to it, man. It also helps to be in front of a bunch of strobe light with some tits in your face. "Post Physical" - I'm not going to give this song a comment. I'll just post the video below in all of it's batshit awesome craziness glory.

Ok, I'm off to go do four different bumps off of four different nipples. Keep it real bitches.
-Coach motherfucking Danger

DPS Guide to Music in 2011 so far #7

2011-08-10T16:40:00.003-05:00

#7 Cities Aviv - Digital Lows
It's a shame that Cities Aviv's incredible new album is probably going to get the most attention for its final track, "Float On".

It's a solid song, no doubt, with Aviv rapping his smart-stoner flow over a synthed-up version of the Modest Mouse hit (produced by Blackbird Blackbird); but it suffers in how it can't help but bring back the nasty taste left in my mouth from Lupe Fiasco's "The Show Goes On" which does something similar, only it sucks.

The shame comes from the fact that while "Float On" may get the most attention, it might be the weakest point on the album. This is an incredible rap album with some even more incredible production, and I'd hate for people to skip over it, just because they heard that single track.

There's a wide range of vibes on here, from the peaceful jazz-piano-infused "A Beautiful Hell feat. Fille Catatonique" to the chopped and screwed "Jaguar", with Cities Aviv's always-solid flows tying everything together surprisingly nicely.

We see the Memphis rapper creating a persona throughout the record that's very refreshing to see these days. It's got stoner vibes that come without all the unnecessary baggage that Kid Cudi and Wiz Kalifa seem to bring to the table. He's also got the quick delivery of Nas in his prime, and the playfulness of Lil Wayne without all the "WTF?" moments.

And he's ready to start some shit. Not because he's posing as a thug or gangster, but because he's got the skills and quality songs to back him up. "FuckEverybodyHere" embodies this mentality. It opens with "I could say some chill shit...but fuck all that" before exploding into one of the highlights on the album.
<a href="http://citiesaviv.bandcamp.com/track/fuckeverybodyhere">Fuckeverybodyhere by Cities Aviv</a>
I could honestly sit and talk about how each track brings it's own distinct flavor to the mix, but you know what? He's giving it away for free over on his Bandcamp. You guys should just click here, and listen to all the incredible yourselves.

It's really nice to hear a rap album these days that doesn't have any gimmicks or other bullshit. Just solid rhymes and even more solid production.

much love,
-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to Music in 2011 so far #8

2011-08-09T15:33:00.006-05:00

#8 James Blake - James Blake
James Blake seems to be one of those musical acts that can do no wrong in the eyes of critics. To get an idea of what I'm talking about, let's look at some other musicians who can't do anything but make rock critics cream their jeans, Radiohead.

Radiohead, if you weren't already aware, made some pretty incredible music towards the end of the 90s and ever since have been doing whatever they felt like and telling everyone to shut up and enjoy it. All the while, Thom Yorke got weirder and weirder and more full of himself while making music that certainly wasn't bad, but certainly wasn't deserving all the praise it received.

Ladies and Gents, Thom Yorke!

(Also, just as a side note, I'd like to point out that anyone who paid for King of Limbs is an idiot. You don't get to do that, Radiohead. You don't "flip the record industry on its head" by inventing the pay-what-you-feel like model for In Rainbows then suddenly back-pedal and decide you want people to pay for your music after all. You let the fucking cat out of the bag, and have you ever tried putting a cat back in a bag? It doesn't work like that, shit.)

Anyway, so Radiohead has been making some alright (but mostly mediocre music) for the past ten years or so and what has everyone done? They loved it. They've knelt down and begged for Thom Yorke to piss all over them some more. (I'm looking at you, Pitchfork.) And don't bring up that horseshit about how I just didn't "get" Kid A. I got it. I got that it was not very good music.

Here's the point where people like to bring up the fact that they were moving in different directions and expanding what the definition of a song could be and etc etc etc. Well that's all fine and dandy, but only if the direction you happen to be moving in doesn't suck dick.

For example, Toro y Moi tossed off the hip-hop-y, chillwave vibe of Causers of This and came up with the funky, upbeat Underneath the Pine; and although I preferred the murky synth-pop of his first full length, I didn't mind because it sounded really groovy and had album art that looked like he was going down on some crazy alien pussy.

Fuck chillwave, have you seen Avatar?

And if you wanna talk about pushing the boundaries of what a "song" can be, just listen to Sufjan Steven's 25 minute "Impossible Soul". Now THAT'S the future of what a song can be. If you've got half an hour and wanna get your mind blown, I'd check it out. But that's another conversation.

Alright, I feel like I've made my point about Radiohead. And I want to specify right now that when I say James Blake is a critical darling who can do no wrong, it is certainly not anywhere near as bad as the Radiohead phenomenon I've witnessed over the past decade.

So here we are, with James Blake's first full length release, coming after a string wonderful EPs starting with 2009's incredible Air & Lack Thereof / Sparing the Horse. This EP is the perfect example of what dubstep should be. Released when he was just 20, these two tracks immediately made a name for the young British producer as one of the most talented and most exciting kids to be making that newfangled music called Dubstep.

It's understandable why. Both tracks seep into every one of your pores with their subtlety, and the bass (that fucking bass) sexes you up so incredibly you don't know whether to dance or buckle at the knees. The distorted vocal samples, the crispness of the drums mixed with the murkiness of everything else, all of it ties together to create something infinitely better than the relentless face-raping drops of most dubstep that comes out today. I honestly can't say enough about how fucking good those songs are, really.

Then came a few other EPs of awesomeness that he still called dubstep. My favorite track was probably "CMYK", featuring an incredible use of a sample from Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?". Followed by his Klavierwerk EP, which seems to be the first embodiment of the direction he took for his self-titled debut.

Which brings us to his self-titled debut, characterized by his beautiful, melancholy (often distorted) vocals, ball-shaking bass, and his classically-trained piano skills. It's a deep and darkly rich album. It's like having a ghost lead you through an abandoned mine shaft.

It's also crazy beautiful. With tracks like "Wilhelms Scream", "Lindesfarne I & II" or his cover of Feist's "Limit To Your Love", proving to be excellent soundtracks for bittersweet lovemaking.

Really, there's no denying that James Blake is a musical genius. It's truly a beautiful album. But the reason it isn't higher on this list is because I wanted more crazy epic jams that I can dance to. I know he can do it; he even teases me. The best part of that whole album for me was the last minute and ten seconds of "I Never Learnt to Share" where all hell breaks loose and there's that incredible wall of noise. That's the James Blake I know and love.

What's keeping me from getting angry at James Blake the way I do with Radiohead is that the direction he chose to move actually works pretty damn well. It's just a shame that I have to sit and imagine the awesomeness that could have been while I listen to his new wimpery songs.

Regardless of how incredible these new songs are, it still tears me up inside.

Ok, that's enough for one day, I love you party ratz,
-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to Music in 2011 so far #9

2011-08-08T14:27:00.004-05:00

#9 Dominique Young Unique - Glamorous Touch (Mixtape)
Holy shit I'm so in love with Dominique Young Unique it's not even fair. And it's not even because I'm trying to be ironic or anything. I really do have a major crush on this 20 year old from Tampa.

There's a lot of reasons for this. For example, the fact that she's super gorgeous. Or that she doesn't give a fuck (her first bigger hit was called "Show My Ass", and it's every bit as awesome as it sounds. You may recognize it from when Girl Talk used it back in the day.)

But probably the main reason I'm in love with her is that this girl makes some dope-as-fuck music. Dominique Young Unique is probably the most exciting thing-with-a-vagina to happen to the rap game since Missy Elliott. And yes, that means I just said Dominique Young Unique is better than Nicki Minaj.

Besides not constantly going on and on about a bunch of Barbie bullshit, or filling her albums with too much horseshit singing, Dominique Young Unique is just all around more fun. Glamorous Touch, her new mixtape this year definitely makes this point. These eleven songs with her rapid-fire delivery and the filthy electro-booty-bass production are going to be stuck in your head for a while.

"Where the fuck I been?" she asks on opening track, "My Turning", which quickly breaks out into her spitting fire over Justin Beiber's "Baby". It's playful and kind of silly, but she is in her element and you know you can trust her to show you a good time.

And as much as Dominique just fucking owns the spotlight throughout the tape, the production doesn't take a backseat. Her high-pitched giggles and sharp vocals are balanced with some synths and dirty, deep bass that growls underneath everything while always encourages dancing.

It's a great summer mix. It works equally well when you put it on at a party or as a soundtrack for a joyride. Some people may wonder what significance a song called "Can't Get Out My Shoes" could have, but those people are fucking losers who don't want to party. Just check out her new music video for "Follow the Leader" below, if she doesn't seem at least kind of fun, then I don't want to be friends with you.

I'm really crazy about almost every track on here, except for maybe "I'm Right here", which feels just a little bit like filler, and doesn't quite bang as hard as the rest. But who gives a shit when she's giving the whole thing away for free (just click the link, bro). And if for some reason you wanted to stream it, you can stream the whole thing over at her SoundCloud too.

Ok then, you kids enjoy your rap music. Much love,
-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to Music in 2011 so far #10

2011-08-05T13:54:00.005-05:00

#10 Daniel - Zen BBQ
Zen BBQ is the lo-fi, self-recorded, first release from Daniel Berkowitz's solo project, aptly-named "Daniel".

Daniel, who I've seen tear up shows with his band Ghost Mountain a handful of times before, has apparently been recording some songs where he plays all the instruments and does all the production himself for the past few months now. And back in the beginning of July he posted a compilation of lots of the stuff he had been working on, and it's definitely one of my favorite albums/mixtapes/ep/whatever I've heard this year.

It's not exactly the easiest thing to describe. He raps on most songs. He sings on a lot of them too. There's acoustic guitar on several tracks, but also a lot of cool sample work and keyboards. It's short and sweet (barely over 30 minutes) but it definitely takes several listens before you start to catch everything that's going on.

I'm personally a fan of the lo-fi production on a lot of the tracks, but where this album really shines is in the crazy clusterfuck of lyrics and rhymes that Daniel intertwines in a manner that brings to mind MF Doom or Dr. Octagon. It'll bounce between absurd, beautiful, hilarious, and touching in seconds. It feels like trying to read some super imaginative kid's diary after it's been shredded and taped back together in a random order.

Lines like "I got my auto-rockets target-locked/riding in my Hummer stop by a pawn shop, polished cop/Sir, you can't have a rocket launcher on your hummer/Dang, what a bummer/What a crummy summer" or "She stopped me on my bike/ just to say that I'm cool/ I said, 'Girl, why are you wasting my time?'" or any other of the dozens of pockets of awesome on this album will make your brain hurt (in a good way). Check out "Valley" below to get an idea of what I'm talking about.
&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://zenbbq.bandcamp.com/track/valley"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;valley by daniel&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;
This is what holds Zen BBQ up after multiple listens, Daniel's skill in creating vivid images of the awesomely absurd between Seinfeld references, asides about eyewear, and shoutouts to fingernails.

It's hard to pick favorites, but I'm a big fan of "Catch You" and also "First Person". Both of those and the rest of the album can be downloaded for free over on his Bandcamp, and I'd definitely recommend checking it out if I were you.

Alright, well, it's Friday. And we all know that you gotta get down on Friday (which seat can I take?) So I'm off to go party way too hard.

Much love,
-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to Music in 2011 so far #11

2011-08-04T19:16:00.006-05:00

#11 Washed Out - Within and Without
I'll be honest, when I first heard Life of Leisure, one of the first EPs released by Ernest Greene under the moniker Washed Out, I didn't really get it.

Not in the way that so many bloggers love to bitch about "chillwave" and how it is (insert generic complaint about chillwave), but rather I just didn't understand what he was trying to do.

It had a lot of indicators that it was trying to be dance music, but it also had those faded hazy vocals cooing under those pounding beats. The name "Washed Out" was perfect. It sounded like someone had had a bunch of dirty sex on top of a stack of club jams then tried to wash out the filth; but in the process they had also distorted the music to where you weren't quite sure what it was supposed to be anymore.

It's not that I hated it, but like I said, I wasn't really sure what to think. It seemed caught in some weird purgatory between the bedroom and the dancefloor.

His new album Within and Without (also his first full-length) tries to solve this problem in a way that at first seems like it would just make things worse. Rather than picking just bedroom grooves or just dance songs and sticking to it, we see an embrace of both....Although I'll give you one guess as to which side he tends to lean toward after taking a look at the album art above.

So yeah, while you may be able to dance to a lot of these songs, this is definitely some awesome music to have great sex to. "How great?" you may be asking. I'm talking really, really great. Like multiple simultaneous orgasms great. I don't need to go into detail, but trust me, dude, you can get down to this album.

But let's talk about the actual music. The first track, "Eyes Be Closed" (pick it up here) is a great place to start. It's still got the faded haziness that one would expect but it opens up and inhabits a much larger space than the stuff on Life of Leisure. As the (kind of mediocre) video suggests, it's a perfect soundtrack for going on a peaceful motorcycle drive through some hot girl's dreams.

The whole album is open in a way that I wasn't expecting. If Life of Leisure sounds like having awesome sex to the music blaring next door through a foot of concrete, then Within and Without sounds like having even crazier sex in an abandoned stadium. It's great.

The whole album is crazy beautiful and smooth and soothing. It's sometimes hard to tell where one song starts and another begins, but one favorite of mine is "Soft"(you can download it here) which just might be the perfect soundtrack to a morning drive along the coastline. I also am a big fan of "Before", which I couldn't find a link for y'all to download, so I found this incredible fan-made video by Franck Deron instead:

Fun fact: Women were waaay more attractive in the 70s.

Ok, that's it for Washed Out. Now it's on to the top 10.
much love,
-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to Music in 2011 so far #12

2011-08-03T19:33:00.007-05:00

#12 Ty Segall - Goodbye Bread
So the new Ty Segall album, yeah.

These thirty three minutes or so of solid lo-fi rock can slip by if you're not paying attention. It's brief, but not dense. It's powerful, but not overbearing. Fuck off if you wanna debate whether it's "garage rock" or not. It's a white dude with a guitar and he's rocking the shit out, which, at least for me, is all that matters.

My first introduction to Mr. Segall was his just-over-a-minute wall of awesome noise that is "Pretty Baby (You're So Ugly)". And while I happen to think the video kind of blows, I feel like sharing the jam with you now.

ooOOooo, stop motion

So yeah, it's loud and punky and knows not to overstay its welcome. It wasn't my favorite song by any means, but I've been know to enjoy filthy noisy rock music from time to time (and come on, it does rock out pretty hard).

Alright, now that you have an idea of where I was coming from, you can understand how surprising it was when I heard how much he had cleaned up his sound on Goodbye Bread. Even more surprising was the fact that, while it was a lot cleaner, it maintained a substantial portion of its rock-the-fuck-out-ness.

Opener "Goodbye Bread" (which you can get here) starts off with some surprisingly laid back guitar strumming and the oddly intriguing lyics "Hello Monday/Goodbye bread" before a bass and drums sneakily work their way into the mix. It's a slow build that culminates about two minutes in when the guitar finally breaks out for a bit before slowly receding back and allowing the track to close on a relatively quiet note.

The next track is called "California Commercial" and is much more like what I was expecting. It's a minute and eighteen seconds long, and has lyrics that only a punk rocker jaded by California's bullshit could have written. It's pretty great.

And this just continues until the album's over. It's easy to get distracted and not catch all the awesome before it slips away. On "You Make The Sun Fry"(which you can get here) we find Ty channeling some pretty groovy Beatles vibes. On "My Head Explodes" there's a slow and steady decent into madness that brings to mind the Pixies' "Gouge Away". All of this is sprinkled with lyrics on the merits of purchasing a couch, and other bits of incredible that will pass you by if you're not paying attention.

Ok you party ratz, that's it until next time,
-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to 2011 So far #13

2011-08-02T18:14:00.004-05:00

#13 Gardens & Villa - Gardens & Villa
I've heard a fair amount of people (including Pitchfork) speak of Gardens & Villa and Beach House in the same breath. It's not a bad comparison either. The hazy dream-pop vibe of G&V on tracks like "Orange Blossom" and "Chemtrails" can certainly bring to mind certain tracks off of Devotion.

But to say Gardens & Villa sound like Beach House isn't quite right. They sound like Beach House's older brother who maybe does a few more psychedelics and maybe also has a few more creepy stories to tell. Gardens & Villa, their self-titled debut on Secretly Canadian, illustrates this point. It has a lot of laid-back grooviness that sounds like it wouldn't make a bad soundtrack for sitting around doing drugs on the side of a mountain in the summer.

"Sunday Morning", a highlight towards the end of the album, and next track "Carrizo Plain" bring to mind the weird appreciation of one's own insignificance that certain drugs can induce. There's an undeniable lonesomeness, but it's beautiful.

But where Gardens & Villa really shine are the moments when they shake off their pensiveness and "chill" and find a catchy groove. Opener "Black Hills" is an excellent example of this. That playful pulsing synth throughout just burrows underneath your skin in such an incredible way. The video with all of it's retro-stylized crystal theft is below.

You can get "Black Hills" here, and other quicker-paced favorite of mine, "Star Fire Power", here.

Alright, that's it for today. Don't have too much fun in the downtime, you party ratz
-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to Music of 2011 so far #14

2011-08-01T16:05:00.004-05:00

#14. Sebastian - Total
So I've already raved about how much I loved the noisy awesomeness of Sebastian's debut album here. It was just a few days after it had come out and it was on pretty much constant rotation. It's loud and ballsy and not unlike cotton candy. A little bit can go a long way.

It's one of those albums that's so fucking loud that it's exhausting. You can only play a song or two if you put this on at a party. Unless everyone's on a bunch of drugs, they probably won't be able to keep up much longer than that.

So it's intense, but it's not as assaulting as, say, brostep. Tracks like "Arabest", "Embody" and "Love in Motion (feat Mayer Hawthorne)" break up the balls-to-the-wall-itude with some healthy doses of electro funkiness.

The overall result is something that you're going to love if you're a fan of other Ed Banger artists like Justice or Mr. Flash. If you're not, this French noise may be too loud for you.

"Embody" can be picked up here. And you should be able to download "Organia" off this SoundCloud. SEBASTIAN "ORGANIA" by edbangerrecords

Much love,
-Conway Stiles

DPS Guide to Music in 2011 so far - #15

2011-07-29T13:32:00.010-05:00

Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde

I've said it before, but it's important enough that I'll say it again: sometimes not giving a fuck can be just as important - if not more so - than actually giving a fuck.

I think this point can be brought home by the Smith Westerns and their latest album, Dye It Blonde. It seems like a fair amount of the people I talk to tend to brush off the Westerns as a bunch of shitty, full-of-themselves, teenagers who just happened to become critical darlings and, in turn, rockstars over the past year or so.

I'm not here to argue that it seems like the Smith Westerns have had success handed to them on a platter and that they are seemingly indifferent to it all. My point is that the reason they keep getting great reviews and record deals and free drugs and groupies is because they don't give a fuck.

As I've mentioned before, my first introduction to the Smith Westerns was when they opened for Girls a couple years back. They played a buncha stuff off their self-titled first album (which is fucking incredible, get it) and I remember enjoying it but not being blown away. But after their set I'm assuming they just got plastered because in the middle of Girls they jumped on stage with masks and tambourines and shit and started playing along. Christopher Owens seemed to just roll with it. And I must admit, It. Was. Awesome.

Smith Westerns - "Weekend"

That was the moment that I decided I was a fan of these kids from Chicago. And as much as I love watching teenagers be shitheads, it doesn't hurt that their music is fucking awesome too.

And while I may miss the lo-fi awesomeness of their self titled (fuck it was so good), I also can't help but enjoy the more-polished Dye It Blonde too. It sounds like the music The Beatles would be making today if they were all 18, wanted to get drunk, and raised on Dinosaur Jr. I don't care if that doesn't make any sense.

Album opener, "Weekend" (see above video), is probably your best introduction to their new, cleaner, sound, with Cullen Omori's pitiful, yet playful "oooOOOooo"s cascading down around some tight guitar. It's great. Other highlights include the wistful, "All Die Young", which you can get here.

I've got a bitching idea for a music video for "All Die Young". The basic idea revolves around one awesome shot where it breaks out at the end where it's just a bunch of kids doing drugs and drinking and having a blast. Cause that's what teenage rockstars who don't give a fuck do.

All in all, it's a pretty solid album and I'd recommend checking out the Smith Westerns before they get old or self-aware or some bullshit.

much love, I'll see ya tomorrow,
-Conway Stiles

The Dead Presidents' Socials' Guide to Music in 2011 So Far...

2011-07-28T15:28:00.007-05:00

Heyyo!

Alright now, we've got a lot to talk about, beautifuls.

First off, I'll be the first to admit that I've been neglecting this blog and, by extension, my lovely readers who are always so wonderful about putting up with my bullshit. I've been taking some summer school and being lame and shit...and for all of this, I sincerely apologize.

For reals.

To remedy this situation, I will first provide you all with a link to this pretty awesome and very-NSFW erotica-tumblr I found one day when I was ~~masturbating~~ researching articles for my summer class.

And if looking at pictures of gorgeous naked people isn't enough to do it for you, I plan to further rectify my lack of typing words onto the internet by giving a comprehensive, in depth look at all the best music that's come out in 2011...at least so far. So starting today, and continuing on for the next week or so at least, I will be counting down my favorite albums/mixtapes that have been released since this fine year began. I'll also try and provide links to download at least a couple songs if not the entire album for each entry.

This is going to be a daily sort of thing, so be sure to check back as much as possible and tell your friends!

There's going to be a wide range of jams that I put on here, and there's been a fuck-ton of good music to come out. So if you're feeling sad because I didn't mention your favorite album of the year so far, consider one of the following:

maybe I haven't heard of it yet (in which case you may want to lemme know about it so I can add it to my End of the Year List), or
maybe you just have a shitty taste in music (this is much more likely to be the case)

Anyways, we've got a lot of ground to cover so let's jump right up in this. We will start at number 16, because that's how many I rounded it down to.

#16. Fancy Mike, Sigma Chi Primavera.
Fancy Mike, aka Mike Kleine, is a hip-hop/electro beat maker who hails from somewhere in the midwest. His latest effort, Sigma Chi Primavera, is characterized by several collaborations with other up-and-coming artists/producers (notably Stephen Farris, who's recent Cosmic Sound II, rocked my goddamn face off).

Sigma Chi is one hell of a record. It's highest points remind me a lot of Flying Lotus with its videogame-y, glitchy-wobbly-yet-undeniably-infectious beats. It works equally well when you put it on in the middle of a party (causing everyone to wonder what the fuck is that awesome noise), or when you put it on though your head phones just so you can hear every tiny blip.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://fancymike.bandcamp.com/track/adult-swim-feat-stephen-farris"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Adult Swim feat. Stephen Farris by Fancy Mike&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

"Adult Swim feat. Stephen Farris" was an early favorite of mine, which you can listen to above, but the point where this really clicked for me was Pixelord's Tron Cat remix of "Ramachandran". Holy shit this bangs, turn it up and just wait for the first 20 seconds to kick in.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://fancymike.bandcamp.com/track/ramachandran-pixelords-tron-cat-remix"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Ramachandran (Pixelord's Tron Cat Remix) by Fancy Mike&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

If you're interested in downloading the entire album, fo free, then just jump on over to his bandcamp that I've already linked to twice and jump on that shit. Or just click here. I hope you enjoy.

Well, it looks like that'll start us off right. Be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow when I reveal the #15 album *gasp*.

I'll give you a hint: it's a bunch of teenagers who don't give a fuck, which is always a plus when you're making rock music.

It's good to be back, much love
-Conway Stiles

Straight Up Cloud Skatin'

2011-07-11T10:02:00.004-05:00

Hey lovers,

So I know I haven't been updating that much, but trust me, dude, I've got something up my sleeve. It may take a few more weeks, but I've got some cool posts lined out.

In the meantime, I've got some lo-fi indie rap that'll sex your brain up in this summa heat. Word.

Today's track is a perfect soundtrack for getting blunted and riding your bike around town. "Cloud Skatin' feat. Danny Brown" by Main Attrakionz has this youthful exuberance that only teenagers rapping about getting stoned can pull off. These Oakland rappers remind me a lot of the old Bay-Area slappers, The Pack, in their delivery and general don't-give-a-fuck attitude, but seem to differ in how aware of themselves they are. I don't know what that means, but these kids are a hell of a lot more interesting that Wiz Kalifa, or most rap you hear on the radio these days.

These motherfuckers have been dropping mixtapes at Odd Future-ish rates and while I haven't dived too deep into them, "Cloud Skatin'" is quickly becoming one of my favorite summer jams.

Shout out to Marty for the heads up on this shizzz.

much love,

-Conway Stiles

There's No God

2011-06-21T07:30:00.003-05:00

Hey lovers,

Don't have much to say other than check out this song by Mrs. Magician. It's the catchiest song about atheism I've ever heard. It's called "There's No God", and it'll start your Monday morning off like what you need. Any song that gets me singing along to "There's no god" mixed in with a healthy dose of "la la la", is fine by me.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://mrsmagician1.bandcamp.com/album/there-is-no-god-7"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;THERE IS NO GOD 7&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;quot; by Mrs. Magician&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

I would say more, but it's early in the morning, and I'm all tired or whatevers. I've been working too hard in school and I apologize for this. I'll try and get my priorities in line and start ranting on here for more than a few words at a time.

much love,
-Conway Stiles