Jive Babe. Or not.
The sound on my computer is broken, as are my USB powered speakers. But I borrowed my roommates computer just for the sake of watching Mikhael’s new video.
It’s certainly moving away from the twee, cuteness of his previous video for “I Spy,” but it works.
Unlike my computer.
Pretentioustan is #1. Ha.
Blueprint
It’s true, I wanna be like you.
A lot of people have been commenting on the video— “And I had forgotten how fun shrooms were” — which is really too bad, because this song is incredibly catchy.
This track is great, and check out more from the Rhymesayers channel if you’d like to find some of the most poignant rap out there.
Pretentioustan finally has Internet again! (We’re a developing nation.)
Anyway, a lot has happened in the past few weeks, including this remix of Vacationer’s “Trip” by Mmoths. (in the past half hour).
Download it for free here. And check out more music by Mmoths.
This was a lazy post, more like a commercial, but enjoy the free music.
Pretentioustan is probably gonna sell out and complain about being surrounded by sell-outs. *Sigh* Someday.
Pretentioustan hates doing comparisons. We believe it is one step from crying “copy-cat,” and we don’t like cats.
But the vocals for Sun Country so much reminds me of Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah that I can’t help it.
That said, it has a much calmer feel to it, and I really enjoy the incorporation of the steel guitar. I’ve been hearing a lot of it in folk jams recently, but Sun Country avoids giving their songs too much twang.
“Breakfast In Canton” is probably the best example of that.
They don’t have a lot out at the moment, but so far I’m a fan. Especially with the free downloads they’re offering at their bandcamp page.
And here’s an extra: that Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah song I was referring to.
Upon second listen, they’re really not that similar. I don’t know what I’m on about.
But Pretentioustan never admits its mistakes. Just enjoy it.
Judge me if you will, but after finals were over I went looking everywhere to find a song that perfectly captured how I felt. The catharsis, the relaxation and the excitement. There was a bevy of songs that captured either one or a combination of two of those things, but not all three. It’s a rare combination, to be sure.
And then I heard Taquwami’s latest release.
It still wasn’t quite there, even though I had planned to post it later. Today, I came back, unsuccessful in finding that mythical song, to post about “Blue.”
I suddenly felt compelled to go back to a track that Taquwami released a couple months ago, “Time After Time.” (Or however you write them. Another Made In Heights situation.)
But I was so elated to find it. It was a couple days late, but I just had to lay back and enjoy it in a way that hadn’t made me blog about it earlier. If your finals are just coming to an end as well, I hope you find what you need in Taquwami.
Taquwami is based in Japan and has released an album titled “Lucky,” but I haven’t been able to find it anywhere! It appears I was too late to the game, as it has been removed from Bandcamp.
If you know anything, even where I could buy it, let me know!
Pretentioustan is not above receiving help.
In the meantime, I’ll cheer up to Taqu’s most upbeat track. (We’re at nickname status. He likes to call me Stan.)
Kitty Pryde (and a racism rant)
Okay, so this track is gaining attention at a more than notable rate.
I’m skeptical on whether she’ll make it big, but I’ve already listened to this more times than I’d like to admit.
What’s great about it is that she’s a white, suburban girl and she’s rapping about white, suburban girl stuff. I can’t really relate to that experience, but she’s not trying to access a culture without having the experiential cache, and I love that.
Especially when I know a lot of people who believe they are allowed to use their access to typical rap culture to access the underlying culture of its proponents. In a linguistics class recently, a cursory survey at my largely white school revealed that many feel it is okay to speak “African American Vernacular English,” and the main justification was, “I really love rap and I understand the culture.”
I know I’m breaking from the character I’ve set revolving around Pretentioustan, but I really want to say this: Actually, that’s not fucking okay.
You have no right to claim you understand the experience of marginalized people who are subject to systemic violence. You can sympathize and use your privilege to help the cause, but stop there and it is appreciated.
Now, I’m not saying that being white bars you from participating or from understanding in certain instances. If you were born into a speech community and class that allows for the real experience which allows you to identify yourself as such, then I’m down. But you still need to recognize that your skin color allows you certain privileges, regardless of where you come from.
As a mixed race individual with light skin, with the ability to go to college, so do I.
Secondly, much of the music that is encased in “rap culture” is subject to cultural expectations. That is not an authentic experience, because people still need to sell their music. I’m not saying it is impossible to be genuine, but the violent nature that is often bred into the genre sells, and is sometimes completely fabricated and inaccurate. It is akin to the “But I have a black friend” argument.
One more thing. You cannot use your minority status in one area to identify with other statuses. Being poor does not mean you can identify with what it is to be black and poor. Just like being gay doesn’t mean you can dictate what it means to be bisexual. There is solidarity to find there, but don’t take it too far.
Woah, this got really off-topic, but it’s relevant (at least for me). I’ll get back to the music posts, and I assure you, this will rarely happen.
Have fun Kitty Pryde. And I’m excited to see what else happens with this.
Pretentioustan preaches peace. (And I’m back)
Passion Pit - Take A Walk
Passion Pit are back, and not a second too soon (their only other album Manners came out way back in 2009)! “Take a Walk” is the first song to leak from the new album, 12-tracked Gossamer, which will be available starting July 24th via Columbia Records. Don’t forget to catch these guys at Osheaga this Summer on August 5th!
This may come as a shock to some, and perhaps keep me from gaining a few followers (and maybe even lose a few), but I wasn’t all that impressed with Passion Pit’s debut album as a whole. I thought it was one of those rare instances where the singles were the very best tracks of the album. (Pretentious bomb!)
However, I’m really digging this track. A lot. And it’s made me excited for their next album.
Who else is excited for the new Jukebox the Ghost album?
It releases on June 12 and you can go download the single “Oh, Emily” at their website.
A lot of pop going on in Pretentioustan recently. The administration has issued an official apology.
This just in: The council has just released a statement, “Pretentioustan never apologizes.” Looks like that last report was just a prank propagated by the APC (Anti-Pop Coalition).
RAC
In Pretentioustan, RAC (otherwise known as the Remix Artist Collective) is a guilty pleasure. Mostly because their remixes are among the best, but “remix” is in their name. However, the state is willing to suspend pretense and fully appreciate the “collective” after they released their first original track.
Sarcasm aside, I’ve been an avid fan of RAC for a long time. I love their work, especially that of Andrew Maury, perhaps because his remix of Jukebox the Ghost’s “Hold It In,” was the first thing I’d heard from them. Have a listen below. And no, you do not need to know the original track to enjoy it.
Anyway, they’ve also done a remix of a Penguin Prison track. So the collaboration on Hollywood shouldn’t be a surprise.
Except, it is a surprise. The above track was never one of my favorites from RAC, but it’s also not surprising that Hollywood is decidedly “poppy.” Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, personally, it sounds a little too clean. Which also isn’t a bad thing, but my favorite tracks from the Collective are their grittiest. Example:
Of course, I should admit that I’m really just holding onto an older image that has been steadily been “remixed” throughout the years. Their music is becoming increasingly sharp. However, it’s resulted in some amazing sounds.
So maybe I should give up and let it happen. Because to be totally honest, I’m really digging “Hollywood,” and excited to see what else they come up with. And they already have significant star power with ties to Death Cab For Cutie, so the collaborations should be stellar.
Besides, Pretentioustan is not conceited enough to hinder progress.
Wait, that’s not pretentious enough is it? Bummer. Oh well.
Vacationer: Good as New.
Apropos of everything.
Mikhael Paskalev
Okay, so this isn’t quite new, but I’m still in love. And here’s the pretentious dilemma, as I get off on wanting things I can’t have, my admiration has only grown stronger and stronger.
As hard as this may be to believe, that last comment was not sexual. Promise.
Mikhael Paskalev is a talented Norwegian singer-songwriter, and as Pretentioustan does not contain any Norwegian speakers, it has become nigh impossible to keep up with news on Paskalev.
(The official languages of Pretentioustan are Chinese and English.)
And while Pretentioustan is generally unwilling to ask for help (because usually we know everything), we would be incredibly grateful if you could give us any news. There’s got to be a Norwegian speaker or two out there. Otherwise, why be on Tumblr?!
Anyway, Mikhael Paskalev’s music is incredibly catchy. I would call it folk-pop. The music video actually distracts from how great the song, but it also really captures how danceable the track is.
Here’s another track, stripped down and easier to appreciate for its musicality.
It should be mentioned that Paskalev often collaborates with Jonas Alaska and Billie Van, the woman on the right.
While I think Paskalev stands out among the three, they’re all certainly worth checking out. And they’re all totally adorbs. Err, heart-warming. Pretentioustan does not say adorbs. And definitely not adorabibble.
Jonas has got the singer-songwriter thing down.
Billie Van has great rockabilly. (Yes, rockabilly is something you have.)
[I’m just realizing how great their names all are.]
Pretentioustan University is in the middle of finals week, so updates have been a little slow.
The opening track off of Said the Whale’s newest album “Little Mountain,” released in early March is one of the University’s study tracks.
A full review shall be uploaded following finals. Or at least during a period of allowed procrastination.
For a few days, Pretentioustan may be renamed “Procrastinatiostan.”
Certainly not new, but this track by Sean Hayes is definitely one of Pretentioustan’s official summer tracks.
Today, the Maps & Atlases album “Beware and Be Grateful” has already become ten days old. So you may be wondering how this review merits enough pretense to be posted here. Well, after ten days there are already enough reviews of this excellent album, but I think I’m just pretentious enough to believe that my own take is necessary. Here I go.
Their newest album, their second full-length, has proved the group’s consistency. To be honest, it feels like the tracks could have come from a deluxe edition of “Perch Patchwork.” Except, this should not at all be interpreted in their detriment.
The sophomore effort flop is a stereotype that is justified with a bevy of evidence. Many artists trying to perfectly recapture what they had on their first album often fail. Then there are albums that veer so far off-course from what they originally had that it, regardless of how good the music is, tastes somewhat bitter. And sometimes it’s just plain awful.
Of course, there is more than enough evidence to reassure me that sophomore albums are something to look forward to. Evolution of musicality is always something to be appreciated. Example: Slow Club’s second album “Paradise.”
However, this is not what Maps & Atlases have done. They perfectly capture everything they had in their first album, keep it just as catchy, and add increasingly bluesy guitar riffs. This preservation effort may not have the charm and surprise of their first album, but it really solidifies them as a “band.” Halfway through the album, I realized that I hadn’t thought of Maps & Atlases as a classic band, but “Beware and Be Grateful” really emphasized a sort of cohesion that subconsciously affected my perception of their music.
Of course, perhaps I have done a disservice by posting their song “Silver Self.” I listened through the album a couple of times and chose the song I thought felt exhibited the most disparity from their previous work. So here’s another track that really gets at what I’m talking about.
All in all, this isn’t an album that will charm new listeners. This isn’t to say that they won’t. They may decide to alter their marketing strategy or the great state of Pretentioustan may bump the group to fame. Who knows?
As for marketing, I believe that the preview for “Beware and Be Grateful” was incredibly intriguing. Of course, it didn’t focus much on the music, but it was certainly artful. And if they’re not evolving musically, why not let their image do the evolving for them? Of course, the preview certainly reminds us that Maps & Atlases are just as much interested in their poetry as they are in their sound.
And that is how they evolve isn’t it? They are maturing, not in sound, but in what the sound is hosting. The tracks “Remote and Dark Years” and “Important” took me to more somber places than their first album ever did.
Pretentioustan weeps.
Marina and the Diamonds
Seeing as she’s already gotten a lot of attention, it wouldn’t be pretentious enough to blog about Marina and the Diamonds, so I’m going to wait until April 30th, the release of her album “Electra Heart” to do so.
But here’s a video of her song “Primadonna,” to tide you over before the wave of patent, Pretentioustan exhibitionism.
But to prepare you, I’ll talk a little bit about this song.
I think it really captures the best of her album “The Family Jewels,” and progresses into very marketable pop, but in a good way. It’s got the progression of “I am Not a Robot,” the grit of “Mowgli’s Road,” and the attitude of “Obsessions.” But let’s hope her next album is as varied as her previous one. Though, with the song “Lies,” I doubt we’ll be hoping in vain.
Pretentioustan does not hope in vain.
