This week's mix is so chock full of beta carotene, it’s like winning grand prize in a butternut squash eating contest. http://bit.ly/c9RT7p
Highlights
Opiuo - Bill Bro Baggins - Opiuo's new EP titled "Butternut Slap" is mesmerizing glitch-hop at its finest. Glitch-hop is sort of a guilty pleasure of mine, so this week I indulged (hey, it's St Patty's Day). I toyed around with the idea of making Bill Bro Baggins the show opener, even though it's a little more obscure, nay refined, than most of the music I play on Weekend Energy. Why not? was the conclusion. Another song on this EP, Devil in the Dark, has a groove beyond any comparison. Learn how to make a wonky wobble bassline with Opiuo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lexYbvjv5vw
The Shoes - Time To Dance - Indie French duo The Shoes is a "must listen." They've come a long way since I first played their remix of Hold Me Down by Primary 1 in 2008. Their (sort of ) new album Crack My Bones is a diverse, flourishing, indie masterpiece. You'll be hooked by their opener Stay the Same, and you'll be craving more after their zen-like second song Cover Your Eyes. Time To Dance is just beautiful thunder. Of course, there's the epic "hipster massacre" official music video, but then there's this mind-blowing live video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To8HEV-UD2A
501 - Headrush feat. Belle Humble - 501 has been producing simple, grimy dubstep for a few years, but he's new to me. After listening to this incredible track, I went through his production history and wasn't surprised to find that most of his songs just didn't stand out like this one. Headrush is without a doubt his big, breakout smash. It latches on to the muscular dubstep sound made popular by Skrillex, which contrasts impeccably with the vocals of Belle Humble. The B-Side Falling Skies is also quite nice with a diverse, wobbly synth. If you're a fan of dubstep, this new EP is worth picking up for its originality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3umwBymLe4
Nick Thayer - Like Boom feat. Wizard Sleeve, NFA, and Kaba Jones (Nick Thayer Remix) - Nick Thayer is unstoppable. His new album, Like Boom, reflects all of what he does at his best, which is unabashed, hands the air, funky beats - often with quality rapping over the top. Every track on this new album is ridiculously good. The title track is so intense, it actually features a power drill, not to mention just an explosive beat. I had the second track, Facepalm, on my shortlist for its wicked instrumental hook. Drop this album at any party and you've won the night.
Almost Made It
Damage Breaks
I've been kicking around the song "Grizzly" by Damage Breaks for a while now. I can't seem to fit it in a mix and yet I can't seem to get it out of my head. This is the second track off the album Another World, which is pretty much 25 minutes of dark, guttural grinding. It's simple stuff, but sounds so unlike anything I've heard in a while that it just grabs my ears - much like an angered grizzly bear would upon mistaking my head for a beehive. Actually, that's kind of what this "almost made it" song sounds like... in a good way.
Second Hour Rewind
The second hour rewind is the previous week’s first hour. Hear music by Yeasayer, Cinnamon Chasers, Tomato Jaws, Shinichi Osawa, Kavinsky, Bonaparte, and more! Shinichi Osawa has been doing this stuff forever and he's still ahead of his time. When I started doing Weekend Energy in 2007, I thought "well, I'll give it a try for a few months." Then, I stumbled upon Shinichi Osawa's remix of Popper by Christopher and Rafael Just and that sealed the deal. I thought, music like this needs to be heard on the radio: immediately and unfiltered. The rest is history. SO2 has been out for a while now, but it's one of those CDs that's just a joy to come back to, and Singapore Swing is one of the most unique songs on the ablum (see also Technodluv).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCACfqT1_4w
"Crank up your stereo, bust out the strobe light and kick up the bass.”
Weekend Energy has been blowing out car stereo systems, upsetting the neighbors and enhancing the night life of western Kentucky every weekend since July 2007 on WKMS. Host Matt “McG” Markgraf pours through hundreds of songs each week to create “the loudest show on public radio” featuring the best techno, dance and electronica from around the world. Weekend Energy airs Saturdays on 91.3 WKMS from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Stream it live on wkms.org Saturday nights.
