As an audiophile/music nerd, I am constantly on the lookout for new (for me) and exciting music. The search is almost as fun as the result because I end up coming across such an eclectic mix spanning multiple genres. I've decided to stop being so selfish and to start sharing the gems I find for your listening pleasure. In addition, I'll be regularly updating the Amazon mp3 player you see on the left margin of the blog with some of my favorite tracks to save you time if you decide you can't live without them. Go ahead, put this in your ear.
Two man low-fi outfit Gauntlet Hair evokes memories of Animal Collective prior to Merriweather Post Pavilion. Chanted vocals over minimalist guitar riffs and electric drums produce haunting pop rock that keeps me coming back for more. Check out their latest release, the self-titled Gauntlet Hair out now on Dead Oceans.
Portland, Oregon natives Unknown Mortal Orchestra combine catchy melodies with spaced out instrumentation and textured vocalization. Singer Ruban Nielson's high pitch lends itself as an added melodic layer to psych-ed out guitars and tinny sounding percussion. They released their most recent, a self-titled LP in June on Fat Possum/True Panther.
Shabazz Palace front man Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, aka Palaceer Lazaro, has seen his career evolve from his time lending his smooth delivery to the Digable Planets and Cherrywine. These days, his approach is darker and more experimental while still holding credibility in head-nodding circles. Irregular beat intervals and jitterbug break beats make Shabazz unique in the hip hop cookie cutter world. Black Up is out now on Subpop.
New York electronic duo Phantogram enlist airy vocals over swirling guitars and spacey keyboards to produce ambient street beat psych rock. Members Sarah Bartel and Josh Carter each lend their voices and considerable instrumentation abilities to create genre-crossing hip rock. Their latest LP, Eyelid Movies, is one of the most dance-able rock albums in recent memory.
Nashville brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall mix psychedelic rock reminiscent of the '70s with a modern garage infusion to form one of the best up and coming rock bands out there. Although they are relatively youthful, they have already released five LPs as JEFF the Brotherhood, including this year's We Are The Champions and were named one of Spin's must see acts at the 2011 SXSW in Austin. The newest album combines their pedal to the metal past with a more mature approach, providing grungy melodies and riffs, a sort of unrefined and more edgy Weezer.
On the heels of one of this year's biggest news stories, I'd like to take this opportunity to shed some light on the substantial anti-American sentiment metastasizing across the world. Amanda Knox, an American student studying in Italy, was wrongfully convicted of murder with her Italian boyfriend, Rafaelle Sollecito. She was sentenced to serve 26 years in prison and, by the time her appeal had its time in court, had already served 4 of those years. Yesterday their convictions were overturned, highlighting the mistakes of the police and prosecutor as well as the sensationalizing of the media.
Knox and Sollecito were painted as sexual deviants by the prosecutor and media, tilting public opinion against them. But there of course were other factors at work. What role did the fact that Knox's homeland asserts itself in the policy and government of nearly all nations? Could the original jury have been tainted not only by the sensational headlines, but also by an assumption of widespread American arrogance and imperialism?
At last audit, there are currently 226 countries occupied by US troops. 63 of those countries host US military bases, while just 46 of the world's nations have no US military presence. These numbers should shock you, but upon further examination of our history should not be all that surprising. Our country itself began as an occupation that rode the back of the genocide of the native population. US history is littered with stories of neo-colonialism, hegemony and proxy rule as well as slavery and continuous border expansion through war.
Many of these stories contain the same foundation as the Spanish-American War of 1898, during which the US acquired Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. This war was built on fabricated war-mongering "journalism" and of course, a claim that the US must step in to protect against the brutality of the enemy toward the suffering masses, a civilizational imperialism that is playing itself out again in places like Egypt, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Repeated in numerous countries, the US government through the C.I.A. financially and forcefully supported ruling regimes dependent on the political atmosphere of their regions.
The case of the Dominican Republic is a great example: in the early 20th century, the Dominican government had accrued lots of international debt and the US took to force to collect on those debts, signing a treaty at gunpoint to ratify the debt relationship. The US occupied and ruled the country from 1916 until 1924 when they chose General Rafael Trujillo as the new leader, backed by a US-trained National Guard. During his time at the helm, Trujillo went on an ethnic cleansing crusade, killing 30,000 Dominicans and Haitians in an effort to make his island "more white." Trujillo maintained control until 1950, when, after an attempted assassination of the Venezuelan president went awry, the US enforced economic sanctions. A short time later, the US supported a conservative opposition to overthrow him, successfully assassinating him in 1961. The people of the DR were then afforded a democratic election and subsequently named a liberal centrist, Juan Bosch, leader. In 1963, US backed militants deposed Bosch to "prevent another Cuba." 2 years later, economic turmoil produced an uprising against the new regime led by Donald Reid Cabral and Lyndon Johnson sent 22,000 US Marines to suppress the rebellion, ensuring conservative control of the country. This led to the reinstatement of Trujillo's right hand man, Joaquin Balaguer, and political violence, death squad activity and voter fraud ensued that eliminated any political opposition. The US continued lavishing military support to this regime until 1978.
Old habits die hard. The US has continually stuck its nose in the business of many countries under the guise of protecting the innocent. If that was truly the purpose, the statistics tell a harrowing story of the ineffectiveness of this policy. While the US supported exiled Chinese ruler Chiang Kai-Shek against the communist Mao regime, in upwards of 18 million lives were lost, on par with Mao's efforts to stay in power after the revolution. During the Korean War, the US-assisted anti-communist slaughter led to the deaths of nearly 1/3 of the population. To prevent communist atrocities in Vietnam, 1 million Vietnamese combatants along with roughly 50,000 US troops were killed, not to mention the roughly 3 million Vietnamese civilians dead and the countless soldiers and innocents affected by the chemical Agent Orange. Isn't the blind anti-communism, pro-democracy approach damaging as many or more lives than the dictatorships? Is it the responsibility of the US to impose our democratic will for the common good? What would Jesus do?
For your reading pleasure, I've compiled a near-comprehensive list of nations/islands the US has either invaded, imposed leadership upon or directly supported uprisings for. Enjoy!
