The Daily Frequency (1/26/15)
–Written by Kevin Madert
Today, a lot of things happened in the world of music. Here are some of them.
1. The music world was in a mini-fervor earlier today upon learning that founding member of Blink-182 Tom Delonge had decided to “leave the band indefinitely” to “work on his non-musical endeavors,” (we can only assume he means Angels & Airwaves). The band’s remaining members (Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker) shortly thereafter announced they’d be moving forward, keeping all the band’s previous commitments by replacing Delonge with Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba. A sad day for fans everywhere, right? As if to say, “not so fast!” Delonge released the following statement through his publicist a few hours later:
Contrary to reports, Tom DeLonge has not left Blink 182. “I never quit the band,” he says. “Actually, I was on the phone discussing a possible Blink-182 event in New York City when I heard the ‘news.’ The ONLY truth here is that I have commitments that limit my availability this year. I love Blink-182 and I’m not leaving.”
While this could in theory be good news for Blink fans, there’s a definite air of “what the hell is going on” here. We’ll try to keep you updated as these odd events unfold. Via Rolling Stone and Alternative Press.
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Frequencies of 2014: Bass/Beats
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
End of year “best-of” lists are a funny thing. First off, they’re entirely subjective – unless you rank based upon sales, which we all know is often the least relevant factor when considering a work’s merits. Second, they’re often far too ambitious and broad in scope. “The 50 Best Songs of The Year” looks good on the top of Rolling Stone’s website, but what the fuck does that actually mean? The editors and content compilers didn’t listen to every single release from January 1 to December 31, and even if they had there’s no way they could sort through the sheer volume of material and pick the definitive top 50. (Side note: Rolling Stone’s #2 song of the year was “Turn Down For What,” so their grasp on the definition of the word “best” is questionable.)
In my mind, a “best-of” list should mutually benefit the writer and the reader. Rather than futilely attempt to decide which songs or albums or artists were the indisputable winners, these lists should be cross-sections of the year in their respective musical spheres. I’m not here to be the pompous judge over some imagined contest that you signed yourself into appearing in solely by releasing music in the last calendar year. I’m just here – as always – to share the music I enjoyed too much to not talk about with anyone who’d like to hear it.
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The AltFreq Guide To New Year’s Eve
–Written by Kevin Madert
The biggest – and last – night of the year is fast approaching, and in our (admittedly biased) opinion there’s nothing better to do on the 365th day of the year than take in a show. Whether you’ve already got plans, are still weighing your options, or haven’t given it a single thought, AltFreq is here to help.
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News: Buku Announces Initial Artist Lineup
–Written by Kevin Madert
And the lineup announcements roll on; Buku Music + Art Project (taking place March 13 and 14 in New Orleans) dropped their initial artist list today. As expected, it’s a healthy mix of electronica (Bassnectar, Gramatik, Odesza), hip-hop (A$AP Rocky, Run The Jewels, Yung Lean & Sad Boys) and indie galore (Passion Pit, TV On The Radio, Portugal. The Man).
We’ve certainly got a few questions – what exactly does the “live” addendum to Porter Robinson entail? And why would the festival book both him and Passion Pit, when the former has essentially become a non-self-aware clone of the latter? – but we have months to debate and discuss. Be sure to head over to the Buku website for all the latest info – or at least to scope their insane art design.
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Weekend Warm-Up No. 11: Liquidity
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
There’s perhaps nothing more uplifting than a well-executed liquid drum ‘n’ bass tune. Need proof? Look no further than the kick-off track of this ten-pack, Fred V & Grafix’s “Major Happy”; those subtle pulsations atop that eternally familiar 808 drum pattern are aimed straight at your feels. That’s not to say it won’t get heavy – Blokhe4d and Dirtyphonics can attest to that. But even as it builds and crashes like some great sonic wave it still maintains that sly smoothness; nary a trace of the oft-abrasive tendencies of drum ‘n’ bass to be found.
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