This just in: Pitchfork is dead to me.

Now, anyone that reads this site on a regular basis knows I seldom editorialize, instead simply showing my support/endorsement with the tracks I choose to post. Every now again I do feel the need to vent about something. In this case, it is my hatred for Pitchfork Media.

One prominent reason is the 1/2 star Uffie review linked above. The piece is not only one of mammiest things I've read in some time, but its clearly the scribblings of a self-loathing hipster-- the kind that lusts for the vacant-eyed, terryclothed rompered nymphs on Cobrasnake he publicly decries-- and absolutely hates himself for it.

Also, this was published by the same website that brought you a recent review claiming Rex the Dog to be a "minimal" producer (among other transgressions). No big surprise, then, that this review claims Uffie's beau, Feadz, to be a "French House" producer, a la Cassius. Have a look at Feadz' discogs listing here and check for yourself. Lots of BPitch, Trax, Ed Banger, etc. If anything he's a hip hop DJ that's branched out. A little due dilligence goes a long way, Mr. Pytlik.

Now, I'm not defending Uffie's 12' as some sort of epic, groundbreaking vision, but it is indeed a fun, saccharin sweet tune thats gotten a good amount of plays for its cheeky take on hip-pop. With the exception of "The Month In..." series, written by people that actually live and breathe their subject matter, Pitchfork is dead to me.

Uffie- Pop the Glock

(I originally posted this back in January but I'm re-posting so everyone can make up their own minds)

Geiger- Good Afternoon

Zero 7- Futures (Rub n Tug Remix)

This track makes me want to move to Australia, pronto:

Van She- Kelly
Van She- Kelly (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Remix)

And now for the counterpoint to John Irving's piece in the Guardian last week. Hitchens in attack mode:

Snake in the Grass- The pompous, hypocritical hucksterism of Günter Grass (Slate)

Various Production- Hater

Thanks to a hot tip from my pal Justin, I've been really into the Rub N Tug- Better with a Spoonful of Leather mix. Word on the street is it is all 45's played on 33 and the resulting sound is somewhere between Danny Wang and old Plastikman (bear with me here). Chopped and screwed twisted disco at its finest.

Check out this cut from the mix for a taste of the sound:

Rub N Tug- Slipps

Not sure what the original song is. If anyone knows, drop a comment.

Also, a reminder to go check in with Nate over at unconscious repeat. He's been on a serious roll lately, and the blog is a must-read.

-cjn

Is Steve Aoki the James Lavelle of the Blog era? Discuss.

I SWITCHED UP THE BEAT OF THE DRUM

D4L- Laffy Taffy
Kelis- Bossy (Switch remix)

This was kindly posted to me by the man himself, Greg Wilson. He's a nice guy and top-tier DJ that needs to get back to NYC asap, as he absolutely killed it at APT last time. The title of the CDR he sent is, "Greg Wilson Edits, Mash-ups, Mixes 05/06 Season" and I cannot stop listening to this cut:

Sugardaddy- Love honey

Buy Credit to the Edit here.

Fairmont- Gazebo
Shackleton- Blood on my hands

A provocative defense:

John Irving- Günter Grass is my hero, as a writer and a moral compass (Guardian UK)

Alice Coltrane Feat. Pharoah Sanders & Joe Henderson- Blue Nile
Super_Collider- Messagesacomin

Red Astaire- Marvin's Groove

I've posted this track before in the past, but I really feel like I should articulate how special of a remix it is. With a few subtle touches, Red Astaire ups the melancholia quotient in Gaye's original and coaxes much more emotion out of the vocal by virtue of his arrangement. By adding simple keys, gentle, pulsing drum programming, and percussion constructed from clips and hisses of static, the result is incredibly intimate and stirring enough to make the hairs stand up on your arm.

Sigur Ros- O Fridur

Here's my recent contribution to Stylus' electronic music column. Yes, I normally write about stuff that I'm really feeling, but it just seems to me that some producers are phoning it in all too often lately and need to be called on it. My case in point:

Toby Tobias
A Close Shave
REKIDS / REKIDS 003
June 2006

Toby Tobias’ debut on Radio Slave’s Rekids label strikes me as being excessively stiff, but not in the deliberate, Kraftwerk-ian sense. It starts off with a rigid, mechanical percussion loop and adds layers of synth arpeggios that are stacked in a linear, building block fashion that comes across a bit too rudimentary. Opt for the remix on the flip, where Prins Thomas strips away the clutter, blurs and softens the tones, all the while brushing the track with his organic, space-disco vibe. It's not his finest remix, but one certainly worthy of merit and a considerable improvement over the original.

Listen to the track and tell me if you agree:

Toby Tobias- A close shave

Alice Machine- Night Hunt
Gina X- No G.D.M.

Monolake- North
Holy Hail- Born of a star
Jan Jelinek- Western Mimikry

Hasil Adkins- Chicken Walk
Underworld- Cups

An NYT book review of Chris Anderson's The Long Tail.

Why Lamont's victory spells Democratic disaster. (Slate)

Brightblack Morninglight- Star Blanket River Child

Tekel- Smet

"San Francisco" (1998) by Andreas Gursky.

One of my favorite photographers and one of my favorite hotels, the Park Hyatt off the Embarcadero in SF.

A random smattering of tunes:

Rick Ross- Hustlin'
Fleetwood Mac- The Chain (just fast forward to 3:04. epic, brah.)
Yume Bitsu- Song one
Slicker- Knock me down girl

And now, how to be a minimal hipster. Sherburne make the tea!

Greetings from DC.

This is easily one of my favorite pieces from Richard D. James' Selected Ambient Works:

Aphex Twin- Rhubarb

SWELTER

Boom Bip- Last walk around mirror lake
Midnight Mike- Sunrise
Broker/Dealer- Stormy

Also, been vibing on Richard Carnage's latest disco mix over here. Tracks by Liquid Liquid, Richie Havens, edits from Greg Wilson, etc. Lovely.

Liquid Liquid- Bell Head (Harvey's Liquid Head Re-Edit)
Audion-Kisses

The Knife- We share our mother's health (Ratatat remix)

The Cinematic Orchestra- All things to all men