Exec Files: Vol II

The WRMC executive board presents their favorite tracks, albums, artists, and/or music videos of the week, old and new, but mostly new.

ALBUM: Aphex Twin - Syro (2014)

Label: Warp // Genre: Electronic

 -Eric Hass, Tech Director

http://open.spotify.com/album/6oRuinkJdTge4hpTuClEF8

ALBUM: SBTRKT - Wonder Where We Land

SBTRKT has released a bunch of awesome singles off of his soon to drop album Wonder Where We Land. A couple of my personal favorites are “The Light” (feat. Denai Moore) and “Voices In My Head” (feat. A$AP Ferg). A$AP Ferg’s performance in “Voices In My Head” is one of his best yet and certainly worth a listen. -Aaron Slater, Concerts Committee 

https://soundcloud.com/sbtrkt/sbtrkt-voices-in-my-head-ft-asap-ferg

TRACK: Vince Staples - “Hands Up”

Hell Can Wait, dropping on October 7. -Charlie Dulik, Concerts Committee 

TRACK: FKA twigs - “Pendulum”

RIYL: James Blake, The Weeknd, Beyoncé

It’s about time everyone got on the FKA twigs bandwagon, (if you’re not already there). The British musician and performer released her first full-length album called LP1 this August, and the result is a sensual, dark, and magnetic experiment somewhere at the fringe of R&B, electronic, and pop music. Check out her larger-than-life single, “Pendulum” -Julia Welsh, Programming Director

TRACK: “Raat ka Nasha Abhi Aank Se Gaya Nahi”

Part of the soundtrack of the 2001 Bollywood movie Asoka, this song promises arouse your senses. The movie traces the early life of emperor Aoska who ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent in 3rd century BCE. It goes from gory battle scenes to the embracing of Buddhism. The gist of “Raat ka Nasha” is that the enchantment of the night has not left the heroine’s eyes (oooooooooooh dam). Check out the video if you like watching women dancing on a bamboo boat of sorts. -Aashna Aggarwal, Business Director

TRACK: The Box Tops - “The Letter”

Hard not to chant along to the lyrics of The Box Tops’ 1967 hit “The Letter” featured on the album The Letter/Neon Rainbow. Deep, rough vocals, constant hi-hat, and “aeroplane” sound effects have kept this one highly played in my library, even after nearly five decades. For further listening, ch-check out Joe Cocker’s cover. -Halley Lamberson, General Manager

TRACK: Julian Casablancas + The Voidz - “Human Sadness”

, opening with an atmospheric dissonance that quickly evolves into an irresistibly dance-y bass rift. Seven minutes in, the band whips out a guitar solo fit for

. For a less-seasoned musician, the track could have easily come off as indulgent, pretentious even, but Casablancas pulls it off with a blasé flick of the hair sure to make any Strokes fan swoon. -Dylan Otterbein, Music Director

ALBUM: LVL UP – Hoodwink’d (2014)

Label: Double Double Whammy, Drowning In Sound // Genre: lo-fi slacker rock // RIYL: Porches., Frankie Cosmos, Spook Houses, Built to Spill, Weezer, J Mascis, Real Estate, Alex G, Conroy Blanc // Best Tracks:  8, 9, 7, 6, 5, 12, 4, 13, 14 // Grade: B+

LVL UP have been bopping around the New York DIY since the release of their all caps, in your face debut, SPACE BROTHERS, back in 2011.  An impressively cohesive and catchy collection of demos and B-sides (available for free download on bandcamp!), SPACE BROTHERS  showcased short songs with fun names like

and “ *_* ”.  While their debut was full of light hearted, hard hitting teen spirit, their most recent release, Hoodwink’d, arrives as a more thoughtful and deliberate package, and is their first release on an official label.  LVL UP have shaved off some of their fuzz in favor of slower, sweeter and smarter songs in the vein of Double Double Whammy label-mates Porches. and Frankie Cosmos.  As always, LVL UP’s lyrics are deadpan and delightfully straightforward.  On the super short title track, Mike Caridi sings, “I think I need a soda and an order of fries / to get by”. Amen. Sonically, the band owes a lot to good ‘ol 90s lo-fi slacker rock, but then again, what *~*Brooklyn-based*~* band these days doesn’t.   It’s all about the art of the sophisticated steal—digesting the old and synthesizing it into something sort of new and creative—pulling off a well executed hoodwink, one might say. -Kate Leib, Creative Director / Social Media Manager

[bandcamp width=350 height=470 album=1513887654 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=f171a2 tracklist=false]

• Halley Lamberson rules WRMC with an iron fist and hosts a show called Punk n’ Funk 9-11 PM on Wednesday nights. 
• Eric Hass pushes buttons and makes noise Tuesday nights 10-11:30 PM on Kicks and Snares: The Reckoning.
• Dylan Otterbein thinks Paul Westerberg is god.
• Kate Leib likes bands that try hard to sound like they don’t try hard.
• Chad Clemens is MIA.  No, not like

, he’s actually missing. Let us know if you see him around.

You can find these people plus the rest of the WRMC general board in the station lounge every Monday at 5 pm.