Thank U

To everyone who reads or somehow stumbles onto this blog, thank you for the support in one way or another. This started initially as a project for a course that I was participating in, and while the intent was to continue with this blog, the subject matter has become inconsistent with my own interests now. I have moved on to another project, one in which will hopefully succeed even thought it's only consistent subject will be me, and what I am thinking and wanting to write. Gulp. Again, thank you for stumbling on to THE GAMUT. I love you, complete strangers.

A

Album Review | Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city

“I am a sinner who's probably gonna sin again” raps Kendrick Lamar on the second track from his album good kid, m.A.A.d city. It’s a line that sets the tone for Lamar’s second full-length record; a record that details the life, troubles and guilt Lamar experienced growing up in Compton, California.

With the release of his critically-acclaimed independent record Section.80 last year – a concept album inspired by the works of Tupac Shakur – Lamar set the foundation for his sound on good. Now on his first major label release, Lamar creates a motion picture with music, an autobiography of the things he’s witnessed and seen in the life he’s built leading up to the release of the record.

Podcast | Album Review | Perfume Genius: Put Your Back N 2 It

(Stereogum/Photo)

In this third five minute podcast from The Gamut's Aristotle Eliopoulos, we'll be reviewing the album from Seattle based musician Perfume Genius, the moniker of artist Mike Hadreas. In this second, more polished album titled Put Your Back N 2 It, released on Matador Records, Hadreas creates an intimate and subtle sophomore. Listen to the review below!

You can listen to and download the episode below!

Alternative Download Link


Show Notes

00:01 - Introduction and welcome

00:33 - Mike Hadreas as Perfume Genius

01:12 - The sound of Put Your Back N 2 It

02:12 - Hadreas' openness as a musician

03:02 - Standout tracks

• "Sister Song"
• "No Tear"
• "Normal Song"
• "Hood"

03:57 - Ambition lost

04:23 - Concluding remarks and star rating

04:36 - How to subscribe and comment

(Luke Gilford/Slutever)

WATCH: Perfume Genius | "Hood"

Articles Cited

1) Barton, Laura. "Perfume Genius: 'I've Learned Not to Trust Myself'" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 16 Feb. 2012. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/feb/16/perfume-genius-mike-hadreas>.

2) Slutever, Karley. "Radically Transparent." Slutever. Slutever, 5 Mar. 2012. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. <http://slutever.com/radically-transparent/>.

"The Gamut" introduction music created by Aristotle Eliopoulos, in GarageBand.

Podcast | Album Review | Trust: TRST

(Arts & Crafts)

In this second five minute podcast from The Gamut's Aristotle Eliopoulos, we'll be listening to the new debut from buzzing Toronto based band Trust, titled TRST, released on independent Canadian label, Arts & Crafts.

You can listen to and download the new podcast episode below!

Alternative Download Link

Show Notes

00:01 - Introduction and welcome

00:30 - What do we know about the band Trust?

01:17 - Trust and their inspirations on TRST

01:50 - TRST as an album

03:03 - Standout tracks

• "Dressed for Space"
• "Bulbform"
• "Candy Walls"
• "Heaven"

04:03 - Concluding Remarks and star rating

04:26 - How to suscribe and next podcast episode

(Arts & Crafts/National Post)

WATCH: Trust | "Candy Walls"

Articles Cited

1) Arrazola, Luis-Enrique. "Trust: 'It's the Sound of Rats Running up A mountain'"National Post. Postmedia Network Inc., 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2012. <http://arts.nationalpost.com/2012/03/01/trust-its-the-sound-of-rats-running-up-a-mountain/>.

2) Ritchie, Kevin. "Trust: Local Duo Emerges from the Jaze with New LP." NOW Magazine. NOW Communications Inc., 1 Mar. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2012. <http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/story.cfm?content=185482>.

3) Miller, Aaron. "Trust TRST AC068." Arts & Crafts. Arts & Crafts Biography. Web. 17 Mar. 2012. <http://www.arts-crafts.ca/artists/pdf/TRUST_BIO.pdf>.

"The Gamut" introduction music created by Aristotle Eliopoulos, in GarageBand.

Podcast | Album Review | Grimes: Visions

(Stereogum/photo)

In this first five minute podcast from The Gamut's Aristotle Eliopoulos, we'll be reviewing - and even deconstructing - the third studio album Visions from Montreal based artist Grimes, released on independent label 4AD.

You can listen to and download the episode below!

Alternative Download Link

Show Notes

00:01 - Introduction and welcome

00:31 - Who is Grimes

01:07 - Grimes in the "post-internet"genre, internet as inspiration

01:44 - Visions as an album

02:41 - Standout tracks

• "Eight"
• "Vowels = Space and Time"
• "Be a Body"

03:46 - What is Visions about

04:30 - Concluding Remarks and star rating

(John Londono/Rodeo)

WATCH: Grimes | "Oblivion"

Articles Cited

1) Aguirre, Abby. "Out of This World." The New York Times Style Magazine. The New York Times Company, 18 Aug. 2011. Web. 07 Mar. 2012. <http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/18/out-of-this-world/>.

2) Battan, Carrie. "Rising: Grimes." Pitchfork Media. Pitchfork Media, Inc., 16 Oct. 2011. Web. 07 Mar.   2012. <http://pitchfork.com/features/rising/8689-grimes/>.

"The Gamut" introduction music created by Aristotle Eliopoulos, in GarageBand.

Interview This! | Sam Roberts

Check out my interview with Sam Roberts in the annual magazine from The Medium. Click here to read!

Album Review | The Ting Tings – Sounds from Nowheresville

You might have heard of The Ting Tings, you've just never heard of The Ting Tings. In 2008, their single “Shut and Let Me Go” became one of those songs that appeared in iPod commercials, movies, television and even got the band a coveted gig on Saturday Night Live. It became one of those songs you'd hear at the mall, the grocery store, maybe that odd time you went to your local dollar store, and you kind of just knew it, but you never really asked who sung it.

Crossing the Border | Rihanna: Talk That Talk

Even though this blog's main focus is independent music and artists, every now and then I'll deviate from my blog's goal to talk about types of music that I'm enjoying on the other side of the music spectrum; music that's been labelled as "top 40's" or "commercial." Crossing the Border is exactly that, music on the other side of the indie wall that despite being popular, is still nevertheless good. This week, I'm discussing a not-so guilty pleasure of mine, Rihanna's newest album, Talk That Talk.

Leave it to Rihanna to seize an opportunity. With most of her female pop peers at a loss to provide new singles for hungry radio listeners, Rihanna strikes with Talk That Talk, her sixth studio album in six years and an album providing enough radio filler to keep the masses happy during this pop music drought.

The first single “We Found Love,” a glitzy, Calvin Harris-produced track, and the album's best song, hardly features Rihanna singing. It's chorus, a bubbling instrumental club beat that bursts with a clash into a island-infused dance riff, makes it clear what Talk That Talk is all about: a haven for producers to strut their stuff. With material from big names like Dr. Luke, StarGate, Cirkut, Bangladesh, and the already-familiar Calvin Harris, Talk is a record tailor-made for producers to shows off their best beats.

Album Review | The Big Pink: Future This

It seemed unlikely that Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell of The Big Pink would fall victim to “the sophomore slump.” Given that the duo's excellent, critically acclaimed debut album, A Brief History of Love was packed with gargantuan choruses and stellar production, Furze and Cordell's second album should've been hard to top, but not impossible given the duo's proven talent. In the Big Pink's second album, Future This, Furze and Cordell disregard what worked well in A Brief History to create an album of inferior quality, something that appears as a cheap imitation of their past work.

On Future, none of Furze and Cordell's hooks explode with the same poignancy or strength as their prior songs. The lyrics of love lost and broken hearts that really resonated with listeners in A Brief History are replaced in Future with lyrics about staying grounded and strong; a positivity that radiates in some of the best stadium rock. However, without the big sound The Big Pink initially created for themselves in their debut, the lyrics sound hackneyed and cliché, preachy rather than inspirational, and even ironic considering it seems the duo lacked their own inspiration when writing these lyrics.

Teachables | How to Discover New Independent Musicians (And Never Download a Song to Your Computer Again)

I've been telling you guys about some great independent pop music -- and that's all cool and stuff, but what's that saying: "Teach someone to fish and you'll feed them for a lifetime." Well, I've decided I'm gonna teach you to fish, and by "fish" I mean I'm gonna teach you how to find some great music on your own. Also, how archaic is that saying? If anything, I would teach you how to use a phone. So you could learn to order a pizza. And then get fat. Then eat more pizza. Circle of life.

NOW, I'm not trying to be preachy. I just decided it would be cool to share with you guys my favourite way to discover new independent bands and artists. Obviously, there is no perfect method to discover new independent musicians, but this is probably the best/easiest way to do so. In my opinion.

This also works for finding great music as a whole. Including non-independent artists. NOW HAVE I GOT YOUR ATTENTION?!

Hear This! | Five Great Independent Canadian Artists (You're Just Not Listening To)

I'm a lot of things: student, writer, blogger... domestic goddess - but what you might not know about me is that for a very long time, I've been a DJ at CFRE Radio; the radio station located within the University of Toronto at Mississauga Student Centre. It's a pretty cool gig, and while I'm currently taking a break from doing my show (it's one of THOSE semesters where you have A BILLION THINGS to do and no time), one of the things people always ask who are interested in starting their own radio show is:

"Do you just play, like, whatever you want?"

A good question.

Music Party Games! | Soundtracking Your Own Revenge Fantasy

I recently listened to an audio clip from actress, producer, writer, comedian and future wife Mindy Kaling's new book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (available November 1, 2011). In the audiobook excerpt posted online, Kaling talks about how the only way she can motivate herself to exercise is to create elaborate revenge fantasies in her mind while running on her treadmill.

Rising | Three Indie Chicks You'll be Hearing in 2012 (If the World Doesn't End)

We all know now that the world WILL NOT end in 2012. Contrary to popular belief, the earth WILL NOT be splitting open, there will be NO fiery chasms in the middle of Toronto's streets, John Cusack's screams WILL NOT be the soundtrack to the end of the world, and giant computer generated tidal waves WILL NOT be knocking out any monastery's or lone monks waiting for death ANY TIME SOON.

You can all relax.

Hear This! | Five Tracks to Make You Forget Fall is Here

I've started watching the television show 90210 on Netflix. And I'm hooked. While I wish I could say it's the Tori Spelling version, it's not. It's the flashy new version with the kids who are basically falling apart at The Beach Club because high school is super hard and living in gorgeous Malibu weather doesn't make life any easier.

In fairness, I figured out why I'm watching it.

Album Review | St. Vincent: Strange Mercy

PLAY: St. Vincent | "Chloe in the Afternoon"

The cover for St. Vincent's new album Strange Mercy – a milky white latex-looking sheet stretched thin over the mouth of a screaming model; possibly St. Vincent herself, the moniker of Texas native Annie Clark – dances closely to the edge of obscurity. 


However, after I finished listening to the album, I realized the image is actually quite telling of Clarke's music. It captures the sonic tension and conflict that encompasses the sound of Strange Mercy.