Special Presentation // Rioux Interview

Photo: Sophia Le Fraga

If you're a close observer of what I said when "I'm on an indefinite hiatus with my blog", I said I wasn't done with this thing forever. And this interview that I cut together is proof positive that I'm not done yet.

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I recorded the following interview with a dear friend of mine, Erin Rioux, a few weeks back. He records and performs under his last name, pronounced "Ree-you". Rioux produces psychedelic electronic music that toes the line between the complexity of LA beat guys (Flying Lotus, Shlomo) and accessible pop nuggets.

Rioux released Come On All On You Ghosts earlier this summer which is available for free download at his Facebook page. A remix album is on the way as is a show "to be announced" at the end of September. Stay tuned to Rioux.fm for more details on all of that.

I cut together this interview as more of an introduction to Erin and his music, rather than an exhaustive discourse, with the hopes of making it a musical entity onto itself. I'm not sure if I will make this a regular thing but I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for listening.

Last And Final Announcement Of Saying "Hold On"

As Nardwuar would say, "Keep On Rockin' In The Free World and doot dootla -- doot doo" // Photo Credit: Darryl Dyck

Hey folks.

It's been eerily quiet on this blog as of late, something I'm all too aware of. I'm not dead.

As of today, the Hate Your Answering Machine blog is on an "indefinite hiatus." Ever since moving to the city, navigating myself to a job at ABC News and just living life, I haven't been able to devote as much time as I would like to coming up something new and interesting to share with you everyday. What does this mean exactly? Simply put, I won't really be posting much to this space in the immediate future - save for the more long form documentary projects that come down the line.

Thanks for all the support and clicks over the past two years. Check back here every once in a while, you just might find something new.

Japandroids // Celebration Rock

The Answering Machine Messages are a mini-podcast that wittily connects big ideas and personal experiences to the biggest release of the week. These messages are a "reading" of a piece of music, not reviews per se. The podcast airs every week on Chicago Public Radio's Vocalo.org at 7 PM EST.

Note: I know it's been quiet on the blog this week and last. I apologize for that. Don't worry, Wilco still loves you baby.

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The Vancouver punk-rock duo Japandroids released their second full length last week via Polyvinyl Records called Celebration Rock. The record is a call to action that is hard to deny, just what action depends on how you spent your teenage years. You'll see what I mean once you give "The House That Heaven Built" listen. I still have the refrain, "Tell 'em all to go hell!", stuck in my head.

In this week's podcast I link the strange nostalgia I feel when listening to Japandroids and how it's absurd to long for a period in your life you still don't have a grasp on. Lastly, I touch on the age old question of how do you square with a record that you isn't actively made for you? I'm gesturing towards the unending sense of angst that's blatantly in the lyrics of guitarist and singer Brian King. So my question is, if you didn't experience a similar "displaced sense of angst" growing up in some suburb, would this music relate to you?


All the answers and more in my latest answering machine message on Celebration Rock:

 


Listen to "The House That Heaven Built" and "Younger Us" after the jump:

Weekly Annotations // May 29

Sun Kil Moon

The Weekly Annotations series highlights the releases I think will make the most waves. Only there's no blurb or actual reason to like the song. So listen away, judge later. Call it context-free listening.

Welcome to the next week in music. As I did last week, posted below is a YouTube playlist of what I'm listening to this week.

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Joey Ramone // ...ya know?

The Answering Machine Messages are a mini-podcast that wittily connects big ideas and personal experiences to the biggest release of the week. These messages are a "reading" of a piece of music, not reviews per se. The podcast airs every week on Chicago Public Radio's Vocalo.org at 7 PM EST.

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I remember going to Graceland when I was a kid. The former home Elvis Presley is now surrounded by strip malls and memorabilia shops. At some point you'd have to wonder, if dead rock stars came back to life to see how they are memorialized in waking life - would they be disappointed? You'd have to say 'yes' to every instance.

From the pages of Kurt Cobain's diary being published to the Parisian grave of Jim Morrison, it's just embarrassing when you think about it. There's nothing left but the idea of a memory. Posthumous releases of unfinished songs are no different than these embarrassing shrines to the immortal rock stars we'll never forget.

Today sees the release of one of those 'posthumous releases'. The album is called ...ya know? by the late great Joey Ramone, former lead singer of the trailblazing punk rock group The Ramones. Mind you this is Joey's second proper release since his death in 2001.


Listen to the message I left for ...ya know?:

   


Listen to the single, "Rock And Roll Is The Answer" after the jump:

Weekly Annotatins // May 22

Avant pop-star Kimbra, photo source: Idolator

The Weekly Annotations series highlights the releases I think will make the most waves. Only with no blurb or actual reason to like the song. So listen away, judge later. Call it context-free listening.

Welcome to the next week in music. I decided to just post the YouTube playlist directly in the post versus each individual video. So there's that, watch accordingly.

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My Bloody Valentine // 2012 Reissues

The Answering Machine Messages are a mini-podcast that wittily connects big ideas and personal experiences to the biggest release of the week. These messages are a "reading" of a piece of music, not reviews per se. The podcast airs every week on Chicago Public Radio's Vocalo.org at 7 PM EST.

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The most famous, 'quietly loud' pop recordings, the My Bloody Valentine catalog, saw a proper reissue this week. The reissues include Loveless, Isn't Anything, and a compilation of the EP's. It's massive but long overdue.

In this week's podcast, I discuss what is truly at stake when a famous piece of pop music is remastered.


Listen to the message I left for the My Bloody Valentine reissues below:

  

After the jump, watch the video for "Only Swallow" and a lengthy interview with Kevin Shields below.

Weekly Annotations // May 8

The Weekly Annotations series highlights the releases I think will make the most waves. Only with no blurb or actual reason to like the song. So listen away, judge later. Call it context-free listening.

Welcome to the next week in muzak. As I did last week here is a YouTube playlist if you want to listen continuously.

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Damon Albarn: Dr Dee via Virgin

S. Carey: Hoyas via Jagjaguwar

   

My Bloody Valentine: Loveless, Isn't Anything, EP's 1988-1991 Reissues via Sony

Here We Go Magic: A Different Ship via Secretly Canadian

Father John Misty // Fear Fun

The Answering Machine Messages are a mini-podcast that wittily connects big ideas and personal experiences to the biggest release of the week. These messages are a "reading" of a piece of music, not reviews per se. The podcast airs every Tuesday on Chicago Public Radio's Vocalo.org at 7 PM EST.

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Former Fleet Foxes drummer, J. Tillman released his debut under the Father John Misty moniker a few days back on Sub Pop. The album is entitled Fear Fun and includes credits from Sub Pop resident producer Phil Ek.

On this week's message I compare how the change of Tillman's stage name has more to do with his change of location than it does the simple fact he has left Fleet Foxes for greener pastures.


Listen to the message I left for Father John Misty's Fear Fun below:

   

Read the transcription of the message after the jump:

Weekly Annotations // April 30

Santigold

Okay. And we're back.

Today marks the first thing I've posted about in too many weeks. I've decided to tweak the output of what I do with my blog. I'm going to keep posting the Weekly Annotations and Answering Machine Messages series on Monday and Tuesday respectively. 

Here's where the change comes in. The remaining days of the week will be comprised of the two of the following; a selection of one of the regular series and more micro-blogging. What I mean by the selection of a series I would normally write on would be if say a music video really provokes a strong response or if a Top-40 song is so ridiculous, it's just plain good. And the whole micro-blogging thing would include directing you to bits of the internet I find and giving a focused insight of what I think about it. 

If you haven't already, you should follow my Facebook and Twitter accounts, that's where I'll be blogging more concisely. Does this all make sense? Hope so. 

Oh and by the way, I have some other ideas of how to curate content for my blog. Perhaps tapping some friends on the shoulder with a music related question or something like that. The only thing, blogger cliches aside, I don't have many friends in the city. You would too moving to a city without knowing anyone. So I'll keep you posted on how that all turns out. 

So without further ado, we will resume our regularly scheduling digital programming with the Weekly Annotations for tomorrow's batch of new releases. I've also made a playlist on my YouTube page with all of the videos if you want to stream/listen continuously. 

The Weekly Annotations series highlights the releases I think will make the most waves. Only with no blurb or actual reason to like the song. So listen away, judge later. Call it context-free listening.

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Santigold: Master Of Make-Believe via Downtown/Atlantic

Father John Misty: Fear Fun via Sub Pop

Light Asylum: Light Asylum via Mexican Summer

Norah Jones: Little Broken Hearts via Blue Note

Kwes: Meantime via Warp

Lower Dens: Nootropics via Ribbon Music

  

Tune in tomorrow to hear me go in depth on Father John Misty's "debut" LP.