Jam Sampler

I haven't had much time to explore new music lately. I've been spending eight hours a day in the New York Public Library doing research for my thesis, and then on top of that I have my sleeping disorder to deal with. Ever since my buddies Bob and Bob invited me to OiNK, the Mecca of unscrupulous music nerds, I've downloaded about 80GB of music but only listened to about 5% of it. I'll never know why I got the entire Art of Noise discography or those embarrasing Butthole Surfers albums, just like I'll never know why I don't delete them. Maybe one day I'll want to listen to Pioughd? Luckily, I decided to give the recent Hot Chip-curated installment of the "DJ Kicks" series a listen based mainly on my love for Coming on Strong and The Warning. Aside from a great new Hot Chip song called "My Piano," the mix's best song IMHO is "Nite Moves" by Grovesnor (a.k.a. Hot Chip ex-drummer Rob Smoughton). It's smooth yet emotionally charged, resignedly nostalgic and angrily confused at the same time. Bizarrely, it works equally well as a sexy make out jam and as post break-up cry-along in a way that reminds me of (gasp!) Hall & Oates.

Grovesnor - "Nite Moves"


I've also really been digging the new Black Moth Super Rainbow album, Dandelion Gum. Along with recent albums by Caribou, Four Tet, and Fujiya & Miyagi, Dandelion Gum testifies to the glory that was Krautrock. "Rollerdisco" has Neu! and Can written all over it, but with a hint of shoegaze guitar fuzz thrown in.

Black Moth Super Rainbow - "Rollerdisco"