All That Music & Video

Bloody Beetroots
Thursday October 28th, 2010
at Club 101  (1148 Airway)
Line at 8pm / starts at 9pm
$27 (advance)

Close your eyes and imagine, if you will, the bastard son of the Misfits and Daft Punk. As gruesome as the act of conceptionmay appear, the union would generate the most grandiose of offspring. A formidable force, not unlike the Bloody Beetroots.

Bloody Beetroots is a worldwide phenomenon under which the producer and dj Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo operates. In the Beetroots live sets and dj-sets, Sir Bob avails himself of the services of Tommy Tea.

“I am an overgrown child who loves Seventies comics, still nurtures the occasional dreams and listens to punk and classical music,” says Sir Bob. In line with Bob’s comic book mentality, the Beetroots story is awash with demons, alter egos and parallel universes. Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo, born in 1977, began playing classical music when he was a kid, but was soon affected by other influences: the raw energy of punk and rockabilly, the intense, outrageous imagery of comic artists such as Magnus and Benito Jacovitti and, above all, Tanino Liberatore, the inventor of Rank Xerox. Done with Chopin, Beethoven and Debussy, Bob turned his attention to producing a noise that combined samples and electronic with eighties punk and new wave. A decade of no-holds-barred experimentation ensued.

And so it was that Rifo founded the Bloody Beetroots, his electronic alter ego, recording 45 remixes and countless world tours in 3 years.

The project officially began in December 2006 and in the space of a few weeks became one of the most discussed and downloaded phenomenon on blogs around the world, universally acknowledged as an ongoing revelation in a state of constant explosion. This attracted the immediate attention of Etienne De Crecy and Alex Gopher, the first to commission remixes.

Bloody Beetroots aka Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo released a biblical flood of productions. The amount of remixes conceived by this producer is truly over the top. His music began to gain ground in popular culture. His tracks found their way into several episodes of C.S.I. Miami and best-selling video games of the ilk of Fifa ’09, Nba 2009, Need For Speed Pro Street and Need For Speed NITRO. Quite an achievement.

In 2007, Bob got signed to the U.S. label, Dim Mak, the brainchild of Steve Aoki. The first releases were the EP’s Rombo (2008), Cornelius (2008) and Warp Feat. Steve Aoki (2009). Warp and Cornelius made it into the iTunes Top Ten Albums Chart. Rifo and Aoki have recently formed a hardcore punk band called Rifoki, produced by Giulio Favero of ZU, due for release in 2010. Cornelius is an unusual opus, combining fashion, cinema and literature in a tribute to British science fiction writer Michael Moorcock and his antihero Jerry Cornelius. The video, conceived by Rifo and directed by Mathieu Danet has had over 1.500,000 views on the internet.

The quest of Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo a.k.a. The Bloody Beetroots continues in 2009 with the release of an album, “Romborama”, with appearances by The Cool Kids ,Vicarious Bliss, Justin Pearson from The Locust and many more. The album incorporates all musical genres from pop, punk, electro, acid and hip hop to classical music, house and techno. The cover was designed by Tanino Liberatore who has been Sir Bob’s idol since he was a little boy. “Tanino changed my way of looking at thing when I was a boy. He trashed my innocence when I was eight,” says Rifo.

“Christmas Vendetta” the first spare of “Romborama” have already reached the top ten on the iTunes chart.

2010 will be the year for a further improvement of the whole project… Bloody Beetroots is being integrated and fomented by “Death Crew 77”, a revolutionary and anarchic “army” leaded by Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo. The project is clear headed and visionary at the same time; it promotes the artistic exchange between Bloody Beetroots and their fan base, with the aim of creating a huge anarchic creative community. The strengthen of this initiative is the “The Bloody Beetroots Live” in which Bob Rifo, supported by two faithful lieutenants, will be perform live his studio compositions.

History shows us how bold and non-conformist artistic events, like the first performance of Stravinski’s “Rites of Spring” in 1913 or the famous Public Image Ltd show at the Ritz in New York in 1981, can provoke unrest and discontent. Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo tends to inspire similar revolutionary zeal, albeit with a party flavour.

There is revolt out there and we’re all invited.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Foals “Total Life Forever”
After Foals scrapped the mix of their debut, Antidotes, by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, it was clear that they were a band that was interested in creating their own sound. That sentiment may be why their follow-up, Total Life Forever, sounds more like a reaction to their first record than a continuation of it. Many of the elements that drove Foals into the spotlight in the first place are definitely still in place. There’s plenty of cascading, Minus the Bear-style guitar work and funky Talking Heads influence in their math-pop-meets-the-dancefloor rhythms. What’s missing is the edge. Total Life Forever is considerably more subdued than its predecessor, lacking much of the uptempo thump found on Antidotes. In its place is a mellower, more spacious sound. While this new sound is still danceable, it’s far more refined than the angular post-punk riffing that fans might be expecting. Right from the beginning, the album-opening, “Blue Blood” makes it clear that Foals are taking a different, more patient approach to songwriting, letting the song build and build on itself as it methodically works itself into a frenzy before leaving the way it came in. Because of the changes here, fans of the early, pre-Antidotes singles may find Total Life Forever to be too restrained, lacking the youthful vigor of their debut. Where some see restraint, others may very well see refinement, and those who appreciated Antidotes‘ more spacy passages will find that Foals’ reinvention of their sound is a calculated risk that definitely pays off. -All Music Guide

Arcade Fire “The Suburbs”
Montreal’s Arcade Fire successfully avoided the sophomore slump with 2007’s apocalyptic Neon Bible. Heavier and more uncertain than their near perfect, darkly optimistic 2004 debut, the album aimed for the nosebleed section and left a red mess. Having already fled the cold comforts of suburbia on Funeral and suffered beneath the weight of the world on Neon Bible, it seems fitting that a band once so consumed with spiritual and social middle-class fury, should find peace “under the overpass in the parking lot.” If nostalgia is just pain recalled, repaired, and resold, then The Suburbs is its sales manual. Inspired by brothers Win and William Butler’s suburban Houston, TX upbringing, the 16-track record plays out like a long lost summer weekend, with the jaunty but melancholy KinksBowie-esque title cut serving as its bookends. Meticulously paced and conservatively grand, fans looking for the instant gratification of past anthems like “Wake Up” or “Intervention” will find themselves reluctantly defending The Suburbs upon first listen, but anyone who remembers excitedly jumping into a friend’s car on a sleepy Friday night armed with heartache, hope, and no agenda knows that patience is key. Multiple spins reveal a work that’s as triumphant and soul-slamming as it is sentimental and mature. At its most spirited, like on “Empty Room,” “Rococo,” “City with No Children,” “Half Light II (No Celebration),” “We Used to Wait,” and the glorious Régine Chassagne-led “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains),” the latter of which threatens to break into Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” at any moment, Arcade Fire makes the suburbs feel positively electric. Quieter moments reveal a changing of the guard, as Win trades in the Springsteen-isms of Neon Bible for Neil Young on “Wasted Hours,” and the ornate rage of Funeral for the simplicity of a line like “Let’s go for a drive and see the town tonight/There’s nothing do, but I don’t mind when I’m with you,” from album highlight “Suburban War.” The Suburbs feels like Richard Linklater’s Dazed & Confused for the Y generation. It’s serious without being preachy, cynical without dissolving into apathy, and whimsical enough to keep both sentiments in line, and of all of their records, it may be the one that ages so well.
-All Music GuideShawn Lee “Sing A Song”
Producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lee doesn’t like to remain in the same musical territory for long. His lifetime fascinations with hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, pop, and psychedelia have taken him to some interesting places over the course of 13 albums. Along with his wide-ranging musical interests, the notion of collaboration has also been a large factor in his development. Sing a Song, while not a direct follow-up, revisits some of the themes explored on 2009′s Soul in the Hole. Where that recording featured some collaborations, primarily with singers, Sing a Song is almost a complete set of collaborations with singers and musicians — the exceptions are the Laurel Canyon-inspired folk meets Sunset Strip sunshine pop of “I’ll Just Wait a While” and the finger-popping tripped-out doo wop of “Swimming Pool.” One of the things this set proves is that Lee can add “singer” to his résumé. Check out the opener, “Shut Up and Learn,” a Memphis cum psychedelic soul-inspired duet with Orgone‘s fantastic frontwoman, Fanny Franklin. Lee‘s falsetto can actually hang with Franklin‘s open-throated R&B wail. “It Takes Two” features former Motown songwriter and recording artist Marcus Malone. The original song the two penned is worthy of Malone‘s heritage at the Detroit label. “Who Are You?,” with Bing Ji Ling of the Phenomenal Handclap Band, is a funky reggae-flavored number with a Latin tinge. Other standouts include a new version of “Fading Light,” where Lee collaborates with Lord Large and Robert Bradley (an earlier version of the cut appeared on a LL disc), a slippery nocturnal groover called “Older” with Miles Bonney (which may be the set’s finest track), and the humorous steamy hip-hop soul of “Christopher Walken on Sunshine” with Princess Superstar. While not as groundbreaking as some of Lee‘s other recordings, Sing a Song is consistent, full of pleasant surprises, and the perfect record for hot summer nights. -All Music Guide

Popularity: 1% [?]

Marina & The Diamonds “The Family Jewels”

Popularity: 3% [?]

Although recorded in late 2008, Gorilla Manor wasn’t released until 14 months later, allowing Local Natives the chance to build a strong blog buzz before their debut hit American shores. The delay wasn’t entirely beneficial, however, as Gorilla Manor sounds quite similar to a number of albums that flourished in the interim. Local Natives’ sunny harmonies call to mind Fleet Foxes’ debut and Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest, while the band’s polyphonic hand percussion — which, at its most frenzied, is almost tribal-sounding — evokes memories of Yeasayer’s All Hour Cymbals. For all its familiarity, though, Local Natives’ first album is still an enjoyable piece of work, filled with enough pop melodies and multicultural quirks to make the yearlong holdup fairly worthwhile. The band pitches itself somewhere between the post-punk camp and Afro-beat village, with the musicians often yelping their verses in multi-part harmony before barreling into Technicolor choruses. Matt Frazier’s percussion is sharp, crisp, and always in the foreground, often assuming as much importance as the vocals themselves, while the album’s production — courtesy of the bandmates themselves, along with fellow Silver Lake resident Raymond Richards — stretches a layer of pan-ethnic atmosphere over all 12 tracks, a move that bridges any gaps in the young group’s songwriting. Local Natives may have arrived several months late for their own party, but Gorilla Manor is a refreshing example of good quality trumping bad timing.
Here’s a live version of their song “Wide Eyes”

Popularity: 3% [?]

Here’s a new artist that I recently came across that I felt would be worth sharing.

About Tinashe, in his own words.

I was originally shipped over from Zimbabwe so I could eventually grow to become a doctor/lawyer and wire money back home via Western Union, that didn’t go so well… I blame/thank MJ.

I smiled & nodded to avoid bullying over my African accent at school until the Eastenders elocution lessons started to pay off… I can now slip in between both rather seamlessly… I grew up in Hackney. I will always be a Hackney boy but I’m enjoying being in a state of flux. Life is bigger than London.

I’m currently more in love with my guitar than I have ever been. I make guitar music. I am not ashamed to say l love pop music. That’s what its all about for me. Good music fuelled by the world around me.

Popularity: 4% [?]

YEASAYER “ODD BLOOD”

Don’t judge a book by its cover…or an album by its first track. Odd Blood gets off to an odd start with “The Children” — a robotic, plodding song that prizes mood over melody — before settling into a more balanced groove, mixing the multicultural sounds of Yeasayer‘s debut with a new emphasis on electronica, global trip-hop, and digital production. Like All Hour Cymbals, this is a thinking man’s album, one that requires its listeners to put on their thinking caps as well as their dancing shoes. It’s more urban than its predecessor, though, with most songs ditching the tribal harmonies and lo-fi analog ambience of the band’s earlier work in favor of an electric, textured sound. “Love Me Girl,” with its mix of Balearic beat keyboards and sampled female vocals, could have come from an Ibiza nightclub, while “Madder Red” strikes an unlikely balance between synth pop, Middle Eastern folk, and ‘80s dance music. Anand Wilder often abandons his guitar entirely, focusing instead on the keyboards that serve as Odd Blood’s bedrock, and he sings the latter song in a voice that’s clear, pleasant, and devoid of the yelping that characterized some of All Hour Cymbals’ tracks. Chris Keating has similarly improved, so much so that he delivers a rather stunning ballad — the Air-influenced “I Remember” — with warmth and understated confidence. Odd Blood’s emphasis on genre-mashing can overwhelm the weaker tunes, whose melodies are sometimes less interesting than the arrangements themselves, but the album has enough highlights to outweigh any filler on side B. All in all, this is a rare sophomore album that widens the band’s sound without narrowing its appeal.

An enticing blend of twee indie pop hooks and crisp electronic beats in the style first perfected by Saint Etienne‘s Foxbase Alpha, Little Dragon are a showcase for Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano, a mainstay of the European downtempo and lounge scenes. Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, Nagano first broke through in 2000 and 2001 as the singer on several singles by Swell Session, the project fronted by Swedish DJ and producer Andreas Saag. She later sang lead on the club hits “Summer Sun” and “Bright Nights” for the Swedish electronica duo Koop, as well as Hird‘s house singles “Keep You Kimi” and “I Love You My Hope,” along with several contributions to the acid jazz collective Stateless‘ 2003 album Art of No State and the stylistically similar Sleepwalker‘s 2006 album The Voyage. Little Dragon, by way of contrast, are Nagano‘s own band, featuring keyboardist Hakan Wirenstrand, bassist Fredrik Kallgren Wallin, and drummer Erik Bodin. Bodin is also the percussionist for Swedish alt-folkie José González; in fact, Nagano sings harmony vocals on González‘s second album, In Our Nature. Little Dragon debuted in 2006 with the “Test” single, on the Scandinavian label Off the Wall. The following year, Little Dragon signed with the larger British indie Peacefrog Records (Nouvelle Vague, etc.) for their self-titled debut album. Machine Dreams, showing flashes of new wave inspiration, followed in 2009.

Vanity Fair had released an article regarding El Paso and it’s thriving music scene.

The article is available in it’s entirety HERE in case you missed it.

Popularity: 21% [?]

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THANK YOU!

Hello All That Music & Video Customers.  We’d like to thank you for making “Record Store Day” a success.  It was a great day, and it was wonderful to see & visit with many old friends and customers!  Thank also to the El Paso Times and the great article on Record Store Day.  If you missed it-click HERE.

We also appreciate your patience during our remodeling phase.  We are still adding a few finishing touches to make our store look the best it can be.  Stay tuned for more great merchandise and sales.  Thank you for your business.  We appreciate you!

Popularity: 23% [?]