All up in your weekend.

It's Friday. You made it. Give yourself a hug.
Four day weeks can be tough. You've got to make sure they don't sneak attack you and try to fit five full days into four. It happens. It's not your fault. But now it's time for pizza. It's time for drinking margaritas and other various white trash recreational drinks (who has time to sit around and wait for beer to get them drunk---and bloated?!) It's time for bad movies (anyone like terrible romantic comedies?) Most importantly it's time to listen to some good music....good, relaxing, interesting music that you can focus on or leave on in the background.......

So Opsvik & Jennings is what I recommend. I've been listening to the three mp3s on their website for about a month, since their ad on Pitchfork caught my eye. The artwork is beautiful (see above), and immediately told me there had to be something Scandinavian going on (I've grown wise to your tricks, Scandinavian designers!). Sure enough Ospvik & Jennings is a duo of an Oslo Underground jazz scenester and an Oklahoma backwoods guitarist. It's great stuff. I'm sure most people would go the easy route and compare them to the Books...so for the uninitiated/uninformed their music may remind you of the Books. However, I'm hearing something a little further than that...It reminds me of some of the acoustic treatment that Alog used on their recent album Miniatures, and some of the simpler more minimal tones that could be found on Mileece's debut on Leaf. There's an ample understanding of analog and digital, and quite honestly that's my ultimate sweet tooth.

On their website, I found that they linked to Smalltown Supersound, Rune Grammofon, Lo Recordings, and the Leaf Label....that's pretty much all I need to read to know that these guys are keeping it real. So, I just ordered their album. I need to hear what else these guys are up to. I'll give an even fuller report when I get that. I suggest you go pick it up yourself.
Order here.

Here's some tunes for your hopefully enjoyable weekend...

Opsvik & Jennings:
Aaron's Hat
Thread
Self

man oh man oh man

I have to holler real quick about this track from The National Trust.
Apparently, it's off of their new album, Kings and Queens, that's coming out soon on Thrill Jockey.

And it sounds like roller skating in Miami in 1987.

The National Trust - Its Just Cruel

It really doesn't sound anything like their old record, and it says they worked with some producers who work with Britney Spears and R. Kelly. Hot damn.

oh dood

Posted today at Moka's. Go check it out.
And now, a bonus round for the loyal readers...Bent Leg Fatima - Cup and Saucer (excerpt)
Bent Leg Fatima - A Sort of Seamless Suite

Now, here's a record I can't quit listening to. Bent Leg Fatima is a band that went on to become Need New Body and I suppose Icy Demons as well. Two bands very near and dear to my heart. Their only record came out on File 13 (formerly of my hometown, Little Rock); home to many underestimated releases of the past handful of years (see Need New Body, National Skyline, Antarctica, or even Thumbnail). Their sound is far removed from the latter day chaotic nonsense fun times of NNB; more along the lines of something like Gastr del Sol, some good ol' Krautrock, and maybe even Olivia Tremor Control. My favorite thing about the record is its insistence at taking its own pace to get where it's going, which incidentally can be nowhere at all...and it's all the better for it.

Buy it here.

Have a good MLK Day if you feel so inclined.