At the end of September, we’d lamented about not being able to smell burning leaves in an urban Autumn. Thankfully, this weekend has finally provided 07′s first splash of fall, and we’re off to the park. In tow, we’re packing coffee, cigarettes, books (one to read and some Chomsky to stick out the back pocket so chicks think we’re deep), and this album:
Midlake – The Trials of Van Occupanther (.zip)
Denton, Texas quintet Midlake originally banded together with the intention of starting a jazz/funk outfit at the University of North Texas, and two full releases later could not have made a more interesting genre switch. For their proper LPs, the band has drawn on strong psychedelic rock influences to smashing results: This is lush, 70′s California cocaine music in the vein of Fleetwod Mac and If Only I Could Remember My Name era David Crosby, and an ace soundtrack to the changing of seasons. The group was featured on the final track from the most recent Chemical Brothers release We Are The Night, contributing to the phenomenally depressing “The Pills Won’t Help You Now”
The Chemical Brothers feat. Midlake “The Pills Won’t Help You Now”
In 2006, GYBO favorite and co-conspirator in Dean Grey’s American Edit team9 produced a year end mashup compilation for music blog Stereogum. From team9/Stereogum’s MySplice ’06, check out Van Occupanther’s opening track “Roscoe” spun with Jimi Hendrix’s “Gypsy Eyes”
