Netflyxem

Hyperdrive, starring Nick Frost.

Kyle:
Let me preface this whole thing by acknowledging (begrudgingly) that I am a fairly huge Star Trek fan. I have never dressed up and attended a convention, but I own the comic books, biographies (auto and otherwise) of Shatner, Nimoy and Roddenberry as well as the Star Trek encyclopedia and a dozen or more paperbacks churned out in the early 90's. That's part of why I find Hyperdrive so damn enjoyable. It is all of the exciting space-travel adventure re-framed as a goofy British comedy. The hapless Commander Henderson (played with expert skill by none other than Nick Frost) and the sociopathic, sadistic second-in-command York guide a crew of offbeat misfits across the cosmos aboard the HMS Camden Lock, with the intended mission "to protect Britain's interests in a changing galaxy." Both series of the program are available to watch instantly, click the image at left to see more on Netflix.

Review: "Rise Ye Sunken Ships" by We Are Augustines

We Are Augstines' "Rise Ye Sunken Ships" receives
a physical release August 23rd on Oxcart Records.
Click above to listen (requires Spotify).

Deriving its name from the birth months of members Billy McCarthy and Eric Sanderson, We Are Augustines have crafted a sonically rich and emotionally dense record for their sophomore effort. We Are Augustines were formed from the ashes of the band Pela, whose album Anytown Graffiti wound up on more than 30 "Best Of" lists back in '07, including Yahoo! and indie mainstays KEXP out of Portland. KEXP even placed it at #112 of the best 903 albums of all time. Two of the primary members of Pela (the Augustines) moved on to form this band after some fairly intense professional and personal struggles, audible now in the straight-forward intensity of We Are Augustines' "Rise Ye Sunken Ships."


This album will grab you, immediately, and not request, but demand your attention. The quick build of "Chapel Song" with its persistent beat and urgent, dysphoric vocals draws you in to the record and to the stories contained within. This song sets the tone of the album in a large way: disquieting, intense, personal, well-orchestrated and executed to perfection. On the flip side of the coin, this song (as the album) languishes lyrically at points, but not to the level that would leave you unable to fall in love with it. In fact, sometimes when the language and rhyming schemes are at their simplest, you are able to hear the core of the song, and find that its simplicity has a positive correlation with its ardor.

From The 'Net: Radiohead Returns to Basement

Radiohead's From The Basement session featuring songs
from King of Limbs was released late last week.
Click the image above to watch.

Late last week, Radiohead's return to Nigel Godrich's famed basement was released on YouTube. The band had visited previously in 2008, for the In Rainbows - From the Basement DVD and television broadcast. Featuring Optimistic, Myxomatosis and ten or so other songs, mostly from In Rainbows were performed as part of the legendary British television program. It was later aired on VH1 here in the United States.

The series features absolutely legendary artists while, as Godrich put it, "[they] are having their moment, to try and get a definitive record of what they’re doing." Featuring Sonic Youth, The White Stripes, Beck, Super Furry Animals, PJ Harvey and (obviously) Radiohead as well as many, many more, the series accomplished Godrich's goal in spades. Now, Radiohead returns to this iconic basement armed with a few additional musicians to perform King of Limbs in a stripped-down and intimate setting. It's almost an hour long, so prepare for that, but if you are even remotely interested in Radiohead, I cannot recommend highly enough that you watch this. Click the image above to watch.

Myxem Picks 'Em: Week of 08/22/11

This week's Myxem Picks 'Em features another diverse array of the tracks that've been in heavy rotation here at Myxem, from North Carolina's Carolina Chocolate Drops and their homespun bluegrass "Cornbread and Butterbeans" to the glitchy mellow electronica of Baths' "Lovely Bloodflow." Some of the newer tracks include We Are Augustines' "Strange Days" and Unknown Mortal Orchestra's "FFunny FFriends" and "Strangers Are Strange." Click the banner above to listen to this week's playlist, only on Spotify.

Other artists:
The War on Drugs | Radiohead | Nightlands | Generationals | Darwin Deez | The Rosebuds | The Extra Lens | The Rural Alberta Advantage | Wesley Wolfe

Editor's note: The last five tracks, from The Extra Lens to The Rosebuds are Terry's picks for the week. Due to unavoidable technical issues, Kyle had to upload his picks.