The Past, The Present and The Future

Hello, friends as some of you may have heard we are at a crossroads here at The Minimal Beat... We have reached the end of our experiment with our blogger page and to be totally honest I never thought it in my wildest dreams it would become what it has! I started this blog about 3 years ago to share music that I like and enjoy and for a place for me to post my radio show that I host weekly on WLUW 88.7FM in Chicago for you guys to listen to. This site would be nothing without all of you guys coming back day after day reading and listing to the stuff we blog about and sharing it with your friends and I really mean that... So with that said, we have decided to break up with Blogger and move on to bigger and better things. In the coming days you will be seeing a brand new designed site linked to www.TheMinimalBeat.com with the same format however, we added some really cool new features that I know you guys will really enjoy. We will be monitoring the new site closely and continue to listen to what you guys have to say and do what we have to do to evolve and take the steps that we think we need to take to become the ultimate tastemakers in music... I seriously would not have been able to do this without the help of a few of people that I would like to acknowledge and say thanks you to! You guys have been nothing but supportive and I really enjoy working together and hope to continue to work together in the future... In no particular thanks Randy Nieto, Burlington Bar, Radio One Chicago, Jimmy Giannopoulos, Casey Meehan, Italians Do It Better, Jimmy Kaps, Stina Kaczmaryn, Isidro Hurtado, Ten Club, Chicago Mixtape, Natalie Burris, Lauren Cole, Tom Schraeder, Philip Stone, Danielle Gunn, Reakt, Empty Bottle, WLUW, Charleston Bar, DFA Records, Cimm Fest, Pitchfork and to those who I may have missed I really am sorry... Thank you all soooo much!

Peace and Love, Bill Ocean

www.theminimalbeat.com 

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[#TBT] THE CHARLATANS UK / THE CHARLATANS (1995)

THE CHARLATANS UK - THE CHARLATANS (BEGGARS BANQUET) 1995

By; Randy Nieto

The self titled album from the Charlatans was their fourth effort and last record they released before the death of their original keyboardist Rob Collins. This record really shows how much of a key player Rob Collins was in the band, as most of the songs prominently feature leading riffs on the Hammond, Wurlizter, D6, clavinet, and piano. Initially a part of the British psychedelic shoegaze craze of the late 80’s and early 90’s, the Charlatans were now showing musical influences from reggae to gospel, but still managed to keep a Brit Pop guitar sound in league with Blur and Oasis. Tim Burgess’s vocal melodies on the record are infectious, and he hits high notes and falsettos with ease. Martin Blunt bass work is heavy and deep, it’s clear the band was listening to a lot of dub and hip hop around this time. Their subtle blending of different styles with heavy Brit Pop overtones has made this record a favorite among many music lovers. Unfortunately their most excellent drummer Jon Brookes passed away just last year. Check out Nine Acre Court Below (the song starts about 1 minute in).

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[RADIO] THE MINIMAL BEAT 02.22.2014

ARTIST / TRACK / ALBUM

• Cut Copy - We Are Explorers (Larry Gus Remix) - We Are Explorers (Larry Gus Remix)
• Mother - Easy - Single
• Beth Orton - Thinking About Tomorrow (IPG Dub Mix) - Thinking About Tomorrow (IPG Dub Mix)
• Glass Lux - Esther - Single
• Scratch Massive - Golden Dreams - Nuit de Reve
• Blood Orange - You're Not Good Enough (Holy Ghost! Bootleg) - You're Not Good Enough (Holy Ghost! Bootleg)
• Animal Collective - My Girls - Merriweather Post Pavilion
• Stars - Changes - The Five Ghosts
• Haim - Forever (Giorgio Moroder Mix) - Forever (Giorgio Moroder Mix)
• Lana del Rey - Blue Jeans (RAC Remix) - Blue Jeans (RAC Remix)
• Chikita Violenta - Roni - Tre3s

Guest DJ Rocket Miner

• Rocket Miner - Gold - Elegy
• A Place To Bury Strangers - I Lost You - Onwards To The Wall
• Chromatics - Cherry - After Dark 2
• M83 - Sitting - M83
• Crosses - Death Bell - Crosses
• Tycho - Awake - Awake
• Whirr - Hide - Pipe Dreams
• Sonic Youth - Cross The Breeze - Daydream Nation
• Junius - The Time Of Perfect Virtue - Days Of The Fallen Sun
• Sigur Ros - Kveikur - Kveikur
• Rocket Miner - War Room - Elegy

THE MINIMAL BEAT 02.22.2014 by T H E M I N I M A L B E A T on Mixcloud

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[VIDEO] SHIT ROBOT - DO THAT DANCE (FT. NANCY WHANG)

I cant wait until this records is out! Check out the new track from Shit Robot' sophomore LP 'We Got A Love' out 3/18 on DFA Records, featuring vocalist Nancy Whang from LCD Soundsystem.

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[LISTEN UP] IDYLL / TROUBLE

New collaboration from Angelina Lucero (Pretty Good Dance Moves) and JoJo Yang who are IDYLL. Listen to the first track “Trouble” off of the debut titled 1, out soon.

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[#TBT] CAN / FUTURE DAYS (1973)

CAN - FUTURE DAYS (UNITED ARTISTS) 1973

By; Randy Nieto

Can is one of those bands that sound like a bunch of guys who love Fela Kuti smoked pot in their garage and made music on the instruments their moms bought for them from Montgomery Ward. Actually, members of the group were classically trained German musicians, but a trip to New York City “corrupted” founding member Irwin Schmidt, as he put it. (You’re not the first, Irwin.) Irwin wanted to foray into contemporary music, which at the time in Europe was composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez. Boulez and Stockhausen were actually doing pretty cool stuff, but after you smoke a joint with Andy Warhol and Lou Reed, you realize how relative “cool” really is. At times Future Days sounds a lot like Air’s Moon Safari, but without the heavy bass or serenading vocals. Melding tropicalia, krautrock, afrobeat, and classical influences, Future Days served to really cement together genres and create a mellow yet highly progressive sound. Moonshake is the only song on the record that really serves to fit a typical pop song formula. This doesn’t mean the rest of the album is sub-par, in fact quite the opposite. Future Days exemplifies how disciplined these guys really were. This record belongs in every music lover's collection. Check out Moonshake below.

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[RADIO] THE MINIMAL BEAT 02.15.2013

ARTIST / TRACK / ALBUM

Casey Meehan of the Chicago Mixtape co-hosts with me for the 1st hour.

• The Juan McClean - Get Down With My Love - Single
• Little Dragon - Klapp Klapp - Single
• Quarter Mile Thunder - Down The Drain - Unreleased (Chicago Mixtape 158)
• Mig Mora - Down To The Ground
• The Hood Internet - G-Unit Spinner Chain
• JWF - Life Long Catsatrophy - Kong Frederick
• Thomas Comerford - Sugar Baby - Unreleased (Chicago Mixtape 158)
• T.L. Williams - Days of Our Lives - Chicago Mixtape 158
• Hologram Kizzie (AKA Psalm One) - So Silly - Hug Life
• Erin Caffall - Parachute Among Anchors - Chicago Mixtape 158
• Robbie Skye - Living Dangerach

The Lucky Dutch Guest DJ Set

• The Lucky Dutch - What Do I Mean To You - EP
• Zachary James and The All Seeing Eyes - Outta Space
• Zachary James and The All Seeing Eyes - That's Just Life
• The Frowning Clouds - Propellers - Whereabout
• The Frowning Clouds - Bad Vibes - Whereabout
• Temples - The Guesser - Sun Structures
• Temples - The Golden Throne - Sun Structures
• Rival Sons - Gypsy Heart - Pressure And Time
• Rival Sons - Wild Animal - Head Down
• Tyler Bryant - Say A Prayer - Wild Child
• Grace Potter And The Nocturnals - Sugar - Live At Sun Studios
• Jimi Hendrix - Power Of Soul - Crash Landing
• The Lucky Dutch - Heartbreak - EP

THE MINIMAL BEAT 02.15.2014 by T H E M I N I M A L B E A T on Mixcloud

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[REMIX] LARRY GUS X CUT COPY / WE ARE EXPLORERS

Greek electronic producer and DFA Recording artist Larry Gus' takes Cut Copy's song "We Are Explorers," from their fourth album Free Your Mind, and makes it his own with some really cool bells, cymbals and a variety of other percussion instruments that make for a very much euphoric listening experience.

"To me, this remix epitomizes everything that is incredible and unique about Larry Gus. He is a master at collaging together obscure sounds and live percussion to create something magically evocative and new. And with this beautiful remix he has turned 'We Are Explorers' into something we would never have expected."

-- Dan Whitford of Cut Copy

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VIDEO: SAM ROBERTS BAND - SHAPESHIFTERS

Sam Roberts Band released Lo-Fantasy earlier this month and now they just dropped the official video for the single "Shapeshifters". The video features Sam Roberts driving around the different boroughs of New York in a yellow cab with band mate James Hall in the back playing along... As they drive around they pick up some local street dancers from the New York subway and make their way to Coney Island check it out below! Lo-Fantasy is out now on Paper Bag Records.

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[#TBT] WIRE / PINK FLAG (1977)

WIRE - PINK FLAG (HARVEST RECORDS) 1977
By; Randy Nieto

Just two months after the Sex Pistols released Nevermind the Bollocks, Wire released their debut album Pink Flag. Lauded by critics and musicians, Wire never really achieved the same the level of notoriety in punk circles as The Clash or the Sex Pistols. The 21 songs on Pink Flag are short little punk gems, blending pop, art, and punk in a way that was unheard of at the time. Not quite as angry as the Sex Pistols, but with just as much attitude, the songs were undeniably catchy and spawned covers from R.E.M. to Minor Threat. In the years to come Wire would explore more Avant-garde territory in the albums Chairs Missing and 154, but there is no doubt that Pink Flag would shape the landscape of punk, Brit pop, post punk, hardcore, and indie music that was to come. Since not a lot of my friends listened to Wire, I felt a twinge of excitement and validation whenever my favorite musicians like Robert Pollard or Jeff Tweedy would remark that Wire was an influential part of their musical education. Having come full circle and playing festivals like Pitchfork, I guess you could say Wire are finally receiving the recognition they deserve in the indie world. Let’s hope that flame burns bright and long. Below is the album in its entirety.

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[RADIO] THE MINIMAL BEAT 02.08.2014

ARTIST / TRACK / ALBUM

• Blood Orange - Chamakay - Cupid Deluxe
• The Walkmen - Blue as Your Blood - Lisbon
• Air - Sexy Boy - Moon Safari
• Sinkane - Jeeper Creeper - Mars
• Angel Olsen - High Five - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
• Yo La Tengo - Autumn Sweater - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
• The Late Great Fitzcarraldos - Listen to the Sound - Listen to the Sound
• Wilco - Far, Far Away - Being There
• Dum Dum Girls - Too True to Be Good - Too True
• Glass Lux - I'm a Machine
• Toy - Endlessly - Join the Dots
• Junior Boys - Double Shadow - So This is Goodbye
• Daft Punk - Instant Crush - Random Access Memories
• The XX - Night Time - XX
• Austra - Woodstock - Feel It Break
• Autumn Defense - Calling Your Name - Fifth
• Joe Goddard - Taking Over - Taking Over EP
• Broadcast - Before We Begin - Haha Sound
• Frank Ocean - Thinkin' Bout You - Channel Orange
• Doves - Break Me Gently - Lost Souls
• Tom Schraeder - Pat Baby - Once Lace, Now Cotton
• Ducktails - Killin' the Vibe - Acrade Dynamics

THE MINIMAL BEAT 02.08.2014 by T H E M I N I M A L B E A T on Mixcloud

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[LISTEN UP] MOTHER - EASY

There’s a new mystery band in town. They’re called Mother, hail from Brooklyn, and that’s about all you need to know for now. Fortunately debut single “Easy” speaks volumes on its own, the kind of brooding, concrete jungle noir-wave that’s right up our street. Fully loaded with airtight guitars, smoked-out vocals, and icy synths, it comes together perfectly all wrapped up in a weathered leather jacket under the neon lights of the city. Don’t miss Mother make their live debut at Popshop West in LA this Friday at the Echo, tix still available HERE.

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[LISTEN UP] GLASS LUX - ESTHER

Glass Lux just sent us there new single titled Esther. It's probably the best stuff they released so far! Kinda reminds me of Depeche Mode meets The Knife... This ones on repeat here at TMB HQ so Listen Up!

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[EVENT] THE CHICAGO MIXTAPE CELEBRATES 3 YEARS AT THE EMPTY BOTTLE!

Chicago Mixtape is growing up so quick! It's already 3 years old! In celebration of 3 years, 157 mixtapes featuring 786 bands, Chicago Mixtape will be throwing an unprecedented mash-up of Chicago music Saturday February 22nd at the Empty Bottle in Chicago. 100% unique musical performances will be curated by some of Chicago's most interesting artist collectives, including THE HOOD INTERNET, CIMMfest, PIEHOLDEN SUITE and TEEN RIVER! The evening's event will feature appearances by members of THE HOOD INTERNET, members of VERMA, QUARTER MILE THUNDER, Sabers, The 1900s and Mazes, along with artists PSALM ONE, BEN CLARKE, JASON FREDRICK and many, many, many more... There will be DJ sets throughout the night by JiveFresh and The Minimal Beat DJ Billeh Ocean.

Tickets are available now at Empty Bottle HERE and make sure to sign up for your weekly mixtape HERE

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PATRICK TSOTSOS OF THE LUCKY DUTCH TALKS TO THE FROWNING CLOUDS

We reached out to friend and local musician Patrick Tsotsos of the band The Lucky Dutch and asked him what kind of stuff he is listening to at the moment. He quickly responded; The Frowning Clouds from Geelong, Australia! So we checked them out and really liked what we heard. We then set up a interview for Patrick with Nick, Zak, Daff, Jake and Jamie of the band and here is what was said...

Who creates your album artwork?
Whereabouts lp: Jason Galea, Propellers 7": John Waddell, All Night Long 7": We did it ourselves and Listen Closlier lp: Saturno Records organized it

What's your favorite pedal, guitar or piece of gear to use in the studio?
3 chorus pedals plugged in to each other. I really like tape tricks and the idea of doing all that stuff manually but its so expensive

What's next for TFC in 2014?
Probably eat some more raw broccoli and pig cheek & hopefully get another album out and maybe more. We did some overdubs today on new recordings so hopefully it's all usable and fushional. We're trying to tee up another Euro tour with our Spanish cohorts around mid year.



What's the most ridiculous thing to happen to you guys so far on tour?
We played a show at a brothel, Daff got naked and started playing a guitar solo between his uncovered thighs and a stripper fainted.

Marry, fuck or kill:  Anita Pallenberg, Francoise Hardy, Pattie Boyd.
Kill em all. and anita twice. then get down with keith serge and george and be a toy boy for the rest of life

What's your dream gig, and what two bands would you have share the stage with you?
The Kinks and The Monks are probably the two bands that all 5 of us rate unbeatable.

If someone wrote a biography about you, what would the title be?
Once a $100 support band, always a $100 support band.


Make sure to check out the new album "Whereabouts" from The Frowning Clouds via Anti Fade in Australia and Saturno in Spain.  

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