Pictureplane, “5th Sun (Heliopolis Mix By Rainbow Arabia)” MP3
- story Matthew Schnipper
Without getting way too embarrassing, we caught an episode of How I Met Your Mother on the computer the other night and the main dude was like “If you say anything over and over, it starts to sound funny,” then said the word “bowl” repeatedly, blowing his own mind with language and sound. All aspects of this song are basically that stoney realization. “Pictureplane,” “5th Sun,” “Heliopolis,” “Rainbow Arabia.” They all sound like characters in an Ursula K. Leguin novel. This could probably soundtrack The Left Hand of Darkness, organic drums and and cheap synths in a mildly tumbling marriage. Most of the lyrics are unintelligible, but the song ends with Pictureplane giving a sad sap yell of In your miiiiiiind. It sounds weirdly sad for such an excited track, bemoaning up against super fast drums and classic house piano chords. But not everything needs to be natural. Bowl. Bowwwwwwwl.
Download: Pictureplane, “5th Sun (Heliopolis Mix By Rainbow Arabia)”
Freeload: Egyptian Hip Hop, “Rad Pitt” MP3
- story THE FADER
Here is the latest entry in the “great music, dubious band name” craze that has been perplexing and confusing us with love (see: Rainbow Arabia, Neon Indian, Soft Pack nee The Muslims). We love all you dudes’ tunes but like, your band names are forcing us into the crevices of our brains where we dissect the flippancy of “otherness,” and we’d rather use that mindspace to think about things like the Western op-ed coverage of Iran and whatnot. Anyway, Britain’s Egyptian Hip Hop is apparently a band of high schoolers so they get more of a pass. They are purveyors of moody melodies that have apparently played few shows, but their swaying synths are already warming our hearts.
Download: Egyptian Hip Hop, “Rad Pitt” (via Neon Gold)
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posted on Jun 22, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Egyptian Hip Hop, freeload, Neon Gold, Neon Indian, Rainbow Arabia, rock
Freeload: Rainbow Arabia, “Haunted Hall” MP3
- story THE FADER
Someone really liked Gang Gang Dance’s last album. Oh, us. Which is why we like this Rainbow Arabia track from their forthcoming Kabukimono, with it’s ice synths, desert hand drums and oud-ish guitar. But we’re still not really comfortable saying “Rainbow Arabia.”
Download: Rainbow Arabia, “Haunted Hall”
Video: Used to Have a Gerbil Named Rainbow Arabia
- story THE FADER
1987. Good gerbil, named him that because he had a little black swath of hair under his nose and vomited a crazy colored puddle the first day home from the pet store, but still, could’ve done better by him with that name. Maybe something like Barry or Pukerman. Rainbow Arabia the band, however, is perfectly monickered. They have the Rainbowy vibe most associated with bands like Animal Collective and Gang Gang, while the Arabian-ness seems to stem from listening to Congotronics and Sublime Frequencies. All data points towards us liking this band. And the internet seems to like this new video of theirs for “Omar K,” but it kind of seems like a Skittles commercial directed by the Donnie Darko fella. Maybe that’s good. Shit is confusing. Here’s a remix of the same song they sent along with the video.
Download: Rainbow Arabia, “Omar K (Ghosts On Tape remix)”
Freeload: Rainbow Arabia Demos
- story THE FADER
Rainbow Arabia always seemed like a super dubious band name. Not for any specific reason but the token “place we are not from” thing sits on the fuzzy fence of kosher/unkosher, though it ends up being a little more corny than cultural tourist. But they are not mired in ouds and double reeded flutes and are instead practicing the distinctly Californian practice of having too much weeded time and a bunch of keyboards laying around. These two new demos, “Little Boys” (sick) and “Holiday in Congo” (kinda low budg, definitely not Congolese, still jamming) are from an upcoming EP out late spring.
Download: Rainbow Arabia, “Holiday in Congo”
Download: Rainbow Arabia, “Little Boys”
