Heavy electro rock pioneers Trans Am have been bringing the heat since the early 90s. Music fans and critics alike hail the group as the originators of  "post-rock."  Their sound lies comfortably between the synth driven sonics of Kraftwerk and the robotic vocal production of  Daft Punk. With 9 studio albums to date, Trans Am has enjoyed a lengthy career with all their albums being released by  Thrill Jockey Records.

Trans Am continue to push the envelope both live and in the studio. Their live show consists of all three members taking on double duty alternating between synth, bass, guitar, vocals and drums. The group does a great job at replicating their electronic tsunami of sound on stage. Be sure and catch them live if you get the chance!

                                                               Trans Am came by Amoeba Hollywood to do a little digging. From the iconic hip hop record illmatic by Nas, to Wooden Shjips' psychedelic offshoot Moon Duo, Trans Am dig up some great pieces. 

Starting a new feature to highlight some recent tracks available to download on the Amoeba site. Take a listen and if you like them, add them to your Amoeba shopping cart (you won’t be charged until you check out). All downloads are in the $.98 MP3 format; visit the album page to pick up higher-res M4A or WAV files.

 

Mikal Cronin – “Weight”

Starting with a stately piano and acoustic jangle, “Weight” opens Mikal Cronin’s excellent MCII on a classy note. Those Rubber Soul-style harmonies and crunching guitars at the chorus don’t hurt, either. This one’s a free download. (From the album MCII)

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Ancient Animals – “Teen Wolf”

Talk about a viral video! When I first viewed the above YouTube video of astronaut Chris Hatfield's outer space version of David Bowie's classic "Space Oddity" on Sunday, the day it was first uploaded, it had something like 200,000 views which was pretty impressive. But now, only two days later, it is almost at seven million YouTube views! That is almost the same number that David Bowie's original 1969 video version of his song  has racked up since it was uploaded to YouTube seven years ago. But the reason no doubt for the viral success of the new revised version of "Space Oddity" is understandable.

Not only is it a genuine spaceman the perfect person to cover this Bowie song but wow, what an amazing spectacle that Commander Chris Hadfield on board the International Space Station can share from his unique vantage point in outer space. Just as important is that Hadfield is a pretty darn good singer and truly does the song justice, regardless of who and/or where he is. For proof compare his version above with Bowie's version below. Meanwhile you can buy Bowie's rendition of his own song (both live and studio versions) directly from Amoeba available on various releses including the 2009 release Space Oddity (40th Anniversary) LP version.

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City

CD $12.98

LP $18.98

Limited Edition LP $19.98

Download $9.98

Every time the world turns against Vampire Weekend, they have a way of turning around and shattering expectations. From the get-go, the band was dogged with Strokes comparisons and scoffs of Ivy League grads pilfering African music while singing about rich people. But none of those things could stop people from enjoying their immensely enjoyable first album, their underrated second one and now their third pop opus, Modern Vampires of the City. It’s low-key like Contra, but Modern Vampires’ hooks are silkier and more ingratiating. “Step” waltzes with a gorgeous collegiate melody, featuring some of the finest singing to date by Ezra Koenig, who’s finally mastered that Paul Simon trill. He also extends his voice beyond its comfort zone, taking on Buddy Holly-style hiccupping and extending his range up and down (aided by digital skewing) while the band rocks a solid shuffle on the cleverly titled “Diane Young.” It’s one of their best singles yet. Koenig’s lyrics, too, retain their wittiness and specificity, though they are open enough to make your own implications — “though we live on the U.S. dollar, you and me we got our own sense of time,” he sings memorably in “Hannah Hunt,” which ends with a beautiful, well-earned climax in which Koenig tears his lungs out belting. The band mostly stays supportive, only going full-tilt on a few songs, like the galloping “Worship You,” which allows Koenig to spit verse at lightning speed, or pulling out grand pop moments in “Unbelievers” and the uber-strange “Ya Hey,” which pairs its intricate melodies with hyper-warped vocal tricks. Modern Vampires doesn’t go for obvious, occasionally obscuring itself in too much oddity and not ripping loose often enough. But few bands at this level are still taking these many chances, and pulling it off more often than not. Vampire Weekend’s freewheeling Modern Vampires of the City firmly perches the band back in the top echelon of bands making music today.