One of the best blogs in our opinion was Altered Zones. It was the sister site of Pitchfork covering the more obscure and underground music. Sadly, they quit it after posting last years best albums of 2011. They are now trying to raise money for their new project ‘Ad Hoc‘ via Kickstarter. They have big plans that we really dig, so we’ll let them explain it:

“Emilie Friedlander and Ric Leichtung are back with Ad Hoc, an underground music and visual culture publication created for and by a community of music lovers with a shared ethos: that of building the world you want to see using the materials at your disposal. A collective of ten tastemaking music blogs from all over the world, Ad Hoc is a daily destination for MP3s, videos, mixes, interviews, artist’s writings, and cultural commentary– curated for quality, and with an emphasis on emerging artists and musical movements that best exemplify the new grassroots, Internet-fueled DIY.”

They get help from other bloggers such as Dummy, International Tapes, No Fear Of Pop and many many more. And some very cool artists too, like Incubate-artists such as Dan Lopatin (Ford & Lopatin), Alan Palomo (Neon Indian), Hunter Hunt-Hendrix (Liturgy) and  James Leyland Kirby (The Caretaker). It’s a really cool concept and you can help by donating money to them. So we suggest you do. These kinds of initiatives are needed in the Internet-age!

Why we care? Because The Caretaker made the breathtaking soundtrack for the film. We don’t just say that because he perfoms on the next edition of Incubated (BUY TICKETS! BUY BUY!), it’s true. Pitchfork rates it with an 8.0 and Sputnikmusic gives it a 4/5. Here‘s another raving review. (His last official full-length ‘An Empty Bliss Beyond This World’ got even more reviewers screaming from the rooftops.) and you can stream the entire album below!

If you buy your tickets for the next edition of Incubated with Library Tapes, Sleepingdog and The Caretaker on February 2nd in Paradox, you can win one of these custom-made fanboys. Tickets are €9 excl. and are for sale right now.

For those who like it a bit more metal and a bit less postrock, Cormorant is more up your alley. Somewhere dwelling between black-, heavy- and progressive metal, it’s a tasty meal for almost every metalhead. Ridiculously enough, these guys aren’t signed to a label yet, and bring their debut album ‘Dwellings’ to the masses with pure DIY attitude. We like! But you’ve got only 4 days left to pre-order, so you need to hurry!

Listen to the track ‘The Purest Land’ on Pitchfork.

Pitchfork just reviewed the amazing DJ Kicks compilation by Motor City Drum Ensemble, set to perform at Incubate 2011 this year as part of the XLR8R program. Read the full review here.

“It’s misleading to refer to Motor City Drum Ensemble’s entry in the DJ-Kicks series as “jazzy,” which hasn’t stopped a lot of people from doing just that. MCDE’s output is often described as deep house, and there’s a long tradition of deep house producers simply borrowing polite brass and woodwind arrangements from old jazz records and slapping them on top of featureless beats. The results are usually bland, sometimes plain banal. An hour’s worth of the stuff, all that polite chugging and all those waxy saxophones, tends to be good for napping but not much else.”

Listen to the DJ Kicks exclusive track ‘L.O.V.E.’ below here. And believe us when we say this is one of the biggest anthems of the year!

Smint offers me a free peppermint. Smint brings ‘unique coolness and intense sensation.’ Smint hides the smell. Smint camouflages what’s happening in the stomach. The odor of this aggressive Smint sponsoring fucks me up. It makes me mad because at the same time, in the heart of this town, students fighting for a better future were being beat up and shot by the police.

We’re in Barca, at this indie-Disneyworld called Primavera festival. I’m totally numb. By ecstatic bliss. By anger. By disbelief. By this belief. Why do I feel this and what do I feel? It’s hard to explain.

Someone asks me if I blame the audience, the artists, or the organizers. Or should I blame myself for letting it happen? It would be too simple to blame someone. It’s a process happening all the time. Transforming counter-culture into over-the-counter-culture. Taking a subculture from you, take the engagement out of it, and sell it back to you. Ten times the original value.

There’s the total bliss after the Pulp comeback, one of the best concerts I’ve seen in my whole life. The cynical lyricism and the charisma of their front man Jarvis Cocker were the soundtrack from my student’s days. Now Primavera offered them shitloads of money to re-unite. And it’s worth every penny of it. 30.000 people standing in the field. Jumping. Singing. I’ve never felt so, uh, individual, before. I’m singing every word and every note re-activates our private history. I’ve never felt to be part of a collective before.

Jarvis Cocker is the first person that dedicates a song to the students: ‘As an outsider it’s difficult to judge situations in other countries. But shooting at people is wrong.’

After the concert confusion is kicking in again. It’s great to see so many people watching Battles delivering an intense performance. But a big banner on the stage is insulting me.

‘Ray Ban: Can’t Hide’. Fuck of. Those students could not hide. Most of the visitors are using the Ray Bans not to hide for the sun, but to hide their drug popping eyes for the outside world. Everyone is constantly looking at the screen. But the revolution will not be televised or socialized today. There is there. And here is here. This gated community. The disconnection from the outside world. In psychology it’s called the bystander effect. The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help. This happens because as the number of bystanders increases, any given bystander is less likely to notice the incident, less likely to interpret the incident as a problem, and less likely to assume responsibility for taking action.

Why am I here? A lot of my favorite artists are playing and it’s an exciting place to be and for me it’s the only place to be. I’m a part of it cause it’s my history and a future that’s exciting. A new market has been created for kids like me. And we built it ourselves. Internet is the connection and cheap flights are connecting us in real life.

Pitchfork, the weblog from the windy city, is putting the win back into indie. It’s creating a global scene of branded festivals and branded blogs, promoting niche bands like The Books, niche genres like noise-pop and rewriting cultural history with re-appreciating band like Neutral Milk Hotel.

On one hand there’s the overpaid indie comeback nostalgia with bands like Pulp. On the other hand there are hype bands like Odd Future, booming like new media firms. Expensive like new media firms. And also with no business models and no return on investment. Just like new media firms. A band like Moon Duo gets more audience during this gig then during the whole European tour. Their festival fee makes it possible to do this whole European tour. Which is great, cause Primavera is important for the living of artists. And for their fans.

In the old days you had to produce standardized products or services and sell it with standardized marketing. Now you have to produce niche products or services and market it in the nices.

We’ve created our own niches. Just like big companies like eBay and Amazon.com knew how to monetize those niches, the monetizing of our scene also just started. Not search and destroy like Iggy did. Just search is the new keyword. Search the web for unique content. And share it with your friends. Accelerate it.

It reminds me of Lonely Planet where everyone shares the same authentic spot. Collectively we’re feeling so individual.

We were kids that were living in provincial towns, not able to be part of the action back then. We were the only indie kids in town and we all want to pay to collectively relive our individual history right now. Our history is expensive but we can afford it now. And of course the former stars want to cash in their underground credibility. Good for us and good for them.

Is indie becoming a fixed style, like punk did and like alternative did? What would be the ethics and aesthetics of the new indie, then? Where’s the new Seattle and who’s the new Malcolm McLaren. Or is it more a scene based on network dynamics, where people and places are not that important any more? Where the speed and connectedness of the network only matter.

Rock Around The Clock and the youth culture revolutions of last century started on the big screen. Commodified pop culture like Prince, Michael Jackson and Madonna went stadium size with the TV screen of MTV. Now a new screenager revolution is happening. On the screens of our generation. On the screens where this piece is written on.

It’s got nothing to do with great balls of fire. We carry our smartphones close to our balls. It’s got noting to do with commodified black music for the white market. iPods are white and Blackberries are black.

Last century the perception of cutting edge culture took the ride from Adorno to Bourdieu to Florida. First there was the distinctiveness. Then there was distinction. Now culture is only a utility for marketeers and for city developers. We’re making the difference for gentrification, which is good for real estate development. We are a utility for brand developers. They don’t prescribe from within but describe from without. Not with theory but with statistics.

But take a look at how we look. Everyone looks so… Normal. Just like at a regular day at the office. Look at what we want. We only want something so normal. Like going to a festival that does not sell more tickets then the venue like Primavera does.

We are not a generation of bands but a targetted audience for brands. There are no ubiquitous trends, like black is the new black, like the holy, holy Nike Air Jordan, like Vision Street Wear, like in the old days when you were craving for the new Dr. Dre album or Transmat 12”. The only like is the Facebook like button. There are no album releases any more, only album leaks. I’m not pessimistic. I’m loving the way we can truly establish a new voice. Like our teachers told us: revolution is in the air.

Dictators needed mass media. Libertarians use social media. We can become our own media, and the new media isn’t Murdoch that fucked up Myspace. Our Mark Zuckerbergs come from within. So fuck of with your Adidas branding and Jagermeister branding and Vice hipster hysteria for festivals. Maybe we must choose more for ourselves. No major labels.

Our focus is not on the external world of scenes and movements. On being a mod or a punk or a hippie. Not the scene and the looks are the focal point of future youth movements. Our behavior, our IRL cookies, are worth shitloads of money. It’s not the dynamic look any more, but the vision on our dynamics. Not behaving towards our customers, but customer behavior itself.

If you like it or not: you are trending topics. Powered by web statistics marketing moguls that saw something fuzzy is buzzing in the blogosphere. The stuff selling youth is digging it. The stuff digging youth is selling it. So u gotta be there to, put it in oldspeak, be, uh, square.

Hipster Pitchforkbands like Animal Collective, Odd Future and Girl Talk are the place where u gotta be if you wanna stay in touch. Not staying in touch in a telegram or newspaper or phonecall way. More in a Twitter or Facebook way. So the brands are here at the Primavera Sound San Miguel Ray Ban Adidas Jack Daniels Smint Jagermeister Coca Cola ATP Rockdelux Pitchfork Vice festival. Bringing bands in branded content. You would almost forget that bands and audiences built this scene. The sponsors are taking over, claiming it for themselves.

At first hand sight Primavera looks like a analog blogosphere. Statistics driven full of Pitchfork pretenders. You can only get drink tickets with a civilized barcode quick id card. So the beer sponsor can get your offline statistics. When do you buy a beer, and how much do you spend. Maybe they use it. Maybe they sell it. Who knows.

Brands are queuing for us. And we cue for the toilet, cause they actually don’t give any shit about us. If you can take care for your sponsors, maybe you can also take care about our shit and put enough toilet paper in the toilets.

Pulp are one of the most anticipated acts of the festival. I’ve missed them in a small venue in Amsterdam in 1995 cause my parents didn’t let me. Now it’s their reunion. Jarvis Cocker was one of the last true voices in pop music. Cynical. Witty. Chroniquer in a Ray Davies kind of way.

He also sang ‘Jesus told me to beware of 33. It was not a easy year for me.’ Am I too cynical? Is this the age where you lose touch with youth culture? Or is youth culture something for the oldies singing about times that are a-changing?

Maybe traditional youth culture does not exist any more. Maybe cutting edge culture, the old avant-garde, does not exist any more. Maybe everything turned pop. Making niches so expensive in a cheap way.

I believe in the power of the market, always reinventing itself. I also firmly believe in the power of youth culture, always reinventing itself. Maybe Primavera is a tipping point. It’s embodying a global festival disconnected from the local scenes. Like every blog is blogging the same there is no real identity. It’s only selling, not connecting. This festival could be everywhere. I’m missing engagement with local artists and local issues. Outside a revolution is happening. Let’s join!

During last years Incubate festival there was a special programme involving the surrounding rural community of Tilburg called ‘Glocal’. This project connects Incubate’s international appearance with it’s local heritage. During the Glocal project Dan Deacon & Jimmy Joe Roche collaborated on a new piece of video art. They shot most of their material during their time on biological farm ‘t Schop. The movie is called ‘Hilvarenbeek‘ (IMDB link) and is now watchable on this blog. Enjoy!

Hilvarenbeek is also watchable on Pitchfork, IFC and Stereogum!

During last years Incubate festival there was a special programme involving the surrounding rural community of Tilburg called ‘Glocal’. This project connects Incubate’s international appearance with it’s local heritage. During the Glocal project Dan Deacon & Jimmy Joe Roche collaborated on a new piece of video art. They shot most of their material during their time on biological farm ‘t Schop. The movie is called ‘Hilvarenbeek‘ (IMDB link) and is now watchable online on IFC via this link. Enjoy!

UPDATE!

Hilvarenbeek is now also watchable on Pitchfork and Stereogum!

Wow Danzig is actually smiling on the right photo! EMA covered his track ‘Soul on Fire’, set to be released as a special 7″ record. You can check out the audio on Soundcloud underneath here and read more about it here on Pitchfork, along with the story behind the pictures with Danzig.

Neon Indian performed last year at Incubate and has just released a small album preview. You can check the video Heart: Attack underneath here!

Taken from Pitchfork

Meet Clams Casino. This guy is the mastermind behind several Lil B (who cancelled his Incubated show earlier this year) hits like “I’m God” and “Motivation”. Weird thing is, he hasn’t even met Lil B before! He just sent him a message on Myspace and that’s how things got started. Read all about it in this interview he did with Pitchfork recently. Clams Casino has got a new instrumental mixtape out for you to download, which will be out soon on Type Records!

Neon Indian, one of the many great artists who played at Incubate last year has teamed up with the legendary act The Flaming Lips for a limited (to 1000) 12″. You can listen to the track ‘Is David Bowie Dying?’ here.

Check out the nice coloured vinyl after the jump!

Taken from Pitchfork

Moon Duo is scheduled to perform at Incubated 08 together with Jefre Cantu-Ledesma (in Sounds), Barn Owl and Kim Ki O on May 5th. Their new record ‘Mazes’ is up for streaming at 13 voor 12′s Luisterpaal. Click on the picture to listen to this new gem! The review just received an excellent review on Pitchfork which you can read here.

(Via Pitchfork)

Omar Souleyman from Syria has teamed up with one of Iceland’s most well known artists Björk for an album, to be released on limited 12″, cd and digital download sometime this year. An interesting coöperation and we’re very eager to hear how this will turn out!

Taken from Pitchfork

Met ingang van 1 april 2011, maar het liefst eerder, zoekt Incubate een nieuw Hoofd Marketing en PR (m/v) op freelance basis. Incubate kent een festivaldynamiek. Daarom is deze functie voor een helft van het jaar fulltime (van mei tot en met oktober). Voor de andere helft voor twee dagen in de week. Wellicht breidt de functie in de toekomst uit.
Incubate gaat over ontwikkelingen binnen de cultuur. We verwachten dat je met die ontwikkelingen mee gaat en nieuwsgierig bent naar nieuwe kunstenaars en stromingen. We blijven onze marketing ook ontwikkelen. Daarom vragen we, maar dat spreekt voor zich, naar een duidelijke visie over waar het naar toe gaat. Ook moet je goed kunnen samenwerken. Je werkt nauw samen met onze digitale marketeer, art-director, diverse locaties, vrijwilligers, stagiairs en mediapartners.

Verantwoordelijkheidsgebieden en werkzaamheden zijn:
- Bewaken afdelingsbudget en budgetteren promotiecampagnes
- Mediapartnerschappen
- Hoofdredactie van alle publieke uitingen
- Aansturing en coaching marketing en PR medewerkers
- Begeleiden stagiair(e)s
- Relatiebeheer (o.a. pers, bezoekers, collega’s, sponsors) en representatie van Incubate
- Marktonderzoeken
- Gastenlijstbeheer
- Ticketing
- Huisstijlbewaking

Functie-eisen:
- Kennis van communicatie / marketing op minimaal HBO niveau
- Aantoonbaar relevante werkervaring
- Management ervaring, leidinggevende eigenschappen en organisatorische vaardigheden
- Ervaring met het beheren van budgetten
- Zeer goede kennis van de Nederlandse en Engelse taal in woord en geschrift
- Kennis van en affiniteit met de cultuursector in het algemeen en met Independent Culture in het bijzonder
- Beschikt over de volgende eigenschappen: communicatief, stressbestendig, sterke overtuigingskracht, sociaal vaardig, oplossingsgericht

Reacties:
Schriftelijke sollicitaties, voorzien van curriculum vitae, kun je voor 23 februari 2011 mailen naar joost AT incubate.org

Here is a great session Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti did for Pitchfork.tv. Also: best presenter ever. This will definitely make you feel good.

2010 is the year of Oneohtrix Point Never. When we saw him perform in Worm earlier this year hardly anyone knew of him. Now he’s been featured all over the place, including the cover of The Wire. Not only the media are embracing Daniel Lopatin’s music, also other artists do. Such as Antony Hegarty and Christian Fennesz, who made an OPN cover single, that’s not out yet, but can be downloaded if you search google for the combination Antony + Returnal. As hipsters on Last.fm use to say at pages of buzzbands: “before Pitchfork!”

Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse has committed suicide, according to a report from Rolling Stone. His family has released a statement reading, “It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear friend and family member, Mark Linkous, took his own life today. We are thankful for his time with us and will hold him forever in our hearts. May his journey be peaceful, happy and free. There’s a heaven and there’s a star for you.”

Linkous made his debut under the Sparklehorse name with the 1995 albumvivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, which yielded the minor hit “Someday I Will Treat You Good”. He went on to release three more acclaimed records of fractured, experimental alt-blues: 1999′s Good Morning Spider, 2001′s It’s a Wonderful Life, and 2006′s Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain, as well as the Danger Mouse/David Lynch all-star project Dark Night of the Soul and the Fennesz collaboration In the Fishtank. A voracious collaborator, Linkous also worked with PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston, Tom Waits, and many others.

Last year, Dark Night of the Soul was released as a book and a blank CD and leaked to the internet due to a legal battle between Danger Mouse and EMI. Earlier this week, it was announced that Dark Night of the Soul would finally receive physical release this summer. (Via)

Again sad to say goodbye to a great artist en person .. we think!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjsUZRs770U]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xQSWpLCcpE]

Fabulous news item from Pitchfork:

Even indie pop superheroes lose their capes sometimes. Such is the case with Patrick Wolf, who misplaced his feathered grey “vulture” number (above) recently. He’s now offering a “cash reward for anyone who can locate it and get it back to us safely and in one piece,” according to a message on his MySpace.

So keep on the look out!

But  maybe this is only good for Patrick, beacuse remember what Edna told us: “No capes!” (from 02:00 in the clip above)

This week on Pitchfork TV you can watch a two hour documentary about LA underground club The Smell. Wanna go there sometime, looks and sounds amazing!

Pitchfork put together a top 500 tracks of the first ten years of this decade. It’s not just a list, but they commented on the how and why extensively too. A very hard task, which they did very well, when we talk about content.

The list however is ‘surprising’ too say the least. We cannot find ourselves agreeing to their top twenty of the 2000′s. However they did a nice job and did not choose the hits or most famous songs as their best. And that’s very cool in our opinion, even if we do not agree with them.

Anyway, take a look and let us know which songs you definitely miss (or at least: miss in their top 20)!

Hip hop artists Anti-Pop Consortium are coming to Tilburg in September!

Copy/paste from Pitchfork:

‘The New York skronk-rap crew Anti-Pop Consortium reunited a couple of years ago, and they’re getting set to drop Fluorescent Black, their long-awaited comeback album and first full-length since 2002′s Arrhythmia. Big Dada will release the album on October 13. The trippy sci-fi album cover is above.’

Download a new mp3 from them @ Pitchfork

Check more here.

Also Pitchfork fell in love and recorded a few songs of Ponytail performing in a laudromat.
Enjoy the show here.

Ponytail @ ZXZWfestival-19/09/2008
Photo by Marcel Couwenberg