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New Music Tuesday: Bjork remixed, Bush Tetras, Kelsey and more

We’ve somehow managed to arrive at Tuesday and Thanksgiving is just two days away. I used to scoff at the notion of life going by more quickly the older you get, but kids, that shit is for real. It’s also true that bouncing back from a hangover is much more difficult the older you get, so put that in your pocket for later.

I generally wince at the notion of throwing down money on a remix album but when Bjork is involved, I can almost always count on a companion piece filled with musical enhancements to her originals. Bjork is an artistic perfectionist who is always looking to try new things for the sake of her next metamorphosis.

While I can’t say her efforts always pay off (Medulla gave me anxiety whenever I listened to it) I can say she exceeds my expectations most of the time and that is in large part because of her ability to find and collaborate with other gifted artists, musicians and producers to bring the experience (and it is always an experience) of her albums to life. There’s a reason I have one of her song titles tattooed on my arm.

Some of you may remember Kelsey from past appearances as a contestant on The Voice and American Idol a few seasons back but for those of you getting a taste of her sensual R&B goodness for the first time, this will be a fantastic introduction. Three of the four songs on the EP are sung with a sexual aching primed to get anyone on the singles circuit to quickly fill out an OkCupid profile. The fourth song, “Out of Sight,” is more of a laid back jam to play at the end of the night (or the morning after) and is just as enjoyable. You don’t have to wait for Black Friday to get in on all the great shopping deals, as Kelsey has made the album available as a free download so go grab it and then get sexy. In some fun news, I found out she and I went to high school together. Of course, I won’t say how many years I graduated before she did, but it’s great to see some talented folks coming out of my alma mater.

The next time Alanis wants to sing about irony, she may want to get tips on how to use the adjective from Bush Tetras. Don’t plan on sunshine and unicorns dancing on Happy because you’ll be hearing lyrics like “I don’t know why I have to cry,” and “I bite my nails too much; I worry about the air around me,” all sung with a snarl and backed by heavy guitar riffs.

This is a different sound than much of the music being churned out today and its grit is refreshing because much like life, things aren’t always pretty. I would highly recommend getting to know this band if you’re a fan of Sonic Youth or Folk Implosion.

Music Extras: Last Thursday I caught Mirah’s show and was totally blown away. The venue wasn’t what I am used to as it was a sit-down performance with incredibly strict assigned seating which made it difficult to grab great visual footage (or even order a new cocktail) but the sound was fantastic as you can hear in the video below.

If you’ve been reading this column for a little while, you’ll know how much of a sucker I am for string instruments so I basically fell in love ten times over that night thanks to her cellist, Lori Goldston (who I just found out was the cellist performing with Nirvana on their epic MTV Unplugged album), and violinist, L. Alex Guy, who also contributed gorgeous vocal harmonies throughout the night.

Grab a free download of Misfit Mod‘s sweet synth-pop track “Sugar C.” from her forthcoming album, Islands and Islands. It totally reminds me of White Hinterlands and I love it.

Kacey Johansing has a great modern jazz sound. Stream and download the first single from her upcoming LP Honey. Sugar. Molasses.

Ripley Pine has a new album coming out this February and if they’re as upbeat and low-key fun as “Rooftop,” it’ll be a great album to slowly transition us into spring.

Since I’m still celebrating Christina Aguilera‘s latest release, here’s a remix from my buddies, Tune In Crew. I am really feelin’ the Moombaton remixes lately. They’ve got added flavor like the added ass someone photoshopped onto Aguilera’s body in some pictures from the American Music Awards the other day. I mean, they made it look like she was smuggling Nicki Minaj back there.

While I didn’t enjoy Gossip’s last release, Joyful Noise, the remixes they just put out are actually pretty hot. Here’s one of my favorites even if it’s a painful reminder that I really do need to get a damn job.

I rarely include protest-ish anthems but here’s a new track from Erin McKeown‘s forthcoming album and inspired by a artist/activist group trip to visit the border divide near the Arizona-Mexico border.

AfterEllen reader Michykat gave me the head’s up on Anna Calvi‘s gorgeous video for “Suzanne and I.”

That’s it for this week but I hope everyone celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday enjoys it. Be safe everybody, and know that I’m thankful for all of you readers. </endsappymoment>. If you’re missing me for any particular reason, you can always shout me out on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or for those of you in NYC, you can catch me dancing on my own just like Robyn at Glossy tomorrow night.

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