Altered Zones

Update: We are thrilled to announce today that Atlas Sound has joined the lineup of our event this Saturday at New Museum! More information, as well as set times, will be revealed Friday.

This Saturday, October 22nd, Altered Zones is throwing an unofficial CMJ party at the the New Museum. Inspired by the idea of setting some of our favorite artists from the DIY music world in the museum context, we've teamed with our parent site, Pitchfork, to put together a line-up of AraabMuzik, Grimes, Teengirl Fantasy, Trash Talk, Eric Copeland, Prince Rama, Light Asylum, Xeno and Oaklander, FORMA, and Dive, not to mention a killer stable of DJs, including Awesome Tapes From Africa, Weird Magic, Todd Pendu, Main Attrakionz, and Ayshay.

Visuals will be curated by Nuit Blanche New York, will feature Alice Cohen, Grouper's Liz Harris, Luke Wyatt, Miko Revereza, Camilla Padgitt-Coles, and more. The New Museum, our city's only museum devoted exclusively to contemporary art, will be donating a portion of the proceeds to the 2012 New Museum triennial, which is an international exhibition of emerging artists.

Altered Zones takes place at the New Museum, located at 235 Bowery in Downtown Manhattan. It starts at 7:30 p.m. and costs $20 for New Museum members and $25 for general admission. Buy tickets here. This event is 21+. Beer will be provided by Brooklyn Brewery.

MP3: Atlas Sound: "Te Amo"

MP3: araabMUZIK: "Streetz Tonight"

MP3: Trash Talk: "Explode"

MP3: Eric Copeland: "Krankendudel"

MP3: Grimes: "Vanessa"

MP3: Dive: "Sometime"

MP3: Ayshay: "WARN-U"

MP3: Main Attrakionz: "Perfect Skies"

MP3: Grouper: "Alien Observer"

Every now and then, we need give credence to the bands that really matter. While we tip our hats to heroes like Michael Rother or Hans-Joachim Roedelius on the regular, there is one group we have heretofore omitted from the canon 20th of centrury innovators who, consciously or not, laid the foundations for the music of what British critic Simon Reynolds is calling the "Zones generation." A sound that has become so ubiquitous, perhaps, that it fails to be heard. An influence so deeply engrained in our millennial musical consciousness, that it consistently escapes the notice of The Wire, The Village Voice, The New York Times, Chocolate Bobka, NPR, and even our father publication, Pitchfork. That band is Creed.

Also known as Naked Toddler, the Tallahassee, FL legends carved a niche for themselves in the '90s, setting out to be the only post-Cold War band that mattered. They succeeded with flying colors; like a lot of really good musicians, frontman and principle songwriter Scott Stapp cited doing "lots of heroin and sniffing tons of glue" as the catalyst for the boundless creative energy of Creed's first full-length effort, My Own Prison (1997). Known for his ghost-like, "hauntological" vocal technique and hailed by some as the "Godfather of Hypnagogic Pop," Stapp's teen runaway lifestyle influenced indie rockers like Dan Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never, Games) and Ariel Pink to immerse themselves in the drug culture that continues to inform the "h-pop" movement, founded by Wire writer David Keenan in August of 2009. Stapp's "arms wide open" embrace of Christian values laid the groundwork for a contemporary music culture defined by the twin virtues of post-ironic enthusiasm and worldwide community-building.

Though most people ridicule Creed for being a talentless "rich man's Nickelback," hip-contrarian label Olde English Bee issued the following statement:

"Creed is one of the most misunderstood rock bands of all time. Critics have described them as 'taking the tackiest elements of grunge and then pumping it full of steroids and human growth hormones.' Well what's wrong with that? What their detractors are missing is the deep existential crises revealed in the songs of Creed. The themes of endless despair, reckoning with God, and emerging triumphant through it all. It's all about the struggles and trials of life and how we are ultimately united on this difficult path. It's about singing with the voice of a superhuman monster-- the only voice that can maybe reach the ears of our cruel God. If we can shoot lightning back His way then maybe He will take notice of our suffering. Chillwave music will never accomplish goals of this nature. God does not take Chillwave music seriously but He surely follows Creed for they are the musical choice of so many believers. True believers. The spiritual warriors of this world. There have been theories that bands like 'Washed Out' psychically pre-empted the recent tsunami disaster. This was God's punishment. Creed has music videos depicting the survival of mass floods - they see the future and envision the durability of human existence in the face of extinction. We must fight God in order to survive. The human race must unite in order to overcome the challenges He will throw our way. Creed is the soundtrack to our survival-- seriously 'the end is near' has never been more true. 2012 is our next door neighbor. Are you ready? Are you ready? For what's to come."

If that means Creed covers, then Altered Zones is absolutely ready. In observance of Creed's undeniable influence, OESB corralled an all-star tribute compilation featuring the musical stylings of director and avant-art veteran Alice Cohen, Green Gerry, blue-eyed soul monster Autre Ne Veut, and others. --Ric Leichtung & Emilie Friedlander, Altered Zones

MP3: Alice Cohen: "Higher (Creed Cover)"

MP3: Autre Ne Veut: "What's This Life For?? (Creed Cover)"

The Should Have Been Dead On A Sunday Morning 80 millimeter mini-CD compilation is sold out, download it for free or stream

V/A: SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD ON A SUNDAY MORNING - AN OESB TRIBUTE TO CREED

Weekends' new album, Strange Cultures, was originally slated to drop last summer via Friends Records. A few snags and several months later it is finally here in all its fuzzed out, shredding glory. In order to celebrate, the label had motion collage extraordinaire Alice Cohen whip together this fantastic video for "Totem". You can also snag an edited down version of standout "Raingirls" below. The extended version clocks in at just under six-minutes and is available only on the 12" edition of the album.

MP3: Weekends: "Raingirls (edit)"

Strange Cultures is available now digitally and drops in January on vinyl via Friends Records

When Alice Cohen showed me the video "MaRsUpIaL sHeNaNiGaNs" from Smack Dab alum Linda Hagood, i was instantly struck by its effortless and effervescent joy of the song, its clip, and their union. It's uncanny. So genuine and playful and far out. Wayyy out. Hagood's vox swirl not too, but with Alice Cohen's hypnotizing paper collage animations make for one helluva two-minute trip through a warped childhood tale. Ya know how everyone always remarks how tripp'd out kids shows are, well, Linda Hagood and Alice Cohen would create the most beautifully imaginative and wondrous children's show. Though, it'd solely exist in a conjured state...? (via Chocolate Bobka)

The video for "MaRsUpIaL sHeNaNiGaNs" is the first off Hagood's Pink Love Red Love, which was released on Chris Johanson's Awesome Vistas label, available at Fusetron.