Something about the barrage of images from Japan and Libya over the course of the last few weeks reminded me of the film Baraka, which was released almost twenty years ago. The movie has no plot or narrative, instead relying on powerful imagery and a dramatic soundtrack to convey a deeply resonant message about the relationship between mankind and nature, mankind and each other, civilization and the wild, good and evil, and the common thread that connects it all.

Music by Dead Can Dance draws you into the imagery; the lack of narration lets you draw your own conclusions. In today’s digital world, where we consume visuals in a montage-like way, this film forces you to slow the carousel down a bit and meditate on the blessing that is Earth.

This jam from the forthcoming Guided By Voices tribute album Sing for Your Meat—featuring Flaming Lips, Blitzen Trapper and Thurston Moore to name a few—builds perfectly and actually allows you to decipher the lyrics, which are almost inaudible in the perfect, crunchy original. Hard to believe this live cover has higher production value than the original, but hey—it’s a GBV song.

Get an MP3 of the Cymbals Eat Guitars version below.

CYMBALS EAT GUITARS | GLEEMER (GBV COVER) | DOWNLOAD

James Blake’s music has been dubbed “Robot Soul” for its warped dubstep-in-slo-mo sound, over which he lays some seriously heartfelt vocals. After hearing his heralded debut album The Wilhelm Scream, one might think he relies on auto tune or some other digital trickery to hit the highs and lows throughout. But his acoustic rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Case of You,” which he recently performed on the Beeb, puts any doubts to rest—dude’s got skills. The songwriting also reminds you of how amazing Joni Mitchell’s 1971 album Blue was.

Get the track for free below, grab a bottle (or a case), and enjoy.

A Case of You (Joni Mitchell Cover) – James Blake | Download

James Blake – A Case Of You (Joni Mitchell Cover) by Hypetrak

This track is stunning. The original was already pretty perfect, but there’s really something incredible about the remix Fool’s Gold put together, featuring rhymes by Aristotle. Often remixes don’t add much more to a track than a heavy bassline and distorted vocals, but this one goes way above and beyond. Download it for free below and throw it on a Valentine’s Day mixtape for your sweetheart!

Local Natives – Eyes Wide (Fool’s Gold Remix ft. Aristotle) | Download

Eyes Wide (Fool’s Gold Remix ft. Aristotle) – Local Natives by Thissongissick.com

If you haven’t already, check out this beautiful film interpreting the movements of real dancers into surreal and evocative animation. Then check out the behind the scenes vid, which offers an inspiring glance at what can happen when artists collaborate across fields. Moving stuff.

What do you do when you’re an Australian in London without a car or a drum kit, but have a serious need to create beats? David Osborne turned his bike upside down, designed a mobile drum set, and set off busking:

I was originally thinking of carrying around a small drum kit on the tube and buses but then one day when I was looking at my bike I just thought it was the perfect drum frame for some toy drums!

A profile of David’s one-bike band, Puncture Kit, is in the first issue of Boneshaker magazine, recently released as a PDF. Check it out. Live busking video below—skip to 1min where the action starts:

[An occasional update on what we're listening to now. -Ed.]

If you haven’t heard the newest album from LCD Soundsystem, This Is Happening, then you’re seriously missing out.  Ask me what my favorite track is and I’ll tell you “all of them.” But if I did have to pick my “most” favorite, it would be (hands down) Track 01 – Dance Yourself Clean.  I recommend listening to this one in the car, really loud. It hits you when you least expect it and I can guarantee that once you finish the track, you’ll hit repeat.

Following up on this morning’s post, maybe all you really need to go skiing is a super creative imagination. Well, that and a sweet pair of red pants…

Video for Robin Leduc’s Laissez Moi Passer. C’est hyper-cool.

(via Vimeo)

If you look around the office these days, you’ll see a lot of headphones. Lately, we’ve all been listening to the same band in anticipation of their Portland appearance next week. With song names like Wicked Messenger, Thickfreakness, and Do the Rump, we are beside ourselves with love for the Black Keys.

Brett is checking in Fall deliveries and listening to Psychotic Girl. “They are consistently awesome,” he says.

Peter is finishing up Spring 2012 designs. He digs the Black Keys because “they are making music to be expressive, not to entertain.” He said all their songs make him smile.

Megan is fixing the final bugs in the new Horny Toad website (set to launch in less than a week). “I’ve never seen two people make so much noise,” she says loudly as she listens to Girl Is On My Mind.

For me, Everlasting Light (from their new album “Brothers”) is at the top of my “Top 25 Most Played.”

We are never short on noise around here, but in this case, adding a little more is a good thing.

[An occasional update on what we're listening to now. - Ed]

For reasons I won’t go into here, I live in a place dubbed the Caribou Cottage. The name hails from the animal itself, which is, in my opinion, among the most magnificent on the planet.

Caribou is also a fun word to say (especially when loud, and with a long drawn-out boooo at the end), and it has over the years inspired some very badass musical moments. Moments that I have been playing on repeat lately. Who knows why. None of this music is new. I am thinking it is because of the place where I live. When I hear mention of the mighty Caribou, I listen.

For some newer funky beats, try Odessa, by Caribou (the band). And for a classic, give Caribou (the song) a listen, by The Pixies.