Music at Work #1

August 11, 2011 | Posted by Cam Hoff

While working in a creative environment music is always a constant. The ever-present drone of the jukebox speakers is as much a part of the office as the four walls around us. That said, us creatives are almost expected to have great taste in music, so let's put that to the test in the debut of a new regular feature on the blog, Music at Work (NOTE: I'm not a Tragically Hip fan, but the name fits). I'll be sharing some new albums we've recently added to the Flipp Jukebox, offering my brief opinion on the new additions.

Black Lips – Arabia Mountain

As a big fan of garage rock and the lo-fi sound in general, I was excited to hear the new album from Atlanta's Black Lips. They're not breaking any new ground here on their sixth release, sticking to their trademark retro garage style. But their formula still works for me on this collection of sixteen throwback tracks. Highlights include the opener Family Tree, Modern Art and the raucous Bicentennial Man. Recommended for fans of the 60's rock revival and Little Steven's Underground Garage. Try listening to it with your Dad, my father-in-law would probably like this band if he hadn't already declared there were no good albums produced after 1974.

Wugazi – 13 Chambers

The brainchild of producers Cecil Otter and Swiss Andy, Wugazi is the cooler younger brother of Danger Mouse's Grey Album. 13 Chambers mixes classic Wu Tang cuts with equally classic Fugazi riffs, yielding unexpectedly great results (Which may or may not be NSFW, depending on your office). I've found this in heavy rotation on my stereo ever since it was released a few weeks ago. Standout tracks include Sleep Rules Everthing Around Me, Another Chessboxin' Argument, and Ghetto Afterthought. Best of all, since it's an unlicensed mashup, it's avalable for FREE at wugazi.com. If you were ever a fan of Wu Tang Clan, Fugazi or both (like myself), you're going to want to download this album.

So those are a few of the latest albums we're listening to at Flipp. Give them a try at your office or on your headphones if you're not that kind of office. Do you like the retro garage rock? Do you think rap is crap? Let us know in the comments, and also what new music you're excited about so we can add it to the mix.