I just did my very first radio interview for a show called “The Daily Feed” on WFPK 91.9 FM in Louisville, KY. The show will be re-broadcast on a few other stations nationally.
Past interviewees include OK GO, Spoon, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Sonic Youth, and more! I’m feelin both proud and flattered to say the least… Although I’m totally cringing at the sound of my own voice.
My Yeasayer remix is on the much-respected My Old Kentucky Blog show today. Tune in to SIRIUS XMU, Channel 26 on SIRIUS & channel 43 on XM – the two-hour program starts at 12pm ET and is replayed again at Midnight ET.
I’m on there alongside Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Cold Cave, Holly Miranda, Phoenix, Rogue Wave, and many more… Check out the playlist and download some MP3’s from the show at My Old Kentucky Blog.
And, lastly, because I can never pass up an opportunity for a bad pun, especially when it involves Jermaine Jackson, here’s the amazingly funky Stevie-Wonder-produced “Let’s Get Serious”
Craziness! Was just doing a little self-google-alerts-ing (not that I’m vain or anything), and I discovered that I was on KCRW twice for my Temper Trap remix! OUTRAGEOUS! It’s the not first time I’ve been on, but I’m feeling pretty cool right now, nonetheless…
Thank you so much to Jason Kramer for throwing me in the mix, let alone two times!
I’m on the latest Indie Soup Runner Podcast – it’s a monthly free podcast that features the latest in high-energy exercise-friendly indie music… This month’s episode features yours truly, alongside some other great music, and if I could ever force myself to exercise on any kind of regular basis, this would be the mix for me:
Alan Wilkis – “Gotta Get You Back”
YACHT – “Psychic City”
My Awesome Mixtape – “Washing Machine” (Washing My t-Shirt Peluche Remix)
Valery Gore – “Shoes of Glass”
Electric Owls – “Magic Show”
Flashguns – “I Don’t Not Love You”
Ash – “Return of White Rabbit”
Gossip – “Heavy Cross”
Skatan – “Shine”
Discovery – “So Insane”
Napoleon IIIrd – “Zebra”
The Longcut – “Repeated”
TiMaria – “Pretty Girls Are Pretty High”
Patrick Wolf – “Hard Times”
Marian Call – “Volvo”
Plus you can hear me dorkily introduce myself at the beginning… If that doesn’t make you wanna get up and run out the door, then I don’t know what will
Here comes the weekly blog roundup again – a couple more nice writeups here and there, I think the initial coverage is finally cooling down – I managed to pull in over 100 reviews, and they were all pleasant-to-awesome! I’m very grateful!
And before I get started, I’d like to direct people’s attention to one of the original Philly soul bands from the 1970’s, The Stylistics. I’ve been a fan since I was wee, thanks to my white Jewish dad’s curious love for Philly soul… been listening to their first album all morning, today, and it just slays…
nickjamvendetta – “The sounds feel as if it’s from an 80’s movie that was dubbed onto VHS, but only highly produced to sound from none other than a gold plated 808… This release is bursting out a plain ol’ bunch of fun funk for the day or night”
Longon, ON: Burgeoning Metropolis – “Sounds like its taken a backing track from a hidden song from M’Js Off the Wall and… well, it just has a very 80s feel”
Lemoncat [Blog in Madrid] – “Electrofunk popero desde el Bronx, con muchos synthes, guitarreo y vocales con humor. Buen EP, ecléctico e intenso” ["Electrofunk popero" may very well be the coolest thing anyone's ever called me]
Chic Moustache Club [re: Parker & Lewis remix of PAP] – “A new remix of Pink and Purple (THE track which is now parts of my heart and my daily ‘Life is cool’ training)”
It’s been a BUSY week for your pal, Willikers… Just finding some time to come up for air this mornin’. Been plugging away at writing for some fancy poppers, took a pass at writing a theme song for a TV show, and one of the top-secret remixes I mentioned a while back is properly done! I heard the final master on Friday and it sounds slammin! As soon as I’m able to share any of the above, I WILL!!!
The feedback from the “Dorm Life” episode’s been great – people apparently REALLY watch that show! If you missed my little feature on Monday, check out the post HERE.
And moving along, the reviews continue to roll in – if you can believe it, I’ve almost hit 100 reviews and/or honorable mentions, and they’ve ALL BEEN POSITIVE so far! Here goes:
Groovin’ You – “A crazy mixture of styles and genres that somehow manage to come together to form a cohesive whole… Packed with catchy and infectious vocodered vocals and synth melodies layered over a bubbling bassline, lo-fi shuffling drum machines and more meaty percussion… An impressive and varied release, so much so that it was tough to decide which tracks to post.”
Hot Biscuits – “[re: 'Snuggle Up'] A fun summer track that would be great in the background of an afternoon gathering…”
I was on the Contrast Podcast this week! For those of you unfamiliar with it, it’s this awesome podcast founded by an awesome gentleman named Tim Young who recently just moved to France, and said of his recent move, “I’ve had wine with every meal so far!”
Basically, it involves a theme each week, and various bloggers and fans submit songs that best fit the theme. Say the theme is “songs about loving more than humanly possible,” I might cleverly suggest “8 Days a Week” by the Beatles :)
A few times a year, Tim opens the podcast up to musicians, including yours truly… We get to introduce ourselves + then put on a song… It’s an awesome way to discover new music, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it for the 2nd time!
Another batch of reviews this week for “Pink and Purple” – some REALLY nice ones in there! Including one which calls me a funky pasty hipster from Brooklyn… Just trying to make my mama proud!
Check it out:
Okayplayer – “A warm familiarity while still sounding like nothing I’ve ever heard… Constantly evolving soundscapes, each song moving in a variety of different directions without sacrificing coherence… A penchant for guitar and synth solos with an aptitude that conjures a Discovery-era Daft Punk. These sound as though they are as natural as breathing to Wilkis, and his ear for timing and melody is quite remarkable, pointing to the real star of Pink and Purple: taste… PAP could be dissected endlessly on a formal level, but their true merit lies in the fact that they are best enjoyed for the way they feel, achieving the balls-to-the-wall sense of fun that keeps people returning to the ‘80s.”
Tuftsmania – “I’m being completely honest here, I’d never heard of Alan Wilkis and now wishing I had sooner. This sound is pure and shameless pop with a healthy 150 u/L drip of IV funk… Hand claps, crunked vintage synth, sslaaappin’ da baaahhsss maaahhnnn, a HORN and SAX (!!!!!!!!)… I’m hearing throwbacks to so many great and different classics… Hall & Oates, Brian Eno, Bowie, of course Michael Jackson (RIP). Shit’s on lock… Make sure you drop by his space and listen to every track in the player.”
Popmatters – “AW has reinvented himself again… A slice of unadulterated electrofunk heaven… A multi-instrumentalist of considerable skill—his guitar playing, in particular, used to drop jaws. But he sits now with fellow literate-NYers Chromeo, restricting himself to a single style, and embracing it without irony for the pure fun to be had. And this is some kind of fun… Song after song of pristine genre pieces with the quality to become new parts of the canon. So much so that you get this warm familiar feeling listening to the EP—not that you’ve heard it before, but that you’re rekindling an old friendship.”
Pasta Primavera – “The grooves on this bad mamma jamma (thass right) leave everything else in the dust… This thing channels P-Funk soaked with Rockwell’s sweat. If you’re looking for some summer jammy jams….go ahead and get that Wilkis funk.”
Ears of the Beholder – “I can’t wait to bust it out at some parties… Packed with some delicious funk flavors including synths, background singers, thumping bass and even some rapping… Basically it’s a nice big chunk of funk.”
Pigeons and Planes – “Damn sure does not disappoint! From the melodies, to the instrumentation, to the lyrics and even voice effects; this EP is dope!!”
Les Enfants Terribles – “Some of the most dance-friendly summer jams to come across my speakers in a while… ’80s synthesizer funk a la Prince, Rick James, Funkadelic and Stevie Wonder… Saturday night roller skating music, so lace up those skates, free your mind and your ass most definitely will follow.”
AM, Then FM – “Alan has taken all kinds of musical influences, tossed them into the blender and come up with new sounds that nonetheless sound familiar. Made in 2009… straight outta 1984… This is the record of my summer so far… Kool and the Gang — no, that’s Earth, Wind and Fire — meet Jeff Lynne and Harold Faltermeyer… Echoes of Peter Gabriel, Queen and Prince… I mention the influences only as a guide. Alan has reimagined them in remarkable fashion.”
Katarokkar – “The 808/casio/hooks/harmonies/dance-off awesomeness exploding from multi-instrumentalist Alan Wilkis’ new EP ‘Pink and Purple’ is an obvious tribute to 80s pop and cheesy beats… [AW] has expanded his artistic abilities to the dance floor and the results are rewarding.”
Pelican’s Perch – “In a genre all it’s own. You’ll notice almost immediately how upbeat and fun his music is… Alan has crafted the best 80’s throwback album of 2009 and an album I couldn’t recommend more to brighten your summer days a bit.”
I Really Love Music – “Quickly found myself grinning from ear to ear… A lovely set of 80s referencing pop music… Just sooo damn catchy… Very enjoyable.”
Snob’s Music – “Who knew a pasty hipster from Brooklyn could make ’80s throwback music this funky?”
Welcome to Wilcassettes, the home of everything Alan Wilkis. Alan is a Brooklyn-based musician, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and general musical mover-and-shaker... This is his blog.
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