Knackered / Isolee - We Are Monster

What a tiring weekend....from playing a fun set with Sioux-Elin in a packed Catch (and then passing out from a mixture of exhaustion and a pre-set meal of dodgily cooked chicken, only to wake up the next day in bed fully clothed!), a Saturday with a bad stomach ache, and a Sunday where there was no escape from work. Aching all over, and very tired. Just two weeks till summer holidays in Madrid...phew!

Record of the week

Isolee - We Are Monster



Those who continue to mourn the so-called death of dance albums should grab a pair of headphones and settle down with the latest opus from Raijko Muller. Upon first hearing 'We Are Monster', you immediately sense that what you're hearing is extremely familiar, much like an old friend you suddenly bump into after far too many years apart. Clicks, house grooves (and we're talking proper house here kids, as in the kind you'd encounter in a dark warehouse in Chicago in circa 1985), swirls of what appear to be Hawaiian guitar (the gorgeous 'Schrapnell'), acid squelches, and the sense of joyful abandon that comes with only the most playful of records. There's a sense that seeing these tracks performed live by Muller himself in a packed club would really be something special, but minor quibbles such as these don't really matter because listening to 'We Are Monster' in your own abode seems like the idea of heaven at this very moment. Fuck, damn, this is one fine album.

Listen to....Isolee - Schrapnell (thanks to One Louder for the link)

Can't Mix Won't Mix chart - July

The typically rainy London summer weather made Can't Mix a low key affair last night, and with Will's short set leaving me with three hours to fill till close, it meant that I could test a few new tunes plus play out a few old favourites too. Got asked three time last night by random punters whether I had any 'gear'....I don't think that's happened since my dancing days at Club Habana back in Canberra years ago! Also learnt that any time I'll wheel out 'Axel F' from now on will be accompanied by loudly shouted 'DING-DINGS' from drunken yobs (which was kind of the response I secretly hoped for. Damn that frog...)

Can't Mix Won't Mix Top Ten July 2005

X-Press 2 feat Kurt Wagner - Give It (Skint)
Avenue D - You Love This Ass (Pete Love This Acid Mix) (Phela)
Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch (Island)
Missy Elliot - Lose Control (Jacques Lu Cont Mix) (Atlantic)
Freeform Five - Elctromagnetic (Evil 9 Broadway Dub) (Fine)
Annie - Happy Without You (Riton Vocal Mix) (679)
Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F (MCA)
Death From Above 1979 - Black History Month (Alan Braxe and Fred Falke Remix) (679)
Danger Doom - Sofa King (Epitaph)*
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - Scorpio (Plaid mix) (Sequel)

* Ta muchly for the tune BSE. Fancy a return visit to Can't Mix in September?

Nitty Gritty @ Catch this Friday

Apparently I'm spinning records at Club Nitty Girtty this Friday at Catch nightclub in Shoreditch as special guest alongside the lurrrvely Sioux-Elin (superstar). News to me!

Come along, get drunk, dance, pull down your pants and have a lovely time, ya dig? Expect soul, strange hippity hop, the odd broken beat and a riff or two.

Club Nitty Gritty this Friday 29/7
@
Catch
22 Kingsland Rd
Shoreditch EC2
10pm - 2am

Can't Mix Won't Mix Wednesday 27th July

'So, Euan from Can't Mix Won't Mix, what can we
expect at CMWM this week?'

'ZZZZ......Wha? Hey, why'd you wake me up
man?'

'Sorry, just finding out if you guys have any guest
DJs this week, or anything of note happening to let
the kids know about'

'Dude, why'd you wake me up? Dammit man!
Um......I think we spent our Guest DJ fund on
hookers and blow...and magic beans...'

Can't Mix Won't Mix
Wed 27 July
with Will Kane and Euan
@ The Pool
104-108 Curtain Rd Shoreditch, EC2

Hip Hop / Electro /Indie nonsense
FREE!

'Damn you magic beans.....grow!'

Karate Chop!

Hail Satan! Tenacious D's 'Pick of Destiny' teaser site is finally up and running. Check out the Hell O'Clock news while you're there.

Been a strange few days in London, with situations reminiscent of a fortnight ago. Everyone is on edge, but at the same time people know that life still must go on. As I write this, bombs have gone off in Egypt an hour ago. It's all a bit freaky...

Bargain Hunt / Frank Black

For anyone residing in North London, best leg it to the Dalston Oxfam branch sharpish as they're having a rather fine CD and Vinyl sale this week. Last Sunday this is what I managed to pick up for less than a tenner...

Singles
Scout Niblett - Uptown Top Ranking
Interpol - C'Mere (with remixes from all four band members)
Ralph Myerz - Casino

Albums
Ray Lamontagne - Trouble
Tegan and Sara - So Jealous
The Fiery Furnaces - Burberry Boat
The Notwist - Neon Golden

Le Vinyl
OST - Beverly Hills Cop
Spectrum 311 - Lying Eyes (with Juan McLean and Simian Mobile Disco remixes)

Grand total? £6.41! Bleedin' heck....cheap as chips! I heart charidee shops.

UPDATE: How'd you get to Major Leaguer?

Google and Yahoo search hits keep on coming for Jeremy Warmsley, Roll Deep and Q-Tip (new single with Busta already out on import - dyn-o-mite!). Arctic Monkeys are only clocking around 2 hits a week, although with the shambles that is Mr Doherty's Babyshambles hitting the skids again this week, maybe the NME will elevate the Monkeys to the title of 'most hyped new band of the moment' (which is a unfortunate burden I wouldn't wish upon any young artist), which will no doubt increase their Major Leaguer hit rate. We'll see....

Record of the week

Frank Black - Honeycomb

Black Francis attempts Blonde on Blonde on his new LP, the follow-up to his accoustic Frankblackfrancis album, and of course his never ending award tour with the re-united Pixies.

With the legendary Jon Tiven and Dan Penn behind the boards, and featuring a jaw-dropping guest list that Ryan Adams would trade half a dozen indie actress girlfriends for just to share oxygen with (Spooner Oldham, Steve Cropper, Reggie Young, David Hood), Black rises to the occasion with aplomb, gathering a collection of quickly written originals and well-chosen covers (Doug Sham's 'Sunday Sunny Mill Valley Groove Day' is an inspired, and unexpected choice) to knit together a country soul album that breezes by quite nicely. It's worth noting that Black's voice is in particularly fine form too, with the Pixies singer showing a more soulful timbre than on previous records.

Who you gonna call?

Major Leaguer's top five songs about ghosts

5. Walking With A Ghost - Tegan & Sara
4. Ghost Town - The Specials
3. Friendly Ghost - Eels
2. Your Ghost - Kristin Hersh & Michael Stipe
1. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.

Googling 'songs about ghosts' also gets you here, although there's nary a tune about spectres throughout. Instead, Songs About Ghosts is a nifty short story zine published in New York. I'm sure Ray Parker Jr would approve (apparently Ray is writing and recording again after a long hiatus - hooray!)

Danger Doom. Yep, a mouse in a mask...

Drool.....Drool....Drool. MF Doom and Danger Mouse have wrapped up work on the forthcoming Danger Doom album, out in October, and if Mince Meat is any indication then it'll earn 'em both five gold stars and a smiley stamp on their '05 report card. Next for DM is the Gnarls Barkley collabo with Cee-Lo, while Doom is putting the finishing touches on work with Tony 'Ghostface' Sparks. Drool...Drool...Drool...

Can't Mix Won't Mix this Wednesday - Will and Woodrow! / R Kelly's Ben Hur

Can't Mix is back again this Wednesday night @ The Pool in Shoreditch, and supersub Woodrow Phoenix is stepping into the breach to cover for my absence (I'm looking after Dave and Carolina's 7-month-old baby, Audrey, while they worship at the feet of Trent Reznor. 1...2.....3.....awwwwwwwww. Stop it right now).

Expect a load of 60s French pop, old soul, funk and electro as Woodrow and CMWM resident Will Kane take to the wheels of aluminum. Cost? Nothing to you my good friends, not one penny.

Can't Mix Won't Mix
@ The Pool
104-108 Curtain Rd
Shoreditch, EC2
8pm - 1am
FREE!

Oh, and news just in....

*I'll be spinning records at Club Nitty Gritty on Friday July 29.....more details when they come to hand.

*Speaking of DJs, or vaguely professional ones at that, congrats to Milky who scored the number four slot in the In The Mix ACT DJ Poll! Well done son....taught him everything he knows. Sorta.

*Trying to catch the full motion picture epic that is R Kelly's Trapped In The Closet (Pts 1-5). Will has informed me there's a twist at the very end. I'm guessing that our pal R wakes up to find it's all a dream, before getting peed on by his lady friend. Well, that's how Dave Chappelle would have played it anyway, except he's still AWOL in South Africa.

Where was I? Oh yeah...

Way-hey! No work on Tuesday. How will I pass the time?

* Listen to the new Cut Copy single, Future, especially the Chromeo mix. Stylin'.

* Book flight to Madrid for August holiday. Must also start compiling musical care package to bring to Houman when I arrive, as he insists the Spanish charts are complete rubbish (Shakira? Rubbish? I think not...)

* Begin the search for new shoes as my pair of Gravis sneaks are crumbling. Chuck Taylors perhaps...cheap as chips.

* Finish reading The Princess Bride. Inconceivable!

* Sleep....zzzzz

Record of the week - Sufjan Stevens 'Illinois'

Second American state themed album from Stevens which reveals more with repeated plays. It's a love letter packed with historical references, neo-classical stop-overs (Reich and Glass anyone?), campfire sing-a-longs, and carefree whimsy that Stevens threads together with ease, making this one of the best LPs I've heard this year. The only question is, will his next 48 albums be just as good?

Major Leaguer bonus

Shock! Latest Harry Potter book leaked five days before release. World keeps turning...

Thanks y'all...

Just a quick note to say thank you to everyone that called, texted, e-mailed and got in contact after the events in Central London today. Luckily I wasn't working so I didn't have to go into town. My workplace is right above one of the busiest tube stations in the West End, and has a history of having to deal with bomb threats and evacuations (not exactly the most fun thing to experience as you can imagine). Luckily all work colleagues are safe, and so are my friends around town.

Watching the chaos from the safety of a friend's house, I realised that events such as today's explosions can happen anywhere, especially in a city like London. At a time like this it's important to reach out to your friends and family, and to those who have been affected and offer whatever support you can. I've lived in London since 2002, and feel fortunate to be in such a vibrant, colourful city. Yesterday's news about the successful Olympic bid made me think back to working at Sydney 2000, and experiencing two of the best weeks of my life in another amazing city.

Today's events have been a shock, although not an unexpected one. However, life will continue, and London will recover. Everybody I've spoken to today in London seems calm, although understandably shaken, but will go about with their lives in a positive frame of mind. My thoughts are with anyone affected by what has happened today, at a time where the support of friends and family is most needed.

To all my friends & family in Australia, Sweden, Spain, USA and the UK.....thanks. I hope you're all well and will speak to you soon.

Euan

I have become addicted to BB...again. Damn.

Peeling myself away from the lewdness of the 205th edition of Big Brother (as hard as it is...snigger....I don't want to swim in that pool), here's what's on the Major Leaguer stereo this week.

Missy Elliott - On And On / Can't Stop (from The Cookbook)

The two hottest hip-hop producers at the moment provide the two hottest tunes on Missy's new LP. On and On is the tag-along track at the end of the Lose Control video, and it's another case of the Neptunes raising the bar when it comes to tracks full of squelchy/poppy bliss. Meanwhile, Can't Stop sees Elliott ride the same Rich Harrison hi-hat & brass wave previously surfed by Beyonce (Crazy In Love) and Amerie (1 Thing). Both have 'club banger' written on 'em, and are begging for stereo workouts all summer long.

Royksopp - Only This Moment (Alan Braxe and Fred Falke mix)

Forget the original version and head straight to the French house duo's re-rub for a big fat serving of filtered goodness. I could listen to this all day....

Stars - Ageless Beauty (from Set Yourself On Fire)

The Canadian 04-05 invasion continues, and if the music emerging continues to be this gorgeous then Major Leaguer may be setting up camp in Montreal fairly soon. Stars' third album slipped out into UK stores earlier in the year on import, but if upcoming single Ageless Beauty follows the same path as other Cannuck successes, notably The Dears Lost In The Plot and Arcade Fire's Neighborhood 2 (Laika), then the Montreal/Toronto collective's time on indie label Arts and Crafts may be shortlived. Many a mix tape made by scruffy indie boys falling for fey indie girls this year will feature Ageless Beauty sandwiched between Blur's You're So Great and Rilo Kiley's Portions For Foxes. Ain't love grand?

Major Leaguer bonus

Oh, and on a TV related note, let's hope the Beeb reconsider their attempt to revive one of the best shows of the 90s.

'Wot Do U Call It?' Roll Deep / The changing face of Hip-Hop audiences

To answer Wiley's question (posed on his solo effort from '03, Treddin On Thin Ice'), grime isn't garage, esky, or hip-hop. It's all of that, but distilled into a distinctly British mould which is throwing up some of the best young MC's and producers around. The new Roll Deep album features some of this talent, including Wiley, and is definitely worth a listen. Upcoming single The Avenue is arguably the standout track, with a sample nicked from The Maisonettes Heartache Avenue. Tasty stuff.

Across the pond, Village Voice has an intersting article about the changing demographic of the American hip-hop audience by ex-Source editor Bakari Kitwana.

Rollerskating Jam Named 'Saturdays' / Le Tour / Make Poverty History

The joy of a weekend away from work. Saturday comprised of -

*Battling through swarms of punters at the local markets just to get a dozen eggs and six apples. I also got 'a loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butter'. I remembered, I remembered!

*Re-discovering an old friend

*Reading the latest issue of that fine webzine Subter.com

*Getting cyclical as Le Tour starts again - I can never get sick of watching Lance Armstrong destroy Jan Ullrich. (Props to Rob Arnold who works on the English version of the site. I remember getting drunk with Rob, Briony and the ONS crew during the Sydney Olympics. 10 beers, tequilas and potato wedges are never a good combination!)

*Watching in hope for Pink Floyd to have a barney on stage at Live8, but it never happened. Damn.

Oh, and even though the Live8 concerts might not be your idea of raising awareness of one of the world's biggest problems, the least you can do is click the banner in the top right corner of this site and take some time out to read about the situation.