I love a good edit, and so does Lovefingers. One of the two folks behind the Black Disco Social Club in Los Angeles (alongside Nitedog), Andrew Lovefingers is a master of re-edits, especially of the space-disco/balearic kind. Examples of his work, as well as a slew of DJ sets, can be found on here (I'm particularly fond of the Donald Byrd and Jo Bisso cuts at the moment.....bliss).
Those who prefer hearing their music coming from a warm deck instead of a warm hard drive will be pleased to hear that Lovefingers collaboration with Nitedog, Black Disco Vol 1, is now out on 12", and a fine rekkid it is too, full of tripped-out woozy goodness. Fans of DFA and Emperor Machine need look no further. Grab it at Phonica while you can.
* Cut Copy are coming to town in April to showcase the damn fine songs from their second album In Ghost Colours, a record that has pretty much been the soundtrack to my week (apart from the sleeping bits that is, and possibly the bits where I had to go pee). Ahem.....anyway, it's out on May 5th here in the UK (yes, it seems rather odd that it's been pushed back again, and in the age of downloading, both of the legal and illegal kind, I'm perplexed as to the reasons why Universal have done this. Surely a foolish move considering the record leaked in early March, and came out in Australia last week). Tickets for their Scala show on April 23 are on sale now (grab 'em here, here, and possibly here)
And if you can't wait until May 5 and would actually like to purchase a physical copy quick smart, Red Eye in Sydney have it for around about £13 (including postage) (Album highlight? Far Away)
* The best cartoon from my youth has finally made it DVD!
Regular readers of this blog may find this confession rather strange, but I've resisted the Gallic charms of Sebastien Tellier for some time. Until now. I'm not sure why that is to be honest. I'd listened to snippets of his music here and there, and enjoyed his contribution to the Lost in Translation OST (surely one of the best soundtracks in the last ten years). Somehow though, I'd never really sought to take the time to really give his music a proper chance. Possibly because he was always name checked as an artist to like. As in, if you like Air, Beck, Daft Punk, Serge...well, you get the picture. Plus, his similarity to Gonzales bugged me in a way, almost as if he was the Pepsi to Chilly's Coke. (It's seems there's no love between the pair either, if this interview is anything to go by. And how good does the Let's Ride remix sound? Jarvis and Teki Latex? God damn.)
Anyway, I recently visited Rough Trade in Notting Hill a few weeks ago for a record hit (Total damage? You don't want to know, but I can assure you that the final haul was worth every penny) and was immediately taken by one of the tracks played overhead. Sure enough it was the work of Mr Tellier, the track in question Roche from his new album Sexuality (Woodwork). Having previously read that the LP had been produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo from Daft Punk, I knew that I would have to give Sebastien a second chance, if only to hear Guy-Man's board work. Roche is reminiscent of the quieter moments on Discovery and Human After All, the slinkier, sexier side of Daft Punk that doesn't get nearly enough credit from critics too busy eulogising about the duo's influence on French dance music's new wave.
Christo's production on Sexuality glistens, providing a jagged intensity reminiscent of Vangelis's work on Blade Runner (Une Heure for example). Together with Tellier's longing vocals, it makes for refreshing listening. There's an almost guilty pleasure feeling to the album, and although not every track works (the over-the-top Manty for one), there's plenty here to immerse yourself in, notable mentions being the stunning closer L'Amour et la Violence and the playful Trevor Hornesque Divine, which has recently been chosen as the official French entrant for this year's Eurovision contest in May. Yes, that's right kids. Vote early, vote often.
Meanwhile, here's what Sweden chose to fight it out with Sebastien and...ahem...Andy Abraham (oh dear).
Charlotte Perrelli - Hero.
It's not nearly as good as last year's Svensk pick, The Ark's Worrying Kind. Only 51 points? This is how a Eurovision song should sound like - camp as hell. It's like Thin Lizzy meets Edison Lighthouse. Gold.
Last year's Anti-Valentines session at the Keston Lodge was a hell of a lotta fun with drinking, dancing and just generally sticking two fingers in Cupid's direction by playing a selection of 'fuck love' and done-me-wrong songs throughout the course of the evening.
(My personal favourite of the night? This one)
So this Thursday the 14th we're going to do it all again from 8pm till late. Joining my good self on the wheels of rubber, steel and plastic will be Beez and Becca, aka World of Proper. Having seen those crazy kids last play at their Christmas records bash at The Mucky Pup, I'm guessing that Thursday should be -
a) a lark b) quite silly c) full of pardeeeee breaks d) probably quite messy
There will also be a ban on Joy Division tunes (seriously, that's just way too obvious for an Anti-V Day bash) and, despite what it states on the flyer above, I'm sure couples can sneak in as long as they stop holding hands for at least one millisecond whilst walking through the Keston doors. Oh, and no pashing like randy students sneaking a quickie behind the cricket nets/bleachers. Right? See y'all there.
Now, back to our (ir)regularly scheduled blogging
* A quick shout out to footie blog Angle of Post and Bar which skewers the hyperbole of the cash-grabbing Premier League and big time football quite nicely. If you're a fan of When Saturday Comes then Angle is certainly one to bookmark.
* While watching the Eng-er-land vee Switzerland match this week (if only to gaze at the sartorial smoothness of Don Capello of course), my flatmate Will decided that the name of Swiss goal scorer Derdiyok was a fine replacement for the title of Maria Vidal's 80s hit Body Rock 'Derdiyok, get your body into music...'
This led to a good hour's worth of amusement watching clips from the flick of the same name, an unintentionally hilarious cash-in on a crazy new street culture known as 'hip-hop'. I'm tempted to pick it up on Region 1 DVD for a fiver just to experience the full, camp, body popping Lorenzo Lamas experience. But for now, I guess these clips will have to do (Oh, and I'm changing my name to Chilly D).
'Yo, this cut? Very big in Europe this season....'
* Forget Sony's colour ads. Honda continue to make clever and unique commercials that never fail to raise a smile. Rubiks cubes and jigsaws. Gold.
Happy New Year and all that jazz. So I've been tardy with the blogging of late (again). Eh, whaddya gonna do. Anywayze, quite a few people have asked for my musical favourites from last year. Let's see if I can remember them..... Top 'gee, I don't know, 3?' albums
1. Midnight Juggernauts - Dystopia
Midnight Juggernauts - Road to Recovery
2. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem - Time To Get Away
3. Pinback - Autumn of the Seraphs
Pinback - How We Breathe
Why 3? Well, that's because I looked at my iTunes and these are the albums I've played the most. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it dammit. Actually, it's more that the albums below were all of a similar standard and I couldn't really rank them (or be bothered to as it's now February, OK?)
The Juggers debut was a perfect mix of pop, emotion and beats (or as someone once said 'ELO meets Daft Punk') that stood out from the electro crowd. LCD were EVERYWHERE last year, and too bloody rightly. As for Pinback, a great follow up to Summer In Abbadon with Rob Crow's vocals sounding even more frantic and emotional than before (and his solo album was a cracker too) while Zach Smith's fretwork continued to provide the ballast that made Seraphs a mainstay on the stereo.
As for the rest? Well, these were the ones that stood repeated plays.
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Radiohead - In Rainbows Good Shoes - Good Shoes Justice - Cross Mirrored - Battles Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam Panda Bear - Person Pitch Burial - Untrue Feist - The Reminder Digitalism - Idealism Kanye West - Graduation PJ Harvey - White Chalk Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
A few words about the selection above? The Spoon album was 2 tracks short of being a career best (and sadly enough the Jon Brion track was the weakest one on it. Odd that). Good Shoes was the most refreshing 'indie boys with guitars and floppy haircuts' release I'd heard in a long time with clever songwriting and hooks by the bucketload. Burial's second album made me pine for two-step, yet was still as haunting as his first, and just as scary to listen too while walking home at 3am. Most hip hop in '07 was shite (sad but true). PJ's album was so bleak on the first spin that I had to stop it halfway through the last track as I couldn't handle it (well, it's not exactly music for a tube journey into work is it?). However, when I finally had the nerve to come back to it I found I just couldn't stop pressing play again to become immersed in such a haunting and fragile world. And Kanye? Not even Chris Martin could spoil that LP.
Top single of 2007
UGK featuring Outkast - International Players Anthem
Despite what I said above about the poor standard of hip hop in 2007, this track towered above everything else. Andre 3000's lazy rhyming at the track's start was on second glance a splendidly sweet and effortless cameo which left the three other rappers with plenty to aim for if they were to match it. Which of course they did with aplomb. Both Underground Kingz bump the beat while rhyming about the joys of pimpin', and the cautionary finale from Big Boi signs things off pefectly. Add to that a great sample from Willie Hutch, a bumping 808 beat that kicks in just after Andre passes the mic to Pimp C, and a great clip ('Why's he dressed like Rowdy Piper?') and this collab was easily the year's finest.
(And RIP Pimp C too. A damn shame) Gigs gigs gigs.....the best 10 of 2007 (in order this time from top to bottom)
Daft Punk @ Wireless festival, Hyde Park Sonic Youth performing Daydream Nation @ Koko Arcade Fire and Patrick Wolf @ Brixton Academy Pinback @ 229 The Jesus and Mary Chain @ Royal Festival Hall Interpol @ Astoria T-Model Ford @ The Spitz Air @ Hammersmith Apollo Shellac @ Koko Murcof @ The Luminaire
Daft Punk were amazing. Simple as that. A visually stunning lightshow, a great setting with thousands going mental as the sun went down on a warm summer night, and of course the music (the finale of Together, Music Sounds Better With You and One More Time was just a wee bit special). Wonderful.
A message to all Australian readers - Pop down to your local rekkid store this weekend. Grab a couple of those plastic notes from your wallet (a red 20 and perhaps a pink 5 should do the trick), lay them down on the counter and ask politely for the brand-spanking new Midnight Juggernauts album, Dystopia. Smile at the guy/gal behind the counter, then thank them. Take it home. Play it. Load it onto your new-fangled MPFree player. Tell your friends. Spread the word. Yup, this album is just a lil' bit special.
Oh, and if you don't live in Australia then you can order it from Inertia, Chaos or Red Eye.
Midnight Juggernauts - Into The Galaxy
* Speaking of Australian niceness that comes in the form of music, Cobra Dukes released their debut single last Monday, and it's also just a wee bit special. The first release on new label Prestel as of last Monday, Leave The Light On has the right blend of dark, off-kilter pop and early Factory style vocals (yes, the names 'Ian' and 'Curtis' spring to mind, but with a touch of 'David' and 'Byrne'). They're playing tonight at The Luminaire in Kilburn, and for 5 of your English pounds you too can see what all the fuss is about.
* It's the Red Pandas up against reigning champs Otters In Love for the title of 'Darned cutest You Tube animal'. No contest - Red pandas all the way (like Stephanie Kaye).
S.U.C.C.E.S.S. - That's the way you spell a good day's shopping, or summin' like that. (Imagine hearing the JUSTICE kiddies singing that...)
Following on from yesterday's hint, Codename Sparrow and myself hit the new Oxfam in Dalston, and found quite a nice addition to the strip of chicken shops, fabric warehouses, pound shops and warehouses that is Kingsland Rd. There was a poor CD selection, which was beside the point really, as it meant we could get down to business and start combing through the 49p and 99p rekkids. Near misses? Well, Leather and Lace: Volume Two was tempting....in the end I plumped for two albums - Prince's 1999 and Duran Duran's Rio. Sure, obvious choices you might say, and I'd have to agree with you. However, if there's ever a need to play at a wedding in the next few years then these would both make the shortlist for the appropriate record bag.
The catch of the day came near the end of the search, just as we hit the 7's. Ladies and gentleman, I give you the 1985 power ballad from four sharply dressed lads, Mr Mister. Pure. Solid. Gold.
To this day, I can still remember hearing this for the first time on a car trip in country Australia when I was young nipper whilst listening to Barry Bissell's Take 40 Australia chart countdown (the Australian version of Rick DeesWeekly Top 40, or Top Of The Pops). The synths, the electronic drums, the soft wailing guitar, and the pleading of singer Richard Page, knowing that 'the look of love will open up for us and let us in' (yeah yeah!). Some people may tarnish songs such as Broken Wings with the lazy (and opportunist) 'Guilty Pleasure' tag, but it still raises a smile every time I hear it, whether in the background while eating a hangover special at the local caff, or whilst playing GTA. Class.
And the clip - I swear, wife beaters and jackets are a winning sartorial one-two.
Later on in the day, I headed over to Brick Lane to check out the mighty fine Super Deluxe, where instead of picking up a pair of the new Marc Jacobs Vans (tasty), I grabbed the last pair of the nice nice Nike Court Force High's designed by Jeff Staple. Merino wool on a sneaker? You betcha.
But now I've found the next target on my shopping list. Feast your peepers on these.
Yup. Limited edition Vans designed by Kaws to commemorate The Simpsons Movie opening later this month. Head over to Freshness Mag for the rest of them (the Futura and Todd James pairs are also nifty too).
Speaking of all things Simpsonic, I followed the lead of Mish from I Used To Dance With My Daddy and pimped my yellow ass right up, avatar stylee. Only problem is, I haven't been clean shaven in five years! It looks like some Photoshop hijinks might be the only way to get a true Major Leaguer likeness, although right now I've got other things to do with my time, such as packing my trunk for the land of Swedes..... Sonic Youth - Theme from The Simpsons
There's a big post on the way to compensate for the lack of blogging this week, so in the meantime here's something from me to you to make up for the absence. Check the lil' lass at the front too. Gold.
Regular service resumes on Thursday. Till then, head to Stones Throw's podcast page for Madlib's 'all killer, no filler' Motown mix for something to nod your head to.
* Welcome back to the tinterweb Mr Beez. Check out his new home at 16 33 45 78. (Yes, there are 16 RPM records out there believe it or not!)
* Teasers from Bjork's new album Volta, if you haven't heard them already, can be found at her dummy Myspace page under the artist name Gerome Voltaire. The album's out on May 7. Bjork + Timbaland = genius?
* Looks like Envelopes have come out of hibernation and become Talking Heads, not that that's a bad thing. Here's the video for new single 'Smoke In The Desert, Eating The Sand, Hide In The Grass' (phew!).
The band are playing coming back to London to play a stack of dates in April, with the White Heat appearance on April 17 (alongside some special secret guests from their label Brille) being the pick of them. Snap up your tickets here.
Oh, and a reminder of just how kookily brilliant Envelopes really are. Envelopes - Free Jazz
How can this song not make you smile? Even better with visuals too.
And a not so Good Friday when you find out about this...
* Not nearly as good as Revolver and surely a waste of time for all involved just for a ratings boost? Good to see that Radio 2 are still in touch with listeners, eh?.
This is one of the strangest, yet captivating videos I've seen in quite a while. Suddenly, I don't feel like cooking that banana cake this week (but I now have a craving for an ice cold glass of milk. Work that shit out)
Low - Breaker (and head over here to download the track for nada, courtesy of Sub Pop!)
Low's new album Drums and Guns is out next Monday April 2 in the UK. Pick it up from here. They're also touring our fair shores soon with shows at the Dirty Three curated ATP festival on the weekend of April 27-29, and at Shepherds Bush Empire on May 8. If you've never seen them live before then you're missing out one of the truly special live acts going around.
Yes, I can't believe it either. This is the UK's choice for Eurovision 2007 being held in Helsinki on May 12. Oh dear.
Scooch - Flying the Flag
Since Morrissey declined to take part in the whole debacle (after finding out that he would have to compete for the right to represent Her Maj in the televised UK heats), it was left to the likes of Scooch, Liz McClarnon from Atomic Kitten , Brian Harvey from East 17 and ....snigger....Big Brovaz as well as other C-list pop stars and unknowns to fight it out for the prize. I though Justin Hawkins was going to win, but after watching his entry I relaised that it might just have been a little bit too knowing for the voting public. Nice try though.
Justin Hawkins and Beverlei Brown - They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To
Surely though it looks like Scooch will need more than just the Irish votes to topple Sweden's entry from The Ark, who've summoned the spirits of both Slade and the Bay City Rollers for their entry. Having seen The Ark play a few years ago at the Garage (when they used to have a guitarist who was the spitting image of Phil Lynott), I knew they'd have a fighting chance if they won the ultra competitive Swedish finals. Believe me, Scooch don't stand a chance in hell.
The Ark - The Worrying Kind
* From the ridiculous to the sublime. Whilst coming home from work via the 73 bus stop (outside the Angel Wings shopping centre) I looked down at the ground, and behold....
Anyone know whether this stencil is new, or have I simply failed to notice it during the 2 years catching buses from this stop?
Let the Arctic Monkeys wave of hype begin again. By now 'Brianstorm' is out in the ether of the interweb so I'm not going to post it, but if you really want it then head over to here, here or here. I'd rather post the booty-shaking, flash-as-f**k video that premiered this week.
Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm (out April 16th)
So if Domino have all this FranzMonkey moolah to splash, can we expect a big Hype Williams clip for Bonde Do Role? Oh c'mon, imagine the Brazilian kids hogging the fish eye lens while Diddy and Missy make 'unexpected' cameos. Sigh...one can but dream. Guess this will have to do for now.
Bonde Do Role - Solta O Frango
Here's something to get you ready for the weekend. Listening to the splendid new LCD Soundsystem album this week reminded me of the first time I saw James Murphy DJ at Trash. The End was rammed to the rafters due to the NME Awards gig earlier in the evening with Murphy's band, Soulwax and The Go! Team, and the DFA man chose to start his a memorable set with this damn fine choice. Best Trash ever?
* As you may well know, Saturday March 17 is a special day for some. It's a day to raise a glass in tribute with others around the world, a day to look back on a moment in history, a day where iconic images from a foreign land will be embraced. Around the world, countless parties will be held in bars, clubs, college dorms and living rooms whilst listening to songs of our youth, dressed in suitable attire for such a special occasion.
Go on, wear your threads backwards just for one day in tribute to the Mac Daddy and his partner in rhyme, the Daddy Mac. But what ever happened after their last album? Anybody know?
* It would be amiss of me not to mention the small matter of last night's Arcade Fire gig at Brixton Academy, the first of four sold out dates at the London landmark. I don't think I've been to a gig in recent years that drew such a level of audience participation, despite these collective moments being few and far between. The whole crowd enthusiastically sang along to 'Wake Up', 'Rebellion (Lies)' and 'No Cars Go' (already the firm fan favourite from Neon Bible - how's that for alliteration?), which isn't exactly a hard task when the hooks are simply well timed oooh's and aaah's (which are always preferrable to nah nah nah nah nah's in my book).
What did impress me though was the way every member of the band, as well as the additional violinist and the two brass players, sung along to each song as if their lives depended upon it. It's a frenzied passion that I've never seen on stage before, adding to the romance and mystique surrounding the group. Add impressive visuals, a pipe organ, and a criminally short support slot from Patrick Wolf, and I doubt if anybody left the Academy disappointed.
The clip below isn't from last night's gig, but it's worth watching anyway whether you've seen the band or not just to get a sense of how good this band are at the moment.
Arcade Fire - No Cars Go (live at Judson Church, NYC 15/2/07)
* This week's Friday night dilemma - Kavinsky and the Ed Banger Crew (Mr Oizo, Justice, Sebastian, Busy P and DJ Medhi) at Sin? Bright Eyes at Koko? Arcade Fire's third night in succession at Brixton? Or Air at the Forum? Well, it's a toss up between the two Francophile nights, with the Kavinsky and friends winning by a whisker.
* Speaking of all things French, the Saint Etienne kids have got their monthly Turntable Cafe night on April 4th featuring the debut UK performance of Pravda (and yes, they've got a few tunes here so you can practice your French beforehand). Like most Turntable Cafe nights, it'll sell out long before the broadsheets mention it so grab your tickets now.
* Fans of Stuart Price, or whatever he's called himself this week, c'mon over here.
* Friends of Major Leaguer, and impeccably attired men-about-town Punks Jump Up have a splendid single 'Dance To Our Disco' (finally!) coming out on super-tasty, always-reliable Kitsune in the next few weeks, and to celebrate they're having a launch pardee this Monday at Magic Circle. Get down to Bar 54 in Shoreditch where the lads will be joined by two of the track's remixers - Nightmoves and Baseball Furies, as well as the Magic Circle residents themselves. Oh, and I swear I've heard that vocalist on 'Dance To Our Disco' before....
* Finally, first it was her odd behaviour at the Brits, now this - Joss Stone finally cracks. Introducing Joss Stone lies 12th in the midweek charts too - that'll learn her for working with thespian-thugs.
Australian readers of this site will no doubt be familiar with Rage, the staple 'post-pub' music video program shown every Friday and Saturday night on ABC. For teenagers growing up in the backwaters of country Australia like myself, years before the belated introduction of cable TV, Rage introduced us all kinds of artists that never graced the airwaves of local radio, let alone the local record store.
(Sample dialogue from record store clerk in country town: 'Mudhoney' No, I don't think we've got any Mudhoney. Would you like the new John Farnham instead?' This isn't from personal experience, but you get the general idea)
Moving from the small country town of Orange to the slightly larger city of Canberra meant that access to the artists featured on Rage was much easier to come by. At the age of 12, I spent hours after school hanging around the local record store of choice, the sadly departed Impact Records. When my friends and I weren't reading comics, looking at laser discs (which I had never seen in my life before, and three years later never saw again), or using what was left of our lunch money to buy trading cards (either Upper Deck basketball, Spiderman or Simpsons), we hung around the ten CD changer listening posts, soaking in whatever aural pleasures were deemed 'Albums of the Week' by Rob, Dick and Barry.
After seeing the clips shown on Friday night's Rage, I'd note down any of the ones that I simply had to hear again, and go into Impact the following Monday afternoon to occupy the listening posts for an hour or two before grudgingly trooping home to make a belated start on my homework.
Friday night's Rage played only new videos, with the first clip usually reserved for the latest pre-release video of the week. I can still remember vividly watching clips such as 'Beetlebum' and 'Smack My Bitch Up' for the very first time (the later which I taped, then gave to a friend to play at a house party the following week. For five minutes, everyone stopped drinking and watched the Jonas Ackerlund video, before letting out a collective 'What the f**k?') and making sure I'd chuck a tape in my stereo in case they came on the radio, as having a taped copy of the songs would be my only chance of listening to them whenever I wanted before the official release date, which was usually a good month away.
Saturday nights though were even better, as that's when Rage handed over the controls of the night's playlist to the artists. Usually it would be either a well known overseas band that was touring Australia at the time (Beastie Boys, Trent Reznor, Faith No More) or a local rising talent. They'd be handed a big red book of available videos to choose from, and pick forty of them to comprise the evening's viewing. This would then be followed by the complete videography of the selected artist (indeed, the three artists I've mentioned all have a stellar history of fine music videos which are easily available on You Tube).
One particular evenings viewing, which I still have on VHS back in Australia, was programmed by Custard, who were I guess Australia's answer to Pavement, although slightly more radio friendly.
Custard - Pack Yr Suitcases
At the time, I was probably slightly obsessed by this band, to the point where I swapped mixtapes with fellow Custaro (as the band referred to themselves) fans, and even got a prompt fan mail reply from lead singer Dave McCormack on the back of a postcard from an American fast food chicken shop. Class.
While I was more interested in making sure I recorded the band's video collection later in the evening, what really made the night worthwhile was the forty clips Dave, Matthew and Paul from the band chose from Rage's red book. The next two and a half hours introduced me to more undiscovered music than I had ever encountered before, or since. On one evening in September 1996, I first heard Devo, Wall of Sound, The Pixies, Frank Black, Pavement, and countless other artists who made me stop listening to grunge and start delving into more underground fare. Here's the list in full, with thanks to Craig Latham, and some of my favourite clips from the night.
# Beastie Boys - Hey Ladies
# Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl
# Devo - Are You Experienced?
# Kraftwerk - Telephone Call
# The Fauves - Everbody’s Getting A Three Piece Together
# The Hummingbirds - Two Weeks With A Good Man In Niagara Falls
# The Go-Betweens - Head Full Of Steam
# Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
# Pere Ubu - Love Love Love
# Wall of Voodoo - Mexican Radio
# The Pixies - Here Comes Your Man
# Frank Black - Men In Black
# The Fauves - Dogs Are The Best People
# Pavement - Rattled By The Rush
# David Bowie and Bing Crosby - Little Drummer Boy
# The Fauves - Misguided Modelling Career
# Snout - Cromagnoman
# You Am I - Jewels And Bullets
# The Pixies - Digging For Fire
# The Pixies - Alison
# Presidents of the USA - Peaches
# Devo - Freedom Of Choice
# Soundgarden - Jesus Christ Pose
# Beasts of Bourbon - Psycho
# The Rolling Stones - Faraway Eyes
# Supergrass - Caught By The Fuzz
# The Hard Ons - Girl In A Sweater
# The Saints - Stranded
# The Pixies - Alec Eiffel
# Pavement - Gold Soundz
# John Kennedy - Big Country
# Dinosaur Jr - Going Home
# Tom Waits - 16 Shells From 30 Ought 6
# The Jesus and Mary Chain - April Skies
# Kiss - I Was Made For Loving You
# The Reels - Quasimodo's Dream
# Mental as Anything - Beserk Warriors
# Frank Black - Headache
# Bobbie Gentry - I'll Never Fall In Love Again
# Sonic Youth - Sister
# Joy Division - She's Lost Control(note the Rage logo at the start!)
Wow. Some mighty fine selections there, and certainly I'd argue if it wasn't for Custard's choices that evening, music wouldn't play such an important role in my life as it has since (which went from being a mere listener to getting involved in music journalism, community radio, working in record stores, DJing, promoting club nights, and boring people to death with whatever remix/b-side is preventing me from sleeping, working, or having normal relations with friends/family/partners). Wait a minute.... now I know who to blame too. Bugger.
(NB: One of the fond memories of watching Rage late at night with my sister was the 'one more clip' mantra. As in: 'OK, one more clip, and if it's shit then I'm off to bed'. Of course, the next clip was usually something brilliant like Aphex Twin's 'Come To Daddy', which would bring about a repeat performance of the mantra. 'OK, one more clip....' and so on, until you were awoken at 3.30am by the sound of My Bloody Valentine's trademark wall of noise chosen by Thurston Moore. Whoa!)
* Bonus - As a tip from man about town Will Kane, here's Japanese J-pop band Drumkan's cover of one of The Pixies songs selected above.
I've heard of beefs between rappers, but beefs between producers? Timbaland vs Scott Storch seems more of a case of handbags at dawn than Jay-Z vs Nas, or Fiddy vs The Game. The whole shebang kicked off after Storch claimed in recent interviews that he should have got more credit for his work on Justin Timberlake's 'Cry Me A River', claiming that not only did he produce the majority of JT's Britney-baiting hit instead of Timbaland, but was also the song's sole writer. Mr Mosely bit his tongue for a while, before slating Storch on 'Give It To Me', the first single off Timbaland Presents Shock Value.
"When Timbo is in the party everybody put up their hands I get a half a mill for my beats, you get a couple grand-d-d-d-d... I'm a real producer and you just the piano man Your song gonna top the charts, I heard em, I'm not a fan-n-n-n-n..."
Not exactly in the league of Jay's diss against Nas on The Takeover is it?
"Youse the fag model for Karl Kani/Esco ads Went from, Nasty Nas to Esco's trash... So yeah I sampled your voice, you was usin it wrong You made it a hot line, I made it a hot song"
So how did the one-time Roots member (and Paris squeeze) respond? With one of the worst diss tracks of all time.
Oh dear. Cheap video, bad rhyming, and a terrible beat to boot. However, Timbaland must have been riled and had to retaliate (if only for Storch's 'pack of franks at the back of your neck' line) with this cut fronted by Mosely Music Group's newest signing, D.O.E.
* The first big new release day of the year? Tomorrow sees new long players from Arcade Fire, Air, Nick Cave's side project Grinderman, Willy Mason, !!!, Ry Cooder, Joakim and Tracey Thorn. Phew.
* Two upcoming nights out that regular Major Leaguer readers would be fools to miss. This Friday at Our Disco, the special guests will be from across the channel, and are known to bang once in a while. Last Friday's guests were 2 Many DJs, so it seems after a long absence Our Disco has once again claimed it's spot as the premier Friday night spot for London's clued up clubbers.
The following week, watch Marty McFly's trilogy from start to finish as preparation for a trip back to the 80s as Kavinsky previews tracks from his new EP, 1986, alongside a gamut of fellow French knob-twiddlers. It's gonna be hype, as the kids say. Tickets here.
(NB: other cinematic suggestions for getting in the mood include Tron, Blade Runner, and Total Recall. Oh, and did you know that Eric Stolz was the original choice for BTTF? Yup, they even shot the whole thing twice!)
Fans of Spectoresque 60s pop looking for something new should be at The Luminaire this Saturday for The Actionettes night, Motown A-Go-Go. Headlining are one of my favourite bands, Lucky Soul, who have put out three stellar singles in the last year, with 'Lips Are Unhappy' being the pick of the bunch. They're polishing off their debut record right this moment, The Great Unwanted, and if it's anywhere as good as their recent singles it'll be in quite a few critics 'Best of 2007' lists in December.
Here's the video for new single 'Add Your Light To Mine Baby', out March 19.
* MSTRKRFT, Ajax, Modular DJs, and Casper C. Booze. Tonight. In Shoreditch. Damn. See you there. (No, I'm not telling you where, unlike other blogs! It's supposed to be a secret!)
* Super fanboy indie news: ATP have announced the first three bands taking part in Don't Look Back 2007: Sonic Youth performing Daydream Nation, Slint performing Spiderland, and House Of Love performing House Of Love. Get your tickets here, here and here.
(At the time of writing it looks like the Sonic Youth gig has sold out, but the other two performances have plenty of tickets available. I'll see y'all at the Roundhouse on August 31 for Thurston, Kim, and a frenzy of feedback)
How's this for a way to finish a set? Jarvis Cocker ended his NME Awards show at the Astoria on the weekend with two covers. Not content with taking on Talking Heads 'Heaven', he then finished his performance with Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid'. Yes, but is it as good as this version?
* Shhhhh....the kind folks at Modular are having a secret party this week featuring MSTRKRFT and Ajax, days before their joint bash with Together this Saturday at Turnmills. Not going to spill the beans on where it is, but I guarantee you'll kick yourself if you miss it. Hit me up for details, or just do a lil' interweb research, and all will be revealed.
* As I won't be making pancakes this Tuesday due to the pull of Trail of Dead's infamous twin-drumming attack at Koko, I whipped some up tonight following the easiest recipe in the world. Now for the filling: Nutella and bananas, or lemon juice and sugar?
* Track of the weekend? Well, this slighty cheesy yet cheeky cut from Sneaky Soundsystem got a damn fine reaction at Keston Lodge on Friday night, so it'll be a record bag staple for a while. Grab it here (plus the new !!! picture disc too!)
So kids, it looks like the general consensus of Hip Hop Is Dead is that Nas has really got things back on track, although those expecting Illmatic Part 2 should just keep on waiting - it ain't gonna happen. However, let it never be said that Nas doesn't have respect for those who came before him, hence a trio of drool-worthy white label remixes of the album's title track.
The will.i.am produced cut is jumped upon by the likes of Kool Moe D, MC Shan and Grandmaster Caz (the 80s remix), Rob Base, Mike Gee from the Jungle Bros, Monie Love (the 90s remix) and Ice-T and Sir-Mix-A-Lot (the West Coast remix). Head on over to Recidivism to catch 'em all. Personally, I think the 80s rub pips the other two at the post.
* This month's electro-pop startlets seem to be Dragonette, the Canadian group who have already started to build a buzz thanks to name checks from Popjustice and Popbitch. They're playing the Macbeth on February 16, and again two weeks later at Notting Hill Arts Club's fine soiree YOYO on March 1. Work For It and Fluxblog have a few tasters, and you can buy the band's debut EP here.
* Head to Call Me Mickey for a listen to 'We Danced Together', the first single from The Rakes sophomore effort Ten New Messages, out March 19th.
* Speaking of spikie indie pop, here's the new video for Maximo Park's 'Our Velocity'. It's out on March 18, followed by parent album Our Earthly Pleasures on April 2.
* If you're staying in tonight, catch the BBC Four documentary 'Alchemists of Sound' about the work of the Radiophonic Workshop.
'Alchemists of Sound traces the rise and fall of the Radiophonic Workshop, an in-house department established in 1958 to provide extraordinary sounds and music for the BBC's TV and radio services. Best known for its theme tunes to Blake's Seven, Blue Peter, Open University and The Body in Question and, of course, Doctor Who, this documentary reveals the complex techniques deployed by the Workshop long before synthesisers were invented.
The programme is narrated by Oliver Postgate, the voice behind the childrens TV classics Ivor the Engine, The Clangers and Bagpuss'
It's on BBC Two tonight at 11.20pm.
* Oh, and this Friday sees the return of the Mindie hussies and their gang at 93 Feet East. As a Mindie crew member, you know I'll be there with bells on. Let's meet the hussies themselves.
In a way though Prince really isn't your average guy. After giving a career sustaining performance at easily the best Superbowl halftime show in years (in the middle of what was a pretty one-sided game), Prince decided he wasn't ready to put the guitar away for the night. Class.
Gee, I'm actually looking forward to his next album now.
* Surely the best of the recent Justin Timberlake remixes for 'My Love' has to be Diplo's bootleg with LCD Soundsystem. Peep it at ChazOlogy, along with a slew of other JT goodness.
* AITBF's first Fabric shindig for the year is shaping up nicely if the early line-up is any indication. Taking place on Thursday April 5th, acts confirmed so far include Digitalism, Louis Austen, Para One and Friendly Fires amongst those playing live, plus Surkin, Filthy Dukes, DJ Herve, and heaps more yet to be announced. No excuses for missing this one, especially as it kicks off the Easter long weekend.
* So will Anfield now be known as 'Pizza Hut Park'? I've been worried about a takeover of my beloved Reds for a long time know, but it really was inevitable. I guess this means there's more chance for a seat on match day now, although the expected hike in ticket prices is surely just around the corner. Just don't sell Harry, ok?
Unless you're in a delightful Manc band called New Order. So were things so bleak for the band after the release of Republic that they had to promote their album on Dave and Pammie's show? I guess so.
New Order - Regret (mimed...sorry, performed on Baywatch)
* Something I don't regret (ahem) is pointing out Causin' A Commotion, a new celebridee blog run by my good friend (and DJ extraordinaire) the delightful Miss Becca. Bookmark it for all your Trousersnake gossip. I didn't know Seth and Summer broke up!
* The best music news of the weekend was surely not Glenn Frey's attempts to add more cash to his mattress stuffed full of dead presidents, but a new song 'Hearts On Fire' on Cut Copy's MySpace page, which you'll never see the Melbourne lads perform on Home and Away (unless Alf invited them, a request they'd be fools to knock back. Flamin' galahs!). Anyway, expect 'Hearts On Fire' to arrive on shiny 12 inch vinyl in March, with a Joakim remix to boot.
* Saw Dreamgirls on Saturday thanks to the wonders of 3 for 10 pub-bought pirate DVD deal (nope, I didn't buy the offending discs, but let me just say that if Blockbuster ever went into business with Clapham's car boot sale kings, then I'm sure they'd make a mint. What, it's illegal? Well I'll be damned....). Eight Oscar nominations? Well, I think Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson deserved their nods, but the songs? Three nominated songs, and all three were utter shite (although it seems to be a particularly weak year with the only other competition being Melissa Etheridge and Randy 'Pixar' Newman). Hell, give me Three Six Mafia anyday.
* February '07 playlist
Chemical Brothers - Electric Battle Weapon 8
Teenager - Alone Again (Van She Tech Remix)
New Young Pony Club - Descend
LCD Soundsystem - Time To Get Away
Mark Ronson feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard and Tiggers - Toxic
Bonde Do Role - Gasolina (Radioclit remix)
Amy Winehouse feat. Ghostface Killah - You Know I'm No Good
Dr. Alimantado - I Killed The Barber
Justice - Phantom (Part 1)
Los Campinos - You! Me! Dancing!
Little Barrie - I Love You
Nas feat. (ready for this? OK, here we go...) Grandmaster Caz, MC Shan, Raheem, Doctor Ice, Kangol, Kool Moe Dee, Sha Rock, Tito, Lin Que, Dana Dane, Pebblee Poo & Just Ice - Where Are They Now? (80s remix)
Ramblings from a London writer, DJ and professional idiot.
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