Finally a Sleigh Bells album.

Nice Pants...

Towards the end of last year, Sleigh Bells got some serious buzz from some reputable publications (P4k, Stereogum, even The New Yorker). They were billed as an earnest guy-girl duo with an out-sized sound. At the time, I very much enjoyed their track, "Crown on the Ground", and was intrigued by the tales of energetic, ear-splitting live shows. But they had only a few songs and shows scatters across NYC clubs.

Flash forward 6 months to the present, and Sleigh Bells has leveraged that buzz into a Coachella appearance, a tour with Yeasayer, and some more hype for their forthcoming studio album. Now, I too have had the pleasure of getting my hearing impaired by this duo. In a mid-afternoon set, Guitarist/song-writer/producer Eric Miller took full advantage of Coachella's sound system (and his hard-core band background) and pumped out out some heart-perturbing distortion. Not to be outdone, Singer Alexis Krauss tested her vocal limits at audience's expense, but wore some really hot pants.

I ate it up; these guys rock it as hard as anyone.

So with that in mind, I suggest you turn up the volume in your earbuds and check out their stellar new track, "Tell 'Em". Their album drops 5/11.

Sleigh Bells - Tell 'Em


Sleigh Bells - Crown in the Ground

More Wacky Wednesdays...

I'm a bit late jumping on this bandwagon... But you guys have seen the Ginger Genocide via the new M.I.A. music video, right? Well, if you haven't, do it like I did... Listen to the track "Born Free" first, and tell me what you imagine its music video would be like.


M.I.A. - Born Free
For me, listening to it makes me feel like a young hippie passionately protesting... something. But at the same time, it actually reminds me of a song that is used in the opening scene of the movie Ghost World. All-in-all I think it's a great come-back-track for the was-preggers-scene-maker. She's letting us know that she can still rock the scene without conforming to her previous sound. (Especially Paper Planes, yuck. Reminds me of exploiting poor Indian kids.)

And then, you get this music video directed by the disturbed Romain Gavras (previously known for his controversial "Stress" video for Justice)... and you're like whoa. I mean he even stepped it up from "Stress"! I know there's been this whole making fun of Gingers thing... case 1, 2, and 3. But, I mean, Gavras, this takes it to a new level. Anyway, enough anticipation... not for the faint of heart... here is the video:

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Wacky Wednesdays...

Is it just me or has this week been never-ending! For all of y'all barely making it through the work week... Here are two mixes from random places. Hopefully it'll help you make mad progress on that Excel worksheet. WOOOOT!


Faux DJs - F Is For Faux

Faux DJs are taking up residency in Gigantic (a seemingly awesome club in Ireland) so they made this mix. Never heard of Faux DJs but they tear it apart! Here is the track list:

01 Sonic Youth - Expressway To Yr Skull (Edit)
02 Radiohead - Kid A (dangerDAN Remix)
03 Bearcraft - The Werewolf
04 The Swiss - Bubble Bath
05 Massive Attack f/ Hope Sandoval - Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Remix)
06 Mandy vs Booka Shade - Donut Boy (Boy 8 Bit Remix)
07 Gramophonedzie - Why Don’t You
08 Music Go Music - Warm In The Shadow (Villa Remix)
09 The Chemical Brothers - Life Is Sweet (Daft Punk Remix)
10 The Kills - No Wow
11 DJ Donna Summer - Raw
12 Modest Mouse - The View
13 Le Le - Breakfast (Mercury Remix)
14 Ladytron - Destroy
15 Animal Collective - My Girls (Mike Monday Remix)
16 Goldfrapp - Rocket
17 Hot Chip - One Life Stand (Drums Of Death Remix)
18 DJ Zinc f/ Ms Dynamite - Wile Out (Club Mix)
19 Les Gillettes - Pompeii (Original Version)
20 Mum - Sing Songs Along (FM Belfast Remix)
21 Au Revoir Simone - Another LIkely Story (Aeroplane Remix)
22 Chromeo - Bonafide Livin’ (Yuksek Remix)
23 Gorillaz - Stylo (Alex Metric Remix)
24 Silvio Ecomo & Chuckie - Moombah (Afrojack Remix)
25 Radioclit - Divine Gosa (Switch Remix)
26 Panama Kings - The Angler (Two Door Cinema Club Remix)
27 Josh Wink - Higher State Of Consciousness (Original Tweekin Acid Slut Mix)
28 Brian Eno - Here Come The Warm Jets
29 And So I Watch You From Afar - S Is For Salamander


Strip Steve - ABC Mix 100
This is a mix by Strip Steve, fellow with the oh-too-well-known Boysnoize Records. Here is the track list:

01 Strip Steve – Dancin’ (Ian Pooley remix)
02 Dj Sneak – Artisticus
03 Carte Blanche – Black Billionaires
04 Cassius – 1999 (Tim Green remix)
05 Justin Martin – Get low
06 Strip Steve – AM/FM (Crystal remix)
07 Bart B More – Romane (Para One remix)
08 Vinyl Fever - Electronic For Children (Original 909 Edit)
09 Wax Master Maurice – Going Down
10 Thomas Bangalter – Colossus
11 High Powered Boys – We Do It
12 Fix – Dope Computer (Long)
13 Strip Steve – Breakin’ (Lorenz Rhode remix)
14 Toby Tobias – In Your Eyes (Tensnake Remix)
15 Bobmo- Takin’ it Straight (Unreleased Exclusive)
16 Strip Steve – Breakin’ (Rynecologist remix)
17 Lorenz Rhode – Like a Player
18 Surkin – Fan Out
19 Jess & Crabbe – The Big Booya
20 Dj Sneak & Armand van Helden – Psychic Bounty Killaz
21 Paul Johnson – The Music is Funky
22 Strip Steve – Children (Clap Mike remix)
23 Billy Lo – Le Marteau Sans Maitre
24 Shadow Dancer – Biscayne
25 Strip Steve – Dancin’ (Das Glow remix)
26 Kikumoto Allstar – Jack the House
27 Teki Latex – Dinosaurs with Guns
28 Model 500 – Night Drive (Time, Space, Transmat)
29 Altern 8 – Infiltrate 202
30 Light Year – Motor Booty
31 Sound Stream – Love Town
32 Burns – So Many Nights
33 Fred Falke – Chicago
34 Cajmere – Brighter Days (Underground Goodies Mix)
35 Hot City – Hot City Bass
36 Strip Steve – AM/FM (Sedat the T.A remix)

Hope you've enjoyed!

R.I.P. GURU

While we're on this 90s kick, I feel I must post something out of respect for Guru, aka 1/2 of Gang Starr, who passed away earlier this week.

Without a doubt, Gang Starr has been one of the more influential groups on my own music taste. They made some of the first music outside the mainstream that I regularly bumped in my disc-man, and Guru's rhymes became the gold-standard for my future judgments on hip-hop.

There's much to admire about Gang Starr's body of work, but I really appreciate the duo's uncompromising musical aesthetic. Try out "Check the Technique" off their sophomore classic, Step in the Arena (1991). Contrast that with a personal favorite, "Skills", from their last album. The Ownerz (2003). Though over a decade apart, these tracks could easily be off the same album. Gang Starr is one of the few rap groups that emerged from the old-school era to still be relevant in 90's ( and 00's to a lesser degree), and they did it without compromising their idea of what "hip-hop" should sound like. I won't even begin to mention the laundry list of MCs who, for better and for worse, changed their style to, in the words of the late great himself, chase mass appeal.

Sorry, didn't have these tracks at work, but here they are from lala...

Check The Technique (Explicit)...

Skills - Gang Starr

Take Me Back to the 90s! [1991]

What happened in 1991? Well... the Soviet Union was no longer, but the First Gulf War was grabbing headlines. Magic Johnson of the Lakers announced he had HIV. Rodney King happened. Good news? Super Nintendo came out. Nickelodeon blew up with the introduction of Doug, Rugrats, and Ren & Stimpy. Hmmm... well at least it was a great year in music! Stick to the end because the last track is killer!



Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (WZRDZ remix)
Let's start our 1991 music analysis with Nirvana, the game-changer. Nirvana is the reason why indie became cool. This song was the anthem for us apathetic kids of Generation X. Nothing can quite replace the original, but this remix is probably a surprising crowd-pleaser for an electro crowd. I also enjoy this vulgar remix by DJ Slink.


Wallpaper - Surprise Emotions (Mariah Carey vs. Fool's Gold)
Fool's Gold's tropical Surprise Hotel (2009) somehow works PERFECTLY with my favorite Mariah track. This mash-up makes me really happy.

C & C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) (Disco Trash Music Remix)
This track sounds very much like the original which was already progressively dance-y for its time. You know how retail stores play fast-paced music that gets you in the mood to purchase? Well, Sanrio had me with this song back in the day.


EMF - Unbelievable (TT Remix)
This was the first jock jam I heard. It felt good.


Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch - Good Vibrations
The video in the upper, left-hand corner is the sex symbol himself. The video in the upper, right-hand corner is Loleatta Holloway's "Love Sensation" (1980) which is sampled in "Good Vibrations". The video in the lower, left-hand corner is Black Box's "Ride on Time" (1989) which also samples "Love Sensation". The last video is the 2006 reboot of "Love Sensation". What's your fave?


The Wombats - Everything I Do (I Do It For You)
This cover is a cute, up-beat take on Bryan Adams' soft-rock original.


Charlie ASH - I Wanna Sex You Up (Colour Me Badd Cover)
Another cute cover. Originally, not necessarily "cute". I think they were going for sexy.


Scala - I Touch Myself (Divinyls cover)
This cover done by a girls' choir is the best. Creeeeeeepyyyy....

Other good songs that artists could cover, mash-up, and remix from 1991 include:
- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Summertime

- Double You - Please Don't Go *
- Extreme - More Than Words
- Naughty by Nature - O.P.P.

* There is a crap Basshunter remix of "Please Don't Go" that is/was apparently big in the DotA community. (Check out the lol comments on Youtube.)

Children of the 90s, what did I miss?

Coach, I Miss...

Despite the sub-par organization, questionable security, drama with psycho-b*tch-landlords, traffic on the bottlenecked I-60-to-10 junction, sacrifices made from overlapped performances... I am sure that Coachella was a hedonistically amazing time for everyone. We (Andrew and Yoshi) post today a few highlights to re-live and/or to experience the moments.

I had seen Jay-Z before but my man HOVA never shined this bright. He brought us back to the old-school and rewarded us fans from the middle-school days. Not to be elitist, but it seemed like he was showering us "real" fans with special attention. To top the performance, damn-fine wifey B came out to sing Mr. Hudson's part in "Young Forever". It was seriously the best night cap they could have possibly imagined considering how the Coachella audience was brimming with youth and living in the moment. Never has a live performance captured my very emotions at that very moment. (It was actually so emotional for me, "me" being Yoshi, that I cried... Fireworks help in this process as well, of course...)

With a few of my highly anticipated performances, I felt that the live audio didn't live up to the recorded material, either because a) the performers themselves weren't up to par with the studio-tinkered enhancements, b) the spearkers were blown, or c) the performers didn't sound-check. I mostly felt this with Hot Chip... SAD, I know. I am hoping that it was option (b) for them in which case being placed at the Outdoor Theater at that time was just a horrible coincidence. At first I thought they were going for a more organic sound in comparison to their synthed out album but it was a bit TOO washed out. If that was intentional, I don't know what to say... I don't think so given that this video from another venue sounds exciting! Jealous! I have high hopes for the next time I cross paths with Hot Chip. (I missed Kaskade during this hour but they're supposed to be at EDC. Woot!)

Muse LIVE is irreplacable. I think they could be THE epic rock band of our generation. They transported me to other lands. At times I was on a journey across a desert on my camel, other times I was Dr. Who traveling through space and time. Brits don't usually arouse me but Bellamy flawlessly singing and rocking out the strings at the same time, Wolstenholme giving us the subtle bass chords, and Howard keeping the band strong from song to song on the drums... SEXY.

Plastikman was out of this world! He was on at the same time as Thom Yorke so sacrifices needed to be made but if your city is ever graced with Richie Hawtin's presence, please do yourself a favor and go. Dennis Romero of the LA Weekly does a much better job at describing the incredible set than I ever will be able to: here. This video doesn't even come close to serving justice to the incredible life-changing hour of my life. Let's just say... until this point in my life a was an avid non-minimalist... Now, I am into minimal tech. (That's a big f-ing deal.)

Gorillaz was a great, funky way to end the whole weekend. LOL points for Paris in this video. "I f-ing love that b*tch!!!" They were a perfect mix of new and old. When it comes to collaborations no other group does it better than this genre-bending animated characters.

Other notables:

• LCD Soundsystem did their elitist "non-dance" NY retro stuff well.
• I only caught a song of Vampire Weekend so I'm hoping to catch them at the Hollywood Bowl come late September. So excited to jump around in my preppy outfit!
• We swung by a smaller tent where we were trapped for a bit by the beautiful voice of Céu.
• Bett Ditto of the Gossip sounded amazing though I could only stay for 2.5 songs. Hopefully I'll catch them sometime soon.The XX were super chill.
• MGMT played too much of their new stuff which noone really likes! Well, at least at this point still... (The video is a classic. None of this new stuff.)
• Tiësto attracted the worst douche crowd but I was still glad I was there.
• Mad props to my Deerhunter boys. I want to take every single one of them home! ("I" being Yoshi.)
• Since I missed it, I'm hoping to catch Club 75 (Justice, Cassius, DJ Mehdi, and Busy P) as the "special guests" tonight at Dim Mak Tuesday. I really hoping they're the "special guests"... Maybe Little Boots which I wouldn't mind either...
  
• Phoenix played too much of their new stuff, too. (Actually, this was the only classic they played throughout their set. Shame...)
  

Some Coachella-oriented audio in no particular order (too lazy to embed individual players but you can use the continuous play at the bottom of the page and still download the tracks you like):

Hot Chip - I Feel Better (Adam Smith Bootleg)

Gossip - Love Long Distance (Fake Blood Remix)

Muse - Supermassive Black Hole (Lorn Remix)

Tegan and Sara - I Feel It In My Bones (Tiësto Remix)

Miike Snow - Black and Blue (Caspa Remix)

Little Boots - New In Town

Mayer Hawthorne - Your Easy Lovin Ain't Pleasin Nothin

If I could I would lie out there in the blazing sun of the musical polo fields with my fellow brethren for the rest of my life...

Coachella countdown at 2!

The other week Andrew did an excellent job covering one of the more anticipated acts of the desert hipster fest, Yeasayer.

Let's continue with other exciting acts of Friday, the first of the three-day madness. This is probably how I'm going to set up my day. Let me know if I would be missing out on something!

4:25 - 5:10 Yeasayer @ Mojave
(Song: O.N.E.)


5:15 - 6: 25 Aeroplane @ Sahara
(Song: Paris)


6:25 - 7:40 Wolfgang Gartner @ Sahara
(Song: Fire Power)

7:00 - 7:50 Passion Pit @ Outdoor Theater
(Song: Sleepyhead)


8:20 - 9:10 La Roux @ Gobi
(Song: I'm Not Your Toy - Data Remix)

8:35 - 9:25 Echo & the Bunnymen @ Outdoor Theater
(Song: The Killing Moon)


9:05 - 10:00 LCD Soundsystem @ Coachella Stage
(Song: Dance Yrself Clean)


9:55 - 10:40 Vampire Weekend @ Outdoor Theater
(Song: Horchata)

10:15 - 11:30 Benny Benassi @ Sahara
(Song: Satisfaction)


10:50 - ??:?? Jay-Z @ Coachella Stage
(Song: Lucifer)


11:55 - 12:45 The Whitest Boy Alive @ Gobi
(Song: High on the Heels)

Take Me Back to the 90s! [1990]

No, don't take me back. The decade probably defines the most awkward moments of my life. (Braces, acne, low self-esteem...) But it was still a great time and is it just me or was pop music better back then? To try to wrap up a decade in one post would not do the 90s justice so we will be bringing these posts to you in an epic multi-part fashion. The featured songs of this 90s series will most likely be covers, remixes, or mash-ups. I hope you guys have fun with this as much as I do writing it. :)

Today, let's focus on 1990! Just to refresh your memory: Papa Bush was prez, the Cold War was still going on, we were in the midst of the S&L crisis, Windows 3.0 was released, and it was the year when Law & Order began, *ruff*.



DJ BC - Groovy Burnin'
To kick-off this 1990 party, we've got this Deee-liteful mash-up that takes "Groove Is in the Heart" and lays over vocals from the Doors to Salt-n-Pepa (whose "Push It" from 1989 barely misses our '90 tribute). Other "Groove Is in the Heart" mash-ups can be found here. (My personal favorite is the "Black Hole Sun" (1994) mash-up which is ironically comical.)


Pheugoo - Shut Your Eyes and Vogue (Madonna vs. Snow Patrol)
Madonna will not allow me to embed "Vogue" from Youtube so here's the link. According to the Wikipedia article for "Vogue", Bill Lamb from About.com (who is he?) commented that the song is "[p]ossibly the most perfect dance song Madonna, the most successful dance artist of all time, has ever recorded." This mash-up is worth listening to until the end just because the Snow Patrol's "Shut your eyes" line (2007) laid over Madonna's piano bridge is quite breath-taking.


Bell Biv Devoe - Poison (Million $ Mano Remix)
This "Poison" remix has got a whole sexy Baltimore twist to it. The New Edition spin-off's classic was recently featured in a little TV show all you Gleeks have probably seen...


The Lost Fingers - Pump Up the Jam
Technotronic's "Pump Up the Jam" is arguably from 1989 but was still popular and relevant in the states in 1990. It is an important song because it was the first house track that became so successful and mainstream over here in non-Euro-land. This gypsy cover is eccentric but still inviting to us who loved the original.

Other notable 1990 hits that haven't been but I wished were covered, remixed, or mashed-up include:
- Digital Underground - Humpty Dance
- En Vogue - Hold On
- Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation
- Mariah Carey - Vision of Love
- Michael Bolton - How Am I Supposed to Live without You
- New Kids on the Block - Step by Step
- Paula Abdul - Opposites Attract
- Snap - The Power
- Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby

What's your favorite 1990 tune?

Still in the lab

I don't follow the rap-scene like I used to, but luckily the same names off my middle-school mix-tapes are still releasing stuff today, and some of it isn't half-bad.

Big Boi is still dropppin quality summer jams, and his most recent track has an especially epic bass line (turn up your speakers before you listen, believe me).

Big Boi - Shutterbug


And various members of the Wu-Tang clan are still cooking up raw rhymes over ominous horn samples. A trio of everyone's favorite killer bees (Meth, Ghost, and Raekwon) just released some kind of album (a few songs and skits). Not sure if that's worth a purchase, but here's a pretty good track from it to generate some wu-nostalgia.

Meth, Ghost, & Rae - Mef vs. Chef 2


Big Boi also teamed up with Gucci Mane last year on the stellar track "Shine Blockas". I'm stretching a bit here to relate this to the rest of the blog post, but lastly here's a Gucci mash-up that I quite enjoy...

Wasted Love (Gucci Maine's "Wasted" / Lindstrøm & Christabelle's "Lovesick") - The Hood Internet

Tribal Thursday

"Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful." - John Maeda

Diego Stocco - Music From A Bonsai

Inspired by the video above I wanted to post something organic this morning. Well yeah... that's not happening. I'm just not capable! But I DO think tribal house is inspired by African drums and nature so let's get tribal in our cubes. (WARNING: do not start a bonfire and dance around it.)


Dj Mujava - Township Funk (Radioclit Remix)
Mujava is somewhat of a rags to riches story. This dude is actually from Africa and came up with this catchy tune that became an international club hit. There is something incredible about this song that puts you in a trance.


Afrojack - Bangduck
Irrefutably similar to Boris Dlugosch's Bangkok, undeniably Afrojack was a pioneer in this sound but is Bangduck an homage or a major diss to Dlugosch? Anyway, no hate for either track. They're both prime.

Congorock - Babylon
Last but not least... this track is what Mujava and the Bloody Beetroots' baby would sound like. The track is a genre-bending, menacing, tribal lovechild. The music video by Pomp & Clout just perfectly fits the song too which is a plus to the already awesome track. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the original for download. You can download a DJ Manaia & Alif remix here.

Frat Party

If a boy had an ipod playlist full of Rihanna Umbrellas and Britney Spears Toxics, what would your gut instinct be? Street cred obliterated... What is this, a sleepover party? Who's ready for a mani/pedi? But, you see... there are massive brains working behind this playlist. College girls love these tunes and love to get down when they hear them and they're in a good mood... you get it... the boys win in the end. Pretty clever. Today I thought I'd bring to the table tunes that wouldn't COMPLETELY compromise a boy's credibility but would presumably have the same effect.

Ke$ha is like mainstream, drunk Uffie but a) it fits the college girls' bill and b) many producers are having fun remixing her.


Ke$ha feat. 3oh3! - Blah Blah Blah (Skeet Skeet Remix)
Vocals maintained from the original and more dance-inducing.

Ke$ha feat. 3oh3! - Blah Blah Blah (Skeet Skeet & PeaceTreaty Rave Remix)
A remix to the remix but more rave-y.


Ke$ha vs. Daniel Haaksman - Tik Tok Whoop Whoop (Phantim Bootleg)
Here's another raver-approved rework. Expect hairography.


Tape Deck Bros - I'm Talking
Barely Ke$ha but it's enough of a sample tease to get a girl wondering.


Ke$ha vs. Breakbot - Tik Tok (Babebot Mash Up)
If the party is a Sunday pool-side kickback... this may be the best option.

In addition, you can redeem even more legitimacy points with the right kicks. Check out taste-maker Jeff Staple's top 50 sneaks over at Complex.

Happy Tuesday!

Mixtape Monday

It's been a while since I've blogged... let alone perused the internet for some bangers. I've come across a few things that can possibly help you get through the work week. I thought today I'd focus mainly on mixes because I love blends and transitions that just blow your mind. Plus, you can press play and not think much about it... (Skip to the end if you don't care for mixes and want to get your hands on some Mustard Pimp.)

First, Siruismo's mix is quirky and delightful. (Please follow the first link to check out the lengthy but noteworthy tracklist.)
Siriusmo Radio-Mix by Exploited
Just to note a few highlights... 1) I haven't been too familiar with Siruismo's work but his very own track that opens up the mix can easily get you into a productive trance with an overall jazz-y feel laid over some industrial beats. It is t-i-g-h-t! 2) I've always wondered how a DJ would integrate the beautiful Gonzales piano version of Boys Noize and Erol Alkan's Waves because I'd never heard it done but you can experience that little piece of transcendentalism starting from around the 8-minute mark. etc.) Other very special things are happening in this mix but I don't want to ruin all your fun. :)

Second (and last mix for today), a rather official mix has landed for the rather unofficial documentary, The Electro Wars.
The official Electro Wars Mixtape by New Cake Label
This one is just full of bangers and fun stuff. Unlike Siruismo's mix, in my opinion, this mix doesn't become more flavorful from each additional listen... (It doesn't have the wine effect...) But, it has a really strong launch and ending and it sure does excite me for the potential documentary. Check out the trailer with major electro names repping the scene:


Have a good week!

PS. B-T-Dub... If you're in the LA area and are up for partying on a Tuesday evening... there is a prime opportunity at the weekly Dim Mak Cinespace event. Judging from his sound, Mustard Pimp knows how to throw a party!


Check out these three tracks (NOTE!: The first track needs patience for the Gladiator-esque build to break but it's so worth it!):

Mustard Pimp - Gold!

Mustard Pimp - Kiwi

Will Smith - Fresh Prince of Bel Air (Mustard Pimp Remix)