SHITDISCO bring their funky-disco-punk-whatever the fuck all the way from Glasgow, Scotland. They are known for throwing little shindigs around town in abandoned spaces through out Glasgow.
This may not be an earth shattering music experience, but I dare you not to shake that money maker a little (or at least swivel in your computer chair). Here’s a couple of songs from their sold out, self-produced single.
SHITDISCO | I Know Kung Fu
SHITDISCO | Disco Blood (Errors remix)
Oh Lily, what a splash you’ve made. This little lady has packed a wallop around the mp3blog arena. Her pixie looks, fun tunes and overall cheeky Englishness has the her home Isle gaga too. Her single is top of the pops and her album is slated to follow suit.
Recently, Miss Allen stopped by Annie Mac’s show on the BBC 1. She contributed a mini mix, apparently mixed on some decks and cdjs since Lily has done some djing work. She presents a summery five minutes where she drops some standard island music and works in her own track, LDN
Lily Allen | Mini Mix for Annie Mac
Jim Noir, a singer-songwriter which style of music has garnered one of those neato music descriptors – psychedelic pop, is best known for his song being included in Nike’s Jose + 10 commercial that ran during the World Cup.
Noir’s video for said song, Eanie Meanie, is up on his site and continues the mythos of the soccer ball song that dares you not to bounce around as you listen. Noir’s music is a dapper as his dress.
Jim Noir | Eanie Meany
Hot Chip bring the funk on this remix of the song leaving a ethereal bumper.
Jim Noir | Eanie Meany (Hot Chip Remix)
A while back I posted on the French hotness of Sébastien Tellier. Noir adds his thoughts to Tellier’s lovely song.
Sébastien Tellier | La Ritournelle (Jim Noir remix)
File this one under ‘new to me.’
Sébastien Tellier is a French soloist who has opened for Air, the Magic Numbers, Moby and Royksöpp. His album Politics, dropped way back in 2004, but sometimes (most of the time) I’m a little behind the curve.
Tellier makes colorful popish songs with layers of solid arrangement. He puts together an engaging sound and runs the gamut of instrument selection including the sci-fi Theremin.
see Blue time-
Sébastien Tellier | La Ritournelle
Between marveling at Scarlett Johansson’s overall fineness or trying to figure out how Sophia Coppala can be so darned cool, you may have missed this atmospheric diddy from Lost in Translation.
Sébastien Tellier | Fantino
He also plies the remix trade. He gives Phoenix a touch with this one. I’ve heard the kids are gaga about this rock music band.
Phoenix | Long Distance Call (Sébastien Tellier Mix)
No need to sound the NERD ALERT, but this post is about Anime. Samurai Champloo is a badass serial from Shinichiro Watanable of Cowboy Bebop fame. What’s Cowboy Bebop? Do yourself a favor and find out.
Roughly Champloo, coming from the Okinawan word chamuru, translates to mix. So the title basically translates as Samurai Remix. Fitting since intermixed with all the slicing and dicing katana style is some pretty dope hip hop beats. Some heavy hitters lend a snake and/or crane to the effort.
Kevin recently posted some big tracks from Five Deez. Fat Jon is on the production team and brings some nice down tempo funk to Champloo.
Fat Jon | 624 Part 1
Nujabes, aka Jun Seba, is a Japanese hip hop producer who adds his jazzy beats to the mix. Check out the the show’s opening track.
Nujabes feat. Shing02 | Battle Cry
Force of Nature also brings it a little more gritty. The Japanese production duo consists of DJ Kent and KZA.
Force of Nature | Death Wish
Hip hop: Katana dueling :: Cookies: Milk
SAT’s and shit!
The Swedes are bringing it. As we all know, the Nordic people are putting on a mini invasion. Here’s a little sample of their hip hop front.
Create and Devastate hail from Helsingborg, Sweden. Self proclaimed crate diggers, Create & Devastate made the progression from turntablists to music production.
As the story goes, they sent the infamous Masta Ace, of 1988’s big posse cut The Symphony, an email of their beats and he agreed to stop by during a Euro tour and lay down some vocals. Thus the single was born.
The B-Side features vocals from Maylay Sparks and drops a big band beat. The 12†is released through Threshold Recordings.
Create & Devastate are also a part of the Elite Fleet along with fellow Swedes DJ Connect and Big Ape. If these tracks are any indication, look for big things coming from this crew.
Create & Devastate feat. Masta Ace, Stricklin | The Hitman
Create & Devastate feat. Maylay Sparks, Kenneth Masters | Just Get Down
Joanna Newsom | Peach, Plum, Pear
Final Fantasy | Peach, Plum, Pear
Last night went and checked out the monstrous Ghostface Killah at a local joint, small and intimate enough for Shoalin’s finest to melt my face off.
This will not be an in depth Kevinesque concert review (no playlist), but after settling down and yelling at the ‘Lightman,’ Ghostface launched into a verbal onslaught of tracks from his old records, new release and Wu-Tang classics.
He asked, and surprisingly got from the raucous crowd, ten seconds of silence for O.D.B aka Big Baby Jesus aka etc etc. Then launched into O.D.B’s hit ‘Shimmy Shimm,’ where the crowd screeched out the lyrics.
Overall, a great show, at least until he invited all the ladies on stage for a dance party, reminding of MTV’s great wonder of avant garde The Grind.
Here’s a smattering of solid Ghostface:
Ghostface Killah | The Champ | From the new Fishscale
Ghostface & MF Doom | Iron Maiden | From Operation Ironman
Prefuse 73 Feat. Ghostface And EL-P | Hide Ya Face | From Surrounded By Silence
Led by Minnesota farmer Craig Minowa, Cloud Cult produces nice music that would best be described using a long, hyphen addled word.
When Cloud Cult visited the KEXP studios for a live set, they stripped down some of the electronic elements of their sound and let the folk shine a little brighter. All in all, a nice recording of a band doing interesting things.
Cloud Cult, live on KEXP, 6/24/2005
1. As Long as You’re Happy
2. Bobby’s Spacesuit
3. Lights Inside My Head
4. Washed Your Car
5. Breakfast With My Shadow
The Remix is not necessarily a way to extend single sales. The Remix does not need to out do the original. The Remix, at least the good one, needs only to change the mood of the piece. Whether the mixer makes a jubilant song into a sad one or turns an airy melody into a jump-out-of your-seat-cuz-you-need–to-dance-motherfucker tune, the Remix is its own art form.
When Kevin told me it was remix week I said, “well, I AM a sucker for remixes.†My creeping procrastination caused, like a term paper turned in two days late with the excuse of a dead great aunt, into this last minute hodgepodge of remixes that I dig.
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The first chunk of reworking comes from the Mistress of the Remix – Bjork. She must give out vocal tracks to everyone on the hipster mailing list, because the mixes just don’t stop. I’ve chosen three by some of my favorite mix masters.
Mark Bell, her collaborative producer, performance partner and all around electronic wunderkind remixed this track and turned this song into a big, orchestral movie score.
Bjork | Bachelorette (Mark Bell Optimism Remix)
Alec Empire took on Joga and muddied up this love song:
Bjork | Joga (Alec Empire Mix)
Photek puts a light dose of drum n’ bass on this one:
Bjork | I Miss You (Photek mix)
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Beth Orton gets the treatment too. Maybe I just have a thing for pretty voiced women getting worked over with strange new beats, I don’t know.
Two mixes of the same song by heavy hitters Roots Manuva and Four Tet:
Beth Orton | Daybreaker (Roots Manuva Remix)
Beth Orton | Daybreaker (Four Tet Remix)
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Kings of Convenience, the indie folk-pop duo from Bergen, Norway, never shy away from a good mix, since singer Erland Oye can be found behind the ones and twos from time to time. Another from Four tet:
Kings Of Convenience | The Weight of my Words (Four Tet Remix)
According to BBC’s 1xtra Drum n’ Bass gurus (voted on by the public) this was the D n’ B remix of the year done by the Artists of the Year (GO Pendulum). Who am I to argue.
The Prodigy | Voodoo People (Pendulum Remix)
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I have to throw this quirky Beastie mix in.
The Beastie Boys | Intergalactic (Fuzzy Logic Remix)
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The RZA joins Choco to take on Charlie Parker.
Charlie Parker | Bebop (Choco And RZA Remix)
And finally, yet another an airy voice with Beth Gibbons heading up Portishead. Here’s a ’70’s riff rock remix of the ’94 sex dripping single Glory Box.
Portishead | Glory Box (Toy Box remix)