Dieses Klischee wollen Black Kids dann aber doch nicht erfüllen. Die kreieren lieber einen gut gelaunten, fröhlichen, fast naiven Indierocksound mit smarten Lyrics. Eine Kombi, mit der die Black Kids im letzten Jahr die Ohren der Myspace-Jünger eroberten und sich so einen Plattenvertrag mit einem Major-Label erspielten. Auch nichts Neues in Zeiten des Web 2.0, wo der User die A&R Manager ersetzt. Der Sound der Black Kids wird dann sogar dem Hype gerecht. Reggie und Co. sind nicht eine weitere "Sesamstraßenindierockband", wie die Arctic Monkeys oder The Rascals, sondern spielen erfrischenden Indierock, der nicht weniger will, als jeden Muskel im Körper in Tanzlaune zu versetzen. Damit dass mit dem Tanzen auch funktioniert, haben die Black Kids eine große Portion Beat gefrühstückt und mischen den Humor eines Jarvis Cocker mit dem Synthie-Sound von The Cure und machen aus Beach Boys-Sounds stampfende Discorocker. Das alles jedoch nie ohne eigene Elemente und so schleicht sich statt langweiliger wiedergekäuter Retrosounds eine erfrischend jugendliche Mischung in die Ohren und Hirnwindungen, um sich dort über Tage parasitär als Ohrwurm festzusetzen. So sind die Black Kids eher so etwas wie die Muppets unter den Sesamstraßenindierockbands. Ob sie das Potential für mehr als einen Sommer haben, müssen sie nun selbst beweisen, aber für diesen Sommer dürfen sie sich feiern lassen.

Myspace der Band

Iain WhiteTapes

And the record? It’s…well, it’s…okay. Disappointing? I guess, but not for the reasons I expected. Rather than sounding too eager and too reckless, this record is completely uninspiring. The songs aren’t great, they aren't terrible, but they are performed with off-putting self-assuredness by a band that, frankly, doesn’t have any right to be as confident as they are (let's be honest, there’s a difference between being famous and good). There’s no youthful energy on the record; everything sounds way more contrived and boring than it ought to.

There’s not a whole lot to say as far as details go, because there's not much going on beneath the surface. Gone is the genuine zeal of The Wizard of Ahhhs EP. That EP was available for free on the Black Kids’ Myspace, and was full of the sort of bright-eyed, innocent glee that you might expect from a record released in that way. This album is rife with major label swagger, and it’s not a colour that suits the band particularly well. Even the songs from The Wizard of Ahhhs – re-recorded here – sound insipid and bland. This is due in part to Bernard Butler’s production; everything sounds way too organised and sterile. But it’s not all his fault. The band’s aloof performances do the songs no favours.

To be fair, the songs themselves are good. Reggie Youngblood can pen a catchy tune, and this record is full of them. And there are those fleeting moments where Black Kids live up to the potential that their EP gave us a taste of, most notably on the standout track "Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)". This track incorporates hand claps, jangly guitars, a rocking bass line, and crunchy synths, but the arrangement sounds simultaneously well thought out and impulsive. This is the only track where I was convinced the band was doing anything more than going through the motions.

It’s almost as if this record was a formality, something they needed to get out of the way so they could get to basking in the adulation of everyone on the planet as soon as possible. “God damn it, girl, just love me already,” sings Youngblood. Love, of course, has to be earned. Especially in the music industry. Black Kids got into the biz on handouts and luck, but they can’t expect to survive on them.

4.3 / 10.0

CNN’s special report “Black in America: The Black Woman & Family,” which aired Wednesday night, turned out be very disappointing. Based on a blackvoices.com Q&A with reporter Soledad O’Brien, this documentary series is the cable network’s attempt to educate people about the black community.

 “About 18 months ago I was brought in because [CNN] had been exploring stories on Black Americans and how to do them and it became clear that it needed to be more of a documentary, it wasn’t a number 2 or 3 minute stories, you just couldn’t do it justice,” O’Brien answered when asked about why this “Black in America” report was done. (The entire interview can be read at black voices.)

 I’m hoping the executives and editors at this Atlanta-based network aren’t patting themselves on the backs in a congratulatory manner on a job well done. This was a poor attempt to portray the facets of being “Black in America.”

 As a journalist, this was a poor example of investigative journalism. This probably should have been called “Being Black and Poor in America.” Of course, poverty exists but that’s not what it means to be  a black American.  This special was a complete disservice to the black middle class.

 Since CNN is trying to educate people about blacks, the execs should next air a two-hour special on the positives of being “Black in America.”  At this point, it’s necessary to discuss the silent black majority that are succeeding, but remember, we like to see people crying, struggling and depress. That’s what drives ratings!

 In other words, it’s not nearly enough to research the long-standing problems of healthcare and how blacks are impacted, single parents and AIDS to say justice was done. Being black in America doesn’t always mean being arrested, poor, uneducated, a single parent or living below poverty. There are numerous organizations, non-profits and efforts in place to enhance our communities, and this would be a great opportunity for such a prominent network to demonstrate that. But keep in mind, this all boils down to ratings.

 As a 26-year-old black women, I am constantly reminded daily of my race. I don’t think there’s a day that goes by that I don’t consider the struggles of my ancestors. Being a black American has forced me to develop a spirit of competitiveness and so called ‘thick skin,’ which comes in handy when you’re the only black in a group of your highly privileged white counterparts.

You have to keep in mind, that we’re (black people) in a unique position right now, with the first ever real chance of having black president. Something like this was long overdue but not in the way that it was delivered. AIDS has been considered an epidemic in our community for a long time. Yes, as blacks we need to definitely think before we act, but this is not new information.

 I didn’t start watching the report until 15 minutes into the program, where the father struggled on one income to take care of his children. Interestingly, at no point was the children’s mother mentioned. If the roles were reversed, the reporter would have stressed how the kids are suffering from their father’s absence. The media usually makes sure that we’re well aware that the missing black father is either in jail, selling drugs or dead.

 Another thing, the Harvard economist has somewhat of a good idea, but can I call him just to ask how many classes did he try that ‘pay you to learn’  on for size. In the real world, where a large number of public schools are segregated and kids aren’t assigned homework because there are not enough books to go around, who’s going to pay these kids to learn? It’s not too surprising that the black kids were overly eager and anxious to learn. I would be too because, unlike most parents, my father didn’t believe in giving us money for good grades.

 Briefly, I’ll mention, what some might call ‘the black marriage crisis,’ after watching the section about how none of us are getting married. They spent at least 15 minutes telling us how black women are beginning to date outside our race. This is nothing new!!!!! Black men have always dated white, Hispanic and Asian women, and I haven’t seen any reports on it. Has CNN seen the need to interview Motel Williams, Ice T. or Kobie Bryant on how marrying white women has impacted their lives.

 It’s absolutely wonderful that we’re going to school in droves to meet our goals and aspirations. Like many white women, we too want to experience independent living before tying the knot. Why should we have to limit ourselves and wait on a man to buy us a house, car, clothes and pay the bills. If a guy’s intimidated by me simply because I so call ‘have it together,’ then maybe he needs to rethink what he wants.

 It’s obvious I’m not excited to catch tonight’s “Black in American: The Black Man,” but I must watch it to see how CNN will attempt to cover all black men. Hopefully, we’ll see more than the light-skinned, poorly educated, drug addicted brothers within the two hour report.

Overall, CNN is a descent cable network because it’s probably the leading network for real coverage of international, war and political issues. However, this “Black in America: The Black Woman & Family” was a poor reflection of the actual black community. 

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Agora, um dos sites de música alternativa mais respeitados do mundo parece ter mordido a própria língua por ter exagerado em seus comentários sobre uma das bandas nascidas e promovidas na geração da Internet. O cultuado Pitchfork - que em novembro deu nota 8.4 e publicou uma crítica elogiosa ao EP "Wizard of Ahhhs", da banda americana Black Kids - exibiu apenas um pedido de desculpas na resenha do álbum de estréia da banda, "Partie Traumatic".

Uma reportagem da National Public Radio americana conta que, na manhã do dia 22 de julho, a página principal do Pitchfork apresentava um link para a resenha com o texto "Todo mundo comete erros". A nota dada ao disco era 0.0 (a mais baixa, claro, na escala do site que vai até 10.0), e a crítica não era nada além de uma foto de dois cachorros e um texto que dizia "sorry :-/".

Algumas horas depois, a nota dada pelo editor do site Scott Plagenhoef mudou para 3.3 e o link passou a conter o texto "Depois de um EP bem recebido, os Black Kids de Jacksonville lançam um álbum de estréia produzido por Bernard Butler que, surpreendentemente, chegou ao top 5 das paradas britânicas", mas a foto continuou a mesma.

Apesar dos indícios, até agora não se sabe ao certo se o "sorry" do Pitchfork é um "sinto muito" pelo desempenho fraco dos Black Kids na gravação do primeiro álbum depois de um ótimo EP ou se é um pedido de desculpas aos leitores pela supervalorização que o site fez da banda antes que ela tivesse provado sua qualidade.

Em tempos de divulgação rápida proporcionada por ferramentas como MySpace e Torrent, por mais que de vez em quando surjam Arctic Monkeys e Vampire Weekends da vida, vale nesses casos um pouco de prudência pra poupar decepções futuras e, principalmente, a imagem dos pobres cachorrinhos.

Do you like the 80s? Are lyrics that neither make much sense nor rhyme that well not that big of a deal for you? Would you enjoy the yodelings of a youngish Robert Smith, up half an octave? Well then I have the band for you! Black Kids are neither black nor children, but they're going to be your new favorite band whether you like it or not.

Partie Traumatic begins with "Hit the Heartbreaks," which busts out with a full on 80s synth blast and a knock knock joke, giving the listener a taste of the surreal mix of puns and retro pop that pervades the entire album. Lead singer Reggie Youngblood's voice slides and dips through the synthetic soundscapes, the result and eerie premonition of what Robert Smith might've sounded like had The Cure come out of Florida instead of England.

First single "I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" offers a pretty standard watching the girl of your dreams from afar-type scenario, but with another infectious synth hook, more nonsense lyrics ("You are the girl/that I've been dreaming of/ever since I was a little girl") and Justice-like kid choruses shouting "Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance!" - and you can't really help but oblige their command.

Overall, Partie Traumatic is the perfect album for the summertime - light, fun, and occasionally witty synth pop from five pun-loving non-black kids. It was released in the US on July 22.

Allow me to regale you, assisted by the historical record of their Wikipedia page, with a tale of Black Kids rise to blogosphere superstars and sudden collapse to Pitchfork punching bags.

It all started (according to Wikipedia) when Black Kids performed at the Athens Popfest in Athens Georgia way back in August of 2007 (a whole year ago!). Around the same time, the group released their EP, Wizard of Ahhhs! for free on their Myspace page. That double whammy earned Black Kids an avalanche of praise from the likes of Vice, NME, The Village Voice and The Guardian, not to mention a whopping 8.4 out of 10 from Pitchfork. Yes, these youngsters were definitely artists to watch in 2008. In fact, Rolling Stone named them "Artists to Watch in 2008."

Fast forward to yesterday, when their year-long party came to a screeching halt. Black Kids' debut album, Partie Traumatic was finally released via Almost Gold records in the UK and Columbia here in the 'States (the apostrophe is for "United"). Pitchfork celebrated by posting their review of the record, which consists of a photo of two sad lookin' pugs saying, "Sorry :-/," and a score of 3.3. Granted, this is less harsh than the time Pitchfork reviewed a new Jet album by simply posting a video of a chimp drinking its own urine, but despite the cuteness of the sad pugs, it's equally damning. User reviews from sites like Amazon reveal fans lamenting everything from the higher production values to the short run time of the record. Yes, it seems the tide may have turned for this potential next-big-thing, and one can only wonder if they will ever find their way back into the good graces of music bloggers and trendspotters everywhere. One wonders less about whether any of these songs will wind up in car commercials (Answer: They will!).

Of course, the ultimate question is: "Does this album really suck that hard?" And the answer, in the opinion of this card-carrying member of the blogosphere, is: "Not really, no." I mean, really, did these people listen to Wizard of Ahhhs? It wasn't that deep. Perhaps the lo-fi production tricked people into thinking Black Kids were saying more than they really were, but it's basically a glorified twee record with dancing shoes on. The only thing that's changed between that EP and this album is the run time (now ya get 10 songs!). It's still the same formula of dumb-cute lyrics, shameless pop melodies and danceable (but not too danceable!) beats. It is, technically, a shallow album, but it really doesn't set out to change the world, and as far as I can tell, neither did their first EP. So, while these guys adjust to their indefinite indie-verse exile, I'll be jamming out to "I Wanna Be Your Limousine."

-Jackie Cous

Na nossa resenha do álbum, lançado no dia 7 de julho no Reino Unido e que sai nesta terça-feira nos EUA, ficamos devendo alguns comentários sobre a poesia escrita pelo quinteto. Um dos melhores exemplos são os primeiros versos de "Love Me Already". O vocalista Reggie Youngblood abre a canção cantando "minha namorada tem sido uma puta" por passar tempo demais com o melhor amigo dele.

My girl's been a real whore
Spending her time with Theodore
Now Teddy he's my best friend but
With friends like these who needs enemies?

É claro que depois de estranhar a presença da namorada no apartamento do melhor amigo até tarde da noite, ele descobre que ela só estava organizando uma festa de aniversário surpresa. "Surprise, surprise, it's your party baby".

Quem já ouviu o disco deve ter percebido que esse humor perde um pouco do sarcasmo e fica um pouco mais sujo em outras faixas. Em "I've Underestimated My Charm (Again)", o eu-lírico (que tem "angústia nas calças") conversa com a mulher que virou sensação na Internet depois de ser flagrada fazendo sexo oral (eufemismo) em uma estátua.

And you, you're not doing too well.
All the blogs are about you, girl.
They caught you in the park after dark
giving head to a statue, girl.

Já o hit "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" traz um exemplo - mas não o único - de ambivalência sexual logo nos primeiros versos. O vocalista canta: "você é a garota com quem eu tenho sonhado desde que eu era uma garotinha".

You are the girl that I've been dreaming of
Ever since I was a little girl

O humor de Youngblood e companhia beira o pastelão em "Listen To Your Body Tonight", uma ode perdição carnal em que Reggie pede a homens e mulheres que se entreguem aos seus desejos. Depois de um dos refrões, a co-vocalista Dawn Watley tem uma conversa franca com o próprio corpo.

Alright, hello?
(Hello, this is your body)
What do you want, my body?
(I wanna feel somebody on me)

Poesia pura.

On The Death Of The Waters: Shearwater
You / aurora / you / seaside: Get Well Soon
Hero Anthem: The Lionheart Brothers
Mi Viejo: Ratatat
People Magazine front cover: Get Well Soon
From: Dr. Dog
Hurricane Jane: Black Kids
Into the Galaxy: Midnight Juggernauts
50 Souls and A Discobowl: The Lionheart Brothers
White Winter Hymnal: Fleet Foxes
Hippy's Son: Dirty Pretty Things
Napoleon on the Bellerophon: Beirut
Minas de Cobre (for better metal): Calexico
Not Nineteen Forever (Acoustic): The Courteeners

Well what a rotten album this is, then.  Really, just not very good at all - what the hell was all the fuss about?

I sort of skipped the hype surrounding these guys, but I do remember reading one rather thoughtful argument, although where I read it I can't remember, that made a very good point.  If a group can be hyped to the rafters based on their first couple of home recordings on MySpace, then there is a massive danger that they will still be finding their feet and just won't be ready.  They'll get chewed up, evaluated, measured, loved or dismissed, all on the basis of a few home demos that basically represent no more than their first, tentative steps into the world of recorded music.  They might barely even be a band yet.

Has this happened to Black Kids?  Well I've no idea, of course, but it is a massive danger with getting too excited about a band before they've had time to find their feet.  I mean, for fuck's sake, even the great Tom Waits' early recordings, whilst pretty good, gave little indication of the three decades of genius that were to come.  Just listen to The Early Years Vol. 1 and see what I mean - it's okay, but it would have been easy enough to dismiss him on that basis.

So with this I think the only song I'd heard before was the only decent song on the album: I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend etc etc...  This is a good, catchy track, the rest is bobbins, and really I am left feeling a little sullied by the experience.  Have I expected too much from a group I would normally approach with a bit more skepticism because of all the hype?  Have they been dealt something of a raw deal because of everyone being so desperate to find a sure thing in an era when all labels are seriously running scared?  Are they appealing to other people?  Or are they just a very limited group, dragged out of their natural environment by human beings' rather unedifying herd instinct?  Who knows, but this album has nothing that I would recommend to people who like the stuff that normally appears on this site, and I feel a little guilty for expecting that it might.

Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You[audio http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/sbt/blackkids-imnotgonnateachyourboyfriend.mp3]
Black Kids - Hurricane Jane (Fucking awful.)[audio http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/sbt/blackkids-hurricanejane.mp3]

Website | More mp3s | Buy from Amazon

O novo álbum está previsto apenas para janeiro do ano que vem, mas alguns sortudos tiveram a oportunidade de conferir quatro músicas novas do Franz Ferdinand no festival Latitude, no reino Unido. O grupo de Glasgow, na Escócia, tocou “Kathryn Kiss Me”, “Ulysses”, “Turn It Out” e “What She Came For”, todas ainda inéditas mas que não escaparam das câmeras digitais e já caíram em sites como o Youtube.

Além de terem a oportunidade de ouvir as quatro faixas, os presentes no festival ainda viram shows do Death Cab For Cutie, que acabou de lançar seu Narrow Stairs, e o Black Kids, com álbum já resenhado no Subsom.

Vale lembrar que além delas, outras faixas com nomes ainda não confirmados estão circulando em vídeos e publicações na rede: “Favourite Lie”, “Flight Of The Galvatron”, “Swallow, Smile”, “Misheard”, “Can’t You Let Me Stay Tonight” e provavelmente “All Ma Pals”.

Em entrevista ao jornal britânico The Independent, o grupo afirmou que o próximo lançamento terá influências da música africana, o que já se ensaiava timidamente no debut Franz Ferdinand e em You Could Have It So Mutch Better, pelo menos no que diz respeito a bateria/batucadas a lá The Arcade Fire como o público de Rio e São Paulo teve a oportunidade de conferir.

“Turn It On”, você confere no vídeo abaixo. Ao que parece, ao menos a julgar por essa faixa, que os sintetizadores estarão mais presentes no terceiro disco.

Girl Talk - Feed the Animals

This is an awesome musician/dj from Pittsburgh.  Greg Gillis takes popular songs and mixes them together creating crazy combinations that you would never expect to sound good, but actually works really well.  He has about 11 tracks on his newest album, Feed the Animals, and it really works here.  From the first track, he drags you into foot-tapping new worlds.  He is never afraid to mix interesting artists, as the best songs here are ones that mix Jay-Z with Radiohead and Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl" with 3 Six Mafia's "I'd rather get some head."  Overall, this cd is one that you could play at a club and get everyone dancing and it really does make music fun to listen to as you try to identify which song is playing in the background of the latest rap songs.  Unfortunately, its usually very short samples that he takes, so on average, each track will be about 2 -3 minutes long with the longest clips being 30 seconds long, so each song sounds totally different than when it started.  The standouts are Set It Off, In Step, Let Me See You, and Here's the Thing, the latter which mixes Kelly Clarkson with some hot rap beats.  I wouldn't recommend this if you don't like to try new music, and if you hate rap,  you might not like this, because the majority of the lyrics are ripped from hit rap songs.  He does manage to avoid the repetitiveness of rap, but overall, i found myself wishing that the best mixes lasted longer, and the mixes that didn't work as well ended up giving the cd a boring background music feel to the songs.  Girl Talk obviously has talent, but there is not really enough amazing substance  in each song to latch onto.  If you liked Night Ripper, his last cd, i highly recommend this, because I definitely think it's an improvement.

Overall: 8.5/10

Tracks to try: Set it Off, Here's the Thing

Recommended if you like: new things, bumping club beats, a wide variety of music, from classic rock to modern rap

Black Kids - Partie Traumatic

This is a young band with more of a disco-esque feel, despite their Floridian origins.  This band
gives me the feeling that they have more to give to the music scene, but definitely know how to pick their songs.  "Listen to You Body Tonight" is an engaging song that makes good use of some great synth playing, with a cheesy back and forth between the male lead vocals and the female lead, that didn't appeal to me but I'm sure is an integral part of crowd interactions at live shows.  The best song on the cd is their remake of the Ahhhh's "Hurricane Jane", which is never good, because if you can't produce the best song on your own cd, there might be some problems.  The Aha-inspired "I'm Making Eyes at You" and the 50's musical sounds of "I've Underestimated My Charm(Again)" are two of the more solid songs that have good beats and are typical wistful love songs that you would expect from a young band, but Black Kids seems to really mean their lyrics and the songs never seem boring or forced.  I can see all the indie kids jamming out to this at Bonaroo or just  being able to play this in the background at a party.  I wanted to rate the cd lower, because the back end of the cd is severely lacking in ingenuity, but the catchiness of the first few songs force me to rate it higher.  The first single, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend" has all the makings of a hit and it's hard not to want to get up and dance when this one comes on.  Overall, a very enjoyable experience and worth a couple bucks and an hour of your time.

Overall: 7.5/10

Tracks to try: Hurricane Jane, Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend to Dance With You

Recommended if you like: the Rapture, disco-synth, Aha's "Take On Me"

At a first listen, the Black Kids’ major label debut, Partie Traumatic, sounds like a bunch of rerecorded demo songs with some flashy production and a few new tracks thrown in for good measure, and that’s partly it is. Beneath the surface, however, Partie Traumatic is a well-woven collection of fun dance-rock songs, released right in time to be the soundtrack for your summer dance party.

Partie Traumatic opens with “Hit The Heartbrakes,” a song rerecorded from 2007’s Wizard of Ahhhs EP, and by far one of the best Black Kids songs to date. Though the track only contains about three different guitar chords, the Black Kids make the most of what they’ve got. Lead singer Reggie Youngblood trades vocals with female backup vocalists Ali Youngblood and keyboardist Dawn Watley throughout the song, making for quite a catchy opener, particularly on the part of the chorus where the backups sing “Abracadabra!” and Youngblood responds with “Every summer you disappear.”

Click to continue reading this post...

Let's see. First off, I was too right about Black Kids! Not only do I still love Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance, but the full length album is out, Partie Traumatic, and it's great! I haven't been this excited about an album since the first Kooks CD, or maybe the first Fratellis. It's super 80's, fun time, party disco. I'm Making Eyes at You is very Billy Idol (can't help but think it's a lil' tribute), and they're reminiscent of ABC, in the best possible way. Favorite tracks, today, are I've Underestimated My Charms Again and Look at Me (When I Rock Witchoo). Same advice as when they only had an EP: run out, buy music, DANCE!

Second: Congrats to DBK!! Not only is he getting married soon - chose a reading finally, Lou Reed - but The Lek is live! What's the Lek, you ask? It's a super cool, new dating/social website. So far it's LA based, but it should expand rapidly. Unlike most dating sites it's less about who you are and what you're looking for than it is what you like to do and who you like to do things with. Check it out, they host some interesting events, and if you sign up early (read, now) you'll never pay to email another member... which ultimately people will have to do. Be an early adopter, make Malcolm Gladwell proud!

I guess that's it for now. I know I have other stuff going on, but I have to go deal with it. I wish FedEx would get here so I could leave the house. Sigh.

Alright. Enough yammering about what this music means. I figure it's time to start posting up some of the best songs that I've been hearing from the last month or so. Two actually came into my inbox today, a new remix by Aussie banger crew, Calling in Sick, and (finally) a new remix by one of my favorite new alt producers, Ocelot. Now, these are tunes that should definitely be classified as DJ tunes, meaning that they fit best inside a mix where they are blended with other tracks. So my recommendation to tracks like these, listen to the awesome parts, spin them if you're a DJ, or wait for my upcoming mix that will include pretty much all new tunes (as opposed to my May mix that included a broad overview of some of the best electro from the last year or so)

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First on my hitlist is the latest tune from Ocelot. Now, let me put it this way, Ocelot seriously rocks. Self described as 'trance without all that trance', these young producers distill the best elements of trance and burn it up with distorted banger sounds and way catchy vocal edits. This Muse edit might be a bit much on the vocals, but this tunes energy is absolutely off the hook, I guarantee that this tune is going to be heard at peak time dj sets the world round (including my set).

Muse - Knights of Cydonia (Ocelot Remix)

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Next up is a new tune from Calling in Sick. The beginning reminds me of my days messing around with the MIDI piano settings on my computer. But the tune quickly shifts from a simple piano intro to a huge rocking rap electro rendition complete with a dramatic Aussie melody rising over a distorted wall of sound (ala the Bag Raiders tune I posted earlier). The two verses of the hip hop is electro at it's best. This is probably my fave Calling in Sick so far. Good times, thanks to the great Aussie blog Electrorash for the posting!

Heartache feat. Cujo - What Does it Mean? (Calling in Sick Remix)

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Here's another bouncy rock electro remix from Donovan that is going to fit well into mixes. Like traditional dance music, this tune has a single vocal line that keeps going over and over again. Like, it has that usual 'oh yeah' line that we hear so much in music. But it's the combination of that, the killerly catchy indie rock riff, and the seriously mashing up of the vocals (almost like Billy Corgan's solo from Zero) that really makes this tune unique and something special to drop in the sets. Oh yah... it's also got nonstop energy. I heart it.

In the Club - Turn You On (Donovan Remix)

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And here's 'Zero' for people who have never heard one of the best songs off one of the defining albums of the 90s.

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Another hallmark of the New Alt is that it is all about remixes. About 95% of all tunes I find are remixes, and often these remixes sound nothing like the original. Sometimes this is a bad thing and the remixer completely loses the sparkle of the original, but sometimes something special happens. Here are two remixes that completely transform the original tune from something, in my opinion, not catchy, to something that is utterly irresistible.

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Bufi is an artist on the Le Touch Label coming out of Mexico. His tunes are sexy, clean, and gorgeous. They are representative of the sleek, sexy, disco sound that provides a clear and clean contrast to the violent distorted bangers out there. Now, the original of this tune, Sonic Sex, is sorta a crazy, angry sex rant screamo ala the blood brothers. But Bufi takes the tune and gives it swagger and real sex appeal, not that angry juvenile stuff. Check out Trashbagskids for some other tunes of his and his myspace too.

Maniqui Lazer - Sonic Sex (Bufi Remix)

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And for my next posting of this batch it's one that's been around in blogland for a long time (i.e. a couple months.) The Twelves remixing Black Kids. This is unjustifiably one of the most amazing remix jobs I've ever heard. All I can say is listen to the original with it's bizarre combination of bone dry production and large amounts of reverb that completely mask the vocal hook and then listen to the Twelves version. Seriously, it took some proper inspiration to notice that hook in that original tune was one of the best hooks of the year. Check this tune out again and make sure you listen to the originals of tunes... it 'aurally enhances' the experience.

Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance (The Twelves Remix)

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As I mentioned earlier, in the world of DJ tunes, which what most of these new alt remixes are, these tracks fall into the faults that dance music has historically dealt with. Namely, the works are usually designed not to stand up on their own. They are created more as building blocks that can be put together to create different expressions that will quite literally, if done right, move an audience. But when listened on their own, or when spun by a lesser DJ, these tracks can seem repetitive and dull when in reality, when played correctly the tune rocks. A case in point, this remix of Terry Poison's '24 hours' by Aston Shuffle. The beginning is traditional DJ fodder, but around 2:40 the track really takes off with one of the catchiest, peak time sections of dance music I've heard in a while. Pure, smooth, and slick

Terry Poison - 24 Hours (Aston Shuffle's A-Bomb Remix)

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Messinian is, to me at least, the MC better known for his work rapping over Hochi and Infilitrata's drum n bass tracks. Think recent Dieselboy studio release mixes and you get what I mean. In recent memory, like many DnB producers, Messinian has been migrating over to electro because, as I've heard from many ex-DnB producers, that's where the money is these days. Check out IHEARTCOMIX and search for some of Messinian's tracks there, honestly though, I prefer his DnB stuff more, it's got more bite. Regardless... this track, the latest remix by one of my favorite groups, Designer Drugs, is good (though this mp3 might be clipping a tad too much for this DJ's tastebuds)

Messinian - Throw it Away (Designer Drugs Remix)

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And last for this weekly installment of Straight from the Underground is the latest tune I've heard of Trevor Loveys. It's pretty much a straight forward fidget house track, but what I like about it is the dramatic use of the 'they live' sample. The fidget basslines are also a bit catchy than many of the droll fidget lines that pass for being hip these days. The drop has a pretty cool build up in it. And search for Trevor's Roisen Murphy remix, that one is actually the sexiest track I've heard of new alt yet. But for now, enjoy this shiesse and stay up to date on more articles outlining the present state and future of way cool music.

Evil Nine - They Live (Trevor Loveys Remix)

]]> http://audioresponse.wordpress.com/?p=79 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:45:26 +0000 rhysyb http://audioresponse.wordpress.com/?p=79

Hope you enjoy tonights show.....

1. Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris - Dance Wiv Me

2. Ocelot - Our Time (Treasure Fingers Remix)

3. Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Him How To Dance With You (The Twelves Remix)

4. Sidechains - Dr Funk

5. Sidechains - Waiting So Long

6. Division Kent - Offshore (The Phantoms Revenge Remix)

New Young Pony Club - Ice Cream (Herve Remix)

7. Xinobi - Day Off

8. Xinobi - Day Off (Anoraak Remix)

9. Def Leopard - Photograph (Heartache Remix)

10. Proxy - Decoy

11. Splittr - All Alone (Alex Metric Remix)

12. Boy 8-Bit - The Suspense Is Killing Me

13. Young MC - Bust A Move (Diplo Remix)

14. Broken Hookers - Dig This (Part 1)

15. LA Riots - Angel Rock (LA Riots vs Atlantic Connection Bootleg)

16. The Presets - Talk Like That (Miami Horror Remix)

17. Pnau - Embrace (Fred Falke & Miami Horror Remix)

Listen [audio http://www.zshare.net/audio/15212866b0e3e2e2]
OR
Download

Audio Response can be heard every Sunday night 10pm on Bay FM 99.9 (Northern NSW) or online at www.bayfm.org

Feeling good today so i am putting all the tracks from tonights show up for download.... A couple of highlights though; Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris.... Fuck i never expected this to sound good but it is!! Miami Horror and Fred Falke?? Again i wasn't so sure when i heard about this but the result is brilliant. I'm also posting the Treasure Fingers remix of 'Our Time' again as it is a marginally better copy than my last posting.... ENJOY!!

Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris - Dance Wiv Me

Ocelot - Our Time (Treasure Fingers Remix)

Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Him How To Dance With You (The Twelves Remix)

Sidechains - Dr Funk

Sidechains - Waiting So Long

Division Kent - Offshore (The Phantom's Revenge Remix)

Xinobi - Day Off

Xinobi - Day Off (Anoraak Remix)

Def Leopard - Photograph (Heartache Remix)

Proxy - Decoy

Splittr - All Alone (Alex Metric Remix)

Boy 8-Bit - The Suspense Is Killing Me

Young MC - Bust A Move (Diplo Remix)

Broken Hookers - Dig This (Part 1)

LA Riots - Angel Rock (LA Riots vs Atlantic Connection Bootleg)

The Presets - Talk Like That (Miami Horror Remix)

Pnau - Embrace (Fred Falke & Miami Horror Remix)

It's been a couple of weeks since my first post, and I had all these subsequent plans to post every friday (and I was going to do a special Canada Day post) but I have failed you all. All 7 of you. I apologize.

I've been busy, and quite frankly I should expect you all to understand how difficult it is to live! Takes up all of your time.

Sooooo to make up for that I'm posting this theme for music today:

Summer Traxz!!!!111!!1! LKIE 4 RE'L~!

The Divine Comedy - The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count

Tee-hee! That is all.

Armand Van Helden - NYC Beat

Everyone knows this effing song, but it doesn't make it any less relevant to this post. Armand Van Helden rarely makes a good track of his own, it's usually his remixes (or remixes of his stuff) that are good. Whatevs, it's a great track for the beach.

Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You

I have never seen Black Kids so I can really only speculate on their ethnicity, or gender for that matter, but if they aren't of African descent, then the white people really are "stealing all [their] beats from the blacks." -- Mindless Self Indulgence "Kill the Rock" -- Sort of how Eminem claims to be doing what Elvis did back in the day; "Do black music so selfishly, and use it to get myself wealthy." But "Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You"? Great song.

Kylie Minogue - Cherry Bomb

Rarities and B-Sides can be a great source for great songs that just for whatever reason didn't make the cut. Kylie Minogue recently released "X" and this song is a B-Side from that. Have no idea where one can get this in album form, because a friend of mine found it. Thanks Homez!

Ben Lee - Cigarettes Will Kill You

This song title doesn't lie, which is why I quit, but aside from that this song is just bad ass goodness. I don't know how many people would consider Ben Lee "bad ass" but I certainly do. His Australian indie crooning has had my heart since I first heard this song on the best soundtrack known to mankind, "Playing By Heart", which starred Angelina Jolie, Ryan Phillipe, Gillian Anderson, Jon Stewart, Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands, Anthony Edwards, Madelaine Stowe... it goes on and on, and the movie is awesome. As for this particular song, it's nice to listen to while chilling out on your patio, or hanging out at the beach. I don't make this stuff up; try it!

ToToM - 1234 My Violent Heart (Feist vs. Nine Inch Nails)

I heart a mash-up. Bastard Pop FTW. That is all.

If you have any suggestions for great summer-soundtrack-y songs, I'd love to hear them. Any genre is welcome, and I'll listen to any song, provided it's not complete crap.

Enjoy the weekend, mates!

Download

..:: Black Kids - Partie Traumatic ::..

Comentarios: I´m Back... Little by Little...     :D

Tracklist:

1. "Hit the Heartbrakes"
2. "Partie Traumatic"
3. "Listen to Your Body Tonight"
4. "Hurricane Jane"
5. "I'm Making Eyes at You"
6. "I've Underestimated My Charm (Again)"
7. "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You"
8. "Love Me Already"
9. "I Wanna Be Your Limousine"
10. "Look at Me (When I Rock Wichoo)"

2nd June 2008

Single of the Week: Mystery Jets – Two Doors Down

Despite recent confirmation that they're still a bit crap live, this is my second single of the week for Mystery Jets this year. While it lacks the subtle charms of 'Young Love', it's clearly a fabtastic pop stomper that throws everything into the mix (including potentially lethal sax solos) and comes out with something that sounds pretty much like Summer 2008 in a box. Sorry Lykke...

Click below for all the rest!

Other good stuff...

Lykke Li – I’m Good I’m Gone [YouTube]
My album of the year so far is Lykke's Youth Novels. This is another great track from it. Lacks the surprise factor of previous SOTW 'Little Bit', but otherwise flawless.

Sebastien Tellier – Divine [YouTube]
Didn't win Eurovision; still awesome.

The Clik Clik – Did You Wrong [YouTube]
File next to the Ting Tings, Alphabeat, etc. Is this the sound of 2008? It'll do.

Jeremy Warmsley - The Boat Song [YouTube]
Folkypoppygeekystrummything. I like.

Joan As Police Woman – To Be Loved [YouTube]
Slick, classy, but ulltimately a little bit too coffee-table.

Nightwish – The Islander [YouTube]
Why do I have a bit of a soft-spot for these preposterous Scandinavian rockers? Silly overblown prog this time, but difficult to hate.

REM – Hollow Man [YouTube]
Another decent enough track from their 'return to form' (tm everyone) album.

* * *

9th June 2008

Single of the Week: Frankmusik - In Step
The horribly named Frankmusik is Vincent Frank, a 21-year-old former beatboxer from Croydon. This is Discovery-era Daft Punk with slightly over-enthusiastic vocals. It's lots of fun. And don't we all want a flashing hula hoop?

More...

Sonny J – Handsfree (If You Hold My Hand) [YouTube]
More sampleadelic fun from the Liverpool man who brought us previous SOTW 'Enfant Terrible.' If anything, this is better, but it's been released in a stronger week...

The Cure – Freakshow [YouTube]
Livelier than of late, and shower their many imitators how it's done.

The Duke Spirit - My Sunken Treasure [YouTube]
Not as good as The Step and the Walk, but also very good.

Kid Carpet - I Dont Want To Fall In Love With You (7”) [YouTube]
A strange, skewed pop genius from a slightly different planet. Or Bristol. Brilliant, as ever.

Laura Marling – Cross Your Fingers / Crawled Out Of The Sea [YouTube]
More of the same, but none the worse for it.

We Are Scientists – Chick Lit [YouTube]
Radio-friendly, solid stuff.

* * *

16th June 2008

Single of the Week: The School - Let It Slip
Time to return to one of my guilty pleasures again... This is indie-pop loveliness in the Camera Obscura mould, from a Cardiff-based band featuring a former member of The Loves. OK, so maybe the intro rips off British Sea Power's 'Be Gone', but that's more than compensated for by the wonderful silky vocals and 60s-girl-pop breakdown.

And...

Infadels - Free Things For Poor People [YouTube]
Formerly chugalong electro-rock, Infadels seemed to have slapped a lick of Guilty Pleasures-style gloss all over their new material. It's an improvement.

Jamie Lidell – Another Day [YouTube]
There's something charming about Mr. Lidell that makes you forget he's essentially making glossy facsimiles of classic soul, with little new added to the mix. But he'll still never match 'Multiply.'

Jay Reatard - Always Wanting More [YouTube]
Excitable, ADD-afflicted guitar-pop. Good stuff.

The Kills - Last Day of Magic [YouTube]
The first time a Kills record has explicitly reminded me of Jamie's old band Scarfo. This is a good thing.

Presets - This Boy's In Love [YouTube]
Depeche Mode-esque dark electro from Modular band. Pretty good.

White Williams – Violator (7”) [YouTube]
Hypnotic, repetitive guitar/bleeps thing from young Ohio guy on Domino.

* * *

23rd June 2008

Single of the Week: Weezer - Pork And Beans
Probably a slightly out of character choice here. But it's single of the week because it makes me smile in a geeky sorta way. OK, so it's hardly a genuine return to form. But it's roughly a billion times better than anything on the thoroughly rubbish 'Make Believe' album. And they're back to doing what they do (sort of second) best - making brilliant, memorable videos.

It's a slow week...

MGMT - Electric Feel [YouTube]
Not as good as 'Time To Pretend', but sounds fantastic on the radio

Black Kids – Hurricane Jane [YouTube]
While this is competent enough, it does make one wonder if they peaked with their debut, and it's all downhill from here... I could be wrong, though.

The Charlatans – The Misbegotten [YouTube - audio only]
More decent stuff from their New Order-indebted latest record.

Five O Clock Heroes feat Agyness Deyn – Who [YouTube]
WRONG on paper. On record, actually not bad.

Glasvegas – Geraldine [YouTube]
Sort-of-OK stuff from band that are clearly aiming to fill a stadium sometime before the end of the month. It's a bit too much, too soon, for my liking.

Heloise & The Savoir Faire - Illusions (Hot Tonight!) [MySpace]
Seems like the sort of thing I should like. But somehow a bit too... forced?

* * *

30th June 2008

Single of the Week: Ladyhawke - Paris Is Burning
Second Single of the Week in a row (following the briliant 'Back of the Van') from the New Zealand popster with a bag full of classic influences coming together to make something very danceable but also rather beautiful. On live evidence, there's a possibility that Ms. Hawke may well be a bit of a two-hit wonder. And while I'm hoping I'm wrong there, it doesn't take anything away from the shiny brilliance of 'Paris is Burning.'

Other singles available...

Goldfrapp – Caravan Girl [YouTube]
Summery pop loveliness and third excellent single in a row from Alison & co.

Estelle – No Substitute Love [YouTube]
No 'American Boy', but still moderately enjoyable.

Freemasons – When You Touch Me [YouTube]
Actually quite fun OTT dance-pop.

The Long Blondes – Guilt [YouTube]
The relative rubbishness of the second Long Blondes album still makes me a bit sad. This average track, which doesn't really go anywhere, is probably one of the best things on it. Which really isn't saying much. They are better than this...

Paul Heaton - Mermaids & Slaves [YouTube]
Breezier, and more Housemartins-esque, than any recent Beautiful South outings. Quite cheering, in a resolutely uncool sort of way.

Rosie Oddie and the Odd Squad - Cola Coka [YouTube]
Certainly a bit odd. The slow intro gives way to an all-over-the-place knees-up. Can't really make up my mind here: great or awful? One of them.

Tricky – Council Estate [YouTube]
Sound little like anything he's done before, but it's pretty catchy and he handles the solo-vocals pretty well.

Wild Beasts – The Devil’s Crayon [YouTube]
New Kendal indie-rockers. Intriguing stuff.
Phew, nearly there...!

I thought this was a page error when i first looked at it, but apparently this is the pitchfork review of the Black Kids new LP (via pitchfork).  It is a picture of two puppies with the word "sorry" and the ":-/" emoticon.  It is pretty weak if you ask me.  If you are going to review an album... you need to at least do the work of informing the audience of what it sounds like.  This, though it may be clever, is poor form.  They rated it a 3.3 which is ridiculous... but all too common.  Pitchfork is still very relevant, for getting records sold at least, though they are eternally annoying... but the increase of genuine kitschiness is worrying.

Sadly the album got a measly 3.3...sorry Black Kids.

"I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" - Black Kids (2002 self-released) Wizard of Ahhhs

HAHAHA! Podem falar o que quiser, mas que esses caras são engraçados quando querem, isso eles são.