Saturday, July 28, 2007

Basic Saturday #5

Recently, the quasi-fem-bot bands who attempt the sexy-with-feminine-attitude style that works, at times, have dropped an LP or two for the listening public this summer. This music seems reserved for the overly-fashionable, the nose-upturned types who live this music in familiar social settings and scoff when you don't know (oh God!) the very *new* and *of course obscure* and *unheard-of except to them* indie-label band. What the fuck? That being said, I shouldn't be so angry because its just not true.

Cansei de Ser Sexy comes to mind, not obscure and unheard as these people lead you to believe. This sextet deserve their due despite the people who generally gravitate towards this music on principle alone. There is much substance past the surface.

The Brazilian group is captained by a half-Japanese (anyone?) singer under the sexy and devious moniker, Lovefoxx. Translatable to "we're tired of being sexy," CSS has remixed the likes of The Cribs, The Wombats, Lily Allen, and Bonde de Role. In reverse, Spank Rock and Simian Mobile Disco place their own styling to remixes of Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above. Yes, very sexy. Panties thrown and received. Micro shorts and dirty legs. All-out and unadulterated dance music. Dirty moustache from the bassist. Thank you, Subpop Records.

For pleasurable thump-thump, listen to these hot and bothered tracks. More DJs should drop CSS original or remixed so you can dance your face off like I am.

Cansei de ser Sexy - Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above
Cansei de ser Sexy - Computer Heat
Cansei de ser Sexy - Superafim

Bonde de Role - Office Boy (CSS Mix)

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Klaxon Klaxoff

While engaged in a philosophical discussion about the nature of science, armed with a pipet in my left hand and an eager desire to run, I stay in the lab for the paycheck, like the guy on the right stuck in the giant cube of death. But then I could be like this guy from the Klaxons...



The Klaxons - Magick

Its really too bad the Klaxons aren't coming anywhere near North American in the near future. That being said, please write, call, or email them so they will. And I don't know what Golden Skans are, but I want one.

The Klaxons - Magick (Simian Mobile Disco Mix)
The Klaxons - Golden Skans (Sebastian Version 1.2.0 Mix)
The Klaxons - Golden Skans

For more varied escape routes from the cube, check out Ward for some more varied musical accompaniment to your life at WRMC.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Digital Nationals

Since I'll be drinking overpriced drinks in NYC this Saturday and celebrating the birth of Sarko's and Justice's RF, I want to leave a little something in the middle for those who feel a little left out: a pre-Bastille day send off for the uninitiated. I'll be back Sunday to fly the colors, posting some non-German tracks for your audible enjoyment. French or not, we should all say 'joyeux anniversaire la republique francais'.

You know you like the music.

Digitalism vs. B.O.B. - Pogo vs. Haterz (DJ Original Bozak Blend)
Digitalism - Pogo

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Basic Saturday #3

I discovered Armand Van Helden for myself by complete accident a few months ago, a fortuitous download from a compilation list of influences to a certain DJ Sta, (if you don't know him meet him here). Since 1988 Armand Van Helden has been making great, face-melting music for club rats and dance freaks all over the world.

Van Helden is a non-smoking, apparent workaholic partier whose bed-time is 5AM. He's reached a level that few can claim to have achieved in the music world, and done it without selling himself to the mainstream, unwilling to box in his style, tastes, or attitudes. Own terms, own rules, own music, something for everyone, even the little kids. From the DJ Times (2005): “I’m a producer looked at as an artist, which is the weirdest thing to this day for me,” he says. “I never considered myself an artist.”

I started back from Killing Puritans, his 2000 album release, the very title of which is suggestive of the man behind the cover art. A solid millennial album I knew nothing about until now. It kicks, you see the genius between the eclectic vocal sampling, solid beats, and gritty edge he puts to his tracks. Producer, artist, or something altogether his own, from here and now and then, his work only gets better and remains the way he seems to have intended it: present, unafraid to stand out without saying so, and not mainstream flashes in the cosmic pan of pop culture, the kind of stardom easily lost and forgotten.

Word.

You Don't Know Me (ft. Duane Harden) [Radio Edit] (1999)
Breakdancers Call - Killing Puritans (2000)
Playing House - Ghettoblaster (2007)
I Want Your Soul (Fake Blood Remix)


and courtesy of kissatlanta:
NYC Beat