Future Guitar Heroes

It's been all bish boom bosh bang bip around here lately. Which is nice. But what of all the poor skinny boys with guitars? They too have been locked away in rehearsal rooms, recording studios and late night bars, hatching plans for world domination and recording 3-minute pop gems for your pleasure.

Indie boys, your time has come.

WinterKids, for example, sent me a great single.



I think they consider themselves a bit 'art', so they probably won't thank me for comparing this track to The Automatic. However it has the same effortless anthemic radio-friendly qualities. B-side 'Who am I Kidding?' is no less good, but very different sounding since it features hot keyboardist Hannah on vocals. Sounds a bit like Belly / Throwing Muses to my ears. You can listen to that on their myspace if your interest is piqued.

I should have posted this before the record came out rather than 6 weeks afterwards. However hide them in your memory banks and look out for an album next year.

WINTERKIDS - TAPE IT

Look, a video:




Who the fuck are Summer Holiday? Well not quite what I expected from a press release filled with tales of driving round in a crappy car playing gigs on its roof. Of playing guitars with bricks in Amsterdam. Of drug-fuelled escapades around salubrious corners of the globe. Of living in a bubble-wrapped tent. And of running free techno parties in Yorkshire.



After reading all that I was a bit disappointed when some not that remarkable indie-pop came out of my speakers. But i've given it a few more listens now, and removed from the backstory it's actually a bloody good record. Perhaps aptly, it's a good-time Summer jam. It's catchy. It's got crowd noises. What's not to like? Well perhaps the fact it reminds me of 'Neighbourhood' by Space. However I secretly rather liked Space. So we're winning again. Whoop!

SUMMER HOLIDAY - YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL

Making a more angular racket are Klaxons' mates Pull Tiger Tail. Despite being lumped in with this 'New Raver' thang, they sound pretty much like Bloc Party to me. Uncannily so.



So if the thought of hearing a really good Bloc Party song gets you moist, you should listen to this. If it doesn't, then please move away. There's nothing to see here. Personally, I think it's ace.



PULL TIGER TAIL - MR 100 PERCENT (video)

Here's their previous single, in video form. It's not quite so good, but still very enjoyable.



Speaking of Bloc Party, despite loving their stuff last year, i've not felt much inspired to listen to any of their new material. Should I? I think i've become slightly put off after getting endless emails from them saying I can do this and go here and download that if only I join their 'Marshalls' fan club. It's quite annoying for a band to pester you with emails with promises of the riches that will await if only you pay them a fiver a month. Whatever, if you've heard it and you think it's good or crap then please tell me.


While i'm on a hot rush, let's squeeze one more out as well. My indie insider Steve tipped me off to this, and very fine it is too... despite the singer's occasional lapses into 'Luke Kooks' pronounciation problems. It's called 'Pink Squares' and it's by I Was a Cub Scout. If you want to know more... well you've got fingers ain't ya? Look it up yourself. I've been staring at this fucking computer all day.

I WAS A CUB SCOUT - PINK SQUARES

Also well worth watching is the video. It's really something.




Wow, that was fun wasn't it. We must do it again. In the meanwhile i'm jumping on the decks and getting back to the banging techno techno techno techno. Play safely.

L'Invasion Continue

Perhaps the mysterious Space Invader is leader of the invasion, but the French just keep on coming.





The latest hotness through my postbox is this great CD by Parisians Naive New Beaters.



It's Crunky, Funky, Fun suitable for fans of Radioclit, TTC and Stacs of Stamina.

This short opening track is nonsensical, but undeniably funky. And sets the tone nicely for the rest of the album.

NAIVE NEW BEATERS - HAMBURGERS

This is probably my favourite cut... far far better than three white French kids doing Hip Hop with Guitars should be!

NAIVE NEW BEATERS - CRISTAL

The whole album is consistently good, so I was surprised to find that it's been out virtually unnoticed since April. Particularly since it's available from their website for only 5 Dollars!! Which is pretty much fuck all. So do yourself (and them) a favour & buy a copy! Just click on the album cover when you go through that link.




Also fresh out of Paris is a new *album* on ED BANGER RECORDS!! It's by DJ Mehdi... and although it's not gonna change the world, it's definitely far better than I expected. I wasn't originally much taken by his single 'I Am Somebody', but listening again it's actually rather good. Loving the clash between the Ed Banger beats and the shiny electro pop of Chromeo.



I'm finding it good album listening, rather than a collection of singles. But that's no bad thing. Top track for me though, and certainly one that I could see lighting up a disco, is this one, 'Leave it Alone'. There's something slightly Boards of Canada about how the looped & cut up vocals fade in. And indeed about how the different components gently build into disorientating bliss.

Hot.

DJ MEHDI - LEAVE IT ALONE

To continue the French theme, here's a brilliant remake of Daft Punk's 'Around the World' by Aussies Dangerous Dan and Nicky Van She - of the Bang Gang and, er, Van She respectively.



To be honest I thought i'd heard as much 'Around the World' as anyone could physically bear in a lifetime. But whether it's bootlegged, remixed, mashed-up or remade with a pounding electric guitar riff and loads of squealing feedback, it keeps coming back for more. This, if you hadn't guessed, is the latter version. I think I can safely call this hot as well.

DAFT PUNK vs DANGEROUS DAN & NICKY VAN SHE - AROUND THE WORLD AGAIN

I didn't catch much of the Bang Gang at the Modular bash last week... but I did enjoy their artwork spread around the place:

Just Do What You Do You Do You Do

Continuing on a 'beardo disco' tip, there's a new record by Betty Botox out right now. It's on New York's RVNG records, and comes in a lovely screen printed sleeve. Nerds should note that this is the second release on the label... the first being by Tim 'Beats in Space / DFA' Sweeney. That's sold out now, and this should follow soon. I have, however, just bought a Tim Sweeney mix CD from the label for a bargain $5 (including postage!!). Snap that fucker up!

Betty, as i'm sure you know by now, is the alter ego of a famous Scottish DJ, who uses this pseudonym to release re-edits of disco, krautrock and psychedelic rock tracks. The 'G4 Faggot' and 'Kraut' EPs have been among my most played records of the last couple of years, and this new release is no less hot.

I'm not sure of the original source of this track, 'Voodoo', but the 12" contains three very differing remixes.






My favourite is probably the bongo / cowbell workout of Voodoo 2, but it doesn't change a lot over its 6 minutes so is more of a DJ tool. If I ever get round to recording another mix i'll be sure to include it. So though I was going to post that, I think i'll stick up Voodoo 1 instead. This is more of the lysergic side of Betty's work, but still has an unmistakable groove working through the track. Sometimes I wish I was in the 60s, so that I could play records like this late at night and watch people get nekkid and climb the walls.

BETTY BOTOX - VOODOO 1

Check out a sample of Voodoo 2 here

As a bonus, here's something from the G4 Faggot album that I didn't really appreciate enough at the time.... getting stuck as I did on Side C. This is fucking magic though. A re-edit of 'How Long' by Lipps Inc. I had no idea that this was by Lipps Inc. to be honest... I thought they were one-hit wonders with 'Funky Town' (which Soulwax revived last year of course). It's one of those things that you may have forgotten about, but which will be instantly recognisable. "How Long? Has this been, going on?". This is the latest thing that's become superglued to my technics.... I can't imagine any situation where this wouldn't get people dancing.



BETTY BOTOX - KASABLANCA COMPACT

These are difficult times for us Poms, so bear with me. I have to wake up every morning for the next 2 months to hear the phrase 'another disasterous day for England' booming out of my clock radio. What on earth has happened to this team? They look desperately short of confidence and ability. Anderson & Harmison in particular look hopelessly out of place. We need Monty. Now!!





You're our only hope......


But remember what happened in the first test last time round? Ah, this has just brought a tear to my eye:




EDIT: Pietersen & Flintoff both out before lunch! I wish I believed in miracles. :-(

What You Want

I should be posting more often right now, as i've had lots of tasty CDs through my door and lush mp3s in my ears. But I seem to have spent an age fucking round with my computer lately. I suppose if it wasn't such a nightmare getting these things working properly, then I would be out of a job. But still. How hard should it really be to install some extra RAM and a new Hard Drive? And to get them functioning properly? I have now entered a whole new world of slow and tedious pain filled with terms such as 'PIO' and 'UltraDMA' that I would really rather not know about. And of course the constant rebooting.

My fiddling, screwing and hair-pulling has been mainly done to a soundtrack of what I have heard referred to as 'Beardo Disco'. And in particular 'Whatever We Want Records'. This is a somewhat mysterious New York label that has something to do with DJ Harvey, and something to do with either Rub or Tug from Rub 'n' Tug. It has also, in its 10 or so releases so far, put out three amazing records by Quiet Village Project - an alter ego of Radio Slave's Matt Edwards.



These ultra-limited records are reaching mad money on ebay, and I was lucky enough to get hold of one of the rarest ones.... a promo release with re-edits of The Doors and, apparently, Dire Straits. Listen patiently to this. A throbbing beat and spanish guitar take you through an atmospheric build-up, until an orgasmic riff starts up about 2/3 of the way through. It sounds far more like Pink Floyd than Dire Straits to me.... but some distant voice from my youth does recall that it's taken from 'Private Investigations'. Who'd have thought it. The Doors re-edit on the b-side is magical as well.

OTTERMAN EMPIRE - PRIVATE LAND

As I say, this seems very hard to get hold of, but i bought mine here and they seem to have copies still.


The first two Map of Africa records seemed to get people very excited... but the the most recent (and the one that's still available from that link) is probably my favourite. Again i'm posting the more chilled prog-rock-house side rather than the bluesy-rock side. But to me this is like a tin of warm golden syrup running seductively into my ears.

MAP OF AFRICA - FREAKY WAYS (INSTRUMENTAL)


Incredible though the Map of Africa records are, the Quiet Village Project ones are possibly even better!

Pillow Talk, from the first 12", is a beautifully emotional piece with an unforgettable guitar line running through it. It's just a classic, classic track. And my words won't come close to doing it justice. Sit (or lie) down somewhere comfortable and let it wash over you.

QUIET VILLAGE PROJECT - PILLOW TALK

Again the most recent Quiet Village 12" is probably my favourite. And we'll finish up with a bit more of a chugging groove, accompanied by some 70s porn strings and psyche rock breakdowns. Sound good? It is....
The PillowTalk-Esque b-side is class as well.

QUIET VILLAGE PROJECT - CIRCUS OF HORRORS


If you're down with this shit, and I sincerely hope you are, as this is some of the best damn music you'll ever hear.... can I sincerely recommend you get hold of the recent Rub 'n' Tug Fabric mix CD. Easily one of the best in the series, and without giving it too much thought, probably the best mix album of the year. Anyone know where the fuck I can get hold of this? (EDit: Casper at Fluokids still has it to download from here. I'm still after the vinyl though!)

The Year of the Fox

It doesn't seem at all long since the last one, but you'll find a new Kitsune Maison compilation (volume 3) in the shops next week.

However i'm afraid to say this is one of the first thing's the label has released that i've been a little disappointed by. Perhaps it's just the high standards set by 'Love', 'Midnight', 'Maison' and 'Maison 2', but I feel that unlike those albums this is a document of the last 6 months music rather than the next 6 months.

Though you can't argue with the Soulwax mix of The Gossip & the Van She mix of 'Gravity's Rainbow' (possibly the two best remixes of the year, after all) they've both been knocking round a fair while... the Klaxons one in particular. Likewise the Metronomy mix of Dead Disco, and Alex Gopher's 'Motorcycle' are excellent. But not the vision of the future I hope from when listening to these compilations. The big name new tracks by Simian Mobile Disco and Freeform Five are pretty average by their high standards.

The track i'm enjoying most is this one, by the marvellous Fox 'n' Wolf. But this is pretty old as well (from 2003 no less), and my main enjoyment stems from the fact that I hadn't managed to get hold of it until now!



I do love their slightly psychotic playground chanting style, which has lit up many records this year. This is an ASBO anthem in the making. Hoodies up!

FOX 'N' WOLF - YOUTH ALCOHOLIC


Don't let me put you off the album too much... it's still well worth your money. After all, it also includes this superb (but also rather old) track by the Godlike Erlend Oye. The Whitest Boy Alive album doesn't seem to have quite captured the imagination like his last solo effort, or indeed like his DJ Kicks album, but it's still liberally doused with Erlend's magic.



This track is a subtly hypnotic little animal, and I hadn't really appreciated how good it was until it cropped up at the end of the Kitsune record. Only Erlend could sing 'I'm Done With You' and make your ears melt!

THE WHITEST BOY ALIVE - DONE WITH YOU

Update : Charity CD Collection

OK, so i'm nearly ready to rumble with these charity auctions.

Thanks so much once again to everyone who's sent in CDs, DVDs & books.

It will probably take me most of next week to get things sorted out & up on ebay, so if you have got anything you were thinking of sending but hadn't quite got round to posting yet, you still have time.

Donations should be sent to:

James Woodley
Bali CD Collection
PO Box 204
Slough
SL2 2QE
UNITED KINGDOM

The collection is in aid of Dans Fund for Burns, set up by a fellow survivor of the 2002 Bali bombings. Please take a look and see if there are any CDs you no longer listen to, and could spare for this very worthwhile cause.

Click here for a list of donations so far. Hopefully everything i've received is listed here... I may have missed things off the list though. Let me know if you can't see something you've sent in. I promise i'm not embezzling anything tasty-looking!

Normal service is resumed below

All My Goo

The 'Goo' section of my itunes has been filling with shit the last few weeks. No, not 'Good Charlotte', or 'Goo Goo Dolls'. And not even 'Goodbye Mr Mackenzie'. No, this is GOOD shit.

Good Shoes are from Sarf London. This is the kind of classic single that the first time you hear it sounds immediately familiar. In fact I feel sure I have been listening to this all summer... but it's not on my computer & I don't specifically recall hearing it anywhere. So maybe I haven't. I have been listening to their previous single 'We Are Not The Same' though, which is also excellent. We're talking jerky post-punky pop here. And though some of you may be tired of that, i'm never tired of hearing excellent tunes with a bit of an edge.



GOOD SHOES - ALL IN MY HEAD

Ace video, too:



Here's a short but very very sweet b-side from 'We Are Not The Same'. It starts off like Arcade Fire before turning into something much more Jam-like. Well, not exactly The Jam, but i'm terrible at thinking of the name of the band that other people sound like. So that'll have to do. I don't know whether to foreigners the phrase 'South West Trains' conjours up evocative and romantic images of rolling green hills? I just think of litter, cold coffee and a piece of chewing gum stuck to the seat.

GOOD SHOES - SOUTH WEST TRAINS


I've been sitting on this 'Goose' album for a while now, thinking 'I must post about this', and then thinking 'ah, shit it's no doubt been on every blog under the sun by now, so I won't bother'. But unbelievably Fluokids are the only people to have woken up to this fucking great album.

So far.



'British Mode' is the undoubted breakthrough song.... but there's loads of other great stuff here. 'Black Gloves' is a squelchy electro track, and a rocking opening to the album. 'Modern Vision' sounds like a Zoot Woman single. And there's a foot-tapping secret track at the end. Nice.



This is a really good album. I know Pure Groove were selling copies last month, but I don't think that was some kind of pre-release job. Whether it's this year or next, these guys WILL be big, and are destined to join that endless list of famous Belgians. Or Soulwax anyway, who are also the band they sound most similar too. Listen up, catch them live, buy the record. And be the envy of your friends in 6 months. It's on Skint Records by the way



GOOSE - BRITISH MODE

GOOSE - BRING IT ON


This is a fantastic remix of forthcoming Goodbooks (no space!) single 'Leni' by Kissy Sell Out. KSO can usually be found lurking round the Lock Tavern on 'Bloggers Delight' Sundays, and was probably responsible for melting the soundsystem before Justice's appearance!



His big 'hit' so far, 'her', had a fair few accusations of being an (albeit excellent) Justice rip off. But I think this remix shows there's a lot more subtlety and art to his craft. Don't worry though. It does bang hard in all the right places, and has a number of killer elecktroid riffs. I really like what he's done with this.

GOODSHOES - LENI (KISSY SELL OUT REMIX)


EDIT: REMOVED BY REQUEST

The band themselves have just finished a tour with the marvellous Fields, are supporting Magic Numbers at the end of the month, and have a tour of their own coming up in December. These are the dates:

Dec 1 2006 Night & Day, Manchester
Dec 2 2006 Stealth, Nottingham
Dec 3 2006 Charlotte, Leicester
Dec 4 2006 Leadmill, Sheffield
Dec 6 2006 Barfly, Liverpool
Dec 7 2006 Water Rats, London
Dec 21 2006 Forum, Tunbridge Wells

Did I mention that the original version is also great? This is the video.




Thanks to Nicole, whose CD kicked my butt into posting two of these....



"I play in a band, but i've got no talent"


This weekend's hottness:

I had Pam Anderson. I am jumping across CANYONS.....

I didn't catch much DFA action at 93 Feet East on Friday... it was much more pleasant in the other room. I was a bit disappointed to have missed Prinzhorn Dance School, but I guess I'll hear something from them soon enough.

I was also hoping that James Murphy would soften the blow by playing Bloggers Delight at the Lock Tavern last night, but along with Simian Mobile Disco he didn't show up. However despite the cancellations it was another rocking afternoon / evening. And one for which i'm still paying the price now. I've been hell tired today.

:-(

Back to DFA though, i've been listening to this great new remix by Tim Goldsworthy (the half of DFA that's not James Murphy), and I think as a result we can guess who's had the guiding hand in most of the other recent (epic) DFA remixes.



It's a quite brilliant reworking of Aussie rawkers Wolfmother, that's sounds to me like a slightly disco-fied version of Carl Craig's Delia & Gavin remix. Naturally i've not heard the original, but it's not the Wolfmother you're interested in, is it.

WOLFMOTHER - JOKER AND THE THIEF (TIM GOLDSWORTHY LOVING HAND REMIX)

Check out also his very similar (but not quite as good) 'Loving Hand' remix of Home Video. I'm sure you can find it on t'hype machine.


I don't have the guts to post up anything specifically DFA-related again, but you may also want to nip across to Skull Juice for a wee remix of wee Justin Timberlake.


Now you know i'm a LONG TIME LOVER of Hot Chip. But to be honest I find their remixes (and there are LOTS of them) don't tend to hit the spot all that often. I mean, I don't think i've ever felt inspired to post one up here before. And I don't usually need much encouragement to upload the HotChipNess.

But this new remix is aces high. It sounds a bit like Plan B guesting on a Hot Chip track. You've just got to love those synths.



PLAN B - WHO NEEDS LOVE (HOT CHIP REMIX)

The Adventures Close to Home mix I posted last week also reminded me about how good that recent Epic Man (Paul Epworth) collaboration with Plan B was. Guaranteed to shake your ass.

EPIC MAN & PLAN B - MORE THAN ENOUGH

You should also check the Sinden remix of that track that Casper posted up last week (hope the Trenchfoot has cleared up by the way). It's about time that the word 'Gash' was revitalised and reintroduced into common parlance. Yes, 'More Gash Gash Gash Gash Gash Gash Gash' indeed.


Finally, if you're still in any doubt as to how good South Central are, check out this slightly unauthorised mix they've done of Klaxons. Apparently, for reasons best known to themselves, Klaxons (or their label) weren't best pleased about it being done. Anyway, there's only one version that i've been playing repeatedly and spazzing around my bedroom to. And this is it.

KLAXONS - THE BOUNCER (SOUTH CENTRAL BOOTLEG REMIX)



Seems i might be playing some tunes before or after or before and after Coldcut tomorrow!

Talk about a hard act to follow!

I don't know too much, as I just heard about it today. But it's at the NFT as part of the Resfest (film?) festival. I'll no doubt be playing the records above. And be trying my utmost not to trainwreck them too much!

Roger Waters Ladyboys

It's been a long wait for something new from David Gilmour Girls, whose epic 'Heavy Metal Music Magazines' was one of my favourites of last year.



A follow-up single is now ready for release on Headman's Relish Records. Although there's more synth & less grunge on this one, it's another ever-evolving wall of sound to lose yourself in. It's drugged up & tranced out.

They deserve a bit more attention... hopefully this single will get them it.



DAVID GILMOUR GIRLS - CRIMSON AS MURDER M


Bonuses:

DAVID GILMOUR GIRLS - HMMM

DAVID GILMOUR GIRLS - CRACKHOUSEWARMINGPARTY (RUB 'N' TUG REMIX)


Is it just me, or has Hype Machine become far less useful these days? There are now so many blogs listed that seeing the newly updated list rarely unearths a track I want to check out... and the 'popular' list is always full of stuff that's either 6 months old, or off 'big' new albums I don't have much interest in listening to.

You Could Say That

Some of you will hate me for this, however I was sent it by the record company... and well, why not. We can all go a bit Stereogum from time to time.

After seeing them on Top of the Pops at the weekend, with a performance of their latest single that defined 'Phoned In', I wasn't expecting too much of this track (off their forthcoming album). And indeed on first listen I wasn't much impressed. However if you switch your brain to pop and turn your indifference down a little, you may find yourself ending up rather liking it. Personally i'm on the edge right now, but it does help your enjoyment when you don't have to watch the ageing foursome doing their latest impression of urban cool.

It is screaming out for some kick ass remixes, for at the moment there is something a little too knowing and calculated about the track, with its deliberate plundering of everything hot in the world of music... a big dose of Lily Allen, with some New Young Pony Club / Spektrum inflected vocals. And some of the lyrics could really do with being stripped out. I know they were always set up as being the opposite to the Spice Girls, but gushing things like 'I get a chick fit when I hear your name', and other proclamations of giddy teenage lust seems rather unbecoming to a group who've been through a fair few showbiz marriages / children / divorces (err... have they? i'm speculating slightly). This is very far from a feminist anthem.

But anyway, after a few listens I started to forget it was All Saints, and realised that it's actually a pretty decent pop song. Make your own minds up..... as ever the comments are open for hate mail.

ALL SAINTS - CHICK FIT

Maybe Mr Oizo should have a crack at it? Check out this video remix of his Jamelia mix that Dutch reader Robert knocked up....





YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!

Apparently the first time for 34 years a team from our league has reached the quarter-finals.... trying to work out if I fancy beating Arsenal or Chelsea in the next round....

The Haterade

Well then, i'm back home. And as usual with a backlog of great tunes to share.

First up some Dubstep. Now i've tried & mainly failed to get into the dubstep riddims, however a few tunes have crossed over into my consciousness. One is of course 'Midnight Request Line' by Skream.... and another is this new tune by the Croydon bass magician.



It comes from a new double CD on Tectonic Records, but was originally found on a 10" on the same label. In my ears it's even better than 'Request Line'... the production is just out of this world. Turn it up, feel the bass & listen to those bongos clattering in the background. I don't think i've ever heard anything sound so crisp. And that's only through my shitty stereo....

As I say, this comes from a forthcoming double CD compilation on Tectonic Records, called 'Tectonic Plates'. I must admit that listening to the first CD some of my complaints about the genre rise up... in that many of the tracks sound too similar, and also don't grab my attention for the duration of the track. The second CD is mixed though, and was something of a revelation to me. The whole seems to form a throbbing, pulsating, organic beast. With subtle changes in texture and pattern that lead you along dark and mysterious paths. As a mix the music makes much more sense to me, and I almost feel that if I ventured out to a dubstep club it may just produce some kind of awakening. For now though i'm content to just cherry pick the tunes of the genre. And this is certainly one of them.

SKREAM - BAHL FWD

This is something else i've been listening to a lot lately, thanks to an alphabetical quirk of itunes that means it follows on from Klaxons. It's a track from 1982 that I discovered on an album called 'The Dark Side of Disco' - where it sat alongside the likes of Yello, New Order, Human League & Alexander Robotnick. It has those ubiquitous 80's electronic drums but overlaid with some wicked italo synths. I don't know too much about the duo... so i'll just let the music do the talking.



You can find a recent re-edit of this on the 'A Touch of Class' compilation of a couple of years back. That's the label Scissor Sisters started on. I think I prefer this full length original version though....

KLEIN & MBO - DIRTY TALK

Lastly I came back from the States with a few Baile Funk 12"s in my bag (courtesy of the moody but well stocked 'Turntable Lab'). My favourite by far is the Edu K 'Illegal' 12"... which contains exactly what i want from my Baile Funk - namely ripped off riffs and basslines. No need to tell you what this is based on. And no need to tell you that it's ace. Edu K may have something to do with Bonde do Role, but i'm not too sure about that. I may post another track from this 12" at some point, as there are some other real gems on there.

EDU K - BUNDALELE BAILE JEAN