there's no electro like french electro. literally stumbled across DIGIKID84, EP out soon. originally two producer's, they list vangellis, daft punk, and the jackson 5 as influences. sadly their best track "on the top" is hard to get a hold of, but check out their myspace for it. download: DIGIKID84 - b.boy underground
the last two weeks have felt like two months, partly because i've finished uni for the year and have been sitting around on my arse for the last fortnight, but mainly because i've been waiting for tomorrow... and the lost finale. the finale airs in the US and Canada tonight, i'll be getting up at a ridiculous time to download it tomorrow morning. add in part one that aired two weeks ago and the episode is three hours long. get in. like most things that you wait ages for, it'll be over in a flash (back - ahaha, i'm hilrarious) and i'll then be waiting until next year for new episodes. here's some videos to ramp up the excitement, including the brand-new one-off title sequence for the finale, some medical advice for those that don't watch the programme and a sneek peak scene from the finale, i wonder if that chimpmunk character will be a regular next season?
this month's glasgow artists highlight ends with make model.
videotastic! and sadly for once, the lazy mosquito has bitten me good, so these word's ain't mine, but the words of my news publication of choice: theguardian! The LSB, their debut single released in July, all stomping beats, call-and-response, duelling-gender chants and shouts and a chuck-it-in-the-mix approach to production. During Make Model's performances, either in the studio or onstage, several melodies fight to be heard over the instrumental melee, and it sounds as though the band are having either fun or experiencing some sort of semi-religious fervour during recording (note to church-goers: GUM acknowledges that both are possible simultaneously). Czech Neck, the B-side, harnesses their madcap energy to more streamlined effect, with its acoustic guitars strummed manically over layers of synthesiser.
The six-piece formed last year but are already stalwarts of the festival and gigging circuit, having conquered, laid slain to and generally entertained the masses in a non-violent way at Skye, GoNorth, RockNess, 02, Latitude, T In The Park and Indian Summer, with further metaphorical massacres to come at Belladrum, Reading and Leeds, Connect and Loopallu. They released The LSB on their own label The Biz, and they were recently crushed, ever so gently, in the stampede to be signed by EMI, who will be releasing their already-anticipated album next year, with the first single from it mooted to be The Was, due out in March 2008. The music industry continues to lead the world in forward planning. and here's some mp3s, now let's just forget my lax posting ettiquette. download: make model - alive alive o
glasgow's famous sauchiehall street has went and got it's own mini-festival. this sunday for £15, gigs are split up between nice'n'sleazy's, abc2 and the beat club and after the shows finish at 11, a club night is included in the ticket price where members of idlewild will be DJ'ing. more info here. ABC 2 - THE TWILIGHT SAD - GALCHEN - HOW TO SWIM NICE'N'SLEAZY'S - WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS (acoustic set) - JO MANGO - ROSS CLARK - THE PHANTOM BAND THE BEAT CLUB - MAKE MODEL - THE ADS - DE ROSA - EL PADRE tickets available from ticket scotland, abc box office and mono.
continue reading...
icelandic sigur rós are to release their 5th studio album "Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust" (with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly) on june 23rd. the quartet have released the track "gobbledigook" for free download on their website. you can hear it below. renound for their spectacular live performances, the group will be headlining scotland's connect festival in august, hopefully along with the orchestra they've brought on previous tours. i'll be going if i have the money come the end of the summer. if you haven't seen it yet, check out the beautiful documentary "heima", that charts the lead up to rós returning home to play a series of free gigs in iceland and celebrates the majesty of the mysterious country. download: sigur rós - gobbledigook continue reading...
the title of last month's alter electro came from chicago electro kids walter meego's track "girls". it closed this blog's virgin mix, and sadly due to it's placing on the tape, i have a feeling a lot of readers probably didn't get to hear the aural wonder. the group are supporting melbourne contemporaries the presets on a US tour at the moment. i'm tired and can't think of much else to say except: download these tracks! you won't regret it. if you like the sound of david bowie having a threesome with daft punk that is. download: walter meego - girls
the wee bit pretentious foals have just taken their first leap across to the US, playing a heap of shows stateside this month. today seen the release of their new single "red socks pugie". it's definitely not as infectious as previous singles "cassius" and "hummer" and doesn't stand out in an album where so many songs sound the same. they do write a catchy tune, even if they're a bit hit-and-miss and even though i don't like them as a band (the prattish lead singer sang facing sideways, not once looking at the crowd when i seen them) i can't help but dance. video for the single, and a couple of their stronger tracks on mp3 below:
responsible for some of razorlight's most soulful songwriting with tracks like "america" and "fall to pieces" to his name, andy burrows, the drummer, is releasing a solo album, "the colour of my dreams". the LP has an interesting story behind it. recorded at home, the tracks are all translated from or inspired by a book of poems that andy found, written by an old family friend. released today, the record aims to raise funds and awareness for the children's home, naomi house. the breezy collection of songs come in at under 20 minutes and can be purchased here. the intentions cannot be faulted and the tracks themselves sound gorgeously reminiscant of the beatles. the video for the track "boxes" is below, i'm not giving away mp3s that help charities. check out www.colourofmydreams.com.
included in last month's alter electro mix was a track from a rapper named "webbafied". he took the justice track "let there be light" and turned it into a hip-hop masterpiece simply by spitting over the top of the already perfect beat. well washington hip hop/fusion artist wale (wah-lay) has just equalled that outstanding track with the exact same concept. W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E. is basically the original justice track "D.A.N.C.E." (MSTRKRFT remix below) with some lyrical genius superimposed. wale has been slowly building up his rep since conquering DC in 2006 with a slew of radio hits. 2007 seen him touring europe with mark ronson. still to properly break out of DC, wale is pushing hard in '08 to get himself some country wide recognition, the justice collaboration, off of his new mixtape, being at the forefront of that campaign. download: wale feat justice - W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.
i'm skint just now but when i get some money, i'm getting me a couple of these. dim mak records have a line of gorgeous tees for summer '08. their summer '07 and '06 lines were put on a very limited run but now the reputation of the label was racked up considerably, the new t-shirts should stay in stock. there's also some artists lines including some fools gold designs and a couple from klaxons. i've got my eyes on the "family fun" and "retrospecs" tops, the red fools gold tour one is pretty nice aswell.
with company like paul mccartney and bob dylan, the ting tings are on the new ipod ad. the track featured isn't one of their previously released singles, but a track i've not heard, "shut up and let me go". it might be their new single but to be honest i can't be bothered checking. instead here's the track that's big in all the club's at the moment, "that's not my name", i'm sure it'll start to grate eventually, but it still makes me move. lucky i don't listen to much radio.
any band that got their name from a david brent quote in "the office" is alright in my books. but on top of that, if they mix conventional indie styling with a healthy splodge of electro and some mouth watering beats then i just might fall in love with said band. does it offend you, yeah? are exactly that band. from reading and soon to tour with my favourite band of all time, bloc party across the pond, the trio have released their first record entitled "you have no idea what you're getting yourself into". like MSTRKRFT below, they have a good back catalogue of remixes. tracks like "battle royale" and "we are rockstars" exhibit the french/aussie sounding electronic dance music that the group built their reputation on. while "epic last song" (video below) is one example off of the album, of their ability to revert to the old fashioned UK guitar band style, yet never sound generic, one of many criticisms of the UK's current lad-rock outfits such as the enemy, the courteeners and the twang. who are all shite.
another glasgow music showcase following on from our john b mckenna & big face features earlier in the month. this time around: zoey van goey. the trio, none of which actually come from glasgow (canada, ireland and england) have been playing the fine city over the course of the last year. so far best described as folk-pop with an electronic tinge. their debut single "foxtrot vandals"was produced by belle and sebastian frontman stuart murdoch and got a limited 7" release, still available in physical format here or on itunes. they're now gearing up for the release of their second single and a slot at the rockness festival. likened to the postal service, and not unlike their mentor's own group, this lot are hotly tipped to breakthrough in '08, in the indie circles at least. they actually played my student union in dundee last week. sadly i only found out afterwards. it's just typical, the place puts on absolute dross all year until i finish my exams and move back to glasgow then they put on something decent. download: zoey van goey - foxtrot vandals continue reading...
my sister's been blasting the new usher track non-stop lately. and i really couldn't stand it. but ofcourse MSTRKRFT come along and make me love it. their remix is brash, completely transforming the original song into an electro stormer. then mid-way they mix things up with a piano solo. then they bring the beat back, actual ecstacy. this got me thinking about all the insane remixes that MSTRKRFT have gifted us. their own stuff is out of this world don't get me wrong, but they've always had an uncanny knack for reinventing other peoples music. here are some of the best examples. download: usher - love in this club (MSTRKRFT remix)
the new single definetely is. "the last of the lookers" has one of the best bread 'n' butter guitar riffs i've heard in a long while. the video's below, sadly couldn't find an mp3 of it. their last single "education pt2" will have to do though, but it's more punk compared to the new track's funk, and i'm not sure i like it. the metros look like they're going to be big on the festival circuit this year, maybe travelling the same road to success as bands like the kooks. but with the abysmal new kooks single off of the terribly named second LP "konk" doing the rounds, let's hope these guys have a bit more substance in the long run.
at this point you really can't tell. one great single, one a bit rubbish. and to think i used to like the kooks two t in the park's ago. my younger self really didn't have much taste. download: the metros - education pt 2 continue reading...
really, i can't believe i forgot about this film when i posted the summer of 2008 trailer feature. m. night shyamalan is one of, if not my favourite director. his movies always split audiences but i always end up on the side that thinks them genius. shyamalan is a master at the the thriller genre, relying more on implyance and the rule that "the unknown is scarier than the known", he leaves space for the viewer's own imagination to run wild at the chilling possiblities. "the happening" will be his first 18 rated film. it stars my favourite girl of the moment zooey deschanel and mark wahlberg whom i am massively indifferent about, he was good in "the departed" mind.
continue reading...
introducing, alter electro vol II - a link to the past the new along the waterfall mixtape. this time around the electro is as heavy as ever but there's a definite 80's vibe. starting with RAC's zelda homage, the highlight of the decade for nintendo, moving onto some hip hop and 80's synth and rounding off with some old school electropop. TRACKLISTING: RAC - A LINK TO THE PAST PLAYDOE - IT'S THAT BEAT (TOXIC AVENGER REMIX) HEARTACHE - DON'T STOP (LIFELIKE REMIX) LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION - GALAXY OF THE LOST (BO$$ IN DRAMA REMIX) BIGFACE - I WANNA BE A STYLE CRUSADER (DATA REMIX) KAVINSKY - TESTAROSSA AUTODRIVE PISTOLAS - TAKE IT WITH A KISS as always, mixed by myself. the cover art shows the legendary glasgow ABC in it's cinema/restaurant days. so sit back, pump up the volume on the ear phones or blast it through your sound system. seamless mixed version below to download in mp3 format, detailed breakdown coming tomorrow. VOLUME I download: alter electro vol II - a link to the past
these guys entered the glasgow scene last year with single "i wanna be a style crusader" which managed to get on a good few "best of 2007" lists. the 5 man indie electro troupe were hotly tipped to make it big in '08 but for the past few months they've went into hiding, recording their debut album, and resurfacing this month to play a few gigs in king tuts and the arches. the band were lucky enough to get signed on by hipster french label KITSUNE, who have been standing along side ed banger in the parisian electro take over. the LP should be out towards the end of the year, so keep a big eye fixed on their progress.
the cheeky devils have even slipped onto may's alter electro, which should, big fingers crossed, be up tonight. download: big face - drink juice like
these guys have properly grabbed me. at first i thought it was just be and a couple of other idiots wearing our guilty pleasures on our sleeve but it turns out alphabeat have had the same effect as high school musical, unashamed, campy, catchy pop. to say i was startled at the observer awarding their debut "this is alphabeat" five stars in their music monthly today would be putting it very fucking lightly. but it retrospect maybe it's not that surprising. we're now in an age where it's not frowned upon to like something just a bit mainstream, it's almost passé to be passé, not cool to call something that's so honest and comfortable with what it is not cool. the mixture or male and female lead vocal duties is straight out of the disney renaissance but their skilled pop crafstmanship is anything but new. they've delved into the golden era pop archives and brought back high brow pop, and back it up with genuine musical ability and a "we are what we are and if they don't like us fuck em", it's refreshing to see a chart act that aren't trying to be anything else (yeah mika tried the whole charade last year but the small fact that he's a prat got in the way).
this is probably the closest thing i'm going to get to gay-pride, damn right i like alphabeat, whose got a problem? okay enough of the melodrama, here's their two singles, in mp3 and video format, and a genius cover of daft punk's "digital love": download: alphabeat - digital love [technical problem, should be up soon]
those chord progressions! that vocal overlapping! heaven! and i just excitedly watched "i'd do anything about an hour ago, my manhood's lying shattered on the floor.
continue reading...
there's been some fun hot chip stuff surfacing over the past couple of weeks. again the BBC live lounge have given us an unorthodox gem, during their set hot chip played a cover of the "now" club track, wiley's "my rolex". despite it's grimey bass track, i actually quite like the original, get's me moving if i hear it out on the town. the new chip single (video below) is more introverted than "ready for the floor" but the mellow melodic strains that made up much of the first album make a welcome return. finally, a remix of that last single "ready for the floor", better than the original? i don't think so but decide for yourself.
there's not been much homegrown talent featured on this blog yet, time to remedy that. glasgow has produced some of the UK's most exciting acts over the past couple of decades, the late 80s was a boom, and there have been some stand-outs in recent years (franz ferdinand, belle and sebastian,) but there's a fresh batch of glaswegian troubadors that have potential. john b mckenna plays acoustic indie folk. he's been doing the rounds in glasgow over the last year playing the music pubs and smaller venues like the oran mor, getting some attention. i was introduced to john's music through a friend who knows him and has been to a few of his gigs, i've not yet managed to get along to one but definitely plan on seeing a performance soon. like many blossoming artists, myspace is the hub of his carreer so far. a good amount of tracks are featured, all exhibiting a keen and informed brand of songwriting. my favourite tracks are "tequila and sugar" and "keep me in the dark", the former is found on his self released debut 7" vinyl "my anatomy", available in a couple of glasgow record stores and here. check out the myspace and a couple of tracks below. download: john b mckenna - keep me in the dark
in a follow up to yesterday's feature, the video for N.E.R.D's "everyone nose" has finally surfaced. this is still piping hot, as i write this, not even 1000 youtube views yet. the video's styled on last nights party, a site that follows americas social elite, capturing the atmosphere of the US's most happening parties. a satire on cocaine culture? how astute pharrell. i've been following the last nights party site for a while, it has attracted mounds of praise for being at the heart of cutting edge photography just now. williams has always had his finger on the proverbial pulse, one step ahead of the rest of the game. download: N.E.R.D - everyone nose continue reading...
brash is the only word to describe my itchy trigger finger dismissal of the kills when i first heard their brand of visceral swagger rock last year. embarrasing due to both my snap judgement aswell as that this is their third fucking album and i'm only now hearing about them. their sound is bare and raw, no drummer, instead a drum machine provides razor beats. they released their new single's video this week "last day of magic". not as melodic as my normals tastes, maybe the reason it took me a while to warm to them. here's the film and another track taken from "midnight boom".
jamie lidell was featured last month and on april's "the months" compilation. truly, i just can't get enough of his music at the moment, it really is the purest feel good soul. check the archive for my thoughts on his new LP (it's safe to say i liked it) and soak in these new tracks. i'm in a good mood this week, and my day to day listening is definitely reflecting that fact. there are various artists and stories that are getting a lot of attention just now that i've not been covering. the fact is, and will remain so, if it doesn't turn me on, i'm not going to disingenuously write spiel about it. coldplay just don't excite me now, no matter how hard they try to remain current and legitimate, it's not going to work, stick to the ford focus demographic. santogold, hyped up pish in my opinion. and scarlett johansson, don't get me started on her attempts to defile tom waits' legacy, how she got bowie on board i'll never know. try checking out zooey deschanel's worthy foray into the music industry scarlett and keep on acting. i'll watch you pout on screen all day, just as long as it's not to the sound of your over produced singing voice, get woody allen back on the phone and abandon this pointless charade.
this seven piece from cardiff have been battering my ear drums lately. lots of megabus journeys means lots of quality time with the ipod. it's always funny seeing whether the person in front of me turns around in disgust at the volume of it or not, i like to think myself a pretty considerate person most of the time but if it comes between me and my music then consideration can fuck off. my friends tell me i'll be deaf by thirty. but enough about me.
los campesinos! indie pop at it's finest. the hooks are present, but there's substance to boot. all 4 guys and 3 gals make full use of their numbers with skin tingling instrumentals and heady crescendos thrown into the core of acute pop sensibility. when a band take time over a drum line it shows, i'm sick of hearing half arsed drumming in my rock records, this is how it's done. the LP, "hold on now, youngster" shows these guys have the consistecy to outlive their flash-in-the-pan contemporaries, let's hope they get the audience they deserve. with a hot british summer coming up and belle and sebastian records on repeat growing old (more music please B&S!) i have my indie-sun soundtrack sorted. download: los campesinos! - you! me! dancing!
to say i was gutted at the rumours a couple of years back that N.E.R.D had split over differences with the virgin label would be a massive understatement. "in search of" still stands as one of the most innovative (at it's time) and influential hip-hop albums of all time and "fly or die" is mainly excellent with only a few tracks letting it down. but the threesome are back, as we all expected really. the new single is "everyone nose", a thumping funk-hop gem, and william's et al are being as experimental as always. a remix has surfaced featuring CRS and pusha t that's equally brash. not the best verse i've heard from west but i can't get enough of lupe this year, as you can probably tell (two in a row son). heres the remix and another track off the upcoming album, the not so PC "spazz". download: N.E.R.D feat kanye west, lupe fiasco & pusha t - everyone knows [remix]
those in the US should count yourselves very lucky, the glow in the dark tour is going to be insane. a friend of mine was assistant to the stage designer so i've heard some of the details, it really is ashame there's no UK dates planned. continue reading...
stripped down and melodic. this is rap like you've never heard it. no beat, just acoustic guitar, soulful singing and lupe's killer lyrics. kanye's young pretender has never sounded better. the BBC live lounge never fails to stay the platform for unique, intimate and exciting experiments. video and mp3.
i've been pretty lax in updating so far this month, had a busy couple of weeks, including a birthday yesterday. that's me 19, not too much teenage glory left to go, better make it a good year. rac, remix artists collective, provided my favourite reworking of last year, their version of bloc party's "hunting for witches" was outstanding. their newest project is an EP of remixed videogame themes. Nintendo VS Sega is a four track blitz of electro nostalgia, mario, sonic and zelda are all covered. the best track is the zelda offering, methinks it'll wind up on this months alter electro. the whole EP is free to download from here. download: RAC - link to the past (RAC remix) continue reading...
last year was an excellent year for film. the intelligent and the indie shone, taking advantage of the lack of big box office hits (enchanted aside, fucking love that movie despite the naysayers). but this year the blockbuster reigns supreme and this summer brings in the big guns, with some long anticipated titles and a different kind of indy. here's the few i can't wait for.
WALL.E
pixar's newest looks like a return to their witty charming best (cars was a misstep in my books) and when on their game, no one comes close. i was ecstatic to hear of the return of disney's traditional animation studio but disney is close to my heart whatever the medium. monsters inc and toy story remain two of my favourite films of all time.
THE DARK KNIGHT
batman begins was the glorius return of the coolest superhero out. with heath ledger's last substantial role as the joker, the dark knight looks likely to top it's predecessor. TROPIC THUNDER
the heartbreak kid was unforgivable but without speaking too prematurely, he looks like he's got his mojo back. a return to the silly ironic mould of dodgeball, tropic thunder is backed up by jack black and robert downey jnr in what looks like the funniest comedy character in years, yes he is playing a black man. or he's playing an actor playing a black man. it's convaluted but it's shaping up to be fucking hilarious. PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
knocked up, tied with superbad was last year's most piss-yourself-funny comedy. seth rogen and judd apatow are comedic geniuses, lucky they're respectively starring in and writing pineapple express then. weed dealer takes on the man. you know that's going to be golden. you know it. INDIANA JONES AT THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
dr jones! dr jones! can't shitting wait. THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS 2
if you know me you'll know that i have a strange sense of humour, i am a funny fuck, just in a strange way. but you'll also know that i'm not actually joking with this one. the two most gorgeous american's from my two guilty tv pleasures. no not ugly betty, she's a bint. alexis bledel from gilmore girls and blake lively from the no-replacement-for-gilmore-girl-but-actually-pretty-damn-good gossip girl, i'm going to be in a cinema full of 10 year old girls with an erection. alexis + blake = rager. i'm not joking.continue reading...
the posts recently have been very GTA influenced, and until i complete it (which should be pretty soon the pace i'm going at) the in-car radio is my primary source of tunes. the best track i've heard so far is definitely "take it with a kiss". a london band i'd not heard of before, the pistolas, were responsible so i checked out their other stuff. and these cats know how to make music. sadly and strangely however, just as their track is featured on the fastest selling video game in history, they fucking split. it seems they've toured a bit with dizzee rascal and seem to have been around for some time. the injustice. check it out. punk-funk, very reminiscant of the rapture: download: the pistolas - take it with a kiss
another genius justice video for another insane justice single, kanye still can't keep up. this time around the single is "stress" and the video is an ultra violent clockwork orange-esque rampage. a gang of thugs adorned with the justice cross kick some fucking arse. it looks a bit like an 18 rated version of grease. check it out:
got properly stuck into rockstar's new masterpiece today, in which justice feature. and ricky gervais. nice.
continue reading...
along the waterfall's had a decent first month. starting april 1st, i'm happy with the quality and volume of our features so far. every month, i plan to post a mixtape (a traditional one this time, no mixing, just old school playlist action) to sum up the months highlights, featuring the best tracks from the best artists of that month. each month will have a theme, based the compilation's title that hypothetically encompasses the lyrics of the tracks included to produce a coherent and impacting mixtape. the compilation will compliment that month's proper mix, in this case, "alter electro vol I: i do it for a girl". so without further ado, say good bye to april and say hello to:
LOVE IN THE HANDS OF THE YOUTHFUL,
1. YOUNG LOVE - MYSTERY JETS
2. WHY DO YOU LET ME STAY HERE - SHE AND HIM
3. WAIT FOR ME - JAMIE LIDDELL
4. SEA OF LOVE - CAT POWER
5. I STAND CORRECTED - VAMPIRE WEEKEND
6. KIM & JESSIE - M83
7. THE YOUTH - MGMT
8. FALLING SLOWLY - THE SWELL SEASON
9. SALTY WATER - LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION
10. MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE - ADELE
youth is a fickle cove,
kim & jessie stand corrected,
falling slowly through the salty sea of love,
he'll let her stay there, disconnected
ALONG THE WATERFALL IS A WINDOW INTO MY WORLD AS PRETENTIOUS, WANKY AND POTENTIALLY BORING AS THAT MAY SOUND. MUSIC, VIDEOS AND WHATEVER THE FUCK ELSE I FEEL LIKE WRITING ABOUT.
