ATTACK OF THE ARBITRARY TRACK! #3,

because "random" is like so over-used



download: lupe fiasco - daydreamin

this time around it's a joint off of the first lupe fiasco album. watching his glastonbury set, this was the highlight, showing up everything on "the cool", not having heard his first record, i'd not heard it before. ofcourse he owes a lot to the i monster
"daydream" sample in the chorus. continue reading...

GLASTONBURY 2008,

we're back. and so is glastonbury. what a weekend of music, and all from comfort of my sofa. there was plenty of controversy over jay z headlining, mainly from noel gallagher, but rap's head honcho proved all of the doubters wrong with a smashing set. to rub salt in the wounds of the oasis icon, a film was played before jay z's entrance that humiliated noel, leading into a tongue-in-cheek cover of wonderwall. keep your big mouth shut next time eh son?

here are some of my other highlights.



i've really warmed to duffy, her LP is phenomenal, an almost motown sound with a modern edge. current single "warwick avenue" is genuinly one of the most beautiful songs i've ever heard, and that's not exaggeration. this was her last song, the band sound incredible and the play-off as duffy leaves the stage is as cool as it gets, even the camera man is playing air guitar.

headlining on the friday, kings of leon blew the crowd away, it's a very similar set to the one i seen twice last summer at t in the park and lowlands festival but it still gave me goosebumps through the television set, maybe in nostlagia for what a great summer it was. i'll be seeing them again in two weeks at this year's "t", can't wait.



the raconteurs' new number. looks great live, definetely another must see next weekend. truly two of the best technical guitarists around just now.

and seth lakeman with some gorgeous new material, playing an intimate backstage rendition of "the hurlers". watch out for a feature on seth coming soon, maybe even tonight if you're lucky ducks. oh lauren laverne, best female presenter around, it's a shame everyone doesn't see it that way.



download: duffy - distant dreamer continue reading...

BLOC PARTY FIX,

from what's been posted so far on this blog, it'd be pretty hard to tell that bloc party are my favourite band. that's mainly because they've gone into hibernation after last year's "a weekend in the city" mammoth tour. they're writing just now, for a third album they hope hits at the end of this year or the beginning of the next (probably the latter, remember AWITC's delays). kele did his first interview in while a couple of weeks ago saying that

"We're looking at putting a record out at the end of this year, or the start of next year. Right now it feels almost like we're standing in the middle of a forest fire or an earthquake…it’s hard to know where the music is going. We aim to make something organic and inorganic, made of very real components but that sounds not real and frightening. Almost hyper real in a certain aspect. I'm really excited."

glad to see he's back to his cryptic best, the change from mysterious to straight-to-the-point lyrics between albums was welcome at the time but i always enjoyed trying to figure out some of the older material rather than it's meaning being obvious.



speaking of older material (what a segue), here's a couple of rare videos from way back in 2004, and two of the first ever bloc tracks, back when they were with dim mak. the marshalls are dead is one of my favourite b-sides.

continue reading...

WINNERS,

out of the embers of the fire that was the break-up of london rock-pop band do me bad things, the majestic phoenix winners rise.

three years ago, do me bad things were my favourite new band. their sound edgy, adventurous and had little inhibition. switching between lead singers, the voices played off of each other to some well crafted pop. this was pop music at it's best, but the band were far from plastic. each was an accomplished musician, all nine of them, and the songs shattered the outlook that good pop music had to be simple.

luckily, in winners, both of the main songwriters are still present. the band has been cut down considerably, only four members this time, three of them from DMBT. the canny craftsmanship of drummer, and chief songsmith tom shotton is as apparent as it was in the previous incarnation with track "hook me up" remaining on my itunes most played list despite little movement from the band.

these guys are still very much unknown, they haven't played any gigs outside of london town and after two years being together, there doesn't seem to be much hype behind them either. it's a shame, these guys deserve it.

no downloads i'm afraid, the tracks have been re-recorded since i first heard them, and i can't find the old mp3s. i'll try to get some streaming working but for now GO HERE to listen to their music. continue reading...

PRETTY GOOD DANCE MOVES,

first of all, we need to apologize for the lack of posting this week. after the two alter electro posts, i was kinda tired but today we'll try to make up for it with a lot of quality posts.

first, here's pretty good dance moves, they're on the same label as walter meego, and play some nice synth-electro-indie, pretty damn good.



download: pretty good dance moves - P.G.D.M.



download: pretty good dance moves - the colour blue

more to come later today. stay safe. continue reading...

ALTER ELECTRO: HOUR ONE,

download: ALTER ELECTRO: HOUR ONE

it's simple really. volumes one to three of the alter electro mixtape, in one glorious hour long mix. track listing info can be found in the post below with links to the archived volumes one and two. thanks to all of the artists whose material is in the mix and all of the fine blogs that featured the tracks and made the selection process easier.

here's to another three months, and another after that. and hey, why not even after that! we'll return to regular posting tomorrow, so until then, stay safe.


continue reading...

ALTER ELECTRO: VOLUME III,

it's that time of the month again, the electro mix that isn't afraid of pop.

alter electro vol III - living on lemonade. this time around simian open up for a rehashed usher remix. what follows is three tracks that blend electro with sweet feelgood synth, held together by a two part traditional electro stormer.



download: alter electro vol III - living on lemonade

TRACKLISTING:

SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO - HUSTLER (JOAKIM REMIX) *
USHER - LOVE IN THIS CLUB (MSTRKRFT VS KID FILTHY REMIX) **
DAVID GUETTA - BABY WHEN THE LIGHTS (FRED RISTER REMIX EDIT)
CASA EL MITRO - BAD GIRLS SURF (BROKE ONE REMIX) PT I *
MINITEL ROSE - BE WITH YOU
CASA EL MITRO - BAD GIRLS SURF (BROKE ONE REMIX) PT II *
JUSTICE - SURE YOU WILL

mixed by yours truly. time for some well earned sleep, but be sure to check out the hour long alter electro vol I-III mix that'll be up later in the week. the first three along the waterfall mixes, together, with alternate transitions and extra tracks. in other news we've been on elbo.ws' "HOT BLOGS" a good few times this week, the revolution is near. until the shit hits the fan... stay safe.

VOLUME I

VOLUME II



* - edited for the mix
** - completely remixed for the mix continue reading...

SHORT FILM: PROCRASTINATION,

this short piece was featured on BBC's the culture show last week. it was created by a graduating art school student named johnny kelly and done as part of his final year studies. the film won at the jerwood moving image awards this year and since, johnny has been comminssioned to make a short for enviromental awareness.



genius. the ending is particularly clever, i can definetely relate. stay safe. continue reading...

SOUTH AFRICA'S BLK JKS,

BLK JKS are a dub-rock group from johannesburg who chose to give convention the finger. they're already massive in their native south africa, bridging the post-apartheid class divide with a dub haze sound that resonates in the townships while their art-rock elements appeal to the foreign hipsters. these guys really are the first "trendy" ZA export, reflecting the country's new cultural momentum, tailoring the rock'n'roll sound to their own persona, rather than turning their back on african music completely.

they have a new EP getting a release this month, recorded earlier this year in new york, which looks to be the launchpad for these four east rand musicians' international take over.



download: BLK JKS - lakeside



download: BLK JKS - mzabalazo continue reading...

DIPLO,

by day, he is producer and record company boss wesley pentz. but after the sun sets and the kids come out to play, wesley transforms, possibly in a telephone box, into diplo, US east coast DJ.

combining the hip-hop and the electronic, diplo rides the line between both scenes, blending in as many genres as he can pull off. speaking to the observer music monthly he explains what he does as "the ultimate postmodern music; taking samples from everywhere and fucking shit up". much like ex-girlfriend M.I.A. he is breaking down the barriers that divide the remaining dance music cliques.

his mixes soundtrack hipster parties both stateside and in europe, with his fabric set garnering unanimous praise from bloggers on both sides of the atlantic.

perhaps his greatest accomplishment however, is getting me to actually enjoy the god-awful genre that is "crunk".



download: diplo - fuji ouija



download: diplo - battles atlas VS M.I.A. boyz



download: diplo - young folks pussy continue reading...

THE POPULAR TEN, 140608,

the blog aggregator elbo.ws is close to my heart. when this blog started three short months ago, the site sent us our first guests, before we had any regular visitors. now that we're up and running with a good rhythm, i'm sure a lot of these early adopters are among our followers three months on.

here's a rundown of elbows' 10 hottest tracks as of today, the most popular if you will, and a mini review of each, with a score, to help you decide whether a track is worth the download.

#10. COMPUTER VS BANJO - GIVE UP ON GHOSTS


folky with distorted vocals. the chorus is excellent and after a couple of listens it'll grow on you to the point of adoration. sounds a bit like something out of "o brother where art thou?" with a new age edge. - 7/10



download: computer vs banjo - give up on ghosts


#9. JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN - TO BE LOVED


if you like cat power, you will probably like this. relaxed and listening to this on headphones, i could see it taking you to that "other place" but it doesn't make a lot of impact. definetely a chill out track if you like that sort of thing. - 6/10



download: joan as police woman - to be loved


#8. ALBERT HAMMOND, JR. - GfC


this one definetely suits the season, it has that eclectic summer festival vibe. hardly original though, and i personally find this kind of music incredibly dull, maybe give julian a call eh albert? won't be listening to this again. - 4/10



download: albert hammond, jr. - GfC


#7. RATATAT - MIRANDO


sounds like all of thos 8-bit engineers out there, fusing old school nintendo synth with beats. it gets your attention alright but there's not much progression, the track pretty much sounds the same throughout, with a few melodies chucked on top. their picture makes them look so interesting aswell. - 6/10



download: ratatat - mirando


#6. DR. DOG - THE OLD DAYS


s'alright, the music itself is actually brilliant but i don't care much for the vocal choices, a lot more could have been done with the backing track. in fact the singer's voice annoys me so much i can't listen to it, if they were to release an instrumental i'd call the download essential, in this form, i'd pass. - 5/10



download: dr. dog - the old days


#5. TILLY AND THE WALL - POT KETTLE BLACK


there's a repetitive guitar riff that plays almost all of the way through this track. it's brash, simple, and irritating. the lyrics are awful. this is really uninspired trash. the amount of talentless bands making a name for themselves through image alone is disgusting. the bridge is the only highlight, reminiscant of css. - 4/10



download: tilly and the wall - pot kettle black


#4. SHEARWATER - LEVIATHAN, BOUND


now we're talking. slow burning and mournful, building to an emotional climax. i can really see this working in a film soundtrack. from beginning to beautiful end, the track haunts. very much in the same vein as sigur rós' (also featured) earlier work. magnificent. - 8/10



download: shearwater - leviathan, bound


#3. SIGUR RÓS - GOBBLEDIGOOK


now for the aforementioned sigur rós' own entry. this was featured last month and it has kept people writing about it for weeks. not as simply overwhelming as previous tracks like "hoppipola" but extremely listenable. - 7/10



download: sigur rós - gobbledigook


#2. MGMT - ELECTRIC FEEL (JUSTICE REMIX)


justice are practically untouchable at the moment, despite some recent backlash from ignorant american bloggers that see the duo as "overrated". they add their trademark distorted funky bass and rapid hi hats to an MGMT track that i really didn't like in it's original form. it's a banger. - 7/10



download: mgmt - electric feel (justice remix)


#1. FLEET FOXES - WHITE WINTER HYMNAL


so we come full circle with another folky track in the number one spot. the track evokes images from spaghetti westerns, with an almost native american chant and strangely vocals that sound a little like a barber shop quartet. near the end the song introduces a gorgeous piano interlude which shoves the score up a couple of notches. - 8/10



download: fleet foxes - white winter hymnal


so, some dead wood in the pack with some stand outs. i'm surprised that some of these acts are being so heavily pushed, why some of tracks are among the most popular in the blogger circles escapes me.

hopefully this feature will become a regular with "alter electro", "the months" and the newly introduced "attack of the arbitrary track". due to the time it takes, it might end up being monthly instead of a fairly regular post. until the next time, stay safe. continue reading...

RAC VOL I,

some of you might remember as far back as last month's alter electro mix and that it's title track was by the remix artists collective, RAC.

well, they sent me an e-mail yesterday about their newest release, their first full on remix album: RAC VOL I. the LP features some of their classic remixes and has some banging new material on it. this is to celebrate roughly a year since the group entered the scene and i'm glad to say that (with the first few bloc party remixes) i've been following them from the very beginning. best of all, the album is free to download from stereogum right here.

or you can stream the whole thing on this very site. enjoy.



tracks can also be download via the player, just click the link to the right of each. continue reading...

SOMETHING ON MTV THAT ISN'T SHIT?,

now here's a track that i'm surprised i like. it's just so far out of the radius of the music i'm listening to at the moment. and i think i know the reason behind this anomaly. the fort minor piano riff behind the beat. mike shinoda aka fort minor, half of linkin park's front line has been writing great piano licks for both linkin park an his own records for a good while now, and he more than anyone (except maybe gym class heroes) knows how to perfectly blend rap and rock. this busta rhymes joint reminds me of the 2pac one featuring elton john "ghetto gospel" and it's almost as good as it. also, have a listen to another fort minor classic, again using his trademark piano.



download: busta rhymes feat linkin park - we made it



download: fort minor - where'd you go



download: 2pac feat elton john - ghetto gospel

gotta love a good old fasioned piano passage in a rap track. see also: outkast - roses continue reading...

GOLDFRAPP, CARAVAN GIRL,

simple enough. the new video for the next goldfrapp single. "seventh tree" still stands in the top 5 albums of the year so far. JUST. definetely my favourite single yet. SUMMER! continue reading...

SURE YOU WILL,

wow. a justice track i never even knew existed. this is pretty ancient in terms of the duo's career, was released on a 2003 mix CD. great find that should be accredited to waves at night. has a much more trebly sound than anything on cross. i'll be seeing them again this summer at t in the park. here we go.

summer is well and truly here.



download: justice - sure you will continue reading...

THE TV CULTURE VOID,

so it seems all of the television shows that i hold dear to my heart are ending. this season of lost is over, dirty sexy money has finished it's brief stint, the apprentice is wrapping up on wednesday and gossip girl is done until september. even jools holland has left us for a few months.

but instead of succumbing to the reality TV machine and filling the void with big brother, this year i've found a couple of beauties to tide me over. the colbert report is one of them, a sharp satire of the ignorant republican television hosts that brainwash christian america, the guy is a complete genius. here's the pinnacle of his irony so far, bush takes about 4 minutes to catch on, whoever hired him as a speaker has been fired:



i've also realised how little i've seen of the massive south park back catalogue. the show has moved on from the cheap jokes and shock factor of the first few seasons and evolved into an informed and sardonic look at american and western culture coupled with intelligent parodies of television and film. and it seems i've been the last person to discover it. i've watched a lot of the most recent seasons episodes, but there's a massive chunk of the show that remains unseen.



it's all very yankee. luckily, the BBC's culture show is a diamond in the rough of the current UK TV climate. the subject matter of the show is as varied as madonna's pop career, the term "culture" encompasses a lot after all. music, film, art, television itself, everythings game and it's all brilliantly presented by the sharp tongued vixen lauren laverne. the broad canvas of the show's make-up is spoofed in the adverts for the new series that started last week. next week they have electronica group neon neon on the show. cannot wait.



download: neon neon - neon theme continue reading...

SHITDISCO,

last month we introduced a series of new glasgow acts. the city has a strong history as a music scene, and today, that scene is as strong as ever.

shitdisco are an indie/electro group based in glasgow. my first run-in with them came with my first trip to the arches' famous death disco night. they headlined DD early last year when they were still relatively unknown, and their reputation for hard and catchy dance music has blossomed since. the guys also have a distinct and bizarre glaswegian humour with lyrics like "insurrection ooo, no protection ooo, i try to hide my erection". yass.



download: shitdisco - i know kung fu



download: shit disco - 72 virgins (bloody beetroots remix)

continue reading...

SHADES OF TRAFFIC LIGHT,

a couple o' lovelies for your listening pleasure, both heard on radio 2's jonathan ross. whoever picks the music for that show has taste in abundance.

firstly, a track off of the ting tings' LP. i've not got around to listening to it in full yet so i was pleasantly surprised when i heard this. very different sound to the singles. think feist with crap lyrics. really though, with a song like this the words don't matter. simple melodies with a good chord progression behind.



download: the ting tings - traffic light

and the new raconteurs release which sounds like abbey road era beatles playing at the prom in that grease film. i can see sandy swooning. i'm talking shite? you'll know what i mean when you hear it. the queenish guitar solo ain't half bad.



download: the raconteurs - many shades of black continue reading...

!!!,

chk chk chk, or !!! or whatever the fuck you want apparently:

"! ! ! is pronounced as any sound repeated three times. ommon interpretations are chk chk chk, pow pow pow, uh uh uh: unlimited possibilities."

are a brooklyn group (aye, those pretentious NYers) as indie as they come. good electronic pop with a dash of funk thrown in. new york are churnin' out the cool-as-fuck indie troups this year, vampire weekend, MGMT and these chaps. remind me of a US hot chip, seems like they're liked by their UK contemporaries too, check out the remix.



download: !!! - heart of hearts



download: !!! - must be the moon (hotchip remix) continue reading...

ATTACK OF THE ARBITRARY TRACK! #2,

really, i didn't plan on doing another one of these so soon, but i'm in a rush, the glasgow arches beckons and this track needs to be posted. mylo's live lounge guns'n'roses cover. bliss.

until tomorrow, and a return to substantial posting, stay safe.



download: mylo - sweet child of mine continue reading...

ATTACK OF THE ARBITRARY TRACK! #1,

this track is old, but shuffle on the old ipod threw it back in my ears today. loved this last year, a quick swatch at itunes tells me it was my 4th most listened to tune. i hate when people overuse the word "random", so i'll refrain. you know the ones i mean "oh that's so random!", "what a random chat!", no, shut up.

i'm away to play wii tennis in my boxers.



download: the noisettes - don't give up continue reading...

THE MONTHS, MAY,

EDIT: the "man" got to us and suspended the uploaded tracks. too bad for those that weren't lucky enough to get in before the alarm was raised.


so another month comes and goes,
not so many highs and lows,
a poor attempt at mystery,
another day of mediocrity.

finished year one of university at the beginning of this month, the rest of it was spent unwinding to the point of actually coming off the spool. not a lot was achieved to be frank, in fact the last week has probably been more destructive than anything else. june brings the start of an irregular shift summer job, meaning possibly having to get up at 6 in the morning to make it to the other side of the city, so maybe relaxing these last couple of weeks will be justified. like last month, this compilation includes the pop acts covered over the last four weeks, a counterpoint to the alter electro mix. so have a listen, and... relax.

ANOTHER DAY

1. LOS CAMPESINOS! - MY YEAR IN LISTS download
2. ALPHABEAT - 1OOO NIGHTS OF THUNDER download
3. HOT CHIP - ONE PURE THOUGHT download
4. JOHN B MCKENNA - KEEP ME IN THE DARK download
5. THE TING TINGS - SHUT UP AND LET ME GO download
6. ZOEY VAN GOEY - FOXTROT VANDALS download
7. JAMIE LIDDELL - ANOTHER DAY download

download: THE MONTHS, MAY: ANOTHER DAY


biggest spinning glitter ball in the world, apparently. download seperately or as a folder with all tracks numbered and in order. how good was lost bytheway?

stay safe. continue reading...