Charles, Ricky, Ron, Cudi...

When will these kings of indie hip hop autotune release albums?

omg hurry up alreadyyyy

'Windows Media Player' Charles Hamilton Mp3 [z share]

'How Mi Look' Ricky Blaze Mp3 [z share]

'Feel Free' Ricky Blaze feat. Ron Browz Mp3 [z share]

'Jumping Out The Window' Ron Browz Mp3 [z share]

'Spazzin' Kid Cudi Mp3 [z share]

With Hamilton be the first? With a prolific mixtape output, one that rivals Lil Wayne if you can believe it, surely it's just a matter of time before he releases an official full length debut? Head to his website for his latest mixtape: iamnotcharleshamilton.com

Pegase 'Without Reason'

Minitel Rose vocalist Raphaél is demoing some solo material at the moment as Pegase.

If you head to his Myspace you can hear a few of the tracks. Most follow the delicately disco pop route of Minitel Rose, but are a little more contemplative with slightly melancholic tones.

Spellbound Girl is a gentle romp through French House and the gorgeous, lofty Without Reasons journeys through ambient electronic dreamscapes of love and romance. Things get a little more dramatic with Everywhere, which immediately brings to mind 70s Bowie and The Labyrinth - immediately I imagined this as the soundtrack as Jennifer Connolly runs frantically through the maze calling for Toby.

This comes courtesy of Valerie

'Without Reasons' (demo) Pegase Mp3 [z share]

I can't wait for more!

While talking Minitel Rose, don't forget College's debut Secret Diary is being released next week through Futur

Oh hey, it's just me again

Dear readers (Radge, Michael, Ben and Liz),
Is this easier to read? I just clicked the 'View Blog' button and realised how small and thus illegible my text was. Dear me! This is better, hopefully. Hopefully?

Friendly Fires

I have been sick with some killer flu virus for a week and I am so bored I could cry. I've been going to sleep, waking up to go to work, coming home from work to eat dinner, and climbing back into bed and going back to sleep. Now Sunday, this weekend has been spent in bed watching The Wire, catching up on past eps of Ugly Betty, and reading the newspapers.

Bored and lonely, I put my itunes on random in the hopes of inspiring an mp3 renaissance, and rediscovering something that'd leave me smiling for the rest of the afternoon.

I forgot how much I liked this cover

'I'm Good, I'm Gone' Friendly Fires cover Mp3 [z share]

Both bands are featuring it on their Myspace after Friendly Fires toured with Li through America.

I've often waxed lyrical of my adoration for Lykke Li, but I also really like Friendly Fires. Unfortunately, their record was released around the same time as Walter Meego, Late Of The Pier and Metronomy in Australia, and as a result those discs were paid much more attention that FF debut self-titled. Theirs is a record that I can listen to every day, and have been since I received it in September. Disco hooks, cowbell, 00s pop rhythms, moments of Detroit tech house, harmonised choruses, kick drums, and ambient breaks executed with precision, undeniable talent, and egos aside.

Listen to this tune, and there is no way you can deny the disco shoulder shake

'On Board' Friendly Fires Mp3 [z share]

They are about to perform a few shows with Foals (which is a great fit for them) and all their upcoming tour dates from now until Feb are at their myspace

Buy Friendly Fires from iTunes here or from their website wearefriendlyfires.com

Lykke Li news? She is touring through the UK currently, and on AUS shores in December for the Falls Festival and shows in Melbourne (Sunday 4th January at the Prince Bandroom - tickets from the Prince website) and Sydney (Monday 5th January, at Oxford Art Factory - tickets from Moshtix)

Zach Hill tonight

Live in NYC? Tonight, Zach Hill is performing with Subtle and Pattern Is Movement at The Knitting Factory. I've heard that this is going to be Subtle's last show in a while too...

Tickets are still available here

Seems the Californian has been confusing people lately. It is understandable, considering how many bands he plays in and the numerous solo projects he begins and sometimes follows through. To make things less confusing, he issued this statement on his Myspace here. If you're too lazy to follow a link, here's the post in full.

HELLO ! TO THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN INQUIRING ABOUT WHAT AND WHO "PEER PRESSURE" MAY BE IT'S ACTUALLY MY DRUM SET! HAHA THATS STRAIGHT TALK! IN THE FUTURE THIS MONIKER WILL MOST LIKELY DEFINE A COLLECTIVE OF HUMAN BEINGS PLAYING SONGS AND MY DRUM SET, BUT FOR THIS TOUR ITS A METAPHOR FOR THE DRUMS AND THATS ABOUT ALL I'M BRINGING AND ALL IM PLAYING. TO MAKE IT CLEAR SO THERES NO CONFUSION ABOUT MY UPCOMING PERFORMANCES I AM PERFORMING A 45 MINUTE NON STOP HEAVILY IMPROVISED RENDITION OF THE TRACK "NECROMANCER" OFF OF MY NEWEST SOLO RELEASE. THIS WILL BE ME ON DRUMS AND THE LAPTOP ON LAPTOP OR THE IPOD ON IPOD. I PLAN ON PERFORMING THE MORE SONG ORIENTED MATERIAL OFF THE ALBUM WITH A FULL BAND IN THE THE FUTURE BUT FOR MANY REASONS IT WAS UNREALISTIC AT THIS JUNCTURE. SO THIS IS HOW I WILL BE EXPRESSING MYSELF IN THE NOW ASIDE FROM THE SHOWS WERE ITS NOTED THAT I'LL HAVE SOMEONE AWESOME SITTING IN WITH ME! THANKS FOR THE INTEREST AND AMAZING POSITIVITY AND SUPPORT YOU ALL PROJECT! HOPE TO SEE YOU WHERE YR DWELL'N!

His solo album is out now through Anticon. It's damn good, featuring Tyler Pope and No Age and loads of other Hill collaborators from now and before and ages ago.

You can buy it here through Insound

Go to the show tonight. Get blown away.

Francois Virot

(image credit: beatriz lanchas)

It was released in September, but I have only just found the time to listen to Yes Or No by Lyon performer Francois Virot

The record is paired back, guitar and hand-clap based melodies wonderfully complemented by Francois' folkish twang. He actually reminds me a lot of Conor Oberst, particularly in the song Dummies. And just because he only uses his guitar, voice and hand-clapping skills, doesn't mean its retiring and gentle - oh no! - it's actually really fun and upbeat!

'Not The One' Francois Virot Mp3 [z share]

'Dummies' Francois Virot Mp3 [z share]

Our Shoot The Player father Vincent Moon filmed him in January last year for The Blogotheque. He performs with charming simplicity, and perhaps his style has changed significantly since considering it these videos were shot almost two years ago, but it is always great to see someone perform alone with a single guitar. It takes a damn engaging performer to hold my attention with just a voice and a few guitar strings. Watch Francois on the Blogotheque here

Visit Francois Virot on Myspace

Buy Yes Or No on iTunes

Little Joy 'Next Time Around'

Don't you think Binki Shapiro has such a beautiful voice?



(NB: Sometimes pitchfork tv videos don't appear in full, so if this happens, watch Next Time Around here)

I'm really enjoying Little Joy

Rough Trade describes their sound as tropical garage folk, which is exactly what it is! And exactly why I like it! I love folk pop vocals combined with a jangly, twanging garage guitar and tom tom drum beat. The songs have a slow but steady quality that I love too, they just unfold with ease and an understated craftsmanship.

Preview tracks at their Myspace, and buy the album from Rough Trade here

five reasons Daniele Baldelli is the greatest

one:
he basically invented 'dee-jaying', playing records without mixers and headphones and figuring when to switch songs and avoid silences by counting the grooves in the vinyl

two:
he pioneered cosmic disco, was a resident at Cosmic in the 70s, and is famous for his slow dub disco sets (slow space disco jams are my favourites)

three:
he was the greg gillies of his time - reich electronica, african incantations, depeche mode... everything was mixed in, chopped together and manipulated for dance floors

four:
'get funky' my funky side

five:
this compilation

I never tire of Spirit's 'Potatoland Theme' - so good, so cheesy, so jammin (handclaps, hello)

daniel baldelli website
daniele baldelli mypace
buy 'Cosmic Disco? Cosmic Guitars!' from eskimo recordings

This weekend, I was really enjoying

1.
Florence and The Machine has released a video for her new single Dog Days Are Over. The final song is much more anthemic and upbeat than the sample she posted on her myspace not too long ago, with a fuller chorus punctuated by the bell and handclaps I always love in pop tracks. The video was directed by Tom Beard and released this weekend, and you can grab the single December 2 through IAMSOUND (pre-order it here)

Florence And The Machine - Dog Days

2.
The RAC remix of Repetition Kills You by The Black Ghosts. I love this remix, because rather than taking the LOUD AND FAST route, RAC have made the Albarn vocals much more pronounced and turned it into a slower pop jam. It's lovely.

'Repetition Kills You' (RAC Remix) The Black Ghosts Mp3 [z share]


3.


'Grumpy' Free Blood Mp3 [z share]

I posted about DFA signed Free Blood (John Pugh + Madeline Davy) when they released the !!!'esque (no surprise really, considering Pugh's formerly a !!! member) Quick and Painful and had a little love-in, but then forgot about them - in true blogosphere style. Then the Telepathe remix was released and I had a big drunken whinge, completely ignoring that I had enjoyed any of their stuff prior to that remix. THEN this weekend I decided to revisit to their EP, specifically the single Grumpy, and remembered why I liked them in the first place. So typically Gen Y of me.

The Singles by Free Blood (on Amazon)

freebloodmusic.com

Megapuss

I have always imagined this song was written for me

'Shabob Shalom' Devendra Banhart Mp3 [z share]

And when I learnt my number one man was teaming up with my number two man (Fabrizio) I melted into a puddle of obsessive adoration.

Then, this video debuted on Pitchfork TV and my heart almost stopped. Remember this post? God, I take it all back. Please reverse the clock and sandwich me in between Fab and Greg while they're hugging at the end of the clip. It is almost Hanukkah, and I have been really good this year!



Surfing by Megapuss is being released in Australia through Stomp November 15

Sydney Festival 2009

In January this year, I took my parents to the opening of the Sydney Festival - Festival First Night. We watched my ex-boyfriend host the Fuzzy stage in front of thousands, sung along to Beach Boy Brian Wilson in The Domain, and then danced to Spankrock in Martin Place.

My mum still talks about that Spankrock show, she absolutely loved them. In fact, I went to my parent's house for dinner on Tuesday night and they were listening to yoyoyoyoyo when I arrived. Not a lie. Bump was playing and mum turned to me and said "I love this band!"

This year Grace Jones, Santogold and A-Trak are among the Festival First line up, with more announcements due in the upcoming weeks. The official launch party is tonight and media take the first announcement of the line up to press tomorrow morning (ooop, scooop)

My two favourite venues of the festival, The Becks Bar and The Spielegtent, have equally stellar line ups, the out door Becks bar hosting Buraka Som Sistema, Daedelus (at the Mad Racket night - always a highlight!), Fourtet, Holy Ghost, Metronomy and loads of others - see the full line up here. As I'd expected Bill Callahagn is back for shows at the Tent again, but this time without Joanna, and Bon Iver is also performing, in Australia for the very first time. It's a truly exquisite venue, intimate and breathtakingly beautiful. Full details here.

I am in NYC for most of the festival, but might be home in time for some of the final performances late January. All depends on what NYC can serve me! Don't know it'll be as good as Daedelus under a balmy Sydney twilight with some of my favourite people dancing beside me... but you never know...

All tickets on sale 9am Monday, Nov 10, through ticketek and the festival website sydneyfestival.org.au (be quick, they ALWAYS sell out early)

College + Minitel Rose + The Emperor Machine

I have been gradually making my way through a care package the lovely folk at DC Recordings mailed me last week which included all the available released material by The Emperor Machine. It also included a few releases from Padded Cell and the most recent release by The Oscillation. It was a really good package!

'Roller Daddy' The Emperor Machine Mp3 [z share]


College is about to release his debut record Secret Diary (out November 26) and recently leaked one of the album's first singles. The track features his Valerie buddies Minitel Rose - the Frenchies responsible for a song people ask me about every time I play it - Magic Powder. I posted this ages ago and the link expired, and then a while ago I played it on the radio and had so many callers ringing to ask who they were.

'Magic Powder' Minitel Rose Mp3 [z share]

I'm kinda too tired to write about it, but I just wanted to post it because I was thinking today on my walk home from work how excited I was about the album and thought I should share this, because every time I mention College, Valerie, Minitel Rose or others from the Valerie collective, people stare at me blankly and ask "who?"

'The Energy Story' College feat. Minitel Rose

There is a Valerie feature in the next issue of Pages, along side a piece I wrote about French punks The Feeling Of Love, out tomorrow.

'Shells' MIA

The How Many Votes Fix Mix EP is unavailable in iTunes Australia, but here is a taster if you live south of the Equator and love Maya as much as I do.

MIA 'Shells' Mp3 [z share] (via the fader)

The EP is currently only available digitally, but after the 4th is being released in CD format - so it isn't long until we can order hard copies of Shells, the Jay Z Boys rework and another new track called Far Far.

It is a shame it will cost our entire life savings now the AUS dollar is so damn low, but anything Maya touches turns to gold so maybe we can cash it in a while from now and make the cash back?

Merriweather Post Pavilion

I just interviewed Dave Portner (Avey Tare) from Animal Collective about their new record Merriweather Post Pavilion.

A courier arrived with a watermarked copy of the album (complete with skull and crossbones warning stickers!) and after unwrapping the sheets of plastic and signing a release form from Domino records, it went straight into the CD player. I know what you're thinking and you shouldn't bother trying to hack my computer - there is no way I would import it into iTunes.

It is a beautiful record. After Strawberry Jam last year, MMP is a little less cluttered. The focus on straightforward melody is much more apparent as songs (My Girls for example) have been simplified and avoid the density of some of their previous releases. It's not that I prefer one sound over the other, they are just different. Which is what you would expect from this collective of genius composers.

The outer sleeve CD casing has had everyone talking lately - an insane optical illusion Portner described as a homage of sorts, reminding him of a high school friend's house where he and Brian would go for parties, nearby the Merriweather Post Pavilion. He remembers faintly hearing music from the venue while sitting in his friend's back yard, and said the album was an attempt to capture that feeling - of seasons, and weather patterns, and sounds in nature. Songs were inspired by water and hurricanes and whatnot, and after trying to settle on an album title with 'spring' or 'weather' in the title, Merriweather Post Pavilion seemed a perfect fit. It was intimate for the band after growing up in Maryland, random for those unfamiliar with their history, and used the word 'weather' without being too explicit.

Below is the outer sleeve artwork. It moves until you focus on one area, then stops. Uh-mayzingggg



The interview will be in the Dec/Jan issue of Groupie Magazine. I'll let you know when it's online, as the feature will include audio snippets for you to salivate over!

For now, Animal Collective are working on a film - kinda like a collage of music videos, or a collection of vignettes with short, lose narratives - destined for live screenings at music and film festivals early next year.

If you live in NYC, there is a listening party for Merriweather Post Pavilion TONIGHT at a venue Portner described as his new favourite - somewhere in Harlem where you can see the Brookyln bridge. Want details?



Email merriweatherpostpavilion@gmail.com to RSVP - quick sticks!

nothing but everything: wander in and out

I went to a conversational lecture with Edward de Bono on Sunday. He was decsribing creativity as an acquirable skill, something you can learn and develop just as you can learn Algebra or learn how to play soccer.

For some reason it reminded me of an exhibition of work by Sister Corita I saw at the beginning of the year at Monster Children curated by Aaron Rose The Passion For The Possible. Rose spoke about the collective of artists involved in the Alleged Gallery in the early 1990s in LA, and his curatorial masterpiece Beautiful Losers. An apparently quite fabulous documentary is currently making its way around Europe and America, scheduled for screenings this weekend at the London Film Festival.


Beautiful Losers film trailer from beautifullosersfilm on Vimeo.

Unfortunately there are no screenings of the doco in Australia. But! If we band together we can request the film be shown - all we have to do is email bl@sidetrackfilms.com and stress how eager we are to see it. Please email!

ANP Quarterly has recently had a revamp (I have to say though, that the new blog doesn't look too different to the old blog) and has the latest issue available for purchase. If in my neck of the woods, I suggest you mail-order one for yourself - ANPQ don't often make it to Sydney, and those copies that are available (Monster Children Gallery always has a couple) get snapped up pretty quick.

I only just remembered. I still have to frame the Corita print I bought at the show.

BARR 'The Song Is The Single' mp3 [z share]

Beach House

With the first ever Beach House 7" released today, we can post this online. As heard on their recent Australian tour, Beach House with Used To Be

Blowing my mind, every time. TLC Waterfalls! Ah, every time.


Beach House: Used to Be from shoottheplayer on Vimeo.

More at the
Shoot The Player website

Purchase Used To Be at the Mistletone Shop for only $14. The cover art is so so pretty

Sydney: DJ Mecca

There is an interesting argument at My Old Kentucky today about the best bands in NYC.

NY Press kicked things off by posting their 'Definitive List' of the best bands currently residing and performing in New York. Their Top 20 includes LCD Soundsystem, Dirty Projectors, Yeasayer, Danger Mouse, TV On The Radio and Parts and Labour (um, why?!) and Animal Collective take the crown and number one.

I don't really see what difference it makes where a band is from and where they perform, but perhaps NY Press is trying to stress the relevance of NYC music culture considering CMJ starts tomorrow?

Melbourne has a burgeoning live scene punctuated with musicians brave enough to push themselves to avoid the scene and its sound becoming stale. Sydney on the other hand is s strange place for live music. The scene is still building and there is a much stronger presence for clubs and DJs here than bands.

If we were to take lead from NY Press and compile a list for Sydney, should we select the Top 20 Sydney DJs? I'm curious, if you have 5 mins, who you'd put in that list (Levins, you can't put yourself at number one!)

My Top 20 would include:
Jimmy Sing, Magic Happens, Ragde, Canyons, Jamie Lloyd, Sleater Brockman, Spruce Lee, Anna Lunoe & Hoops, Kato, Kali, Simon Caldwell, Jamie Doom, Nathan Maclay, Deepchild, Mark Murphy, Goodwill, Roulade, Tyocity, James Bucknell (Paradise Lost) and Sexy Shower DJs. In no particular order. I think. I change my mind all the time. That's my Top 20 for now, off the top of my head, but it'll probably change if you suggest someone I love and have absentmindedly forgotten...

PS... If you are a Sydney DJ, you pretty much just have to play
'In Love With You' Alan Braxe [z share], 'Savage Skulls' Padded Cell [z share], or 'How To Build A Super Computer' The Emperor Machine[z share] to make the list (right click, save, play next time you DJ)

Well, they're my faves today, anyway.

Saint Dymphna

After the tribal meditative techno of 2005's God's Money, Gang Gang Dance are finally back.

The frenetic primitive percussion, stomping basslines, strained vocals and explosive interstellar synths of God's Money and the RAWWAR EP (2007) still permeate this new album, but there is a much stronger pop and hip hop focus, particularly in Lizzie's vocal delivery. She is clearer and more confrontational, like, as Dusted suggested in an album review, an early Madonna.

On Saint Dymphna GGD sound a little more contained, like they've pulled the reins in on themselves a little. The techno is a little less rave, their incantations a little less sprawling. There are moments throughout that feel contrived and uncomfortable, such as the Tinchy Stryder collaboration, but then songs like First Communion remind you what wonderful composers they are, sweeping you up in a wave of ceremonial cymbols, psychedelic chants and arresting cosmic guitar.

First Communion mp3 [z share]

House Jam (xxxchange remix) mp3 [z share]

The album is out tomorrow through Warp and The Social Registry. You can order the album online now, and if you hurry The Social Registry has super limited edition GGD tees for sale, but there are only 30 available so quick sticks!

And FYI at your next trivia tournament: Dymphna was the Patron Saint for sleepwalking, mental health, epilepsy, the possessed, princesses, incest, and happy families. Incest AND happy families - I kid you not!

My Love Sees You

I work for etcetc, home to Kitsuné releases in Australia and New Zealand, so I worry I'll be judged for banging on about their releases. BUT. One of the singles from the most recent Kitsuné Maison compilation, the debut solo release from Sydneysider, Bang Gang member and former Riot In Belgium half Beni, is so damn good- it is honestly one of my favourite dance tracks of the year. Possibly, even better than Teki's go go go chorus. Possibly.

My Love Sees You

Etenne de Crécy Coco Walsh remix [you send it - 320]

Beni's original edit [ you send it - 128]

My mate Lev called it "THE dance track of Summer" and famed Fools Golder A-Trak has said it is "one of my favorite songs of 2008, no lie" and his "secret weapon". This is sounding a bit press releasey... so I'll hold off on the gushings.

This single has such a forward sound - think of a timely moment in music from the past 40 years and it exists somewhere in this mix. It's late 60s disco, NY post punk, new wave crunching synth electro and indie hip hop/Bmore club xxxchange-style hand claps rolled into one beautiful package.

It's out tomorrow on Kitsuné Maison 6, and Beni is heading to Europe mid-November for the Kistuné Maison 6 launch tour. If you live in London, Brighton, Hong Kong, Berlin, Paris... details for the shows are posted on his Myspace page (linked above)

As a single My Love Sees You is being released November 8, but if you can't wait that long you can grab it through
thanks to Ministry Of Sound

Other news? As much as I love Mr Mars, this remix does not rock my world. Is he drunk and playing with a toy piano? Or do I just not get it?

Amended: The remix is by this dude - Thank god! I won't ever doubt Fake Blood again (and won't late-night-drunk-blog again either...)

no words

Nothing I can say could do justice to the magic of Beyonce.

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