Touched By Thee Loving Hand

Cut Copy - Take Me Over (Thee Loving Hand Remix by Tim Goldsworthy)

SIART's Festive Fifty

Tis the season for best of lists. SIART listened to and loved lots of music this year. Below is a list of 50 records that rocked my year. They aren't in any order - these are the 50 that got the most play. There are a couple of reissues on it. Little Dragon's Machine Dreams and Lindstrøm & Christabelle's Real Life Is No Cool from 2009 should be on here too - I discovered both in 2010 and played them to death. Looking at the list I'd say 2010 was a pretty good year for tunes...

1. Panico – Kick
2. Maximum Balloon - Maximum Balloon
3. Janelle Monae – The Archandroid
4. Phantom Tails – Sounds of the Hunchback Whale
5. New Young Pony Club – The Optimist
6. Bryan Ferry – Olympia
7. Robyn - Body Talk
8. Working for a Nuclear Free City – Jojo Burger Tempest
9. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
10. Laetitia Sadier – The Trip
11. Onra - Long Distance
12. Cee Lo Green – The Lady Killer
13. Caribou – Swim
14. !!! – Strange Weather, Isn’t It?
15. Dangermouse and Sparklehorse – Dark Night of the Soul
16. Röyksopp - Senior
17. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
18. Massive Attack - Heligoland
19. MGMT – Congratulations
20. The Roots – How I Got Over
21. GAYNGS - Relayted
22. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
23. Brian Eno - Small Craft On A Milk Sea
24. T.Rex - The Slider (reissue)
25. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
26. The Black Keys  - Brothers
27. Edwyn Collins - Losing Sleep
28. MIA - /\/\ /\ Y /\
29. Michael Leonhart & the Avramina 7 – Seahorse and the Storyteller
30. Mark Ronson & the Business Intl – Record Collection
31. Flying Lotus - Cosomogramma
32. Spoon – Transference
33. N*E*R*D - Nothing
34. Matthew Dear - Black City
35. Scissor Sisters - Night Work
36. Communist Daughter - Soundtrack To The End
37. Broken Bells - Broken Bells
38. Dungen - Skit I Alt
39. Autolux - Transit Transit
40. Shit Robot - From The Cradle To The Grave
41. Bettie Serveert – Pharmacy of Love
42. Jonsi – Go
43. Tricky - Mixed Race
44. The Like – Release Me
45. Stereo Total – Baby Ouh!
46. The XX - xx
47. Stars - Five Ghosts
48. Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek are Reflection Eternal - Revolutions Per Minute
49. Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM
50. Orange Juice - Coals To Newcastle (reissue/box set)

All You Need Is Now

Duran Duran's new single is being given away free on iTunes today. All You Need Is Now is the title track from their forthcoming Mark Ronson produced album. It is quite delicious, hearkening back to the band's glory days. The album is out digitally on Dec. 21st with a physical release in the new year.

Synchronize

Discodeine feat. Jarvis Cocker - Synchronize (Radio Edit)
Pentile + Pilooski x Jarvis Cocker + DFA = fabulous.

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Facebook / MySpace / DFA

Röyksopp's '70s Xmas

Röyksopp are giving away a nice freebie today. It is their cover of Le Cantique de Noël aka O Holy Night. It is a dreamy, atmospheric version and I love it. But then I love Röyksopp a lot. Here is their little PR blurb...

"This time around, on the receiving end of our special treatment we find an instrumental ‘harp only’ version of a well known Christmas song, the very old-school Le Cantique de Noël. We went to a strange place with this one, fusing drums, choir and SFX together to create a version that perhaps is a bit like what a person in the early 1970′s could imagine Christmas music would sound like in the future. The future, like in 2010.

So, we hope you like it, and whatever you do this season, HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM RöYKSOPP!"

Her Name Is Rio...

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Duran Duran - always have, probably always will. For those of you who didn't know, the band's new Mark Ronson produced album All You Need Is Now hits digital outlets next week with a physical release in February. I came across this remix of Rio today by Fare Soldi and it is bitchin'. LOVE it.

Holiday Cheer

I put this little Xmas mix tape together last year. It has a bunch of fun holiday music, both traditional classics and some leftfield gems too. A great soundtrack for whatever you are doing - decorating, dinner, cocktails.

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love
Christmas in Hollis: Run D.M.C. - Very Special Christmas
White Christmas - The Drifters
Happy Christmas - John & Yoko and The Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir
Merry Christmas Baby - Otis Redding
Wonderful Christmas Time - Paul McCartney
Sleigh Ride - Ella Fitzgerald
Do They Know It's Christmas? - Band Aid
Blue Christmas - The Platters
Christmas Song - The Raveonettes
Happy Christmas - The Maytals
Happy Christmas - Pretenders
The Christmas Song - Marvin Gaye
Last Christmas - George Michael
Christmas Ain't Christmas, New Years Ain't New Years Without The One You Love - The O'Jays
Christmas Time Is Here Again - The Flirtations
It's Christmas Time - Yo La Tengo
All I Want For Christmas - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Christmas Reindeer - The Knife
Soulful Christmas - James Brown
White Christmas - The Flaming Lips
Christmas Rappin' - Kurtis Blow
I Was Born on Christmas Day - Saint Etienne
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra
Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses

Beautiful Ugly

Raashan Ahmad - Beautiful Ugly
For What You've Lost
_____________

Facebook/Twitter/Myspace/Blog
Crown City Rockers

Night People

The Human League - Night People (Villa Remix)
New music from the Human League!

Indestructible

Robyn - Indestructible (A-Trak Remix)
Robyn's Body Talk album is in stores today.

Cut/Copy

Cut Copy - Take Me Over
Zonoscope

Hot Promo Action - Phenomenal Handclap Band

The Phenomenal Handclap Band - The Journey To Serra Da Estrella (Fujiya & Miyagi Remix)
Remixes
Out Now on Friendly Fire

Somebody To Love Me Redux...

Mark Ronson - Somebody To Love Me (Rhythm Plate's Jack Mix '87)

Shark Ridden Waters

Gruff Rhys - Shark Ridden Waters
Produced by Andy Votel
Hotel Shampoo
February 14th 2011
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Somebody To Love Me...

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl - Somebody To Love Me (Holy Ghost! Remix)

Deeeluuxe & Delightful...

I've been spending some quality time with Bryan Ferry's new solo album Olympia. The first few listens left me feeling a bit meh. I kept listening. Now I can say with some certainty that I like it - I like it a lot. Is it a paradigm shift in sound or style? Absolutely not. It sounds just like a Bryan Ferry or Roxy Music record should. The cast of players on it is mindbogglingly huge and ranges from old time studio pros to the hipsters of today. For starters you've got his Roxy band mates Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay and drummer Andy Newmark. Then you add Nile Rodgers & Marcus Miller. Toss in some David Gilmour, Jonny Greenwood and Flea. Add a pinch of Mani, Dave Stewart, Groove Armada & Scanner, then sprinkle with Jake Shears and Babydaddy. And of course, produced by Rhett Davies. Yowsah. And I left some people off. Suffice it to say that the record is expertly played and produced. The songs take you from the smoky back room of a club - You Can Dance showing an older Ferry getting tired of the grind - to the dance floor, with the Groove Armada collabo Shameless bringing gritty beats and bass. There are covers as per usual. Tim Buckley's Song To The Siren is nice but not as spine tingly as This Mortal Coil's. This album is probably not likely to win a lot of new fans, but old fans should be pretty happy with the results! Enjoy a few remixes...


Bryan Ferry - You Can Dance (John Monkman Remix)


Bryan Ferry - Alphaville (Leo Zero Remix)


Bryan Ferry - Shameless (Still Going Remix)


Bryan Ferry - Heartache By Numbers (Circus Parade Remix)

Welcome To The Jungle

Ruby Isle - Welcome To The Jungle
Minneapolis music legend Mark Mallman has a synth pop band called Ruby Isle. They have covered the Guns N' Roses album "Appetite For Destruction" in it's entirety. Without G N'R's approval. Sounds like drama in the making...

Read more here...

Ace Of Hz

New Ladytron single!

Hot Promo Action/ Anoraak

Anoraak - Don't Be Afraid (feat. Sally Shapiro)
Wherever The Sun Sets
Out October 26th on Naive Records

Where's Captain Kirk?

Spizzenergi - Where's Captain Kirk? (SirBilly Hobo Version Edit)

Electro Pop!

Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms (Anoraak Remix)Fader Label is reissuing Neon Indian's Psychic Chasms. There are 9 additional songs being added as Mind Cntrl: Psychic Chasms Possessed. Remixers include YACHT, Bibio, Anoraak, and Dntel. Out now on iTunes, out September 28th on CD.



Waxx Maxx - Phenomena


Maximum Balloon - Groove Me feat. Theophilus London (Alex Metric Remix)

Hot Promo Action/ Goldfrapp

Goldfrapp - Believer (Little Loud Remix)
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Goldfrapp / Little Loud

Funky Friday

Maximum Balloon - Groove Me (feat. Theophilus London) (Jneiro Jarel Remix)
Mark Ronson & The Business Intl - Bang Bang Bang (U-Tern's Disco Dub)
Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Stool Pigeon (Sir Billy Extended Edit)
Apache Beat - Another Day (Blood Diamonds Remix)
The Three Degrees - Collage (Peter Dragontail Edit)
Edwyn Collins - Losing Sleep (Instrumental)
Yeasayer - O.N.E. (Peter Dragontail Mix)
The Kleptones - Rocksteady Clash
Shit Robot - I Found Love (Edit)
The Kleptones - Gimme Gimme
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For more check out...
Peter Dragontail / Kleptones / SirBilly
Edwyn Collins / Shit Robot / Maximum Balloon
Apache Beat

Hot Promo Action/ The Concretes & Panico

Concretes - Good EveningThe Concretes are back. A new record called WYWH is coming out November 8 on Friendly Fire Recordings. After the departure of singer Victoria Bergsman, drummer Lisa Milberg has stepped up as the new vocalist. The band is also sporting a slightly new sound, one influenced by disco - dreamy and beautiful, but with a pulsing, hypnotic backbeat. With less guitar, more keyboards, more bass, deep languorous vinyl grooves, twitching percussion and some good old cowbell – but still with those trademark melodies.

Panico - Reverberation Mambo (Joakim Mix)In the "it's about damn time" category, Panico have announced the October 12 release of their new album "KICK" on Chemikal Underground. I'm a huge fan of their debut, 2005's Subliminal Kill, so I'm geeked for more. Here is a bit of their PR blurb...

Solid songs, oscillating between punk rock and indie pop, well rehearsed and played live dozens of times + A week in a great studio (Franz Ferdinand's studio in Glasgow) + A great engineer (Franz Ferdinand collaborator Paul Savage from Chemikal Underground) multiplied by cult producer Gareth Jones, the man behind legendary records from Einsturzende Neubauten, Fad Gadget, Depeche Mode, Liars & These New Puritans + Cover artwork made by Chile's greatest living artist Ivan Navarro  = An instant classic. 
'Kick' is rough, fuelled with adrenaline and psychedelia. It's also a return to Panico's roots: 90’s indie rock and shoegaze, a touch of Gang of Four’s angular edge mixed with The Horrors and a tropical twist.  Voodoo themed vocals boiling over hot garage guitars and relentless beats.

Can't wait to hear it...

Hot Promo Action/ Chromeo

Chromeo - Don't Turn The Lights On (Aeroplane Remix)
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Preorder Chromeo's new album Business Casual

Musica Electronica Mexicana

Mutantek is a musician & DJ from Guadalajara Mexico. He is part of the Mix Le Fun collective. He sent me a few tracks - a bangin' electro original and a couple of remixes, including a pretty nifty rework of Psycho Killer by Talking Heads. I like 'em, so now I pass them on to you -

Mutantek - Do It Right
Kavinsky - Nightcall (Mutantek Remix)
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer (Mutantek Remix)

Mutantek on
Twitter / MySpace / Facebook

Funky Friday

Raphael Saddiq - It's a Shame
RJD2 - A Moment Of Weakness
Caribou - Sun (Mondkopf Remix)
Lindstrom & Christabelle - Baby Can't Stop
Cassette Jam - Speed Of Light (Filthy Dukes Dub)
Hall & Oates - I Can't Go For That (Streetlab Mix)
Data - A-O (No Bungalow) (SirBilly No Bungadub Edit)
Daft Day - Phoenix Keep Pushin' (Ben Gomori Bootlegdit)
Chemical Brothers - Swoon (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas Remix)
Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (Eat More Cake Remix)

Lies Lies Lies

hopeless - Lies, Lies, Lies
hopeless is back with another great '80s cover tune. In May I posted his version of ABC's classic Tears Are Not Enough, and today I give you his take on the 1982 Thompson Twins single Lies. In his usual style he has stripped it down to bass and beats and cowbell. And as usual he has accompanied it with a great little press release/story...

Unlike my previous single, Tears Are Not Enough, I did not have the good fortune of working with the Thompson Twins. In fact they were absolutely against me making this song.

Due to the pending trial I am not legally able to discuss the whole story. What I can say is that both Tom Bailey and I were both staying at the Dorchester. I was performing in London that weekend so I decided to slum it for a couple of days. From what we know now, Tom was staying at the hotel with his wife. Apparently he saw me walking in the lobby when he tried to approach me for whatever reason. My security said he looked like a threat and then madness ensued. Lets just say Tom was rushed to the doctor, doctor and love was not was he was feeling. Check back for more info concerning my trial. In the meantime enjoy this track... don’t know how long it can stay posted....

hopeless/facebook

And here's the original...

Next Stop... Soweto Vol.3

Dennis Mpale - Orlando
Next Tuesday sees the release of Strut Records' third and final volume of the excellent Next Stop… Soweto series. The first two covered township jive and R&B and psych funk. Vol.3 is subtitled "Giants, Ministers and Makers - Jazz in South Africa 1963-1984" and it chronicles the jazz musicians who did not leave the country during the dark years of apartheid. They stayed and performed under the strict auspices of the Separate Amenities Act. The album features many South African jazz greats like saxophonist Dudu Pukwana and drummer Early Mabuza, and the potent soul jazz grooves of The Heshoo Beshoo Group and The Drive. Some of the artists created unique fusions, like Philip Tabane’s Malombo, mixing African drums and hand percussion with guitar, vocal and flute. This music is a defiant statement in the face of unimaginable cultural repression. You can't help but feel uplifted when you listen and that's a pretty remarkable feat.

Trumpeter Dennis Mpale was one of the regular players on the South African jazz scene splitting time between Cape Town and Johannesburg, and he plays in several of the outfits featured on Next Stop... Soweto Vol. 3. "Orlando" comes from an album under his own name, and is a tribute to his township.

Highly recommended!

New Music Tuesday - Paper Tiger

John Samels is Minneapolis beat maker Paper Tiger. He is one of the primary beat crafters for the Doomtree crew which includes P.O.S., Dessa and Sims. He is also Doomtree's live DJ and resident graphic designer. And somewhere in between doing all of that he has managed to find the time to record an album of his own. Made Like Us hits record stores today. It is a sweet set of hip hop tunes with nary a rapper in sight. There are vocals - a couple of tracks with Dessa and one with Maggie Morrison (singer in Lookbook), and a lot of sampled snippets too. Remember the golden days of instrumental hip hop back in the mid '90s? This record totally takes me back to those days - DJ Shadow's Endtroducing is a clear influence. Crisply programmed beats, lovely piano riffs, a hint of some '80s electro flavor and lots and lots of layers will keep you entertained. Paper Tiger has name checked Portishead as an influence and you can see that connection on some of the mellower vocal tracks like Palace. Where a lot of people have tried to recreate that DJ Shadow deepness and failed, Paper Tiger gets it right and then some. I really dig this album. Get yer headphones on and drift away...

Paper Tiger - The Bully Plank
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Paper Tiger on Twitter and Facebook

Video of Paper Tiger making beats

Funky Friday

Dave Wrangler - I'll House You x One Touch (LCD Soundsystem x Jungle Brothers)
Diplo vs. Don Diablo - Make You Pop (Don Diablo Dubstep Mix)
Tracey Thorn - Why Does The Wind? (Morgan Geist Remix)
Gary Numan - White Boys & Heroes (A.D.A.M.BABY! RMX)
Bryan Ferry - You Can Dance (Richard Sen Dub)
Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics - Electricone
M.I.A. vs. Congorock - Steppin' On Babylon
Colourbox - Manic (A.D.A.M.BABY! RMX)
N*E*R*D - Hot-N-Fun (Yeasayer Remix)
Shit Robot - I Found Love (TBD Remix)
Dragonette - Our Summer

Waxx Maxx

Waxx Maxx - Celine And Julie Go Boating
If you live in Minnesota you've probably heard of Mark Mallman. He's sort of a MN music institution. He is now part of a new band called Waxx Maxx. It is a collaboration between him on guitars and synths, singer Nicole Godiva and her sister, drummer Alyssa Brenny. If you're looking for some summery electro pop dance goodness you're in luck. Their debut song "Celine And Julie Go Boating"is a delightfully glitchy little number, and some of it is sung in French which just adds to the total chic-ness of it all. An EP is coming in November on Kindercore Records (home of Of Montreal and Maserati) and the band are going to give a away a new track a month on their website. If you live in the Twin Citie area they are playing LOL/OMG's party at the 501 Club on Thursday, August 5 with BNLX and Phantom Tails. Good stuff.

Peace Redux

Back in April I wrote a post about Spanish DJ/production team Buffetlibre. They had just put together a musical project called Peace to support Amnesty International. The deal is simple. There are over 180 songs from some established stars and a bunch of up and comers. New songs and covers in all shapes and sizes. You pay a pittance and get to download the whole lot - 320 kpbs mp3s, credits and biographies and a chance to win tickets to the best music festivals in the world. All of the money raised will be used for Amnesty International’s investigation and action campaigns aimed at preventing cases of human rights abuses around the world. The clincher here is that the project is due to end on July 12th, after which the music will be taken down. Support a good cause and get some bitchin' tunes - easy!

Here is a fair sampling to whet your appetite - indie pop, dance beats, an electro cover of the Beatles and a bit of hip hop.

Mendetz - Freed From Desire
Sally Shapiro - Hello Goodbye
Chinese Christmas Cards - Dreams
The Hidden Cameras - The Mild Mannered Army
Air France feat. Jack Wilson - Collapsing At Your Doorstep (new version)

Full track list of songs HERE...

Go on. You know you want to...

Hot Promo Action/ Murder Mystery

Murder Mystery are an up and coming NYC indie pop/rock group. They sent me an e-promo and when I read lead singer and guitarist Jeremy Coleman's descriptions of the songs I knew I had to give them a listen...

I Am If You Are "sounds to me like an unlikely collaboration between Stereolab and Madonna, layering pulsing synths, shimmering guitars and dancey percussions on a foundation of pop songwriting to create what is scientifically referred to as a “Summer Jam.” It features his sister Laura on vocals - she's the drummer too - and it is a lovely slice of shimmery electro pop.

Change My Mind "combines the instantly accessible song craft of the Cure and Belle & Sebastian with the warm, bouncy synths of Aphex Twin’s Ambient Works." This tune ditches the electro beats for real drums, and is a nice summery indie pop track.

For more check out Murder Mystery and MySpace

Funky Friday

Ratatat - Mandy
Cee-Lo - I Like It
It's A Fine Line - Do The Hot Car
M.I.A. - XXXO w/ Jay Z (Ben Allen Mix)
Bibi Tanga and The Selenites - Be Africa
Foals - Spanish Sahara (BangaTang Remix)
Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It (SirBilly Space Dub Rework)
TC James & The Fist O'Funk - Get Up On Your Feet (Walter Gibbons Mix)

Cee-Lo Hits You With Stray Bullets

Cee-Lo has a new album coming out soon. This is not it. This is a "mixtape" that has surfaced on teh interwebs recently. It is fabulously good fun. Samples from Heart. Check! Samples of Nick Cave? Check! Guest appearances by The B-52s, Teddy Bears and Goodie Mob? Check! The music on this is seriously all over the place - funk, pop, rock and hip hop mash up against chanson and '60s cinema music. I love Cee - he has a great, soulful voice and a sense of humor too. This will help you get your weekend off to a great start!

Cee-Lo's Stray Bullets Mixtape
Tracklisting
01. Goldschläger (Produced by The Grey Area)
02. You Don’t Shock Me Anymore (Produced by The Grey Area)
03. Cho Cha the Cat (with the B-52’s) (Produced by The Teddy Bears)
04. I Like It (Produced by The Grey Area)
05. Little Black Book (Produced by The Grey Area)
06. Talking To Strangers (Produced by The Grey Area)
07. ChamPain (Produced by Doc & The Grey Area)
08. Night Train (with the Goodie Mob) (Produced by The Grey Area & Anthony Kronfle)
09. The Secret (Produced by The Grey Area)
10. Sophistic@ted B!$ch (Produced by The Grey Area)
11. I’ll Kill Her (feat. ME & LOnan the Destroyer) (Produced by ?????)
12. Is It _ (Produced by The Grey Area)
13. Super Woman Theme Song (Produced by The Grey Area)
14. Night Cap Outro (One Last Shot of Goldschläger) (Produced by The Grey Area)

MPLS/ Byzantine Beatbox

Byzantine Beatbox - River Crossing
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A lovely bit of instrumental goodness from Christian Erickson aka Byzantine Beatbox. Synths abound on this warm bit of downtempo - a kinder, gentler, less shoe-gazy Ulrich Schnauss if you will. Perfect warm, summertime evening-with-a-drink listening. Brought to you by the always excellent Minneapolis label Susstones.

Zol!

World Cup 2010 gets under way tomorrow. South Africa is the host this year, and the first African nation to host it. The largest sporting event in the world gets moderate buzz here in the US - futbol has never quite caught on in this country. I am excited to watch some of it - I will be watching Team USA take on England on Saturday afternoon. One of the side effects of the event is the barrage of football themed music. Countries have theme songs, often including players singing. This year's official theme song is Waving Flag by K'naan, and Shakira is scheduled to perform at the opening ceremonies. BLK JKS are South Africa's rising indie rock export and a SIART fave. They have new EP out this week called Zol!. The title track is (and this part is taken from the sticker on the front of the CD) "the grassroots street anthem to the World Cup, a township futbol chant set to a head-bobbing kwaito beat and bass line, as lyrical guitar work takes the party higher. With Zol! we find BLK JKS hosting a house party for the world." And it is fantastically groovy, transporting you right to the township from where it sprang. THIS should have been the official theme.
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BLK JKS - Zol! on Hypem

My '80s Remastered - Disintegration

Among the stack of new releases this week is the deluxe 3 disc edition of The Cure's Disintegration. Curated by Robert Smith, the original album has been remastered, and the result is impressive - the overall sound much punchier and cleaner. The second disc is of demos and previously unreleased tracks and the third disc is Entreat, a live concert performance of the album, expanded to include a few extra tracks and resequenced to mirror the original album's track list.

Originally released in 1989, Disintegration came hot on the heels of the band's most successful forays into the realm of pop, 1985's The Head On The Door and 1987's Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me. Where they were eclectic and poptastic, Disintegration bent back inward, all gloomy introspection - Robert's attempt at creating something "autumnal". It was a personal reaction to success, and one that was aided by Robert's use of hallucinogens. I must admit that at the time it came out I was unimpressed by it. I considered it a step backwards - I loved it's two predecessors so much because they moved the band into a new direction, and here they were getting all gloomy again. I never bought it. I heard it a lot - friends played it and, despite it's dour moodiness, radio embraced it. The singles were huge - Lovesong, Fascination Street and Lullaby - and the record a major success, the band's biggest seller ever. This remaster has been a delightful rediscovery for me - in my old age I am much more impressed by it than I was at the time! This set is probably not for the casual fan - most of them won't want to hear the demo stuff - but those of you who are big fans will enjoy seeing the progression of these songs from demo to the stage.
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The Cure - Lovesong (Demo)
The Cure - Lovesong
The Cure - Lovesong (Live)
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BUY IT NOW

Funky Friday

It's a mini Funky Friday today, with a few select jams that have been stuck in my head this week and I'm sure will get you groovin'.

Little Dragon - Blinking Pigs
Gotan Project - Panamericana
Flying Lotus - Do The Astral Plane
Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek - Back Again feat. RES
Janelle Monáe - Tightrope (Featuring Big Boi)

Tears For Souvenirs

hopeless - Tears Are Not Enoughhopeless sent me this fun cover he did of the ABC classic. It was their debut single back in 1981, and is a horny JBs style funk pop tune with a side of gold lamé. I loved it the first time I heard it and rushed out to buy the 7", and so began a long love affair with Martin Fry and co. hopeless delivers a crunchy, shouty stomper, stripping it down to the bare bones - beats, bass and buzz. I didn't like it at first, but it has grown on me and now I get a kick out of it. I love it when somebody covers a tune in a unique way (hello Stereo Total!), and this fits the bill.

The accompanying bit of press release is also quite entertaining...

So I was flying first class as I usually do, and of all people Martin Fry sat down next to me. For those of you who don't know Martin Fry, he is the lead singer of ABC. At first I was not to pleased. Obviously he knows who I am and I really didn't want to be bothered at all. I missed my connecting flight back to Hawaii and was stuck at the airport's first class lounge for at least a half an hour. Grueling, I know.

I tried my best to cover my face but within the first five minutes of sitting down he recognized me. The last thing I need at this point is praise, I'm only human for crying out loud. Needless to say after we got to talking we both thought it would be a good idea for me to put a new spin of one of his songs. He told me that he felt I could put down the anger and torment that he was looking to capture in Tears Are Not Enough, and being a fan of the song myself, I said, "Yo Martin, no doubt. Let's do this shit son!".

Delightful!

Funky Friday

Fizunk fer yer Friziday.After a brief break funky Friday is back. You got your mash up courtesy of The Slips. You've got your your groovy remixes of songs old and new - Valerna vs. The Cars/Passion Pit vs. Tokyo Police Club/Don Diablo vs. Kaz & Macy/Justin Robertson vs. Erol & Boyz Noize. Tasty Afro disco? Buari hits the spot. How about a slice of Bollywood heaven via NYC's stellar Avramina 7, led by trumpeter Michael Leonhart? A killer band with a great album (Seahorse & The Storyteller) - one of my faves of the year so far. Throw in a new tune from Mock & Toof, a slab of Black Devil Disco dub, a drumcentric remix of Caribou and your party play list is complete. Press play and let your feet do the rest.

Beastie Boys vs. Deadmau5 - Fight For Your Right 2 Deadmau5 (The Slips Mash Up)
Boys Noize & Erol Alkan - Lemonade (Justin Robertson's Deadstock 33's Remix)
Tokyo Police Club - Wait Up (Boots Of Danger) (Passion Pit Remix)
Kaz James ft. Macy Gray - Can't Hold Back (Don Diablo Remix)
Caribou - Odessa (David Wrench's Drumapella)
Michael Leonhart & The Avramina 7 - Jaipur
The Cars - Moving in Stereo (Valerna Remix)
Mock & Toof - Farewell To Wendo
Black Devil Disco - Never No Dub
Buari - Advice From Father

Best. Cover Version. Ever.

Stereo Total - Tour de France

Stereo Total, je t'aime! Your new album Baby Ouh! is full of all of the things I love about you. Songs in a multitude of languages. Cheesy synths! Scruffy, scrappy lo-fi production. Lyrical lewdness! Wacky subject matter - see I Wanna Be A Mama. Stylistic Anarchy Rules! The Original Upper Kreuzberg Nose Flute Orchestra! And cover versions. I love their covers - they are unafraid to make them their own, and they are almost always a blast. This latest is no exception. - they cover Willie Dixon, Brigitte Fontaine, Pedro Almodovar (!) and Kraftwerk. Feel the power of Trans Europe Express, and if it can't bring a smile to your face fuhgeddaboutit!

Funky Friday

BEATS FOR YOUR FEETS.
A variety of styles to fit all moods, as long as they're funky.

Yoko Ono - Give Me Something (Junior Boys Remix)
Eighth Wonder - I'm Not Scared (SirBilly Re-Dub)
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer (Streetlab Remix)
I'm Not A Band - Crazy (BORRACHO Remixx)
Via Tania - Fields (The Juan MacLean Remix)
Funki Porcini - This Ain't The Way To Live
Midnight Juggernauts - Get Connected
Sia - Clap Your Hands (Diplo Mix)
Prins Thomas - Orkenvandring
The Knocks - Blackout

MSP/ Communist Daughter

Communist Daughter - Not The Kid
Communist Daughter are a Minnesota folkie-indie rock band. Their debut album Soundtrack To the End was released a few weeks ago on Grain Belt Records. It is an album born of pain, addiction, heartbreak and prison time. Singer John Solomon used to front local heroes Friends Like These, until a couple of years ago when he had had enough and he broke up the band. He moved to a small town in Wisconsin, bought a restaurant and worked at getting his shit together. A while back he began inviting musical friends over to jam on songs, and Communist Daughter was born - named after a Neutral Milk Hotel song. They made an instant impact on the local scene, and are poised to try and take it national. Their album is great. It has quiet, dreamy introspective moments, full of lovely folksy harmonizing. There are electric rockers, full of riffs and swirly synths. John's voice is reminiscent of Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan, and his lyrics are as sharp as the record's hooks and subtle melodies. Not The Kid chugs along on a T.Rex-ish riff, features lovely chiming keys and strummy guitars, and reminisces about childhood memories gone by. Lovely. You can stream the rest of the record on the band's Myspace. Worth checking out.

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FYI - if you're wondering what the significance of MSP in the title of this post is - it is the airport abbreviation for Minneapolis/St. Paul. If you see it in the future you'll know you're about to hear some Minnesota music...

R.I.P. Guru

SIART is very sad to learn of the passing of hip hop icon Guru (Keith Elam), formerly of seminal '90s duo Gang Starr. He had been fighting cancer (and had kept his fight secret from fans) and recently suffered a heart attack that put him in a coma. He was 47. Before he died he wrote a letter to his fans which you can read here. Back in the '90s Guru's music was a big part of my musical diet, from his stuff with Gang Starr to the 4 Jazzmatazz albums. I loved his laid back and sleepy flow - it was a unique voice in hip hop. He brought so many great artists together on the Jazzmatazz projects, and exposed a whole new generation to some jazz greats. His creativity will be missed. Today I offer two of my favorites, one from Gang Starr's 1994 LP Hard To Earn and one from 1993's Jazzmatazz Volume:1.

Gang Starr - Mass Appeal
Guru feat. N'dea Davenport - Trust Me

Air

So I'm Jo - Air
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SIART is a big fan of the Sydney, Australia duo So I'm Jo - I featured several of their songs last year. Damon & Glen craft sweet electro pop with loads of atmosphere - "accessible song based tunes ready made for the ballroom or bedroom". Their music puts me in the mind of Junior Boys or Metro Area or Zoot Woman. They've sent me a tasty new track to share with you, the lucky reader, and a brief message - "We're busy working on an EP but thought we'd share this tune with you called Air. We've been playing it live since the backend of last year but never really put it out there, let's see how we go. We'll be playing gigs again around July."
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So I'm Jo on Facebook - be their fan!

Funky Friday

Time to put the funk in your Friday.
These are the jams that will get your weekend grooving.
Enjoy the soundtrack...

Charlotte Gainsbourg - Time of the Assassins (Matthew Dear Remix)
Architeq feat. Ilija Rudman - Mind Games (Vinyl Version)
David Gamson - No Turn On Red (Fat Camp Version)
The Andrew Allsgood Experience - Macho Wizard
The Third Degree - Mercy (Greg Wilson Version)
Ladytron - Predict The Day (Grey Ghost Remix)
Bryan Ferry - In Crowd (West End Wolf Mix)
Lindstrom - Paaskelyd (Bottin Remix)
Caribou - Sun (Mondkopf Remix)
J Dilla - The Safety Dance