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

Buffetlibre + Amnesty Intl. = Peace

Welcome to PEACE, the first music atlas on the net. A co-production of Spanish DJ/production outfit Buffetlibre and Amnesty International Catalunya, it features 180 exclusive new songs by artists from more than 50 countries. It is as simple as this - just make your donation and download the full mp3 compilation. The collected money will be used for Amnesty’s investigation and action campaigns aimed at preventing cases of human rights abuses around the world. The line-up is pretty spectacular, with tunes from a some big names and a bunch of artists you haven't heard yet. SIART highly recommends checking this out. Here is a small sampling to whet your appetite before checking out the full feast!

Dubstar - I'm In Love With A German Film Star
(Passions cover)
Marc Almond - Dead Eyed Child
Patrick Wolf - Army Dreamers
(Kate Bush cover)
Tahiti 80 - Crack Up

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I'm From Barcelona - Anywhere You Looked (Au Revoir Simone cover)

New Music Tuesday

New Young Pony Club has finally gotten around to following their great 2007 album Fantastic Playground. The new album is called The Optimist, and it is available digitally as of today. The band have self produced and released it themselves in Europe and PIAS are helping them get it out to the rest of the world. Their debut was a nice mix of disco and post-punk riffing, mostly a blueprint ripped from the early '80s, topped off with Ty Bulmer's sassy/snotty vocal stylings. With The Optimist they pretty much pick up where they left off - big beats, shiny riffs, loads of funktastic bass and catchy songs all over the place. It has a grittier edge to it, and is more of an adult pop record than the last one. I really like it. The band have offered up a bonus track to share with you, a Ty Bulmer remix of the album track We Want To. It's a tasty death-disco romp - enjoy!

New Young Pony Club - We Want 2