Socialite Death Squad

The Idle Hands - Socialite Death Squad
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My favorite Twin Cities band The Idle Hands are springing back into action with a new EP, Life Is Beautiful. Fans of Brit pop and danceable indie rock should check these guys out.

The Pretty Kids Collective / Twitter / Facebook

Blue Tip

The Cars - Blue Tip
Move Like This
Out May 2011

Funky Friday - Old School Jams

Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up (COPYCAT'S Slight Re-edit)
Sugarhill Gang - Rappers Delight (COPYCAT'S Re-edit)
The O'Jays - For The Love Of Money (COPYCAT'S Re-edit)
Kurtis Blow - The Breaks (COPYCAT'S Slight Re-edit)
De La Soul - Say No Go (COPYCAT'S Slight Re-edit)
Herbie Hancock - Rockit 2.002 (COPYCAT'S Slight Re-edit)
Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel - White Lines (COPYCAT's Re-edit)

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We Could Have Had It All

Adele - Rolling In The Deep (Cousin Cole Remix)

Mouthful of Diamonds

My current music crush is Phantogram, a duo from Saratoga Springs NY consisting of guitarist Josh Carter and keyboardist Sarah Barthel. Their debut album Eyelid Movies originally came out November of 2009, then got reissued in February of 2010 by Barsuk and Ghostly International. Somehow I completely missed them on my usually trusty muso-radar. In December my brother posted his top records of the year, and there was Phantogram. I jumped to the Googles and YouTubes and it became apparent this was a band I needed to hear. Their music is a deft combination of electronics and rock. There are beats aplenty, and boatloads of memorable guitar riffs, all bathed in warm synth. Both sing, sometimes alone, other times in harmony. They mix moments of deep psychedelia with lush pop and even a bit of shoegaze-y goodness. I love 'em. The cool performance clip is from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - featuring ?love on drums! Then listen to a great remix by Alan Wilkis which turns the song into a pop-tastic dancefloor track. Then check out the cover by fellow New Yorker John Brodeur, which he recorded in honor of his friends' TV debut.

Phantogram - Mouthful of Diamonds (Alan Wilkis Remix)

John Brodeur - Mouthful of Diamonds

Hot Promo Action/ Moving Units

Moving Units - Pink RedemptionOne of my favorite bands to came out of the oughties' post-punk rebirth movement was Moving Units. I was a huge fan of their debut album, 2004's Dangerous Dreams. Taut grooves, snotty guitars and danceable beats made it an oft played record that year. 2007's Hexes For Exes further refined their style. Now they are poised to return, releasing a new EP, Tension War on Valentine's Day. The first taste is Pink Redemption, a reworking of Hexes' first track Pink Thoughts. The result is a dubbier, funkier take. Can't wait to hear more...

My '80s Remastered - Pigbag

Born from jam sessions in the aftermath of punk, Pigbag gathered steam after convincing Simon Underwood to join the fun following his departure from The Pop Group. The band signed to Dick O’Dell’s Y Records. Their first single was 1981's instrumental classic called “Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag”, a stonking tight groove with skronky horns and a title that gave a "wink, wink" to James Brown. It stormed the charts, getting to #3 in the UK. I lived in the UK at the time, and became an instant fan - that's my copy of the 45 in the picture above. They continued to record but were never quite able to match the success of their debut single. Now Fire Records has compiled a two-disc set called "Pigbag Volume One and Pigbag Volume Two" that combines their debut album Dr. Heckle & Mr. Jive with a second disc or 12" versions, b-sides and live takes. It has been remastered and the result is fab, mixing punk, funk, jazz, ska, reggae and afrobeat into a heady, edgy brew. It is amazing to hear how well this stuff holds up today!

Pigbag - Papas Got A Brand New Pigbag (7" version)

Emerald, Sapphire, Gold

ESG - Dance To The Beat Of My Moody
London’s Fire Records has released a great two-disc compilation - Dance To The Best of ESG - from New York's legendary punk/funk family band ESG (Emerald, Sapphire and Gold.) Covering their earliest Martin Hannett produced tracks such as "Moody" and "UFO" right through their latest releases from the oughties, this compilation leans heavily on the foundation that made them one of the most sampled artists of all-time. A list of artists who sampled them? TLC, the Wu-Tang Clan, the Beastie Boys, Big Daddy Kane, Gang Starr, Tricky, Jay-Dee (J-Dilla) and indie rockers like Unrest and Liars. I'm a huge fan of their tight, minimal grooves. Over the last decade Soul Jazz records has reissued most of their albums, as well as the new music they recorded in the early 2000's. I own them all. This compilation is a great introduction for those of you who have never heard their post-punk funkiness but are curious. Highly recommended!

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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