I realize it’s been a while. And I do apologize. I went to New York to visit a friend and there are pictures and events that must be covered but right now I’m in the midst of the fieriest cleaning frenzy this side of the Mississippi. So here’s some music to check out. It simply will have to do.

Golden Silvers:

A band from London signed to independent record label XL. The line-up consists of vocalist and keyboardist Gwilym Gold, Ben Moorhouse on bass guitar, and Robden Alexis Nunez on drums.

By the way, how much do you love the name Gwilym? Yeah, me too.

Anyway, their debut album “True Romance” came out in April of 2009 and it makes me feel warm inside. The best way I can describe their sound (especially in the track Arrows of Eros) is a marriage between the bands of The Clash and Cut Copy. If you don’t agree, then you don’t know those bands. It’s actually very very Clash-esque, which is righteous because they happen to be one of my favorite bands.  It works. You can dance to it, it’s not terribly deep, but it could make you happy on a lonesome day. Yay Go Golden Silvers.

Juan Maclean Myspace

It’s 2008 all over again, bitches. Não podia estar mais sensacional /o/

Any track starting with the rally cry of “Launch me into spaaaaaaaace!” – deserves a place on the Space Dust shuttle – I think!

The Juan Maclean already established classic from the summer – “Happy House” – gets the once-over from Australia’s finest – Cut Copy.

There’s already been a minor sea of mixes of “Happy House” providing sonic goodness for almost any floor no matter what taste, so you could raise the question weither this actually really needed an update ?

Nevertheless – Cut Copy delivers a superior job by keeping the driving piano line intact, and sending The Juan Maclean further into space on a shimmering Disco rocket with the rally cry repeated endlessly over a Boogie-fied Studio 54 soundtrack.

If you’re not already in Space – there’s a fair chance you will be!

MP3: The Juan Maclean – Happy House (Cut Copy Space Is The Place Remix)

Its been a little while since I posted my last 1000 minutes entry. I think it got to the stage where I’d started to worry I was just picking tracks for the sake of it. I’d love to say that the break helped the situation, it didn’t. Still not sure what this is all about? Click HERE.

In this post I’ve decided to go in a slightly different direction and focus on one artist. Normally this would be quite a difficult task to achieve, but when the artist in question is Cut Copy, it was pretty simple.

It just so happens that my highest rated tracks by Cut Copy fall on three different releases, for the sake of organisation I’ve listed them in order of release date. Starting with their now rare ‘I thought of numbers’ E.P, followed by ‘Bright Like Neon Love’ and closing with their latest album, ‘In Ghost Colours’.

Enjoy…

76. Cut Copy – Rendezvous [5:18] [time remaining 716:36] (Drop Io) (Alt Link YSI)

77. Cut Copy - Future [5:12] [time remaining 711:24] (Drop Io) (Alt Link YSI)

78. Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire [4:53] [time remaining 707:31] (Drop Io) (Alt Link YSI)

tbc…

x

I loooove hula hooping! I also loooove music! Combine these 2 and there you’ll have my reason to wake up and get moving around. Hula hooping makes me dig through my collection and listen to songs I had other wise forgotten about through the years.  So, If anyone is looking for ideas, check these out. Feel free to share your faves with me as well… I’m always looking for new jams!

1. Divine by Sebastien Tellier
2. Blood from a Stone by Hanne Hukkelberg
3. What the World Is Wating For by Stone Roses
4. World Clique by Deee-Lite
5. Digital Love by Daft Punk
6. French Navy by Camera Obscura
7. Back That Thang Up by Juvenile
8. Divine Hammer by Breeders
9. Earth Intruders by Bjork
10. Freakshow by Cure
11. Do It To It by Fannypack
12. I’m Good, I’m Gone by Lykke Li
13. Around the World (intro, rumba) by Senor Coconut & His Orchestra
14. Saturdays by Cut Copy
15. No Pussy Blues by Grinderman
16. Room to Breathe by Hangar 18
17. Margaya by The Fender Four
18. Close Your Eyes by Ian McCulloch
19. The Dream Machine by Sukia
20. Everything’s Fine by Adorable
21. Inclined to Vomit by Adult.
22. Egg Man by Beastie Boys
23. En Particulier by Blonde Redhead
24. Strange Fruit by Catherine Wheel
25. Beef Jerky by Cibo Matto

Tou a gostar muito do ultimo albúm destes gajos: In Ghost Colours

It has been known since the invention of the first bone flute by the cavemen that music is a great addition to sex. It can make one go faster, slower, get in the mood and of course fake a headache using the loud noise as an excuse for avoiding intercourse. I for one prefer songs that make me more aware of all my senses.

With that thought in mind, I searched my I-pod for the best songs to feel more sensual when having sex. Here’s my list:

• The xx – Crystalised
• Bat for Lashes – Daniel
• Coco – Drain You
• PJ Harvey – Catherine
• La Roux – Cover My Eyes
• Cut Copy – Saturdays

Here’s the video for Crystalised:

The list is given. If you’re ever having sex with me, you know how to proceed.

Knightlife have been on the scene for a little while now. These chaps from Melbourne piggy backed on Cut Copy’s success and rode the wave. After dropping I EP last year, they’ve released their (appropriately titled) II EP a month back. This 3 track doozy is just deadly.

Rating: 5/5

ym.

MP3/Myspace:

• http://www.myspace.com/dancewithknightlife
• Knightlife – II (2009)

Michael David and Tyler Blake forming the duo Classixx have done it again and surpassed expectations of their new remix of Drop The Lime’s “Devil’s Eyes”. The tune seems quite minimal in it’s form which enhances the vocals significantly leaving the listener quite contented. All in all it’s some beautiful work by the pair and the best remix of this track by far. They are touring Europe at the moment and seeing as they were in Australia at the start of the year it’s unlikely we will see them anytime soon but keep hoping.

DROP THE LIME – DEVIL’S EYES (CLASSIXX B-LIVE REMIX)

BONUS

CUT COPY – SO HAUNTED (KNIGHTLIFES SUN-SOAKED REPRISE REMIX)

TOBY TOBIAS – IN YOUR EYES (TENSNAKE REMIX)

by: christow

On November 9th here in San Francisco the season finally seems to have changed. For those unfamiliar, the city tends to have autumn summers year in and year out. Now the sun is going down earlier, the temperature has dipped a few degrees and Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

Currently we are working on adding some new writers to the blog and also upgrading the layout. I have some things in mind for the upgrade but also feel free to leave a comment or a suggestion on things you want to see in the blog.

Download – Unforgettable Season

First off, I am sorry for my leave of absence from the blog world.  It has been a strange couple of past weeks.  Kinda goes like this, although not exactly in this order.  Binge, binge, hangover, work with hangover, binge, double shot of jager with a beer chaser, binge, birthday, more jager, more beer, oh hello crown royal, hangover, binge halloween, binge, and… Well ya get the picture.

-

Secondly here is some tracks I have been lovin in the middle of all that.  They are all across the board on selection.  Seems appropriate.

-

Bad Vein – Gold and Warm

Sunset Rubdown – Idiot Heart

Delphic – Counterpoint (Delphic’s En Route Mix)

Designer Drugs – Drop Down

Empire Of the Sun – Standing On the Shore (Lifelike Remix)

Fabian – Gilourni

Cut Copy – Far Away (Bag Raiders Remix)

Kasper Bjorke – Young Again (WhoMadeWho Tomboy Edit)

Back in May 2008 I wrote a review of a Cut Copy concert for TheRetrospective, a music, arts and culture blog based out of Boston and San Francisco. A mutual friend had introduced me to Gitamba, owner of the site, a few weeks earlier and he encouraged me to send along any music reviews and articles I wrote.

The full article at TheRetrospective

Oh, Halloween. A time for people to dress up in revealing, witty, or fantastic costumes that they have clearly put an extensive amount of time into! Halloween and Christmas are my favorite holidays, but they differ greatly in why I adore them. Halloween is clearly, though, a happier occasion. It’s not only a lack of family gatherings that makes Halloween a top holiday though.

1. You go to houses, knock on the door, and people GIVE YOU FREE CANDY.
2. Then you get to trade candy, and have enough to last you until easter.
3. Economic Tip: bring Halloween candy to the movies, you will save your self at least $3.75 and will have a more diverse array of candies with you.
4. For a night everything is a little bit more magic.


5. It’s all about FUN ! Especially at college, it’s a PARTY that everyone is invited to. A time to make friends, a time for shy Freshman to feel included and be welcomed by Seniors. It’s a great bonding time all over.
6. THERE WILL BE DANCING.
7. All the creativity seeps into the rest of your life.
Wildcat: Ratatat
Hearts on Fire: Cut Copy
Lights And Music (Moulinex Remix): Cut Copy

Clearly I am Max from “Where the Wild Things Are,” if you didn’t catch on quite yet. I hope your Halloween is a WILD RUMPUS all on its own! I would love to hear how YOUR Halloween went or why you think Halloween is the best Holiday.

(just before november starts)

cut copy :: in ghost colours

eternity one night only

“The city really loves you, baby
But the city never really does
The feeling of corruption stays and
And, then you think about the things you’ve lost”

Their sound has been described as “a rock version of Underworld” and reminds listeners of acts such as Cut Copy and Depeche Mode. Upon reading that, I had to take a listen to this track by the pride of Denmark, Spleen United.  I must say I was rather impressed and can hear the Underworld influence in the track called Suburbia. To me, the influence manifests itself not only in the sound but the overall attitude of the song. It simply jumps out at you and doesn’t let go.

The single was just released last week and appears on the band’s new record entitled Neanderthal which was originally released last February but appears to be getting the reissue treatment to a wider audience. A good thing to be sure because I like what I hear from these boys and they deserve to have more people hear them.

Spleen United on MySpace

“Suburbia” by Spleen United, taken from the Popantipop release, “Neanderthal”

Oh thank god it is the weekend.  One more night of work and I get a day to myself.  I love having Sundays off.  Spend time with the fam and troll around the internet to find new music.  One more night.  Hope everyone is having a good weekend themselves.  Here are some weekend beats for ya.

-

Demon – Happy Therapy (Lifelike Remix)

Munk – Back Down (Cut Copy Jackmaster Remix)

Vega - Well Known Pleasures EP

As a kid I grew up button-mashing loads of Hadōkens and Shōryū-kentos while playing Street Fighter. This abundant exposure to the game left me associating the name Vega to that annoying suave spanish character from the game.  In effect to this, I’ve always stayed away from any artist named Vega(I realize this makes no sense). Today, I’m glad to announce that I’ve ended this trend.  Seduced by his album artwork, I decided to give Vega‘ a chance by giving Well Known Pleasures a listen and I’m glad I did.

The EP dates back to this Summer and I’m surprised that it hasn’t received more attention.  Well Known Pleasures is a dreamy and refined album that will bring back that feeling you had when you first listen to In Ghost Colours.  Vega uses a variety effects like reverbs and filters throughout the EP give the songs energy that will have you subtly head-bobbing before you know it. You’ll have this one on repeat. Rating and MP3’s after the jump.

Rating:

• 4/5 – Helps Vega reach beyond Street Fighter.

MP3:

• Vega – No Reasons
• Vega – Well Known Pleasures
• http://www.myspace.com/vegavisions

feel like i’m melting away. tonite is part one. tomorrow will include more remixes from emperor machine, holy ghost, morgan geist, yacht and a new heartsrevolution track. so stay tuned will ya?

___________

のように私を溶かしている感じている。雷薬パート1です。明日は天皇のマシンからより多くのリミックスが含まれる、せいれい、モルガンガイスト、ヨット、新しいheartsrevolutionを追跡します。ので、しばらくお待ちしてよ？ iも日本語で話して開始されます。

the phenomenal handclap band – you’ll disappear (horse meat disco remix)

munk – you never see me back down (cut copy remix)

annie – my love is better (emperor machine vocal mix)

they came from the stars, i saw them – signals (emperor machine vocal remix)

部分は、明日2参照してください！

-bv-

does this song get old!

Cut Copy does good!

Miami Horror – Sometimes (zshare)

off their upcoming album ‘Illumination’, which is due early 2010.

Justice at one point described Midnight Juggernauts as their “new favourite band”.

That endorsement from their former touring-mates, along with sensational single Shadows, were enough to catapult the Juggernauts into the highest echelons of the blogosphere a couple years ago. Since then, the genre of music for white people who like to dance has continued to explode, despite Pitchfork’s less than glowing review of the band’s 2007 debut album.

Still, the Melbourne duo (who are basically Cutcopy’s brother from a different mother) are back with a vengeance, recently releasing the video to the lead single off their upcoming sophomore LP, This New Technology.

One of the drug-trippiest clips I’ve seen in years, This New Technology (a titular track) shows some musical maturity from the Juggernauts by, ironically, harkening back to 80’s acts like Electric Light Orchestra and an incredibly catchy organ/guitar back-and-forth throughout the verses.

Lead singer Vincent Vendetta (for real) also seems much more confident on Technology, perhaps emboldened by the litre of LSD he must have done before recording it and storyboarding the song’s kaleidoscope video. Watch after the jump.

1.We Need A Change- ”Follow me and I’ll Follow you” .

2.Golden Cage- Reminds me of sunrise after a night of drinking with friends- soundtrack for the walk of shame. 

3. You Know Me Better- Pure talent effortless cool- plus it has a  great video.

4.Remind Me- Subway tunes, lyrics keep me sane when I’m running in the Rat Race.

5. I’d Rather Dance With You- Great guitar,  rare mix of  one of the most brutally honest songs.

6. Hurricane Jane- So unpolished and uncomfortable with their talent, I can’t help to love them.

7.Saturdays- Cut Copy released their album in 2001 and failed miserably, but after millions of internet downloads in 2007 the record company  reissued the album and they became the darlings of the synthed up, 80’s sampled retro futuristic pumping out of  ipods of every self-respecting hipster. 

8.Paper Planes- There is a little hustler in all of us, sometimes you just got to roll with it and let it out…

**Hidden Track : Tigers In The Fire- “I can live life hanging by a string/I can do anything so don’t bother me”

enjoy_

_ d a v i d

Sliding behind the stage colors of CUT COPY at THE MASQUERADE in ATLANTA, GA, I followed Matt of MATT AND KIM to their Kim-decorated van for an interview after their opening set.

Both Kim and Matt are just as cheery in life as they are on stage. Kim was visiting with some of her old Atlanta friends, so Matt was kind enough to chat with me. We talked about the making of their music videos, pop-up posters, and their obsession with dogs. Most importantly, Matt taught me about the importance of having haters in your life.

Full Transcript: (Audio)

Nichole Bennett: Cool, I’m Nichole. I’m here with Matt, half of Matt and Kim. Thank you so much for joining us.
Matt Johnson: My pleasure.
NB: They just put on a rocking set here at The Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia opening for Cut Copy. It was really rad.
MJ: This place is cool. It feels like warehouse style shows in Brooklyn.
NB: Did you know that each of the levels have a name?
MJ: I heard there was Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory.
NB: Yeah, you guys just played in Heaven.
MJ: Oh really? Yeah it was weird. We were handed all that press for The Haunting, this movie. I don’t know.
NB: You have a notebook?
MJ: I got a notebook! It’s a sweet deal, right? But they had a card that was about…last night we were over at The Drunken Unicorn…on one of the these cards on the back it said that this place was haunted and it’s been falling apart. I was like, “Oh damnit, we gotta go there tomorrow.”
NB: They always say that they are no longer going to have shows. They always say it’s going to collapse, and sometimes it feels like it might.
MJ: The way the equipment goes up and down is so bizarre. Did you see that lift? The way to get everyone’s stuff upstairs…there’s this weird, really janky thing that’s on two wires. I don’t know about that.
NB: So if you were to describe the story of Matt and Kim, or at least the Matt story, would it be a graphic novel or a pop up book?
MJ: I’d say pop-up book only because I’m much more familiar with pop-up books. Actually we’ve been very intrigued by pop-up books. One of the first projects Kim and I did together, before we even tried playing music was that we used to make rock show posters for our friends’ bands in New York that were all pop-up, that had pop-up elements. You could open windows or spin little dials and things like that, and they were all silkscreened. They were awesome except that they would get stolen the first day you put them up. They were a lot of work for the look.
NB: That would be cool for house shows.
MJ: Yeah, depending on the spot. We also didn’t realize that if you put posters up on the street in Brooklyn, it’s a crime. So the cops busted us the first poster.
NB: Man, I didn’t know that. I saw posters all over New York.
MJ: Yeah people, do it, but…
NB: Underground poster putter-uppers. Do you guys ever read your own reviews?
MJ: Well, to begin with, I did. Because when we first started getting reviews and things like that, I was very intrigued. But the thing is we’d get a good review…we’d get band of the week on some website or whatever and then the comments would be hundreds of just haters.
NB: Yeah, only haters comment.
MJ: Yeah those are the ones you want to read. You just want the drama. The nice ones are boring. But all the same, it’s weird because we put so much of ourselves and so much of our time, you know all of our time, into doing this. And it’s not just like hating on the band, it’s like hating on us. But it’s one of those things now. Now Kim gets upset when there’s not enough hate comments. Like on Brooklyn Vegan, it’s the most talked about bands that get the most hate. I realized this when I was looking at an issue of Spin magazine, and it was the reader-voted best and worst bands of 2007 maybe. The lists were almost exactly the same. I think My Chemical Romance was number one on it. They were reader voted best band and reader voted worst band. The list was like exactly the same. Whoever was talked about the most was the most hated and the most liked, whoever was talked about the second most… So, we actually saw a Katt Williams sketch or it’s his standup act. It was actually from here in Atlanta, and he talked about needing haters. “If you only have 15 haters now, you should try to have 20 by summertime.”
NB: I think I’m learning that too. It’s kind of weird the way the internet treats music. It’s kind of an A.D.D. musicality, where you’re like “I’m going to hop on the Hypemachine and see what’s popular this week.” But hate, that’s the key I guess.
MJ: I don’t know. We’ve gone and embraced it. But all the same, it kind of cuts a little deep for me. So I decided it would just be easier to not read it.
NB: How would you describe your sound to maybe a five year old?
MJ: To a five year old? Well, it’s funny because before the band, Kim was a nanny. At the time, I think they were three and four. Now they’re about six and five, but we still go and visit those girls all the time. They’re awesome. They’re the first thing that made me understand parenting. Like, why would anyone want to be a parent? And these two girls are just so cool. And they also love Matt and Kim. I don’t know…how would I describe? Parents come and tell me that they and their kids sing and dance to it. I think it’s funny because the parents like it, and they come to our shows and talk about their kids liking it. So, I think it’s like a sing-along dance party.
NB: That’s a good one. It’s one of the few bands like that.
MJ: Yeah, on the end of the first album, the last track is just us in the studio. I was sick, so I was taking nasal spray and other cold medicines just to keep my nose clear, and I was totally flying on a kite of cold medicine. But it’s just us talking because we were thinking of starting the album with…because we used to always start our shows with “This is Kim and I’m Matt, and we’re Matt and Kim.” But it’s that, and I swear or something. And Kim says, “You can’t swear, Chloe’s going to hear this.” Just because of those two girls she used to nanny she didn’t want us to swear on the album.
NB: Our radio listeners can’t see this, but we are in a magnificent super red van.
MJ: Super red yes!
NB: Oh, is that carpeted wall?
MJ: Oh yeah, that’s a pro job right there, carpeted these wall myself. Kim painted these candy stripes on the back.
NB: Yeah, this is one of the more fancy vans I’ve been in. What do you guys listen to when you’re driving around?
MJ: Well, if you notice, we do not have a CD player or any way to plug in an iPod. We don’t turn the stereo on. That’s a band rule. We don’t listen to music. Everyone has their own iPod. But if you have five people in the van, it becomes a source of a lot of anger having to listen to what other people like. So we decided when we bought this van that we were just not going to put a stereo in.
NB: That’s probably a really good rule. That’s one of the better rules I’ve heard.
MJ: Yeah, so we all listen to our own thing.
NB: What is your favorite dinosaur?
MJ: Dinosaur? I guess the stegosaurus is kind of rad, right?
NB: That’s a good one.
MJ: It’s pretty big. Wait, stegosaurus is the one that has the tail with all the spiky stuff on it?
NB: Yeah. It’s got spikes. I guess we talked about the internet earlier. I know the internet has played a big role in you guys getting your music videos up, which are really fun to watch by the way. Were they as fun to make as they are to watch or is there a lot of work going into that?
MJ: I don’t know. It depends on who you ask. If you ask me, I’d say “yes.” If you ask Kim, she’d say “no.” We just shot another video a couple of weekends ago before we went on tour for a song called “Lessons Learned,” but the last one that has come out was for “Daylight.” Every situation in that was like Kim’s most hated situation. We play inside a dumpster, and we were told the dumpster would be a clean dumpster. But that didn’t really mean clean as much as the large garbage was pulled out. There was this thick inch of grime on the walls, and she was just hating being in there. But if you watch, she’s smiling. There’s different forms of Kim smiling. If she’s very uncomfortable, she smiles. She’s happy, she smiles. When she’s terrified, she gets this crazy squeaky wheel laugh. We went to go see some horror movie in the theater, and as someone’s getting sliced and diced and chopped up—that stuff freaks her out—and she just started laughing hysterically. And people are like, “Who’s that messed-up girl laughing at this stuff?” Oh yeah, so she hated being in that dumpster. She hates getting water in her face. We played in the shower. Whenever she goes swimming—have you ever seen a cat try to swim?
NB: Yeah I hate that too.
MJ: They’re just trying to keep their head above water at all cost. She hated getting water in her face. She’s kind of claustrophobic. She hated being in there. Yeah, so it was her nightmare. Our “Yea Yeah” video was fun to shoot for the three and a half minutes that we actually shot it for. And then the six hours of cleaning up with weird stuff in our hair…it was just the grossest smell.
NB: You guys just came from Austin, Texas didn’t you? From South By Southwest?
MJ: Sort of. We’ve been to Austin twice in the last month. We started this tour with Cut Copy in Austin and then looped over to the west coast. We had a day off between Chicago and Toronto, and we were like “Days off are for weak people.” So we decided we would fly back down on that one day off for South By Southwest.
NB: Yeah, I was like “Where are they coming from?!”
MJ: And then we flew back up to Toronto. We flew Toronto to New York, then over to Boston. We had to drive over night back to New York. And then D.C. It’s been really crazy. But we had the day off yesterday. We just got to hang out in Atlanta.
NB: You guys are sticking around for a little while. There’s some Athens and some Asheville action going on.
MJ: Yeah, well we’ll be back and then we’ll be in the area. We go from here to Orlando, then Miami, then Tallahasee, then Gainesville. Then I think we’ll be back up.
NB: A lot of people skip Florida. I bet they’ll be really happy.
MJ: Yeah, it’s one of those things that to get to the tip is sort of out of the way. But you can also do a lot of shows in Florida. We’re excited to be where it’s warm. Like here.
NB: If Matt and Kim had a catchphrase, what would it be?
MJ: It would be “You can’t threaten me with a good time.”
NB: And I’ll leave you with this last question: If you could be any animal, what would you be?
MJ: I’d have to be a dog. Kim and I are both nuts about dogs. Even though we couldn’t have one because we live in an eight foot wide apartment in Brooklyn, and we travel nine months out of the year. But, we’ll go and get cups of tea and coffee and go to the dog park and just lurk.
NB: Like a child predator, but with dogs.
MJ: We don’t really know the policy. Like when Kim was a nanny, you’re not supposed to go into a playground unless you’re with a child. So are you not supposed to go in the dog park unless you have a dog? Yeah I think we’d both be dogs.