Photo courtesy of myspace.com/lcdsoundsystem

Sitting on the beach a couple of years ago, I jammed my iPod into some lousy, fuzzed-out mp3 speakers hoping that I could inject some good music into a lazy afternoon. Recently introduced to LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends” myself, I decided that I’d take that time to share with my friends the sheer brilliance: a seven-and-a-half-minute song about nostalgic hindsight, chockfull of  four-line wisdoms, music allusions and one terribly unforgettable rhetorical question. But I guess it was too much to take in that spring day. ”What is this?” someone remarked. “It’s just the same shit over and over again.”

We never made it past the piano intro.

I’ve heard all kinds of criticism leveled against LCD Soundsystem’s ”All My Friends.” Hopelessly repetitive. Boring. Unremarkable. On paper it should be just that. The song depends on the same muddled, untidy piano loop,  is paced by breakneck percussion that has no business lasting seven minutes and lacks any coherent chorus.

But the song was never meant to be judged on its individual components. Melded together, the pieces become a thing of beauty.  The looped piano and drums form the springboard for lead singer James Murphy to launch into a lyrical epic which tells of the loss of youth and reveals the various epiphanies of growing up. Singing with the perspective of hindsight, Murphy tells of poor decisions and their altering consequences. He laments of the responsibilities that come with weathered hands and wrinkled faces. He recounts lost, then found, then lost again relationships.

And as Murphy continues to spill his guts, the song seems to mature and develop, building upon the same piano and drum foundation by the continued adding of musical elements. First it’s the bass line, then a cheerful guitar contribution and then the keyboards. All of these additional layers elevates the song, rising it to a dramatic crescendo in which the lead singer wails over and over again, “Where are your friends tonight?”It’s a question that haunts us all; one  that Murphy and his band were able to beautifully encapsulate in a single song. Who will be there as we move forward with our lives?

-Ryan

LCD Soundsystem- All My Friends (download)

IT STRUCK ME that 2009 wasn’t a sparkling year for singles – until I started trying to compile a Top 20. Then it was heartbreaking. So, regret and recriminations to Eels’ ‘That Look You Give That Guy’, Saint Etienne’s ‘Method Of Modern Love’ and Fuck Buttons’ ‘Surf Solar’. It hurt, but you had to go.

Let’s cheer up with the long-(well a couple of years at least)-awaited return of James Murphy and his so hip they’re actually hip and not just what hip people think is hip quasi-band LCD Soundsystem. Here he turns Suicide’s Alan Vega’s psychotic rockabilly screecher ‘Bye Bye Bayou’ into – let’s face it – Underworld’s ‘Mmm Skyscraper I Love You’ and the results are absorbing, bracing and head-nodding.

Junior was all primed for the year-end countdown, holding out for some Girls Aloud and sharpening her critical faculties (these are usually her shoulders; they’re the litmus test). The title amused – she and her sister changed it to “bye-bye, you” with plenty of waving – but then the bombshell: “I don’t like it”. Oh. Murphy rescued it with a zappy sound effect at the end which “makes my ears go crazy. And my legs. And my socks.” If he can crazify socks, he’ll go far.

Is that all right Bayou?

I feel like a whole week of music news passed me by, and only now have I realised the gravity of the announcements that I missed first time round. The first stroke of good news was the return of Field Music, which I discussed a a few days ago. Now, I absolutely have to get off my chest just how excited I am about a band/project/against-all-odds-miracle called Free Energy.

When indie-rock also-rans Hockey Night shut up shop a few years ago, no one could have predicted that members of the band would someday wind up sharing a studio with James Murphy and Pat Mahoney (of electronic/disco production powerhouse the DFA) under a new guise. And yet, somehow, that’s exactly what’s happened, and the fruits of this unlikely match-up’s labours are now being revealed song by song.

When news of this collaboration began being whispered about in hushed tones what seems like at least two years ago, I wasn’t actually hugely surprised. I always guessed there might be a love of FM rock and power pop lurking away in James Murphy’s heart, and it would appear that this guilty pleasure of his has finally found an outlet in the joyous riot of a party that is Free Energy. Their songs bounce around on chunks of guitar chords that have ridden straight out of a 1970s cabriolet. The drums are crisp and fills come tumbling out of the sky like confetti. The lyrics, delivered in an excited tone that suggests years of waiting for fame, are all about partying, the joy of relationships, and probably driving around America in a vintage cabriolet. At a time when power pop is being bludgeoned to death by increasingly puerile Weezer releases, and stadium/arena-rock is being pulverised and banalised by Kings of Leon, Free Energy are a breath of fresh air. Obviously, the production plays its part too, capturing the undeniably passionate sound of an unbridled electric guitar, alongside the occasional squelch of vintage synth. But importantly, the songs are there too – seemingly having jumped off the writer’s page, fully formed, snappy, catchy.

The outfit recalls the perpetual enjoyment of Thin Lizzy and Tom Petty with none of the sneering irony of early noughties garage rock. These guys are dead earnest about having a blast, and I’m dead pleased that their debut album, entitled Stuck On Nothing, is going to be released on 26th January 2010. At least that way, it’ll have a good six months to settle into a groove in people’s consciousness before its true season – the summer – blasts off.

Hit their MySpace for the lowdown, and be sure to check out the free single, “Dream City”.

So by now most of you are aware of the latest Milan Lucic injury. Out about a month with a high ankle sprain. It’s frustrating news for sure as it has become abundantly clear what an impact the bruising young forward has on the way the Bruins play. One game after the injury, for example, the B’s promptly lost at home to Jersey in their annual Black Friday matinee, 2-1 in the shootout, snapping what had been an impressive 4-game win streak.

As Kevin Paul Dupont points out in today’s notebook:

“Boston’s hitting game has lost its spiritual leader with Lucic sidelined. Looch landed 262 slams last season, tying him for fifth overall with Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke.

Thus far in 2009-’10, Steve Begin leads the hit brigade for Boston, his 51 hits slotting him in a tie for 54th overall in the league. Vladimir Sobotka, who piled on five hits Friday, is next with 49, putting him at 62nd overall in the league.

Team captain Zdeno Chara’s hitting game is off this season. Last year, he landed 169 hits, which put him in a tie for 38th league wide. As of this morning, Big Z had but 44 hits, ranking him 73rd league-wide.”

Spiritual leader, indeed.

Another note at the bottom of that same column suggests that the only other injured Bruin, Tim Thomas, may return to action tonight against Ottawa. There was a recent report on TSN that Thomas’ mysterious injury may have been a broken right hand. The report references NESN.com, where I did find James Murphy in this article referencing Fluto Sinzawa in this article refering to a team source suggeting a right hand issue but there seems to be no actual reference to the break in question.

It’s a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma, I guess.

Regardless, the Senators are in town tonight and the last meeting between the two produced a feisty three fight affair that the B’s won in improbable fashion scoring twice with the goalie pulled in the game’s last 1:28 for a dramatic, much needed win. All things point to another excellent game tonight.

Quinta é a nova sexta e sexta é dia de reunir amigos em festinhas em casa… Mas sábado a cidade volta a pulsar com força total e o que não dá é para ficar parado com os eventos e djs que estarão arrasando por aí!

Nada como começar a noite no Boutique Bistrot, dos queridíssimos Rafael Taveira e Amaury Gurgel. Um belo e colorido drink que combina perfeitamente com o verão, junto de companhias queridas. (infos 11 33840670)

boutique bistrot

Siga para o  Smirnoff Experience 2009, que conta com 13 atrações de tirar o fôlego e já promete, antes mesmo de acontecer, de ser a melhor atração desse ano que está terminando.

Impossível perder YACHT, Joe Goddard, James Murphy e Pat Mahoney. Sem contar a brasileiríssima Stop Play Moon da fofa da Geanine, que faz qualquer um remexer. ( http://www.smirnoff.com.br)

Não pare a noite por aí e siga para o Hot Hot. A querida e amiga Cuca Pimentel estréia sua noite por lá e prometeu, sem poder divulgar, que várias atrações do evento da Smirnoff estarão lá.

Como boa curiosa, não poderei perder e é para lá que eu vou conferir!

A gente se encontra na pixxxta!

Por Juliana Gomes

} Dia 28 de Novembro, sábado, vai rolar o Smirnoff Experience @ São Paulo.

O festival Smirnoff Experience traz o conceito das famosas Squat Parties londrinas que são festas de música eletrônica em locais improváveis e revelados apenas dias antes do show. O local escolhido para a edição de São Paulo é um terreno vazio na Vila Leopoldina próximo ao Ceagesp, com um espaço megalomaníaco, serão três palcos e passagens secretas.  o festival receberá atrações nacionais e internacionais.

O Smirnoff Experience receberá atrações nacionais e internacionais. As atrações internacionais serão o alemão Move D, com o seu techno intergaláctico e o duo dos americanos James Murphy e Pat Mahoney, do LCD Soundsystem, Joe Goddard do Hot Chip também dará o ar da graça no festival. Não poderiam faltar os americanos Derrick Carter um dos nomes mais famosos da house e John Tejada com seu leve toque de techno. O  duo Yacht é outra atração imperdível.

Os melhor da música eletrônica nacional estará na festa também, é claro. O DJ Renato Cohen vai inovar com o set de disco house, Max Underson aparecerá com o seu depp house e techno, não poderia faltar a banda Stop Play Moon. DJ Mau Mau, não poderia faltar nessa festa com o seu electrohouse, assim como Gil Barbara, Ana Flávia e Renato Ratier.

A proposta do evento é juntar o melhor da música eletrônica e da tecnologia a uma atitute subversiva o que vai gerar uma experiência inesquecível e única.

With just days to go before a High Court hearing they seemed doomed to lose, the founding partners of agency hotshop Adam & Eve have settled out of court with WPP.

The predicted grovelling apology was forthcoming and has been prominently displayed on WPP’s website, like some traitor’s head spiked at the Tower of London. In it, partners James Murphy, David Golding and Ben Priest fulsomely acknowledge that they broke the terms of their gardening leave when they quit WPP-owned Young & Rubicam to set up A&E. Further, if “unintentionally”, that they absconded with WPP-owned data.

There was also a price to pay, said to be somewhat under £1m, plus considerable legal expenses: perhaps £1m in all. That is cheap compared with the $10m (before costs) WPP recently extracted from two former George Patterson executives and the agency’s ex-owner, PEP, in Australia. But it is no small change for the embattled A&E partners, who are under personal guarantee. Their only consolation is that A&E has escaped to fight another day.

Inspirado no conceito das famosas Squat Parties londrinas, o Smirnoff
Experience 2009 chega a São Paulo  no dia 28 de novembro. Para manter
um clima de suspense, o local da festa só será divulgado dias antes
dos shows. Nesta semana, a organização adicionou mais um nome à lista
de atrações. Agora são 13 nomes nacionais e internacionais que compõe
um line up imperdível.

LEIA MAIS NOS SITES
:: SORTIMENTOS.COM >> http://www.sortimentos.net/?4384
:: GEBBEG >> http://gebbeg.com.br/?7436

.

I followed up the Cut Copy article with a review of the GBH 10 year anniversary party that took place in NYC later that month. MSTRKRFT headlined an all-out rager that included LA Riots and Does It Offend You, Yeah?

The full article of the GBH 10 year party at TheRetrospective

With our beloved Kelowna City Councilor Brian Given passing away this year, Kelowna is now heading into a by-election. 16 people are running for one spot so everyone’s vote will make a difference more than ever. Get online, ask around and make an educated decision… and make sure to get out and vote on November 28.

En este episodio hablamos sobre el metal y hard rock de los años 90. Los siguientes grupos salen, como es habitual con temas menos conocidos:

Flotsam & Jetsam
Killers
Bruce Dickinson
Kiss
The Almighty
Life Of Agony
Pro-Pain
Testament
Geezer
Black Sabbath
Sepultura
Helloween
Anthrax

También se habla sobre los siguientes temas:

Jason Newsted, Dave Ellefson, Paul Dianno, Adrian Smith, Iron Maiden, Accident of Birth, Carnival Of Souls, Rolling Stones, Circus Diablo, Crank, Soul Searching Sun, John Tempesta, Louis Clement, James Murphy, Alex Skolnik, Daarth, Larzarus A.D., Death, Geezer Butler, Ronnie James Dio, Dio, Ozzy Osbourne, Derrick Green, AC/DC, Alice In Chains, Van Halen, Time Of The Oath, High Live, Michael Kiske, Andy Deris, John Bush, Dan Nelson, Bionic Strigl Radio

El podcast se puede descargar en formato que prefiere desde aquí:

O escucha online aquí:

I wrote about these guy(s) back in the last issue of AU. I reviewed the Joe Goddard remix of their debut single ‘Brow Beaten’. There’s very little known about this act. They’ve been careful to keep their identity / identities hidden. Musically, it’s not a million miles from Hercules & Love Affair and the vocal resemblance to Jimmy Somerville has been noted by quite a few people. Here’s what I had to say about them…

The unknown holds great allure. Silver Columns know this, hence why the duo have deliberately cultivated a sense of mystique, hiding their identities from prying eyes. That they sound like Bronski Beat produced by DFA head honcho James Murphy is intrigue enough for us. Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard gives the anonymous electro-poppers a glorious makeover on this remix of their debut single. Caught in an explosion of beats, the synth begins to stagger like a gutter drunken as the singer croons in sweetest falsetto.

Anyway, I’m hoping to get chatting to them and, if so, I’ll soon be able to tell you a little more about the act, if not confirm precisely who is hiding behind those Silver Columns.

O cover de Bye Bye Bayou, de Alan Vega, feito pelo LCD Soundsystem vazou há alguns dias. O músico, produtor e letrista James Murphy ficou de cara! Reclamou que tudo vaza e se espalha pela internet em cinco minutos. Mesmo assim, decidiu liberar 20 mil downloads oficiais da faixa que seria lançada apenas no dia 7 de novembro.

No início do mês, Murphy publicou esse texto sobre sua aversão a algumas das ferramentas mais populares da web, como MySpace, Facebook e Twitter. Ele começa assim:

– A internet é engraçada. Evitei por muito tempo porque parecia algo bruto e imperfeito. Briguei com minha gravadora porque não queria ter uma página no MySpace. Porque, bem, porque eu sou velho e esquisito e ainda compro vinis e faço coisas como escrever cartas. E aquilo parecia tudo muito estranho. Então ela fez uma mesmo assim, e eu a evitei.

O texto segue. Entendo o cara. Também tem coisas nas internets que me irritam. O Twitter por exemplo. Criei um pro Volume apenas por questões profissionais. Do contrário… Enfim, vale ler o desabafo do músico.

E a versão dele para Bye Bye Bayou? Uma beleza, é claro.

O terceiro álbum do genial LCD Soundsystem/Murphy deverá sair em março de 2010 – se não vazar antes e se Murphy não resolver liberar o álbum logo depois, só de raiva. O último disco dele foi o grande Sound Of Silver (2007).

Fast rising UK thrashers Warpath have recently conducted an interview with DistortedNews (our first interview !!)

You’ve won many awards, but what one meant the most to you?

Warpath are a four piece thrash band from Wales, they released their debut album Damnation in May 2008, the album was mastered by legendary guitarist James Murphy,  famaous for being in Testament and Death, among others. As of September 2008, all major retailers in Britain stock the album.

DN: How did you guys meet, what made you form the band?

Richard Goss (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar): I formed the band in 2003 to begin playing thrash metal like my hero’s Metallica and Megadeth. I was just out of school and there were so many shitty nu-metal bands around and I had such disgust for that style of music I figured I’d better start writing! We had a different drummer to begin with and after he left I was contacted on MySpace by James. He’d seen us live in the UK a few times, really liked the music and asked if he could try out. We auditioned him and asked him to join immediately!

Pete Hawthorne (Lead Guitar): I was contacted by a strange group of young men on MySpace back in summer ’07 who went by the name Warpath, hah! Rich had seen my profile on there and that I was a guitarist and asked if I was interested in auditioning for them. I loved their songs, the riffs and drumming was so tight, the music blew me away so much I just had to say yes.

DN: What are you musical influences?

Rich: For thrash metal it’d have to be Metallica, Megadeth and Testament. But I also really like the band Death, Guns N Roses, Skid Row, Judas Priest and I have a lot of classical music influences.

Pete: Iron Maiden has always been my first and main influence in metal and as a guitarist, for thrash I am heavily influenced by Annihilator, Testament, Flotsam & Jetsam etc, but I also listen to lots of 80’s melodic metal like good old King Diamond, Leatherwolf, Liege Lord, Helstar etc, where the lead guitar work and guitar harmonies are just out of this world!

DN: Where and when was your first gig, what was it like? Was there a good turnout?

Rich: The first show we ever played was in our home town and it was absolutely packed with everyone’s friends! We played for around twenty minutes, maybe twenty five, covered ‘The Trooper’ and had good reviews.

DN: Tell us about your instruments, what guitars/drums/basses do you play?

Rich: Jackson guitars! I’m pretty bad with guitar makes/models etc, I just plug in and play. It’s a black flying V Jackson and I think it’s one of the Randy Rhoads models. James uses Mapex drums, and Gareth plays an ESP bass.

Pete: I am the openly admitted guitar “geek” of the band! I am a Jackson nut, like Rich and love everything about them, Jacksons are the best guitars in the world and I have to know every spec and detail of the models I try. I currently play the SL3 soloist with Seymour Duncan pickups, thru neck body and Floyd rose locking trem system but am going off them rapidly and would very much like to change it for a Kahler Hybrid bridge. They are so more versatile (if not a tad more sensitive) than the Floyd and a whole lot easier to restring, which as we know is every guitarist’s ultimate pain in the ass!

DN: Your debut album was released last year, and is now available in major online retailers, such as play.com and amazon, how did that come about?

Rich: We have a distribution deal for the Damnation album with Plastic Head Records. It’s available with them in HMV (in store and online) as well as Amazon and Play. We wanted to get the album in all of the major stores so I contacted them and we got it set up within a few weeks. It’s also available through The End Records in the USA and Rock Stakk Records in Japan.

DN: The album was mastered by former Testament and Death guitarist James Murphy, what was it like working with him?

Rich: It was great! The guy’s a legend in the metal world. I’m a huge fan of his work with those bands so it was an honour for us when he agreed to master the album. He did a fantastic job.

Pete: I’m a big fan of James’ work in Obituary, Cancer and Disincarnate too, real old school death metal with amazing lead guitar playing! So the fact a metal legend of his stature liked our music enough to want to work on it and add his golden touch is just an honour as big as they come.

DN: If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?

Rich: For Warpath? Nothing. For music in general, I guess I’d find the people who created Torrent sites and kill them off, hah! Or maybe somehow stop the sheer crap that is most hip-hop or rap music.

Pete: I’d go back in time to the early 80’s and steal all of Iron Maiden & King Diamonds future riffs and take all the credit for them! :p

DN: You’ve won many awards, but what one meant the most to you?

Rich: Hmm that’s a tough one. I think it’s a three way tie between “Best Unsigned Band” award from Terrorizer Magazine, No.1 Added Record on Metal Radio USA and No.1 Rated video on Scuzz TV. I was absolutely ecstatic the day I found out all of those things. They mean a hell of a lot to me. We worked extremely hard for those.

DN: Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer all ask you to support them for a world tour, the only problem is, all the tours are at the same time, what one do you pick?

Rich: That’s another tough one! Damn! It’s either Metallica or Megadeth. I’m a huge fan of both bands but Dave Mustaine is a massive influence on my guitar playing so I’d likely say Megadeth. Actually I don’t know! Yes I do. Megadeth! Can I phone a friend?

Pete: I can’t believe you just said “phone a friend” dude! I think Metallica would have the bigger crowds by far for us to play to, but they are old and slow now and I couldn’t stand Hetfield’s yodelling for more than one night without wanting to stab a knitting needle in my ear! I was never a fan of Anthrax or Slayer, they just never impressed me so I’m going with Rich and picking Megadeth!

DN: What’s next for Warpath?

Rich: We have new shows being officially announced in the next few weeks which will see us visiting a country we’ve never been to before. Really excited about this! Off to Germany next month as well to play Thrash Inferno Festival. We will be filming another video for the album, for the track ‘Life Unworthy of Life’. We’re planning a new range of merchandise, more festival appearances and then at some point next year we begin work on the follow-up album.

To find out more about Warpath, check http://www.myspace.com/warpathuk and http://www.myspace.com/warpathuk.

I urge you to go and buy their album, Its AWESOME!!!

It’s strange how all DFA artists and releases always come in bunches – isn’t it!

You don’t just get one release. No – suddenly you have both James Murphy and his “Bye Bye Bayou” vinyl only project, a new Yacht single – “Waste Of Time” – and this rather wicked mix session from Tim Sweeney’s ever intriguing Beats In Space radio show in New York featuring DFA artist – Shit Robot – with James Murphy himself in tow!

Needless to say there’s some awesome stuff included in this mix. The opening track itself (played by Sweeney) – Headman’s new single with Yello frontman Dieter Mayer on vox duty – “Gimme” – in its Kango’s Autostrada dei Laghi Remix – is worth this download alone. Moody, intense, dramatic Space-Disco at its best, which will appear on Headman’s forthcoming single on Relish.

As for the rest – well – it’s Shit Robot, New York and DFA – I think you can pretty much do the math on this one!

If you’re in New York tonight – you can catch Shit Robot at the DFA Party @ Brooklyn Bowl alongside Yacht.

If not – thrown your own party with this!

Here’s the tracklist:

1. Headman – Gimme (Kango’s Autostrada dei Laghi Mix) – Relish

Shit Robot Mix:

2. LCD Soundsystem – Bye Bye Bayou – DFA

3. Layo And Bushwacka! – The Raw Road – Olmeto Records

4. Andomat 3000 – Vertical Smile – Cecille Records

5. Sasch BBC And Caspar – Tomtation – Brise

6. Marco Bailey – Muzica (Nic Faniculli Mix) – MB Elektronics

7. Anthea And Celler – Caedmon Loop – Cecille

8. Salvatore Freda And Volta – Side Tiramisu (DJ Madskillz RMX) – Area Remote

9. Livio And Roby Vs. George G – Ban Ban – Cecille

10. Nadastrom – Squarez – Dubsided

11. Catz N Dogz Feat. Pol_on – Me – Get Physical Music

12. Marek Hemmann – Gemini – Freude-am-Tanzen Recordings

13. Daniele Papini – Hidden Source – P&C Break New Soil Recordings

14. Paul Kalkbrenner – Square 1 – Berlin Calling

MP3: Shit Robot – Beats In Space Mix Session

Nothing like a spot of vault digging is there ?

After all – music isn’t always about the latest, hippest thing and quite often – when digging – you find stuff which is so brilliant you wonder why you haven’t dug it out before.

So is obviously not the case with James Murphy & Pat Mahoney’s now classic – “Fabric Live” – album. It orignally surfaced in 2007, and I must have played this a trillion times in my car, iPod or my home studio.

In case you lived under a rock then – the album is packed to rafters with rare sonic-nuggets, which will take you a pretty hefty time of your life to trace on original vinyls…….if you’re into the black stuff.

James Murphy & Pat Mahoney serves up a feast of pure hand-clapping fun, and digs deep into their NYC roots with a hot sweaty blend of seminal Disco, rare-grooves, edgy electronics and tech-infused funk – as only they can do. In short – it’s packed with upfront-tunes, obscure treats and warm guilty pleasures.

New York right into your living room – baby!

Here’s the tracklist:

01. Peter Gordon and Love Of Life Orchestra – Beginning of The Heartbreak – Lust/Unlust
02. Baby Oliver – Primetime (Uptown Express) – Environ
03. Donald Byrd and 125th St, NYC – Love Has Come Around – Elektra
04. Instant Funk – I Got My Mind Made Up – Salsoul
05 Chic – I Feel Your Love Comin’ On – Atlantic
06. Was (Not Was) – Tell Me That I’m Dreaming – ZE
07. GQ – Lies GQ
08. Mudd – Adventures In Bickett Wood (Layne’s Head Stash Re-roll) – Rong
09. Elektrik Dred – Butter Up (Gimme Some Bread) – Sounds Of Florida
10. Lenny Williams – You Got Me Running – Geffen
11. Daniel Wang – Like Some Dream (I Can’t Stop Dreaming) – Daniel Wang
12. Gichy Dan – Cowboys and Gangsters – ZE
13. Still Going – Still Going Theme – DFA
14. City Of Women – Tablakone – Sähkö
15. Babytalk – Keep On Move – Stickydisc
16. Love Committee – Just As Long As I’ve Got You – Salsoul
17. Mouzon’s Electric Band – Everybody Get Down – Mouzon
18. Punkin’ Machine – I Need You Tonight – JC Records
19. LCD Soundsystem – Hippie Priest Bum-out – DFA/EMI
20. Junior Bryon – Dance To The Music (Dub) – Vanguard
21. JT – I Love Music – Vanguard
22. Jackson Jones – I Feel Good Put Your Pants On – Jackson Jones
23. NYC Peech Boys – Life Is Something Special – Island Def Jam
24. Peter Gordon and Love Of Life Orchestra – Don’t Don’t – Lust/Unlust

Mp3: James Murphy & Pat Mahoney – Fabric Live

London, Hyde Park, Saturday 16th June 2007 was possibly the best day ever, and whilst some things from that day haven’t continued to be awesome, there are two things that have, the first being Daft Punk, and the second being LCD Soundsystem.

2007’s tremendous album ‘Sound of Silver’ was arguably the best album of 07 and still holds its own nearly three years since its initial release, now James Murphy and Co are back. Yes!

Bye Bye Bayou is a remix/cover of Suicide’s 1980 track. It’s very casually funky, in the vein of Chk Chk Chk (!!!) and the vinyl drops on Nov 12th. The new album should be out some time in March 2010

LCD Soundsystem - Bye Bye Bayou

Maybe we can now start a ‘Daft Punk & LCD Soundsyetem to play Wireless 2010′ rumour? Nah, that’ll never happen…

AK47

MORE ON LCD SOUNDSYSTEM

OFFICIAL SITE :: BUY TUNES :: FACEBOOK

Originally supposed to be a vinyl release only, but bugged down by the powers of the blog’o’sphere and subsequent leak of “Bye Bye Bayou”, label head of DFA and frontman of LCD Soundsystem – James Murphy – has given in, and granted permission for a 320 kbps version of said track to be released through the LCD Soundsystem official website.

You can choose to go there or – ahem! – stay at Space Dust where you’ll equally find a re-rub of “Bye Bye Bayou” (what ? already?) by Ernold Zane.

It’s a decent enough rework – although the kick in the mix is perhaps slightly too high for my liking, which is too often the case with unofficial reworks. Nevertheless – it is what it is!

Below is the original post from 16th. October 2009:

———–

The press release for LCD Soundsystem and their forthcoming – vinyl only – single for Record Days – “Bye Bye Bayou” – has been well documented in the blog’o’sphere this week, and as always with James Murphy and his DFA crew – hype is building faster than the CO2 layer is vanishing.

“Bye Bye Bayou” is quintessential DFA material – stripped to only its bare essentials, super repetitive in its production, dead-pan vocals and some far out FX coming out of nowhere like buildings crashing down from outer space – it presses the right buttons like some white mans overbite!

Admittedly – I was expecting something else, and was initially a question mark what the fuss is about, but as always with DFA and LCD Soundsystem – there’s more to the beast than just the fur, and this does grow on you upon second and third listen.

James Murphy is finalising the new LCD Soundsystem right now, and it’s scheduled for release probably around February or March.

Start your search’n'destroy mission – now!

Mp3: LCD Soundsystem – Bye Bye Bayou (320 kbps)

Mp3: LCD Soundsystem – Bye Bye Bayou (Ernold Zane Re-Rub)

R: Hace un par de semanas ya comentamos todo el revuelo ocurrido cuando Mr. James Murphy se saltó a la torera a los medios de comunicación y posteó en la fanpage de LCD Soundsystem (en Facebook) toda la info sobre lo que vendría de la banda: nuevo disco, nueva gira… La semana pasada, aunque no lo comentamos, los creadores de Daft Punk is playing at my house confirmaron que el primer avance de su nuevo trabajo llegaría a las tiendas en forma de single de 12” con una versión del Bye Bye Bayou de Alan Vega (Suicide). Y como cuando hay temas de este tipo tienes que mantener al público semana a semana, la novedad de estos días es que ya se puede escuchar la canción (pero tendrás que darle a “leer más” para encontrarla). La escucha digital obliga a la vista de la web 22 Tracks, donde además de la de LCD Soundsystem se puede escuchar toda una selección de “Disco según Job de Witt” (que es un conocido periodista y dj). Por si no tienes suficiente con la canción de Murphy, recomendamos encarecidamente que pases por el resto, porque la compilación es tremendérrima. Volviendo a Bye Bye Bayou, decir que tiene su subidón y su bajón. El subidón viene dado por la certeza de que es un tema inmenso: una odisea disco (acostumbráos a este término) con las pilas casi gastadas, que es lo que le gusta a Murphy. Lejos de los arrebatos danceros de sus canciones más aclamadas (y comerciales), Bye Bye Bayou tiene un crescendo atemperado y sutil de aquellos de contonearse suavemente pero perder igualmente la cabeza. El bajón, sin embargo, es que parece que, defiitivamente, James Murphy ha colgado quiénsabedonde aquella voz nasal como de resfriado que tan burracos nos ponía a algunos. Ahora prefiere el susurro con eco suavemente cavernoso muy a la moda (véase Alec Baldwin en 30 Rock). Sea como sea, sigue siendo un temazo… y una tortura que hace más difícil la espera para el nuevo álbum.

What’s really interesting about the appointment of Hugh Baillie as chief executive of Ogilvy Advertising is that he’s part of a breakaway. And the break is away from Bartle Bogle Hegarty.

Former group business director Baillie is being joined by Rachel Hatton as group head of strategic planning, and planning director at the ad agency. Hatton was head of planning at BBH during what may come to be seen as its heyday, when it won all those awards, culminating in the IPA Grand Prix and Agency of the Year title in 2008. Baillie helped to win the global Johnnie Walker business and has led some of the agency’s key accounts, Axe/Lynx, Britvic and Surf among them. Both are BBH stalwarts, Baillie having joined from Saatchi & Saatchi in 1998, and Hatton from Boase Massimi Pollitt (BMP) in 2000.

So, this is a significant coup for Ogilvy and a significant set-back for BBH. Baillie and Hatton come as a team (for example, they both worked on Britvic). It’s a little like that buddy-buddy wrench at DDB London when Paul Hammersley, then ceo, and David Hackworthy, planner, quit to go to The Red Brick Road in 2005.

What makes this worse for BBH is that the defection of senior staff to WPP agencies is becoming a habit. Richard Exon, ceo of RKCR/Y&R, once occupied a similar position to Baillie at BBH. True, he was seduced across at managing director level, and got the top job only after James Murphy set up his own agency, Adam & Eve. But let’s not split hairs. There was also the unfortunate matter of John O’ Keefe, who sat in the BBH creative pantheon only one echelon below Sir John Hegarty. He decided to seek his fortune as global creative director at WPP. Then there’s Guy Murphy, head of global planning, and Russell Ramsey, executive creative director, JWT London. Why has JWT come knocking on BBH’s door? Well, who else’s? BBH is the one to beat in JWT’s competitive creative set, and has the most clients in common (Unilever, Diageo and Vodafone spring to mind). If you can’t beat them, get them to join you, you might say.

Nor is the BBH exodus confined to WPP. Derek Robson quit to go to Goodby, in the USA, as a managing partner; Penny Herriman is managing director and – some would say – soon to be ceo of WCRS; Chris Harris was poached as managing director of Leagas Delaney.

Swallows not making a summer? Well maybe. Any agency which has attained the status of BBH is fair game for the headhunter. In a  sense, it’s a back-handed  compliment that rival agencies feel the need to pillage BBH for top talent.

Nonetheless, another conclusion can also be drawn. And I would be very surprised if this did not condition the thinking of at least some of those senior people who have recently defected. BBH is now 27 years old and in the throes of generational change. It has greatly expanded (into a micro-network) – which in itself offers fresh opportunity for younger talent. And in fairness it has tried hard to bring on a cohort of younger managers – of which London chief executive Gwyn Jones is perhaps the most prominent example. This has not been enough to quell mutinous thoughts in the marzipan layer, a few to the point of defecting. Of course, some of these people may have been talented, but not talented enough. BBH, like everyone else, has had to make some harsh decisions about the size of its workforce, which has been, literally, decimated. One in ten has gone or is going. Nevertheless, I cannot believe that every one of the top-flight defectors has had an assisted exit. After all, it’s also the case that the route upstairs, managerially speaking, is now blocked; and for ambitious people that is a signal to start looking elsewhere.

It is hard to think of BBH without Nigel Bogle, Jim Carroll or Simon Sherwood. On the other hand, if they do not outline their retirement plans in the foreseeable future, the result will be rebellion or atrophy. BBH, at very best, will become less an agency, more a law firm overloaded with “partners”. Not an enticing prospect for the UK’s premier creative shop.

“Things that are too ‘useful’… well, I don’t entirely trust them. I kind of like useless things. For instance– and this is a pretty facile and simplified metaphor here– art is useless, and nazis made lots of useful things. I like dumb meandering things that make me happy and confused, and don’t particularly like ‘effective marketing tools designed for maximum accurate data capture’ blah blah blah. It all sounds so sad and functional. I don’t like the idea of people sitting in a room talking about the best way to word things to get the right reaction from a base of ‘users’ etc. I don’t like thinking that those people used to love to do something, or wanted to be something, and would up measuring the best way to manipulate other people.” – James Murphy

PItchfork posted in its “Echo Chamber” column today an excerpt of a recent James Murphy Myspace entry, in which the LCD Soundsystem frontman duly calls people out on being over-practical, self-denying salesmen i.e. the destroyers of meaningful communication.

Murphy’s amazing quote via P4K:

“things that are too ‘useful’… well, i don’t entirely trust them. i kind of like useless things. for instance– and this is a pretty facile and simplified metaphor here– art is useless, and nazis made lots of useful things. i like dumb meandering things that make me happy and confused, and don’t particularly like ‘effective marketing tools designed for maximum accurate data capture’ blah blah blah. it all sounds so sad and functional. i don’t like the idea of people sitting in a room talking about the best way to word things to get the right reaction from a base of ‘users’ etc. i don’t like thinking that those people used to love to do something, or wanted to be something, and would up measuring the best way to manipulate other people.”

Touche, Murph. And at the same time – In your face everyone else!

James Murphy es un gran tipo. Un genio que no se cree un genio, pero sin cuyo nombre no podrá escribirse la historia de la última década.

Al contrario que la mayoría de los músicos actuales, Murphy no alcanzó el reconocimiento hasta pasados los 30, una edad en la que ya eres demasiado viejo para triunfar en el mundo de la música, cada vez más susceptible a las modas (de hecho, muchos de los nuevos grupos tienen más en común con un maniquí que con un músico).

Supo tomar el pulso como nadie a la escena musical actual con ese himno que es Losing my edge y en el que se ríe sin pudor de quienes cambian las guitarras por sintetizadores o por platos según los dictados de la moda. Se ríe también de quienes presumen de haberse críado escuchando a Can y de los que se apuntan a todas las modas pasajeras.

Además tiene un gusto exquisito, tanto cuando produce grupos (cualquier artista que salga de DFA Records lleva un marchamo de calidad) como cuando pincha: hace un par de años se marcó una sesión impagable en el Summercase. Desgraciadamente (al menos en Madrid), quienes le veíamos éramos apenas un centenar de personas porque el público (el mismo al que evidentemente se dirige Losing my edge) prefería ver a Amable (teniendo en cuenta que en Madrid pincha una vez al mes, sigo sin entenderlo).

Precisamente con motivo de ese festival, tuve la oportunidad (el privilegio, más bien) de entrevistarle y pude comprobar que en efecto es un tipo con los pies en el suelo, poco pagado de sí mismo y con un gran sentido del humor. Desgraciadamente, la publicación en la que apareció la entrevista no tenía página web y el ejemplar que conservo anda en alguna de las múltiples cajas que contienen pedazos de mi vida en Madrid. Pero sí recuerdo que me contaba cómo había pasado años durmiendo en el estudio porque no tenía para pagar el alquiler de una casa o cómo instala una cámara web en su casa cada vez que se va de gira para poder ver a su perro (“con mi mujer puedo hablar”, me decía, “pero no con mi perrro”). Ese mismo sentido del humor es el que gasta en el vídeo de Losing my edge, en el que va recibiendo una hostia por cada verdad que dice.

Ahora ha publicado un post en su blog de MySpace del que Pitchfork se hace eco y que tampoco tiene desperdicio. Pitchfork se fija en el márketing y en la “industria”. Pero a mi me parece mucho más entrañable cómo justifica que ha terminado por sucumbir a internet pese a sus reparos iniciales “porque soy viejo y raro, compro vinilos y hago cosas como escribir cartas” (conste que sólo me llevo cuatro años con Murphy, así que le entiendo bastante bien: soy de las que piensa que una carta jamás podrá compararse a un frío mail).

Tras una disertación sobre internet, lo que supone tener 13.000 mails en la bandeja de entrada y lo poco que le gusta lidiar con las discográficas, termina diciendo que sí, que ya están con el nuevo álbum  (que está previsto que se edite en primavera).

Quien quiera ver el vídeo de Losing my edge tendrá que pinchar aquí, porque EMI (E-M-I unlimited) no permite la inserción del vídeo.

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