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News of Note: Animal Collective's mysterious new album, Ida Maria's new music video featuring Iggy Pop, the Mountain Goats "Colbert Report" performance and much more!

20watts — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:48:35 +0000

Is Animal Collective releasing another album before the new year?

PREVIEW: Download Animal Collective’s “Brother Sport” MP3.

Both Stereogum and Pitchfork commented today on Animal Collective’s latest plans, namely a random, coverless album that’s cropped up on Amazon.com. It’s called Fall Be Kind and is available for pre-order for a mere $11.83. Currently that’s all that anyone knows about the release. In other news, the experimental film that the band’s been working is nearly ready for release. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Best Albums of the Year So Far]

Stereogum also premiered a new Ida Maria video today. Ida Maria re-released her song “Oh My God” from the album Fortress Round My Heart, this time with vocals from the legendary Iggy Pop. Stereogum took issue with Iggy Pop’s baritone vocals supporting acts like Jemina Pearl, Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse and The BPA, not to mention on his own jazzy releases. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Iggy and The Stooges Get Nommed]

Did you miss the Mountain Goats on “The Colbert Report” last night? Watch their performance of “Psalms 40:2″ here on Colbert’s website. Colbert had a field day with the Mountain Goats’ biblically inspired latest album, The Life of the World to Come. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: 20 Watts Reviews The Mountain Goats’ The Life of the World to Come]

For all the European Pavement fans out there disappointed by their NYC reunion, do not fret. Pavement are scheduled to headline All Tomorrow’s Parties on May 14-16 in Minehead, England, Pitchfork reports. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage: Editor’s Pick #180: Pavement’s Reunion]

Brooklyn’s own Viva Radio has announced the release of a compilation including the likes of The Dandy Warhols, Jay Reatard,The Fiery Furnaces, Growing, Amazing Baby, and Sebastien Tellier, reports Filter. Entitled The Best of Me + You Vol. 1, the album was recorded between 2007 and 2009 in their Brooklyn studios and will include interviews and songs from some of the station’s guests. To make the offer even more enticing, the disc is available for purchase along with a limited edition Me + You t-shirt. We’re sold!

Filter also reports that Berkeley-based indie rockers the Morning Benders will play several shows with Grizzly Bear and Girls during their Fall tour. The Benders hooked up with Grizzly Bear on the production of their latest album, Big Echo, which was co-producer by Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor. The album is set to drop in March 2010 on +1 Records. [Previous 20 Watts Coverage:Editor's Pick #172: Grizzly Bear's "While You Wait For The Others" (Feat. Michael McDonald)]

– 20 Watts Staff

The Ten Best Music Videos in the World... Ever!

Gnagno — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:54:01 +0000

Lists are funny things.

Lists, to men, are like catnip to cats. We can’t resist them. It doesn’t matter what it is, we’ll create a list for it. It’s our anally retentive side coming into play; we like to know everything has its place. Most men I think can name their favourite albums, movies (and perhaps girlfriends) in a specific order since we’ve had every waking day to think about it.

When we forget to take the rubbish out, or wash up, it’s probably because we’re making a mental list of something (boring household chores perhaps…)

Lists are also endlessly used in television.

No doubt you will have sat through the Top 100 Singles of All Time, Your Favourite Films Ever or Top 100 Celebrity Sex Scandals – all the cheapest of TV formats and laziest of concepts, which is why they usually end up on satellite channels you’d rarely watch otherwise. They bring out the same D- and C-list celebrities (who’d turn up to the opening of a Coke can) to sit in front of a brightly-coloured animated backdrop – similar in style to a Lava Lamp – and then talk about an event/film/album/song/person the producer had reminded them about a few minutes earlier was such an important part in their life. The better celebrities may retell an amusing anecdote; most will resort to just laughing about nothing (the more they laugh, the more we’ll notice their smug faces while we’re drifting off to sleep) and talking bullshit.

“Oh yeah – haha – this one time my brother and me were – haha – were listening to this Queen song and doing that thing they do in Wayne’s World – haha – and – haha – my brother hit his head on the window of the car! Haha (remember me from that obscure show five years ago?… No?…I was great, honest…)“

However – and the producers of these shows know it – there’s something strangely addictive about them. Even if you get the most irritating celebrity most of all; stitching all the segments together with a witty thing to say before and after each advert break.

One of the worst example of this was probably David Gest (winner of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!) presenting the 100 Best Michael Jackson Songs (or something). It was an old show, repeated especially for the death of MJ. The embarrassing links provided by Mr. Gest reached their apex when he announced something along the lines of “You’ll live forever, Michael – you’re the best!”. David? I’m Embarrassed, Get Me Out Of Here!

Blogs also use this format. It’s a sure-fire way of getting people looking at your blog – people love lists remember!

So, all this being said, for the sake of both selfish amusement and the irony of my last paragraph, I’m going to resort to a list myself.

This list is (as you will have noticed from the title) regarding The Ten Best Music Videos in the World… Ever! (The title inspired by all those compilation albums from the late ’90s – in fact, they’re probably still churning them out).

The reason I’m picking music videos is that, by chance, I was watching MTV and between the irritatingly inane shows they put on, and the endless Rihanna videos, something interesting (and refreshingly pleasant on the ears) came on. Something with a wonderful hand drawn style featuring a superhero fighting squirrels and things to reach the princess in distress. The video is number one on my list (which is actually not in any particular order) and it inspired this little blog entry, so blame it for any boredom caused for this post.

It’s worth saying that I’ve been a fan of music videos ever since I got MTV2 a long time ago (in the good old days before it turned into the channel for Shit American Rock), so I know my Michel Gondry from my Chris Cunningham. There are many, many wonderful music videos around (and really, the top ten directors would have been more appropriate since so many are consistently fantastic) but leave any comments if you think I’ve missed out something really amazing.

1. Coldplay “Strawberry Swing” directed by Shynola. View on YouTube
This the first Coldplay video I’ve loved. The others have been okay, but either linked to a damn durge of a song (The Scientist) or just a bit too odd for their own good (Don’t Panic). The basic concept is that Chris Martin is a superhero on a background drawn, with chalk, on a pavement. Obviously this kind of effect could have been achieved in a computer but it seems Shynola actually hand-drew the damn thing with Chris Martin balancing/laying/hand-standing for each frame – I imagine having to wait for the artists to finish each drawing. To someone lacking patience like myself (I love animation but really, it’s boring as hell doing it frame by frame – see this fantastic Fast Show sketch) this makes Chris Martin an absolute star in my books (as if the rest of the world didn’t already consider himself one).

As for the song itself, I didn’t actually think much of it when I first listened to the album (to the point where, on seeing the video, I wondered whether it was even on an album) but now, I listen to it on an almost daily basis.

Users on YouTube obviously love it as well… “this is the most coolest video i have ever seen” is one of the more insightful comments.

It’s a rare but wonderful thing when a music video makes you like a song even more – or even to notice it at all. It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does it makes for a great experience. You’re able to listen to the song at any time and, even if the lyrics don’t connect specifically with you or if they are too abstract in the song to relate to anything, being reminded of the video makes it much more visual. It’s like a soundtrack album to a movie but in reverse, I’ve listened to The Shawshank Redemption soundtrack countless times, and it always evokes memories of the film (which is my favourite by the way – I’m sure I’ll do a ten ten movies as well some time…)

The talented artists behind this video are called Shynola who created the wonderful animations for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (one of the better things about the film) along with countless other videos – their best listed below, check ‘em out as they say in the States.

• Blur “Good Song” – Drawings by my favourite cartoonist, David Shrigley, animated – again, making an otherwise fairly pedestrian song come to life in what I think is the funniest music video I’ve ever seen, although I appreciate it’s not to everyone’s taste. View on YouTube

• UNKLE “Eye for an Eye” – An amazing video about cute little things running around their happy place being duped into drinking from giant nipples by an evil race of wasp things that then assimilate them all and take over their land. A thinly veiled political comment about the way the West come in, guns blazing, promising a better life and leave having destroyed everything. Well, I think that’s what it’s about anyway. It’s an amazing song and I bought the album because of this, which is lucky because it was, in my view, the best album of that year. View on YouTube

• Junior Senior “Move Your Feet” – I’m of the Commodore 64 generation, so anything with pixel graphics gets my vote, and it doesn’t get any better than this. It’s a crazy song (let’s face it – gay as cheese) and sounds like Terence and Philip from South Park singing, but it fits the video perfectly. As before, I bought the album after this, which is why I refuse to put this video in the overall Top Ten; the album is beyond terrible. View on YouTube

2. Radiohead “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” directed by Jonathan Glazer. View on YouTube
In those good old days on MTV2 that I spoke about with tear-filled nostalgic eyes earlier, this video was one of the most shown – with good reason. It’s a great song for a start. I’m not a massive Radiohead fan (I think they’re vastly overrated) but this one is tortured, weird and has a great tune.

The video ticks several boxes for me:

It’s in black and white (almost everything looks better in black and white); it has bits that are slowed down; bits that speed up; jumping nuns; locusts flying in slow motion; evil dogs; Thom Yorke looking weird; band member, Jonny Greenwood looking like a woman (many women would kill for his figure); glass smashing and someone falling over on their chair.

It’s put together with so much style that you can forgive them for what I imagine amounts to just a ‘brainstorming’ session where they thought “would would look cool slowed down in black and white”.

I’m sure there are many more videos considered better than this but this just sticks with me far more than most, I think due to its haunting nature and probably just that it’s, in my opinion, Radiohead’s best song.

The director is top of his class with a string of fantastic videos to his name. He also directed the wonderful film, Sexy Beast, which, if you haven’t seen, needs to be watched as soon as you can; Ben Kingsley should have gotten an Oscar for it. If that wasn’t enough, he’s the man behind the Guinness ad with the horses in the sea, the Sony Bravia ad with the exploding towerblocks of paint and the Levi’s ad with the emaciated boy and girl jumping through walls in order to reach space (apparently the most expensive advert ever at the time).

the BPA ~ toe jam (ft. david byrne & dizzee rascal)

mongolom — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:12:29 +0000

The Brighton Port Authority

Susana Medina — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:58:33 +0000

Tenemos leyendas de la música para el desayuno: The BPA, desglosado como The Brighton Port Authority y su primera producción de estudio I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat.

The BPA
I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
Southern Fried Records

The Brighton Port Authority es un proyecto de Norman Cook, alias Fatboy Slim. A lo largo del disco aparecen quince colaboraciones de diferente artistas, por lo que junto a Norman Cook, pensamos que van a necesitar una embarcación más grande.

PROS

La primera cualidad de I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat es sin duda la variedad. No sólo porque la mente maestra detrás del proyecto es Norman Cook, sino por la aparición de Iggy, David Byrne, Dizzee Rascal, Jack Peñate, Pete York, Martha Wainwright, Simon Thornton, Emy The Great, Conan, Ashley Beedle, Justin Robertson, Thomas Gandy, Lateef, Jamie T y Olly Hite, quienes hacen del álbum una fiesta polifónica y divertida.

El título de la producción es parte del diálogo del primer Blockbuster del mundo: Jaws. No es extraño que por su tripulación numerosa, Norman Cook haya elegido dicha frase, y sin duda en el viaje por este álbum se mojaran con sus refrescantes olas sonoras, y se fascinarán, al escucharlo con audífonos, por los paneos que del auricular izquierdo al derecho acarician los oídos como un masaje en estéreo.

Por tracks como “He’s Frank” y la ya conocida “Toe Jam” en la que aparecen David Byrne y Dizzee Rascal, Norman Cook nos hace pensar que ser adulto no tiene sentido, y nos invita a bailar sin pena a vernos tontos, así que cualquier paso de baile es bienvenido.

CONTRAS

Se necesitan pantalones para ponerle sus “peros” a un grande, Norman Cook ha encontrado pretextos para hacernos bailar en la mayoría de sus proyectos, pues logra atraparnos con ganchos pop y algunas frases pegajosas. Sin embargo, I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat, parece ser el navío para una docena de canciones que no parecen tener una gran conexión entre sí, después de todo la voz en cada una de ellas es de un artista diferente.

La historia de The BPA dice que unas cintas con grabaciones de los setenta fueron encontradas en un almacén del puerto de Brighton. Eso es si las mandaron de los setenta a ser producidas en los dosmiles y de regreso a 1970 para esperar en una caja polvorienta hasta el 2008. La producción está repleta de sonidos más actuales, y de cierta forma, partes de los tracks se sienten como algo que ya habíamos escuchado antes.

Un álbum así no pierde notoriedad por su producción, si te hace bailar funciona y ya. Sin embargo, algunas parecen ser un pretexto para que estos doctores de la música se luzcan una vez más. Hay tracks de realización muy sencilla como “Should I Stay or Should I Blow”, en el que un sampleo de una guitarrilla surf y el mismo riff se repiten a lo largo de la canción. Sin olvidar el cierre del álbum “So it Goes” con la voz de Olly Hite, donde ABBA parece materializarse en forma de teclado.

Ach was solls; Zensur ist doch geil!

evolusin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:08:58 +0000

“TOE JAM – THE BPA AND DAVID BYRNE (FEATURING DIZZEE RASCAL)”

Via Der heiße Scheiß

rt @telepedro : mi hijo timmy mediano

gabriel lv — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:00:22 +0000

clic derecho :·: descargar :·: the bpa : he’s frank

es probable que mis hijos me odien porque estaré pintándolos y hostigándolos con la cámara todo el tiempo. tal vez se molesten porque les pediré que hagan poses o bailes raros frente a la cámara para luego hacer un video. les escanearé la cara, los pondré de cabeza en el sillón. les echaré colorante a su lechita para hacer una serie de nueve fotos en las que en cada una aparecerán tomando leche de diferente color. pobrecitos.

aunque también puede ser que se acostumbren y luego piensen que es normal que los papás bailen y tomen fotos extrañas. después tendrán que ir a la primaria y serán los raritos del salón y todos les harán burla. ¡ah! pobres de mis hijos.

yo no quiero que sufran, por eso mejor seré un padre normal: le enseñaré a jugar futbol si es niño y muñecas si es niña; o viceversa. y para lo de las fotos, mejor los llevaré al walmart a que los retraten con un fondo de nubes y unas alas de angelito.

clic derecho :·: descargar :·: the bpa : he’s frank

June Tunes

Georgy — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:00:48 +0000

Hooray! It’s June! Back in the dark, dire depths of February, it seemed like this month would never come. But it’s here. It’s sunny and in the 70s. For the next four or so months, we will scramble to soak up every ounce of warmth and sunlight we can find. So, to usher in this glorious season, we need an appropriate soundtrack. Because every summer needs a jam. So here, choose from these six (in honor of this, the sixth month):

Nickodemus feat. the Real Live Show – Sun Children (via 3Hive)
This infectious, world music-infused title track from the sophomore album by NYC dance scene mainstay Nickodemus can’t help but get your feet moving. If it doesn’t, check to see if you are implanted in cement.
The BPA feat. David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal – Toe Jam (via Brooklyn Vegan)
Passion Pit – Little Secrets (via iMeem)
Yes, I went on about both of these artists before, so I apologize for the repeat. But I would be doing a disservice if I denied these songs to you in the context of providing quality summer jam material. “Toe Jam” is all about those thick summer days in the city with dance parties in sweltering fourth-floor walkups where clothing is lacking but desire is in high supply. “Little Secrets,” if you read the lyrics, has a dark undercurrent that is easy to miss in the kid-voice chorus and triumphantly synthy keyboards, but as far as I can tell, there is a message of damn-the-torpedoes, doing what you want and getting what you need, hang the consequences and the naysayers. Many folks look to summer as a season of opportunity and optimism, so why not?
Montt Mardie – We’re All the Pirate Bay (via Swedesplease)
Who would have thought that a song penned in honor of a shutdown file sharing service could be so hot? Swedish pop artist Montt Mardie not only releases this anthem for free, but is encouraging anyone and everyone to create remixes by releasing the multitrack version for download. It’s OK, though, if you simply download the original and, as Mardie entreats, just “sing along.”
Owl City – Hot Air Balloon (via RcrdLbl)
I got clued in to Owl City by my friend Dave over at The Shimmy Shake, and yes, Owl City is like a slightly more teenybopper version of the Postal Service, but that is not a knock on the owl himself, babyfaced Adam Young. This is a perfect song for a picnic in a park, complete with kite-flying and maybe a tumble in the shrubbery.
Baby Dayliner – You Push, I’ll Go (via KEXP)
If you’re looking for a little crooning to go along a killer R&B/Dance groove, this is your cut. I imagine this playing in the car for some reason, windows down late at night, off to find out what the evening — or the dawn — has in store.

Seattle – The BPA

Danilo Pontone — Mon, 25 May 2009 05:51:31 +0000

Mi è capitato di rivedere un video di esattamente 11 anni fa: Gangster Trippin’. Era il 1998 quando Fatboy Slim, conosciuto anche come Norman Cook, entrò sulla scena italiana con dei pezzi che ebbero immediatamente un notevole successo.

Oltre a quella che ho appena citato, Fatboy Slim realizzò la celeberrima Rockafeller, colonna sono del videogame Fifa ‘99, Praise You, Right Here Right Now.
Penso che tutti conoscano questi canzoni, dato che sono stati dei bei tormentoni.

Ma che fine ha fatto poi?
In Italia è scomparso, ma in realtà continua ad avere molto successo in Inghilterra, il suo Paese.
Così, dopo qualche ricerca, scopro che nel 2008 il “vecchio” Fatboy Slim ricomparve sulla scena con lo pseudonimo di The BPA (The Brigthon Port Autority).

The BPA è poco conosciuto in Italia, ma due dei suoi pezzi più famosi sono Seattle e Toe Jam.

Tra i due ho deciso di inserire il video di Seattle, perchè dimostra ancora una volta come i video di questo autore siano davvero sensazionali (vi consiglio di guardare anche gli altri dell’era Fatboy Slim).

Una curiosità su Norman Cook: durante il veglione di San Silvestro o a Capodanno o in date particolari, è solito tenere i suoi concerti sulle spiagge. Nel 2002 in un suo concerto sulla spiaggia di Brighton, si radunarono 250.000 spettatori.

Vi lascio al video: Seattle – The BPA

Remaining in the light: Happy birthday, David Byrne

oldvertue0103 — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:42:46 +0000

Even the picture is a little intimidating

I’ve tried out a few introductory sentences to describe David Byrne, but put them all in the mental discard pile for being too cliched. Not only has Byrne managed to eschew cliche in his many projects, but he has defined the conventions for the work he does. Two words that prove this: Talking Heads. Two more words: Psycho Killer. You want three more? Qu’est que c’est.

The 57-your-old has been very hard at work. Just in 2008 alone, Byrne contributed to the much-lauded Dark Was the Night compilation, in addition to the release of his own collaborative effort with Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. He made a building sing. He also lent his distinctive voice to the cheeky BPA track with the video of all the happy naked people. There is no denying Byrne’s imprint in the evolution of pop music, nor his iconic status. In fact, there probably are no words I can use that won’t make Byrne’s artistic life sound banal.

So I will allow David Byrne to speak for himself. Supposedly, in the liner notes to a samba compilation he participated in, Byrne declared: “To shake your rump is to be environmentally aware.” If there are truer words to live by, I don’t need to know them. Even if he never really wrote that, I’m going to give the birthday boy the benefit of the doubt.

David Byrne will play at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Tuesday, June 23. Sadly, Brian Eno will not play.

David Byrne and Brian Eno ~ Everything That Happens Will Happen Today ~ Todo Mundo

Wanted for Life

Dirty Projectors and David Byrne ~ Dark Was the Night: A Red Hot Compilation ~ 4AD

Knotty Pine

BPA feat. David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal ~ I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat ~ Southern Fried

I could show you the infamous black bar video, but if you’re as interested in naked people as I am, chances are you’ve already watched it too many times. Here’s a cute take on the song, painstakingly crafted by Erika Brooks Adickman and Neil Katcher, and brought to you by the nice folks at Pop Waffle. Go be environmentally aware now.

“Toe Jam”

toe jam

thetorianexperience — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:37:29 +0000

nice vid:

Mike's Music Pick- ToeJam

thestacheguys — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:49:16 +0000

The BPA ft David Byrne & Dizzee Rascal – ToeJam

Greatest use of censorship bars EVER.

Mixtape #4: 13 mp3s

drumgirl0 — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:05:34 +0000

Mixtape #4 contains mp3s by:

U2, Sia covering Britney Spears, Neko Case, St. Vincent, Snoop Dogg, Friendly Fires, Seven Mary Three, Beyonce, 2 tracks by Gliss, Dan Auerbach, The BPA, and a Lady GaGa remix by Pete Rock. Click to download the tracks individually or as a .zip file at the end of the post.

U2 – No Line On the Horizon:

From the album of the same name, “No Line On the Horizon” is grandiose, sure (would you expect any less from U2?), but the beginning is as understated as anything you’ll find on their new album. That doesn’t last long though, not to worry. “No Line On the Horizon” swells into a song too big to be contained even in the gigantic lemon from which U2 would emerge on their 1997 PopMart tour. And when Bono sings the “oh-whoa-whoa-ooh”s at the end of each verse, I double-dare you not to sing along.

Neko Case – People Got A Lotta Nerve:

From one of the most pristine voices in the indie market comes the first single from Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone. The guitar climbs up to reach Case, formerly of the excellent New Pornographers, singing sexily about a killer whale (imagine that!) and herself being a “man-eater”. Animalistic in its most literal sense. For fans of: Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis, Lavender Diamond.

Lady GaGa – Poker Face (Pete Rock remix):

Pete Rock is a legendary hip-hop producer known for breathing the fine elements of jazz into underground conscious hip-hop by peers like A Tribe Called Quest and The Roots. Here he takes on Lady GaGa’s smash hit on this unexpected remix, which features none of the usual jazz or r&b samples he typically utilizes in his production. Since Pete Rock and Lady GaGa probably don’t appeal to the same demographic, this should be good exposure for Rock and GaGa to each other’s respective fan bases.

Download: Lady GaGa – Poker Face (Pete Rock remix).mp3

St. Vincent – Actor Out of Work:

Guitars ring in the background as Annie Clark’s (former chanteuse of the Polyphonic Spree) sung “whoo-ooh-ooh”s give way to a muffled synth riff bursting at the seams to get out from under the swell of an angelic choir that emerges halfway through the song. Clark sings, plays guitar, keys, and bass on her upcoming album, Actor, on which this song will appear. Like her previous works with Sufjan Stevens, “Actor Out of Work” is beautifully rocking.

Seven Mary Three – Laughing Out Loud:

My brother got me into Seven Mary Three after their debut album, American Standard, was released in 1995. With the superb grunge (it was the 90’s so “superb grunge” was not yet an oxymoron) of “Cumbersome” and “Water’s Edge”, I would have expected 7M3 to be hanging onto their brief 90’s success by making music similar to the vile Creeds and Nickelbacks of the world. If this was the era of their debut album, I’d recommend this band for fans of Bush, The Nixons, Fuel, and Collective Soul. But this is a whole new Seven Mary Three with a song that resembles a bit of Candlebox, Stone Temple Pilots, and Better Than Ezra more than any of the detestable faux-grunge that somehow gets so much radio play these days. Alternative still, but no longer grunge, 7M3 have evolved into a band to watch in the 00’s. I was 9 years old when I first heard Seven Mary Three. And as they show on “Laughing Out Loud”, I’ve also learned over these past 14 years the ethos 7M3 displays in 2009: growing up doesn’t have to suck.

Sia – Gimme More (Britney Spears cover):

Over an electric piano and the occasional hushed acoustic guitar strum, Sia reinterprets Britney’s dark-ish dance-pop ode to PDA and “going the extra mile with you” that highlights the longing in the lyrics, “gimme more”. There’s no “It’s Britney, bitch!”-attitude of the Spears version, instead replacing the original’s sexy throb with a melancholy that Britney herself is too robotic to emote in her own songs. “Gimme More” gets a downtempo makeover that will have you pleading with Sia to give you more.

Download: Sia – Gimme More (Britney Spears cover).mp3

Gliss – Lovers In the Bathroom & Sad Eyes:

From the Los Angeles band’s second album, Devotion Implosion, comes the detached shoegaze of Gliss. Behind a dark, crackling wall of distortion, they create mind-expanding pop melodies layered in fuzzy textures. Amid all the chaotic beauty comes the psychocandy gem, “Sad Eyes”, and “Lovers In the Bathroom”, a song Billy Corgan wishes he could’ve written for Zwan. For fans of: The Raveonettes, Silversun Pickups, Smashing Pumpkins, and The Jesus & Mary Chain.

Beyonce – Radio:

She may get the royalty checks for this recording, but Beyonce has nothing to do with this track; “Radio” is all Sasha Fierce. From the I Am…Sasha Fierce album (Sasha Fierce is Beyonce’s alter-ego), “Radio” features an audacious vocal from Sasha Fierce Beyonce (I’m so confused) over production by Jim Jonsin and D-Town that highlights that same repetitive electronic stutter that, appearing in B.O.B.’s “Haterz Everywhere” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella”, seems to be defining pop-r&b music of this generation. “Radio” will have you “on the hotline err’day”.

Dan Auerbach – Heartbroken In Disrepair:

Driven by old-school guitar riffs and a healthy smattering of reverb over his garage-blues licks, The Black Keys’ singer/guitarist came out with the February-released Keep It Hid, his first solo album. The Akron, Ohio native recorded “Heartbroken, In Disrepair” being influenced by the analog blues-rock of his father’s record collection and, using vintage recording equipment, remains true to his musical stimuli. For a split second the opening riff to “Heartbroken, In Disrepair” recalls the echoing guitar in The Smith’s “How Soon Is Now” (you know, the one that sounds like an 18-wheeler speeding past you on a dark highway?), and the guitar is crucial to Auerbach’s work (both solo and in The Black Keys). But it’s with The Black Keys’ drummer, Patrick Carney, where Auerbach most excels (even Justin Timberlake recently named The Black Keys his favorite current band). For fans of: The White Stripes, Heartless Bastards, and of course The Black Keys.

The BPA featuring Iggy Pop – He’s Frank (Slight Return):

I knew before I even heard this song that I would love it: my favorite rockstar of all time (Iggy Pop, fools!) is featured as the singer on it, so I was going to love hearing him on a 2009 recording no matter what. The BPA (Brighton Port Authority) is surrounded by this bogus myth that their debut album, I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat, was a 70’s fustercluck recording session whose tapes were just rediscovered. The actuality is that The BPA is the latest project of Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim), which features guest appearances by David Byrne (Talking Heads), Dizzee Rascal, and others. “He’s Frank (Slight Return)” is a cover of the Monochrome Set’s post-punk tune, and the guitars are energizing while the groove bends-and-snaps like an extra in Legally Blonde. “He’s Frank (Slight Return)” is also featured on the “Heroes” soundtrack.

Snoop Dogg – Snoop Dogg Millionaire (feat. Tanvi Shah):

Snoop jumps onto the Slumdog Millionaire bandwagon and rhymes over the spooky vocals of Tanvi Shah. Lazily-rapped on Snoop’s part, but well-produced by Wild Animals and Chase & Status. With a skittering bongo-inflected beat, it’s no “Jai-Ho”, but that song was ruined when the Pussycat Dolls were commissioned to sing over the Academy Award-winning song, on which Tanvi Shah also appears.

Download: Snoop Dogg – Snoop Dogg Millionaire (feat. Tanvi Shah).mp3

Friendly Fires – On Board:

You know when people, usually gay men, say something’s a Hot Mess? And mean it in a good way? You could think of this track from Friendly Fires’ eponymous debut album as a hot mess; more like a smorgasbord of different sounds that combine to get one big party started in your ears (a good Hot Mess), and less like that unconvincing tranny that was at your local bar last weekend (the not-as-good Hot Mess). Indietronica that will get all the skinny boys tapping their Converse sneakers, if not jubilantly dancing to “that song in the Wii Fit commercial.” For fans of: Junior Senior, The Rapture, the British new-rave movement.

To download all the songs of Mixtape #4 in a .zip file, click below:

Download: Mixtape 4.zip

The Brighton Port Authority : le retour de Fatboy Slim ?...

badaboomblog — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:31:41 +0000

Dans la série les papis font de la résistance … après Prodigy : Fatboy Slim et son nouveau projet The Brighton Port Authority.
Norman Cook a dévoilé le nom de ce nouveau projet il y a maintenant 6 mois, et l’album est sorti en janvier 2009, d’abord sur Amazon.com, puis ensuite en version CD.

Comme sur tous les albums de Fatboy Slim, toutes les productions ne sont pas égales, mais il y a quand même de bonnes surprises, notamment ce clip de Toe Jam, où une bande de hippies suédois dansent nus et s’amusent à jouer avec les bandes de censure.

Ceci dit, les autres clips du groupe (notamment Seattle Feat. Emmy The Great) partent d’une bonne idée de base.
Et pour les fans, les vrais, un souvenir de votre visite : He’s Franck (Slight Return) feat Iggy Pop

Album Review Time! The Brighton Port Authority – I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

Logan Powell — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:08:45 +0000

Okay, so it’s time for album reviews. I write these. You read them… If you want. Since this is a media blog, we cover all sorts of media, but I tend to skew towards only caring genuinely about music, therefore all of my other posts will be soulless and robotic. Nothing can save you from them… Review après les jump. (That means “after the” in Français.)

To begin this sonic voyage, (which sounds like a solid name for the 80’s hair tribute band I am starting), I will be reviewing the new album from The Brighton Port Authority, an alias for Norman Cook, or who you may better know as Fatboy Slim. You might remember him from his famous track, “Rockefeller Skank”, which was featured in the Digimon Movie.

Basically the album, titled “I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat”, is a collection of tracks laid down with musicians from ages past, and some young folks* as well. Famous names like David Byrne, Iggy Pop, Martha Wainright, Pete York, and Simon Thornton to name drop like a madman.
(*Not appearing: Peter, Bjorn & John)

So enough about my extensive knowledge of the outside packaging of the album, and we can get to what’s truly important… Is it any good? My verdict after listening to the first 1:18 of the first track: Yes. So I guess my job is done, right? Seriously though, give me a second to listen to it…

(Nap)

My thoughts are this. While the album is great, and solid, it is pale in comparison to stronger offerings from 2009. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t purchase the album. In fact, I highly recommend it if you are a fan of any of Fatboy Slim’s work. The album is an incredibly easy listen as it goes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only thing that hurts the accessibility of the album is that I personally took some time to listen to it, out of a lack of familiarity with most of the other artists than those named above. I promise you this, if you give this one a chance you will love it. Especially if you were a fan of the Mark Ronson album that came out, or even Girl Talk’s work.

Tracks that stuck out and really impressed me are the current single, “Toe Jam”, which features David Byrne and Dizee Rascal. However the opening track with Iggy Pop is so good, and sets the mood for the whole album. All in all, I will go ahead and say that you’re probably missing out if you pass on this one. While it’s not as good as Merriweather Post Pavilion, I’d only be telling you something you already know if I were to recommend that one.

So here it comes, the rating which is ultimately arbitrarily assigned:

I give this one 5 John Hammonds** out of 7.

(**Owner, Financier, and Promoter of Jurassic Park)

Til next time!

the bpa seattle - toe jam

jenschrist — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:43:39 +0000

also dieses video hier ist einfach nur zum genießen. so höret und staunet. auf “the bpa” bin ich durch den musikkritiken-blog der jungs von “platten vor gericht” gekommen. ein neues album release ließ mich aufhorchen und führte mich zu diesem gesamtkunstwerk.

ideen muss man haben. #j

dazu noch gleich ein, wie ich finde, wunderbares video von the bpa als augenschmaus. oder so. ist das nicht was?

ich kann es nicht lassen: unbedingt anschauen. hier. jetzt.

¿Quién es realmente The BPA?

superbeast — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 10:50:58 +0000

Si os digo “The BPA” me diréis ¿quién es ese? o ¿a qué se dedica?, hasta yo mismo me haría esas preguntas. Hace poco que me he enterado del cambio de nombre de este DJ, sólo puedo decir que tiene muchas canciones conocidas. Hace poco ha salido en la prensa, que este artista ha tenido que ingresar en un centro de desintoxicación por consumir grandes cantidades de alcohol. Últimamente sus conciertos estaban perdiendo calidad, y según comentan que ha sido el propio Norman Cook el que ha ido a tratar su problema. ¿Seguís sin saber quién es?.

Pues estamos refiriéndonos al conocido “Fatboy Slim”, que todos habremos escuchado algún éxito suyo en alguna discoteca, en la propia radio o hasta tendremos algún CD suyo. Parece ser que quiere cambiar de aires este DJ y con ello parece ser que cambiara de nombre. Nos lo tendremos que creer ya que el propio Norman Cook comentó que después de un concierto, que no iba a utilizar más ese pseudónimo como artista. Así que ahora lo veremos como “The BPA”, y tendremos que acostumbrarnos a su nuevo estilo. También podría ser que sea un proyecto que quiere realizar y que deje de lado el nombre de “Fatboy Slim” y se dedique más a esto último.

¿Que podemos decir de “Fatboy Slim”?, que realmente su nombre original es Quentin Leo Cook, que ha utilizado este pseudónimo exclusivamente para crear música electrónica bailable. Mucha gente le ha criticado porque sus canciones eran muy repetitivas, pero a quien le gusta este tipo de música no lo ve así, o sino que escuchen a “Daft Punk” en su disco “Human After All”, que eso si que puede llegar a rayar. Utiliza el estilo de “big beat” que en el mundo de la música elctrónica consiste en un ritmo de batería con un compás de 4/4 que termina con un golpe fuerte de batería que sobresale del resto, y después sobre esto, se le añade lo que tú quieras. Así que Norman estuvo influenciado mucho por “The Prodigy”, que también utiliza este estilo de música, que además podemos decir que es una mezcla de hip hop, breakbeat, rock, rhythm and blues y house.

Anteriormente a “Fatboy Slim”, estuvo en grupos que aquí en España no son muy conocidos (por lo menos para mí), como: “Housemartins”, después como “Beats International” donde tuvo problemas legales con los beats que utilizaba, más adelante con “Freak Power” que hizo famosa una canción para la marca de pantalones Levi’s, seguidamente con “Fatboy Slim” que todos sabemos quién es y ahora mismo parece ser que seguirá con el pseudónimo de “The BPA” (Brighton Port Authority). Esos son los más conocidos porque ha tenido otros como “Pizzaman”, “Fried Funk Food”, “Cheeky Boy”, “Chemistry”, etc.

Quién esté ligado al mundo de las videoconsolas, habrá podido conocer a este artista en juegos como Fifa, que si no recuerdo mal salía en el “Fifa 99” con su canción “Rockafeller Skank” y también salió en “Fifa 03” con una reversión del tema de Timo Maas llamada “To Get Down”.

Este artista británico nos ha dejado varias joyas en sus videoclips, como puede ser “Demons” donde un hombre intenta salvar a una mujer de un órgano diabólico, o el inmejorable “Weapon Choice” con un Christopher Walken que se vuelve loco bailando dentro del hall de un hotel, también con “Right here, right now” donde nos muestra la evolución del ser humano a su manera, sin olvidarnos de “Push The Tempo” un clip que imitaría el diario Marca con sus anuncios de televisión.

Ahora con “The BPA” se congeniara con bastantes artistas que ayudaran a Norma a realizar sus mezclas y que parece ser nos meterá en un estilo nuevo muy “World Music”, como le paso a uno de mis muchos cantantes favoritos “Peter Gabriel”. De momento su éxito más conocido de su nuevo pseudónimo es “Toe Jam” que tiene un videoclip buenísimo, donde nos recordara a tiempos mejores donde se realizaban orgias y donde habrá censura con los desnudos poniéndoles barras de censura para tapar tetas y lo que no sean tetas. Leyendo esto me diréis… estás loco, ¿que tiene esto de bueno?. Pues que juega con estas barras de censura para realizar formas o realizar juegos, y a mí me ha sorprendido bastante porque hace tiempo que no veo un videoclip que me llame la atención. Eso sí, Norman Cook sale en el clip, de una manera en la que todos querríamos salir en el clip este, sólo debéis de poner el video en el momento 2:28 aproximadamente. La canción es pegadiza y le da un aire veraniego o ese aire de cuando te lo pasas bien en buena compañía. Veremos cómo evoluciona Norman Cook.

if the music's loud enough... Podcast #2

gormsey — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:25:49 +0000

The second edition is coming at you with speed, gumption and awesomosity. I tried to mix up the genr

Les coups d'Iggy Pop

misterjukebox — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:18:03 +0000

The Brighton Port Authority est le nouveau projet musical de Norman Cook, also known as Fatboy Slim,

Fatboy Slim entra en rehabilitación mientras sale a la venta su disco

caleidoscopyo — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:49:31 +0000

Esta semana sale a la venta el primer disco del nuevo proyecto de Fatboy Slim, The BPA, (del que ya hemos hablado) con el que colabora con gente de la talla de Iggy Pop, Martha Wainwright, Jack Peñate o Dizzee Rascal. El disco se llama I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat y podéis escuchar unas cuantas cosas en su web. La cuestión es que Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) ingresó el pasado día 2 en un centro de rehabilitación, para tratarse de su adicción al alcohol. Norman entró por su propia voluntad y espera así superar su problema con la bebida para poder seguir una vida mas ‘normal’. Esperemos que se recupere y lo veamos por aquí pronto. Hablando de The BPA, decir que aún no he escuchado el CD entero, pero de las cosas que ya sacaron sólo me gusto Toe Jam

The Gadget Roundup: March 4

skirkster — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:47:42 +0000

Tag team, back again, etc. Let’s go! First thing is a download from The BPA, also known as Th

Naked Time with the BPA

Räusche — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:17:40 +0000

I posted about the BPA’s new album I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat a while back, and if you have not heard it, then get it now…it’s sick.

This video for “Toe Jam” ft. David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal made my day…in a non perverted way…kind of.

I’ll be throwing a party like this very soon.

-LaRoushe

The BPA feat. Iggy Pop

Bonnie — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 21:36:16 +0000

On ne présente plus Iggy Pop dit l’Iguane, icône et survivor du punk rock, incroyable corps noueux de 60 ans et dix fois plus d’abdos, inventeur du slam – et pas celui de Grand Corps Malade, hein.

Iggy Pop, photographié par Annie Leibowitz -2000

Sous le doux nom de Fat Boy Slim, Norman Cook est le DJ anglais qui m’apprit à aimer la musique électronique “festive” – vs. le son industriel des précurseurs new-wave à la Depeche Mode ou plus tard, le spleen bristolien du trip-hop. Dès 2000, l’album You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby rejoint ma discothèque pour ne plus jamais la quitter. Bonnie alors s’était bien débattue pour sortir de la pop adolescente et s’envelopper enfin dans la toge lacérée de la vestale rock et réac ; elle n’allait pas risquer d’entacher sa nouvelle crédibilité avec d’allègres synthés tout gras. Car le synthé c’était le mal, l’ordinateur c’était le mal oui, sauf si torturés. Mais j’aimai immédiatement Fat Boy Slim, justement à sa façon d’ingérer les influences rock, hip hop, techno pour les recracher en big beat mega-watté. Grandeur nature dans les festivals d’été ou dans l’intimité de ton salon, pratiquer le Norman Cook est d’une efficacité redoutable contre les troubles de l’humeur. Il demeure un de mes pourvoyeurs préférés de patate, une des meilleures patates que je connaisse même, avec Jamiroquai ou Groove Armada, depuis l’introduction de la patate sur le marché par Antoine Parmentier.

Norman Cook, reconnu euphorisant naturel

Mais Fat Boy Slim n’est plus, alors vive The Brighton Port Authority. The BPA est le nouveau projet de Norman Cook et Simon Thorton que je connais pas. Et alors là, mes amis, sur le nouvel album I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat, c’est un festival de featuring : l’élégant-éclectique David Byrne, le rappeur Dizzee Rascal que je connais pas et mon chéri Iggy Pop, entre autres…

I Think We're Gonna Need a Bigger Platine K7

J’aimais Fat Boy Slim donc, et je suis bien partie pour adorer The BPA… En 2009, l’anglais n’a rien perdu de sa créativité et de son humour. Regarde la vidéo de He’s Frank (Slight Return) : un tel bijou, que Bonnie refilerait bien un Award aussi à la marionnette d’Iggy, tiens.

Et pour le plaisir, ma chanson préférée de Fat Boy Slim, Song for Shelter sur l’album Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, si t’as 10 mn devant toi. A laisser doucement monter, bien au chaud sous ton casque, jusqu’à l’explosion.

Milo Firewater - February 2009 Mixtape

milofirewater — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:27:27 +0000

So here’s a mix for your iPods. Its a bunch of tracks that I’ve been listening to over 2008 and some new ones for 2009.

Tracklist:-
The Prodigy – Omen (Herve’s End of the World Remix)
The Black Ghosts – Any Way You Choose To Give It (Fake Blood Remix)
Alex Metric – Deadly On A Mission (Autokratz Remix)
Herve & A-Trak Feat Cadence Weapon – Roll With The Winners
GRUM – Go Back (Le Castle Vania Remix)
The Kills – Cheap And Cheerful (Fake Blood Remix)
The BPA Ft David Byrne & Dizzee Rascal – Toe Jam (Stanton Warriors Remix)
Dopamine – Come Closer (Boonos Remix)
Si Begg – Are You The Big Boy DJ (Milo Firewater Remix)
Elite Force – Used & Abused (Zodiac Cartel Mix)
Jude Sebastian – Rubber Man (Miles Dyson Remix)
The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die (Milo Firewater Remix)
Perfect Stranger – Stardust (Felguk Remix)
Deadmau5 feat. MC Flipside – Hi Friend
Tiga – Pleasure from the Bass (Joakim Remix)
Rennie Pilgrem – So Real (Andrea Lai Remix)
Vladimir Neuymin – Smoking Cue
Milo Firewater – Your World (Four Four Mix)
Modeselektor – The White Flash feat Thome York (Trentemøller Remix) + bonus beats
Pin Me Down – The Chain

Download it FREE here — {youSendIt} .. {megaUpload}