With the 2010 Pitchfork Music Festival finally over after a weekend of heat (both in intensity and, you know, temperature) we feel it necessary to feature some of the notable acts to make for certain they have made it on to your iPod. LCD Soundsystem is one of those artists.
You may have heard the single “Drunk Girls” recently on the radio and for good reason: it’s crazy catchy. LCD Soundsystem has a knack for creating retro-synth beats that mix in a plethora (yes plethora) of different genres including electronic, disco and rock. This is none more prevalent than on the latest album release This Is Happening.
In my opinion, the album is best experienced with a set of headphones, but don’t let that stop you should you be the only one on earth that doesn’t own headphones. I personally like my music spoon-fed directly to my ears when it has so much character and pizazz. You can actually feel the bass shaking your brain. It’s awesome.
Check out the latest release This Is Happening for an eclectic mix of techno-awesomeness. Each song is quirky (in a good way) including “Pow Pow”, “One Touch” and the opening track “Dance Yrself Clean”. In fact, the opening track is so awesome, it didn’t even need all of the letters in the name. Take that other tracks.
If you’re feeling saucy check out his other albums for an overdose of LCD. Don’t worry, LCD isn’t a drug it’s a type of TV display. You can only metaphorically overdose on it. But you should still take it in moderation.
Check out the video for “Drunk Girls”:
Buy This Is Happening:
LikeDebi Nova – “Drummer Boy”
“Drummer Boy” is a beat driven dance track that will get your blood pumping. Costa Rican diva, Debi Nova, looks like a sexy goddess in her beach themed video. When I take to the beach I burn instantly and somehow always step on a broken shell. My escapades would not translate well to a music video, Debi’s certainly does.
Buy the single
Scissor Sisters – “Fire With Fire”
The Scissor Sisters are always good for delivering some quality dance tracks. What they are not always good for is delivering sound advice. Trust me, the next time you have a fire break out in your kitchen, don’t run and grab matches in an effort to fight the fire with fire. Yeah, just makes more fire. So make sure you listen to “Fire With Fire” for enjoyment and not as a lesson. I am guessing Smokey the Bear will not have this song on his next mix tape.
Buy the single
Florence and the Machine – “Dog Days Are Over”
Don’t let the video scare you away. Take in these Brit indie rockers and welcome their music into your collection. Yes, the video does sport what appears to be two Smurfs, or I guess they could be the blue opera lady from The Fifth Element. And yes, there is a lot of elaborate face paint, rhythmic drumming, and a head of hair that rivals Carrot Top. With all of that being said, you need to expand your horizons and take this track in. If anything, it does have dancing blue people. That’s awesome.
Buy the single
Remixes. Some of us can’t get enough of them and some of us love to hate them, but one thing is true: if it’s done right a mash-up of music becomes something completely different and ear-catchingly awesome. You may have read our piece on Girl Talk a while back and, if you’re like us, fell in love with the complete disregard for song integrity (or even copyright laws.) Well, somewhere between that and a more subtle remix closer to that of the hit 90’s jam “One Sweet Day” comes the beginnings of the electrifyingly electronic Dan Black.
Completely disregarding what purists would call “butchering the song”, his remix of Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella” caused the web to stir in 2008. The signature beat mixed with the mild melody of one of gangster rap’s most famous set of lyrics created a song that was closer to a popular dance hit than a hard-core rapper’s delight. Now I know a lot of you are saying, “How dare he. One of those songs is a legendary jam by a music icon that shouldn’t have been changed.” All I can say is that I’m sure Rihanna doesn’t mind.
Check out the original video for yourself:
Now, for all of you out there that think, “Hey this is catchy, but I would like it better if it were more original.” That’s exactly what Dan Black was thinking when he went on to create the single “Symphonies” (recently featured on our Weekly Jukebox) for his brand new 2010 release UN. It wasn’t until I heard the songs back to back that I realized that he had taken what was surely an experimental mix-up and turned it into a song that was all his own (still retaining a little of the Rihanna flavor, but who could blame him?)
After listening to the full album, I found other tracks equally as catchy as the first single including “U + Me =”, “Alone” and “Yours.” He even remixes his single (which if you’ll remember is already a remix of a remix) with Kid Cudi. Pop in this album if you’re looking for a party…or if you want the party to look for you.
lala
Buy the album:
If you like Dan Black, check out V.V. Brown!
V.V. Brown has a story that’s not unlike my own. She’s a British model-turned-singer who’s vocal talent is only matched by her intellectual prowess. She got offers to top UK universities including Oxford and York, only to turn them down to follow a career in music. Yeah, that’s pretty much me to a “T”.
So was it worth it? How do you leave an opportunity to study at these elite institutions for something as uncertain as the music industry? If your name is V.V. Brown and you’ve got the pipes to back it up. That’s how. Her mix of soul, pop and electronic music span aspects of different decades from the 50’s until now, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone with her exact style. She’s making a name for herself and for good reason. Her newest release Travelling Like the Light is an album full of potential singles and poppy triumphs (I daresay there’s no bad song on the entire the album.)
“Quick Fix” and “Game Over” are my personal favorites, but give the album a once over and you’ll be hooked. Check out the video for “Crying Blood” and you’ll see why V.V. Brown is someone you need on your personal music radar (if you have one of those…I heard Sharper Image was all sold out…):
Buy the album:
iTunes
If you like V.V. Brown, check out Lily Allen!
Some things are just better mixed up. Like the ingredients to make cookies or the ingredients to make cakes or even the ingredients to make brownies. I think I’ve made my point at how delicious mixing can be. But what is even more delicious is the mixing going on with Basement Jaxx. I know you’re probably thinking it’s a guy named Jack who has seriously misspelled his name (by accident) and lives in a basement somewhere. Well if that’s what you thought, you would be partially correct. They are a UK house music duo. Oh wait, I guess you weren’t right at all.
Photos by Jamie Beeden
Basement Jaxx have been releasing catchy dance music since the mid-90s and most recently “mixed up” their tracks with a variety of artists across many different genres in their September 2009 release Scars. This mix of poppy club music will get you breakdancing in no time (that is if you know how to breakdance.) And with collaborations from such FreshScouts artists as Sam Sparro, Santigold and the creator of the milkshake that brought all the boys to the yard, Kelis, you are sure to find a song that’s scrupmtilicious.
But the original idea behind Scars was to release the tracks as a double-album; one album containing the collaborative club tracks they are known for and one album containing what Basement Jaxx describes as a “soundscape” exhibiting the mellower side of the duo. And thus, Zephyr was created. This second installment, admittedly, is probably not going to be the first choice to pop in at your next party. That’s what Scars is for. Zephyr is more an album you’d toss on for some trance-like chillaxin’.
The two actually compliment each other nicely. They are complete opposites that fit a variety of tastes, and since they were offered separately in a short time span, it’s easy to sample each like the cheese and sausage tables at a grocery store. Take one or both or even come back for seconds or thirds. As long as you look like you’re going to buy, it’s all good.
Check out the video for Scars (and some sweet animation from some guy on YouTube….bonus.)
Check out Scars:
Amazon Music
Like Basement Jaxx? Check out Girl Talk!
