if it wasn't for the bronx this rap shit probably never would be going on

via slamxhype

was it all just a dream?

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look out for full reviews of hell hath no fury and she's mature tomorrow. until then:

datarock - sex me

trouble & bass - uptown




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ass in la perla

i missed out on the recent clipse show at the knitting factory to hit up the fixed party at studio b, but that by no means i haven't been counting down the minutes until hell hath no fury leaks, er, um, drops on the 28th. first taste:

clipse - dirty money

and you know you love this shit too:


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i will definitely be at the plastic little release party at 205 tonight - shit is gonna be absolute silliness. lots of rumblings about special guests that might pop up, and with the list of guests on she's mature (ghostface, spank rock, amanda blank, diplo...) if any of the rumors are true it'll be fucking crazy. don't sleep on this one

plastic little - now i holler

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lastly, some quite pleasant northern european indie dream pop:

bang gang - follow

bang gang - find what you get

i don't know much about bang gang, i received these tracks in the mail this morning and recognized the name from a remix collab they did with van she:

the valentinos - cctv (bang gang vs. van she tech)

EDIT: thanks for the tip - the valentinos remix is from the aussie bang gang dj crew, NOT the northern euro pop group. no relation at all.

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anything after that it don't matter

it's no secret that i have been deeply influenced by the design work of peter saville. but, really, who hasn't? a bunch of saville's greatest work is included in a new book - factory records: the complete graphic album. (thanks to newly-redesigned cool hunting for the tip) in addition to lp covers and 12" single sleeves, the tome collects all accompanying ephemera from the madchester label such as flyers, posters, etc. a must have. ech, i just caught myself about to call something a "great stocking stuffer". fuck it, just buy the fool.

and some factory goodness for y'all:

new order - temptation

joy division - passover

a certain ratio - touch

happy mondays - hallelujah (club mix)

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check out the new short film "gargoyles" from disco-not-disco compatriot bill cusick, my favorite line: "from what i've gathered, the little one's the leader"



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made with glue and a glove and some pliers

photo from ghostwriter on flickr

went to joanna newsom's late show at webster hall last night. just like the knife, newsom is an artist who's album has been in semi-permanent rotation in my itunes for a long time now, but whom i had never seen live. yikes! what a great night! diametrically opposed to the swedish duo in terms of stage show, joanna and her small troupe of players kept the sold out crowd absolutely enthralled for the duration of the show with little more than quiet elegance. after opening with milk eyed favorites "bridges and balloons" and "the book of right-on", she proceeded to play through Ys (released today) in its entirety. previewing new material is always something of a crapshoot, especially for an artist with such a devoted following who are practically foaming at the mouth to hear their favorite i-know-all-the-words-and-inflections song. but newsom positively killed.

in high-waist jeans, hair to her ass, a wifebeater and suspenders, joanna does not cut an imposing figure. as soon as the nymph grasps her harp and opens her mouth, however, she simply radiates with an energy that is as delicate as it is exuberant.

after running through Ys, joanna returned to the stage by herself and treated us to a closing couplet of "sadie" and "peach, plum, pear".

joanna newsom - sadie

joanna newsom - book of right-on

oh, and if you haven't copped Ys yet, do it.

do it.

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i can even spit in reverse

let's break it down

live:

during cmj i don't think i managed to catch a single act that did *not* have a micro korg. van she at the modular showcase was fun, pleasantly polished, and refreshingly sweet. digitalism at studio b hit it hard - and "zdarlight" always makes a crowd go spastic - but the show wasn't much to speak of. the knife were ethereal. those were the big ones i was prepped for. oh, and justice killed it. surprised? not at all.

tiga - far from home (digitalism remix)

tom vek - nothing but green lights (digitalism remix)

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new music:

some great new releases from familiar faces. hot shit djs are the new producers are the new remixers are the new bands. or so it seems.

lcd soundsystem - 45:33 : i have to admit i have been skeptical of the whole nike x ipod collab, mostly because the most exercise i get is from walking to get a cup of coffee, so i don't have much interest in anything that will "help focus my workout". i also didn't pay much heed to the initial nike-sponsored release for the project. but it was from the chemical brothers. was bt busy? this time around though, they got disco gad-about-town and dfa head honcho james murphy to contribute a 45 minute "track" for the project. holy. fucking. christ. 45:33 is what i imagine it would sound like if you were smoking weed with larry levan and he asked if it was cool if he fucked around with your 808 for a minute. for the first half of this - dare i say it? - space disco odyssey, murphy lets lilting piano lines drag along an intoxicating muzzled-handclap beat, letting the track build into an absolute headphone burner. few artists, brian eno and philip glass come to mind, really benefit from an extended pop music format, but i can confidently say that murphy has joined the elite ranks.

instant funk - bodyshine (larry levan remix)


sunn o))) and boris - altar: much to the chagrin of most people around me, i have been gorging myself on southern lord releases of late. no surprise then that i trucked over to soundfix the other day to pick up this collab from the labels two flagship groups. slightly uneven, altar is best when each musical partner lets the other do what they do best. droning yet propulsive, the record surely can't replace any installment in either group's catalog, but is rather a surprisingly effective addition to the label's output. oblique, eh?

sunn o))) and boris - the sinking belle (blue sheep)


mystery jets: it's no secret that erol alkan has shaped my musical tastes in a profound way. whether it's through his dj mixes or his dj-friendly remixes, he always seems to dovetail with where i'm at. while i'm not 100% sold on his work as a producer for the long blondes - but maybe the brilliance of "giddy stratospheres" has simply ruined the band for me forever? - i am chomping at the bit over the snippets of what i'm hearing he's done for the mystery jets. check out the track and just try and tell me you don't love it 10 times more than any silly scissor sisters' remix you've been pretending to like for the past month:

mystery jets - umbrellahead



plan b: jesus christ, another artist best known for their indie-disco producer? well, you will never find me encouraging any form of paul epworth backlash, so sure. oh, and this is a hot chip remix? um, has the UK music industry been reading my diary?

plan b - who needs (hot chip remix)

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like moonlight

just got home from a friend's house uptown, and while walking back from the train i realized that it was the first time this season i could see my breath.

trentemoller - while the cold winter is waiting

iron and wine - faded from the winter

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way over yonder in the minor key

kermit really stole the show on halloween

it's been a long time, i shouldn't a left you, left you, without a dope beat to step to.

what can i say? two weekends of out-of-town guests, working like a begrudging mule at my job, and i had to tend to my moustache. i can only hope that i regain some momentum (read: the discipline to wake up a little early and post). thems the breaks.

shitdisco - disco blood

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went to the knife show at webster hall yesterday - definitely one of the best shows i've seen this year. they pulled off what the gorillaz failed to (when i saw them supporting the self-titled lp) and used projections, multiple screens, and lights to transform show into spectacle. i've been trying to think of a good analogy, and i think the closest i've come to is "laurie anderson meets bez".

highlights of the night included a stomping version of "we share our mother's health", a sexed up "heartbeats", and a rollicking "you make me like charity"

the knife - you make me like charity

full setlist from stereogum:

01. "Pass This On"
02. "The Captain"
03. "We Share Our Mother’s Health"
04. "You Make Me Like Charity"
05. "Marble House"
06. "Forest Families"
07. "Kino"
08. "Heartbeats"
09. "Silent Shout"
10. "From Off To On"
-------------------
11. "Like a Pen"

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there will be no excuse for missing this party at galapagos tonight. i'm going to avoid as much cmj nonsense as possible in the city and just go hear one of the most amazing electro lineups in recent memory. it'll also be a trip to see the mstrkrft guys spin at the same place that i've dj'ed a whole bunch of times.

the presets - are you the one (van she mix)

and, although not playing tonight,

the teenagers - fuck nicole (sluttt ketateen remix)

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