Girl Talk Feeds the Animals
Which is actually just a bunch of kids wanting to dance.
Gregg Gillis is living the American dream. That is if the American dream is to be a former biomedical research engineer turned DJ/remixer that goes by the name of Girl Talk. Taking the, "It'll be done when it's done." approach for his newest album, Feed the Animals, Gillis focused on longer cuts of songs that are remixed so well that they are borderline unrecognizable at points. The longer cuts allow Gillis to focus on the "meat and potatoes" of the songs he was sampling - and you really can't argue with a guy who puts Lil Mama to the backdrop of "One" by Metallica.
Feed The Animals went the route of Radiohead, as Gillis (and his label Illegal Art) decided to allow the consumer to set the price of the album. You can head over to Illegal Art's website right now and download Feed The Animals for however much you want, with five dollars giving you the full remix as one track and ten dollars giving you the cover art and whatnot. Ironically, he uses "Paranoid Android" as a sample on "Set it Off".
Posted by Wes Soltis on Jun 23, 2008 @ 1:10 am
Sigur Ros Goes Acoustic Pop
The Icelandic media darlings hit us with their fifth studio album. Will it stack up to their acclaimed catalog?
Icelandic post-rockers Sigur Ros got together back in 1994. The band's name was taken from the name of signer/guitarist Jonsi Birgisson's sister Sigur Ros, or "Victory Rose" in English. Soon after forming, they were signed to a record contract by Bad Taste. In 1998, after the release of Von brigoi, the band added a member with actual musical training. Keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson jumped on board and since has been responsible for most of the use of strings and orchestral arrangements in the band's music...
Posted by Cory Roop on Jun 23, 2008 @ 1:00 am
Diplo Remixes a Classic
Diplo tries his hand on <i>Verve Remixed</i>
The Verve/Remixed phenomenon began in the spring of 2002 when Verve released Verve Remixed, an album that saw songs like "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday reworked by some of the world's best DJs. Now in its fourth installment, Verve Remixed is at it again - cutting and revamping some of the most influential songs of all time while keeping the soul of the original recordings. In previous installments, the DJs had fallen in love with a new, pulsating bass line – creating an entirely new experience for the songs. Such is not the case on volume four; as the remixes stay fairly true to the original form.
"California Soul" was originally done by Marlena Shaw, and has now been surgically repaired by Diplo, a Philly based DJ who once dated M.I.A and got the name diplo from Diplodocus; a genus of dinosaur. Diplo's version is one of the more punchy songs on the record, and it's not very punchy at all. All of this results in Verve Remixed Vol. 4 being one of the most laid back albums of the summer.
Posted by Wes Soltis on Jun 22, 2008 @ 8:00 am
CSS Covers Grizzly Bear
Because friends let friends redo their music.
CSS and Grizzly Bear are friends. When this friendship was formed I'm not sure, but it was confirmed when Grizzly Bear asked CSS to take part in their 2007 release Friend EP. Friend EP was all about reworking - the first couple of tracks were modified versions of old Grizzly Bear favorites (sans track two, "He Hit Me", which is actually a cover of a Crystals song from 1962), while the last part of the album was Grizzly Bear letting their friends have a go at various songs from the acclaimed album Yellow House.
Both CSS and Atlas Sound (Bradford Cox of Deerhunter's solo project) took their chance at dissecting "Knife". While Atlas Sound takes an already ominous song and makes it even more unidentifiable in tone, CSS takes a different approach, taking the once creepy "Knife" and turning it into a viable electro pop song. But would you expect anything else from CSS (whose full name is Cansei de Ser Sexy, which translates into "tired of being sexy")? With their own song titles including the likes of "Music Is My Hot Hot Sex" and "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above", you have to conclude that they aren't going to make a gloomy song.
Nowhere near sounding like the same song, CSS gives a new definition for turning a song on it's head; and it appears Grizzly Bear approved of the rework by putting it on their album. Friendship is a wonderful thing.
Posted by Wes Soltis on Jun 22, 2008 @ 12:00 am
New Music From We Smoke Fags
Second Hand Dance Merchants
The current trend in England seems to be combating boredom. With the Labor Party in question as the once great saviors of the land, and the war pounding a never ending beat, the kids just wanna have some fun. The ability for new bands in the UK to quickly form, grab onto the style of the moment, and turn a quick buck would make any auspicious Yank jealous. And now, the Libertines inspired band movement has given way to the Klaxons inspired band movement. Slam dancing has turned into hips swinging and arms flailing. Disco beats now move the teenager's feet into a swirl of sweaty abandon.
We Smoke Fags are the latest London based trio utilizing cheap keyboards and cheeky attitudes. The only thing sillier than their name is their previous name, The Belmont Fantastics. Well, that's not that silly, but definatley not fitting of their sound. They are equal parts Buzzcocks, IMA Robot, and Bis. We Smoke Fags are gaining some notoriety by touring with the likes of Shy Child and Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Too much money and not enough intellect. Their latest single is called "Eastenders", and was most likely inspired by the superficial popular British soap opera of same name. "Eastenders" is available now available via 679 Recordings. So, while we nod our heads in quiet desperation invoking fibromyalgia, our Brit friends are having a much better time on the dance floor.
Posted by Joe Roth on Jun 18, 2008 @ 12:00 am