Quarter-Pole 2007 2-CD Mix

April has arrived and therefore 25% of 2007 is over, if my math, which is known to be highly suspect, is correct. The first quarter of the year has been fairly abundant in terms of quality releases. Of Montreal's Hissing Fauna took me aback with its glorious pop numbers reminding me of the glam era. Similarly, Panda Bear brought me back to my childhood days of car rides to the tune of Paul Simon and Brian Wilson. Many of these songs have been previously featured here, which isn't surprising seeing as they are my favourites of the year, thus far. What does the rest of 2007 have in store? New releases from Bjork, Art Brut, and the Beastie Boys sound promising, and hopefully some waves will be made from now-unknowns. Anyways, these 28 songs are a representation of 2007's best, I'm sure you'll enjoy them as much as I have. Oh, and they're not ordered for any purpose other than a tracklisting. Your thoughts and opinions are welcome, don't hesitate to post them!

1. Blonde Redhead - 23
2. Air - Once Upon A Time
3. El-P - Run the Numbers
4. Klaxons - Golden Skans
5. LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum
6. Menomena - Air Aid
7. The Mary Onettes - Void
8. Modest Mouse - Dashboard
9. The National - Fake Empire
10. Of Montreal - Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse
11. Panda Bear - Bros
12. The Ponys - Double Vision
13. Windmill - Fluorescent Lights
14. Maia Hirasawa - And I Found this Boy

15. Prince Ali & Incise - Drift (ft. Thieven & Blue)
16. Venetian Snares - Pink + Green
17. !!! - All My Heroes Are Weirdos
18. The Besnard Lakes - For Agent 13
19. The Aliens - Setting Sun
20. Andrew Bird - Fiery Crash
21. The Apples In Stereo - Energy
22. Dalek - Paragraphs Relentless
23. The Field - Over the Ice
24. Sister Vanilla - Jamcolas
25. Voxtrot - Kid Gloves
26. Tunturia - October 4, 1957
27. Tokyo Police Club - Box
28. Hieroglyphics - You Never Know (Domino Remix)

Nouvelle Musique de Mardi

Music releases don't seem to be that special nowadays, what with leaks and such. Nonetheless, there were quite a few notable new releases today. For now, here are a few mp3s to enjoy. Judging from a few listens, LCD's is excellent at times, though a bit "less good" at others, but I think it will grow on me. Their debut was one of my favourites of the decade, so I expect alot. El-P's is also a booming and very enjoyable listen. If time permits, I'll be able to do some write-ups for a few of the albums.

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

MP3: LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous
MP3: LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum

El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead

MP3: El-P - Tasmanian Pain Coaster
MP3: El-P - Up All Night

The Ponys - Turn the Lights Out

MP3: The Ponys - Double Vision
MP3: The Ponys - Harakiri

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

MP3: Modest Mouse - Dashboard
MP3: Modest Mouse - Florida

See also:

Metacritic's Upcoming Release Caldendar

Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future

Much to the glee of "nu-ravers", NME darlings Klaxons are set to release their debut LP, Myths of the Near Future, in a few days time. This is the follow-up to their Xan Valleys EP, released in October 2006. Back in '06 my curiousity, no, impatience, got the better of me and I hunted for anything and everything Klaxons - demos, unreleased tracks, rough mixes, etc. So if you're like me, you'll already know 60% of this album before listening to it, causing this LP might seem like an elongated EP. For those not yet acquainted with these Londoners, I thoroughly recommend it.

It starts off with the distorted drumbeat of 'Two Receivers', not as fierce a song as I'd expect for the opener, but decent nonetheless. 'Atlantis to Interzone', a favourite from the EP, comes next, upping the tempo. 'Golden Skans' is one of the highlights, paying homage to light machines of the rave days. 'Totem on the Timeline', one of my favourite demos (it was then simply known as 'Totem') sifts through a pile of historical references including Caesar and Lady Diana, amongst others, to an angular and garagey background. 'As Above, So Below' is a fresh nugget of scattered poppy electronics, sunny even, as it's the brightest of the album. 'Magick' and 'Gravity's Rainbow', both solidified favourites amongst Klaxons fans, soon appear, followed by 'It's Not Over Yet', a nice ballad slathered with cascading synths. Closing out the album is another Klaxons favourite, the mythically-inspired 'Four Horsemen of 2012'.

Muddled throughout the LP are references to mythical entities and magical ideas, a Klaxons trademark, and something missing from the UK indie scene, which is seemingly obsessed with existential notions and daily routines. The title of this album itself, derives from J.G. Ballard's sci-fi novel. If nothing else, they're well-read and educated. 'Magick' is a term associated with occultist Aleister Crowley's magical philosophy, 'Atlantis to Interzone' references Burrough's, "interzone", or non-space, and the lost aquatic city of Atlantis, and 'Gravity's Rainbow' is named after Thomas Pynchon's post-modern novel. They also pay due homage to their influences. Kicks Like a Mule's 'The Bouncer' was covered on Xan Valleys, and now rave duo Grace, (Oakenfold, Osbourne) are covered on Myths of the Near Future in the form of 'Not Over Yet'. It's a solid debut with a lot of depth.

Here are some new mp3s featured on Myths of the Near Future:

MP3: Klaxons - As Above, So Below
MP3: Klaxons - Golden Skans
MP3: Klaxons - It's Not Over Yet
MP3: Klaxons - Totem on the Timeline

Local Artist - Crystal Castles

Apologies for the hiatus, but hey, every tv series I'm hooked on went on break as well.

Quickly Googleing this duo's moniker leads to a plethora of pages devoted to an 8-bit video game that shared their name. Given Crystal Castles' (yes, that's the name, not She-Ra...) rudimentary approach to electro, it seems a good match. But not so! The name derives from their love of short-lived cartoons, more than anything else. History recap: She-Ra was a cartoon character that took refuge in the majestic Crystal Castle, the peak of Etheria, and was essentially the female version of the almighty He-Man, "the most powerful man in the universe" (Mattel's words, not mine).

Now that that's cleared up, CC are a Toronto duo most notable for their remix of the Klaxons' 'Atlantis to Interzone'. Feeding their synth into an 8-bit Atari chip, results in the spastic blips that occupy their EP, Alice Practice. For those that only know them for the Klaxons link, the EP is a lot more abrasive and thrashy than that mix would lead you to believe. They're doing a few shows this weekend in Toronto before departing for the UK to support the Klaxons tour. From what I've been told, they're good live, though I've not yet had the pleasure of attending a show. Hopefully we'll get an LP soon, until then... enjoy these mp3s.

MP3: Crystal Castles - Airwar
MP3: Crystal Castles - Alice Practice
MP3: GoodBooks - Leni (Crystal Castles vs. GoodBooks)

kid606

Venezuelan-born Miguel Trost Depedro is the DJ/producer known as kid606. Now based in San Francisco, he runs Tigerbeat6, his own record label, and is part of a burgeoning breakcore scene which employs the talent of Bong-Ra, Venetian Snares, Duran Duran Duran, and plenty of others.

The key to kid606, and what separates him from the crowd, is its accessibility. Particularly in his recently released, Pretty Girls Make Raves, he combines the traditional hard hard beats, rough rhythm, and pounding drum machine with danceable elements that borders on techno. He's opened breakcore open to a wider crowd. Genre-melding is his game, dance to it or make spastic head jerks - your choice.

kid606 - Chicken Fight [mp3] [buy]
kid606 - Meet Me At the Bottom [mp3]
kid606 - Who Wah Kill Sound? [mp3]

Mash-Up Roundup

I've spent a good part of the past two and a half years hunting for interesting mash-ups, regardless of the artists involved. Sometimes two artists mix well together, regardless of how shitty one (or both) is on their own. Case in point, Mark Vidler's mash of the Beastie Boys and Las Ketchup. Mark Vidler (pictured above) is the man behind Go Home Productions, the first (and still the best) masher I've listened to. His back catalogue features mixes of The Stone Roses, Public Enemy, Television, My Bloody Valentine, Elvis Costello, and hundreds of other notables. Besides GHP, there are several other DJs that provide mp3 links on their websites, as well as forums that offer them, including GYBO (get your bootleg on). Below are a selection of some recent favourites.

Beastie Boys vs. Las Ketchup - Beastie Ketchup (GHP) [mp3]
Daft Punk vs. Dead or Alive - Spin Me Harder (DJ Tripp) [mp3]
DP vs. U2 - Around the World on New Year's Day (Martinn) [mp3]
Elvis Costello vs. The Police, etc. - Wrapped Detective (GHP) [mp3]
Gorillaz vs. White Stripes - Dirty Doorbell (Jimmi James) [mp3]
Klaxons vs. Todd Terry - Can You Feel Magik? (Dunproofin') [mp3]
Radiohead vs. The Beatles - Karma in the Life (GHP) [mp3]

Klaxons

Love or hate the English press, they're a powerful instrument. Whether it be oversensationalist claims (#5), or... well actually that's about all they're good for. The NME has been pushing for this "new rave" genre as of late. A proposed renaissaince of sorts for rave, which was huge in the UK by the early 90s. Groups like 808 State, A Guy Called Gerald, the Prodigy, etc. thrived under the drug-crazed genre, packing clubs like Manchester's Haçienda. For several reasons it eventually died off and split into a bunch of sub-genres which retain remnants of the dead genre.

This all leads up to yet another group the media are warming to, the Klaxons. They've been getting a lot of press lately, largely in part of the blogosphere. And they're interesting to say the least. Whereas the Arctic Monkeys seemed a tad simple-minded, the Klaxons appear to be fairly well read and intelligent. They're avid fans of avant-garde novelist William S. Burroughs, a writer I've recently taken an interest in. As for their sound, it's not quite like the rave of old, but more modern and edgy (what I'd expect). They've got an indie-rock pedigree (bass and guitar that sound very garagey), but the hard electronic backings are evidence of the rave influence.

Their first EP, Xan Valleys, was released a month ago, a good listen. Their full-length debut is apparently set for January, which I'm looking forward to.

Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow [mp3] [buy]
Klaxons - Atlantis to Interzone [mp3]
Klaxons - 4 Horsemen of 2012 [mp3]

Post-Punk Artist Du Jour - Thomas Leer

Leer was a DIY pioneer, literally making his music single-handedly in his flat. Amazingly, in his early days he didn't use a synth to create the seemingly electrostatic feel. Instead he created several methods to improvise for this absence - heavily processed instruments and extremely primitive electronic gizmos.

Private Plane was his first single, released on his own label, Oblique. It was successful, especially for a DIY, becoming the NME's single of the week. 'Private Plane' is very celestial. It starts off with a bassline combo'd with a scrambled transmission from a "plane". Leer whispers meekly throughout - so that his girlfriend, who shared his flat, wouldn't be woken at night, but hey, it perfectly fit the song. As the song closes, further bleeps and blorps are heard. Again, amazingly without use of advanced electronics. " International" is similar, in that it's a quiet exposé of Leer's vocals, but it also includes a great guitar 'n bass combo. While other Leer tracks are more experimental ('Letter from America' is a kind of mutant funk) and unfocused (possibly in a good way), these two are his most accessible.

Thomas Leer - Private Plane [mp3]
Thomas Leer - International [mp3] [buy]

La Dauphine Marie

Film begins. I'm hearing a familiar angular and spiky guitar. Oh wow, it's Gang of Four! And look, the lettering for the film title is all new-wavey. So this is definitely going to be an interesting watch - a postmodern exhibition of Coppola's take on a the French queen. Oh, I'm a liar. Sorry. This film stinks. Like food scraps left to rot, perhaps? Maybe a croissant. It's a monotonous journey of boredom. Attempts at making it quirky and cute are countered by mundane banter to the point where I was nodding off for an early nap. I realize that it's historically inaccurate. I don't care, that should make for some more artistic freedom. I realize that Antoinette lived in her own confined world. Fine by me. Poor plot, acting gone awry, disastrous dialogue. Not cool.

I can't fault the soundtrack though. Like Lost In Translation before this, Sofia Coppola has a proven knack for putting together quality soundtracks. It's a nice mix of ambience, post-punk, indie, and electronic. And I'm quite glad to see the Radio Dept. having a prominent role in this - very deserving. The inclusion of 'I Want Candy' is a clear jab at Marie's childlike demeanor (and subsequently her scorned presence at Versailles), but Shields' remix is nothing of importance. I prefer his work done on 'Fools Rush In' - very surreal.

Soundtrack listing courtesy Wikipedia:

Disc One:

1. "Hong Kong Garden" – Siouxsie & The Banshees [mp3]
2. "Aphrodisiac" – Bow Wow Wow
3. "What Ever Happened" – The Strokes
4. "Pulling Our Weight" – The Radio Dept.
   
5. "Ceremony" – New Order
6. "Natural's Not in It" - Gang of Four [mp3]
   
7. "I Want Candy (Kevin Shields Remix)" - Bow Wow Wow
   
8. "Kings of the Wild Frontier" – Adam & The Ants
9. "Concerto in G" – Antonio Vivaldi / Reitzell
10. "The Melody of a Fallen Tree" – Windsor for the Derby
11. "I Don’t Like It Like This" – The Radio Dept.
12. "Plainsong" – The Cure

Disc Two:

1. "Intro Versailles" – Reitzell / Beggs
2. "Jynweythek Ylow" – Aphex Twin
3. "Opus 17" – Dustin O’Halloran
4. "Il Secondo Giorno (Instrumental)" – Air
5. "Keen On Boys" - The Radio Dept. [mp3]
6. "Opus 23" – Dustin O’Halloran
7. "Les Baricades Misterieuses" – Francois Couperin / Reitzell
8. "Fools Rush In (Kevin Shields Remix)" - Bow Wow Wow [mp3]
9. "Avril 14th" – Aphex Twin
10. "K. 213" – Domenico Scarlatti / Reitzell
11. "Tommib Help Buss" – Squarepusher
12. "Tristes Apprets.." – Jean Philippe Rameau / W. Christie
13. "Opus 36" – Dustin O’Halloran
14. "All Cats Are Grey" – The Cure

Buy it here. Enjoy it. It's one of the better OSTs I've seen in recent years.