Ok, I give up, I'm defeated. The urge to post at least one Christmas song was so overwhelming, that I couldn't resist, but who could resist a Christmas song from Belle & Sebastian? Yeah, nobody, because you either love Belle & Sebastian or you've never heard of them, there can't be anybody on earth who actually dislikes B&S. Anyways those, who don't check up on B&S regularly, might not have noticed, but the latter have put up a new song on their myspace, escpecially for Christmas! And it's free! How could Christmas get any better?
I know, this is sorta 'old' news, but I couldn't not write about Kitsuné's newest strike, the Kitsuné Maison Compilation 5. As all the Kitsuné Maisons, it features the most fantastic artists, songs and remixes, this time with artists such as The Teenagers, Fischerspooner, M.I.A or Digitalism. You can see the tracklist below, 17 tracks of electronic awesomeness. The compilation will be out in early February, so all you gotta do is save your Christmas money and preorder it here. Seriously.
01 Fischerspooner - The Best Revenge 02 Late Of The Pier - Broken (Fairy Lights Mix) 03 Alan Braxe - Addicted 04 David E. Sugar - To Yourself 05 Pin Me Down - Cryptic 06 M.I.A. - XR2 (Silverlink V Kicks Like A Mule Aka 92juk) 07 MP3: The Teenagers - Homecoming (Gentelmen Drivers Rave Mix) (YSI) 08 MP3: AutoKratz - Pardon Garcon (YSI) 09 Digitalism - Pogo (Digitalism's Robotic Remix) 10 DATA - Aerius Light (Kitsune DJ Friendly Edit) 11 Does It Offend You, Yeah - Let's Make Out (Extended Mix) 12 Rex The Dog - Circulate 13 Bitchee Bitchee - Ya Ya Ya - Fuck Friend (CSS Remix) 14 On Board - Friendly Fires 15 Big Face - I Wanna Be A Style Crusader (Data Remix) 16 MP3: KID - I'll Never Know (YSI) 17 Cazals - To Cut A Long Story Short (Vicarious Bliss Mellotron Mix) 18 Yelle - A Cause Des Garcons (TEPR Remix)
and last, but not least, the Buffet Libre DJs have another Christmas present for you, an 80's mix. Just like their other set, Verbena Selected, which I have posted here, Verbena Rewind is also a rather interesting collection of fine 80's songs, meant for you to survive the holidays with unnerving relatives, tons of heavy food etc. Have fun!
setlist: 1. Sintonia Buffetlibre 2. Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters 3. Communards - Don't Leave Me This Way 4. Desireless - Voyage Voyage 5. Human League - Don't You Want Me 6. Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind (Extended Mix) 7. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (Extended Mix) 8. Bananarama - Love In The First Degree 9. Kylie Minogue - The Locomotion 10. Trans X - Living On A Video 11. Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round 12. Yazoo - Situation (12'' mix) 13. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams 14. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough 15. Giorgio Moroder & Limahl - NeverEnding Story 16. Franco Battiato - Yo Quiero Verte Danzar
as I've told you in my last post, I decided to do the obligatory Top Albums of 2007 list, as usually every normal blogger does and I have to admit, it wasn't as easy as I thought. Now I've come up with 41 albums which I define as those records, that I've enjoyed the most in 2007. I do not claim, that the list is complete, but after several days of thinking, listening and rearranging, I've had enough. I'll probably rethink some of my choices afterwards, but I don't care about that now. Because I don't want to post the 41 albums in one single post, I'll just do three lists and the others will be here in the next couple of days. So, let's get going!
41. The Robocop Kraus - Blunders & Mistakes
The Robocop Kraus are definitely one of my favourite German indie bands and as I've told you often enough, Germany is lacking a good number of decent indie bands, Well we're lucky that God invented the mp3 blog, so I can tell you about The Robocop Kraus, because unfortunately their popularity outside Germany is limited. As I've already told you, Blunders & Mistakes doesn't quite reach up to They Think They Are The Robocop Kraus, which was more funky and had more dance tunes. Anyway, this record justlifts my mood, whenever I listen to it, so it has to be in my Top Albums of 2007.
I didn't pay this record much attention at the time, when I first heard it. Well, I did so now and then I remembered why I didn't listen to it that much. When Cryptograms was released earlier that year, everybody went crazy about Deerhunter and the album, and I still cannot understand why. Surely the record has it's moments, the tracks are fine and it sometimes resembles The Arcade Fire, but that doesn't make it that great. Or maybe I just got this record wrong. Nevermind.
Ok, so here is a mistake. Hold On Now Youngster from Los Campesinos! hasn't been released yet, the record will be in stores in February 2008. So, why is it still in my Top albums of 07? Because I've already listened to it this year and had to put it in here. The charming lads from Cardiff just got me with their funny indie pop, so why not be early. I can still put them in my future Top Albums of 08.
38. The National - Boxer Well, starting with The National's Boxer, there were a lot of albums, that I didn't pay much attention to when they were releases - in this case, half a year ago. But now, after listening to it a couple of times, I cannot figure out, why I didn't put it on here earlier. The record remembered me a bit of earlier Interpol work - ye know, Antics style - but that's purely subjective.
Another of those hyped and most-blogged-about bands from 07 - and there were a lot. But to get that right, if some band deserves a proper hype for pure, honest rock'n'roll, then it's Les Savy Fav. It's probably one of the most honest albums, that 2007 has brought to us, I think. So, in case you haven't heard of them, which is absolutely impossible, check out their homepage, the song below and then right to amazon (or any other shop) and get Let's Stay Friends!
Alright, here we got our first French electro/dance contestant. Amongst Mr. Oizo and Justice to name a few, Teenage Bad Girl are one of the best dance exports that the land of the baguette has to offer. Cocotte is full of those perfect electronic tunes, not too much bass or too much beat. Just right. Too bad, I couldn't go to this year's Pantiero Festival in Cannes, would've like to see them live. Pity.
Jimmy Tamborello's fabulous music project called Dntel brought Dumb Luck to us in April. You may know Jimmy Tamborello from The Postal Service, another amazing electronic band. Dntel is also known for putting up several remixes on his homepage, one as good as the other. I think I've put the last one one here, not very long ago. If my memory wouldn't be so bad.... Anyway, Dumb Luck has to be in your record collection, so grab your purse and buy it.
I don't quite know, what else should be said to London's most stylish indie goth punk band The Horrors and their exciting album Strange House. The lyrics are funny, the sound does even surprise at some parts in the record and they surely have cooler hair than any of you. MP3: The Horrors - Count In Fives (YSI)
get it @ amazon
33. Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City
Bloc Party's A Weekend In The City was a little more difficult to place. I can't deny, that it is good record, but nevertheless I was disappointed by it and I can't really tell you why. Perhaps, because none of the songs can reach up to the pure freshness of Silent Alarm nor has any of them the quality as Helicopter, Banquet or Pioneers have. I would have loved to put this a little higher in my list, but I just can't.
So, you probably ask yourself, why I ranked Shotters Nation higher than A Weekend In the City. On the one hand, Bloc Party are surely a much better and talented indie band than Pete Doherty and his musical entourage, but on the other hand Babyshambles are one of the few bands, who emerged in the class of 2005 with their debut albums - amongst others such as Maximo Park, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, Art Brut etc - and actually done a better sophomore record in 2007. Well, one could say, that this wasn't very hard, because Down In Albion is... erm, not very good. Nevertheless one has to appreciate that Babyshambles actually got together agian and did a record, that doesn't fall apart with every note and has some very fantastic tunes on it, such as Delivery, Carry On up In The Morning or French Dog Blues. I'm sure, the one Babyshambles record, that will blow us all away, is out there in the making. Until then: MP3: Babyshambles - Lost Art Of Murder (YSI)
So, the last one for today is French electro pop princess Yelle and her fantastic album Pop Up. I didn't know, that I was a huge sucker for French lyrics until I've heard Yelle and that comes from a person who had to suffer from numerous French chansons at school, including Edith Piaf. I still don't even understand the half of what Yelle is shouting on Pop-Up - of which I should be ashamed - but that doesn't really make any difference. The record is simply fun to listen to and you can tell your friends, that you listen to French music goodness without sounding cheesy. Oh dear.
So, that's it for my first part of my Top 41 Albums of 07 - and yeah, I know that 41 is an odd number, but I couldn't care less. I'll post the second part probably in two days if I find the time for it. To do this list I thought about what my favourite albums of 2006 were and to be honest, I couldn't do a list for 006. It's hard to stay at least a bit objective, when my all time favourite bands released their albums. Which is to say, I have difficulties to spot anything else, because First Impressions Of Earth and Black Holes And Revelations are in the way. Dammit, for being such a huge Muse and Strokes fan. Just kiddin'. I'm off.
I'm sorry for the lack of post during the past week, but I was suffering from very severe illness...well, for me it felt like it was very severe, but in reality it was nothing more than a flu. Anyways, since it it this time of the year - no, I won't be putting up endless Christmas songs, phffsh - the 'Top of 2007' lists keep rolling over the blogs, and I thought, I should do my bit. So, right now, I'm listening to some 2007 records and I should be able to do a list in the next couple of days, but now: something else. So, first we got a fresh 'leak-approved' Architecture In Helsinki remix, done so by New York's Ruby Beats aka Noah Rubin, who has also done several remixes. You can find a very cool one of Blonde Redhead on his myspace and another cool remix on Stereogum. But because it's that time of the year, I decided to upload the original, probably not 'leak approved' version, too. Have fun!
MP3: Architecture In Helsinki - Hold Music (Ruby Beats Remix) MP3: Architecture In Helsinki - Hold Music
Alright, next let me tell you about The Bell from Sweden. The Swedish indie rockers release their debut Make Some Quiet on February, the12th 2008 via Badman Recording Co. and the management sent along some mp3 for your ears and it's surely worth to listen to and look forward some good music in 2008. So, check these two songs below and if you like it, head to their homepage or myspace for further information.
MP3: The Bell - Do You Know How To Feel MP3: The Bell - Never Had To Pay Before
alright, speaking or remixes, Fisher Preyes did another awesome remix, this time of the track Sore Throat Break by Mixhell. You already know Fisher Preyes, as I posted their other cool remix of Maudite Dance's Undergound here. I think, I'm reposting artist of the same post, weird. Anyway, if you haven't already, check out their myspace and of course, their blog!
so, I'm off again, nursing my persistent headache and thinking about my Top XX albums of 2007. Like this: MP3: Art Brut - Nag Nag Nag Nag from It's A Bit Complicated
nah, just kiddin'...
but maybe these are on the list:
MP3: Matthew Dear - Pom Pom from Asa Breed MP3: Spoon - My Little Japanese Cigarette Case from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga MP3: Tegan & Sara - Nineteen from The Con
tuesday night is a mix night. I'm getting better at keeping by promises. One clap for that on my shoulder. I've just uploaded a couple of songs, some of artists, that I've already posted about this year and some I wanted to, but then forgot about it. And the rest...is just plain good. I'm too tired for explanations, I expect you to know the bands and if otherwise, check my sidebar for homepages, myspace and information whatsoever. Have fun!
MP3: Matthew Dear - Midnight Lovers MP3: The Raveonettes - That Great Love Sound MP3: Muse - Exo Politics MP3: Asobi Seksu - New Years MP3: The Strange Death Of Liberal England - A Day Another Day MP3: M.I.A - Sunshowers MP3: Architecture In Helsinki - It 5 MP3: Les Savy Fav - The Equestrian MP3: MSTRKRFT - She's Good For Business MP3: Boys Noize - Let's Buy Happiness MP3: Interpol - Mammoth MP3: The Wombats - Here Comes The Anxiety MP3: Hot Chip - Shake A Fist MP3: Yeti - Never Lose Your Sense Of Wonder MP3: Sebadoh - On Fire
I feel guilty for not having posted during the last week. It's been only six days, but still, I feel so guilty, that this is going to be a ridiculously long post. Alright, let's start with mail I've been getting, because I actually did promise to do a part 2 post...sometime. Well, this time is now, so let's get going. Starting off with 4 or 5 Magicians, whose single Forever On The Edge is out now, released via Alcopop Records sister label to Big Scary Monsters (whose blog btw you can find under my links). Because I'm a little late on them, there a huge possibility you might already have heard the track below, but then you can go ahead and actually buy the single. Anyway, check out their myspace for more information, more songs and the way to purchase the band's single!
MP3: 4 Or 5 Magicians - Forever On The Edge (Tom Waits Version)
Ok, next on my list are Friends Of The Stars, a folk band from Birmingham. They've recently released their debut record called Lighting And Electrical. I'd put them between Stars, an If She Wants Me-kinda Belle & Sebastian and The Go-Betweens, as the band told they've often been compared to. Not a bad selection, innit? The songs are soft, a bit melancholic, actually perfect for the winter time. To buy the record, click here and for more information, click here.
MP3: Friends Of The Stars - The (Out Of) Jail Fire MP3: Friends Of The Stars - Dragonfly
Next, we got a really cool 'mash up re-edit thingy' to quote the guy who sent me this- I think it fits perfectly. You can check out the myspace of these two Australian guys right here and listen to more mixes, re-edits and so on, which you definetely should. And, right, this:
MP3: Justice vs Pharoahe Monch - Genesis Says (KABLAM! edit)
So, next up are Warrington's Rock/Alternative Exile Parade, whose manager sent me a track of the forthcoming debut album, which will be due in early 2008. The band will also be touring in 2008, so have a look @ their myspace profile for further information, album release dates and touring dates.
MP3: Exile Parade - Fire Walk With Me
Then we got The Violets, who released their debut album The Lost Pages last Monday via Angular Records. The Violets consist of four musicians from London, doing some kind of crazy indie punk garage rock. The management of the band has sent some very nice b-sides, the former produced by Jack Barnett from These New Puritans, so it's worth a listen. For more album information, check out the label or their myspace and to order The Lost Pages, click right here.
MP3: The Violets - Emerald MP3: The Violets - In This Way
and if you don't remember These New Puritans(which you should, otherwise it'd be a shame):
MP3: These New Puritans - Chamber
On and on we go, now with Plugs and newest release of That Number EP. The most amazing thing about this EP is probably the remix from French DJ, producer Yuksek, you know, the one who does The Teenagers, Shitdisco, Teenage Bad Girl and a whole lot of other fanatstic bands turning their songs into fantastic remixes. And now british indie pop Plugs. Great, innit? The EP is released via the People In The Sky label, so please have a look either at their myspace or Plugs' for further purchasing information. Otherwise:
MP3: Plugs - That Number MP3: Plugs - That Number (Yuksek Remix) MP3: Plugs - Transatlantic Air Miles
DJ Doc Rok aswell sent me his own 'Dirty South Hip Hop House Megamix', as he himself calls it. It is, well, some house, some hip hop, all in all, very good. Check out his myspace for further songs, remixes etc or just have a look at some of the shows he's done music for. Or have a look @ this video:
or simply this:
MP3: DJ Doc Rok - Down South House Mega Mix
Alright, travelling from the US to Gothenburg, Sweden, where Pet Politics is residing. Actually called Magnus Larsson, Pet Politics's got a new 7" out via the label The Great Supplement. Stylictically, I'd put Pet Politics to the range of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, which sounds just fine to me. So, if you like one man bands from Sweden, from Moneybrother to Jens Lekman and so on, you should consider buying the EP, clicking right here.
MP3: Pet Politics - Taken Away By Aliens
Alright, Simian Mobile Disco released Hustler last week and if there wouldn't have been an oddity that prevented me from accessing the university's internet over the past week, I would've jumped on it right away. Anyway, why should you buy Hustler, if you probably already got the original version(on Attack Decay Sustain Release, which you've hopefully bought legally) and maybe one remix? Beeeeeecause, first of all, there are several versions of the single, we got the CD single, whioch features a fantastic unreleased SMD b-side called Party Goes On. I could post that one, but then one of the main reasons to buy the single would be gone. So I don't. Then we got some 12" versions, all of them featuring some good remixes of Hustler, most of all the popular Armand Van Helden remix. So, if you haven't already, get the single, because you should atleast own one of SMD's 7'' or 12'', right? Get it @ Wichita, Juno or Amazon.
so, this one is from the Hustler single: MP3: Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler (Armand Van Helden Remix)
and the other two are just pretty awesome: MP3: Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler (Jesse Rose Remix) MP3: Simian Mobile Disco - I Got This Down (Night Facilities remix)
So, are you tired yet? I hope not, because I'm not finished yet. As some of you may have noticed - I'm quite sure I mentioned it like a hundred times - two days the ago The Hives played an incredible show in Wiesbaden and yeah, I was there, I was sweating, I was dancing my ass off and I would love to show some pictures, but unfortunately I forgot to take some of The Hives and only took some of the support band, Quit Your Dayjob, who were quite fun. Too bad, my photographic skills concerning concerts are practically non-existing, so the pictures are crap. I'm still gonna post some at the end of the post, but now: T.H.E. H.I.V.E.S! In honour of the amazing concert, I'll post some Hives songs, chronologically of course. Let's start with their 1997 debut Barely Legal. As some of The Hives records, Barely Legal was released via Burning Hearts. Even though the album got its well-deserved recognition a few years after its release, in my opinion it represents the true heart of The Hives, being raw, rough and some songs are in bad quality, which makes it even better.
MP3: The Hives - Whats That Spell?... Go To Hell! MP3: The Hives - King Of Asskissing
and then there was a very, very niiice A.K.A. Idiot EP in 1998 featuring some fantastic b-sides, such as:
MP3: The Hives - Fever
Alright, next up is Veni Vidi Vicious, released in 2000. This record now features more 'audience friendly' tracks like Hate To Say I Told You So, Supply And Demand or The AC/DC cover Back In Black, making it 'easier' for the average music listener to get into the record without losing the typical Hives touch. Not that I'd say, hat The Hives have gone mainstream. Not yet anyway. As already mentioned, classics are HTSITYS, Supply And Demand and State Control.
MP3: The Hives - Declare Guerre Nucleaire MP3: The Hives - A Get Together To Tear It Apart MP3: The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So
and from the Hate To Say I Told You So EP, released in 2002: MP3: The Hives - Uptempo Venomous Poison
Well, I could now talk about 2002's Your New Favourite Band, but as far as I'm concerned, this is only a compilation of the two former records and some EPs to get access to the American music market, now that there are The Strokes, The Vines and The White Stripes, seems like a perfect timing to get the US to notice Swedens best export. Nevertheless, it's a good record with a lot of good stuff. Like: MP3: The Hives - Mad Man
Alright, next is probably the best record in the whole Hives history. I assume therefore it's also the most popular and best sold one, but that's not the point now. Released in 2004, Tyrannosauros Hives is loud, agressive, but also melodic and diversified. We got 'typical' songs like Two-Timing Touch and Broken Bones or Abra Cadaver, but then we got some which are different: Diabolic Scheme and Little More For Little You. All in all, it's a truly good, through and through Hives record!
MP3: The Hives - B Is For Brutus MP3: The Hives - See Through Head
and what is left? I wanna go through the live CD/DVD, but if you're a huge Hives Fan, you'd already have that. In addition, I don't care much for Live DVDs. So let's go on with: Now, we got the newest, most discussed and the one with the most presumptuous title ever: The Black And White Album. Now it get difficult, the opinions on this record are divided: those who like the progress in the work and those who prefer the 'old version'of The Hives. I'm one of the first ones, I like The Black And White Album, I like that it's different, I like that some of the songs don't sound right at the first listens and that Pelle can't sing properly yet. That's all part of The Hives, in my opinion at least. I don't care, if anyone who reads thios and despises the new one, that's your opinion, but I think progress is substantial in a band's life, even though it sometimes doesn't quite turn out like expected. Nevermind. From The Black And White Album:
MP3: The Hives - It Won't Be Long MP3: The Hives - Bigger Hole To Fill
the last one is my personall favourite of TBAWA, just so you know. get The Hives records @ amazon.
uuuhhhhhh, now we're at the end of this post. As promised, it's ridiculously long to make amends for my guilty concience and this post took me like forever. Maybe I'll try to do a mix this Tuesday, keeping up my Tuesday is a mix night anthem, or maybe not. Anyways, have a nice rest of Sunday evening! I'm tired. I'm off to bed. g'nite.
- oh wait, crappy photos from my crappy camera of the not crappy Quit Your Dayjob:
My blog is not about getting free music. It's about promoting artists and albums. If you like, what you hear, go out, purchase the records, visit the band's shows and buy stickers, shirts or buttons! If you are an artist or represent one and nobody bought your stickers, shirts or buttons at one of your shows, I'm sure we can talk about that. So if that's the case, please let me know via the address below But be aware that my one and only mission is to get people to buy your stuff! A real album with artwork and cd is cooler anyway than a mere mp3!
