I'm Doing The Strand

I'm sort of obsessed with the Scissor Sisters' new cover of Roxy Music's "Do The Strand." As Fluxbog accurately described, it sounds "like a gay disco jingle for New York City’s most beloved used book store."

My office building is across the street from The Strand, so it's become my morning theme song these past few weeks. By now, it's safe to say the Scissor Sisters can add a bit of glitter to anything.

I loved Ta-Dah and I'm curious about their upcoming release. At a couple secret NYC shows last year, the band tested material and, judging from the YouTube clips, the songs were all over the place.

Although "Do The Strand" offers nothing stylistically new from their debut album, check out the early 80's pop rock sound of "The Other Girls." I would love this direction for the new album.

I've Heard This One Before

Of course, as a stalwart Morrissey fan, I bought Years of Refusal on its first week of release. Was I as excited about it as much as previous releases? No.

The fact that "That's How People Grow Up" and "All You Need Is Me" were tacked on less than a year after I purchased them on the confusing Greatest Hits makes no sense to me. Why oh why were they put on a new album?

With every Morrissey album, despite what non-fans will say, there are new things to learn about The Man. Unfortunately, I don't think I've learned anything new about Morrissey on Years of Refusal.

That is not to say I don't enjoy the album. Years of Refusal is a piece of fresh air compared to the intensely reflective, dark and meandering Ringleader of the Tormentors.


It's musically upbeat with "subtle Mexican sounds" and I'm finding the melodies linger on in the way great pop music is supposed to. My favorite tracks are the rocking "Black Cloud" and the dramatic "One Day Goodbye will be Farewell."

I wasn't a fan of lead single "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris," but I find myself humming it all week, so I suppose it does grab you when you least expect it.

Years of Refusal does have a stinker. "You Were Good In Your Time" sounds musically like "Ambitious Outsiders" on Maladjusted, and except for real strings, it sounds pretty dull and has the unfortunate title of being "the song I forget is on Years of Refusal" until it comes on.

The bizarre thing about Years of Refusal is that its rockier moments remind me of the sensitive arena rock that the band Gene was criticized for.

This might be the album Gene fans would love (and every Gene fan was a fan of Queen or The Smiths), but I'm not quite sure what that tells you about Morrissey.

The Beat That Echoes

Isn't it strange when you hear a song you're familiar with in a different context? This happened today as I was passing through the 34th St/Herald Square subway station.

A group of dancers was putting on a show and I was convinced that I knew the song they were dancing to. At first I heard the beat and thought, "Oh, they're dancing to Madonna's "Music." What a strange choice for street dancing on a Sunday afternoon." (Note: it was impossible to find the "Music" video on YouTube since "Madonna Music" or "Madonna Music Video" provided endless results. This is the best I could do).

But then I realized I was wrong when the funky high-pitched synths didn't kick in. "Oh! They must be dancing to Daft Punk's "Da Funk." That makes more sense."

But then I realized "wait a second. It's The Rapture's "Killing"!"

And finally I was right. I remember when Echoes had a major impact on my appreciation for both indie and pop music. For many people in 2003, The Rapture made it OK to dance.

Unfortunately, I never made it to Pieces of People We Love, but maybe I will soon. I'm feeling slightly nostalgic for that dance punk period when Gang of Four was the newest oldest band everyone had just discovered.

Little Boots Live at Studio B

Photo by nickgraywfu.

After watching last night's Little Boots performance at Studio B in Brooklyn, it's pretty clear that Victoria Hesketh has no qualms about being a dance pop superstar.

At her first "real" NYC performance (I believe she played a CMJ showcase last year), she and her tight band were upbeat, cute and delivered one punchy dance track after another.

My interest in Little Boots comes entirely off the basis of two tracks: "Stuck On Repeat" and "Meddle." I don't even think I had heard the original version of "Meddle" until last night -- the remix by Designer Drugs is my signature version.

A lot of people compare Victoria to Kylie Minogue. Last night, she wore a black dress with a draping hood, much like Kylie's white dress in the "Can't Get You Out of My Head" video (without the plunging body line).

Little Boots doesn't have an album's work of tracks yet, so the set was short (about 6 or 7 songs, each around 3 minutes). I loved "Mathematics," which you can hear on her MySpace page.

She was very chatty with the audience, talking about her hometown Blackpool, describing one song as "an R&B ballad .. like Beyonce .. like 'Irreplaceable'" which sounded nothing like either, and getting the early morning crowd to move their feet.

Even though her set list was short, it was incredibly satisfying, which makes waiting for a full album release much easier. Take your time, girl.

Little Boots is doing everything right for fans: she regularlly updates her blog, adds impromptu video performances on YouTube, creates interesting mixtapes and sends newsletters from her mailing list that aren't annoying pieces of spam.

I'm very much looking forward to a full album's worth of Little Boots tracks.

My Favorite Albums of 2008

Cut Copy
In Ghost Colours
I had been listening to tracks of this album since mid-2007, but boy was the album worth the wait. Glistening, shimmery keys and great pop hooks, In Ghost Colours channeled 80's synthpop in all the right ways. If you were lucky enough to catch them live, you could tell the band were humbled by their own success.




Hercules & Love Affair
Self-Titled
It took me a few listens to warm up to this album, but it paid off. Yes, it does sort of trail off in the middle, but there is something heartfelt, unique and complicated about each track that commands repeat listens. "Blind" and "You Belong" are being anointed as dance classics and it's amazing how Antony doesn't always steal the show from the brilliant cast of characters.



Vampire Weekend
Self-Titled
I started listening to Graceland a few weeks ago, and didn't give a flying fuck about its influence on Vampire Weekend's debut. People said the same thing about first Strokes album and Television, but I didn't hear it. All I know is this album has the jangly college pop I yearn for. So fresh, clean and approachable that even my Dad was curious about it on our drive from Lafayette to San Francisco.


Kanye West
808s & Heartbreak
Yes, it's been out for less than a month, but it has also revived my interest in the "album" more so than any other recent release. The excessive auto-tune and lo-fi production does little to hide the aching in Kanye's songs. More importantly, you don't need to be on a downer to listen or appreciate this album's great music and Kanye's creative merits.


Santogold
Self-Titled
"Shove It" was pretty much my theme song this year, as was "L.E.S. Artistes." Moving from San Francisco to New York, "I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up" was pretty much the story of my life. The rest of the album has some hot tracks on it, but I prefer the mash-ups of "Anne" and "Lights Out" found on Top Ranking.


A few more albums I liked:
Hot Chip, Made In The Dark ("Ready For The Floor," "Hold On")
Britney Spears, Circus ("Circus," "Mannequin", "Unusual You")
Kylie Minogue, X ("In My Arms," "Like A Drug," "Heart Beat Rock")

My list feels pretty mainstream, but what can I say, Most of the "new" albums I bought this year were archives (i.e., I fell in love with Numero Group's Eccentric Soul series, old italo disco and newish italo disco from Italians Do It Better). But more importantly, I really liked the albums I listed above.

I spent most of my this year listening to remixes and singles from artists that could bring me up up up: Designer Drugs, Little Boots, Kid Sister, Treasure Fingers, Danity Kane, Cyndi Lauper, Kleerup, Miami Horror and more. Who said the single was dead?

The biggest disappointment was the new Beyonce album. Out of the sixteen songs on my deluxe version, I would master the tracks in this order:

1. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
2. Sweet Dreams
3. Halo
4. Ave Maria
5. Diva
6. Video Phone
7. Radio
8. Smash Into You
9. If I Were A Boy

Done!

51st Annual Grammy Award Surprises

As a music fan, I'm always interested in seeing what the old foggies at the Grammy Awards are including in their annual nominee list. This year, I find my jaw-dropping by some of their selections:

1. M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" nominated for record of the year. This is the kind of thing that everyone believes should happen, but never actually does. I'm totally shocked. Also, the Jay-Z and T.I. collaboration "Swagga Like Us" (which samples "Paper Planes") is also nominated twice.

2. Hot Chip's "Ready For The Floor" nominated best dance recording (along with Madonna, Rihanna, Daft Punk and ... Lady Gaga???). Sam Sparro is also in there, but I never warmed up to him.

3. Robyn's self-titled album nominated for best electronic/dance album. If she wins this, what a triumph. Kylie Minogue's X is in there too, but that album was definitely hit/miss for me.

Grammy stalwarts like Beck, Radiohead and Coldplay are all nominated. And who is this Adele? I have never heard this "Chasing Pavements" song. In any case, it's not a perfect list but I'm rather impressed that Grammy voters are being slightly more progressive about their choices.

Welcome to Heartbreak

It's not quite Pornography, but it's pretty bleak. What I like most about Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak is how honest and musically consistent it is.

I was expecting a softer sound, a more melancholy perspective on the tragic death of his mother. There is some of that in there, but it's also angry, with lots of self-reflection and frustrations over a lover or girlfriend. He's the boy done wrong.

It gets musically lighthearted 3/4's into the album ("Paranoid," "RoboCop"), but the subject matter remains dark throughout and the majority of the album is under-produced and bare bones.

My favorite track by far is the last one, "Coldest Winter." Notice the rhythmically strange synth melody that doesn't quite sync up with the drums. It's these touches that give the album its shivering effect. Speaking of The Cure, "Coldest Winter" could be a Japanese Whispers b-side.

I love the album's art direction as well. Say what you will about his arrogance and attitude, Kanye's creativity certainly delivers the goods.

My Hearts Skippin'

I got the recession special two weeks ago when I joined my new gym in NYC. They not only honored my SF rate, but they gave me loads of benefits. Perfect!

The past few months had me losing lots of weight, much to my horror. The skinny jeans Williamsburg hipster thing is not my aesthetic at all. So I'm trying more weight training.

I'm sharing a mix I've been listening to on my iPod using 8tracks, this new 8-song online mix maker. It's definitely in its prototype stages, as I found a whole handful of frustrations just by trying to make a simple mix. But the builders have been very proactive about addressing my issues.

Here it is for your listening pleasure:


1. Don't Be On With Her by Miami Horror
2. Meddle (Designer Drugs 80s Coke Jam Remix) by Little Boots
3. Hardcore Girls [featuring Rye Rye] (Don Rimini Nasty Boy Mix) by The Count & Sinden
4. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) by Beyonce
5. Get Fresh by Kid Sister
6. Shells by M.I.A.
7. Two Of Hearts by Annie
8. Electric Feel (Remix) by MGMT (ft. Jim Jones)

12-Hour Art Buzz

I had a fun Saturday, which started at 3 p.m. with me and my friend Brian running around art galleries in Long Island City (Deitch Studios, P.S.1, etc) and ended at at 3 a.m. Sunday with me stumbling home from the East Village.

I was pretty surprised to hear new Britney Spears tracks at the bars we hit. High-res versions of "Kill The Lights" were playing everywhere. The album was leaked this weekend, which now explains it.

Except for listening to some of the tracks on YouTube, I'm just going to wait and get the deluxe version of Circus, as I'm anxious to hear what this girl can do next.

This Miami Horror video for "Don't Be On With Her" has been posted on a handful of bogs lately and it gave me a good laugh. Thankfully, it's not all about the video -- the song is really fun as well. The high pitched overdubs mid-song are pretty weird (in a good way). Miami Horror (like best-album-of-2008-candidate Cut Copy) are from Melbourne, Australia.

If Bangs Could Kill

I like Ciara a lot. I think she's cute and fun. In her new single, "Go Girl", you can call her CiCi or "the Energizer Playboy bunny." T-Pain produces, so expect a lot of vocoder/auto-tune. It's not jaw-droppingly exciting, but I can see a lot of people having fun with it at the clubs.

The video comes off like a pastiche of recent pop videos. It must be those pesky art directors. Ciara does a catwalk strut in a shadowy hallway a la Lady Gaga, and then freaks out in a elevator like Britney on Madonna's current tour.

And then there's the wig. Those bangs, artfully cut just above the eyebrows! It's a little bit 20's flapper, a little bit Sunset Boulevard. Just in time for Halloween. My earliest recollection of this look was Britney's pink wig during her ill days.

The look has certainly caught on!

Roisin Murphy at Mansion NYC

Photo by It's ok to sweat.

I had a really incredible time watching Roisin Murphy make her U.S. debut in NYC last night. She played about 3/4's of Overpowered and a couple songs I wasn't familiar with (possibly from her earlier work). There were costume/coat changes after each song. Here are five points:

1. Her voice was perfect. She owned the stage. She was very happy to be there. The sound in the venue was great minus a few technical issues at the beginning.

2. She has fantastic chemistry with her band. She playfully assaulted AND seduced her musicians a couple of times throughout the set. She gave her backup singers a real pounding near the end of the show.

3. I liked the musical twists she added as she was transitioning or ending her songs. She amped up the dance elements "Dear Miami" and "Movie Star" while adding a rock guitar solo in "Primitive." She minimized the synth-heavy "You Know Me Better," which also sounded great.

4. She was rocking her signature bra-less white shirt a lot of the times. My favorite outfits were the brown, turkey-like hunchback number she wore during "Movie Star" and the plaid deer coat during (I think) "Let Me Know."

5. The venue was small, intimate and gorgeous. I think the crowd was a bit comatose at times, but that might be a NY thing. I was surrounded by a group of people that went bananas during ever song. But I could see a lot of people just staring in awe/confusion.

Soothing, Sober October

In these dire economic times bundled with a minor bout of homesickness, I'm finding myself veering away from the dance and pop music that has frequented my listening habits lately.

The final quarter of this year sees releases by Britney Spears, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, Eminem, Guns and Roses (!), and more -- basically a mainstream music lover's dream come true.

But as the New York Times wrote this past Sunday:

"Looking at Billboard No. 1 songs from 1955 to 2003 for a study to be published in the journal Psychology of Music, he found that in uncertain times, people tend to prefer songs that are longer, slower, with more meaningful themes."

At Virgin Records this past week, I purchased Fleetwood Mac's first (white) album. Rumours is pretty much ingrained in my mind already, but I had this insatiable need to hear "Rhiannon" and "Say You Love Me." Oddly enough, this was the first time I realized how much Christine McVie sounds like Jon Anderson of Yes. Fun fact: I went to college with Lindsey Buckingham's niece, who was obsessed with Justin Timberlake.

I've also been listening to Belle and Sebastian's Tigermilk, their first album and the only one of theirs I never owned. And then there's the new Antony and the Johnsons' EP, which has the stunning "Another World." I also like "Hope Mountain" and "Crackagen," but it was a bit overpriced for a five song EP.



I didn't see his show at the Apollo last week, but reviews were a bit disappointing.

My love for dance pop gets a shake up this Friday when I see Roisin Murphy debut in NYC. I'm also hoping to catch Designer Drugs play a set on Saturday.

Mariah Doesn't Do Drugs

Well, it's too late to vote and the contest is over, but I think New York's Designer Drugs were robbed of prizes for their "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" remix. The people in Mariah's crew ended up selecting a bunch of R&B snoozers. No wonder people are pessimistic about the music industry.

Let's be honest, the original song isn't anything to celebrate. But Designer Drugs were able to give it a hyper electro-house spin that pushes Mariah to dance diva proportions.

Designer Drugs' remix work is pretty incredible. Their remix of Hail Social's "Heaven" is one of my favorite tracks this year. Hear the original and then see how creatively they reimagined it on their MySpace (or buy it on purple vinyl like I did).

UPDATE:
Designer Drugs have kindly allowed me to post the remix for download. Enjoy!


MP3 -> I'll Be Lovin U Long Time (Designer Drugs Remix) - Extended
MP3 -> I'll Be Lovin U Long Time (Designer Drugs Remix) - Radio Edit

Last Plane to Jamaica

San Francisco's Ghosts on Tape is an artist I admire. Using only "some janky ass ghetto equipment", Ryan Philip Merry is producing some of the most musical, enjoyable beats I've heard in a while.

Maybe it has to do with his open minded approach to influences (electro, turbo grime, speed garage and Miami bass to name a few). I'll settle with ghettotech as the genre that might sum it up.

His just-released free live mix was performed using two samplers and features 25 minutes of tracks he's working on. Even if you have a modest interest in dance music and tropical, bass-heavy beats, I suggest you give it a listen. I suspect a full album release is in the works.

In a recent interview, Ghosts on Tape said even though he has a passion for dancehall, sadly "there's like no Jamaicans" in San Francisco. Just like there's no black folks in Alaska, according to Diddy.

But G.O.T. is right about Jamaicans in S.F., although I can personally confirm SF kids love their Red Stripe.

Tripping on Neon

Here in New York, I've had to readjust from my West Coast methods of listening to music. My routine used to be: dance/hip-hop at the gym, folk/rock/pop on my work commute, and pretty much anything on my home stereo.

In my new apartment, the wall separating my room from my Morrissey/Crass-loving roommate is dangerously thin, so I've yet to buy a stereo system. Listening to my iPod at home just feels weird and this city is too new and exciting for me to wear headphones all the time.

So for now, I'm dealing with it until I get some soundproofing. To keep me entertained, I have been watching some hot videos. The New York Times keeps mentioning how surrealism is IN right now. How about a little neon and psychedelia?

Love this song and video. I recently bought Hot Chip's DJ Kicks and discovered Grovesnor's "Nitemoves." "Drive Your Car" is a real treat.









Yelle's "Ce Jeu" is extremely cute. Their shows are so high-energy. The lead singer can get any party started. And I still don't have their album!









I remember the first time I saw Tilly and The Wall, my friend Sailor whispered in my ear, "I think the tap dancer is crazy." No kidding! I am loving this song. I disliked their super-neon "Beat Control" single, so "Pot Kettle Black" is very exciting.

Run, Run, Hide, Hide

From Morrissey and M.I.A. to dance mixes from Fabric and DJ Kicks, I’ve often found myself forgetting the entire mix and focusing on just one or two songs that quickly grab my attention.

Santogold’s collaboration with Diplo on Top Ranking has a few of these moments, but the stand-out track for me has to be Trouble Andrew’s “Run - Hide.”

When this came on after the laugh-inducing skit with Mark Ronson, I literally stopped everything I was doing and wondered what artist I was listening to. “Run - Hide” is a drowsy, lo-fi electro hit.

It immediately reminded me of the more pop leanings of the hyped Berlin labels of the early 00’s, yet with a more fresh, hip-hop edge.

It starts off with creepy organs, then Diplo’s beats kicks in and we get the smooth chorus and the crisp, vintage synths. Everything about it is outstanding.

After listening to Trouble Andrew’s less interesting songs on his MySpace, I truly believe Diplo must have worked wonders to produce this track. Complete kudos to him, but also to Trouble Andrew for his great vocal delivery and overall sex appeal.

This track is available as a free download on Trouble Andrew’s MySpace, so please go there and have a listen.

Hades, I'm Only Dancing

In some ways, the new Hercules & Love Affair single, "You Belong" reminds me of David Bowie's "John, I'm Only Dancing." The former has a house beat and contemporary synths with Nomi and Antony's yearning voices overlapping. The latter is a stomping glam classic that often gets overlooked, probably because it's usually tacked on the end of special edition releases of Ziggy Stardust.

Lyrically, there is a tumultuous, sexually ambiguous relationship between the protagonist and whoever he/she is addressing. Both songs are a little flirty, slightly moody, and tease the listener to some degree.

When I first heard "You Belong," I thought of it as the John character in Bowie's song, letting go of the person he was holding on to. I'm not sure what triggered this random thought, but I hope it's intriguing nonetheless.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Walking on Jim Lambie's color chart floor at MOMA.

All apologies for the extended absence, as I've been relocating my entire life to a completely new coast. Despite my worldly travels, I've actually only lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, except for a four month stay in the U.K.

I went to New York City last year and everything about it felt right. And so here I am, having a new life adventure. I found a hot piece of real estate with cool roommates in Brooklyn and everything has been going well so far.

I was surprised by how comfortable I felt leaving San Francisco. Perhaps it was the support of all my friends and family, who encouraged me that NYC was the right thing for me.

To be honest, it actually didn't hit me that I was leaving until I unplugged my stereo system and packed it up for storage. It was one of the last things I packed. So many years singing and dancing around in my bedroom, getting ready to go out and playing records I had just purchased at Amoeba and Streetlight.

The last album I played on my stereo before packing up was New Order's Technique. I had just come back from selling a bunch of DVD's at Amoeba, and used the exchange credit to buy four albums: Blondie's Eat To The Beat, Hercules and Love Affair (self-titled), Missy Elliott's Miss E... So Addictive, and the New Order album.

Pretty much all four albums had songs I was very familiar with, and I purchased them as a kinda of comfort food before I left for my trip: albums that would keep me warm and feel familiar, while still being new.

The album of this moment for me has been Ciara's The Evolution. I can't believe people weren't into this when it came out late 2006. It's a solid, creative, interesting piece of dance, pop and R&B. Where was I when "Promise" came out? I have been listening to this album non-stop since I got it.

Ciara can be so beautifully vulnerable, awkward and self-conscious. She's also very passionate about the music she makes. I'm looking forward to her new three album Fantasy Ride project.

Get Away From The Bar

I'm totally into the old school vibe and upbeat sound of Dizzee Rascal's "Dance Wiv Me." The video is really fun, and kid with the stache behind the bar (looking like he's up way too late past curfew!), is Calvin Harris, the producer of the track.

I was not familiar with Calvin before seeing the video, but I found out that he's only 24 and responsible for two of my favorite tracks on Kylie Minogue's X album ("In My Arms," "Heart Beat Rock"). Incredible!

It's nice to see Dizzee having a good time with this track. I saw him during his Showtime tour and was charmed by his live presence. Plus, he makes really good albums, although Maths + English didn't really do anything for me.

I'm hoping Dizzee's upcoming album will have the dance theme he's been flirting with for some time (Basement Jaxx's "Lucky Star," for instance). Snoop Dogg makes a good predecessor.

He's also featured on "Toe Jam" by Brighton Port Authority (Fatboy Slim/Norman Cook), which also features David Byrne (!). The video is pretty ridiculous. It's almost like a promo for CBS's new Swingtown.

Last Night The DJ Saved My Business

I am sure you're sick of all this disco nonsense, but one parting thought: is disco a good business idea? (via ILM). Love how she name drops Hercules and Love Affair and Chromeo. Which reminds me, I gotta pick up the H&LA album. From what I've heard of it, dance music suits Antony's voice very well.