Wednesday, December 30, 2009

NEW: South Central's Nirvana bootleg!


Most people who know me know my two favourite bands are The Libertines and Joy Division...

You probably also are aware that I have been a long time supporter of electro-rock firestarters South Central. They've gone from making bootlegs of Late Of The Pier, to touring with The Prodigy, all the while making headlines in magazines like NME and Remix Magazine... They've really come a long way since I first started talking to them and I still think the sky is the limit with these guys!

UPDATE: The recently sent me a track... and it was not supposed to be released! If you did happen to get this rough draft of a certain song PLEASE keep it to yourself. If you were a musician working on something you would at LEAST want to have the public hear the final version before any "demos" made their way to the surface.

In place of that track we have this Nirvana bootleg that I expect will be a staple in many DJ sets! I hope you enjoy this (I know I have) and I'm interested in what you think... please leave your thoughts in the comment section!

South Central - Smells Like a South Central (Nirvana Bootleg )" WAV file from DropSend

South Central - Smells Like a South Central (Nirvana Bootleg )"

We're almost at the end of the year, so I want to thank everyone, and if I can get some more stuff before tomorrow evening I will. Have fun, you all rock! Thank you for everything...

Monday, December 21, 2009

A Britastic Best of 2009


Every year this is a very difficult list to make... this year it's even harder. NOT because there weren't a bunch of brilliant releases... but because I had a lot going on personally this year that kept me out of the music world.

As usual I'll be updating this all the way up until New Years Eve (most likely)... so, enjoy, and I can't wait until next year because I promise it will be the BEST on this blog has ever had :)

Best Albums of 2009
Pete Doherty - "Grace/Wastelands"
Morrissey - "Years Of Refusal"
Little Boots - "Hands"
Frankmusik - "Complete Me" (plus "Recomplete Me" & "Completely Me")
Arctic Monkeys - "Humbug"
Editors - "In This Light And On This Evening"
Dot Allison - "Room 7 1/2"
Heads We Dance - "Love Technology" (plus "Dance Technology")
The Whip - "X Marks Destination" (released in the U.S. this year)
Simian Mobile Disco - "Temporary Pleasure"

Honourable mentions:
Bloc Party - "Intimacy Remixed", Franz Ferdinand - "Tonight", La Roux - "La Roux", Echo & The Bunnymen - "The Fountain", Bad Lieutenant - "Never Cry Another Tear", Doves - "Kingdom Of Rust"

Best Singles
Morrissey - "Something is Squeezing My Skull"
Arctic Monkeys - "Cornerstone"
Pete Doherty - "Broken Love Song"
Thom Yorke - "Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses"
Simian Mobile Disco - "Audacity Of Huge"
Heads We Dance - "Take My Picture"
Bloc Party - "One More Chance"
Frankmusik - "3 Little Words"
La Roux - "In For The Kill"
Franz Ferdinand - "No You Girls"

Honourable Mentions:
Lily Allen - "The Fear", White Lie - "Death"

Best Dance Tracks
Hostage - "I Get High"
The Count & Sinden - "Mega"
The Prodigy - "Invaders Must Die"
Bloc Party - "Trojan Horse (John B Remix)"
Frankmusik - "Confusion Girl (Russ Chimes Remix)"
La Roux - "In For The Kill (Skreams Lets Get Ravey Remix)"
Little Boots - "Remedy (Rusko's 'Big Trainers' Remix)"
The Black Ghosts - "Full Moon (Marlow Remix)"



Best Compilations
Various Artists - "The Twilight Saga: New Moon"
Various Artists - 5: Five Years of Hyperdub
FabricLive.44 - Commix
FabricLive.47 - Toddla T

As I said, I'll keep it coming but these were the first albums/songs to come to mind. Thank all of you for all your support; I wouldn't be where I am with out you all!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Heads We Dance PLUS Remixes!


If you read the blog regularly you'll know that I've been anxiously awaiting remixes for "Take My Picture"... and they couldn't come at a better time of year! Just as everything is freezing and awful looking they deliver remixes that make it feel like Summer again :)

Heads We Dance we kind enough to take a few minutes to do a little Q & A for us and give us 3 new remixes! So please read below to find out what their new single is about, what artist almost made Yoni take scissors to his neck, and HWD's tips on how to make it in the industry. Of course the aforementioned remixes are just below this awesome interview...

ISoA: What was the inspiration for "Take My Picture" (which by the way has one of the catchiest choruses you've ever written)?

It’s about the power relationship between celebrities and the press; it’s a two-way thing, which can work in a similar way to a romantic relationship. That’s the main theme of the song anyway; the inspiration for the general sound of the song was the fact that we were really longing to make an out-an-out pop track! I’m glad you picked up on the catchy chorus – we definitely went for that, and putting Becky centre stage also gives the track a real pop feel.

ISoA: It seems like most bands or artists have one... do you have a favourite song that you've written?

We always get really excited by the song that we’re currently working on. As a band it’s important you keep it exciting for yourself, and I guess you always want to be thinking the next thing you do will be the best thing you’ve ever done. Now is no exception! It’s a bit of a cop-out because nobody can hear this track yet, but we’ve nearly finished the follow up to 'Take My Picture' and we all absolutely love it… It’s called 'Guilty Heart' and I honestly think it's the best thing we’ve done.

ISoA: What have been your favourite albums this year?

Heads We Dance: I really like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs album; we all went to see them live a couple of weeks ago and it was just great too. ‘Heads Will Roll’ especially was just huge! The Fever Ray album was sonically fantastic; amazing soundscapes. Recently I’ve been listening to quite a bit of the new Boys Noize album (which seems to have been somewhat overlooked) and the Blakroc album as well.

ISoA: Is there any song you could go the rest of your lives without hearing?

Heads We Dance: Can I say the entire Jamiroquai back catalogue? I was having my haircut the other day and they put a Jamiroquai album on. I almost wrestled the scissors off them and stabbed myself in the neck to make it stop. I didn’t - I stayed in my seat and got my hair cut – but only because I’m polite! I would happily never hear any one of those songs again!

ISoA: Are there any artists, or bands, that you expect big things from this coming year?

Heads We Dance: Loads of the acts that inspired our Love Technology album like Justice, Chromeo and Digitalism have been out of the spotlight for a while so I'm looking forward to what they come up with next year. I'm also hoping that A-Trak will put an album together as I've loved almost all his remixes and original tracks. I also have to confess that I'm looking forward to some big blockbuster pop albums from Britney, Kylie et al!

ISoA: Obviously you've kept it together and big things have happened for you all. Has there ever been a moment where one or all of you said, "We may not be able to do this", where you considered packing it in?

Heads We Dance: Yeah I think it's fair to say we've all had our moments, especially when we're juggling music, jobs and relationships. We've had some amazing reactions to our tracks over the last 18 months but we still have to work really hard to keep things moving!

ISoA: So far what has been your biggest moment as a band?

Heads We Dance: I'm not sure really. Releasing 'The Human Touch' was a big moment as it felt like a turning point and the start of a much more positive time for us. Releasing 'Take My Picture' feels like a big moment too though because it has shown us we can surpass our indie band origins to make some proper pop!

ISoA: Are there anything embarrassing moments hiding in the bands past?

Heads We Dance: We like to keep moving as a band so we can be pretty dismissive of things we've done in the past - there is a demo version of 'Love In The Digital Age' floating about on the net which is pretty embarrassing. If we stand back from it all though we realise that we wouldn't be where we are now if it wasn't for past mistakes... don't listen to that demo though!

ISoA: Does anyone in the band have a hidden talent?

Heads We Dance: Becky is an awesome cook and likes to bake stuff to keep us going in the studio! I have also been told that I look like an albino Snoop Dogg though I'm not sure if that's a hidden talent...

ISoA: You guys are the ones who introduced me to Frankmusik; how did you come to work with Vince on the "Love In The Digital Age" remix?

Heads We Dance: We were put in touch with Vince via the guys at Puregroove Records. We had actually never heard of him (this was back in 2007) but loved his remix of 'Digital Age'. We supported him at The Cockpit in Leeds in November this year - one of the best and most fun gigs we've ever done.

ISoA: This is probably my most asked question: With the collapse of traditional music industry, what do you suggest to young bands trying to make it right now?

Heads We Dance: Be organised and be prepared to put in some hard work! I think it's also important to enjoy what you're doing while you're doing it - it's easy to get sucked into always looking forward to the next stage and getting hung up on that. Also, don't be shit and rely on a nice haircut - there's too much of that about!


I wanna thank them for taking the time to answer these questions and for giving us these wicked remixes! Make sure you pick up "Take My Picture/After Dark"!

Heads We Dance - Take My Picture (Digital Foxglove Remix)"

Heads We Dance - Take My Picture (Justin Faust Remix)"

Heads We Dance - Take My Picture (Coin Operated Boy Remix)"

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

NON-BRIT: Larry Tee vs Don Diablo!


Larry Tee is my hero. He's my friend. And he has very often been my mentor (despite being many states away and only seeing each other once every 3 years or so). The man has influenced music in a way that many DJs and producers could only DREAM of.

Here's a little Wiki-bio for those of you not familiar with his work...
Tee was born to two Canadian-born citizens in Seattle, Washington. He grew up in Seattle and then Marietta, Georgia. He moved to Atlanta in the early eighties, where he became a part of the music scene and he hung out with drag personalities such as RuPaul, Lady Bunny, Amanda Lepore, and Lahoma Van Zandt at the Celebrity Club in Atlanta.

In 1989, Tee along with RuPaul and Lady Bunny and Lahoma Van Zandt moved to NYC and quickly took over the Club Kids scene with his epic party, Love Machine. He hosted the infamous DISCO 2000 seen in the movie Party Monster's hot body contest, and also DJ'ed at the ROXY on a weekly basis.

During the 1990s, he became a prominent DJ by playing at highly-regarded venues such as Palladium, Twilo, and the Roxy NYC. In 1992, Tee co-wrote the RuPaul's top 40-hit "Supermodel (You Better Work)".

In the early 2000s, Tee created and trademarked the term "electroclash" and it became well known enough that it started to appear in the Oxford Dictionary. He coordinated and managed the 2001 Electroclash Festival, which featured Scissor Sisters, Fischerspooner, Ladytron and Peaches, who all participated in the festival. He also created and managed the nouvea-music electro girl group, W.I.T."


I mean come on! Creating "electroclash" and then defining music for years to come, helping launch some of the most important acts this decade, writing on of the most popular dance songs of all time? THE MAN IS A GENIUS! I could tell you more awesome things about him (like his amazing transformation from drug addict to superstar DJ) but I'm sure you'd rather hear this remix, featuring Roxy Cottontail, from 2009's remix king Don Diablo :)

LARRY TEE - LET'S MAKE NASTY (DON DIABLO REMIX)
LARRY TEE - LET'S MAKE NASTY (DON DIABLO REMIX) zShare
LARRY TEE - LET'S MAKE NASTY (DON DIABLO REMIX) YSI

Here's Don Diablo's press...
Don Diablo (www.myspace.com/dondiablo), who's currently on tour through North America, gets nasty with New York nightclub legend Larry Tee's forthcoming single 'Let's Make Nasty' on Ultra Records, adding tons of subbass, freaky synthstabs and his trademark guitarlicks, turning 'Let's make Nasty' into an effective clubrocker Don Diablo style. Play this baby on a big soundsystem in a dark underground club and damage will be done to the dancefloor. Expect Don Diablo to cause damage to dancefloors in Houston (Rich's, 17 Dec), El Paso (Club 101, 18 Dec) and San Diego (Voyeur, 19 Dec) this week!

I love being able to post stuff that has two people I admire in it and this is one of those rare opportunities. Larry Tee is an inspiration to me and I don't think he has any idea how much people adore him. IF you somehow don't own Larry's most recent album Club Badd you need to get with it and but it here.

Anyway, I'll be back soon with new stuff from HWD! I'll try to get it up quick (but finals and life are kicking my ass)... be back soon!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Don Diablo & Scanners, Faithless dubstep remix, new RKC, and Lunar Youth!



The busiest-remixer-in-the-world-ever-full-stop, Don Diablo, has just released an official remix for the delightfully dark Scanners (one of the best, most underrated acts ever on Dim Mak) which will surely blow your skull & crossbone socks right off!

Here's the press...
Don Diablo (www.myspace.com/dondiablo) takes on the new single 'Salvation' by UK rock outfit Scanners (www.myspace.com/scanners) and turns it into an epic monster of a track by adding guitar licks, haunting strings, distorted basslines and a killer break. The 'Salvation' remix EP drops December 8 on Dim Mak Records, so get your copy on Beatport! For North American fans, ravers, hotties and non-believers, be sure to catch Don Diablo in Chicago (Dec 10), Phoenix (Dec 11), Toronto (Dec 12), Houston (Dec 17), El Paso (Dec 18), and San Diego (Dec 19). New North American dates and cities already confirmed for 2010 and to be announced soon!

SCANNERS - SALVATION (DON DIABLO REMIX) Direct DL
SCANNERS - SALVATION (DON DIABLO REMIX) zShare
SCANNERS - SALVATION (DON DIABLO REMIX) YSI




I've gotta admit... I've never been a big Faithless fan. I saw Sister Bliss play, at I think it was Prive, which was pretty cool... and I recognize their importance to dance music... but most of their stuff has never really been my thing. However, this dubstep remix of 'Sun To Me' is the perfect way to get my attention. I want to hear remixer Emalkay do a remix for Massive Attack after hearing this (it would be perfect)! I like how the press release talks about sunshine and this track is crazy dark lol...

And here's the press for this one...
Taster track ‘Sun To Me’ is a precursor to the full return of Faithless next year – the new album early in 2010 heralds a new Faithless experience, encompassing the band’s celebrated eclecticism, originality and ambience that has made them a global phenomenon.

Faithless have been introducing ‘Sun To Me’ around the UK and Europe with a string of Faithless Sound System live dates over the last 2 months and with some amazing remixes from Alex M.O.R.P.H, Gui Boratto and a classic rework from renowned Birmingham dubstep producer Emalkay, the track has been going down a storm.

“inspired by the Californian sunshine, and the wide open spaces along the Pacific highway – Sun To Me hopefully shines a little light in these dark times” Sister Bliss

Next week iTunes take Faithless’ ‘Sun To Me’ around the globe when they offer the track free for 7 days only. ‘Sun To Me’ (Faithless Dub) will be available to iTunes customers in UK, US, Japan, Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Mexico from Tues Dec 15th until Dec 22nd.


FAITHLESS - 'Sun To Me' YSI
FAITHLESS - 'Sun To Me' zShare

Check out more at their website or Myspace!

Also, our good buddy Adam Ficek of Roses Kings and Castles (as well as a little band called Babyshambles) had a couple of free tracks he wanted to give away to you devoted listeners. I don't know about you but I still can't shake "Entroubled" from my head (nor do I want to). I hope you enjoy these tracks, and feedback in the comments is ALWAYS welcome :)

Roses Kings and Castles - "Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid"

Roses Kings and Castles - "Empty Shells"

And last but not least we've got newbies Lunar Youth and their b-side to "Misfits" called "Peppermint Lounge"... it's certainly interesting to me because it sounds different... I mean just plain different! In an age where there are way too many bands who are turning out the same garbage over and over it's refreshing to hear something new (I will say I feel like they listened to "Sound & Vision" prior to writing the song lol). How do I feel about it though? I tend to go for angsty stuff or ecstatic craziness... so I dunno, I admire their enthusiasm... better question is what do you think?

Lunar Youth - "Peppermint Lounge" YSI

I'm getting a Q & A ready with Heads We Dance and some other surprises so STAY TUNED!

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Cazals split! Leave us with "Life Is Boring"


The Cazals are dead. Long live Cazals.

Cazals - "Life Is Boring (Jali Remix)" YSI
Cazals - "Life Is Boring (Jali Remix)" zShare

C A Z A L S S P L I T:
"After many great years together we have chosen to go our separate ways and bring Cazals to an end. We want to thank everyone who supported us, whether by coming to shows, buying our album or just humming along to one of our songs, we really appreciate your support. Thanks to yourselves we had a fantastic journey; playing some incredible shows around the world and achieving the dream of releasing an album to be proud of, in ‘What Of Our Future’. A special thanks to Andre, Kitsune and Sean Mclusky in helping to make the album a possibility. We are splitting so that as individuals we can pursue our own frontiers"

Watch video for "Life is Boring"


Read the full story on Myspace.

Pick up their last single... here's the track listing!
Tracklisting:
1.Life Is Boring (Original)
2. Life Is Boring (Runaway Remix)
3. Life Is Boring (Jali Remix)
4. Life Is Boring (Viking Remix)
5. Life Is Boring (Josh Pillbox Remix)


It's a sad thing, but look for good stuff from the members in the future! Be back soon!

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Primary 1 & Riton present "Radiate"

Primary 1 did a wicked remix of Late Of The Pier I'm pretty sure I posted... and Riton has had a couple bangers that I've posted so... I've very pleased to present this video AND this new song "Radiates"...



Primary 1 & Riton - "Radiates"

How ya like that? Good stuff innit? I don't have much time (school) but I wanted to share this with you guys. Keep checking back because I'm determined to make this month the best one so far for the year! See you soon!
Podcast