New LCD Soundsystem Video - Drunk Girls.

Wow... just... wow.

LCD Soundsystem - MS|OS

Record Store Day Crystal Castles Release

Today is record store day, and bands are dropping special albums all over the country. Crystal Castles got into the spirit of things by releasing Doe Deer, and we here at the cheetah managed to stumble over a few decent quality radio rips of the single itself and B-Side Celestica.

Celestia is an airy, almost dreamy cut from Crystal Castles, and in sharp contrast to Doe Deer, which is a pounding and aggressive track, maybe one of the most aggressive things I've heard from the band.

The thing which is immediately noticeable about both tracks it seems that they rely significantly less on the tinny, 8-bit aesthetic that was so defining about their first album - although that may be a result of the rips.

Anyways, these tracks do have me pumped to see what the band can do with a second album, and makes me absolutely positive that I will need to see them as soon as possible.

Crystal Castles - MS|OS

Crystal Castles - Doe Deer

Crystal Castles - Celestica

THE ELECTRO WARS ARE COMING!!!

As presaged by the Alpha and the Omega - HIPSTER RUNOFF - the electro wars are finally upon us.

Steel yourselves electro soldiers! Get out your neon green headbands and bright pink AK-47s!

The Electro Wars Final Trailer from Stephen Alex Vasquez on Vimeo.

The Electro Wars

Two New LCD Soundsystem Songs!

We All Really Want Someone To Shout For just posted two brand new songs from LCD Soundsystem, supposedly off their upcoming album This Is Happening! While their first single, "Drunk Girls" was a bit confusing, with its early, rough vibe, these songs reflect more of the polished and glorious feel of Sound of Silver, as well as the lyrical earnestness that was so prevalent on that album. The first is a somewhat low quality cut of "I Can Change," a groovy, smooth track that highlights the pleasant timbre that James Murphy's voice has developed and reminds me a bit of "Someone Great," which is awesome, because that song is incredible.

The second is called "Dance Yourself Clean," and is a eight minute epic that is somewhat unlike anything that LCD Soundsystem has ever done. Its definitely slow burning, with a steady rhythm that carries the song to the conclusion. Check it out!

LCD Soundsystem - MS|OS

LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yourself Clean

LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change

*Update - It looks like the album may have been leaked...

Joker - Tron

Oh dear. It's pretty easy to forget about dubstep until you hear someone like Joker. This kid is seriously blowing my mind. Check out some of his mixes.

Joker (MS) | (T) - Tron (MP3)

Jon Hopkins

Jon Hopkins is yet another in a long line of British electronic artists that I have come to enjoy. I discovered him, much like probably way too many other people did, because at some point I listened to the new(est) Coldplay album, Viva la Vida, and then later discovered that the only part of the album I really liked was really just a collaboration between Coldplay and Jon Hopkins (namely, the loop that is used both to open and close the album). And by collaboration, I mean sampling, because it's really just a clip that the band took from the full Jon Hopkins track "Light Through The Veins," which would later become the centerpiece around which his own 2009 release Insides was built. Well, I had discovered that track almost a year ago, but I had never thought to get the full Jon Hopkins album. That was a mistake, because it's fucking good. Why this guy doesn't get more attention is beyond me; Insides was actually his third album. Here's what you're missing out on:

Jon Hopkins - OS|MS

Jon Hopkins - "Light Through The Veins"

Jon Hopkins - "Second Sense"

Cassius

In honor of the mix that I'm working on (French House 4 Life) I'm going to be a lazy bastard and post a very, very old Cassius song. I know, I know. Weak. But I don't see anyone one else jumping to update the blog!

Anyways, Cassius were one part Boom Box and one part Phillipe Zdar, and with their work as Cassius they layed down the basics for what would come to define French house for the next decade. This song, "Foxxy," was their first release, and is still one of the highlights of the entire genre. You should listen to it.

Cassius - MS

Cassius - Foxxy

LCD Soundsystem Watch 2k10 - First Single "Drunk Girls"

LCD Soundsystem has leaked the first single off there yet to be titled upcoming album. Its called "Drunk Girls," and its... pretty good. It has alot of the energy and rawness of their early singles, like "Yeah," as well as alot of the verbal adeptness if such tracks as "Losing My Edge." Nothing that jumps out with the sublime beauty of Sound of Silver, but its nice to hear some of that infections energy coming of James Murphy golden pipes (well, dirty bronze tubes, at least) once again. Its only available on youtube at the moment, but you should still give it a spin for a nice little preview of what awaits.

Also on the net is a bit of this song "Pow Pow." Due to be release on April 30th, only a bit of it is available, but its hella disco and if you loop the track infinately you can barely even tell that only about a minutes available...

LCD Soundsystem - "Pow Pow"

LCD Soundsystem - MS|OS

Pantha du Prince

House and techno are big genres. Reading about their origins only complicates the issue, as they have grown into such a umbrella terms that I don't really even fully understand why anyone even bothers with them anymore. That a group like Justice and can have their sound reduced to "French house" seems a bit ridiculous to me, because it does a disservice both to their sound as well as providing people with a ready-made label they can smack onto any given type of music, just for the sake of being able to call it something.

That being said, the evolution of these terms is interesting to me if only as an academic exercise. Why a certain type of music classifies as something specific is much less interesting to me than seeing what types of people get into what types of music. Someone who can seem very shy and introverted might only be able to study while listening to Rob Zombie. A kid from London might like an over-the-top American experimental pop group because it gives them a worthwhile glimpse into our country and its scene, or maybe just because music like that doesn't get made where that person lives.....or maybe just because it's fucking ridiculous and you can jump around to it while throwing back PBR and chain-smoking! Whatever the reason, I always enjoy trying to dig at the upbringing and the culture behind a given artist just as much as objectively analyzing the music itself.

With this in mind, I suggest giving Pantha du Prince a spin. He's from Germany, and his style could be classified six ways to Sunday, but I think the best way to think of it is like a cat that doesn't necessarily jump right on your lap the first time you meet, and is gonna do what he's gonna do. I have a feeling (and I may be wrong, but it's fun to think about) that this guy's personality is channeled directly into his albums without being filtered too much, if at all. This isn't music you have to be patient with; this is music that has to be patient with you. Most every song begins as stripped-down as it can possibly be while still representing some musical idea, and takes its time to allow you to naturally follow its progression. There are no sudden, jarring shifts, yet it's also not music designed for a purpose (i.e. for people to dance or rave to). There is never a moment where the listener is jolted out of the hypnosis the music creates, but the hypnosis isn't as important as seeing how the songs unfold to bring you along for the ride. Even when the music fills into its complete form, the listener was allowed to see the naked process. It's like watching cells divide and grow into a person. What begins as a series of scattered clicks and background noise will be a pulsating, hoppin beat 5 minutes later, with nothing skipped in between. It's an amazingly simple concept, but he does it so well that you never get bored, and it can be played again and again without losing its effect.

I think a good introduction to Pantha du Prince would be the track "Saturn Strobe," off his 2007 album This Bliss. It's easily one of my favorite songs of his (and I'm really glad someone made a video like this to go along with it):



Yeah. I know. Just take a second and soak that in. Now for "Satellite Snyper," off his brand new album Black Noise. Just let this roll all over your ears. It's like raindrops caressing your soul:



Teh sex. Also: best. night. driving. music. ever.

Pantha du Prince - MS|OS

Goldfrapp

I was recently turned onto this delicious band that entirely slipped under my radar (thx mols:) ). Thank goodness this band is [hella] on my radar. Their new album, Head First, to be released via Mute Records on March 22nd, is the most accurate depiction of neo-80's electro feel-goodery I've heard in some time. The album reeks of hair spray, conjuring images of neon tracksuits and cigarettes. It sounds like Top Gun in an alternate universe future where the F-14's are covered in disco ball mirrors and Tom Cruise finally admits his bisexual tendencies. The album encapsulates the feel-good, fuck-all attitude that characterized the lost generation of the eighties. Breathy vocals smother pulsating synthpop lines on the more up-beat tracks bringing a sound that can only be described as moving. You can almost picture yourself driving through the Arizona desert in a cherry red convertible with a marloboro in your mouth and a pretty girl on your bench seat. It feels like energy, or youth; it feels like falling in love.

Other tracks will toss you into a foggy dream room; down-tempo beats walking you slowly down the street on a sunny day with a hazy head. Take this album on a walk on a nice day and don't take it too seriously. The music is powerful and the lyrics are catchy. This is, by far, the most fun I've had with an album this year, so far. Many thumbs up.

Goldfrapp (OS) | (MS) | (W) - Rocket | Alive



Buy on Lala!

New Amon Tobin Album!

Ho. Ly. SHIT.

So I discovered two things today that I should have known sooner. The first is that Splinter Cell: Conviction is coming out next month, which I thought would never happen and which I had stopped thinking about. This might seem musically irrelevant, but here's how my brain operates:

1. Man, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory was awesome.

2. What was even more awesome about Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory was the fact that somehow they got fucking Amon Tobin to do the entire soundtrack.

3. I love, LOVE that soundtrack. It might be the best shit he's ever dropped. I'm really glad he's contributing to the new Splinter Cell game!

4. Hey, I wonder what my favorite Brazilian musician is up to anyway? After all, Foley Room came out in like, 2007, right? That's 3 years! Maybe he's touring! Or maybe I should go check out his website and HOLYFUCKINGSHITHE'SINTHE

5. STUDIORIGHTNOWWORKINGONANEWALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6. Is there.......a new track.......per chance.....?

7. FUCK YES THERE'S A NEW TRACK!!!

The album isn't named yet, but the track is called Hey Mr. Tree. Enjoy having Amon Tobin unleash 500 different drum effects upon your brain-hole at once (enjoy the visualizer too). Fuck, I cannot wait for this album:

Amon Tobin - Hey Mr. Tree

Amon Tobin - MS|OS

Some other older fav Amon Tobin tracks that people might dig:

Amon Tobin - Bloodstone

Amon Tobin - Four Ton Mantis (YT)

Late Entry: Lindstrøm & Christabelle

Just have to shoot out a quick mention for this INCREDIBLE album that's taken me far too long to listen to. This is, easily, my second favorite LP of the year of the year so far. Complete and concise in its ideas, it presents itself with the utmost energy. I can only really describe it as banger disco making love to MJ. The entire album is butter. Do yourself a favor and spend an hour with this record. HOLY SHIT.

PS: Keegan, post some Lindstrøm baby.

Lindstrøm & Christabelle (MS) - Lovesick

Buy @ Amazon

LCD Soundsystem - New Album!

I was pretty depressed today, considering how much effort me and my friend Matt put into trying to get into Four Tet last night and what an epic fail that was - until I read on Pitchfork that LCD Soundsystem finished their new album today. Unfortunately they haven't released any new material for it yet, but here's hoping for a leak...

Unfortunately, I did a little research and it looks like this will be the last LCD Soundsystem album - and the next tour will be the last tour. So if you haven't seen LCD Soundsystem yet, you need to get on it. The concert I saw in San Francisco was the single most epic musical experience I have had in my whole life - hand to god, James Murphy rocked the amphitheater so hard he started controlling the weather. Seriously, he made lighting strike in time to his music. You think I'm exaggerating, but no. James Murphy is literally the art house disco punk reincarnation of Zeus.

Anywho, in lieu of any new stuff, here is Kermit the Frog singing "New York, I Love You."

LCD Soundsytem - OS|MS

LCD Soundsystem - "New York, I Love You"

Marsmobil

I give you Marsmobil. They're a German lounge/psychedelic duo that you would be wise to check out. While I love me some French banger shiz just as much as the next...Keegan...every once in a while it's just time to sit back, wear something straight out of a Sean Connery-era James Bond film (or at least imagine that you're that cool), drink a fucking martini, bust out your shag-pad, and listen to some sweet, sweet electronic vermouth. Want an olive with that? I hope you like them stuffed...

Seriously. You will never feel more suave. Your life will revert back to technicolor, and you will wonder why we ever abandoned 60s block font (and the pop art furniture!!!). I mean, I went for the longest time thinking that these two were French. They sure cover their tracks well in their music. But alas no, they are German...and somehow manage never, ever to sound like it. But really, I don't think it really matters where they're from when they can bust out tracks like these:

Unlike Caribou, Marsmobil embraces the shtick...and doesn't give a fuck because the shtick is sometimes just the shit the doctor ordered. You know it, and they know it, and they know you know it.

Their most recent album, Minx, was released in 2007, and it's awesome. Don't take my word for it. Even the music videos are awesome (and awesomely German and weird):

Their next effort, entitled (Why Don't You Take) The Other Side?, is dropping this April. I can't wait. Oh wait, yes I can, because right now I'm a suave, martini-drinking, Foucault-reading pop-art-viewing motherfucker...and I have all the time in the world.

Marsmobil - MS

Massive Attack - Heligoland

About a month or so ago, Jon was surprised to hear me say that I wasn't looking forward to the fact that Massive Attack was finally about to release a new album. He was probably surprised because I recently had introduced him to Massive Attack; I clearly loved the shit out of them and wanted to share Massive Attack's thick black trip-hop love with him and anyone else who would listen. Only now I wasn't excited about the fact that Massive Attack was finally releasing a new album after a fucking 7-year long wait (and essentially a 12-year wait, seeing as their 2003 release 100th Window didn't involve all the usual members), and this was understandably odd.

Here's why I was somewhat ambivalent: I had heard the track "Splitting the Atom," which had been leaked around 6 months or so ago, and which was to be included on the new album, Heligoland. And I'll be honest...it's a horrible track. The pulsating, beautifully dark music that I had fallen in love with had somehow been replaced by sheer gloomy loops, with an annoying distorted baritone voice that detracted further from the music. I was pretty worried that the decade-long collaborative hiatus had essentially killed off whatever semblance of Massive Attack's unique songcrafting ability might have remained.

But I would hate to pass judgement on one of my all-time favorite groups after hearing one song. So when it came out at the beginning of this month, I gave Heligoland a good few listens, put it down, and didn't come back to it until now. And while I'm still not insane about it, I've come around to it. I think it's a lot better than Pitchfork did (they ripped it a 5.0), and while it still has that stupid track on it, it also has some true highlights.

There are a lot of guest performances on the album, more than usual for the group. 4/5 of the album is made up of tracks featuring TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, Elbow's Guy Garvey, Gorillaz's Damon Albarn, Martina Topley-Bird, and Horace Andy (a usual suspect with Massive Attack). I could go through each of them, but I have a feeling that different people will gravitate more towards different vocalists and tracks. All of them are good (with the exception of "Splitting the Atom" ... and I'm not a huge fan of the Guy Garvey track, which sucks because I love Elbow), but I think the second half of the album is where it comes to life – or, Massive Attack's idea of life. The nearly 8-minute closing track, "Atlas Air," is incredible. And "Paradise Circus," of which Keegan already posted a remix, is hauntingly beautiful.

With Massive Attack headlining at Sasquatch!, I have hope once again for this group. I'll likely return to give them another look once I see them live, at which time I will hopefully be able to complete my verdict. But until then, definitely give Heligoland a listen or two. Who knows when how fucking long we'll have to wait for their next album...

Anjunadeep:02

I recently got turned on to the awesomeness of progressive house and have been aimlessly drifting in that sea endlessly progressive melodies and basslines for awhile now - so prop go to Spencer for introducing me to Anjunadeep. Anjunadeep is is a sub-label of UK house label Anjunabeats that specializes in prog house, giving a home to a variety of artists such as Mat Zo, 16 Bit Lolitas and Jaytech. More importantly, however, the label puts together a compilation of their best music called, not suprisingly, Anjunadeep.

And this shit is real. Definitely one of the strongest collaborative electronic efforts Ive heard in a while, and perhaps my favorite UK Electronic music since... probably ever. If you have twenty minutes on a computer, let this preview play in the background, it gives an excellent sample of how the mix as a whole flows and feels. Deep, epic, inquisitive, booming. Pretty much fantastic.

Gui Boratto Remix

Its cloudy, dark, and pouring down rain in Seattle, the perfect weather for this incredible new remix by Gui Boratto of Massive Attack's Paradise Circus. Ive never really gotten into Massive Attack, although I understand the appeal... but I love Gui Boratto. Coming in from Sao Palo Brazil to drop the greatest electronic music of last five years in the form of Chromophobia, Gui Boratto reasserts himself his position as master of his trade with this deep, atmospheric track. I've never heard the original, so I cant comment on how it compares, but it's easy to detect Gui's distinctive percussive elements pushing the song forward and the circling structure is all Boratto.

Incredible.

Gui Boratto - WS | MS

Massive Attack - Paradise Circus Feat. Hope Sandoval (Gui Boratto Remix)

- Link removed at the request of Virgin's lawyers who dont want people to know about good music/me to help them sell Massive Attack's shitty album

Four Tet - There Is Love In You

I'm back bitches - apparently you cant be taken seriously on the internet if you don't maintain a blog. So hopefully that will finally convince me to update on this damn thing regularly.

Anywho, my favorite ambient techno artist, Four Tet, Kieran Hebdan remix moniker, just dropped his first album in years, called There Is Love In You. A fitting name for a gorgeous album, this LP sees Four Tet move away from the hip hop influences that his sound originated from and more towards a house feel - a move that I certainly endorse whole heartedly. I just listened through it for the first time and its very coherent, very driving, and extremely engaging.

This is the third song on the album but is what truly caught my attention on my first listen. Its incredible

Circling - Four Tet