Song Of The Day: Scissor Sisters - Invisible Light (Boys Noize Remix)

The Scissor Sisters are wildly entertaining glam-pop disco group from NYC. "Tits On The Radio," "Take Your Mama Out," and "Filthy, Gorgeous," were some of my favorite tracks when I wanted to hear some sexy, danceable, witty music. So it makes sense that the German electro producer/DJ, Boys Noize (aka Alex Ridha) would remix their single "Invisible Light," and create an entire mix-tape of Scissor Sisters' remixes and some electro, house, and progressive house tracks that work well nicely, simply called Scissor Sisters vs. Boys Noize, which you can listen to here. The song below is the first track on this mix-tape, which is the first place I heard it. The driving rhythm, background guitar riffs, and simultaneously inviting and ominous vocals of the first three minutes of the track reminded me of earlier Pink Floyd, unsurprising after their cover of "Comfortably Numb." So check out the song below, and if you have time, the mixtape (above), bob your head up and down, and enjoy.



*Image Courtesy of Boys Noize Records

Song Of The Day: Cyclist - Bass Face (Hemingway's Space Party Mix)

I found this song leading off Treasure Finger's recent Spring 2011 mix. I haven't been able to find much information about the artist, hmgwy (pronounced Hemingway) other than that he's otherwise known as James Harris of Toronto, Canada. None of his stuff is available yet outside of his SoundCloud page, but I'm definitely digging the disco vibe. This song is a great way to enjoy the weather and think about summer if you're unable to be out enjoying the 80 degree weather today.

Bass Face (Hemingway's Space Party Mix) - Cyclist by hmgwy

Song Of The Day: Calvin Harris - Ready For The Weekend (High Contrast Remix)

Certainly not a new song, and I don't have a whole lot to say about it. I think the name says it all, and reminds us that every Friday is a good Friday.



*Image courtesy of Columbia Records.

Review: Delorean Live @ Brooklyn Bowl 4/21/2011

It had been a while since I'd been to Brooklyn Bowl, though considering it's proximity to my apartment and a failed promise to myself to go there at least once a month, I accepted my brother's invitation to see the band Delorean. Neither of us knew anything about the band, but when his friend Dave described them as "trance pop," I became very intrigued. When we entered, the venue was packed, and people were handing out 3d glasses. They introduced the band with two 3d music videos that were pretty cool, even without the glasses.

The band sounded like a blend of Passion Pit (minus the falsetto) and Cut Copy, which is to say, a disco-influenced, alternative synth pop, slightly less 80's sounding than many of their contemporaries, but I could certainly see how someone would call this trance pop. I wasn't able to dig up too much information about the band, other than that they're originally from the Basque Country in Barcelona, and they were originally a punk band. Their eponymous debut album sounded much less like punk and more emo than I would normally care to listen to, but their more recent albums sound more like this:

Delorean - Real Love


Delorean - Deli

Song Of The Day: LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous!

I was first introduced to this band, and this song during my senior year of college by my former roommate. At the time we lived a floor apart, but his awesome sound system, extensive taste and music and our shared appreciation for danceable tunes meant I often found myself down on his giant orange couch listening to a combination of new music, 90's rock, 90's dance music, or the New Deal's "Gone Gone Gone" and "VL Tone." As the first track on LCD Soundsystem's second album, this song served as a proper introduction for me to their music. It wasn't until 1:40 that I realized this was a band and not a DJ, but that realization was a fantastic one. This was at a time in my life where a strange void had been created in my soul, I was moving away from the musical genres of my youth into uncharted territory. I had just spent the prior summer attending two completely different music festivals (Southside in Germany & Camp Bisco V in Mariaville, NY) and didn't necessarily have a bearing for where I was in my own musical exploration. Hearing this song for the first time, and the 100s of times since, has given me a solid grounding in setting the parameters and priorities of my lifelong musical search. It would be difficult to argue that this is the best song on the album, even for me (probably "All My Friends," of "Us v Them"), but I think it was the best introduction I could have had to a style of music that includes many of my current favorite groups (Soulwax, Holy Ghost!, !!!, The Juan Maclean).



*Image Couresty of DFA Records.

Song Of The Day: Caravan Palace – Star Scat

Today's posting comes from Adam Thime: Caravan Palace is a French sextet that fuses electronica with jazz and swing. The result is a sound I find somewhat difficult to describe. I will attempt to do so by saying that it sounds like something off of the Triplets of Belleville soundtrack combined with the hip-hop beats of Pretty Lights. And then there are the vocals. As the attached track’s title would suggest, Star Scat showcases the jazz vocal. Not since Jerri Blank was belting it out for Jazzy at Flatpoint High have I enjoyed scatting quite so much.

Caravan Palace’s self titled album came out in 2008, but I did not hear them until 2010 when Bassnectar threw Star Scat into his IDJ mixtape. Having featured ragtime piano in past mixes, it is understandable that he would feature some gypsy swing this time around. I often find myself turning his mix to 8:47 in order to hear this song, and after doing so today as I get psyched to see Bassnectar in Albany in a week, I finally searched out the original artist. Now I can enjoy some of their other tracks too. It also makes me wonder if Caravan Palace was featured on the playlist Conor had going in February at Nazo Labs the last time I stopped by.

I hope you enjoy this tune, and if you feel like hearing it spliced into Bassnectar’s 2010 IDJ Mixtape (which I would highly recommend), it can be downloaded here.



*Images Courtesy of Wagram Music

Song Of The Day: Brazilian Girls - Pussy

No this is an advertisement for a pornography. Brazilian Girls was a 4-piece NYC based band, focusing in Latin, Lounge, Bossa-Nova, Funk and Electronic Dance Music backed by an amazing enigmatic vocalist, Sabina Sciubba. Founded in 2003, Brazilian Girls had 3 major releases on Verve Records: their self-titled debut in 2005, 2006's Talk To La Bomb, and 2008's New York City. Personally I tend to ignore their most recent release as it was wildly disappointing, terribly experimental, and, for undisclosed reasons, the band parted from their bassist, Jesse Murphy, a questionable decision at best for a band who was well known for their awesome danceable rhythms.

My first exposure to this band came in 2006 at the Langerado Music Festival at Markham Park, in Sunrise, Florida near Ft. Lauderdale. The acts I was most excited to see were The Flaming Lips, RJD2, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, and Robert Randolph & Family Band. Due to the poor planning for this festival, I was unable to return to my campsite midday to rehydrate. Desperately seeking refuge from exposure to the hot, Florida sun, I made my way to the dance tent. As I neared, I was able to clearly discern the music emerging from the tent amidst the confusing sonic medley you typically experience at a festival where many artist are performing simultaneously, side by side. Immediately, the pain of my sunburn subsided, and I was no longer seeking refuge, but rather being drawn by the Siren Sabina's beautiful vocals, and the eerie melody of the music. When I entered the tent, I found this (Forgive the quality). It was a kind of music I had never heard before, and it was incredible. I would certainly credit this band, and this particular experience with forging my interest and passion for live music, particularly electronic dance music. Since Langerado, I had the opportunity to see Brazilian Girls perform live twice in New York City, once in Boston, and once in Berlin, where I was pulled up on stage, and had a memorable, romantic (at least in my mind) moment with the lead singer.

As things inevitably do, their music changed drastically, and, after the brief departure of their bassist in 2008, the pregnancy of their lead singer in 2009, the band officially disbanded in January of 2011. It would be nice to say that they went out with a bang, or never passed their prime, as they certainly missed the mark on the latter by several years. However at the very least, they left us with songs like Pussy, which like the band, were warm, exciting, bold and dirty. A nice reminder, like today, that summer is just around the corner.



*Image Courtesy of Verve Records

Song Of The Day: Monarchy - Love Get Out Of My Way (Holy Ghost! [feat. Dixon] Remix)

After listening to the Holy Ghost! Remixes Volume 1 (Sides A & B) for the duration of last week, I found myself wanting more than the hour and thirteen minute Mixtape had to offer. I began searching for more Holy Ghost! remixes, wanting the constant disco beat, and didn't have to go far before I found my new favorite remix (which was already in my iTunes as part of an A-Trak mixtape). By new, of course I mean to me, as this remix is nearly a year old. Monarchy is an electronic pop-duo from London, England. Their first single, "Gold In The Fire / Black, The Colour Of My Heart," was released February of 2010, and they have an EP slated to be released sometime in the coming months of 2011. The remix really brings out the bass and percussive elements of the music, and replaces the original lyrics entirely with Dixon apparently on the pipes, although in the last few days I've been unable to find out who that is exactly, or what song it's from. Either way, this song has a great upbeat disco feel to it, that you might need once the weather drops back into the mid-50s for the rest of this week (in NYC at least).



*Image Courtesy of Universal Music Group

Song Of The Day: Rusko - Everyday

The Brit-King of Brostep is back with a new single, released yesterday on Mad Decent records. I had the pleasure of seeing Rusko aka Christopher Mercer at Electric Zoo last September, and he certainly new how to make a crowd Wake The Fuck Up, so I am definitely looking forward to seeing him this July at Camp Bisco X. This track delivers more of what we've come to love from this Dubstep producer, so give it a listen, as well as the Netsky Remix.

Rusko - Everyday (Original Mix)

Rusko - Everyday (Netsky Remix)

*Image Courtesy of Mad Decent Records

Song Of The Day: Holy Ghost! - Wait & See

Brooklyn-based DJ Duo Holy Ghost! have a new single released last week on DFA Records, called 'Wait & See.' This single comes in the midst of their national tour with Australian band, Cut Copy, and bears certain resemblances to their 80's synth-pop style. The song reminds me a little of "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears, but is a pretty solid track for the duo. Holy Ghost! is opening for Cut Copy tonight (4/4/2011) in Boston, MA at the House of Blues. Tickets are still available here. If you're in the city of Boston, and not obsessing over pre-season baseball, I recommend you get your ass down there and party it up with yours truly, who is gracing Beantown with his presence for one night only.




*Image Courtesy of DFA Records.