Shakira gets the Calvin Harris treatment

Go Shakira, who capitalises on the latest supernatural fever that's taken hold of pop culture with her latest single 'She Wolf'. There's something a little Jack Penate about those guitars, and a little bit Timbaland - albeit subtly - in the beats. I only wish that her 'a-wooooo' had a little more commitment.

Calvin Harris took his hand to remixing the track and comes up with a truly hair flicking, booty shaking number. Deepening the drums, throwing on a dinging highlight, adding some synth poppy chords along with some strings and disco flourishes, he absolutely amps 'She Wolf' to the next level. Shakira's lack of commitment in her wolf cry is made up for in her commitment to those slightly retarded dance moves she's renowned for; they do make me giggle - but I can't help but being convinced by her cause she's so convinced by herself.

IT'S WICKED. Cop it NOW, turn it up and get ready for the weeeeekend!

Okay, I'm pretty sure that the track below by King Britt is a really great song, but I did catch it in the closing credits of Season 2 Episode 10 of the brilliant True Blood, so I may or may not be biased about this. It was originally on the Miami Vice sound track but has totally found new life on the hit series. It's dark and religious connotations were the perfect ending for the crazy sex-capades and supernatural shenanigans that occurred in the latest episode.

True Blood is not just fantastic, it's also FREAKIN' HILARIOUS. Just saying.

Anyway, in other True Blood news, last week I posted that Andy Swist had made paper dolls of the characters on the show, and mentioned that if they made a Sam Merlotte paper doll that I hoped they would make a doggie outfit for him to put on. THEY DID ONE BETTER:

NO WAY! Invisi-man-size-dog-suit!

Now if Eric gets a paper doll I will be satisfied. PLEASE PLEASE MR ANDY SWIST, GIVE ERIC A VIKING OUTFIT!

Little Dragon

photograph by Seher Sikandar

Little Dragon's self titled debut was one of my favourites of 2007/2008, critically praised but totally underrated everywhere else, the album is one I still turn to in times of trouble for a lush electronic oasis of calm, and the sultry croon of frontwoman Yukimi.

Their second album Machine Dreams is just as subtle, luring you in like an insect to it's fine web of magical electronica, with Yukimi's vocal the spider that sits in wait, her voice teasing out the tickling melodies.

Check the video below for 'Swimming', a track from 'Machine Dreams' made by Yukimi's dad, Yusuke Nagano, a whimsical interpretation of the track, the lines wiggling and transforming much like the music does. Lovely.

Gabriella Marina Gonzalez

Lookbook shots by Leon Mark

Dropping in on Charlie Le Mindu working on his collection for the upcoming London Fashion Week, ogling the pieces and wishing I was blonde, I met the fresh Central St Martins Womenswear Graduate, the extensively named Gabriella Marina Gonzalez, who had a couple of pairs of the ridonkulous shoes she made for her collection with her.

Shoes for the Emotionally Dispossessed (and strong of ankle)

Made of suede and mock croc patent leather, these insane platforms - which are 7inches in the back and 4inches in the front!! - with an uber square toe remind me of a Harajuku bondage girl on steroids. These babies make a grrrrrl TALLLLLLL.

Her graduate collection, named 'Clothing for the Emotionally Dispossessed' is based on the fact that for her, London is an ocean of people who've come from small towns, who were obviously too big for their pond. Gabi told me that:

"There is an over abundance of talent and people here who are here based on the fame and fortune London promises. The reality check comes when people realise the illusion of this, and that they need to get off their high horses and look into themselves and their art and take the fame aspect out of it; to personally and emotionally get involved with work, because there are too many people here for the same superficial reasons. Emotional dispossesion I guess, is the jaded feeling you get of being here because its very easy to lose your vision."

Gabi is in charge of the realisation of some pieces in Charlie Le Mindu's show. TRUSSSSST watch this space. Mad skillz ahoy.

Ok, this has to be one of my favorite songs of the year. Just watch the video, read the lyrics, download the MP3 (including the b-side 'Solitude') and enjoy. More on this band tomorrow.

I'm sick and tired of the way that I feel,
I'm always dreaming and it's never for real.
I'm all alone with my deep thoughts.
I'm all alone with my heartache and my good intentions.

I work to eat and drink and sleep just to live,
feels like I'm never getting back what I give.
I've got a sad song in my sweet heart.
And all I really am is needing some love and attention.

And I don't want to cry my whole life through;
I want to do some laughing too.
So come on, come on, come on, come on, laugh with me.
And I don't want to die without shaking up a thing or two,
yeah; I want to do some dancing too.
So come on, come on, come on, come on, and dance with me.

Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes sugar, it just takes someone else.
Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes baby, you just need someone else.

and I don't want to cry my whole life through
I want to do some laughing too
so come on, come on, come on, come on, laugh with me.
and I don't want to die without shaking up a thing or two
yeah, I want to do some dancing too
so come on, come on, come on, come on, dance with me.

Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes honey, it just takes someone else.
Sometimes you've just gotta make it for yourself.
Sometimes darling, you just need someone else.

and I don't want to cry my whole life through
I want to do some laughing too
so come on, come on, come on, come on, laugh with me.
and I don't want to die without shaking up a thing or two
yeah, I want to do some dancing too
so come on, come on, come on, come on, dance with me.

We gave you the video for Bag Raiders' 'Shooting Stars' (It's a purple coloured virtual town to make Nintendo 64 proud of its technology - check it here) and we've expressed numerous time in the past how much we love this song, so why the hell did we never write about all the remixes? It might be because we were too busy dancing to it. After signing to Modular, the boys finally release the epic and romantic song with treatments from the likes of In Flagranti, Kris Menace, Shazam and Siriusmo, and there's some seriously good remixes in there.

Let's start with In Flagranti who totally won us over with his remix of Riton and Primary 1 (check it here).  The duo went a bit too far in sampling the disco love and kinda forget to use something from the original except for some unrecognizably chopped vocals. Although not a great remix for that, it's a good track by itself.

The Shazam dub mix is probably the best version here, first because it's a proper remix (they used that amazing synth line from the original) and second because it clears the cloudy atmosphere of the original with a more classier, more funky feel. Impressive.

Kris Menace keeps the song in the dark by extending its serious 80's concept and mixing in some techno. Basically extending something that you already liked to 7m41s and filling all the newfound space with lines that aren't too far away from the original. What is there not to love?

Only if we could post the remixes from Siriusmo and Cassian. But now that you get the drift that this is one of the best singles of the year - full of great remixes and a ridiculous video - you are going to buy this, right?

DO's:

Photography by yours truly

The Village Underground had all manner of hipster kids fiercely posturing and loitering about outside, perhaps some hoping to be snapped by Mark the Cobrasnake who I bumped into at the door. He was exiting as I was entering (an hour later, spotted: Mark the Cobrasnake and friend nestled at a diner a few blocks down in Hoxton) to the throb of Crystal Fighters onstage.

Crystal Fighters

Not realising it was them, I was decidely unimpressed with the song that was playing as I walked into the cavernous exposed brick warehouse space. The song was AWFUL. Thankfully though, it turned out very much to be a blip and I was totally won over by the rest of their set. They reminded me a lot of CSS for some reason; but a more ravey, pounding version of the Brazilian band - perhaps the reason why Lovefoxxxx was DJing later on in the night.

In case you missed it last week, here's the Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs mix of Crystal Fighters 'Xtatic Truth':

I had actually intended to catch Leeds based band Pulled Apart By Horses, as I heard at the last gig they played at The Old Blue Last that front man and guitarist Tommy Hudson (incidentally big bro to Jack Hudson - apparently mad skillz run in the family) had vommed onto the trendy shoes of the Shoreditch crowd. I missed their Vice set unfortunately, but I did manage to nab Tom in between gig-goers congratulating him on the band's set to question him about the incident.

Tommy Hudson from Pulled Apart By Horses

"I'd been stealing people's drinks all night, and I just felt ill onstage. I was looking for somewhere to puke and it just happened to be onto the crowd. They were not impressed."

Oh dear.

"Later on we were walking past the park and a bunch of girls called out to me. I thought 'Oooo! I'm going to get chatted up!'. Then they said 'Come here and lick the vomit off our shoes, you idiot!' "

We then came to the conclusion that perhaps next gig he might up the ante and do a camp little poop onto the audience's shoes. Fashionably speaking though, Tom was sporting what I thought was a mythical t-shirt depicting Tommy DM from Dinosaur Pile-Up that I had been hoping was real and now need to have even more than before.

Anyway, Pulled Apart By Horses have just finished recording their album, so that will be released into the wilds soon enough. Cop 'The Crapsons', the AA side from the PABH single 'I Punched a Lion in the Throat' below and go download the rest of the release for free here.

Okay, before I begin, I'm going to say sorry about these photographs below. They are meant to be of Miike Snow, but my camera ran out of batteries before I got any decent shots.

BLURRY. It IS them, I promise

Anyway, they were playing at Cargo on Friday. Their self titled debut album has been one that's been on rotation quite a lot, establishing itself as one of the most smoothly charming albums I've heard all year. Incredibly accessible without being obvious, this debut is an extremely easy listen, with it's piano driven melodies and the grayscale rainbow of swirling, sparkly electro.

I think they're my Lykke Li of 2009; the artists whose album and remixes I will listen to incessantly until I've wrung it of all it's sweet juice, only to lay them aside in a business like fashion to wait to hear their next releases.

I thought I might drop in to see how they'd measure up live. Admittedly, I can't seem to think of Miike Snow without Britney hovering about too; though for all intents and purposes, aside from their undeniable hook riddled music, there's nothing to connect the two entities.

Andrew Wyatt and someone's head