It doesn’t take much to make me feel stupid. Trying to find the words to describe the debut album of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti at 4AD is just one of many examples I could give you. To me, ‘Before Today’ sounds like an album that Kevin Barnes could be recording if he loved goth bands more than funk ones. Or like the cold wave genre entering a multicoloured psychedelic stage instead of glazing at it's own depression. Don’t mind my threadbare examples; this is the album that will make it onto every interesting top 10 of the year and you don’t wanna miss it.
I can't resist (probably overpriced) basics-with-a-twist. My wardrobe, full of T by Wang, Oak, Bassike and yes, American Apparel is proof of this; and since in Australia, a new favourite has emerged in the form of Nathan Smith. His selection of supersoft tees, tanks and dresses have sucked me into buying multiples of a number of styles in different colourways. You just can't go wrong with these though! Addictively and endlessly wearable - and not in actual fact, overpriced in the slightlest - Nathan Smith is the way forward for your wardrobe.
I don’t think any series will treat teenagers the same way that Freaks and Geeks did almost 10 years ago. Although relying on every teen American cliché they could, this series was the closest thing to reality you could get whilst still being something fun and interesting to watch – cause, you know, life is boring. With bands like The Who, The Clash and XTC being either part of episodes or the soundtrack, this 80’s based cult show was short-lived (only 18 episodes), but long enough to enrich the careers of some young actors (i.e. James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Busy Philipps and, erm, Linda Cardellini) and is greatly missed. Can we have a movie about them meeting again in the 00’s?
Once, a friend of mine wanted to take me to this 'cheap Chinese restaurant', situated in the heart of Liberdade, a Japanese neighborhood in São Paulo. When we got there the place was packed, but because it looked cheesy and kinda poor, I didn't want to wait it out. It took another friend for me to go back there and fall in love with it. Now, every time the mood for some freshly made noodles (you can watch the chief making the noodle dough through a window) framed in some horribly painted pink walls takes me, I go for Rong He. Did I mention the food is also incredibly generous and cheap?
The ultimate in peeping tom into other, cooler, more fashionable, richer, quirkier and more-hipster-than-thou lives is Todd Selby's The Selby. Having previously been an internet only voyeur's dream, Todd has just last month released The Selby Is In Your Place, a book the coffee table tome full of twee drawings, colourful interiors and people showering. Half of the images in the books are favourites from the website and the other is stuff he hasn't published online yet. So go check it out, maybe buy it if you can to make your crappy coffee table in your crappy apartment that little bit cooler with pictures of someone else's cool stuff.
Tuesday // March 16, 2010 at 16:49 // filed under Music
After two
years without releases, the coolest Parisian zombie you will ever meet is
finally back...and for this comeback, Kavinsky roped in his whole gang to help. 'Nightcall' features guest vocals from CSS's Lovefoxxx (who recently worked with 80kidz), production from Daft
Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo,
a mix from SebastiAn, remixes from Breakbot and a mysterious Dustin N'Guyen (everybody is pointing fingers
at Justice's Xavier de Rosnay). Damn, has this zombie got friends!
The release has been described as an 'apéritif'; a slow synth number that depicts a
phone conversation between a zombie (it's actually Kavinsky's singing debut) and his caring girlfriend. It's all very simple, pretty and very 80's.
As an appetizer, it's quite enjoyable, but it makes you hungry for the full
meal.
Flash Content
Kavinsky - Nightcall
Dustin
N'Guyen's remix is faster and more vivid than the original, but it's still miles away
from dancefloors. Besides hitching up the bpms to run a bit faster, Xavier (?)
adds a great synth solo to make 'Nightcall' even more 80's than the
original.
Flash Content
Kavinsky - Nightcall (Dustin N'Guyen Remix)
Meanwhile Breakbot
is threatening us with the fear of running out of words to describe how delicious his
groovy lines are after releasing another perfect remix. From now on, we're just going to say 'Breakbot' and you all know you gotta download it, ok? So...BREAKBOT!
Monday // May 25, 2009 at 20:33 // filed under Music
After months and months of emails, Database's Ugly Edits is
finally on their Myspace. The second volume unites almost every single checkworthy
band or producer from the Brazilian scene along with new edits from Database themselves. After
some days of love, we ranked our Top 5 collaborations. There are The Twelves,
Copacabana Club, Daft Punk, Berlinda Carlisle and more.
1.We've seen many live sets that's nothing more than
some dude pressing play on Ableton Live. Fortunately there are producers
like The Twelves who bring synths to the dancefloor in a way that sounds much
better than any home recorded song will ever sound. So when they decided to
cover Daft Punk's 'NightVision' you know it will be a synth homage version.
2. "I wanna be your lover and not just be your friend" begs Caca V, the pretty singer from Copacabana Club in this cover her band did with the help of another Curitiba band, the great Our Gang. Some disco low-fi bass and guitar lines, some colorful and some dry synths makes it an irresistible version.
3. Sometimes all a good song needs to reborn is a good
dancefloor edit. Roots Rock Revolution (RRR) understand that and made Nu Shooz's 'I
Can't Wait' faster, better and stronger. Should be going down nicely in groovy
sets and oldschool playlists.
4. This edit starts
with the worst synth ever. But don't be afraid, it goes away really fast and
then you're left with a very enjoyable track to listen to. Atmospheric country music
for electronic kids. Well done, Superpose.
5. Who doesn't enjoy a cheesy song? I do - and so does
Discobot. 'Heaven is a Place on Earth', yes that song that gets played at every
wedding and graduation by Belinda Carlisle, gets some electro synths and
some chopped vocals. Seriously, it works!
You can listen and download all the songs for free at
Database's Myspace. Word!
Friday // May 22, 2009 at 18:24 // filed under Music
Anni T
Reading an article in the Guardian today, they re-visited their proclamation from the end of 2008 about the slew of female synth popsters on the up and up for 2009. Now six months later, it seems that they deem the 'electro girl-pop revolution has come to pass'. True enough, as on this very website we are constantly bearing news of all the Ladies (Hawke and Gaga), La's (Roux/Rude, however you've come to know her), the Littles (Boots and on a different note, Dragon), the Lykkes and the Ellies. Gosh that's a lot of L (come to think of it - weirdly so).
Whether you're loving it or hating on it, hold your horsies on the cries of la revolutione for the girlies. Here's a tidbit for you: I had a conversation with a producer late last year, who claimed that apparently, solo female artists do better in general if they use a pseudonym rather than their real name, especially on the indie/altpop scene.
Nom de plumes or not aside, here's another solo female artist for you. Anni T. is KiD A, a twenty year old singer/producer from Virginia - though from listening to her vocals; she betrays no hint of an American accent whatsoever. Perhaps it's because she was in the UK late last year working with the Daniel Stephens half of Brit-hop duo dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip on completing the recording of her debut EP.
KiD A - wasnotwas
KiD A's single 'Wasnotwas' is instantly pop relatable; despite seeming to me blatantly derived from 'Harder Better Faster Stronger' - just with a sultry soft female vocal over the top. Having listened to the EP, it's the lead single, but not one that I feel showcases the full potential of the latest contender for the synth pop princess crown. And, with more than a nod to Daft Punk, it's inevitably a good pop track; the hook reeling you in amongst the clangs and repeated lyrics of 'Your lips, your lips, your lips' - but without the mad dance break of the French duo's hit.
Harder Better Faster Stronger
Go take a listen to the rest of the EP streaming on dan le sac's myspace blog and it's a much better indication of what KiD A's got. The single does not belie the range that the EP does - darkly melodic, minimal and infectiously head bopping tracks. dan le Sac does a great job on production duties on three of the six tracks, adeptly handling KidA's compositions, keeping the production clean and with plenty of room to breathe. Refreshing.
There is a dark slinky quality to her music; KiD A's vocals are much more natural and less forced than La/Boots. The thing with Kid A though is that thecocknbullkid aka Anita Blay has already been wearing the less-than-slender, quirky black songstress mantle very comfortably for some time now.
Anyway, here's the remix for her upcoming single by Eeprom for you. I prefer the original myself, but the dirty undulating synths of the sped up remix are dancefloorworthy enough, though not exciting. But do go check out KiD A's forthcoming EP here. 'Wasnotwas' is out on the 15th of June via The Lab.
