To say that Local Natives are this year's Fleet Foxes isn't wrong, but not that right either. Local Natives are softer, brighter and lighter than their widely critiqued sort-of-counterparts. Gorilla Manor is a delicious debut that should be listened and loved for its own merits and there are 12 of them here; from the beautiful single 'Airplanes' to the epic journey of 'Stranger Things'. For fans of harmonic vocals, delicate guitars and gorgeous layers (and I bet there'll be a lot of you).
You know about FAJ right? That's Fanny and Jessy as they are also known, and this duo have one of the coolest young labels coming straight out of London. They debuted their first range last year entitled 'I Hope You Die Soon' and they're also responsible for the infamous tee of the same name (and it's sibling, 'Suck It You Fuck') which I actually often find gets quite a warm reaction despite it's sentiment. This month they're showing their hotly anticipated sophomore collection for AW 2010 which no doubt will be full of their trademark wicked humor and edge. Definitely ones to watch.
Honestly, who isn’t? The sixth and final season of Lost, one of the best series ever created, just started and we are sure spending more time talking, reading and thinking about it than watching it. Well, from what we read some mysteries won’t be answered (the real meaning of the numbers, anyone?), but if there's something we've learned from accompanying Locke’s island friends (and enemies) is that the travel is always more enjoyable than the actual place it’s taking you to. Well, not if the smoke monster is trying to kill you.
The latest station on the Drunky Town train line is in Sydney, Australia at a little club in the Spanish Quarter (actually it's just two Spanish shops next to each other on the same street or something like that in the CBD) called GoodGod, which plays host to soirée of the moment, Slow Blow. Word has it that in January, Karen O crashed Sydney's current cool kids party, but to be honest by that time everyone was too busy dancing and cutting loose in D-Town to care. And that's the true mark of a good time - when you find yourself twirling about without a care in the world. Or it could just mean you're trashed. Heh.
You know those films where there are all these supposedly 'intertwined' stories and lives? Quite a cliché concept for both books and movies I suppose, but rarely does it really resonate in either medium. David Mitchell though (not the Peep Show one) manages to spin tales into tightly woven rugs that are quite fantastical yet believable, moving without being overly sentimental, eclectic and incredibly entertaining. He also writes straight narratives too, with just as much panache and verve. I just (re)read Number9Dream though any and all of David Mitchell's books are highly recommended...and he's got a newie coming out this year. EXCITEMENT.
Wednesday // June 10, 2009 at 19:56 // filed under Music
We were the first ones to show you the Hervé's collaboration with Marina
Gasolina 'Baseball Bat' and now it's time to listen to the first remix of
the track. If the original was a '90s mix of grunge, industrial with a hint of
fidget synths in the background, the High Rankin remix takes the angry vocals and gets them bouncing in the middle of tense fidget synths. The end of the song still reserves space for
a classic break with the best take off you could imagine for such track (hint:
it features shouts, distorted synths and rock'n'roll drums).
Wednesday // May 27, 2009 at 17:34 // filed under Music
Marina is on fire!
OMG! Marina Gasolina - as in ex Bonde do Rolê - has finally embraced her
inner riot grrrl once
again! We already knew that she could shout like a crack addict (check Bonde's
baile punk songs); and recently she showed that she could actually sing (check Radioclit remixes for Metronomy and Architecture in Helsinki), but now she's showing that she can mix
these two talents in a Courtney Love
type of way for Hervé's new single 'Baseball
Bat'.
As the 20 year cycle rule works, the song is like dark and
noisy trip to the '90s. It's an industrial-grunge number sparkled with some
fidget synths and will make your ears bleed (seriously, don't listen to this with your headphones!). I also have to point out the haircut; the
blasé-I-can-beat-like-a-gorilla-face and the blood red lipstick that she's
wearing, because it looks Kat Von D whilst she'sPMT-ing. I wouldn't mess with this girl if I were you.
Hervé feat. Marina Gasolina - Baseball Bat
'Baseball Bat'will be released on the 1st June on Cheap
Thrills.
Thursday // April 23, 2009 at 20:20 // filed under Music
Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. It can work for
everything in the whole world, but in this case I'm talking about music. Some
months ago Hervé released the single 'Cheap Thrills' which features the mad
rapping skillzzz of the Plastic Little as well as a sample from the Michael Jackson
hit single 'Thriller'. No need to remind you that the song went big and got
remixed (and played) by everyone.
Also by now, you'll know the first single from the Brit
trio Filthy Dukes stupidly called 'Tupac Robot Club Rock'. The song features
vocals from the Plastic Little crew and is a dancefloor banger that spits a rap electro putting MSTRKRFT's 'Bounce' in the corner.
Flithy Dukes - Tupac Robot Club Rock
Not only did the Plastic Little rap in the song (and in the
video) but the boys also remixed the track with killer beats, boucing synths
and an annoying - but extremly addictive - high pitched sample. No doubt it's something that MTV USA would love to play during its rap segment.
And as the Plastic Little crew are about to release their
latest single 'La La Land', Hervé and Filthy Dukes are consequentely paying back the favor by producing and remixing it. The solo british producer of many names didn't do
his best job going for the '08 classic of the distorted bass, but Filthy
Dukes sure saved it by adding some dancing beats and '80s hip hop aura .
