Are you in Brazil? More specifically, are you in São Paulo? Are you pretty cool? If you meet the criteria above, we have a party for you to attend. Bonde do Role's DJ Gorky is getting older this week and we are throwing a party tonight at Surface to Air's Bar Secreto to celebrate. Not only will Bonde do Role be spinning records there (a set that will only be repeated at Ke$ha's gig here in Brazil), but also DJ Goos, myself (repping IM// UR, yo) and the Danish singer Jeppe will also be on the line-up!

In case you didn't know who Jeppe is (let's say your memory just needs some refreshing, because we are pretty sure you know), we selected 5 defining moments from his career...

Hiya // Jeppe

1) Dude is credited with every alt, gay, lonely awkward teen and other minority types in the world to use "I was born this way, baby" as a mantra after being insulted or bullied, because, well, along with Lady Gaga, he is responsible for writing that hit. And even though we ain't fans of Gaga, you can't deny the success of this song. So, little monsters put your paws up and...

2) Remember Junior and Senior? If you do, you might recognize Jeppe, as he used to attend by the nickname of Senior. Yes. He was part of one of the coolest band ever. And I don't want to sound over excited, but 'Rhythm Bandits' is one of my favourite songs ever. I remember listening to it so much when I was in my teens, and knowing that Jeppe was responsible for that already granted him my eternal love. Deal with it.

3) OK, so Junior Senior was so good that they deserves two places in this list. And the next song I chose was 'Take My Time', which features the beautiful ladies from The B-52's, the best party band ever. How can anybody not love this?!

4) You know what else he was responsible for? Classixx's 'I'll Get You'. Everybody DJ'ed, remixed and loved that song and as a result of a caffeinated conversation, there is a big possibility that Jeppe will sing a Portuguese version of it taught it by Boss in Drama and I. It's so ridiculous that you won't want to miss it.

5) And finally the last spot. The Magician (do we still need to say that he was part of Aeroplane?) released his new song on Kitsuné and it features Jeppe. 'I Don't Know What To Do' is like a perfect combination of house and 80's synthpop. Like a remix of a classic song by the Pet Shop Boys with a chorus so sticky that it will burn itself into your brain.

The Magician feat. Jeppe - I Don't Know What to Do (Original) by Kitsune Maison

See you cool Paulistas at Bar Secreto, innit.

Look. I don't go out of my way to follow Lady Gaga. I'm not a fan, no matter how I may or may not respect her (which, yes, I do, in my own little way). I haven't heard any of her albums in their entirety, nor do I follow her fashions, or what her sister is rumoured to be doing with them, and I don't run for youtube when her videos drop. She is though, obviously difficult to avoid; being the pop culture phenomenon that she is (and all that said, I'm feeeeling the Versace vibe she is channelling lately. More because I can't help but love that Donatella and her ridonkness). So it's not at all difficult to know what she's up to, even if I don't actively go in search of news for her.

So when a band as brilliant as Wild Beasts cleverly saddle the Lady Gaga fame monster for their own agenda, I can't help but applaud as rapturously as I did when I saw them live just last month. Even more brilliant is that they came up with a beautiful remix to raise awareness of the ways that people can get involved and support independent labels that lost stock in the Pias UK warehouse fire in an unfortunate case of collateral damage during the UK 'riots'.

Frontman Hayden Thorpe told the Guardian that "The unlikeness of this match was perhaps what compelled us to take it on. Gaga in many ways is the epitome of what we are not. She is the butcher to our butter knife. The essential thrill is always to keep eluding what is expected of us and what we expect of ourselves."

If you wanna find out how to donate to PIAS and their associated labels, or even just to know a little more about the situation, go HERE.

Speaking of PIAS and their associated labels, other news, PIAS have just signed a deal with Wichita Recordings for the world excluding North America. According to PIAS:

"The first Wichita releases through [PIAS] will be the new albums by Mariachi El Bronx and Peggy Sue both scheduled for the 12th of September followed later in the year by albums from Wild Flag, Los Campesinos and Spectrals and an EP by Bloc Party’s Kele. 2012 will see new albums from First Aid Kit, The Cribs and Simian Mobile Disco."

This is quite confusing. We proportionally dislike Lady Gaga in the same measure that we love Twin Shadow (i.e. a lot). And now that he has remixed her latest track, ‘Born this Way’, we really don’t know how to feel. Maybe we should let the quality of the music decide – whilst of course, still letting our Gaga-hate control the final thoughts. So let's hear it.

Instead of industrial electronic noises, Twin Shadow opts for 80s lullabies to begin the song, which surprisingly fit on top of Gaga’s love acceptance speech. Although the crystalline sounds soon fade away and a really fat bass takes over (think 80s art school bands instead of Will.I.Am), yet still nothing to be impressed by.

Eventually, drums are added and the song starts showing what it's really about; but before you get used to it the chorus arrives and gives us a glimpse of how Lady Gaga would sound if she ever fronted The Smiths...and I hate to admit it, but it's quite cool. Then the bass comes back, but this time is accompanied by a guitar and a good set of production noises. In the end, the song repeats the chorus to exhaustion and I’m almost 100% that at around the 3 minute mark, even Twin Shadow's George Lewis Junior joins in.

In a way, this remix is the closest that Lady Gaga's music will ever be to her image; experimental, creative, odd and fun, from time to time. Unfortunately, she chose to be as creative as the other girls from her generation, but, hey, maybe this is a first step? Either way, stream the song below. It is quite amusing. 

BONUS! // Grum's remix is just what you'd expect from a Grum track: percussive electropop fun!

The cover of Beth Ditto's EP was leaked online last week at the same time that Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' leaked. Poor Beth, no matter how much of a respected/interesting/credible/freak/fatty/talent/major you are, you just gon' flounder next to trending topics that are Gags-based, like #bornthisway.

And this time, for the actual release of her new single, it's Britters who has upstaged the Gossip front woman's day.

So aaaanyways, the video for Beth's first single from her Simian Mobile Disco produced EP is now OUT, and it's called 'I Wrote The Book'...and I LOVE this. I love the concept of the video and the dancers. I love the softness and control of Beth's vocals - she sounds awesome. And I love what Simian Mobile Disco have done to the instrumental for this, Beth's foray into solo territory. It's got club hit written all over it.

Shot by Price James in London's Grosvenor House, Ditto offers a true homage to Madonna, rather than a straight up rip of her, as per the disappointing 'Born This Way'. Speaking of which (again), if only I'd hated it, then 'Born This Way' might have been a better single. Instead I feel totally MEH about it! And we all know there's nothing worse than feeling indifferent towards something...

So THIS is how it's done, kids - diva it up, Ditto:

HIYA // BRITNEY!

Five minutes left on the countdown to the video release of Britney's 'Hold It Against Me', and I couldn't concentrate on anything else in anticipation. In these times of the instant high, I was scrambling as it finally arrived and the Britney site wasn't loading and the leaks site was lagging harrrd. My conversational skills dribbled down to just two words: 'OMG' and 'dying'. Then, thank godney, something loaded and the clip opened. Watch:

Flashbacks of classic Britney, in the style of 'Oops I Did It Again' were brought to mind from that opening sequence, always a good thing. And then five more words entered my vocabulary. OMG 'product placement to the max'. But I guess she had to pay for it somehow. Would you hold it against her?

Anyway, so whilst the first half didn't blow us away by any means, the second half totally left us feeling high and breathless, with our retinas expanded and hearts racing. Britney just graduated from pop princess to Queen of Pop in one fell swoop of 'Hold It Against Me'.

The entire second half had me peeing a little with excitement. From the outerspace/futuristic theme to the vibe of the ridonkulous set (reminded me of a number of things: TLC's 'No Scrubs', Michael and Janet's 'Scream' and Backstreet Boys' 'Larger Than Life', note: all excellent tracks and videos in their own right), everything seemed to fall into place whether it made sense or not - because it didn't matter!! From that McQueeny reference with the wedding dress and the paint to that amazing fight scene (NOT Brit, obvs, but they're still fierce), to the dancers, to the fact that the dubstep break got extended (SO SMART! Damn, Team Brit got savvy!) and of course, Britney herself...it was all just fucking pop-tastic.  

HIYA // Britney doubles with bad wigs!

This video was executed with a huge budget, blinding flash and epic proportions too, yes; resulting in this Classically Pop representation of every single element of the whole she-bang. But if you're thinking about POP MUSIC - Pop fucking music - and looking at everything from Britney's heritage, to her personal ups and downs, to even what Pop actually means: it's the woman herself that actually takes it all to the next level in 'Hold It Against Me'. See, this is what makes Brit so different from Gaga. Gaga tries so tragically hard; in a try-hard, tortured art school project kinda way as she works to balance her ambitions as an artist with her responsibility as an entertainer. Even with the sharpness of a moving fashion editorial, Gaga just doesn't deliver the pure pop magic that Britney does.

Britney and 'Hold It Against Me' have all the elements needed to give you that ultimate pop high, which is exactly what we felt. And this is something that Lady Gaga simply doesn't give us; and it's a totally separate thing altogether to how empowering 'Born This Way' - or Gaga in general - is intended to be.

God save(d) and bless Britney, reigning Queen of Pop.

Hiya Oprah

I really did try to find a justification for this post other than my own amusement, but to be honest, I came up with nothing but lolz. I've previously stated my love for gratuitous pics of celebs and koalas, so I just knew that when Oprah touched down in Australia there was going to be some magic. But I'm left a little cold at the pic above. So to make up for my disappointment, I've compiled a little compilation* of gratuitous koala goodness for your my amusement, accompanied by the theme song of classic Australian chocolate treat, Caramello Koala.

First up we have Lady Gaga and a koala at Taronga Zoo (which I presume is generally where every celeb who drops into Sydney goes to take koala pics. I used to work for a concert promoter and we threw concerts there. Pretty cool).

Next, for all you make-up madamoiselles, it's none other than Francois Nars and a koala.

Joey Fatone and a koala. LOLZ. Joey Fatone. Can you believe he's an N'SYNC-er?

The Pope and a koala.

Samantha Ronson and a koala.

Nicky Hilton and a koala.

Me, my sister and a koala. I like how I'm mimicking the koala's pose.

Right. Glad I got that out of my system.

HIYA

On one hand, it makes perfect theoretical sense; Klaxons covering Lady Gaga, y'know? But in the actual playing out of  'Bad Romance' in the style of Klaxons, I feel like one of those uncontrollable, uncomfortable giggles bubbling up. I'm not sure if it's because of how serious Klaxons make it sound; or the awkward harmonics - which, given, is a part of Klaxons charm - or...I don't even know. I enjoy it on some level where my musical instincts recognise the hit, but then again, it also makes me die a little inside too.

I'm sorry, I just can't work it out. I was going to listen to it again to try and figure what I'm feeling about it, but then I realised I couldn't bring myself to hear it once more. So I guess that says it all.

Watchu all reckon of it? Check it:

oOoOO

oOoOO have been circulating once more since they recently made a mixtape for a clothing label called Actual Pain (<<--go cop the mixtape there) and are far more spooky and weighted than their often childishly employed name might imply - unless there's some weird ooo-ohh-ooo-oh-oh way of pronouncing it that I'm unaware of.

Ponderously dark but somehow beat driven in an almost hip hoppily gothic way, oOoOO have had me hypnotised this week. Eerie in it's meandering clarity, their track 'Hearts' - which was included on their recent mixtape - is like stomping steadily through a sharp cold mist on a grey day with Casper, Christina Ricci and Ichabod Crane lurking about somewhere nearby...it's some pretty freakily cool stuff.

Here's another track called 'NoSummr4u' wherein they do a totally sick cover of Nocera's 80s track 'Summertime'.

And officially the wonkiest, weirdest remix/cover/something of 'Pokerface' ever - go on, super pop fans, I dare ya (moo hoo ha ha ha!):