Jul 17, 2007

Ain't Over Til the Fat Lady Sings

I hadn't heard any news on M83 in ages. Their last release was back in the Fall of 2005 (and it was actually a re-issue of their first self-titled album originally released in 2001). Their myspace hadn't been updated in over a year, the same with their website. Then today, out of nowhere, a myspace bulletin:

Just after the « Before the Dawn Heals Us » US tour, Anthony Gonzalez decided to develop a musical direction already heard on some earlier M83 tracks and he started to write and record a collection of ambient works. Having long been a Krautrock and Eno fan this was a kind of music that Anthony has always been familiar with. Recorded primarily at his home studio with the assistance of Antoine Gaillet, who had previously worked .. the Dawn Heals Us” , Anthony was able to work without pressure, knowing he could work on the record at his own time and pace. The idea of digital, relevant during all the process (from creating the music to sharing it), gave him the idea to call the project "Digital Shades vol.1", and to make the album part of an ongoing series.

Originally recorded in 2006, “Digital Shades vol 1” marks the beginning of a new period of activity for M83, since Anthony is already back in the studio working on a brand new album which will be released in January 2008.

This first volume of the Digital Shades series shares many qualities of previous M83 records but also follows its own individual elegiac, lunar and dream-like path. In keeping with the creative thinking behind the album, “Digital Shades Volume 1” will naturally be released on all digital download formats worldwide, as well as on more traditional formats such as vinyl and CD in France.

M83, "Digital Shades Volume 1" - OUT SEPT 03 2007 in France & USA
Release date in UK & other countries... will be announced shortly !

STAY TUNED : FIRST NEW SONG WILL BE UPLOADED IN A FEW DAYS ON http://myspace.com/m83 !


I really, really, really hope they do a US tour. They are one of the first bands I went to see on a whim that really rocked. In their live shows, all the mellow parts of their songs are mellow...but all the rocking, and evenly mildly rocking parts come to life. Tons of gritty guitar, explosive drumming, keyboards, the works. Do not miss them if they come to town.

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Jul 16, 2007

tomorrow night

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Jul 12, 2007

Bad day for the wallet tomorrow

No only do Chems tickets go on sale tomorrow at 11:00 am EST for their nyc show, but also Simian Mobile Disco tickets go on sale at noon for their September 15th show at the Gramercy Theater. If you need convincing to go...

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Justice!

Justice October 20th Webster Hall via this post

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Jul 11, 2007

YEA-YUHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

CHEMICAL BROTHERS!!!! BROTHERS IN ARMS!!! THE TIME HAAAAAS COOOOOME!

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123456 BASS!

First Chemical Brothers US tour dates announced!!:

SEPT 21st Hammerstein Ballroom - NYC (on sale friday at 11 am)

SEPT 29th Nocturnal Wonderland - LA

GET READY!


(photo from here)

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This weekend

I've been slacking about posting because I am not going to be around, but if you are you should definitely be here Friday night:



Roy and Jacques throw down some nice modern disco jams, plus opening sets by Robot Blair & David Bruno...on a boat. What more could you ask for? Complete info, tickets, etc. here.

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Jul 9, 2007

One month until Daft Punk

In the meantime:

Listen to their set at Red Rock 2 days ago.

Look inside the pyramid.

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Jul 8, 2007

2, 4, 6, 8, let me see what you can do...

Just home from Simian Mobile Disco's debut NYC performance of their live show. It was one of those experiences where immediately afterwards you're kind of in a state of disbelief and shock...what just happened?

SMD started shockingly early at 1. They let everyone know this by flashing tall rows of super bright multi-colored lights they had brought along that were all over the stage. The place was packed to begin with and I was in a real shitty spot (quite far away) because I didn't think they would start until 2. So I had to scurry around the dancefloor to the other side only to end up standing in a closer, but shittier spot - behind a column. Thankfully when they opened with Sleep Deprivation hell broke loose and everything shifted pretty quickly as people started dancing so I wound up with a decent view.

I don't think I can convey the level of mayhem on the dancefloor. You could barely move, but everyone was. It was the most violent electronic show I have ever been to. Check the footage! The sound was sooooo loud. James & Jas had all this equipment they were fiddling with the whole time and it was all just erupting with sound...thick, crunchy, beepy, everything. They kept up a solid dance-crazed pace for the whole show, which sadly clocked in at just about an hour...but the hour was quality. Here's what they played in no particular order:

Sleep Deprivation
Animal House
It's the Beat
Hustler
Tits & Acid
I Believe
Their remix of Klaxons' Magick

That seems quite short, probably a few odds and ends I'm not yet familiar with mixed in as well.

Ok...allow me to clarify how awesome the show was. Not even halfway through Sleep Deprivation I decided they had unseated Soulwax from my "Top Live Electronic Show" of the year. Remember how I couldn't shut up about them?! Craziness! Here's where it gets real nuts...I started drawing Chemical Brothers parallels: They're each two British guys, performing their own electronic stuff live, behind all this crazy equipment (though the Chems' is more extensive at the moment) absolutely killing it. Even the way they were scurrying about reminded me of the Chems. They each have a blonde skinnier guy with glasses, and a dark-haired guy. They are little baby Chemicals! Haha...maybe it's a bit of a stretch, but I think there are some undeniable similarities. While I'm on about the Chemical Brothers, I stumbled upon this interview with them (they discuss We Are the Night): Part One.

Other random awesomeness from last night...JDH & Dave P played "Star Guitar" (which is what got me into the Chemical Brothers and electronic music) and followed it with Gui Boratto's "Beautiful Life". They went quite well together. They were playing some good songs...but between ATOC at PS1 and Simian Mobile Disco, I called it early.

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Jul 7, 2007

A Touch of Class

Despite being in a funky mood I made myself go to PS1 today. I am so glad I went.

I got there around 6. Services started right after I got there...they were kind of...how shall I put this...loud. Kind of in the way the really thick, syrupy parts of Justice songs are loud, but with no let up and therefore...bad.

At 7 A Touch of Class Started. They treated the crowd to 2 hours of amazing music that had everyone getting down.
Things started off on the old school disco/funk side which was a pleasant change from the usual. Then about 45 minutes in they started moving forward...I noticed the shift around Fatboy Slim's "A Song for Shelter", Crystal Waters' "Gypsy Woman", and a bunch of other stuff I can't name. In any case, it was all serious fun and everyone was getting down. Then...as pleased and amazed as I was with the ground they had covered thus far, ATOC finally got to the current. They almost killed me. Tracklist:

Shake N' Pop - Green Velvet
Put Your Hands Up For Detroit - Fedde Le Grand (the point at which I lost my shit)
Flat Beat - Mr. Oizo (really lost my shit)
Gravity's Rainbow (Soulwax remix) - Klaxons (point at which I realized I should stop paying attention to when I was losing my shit since it was happening so often)
Apache - Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band
D.A.N.C.E. - Justice
It's the Beat - Simian Mobile Disco
Pump Up the Jam - Technotronic
Push It - Salt-N-Pepa
Song 2 - Blur vs. Don't Call Me Baby - Madison Avenue (everyone started moshing)
Rock the Casbah - the Clash
somewhere between these two there must have been some other stuff because I remember them playing London Calling also
Roxanne - the Police (everyone started moshing again...to the Police)

It was one of the most upbeat, feel good, no rules dj sets I have been to. Everyone was having a great time. Not dancing was not an option or a thought. Having not seen them play out, probably since I first saw them last year at PS1, and only listening to their remixes in the meantime, I forgot what a range of material they cover in their sets and just how brilliantly they do it. It was an excellent day of dancing, only about to be made better by Simian Mobile Disco at Studio B! Ah! I can't wait. It's going to be one of those days :)

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Jul 6, 2007

In One Ear...and Out the Other

This evening I went to the Fujiya and Miyagi show at the South Street Seaport. Earlier in the week I learned that Ulrich Schnauss was no longer the opening act. I was a bit disappointed because I had really been looking forward to seeing him again, but oh well. He'll be here in a couple of months anyway. So...he was replaced by Black Moth Super Rainbow. I didn't think they were super. I didn't like most of the songs. Every now and then one would start off ok but then just end up sounding noisy by the end. I think they only played for 45 minutes, so it could have been worse.

Things started pretty much on time, which was nice. And there was no ridiculous hour long set-up break between Black Moth and Fujiya. F&M opened their set with Casettesingle which created some nice tension as it's all instrumental, the music building up as it goes along. They followed it with Sucker Punch, and things really seemed to get going afterwards with Photo Copier. The whole setlist is below. It was a fun show...a bit humid out, and I was exhausted from Chromeo last night, but I still had a great time. As the set went on Fujiya & Miyagi busted out some more upbeat songs I didn't recognize right away...serious fun.

Setlist:

Casettesingle
Sucker Punch
Photo Copier
Transparent Things
- Don't know what this one was called, but the chorus was "she made me go uh uh"
- Same here, something like "my favorite (dunno what he said here) sticks out like a sore thumb"
Reeboks in Heaven
Ankle Injuries
- Don't know the title, dare I say it's "No more pussyfooting with you"?
In One Ear & Out the Other
Collarbone

Encore-
Electro Karaoke in the Negative Style

Hopefully my work BFF, H-dizzle will hook me up with some photos he took at the show.

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Hip Pop

Ahh...I just got back from Chromeo a little while ago. They were awesome. Alot of shit went down, so I will make a list:

1. I admit it...I totally took advantage of the fact that, as much as I hate to admit it, I am actually a girl. The line for Chromeo was around the block...it's goddamn Hiro for crying out loud! It's absurd. There was a big group of people in front of me that figured out you needed a high girl to guy ratio and started recruiting girls for that purpose and I somehow got in on that. I know...it's whack. I have never done it before.

2. Flosstradamus was the opening and closing dj's. They were good when I first got in, but I was busy figuring out logistics...aka a good spot...booze...the bathroom...so I wasn't really giving them my full attention. They definitely had my ear from the start though. After Chromeo went on they tore it up. It was crazy. The only way to describe it is "Farley Flashback" or "Hop Pop". I went to Catholic school when I was a youngin'...but we went to these dances at the public middle school (James A. Farley). Flosstradamus proceeded to play damn near every jam from that period of my life...it was a lot of hip-hop that was really popular, hence the hip-pop. They also mixed in a lot of new and older dance stuff. In no particular order:

Whoop There It Is - Tag Team
Jump Around - House of Pain
Tootsie Roll - 69 Boyz
Hypnotize - Biggie
D.A.N.C.E. - Justice
Apache - Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band
La La Land - Green Velvet
Shake N' Pop - Green Velvet
One More Time - Daft Punk
Beeper - Sinden
Big Pimpin - Jay-Z
Sweet Dreams - the Eurythmics
Push It - Salt-N-Pepa
Licky - Princess Superstar
So Whatcha Want - Beastie Boys
Loser - Beck
Kernkraft 400 - Zombie Nation



3. It was Nicky Digital's birthday. "Party photography" has gotten ridiculous at this point. Everyone and their mother has a camera with a huge-ass flash nowadays...Nicky was one of the first kickin it here in New York, and he's actually a nice guy. Happy Birthday Nicky!


4. Chromeo - Up until this evening I had only heard a handful of Chromeo's stuff. I really wasn't looking forward to this show that much until this afternoon. I took a nap for an hour...and really just wanted to keep sleeping, but I made myself go because of this post at Music for Robots. "Like a god damn Canadian octopus of sex and funk and maple syrup." That about sums it all up. Guitar, bass, cymbals, cowbells, keyboards (sadly without legs)...just 2 guys - another great danceable live band.



The crowd was the craziest I have ever seen at Hiro. Crazier than Ed Banger night. Totally packed...you could barely move, but people were. Everyone was dancing furiously. In terms of songs, you name it, they played it...Tenderoni, Fancy Footwork, Bonafied Lovin, and a bunch of others I don't know yet. They did Momma's Boy as part of the encore and a couple of others. I had anticipated not really being that into them, but Chromeo honestly blew me away, way better than expected. I didn't expect to want to go to their show tomorrow (at Studio B), but before they were even done I was thinking about going. We'll see if that actually happens. I have a ton of work to do tomorrow and am exhausted at the moment. I have to at least make it to Fujiya and Miyagi...

5. Before I realized Flosstradamus was dj-ing again, I picked up a shirt and started chatting with the guy who was selling them. It turns out, it was Scooter, their tour manager. I learned...that unlike Chromeo, he is not from Montreal. He became the tour manager through working with the Rub dj's and Flosstradamus (Flosstradamus is along for the rest of the Fancy Footwork tour). He got to know Chromeo because Dave from Chromeo is actually dj A-trak's brother! I was so shocked by this.

Overall...it was a seriously fun night. I am really glad I (literally) didn't sleep on this show. Chromeo blew the place up, and Flosstradamus kept that energy going and the crowd dancing all night.

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Jul 4, 2007

Ain't That a Kick in the Head

By law...if I go out with the sole intention of seeing a dj I will meet someone. A blessing and a curse I guess...but more of a curse.

Let's set it up. I arrived around 12ish. DJ Ayres was on. I have to say, he was not the reason I went out tonight. Out of him, Walter Meego, and Trevor Loveys he was the only one I wasn't interested in seeing based on what I heard on their myspace pages. Apparently you can't just go by that, because I really enjoyed his set. At some points it was very soulful house-ish, then hip-hop, funk, then electro. The boy was all over the place...and made it look so easy. By all means Boys Noize blew the roof off of Hiro last week, but he was workin' it...switching cd's, switching records, twisting knobs, etc. Ayres was too, but very calmly - not breakin' a sweat and still with banging results. I can't stress enough how pleasantly surprised I was and how much I enjoyed his set. I have never seen a dj who has crossed so many genres so effectively. I was unable to identify many of the songs he played that I really enjoyed...mainly because it wasn't the typical electronic stuff.

I mainly listen to "dance music" and rock and select bits of everything else...so I was a bit in the dark to say the least with the rest of dj Ayres set. Some of the stuff I recognized that was good was a remix of Justice's "D.A.N.C.E." - there are sooo many remixes of this track floating around and so many of them are bad. I really like the original version of the song, and there are only one or two remixes that I don't immediately skip straight through. In any case...I dunno whose remix this was...maybe Ayres himself...but it was dope. It had a really nice fat bass line going through the whole thing. Excellent. The other thing I have to give dj Ayres big ups for was not dropping Kanye's "Stronger"...he might have sampled parts of it, but I'm pretty sure it was mainly a really good remix of Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger". And finally...while I love Mylo...and have been loving "Destroy Rock and Roll" since the import was available here in 2005...I have heard "Drop the Pressure" waaaay too many times (though I can't front, it is my ringtone...but I'm talking about dj sets here). Much to my delight...he dropped "Dr. Pressure" - Miami Sound Machine's "Dr. Beat" mashed up with Mylo's "Drop the Pressure". It was a nice change while still managing to retain all the good qualities of the frequently played "Drop the Pressure".

So here is where the United Nations adventure starts...I had been looking forward to my first live Walter Meego show. The crowd (which was a lot less hipstered up than the typical GBH Thursday night Cheeky Bastard crowd...but had more scary stockbroker type's who couldn't dance...and a lot of annoying girls who weren't in drug induced hazes, so they were somehow much more obnoxious) wasn't packed as tight as usual so I was able to get a good spot with no trouble. They opened with "Be a Star"...not my favorite of what I had heard before, but catchy and recognizable. I was not wild about it live. The next few songs were ok. Then...one of the guys from Walter Meego was doing most of the talking - not Justin, not Andrew... the third guy whose name I can't remember. He was talking way more than I cared to hear. He kept announcing when there would be a breakdown...the first time he said something like "this is where you're supposed to get down and shake your ass like crazy". Don't get me wrong...I'm all for getting down and shaking it...but I don't need a PSA to tell me to do so...let your music speak for itself. So...I could've done without that aspect of the show, but then I realized I wasn't really into many of the songs. It was still pretty early on, so I was trying to listen some more before making the final call. Then they played Keyhole...it was really good. They said it had been re-worked a lot of times and that they had performed it many different ways...and you could tell. I liked the original version I had heard on their myspace, but this had so much going on - so many layers of sound - really rich and banging. Right after that they played a song that might have been called "Letting Go". I ran into Andrew at the bar a few hours later and that's what he said he thought it was, but wasn't sure...It started VERY synthy and I loved it...then I thought to myself, this kind of reminds me of Soulwax, that's probably why I like it...but the more it went on, the more it reminded me of their song "Compute" to the degree that it seemed so blatant it turned me off. Then I was pretty much done.

I got a drink and stayed over near the stairs. There was a guy in front of me that was really into it. He has some predetermined dance moves going down. He was stomping...there was some Latin influence going on. He was getting down. After a while his friend started talking to me. Asked why I wasn't dancing and if I liked the band. He said his friend was into them, but that he was on the fence. I agreed...but then he said they were like Maroon 5, but not as good. I almost died. I wasn't that into them, but I wouldn't go that far. We broke it down to this...at times they seemed very poppy...at times very dancey. I think they needed to pick one or the other. I liked them when they were dancey...or rather I thought they had a good sound to start with...it was still a bit, poppy throwback 70's-ish, but the vocals killed me. So...I was fine with my first U.N. adventure - the two guys were from the UK...and one really looked a lot like a shortere version of Fatboy Slim. Haha.

Thankfully they left right before Trevor Loveys went on, who was the main reason I wanted to go to the party tonight. He played a really good set...that I unfortunately enjoyed less when this Polish guy started dancing with me...he was a bit stinky. Anyway...I know Trevor played Sinden's "Beeper" and a lot of other tracks I recognized but don't know by name. He was really good...very Switchy. He sounded like everything I hoped he would sound like. His set flew by. Before I knew it it was 4 and they were kicking everyone out...and then (U.N. adventure cont'd) a German guy and his new Spanish girl friend asked if I knew where to go..."It's the city that never sleeps!". Haha...you got me. I did not have the strength to explain after-party politics to them. The girl mentioned the Highline Ballroom and was shocked when I told her they had probably closed already too.

Then...it's not over yet. I'm walking down 9th...and I get asked for directions...by two guys from Italy in a rental car...50th and 5th. Hopefully they knew what I was saying.

Have a happy 4th...I will be in a sleep-deprived haze...bbq-ing in Queens and scurrying back here to walk the beast:

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Jul 3, 2007

Busy P


I was just scouring myspace for dj's and bands that will be in Montreal when I'm up there...and what do I find...stuff going on here in New York. Thankfully I'll be back before it happens:

September 2nd - Busy P and Neil Aline at APT

I anticipate APT will be packed enough that everyone will actually dance and ignore the fact that it's not really a club, and there's really not a dance floor. Yea-yuhh. And now some Ed Banger-related links I have been meaning to get up here:

Busy P's blog over at Arkitip. Don't worry, he won't be choosing between his mum and his dad, still posting over at Honeyee.

An article on Justice in Dummy Magazine

And while I'm on about the Frenchies...have a good 4th of July...best celebrated by having an awesome 3rd - Trevor Loveys, Walter Meego, DJ Ayres at Hiro!! I can't wait!

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Jul 2, 2007

Monty!


In 18 days I will be peacing out of nyc for what will hopefully be an excellent vacation in Montreal, home of my friend Eddie for the month of July, rocket fuel OJ, dope 'didas, record stores, a casino, and what will hopefully be some banging shows - list to the right, more for my ownself, but if you happen to be heading north could be handy. Also, if you'll be in the city there is some good stuff I will be missing that should not be slept on - Sharon Jones, Green Velvet (ah!), Tim Fite. Leave any Montreal shows not to be missed in the comments if ya have any.

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