Arcade Fire tomorrow night!

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Dancefloor Magic vol. 7

It's Saturday! It's time for three more delightful dancefloor beasts!

Kicking off with a song that is a delight to have if you've had a few beers and are dying for a wee. I'll post my other two over the next few weeks. Many a night I've heard it come on and seen the DJ bolt for the bathroom. Winner. Great cover too.

Hot 8 Brass Band - Sexual Healing Alt

Sporting one of the finest chugs in rock music, it's The Breeders biggest hit, Cannonball!

The Breeders - Cannonball Alt

And the original sample for Prodigy's Out of Space ...

Max Romeo - Chase The Devil Alt

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N-E-W: ASIWYFA & Mogwai

let's have it loud, plain and simple.

New Mogwai, new And So I Watch You From Afar.

ASIWYFA play Roisin Dubh, Galway on December 30th and have new stuff on the way. This track is ree on a pay by tweet basis, find out more here. Seriously flipping good band.

And So I Watch You From Afar - Straight Through The Sun by Soundsgoodtometoo

And another post-rock intrumental, talented, noisey as hell band, Mogwai, have a new track out. It's ahead of the release of Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, yet another funny title from the Glaswegian legends. Another Roisin Dubh gig too, they'll be taking the stage on Valentines Day next year.

Mogwai - Rano Pano Alt

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Vaccines video for Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)

I posted mp3's from The Vaccines last month, now here's the video for Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra). A fine London band that I'm looking forward to seeing live.



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IMTV Awards, damn right!

The Irish Music TV Awards took place in Dublin last night. Delighted these two won,

The Ambience Affair for being a brilliant band and for being part of this brilliant Souljacker Film

The Ambience Affair - Devil in the Detail from Souljacker on Vimeo.

...and Rubberbandits for beating Nadine Coyle to Sexiest Video with this LOL-fest.



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N-E-W: New Years Evil & Black Tambourines

These two are from Art Is Hard Records, which is run by two guys in Portsmouth and Plymouth who are originally from Weymouth, which apart from sounding funny had me none the wiser, although I have a friend who recently moved to Portsmouth and has great things to say about it. I'm gonna copy and paste straight from the press release here:

"aih002 - to be released Nov 29th, is a split 7" between Exeter's New Years Evil (like No Age covering The Wedding Present) and Falmouth's The Black Tambourines (like The Black Lips if they were from Cornwall)"

...because this worked on me. Black Lips from Cornwall? Yes please. Both tracks are excellent, looking forward to hearing more. New Years Evil also remind me of bits of Sebadoh and Killing Joke for some reason, certainly a classic 80's grungey sound, all good of course. For more details check out their website and their Soundcloud page.

New Years Evil - Shame Alt

The Black Tambourines - Tommy Alt


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Chilly Gonzales BBC Radio 1 Minimix

The Annie Mac Minimix on BBC Radio 1 has given us some of the best mess abouts with music over the past few years. Bar DJ Yoda's mix, this might be my favourite. Chilly Gonzales has nailed it.

Chilly Gonzales - Radio 1 Minimix 19 11 10 by dynmk

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N-E-W: Bear Mountain, Blow! & Shark?

An all kinds of everything new music post.

Bear Mountain make thick synth, sample heavy, pop hooked music with interesting beats and an overall tasty groove. Hear a few tracks on their Bandcamp page and download this one for free. It's a one man operation from Vancouver, Canada. I can imagine we'll hear more from this dude.

Bear Mountain - Eden Alt

This band are called Blow! and they're from Ithica in New York. This is their debut single, from their upcoming 7" release, Overrated. It's pretty straightforward pop, with beautiful 50's harmonies.

Blow! - Better Day Alt

This one is a real gem. I've been posting a lot of dirty rock recently and this is up there on the top of the pile. Shark? are not an easy band to pin down, which is no bad thing of course. Listening to their new single, I'm An Animal which you can have a listen to on Soundcloud. I imagine the Velvet Underground have gone on a camping trip and decided to write the music to the montage of all the fun they had. It's punky, straight up Stooges energy and grit, but synthy and upbeat. I'll be honest I have the biggest smile on my face listening to one of my favourite new bands. Check out their bandcamp page, they've a whole pile of E.P's to listen to and download free.

I'm An Animal is available to pre-order through Rough Trade now, for release on 7" on December 7th and is limited to 200 copies.

Shark? - Tesla Alt

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Quadro No.4 The Brogues - Ain't No Miracle Worker

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Dancefloor Magic vol. 6 ...a remix appreciation post

You may have noticed I can be very conservative when it comes to dance music. I can't hack trance, need to be in a forest at 4 a.m to enjoy most techno and I find the "electro" that's come out over the past few years completely devoid of any sort of music at all. I walked into The Subs gig at a festival, got scared and walked out. Music for zombies in neon shades.

With the upsurge in "electro" came the upsurge of electro remixes or perfectly good songs, driving any sort of fun and enjoyment out of them. I recently heard a remix of Little Secrets by Passion Pit in a London club and honestly and thought it was the worst thing I'd ever heard. Lots of glitchy noises. Awful shite. I use Hype Machine a lot, its a great service but the top 100 section is a breeding ground for horrendous crunk/mashup/electro/dubstep pieces of work. Each to their own of course but I think life is too short to be anywhere where this sort of music is playing.

But on the other hand I've learned to trust certain remixers. Here are a few that make my heart jump when I hear they've done something new. These are all well known remixes, but I'd been meaning to write something like this for a while so here goes ...

Dubstep. From crusty hippies at the world's skaggiest party to mainstream pop scouring the depths of sonic science to create the most unlistenable shite the world has ever heard. I don't like garage, the beat gets on my nerves, so the progression to dubstep was lost on me. From the drum n' bass side of things, dnb was always a fun thing to dance to, but as regards killing some beats and turning the bass up, it was lost on me. I've enjoyed some of what I've heard, and I can't fault it musically but it's never been my bag. Bassnectar however has nailed it! Taking dubstep and packing it full of energy and fun.

The Pixies - Where Is My Mind? (Bassnectar Remix) Alt

Alex Metric took one of my favourite tracks of the year in Gorillaz' Stylo and created a monster with his remix. When I heard this beauty I was sold. He's got the right idea!

Beastie Boys - Sabotage (Alex Metric Remix) Alt

I've blogged about The Knocks before, they've had some stellar singles and remixed the hell out of a few tracks that I've really liked. I love Passion Pit but this remix replaced the original in my sets. I had to burn of a few CDR's of it cos I kept giving them away to people asking about it.

Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (The Knocks Remix) Alt

P.S, photo not mine, I nicked it off The Pirate's Dilemma.

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N-E-W: Girl Talk

Girl Talk's new album. It's tacky, most of the hip-hop used is terrible and at the end of the day I'm pretty sure the whole idea of mashing Fugazi with Rihanna constitutes musical heresy. But I love it.

Usually I see "mashup" and cross the road, but Girl Talk seems immune to my snobbery. I loved Feed The Animals, and I spent all day yesterday listening to All Day.

It's as much a pop art installation as an album, cutting seconds out of well known tracks here and there creating an audible painting that is fun to listen to. I don't think you can judge an album like this in terms that you'd judge an original body of work. It's not Steinski, there's no attempt at credibility, it's not an historical artifact. You'll either love it or hate it. It's free. Listen to it, love it or hate it. I'm gonna go have another listen.

Girl Talk - Let It Out Alt

Girl Talk - All Day by walt74

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Dancefloor Magic vol. 5

Sorry this is late, long day in work then off for dinner with the ladyfriend meant I was out of time for the usual Saturday dancefloor tunes. It shan't happen again. But better late than never eh? And I haven't gone to sleep yet so it's technically still Saturday. K, here goes.

Love is a mashup album of some of The Beatles greatest songs, originally put together for Cirque Du Soleil, put together by their original producer and fifth Beatle, George Martin and his son Giles. This is probably my favourite Beatles song, I've never gotten sick of it and I can't imagine I ever will. The extra bits and bobs added in make it oh so very danceable!

The Beatles - Lady Madonna (Love Album Version)

Silly dancing ahoy! Drop this once everyone has gotten good and wankered and have a jump about. Those not dancing like morons are no fun and weren't worth having on the floor anyway. Wiiiiiiiicked!

MC Vapour & Ali G - Jungle Is Massive

And finally, yes yes I know, another classic remixed, BUT, you really can't mess with this. Mark Ronson puts a tasteful, danceable and beefed up spin on this Dylan classic. I love Bob as much as the next crusty poet but I'm not gonna be the guy jumping about to Lay Lady Lay.

Bob Dylan - You Go Your Way & I'll Go Mine (Mark Ronson Remix)

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N-E-W: Smith Westerns, Bronze & Phone Home

This new track from Smith Westerns has them slowing down and taking time on a fine dreamy pop song. It's the first release since 2009's self-titled debut (a brilliant but gritty, bordering on the point of unlistenable 70's pop/rock affair) and the first listen from Dye It Blonde which is due out January 18th.

Smith Westerns - Weekend by forcefieldpr

Bronze are a Brooklyn based band who add all manners of pounding percussion to their wild, loud rock n' roll sound. This one's a keeper. If you like it you can download their debut E.P for free on bandcamp.

Bronze - Count To Two

Staying with New York, this is Phone Home who make lazy, dreamy, piano driven post rock instrumental tracks. A nice thing to listen to on a cold, stormy winter afternoon in a London suburb! This debut release is up as a pay what you want on (the ever wonderful) bandcamp.

Phone Home - Cozy Attack

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N-E-W: Sex Beet, Crystal Swells & Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

First off a track that's been on my to do list for a while. The band are called Sex Beet, a one man operation from London who is making excellent dirty pop music and is being rewarded for his hard work and good music with support slots around the UK with top dogs of lo-fi Wavves, Best Coast and Thee Oh Sees. Take this gem for the moment and keep an eye out here for new stuff that I understand is on the way. Sex Beet, a keeper for sure.

Sex Beet - Sugar Water Alt

Some fine punk rock going on here from Crystal Swells. Driving beats, plenty of feeback, riffage galore and angsty vocals. It sounds like Joy Division let loose and spazzed out, musically, as opposed to the funny dancing thing Ian Curtis used to do.

It’s a mess held together by a rusty guitar string, a scuzzy disaster of short songs but instantly likeable. Download the E.P for free here.

Crystal Swells - Burn It Electric Alt

And a new Pains of Being pure At Heart tune. The 7” is out December 14th
and an album out next March on Slumberland Records.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Heart In Your Heartbreak by forcefieldpr

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N-E-W: And So I Watch You From Afar

I will post this directly once I get my hands on it but for the moment head to State Magazine to listen to a new And So I Watch You From Afar track. This band are getting better and better. Yet more amazing technical guitar riffs, beautiful breakdowns and bursts of energy.

If you live in Ireland and don't go see the FMC tour featuring Jape, Fionn Regan and ASIWYFA you are daft altogether. Three of Ireland's finest acts, for €15. All dates and details here.

If this video doesn't persuade you I don't know what will. Bandwidth films recorded a hometown show in 2009, it's fantastic footage, capturing one of the best live bands, and indeed one of the best bands about today.

And So I Watch You From Afar - S is For Salamander (Live in Belfast) from Bandwidth on Vimeo.

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Dancefloor Magic vol. 4

Happy Saturday! ...yet again we've some wiiiiiiiicked party tunes on the blog. Feel free to suggest some for next week in the comments or send me a mail mailjoshclarke@gmail.com (...or if you're in London and put on parties book me for a gig!)

This track is the ultimate transition from eveningtime chill beats to nighttime dancefloor shenanigans. If you're not at least tapping a foot and bobbing your head then see a doctor, your groove is broken!

Incredible Bongo Band - Apache Alt

The best times of my life have been aiding peoples dancing. That's why I'm writing this up and posting these songs, cos dancing is just so much fun. I was looking through cases of CD's earlier and I found this on a compilation and got a vivid flashback to being on stage, soaked with sweat and doing my finest Pat Benatar to this. 80's anthem, don't even think about messing with this.

Pat Benatar - Love Is A Battlefield Alt

Chances are this won't be the first time you'll see the Clash pop up here. Along with Talking Heads, The Cure, Jackson 5 etc. they're a standard get out of jail free card, as well as a standard get up and dance band. This is another one of my favourite early in the evening songs, it's a powerful, funky beast.

The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail Alt

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JFB: Killing In The Name scratch, interesting!

At the moment I'm reading a great book called The Record Players: DJ Revolutionaries. It's a collection of interviews with all of DJ history's important players, from Jimmy Saville to DJ Shadow via Grandmaster Flash, John Peel, Fatboy Slim and loads more. I'll be writing about it soon once I get the Book & Movie Club back up and running. Anyway, I'm finally getting my head around different styles, techniques etc. and I found this fascinating.



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N-E-W (ish): SSLYBY, Warpaint, Born Ruffians, 65 Days Of Static, Black Francis, The War On Drugs and Dinosaur Pile Up

Major catchup this evening. I've been listening to quite a few albums and now it's time to put it into blogsville for your listening pleasure and your own views.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin are the perfect pop band. A mix of Fang Island and Weezer maybe. Clear, upbeat, utter enjoyment. Let It Sway came out way back in August.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Banned (By The Man)

I'll be honest, Beetles, by Warpaint, which I posted way back during SXSW has been roaming around my head since I first heard it, so the albums eventual release was a relief. What can I say? Suitably long songs to get lost in. I'm not sure how I feel after listening to them but like a drug, this album will enhance any mood, good or bad. The Fool is essential listening.

Warpaint - Warpaint

Born Ruffians followed their notable 2008 debut album with a decent second, Say It, which came out a few months back on Warp Records. Now they've released a tour only E.P called Plinky Plonk. It's a seven track miscellaneous bits and bobs release with some real gems on there, furthering their crystal clear vocal, tight young indie rock sound.

Born Ruffians - Pool Party Fun

Sheffield's 65 Days Of Static are another band following the 1960's ethos of release! release! release! ...following their rather good We Were Exploding Anyway they've brought out the Heavy Sky E.P. Big fans will enjoy this, it features a wordless version of the track Come To Me, which featured Robert Smith on the album. PX3 is a piano fronted epic of epic proportions which is a delight, but beyond this we have the frankly lacklustre dance-rock The Wrong Shape and the absolutely atrocious Sawtooth Rising, which is in effect a rocked up Tiest-electro song. Bloody awful.

65 Days Of Static - PX3

Black Francis. Frank Black. Big guy from The Pixies. Genius? I think so. i think he's talented. If it's damn fine rock or pop music you're after let him off and he'll come back with some excellent songs. This is a strange album, it's his "rock" version of a soundtrack he wrote and performed in 2008 for for 1920 film, The Golem: How The He Came Into The World. It's a silent film about the persecution of the Jews in Prague, often cited as their height of German expressionism apparently. Confused? Here's the film with Frank's soundtrack. Odd indeed.

Black Francis - Makanujo

I've been looking forward to this album since their early singles. For once, I though, NME have nailed it. Not about "the rebirth of grunge", but that this band were spot on! The album aint bad. At best it's not far off decent Ash or Weezer. At worst it's a Foo Fighters or Feeder album tracks. Pity. I don't mean to sound obsessive mentioning them twice today but there's a way to make heavy, clean, clear music sound good, and it's called Fang Island. Give em a shout and make another album, go!

Dinosaur Pile Up - My Rock n' Roll

The War On Drugs. Now this is an album. Mature, simple (but by no means boring) and rock n' roll. I'm only on my second listen but I'm hearing lo-fi country rock, epically urgent vocals and a bunch of people enjoying making music ...and this track that sounds like a band that should have been called Arcade Springsteen.

The War On Drugs - Baby Missiles

That's all for the moment, I'll have more on Sunday including Stereolab (cracking altogether), Mew, No Joy, Octopus Project and Willy Mason. And tomorrow, as it is Saturday, I'll be posting some dancefloor magic!

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Villagers radio session from way back when

I've been planning to post this for a long time.

I'm not great for remembering dates or facts and I never wrote any of this down but here goes from memory. Late in 2008 I heard that the guy from The Immediate was working on his own stuff, a project called Villagers. I spotted that he was playing a show in Galway, his third ever I think. It was early January, there were about 20 people there, two media, the rest were Galway's better bands. The room was instantly spellbound but this man and his tiny guitar, backed by wailing feedback, pounding drums, thick bass (Richie Egan from Jape that night) and tinkly pianos.

At this stage I had given up on radio sessions and interviews. I felt that no matter how much I might like a new Irish band, the time spent with them talking about who produced their E.P or about an incident at a gig they played would be better used playing two of their songs. I would happily have interviewed Bob Dylan as I think that would be interesting to listen to, but that never materialised. With sessions, the station didn't have the facilities to deal with full bands so it always had to be acoustic. I got sick of it and scrapped the whole thing.

But then Villagers rolled back into town. I was due to meet Conor at the venue at 7 after soundcheck. The soundcheck lasted another hour. I saw that this guy is an absolute perfectionist ...and is it turned out, a gentleman. We quickly made our way to the studios where he played two tracks for the show. As I sat there listening, just the two of us in the radio booth, I decided that it would be musical lunacy if this guy was never appreciated for how good is music was.

Since then he's gone to No. 1 in Ireland, become known world wide, recieved praise at SXSW and been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. Not that prizes are important but it's nice to see that really great songs are appreciated.

Enjoy.

Villagers - Becoming A Jackal (iRadio Session) Alt

Villagers - On A Sunlit Stage (iRadio Session) Alt

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N-E-W: Suuns, Zeroes QC

I love hearing a band that screams "see me live" in first listen. Montreal's Suuns (formerly Zeroes) are absolutely fantastic. This morning I was all set to post a few bands, along with that Villagers session I mentioned yesterday but then, you know how it is, you find your new favourite band, speakers get hooked up, neighbours get annoyed, toast gets eaten ...the usual shit.

Does subtly epic make sense? Very tasteful, taking elements of post-rock, indie, electronic, and alt rock styles. Just to get an idea think Fuck Buttons meet Radiohead meet Not Squares meet Fugazi. Something like that anyway.

Zeroes QC is out now on Secretly Canadian, was produced by Jace Lasek of Besnard Lakes and can be purchased here.

Good stuff.

Suuns - Arena Alt

Suuns - PVC Alt

Suuns - Up Past The Nursery Alt

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N-E-W: Roundup! ....Cee Lo Green, Fujiya And Miyagi, Broken Records, John Forte and more and more

A few quick catchup over the past few weeks. Over the next few days I'll be posting a Villagers session I recorded back in my time in radio which is beautiful and another roundup of more albums I've been listening to including The Bees, Stereolab, No Joy, Black Francis and A Sunny Day In Glasgow.

Cee Lo Green - Old Fashioned

Yet another amazing song. Classic soul. Simple as. Lady Killer finally out this day next week

Fujiya & Miyagi - Sixteen Shades Of Black And Blue

The first listen from Ventriloquizzing which is out in January. Krautrock, ambling, nice as usual.

Broken Records - A Leaving Song

Melancholy sounds, tortured vocals, eventually uplifting. Fine music from a fine band. Let Me Come Home is out now on 4AD.

California Wives - Blood Red Youth

With an initial guitar tone that recalls early Oasis this track builds into a solid upbeat indie pop song with typically teen-twang vocals and a solid driving beat. Affair E.P is out now.

John Forte - Gone

Odd story. Forte, co-producer of The Fugees epic The Score, was arrested in Newark Airport with $1.4 million of liquid cocaine in 2000 and sentenced to a mandatory 14 years minimum in prison. Carly Simon (of You're So Vain fame) has a son who went to university with Forte, so she takes up his cause as they believe he hadn't received a fair trial. Through Senator Orrin Hatch, George W. Bush commuted his sentence to 8 years. He's back with this excellent minimal hip-hop track featuring HD Fre, Talib Kweli, AZ and Sass Jordan. Water Light Sound will be out over the next few months, as is a documentary on his life.

Cloudy Busey - Pound Your Town To Hell

Rich, warm pianos, rich, warm strings, hypnotic xylophones (I think), I wanna get under a blanket and listen to this again. I'm enjoying the amount that bands are experimenting at the moment, without trying to make their own instruments or playing some outsider nonsense. This song could have been a simple guitars, bass, drums track (and there's nothing wrong with that), but I dig the amount that's going on. Cloudy Busey is the side project of Bob from excellent Japanese band Ice Cream Shout.

Generationals - Trust

This is a belter. Pure and simple. Head bopping, rock n' roll with a brilliant riff, and then it kicks it something wonderful. New Orleans band that I want to hear more and more of. Trust E.P is out this day next week.

Hosannas - When We Were Young

Adding to the long list of gutter pop bands I'm listening to at the moment. There are two piles, bands that are making darn good, well thought out and well written dirt pop ...and bands that would record in better quality if they weren't so lazy. I like this band. Their album, Together is out next Monday.

Times New Viking - No Room To Live

Finally, writers of what was probably my favourite song of 2008 (Drop Out) have a new album out, their second on Matador Records. Born Again Revisited came out in September.


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N-E-W: Go Panda Go release debut E.P

I've been waiting a long time for this E.P. From way back, well over a year ago, when a few friends and I went along to support two friends at an open mic night in the basement of a pub on a Tuesday night. After suffering through drunken poets, terrible covers and piss poor comedians two Donegal boys nervously took the stage with their guitars. The harmonies did it for me. It was early days but we never doubted them. I hounded them to record and I never got to play them on the radio. But I understand why it took so long. They were waiting to record this E.P. And I'm glad they waited. It's spot on.

Decoded is a superb intro. It's subtle and mesmerising, yet there's so much going on. It picks up slowly, with tasteful guitar lines and urgent vocals. A range of tastes influence the songs, from straightforward indie tunes to trippy chilled out sounds that build up to atmospheric rock crescendos and right back again like with El Troubador. Go! New York! Glow! is fun V'Weekend-esque guitars, tinkly pianos and a wall of sound at the end.

The production is fantastic, a great job done by label mate, Lost Chord's David Phelan twiddling the knobs. It's clear, interesting and every musical possibility is explored. The drums are deadened and frantic, the build ups sublime and dammit this band can make a damn fine indie rock song. I wouldn't hesitate to send them straight out on the road with any good rock band at the moment. The only regret at the end of Jake The Dog is that there isn't more. Support this band. Go see their shows. Buy their E.P. Make sure they make more music. Ah fuck it, there's no way they won't. As I said, spot on.

Go Panda Go E.P is out now on Bluestack Records and available on iTunes.

Go Panda Go - Decoded Alt

Go Panda Go - Jake The Dog Alt

Here's their tour:

Cleere's Bar, Kilkenny November 19th
Crane Lane, Cork November 20th
Roisin Dubh, Galway November 25th
Academy 2, Dublin December 2nd
Auntie Annies, Belfast January 20th

Find out more on their website

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