Passion Pit Remixes Ra Ra Riot, YYYs

It seems Passion Pit is everywhere you look nowadays. With the surprising success of their debut Manners, the Boston-based quintet (which I had the pleasure of seeing a few weeks back) have taken the music industry by storm with their unique blend of synth-pop stylings and piercing falsettos, courtesy of Michael Angelakos. Manners has been my most listened-to album of 2009 (eat your heart out Dark Was the Night and Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix), and each song on the debut LP gets better and better upon every listen.

It seems everyone and their mother has remixed “Sleepyhead”, “The Reeling”, and “Little Secrets” recently, hoping to cash in on the group’s sudden popularity. Lately, however, the group has been doing some ear-catching remixes of their own, with great success. My personal favorite thus far is their flawless synth-driven remodeling of Ra Ra Riot’s “Ghost Under Rocks”, which you can check out below. Also, grab their latest, a remix of Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Heads Will Roll”. Long live Passion Pit.

MP3: Ra Ra Riot – “Ghost Under Rocks (Passion Pit Remix)”
MP3: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll (Passion Pit Remix)”

Love,
Zack

Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, The New Tragic

I figured I’d post a little something just so the day doesn’t go by post-less…

That picture just screams Deep South. Led by ex-Underoath frontman Dallas Taylor, Alabama metalcore outfit Maylene and the Sons of Disaster is anything but similar to his alma mater. What makes these recent Ferret-signees so fun to listen to is their distinct Southern sound. I don’t really want to make comparisons between these two bands considering they’re very different, but imagine Fight Paris except with a more grassroots feel, a more metal sound, and about fifty times as bad-ass. Maylene doesn’t sound like some alcohol-fueled metalcore band that wants to get laid after the show (but don’t get me wrong, I like me some Fight Paris too). They’ve got that extra southern sound, like the slide guitar in “Tough as John Jacobs,” that lets you know where they’re coming from. A great return by Mr. Taylor. I’m really excited to listen to this band’s debut release.

See these guys on the road with P.O.D., Pillar, and the Chariot on the Warriors Tour II: Guilty by Association.

Stream some songs off of Maylene’s MySpace page.

Taylor’s resume just keeps on growing. The New Tragic, featuring ex-From First to Last vocalist Phillip Reardon and Dallas on screaming and keyboard duty, are a straight-up good screamo band. It’s not that often that you can call a band that these days, but TNT definetly deserve the title. The band’s first single, “A Half Cocked Smile and 2 Guns Blazin,” has been playing over and over on my iTunes for the past couple weeks. The same vocals Reardon used to launch From First to Last’s Aesthetic EP into success return in the New Tragic. And let’s not forget Dallas’ trademark screams. The two blend perfectly together, as demonstrated in the first few seconds of the band’s single. As far as instrumentals go, The New Tragic isn’t anything revolutionary, but every member of the band works together to make some awesome music. Fans of Underoath’s They’re Only Chasing Safety will definetly love this band.

Once again, a great return for two great musicians. Keep an eye out for these guys, they’re definetly going to get big.

The New Tragic – A Half Cocked Smile and 2 Guns Blazin

If you want to listen to more songs or watch their video for “A Half Cocked Smile…” check out the band’s MySpace page.

-Adrian

ALL THINGS GO GOODBYE SUMMER MIXTAPE

It’s been a while since I delivered a mixtape to you loyal readers. The first edition of the Workout mix debuted way back in early June with the second half due out mere weeks after, but despite having the mixtape prepped and ready to go for y’all, I’ve basically been a lazy writer. For those of your waiting to get your sweat on, hold out a few weeks longer, and your wish will be granted. For those of you, however, looking to cling to that last little bit of Summer, look no further than the Goodbye Summer Mixtape. My 15 song opus features the usual suspects from the likes of Yeasayer, The Temper Trap, and Belle & Sebastian, but also features some newcomers (CSLSX, Oberhofer) and some dynamic remixes from relative unknowns like George Raquet and Big City Love Affair. As usual, the tracks are available individually and as a .zip file below. We like to make it easy for you.

Cling on to that last little glimmer of Summer. The days get shorter from here on out.

.ZIP: All Things Go Goodbye Summer Mixtape [sendspace]

01) MP3: Oberhofer – “o0O0o0O0o”
02) MP3: Here We Go Magic – “Collector”
03) MP3: The xx – “Shelter (John Talabot’s Feel It Too Remix)”
04) MP3: Coeur de Pirate – “Comme Des Enfants (Le Matos Remix)”
05) MP3: Air – “So Light Is Her Footfall (Breakbot Remix)”
06) MP3: A.C. Newman – “Drink to Me, Babe, Then”
07) MP3: Ra Ra Riot – “Massachusetts”
08) MP3: The Temper Trap – “Soldier On (Big City Love Affair Remix)”
09) MP3: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – “Home (RAC Mix)”
10) MP3: William Fitzsimmons – “I Don’t Feel it Anymore (George Raquet Remix)”
11) MP3: Belle & Sebastian – “Electronic Renaissance”
12) MP3: Yeasayer – “I Remember”
13) MP3: CSLSX – “Futuretapes”
14) MP3: Royksopp – “What Else Is There? (Thin White Duke Remix)”
15) MP3: Fred Falke – “8:08 PM @ The Beach”

Love,
Zack

WITH EVERY GHOST I’M LOOKING THROUGH

I worship everything even remotely related to Ra Ra Riot, so when the RAC remix of their flawless first single “Boy,” popped into my inbox this morning, I wasted no time in pumping this post out. The Remix Artist Collective has the musical Midas touch, and their retake on the chillingly beautiful “Boy” compares favorably with their other remix of the band’s old single “Manner to Act.” Just go listen, nerds.

MP3: Ra Ra Riot – “Boy (RAC Mix)”

Love,
Zack

OH I’LL WAKE UP IN A THOUSAND YEARS

It’s no secret that I love Ra Ra Riot. There’s something endearing and authentic about them. Maybe I got into them at the right point in my life, or maybe everyone feels this way, but every time I hear Wes Miles voice or the band’s unmistakeable melodies, I feel an immense sense of comfort. The Rhumb Line was one of my absolute favorite albums of 2008, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting their newest effort, hoping that it would even hold a candle to their chilling debut. My anxiety has been temporarily assuaged through the release of the new Boy EP, a three song teaser for their upcoming sophomore effort, The Orchard, due out August 24th. The title track is everything I’ve come to expect from RRR and then some, reminiscent of the band’s more gripping songs off of Rhumb Line, like “Dying is Fine,” or like a well-crafted David Byrne song. It is, to put it simply, flawless. I know that I speak in hyperbole and eventually will seem like the boy who cried wolf, but I’m staking my whole reputation on this one. After hearing “Boy” (which will be on the new album) and the rest of the EP, I fully expect The Orchard to be somewhere near the top of my best of 2010 list, if I ever get around to publishing it this year. Enjoy.

MP3: Ra Ra Riot – “Boy”

Love,
Zack

We Have Forgotten So Much Since Then

Ra Ra Riot is one of a handful of bands that dominated my music library last year, from the RAC remix of “Manner to Act” to “Dying is Fine” to the re-take “Can You Discover?” by Wes Miles side project with Rostam Batmanglij, Discovery. The band just oozed a very specific sort of mood; on the surface, a somber, lonesome record (The Rhumb Line) but, upon further listening, a loaded and layered album that deserved high ranking on year end lists.

My favorite song on the album, “Too Too Too Fast” is the perfect example of this. At first glance, this song is just a quickly thrown together song about breakups. After a few listens, however, you begin to hear each and every instrument dripping with insight into the bitterness associated with breaking it off; “I only cared about the things that you don’t” just resonates with me in a way similarly-themed tracks don’t. Check out this stripped down version, which replaces the bitter, fast-paced rhythm of the original with a more nostalgic, introspective tone, without changing a single lyric. Simply beautiful.

MP3: Ra Ra Riot – “Too Too Too Fast (Say Hi Remix)”

The band just set the release date for their second album, The Orchard, for August 24th. It’s the first time I wish Summer would hurry up and be over with.

Love,
Zack

All Things Go Valentine’s Day Mixtape V

2010 has been an interesting year so far: A universal health care plan was proposed (then rejected), Conan was promoted (then unfairly booted), and my hometown was treated to the largest snowfall in its history. With all of the unexpected that 2010 has delivered, we can always count on Valentine’s Day arriving each and every February 14th, without fail. And with that, you can be certain that a new edition of the All Things Go Valentine’s Day Mixtape will be waiting here for you, all neatly wrapped in a .zip with album artwork and whatnot. Enjoy these ten bits of love, romance, and adoration on this beautiful day.

The mix starts with the almost unbearably cute “2 Atoms in a Molecule,” followed by “Radar Detector,” a bouncy number from one of my newer obsessions, Darwin Deez. Track three, “When You Walk in the Room,” is legitimately my favorite song of 2009. I implore you to get that chorus out of your head. Next up is Discovery’s take on Ra Ra Riot’s “Can You Tell,” a reggae-synth driven doozy of a love song. Drake takes the mix in a different direction with his sexed up “Best I Ever Had,” which segues not nicely at all into Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am.” The Knife’s classic “Heartbeats” clocks in at number seven after Jose Gonzalez’s acoustic version appeared on the first edition of the Valentine’s Day Mix. The ultra-talented boys from Versailles give us the aptly titled “Girlfriend,” followed by Passion Pit’s absolute masterpiece, “Moth’s Wings.” I recently heard the song during the wedding scene in a new episode of HBO’s “Big Love,” and only then did I truly appreciate its beautiful message. The mix is wrapped up by an Eric Clapton classic, “She’s Waiting,” a song whose message contradicts the spirit of February 14th, but is dedicated to a very special person in my life.

.ZIP: All Things Go Valentine’s Day Mixtape V [mediafire]

MP3: 01: Noah & the Whale – “2 Atoms in a Molecule”
MP3: 02: Darwin Deez – “Radar Detector”
MP3: 03: Fyfe Dangerfield – “When You Walk in the Room”
MP3: 04: Discovery – “Can You Discover?”
MP3: 05: Drake – “Best I Ever Had”
MP3: 06: Ingrid Michaelson – “The Way I Am”
MP3: 07: The Knife – “Heartbeats”
MP3: 08: Phoenix – “Girlfriend”
MP3: 09: Passion Pit – “Moth’s Wings”
MP3: 10: Eric Clapton – “She’s Waiting”

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.

Love,
Zack

You Got Me Going So Insane and I Just Don’t Know What’s Going Down

It’s high time I discuss one of my favorite new bands, Discovery, on these here pages. I have been blasting their debut, LP, over every speaker I can find and have been forcing everyone and their mother to give it a listen (the homeless guy on 18th and M LOVED IT). The reactions to the group, which consists of Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij and Ra Ra Riot’s Wes Miles, have been varied, from “this is unique and awesome” to “this is auto-tune pop garbage”. While I fall in the first category, I can’t say I blame casual listeners for dismissing Discovery as some masturbatory side project that is both unoriginal and unlistenable. However, upon deeper listening, everyone I know has grown to love the unique crashing synths, filtered vocals, and oddly fascinating r&b melodies. The music is an embrace and also
a commentary on the pop music of the past decade, of booming
808 bass and jittery sixteenth note high-hats.

Highlights include VW’s Ezra Koenig’s cameo on “Carby” and an homage to MJ on “I Want You Back in Discovery.” Check out my favorite track, “So Insane”, which relies heavily on tempo changes, powerful bass, and

MP3: Discovery – “So Insane”

Love,
Zack

Claire’s Column: Updates

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a while, but I thought it was time to make a post after a little hiatus. I went to visit Zack in Italy for spring break. We had a lot of fun together, walking around Florence and eating plenty. He has been doing weekly DJ sets at a local bar and I was lucky enough to make it to two of them. I am pretty jealous of the life he has right now. Florence is absolutely beautiful.

I’m back in Connecticut starting to prepare for finals and thankfully the weather is slowly beginning to improve. With summer rapidly approaching I decided to post a few songs I have been listening to that are helping me get through my work (sort of).

My brother Matt introduced me to the first song, “Rawnald Gregory Erikson the Second,” this past weekend and ever since I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. The song is mellow, but catchy. It reminds me a little of Pinback’s sound. Starfucker is quickly becoming one of my new favorite bands.

On my flight back from Italy I listened to “Skeleton Boy” over and over again, it’s so good that I didn’t even care about the risk of getting sick of it. It is one of my favorite songs of the year so far. Zack has always been a fan of Friendly Fires, but it took this song for me to really begin to appreciate them. If you haven’t seen the music video it is worth checking out below as well.

I have a weakness for songs with violins (little known fact: Zack is a former violinist), and thus the moment I heard Ra Ra Riot’s song “Oh La” I was hooked. It’s just so pretty.

MP3: Starfucker – “Rawnald Gregory Erikson the Second”
MP3: Friendly Fires – “Skeleton Boy”
MP3: Ra Ra Riot – “Oh La”

Also, since both Zack and I are slightly obsessed with dogs, I thought it would only be appropriate to mention the Obama family’s recent acquisition of a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo (after Bo Diddley). Zack’s dog, Xena, is a Portuguese and my first yellow lab’s name was Beau, so I’d like to think our dogs inspired the Obama’s…somehow?(Ed’s Note: My mom actually discussed Portuguese’s with Barack. True story).

Love,

Claire

I’m Pink and Black and Blue for You

I love Passion Pit. I love remixes. I love Passion Pit remixes. Passion Pit just remixed another song; Chairlift’s iPod-commercial-boosted “Bruised”, and, by the transitive property, I automatically love it. You will enjoy the stutter-step intro and frantic synth-driven pace. You will also enjoy the video game intro music breakdown at the 2:32 part. You will listen immediately:

MP3: Chairlift – “Bruises (Passion Pit Remix)”

While you’re at it, you will head over to Neon Gold and listen to the Pit’s remix of Gotye’s classic “Learnalilgivinanlovin'”, which, while not quite as good as the “Bruises” remix, is still fantastic.

You will appreciate this.

Love,
Zack