And on the Seventh Day, Justice Remixed MGMT, and it was Glorious

Just listen to Justice’s take on MGMT’s “Electric Feel”, off of the 7″ single, and bask in the wonder that is Justice. Seriously, I wont even bother with a write-up. Listen.

MP3: MGMT – “Electric Feel (Justice Remix)”

Love,
Zack

PS: Sorry about the lack of posting. I just started my summer job and have been working 10 hour days, with no energy or time to listen to jams. I did, however, get my campers to listen to Bob Sinclar and Rune’s “Calabria”, which is pretty awesome.

2 NW SNGS FRM MSTRKRFT – Bounce and Vuvuvu

I’m glad that all most of you guys got that the last post was an April Fools joke and didn’t swear off this here site forever. Those of you that stuck around are in for a treat, courtesy of MSTRKRFT, the duo that brought you phenomenal remixes of songs such as “D.A.N.C.E.”, Bloc Party’s “Two More Years”, and New Young Pony Club’s “Get Lucky”. Well, MSTRKRFT are back, this time releasing the Bounce EP, with the title track featuring verses from N.O.R.E. and back-up from Thunderheist, and the b-side, Vuvuvu, which may just be the better song. I guarantee “Bounce” will grow on you, and, given the right situation (see: a sweaty, poorly-lit club stuffed with people and a great sound system) can hold its own against anything we’ve seen in 2008. Check out “Bounce” below (via RCRDLBL), and head on over to Panda Toes (always one step ahead of me) who then sends you to IGIF to pick up “Vuvuvu”. You would be doing yourself an injustice if you didn’t grab both.

MP3: MSTRKRFT – “Bounce (ft. N.O.R.E.)” [via RCRDLBL]

LV,
ZCK

No Need to Ask My Name to Figure Out How Cool I Am

“In every suburb of the world, in every city, there’s always a nightclub called El Divino… clubs where you have to wear like a white shirt to get in.” – Xavier de Rosnay

After multiple listens, I still had no idea what “DVNO” meant, but it didn’t matter, because the song is enjoyable regardless. My curiousity eventually got the best of me, and I did some scouring of the internets to find the real meaning, which comes straight from the horse’s mouth above. Those of you that haven’t heard of DVNO, or of Justice, have to have been living under a rock for the past few months, as the talented French duo of de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé have effectively taken the world by storm, first with “D.A.N.C.E.” and then, most recently, with “DVNO”.

Recently, the group released the single for “DVNO”, which features a plethora of remixes; some from more well known acts as LA Riots and Surkin, and even a remix by the Justice boys themselves. One remix, however, stands out as completely unique and infectious, and that is the Sunshine Brothers remix. Pitchfork nails the description perfectly, saying the Australia-based band do well by “trading fist-pumping aggression for smooved-out r&b synths, a more conventional house bounce, and what sounds like a Junior Boys- or Hot Chip-like attention to sonic detail after Justice’s brain-squashing compression/distortion.” Basically all that is kept from the original are the lines “no need to ask my name/DVNO” and “does anyone real/anyone feel”. The result is one of the most interesting and danceable remixes in recent memory.

MP3: Justice – “DVNO”
MP3: Justice – “DVNO (Sunshine Brothers Remix)”

If that wasn’t enough, check out the incredible video done by (surprise) So-Me. Fuck it, download it in high resolution if you want.

MP4: Justice – “DVNO” [Directed by So-Me]

No need to ask my name to figure out how cool I am,
Zack

Spring Break Updates

Wow, sorry about that week-long hiatus. What with traveling woes and a relaxing vacation to San Francisco, I haven’t had much time to listen to new music, or update the site. But here I am, returning with a few nuggets of music goodness.

First, check out this track, “Stuck on Repeat”, which I snagged over at GWFAS a while back but hadn’t given a real listen to until recently. Little Boots dropped the proverbial bomb on us with this one, giving me another song to add to my running mix, fitting nicely alongside Daft Punks “Too Long/Steam Machine” and Bodyrox’s “Yeah Yeah”.

MP3: Little Boots – “Stuck on Repeat”

Next up is a remix of Timbaland’s “The Way I Are”, in which the original beat is pretty much completely swapped with Alice Deejay’s MEGA-JAM “Better Off Alone”. More like a mash-up then a remix, the “Better Off Alone” remix is one of those rare songs in which the sum is better than the two combined parts. Although, I could listen to “Better Off Alone” a million times before I got sick of it.

MP3: Timbaland – “The Way I Are (Better Off Alone Remix)”

Lastly, I implore you readers to go back and listen to Rogue Wave’s last two albums, Asleep at Heaven’s Gate and Descended Like Vultures. Rogue Wave was all I listened to on the long flights to California, and it made the flights seem like nothing. Check out the fitting “California”, off of 2005’s Descended Like Vultures, and the Daytrotter Session of their beautiful single, “Lake Michigan”. How these guys aren’t considered as in the upper echelon of the music world is beyond me.

MP3: Rogue Wave – “California”
MP3: Rogue Wave – “Lake Michigan (Daytrotter Session)

While I’m at it, listen to their cover of Buddy Holly’s classic (and one of my all-time favorite songs), “Everyday”. The gang from Oakland goes in a different direction with the song, yet it’s similar enough to still enjoy.

MP3: Rogue Wave – “Everyday (Buddy Holly)”

Love,
Zack

Syme is Good. Like, Really Good.

Wow. Thank you Syme, you Norweigan indie-pop starlets, for creating the song that will brighten my day…nay…my life. A perfect blend of Sigur Ros, Mew, Radiohead, Electric President, and the most soft, adorable bunny rabbit you’ve ever seen, you are the butter to my bread; the mac to my cheese, the Ike to my Tina. So thank you, Syme, for blessing my ears with your beauty. Do it again sometime, maybe in the form of a follow-up to your 2006 gem, Modern Love EP. Hurry, please.

MP3: Syme – “Modern Love”

Love,
Zack

French Kicks New Album + Spring Tour

French Kicks, born and raised in my wonderful hometown of Washington, DC, will be releasing their second album on Vagrant Records, Swimming, on May 20th (though it will be available on iTunes on April 1st). Their newest effort is refreshing and familiar at the same time, and is particularly noteworthy because the band produced and mixed it all by themselves. Lead singer Josh Wise said that, on Swimming, the Kicks “hoped to capture the joy of friends playing together in a relaxed way. We used a lot of first and second takes and tried to preserve a sense of immediacy and discovery that comes from putting things down before you really have a chance to think too hard. It’s bolder, and at the same time more intimate, than anything we’ve done.” If the whole album is anything like “Abandon”, the first single, you’re listening to a contender for the top ten albums of 2008.

Check out “Abandon” and, if you can, check out these guys in concert in the next couple months. Dates after the jump.

MP3: French Kicks – “Abandon”

Love,
Zack

Guillemotsssssssss

Guillemots are awesome. No, not the oddly cute penguin-related birds (though they’re fairly awesome too), but rather the indie-rock outfit from across the pond. Guillemots, first introduced to me by Derek (of GWFAS) about a year and a half ago, set the bar RIDICULOUSLY high with their first song on their From the Cliffs EP, “Trains to Brazil”. Honestly, I could imagine the band just calling it quits after that, knowing that they will never be able to outdo their first song. But, lucky for us, they stayed together, putting out their debut Through the Windowpane, which received excellent reviews (and contained “Trains to Brazil” as well). Then they went and dropped the proverbial bomb on us with their newest single, “Get Over It”. With Beach Boy-esque “woo-woos” and polyrhythmic instrumentals, “Get Over It” sounds like it was written in the 80’s, but performed today by the ultra-talented Guillemots. This song is just way way way too fun to listen to, it should be a crime. Take a listen, and I guarantee you’ll be singing along by the third listen. Also look out for their newest album, Red, which is set to be released on March 24th.

MP3: Guillemots – “Get Over It”

Love,
Zack

The Cool Kids – Action Figures

Hipster-hop heavyweights The Cool Kids are back on the blogs, this time with “Action Figures”, which will be on their newest effort, The Bake Sale, and they’ve made available over at their myspace. The beat is as hot and catchy “I (Mikey) Rock”, and Mikey Rock’s flow might be even better. Mike and Chuck Inglish have blown up faster than any talented hip-hop act in recent memory, and for good reason. I cannot put down Totally Flossed Out, and I’m sure The Bake Sale will be even better. While you’re at it, check their video for “Black Magz” on youtube.

MP3: The Cool Kids – “Action Figures”

Also, check out The Hood Internet‘s AWESOME mash-up of “I (Mikey) Rock” and Le Loup’s “We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!”. The little bleeps add a whole new dimension.

MP3: The Hood Internet (ABX) – “We Are Mikey! We are Rock! (The Cool Kids vs. Le Loup)”

Love,
Zack

New Cloud Cult – When Water Comes to Life

Imagine my excitement upon hearing that not only had the first single off of Cloud Cult’s follow up to 2007’s The Meaning of 8 leaked, but the whole album had leaked. It looked a little something like this. Anyways, check out “When Water Comes to Life, and get ready for Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornados), which drops April 8th. This song has sort of an Andrew Bird classical type sound to start, but becomes more familiar with Craig Minowa’s uniquely innocent and soothing voice. This song makes Feel Good Ghosts easily my most anticipated album of early 2008.

MP3: Cloud Cult – “When Water Comes to Life” [zshare]

Make sure to catch Cloud Cult when they come to your city (I’ll be seeing them here in Madison on April 11th).

The Dodos Get Ready for SXSW, Give us “Jody”

I mentioned the San Francisco duo The Dodos a few weeks back, giving you a taste of the band in the form of “Fools”. Since then, the band has signed on to Frenchkiss Records (Les Savy Fav’s label), booked a whole tour, including a few SXSW appearances, and have released their second single, “Jody’. “Jody” isn’t quite as catchy or hype-inducing as “Fools”, but is enough to get me super-excited for the March 18th release of Visiter. Guitarist/Singer Meric Long balances his guitar melody with his voice eloquently, and the just-faster-than-you’re-comfortable-with drum pace is enough to get the blood flowing and the blogosphere spinning out of control. Can you hear that? That’s the sound of a band about to explode on to the scene.

MP3: The Dodos – “Jody” [alt. link]

Check the tour dates and “Fools” video after the jump, and let me know if you want me to do an interview with The Dodos.