Don't tell anyone what we've got going on

Easter saw the release of Mystery Jets second full-length: Twenty One. From the sirens at the beginning of the slamming opener Hideaway, until the last keys of 21 the proceedings will have you tooling around in your personal dance space. There's their massive single at the moment, Young Love, featuring the dulcet tones of Laura Marling, the Buckley-esque Flakes, which was an iTunes free download last year, and the entertaining tuneful kick of Two Doors Down (a live version of which can be found below).
Other highlights include MJ (which donates the post title), Umbrellahead and Half in Love with Elizabeth (guess you can see by now where this one is going since I've already acclaimed more than half the 12 songs on the album!)
Unfortunately, for mine, somewhere around the end of Hand Me Down (which is also a splendid listen), Twenty One loses a bit of its lustre. I'm not quite sure whether it's the lack of "franticity" that sits at the top of the album, but I do know that it is does little to dull what is an otherwise very strong showing.

Mystery Jets - Two Doors Down (BBC 6Music Session)
Mystery Jets - Young Love (BBC 6Music Session)

MySpace | Website

A song to get your gear off to...

Okay. So. I don't know if anyone's done a post on these guys yet... and I am a little tipsy right now. But I am in love!! They have a sort of Sonic Youth sensibility, but the charm of several, ahem, Frenchmen... It all started two nights ago, when I finally got English subtitle to watch Dans Paris. Having said that, the scene in mind didn't actually need subtitles. But anyway, the song that played in this particular scene, stuck in my head. For like 24 hours. Until I went to a friend's house for pancakes, and I heard it again. Maybe it's just me, but I find this song so incredibly haunting and sexy. Oh and the album's not bad either. Oh, and they're from Belgium and not France. Anyways, enjoy!

Girls In Hawaii - Flavor

Eric Prydz - Pjanoo

Eric Prydz, Sheridan, Cirez D, Pryda, Moo. Whatever this man wants to call himself is irrelevent. Even if he released a 12" entitled 'Dog Shit' under the name 'Pork Bun With Sticky Rice Pudding For Dessert' i bet it would still tear the roof off, even around at your grandma Edith's tea party. He's that good. If only he could overcome his fear of flying and make his way down here to let everybody know.

'Pjanoo' is Eric Prydz's latest release however and oh my lord is it large. Finding something worthy enough to grace the BW walls has never been easier. There's not much more i can say about this track except that you should tell your friends about it and they should play it next time they get "silly".

Have we heard prog track of the year already? I tell you people, this one is going to be mighty hard to top. You listening Deadmau5?

Eric Prydz - Pjanoo

Official | Myspace

The Origins of Electronic Music

If this guy traveled into the future and listened to dance music, what he would think? Some music would blow him away for sure but after saying that this piece, one of the first ever synth recordings is still one of the best. The influence can be heard today with bands like Midnight Juggernauts taking over. Thank you BBC!

G-Unit - Bottom Girl

Man, it kinda bums me out that my quality filter seems to have dropped off recently. I have to stop guiltily enjoying songs just cause they remind me of pop-rap from the late 90's which used to be the shizzle at house parties. Hopefully this isn't my musical Glory Days moment, because that'd mean I've got a quarter-life crisis coming on, and I'll have to sit around in dingy bars talking up mosh pit moments and how I knew all the words to 112's back catalogue...

So G-Unit's new one, just posted @ Fiddy's site, is called "Bottom Girl"... I can't even be bothered making a crack at how devastatingly chat that title is. The video is interesting though: it looks kinda like Fiddy's tried to do his own take on Yeezy's "Good Life" clip, with the emphasised words and the simple colouring. And, once again, he's come in a distant second to the Louis Vuitton Don. His raps are still so fluid and confident that it almost kinda saves the song, and even Tony Yayo sounds better.

Adelaide Goes Off!!!

Peep this footage of a recent Presets show to kick off the 2008 Fringe Festival in Adelaide. Looks like half the population showed up for the gig and went nutso for the Sydney lads. Try to spot the crowd-surfing wheelie bin at the 2:25 mark which presumably traveled all the way from the back scoffing various punters in the head... good times.

On a related note view the new Presets single clip here. Your thoughts? Beautifully shot though a little homo-erotic for me; also sounds like it's off a Ministry of Sound CD.

Lil' Wayne - Lollipop feat. Static Major

I don't get Lil' Wayne. He drops these dope verses across just about everybody else's tracks, but then can never seem to get his albums right. Hopefully the Carter III will be the one that he does. This will be the first single, courtesy of the amazing Nah Right. And it's a pretty balla track, if you're prepared to largely ignore the content.

Incidentally, ages ago, Vice claimed that hip-hop fashion basically made people look like toddlers. Fuck "Stuntin' Like Your Daddy," in this video Weezy and Static look like they're "Dressin' Like Your Daddy." Retarded.

Sparkadia

You may have noticed a lack of Aussie music on this fair blog and to put an end to this drought I present to you Sparkadia. Coming fresh off a tour of the UK supporting Jimmy Eat World and numerous plays on Zane Lowe (of world famous BBC Radio 1) this band is set to blow up both here and abroad.

Their sound is indicative of the indie scene coming out of Sydney at the moment with bands such as Bird Automatic, Red Riders and Dappled Cities Fly. All angular guitars and heartfelt vocals with a soulful twist. A sampler for their upcoming album Postcards, released on the 29th of May, has been doing the rounds and contains promising cuts including 'Animals' and the lead single 'Too Much to Do'. Check out the sparkling pop of the latter below.

Sparkadia - Too Much To Do

Myspace | Website

Laidback…Daze'end

Good friend of BW, Moe (DJ Mo'Funk), has recently put the finishing touches on the last of his trilogy of chillout mixes - Laidback...Daze'end. Check it out at the link below as well as the earlier two in the series. The perfect audio prescription for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

DJ Mo'Funk - Laidback...Daze'end

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

I only just saw this and probably everyone else did ages ago, but I love it. It's hard to imagine Vampire Weekend would want to render themselves even more twee than their music already does, but they've managed it. They also kinda look like an ad for American Apparel.

Don't Front

I love any track that makes you get a bit of a strut on and feel, even if just slightly, like a balla. Mentally wearing a fur coat and having 20k in the pocket.

Hear that, rap world? If you want mass respect on BW, make Alex feel like a balla.

Ross' new long player, 'Trilla' drops March 11. From what I've heard, it's yet more amazing/retarded Miami flossin' rap. Awesome.

Rick Ross - Boss (Remix) feat. Lil' Wayne, Fabolous, Red Cafe & T-Pain

Myspace | Website

The Long Blondes - Couples

So the second album from England's The Long Blondes has just surfaced on the interwebs and being a big fan of their debut I am happy to post that 'Couples' is a worthy successor to 'Some One to Drive You Home'.

Produced by Erol Alkan (of Peter, Bjorn and John and Justice remix fame) 'Couples' sees the band moving in an electronic direction with the opener 'Century' twisting spacey synths and bleeps around Kate Jackson's distinctive vocals. There is a still a fair share of guitar driven tracks such as 'The Couples' and 'Erin O'Conner' and Kate Jackson's warped and candid take on love still takes the lions share of themes and lyrics. Other standouts include the errie shuffle of 'Round the Hairpin' and the breathy menace of 'Too Clever By Half' (which is featured below).

The Long Blondes have done well to add an extra layer to their angular sound. I highly recommend both albums.

The Long Blondes - Too Clever By Half

Myspace | Website

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