Sebastien Tellier Kills Eurovision

Dude is soooooooooooooo sleazy and French. Bless him.
BW presents the 19th best song of Eurovision 2008.

Sebastien Tellier - Divine (produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk)

Myspace| Website

Late Of The Pier - Focker (Instrumental)

Like an enjoyable shot, I'll get this over with quickly:

BANGER BANGER BANGER BANGER BANGER BANGER

Late Of The Pier - Focker (Instrumental)

(thanks to GWFAS)


Myspace | Website

Dave aka Vinyl Morpher

Meet Dave everyone. He's 41, he's from the UK, has been DJing since the age of 16 and has a 'passion for music'. He is also awesome. Why? Because he has uploaded nearly 500 disco tracks from his vinyl collection onto youtube for your listening pleasure. You can also watch the 12" do it's thang. Awesome. Get making those playlists people!

Vinyl Morpher's Youtube Channel

New Black Kids Clip

In one of the biggest anti-climaxes of last year, Black Kids got super-hyped by Pitchfork and indie d-bags decided to call bullshit in response and the whole thing went nuclear. Then went epicly quiet. Weird.
Anyway, this particular element of BW is a bit of a Black Kids freak and is pretty excited about the soon-to-be-released debut album Partie Traumatic (allegedly, mid-July). This is the new video for Hurricane Jane, and in further deluxe news, the album will apparently feature remixes by perennial BW favourites MGMT and The Twelves, the latter of which might have been featured on BW at the start of the month. Bring on the fire.

Myspace | Website

Origins: Rodriguez

Sometimes your parents get it right. In between the Gypsy Kings and Ottmar Liebert mine would spin gems such as the Stones, Paul Simon and the subject of this origin, Rodriguez.

Hailing from Detroit, Rodriguez was part of a psy-folk movement in the early to mid seventies. He only released two albums, both in the seventies, 'Cold Fact' and 'Coming From Reality'. Since then there has been a steady string of Greatest Hits and live compilations running all the way up too 2005. While virtually unknown in the US and Europe he has a huge cult following in Australia and South Africa. His track 'Sugar Man' (featured below) has also popped up in the Triple J playlist and on the soundtrack for the Aussie movie 'Candy'.

His sound is based in folk but uses electronic effects and elements to give his songs a detached and cosmic texture. Rodriguez lyrics tackle everyman problems such as drug abuse and social decay in an almost Dylanesque manner. Check out his unappreciated sound for yourself below.

Rodriguez - Sugarman

Website | Wiki

Cool, or is Nas just being heaps late?

Nas banged on in The Source earlier this year about how important it was that he call his coming album "Nigger." He made some good points. He knew it'd be controversial. It was going to be a genuinely interesting and potentially significant move. He's not doing it now though. It's going to be called 'Nas'. And in the face of people saying he bitched out by changing the name, he's released the above poster, promoting the video for "Be A Nigger Too." It's hard to tell now whether it's still a balla move, or a kinda weak compromise. I do think the image is effective.

Myspace | Independence Day | Nas - Be A Nigger Too @ The Fader

Morning Light

Sparkadia's first single gets a shiny new video. Try to spot multiple mes (in a white shirt) doing a whack sideways handstand. Debut album 'Postcards' out now, support quality Aussie music from good people.

Myspace | Website

Just getting my nostalgia on

I can remember being 12 years old, and I loved this song so much I could leave the radio on all night and wake up if it came on. I kinda think it's single-handedly (oh PUN!) responsible for me loving stuff like the Postal Service and Burial now. I just rediscovered it and while it doesn't quite blow my mind anymore, it definitely hasn't dated as much the band's 1996 promo picture above. YUK.

Primitive Radio Gods - Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand

Myspace | Website

Worry About You

One of the good friends of BW sent me a rather amazing link the other day.

Worry About You

It's basically the most simple and hassle free way to find and download single mp3s on the interwebs. Give it a try and tell me I'm wrong.

Needs More Cowbell

Last year Pharrell had a brainwave and at 4am called his buddy ?uestlove. He thought it would be dope if his debut solo album was reworked with a bit of Roots magic. So ?uestlove and long time collaborator James Poyser set to work adding the proverbial "cowbell" to the tracks, fifteen days later it was done and Pharrell was pleased with the results.

Unfortunately his record company was not as stoked and the album was shelved never to be released. Luckily for us the internet exists and the record was leaked in its entirety. The project was titled Pharrell & the Yessirs "Out of my Mind" and is available all over the place. Due to the lack of promotion this CD has flown under the radar a bit.

There are a few gems, my favourite being the funky fresh rework of the Kanye assisted "Number One". There is talk of an album of original songs being made. ?uestlove: "I believe he really wants to keep the same unit and do all new songs — and I welcome any challengers."

Pharrell & the Yessirs - Number One

Pharrell & the Yessirs - Out of my Mind (LP)

Hearts On Fire Video

By the Japanese director Nagi Noda who amongst other things did a great Tiga film clip, an amazing Jack White scored Coca Cola ad and a really weird poodle exercise video.

Sunny Day Sets Fire

Sunny Day Sets Fire did a reverse diaspora thing. They channelled and drew members from as diverse places as Sardinia, Hong Kong and Canada to an East London locus. It's a random, faux-serendipitous theme that permeates through a lot of the things they do. Check the name out: it's generated from an internet band name generator. And perhaps more weirdly, they went with it. The music is charmingly effete psych-pop with some pretty melodies, and would almost be an anachronism were it not for the driving (but subtle) bass lines that lend their songs a sense of purpose. It's a grower - my original reaction was to label it derivative but the slow burn has come on and I'm liking it. More than their original sound, I'm loving the remixes by the likes of XXXchange, Cool Kids and Diplo, who have turned SDSF's sweet-n-edgy little tunes into fully-blown club bangers, a process we here at BW encourage. The Stranger Remix EP and their debut album Summer Palace are out now through IAMSOUND.

(the link below is a bigger-than-usual .aiff file through zshare. I'm not rad enough at teh internetz to now how to make it smaller)

Sunny Day Sets Fire - Brainless (Baron Von Luxxury remix)

Myspace | Website

More Fire

In the wake of mash-ups becoming genuinely good (we were all surprised), The Hood Internet are leading the charge. The switched-on pair of ABX and STV SLV have a crazy accurate ability to combine stuff, with a focus on dropping raps over prime tunes, old and new. BW recently claimed these guys would blow up in '08 (if they haven't already), and when they're dropping Clipse over Cat Power or making R. Kelly actually reasonable by mashing him on "7/4 Shoreline" you'll see why. There's an attitude that simple 2-song mash-ups using rap are bullshit because rap is so 4/4 and easy, but when you do it this well, who cares?

The duo drops new tracks fairly regularly, so there's a wealth of stuff. Just to be even more balla, they've linked EVERY SINGLE MIX (there's like a million) plus a whole bunch of mixtapes at their site. Here's a few flavours anyway:

Clipse vs Cat Power - I Don't Blame You For Grinding And Shining
T.I vs Fujiya & Miyagi - What You Know About Transparent Things
Lykke Li mini-mix (individual tracks in a 30MG zip via Sendspace)

Head over already!

Myspace | Website

Fader Heat

Recently there has been so much heat coming from Chilean volcanoes and the Fader magazine blog. So much so that I'm just gonna list the links from their site here. There's something for all beat lovers, get into it.

Kurupt & Pete Rock - Yessir
T-Pain- Talla Ho Walk
Diplo - Fuji Ouija (Tony Allen Cover)
Ratatat - Shiller
Sean Paul - Grip
Daedelus f. Michael Johnson - Make It So (XXXchange Remix)

On top of all these tracks they have put up a Michael Jackson mix, Hey Today mix for Kitsune and East Village Radio Show (you can subscribe to here) all in the last 48 hours... damn!

Made Out Of Babies - The Ruiner

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. Metal experimentalists Made Out Of Babies are close to releasing their new album The Ruiner. Their follow up to 2006’s brilliant Coward (sample from that album bellow) will drop in the states June 24th. If the track Cooker, which can be found on the band’s myspace site (check the link bellow), is anything to go by this will be a worthy addition to their already brilliant discography.

Of course it is somewhat presumptuous to make any sweeping judgments about the album on the basis of one song. But fuck it, here I go. I predict The Ruiner will be a welcome step forward for the band; and with producer Andrew Schneider (Zozobra, Unsane, Pelican) behind the desk it’s definitely in good hands. I also predict I will go out of my way to get the album, and that it will kick ass.

Made Out Of Babies - Mr. Prison Shanks

Myspace Website

I know this is an mp3 blog BUT...

...this is kinda so balla I have to post it.

Nike Air Yeezy's. Seriously Kanye made a shoe.

Holy shit I love the idea that rappers can get pro model shoes. I don't wanna hear anything about 'collabo', I want them to be a PRO MODEL. See then I can assume that if (when?) I'm wearing them, they're actively making my raps better.

UPDATE:

This post counts now 'cause I just heisted this demo from Ye's blog

N.E.R.D - Everybody Nose Remix f. CRS and Pusha T

So yep that's Pharrell, Lupe, Kanye and Pusha T on one track. Sick party.

Re-released Maps Of Hell

Turns out Bad Religion are re-releasing last year’s brilliant New Maps Of Hell. The re-released version will include acoustic versions of three new songs, as well as four acoustic versions of classic Bad Religion songs. Also included will be a DVD with an hour long live performance, music videos for "Honest Goodbye" and "New Dark Ages," and some behind-the-scenes footage (because everyone loves behind the scenes footage). The news headline on the epitaph web site proclaims the band “Charts New Territory” through this act.

Now I don’t want to bad mouth such a great band or such a great album but frankly this is bullshit. I bought the album when it was released LESS THAN A YEAR ago and now what you’reeffectively saying is that I’ve missed out on all these tasty tidbits. Now I’m cool with re-releases of this type, I own the deluxe edition of Sonic Youth’s Dirty and it’s great, really. I’m also not averse to getting two versions of the same album; I have two versions of The Velvet Underground & Nico, for example. But re-releasing an album that’s still on rotation in my stereo just makes one feel like I purchased an inferior product.

Having said all that, if you haven’t got the album this is great news because now you can get it with those aforementioned extras in addition to what was one of last years best punk albums. Good for you for being so ignorant and/or idle.

By the way, Bad Religion, (yeah I know you’re reading this) how’s about re-releasing 1988’s Suffer, it’s a classic and deserves the classic treatment, I’d be happy to buy that one. Dudes, think before you die!

Bad Religion - Germs Of Perfection

Myspace | Website

I LOVE HER

People need to stop ragging on Feist and saying she's overrated and ubiquitous. That's bullshit. So she's played on a bunch of talk shows and is at heaps of festivals. As if you wouldn't. So here's some facts about her that counters all the douchey indier-than-thou stuff:

• She chooses totes appropriate and awesome side projects
• She's Babraham Lincoln
• The sound of her voice makes baby angels weep with joy
  

And to all those netheads who think they're totally clever by tracking down what 'feist' originally meant you're mad lame. Oh yeah and The Constantines are pretty ok too. Maybe Toronto is the new Montreal. Shock - what would Vice think of that prediction?!

The Constantines and Feist - Islands In The Stream

The Constantines | Feist

PS: Hopefully Pras hears this and signs her up for a Ghetto Superstar refix

Cancer Bats - Hail Destroyer

There are few band names I think more ridiculously histrionic than that of Canada’s Cancer Bats. One can only imagine the conception of the name “This is a punk band guys so we want to have a scary name. So what do people fear?’
“Umm bats!”
"Yep, people do fear bats"
“People fear cancer too!”
“Yea, cancer and bats…. I think I’ve got something”.

Their penchant for ridiculous names continues to their choice of song titles. Their second album Hail Destroyer is full of them, Harem of Scorpions, Lucifer’s Rocking Chair, Zed’s Dead Baby and the titular Hail Destroyer, all fine examples. But hey this kind of music isn’t meant to be fucking subtle bitches.

Anyway, despite the song titles, Hail Destroyer is a rip roaring post hardcore ride worthy of such bombast. The riffs are tight and loose and Liam Cormier’s vocals are harsh and throaty but not to the point that they’re indecipherable (not that there’s anything wrong with indecipherable).

One might be tempted to compare The Cancer Bats to fellow post hardcore luminaries like The Bronx or The Gallows and the comparison is, for the most part, apt. But unlike those bands The Cancer Bats marinate their meaty chunks of punk with generous helpings of southern fried swagger, oh those crazy Canadian Cajuns. Tracks like Deathsmarch, Bastard’s Waltz and Lucifer’s Rocking Chair owe as much to Down and Type O Negative as they do to Minor Threat and Black Flag, and what’s more, they fucking rock.

To be honest though, there are moments of cheese, Let It Pour misfires badly and the guitar solos peppered throughout generally feel hollow and exposed (even if the press release says they’re electrifying), thus highlighting why most punk and metal bands have two guitarists. But, these are minor hiccups in what is overall a great sophomore effort by the Canadians.

Cancer Bats - PMA 'Til I'm DOA

Myspace Website

Vote Obama

Tell me this isn't the most funky, fresh campaign video ever. Loving that beat and video by Tisa of Sa-Ra. So catchy.

*Disclaimer - BW does not endorse any political parties (except super funky, fresh ones).

When It Rains It Pours

I'll be honest: I just stumbled across this and have no idea when it dropped, and am neck-deep in uni so I can't be arsed researching when. Regardless, it's another fucking amazing collabo remix. Current king of hot fire, Mark Ronson, tackles a Dylan classic, and he does it with aplomb. The original beat and jazz-whistle carnival feel are retained in this remix, with Ronson adding his idiosyncratic (but subtle) horns, which only seek to increase the party feeling of the song. A feeling which was, and still is, somewhat incongruous given the song's lyrical content. But hey, that's Dylan. Seeking to fully understand his motives is about as futile an exercise as there is. This isn't necessarily going to appear on anyone's track of the year lists, but it's a clever little achievement, and of particular interest to any Dylanophiles out there. (Which should be EVERYONE.)

Bob Dylan - Most Likely You'll Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine (Mark Ronson remix)

Mark Ronson | Bob Dylan

The Whip - Frustration (Hadouken remix)

So the Cool Kids Club Collaborations continue, and this time it's an all-British affair. Hadouken remixed The Whip. Unsurprisingly, it's a hectic banger, and it's out of the lab right in time for The Whip hitting Australian shores for We Love Sounds.

BW style prediction: watch the Hadouken 'H!' shirts become hot hipster property. Chuch.

The Whip - Frustration (Hadouken remix)

The Whip | Hadouken

Children and Numbers

I should've posted this a while ago but, musically speaking, I went into an extended poprap-hole and then got all overexcited by things like Wolf Parade's new album. Anyway I still have to post this even though it's a bit late, because it's like my brain rang up The Internet and went "you know what Alex would really like? If you could make what he would consider logical associations happen, and then make them available on yourself. Like, for example, you could get one of his favourite production duos to remix one of his favourite tracks of 2007. I'm just saying, you know, as a gesture since he's such a big fan of you."

And the internet went "hang on...wait...you mean like this?"

And my brain goes "oh snap! Precisely."

Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (The Twelves Remix)

Black Kids | The Twelves

A Star is Born

Van She - Strangers

So Van She have finally slowed on the banging remixes (Feist, Dragonette etc) and got back to the business of hyping their debut V. I choose to regard the first cut unveiled Cat in the Eye as the street single. It seemed to lack a certain something. The new cut 'Strangers' has now dropped complete with video and is a return to form. Its all soft/loud 80's pop rock with quirky melodies with a slightly darker edge. Check it out above.

Check out their own remix of the track here. I told you they slowed I don't think they could ever stop!

UPDATED: Zhare link for the remix - to avoid all those forms. I have heard every time you fill out an internet form you lose a bit of your soul. True story.

Myspace | Website

Best Lineup E.V.A!

Fellow Waffler Dave sent this round on an email and it was so good/bad I just had to share it. As one person on the email chain commented 'But whatever shall we do if Akon clashes with Hoobastank!'