My Disco

When I was catching up over at Who the Bloody Hell Are They? yesterday, I almost moved right past My Disco. Seriously, who has time for three nerdy lookin’ dudes who couldn’t come up with a name for their band any better than My Disco? Something made me check out the mp3, though, and I’m thankful I did.

To be honest, I like this for one reason and one reason only; “Turn” sounds like Bauhaus. From what I gather, they haven’t always sounded this way—and the commenters there are less than impressed. I’m considerably impressed, however. The drums. THE DRUMS!

My Disco – Turn

Scarlet Chives

Scarlet Chives were once a band named Majorian, but they changed their name earlier this year for reasons unknown. Same members, same sound, same songs. This is beside the point, though. Scarlet Chives manage a uniqueness within the dreampop/shoegaze resurgence of late. Not because of a quirky female vocalist. Not because of the heavily affected guitars that permeate their recordings. Not because they come from someplace far away (Copenhagen).

No, Scarlet Chives force the past directly into the present without sacrificing the necessary elements that make the genre exciting in the first place. “Don’t You Put Your Hands There” is no nostalgia trip, but it pushes the right buttons.

Scarlet Chives – Don’t You Put Your Hands There

Loick Essien

“Love Drunk” is the kind of British r&b that, a few years ago, I never thought would have been strong enough to break in America. Now, I don’t know. I thought Taio Cruz would have a really tough time (and he did for a while), but now he’s all over the damn place. It doesn’t hurt Loick Essien‘s case that his moves are slower and more deliberate—not terribly unlike Usher, for what it’s worth.

With only a bit of the season left, “Love Drunk” probably has no real shot at eligibility in the summer jam game. However, Essien is just a rookie. Next season could be a breakout one.

Loick Essien – Love Drunk

Underworld

I was so mad at Underworld for the longest time, what with them holding up the commercial release of the score to Danny Boyle’s Sunshine. The work they did with composer John Murphy is unparalleled in recent memory as far a motion picture music goes. But they did, for nearly two years. Now it’s out there, though, and I’ve got no reason to hold a grudge anymore. Especially not now, considering how fantastic the first two singles from their upcoming album Barking have been.

“Scribble” was a drastically condensed version of a live staple “You Do Scribble” that finally got recorded, and now they’ve released “Always Loved a Film.” Again, it’s a spectacularly uptempo single that sounds equally at home on radio as it does the club floor. So far, Barking hints at being one of Underworld’s best albums. I hope it is.

Underworld – Always Loved a Film (Radio Edit)

From the Vault: Whodini

Some corners of the hip-hop scene are once again making tracks that push synths and drum machines to their limits in an effort to pay homage to (or perhaps exploit) the genre’s early breakthrough years from nearly three decades ago, and that makes me happier than you’ll ever know. Where present day artists fail, though, is in the cadence and emphasis they put on their verse. The streetcorner amateurism of the early days has been squashed to death by years and years of artistic improvements in style and subject matter.

Hey, I’m glad hip-hop is where it is now, but I’m not so sure that it can ever sound like “Magic’s Wand” again. There’s no unexplored territory anymore. Convention and tradition are far too ingrained within the genre’s parameters now;  just like with rock ‘n roll. There are retro acts. Some of them are really good, but none of them will ever fully replicate where people like Buddy Holly or Chuck Berry were coming from.

So sit back and enjoy this most awesome missive from 28 years ago by Whodini, one of the masters of commercial hip-hop’s early years. This song, and all of its awkwardness (and Thomas Dolby-ness), is one of my favorite singles ever.

Whodini – Magic’s Wand

Niki & The Dove

I refrain from using the word “epic” to describe music if at all possible. In the first place, it’s a term that is used far too often. Secondly, it’s misappropriated almost all the time. So when I tell you that “Under the Bridges” by Niki & The Dove (aka Malin Dahlström) is epic, you’d best believe it is.

Over the course of 9+ minutes, “Under the Bridges” delivers an explosive chorus, an extended period of bleeps and bloops, and some meditative percussion…wherever and whenever it wants to. It brings up the rear on the debut Niki & The Dove single DJ, Ease My Mind due next week on Moshi Moshi.

Niki & The Dove – Under the Bridges

Mondo Salvo 36

This issue had been sitting in stasis, unfinished, for almost two weeks until a few new songs fell into my lap yesterday afternoon. Hooray for patience! It’s dominated by electro signifiers, even more than usual. Fuzz and metronomic beats and detached vocals; all present and accounted for. Of course, there’s always variety. Also, a disclaimer: I know The Futhamuckas are clowns, but “The Bitch” is indisputably twelve kinds of awesome. If you disagree, we may have to have words.

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