Yo seez!

MEG Festival

2005-10-19T00:50:00.000-04:00

The annual MEG Festival took place in Montreal a few weeks back. Now in it's seventh year, this festival was originally conceived as a showcase for electronic music. MEG is an acronym for Montreal Electronic Groove. However, this year, the festival organizers promised an eclectic lineup of energetic and remarkable performances from genres that one would not necessarily file under "electronic groove" at the record store.

Montreal is a city with a scene that has been documented to varying degrees of accuracy in places like Spin Magazine and the New York Times recently. The focus has typically been on more guitar based rock music a la Arcade/Parade. However, if you spend any time looking through the weekly listings you will know that the city has plenty more to offer in terms of techno, hip hop and beyond. This year, the MEG Festival aimed to bridge the gap between all these different genres. A quick scan of the lineup confirmed that they were taking this new approach dead seriously. We were talking Canadian indie rock up alongside German techno! (More on this later) That was just the tip of the iceberg, too. I knew I had no choice but to make immediate plans for quick passage to la belle province.

Wednesday
I got in to town just in time to see Cut Copy. It was a tough call though because Cut Copy was not playing the MEG Festival and going to their show meant forfeiting a chance to see Jackson and His Computer Band. In the end, Cut Copy won out, and just as well- the Jackson gig got cancelled at the 11th hour. As I expected, Cut Copy sound great live but need to work on their stage presence. A bit too automated. One would think that opening up for the likes of TV on the Radio and Franz fuckin' Ferdinand on a recent North American tour would have loosened them up a bit when it came to playing a smaller venue like La Salla Rosa. Still, I ate it up with a spoon and wish I had the opportunity to see these guys play more often. Here's to hoping that 2006 sees this band release some new material and tour the heck out of it. They've taken a stab at some remixes, most recently for a band called The Presets. This one was released earlier in the year and trumps the original. I stand by my declaration that it is also better than the Carlos D. remix of the same song (yes, that Carlos D.) although I know two local DJs who seem to think otherwise.

VHS or Beta - Night On Fire (Cut Copy mix)

To get a sense of how Cut Copy look and sound live, check out this clip of them performing at Trash in London . (Real Player required)

Thursday
The next evening saw a pretty interesting lineup that featured Der Plan, Genders, Adult. and Optimo. This was all going on over at the S.A.T. which has quickly become one of my favourite venues for shows of the electronic/DJ variety. I have to admit I was primarily there to hear the Optimo DJs get down to work on the turntables, and errr, laptops. I imagine it is very rare that they get to come to North America to play so I definitely didn't want to miss out on the opportunity. I arrived at the venue just in time to catch the end of Der Plan. Genders was next, and although they had a unique sound, technical errors plauged their set and detracted from the overall experience. Still, I reccomend listening to a track called "The Epilogue" on their MySpace page. It's properly weird.

Up next were Adult. who impressed me with their live show in a way that I was unprepared for. Straight up, I enjoy their music to a degree, but I always felt their records were a bit boring. However, they've gone and added a third member to the group and are fiddling about with more guitars in addition to their sizeable synthesizer collection. They've had a productive year as well, releasing both an EP and a full length album. This track comes from the "D.U.M.E." EP that was released last April. Lead singer Nicola Kuperus' vocals have evolved from nasal monotone to something that is more in line with early Siouxsie or Poly Styrene from the old punk group X-Ray Spex. I am pretty sure this song was in their set at MEG too.

Adult. - Hold Your Breath

All was going well, but I couldn't help but notice that by the time Adult. was halfway through their set, it was already 2am. This was much later than the scheduled set times on the MEG Festival website. By the time they cleared the stage, it was already half past 2. Optimo quickly took to the stage minus one member. Where was JG Wilkes? JD Twitch was left to fend for himself against a seemingly intolerant crowd who felt as though they were being ripped off by only getting to dance for a half hour when an hour and a half had been promised. Frankly, a half hour is barely enough time to do a proper set and most patrons would feel totally unsatisfied with anything less than an hour. It's equally frustrating for the DJs themselves. Being a DJ myself, I know the feeling of being promised a certain amount of time to play and then getting that amount of time get drastically cut back by bands who have failed to soundcheck ahead of time or who don't respect the amount of time that they have been allocated to play for. It's a pretty shit feeling getting shortchanged like that and you could see it all over Twitch's face. He did his best to appease the crowd by quickly getting to work dropping some of the most clever dance floor tunes for the fans who had waited patiently to see him perform. I recall seeing how frustrated he was when people were so audacious as to hurl insults at him personally when in all likelihood, it's the festivals organizers or the other bands who probably deserve the blame for the non-adherence to the performance schedule. I blame Der Plan for getting a bit carried away with their schlocky performance pieces and lame costume changes after every song. Their set went on too long and it threw everything off. Here's to hoping Montreal sees Optimo headlining a NEON party or something equally large in the New Year. They are simply too talented not to headline an event of their own. Top billing, I say!

Friday
Friday night there was a Kompakt Records showcase that was sponsored by the German consulate in Montreal. How progressive of the German government to recognize a Cologne-based record label as worthwhile ambassadors of German culture! I wish I had gone to that but in the end, my evening was spent at Broken Social Scene performing at the Metropolis with Islands supporting. I like to think that nobody enjoys a live Broken Social Scene performance as much as Broken Social Scene themselves, but these guys really do have the skills and put on a pretty solid show at one of the best venues I have ever been to in my life. With Feist joining them and K-Os appearing as if by magic during the encore, you couldn't really ask for a better night out.

So all in all, my Festival experience didn't turn out exactly as I had planned for, but I was far from unimpressed by the overall experience. Sadly, I had to come home to Ottawa to work otherwise I would have been able to report on the Justice show on Saturday night.

This last track is a top remix by Kompakt records superhero, Superpitcher. He headlined the showcase at the SAT on the Friday night that I didn't attend, but I am sure it was magnificent. This song is a absolutely sublime...I'll say no more.

M83 - Don't Save Us From The Flames (Superpitcher remix)

Massive, isn't it?

MSTRKRFT

2005-10-12T23:20:00.000-04:00

In Canada, whenever you need the tools to get yard work done or have to go buy some new snow shovels , you will inevitably find yourself browsing the aisles of your local Canadian Tire. They are almost as ubiquitous as Walmart in the States, but they are a lot less customer service oriented. I just remember being there a lot as a kid and wandering around the hunting and fishing sections of the store and playing with all sorts of stuff that I could take out of the box. My friend worked in their warehouse one summer and told me he used to take 30 minute naps in big empty boxes until he'd be awoken by his boss yelling for him on the walkie talkie. Anyways, their house brand of quality tools at affordable prices are marketed under the name Mastercraft. They are totally the way to go if you want to buy your dad a new screwdriver set for Christmas. These days however, the go-to producers for remixed indie dance tracks of a superior calibre are none other than the Toronto based duo MSTRKRFT.

Composed of T.O. superproducer AL-P and Death From Above 1979 bassist/handle bar mustache afficianado, Jesse F. Keeler, MSTRKRFT is just getting started but have already amassed an impressive looking C.V. of remix credits for all the usual suspects.

Keeler clearly learned from his previous legal wrangles with NYC label DFA and cleverly dropped the vowels from this duo's name, thus avoiding potential litigation and copyright infringement from Canadian Tire.

MSTRKRFT has recently been signed to Last Gang Records here in Canada, which already boasts an impressive roster that includes Metric, DFA1979, and Tricky Woo amongst others. The boys are reportedly pulling long shifts in the studio at the moment working on a proper LP to be released by Spring 2006. Tentatively titled The Looks, it will be all original MSTRKRFT material, "expanding on the ideas alluded to on the now infamous remixes and so much more" says Keeler. More than just a collection of singles, this will likely be for people who enjoy the inherent dancefloor appeal of Death From Above 1979's repetoire. Look for the first single, "Strawberry Milkshake" to drop before the year is out.

The song I have offered up this time 'round is a thumper complete with faux-handclaps, synthy-swirls (for flair) and some sort of great compression thing going on with the bass kicks. I don't know shit about this band other than the obvious fact that they are fronted by none other than my favourite natural born killer turned dancefloor filler, Juliette Lewis. This song succeeds in two ways, 1) by making me want to dance, and 2) in getting me to enjoy a song by a band fronted by Juliette Lewis. Coming soon to a DJ set near you...

Juliette & The Licks - Got Love To Kill (Mstrkrft remix)

For more MSTRKRFT, you can download their excellent remix of Panthers' "Thank Me With Your Hands" right over here. (Courtesy of Vice Records)

And while we are on the topic, Death From Above 1979 are set to drop a new remix EP on November 8th entitled Romance Bloody Romance. Featuring two whole MSTRKRFT remixes alongside re-workings from Josh Homme, Justice, Erol Alkan, Dahlback, Alan Braxe & Fred Falke. This features a lot of stuff that has previously been available as b-sides on import-only singles. A lot of it has also been blogged about already so I won't go any further but it's definitely worth picking up to have all the hard-to-come-by stuff on one disc.

Oh yeah, and mp3s are now properly hosted so the link to download doesn't magically disappear after 7 days. Enjoy! (thanks to Dave)

"Ice bar."

2005-09-08T19:17:00.000-04:00

This summer I spent a good deal of time listening to various Optimo DJ mixes on my iPod. The guiding principle of most Optimo sets is that there are no fucking rules, and as a result, you get a whole slew of things mixed together in a veritable melting pot of imaginative dancefloor oriented music. Their knack for championiong palatably (this is important) obscure gems alongside better-known fare has made them critic and fan favourites alike. However, I am not writing about Optimo at this juncture. Instead, I would like to draw your attention to a band that I only took notice of after repeat exposure to Optimo's sublime "How To Kill the DJ, Part 2" CD.

The track in question is from a long defunct band that hailed from the German speaking city of Bern, in Switzerland. They went by the name of Grauzone, which simply means Gray Zone. There is not too much information out there about them, which is fair, considering their entire creative output was a) in German b) a few singles and an LP. As far as the history of the group, guitar/synth player Stephen Eicher recalls the band's early days vividly.

"Wherever my family lived, there would always be a basement where our father built his Rhythm Generators and Protosynts. There would be electronic junk, old radios, TV sets, microphones, tape machines and a big collection of acoustic instruments. My brothers and I would pass an important part of our childhood in this basement, experimenting and playing with electronic and acoustic sounds. Grauzone was formed in January 1980.

My brother Martin Eicher (Voc. Gtr. Bas. Drums & Electronics), GT (Bass) and Marco Repetto (Drums & Backing Vocals) met in Bern to form a Band who sang in Hochdeutsch ('written' German) opposite to the English singing Punk bands at the time. Claudine Chirac (Sax) and Ingrid Bernie replaced GT and Marco who went into 'DJ-ing' and House music projects. In the beginning I was doing Super 8 and photo projections for their concerts. Later I started to play Electronics and guitar. Grauzone was Martin's Band."

The fact that the song below was recorded over 24 years ago came as a suprise to me, as it seemingly lacks so many of the typical characteristics that have dated so many other songs of this genre and era. In their place, we have thumping bass, twitchy guitars, analog squelches and even a fleeting moment with a distant sounding trumpet. As far as I (and Google Language Tools) can tell, this song is about some guy who opens up an "ice bar" in some place that is "cold and polar". It ends with him repeating the phrase that translates roughly to "Ice-cash measured never cries." I have no idea what this means or even if this is remotely what Grauzone is trying to get across. Bottom line, this song touches something that goes beyond words and makes me simply want to stand up and do a double-fist pump in the air. Sometimes, that is more than enough.

I've heard another track of theirs, entitled "Film2," which can be found on the Serie Noire compilation that was released by the Glimmers a few years back. It's a lot more dark and Kraftwerk-esque, but interesting nonetheless.

To be sure though, this one is an all out retro-weirdo, Kraut electro rocker anthem.

Grauzone - Eisbär

2005-08-31T15:40:00.000-04:00

Well it took reading a Pitchfork review this morning into shaming me to update this, but truth be told, it's been something I have wanted to do for a little while now.

I returned to Canada about a week ago after a 6 week tour of Europe which saw me working as an English teacher in the Czech Republic, followed by some sightseeing in Prague, Vienna and London before returning home to Canada. During my stay in the CR, my internet access was pretty much non-existant, hence the lack of updates.

While I was in London, I had the opportunity to check out a few shows. The White Rose Movement had been a group that I was somewhat familiar with before heading across the pond, via Black Strobe's remix of "Love is a Number." After checking the local listings, theirs was the name that caught my eye. It was Saturday night and I ventured out from my hostel to The Scala which is located just a stone's throw away from the King's Cross tube station. There were having their Kill All Hippies night, featuring the White Rose Movement and DJ Richard Fearless (one half of Death In Vegas). London is a great place to see live music and this show was everything I could have hoped for. Incredible people watching, great tunes, multiple rooms, DJs, bands- it was all good.

The White Rose Movement are hot. Not in the sense that "oh I read about them in the NME and all the bloggers are talking about them." Yes- that is part of it, but what I am getting at is that this band is actually hot. They are well dressed and dead sexy, every last one of them. Before all of this blew up, they were throwing parties in London's east end in some seedy nightclub. Their "Dazzle!" nights were pretty notorious; M.I.A. played amongst others. During this time, the WRM rose to the rank of house band.

If you haven't heard by now, WRM's forthcoming debut single is going to be a instant synth-dance-rock classic. It's frantic, sharp and oh so stylish. Their album was produced by Paul "Phones" Epworth, who is himself quickly building a production and remix portfolio that most would kill for. These songs are very "of the moment" and you'll likely be sick of the hype in about 3 months time. Go ahead and ride the crest before the inevitable backlash...

The White Rose Movement - Love Is A Number (radio edit)

And if you still need convincing, have a go with this one, too.

The White Rose Movement - Cruella

2005-08-03T06:53:00.000-04:00

This blog is not dead.

I am in a remote town in the south of Moravia, a province of the Czech Republic.
I don't have easy access to the internet and I am not really getting any new music at the moment.

I will return in late August.

Stay tuned.

If you want war then we better start fighting

2005-07-06T04:18:00.000-04:00

If anyone is in Montreal tonight, I'm guest DJing at Wednesday Is Our Boyfriend which takes place each and every Wednesday at Sapphir (3699 St. Laurent, 1st Floor). Doors open at 10, I'll likely be on sometime after midnight. I've bought far too many records lately so expect some stuff that y'all haven't even downloaded yet. Like this...

Tom Vek - If You Want (Playgroup Dub)

It's late and I'm tired, so I've just cribbed the website bio about this guy for your reading pleasure.

"24 year old londoner TOM VEK is a multi-instrumentalist, an incisive lyricist, a musician at home with equally raw, but wildly differing aesthetics.

DEBUT ALBUM "WE HAVE SOUND" buzzES with a raw garage rock energy, driven a long by subtle electronic touches and a backbone of rigid, angular funk.

Tom has gathered a band around him to take to the stage. the live performances provide energetic portrayals of the recorded music."

So basically, this guy just started off by messing around in his bedroom and recording some little songs that eventually got him noticed. Sound familiar? Well his Canadian counterpart would be someone like BOY if Steve Kozmeniuk didn't do the exact same thing as Tom Vek but completely fuck it up beyond repair during the transition from "solo bedroom song writing wonder" to "touring band of stand-in players/human fashion accessories". I know it's all too Canadian to rag on our own homegrown talent, but COME ON! It's a pot shot that begs to be taken. You're sponsored by Lacoste and didn't you get the memo that said there's only room in this country for one Sam Roberts? (edit: and we like Sam Roberts better)

Anyways, enough of all that. This mix comes courtesy of Mr. Output Recordings, Trevor Jackson a.k.a. Playgroup (I'll support anything this man ever does). Tom Vek rocks, his album is out now and it rocks, we all rock yadda yadda etc etc forever and ever, the end.

What's he on about this time?

2005-06-27T10:15:00.000-04:00

Noel Gallagher, ladies and gentlemen.

On Bob Geldof's Live 8 Concerts: "I'm not sure about this Live 8 thing. Correct me if I am wrong, but are they hoping that one of these guys from the G8 is on a quick 15-minute break at Gleneagles and sees Annie Lennox singing 'Sweet Dreams' and thinks, 'Fuck me, she might have a point there, you know.' It's not going to fucking happen, is it? Keane doing 'Somewhere Only We Know' and some Japanese businessman going: 'Aw, look at him ... we should really fuckin' drop that debt, you know.' It's not going to happen, is it?"

On his hatred for hip hop (remember he really hates jazz too): "I fucking despise hip hop. Loathe it. Eminem is a fucking idiot and I find 50 Cent the most distasteful character I have ever crossed in my life. It's so negative. Eminem's new song about his kid - isn't it the most ridiculous piece of music you have ever heard in your life? I just don't like the dragging women around on dog leads and all that stuff. I'm not fucking having that. "

On his relationship with brother Liam:
"DW: Do you open up to each other emotionally?
NG: This is the closest I ever got. Over lunch in Paris two days ago. There's about 20 of us there, including people from the record company. I'm eating my French onion soup and out of the fuckin' blue, he's shouting: 'Noel! Noel! Have you ever had Viagra?' I said: 'No, I'm only 38, have you? 'Yeah.' 'When?' 'I fucking snorted a line once.' All the crew have stopped eating and are going ...
DW: 'Fucking hell.'
NG: What a weird thing to say. He's tucking in to his steak. How does the brain send a message to the mouth and go: 'I am going to ask our kid if he has ever had Viagra'?"

Read the whole interview here. I especially like the story of how Liam thought that Spinal Tap was a real band.

I'm a homosapien too

2005-06-23T01:22:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while it's a fun challenge to drop some weird old leftfield 'mutant' disco song into a DJ set and see if people dig it. Remember that funny old song "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant? Well, the b-side to the 12" single of that is a track called "Time Warp" and holy shit- it is the greatest thing ever! Environ Records recording artist Daniel Wang used it as the basis for a song of his own called "Warped" a few years back but today you're going to get the original in all it's esoteric glory. I love that this is a b-side to a massive pop hit. That would never happen these days.

Eddy Grant - Time Warp

This next one comes courtesy of the legendary Pete Shelley. That would be Pete Shelley of the BUZZCOCKS. This song is not what you would expect from the leader of one of the seminal UK punk bands of the late 70s. The pop sensibility that made the Buzzcocks great are to be found here, they're just wrapped up in a completely different package. Shelley's roots in electronic music pre-date his work with the Buzzcocks and in 1981 he had a hit in the UK with this track. The BBC initially banned it because it contained the word "homo", a move which set the stage for further censorship of homoerotic new wave bands with vaguely suggestive lyrics (see Frankie Goes to Hollywood). I stumbled across this song on a "Back To Mine" compilation by Richard X and I recall it being one of the stand out tracks in Tiga's set when I saw him spin in Montreal the other week. I liked it when I was drunk and I like it even more now. It's a long one- wait for the chorus.

Pete Shelley - Homosapien (dub)

a nice place for architects and dilletantes

2005-06-21T02:12:00.000-04:00

Music writers often resort to comparisons to give readers some point of reference when describing the sound of some new band. It's sort of lazy (yet I do it all the time) but this tactic has a marginal utility as it will attract the attention of people who would otherwise glance over a record review for yet another unknown band.

It's typically like "Oh yeah- Joy Division were great! What else you got? Interpol eh? Let's have a listen!"

Last year, I was reading a lot of reviews for Death From Above 1979's debut album "You're a Woman I'm a Machine". I'm a sucker for hype so I wanted to see what it was all about with these guys. One thing that caught my eye on several occaisions was that reviewers and music critics kept alluding to a certain Daft Punk inspired quality to their music. Admittedly, I didn't buy it at first. Was it the vocoder they employed on tracks like "Do It!(live)" or the bleeps and squelchs on "Sexy Results"? Their music is danceable in a sneaky sort of way. Vocalist Sebastien Grainger himself has said "At least a part of what we do is inspired by the urge to trick heavy metal fans into listening to dance music, because some of our songs are pure disco. They just happen to be presented in a way that makes kids in Slayer T-shirts mosh like crazy."

This is what makes Death From Above 1979 great. It is probably also why they've been able to transcend the scene from which they were born (Keeler released a number of hardcore records under the Femme Fatale moniker) and have gone on to sell records to the hipster/Pitchfork set.

Now, thanks to some choice remixes, their records have begun to appeal to the electro/dance music crowd. It started with remixes for "Romantic Rights" by the likes of Erol Alkan and Phones, which was quickly eclipsed by the brilliance of Justice's mix of "Blood On Our Hands." When I heard that Alan Braxe and Fred Falke were set to take on "Black History Month" I was curious to see if this would completely push the band into French house territory and would make good on the promise of their not so hidden affinity for all things Daft and disco oriented. Both Braxe and Falke are no strangers to the French disco-house scene and people will be familiar with Braxe for his chart topping work with Thomas Bangaltar of Daft Punk on the immensely successful Stardust single, "Music Sounds Better With You". They were the guys responsible for the "Rubicon" single, which was easily one of the best things that came out on vinyl in 2004.

With this song, everything that I like about DFA 1979 and their influences has come to the surface. The vocals are crisp, there are new guitar parts, lush synths and the filter effects are in place. This song would kill it on any dancefloor worth it's salt.

Lastly, it should be noted that Daft Punk themselves tried to make forays into the trendy and blended world of dance-rock with their latest album, "Human After All". The results were muddled and dissapointing to patient fans who waited eagerly for years to see if they could out-do themselves One More Time.

This is what they should have sounded like instead:

Death From Above 1979 - Black History Month (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke remix)

I'm getting loud with you

2005-06-15T14:54:00.000-04:00

The old adage that what was once old will some day be new again was what propelled the mash-up/bootleg craze of 2003. To this day, I still can't quite put my finger on what it was that was so appealing about these quirky, saccharine slices of pop perfection.While no one can overlook the nostalgia factor as one of the sole reasons that mash-ups struck a chord with many people, I think there may be more to it. I think the jury is still out on whether these will be regarded as a quaint novelty in a few year's time, or whether the genre will endure.

Before it became a bush-league excersise of the absurd, there were a few skilled producers who pushed the envelope of the so-called "bastard pop" movement. Belgian DJ duo Soulwax led the charge with their excellent "2 Many DJs" series. They're still at it today, in fact. Their splendid new compilation "50,000,000 Soulwax Fans Can't Be Wrong" featured far less "traditional" mash-up material and instead focused on more current electro-dance-rock. However, from time to time they can still pull off "the spirit of '03" with tracks like this, which is a boisterous blend of two dancefloor friendly tunes.

For the most part, mashups follow the simple formula of Old Song (Instrumental) + New Song (Vocal) = Bastard Pop. That's pretty much the case with this song. All vocals of the original backing track ("Funkytown" by Lipps, Inc.) have been removed and replaced with the shouty refrain from Soulwax's fucking brilliant "NY Excuse". (see: 2004, best-of) Soulwax have chopped up the melody and guitar lick here and there in addition to upping the tempo a bit. Oh yeah, and the "Cowbell" knob has been turned up to like, 11.

I was in Montreal this past weekend and went to go see Tiga DJing at a club. He played this song and it got a pretty favourable reception from the crowd. I hear that it's going to be released on vinyl as a 12" single. Look for it at your local independant record merchant...

Soulwax - NY Lips

(also, if anyone has any suggestions for a better way to host files in a better way, I'm all ears)

Nobody can do this like I can

2005-06-01T15:20:00.000-04:00

!!!- Get Up (Nate Dogg cover)

How many times over does this band really have to prove themselves? Once again, they bring the funk with a 10 minute long freakout fest that is easily up there with LCD Soundsystem's "Yeah (Crass Version)" and !!!'s own "Me & Giuliani Down By the Schoolyard (A True Story)". Yes, it's a cover of some forgettable Nate Dogg song- and while it starts off with a nice little bounce and swagger that makes you think you've found the summer jam of 2005, it rapidly evolves into something else altogether. Soaring guitars, crashing symbols and the ever cocky vocal stylings of Mr. Nic Offer make for a wicked batch of Dance Potion No.9.

Admittedly, I haven't heard the original version of this song, but who the fuck cares? I gurantee it's not better than this. It's really a shame that !!!'s (pronounced 'chk-chk-chk") last album (2004's Louden Up Now) was so slept on. I personally think it had something to do with the excessive swearing, but that's just one man's opinion.

Next up, a feast for your eyes. It's LCD Soundsystem's newest video that you are never going to see on MuchMusic!

Disco Infilltrator (quicktime required)

It's a pretty nifty video that follows a day in the life of NYC's reigning Kings and Queens of hpsterdom, who's lifestyle we all want to emulate. Great song, smart video, and James Murphy is a grizzly bear.

Noel Gallagher: Chav Quote Machine

2005-05-31T12:53:00.000-04:00

Chav: Noun. A person of working class origin, generally poorly educated, often very casually dressed in sportswear. Derog.

If anyone’s seen the awesome documentary, Live Forever, about the rise and fall of Britpop, then you surely know what I’m saying when I tell you that Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher is more quotable than Oscar Wilde. Will somebody please give this guy his own reality TV show already? Damn. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, read on…

Noel (on the topic of the mid-90s feud between Blur and Oasis): “At the end of the day, it’s just music, innit? Music is just music- except for jazz. Jazz is shite.”

Noel (on recording a new album in SoCal): “We were in L.A. for two months recording the record. Did I pick up any Southern California habits? Going back to bed after breakfast was something I got into.”

Noel (on growing older): “I was at a gig the other night. I went to see Razorlight. We got there early. There’s nobody in the VIP bar yet. It’s just me and my girlfriend. And we’re feeling pretty fucking stupid. So I say, “Let’s go upstairs to the bar just to see what’s happening.” She was going, “It’s going to be full of fucking kids!” I was like, “Fuck it.” And so we go, and this gang of girls- teenagers- turned around and saw me, and one of them went, “Wow! You’re like the coolest man ever.” Which is a really cool thing to say, until I thought, “Man?’ That’s what people say to their dads. When did I become a man?” (ed’s note: Noel is 32)

Noel (on music piracy): “Some Polish radio station played the our new single, and now it’s been leaked. It’s not the end of the world. It happens to all the big bands. But you get these phone calls going, “They played the single in Poland!” You’re just like, “Great!” And everybody’s going, “No, it’s not great.” “Well, what’s not great about it?” “Well, now it’s on the Internet!” And I said “I don’t give a fuck about that.” That’s not my domain. I don’t even know what the internet is. I don’t have a computer so it doesn’t concern me.”

Noel (on touring the States): “Last time we went to the States, I was involved in a car crash. Maybe this time we’ll be blessed, and it will all be great, and we can go all go home and go, ‘Woo hoo! Fucking great tour.’”

Noel (on brother Liam’s current lyrical inspirations): “Liam’s gotten all religious. It’s quite disturbing. He thinks he’s Abel for some weird reason. He wrote a new song called “Guess God Thinks I’m Abel.” I thought it was A-b-l-e, but when he wrote it down, it was “Abel.” And I thought, “Right so you think you’re Abel. That must make me Cain. Doesn’t Cain kill Abel?” But then the first line of the song is “You could be my lover.” I’m not too sure about that. That’s illegal, innit? It’s kind of illegal for two brothers to make love. It’s certainly frowned upon.”

There you have it, folks. Someone should seriously compile a book of this guy’s soundbites.

My Friend Vitalic

2005-05-27T01:20:00.000-04:00

Bjork - Who Is It (Vitalic mix)

A quick glimpse into Vitalic's portfolio will show you that he's pretty selective about what he chooses to remix. In the "flavour of the month" world of electro, quality control is the key to longevity. Vitalic is probably at the point now where he is getting approached to do a lot of stuff, so it's good to see that he is only remixing where the original source material is already top notch. Let's pray he (and Jacques Lu Cont) don't follow the wayward path of say, Felix Da Housecat, and start doing remixes for every Tom, Dick and Harry (and Madonna too). Can't wait to see what he does with Daft Punk's new single, "Technologic"!!

This track is a bit of a departure from the barn-stormin' "champagne techno" style that Vitalic has become known for. While that stuff is great (for that, check out new single "My Friend Dario" and old standby "La Rock 01"), this Bjork remix bounces along quite nicely. I detect elements of schaffel in there. If you've heard his new album, then you'll already know that this is the sort of direction he is branching out into. Don't worry though, he still brings the brain melting, hard shit that all the electro junkies crave.

2005-04-15T16:39:00.000-04:00

Tracklist for April 13, 2005
Beck - Ghettochip Malfunction (Hell Yes remix)
We Are Wolves - La Nature
Mu - Out of Breach
Lopazz - I Need Ya
Zongamin - Spiral
Whomadewho - Satisfaction (Benny Bennassi cover)
Solvent - Think Like Us (Alter Ego mix)
Chicks On Speed - Fashion Rules! (Alter Ego mix)
Rammstein - Keine Lust (Black Strobe mix)
Depeche Mode - Something To Do (Black Strobe mix)
Andreas Dorau - Strasse Der Traeume (Dorau Rossknecht mix)
***Dandi Wind Interview***
Dandi Wind - Balloon Factory
Dandi Wind - Ueno Park Boogie
Chromeo - Destination: Overdrive
Jacques Lu Cont feat. Cecile & General Degree - Na Na Na Na
M.I.A. - 10 Dollar
Kids On Tv - Breakdance Hunx
Vitalic - My Friend Dario
3rd Face - Canto Della Liberta
Etienne de Crecy, Julien Delfaud & Alex Gopher - Fast Track

Fever Pitch (is dead)*

2005-03-10T02:48:00.000-05:00

SON OF A BITCH!

Damn. I knew way back in September 2003 that when I chose the name for my new radio show I would end up regretting it. At the time I thought I could get away with it but there was always that nagging voice in the back of my head that was saying "Hornby's got you beat, you un-original jerk!" I figured everybody loved "High Fidelity", most people didn't admit to reading/watching "About a Boy" but NOBODY had read "Fever Pitch". While this may have been true, I didn't expect Jimmy Fallon to come way out of left field and sully the name of my weekly show. I should have just called my show "High Fidelity". At least John Cusack liked Public Enemy back in the day.

Tracklist for March 9, 2005
Louis XIV - Finding Out True Love Is Blind
Death From Above 1979 - Blood On Our Hands (Justice mix)
Beck - E-Pro (Bad Cartridge mix)
The Killers - Somebody Told Me (The Glimmers remix)
Metal Boys - Carnival
Bloc Party - She's Hearing Voices
Bloc Party - Banquet (Phones Disco edit)
*DJ Set* - Optimo
Dietzche V. & The Abominable Snowman - The Chant
Felix Da Housecat - Silver Screen Shower Scene (Thin White Duke mix)
Client - Radio (Cicada instrumental)
Depeche Mode - Something To Do (Black Strobe mix)
Archigram - Padre (The Other Night mix)
Soulwax - E-Talking (Nite Version feat. Nancy Whang)
Le Dust Sucker - Mean Boy
Chicken Lips - He Not In
The Mogs - Kelly Blame (vocal)

*not really

shameless plug

2005-03-05T16:49:00.000-05:00

'Fever Pitch' - CFRC 101.9fm - Kingston, Ontario - Wednesdays 10-Midnight

Listen live HERE, or archived HERE.

I play disco/techno/electropop/punk.

Tracklist for Wednesday, March 3rd
Beck - E- Pro(Bad Cartridge mix)
Beck - Hell Yes (Ghettochip Malfunction)
The Go! Team - Ladyflash (Hot Chip mix)
The Fiery Furnaces - Here Comes The Summer
Cut Copy - Bright Neon Payphone
Simian Mobile Disco - The Mighty Atom
VHS or BETA - Night On Fire (Cut Copy mix)
Dietzche V. & The Abominable Snowman - Bromance
Dietzche V. & The Abominable Snowman - The Chant
Christina - Things Fall Apart
Daft Punk - Human After All
Black Strobe - Me and Madonna (Two Fairlight Bitches remix)
3rd Face - Canto Del Liberta
The Knife - Heartbeats (Rex the Dog mix)
The Hacker - Flesh and Bone
Vitalic - My Friend Dario
Mathematiques Moderne - Disco Rough (Ivan Smaghe edit)
Swayzak - Keep It Coming
Tom Vek - If You Want (Playgroup dub)
Felix Da Housecat - Ready To Wear
LCD Soundsystem - Great Release

2005-02-28T22:41:00.000-05:00

Well it looks like I've caved at last. Even though I have had a Livejournal for a number of years, I figured I'd give this a whirl to see what it's all about. My hope is to get some web space and eventually get this going as an MP3 blog primarily. In the meantime, enjoy a recent interview I did with Sebastien Grainger from Death From Above 1979. You can read it HERE.

2005-02-28T20:51:00.000-05:00

Ugh...I knew this was going to happen.