Posts Tagged ‘tuesday twelve’

The Singing Lamb Tuesday Twelve Vol. XI

May 25th, 2010 | By: Guest Contributor

The Gaslight Anthem

The Gaslight Anthem – “American Slang”

I realize I’m a little late coming to this conclusion, but The Gaslight Anthem are a really, really good punk band. I’ve been casually listening to the New Jersey quartet for about a year, ever since my brother played their song “Wooderson”, which appeared on the Vans Warped Tour 2008 compilation. Lately though, I’ve been listening to the band’s incredibly well-received 2008 album, The ’59 Sound, which I haven’t been able to get enough of. Filled with catchy guitar riffs, huge, anthemic choruses, several ballads that tug at the ‘ol heartstrings, and more literary and musical references than you can shake a stick at (including, but not limited to: Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, Charles Dickens‘ Great Expectations, Miles Davis, and Tom Petty), I’ve discovered it’s the perfect iPod soundtrack to my early morning runs down Parliament Street and along the waterfront. “American Slang” is the first single off the band’s upcoming third album with the same name, scheduled for release on June 15th.

The Gaslight Anthem will be playing at Osheaga in Montreal this summer and will be at the Sound Academy (!!!) on July 14th.

The Black Keys – “Next Girl”

No one sings about the ladies quite like Dan Auerbach. In the past, the Black Keys‘ lead singer and guitarist has waxed poetic about the girls he’s lusted after (“Girl Is On My Mind”), the girls he’s left behind (“Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be”), and the girls who were just plain crazy (“Psychotic Girl”). At times, his lyrics evoke the spirit of the great American bluesmen such as Muddy Waters, Junior Kimbrough, Howlin’ Wolf, etc. Throw in the powerhouse drumming of Patrick Carney with talented contributors, such as producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse (who worked on the band’s last album, 2008′s Attack & Release), plus a reputation for high-energy live performances, and you have a recipe for success. After taking a break to pursue other projects — Auerbach’s solo album and the duo’s BlakRoc project which featured guest vocals from some of the biggest names in hip-hop — they are back with the fifth full-length Keys album, entitled Brothers. “Next Girl” is a catchy-as-hell, blues-rock barnburner, with Auerbach vowing, “My next girl, will be nothing like my ex-girl”.  Plus, the music video for this song features numerous bikini-clad beauties and a dinosaur puppet named Frank. What’s not to like about that?

The Akron, Ohio duo will be playing an all-ages show on August 3rd at the Kool Haus.

The Dead Weather – “Forever My Queen” and “Blue Blood Blues”

Young bands, take note: this is how you get a headlining spot at Coachella, not to mention pretty much every other major North American summer festival. The Dead Weather‘s newest album, Sea of Cowards, is in-stores now. And it’s entirely awesome.

Girl Crisis – “White Rabbit”

Zola Jesus feat. Dead Luke – “Somebody To Love”

If there’s a better reference of a song in a novel than Jefferson Airplane‘s “White Rabbit” being used in Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas‘ infamous “bathtub scene” (recreated here in the 1998 film adaptation, starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro), than I’ve yet to read it. And apparently I’m not the only one that’s a fan of the pioneering Sixties psychedelic rock band lead by (incredibly badass) vocalist Grace Slick. Girl Crisis is an ongoing collaboration between some talented female singers, including members of Brooklyn bands Au Revoir Simone, Chairlift, and Telepathe, who recently got together to record this blissed-out, dream-pop version of Jefferson Airplane’s ode to psychedelic drugs and Alice In Wonderland. They don’t have a MySpace or website just yet, just a series of YouTube videos of the band covering songs such as Nirvana‘s “Come As You Are” and Sade’s “Smooth Operator”, shot in washed-out Super 8 by Bek Anderson. Zola Jesus is Arizona singer/songwriter Nika Rosa Danilova, who makes lo-fi, experimental, gothic-tinged pop, that fans of Fever Ray, The Knife and/or Siouxsie Sioux will enjoy. Listen to her eerie cover of “Somebody To Love” and songs from her latest EP, Stridulum, over at Danilova’s MySpace.

She and her live band will also be in Toronto for two shows at this year’s NXNE, so be sure to check them out.

Chiddy Bang -”The Opposite Of Adults”

MGMT – “Electric Feel (Keys N Krates x Grandtheft Live Remix)”

Let’s do a quick survey. How many of you out there either bought or downloaded MGMT‘s debut album? I’m willing to bet that most of you, like myself and countless others,  have Oracular Spectacular or at least one of the album’s many singles (“Kids”, “Time To Pretend”, “Electric Feel”) in their iTunes library. Now, of those of you who said yes, how many of you have bought or downloaded MGMT’s second album? (sound of crickets chirping) While Congratulations has yet to catch on commercially amongst fans quite like the first one did, the New York City duo of Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden are still getting some mileage (not to mention royalty fees) from the record that Rolling Stone named the 18th best album of the decade. Chiddy Bang are two fresh-faced college kids from Philly,  DJ/producer Xaphoon Jones and rapper Chiddy, who are poised to become one of this year’s biggest hip-hop breakout acts. I don’t know if bloggers use the term “backpacker rap” anymore, but Chiddy Bang definitely have more in common with say Cool Kids or Kidz In The Hall, than they do with 50 Cent or Kanye. They’ve built a steady buzz for themselves, thanks to a stream of free online mixtapes, featuring songs that sample Gorillaz, La Roux, Passion Pit, Radiohead, and others. Bonus points for the Anchorman reference. The second song is a nifty remix of “Electric Feel” that comes courtesy of Toronto-based collective Keys N Krates and Montreal’s Grandtheft. It breathes new life into a tune that’s been everywhere since it came out (via 1 LOVE T.O.).

M.I.A. – “Born Free” and “XXXO”

In case you’ve been living under a rock (and even then, it’d have to be a pretty large rock), M.I.A. is back with a new album (the annoyingly-titled /\/\/\Y/\, which is set for a July 13th North American release), an incredibly graphic Romain Gavras-directed video (which is similar to the video the director did for Justice‘s “Stress”) for “Born Free”, and the album’s first single, “XXXO”, which might be the most poppiest song that Maya has ever recorded.  Judge the new tracks for yourself by heading over to the website for M.I.A.’s record label N.E.E.T. here (be warned though: if you have a past history of seizures, then you’d be well-advised to avoid).

The Hood Internet – “Rude Baptism (Rihanna vs. Crystal Castles)”

Well, well, well, what do we have here? The Hood Internet take an incredibly sub-par single by the Barbadian singer-turned America’s sweetheart-turned gossip rag editors’ wet dream, pairs it with one of the better cuts off the new Crystal Castles album, for a completely unexpected (and awesome) mashup. I don’t know what would constitute a “rude baptism”, but I do know that I’ve found my musical guilty pleasure for the summer, and this one is going to be played at my house parties from now till September.

HEALTH -”USA Boys”

HEALTH like keeping busy. When the Los Angeles noise-rock quartet aren’t touring, creating new music, or making the best videos you’ll never see on MTV (see here, here, and here), they are putting out stellar remixes of their own tunes. Many of the acts that have reinterpreted HEALTH songs have gone on to larger success, including Toronto’s Crystal Castles, Montreal’s CFCF, and Denver’s Pictureplane, among others. The band’s DISCO is one of the finest remix albums I have in my iTunes (save perhaps Bloc Party‘s Silent Alarm Remixed), and come this June 22nd, we will see the sequel. DISCO2 will also feature new single “USA Boys”, which was mixed by legendary producer Alan Moulder (who has worked with the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and more). Listen to it and check out the track-listing over at Pitchfork here.

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The Singing Lamb Tuesday Twelve Vol. X

April 23rd, 2010 | By: Guest Contributor

Aloe Blacc

Aloe Blacc – “I Need A Dollar”

Now that most university students are in the final stretch, with final projects due and exams to study for, we’re all looking for excuses to procrastinate more and more. That said, I’ve recently started watching HBO’s How To Make It In America on friends’ recommendations, in a last-ditch effort to put off listening to the classical works of Stravinsky and Schumann. After catching up on the entire first season, my verdict is still out on the show: it’s kind of like Entourage (the shows share the same producers) crossed with Sex In The City (but with expensive Japanese denim replacing designer handbags and shoes), with a twist of The Sopranos, and a much better soundtrack than all of the previously mentioned shows. Previous episodes have featured songs from Florence and the Machine, Phoenix, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and Kid Cudi, the latter who has a starring role on the show. Best song choice though? Without question, that honour would have to go the series’ theme song, which comes courtesy of Stones Throw-signed singer/rapper Aloe Blacc. “I Need A Dollar” feels like it could have came off some long-lost soul record that was discovered in a crate in someone’s dusty basement, which is definitely a compliment. Get ready to hear this song everywhere - the guy DJing at Dance Cave last weekend threw it on, for goodness’ sakes. As for the couplet,”If I shared my story with you, would you share your dollar with me?” – if that doesn’t describe a journalists’ life in a nutshell, than I don’t know what does.

Saukrates feat. D-Sisive – “Wednesday (Remix)”

Speaking of songs that could have been written about university students, this song begins with the line “I’m sipping on a Wednesday”, which could very accurately describe the drinking habits of some second-years I know (sorry, bad joke). You might recognize Saukrates’ name from his recent appearance on fellow Torontonian k-os’ “I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman” (with Nelly Furtado), but “Wednesday” proves that the man born Karl Amani Wailoo is good for more than guest verses, with the rapper rhyming about The Matrix, Shakespeare, and Ella Fitzgerald, among other subjects. The whole song is taken over-the-top by D-Sisive’s verse towards the ends, who furiously attacks wannabe rappers, calling them out as “piss-test failures” and “never-beens”. This for all of you who still think that Canada can’t produce talented rappers. Download the song, plus a bonus track, for free here.

The xx – “Shelter (Death To The Throne Remix)”

Wait What – “Juicy-R (The Notorious B.I.G. vs. The xx)

Do I even need a reason for putting these two songs up? The xx have been one of my favourite new bands for quite awhile now, Death To The Throne are one of my favourite remix collectives, and as for the Biggie mashup…it works much, much better than you’d think on paper.

Gil Scott-Heron feat. Nas – “New York Is Killing Me (Remix)”

Gil Scott-Heron is a grizzled, 60-year-old poet and musician, who is considered by many to be one of the pioneers of hip-hop, laying the framework through his spoken-word poetry, free jazz and unique brand of funk. There’s also a good chance you’ve heard his work without knowing it. The scathing societal, cultural and political commentary of  “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”? That was Scott-Heron. Or how about the synth solo on Common’s “The People” or Kanye’s “My Way Home”? Lifted from Scott-Heron’s “We Almost Lost Detroit” and “Home Is Where the Hatred Is”, respectively. Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, better known by his stage name Nas, is a 36-year-old street-savvy rapper, who is considered by many be one of the finest rappers to ever pick up a microphone (not to mention to have been involved in one of the most famous beefs in hip-hop history). So, what do these two have in common? Both call New York City home, and despite its faults (which are outlined pretty clearly on this track), they probably wouldn’t have it any other way. Recently, Nas took “New York Is Killing Me” from Scott-Heron’s stellar new album I’m New Here, and laid a couple of verses on it. Here’s the result.

Joker – “Tron”

Now kids, this right here is how you do dubstep. I’ve been sleeping on Joker for far too long, but it ends now. The 20-year-old from Bristol has seen his profile rise steadily in the past few years, going from complete unknown, to one of the U.K.’s most well-known dubstep producers. Hopefully this year will be the year he breaks out big in North America. “Tron” is a good introduction to Joker’s canon (check out “Purple City” or “Digidesign” while you’re at it) – it may or may not have been directly-influenced by the upcoming remake of the classic 1982 sci-fi film – but the track sure sounds like it could have come from the future, with its wobbling bassline and huge synth blasts. Listen it to over at Joker’s MySpace, and cross your fingers that this catches the ears of Toronto club DJs – it’s too good to go unnoticed for long.

Cubic Zirconia – “Make Her Say (Kid Cudi Cover)”

If you thought the original wasn’t a guilty enough pleasure for you, wait until you hear this version from Diplo-approved, Brooklyn trio Cubic Zirconia, who on their MySpace describe their sound as “Disco House / Emotronic / Tropical”. Awesome.

LCD Soundsystem – “Drunk Girls”

Hot summer anthem alert! While it’s still too early to predict which new single will be this summer’s “Paper Planes” or  “Crazy”, I’m willing to bet that we’ll be hearing this one at least a few times in the upcoming months. The first single released from LCD Soundsystem’s forthcoming third album, This Is Happening (due out May 18th), “Drunk Girls” is classic James Murphy, with just the right amount of catchiness and jadedness that we’ve come to expect (and love) from the New York City musician. Much like previous LCD Soundsystem songs such as “North American Scum” or “Losing My Edge”, “Drunk Girls” is designed to make you dance your ass off on the surface, while Murphy’s lyrics sarcastically comment on  pop culture. Murphy’s last effort (2007′s Sound of Silver) made many critics’ “best album of the decade” lists, so the new album has a lot to live up to, but this song is definitely a good start. Bonus: LCD Soundsystem will be at the Kool Haus on May 25th. This show is all-ages and tickets will set you back $35.

Tokyo Police Club – “Breakneck Speed”

While you’ve been sleeping, Tokyo Police Club have spent the past few months hunkered down in an L.A. studio, working on the follow-up to their 2008 debut album. The band has finally set a release date for Champ (June 8th), have a bunch of tour dates coming up (including Coachella and Bonnaroo), and now we have the album’s first single. “Champ” is a bit of a misnomer – while I’d hardly call it a ballad, it’s a lot slower than past Tokyo Police Club songs such as “Your English Is Good”, and the majority of the A Lesson In Crime EP. And what’s this, there’s nary a handclap or gang vocal to be heard in this song? Could it be that (gasp!) that the boys from Newmarket, Ontario are growing up? If this single is any indication, we can expect a more confident and mature-sounding Tokyo Police Club album in the not-so-distant future. “It’s good to be back, good to be back,” sings David Monks. It’s good to have them back.

Wintersleep – “Black Cameras” and “New Inheritors”

I love Wintersleep. Here are four reasons why you should too:

#1: The band’s last album, Welcome To The Night Sky, was the band’s strongest effort yet, and garnered praise from music critics and fans alike across Canada.

They won the 2008 Juno Award for New Group of the Year, and the “Weighty Ghost” music video won a Much Music Video Award.

#2: Wintersleep are as revered as The Beatles in Atlantic Canada. You might think I’m exaggerating, but visit anywhere in Nova Scotia, and you’ll see that statement isn’t too far from the truth. Everyone and their mothers either knows someone, or somebody that knows somebody, that knows one of the guys in the band. Proof: I worked at a camp the past four summers, and the baker’s nephew starred in the “Weighty Ghost” video.

#3: When you hear any Wintersleep song live, it is almost never the same as on record – a testament to the group’s ability to keep their audiences on their toes by changing tempos, adding experimental flourishes, etc.

#4: Loel Campbell is one of the most underrated drummers in Canadian modern rock.

You can now listen to two new songs, from their upcoming album New Inheritors (out May 18th), on their MySpace right this minute. So what are you waiting for?

The National – “Bloodbuzz Ohio”

For anyone that’s seen The National play in the past two years or so, you know that “Bloodbuzz Ohio” ain’t exactly a new song, as its been a staple in the Brooklyn band’s live set for quite some time. For those of you who haven’t heard the song, or were waiting for a hard copy to play on your stereo, iPod, record player, etc., I have some good news for you: “Bloodbuzz” will be included on the new album, High Violet (May 11th), joining “Vanderlylle Crybaby Geeks” that I featured the other week. It isn’t the most aggressive song we’ve heard from Matt Berninger & Co., but it is characteristically melancholic, and builds to a big finish  that The National are known for. Alas, a Google Maps search could not confirm that an actual Bloodbuzz, Ohio exists, but it sounds like a pretty badass place nonetheless. Check out the new website for High Violet where you can download “Bloodbuzz” there.

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The Singing Lamb Tuesday Twelve Vol. VIV

March 23rd, 2010 | By: Guest Contributor

The Hood Internet

The Hood Internet – “The XX Gon’ Give It To Ya (DMX vs. The XX)”

The Hood Internet strikes again! This time around, the Chicago party-starters tackles an early-2000s “classic” from a gangster rapper with legitimate street credentials (that’d be DMX), and a song from a trio of moody London twenty-somethings (that’d be The xx). The result not only gives us this so-bad-its-good song title, but a really clever mashup that makes you think differently about both songs (or just makes you dance your ass off – you decide!). DJ ABX and STV SLV FTW.

Rich Aucoin – “Human After All (Daft Punk Cover)”

The music website Cokemachineglow is celebrating their eighth anniversary this year, and to mark this special occasion, the fine folks over there are putting up these nifty Fantasy Podcasts, featuring covers of their favourite songs over the past decade from their favourite artists/bands. The first edition is particularly heavy with Canadian acts, including Halifax’s Dog Day covering Panda Bear’s “Ponytail”, Montreal’s The Luyas’ version of Radiohead’s “Motion Picture Soundtrack”, and Toronto’s vitaminsforyou’s version of The xx’s “Shelter”, among others. The standout though? Without question, that honour goes to Mr. Aucoin’s take on a classic from everyone’s favourite French duo (sorry Justice!). Daft Punk’s “Human After All” is a favourite set staple of DJs everywhere, because no matter where or when you are playing, the crowd will go ape-shit for it every single time. Hardcore Daft Punk fans might be a little surprised by the Haligonian singer-songwriter’s take on the song though – it’s melancholic, full of emotion, and dare I say it? – almost human-sounding (cue the sound of booing for that lame pun).

Warrior One – “Bad Like Jimmy Cliff”

If you don’t knew who Jimmy Cliff is, then you need to immediately stop what you are doing, and go listen to “Many Rivers To Cross”. While you’re at it (hey, its not like you had anything else better to do), listen to the entire The Harder They Come soundtrack to the 1972 film of the same name, which Cliff also starred in. To make a long story short, Cliff is the greatest musical export to come out of Jamaica not named Bob Marley, and this year was one of the five inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So it was about time he got a song named after him, and stepping up to the plate is London duo Warrior One (producer Carl Faure and DJ Eoin Bradshaw), who deliver this dancefloor banger, that sounds like a bunch of old reggae records duking it out with a bass drum at a rave. Bonus: Warrior One is the name of a master yoga pose dedicated to Virabhadra, the name of a fierce warrior incarnation of Shiva, who had a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet, and wields a thousand clubs whilst wearing a tiger’s skin. How badass is that?

YelaWolf feat. Bun B – “Good To Go”

You thought I was going to throw that new Drake single on here, didn’t you? Psych! While I love “Over” as much as the next guy, those looking for Rap’s Next Great Hope, might be better off looking south of the border. Like way, way, way south. YelaWolf is a scrawny, heavily-tattooed Alabama skate rat (his real name is Michael Wayne Atha), who is poised to have a breakout year in 2010, thanks to his tongue-twisting raps and a blue-collar work ethic. So far, he’s have gotten love from everyone from Kanye West to SPIN, and Washington Post music blogger Chris Richards recently wrote that the rapper was “one of the most riveting performers at SXSW, thanks to a nasal, petulant sneer that reaffirmed rap music’s rebel spirit”. After I sent this track to one of more hip-hop-knowledgeable friends, he compared the rapper’s rapid flow to “Luda Vs. Cee-Lo” – a vocal comparison which isn’t too far off. Having some friends in high places of course certainly hasn’t hurt either – so far YelaWolf has guested on Juelz Santana’s excellent Bob Dylan lyric-cribbing “Mixin’ Up The Medicine”, recorded a song with Raekwon, and is currently touring with Philly’s Wiz “Mr. Say Yeah” Khalifa.

Shitty Carwash – “this is what celine dion would sound like if she had a dick”

Here’s the unfortunate, but true, reality about SXSW and every other major North American music festival: for every amazing new artist or band discovered and signed to a big fat record contract, there’s twenty other shitty, generic-sounding artists and bands playing a gig somewhere. So, needless to say, when I downloaded a 100% legal torrent with just over one thousand songs from acts that played SXSW last week, I expected sifting through a fair amount of crap to find the real gems. One way to make sure you stand out from the pack? Give your metal band a name that you should never, under any circumstances look up the meaning of on Urban Dictionary, and vulgarly reference a Canadian icon (?). Austin’s Shitty Carwash gets it. Not a bad song either.

Fucked Up & Duchess Says – “Year of the Ox”/”David’s Plan”

Two of Canada’s best bands, Toronto’s Fucked Up and Montreal’s Duchess Says recently got together to record a session for CBC Radio 3′s Bande à Part series. They recorded Fucked Up’s sprawling “Year of the Ox” and Duchess Says’ “David’s Plan”, with Damian Abraham and Duchess Says frontwoman Annie-Claude Deschêne sharing vocal duties, and the result is throat-shreddingly great. Besides, nothing says punk rock quite like a string section, a lot of coloured tape, and Damian’s awesome purple sweater with a wolf on it.

The Dead Weather – “Die By The Drop” and “Old Mary”

Jack White cannot be stopped. That is an undisputed fact. But when he keeps out putting music this good, then who are we to try and stop him? The man of many hats, who is pictured in this month’s Rolling Stone in his Third Man Records office, recently announced that we can expect The Dead Weather’s sophomore album in the not-so-distant future. If the first two tracks from Sea of Cowards (which is rumoured for a May release date) are any indication, than the band is picking up right where they left off with Horehound, while somehow managing to sound even heavier and darker than you thought possible. “Die By The Drop” is the obvious pick to be the first single; it’s a bluesy, garage-rock barnburner, with Alison Mosshart’s shrieking vocals leaving me asking why I thought Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Krauss could ever replace Mosshart as my indie rock frontwoman crush. “Old Mary” is the B-side, a slower, more dirge-like chant with Jack White reciting what sounds like a prayer and some interesting use of piano. I’d throw up a link to listen to both songs, but alas, the site that posted them this morning has since received a cease-and-desist notice. For now, head over to the band’s website and check out the eerie artwork, and keep your fingers crossed that these guys come back to Toronto soon.

Broken Social Scene – “World Sick”

Oh hey, new Broken Social Scene single. So nice of you to join us. Won’t you come in and stay awhile? Arts & Crafts have always boasted a pretty stellar lineup of acts, and every new release is carefully scrutinized, given the Canadian independent record label’s history for giving bands such as Stars and Metric their start, not to mention launching the solo careers of artists such as Feist, Amy Millan, Jason Collett, etc. However the label was started, and became a household name, because of the sprawling collective known as BSS, whose last album was five years ago. In case you’ve been living under a musical rock for awhile, it looks like the Broken Social Scene-sized hole in our hearts will be filled this year, starting with the release of the band’s fourth album (the curiously-titled Forgiveness Rock Record) this May. They also have a string of festival dates, culminating in their Toronto Island-curated show on June 19, with a reunited Pavement, Band of Horses, Beach House, Timber Timbre, and others. “World Sick” is the first single from the album; an almost seven-minute sprawling epic with soaring guitar hooks and a frustrated Kevin Drew singing the poignant line, “I get world sick every time I take a stand.” Did I mention we featured it first? Just checking.

The National – “Vanderlylle Crybaby Geeks”

It should be no secret by now that I love this band. It should also be no secret that the band’s upcoming fifth album, High Violet (currently scheduled for a May 11th), is one of my most anticipated albums of the year. They’ve been road- testing several of the new songs for awhile now, including this one, and finally they’ve confirmed the finalized song titles and track listings. I think my friend described the Brooklyn outfit best when she wrote on my Facebook wall, “Why does The National make my heart so happy?”. “Vanderlylle Crybaby” is just one of those songs that tugs at the heartstrings, something that we’ve come expect and love from The National, who will be playing not one, but two upcoming dates in Toronto at Massey Hall (June 8th and 9th, tickets are still available).

Metric – “Black Sheep”

Last year, Metric was asked by director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) if they’d like to work on some music with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich for Wright’s latest film, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The movie is based on the popular Scott Pilgrim comic book series, stars Michael Cera, and was shot mostly on-location in Toronto. “Black Sheep” is the result, a tightly-wound synth-rocker, that was left over from the Fantasies recording sessions. Fair warning: if you aren’t already a fan of the band, then this song probably isn’t going to change your mind. But if you’re like me, and prefer it when Emily Haines is singing like she’s still got something to prove to the world (and let’s face it, she doesn’t really at this point), then this song might be for you. You can listen to “Black Sheep”, as well as Fantasies B-side “The Gates”, for free by becoming a fan of Metric on Facebook.

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The Singing Lamb Tuesday Twelve Vol. VIII

February 16th, 2010 | By: Guest Contributor

Sleigh Bells

Sleigh Bells

Sleigh Bells – “A/B Machines”

Ladies and gentleman, allow me to introduce you to Brooklyn buzz band no. 45, 056, Sleigh Bells. Their recipe for success? Take one guy (Derek Miller, former guitarist in Florida hardcore outfit Poison The Well) and one girl (singer Alexis Krauss, who spent time in the teen-pop group RubyBlue). Next, record some demos and have a major coming out at the CMJ music festival in New York City, all without having a full-length album to your name. Add upcoming tour dates at pretty much every major American music festival (including SXSW, Coachella, and the Pitchfork Music Festival), stir in a healthy dose of blog love, and you’ve got yourself a winning formula. “A/B Machines” is a delicious slab of glitch-pop, complete with buzz-saw guitar licks, distorted drums, and Krauss’ giddy chanting. According to a recent post on their MySpace, we can expect the debut album from the duo sometime this year. Also, the word on the street is that these two are going to helping out with producing the upcoming M.I.A. album (that’s your cue to get excited). Sleigh Bells will be opening up for Yeasayer at Lee’s Palace on May 1st, so get your tickets while they last.

Woodhands – “P’iss”

If you haven’t heard it yet, Woodhands’ new album is good. Really, really, really fucking good. The dynamic duo of Dan Werb and Paul Banwatt have managed to outdo themselves with this album; Remorsecapade contains some of the most sexually-charged (“Sluts”), emotion-baring (“I Want To Be Together”), frenetic (“Coolchazine”) and anthemic (“CP24″) songs that the band have recorded to date. And while it’s far too early in the year to call, I’m pretty sure that come next December, we’ll be seeing this album on a lot of people’s “best-of” lists. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, we get this absolutely hilarious “Z-side”, a tongue-in-cheek stab at none other than the music website everyone loves to hate, Pitchfork. As far as diss tracks go, it’s certainly no “Ether”, but it does sample Kanye outbursts, lets Werb scream random obscenities and complain about the site’s poor HTML coding, and allows Banwatt to rap and give Eminem a run for his money. This might even better than the duo’s cover of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl”, and that’s saying something. Get it for free over at Paper Bag Records’ website, and check out Woodhands’ MySpace for upcoming tour dates near you.

Rihanna – “Rude Boy (Diplo Rudeboyz Remix)”
Major Lazer feat. Elephant Man – “Halo (Beyonce Cover)
Major Lazer feat. Busy Signal & M.I.A. – “Sound Of Siren”

Diplo is by far one of the funniest “celebrities” that I follow on Twitter. But when the globetrotting DJ isn’t Tweeting about wild partying in New Orleans (“Switched slipped pon some beeds and broke his coxix”), or starting faux beefs with everyone from Sean Kingston to Miley Cyrus, he’s sharing new tracks and remixes. And Diplo’s been busy lately. During the Grammy Awards, we got this tongue-in-cheek cover of “Halo” in response to Beyonce’s winning night, and shortly after, a mashup of Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” and M.I.A.’s “Boyz” and another new Major Lazer track. Can anybody stop this guy? Oh, and expect a new Major Lazer EP this spring, featuring a remix from none other than Radiohead’s Thom Yorke (!!!).

Jay-Z – “Lucifer (Mako Reactor)”
Clipse – “Virginia (Lost Woods)”

I don’t play video games. Maybe its because, unlike most children of the 90s, I grew up with two younger brothers in a household without a video gaming system. Occasionally I’ll pick up a plastic Rock Band axe or the microphone, but when my roommates start killing zombies on Left 4 Dead 2 or trash-talking 12-year-olds on Halo online (how do you like that not-so-subtle product placement?), it doesn’t really interest me. I’m not trying to be preachy, because I waste more than plenty of time on my MacBook, but video games have never been my proverbial cup of tea. However, there is something geeky cool about a mixtape that takes songs from some of the biggest names in rap today, and mashes them from instrumentals from classic video games. And as Massachusetts’ Team Teamwork know, you can’t get much more classic than Final Fantasy 7 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, pairing Hova’s Black Album gem with the former, and the drug-hustlin’ Clipse’s “Virgina” with the latter. Download them both for free via Team Teamwork’s website (via Matt Braga).

Erykah Badu feat. Lil Wayne & Bilal – “Jump in the Air and Stay There”

What is it about Erykah Badu that brings out the best in other musicians? As Chris Rock once joked to Rolling Stone, “Outkast did a great record [Aquemi] while Andre was with Erykah. Common made a great record [Electric Circus] when he was with Erykah. Before I write any more jokes, I think I’m gonna call Erykah Badu.” This time around, she’s getting Lil Wayne to bring his A game, on this track from Badu’s forthcoming album, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) (which is easily an early contender for the worst album title of the year). And let’s face it – Wayne could probably benefit from a swift kick in the behind these days, and he rises to the challenge, to contribute some sharp verses that remind us why he might just deserve his self-appointed “Best Rapper Alive” title. “I go nuts like a Danish”? Great line. If Weezy teaming with the woman who has been called the “Queen of Neo-Soul” isn’t enough to get you excited, this song samples from Parliament Funkadelic and also features a crooning hook from soul singer Bilal. Yes, that Parliament Funkadelic. Hell of a music video too.

Japandroids – “Art Czars”

“Here’s your money back, here’s your punk rock back.” If you didn’t think that Japandroids could get any better, than this newest single from Brian King and David Prowse, proves that the Vancouver duo are more than a one album wonder after making the sublime Post-Nothing. Unfortunately these guys won’t be making an appearance at this year’s Canadian Music Week, but you can catch them in Toronto on April 3rd, when their upcoming North American tour brings them to the Horseshoe Tavern.

Harlem – “Psychedelic Tits”

If you ever wondered what would happen if King Khan and the Black Lips hooked up while on peyote, and had a illegitimate love child together, then wonder no longer. Not to be confused with Brooklyn’s Harlem Shakes, Harlem are three guys from Austin, Texas who enjoy a nice pair of cutoff denim shorts, Patrick Swayze’s performance in Dirty Dancing, and some band named Nirvana. They also enjoy making scuzzy garage-rock songs about drugs, Disneyland, and their dream girls, not necessarily in that exact order. From last year’s album, Free Drugs, which was made available as a free online download, “Psychedelic Tits” ain’t exactly Shakespeare when it comes to lyrics. But it is infectiously catchy, and it makes me want to drag out my BBQ in the middle of winter, invite a few friends over, crack open a tall boy, and have a party in my backyard. The band recently signed to Matador and their debut album, entitled Hippies, will be out April 6th. Harlem will also be touring around the States the next two months, but unfortunately, there are no Canadian dates as of right now. You can check out this song, and several more, by moseying on over to Harlem’s MySpace.

Oh No Forest Fires – “A Letter Of Apology To My Parents For Becoming An Alcoholic (Song For Claudia)”

R.I.P. Oh No Forest Fires, we hardly knew ‘ye.

Phoenix – “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (Bob Dylan Cover)”

If anyone still had any doubts about Phoenix being the biggest band in the world right now, than the last two weeks should have silenced any doubters. First they won the ridiculously-named Grammy for “Best Alternative Music Album”, which resulted in some absolutely hilarious awkward interviews on the red carpet, including one with MTV Jersey Shore celubu-tard Snooki. If that wasn’t a big enough crossover, how about “1901″ in a fucking car commercial? Or “Liztomania” in the trailer for a godawful-looking Hollywood romantic comedy? Just when you thought these guys had completely sold-out though, they go ahead and put out this stripped-down, unpretentious cover of Bob Dylan’s “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands”, a song that appeared on Dylan’s 1966 classic Blonde On Blonde. Recorded as a live five minute acoustic cover for the German magazine Musikexpress, this song has no flashy synths or dance-pop drum beats, just strumming guitars and Thomas Mars’ earnest vocals. It looks good on them.

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The Singing Lamb Tuesday Twelve: Vol. VII

February 2nd, 2010 | By: Guest Contributor

M.I.A.

M.I.A.

M.I.A. – “Space Odyssey”

After not putting out an album last year – therefore leaving some room for other artists and bands on year-end best album lists – M.I.A. is back to business as usual, working on the follow-up to 2008′s wildly successful Kala. But even though she hasn’t put out any new material lately, the outspoken singer-songwriter has been anything but quiet. Last week she sent ripples through the Twitter-sphere (is that recognized as an official word yet?) when she blasted the New York Times (“FUCK NEW YORK TIMES!!!” in all-caps), after the paper ran an article about Sri Lanka being the number one travel destination in 2010. More interestingly though, a day later, she posted a video with her dancing in green astral lights to what sounded like a new song. Originally titled “THERES SPACE FOR OL DAT I SEE”, shortly after it was confirmed that this song is called “Space Odyssey”, and it will appear on the singer’s yet-to-be-titled upcoming album. If you were expecting another “Paper Planes” though, you can guess again: Maya marches to no one’s expectations but her own. Imagine Bjork and dubstep (the track is produced by the U.K. dubstep extraordinaire Rusko) having a baby together, throw in a typically nonsensical chorus (“My lines are down and you can’t call me”), and you get some idea of what “Space Odyssey” sounds like. If this is what the future sounds like, count me in.

Vampire Weekend – “Diplomat’s Son”

I’m going to be completely honest: I think Vampire Weekend are completely overrated. While their self-titled debut album – which is hard to believe its been two years since it came out -was pretty stellar, I think the band jumped the shark the day “Oxford Comma” (which, granted, is a pretty catchy tune) appeared in that episode of How I Met Your Mother. However in the interest of fairness, I decided to give the band’s sophomore effort a listen, to see if they could bottle lightning a second time. And I’m going to disagree with pretty much every single music critic, and the editor-in-chief of this here website herself, when I say (again, being completely honest) that Contra doesn’t particularly excite me. There’s nothing nearly as addictive as “A-Punk” or “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” here, and though people are calling this a more “mature” sound from the band, I can’t help but feel all the songs just all generally sound the same. There is one bright spot on this album for me though – “Diplomat’s Son” which slyly samples M.I.A.’s Bollywood ode “Jimmy” into a breezy, almost six-minute-long jam with enough musical twists and turns to keep the listener hooked. Even after Googling this song’s lyrics, I still have no idea what the fuck Ezra Koenig is singing about, but that’s not the point. The point is that this song goes perfectly with a drink in-hand and a hammock to lie in. And that’s about all that I can ask from a Vampire Weekend song.

jj – “Ecstasy” and “My Way”

Speaking of unlikely samples… The mysterious Swedish duo jj caught a lot of people off-guard last year, when they put out jj n° 2, an album full of blissed-out, ambient pop songs that serve as the perfect soundtrack to your next daydream. But the tracks that made the music blogs particularly wet themselves were the ones that drew from an unexpected New Orleans source. “Ecstasy” samples Lil Wayne’s ubiquitous “Lollipop”, while “My Way” goes less obvious, swiping the rapper’s verse from his appearance on Trina’s “Don’t Trip” (not to mention also sampling a creepy Charles Manson monologue for the intro). Suffice to say, these two songs probably do more for Weezy’s career, than Weezy himself has done for his own career lately (Rebirth was absolutely atrocious). Catch the Swedish band when they play the Phoenix on April 4th with another buzzed-about lowercase-named band, London’s The xx.

Gorillaz feat. Bobby Womack & Mos Def – “Stylo”

A few weeks ago, my roommates and I had a vinyl party at our house. We hooked my friend’s record player and receiver to some speakers on our kitchen table, told everyone to bring records, and proceeded to get incredibly intoxicated. It was a great time. There were about thirty people dancing and drinking in our kitchen at one point, we only had one noise complaint, and played everything from The Go-Go’s to The Pixies to Rick Astley’s undisputed classic, “Never Gonna Give You Up”. But the one record that stood out for me, and the one album I’ve been listening to non-stop on my iTunes since, has been Gorillaz’s Demon Days. Of course, I was already familiar with that album’s more well-known songs, such as “Feel Good Inc.” and “Kids With Guns”. But until the party, I’d never really listened to Demon Days’ deeper cuts, like the MF Doom-assisted “November Has Come” or the simply-awesome “Last Living Souls” (on a side note, does anyone know where I can get the instrumental for the latter?). And what do you know, everyone’s favourite British cartoon band are back in the studios once again working on their third album, under the careful direction of this guy of course. The new album is titled Plastic Beach, and is set to feature a musical who’s who of guest vocalists including Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Barry Gibb, Mos Def, and Bobby Womack . There’s a few demoes floating around already, and a few weeks ago, “Stylo” was leaked which coincided with the announcement that Gorillaz would be headlining Sunday night of this year’s Coachella Festival. You can also follow Murdoc Niccals on Twitter, for album updates and other pearls of wisdom (ex: “I want to stove Stephen Baldwin’s head in with a skillet. I don’t know what a skillet is but I want to do it…”) from the band’s “frontman”.

K’Naan feat. Chubb Rock – “ABCs (5 Alive Remix)”

Whenever I come home from university for the holidays or summer break, the first thing my brothers do is rifle through my iTunes and take all the music/movies that they can’t download on my family’s archaic computer and painfully slow dial-up. This Christmas was the same, except for one striking difference – it would seem that my two younger siblings had started to acquire some real musical taste, as opposed to my hand-me-down Three Day Grace CDs and dime-store emo they once listened to. Fully supportive of the musical leaps and bounds that they had made, I generously made suggestions for artists and bands that I thought they might like. The point of this long-winded and probably unnecessary story is that they ended up really liking K’Naan. Like, a lot. And you should to. And this remix, courtesy of NYC producer 5 Alive, is sweet. So check it out. It’s just that simple.

Skratch Bastid – “110%”
Black Lips feat. GZA – “The Drop I Hold (Afghan Raiders House Party Remix)”

This past weekend, I got a pleasant surprise in my Inbox: four free tickets to see GZA perform at Sound Academy. Despite just finishing an eight hour day of class, I rounded up three friends, and we made the lengthy hike down to the venue. Read my review for the show for more in-depth analysis, but I thought I’d share two tracks (well, technically, a remix and a mix) from the headliners. I don’t know how I missed out on this nifty “The Drop I Hold” remix by Las Vegas’ Afghan Raiders, but it’s definitely going to be played at my next house party. The second is an hour-long mix by Canadian DJ Skratch Bastid, which features everything from classic hip-hop to soul to modern disco, and is also party playlist ready.

DJ Reckoner – “This Is Entertainment”

This is why I need more friends that deejay in their spare time. This particular mix is almost an hour long, and includes songs from Kid Cudi, Basement Jaxx, MSTRKRFT, Daft Punk, Justice, The Ting Tings, among others.

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim feat. Santigold – “Please Don’t”

I can only imagine the conversation that lead to the creation of this truly bizarre concept album. In my mind though, it must have gone something like this…

FATBOY SLIM (answering phone): “Hello?”
DAVID BYRNE: “May I speak to Norman Cook please?”
SLIM: “Speaking.”
BYRNE: “Hello Norman, may I call you Norm? This is David Byrne.”
SLIM: “Who?”
BRYNE: “David Byrne. Surely you’ve heard of me? I was in a band called the Talking Heads that were pretty big in the late 70s, before I start performing with that guy Brian Eno. Anyways, recently I’ve noticed that a bunch of these young New York City bands are idolizing me, so I thought there was no better time to finally record this concept album I’ve had in my head for awhile. And since you haven’t had a hit in…well, quite awhile, I thought you might be interested in collaborating.”
SLIM (slightly irritated): “Now come on, I hardly think that “quite awhile” is fair now.”
BYRNE: “Are you kidding me? “Weapon of Choice” came out when? 2003, wasn’t it?
SLIM (slightly glum): “2001.”
BYRNE: “Exactly. You can’t keep costing on that song forever man. (grows serious) Here’s what I was thinking: an album based on the life of Imelda Marcos, the former First Lady of the Philipines. The kids won’t be able to get enough.”
SLIM (laughing): “I don’t know what you’re on right now man, but that shit must be goood, if you know what I mean. Tell me more.”
BYRNE: “And I was thinking we’d get some of those female singers that the hipsters love to do vocals. Maybe that girl from Florence Against The Machine? Or that Golden girl? Do you think we could we get them?
SLIM: “Sir, do you mean Florence Welsh and Santigold?
BYRNE: “That’s them! Get on it. I’ll be in touch.” (hangs up phone)

Probably not. But that was fun to imagine nonetheless.

Lioness – “What You Do (Will Come Back To You)”
Lullabye Arkestra – “Icy Hands”

Two awesome Toronto bands, two awesome music videos. First, Lioness’ video for “What You Do (Will Come Back To You)”, directed by the band’s drummer Jeff Scheven. Next up, we have Toronto director Dylan Reibling’s artfully shot black and white video for Lullabye Arkestra’s “Icy Hands”. Definitely two bands to watch for in 2010.

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The Singing Lamb Tuesday Twelve: Vol. VI

January 5th, 2010 | By: Guest Contributor

Rich Aucoin

Rich Aucoin

Ruzan Orkestar – “A Dead Man’s Last Words”

“Holy s#%@, they do sound like Godspeed You!” I’m pretty sure those were the words that spilled out of my mouth when I first listened to the songs of Toronto’s Ruzan Orkestar. This statement was, of course, quickly followed by me posting the link to the band’s MySpace on friends’ Facebook walls, with the excitement-conveying caption, “Hey, I think I found the next…”. While the band – Egin Kongoli, Cydney Clark, Stefan Ho, Patricia Auchterlonie, and Gabriel P – certainly wear their hearts on their sleeves when it comes to their love of the now-defunct Montreal outfit, their music is a melting pot of sounds. Their songs – which tend to average the nine minute plus mark – effortlessly transition between noisy punk breakdowns and beautiful, quieter instrumental passages, sometimes multiple times in the same song. I have to give full credit for finding out about this band to Daps Duo (Dan and April from Hooded Fang), who recently announced that Ruzan Orkestar would be joining Ohbijou’s Casey Mecija & Jeff, Santa Guerilla, Sean Nicholas Savage and The Miles in the next edition of their all-ages shows on January 16th (Facebook event details here). If you haven’t been able to one of the Daps shows yet, then I’d advise you go – they’re a lot of fun, and offer those who are underage (and those of us who are of age too!), and can’t get into bars and certain music venues, the chance to see really great live music.

Rockets Red Glare – “Backwards Masking”

In case you’ve been living under a musical rock the past week, you’ve no doubt heard about the stellar list of bands scheduled to play the 500th edition of Toronto’s long-running music series Wavelength, which will be spread over four nights in February. That list includes Holy Fuck, Constantines, Diamond Rings, The Russian Futurists, Laura Barrett, Bruce Peninsula, Kids On TV, and a reunion by The Bicycles, among others. Among the names that I didn’t recognize, one reunion stood out as being highly-anticipated by fans that had posted on the event’s Facebook wall: Rockets Red Glare. So I thought I’d give ‘em a listen, and it turns out the fuss is justified. According to Wikipedia, “Rockets Red Glare formed in the winter of 1999 following the demise of hardcore band Blake and instrumental trio Blue Light Blockade. Based in Canada this three piece band toured Canada extensively and also played in North America, gaining critical praise for their powerful and atmospheric live performances. Releasing two full length albums and a two track 7-inch they specialised in playing a dense, meandering and sometimes explosive brand of post punk, taking influences from dirgecore bands such as Cerberus Shoal and Neurosis. Many Canadian and American bands today cite Rockets Red Glare as an influence on their music.” Here’s what I can tell you myself: I’ve been watching YouTube videos of these guys (including this one, shot at Sneaky Dee’s in ’03) recently, and it looks like they put on one hell of a show (drummer David “Gus” Weinkauf is a powerhouse on the kit).

Japandroids – “Racer X (Daytrotter Live Session)”

For those of you clamoring for new material from Vancouver’s Japandroids, the folks over at Daytrotter have you covered. The duo of Brian King and David Prowse recently stopped by Daytrotter’s studio in Little Rock, Illinois, to give a sneak preview off their upcoming 7-inch. “Racer X” is set to be the B-side, and it is a cover of a 1984 tune by American punk band Big Black, which was fronted by Steve Albini. There’s certainly nothing here to suggest that the band is slowing down anytime soon – this song gallops at a breakneck pace, with crashing drums, almost metal-sounding guitar hooks, and some seriously sinister-sounding vocals. It reminds me a lot of the band’s pre-Post-Nothing (their debut album which put them on everyone’s radar) material, especially “Darkness On The Edge Of Gastown” and “Couture Suicide”, both excellent songs. Japandroids already have a pretty busy year lined up. At the end of the month they embark on a pretty extensive European tour, coming back in March to play this year’s SXSW.

The xx – “Islands (Nosaj Thing)”

Finally, a remix of a song by everyone’s favourite ’09 buzz band from London that doesn’t completely suck. Los Angeles-based Nosaj Thing, aka Jason Chung, has remixed everyone from Drake to HEALTH, and his debut full-length Drift was one of the best albums you never heard last year. Listen to his remix, a deep cut from The xx’s debut album, here (via Gorilla vs. Bear).

Modest Mouse – “King Rat”

By now, everybody has pretty much wrapped up their year end and decade end best-of music lists. Permit me to allow one more though: most underrated songs of 2009. These are songs that, in an alternate universe, everyone would know about and they would get massive radio and television airplay. One such song that I think fits into this category, and a song that I’ve been listening to recently, is Modest Mouse’s “King Rat”. Featured on this year’s stellar No One’s First, And You’re Next, the EP collected new songs, B-sides and previously unreleased material from the band, including this little-heard gem. While it briefly got some attention earlier in the year, thanks to a truly bizarre music video directed by the late actor Heath Ledger, the song quickly faded from the public’s conscious afterwards. And here’s why: nowhere nearly as catchy, immediate or radio-friendly as “Float On” or anything on the band’s last full-length effort, We Were Dead Even Before The Ship Sank, “King Rat” has more in common with songs from older Modest Mouse albums. This song feels like it could be a lost outtake from the Isaac Brock & Co.’s gritty The Lonesome Crowded West, or even the more sonically-adventurous The Moon & Antarctica (in my opinion, the band’s best album, and one of the best albums of the decade). It doesn’t follow a typical verse-chorus-verse structure; instead it piles on horns, tempo changes, and Brock’s trademark pessimistic barking. Required listening if you are a fan of the band, or even if you aren’t.

Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys – “Empire State Of Mind (Rich Aucoin Remix)”
Rich Aucoin – “Push (Ryan Hemsworth Remix)”

You never know where Nova Scotian experimental-pop mastermind Rich Aucoin might show up next. Opening up for Girl Talk at the Halifax Pop Explosion? Been there, done that. Appearing as a roller skater in fake movie trailers by local Halifax comedy troupes? Yep – watch this if you don’t believe me. Remixing one of the biggest hip-hop singles of the year? Check…wait, what? As Aucoin himself explains it, “I noticed that a new song of mine has the same chord progression as Jay-Z’s brilliant Moments-sampled new track. So I upped the BPM of the original from 86.65BPM to 105BPM and added some more samples; taking Dan Deacon’s “Slow With Horns” and speeding it up considerably and pitching it a few cents and also, for the second verse, I noticed “Empire State” is in F#m which is the same key as Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” so I took the otherwise minor sounding bassline from “Billie Jean” and put it under the feel-good majors of “Empire State”. I added bass, organs, vocoder, and my voice and had some friends help with the gang vocals for the chorus and I re-sampled the drums from “Empire” to make a new beat out of its sampled drums.” How’s that for getting technical? The result is a textbook example of a not-so-textbook remix, the kind that I described a few weeks ago, in my roundup of the year’s best remixes. The second track is a remix of Aucoin’s “Push” by Haligonian artist Ryan Hemsworth, that throws in a Goonies sample, so how can you say no to that? (both remixes via Herohill). You can catch Aucoin performing his own material at the Horseshoe on January 30th, appearing alongside Toronto’s Lioness and Everything All The Time, in the first No Shame show of 2010.

K-Os feat. Nelly Furtado & Saukrates – “I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman”

Since when did Natalie Portman become the most sought-after actress in Hollywood? First we heard her rapping alongside the guys from The Lonely Island, with hilarious results (“I never said I was a role model”). Next, she (and her dog Whiz) was a guest on this year’s best fake Web talk-show, Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifinakis, hosted by the ever-jovial Galifinakis. This time around, Portman serves as the muse for none other than Canadian rapper K-Os, who gets a little help on this one from songbird Nelly Furtado (where have you been girl?) and Toronto rapper Saukrates. The third single from K-Os’ latest album, Yes!, this track is getting plenty of love from CBC Radio 3 lately. And for good reason too – for a song with such downhearted lyrics (sample line: “I’ve been on the run, this shadow weighs a ton”), “Natalie Portman” is infectiously catchy, thanks largely to a beat that samples from this song, and K-Os’ typically-deft rhymes (“Since the age of seventeen/I’ve been taking apart microphones/You’ve been taking apart men you’ve blown/With glowing skeleton bones”).

Maluca – “El Tigeraso”

When it comes time to pick which artist(s) to draw inspiration from – whether it be musically, stylistically, politically, etc. – you can certainly do worse than M.I.A.. Not entirely all that different from the way Brittney Spears influenced a generation of bleached-blonde, MTV-whoring poptarts, the Sri Lankan-born, London-raised singer can lay claim to having at least a few students of her globetrotting sound. Recently the number of female singers that have listened to Arular and Kala more than their fare share of times have produced mixed results. On one hand, you have singers like like Philadelphia’s sex-crazed Amanda Blank or Baltimore’s Rye Rye, both of whom offer no real substance other than making guilty pleasure club filler. Once in awhile though, we get singers like Brooklyn’s Santigold, who outgrow their teachers (to use the geeky, but apt metaphor, it’s kind of like a Yoda/Luke Skywalker type-deal), and come into their own as artists. It’s hard to say yet what side of that line the 27-year-old, New York City singer (born Natalie Yepez to Dominican parents) will fall on, but suffice to say, “El Tigeraso” is some catchy-ass shit. A delicious slice of Diplo-produced electro-pop with elements of hip-hop, samba and merengue, “El Tigeraso” (and its accompanying video), sees singer flaunting and teasing, leading boys around her bodega like the Pied Piper. One to watch this year for sure.

Mr. Scruff – Keep It Unreal (mix)

Ever since it was formed in 1993, London-based independent record label Ninja Tunes has been a label to watch when it comes to breaking new artists and introducing new musical trends. Everyone from British dubstep hit-makers (The Bug), to American underground rappers (Spank Rock), to some of Montreal’s finest deejays (Kid Koala and Ghislain Poirier), all started out on the label. And Mr. Scruff – whose real name is Andy Carthy – has been with Ninja Tunes pretty much from the beginning as a producer. When he isn’t producing, he’s DJing all around the world, and making mixes like the ones that appear on his MySpace. I don’t recognize any of the tracks, but the British DJ seamlessly transitions between hip-hop, dubstep, jazz, some obscure samples about marine life, among other genres, creating a seemingly effortless twenty-one-minute mix that is soulful and varied. Plus, the man has his own line of tea. How can you say no to that? Mr. Scruff will DJing at Wrongbar on January 15th – tickets are $15 and you can get them at your friendly neighbourhood record shop.

South Rakkas Crew – The Stimulus Package (mix)

Two words: party music. Get this new mix, from the city-trotting South Rakkas Crew, via the Mad Decent website
here.

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The Singing Lamb Tuesday Twelve: Vol. V

December 15th, 2009 | By: Guest Contributor

DJ Car Stereo (Wars)

DJ Car Stereo (Wars)

Hot Chip – “One Life Stand”

Just last week, Hot Chip announced a North American tour this spring with fellow Londoners The xx, in support of their upcoming fourth album. Now we have the title track from One Life Stand – the band’s follow-up to 2008′s Made in the Dark – and I’m pleased to report that it doesn’t disappoint. While Made In The Dark had dancefloor-friendly hits such as “Ready For The Floor” and “Shake a Fist”, it was the sensitive ballads like “Touch Too Much” and the album’s title track, that showed how the electro-pop quintet has matured, both musically and as a band. “One Life Stand” is trademark Hot Chip; a disco-ready synth beat, subtle keyboards, and lead singer Alexis Taylor sincerely promising a lover, “I only want to be your one life stand”. Head over to Hot Chip’s MySpace to hear the track and get more updates about the album.

Lupe Fiasco – “The National Anthem (Freestyle)”

This past weekend an old friend of mine came to visit and attended the Kid Cudi concert at the Kool Haus (which, by all accounts was a pretty good time – Drake even showed up!). We got to talking about what rappers we’d pay good money to see perform. The usual big-name suspects came up – Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Kanye – and we generally agreed that these guys would be worth shelling out the major bucks to see, even if that meant reluctantly trekking to the Sound Academy or Air Canada Centre. After listening to his new free online mixtape, Enemy of the State: A Love Story, I’d have to add Lupe Fiasco to the list. Does anybody else think this guy is seriously underrated as a rapper? The Chi-Town rapper has put out two critically and public well-received albums, 2006′s Food & Liquor and 2007′s The Cool, but has yet to win a Best Rap Album Grammy. He’s put out huge singles such as “Kick Push”, “I Gotcha”, and my personal favourite, “Superstar”, but still got snubbed by MTV in their 2009 Hottest MCs list (an exclusion Lupe didn’t take lying down). While fans wait for Lupe’s third album – due next year – this mixtape should satisfy their appetites until then. On this one, the rapper freestyles over a handful of artists, including The Clipse, Jay, Weezy, and one of Radiohead’s all-time best songs,”The National Anthem” from their 2000 album Kid A. Here he sounds off about greedy rappers and haters (“How you gonna school me when I grew up with your teachers?”), shouts out to his hometown (“Feelin’ like a Soldier, and I ain’t talking where the Bears play”), and proves he knows a thing or two about 90s alternative rock (“I’m red hot, chilly, I’m Anthony Kiedis/My spirit smells teenage”), while a typically morose Thom Yorke pops in and out to provide “back-up” vocals (on a related note – anyone know where I can get the instrumental version of that song?). Is it too early to put in my vote for next year’s best rap album? If Enemy of the State is any indication, 2010 is going to be Lupe’s year to shine.

Major Lazer feat. Nina Sky & Ricky Blaze – “Keep It Goin’ Louder (DZ vs. NTRLD Remix)”

I know what you’re thinking: another Major Lazer remix? So far the first three singles (“Hold The Line”, “Pon De Floor”, and “Keep It Goin’ Louder”) from Diplo and Switch’s reggae/dancehall/surf-rock/exprimental side-project, have already resulted in enough remixes to fill up at least a pretty decent EP. In that case, it might not be that much of a stretch to say that “Keep It Goin’ Louder” is this year’s “Paper Planes” (the Wikipedia page of the latter lists thirteen remixes, not including the countless other unofficial remixes) – both songs have strong female vocals, flirt with several different genres, and are insanely catchy. This version comes courtesy of two San Francisco dubstep DJs, DZ and NTRLD, who do several smart things with the track. Number one: they stretch the original from three and half to five and a half minutes. Number two: they drop the majority of the annoying Ricky Blaze vocals, putting more of a spotlight on the Nina Sky ladies (American identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino, who had a minor hit in 2004, with their song “Move Ya Body”). Number three: they speed up the song’s tempo, before transforming it into a slab of glitchy, stuttering dubstep that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Skream or Zomby album. No word yet if Diplo’s label Mad Decent will put this version out on the 12″ single as a B-side, but for now, listen to it for yourself here.

Dem Getaway Boyz – “Imma G (Memory Tapes Remix)”
OJ Da Juiceman feat. Gucci Mane – “Good Night (HEALTH Remix)”

Your favourite Atlanta gangsta rappers, remixed by your favourite blog-endorsed, hipster bands and DJs. Two words: fucking genius. Courtesy of the folks over at Adult Swim (the bizarre – and usually NSFW – television network responsible for shows like this), we have this stellar one-off mixtape entitled ATL RMX, which is exactly what the name suggests. The mixtape features songs from some of the best hip-hop minds to come from the Dirty South (Lil Jon, Young Jeezy, Cee-Lo), remixed by Pitchfork-friendly acts (El-P, Flying Lotus, SALEM) that probably wouldn’t be the among the first to come to mind if you were asked to make a list of artists that get down to crunk beats and raps about oversized jewelry. The results are definitely unexpected, decidedly weird, and kind of catchy in places. My favourite remixes are Memory Tapes’ one-man-band Dayve Hawk’s injecting a bit of wistful soul-pop into Dem Getaway Boyz’s “Imma G”, and Los Angeles noise-mongers HEALTH (who’ve proven in the past that they know a thing or two about remixes) remixing a song by a guy with either the best or worse name in rap, featuring a guy who just put out a triple concept mixtape based on the friggin’ Cold War. Download the entire mixtape for free here.

DJ Car Stereo (Wars) – “Gator McKlusky’s Gold”

Girl Talk just got some competition. Hailing from Austin, Texas, Chris Rose aka DJ Car Stereo (Wars), actually has been quoted as saying that he wishes his work to sound like a “smoother and less abrasive” Greg Gillis effort. This is certainly an apt description of his mash-ups, in which he not only samples popular songs, but lesser known/expected tunes and movie and TV theme songs as well, to make more cohesive party-starters than Girl Talk’s ADD jams. Hopefully DJ Car Stereo (Wars) gets the attention he deserves when this spring he plays what is the best music festival anywhere ever, Austin’s South By Southwest (SXSW). Festival organizers announced the first batch of artists that’ll be playing SXSW a few weeks ago, with some of the Canadian bands heading south so far including Apostle of Hustle, Hot Panda, Parlovr, Japandroids, The Pack A.D., Plants and Animals, Red Mass, Timber Timbre, and We Are Wolves. As for DJ Car Stereo (Wars), he’s not exactly a newcomer to the festival circuit – this year he played Lollapalooza in Chicago and Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. If you needed any more reason to check out this guy, his debut album of is entitled The Bandit, and all the mash-ups are named after characters Burt Reynolds (and his mustache) have played in movies. My favourite track on his http://www.myspace.com/djcarstereowars MySpace is “Gator McKlusky’s Gold”, which takes snippets from songs including “Ms. New Booty”, Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”, Weezer’s “Beverly Hills”, Mims’ “Like This”, one particularly iconic movie theme song, among others.

Alexisonfire – “This Could Be Anywhere In The World (Barletta Remix)”

People are going to hate on me for posting this one, but the truth is, I kind of like it. Who’d have thought that Dallas Green’s emo-style vocals would be perfectly suited for a club banger? Apparently DJ Barletta thought so, and as a result, we have what may be the first ever Alexisonfire remix (if you can prove me wrong, leave a comment below). A little bit more about Barletta, if you aren’t familiar with the name: he’s a linchpin in the Toronto DJ scene, appearing regularly at clubs including the Drake and Wrongbar, among others. He’s also mad prolific – if you visit his MySpace page, you’ll see over eighty remixes and original material credited to his name and Mansion, the duo he formed with fellow DJ Violca. He’s given electro-house makeovers to songs from everyone including globe-trotting popstars (Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Madonna), other DJs (The Bloody Beetroots, Crookers, David Guetta), and local talent (Lioness, Metric, Times Neue Roman). I can’t wait to see how all the diehard 14-year-old girls – the majority of Green’s fan base – and hardcore Alexis fans, react to this one (courtesy of Dine Alone Records’ Twitter). As for St. Catherine’s finest, they’ll be playing some dates in Australia, before embarking on a Canadian tour with Billy Talent and Against Me! in March.

Propagandhi – “Dear Coaches Corner”

While I correctly predicted Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion would top EXCLAIM!‘s year-end album list in the “Pop Rocks” category (isn’t that right Jessica Lewis?), I was not familiar with the band at the top of the “No Future” list, a punk rock band from Winnipeg by the name of Propagandhi. So I gave a listen to the band’s newest album, Supporting Caste, based on the magazine’s high praise and was pleasantly surprised. A Wikipedia search tells me that Propagandhi formed in the mid-1980s, originally with The Weakerthans John K. Samson on bass. They then spent some time hanging out in SoCal with NOFX’s Fat Mike, signing to his Fat Wreck Records label, while recording some songs about animal liberation and veganism (punk raawwk!). It’s now 2009, but if you think the band’s current incantation – lead singer and guitarist Chris Hannah, drummer Jord Samolesky, bassist Todd Kowalski, and guitarist David “The Beaver” Guillas (how Canadian a nickname is that?) – have lost their ability to rage against the machine, then guess again. “Dear Coaches Corner” opens with a sample from – you guessed it, none other than everyone’s favourite Hockey Night In Canada hosts, with Mr. Cherry telling Ron MacLean, “Let’s talk about some good guys, let’s talk about the troops”. This isn’t some dumb homage to our national sport though – instead its a thought-provoking meditation about what happens when the worlds of the war in Afghanistan and hockey converge. Even if you don’t like the song musically, it’ll sure as hell make you think lyrically the next time you are sitting in the stands and there’s a moment of silence for a fallen soldier or a tribute to the troops.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists – “Even Heroes Have to Die”

Who is Ted Leo? Most people – which until recently included myself – would be hard-pressed to identify the man behind one of the hardest-working punk bands around today. While the Pharmacists have gone through several lineup chances (the current band includes bassist Dave Lerner and drummer Chris Wilson), Leo has been writing, recording, and performing music, solo and in numerous bands, since the late-Eighties. The singer and guitarist isn’t flashy – he prefers to let his music do the talking. But when the Leo does talk, he’s not afraid to speak his mind, and many of his lyrics are politically-charged (check out “Bomb.Repeat.Bomb.”, from the band’s 2007 album Living with the Living) in the old-school spirit of artists such as The Clash and Billy Bragg (did I mention he received his English major from the University of Notre Dame?). And perhaps, most importantly, he’s not afraid to call out criticism of his music that he feels is unwarranted. Responding to Pitchfork’s review of “Even Heroes Have to Die”, which compared the song to something that The Gaslight Anthem, Ted Leo wrote the following: “Hey – I got nothing against what I know about The Gaslight Anthem, Pitchfork – fellow Jerseyans, write some good songs, etc. – but doesn’t my 20+ years of service in this industry qualify me for a journalistic benefit of the doubt that I’m probably not being influenced by them as I write my… like… 300th song (or that maybe we’re both drawing inspiration from a similar pool of even older artists)?” Leo is a voice of steadiness in a musical world that’s become so overrun with commercialism and materialism – we need him and the Pharmacists now more than ever. Recently Ted Leo and the Pharmacists signed to Matador Records and their sixth album, The Brutalist Bricks, is due out March 9th. Download “Even Heroes Have to Die” for free here.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “River Styx”

BRMC’s last full-length album with vocals, Baby 81, was one of my favourite underrated records of 2007. Full of swaggering garage-rock riffs, and apocalyptic slow-burners that wouldn’t sound out of place on a road trip mixtape between The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Jesus & Mary Chain, this album should be a must have for fans of leather jackets, motorcycles and/or really good alternative rock. But the next year is shaping up to be a pretty good one for the Los Angeles-based trio of Peter Hayes, Robert Been and recently added drummer Leah Shapiro. Not only did they just put out a live concert DVD/CD (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Live), they also have a North American tour this spring (including an April Fool’s Day stop in Toronto at the Phoenix), in support of their upcoming sixth album. Early contender for most badass album title of 2010, Beat The Devil’s Tattoo, is scheduled for a North American release on March 9th. While none of the new songs are officially on their website yet, here is a grainy – but decent quality audio-wise – black and white fan video of the band performing “River Styx” live. While you’re at it, be sure to check out their older material, and pretend like you’ve known about Black Rebel Motorcycle Club all along.

The Killers feat. Wild Light & Mariachi El Bronx – “Happy Birthday Guadalupe!”
Fucked Up feat. Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend), Bob Mould, Tegan & Sara, Andrew W.K., GZA, Kyp Malone (TV On The Radio), Yo La Tengo, David Cross & Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) – “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

‘Tis the season for your favourite artists to put out hokey, half-baked Christmas albums that are nothing more than a lame cash grabs (Bob Dylan, I’m looking in your direction). Here’s two Christmas-themed songs for charity that don’t suck. I probably don’t need to tell you how much I hated the last Killers album, Day & Age, and how much of a douche and ungrateful prick I think Brandon Flowers is (watch this interview if you don’t believe me). Yet, deep down, I still want to believe in this band. I really enjoyed Sawdust, their 2007 collection of B-sides, rarities and one-offs, especially the collaboration with Lou Reed on “Tranquilize” and their cover of Dire Strait’s “Romeo and Juliet”. And let’s be honest: who doesn’t hum along even today when “Mr. Brightside” comes on the radio? More recently, the Las Vegas band recorded the surprisingly good “White Demon Love Song” for the New Moon soundtrack (note: for your benefit, the video link that I included is the only one without the generic accompanying slideshow of Twilight pictures), and now we get this Christmas-themed charity single (all proceeds from the digital download go to the Project Red campaign). “Happy Birthday Guadalupe!” sees The Killers head south of the border, for a horn-filled tribute to one of Mexico’s most important religious icons, also bringing their tour mates (New Hampshire’s Wild Light, and Mariachi El Bronx, aka the alter-ego band of Los Angeles’ The Bronx) along for the ride. You also get to hear Flowers sing in Spanish and deliver lines that are incredibly cheesy, yet kind of endearing (“I pulled her body close to mine and I had just one chance/I whispered,”Baby will you marry me for just one dance?”). Watch the video – starring actor Luke Perry as a rugged cowboy – here. Second up is a little charity recording for three Canadian womens’ charities, masterminded by a guy who probably enjoys his fair share of milk and cookies, Fucked Up’s Pink Eyes. He decided to round up an indie all-star cast of musicians (and this guy) to help him out to cover the Christmas “classic” “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (with the help of the band’s Polaris Prize money), written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984, to raise money for relief of 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. Show of hands, who else thinks these guys should form a real band? That’s what I thought. Damian”Pink Eyes” Abraham talked to ExploreMusic’s Mike Sullivan on the phone about the single recently – listen to that and the song here.

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The Singing Lamb Tuesday Twelve: Vol. IV

November 24th, 2009 | By: Guest Contributor

Surfer Blood

Surfer Blood

vitaminsforyou – “Shelter (The xx Cover)”

If I haven’t made it clear over the past few weeks that I love this band, let me make it evident: I fucking love The xx. In just three weeks their self-titled debut album has become a lock for my year-end “Best Album” list, and their covers and various remixes (like this one) just add to my appreciation. So you can only the imagine alarm bells going off in my head, when I read this week that the band recently cancelled gigs because of “exhaustion”, and keyboardist-guitarist Baria Quereshi’s departure for unnamed reasons. However, the band’s tour dates with Friendly Fires are still on – and that’s good news for North American fans. To tide you over until then, here’s an (even more) spaced-out cover of “Shelter” by a gentleman whose stage name also shows a blatant disregard for proper capitalization, Toronto-based producer and musician Bryce Kushnier’s electro outfit vitaminsforyou. If you missed out on getting tickets to the December 2nd show at the Phoenix, The xx will be back in Toronto on April 20th, opening up for Hot Chip (!!!) at Kool Haus.

Hexes & Ohs – “H-H-Highschool (Hexes & Ohs Hip Hop Mix)”

Is anybody else surprised that it took this long for Hexes & Ohs to put out a remix album? The Montreal duo (and perennial Lamb favourites) of Edmund Lam and Heidi Donnelly make ridiculously catchy and hyperactive electro-pop songs, with plenty of keyboards and synths, that seem perfectly suited for remixes galore. Last week, fans of the band finally got a eight-song digital EP entitled SHARE (Remixes), which is only available on iTunes and Hexes & Ohs’ website. As their website describes it, “SHARE (Remixes) is a remix project featuring collaborations between Hexes & Ohs and seven of their admired fellow Canadians friends. They are the Bicycles, Camaromance, DT666 (aka Patrick Pentland of Sloan), Montag, OPOPO, Sloan and vitaminsforyou [see above]. Unlike typical remix albums, this one here is a two way street, Hexes & Ohs have their songs remixed and in turn remix others’ songs. The result became a sort of dialogue between the artists. It’s colorful and diverse, but unified by the common ingredient.” My favourite is the hip-hop rework of “H-H-Highschool”, a song that is pretty damn catchy to begin with, but the remix of the Sloan song is pretty nifty (and slightly unexpected) too. If you are looking for the soundtrack to your next dance party, look no further than this EP.

Wale – “Triumph”

So Wale’s official debut album just dropped, but thanks to the “magic” of Internet leaks, you could already listen to the entire album online several weeks previous. And while everyone was so quick to drool over the Lady Gaga-assisted “Chillin’”, there are plenty more hidden gems on Attention Deficit. The album features a who’s who list of producers including Cool & Dre, The Neptunes, and frequent collaborator, Mark Ronson. This is one of two songs produced by TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek (the other, the possibly ironically-titled “TV in the Radio”, features K’Naan); who contributes a horn-heavy beat on this one, which perfectly suits the rapper’s jubilant lyrics. Criticize the Washington-born rapper all you like, but you can’t say he doesn’t have his charms: he has a great sense of humour (“She swallows everything like Kirby”? Hilarious!) and has plenty to say (past material has dealt with race relations, misogyny against women and intelligent commentary on the state of rap music circa the 21st century) – something that’s missing for the dreck passing as Top 40 rap these days. On “Triumph”, Wale boasts, “Cause you slumdog, and I’m the millionaire.” Not yet, but he’s getting there. This album should get the attention that Wale feels he’s been missing – what he does with it next is his move.

Juelz Santana feat. Yelawolf – “Mixin’ Up The Medicine”

Fair warning: if you thought K’Naan releasing a mixtape which featured him rapping over Bob Dylan songs was a little bit “out there”, than this song is going to probably going to be too much for you to handle. This time its Dipset-affliated, Harlem rapper Juelz Santana (white folks might recognize him from his 2005 hit single, “There It Go (The Whistle Song)”, or more recently from his guest vocals on “You Ain’t Got Nothing”, Lil Wayne’s most gangster song on The Carter III), who bites the chorus and flips the beat from the most unlikeliest of songs: Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues”. Suffice to say, the line “Johnny’s in the basement mixing up the medicine” takes on a whole new meaning coming out of the rapper’s mouth. Sure, Santana’s original lyrics leave something to be desired, but the way the sample is turned into a hypnotic, drug-addled groove, you can’t help but feeling like someone slipped you some of said “medicine”. Take the trip for yourself here.

Lil Wayne – “I Feel Like Dying (Flying Lotus Remix)”

And speaking of drugs…My roommate recently turned me on to Los Angeles’ Steven Ellison, an experimental multi-genre music producer, DJ, and laptop extraordinaire, who goes by the name of Flying Lotus. He also happens to be the nephew of American jazz great Alice Coltrane. FlyLo’s latest album, last year’s very-stellar Los Angeles, is a mixture of headphone-friendly psychedelia, electronic blips, and hip-hop that you might hear on an Adult Swim program. This is the second time he’s tackled a Lil Wayne track, his “Robo Tussin” remix of “A Milli” is staple in his DJing set. This time he takes the woozy “I Feel Like Dying”, a song which I have to admit isn’t my favourite that Weezy has ever done (that Auto-Tune chorus annoying as hell), and makes the rapper somehow sound like he’s on even more drugs. I’m not one to advocate recreational drug use but if you do, than you need to give this song a listen over at Flying Lotus’ MySpace here.

The Very Best feat. Kano – “Julia (Remix)”

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the next big indie music scene: Africa?!?! That’s right you read correctly, it would seem that the newest mecca of buzz-worthy artists and bands, is none other than Joseph Conrad’s so-called “dark continent” (in an semi-related note, is it weird that I actually enjoyed reading that novel?). It seems like these days you can’t click on your favourite music website and/or blog, without reading about the latest face-freshed band from Freetown or Johannesburg. I’ve already featured Jo’Burg’s BLK JKS on the Tuesday Twelve before, but this week I have two new African groups worth your time. Chances are that you’ve heard of The Very Best – Malawian-born, London-based singer Esau Mwamwaya and European production team Radioclit – before, or at least read about them on P4K. The group first came to music media’s attention with Mwamwaya’s versions (sung in his native Chichewa tongue) of “Paper Planes” and Vampire Weekend’s “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, which lead to a mixtape (2008′s Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are the Very Best) and this year’s debut album, Warm Heart of Africa. Warm Heart of Africa features thirteen sunny, upbeat Afro-pop tracks that also has plenty for hipsters to love – the album features vocal assistance from M.I.A. and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, and borrows samples from songs by Architecture In Helsinki and MJ. On this remix, British rapper Kano gives shoutouts to The Streets’ Mike Skinner, references Pretty Woman, and promises a girl, “[that] I’ll never Chris Brown you”. Funny stuff.

Desmond & The Tutus – “Kiss You On The Cheek”

Who’d have thought that a band named after a iconic activist could make music so gosh-darn catchy? It kind of makes you wonder if Nelson & The Mandelas is taken for a band name… My second African band this week is Desmond & The Tutus, a quartet that hail from the city of Pretoria, South Africa. They aren’t quite as well known as The Very Best yet, but these guys are too talented to stay a secret from North America much longer. Desmond & The Tutus want to get you up off your ass and jiving, and their saccharine-laden pop songs full of snarky digs like “Your girlfriend looks like Willy Nelson”, will do just that. “Kiss You On The Cheek” reminds me of Scottish band The View, and features the best harmonica solo you’ll hear this year not on a Bob Dylan record. Plus, you have to love a band whose mission statement says, “You will have fun or else you will die. Not because we’re going to get all offended and poke your eyes out with sharp sticks or anything but rather because you’ll be trampled to a bleeding pulp by all the happy dancers jumping around like little crazies. You’ll dance. You’ll cry. You’ll eat. You’ll touch yourself [maybe]. You’ll cut your hair. And then you’ll dance again.” Give Desmond & The Tutus a listen here and let’s hope we see them on this side of the Atlantic in the near future.

King Khan & BBQ Show – “I’ll Be Loving You”

You know who’d I love to hang with out? That King Khan dude. I can only imagine what spending a day with the Montreal-born, Berlin-raised Arish Khan would be like, but I’m guessing he would first teach me his fashion and guitar-playing secrets, followed up by jamming out with his good musician friends whom include Black Lips and GZA, and our day would end with taking magic mushrooms with BBQ Show (also known as Mark Sultan) and his manager and probably end up in jail (on second thought…). Until that day comes, I’ll have to make due with Khan and Mark “BBQ” Sultan’s new album, Invisible Girl. If you know these guys, then you know what to expect: Khan’s Little Richard-style vocals, 60s doo-wop, and straight-up psychedelic garage rock with delightful double-entendres and a message of love. Sweet album artwork too. Check out the video for the song, which features the duo playing in a demolition site, over on Pitchfork here.

Surfer Blood – “Swim (To Reach the End)”

Has the quickly approaching Canadian winter got you feeling all gloomy and down? Want to get away from it all, but the deteriorating state of the economy has left you too poor to afford your annual vacation to Cancun? Never fear, ’cause I have the band for you! Surfer Blood are five twenty-somethings from Florida – guitarist and lead singer John Paul Pitts, drummer Tyler Schwarz, guitarist Thomas Fekete, bassist Brian Black, and percussionist Marcos Marchesani – who make reverb-heavy, lo-fi garage pop tunes that sound like they were recorded in someone’s basement. Their forthcoming debut album, Astro Coast (scheduled for a January 19th release), was actually recorded in the band’s dorm room during their freshmen year at the University of Florida. And although these guys hail from West Palm Beach, singer Pitts’ Brian Wilson-esque harmonies and hooks that are reminiscent of early-Nineties Weezer, make the band sound more like they are from the West Coast than anything else. These guys had a major coming out at New York City’s CMJ Music Festival this year, and these songs should fit nicely into the iPods of fans of Japanese Motors and Japandroids (who Surfer Blood is opening for on the Vancouver duo’s upcoming American leg of their tour). So slip on a good pair of headphones, make yourself a nice tropical drink, put on this song, and let your thoughts take you to a warmer place. The shoveling can stand to wait a few more hours.

Dr. Fox’s Old Timey String Band – “Kids (MGMT Cover)”

One of MGMT’s biggest singles, covered by a banjo-fuelled Irish outfit? What kind of strange, alternate universe is this? There’s not much info to be found about this band, other than a MySpace page (on it, there’s also a version of “Man of Constant Sorrow” from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack), and this incredibly catchy take on “Kids” that is now making the blog rounds. It shouldn’t work as a novelty cover, but it kind of does, and that’s enough. In MGMT-related news, the New York duo recently announced their new album (entitled Congratulations), will be out in early-2010. Mark that down on your calendars and get pumped.

Woodhands – “Electric Avenue (Eddy Grant Cover)”

Its hard to believe that Toronto-based label Paper Bag Records has been around for seven years. The little indie label that could started in 2002; and has been responsible for launching the careers of Broken Social Scene, Tokyo Police Club, and European acts like Denmark’s Under Byen and Swedish-Italo disco singer Sally Shapiro, among others. To help celebrate their seventh anniversary, the label has put on an EP of rare and previously unreleased covers by Paper Bag artists, which is available as a free download here. The Seven Year Itch EP includes Toronto darling Laura Barrett’s tinkling kalimba version of Beck’s “Gamma Ray”, Montreal’s Winter Gloves covering Nirvana’s grunge classic “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, and Outkast’s “Behold A Lady” like you’ve never heard it before, as re-imagined by Toronto’s one-man-show Slim Twig. But the highlight here is Woodhands’ electro-pop take on “Electric Avenue” – originally sung by 80s one-hit wonder Eddy Grant – a song that perfectly suits the duo’s high-energy performances and one that has been a regular in their setlist since early summer (On a semi-related note: guys, new Woodhands album in 2010? Please?). So here’s to Paper Bag Records – can’t wait to see what the next seven years bring.

Various Artists – Indie Music Filter Presents: Hand Drawn Dracula Mixtape

While I’m on the subject of Toronto-based indie labels, there’s no way I could go without passing on mentioning this free online collection of songs from the folks over at Hand Drawn Dracula Records. The label was formed by Toronto artist/musician Casey Mejia and Holy Fuck frontman/solo artist Brian Borcherdt, and has a small-but-talented roster of artists and bands (mostly from Toronto), all of whom appear on this mixtape in some fashion. The mixtape includes songs from By Divine Right (whose debut album on HDD, Mutant Message, is scheduled to come out next month), folk-pop sweetheart Julie Fader, newest HDD signees and definitely a band to watch for Bishop Morocco, experimental trio of a dozen genres Off The International Radar, Montreal meets Halifax rock band Contrived (members of Holy Fuck and Wintersleep), and of course, Borcherdt himself, who seems to be pretty damn prolific these days (I spoke to him several weeks ago at an in-store, and he told me that a new H.F. record is on the way next year). All of these artists have played, toured and recorded together, which makes Hand Drawn Dracula feel more like an extended family rather than a Canadian record label. And though the days are getting colder, listening to these songs is like the musical equivalent of cup of hot chocolate – they make you feel warm and content inside.

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