Video of the Day

Still one of my favorite voices of all time. It exudes sex, class, power and so many other things. Just like the woman. Siouxsie and the Banshees. Hong Kong Gardens.

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 2

Iggy Pop. Southern Death Cult. A twelve pack of malt-liquor. A really loud car with a blower in the hood. Am I creating a picture yet? Well, if I have, you've got the band Cheeseburger pretty well pictured.

At this point, I'm pretty sure all the bands from Radio Broker are from NY and this one is no exception. "Cocaine" is a 2 minute rock fest ala the prime years of the Stooges. I'd call it a rip off, except everything here seems genuine and not a put on. These guys love what they do, and it shows.

MP3: Cheeseburger - Cocaine

Purchase Through Amazon - Cocaine (Hehe, that reads kinda funny)

Cheeseburger

Huey Lewis - Finally getting his props

So, I'm a Huey fan from way back. He was the master of the cross-genre pop-rock that helped define the 80's. And, he was/is really damn talented. You may scoff, or roll your eyes, but there's no denying the man penned a lot of hits. Plus, unlike many of his counterparts (I'm looking at you, Flock of Seagulls), he hasn't resorted to campy 'reunion' shows or other displays of 80s nostalgia. Mostly, he plays golf.

Anyway, I'd posted about my first concert a couple of days ago. It was Huey Lewis and the News. I was 14 and the album Sports was all over the radio. BTW, it was also my first vinyl LP ("One Night in Bangkok" by Murray Head and "Stranger in Town" by Toto were my first 45s).

Then serendipity smacked me upside the head. First, I ran across a cover of "I Want a New Drug" by the Greenskeepers. You can hear it here.

Today I came across this. Yes, folks a Huey Lewis tribute album. Genius. With bands like Menomena and Mooney Suzuki supplying their interpretations a whole new generation of indie kids can now be given the word of Huey.

In the coming days I may go dig up some Huey mp3's for you all.

If you can't wait, here's an Amazon link to do some samplin' and buyin - Huey Lewis

Video of the Day

Great video from a great band. I love the over the top feel to the whole thing. Every idea in here is pushed way too far. Good stuff. This is "Wolf Like Me" by TV on the Radio.

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV part 1

Like many of you out there, I'm enjoying GTA IV. Of course, one of the best things about the game is it's 'radio stations'. For it's last three incarnations GTA has been liscensing real world music which adds a whole new level of vitality to the play IMO.

There are quite a few good stations in IV, but my favorite by far is Radio Broker, DJ'd by Juliette Lewis. As tribute to that station, I'll be reviewing each of the tracks from that station, one a day. Where possible, I'll post videos, mp3's and other such links.

The first track is from NY's the Boggs. The band is a staple in the infamous indie scene there. The track is "Arm in Arm", remixed by Shy Child. It's a sparse grindy electro track. Fun stuff for driving around town and blowing things up to. It gets annoying in a few spots, suffering from someone in Shy Child going a bit too far with the distortion and effects. But for the most part, it's a fun ride. Not the best track on Radio Broker, but not a loser either.

MP3: The Boggs - Arm in Arm (Shy Child Remix)

Purchase Through Amazon - Arm in Arm (Shy Child Remix)

The Boggs

Video of the Day

I love this song and I love the video. The simplicity and playfulness of this video make me want to get up and dance. The washed out and yet high contrast camera work is fun and the whole thing feels very tongue-in-cheek. This is The Rapture's "Pieces of the People We Love".

Ladytron - Velocifero

I've been a Ladytron fan since I stumbled upon the "Playgirl" single. Since then, the band has seemed to be continually metamorphisizing. With each change they seem to add some new element or appendage, while keeping and enhancing their prior strengths, like Helen Marnie's vocals and Wu's amazing analog keyboards.

With Velocifero, the band has done that and more. This album, more than any other, feels like a complete work by a fully realized band. All of the elements here are crisp, well defined, lush and beautifully arranged and produced. From the opening dirge of "Black Car" to Helen and Daniel's airy duet "Versus", this feels like the best piece of work Ladytron has put together to date. On an interesting side note, two of the tracks are sung in Bulgarian, which despite having been around the block a couple of times, I don't honestly think I've ever heard spoken. It's haunting and works well with the respective tracks.

Now, I certainly have my favorites. "Versus" is a nice track, but it's not my particular musical style. One thing the band is great at is pulling from a variety of era's of electronic music and then using them to dance along the borders of various genre's. I think my immediate favorites are "Runaway" and "Burning Up". I have a feeling this may evolve as I really get to absorb this album. There's so much here that it may take a bit.

Ladytron's Velocifero is out on June 3rd. Go get it.

Ladytron

MP3: Ladytron - Runaway

Purchase through Amazon - Ladytron - Velocifero

You can also listen to the entire album on their myspace site - Here

Sex Pistols DVD?

According to this article, the Sex Pistols are set to release a DVD of last years tour.

Re-read that sentence and tell me how many things you find wrong with it. The Sex Pistols are set to release something? A DVD? Of their tour?

To me, the Sex Pistols were a moment in history. They occupy a special place in music and culture. Had things not ended with a death, I'm sure we would have seen the band drop into irrelevance and obscurity. Sure, there was talent there, in all of the band. But the band itself was like a hot burning sun, it can't last. It wasn't supposed to last. Now, not only do we have the band on tour but massive co-opting of their name and image, promoting exactly the thing that the Pistols were supposed to be the antithesis of.

Would you dig up your dead grandmother and bring her to Thanksgiving? Of course not. But that's what a Sex Pistol's tour is. Bad taste.

I wasn't happy about the INXS reunion ( I think they should have given the band a different name. Anything else is riding coat tails.) and, in general, any reunion that involves a band with a dead key member. At least the Beatles got it right. The Beatles without John, was just George, Paul and Ringo.

Sex Pistols

Video of the Day

Here's the video of the day. It's Ministry's "Just One Fix". This is a song that will make you want to drive 100mph and break stuff. The video itself isn't much, but it gets the job done. Be sure to watch for the W.S. Burroughs cameo. He also supplied some of the audio samples.



P.S. This post disappeared earlier this afternoon. Blogger went wonky on me. This is a repost. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Blank Concert

So, time a for a little audience feedback. Hearing that I'd missed Hall and Oates playing at the Troubador got me thinking about good shows I'd seen. Quick Poll: First concert, last concert, best concert, worst concert.

I'll start.

First Concert: Huey Lewis and the News, 1984 (Bakersfield)
Last Concert: Lemon Sun, 2008 (Las Vegas)
Best Concert: David Bowie, 2004 (New Orleans)
Worst Concert: The Circle Jerks, 1995 (Minneapolis)

As a side note, the reason Circle Jerks get 'worst': Kieth Morris stopping the show multiple times to complain that the crowd was being too rowdy. Too Rowdy? TOO ROWDY?? What kind of F'ing rock and roll is that?

Anyway, share your list and your stories.

Video of the Day

Hands down, the creepiest video ever. I can't even watch it all the way through anymore. It will give me nightmares. This is Interpol's "Evil".

The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing

The Ting Tings are a stereotypical example of 'overnight fame'. Their rise in Britain (where they started) rapidly went from playing house parties to appearances at Glastonbury, with only a couple of catchy singles under their belts. By the time "Shut up and Let Me Go" appeared in an iPod commercial, their fame was already a sure thing. Their debut album, We Started Nothing, is out now.

"Fruit Machine", "That's Not My Name", and their iPod track are all right in line with other electropop sounds in the current soundscape. Think CSS, Dead Disco, LeTigre, etc. While these tracks are sure to be huge hits at the clubs and probably garner them more fame than the rest of the album, it was the other tracks that caught my attention.

"Great DJ", "Be The One", and "Keep Your Head" all have far more in common with older indiepop bands, early Go-Go's being the best example. As I listened through a second time, I was struck by how strong all of those tracks are. Together they make for a formidable collection. Many debuts frame their album around the strength of a couple of singles. I'm happy to say that the Ting Tings pop sensibilities are matched by strong and diverse musical skills. If they can keep it up, The Tings Tings will be a force to be reckoned with.

I was going to post a track from the album, but instead, I'm going to post an old favorite of mine. If you like this track, you'll like the Ting Tings. I promise.

The Ting Tings

MP3: The Popguns - Waiting For the Winter
Purchase through Amazon: Waiting For the Winter

Purchase through Amazon: The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing

Video of the Day

Hey campers, I took the weekend off from blogging, but I'm back today. Here's my favorite song from the Fratellis first album. I psyched to see that they have a new one coming out soon!

Video of the Day

I love this video. That is all.



It's unfortunate that this is the short version.

Depeche Mode - Sea of Sin

It's strange how a band can work your way so deeply into your subconscious. Depeche Mode has been so thoroughly weaved throughout my life, it's like a sound track playing in the background.

Few bands rarely remain relevant for as long as DM have. Rather than go on a tirade about all the tracks by them that I love (which would be a long post, indeed), I'll just let all of you sample an underappreciated gem.

Depeche Mode

MP3: Depeche Mode - Sea of Sin

Purchase through Amazon - Sea of Sin

Video of the Day

Those that know me, know that I am a visual creature. I love imagery, especially in connection with music. Chris Cunningham has long been one of my favorite music video directors. Since Portishead just released their first album in ages( Third ), I thought it might be fun to put up one of their best videos and one of my faves. This is "Only You".

She Wants Revenge - Save Your Soul

Adam and Justin, the duo behind She Wants Revenge have released a new EP called Save Your Soul. The title track is a departure for the band, albeit a tiny one. Foregoing the usual heavy synths and over-produced stylings they normally impart, this one puts Adam's percussion front and center. It's live drums too - or at least they certainly sound that way. Justin's vocals are also pretty raw and he lets himself drift off-key a few times. The whole thing sounds really scratchy, almost live.

The material is familiar stuff: a dark, brooding, danceable song about sex. But the end result is different. Whereas older SWR sounds like Depeche Mode sodomized Bauhaus, this sounds more like a love note to bands like the Mission UK, Sisters of Mercy, and Joy Division. It continues down the more guitar-oriented feel of tracks like "Written in Blood" they moved toward on their last album.

SWR are still one of my favorite 'total ripoff' bands. We know, they know it. We know they know it. They're still fun, they're still talented, and they pick great bands to skim from.

She Wants Revenge

You can get the tracks on iTunes or you can listen here . I'll have a full ep review soon.

Video of the Day

Hands down, my favorite LCD Soundsystem song here. I love this track. The video, while not entirely original in its' concept, is fun to watch and eyecatching from beginning to end.

Cut Copy - Hearts on Fire

I'm still on the fence with Cut Copy. I enjoyed some of the material from their last album, but "Hearts on Fire" is a classic example of my ambivalence. The song is fine, and might even make for some fun remixes. It's just not very original or standout. I feel like that with a lot of Cut Copy stuff.

If you are going to borrow from great bands before you, you either need to really dive into it (CSS's first album is a good example of 80s pop) or take it up a notch (Interpol's take on post-punk). Cut Copy takes from multiple sources (funk, disco, house, new wave) but doesn't really contribute anything new. "Hearts on Fire" would be a Depeche Mode B-side on a good day.

The video, while cute, is stylistically just a pinch on the cheek. It's a long setup with a gimmick that starts to feel tired about half way through. It's not a bad gimmick, it just can't sustain the entire three minute and change length. Cute, but forgettable, much like the song.

Cut Copy

CSS - Rat is Dead (Rage)

CSS made their name with kitschy 80s inspired electro fun. With that vibe established, they've put themselves in a bit of a corner as witnessed by their new track, "Rat is Dead" from their upcoming album Donkey.

Instead of 80s dancefloor cheese, the band has dived straight into the realm of Belly. Remember Belly? Probably not, because they were a forgettable early 90s alt-rock band. That's right, CSS has left the club lights behind and gone for a layered guitar girl-rock sound.

Is it good? Well, it isn't bad...it's just plain boring. I've listened through a few times now and there just isn't anything there to get excited about. The song goes on without much real energy, Lovefoxxx's vocals seem tired and listless. The guitar work seems put on instead of genuine.

Unfortunately, there's not much here to like. Check it out yourselves, here.

Video of the Day

Sometimes I think the show is over-hyped. Others, I laugh myself till I nearly pee. Either way, I love this Pet Shop Boys send up. Enjoy this one from Flight of the Conchords.

I'm so over mega-festivals

When the first Lollapalooza took place I was unable to attend. I had a good excuse though, since I was overseas. I always regretted missing that lineup (Ice-T, Nine Inch Nails, Siouxsie Souix..the list goes on), and envied all who've told me they got to go.

As the years passed, I got to attend some great ones (Does anyone remember "The Gathering of the Tribes"?) culminating in last years Detour Festival.

As time goes by though, I'm finding that what I liked about festivals is becoming less and less important. That is, to see bands we might not be able to see normally because a large crowd is offsetting costs. Bonnaroo has Metallica and Kanye, Glastonbury has Oasis and Jay-Z...but really, who cares? If you saw those artists individually, wouldn't you be seeing them in a giant crowd regardless?

Contrasted with that is my experience at Coachella a couple of years ago. I loved seeing Nine Black Alps, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and White Rose Movement all under the same tent. But damn was it crowded. Ladytron's light show was noticeably muted in the dusky light of their tent and I was frustrated to learn that they were going to be playing at club in L.A. just a couple of nights later. It all seemed so rushed, half-assed and complicated.

Festivals, to me, are supposed to be about gathering bands of like minds and styles and pulling together all those fans who normally can't fit in a single club and letting them co-mingle and cross pollinate. I think they should be concentrating on how many small acts they can get in, not how many big ones. The big bands will always fill stadiums, they aren't needed at festivals.

I know what you're saying: "But Connor, the draw of those big acts is what helps those festivals be successful..." I say that's crap. If Coachella were a bunch of quality artists, none of whom were platinum, I'll bet it would still be profitable and well respected. Plus, if I only knew half the bands at a show, isn't that the best time to be exposed to new stuff? I don't know about you, but my best memories of festivals are when I come back saying things like, "Band X was great, as usual, but then I saw this one band I'd never heard of before that blew me away! I'm going go to go get every track they've got!"

Sadly, I don't think that's where festivals are heading. They're hot, exspensive, restrictive, the bands get limited sets, lights and theatrics. Why would I go through all of that to see Adult. play when I could catch them two nights later at the Troubadour, up close and personal for longer and cheaper? Not to mention the fact that I got the chance to B.S. with them after the show.

I think I'm done with festivals...except maybe Detour...it felt more like a carnival to me than a festival.

What do all of you think? Planning any big festival trips soon? What have been your bad and good experiences?

Video of the Day

If you haven't heard this band yet (from the ipod commerical or otherwise), you'll be hearing about them soon. This is the Ting Tings. I'll have a full album review very soon. In the meantime, enjoy this track.

Video of the Day

Sorry I missed yesterday. GTA 4 had me in its clutches. Decided to break out a classic today. Enjoy.

Radio 4 - Quit Hiding

I'd been a Radio 4 fan for awhile when they played New Orleans. I was lucky enough to strike up a conversation with the lead singer, Anthony, before the show and he asked me afterwards if I knew a place to get a drink (the show was at House of Blues, not known in New Orleans as a late night hang out). I took him to R Bar and then to One Eyed Jacks. Good times. They were on tour for Stealing of a Nation then.

Their follow-up, Enemies Like This, left me a little cold. It wasn't that it was a bad album. Just that their music had moved away from the DFA/disco-punk stuff that I'd really enjoyed from them up to that point.

Their new track, "Quit Hiding", is equally different and divergent. They've been working with The Brothers (who co-produced !!!) and their new sound is somewhere that I guess I would call more 'moderate'(?) I realize that moderate is a vague term. The song is less dancy than their previous stuff, but also less 'rock'. Their production and writing have definitely seen a shift though.

"Quit Hiding" is a bit repetitive and little less in-your-face than previous Radio 4 works and that above all may be dictating my opinion. My gut says 'I don't like it'. But I love the band so maybe I just need to hear more before I drop the guillotine. Next time you guys are in L.A., let's have another beer so I can pick your brains about this new direction! (Oh, and P.J. - if you end up reading this - you still owe me that Faint remix you said you'd send me!! ;-)

On a positive front, the band is releasing "Quit Hiding", along with their forthcoming EP entirely for free from http://www.rcrdlbl.com/ , an mp3 based record label that doesn't charge for downloads. Go download it, and let me know what you think.

Radio 4

The Presets - Apocalypso

Musicians must have nightmares about their sophomore albums. They've come off a successful first album, gone on tour and gotten everyone all revved up. So here we are, a couple of years after Beams, and now we have Apocalypso. I can almost hear the boys from Presets taking in that last big breath as they hold it, waiting for everyone's response.

Most second albums are either crushed under the weight of the first album or radically depart from the first in a way that derails their original audience. But that makes sense, doesn't it? After all, the band has toured, played live and, presumably, made some money. All of those things should change you.

Apocalypso does neither of the aforementioned things. It follows the (just made up) addage of: If you don't like a Presets song, just skip to the next one. They're delightfully schizophrenic. The album opens with a bit of a throw away club track, "Kicking and Screaming" that has the feel of something that is supposed to be remixed. But then it moves on to "My People", a Nitzer Ebb style floor pounder that can work into almost any club scene. They move into Pet Shop Boys territory with with "A New Sky" and then "This Boy's in Love" leaps firmly into Erasure's lap (see previous video post).

I'm not sure 'This boy' is the best track on the album, but it certainly stands out from the rest. It almost feels like something written by another band. It has an epic feel that manages to climb over most of the other tracks with its power. The rest of the album feels like filler compared to it.

The remaining tracks continue down a solid journey, visiting bands like Devo and Information Society along the way, drifting from cheesy analog Chromeo-inspired fun, to bigger soundscape stuff.

Apocalypso escapes the sophomore slump, not by taking things up a notch, but by delivering an album that could have simply been a continuation of their first. Relax guys, you can breath. People are going to like it.

I'd spin "My People" around 1:30 before a Nitzer Ebb track. "This Boy's in Love" would go on around 11:30 right after something by Electronic.

The Presets

Video of the Day

This yummy track from Dead Disco is all Debbie Harry/Teri Nunn lushness mixed up with a great retro looking graphics job on the video. It's everything that was good about the 80s.

So...Hot Chip...

I've tried to "get" them. I really have. I just can't seem to lock on to what people like about them. Their music does absolutely nothing for me. Which is odd considering I'm a fan of many of the other bands that get lumped in with them (LCD, !!!, etc).

Do you love Hot Chip? Why? Do you hate them? Can someone explain this whole Hot Chip thing to me? I'm lost.

Video of the Day

These guys are my local L.A. heroes. Hard-working, fantastically underappreciated guys (and gal) who always thrill me with their live shows. This is their only video so far, but they have a ton of great music out there.

www.lemonsun.org

Presets - This Boy's in Love

Pet Shop Boys. Erasure. New Order. Depeche Mode. If those names evoke a mood or a vibe in you that involves dancefloors, synthesizers, and boy meets boy behavior, then you'll probably love this track from the Presets. It's nothing new by any means. It treads on the aforementioned bands with lots of earnest joy though and you can't help but find the track fun.

It's not my favorite track from the band by a long shot. I tend to prefer their darker, heavier stuff. Nevertheless, Beams was one of the better albums from last year and I'm guessing the new one, Apocalypso(released in April), has plenty of things to shake your ass to. I'll have a full review of the album here soon.



While I found the video to be gorgeously shot and edited, it didn't really do anything for me. I think, visually, it covered the same ground as Fischerspooner's "Emerge"

Ladytron "Ghosts"

Some bands are undefinable because they seem to have little elements in them of other genres or bands. Ladytron on the other hand are undefineable because they smash through genres leaving a bloody trail of wannabes and one hit wonders in their wake.

Their new album, Velocifero is out on June 6th and I'm really looking forward to it. The first single, "Black Cat", is where the goth scene should have gone years ago instead of dredging the bottom of the rave barrel for inspiration. It's all brooding synths and fuzzy bass and attitude.

"Ghosts" is its equal in value if not style. It's a great piece of work and the video captures the song quite well.



If this is where Ladytron is headed, then I couldn't be more pleased. I made a prediction a couple of years ago when Witching Hour came out. I thought that was the album that would make them HUGE. They would totally blow up and change the relationship between indie and pop music. It didn't happen of course, and I'm glad.

But Ladytron has done something even better. They've created their own little world, their own genre. They tap dance on the heads of so many other artists and yet never seem derivative. Let's hope this next album is as wonderfully lush, exciting, successful and unpopular as all of their others.

Video of the Day

This is "Ghetto Ways" by Scissors For Lefty, a great SF band. They are amazing live and you gotta love a band that includes a kazzoo in the act.

The Cure - The Only One

I find myself having a hard time writing this review because like most children of the 80s, the Cure hold a special place for me. Their darker earlier material contrast so much with their later material and by the 9os, I really felt like I'd lost touch with Smith and Co.

The new single, The Only One, harkens back to headier days when jangly guitars and Smiths' soaring vocals were synonomous with black and white striped stockings, purple docks, and aqua-net.

Unfortunately, it doesn't do so with a sense of nostalgia, but instead, a feeling of safety. This isn't the Cure we love, it's the Cure that was. "The Only One" sails safely by on familiar riffs and reminiscent lyrics, but it only serves to remind us that Head on the Door is 23 years old.

http://www.thecure.com/

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

Disclaimer: I've been a NIN fan since I was 18 years old and heard Head Like a Hole. For years I thought they could do no wrong.

Whew, okay, that's outta the way. I'm still a big fan, but a half dozen albums and 20 years later, both Trent and I are both a little softer around the edges. Sonically, NIN runs the gamut of moods and themes, even within a single album. He screams, croons, broods and dances all within an hour, and his new album, The Slip, is no exception.

But when I first heard their single, "Discipline", I stopped dead in my tracks. Whoa. Was this a Nine Inch Nails reborn? Was it a band that had taken notes from tour mates like Ladytron and TV on the Radio and reinvented itself as some kind of indie-rock/industrial hybrid? The steady thumping bass was right out of Radio 4 and the whole thing felt like some sort of angry Rapture song.

Alas, the single does not represent the album. The album quickly deviates into noisier, grindier pieces, that while intelligently created, often leave me cold. Don't get me wrong, Reznors less dancy pieces can be powerful works. But it's not his relationship to the dancefloor that defines his work. It's his relationship to silence. Look back at all of the really memorable tracks from this band and you will see an intimate connection between sound and silence. "Closer", "Hurt", "Sin", "March of the Pigs", "The Day the World Went Away", "Only" - all of these songs are as much defined by the sounds they don't make as by the ones they do.

There are some interesting pieces on this album and I still think Trent Reznor is one of the true auteur's of our generation. This album doesn't mark a new direction or a high water mark for Nine Inch Nails, but it does continue down a thoughtful, well-produced, relevant trail that began two decades ago.

You can download the entire album, The Slip, at http://www.nin.com/ for free. Entirely free. In almost any format. Cheers, TR.

Speaking of the Faint...

This just in: The Faint have a new album coming out on August 5th entitled Fasciinatiion. It's also their first work outside of Saddle Creek records on their own label, Blank.wav. Considering the name of the label and the title of the album, I'm guessing we're looking at a move toward an even more electronic sound from the band. Here's the tracklisting:
"Get Seduced"
"The Geeks Were Right"
"Machine in the Ghost"
"Fulcrum and Lever"
"Psycho"
"Mirror Error"
"I Treat You Wrong"
"Forever Growing Centipedes"
"Fish in a Womb"
"A Battle Hymn for Children"

For you kids in L.A. they are playing at the Fonda on the 7th and 8th of August. Unfortunately for you cats in the New Orleans area, the closest they are coming to you is Austin (the 11th) and Atlanta (the 14th). For you NW Faint lovers, they hit Seattle on the 2nd, and Portland on the 3rd.

If you haven't seen a Faint show, make sure you find the time/money. It's one of the best live experiences you can have.

Video of the Day

This one is from The Faint, although it's not an official one. Usually bands are reticent to connect themselves to fan-based creations, but The Faint are a notable exception. They embrace their fans work and encourage it. This is a standout out piece because of it's professional look as well as it's orginality. Enjoy.

Tokyo Police Club

I really liked Tokyo Police Clubs first album although I find it really hard to describe it. Certainly it fits in the current indie pop/rock genre, but these Canadians find a way to stand apart from most of their contemporaries.

Oddly enough, their music reminds me of their countrymen, the Kids in the Hall. Not that they are comedians, but that there is a certain hyper-whimsy to their music.

Their new single, "2 in a Cave" is a prime example of that. David Monk sings "I'm romantic, but never pearly white" and over taught snares and sharp angular guitar. "You're my cave, and I've been hiding out". It's music to drive with your top down to, but in a non-ironic way ;-)

I'd play this at around 10:45pm along with some Modest Mouse and some Dogs Die in Hot Cars.

Tokyo Police Club

IAMX

Chris Corner started the Sneaker Pimps back when he was practically still in diapers. Now, having moved on, he's releasing his second album under his alter ego I Am X. If you haven't heard him before, imagine if Depeche Mode had been born on a nightclub dancefloor and had never left. Throw in some Brian Molko-like vocals and you've pretty much nailed it.

Don't mistake a simple summary for a poor product though. Corner knows what he's doing and he's good at it. The tracks I've got here are the single "Spit it Out", the Alexander Kowalski remix of said track and the B-Side, "Night Life".

"Spit it Out" sounds like a lot of his previous work. Again, no surprises, but it's one of those tracks you could play cold on a dancefloor and have people dance without ever having heard it before. Even moreso with the remix which has an amped up bassline, plenty of vocals and a nice intro/outro.

I'd call this an 11:30pm track that would be a perfect fit between a Placebo remix and any Jaques Lu Cont remix.

"Night Life" on the other hand, harkens back to a day when at any moment you might find your eye poked out by a flying glow stick and your success with the opposite gender could be determined by the amount your pants billowed or the quantity of candy on your necklace. "I want to know how to survive in the nightlife" Corner croons, just before the Mortal Kombat synthesizers hit you full blast. Put down your PS1, hop into your Miata and get to the warehouse fast!

I'd play this at about 3:00 am, between some Underworld and some Prodigy.

I Am X

Jukebox the Ghost

The tinkling piano that opens the track "Good Day" tricks you into thinking that you are in store for a typical emo mope-fest. But there's surprising power in this song. Ranging from Ben Folds to Conor Oberst to the Postal Service, this song does a good job of never falling too far into any one expectation. The vocals and the keyboard play off each other well and there is a surprising amount of really finely crafted instrumentation in this song. The three minute track slides by far faster than it actually is.

This would go well around 10:30pm between a Morrissey track and a Coldplay track.

Jukebox the Ghost

A Kiss Could Be Deadly

Two young girls make a rash decision to shoplift a skirt and run from the mall being chased by an oafish security guard. The girls laugh all the way to the food court, where they run into the cute new boy from school with the mopish bangs and the outfit entirely from Structure. The skirt is forgotten over shared Frappucinos.

The above paragraph is the television version of A Kiss Could Be Deadly, an 'almost big' band from LA. It's pure, unadulterated pop, wrapped in an 'alternative' package. Complete with uplifting keyboards, 'dangerous' guitar lines, and defiant, yet whiny harmonized female vocals, this band is everything that makes us want the terrorists to win. They list themselves as Electro/New Wave/Punk on myspace. Which is about the same as calling Fall Out Boy 'metal'.

On the other hand, I'm sure they'll make a ton of money from selling their tracks to the O.C. and Gossip Girl. Their new album is called S/T.

This would NEVER get into one of my sets, so I can't give it a time slot. A Kiss Could Be Deadly

Mindless Self Indulgence

So I got two new remixes of MSI's "Never Wanted to Dance" and was excited to hear them both. After all, one of my favorite hard tracks from last year was MSI's "Shut Me up".

The first, by Tommie Sunshine (Damn is he prolific), hits all the right notes. As with a lot of electro mixes, the lyrics are left mostly intact, thankfully. The beats are very Tommie, but the MSI sound isn't washed away either. Screaming synths, punky/gothy vocals and a great bass line keep this song really itchy (I just made that up...the song just seems itchy to me. It doesn't mean anything. Don't read into it.). There is a bit of a breakdown about at about 5:30 that brings the song subtly into Marilyn Manson territory. It's the only weak part of the track. Oh, and a good intro and outra if you're spinning this.

This is a 12:30am track, between some Covenant and maybe a White Zombie remix.

The next remix titled the "Spider Dub", isn't bad, just boring. Some remixes become so stripped down, taken apart, mashed around and beaten that they bear no resemblence to the original any longer. This is one of those. 3:30am when either your crowd's so doped they don't care and you want a drink, or when you've had enough and you want em off the dancefloor soon.

Mindless Self Indulgence

The A.K.A.'s

Let me say that I have a weakness for a few things in rock music. One is a good use of an organ . So right off the bat, the A.K.A's have scored points with me. (The other is a horn section - ala "Why Can't I Be You?")

"This is the Way We Move" , the first track, launches right out of the gate with floor stomper that's reminiscent of the Caesar's, Jet, and the White Stripes. Less quirky than the Caesar's, more British than Jet and less pretentious than the Stripes. On top of all that, add a dash of the Misfits. They sound like they're having fun, which goes a long way with me. I imagine their concerts being racous affairs with lots of spilled beer, singing along with a cigarette in your mouth (can you do that anywhere anymore?) and cute girls you lose sight of in the crowd.

They occassionally dip too close to the 'pop-punk' genre for my taste, especially on tracks like "Dead Flowers Forever". Their lyrics are simple, which when well done means they end up being catchy and fun. When simple goes the other way though you end up with trite and down right 'eye rolling' as on "We Write Our Own Anthems". For the most part though, I'd call their album Everybody Make Some Noise consistent and fun. However, it never quite returns to the high of the first track.

Overall, I'd call this album a 10:15pm, played between some "Black Betty" and the Strokes. The A.K.A's

Boys in a Band

I'm listening to the track "Black Diamond Train" by Boys in a Band and I'm pretty sure I don't like it. The funny thing is, I can't decide why. They obviously have some talent. They don't sound like they are ripping any one band or genre off.

But still...

Something's lacking. The track starts out all jangly rock - think Strokes, the Departure, old R.E.M.. So far so good. The lead vocals somehow invoke 70s arena rock in some way and the writing and production are all tight. And yet, it just isn't putting me over the edge. Again, nothing bad here...just lacking some punch.

I'd call this a 10:30pm track. Squeezed between some Cheap Trick and some Darkness. Boys in a Band.

Figo

So, I got a track from a couple of NYC DJ/musicians called Figo. Their track, "Plaza" was remixed by Tommie Sunshine and results in a fresh yet familiar sound. It's got a basic four on the floor beat, but with scratchy synths, fuzzy guitars and ripped up vocals it ends up sounding more like an old Snog track or something from Bi-God 20 then anything from the current house/disco-punk movement. Which is fine with me. It's nice to for someone to take something out of the early '90s closet, dust it off and give it a fresh coat of paint. I'd call this a 1:30am track, squeezed in between a Nine Inch Nails remix and some Electric Six. Figo

Opening Remarks

Rubber Glove Seduction is a blog-when-I-feel-like-it page about music. While there's no one genre I'm focusing on here, my background and passions lie with Britpop, post-punk, electro/clash, disco-punk, punk, industrial, new wave and other art-trash. I won't get into a monologue about my music background, but I'll summarize by letting you know that I've been dj'ing for 10 years and have had numerous other music related experiences.

This blog comes out of a life long love/hate, work/pleasure relationship with music. Since I'm currently not spinning anywhere for the first time in a long time, I thought that putting my opinions to "print" is the next best thing.

Let me be upfront by saying that I'm given music by certain agencies that are looking to promote certain bands and songs. That said, I'm not here to be their mouthpieceor only to write about what they send me. I'm hear to call it like it is. In the end, this is about my opinion. If you disagree with something I say, let me know. And don't pull any punches either, because I surely won't be.

Rather than a traditional rating system, I'm using a more practical one for the moment. I'm giving each song or album a 'time slot' that I would give it were I spinning it in a set and including a 'before' and 'after' track to indicate a general vibe. It's a pretty vague system, but then again so are the basis for opinions in this world.