Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 17

Sorry about the lack of posts yesterday campers. Technical difficulties. Your regular programming will now continue.

We're going to wrap up the Radio Broker series today with the last two tracks on the station. They also happen to be two of my favorites. It's been fun doing this series and it's really added to my enjoyment of GTA IV. Kudos to Rockstar for putting together a really good station.

The first track is from the(sometimes) NY dance/funk/psychadelia band, !!!. "Yadnus" appears on their last album, but this particular remix comes from the single. !!! are a hit or miss band for me. Some of their stuff seems to ramble or drift too much for my taste (ex. "Me and Guliani by the School Yard"). Others though, like "Must Be the Moon" are amazing. They're good enough that I don't really care about the tracks that miss. "Yadnus" is definitely one of the tracks that keeps me coming back to this band though. This particular mix is a bit long for me, and it pulls out some of the bass, which for me is one of the bands strengths. Nevertheless, it's a fantastic song.

Oh, and here's the video from the original track:

The final track is from Whitey. I'd only recently heard of him but boy did he make an impression with the track "Non Stop". My girlfriend said it sounded like Beck to her, and while I see the similarities, I think his GTA track, "Wrap It Up" clearly defines the differences. I haven't heard his full album, Get Shakes(which isn't available on Amazon currently), yet, but I've really liked every track I've heard to date.

Whitey is a shining example of everything right in the dance/punk genre right now. Full of attitude, but without seeming 'ironic' or 'retro'. Amazing bass lines and hooks. Catchy, understandable lyrics. And beats that stick in your head for days. "There's only one thing to do," he sings, full of swagger, "Get even, Get Even! GET EVEN!" I love it.

MP3: !!! - Yadnus (Still Going to the Roadhouse Mix)

Purchase through Amazon - Yadnus (Still Going to the Roadhouse Mix)

!!!

MP3: Whitey - Wrap it Up

Purchase through Amazon - Wrap it Up
Whitey

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 17

As far as I know, only one song was written solely for the GTA IV radio stations. "Vagabond" by the Greenskeepers is quite possibly the most infamous track in the game since it's played in most of the commercials and previews.

Known for their song "Lotion", the Greenskeepers managed to capture every aspect of the GTA universe in a simple yet amazing song. "I came a long way to see you. Now I wish you were dead". If you're playing the game, those lines make perfect sense. The lyrics capture the angst, despair and anger of Niko Bellic perfectly. From the opening hand claps and the absolutely pounding bass, this track works anywhere, anytime as you try to survive on the streets of Liberty City.

I'm hard pressed to pick an absolute favorite song from Radio Broker, but this track is a contender.

MP3: the Greenskeepers - Vagabond

Purchase through Amazon - Vagabond

the Greenskeepers

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 16

Hard to believe I've already gone through 16 tracks of GTA IV's Radio Broker. Only a few left!
There's something innocent and playful about "The Teacher" by Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band. Maybe it's in the half-whispered vocals or the blippy keyboard that seems to swim above all the rest of instrumentaion. This easily could be a Dandy Warhols track, which of course, instantly gets it some points. I'm not sure it fits in with the GTA atomsphere, but I like it anyway. Oh and the video is hilarious.



MP3: Ralph Myerz - The Teacher
Purchase through Amazon - The Teacher
Ralphy Myerz

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 15

I'm sorry to say that today's GTA IV, Radio Broker band, the Pistolas, have recently broken up. Their track "Take It With a Kiss" was released as a single, after a short 2006 EP. Their demise is really too bad. The song, hopefully an indicator of their music in general, was a great mix of swanky rock and Rapture-like dance/funk.

I really like this track. Along with a couple of tracks we have yet to cover and the Deluka track, I think this ranks as my favorite.

The Pistolas may be gone, but for GTA players, they'll live on on Radio Broker.

MP3: The Pistolas - Take It With a Kiss
Purchase through Amazon - Take It With a Kiss
The Pistolas

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 14

Probably the most widely recognized band on the Radio Broker playlist is the Black Keys. Often compared to the White Stripes, this bluesy-rock band supplies the track "Strange Times". While this track isn't exactly an adrenaline rush, the tune does get under your skin in an almost eerie way. It lends a weight to Radio Broker that is otherwise missing. I always appreciate hearing this track during GTA while I'm driving to some new mission location. It has such a heavy sense of foreboding.



MP3: Black Keys - Strange Times
Purchase through Amazon: Strange Times
Black Keys

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 13

The disco-punk genre is pretty much dominated by male voices. !!!, LCD Soundsystem, Shitdisco, the list goes on. Bands like Dead Disco, the Ting Tings, Yelle, all sound more pop/new wave - although whether having female leads is an aspect of that is a debate for a different post.

Bucking this trend is Deluka, a band out of Birmingham, who provide us with today's GTA IV Radio Broker track, "Sleep Is Impossible". With a bass and guitar reminiscent of Radio 4 and a cowbell that would make even The Rapture squirm with envy this song is one of the most danceable, energetic tracks on Radio Broker.

Prior to doing this series of posts, I'd be playing GTA IV and this track would come on. Immediately, my girlfriend would pop her head in the room and say 'who is this?' I could tell that I wasn't the only one who was energized by this song.

When Ellie Innocenti's husky vocals first come in, I thought I was in for something like The Gossip, but then the chorus hits you over the head. She shouts "What's the deal honey?!" over and over followed by "Sleep is impossible now...". There is no way to drive through the streets of Liberty City slowly to this. It drops back into a synthy, crooning snake again between choruses, then comes charging back out like the Hulk with a personal grudge. I've lost track of the number of cars that I've turned into fireballs while listening to this song. That's about as a good an endorsement I can give.

MP3: Deluka - Sleep Is Impossible

Purchase through Amazon - Sleep Is Impossible

Deluka

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 12

Today's GTA Radio Broker track is from a Leeds act called White Light Parade. This relatively new act only has a couple of singles out to date, but I'm pretty sure that with the hype they'll get from GTA, they'll have an album soon.

This band is a complete mish mash of post-punk whatnot styles. The GTA track, "Riot in the City" owes everything to the Clash. In fact, this band is so derivative, so completely entrenched in its influences that it's hard to separate them from the bands they borrow from. I guess this can be seen as both a plus and minus. You can't like the Clash and not like this band. (Unless it's for sounding like the Clash) In the end, I appreciate their energy and their skill, but unless they bring something new to the table, something that is uniquely themselves, they may as well just change their name to the Clam (Did you see what I did there? That's the Clash and the Jam, squished together. God, I'm witty.)

All this is not to say that I don't like "Riot in the City (after all, I like the Clash). It's a rockin' good song, with plenty of yelling, pissed off guitar, and British youthful rebellion to it. Besides, a 'riot in the city' is pretty much a shoe in for a GTA title.

MP3: White Light Parade - Riot in the City
Purchase through Amazon - Riot in the City
White Light Parade

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 8-11

Sorry I've missed a few days of posts. I've been dealing with getting ready to move, including a garage sale. That also entailed getting rid of my CD collection which was both traumatic and liberating. I've gone entirely digital now (With the exception of a few choice pieces of cherished vinyl). It feels good.

Back to my GTA Radio Broker series though. To make up for my lack of posts the last few days, we're going to do four tracks today.

The first is from Tom Vek,the innovative disco-punk artist that brought you dance floor kids "I Ain't Sayin' My Goodbye's". While the track included in GTA, "One Horse Race" is not as dance ready, nor as catchy, it's a pretty solid track. Funky bass, plenty of forward guitar and appropriately wailing (if slightly whiny) vocals. The end drones on a bit too long. "This is not a test of fate" repeated over and over and over gets a bit tiring.

MP3: Tom Vek - One Horse Race

Purchase through Amazon - One Horse Race

Tom Vek

The second track is from down under band, Teenager. "Pony" definitely has some explicit, sexually themed lyrics, although I have yet to be able to track them down (the band has no official site, the myspace page doesn't have them, and the web has turned up nothing so far). But you don't need to understand them to get the vibe of the song, which to me takes me back to the early 00's and the birth of the electroclash scene. This song really reminds me of acts like Mount Sims or something Larry Tee would have produced. It's all attitude and sex, while also being slightly tongue-in-cheek. This is becoming one of my favorite tracks on Radio Broker and I'm looking forward to hearing more of Teenager.

MP3: Teenager - Pony

Purchase through Amazon - Pony

Teenager

The third track I've got for you today is from one of my favorite bands of the last decade, cow bell happy, the Rapture. "No Sex For Ben" is a track that doesn't seem to appear anywhere outside of GTA, but it seems to follow the rest of Raptures move toward more slickly produced disco-punk and away from the more raw, complicated sounds of Echoes. This isn't my favorite track by the NY boys, but it's right up there with the good stuff. Besides, you can always use more cowbell.

MP3: The Rapture - No Sex For Ben

Purchase through Amazon - No Sex For Ben

The Rapture

Finally, we've got Les Savy Fav's "Rage in the Plague Age". It's weird. I've never been truly drawn to these NY indie-rockers. On the other hand, I like their stuff every time I hear it. They've got so much in their music that reminds me of the early 80s post-punk scene. The Clash, Buzzcocks, PIL, all squeezed, mashed, tweaked and most importantly, revitalized. Oddly, this track has NEVER come up on my Radio Broker station while playing the game. I realize that the song selection is random, but come on! Never? Not once?

MP3: Les Savy Fav - Rage in the Plague Age

Purchase through Amazon - Rage in the Plague Age

Les Savy Fav

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 7

Today's Radio Broker track comes to us from the pairing of the electronic collaborative UNKLE, and wall-of-sound style band, the Duke Spirit. Despite the heavy drums and grindy guitars, Leila's voice along with some swoony background vocals make this make this much more of mood piece than it should be. I don't think UNKLE is quite represented strongly enough.

I'm just not sure this song's a fit for GTA. Maybe at the in-game strip club. Otherwise, this track seems to drift by without making a huge impact. Don't hate. Don't love it.

MP3: UNKLE - May Day (feat. Duke Spirit)
Purchase through Amazon - May Day
UNKLE
The Duke Spirit

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 6

For the most part, film stars that try to become lead singers just don't work. You have the earnest if misguided types, like Bruce Willis and Scarlett Johansen. Then you have the train wrecks, like Eddie Murphy, Don Johnson, and Jared Leto. So, we come to Juliette Lewis. Not only is her bands track our GTA IV track of the day, she's also the DJ of Radio Broker.

Not too long back, I remember seeing a reply on another blog regarding Juliette Lewis, and I wish I could remember where I saw this said, so I could link it. But here's the basic gist of what this commenter said: "Sometimes I think, 'damn, she's kinda hot' and then I'm ashamed for wanting to fuck a retarded girl." I laughed my ass off when I read that. It summed up so much about what I've heard a lot of people say about her.

I can't say I'm a huge of Juliette Lewis the actress. Her bread and butter seems to be slightly off balance trailer trash girls. I honestly think that's most of her range. The great exception being her turn in Christmas Vacation.

Anyway, all of this is a set-up to say that I think that Juliette and the Licks is the exception to the rule. I like her better as a lead singer than I ever did as an actress. She seems to like herself better in that role as well. There's something visceral, maybe even guttural in her singing on "Inside the Cage", the track that appears on GTA. Her voice is at once brazen and inviting. She sounds like a rock star instead of an actress pretending to be one. The Licks seem like mud-flinging, dirty, nasty, rock n' rollers, giving all the attempts at genre categorizing them both the middle finger and a lick on the cheek, simultaneously.

This particular version is the 'David Gilmour Girls' remix and it lends itself well to the song, stripping it down to its bare essentials and giving it just enough of an electro beat to make it dance floor worthy. It's in and out in under 4 minutes.

It's not my favorite track on Radio Broker. Not by a long shot. It has however peaked my curiosity enough to go back and listen to some more of the Licks material. I have to say, I'd even like to see a show.

As to her DJ'ing on Radio Broker - priceless. Her rant about being an individual because she bought a messenger bag always makes me laugh.

Oh, and on the off chance that Juliette Lewis ever reads this: I totally take back every bad thing I've ever said about you, and sincerely apologize. You rock.

MP3: Juliette and the Licks - Inside the Cage(David Gilmour Girls' Mix)

Purchase through Amazon - Inside the Cage

Juliette and the Licks

Radio Broker - Grand Theft Auto IV - Part 5

Chicago duo Scott Lucas (of Local H semi-fame) and Blake Smith are the next band up on our review of Radio Broker, the indie style station in Grand Theft Auto IV. The two perform under the moniker The Prairie Cartel. The title of this track explains why it appears in GTA IV. "Homicide" is a slow burn. I can't say I liked it at first. It's got all the good components there, the funky bass line, the tight snare, the analog synth sounds, the all attitude vocals. But it seemed like it took awhile to get where it was going.

Of course, I can be wrong now and then. Upon a second/third/fourth listen, it's build up is exactly the right length and makes the payoff worth that much more. I enjoy this song more every time I hear it.

In fact, it's one of my top GTA tracks. Shouting 'Homicide' over and over is a great way to get you into the mood for some video game mayhem.

MP3: The Prairie Cartel - Homicide
Purchase through Amazon - Homicide
The Prairie Cartel

Radio Broker - GTA IV - Part 3

Continuing our tour through Grand Theft Auto's radio station, Radio Broker, we're at a zippy little number called "Disneyland, Pt. 1". The band, Get Shakes, break the Radio Broker mode of mostly NY bands. These two guys are from the UK.

The track is immediately reminiscent of Pop Will Eat Itself, although if I had to choose between the two, I'd still take PWEI. 'Disneyland' is a decent track, but it doesn't quite pack the punch and angst of the usual PWEI track. To be honest it goes on a bit too long.

For the most part though, there's lots of good stuff here: A good funky bass line, shouty, layered vocals and a grindy, driving rhythm. It's definitely an appropriate track for GTA.

MP3: Get Shakes - Disneyland Pt. 1

Purchase through Amazon - Disneyland Pt. 1

Get Shakes

In addition, there's a video. Although, to be honest, it's crap. A hodgepodge of budget effect shots with no real progression, theme, or any idea where the hell it's going. I'll try not to hold it against the song though.

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

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