If you’ve been checking out SEEN’s RCRD LBL blog over the past week, you’ll have noticed that they’ve been posting their Top 10 videos of 2007 in daily installments. Not to give anything away, but all of our favorites made it in, such as Klaxons, Radiohead, and UNKLE. It’s a really good list, and the #1 video might just be ours too…
The first time Napoleon IIIrd came to our attention was when he signed to Dance to the Radio, the Leeds, UK label founded by Forward, Russia!’s lead guitarist Whiskas. He passed us a random compilation of DTTR bands about a year and a half ago and we’ve been into Napoleon IIIrd ever since—his particular brand of folk rock is mysterious, dark, and brooding. Perfect for a Christmas song then!
Drowned in Sound just posted “Snowball Fight at The OK Diner”, possibly the strangest holiday song we’ve posted yet (and there were some strong contenders). It’s all sleigh bells and chants of “Merry Christmas” bellowed from the depths by NapIIIrd’s reverberated vocals. Definitely enough to put you in the holiday spirit.
In heated anticipation for So Haunted, Cut Copy’s second album, Modular and the band have put together an hour-long disco mix, just to whet our appetites for the Australian trio’s disco rock return. Of course, being the kind souls that we are, we have the mix to give away right here. It’s a monster playlist that will keep you dancing over the holiday break, featuring such groove masterminds as Space and Holy Ghost!. The mix is called So Cosmic and you can download it below. Enjoy.
Fool’s Gold just posted the dopest blog about A-Trak hanging out in Nigeria with Kanye West during his recent shows there. It seriously reads like a Choose Your Own Adventure style epic journey. There are tales of massive bodyguards, serious precautionary medical procedures, and late night hotel power outages. Just goes to show that when you’re an internationally renowned DJ you’re prepared for any situation.
The best thing about the blogosphere in December is the MP3 mix tapes certain blogs bash together for their loyal readership. Like an all-encompassing compilation of obvious choices and hidden tidbits, the best mixes have a little something for everyone. We posted the mix from Said the Gramophone the other day, and today we turn our sights towards the indie hipness that is Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, and their MP3 smorgasbord. This is the 4th volume they’ve done this year, so make sure to click around to find the other installments. With tracks from the likes of St. Vincent and Vampire Weekend, you can’t go wrong…
It’s weird how music sometimes comes full circle—the first track we ever heard from Justice was a remix that they did of one of our all-time favorite songs of the past 5 years, “You Can’t Fool Me, Dennis” by Mystery Jets. We loved the original and were blown away by the remix, as it goes from jaunty piano ballad to dance-floor filler in about a split second. We played it incessantly. So weird to think that years later both Justice and Mystery Jets would be part of RCRD LBL. The Music Slut featured the track today, and we’re right back where we started, loving every second.
We’re really proud to present to you O’Death, the newest addition to the ever-expanding RCRD LBL family. If you’re one of their totally devoted and crazy loyal fans, then you’ll need no introduction, but for those who have never experienced their fervent bayou-punk, here’s the breakdown: O’Death formed in a few years ago after going to college together and immediately identified themselves thought their unique delivery and instrumentation. Instead of guitars and the odd glockenspiel, the heart of O’Death’s music is comprised of banjos, fiddles, and front man Greg Jamie’s completely possessed vocal styling.
We’re so into this band that we’re featuring a brand new, unreleased track of theirs called “Spitfire”, which is the perfect document of what O’Death are all about. It’s all rolling tin drums and what sounds like Jamie singing through a busted bullhorn. Take a listen:
Also, O’Death are headlining two nights at the Mercury Lounge in New York tomorrow and Saturday, and we’re giving away two tickets for the Saturday show. To enter, just email your details to contests@rcrdlbl.com with your name before tomorrow at 5PM, with "O'Death" in the subject line. You’ll be notified by email if you’re the winner.
Justice’s debut album † has been shooting to the top of many a year-end list, and for good reason. The boys have had an unbelievable year (we’re pretty sure that 2007 will be forever known as “the year ‘D.A.N.C.E.’ broke”) so it can only be uphill from here. The band just did an interview with XLR8R TV for the magazine’s web site, where Xavier de Rosnay (billed as the “awake half” of Justice… Hm…) gives us a couple of his musical Top 5’s, and finally tackles that sore Kanye West topic.
The results are in: congratulations to Vanessa, the winner of our holiday Puma contest. She is now the proud recipient of three $75 Puma.com gift certificates. Thanks to the friendly folk at Puma and all the readers who participated. Watch this space for more cool contests in the future.
RCRD LBL's own Baron von Luxxury is a blogger in his own right, keeping Disco Workout afloat in a sea of electro MP3s. What's cool about musicians writing MP3 blogs is that in showcasing other artists they enjoy, often their music becomes more clear and contextualized for someone who is just getting into their sound. Bearbaby from Disco Workout just posted a great story about Isao Tomita, who was like a one-man, Japanese Kraftwerk, from what we gather (classically trained, but obsessed with electronics). He used Moogs heavily (best instruments ever) and his songs ended up sounding like robotic concertos of great classical music. It’s kind of mind-blowing.
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