Sometimes that mid-week hump is hard to get over, so the guys at the Dim Mak RCRD LBL blog have posted a new installment of DSCVR Dim Mak, their weekly column pointing to past highlights of the label's catalogue. This week it's an L.A. Riots remix of "Lowlife" by Scanners, a UK-based alterna-pop band Dim Mak signed last year. The original "Lowlife" is a catchy pop song in the vein of an edgier and more fleshed out version of Catatonia (calling all Brit-pop geeks on that one), but the remix sees L.A. Riots using his heavy dance production to transform the song into a Europop club monster. Check out the DSCVR DIM MAK post for the remix, and the Scanners MySpace for the original.
The ante has officially been upped! Trendsetting and all-around F L A V O R hip hop/dance/club label Fool's Gold has joined the RCRD LBL network, and we couldn't be more psyched.
It's like this, Fool's Gold is a joint venture between Montreal-based turntable king A-Trak and DJ/writer extraordinaire Nick Catchdubs, which should give you an idea of the scope of the project. We remember going to the Knitting Factory circa 2003 on more than one occasion for Nick's insane hip hop nights, and in our opinion, dude's only raised the bar, rocking parties coast to coast. As for A-Trak, he's been churning out dozens of hot remixes —in between his jaunts across the world as Kanye's official DJ. Damn.
To inaugurate the Fool's Gold RCRD LBL blog, the guys have posted for free download an exclusive remix of "Pro Nails", Kid Sister's latest single featuring this dude Kanye West (maybe you've heard?) The remix is by Bag Raiders, a merry bunch of disco-rockers from Sydney, Australia. Check it out and help us give the Fool's Gold dudes a warm welcome...
Here are the next two tracks from Cold War Kids' rare EP Mulberry Street, that we're giving away all this week on RCRD LBL. The EP has more of a feel for the band's early sound--jamming in the garage, figuring out the tunes as the went along, their blues-y indie rock meshing with their narrative lyrics. Download the next songs, "Quiet Please!" and "The Wedding" right now, and stay tuned for the final installment of the Mulberry Street EP tomorrow.
We've finally cracked the code for new trendy band names: illogical locations! Even though the Australian indie-pop outfit Architecture in Helsinki has been around for while, they're only now gaining in true prosperity in America, and their new record Places Like This is sure to be included on quite a few year-end lists (along with spiritual siblings Los Campesinos! and The Royal We). NY-based producer Ruby Beats has remixed AIH's new track "Hold Music", and Get Weird Turn Pro has the scoop.
We've never been ones to get super into the Christmas spirit, but when the Super Furry Animals call, you listen. We've always loved that the Welsh superstars are always as left of center as possible (they're sort of like the anti-Oasis, when you think about it) and now they've gone and made a Christmas single for Beggars called "The Gift That Keeps Giving". It's the usual Super Furry Animals niche, with harmonies, trumpets, acoustic guitars and the like. Not to spoil anything, but the video contains kittens, sobbing children and light satanism, so make sure to watch it till the end...
In case you've missed the blitzkrieg of hype (well-deserved, we should mention), Music for Robots are giving away a totally free Cassettes Won't Listen EP of electro-po '90s covers, called One Alternative. It's totally free and awesome, and features alt.nation classic gems like "Cut Your Hair" by Pavement and "Fuck & Run" by Liz Phair. We never thought we'd live to see the day of a '90s revival, but it's actually upon us. Scary.
It's always cool to see bands from our younger days still with it, and we are definitely still of the mindset that The Thermals will prove their clout as a classic American cult band, when all is said and done. The band have released a hilarious video (West coast punk rock antics!) for "Returning to the Fold", the newest track off of The Body, The Blood, The Machine. Take a look and remember the sweaty mosh pits you once took part in...
More news from Dirtybird today: Riva Starr, a new signee to the label, makes the kind of dirty techno we've come to love from the likes of label mates Claude vonStroke and Worthy. Riva's been busy remixing songs for big house DJs like Armand van Helden, and releasing even more albums and 12"s on labels like Frontroom and Southern Fried Records. Riva sent us his unreleased song "Crazy Frog" (no relation to the incredibly annoying ringtone fad of a few years ago) which has been keeping our heads boppin' all day long at RCRD LBL HQ. Download the tracks below and take a few to welcome this member of the extended Dirtybird roster.
One of the biggest indie runaway hits of last year was Beach House's eponymous debut record, a laid-back, lo-fi LP of ballads and droning slow jams. The album, released on Carpark Records, gave the band the opportunity to open for Grizzly Bear on their national tour, and heavy coverage with all your favorite bloggers. Obscure Sound (a fan from the very beginning of the Baltimore two-piece's career) has just featured two tracks from Beach House's new record Devotion. Like Beach House, the new album revolves around the duo's soothing warmth and organ/keaboards/guitar instrumentation. Check it out at Obscure Sound and prepare to adjust your end of lists...
Our friends over at Dirtybird have just posted a great interview with house DJ Christian Martin on their RCRD LBL blog. They've just released a super limited edition single Martin did with Claude vonStroke (there are only 500 12"s available at three stores worldwide). The song is called "Groundhog Day" and you can be sure that it'll be a crazy slab of bumping techno. Check out the interview and more info on "Groundhog Day" at the link below...
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