Fool's Gold just put out a record with Sydney party denizens Bag Raiders, collecting some remixes from FG associates and a new original with Donnis for the North American exclusive Big Fun EP. This mega retro version of their single "Fun Punch" by Sammy Bananas and Brooklyn singer Carrie Wilds was held just for us, and since it sounds like Gloria Estefan as heard through a pack of Starburst, we are obviously psyched to share. Download's below; for the Big Fun EP hit up Beatport or iTunes.
Marina has a voice and a face for the bright lights, no doubt, but The Phenomenal Handclap Band have a method, and they're not about to shake that for some Diamond girl with pretty eyes. So their remix of "Mowgli's Road" cuts her vocal to ribbons, proceeding in a tight four-four groove that brings to mind the bleeding neon of films set in late Seventies urban America (pre-HD). Watch out for those guys in the leather jackets and red headbands. I think they're 'street punks'. Q: Whatever happened to 'street punks'? A: They all started going to the disco.
The first thing you're going to notice about this Harvard Bass remix of Beni from the Kitsune comp is the synth riff, which sounds like a rubber duck being used as a fire alarm. That's cool and all, but we're really gassed on the snare rolls that are peppered throughout, because as any Mannie Fresh fan knows, snare rolls are friggin' exhilarating. Buy the full comp right here.
Much has been said about Vitalic doing the mutant electro thing before seemingly every Western European teenager had Ableton spewing chunks, but honestly, his songs are so engrossing that context just seems futile. New LP Flashmob has a great single in the sleaze-disco of "Poison Lips," which has been rubbed into this narcotic synth odyssey by Belgium's Captain Flash. Lots of endorphin showers to be had here.
Alice Russell is from England? We call foul, she’s got to be from Rogers, Texas, thrice divorced, her congregation's star alto and Alvin Ailey’s muse with pipes like these. Below lift the excellent, soul and funk-kissed KidKanevil remix of “Let Us Be Loving” before it drops next week. Show support here by purchasing Pot of Gold or a slew of singles and 7-inchers including The White Stripes covers and Mr. Scruff remixes. Also, dainty limited edition teacups. Okay, she’s British.
Beach House timed this one just about perfect, didn't they? "Norway" isn't just made for autumn, it is autumn, ticking along on breath-on-window backing sighs, synths that disintegrate like a bed of fallen leaves and the voice of Victoria Legrand; who inhales oxygen and exhales bitter, bitter, wistful regret. Break your heart some more when the duo's much-anticipated new album Teen Dream drops early next year.
The Golden Filter's name implies immaculateness, so no surprise that their tunes always have this great aural New Car Smell. They just put out a new single through Dummy called "Thunderbird," a traipsing disco cut that sounds like it could've been made from ivory. The original and dub mixes have been floating around and a new video arrived today, but this version, with towering oil drum hits and foggy rainforest vibes, is exclusive to us. Download it below while we go mine the closet for rainsticks and facepaint.
There's nothing overtly psychedelic or doomy about Grooms' "Acid King Of Hell (Guitar Feelings)," but the parenthetical bears some insight, since it's on their loud-quiet-loud amp exorcisms that this one really gets lifted. More squalid shredding can be found on Rejoicer, the Brooklyn threesome's new album for Death By Audio, and on their current tour out to the West Coast (dates after the break).
We've hadremixes and incredible videos, but "Cannibal" is actually the first original Fan Death tune we've heard since "Veronica's Veil" in 2008. They're still singing about macabre stuff over regal synth-strings, the same ABBA-gone-goth path we happily followed them down the last time. It will also open a new EP called A Coin For The Well, which is due in January through Erol Alkan's Phantasy Sound.
When our buddies at Loudersoft sent Skewby our way, it was kind of impossible to pick our favorite track. The kid hails from Memphis, his hooks are Philly, his flow’s New York, and every song is different. Reminiscent of backpack-era Kanye, Skewby’s killing the campus scene, and rightly so. Below, his rework of “No Handlebars” bests the original, and two tracks—wild with old school giggles and blasting horns—prove mixtapes don’t have to suck.