The.Mirror.Conspiracy.

It's been quite a while since I've become so geeked over a song/video combo like I have after hearing(watching) Battles new track "Atlas", which was posted by these guys earlier today. It shows the math-rock quartet certainly heading in new directions, most notably with the addition of vocals (filtered of course), basic time signatures, and relatively few changes. In fact, "Atlas" finds Battles less "math", and even less rock, but in a way, perhaps more experimental (at least a new type of experimental) and certainly more organic. Either way, it is fresh to these ears. Their new album, Mirrored, drops on May 15th courtesy of Warp.



Earlier Work:
Battles - SZ2
Battles - Dance

Clak!Clak!Clak!

Dance funk punkers, !!! will release Myth Takes on March 4th via Warp. They don't exactly head into uncharted ground on this Junior LP, but opt instead to refine the 4/4 dance punk genre they helped to establish over the last 6 years. I don't want refined chk chk chk. Anyway, I guess the guitars sound cool.

!!! - Heart of Hearts
!!! - Bend Over Beethoven

Smoking.Makes.You.Popular.

The über-hyped, occasionally brilliant Ed Banger Records is primed to release its second compilation, Ed Rec Vol. 2, on March 6th for the digital masses and April 10th for the vinyl kickers. Be sure to expect even more chopped synths, hyperactive, filtered beats, and hip hop grooves that only last about 4 seconds before plunging into chaotic, electro-house freak outs. In this writer's opinion, Ed Banger is often grossly overrated - their group image is undeniably a bit smokey, sexy, and extremely hip, but their beats are often contrived and messy. Messy for messy's sake. Their highlights (Sebastian, Justice) have taken their chopped, electro-nodding aesthetic and centered on infectious grooves that not only make an interesting, provocative listen, but also make people dance.

However, outside both sides of this spectrum arrives the new comp's standout Vicarious Bliss track, "Limousine". Discobelle described it as a "pulsating electro gem", but I don't hear hardly anything electro about this track (bloggers - not every good dance track has to be called an "electro-banger"). On the contrary what makes this track so great is its homage to 70's synth, arena rock - its infectious keyboard line that churns and churns and churns. This jam is a monster. Only DFA's Shit Robot has come this close to perfectly melding 70's rock and modern dance. The Ed Banger crew (sans Vicarious Bliss) will tour the US and Canada in March. Support.

Listen:
Vicarious Bliss - Limousine

Compare:
Shit Robot - Triumph

More (H)Ed Bangers:
Mr. Flash - Disco Dynamite
Busy P - Chop Suey

Built.To.Spill.

Gothenburg, Sweden quintet Love Is All make a startling first impression on debut LP Nine Times That Same Song. So, there are obvious connections to the YYY's and Karen O's howl (Busy Doing Nothing), Arcade Fire revolutionary anthems (Make Out), and Brit poppy schloppy pop (Spinning) - this band does not break any major sonic boundaries - but who gives a fuck. Every track is a foot stomping, adrenaline laced, pop punk sing-along that makes you want to go drink beer out of paper bags in the park with friends and then go drink beer in a dingy, foul smelling bar and then maybe drink some beer on your roof. And that's just fine.

Download and Hear:
Love Is All - Busy Doing Nothing
Love Is All - Make Out Fall Out Make Up
Love Is All - Spinning & Scratching

Play and See:

Sounds.Like.H.I.V.

Louder! Glitchier! Punker! (Neologism!). Toronto duo Crystal Castles take the form of the moment (i.e. girl + boy + midi synth + girl voice + tight jean/black hair = band-ish thingy that makes you an urban, dark, prom king/queen) and give it a swift kick in the arse by adding techy, 8-bit video game sounds, screaming vocals, and often incredibly harsh beats. The result is a distorted, thrashy, dance punk mess that has moments of both shit and glory. Ironically, some of their strongest material forgoes their innovative screamo qualities and settles in on a poppy 4/4 with filtered vocals (read: AirWar). Crystal Castles are currently playing gigs in England and France, but come March they'll be arriving in your metropolis to support the likes of Simian Mobile Disco and The Presets. Support.

Crystal Castles - Love & Caring
Crystal Castles - AirWar
Crystal Castles - Lovers Who Uncover (Crystal Castles vs The Little Ones)

Intergalactic.Planetary-Planetary.Intergalactic

The Demon Days party cranked into Mezzanine on Friday night, classy and debaucherous. Along with sets by heavy-weight techno legends (and Demon Days founders), Carl Craig and Gamall, the real treat for this correspondant was the presence of space-disco revivalist Hans-Peter Lindstrøm. Along with Feedelity Recordings partner and fellow Norwegian, Prins Thomas, Lindstrøm has really heralded the new disco sound over the past few years - a mix of techno and cheeky 70's synth, often live drums, and deep, deep, funk rythyms. Like Metro Area, his sound is really bizarre and often off-putting at first for it's "cheese" factor, it's campy arpeggios and italo beats, but once it hooks on you, dare I say once you "get it", you'll be scrapping to find every 12'' he's touched. Lindstrøm's set, interestingly sandwhiched between Gamall and headliner Carl Craig, was coined as a "live PA" but from where I stood, it looked like he was just dj'ing pre-recorded songs from a laptop without any midi controlers or spontaneous constructions. Slightly disappointing. Slightly. Either way, regardless of the fine music, Lindstrøm's head was simply out of control - I'm saying disco dj head banging to the extreme, bobble head style, that must have caused him some serious neck pain/brain damage. Closing with the monster track, Contemporary Fix, Lindstrom finally got the somewhat cooler-than-thou and certainly to-cool-to-dance-like-nuts crowd to really throw down. I feel space. BUY this guys records.

Lindstrøm - I Feel Space
Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - En Dag I Mai
Lindstrøm - Pesto Og Kolera (Brennan Green Saucey Version)

And, yeah, Carl Craig wasn't too shabby either.

Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom - Relevee (Carl Craig Remix)

Peep the design:

Are.We.Not.Men?

It seems I slept big time on Devo's Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!. It's been a while since I've encountered an album with such raucous energy as this - slicing post-punk rhythm guitars, squealing synths, bizarre, often campy lyrics, and that indefinite pounding bass drum. I mean, did your hear those drums? Too bad for the average Joe that Devo = "Whip It" because they are clearly so much beyond those red hats and black whips. It is argued that this album was responsible for the explosion of new wave in the early 80's, but c'mon, this is post-punk, and this album kills it, kills it, kills it.

Studio:
Devo - Mongoloid
Devo - Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')

Alive:


- For a more, well, experimental take on Devo check this.

- Sydney's best, Cut Copy, have a new track up on their myspace page that is completely rad. Seriously, I hardly ever say rad. This is rad. "Hearts On Fire" is a seriously rad song. LISTEN! According to the site we all love to hate, but actually love DFA's Tim Goldsworthy is producing their follow-up to Bright Like Neon Love and the 12'' of "Hearts on Fire" (with bonus Joakim remix) drops in March.

This.Is.It.

The Fader done done it again. Besides running about the best rag around these days with consistent top notch writing, clean layouts, and phenomenal photography, they have an amazing ability of running stories on bands about six monthes before they blow up. Plus, they bring a cosmopolitan sensibility to music criticism that is completely lacking in the maintream press i.e. great music is not limited to the States and Europe. Anyway, their blog recently turned me on to BARR and this amazing track "This Song is the Single." BARR is Brendan Fowler of ANP Quarterly (another really great magazine) and the track is a deadpan little pop ditty in the same vein of early 90's alt-rock - similar to, say, Pavement. It should be in a skate video - or maybe some Mark Gonzales project. BARR is about to embark on an enormous tour. Check it.