The Streets - The Escapist

The Streets have just pre-released a track from the forthcoming album Everything Is Borrowed due out Monday September 15th. This song is truly the return of The Streets that I grew to know and love; strong, intellectual, and beautiful. The video for this track is epically special too. We’ve placed it on our main page for your visual enjoyment. I can only hope that this is indeed a sample from the upcoming release and not just an amazing song off a mediocre album. I still have Original Pirate Material on heavy rotation.

John Tejada - Labyrinth

In past weeks, Los Angelean John Tejada has been finding his way into my life - or at least my iTunes - with some regularity. Released by one of the city’s few real minimal techno artists, Tejada’s latest album, Where has recently been reviewed in the LA Weekly with some glowing remarks, going so far as to put him on par with Trentemoller or Gui Borrato. After listening to the album, I was most impressed with this lovely, acidy track. This would fit nicely as the beginning of a build within a long set for a really smart, really down crowd - it rolls right along with consistency and connection. Look out for this guy.

Muke - The Hamburger Waltz

Yesterday I received what might’ve been the most cheerful email I have ever had the privilege of reading. It came from the loving hearts of a band named Muke in Oregon. The told me that they a little band on a little label (Minute Morning Records) who are about to launch their debut album that is titled Shutterspeed Lullabies, a name that anyone who knows me would expect me to appreciate. They sent me a song called ‘The Hamburger Waltz’. Once again, anyone who knows me must be seeing how perfect this is. I have new favorites! Plus Madeline is a total babez! Muke is charming, gentle, and lives somewhere between falling asleep and waking up in the morning… Or at 4am to get a glass of 7up… Like I’m the only one who does that?! Madeline Liebowitz sings layered vocal tracks behind a filter of white noise, while Luke Kuzava gently sways through their songs on guitar. Together they make up a very humble duo, undoubted too kind and honest to ever reach mainstream success, and thank god! For more of their music, visit their space and send them a letter. They will be more than happy to share.

Garbage - You Look So Fine (Fun Lovin’ Criminals Remix)

Do you remember the first band you really loved? The one who taught you what it meant to be a fan, the one whose music articulated your feelings better than you ever could, whose sonic reverberations resonated perfectly with the frequency of your soul? For me, that band was Garbage. From about 6th grade, the quartet from Madison, WI (and Edinburgh, Scotland, cumulatively) made my ‘tween and teen years bearable. Having recently garnered a Demonoid account, I spent the majority of the weekend downloading the entire Garbage discography. I had forgotten about this ridiculously beautiful remix of ‘You Look So Fine’, one of the later singles from the seminal Version 2.0 album. While the original is a lush electronic landscape of heady synths and frigid, beautiful vocals, this collaboration with New York’s Fun Lovin’ Criminals is a a much more warm, organic piece, shifting the song from hi-tech electronic pop into a dark, jazzy downtempo diamond.

This shit breaks my heart.

BUGO - La Mano Mia (Cècile and Bloody Beetroots Remix - Instrumental)

Something awesome, this way comes! And I guess kick ass italian dudes stick together. BUGO’s just been remixed by The Bloody Beetroots, resulting in what will undoubtedly become one of this year’s most popular tracks. This is the instrumental version, which I happen to like much more than the vocal mix that you can catch on BUGO’s space. This definitely shows a softer side of Cécile & Rifo, who produced the jam at The Beetroot’s studio.

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals - Number 3 (Live Recording)

So I have this stack of CDs that I haven’t touched in years. They are all discarded, scratched, and collecting dust, unappreciated and for the most part are complete shit. These are albums and blanks that have either been given to me or I was foolish enough to have bought at some previous time in my life. Once in awhile, just once in awhile, I pick up a CD without looking at who it is and bring it with me before a long drive, forcing myself to rediscover some type of beauty in these relics and bores. Sometimes listening to an album front to back can change your view of the content, looking at the entire message or story as a whole, as opposed to just listening to the tracks one by one, looking for instant gratification. 2 days ago, on my way out the door, I grabbed Live On Mars, which is a 2 disc live album by Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals circa 2001, an album that I really didn’t even appreciate back when I bought it. Ben is without a doubt, and amazingly talented musician and vocalist, but it just didn’t do it for me. However, in the spirit of respect (he took the time to make it, I can take the time to listen to it), I ran it full circle and was beyond amazed by one song specifically, titled ‘Number 3′. It’s an acoustic track with very minimal variation throughout, yet it is gorgeous and makes me want freestyle sing, which I did, and will continue to do every time I hear it. Originally the song was (take a guess) third into Harper’s 1997 album The Will To Live. Anyone familiar with the original will notice that this live version is nearly a minute longer. Ben is currently touring his most recent album Lifeline that was released last August.

Dior Homme Spring - Summer ‘09 Collection

As everyone is running around, jabbering about the soundtrack to the recent Dior Homme Spring - Summer ‘09 runway show that took place earlier this month, it’s gotten harder to find actual photos of the event, which are amazing to no surprise. But the models were all dressed like Xavier. Either Justice is extremely fashion forward or Kris Van Assche became immensely inspired by more than just the super duo’s music… And don’t forget your Kanye shades. In all, I’d rock any of the stuff (if I was a foot taller).

Here’s the complete collection of high-res pics from the show.

Justice - Dior Homme Mix + Justice - Stress (Live/Auto Version)

I am going to pretend that I am one of the first 100 to blog about this collaboration, which I personally feel is amazingly rad. Rewind almost one year ago, Daft Punk produced an Alive style mix for a Louis Vuitton runway show. Now, de Rosnay & Auge have just proven their massiveness once again by producing what they call a mix for the Dior Homme Spring - Summer ‘09 runway show in Paris. I say it’s more of just one track that happens to be 15 minutes long, with various changes throughout. Dior’s Kris Van Assche has closely knit himself into the French music scene by now having made the Daft Punk leather jackets seen in Electroma. And for anyone else who loves Justice’s music, but hates that ‘D.A.N.C.E.’ was in a Katherine Heigl movie, here’s the irrefutably cinematic live/Auto version of ‘Stress’.

For pix of the runway show, check out our post in the design section.

Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl (Public’s McFly Remix)

There are a few things you can count on. The first is that ‘I Kissed A Girl’ (by Katy Perry if you’re a fucking retard) has been remixed and raped almost as much as Estelle at this point. Second is that anyone connected to Shwayze is about to blow up. I hope Trevor (Skeet Skeet) is next! He’s good people. Third is that no one should watch Old School two times in a row, even if just for white noise while blogging. And fourth is that Public’s remix drops a real anchor to my heart when the original backing vocoded vocals come in. Most other remixes haven’t used that section of the acapella. Yea, that’s the shit. Public’s been making his rounds up and down the California coast, remixing, performing, and toying with new analog gear. I’ve played with him 3 times this summer alone, and I must say that he’s been creating quite a panic. BFF Missingtoof posted a bundle of his jams a bit back which turned into a retard battlegrounds between blogees on who loved/hated him, Modeselektor, & ‘One More Time’, amongst other petty topics. You all know I love me some interweb bitch fits, so in my humble opinion, I say it’s worth the read.

I wanted to post Gaspar’s remix too, but it’s been whored too much as is. Still tipping our hat though.

Dan Sena - Unfinished Business

Here at DBDF (where it seems we have unintentionally adopted the credo and dare “Dream Big”), we shameless back our friends and their arts. In this most recent cosmic explosion amidst our creative pals, Dan Sena has released yet another Soulwax-esque electro track, ready and willing to rip speakers apart from the inside-out in all its 320kbps glory. Dan’s been a busy boy lately, having produced a couple of bangers this summers, DJing constantly, as well as throwing what has become one of the most solid dance nights south of LA. Dan’s landed himself a spot on Urb’s Next 1000 too! Check it here.

We posted one of Dan’s past jamz a few months ago. Take a re-listen here.

*Bonus*

Peep out District Magazine’s recent article feature a little insight into Dan’s weekly club Busywork.

Next Page »