Sia, “You’ve Changed” MP3
Last year Lauren Flax made one of our favorite songs of the last ten years in “You’ve Changed” featuring her friend Sia, who happened to be in town when Flax was composing it and came by her apartment to lay down some tracks. We are clearly not alone in our admiration because Sia decided to make her own version of “You’ve Changed” for her album proper, imbuing it with a disco treatment that sits as a lovely companion piece to Flax’s breathless house version. You can get with this, but you should also get with that, they’re equally sweet.
Download: Sia, “You’ve Changed”
Stream: Animal Collective, “Graze” (Zamfir Jam)
- story Peter Macia
In a few weeks, Animal Collective will release the Fall Be Kind EP on Domino but as usual the internet released it for them already. One of the previously mysterious tracks from the EP, “Graze,” was picked up by Stereogum on YouTube, and starts out with a few minutes of wavy atmospherics and Avey Tare singing about chilling out and stuff. But then around the three-minute mark, the claps kick in and a maniacal pan flute pipes in from what we can only assume is the seventh dimension of the AC galaxy. If you’re an ’80s or ’90s baby, you might not recognize this bewitching sound as a sample of Romanian master flutist Gheorghe Zamfir, but it is, and it is genius. Here’s Zamfir’s “Romanian Wedding Song”, which isn’t the sample’s source but is also genius. If you can tell us the source in the comments, we’ll buy you a beer tonight somewhere in New York City.
(via Stereogum
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posted on Nov 20, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Animal Collective, electronic/dance, psych/folk, Zamfir
Fan Death, “Cannibal” MP3
- story Matthew Schnipper
- photo Matt Lutton (F58)
For all you New Yorkers and people who may one day visit New York, please make your way to Brooklyn’s Bedouin Tent on Atlantic Avenue between Bond and Nevins (closer to Bond). They make the most sumptuous pita you’ll ever eat. They also bump major Arabic jams while you eat off wooden plates, many of which sound mysteriously similar to the tangy opening disco moments of Fan Death’s “Cannibal.” A Canadian duo of self-confessed Cure lovers, they’ve opened their door to Bollywood and balalaikas on this plucky track. They’re still well within their comfort zone of goth-disco—admittedly, a strange enclosure to be comfortable in—but they make it work, brushing against the ends with soft opium strokes. Actually they’re Canadian so it’s probably not opium so much as whatever beer is on sale at Tim Horton’s. They play Canadian disco in the donut drive-through we heard.
Download: Fan Death, “Cannibal”
Ghetto Palms 80: DJ Rekha / RajStar / Exclusive Major Lazer Bhangra Refix
- story Eddie "Stats" Houghton
I’m not sure if this is Desihall III or Indocrunk Part Few, but any way you chop it its been a banner week for weird fusions of Bollywood dancehall and Bhangra-more club, aftershocks from the eruption of daku-consciousness into First World brainspace that was Slumdog Millionaire. First, the reigning queen of bhangra DJ Rekha (full disclosure: my partner from Basement Bhangra) hit me with a preview of her bhangrified dub of Major Lazer’s “Pon di Floor.” Then she texted to say she was backing Wyclef and Cyndi Lauper (??) on the Letterman show, as they performed a track called, yes, “Slumdog Millionaire.”
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posted on Nov 18, 2009 in GHETTO PALMS tags bhangra, caribbean, desi, electronic/dance, GHETTO PALMS
Small Black, “Pleasant Experience” MP3
- story Peter Macia
If you don’t yet know who Small Black is, first go here, let that be your favorite song for a few minutes, then come back and listen to this song, maybe take a power nap while it glides through your synapses and then go buy the new EP from whence both songs come. After that, don’t know, maybe eat a grilled cheese and some tomato soup and wonder how two kinda scrawny dudes from Brooklyn make Duran Duran sound like babies.
Download: Small Black, “Pleasant Experience” (via Transparent)
CFCF, “Big Love” MP3
- story Peter Macia
- photo Kitra Cahana (F62)
If you follow The FADER you know that on one of our favorite dudes in the world is New York writer and bon vivant T Cole Rachel. Cole has a DJ night where he almost exclusively plays Fleetwood Mac (and we get kinda drunk), but we also know him to like some dance music. So consider this CFCF cover of the Mac’s 1987 new age jam a dedication to Cole, but take it for yourself as well—it’s like balearic weed pop, or hairy wizard disco or something. If you like it, there’s plenty more on CFCF’s new album Continent, now available from Paper Bag Records.
Video: Zomby, “Aquarium”
Here is what this video says to us: A. Zomby keeps mitochondria as pets B. Zomby is down with French-Polish experimental filmmaker Piotr Kamler C. Zomby’s musical palette is consistently more extensive D. Someone maybe dosed our morning coffee? (via Zomby Twitter)
Lindstrom FACT Mix
- story Sam Hockley-Smith
- photo Espen Rasmussen
Looking back, Lindstrom has become a kind of soundtrack to our lives. We’ve blasted his laid back work with Prins Thomas on a roof in the summer, we’ve listened to Schnipper talk about how, when he slowed down Where You Go I Go Too, it might have jammed even more, and we’ve passed his upcoming can’t-believe-this-wasn’t-recorded-in-NYC-in-the-early-’80s collab with Christabelle around the office like a coveted bootleg. It seems like dude is always there. Also ubiquitous are these FACT mixes, which often provide a window into the minds of some of our favorite bands and artists. This time around we learn that Lindstrom has been listening to a bunch of Black Sabbath (surprising), some ABBA (not surprising) and that he is generally “a sucker for music with drum machines from the early ’70s.” (really, really not surprising). You’ve maybe heard a bunch of these songs before, but now they’re re-contextualized and coming straight from Lindstrom’s brain to our speakers.
Download: Lindstrom’s FACT Mix
Video: Crystal Fighters, “I Love London”
We would love London too if we were there and saw this nouveau Rayanne Graff gonking the hell out on some real personal rave wave. Then we would be her friend and run around and giggle cause we’re so fragile and astute but, like, READY TO BREAK FREE, you know, like Angela. Only we’re in New York, Crystal Fighters are Spanish and this song officially drops tomorrow on Kitsune. (via Discobelle)
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posted on Nov 16, 2009 in MUSIC VIDEO tags Crystal Fighters, electronic/dance, Kitsune, My So Called Life
Video: Crookers f. Kelis, “No Security”
When our Milanese partystarters Crookers came through about a month ago, they did a drop for our show on East Village Radio that may have set a world record for longest and most random drop of the decade. It consisted of them talking about how much they love animals, and then making interpretive animal noises for about three minutes, imitating monkeys, bears and dogs among other creatures including what sounded like a small dinosaur. We thought it was funny (and having met Phra’s adorable dog Spino, true), but it was totally non sequitur—until we saw this video for their heavy next single from their forthcoming full-length, Tons of Friends, which further clarifies their love of animals then proceeds to blow away little deer in a hunting expedition by two dudes that look more like US storm troopers in the Middle East. Not sure if there’s some commentary there or not, but after their old-lady make-out video, we’re gonna assume yes.
