Freeload: The Tough Alliance, “Hung Up on a Dream” (Zombies cover)
- story THE FADER
The dream we are presently hung up on is being in Tulum, Mexico, drinking tequila out of a coconut and exploring Mayan ruins, not only because we are D-Y-I-N-G for the unpredictability of spring to lift us from this funk, but because our roommate made us watch the semi-cheesy ’80s noir Against All Odds over the weekend and that is basically what they are doing in that movie. F56 cover stars Tough Alliance are our go-to group when we’re feeling wistful to begin with, but add the willowy soft-lighting of this Zombies cover and it’s almost too much summer longing to deal with. Get us to a tanning booth tout suite! Actually don’t, we are rather fond of our internal organs.
Download: The Tough Alliance, “Hung Up on a Dream”
(via Gorilla vs. Bear)
Freeload: The Tough Alliance, “A New Chance (Tanlines Remix)”
- story THE FADER
Maybe we’re a little zinged they got the jump on this remix by two recent FADER favorites, but c’mon Pitchfork, show a little enthusiasm! (<---See how we did that!!!) For real, we've been a little unimpressed with the stream of Tough Alliance revisioneers so far, but this Tanlines remix avoids the temptation to just slap a house beat under their vocals and instead turns the original’s airy bounce to Wham! strength grump annihilator.
Download: The Tough Alliance, “A New Chance (Tanlines Remix)”
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posted on Feb 9, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS tags electronic/dance, freeload, Tanlines, The Tough Alliance
Freeload: The Tough Alliance, “Neo Violence” (iTunes Single of the Week)
- story THE FADER
We like to think we’ve had a positive effect on sales of The Tough Alliance’s albums, finally released in the US this month. You know, like, instead of 1,000 copies, they sold 1,037 copies on the strength of our FADER Number 56 cover. But we are also humble enough to accept that their song being featured as the Single of the Week on iTunes has, in one flick of an Apple programmer’s pale, spiderlike fingers, probably eclipsed our efforts. But seriously, you know Steve Jobs is jamming this shit and making up new words when he’s deciding what to wear every morning. Mooooocckk Turrrrttlllllleee NEEEEECKKK and bluuueee jeeeeeaaaaannns yeeeeeeaaahhhhh.
Download: The Tough Alliance, “Neo Violence”
Screw the Lucrative Magazine Business…We Should Start a Record Company
- story THE FADER
Never before in our history (ten years), has there been a day like today in terms of you being able to buy albums by artists who are on the covers of The FADER. Let us qualify that by saying that we didn’t actually do the research because we’re busy and too excited to worry about truth. Today, after work or school, at your preferred record seller, you can purchase a physical or digital copy of Busy Signal’s Loaded (F56), The Tough Alliance’s A New Chance (F56), Brightblack Morning Light’s Motion to Rejoin (F57) and TV on the Radio’s Dear Science—each brand new today and each incredible in its own right. And if the recession has yet to pummel your bank account and four-plus hours of the newest FADER-sanctioned music isn’t enough, there about thirty other FADER-ered artists with albums out today, most of whom you can find listed at Insound. Say goodbye to money and hello to temporary happiness!
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posted on Sep 23, 2008 in MUSIC NEWS tags Brightblack Morning Light, Busy Signal, The Tough Alliance, TV on the Radio
Freeload/Contest: The Tough Alliance, “Neo Violence (Windsurf Remix)” + A Night with Air France
- story THE FADER
While writing the cover story on The Tough Alliance in Gothenburg, Sweden recently, we were also lucky enough to spend time with their Sincerely Yours label signees Air France, who taught us that drinking warm beer in public and eating tapas everyday is what makes Sweden great, NOT universal healthcare and a top notch education system. We thank them for that. We also learned of Sincerely Yours’ newest signing, Nordpolen, whose lyrics so affected TTA that they requested he sing in Swedish so as not to lose any impact in translation. Nordpolen’s new album is due on September 24th, and because Sincerely Yours is run totally out of pocket, TTA is asking fans how many copies they should press. “435 or 466? or maybe 632?
we’re thinking maybe 1300,” they say. “Closest wins a night with Air France, a couple of 88:an or whatever.” Let’s make it 50,000 and all go get drunk in Sweden! Just email your guestimate to 88an@sincerlelyyours.se. The video above is for Nordpolen’s “Skimret,” the video after the jump is preview of “vet inte om jag vill,” and, just because we like you, here is Windsurf’s (an F55 Gen F) mellow ass remix of The Tough Alliance’s “Neo Violence,” the single of which will be released very soon with remixes from Laidback Luke and Woolfy, but not this one.
Download: The Tough Alliance, “Neo Violence (Windsurf’s Neon Violet Dub)”
(via Discobelle)
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posted on Sep 16, 2008 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Air France, electronic/dance, Nordpolen, sincerely yours, The Tough Alliance
FADER 56: The Tough Alliance Cover Story
- story THE FADER
After the jump, read Peter Macia’s cover story on Gothenburg, Sweden’s The Tough Alliance, with photos by Leonie Purchas from FADER Number 56.
Freeload: The Tough Alliance, “Koka Kola Veins”
- story THE FADER
Our public displays of affection for The Tough Alliance began a little over a year ago when we played “Koka Kola Veins” on our Friday drive-time radio show The Let Out. We’d been listening to them in private a little longer than that but weren’t sure if we were ready to share them with the world. But then one day we were like, Fuck it, we love this and we are not ashamed. And our love unfurled. In just a few short days we will be unfurling FADER #56 and, believe it or not, Tough Alliance is featured prominently (real prominently). Their third album A New Chance is coming out September 25th on Modular and it is going to rule your Indian Summer, but prior to that, our brother in the struggle Patrik North will be releasing TTA’s first album The New School on his Summer Lovers Unlimited label. Until then, download the song that started it all “Koka Kola Veins” (from The New School) and keep your eyes peeled, we’ve got a lot more on the way.
Download: The Tough Alliance, “Koka Kola Veins”
Video: The Tough Alliance, “Neo Violence”
- story THE FADER
Tough Alliance’s go-to director Marcus Söderlund takes the next logical step in his development of the duo’s video aesthetic by setting them deep inside a lazer castle. Smoke wafts, white columns frame the boys in all-white outfits, and absolute indifference is the mood. Is there any good reason why the entire world doesn’t love this band yet? We’ll be here waiting if you think of one, but in the meantime, read our Gen F on TTA from FADER 48 after the jump and watch most of the rest of their videos here.
Video: The Tough Alliance, “First Class Riot” + Extended Video Parade
- story THE FADER
How did we never post any of these videos before? They are all actually fairly old, but for whatever reason amid all our TTA gushing we’ve only posted a live version of “First Class Riot,” where you can’t really see anything except maybe some shots of a guy in a cape. Here’s the real video, which makes us appreciate that dolphins are really weird if you think about it and also What the hell we saw The Tough Alliance live and it was one of the most epic concert performances we have seen and this video is the closest we’ve seen to anything capturing that. Check out a bunch of old TTA videos that we’ve been watching for a million years that we never posted.
Freeload: The Tough Alliance, “Lucky”
- story THE FADER
If you don’t love The Tough Alliance, you should volunteer for one of those Russian space station jobs. You’ll be so busy fixing little broken things that you depend on to stay in orbit and welcoming weird billionaire space tourists that you won’t even have time to worry about not liking good shit. The rest of us will sit here on Earth and listen to “Lucky,” the surprisingly mellow b-side to their new “Neo Violence” single purchaseable at Sincerely Yours. It’s a cover of Swedish pop group Lucky Twice and makes us want to travel through space. No wait. We just want to go to Sweden. You go to crappy space.
Download: The Tough Alliance, “Lucky”
