The Weekly Froth – Jarvis Cocker at the disco?!

Track of the week: ‘Synchronize’ by Discodeine feat. Jarvis Cocker

I often like the output of Pilooski, one part of Discodeine, not to mention that remix he did for the Jarvis song ‘You’re In My Eyes’ off of the latter’s most recent album. So I guess that’s the link between Discodeine and Jarvis, and that the Britpop deity for that reason is singing on the song. Don’t be misled though, because even though Nineties Pulp wasn’t, in the strictest sense, a band to dance to, people familiar with their Separations album know that Jarvis always had some sort of link to House music, even if it was only to condemn the culture in the classic ‘Es and Wizz’ on Different Class. Anyway, back to Discodeine, who have crafted a deliciously catchy song to dance to. I could’ve done without that sound effect when Jarvis sings that the wristwatch “falls to the ground” in which the vocals “fall” as well. In the beginning I thought that to be the most annoying thing ever, but now I’ve warmed up to it a bit. Just a lovely, lovely song, and I’m a sucker for Jarvis anyhow. But I do think the song itself is fun though. A sort of House with a softer sensibility. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth – with a new song by The National!

The National

Track of the week: ‘You Were a Kindness’ by The National

I heard this when they played it live for the very very very first time, and it was just as amazing then as it is now when hearing it behind my laptop. Berninger’s baritone is just lovely, so filled with sadness. The slide guitar, when I heard that live, that was brilliant. Stroke of genius. Best thing is, this is nothing like what they did on their High Violet album this year. Not that the album was bad, but somewhere in the back of my mind I was wondering what would happen if they got even more bombastic… would it possible?

But it’s OK: here, they’ve come back with a restrained heartbreaker full of self-doubt. I love the reference to Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire (Berninger sings: “You were a kindness when I was a stranger”, which I think is taken from “I’ve always relied on the kindness of strangers”, otherwise “kindness” in the first sentence is grammatically incorrect). It’s one of the best songs I’ve heard all year. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth #35

Foals

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the week: ‘Spanish Sahara’ by Foals (Deadboy remix)

Like with every change of sound, the new Foals album had its supporters and critics. Every decision anyone makes can always count on people agreeing with it and not agreeing with it. It’s how the world turns, I guess. Deadboy, you know, I don’t really remember the name and his stuff, and if someone says “Deadboy” to me, I’m inclined to think something crude and hard will follow. Actually, this is the opposite, which not only surprises me, but it surprises me pleasantly. I love the woodblock kind of thingy he puts on it, and that combined with other subtle additions make this a worthwhile listen. Deadboy fills up the “break” in the song with some deep bass and then has it continue for a while. The vocals, which arguably are one of the things that have improved on the new Foals album, are high up in the mix, which I always tend to like. Add to that the bass, the woodblock and some nifty additional sequences, and I think Deadboy has made this track his own in quite a nice manner. Pleasant surprise. Even though I wouldn’t have mind it if he would’ve cut the last two minutes. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth #34

Tortoiseshell

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the week: ‘This Girl’ by Tortoiseshell (Canyons dub)

I find Canyons a terribly, terribly strange band. Some of their stuff have me in hallelujah mode, while some songs seem unnecessarily longwinded. This is their dub of Tortoiseshell’s ‘This Girl’. And it quite works for me actually. It begins understated, yearning male vocals up front, and a lovely, lovely understated bass that goes with it. The bass stays, drums are added, and the vocals go up up up. And rightfully so, because the first time I heard that I was pretty impressed. I could probably live a day on that bass and vocal combination alone. I just love it when vocals do that, and good vocals are quite underrated me thinks. Definitely try and get to that chorus part and see whether it ticks your box, because if it does I think you’re in for a treat. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth #33

crystal castles

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the week: ‘Suffocation’ by Crystal Castles (Memory Tapes remix)

I always feel slightly ashamed when I have to say that I don’t fancy Crystal Castles that much, because it kind of seems the thing to do. I do love Memory Tapes though, and I do love that band a whole bunch (me is the proud owner of a first edition vinyl of the album). So this could go either way. You would think. But I was lucky enough to have a little interview with the man behind Memory Tapes and so I know how he does his remixes. And the thing is, he doesn’t look at the original at all. He just looks at the components and creates a remix off of that. So in essence, it will definitely be more his aesthetic that will be shining through than that of Crystal Castles. Which, for me personally, is a good thing. So no surprise here, I do love this one. It has got a bit of that dreamy vibe that I love so much and which I think is just so great to listen to while walking around at night. If you want to bounce off of each other on the dance floor then this probably isn’t going to make you happy. But if you like the dreamy, fantastical vibe, then this might just be for you. It definitely is for me, in any case. Also, nifty drumming. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth #32

Monarchy - Love Get Out Of My Way

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the week:

‘Love Get Out of My Way’ by Monarchy (Holy Ghost dub remix)

I can’t help but get that LCD Soundsystem line in my head from that ‘One Touch’ song: “This is getting sort of unreasonable”. Because that is the idea I get whenever I hear yet another ace tune from the Holy Ghost! crew. Sorry other musicians, I’ve found my home. So if anyone is going to slug it out with The National for my fav album of the year, this duo is it. And they are doing a remix of a Monarchy song to boot! And the Octans edit of that ‘Phoenix Alive’ tune is one of the best tracks I’ve heard so far this year. So there is absolutely no reason to think this would be anything less than friggin’ amazing. And it is. Insanely catchy, and I do believe that there is a cowbell solo somewhere in that song. Bit more for the disco people among us, but it is happy and danceable, qualities a lot of people might enjoy in a track. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth #31

Headman

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the week:

‘Fluctuation’ by Headman (Thee loving remix by Timothy Goldsworthy)

Oh I love how it starts. It just seamlessly moves forward in a delightfully light and catchy way. Around two minutes in Goldsworthy changes it up a bit, first with more synth, then by stripping quite a few things and he goes bongo-crazy (or well, the focus moves to the drums at least, but I liked saying “bongo-crazy”). Then he builds the other elements back in again. I also really like those sharp sounds that occasionally pop up after the four minute mark. And in the mean time the core of the song is still seamlessly shifting forward in a dancey way. It seems to have been a bit quiet in the Tim Goldsworthy camp the past few months (or at least I didn’t come across new tracks of him in that period), but with this remix he once again shows why everyone likes his music so. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth #30

Scissor Sisters

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the Week: ‘Invisible Light  by Scissor Sisters (Stuart Price 12-inch Remix)

Not that I’m a bif fan of the Scissor Sisters, mind you, but it is always interesting to see what Stuart Price is doing besides not touring with his band Zoot Woman. And in this case it is making a pop track a bit more dancefloor-ready. The constant drumming provides a nice bit to hang on to, and after five minutes he kicks it into a higher gear which might just delight the people on the dance floor at that moment. In my opinion it actually is a better track this way. It is catchy and danceable, and especially the kick could potentially elicit a response from a party crowd. I would love to see a Scissor Sisters collab with Price. Do a four song EP of seven minute dance-pop songs, that would be interesting in my opinion. Danceable drums, slight camp, and just fun: I reckon the single will shift a few more with this as its B-side. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth #29

Holy Ghost!

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the week:

‘Static on the Wire’ by Holy Ghost!

I love Holy Ghost!, no wait, I lurrvv Holy Ghost! – yes, with two Rs. Or however that scene with Woody Allen in Annie Hall goes (or was it Manhattan? Anyway…). That Static on the Wire EP is just ridiculous, and I can’t wait for it to come out on vinyl so I can get my hands on a physical copy. It’s super catchy, in an understated disco fashion. Easy on the ear, with lovely vocals and some great lines (even a bit of nifty guitar playing which I believe comes courtesy of John MacLean of The Juan MacLean). It’s just incredible how everything they put out is so good and *breathes* New York so resolutely – or at least how I imagine New York at its best would be. Perhaps Woody Allen should’ve used it in his ode to NY; that is, if the song would’ve been made in the 1970s. Which it wasn’t. Good thing, because now I can actually buy a spanking new copy of this! … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth #28

The Golden Filter - Hide Me

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the week:

‘Hide Me’ by The Golden Filter (Peter, Bjorn & John remix)

Okay, I really really liked the Rory Phillips remix of this one, and with Peter, Bjorn and John behind the buttons you know you’ll at least get something quirky and weird. And that is clear from the starting point. This song in its original form is very Italo, very dreamy almost to a fault. This remix puts an end to that one, as the original song’s vibe takes until midway to come through. I like how they puzzled this one together. The screeching in the background, the simple, understated beat up front, along with some vocals which I think are male, so probably from Peter, Bjorn & John themselves rather than from The Golden Filter. The song takes on a completely different identity, and sometimes a remix kills the song with that, and sometimes a remix prolongs the song’s lifespan by putting it in a different context and giving it a different look. I think Peter, Bjorn & John did the latter. … Continue Reading