Simian Mobile Disco Preps New Single

London-based Simian Mobile Disco has had a stellar 2007, with the release of the much-praised Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release and a set of unforgettable live shows to accompany the album. How is the dynamic duo going to cap off the year? By re-releasing “Hustler” as a commercial single, that’s how.

Yes, the track is as played out as Justice’s “D.A.N.C.E”, but that’s where the remixes come in. Set for release December 4, via Interscope , the vinyl and CD singles will feature reinterpretations by Fool’s Gold producer/DJ A-Trak, Armand Van Helden, and Dubsided’s Jesse Rose, plus SMD’s very own extended club mix.

In addition to the new 12″, Simian Mobile Disco will also be hosting a contest via their MySpace page, for an iPod loaded with a series of tracks specifically selected by the duo.

What do they have in store for 2008? We’ll keep you posted.

Tracklisting
CD 1. Hustler (UK Version)
2. Hustler (Armand Van Helden Remix)
3. Hustler (A-Trak Remix)
4. Hustler (Extended Club Mix)
5. Hustler (Jesse Rose Remix)

12″
Side A
1. Hustler (Armand Van Helden Remix)
2. Hustler (A-Trak Remix)Side B
1. Hustler (Extended Club Mix)
2. Hustler (Jesse Rose Remix)

Yea Big & Kid Static Yea Big & Kid Static

Oddball beat wizard Yea Big and animated rhymer Kid Static both call leftfield home in Chicago’s varied hip-hop scene, making their recent pairing so proper. While Yea Big’s 2006 solo debutwas too disjointed for most heads, his productions here jump out of the speakers with the perfect pulse for Static’s Fat Lip-esque delivery. Withstanding the warped chaos of the instrumental “Low Budget Battle Scene,” Yea Big proves to have a firm grasp on that old boom-bap, as heard on the punchy “Speak the Facts.” And to Static’s credit, he sounds equally inspired by the offbeat productions, like the glitchy “The Life Here.” Thanks to these two, Chicago just got a whole lot more to boast about.

Various Eskimo Volume V: The Glimmers

You’d be hard pressed to find a DJ duo with as keen a sense of the leftfield as Belgium’s The Glimmers. With acclaimed mixes for the major players (Fabric, DJ-Kicks) checked off the list, Mo and Benoelie’s latest adventure finds them back at homebase with a 19-track contribution to Eskimo’s burgeoning mix series. The Glimmers have an ear for great drums, and while this may be most apparent in their trademark love for percussive, low-BPM disco, and funk (Mac Attack, Pop Dell’Arte), it’s also found here in genres as diverse as ’80s French pop, German gypsy rock, and L.A. electro. From soulful chanteuses to tweeked-out acid synths, Eskimo Volume V is a mix that’s dazzlingly unique.

Songs of Green Pheasant Gyllyng Street

Reveling in isolation–rather than rejecting it–the music of Duncan Sumpner, or Songs of Green Pheasant, has always exhibited a stark beauty. On Gyllyng Street, a reference to an old address, the reclusive British avant-garde folkie has widened the scope of his compositions,further fusing folk’s gorgeous harmonies and melancholy undertones with the ethereal qualities of dream pop. Horns or crisp, reverb-soaked guitar lines, delicately placed across the album’s seven songs, often pierce through the smoky haze of Sumpner’s homespun vocals. Touches of church bells and a children’s choir only add to the record’s beautiful, haunting sense of nostalgia.

White Williams Smoke

Joe Williams’ music is fit for a sports bar and a student co-op basement party, and he rocks that odd duality on Smoke. The smooth-rock opener, “Headlines,” treads half-drunk through a swimming pool, but is catchy enough to advertise steakhouses on TV. Williams revives glam sleaze on “In the Club” and his amusing cover of “I Want Candy,” in which he mopes while using a pub’s urinal. He also has a sharp ear for groove, as shown on the Neu-meets-Bowie excursion “New Violence” and the title track’s contorted P-funk. Smoke curiously ends in discord where a Game Boy melody screeches in “Lice in the Rainbow.” Nonetheless, Williams is off to a healthy start (just avoid viewing one of the decade’s tackiest album covers).

Percee P Perseverance

Percee P hails from one of NYC’s toughest housing projects, hard as it may be to conceive from the slight Southern drawl he sports. After a handful of one-off singles and two decades of dues paid, Percee’s debut full-length finally arrives chockfull of choppy head-nod beats and guest appearances (Chali 2na, Aesop Rock, Diamond D, Prince Po, Guilty Simpson). With beatsmith and labelmate Madlib on the MPC, Percee slices through 19 cuts of raw fire with the voracity of a thirsty new jack with something to prove (or an old head with kids to feed). All non-believers, check the lung-collapsing flow of “Throwback Rap Attack.”

Pylon Gyrate Plus

Pylon was one of America’s great post-punk bands, but unless you’re an Athens, Georgia die-hard, you’ve probably never heard of them. Hailing from the same scene that fostered The B-52’s and R.E.M., Pylon’s dance-punk jangle was almost too prescient for the early ’80s–their sound never cleanly fit into college-radio prime-time or punk rock’s rank-and-file. As such, albums like 1980’s Gyrate were forgotten gems until now. Re-released through DFA Recordings as Gyrate Plus, much of Pylon’s best material is collected here, with songs like “Dub” and “Stop It” shifting through the band’s minimal drum-and-bass pulse while singer Vanessa Hay sneers over the whole thing. It’s relentless but incredibly catchy, which begs the question: How did this band manage to slip through the cracks for so long?

Daft Punk Readies Live Album

The world-famous Daft Punk enjoyed a triumphant tour this year, performing some of its most epic live shows in the States, with sold-out dates at New York’s Keystone Park and Chicago’s Lollapalooza festival. December 4 marks the audio realization of the French duo’s performances, with Alive 2007. Recorded at Paris’ Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy (an 18,000 capacity arena) in June of this year, this anticipated release showcases Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo’s hits throughout their 14-year existence as Daft Punk.

In addition to the single-album edition, Virgin is also releasing an enhanced version, packaged with a bound book, five additional encore tracks, and 50 pages of photographs from this year’s tour. Not to mention, the two-disc offering is also bundled with a video directed by Oliver Gondry (Yes, Michel’s brother), which features tour footage shot by fans.

In homage to the album’s release, the duo recently hosted a live web chat for enthusiasts to get the dirt on its robotic mystique. Also in the works is a brief Australian tour with The Presets, Cut Copy, and Modular newcomer Muscles.

Tracklisting
Disc One
1. Robot Rock
2.Oh Yeah
3. Touch It
4. Technologic
5. Television Rules the Nation
6. Crescendolls
7. Too Long
8. Steam Machine
9. Around the World
10. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
11. Burnin’
12. Too Long
13. Face to Face
14. Short Circuit
15. One More Time
16. Aerodynamic
17. Aerodynamic Beats
18. Forget About the World
19. Prime Time Of Your Life
20. Brainwasher
21. Rollin’ And Scratchin’
22. Alive
23. Da Funk
24. Daftendirekt
25. Superheroes
26. Human After All
27. Rock’N’Roll

Disc Two
1. Human
2. Together
3. One More Time (Reprise)
4. Music Sounds Better With You
5. Stardust (Instrumental)

Tour Dates
12/13 Melbourne, AUS: The Arts Centre, Sidney Myer Music Bowl
12/14 Melbourne, AUS: The Arts Centre, Sidney Myer Music Bowl
12/16 Perth, AUS: The Esplanade
12/20 Brisbane, AUS: Riverstage Brisbane
12/22 Sydney, AUS: Sydney Showground

Pon Di Wire: New Reggae Albums, Heartbeat Reggae Podcast, Ninja Man

Cambridge-based Heartbeat Records has launched a new website and podcast called the Heartbeat Reggae Podcast. Founded in 1981, Heartbeat is known for its vast collection of rare Studio One and Channel One recordings, and was one of the first American labels to broaden reggae’s U.S. fanbase. Boston radio deejay Joshua B hosts the podcast, which previews and features some of Heartbeat’s most famous albums. The most recent two casts highlight the When Rhythm Was King (classic Studio One riddims) and Roots Man Dub (Dudley “Manzie” Swaby-produced versions) releases.

Ninja Man has returned to his former Kingston neighborhood with an aim of bringing peace to the Marl Road community. The highly volatile community has seen a series of gang-related and political violence that has left several members of the community dead, others injured, and businesses and schools closed. In late October, the Don Gorgon deejay Ninja, along with members of the community, security forces, and Shocking Vibes producer Patrick Roberts, launched their initiative. According to Ninja, “Mi not begging di man dem. Dis is something mi demanding, that Marl Road become a model community for peace. I am not going to let Marl Road go down. I don’t want to be no area don either.”

The Gleaner has an interview with pioneering rub-a-dub era DJ duo Michigan & Smiley. The pair got its start at Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One label in the ’70s and have been active performers and artists since.

The UK’s three-day weekend, Boss Sounds Reggae Festival 2007, kicks off up north at Newcastle Carling Academy, Newcastle, November 23, 24, and 25. The showcase features performances by revered ska and rocksteady vets, including “Judge Dread” Prince Buster, silky singer John Holt (formerly of rocksteady act The Paragons), reggae crooner Ken Boothe, comical toaster Eek A Mouse, and Studio One legend Dennis Alcapone. The show will also feature premier roots vocalist Max Romeo and the mighty Trojan Sound System (pictured above).

On Saturday, December 1, the Booyaka concert will pay homage to reggae’s deceased artists, producers, and musicians. In colloquial Jamaican speech, “booyaka” signifies respect or a positive acknowledgment. Paying their respects to greats like Dennis Brown and Panhead will be Jack Scorpio, Merritone, and Kilimanjaro sound systems crews. Additionally, 44 reggae icons will be recognized on a Wall of Fame. Photographs and other historical information will also be on display.

According to the Star News, this holiday’s season’s hottest riddims will include Flava’s 83 riddim (featuring Queen Ifrica’s hit “Daddy”). The Star‘s Sharlene Suss also recommends we “look out for Delly Ranks new [riddim], Shoota.”

New Albums in Stores Now

Cultural RootsHell A Go Pop (Greensleeves)
A reissue of the vocal trio’s finest ’80s roots album.

Daddy RingsThe Most High (Rockers Town)
The underrated conscious reggae singjay splashes out with his best album to date.

TurbulenceLove Me For Me (Love Injection)
The rough and gruff Bobo dread’s latest collection.

Ras AttitudeTrodding Home (Green Sphere)
Virgin Island singer and DJ adds to already substantial album output.

Mikey GeneralConfidence In Jah Self (Qabalah)
Smooth-toned roots singer Mikey General’s excellent new set.

DJ Andy SmithTrojan Document (Trojan)
Portishead producer and hip-hop head takes on vintage Trojan cuts.

Strictly One Drop 2007 (Cousins)
Double-disc set of great one-drop reggae sounds from Sizzla, Natural Black, Maxi Priest, Lutan Fyah and more.

Reggae Rare Grooves (P-Vine Japan)
Zap Pow, The Chosen Few, Lloyd Parks and more get funky with ‘70s American-soul-inspired reggae covers.

Jamaica’sReggae Top Ten Singles Chart
1. Etana “Roots” (Freemind)
2. Sizzla “Show More Love” (Feed The Children)
3. Richie Spice “The World Is A Cycle” (Fresh Ear)
4. Edee & Irie Love “Revolution” (Unseen Label)
5. Noddy Virtue “Sang To Me” (Reflection)
6. Cocoa Tea “Poverty” (Minor 7 Flat 5)
7. Demarco “Fallen Soldiers” (Star Kutt)
8. Cecile “I’m Waiting” (Danger Zone)
9. Little Hero “Praise God” (Inspire)
10. Christopher Martin “Take My Love” (Fresh Ear)

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