What better way to kick off New Young Pony Club‘s assault with the Modular imprint than to get Van She to mix the hell out of an already crafty electro-hit. This five-piece has managed to pull a legion of fans with a potent mix of energetic disco, synth-radiation, and post-punk female vocals. After two 7″ records on Tirk, a tour with Klaxons, and a feature on a commercial for Intel processors, NYPC should have little to no trouble whipping up more dance mayhem from country to country. “Ice Cream” is proof.
XLR8R TV Episode 8: Digitalism
Digitalism played one of the bangin’-est sets in recent memory at San Francisco’s Mezzanine in April. Lucky for you, we filmed it. Jens Moelle and Isi Tuefekci, two young Turks (one of them quite literally) from Hamburg, have been thumping eardrums with knob-twiddling remixes over the past year and are evolving into a dancefloor-friendly indie-rock force to be reckoned with. We caught up with them as they prepared for non-stop touring for the release of their debut album, Idealism.
Visit the XLR8R TVforum to discuss the episode.
Previous Episodes
Episode 1: DAT Politics, Zion I
Episode 2: Carl Craig
Episode 3: SXSW Part One
Episode 4: SXSW Part Two
Episode 5: Busdriver
Episode 6: Psychedelic Videos
Episode 7: Beth Ditto and Yo Majesty
Skinny Puppy Tours North America
Industrial sludge masters Skinny Puppy will tour North America for the first time in three years, beginning May 25. The group–originally from Vancouver but now based in L.A.–has an output that spans two decades, 12 albums, and yet another album on the way. The live show will no doubt feature Puppy staples like Budd Dwyer’s suicide video, mock vivisection, and mutants on stilts.
With music heavily influenced by the late-’70s and early ’80s UK experimental electronic scenes, Skinny Puppy’s sound was specifically characterized by processed, buzz-saw guitars, distorted drum programming, and extreme layering. Like the fascist, horror-themed aesthetic of many industrial and metal groups, the band’s confrontational imagery has often been mistaken for an endorsement of those concepts rather than an implicit critique.
Various drug addictions and the death of bandmate Dwayne Goettel facilitated Skinny Puppy’s demise in the mid-’90s, which seemed permanent until 2003. This latest tour should satiate dark impulses of both the young and old from state to state.
Tour Dates
05/24 Santa Cruz, CA: The Catalyst
05/25 Portland, OR: Crystal Ballroom
05/27 Boise, ID: The Big Easy
05/29 Salt Lake City, UT: The Depot
05/30 Denver, CO: Ogden Theatre
06/1 Chicago, IL: House of Blues
06/2 Detroit, MI: St. Andrew’s Hall
06/3 Cleveland, OH: Agora Theatre
06/5 Toronto, ON: Kool Haus
06/6 Montreal, QC: Le Spectrum
06/7 Boston, MA: Avalon Ballroom
06/8 Philadelphia, PA: Electric Factory
06/9 New York, NY: Nokia Theatre
06/11 Washington, DC: 9:30 club
06/12 Baltimore, MD: Sonar
06/14 Atlanta, GA: Center Stage
06/15 New Orleans, LA: House of Blues
06/16 Houston, TX: Warehouse Live
06/17 Dallas, TX: House of Blues
06/19 Tempe, AZ: Marquee Theatre
06/21 San Francisco, CA: The Fillmore
06/22 Los Angeles, CA: Henry Fonda Theatre
06/23 Los Angeles, CA: Henry Fonda Theatre
06/24 Anaheim, CA: House of Blues
A-Plus My Last Good Deed
An original member of Souls of Mischief, A-Plus has already earned his place in hip-hop’s pantheon, both for his innovative lyrical approach and for the Hieroglyphics crew’s pioneering stance. A-Plus has kept busy in recent years as half of production team Compound 7, and all that time in the lab has paid off as he finally delivers the album his fans have been waiting for. Equally comfortable smashing through solo tracks like “Patna Please” or collaborating with friends like Del, Jennifer Johns, Femi, and Sunspot Jonz, A-Plus drops hella knowledge while keeping the party crackin’. Inspired by everything from his Caribbean roots (“The One”) to the tragic death of a close friend (“Kiss the Sky”) to fluffy green twomp sacks (“My Dub Song”), My Last Good Deed upholds Hiero’s storied underground hip-hop tradition and reveals him to be one of the last honest MCs.
Dub Documentary Set For Release
Brazilian journalist, DJ, and XLR8R contributor Bruno Natal has conceived and will soon release a startling new reggae documentary, Dub Echoes. The film explains the structure of the genre’s sound, and features discussions and music clips from some of its chief architects, both current and past.
The line up of on-camera interview subjects is stunning. Bullwackie, Bunny Lee, Congo Natty, Dennis Bovell, DJ Spooky, Dr. Das (Asian Dub Foundation), Ernest Hookim, Groove Corporation, Gussie Clarke, Howie B, King Jammy, Kode 9, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Mad Professor, Mutabaruka, Neil Perch (Zion Train), Robbie Shakespeare, and Roots Manuva are just a fraction of the artists who give their feelings and insights on the original “drum and bass” sound. Many of these artists, particularly Bunny Lee and Sly & Robbie, can be credited with several rhythmic patterns, mixing techniques, and studio effects that many dance and urban producers now rely on.
As the film’s website explains, “At first, one might think that reggae and dance music don’t have much to do with each other. But that’s a false perception. The documentary Dub Echoes aims to show how the Jamaican music invention called dub ended up influencing much of what we hear nowadays, notably in the dance music scene, transforming the studio into a musical instrument and giving way to all of sonic experiments.”
Dub Echoes was shot by a Brazilian crew, in Kingston, London, New York, Washington, L.A., and Rio de Janeiro. Crucial facts, photos and links are being added to the Dub Echoes MySpace page.
Tesco vs. Sainsbury’s
Santogold: Post-Punk Peacock
Santi White’s been kicking around the realms of middle-stardom for years, working on projects that hinted at–but never realized–her full potential.
At least hers has been a fun tale to tell. Interviews have highlighted her impassioned views on racial pigeonholing in the music industry (informed by her A&R work in Sony’s urban music department) and her years fronting Philadelphia post-punk act Stiffed. She’s also got some wizard-behind-the-curtain cred: She was instrumental in writing R&B artist Res’ 2001 debut album, How I Do (MCA), and you can hear her vocals behind Lily Allen on “Littlest Things” and in the taunting refrain of Spank Rock’s “Lindsay Lohan’s Revenge.”
This year, White is unabashedly sauntering center-stage. She and former Stiffed member John Hill have formed Santogold, a project easier to define by what it isn’t than what it is. First and foremost, it’s not what record label Lizard King–an upstart led by the A&R exec who discovered The Killers–had in mind.
Initially, under the guise of an EP deal, the label paired White with pop producer Johnny “Most” Davis, who’s worked with Pink, TLC, and Diddy. “That did not work out,” laughs White, whose girlish sincerity lets her pull off even the bluntest criticisms. “It was a fight for [the label] to leave me and John [Hill] alone. I’m a fighter, so there was lots of yelling involved, and after we had a little bit of time and a little bit of space, and they heard the first demos, they left us alone for the rest of the time.”
Their debut, I Believe in Santogold, hinges its sound on reggae but teeter-totters to the extremes of new wave and heavy dub. The sinister, futuristic “Creator vs. FreqNasty” unravels as slowly as a Caribbean afternoon, moved by a single hollow, elastic drum line and the swirling repetition of the “game over” sound on your game console. Distorted ska guitar arpeggios and minor chords form the skeleton of “You’ll Find a Way,” which explodes with crisp choral riffs and explosive drum patterns.
White dips in and out of vocal styles as well. “I’m like a blend of Sister Carol and Khia–you know, from the ‘My Neck, My Back’ song,” she says, referring to the way she peacocks a haughty dancehall sing-speak (“Creator vs. FreqNasty”) one minute and a razor-sharp melodic wail (“L.E.S. Artistes”) the next.
“John [Hill] and I set out to make a record of lots of different influences,” she explains. “I get so tired of listening to records [where], by the end, you never really need to listen to it again because pretty much you listened to the same song for 14 tracks.
“In the past couple years I’ve met a bunch of artists who are moved by the same sort of creative energy,” White continues. “I’m just really excited that there are people of color making music that’s not stuck in some little box.”
The XLR8R Office Top Ten Album Picks, May 14
Various The Unexpektheadz Chapter 2: A Space Conquest SoundtrackEkleroshock
Ekleroshock’s The Unexpektheadz Chapter 2: A Space Conquest Soundtrack features cosmic electro tracks from Crunc Tesla, LOD, Data, and Terry Poison. Between the thick and rugged synth lines and deep kicks, your danceparty may soon become an intergalactic battlefield.
Begraven DodsvisionerHydra Head
Sometimes, when the deadline demons swarm around the office, we like to listen to the gnarliest music (as loud as possible). Begraven is the key. Horrifying ambiance teaming up with possessed vocals and grim Swedish lyrics can make any day of stress seem like chump change when compared to the pits of hell. You know?
The TeenagersHomecomingMerok
This two-track single is sleazy, French (by way of UK) indie-pop the way we like it–tongue in cheek and kind of uncomfortable. With back-and-forth male/female vocals, lyrics that refer to an SUV as a massive vehicle, and the hard-hitting B-side, “Fuck Nicole,” these teens have stolen our hearts like a cheerleader from any number of ’80s comedies.
Various Sonic Arts Network: OthernessSonic Arts Network
Purveyors of all things leftfield, the Sonic Arts Network has released its latest installment in a series of guest-curated compilations. At the controls is composer/conceptualist David Cotner, who gathers 25 tracks of groundbreaking experimental music. Ambient, noise, acoustic, kraut-rock, found sound, and even a few big names like Brian Eno and Lee Ronaldo make this comp a striking listen.
VariousEssential DubROIR
Dub Classics=us drooling all over the place. ROIR’s Essential Dub is a collection of tracks from the label’s previously released catalog. Featuring hits from Badawi, Bad Brains, Laswell, and Twilight Circus, ED is a reason to celebrate.
Feist The Reminder Cherry Tree
Although Feist’s second LP is spread a bit thin and some of the ballads and folk tracks get slightly Lilith Fair on us, when this album bites, it bites hard. This Broken Social Scenester has a voice that’s so smoky and youthful, Lilith Fair styles become a little less grotesque. Feist is on fire.
ChromeoFancy FootworkVice
Chromeo’s follow-up to 2004’s, She’s In Control finds the Montreal-based duo at its smoothest. While Dave One’s sexual innuendos and junior high bravado might help your lady problems, P-Thugg’s heavy, synth-funk, and vocoder hooks will get you dancing like a total freak. Inspirations worn clearly on their sleeves (Prince, New Edition), Chromeo mines the sounds of the early-‘80s, unleashing 2007’s poppiest sex-beast.
DevoQ: Are We Not Me? A: We Are Devo!Warner Bros Records
Certain albums should never be slept on. Example: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!. This 1978 triumph of slicing post-punk guitars, squealing synths, bizarre lyrics, and that pounding bass drum is the key to something inside of all of us. That something is dance-luster.
Skull DiscoSoundboy PunishmentsSkull Disco
Dubstep has officially become evil. This collective–which includes Shackleton, Appleblim, and Gatekeeper–makes the deepest, blackened dub around. With song titles like “Mystical Warrior” and “Massacre,” metallic percussion, and the deepest throbbing bass ever, Skull Disco is on this office’s “killing it” radar.
DJ MayonnaiseStill AliveAnticon.
While his bro Alias is out remixing slowcore outfits like One AM Radio and John Vanderslice, DJ Mayonnaise is holding down the original Anticon. front (circa 2000). Still Alive is atmospheric hip-hop–complete with classic breaks, obscured guitar samples, and a free-for-all guest spot by mush MC K-the-i???. For those hip-hop heads that like their jams of the Anticon. variety, Mayonnaise will not let you down.
Pit er Pat On Tour
Thus far, 2007 has been a good year for Chicago-based label Thrill Jockey, who has had standout releases from Adult., Trans AM, The Sea and Cake, OOIOO, and now, Pit er Pat. The latter has long spearheaded the artful post-rock movement, with a formula that revolves around hazy guitars and lots of clanking, lo-fi percussion. Following 2005’s Shakey, Pyramids, the trio’s latest full-length offering, finds the band at its most ethereal and transcendently ambitious (even more spacious, effect-heavy rhythms).
The band set out on May 10, and will continue across the continental US with Komado’s newest freebirds, Priestbird.
Pyramids is out now on Thrill Jockey.
Tour Dates
05/14 New Orleans, LA: One Eyed Jack’s
05/15 Houston, TX: Diverse Works
05/16 Austin, TX: Emo’s Lounge
05/18 Phoenix, AZ: Modified
05/19 Los Angeles, CA: The Smell
05/20 San Luis Obispo, CA: Steynberg Gallery
05/21 Monterey, CA: Monterey Live
05/22 Oakland, CA: Lobot Gallery
05/23 San Francisco, CA: Hemlock Tavern
05/24 Portland, OR: Dante’s
05/25 Seattle, WA: Atlas Clothing & Music
05/26 Vancouver, BC: Pat’s Pub
05/29 Fargo, ND: The Aquarium
05/30 St. Paul, MN: Turf Club
05/31 Iowa City, IA: The Picador
06/01 Chicago, IL: Empty Bottle
Daily Download: ellul “Esophagus”
Somewhere in between the darker side of late ’90s indie rock and dissonant shoegaze sits the San Francisco duo ellul. The band’s self-titled debut was recorded along the California coast in places as diverse as churches, industrial warehouses, and living rooms–which isn’t too surprising, given the the guys’ lust for indie guitarscapes.. Anyone old enough to remember Caulfield Recordings will have their second coming.
Download this song as an MP3, or preview a week’s worth of tracks at the XLR8R Podcast. Subscribe using iTunes, or with an RSS reader of your choice.
