Kitsune Releases Maison Compilation 3

Their latest compilation, Kitsuné Maison Compilation 3, finds French label Kitsuné-who has been home to everyone from Hot Chip to VHS or Beta-injecting all sorts of fun into this collection of electro-punk tracks, be it Van She remixing labelmates the Klaxons or the accelerated and sometimes ridiculous sounding flutes and harps of Oh No! Oh My!. The underlying theme here is to party, so make sure to keep a copy near your stereo for your next impromptu house party. Note: pay special attention to the end of the disc for a little surprise.

Kitsuné Maison Compilation 3 is out November 27, 2006 on Kitsuné.

Track List

1. Simian Mobile Disco “I Believe”
2. The Lovely Feathers “Frantic”
3. The Whip “Trash”
4. Fox n’ Wolf “Youth Alcoholic”
5. Klaxons “Gravity’s Rainbow (Van She Remix)”
6. Freeform Five “Home Wit U”
7. Boys Noize “Feel Good (TV=Off)”
8. Gossip “Standing In The Way Of Control (Soulwax Nite Version)”
9. Alex Gopher “Motorcycle (Wet Clutch Short Edit)”
10. The World Domination “Galactic Lover”
11. Dead Disco “The Treatment (Metronomy Remix)”
12. The Valentinos “Kafka (Bag Raiders What Ya’ll Kno ‘Bout Seven Remix)”
13. Oh No! Oh My! “I Love You All The Time”
14. The Whitest Boy Alive “Done With You”
15. Digitalism “Zdarlight (Paranoid Asteroid Mix)”

PLUG Award Nominees Announced

We try not to care too hard about awards ceremonies, but it’s worth mentioning the nominees for the PLUG awards, the ceremony dedicated to doling out the accolades for the indie artists of the world.

Nominations we were especially happy to see this year are Spank Rock, The Coup, and J Dilla for Hip-Hop Album Of The Year, Ellen Allien for Female Artist Of The Year (yes, it’s a slightly stupid category, but the woman still deserves the praise), and an impressive selection of electronic and DJ album nominations that most certainly don’t involve trance.

All nominations are chosen by a group of industry professionals, but it’s up to you to cast your vote and see your favorite artistsand albums win. This year’s nominations are in two different categories, general and obsessive. Vote in as many categories as you like, and don’t forget to choose your favorite magazine!

The PLUG Awards Ceremony will take place on February 10, 2007 at New York’s Irving Plaza.

RJD2 To Release Third Album On XL

Instrumental hip-hop producer RJD2 has left his longtime home at Definitive Jux and relocated to XL Recordings for his third album, in what’s perhaps a fitting move. As his career has climbed over the last four years, his work has used a larger range of styles, and The Third Hand suggests the sharpest left turn of all. Head over to RJ’s MySpace page to stream his unlikely pop ballads with plenty of piano and harp. Don’t worry, all you purists. His original genre remains in the mix. It’s just a slightly different take on hip-hop.

The Third Hand is out March 6, 2007 on XL.

Bloc Party Tour Dates Cancelled

Late last week Bloc Party drummer Matt Tong‘s lung collapsed after a performance. According to a press release, “while Matt is on the road to recovery, doctors have advised that he not travel again for another few weeks in order to give his lung time to properly heal.” Translation: Bloc Party will not be touring with Panic! At The Disco as was scheduled. Frontman Kele Okereke apologized, adding that the band was looking forward to their US tour.

Ticket refunds will be available at point-of-purchase. Ticket holders should take care of refunds within the next week.

Cancelled Dates

11/16 Toronto, Ricoh Coliseum
11/17 Rochester, Gordon Field House
11/18 Lowell, Paul E. Tsongas Arena
11/19 Philadelphia, Wachovia Center
11/21 Detroit, The Palace Of Auburn Hills
11/22 Chicago, UIC Pavilion
11/24 Minneapolis, US Bank Theatre at the Target Center
11/25 St. Charles, St. Charles County Family Areana
11/26 Council Bluffs, Mid America Center
11/28 Denver, Magness Arena
11/29 Salt Lake CIty, The E Center
12/01 Portland, Memorial Coliseum
12/02 Vancouver, Pacific Coliseum
12/03 Seattle, Everett Events Center
12/05 San Jose, HP Paviliion
12/06 Long Beach, Long Beach Arena
12/07 Glendale, Glendale Arena
12/08 Las Vegas, Orleans Theatre
12/09 San Diego, ipayOne Center

Juggaknots: Schooling the Masses

Before sitting down to record their new album Use Your Confusion (Amalgam Digital), Bronx hip-hop trio Juggaknots hadn’t recorded a sizeable amount of material together in five or six years. For a group of siblings all living in the same area, this lengthy absence doesn’t initially add up–that is, until you find out what they’ve been doing with their time. While on hiatus from hip-hop, brothers Breeze Brewin and Buddy Slim and sister Queen Herawin were busy dropping science, almost literally, in the classroom.

“Teaching is a tough gig and it ain’t really the kind of thing you can slack on ’cause you’re dealing with people’s lives–you wanna give it your all,” says Breeze of the trio’s shared profession, which has also brought them closer together. “We can sit down and bond and relate to each other [about teaching],” says Herawin.

While it’s been a decade since the Juggaknots’ debut, Clear Blue Skies, and three years since its revamped re-release, this trio hasn’t been entirely absent from hip-hop. Collaborations with Prince Paul, Mr. Len, and The Weathermen have kept Breeze and his siblings’ names bubbling in the underground. “We tried to put out a single here and there just to let cats know that there was still a pulse,” Breeze explains. “Although [our pulse] was near flat-lining, it never got completely horizontal.”

Use Your Confusion shows that Juggaknots are indeed alive and kicking, with the threesome presenting challenging subject matter over a multifaceted supply of gritty, mid-tempo beats. Though rhymes about the importance of fathers in the inner city and growing older may sound dry or didactic, the crew breathes life and positivity into the topics, while sharing their own experiences. On “Daddy’s Little Girl,” Queen Herawin reveals how having her father consistently present as a child was vital to her upbringing; on “30 Something,” Breeze reflects with guest MC Sadat X on how inching closer towards middle age isn’t half bad.

Juggaknots aren’t all about introspection, though. Tracks like “Use Your Confusion” touch on broader human themes–in particular, the uncertainty that the public is feeling these days and what can be done to remedy social and political situations. Breeze explains the song–and the overall album–thusly: “It’s really about using that frustration and just basically pokin’ fun at it and using it to your benefit.”

Factory Records Graphic Album

The end of the month sees the first-ever complete documentation of Factory Records graphic output during its lifespan, with Factory Records: The Complete Graphic Album. Bath, England-based Matthew Robertson, a collector of rare Factory Records items himself, compiled the numerous record sleeves, posters, and flyers for the project, managing to gather every piece of graphic output the label ever produced. Considering that Factory was known for breaking ground in the design world and the musicians worked alongside designers like Peter Saville, Den Kelly, Mark Farrow, and Barbara Kruger, that’s saying something.

Factory Records: The Complete Graphic Album is out November 20, 2006 from Chronicle Books. Definitely worth shelling out forty bucks for.

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