83. SUNGLASSES

SUNGLASSES.

i really love this track and have been meaning to post it for a while. ever since forthebeat used it in their printemps mix, i've been rocking out to it - especially after i saw sunglasses live at forthebeat's spring party @ home sweet home at the beginning of april. it was real obvious that these guys know how to have a good time (shaking the stage type of guys) and they really engaged the crowd.

the two dudes behind sunglasses, 8000 bam bam and baby seal, worked on dialogue and original music for a thesis film together in college and found that they collaborated so well that they had to do it again. they made the right choice, thank goodness.

their ep will be out on june 15th on waaga records / lefse records. keep your eyes open.

Sunglasses - Whiplash (Download)

and check out the video for the track - it's got a strange connect to eastbound and down, the effects are interesting, and it represents the aesthetic of the band real well. if you know what i'm talking about, you'll know what i'm talking about. what's up, what's up:

"WHIPLASH" by Sunglasses (Vimeo)

83. SUNGLASSES

82. KISSES

spring romance = kisses

check out their 7" on surround sound records.

they are air france + bikini's love child. that's all that needs to be said. catch my drift?

Kisses - Bermuda (Download)

82. KISSES

81. YES GIANTESS

i was looking around today for information about the band BMX, and stumbled on the young paris label sister phunk which put together a series of promo videos when they released their compilation "18 airs du temps." unfortunately, the whole compilation still isn't available in the US, but grab the EP on itunes here. i only know about a few of the bands on there- BMX, the golden filter, passion pit and cfcf. this compilation is a definite must buy - it's on the same level of valerie and friends, but sister phunk crosses genre a little bit more.

anyway, one of the bands i'm just finding out about is called yes giantess - because sister phunk has one of their tracks on the compilation. these guys are fucking awesome / they're from boston. i've been listening to the tracks on their myspace for a while now - they remind me of a heavier and more serious version of MGMT's older (1st EP), and i'd say better, stuff. other things you might hear: a kavinsky style 80s heavy guitar ("the ruins"), occasional michael jackson sounding vocals ("can't help it"). in other words, yes giantess are of greatness. they are still unsigned - but are moving quickly forward. expect to see (and hear) more of them in the near future. i'm serious. they are going to be HUGE.

i want an LP so so so bad. right now, they've got two EPs available on neon gold records - check it here.

Yes Giantess - Tuff n Stuff (Download)

Here's a music video for another one of their tracks:

Yes Giantess - The Ruins (Vimeo) directed by Ben Mcintire & Danny Abel

81. YES GIANTESS

80. DJ MEHDI + ROMAIN GAVRAS

DJ MEHDI, Signatune (Vimeo)

At this point, you may or may not have seen the new M.I.A. video for her new track, Born Free, that seems to be popping up everywhere on the web right now. The video has already racked up hundreds of thousands of views after two days up on Vimeo. Its good, I like it, it makes a statement, but this director has done better work. Which brings us to tonight's post!

This video is one of my favorites and has been for a while. The track used for the video is Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk's edit of Signature by DJ Mehdi. This character is incredible and what it leads up to is even more so! That competition at the end, it's a real thing; they call it dB drag racing. They reach sound levels of 180dB inside the vehicles - that's 32 times louder than a rock concert.

Director Romain Gavras has some serious talent, and I think his greatest skill is making his music videos feel genuine. He casts some of the most real and regular looking people. That combined with solid cinematography, editing, and a great ability to tell a story results in some great videos. His directing credits also include Stress by Justice as well as their documentary A Cross the Universe, and the music video for Simian Mobile Disco's track, I Believe.

80. DJ MEHDI + ROMAIN GAVRAS

79. BUFFALO BUNCH / WE IN MUSIC

house throw back to 2003. this remix is done with we in music (french house collaborations run by raw man) and buffalo bunch (raw man with play paul, now running as ryskee - that's paul de homem-christo, the brother of daft punk's guy manuel de homem-christo). in other words. i've been rocking out to this track for years and had NO IDEA who was behind it. i've, of course, been all about raw man and buffalo bunch, but have never heard of play paul. what an embarrassment. unfortunately, this dynamic duo is no longer together (they ran 96-03 apparently), but we can all enjoy a little history. not a lot of information out there about them-

bebel gilberto is a brazilian-american bossa-nova musician. great to hear some house tracks that aren't remixes of indie, electro, or other house music every once and a while!

with this track, the bass sweeps and isn't too heavy. the music will MOVE you. if you like earlier raw man and groups like cassius, you'll love this track. also, because of the way it samples from bossa-nova, you might also like it if you're a fan of the avalanches (come on new album!) or mylo.

Bebel Gilberto - Close Your Eyes (Buffalo Bunch/We In Music Remix)

79. BUFFALO BUNCH / WE IN MUSIC

78. UNKLE + JONATHON GLAZER

UNKLE ft Thom Yorke - Rabbit In Your Headlights (Video)

This one is an old favorite that I would like to toss into the mix. The music video was directed by Jonathan Glazer. You may be familiar with his feature length movie Sexy Beast. He has directed a handful of solid music videos, don't be surprised if you see more of his work here in the future. The track, Rabbit In Your Headlights, is by UNKLE and it features Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Enjoy!

78. UNKLE + JONATHON GLAZER

77. RÖYKSOPP

Happy Up Here (Video)

Awesome awesome awesome music video. Röyksopp has such a solid sound and aesthetic and this music video follows suit. The stylization and concept are spectacular; the use of Space Invaders in the real world is a fantastic idea! I love seeing old video games come to life. If you've never seen the 1993 film, Super Mario Bros, I recommend you find it.

This track is from Röyksopp's Junior, their third and most recent album. Be on the lookout for Junior's counterpart, a new album, Senior. It was originally slotted to be released late 2009, but has since been kept under the radar with little info out there. It said to be more instrumental and atmospheric, much different than the bright and energetic Junior. Svein Berge (half of Röyksopp) called it "the senile sibling of Junior who lives in the attic."

ALSO, they just started this “Track Of The Month” which they refer to as a service where fans can get their hands on some free, unreleased & exclusive Röyksopp material. You have to sign up, but it is totally worth it.

77. RÖYKSOPP