Usually when I think of a remix it’s a techno/house producer taking a slower down beat electronic song and making it danceable.  But some of my favorite remixes come from bands like PB&J and Grizzly Bear who aren’t necessarily your of the norm remixers. What you get is something more unique and sometime more approachable than your standard techno crescendos. From this remix you notice minimal remnants of the original, with a Peter Bjorn and John take on electronic music. They inject it with their signature organic sound and manage to secure most of the danceability of the original by adding in a subtle chirping synthesizer riff and delayed wood block claps.

Like mentioned before, it’s good to see different artists getting in and trying their hands at some remixing. Not only do they add a different flavor of remixes to the scene, but they also open up their fans to new music that may have flown under peoples radar’s. It’s good to see things like this going on in the music industry and I hope bands like PB&J and Grizzly Bear keep up the great work they’ve been releasing lately.

The Golden Filter – Hide Me (PB&J Remix)Stream

Hey V&V readers! It’s been awhile since my last post, ‘life’ has been extra hectic lately. But, thanks to Willis’ unrelenting ambition V&V strides without me!

I’m happy to make my triumphant return with a new song from The National. They are one of my all time favorite indie bands…next to Spoon of course! I just love Matt Berninger’s baritone voice and how profound their lyrics can be. Maybe not to everyone, but that’s the beauty of music, it can interpreted in almost anyway.

Basically, in this new song “Bloodbuzz Ohio” not much has changed as far as song structure than their previous work. The piano rings over a strumming acoustic and electric guitar riff and hard hitting drum rolls complete the time signatures. All while Matt Berninger’s beautiful baritone protrudes in a distinctive fashion, only to be claimed by The National. As basic as it may sound it’s been the arrangement for alot of The Nationals music. But in this basic dynamic they have an excellent ability to craft some of the most deep and meaningful music out there.

The National – “Bloodbuzz Ohio”Stream

Many feared that the Gorillaz were done recording new music after the release of their D-Sides album. I am guilty as charged too. But now it seems that they are back, and in full force. They threw together an impressive line up of musical all stars to bring with for the ride such as Snoop Dog, Mos Def and Lou Reed, to name a few. And yes, you read that correctly, Lou Reed, the man behind the Velvet Underground. All these artists will be contributing to their new CD Plastic Beach which will be due out March 8th of this year!

And they didn’t even stop there, they will also be headlining at Coachella. Eeek!! This all made me giddy like a school girl when I found out. It was almost an overload. Although I won’t be able to see them at Coachella since it takes place over a thousand miles from where I live, I’ll be able get a new CD from them in a little over a month. On top of that, a track from the CD leaked recently.

The track is called “Stylo” and isn’t exactly what you’d expect from the Gorillaz. It’s much more electronic/synth based than their previous work. It has a funky bass line and an obscure lead synth riff. Contributing on vocals is Murdoc of course, in addition is Mos Def and Bobby Womack. I must say throwing Bobby Womack in this track was an excellent idea. Gorillaz have a quirky, almost satirical side to their vocals and Bobby’s strange, funkadelic voice works perfectly for the chorus. If you’re a Gorillaz fan or not, you will officially be excited for this new album and all that it has to offer.

Gorillaz – “Stylo” (Feat. Mos Def & Bobby Womach)Stream

What we have here is definitely not what i expected from the Knife. It’s not exactly a bad thing, but it’s not really what I wanted from them. Albeit interesting and very well crafted, I can’t see myself listening to this song on a regular basis like their previous work. It’s nice to see them venturing off in different directions and really taking the theatrics of their live performances to the next level, but it lacks what I know and love the Knife for.

Have a listen and really take time to consume the music, it works extremely well for what is supposed to be done with it and I can certainly give them kudos for really taking their music in a different directions and being creative. I just hope one day this opera that they and Hotel Pro Forma have planned (which will be about Darwin’s theory of evolution) will make it’s way into the states so I can finally see them live.

The Knife – Colouring PigeonsStream

I basically love anything that has a floating, distorted feeling to it, which is why i’m a big fan of Washed Out and Sunny Day in Glasgow. But when The Depreciation Guild hit me, it was like a ten ton weight had been dropped onto me at that moment. Their sound is heavy, filled with veils of distortion and delayed guitar plucks, but lightweight at the same time.  Their use of vocal effects and guitar pedals is simply stellar, but what really makes their sound stand out is their use of chip-tuned noises. This is contributed to a machine that the pair purchased on Ebay called the Famicon, which is basically the Japanese equivalent to the NES. In an article with Pop Matters the duo jokes about the Famicon being the most talented member of their band.

Depreciation Guild – Sky GhostsStream

I’ve posted two songs from their 2007 EP release “In Her Gentle Jaws” my two favorites from the album. Listen closely you will notice that a lot of their drums and bass come from the Famicon and the guitar and vocal effects are obviously human commandeered. It’s a superb blend that manages to capture the power of M83 and add some of the 8-bit chip-tuned love that Crystal Castle’s is known for.

As far as I’m concerned Shoegaze doesn’t get any better than this, especially when spliced together with Nintendo’s 8-bit nostalgia. Eat your heart out people who call it, Shitgaze.

Depreciation Guild – Heavy EyesStream

Who wouldn’t want the chance to remix the songs from the upcoming Vampire Weekend CD, Contra? Few, I’d think. Well Toyselectah has this opportunity. His ghetto-tech tropical style seems to fit in nicely with the theme of Contra and will no doubt be a happy marriage fitting for a dance filled evening fueled by Caribbean rum.

With the release of Contra being right around the corner(1/11/09) my anticipation level is currently through the roof. But now with the addition of these very different, yet astoundingly similar remixes my level goes from through the roof, to the moon! Check out this track from the CD which will be entitled Contra Megamelt and embrace all that is Toyselectah, combined with Vampire Weekend. Mmmm, It’s tasty!

Vampire Weekend – “Cousinz”(Toyselectah Mex-more Remix) Stream

After over ten years of recording excellent albums, shaping  generations youth, falling in and out of success and a seemingly forever long hiatus, the Smashing Pumpkins are still kicking it into high gear and releasing more material.  Albeit devoid of all classic members of the band the iconic leader Billy Corgan has filled the gap and replaced those old members with a 19 year old boy named Mike Byrne as the drummer. And thus, the recording of a new Smashing Pumpkins album has begun entitled Teargarden By Kaleidyscope.

Here is the first track from their new album. Which will all be released for free subsequently as of December 7th, 2009. The song is called “A Song For A Son” and Billy explains this song to be about not having a son, but always wanting one and not having the opportunity to have one. It’s strange that he decided to write about always wanting a son and coincedentally adding a 19 year old drummer to his band. With only Billy and Mike Byrne as the two working on this album maybe he did some bonding with him and realized he always wanted a kid. Either way it’s all up to interpretation as Smashing Pumpkins write a lot of their lyrics like that.

With genres of music progressing regularly, The Smashing Pumpkins still seem to be tightly secured at staying with their older style of music. Which is more on the Alternative side. It definitely isn’t a bad thing. It still feels like something that the Smashing Pumpkins would do, it just isn’t as ridged or as heavy sounding as their older stuff. A lot quieter like something meant to fall more on the sentimental side to a heavy sounding album. It will be interesting to see where they decide to go with the rest of the album. Could it be more of the Goth/Alternative rock that we are accustomed to or a softer more piano based album? We will have to wait and see.

Smashing Pumpkins – Song For A SonStream

Hot Chip are easily one of the coolest electro-pop bands out there. This quintet from London are experts at crafting music with catchy guitar riffs and quirky electronic beats. In their new single “One Life Stand” this order hasn’t changed at all. They still maintain everything about their older music that makes it fun loving, danceable and electronically charged.

What I like is that they always manage to inject a subtle hint of 80’s electronic dance music, while still maintaining their indie roots. It could be their smooth accelerated bass lines, Alexis Taylor’s croon or maybe just the all around danceability of their music. But it harks back to an era when electronic dance music started getting the notoriety it deserved.

This will no doubt be one of the more upbeat tracks off their upcoming fourth album which will be titled the same as this song. Watch out for the album to drop sometime in the first quarter of ‘10. Which i like the way Hot Chip explains it in an interview with NME – “There will be a new album, set for release in early parts of next year, to warm the cockles of your soul right in the middle of the bleak mid-winter.”

DOWNLOAD:

Hot Chip – “One Life Stand”Stream

After exploding the charts up with her first album “Youth Novels” one would assume that it’s time to take a break and relax a bit. Lykke Li is doing the exact opposite, she’s getting back on the wagon train and making more music. Even though this track is a cover of an excellent Shirelles song. It’s always nice to hear a new take on a personal favorite. Especially when done by Lykke Li! Her voice is hardly there, but profound at the same time. It’s an excellent contrast. It’s also nice to see that she is capable of making music on a sentimental side and that she is able to deviate from her Indie roots and come out with something meaningful and deep.

Check out the video here to see her perform it live in a strange candlelit setting, shot with a very obscure angle. Hopefully Lykke Li keeps up the great work. She has a very ecclectic side to her music, making her stand apart from everything else out there in the indie music scene. This cover is just one great example her uniqueness. She can take a more upbeat song and give it an entirely new edge.

Lykke Li – Will You Still Love Me TomorrowStream

Animal Collective has yet again released another single off their up and coming EP Fall Be Kind. This one is called “Graze“. In this track you notice Animal Collective not deviating too far from their experimental roots.

The song starts slow, with echoeing vocals playfully chattering back and forth, accompanied by a soft string section and the inconsistant clatter of something that sounds like wooden sticks. Dave Portner or Avey Tare’s voice reaches quite an intensity, which is uncharacteristic of his usual harmonization. The song works great as an introduction because at the last minute or so it breaks down into an epic wood flute solo, to sort of amp up the energy and add in some melody to the otherwise vocally charged track.

The depth and focus of just the two tracks i’ve heard so far gives a clear indication that this will be a very experimental album, based mostly off sounds and noises versus melody and tempo. It will be interesting to see how it fares against their earlier work. Look for the EP to be released November 23rd over the internet and by physical copy December 14th.

Listen:

Animal Collective are stated as one of the most successful psychaelic bands in the modern days. They have an uncanny ability to create vivid, astmospheric music, summoning all sorts of moods and trippy feelings. Here is a sneak peak off their upcoming EP it’s a song entitled Bleeding. Which kind of fits the mood here. If bleeding to death were music, this might be it. Thinking of good friends, fond memories etc, then finally accepting that death is inevitable and envisioning your world crashing down all around you. These are all the moods that Animal Collective are experts at invoking into the audience.

The song stretches out to be around ten minutes long, and would seem best fit in a live setting versus listening to it on an ipod or stereo. But I’d suggest hallucinogen drugs and a free thought process, one in which to allow yourself to wander and almost become the music. Either way it would be fun and interesting to see this performed live as there are plenty of strange and eerie noises coming from this quartet.

Animal Collective – “Bleeding”Stream