#41 – Les Savy Fav

Sorry it’s all been rather quiet this week, I’ve just started a new job and it’s bloody knackering. But as a thank you for being patient, here’s a very good song for you. It’s from New York’s original indie kids and the darlings of the blogging world Les Savy Fav. It’s a song off their latest record Root For Ruin and it’s a humdinger.

Les Savy Fav – Let’s Get Out Of Here [Buy]

Make sure you check back over the weekend though. We’ve got some Brazilian music, another installment in the Music for Horses playlist and reviews of James Blake and Cut Copy coming. Good stuff!

#15 – The Strokes

They are AWESOME!! I like the Strokes a lot. I mean a big lot. In the same way that a kid likes Worthers’ Originals from a man in a long coat standing at a street corner outside his school. So when I heard they’ve finished writing their new album, I went to look for that man who used to stand on the corner of Perry Vale and Church Rise and see if the two feelings are actually the same. Turns out I couldn’t find him, so sadly that story ends here. But on to more relevant things. As they’ve taken a 4 year hiatus, surely Julian, Albert and Nikolai, Nick and Fabrizio must have been doing something other than smoking weed and partying, I hear you say? Well, here’s what I think is the best of what they’ve done.

Julian Casablancas

The Strokes’ front man released a well publicised album in 2009 that critics and Strokes fans generally really liked. The lead single off the album, 11th Dimension, is great. It’s got a great synth lead and a sweet vocal from Julian all the way through. It can also be found just about anywhere on the internet, so I’m going to put up another of my favourties from the album. Left & Right In The Dark has got a really good guitar hook and the vocal is classic Strokes. He also did a song with N*E*R*D and Santogold called My Drive Thru which I really enjoyed when it came out in 2008.

Julian Casablancas – Left & Right In The Dark

Music For Horses

I’ve decided to start a bit of a running post, so that we’re forced to put something up on the regs! In my house we’ve got a ‘chilled playlist’, that we put on an awful lot. It’s great if you’ve had a long day at the office (or cup cake shop, Mann), you’re cooking a nice dinner for a fine piece of ass and you want something good on in the background or for doing any other chilling out things you can think of…

So in a bid to let you into what we’re listening to we will each put up the odd song or two every week. Let us know what you think and if you’ve got any suggestions then get in touch. The songs aren’t always new or the cutting edge of ‘cool’, but they work. We promise!

I’ll start tomorrow, so watch this space.

#12 – Bands To Watch

I’ve been going to a fair few gigs recently that are for up-and-coming bands and I thought I’d let you know about a couple of them.

First up is a group from Wrexham called Gallops. They play some pretty heavy instrumental stuff. Kind of like Errors but crunching on gravel and other manly things. They are also very nice people! At times the music is quite math-rock and at times it gets much more melodic, but it’s adding up to a good sound. Check out their Myspace here, buy their EP here.

Gallops – Miami Spider
https://safetyfunandlearning.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/05-miami-spider.mp3

#11 – Soul Covers

Soul Covers

Loads of soul songs are covered, sampled and generally seep their way into popular culture, and this is good. It’s always nice to hear a proper song. Think about how good Kanye West’s early stuff was. Let’s face it, he is a great rapper and the samples made his songs super radio-friendly.

So how often does it work the other way around? Would a soul version of a Les Savvy Fav or Black Flag song work? Okay, I haven’t found any soul covers by them, but there are some good ones out there.

This first one is by a girl called Hawa. I honestly don’t know anything about her other than the fact that she is obviously ace! It is a complete ‘reverse-engineer’ of a dance song. Chilled out yet suitably head-noddy. All in all, a great, great cover.

Hawa – D.A.N.C.E

#8 – Four Tet & the xx

Just a super quick one for you here. Kieron Hebdon (Four Tet) has given the XX a remix, and it is great! It’s all DFA and there’s a sample/synth at the start that sounds very familiar that I can’t quite put my finger on. Basically it’s awesome, give it a listen

The xx – VCR (Four Tet Remix)

#7 – David Guetta

David Guetta Ruined Pop Music

I don’t mind pop music. It has a place in society… Clubs where you can get a double vodka for a quid, as backing on easy-to-watch TV shows or just to occupy the daily commute when the news gets boring. What I do mind is crappy pop music. The songs where it is just one hook, played over and over again, with a crappy, middle of the road house beat in the background and that ‘whooosh-ing’ sound that heralds the chorus/drop like the met office promising a great summer guarantees a shitty one. (I’m bitter about that too, but I’ll not start.)

David Guetta is, in my opinion, responsible for so much of this awful music that I barely know where to start. He is not the only producer who makes it, and he is definitely not the worst, but he is almost certainly the most visible. In the last two years or so he has been behind an awful lot of crappy songs. The worst of which has got to be that abortion by the Black Eyed Peas, ‘I Gotta Feelin’.

#5 – F**k You

Alrighty there, sorry it’s been a while. I’ve been having god knows how many problems with my internet for the last month or two.

Just a super quick one to let y’all know about two songs that will have you smiling. The first is by Indie-favourite Darwin Deez. The man of the moment (a moment that has been going on since January) recently released his album and this song just stands out for me. As well as the rest of it. Anywhoo, enough jibber jabber. Get your lugholes around this.

Darwin Deez – Bad Day

This second one is off Cee-Lo’s forthcoming album ‘The Lady Killer’ and is bringing back that old Motown sound big time. The video is going viral and the song cannot help but make you smile so much you think your face is about to spasm. Seriously. And take a minute to check out the video. I can’t quite figure out why it’s good, but it just is.

Cee-Lo Green – Fuck You

There’s a rather good link between the two songs too; guy’s who be hatin’ on the ex (or the ex’s new bit). I reckon every couple who break up over the next few months will be playing these songs way too loud in their bedroom while singing into a hairbrush. Or whatever the guy equivalent of this is. Anyway, enjoy.

#3 – Ska

Blogs all over the web were lighting up over the latest Diplo creation that came out at the beginning of the month. The Major Lazer/La Roux mixtape was, I think we can conclude, a bit of a limp fish. Only really two or three songs on it were worth the hype, although that may still be a bit generous… I think the idea is good though. As a bit of a fan of Island music, anything that makes a song a little more summery is generally going to get at least a listen from me. So let’s consider Reggae’s big brother. Ska music is something that most people would often consider the territory of 14 year old kids with long hair who like running into each other at gigs, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s been around longer than Reggae and has played a part in both the Island and British music scenes since the early ’60’s. The constant upbeat, trumpets, organs, and generally dancey feel make it one of the most expressive and fun genres to listen to. It is impossible to keep your feet still when it’s on.

Here are a few examples of how Ska has developed, from the first wave of Jazz and Blues influenced songs, through to the second wave that took the British Mod culture by storm, better known as 2 Tone. This progressed to the punk tinged third wave that was popular in the ’90’s in the States and that a lot of people would probably associate with Ska these days. Finally I’m throwing in a gem that I can’t stop listening to. For me summer started when I found this tune in February!

Lord Tanamo – I’m In The Mood For Ska

The Coventry Automatic – Little Bitch

Goldfinger – Walking In The Dark

Major Lazer – Keep It Goin’ Louder (Ska Mix)

#2 – Reggae Remixes

While at work the other day I heard possibly one of the best reggae reworks of a song ever. One of my favourite ever artists has been taken and made into a super chilled song that could well define my summer. It’s part of a rare bootlegged 7″ and tracking down an mp3 of it has been as tough as getting a gorilla to tango. But, scroll on down and you’ll find it. Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On? has been reworked by Truths and Rights and the results are awesome. The B-side of the single is a rework of Edwin Starr’s classic War by The Buzz and that is also way good, but sadly the guy who gave me Marvin Gaye wasn’t able to hook me up with that one. With a little bit of work I’m sure you’ll be able to find it though 🙂

Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On? (Truths & Rights Remix)

While we’re on the subject of all things good reggae, how about some other bits and bobs. A slightly older track but a quality remix nonetheless is from the Chant Down Babylon album of Bob Marley collaborations. It’s more of a group of famous fans who have taken some of his popular songs and ‘duetted’ with the late singer. My highlight of this is MC Lyte’s rap over the top of Jammin’, although Lauryn Hill’s take on Turn Your Lights Down Low deserves an honourable shout-out.

Bob Marley – Turn Your Lights Down Low Feat. Lauryn Hill

Bob Marley – Jammin’ Feat. MC Lyte

Just to finish off here’s another song that’s been ‘reggae-ified’. It’s different but worth a listen, if only because more often than not when Mark Ronson decides to do something, it works.

Miike Snow – Animal (Mark Ronson Remix)