Commissioned by Danish performance group Hotel Pro Forma to write the music for their opera based on Charles Darwin and his book ‘On the Origin of the Species’, The Knife decided to make this a collaborative process, working with artists Mt. Sims and Planningtorock for the first time, to capture the huge width of the Darwin and evolution theme. They extensively researched Darwin related literature and articles, with Olof attending a field recording workshop in the Amazon to find inspiration and to record sounds.”

Should be….interesting.  Always a big fan of  Karin Dreijer Andersson, especially her solo album Fever Ray and her work on the intense, glowing in the dark, Silent Shout.

Here’s a leak from Tomorrow in a Year, “Coloring Pigeons”

Colouring of Pigeons

Here’s a taste of what I meant by “glow in the dark”, two tracks from Silent Shout with Andersson’s vocals.

The Knife- Silent Shout

Silent Shout

And Heartbeats, which has been one of the most remixed songs I’ve ever heard:

The Knife -Heartbeats

The Knife- Heartbeats

Only mentioned in brief passing on a weekend play list, (see Weekend Mega Mix vol. 1) Empire of the Sun deserves at the least one official posting on our blog.  Their music defines our blog in a way.  It’s like MGMT and Passion Pit thrown in a blender and served hot with a garnish of Scissor Sisters’ flare.

I’m not usually one for easy, cheap mash ups and I tend to especially  dislike ones that incorporate ‘vs’ in their title (so inferior) frequently heard on B96 courtesy of Eddie and Jobo, but this one is too hard to pretend not like.   The lyrics remind me of a cheesy Black Eyed Peas song, yet still strike a chord having freshly graduated college by bringing me back to the infamous parties and legendary hangovers that follow.   I’m starting to seriously worry if I will ever be able to experience a two day hangover again caused by a weekend long bender excusable because ‘we had a football game’.

Got a swimming pool in my living room

Anyways, this song makes me want to go out and parrrrtttaaayyy hard–hit the clubs up, and act like an underage freshman girl at Station.

Wiz Khalifa vs Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream

And another one of my personal favorites from them,

Empire of the Sun – We are the People

We are the people that rule the world

 

Seitz

His ability to take on diverse themes  such as the dysfunctional family with hilarious black humor (see The Royal Tennenbaum’s), adventure  in the deep ocean with absurdly fake images (see The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou), and boyhood crushes on older women (see Rushmore), to name just a few movies, is why I think Wes Anderson is one of the most creative and hilarious directors making movies.  Scheduled to be released on November 13, Fantastic Mr. Fox has gained considerable hype, but one that would be expected from a Mr. Anderson movie.

Also as expected from a Wes Anerson movie, the characters are played–voiced, actually–by faces we have seen in his previous movies.  Jason Schwartzman plays Ash, Mr. Fox’s son, George Clooney as Mr. Fox, Bill Murray as Badger, Meryl Streep as Felicity Fox, Owen Wilson as Coach Skip, and Willem Daf0e as Rat.   Being Anderson’s first animated movie, I’ve read that painstaking detail went into the creation of the stop motion models and the doll house sets, using real fox hair and fine materials for their clothes to achieve that surreal look his movies have become famous for.   More of a family movie, and probably much less esoteric than his previous films, Fantastic Mr. Fox can appeal to almost any audience.

Check out the trailer.  Fun for the whole family.

I am going to be listening to this all cold, rainy, snowy, shitty winter long.  Hearing these two heart warming, electro pulsing tracks from Fuck Buttons eerily reminded of the first time I listened to Erlend Oye’s DJ Kicks–and that means it’s really really good.  It’s a whole new genre of experimental electronic that I have never really listened to.  Trance like, but not cheesey, Fuck Buttons managed to open my sleepy eyes as I was wondering if I would ever get that feeling I had when I listened to Erlend Oye for the first time.

Releasing their new album Tarot Sport today, October 16  (currently 5:47am), Fuck buttons’ previous sound has been described as “adrenaline pumping, ear purging slab of towering, pristine noise,” and by Pitchfork as “something like the sun rising over the ocean… then going supernova.”  Keep in mind, their experiemental so don’t expect every song on the album to sound so…perfect.  But these two songs give me that special neon warm feeling inside that only computers and electricity can duplicate.

Fuck Buttons- Solar Surf

Fuck Buttons- Space Mountain

And an eerie remix of Fever Ray (chick singer from The Knife)

Fever Ray- If I Had a Heart (Fuck Buttons Remix)

Seitz

Man, all these business meetings and conference calls are beginning to take a toll on my blog-o-sphere life.

And this being my first post in quite sometime, I am not posting any new music, but rather giving credit where it is due.  As the title explains, The Talking Heads are releasing a 25th anniversary of Stop Making Sense on blu-ray that includes a 90 minute press conference, footage of their last major tour from a 3 day concert in Hollywood, and two bonus songs, “Cities” and “Big Business/I Zimbra.”  Do I expect anyone who reads this to actually buy the bu-ray after? No, but I figured it is at least appropriate to post this considering the name of our blog is a tribute to one of their songs…

Here’s the amazon link if you’re so inclined.

Oh, and I just found my Halloween costume.  Thanks, David Byrne.  All I have to do now is  stop by the Big and Tall store for an all white suit.

Their music is legendary and their videos are…interesting.

Once in a Lifetime

This Must be the Place a.k.a. the best song ever made.

~Seitz

Fall is my second favorite season (just behind spring break), and always reminds me of the obvious: tree colors, certain smells, football etc. But for some reason hoodie sweatshirts stand out the most when I think of fall. This being almost everyone’s first fall season home in 4 years, I also plan on attending a lot of high school parties (not really, maybe). And hoodies and house parties bring back Friday nights in your friends basement while his parents are out to dinner for an hour and half.
Basically, this is what Washed Out reminds me of when I hear it. A lot of people say it’s beach music, but I disagree. Perfect for those 55 degree afternoons kicking it in your friends backyard.
Enough rambling, here’s the 20 year old from S.C.’s music:

Feel it All Around

Luck

Hood Internet – Feel It On The Southside (Feat. Lil’ Wayne & Baby)

Celebrating his official album leak day, Kid Cudi”s third single off Man on the Moon: The End of the Day borrows talent from Brooklyn’s Ratatat and MGMT.  The hazy, droning typical of Ratatat combined with MGMT’s psychedelic synth pop and Kid Cudi’s ultra-chill voice come together for a hell of a jam.  Can’t wait to hear the rest of it.  Apparently the rest of the internet feels the same way, considering it’s painted on every blog.

Kid Cudi-Pursuit of Happiness (ft. Ratatat and MGMT)

I’m still tired from the weekend (see Weekend Mega Mix post below).

Gui Borratto-Beautiful Life

Gui Borratto-Take My Breath Away

It starts out slow with Arab Strap’s “The First Big Weekend,” but listen to the lyrics carefully to foreshadow the rest of the list-and possibly your own weekend.  Followed by “Walking on a Dream.”  Not sure how to describe this song, other than it’s f#$*ing aweome.  4 years of college education in that description .  Next, “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon because it is one of the best rock songs this year, period.  This song makes me want to kick off the weekend with a nice power happy hour packed slammed with my friends.  Moving on, “Temptation” by New Order is one of my personal fav’s.  This version is on 7″ vinyl so it peppers some character onto the song.   This is followed a “Take on Me” remixed by newly discovered Twelves.   Now it’s time to get serious.  This song is a gem, so good it actually rivals the original, but falls just short (as most remixes do), and everything by Twelves is gnarly.

Slapping you right in the face, “When We Were Kids” is by Australian band Galvatrons, an 80′s intergalatic themed band which is worth chekcing out on their own, remixed by badass Bag Raiders.  Trust me, you’ll describe them the same after you hear “Fun punch.”  Lastly, “Dream machine” by Gunstar wraps up the playlist nicely.

By this time, anyone with a pulse that has been listening should be jumping up and down, pouring their drinks over their heads, while yelling at the bartender for four more.  Yes, it’s Friday (barely), but it’s supposed to be great weather and a long f#$*ing weekend.  I’m going to happy hour, hit me up.  Seriously.  First drink I’m ordering is a redbull and redbull. The weekend is upon us.

Arab Strap-First Big Weekend

Empire of the Sun-Walking on a Dream

Kings of Leon-Use Somebody

New Order-Temptation (7″ vinyl)

A-ha–Take on Me (Twelves remix)

Galvatrons-When We Were Kids (Bag Raiders remix)

Bag Raiders-FunPunch

Gunstar-Dream Machine

But that also happens to be the name of his new band.  The Norwegian (Scandinavia arguably has the best electronic music), teamed up with 3 other guys from Germany to form this pop indie electronic rock, and released Dreams in ’06 and Rules in February of ’09.  Here are two from Rules and a remix by Fred Falke of Golden Boy, also on Rules.

Whitest Boy Alive-Golden Cage (Fred Falke Remix)

Whitest Boy Ailve-High on the Heels

Whitest Boy Ailve-1517

“People in northern Europe since medieval times,
We find it hard to deal with when our dreams come true.”

Can’t get much more white than that without being racist…

Myspace