If sex sells, Parisian electro upstarts Junesex are among its finer peddlers. The shadowy foursome work perverted themes into their quirky, jerky tunes with hedonistic abandon. Their sound ranges from high energy bounce on "Boy With Your Tongue" to the more sedate and contemplative "Worst Than Love," the forthcoming single on their Junesex International Airlines label. This tune is a serious flipside which considers falling in love with a fuck buddy to a relaxed electro pop backdrop comparable to their countrymen in Phoenix. Remixes from seasoned house producers Losoul and Gilb'R (of Château Flight) bring the tune back to the dance floor in different ways: The former relishes skippy repetition, swing beats and a left-of-center chord structure, while the latter uses vintage synths and plenty of tension to expand the track to epic proportions. So no matter what point on the sexy spectrum you're on, the newest from Junesex has you covered.
I am gonna pull a raging Tom Cruise here and jump on the mo-fo coach and say I am IN LOVE with Rumble Strips right now. And the list of bands I'd jump insanely on a coach for is actually pretty small. Kind of like real love is really rare.
Fact is the song below would be mighty fine accompaniment to defiant Oprah coach jumping. Let me clarify that I don't revere this song for its complexity; I ain't got rose-colored glasses: It's easy, happy-go-lucky piano-based pop. With A simple hook. And a lot of drum cymbal shimmer. But that don't mean you won't listen to it all day. Charlie Waller sings so impassioned about love that he sounds like a modern Morrissey. (Yes I said, gasp, Morrissey.) With a dash of Albert Hammond or Vampire Weekend. Did I mention Mark Ronson signed them to his label and is producing their second album? How do you like them apples? They are currently touring the US so you can check em for yourself.
PS And if Oprah calls me and demands an apology for my ecstatic behavior, I'm laying blame on the Church of Scientology.
You can’t get drunk on YooHoo, but if you could, Cause Co-Motion would be your band. The Brooklyn quartet—regulars in the Todd P circuit—play buoyant punk for the zit set, fast tunes that barely make it to the end (which is only a minute and a half away) because the beat has just wandered off somewhere else entirely to (presumably) talk to a girl. “Which Was Is Up?” is all slap-happy hits and cheeseball three-note riffs but not ironic and thoroughly enjoyable. If you’re Friday night is looking like budget tallboy cans and a house party, you’ll probably want to get down with this.
Dan Auerbach and Alive Records are on a goddamned roll. Every record I've come across in the past couple of months with the Auerbach stamp is full of unadulterated fun and this debut from San Antonio's Hacienda is no exception. Loud Is the Night combines the catchiness of the Beatles, the melodies of the Beach Boys and the Americana down-hominess of the Band while delivering a handful of original and indelible tunes. These 3 brothers + 1 cousin are channeling ? and the Mysterians, the blues, country and straight up rock. Most of this record wwas essentially recorded live, so you know these guys must deliver a helluva show. Wrapping up some dates with Dr. Dog, the Hacienda family has recently announced 6 new solo dates that will bring them from NYC back home. Grab this tune, check the vid, see them live and buy these boys a whiskey.
Sounds Like: Buffalo Killers, Black Keys, Beatles, ? and the Mysterians
German pop. German pop. Wooga. And you thought this was going to be more German minimalist electronica (that we love so much)? Nah- The Dance Inc. churns out a new wave electro-infused tunes - buffered by steady cymbal beats and computerized hand claps. It ends up sounding a bit like our favorite Australian's Cut Copy....Vocals? A bit like Bowie. Lyrics? Something about running to the Sabbath. We don't know about that, but anything that sounds like Cut Copy and Bowie works for us. Go hamburg!
On their remix of “Crank It Up” from UK nu-rave grime troupe Hadouken!, Does It Offend You, Yeah? actually manage to make another band sound less abrasive. If their punctuation marks are anything to go by, DIOYY? play cheeky and self-depracating to Hadouken!’s unrelenting energy, both going for broke with the kids that’ll be out till dawn on Saturday morning, crawling back to East London flats in neon leggings and LA Gear pumps. "Get Smashed Gate Crash," the leadoff track to the band's stateside debut Music For An Accelerated Culture (out October 28,) is like an Atari Teenage Riot song writen by ex-screamo fans, kids who just learned to make beats but still need chugga-chugga breakdowns. Who could do without?
You learn something new everyday: Musée Mécanique is an impeccably-dressed Portland dream pop outfit that take their name from a museum in San Francisco. That museum houses the world's largest privately owned collection of 'mechanically operated antique musical instruments and antique arcade machines,' none of which were stolen by bandmembers to craft their just released—and excellent— LP, "Hold This Ghost". A record populated by nearly as many instruments as their namesake, it's also teeming with sleepy, perfectly arranged pajama pop that's more Technicolor than sepia tone. Grab RCRD LBL exclusive "The Propellors" and additional album cut "Like Home" or pay the price.
Manchester group 1913 make open-ended rock music, stuff reared on the hooks of classic UK stadium bands like Manic Street Preachers and Duran Duran but still taking some energy from the fresh faces gracing the cover of the music weeklies over there (what up Kings Of Leon). Their first single “Can’t Move On” is a mid-tempo tune that’s got some great Johnny Marr guitars and a big hook that you can probably pump your fist to or whatever if you’re into that level of participation. Download below and if you live in the UK, you can pick up a copy of the limited edition seven-inch (only 500 pressed) at a handful of record shops, info over at their MySpace.
Sounds like: Manic Street Preachers, Glasvegas, Kings Of Leon