Hot Boyz

Dear Nora & Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, "Hot Boyz"

Missy Elliot, "Hot Boyz"

It is so fucking hot today that air conditioning isn't really cooling me off. It's like walking in a pool out there; it takes me like 30 extra minutes to get anywhere, as I usually pass out at some point in my journeys and wake up when the pavement burns the side of my face. In honor of this obscene heat, what better track to play than "Hot Boyz" in honor of me being in heat exhaustion? Fine, I'm not hot in the sense she means, whatever. Ugly people can have songs dedicated to them too.

The original song is classic Missy Elliot, a slow, breathy track that oozes sex. This one is for the ladies out there looking to make money and for the men with money. Curious to hear how women react to the lyrics to this one, especially since Missy is one of those figures that normally can be pointed to as an example of a talented artist doing her own thing. She always has a crazy, influential sound, this time coming with a minimal, drum machine track complete with heavy breathing, oohs and aahs that take this one over the top.

The real treat here is the rare cover version done by indie bands Dear Nora and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. This one came out on the States' Rights label compilation, Bro Zone. Shit is crazy good, keeping to the minimalist aesthetic but with their own flair. This one needs to be heard, so I won't ruin it too much. Just be sure that this one doesn't seem to be a prank or some postmodern commentary on hip-hop's hypercapitalist descent. It really sounds like indie kids who are fans of Missy doing a really fucked-up take on the music, possibly with drugs involved. You need it, trust me.

Oh, I was going to put a picture of this guy up for the ladies:



as I assume he is the hottest guy alive. However, I'm not sure my taste coincide with my female readers. Feel free to holler and let me know who is a hottie or post a picture of the latest hunk in the comments. Whatever I can do to brighten up a day for the ladies, yanowaddamean? You go girls!

-This seems like the perfect time to point everyone to one of the best music things going on the Internets today, the Diplo/Mad Decent podcasts. Every few weeks Wes puts together a mix of the shit that he is feeling or from particular parts of the world that he's been able to check out. There's been a look at Buenos Aires, for example, the obvious take on Brazil, an amazing tour of New Orleans post Katrina with interviews from bounce legends. Amazing shit, I cannot recommend this more highly. Oh, and on the most recent mix he dropped this Dear Nora "Hot Boyz" cover and it got me interested.

-Speaking of Mad Decent, make sure to check out the tour blog that CN is doing as Diplo, Bonde Do Role and CSS go around the country. It's a nice way to kill the time until CN's other blog, lemon-red, returns from hiatus.

-This new shirt from Mishka and this one they did for the aforementioned tour are also mad decent. Dudes are killing it. Cop them now before it's too late.

-emynd and Bo Bliz at Medusa tonight, Philly people. Open bar from 1o-12, the boys spin from 12-2. No better way to beat the heat than drinking too much and listening to electro bangers.