Friendly Fires - Paris

Friendly Fires, "Paris (Aeroplane remix)" (YSI link) 320

"I promise, someday, we're gonna live in Paris." How could I not love this song with a lyric like that and a remix by new disco kings Aeroplane. We're in the midst of horrible rainy/snowy weather here in NYC right now, so it's nice to have this cosmic and sunny remix to remind us that the summer is coming around again. Just listen to those warm keys and handclaps and tell me you don't see yourself on an beach on some isolated island watching the sun rise. Add in re-done vocals by Au Revoir Simone that add an air of the wistful and you have a winner. Things do pick up around the 4 and a half minute mark, as the vocals drop out and the drums kick harder and the synths starting shooting fire. It's much more banger than Balearic, which I ain't mad at.

This one's dedicated to my cosmic girl JH-B, who had a law school exam today. I sent good thoughts and cosmic tunes her way all day!

Everyone is flipping over the Justin Kohncke remix on the B side, making this a real serious 12". Grab your copy at Turntable Lab and also make sure to pick up the original stuff in the form of the Friendly Fire's first self-titled LP. This sort of indie dance stuff is pretty saturated right now, but these UK guys are definitely pushing through the clutter.

Hot Chip - Hold On/Touch Too Much Remixes

Hot Chip, "Hold On (Switch LDN remix)" (YSI link)

Hot Chip, "Hold On (Mock N Toof remix)" (YSI link)

Hot Chip, "Touch Too Much (Ewan Pearson remix)" (YSI link)

While we're going to be doing less and less of the current stuff, I wanted to make everyone knew that I'm just losing my edge. I haven't lost it yet. Here's a few new remixes from the recent Hot Chip 12" Hold On/Touch Too Much Remixes, another single from the Made In The Dark album.

They've brought in everyone's favorite producer/remixer, Dave Taylor a.k.a. Switch, the house music dude who has been dropping some of the most interesting music of the past few years. He dropped 2 remixes for this, LDN and LA versions that showcase that Switch unpredictability. I don't know of any other artist now who is able to keep you on the edge of your seat in dance music like he does. He's able to draw on various styles, from house to dancehall to bassline to minimal, all in the space of a single track. The LDN remix above is a great example of how he fucks with the dancefloor, stuttering and stopping his way along, making you feel like a huge bassline is coming in which never does. He

The other two remixes are even better. Mock N Toof deserve a much bigger audience and hopefully a few more big-name remixes will do the trick. Their remix is so much more where my head is at, a nice, long extended mix that takes its time on the disco-y house track. You get some great percussion, cool keys, It's a subtle boogie, but it's a good one. Ewan Pearson has been doing this shit for a long time and he still has it. He takes on another song from the album, "Touch Too Much," keeping it much more of a song than the other ones. You get all of the vocals, Pearson has just stripped the song down (until the last few minutes, when it turns into laser tag) and added some beautiful keys and slinky drums that slowly build and build over 9 minutes to a great ending. Really nice stuff

If you haven't already done so, make sure to grab a copy of Made In The Dark, another solid release by one of my favorite bands around. Turntable Lab has the Deluxe Edition, which gets you a live DVD for your money.

Kitsune Maison 5

Pin Me Down, "Cryptic" (YSI link)

On Board, "Friendly Fires" (YSI link)

Before you even say it, yes, I know that this has been out for way more than a minute and that this sort of belated posting may get my mp3 blog card revoked. I am defying the system tonight, consequences be damned.

I mentioned that Ed Banger has been at the forefront of the Paris dance music rebirth over the past few years. That shortchanges another pivotal label that has made the rock kids dance and the dance kids rock, Kitsune. The fashion house has been slowly but surely releasing some of the best music of the past few years, introducing us to bands like Digitalism and Simian Mobile Disco. Their Kitsune Maison compilations are essential documents of the dance music scene, bringing together a mix of the best 12" releases and unreleased tracks.

The fifth edition is out, the Golden Edition; sadly this one doesn't reach the levels of the earlier editions, as it lacks the standout, killer tracks, little filler vibe of the first three editions. The album's highlights for me surprisingly come from the indie side of the ledger, which have a lean, dance-y feel that works perfectly. Pin Me Down's "Cryptic" reminds me of a female-fronted Bloc Party, which is a compliment for the record. It's got a great, simple refrain that The highlight for me is Friendly Fires "On Board" which I love love love. It's got the rare quality for this genre of not rushing things, slowing down even for an awesome, handclap breakdown. I had no idea who this band was, which is why compilations like this are so rad and so necessary. Other highlights come from the Fairy Lights mix of Late of the Pier, the Gentlemen Drivers Rave mix for The Teenagers' "Homecoming" and Autokratz's "Pardon Garcon."

Like I said, this one isn't on par with the best of the series. I love the mix of indie and dance music and their hybrids, this one just didn't have the same quality of songs. However, your mileage could easily vary, so grab a copy and support one of the best labels extant. If you don't already own the first four volumes, I'd recommend putting those on the top of the list.

Caribou - She's The One

Caribou, "She's The One (Hot Chip remix)" (YSI link)

Caribou, "She's The One (Kelley Polar's Hughes Wilson Prom Night In Hell version" (YSI link)

Not sure why, but I feel a little melancholy today. Blame it on the weather, the unread emails from an ex or just being me. I'm not sure if Dan Snaith's music as Caribou is good for me right now or if it just makes me a little bluer, but when the music is this beautiful and essential, I just need to get over myself.

"She's The One" is the first single off of the 2007 Andorra album and one of the best songs of the past year. It combines that psychedelic pop sound perfectly with lyrics about love and that one girl. It's just the type of song I love, a dark love song about heartbreak and love lost and moving on. "Every night there's a new name on her mind that I don't think I recognize/
and it's never strange just how long she stays away, I guess I'll have to compromise." Not surprisingly, this one was co-written by Jeremy Greenspan of Pound for Pound favorite Junior Boys, who do this sort of music perfectly. Anyway, if you have not bought the LP, do not hesitate in buying your copy today.

The label came up with two interesting choices for remixers, Hot Chip and Environ's Kelley Polar. Hot Chip have added a beat to the mix, stretched it out by double and added two almost-euphoric breakdowns. The first is slower and more deliberate, the second is a little more of freak-out to close things out. Definitely somthing different from the guys, not my favorite. While everyone is probably going to gravitate towards the Hot Chip remix, the real treat is the one by Kelley Polar. This one has to be heard, as Polar has turned the original into a spoken word experimental disco track. There's amazing soaring harmonies, sweeping strings, claps and off-key chords, it sounds like nothing you've heard in quite a while. The best guidepost I can say is to think back to the late 70s, early 80s when guys like Arthur Russell brought the avant-garde to the dancefloor. I'm really liking this one,

I highly recommend grabbing one of the copies of the 12" before they are gone, as you won't want to miss a chance to have the original and the additional new track, "Niobe." You won't be disappointed.