Switch - A Bit Patchy

Switch, "A Bit Patchy (original) (re-edit)

Switch, "A Bit Patchy (Eric Prydz remix)"

Switch, "A Bit Patchy (Riffs and Rays remix)"

Switch, "A Bit Patchy (Groovecutters remix)"

Here's a huge dance track from early this year, although I believe that it's been played out since 2005. Switch is the alias of Dave Taylor, one of the most talented people working in house music today. The original re-edit is the winner here, an absolutely sick track that redoes the Apache break. That's right, another reworking of The Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache" song. But, don't fear, this one is as inspired as anything that's ever built off of that song. Switch turns this into a dirty house track, with pounding drums, fuzzy bass and a sampled vocal. It just makes you wanna go loony and jump and dance around, seems perfect for optimal dancefloor madness.

The remixes just don't make it to the same heights, which wasn't going to be easy. Eric Prydz tones this down, turning it into something more for the grown and sexy set than the party kids. He softens the original, giving a more full bass and a less chopped-up sound. Not too bad. Both the Riffs and Rays and Groovecutters remixes bring the original to the disco, adding horns, a 4/4 beat, a more uplifting sound in general. For my ears, no one tops Switch here. More to come from Dave Taylor, a pivotal name in dance music.

-R.I.P. Steve Irwin. Not sure why this was so shocking, I guess you figure dude can't get hurt after so many encounters with animals. For real, people, don't fuck with stings rays, those bols are relatives of sharks, motherfuckers, so you know they mean business.

-So great checking in today and see 6 comments waiting for me!!!! Yeah yeah yeah, I cannot tell you how much I love hearing from everyone, puts a smile on my face. I've been trying to finish up something, we'll return to more consistent posting soon.

Scarlett Johannson on Letterman Tonight

Exactly as the title says, Scarlett Johansson is on Letterman tonight. 11:30ish. Was someone just saying that this month is gonna be huge, the past is past, blah blah blah? I agree with him completely. Oh and Scarlett, holler at your bol, for really real. I see a Johansson-Pound for Pound combo that will take over the world.

This week, we'll be dropping tracks from the new Dylan album, Switch, snap tracks, new TV On The Radio, maybe some booty shit (DJ Assault anyone?), . It's just gonna get crazy in here, that's fa sho.

Labor Day - Billy Bragg and The Smiths

Billy Bragg and The Smiths, Newcastle, England, January 31, 1986:

Billy Bragg, "This Charming Man intro/A Lover Sings"

Billy Bragg, "Back To The Old House"

Billy Bragg, "This May Be The Last Time"

The Smiths, "Shakespeare's Sister"

The Smiths, "I Want The One I Can't Have"

The Smiths, "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side"

The Smiths, "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

Here's a little Labor Day surprise for everyone, a live recording from one of the concerts during the Red Wedge tour of 1986, organized by Pound for Pound favorite and leftist Billy Bragg. First, the music comes from an audience recording, and to be honest, I'm not sure if the person was actually a part of the audience for this show. It's that low-quality. Repeat, this is a terrible recording, especially for the Bragg songs at the beginning. With that warning, it's still a great document of a fascinating time in music, when the British working class found its voice, when the Right began to take control and the ideas of privatization, xenophobia and bigotry became the mainstream. Bragg organized this tour to energize the youth of Britain and assail the Thatcher government.

I've always been ambiguous about politics and music; actually, I've always been very hesitant about it, finding explicit political music uninteresting and preachy. Bragg, especially, and Dylan before him have escaped this criticism by singing not just of Politics with a capital P, but also the everyday politics of men and women, sex, love, failure, singing as often about uncertainty and loss as anything. I think that this comes the closest to my political makeup, which always feels hesitant about adding more suffering to the world.

Today should not be a day of confusion though; it should be a chance to honor the memory of all the workers of this country who stood on picket lines, who fought their bosses for better wages, better conditions and a better future. It's for Joe Hill, Samuel Gompers, Mary "Mother" Jones, Walter Reuther, all the leaders over the years, all the nameless men and women who died for something better. Here's a nice timeline of important labor moments, emphasizing the death and intimidation that today's labor movement stands on. Here's another history, which few know today. Finally, look at this diary at Dailykos explaining why unions are so important.

-How am I celebrating Labor Day? Obviously by watching the Plastic Surgery: Before and After marathon on Discovery Health! What else?

-Today is ostensibly the last day of summer, a normally sad day when school and cold weather looms. For me, it's the end of a lousy summer and the chance to put that all behind me. Starting tomorrow, we're gonna stop with the emo shit, stop myspace stalking, stop feeling bad for myself. There are lots of changes in store for me personally, some tweaks here and there at this site. I'm as excited as I've been in awhile, looking forward to getting some distance and moving forward now. Yeah yeah yeah!

Dylan Sunday - Theme Time Radio Hour #6

Bob Dylan, Theme Time Radio Hour #6 (Jail) (unlimited d/l)

Here's the sixth installment of Mr. Dylan's radio show, covering one of the great subjects for song material, jail. I'm gonna keep this short and simple, as I'll probably discuss Dylan's new album later this week and I don't want everyone to overdose on him.

The one essential thing for everyone to do is listen to Merle Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home," one of the last songs of the show. It's one of the greatest, most heartbreaking songs ever recorded. The Grateful Dead covered this song in the early 70s, with Garcia's wonderful fragile voice serving the song well. Here, Haggard, the ex-con turned music star, does the original version and it's magnificent. It's a song about loss and loneliness, and should make clear why jail is such a perfect muse for writing. It's a condition that isolates a (wo)man from his/her home, family, friends and forces them to rely only on memory.

You also get some other classics, like Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," which features possibly the greatest lines ever written- When I was just a baby, my mama told me, "Son, always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns."/But, I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die- wow. There's a lot more, another essential listening experience and a chance to hear Bob Dylan ruminate on music and life.

The Killers - When You Were Young

When I was young

The Killers, "When You Were Young"

While you would think that The Killers would not be a Pound for Pound favorite, what with their style over substance schtick, this song found its way into my jams list. I actually caught the video accidentally on MTV2, not knowing that this was the new single from The Killers. I liked a lot immediately, felt like I needed to get it out to my readers. It's just a great rock song, nothing more, nothing less. I love the yelling voice of the lead singer, followed up by that longing "When you were youuuuuuunnnnnngggggg." Yeah! It's got a general sad tone, which sounds right to me now. There's also a nice instrumental buildup each time, making this a good rock'n'roll song.

-As Pound for Pound continues to spread its wings, we're gonna start highlighting events outside of the Philly/NYC area more regularly. No better place to start than Montreal, that most French of cities outside of France, which also happens to be hosting Brooklyn's Finger on the Pulse tonight at Korova. They'll be dropping their bangers and making the indie girls swoon north of the border, not sure if the songs will be translated into Quebecoise or what. Peep the great flier here.

-On the Left Coast, in the heart of darkness known as Los Angeles, my bol Daniel is committed to the noblest of goals: getting the kids to dance. Tonight, he's doing it at his weekly Le Disko at Safari Sam's on Sunset Boulevard. Guaranteed good time.

-Finally, in the greatest city on Earth, Paper Street's Sunday Is The New Black continues to rule, with a Labor Day edition featuring Caps and Jones. Essential, way better than a barbecue.

Ed Banger in New York

(photo taken by Rebecca Smeyne for myopenbar.com)

Uffie, "Hot Chick"

Uffie, "In Charge"

I'm fully recovered and rested from my Thursday night odyssey to New York City, so I wanted to discuss how great and crazy a night this was. I took the 6:30 Chinatown bus, rolled in at 8:30, met the two people most responsible for this show in the LES and headed to the show at 10ish after some Weeds viewing. In possibly the coolest event of my young life, LF and MF took me to the front of the line and got me right in. Cheah!

The place, Element, was a great choice, a huge place right at the corner of Delancey and Stanton, with a giant dancefloor and a balcony for people watching and privacy. There was also a room off of the dancefloor that had couches and shit, but I never really settled in there. Things didn't start to pick up until DJ Lauren Flax came on around 11 and killed it. She dropped a set of electro-y hounge bangers, including the night's first spin of Justice vs Simian's "We Are Friends." It was a short set, but all I know is that I look forward to checking out her weekly White Lightning! and anything else that she gets her hands into.

First up from the Ed Banger crew was DJ Mehdi, who I actually knew the least about. He would set the tone for the night, spinning predominately house, dance and new electro tracks, building the tension and release thing and generally killing it. From there, SebastiAn and Para One did their things, finally giving way to Feadz and Uffie's live set.

This was the highlight for me, one of those rare moments when you have the chance to be a part of something new and original, before it's removed, where suddenly the artist is on a stage and far away. Uffie was standing about 3 feet from me at all times, closer to others. The crowd was great, a rare NYC moment when appearance didn't matter and enjoyment did. Uffie was great, commanded her tiny space on the stage and kept people interested and dancing. It was everything that one hoped Lady Sov's show in Philly would have been, as both are small in stature but their songs can make up for that easily. In fact, I totally have a crush on Uffie, as she has style to burn. Ladies, rock hi-tops and one piece tennis dresses. For real.

After that, the night is kind of a blur, as the DJs started to switch off frequently, keeping up the dance music until 4:30. It wasn't until the last 20 minutes or so that a hip hop song came on, which was my only disappointment. I thought that there would be a little more variety in the songs, a little more of a showcase for their influences. It didn't really matter, as I was sober as can be and exhausted and not dancing anyway. It's been 2 weeks of sobriety now (although I did have 2 PBRs before going to the club) and can I just say that it's awful. For real, it's boring and less fun, but necessary right now.

The festivities ended at 4:30, and your hero decided to take the first bus back to Philly rather than crash at someone's place. Unfortunately, the first bus was at 7 am, not 6, which meant killing two hours downtown. The city that never sleeps? True, if you're talking about the rats. Otherwise, sorry NYC, y'all ain't livin' up to the hype. I walked to 14th Street, checked out the synagogue I went to for Rosh Hashanah, walked down 2nd Ave., cried when I saw the remains of the 2nd Ave. Deli, headed over to 1st, found nothing, went to A and had a meal at Odessa. Shout out to Odessa's for being the best late-night option and bringing the good diner food at good prices. From there, I walked down A, saw some punk kid who had pissed himself leaning against a wall, remembered why I'm not drinking now, went to the McDonald's on Delancey and Stanton and learned that they stop serving fries at 4. Had a soda, listened to some neighborhood kids use the F-word more than me, made my way to the bus. All in all, not bad. It was kinda exhilarating being on some No Sleep Til Philly shit, to be honest. It was also kinda sad being back in the LES, seeing some old haunts. Definitely was on some emo shit all night, never a good look.

I want to thank my bol Project Matt for taking care of me and making sure that I was okay. Also, huge shouts to Matt and Lauren, who really pulled off an incredible show that went without any hitches and brought together one of the best crowds I've seen in NYC. These two are simply going to run New York nightlife in the next few months, hope that I will be able to help them out in some way with their big (and I do mean BIG!) plans. Finally, Ed Banger Records left me no doubt that they will be one of the labels to reckon in the next few years.

SebastiAn - Smoking Kills (?)

SebastiAn, "Smoking Kills (?)"

SebastiAn, "Dolami"

SebastiAn, "Shoot"

In honor of Thursday night's Ed Banger Records show at Element in the Lower East Side, here is another of the Ed Banger releases. I'll talk more about the show tomorrow, when I have a chance to catch up on sleep after pulling an all-nighter and catching the first Chinatown bus home at 7. All I'm gonna say is do not try that at home kids. Yikes, killing time in NYC at 5:30 a.m. is not a good look.

We're taking it back to the label's sixth release, before hipsters like me had any clue. This one dropped in 2005, featuring one of the best artists from that label, SebastiAn. Actually, I feel like he may be one of the most unappreciated artists in dance music today, a name that never seems to get mentioned even with the big boys of this scene like Justice and Digitalism. This single should put any way doubts as to genius of the man. What I noticed right away was the fact that SebastiAn seems more versed or more open about the influence of electro music than anyone else. I'll get into this more in the next post, but I was struck at the Ed Banger thing how essential house and dance music was to the night.

Sebastian's shit, on the other hand, seems as influenced by those early vocodered sounds as house. "Smoking Kills (?)" actually has that question mark in the title, but that's the end of the doubts for me. The title track is a fuzzed out dance track, complete with Daft Punkesque robot voice talking about how smoking kills below the layers of fuzz.

It's the B-side that kills in my opinion, as "Dolami" and "Smoke" are pure crack (don't do drugs, kids or you'll end writing a blog and lonely!). "Dolami" starts with a repetitive piano-y chord opening, adds some bass and gets rumbling. He starts to machine gun the bass at times and bring in some feedback, never quite letting it become a rager. "Shoot" is even sicker, complete with vocodered rap, great bassline and a crisp drums. Awesome stuff, my favorite of the single.

-When I started this blog a year and a half ago, I set a few goals that seemed unattainable. Some of them have already been accomplished, like passing the 100, 000 visitors mark. One that I never thought would happen went down yesterday: I got a link from Catchdubs! On the real, Nick's blog was one of my inspirations and models and it's a real honor to get a shout from him. No homo, but this has made my fucking week. Cheah!

-As the final nardchapper of this month and this summer, my fucking iPod broke yesterday, leaving me without any tuneage. It really has been one thing after another, which leaves me looking forward to September in a big way. I'm expecting at the minimum an encounter with Scarlett Johansson (maybe coffee at Last Drop and sushi?), a free mixer, some free vinyl, a new bike and news that penis size really isn't that important to women. It doesn't all need to happen, but I demand two of those things. Are you there G-d? It's me Jack.

Ed Banger Records In New York City

New York City, the event of the summer is nearly upon us. Ed Banger Records - Uffie, Sebastian, Busy P, Para One, the whole crew - are descending on Gotham next Thursday August 31st. On the real, this is a huge event, the perfect way to end the summer with a bang.

This has all come together late, so I'm gonna do my part to make sure that this event sells out and our friends from Paris play to a packed house.

date: Thursday, August 31 10 pm
place: Element 225 E. Houston (at Essex)
cost: $10 (presale at www.ticketalternative.com) $15 (door)

Let's do this New York City (and Philly kids, let's take the Chinatown together!!!!). Look at the names associated with this one: Ed Banger Records, Project Matt and the Funtime Party Team, Vice magazine, Lauren Flax and White Lightning!, Insititubes and others. Most importantly, I will be there, Pound for fucking Pound, What more do you need? Get those tickets now friends.

In honor of this one, I will be dropping some more Ed Banger heat. If you have a blog, please get in touch and help spread the word for this one. More to come on this night.

A Date With Ed Banger

Beck, "Lost Cause"

I am about to get on the bus to NYC to catch the Ed Banger show and ezarchive has been a real bitch today. So, I figured I would say hi and promise lots of good tunes and links this weekend. Here's my favorite track of the moment, even though it's been out for years it still kills. Listen and cry.

Say hi if you see me at Element tonight; I will be the guy in a red and blue Le Tigre shirt, hipster glasses and Hoya blue and grey Nike Dunk highs. I hope that the Pound for Pound army is in full effect and even moreso that I can find a place to crash.

Holler.

Morgan Geist - Unclassics #5

Victor, "Go On Do It (1984 original mix)"

Victor, "Go On Do It (Morgan Geist Breakfast Club dub)"

I've been threatening to throw up some Morgan Geist for a minute now, finally coming through. I figured that I would hype up his Unclassics series first, an amazing series of 12" releases that compile some of the forgotten gems from the whole early 80s electro/Italodisco/disco period. Geist then does a remix on the flip, which should explain why this is such an essential series.

Side A is just pure crack, as Geist has uncovered a proto-rap, Italian disco jawn where a dude raps in a monotone about picking up a hooker and f*#king her every which way but loose, including that most dirty of spots. It's pure genius, with the beats provided by the one and only Alexander Robotnick, a.k.a. Maurizio Dami, great drum machine breakdowns, even great female background vocals. Wow, I mean, I try not be all 80s nostalgic, but it definitely feels like music made a wrong turn when shit like this became obscure. Geist takes over the B side, dropping a sick, sick dub version of the original. It sounds like he has taken one section from the original and worked with that for the entire 7 + minutes. You'll notice a much more mid-range bass happening, which sort of mellows this version. Despite the fact that he has taken the vocals out and calmed things down, it sounds like even more is happening, as Geist has added much more micro sounds into the mix. Amazing stuff, two sides of electro-disco heat. Cop your 12" right now, you won't regret it.

-I mentioned the CT Senate race a few weeks back when Ned Lamont shocked DC pundits by beating incumbent Joe Lieberman. I mentioned how important this was, but never went deeper. Take a look at this interview Lieberman gave with the odious Glenn Beck on Beck's radio show and it should all be clear. Look at some of Beck's greatest hits (my favorite is his discussion of how long it took him to hate the 9/11 widows), the man Lieberman calls "friend" at the end of the interview. This man is not a Democrat, his loss will be a step forward and a warning to all other conservative enablers.

-I've decided to fully accept my inner hipster and buy a bike for city travel. I am wondering if any readers have suggestions on questions I need to ask when buying a used one. For Philly people, any recommendations on a store? I'm leaning towards Via on 9th Street, as they seem to have a good selection and decent prices. Get at me with any tips or recommendations, then make sure to pray for my safety.

Bay Area Heat - I Got Grapes

Nump feat. E-40, Turf Talk and San Quinn, "I Got Grapes"

DJ Shadow feat. Nump, "Keep 'Em Close"

Yaaaaayyyyyyy Arrrrreaaaaaaaa!" I'm still trying to do this as a weekly, as I know how hard this shit is to come by and it really has grown on me the past few months. It's funny, when the South started to rise up a few years back, it was the same experience. At first, I hated it, thought it sounded weird and strange, undanceable and uninteresting. Then, one song would hit me perfectly and it would all make sense. From there, my concept of 'hip-hop' changes, as does the way I hear things.

Here's another heater from last year, Nump's "I Got Grapes," a smoker's anthem for all the 4:20 friendly. Like most stuff coming out the Bay, this one has numerous versions and remixes featuring pretty much everyone and anyone in the scene. This one comes off DJ Backside's Got Bay? Vol. 3 mixtape and features three of the biggest names in the game - E-40, Turf Talk and San Quinn. It's got that drums and percussion sound that defines the genre, plus the interesting cadences and party theme. Look for a re-release of The Nump Yard on September 19, more news on his myspace page.

Here's another track from the new DJ Shadow album, Outsider, featuring our boy Nump. I guess you can argue that this is proof that this sound isn't a fad, or you can just say that there are certain producers who are willing to exploit the next sound. It doesn't really matter, as long as people get to hear the people who started and sustain this movement. I can't say that this track, "Keep 'Em Close," is going to interest a lot of people. It's too slow and uninteresting to me, stupid gun shot sound effects that add nothing to the song. Maybe my expectations were too high, curious about what others are hearing from this album.

-The Clipse at Alife tonight for their Courtyard End of Summer Jam. RSVP ASAP LES LOL ROTLMAO BRB. Epic party, for real, the perfect way to start the night before you head to our next listing.

-New York, this is a crazy big week for you. The King of New York Project Matt is going to take care of you tonight and Thursday, do not sleep. Tonight head to the weekly party at Home Sweet Home down in Chinatown and get drizzed. Thursday night, you already know. Have you bought your ticket yet to Ed Banger Showcase at Element? Shit's selling, you will regret not being a part of the event of the summer. See the stickied post above for all info. Do the damn thing. If you are in Philly, holler at your bol if you want to get a car pool going or roll deep on the Chinatown bus.

-No mention of the hosted mp3s? No one commented on the fact that we have killed Yousendit here!?!?! Thanks to my bol K at Analog Giant for the advice, as we are both at the same point with much bigger things coming down the road. Songs are up for 7 days now and that's it.

Cruel Summer

Banamarama, "Cruel Summer"

My mother went back into the hospital early this morning, so there's gonna be light posting today. This recent development made this the perfect time to finally up this highest quality version of Banarama's stone-cold classic and theme song for the my past few months, "Cruel Summer." It's such a good song, does not get rocked nearly enough by DJs. Remedy this, my DJ friends or contribute to my Buy Pound for Pound a Mixer Fund. Can you name what great 80s movie this song played in and what scene? First person with the right answer gets an re-upload of their choice or a request for something I haven't gotten to yet. Holler.

-Philly, the dynamic duo of Low Budget and Brendan Bring'em are spinning tonight at Tragos. You know what to do, it goes down from 10 on.

-Will Donovan McNabb and Donte Stallworth be the new dynamic duo in town? We will see shortly, as the Eagles traded for the receiver today, sending the NO Saints Mark Simoneau and a 4th round draft choice. Sounds like a good move to me.

-To all the biters using my phrases and songs for their myspace pages, go to sleep. As my bol JR Writer reminds me, though, "Y'all won't stop until a bol stops writin'." I guess I'll just take it as a compliment. Ride or die.

Dylan Sunday - Theme Time Radio Hour #5

Bob Dylan, Theme Time Radio Hour #5 (coffee) (unlimited downloads)

Ahhh, baseball may have been the passion of my youth, but coffee is the passion of my lost mid-20s. For real, there is nothing better than sitting in a cafe drinking a nice cup of coffee, or a cappucino, reading a book or talking with friends. Almost every word that gets published here or in a newspaper or magazine is conceived of and written in a cafe in Philly or New York City.

There is no comparison, though, as Philly has amazing and lively cafe culture, while New York's has been an utter disappointment. From Last Drop to Hausbrandt to La Va to Mugshots to La Colombe to Gleaners, Philly is amazing. Each place has its own style and scene, but they all value great coffee, relaxed places to be yourself and spots to people watch. I have never found anything comparable in Manhattan, have some hopes for Brooklyn but can't say that it's anything more than a wish.

What do you all think? Philly, what are some other great cafes? NYC, what am I missing? Europe, do you laugh at us Americans for being so amateur at cafe life? Oh, and let me thank iced coffee for allowing me to finish this post after midnight!

Tear Da Club Up Thugs - CrazyNDaLazDayz

Tear Da Club Up Thugs, "Smoked Out"

Tear Da Club Thugs, "Wet Party"

Tear Da Club Up Thugs, "Get Buck Get Wild"

I was trying to think of what to put up today before Bob Dylan Sunday and it occurred to me that it might be fun to make a post every weekend that focuses on a classic album that maybe has gone under the radar or would be cool to turn people onto who come here for one particular genre. In essense, this was all an excuse to put up tracks from the music that I have been listening a ton lately, the legends, Three 6 Mafia, the Triple 6, Oscar winners, but whatever.

This album, CrazyNDaLazDayz, is the only Tear Da Club Thugs release, which featured DJ Paul, Juicy J and Lord Infamous from Three 6. For myself and many, this is the best release ever out of the Hypnotized Camp Posse, as the paring down of the group makes for more consistent songs and for whatever reason, this is the angriest album the group ever made. There's very little of the horrorcore lyrics and sounds of the earliest albums; I guess it's most accurately the transition album from that sound to the party shit that's gotten them money and an Academy Award.

The songs above are some of my favorites, although there really were quite a few choices. It's an amazing album, 24 songs, sprawling, angry, violent, brutal, funny, misogynistic, drugged. It's probably not for everybody and may even offend some people, I don't know. For me, it's an amazing album, a sound progressing and a dark, foreboding stories about lost men, trying anything to get away from the craziness in their heads and hoods. I cannot recommend this one more highly, go and buy it if you don't own it already.

-I've decided that I want to have a daughter. Not sure what spurred this idea on; probably the little girl I saw today getting off the bus at 21st and Spring Garden, dressed in flower dress and Elton John star glasses, babbling away to her mother and whoever would listen, including the bus driver. Later, as we went in opposite ways, she stuck her tongue out at me and then waved. It was the cutest thing ever, and I realized that I would like to have a little girl that dresses in ridiculous clothing like pink kicks, crazy hair accessories, rainbow socks, straight hipster steez.

-On the real, Pound for Pound is going to be out of control this week with so much good shit that it really isn't fair: Switch a.k.a. Todd Henry, Scritti Politti, "Teabag Dat Hoe," Bay Area heat, Forward, Russia!, Lily Allen, more Padded Cell, Dirt Crew and more. Most importantly, the Ed Banger show in NYC jumps off and I will continue to help make this a sell-out. Check in often, you will not be disappointed.

Nelly Furtado - Promiscuous remixes

[Ed. note: This was supposed to have gone up yesterday, but blogger and yousendit prevented that.]



Nelly Furtado, "Promiscuous" (320 for my DJs)

Nelly Furtado, "Promiscuous (Axwell remix)"

Nelly Furtado, "Promiscuous (Morel's Pink Noise Vocal mix)"

It seemed like a good time to take another look at one of the hottest tracks of the summer, Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous." It held up well for me, although I don't listen to the radio much, so it may have long grown old there. Not much more to be said about it, grab it at the highest quality and play it out for a few more months.

The remixes take a similar approach to the Justin Timberlake ones from Friday. They serve more to make the original a little more danceclub friendly, housier so to speak, as opposed to complete reimaginings or darker shit. While it'd be nice to see a little more diversity in the remixers on these CDs, I can't say that I hate these versions. The Axwell remix starts out with just a cymbal beat, slowly adding some clipped vocals and keyboards, a nice teasing beginning. About two minutes it all comes together and the bass and drums take things up a notch. Interestingly, Axwell stops this and let's the Nelly/Timmy raps come in, shortcircuiting the first buildup. After the verses, it builds back up with some synths and cymbals, but it's not as much of a club stormer as I expected.

Morel's Pink Noise Vocal mix is my favorite, a harder edged, more banging version. This song had me with the hard drums right away, plus I like the fact that the beat doesn't drop out during the verses, which are completely intact. This would be my choice for a club version, although any good club should be fine with the original. I have a few more from this CD, let me know if there is any interest.

-I originally had mentioned the Danger! Danger! house party/rock festival. I hope that some Philly people made it out to the westside last night for this one, as it had to be a great time. I spent my night around Rittenhouse Square for the first time in ages; it's unbelievable how many people are out in that neighborhood, I really feel like things are gonna start popping up in new areas to . Thanks ED, DM, AZ, A + P for letting me tag along and not feel like a douche for not drinking. I even went to a Wharton party and nobody asked me to park their car or wondered how a hippie got in!

-Happy birthday to RV, who has crossed the quarter century mark. I hope that it was a boss(y) night, wish I could've been there to celebrate.

Justin Timberlake remixes

Justin Timberlake, "Sexyback" (DJs, grab it at 320!)

Justin Timberlake, "Sexyback (Linus Loves remix)"

Justin Timberlake, "Sexyback (Poker Face remix)"

Justin Timberlake, "Sexyback (Tom Novy Ibiza dub)"

Mang, this first single from Justin Timberlake just keeps sounding better and better to me. I just know that the ladies love this, can totally see it killing at a club. Beyond that, it just continues to prove that this boy can do the damn thing, especially if he is gonna let Timbaland lace him with hot m music. Just figured that I get the remixes up, as the Sexyback, Pt. 2 CD was released and these have been floating around. None of them touch the original, in my humble opinion. The Ibiza dub mix was everything I feared, straight from Ibiza 2006, so no acid house 1988 madness. Towards the end, when the soft jazz piano comes in, I was embarrassed.

The other two make the original a little more dancefloor friendly and both work nicely. The Linus Loves remix is the harder, more 4/4 one, which actually downplays Justin's lines in favor of Timbo's, an interesting choice. The Poker Face remix brings that percussion heavy sound in, mixed with an organ for what I imagine tribal house sounds like. That's a guess, as I really have no idea what that genre sounds like. While I normally shy away from anything deemed soft, lest I be labelled 'soft,' I like this one, nice and chilled out.

-New York City, Philly's finest DJ Low Budget will show the LES how it's done at The Delancey tonight. Head there, as it's about the only good thing left in the LES, now that I don't roll through! This is a Skullfuckers jawn, so you know it'll be ill and their fliers are dope and this is where you need to be tonight. For those who just can't stomach Manhattan (and believe me, I feel ya), head to Savalas where Jones of Caps and Jones is spinning.

-For my beloved Philly people, FiftyOne:FiftyOne has the scoop as always. Some nice things going down on this usually dull end of August weekend, especially that Jokers of the Scene appearance at the Seclusiasis' night at the Khyber. I missed them last Sunday opening for Dave P at the Walnut Room dropping electro heat, sounds like tonight is going to be a more eclectic soundtrack. Atza nice!

-If I don't make it there, it's because I'm still celebrating my team's Quizzo victory last night! We went to the Abbaye, we saw, we conquered. I want to thank my teamates for carrying us to victory: TA, MR, EO, AP, KA and LL. I came up big on the radical historians questions, as you ain't gonna get a Howard Zinn question by this guy.

The Knife - Marble House

The Knife, "Marble House (Rex the Dog remix)"

The Knife, "Marble House (Booka Shade's Polar Light dub)"

The Knife, "Marble House (Booka Shade remix)"

The Knife, "Marble House (PTR remix)"

I think that The Knife music I've put up as gotten the biggest reaction, except for maybe the Cassius "Toop Toop" and Justice remixes. So, here's a few more from the catalogue, another 12" released for their last album, Silent Shout. "Marble House" is another brilliant track, keeping in that 'haunted house music' vein we've mentioned. In fact, this one might be my favorite song on the album, love the vocals, the crisp instrumental

The remixes are a nice batch, starting with Rex the Dog's uplifting version. It's amazing how different this one sounds in comparison to the paranoic original. This one sounds perfect for a house set, as Rex the Dog has upped the BPMs and added some nice synth 80s sounds and it also sounds so uplifting that I want to cry.

Booka Shade puts together two reinterpretations, both of which bringing a dubbier sound to the mix. The Polar Light dub is way better than the obligatory dub version on 12" singles, as it isn't on some paint by numbers shit. He really redoes the entire thing, as it sounds nothing like The Knife's version. He takes out the vocals for the most part, drops the synth sounds, makes the bass more active. In fact, both Booka Shade versions sound similar to me; the remix differs mainly in the addition of congos/percussion, giving it a more natural, organic sound.

Finally, the PTR remix by PlanningToRock puts together my favorite version, stick closest to the original. PTR keep the vocals, but add an almost orchestral sound to the mix, complete with piano notes, strings, slowing it all down for optimal effect. This isn't for the dancefloor, but like the best of Bjork, it has a beauty in its oddness.

-Dope music blog alert: another night on earth. Chris has a great site going, covering a lot of the same music that I do here, but with far greater eloquence and sense of the history of dance music. I'm really digging his Friday Classics posts, which cover some of the influential names in dance music from the well-known to the obscure. But, best of all, there's a nice look at the influences like jazz, soul and afrobeat, something that I hope to do a better job covering down the road. Head over there now and show some love to my South African bol.

-I try not to make this blog too personal, choosing to focus on music, cities, politics, the world outside of me. However, I come to you tonight to ask for your opinion on a matter of import: Should I get a buzz cut? My hair is long now and I need to get a haircut. However, I'm leaning towards getting it buzzed off (not bald, mind you), but wanted to get opinions before I do. My thinking: this will be a fresh start, a new beginning, a chance to put the past few months behind me. However, I'm afraid that this won't do that and I'll just look like an ugly asshole. Thoughts, opinions, votes, let's hear it, people.

Blak Jak - Bobbin' My Head

Blak Jak, "Bobbin' My Head"

Blak Jak, "Ride and Swerve"

Here's the latest Blak Jak track, which has been out for a few weeks. For those that don't know, Blak Jak is the latest rapper to emerge from the Atlanta scene, possibly the perfect example of that 'Southern' rapper I mentioned with Rick Ross. In other words, an amalgamation of all the regions of the South, bringing elements from each into a total package. "Bobbin' My Head" is a sneaky song, it kinda sneaks up on you after repeated listening. In fact, it's just like the first single, "Ride and Swerve," which started to get some attention up North after a few months. It's got a nice, simple, repeatable refrain, good verses. I'm still partial to "Ride and Swerve," with its great drum sound and general catchiness, but both have me anticipating the album, Place Your Bets.

-It's been too long since I hyped myself up. Have no fear, it's time again. Check out my latest for the Philly Weekly: an A-List preview of the free screening of Kill Yr Idols at the World Cafe Live - the documentary on NYC underground rock which I'm going to try to make next week - and a look at Philly underground legends Notekillers' show at The Fire. Grindin'...

-Speaking of great writers, Frank Rich's column from this past Sunday is magnificent, a brilliant takedown of the politics of fear that has risen up since September 11th. It's especially nice to see him hammer the pundit class that supported the Iraq War and call them out for their hysterical reaction to Joe Lieberman's defeat. Rich has always been one of my favorites, here's a chance to read him in topform.

Padded Cell - Are You Anywhere

Padded Cell, "Are You Anywhere"

Padded Cell, "Konkorde Lafayette"

Here's something a little darker for you kids, to coincide with that sinking feeling one gets when you realize August is almost over and that you left a drunk text message on your exes' cell phone proving what a jagoff you are. I mean, not that that happened or anything, I mean who would be such a dumb shit. Damn you Yards beer and T-Mobile's good reception! Hypothetically, of course.

Anyway, I first heard about Padded Cell from Turntable Lab's review of their two singles, much respect to that record store. Their recommendation was spot-on, as this is a great dark electro tune. Both songs on the vinyl harken back to the early 80s, that disco-not-disco period we look at a few months back (I haven't forgot about Volume 2). It's got a dancefloor sensibility, but it's just a little off, a little too dark and warped. The opening few minutes of "Are You Anything" are quite ominous, with a heavy, driving bass, some effects (synth, maybe?), some eerie vocal sounds. The real killer is the saxophone, which is way too underused in music today. I think the instrument is so associated with jazz that musicians shy away from it. But, it sounds great here (and on Cat Power's latest!), sealing that early 80s flashback. Love, love, love that buildup in the middle, which drops out in a sax solo. Yum.

"Konkorde Lafayette" is just as good on the B side. It's a little more open, using a played bass and congos. The whole thing is a little less claustrophobic, although I think that I like the lead single best. Again, you will notice that feeling of disco/electro that's just a bit off. Experimental disco, let's say. It sounds great, put it on your watch list at TTL.

-For the Philly party people, head to the special Driz Horse tonight at the Khyber. Julie G. and AJW have two very special guest DJs tonight, K Records' head honcho Calvin Johnson and Nation of Ulysses' Ian Svenonius - indie legends in the house! This has been one of the most consistent weeklies in the city and now is a good chance to jump on board if you haven't already. It's free, $1 PBRs and $2 well drinks all night, indie boys and girls having fun, just do it.

-For Svenonius fans, you can catch him earlier in the night giving a talk at Big Jar Books near 2nd and Market Sts. He'll be reading from his new book, The Psychic Soviet, and maybe discussing his music and life.

-To end on a funny note, peep this hilarious Stephen Colbert skit on running for Congress. "Us Asshole!"

Ascii Disko

Ascii Disko, "Dirty! Filthy!"

Ascii Disko, "Baphomet"

One of my favorite in the new generation of house/electro kids, Ascii Disko seem to be slept on by the blog world. My guess is that Ascii Disko, a.k.a. Daniel Holc, haven't been consistent enough with their releases, as their discography is pretty light despite being together since 2003. Hopefully, we can remedy this a little bit, as I think that people who have been fiendin' for the Digitalism, Ed Banger, dirty electro bangers will find a lot to enjoy.

These tracks come from the most recent album on Ladomat 2000, Alias. I'm prone to hyperbole, so let me just say that these are the greatest songs I have ever heard ever. No, seriously, they are some of the hottest tracks I've heard in a minute, especially the first, "Dirty! Filthy!," which features a dude repeating the words, "Dirty, filthy, rough" over a great bassline and keyboards. Definitely on my first mix, just FYI. The other track, "Baphomet," is quite nice too. The bass is simply enormous; I wish that I could hear this play on some amazing club system, it deserves it. It might be an even more dancefloor friendly song, as restraint seems to go with the vocals, making this one raaaaagggggeeeee. Buy the album here, highly recommended.

-To all the real downtown kids: head to Home Sweet Home on 131 Chrystie Street (that's south of Delancey for the record), where my bol Project Matt and Patrick O'Dell of Epicly Later'd will drop music that makes you want to fight and fuck. Guaranteed good time, more to come on NYC jumpoffs shortly.

-I truly thought that the video I posted about yesterday, where the President butchers the English language and clearly has no idea what he's talking about in regards to the Mideast, was the nadir. But wait, my dear readers, we hadn't even come close to the bottom I now realize. Today, we get this US News and World Report gem:

He loves to cuss, gets a jolly when a mountain biker wipes out trying to keep up with him, and now we're learning that the first frat boy loves flatulence jokes. A top insider let that slip when explaining why President Bush is paranoid around women, always worried about his behavior. But he's still a funny, earthy guy who, for example, can't get enough of fart jokes. He's also known to cut a few for laughs, especially when greeting new young aides, but forget about getting people to gas about that.

That's right, folks, the President of the United States, the leader of the Free World, Commander in Chief, likes to fart when meeting aides for the first time. I am speechless. [Via TBogg]

-I had other stuff to say, but I'd rather just leave you with that quote above.