The Karate Kid OST

Broken Edge, "No Shelter" (YSI link)

Commuter, "Young Hearts" (YSI link)

Joe Esposito, "You're The Best" (YSI link)

While I'm talking videos, I got to put a few tracks from the soundtrack to what I believe is arguably the greatest movie ever made, The Karate Kid. While films like Citizen Kane or Breathless or Some Like It Hot can make a claim for revolutionizing cinema, there has never two hours of pure, inspiring magic like the story of Daniel Larusso and his improbable rise to karate stardom. I honestly could discuss this movie for hours, as its images are branded into my brain - the beach scene (including the bizarre part where Ali with an i randomly kicks the soccer ball away right before the Cobra Kais show up), Daniel punching the shit out of the kid during soccer practice, the Halloween dance, the training, catching the fly with chopsticks, the crane kick and most of all, the worst mother in the history of movies (she moves across the country to become a manager at a shitty restaurant and lets her son hang out with a 60 year old janitor all the time. I mean, seriously? WTF?).

What takes it to even greater heights is that the soundtrack, which features truly rad, new wave-y tunes that add to each scene. It's an awesome collection of tunes, just the right amount of synths and cheese and emotional lyrics, 11 tracks total. Do you know how amazing this CD is? They left out one of the greatest 80s tunes, Banarama's "Cruel Summer," and this thing still kills. I've put up my three favorites from the soundtrack, classic songs that you need in your life right now. In particular, I want to call attention to Commuter's "Young Hearts," which blows me away. The first person who comments and names the scenes where these 3 songs feature will win a free copy of this CD.



Mang, if that picture doesn't give you goosebumps, then there ain't no reason to keep on livin'. When Miyagi gives him that little quick double nod when he sees Daniel-San go into the crane, that's what cinema is all about.

For those of you who haven't seen this movie due to being raised by wolves, head over to Hulu right now and catch it in its entirety. Or buy your own copy, as I have done, to put a little extra gelt in the pockets of Billy Zabka, the great Martin Kove and Ralph Macchio. To go a little deeper, I recommend this site that bills itself as the #1 site for The Karate Kid Movies (which is technically true, as there are no other ones dedicated to the movie). Here's a picture of Ralph Macchio from this summer, looking almost exactly the same. Here's a video directed by the one and only William Zabka for No More Kings' "Sweep The Leg" (check the guys at the table in the trailer - it's the fucking Cobra Kais! So gully!) I believe there's only person in the world who loves this movie more and that's Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy; he has brilliantly summed up "the greatest sports trilogy" for your entertainment.

P4P Video - John Zorn's Cobra

Here's a new feature at Pound for Pound, as we're gonna get all visual on your asses. During my hiatus, when I was studying for the GRE, I spent much of the time scouring Youtube for cool music videos (and videos on cysts, big boobs and Flyers fights). I'm gonna try to give you the results of those searches once a week from here on out, hopefully everyone enjoys the videos.

Here's one of my favorites that I encountered, a part of the 1992 Channel 4 TV documentary On The Edge: Improvisation In Music. This segment looks at John Zorn and his game pieces. I can't say that I am an expert on these, but having had the fortune to finally see a live performance of the most famous game piece, Cobra, conducted by Zorn at the Music Under the (Brooklyn) Bridge series a month or so back with that hyphenated girl JH-B, I wanted to talk a little about it.

It was amazing to watch it live, as Zorn conducts the ensemble through note cards that indicate specific rules which denotes what a performer can do, in essence a set of rules that the performers must work with. The music almost becomes secondary, as the real thrill is watching people communicate with each other in order to create the small groups they want. There's a lot of pointing and eye contact, sometimes subtle, occasionally over-the-top. Zorn explains it much better in the video: "It becomes kind of a scary, frightening thing, to be in front of that band, to see these people, kind of, blossom and become the assholes that they really are." Check this wikipedia page for more info on Cobra and the game pieces. Most definitely watch the video, as it gives great insight to what the pieces are all about, what Zorn is trying to do with them, plus it's a great interview with the reclusive Zorn.

Most of all, the video will remind you of just how exciting it is to hear from someone who lives and breathes music, whose . I'll have a lot more to say about Zorn down the road, as he is a key figure for my own musical development and a big part of that early 80s downtown NYC scene that is at the heart of this blog.

Okkervil River - Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See

Okkervil River, "Red" (YSI link)

Okkervil River, "Westfall" (YSI link)

Okay, I lied. I don't only want to hear songs about love, I got caught up in the moment and exaggerated. In fact, I'm kinda bummed right now, as technology has failed me big time. First, my phone broke again over the weekend, then I learned that my HD is broken and I lost a huge chunk of my music. Ugh. Viva la Luddites! Add in the fact that my Ark isn't quite done yet for the coming rains and I'm not in the best of spirits.

Whenever I feel sad, I like to turn to that select group of troubadours who sing with melancholy and anger, brokenhearted yet passionate. It is a small but quality list, and Okkervil River holds a special place on it. Will Sheff and his band have put out two of my all-time favorites, Black Sheep Boy and The Stage Names, perfect rock albums that make me think of lost love, heartbreak, love found, etcetera, etcetera, which is pretty much all I want from that music.

For some reason, I never really gave much of a listen to their earliest albums on Jagjaguwar. For any even less discernible reason, I returned to them in the past weeks and realized that they are quite good n their own right. Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See isn't just an awesomely named album, it all contains some of my favorite songs by the band - "Red", "Kansas City", "Lady Liberty" and "Westfall". They are all perfect examples of that type of music that Okkervil excels at, rock music that seems comfortable pressing up against folk. He is the master of giving the music a silence that; check out "Westfall" for a great example of pacing, as things start with Sheff's gentle vocals, some guitar and banjo strumming and basic drums and slowly pick up intensity over the next 6 minutes. Awesome.

This is the first LP the band released, back in 2002, and it shows that they came out nicely formed, as the formula for their later works is there. There are a few false steps, like the too-slow bluesy number "My Bad Days" and the distorted vocals of "Dead Dog Song," but all in all, it's a solid record, recommended for fans and those looking for something new. For the record, this post isn't out of the blue; it's a chance to remind everyone that the new Okkervil River LP, comes out this Tuesday, September 9th. I'm sure that I'll pick up a copy next week, hope that you will too. In the meantime, grab a copy Don't Fall In Love... and see where it all began.

Donald Byrd and 125th Street, N.Y.C. - Love Has Come Around

Donald Byrd and 125th Street, N.Y.C., "Love Has Come Around" (YSI link)

It's Friday afternoon, the weekend is upon us, time to take things up a notch. Did you think I was joking about only wanting to hear songs about love and happiness? Oh, my friends, we don't joke about these things. We are deadly serious about those things right now.

I'm also deadly serious about this song, Donald Byrd and 125th Street, N.Y.C.'s "Love Has Come Around." Another masterpiece from that magical period that most refer to as the disco period and we call heaven, that period from the mid70s to early80s when soul and dance and funk came together and changed the world. This one dropped in 1981 on the Elektra label, produced by soul legend Issac Hayes. Byrd is probably best known for his jazz work over, having played in Art Blakely's Jazz Messengers and with notables like Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. By the time the 70s rolled in, he began to move a long way from hard bop, bringing his trumpet to bear on soul, funk and fusion.

"Love Has Come Around" is nearly eight minutes of pure, unadulterated joy. This song alone should make all the wars around the world come to an end, as those bright horns, jubilant keys and awesome vocals are sure to put a smile on your face, even if you have been trying to kill your enemy for years. It's got that nice warm, lush sound that disco specialized in, built over a steady beat and swirling organs. For me, the vocals are what take it to the next level, as I just want to hear people singing in falsettos about love and its sudden, unexpected arrival.

Wow, listening to it now makes me 100 times happier than I was in the preceding 5 seconds before cueing up the iTunes. I've said it before, I'll say it again. Disco saved my life, let it save yours. This is the first step on the road to recovery.

Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of LIfe

Stevie Wonder, "Love's In Need Of Love Today" (YSI link)

Stevie Wonder, "Village Ghetto Land" (YSI link)

Stevie Wonder, "As" (YSI link)

Okay, things are almost back to normal. In the past few weeks, we have had our computer stolen, our phone broke and our wireless went out for a few days. Despite all of that, I feel pretty damn great and ready to get back into the thick of things here. We've got a new sick computer, we're rocking an iPod and listening to more music than we have in months and John McCain made the worst VP pick in history. Not bad, not bad at all. We aren't going to ease our way back in either; we're going right into the deep end this week, reminding everyone of what this blog is all about and why it's the best around.

We're starting with one of those Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200 albums, stone-cold essentials, a "you need this in your life or your life is unfufilled" jawns. Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life. I've spent the past week listening to this one on repeat, feel like I've kinda lost Stevie in the waves of singles and new shit and digging. I forgot how utterly perfect this entire LP is, more than three decades later. Normally I save this for the end, but you need to buy this album ASAP. You just bought it? Good. Let's continue.

I've been trying to put my finger on what makes this one so great, beyond the fact that there's lots of great songs. The best I've come up with is that this is as human a work as there's ever been, timeless stuff that deals with life in all of its glory and hardship. He sings of love, sadness, politics, anger, you name it. I'm not the type to drone on about how they don't do it like they used to, but I'm not sure there are any popular artists today who would be willing to be this open and honest with their audience. Or maybe it's the fact that Wonder, even at his most exuberant, doesn't seem far away from remembering the dark places, the parts of the world and himself that hurt. One of his song titles sums it up perfectly: Joy Inside My Tears. I guess that's always been the key for me with non-dance music, that darkness-tinged perspective. Or maybe I just love the fact that the man talks about love and happiness so openly and unabashedly, as this is all I want to hear right now.

It's a sprawling, a 21-song, two-disc masterpiece and I cannot recommend it more highly. It was hard to choose songs to put up, as they are all good. This should be a good taste of what you can expect, including the bonus CD track "Saturn" that is totally cosmic. I truly believe that Stevie can make your life better and there's absolutely no reason to delay these changes. Buy the album now, thank me later. If you already have it, you know what to do. Spend today listening to this one and let the magic fill you all over again. Yeah!

Update/JH-B

I wanted to give a quick update and then a shout out. First, we should be back in business next week with regular posting, as I will have a new computer and the HD will be up and running and the disco and acid and no wave will be flowing and the world will be right again. Yeah!

On a more bittersweet note, I wanted to congratulate someone very close to me who has moved from NYC recently. JH-B has left and headed to the greatest city on earth, Philadelphia, to attend law school and gain the necessary knowledge and degree to truly change the world. She is one of the most amazing people I have ever known, evidenced by the fact that she tolerated dating me. While it is sad to have her leave New York, I am ecstatic that she is now a resident of Philly as she will make the city a 1000 times better with her mere presence. Unfortunately, it gives away my role as a spy here in NYC, as I am going to systematically talk all of the cool people into moving to Philly and leave NYC filled with douchebag lawyers, bankers and that dude who had his face burnt off by acid who's always be on the same L train as me. Anyway, this post is dedicated to JH-B and to her bright future and new city and school. As I said more than a year ago, hyphens are the new black.

Thieves Like Us

I miss you already, my sweet titanium baby.

Just when I think things are rolling, the wheels come off. My laptop was stolen sometime in the early hours of Saturday morning. Which means that I don't have a computer and much of my musical goodies are in the hands of a ne'er-do-well. This was a huge personal loss and has left me a little down.

I don't know what the near future holds, as we will see if another computer is in my future or what. In the meantime, think good thoughts and contact Apple on my behalf and demand that they give me a new Powerbook as the world needs disco and electro and acid.

DJ Shadow - Miami Bass Mix

DJ Shadow, Miami Bass mix on Radio 1 September 9, 1998 (YSI link)

I've uploaded this DJ set before, but it seemed like a good one to re-up for anyone who missed out the first time and get us all caught up on what goes down here.

This one's pretty essential, a half-hour Miami bass radio set by the one and only DJ Shadow. He did this for the Radio 1 Evening Sessions program, hosted by Steve Lamacq, I believe. You get a nice intro to the Miami sound, which is normally associated with genres that came later like ghettohouse and funk carioca into the booty category. Shadow's set should remind us all how Miami bass has its roots in hip-hop, fitting considering Shadow is one of the most respected and talented names in the game. You'll notice lots of scratching, real raps (not repetitive samples like ghettohouse, say) and that trademark filthiness that set rap free to be as nasty as it wanted to be. There's also the higher tempo and sustained kicks, for those looking to get a blueprint for the sound.

I can't say I'm a huge Shadow fan, but this is a great mix for my ears. He gives each track room to develop, doesn't force the action to jam more songs in, plays a lot of hard-to-hear cuts. This will be the soundtrack to your summer afternoon party jams, if you know what's good for you. Enjoy, much more Miami bass to come this summer. Yeah!

The House Master Boyz and the Rude Boy of House - House Nation

The House Master Boyz and the Rude Boy of House, "House Nation" (YSI link)

The House Master Boyz and the Rude Boy of House, "House Nation (The International Remix)" (YSI link)

The House Master Boyz and the Rude Boy of House, "House Nation (Track'n The House)" (YSI link)

Oh lordy, we're getting right back to full speed here at Pound for Pound. I contemplated starting off slow, maybe throwing up some new stuff that the kids are going nuts for now. But, fuckit, I know that my readers are the best in the world and they don't need to take it slow, we can jump right back into the thick of things.

Let's head right to the deep end, back to Chicago, mid-80s, one of Pound for Pound's favorite times and places for a classic track from The House Master Boyz and the Rude Boy of House, "House Nation." For the record, the Rude Boy House is the one and only, Farley "JackMaster" Funk, a.k.a. Farley Keith. This one dropped on our favorite label, Dance Mania, in 1986 and would soon become an anthem in the UK rave scene of the late 80s. This one's like a template for the sound we like here - sharp, primitive drums, a sick, kinda eerie bassline and a sample repeated over and over, a man's voice imploring the "House nation". It's all stripped down, consisting of few parts, but yet it sounds so damn perfect to my ears it's hard to believe how they can make it work. It has these peaks and valleys throughout, perfectly using the tempos

The remixes aren't quite at the level of the original, but are damn good in their own right. The International Remix is a shorter trip with some random new samples thrown into the mix. It doesn't have the peaks and valleys of the first one, it pretty much goes hard and fast (that's what she said) for the beginning, then slows down to a crawl towards the end with a final race to the finish line. The Track'n the House version is very similar to the original, the drums are switch up a bit, sounding a little less bassy and little more metronomic. For the most part, the original should do, sounds a little darker and filthier, but your mileage may vary.

Thanks to James Murphy and Pat Mahoney, who played this at PS1 on Saturday and reminded me how amazing this song is and how it kills the dancefloor. Messrs. Murphy and Maloney killed it, hope you didn't miss it. Okay, that's our first post in the return. Like riding a bike, people, like riding a bike.

The Return of Pound for Pound

The title and stencil say it all. Pound for Pound will be back in the next few days. Expect the usual mix of gay disco, gayer house, Miami bass, big boobs, ghettotech, ghetto house, acieed!, jack trax, Scarlett Johannson references, no wave, new wave, early rap, the unremembered 70s, and 80s, Morrissey love. In other words, the same old, same old. Oh, but how good that same old is, yafeelme?

I have missed all of you immensely and hope that we'll quickly become required reading again. Yeah! Pound for Pound! America! Yeah!

Living In Narnia

This is Perry and he is handsome. You should see his Purim outfit.

As I am sure you have noticed, there haven't been any posts here at Pound for Pound for awhile. I wish I could give a clear outlook on what the future holds, but I can't. I'm taking a break to take the GREs and putting all of my passion and energy for gay disco and acid house into analogies and polynomials. I hope to be back, but in the meantime, I wanted to spend the next week or so highlighting some of my favorite sites to read, a survival guide of sorts for the P4P hiatus.

There's only one place I could begin: Living In Narnia, possibly the most interesting, most insane writing since Henry Miller was in his syphilis heyday. Narnia is the work of one MF, one of only two real people to have ever gotten their full name listed at Pound for Pound, i.e. she's really important (bonus prize if you know the other name). I have a huge ego and I always like to be thought of as the funniest person in any room, which is why I am never in the same room as M (there's other reasons that may or may not involve a sad breakup, but that's none of your business, to be honest) She is hilarious and funny, the person you plant yourself in front of at a party and just listen to her hold court all night. I'm not sure if she is serious about the stand-up comedy thing, but it would be the perfect forum for her and her neuroses, like a Sarah Silverman who's actually funny. Until then, we're all going to have to be satisfied with getting to read her daily thoughts in the blogosphere.

The site is relatively new, so you can get in on the ground floor now, so when she's world famous and doing an HBO special, you can say you knew her way back when. As far as I can tell, she must sit and blog every second of the day, which is good for us. Her prodigous output is always high-quality, covering pop culture, her own crazy life or whatever else pops into her head. Best of all, there's a nice emphasis on boobs and boob size, which may be just for me. It's just a great, daily read and I truly hope that every one who stops by here makes it a part of their life. I will consider it a personal favorite if you do. Living In Narnia is calling people, go through the wardrobe and enjoy!

Donna Summer - Love To Love You Baby

Donna Summer, "Love To Love You Baby" (YSI link)

Donna Summer, "Pandora's Box" (YSI link)

It's been tough time at Pound for Pound HQ lately, a tough 5 months to be honest. It kinda seemed like it couldn't get any worse, until I accidentally hit the wrong link in a Friendster Update email recently. Suddenly, I was staring at a picture of my ex and her new boyfriend. Ugh. But, amazingly, I'm not hiding under the bed crying or listening to the entire Smiths discography (ok, I am, but I do that weekly anyway) I feel ok, fine even and I'm excited about this. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and that light is disco.

It only makes sense then to post some tracks from the the "Queen of Disco," Ms. Donna Summer. She's responsible for some of the genre's biggest hits and still active years after disco had faded away. Born Ladonna Gaines, she would start out in Europe doing various gigs, including singing backup and performing in musicals. She would meet producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte around 1974, a meeting that would change the world forever. They would go on to make some of the greatest music ever, from concept albums to legendary singles.

These tracks come from her second LP with Moroder and Bellotte, Love To Love You Baby. The title track is a stone-cold masterpiece, her first big American track, reaching #2 on the Billboard charts and #1 on the dance chart. It was originally released in Europe as "Love To Love You," where it became a small hit. Casablanca president Neil Bogart loved it even more, thankfully, and asked Moroder to turn out an extended mix. This is what you get above, a nearly 17-minute tour de force renamed "Love To You Love You Baby" that will melt your face. What can you not like? The funky, organ-led instrumental, the strings and flute appearances, the whispery vocals or the orgasmic moans? The answer is nothing, you'll love it all. This one stays on simmer the whole time, never boils over, a nice, steady temperature that should keep your attention and people dancing the whole time. Those orgasm screams incidentally got the song banned by some radio stations when it was released and called "graphic" by music writers, which makes sense since most of the people involved in the music industry had never heard one.

The rest of the LP is quite good, not the shimmery disco inferno you might expect. In fact, many of the songs sit right on that border between the soul and disco perfectly, live strings and piano numbers that highlight Summer's amazing vocals perfectly. My favorite track on the album is "Pandora's Box," a gorgeous song about a lying ex. It's sort of a uptempo ballad, one in which Summer kills it. You get a real sense of her vocal talents, which get drowned out by the moans in "Love To Love You Baby." The music has a nice bounce to it thanks to the piano and big bassline. Man, this music sounds so good, you need this in your life now.

I want to dedicate this post to MC a.k.a. RV, who I wish nothing but the best for.

Whodini - Whodini

Whodini, "The Haunted House of Rock" (YSI link)

Whodini, "Underground" (YSI link)

Whodini, "Magic's Wand" (YSI link)

Whodini, "Rap Machine" (YSI link)

Oh my G-d, I think I'm having a rap attack! It's been too long since I did any hip-hop here. I could give a whole spiel about why this is and masculinity and women and my own disgust with what I was hearing, but that would be boring. I'll just say that I hope to return more to my roots with an emphasis on the early days of the genre, when it was still trying to find its voice amidst electro, disco and house. I'm not gonna lie, it feels so good to be back home.

I'm also not gonna lie at how rad I think the self-titled debut LP from Whodini is. Released in 1984 on Jive Records, it's classic electro-rap, all synths and drum machines and wordy raps, Whodini is everything I could ask for. The group consisted of vocalists Jalil Hutchins and Ecstasy (John Fletcher) plus DJ Drew Carter; they were one of the first rap groups to enjoy a good deal of popularity, breaking out of the one-hit wonder ghetto. Their sound, at least on this one, sounds like it's at the crossroads between rap and electro, brittle beats and synths, other times it has an r&b/rap mix, out in front of the new jack swing sound of the late 80s.

The classic Whodini song is "Magic's Wand," which was originally conceived as an advertisement for a popular NYC DJ Mr. Magic. If you're thinking that's the coolest part of the story behind this song, you're wrong. The producer is Mr. "Blinded Me With Science," Thomas Dolby. How cool is that? It's like an 80s dream, Anthony Michael Hall in a John Hughes movie wearing Z Cavaricci pants. Dolby turned out a synth heavy number with a big elastic bassline, some vocodered vocals, people shouting in the background, percussion and keys that sounds miles away from what you'd hear on the radio today. There's a similar template on the other tracks, love how much slower and stretched out these tracks sound, it sounds so much more dancefloor friendly than the bangers today. Check "The Haunted House of Rock" for a Grateful Dead reference! Yeah! Steal your face!

I'd definitely recommend picking up Funky Beat: The Best of Whodini, a good overview of their career which lasted more than a decade. This group helped define the genre before it became the global sound it is today, still sounds great all of these years later.

The Blackbyrds - City Life

The Blackbyrds, "Rock Creek Park" (YSI link)

The Blackbyrds, "Happy Music" (YSI link)

The Blackbyrds, "Flying High" (YSI link)

Man, we've been a little bad lately and it's time to to stop that with some great music about being in the city, hanging out in the park, falling in love, being in love, all the good things. We're gonna get out ahead of the disco era, go to its funk roots today with a few tracks from The Blackbyrd's City Life LP. This group was formed by jazz trumpter Donald Byrd in 1973 and featured members Kevin Toney (related to Andrew, I hope), Allan Barnes, Barney Perry, Joseph Hall, Pericles Jacobs Jr. and Keith Killgo. It all began at Howard University in Washington D.C., the band would release 7 albums through 1980, with this one considered their finest.

As for the music, it's beautiful jazz-y funk music, not quite as filthy as say, a James Brown number, but just as danceable and grooving. You can definitely sense Byrd's influence, as the music has an improvisational feel on the longer numbers, complete with soloing. You even get some Ron Burgundy-esque flute solos that add to the much lighter, airier sound than you expect with the funk. I think you can hear a little bit of the transition from funk to the disco sound here, especially on "Flying High." The track features bursts of horns and and soaring strings, up in the sky rather coming at you from below like the best funk.

Things kick off with the classic "Rock Creek Park," a song you may think you've never heard but you have at some point. Like "Funky Drummer," it's become a foundational break in hip-hop, later being sampled by everyone from De La Soul, Nas to Ice Cube. Beyond that nerd stuff, this one is just a great song, and not just because of the quasi-sex breakdowns. With electric guitar, tons of percussion, the thing chugs along. "Happy Music" is my personal favorite, pure fucking bliss. Lots of great electric piano take this one over the top, along with these chika-chika guitar chord breakdowns that I love.

Since I love to end with some good uplifting (or downlifting) lyrics, I'd be remiss not to throw up some from "Happy Music":

Happy music makes me you feel good all the time
Happy music takes the troubles off your mind
Happy music makes your foot loose and fancy free
Happy music takes you where you want to be.

It sure does, doesn't it? Yeah! Happy music! Let's do more of this!

Laidback Luke - Essential Mix

Laidback Luke, BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix February 23, 2008 (YSI link) (Sendspace link) tracklisting in comments

Let's stay in the present and upload the most recent Essential Mix on Radio 1 featuring Laidback Luke. I've actually been meaning to drop a few tracks from this new wave of big-room house music coming out of Europe that has dominated in Ibiza. Laidback Luke is a Dutch producer, who has been around for while but only has taken off in the last year or two. Some of his biggest successes like "Get Dumb" have come in collaboration with members of The Swedish House Mafia - Steve Prydz, Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. All of these names are essential, producer/DJs bringing that old funky Chicago house sound back with some electro and minimal thrown in.

This 2-hour mix is just awesome, awesome, awesome, like a night at Pacha without the Asian mafia or Jerseyites. It ranges from vocal house to electro to some techno, hell, there's even a trance-y euphoric vibe at moments. Listening to it, it's hard for me to believe that this is the overground in dance music; this set is so dynamic and sounds so great, nothing like the untz-untz stuff you have in your head. What I love most is the tempo changes, how he will drop out to just a vocal playing and slowly let the beat come back in and away we go once more. It's one of the best Essential Mixes I've heard in a while, wonderfully paced, a nice mix of current favorites, some Luke remixes and even some of his edits of classics like Daft Punk's "Teachers." I can't recommend this one more highly, especially for anyone who wants to get a sense of what clubland is like right now in Europe and the States.

Etienne Jaumet - Repeat Again After Me

Etienne Jaumet, "Repeat Again After Me" (YSI link)

While y'all are out dancing and partying and drinking and kissing, I'm home, watching Revenge of the Nerds and trying to talk myself into buying the Marc Jacobs derby shoes from his Spring line (if you work for MJ and can get me discount, holler at a kid) Most importantly, I'm home getting back in the swing of things here at Pound for Pound. We got through this week, barely, hope you missed me.

Let's start back with a great new techno track out of Europe from newcomer Etienne Jaumet, "Repeat Again After Me." This is his first release and it's a doozy, this slow-building, kinda ominous, kinda acid-y techno track that stretches out to 13+ minutes. Add in some non-jazzy horns and you have yourself a really sick track.

Juno Soundtrack

Barry Louis Polisar, "All I Want Is You" (YSI link)

Kimya Dawson, "Tire Swing" (YSI link)

The Moldy Peaches, "Anyone Else But You" (YSI link)

Ugh, I feel like I still haven't recovered from Valentine's Day. I got to spend my Saturday night in the company of the married with kids on the way, the married without kids yet and the engaged. Logically, I followed up that by returning home and drunkenly reading emails from MC that I hadn't opened in months (for the record, I'm not married to JR, not down with implants). Normally, I would wallow and be sad, contemplating the fact that I will die alone. Ahh, but not today, my friends, not today. Today I want to post about one of those things that just makes me happy, that puts a smile on my face and gives me hope and makes me want to hold hands with a girl, the soundtrack to the movie Juno.

I'm sure that everyone and their moms has seen the movie about 16 year old Juno and her unexpected pregnancy. Typically, I was months behind on this one, but who cares? It's a good movie, like seriously made me happy and teary eyed and that's about all you can ask for from a movie. Add in 2 actors from Arrested Development and you got yourself a favorite.

The thing I loved most was the music in the movie; much like a Wes Anderson movie, it seemed to perfectly fit the movie's vibe and make scenes that much better. I found myself waiting until the end of the credits to see what songs I'd just heard, which might not sound like a lot, but consider the fact that I had to pee about 10 minutes in. Also like Anderson's soundtracks, this one specializes in catchy rock songs that may not have come across your radar, like Barry Louis Polisar's "All I Want To Do," plus a few tunes from more well-known artists like Pound for Pound favs Cat Power, the Velvet Underground and Buddy Holly. There's a perfect mix of sweetness and melancholy throughout, which obviously appeals to me.

The majority of the songs were written by Kimya Dawson of Moldy Peaches fame and those were pleasant surprises, had never really heard her music and kinda assumed I wouldn't. Ahh, never judge a book by its cover, or an artist by their genre. Her songs are lo-fi acoustic numbers that center on her oddball lyrics that have a darkness to them and slightly-straining voice that makes me happy. I know that this isn't the greatest review ever, but all I can say is that all I want to do is listen to this album right now, it makes me want to go steady with a girl, fall in love, walk around the Lower East Side, spend time with friends, laugh, cry. I can't recommend this album more highly, grab it for under $10. Let me end with some lyrics from "All I Want Is You" cos they make me happy:

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod
If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.
If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

I'm taking a little break from posting right now, as I have a job interview tomorrow and some articles due. Things should pick up again Thursday, hopefully everyone can wish me luck and think good thoughts at 4pm Wednesday.

Sticky: Help Wanted - Web Designer

This is long overdue, I feel like I have been threatening to make this site look good for a year now. Ahh, no looking back now, we're only looking forward. With that I'm hoping to find someone to redesign this website, make it look nice and snazzy and add some new features and generally help me through the process.

I am asking you, my dear readers, for recommendations. Do you do this for a living? Do you have your own site and have a great recommendation of the person who designed it for you? If so, please email me at poundforpoundhelpwanted@gmail.com when you have a moment, as I would love to hear from you. If you're a designer, please send some examples of your work and cost. If you're a blogger, let me know any info you can, like cost, time, reliability, etc.

Thanks for your help, excited to make this happen. I am going to leave this at the top for a few days, so make sure to check below for the latest music and party info. Yeah!

Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely

Roy Orbison, "Only The Lonely" (YSI link)

Roy Orbison, "Crying" (YSI link)

Roy Orbison, "It's Over" (YSI link)

Roy Orbison, "Heartache" (YSI link)

Ugh, I had a terrible Valentine's Day, a lonely, sad one that just sucked. You know it's bad when you find yourself at the Duane Reade pharmacy at 9:30 picking up a prescription, ugh. Sometimes, you just have to accept that you are feeling down and it's always nice to know that there is so much music made just for those moments.

It seemed natural to focus our next post on one of the greatest at speaking to the broken-hearted, Mr. Roy Orbison. I first heard Orbison's music when I was probably 8 or 9 years old, can even remember the moment when I was made aware that this music was special music by my father. We were in the car back from a soccer tournament and an Orbison Greatest Hits tape was put in and my dad told me about the man in black with the greatest voice of all-time. I didn't like it at first, probably because it was so far from my first love of hip-hop, plus it was a recommendation from a parent. But, these songs wouldn't have made sense to me then anyway; I was too young to understand what this guy was singing about.

As my man sang, "Only the lonely know know why I cry, only the lonely." Indeed. At a certain point, this music makes sense to us all, as no one escapes unscathed. For sad music, though, it sounds so beautiful, majestic at times, it doesn't hide in minimalism and off-notes. Strings, backup vocals, an early rock/abilly sound slowed down, hints of doo-wop, fans of the Jens Lekman can hear one influence on his music. If you are discussing Orbison's music, there's one aspect that you have to mention, that you speak of in awe: that voice. Maybe the greatest to ever grace pop music, it can hit the high notes and go down low with authority. Listen to it on "Crying," it covers the entire vocal range in an almost operatic style and makes a nearly three minute rock song sound like so much more. There's not much to add to all of this, these songs above are some of the saddest you'll ever here, a reminder of the other side of all those great love songs. I'll end with the lyrics to "Crying," my favorite:

I was all right for a while, I could smile for a while
But I saw you last night you held my hand so tight
As you stopped to say hello
Oh, you wished me well, you couldn't tell
That I've been crying over you, crying over you
And you said, so long
Left me standing all alone
Alone and crying, crying, crying, crying
It's hard to understand but the touch of your hand
Can start me crying

I thought that I was over you
But it's true, so true
I love you even more than I did before
But darling, what can I do
For you don't love me and I'll always be
Crying over you, crying over you

Yes, now you're gone and from this moment on
I'll be crying, crying, crying, crying
Yeah, crying, crying over you

Whew. Try to top that. Thank you Roy for reminding us that it's okay for boys to cry.

I highly recommend buying the two disc The Essential Roy Orbison, which does a nice job of compiling the man's hits for a nice price. It can be a good way to get started and it allows you to get a comprehensive look at the man's career across labels. It isn't all sad songs, for the record, "Pretty Woman," "Dream Baby," etc., it's all essential.

Erotique Robotique Valentine's Disco PHILA, Are Your Friends Electric? SF, Stiletto SF and more

There's so many great parties tonight, I assume it's payback for how shitty yesterday was. Why oh why couldn't the Robotique boys thrown this party last night at my apartment? Whatever, everyone in Philly should head to Medusa Lounge (21st and Chestnut) for the Erotique Robotique Valentine's Day disco extravaganza. I mean, is there anything that makes me think of love more than a night of sweet, sweet disco music, dancing and women? I mean, that's life, people, that's what we all get up each day to have. Thanks to Mike Tee and Billy W, it'll all come together in the intimate basement. Fall in love again, with disco, with your girlfriend, your boyfriend, the city. Disco will save your life. No cover, 21+.

-Huge night in Philly. The Turnaround vs Immediate party at The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave) takes a little detour from its normal funk, soul and rock sounds, inviting Mr. Spank Rock, Naeem, to come through as guest DJ. You already know about this party, a combination of the two of the best parties the city has had, add a little a booty music and watch out.



-Not often that a Click. party doesn't hold top spot. Dave P is joined by Mixhell, a.k.a. Igor from Sepultura, who has been a fixture it seems like this week on the East Coast. The reviews have been good, and you know you can count on this party to always be rad. $1 PBRs and $3 well drinks before midnight, $2 PBRs all night. $5 admission, 21+.



-Always good to have the LA Riots back in NYC, they seem to have found a home at the Robot Rock party at Le Royale (21 7th Ave South @ Leroy) I've said it before, one of the best new bands anywhere, you're not gonna want to pass up the chance to say you saw them before they have to play the Bowery and Terminal 5. Lazaro Casanova is also in from LA to spin with Dimitry!!!, Alex English and Marc-Alan Grey, should be a great night of indie and indie dance and lots more. Email to List@GBH.tv for free admission, $10 otherwise. Doors at 10pm, 21+.



-It's a bit of an LA invasion tonight, as Dirty Dave is in town as special guest at the Ruff Club at The Annex (152 Orchard St) Not much to add to this one, Dave is definitely worth checking out, a DJ who deserves more recognition. The residents are well-known and adored - Denny Le Nimh, Spencer Product, 24Court and Micprobes. Down in the basement, Nicholas Kratochvil, Jake Sinclair and Danzie will spin the tunes you know and love to a packed house.



-Ahh, a party after my own heart in Williamsburg, Fuck Love Let's Dance. It looks like another fun night at Hugs (108 N. 6th St), as Kill The Noise, AC Slater, Code-D, Lismore and Bradley D will all perform tonight to help you remember what's really important in life, finding a dancemate, not a soulmate. No cover, 21+.



-Yeah! It's Le Freak time, which means the week is over and the weekend has begun and this is where you need to be, D.C., at Napoleon (1847 Columbia Rd) with DJ Will Eastman. I know that the last Blisspop was a huge success, so I expect the momentum will keep going to this weekend. Half-priced champagne from 9-11, free Jamesons from 12-1am, great music from opening to close. Do this one, nation's capital!



-Out in Minneapolis, it's the seventh edition of the Honeymoon party in the VIP Room at First Avenue (701 First Avenue N). Presented by the Moon Goons, this one's got Ian Orth and XXNaughtywood performing, XXNaughtywood sounds especially good with its italo/disco sound. All of the Moon Goons will be on hand to spin. Don't forget there's a theme each month for dressing up purposes; this time, it's MOMS, so dress accordingly. $3, free with the purchase of a nice $10 t-shirt, 18+.



-Holy shit, what a night in San Francisco, hopefully my future home. Lots of great choices, but there's one question to ask yourself: Are Your Friends Electric? Blasthaus and Lights Down Low are coming together tonight to throw one of the raddest parties I've seen in a minute, with live performance by the amazing Glass Candy, plus a DJ set by the French kingpin Joakim, whose DJ set could include house, experimental stuff, a little jazz, who knows? Think that's it? Sorry, there's more. NYC's Foreign Islands are in town and they will spin a guest set, joining local dons Sleazemore and Honey Soundsystem for what should be an amazing night that touches on all of the parts of the dance music world. $15 tickets at the door, 9pm-3am, 21+.



-Ugh, it's hard to choose against any party dedicated to one of the greatest movies ever, The Warriors. You can't go wrong checking out the Stiletto: The Warriors Theme Party at Asia SF (201 9th St) where Miss Toats and White Girl Lust will have all of the various gangs dancing their asses off. There's also a fashion show, a costume contest and Red Bull specials. $8,,10pm-3am, San Fran, come out to play!



-Finally, there's Blow Up SF at the Rickshaw Stop (155 Fell) where the Frisco Disco guys, Jeffrey Paradise and Richie Panic, headline. You know the craziness they bring every Saturday night, they are joined by sometime guest Vin Sol, who will add a little hip-hop and Bmore club to the proceedings. There's also a live performace by Public, plus a DJ set by LXNDR from the Dot Club party at Pink. Should be a blast, 18+, 10pm-2am.


-LA Warehouse party! MeanRed Productions! Big Fun Meets Sudden Death! One of NYC's best parties, Big Fun with Rocktakon and Unemployed Lloyd, heads out to La La Land to battle the Sudden Deathers, Blu Jemz, DJ Pubes, Mike B, Staccato and Cosmic Kids. I mean, there's too many good names involved in this one for this to not be rad. The warehouse is located at 1049 E. 32nd St, check the map here. RSVP to tellmewhere@meanredproductions.com, $10 cover, 21+.