The Hours - See the Light (Calvin Harris Remix)

Track of the day today comes in the form of a Calvin Harris remix.  Now, I've always felt that Calvin sometimes puts a little more effort into the one-off remixes he does compared with his own output - 'Acceptable in the 80s' was all well and good, but 'Girls' anyone?!  Really?!  

You can't fault him when he's given a ready-made track to deal with, though, and his remix for returning Sheffield indie-kids The Hours (check out their 2007 album 'Narcissus Road', which is pretty belting) is typically excellent.  A little more down-tempo than previous efforts, this is a storming piece of bump'n'funk electro that is going straight to the front of my box.  Enjoy!

UPDATE:  I read from my helpful promotional blurb that there is a pretty intense video for the original of this doing the rounds.  It features Sienna Miller as...well...see for yourselves:

Jx

Little Boots - Stuck on Repeat. Oh my good GOD!

So I've been away for a looooong time - blame the pressures of work, some play, an 8-month old baby, and bands who keep dropping out of gigs I've arranged (damn them!)  I am, however, back on the blog...and back with an absolute corker for y'all.

Little Boots is one of my favourite artists at the moment.  Originally from Blackpool (a fact that sometimes comes out in endearing little Northern word pronunciations in her recordings), she's now firmly ensconced in London, and making some great music.  She does this little series called Funtimes on YouTube where she covers a track every week or so (check out her Tenori-On cover of 'Ready for the Floor' by Hot Chip here) and it's highly recommended.  However, the track I'm posting is her single 'Stuck on Repeat' from earlier in the year (February I think?) - It's produced by Hot Chip's own Joe Goddard, and...well...would you listen to that bassline?! There's a Fake Blood (DJ Touche) mix too which is nice, but I just love the original.  Like Madonna stepping out to disco with the Soulwax boys, this really is a belter.

Mother Flippin' loves you Little Boots!

x

Track of the Week - Barefoot Confessor, He Doesn't Love You

Last week's track of the week was a Beatle's remix;  this week's is one that riffs splendidly on the Fab Four's track 'I Wanna Hold your Hand', Barefoot Confessor's brilliant 'He Doesn't Love You'.

The band are from West London, and have been raising high levels of industry interest since their conception a few months ago, being likened to everyone from The Smiths, Bruce Springsteen, McFly (?!) and The Libertines.  Recently tipped by both Glasswerk and Red Stripe, and appearing on any number of Google searches for new London acts, they're looking good success-wise, which is helped by the fact that they are absolutely belting.  Don't take my word for it, check this out...

Barefoot Confessor - He Doesn't Love You

Jx

Weekend Manoeuvres 24.10

As Michael Gray once had it, as his office girl writhed becomingly on the photocopier, ‘I can’t waaaaaait for the weekend to begin, begin, begin, begin (ad infinitum)'.  He had a point.  Personally, I can’t wait for the weekend to begin – particularly when it’s chock-full of these goodies…

Tonight:

The quite splendid Duke Dumont headlines Voodo @ The Last Days of Decadence in Shoreditch.  If you’ve heard more than ten seconds of his remix of the Mystery Jets’ ‘Two Doors Down’, then you will want to be there.  He’s an awesome DJ, and plays some really interesting music.  Support from Photonz, Skull Juice’s Benedict, and a whole host of others
Doors 9pm, £6, Old Street

DFA’s The Juan Maclean hit Matter for a night hosted by the label.  Expect shenanigans a-plenty, with live sets from Yacht, Planningtorock, and the splendid Prinzhorn Dance School.  Also appearing will be DFA chief and LCD Soundsystem svengali James Murphy, who will be putting in some serious time behind the decks.  Should be a corker!
Doors 10pm, £17.50, North Grenwich/Canary Wharf

If you are feeling flush, and fancy something before hitting Matter, why not head down to the Indigo2 to see one of my favourite American artistes, Aimee Mann.  If you’re not familiar, Aimee writes superb, bitter-sweet tracks which generally deal with failure in some way – it’s not exactly Noah and the Whale, but it does have the benefit of being about 100 times better.  Following film collaborations with fellow misery-peddling film director Paul T Anderson (Magnolia), she’s now touring to promote new album ‘@#%&*! Smilers’
Doors 7pm, £25, North Grenwich

Tomorrow:

Mother Flippin’ fave VV Brown plays Ban*Jam @ St. Moritz on Wardour Street.  Scroll down the blog to check out the video to lead single ‘Crying Blood’ if you want a taster.  Upbeat 60s pop-soul with a punky edge, she’s a belter.  Support from Ellie Goulding, who I’ve never heard of, but seems to play some pretty hardball folk.
Doors 10pm, £7, Tottenham Court Road

Excess All Areas are at The Buffalo Bar in Highbury.  Amidst the line-up, The New Devices stand out.  They sound like a pretty tasty mix of Soulwax, The Presets, and everything else that is hip at the moment, and put on an awesome live show.  Signed to RCA on the basis of their demo alone, I’d highly recommend catching them now, so you can look smug in a few months when asked if you’ve heard their latest single…
Doors 7pm, £4, Highbury and Islington

Finally, we have Fox Cubs, who support at the BBC Electric Proms at the Camden Barfly.  They sound a bit like Interpol, but more fun, and write some really cracking melodies.  They’re supporting ‘frazzled indie’ (Time Out) peddlers Red Light Company.  Highly recommended
Doors 7.30pm, £10, Chalk Farm

Enjoy!

Jx

Track of the Week 2 - A Skillz, Strawberry Jam Forever

Have been meaning to post this track for a while now, and what better time to do it than Friday morning, when you guys are looking for something to soothe you into the weekend.

Heard this up in Coventry at Warwick's hip-hop and breaks night Renegade.  It made me lose physical control of my body.  The Beatles get remixed quite a bit, officially and unofficially.  Most are not particularly good - this is.  Ladies and Gentlemen, 'Strawberry Jam Forever' by A Skillz

Strawberry Jam Forever

Now tell me that ain't niiiiice.

Jx

Song of the Week - Long Blondes, Giddy Stratospheres

The Long Blondes have split up! 

Although this year has seen the release of the follow up to their debut effort 'Once and Never Again', the Erol Alkan-produced 'Couples', it has also seen their guitarist Dorian Cox suffer a stroke which led to a number of dates having to be cancelled over the summer.  In a statement on their myspace today, Dorian states that, given he doesn't know when/if he will be able to play the guitar again, the band have decided to call things to a halt.

Personally I loved The Long Blondes.  Their songs occasionally meandered a bit, but they could write a killer chorus!  As my friend Chris had it "just when you're starting to think 'oh, god, it's another lame Long Blondes track', the chorus comes along and you're grinning and jigging about like a total wazz"...In memory of...well that mental image if not the band themselves, this week's 'Song of the Week' is the song that introduced me to them, Giddy Stratospheres:

17th October

It's the 17th October. Today I heard 'All I Want for Christmas is You' by Maria Carey on an advert for the first time this year. I say again, it's the 17th October.

It made me sad inside...