Playgroup and Princesses

Two of the tunes that were doing some damage to the Cavern soundsystem between 12.46 and 12.57 last night.


Gossip - Standing in the Way of Control (Playgroup mix)


CSS - Alala (Princess Superstar Remix)

Check out Fluokids and headphone sex for some very good new music too. That's very lazy of me I know... but if you haven;t already bookmarked these blogs you should do immediately, and these new songs in particular are zehr interessant.

That's it. On a very seperate note of self promotion, I've got a 40 hour week this week rehearsing for a stage version of The Princess Bride. Those in Exeter come along...... 13th to 17th Feb. Should be hilarious. And yes that's a snear I'm pulling (bottom left, the evil prince). It's ages 6+ too, so bring the extended family. Yep, all of them.

This evening...

From misty dancefloor to hands-in-the-air mayhem. Was a great night - despite exams, despite the cold, despite it being the end of semester.... proof that if the music's good then the people will show up and throw some excellent angular shapes. Cheers to everyone who came.... see Myspace for more photos.

This is how I opened my set - my mash up wot i made... my very first. I think the music's a bit too low in the mix, but hey, it went off royally this evening.

Justice VS Beastie Boys - Waters of Nazareth (Erol Alkan re-edit) Vs Intergalactic (Pzell Mashup)

Beardyman

This man is amazing. I saw him at 'Extremefest' in Exeter last year, and he had 200 sloans tripping over their own flip-flops. The crowd fell in love love with him there and then and his talents seem to know no bounds. I'd heard recordings of Rahzel and people reacting with genuine disbelief and thought I'd be the one in the corner being sceptical - but there I was at Beardyman hand over gawping mouth in complete, shameless disbelief. Oh, and he's UK beatbox Champion 2006. Myspace.

Porsche of the doctor choked by crab of blood

Last night whilst DJing for the excellent Tom Lillywhite's single release party someone recommended I listen to the Protoypes. Which i did.
They are a French, 60s influenced electro-pop outfit based in Paris, and from what I heard I rather like them.

And even better turns out their EP is available to download for free!

Being the thorough research-simian I am, I translated the words from one of their songs using Babelfish. I think something was lost in translation but who knows:

"sea urchins in the eyes one trépane, one trépane
Porsche of the doctor choked by crab of blood
on the ice-barrier a price on all the range
a bull which enlise of vomit in the flames "

The best song on the EP is definitely the title track, Je ne te connais pas.
It has one of those rare intros where you go 'Yes!' this is what pop music should be - scuzzy, punchy, simple and beefy (which may be the same as punchy). Garage punk rock for ya VW golf, or summint. Or for rollerskating too. Hard not to nod your head and start tapping your feet - I bet you can't resist...

The rest of the EP is not quite as good but still very worth a listen. I find the agressive French lyrics get a bit much on track 3 - a little Europop, but then that's probably my prejudice, not their problem.

MP3:

Prototypes - Je Ne te Connais

Whole EP from Minty records website: Je ne te connais pas (Zip)

On a completely different note wanted to post some Weston.

Weston are one of my favourite bands, and I discovered them when I was back in high school sat on my computer with the slow, late 90s modem connection trying to get songs off of Napster before the connection failed/Napster got sued. At the time I think I loved that they were obscure (I'm sure they're not - you can buy the record at lots of punk-ish record shops- but I've never met another Weston fan) and I think I still like that about them. I first learnt bass guitar to some of these songs as well, sat in my room a year or two later, waiting to go out on a Friday night to the Bassment for Dust (must have been 15? Kids these days have it well harder!). They make this great pop-punk that's also sensitive in a tangent-of-90s emotional-hardcore-scene sort of way, but also largely influenced by the Pixies. It's all about getting beaten up at school, being cheated on and, er, Liz Phair.

MP3s;

Weston - Got Beat Up
Weston - Retarded
Weston - Teenage Love Affair

LOFI HIFI FREE PARTY

Modulations

Out next month, this CD is pretty much indie-dance in a double album. I recieved CD1 in the post and it is like a tracklisting of every indie-dance Lofi song we've played in the last 3 months, most of which people will already be familiar with, but all *bangers*, for want of a better word. If you want to get up to speed on indie-dance-disco-punk-electro (as it's officially called in certain parts of East Devon) then this is an ideal opportunity. CD1 is a mixed CD, so no good for ripping tracks from (although I've posted a Cut Copy song from it, albeit in a mixed form) but nicely done and a large smattering of Waters of Nazareth by Justice pretty much, well, in between every other song. Which is a good thing, I think, seeing as it was the tune of last year (and of many years to come) and all. CD2 also looks very promising. Watch this space for Hadouken live at Lofi Hifi in the near future, all things going to plan.

MP3:

Cut Copy - Going Nowhere (SebastiAn remix) [link removed] - in partial, mixed form... i.e. not the complete song. But you can here it in pure form on the Cut Copy MySpace

Also next month:


Yes yes this should be very very good fun:

Modular records presents: MSTRKRFT album launch and Leave Them All Behind II launch party.


24th of Febuary at Turnmills, LDN:

Room 1:
MSTRKRFT (Album launch party)
Green velvet
Mr c!! (ee's ebeneezer good)
Ajax
Toby Tobias (redkids)

Room 2:
Hot Chip (dj set)
Para one (live)
Justin Robertson
Anil Chawla
Mike Oman

Room 3:
Modular leave them all behind II- launch party
Ajax (Bang Gang)
Klaxons (dj set)
The Gossip (dj set)
New pony club (dj set)

Room 4:
hosted by fishseeksbicyle

See you all there.

Modular Website

MP3:

New Young Pony Club - Get Lucky (Dancey Edit) [link removed]

With major acclaim in the press:

"More tunes than a pharmacist's counter!" - NME

"The WOMBATS are the hottest band from liverpool since the early deltasonic label releases in 1998" - Rough Trade

...and in the blogging world, and with one very very good song that's been in my head for months, The Wombats - who are currently touring the world (but not Exeter.... of course!) - are in a very good place.

Have a listen to this little ditty and then go to the myspace and listen to Moving to New York... it's heavy hectic like an alligator... or something..

The Wombats - Dr Suzanne Mattox

Disko Ja? vs Disko Nein? Vol. 1

As a new season of mid-week-lofi-apre-ski-discos begins in the ski resort of Cav de Vern, the question is upon us:

Disko Ja? order Disko Nein?

Would these tracks get the people dancing or get them guffawing into their vodka cokes?

Let the people of East Devon speak:

1) Les Georges Leningrad - Sponsorships (zshare)
A danceable slice of *no-wave*ish mayhem. Filthy, repetitive bassline. Mostly incomprehensible yelps (good/bad?). Cowbell and something that sounds only like a Yorkshire Terrier under a turntable. I'm thinking yes. But is it too obscure for some? Myspace (particuarly have a look at Mammal Beats)

2) The Ending Of... - A Birthday Girl (zshare)
Very 80s sounding indie rock n' roll with gothy elements, bit of interpol in there. Chugs along very well - pacey, regular, catchy. But enough to keep the dancefloor packed? Influences include: o Public IMAge LtD o ThE CramPs o iNterPOL o DfA 1979 o Gang oF fOUr o nIck CAve & tHe BAd SeedS oThe Eighties Matchbox b-line Disaster oTake ThAt
Have a look at their myspace.

3) Shitdisco - Disco Blood (zshare)
Odd, angular beggining, including evil-cat hiss noises, which then kicks off into this driving, disco-horror beauty, plus post-punky snare rolls. And vocals by a man who sounds like he runs the ghost-train at the fair. Un-nerving, but assured. Myspace (maybe Reactor Party instead?)

Please choose the one you think should get played to the baying discoteque masses!

New Year, New Blog

Ola,

Welcome to this brand new blog, started at the very beginning of 2007. It’s going to function as a means of letting the world know what we’re up to with our club night and simultaneously sharing some good music, mostly in the indie-electro genre, perhaps with a weekly ‘wildcard’ song. Yeh, I think that could work. I think we’ll be sharing some of our mixes here too.

As a starting point thought I’d look back over the bands we have played with over the last few months.

First up was Rose Kemp, who we all enjoyed, although it being our first night might have clouded our judgement somewhat. But lots of people came down to see her/us and they all seemed to get a kick out of it too.

10^th Oct 2006 - Then it was Fields and Goodbooks. Have a look for yourself:

fields

Mon 30^th Oct – Betty Curse. Who was actually really good fun. Her backing band were hand picked for their good-looks, dressed by a cynical London stylist and did all the right rock n’ roll moves bang on cue – but best of all they were clearly chosen also because they wouldn’t dare try and upstage Miss Curse. Still, we had fun, she had fun, I hope. And she signed our banner ‘Love and Guts, Betty C.’ Nu-goth-pop at an electro-indie disco, who’d of thought it?

16^th Nov – Mystery Jets DJ set. They were playing a gig at the museum around the corner rather oddly, as part of an exhibition on portraits, as theirs had been painted. They turned up at the Cavern for the after-party at about 12.30am and even though there set was short is was perfect. We’d been slightly concerned that communication between this rather big band and our lowly selves was minimal, and so they had been given no briefing of musical styles. But not only was there set spot-on musically, but it was all pulled off with a classy twist of DJ virtuosity. Well done boys. And then we had them back to the Lofi HQ (i.e. Ciara, Jamie and Ollie’s house) for drinks and dancing (although I recall it was too wet to get the trampoline involved – and Blaine from the band had a broken leg). Check out this interview with them from the Exeter University TV station, involving some serious percussion playing: Interview. (Look under episode 1, 06/07)

8^th Nov 2006 - I thought The Sunshine Underground were great – quite loveable pop-rock genius. And they’re Leeds boys too, which makes them untouchable in my eyes. A certain Lofi regular stood at the front of the crowd shouting ‘Yoooooorrrrrrkkkkksssshhhhiiiiirrrrre!!!! at the top of his voice. It’s not everyday you hear a Northern county-cricket chant at a rock venue in Exeter.

MP3:

The Sunshine Underground - Commercial Breakdown

26^th November 2006 – Little Man Tate. Quite a quiet gig really, not a massive crowd. But pleasing on the ears none-the-less.

MP3:

Little Man Tate - This Girl Isn't My Girlfriend