New Yeah Yeah Yeahs Video

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a ghostly new video for their song Skeletons.

Watch the video along with the making of Skeletons and an interview with the director below.

You're a Mess (In That Music Video) Girl

There is an interesting post over at NME questioning why artists always want to use the druggy, dishevelled, 'edgy' girl in their videos.

There has always been an air of mystery surrounding girls that don't follow the rules shall we say and generally look like their one line away from a breakdown.  That's where the fun lies.

There has also been this new phenomena of the 'extreme party girl' in the media.  I say extreme because the 'ladies let's have a good time but only if you strap you boobs up to your chin and go back home to your boyfriend' female singers have been around for a while.

The phenomenon of Ke$ha is a good example. Actually anyone who has a dollar sign in their name is a good example. Ke$ha, what did her parents expect giving her a name like that.

Ke$ha, pronounced keeh-sha don't get it wrong she posted a whole YouTube video about it, has whirled up a media storm around her in America with her new single 'Tik Tok' which basically follows the rules of let's get drunk, take some drugs and generally get down tonight.

Now I don't now Ke$ha but I always find these attempts to look different, whether it's looking drunk or wearing sunglasses at midnight, questionable.

Is she for real or is this all a carefully constructed media cue to get to buy more alcohol or invest more in eyeliner, I don't know.

If she is really as wasted as she looks half the time is that really a good thing.

The only thing we know for sure is that Ke$ha is going to tear it up in 2010 and we wish her the best.

You Should Get Plugged

*Originally posted at the wonderful Neu Magazine

Plug are a London two piece consisting of a Sian and a Georgie. They make dreamy, off beat, beepy, shouty music with a rough Raincoats vibe. Check ‘Body Story’ with its DIY, minimal and childlike feel or 'You Keep The Beats' raw and rough chorus. Their twinkly opening chords can sound like they were played on a ‘toddler’s first keyboard’ [but by a very capable toddler] but they understand that being DIY isn't about playing badly. Despite not caring the duo have bloggers, music critics and kids at shows doing backflips over them. 

But they're not the only Plug around. Take a look, there's "G Funk" indie boy-band Plugs and blues rockers PLUG to name just two. As if they care. Plugs have put all their faith in their music because it's the tunes that really matter, not how you're packaged right? How very yesterday...

Still not won over? Listen again. The breathtaking lyric ‘lay your language on me’ will definitely leave you speechless.

Their Fresh Pleasures / Nonchalant Love Ltd. 7" is now sold out but you can still buy B-Boy / You Keep The Beats Ltd. 7" from shows or Parlour Records

Watch Plug play live for Upset The Rhythm below.

***ONES TO WATCH***

I hate being in that awkward situation when you meet someone and they utter the phrase "I'm in a band, you should check them out." That one phrase can make or break a new friendship because basically they could be the worst band you've ever heard and pretending that they're any good could prove pretty tricky.

Fortunately in this situation they turned out to be really good. La La Vasquez are an all-girl band based in Brighton. They make lo-fi/surf/riot grrrl influenced noise. Think Kleenex, Wet Dog, The Raincoats or, to a lesser extent, The Vivian Girls.

I was introduced to La La Vasquez when I went to my first Ladyfest meeting in November. I didn't really know what to expect when I heard them but I was immediately won over by their lo-fi sound and cute lyrics and girl on girl vocals. I love it when female voices seem to re-establish the feminine so it makes unable to edge around the fact that they are women making cool music.

They are set to release their first 7" in March and will be on tour until April so you have no excuse not to catch them when they come around.

Recommend: 'Why' and 'Don't Rush Me'
Next Gig: Milk @ The Stags Head with Trash Kit and Bitches

myspace.com/lalavasquezband

New Peaches Vid

This is probably my favourite video in the Peaches series of my favourite song from the album.


She just keeps getting better and better...

*MIXTAPE ALERT* Best of the Noughties

This should have been published awhile ago, technically last year, but who cares since when were there rules for this end of the year lists. Who says they actually have to be made at the end of the year.

Here my recap of the last decade in music.  I think it's been a good'un myself.

1. Fuck The Pain Away- Peaches

2. Big Exit- PJ Harvey
3. Bootylicious- Destiny's Child
4. Keep on' Livin- Le Tigre
5. Combat Rock- Sleater-Kinney
6. Crazy in Love- Beyonce
7. Maps- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
8. TKO- Le Tigre
9. The Beer- Kimya Dawson
10. The Fox- Sleater-Kinney
11. Single Again- The Fiery Furnaces
12. Back to Black- Amy Winehouse
13. Lust in the Movies- The Long Blondes
14. Declare Independence- Bjork
15. Paper Planes- M.I.A
16. Animal Imagination- Glass Candy
17. Where Do You Run To- Vivian Girls
18. Transformer- Marnie Stern
19. Golden Phone- Micachu
20. Shelter- The xx
21. Zero- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

New M.I.A. song!!!

They never retire.

Have a good listen to 'THERES SPACE FOR OL DAT I SEE' cuz this is what we'll be hearing from M.I.A. in the future.

PROMO: Girls Girls Girls

Dance Magic Dance presents... GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS

All Girl All Night Party!

6 February 2010

The Old Blue Last

38 Great Eastern Street

EC2A 3ES

Nearest tube: Old Street/ Liverpool Street

FREE ENTRY

8:30-1:30

♥ Playing Live ♥

PENS

"It is as if PENS manage to capture all the films of Larry Clark and Harmony Korine and distill them into insanely perfect pop songs. And while every other band this year seemed to take great effort in trying to sound unconsciously noisy, DIY and lo-fi: PENS just did. And they did it brilliantly." So Tough! So Cute!

http://www.myspace.com/penspenspenis

LA LA VASQUEZ

An all-grrrl, post-punk assault, recalling the best bits of Odyshape-era Raincoats, Kleenex/Liliput and early Scritti Politti.

www.myspace.com/lalavasquezband

♥ Dj's ♥

Twingrrl Records

www.myspace.com/twingrrlrecords

Dance Magic Dance

www.myspace.com/dancemagicdanceclub

♥ ♥ ♥

Expect to hear:

Bikini Kill, Helen Love, The Shangri-Las, Angelica, Le Tigre, Vivian Girls, Little Eva, Stevie Nicks, Nancy Sinatra, Bratmobile, Mo-Dettes, L7, Betty and The Werewolves, Joan Jett, Altered Images, The Donnas, Hole, Wetdog, The Runaways, X-Ray Spex, Kenickie, Shampoo, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Veruca Salt, Elastica, The Waitresses and more!

For more info:
www.myspace.com/dancemagicdanceclub  
facebook.com/group.php?gid=54736409906&ref=ts
jumpmagicjump.wordpress.com
twitter.com/DanceMagic 

**SONG OF THE MONTH**

This is a song that I've only just been obsessing about over the last couple of weeks even though I heard about the band a year ago and got their album in August.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to get into The xx. It may be because their album came out in the middle of summer and it wasn't really a summer album.  Their songs are brooding, dark and intense.  All of the that doesn't really make the perfect summer anthem but it does make a great song.

I first listened to this song after numerous critics and friends of mine kept going on about them.  I hate being in the dark on things so I dusted my copy of XX and gave it a whirl.  The track that stood out for me was Shelter.

It was so simple but so effective in it's efforts to bring out the emotion of a broken relationship.Just look at the lyrics, you couldn't put it better.

Lyrics:

I find shelter, in this way

Under cover, hide away

Can you hear, when I say?

I have never felt this way

Maybe I had said, something that was wrong

Can I make it better, with the lights turned on

Maybe I had said, something that was wrong

Can I make it better, with the lights turned on

Could I be, was I there?

It felt so crystal in the air

I still want to drown, whenever you leave

Please teach me gently, how to breathe

And I'll cross oceans, like never before

So you can feel the way I feel it too

And I'll mirror images back at you

So you can see the way I feel it too

Maybe I had said, something that was wrong

Can I make it better, with the lights turned on

Maybe I had said, something that was wrong

Can I make it better, with the lights turned on

Maybe I had said, something that was wrong

Can I make it better, with the lights turned on

www.myspace.com/thexx   

New Beyonce Songs on the Horizon

A couple of Beyonce's new tracks have leaked onto the internet and they sound pretty good.

The first, 'Black Culture', is my favourite and should definitely be released as a single or at least album opener. The second is called 'Waiting'. It's okish, more of a oh-you're-so-amazing-I-can't-think-of-anyone-else-but-you kind of song. I prefer her Sasha Fierce stuff.

Let me know what you think of them.

Last Chance to Have a Beth Ditto Christmas

I had a great Christmas this year but too be honest I'm kinda annoyed that it could have been so much better if I just tuned into 6 music.
The ever fabulous Beth Ditto recorded a special Christmas programme for the station that included 2 hours of music that has inspired her over the years all wrapped up with Beth's unique take on the world.
If you missed it, like me, and are in the UK, like me, then you can listen again today at 3.30pm.

Struck Down With a Fever Ray

Hello and Happy 2010 everyone.

What are we calling it now, the Ten-ies, the Tens. My brother suggested the Teensies which kinda sounds like a delightful children's television show or another patronising nickname for the future generation like Tweenies or Chavs.

Anyway I'm in a good mood and you should be too so to keep us in a good mood lets go back to one of the best artists of 2009, Fever Ray. 

Relax and listen to Fever Ray's live album 'Live in Lulea' for free through we7.

You can also be nice and buy the full album as well.