Mix 1.0

Right, here is a mix which I've just put the finishing touches to. I've been using the wonderful Mixmeister, a mixing program which I can't recommend enough, to put the tracks together. Its only a short mix, 32 Min's long. Below, you'll find a track listing, but I'd like to draw your attention to the Cut Copy song 'Hearts On Fire.' This is the first single of the new album. If this is anything to go by, then count me in. I've posted the full version of the song....Its that good!

Track Listing:

1. Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire
2. Peaches - Downtown (Simian Mobile Disco Remix)
3. Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (D.I.M. Remix)
4. The Presets - I Go Hard, I Go Home (Ascii Disko Remix)
5. Le Castle Vania - Trouble In Daylight (Surface2Air Remix)
6. 120 Days - Come Out (Le Castle Vania Electric Disco Remix)
7. Dragonette - I Get Around (Van She Tech Remix)






MP3: Check The Availability - Mix 1.0 MP3 DOWNLOAD

MP3 Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire MP3 DOWNLOAD

....Bit Brief

OK, this is going to be a rapid post, simply because...I can't really be bothered. It's late, and I've had a hard day at work. Theres a time and a place for long, drawn out blog posts. This is not it!

The track posted, Billy Paul's, 'Its Critical', is a little unusual for this blog. To be honest, I sorta stumbled across it myself. Its not the kind of music I go looking for. That said, it is a truly great track, and is certainly worth your time to download and listen.

K

MP3: Billy Paul - Its Critical MP3 DOWNLOAD

Ratatat

I have nothing bad to say about Ratatat. In my opinion (not that my opinion is worth much) these guys are absolute genius's. I first heard of them while making my way through Pitchforks top 100 of 2005. Thought to myself, "this looks interesting," so endeavoured to find out more.

The New York band, made up of guitarist Mike Stroud and Evan West, produce their unique sound using simply a guitar and synthesizer. To me, Ratatat, really does bridge the gap between rock and electronica. The processed beats, contorted guitars and Baroque harmonies act like a bullet to the head, violently grabbing your attention first time you come across them. The whole concept seems like it shouldn't work, chalk n' cheese, but somehow they manage to marry two opposing ideas together resulting in music you never thought you'd hear.

Currently they have two albums out, 'Ratatat,' ('04) and 'Classics ('06). I cannot recommend enough that you buy both these albums, and if you have change, check out their (re)mix tapes for some excellent Hip-Hop given the Ratatat rub down. Again, it shouldn't work, but it does.

MP3: Ratatat - El Pico MP3 DOWNLOAD

MP3: Ratatat - Loud Pipes MP3 DOWNLOAD

MP3: Memphis Bleek - Alright (Ratatat Remix) MP3 DOWNLOAD

Indie Overload

Yet again Apple have let me down. My second ipod went bust. The headphone socket decided to give up on me. I wouldn't mind, but I payed £180 for a piece of equipment that's only lasted 9 months, yet here I am, like an idiot, with a new ipod in hand, £150 the poorer.

Anyway, I uploaded the songs from this computer to my ipod. Now, this computer is only about 5 months old, so the songs uploaded represent only 5 months of my music taste if you will. While scrolling through my artist list, something struck me. I have been listening to a disproportionate amount of what you may term 'electronic' music. I then takes a looks at me past blog posts and find the same thing.

I wondered why I'd been drawn to the 'dark side?' It was obvious. I was clearly suffering from some kind of post traumatic stress disorder. Y'see, I'd had a very unfortunate experience. To make ends meet, I'd had to seek employment in a factory, and in this factory they had a radio hooked up to a loud speaker, and this radio was tuned to Radio FUCKING 1. You can now appreciate my pain. For 6 whole months I was subjected to The View roughly 5 times a day, The Killers at least 8 times a day and Fratellis hourly not to mention the daily dose of Jo "I wish I was still a student" Wiley. It was an overkill of indie. Subconsciously, my mind must have said "enough."

So, for the past day or two I've been redressing the balance. Below, you'll find the fruits of my labour. I gotta tell you though, there's a hell of a lot of crap out there. Lucky you got me to do the sifting then, eh?

















MP3: The Moths - Valentine MP3 DOWNLOAD

MP3: The Tacticians - London's Alright MP3 DOWNLOAD

MP3: Dr. Dog - My Old Way's MP3 DOWNLOAD

MP3: The Black Ghost's - Anyway You Choose To Give It MP3 DOWNLOAD

Moving On Up....

This is just a post to give you the low down on how to download songs posted on Check The Availability. Up until recently, I have been hosting the MP3's on Z Share which, while it was simple enough for me to do, it was a pain in the ass for you 'consumers' to get to the files amid the torrent of adverts.

Anyway, the blog has moved on up, so to speak. I've registered with the wonderful 'Fileden.' Aside from the fact that all the advertising gets directed at me, it also makes for a much more conventional way to download. All you need to do is right click the link and 'save target as...' See, simple. The only draw back is that they can only host 1GB of mp3's, which means that once I've reached my lot then I'll have to start deleting the older tracks. Probably not a bad thing in light of the various breeches of copyright I'm making.

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I've updated a few past posts so they can be downloaded in the new manner. If you've already downloaded them but are desperate to try out the new system, don't worry. I've posted the amazing 'Kill Her Off' by New Yorkers, The Ropes for your listening pleasure.

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MP3: The Ropes - Kill Her Off MP3 DOWNLOAD

Maps

I've been in possession of various Map's tracks for what seems like an age. My interest was first drawn when I heard a demo of 'Lost My Soul' about a year ago. It's been a regular player on my ipod ever since.

I've always had a soft spot for this kind of music. Don't get me wrong, I love an upbeat, party track as much as the next man, but there are sometimes when one wants to relax; take a step back.

There has been a growing buzz about Maps on the Internet. Origionally recorded in his Northampton bedroom, these spacey, breezy records have a pop sensibility about them yet manage to retain their underground integrity without even touching on arragance. If you can hear the likes of M83, Mum and Bang Gang in his music, then you won't surprised to hear that the album was produced by Valgeir Sigurdsson of Sigur Rós in (where else) Iceland.

The Album 'We Can Create' is available now.

MP3: Map's - 331 To The Sky MP3 DOWNLOAD

MP3: Map's - Lost My Soul MP3 DOWNLOAD

Justice D.A.N.C.E. (3)

Finally!!! I said I'd get this to you and I am no liar. Please enjoy.

MP3: Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (MSTRKRFT Remix) MP3 DOWNLOAD

EDIT: You may have noticed that there is a problem with the tracks quality. I can confirm that it is of a lower quality (94kbps). Again, when I do get the proper recording, I'll post it. Promise.

Chromeo, Fancy Footwork

Damn, this song is sick, and believe me, I never ever use the word sick, I'm way too white, so you know it must be something worth your while. To be honest, before 'Fancy Footwork' I'd never really heard of Chromeo. I am ashamed of myself.

Chromeo, made up of Pee Thugg and Dave 1, are from Montreal and New York respectively. They describe themselves as "the only successful Arab/Jewish collaboration since the beginning of time." Which, when you think about it, is pretty true. They seamlessly manage to blend disco, funk and pop to create "delightfully hip," catchy dance tunes. 'Fancy Footwork' is no exception. A true funk phenomenon!

I first heard it as a remix and wasn't overly impressed. Luckily I stumbled across the original sometime after and was instantly caught by its cool tones and infectious synths. My only one criticism is that it just ain't long enough but I guess thats only because it's so good that I WANT MORE!!! To date there have been five remixes, but none match up to the original. Gold star for effort to D.I.M. (better known as Teki Latex) another artist high up on my radar, for his superb remix.

While perusing Chromeo's past offerings I came across a remix of Feist's 'Sea Lion Women,' itself a cover of Nina Simone's 'See Line Women.' Again, Chromeo do their thang to perfection, taking advantage of Feist's remarkable voice and creating a warm and hooky torch song.

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On a more trivial note, guitarist Dave (1) Macklovitch is currently Kanye West tour DJ, and if that wasn't enough he is also earning his Ph.D in French Literature from Columbia University, where he also teaches undergraduate French classes. Wowzers!

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Post dedicated to fellow student Alex.

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MP3: Chromeo - Fancy Footwork MP3 DOWNLOAD

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MP3: Chromeo - Fancy Footwork (D.I.M Remix) MP3 DOWNLOAD

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MP3: Feist - Sea Lion Women (Chromeo Remix) MP3 DOWNLOAD

Thout Shall Always Kill

I love these 'Talky' songs. There usually either really funny or really thoughtful...or both. Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip, 'Thou Shalt Always Kill' has been floating around the Internet for a good while now, but what the heck, you got it here as well.

The Song simply comprises of a Dance beat and lets the lyrics do the...erm...talking. It appears to be a rant about modern day society with a sense of satirical humour. Funnily enough, it was named NME's song of the week even though it contains the lyric "Thou Shall Not Read NME." Particularly like the line: "Thou Shalt Not Go Into The Woods With Your Boyfriends Best Friend, Take Drugs And Cheat On Him." How Random. I've played this to an American friend and the humour seems to translate.

Also posted Lazyboy's 'Underwear Goes Inside The Pants.' Critical American Lyrics are provided by observational comedian, Greg Giraldo. Incidentally, Lazyboy so happens to be Søren Nystrøm Rasted, formerly of the band Aqua. You remember 'Barbie Girl' Don't you. How could you forget?! What is the world coming to?

MP3: Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip - Thou Shalt Always Kill MP3 DOWNOAD

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MP3: Lazyboy - Underwear Gies Inside The Pants MP3 DOWNLOAD

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BONUS:

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MP3: Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip - Thou Shalt Always Kill (Knifehandchop Remix) MP3 DOWNLOAD

What An Amazingly Small World We Live In

I really do love the world wide web sometimes. At what other time could you just waltzed up to someone on the other side of the world that you've never met before, start an interesting conversation and then come away listening to such great music. The time is now!

I hate to admit it, but I'm one of those guys who frequents the world of 'Second Life.' However, I don't mind the potential ridicule when even there you can "meet up" with your 'new favourite band.'

Korben are an "indie/rock/alternative" girl/boy duo from America. I've not been listening to much indie music of late but these guys (and girl) have rekindled my interest in it. To me, they are a blend of a number of great bands. The vocals remind me a lot of Star's, Amy Millan. I'm not just saying that because of the obvious female link, but both have a kinda calming, smooth tone about them. Some of the melodies are evocative of Metric's softer side, while I can't help thinking of gloomy indie rockers, Calla with regards to some of the guitar work.

I think Korben are hoping to come to the U.K. sometime in the future. I don't know if Liverpool will be a stopping point, but please visit their myspace page and start some kind of petition/harassment campaign in order to get them here. I really can't see Korben staying below the radar for long in America, which obviously means their gonna be big here as well....you heard it here first.

With thanks to Chad, of Korben.

MP3: Korben - Steady Fools MP3 DOWNLOAD

MP3: Stars - Ageless Beauty MP3 DOWNLOAD

MP3: Metric - Soft Rock Star MP3 DOWNLOAD

MP3: Calla - Swagger MP3 DOWNLOAD

Justice D.A.N.C.E. (2)

As promised, here is the full version of MSTRKRFT's 'D.A.N.C.E.' remix. I say full, but it's still not the completely full version, but it's better than the last one posted. We'll get there eventually! As usual MSTRKRFT, do their stuff. I really think this is as good as the original. Maybe better. They seem to add a serious edge to it. Difficult when you consider the vocals are sung by a bunch of kiddies, which incidentley I think is one of the best ideas since sliced bread.

Also posted the Data remix too. This doesn't stray too far from the original but it has some Daft Punk style guitars which, c'mon, is never a bad thing.

On a slightly different musical note, I have also posted...ahem....Fear Factory's, 'Linchpin.' Don't 'hang me' (couldn't resist) for this one. I guess you could call it a guilty pleasure. Dedicated to Ivie Hallard of Liverpool.

MP3: Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (MSTRKRFT Remix) MP3 DOWNLOAD

MP3: Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (Data Past Back Remix) MP3 DOWNLOAD (Right click and save target as...)

MP3: Fear Factory - Linchpin MP3 DOWNLOAD

GRRRRRRRRR!!!

Thank God For Remixes

I wasn't that keen on Armands latest offering, 'NYC Beat.' And when I heard it on prime time radio 1, well that was it for me. Not because I'm all pretentious, well maybe a little, but when you hear the likes of Vernon 'Game show Marathon' Kay 'bigging' it up, then it just, kinda....puts me off. I don't know why, but for some reason it reminds me of the o' so annoying 'Put Your Hands Up For Detroit.'



To be honest, I've never been that much of a fan of Armand Van Helden. 1997's 'U Don't Know Me' never really did it for me. I guess I didn't understand it at the time, but even as my musical palette matured, the song never grew on me. However, I must admit I did have a soft spot for 2000's, 'Cars' sampling 'Koochy.'

Back to the main point. Thank god for remixes. Don't get me wrong, 'NYC..' wasn't a particularly bad track but I just found it slightly irritating. I can't say the same about the wonderful MSTRKRFT remix. That's what I love about remixes. You may like the main idea behind a song, but the composer just doesn't carry it off right. Allowing someone else to have a tweak around with it can sorta....point it in the right direction.

MP3: Armand Van Helden - NYC Beat (MSTRKRFT Remix) MP3 DOWNLOAD

Bonus:

MP3: Simian Moblie Disco - It's The Beat (Siriusmo Remix) MP3 DOWNLOAD

Justice D.A.N.C.E. (1)

This has literally just come through on my RSS feed and I thought it important enough to share it ASAP. Apologies for Pete Tong blabbering all over it and the poor sound quality. When I have the full version I'll be sure to post it.

"1,2,3,4,Fight"

MP3: Justice - D.A.N.C.E (MSTRKRFT Remix) MP3 DOWNLAOD

Lo-Fi Fnk

I'd had one of those days. Y'know, when you just cant be arsed anymore. They say laughter is the best form of medicine. Nah!!! What I needed was one of those songs. Do you know what I mean? Probably not. Well to demonstrate, I have here an example. It really lifted my 'spirit' (whatever the hell that is!)

What do you get when you cross: indie, disco, catchy beats and Sweden. Of course!!! It must be Lo-Fi Fnk.

Lo-Fi Fnk (pronounced: Lo-Fi Funk) is made up of August Hellsing and Leo Drougge. They started making music back in high school after which they were picked up by Stockholm label La Vida Locash. I believe they are now signed to Moshi Moshi Records along with Bloc Party and the Rakes, and under which they have released their debut album 'Boylfe.' I hope you enjoy it.

MP3: Lo-Fi Fnk - Wake Up MP3 DOWNLOAD

Buy Music/Tickets

Buy Music Here:

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CD Baby
E-Music

itunes

Napster

Buy Tickets Here:

See Tickets
Ticket Master
Aloud.com

I Am Finn

I'm going to be honest. I know next to nothing about I Am Finn. This is what I got. A "boy shaped girl" from London, who believes "global warming is unstoppable" and last logged into his/hers Myspace page on 08/05/2007. That's it. Oh, and one more thing. He/she is playing at the Knowsley Music Hall on 25Th June which I'll be doing my best to attend. In the meantime, if anyone knows who is Finn, then please would you let everyone else know.

Here's an absolutely unbelievable I Am Finn track, remixed by those Aussie tike's Van She Tech, one half of the band Van She. This is dance music at it's best. Managed to get it played at Korova in Liverpool on Sunday. It's kinda trancey in some respects. The main hook is amazingly euphoric, but it's not cheesy. That's some mean feat. See what y'all think.

MP3: I Am Finn - I Love You (Van She Tech Remix) MP3 DOWNLOAD

To Little Money To Be Wastin' On 'Phone's

OK. OK. I'm sick of shitty headphones. You understand don't you? Let me explain. In the past 9 months, I've been through four (count 'em) pairs of headphones. And these ain't your crappy little free one's you get with your ipod or those £7.50 things from Curry's. I've be spending upwards of £25 on them, which is a lot of money were I'm from. Anyway, I thought enough is enough. I love listening to my music, so I want something that's going to enhance my experience, NOT GIVE ME TINNITUS!

Well, I just got back from purchasing my first pair or real headphones. A pair of BOSE Triport. What can I say. I love these phones. Some reviews complained of too much bass. PAH! There's no such thing, duh! If you've got a spare £69 knockin' around, then I suggest you get some of these babies.

MP3: The Klaxon's - Golden Skan's (SebastiAn Version 1.2.0 Remix) MP3 DOWNLOAD

Riot In Belgium

This is rapidly becoming my favourite song of the year. Riot In Belgium's, 'La Musique' provides me with pretty much everything I want in a song. A (and I hate to say it) PHAT bassline, hard solid beats, a simple yet catchy tune and most of all, some 'lass' (Gina) singing in french.

So named after their "love of waffles and dark chocolate," Riot In Belgium are made up of two Sydney based DJ's, Damage and Belgium. If you were to believe their Myspace page, they would be 97 year old "proud parents." Whatever, they make great music!
"OH MY GOD. THERE'S A RIOT IN BELGIUM"

MP3: Riot In Belgium - La Musique MP3 DOWNLOAD