New York producer and one half of the Flagrant Fowl imprint, Pocketknife, has been deftly remixing choice records since mid 2006. Artist's including Feist, Beirut and Adele have all had their music subtly beautified by the Brooklyn DJ, whose influences include the likes of Diplo, Grandmaster Flash and LCD Soundsystem. Knowing how much you all adore this chap, it is with great pleasure that I offer you his superb Loosefoot remix of Lykke Li's awesome track, Breaking It Up (Oh, I know, soooo 2008!) I do hope your NY celebration go according to plan.
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Thursday, 25 December 2008
Happy Christmas
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
No. 24
MP3: Osborne - 16Th Stage DOWNLOAD
MP3: Tommy Sparks - I'm A Rope (Yuksek Rework) DOWNLOAD
MP3: Bitclipr - Discofreak DOWNLOAD
MP3: Tiga & Zyntherius - Sunglasses At Night (Black Devil Dub) DOWNLOAD
MP3: Kent - Vy Fraan Ett Luftslott (Punks Jump Up Remix) DOWNLOAD
MP3: System Of A Down - B.Y.O.B. DOWNLOAD
MP3: The New Standards - Such Great Heights (The Postal Service Cover) DOWNLOAD
Sunday, 21 December 2008
Marina And The Diamonds
If you're like me, then your itunes will be littered with accomplished female artists (could I sound more patronising?) like Feist, Ladyhawke and Lykke Li (among others). Now you can add to the list pint-sized songstress, Marina And The Diamonds, hailing from the valleys of Wales via Greece (or maybe that's Greece via Wales). Marina's sound seems ripe for chart success, following the breakthrough of other artists like Duffy and Adele, though she's as annoying as neither. That's not to say she won't make it on her own merit, not at all. Obsessions, Marina's incoming single, demonstrates the singers inclination for bouncy keys, brisk beats, and cutting lyrics ("Won't you quit your crying I can't sleep, one minute I'm a little sweet heart, and next minute you are an absolute creep") contrasted by drawn out chords and softly-softly vocals.
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (Wallpaper Dio Remix)
You know you're truly broke when you have to economise servery to be buy a record. In the case of Passion Pits debut 7", Sleepyhead, I didn't mind. Looking back, I think we can agree that Passion Pit provided us with one of the tunes of the year. November saw New York's Finger On The Pulse blog commence a remix competition for the track which saw Wallpaper. crowned the winner. This excellent remix wants to be the darker cousin of the original, with its unrushed tempo and thick, moody synths, lightened up with some neatly placed pitched-up sax.
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Two Door Cinema Club
Hailing from County Down's seaside resort of Bangor comes Two Door Cinema Club. This drummer-less three-piece combine the frantic tendencies of Vampire Weekend with the smooth production of Death Cab For Cutie, culminating in a sound not to dissimilar to 2007 favourites, Goodbooks. Bursting at the seems with melodious guitar flourishes and vocal harmony, the band manage to create an indie sound with both pop and electronic overtones. Remarkably, they remain unsigned, but you do have to wonder for how much longer?
The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let It Snow
Lord Skywave - I Am A Dead Man (Grovesnor Remix)
One time Hot-Chiper, Grovesvnor (the moniker of one Rob Smoughton), produced a true gem of '08 with the deliciously over the top, Drive Your Car. Now, Grovesvnor has turned his hand to remixing the little known slide-project of former Simian, current Black Ghosts man, Simon Lord. A nice up-tempo slice of boogie-disco.
MP3: Lord Skywave - I Am A Dead Man (Grovesnor Remix) DOWNLOAD
Monday, 15 December 2008
Ou Est Le Swimming Pool
Ou Est Le Swimming Pool are a band who will achieve success in 2009. This time next year, I'll smugly be uttering the words: "told you so". They have it all. They exude confidence, they've given up on their birth names, and they sport moustaches. Oh, and they make gloriously dingy disco tinged electro. Think The Human League on a downer. Enjoy.
Sunday, 14 December 2008
No. 23
MP3: Jen Feldman - Kaddish For Britney DOWNLOAD
MP3: Housemeister - What You Want (Siriusmo Remix) DOWNLOAD
MP3: Kaiser Chiefs - Golden Skans (Klaxons Cover) DOWNLOAD
MP3: Shannon - Let The Music Play (Death To The Throne Remix) DOWNLOAD
MP3: Skew - Stadiums Are OK Too DOWNLOAD
MP3: Blue Sky Black Death - Once Away DOWNLOAD
MP3: Jedi Mind Tricks - Monolith DOWNLOAD
Friday, 12 December 2008
Audio Bullys/Shinichi Osawa News
Few bits of news I want get through. Firstly, electronic music duo, Audio Bullys have made a comic...that's right, a comic! Basically, the narrative fits round the lyrical content of the track Dope Fiend, which, when you purchase a physical copy of the comic you get a download link for. Here's you click-through banner:
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Clubfeet
Melbourne trio Clubfeet have just released their debut studio album. I'm rather surprised at the fact that last Wednesday was the first time I'd heard the bands refreshingly humorous brand of smooth electronic pop. The first single off their Gold On Gold album, Teenage Suicide, kind of sounds like it's been commissioned by the Samaritans, featuring the lyrical refrain "Teenage suicide, don't do it!". Very festive. But seriously, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't check these dudes out.
The Joy Formidable - Cradle Release
I'm pretty sure that if The Joy Formidable had released an L.P. this year, it would've popped up somewhere on my 'Top Albums of 2008' list, which I posted the other day. Anyway, following the release of the bands debut 7", Austere (of which I'm a proud owner of a signed copy), you can now pre-order their follow up single, Cradle, released on Try Harder records, available on 2ND February. This particular 7", I've been informed, will be a gate fold release, and will feature new track, The Last Drop, as well as remixes from Kyte and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur. Here's your pre-order LINK.
MP3: The Joy Formidable - Cradle (Kyte Remix) DOWNLOAD
,
Monday, 8 December 2008
Top 10 Albums Of 2008
So here's Check The Availability's Top 10 Albums of 2008. I promised myself I'd never do one (I managed to resist last year), however, for me to be able to summit my a list for the Hype Machine's Zeitgeist of 2008 I actually have to have one posted on the blog. Please comment. Here goes:
Sunday, 7 December 2008
BMX
Ahoy there! Quirky foursome BMX are an Australian bandwagon worth jumping on. Their minimalist, indie influenced chewing gum pop has already caught the attention of some big name blogs (notably Bigstereo), and they're set to play with Metronomy early next year. I'm pretty sure you'll love the whole girl/boy vocal thing, not to mention the fact that vocalist Dominique sounds like a cross between an 80's Madonna and a Princess Superstar, circa Bad Babysitter. Exactly like everything and nothing you've heard before. Go see...
MP3: BMX - War DOWNLOAD
MP3: BMX - Theme To BMX DOWNLOAD
MP3: BMX - Theme To BMX (Jasper Remix) DOWNLOAD