Video: Goldfrapp "Rocket"

Goldfrapp are brilliant. The latest evidence:




: They have a new album out this month, but they are not the most effective users of the internet so you wouldn't know that from their official sites like their official blog. Americans can find the Richard X remix of "Rocket" free at amazon. Head First is out March 23.

Video: Hot Chip "One Life Stand"

Just a few years ago Hot Chip's unique sound was so far out there no one would have guessed how quickly it would be appropriated by acts getting heavy alt-rock radio play (see Passion Pit). Fortunately the band have the songwriting skills to match their roles as sonic innovators since "Ready For The Floor" and "Over And Over" are some of the finest electropop songs of the decade. "One Life Stand" follows in that tradition of great pop songs and has one of their signature quirky videos:




: "One Life Stand" is the title track from their forthcoming album which is due in February. More info is available at Hot Chip's myspace.

Unofficial Video: Annie "Songs Remind Me Of You"

Perhaps you have missed the much written about fuss over Annie's sophomore album Don't Stop as it has been delayed for over a year since it leaked presumably because of politics that none of us can ever expect to understand which led to her moving to a new label and altering the track listing. It is something I have been aware of but Annie's puzzling popularity with the US indie crowd that so often rallies around the cry of anything anti-synth and anti-pop has created a distrust of her in me even if there is nothing to dislike in her music. So it was with some trepidation that I clicked through one of several links in my twitter stream to see the "unofficial" video for her latest single but the first listen demanded a second and soon I was hooked. After laying low over the past couple of years it is clear that Richard X has returned in a big way because his distinctive fingerprints are all over this italo flavored track that, if I may steal from wikipedia (or their source MuuMuse), "Songs Remind Me Of You" is a perfect blend of "lush disco, breathy vocals, and intergalactic swarms of electronica". Filmed at the album's new photo shoot this unofficial video released by her management is a rather fantastic example of stellar execution of a simple concept:



: Among Richard X's recent projects he has remixed Pet Shop Boys & Dragonette but very excitingly Chart Rigger pointed out that it has just been announced that he is remixing the entirety of Saint Etienne's 1991 debut Foxbase Alpha which will be released as Foxbase Beta. Thinking back I remember when Annie's second album was going to come out in 2006, the latest reports say Don't Stop is due in the US this November.

Video: The Juan Maclean "Happy House"

The third single from The Juan Maclean's The Future Will Come is the first single. The initial "Happy House" release in March, 2008 targeted the dj crowd with over 12 minutes of disco glory and now that same song has been edited down to a spartan 3 minute pop song. The video starts out with some too close close-ups of Nancy Whang before evolving into something quite mainstream friendly with apparent un-ironic choreography:



: The "Happy House" single is out now and features a slew of remixes. Get your fix of The Juan Maclean info at their fancy website.

Video: Vitalic "Your Disco Song"

Since his debut Poney EP in 2001 unleashed the hit "La Rock 01" on the world Vitalic has managed to become one of the most recognized electronica artists to emerge during this decade despite having only released one album. Maybe I've missed it but I was expecting a little more fanfare when I discovered when he returned last month with the Disco Terminateur EP. While the EP's other song "Terminateur Benelux" is equally strong, "Your Disco Song" is a fine track that adds a bit of 8-bit flavor to Vitalic's modus operandi. Not loving the video:

: Vitalic's full length Flashmob drops in late September.

Video: Calvin Harris "I'm Not Alone"

It looks like the new Calvin Harris album will be released in the US so why not post the video for "I'm Not Alone"? Previously unavailable in the land of the free the single nabbed the number one spot on the UK chart back in April with a unique combination of indie and "stadium rave". I tend to be a bit hot and cold when it comes to Harris but this one is sticking around my mind months after first hearing it:



: While I see nothing on Ultra Records website or on the Calvin Harris myspace confirming the release the label's youtube page gives 8/18/09 as the digital release date which is the typical one day delay over the UK unveiling of Ready For The Weekend. The CD is due in October.

Video: Jay-Z "D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)"

Are hip hop tracks ever featured on this blog? Hardly ever. But how often do tracks as incredible as this come out? The No I.D. and Kanye West produced track is largely a subtly edited sample of Janko Nilovic & Dave Sucky's "In The Space" but the beat is undeniable. Jay-Z adds the icing and "old-man grumbling" to the cake with some notable lines asking if "I’m a multi-millionaire so how is it I’m still the hardest here" and announcing that hip hop's autotune abusers music are "going make it the great depression". Despite claims that "this ain’t a number one record, this is practically assault with a deadly weapon" this is one fantastic pop record:



: Jay-Z's new album drops in September and myspace has all the info.
Related: Autotune on Nova

Video: BT "The Rose Of Jericho"

Things have been fairly quiet on the BT front since he released his "ambient symphony" This Binary Universe. The 2006 CD/DVD package was a unique project for the producer showcasing seven tracks mixed to be heard in surround sound all accompanied by specially commissioned short films. At the time of it's release BT announced another album that would be out the following year featuring collaborations with Imogen Heap and Stewart Copeland. Fast forward several years and we have "The Rose Of Jericho". BT is dipping a tentative toe into the water rather than jumping in the deep end with this understated sort-of-trance instrumental with a "Popcorn" lead synth. It's certainly an okay track but not something that inspires any passion in me. The video continues BT's recent tradition of marrying music to images with the most emotionally effective computer graphics seen since someone last turned on the random visualization mode in windows media player:



: BT's site seems to be the place to find all the latest on his still untitled album but stop by his facebook where his bio suggest it will be out sometime in 2006 before the release of This Binary Universe.

Video: Tiga "Shoes"

What is that sound? Tiga's "Shoes" is one my favorite songs of the year yet I continue to find myself at a loss to describe it. Lyrically the song is an off the chart bizarre virtual duet between Tiga and pitched up "female" voice that was rumored to be Madonna where the man tells her he wants to fix her messy hair, nails and, of course, shoes all of which is delivered in an odd parental tone. Tiga brings plenty of top notch talent to the table with Soulwax, Gonzales and Jesper Dahlback helping out on the track which features some great electronics like the memorable bass line while it stays in a pop friendly zone. Assuming you don't pay attention to the lyrics.
The video is another highlight of the year with a superb execution of it's concept. A couple of models play out the uncomfortable lyrics under the pretense of a 70s talk show with a few shots of psychedelic happenings thrown in the mix. Brilliance defined:



: Out now, Tiga's new album Ciao! "has ideas and songs and the production is always spotless". Stop by his myspace to hear more.

Flashback: DeeJay Punk-Roc "My Beatbox" (1998)

After an introduction borrowed from LL Cool J's "I'm Bad" warns all cars to be on the lookout for mean fellow with dimples carrying a beatbox we are launched into one the great jams of the big beat era. DeeJay Punk-Roc amps up the track with robo vocals and truly break dance worthy "Planet Rock"-style electro beats that drive the track to extremes. To this day I am puzzled as to why more people don't know about the song.
Maybe it is the video which is definitely of the time when all electronic music video were silly because Fatboy Slim had such crossover success with the intelligently silly "Praise You". This one doesn't quite cut it:



: DeeJay Punk-Roc's debut album ChickenEye, now out of print, contained a wider range of styles than "My Beatbox" suggests adding a heaver dose of the turntablism and old school hip hop. There was some controversy at the time in some of the UK press suggesting that Punk-Roc was just a Milli Vanilli-type front man for his co-producer Don Sergic, who has only a few credts to his name like his remix of Ill Disco's "Keep The Jam Going", never had substance behind them and were dismissed by Sergic. Stuart Price turned in an early and utterly fantastic remix of the track that didn't make the single, which did contain a Big Audio Dynamite mix, but can be found on the Respect Is Burning compilation.
DeeJay Punk-Roc released his follow up album Spoiling It For Everyone a couple years later to a quiet reception. After putting out a couple of mix discs Punk-Roc has all but disappeared. I hope we hear a comeback soon.

Video: Depeche Mode "Peace"

Revisiting the electronic sound of Some Great Reward is something that DM have never done before and it works exceptionally well on "Peace". The punctuated bass line, helium fueled leads, sparse arpeggios and even the string pad of doom that underscores a few lines all stir something deep within my soul that remind me why I became a Depeche fan. However I can't help but expect something more from the song. Perhaps it is just heightened expectations from listening to Violator recently, but there was a time when you could expect Martin Gore's songs to take you on a trip around the world and back developing organically in the course of four or so minutes which doesn't happen here. I have been trying to put my finger on exactly what draws me out of the song and while I have discovered that I am not a fan of the aimless organ part what is the deal breaker is the build up in the middle eight that leads to a cop-out fade out. It is like loading up the car for a road trip getting on the interstate and turning back around because you forgot where you were going. What does it say that this is definitely one of the two tracks that Sounds Of The Universe will be remembered for:



: The "Peace" single is out this week in most of the world although in the US the release seems to be limited to an addition to the content of the DM itunes pass. I'm sure depeche mode dot com has details buried somewhere on it.

Video: The Prodigy "The Warrior's Dance"

Prodigy's Invaders Must Die is a bit shy of standout tracks but their recent top 10 UK single "The Warrior's Dance" is definitely one of them. After the band's initial attempt at recording new material resulted in months of writers block things improved when Keith Flint challenged Liam Howlett to write something to be played live at last year's Gatecrasher festival. Howlett's retro track takes it's inspiration from two rave records released in 1989 with Final Cut's "Take Me Away" providing the vocals and a sample from Addis Posse's "Let The Warrior's Dance" helping the beat. The video is a self-aware edgy affair, they posted a preemptive notice of what to do when the video gets pulled from youtube, that features the band as literal firestarters, in the form of animated matchbook men, who controversially take on cigarettes:



: Visit Prodigy's site if the video does not work.

Video: Moby "Pale Horses"

Moby has been talking up the uncommercial nature of his upcoming album as he has been doing the press rounds. So far his singles choices bear that out. The vocals for "Pale Horses" were recorded in a completely unconventional way pointing to the words, which include the line "all my family died", to a friend singing the song for the first time. The effect is not unlike one of the quieter tracks on Play. The video is an sad little animated treatment of the song that brings Moby's alien sketches to life:



: The single release of "Pale Horses", due June 22nd, features remixes from Gui Boratto, Apparat and Jason Bentley. Wait For Me is out June 29th.

Video: Pet Shop Boys "Did You See Me Coming?"

The second single pulled from Yes is a rather nice example of PSB hitting their electropop stride with a generous touch of Johnny Marr guitar added to the mix. The single package should be amazing as it features three b-sides (one of which is the current Popjustice song of the day), Stuart Price's PSB Brit Award medley and a number of remixes including one from Richard X. However for the official video they take the performance video approach playing the song in front of the large video screen. Why shouldn't they remake the "Minimal" video a couple of years later and take out the interesting bits?:



: Actually there is a really great part where Neil works the jazz hands routine for a couple of seconds. "Did You See Me Coming?" is out June 1st (please release it digitally Astralwerks) and petshopboys.co.uk has all the info you need to keep track of the various formats.

Video: Rex The Dog "Bubblicious"

Rex The Dog might be stalking Vince Clarke. Rex developed his distinct sound after buying a Korg 700S because it was used on Depeche Mode's first album so one of his first moves was to turn in a storming remix of "Photographic" that was one of the few redeeming tracks on DM's cash grab Remixes 81-04. Rex's most recent video moves the timeline ahead a year or so later borrowing Alison Moyet's vocals from "Midnight", an album track on Yaz's (that's Yazoo to those outside of the US) debut Upstairs At Erics. "Bubblicious" is an exhilarating track that marries the essence of synthpop's age of innocence with the spirit of today's retro-flavored floor fillers. The video finds Yaz reconnected through the magic of stop motion cardboard albeit with Rex stepping in for the mysteriously absent Vince:



: I held off posting on this song for some months now because I had hoped to post news of Rex The Dog's album being released in the US. Unfortunately that still hasn't happened and nothing has been announced that suggests it will happen which is a terrible shame.

Video: The Crystal Method featuring Matisyahu "Drown In The Now"

In the last five years The Crystal Method created the first nike/itunes epic running routine download, mixed a compilation, built a studio, wrote a soundtrack and re-released their first album while fans waited for them to recorded a follow-up to 2003's Legion Of Boom. The wait is almost over as we have the fist single from Divided By Night in our figurative hands. "Drown In The Now" finds the duo courting the alt-rock audience, as they always have done, bringing Matisyahu in for vocal duties on a track that is less about raw beats than a fully formed song. Despite my reservations about the vocalist's popularity, that the only reggae hit on rock radio in the last decade is by an overtly religious white guy suggests novelty act to me, the track works well taking TCM in a direction they have not explored before:



: Divided By Night is out May 12. The Crystal Method will be touring in support of the new album and their myspace has details.

Video: Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Zero"

Better bloggers than me pointed this out months ago but Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Zero" is rather amazing. Their new album It's Blitz! finds the band adding electronics to the mix to great effect when paired with strong songwriting. The video finds Karen O out and about on the streets of San Francisco dancing on the roofs of cars in a neighborhood I've parked in before:



: The band, um, blitzed the late night circuit last week and left me wondering how such a moody group ended up with such a pleasant drummer. Listen to more Yeah Yeah Yeahs at their myspace.

Video: Moby "Shot In The Back Of The Head"

After a couple of months of hinting Moby made the official announcement about his next album Wait For Me today. Inspired by a David Lynch speech about creativity without concern of a commercial audience being a good thing Moby recorded the album in his home studio with a few friends as guest vocalists. I'm not expecting a pop record. The first single has a faintly disturbing video directed by David Lynch:



: Wait For Me is out June 30th.

UPDATE: "Shot In The Back Of The Head" is available as a free download at Moby.com.

Video: Freeland "Under Control"

Adam Freeland made some changes to his approach before embarking on his second album of original material Cope™ imbibing a shot of rock and roll to loosen up his decidedly club oriented roots. Despite the changes there is something incredibly familiar about the album's first single "Under Control" because the project's new singer Kurt Baumann channels LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy (who you may have heard is massively influenced by Mark E Smith) so precisely that it seriously distracts from the song. Like Freeland's previous hit "We Want Your Soul" the lyrics work on a political level this time taking on the war on terror as the powers that be tell us to "relax 'cause nothing is under control" but all I hear is "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House":


Freeland - Under Control - Official Video from Freeland on Vimeo.

: Freeland offer a free download of the song in remixed form at their site. Cope™ is due this June.

Video: The Juan Maclean "One Day"

The Juan Maclean return next month with The Future Will Come. Last year John MacLean was deep into rave territory on the more than twelve minute "Happy House" making the modern day new wave of the album's proper pre-release single "One Day" an unexpected turn. This is perhaps the most pop record DFA has released yet with a proper string part and a distinct Human League vibe as John trades off vocal duties with LCD Soundsystem's Nancy Whang. Did I mention that Whang is singing rather than working out of her standard shouting modus operandi? Yes, this is a synthpop record:





: Good news, the song is this week's itunes free download in the US so you can download the track for free. The Future Will Come is due out on April 21st, aka synthpop release, so keep up to date with all the latest news at The Juan Maclean website.