[2009: Unsigned] Album of The Week has been a long-time fan of DJ Aristocat, but it’s about time we spread the word and stopped keeping his awesome skills all to ourselves. A fixture on the Californian hip hop scene for years, the young LA-based DJ was mixing his Busta Rhymes with the Bangles long before “mash ups” became super popular through Belgium’s 2ManyDJs and, more recently, Pittsburgh awesome copyright infringement case Girl Talk. His most recent mix, Wonderland, shows off Aristocat’s ridiculous collection of tunes – old and new, as well as his amazing musical knowledge and the unique creativity with which he approaches mixing songs – like crossing Dire Straits “Money for Nothing” with “I Get Money” by 50 Cent, or indie rock band VHS or Beta with AC/DC. Clever. aware and tongue-in-cheek, but most importantly it sounds good.
The man has a reputation of getting people on the dance floor and keeping them there. So we’ve asked him to recommend ten tracks that never fail to get bodies moving. Here it is:
DJ Aristocat - Break In Case of Emergency On The Dancefloor Tracks (In No Particular Order)
10.Nightcrawlers - Push The Feeling OnThis is classic, reminds me of house parties and everytime I drop it, it takes me back and wakes the crowd up. 9.Michael Jackson - P.Y.T.This is a no brainer / tribute, if you are a dj and you don't have this in your crate/hard-drive, you suck. 8. Basement Jaxx - Red AlertAnother classic that when it drops, usually so do the girls asses. Basement Jaxx ruled my cd player for like 2 years. 7.The Outhere Brothers - Boom Boom BoomAnother classic, this totally kicks the crap out of that Black Eyed Peas Boom Boom Shit track - play this and you get my respect and the crowd screaming "way-ohhhhh!" 6.Crookers - Il Cattivo This one I was on the fence about, it murders in the right situation, in the wrong situation it can get you murdered, play at your own risk... 5.Robin S. vs. Steve Angello & Laidback Luke Show Me Love (Hardwell Bootleg) - This is the ish in LA right now, pretty much any 90's dance remix is, you can play this most anywhere and when it drops in, you have a party on your hands. 4.Cajmere - PercolaterIt's time for the Percolater, it's always time for the Percolater. 3.CeCe Peniston - Finally (Vandalism Remix) I love this remix, it's effective and electro...and it's a 90s dance song remix...nuff said. 2.Stardust - Music Sounds Better (Discotech Remix)Discotech do awesome remixes that are pounding and effective, this is no exception. 1. Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (Mstrkrft Remix)Justice meets Mstrkrft, I think Mstrkrft should do a Justice remix album, then I could just throw that on at the club and go get a drink as my work would be done for me.
Check out 'Wonderland', DJ Aristocat's latest mix and his other excellent party mixtapes at the link below.
Courtesy of a great tip-off from their label (Hidden Shoal Recordings) the incredibly beautiful, melodic sounds of Australian band Apricot Rail have been brought to our attention. Who better to introduce them than one of the band’s many multi-instrumentalists, Ambrose Nock. We asked him a few questions about the band, their plans and their enigmatic sound…
Describe your music to us
It was described once in a live review as ‘the soundtrack to some time-lapse Belgian art house film about clouds or migrating ducks’. Its generally quite pretty, melodic & experimental with lots of different instruments used to carry the melody.
What are the origins of Apricot Rail – how did you form?
Very gradually, with members being added along the journey. The actual concept of the band is quite old but really was only fully realized when Mayuka joined after about our fourth or fifth show sometime in the middle of last year.
Compare your sound to other bands – to give people a reference point?
Some ball park names would be: Sandpit, Mum, Tortoise, Bluetile Lounge, Mogwai, Sigur Ros, Braving the Seabed, Broken Social Scene.
What’s your favourite song or songs?
From the album? ‘If You Can’t Join Them, Beat Them’ is still my favourite. Actual fave song? Hard to go past ‘Huddle Formation’ by the Go! Team
What is Apricot Rail’s ultimate collaboration – who would you love to collaborate with?
This would be different for all of us… For me I’d go with Emily Haines who sings a few tracks for Broken Social Scene and plays in a band called Metric – In my head I can hear her voice over my songs and I think they’d be something pretty special.
Tell us about your touring plans – where can we see you?
Hopefully everyone will be back in Perth in March next year working on a new record and then after that we’ll see.
Which artists are influential to the band?
In terms of guitars Sandpit, Sonic Youth & Braving the Seabed. In terms of melody and instrumentation: Tortoise and Mum. Jack and Daniel listen to a lot of electronic and minimal techno type stuff as well which is gradually starting to filter into a few songs and could feature a bit on the new record.
Where does Apricot Rail hope to be in the future?
Our goals are strictly musical – and as long as we get this part right we’re happy to end up wherever it takes us (barring Gaol or the Liberal party) [Ed: that’s an Australian political party]
Which bands did you listen to as kids that made you want to be musicians?
At about aged 14 I decided i had to play guitar after hearing Sandpit. Before that I'd been dablling in piano and bass guitar listening to a lot of random 80's stuff like XTC, Spandau Ballet, REM, Thompson Twins. But I always wanted to play music I don't think it was based on hearing anything particular.
Finally, what is your album of the week?
The new Pond album "Corridors of Blissterday" is in the car stereo at the moment and well worth everyone’s attention.
Apricot Rail’s self-titled album is out now, so we suggest you check it out post haste. This band is definitely one to watch out for, so keep them on your radar.
[2008: Spunk] This adorable collection of country-tinged folk songs and quirky soulful ballads is the result of the complementary pairing of indie balladeer M. Ward and songwriter/singer Zooey Deschanel – more commonly known for her acting roles (she plays the wilful sister who presses the Simon and Garfunkel record into the hands of William Miller in ‘Almost Famous’). A few covers aside, all the songs were written by Deschanel who has a husky, lilting country tone to her voice that is a perfect match for her wistful, romantic lyrics. Case in point, the opening track ‘Sentimental Heart’ in which she gently croons “piece of the puzzle I’m your missing part. Oh what can you do with a sentimental heart?” – Awww! The arrangements by M. Ward are effective in their simplicity – upright piano, acoustic guitars and a restrained use of strings – that beautifully balance with Deschanel’s effortless voice. Their cover of Smokey Robinson’s blues classic ‘You Really Got a Hold on me’ is a standout, but there is so much to like about this album as a whole. As my grandmother would say, it’s “darling”.
[Spunk: 2009] The Middle East have only recently been getting attention since their beautiful song ‘Blood’ was featured on a Spunk Records singles compilation in 2008. While ‘researching’ the band I found it extremely difficult to come across any information on the group. This mystery surrounding the group and its members –whether intentionally or not – adds to the ethereal image of the band, that comes across strongly in their sound and style of music. The Middle East create soft, delicate lo-fi folk songs in the vein of Art of Fighting, Sigur Ros and a touch of Arcade Fire. This five-track EP is surely going to gain them many more fans. The opening track ‘The Darkest Side’ is an amazing mini epic using beautiful male and female harmonies with an acoustic guitar hook that’ll have you humming the tune for hours to come. Blood, the standout track, uses the wonderful combined vocals over simple instrumentation to sublime effect. The only downside to this release is the number of songs – only five. We eagerly await more music from this elusive Australian group.
[Inertia:2009] Miike Snow is not a guy called Mike but in fact Swedish production duo Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, and American song writer and singer Andrew Wyatt. The collaboration results in a great pop record of irresistible melodies and infectious beats, akin to a less rock ‘n’ roll version of Phoenix or a more up-tempo version of The Whitest Boy Alive. The album kicks off with five little gems in a row: ‘Animal’ the bouncy opener, ‘Black and Blue’ which features a kicking disco/house chorus, ‘Silvia’ a yearning love song with a peppy beat, the sweet xylophone melody on first single ‘Burial’, and ‘Song For No One’ which features an addictive keyboard riff. There’s no doubt about it: Miike Snow know how to write a song that your ears like to hear, and with a really “clean”, very Scandinavian production approach sometimes the sound can verge on feeling a little too inoffensive – a little too “IKEA” if you know what I mean?... But there is absolutely nothing wrong with a bit of shameless pop - and when it comes to shameless pop these guys know what they’re doing: Karlsson and Winnberg won a Grammy for producing Britney’s ‘Toxic’ – one of my favourite Britney recordings – so we’re in good hands. Miike Snow have given us an album that’s well-packaged with a shiny finish and it’s pretty darn addictive.
His life, death and amazing career have already been scrutinised, eulogised, debated and mourned, so there’s no point in us trying to add too much to the noise. He may have lived a very tragic life, but his music will never stop bringing joy to people. ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Something’ will never fail to get people on the dancefloor, ‘I Want You Back’ will always belong on a mix tape, and new generations of kids will continue to do the Thriller dance to ‘Thriller’. Throw your fedora aside, grab your crotch and put the needle on a bit of MJ. Shamon!
[Dew Process: 2009] Young and exciting Australian indie four-piece Yves Klein Blue are set to release their much-anticipated full length debut on June 26. The album title ‘Ragged and Ecstatic’ came from the words of Jack Kerouac describing the meaning of life as “the ragged and ecstatic joy of pure being” – a befitting choice of words for a record that overflows with addictive pop hooks, youthful vigour and impressive musicality. After a tiring year of continuous touring and recording, the boys are home for a national tour ending with a spot at Byron Bay’s Splendour in the Grass festival. We caught up with super enthusiastic and charming bass player, Sean Cook, to discuss the band’s amazing year as well as talk about red hair, champagne and who he’s listening to... The band recorded ‘Ragged & Ecstatic’ in Fairfax Studios in LA with Kevin Augunas (Cold War Kids) – a far cry from the small local studio in Brisbane where they self-recorded their EP. Sean told us the experience was humbling for the band. “It was a shock for us – having Kevin there constantly wanting something better, re-working the melodic parts, always interested in a better way or a different way of approaching a song… Initially we were really taken aback having someone challenging us constantly”. So did anyone get their feelings hurt? “Ha ha! Yeah absolutely – we all had our moments. The process was a kind of non-stop whirlwind, really a creatively bizarre time. We were spending 24-7 with each other and thinking, breathing, dreaming about this record”. But obviously great things came out of it? “It was an education, because we were challenged and our ideas of how to make a song were challenged… but I think as a result of that we made the best record we possibly could.” ‘Ragged & Ecstatic’ is a really impressive album – especially considering it is the debut of a group of guys that are so freaking young. The album - and the Yves Klein Blue sound in general - is difficult to categorise as it doesn’t stick to one obvious genre. In fact, the album veers from the piano-driven pop swagger of single ‘Getting Wise’ to the acoustic call-to-arms of ‘About the Future’ and the The Hold Steady-esque rock storytelling of ‘Dinosaur’. The diversity of sound is linked to the huge catalogue of bands and songs that the band listens to. “We have a pretty scattered list of influences, but I guess at the heart of it we are into good songs – not necessarily die-hard supporters of particular bands.” At the moment he said he’s been listening to Nick Cave’s “Boatman’s Call”, Led Zeppelin II, Elvis Costello’s “Armed Forces”, among endless others. It was straight-up rock ‘n’ roll talent that led to Yves Klein Blue signing with Australian label Dew Process in 2008. Sean said to celebrate they went out for steak and champagne, “it was extremely civilised, actually.” Champagne is pretty rock and roll though? “Yeah! And we didn’t use glasses either. Put that in!” Now a year later, the band will play before the green fields at Splendour in the Grass, for the second time after gracing the stage in 2008. “It was probably my favourite gig we’ve ever played – to put it simply. As kids we used to go there and it’s a great festival to be at – it has a pretty unique feel. So being up on the stage and looking down into the crowd… that is completely surreal! We just love playing music together, and now we are getting to travel around and play our music to people…. It’s like a culmination of all this rehearsing and recording and playing our instruments and actually being rewarded for it. I have to pinch myself!” We asked Sean what his favourite album of the week is and he said a new album that he’s been listening to called ‘North Hills’ by a band called The Dawds - sunny Laurel Canyon-style California pop. We would like to say thanks to Sean for the tip - and for being such a delightful, down-to-earth guy. Yves Klein Blue have gained a reputation as an exciting live band, and they certainly have genuine charisma and a stage presence that belies their youth, so keep an eye on their tour dates to check them out for yourself. “Ragged & Ecstatic” will be released to the masses on 26 June. For more information on the band visit their website
Album of the Week was lucky enough to spend some time with the lovely Sarah Blasko last week in the midst of her promotions for her third album As Day Follows Night and in preparation for the lead up to Splendour in the Grass 2009. Sarah like many others floating around was battling the common cold however she took time out from her busy schedule to give us the low down on her latest work... and how grateful we were.
AoTW: Hi Sarah how are you going this morning? I bet you are probably sick of talking to press but I will try and come up with some inventive questions for you. Sarah: Yeah unfortunately I am sick and have been swallowing lots of cold and flu tablets to try and get over it… Its not very good timing. AoTW: So this is your third studio album – what differences can listeners expect between this album and The Overture & the Underscore / What the Sea Wants, the Sea will Have? Sarah: Well I wanted to make a more straightforward record, more classic and simple. There is no electric guitar, no bass guitar, no keyboards. I went into the studio with the aim of making a modern pop version of old jazz standards. The last record was more complicated and intricate. In this album I’ve used all air instruments, there’s a lot of piano, there’s baritone saxophone, strings, double bass, not many heavy sounds like guitars or keyboards. I wanted air instruments to be the main influence. AoTW: So we read that for this album Bjorn Yttling from Peter, Bjorn & John was the producer and helped you take a different direction? How did this come about and how did the collaboration work out for you? Sarah: Well I had heard a lot of his work and I thought that his sounds would suit my vision for this album so I wrote him a letter and with it sent him a demo of some of my work and then I just happened to be travelling in Europe and we arranged to meet up to discuss it all. It was kind of weird to work with him at the start as we were basically strangers to each other and it is hard when you don’t really know someone… but we played each other some music that we liked and musically we understood what we were doing and so it just worked. It was an exciting experience really because we were both coming from different places but we understood where we were both coming from and then in the end when things started coming together it was quite exhilarating. AoTW: You have toured overseas a bit and recorded parts of all three albums overseas, as well as supporting acts such as Ray LaMontagne in the US… how important is it to you to break into the overseas market? Sarah: Well it is pretty important to me. I want to continue to keep myself challenged and when you go overseas to the US or Europe you realise just how many people there are out there playing music in all these other countries, in other languages, other types of music and it is a challenge to think that you are amongst all this. You can get too comfortable in Australia, I like to get out and be challenged and keep myself inspired by seeing all that’s out there. AoTW: So what are the differences for you between recording overseas and recording in Australia? Sarah: When you are recording overseas you are not near any comforts, its all about recording, you are living in the recording world. You are surrounded by all these different ways of living, different types of food and nothing is comfortable. It’s good to get out of your comfort zone. AoTW: So do you have any items that you need to take with you when you record or any superstitions that you need to fulfil when recording? For example I read somewhere that some of the Metallica band members liked to only eat a special type of sandwich when they were in the studio. Do you have any quirks like that? Sarah: Umm… no, not really. All I took with me and all I needed were my notebooks and my guitars. That’s all I really needed from home. AoTW: So this will be your third time playing Splendour in the Grass – do you prefer this festival to other Australian festivals? Sarah: I love playing Splendour. It has a really good vibe to it, it’s not too big, there is lots of space and it’s in such a beautiful natural setting. You can’t really fault it. It’s very different to other Australian festivals, like Big Day Out – that is pretty insane, it’s almost scary insane. When I played Big Day Out in Sydney I would look out into the crowd sometimes and it was crazy. I was playing in the year when Bjork and Arcade Fire played so it was pretty amazing. AoTW: Do you go out and about into the crowd and watch other performers or do you like to just hang on the side of the stage to watch? I suppose it might get annoying standing in the crowd to watch if people start to recognise you? Sarah: Um yeah I like to do both. I like to stand around in the crowd depending on who the act is. If it’s a big act with loud performances its sometimes better to get into the crowd to experience it, but then it can get annoying if people start coming up to speak to you… its kinda like disrespectful to the performer if they are talking to you while someone is up there playing. I like standing on the side of the stage sometimes, like at Big Day Out I stood and watched Bjork and then my friend and I went over to chat to her after her performance. That was something I regret... I regret it because my friend gave her this big compliment about her performance and she just said “thanks”. It was a bit disappointing as I am such a huge fan of her music. AoTW: So you like Bjork’s music – what other artists are you impressed by? Did you get into music because of seeing some of these artists on TV or hearing them on the radio when you were younger? Sarah: Well I like the David’s – David Bowie and David Burn. When I was a child I listened to a lot of pop music… but it was more a love of singing that got me into it. It was just in me. It was something that I felt inside in my heart. It wasn’t really influences from other artists; it was more just something that I felt I needed to do. It was a real presence, this love of singing. AoTW: I read that you were bought up in a fairly religious family. Did Church music and hymns influence you when you were younger and have you held onto this spirituality as you’ve grown older? Sarah: Well I think some Church hymns are really beautiful songs. There is a real beauty and amazing expression to those songs. Some of those hymns are so powerful and so bold, but quite simple in their layout… I feel lucky to have grown up with some form of spirituality. I feel lucky to have been bought up thinking there is something bigger out there than us… but it is hard to shake a lot of the negative aspects of religion. I think sometimes religion is used to discourage people from living, from experiencing things and I think in this way there are some negatives because if I have kids I want them to experience life, to feel uninhibited and I think sometimes religion doesn’t allow for this. AoTW: In 2008 you took time out to compose the score for the Bell Shakespeare Company’s production of Hamlet - how did that impact or change you as an artist? Sarah: It was great. It was great to be able to work on someone else’s project. I could play a background role which was really refreshing. It was a nice change to work under someone else’s direction and not have to be the decision maker all the time. It was scary don’t get me wrong but it was a nice change. AoTW: So the question we always ask our interviewees here at AoTW is what is your album of the week? Sarah: Oh that’s a tough one… let me think, I have been listening a lot to Camera Obscura’s latest album, My Maudlin Career. They are a Scottish band. They have made about 4 records. This is a sad, heartbreaker album. Great songwriter with this Scottish accent, it sounds very 60s/70s. AoTW: Thanks very much for taking time out to talk to Album of the Week. We hope you feel better soon. Is it cold where you are? Sarah: Yeah I am in Sydney at the moment and it’s pretty chilly. Thanks. Have a good day.
Click here to download no turning back off Sarah's yet to be released album for free!
Sarah Blasko’s As Day Follows Night will be released via Dew Process/UMA on July 10. Sarah Blasko plays Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay on July 25 & 26.
[Dangerbird: 2009] Put your fingers in your ears if you are a Silversun Pickups fan before we say this sentence... In the past the Silversun Pickups have been criticized for ripping their texture and riffage from 90s rock outfits - particularly The Smashing Pumpkins.... and we agree that perhaps they've borrowed a lot from alternate 90s rock gods. HOWEVER Swoon is sure to silence the heretics as its well constructed guitar soundscape, instrumental interludes and thought-provoking lyrics come together to produce a remarkably distinct and damn good final product. Sprouting from the centre of LA’s Silver Lake indie rock scene (where they borrowed their name from a local convenience & liquor store) which has at various times been called home by Elliott Smith, the Eels, Jane’s Addiction, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Tom Waits - it is little wonder that the Silversun Pickups have found significant local and international recognition.
Swoon, recorded in their own studio called The Dark, is the Silversun Pickups second full-length album after building a dedicated fan base with their debut release, Carnavas. A well designed matching is Brian Aubert’s undeniably effeminate lead vocals with Nikki Monniger’s husky backup vocals about which even Aubert’s admits, “I know what we were doing when we wrote it, and I hear my voice, and I'm like, "Oy, who's that guy? He sounds like a chick."
'There's No Secrets This Year', 'Growing Old is Getting Old' and 'Panic Switch' are the high points of the album, featuring layered arrangements and epic guitar solos. 'There's No Secrets This Year' explores some complex thoughts on relationships with lyrics like, “let's make this perfectly clear, there's no secrets this year, lay your head down rest your feet, I'll blow you kisses while you sleep and when I know you’re safe and dreaming, my escape plan's in full swing. Who would know all the reasons you're a bore, because the seeds were planted firm right here, let the branches tear it all apart”.
'Catch and Release' impresses with a beautiful orchestral arrangement and the 'The Royal We' grabs your attention with stunning dynamics throughout the song.
At times it can be difficult to tell the songs apart as the sound seems to mesh into one solid form. One the whole, however, Silversun Pickups have done well to produce a solid album with a instantly recognisable sound - who doesn't love a little bit of 90s?
Albums are like our friends. We like to party with some and just chill out with others. We introduce some to our parents, and some we are ashamed to even be associated with. Some are beautiful and poetic, and some are short, scary and only good in small doses. Nevertheless, we love them all in their special way. Each week we feature an album that might make a good friend for you – someone you’ll want to hang out with or maybe be reacquainted with. So please read on.
[2009: Unsigned]
