Friday Five: 1st 1/4 2010 Highlights!

You guys, it's already April! That means that a quarter of the year has passed us by. Fortunately for the keen music fan, there has been lots of great new stuff to soak in through our ears. We've already had great new releases by Hot Chip, Owen Pallett (formerly Final Fantasy), Vampire Weekend, Spoon and MGMT (oh what? it's not out till next week...LEAK ALERT). Plus I've stumbled upon new interests, like Das Racist whose reference-laden rap makes me smile. Their mixtape/album is well worth the free download.

And there is so much more too look forward to in the coming months: LCD Soundsystem are releasing LP3, 'This is Happening', on May 18 in North America and Wolf Parade are dropping their next one, 'Expo '86', in June or July (fingers crossed for June). Broken Social Scene have new record, 'Forgiveness Rock Record', coming out May 4 which I'm sure will be another epic based on these tracks. Not to mention every morning I check the interwebs hoping for some piece of information about highly anticipated LP3 by Arcade Fire - tipped to appear later in the summer.

Enough talking, these songs are all objectively great.

LISTEN / TELL YOUR FRIENDS:

LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls

MGMT - Flash Delerium

Hot Chip - I Feel Better

Owen Pallett - Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (Dan Deacon Remix)

Das Racist - You Oughta Know

Spoon - I Saw the Light

Grizzly Bear Covers Hot Chip

I'm a fan of Grizzly Bear. I'm also a fan of Hot Chip. So naturally I was smitten when Grizzly Bear played a set on Triple J yesterday covering...wait for it...Hot Chip. Have a listen to an acoustic version of 'While you wait for the others', as well as their rendition of the always great track 'Boy From School'. Head on over here to download the session.

May Mix

Here's a few of our favorite tracks of late, strung together in a shoddy mix. What it lacks in fluidity it makes up for in substance, and riboflavin. Tracklist below.

Walter Meego - Forever
Ratatat - Shempi
Cut Copy - Hearts on Fire (Midnight Juggernauts Remix)
Ninjasonik - Tight Pants
Hot Chip - Hold On
Bloc Party - Flux (JFK Remix)

- BA

Join the Club

Slow Club may be just one of the many talented bands on London independent label Moshi Moshi Records, but they happen to be my favourite at the moment. The duo from Sheffield is among good company; the label boasts a list of accomplished internationals including The Mae-Shi, Lykke Li, Tilly and the Wall, Architecture in Helsinki and Mates of State as well as sterling British acts like Hot Chip, The Wave Pictures, Late of the Pier, The Rakes and Kate Nash.

Music Week's description of the band's sound as "sacharine folk-pop that turns your usually miserable scribe into a radiant ray of positivity" is accurate, as are comparisons to Tilly and the Wall. Slow Club's second single Me and You was released back in October and their debut album will likely be available early this summer. Catch them at the Camden Crawl in April with an entourage of their Moshi Moshi labelmates.

Slow Club - Me and You

- a.m.p.m.

Hot Chip, Hot Ballad

Although the general consensus is that Hot Chip's new release Made in the Dark is stellar, some folks aren't feeling the ballads. Admittedly, I prefer the more upbeat portions of the album myself, but title track 'Made in the Dark' is so sweet it can't be ignored.

To counteract the sappy selection above, check out Hot Chip's excellent cover of Caribou's 'She's the One' found on the 12" single.

Hot Chip's current UK tour culminates with a performance at London's Brixton Academy on February 29th. And yes, it's sold out. Canadians can catch them in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver April 15th, 16th and 21st respectively.

Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
Caribou - She's the One (Hot Chip cover)

- a.m.p.m.

Hot Chip, Hot Single

There is much that can be said about this five-piece from London. Headed by 8-bit star Alexis Taylor and certified beat muncher Joe Goddard, Hot Chip has eased their way onto dance floors around the globe. And when I say "eased their way" I really mean it; Hot Chip does not have the super fast dance sound that seems to be popular these days, but they take it easy. The first few lyrics of their 2006 smash hit Over and Over start with Alexis muttering "Laid Back / Laid Back / I'll give you laid back". Early in 2008 they are releasing a new disc entitled Made in the Dark to follow their well received The Warning (coming in fourth on NME's best of 06) and it seems like they're taking it even easier. The first single entitled Ready for the Floor is very laid back and plays into the dualities that Hot Chip have expressed over their 2 disc career.

My chips are melting already.

[MP3] Ready for the Floor - Hot Chip

[MP3] Shake A Fist - Hot Chip

[MP3] Kids with Guns (Hot Chip Remix) - Gorillaz


[VIDEO] Ready for the Floor - Hot Chip


Cheers,
MF Blaz

Night Vision

There's been a pretty good amount of Hot Chip buzz floating around lately, what with their new disc, Made in the Dark, due out in the winter months. The DFA-release's first single, 'Ready for the Floor', has taken a couple days to grow on me, but now I can't shake it. I have only started to look back at what my favourite tracks, albums and films I loved this past year, but already I can tell that this is going on either this year's list or 2008's. Apparently some people haven't been digging it, but I say it's Hot Chip at their catchy dance pop best. Give it a try. As a bonus, below is another track by said band from a recent limited EP. It's some pretty sweaty electro-funk. Enjoy.

Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor (from forthcoming Made in the Dark LP)

Hot Chip - So Deep (from Normal limited EP)

- AW.

"Let's see if these bastards can do 90"

As a little treat after the Thanksgiving weekend, for all you Canadian readers at least, we here at BTA thought we'd give you a little preview of one of our projects currently in the works to help you through the rest of the work week. So here's the beginning to BTA's Back to the Future: The Mixtape. Or BTA's: BTTF for short. Confusing, I know. We're playing on the whole back in time thing here by throwing back to good ol' Dre with some of our newer favorite tunes. You're dazzled, I know. So have a listen, enjoy, and let us know if you would like to see more exclusive BTA projects in the future. BTTF: The Mixtape, will be available in it's entirety in the near future. Why haven't they made BTTF IV yet? And for that matter, where's my hoverboard, Mattel? Don't think you're off the hook either Nike, you've got some serious explaining to do as to why I don't own those shoes yet.

- Matty B.

BTTF: The Mixtape - Forgot About School (Dre/Hot Chip)

Boyz in the Hood

Bridging the Atlantic favourites The Hood Internet released their first mixtape album yesterday as a free download and it's a doozy. Fans of mashups will find plenty here to satisfy; the Timbaland/Hot Chip fusion 'Give It To My Boy From School' is particularly awesome. Do yourself a favour and grab it now - the price is right.

The Hood Internet - The Mixtape Volume One

-Andrew M

Remix Sunday

Another great 2006 release, Hot Chip's The Warning made its way into more than a few 'best of' lists last year, and with good reason. On an album of consistently strong tracks, 'And I Was A Boy From School' was a standout; more of an alternate version than a remix, the gentle organic instrumentation of the acoustic version allows the (excellent) lyrics to be more easily heard and appreciated.

Hot Chip - And I Was A Boy From School
Hot Chip - And I Was A Boy From School (Acoustic Version)

-Andrew M

Capture the Flag

Boston by way of Brooklyn's Nurse and Soldier make music after putting in the nine to five at their respective day jobs. With a little more exposure, who knows, maybe they'd need to find part time work to supplement being a full time band. Regardless if their fortune changes, I'm glad I stumbled upon their work. "Green Tea" is a sparse track with few discernible lyrics. Whatever is being said stays relatively incomprehensible, as its buried deep beneath the slow-cycling lounge instrumentation. The band sounds completely different on "Capture the Flag," as the two vocalists harmonize over the sound of pulsating bleeps and drenched guitars.

Nurse and Soldier - Green Tea
Nurse and Soldier - Capture the Flag

Another newly discovered act for this side of Atlantic (Andrew M may have heard more buzz across the pond) is France's Joakim, whose sound is tricky to dismiss into just one existing genre. New single "Lonely Hearts" has been described around the web as house, indie, electronica and numerous other things that don't really give any clear indication of what to expect. My first inclination was to draw comparisons to Hot Chip and a late 80's style of monotonous vocal pitch...listen and judge for yourself. His label Versatile Records cites him as "a major figure of French modern electronic music" who is both "multi talented and well-cultivated." His sound is certainly refined and meticulously shaped, making the latter description most appropriate.

Joakim - Lonely Hearts

The Exclaim! Spring Fling tour rolls through Ottawa tonight and Bridging the Atlantic will be attending in full force...we'll be sure to post a review with photos of Chromeo's fancy footwork and clear guitars...

- Brad

Ankle Injuries

Maybe the reason why the new album is entitled Transparent Things is because after one listen, I immediately discerned that Fujiya & Miyagi listened to quite a bit of Hot Chip, Junior Boys, and other popular-of-late chilled contemporaries while jamming out ideas for this newest full-length. If they didn't, well, it sounds great anyhow.

Most songs on this understated release carry subdued and often whispered vocals, which, aligned with funky, rhythmic bass lines, have led me to make the above comparisons. This being said, the majority of the album's tracks are minimal compared to the amount of layers and instruments incorporated by their peers, a trait best exemplified on leading track "Ankle Injuries" and "Conductor 71." On the other hand, the aforementioned funk does eventually surface in the second half, most easily identified on "In One Ear & Out The Other." Hopefully the irony is purposeful as the groove tends to stick in your head. There is a similarly clear intent in all of the album's instrumentation and knob-twiddling, leaving listeners with a carefully constructed effort that should be considered among the best of its kind thus far in '07.

Fujiya & Miyagi - Ankle Injuries
Fujiya & Miyagi - Conductor 71

Speaking of Hot Chip:
Amy Winehouse - Rehab (Hot Chip Remix)

- Brad