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Sly Hats - Vampire Sips (muslces remix).


This song needs to be ten minutes longer. Then it would be perfect. Right now it has everything: a gorgeous melody sung just barely out of their range, dreamy female harmony vocals, and the least-cheesey cheesey house synths I've heard in years. At two minutes and 20 seconds though, it's a lesson in tension and frustration. But those seems to be the colors most often dipped into from Muscles' pallette. He loves to keep things short, leave us wanting more. There's something to be said for missing pieces.

With each new jam he unleashes we learn a little bit more. This is the second remix of his I've heard (the first was a rejected remix of Architecture in Helsinki that is absolutely ridiculous), and already we can see his focus. This is also the first time I've heard a Muscles jam that didn't have "HOOOOOOOOO...AHHHHHHHHHH" in it, which is oddly disappointing. Still - it's not his song. It's a Sly Hats song.

Who are Sly Hats? Well, it's really this guy Geoff and some friends from Australia. Sly Hats do that layered beach boys thing without being too cliche. Rumor has it that they're currently recording a cover of Muscle's "Ice Cream" for his first 12" on Modular. Perfect. I'm excited.

At any rate, I have no idea what release this is available on. I do know that Sly Hats' album is quite good, and I know that Muscles' current 12" is revelatory. So, do yourself a favor and pick them up.

You'll have to wait 'til tomorrow for the full "Icky" clip, but here are some advance shots from the vid shoot. Looks like Jack and Meg left the Pearly King and Queen attire with the album cover, instead taking some fashion cues from Marilyn's optometrist and a set scene out of Desperado.

More after the jump...

Tyskerhar have a new track out called “Workout” that’s sure to fuel a few Tae Bo inspired sessions. “Workout” kinda has that retro-90’s vibe to it… I almost expect someone to shout Mortal Kombat in the background — but seriously that’s why I love it. For fans of MIA and Uffie; watch out cause Tyskerhar brings it harder.

Tyskerhar - “Workout” (mp3)

If you’re new to Tyskerhar then make sure to check out Stephen Boyer’s BIGSTEREO interview from a couple months back with the Chinese-German duo.

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In addition to that photo liveblogger, there were oh a couple of hundred more folks documenting each note and bit of awkward banter at the Smashing Pumpkins show at the Grand Rex in Paris last night. YouTube is swimming with clips, but this one of Zeitgeist track "For God And Country" has got the best quality we've heard yet; also, what the fuck is Billy talking about? (Thanks for the heads up, Yiyo.)

More clips from the show here.

This is news-y not only 'cause it's yet another posthumous appropriation of Kurt's likeness for corporate ends, but also 'cause Courtney had nothing to do with it. Shocking, yes. Reader Joe delivers the news about Doc Martens UK campaign to promote the durability and rocker appeal of their boots (see they even survive transubstantiation!). Here's what a Doc Martens writer had to say (via Ultimate Guitar):

We wanted to communicate that Dr. Martens boots are ‘made to last,’ and we discovered that these idolized musicians wore them. Showing them still wearing their Docs in heaven dramatized the boots’ durability perfectly. And, as images, they feel very iconic.

Yes, images plural. Also in the mix are heavenly images of Joey Ramone, Sid Vicious, and Joe Strummer. Take the jump for the snaps.

UPDATE: We've added the "DR. MARTENS REGRETS THE USE OF UNAUTHORISED IMAGES" press release too.

After a delivery from The Office's Mackenzie Crook, a few strums of Macca's magic mando summons the ghost of Portman past, which is quite the parlor trick. A relatively tame Michel Gondry lends his charms to the first vid from Macca's Memory Almost Full, with apparitions jumping on beds, twirling to the tune's carefree stomp, and playing 2-D volleyball off the library wall. But seeing Paul smile his way through the clip closing ghost-rave is best of all.

Van Kaye & Ignit was a minimal wave trio circa 1980 in Holland. Van Kaye previously had performed in the Monomen in 1977 but began working with the new instruments that were invading the scene around the time called ’synthesizers’. He was joined by Ignit Van Kasteren they recorded their debut ‘A Slight Delay’ which was released on cassette on their own label ‘Ding Dong Discs’. Later they were joined by another ex- Monomen member, Wizzkopf.

The style on ‘Echoes in New York’ is a style many bands today try to emulate.

Van Kaye & Ignit - “Echoes in New York” (mp3)

Van Kaye & Ignit - “Picassos On The Wall” (mp3)

As far as I can tell they made music together up until 1984. No clue where they are now. If you know, let us know in the comments.

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[EDITOR'S NOTE: Normally we don't post unsolicited pieces, but when reader Jason Newman sent us his take on the new Amazon "Go Indie" project, we thought it was pretty funny, and worth passing along. Enjoy! Take it away, Jason...]

Amazon recently partnered with 30 record labels to release 700 albums, 150 of which will be sold for $9.99. As Universal Music Group will tell you between tears, lowering the price of a CD doesn't necessarily mean higher sales, but it's still a smart move on Amazon's part to expose certain albums to people who liked "that weird music on the Garden State soundtrack."

But wait!

Digging a little deeper, something didn't sit well. You have your Shins, your Pavements, and your Interpols, sure. But the list contains some unusual choices as to what constitutes "indie" these days.

Jimmy Tamborello's the only one man enough to show his face in the vid for "The Distance"; contributors Arthur & Yu phone it in with people-operated puppet likenesses, leaving bellboy Jimmy to carry the bags, serve the chicken, and craft most of the track's beachfront soundscape. Hardly Art? More like hardly working. Poor Dntel.

UPDATE: Guess it's not Jimmy! Which makes him just as lazy as Arthur & Yu.

For those craving a taste of reconstituted Pumpkins, reader Seth points us to the Grand Rex SP Blog, a site set up for one purpose only: to live photoblog the Smashing Pumpkins' first reunion show, tonight at the Grand Rex in gay Paris. Here's a sample snap of our proud countrymen in action...

Of course, it's a not-liveblog for us in the States, as this show is over by now. According to an anonymous commenter on Grand Rex SP Blog, "The curtain lifted and the lights blew open and the riff of ZERO came on... the crowd went nuts.... it was pitch black and then a burst of light." So that's as good as fact! Actually, we wouldn't recommend trolling those comment boards, they rapidly degenerate into absurd setlists (e.g. "'My Heart Will Go On' [duet with Celine Dion]") and recipes for Spicy Pumpkin Pound Cake (though it does sound delicious).

That said, there's a version of the setlist all the absurdists are using as a base, so we're giving that a 60% chance of legitimacy and have posted it after the jump (along with an awesome GRSB shot of the Zeitgeist-themed artwork on the Grand Rex).