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Speakerine - Keep On

Sometimes when I'm sifting through my inbox and friend requests on Myspace, I feel like I shouldn't even bother. Just ignore the messages, deny everyone, and be done with it. Then other times, like earlier this week, I feel like a prospector suddenly finding a shiny gold nugget - eureka!

Speakerine is one of those finds: another young guy (19!) from Paris Besançon (ed: pardon) who is on the up and up, in and out of school, but whose first love is really music. He is unsigned, has nothing out on any labels, but he is working on a remix of Principles of Geometry (who I posted way back when), for Joakim's label Tigersushi.

Speakerine seems to be crafting beats that land somewhere between the new hard synth-house stylings of the Ed Banger/Kitsuné/Institubes triumvirate, and the hip-hop beats of Wax Tailor or DJ Cam. Actually, going by that formula (adding, subtracting, a little multiplication, then carrying the 7), that means he should sound like Mr. Oizo fighting Jackson and His Computer Band. Which he kind of does actually, especially on the track "Royalties".

Speakerine is also half of Arboresence, a more synthy ambient-sounding outfit, with his brother, and he also works with a young rapper from Paris Lille, who calls himself Hermann Derkman, who spits over a couple of the tracks on Speakerine's page, and sounds good too.

I recommend you check all of these guys out, because you never know when you'll find gold. Happy Friday!

"We are the mighty Police and we are totally at sea." Just took two days for Stewart to have his first tantrum, which, hey, is two days longer than a lot of us thought it'd be! From what we saw of the "dress rehearsal," things seemed to be going fairly well -- but Reuters reports that Copeland has branded the second official show of the tour, in Vancouver, a "DISASTER GIG!" Don't worry though, he's not blaming Andy and the "petulant pansy" Sting. Not entirely, anyway. He even laughs it off! Stew posted this to stewartcopeland.net:

“Whenever you’re ready Mr. Copeland” says Charlie, the production manager, as two crew members hold aside the giant gong, creating just enough space for me to slither onto my percussion stage, which is still down in its pit. I leap on board but my foot catches something and I sprawl into the arena in a jumble as the little stage starts to rise into view. Never mind. The audience is screaming with anticipation as I collect myself in the dark and start to warm, up the gong with a few gentle taps. But I’m overdoing it. It’s resonating and reaching it’s crescendo before the stage has fully reached its position. Sort of like a premature ejaculation. There’s nothing for it so I take a big swing for the big hit. Problem is, I’m just fractionally too far away and the beater misses the sweet spot and the big pompous opening to the show is a damp squib. Never mind.

I generally try to avoid posting something about a band that other blogs have featured, but sometimes something is so good that you can't help it. Case in point are the internet favorites White Rabbits, who have a brand-new record, Fort Nightly to celebrate.

White Rabbits - While We Go Dancing.

It's a good record, too. Remember when Hot Hot Heat's Make Up The Breakdown was something of an epiphany, marrying Joe Jackson vocals with new wave pop? Then they went corporate and the formula was shot to hell, but I'd like to think White Rabbits are pulling off what Hot Hot Heat could have if they hadn't suddenly sucked. Not that this Brooklyn-based quartet sextet isn't original, it's just that they aim for that part of your consciousness that already holds important music information. They find the fun section of your consciousness, and don't let go.

White Rabbits play tomorrow night at the Bowery Ballroom, so you New Yorkers should check them out. And you all should order Fort Nightly and be happy.