Portland, I love you, and you'll never bring me down

Halloween is the weekend in Portland when all of the resident freaks get, well, freaky. It's an excuse to dress up, dance, have fun and go all out; and tonight there's a doozy of an event. Copy, Guidance Counselor and Pegasus Dream, will be throwing a Halloween party at the awesome new venue called The Waterheater. If you live in Portland, you shouldn't be anywhere other than here, if not, I'm sorry you're missing out on this. It's all ages, and there is a bar for those who are 21+. For everyone's enjoyment, I'm dishing out some tracks that only proves the talent and musicianship of these bands.

Open Up Nice and Wide For Hey Champ

Halloween is in two days. It's one of the best holidays to mix in awesome-as-hell costumes and great new drinks that you wanna try out and just ordered online for the occasion. Not to mention (if you play you're cards right) you can get lucky with a hot nurse, vampire or that girl at the party who just wore all her slutty clothes and calls herself posh spice. Whatever you're into, it tends to produce an extremely fun-filled experience when you toss the party in a basement/warehouse ready to take a beating. Well, those Mid-Western cool kids -- Hey Champ -- are here to help get you in the spirit with a big load of fun just for the occasion. Creep to the beat with this one and bust a move. Maybe Posh will take you in the bathroom and let you finger her with a snickers bar or something....Happy Halloween!!!!

Demon Semen by heychamp

+ Plus +

Inject these 14 minutes of dance fuel into your system if you haven't already.

Hey Champ - Cold Dust Girl (Gemini Club Remix)

Gemini Club - Ghost (Hey Champ Remix)

New Mayer Hawthorne prod. by Classixx(!)

Ah sheeit.

Is good.

Is real good.

The Classixx remix of Green Eyed Love was a wonderful take on Mayer Hawthorne's sound. Now I love his new soul sound or whatever it's been labeled (soulwave?). But let's face it, his voice sounds really god damn good over smooth Classixx beats.

So Mayer Hawthorne goes and releases a new song that is originally produced by Classixx. And it is GREAT. Although, maybe a bummer for people looking for that classic Hawthorne soul-sound.

Me though... oooh I'm giddy bout it.

Mayer Hawthorne - No Strings (produced by Classixx)

Mayer Hawthorne - Green Eyed Love (Classixx remix)

Now go on out there and seduce your Halloween date. That's meant in a non-rapey way.

Who Else is Stoked For Toro Y Moi/Nosaj Thing?

Nosaj Thing Visual Show Compilation Test Shoot from Adam Guzman on Vimeo.

I really can't wait to see these dudes at the Holocene on the 15th. Word on the street is their light shows were designed by Fair Enough, the duo that created the awesome lightstage setup for Holy Fuck. Nosaj Thing's visuals are simple but immersive, employing everything from basic shapes and colors to full on 3D spectral whirlwinds.

Toro Y Moi "109" from Gary Canino on Vimeo.

I don't know how I feel about Toro Y Moi's live setup yet, the drummer seems to be fairly talented but the bassist sounds like he could use some practice (at least in the videos that I saw). Chaz' old Ableton Live plus Microkorg rig was great because everything sounded like the originals with him playing the leads live, but I am still excited to hear his work in a live scenario too. Truth is, it takes a lot of work to transform your personal, sample infused songs into a live show with band, but the concept is growing in popularity, from lofi acts such as Bonobo to hard hitters like the Bloody Beetroots (links demonstrate live setups).

Nosaj Thing - Fog (Jamie xx remix)

Toro Y Moi - Leave Everywhere

Go buy the EP

Lykke Li is Back

My favorite Swede of all time Lykke Li is back with a vengeance. A super sexual vengeance. Her new single, Get Some, has the tiny nordic princess crooning and yelping over heartbeat drums as she tells you "I'm your prostitute, you gon get some." Fucking hot. Its as if "Dance Dance Dance" from Youth Novels has been away at an all girls boarding school for a year and is home, unsupervised, at her parent's place for the long weekend.

Get Some's B-Side, Paris Blue, is a forlorn track much akin to Time Flies and Melodies & Desires. The lyrics are seemingly an apology written to a man named Buddy Blue. With lyrics like "Buddy Blue, I miss you, I'm not good enough for you, Buddy Blue, I'm no good, I'm no good, I'm no good anymore." The two songs tell a story of Lykke Li gettin down on some other Swedish's meatballs and regretting it the next morning, trying to apologize to Buddy Blue, her boyfriend, ostensibly.

Show her some love and grab both of them through her official site. You can also read the full lyrics.

Here are a couple more of my favorite tracks of hers.

Melodies & Desires - Lykke Li
Until We Bleed - Kleerup ft Lykke Li
Knocked Up ((Kings of Leon Cover (Death To The Throne Remix)) - Lykke Li

And just because I feel like it, there are some pictures of Lykke Li being fine as hell below.

Daft Punk - Derezzed (teaser trailer)

Excited?

Dirty Gold

Here in Oregon it's time to put on our rain jackets and hunker down for a long drizzly winter. Gone are the days of tank tops and cutoffs, trips to Sauvie's Island and nights on Mt. Tabor. All is well though; I have brought respite from the gray in the form of Dirty Gold. A duo out of San Diego whose lazy sound and ambiguity begs a comparison to Beach House. They have only been around for a short while and seemed to be unsigned but with this caliber of talent I can't see that lasting long. Their Hidden Treasure EP drops in December and I expect it to make waves in the indie music community.


Download a couple songs off of their upcoming Hidden Treasure EP here:

California Sunrise - Dirty Gold
Overboard. - Dirty Gold

Also, check out this music video of California Sunrise by Panaframe

Dirty Gold - California Sunrise from Panaframe ▲ on Vimeo.

I LOVE DISCO

FutureFlashs, via the Kiez Beats record label, just sent along to us this love letter to disco, in the form of a mixtape.

FutureFlashs pres. I LOVE DISCO by FutureFlashs & KIEZ BEATS

TRACKLISTING

1. Louis La Roche - Missing You feat. Ad-Apt
2. Burns & Fred Falke - Y.S.L.M. (Treasure Fingers Remix)
3. Treasure Fingers - Lift Me
4. Burns - In My Eyes (His Majesty Andre Remix)
5. Voodoo Chilli - Check Out the Groove (Herve Club Edit)
6. Duck Sauce - Barbara Streisand
7. Cassius - 1999 (Tim Green Remix)
8. Rah Band - Clouds Across the Moon (Neuroxyde & Aki Bergen Remix)
9. Ivan Pica - Freak Out (Terrace Mix)
10. Boys Noize - Yeah
11. Data MC vs. Nhan & Taan - Too Young To Die (Radio Edit)
12. Cee-Lo - Fuck You (Le Castle Vania Remix)
13. James Talk, Ridney - Forever (Chris Lake Remix)
14. Aniki - Feel Good
15. Kool & The Gang - Be My Lady (Discorockets Remix)
16. Fake Blood - I Think I Like It
17. Toecutter - Best Party Ever (Jordan Light Year & Jimmy 2 Sox Remix)
18. GRUM - Can`t Shake This Feeling (Grum Club Mix)
19. Dizzee Rascal feat. Calvin Harris - Dance Wiv Me (Shazam Remix)
20. Treasure Fingers - Cross The Dancefloor (Lifelike Remix)
21. Daft Punk - Technologic (Lebatman Rework)
22. Hatiras - Your Love
23. Detboi - Rainbows (feat. Blisscotheque)
24. Flight Facilities - Crave You (Cassian Remix)
25. Chromeo - Don`t Turn The Lights On (Aeroplane Remix)
26. Yuksek - Extraball (Breakbot Remix)
27. Tensnake - Come Cat (Round Table Knights Remix)
28. Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work (Ted & Francis Remix)
29. Kavinsky - Nightcall (MMMatthias Remix)

I hate New york. 20102010.

New Yorkers get to have all the fun. Last night, everybody at the Phoenix concert in the Big Apple was treated to a surprise encore, just onna 'counta the date was 10.20.20.10.

DAFT PUNK AND PHOENIX TOGETHER IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. SHARING A SET.

they unveil themselves...with a goddamn Harder/better/faster/stronger + around the world + If i ever feel better megamashup


FUCK. This is too good. Shot from the rafters from the harder-better-faster-stronger remix to 1901.


Here's 1901 with a little crowdsurfing and a great group shot at the end.


The French date was 20.10.2010. Mon Dieu. Does this mean this is it? Can we finally expect a full Daft Punk tour in 2011? Will they have Phoenix continue to rock the fuck out with them on stage? Am I having a heart attack?

Clap Your Hands If You're Working Too Hard

The Ting Tings are back with a brand new single, Hands. Its off their mysterious new album which has yet to be named or slated for release.

The original is an energetic 80s style club siren song. The lyric's subject (a girl bein' fed up with workin' too hard...at her job and her man!) and singer Katie White's multiplied vocals make you imagine a full girl ensemble.

Low Sunday has released a more disco'd up remix with an awesome buildup, expect to start whistling the melody constantly. Passion Pit plays out of character (unless you've been paying attention...) and drags the song down in the dirty grime with a heavy bass-filled dub version. They're all great remixes that make you eager for the album's release.


The Ting Tings - Hands
The Ting Tings - Hands (Low Sunday Remix)
The Ting Tings - Hands (Passion Pit Remix)

Bonus: producer/rapper El P remixed Justin Bieber's Baby with various inappropriate elements. Sounds pretty much like a Girl Talk track, but I now can't avoid making a certain comparison: The Beatles sang about nothing but love and girls and holding hands for years before becoming some of the most respected and talented musical icons of this or any other generation. Bob Dylan smoked them out and they switched their game up. Could this be in the cards for Monsieur Biebs? Probably not.


Justin Bieber - Baby (El P Remix)

Are Kaleidoscopic Buildings the New Laser Light Show?

I have never seen a light show organized on such a grand scale. If Target sponsored something like this in Portland I would dance in a window for free.

Kaleidoscopic Fashion Spectacular from Standard Hotels on Vimeo.

Bonus hot tracks:
Alexander - Truth by NOTTT BAD

Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes has ventured on a new solo project simply titled 'Alexander.' The new track 'Truth' shares the distinctive Edward Sharpe whistle, but this time it sounds more like tumbleweeds rolling past a desert duel at dawn. The laid back, mixed percussion accents Ebert's languid vocals perfectly, creating a very natural, effortless sound.

Thuggish Ruggish (Dance Remix) (Bone Thugs vs Three 6 Mafia vs DFA) by DJ Twixx

This is an older mashup but it bangs. DFA+Rap just works for some reason.

After School Special I.E. Nostalgia Mixtape

Hey guys,

There's this fun mixtape. It's made by A-1. It includes samplings of Price is Right, Pokemon, Power Rangers, Reading Rainbow, and others. And he put it up for free.

Give it a whirl. The Golden Girls song is just brilliant sampling. And everyone enjoys Reading Rainbow.

Kudos to Aaron for pointing out this gem to me.

Download it HERE, or check out a few of em first here at yer good ole VC.

A-1: Golden Girls
A-1: Reading Rainbow
A-1: Charizard

MUSIC VIDEO: "1987" - Star Slinger

Zef-ness aside, this will be the best video you watch today.


Star Slinger - 1987 from Hemi Behmoaras on Vimeo.

Die Antwoord 10-14-2010

Die Antwoord last Thursday was honestly the best hip hop show I've been to. Ninja and Yo-Landi brought an unprecedented level of energy to the Crystal Ballroom. Ninja was leaping into the crowd, and although he missed a couple cues and started rapping at the wrong time, he was having a better time performing than a lot of other musicians I've seen recently. Yo-Landi won the heart of every man, woman and child with her pidgin english and half-shirt. The only critique was the show's duration -- about an hour, over by 11:30 and no encore. If they're rolling through your town, do not miss them!

See about half of the concert below!

Empire of the Sun RAC Remix

Another RAC-ATTACK! The guys at RAC just accumulated 400,000 plays on Soundcloud alone. This time they deal their digital delights on Empire of the Sun's Walking on a Dream. Imagine Nick Littlemore and Luke Steele as 8 year olds, riding bikes in the sun-soaked Australian jungles. But instead of bike wheels, they have humming birds.
  Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream (RAC Mix) by Remix Artist Collective

Also, and I know this is more than two months late, but here's a video I took of Empire of the Sun's set at Lollapalooza 2010. Excuse the shakiness and lack of focus in the footage. You know, drugs and whatnot.

James Blake

If you haven't seen it already, 22-year old producer James Blake has a new video up on the web of his Feist cover "Limit To Your Love." Whether you enjoy his music or not, it is hard to believe that someone this young can make music so detailed and complex. He has been absorbing musical knowledge from years of piano lessons and from studying contemporary music at Blur's alma mater Goldsmith College, leading him to subtly rise faster than you can say Intelligent Dance Music. Watch his new video below.

James Blake - Limit To Your Love from James Blake on Vimeo.

To further try and convince you that he has sky high potential, here is his track "Footnotes" from his CMYK ep. This track is one of the most original electronic songs I've heard in a while. He has a very unique skill of creating empty space in his songs that work magically. This tune sounds like a melancholy love song sung by an android programmed with some deep human emotions. Didn't know indie darlings could be boys! Enjoy

  James Blake - Footnotes by subraw

James Blake - Footnotes
James Blake - CMYK

Osborne remixes Hot Chip

Hot Chip released a remix EP earlier this year that had four songs off One Life Stand remixed by various artists. Although it was exciting to hear some official Hot Chip remixes, most of them just passed off as decent (for me, at least). BUT Osborne's take on Take It In is anything but. It's a down-tempo remix that has a solid bass line and piano driving the whole song with the occasional synth echoing in the background. Osborne does a beautiful job steering away from the normal electronic sound that Hot Chip does so well.

Hot Chip - Take It In (Osborne Remix)

A little BONUS to get you through the week. It's an old remix but who doesn't love Fred Falke!

Hot Chip - Colours (Fred Falke Remix)

Collaborations on Tapes

If there was one defining trend that has come to characterize the music of this past summer, it is the rising prominence of DIY artists that have come to be lazily labeled as "chillwave." For every Neon Indian or Washed Out that hit it big, there are dozens of other equally talented producers that remain relatively undiscovered, who are unfairly bunched into this 'genre' of music. The reality of it is that they share as much in common with each other as Washed Out and Neon Indian do, which is to say, absolutely nothing; excepting the fact that they were discovered via internet, and that there is a 'home-studio' quality to their first discovered tracks. This makes it all the more exciting when the internet enables these unique and differing artists to collaborate with one another, whether they've ever actually met in person or not. In an effort to capture this excitement, Dead As Digital, Stadiums and Shines, and The Road Goes Even On, have assembled some of the finest of these musicians and released a cassette that features collaborations between these artists, which can be bought at weget.by (tip: There's only one cassette left.) Hit the jump for some choice tracks from this tape.

El Ten Eleven touches down tonight.

Let me tell you a little bit about a band that's playing tonight at Mississippi Studios. El Ten Eleven is named after a big ass plane and they know how to fucking play. Today's post-rock genre is mostly ignored, with a large contingent of its inhabitants learning how to dance and getting into electro (ahem) but there are still some serious winners that are cropping up. Among them are El Ten Eleven, a band that has three albums already under their belt and are touring for the fourth, of which you can only buy at their shows until they officially release it on November 9th.

a WHOLE LOT MORE after the break

Diplo + Lunice + Deerhunter

Despite Diplo's recent Blackberry TV shenanigan he is still one of my top three favorite producers of all time. I have to find a way to move on and continue to respect him in the post-sellout era that is now (seriously what the f*** Diplo did you need money? Do you actually love blackberry that much?). Anyway this remix is terrific and if you haven't heard it yet you absolutely need to.

Deerhunter - Helicopter (Diplo and Lunice Remix)

Bonus: Dogs

Die Antwoord Evil Boy Music Video

Alright zeflings, check out this fokken new video from DIE ANTWOORD. The song is Evil Boy (one of Ninja's many tattoos) and its got it all: rat people, dick cults, Diplo with a mustache, Yo-Landi as a rat queen (she has 23 of them!) and titties with no nips and Yo-Landi's own with eyeballs! I'd love to trade places with Diplo. This is far and away Yo-Landi's best lyrics to date. See you julle naaiers at the Crystal Ballroom on October 14! Be sure to full screen this.



bla bla yeah the vids from pitchfork

Disco House Extravaganza

This is one of the best new french/disco house compilations I have ever listened to. Not only that, but once you are through having your mind blown by these tracks you can download them all for free!
Shiny Disco Club - "Millenium Disco" (SDCR 001) by Shiny Disco Club

I noticed that there is only one Go Go Bizkitt! song in this mix and it is not his best, so I'm going to link you to more of his (again, free) french house remixes.

Donna Summer-Spring Affair (Go Go Bizkitt! Remix) by Go Go Bizkitt!

I was just waiting for somebody to turn "I Look to You" by Miami Horror song into a dancefloor slammer for my next set, and finally Biz' has followed through. Bangin!

  Miami Horror - I look to you (Go Go Bizkitt! Remix) by Go Go Bizkitt!

Darwin DEEZ

Come explore the cosmos with Darwin Deez and Lucky Number Music in this mystical adventure of a music video. From the same people who brought you Sebastien Tellier and his fine ASS Video comes another creative installation in what is a growing trend, the indie music video. Hope to see more from these guys. BTW, how do I get my hair to do that?