A TigerInfadels - Love Like Semtex (Fear of Tigers remix)(Mediafire)
And this ones from Anoraak who I've never heard of before. They sound a little like The Teenagers but maybe that's because they're both French. Listen to this whilst driving at night down an empty motorway if that can be arranged.
Anoraak - Nightdrive With You (Fear of Tigers remix)(Mediafire)
www.myspace.com/fearoftigers
www.myspace.com/infadels
www.myspace.com/anoraak
Here's another "Tea Friendly" for you. Some quieter tracks to fill the more reflective moments of your day =) Turns out they're all covers today. I've got a new one and a couple of oldies and they're all great examples of what covers should do.
Vampire Weekend - Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac cover)(Mediafire)
Petra Haden - Yellow (Coldplay cover)(Mediafire)
Ben Lee - Float On (Modest Mouse cover)(Mediafire)
www.myspace.com/vampireweekend
www.myspace.com/petrahaden
www.myspace.com/benlee
Buy Vampire Weekend @Amazon
Buy Petra Haden @Amazon
Buy Ben Lee @Amazon
Robots in DisguiseGod knows why I didn't switch on to these guys when I heard thier Disco Sirens remix a while ago. Billion Dollar DJs are lining up dancefloor tracks for us and here are just a couple that blew me away. Crack this one out at your next house party and be prepared for heavy smoke machine congestion:
Robots In Disguise - The Tears (Billion Dollar DJs Funk Panic remix)(Mediafire)
Miss Odd Kidd - Smoke Machine (Billion Dollar DJs remix)(Mediafire)
www.myspace.com/billiondollardjs
www.myspace.com/robotsindisguise
www.myspace.com/missoddkidd
The Faint have had more than their fair share of blog time recently but the possibility that I might get to see them on my upcoming Berlin trip has excited me enough not to care and tell you about them all over again anyway.
Its all borderline dancefloor stuff, slightly distorted vocals and upbeat tomfoolery. Seriously, there's sweet basslines jumping out of windows in these tracks. Tune in below for some catchy hooks and licks (what's a lick? I don't know. Sounds impressive though).
The Faint - The Geeks Were Right
The Faint - Paranoia Attack
www.myspace.com/thefaint
Buy The Faint @Amazon
Earlier today, in a moment of desperation, I combined jacket potato and strawberry jam as part of a mid-afternoon snack. Needless to say I left the kitchen unsatisfied and actually fairly angry.
So! How glad I was to listen to Lykke Li who very much calmed me down. Her voice is very...soft.
And she's the very epitome of cool, taking over the blogosphere in the last week or so and appearing on Urban Outfitter's playlist and I'm quite sure there's is nothing cooler than that. Except for this.
Here's a couple of her tracks to preview and a couple of remixes to download.
Preview Lykke Li - "Little Bit":
Preview Lykke Li - "I'm Good, I'm Gone":
Lykke Li - Little Bit (CSS remix)(Mediafire)
Lykke Li - I'm Good, I'm Gone (Black Kids remix)(Mediafire)
Lykke Li - I'm Good, I'm Gone (Metronomy remix)(Mediafire)
And, as a special present, for those who made it to the bottom of the post, this one's on the house from Lykke Li (see Secret Chapter)
Lykke Li - Tonight (Mediafire)
www.myspace.com/lykkeli
Buy Lykke Li @Amazon
Hi all, sorry about the lack of posts the last few days, I've been down in London at the Notting Hill Carnival which was pretty fun. I haven't got my photo's developed yet but this chaps are quite good if you fancy a ganders.
Guess I've got a lot of catching up to do! Good news is I have a few interviews in the pipeline which is really exciting. I'll keep it a surprise who they are because its just so much more thrilling if I do that (one band is actually famous you might say!).
But back to the music. Today's chaps are Australian electro-band PNAU and their side-project Empire of the Sun (a collaboration between Nick Littlemore from PNAU and Luke Steele from The Sleepy Jackson)
Here's a PNAU track "With You Forever" remixed by Fear of Tigers.
Preview and download:
PNAU - With You Forever (Fear of Tigers remix)(Mediafire)
And here's Empire of the Sun's first effort, "Walking on a Dream"
Preview:
And a remix of "Walking on a Dream" from Sam La More:
Preview and download:
Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream (Sam La More remix)(Mediafire)
www.myspace.com/pnaupnau
www.myspace.com/fearoftigers
www.myspace.com/empireofthesunsound
www.myspace.com/samlamore
Buy PNAU@Amazon
Aaaalright. So Cassette Culture is getting quite old now (ahem...2 weeks) and I've noticed there isn't a single mash-up on the site!! Now that's fairly rubbish given I was listening to loads of them at the time I started all this.
To solve this problem, I think it's only right that I introduce you to Immuzikation, a DJ/Producer based in Athens who was shipping out excellent mash-ups on an almost daily basis about a month ago. He's done some stunning work, particularly on the track "Fish Tacos" in which he seamlessly blends together 5 different artists and the Reading Rainbow Theme. It's genius! Everytime I hear Coldplay's Viva La Vida these days (which is pretty much everyday if Radio One/Two are the stations of choice in your kitchen) I can't help but feel its lacking something special after hearing this track.
Preview "Fish Tacos":
Download free:
Coldplay v Weezer v Cut Copy v The Blow v MIA V Reading Rainbow Theme - Fish Tacos (Immuzikation Extra Tartar blend) (Mediafire)
Here's a couple more Immuzikation mash-up crackers:
Preview "LES DANCE":
Download free:
Santogold v Justice - LES DANCE (Immuzikation Black Not blend)(Mediafire)
Preview "Jeumie":
Download free:
Yelle v Weezer - Jeumie (Immuzikation mash-up)(Mediafire)
AND, he's recently popped up this little jem on his myspace; a remix of MGMT's Electric Feel.
Preview "Electric Feel (Immuzikation remix)"
Download free:
MGMT - Electric Feel (Immuzikation remix)(Mediafire)
www.myspace.com/immuzikation
I posted recently about Bloc Party's rather tame new single "Mercury" that had been nicely jazzed up in a remix by Telemitry. Bundled with the single came a few official remixes from CSS, Herve and Flosstrodamus. I thought I'd give you a taster anyway so here's CSS's take on Mercury:
Preview "Mercury (CSS remix)":
And while were all here...this is just amazing:
Preview "Helicopter (Weird Science remix feat. Peaches)":
Download free:
Bloc Party - Helicopter (Weird Science remix feat. Peaches)
www.myspace.com/canseidesersexy
www.myspace.com/weirdscienceproduction
www.myspace.com/blocparty
Buy@Amazon
This has nothing to do with tea really but I felt I needed a title for this new series of regular features and, well, I'm doing pretty rubbish at thinking well at the moment. So "Tea Friendly" is going to be the place I post about less-upbeat music, mainly acoustic stuff...basically stuff that won't make you spill your tea.
Today, I thought I'd delve into the archives and whip out a couple of cheeky covers for you to accompany a more recent track from Ben Folds & Regina Spektor. Enjoy.
Preview "You Don't Know Me":
Preview "Lover I Don't Have to Love":
Preview "Pioneers":
Free download:
Ben Folds - You Don't Know Me (feat. Regina Spektor) (Mediafire)
Bettie Serveert - Lover I Don't Have To Love (Bright Eyes cover) (Mediafire)
Mystery Jets - Pioneers (Bloc Party cover) (Mediafire)
www.myspace.com/benfolds
www.myspace.com/reginaspektor
www.myspace.com/bettieserveert
www.myspace.com/brighteyes
www.myspace.com/mysteryjets
www.myspace.com/blocparty
Here's a great track for you I've been listening to recently. Its not new or anything, just something I think you should be aware of, especially if you're called Ben.
Preview "No Sex For Ben":
Oh found this too - Alex Metric remix of "The Devil" (give it a minute to get going!)
Preview "The Devil (Alex Metric remix)":
Download free:
The Rapture - The Devil (Alex Metric remix)(Mediashare)
www.myspace.com/therapture
Buy@Amazon
#22.1 St.Vincent - Marry Me from Handheld Shows on Vimeo.
Hullo there. While it's nice to see a band on a stage, all plugged in to amps and illuminated by various coloured lights against an artistic backdrop, its even nicer to see that same artist knocking around in a campervan with a couple of clapping men and a violinist. That's the essence of Handheld Shows - a website of jerky, handheld video footage of bands really getting down to some bare, stripped down music. Here's one of my favourite videos: St Vincent in a campervan doing "Marry Me".
So here's your first monthly themed mixtape: Psychedelic Australian Electro-Pop.
Scary title. Amazing sounds.
I've posted in the last week about a few of these artists; namely Cut Copy, Van She and Ladyhawke. Turns out most of these guys are signed to the same record label (Modular) and they've all been messing round with each others tunes.
So! To the very first Cassette Culture mixtape. It's pure Australia. All the tracks are remixes of Australian artists by Australian artists.
And here's mixtape #1's tracklist (click to download individual tracks):
Cut Copy - So Haunted (Knightlife end edit) (MediaFire)
Van She - Strangers (Van She Tech rework)(MediaFire)
The Presets - Are You The One (Van She Tech remix) (MediaFire)
Ladyhawke - Back of the Van (Van She Tech remix) (MediaFire)
Midnight Juggernauts - Dystopia (Cut Copy remix) (MediaFire)
Ladyhawke - Paris is Burning (Cut Copy remix) (MediaFire)
Cut Copy - Hearts on Fire (Midnight Juggernauts remix) (MediaFire)
The Presets - Talk Like That (Miami Horror remix) (MediaFire)
Here's a few links so you can find out more:
Cut Copy. See previous post. Go to their myspace. Buy@Amazon
Ladyhawke. See previous post. Go to her myspace. Buy@Amazon
Midnight Juggernauts. Go to their myspace. Buy@Amazon
Van She. See previous post. Go to their myspace. Buy@Amazon
The Presets. Go to their myspace. Buy@Amazon
Miami Horror. Go to their myspace.
Knightlife. Go to thier myspace.
Cassette image thanks to Tapedeck.org
I'm finding it hard to keep up to be honest. Having stumbled across Cut Copy a few months ago, I'm suddenly been bombarded with Australian electro-pop from all sides. However, far from sidestepping this onslaught of Aussie shaped meteors, I find myself bowled over by their charms and lie helplessly as they strike me, just simply embracing their glory. Yes. I like this stuff! I think I notice a handy theme arising for a themed mixtape =)
Today then, I bring you Ladyhawke who is a lady from Sydney who likes cats, videogames and, fortunately for us, making music. Things seem to have kicked off with her track "Paris is Burning" which has been remixed all over the place. So for download today is two of those remixes (one from fellow Aussies Cut Copy and another from French DJ/producer Alex Gopher) and a brilliant remix of "Back of the Van" from Van She Tech. Go find your dancing shoes now please.
Preview "Paris is Burning (Alex Gopher remix)" below:
Download free:
Ladyhawke - Paris is Burning (Alex Gopher remix)
Ladyhawke - Paris is Burning (Cut Copy remix)
Ladyhawke - Back of the Van (Van She Tech remix)
http://www.myspace.com/ladyhawkerock
Buy@Amazon
Death Cab For Cutie must be nearing legendary status by now having just completed their 6th studio album, Narrow Stairs. For those of you who are unenlightened you may recognise the Transatlanticism album cover above from the wall of Seth Cohen's bedroom in the OC... No? Well you're missing out then!
For today's post I thought some covers would be nice (let's have a little break from all that Australian electro-pop) and, quite brilliantly, Death Cab have been known to play the odd cover version at their live shows. I've included "Blacking Out the Friction" - one of my favourite Death Cab tracks just to get you acquainted.
Preview "Blacking Out The Friction" below:
Download free:
Death Cab For Cutie - Blacking Out The Friction (MediaFire)
Death Cab For Cutie - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Live Cyndi Lauper cover) (MediaFire)
Death Cab For Cutie - Here Comes The Rain Again (Live Eurythmics cover) (MediaFire)
Death Cab For Cutie - Love Song (The Cure cover) (MediaFire)
Death Cab For Cutie - Freefallin' (Tom Petty cover) (MediaFire)
www.myspace.com/deathcabforcutie
Buy@Amazon
The Whip were one of my favourite acts at Glastonbury this year. Two of their songs in particular caught my eye (ear?) - Trash and Blackout, which both build slowly to these massive dance-floor crescendos. Like many other bands these days, The Whip have dabbled in a bit of remixing and you can listen to their efforts on their remixes myspace. To be honest I don't think the remixes are all that impressive, although The Editor's track isn't bad. See what you think. You get the impression there's quite a lot more to come from these guys anyway. I'll keep you posted.
Preview "Trash" below:
Download free:
The Whip - Trash (MediaFire)
The Whip - Trash (South Central remix) (MediaFire)
The Whip - Blackout (MediaFire)
www.myspace.com/thewhipmanchester
www.myspace.com/thewhipremixes
Buy@Amazon
Tip of the day is London band Battle (not to be confused with Battles - they are very very different!). Battle are currently signed to indie label Transgressive Records but haven't really had a great deal of exposure on the radio or otherwise.
Battle have done some great live sessions they record at park benches and cemeteries.I'd love to randomly encounter them on a walk through London's greenery. Battle call their sessions "advertising breaks" and you can watch them all on their Youtube channel for free. I have, very generously, provided advertising breaks number one below where, after playing their own track North Sea, Battle pull off a sweet acoustic cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" which is almost interrupted by a meandering dog.
Buy@Amazon
Bloc Party are behaving very strangely. First we had Flux, a rapid-paced dancing shoes track that drove far deeper into disco city than previous songs. Then came Mercury and... well it's certainly had a mixed reception.
Despite "Mercury" being a bit 'iffy', I was encouraged to find a great remix by Telemitry which I think nicely jazzes the whole thing up a little. Let's look forward to the single release on 11th August which comes bundled with remixes from CSS, Herve Is in Disarray and Flosstrodamus.
Here is Bloc Party's new single "Mercury" and the Telemitry remix.
Preview Mercury below:
Download for free:
Bloc Party - Mercury (Telemitry remix) (MediaFire)
www.myspace.com/blocparty
Buy@Amazon
I can't resist. There's just too much good stuff coming out of Australia at the moment.
Ok these chaps are called Van She and like Aussie neighbours Cut Copy they have roots in '80s electro-pop and psychedelia.
A couple of Van She members, under the name Van She Tech are also dabbling in a bit of remixing which is always good to see.
So here's your tracks. Strangers by Van She and a couple of Strangers remixes; one from TSK TSK and one from Van She Tech themselves.
Preview "Strangers" below:
Download free:
Van She - Strangers (MediaFire)
Van She - Strangers (Van She Tech rework) (MediaFire)
Van She - Strangers (TSK TSK remix) (MediaFire)
www.myspace.com/vanshe
www.myspace.com/vanshetech
Buy@Amazon
This is a cracking tune! Disco Sirens from DJ Damian Harris a.k.a. Midfield General makes me rush for the nearest dance floor whenever I hear it (often with embarrassing consequences). Ooof! Yes. And if you start getting a cheeky bit bored of the original (or just knackered from running to dance floors) I've cracked open a couple of remixes for you...
Preview "Disco Sirens" below:
Download free:
Midfield General - Disco Sirens (A Billion Dollar DJs Joint remix) (MediaFire)
Midfield General - Disco Sirens (Boy 8Bit Short Vocal remix) (MediaFire)
Midfield General - Disco Sirens (Meterhead remix) (MediaFire)
And while were at it, turns out Noel Fielding from the Mighty Boosh has lent his fantastically bizarre sense of humour to a couple of Midfield General tracks. I am overjoyed. Cheeseplant. Ha.
Preview "Seed Distribution" below:
Download free:
Midfield General - Seed Distribution (feat. Noel Fielding) (MediaFire)
Midfield General - Barry the Moth (feat. Noel Fielding) (MediaFire)
www.myspace.com/midfieldgeneral
Buy@Amazon
http://themightybooshsite.trinitystreetdirect.com/
Buy@Amazon
That's Katie Dove-Dixon in the photo, on what appears to be a particulary windy day. Now I've been wanting to write about Katie for ages. In fact, I'd say she is one of the inspirations for me starting this blog in the first place.
She reminds me a lot of Regina Spektor (particularly on "Go Go Go"). A hint of Eva Cassidy too maybe? See what you think. As far as I'm aware, Katie is currently unsigned. Watch this space.
Preview "Go Go Go" below:
www.myspace.com/katiedovedixon
Cut Copy have been popping up all over the shop recently. They had a few glorious weeks in the music blogs a while ago, put on a cracking show at Glastonbury Festival and even appeared on Channel 4's "4Play" music show the other night when I got back in from the pub.
I think they have quite a chilled-out sound but some of their tracks are certainly tinged with dancefloor potential. Talking of which, here's a couple of cheeky remixes from Moulinex and Midnight Juggernauts. Anyway, lets let the music speak - I hope you like them:
Preview "Hearts On Fire" below:
Download free:
Cut Copy - Lights and Music (Moulinex remix) (MediaFire download)
Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire (Midnight Juggernauts remix) (MediaFire download)
http://www.myspace.com/cutcopy
Buy@Amazon
Hello, lots of e-mails get sent to Cassette Culture by people wanting to promote their music. I do my best to read them all and listen to the tracks people send in but I sometimes just don't have the time. I thought it might be helpful to set out some criteria you might like to use if you're sending in a track.
1) Be personal - if you've just pumped 4,000 e-mails into the address section then I don't care to be honest.
2) Be short and sweet - tell me who you are briefly, provide your best track/s so I can get an idea of what your about, then provide a link where I can find out more! If I like your tracks I'll get back to you and then you can tell me your life story.
3) Provide a quick music preview - If you just give me a download link to your track I'm less likely to listen to it because that'll take me a while. If you give me a Myspace address or something similar I can preview your music almost straight away.
That's all I can think of at the moment. If you have read this please put Hi Tom, Hi CC or Hello Cassette Culture or something in your subject bar and I'll read your stuff priority!
There was a time, many moons ago, when we would share music through the romantic medium of chunky plastic cassette tapes. We would compile a list of our favourite songs, order them, record them, scrawl a vague descriptive title and then nervously share our hard work with another in the hope that they too would appreciate the music that we love.
'Cassette Culture' refers to this trading of mixtapes. And I hope that through this blog great sounds will be shared.
If you want to share a mixtape, give me a shout - cassetteculture {@} gmail.com (ignore the brackets).
I'm afraid I'm not a graphics designer but I hope that within a few days the blog will look a little less like my kitchen and look maybe, dare I say, a bit professional. Bare with me on that!
I hope you like the music here.
Tom
