Dum

Now I realise that the Internet is a dangerous place, full of paedophiles and con men, but for me the biggest problem we have with it is stupid people.. Let me explain. A new ‘scam’ hit the news recently that reinforced my belief that some people really shouldn’t be left in a room by themselves. The ‘scam’ (I’m loathe to even use the term) involves someone phoning you up, claiming to be from Microsoft. They tell you that you have a problem with your Internet connection and they want to help you to fix it. After they run you through a step by step guide on how to repair your problem they inform you that you have a nasty virus and that they’re going to have to take your credit card details in order to fix it. So far so ‘you fucking what?’ So you give them your card details, because you don’t want that nasty virus on your PC. But then, and this is the cunning bit, the Microsoft people on the phone have access to your computer, because they’ve changed all your settings! Really, this is brilliant and I love it. It’s also true. People have fallen for it!

What next? Someone phones you up saying they’re researching the pattern in the number of your credit card, the expiry date and your date of birth? Believe me someone out there will fall for it.

TDCC aren’t dumb. They’ve chosen an ace location for their next video. How does this work? Do the record company come up with locations, or do they ask the artist where they fancy filming it al la Factory and New Orders Carribean recording sessions?

Another un-stupid thing is the new EP from Les Petit Pilous. Bielle EP is out now on Beatport and it’s naughty. Go get it

Les Petit Pilous – Russian Forest (Original Mix)

Also check out Compare My Radio. It’s only got a few stations on there at the moment, but the idea is you can find out what airplay a particular song is getting at the moment (check out Status Quo’s air time). It also highlights just how shit Radio One is recently (what do I mean recently?), with Mumford & Son riding high in the play charts, followed by the obligatory R&B balls. Compare the variety offered by Radio 6, which they plan to shut down and the paltry 26% variety on offer at Radio 1

Just a final note to finish on. Titus Andronicus have a new album out now and if you like your Pogues, Bowery, drunken brawl, falling out of a taxi pissed sort of thing, this is for you.

Titus Andronicus  – A More Perfect Union

Last, but definately not least, is the new remix from Run Riot, or Prolific Tom as I’ve begun to call him. Does the man ever sleep??

Get it here!

Dee’s Lounge

Of all the clubs and nights I’ve attended, my favourite has to be the nights we spent in D’s Lounge, in Birmingham.

It was a small, neatly laid out room with a very select clientel. The best thing about it for me, apart from a very lax dress code (shades and several hats anyone?) and a lazzez faire attitude to drugs, was the music that was played. You’d get everything in there, old skool, rock, indie, funky beats and kick ass electro. Everybody wanted to be the DJ and everyone was. It was the sort of place where you’d start drinking on Saturday evening and before you knew it, you were outside smoking a fag and it was Sunday morning.

It’s closed down now, moved its operation up North, but a lot of the music on my hard drive still harks back to that time. The music I post on this blog is stuff I would have played at Dee’s. Here’s just a couple of tunes that recall fun nights and godawful mornings.

Whitey – Wrap It Up

Similou – All This Love (Young Punx Club Mix)

Also check out the Shinichi Osawa mix on ClashMusic

I Don’t Like Cricket…

…that’s it, I really don’t like cricket.

Kitsune 9 is on its way, as you could probably tell from the cut and paste posts on numerous blogs recently. The Kitsune Maison series has been consistantly brilliant, inspiring and forward looking. Their eye for a good tune is unsurpassed, as far as I can tell. Look back at the artists that have either featured on the nine compilations or have released tunes on the French label and you’re looking at the best in electronic/indie music in the last eight years. If you don’t believe me, check out the list here. Pretty much everyone on it is still relevant to me and this blog now.

So who off the new compilation is doing it for me. Well, as you’re asking…

Jamaica – are Antoine Hilaire and Florent Lyonett from France. They used to be Poney Poney, who were also pretty great, and some of their tunes are now Jamaica’s tunes (but different, apparently). Produced by Xavier de Rosnay from Justice their first album is due out soon. Their first single off it is ‘I Think I like U 2’. Great pop this. We presume that they’re not confessing to liking the band U2, or maybe they are. Bit of a long winded way of going about it though, we reckon

Jamaica – ‘I Think I Like U 2’

Your Nature – are from Brooklyn New York, which obviously makes them cool by default. They make suprisingly English sounding music for a band of Yanks. It’s a little bit shoegaze with, dare I say it, what sounds suspiciously like some  Big Country thrown in. Or is the Stone Temple Pilots…I dunno. If you’ve read this blog for any amount of time, you’ll know that when it comes to describing the music I post I’m a bit shit

Your Nature –‘ Sands’

The other two tunes I’m throwing in aren’t on Kitsune 9 at all. I just like them

Big Bang Breaks – ‘B Boys & Fly Girls’

Phantogram – ‘When Im Small’

Driving Me Mad

I drove home from Manchester the other weekend, after about three hours sleep (a prelude to which was getting locked in a porch). A journey that should have taken a little under two hours took close to three and half and at some point I got lost in the no mans land that is the Cheshire/Shropshire border. There’s one place where you pass in to Shropshire, from Cheshire, and then five minutes later, and for no reason that makes sense, you’re welcomed back into Cheshire. Now in my fragile state this totally fucked with my mind, to such an extent that I had to stop the car and smoke a shaky ciggy, while I tried to figure out what had just happened. Had I turned round without realising? Was I driving back the way I’d just come? I could hardly stand, as lack of sleep and an ominous hangover kicked my head about. Finally I got back in the car, fumbled in my plastic supply bag and pulled out the first CD that came to hand. I’ll call that CD Salvation (though it wasn’t, it was the Chems ‘Exit Planet Dust) and this track Saving Grace (it isn’t, it’s ‘In Dust We Trust‘). About an hour later I arrived home, tried to eat something, then fell asleep. Happy Days Indeed.

Liking this –

Zoot Woman – ‘Just A Friend (Some A La Mode remix)’ (via La Friendly)

Bunny Lake

Bunny Lake Is Missing is a 1965 thriller by Otto Preminger, which is a bit laboured and survives in the world of Cult, that strange place where shit stuff goes until it ages and is rediscovered by students, reappraised and declared briliant.

Don’t be fooled – it isn’t.

Bunny Lake on the other hand are from Austria and consist of the acely named Suzy On The Rocks, Christian Fuchs (snigger) and the bouncer from the pub down the road.

Produced by Christopher Just they’ve got two albums under the belt with number three due out around 24th March.

Bunny Lake – Disco Demons (Christopher Just version)