Archive for December, 2008:
2008 Top 20 Tracks… according to Flores
Well, the year is almost officially over and it couldn’t come soon enough… it’s time for my TOP TWENTY SONGS OF 2008!
You know I’ve never been the kind of person who could say with full conviction which movie is my favourite of all time or what the best restaurant is. See, I find it will almost always be dependent on how you feel at that particular point in time.
Of course, music is the same way. Even the most mundane routine in your day to day life can be perfectly captured by some song. And that song at that exact moment is the best song there could be… (Garden State would not have been as good a movie without that amazing soundtrack)
So anyways, it goes without saying then that I had some difficulty selecting my TOP TWENTY.
There are definitely songs on my list that have been fully rinsed in 2008. But hey what can I say? I ain’t no snob… I’m a fan of pop music just as much as I am a fan of the indie and sub-pop jams.
I won’t bore you with a commentary on each track.
Here are twenty 2008 tracks that have stood out to me… haters, get your hate on:
20. Metronomy – A Thing For Me (Mad Decent’s B-Live Miami Mix)
19. Matt & Kim – Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare
18. Santogold – Say Aha (Tepr Remix)
17. The Kills – Cheap and Cheerful
16. Ratatat – Mirando (YACHT Remix)
14. Friend – Secret
13. Mike Jones ft Lil Wayne – I Done Did It
12. Feist – I Feel It All (Escort Remix)
11. Radiohead – Reckoner (Diplo Remix)
10. Kid Cudi – Day ‘N Nite (Crookers Remix)
9. Lykke Li – Little Bit (CSS Remix)
8. Lil Wayne – A Milli (Say-Wut Remix)
7. Ladyhawke – Paris Is Burning (Cut Copy Remix)
6. Treasure Fingers – Cross The Dancefloor (Chromeo Remix)
5. Kings Of Leon – Sex On Fire
4. Crystal Castles – Courtship Dating
3. Friendly Fires ft Au Revoir Simone – Paris (Aeroplane Remix)
2. Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream
1. Cut Copy – Lights & Music (Boys Noize Happy Birthday Remix)
Goodbye to the year that was… brighter days ahead?
Toronto’s Best Kept Secret?
Don Cash hails from Toronto. In 2006 he released his first album, “On The Bus” which caught the attention of Berlin label boss, producer/dj, Headman who signed him to his indie label, Relish.
His music combines everything from 80’s disco to freestyle to hip hop, new wave, punk and early house and repackages it in a futuristic, forward thinking package. There are a lot of influences at work that clash together harmoniously. It reminds me of Prince, Lou Reed, Green Velvet, Bowie, Joy Division, The Sex Pistols and Grandmaster Flash all at once.
His thoroughly enjoyable album, “Freshy Fresh” is coming out January 12th and will be available through itunes and amazon… BUT if you want it right now it will be available right here for free download for the next two weeks.
More Year End Top Tenz
We have another top ten albums of 2008 list for you. I’m stoked as it’s from our super pal Oost who we ran our previous blog, Versus with. He’s my fave go to guy for new bands.
10. Ladyhawk [Shots]
chances are you won’t like them until you see them live
Ladyhawk – Night You’re Beautiful
9. Crystal Stilts [Crystal Stilts]
psych you can dance to
http://www.myspace.com/crystalstilts
Crystal Stilts – Converging in the Quiet
8. The Walkmen [Daytrotter Session] Leonard Cohen Covers
no, not a studio album, but the best damn cohen i’ve heard since the originals.
http://www.daytrotter.com/article/1214/the-walkmen
7. Cut Copy [In Ghost Colors]
i had to have this
Cut Copy – Far Away (Solly remix)
6. Devotchka [A Mad and Faithful Telling]
except for that first track.
5. Women [Women]
the canadian band to watch for sure
4. Audiobytes For Autobots [2.0]
http://audiobytes.net/download.html
mashups were dead to me, then I heard this.
Audiobytes For Autobots – Babysitting Blues
3. Little Vic – [Each Dawn I Die]
dude makes semi-concept rap album
2. Little Joy [Little Joy]
so cute you’ll puke
1. Silver Jews [Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea]
http://pitchfork.tv/juans-basement/silver-jews/interview-on-being-kosher
Silver Jews – Suffering Jukebox
You got my soul.
here are some soft female vocals to help soothe your holiday hangover.
Sally Shapiro – Anorak Christmas (Anoraak’s Christmas Remix)
Lali Puna – Together In Electric Dreams
Merry merry merry
Nothing better than some vintage Christmas tunes to open gifts to…
Darlene Love – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
The Moonglows – Hey Santa Claus
Happy holidays from the Winnie Cooper fam!
Christmas Wrapping
Here’s one of my fave holiday classics. It’s been covered endlessly, but you can’t beat the 1981 original by The Waitresses. The 80s post-punk band recorded the track when rap started gaining momentum. Fronted by Patty Donahue, her ‘talk-sing’ style borrowed heavily from hip hop and, if you listen carefully, she tells a charming little story.
The Waitresses – Christmas Wrapping
Just a few more days now… we’re almost there!
YOF Albums of 2008
My Year in review goes a little something like the state of the economy. Started out strong (did it? I dunno) and went down hill quick. The beginning of the year I had a kick ass job and internship and lived in a killer apartment off Melrose and had an awesome girlfriend. Now that it’s December, I sleep on the couch, no girlfriend, bunk job, and have gotten in two car accidents. BUT things can only go up in 09! Right? I’m excited. So here are the albums that have gotten me through the worst year ever along with some mp3s because we all know that’s the only reason you check out the site Plus those awesome interviews we’ve been having. My musical taste is exquisetly amature so check it out! ( Side note: I’m making a top Bangerz of 08 list which will be drastically different than this so if you don’t like any of these tracks look out for that.) Holla!
10.Tilly and the wall-o
Cute indie girls and tap dancing is a combination that never fails. I was a huge fan of their last album “Bottoms of Barrels” and 08s O offers more of the same sing-songy girl vocals with some added synth here and there. Tall Tall Grass and Jenny Lewis’s Acid Tongue are tied up for my favorite Indie Girl Jam of the year.
Tilly and The Wall-Tall Tall Grass
9.Facing New York-Get Hot
Progressive funk Rock at its best. I blew these guys off for so long for some unknown reason and I’m glad I stopped that nonsense cause this shit’s my jam. If you’ve ever enjoyed a Dismemberment Plan song check these guys out.
Facing New York- Me N My Friendz
8.Girl Talk- Feed The Animals
It’s Girl Talk, ya people have been mashing up tracks forever, but not like this. The man pretty much perfected his skill on this album. Take a rap accapella and layer it with a classic 90’s drum beat and a classic rock guitar riff and just keep repeating that process. Makes for the perfect roadtrip mixtape.
7.Louis La Roche-The Peach EP
This kid is 18 years old and people were mistaking his work for new tracks by Thomas Bangalter. Really?! He came out of nowhere and dropped in my opinion the best french house EP of the year. Ya the tracks repeat a bit but. dude is 18 cut him some slack. Already finished his LP due next year. expect big things.
Louis La Roche- Do You Remember
6.Vampire Weekend-S/T
Pretty much delivered on the hype of their EP. Everythings already been said about these guys. M79 is my jam.
5.The Cool Kids- The Bake Sale
This was my LA summer album. Bumpin 88 with the roof down driving down the PCH can’t beat it.
4.Crystal Castlees-S/T
At the beginning of the year they put on one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. On Halloween they were terrible which pretty much sums up crystal castles. Stealing a bunch of ideas and coming out with in my opinion the most unique I don’t give a fuck sounding album of 08. Courtship Dating better be on everyone’s top 10 tracks list.
3.Cut Copy-in Ghost Colours
Nothing beat this album sonically. So relaxing and chill yet so danceable. Ya Hearts on fire came out at the beginning of 07 but any album that has that killer sax solo deserves to be on a top ten list.
2. Forgive Durden- Razia’s Shadow
So I grew up being obsessed with Seattle’s pop punk scene. Which will explain my top two albums of the year as both stem from musicians out of the area. Razia’s Shadow is a musical created by two brothers Thomas and Paul Dutton and a host of guest vocalist playing the different characters throughout the story. I’m not going to get into the details but it’s a mix between Moulin Rouge and Aladdin with Aaron Weiss of Mewithoutyou Narrating in-between songs to get the full context of the story . For someone who had little to no recording budget this is a masterpiece of a musical.
Forgive Durden-The Missing Piece
1.Kay Kay and His weathered Underground
I suck at writing ( Which is why I write for music blogs where a simple sentence is adequate to sum up a post) so I’m stealing this summery of my favorite album of the year from I guess I’m floating.
For those unfamiliar with the ways of Kay Kay and his Weathered Underground, here’s a bit of backstory: the band was formed from the ashes of Gatsby’s American Dream. Kirk Huffman and Kyle O’Quin picked up the pieces and brought over their quirky songwriting and peripheral instrumentation, crafting their debut album over three years in Seattle. Upon completion and release early this year, the band played a sold out show at the Triple Door, about which Huffman remarked “I thought we’d be playing for ten people. This is the greatest night of my life!”
mellifluent orchestral vibes, free-flowing bigtop circus music, drums that thump as much as they float, and melodies you won’t be able to escape for days. Everything but the kitchen sink. It’s epic.
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground- Hey Momma
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground- Birds ( On A Day Like Today)
Ive heard that they eat dogs in China but in South Africa…
South African House superstar DJ Cleo seems to have it all, hits on the radio, a gardner, lots of good friends and a kinda lager then life aura. Maybe all of this made him mad, or bored. “All work n no play makes DJ Cleo a dull boy” kida situation.
Or maybe he hated his gardner who is known only as Petros. There are many theories. Here is a pice of meaty journalism for the hollydays. And it truly is my favourite rumor right now.
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The SPCA have been trying to question DJ Cleo for the past year after one of his dogs was sexually molested.
The dog was eventually put down as its intestines were hanging out when it was brought to the SPCA in Randburg on May 15 2006.
The dog, a Boerboel bitch named Tiger, was in such a “shocking condition” that the centre manager, Phillip Roberts, threatened to have the two musicians that had brought the dog in arrested on the spot.
Sunday World established that the two musicians who took the dog to the SPCA were DJ What What, real name Brian Kgoe, and kwaito singer, Mavo, who refused to supply his real name.
DJ What What is DJ Cleo’s protégé, while Mavo works with Chicco Twala.
Mavo confirms the incident.
He says: “The centre manager wanted to call the police to come and arrest us after it was established that the dog had been penetrated by a human being. We told him we were just messengers as the dog belonged to DJ Cleo.”
He confirms that the dog’s intestines were hanging out of its private parts when they brought it to the centre.
He adds: “We were released after Phillip took DJ What What’s contact details. “We promised him that we were going to ask DJ Cleo to phone him.”
Mavo claims that when they delivered the message to DJ Cleo, born Cleopas Monyepao, the award-winning house music star started laughing and didn’t even try to phone the centre. Mavo adds: “The story about the dog (being sexually molested) became the best kept secret. I don’t know how you guys found it out.”
A Sunday World source claims that a plan was hatched to frame DJ Cleo’s gardener, known only as Petros – because “he was a Zimbabwean national and illegal in this country” – as the culprit if the police came and questioned them.
The source says: “Petros was so angry when he found out that he was being painted as a dog rapist. “He resigned on the spot after telling DJ Cleo to go and rot in hell.”
When Sunday World visited the centre on Friday, they confirmed the incident regarding Tiger but refused to elaborate further citing “doctor and client confidentiality”.
A source says DJ Cleo was phoned several times to come and explain how and who molested his dog but each time he hears it’s someone from the SPCA, he hangs up the phone. The matter was not pursued after Roberts left the centre in December.
When Sunday World confronted DJ Cleo about the allegations, he vehemently denied that the SPCA had been trying to contact him. But he confirmed that he sent his dog to the centre after it was molested. He says: “They are telling lies. They never tried to contact me.
“But it is true that I sent my dog there after I found it with its intestines hanging out.”
The muso also confirms that he was told by his two messengers, DJ What What and Mavo, that the SPCA had told them that the dog had been molested.
He adds: “I questioned my gardener about the matter but he denied it. But one day when he was drunk he admitted that he did it and I fired him.”
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DJ Cleo says he loves dogs and that he owns four at the moment.
