Walter Meego

Loving the new Walter Meego album Voyager. Think Chris introduced me to them a long time ago, but checked the blog and don't think we've actually posted any tracks from them. Hmmm, that's not good, let's change that ASAP! Here's a new single I'm loving from them called 'Forever' plus a sweet Remix for 'Girls' that I've been playing out at da clubs!

MP3: Forever - Walter Meego (YSI)
MP3: Girls (Spruce Lee & Kato Remix) - Walter Meego (YSI)


Here's their breezy summertime Video for Forever. What summer's complete without a pool party!?

He Say, She Say

When I was up in Chicago I was lucky enough to catch duo He Say, She Say perform right after my set at Evil Olive. They put on a great show! They managed to get everyone in the crowd into their set. He was spinning/playing gear while she rapped to the tracks as she stood on top of a speaker (check pic above).  Since she couldn't move much up there, she kept telling the crowd  'you better dance for me!'

Anyways a few days ago I got a track of theirs 'Crash Dummie' sent to me and I was mightily impressed! It's a pretty amazing dance jam. It'll fit just as nicely at a Hip Hop party as it will at an Electro-Indie Party. Perfect dancefloor form with hard synth lines and booming bass. If they keep doing stuff this catchy their bound to make it big. Don't think their signed yet, but apparently this track is already doing some damage on dancefloors in Chicago. Check it out...

MP3: Crash Dummie - He Say, She Say (YSI)

Bruce Willis Is Dead

Next question, did he die hard?

No really, he's not dead. But this track is pretty damn hard. It's not groundbreaking or anything. In fact I you can head over to club row on 11st Street in "Dwntwn" Miami (ie. the area I avoid like the plague but I hang out 3 blocks away... LOLOL) and catch a lot of stuff like this.


But it's Mr. Oizo. And he and his little sock puppet, Flat Eric, have a special place in my a heart 4-ever. And it's also a ridiculously slow Friday and the weekend is going to be rained out so might as well give you some dance party music.

MP3: Mr. Oizo - Bruce Willis Is Dead (ysi) - removed (I didn't like the song anyways)

And this is the "optimisic" website outlook... (another site said Saturday 60%)



Mr. Oizo - (Kavinsky) Bruce Willis is dead

(I don't even know what our labels mean anymore?!?)

'Off the Radar' T.S. Fay Mix

Since I spent most of the day at home yesterday as Tropical Storm Fay came through Florida, thought I'd do something constructive and record a mix. I always have people asking me for a mixed cd, so here's one. Nothing too fancy, just 11 tracks/28 mins mixed together for dancing! I used 2 Pioneer CDJ1000's and a Pioneer DJM 800 Mixer recorded onto a Mac Laptop. No editing done. This was a one take straight through, mistakes and all...
Hope you like it!

T.S. Fay Mix by Ray Milian (YSI)

T.S. Fay Tracklisting::

1- Casa Del Mirto - Say Goodbay
2- The Twelves - When You Talk
3- Cut Copy - Out There on the Ice
4- Alyoa- It's Been too Long (Lifelike Top Gun Remix)
5- Woolfy - Oh Missy
6- Bufi - We Begin
7- Islands - Creeper
8- The Golden Filter - Solid Gold
9- Sebastian Tellier - Sexual Sportswear (Donavan Remix)
10-The Presets - This Boy's in Love (Lifelike Remix)
11- Sebastian Tellier - Divine (Midnight Juggernauts Remix)

Live From Daryl's House

You guys have to hop on over to Daryl Hall's website (of Hall & Oates fame duh - we have some young readers, I'm sorry), and check out episode 10 with his guests Chromeo. I have had the item unread for about a week, until I could sit down and truly enjoy the webcast.

In the show, Daryl Hall, along with his musicians and Dave 1 and P-Thugg ,rip through a bunch of Hall & Oates classics as well a couple of Chromeo hits. The Canadian duo look semi-starstruck as Hall explains some of the techniques used to record classics like Private Eyes, I Can't Go For That (No Can Do), Kiss On My List... He even invites them to the indoor pool of his house THAT WAS BUILT IN THE 1700's! Yeah, Hall's hobby is restoring old homes out in Southern Connecticut. Who woulda thunk it?

MP3: Hall and Oats - Kiss On My List (ysi)

Check out Hall's description of Chromeo on his site:

"... Remember the debate when Chromeo first came on the scene? The endless back and forth about whether those boys were joking or not? Well, Fancy Footwork will put any vestigial haters to sleep forever. There ain't nothing "ironical" about this music. It's Hall & Oates riding on 22's, busting shots in the air with Quincy Jones driving. That shit ain't funny. "

It is funny, I have a few friends that are just discovering Chromeo. So now I am hearing tracks that I have not heard in a couple of years and enjoying them all over again.

Oops, never gave this post a title...

I told you a bunch of times that the YACHT album I Believe In You, Your Magic Is Real, was good. Now, others have noticed. Particularly James Murphy who signed YACHT to DFA records after replacing Prizhorn Danceschool (they had visa issues) on LCD Soundsystems tour last year. The funny thing is that the track they are releasing first I think least sounds like YACHT. Who cares, it's great. Here is a version they released on their blog last year. It is pretty much the same as the current version out on DFA except the quality of the mix has been beefed up to DFA standards.

MP3: Summer Song (Original Mix from 2007) (ysi)
MP3: See A Penny Pick It Up (ysi)
You guys like videos too....

YACHT - Summer Song from Jona Bechtolt on Vimeo.

Other people like this band too:

"YACHT smells wonderful. I must say, all the time he spent in our bus, it was as if a cool breeze was blowing through my mind. and good songs, too!"
James Murphy, LCD Soundsystem

"YACHT = megaphysical."
Devendra Banhart

"Positive energy rainbow dome music from a next-generation west coast healer."
Dave Longstreth, Dirty Projectors

"YACHT is a true renaissance man, feel his magic zap you with its lightning bolt made of awesome."
Architecture in Helsinki

"The energy they brought, the aerobic choreography, the propelling beats, and the catchy repetitive mantras were irresistible."
Vanity Fair

"A more modern take on Suicide, Sonic Youth, Bush Tetras and ESG."
Variety

"Being indie rock's Timbaland ain't easy."
VIBE Magazine

"Oh, man, we love this kid."
NME

"No one combines giddy bubblegum melodies with clinically precise programming quite like Bechtolt."
Entertainment Weekly

"After spinning Yacht's new one, I Believe in You. Your Magic Is Real, we are prepared to echo the album title's assessment with respect to the artist himself."
Time Out New York

"Yacht rock has never been better."
Pitchforkmedia

"YACHT's not just music, it's a way of life."
PAPERMAG

"YACHT Became This Week's Biggest Artist In The World"
Idolator

"Don't miss the boat on YACHT."
The Fader Magazine

"Bechtolt's hip-hop-influenced beats make you want to dance like you're a 10-year-old in aerobics class."
Venus Magazine

"Jona Bechtolt is no more a normal human being than a toaster is a Ferrari."
austinist.com

Ray, You're Number One

Sorry my posts have been sporadic. But I have Ray backing me up with live mixes and new tracks!!

This is will be a short post. By now you have to have noticed my affection for Germany's Kompakt records (did I play Gui Borrato's Beautiful Life enough times at Abraxas?). Well, their yearly TOTAL compilation was just released (not here) and it once again does not disappoint.

And to all those "people" that got Monday and Tuesday off because of Fay, all I have to say is that you guys owe me a drink when you see me out this weekend. I had to battle torrential ... okay, slight sun showers with the occasional gust of wind (what an idiot that guy, seriously...), and HUUGE puddles going into work this week. The puddles were ginormous! Oh and I still had to wear a shirt and tie. Ugh.

On to the music...

MP3: Joerg Burger - Modernism Begins At Home (ysi)
MP3: Superpitcher vs The Congosound - Say I'm Your Number One (Superpitcher Remix) (ysi)

Oh about the compilation, here are the tracks. The vinyl and CD version are different. The vinyl has all new material and exclusives, while the CD has 8 of the 10 new tracks and has a a bunch of extra ones that have been released in the last few months (as opposed to only new material on the vinyl).

CD1
01. Justus Köhncke – Thanks For The Add
02. DJ Koze – Zouzou
03. Superpitcher Vs. The Congosound – Say I'm Your Number One (Superpitcher Remix)
04. Jürgen Paape Feat. Alison Degbe – Come Into My Life
05. Matias Aguayo – Minimal
06. Supermayer – Hey Hotties!
07. Jörg Burger – Modernism Begins At Home
08. Superpitcher – Disko (You Don't Care)
09. Partial Arts – Telescope
10. Thomas Fehlmann – With Wings
11. Burger / Voigt – Wand Aus Klang

CD2
01. Dubshape – Droplets – Early Night Mix
02. Jonas Bering – I Can't Stop Loving You
03. Robert Babicz – Don't Look Back
04. Nightguy – Pretty Face
05. Gui Boratto – Annuciacion
06. The Rice Twins – The Signifier
07. Nicolas Stefan – Time Is Over
08. Kaito – Everlasting Dub
09. Scsi-9 – Another Day Acid
10. Maxime Dangles – Tulipa
11. Freiland - Geduld

Vinyl
Freiland - Geduld
Justus Köhncke - Thanks For The Add
DJ Koze - Zouzou
Jürgen Paape feat. Alison Degbe - Come Into My Life
Supermayer - Hey Hotties!
Jörg Burger - Modernism Begins At Home
Superpitcher - Disko (You Don't Care)
Schaeben & Voss - Penisnight
Jürgen Paape - Ausklang

You know, that Afro-Brazilian-Kraut-Punk-Loungy stuff...

After yesterday's ranting, here is something fresh! And no whistles or Kanye West! I promise!

So I cannot wait to see how Peter, Bjorn and John managed to mix the above styles into a cohesive album. The Swedish trio are set to release their next album after Writer's Block this fall. There is actually a separate and proper follow up to Writer's Block also in the works. This release instead will be an instrumental album that sprang from ideas during the recording sessions of Writer's Block.

"Some songs are African/Brazilian music, then there are a couple of Kraut/punk, and some are lounge songs. The backgrounds are all bass/guitar/piano or bass/guitar/drums, but the melodies are played on different things."

Peter Moren

On the track below, I like how the guitar contrasts with the crunchy synth stabs. (Actually hearing the song again, it reminds be a Polynesian version of Portishead's Machine Gun.) The music definitely sounds exotic. If this is a hint of what the album is going to be, I'm all for it. The album is entitled Seaside Rock. Read about what else the prolific Peter Moren is up to at Billboard.

MP3: Peter, Bjorn and John - Inland Empire (ysi)
MP3: Peter, Bjorn and John -The Chills (Thieves Like Us Remix) (ysi)


I actually really enjoy the original version of The Chills (go back to the album and take a listen to it). Thieves Like Us seem to speed up the music by slowing down the vocals. (I know it sounds strange.) This other (2/3's Swedish) trio are also up to new things as well. They have a new EP out today called Your Heart Feels. The title track is their current single. The melody is catchy, maybe if they just tweak their vocals a bit. It's definitely better than (oh God I really hate it..) Drugs In My Body. (And it probably wasn't even the song, but how the crowd reacted to it when it came on.) Moving on...

MP3: Thieves Like Us - Your Heart Feels (ysi)

**Update from Pitchfork:

It turns out that Seaside Rock isn't a completely instrumental album after all. According to a press release written by PB&J themselves, "As homage to Peter Bjorn and John's respective hometowns they wanted to feature the voice and dialect from each of the three areas. So apart from the instrumental soundtrack to the lonely childhood of northern Scandinavia you can also hear three monologues about some sort of seaside. The stories are read by a real saxophone player from Norsjö, a grandfather from Vika and the hairdresser Siw from Piteå."

Old Songs

I feel bad I haven't posted in a while. My free time seems to have mysteriously disappeared. I still have time for music though, just not writing about it.

However, music is in a weird transition. While there is some great new things being produced, a lot of what I am hearing ... well sucks. Some of it is pretty good, but just reminds me of something from a few years back that is better.

Anyways, I don't want to come across as a h8r but you know what I'm saying. You know when a song is recycled, you know when a song is disposable. At least if you actually read this blog you are. I do know people that basically don't know better. With nothing to compare to, well, crappy music sounds good.

So as I was saying disco-piano-deep-space-house music is making a big splash in the clubs lately.

But I really like this.

MP3: Diana Ross - My Old Piano (ysi)

(There is a remix floating around out there - a re-edit whatever they're calling it now, it has a pretty good piano solo, but I really don't see the point of playing it out if you have the original.)

Mount Sims::Re-Invention

Mount Sims who originally shot to fame with the emergence of electroclash earlier this decade and their huge dancefloor hit 'How We Do' have now become a full five piece band (used to be just Matt Sims and dancers on stage) and incorporated a darker gothier sound with the release of their latest EP Grave. I for one dig it! Their last album or two wasn't doing it for me. Changes are good! Especially when it comes to artists growing and expanding their sound. I've had the EP title track Grave stuck on Ipod for a few weeks. See what you think...

* On a sidenote I got to meet Matt once at Ft Lauderdale's Phoenix Party were I used to spin a couple of years ago and he came in to do a Guest DJ Set. Real Nice Guy!

MP3: Grave (YSI)

So you can see the progression in his sound, here is the video for 2002's 'How We Do'

CSS::Return with Sophmore Album Donkey

A little late with this one, but CSS from Brazil Return with Sophmore album Donkey which came out last month on SubPop. Haven't heard the whole thing yet, but read a few reviews. They're mostly of the this is a tight pop record variety, more focused than their at times spastic all over the place debut. We shall see what transpires. In todays world most bands come and go pretty quickly, but if this track is any indication they may be one of the survivors!

Here's the track I have from them called Left Behind, a sure fire dance pop hit! Plus a sweet remix by favorites Cut Copy for Move On.

MP3: Left Behind (YSI)

MP3: Move On (Cut Copy Remix) (YSI)

Chicago/Lollapalooza Review + August Mail-Bag!

Back from Chicago! Had a great time in the Windy City, almost didn't wanna come back. It's a beautiful city with huge NY Style Skylines, a beautiful river runs right through downtown, safe/clean streets and friendly ass people! Everybody we asked a question spoke to us for like 30 mins, asking us were we're from and recommending places to see. That just doesn't happen in Miami. Most people here ignore you or say they don't know if you ask them anything on the streets. Definitely a great city. Go to my facebook (Ray Milian) and check out some more pics I posted, got some pretty sweet ones on there. The only thing the locals kept telling us is that the winter months sucks there. Oh well, we have Hurricanes here and they seemed pretty worried about that when we mentioned we're from Miami. Funny how we get used to those living here.

The gigs were a blast! Fridays was more of a laid back bar feel where I just played cool tracks while people pounded their drinks and the Sunday gig had more of a club vibe. Managed to get the kids dancing from 1 till 2 when He Say, She Say hit the stage. They were pretty good, he spun while she rapped on top of a speaker surrounded by the crowd.

Saturday was Lollapalooza! What I liked best is that it's in the middle of the City/Downtown. When you go to Coachella you're in the desert and there's nothing to do before or after the shows. Here the city's right there. You get to see the beautiful Chicago skyline as you watch the shows or if you wanna stroll out to wander outside of the park there's plenty to do.

Tickets were sold out by the time we came in around 1 PM, but some dude outside sold us wristbands right after a cop told us tickets were sold out. That guy must've made a killing as every two people he brings he was charging $150 (still $10 less than face value for 2 tixs $160), then he gets them back, goes out and does it again. The one act I was most looking forward to was MGMT, so we headed there early to grab a good spot. It got really packed and the hot sun was beaming on our backs at 3PM. The sound was a little lower than I would've liked, but they were still great! People were singing along particularly to their hits like Time to Pretend, Electric Feel (my fav!), Weekend Wars then Kids which they played as we were walking over to check out the end of Booka Shade's set who were playing at the same time.

We caught the last 3 tracks from Booka Shade and they were phenomenal! They had so much energy. Just two of them on stage, one on electronic pads and one one on laptops and synths. The guy on electronic drums was jumping up and down like crazy, got everyone excited and dancing. Made me realize how much funner good electronic shows can be. By far my favorite show that day!

Then we stuck around to see Spank Rock which played right after Booka. He was good for a bit, but then he let two girls do a bunch of songs which weren't bad, but I was like isn't he the act? Shouldn't he be performing? He was just standing behind the DJ booth clapping for like 3 or 4 songs.

After Spank Rock we went over to see Jamie Liddell, but we got bored after a couple tracks and decided to grab some food instead. Don't really like his stuff. Don't know what people see in him. While we grabbed a bite to eat we caught Broken Social Scene, but they seemed kinda uninspired. Not nearly as good as I remember them in Coachella in 2004.

Then it was headliner time. Rage Against the Machine and Wilco were co-headlining. Although I wanted to see Rage judging from how crazy MGMT got earlier in the day we opted for a more mellow ending with Wilco and acoustic guitars on the opposite side of the park. Heard Rage had to stop their set like 4 times as people were pushing so much, so think we made a wise choice.

Then we hung out and smoked a joint with Sean Weeks and his GF who were up for Coachella before Wilco hit the stage. I'm not the biggest Wilco fan (only owned Summer Teeth from them), but I was pretty impressed. They were excellent! They are from Chicago and they mentioned how they had been looking forward to this gig and preparing for it for awhile. They dressed in colorful mariachi style suits which were pretty funny. The lead singers had a Picachiu on his. They put on a great show. Highlight for me was when everyone was singing along to Shot in the Arm, '...something in my veins, bloodier than blood'. Great way to end the festival/night...

Anyways while I was away my inbox got pretty full with tons of great submissions! Many from artists I had never heard before and quite good! Here are the ones that made the cut...

First is a new one from one of my favs from Mexico/Le Touch Bufi. Always great to get a track from him, especially when he's putting out electro-pop jems like this!

MP3: Endless - Bufi (YSI)

Never heard of Meanest Man Contest before I received a track from them in my inbox, but I'm glad they found me! They put out a catchy ass hip hop/electro/pop fusion that's pretty irrisistable. Fun party music for the summer. Take it in... Get more on their myspace.

MP3: We Wouldn't Want It Any Other Way (Débruit Remix) - Meanest Man Contest (YSI)

Another Mexican band that I've known about for a bit Plastilina Mosh sent me this great new track called Arriba Diciembre. These guys have an ear for catchy electronic pop music, no denying that. This one's sung in Italian and is bella! You'd hardly guess they were from Mexico.

MP3: Arriba Diciembre - Plastilina Mosh (YSI)

Another newbie for me is Magic Wands from Zaire? Where is that? Anyways they sent me this irrisistable guitar driven pop gem called Black Magic. Careful or you will fall under their spell!

MP3: Black Magic - Magic Wands (YSI)

Again another band I didn't know of My Tiger My Timing from London sent me this infectious pop track called This is Not the Fire. Could've fooled me... Not too shabby!

MP3: This is Not the Fire - My Tiger My Timing (YSI)

My friend Carmine P. Filthy from NYC sent me these tracks from young German trio MIT. Here you got the original plus a couple of remixes for their track Rauch. They're all pretty good, each remix for a different mood/occasion. See which one suits you at the moment.

MP3: Rauch - MIT (YSI)

MP3: Rauch (Luke Abbott Remix) - MIT (YSI)

MP3: Rauch (Coma Remix) - MIT (YSI)

Finally I leave you with a new track from Tricky! You know him... Used to be one of the original Massive Attack members and practically started the whole trip-hop genre. Maxinquaye is a classic album from him that I Highly Recommend! This is his first new material in 5 years off of new album Knowle West Boy. It was worth the wait. Classic Tricky!

MP3: Past Mistake - Tricky (YSI)

All I Got

I had this whole post written up. I think 10 tracks. Uploaded with zshare and yousendit links.... The works. Some photos. Spell checked. Ready to go.

And I lost it...

And now I'm swamped at work and it's 5:10pm.

So I apologize. All I have time for is this post for the new Chemical Brothers album. I just received the promo for it. I'm excited. Sounds better than their last couple efforts.

Enjoy. Smell ya later.

MP3: The Chemical Brothers - Midnight Madness (ysi)