Friday Is Thong Day, Saturday Is Song Day

This is Helen

Ahhh... Summer. It's coming. I can feel it. It's nothing to do with man made accelerated global warming. No really, it's sunny and for a while I cannot cease to be happy. Therefore, music has shifted from the likes of gloomy, brooding types like Bat For Lashes and Sally Shapiro to Neon Neon and Jenny Owen Youngs or whatever it is that gets you all summery. For me, I personally think no summer is complete unless it is accompanied by that sound. The one where you pump it out so loud you can't hear anything else, as you get ready to go out into that balmy, ochre strewn world. Could have been MGMT a while ago, VEGA this summer or even dare I say it La Roux's Bulletproof or even one of the awesome remixes like Skream's RMX.


But, part of me feels there is [potential] in the slow but energised rhythms of The Glass, hailing from NY/Berlin. Even though most of their stuff is a little 'out there' for a summer sound , their new single (slightly not new) 'Wanna Be Dancing' is a real slick, lucid, eery piano driven piece. We think it's certainly got us dancing in the right direction.

The Glass - Wanna Be Dancing (y.s.i)

On the other hand (and side of the world) maybe its in the form of Melbourne based The Dukes Of Windsor. It all depends on your idea of that blend of electronica, pop laced feel, 80s, or AustroPop (I just made that up). The DoW remind me of my other Australian babes, PNAU and of course Empire of the Sun. Ladyhawke; our Kiwi deserves to be there too. Their The Others
made significant waves in the blogging community in 2006 and the exhilirating rock sound mutated into a more synthy one that is no doubt familiar to most of us, but one that is respectively better than more copycat acts that Australia produces. I couldn't get their new Down In Dirt track nor The Others which is well worth checking out.

The Dukes of Windsor - Land Of Strangers (CB Remix) (y.s.i)

I also want everyone to take a look at a really really summery sound that's been around since 2001 but didn't really take off until 2003. They're really neighbours. It has to be said that nobody does it better like the Frenchies. It's M83. The eternal sound originally created by the duo, Anthony Gonzalez and Nicolas Fromageau, has now become the singular sound of Gonzalez. But it's alright because the more melancholy electronica sound of Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts featuring desperate beats that delves into minimalism has now developed into a bit more of a cohesive tranced out sound that reminds me of Friendly Fires. Their 2008 album focused on the eternal theme of youth and uncertainty and schtuff like that. Anyhoo, I think Couleurs is an excellent summer send off for us young 'uns; long, unrelenting and deep.


M83 - Couleurs (y.s.i)

That's all for now folks (as I write this, it's pissing it down.. sigh)