Monday, January 15, 2007

L&N12 George incoming

Over the festive period we were treated to a couple of new entries from the George collection (incoming). Here's a proper review of the first of these.

L&N12
  • Sugar (Jagz Kooner Mix): Ladytron

  • But of course we had to have some Ladytron! One of the best things I have always enjoyed about the G is his love of female voca;l electronica. Ladytron are supreme exponents of this, and this remix version hits all the right spots in retaining the best of the original track with a brilliant remix twist.

  • Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above: Cansei de Ser Sexy

  • CSS have had Jarvis on stage with them. Guess what? That makes then cool in my books but this track is especially frothy and fun and just makes ya want to dance. Great!

  • Lithium: The Polyphonic Spree

  • The art of the cover version should usually be to add something to the original, something different, unexpected, even confusing. Visualise the Polyphonics singing THIS particular track and you hit the nail for a fantastic cover song!

  • Pull-Shapes: The Pipettes

  • 60s-ish girl pop. Divine (rather like their outfits!) and always gets me singing along. Still treasure "I Like a Boy in Uniform" though...

  • First Big Weekend (Four Tet): Arab Strap

  • A long-time favourite track, much loved from when it was first played by Peel. Given new breath by Four Tet who have turned their hand to several bands for remixing that you would not normally expect.

  • Bugged: Kids in Tracksuits

  • What I also love about these kind of collations is the unexpectedness of them, but also how they gell together. Moving from the Four Tet remix to these buzzing hip-hop beats somehow works brilliantly.

  • First Ladies Anthem: Glenallen School for Girls

  • And then you get the completely unexpected! Perfectly indefinable! It HAD to come via MySpace...!

  • Music is my Hot Hot Sex: CSS

  • Another gem from the CSS collective, and of course a true statement!

  • Mountain Energy: The Fall

  • Some would say it isn't a proper collection without The Fall. Music comes and goes but the ever (un)changing/changing of The Fall is forever. Consistently interesting.

  • Citadel: Ladytron

  • Further excellence from these mistresses of the keyboard. Pounding synths to get your limbs moving.

  • Umo: Ooioo

  • It's always good to find out that you've been introduced to a band you would have followed up on from a review or comment elsewhere. It's a nice reminder that the music sharing is in sync. And it is exactly what we would pick up and trial. All-female Japanese experimental beats. Well of course we love it!

  • Hoist That Rag: Tom Waits

  • From the cracking 'Real Gone collection, Waits at his usual greatness.

  • We Make It Rock: Kids in Tracksuits

  • Thumping hip-hop beats and scratches. Cracking.

  • Scarburst: Species 8472

  • One of the best sound connections on the collection as Kids in Tracksuits effortlessly seagues into this before becoming a thrilling revisioning of the sounds of Propaganda: expansive and dramatic. It sounds like a lost soundtrack score/vocal track. A knockout.

  • I'm Your Boyfriend Now: Tall Pony

  • Disturbing! In a good way! Like a previously passed on gem, the incredible House Husbands track "Do you?" ('My name is Brad...'), not to be read as a statement on how to actually treat women. The soundtrack is somehow made even more terrifying by that monotone dictation. Shiver. Sickly hysterical and not for the faint-hearted.

  • Dog Door: Tom Waits

  • Singing like he's borrowed one of Thomas Truax's vocal distortion gizmos, it's a grand and grinding track.

  • The Operator: ZZZZZ

  • More synth brilliance, familiar forms yet new in tone. "Please do"...

  • Tender Talons: Ladytron

  • Atmospheric doesn't touch this. It has the same kind of swooping sounds that I so love on "Start-Up Chime" (one of my absolute favs of this band). And is that a flute in there?

  • Uprock Theme: Kids in Tracksuits

  • Scratching and reverbing and screeching. Love it!

  • Art Bitch: CSS

  • Yes, they really do sing what you think they are singing (see G's review here!)

  • Children's Story: Tom Waits

  • 'Cos you need to top the bewildering excess of CSS somehow, so more Waits is the obvious answer. Fabulous ending!


    Phew, that's L&N12 done. It's been on heavy rotation since acquisition - much like L&N13 and all the previous material shared. Anyway, look forward to further summaries and reviews.

    3 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    WOW! What a write-up! Thanks Lisa and you're welcome as always. I love sitting there compiling these cackling to myself something like 'Well, this'll throw them' and 'They'll love this', in exactly the same way I expect you to!! And of course you're right about the ordering; getting the tracks is only half the work - making them fit as a collective is a whole other game!!

    TTFN

    G

    Lisa Rullsenberg said...

    Ha, happy to oblige. Although it may take a while to work through all of the volumes, I will try and get L&N13 done soon! And following a burning desire to relisten to that House Husbands track again, I've just worked through the end of LN: Strange Music.

    Hey, fuck the people! Joyous!

    Billy said...

    I've heard the Polyphonics doing Lithium, it is utterly bizarre but actually works quite well.