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What’s Black and White, and smoooooooooooooooth all over?

Penguin-Prison-001Penguin Prison, of course.  Born in Manhattan as Chris Glover, and spending time in choir class with Alicia Keys, the Pris has clearly had the fire in his belly for a long time.  And after a steady diet of school lunches and Michael Jackson it’s no wonder that the final product is ridiculously danceable and oh-so-smooth.  Penguin Prison stands for something important….laying down the groove, pretention-free.  Next time you’re at the club, watch the electro-indie kids try to dance to a so-so Phoenix remix, but get out of the way when the Hall and Oates drops back on.  And that’s the point.  Penguin Prison’s putting out solid, accessible tracks…….with soul.




So Near (Penguin Prison Remix)

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Starry Eyed f. Theophilus London (Penguin Prison Remix)

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Florence + The Machine: 4-Pack Edition

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Florence Welch, you make me wanna do bad things…  She’s got the look, She’s got the love, and the tracks that have come out this year are all ripe for remix.  And so we present you with a little remix action for your Sunday afternoon.  Enjoy, kids.

Drumming Song (Boy 8-Bit Remix)

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DJ Bling’s at it again…

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DJ Bling, mashup, electro and all around bad-ass DJ and Urban Expedition Project heavy, is a for sure fav over here at the LOUSPEARKRz.. And he’s been at it again in 2010 in a big big way.  Today marks the third installment of his weekly (?!) minimix series.  And they’re hot.  The last one, from 2/4 is particularly ridiculous.  I think I listen to it at least once a day.  Today, the Go Ladies! edition is out.  Go grab it and get down.

Review: I Heart Savoir Adore

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What’s got two thumbs and loves Savoir Adore?  This guy!  Paul Hammer and Deidre Muro are clearly extremely talented instrumentalists and have produced a gem of a pop album.  I mean, seriously, how can you not want to roll around in something that sounds like a Stars X Mates of State X Viva Voce X Au Revoir Simone.  Go out and get In The Wooded Forest.  And fall in love!

Savoir Adore // “We Talk Like Machines” SXSW Powerplant Live from Cantora Records on Vimeo.

Mixtapes for your FACE

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Maybe I’ve been sleeping under a rock for 6 months, or maybe we’re onto something here in the LOUDSPEAKR bunker….but either way, godamn!  Chrissy Murderbot has been silently killing it over at my year of mixtapes.  The Chicago-based DJ has been blowing it up with one mixtape for over half a year now.  A different genre every week, and a brand new mixtape.  It’s dubsetp this week, so even though it’s OVER, it’s still definitely worth a listen.   Yeaaaah boyee!

Top 10 Debuts of 2009

Some bands shot for the moon and came pretty damn close with their debut albums. Where will they go from here?

10. The Very Best – Warm Heart of Africa – You can’t help but smile when you hear Esau Mwamwaya sing, even though I have no idea what he is saying, it exudes light and joy.

9. Discovery – LP – VW + Ra Ra Riot get all R & B with it.

8. tUnE-yArDs – Bird-Brains – Merrill Garbus’ is intense and fearless.

7. The xx – xx – Subtle and sexxy.

6. Washed Out – Life of Leisure EP – Nostalgic music for the 80’s? This hits all of the best parts of that decade.

5. Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms – Washed Out + the future.

4. Micachu & The Shapes – Jewellry – At once a mash up of so many types of music, but also completely its own thing.

3. Memory Tapes – Seek Magic – Dayve Hawk is a true composer. The layers build, recede, flow and melt from one song to the next.

2. Girls – Album – Maybe Christopher Owens’ voice isn’t for everyone, but I love it. The squeaks and quirks make me believe that he has lived what he sings about. Sweet sincerity.

1. The Antlers – Hospice – This is how a concept album should be done. It tells a story from beginning to end, but leaves space for the listeners interpretations. Heartbreaking and haunting.

Top 10 Best Live Shows of 2009

Best shows I’ve been to this year:

10. Neon Indian @ The Larimer Lounge – All the pretty scenester boys and girls showed up for this one. Wish I could have seen the adorable Alan Palomo better, but we were all grooving to this one. If felt like a hazy, dreamy summer night on this cold fall eve.

9. Abe Vigoda @ Rhinoceropolis – My first Rhino experience and I fell in love, hard. Noise, noise, noise, beautiful people and handfuls of glitter.

8. My Bloody Valentine @ The Fillmore – I almost threw up from the pure sonic insanity. Seriously.

7. The Dutchess & The Duke @ The Larimer Lounge – They stole my heart with their witty, self-deprecating on stage banter and harmonious, heart-breaking songs.

6. Peaches @ The Gothic – You will never see another show that compares to a Peaches show, there are leotards aplenty, strap ons, duct taped nipples and that’s only the crowd. Peaches was everywhere in the venue, on the balcony, on top of your head and in your face.

5. Dan Deacon @ Rhinoceropolis – Dan Deacon shows are more of an experience than a traditional show. Synchronized interpretive dancing, check. Massive human tunnel, check. Fun, double check.

4. The Very Best @ Pitchfork Fest – The most memorable show of the fest. When you are competing with The Flaming Lips on the mainstage, singing in a language no one knows, and you some how manage to have the crowd eating out of your hand, whipped up into a dancing frenzy, well you’ve nailed it.

3. Starfucker @ The hi-dive – Hands down the best show I’ve ever seen at the hi-dive.  Ryan Bjornstad has the ability to eye fuck an entire crowd at the same time. I have no idea how he accomplishes this, but it’s amazing. You feel like he is singing just for you. This was one hot, sweaty, amazing, can’t-stop-dancing-for-a-second show.

2. Diplo @ The Church – The man didn’t crack a smile until the very last spin, he takes his dance music dead seriously. Another hot, hot, hot, sweaty dancefest. Every new song that dropped was somehow more wonderful than the next.

1. Phoenix @ The Bluebird – The night of MJ’s death the Frenchies brought it. They sound absolutely amazing live and they are super nice and down to earth. Their tour drummer is to die for. We bailed a little early and apparently missed an epic MJ dance party with the band on the floor and in the mix.

An Arbitrary Number of My Fav Songs from 2009

Everyone is doing their year end/decade end lists these days so I better get in on the action.

In no particular order. Well that’s not entirely true ’cause if we’re friends, then you’ll notice that this is the order of the mixes I made you!

Swimming Field – Memory Tapes
Snookered – Dan Deacon
Turn Me Well – Micachu & The Shapes
Summer Song – YACHT
Bulletproof – La Roux
The Reeling – Passion Pit
Swing Tree – Discovery
1901 – Phoenix
Warm Heart of Africa – The Very Best feat. Ezra Koenig
Medicine – Starfucker
11th Dimension – Julian Casablancas
Nothing To Worry About – Peter Bjorn and John
Deadbeat Summer – Neon Indian
Feel It All Around – Washed Out
My Girls – Animal Collective
Crystalised – The xx
Elephants – Warpaint
Velvet – The Big Pink
Vampire – Pink Mountaintops
Hellhole Ratrace – Girls
Living This Life Makes It Hard – The Dutchess & The Duke
Blood Bank – Bon Iver
Sunlight – tUnE-yArDs
Cheerleader – Grizzly Bear
Dark Tower – Miniature Tigers
Two Doves – Dirty Projectors
Phones Don’t Feud – Holiday Shores
Black Rice – Women
When They Fight, They Fight – The Generationals

A Few of My Favorite Things

A shout out to some of my favorite blogs.  I can (and do) spend hours reading, listening and finding inspiration on a daily basis.

Music

Transparent
MFR
Butter Team
Tiny Mix Tapes

Lifestyle/Humor

Stuff Hipsters Hate
K.I.D. Collective
Dutch Girl Cooking
The Satorialist

Pop Ya Eardrums!

I’m thankful for music!

1. The Dutchess & The Duke – Sunset/Sunrise – Saw this lovely duo last week at the Larimer Lounge. Beautiful, simple, sorrowful music and surprisingly funny and charming onstage banter. Key tracks: Hands, Living This Live Makes It Hard, I Don’t Feel Anything.

2. The Dutchess & The Duke – She’s the Dutchess, He’s the Duke. If you weren’t all over this album last year, slap yourself in the face and then, give it a listen!

3. tUnE-yArDs – Sunlight and Hatari off of Bird-Brains are on repeat right now. A one woman powerhouse.

4. Pink Mountaintops – Axis of Evol – Love this album. I gotta say I really barely remember anything from this show last weekend at the hi-dive. Damn you to hell whisky!

5. Julian Casablancas – 11th Dimension – Off of his solo effort Phrazes for the Young. Definitely the best song on the album. So catchy and danceable. Hmmm…makes me remember my crush on him circa 2001.