Bonobo

It's been almost four years since Bonobo (aka Simon Green) dropped a full-length on our ears, so pardon me if I get all giddy on you with this post. Bonobo gets heavy rotation in my mixes and iPod for their timeless, jazzy goodness. Like the right jacket, his music can class up any occasion. But that doesn't mean I haven't been craving some new material. Two tracks from the forthcoming Black Sands album have been released so far, both featuring sultry guest vocalist Andreya Triana (whose pipes graced Flying Lotus's Reset EP) and both have me salivating for more. If these two flavors any indication, we'll see some interesting range from our man come the end of March.

Below you'll find the video for "The Keeper" and both an album edit and a bumpin' Warrior One remix of "Eyesdown" for your downloading pleasure.

Speaking of remixes, Bonobo is flipping the remix contest script and offering his remix talents to the song that gets the most votes. Get in on Bonobo's own version of March Madness at bonobomusic.co.uk/remixcompetition (may the best bot, er...artist, win).

from Black Sands (2010):
Eyesdown (Preview Edit) [MP3, 7.6MB, 320kbps]
Eyesdown (Warrior One Remix) [MP3, 11.5MB, 320kbps]

www.ninjatune.net
myspace.com/sibonobo
bonobomusic.com

UltraChorus

The title of this first UltraChorus track reminds me of my five-year-old. He started talking later than most children do and he often uses his own syntax and vocabulary (he named his stuffed puppy LLPP, pronounced "lil-lip"). When he gets tired of listening to me, or anyone for that matter, he'll shake his hands and say, "Too many words, Dad." We've quickly adapted, for better or for worse, his version of English and whenever we're bored of anyone's verbal tirades, anytime their words keep talking and we've stopped listening, we shake our hands and repeat our kid's mantra. Their single artwork offers a keen graphic representation of this "too many words" phenomenon.

Musically, I can't get enough of UltraChorus. These boys from Minneapolis have got pep! Chris from the band used to be in Sukpatch, and his latest project is an extension of the bedroom beats he cranked out for Grand Royal way back in the '90s. Add the words "bubblegum disco" to the mix and you've got an idea of the party this duo dishes out.

Words Kept Talking [MP3, 11.0MB, 320kbps]
Scarlet Eyes [MP3, 9.0MB, 320kbps]

www.so-tm.com
www.ultrachorus.com

Ruckus Roboticus

At 28, Dan Haug, aka Ruckus Roboticus, is the youngest DJ to be inducted into the elite forces of Solid Steel, Coldcut's famed radio programme (as they spell it in the UK) and podcast...if my math is right. One thing I'm sure of, he's the only DJ from Dayton, Ohio, to roll with Solid Steel. I discovered him in catching up with my podcasts and his last session (featured below) is utter dopeness. Listen to any of his smiles-a-minute dance mixes — most of which are free for the downloading on his newly refurbished site — and you can see what all the hype is about. He takes this body moving seriously. And, after you fall in love with his ability to work with other people's music, be sure to purchase his equally infectious LP of original tunes, 2007's Playing With Scratches, using the convenient e-commerce links below. It's a quirky and sample-tastic romp in the vein of Kid Koala or Dosh. Thank you.

Solid Steel Radio Mix (5/15/09) [MP3, 54.7MB, 128kbps]
Vampire Weekend "Cape Kwassa Kwassa (Ruckus Roboticus Remix)" [MP3, 10.3MB, 320kbps]
Bloc Party "Hunting for Witches (Ruckus Roboticus Remix)" [MP3, 14.2MB, 320kbps]

www.greaserecords.com
www.ruckusroboticus.com
myspace.com/RuckusRoboticusMusic

Osborne

Todd Osborn reflects all that is great about Detroit to me. Like many of his local influences (including legendary radio DJs The Electrifying Mojo and The Wizard), he's a jack of all genres - producing techno, house, jungle, hip-hop, and dubstep records with equal aplomb. He's also a restless tinkerer with many side interests including, as his latest EP on Ghostly indicates, hovercrafting. "Fire" - from that EP - is a silky smooth disco track, a synthetic blend of strings, stings, guitar, and vibraphone over a buoyant 4/4 beat. On the other hand, "The Count," also on the EP, can only be shared in the context of its video, which lets his worldwide fans in on one of Detroit's treasured secrets: "The New Dance Show," a local late-night TV show that I, along with many other suburban Detroit kids, watched with great awe back in the late '80s. Twenty years later, those moves sync up nice and tight to this exquisite slice of minimalist techno without any need for special effects magic...

from Hovercrafting EP [2009]:
Fire [MP3, 8.8MB, 192kbps]

www.ghostly.com

autoKratz

French wunderkind label Kitsuné is feeling lucky! The seventh incarnation of their stellar compilation series hits early next month, and they've sifted out this nugget o' hard disco to share as an invitation to grab your sieve and join them in their search for more gold. autoKratz represents the electro side of Kitsuné's electro-pop spectrum, but neither autoKratz, nor the label allow themselves to be held hostage to pithy genres. They're explorers! Adventurers! Pop 'n' Lockers! Vocoders! They're all good and Kitsuné Maison #7 will trip you out! (safely and naturally, naturally).

Always More (Yuksek Remix) [MP3, 4.1MB, 128kbps]
Kitsuné Maison 7 Mini-mix [zip]

www.kitsune.fr
www.myspace.com/autokratz

Etienne de Crécy

A quick tip for the Coachella bound: Etienne De Crecy proves it's dope to be square. De Crécy makes his U.S. debut this Sunday night at Coachella and he's bringing his tricked out, larger than life Rubik's Cube-Lite Brite. I won't bore you with describing how the thing works. Watch the video to see this beautiful monster in action. The contraption was designed by fellow Frenchmen Exyst and when The Killers asked them to design a similar cube for their European MTV performance Exyst declined. The Killers ripped off the light show anyway. Of course, their version ended up looking like an, over-the-top, seizure inducing Hollywood Squares set. But that's beside the point

Though not a household name, de Crécy was instrumental in developing the French house sound. He and Alex Gopher founded the Solid record label and he's released a slew of singles and albums on his own and in collaboration with Cassius and Air. "Home" is an unreleased track that de Crécy plays during his live sets. Between the driving bass lines, the fuzzed out knob twiddles, and state-of-the-art light show, be sure to brace yourself for maximum tripping Sunday night in the Sahara Tent.

Hope [MP3, 6.3MB, 128kbps]

Etienne De Crecy Live 2007 Transmusicales de Rennes from Clement bournat on Vimeo.

www.myspace.com/etiennedecrecy

Project Jenny, Project Jan

Project Jenny, Project Jan soften the downtime since their debut album two years ago with this new collaborative EP. Considering the topic, their ode to unrequited love, "Pins and Needles," featuring Fujiya & Miyagi, settles into a smooth club groove, while their work with percussion wunderkinds and fellow Brooklynites So Percussion and Mixel Pixel stirs up darker, primordial feelings. The emotional range on this EP seems to span eons and reminds me of Shriekback's dark tone on Oil and Gold. It's unexpected (but not unwelcomed) from the usually playful PJPJ, but they return with their usual pluck on the final tracks with Adam Matta and Clack Singles Club. No matter their mood, Project Jenny, Project Jan has left me with a bout of paresthesia, eagerly anticipating their next album, due before year's end.

Pins and Needles Feat. Fujiya & Miyagi [MP3, 5.6MB, 160kbps]

Original Post 6/23/07:
Mapquest Project Jenny, Project Jan. Go ahead. I dare you. You'll have a hard time pinpointing the Brooklyn duo because they're all over the proverbial map. When their debut EP opens up with the marching band sound of "Fight Song," you know you're in for a treat. On their first full-length, XOXOXOXOXO, they start the party again with a nice brass section, giving way to a bright samba number. The freestyle-stylee vocals of Jeremy Haines keeps the tracks loose and the whole album will get you shake, shake, shaking your caboose, dancing the duck-duck-goose. Feeling down lately? These boys are sure to get you up and out of your seat with a little bit of banjo, a little bit of swing, a little bit of hip hop, a little bit of reggae and lots and lots of fun. Philly, Boston, Montreal, Toronto and Cleveland brace yourselves for this Brooklyn brand of electro-karaoke coming your way live next month with Fujiya & Miyagi. A match made in dancefloor heaven.

320 [MP3, 4.4MB, 192kbps]
Train Track [MP3, 3.9MB, 192kbps]

www.mightrecords.com
www.projectjennyprojectjan.com

Coltrane Motion

There's something about 3hive's hard drives and Coltrane Motion. Sam's crashed three years ago shortly before posting about Chicago's Coltrane Motion, and mine recently had to be replaced, too, shortly before posting about them. I had intended to also post some photos I took of Coltrane Motion when I saw them in May 2006 while in Chigaco, but I may have to blame a different hard drive crash from last summer for misplacing most of those. Which is rather unfortunate, as they played in an old church, and I got a sweet shot of Michael Bond bouncing under an enormous lighted cross while still trying to keep his mouth at microphone level and not tipping over his laptop stand. Michael, the driving force behind Coltrane Motion, is also a dead-ringer for 3hive's Sam, but alas, that photographic evidence is also missing. I did find an poor quality shot I took with my phone inside the church, which is below. Sam's description of Coltrane Motion still holds true, as further demonstrated by their first 7" release "The Year Without A Summer b/w Maya Blue," out tomorrow.

Original Post by Sam on 14 Jan 2006:
My hard drive crashed this week which, as reliant as I am on my PowerBook, is like suffering short-term memory loss. One of the few artists I remember having on tap for 3hive is Coltrane Motion, who are members of a Midwest artist-run collective/label called, irony of ironies, datawaslost. These tracks are a good representation of Coltrane Motion's "sound" — in quotes because they seem to have as many "sounds" as they have songs, due in part to their habit of making their own software and instruments. This makes remembering what I wanted to say about Coltrane Motion even more difficult. Was I pogoing to the urgent dance-punk of "I Guess the Kids Are OK" or singing along to the sizzling crooner pop of "Pi Is Exactly Three"? Cutting rug to the cheeky Beck send-up "Supersexy '67" or stroking my chin to the backmasked glitch 'n' beats of "The End of Every Movie"? Couldn't tell ya. So I guess I'll own up to liking all four. And, please, before you start downloading: a moment of silence for my hard drive...

The Year Without a Summer [MP3, 3.6MB, 192kbps]

Older songs:
I Guess the Kids Are OK [MP3, 4.0MB, 160kbps]
Pi Is Exactly Three [MP3, 4.6MB, 160kbps]
Supersexy '67 [MP3, 3.1MB, 160kbps]
The End of Every Movie [MP3, 3.1MB, 160kbps]

www.datawaslost.net
www.coltranemotion.com

Men Without Pants

What can you expect from Dan the Automator and Russell Simins? Everything and more! After shelving the album last year in order to record material and bring it up to their collective high standards, the two are reportedly releasing Naturally next month. Dan's manning the programming and electronics while Simins is once again ripping apart the drums, guitars and vocals. Of course this dynamic duo knows how to throw a party, so they've invited Sean Lennon, Cibo Matto (my best guest as to who's singing on "My Balloon"), The Mooney Suzuki, and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The song title that best represents the sound on this album is "Rock Party," because, well, that's exactly what this album is. Overall the album is a gritty, rhythm and blues attack with the Automator's beats and programming ratcheted up something fierce. Then there's "My Balloon," this airy, psychedelic treat in between the sound and fury. The album slowly mellows and concludes with a few reflective indie-rock slow jams. Fans of the Blues Explosion will probably dig this more than the Gorillaz gang, but all y'all should give it a spin!

My Balloon [MP3, 5.6MB, 160kbps]

www.expansionteamrecords.com
www.myspace.com/menwithoutpants

Michna

Asking me to pick my favorite track off Magic Monday is like asking me which child I love the most, or which food I love the most. Ask me on any particular day and I'll have a favorite, sushi for instance, in fact I'll be enjoying my favorite faux-sushi of all time, the Bungee Roll, this evening. Actually I wouldn't do the same with my children. My favorite quote from Michna himself comes when his label's owner asks him to list the samples he'll need to clear, to which Michna responds, "What samples?" I'd like to hope Michna's reply represents a new, knowing artistic naïvety in which a new generation moves past the plundering of hip-hop's history and forges on with their own original beats and breaks (not that there's anything wrong with samples!). He's been paying his dues DJing parties in New York with tapes (yes!) and cutting remixes for Diplo (with his previous Secret Frequency Crew), Bonde Do Role, and surprisingly Jandek. Made playful by his trombone playing and use of found sounds (especially the answering machines, air hockey, and skateboards) his bass heavy pastiche work remind me of our old friend Alan Sutherland aka Land of the Loops (where ya at Al?). If you're in the market for a good slow and steady, fun groove: Michna's your man.

Swiss Glide [MP3, 5.1MB, 192kbps]

www.ghostly.com
www.myspace.com/eggfooyoung

Boy Eats Drum Machine

It's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm still thinking about eating. Even the music I'm listening to reminds me of eating. Enter Boy Eats Drum Machine. It's somewhat of a misnomer because Jon Ragel the multi-instrumentalist behind the moniker is all grown up and no, he didn't eat a drum machine. Instead, he joined forces with a who's who line-up of Portland indie rock drummers via a local drum break series called Bridgetown Breaks. Drum credits go to the drummers of Viva Voce, Talkdemonic, and Menomena among others. Ragel adds everything else and it's a plateful: turntables, synths, tenor sax, guitar, organ, and yes, bravely, vocals. RJd2 didn't even step behind the mic until his second album. From record one (Booomboxxx is his third) Ragel's armed with one turntable, one microphone and all the goodies mentioned above. The result is a scratchy, earnest pastiche of jazz, breaks, spaghetti western soundtracks, and soulful crooning. A delicious mix of sounds for the whole family to feast on this holiday season!

From Booomboxxx (2008):
Planets + Stars [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]
Demonic with Horns [MP3, 4.1MB, 192kbps]

From Two Ghosts (2007):
From an Oregon Shore [MP3, 4.0MB, 192kbps]

Live Mash Up #2:
Michael Jackson + Talking Heads [MP3, 5.7MB, 192kbps]

Four songs from Booomboxxx:
Fre*e*p [ZIP, 23.1MB]

More music from Boy Eats Drum Machine:

Hoop + Music [MP3]
Hoop + Wire LP available through Tender Loving Empire on 3/2/10.

www.tenderlovingempire.com
www.boyeatsdrummachine.com

Skew

The opening track on Skew's debut album is a bit of an understatement. Stadiums are more than just OK. Stadiums are where things first got skewed for Skew. I'm assuming as much. At six, a young Skew got turned onto the rock 'n' roll at an Iron Maiden concert. Afterwards, his grandfather financed guitar lessons, he ended up at Berklee College of music, and the rest is history. Skew sludges out ethereal rock riffs and then lays down hip hop beats to keep the party moving. The result is a grittier Ratatat with a raw, bone-rattling low-end. You can hear his progression on the baskets of tracks on his site. There are plenty of originals along with his under the radar remixes—Radiohead, M.I.A., Yeah Yeah Yeahs—and his mash ups of Nirvana and The Beatles against themselves. Get Skew today (the album's fresh on sale) and expect plenty more from him in the future.

Stadiums Are OK Too [MP3, 3.8MB, 160kbps]
Can I Get More of Everything in the Monitors [MP3, 3.0MB, 160kbps]

skewmusic.com
itsbananasmusic.com

Lone

Bless Sean West's (Dealmaker Studios in Nottingham) email earnestness and his consistant harping on us all summer, trying to open our eyes and ears to Lone. We're listening! and loving it! Lone is one Matt Cutler, beat-maker, audio-cut-and-paster, and all-around sonic-magician. Cutler lays down hip-hop beats then layers the tracks with illusory flourishes, broken chords, and dream-inducing 8-bit melodies. This is the music I heard in my head when I read the Chronicles of Narnia (before current literature to screen trends began destroying young imaginations). This is the music I imagined the band of lizards playing in Daniel Pinkwater's Lizard Music. Give it a try. Do your own mini mash-up of Pinkwater Vs. Lone to see what I mean. Youthful, imaginative, and sweetly psychedelic Lone will likely conjure up visions of rainbows, sparkly unicorns, Mozart playing lizards, magic wardrobes or any other mystical apparitions floating around in your subconscious.

Fly Fire Rainbow [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]
Crimson Drank [MP3, 2.8MB, 320kbps]

www.dealmakerrecords.com
www.myspace.com/lonemusic

Ruby Isle

Get ready to cut the rug, because this here is a bumping dose of pure dance energy from this indie supertrio. Dan Geller and Mark Mallman grew up together in Wisconsin playing chess and trading mixtapes. After graduation Geller, whose mixtapes often included The Smiths, The Cure and New Order, moved to Athens, GA, started up Kindercore Records, and began recording pop-tronic gems under the name I Am The World Trade Center. Mallman, who had contributed bands like Pink Floyd and Velvet Underground to their mixtapes, went the art school route and began recording over the top piano pop under his own name. The two reconnected and wanted to blend their styles of music. That's when drummer Aaron Lemay stepped in. When he heard the demos he said, "I can't let you two fools attempt this madness alone." Then there were three fools making foolishly fun arena dance music. I can imagine a grafting of Daft Punk and Queen producing a sound a lot like this.

NIghtshot [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]
Hey Hey Hey [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]

www.kindercore.com
www.myspace.com/rubyisle

Girl Talk

At the risk of revealing myself as A) behind the times, and B) a complete tool, I’m going to share that I’ve recently gotten back into heavy exercise. At the gym, I usually listen to (here’s where the “complete tool” part comes in) This American Life or some other talky podcast where I don’t have to worry about (tool again) consistently high-energy beats. But praise be to Pittsburgh’s Greg Gillis, whose Night Ripper from 2006 is a (the behind the times part) mashup masterpiece that (tool) keeps my adrenaline PUMPED, man! For my money, Z-Trip is still the high-water mark of such guerrilla hip-hop-classic-rock-punk-pop-whatever mixing, but what Gillis does with the riffs from The Pixies, the Strokes and Weezer in “Hold Up” helps me burn 500 calories in two minutes. Girl Talk’s newest, Feed the Animals, is available here for whatever price you want to pay, which I’ve already done so that I can take my workout to anotha level of behind-the-times toolness. Join me and feel the burn!

Hold Up [MP3, 5.9MB, 283kbps]
Bounce That [MP3, 7.4MB, 296kbps]

myspace.com/girltalk
www.illegalart.net

Santogold

I know I've been taking the "summer hours" concept a little too seriously, but it's hard to do anything but enjoy summer when you have something stuck in your iPod like Top Ranking, Diplo's "mixtape" treatment of Santogold's debut album. Diplo's dub-bass-electro-hop concoction provides a textured playground for Santi White's angelic and sassy brand of new wave. Unreleased mixes of Santi tracks bounce in and out between cuts from Three 6 Mafia, Benga, B-52s, Ratatat, and Sir Mix-a-Lot—there's a smile around every corner. (If this sounds familiar, Diplo did the same for the last big indie "it" girl, M.I.A., on the eve of her debut album with the 2004 mixtape Piracy Funds Terrorism.)

Now, if you're picturing me just swaying away in a shady hammock you're only partly right. Top Ranking also got me off my butt and running every morning (five weeks and counting!). And it's been the soundtrack to some spontaneous summer grill action... I don't mean to overpromise but I guarantee it will make your life better—even if that means you forget to update your blog for over a month.

These tracks are some tasty Santogold remixes featured on Diplo's Mad Decent label, though they're not even on Top Ranking. For that, you'll want to head over to turntablelab.com and drop $12 for the 75-minute mix.

Starstruck (Diplo Remix) [MP3, 6.4MB, 160kbps]
L.E.S. Artistes (Grahm Zilla Euromix) [MP3, 11.9MB, 320kbps]

http://maddecent.com
http://www.myspace.com/diplo
http://www.myspace.com/grahmzillamusic
http://www.myspace.com/santogold

Chromeo

Four years later (look how short our posts used to be back then...) and Chromeo are still making us feel touched for the very first time with their naughty '80s dance funk. Their latest release offers their sophomore album, Fancy Footwork, plus a bonus disc of greatest hits, videos, and remixes (though there are at least twice as many still floating out there in clubland). Get your tight white pants on for this action.

Previous post (from 6/21/04): A faithful homage to '80s processed funk phenomena (Jesse Johnson's Revue, Timex Social Club, Oran "Juice" Jones, et al), "Needy Girl" could be my not-so-guilty pleasure of the summer. (This post updated on 09.16.04 with a couple of swell "Me & My Man" remixes.)

from Fancy Footwork: Deluxe Edition (2008):
Bonafied Lovin' (Yuksek Remix) [MP3, 8.2MB, 256kbps]
Me & My Man (Whitey vs. Chromeo Fly Whitey Mix) [MP3, 5.7MB, 192kbps]

from Fancy Footwork (2007):
Tenderoni [MP3, 6MB, 192kbps]

from She's in Control (2004):
Needy Girl [MP3, 5.9MB, 192kbps]

Miscellaneous remixes:
Fancy Footwork (Guns 'n' Bombs Remix) [MP3, 8.1MB, 192kbps]
Me & My Man (The Juan Maclean Mix) [MP3, 9.2MB, 192kbps]

www.vice-recordings.com
http://www.myspace.com/chromeo
www.chromeo.net

Cannonball Jane

Whenever I hear the name Jane I can't help thinking about a high school friend of mine (spelled "Jayne"). She was one of maybe three people from my school I hung out with my senior year. When I attended a reunion recently my wife asked me, not facetiously, "Are you even going to know anyone here?" The only person I could think of was Jayne, but I knew she wouldn't be there. Like me, Jayne was slightly anti-social. As I expected, no Jayne. But you know how high school reunions put you in that nostalgic mood/mode? Thus affected, I did some internet sleuthing and actually tracked Jayne down, an entire continent away, hoping to say hello and catch up. I left two awkward voice messages (it's impossible to sound casual, as if I hadn't talked to her for a week when in fact it had been years). Did Jayne call back? Nope. Made me feel even more awkward, like I was some creepy internet stalker!

I think if Jayne's personality were more like Cannonball Jane's music we would've had a nice conversation, shared a few good laughs, and traded our latest listens and reads. See, Cannonball Jane is playful, colourful (Jayne was from England—she made me use British spellings), and obviously up for some fun. By day Cannonball Jane teaches elementary school. By night Jane, aka Sharon Hagopian, fires up the beatbox, guitars, synths and gadgets and records a groovin' pastiche of hip hop, new wave, and sixties pop. A mix of Soul Coughing and Luscious Jackson, Mary Tyler Moore and Solex. This is the kind of woman I'd trust to educate my children and school me in the ways of beats and breaks and dance party extravaganzas. Hey, sounds a lot like Alisa, the woman I married. Who, by the way, tracked down one of her old high school friends during a reunion year. And he called her back! Who wouldn't? She's fun like that.

The Secret Handshake [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]

Stream the Knees Up! EP

www.myspace.com/gaddycatrecords
www.cannonballjane.com

Ratatat

Since I first posted Ratatat four years ago all the original MP3s have been taken down. See, you gotta grab the goods while there are goods to grab (you can still download their second mixtape here). You'll notice also my short and sweet review. I stand by it. Ratatat remains one of the tastiest instrumental groups groovin' on U.S. shores. Their first two albums are in regular rotation in Alisa's car as the beats and riffs of Mast and Stroud work magic soothing our three savage beasts. She's gonna go giddy when I tell her about new Ratatat. Hey, the new album is out June 8th, the same week as her birthday. I'm gonna hold off on the news until I can wrap it up in fancy paper and bows. Shhhhh. Don't say anything to her. No, I don't need to worry about her reading this. She never does. 3hive to Alisa means her husband butt-planted in front of the computer for hours listening to music too loud while she's trying to get some shut eye. Though, when I dig up gems like this for her 3hive's a bed of roses...

Mirando [MP3, 5.5MB, 192kbps]

Original posting 05.06.04:
Ratatat is to American Bedroom Beats what Daft Punk is to French House.

www.ratatatmusic.com
www.xlrecordings.com

Martina Topley Bird

I was surprised to find these tracks in my in-box. They're quite the weekend treat. As you might imagine I spend a fair amount of time scouring the web for new music and I haven't heard a peep from the Independiente label since DeeJay Punk-Roc's '98 release of Chicken Eye. Obviously I'm not listening closely enough. They're Travis' UK label. OK, so I've got some catching up to do. And besides the occasional David Holmes or Diplo track she sings on, I haven't spent quality time with Ms. Topley-Bird. That's gonna change too. Today. String theorists searching for other dimensions just may find what they're looking for if they'd get strung out on some MTB. Topley-Bird's voice carries me to other worlds, worlds I first discovered listening to Tricky's Maxinquaye where she played the beautifully haunting foil to his gravelly trip-hop hero. Topley-Bird herself is off on her own inter-genre exploration with co-pilot/producer Dangermouse. Whether it's the dusty after hours slow-mo of "Valentine," the playfully seductive "Carnies," or this bumpin' club remix of "Poison" Martina Topley Bird's buttery-rich voice easily lilts your soul enough to keep you just on this side of an out of body experience.

Poison (Van She remix) [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]
Valentine [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.independiente.co.uk
www.martinatopleybird.com

Rench

Nope, I didn't mess up on those genres up there. Rench is a Brooklyn-based producer who mixes old bluegrass and country samples with a standup band that includes slide guitar and fiddle, and he pulls it all together with hip hop beats and splits vocals between country guys and gals and underground emcees from around the way. If your head's about to explode, join the club. The mere thought of it in abstract made me think of those fun but mostly throwaway "crossovers" like Hayseed Dixie and The Gourds' "Gin & Juice." But hey, if Snoop Dogg's gonna show up at the CMT Awards and Clinton and Obama are gonna keep fighting over who really has his or her finger on the pulse of America, we may as well get down to mashups of extreme urban and rural. And you will get down. It doesn't all work, but when Rench hits it, which is done particularly deftly on "Street Soldier" and "Oh Sleeper," you can truly imagine Gangstagrass blasting from Escalades on Flatbush and F-150's in the Appalachians. As for "Come Back to Brooklyn," it won me over by capturing the spirit of my former borough and the downhome hospitality of my new southern environs. It's a toe-tapper and a window-rattler.

Street Soldier (Deep Thoughts) [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]
Oh Sleeper [MP3, 5.2MB, 192kbps]
Theme from Mean Season [MP3, 4.9MB, 192kbps]
Get On It (Deep Thoughts and Kaz Mir) [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]
Come Back to Brooklyn [MP3, 4.6MB, 192kbps]
Download Full Gangstagrass Mix [ZIP, 72MB]

www.renchaudio.com
myspace.com/renchaudio

Rae Davis

I so need this right now. Lately my brain has been swelling at the seams as I work through my first year of teaching (in the face of pending budget cuts that may very well force me into retirement decades too soon), grading (English teachers do too much), and, the really hard part: snowboarding, skateboarding, biking, legoing, and birthday-partying with my kids. Just as I'm about to lie down to sleep (quick usage lesson) I came across this chilly gem. How chill is it you ask? As chill as a stay-cold pillow my friend Mitch talks about developing. I'm gonna cozy up to these beats and deep, bone-shaking bass plucks, and pass out. Like this photo of Mr. Davis himself. You're about to be schooled in the ways of quality downtempo and quality down time courtesy of this up and coming Texan.

Yesterday's History [MP3, 5.6MB, 192kbps]
This I Dig of You [MP3, 5.6MB, 192kbps]

www.antipop.net

Matthew Dear

Even if you've only listened to my radio show a handful of times, chances are you've heard me play Matthew Dear. His more immediate songs (the ones offered here are such examples) have chameleon-like qualities. They fit so well next to other electronic songs, obviously, but they also segue well with pop songs, new wave tracks, especially the darker ones (like Joy Division), and well, just about any other track I throw them up against. Ironically, Dear's lackadaisical vocal delivery lends a populist air to his minimalist-techno tracks (it's a warmer version of Kraftwerk's robotic vocals) and with every release he gets deliciously close to busting out a crossover hit. When it comes right down to it, I just dig this stuff. Plus, his albums are easily accessible in the KUCI music library, just over my left shoulder, which saves my show from ever embarrassing bouts of dead air.

from Asa Breed: Black Edition (2008):
Neighborhoods [MP3, 4.0MB, 172kbps]
Deserter [MP3, 5.9MB, 205kbps]
Don and Sherri (Hot Chip Version) [MP3, 5.2MB, 166kbps]

from Leave Luck to Heaven (2003):
But for You [MP3, 5.2MB, 189kbps]

Buy from iTunes

www.ghostly.com
www.matthewdear.com

Honey Claws

As most of the music world heads to Austin, Texas this week for the annual South By South West music festival I'm stuck here in my front bedroom doing the virtual bar crawl hunting for something new to listen to and re-living past SXSWs. Honey Claws is just the sort of thing I'd hope to run into at 1 A.M. my feet weary from the walking, my head hurting from all the rocking, but these grooves would buoy me up for another couple hours. These two tracks sound a bit like Nine Inch Nails tempered and mellowed through Beck's beatbox and microphone. The rest of the album will take you on a wild bounce deep into the heart of Austin's freak-hop-tronic scene. Sure, that may just be the Honey Claws' garage but bigger things have blossomed from humbler origins.

SXSW showcase: Wednesday night @ 115 Club.

Villains [MP3, 4.8MB, 256kbps]
July [MP3, 4.8MB, 256kbps]

www.honeyclaws.com
www.myspace.com/honeyclaws

Realistic

Realistic (brainchild of musician/motion graphics designer James Towning) started a la Negativland: whipping up a smirky hodge-podge of everything from self-help tapes to soap operas to classic rock. With Perpetual Memory Loss, Realistic rises to the next level, crafting some outright tuneful (if chaotic) thumpers from layers of sounds and samples. These tracks illustrate the contrast between albums, but don't even represent the best that Realistic has to offer. Stream the whole album here in order to hear the excellent tracks "Music in the Round" and "Amazing Fall."

from Perpetual Memory Loss (2007):
The Camera Track [MP3, 2.7MB, 128kbps]
Snowday Plaything [MP3, 2.7MB, 128kbps]

from Private Moments (2006):
Angel 2000 [MP3, 3.9MB, 160kbps]
Larry Love Said [MP3, 2.8MB, 160kbps]

www.myspace.com
www.illegalart.net

4Hero

Today’s selection is actually a nice bookend to Lisa’s Hello, Blue Roses post yesterday, albeit 4Hero has always been more of a sweeping club fave than an electronic bedroom dweller. Way back in 1999, I took a job in Los Angeles and drove down the very next day in my Chevy Sprint Turbo (yes, turbo), and 4Hero’s Two Pages, which came out a few months before, was about the only cassette I had that would play in my cheapo radio. Unlike the CD release, the promo segregated the darker drum’n’bass onto one cassette and the more chilled-out, string-laden fusion stuff onto another. As the title suggests, one was a great antidote to the other. In the central Utah mountains? Time for Ursula Rucker’s smooth spoken-word over lovely breakbeats and sweeping strings. Trudging the home stretch through the Mojave? Bring on the sci-fi jungle. Since that bygone era when we were all going to be dot-com millionaires, 4Hero has gravitated more and more toward the groove, and “Morning Child” has the feel of both a return to form and a culmination of the form. It also sounds like a lithe and lovely summer song, so perhaps it’ll warm up your new year a few degrees.

Morning Child (Radio Edit) [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]

4hero.co.uk
milanrecords.com

C.O.C.O.

C.O.C.O. play funky dance music, as does their lumberjack-soulman-boss Calvin Johnson, with an unselfconscious swagger that wears its anti-hipster lameness like a faded black t-shirt, not to mention on instruments that won’t be rendered useless when the power goes out at the house party (although their propensity for dub fadeouts might get lost with the lights out). Olivia Ness and Chris Sutton are a rhythm section in no need of melodies. It’s what all the Olympia kids are dancing to these days, and with any luck these rhythms will sweep the nation and set basement parties afire from coast to coast.

You Think But You Don’t/Tamara Dobson [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]

www.krecs.com
myspace.com/cocosound

Mojib

Staffan Ulmert (aka Mojib) shares a taste in music with many of us here at 3hive. He lists Explosions in the Sky, UNKLE, Sixtoo, and The Avalanches as inspirations. Instead of blah, blah, blahgging about about these artists however, Ulmert settles down in front of his computer in Gothenburg, Sweden, and composes his own music and remixes some of his favorite artists (check out his remix of Ian Brown and his UNKLE / Notwist mashup). No new formula here: solid hip-hop beats, pop melodies, strings, pianos, and samples galore (what's that main riff in "Break of Dawn"??? It's driving me nuts. Sigur Rós? Radiohead?) Mojib provides plenty of teaser tracks on his website, but the litmus test, his first proper full-length (Whimsical Lifestyle) drops next month on Canada's Non-Existent Recordings.

Break of Dawn (demo) [MP3, 5.0MB, 229kbps]
Learn the Put Down [MP3, 5.6MB, 192kbps]
My Love [MP3, 4.2MB, 192kbps]
Ian Brown - Upside Down (Mojib Remix) [MP3, 5.3MB, 192kbps]
UNKLE / Notwist - In a State (Mojib mashup) [MP3, 6.7MB, 229kbps]

www.nxr.ca
www.mojib.net

Calvin Harris

Three song titles from I Created Disco, the debut long-player from Scotland's Calvin Harris, succinctly sum up the sound of the album: Electro Man-Making Merry At My Place-Disco Heat. Drop this track during any ol' get-together at your pad and you'll have the place bumping, friends, enemies!, making merry to the thumpin' bass-line. Don't take the tongue-in-cheek title literally. What Calvin Harris has created is disco in his own image: bedroom producer of the YouTube generation, behind his Amiga computer, making beats & riffs like it was 1984, the year of his birth.

Merry Making At My Place [MP3, 4.7MB, 160kbps]
Merry Making At My Place (Mr. Oizo remix) [MP3, 4.0MB, 160kbps]
Acceptable in the '80s [MP3, 6.4MB, 160kbps]

www.almostgoldrecordings.com
www.calvinharris.co.uk

Amon Tobin

Amon Tobin has always transcended categorizations as a DJ or producer or even DJ/producer. He's more like a filmmaker who spends so much time perfecting his soundtracks that he never gets around to making the movies. And that's OK because, wow, those soundtracks are something to hear. Orchestral arrangements mingle with stormy soundscapes, beats without borders prop up artificially intelligent samples, sinister rhythms give way to buoyant melodies. The whole world is Tobin's canvas, which makes it somewhat unfair to post only one track, the sublime opener to his most recent full-length, Foley Room. But hey, mathematically, one is infinitely more than zero, so take what you can get and let EMusic or another outlet feed the rest of your inevitable Tobin addiction.

Bloodstone [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]

www.amontobin.com
myspace.com/tobinamon
www.ninjatune.net

Transformantra

Today, thanks to the folks at Canadian net-label Decibel Palace, we rediscover a rare electronic quartet with a taste for techno, funk, and 80s synth-sounds. The resulting output resembles Mr. Scruff circa year 2099, a playful, futuristic-nostalgia. Toronto's answer to Kraftwerk? Unfortunately the band disbanded eight years ago after releasing an initial 12" (with "Liquor Mart" as the a-side) and a 10-track debut featuring a remix by Freaky Chakra. Dave Allen (Gang of Four, Shriekback) planned on releasing their sophomore effort on his World Domination label. When his domination attempt failed the album was shelved and the band went on their separate ways. Live, Transformantra employed live instrumentation and improvisational re-mixing and set King Svenie (a veteran rave dancer/illustrator) loose on the stage, dancing around, costumed like the cosmos. Here's hoping for a Transformantra reunion show in the Gobi tent at Coachella!

Liquor Mart [MP3, 8.5MB, 192kbps]
Sleet [MP3, 8.9MB, 192kbps]

Buy from iTunes

www.decibelpalace.com
www.myspace.com/transformantra

65 Days of Static

Just read my original post...so much has changed and so much hasn't. Same goes for 65 Days of Static. They're still making instrumental rock that I actually like. But they've since matured their sound a bit. It's less of an aural blitz and more of subtle, studied sound. Don't get me wrong, they still have an edge to them: they had to kick a Scottish after-school dance troupe out of their own auditorium to record the grand piano for this album. Now that's rock 'n' roll.

Original post (12/20/2004): I just got back from two weeks of working in London. Sounds great, I know, and for the most part it was. But, as a wise man once crooned, "being apart ain't easy on this love affair." So, as I fought jet lag and IMed my wife at 2am, I'd leave the TV on in the background for a little company. I usually kept it on mute, but when the video for 65 Days of Static's "Retreat!Retreat!" flickered on, I turned up the volume and got sucked right in. Why can't we just swap these guys for Linkin Park and make the charts a better place for everyone? Here are a couple secular tracks, plus a seasonal treat to play in your iPod as you fight through the crowds at Toys 'R' Us. Ho ho ho, indeed.

from The Destruction of Small Things (2007):
When We Were Younger and Better [MP3, 6.4MB, 128kbps]
Don't Go Down to Sorrow [MP3, 6.5MB, 128kbps]

from The Fall of Math (2004):
Hole [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]
I Swallowed Hard, Like I Understood [MP3, 5.0MB, 128kbps]

Unreleased:
I'm Dreaming of a White Noise Christmas/Christina [MP3, 4.5MB, 128kbps]

www.monotremerecords.com
www.dustpunkrecords.com
www.65daysofstatic.com

Alias

How about a hefty dose from Alias! Today we feature a broad sampling from Alias's discography, beginning with remixes from his brand-spanking new remix collection, coincidentally titled Collected Remixes. Alias is anything but generic when it comes to producing his music. He adds so much more to his remix projects than a throwaway beat. He makes each song his own with his signature atmospherics and keyboard work—from reworking indie stalwart John Vanderslice to dropping the low end on Lali Puna's björk-core to goblet-shattering levels.

Alias stands head and shoulders above most hip-hop producers because rather than relying on sampling Alias implements live and electronic instrumentation. He still taps the past for inspiration as evidenced by the Black Celebration era riff of "Cobblestone Waltz," a track recorded with his brother Ehren for their collaborative instrumental album, Lillian. And don't miss his work with Rona "Tarsier" Rapadas. It's anything but a sidenote. His colorful production gently lifts her already lush and soaring vocals. There's plenty here to digest, but just a few songs in you'll hear how Alias, like several of his fellow Bay Area beat-heads, has single-handedly broadened the boundaries of hip-hop, revealing its rich possibilities.

Remixes:
John Vanderslice - Exodus Damage (Alias Remix) [MP3, 7.1MB, 192kbps]
Lali Puna - Alienation (Alias Remix) [MP3, 5.0MB, 192kbps]
The One AM Radio - What You Gave Away (Alias Remix) [MP3, 8.1MB, 192kbps]

Alias:
Pill Hiding [MP3, 3.5MB, 192kbps]
Eyes Closed [MP3, 3.9MB, 192kbps]
Again For the First Time [MP3, 3.6MB, 192kbps]
Unseen Sights w/ Markus Acher from The Notwist [MP3, 4.1MB, 192kbps]

Alias & Ehren:
Cobblestoned Waltz [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]

Alias & Tarsier:
Dr. C [MP3, 4.2MB, 192kbps]
Plane that Draws a White Line [MP3, 3.7MB, 192kbps]

www.anticon.com
www.myspace.com/alias

Ghislain Poirier

Trying to keep it Francophone here...Montreal DJ Ghislain Poirier has range. His distinctive rebel beats draw from a range of styles — from Ragga to Detroit techno. (Ghis prefers to call his sound "le gros," as in the fatness, which I won't dispute.) He teams up with a wide range of MCs, from dancehall toaster DJ Collage to fellow Quebequois Seba. And he's been called upon to remix a range of artists from Les Georges Lenningrad to Lady Sovereign to some up-and-comer named Jay Z. While these MP3s are nice tastes his best work can be found on his two albums for Chocolate Industries, a label that unfortunately doesn't provide freeloads. Don't let that stop you from having a listen (they're available on eMusic). He also has an album slated for the fall on Ninja Tune.

from Rebondir EP (2006):
Papa Pimp [MP3, 5.6MB, 192kbps]

from Bounce le Remix (2006):
Jay Z "Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Ghislain Poirier Remix)" [MP3, 5.5MB, 192kbps]
Busta Rhymes "Light Yo Ass on Fire (Ghislain Poirier Remix)" [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]

www.ninjatune.com
www.chocolateindustries.com
www.ghislainpoirier.com

Kinetic Stereokids

Kinetic Stereokids hail from Flint, Michigan (third most dangerous city in the U.S. and one of the most depressing), where I reckon they hear a lot of car alarms. But you know what they say...when life gives you car alarms, make samples. And why stop with car alarms? KSK's debut Basement Kids is an enticing grab bag of found sounds and samples, as well as free-range rap, folk and rock guitar, drowsy ballads, garage beats, cuttin' and scratchin', experimental knob noodling, and other random bits. Beck employed similar means to reach a different end on records like Mellow Gold and Odelay. Here there is a melancholy, desperate, and spiteful undercurrent which makes even the rough edges compelling to listen to. It won't necessarily get the party started but makes an excellent public transportation soundtrack.

Barefoot in the Rain [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]
Cold and Tired [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]

www.kineticstereokids.net

The Battle Royale

Now this is refreshing. A band that cops to copping. "We copy everyone." Now that that's cleared up and out of the way get ready for some dance action. The Battle Royale are a toothsome young foursome from Minnesota that began as a folk ensemble but then discovered the little "techno" settings on a garage sale keyboard. They never looked back. They won their one album deal with Afternoon records by dominating a local venue's "Battle of the Underage Underground" competition (three of the members were still in high school a year ago). They've got the groove-itude of CSS and the playfulness of Atari Teenage Riot if Atari Teenage Riot were playful like their name suggests. Here's hoping The Battle Royale never take themselves seriously.

Oh, Martha [MP3, 4.7MB, 160kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.afternoonrecords.com
www.myspace.com/thebattleroyalemusic

Thieves Like Us

A great tip from Lismore's email blast. The two bands just played Friday at the Delancy in NYC. I can't stop listening to the 12" from Thieves Like Us. This A-side plays like a lost track from the Trainspotting soundtrack. A little New Order, a little Daft Punk, a lot of dance floor fun. A tribute to tripping. 3hive does not condone illegal drug use (at least not before breakfast), but we fully support dropping beats that induce body moving euphoria. Tune into these two Swedes and a Yankee and let yourself go.

For those of you keeping score at home, this post marks 3hive's 1,000th entry. Make some noise!

Drugs in My Body [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]

http://www.thieves-like-us.com

L.A.O.S.

I've been holding out on posting this one...holding out for the day when L.A.O.S.'s brilliant (not to mention educational!) "Panda Style" single becomes available to the masses—or to me, at least. Alas, it's not widely available in any format and I can't, according to the 3hive Oath, keep awesome free MP3 downloads to myself. L.A.O.S. (Large Amount of Soul) are a drum 'n' bass trio from Helsinki with a great ear for deep hooks, cheeky samples, and beats that won't quit. "Drowning Deep Inside Your Soul" is a good taste of their sound. However, if you want to hear "Panda Style" you can stream it from their MySpace page, or download the DJ Abraham (1/3 of L.A.O.S.) mix from their old school site where it sits alongside some other killer dubplates. Also, if you don't mind voiceover—and in this particular case I really don't—I'd recommend the thrilling Hospital Records podcast where I first heard "Panda Style" (thanks Moodmat!). Rumor has it, L.A.O.S. will release at least one title on Hospital in the near future. Fingers crossed it's you-know-what...

Drowning Deep Inside Your Soul [MP3, 15.4MB, 320kbps]

www.largeamountofsoul.net
www.myspace.com/largeamountofsoul

Tom Rothrock

An album named after the instrument it fetishizes, Resonator (a wood-bodied guitar with a single metal coned center often called by the brand name DOBRO) is producer Tom Rothrock's first album as a recording artist. You'll immediately recognize the Resonator's bluesy soul sound as the backbone of many of Beck's early songs. You old-timers and blues enthusiasts may scoff at pop music's grope at authenticity, re-discovering the guitar some fifty years after its heyday. You cannot, however, chide Rothrock's passion for the instrument. This instrumental work resonates with respect and reverence. He adds hip-hop beats, live drums and strings to the equation for a cinematic mood and scope. Fitting, considering it was Michael Mann's urging Rothrock to compose the score for Mann's film Collateral, that set the prolific producer to work on his own compositions. Getting your hands on the entire album may prove problematic as it's been limited to a one-time pressing of 1,203 hand-numbered copies. Not to fear, it's just the first in a series of instrumental albums planned by Mr. Rothrock, released via his newly re-launched Bong Load Records.

Darker Blues [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]

www.myspace.com/mrrothrock

Caural

Caural is short for Chicago's Artful Underdog Resists Abstract Labeling. Okay, I made that up. Caural is the stagename for multi-talented musician Zachary Mastoon whose off-kilter beats, found samples, and moody synths often find him compared to Four Tet, Prefuse 73, and Daedelus. Flattering company as far as I'm concerned, but not necessarily satisfying as a description. He's got a sound all his own and each track packs its own little surprises if you listen carefully.

from Mirrors for Eyes (2006):
I Won't Race You [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]

from Remembering Today (2005):
Entre Chien et Loup [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]

www.mushrecords.com
www.chocolateindustries.com
www.myspace.com/caural
www.caural.net

Muggs

I know this one's a few years old but this is such the un-Muggs album and perfect for this moody time of year. Muggs is best known for the venomous hooks behind all your favorite Cypress Hill and House of Pain joints, as well as collabos with various hip-hop all-stars under the Soul Assassins umbrella. On 2003's Dust though he pays homage to his less obvious influences such as Pink Floyd and brought in some lesser known vocalists in Amy Trujillo and Josh Todd. Dusted, natch, but broadly accessible.

Rain [MP3, 4.7MB, 128kbps]
Morta [MP3, 3MB, 128kbps]

www.anti.com
www.djmuggs.com

Urbs

Austrian hip hop and breakz DJ, Paul Nawrata, has been crafting mean sets since 1991. He's been producing since 1997 and his first solo album, Toujours le Même Film, in a word, KILLS. Fans of film scores and other cinematic sounds are definitely gonna wanna jump in on this one. As are the hip hop kids. Quality downtempo, trip-hop for folks who are partial to Portishead, RJD2, and surround sound.

The Incident [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.g-stoned.com

Wax Tailor

The NBA season is almost upon us and I ain't gonna lie, I'm a bit nervous about my Detroit Pistons. I guess that's better than being cocky like I was last year only to rip my hair out as they lose steam in the playoffs. What do hoops have to do with a French DJ/producer? Well, those of you with NBA 2K7 on pre-order will soon find out. This year's game gives you more than just the chance to watch digital sweat run off Shaq's face as he shoots free throws; you get a Dan the Automator-produced soundtrack featuring Wax Tailor's collabo with North Carolina rap duo The Others, "Walk the Line." A nice cap to a fine year for Wax Tailor (born JC Le Saoût), whose throwback 12-inch "Que Sera"/"Where My Hearts At" — available for free download at Better Propaganda — was followed by a monster debut album, Tales of the Forgotten Melodies. However, in this post, I'm showcasing Wax Tailor's skills on the remix because that's what is available for download at his site. I'm particularly fond of the loping "Guns of Brixton" bassline on the Clash Tribute Remix of "Eye Drink."

Death of the Lonely Superhero (Wax Tailor remixing Clover) [MP3, 7.6MB, 256kbps]
Deep Under Water (Wax Tailor remixing Looptroop and La Formule) [MP3, 5.4MB, 192kbps]
Eye Drink (Clash Tribute Remix featuring Infinite Livez) [MP3, 5.1MB, 192kbps]

www.deconmedia.com
www.waxtailor.com

Teddybears

For all intents and purposes summer's coming to a close real quick. Sweden's Teddybears drop a late entry for Summer Song of the Year with "Cobrastyle" featuring Mad Cobra on vocals. Mad Cobra flavors the track with highly addictive dancehall rhythms and resurrects Kid Rock's "Bawitdaba" (who knew that song could be salvaged??) in the process. Other guest vocalists on the album include Iggy Pop and Neneh Cherry (drop by their myspace page for her contribution). Either of those songs make for a perfect soundtrack to this season's closing credits and should easily get your party started.

Cobrastyle [MP3, 2.7MB, 128kbps]
Cobrastyle (Diplo Remix) [MP3, 5.2MB, 192kbps]
Punk Rocker *Featuring Iggy Pop [MP3, 5.6MB, 192kbps]
Punk Rocker Featuring Iggy Pop (Squeak E Clean Remix) [MP3, 5.6MB, 192kbps]

www.teddybearsrock.com

Eliot Lipp

Tacoma, Washington. Home of the underappreciated, yet thoroughly ruling punk band Seaweed. At one point I think I had eight Seaweed t-shirts. One of them had the band's logo on the front, and in large, capital letters "VISUALIZE TACOMA." I've never been to Tacoma, but from what I hear there's nothing special to visualize. Then there's Eliot Lipp. His two latest releases were recorded in L.A. while he had Tacoma on the brain. So what did he do? AURALIZE TACOMA. The soulful grooves on Tacoma Mockingbird, and the new Days EP, grew from his moods and emotions while reflecting back on his hometown and friends. His output is a simple, yet simmering synth stew of well-worn breakbeats with Lipp's retro, yet timeless, twist. His goal was to create a classic electro sound which he pulled off with his economic use of synths and beats. Think New Order pitched down to Grandmaster Five's tempo, and drop in a lick of their rhythm.

From The Days EP:
Eyesore [MP3, 3.4MB, 192kbps]
Glasspipe (Daedelus Journey to the Center Remix) [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]

From Tacoma Mockingbird:
Rap Tight [MP3, 5.2MB, 160kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.easterndevelopments.com
www.heftyrecords.com
www.eliotlipp.net

Originally posted 05/10/05:

One of my favorite labels, Scott Herren's Eastern Developments, recently made MP3s available on their site. Well, actually just one MP3. In fact, it's a remix, not even an original track. Hey, you know how the saying goes, beggars can't be choosers (although around here we prefer "sharers" over beggars...). This remix brightens up Eliot Lipp's usual dusty, hip-hop groove. Track down Lipp's full-length for twelve underground, soulful rhythms sans rhymes.

Neutral (Leo123 Remix) [MP3, 4.6MB, 160kbps]

CSS

CSS is short for cansei de ser sexy, which is Portuguese for "tired of being sexy." Tell me about it! I'd discourage anyone who's just sick and tired of being sexy from listening to CSS. Their playful, decadent, chocolatey dance beats are sure to get even the most tired or uptight to drop everything, kick off their shoes, and start movin' and groovin' and droppin' clothing all over the room. Where's my lady when I need her!?!?!

Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above [MP3, 4.0MB, 160kbps]
This Month Day 10 [MP3, 5.4MB, 192kbps]

Buy from iTunes
www.subpop.com
www.csshurts.com

The Gray Kid

Never timid on the mic, The Gray Kid (born Steve Cooper) unleashes the sexy falsetto and back-pocket rhymes over some giant beats. Kinda like a Pharrell for the Silverlake set. Like that means anything to most of you...don't worry, Ann Arbor, you'll like him, too. As CD Baby customer reviewer Tim Bones says: "Joint is flavorful. Makes you want to impregnate your local librarian." And for the Sunday afternoon version, go to The Gray Kid's unplugged MySpace page.

Lonely Love [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]

www.graykid.com

Entre Rios

A three-day weekend's nothing compared to the joy of Darla Records finally getting with the times and converting their fabulous label CD sampler series, Little Darla Has a Treat for You, into a download-only affair (albeit 64kbps...). You may have already read Sean's Junk Drawer post about Little Darla Has a Download for You but I'm guessing both Clay and I will take the opportunity this week to finally herald some of our fave Darla acts. I'll start with Entre Rios. Think of them as Argentina's Everything But the Girl, because Isol just sings and Sebastian just writes. Or don't think of them as anything, and just get lost in the angelic loveliness of "Claro Que Si" (one of my favorite Spanish phrases to drop into everyday conversation) from Entre Rios' 2005 album Onda.

Claro Que Si [MP3, 1.7MB, 64kbps]

www.darla.com

Szymanski

The 2006 Detroit Electronic Music Festival kicks off in about two minutes. One of the first live acts to take the stage will be Detroit's own Mark Szymanski. While these tracks are a few years old, they showcase his knack for refined, jazzy grooves and excellent taste in guest vocalists (Michael Scamardella on "Tranquillamente" and Perilelle on "UTKY"). Thanks to Moodmat (a new blog run by a team of established music fools, including Techno Rebels author Dan Sicko) for the tip. Check them out for more in-depth coverage of DEMF '06.

Tranquillamente [MP3, 8.0MB, 192kbps]
Tranquillamente (Mike "Agent X" Clark Continental Drift Remix) [MP3, 10.7MB, 192kbps]
UTKY (Used to Know You) [MP3, 7.5MB, 160kbps]

www.omoamusic.com
www.myspace.com/szymanski

Cornershop

3hive reader Saud dropped a wake-up call in the Suggestion Box about Cornershop. He wondered if we'd heard of them. Yep. Heard of them, seen them play live, even worked the term "everyone needs a bosom for a pillow" into a conversation once...but, as so often I do with bigger acts, assumed they didn't have a free and legal MP3s to share. My face is red; I stand corrected. Here's some material from a couple years back, including the wickedly infectious MIA remix of "Topknot." New full-length due out in June. So keep it locked.

Topknot (MIA Remix) [MP3, 4.3MB, 96kbps]
Hot Rocks (featuring Rowetta) [MP3, 2.3MB, 96kbps]
Battle of New Orleans (John Peel Session) [MP3, 2.0MB, 96kbps]

www.roughtraderecords.com
www.cornershop.com

Mr. Comicstore

We're closer to the '10s than we are to the '90s. And guess what happens when we hit 2010? The twenty-year flashback happens in music. It's a theory I have. Popular music recycles itself every twenty years. What's the "now" sound? We're re-living the '80s right? Started off with the electro-clash thing and it's morphed into this Talking Heads/The Cure vibe. Back in the '90s we were dealing with a re-hash of the '70s—everything from grunge's revival of hippie-rock, to the resurgence of punk. It's not a perfect theory by any means, but you can always find some interesting examples of this. Along comes Mr. Comicstore, a reminder that the DJ was king/queen of the '90s. Party DJs like Fatboy Slim were all that and a bag of chips. Whether Mr. Comicstore is early on the DJ revival, or late to the party is your call. Either way, he'll get your booty moving. (Thanks to Samantha for the tip. By the way, these aren't complete tracks, but I'll let it slide this time since they're long enough to mix into and out of on your "two [iPods] and a microphone.")

Brain Place [MP3, 950KB, 64kbps]
Grandfather's Permanent Hair [MP3, 800KB, 64kbps]
Grandfather's Permanent Hair (Dr. Ruberfunk's Remix) [MP3, 901KB, 64kbps]
Aldo Vanucci - Big Dogs Rock (Mr. Comicstore remix) [MP3, 945KB, 64kbps]

www.mr-comicstore.com

John Hughes

Let's get his pedigree out of the way. Yes, John Hughes is related to that John Hughes (Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller). It's a father/son relationship. The younger Hughes (the third actually) runs Hefty Records out of Chicago. Ten years ago he started the label as a way to get his own music out back when he was recording under the moniker Bill Ding (his other nom de beat is Slicker). Hefty has released some amazing albums, including the new Eliot Lipp, Telefon Tel Aviv, and essential re-issues and remixes from trombonist/Motown player, Phil Ranelin. Back to Hughes' music... "Gull" is featured on the new IA-Tunes EP, a digital version of Hefty's Immediate Action series. This track has a great xylophone riff that sounds not unlike a riff in Kraftwerk's "Tour de France." In fact, "Gull" sounds as if "Tour de France" somehow broke and Hughes came across the pieces and put them back together to form a completely new song. In fact Hughes composed pretty much the entire song with his sick collection of modular synths. If you're new to this world of Hefty, I suggest you jump in now, and jump in deep. If you're already a fan, share your favorite Hefty moments with us in the comments.

Gull [MP3, 5.0MB, 160kbps]

www.heftyrecords.com

Cut Chemist

After a dozen years of being a team player for LA hip-hop legends Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, turntable maestro Cut Chemist is about to follow in the footsteps of his cratedigging buddy, DJ Shadow, and drop his major label solo opus. If these two tastes are any indication, this joint's gonna have both range and flavor. "The Garden" features deft cuts, lush instrumentation, and lilting Brazilian vocals. "Storm" is classic Chemist: a wicked b-boy playground wherein top-shelf underground MCs Edan and Mr. Lif run amok like schoolkids. In fact, Mr. Lif drops the line our eight-digit 3hiver Sean has been waiting his whole life to hear: "opposable thumbs don't mean you can get dumb" — WORD! The Audience's Listening hits June 13 . Meanwhile, fiends like me will have to wear these tracks out and seek the occasional comfort of my Brainfreeze bootleg.

The Garden [MP3, 5.3MB, 128kbps]
Storm (featuring Edan and Mr. Lif) [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]

www.cutchemist.com

The Cansecos

"You know what I feel like doin'? I feel like struttin'..." Another wonderful find courtesy of the CBC Radio 3 podcast. This Toronto quartet serves up warm, disco-tinged percolators guaranteed to put a little pimp in your limp. Or something like that.

Raised By Wolves [MP3, 4.1MB, 128kbps]
Faster Than You Go [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]

www.upperclass.to
www.myspace.com/thecansecos

Sub Dub

First DJ Wally, now another from my mid-'90s rotation... Not just a clever moniker, Sub Dub is fairly descriptive of the musical niche that Raz "Badawi" Mesinai and John "J-Dub" Ward carved out for themselves. Though laced with dub's signature buoyancy, their sound is inspired by the grit and murk of urban life — as opposed to the cosmic influence of some of their neo-dub contemporaries. And speaking of Wally, there's a possible thread here: the strange caterwaul sample that emerges with about 1:00 left in "Dawa Zangpo" sounds uncannily similar to the one found in DJ Wally's "Outta My Head." I could be wrong though, as I don't have the latter track with me as I write this. I'll get out my forensics kit and get back to you...unless, of course, someone out there beats me to it.

Dawa Zangpo [MP3, 5.0MB, 160kbps]
Vision Quest 1 [MP3, 6.9MB, 160kbps]

www.theagriculture.com
www.asphodel.com
www.razmesinai.com

DJ Wally

Maybe I always felt a kinship to DJ Wally because his ferret is (was?) named Sam, too. More importantly, Keef DeStefano, as his parents named him, holds a place in my heart because of the role he's played in the soundtrack of my life. See, in the mid- to late-'90s, Keef was a double threat — as DJ Wally, he'd record abstract beatscapes with a hip-hop undertow; as Pish Posh, he'd fire off rounds of infectious Big Apple drum 'n' bass. So I could turn to him to bring me up or chill me out. And I did. Often. These days, DJ Wally's writing a new chapter in his discography, making music for TV shows and producing/DJing for NY rappers Proximity Minds (check Wally's MySpace page for an audio taste). For those who haven't had the pleasure of making his aquaintance, I introduce you to a man and his ferret...

I Know There Something Going On [MP3, 6.3MB, 160kbps]
The 29th Day [MP3, 6.2MB, 160kbps]

www.rawkus.com
www.theagriculture.com
www.djwallypishposh.com

Sukpatch

They're back! They're back! Sukpatch are back! After a near seven-year hiatus, Chris and Steve are finally about to drop a new full-length full of polished bedroom beats, guitar loops, and slacker poetry on our aching ears. (If you need to get caught up on these fools, head over to Slabco and download their first two albums for free, 'cause that's how Slabco rolls.) To celebrate their new release, Sukpatch have put out an open call for remixes. Go to the Music section of their site to download remix files and instructions. The rest is up to you...and Reason, Ableton, Cakewalk, Acid, or whatever the kids are using these days. Good luck on that.

Bottom of the Well [MP3, 4.6MB, 192kbps]
No Rebellion [MP3, 5.1MB, 192kbps]
Hey Jolie [MP3, 7.1MB, 192kbps]
Reform [MP3, 4.3MB, 192kbps]
We Fold at the Fork [MP3, 4.8MB, 192kbps]

www.moshimoshimusic.com
www.slabco.com
www.sukpatch.com

Coldcut

I was raised on Coldcut, or at least raised after my rebirth as a Ninja Tune baby. Cold Krush Cuts, a two-CD set mixed by Coldcut, DJ Food and DJ Krush, pretty much changed my whole perspective on DJs: these guys could rock a block party 'til the break of dawn with a sound just as at home at the Whitney Biennial as on a dancefloor. They're still doing it, and like true producer-minded DJs they've brought in a stellar cast of MCs and collaborators on their upcoming full-length of originals, so give this one with Roots Manuva a spin or two.

True Skool [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]

www.coldcut.net
www.ninjatune.net

Ayatollah

This seemed like an appropriate track for the day after Christmas. While Hanukkah is still keeping some of the world honest, the rest of us will be drawn in by the lure of Boxing Day Sales and New Year's debauchery. That other Man in Red sure moves in quick, don't he? Enough preachin', let's get on with the music... You may not know hip-hop producer Ayatollah by name, but if I told you he's the mastermind behind Mos Def's "Ms. Fat Booty" (mmm, fat booty...see what I'm talkin' about??) you'd probably start to nod your head instinctively. He's got his own thing coming out toward the end of January. This ought to get your mouth watering.

The Devil Is Sweet [MP3, 4.2MB, 192kbps]

www.nature-sounds.net

Cassettes Won't Listen

I just finished posting Forget Cassettes and noticed the next artist in my queue is NYC's Cassettes Won't Listen. That's too much of a coincidence to pass up, so I'm making it a cassette-themed 2-for-1 day at 3hive! Cassettes Won't Listen couldn't be more different than Forget Cassettes, except that they're both good. These cats do sprawling, warm synthy pop epics (some with a beat you can nod your head to). You'd expect the label to read Morr Music — it's that good — except those fools don't offer free MP3s (come on, Morr, share a little why don't you?). Thankfully, CWL's label Dope Lotus does share. And so do we. Happy Cassette Day!

Cutting Balloons [MP3, 4.6MB, 128kbps]
Lunch for Breakfast [MP3, 6.9MB, 192kbps]

06/15/06 Update: Cassettes Won't Listen Busy Cutting Hair & More

www.dopelotusrecords.com
www.myspace.com/kassetteswontlisten

Walter Meego

No one in Walter Meego is named Walter. Ironically, the 3hive reader who tipped us off to Walter Meego is named Walter. But, lest you think he's just one of these vain guys who'll go see any band named after him, he actually went to see Caribou — who was known as Manitoba up until about a year ago — and Walter Meego was the opening act. Confused? Good. Now you're ready for Walter Meego (the band, remember, not the reader) and their wry, funky, glitchy brand of "mutant dance" music.

Onefive [MP3, 5.5MB, 160kbps]
Weekday [MP3, 4.8MB, 160kbps]

www.waltermeego.com

Faux Pas

A week ago I posted Gotye. If I hadn't been in such a serious carb coma on the heels of Thanksgiving I probably would have posted an Australian two-fer including Gotye's friend and countryman, Faux Pas (aka Tim Shiel). These two take great care to make their quirky, sampleriffic musical explorations feel warm, organic, and spontaneous. Faux Pas even goes as far as to eliminate vocal samples lest we get lured into the obsessive spotting exercise that Gotye's tracks inspired. The frenzied big beat sound of "Cup of Wonder" provides instant gratification but "White Light" definitely steals the show. I am now convinced that spacey theramin, Asian dulcimer, and R&B horn riffs were always meant for each other; all they needed was a tumbling drumbeat to rally around... As a bonus, it turns out Tim's also a bit of an MP3 blogger himself. Check out the Blog section of his site to get a good sense of his musical reference points.

From Entropy Begins at Home:
For the Trees [MP3, 6.5MB, 192kbps]
Hermann's Hermans [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]

From Faux Feels:
Cup of Wonder [MP3, 3.7MB, 192kbps]
White Light [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]

www.iamfauxpas.com

The Go! Team

The Go! Team cook up an infectious blend of double-dutch hip hop, horns-a-blazing cop show themes, and raw garage pop. But you probably already knew that. These MP3s are from their 2003 Junior Kickstart EP, which had yet to incorporate the pep squad vocals. But you probably already know that, too. However, unless you're responsible for one of the 548 plays tallied on MySpace as I write this, you probably haven't yet heard The Go! Team vs. Kevin Shields, which takes the yummy bits of "Ladyflash" and "Huddle Formation" and puts the proverbial cherry on top. Say G-O...T-E-A-M!

Junior Kickstart [MP3, 5.2MB, 192kbps]
We Listen Everyday [MP3, 4.6MB, 192kbps]

www.memphis-industries.com
www.thegoteam.co.uk

Gotye

Gotye is Aussie one-man band Wally De Backer who, like his fellow countrymen The Avalanches, humanizes bedroom beats, quirky samples, and the odd live instrument and weaves them into epic pop structures. I guess it's summer down under, which would explain the decidedly upbeat tone of these preview tracks from his forthcoming LP.

A Distinctive Sound [MP3, 8.7MB, 192kbps]
Learnalilgivinanlovin [MP3, 4.2MB, 192kbps]

www.gotye.com

Clearlake

(A reminder: Tune in tonight at 10pm PST to hear Mark from Music.For-Robots and myself go mano a mano for what's sure to be fine musical joust.)

Anyone remember the movie Judgment Night? Yeah, me neither. The soundtrack's a different story. It paired up Sonic Youth with Cypress Hill, Dinosaur Jr. with Del the Funky Homosapien, and Teenage Fan Club with De La Soul. Two great genres that go great together: indie rock and hip hop.

The album's really burned in my mind however because back when the album hit I'd just been promoted to Music Director at a commercial alternative station, and a young, eager radio promotion rep at Epic Records, Stu Bergen (hi Stu!), attempted to cut his aggressive promo teeth by yelling at me for an hour demanding my station report Epic's "single" in heavy rotation or something. Back then playlist reporting was all theoretical because there was no way for anyone to tell exactly how many times a radio station played a song, but Stu was out to impress his higher-ups, and impress them he must have 'cause he's been breaking bands, taking names, and running promotion departments for Island Def Jam and Columbia Records (and here I sit blogging away...). I don't even remember the fate of that Judgment Night track, but I do remember Stu and I breaking bread at Smith And Wollensky's, A Steakhouse to End All Arguments. And end them it did. Stu and I have been pals ever since.

Now that I've bored many of you to tears, and awakened a raging midnight snacking, back to Clearlake: between this remix by Nobody and the recent remix of Against Me! by Mouse On Mars, I sense another remix trend bubbling among the indie rock world. I'm sure there's plenty more out there. Use the comments to let us know about your recent favorites.

And yes, I realize I've said absolutely nothing about Clearlake. More demo tracks from their forthcoming album are available here.

Good Clean Fun (Nobody Remix) [MP3, 4.7MB, 160kbps]

www.dominorecordco.com
www.clearlake.uk.com

Nnnj

Lately, while certain technological gadgets of mine randomly play my music collection for me, I've heard unfamiliar, electronic, yet warm compositions capable of producing pleasant states of relaxation and reverie. It's occured several times. Each time, as I've awakened from from this other world in which I've found myself, I glance down at the guilty party, and it's been Nnnj. Nnnj (pronounced "inch") relies on many sounds: global rhythms, glitchy programming, and trip-hop, but is beholden to none. Neither his name, album title (Monkey Straddle) nor its cover art is pretty, but the music itself is gorgeous.

What's the Weather Like Today? [MP3, 6.1MB, 192kbps]
Goop Scoop [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]
Demeter's Pupil [MP3, 6.3MB, 192kbps]

www.theagriculture.com

Kid Koala

The first time I saw Kid Koala spin was at the Wetlands in NYC at a Ninja Tune night some years back. He plowed through a crate of novelty records and hip-hop classics with the glee (and haste) of a two year old, mouthing the words to every last cut and leaving a pile of used vinyl on the floor. The first time I saw Kid Koala perform was at the El Rey in Los Angeles a couple years later, when I saw him recreate his turntable masterpiece "Drunk Trumpet" on stage. He used the pitch control slider to extract different notes from a single horn part on a jazz record as our collective jaws hit the floor. "Skanky Panky" is a similar experience, in that it needs to be seen and heard. Fortunately for all who haven't had the pleasure, you can do just that on his CD/DVD, Live at the Short Attention Span Theater.

Skanky Panky [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]

www.ninjatune.net
www.kidkoala.com

Solvent

I originaly posted Solvent 16 months ago. In fact, they were one of the first bands featured on 3hive. Just days after, Ghostly pulled down their full-length MP3s due to bandwidth constraints and there went my Solvent post. As Sean points out over in the News section, Ghostly's recently found some bandwidth in their hearts and now offer, among others, this gem from Solvent's latest, Elevators and Oscillators. For the record, my original post was one line: "Proof once again from the Ghostly Massive that machines do have souls." Still holds true today.

Wish [MP3, 3.3MB, 128kbps]

www.ghostly.com
www.suctionrecords.com
www.solventcity.com

The Russian Futurists

Last week I was fortunate enough to be driving around the Tuscan countryside with some good friends (including our aforementioned legal counsel), listening to Scott's iPod via iTrip whenever the crowded radio dial allowed. The Russian Futurists' "Still Life" burst through the static with a playground-simple blend of orchestral washes, a loping drum pattern, and intimate lyrics. Upon returning home to my broadband connection, I did some Googling to find that Matthew Hart (the man behind The Russian Futurists) has been turning out such triumphant heartbreak jams since 2001, and I am certainly not the first to notice. His latest, The Thickness, though, shows enough polish to position The Russian Futurists as a less sterile and equally infectious Postal Service. Mr. Hart is currently touring with Caribou and Junior Boys (June 9 at The Magic Stick, Detroit!), catch him if you can.

Still Life [MP3, 5.9MB, 192kbps]
Paul Simon [MP3, 2.2MB, VBR]
C'mon [MP3, 2.5MB, 128kbps]
Your Big Brown Eyes and My Big Broke Heart [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
Telegram From the Future [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]

www.upperclass.to
www.russianfuturists.com

Ursula 1000

An oldie but a goodie (like 2003 is old!). Ursula 1000 is one Alex Gimeno, a New York DJ who delightfully blends samba, bossanova, and 60's groove with smart beats. Sure, it's nothing new, but Ursula 1000 is a leading adherent of the genre, and "Samba 1000" is awfully catchy. Dada...dada..da..da..da...

Samba 1000 [MP3, 7.2MB, 160kbps]
Kinda Kinky [MP3, 4.3MB, 160kbps]

www.eslmusic.com
www.ursula1000.com

The Raging Family

Here's a brief recap of The Raging Family's bio: raised and home-schooled by bohemians in Upstate New York; lived in Eugene, Oregon until driven from their house by local authorities because of noise and behavior complaints; settled down in an enclave somewhere in the hills outside of town to focus on music and art. If you ask me it all sounds a little cultish, and at the risk of becoming Sharon Tate to their Manson Clan, I'm gonna throw my support behind The Raging Family's latest "concept" album. Black Holes is ostensibly a journey through space and time, but how they get us there is through an eclectic collection of styles ranging from the knob-twisting and wax-scratching exploits of Land of the Loops and Prefuse 73, the found-sound rebelliousness of Negativland, the electro-clash abandon of Meat Beat Manifesto, the jazz exploration of Miles Davis and Sun Ra Arkestra, and even the psychedelic guitar masturbation of Carlos Santana's Illuminations period. It's a whole lot of styles to wrap your noodle around, but luckily the band has posted the entire album on their website for us to take it all in (the links below are just some highlights), and there are other entire albums there fully linked for the taking — but beware, the money you save on music today may go to pay for the cult deprogrammer you'll need tomorrow.

The Orkastring Bowsting [MP3, 5.6MB, 224kbps]
The Klep Telescope [MP3, 5.6MB, 224kbps]
Disrupted Transmission of the Cow Space People [MP3, 2.1MB, 224kbps]
Latent Destructive Power [MP3, 5.5MB, kbps]
The Supermassive Black Hole [MP3, 13.5MB, 224kbps]

www.ragingfamily.com

Radio 4

My sister Christy saw these guys play at Coachella a couple weeks back and sent me an email asking what I knew of them, especially their percussionist (what is this, a dating service?). To my embarrassment, I knew nada. After reading up, I see that one of their two singers is Anthony Roman, formerly of Garden Variety, who I do know for his ragged, plaintive punk of some 10 years back. After listening up, I hear funky homage to Britain's most danceable post-punk bands (Wire, Gang of Four, The Clash) and the feelgood politics of NY peers !!! and Out Hud. So thanks, sis, for keeping your brother's ear to the street (apparently the Mitubishi ad they were featured in didn't do it) — and happy birthday!

Party Crashers (Headman Vocal Remix) [MP3, 5.5MB, 128kbps]
Sink So Low [MP3, 4.4MB, VBR]
Eyes Wide Open [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]
Dance to the Underground [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
Calling All Enthusiasts [MP3, 2.9MB, 128kbps]

www.gernblandsten.com
www.cityslang.com
www.astralwerks.com
www.r4ny.com

David Last

Is there such a thing as dumbed-down IDM? Not inferior, but approaching it from a slightly different angle is David Last, less brainiac and more booty-shaker, moving away from digital detritus and towards more organic dancehall rhythms. Perfect for intimate gatherings. Served to chill. I'm jonesin' summer BBQs. Can you tell?

Secret Society [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]
The Push Pull [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]
Cat-Silver [MP3, 6.6MB, 192kbps]

www.theagriculture.com
www.davidlast.net

Someone Else

"An undying fear of commitment has fueled 24-year-old Sean O'Neal's eclectic discography..." So began an interview I did with the Illadelph native, then of Flowchart, back in 1998 for URB. Seven years later, not much has changed — in that quite a lot has. Sean recently added netlabel unfoundsound to his stable of ventures (he also runs Fuzzy Box Records) while steering his music away from the richly layered drum 'n' bliss and quirky electronica of his Flowchart days toward wry, minimalist techno under the alias Someone Else. You gotta love a fool who can make your head bounce and put a smile on your face (just listen to those tweaked mouth noises on "Goofball"). These tracks make up the first of six unfoundsound releases to date; all are available as free, high-quality MP3s under a Creative Commons license (if anyone gets "sharing the sharing," it's Lawrence Lessig). There's also an entire release of Philadelphia field sounds which unfoundsound invites you to mess around with and submit as a demo.

Goofball [MP3, 11.0MB, 256kbps]
Dink 'n' Strum [MP3, 13.0MB, 256kbps]
The Market [MP3, 9.0MB, 256kbps]
Goofball (Fusiphorm's Ungoofable Remix) [MP3, 10.1MB, 256kbps]

www.unfoundsoundrecords.com

Out Hud

Let's hear it for the Golden State! No, Out Hud ain't no Midwest transplant, but straight outta Californ-I-A. Between Out Hud and !!! (with which they share members) the Williamsburg myth loses steam (hasn't it already?), proof that geography has little to do with rhythm. "How Long" is retro without kitsch, funk with a pinch of punk, and completely danceable. Get down on it.

How Long [MP3, 6.7MB, 192kbps]

www.kranky.net
www.brainwashed.com/outhud

Mad Awkward

Mad Awkward. Story of my life. I guess I shouldn't hate the guy for taking what would have been an awesome stage name for me, considering my skills never progressed far enough to warrant a stage name. Not only is it a great name, it somehow describes my man's off-kilter yet entrancing production.

Dr. Generator [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]
Catcher (featuring I.D. aka Vague) [MP3, 5.4MB, 192kbps]
Entropy (featuring I.D. aka Vague) [MP3, 5.4MB, 192kbps]

www.daturarecords.com
www.madawkward.com

DJ Soul Slinger

Hidden in the back of every music collection is a little rave music. Okay, maybe not every one, but there are plenty of us who keep a little something stashed away. I pulled out my personal rave-orite Altern 8 recently. My five year old was not impressed. Another from my collection who is actually still going strong is DJ Soul Slinger. A native Brazilian, Carlos is an early purveyor of rave/jungle/drum'n'bass music/culture/goods here in the good ol' US of A, and a perfect way to welcome a dear friend to 3hive on her first visit.

Chem Trails [MP3, 8.2MB, 192kbps]
FHDC RMX [MP3, 7.4MB, 192kbps]
Eu E Voce [MP3, 4.6MB, 192kbps]

www.liquidskymusic.com

Giant Robot

Not to be confused with the Japanese pop culture 'zine of the same name, Giant Robot are members of Nuspirit Helsinki and they run the gamut like Jesse freakin' Owens. From cozy EBTG-ish ballads ("Best Match") to lanky, dub-hop ("Konevitsa"). And then you've got the remixes, if you're ready for even more curveballs. Best of all, Giant Robot's site has a mile-long MP3 page with all of their commercially unavailable tracks, which includes their entire debut album and tons of said remixes. Set aside some download time.

Best Match [MP3, 4.1MB, 128kbps]
Public=Shopping [MP3, 4.8MB, 128kbps]
Konevitsa [MP3, 4.2MB, VBR]
Taste of Love (Suckerpunch Remix) [MP3, 5.5MB, 192kbps]
Leave Your Man (Rrim�yk & Diidr Killyerman Remix) [MP3, 6.2MB, VBR]

www.stupido.fi
www.giantrobot.fi

DJ Riko

Our friend Jacob sent my wife a link with the following note: "Heard this tonight on KCRW and immediately thought that Sam would dig it..." I'm not sure if he thought I'd dig it because it comes from an album called Latter Day Taints (a knowing nod to my Mormon peeps) or because I'm a closet whistler. Either way, he's right, I dig it real good. DJ Riko is a plundering masher-upper cat from Columbus, Ohio who either doesn't have a day job or doesn't sleep 'cause he's mad prolific. For "Whistler's Delight" he pulls a crateful of whistled "riffs" from various songs, beginning with Peter Gabriel's "Games Without Frontiers," and takes us on a spotter's field trip. By the way, if you can name all 22 songs used herein by year's end, email Riko and he might award you with one of his fancy bootleg CDs. See his site for more details, and many more downloads — including a nice 55MB holiday mix.

Whistler's Delight (Full Version) [MP3, 7.9MB, 160kbps]

www.djriko.com

Machine Drum

2001. Machine Drum and Prefuse 73 both drop debut albums. Both serve cut up, stuttering, hip-hop that'll get you jerking back and forth. No doubt, these two are cut from similar cloth — yet many still haven't heard Machine Drum. What gives? Maybe it's Prefuse's A-list collaborators. But what Machine Drum lacks in "friends" he makes up for in deft drops and solid jazz and funk samples.

Bill-O-Wads [MP3, 6.7MB, 192kbps]
$$ Legs [MP3, 4.7MB, 192kbps]
Mltply [MP3, 5.6MB, 192kbps]

www.m3rck.net
www.machinedrum.net

Kleptones

These "original" tracks feature some swell breaks 'n' beats 'n' what-not but, to be honest, the Kleptones aren't nearly as interesting when abiding by copyright laws... This post is merely an excuse to plug their new mash-up-and-more theme album, A Night at the Hip Hopera. After giving the Flaming Lips a b-boy makeover with Yoshimi Battles the Hip Hop Robots, the audio kleptomaniacs are back at it with a similar tribute to Queen. To have a listen, head over to Waxy.org, where you'll find the complete album for download as well as a collaborative dissection of the countless samples used therein.

Potato Salad [MP3, 7.4MB, 192kbps]
Homesick [MP3, 8.9MB, 192kbps]
Maybe Another Here [MP3, 11.8MB, 192kbps]

www.kleptones.com

The Je Ne Sais Quoi

Every so often a band's name alone grabs your attention, and even less often it actually makes good on its promise. One of those rare cases is The Je Ne Sais Quoi who, as it turns out, have that certain je ne sais quoi. If you were listening from another room, you might write them off as another vapid electro-clash happening. However, in more intimate settings, their tense, funky sound digs its fingernails into you and won't let go. That said, "We Make Beginnings" wouldn't be my first — or second, or third — choice for the single from their strong full-length debut. But no one asked me... (And if they had it would have been in Swedish, so I wouldn't have understood anyway.)

We Make Beginnings [MP3, 5.0MB, 192kbps]
Death of Them [MP3, 5.0MB, 192kbps]

www.coalition-records.com
www.tjnsq.tk

Zapan

Those guys at Fourthcity are such good fun we've just got to do another, namely the founder of Fourthcity, Zach Huntting, know to us as Zapan. This quote from Zapan, about Mister Afternoon, his collaberation with DJN, tells you all you need to know about him: "Our music is soothing, not unlike Christian radio or Kenny G, but with more of a drumnbass, booty hiphop-type flavor."

Activate [MP3, 3.7MB, VBR]
Dirt [MP3, 1.6MB, VBR]
Enjoy the World's Most Rewarding Hobby [MP3, 7.1MB, VBR]
I Wrote Hip Hop a Note Saying Last Night Was Dope [MP3, 8.1MB, VBR]
Pimple [MP3, 8.3MB, VBR]

www.fourthcity.net
www.zapan.net
www.laptopbattle.org

Caribou

Some 3hive history for you: Dan Snaith, a.k.a. Manitoba, was the inaugural posting to this site. Today Snaith announced that he was legally forced to change his nom de plume, hence Manitoba has been reincarnated as Caribou. I was hoping this announcement would coincide with a release date for his new album. No luck. Sounds like he's only halfway finished. Sigh. Until then...

I've Lived on a Dirt Road All My Life [MP3, 3.8MB, 96kbps]
Hendrix With KO [MP3, 2.7MB, 96kbps]
Dundas, Ontario [MP3, 3.0MB, 96kbps]

06/19/07 UPDATE: New Caribou MP3 + Album Details

www.dominorecordco.com/usa
www.caribou.fm

Dosh

This kid that lives seven houses down from me has this dope, super clean Cadillac. One sticker graces its rear window, dead center: Anticon. My neighborhood certainly isn't a hotbed of fellow fine music admirerers (it's more prone to Amway-esque consultants), so this discovery was a pleasant surprise. I'll let him listen to my advance of Pure Trash if he lets me take my lady out in that ride of his.

Naoise [MP3, 3.2MB, 128kbps]
You Can't Make Me Cry [MP3, 4.5MB, 128kbps]
Steve the Cat [MP3, 4.9MB, 128kbps]

10/03/06 Update: New MP3 + Album from Dosh
www.anticon.com

Cat Five

Another shot from the suggestion box... Cat Five's madcap samplerama Kataphonics finally has a sibling, a new 12-inch called "On the Rise." This may seem like a thin body of work for a five-year-old group. That is, until you discover the hours of original or heavily refurbished live tracks available on their site and realize what a fool you were for ever doubting them. These MP3s in particular were recorded directly from the mixing board and could easily pass for studio material. Cat Five are Avalanches on a budget; Negativland with a beat; whatever comparison you use when you find yourself nodding and smirking at the same time.

Snake Charmer [MP3, 7.5MB, VBR)
Egyptian Groove [MP3, 8.6MB, VBR)
Fame in the Air (Remix) [MP3, 8.0MB, VBR)
Darkwood [MP3, 8.6MB, VBR)
I Can Feel It [MP3, 2.8MB, VBR)

www.hiphopslam.com
www.katfive.com

DJN

The sign of a good DJ: making you (the listener) wish you could play the drums. Real drums. Another sign of a good DJ: naming Amon Tobin and Luke Vibert as influences. DJN: a good DJ.

Poptop [MP3, 6.4MB, 160kbps]
Girl Robot [MP3, 23.4MB, 128kbps]

www.fourthcity.net

Donna Summer

It's fitting that Aquarius Records, the same store that introduced me to the mash-up some ten years ago (before they were called mash-ups) with Evolution Control Committee's brilliant pairing of Public Enemy and Herb Alpert, would effectively wean me off that guilty pleasure with the next level noise of this here lad. Neither mash-up nor IDM, neither kitschy nor political, Donna Summer (a.k.a. Jason Forrest) throws juxtaposed refrains and riffs from popular music into a high-speed blender with no lid. Somehow the result, while initially as soothing as highway rumble strips, begins to make sense and even sounds catchy after a few listens...and a 12-pack of Mountain Dew. WARNING: Not recommended for those with epilepsy. (Seriously.)

Sperry and Foil [MP3, 8.7MB, 160kbps]
Accept the Cheap [MP3, 1.6MB, 64kbps]
Heals Over Head [MP3, 1.4MB, 64kbps]
The Man Who Was Thursday [MP3, 2.7MB, 64kbps]
What You Truly Need [MP3, 2.0MB, 64kbps]

www.irritantrecords.com
www.cockrockdisco.com

The Somnambulants

Slightly nervous, very danceable synth pop that'll remind you of early-'80s OMD one moment, as lead vocalist Joseph White blesses the mic, and modern-day German indie electro (Morr, City Centre, et al) the next, as co-founder Channing Sargent gets chirpy with it.

Watercolors [MP3, 4.4MB, 128kbps]
Beat Down [MP3, 2.8MB, 128kbps]
Evacuation (Remix) [MP3, 5.0MB, 128kbps]
In the Interest of Continuity [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
Things Will Happen [MP3, 4.9MB, 112kbps]
Comforts of Absence [MP3, 3.4MB, 128kbps]

somnambulants.com
www.clairaudience.com

Mice Parade

Adam Pierce once again takes the bedroom dweller aesthetic more as a spiritual guide than a sonic one: skittish percussion bounces off the walls like random thoughts and warm vibes and synthesizers fill the background while his ever-gentle acoustic guitar seemingly plays for an audience of one.

Nights Wave [MP3, 6.3MB, 128kbps]
And Still It Sits in Front of You [MP3, 3.6MB, 128kbps]
Here Today [MP3, 5.0MB, 128kbps]

www.bubblecore.com

FLIN FLON

This is what drum 'n' bass should be. Yet another offering from Mr. Teenbeat himself, Mark Robinson. Nothing new to the viewers of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," where "Floods" serves as the opening music. (Not to be confused with Flin Flon, the sixth largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba.)

Floods [MP3, 2.3MB, 128kbps]
Bonaventure [MP3, 1.7MB, 128kbps]

www.teenbeat.net

Arto Lindsay

A taste of Rio served Manhattan supper-club style, Arto Lindsay's sleepy vocals and seductive beats take David Byrne's formula and run...er, saunter with it.

Habite Em Mim [MP3, 4.2MB, 128kbps]

www.artolindsay.com
righteousbabe.com

Magnus

Distant vocals served over cool techno and coupled with solid funk basslines and snappy guitars bring an old-school (circa 1994?) vibe to today's dancefloor.

Jumpneedle [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]

www.anti.com
www.magnsumusic.com

!!! (chk chk chk)

Post-punk disco dub replete with bongos and sleigh bells. Nothing new about the concept, but the execution sure is fresh.

Hello? Is This Thing On? [MP3, 10.4MB, 192kbps]

www.tgrec.com
brainwashed.com/!!!

Anna Oxygen

Bouncy, new wave stream-of-consciousness — as catchy as it is fleeting.

Fake Pajamas [MP3, 3.1MB, 160kbps]
Spectacle [MP3, 2.7MB, 128kbps]

www.killrockstars.com
www.coldcrushrecords.com
annaoxygen.com

Thavius Beck

Collages of stuttering breaks and swirling samples, along with extended doses of "spoken word" culled from the underbelly of American pop culture. A potentially played-out formula turned downright entrancing.

(Music Will Be) The Death of Us All [MP3, 7.8MB, 192kbps]
To Make Manifest [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]

www.dirtyloop.com
www.midheaven.com

TRS-80

I keep thinking CLOADM "donkey"...sorry. I actually played a Donkey Kong clone on my TRS-80, loaded from cassette. These tracks are much better than Donkey Kong; reminiscent of DJ Shadow's work with UNKLE.

Phantom Power [MP3, 3.2 MB, 128kbps]
Math Basket [MP3, 4.06 MB, 128kbps]

08/24/06 Update: TRS-80 New Album + MP3

www.file-13.com
www.trs80.com

Sixtoo

Halifax's art-hop pioneer evolves his doomsday mic checks into full-blown audio armageddon (see "Storm Clouds & Silver Lining") for his Ninja Tune debut.

Storm Clouds & Silver Lining [MP3, 12.1MB, 192kbps]
Germ [MP3, 2.5MB, 96kbps]
Testimony (featuring Sole and Sage) [MP3, 3.0MB, 96kbps]

www.ninjatune.net
www.midheaven.com

Four Tet

The "As Serious As Your Life" B-sides come in all flavors: Jay Dee and Guilty Simpson capitalize on the original's funky underpinnings with b-boy savoir faire while the live version pushes the limits of both RAM and patience.

As Serious As Your Life (Jay Dee Remix featuring Guilty Simpson) [MP3, 6.5MB, 192kbps]
As Serious As Your Life (Live Version) [MP3, 21.4MB, 128kbps]
As Serious As Your Life (Remix 1) [MP3, 5.3MB, 192kbps]
My Angel Rocks Back and Forth (Four Teas on English Time - Icarus Remix) [MP3, 6.8MB, 128kbps]
Cradle [MP3, 6.6MB, 128kbps]

www.dominorecordco.com
www.fourtet.net

The Earl

Percolating jazzy breaks and clever cuts served up hot on a steaming bed of vocals. Recommended for fans of DJ Format.

The Proof (featuring Khalil of Fresh Air) [MP3, 4.2MB, 160kbps]
Feelings [MP3, 3.3MB, 160kbps]

www.footlongdevelopment.com

TV on the Radio

I won't add myself to the list of those who have failed to describe TVOTR's sound in words. That's why they invented MP3s...

Dreams [MP3, 7.25MB, 192kbps]
Staring at the Sun [MP3, 5.65MB, 192kbps]

www.tgrec.com
www.tvontheradio.com

Odd Nosdam

Proof positive of Odd's ability to walk the line between goofball humor and necksnapping beats.

Untitled Three feat. Jessica Bailiff [MP3, 5.1MB, 160kbps]
American Bonus Pt. 8 [MP3, 3.8MB, 192kbps]
Track 12 [MP3, 2.0MB, 128kbps]
EP Tape Collage [MP3, 0.9MB, 128kbps]

www.anticon.com
www.anticon.com/oddnosdam.html