Good Weather For Airstrikes

Why am I reviewing a single that dropped two years ago? Because I fucking can. I cordially invite you to deal with it.

Röyksopp changed my life a little bit when I was first introduced to “Eple” and Melody AM by my then-girlfriend in the spring of 2005. Then, two months later “Only This Moment” dropped and provided the first taste of the duo’s second long-player, The Understanding, and the rest is history. While Melody AM showed me I could truly shit myself over a record on which guitars were nowhere to be found and “Eple” proved that I could rank a wordless instrumental track among my all-time favorites, “Only This Moment” established Röyksopp as one of my favorite bands in the world and planted the seeds for what would develop into a full-fledged obsession with electronic music within two years’ time.

I can distinctly remember listening to “Only This Moment” on repeat for hours on a sun-drenched beach off the coast of Massachuesetts that summer, shutting myself out of conversations with my friends and getting sunscreen and sand in my headphones just so I could hear it a few more times. It would prove to be a prominent soundtrack for the rest of my year and ended up at #16 on our Top Songs of 2005 list, and Everett wrote the following in our year-end review way back when he still existed: “The first thirty seconds alone solidify the track’s place on this list, and the male/female trade-off vocals pose a wonderful contrast. The hushed male verse is followed by a digitized female chorus, with the backing instrumental remaining superb all the while. This song is evocative of feelings of pure, unadulterated bliss, and the almost childlike glee exhibited herein leaves me wholly unable to feel sorrow in the wake of the music. This is the most emotion I’ve heard captured by an electronic group.” He pretty much nailed it, especially with the “pure, unadulterated bliss” part, though repeated listens reveal a paradox of emotions on display on the track. That element of “childlike glee”, while it pervades throughout the instrumentation, is offset by the hushed, almost somber tone of the vocals, which were contributed for the first time by the duo themselves. Thus, it works in any context, whether happy or sad, uptempo or low-key, and is a shining example of Röyksopp’s effortless brilliance in the electro-pop arena.

Nearly two years have passed and I’m still totally fucking smitten with the track, but my interest was re-sparked by the unearthing of two hot remixes of the song done by Röyksopp themselves. Both of the titles, “Forsiktige Massasje” and “Hissige”, are foreign as shit, but the “Massasje” works more like an alternate version of the original while the “Hissige” kills it with some seriously bangin’ dark disco shit.

MP3s:
“Only This Moment” (Radio Edit) - Röyksopp ((highly recommended)) [Alt. Link]
“Only This Moment” (Röyksopp’s Forsiktige Massasje) - Röyksopp [Alternate Link]
“Only This Moment” (Röyksopp Hissige) - Röyksopp [Alternate Link]

Finally, I’d be considerably remiss if I didn’t mention the UN-FUCKING-BELIEVABLE music video for the track. That I got high with my friends and watched this video multiple times pretty much every night of my freshman year should paint a pretty good picture of just how incredible this video is, but I’ll go into further detail just to make sure you’re absolutely sold. Röyksopp has a pretty fine music video pedigree to this point in their career, and “Only This Moment” is easily their best. Shot using archival footage and incorporating actual shots of the Paris 1968 protests in addition to a slew of mind-fucking after effects, this video grabs you by the proverbial balls and doesn’t let go until its conclusion. Keep an eye out for the shot with the hands on the table and that totally unreal part with the birds flying overhead towards the end, as they’re both pretty brilliant and are in themselves enough to warrant this video the highest possible recommendation for anyone, but those of you with a passion for getting high as balls will definitely get the most out of this. Sadly, I can’t find it in terribly high quality, but whatever, it’s still totally worth your while.

Video: “Only This Moment”
Artist: Röyksopp
Director: Brendan McNamee & Robert Chandler
Watch: [YouTube]
Download: [Quicktime • 12 MB] [direct link]

Elsewhere, Monsieur Headphonesex echoes our love for Big Face and keeps it hot with the gloriously scratchy new track from the Damn Shames and the epic debut single from LA’s The Mae Shi, both of which you’d do well to check out.

Oh and both the Lightspeed Champion and Hot Chip full-lengths hit the internet today, which is, y’know, awesome.

For a minute there, I thought Kitsune might have lost it. In the first half of 2006 it seemed like they were on the scene with a new killer release every week, whether it was debut singles from Digitalism, Simian Mobile Disco and Klaxons, or that bomb-ass Boys Noize remix 10″ of “Banquet” and the unimpeachable first two installments of their Kitsune Maison compilations. But then things kind of slowed down with a string of not-all-that-amazing releases and a very disappointing third compilation in the Maison series, and it seemed like Kitsune might take a permanent backseat to Ed Banger in the French house scene. Now all of a sudden their back, with hot releases from the Teenagers, Yelle, two new excellent compilations (Maison 4 and Kitsune BoomBox) and this excellent debut from Glasgow dance-rockers Big Face.

While it’s not quite on par with some of the more flawless debuts (see: “Gravity’s Rainbow”) issued last year on Kitsune, “I Wanna Be A Style Crusader” isn’t exactly anything to scoff at either. Rather, it’s a promising debut featuring slick production, hot basslines and a cooler-than-cool vocal delivery that climaxes in a certifiably bad-ass chorus about, what else - the pursuit of fashionable excellence. And yeah, I’m not totally sure what exactly defines a style crusader, but I’m pretty sure I’d take it as a compliment if I were described as such. Either way though, you’ll be hard-pressed to get that “Funny how you go about your style” refrain and those backing “oh whoa-oh-ohs” out of your head anytime soon and Big Face are definitely a band to keep an eye on in 2008.

But hey, want something to really lose your shit for? As with any Kitsune release, the single comes backed with some most excellent remixes, this time courtesy of David E. Sugar and DatA. David E. Sugar’s remix pedigree in 2007 has been nigh-on impeccable - I mean, have you heard his Rumble Strips edit? - but it’s French up-and-comer DatA who totally steals the show on this one. Sure, the original mix of “Style Crusader” is great, but there’s just a little something missing that keeps it from hitting quite as hard as it could and being the dancefloor anthem it really should be. Thankfully DatA rolls up on the remix and makes up for that in spades. Transposing a shimmering synth line over the track and maximizing the beat to really get your blood pumping, he builds his remix around that aforementioned refrain and brings the “whoa-oh-ohs” higher in the mix for a totally addictive, totally awesome new take on what was already an excellent track. There was definite gold buried somewhere in the original, and you better believe DatA has mined the shit out of it here. And so when all is said and done we have another fine example of your classic French single release: Buy it for the original, stay for the remixes.

STREAM: “I Wanna Be A Style Crusader” - Big Face

MP3: “I Wanna Be A Style Crusader” (DatA Remix) - Big Face [Alternate Link]

The Big Face crew were also nice enough to send me another unreleased track for your downloading pleasure. “Big Face Rides The Back Seat” is a little bit longer, a little big bigger, a little bit harder than “Style Crusader” and only builds on the promise displayed on their debut. Most definitely worth your time; get at it below.

MP3: “Big Face Rides The Front Seat” - Big Face [Alternate Link]

Their self-proclaimed “sketchy attempt at Christmas number one”, “Flakes” would never be able to reach that mark for obvious reasons, not the least of which being that you can’t purchase the single even if you wanted to (they’re giving it away for free download starting Wednesday). That’s not to say, however, that it doesn’t embody all the essential qualities of your classic Christmas number one, before the honor came to be routinely claimed by conveniently-timed debuts from your X Factor winners and larger than life pop stars dropping novelty one-off Christmas singles. Like “Mad World” in 2003, it’s everything Christmas number one should be - epic, powerful, timeless - but unlike Gary Jules surprise megahit, “Flakes” would hardly make a dent in the charts even if it were to see a formal release in the next month. That’s just the way it goes though, and it doesn’t mean “Flakes” isn’t one of the best songs you’ll hear all year.

Most of all, it reminds you what a weak year its been for quintessentially Britpop singles; it’s more affecting than anything since Guillemots bestowed the retro-pop masterpieces of Through The Windowpane unto the world in the spring of 2006. It’s slow to reveal itself, it’s brilliance shrouded in a delicate vulnerability (Stereogum cites the song’s “Buckley-ish vocals”) that gradually builds to an epic swell of “oh-oh-oh’s” that recalls the mood of Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House (could this be their “Knife”?) more than anything on the Jets’ 2005 debut. It announced itself to me as something Definitely Special from the start, but it wasn’t until last night during an errant venture through the Financial District that everything clicked. “Flakes” was playing as I crossed a rainy street near the seaport and rounded a corner directly into the shadow of 30-foot Christmas tree, and it suddenly become apparent that yes, in some utopian parallel universe, this really is Christmas number one.

MP3: “Flakes” - Mystery Jets ((highly recommended)) [Alternate Link]

And all that without a single mention of Erol Alkan’s production work on the track. I know, right? That’s mainly because regardless of production, “Flakes” would likely be able to stand alone as one of the year’s triumphant tracks even in its rawest form, but the cavernous mix of the vocals is a subtle touch that makes it just that much better. Mystery Jets upcoming second album will be Erol’s first full album production credit, and while he’s not terribly ostentatious on “Flakes”, it’s not the kind of track that needs a producer to make their presence known; subtlety is the name of the game here. That said, his nigh-on impeccable pedigree as a producer - both as a remixer and in rock music (”Fulwood Babylon”, anyone?) - suggests we have a lot to look forward to on the band’s upcoming LP. Between “Flakes” and last winter’s first taste of “Umbrellahead” and the “Elizabeth” demo, Mystery Jets’ as-yet-untitled sophomore effort is shaping up to be a potential classic in waiting.

MP3: “Half In Love With Elizabeth” (Electric Demo) - Mystery Jets [Alt. Link]

On a completely serious note, may Sean Taylor be in our thoughts tonight. ST21

Searing riffs! Angular chords! Dance beats! It’s 2005 all over again! Except, unfortunately for the Author, it’s not. That said, you can forgive the lads for being a bit behind the times, after all they hail from Jersey in the Channel Islands (closer to north France than England), a locale better known for being the only British territory occupied by the Germans during WWII than for its cutting edge music scene. In fact, the Author’s press release touts them as the first and only band ever to come out of the area, so here’s to the best band in Channel Islands history then. But yeah, the five-piece possess all the trademarks of the British dance-punk sound that defined 2005, sadly they’re just a bit too late to the party to get the same critical reception as their predecessors. That’s not totally fair though; a hot jam is a hot jam any way you look at it and “Taxi” is an excellent debut single, regardless of its temporal setting.

With their hometown in mind, the song’s title and lyrics (”sleepwalking children escape from their lonely village”) take on a greater significance. This is a band desperate to break free from their isolated, ocean-locked setting, and a single like this should have them playing under the bright lights on the mainland in no time. Embracing that Klaxonic future-rock sound with state-of-emergency riffs and shouty group vocals, the track falls somewhere between the manic pacing of “Helicopter” and the spastic abrasiveness of Klaxons’ “Bouncer” cover. It gets your heart racing and your blood pumping, the kind of encore track that could reduce an audience to smoking rubble in a live setting. Even when they slow things down in the bridge you can sense the guitars just waiting to roar back into the frame for the final kill, always ready for some serious shredding at a moment’s notice. The vicious instrumentation and frantic, desperate energy converge to create a damn fine debut single, and while it’s nothing groundbreaking, they’ve definitely got a good thing going and it’ll be interesting to see where the Author go from here.

MP3: “Taxi” - The Author ((highly recommended)) [Alternate Link]

I’m not sure how great I’ll be at updating this week (despite all the awesome shows I’ll have to draw material from) due to midterms/CMJ madness, so I’ll be throwing up some non-CMJ posts throughout the week to tide you guys over. Oh hey, here’s one of them.

New kids on the block Pete & The Pirates have been making a racket in Reading for a minute now and seem primed to make a significant dent in the public consciousness with upcoming single “Knots”, out on Stolen Recordings today. It’s an excellent release, succeeding on the strength of it’s boisterous immediacy, clattering instrumentation and a rawness that’s so often missing in the UK rock scene these days. The mix is cluttered and rough (in a good way like the Pixies), but the track’s all the better for it, as it’s the way in which the song’s arcing, angular central riff bursts forth from the mix at key intervals throughout that really makes the song from an instrumental perspective. Lyrically, it’s all desperate, frantic nostalgia and somber reminiscing. “Sometimes I see your face/it makes me sad,” laments frontman Tommy Sanders over the bridge, matter-of-factly with no need for pretense or artifice. Nothing here’s terribly poetic or overly-complex, but this brand of youthful guitar-rock isn’t supposed to be.

It’s nothing terribly groundbreaking, but it’s nice to see a band that’s not trying to be something they’re not. Pete & The Pirates know what they’re good at and focus their energy on doing it well. That said, this could easily be an early recording from any number of bands who’ve recently enjoyed success in the British indie rock scene. There’s the urgency and desperation of Bloc Party’s early tracks, the frantic pacing of Maximo Park and the group vocals and herky-jerky guitar style of that first Futureheads LP. Sadly, those bands have all moved onto bigger, glossier production values, so it’s refreshing to hear the style done right, in it’s rawest, purest form. It will be interesting to see if Pete & The Pirates can retain this freshness as they work towards the completion of their debut album, due in early 2008, but for now we have “Knots” to enjoy and can only hope for more of the same from the band in the future.

MP3: “Knots” - Pete & The Pirates ((highly recommended))

Pop music – good pop music, rather – made a triumphant return in 2007. Mr. Timberlake began the process and established himself as the new King of Pop with Futuresex/Lovesounds in late 2006 and kept things moving right on into 2007 with “My Love” and “What Goes Around”. Timbaland made sure it was here to stay, producing solid gold hits for Nelly Furtado, M.I.A., and even the loathsome Omarion, later reaching number one on the charts himself with “The Way I Are”, pretty much the only good thing he’s ever done as a solo artist. Kanye was there doing his part, taking Daft Punk back to the top of the charts with “Stronger” and releasing another excellent LP in “Graduation”, and even Robyn made a comeback, collaborating with producer Kleerup and reaching the top of the UK charts for the first time in nine years on the strength of “With Every Heartbeat”. No one can forget the international reign of pop supremacy Rihanna enjoyed after inviting the world to stand under her umba-rella, but the best female pop track of the year undoubtedly goes to Amerie. Vastly underappreciated in the mainstream for no apparent reason, “Gotta Work” is the pop triumph of 2007 and deserves far more recognition and acclaim than it’s received to this point.

Amerie’s mentor and the producer on the majority of the tracks on her first two records was Rich Harrison, the man responsible for taking her to the top of the charts in 2004 with “One Thing”, her first Top 10 hit. “One Thing” was a masterpiece of pop minimalism, composed of only a sharp one-chord riff, a clattering percussion section and Amerie’s saccharine vocal delivery. Any track achieving success on the back of such a sparse arrangment is worth noting, especially one able to access the upper echelons of mainstream popularity, as “One Thing” did when it reached #8 in 2005. “Gotta Work”, on the other hand, is a lesson in flamboyant maximalism, bursting at the seams with blaring brass arrangements and thunderous percussion courtesy of production team One Up. Sure, it’s very “Crazy In Love” and both songs operate within the same formula, but “Gotta Work” just does so much more for me on every occasion. I don’t think anyone saw this coming (least of all me) after Amerie failed to follow up the success of “One Thing” with the other singles off Touch, but shit – “Gotta Work” makes it clear that Amerie has the potential to be a pop force to reckon with in any music climate. Unfortunately, the track has gone largely over-looked in the US, as it was released without the company of an album here. Because I Love It, a sort of best-of compilation for the purpose of introducing Amerie to UK audiences, dropped across the pond this summer and was extremely well-received there, but the release of that album stateside would have been redundant for obvious reasons. Thus, American audiences went criminally under-exposed to the track, but that can’t really be held against it. That said, it’s nice to know there’s no danger of the track getting played to death everywhere you turn as was the case with “Umbrella”. Radio hit or not though, “Gotta Work” is a pop smash that can’t be fucked with any way you look at it.

MP3: “Gotta Work” - Amerie ((highly recommended))

And for those of you who may have somehow missed out on the pop brilliance of “One Thing” or just slept on the track because it’s too mainstream or whatever, here’s your chance to right your wrongs.

Bonus MP3: “One Thing” - Amerie ((highly recommended))

I know I’ve forsaken electro in favor of folk and indie as of late, but the hot fire returns with a bang today. Maybe now we can be friends again?

It’s been a minute now since we’ve heard any new studio material from Sebastien Tellier, the mastermind behind “La Ritournelle”, one of the most awe-inspiring tracks of last year ever, but I’m pleased to announce the wait is over. On October 16th Mr. Tellier will release his brand new single in the form of “Sexual Sportswear”, an 8-minute epoch that swaps the orchestral in favor of the electronic and sports production from Daft Punk’s very own Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. The French house legend is manning the boards on Tellier’s entire upcoming LP, titled Sexuality and out January 2008, and “Sexual Sportswear” is a delicious first taste.

It’s no “La Ritournelle”, but it’s unwavering sexiness wholly justifies its exceedingly awesome title. Like “Ritournelle”, “Sexual Sportswear” is a sprawling odyssey, but where the former continuously evolves with a new twist around every turn, “Sportswear” seems a bit directionless at times. An epic, ominous intro rides swirling atmospheric synths into the body of the track, which takes off on a churning synth progression that it proceeds to ride for the remainder of the track. It’s no secret that French house has become the style to emulate this year, with everyone from Kanye to will.i.am trying to get in on the action, and it’s clear that Tellier’s taken note as well (though the accompanying literature calls this “electro-classical”). There’s no doubt he’s got plenty of Ed Banger records in his collection, but “Sportswear” suggests he may be looking off labelmate Kavinsky’s paper as well (”Testarossa Autodrive”, anyone?). That said, it’d be hard not to be influenced by the French house explosion when it’s going down in your own backyard, so we can’t be too hard on the man. Instead, let’s applaud him for the new direction he’s taken and hope that Sexuality’s got some more streamlined chart-toppers up its proverbial sleeve.

But wait, there’s more. The single comes backed by a remix from the inimitable SebastiAn, who’s also been M.I.A. in the remix scene for a few months now. And well… that kid done did it again. I mean oh JESUS, just when you thought the remix maestro might be slowing down, he drops so much fire on the track they should call him Vesuvius (sorry… it had to happen). All of his staples are back - the emphatic bass surges, the razor-sharp strings bursts, the choppy production; they’re all here. SebastiAn’s always been in the business of stealing thunder from the original compositions he reworks, but this is some next-level shit. So yeah, buy the single for the A-side, but make damn sure you stay for the remix.

STREAM: “Sexual Sportswear” - Sebastien Tellier

MP3: “Sexual Sportswear” (SebastiAn Remix) - Tellier ((highly recommended))

During my six-week stay in London this summer, I saw A LOT of great live bands, but none better than Brooklyn’s own White Rabbits. Ironic, given my love for/obsession with British music, that the highlight of my trip (Daft Punk aside) would be a performance by a band from my own stomping grounds, but the unparalleled intensity and controlled wrecklessness of the Rabbits’ live show was not to be fucked with. Their debut LP, Fort Nightly, is undoubtedly excellent from start to finish, failing only in that it can’t replicate the intense passion of their live show. One track, however, stands apart from the rest in its ability to capture the emotion of White Rabbits’ live set, and it’s the album’s stand-out track as a result. Released earlier this year on Say Hey Records and now seeing release as a single in the UK on XL Recordings’ esteemed Young Turks imprint, “The Plot” is one of the best tracks of the year and definitely worth writing home about.

It takes off at 100 miles per hour from square one, double-tracked drums both setting the rampant pace for the track and driving home vocalist Greg Roberts’ impassioned lyrics of domestic abuse in a relationship gone wrong. It’s a crash course in momentum and manic pacing, a four-minute test of endurance with impressive lyrical depth that’s just icing on the cake. The driving guitars and percussion that make up the track’s grandiose rhythm section let up only for a moment in the bridge, allowing the keys to take center stage while Roberts’ delivers the songs most visceral lyric: “You’re hiding in the sheets/I work hard so we can have nice things/You’re not even dressed/The house is such a mess”. Then it’s “He’s! Not! Impressed!” and the song roars back with that climactic, soaring and endlessly-addictive “woe-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh” chorus, perhaps the most unforgettable of the year (save for maybe “Paper Planes”), and the rest is history. There are really no flaws with this track, and if White Rabbits can do a better job of translating the energetic passion of “The Plot” and their live show to future records they’ll be a force to reckon with in the years to come.

The B-side is Fort Nightly lead-off gem “Kid On My Shoulders”, a track that wouldn’t feel out of place in the Cold War Kids’ repertoire, all jangly piano riffs, maracas and cymbal crashes. Though it pales in comparison to the A-side, it’s one of the album’s other standouts and could do just fine as a single in its own right, making this a record definitely worth adding to your collection. I’d feel badly about giving both sides of the record up for download, but Say Hey’s already giving them away on their own site, so why the fuck not. Get your download on below and be sure to check out the band’s self-made video (basically their summer tour diary in hyperspeed) while you’re at it.

MP3s:
“The Plot” - White Rabbits ((highly recommended))
“Kid On My Shoulders” - White Rabbits

A would-be summer smash in a perfect world, “Your English Is Good” is the best track Canadian bright young things Tokyo Police Club have dropped since bursting on the scene last fall with debut single “The Nature of the Experiment”. All shouty group vocals and summery guitar sounds, “English” is a jubilant slice of warm-weather guitar-pop that stands out as one of the most fun tracks of the year. Much of its charm lies in its frantic urgency, in just how badly Tokyo Police Club want your vote and just how good they think your English is. It’s a different kind of urgency - steeped in the naive bliss of youthful optimism - than that found on their debut EP, for which the darker desperation of Bloc Party provided a better reference point, and it’s an exciting new sound for the band. By this point they’ve already established themselves as one of the most promising young talents in Canada, but for a band of their age to already be displaying a distinctively evolving sound this early in their career only confirms their virtually limitless potential.

It’s no secret that TPC’s greatness lies in the fact that frontman Dave Monks is a brilliant young talent who, y’know, just happens to have three friends who know how to play their instruments pretty well. The B-Side to “English” finds Monks shining solo for the first time on record, armed with only an acoustic guitar, the unconventional beauty of his vocals and lyrics and some light backing percussion. Like all TPC tracks it’s short and sweet and leaves you wanting more, but with a freshly-inked deal with, uh, Saddle Creek (…seriously?) and a debut album in the works, hopefully we won’t have to wait long.

MP3: “Your English Is Good” - Tokyo Police Club ((highly recommended))

STREAM: “Swedes In Stockholm” - Tokyo Police Club

GOODNESS the new Kanye video is awesome. Long live So-Me.

Also, I’ll be in Boston this weekend to see Girl Talk and Simian Mobile Disco (not to mention Dan Deacon and White Williams) TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF on Friday night, so don’t expect any updates until Monday. You also probably shouldn’t expect a review of the show, as I’ve already reviewed both acts twice before here and, to put it bluntly, I’m planning on getting straight-up retarded. Shit is gonna be out of control.

It seems remarkable that this band have gone unmentioned in these pages to this point, as they’re one of my favorite things to happen to music in 2007 and have been since they first crossed my radar last spring, but better late than never. Having acquired this at the end of my tenure at XL in the final days of June, I can finally share this, one of my favorite tracks of the year, with you now that it’s finally seen its official release. Cajun Dance Party stormed onto the scene in April with an impressive debut single, “The Next Untouchable”, on Way Out West Recordings coinciding with a massive label bidding war involving nearly all the major players in the British music scene. Though nothing terribly ground-breaking, the track was an excellent, well-crafted debut and the band announced their deal with XL (rumored to be the largest in the label’s history) shortly thereafter. All of this is extremely impressive, especially when you consider their age. Why? These kids are fucking SIXTEEN years old.

Now they return with their first single proper on XL and it’s a whole new ballgame. “The Next Untouchable” was an admirable debut, but new single “Amylase” is truly astonishing. The track initially made the rounds on the band’s now-infamous demo EP in early 2007 and immediately stood out as a single-in-waiting. But six months later that version is completely obsolete, anemic in comparison to the finished product and unable to even come close to holding a candle to the single version.

A crucial factor in the metamorphosis of the track is the replacement of the original’s meager keyboard progression with those massive, sweeping strings that almost single-handedly bring the track to life. No word yet on whether that can be credited to the band or producer Bernard Butler (of Suede fame), but before his Cajun days guitarist Robbie Stern performed as a classically-trained violinist and word on the street is that it’s his boys from the youth orchestra he rolled with back in the day actually playing on record. Regardless of whose behind them, they’re the song’s defining element and they set the tone of the entire track, soaring through colorful fields, racing alongside Stern’s impressive guitarwork while keeping pace with frontman Danny Blumberg’s beyond-his-years vocals and lyricism. Everything here suggests this should be a massive hit, and the song even comes complete with a final bridge tailor-made for crowd participation as Blumberg belts out that curiously anthemic “You’re the catalyst that makes things faster/Amylase will dry up the plaster” chorus over clap-a-long drums before Stern returns one more time for one last guitar hero jam session as the track comes to a close. Suffice it to say, this is probably the best song ever written in a Grade 11 chemistry class.

The B-Side, “Fill The Cups”, isn’t all that great and Butler overdoes it a bit with the production (though not quite to a fault), but you’ll be hard-pressed to find any other faults here. And sure, Blumberg does sound a lot like a younger Luke the Kook, but it seems like the frontman of every new young act in the UK recalls the Kooks’ vocalist these days and the fact remains that the Kooks themselves may never release a track this good. Regardless of your stance on “Amylase” and Cajun Dance Party it’s very hard to deny: this could be the jumping off point of a very exciting career for a group of kids whose future is almost blindingly bright at this point.

MP3: “Amylase” - Cajun Dance Party ((highly recommended))

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

Speaking of underage wonders, how about the Locarnos. I guess the best way of describing them would just be as an even younger Cajun Dance Party (so like 14 and 15 instead of 16 and 17), and while they definitely show their age a bit more than CDP, they also show a lot of promise. They’re sound is still pretty rough at this point, but with some professional tutelage and better production, I can see them doing big things in a few years’ time. They’ve definitely got the industry’s attention, and here are the two best cuts from their self-released debut EP, Get Your Coat On. It’s not too much to write home about now, but just you wait.

MP3s:
“Sticks and Stones” - The Locarnos
“Don’t Give Me A Hard Time” - The Locarnos