And on to part two of my recent adventures at Mpls' Electric Fetus:

MP3 Gogol Bordello - "Strange Uncles From Abroad"
Thank god for Largehearted Boy's weekly shopping bag, or else I would have completely overlooked this week's release of Gogol Bordello's first new material since 2002, the six track (plus enhanced video) East Infection EP. I was wowed by GB (to say the least) when I saw them at the Entry back in May of last year & have since picked up their previous discs, 2000's Voi-La Intruder and 2002's Multi Kontra Culti vs. Irony. While I was intrigued to learn that Eugene Hutz & company had been recording in Chicago with legendary producer Steve Albini, I am not that impressed with his tracks thus far. The Manu Chao cover "Mala Vida" has good energy & a deep sound, but it's nothing extraordinary. Full of reverb & echo, "Copycat" sounds unlike GB's previous work, but it's not much fun. This band-produced track, however, is classic GB gypsy punk, with oddball lyrics about foreign relatives, a foot-stomping beat & plenty of danceable accordian & violin riffs to work a crowd into a frenzy. This is what I'm talking about.

MP3 Out Hud - "Dear Mr. Bush..."
While much has been made out of the introduction of sultry pop vocals to !!!-sister band Out Hud's repertoire on their new album Let Us Never Speak Of It Again, this track is eleven & a half minutes of almost wordless dancepunk grooves. It also sports the best song title of the year thus far, "Dear Mr. Bush, There Are Over 100 Words For Sh** & Only 1 For Music. F**k You, Out Hud" (but since there are practically no lyrics, don't expect any anti-neocon rhetoric). For more on Out Hud, who are bringing their esteemed live reputation to the Triple Rock in May, check out previous blog posts by Fluxblog, 20 Jazz Funk Greats, Scissorkick, Music For Robots & Silence is a Rhythm Too (FYI: some may have expired mp3 links).

bonus MP3 Daft Punk - "Robot Rock (Soulwax remix)"
Like most everybody, I have been underwhelmed by Human After All, the first new album from Daft Punk in four years (read Empty Free's gripe today). Though I didn't buy the cd on Tuesday, I was still pretty jazzed when I first heard "Robot Rock" a couple months ago, though the abbreviated three minute version is a lot more tolerable than the 4:47 album version, which just drags on way too long IMO. While it may not "rock" as hard as the original, I dig this remix from Belgian duo Soulwax because it actually has a progression instead of being endlessly repetitive, and it mixes things up sonically. For comparison's sake, and the fun of watching a "robot" play a double-guitar, here's a video of the original:

MOV Daft Punk - "Robot Rock" video (11.3mb)

Elsewhere, Tofu Hut has an absolutely monster post on Canadian star-in-the-making Leslie Feist that is a must-read. Also, Toronto 10:51am (via Torontoist) alerts me to the fact that Boom Selection has once again made the Diplo/M.I.A. mixtape Piracy Funds Terrorism available for download. Go and do likewise young padawan, and let the baile funk be with you.

More Cowbell reports that Spoon will be playing an early all-ages show at First Avenue on June 12th, before Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks take the same main room stage later that nite for a 21+ performance. Holy crap.



One week from today (3/31), Air America will celebrate its first birthday. After a rocky inaugural year on the air (or just streaming), I am still listening. To coincide with the occasion, HBO will be showing Left of the Dial, an America Undercover documentary chronicling the lefty radio network's "rise, fall & resurrection." The doc airs at 8pm ET, so set your Tivos.

Speaking of Air America (sort of), turncoat Bush backer & Majority Report pincushion Ron Silver reprised his role as political consultant Bruno Gianelli on last nite's episode of The West Wing. Appropriately enough, his character has switched sides & is working for the republicans ("on the right side of history" I suppose). Of course this doesn't come across as all that traitorous, since a pro-life, non-religious senator from California like Alan Alda's character can win the republican nomination in the bizarro world of John Wells' bastard version of The West Wing (but hey, I'm still watching).

This entry was posted by mr gilbert at 3/24/2005 09:00:00 AM.