What do you think? VW are one of my favourite bands out there and are perspectively worth every penny from all angles. Their new album entitled, Contra will be released January 12, 2010 in the US and January 11 everywhere else. Let the countdown begin!

Kanye West – Good Morning OFFICIAL VIDEO

Ghostland Observatory- “Sad Sad City”

I completely understand what’s going on, reaching out to a bigger audience with your music is understandable and I encourage it. That’s awesome. Mostly I was just pointing out the desparity between DJ Shadow’s notoriety as a collector of music, and being open to new as well as old, from all genres (a flexibility in style that I think the best DJ’s are known for) and DJ Hero’s seeming superficiality. DJ Hero, to me, seemed to skim the top of the DJing world.

But hey, what can I expect from a videogame? Guitar Hero was similar, it gave people the opportunity to rock out to the hits and had great gameplay, but skipped over the rest. I think a lot of what hip-hop represents is the exploration and removal of boundaries, not only between genres of music, but between cultures as well. I have high hopes, but I feel that DJ Hero will leave no room for that essential exploration.

I can’t say that I “play” Guitar Hero. I’ve played it—and it was fun—but I still don’t understand why people just don’t play real instruments. I get it for the most part, it’s a completely different experience and that you get to participate in the music, whatever. But I’ve come to accept it as a dorm staple, seeing that it is as ubiquitous as potatoes in Ireland, pasta in Italy, or some other starch in some other country.  I had no idea how popular it was until I walked down that darkened hall on move-in day and heard the distinctive clicking of Guitar Hero guitars coming from every open door. The combined cacophony was unsettling. The immense popularity is why, I presume, the good folks at Guitar Hero are coming out with DJ Hero, bringing hip-hop and club to suburbia’s chubby fingertips.

“Turntables have begun outselling guitars” is the buzz around the block nowadays. It seems only right that a game like DJ Hero would come out. But it might be just another nail in the coffin of the much-professed death of hip-hop. I challenge you to find a rapper who doesn’t have a song that refers to the state of hip-hop in some way. You rap connoisseurs out there probably could, but it’s difficult. There are legions of hip-happers and mp3 DJ’s who really don’t understand the beginnings of the genre, who are simply enraptured by the bling and the hustlin’. DJ Hero could very well go two ways: one, it introduces people living under a rock for the past decade to club music and makes them want to genuinely explore and create, or it limits them to pop-rap and shitty electronica and continues the propagation of Disgusting Music.

According to the press release, among the 100+ tracks are artists such as the Black Eyed Peas, DJ Shadow, 50 Cent, Justice, Marvin Gaye, Beck, N.E.R.D. and The Beastie Boys. A bunch of these guys are going to be ill scratching and mixing to. But I’ve been to a 50 Cent concert; the DJ just stood there and played gun shots as periods whenever 50 Cent would stop a song abruptly and start talking to the crowd. Not exactly a great deejaying experience. A second player could also emcee if the beat is particularly hot and their nerdy rhymes are up to snuff. As for the more European House-inclined,  there’s the purely mixing aspect which might even qualify as actual practice for CD and computer DJ’s, seeing as the interface would be fairly similar.

DJ Shadow’s involvement, however, is surprising. A lot of what he stands for seems to directly contradict what DJ Hero is. He’s a digger, what DJ’s like to call people that love rooting through dusty vinyl crates. DJ Hero does not, and more importantly, can not give you that experience. With record stores going out of business all over, it’s sad that this often overlooked aspect of DJing is yet again overlooked.

But these are mostly just nitpicks. I really do look forward to playing DJ Hero, I just hope that they get it right.

Midnight Juggernauts – Dystopia

Judging by their seemingly overlooked album Dystopia, Midnight Juggernauts really do have that special something that would motivate Justice to personally invite them on their North American tour in 2007. Their music maintains a constant feel while exploring the countless corners of the galaxy that they mentally create for the listener. Dystopia is inspiring, comforting in its repetition, and, above all else, danceable. It’s great to see such solid electronica made available for those who wouldn’t normally indulge in it.

Sounds Like: David Bowie, Justice, AIR

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Late of the Pier – Fantasy Black Channel

Young, English, and as passionate as possible, Late of the Pier are perfectly rough diamonds. Alliteration aside, these guys are far advanced for their age. Having formed in 2004 with none of the members being older than 17, Late of the Pier were first introduced on Kitsune Maison 5 with an edit of their song ‘Broken’ sneaking onto the famous French electronic compilations. From there it’s been a fast rise to recognition in their UK home. Fantasy Black Channel, their debut album, is incredibly strong in sound and a torrential force of fury that’s sure to put their name into American mouths soon with its sing song-ish noise tales. Late of the Pier are really channeling something powerful that anyone who enjoys electronica can enjoy.

Sounds Like: MGMT, Sunset Rubdown

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Calvin Harris – I Created Disco

Calvin Harris is a character. You can totally envision this 80’s obsessing, electro-clashing, disco creating, fiend while dancing to his undeniably catchy tunes. Calvin has got this very ironic and iconic image that is reminiscent of Chromeo with a dash of sharpness a la LCD Soundsystem. I Created Disco is great at being synth heavy without being shallow and forgettable. It can sometimes be difficult to find a heart in an album that exaggerates an already ridiculous style of music: the 80’s kind. Fortunately for Calvin, he does a fantastic job of making a lovable album filled to the brim with smart electronica.

Sounds Like: Chromeo, LCD Soundsystem, Datarock

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Yelle – Pop Up

Pop Up opens with an absolutely flawless ditty, entitled Ce Jeu, that really sets the mood for the rest of Julie Budet’s insanely underrated album. There is this really fluid vibe throughout the entire record that keeps the listener truly listening while enjoying the danceable pop tracks provided by Ms. Budet. Despite Pop Up being sung completely in French, there’s still an understanding of common themes such as love, having fun, and dancing your face off. Each track uniquely shines on account of the attention to detail and use of different styles of electronica so as to keep the record from ever having a dull moment. The only disappointing thing is knowing that Yelle has been featured on the likes of MySpace, HBO’s Entourage, a GAP music sampler, and Need for Speed without the recognition that is surely due to her.

Sounds Like: The Ting Tings, Ellen Allien, Fischerspooner

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Shinichi Osawa – The One

Hands down, Shinichi Osawa’s The One is the most unrecognized gem on this list. Yes, that’s a bold statement but it is painfully true. Having received incredible fame in his home country of Japan as Mondo Grosso, a Kyoto based musical group, Osawa decided to become a solo producer. His most notable (but still unknown) works include countless remixes for the likes of Digitalism and the production of the popular PSP title, Lumines. On The One, Shinichi eclipses his previous musical endeavors by overhauling and experimenting with genres such as acid jazz, electronica, house, and disco. It’s an absolutely ingenious album that can’t be described so much as recognized. The opening track is a cover of the Chemical Brothers’ Star Guitar backed by the beautiful voices of Au Revoir Simone that will leave you speechless like only the best love anthems can, and from there on out it only gets better. To see such an electronica powerhouse go unseen is an absolute travesty, Shinichi Osawa’s The One is a marvelous album that must be heard to be believed.

Sounds Like: Justice, Chemical Brothers, Digitalism

Buy: Only Available in Japan

Apes & Androids – Blood Moon

This stuff is epic. Like huge. This New York based five piece really know how to bring the well layered noise. It’s Queen meets metal and Bowie meets the Police if they were like zombies or something. It’s just weird stuff! But great, nonetheless. Absolutely great! From their fantastical live shows to their awesomely diverse album, Blood Moon, Apes & Androids have created something I can’t possibly explain. Just listen to it. It’s a phenomenal example of genre bending.

Sounds Like: Of Montreal, Queen, Man Man

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Friend – Demos

At twenty years old, Jesse Kanda has done pretty well for himself. As a “multidisciplinary artist, designer, and developer based in London” he has somehow found the time to further his music project, Friend. It’s an awesome hybrid of funk and electronica that really showcases his keen sense of just knowing what sounds great. Of the five tracks available, Secret, a remix of Air France’s Collapsing At Your Doorstep, is an outstanding example of tribal-esque electronica. Best of all, his demos are freely available on his MySpace in all of their high quality glory!

Sounds Like: Jamiroquai, Sebastian, Air France

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Glass Candy – Beat Box

Having celebrated nine years on the music scene, this Oregon two piece is still a bit unknown. Even with their rabid fan base, Glass Candy, deserves so much more. The attention to vintage sounds and blending of noise rock and infectious electropop bring this gem-of-a-band full circle. Beat Box is nothing short of amazing and features a slew of feverish dance hits that accompany a late night drive perfectly.

Sounds Like: Kraftwerk, Peaches

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Greenskeepers – Polo Club

Polo Club is a heavy album. To be more specific, it’s 2 discs with 35 tracks in total and is incredibly listenable. It’s witty, self-aware, and really knows how to suck you in. No song is the same but instead maintains a similar vibe that keeps the overall album original and interesting. Clocking in at around two hours, Polo Club proves Greenskeepers’ awesome musical ability that, for the most part, has gone unseen throughout their long career. It holds up well, and long, to say the least.

For Lovers of: Simian Mobile Disco, The Presets

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Health – Disco

Disco is awesome. Not the the tight pants, John Travolta, and afro kind, but more like the Health kind. It’s an album that’s not really their album so much as it is a remix of their self-titled debut album, Health. Yeah, it’s an odd concept, but one that works so breathtakingly well. Hearing Crystal Castles, Pink Skull, and CFCF (amongst others) absolutely terrorize the intended foundation of each Health song, alone, is worth a listen. But it’s the fact that it’s done superbly is what ends up making Disco a total classic. It’s a completely moving electronica album for what it is — dance music derived from noise rock.

Sounds Like: Crystal Castles, No Age

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Tiga – Sexor

Considering his album Sexor won the 2007 Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year, you’d think you might have heard something by this Montreal-born genius. Tiga, the stage name of Tiga James Sontag, is a dynamic artist that will leave you blown away by his skill and musical presence. It ceases to be catchy from start to finish and tells an interstellar story through carefully designed dance tracks. Sexor has some standout songs that showcase dance at its pinnacle, while still being completely listenable off of the dance floor. There’s something intriguing about Tiga in the sense that his music reveals his persona all while making him even more of an enigma. Definitely worth a listen!

Sounds Like: Junior Boys, New Young Pony Club, Scissor Sisters

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