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.

Festival info and tickets can be found at nxne.com

They have chosen to broadcast their New York show on the website, as the real gig will only cater for 300 fans. The show is set to happen a few days after release of their new album 21st Century Breakdown.

Fans have a chance to attend the show at Webster Hall on May 19 by responding to a series of blogs and bulletins on myspace.com/thelist.

The new album is to be released on May 15th.

The whole album is pretty much how you would expect, tails of lead singer Eddie Argos’ immaturity through the joys and woes of modern life.

The thing is, is that Art Brut are another Marmite band. Most people who have heard this band only comment on the fact that Argos does little singing, but that is the charm of this band, and they haven’t lost it with their latest release.

DC Comics And Chocolate Milkshake exploits the childlike soul of Argos, as does The Passenger where he talks about the joys of public transport for just under 3 minutes.

The speed really cranks up with Am I Normal and brings back memories of tracks like Good Weekend from the first album. I think that this track will be one of the long-lasters from this release, it’s something to listen to and much like the previous two albums, will never get boring.

What A Rush and Demons Out! continue the highly poetic mood expressed throughout. Slap Dash For No Cash seems a little weaker to me and reaches it’s best in the final minute. It’s good to hear the other band members getting vocals too.

The Replacements comes off as a bit of a rant at the music industry starting with “So many bands are just putting it on, why can’t they be the same as their songs?” He can’t believe he’s only just discovered The Replacements.

Twist and Shout comes with another strong bassline and tales of how he should keep his mouth shut. Summer Job is a catchy number with a lot going on, including a chrous supported by vocals from the rest of the band.

The album ends the way it begun, a recovering Argos unable to remember what happened the night before in Mysterious Bruises. This seems quite a slow one for a final track, it does however develop into quite a rememberable tune.

All in all, this is not my favourite Art Brut album. I don’t think it has as many iconic songs as Bang Bang Rock and Roll and overall seems more depressing than It’s A Bit Complicated. Which is surprising as many have reviewed ‘Vs Satan as being better than their previous attempt.

After the hype of this latest release, I might relax and listen to a bit of their old stuff again!

So I thought, disregarding the fact that it has been around for a while now, I would review it for you all!

It all kicks off with the familiar A-Punk. This is their most known track purely because it is excellent, the track gives you an all-round idea of Vampire Weekend’s style. Hearing this single should have been enough to make you want to listen to the album.

A-Punk moves into a slower Oxford Comma. Slower, but a mighty song. The first thing I heard about this song was about the video and the fact that apparently it was shot in one whole go, quite amazing considering all of the things that go on.

Oxford Comma ends in a musical array of goodness, it’s a great song for all the right reasons. Some might argue that once you have heard these first two tracks, you have heard Vampire Weekend. But I would correct them, as the album gets even better now.

I’m going to be very harsh and say that Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (yes, that is the name) is one of the weaker songs on the album. Which I feel mean about saying because it is not a weak song at all, especially Ezra Koenig kicks in with the wailingly addictive chorus.

‘M79‘ is next and starts off quite differently from the other songs but builds into a rather funky tune. This leads well into the slower starting Mansard Roof which turns out to be one of the most lively and organic tracks on the record. It has awesome drumming too, much like…

Campus. - This is without a doubt my favourite song on the album. It is short, snappy and has all the right ingredients for something you want to listen to over and over again, which isn’t a lie. If you want to get into this band quickly, listen to this first. That’s what I say.

Past halfway now, and I Stand Corrected starts off with you thinking it as that track on every album which you have no vision of going anywhere. Backed with a strong piano-riff, however, it doesn’t let down. I think it’s probably also the shortest track so far, excluding the far-too-short-for-it’s-own-good A Punk.

Walcott references back to Cape Cod again. This track has quite a festivity to it with the lively piano running throughout and later on strings start to play, just such a very awesome sound. It’s what makes Vampire Weekend so distinctive.

Next, Bryn has to be a close favourite to one of the best tracks and sees wicked vocals from the lead singer. From what I can make out, ‘One (Blake’s Got A New Face)’ disses English breakfast just before the first chorus, but there you go!

I absolutely love hearing the synthy vibe which weaves in and out of this tune.

The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance houses some of the richest vocals you hear from Ezra, which is what I remember most about this track. This one doesn’t really speed up, but it’s a nice relaxed one to end an absolutely recommendable album. I highly suggest you listen to it. This band are one that I will always remember from the 2007 indie era and I hope they are back very soon with a new one!