anavan: the perfect sound.

dl: ANAVAN - The Perfect Sound (Z)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wouldn't have survived last week without Anavan. At any point when I got too stressed, I'd pull out my computer, open iTunes, find "The Perfect Sound", press play and repeat as necessary.

I imagine that loyalists to Anavan's punkier roots won't appreciate the extreme dance-pop direction of this tune. Having heard a few select songs from their upcoming album Cover Story, some of you may be relieved to know that "The Perfect Sound" isn't necessarily indicative of Anavan's overall sound.

Beyond their own tunes, Anavan's drummer AB has been doing a variety of remixes including A++, Foot Village, Sgt. Sass, Totally Radd!!, Sophie Nix, Attractive and Popular, kyoka, and Destructo Bunny the International Peace Keeper. The Sgt. Sass remix was runner-up in the No Big Deal remix contest, but personally I think AB was robbed on that one (no offense to Japattack).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
BONER TRACK: SGT. SASS - Take Your Man (ANAVAN remix) (Z)
BONER TRACK II: TOTALLY RADD!! - Cold Moonlight (ANAVAN remix) (Z)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- BUY IT - SITE IT - SPACE IT - LAST IT - HYPE IT -

bedtime for toys: earth, wind, and fire cover.

dl: BEDTIME FOR TOYS - September (Earth, Wind, and Fire cover) (YSI)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

About a year ago, I was at a party in which the iPod DJ killed the party by playing nothing but bad ol' skool soul, funk, R&B, and disco. By stealth methods of doing the hipster fist-pump across the living-room of the frat-house hosting the party, a friend and I located the guilty iPod and replaced it with one with a superior music selection. We had less than a second to decide what to play next, as the hosts and partygoers would be suspicious if the music stopped for too long. While it was a risk because the song was only just catching on, we decided on Rihanna's "Umbrella". The dancing-space was no longer empty after that.

When the host discovered our dastardly plan, she transformed from the pretty Little Red-Haired Girl into a total cracked-out Skeksi. Pretty people aren't meant to be angry! And while I'd like to say otherwise, they're definitely not meant to be DJs. She snatched the iPod out of my friend's hand and replaced it with the original. Interrupting the bodies who were grinding to a pleasant pop song (and the song itself), she turned on "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. The dancing-space got empty faster than Josh Peck came in Olivia Thirby's vagina in The Wackness (see it June 3rd, seriously!)...

Beyond even this instance, I have a hate-hate relationship with "September". When I initially heard that Bedtime For Toys was doing a cover of the song, I had mixed feelings. Either they'd bring new life to a song I hate, and I'd be forced to admit that I may like "September", or I'd hate their cover solely because I hate the original. Or both! While I'm hesitant to say that I'm a fan of the cover, it's been growing on me since first hearing it. Given that I'm already tapping my foot vigorously in my desk chair, I imagine that I'd probably be drunkenly dancing to this if it came on at a party. And while Marchelle's performance of the song is outstanding as usual, I think this has a lot more to do with the instrumental. No matter how great you are, Bedtime For Toys, you can NOT get me to admit that I like "September". Ever.

Aside from the BFT IZ PUNK n B project, the Toys seem to be recording some other new material. "Cold Fever" was recently given a video treatment, and a new song called "Flashback" has just popped up. It incorporates the "Woo! Yeah!" sample that I'm ever so fond of, and even makes a lyrical reference to Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock's "It Takes Two". The Toys clearly know the way to this blogger's heart.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

dl: BEDTIME FOR TOYS - Flashback (YSI)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

- BUY IT - SITE IT - SPACE IT - HYPE IT - WIK IT -

bedtime for toys: bobby brown cover.

dl: BEDTIME FOR TOYS - Don't Be Cruel (Bobby Brown cover) (YSI) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wasn't even three years-old when Bobby Brown released "Don't Be Cruel". It may have had nowhere near the cultural impact of "My Prerogative" and "Every Little Step", but the title track of Don't Be Cruel was the former New Edition member's first top-ten hit as a solo artist. It makes me wish my entire life could be lived in a New Jack Swing music video. Remember when Bobby Brown wasn't a joke? I don't. But I wish I did.

Well, it seems as if ITMS!! clubhouse residents Bedtime For Toys have no trouble remembering those times, considering that they've recently posted a cover of Brown's "Don't Be Cruel" on their space. My initial commentary was that it lacks the sincerity of the original, but the Toys make the song their own in a very different way. Together, Marchelle's vocals and the mid-tempo electro grind of the track establish this weirdly dominant stance. The lyrics become less of a plea and more of an order, as Marchelle reprimands the so-called "girl" for acting up. An uncomfortable amount of attitude. Gender-bending. Bobby Brown. Now that's what I call Punk 'n' B.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
BONER TRACK: BEDTIME FOR TOYS - Say BOOM (YSI) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- BUY IT - SITE IT - SPACE IT - HYPE IT - WIK IT -

bedtime for toys: cold fever.

BEDTIME FOR TOYS have been getting some love lately due to their upcoming performance this Saturday with Dandi Wind and Passions.

I have to thank those who have shown love for them, because without them...I wouldn't have discovered "Cold Fever". I have absolutely no idea when this song appeared on their myspace or how I missed it, but I'm glad it's finally entered my life. "Cold Fever" begins with a short intro freestyle by lead singer Marchelle Bradanini, followed by a rap by hypeman and "culture connoisseur" Toussaint Christophe. Marchelle sings a lot, Toussaint appears again, and everything is pure magic. It's not as dance-party ready as previous jams such as "Say BOOM", but it is no doubt...a jam.

I once took a class in college called "Hazardous Earth: Stuff that Will Kill You". I didn't learn much, but I did learn that if the world is ever going to end...it's going to start on the west coast. If Bedtime for Toys are playing when the world ends from the inevitable supervolcano, I will die a happy man. You will die too, and I'm sorry for that. As Marchelle says in "Say BOOM"..."Tonight we've got to celebrate 'cause this could be the end." While we are alive, we can still listen to her voice. Isn't that what's important?

dl: BEDTIME FOR TOYS- Cold Fever (YSI)
dl: BEDTIME FOR TOYS- Say BOOM (YSI)
(LA electro R&B/hip-hopesque jams)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it - wik it -

music for feedback: toys, turning off the lights, and music usage in art.

DOWNLOAD: BEDTIME FOR TOYS- Say BOOM
- website - myspace - read that - cop that -

I have to confess that I escaped to Foxwoods today for dinner, so I don't have much to share but some ideas.

I'm kind of anti-gambling so my time at Foxwoods was spent eating and walking around, though I did play some skee-ball in the arcade. More importantly, Foxwoods has one of the most amazing contests going on. You swipe your "Wampum card"* and see if you get the opportunity to, wait for it...

Play tic-tac-toe. Against a LIVE chicken.

This isn't a joke, and I wish I had my camera with me so I could prove it to you. If you win, you get $10,000. If you lose, you get a t-shirt that says "I lost to a chicken at Foxwoods". In other words, if you are eligible to compete against the chicken...you are a winner no matter what. Seriously. I wanted a chicken t-shirt so badly that I almost asked them if I could buy one. Perhaps someone is selling one on e-bay?

With t-shirts in mind, I had planned on creating a basic t-shirt block today. With this block, I could print multiple images and play around with different t-shirt designs and colors. A shirt I am certain I will be using is one that reads "That's SO" followed by a picture of a raven, hence the image you see above. I know it's a corny pop culture reference, but it's a shirt I'd certainly wear next year and probably twenty years from now. I'm still receiving compliments on my text-only "I Snogged Ginny Weasley"t-shirt, so I think I have a good idea of what I'm doing, you know? I've always been a sucker for novelty t-shirts, but I haaaate running into someone who is wearing the same one. In seventh grade, I came into school wearing the same South Park t-shirt and pair of Jnco (don't laugh!) jeans as a girl in my homeroom. The entire day, people made fun of me...insisting that I called her up, asked what she was wearing the following day, and planned to match. It's not the issue of conformity that bothers me...the joke just isn't as funny when other people are in on it.

I have to confess that the South Park/Jncos incident of 1998 was a major reason that I became so self-conscious of what I wore to school. In high school, I used to keep a calendar tracking what I wore in a secret code for fear that I'd wear the same jeans or shirt in the same week. I admit that it's a little OCD, but people are mean! I didn't have the level of maturity back then to shake off the haters and do my thang. I was too busy being an angsty teenager. In any case, my documentation of my wardrobe got to a level of excess that during my graduation party, two of my cousins snuck into my room and added items such as "I Heart Men t-shirt" and "zebra thong" to the calendar. I can't decide if this was funny in retrospect.

1. MUSIC: I should briefly mention that the song I have posted isn't just coincidentally related to this post. Bedtime for Toys incorporates a bevy of visual elements into their live shows, which I have yet to see, including spectacular stage lighting and video elements. With that said, I am considering the incorporation of music into my thesis. Now, I'm not thinking of blasting dance-party ready jams like "Say BOOM" up in the gallery. I was thinking of going in the direction of more experimental tunes with fairly unclear subject matter, along the lines of the less lyrical compositions of Dave Doom, Twink's toy piano tunes, or Laura Goldhamer's instrumental works and interludes. Basically, I would like to use something that enhances the work without distracting the viewer...adding another level to the subconscious experience of imagining your childhood and the possibilities of the future. Do you think music would be overkill? If I can pull it off, I'd like the installation to feel like stepping into another world. I guess you could call it a birthday party of the subconscious? How important do you think it'd be for me to work with a composer to create original music rather than using unrelated tunage that just happens to work well with the pieces? Would it be overly corny to credit/market the artist in some way? Just some thoughts.
2. LIGHTING: There is a lovely wall of windows in the gallery space I'm using, but I'm considering covering them entirely and excluding all sources of natural light. I think this would enhance the feeling of "stepping into another world". There's also a glass door to enter my gallery space, and I'd love to keep it closed and covered. I don't know if this is against the gallery rules, so I'll have to talk to some people about it. I'd especially love to cover it with pictures children drew of what they want to be when they grow up. I wanted to be a doctor. HA!

Bring on some feedback. Seriously. I have an exciting post coming up tomorrow.

* The mere mention of "Wampum card" made me want to do nothing but listen to "Wamp Wamp" by Clipse & Slim Thug. Was I the only person who had that reaction?

bedtime for toys: it's a motherfuckin' dance riot.

BEDTIME FOR TOYS combine a mix of electro, hip-hop, fun, pop, and R&B to trot on a futuristic rock n roll wonderland that hasn't been stepped on since the glory days of Prince and the Revolution.

Clearly, I stole this description from their website? Yup.

I suppose what is really important about Bedtime for Toys is their visual aspect. No, I'm not talking about the fact that lead-singer Marchelle Bradanini is totes adorbs. The 'Toys actually project video footage behind them at every show. In fact, they will not perform without it, stating that it's like any other instrument in the band. With that said, you'd think a lot would be lost by just listening to them. Incorrect. While I have not had the opportunity to see the 'Toys live, I'm almost afraid to do so. If they're this good missing one of their important elements, I don't even think I could handle the full picture. Plus, Los Angeles is far!

CRED RESUME: remixed by Le Tigre, Spank Rock, and moneyshot fave Leif, collaborated with Har Mar Superstar, performed with Lady Sovereign and Princess Superstar

WATCH: Bedtime For Toys mini-documentary

DOWNLOAD: BEDTIME FOR TOYS- White Fur Coat
DOWNLOAD: BEDTIME FOR TOYS- Black Ties, White Lies

Keep posted for album details!

BLOGWATCH: i rock i roll brings us the cutest summer song that you might be missing out on, the Teddybears' "Yours to Keep". Block Party has a new song by Monica, "Sideline Ho", that has so much sass that your mind will be blown. Honorable Media streams a hilarious video mash-up of DMX and Elmo.

tigarah: what can you do with a b.a. in political science?

TIGARAH was planning to change the world through the government after graduating as a political science major from Japan's Keio University, but instead she decided to change the world with music. It was that simple. She's traveled from Japan to Rio to the UK to L.A. to craft a delightful mixture of Baile Funk, UK Grime, etc. Her full album hasn't even dropped yet, and I am shitting my drawers in excitement...literally.

Apparently, I'm not the only one. Tigarah has recently been the cat's meow in LA--- featured everywhere from the LA Times to cobrasnake. "Girl Fight" was featured in BLENDER's top 20 downloads a few months ago. She's catching on like the bird flu...which isn't really catching on at all.

Beyond all this though, I can't help but think she's just a second-rate M.I.A. But even if she'll never be as cool as the recently deported Ms. Arulpragasam...I don't really mind.

DOWNLOAD: TIGARAH- Girl Fight!

BONUS TRACK: TIGARAH- Japanese Queen

Check out more tracks at the space OR check out her website, a place where you can listen to a hell-of-a-lot of remixes or BUY the 8 song EP and get a free button!