the bpa: i think we're gonna need a bigger boat.

dl: THE BPA f/ JUSTIN ROBERTSON - Island (alt)
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You may have noticed that posting's been rather inconsistent in these parts. It's a shame considering that I have a handful of amazing songs that I've been dying to share with you Money Shooters. Is it totally weird for me to call y'all that? Is it even weirder to think that there are more than two of you out there reading this (not just grabbing mp3s and leaving)? Ew, why am I being all self-deprecating? Why am I asking so many questions? Let's just assume that there are millions of you reading and listening, but you're tricking me into thinking there are only a few hundred hits per day by watching in overcrowded rooms on giant projector screens. Better yet, fuck you if you're not reading this. I'm too awesome for this shit.

Let's cut to the chase--I wrote this review of The BPA's I Think We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat for CinemaBlend. As you may have noticed, I'm pretty obsessed with this album and included two of the singles in my most recent mixtapes. The review is rather long, so here's a teaser...

The liner notes of I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat may attempt to sell the listener a cheap mythology of “a loose-limbed jamming unit” that recorded from the 1970s to the mid-nineties, but there’s no ignoring what this really is—Norman Cook’s own version of Timbaland’s Shock Value. Unlike dear Timothy’s mish-mash of pop collaborations, the final results play out like a carefully crafted, cohesive mixtape. And if Fatboy Slim makes you a mixtape, can you really turn it down?

And a bit about the song in this post...

Justin Robertson’s “Island”, as far as vocals and sheer magic go, is reminiscent of David Bowie's Labyrinth waltz-scene accompaniment, “As The World Falls Down”. With a backing hip-hop beat more characteristic of Pharrell Williams’ work with The Clipse than “Rockefeller Skank”, this heartfelt ballad also coincidentally recalls a less-annoying rendition of Timbaland and OneRepublic’s “Apologize”. A lyrical nod to Vincent Van Gogh slicing off his own ear may be a little creepy, but succeeds in illustrating Robertson’s desperate romanticism.

Unrelated: I want to see this movie immediately. When I get a puppy, I'm definitely going to make completely meta videos like this.

Related: Posting will probably continue to be inconsistent around here until my situation changes. Expect at least a monthly mixtape. Maybe two!

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(BUY IT - SITE IT - SPACE IT - WIK IT - HYPE IT)

cof cof: third.

dl: COF COF - Third (alt)

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Listen up. I have an extremely important announcement--we have to make Cof Cof famous immediately. The Spanish duo recently revealed that they are actually a trio, and their third member is being held captive until the world recognizes how awesome they are. The "third" is kept in a dark room slaving away to create the hot jams that Ana and Alex take credit for.

This is the premise of "Third", the latest track by Valencia's electro darlings. The song doesn't evoke the carefree summer sound of "Forbidden Cocktail" or "Caribbean Boy", but releasing a song like that in the middle of winter would be totally depressing. However, the sounds aren't drastically different from anything you'd hear on Who Said Party?, and the theme reflects their consistent sense of humor and quirkiness.

When I was working on the short-lived Audience Critic blog (bringing it back in '09!), I attended Cof Cof's show at Lit Lounge with the intention of writing a critique of their audience. I even took notes on a napkin, and if I will write that damn piece if I ever find said napkin. Why am I bringing this up? Well, even if I was paying a lot of attention to the audience, I did happen to notice that Cof Cof were the two cutest people on this entire planet. For that reason, I wish them fame and glory. And if they achieve it, I am going to be shocked as fuck when I discover their whole "joke" about a third member wasn't a joke at all...

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BONER TRACK: COF COF - T-Shirt (alt)
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- SPACE IT - LAST IT - HYPE IT -

ashley breathe: single ladies remix.

dl: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) (Ashley Breathe remix) (alt)

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It's a shame that my favorite apocalyptic remixer GotdioN appears to be hibernating, as I'd imagine his take on Beyonce's "Single Ladies" would magnify the angry woman power vibe of the original. Luckily I came across Ashley Breathe's take on the tune, the over-caffeinated sister to Tricky Stewart's track.

You may remember producer and songstress Ashley Breathe from "Body and Soul", a track that was mistaken as a Britney Spears comeback track a while back. After listening to tracks off of Brit's new album Circus back to back with some of Breathe's tracks, it's clear that Ms. "Queen of Pop" Spears could learn a thing or two about confidence from dear ol' Ashley.

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BONER TRACK: ERYKAH BADU - Bag Lady (GotdioN remix) (alt)

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- SPACE IT -

hundreds and thousands: bmx.

dl: BMX - Theme to BMX (Hundreds and Thousands remix) (alt)

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You may recall how obsessed I am with BMX. If you don't it's probably because I've never managed to put it into writing. While they may have only released three original songs and one remix, I feel like they were all tailor-made for my ears. Hence my obsession.

Now, I should probably mention one loophole in my obsession: I am not too crazy about people remixing BMX. I'm like an overprotective mother that doesn't like when you hold her baby. Even so, when I initially saw BIGSTEREO's post on BMX remixes, I almost came in my pants in anticipation of getting them in my ears. However, my music-boner was quickly killed when I realized that these remixes could never live up to the originals.

I finally started to find some enjoyment in BMX being remixed thanks to the 1928 Diamondback remix of "Theme to BMX", yet it wasn't until hearing Hundreds and Thousands remix of the tune that I truly fell for a BMX remix. The glory in the songs BMX has currently released is the story and dialogue within. While H&T, much like the preceding remixers, doesn't manage to maintain that story, it's clear from the 55-second instrumental introduction that there was no intention of doing so. In fact, less than half of the song includes lyrics from the original, and the conclusion of the H&T remix is actually the beginning of the original. It's almost as if it's a tribute to the original, which somehow triggers my "overprotective mother senses" to throw my babies at Hundreds and Thousands. Because I know that they'll catch my baby. And turn it into a pretty rad remix? Yes.

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BONER TRACK: BMX - Theme to BMX (alt)

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- SPACE IT - HYPE IT / SPACE IT - HYPE IT -

little pictures: remix contest extension.

The Little Pictures "This House Can Fit Us All" remix contest deadline has been extended to December 7, 2008 due to a zshare problem and a last-minute endorsement from BIGSTEREO. What do you have to lose? Nothing. What do you have to gain? A vague mystery prize! Download the original song and remix kit here.

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- BUY IT - SPACE IT - FACE IT - HYPE IT -

roy g and the biv: socks on.

dl: ROY G AND THE BIV - Socks On (Z)

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I don't even understand how Roy G and the Biv have the audacity to be this awesome. From the first few seconds of "Jungle Fever", I was hooked because I half expected Pusha T or Malice of the Clipse to bust out with a verse. When the vocals came in, I felt like I was listening to Justin Timberlake and the lyrics reminded me of that ridiculous Craig David song with the Willy Wonka video ("What's Your Flava?"). Somehow this pop/R&B sensibility is kept up while going into Daft Punk or Chromeo territory a little later in the song. There are points throughout their self-titled EP when I hear a little Phoenix, a little R. Kelly, a little Prince, a little Hall & Oates, but it's always a lot of awesome. This is me whispering in your ear, "Do you want to feel awesome tonight?" This is you not being creeped out and listening to Roy G and the Biv. This is you feeling awesome.

It's been a while since I've been so overwhelmed by a band's awesomeness that I can't even think of synonyms for awesome. Roy G and the Biv's self-titled EP is now available through their page on the space and should be on iTunes soon. I'll be sure to let you know when "soon" is, because you deserve to be awesome.

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BONER TRACK: ROY G AND THE BIV - Somebody's Watching Me

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- BUY IT - SPACE IT - HYPE IT -

little pictures: remix contest.

dl: LITTLE PICTURES - This House Can Fit Us All (Z)

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It's been a minute or 4 million blogyears since ITMS!! has held a remix contest, so it's time to do it up big with New Zealand's electro-bedroom-pop darlings Little Pictures and their tune "This House Can Fit Us All". The rules are pretty much the same as before. Anyone is eligible, anything goes. What are you waiting for? Download the remix kit below and make some magik happen. Obviously you don't have to use everything included in the remix kit. Hell, submissions can even be covers or reinterpretations.

The rules are a bit different this time around, as the winner will be chosen by the ITMS!! team and ultimately the original musicians. Because apparently, this time around, I think democracy is overrated. A few choice runner-ups will be written up on here, and the grand prize winner will receive...

• a signed copy of Owl + Owl.
• a temporary place on Little Pictures' myspace player.
• a customized ITMS!! badoodle.
• A SPECIAL MYSTERY PRIZE!!
  

Submissions can be sent to itisthemoneyshot.info@gmail.com. Deadline is now December 7, 2008. The winner and all runner-ups will be announced in a series of posts starting in December.

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dl: LITTLE PICTURES REMIX KIT (SHAREBEE)

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- BUY IT - SPACE IT - FACE IT - HYPE IT -

zibrazibra: tick tock

dl: ZIBRAZIBRA - Tick Tock (Z - YSI)

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Finally, the hipster answer to The Village People.

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BONUS BEATS: ZIBRAZIBRA - Arcade Catastrophe (Z - YSI)

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- SITE IT - SPACE IT - LAST IT - HYPE IT -

passion pit: audience critique.

dl: PASSION PIT - Live To Tell The Tale (Live Studio) (Z - YSI)
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Passion Pit have been getting hyped up the ass hardcore recently, and I have nothing new to say about them right now. Their show at Pianos was pretty spectacular, and I highly recommend checking them out on the 20th or 27th if you're in NYC (particularly if you like dancing in crowded rooms where no one else is dancing). Sound Bites has a review of the show, along with a video of the band performing "Sleepyhead" and "Smile Upon Me". I took a different approach to reviewing the show and took this opportunity to write my first post on AUDIENCE CRITIC.

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- SPACE IT - LAST IT - HYPE IT -

french horn rebellion: up all night.

dl: FRENCH HORN REBELLION - Up All Night (Z - YSI)
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I don't really know where I stand on French Horn Rebellion yet. I'm usually a sucker for cute electro-pop jams, and "Up All Night" certainly fits that description. It's even got a cute little video that's borderline cute-obnoxious. Therein lies my problem with French Horn Rebellion. It's almost cute overload, and I'm not talking about no interspecies snorgling. As a rule, I only allow cute electro-pop jams to last no more than 4 minutes (with some exceptions). Clocking in at 4:14, "Up All Night" is a rulebreaker. But it's so damn catchy that it may just be one of those exceptions.

French Horn Rebellion is a duo composed of brothers Robert and David Perlick-Molinari. Robert is majoring in French horn, which I didn't even realize people could major in. David produces shit in New York, notably MGMT's Time To Pretend EP. They're going on tour and all my NYC-heads should mark their calendars for September 12th @ Lit Lounge. Speaking of New York, they also did a remix of Brooklyn duo This Is Ivy League's "London Bridges", which may or may not be better than the original. I'll let you decide since I didn't put on my decision-face this morning.

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BONER TRACK: THIS IS IVY LEAGUE - London Bridges (French Horn Rebellion remix) (Z - YSI)
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BONER TRACK II: THIS IS IVY LEAGUE - London Bridges (Z - YSI)
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- BUY IT - SITE IT - SPACE IT - HYPE IT -

little pictures: owl + owl.

dl: LITTLE PICTURES - Owl + Owl (YSI)
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It took me less than thirty seconds to realize that I was in love with Little Pictures. No joke. Shortly after opening their page on the space, I already started typing an e-mail to request to hear their album Owl + Owl. Electro bedroom pop from New Zealand with male/female vocals? "Sign me up!" I said. Though it took less than a day for me to receive the whole album, it sure felt like forever. I was craving these tunes like crackheads crave...um, crack. I was craving these tunes so much that I couldn't even come up with a proper simile to identify my cravings! Now that I have the album perhaps I can try once more, eh?

These tunes are as cute and awesome as...

• babies falling down and laughing about it.
• cleaning out your closet and finding a "do you like me?" note from fifth grade (on which someone circled "yes").
• a panda sneezing.
• baby lions.
• children in colored bear-costumes dancing (or not dancing) on a stage.
• an old couple holding hands.
• a duckling, turle, and guinea pig helping a puppy open his doggy door so it can take a wee-wee. (BEST SHOW EVAH)
  

Phew! That's all I got right now. Perhaps you can come up with something better? I know I can't beat the quote on their space---"Little Pictures make me happier then a sweater with 50 penguins on it." Damn that's cute!

An hour or so ago, I started choreographing a dance to the "Owl + Owl" chorus. I should probably mention that I was doing this in the sixteenth floor bathroom of my office building. Someone is going to walk in one day when I do this kind of shit, but my embarrassment will be alleviated by the glory of owning a copy of Owl + Owl. You should own a copy too! You know, just in case you need to alleviate the embarrassment of someone catching you choreographing dances in a public bathroom. Ha...ha? I'm not the only person that happens to, right? Anyone? Anyone?

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BONER TRACK: LITTLE PICTURES - Tiny Gaps (YSI)
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- BUY IT - SPACE IT - FACE IT - HYPE IT -

pop the fish: chez ta soeur.

dl: POP THE FISH - Chez Ta Soeur (YSI)

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This is the type of thing that makes me wonder why I ever draw anything other than anthropomorphic puppies in costumes. And as simple as this doodle is, I couldn't help but wonder who would ever be worthy of this awesomeness. WHO??

The answer arrived in my inbox shortly after finishing the doodle. BoomcarJosee (whose blog is quite outstanding) sent a note of love for Pop The Fish's "Chez Ta Soeur", along with a basic translation of the lyrics:

"I really like the song 'Chez Ta Soeur' by Pop The Fish, so I guess it's only fair that I translate it a little for you. French isn't my native language so I'm not 100% sure if I got it completely right. I believe the song is about a guy who regularly goes to a friends (female) house to watch television in her room. The problem is that his friends sister is always with them... And of course the guy wants to be alone with his girl. So he says: 'demande a ta soeur de sortir de ton lit'. Which means as much as: 'Ask your sister to leave your bed'. In the end of the song, the sister falls asleep in front of the tv and the two lovers go to the sisters room to do some dirty stuff (that's my interpretation :)). But they get caught by the sister and than she finally understands what is going on...I'm not completely sure, but that should be about it :)"

I'm surprised once again that no one else has picked up on Pop The Fish, granted that I agree with Travis at BIGSTEREO's assessment that bloggers are lazy and tend to stick to their inboxes. It's not like I'm saying I'm a tastemaker and all you bitches should have me on your RSS, but I somehow stumbled across this amazing lad from Normandy with little effort. Is there any possible reason that hundreds of other bloggers have overlooked him?

This isn't some sort of delusional love. As someone who is guilty of occasionally checking how songs they post are received on Hype Machine, I can tell you that "Chez Ta Soeur" was the third most popular song on my Bathing Booties mini-playlist, falling short of MGMT and BMX while beating out Ladyhawke (!?!), Old Gold, and Norrit's remix of Brandy. Not that these statistics necessarily mean anything. But you know what does mean something? That time when I had "Chez Ta Soeur" as my song on the space, and at least five different friends left comments or messages stating how much they loved it. And you know what else means something? Someone e-mailing you with a translation because they like a song so much. And dedicating a doodle of an anthropomorphic puppy in a costume! That is love, and if you other bloggers never know it, it's probably because you're not listening to Pop The Fish yet.

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BONER TRACK: POP THE FISH - L & M à la Piscine (YSI)
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- SPACE IT - HYPE IT -

BLOGGER NOTE: The audio for today's BONER TRACK cuts off at a weird spot. Sorry about that.

totally michael: casual satisfaction.

dl: TOTALLY MICHAEL - Casual Satisfaction (YSI)
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I like to think that the story behind this song is that Totally Michael decided to recreate Snoop Dogg's "Sensual Seduction" in the whitest way possible. It's a really romantic song! Check the lyrics:

Damn girl, you make my dick erect, my dick erect
Damn girl, you make my dick erect, my dick erect
Ooh boy, you make my pussy wet, my pussy wet
Ooh boy, you make my pussy wet, my pussy wet

Now if that's not deep and interesting, I don't know what is. I wonder if when he performs this song live, he divides the room into penises and vaginas. You know, like he did with "Cheerleaders Vs. Drill Team"? That would be so awesome, and it'd kind of remind me of this.

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- SPACE IT - HYPE IT -

the real heat: the teenagers cover.

dl: THE REAL HEAT - Love No (The Teenagers cover) (YSI)
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Why don't more people blog about The Real Heat? I just don't get it. Three brutally hot sisters from South London who make sexy-electro jams and wear kick-ass neon-shiny outfits? Please explain to me why you're not digging this.

They were last seen on this blog with the Richard X produced "Come We Go". Need I remind you that Richard X produced such gems as M.I.A.'s "10 Dollar" and Annie's "Chewing Gum". And these aren't the only gems he's produced, evident by the fact that "Come We Go" is a motherfuckin' gem. Literally. Gems in MILF vagina!! (Er, remind to stop doing crack) While the group didn't do any extreme promotion of the song, I'm surprised that word of mouth didn't cause it to blow up in an underground sort of way.

To make matters even worst, they've now covered The Teenagers' "Love No", a genuine blog hit. It's yet to make a splash, so can we please learn from our mistakes? This is awesome folks...and these gals deserve some recognition. Spread the word about this song and The Real Heat in general. Bump this track at your pool party, call a friend, or just drive around with your windows down playing it really loud until people stare.

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

red wire black wire: dying or insane.

dl: RED WIRE BLACK WIRE - Dying Or Insane (YSI)

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In my youth, I was always scared of New York City. I learned to love it upon moving/working here, but there are some days where I feel like I'm fading here. This isn't a foreign feeling. I've felt it at college, certain jobs, and elsewhere. I'm aware that it's not a particularly original or revolutionary feeling. We've all been in those places in which we feel our current location or situation is eating away at our soul, right?

Well, Red Wire Black Wire's "Dying Or Insane" puts a tune beyond these emotions, with a simple refrain of "I think this place is killing me slowly, slowly". It may sound a little too emo for your tastes (perhaps it is), but who doesn't feel a little emo every now and then? With that said, Red Wire Black Wire describes their sound as "the saddest dance party". We all know that adding a bit of dance to your sadness always makes you feel less pathetic (think certain songs by The Cure, etc), and the results here are impeccable.

"Dying Or Insane" is among the less-upbeat songs on RWBW's debut Compass EP, joined by "Bloodline" (seemingly prepped for their unlikely country/folk crossover). The remaining three songs, including the booming title track "Compass", bump out the beats and pump out the tears. Word on the street (aka the internet) is that their live show is quite the sight. If you're in NYC, you can catch them at Club Midway (25 Avenue B, between 2nd and 3rd) on March 21st. That's Good Friday yall, and I can't think of a better way to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus than dancing to some electro-pop jams.

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BONER TRACK: DNTEL & RWBW - Dumb Luck (Red Wire Black Wire remix) (YSI)
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- BUY IT - SPACE IT -

the death set: negative thinking (james stovall remix).

d/l: THE DEATH SET - Negative Thinking (James Stovall remix) (YSI)

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Ok, so The Death Set may be totally so 2007, and this remix doesn't have the Dan Deacon or Bonde do Role brand to push it to the people. However, if you're observant enough to notice the "CLICK HERE FOR OLDER REMIXES" link on their site, your ears will be graced by a wonderfully mindless interpretation by this dude, James Stovall. It makes me feel like I'm in an overcrowded moonbounce drinking red wine from a jug with my grandma. In Precious Moments sweatshirts! I believe that I can't be the only one who feels this way.

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boner track: THE DEATH SET - Distressed (Bonde do Role remix) (YSI)
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- buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

anoraak: the wizzard.

ANORAAK's "the wizzard" makes me want to do interpretative dances in my cubicle.

There's something so appealing about this song that I can't quite put my finger (or even my pinky toe) on. It's a chameleon song. No matter what mood I'm in, the song adjusts to it. It fits in a playlist flawlessly, whether next to Architecture in Helsinki or T-Pain.

Most importantly, it's a very calm song. There are times when I get to work after napping on the subway and think, "Holy shit. This Go! Team song is making me anxious as shit. I can't handle that biznass."* I don't have that problem with "the wizzard". It drags me out of sleep with its swirling, hypnotic electronic instrumentals and smooth, almost slurred vocals. It's wake-up side-effect rivals that of coffee, except this song is totally not a diuretic. At least I don't think it is...

At the same time, this song could be my lullaby, singing me to sleep in my tiny French electronica cradle. Awww.

dl: ANORAAK - the wizzard (YSI)
(French electro-tune)
- space it - hype it -

* I actually think like this. Including the word "biznass".

pop the fish: sue ellen.

POP THE FISH stormed into my life with a green plastic gun. He was singing, and I had no idea what he was saying.

I had been reading Bigstereo when I decided to check out the other 5000 finalists in the Diesel:U:Music competition. On the first page I open, this guy is staring at me. Okay, so he's not staring at me...he's standing on a beach looking away from me. However, I get the feeling that any minute now he'll take a sharp turn and shoot me with his plastic gun. I am not concerned. 'Tis only a water gun, right? WRONG. This dude was holding a fully-loaded booty gun. One shot, and I couldn't control my ass. It was shaking. In French.

For those who can't handle my crazed fictional internet fantasies, let me just give you the facts. Pop the Fish is an electroclash artist from Normandy. I like the way he says "Sue Ellen". That's all you really need to know. OK?

d/l: POP THE FISH- Sue Ellen (YSI)
d/l: POP THE FISH- Houdini (YSI)
(French electro-pop)
- space it -

WEBBYVANDERQUACKIN': I have fallen in love with Jody Rosen because of this podcast about R. Kelly and his sexosaurus tendencies. Hear it on Slate. How about that Miami Horror remix of Codebreaker? Thank you Bigstereo.

sunny d levine: love rhino.

download: SUNNY D. LEVINE- Love Rhino (YSI- zsh)
(mellow California pop tune)
- buy it - site it - space it -

This Valentine's Day...ask yourself the really important question-- "Are you a love rhino?" Sunny D. Levine was wondering, and you are probably wondering who the fuck he is. His debut album dropped a while ago to surprisingly little hype. However, you may know him as a producer for The Happy Mondays and Mickey Avalon ("So Rich, So Pretty"). He also rolls with Hello Stranger, formerly Vagenius. These things don't really matter though. Let's get back to the question. Are you a love rhino? I mean, ARE YOU?

totally michael: cheerleaders vs. drillteam.

download: TOTALLY MICHAEL- Cheerleaders Vs. Drillteam (YSI)
(High-enery, positive, happy electro pop)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

Totally Michael isn't for people who dislike happy, silly music. In his own words, he "enjoys dancing and hopes his music makes you wiggle your butt." To elaborate further, here is a quote from "Alicia's Song"-- "I'll make the most out of life like life was a class and our assignment was to love each other, both of us passed." Super cute! In the song above, Michael details one of the most difficult life decisions you'll ever make-- Cheerleading or drill team? I highly recommend checking out this live performance, in which he divides the audience into two sections and makes them BATTLE as cheerleaders and drill team members. Then he encourages them to join in a unified booty-shaking mass. I feel as if that should be the solution to every conflict. Booty-shaking.