sensual harassment: mirror.

dl: SENSUAL HARASSMENT - Mirror (YSI)

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I don't know diddly-hoo about John Barclay or Todd Thomas (The Fashion Brigade, Emergency Broadcast System), but I certainly do enjoy "Mirror", a song from the Brooklyn duo's latest project Sensual Harassment. I was first drawn to them by their photos on the space, in which the members' faces are consistently hidden behind two animal masks-- a pig and a crocodile/alligator (?). I'd be disappointed if I found out they perform without these costumes. Because the world needs more animals that rock.

The rocking on this song is on the verge of power-dance-emo, which somehow doesn't make me feel shameful. Even the vocals are slightly Conor Oberst-like, making me really wonder why I don't feel shameful. I don't know if their album has been officially released yet, but they worked on it with a dude who worked with The Cure and a dude that worked with Snoop Dogg. Drop it like it's hot hot hot!

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sam amant: ding ding down.

dl: SAM AMANT - Ding Ding Down (YSI)

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The first sixteen seconds of "Ding Ding Down" give off a bit of that '80s Nintendo/Atari energy that can be heard on myspace quite often, but as soon as things really kicks in...it's so much more than that. With nothing but a sampler and her Stratocaster guitar, Amant busts out a beat that's evocative of The Neptunes' earlier work (tracks like N.E.R.D.'s "Lapdance" come to mind) yet entirely original and decidedly less poppy. The lyrics are rather dark for a song with such a cheery title as "Ding Ding Down", including mention of either having your brain "washed" or "watched". Maybe I'm not listening closely, but both options are equally creepy.

Sam makes it clear on the space that she's "so solo she doesn't need a backing band", but it hasn't always been that way. She's a former member of the trip-hoppy pop group My Favorite Dentist Is Dead, who opened for The Cure's 2001 show in Grenoble, France. Clearly she's no stranger to performing, and I can only hope I can witness her "freaking all over the stage" some day.

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