Peekabooty!

Although it's been available here for a few weeks, I got my new Marsheaux CD Peekaboo today. And look at the gorgeous packaging.

The liner notes come in the form of this paper bag with holes for eyes. Cute! There's an invitation to put it on and send the pic to their MySpace, here. I haven't yet, but I am thinking of just going out in it in general. It'll go down a treat in Hoxton: "OMG! Where'd you get that hat/bag etc." I'll start my own fashion moment and then it'll be front cover of i-D magazine - finger placed over right eyehole obviously.

See here for my first posting about the Greek duo who write and produce their own stuff and a video of Hanging On where a very icy madam involved in a lesbionic story dons the Peekaboo paper bag. Here's a taster from said album!

What You Don't Like - Marsheaux (mp3)

Lisa I'Anson gets Street-Portered

Deadline - ITV 2

I facking love this show. In another pop will eat itself moment, a bunch of celebs are given a celeb mag to produce - being given away by Closer - and edited by Janet "FACK ORF" Street-Porter. At last, the great JSP has been given the TV platform she needed to show off those coarse and verbose, gutteral pronouncements.

In this clip she sacks the stroppy one. Now. Lisa I'Anson. What is the point of this woman? She is 'friends' to everyone and more than likely a friend of no one. She's a selfish, self-obsessed conniving cow - I hold no punches here. Her passive aggressiveness is quite transparent in this clip: "Yeah darling, I agree. I thought I had changed, but..." but when none of it washes, watch her real self come out at the very end: "The rest of ya can FUCK OFF!" She's lovely she is.

I love JSP's parting flea in Lisa's ear: "You are a bullshit artist, now get out of here."

Cue applause.

Nice things (part 2)

Robyn. Mad as a box of frogs. It's a step-up from I'm a Little Teapot, I suppose.

"Can you hold my pint for me please. I can't at the mo."

Nice things (part 1)

Nice music: Stigmato Inc.
For the best trumpet this side of Torch/Westend Girls try this Barcelona outfit's Reality Check. With vocals supplied (sampled?) by Danna Leese, a Washington jazz singer. It's funky and gorgeous.


Reality Check - Stigmato Inc. (mp3)

Pop will eat itself

Barney! Barney! Barney! Oof! There's a spitting 'n' hissing bitch slapping going on... or is there? Lily Allen has had her knockers (fnar) in the past, but still they come. Along with Kate Nash, The Klaxons, Mr Hudson & the Library, Maccabees, Doherty and Just Jack, she's namechecked in the vare funny tune LDN IS A VICTIM which takes the piss out of the mockney masses. The title splices together Lily's LDN and Kate's Caroline is a Victim. Go to the LDN IS A VICTIM MySpace to listen to it and to start the story...

Because the people behind it are so anonymous, there's more than speculation that it's all just one big wind up. But Lily Allen does seem genuinely mad as a cat in a bag.
NME.com has the gist and Lily's (over)reaction to it and The Guardian goes into more detail. If anything, it's just funny to see someone take the piss and get a rise out of someone else. Vare British and vare Ldn.

And then, the last bon mot has to go to, The Word Editor, David Hepworth. Many a true word... Hahahahaha.

Electro dreams

Aaaah, the sharp, ice cool taste of electro; served chilled to the bone with a dash of clipped accent and slice of Euro women.


CLIENT
The UK threesome have been ploughing their pure electro furrow for a while now, and most gorgeous readers of this blog will own and cherish most of their songs. One little fact that I was unaware of until doing this post is that Emily Strange (Client E), on the left, was a contestant on Make Me A Supermodel. Rachel Hunter: "Emily, I'm sorry. We can't make you a supermodel. Please leave the house... and go and do something more worthwhile like join Client". The new album Heartland has been put back a month and is now out on 30th April. Here's a little taster from it:

Lights Go Out - Client (mp3)

MARSHEAUX
This Greek duo I found at Secrets Online, the Human League forum and over on their Myspace there's a freedownload of their cover of The League's Empire State Human. Marsheux have a real affection for the genre, and the new stuff is a strong progression from the excellent first album Ebay Queen (2004). Here's a song from then:

Computer Love - Marsheaux (mp3)

And here's their latest track Hanging On.

I love the 'lady love' story and the cool feel to the vid. They're popular enough in Greece, but I really hope they make their mark internationally with this new album Peekaboo. There's a really sweet cover of one of my favourite New Order songs Regret, on there. Buy it here and hear streaming tracks.



KARIN STROM
I love this line from her biog: "She locked herself in a studio and fell in love with synthesizer sounds". It conjures up images of Karin going all purry in a tiny studio over a fat juicy bass and razor sharp chords. I love the Bjorkian pic above: being attacked by the three 'mice' whilst doing her coloureds wash. Mad as a hatstand. Here's a gorgeously atmospheric track which reminds me of early Human League...

Klaustrofobi - Karin Strom (mp3)

Snow business

"High on a hill was a... oops, sozz! Wrong song!"

"Can someone turn the heating down? I'm bloody roasting"

I love these shots of the Scissor Sisters in action at the 'says what it does on the tin' Top Of The Mountain show in Ischgl, Austria. After months of looking out over same-same hangar-type venues, this view must be a blessed relief for the constantly touring band.
Thanks to Arjan for the link!

Stick to the (French) B.E.A.T.

Summer's here! Well, with this tune it is. SIART first got me onto this track a few weeks ago and I've found myself looking for it when the sun comes out - which these days in London is nearly *gasp* every day - so I've been playing it a lot. It's such an 'up' tune with its Sesame Street type vocals over the very (French) dirty bass and sampled disco strings.

Nice song, shame about the face.

Justice are shaping up to be the Hot Chip de jour over the summer. They have numerous festival appearances lined up and this track is gaining loads of airplay at the moment. They're another French electronic duo (comprised of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay) with a knack for the perfect tune. Whether or not they can buck the trend and translate that across a whole album (coming up in June) is anyone's guess. They've been knocking around for a few years under the auspices of (ironically) Daft Punk's manager and head of Ed Banger records, Pedro Winter, but got a name for themselves with their remix of Simian's Never Be Alone. Just for now though, everybody, please be upstanding and do the D.A.N.C.E.
D.A.N.C.E. - Justice (mp3)

This must be the place I waited years to leave

Or so I imagine most people in Swindon must think to themselves on a day-to-day basis. I used to have to 'pass through' once a month on the way to not-much-better Gloucester. It's the kind of place I imagine invented Ginster's pasties, B&Qs and BBQ Sauce. So to see there's something to look forward to on June 7th at The Oasis Centre (a common name for 'leisure centres' and NOT named after the Manchester knobheads) is heartening and probably a tonic for the people of Swindon.

Buffalo Mozzarella Stance

So, one of my favourite popsters has a legit job on telly. Neneh Cherry's doing a cookery programme! There's no measuring or timing of the food, more the licking of spoons and fingers with loads of "Ooohs" and "Aaaahs", but at least on Neneh and Andi Dish It Up it looks authentic. She and Andi Oliver, (they met in Rip, Rig and Panic and Andi is a BBC London stalwart) have an easy on-screen thang going on and they do genuinely know their onions, but if I see one more London market portrayed as THE place to get PROPER food where EVERYONE is as chirpy as a sparrow on heat, I'll have to stick a pinapple up my arse AND enjoy it.

This week's show they cooked up a very tasty looking roasted garlic chicken (with blood red oranges and cheapo champagne no less), shrimp fritters and coconut ice-cream... for 25. 25? 25!!?? I know they've both got loads of friends but that was reeedickulous. Who, for a start, has oven space for 7 whole chickens. Like I said earlier, it 'looks' authentic.

BTW. I did enjoy the show!!

Here's a lovely Neneh track from her man-baiting album, Man, from a few years ago:
Feel It - Neneh Cherry (mp3)
Although these days, the only 'feeling it' will be the feeling of potatoes down at Borough Farmer's Market.