Dananananaykroyd, Gringo Star, Harlem Shakes, Ten Bears

Dananananaykroyd (try saying that one time fast) from Glasgow are reminiscent of Los Campesinos, and also remind me a bit of the Unicorns (if you’re unfamiliar… familiarize yourself with their fantastic 2004 album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?).  But where Los Campesinos seem to go playful, Dananananaykroyd take the harder rock route, kicking up the speed and distorted guitars.  Black Wax is a pretty clean, almost poppy introduction giving an idea of their hookability… then at 2:30 it changes mood, providing a stiff punch.  A similar punch can be heard more readily on the songs Pink Sabbath or The Greater Than Symbol.

Atlanta based psych-garage rock band Gringo Star add a little Southern flavor to their mix.  This is most evident on the Jayhawks-sounding song Transmission, which I consider the most mature of the sampling on their myspace page.  If you prefer to stay out of the country and in the garage, clap-along to All Y’all.

…after those two I’m half-tempted to devolve this post into a list of band names that play on celebrity names:  Brian Jonestown Massacre, Camper Van Beethoven, Kathleen Turner Overdrive, Jackie-O Motherfucker… others???  But I’ll stick to the script…

My personal jury is still out on Harlem Shakes.  I really respect the music, just not sure that I love it.  Regardless, I think others will and that their word is worth spreading.

On the other hand, Manchester UK band Ten Bears have won me over immediately on all fronts.  Dirt on the Radio has the most radio friendly production, but their stripped down live sound exposes a rougher edge, as seen on this clip for the song Charlie.

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Florence & The Machine

…remember when you’d make a new mixtape, and it would be perfect with all the hot new songs you want, and then one new song comes out that makes your mixtape seem like it’s not so perfect anymore? (this is why I should just use an iPod). anyway, that song for me right now is “The Dog Days Are Over” by Florence & The Machine. Download it HERE.

Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine

I thought for sure I had posted about her before, but a search of the blog came up empty. I thought I recalled reading (or writing) that she sounds a lot like Kate Nash, if Kate Nash was about to kick you in the teeth. Comparisons also include Karen O (no relation to me, ha-ha), Regina Spektor, and Jemina Pearl.

Her MySpace page doesn’t have nearly enough songs on it, including only a (pretty good) club mix of “…Dog Days…”, but it does have the song that originally got my attention back in November (when I THOUGHT I posted something), “A Kiss With A Fist” as well as a cover of a song that’s near and dear to my heart, Candi Staton’s “You Got The Love” (I had been, like every other working DJ at the time, all over “Victim” in 1978…when “You’ve Got The Love” came out in ’91 or so, it was a bit too downtempo for the big room I was spinning in, but I used to rock that jam to death in the early, just-opening hour, and I know the bartenders were digging it. When it was used as the closing song for the final episode of Sex And The City, it gave me some justification for my glassy eyes beyond just saying goodbye to Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and  Samantha. Allright, now I’m getting a little too swishy; let’s watch the video for K.W.A.F.

..and you should seek out the video to “…Dog Days…”, which I’m not able to embed. Go HERE to watch it.  (and, in the event that I’ve got you nostalgic for Sex And The City or Candi Staton, here’s a “non-video video of “You Got The Love” (deejays and house music purists: resist the temptation to skool me on the Jamie Principle/Frankie Knuckles roots….this is Candi’s jam)

volume 15: enjoy!

volume 15 is up (and to your right) on djeddieo.com; download it all or individual songs. I think I’ve blogged about most, if not all, of these songs recently. Feel free to comment with any questions.