Sheena Beaston

Last Night: The Musical Selections on So You Think You Can Dance

Much like I did just over a month ago, I tuned in to FOX's So You Think You Can Dance last night, and while the overall episode lacked any sort of gusto luster, a few notable music choices stood out. Below, the songs each dancer "routined" to, along with one of my new favorite songs...one from nearly 10 years ago, that I had never heard before. Beasts gotta do some learnin' too!

 

 

Without further ado, here are the song selections from last night's top-4 featuring episode, as tweeted in real-time during the broadcast. You'll notice which song I took to most...as evidenced by the bold and the red, and the below video..which now makes me want to learn how to do SPIDER JAZZ.

 

Please pay special attention to the "um what.." -1:00 mark in the clip. Also, the song is a remix of British trip-hop trio Kosheen's Hide U, a single from their 2001 debut album, Resist. And it is on some next level sexiness.

   

the top 4 do a broadway routine to the crapshooters dance from guys and dolls

lauren and pasha dance an argentinian waltz to astor piazzolla's oblivion

adechike and lauren dance african jazz to ralph macdonald's the path

robert and anya dance viennese waltz to anouk's lost

kent and courtney dance disco to david guetta and kelly rowland's when love takes over

lauren and ade dance jazz to kosheen's hide u (john creamer and stephane k remix)

adechike and kathryn dance some weird freaking spaz style to melissa etheridge's fearless love

robert and dominic dance hip-hop to basement jaxx, kelis and chipmunk's scars

kent and neil dance contemporary to devotchka's how it ends

 

  

 

  

mp3: Kosheen - Hide U (John Creamer and Stephane K Edit)

 

 

Tricky to Release Ninth Album in September

Tricky will release his ninth studio album, Mixed Race, via Domino on September 27. The follow-up to the Bristol-hailing artist’s 2008 disc, Knowle West Boy, will be preceded by the single, Murder Weapon, on August 30. Recorded in Paris, where the singer currently resides, the album will feature guest appearances from vocalist Franky Riley, Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream), Terry Lynn, Hakim Hamadouche, Blackman and Tricky’s brother, Marlon Thaws.

  

 

  

Of the release, Tricky notes...

“Every album is a learning experience and this is concentrated music, there’s no dilution. I’m comfortable in my own skin now, comfortable with being in the light. I’m not just a kid from Knowle West trying to build a future, I have some experience, I can experiment, I can be honest, and honestly, musically, I can’t be touched. I used to hide in the shadows when I played live, now I perform. I used to hate doing interviews, now I feel honoured that people would be interested in what I have to say. I’ve spent my life going between cultures; Mixed Race is about that, and in a very direct way.”

 

The track list for Mixed Race is below, along with Murder Weapon, which boasts an immediately recognizable sample a la the Peter Gunn theme song.

 

    

1. Every Day
2. Kingston Logic
3. Early Bird
4. Ghetto Stars
5. Hakim
6. Come To Me
7. Murder Weapon
8. Time To Dance
9. Really Real
10. Bristol To London

 

 

  

mp3: Tricky - Murder Weapon

CREEP: Dark and Daring at Knitting Factory

Known in many circles and on countless dance floors are Lauren Flax and Lauren Dillard, the two disc-spinners have been prepping everyone's ears for their latest project, CREEP, by tossing out teaser vids, remixes and blasting the digitial world with previews of their live debut. As part of Northside Festival, the pair took the stage on Friday night at Knitting Factory...cloaked, colored and ready to creep us out.

 

 

Shrouded in black hooded robes with face paint to match, the duo soared through a journey of lights and imagery, soundtracked by their spooky blend of trip-hop and cinematic tones. There's an indefinably touching quality about what you hear throughout their set...something best experienced live and not done justice by my words.

 

Chalk it up to the gals' vast musical talents, but this is the perfect way to get bone-chillingly freaked the hell out.

 

Live footage from CREEP's set is below a few more pictures, of which the full gallery can be viewed here.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

mp3: Baghdaddy - Hot Shit (CREEP Remix) 
 

   

 

Massive Attack, Martina Topley-Bird and Neon Indian Create an Electric Paradise at Terminal 5

"Oh well, the devil makes us sin...but we like it when we're spinning in his grip..." A set of opening lyrics from Massive Attack's Paradise Circus provide a slinky course of wonder throughout every listening experience. And while the UK electronica/trip-hop duo decided against performing the song (off of latest album Heliogland), at last night's stop at NYC's Terminal 5, the sentiment expressed rings pure and true, as Robert Del Naja (3D) and Grantley Marshall (Daddy G) played the role of the dark underlords who held captive a sold out crowd of their most dedicated fans and, dare we say, massive enthusiasts.

 

 

With opening acts Martina Topley-Bird and Neon Indian setting the stage for the main attraction, Terminal 5 became a veritable 3-ring circus of the best in eclectic electronica. Topley-Bird began the evening with an utterly sublime set of songs, consisting of looping her vocals and playing keys, drum-pads  and guitar. The singer's unique voice cuts through equally on her recorded tracks as it does live. While her 2008 album, The Blue God, has failed to see a proper US release, having heard songs from the release in this arena proved polished and timeless, while keeping a modern-day nouveau cool mentality.

 

After, Neon Indian graced the risers with a short set of their most well-known tunes. And while they got cut short before hitting their finale of Ephemeral Artery, Alan, his mates, and his hair were in fine form, keeping the buzz of the building at excited euphoric levels.

 

 

 

 

Beginning just before 10pm, the lights lowered and a roaring applause rolled through the crowd. As Del Naja took the stage with a full backing band, LED lights and electrics galore, the opening and unmistakable drum hits of United Snakes ushered in the start of a 16-song set, which included 4 encore songs.

 

Most of the set relied on material from Heliogland, as well as the band's 1998 album, Mezzanine. While the former recorded tracks rely heavily on guest vocals, including Hope Sandoval and Damon Albarn, Topley-Bird, along with Horace Andy and Deborah Miller were welcomed on stage to provide the chorales for Safe From Harm and Girl I Love You, to name a few. A personal highlight for me was the inclusion of Martina on Tear Drop, as she joined the band for a perfect recounting of the haunting tune.

 

With the lights and sounds displaying a visual assault on all the senses, it's safe to say this was a truly incredible experience. Massive? Yes. Memorable? Most definitely.

 

Please see full sets of pictures for Martina Topley-Bird (here), Neon Indian (here) and Massive Attack (here). Last night's set list is below a few choice cuts.

 

  

 

 

 

United Snakes 
Babel 
Risingson 
Girl, I Love You 
Psyche 
Future Proof 
Invade Me 
Teardrop 
Mezzanine 
Angel 
Safe From Harm 
Inertia Creeps 

Encore: 
Splitting the Atom 
Unfinished Sympathy 
Atlas Air 
Karmakoma

   

mp3: Martina Topley-Bird - Poison (Van She Tech Remix)

mp3: Massive Attack - Splitting The Atom

mp3: Neon Indian - Deadbeat Summer

   

Introducing: Alvin Purple

Here's an insider hint to bands I've never heard before. Follow the formula that a Leeds' based band concocted. It's simple really. Toss me an email with some tracks, and have that first song launch straight into a heavy throttling drum beat and slick echoey vocals. Then a deep and dirty bass line kicks in and I'm pretty much sold. Hey, Alvin Purple, welcome to Beastonia!

 

  

So who is this newcomer and how did they land here today? Alvin Purple, in not so many words, is a girl and 3 guys: vocalist/guitarist and keyboarder Carly Humphries, drummer Matthew Bradley, bassist Ralph Sayers and guitarist/keyboardist and vocalist Luke Barnfather. Alvin Purple formed towards the end of 2008, and have since been playing across the UK, having performed a BBC live session with airplay across the BBC introducing network and on BBC6 music. 

 

Rooted in rock with a splash of trip-hop and new-wave, Alvin Purple have a new double A-side available for free download here. First up: The Look is the track I was referencing above. Dark and deep, it just makes me want to get dirty. On the flip, Stare to Declare involves more of an electronic feel while still rumbling through a gritty arrangement. Additionally, give a listen to Don't Be Alarmed on their MySpace.

 

100% Beaston approved. Get to know ' em now.

  

mp3: Alvin Purple - The Look

mp3: Alvin Purple - Stare to Declare

 

 

UNKLE - Natural Selection (new song!)

UNKLE is the British trip-hop, afrobeat, and major supplier of all things incredibly awesome musical outfit who have been successfully rocking our bodies for the past 15 years. Using a variety of guest artists and producers, James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy are set to entertain again with a new album on the horizon.

 

Where Did the Night Fall is the upcoming fifth regular studio album from the lads, set to be released on May 10 in the UK  (May 11 US). Last year, they released Heavy Drug (Surrender Sounds Mix) digitally, followed by a remix EP featuring King Unique, Steve Mac and Future Beat Alliance.

In anticipation of the guest-heavy release later this Spring, UNKLE have let loose a cut from the offering. Natural Selection features the psych-rock vocals of Texan boys, The Black Angels. The 4+ minute opus matches riffy guitars and the intense production skillset we've come to expect from the duo. 

Expectations for Where Did the Night Fall are super high and we can't wait to see what else UNKLE has in store on the full album. The track list is yours for perusal below.

 

1. Nowhere

2. Follow Me Down (featuring Sleepy Sun)

3. Natural Selection (featuring The Black Angels)

4. Joy Factory (featuring Autolux)

5. The Answer (featuring Big In Japan) 

6. On A Wire (featuring ELLE J)

7. Falling Stars (featuring Gavin Clark)

8. Heavy Drug

9. Caged Bird (featuring Katrina Ford)

10. Ablivion

11. The Runaway (featuring ELLE J)

12. Ever Rest (featuring Joel Cadbury)

13. The Healing (featuring Gavin Clark)

14. Another Night Out (featuring Mark Lanegan)

  

mp3: The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony (UNKLE Remix)

mp3: UNKLE - Natural Selection

Massive Attack - Girl I Love You (She Is Danger Remix)

An album that has been high up on my "ooh yeah, I can't wait to hear this" chart is Massive Attack's forthcoming release, Heligoland. Sure, there have been the inevitable leaks, and hell, we're guilty as the next kid for peaking a sneak with our ears, but I'm reserving all judgments and critiques until the band's 5th studio album is officially released on February 8.

 

With the impending release date nearing, we've got a neat treat for all.

Since 1990 (wow, that's 20 years and yeah it seems weird to say that...whew!), Jamaican roots-reggae singer, Horace Andy, has been collaborating with Massive Attack. So it's no surprise that that British trip-hop duo enlisted the unique vocals of their longtime friend for new album, Heligoland. Andy provides his Rastafarian tones on the cut, Girl I Love You, an echoey and darkly tuned ride of a record. Today, I'm pleased as punch to give you the first of a few official remixes I'll be rolling out over the course of the next few weeks. One of my Beaston-faves of late last year, She Is Danger, took the song and added a dynamic new beat and extra dubby goodness.  

And it's all yours, for free, below. 

 

mp3: Massive Attack - Girl I Love You (She Is Danger Remix)