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 to access audio and video on collective you need real player.This week, staying conscious. If the rampantly amoral materialism of 50 Cent and his ilk has you pining for the late-80s heyday of “conscious” hip-hop, then raise your fist in a militant stylee for avant-rap producer extraordinaire Jel, who this week drags Wise Intelligent of the Poor Righteous Teachers crew out of retirement for the Bush-baiting belligerence of WMD (Anticon). Even if didactic rap isn’t really your thing, make sure you cock an ear to Jel’s upcoming Soft Money long-player; an MC-free set that, at its best, sounds like the heir to Endtroducing’s trip-hop crown.If you squint very, very hard you could also perhaps count All The Young Children On Crack (Domino) – the comeback single from indie legends (back when indie meant indie, lad) Television Personalities – as a conscious rap record. Sort of. Sounding like a broken Streets song stapled to a mid-80s jangle ditty, this is possibly the most oddly unsettling single of 2006 thus far. What can it all mean? Right, back to apolitical good-time glitter pop. Hirsute French space cadet Sebastian Tellier follows up his heartbreakingly lovely 2006 nearly-hit, La Ritournelle, with the similar – although not quite as shiver-inducing, sadly – Broadway (Lucky Numbers). The song gives a shout-out to Private Rico, star of Robert Heinlein’s classic 50s sci-fi novel Starship Troopers (and the Paul Verhoeven film of the same name). So now you know. Staying in the land of the tasty pastry for the moment, we have Parisian synth-pop don Colder offering up the chilly ghost disco of To The Music (Output). If you don’t like the original version, chances are you’ll like one of the remixes – there are about 40 of the buggers. At the other end of the cheer-ometer we have the exuberant happy-rap of Giant Panda’s TKO (Tres), one of the most life-affirming combinations of chunky drums and bouncy wordplay we’ve heard in, like, ages. Aaand finally, something of an oddity, but a good one. The Pioneers EP (Static Caravan) sees electro-folk duo Tunng take the yelpy Bloc Party hit of the same name and round off the edges to transform it into a gorgeous, Beta Band-esque torch song. A few plays on the right radio shows and this could turn out to be one of those “surprise hits” that come around all too infrequently. If you’ve already splurged this month’s wages on shoes and fine brandy, however, you can get yourself a free taster of Tunng’s unique stylings by nipping over to their official website and snaffling the two MP3s on offer therein. Then nip over to the Anticon website (home of the aforementioned Jel), click on “media” and gorge yourself on a whole heap of trippy hip-hop MP3s. RIP Smash Hits, by the way.
Joe Madden
All singles are released on 06 February 06.
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Read members' comments related to this music.
comment by NOSEYPIXIE
Feb 8, 2006
Flippin' heck! That truly is a bargain. I bought this album when it was originally released and have been a huge fan ever since. I urge everybody to take advantage of this free download. If you don't get the whole album, please check out "Royal Cafe" which is an absolutely majestic piece of music.
comment by JoeMadden
Feb 8, 2006
Bargain.
comment by Spinky
Feb 7, 2006
fans of free stuff will also appreciate this :http://music.download.com/americanmusicclub/3600-8... The whole of American Music Club's "Everclear" album for free (legal) download. Definitely worth checking out.
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 singleslast week  coldersingles #140  colderalbum review  tunngalbum review  sebastien tellieralbum review books  books and comics archive Author interviews and reviews from 2002 to 2008. |
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