Time is slim for updating these days, I’m gonna get back into that groove soon as things even out. But this banger here? Well, it could not be left unblogged. When Childish Gambino gets remixed by Treasure Fingers, it’s time to get on the good foot and wear your bad leg out on the dancefloor. Nothing less is revealed here, so get to gettin’ busy already!

This first post of 2012 has me kind of confused: the video for Juicy J‘s song “Lucky Charm” features almost four minutes of stylish musical interlude from The Weeknd over shots of one fine-assed girl taking a shower over and over before dropping into a track about finding “the one” and settling down.

Hold up… SETTLE DOWN? JUICY???? Nah, I am not buying it! I’m not exactly sure what to think on first watch, but it’s definitely a departure from what Juicy’s been doing. Take a look & let me know what you think.

Juicy J – Lucky Charm

So what’s the deal? Is this actually an unearthed & long-missing Radiohead song, or an elaborate and brilliant hoax? On my first listen, I decided immediately that’s Thom Yorke’s voice and this is clearly a Radiohead song, but others have expressed doubt. Whatever this is, it’s pretty lovely and might just be a brilliantly-conceived Christmas gift.

Share your thoughts in the comments below & enjoy.

Radiohead – Putting Ketchup in the Fridge

In October of 1998, Lou Barlow was having a going away party at the Green Street Grille in Cambridge, MA. That night, there was a show, hosted by the late Billy Ruane, a champion of the Boston music scene for decades whose escapades are worthy of the term ‘legendary’. What made this night special was that this show would feature an acoustic performance from recent Oscar nominee Elliott Smith who spent many years touring & performing with Bostonian, close friend and fellow songwriter Mary Lou Lord.

Thanks to Mary Lou, this never before seen footage of the show, captured by Jody Urbati-Moore and Mark Ventola, was unearthed and digitized over the last few days. The quality isn’t the greatest, but for archival purposes and the many fans of Elliott’s out there, it’s more than satisfactory. Though it might actually be considered one of Elliott’s less technically-proficient shows (he constantly forgets words, drops cues and stops songs before starting), it has a warmth and depth that reflects more of what I would call “the real Elliott”. There’s simply zero artifice to him on this night.

I cannot thank Mary Lou enough for sharing this set with the world, one featuring acoustic versions of “Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands”, “Waltz #2″ and “I Didn’t Understand” on acoustic guitar.

Wherever you are Elliott & Billy, I hope you’re having a round for the rest of us. You are so loved and so missed. God bless you all and Merry Christmas .

::: UPDATE ::: Thanks to the help of one BackstageRider, we’ve learned this is footage of one of what the Boston Phoenix refers to as “the 40 greatest concerts in Boston history”.

Elliott Smith – Talking to Mary
Elliott Smith – Whatever (Folk Song in C)

Look, if you decide to know nothing else about the history of house music, know that there is only one dance music superproducer/remixer/DJ/founding father of true Chicago House Music that goes by the name of Derrick Carter. If you’ve been paying attention all year, you know there is also only one Harlem native fire spitter named Azealia Banks whose special brand of house music/hip-hop fusion has blown up everywhere in 2011.

Via his Soundcloud, Derrick has given us all access to not one but TWO Christmas gifts surrounding said track — first, for just a few more hours you can grab the “212 vs BHQ” version (the one that Derrick himself spins live). If that wasn’t enough, Derrick just posted up with the DJ Bang instrumental version, titled (appropriately) “312″!

“Just the instrumental of my Azealia Banks Rx. Maybe you can use it?” Uh, YESSSSSS? HOUSE MUSIC ALL NIGHT LONG. *** Merry Xmas ***

The third installment in The Weeknd‘s 2011 experiment in mixtape madness has finally arrived. Echoes of Silence can be downloaded direct from us here and you can digest along with us. More details as they emerge, for now LISTEN, DOWNLOAD and share your comments below.

*** Merry XOmas ***

The Weeknd – Montreal
The Weeknd – Same Old Song

[ ::: DOWNLOAD ::: The Weeknd - Echoes of Silence ]
[ ::: DOWNLOAD MIRROR #1 (very fast - requires Flash) ::: LINK ]

::: While You Are Waiting ::: Listen to the whole thing.
::: Share Your Reactions ::: Add your comments

[::: IN CASE YOU MISSED THEM :::]

Download The Weeknd – House of Balloons (Original & Complete)
Download The Weeknd – Thursday

::: the-weeknd.com :::

My friend Marco Collins brought this Nirvana Christmas greetings video to my attention & I thought maybe I ought to share it with you. It appears they were doing this for RuPaul‘s talk show on MTV in the early 90′s. It’s being directed by RuPaul herself, and a lovely version of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” it is they do.

Don’t you kind of want “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to be the Xmas #1 in England this year? At this point, it’s a strong contender, but the only way it can win is if you buy it.

Buy it from iTunes UK Now and it has a chance.

Nirvana – D-7 [Live at the BBC]

West Coast emcee Medaphor aka M.E.D. just came correct one more time again. Produced by Madlib, this remix of “Roll Out” features a guesto verse from supreme Alkaholiks fire spitter J-Ro.

Stones Throw is comin’ hard for the twenty dozen — this track is all-around Good Hoodkeeping approved.

M.E.D. – Roll Out (Remix feat. J-Ro)

M.E.D. is about to take this show on the road — details here

::: M.E.D. & GUILTY SIMPSON, JAN 2012 EUROPE TOUR :::
Fri, Jan 6: München at Muffatcafe
Sat, Jan 7: Köln at Bahnhof Ehrenfeld
Wed, Jan 11: Trondheim at Familien
Thu, Jan 12: Linz at Kapu:
Sat, Jan 14: Münster at Skaters Palace
Tue, Jan 17: Prague at La Lucerna
Wed, Jan 18: Berlin at Cassio:
Fri, Jan 20: Paris at La Bellevoise
Sat, Jan 21: Wien at Roxy:
Tue, Jan 24: Hamburg at Stellwerk:
Wed, Jan 25: Leipzig at Conne Island Cafe
Thu, Jan 26: London (TBA)
Sat, Jan 28: Moscow at Cult Club

If news that the classic lineup of Guided By Voices — including Tobin Sprout (who hit the bricks in 1996) — were recording a new album didn’t jar you to sit upright, let this notice grab hold of you: they WERE recording a new album (past-tense) and have now finished it. Let’s Go Eat The Factory (out 1 January 2012 digitally & 17 January 2012 cd/vinyl), may not be the GBV record of your dreams, but it’s a damn good record nonetheless.

Bob Pollard’s ability to be prolific as a songwriter can in some ways be linked to his recording and songwriting style, which can be best described as “fast, cheap and out of control”. This sort of “get it out of my brain before it has a chance to be fucked with” way of cutting tracks is a formula which works for him in particular & certainly, the method works its magic here. Nothing is too hashed out — it’s a raw, unadulterated collection of melodies and occasional afterthoughts from a group of men who sound like they’re having a great time.

Let’s Go Eat The Factory will not change the course of history; the fact that these guys managed to get back together for another record and tour already has. As a veteran concertgoer from the Bee Thousand-era GBV, I’m just thrilled to hear them turning out new material which is this strong and performing live at a level which confounds the average listener. Far as I’m concerned, any new Guided By Voices has my complete attention.

:: Respect is Due to :: NPR

:: TRACKLIST ::
01 Laundry and Lasers
02 The Head
03 Doughnut for a Snowman
04 Spiderfighter
05 Hang Mr. Kite
06 God Loves Us
07 The Unsinkable Fats Domino
08 Who Invented the Sun
09 The Big Hat and Toy Show
10 Imperial Racehorsing
11 How I Met My Mother
12 Waves
13 My Europa
14 Chocolate Boy
15 The Things That Never Need
16 Either Nelson
17 Cyclone Utilities (Remember Your Birthday)
18 Old Bones
19 Go Rolling Home
20 The Room Taking Shape
21 We Won’t Apologize for the Human Race

This year brought to an end the most unlikely renaissance of a man long-presumed dead whose work is still fascinating and inspiring people. Gil Scott-Heron‘s profound influence and impact will be felt long after his passing, that’s a known fact.

Imagine my surprise at this Christmas present from London remixer/DJ Mighty Mouse, presenting his own loving tribute to the man with a disco re-work of the song “I’ll Take Care of You”. You can download the song for free via his Soundcloud page.

Gill Scott Heron – I’ll Take Care Of You (Mighty Mouse Re-Work)

I have fallen into the emotional rollercoaster of the holiday season tonight just as I was trying to climb aboard. Partially, I know it’s because the holidays seem to change meaning as I get older and, partially, it’s due to unrelated events of the night. I’ve just come from watching the final hour of This Is England ’88 which is, hands down, one of the most emotionally gripping hours of television I have ever watched in my life.

I don’t want to give spoilers, but if you’re not familiar with the movie This is England and the subsequent Channel 4 mini-series installments, This is England ’86 and This is England ’88, they are the critically-acclaimed semi-autobiographical works of director Shane Meadows. In 2006, Meadows introduced the world to a group of characters for whom there was such demand as to yield the series, which (as you might guess) revisits the characters from the film every two years. Meadows’ propensity to leave no detail untouched in his script writing and directing is no less vivid in the ’88 installment than any previous.

This song, “Dogwood Blossom” by the prolific and talented Irish songwriter Fionn Regan, closed out the show and left its wood-strewn insights and harmonies running in salty streaks down my face as I reflected on the passing of writer/journalist Christopher Hitchens just after the show had ended. The two events, though tied by coincidence, seem brazenly apropos upon reflection to the song herein. It’s just that thought which lingers in my mind: if heaven does exist, will there be hell to pay when he arrives?

Rest gently then, Mr. Hitchens, and thank you for being fearlessly contrary, callously brazen in spite of yourself, and be not damned for your eternal belief in that which you held true.

Fionn Regan – Dogwood Blossom
[Support Independent Music :: buy it from iTunes :: 99 cents]

[ Purchase '100 Acres of Sycamore' by Fionn Regan from iTunes ]

Everyone around me has been gushing incessantly about Lana Del Rey — the Daisy Duke-clad young woman whose picture you see above — for weeks now. Honestly, I still don’t get her entire musical appeal; however, just this moment, I finally caught on to her alluring voice hearing this irrepressible Joy Orbison remix of her song “Video Games”.

Maybe you’ve already figured her out, which means that this remix is ready-made to get you caught up in the headiness of its groove.

Lana Del Rey – Video Games (Joy Orbison Remix)

ADDENDUM ::: I guess I missed the part where she has 11 million views on YouTube for this song.

A new track from Cloud Nothings‘ forthcoming release on Carpark Records, Attack on Memory, out 24 January.

Check out the new video from the duo of DFA Records lovelies known as Prinzhorn Dance School. We last heard from Tobin Prinz & Suzi Horn in 2007 when their self-titled debut album was released on DFA. We’re overdue for some wonderful new d-punk, and I think this is a sound introduction to their second full-length Clay Class which comes out on 30 January 2012.

Prinzhorn Dance School – Happy In Bits

Once again, another wonderful KITSUNÉ MAISON compilation comes down full of various artists doing various things including this song from the band Computer Magic. The newest compilation, entitled KITSUNÉ MAISON COMPILATION 12: THE GOOD FUN ISSUE, is replete with fun, a melodious song cycle that crosses a wide pattern of the hippest in hip, the coolest in cool and the newest in new.

Computer Magic‘s thrilling inclusion on the compilation came to me this morning in my inbox. The song “Ex-Believer” is a quirky, if slightly herky-jerky, selction of bebop electro pop for odd mods like yourself. It seems to me a timely number, being that every day that goes by, we’re all becoming ex-believers just a little bit more.

Computer Magic – Ex-Believer

Want to check out more from the compilation? Here’s a quick minimix, then you can click here to purchase the whole thing.