The Greatest Tits

Yesterday was the first day that I woke up to a gray sky and it spelled the closing of summer to me, but listening to this summer jam by one of my favorite groups of the last year, Studio, helps in hanging on to the summer sun and days at the beach. It also confirms in me the belief that every song, no matter the genre should have a Version By Studio, because I have yet to hear a group that so consistently delivers magnificent covers of other groups' work (see their new album Yearbook 2 for more examples as well as multiple other releases over the past two years). This one comes off a pink 7" I picked up of the LA-based The Little Ones, whose original has a bubbly beach rock vibe. But Studio take it down in tempo and bake the morning tide to a perfect sunset vibe that leaves you reminiscing on the days of summer past.

The Little Ones - Morning Tide (Studio Mix)




















Tracking to a totally different vibe is this track off of a sampler I received of DFA's new Notwave Compilation, the term they are using to describe the New Wave/Electro/Noise/Disco rock vibe that grew out of New York in the early 1980s. Others have been reaching into this underground leftfield brand of disco such as this Disco Not Disco compilation. To be honest some of it sounds great, but some of it lies flat to me and just sounds like post-punkers trying to do disco in a noisy fashion. Nonetheless, there are a few winners and off this sampler in particular, this track is best described in the manner my friend over at Robots In Heat described it to me, a sinister house version of "Peter Gunn." Give it a listen and you'll see what I mean.

Welcome Stranger - Smoke Machine




















Reaching again across genres and generations comes the compilation put out by one of my favorites', Prins Thomas', label Full Pupp that contains both a mix by Prins Thomas of some of the biggest releases of the label over the past three years along with an unmixed group of lesser known tracks by artists on the label. The mix does not really do many of the songs nor does it do Prins Thomas' incredible mixing abilities as he seems limited by genre anchored material. For a truly mindblowing showcase of Prins' skills catch his Cosmo Galactic Prism from last summer. Anyways, there are a few gems in the umixed group and one is from the exciting new producer Diskjokke. This is acid-house, meets the Scando-funkiness that we have come to expect from others on the label like Ytre Rymden Dansskola, Blackbelt Andersen, and not to mention Todd Terje, as well as others. You are thrown into a bouncing beat with unexpected breaks and electronic dinsosaur noises strewn over the percussive madness, need I say more?

Diskjokke - Cearadactylus



















Lastly, comes and oldie but goodie. Well to be honest it's not much of an oldie to me because I've just started really listening to hear, but Kate Bush explored the world sound of the 1980s as well as anyone else of the time along with using some of the more ingenious and experimental electronic production techniques I have heard in pop music from that era. This is one of her most famous tunes, but I thought I'd share it anyway because it has been on repeat consistently over the past few weeks. Here is her track "Running Up That Hill" from her widely acclaimed 1985 release Hounds of Love.

Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill