onthebeatntrack

To say that I am loving the still regular “OMG, LOVING THE XX!” mail from more than a few onthebeatntrack readers-come-the XX-listeners would be an understatement much like “Two and Half Men is only a little bit more horrible than every single other television show in history”. Of course I love that people are getting as much pleasure as me from the XX’s ridiculously addictive sound, but what I also love is that many of my friends and acquaintances are all sharing the love of the same music separately YET at the same time, so it’s KIND OF together. Neat, huh?

That was the whole idea of onthebeatntrack anyway – to share and introduce. Love, honour and obey were very close runners up.

So, given the relative success of unleashing (ok, ok – obsessively pushing) the XX onto you, I’ve been thinking about how we can best continue and maximise our blossoming relations. There are still stacks of my favourite albums that I haven’t put (enough) words to yet, but when I talk so retrospectively about music you’re probably reading and listening but only paying attention as if I’m a friend talking about an ex – you know, sure it was important but you can’t help wondering why they haven’t moved on yet (not to mention, how on earth this even impacts your time in the Big Brother house now … nod, smile.)

Wouldn’t it be nice (oh, there’s that BLAND word again) if we could make the journey together sometimes? Don’t worry, I’ll still do the introducing so you can still play lazy mole to my slightly self important music enthusiast – but, instead of immediately following the introduction with me telling you what I think and what you should think (sorry about that, I can be a bit bossy sometimes) you’ll get the chance to have your OWN thoughts before I try to brainwash you with mine. It’s risky – you may just learn that I know NOTHING. What do you mean you ‘already kind of thought that anyway’? And yet here you still are …

Think of it as Book Club but for Music and the best part is that you don’t have to get off your ass and be somewhere at a fixed time – it can be done from the comfort of your computer and only relies on your musical listening device. Next, we’ll all start working from home all the time and buy Mumus and declare ourselves ‘Big Fat Dynamos’ just like Homer before us. You can just rock up here anytime after about one month from now (even drunk if you want – it’ll just be our little secret) to see what my minions and I thought of the showcased tunes and then, if you feel so inclined, you can share your own thoughts. It’s going to be beautiful – I can totally feel it.

And so on the 10^th day of the 3^rd month of the two thousand and tenth year, D-Rock is creating a new regular segment and we shall anoint thee ‘round the disc in 30 days or so – and beyond! So, what exactly is the deal? Knowing myself as well as I do, I kind of thought that I would ask that so I’ve put together this informative (and probably far too wordy) list for our benefit – I told you, we are on this journey together:

• Once each month I’ll tell you about a probably-new cd that I am going to buy.
• I’ll give you whatever info I have at that time – like why am I going to buy it? Who are they? What are people saying? What exactly are Colonel Sanders’ secret herbs and spices? Could Mad Dog make it through all 120 episodes of lost in 105 days JUST so that she can watch the finale live on TV (click here to find out)? And other not crucial but nonetheless fun and interesting questions .
• YOU too can send me nominations for CD of the month! This is your site too – it probably doesn’t feel that way because I rule it with such an iron fist, but it is … yeah, sure … totally.
• We’ll do our best to make sure the chosen one is something that has a broad appeal and we’ll try to mix it up between classy pop, obscure indie, slightly mainstream hip hop and all that lies between.
• I won’t tell you anything specific about the songs before you’ve had a chance to listen for yourself – I might talk broadly about the style of music as a way to entice you to buy it but I don‘t want to influence your listening experience, so will keep it brief.
• I will include a link to one or two tracks to give you a taste – the reviewing equivalent of letting you lick the cake mix from the bowl. Yummy!
• We’ll reconvene around one month later and I’ll give you my two cents worth and you can give me yours – hopefully we’ll end up with at least a couple of dollars between us.
• PLUS, when it comes time to review last month’s album, it will be time to release the new month’s album – see how everything is just working out for us all. Friends for life (not just a summer or a spring – we’re totes Amigos Para Siempre)!

What do you think? IT IS important to me. I DO listen to you. I’ve just got a lot on my mind. Meh, let’s give it a go and see where this whole crazy thang takes us.

Um, so, D-Rock … are you going to tell us what this month’s album is? SHIT, soz guys! I was so busy building the stage that I forgot to employ the actors!

DO I HAVE a RIPPER for the first one, or what?! Ha, you can’t answer because you don’t know (oh, that’s a LOL-ROTFL-LMFAO with a somersault, reverse twist and a half pike: degree of difficulty 3.3)! You’ll have to listen first and then give me the verdict – hopefully it’s GUILTY (of love in the first degree).

Well, I remember reading the Herald Sun Extra Hit’s Best Albums of 2009 and somewhere around number three I came across someone that I’d never heard before. Now, I don’t know everything (in other breaking news, water is wet) but usually I kind of know stuff to the point that a name is recognisable or at least semi familiar. But this – nothing. Donuts. Zilch. I felt dirty.

Miike Snow is the cultprit.

So, I did what anyone who suffers from FOMOphobia would do and Feared that I was indeed Missing Out, before proceeding to find out exactly what I was missing out on. That’s the thing about FOMO – it’s not always rational and that’s why I’ve added ‘phobia’ to the condition this week. It’s becoming a real problem in my community and needs an official sounding name so people start to take it seriously. A quick search on Google ™ (I just put the TM in for fun … looks cute, huh?) gave me all the information I needed to get excited. Miike Snow is a team of three that includes a duo who also go by the name of Bloodshy & Avant … and that duo are MASTER POP producers! Over the years, they just kept popping up on my CD sleeves – from Ms Dynamite to Britney (yes, I own two Britney CDs – one proudly, the other not so much) to Kylie Minogue. Ok, so you may not be all that impressed by that list, but stick with me please because their contributions were not just safe filler album tracks – many of them are my favourites off said albums and more interesting than you’d expect. I’ve listed a couple of their better contributions below and included a link to the track so you can see. I likey, hope you do!

• Ms Dynamite – Krazy Krush 
  (my favourite off the awesome A Little Deeper - but can only find a live version) plus It Takes More and Put Him Out
• Christina Milian – AM to PM
  You might notice this sounds a little bit like Play by J-Lo … Christina Milian wrote them both
• Rachel Stevens – Sweet Dreams (my LA ex)
  aka ‘the Hot one’ from S-Club 7. Awesome track! If you like this, check out Some Girls too
• Britney Spears – Toxic AND Piece of Me
  Toxic is still killer (and from her very underrated album In The Zone) and Piece of Me is ace too (but not as good as Gimme More)
• Madonna – How High and Like It or Not
  Two respectable songs on the very respectable Confessions on a Dancefloor
• Kylie Minogue – Speakerphone
  Kylie’s album X is up there as my favourite of hers and this (along with the One, Sensitized and Like a Drug) are CHOICE AS picks BRA!

While the tracks above are really not a good indication of Miike Snow’s sound, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they all suffer happily from sounds of the infunktious (new word: means infectious and funky) variety.

The Inaugural Licking of the Cake Mix from the Bowl … That’s it, I’m not really allowed to tell you anymore (see list of rule-like points above) but I have included a link here to two tracks from the album – Animal (click here) and Black and Blue (click here).

They are BOTH SO GOOD! What I will say is that if you like smart pop (that’s anything with an IQ > 130) or accessible indie music, then I KNOW you’ll like Miike Snow (there I go, telling you what you’ll think already …). I’d say their sound has a hint of Passion Pit, Coldplay, Gnarls Barkly and even a touch of Genesis IF I was into lazy comparisons BUT I’m obviously SO above that.

I’ve listened to the album about four times now and give it two very enthusiastic – and soon to be obsessed – thumbs up. I look forward to hearing what you think … though I already know (sorry, that’s the last time that will happen – promise …)

THE Guest List … the beauty of a virtual music club is we don’t mind letting the uglies in, so spread the word that this is one guest list ANYONE can get on …. (won’t) see you next month!