Myspace

Unless you’re a band trying to pimp your music, what is the point of myspace? I still don’t know. Isn’t so you can go to school and say “i’ve got 65,926 friends. How many have you got you fucking loser?”

However there might be more to it then that. So I’ve just signed up, and perhaps I will find out.

Annoyingly someone stole my name. I know she looks pretty, but that’s not enough to get her in my good books. Besides, she’s probably a 65 year old man with his pants round his ankles.

So instead you can find me here. And in a rare photographic appearance you can see what I look like at 8 in the morning after an all night bender in Rio.

Like I say, I have no idea what the point of it all is, so if you want to educate me, send me naked photographs or just be my friend (!) then, er, yeah. Go for it.

http://www.myspace.com/headphonesexmusic

Something Elusive and Temporary

I’ve been a bit slack at updating recently I know. What have you missed? Well I went to see Ladytron at the rather posh Queen Elizabeth Hall on Friday night. It was excellent, but I shot myself in the foot somewhat. I bought 4 tickets, but not together. Without thinking I handed over 2 of them to my pals who came along - only to find that i’d given them front row seats right in the middle, whereas I was also on the front row but way off to the side, and about a foot from the main speakers. I may as well just have laid down with my head in the bass drum…. it was a bit bloody uncomfortably loud to say the least. Especially since I’m a bit worried about my ears nowadays….!

The view I should have had (he is support act Esa Shields):

The view I did have:

As part of the Ether Festival there was assorted other oddness going on during the evening. In the smaller theater, a strange Russian was playing a computer keyboard like a keytar (well, holding it and pressing buttons randomly anyway), while pumping out 8-bit rock anthems. A bit of googling reveals that he is called ‘386DX‘ and that you can see him in action here. I’m not sure I can exactly recommend you spend 5 minutes of your times watching him, but it was quite amusing. For 5 minutes. If you can work out what he’s actually doing with his keyboard, please let me know.

In the foyer, the elderly tuxedoed ushers were entertained with some live Baile Funk; whereas the aforementioned Esa Shields preceded Ladytron in the main theatre. I’m not sure how well he went down - most talk seemed to revolve around determining his gender. But I found his ethereal torchsongs quite haunting. And verged at times on the danceable. Check ‘Lost Time’ from his myspace. It’s pretty nice.

I was a bit distracted during Ladytron themselves. Partly due to the skunk reefer I’d just had; partly due to the extreme proximity of the speakers; partly due to the funny angle I was watching from; and partly because I was being entertained by the Mexican Standoff between the people trying to rush down the front and dance, and the two security people trying to stop them.

What I do remember is that they played ‘He Took Her To a Movie’ early on… and it was brilliant. ‘Destroy Everything You Touch’ also came early, but lacked a certain oomph that it has on record.

I hadn’t seen the band since an early gig at the Scala, and they seem to have lightened up a bit, with the almost robotic, unsmiling cool giving way to a band who seemed to be enjoying themselves. Lead singer Helen cracked a few jokes, and tried to encourage people to get dancing down the front. Mira flashed a bit of thigh.

And after 3 albums they’ve built up quite a collection of material for a live show. The hits just kept on coming! Not being a huge fan of the band, I was quite surprised that they had so many songs that a: I knew and b: I liked.

They also seem to have acquired a few new members since last time I saw them, which gave them a much fuller sound, instead of relying so heavily on a couple of arpeggiating synths. Set closer ‘Seventeen’ (what else!) was absolutely rocking, and Helen’s “OOH-OOH’s” stayed with me for a good while afterwards.

OOH-OOH

See!

The live version seemed to take a lot of good bits from both the Darren Emerson mix i’ve posted here before, and the still DEVASTATING Soulwax version. A great end to the gig.

LADYTRON - SEVENTEEN (SOULWAX REMIX)

Here’s a pretty decent mix of their last single, ‘Sugar’, by French House dudes (think Kitsune and Crydamoure) Archigram:

LADYTRON - SUGAR (ARCHIGRAM REMIX)

One other thing I enjoyed was the music they came out to… the creepy Maypole Song from The Wicker Man…. which I only got round to watching for the first time last week.

PAUL GIOVANNI - THE MAYPOLE SONG

I should pick a different title

You want to hear the eagerly anticipated Erol Alkan mix of Justice?

Then you should go here.

Being yousendit, the link will probably have expired by tomorrow…. if so you can listen to the Justice mix and also the new Hot Chip remix on Erol’s myspace page.

Her Favourite Band is Various Artists

It’s been a while coming, but Boomkat have finally come up trumps by delivering the latest Various Production 7″ single.

Coming armed with the usual stunning artwork, fat beats & twisted R&B style pop this is another winner from the mysterious collective, and a great follow up to one of last year’s best singles, ‘Hater’.

I’m not sure the label is quite worthy (yet) of the quite astonishing praise they’re getting from Boomkat, however it’s undeniable that the album (whenever it finally appears) will be one of the highlights of ‘06. After all this is their third appearance on Headphonesex already, which puts them in illustrious company! (Who with? I don’t know… Arctic Monkeys, Super Furry Animals, Hot Chip, Justice & Carl Craig perhaps?)

VARIOUS PRODUCTION - SIR

And here’s another slice of genius from the label… coming off a rare 12″ from last year. I’m sure someone can tell me who did the original version of this - it’s one of those things that’s oh so familiar from the radio, but I wouldn’t have the slightest idea who recorded it. Anyway, this is lovingly re-done with some added low end, a kick-ass bass line and a wee slice of fucked-up-ness.

Ah, a bit of detective work on the lyrics & I’ve found out it was originally by Brandy. So there you go.

VARIOUS PRODUCTION - WHAT ABOUT THEM?

Doing Anything Nice This Summer?

I was thinking of starting a diary of pain.

So Frenchy So Chic

It was inevitable that the first single this year to really get my juices flowing would have some connection to Justice. Yes it’s the new single on Ed Banger records and it’s glorious… if maybe slightly old news to some of you greasy hipsters as it’s already been out a fortnight.

Uffie is an eighteen year old from somewhere between Miami and Paris, and for some reason decided that this track should be the b-side of her debut. I don’t understand why as it’s miles better that the a-side. The strange machinations of the music industry will always remain a mystery. The best thing about this is that I can mark it in itunes as ‘electro’, (like almost everything else I don’t know what to call)… but I can actually body-pop to it like it’s a proper electro record or something.

It’s a sight to behold, I can tell you.

Robot Dancers….. Ready.

UFFIE - READY TO UFF

Meanwhile Justice are looking to continue their ascent to world domination in ‘06. ‘Never be Alone’ is being stretched out into a third summer, with yet more mixes coming out in May - and remixes of ‘Waters of Nazareth’ (by Erol Alkan, DJ Funk and Justice themselves) are coming out in a fortnight. Encouragingly, Erol’s mix is called the ‘Durr Durr Durr Re-Edit’. Which sounds tantalisingly (h)e(a)dbangingly stupid.

Hamster Dance

My usual gig compadre Steve has been striking out on his own recently, and regaling me with tales of a Sheffield band called Bromheads Jacket, who he’s seen about 3 times this year!

Why the name? Well drummer Dan had a Hamster (Bromhead) whose hair kept falling out. So his mum knitted it a little jacket to keep it warm. Aaahh!

Their live gigs sound like good anarchic fun, with the audience invading the stage, the band invading the audience, and the drummer invariably ending up somewhere in the middle, and not always the same way up as when he started.

So I’ve been listening to the MP3s on their website, and they’re great.

This was their last single. 2 minutes of witty, intense pop. And when it comes down to it, that’s all you need.

BROMHEADS JACKET - WHAT IF’S & MAYBES

It occurred to me that it has something of The Streets about it… and Lo & behold checking their website it seems the band have just done a cover of the new Streets single, which will appear on the ‘When You Wasn’t Famous’ 7″.

The band record for the Marquis Cha Cha label, which is run by the Pure Groove record shop in North London - and which is also putting out the mighty new Whitey single in a couple of weeks.

This is the other track available on their website, debut 7″ ‘Woolley Bridge”.

BROMHEADS JACKET - WOOLLEY BRIDGE

Of course this being the post-Arctic Monkeys world, you can also download every live track, demo, session and sound check imaginable from their message board. Everything except, inevitably, the Streets cover version. I’ll have to hold on for that one.

Thanks for all the nice messages yesterday. Much appreciated and very heartwarming.

For Richard

Unfortunately we heard the worst news about Richie on Thursday, when his body was found in the Liffy. It seems he fell asleep by the river, woke up disorientated and fell in.

It’s a bit hard to know what to play at a time like this. Personally when I go I’d like a massive hands in the air disco party. I was listening to this though & it seemed appropriate.

Rest in Peace mate,

PHONIQUE FEAT. ERLEND OYE - FOR THE TIME BEING (ALEX KID MIX)

Barely Back

Well i’m just about home in one piece. I got bitten by something while I was away which caused my leg to get infected and i’m now, possibly as a result, suffering from some kind of tropical disease.

Other than that Brazil was magic!

I’m not feeling like eulogizing about it too much right now though. Partly as I feel absolutely shit, and partly since my cousin Richard has gone missing. He left a club in Dublin by himself on Friday night and hasn’t been seen since. It’s a bit worrying to say the least. I can only hope he’s gone missing through his own choice….

In fact about the only thing keeping me going is Monday’s White Rose Movement gig. My god they were fantastic. That’s gig of the year sorted already.

Just amazing.

WHITE ROSE MOVEMENT - LONDON’S MINE

Also, the details of this year’s Camden Crawl have been announced. It was really good last year, and there’s some great bands playing this time round. Get tickets here…