Major Lazer

The two words on everyones lips are Major and Lazer. The hype is prett-y mass-ive for Gun's Don't Kill People...Lazer's Do, the debut collaboration from Diplo and Switch. The first real track to drop was Hold The Line featuring vocals from Mr. Lex and Santogold. Suprise, suprise. Being a huge fan of Santogold I was pretty stoked. But shock horror, I don't rate this song! The phone vibration and ringing effects irritate me to the max and so I have trouble appreciating anything else.

But never fear, I'm really liking some of the other tracks off the album. I heard Keep It Going Louder on the radio today and instantly fell in love. And whilst I still love it right now, I cant help but wonder (...yes Carrie?...) that this could ALMOST be a Rihannon feat. T.I. or Neyo feat. Kelly Rowland. Autotune and all. You know what I'm saying? Tracks like When You Hear The Bassline are definetly about bringing reggae and dancehall to the Diplo/Switch loving masses. Where as Keep It Going Louder feels like the reverse-bringing the sugar sweet pop to the DJ's. That don't matter, I still love it. I'm just saying.

Major Lazer-Keep It Going Louder feat. Nina Sky & Ricky Blaze (DISABLED)

Mr Ed. Disco Mix

Moroco Markets at Midnight courtesy of A. Back. 2009.

Brand new mix from the one and only Mr. Ed.

40 Thieves / Don't Turn It Off / People In The SkyMetro Area / Orange Alert - DFA Remix / Source UKFive Letters / Tha Kee Tha Tha / Altropa RecordsFaze Action / Hypnotic - Disco Mix / Faze Action RecordsKathy Diamond / All Woman - Vocal Version / Permanent Vacation Jackson Jones / I Feel Good, Put Your Pants On / Rams Horn RecordsAnthony Mansfield, Nick Chacona / Oh Snap! - Greg Wilson Remix (Edit) / Hector WorksChaz Jankel / Get Myself Together / TirkSon Of Sound / No Retribution / TirkOnly Fools And Horses / Spectacle Wins - Holy Ghost! Remix / Permanent Vacation Mekon / Boy Bitten feat. Rita Brown - Padded Cell Remix / [PIAS] Recordings

Mr Ed-3:am Mix (zshare)

Songs for Study

"It's all in my head, it's all in my head. All I've ever been to myself is my own enemy"

Did you know that sometimes in summer I think dreamily of the time when I can curl up on the couch with the heater on, a cup of tea, a mint slice and countless text books? Needless to say I don't know who that crazy crazy person is right now. Some people say that it's impossible to study in the company of music. I disagree. Obviously I wouldn't recommend rocking out to metal or hardcore trance (though it works for some), but if you have the right sorta stuff it can set the mood and make the whole thing slightly more bearable. Here are some of my picks.

Angus & Julia Stone could be considered one of the classics of study music. Along with Simon and Garfunkel, Regina Spektor, The Shins and Deathcab for Cutie, this brother and sister duo's debut release has definetly kept me going the past few years. Unfortunately, there comes a time when all great albums just need a rest. Never fear! Angus has released a solo effort under the name Lady of the Sunshine (weird, I know, it took me a little too long to work out that this was actually (a) a man and (b) a Stone). Off the back off the first single White Rose Parade, the album Smoking Gun was marketed as more rockier than the collaboration with his sister. But in reality, the album has the same beautiful softness that we have come to associate with the Stone name, just with the amp plugged in on a handful of tracks.

Lady of the Sunshine-Silver Revolver (zshare)

"Now Have a Break"

The Whitest Boy Alive is another one of those artist that has been on the periphery of my music awareness for quite some time but only recently have I given them a good go. Now I'm totally immersed. Don't let the name deceive you. That's four white boys, not just one. They're from Berlin, they're signed to Modular and I'm having major deja vu. No seriously. Strange. Anyway, I can't help but think they sound like Phoenix before Phoenix discovered their guitars.

The Whitest Boy Alive-1517 (zshare)

And here is one you should maybe save til the study is over. What an absolutely massively amazing track. Gotta love Falke. Have a dance.

The Whitest Boy Alive-Golden Cage (Fred Falke Remix) (zshare)

Iron & Wine is amazing. And everyone around me totally loves this song. You've probably heard it...and so are also probably listening to it right now. If you haven't it was released on a compilation of his b-sides and previously unreleased stuff Around the Well. Quintessential study time music, so long as you can stop yourself thinking about the words and focus on the equations.

Iron & Wine-Trapeze Swinger (zshare)


I Love Ryan Adams. There I said it. I go to bed with him most nights. He's the one I turn to when I'm stressed or sad. You could even say he's my rock. And yet, for some reason I'm ashamed to say this out loud. Gee, I feel a bit like Judas. It's just that he's so country! And I'm so not. Clearly, this is a fault on my behalf, it's got nothing to do with Ryan. Ryan is perfect. I was crazy about his 2007 release Easy Tiger, and his latest Cardinology is not too bad either.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals-Fix It (zshare)

June Evenings

Was listening heaps to the Air France the past few weeks cos their second album No Way Down is so bloody beautiful. Then the horrible accident happened with the Air France flight and it became sorta eerie to listen to these tracks. Sure, this 23 minutes of laid back groove filled electronica has nothing other than a name in common with the tragedy, but it still feels a little sad somehow.

I have been walking around Sydney streets listening to the second track June Evenings quietly laughing to myself (yes, im THAT person.) Whilst I'm wearing ski socks under my jeans and at least two jackets, the "June" that this song was written about is vastly different. It is such a distinctly Summer song that conjours images of frolicking through grassy fields filled with chirping birds and giant sunflowers. How wrong am I. Just found out that Air France are from Gothenburg, Sweden, where today's max temperature was 14 degrees....the exact same as Sydney! So much for my vision...if all goes to plan I will be in Sweden next June to experience some evenings of my own. yay.

Air France-June Evenings (zshare)

They also did a remix of Skeleton Boy from British boys Friendly Fires. You've probably seen the clip floating round and it is one of the more awesome ones don't you think? Great song but if you ask me it's made even better by the Air France treatment.

Friendly Fires-Skeleton Boy (Air France Remix) (zshare)

Dappled Cities

I used to live next door to this guy. He was at uni and I was in high school. Some mornings we would catch the bus together and he would tell me all about life after the dreaded uniform years and how he was in a band. And every time I would ask what the name of his band was and he would reply: "Dappled. Cities. Fly." He was very patient, even though it would have been the tenth time he told me that year. Some time later I was in my first of many festival portaloo's, staring at the poster on the back of the door, when I realised that one of the names at the bottom of the bill was the very one I heard on the bus. They made it! I got so excited that I consumed more alcohol than my 18 year old body could take and passed out under a tree during Wolfmother. True story. But years later, I'm much more responsible and the Dappled Cities boys clearly took my market research very seriously and dropped the last syllable. I wont ever forget them now.

Their new single The Price has been the song I've woken up to almost every day this week (Triple J is loving it...and rightfully so). What a unique sound, especially the vocals that move from the well pronounced to the eerie falsetto to the powerful staccato to the "oohs" of the backup singers. Super excited for the release of their third studio album Zounds, which according to their site is set to launch in 58 days, 17 hours and 51 minutes!

Dappled Cities-The Price (zshare)