popwreckoning

It’s time to get down and dance with the new single from Scandinavia’s Moneybrother.

“Down at the R,” the new single from Anders Wendin, aka Moneybrother, is off the upcoming US release Real Control. It was previously featured on his European album Mount Pleasure.

The Grammy winner is often compared to the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Joe Strummer, with his throwback pop tunes. On this song, you get more of a The Clash meets Vampire Weekend.

So get ready to dance and check out the new single below. If you like what you hear, stay tuned because we hear Moneybrother has more summer tour dates in the works.

. “Down at the R”

Welcome back, readers!  I don’t know about you but summer time usually makes me want to get back into hip hop and R&B music.  There’s something about summer jams, anthems (see: Usher‘s “Love In This Club“), and danceable hip hop that makes me want to get on the dance floor and get down.  As if creative lyrics and mystifying dance moves weren’t enough, I’m constantly impressed by the creativity and diversity of famous songs that are sampled.  Sometimes it can be brilliant, other times it can be a disaster.  Case in point: Will Smith penning “Will 2K” that borrow from The Clash‘s “Rock The Casbah”.  Stick to Jerry Bruckheimer movies, Big Willy.  Today I’m featuring a handful of tracks that sample other artists in a unique way.  Enjoy!

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.Puff Daddy and Faith Evans (feat. 112) – “I’ll Be Missing You”
Sample: The Police – “Every Breath You Take“
Who would have ever thought Puff Daddy was a Police fan?  Fresh pain over his dear friend’s death (Notorious B.I.G.) got the creative juices flowing in this memorable tribute cover song.  Normally I’d be appalled at the idea of somebody ripping of The Police’s killer bass line, but Puff Daddy manages to make this song work.  I particularly love the addition of 112 to sing the heart-wrenching, repetitive chorus.

.Lloyd – “Get It Shawty”
Sample: Technotronic - “Pump Up The Jam“
I absolutely love this song that was actually originally written for Usher.  Lloyd’s 2007 summer dance tune is the rare gem that got me out of my chair and on the floor that year.  In fact, I still get chills whenever I catch it on mainstream hip hop radio stations.  Recognize the chorus?  Any child of the 1980′s will be quick to scream “Technotronic!”

.Kanye West (feat. Lupe Fiasco) – “Touch The Sky”
Sample: Curtis Mayfield – “Move On Up“
One of the more versatile hip hop artists of this generation, Kanye West turned my head with this incredible track that features a memorable rap by Lupe Fiasco, another one of my favorites.  He took Curtis Mayfield’s memorable tune, slowed it down, and turned it into a mega-watt hip hop anthem about climbing the charts.  This cover only proves the boundless imagination of Mr. Kanye West.

.Beastie Boys – “She’s Crafty”
Sample: Led Zeppelin – “The Ocean“
Much like the audacity of Puff Daddy, Beastie Boys went back in time and enlisted the help of Led Zeppelin’s catchy guitar riff for “She’s Crafty” in a way that is oddly endearing and not the slightest bit offensive.  Perhaps the genius of this not so shameless pilfering is the fact that this was done over 20 years ago when the idea of mixing rock with hip hop was still a musical taboo.  Looks like “she” isn’t the only one who’s crafty.

.Gym Class Heroes – “Clothes Off!”
Sample: Jermaine Stewart – “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off“
Hey, I love the original and I’m not ashamed I find the cover equally hysterical.  Gym Class Heroes take’s the world’s best abstinence anthem and spins it on his head.  Jermaine Stewart was quick to say “we don’t have to take our clothes off to have a good time” and instead offered above-the-clothes fun mixed in with a little cherry wine.  Apparently, this isn’t good enough for GCH as they insist “we have to take our clothes off” for all night partying and got Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy to emphasize this in the high-pitched chorus.  I bet former classmates are sorry they picked lead singer Travis McCoy last in gym class now!

M.I.A. has always been a slightly edgy, underground UK hip-hop/dance artist until she hit the mainstream with the success of her slightly pop-infected single “Paper Planes”. The amount of attention this track has received over the year is astonishing. And it deserves every bit of it. Most noticeable is that the song samples The Clash‘s “Straight To Hell”, which results in the island sound; a downtempo, catchy tune with a thick and syrupy drum beat under The Clash’s reggae riff. And of course, not to be forgotten, is the now infamous gunshots and ringing of cash registers over the chorus, which is actually sung by children from Brixton (throwback reference to The Clash? I think so).

In addition to the impressive layering of the song, the lyrics are pertinent and poignant. The song is a satire on the perception of immigrants in the United States; that they cause a threat to society. M.I.A., an immigrant and refugee to the U.K. herself, sings “If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name / If you come around here, I make ‘em all day / I get one down in a second if you wait.” Because of the success and brilliant complexity of the song, it is no surprise that it’s been remixed many a times over. Here are some of the best, but first, the original.

website | myspace | @ Liberty Hall

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Lapse Remix

This remix turns the song upside down and makes it a fun, upbeat dance floor favorite. It doesn’t alter the original much, but it significantly speeds it up to a great effect and adds a stomping drum line. It also cuts up the vocals nicely, resulting in the same lines being constantly repeated over and over. Furthermore, it throws in an interesting sound over the entire track, which, to be honest, I can’t make out what it is. Almost synth like but with the touch of a kazoo, it slides the rhythm up and down, expanding and contracting. This is the version that should be played at every party, club, or wherever a dance floor exists.

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DFA Remix

It is by no surprise now that I am a huge DFA fan. And they do not disappoint with this remix. DFA always manages to take a song, keep it intact, and yet completely make it their own. They are the purveyors of dance punk and disco today, and those flavors are felt in this remix. This version is slightly slower than the original and the vocals are kept in check. DFA throws out The Clash’s main riff and injects a tremendously thick, funk bass line over the entire song, which really drives the sound on this one. Under all of that they layer the track with soft, throbbing synths and horns. Also removed are the iconic gunshots and cash registers ringing, which was a wise adjustment, and instead the “All I wanna do is” is followed by sounds of laser beams. And to make this remix more amazing than it already is, DFA tops it off at the end with a slow and bouncing piano roll.

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Remix For The Children by Adrock

Adrock is of course Adrock from the Beastie Boys. This remix is completely opposite to the DFA one. It strips most of the sound out, including The Clash’s riff, and keeps the sound sparse. Vocals are intact. This is an extremely slowed down, darker version of the original. The mix starts with a light guitar strumming and a strong Caribbean piano riff, which keeps the island feel in check. It also makes no effort in removing the gunshots and ringing of cash registers, on the contrary, it has fun with those effects and scatters them through the mix, probably even more so than the original. Of course Adrock would keep the gunshots in, after all, this remix is for the children. The mix ends with an interesting and zany bass line.

Eric Bachmann, make up your mind, is it forfeit or fortune? Are you making a pop album? A freak folk album? An Eastern European-influenced album? Do you or do you not have an accent? Neil Diamond!?!?

Albums like The Clash’s London Calling and more recently My Morning Jacket’s Evil Urges managed to be eclectic without sacrificing consistency or coherence. Forfeit/Fortune is an eclectic album that fails where those bands succeeded, principally because Crooked Fingers isn’t always that good at some of the styles they attempt. Sure, their attempt at Espers-esque freak folk in “Luisa’s Bones” is an interesting way to follow Bowie-via-Springsteen opener “What Never Comes,” but who cares when it’s not nearly as good?

Crooked Fingers’ attempt at the multitude of styles on F/F is admirable but without compelling compositions nor a strong overriding voice holding it all together, F/F doesn’t work. Within the murk are gems like “Cannibals” and the beautiful closer “Your Control” (featuring Neko Case who’s beyond good, as always) but you have to wade through boring numbers like the overwrought “Let’s Not Pretend (To Be New Men)” to get to them. And then in the middle of it all is “Run, Lieutenant, Run,” a quiet, folksy number where Bachmann pretends he’s Neil Diamond (and he’s almost as good as this guy) for one-and-a-half minutes. It’s one of F/F’s best songs…until some weird Spanish bit comes out of nowhere for the last minute. And then the song’s done. Yes: WTF indeed.

The album’s not bad; it’s just significantly more interesting than it is actually good. Of course the album’s supporters (and every album has them) will defend it by saying “you just don’t get it.” Perhaps, but who’s writing the review? Ah-ha. Until then, if Crooked Fingers want to succeed on their next album where this one failed, they’ve got a bit of straightening out to do.

Forfeit/Fortune is available now.

Tracklisting:
01. What Never Comes
02. Luisa’s Bones
03. Phony Revolutions
04. Give And Be Taken
05. Let’s Not Pretend (To Be New Men)
06. Cannibals
07. Sinisteria
08. No Me Lo Des!
09. Run, Lieutenant, Run
10. Modern Dislocation
11. Your Control

Crooked Fingers: website | myspace

Written by Marc Z. Grub

I’ve waited endlessly for it to happen; the sifting of the music genres through each respective time period, past the bands influenced by the 70s and 80s, kicking the door wide open for drop D tuning and other signature sounds of the 90s. Honestly, I have never really gotten a clearer glimpse of this in a music venue, as I did this night listening to Low vs. Diamond piece through their set, which anyone outside on the street could have easily mistaken for Our Lady Peace.

Though poor sound qualitydue to an apathetic sound guy, not the band, seemed to hinder the quality of the band’s set, I was rather impressed by the hooks that managed to find their way out of the cloud of useless fuzz and bass distortion. The piano seemed to be the only instrument to really stand out and rising above a crowd who honestly couldn’t give a damn about this band’s opening set. This apathy seemed to carry over to the band as well. Their songs, seemingly angry and pointed, simply didn’t fluently display in the boys’ actions, who only seemed to half-heartedly want to be on stage.

Sadly, on this night, the energy of their album didn’t seem to make the trip to the stage. To be fair however, a number of the difficulties they had to overcome were placed in front of them by circumstances slightly out of their control. I honestly look forward to giving them another chance on another night.

Mates of State, the evening’s middle set, are no stranger to Lawrence, Kansas. Kori Gardner, lead vocalist of the group recalled to the crowd, “In case you didn’t know, this is where this band started. We went to school here, and we started the band here. It’s damn good to be back.”

And it was damn good to have them back. This husband and wife duo, packing great blended vocal patterns, progressive moog progressions and percussion big enough to fill the room, were at their best. Shooting smirks and flirtatious eye contact across the stage at one another, performing more of a love story than anything else.

Santogold, however, was something completely different, leaving the Lawrence hipsters slightly unsure of what the hell they were doing there. Though being compared to M.I.A. every time she turns around, Santogold actually brings a completely different, unique feel to her hip hop show. Joined on stage by a pair of matching dancers and a DJ, the four lit up the Liberty Hall stage, reflecting light from their gold jackets (or tights in Santogold’s case) and sporting 1980′s style fashion.

Unlike M.I.A., who played the same stage earlier that year, this show felt much more lighthearted, but just as dance friendly. Opening with “You’ll Find a Way,” a song that reminds me more of The Clash than NWA, Santogold stands tall in her punk rock roots as well as her hip hop desires.

My only complaint about her set falls with Santogold’s inability to include her audience in her art. Her relatively short set, consisting of about 40 minutes, was primarily used ignoring the half filled room. I’d go so far as to mention the lack of common hip hop show call-outs, like having the crowd lift their hands, or even make noise. It seemed that she was simply content to get through her set and go home.

But, then again, with sound problems muffling her voice, and the bass kicking me in the teeth, I must confess, I, too, wanted the same.

Low Vs. Diamond: website | myspace | Low vs. Diamond review | Interview
Mates of State: website | myspace | Re-Arrange Us review
Santogold: website | myspace

As a journalist, Warped Tour is something for which you have to train. With a set up structured to featured as many as 100 bands spread across as many as 10 stages, you simply have to have your ass in shape to maximize your ability to catch as many acts as possible. I often found myself running the entire length of Capitol Federal Sandstone Amphitheater to get shots of a band we had interviewed. While the bands themselves only play for up to 30 minutes, the schedule of 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. is unreal. Couple this with raging heat and limited resources for comfort, the day borders on over stimulation to the max. Furthermore, often times a band’s set will overlap other band’s, making it absolutely impossible to cover every act. The start of the day consists of picking and choosing which acts to cover and which acts will be shunned.

Below, I have listed the schedule of events from my Warped Tour and the notes taken throughout the day. While slightly informal, I hope you enjoy.

10:35 A.M. – Sign In, Set up Interview

After receiving credentials that allowed me to enter the venue, Bethany and I wandered back to the press room to check the list of bands that would be doing interviews throughout the day. After a long discussion of who we should pick, the Popwreckoning team narrowed it down to the following list: Beat Union, The Color Fred, Norma Jean, Cobra Starship, The Academy Is, Jack’s Mannequin, Story of the Year and We the Kings. We also learned that our interview with Gym Class Heroes had been canceled due to an incident the previous evening in St. Louis.

11:20 A.M. to 11:50 A.M. The Academy Is – Route 66 Stage

I saw these kids years ago opening for Midtown and Fall Out Boy on a Fueled by Ramen tour showcase. At the time I have to say that I left the venue relatively unimpressed by their performance. But the thing about music is that bands very seldom stay the same. Lineup changes and years of practice can make a fairly ignorable outfit become a pretty big deal on stage. With tight and catchy guitar riffs over very infectious vocals from the the band’s ridiculously charming front man, William Beckett, The Academy Is not only did a splendid job opening Kansas City’s Warped Tour, they bordered on being one of the best bands to watch. Those of you who were stuck in line or just decided to come late, you missed one hell of a set.

Grade: A-

11:50 A.M. to 12:20 P.M Story of the Year – Highway 1 Stage

No lie, Story of the Year is the hardest band I have ever photographed in my life. Their movements are extremely quick and their set consists of a ton of jumps and spins. Keeping them in your lens is no small feat. The band puts on a fairly entertaining show for those who like to watch a lot of stage antics. I must confess that I was less than impressed with their musicianship, however. There simply seemed to be a lot of dropped notes and vocals slightly to extremely out of key. To me, it is very important to be able to play first, move later, and not the other way around. I was extremely disappointed and ended up leaving this band’s set early to steal a hot dog from the press room.

Grade: D+

12:45 P.M. to 1:15 P.M. Beat Union – Hurley.com Stage

Beat Union was the first band of the day that I had seen that I would willingly classify as a “punk” band. Their sound reminded me of a mixture between The Clash and Elvis Costello. More than likely this familiarity had a lot to do with the group hailing from the United Kindom. With a slight feel of dirty rock surrounding them, this group seems to me to be the ideal band to catch in a dive bar like the now defunct CBGBs. Sadly, I only caught roughly a song and a half of what I imagine would have been an extremely entertaining set before having to rush over to snag an interview in the press room.

Grade: B+

1:15 P.M. to 1:45 P.M. The Maine – Smartpunk Stage

Combining the sounds of power pop and arena rock, The Maine has a pretty nice set up going for them. Hell, my biggest complaint from their set was nothing more than the fact that two members of the group were sporting the same shirt on stage. Tacky! Thankfully, we were covering Warped Tour and not “America’s Next Top Model.”

While I only got to see four songs by The Maine before sprinting across the venue to catch The Briggs’ first three songs, their set left me wanting to see a lot more of them. Their vocals are quite catchy and the band hangs on the hooks they have constructed. This is the type of band that gets stuck in your head for days. I will be doing my best to catch them in the future.

Grade: B

The Academy Is: website | myspace
Story of the Year: website | myspace
Beat Union: myspace
The Maine: myspace