Simian Mobile Disco, Cee-Lo, and Telephoned

Dance and funk numbers from last month's playlist.

Telephoned is an awesome combo of DJ Sammy Bananas and vocalist/party maven Maggie Horn. They remake and rework common pop tracks that stand on their own as dancefloor anthems.

Their eponymous EP could be played as a mixtape at your next party, but I particularly enjoy Rockin That Thing and Dancin' On Me. Though they are technically remixes, they might as well be completely different songs. I'd almost rather call them homages. Whatever you call, them they will make you want to move!





My next recommendation is a smooth, funky dance track. It's a fun tune, and it's free! Dance impresarios Simian Mobile Disco team up with diva Beth Ditto, of Gossip fame, for this one.

Simian Mobile Disco - Cruel Intentions (feat. Beth Ditto) (Heartbreak's Slow Action Remix)

Finally, everyone loves and is familiar with Cee-Lo's 100% pure hit, Fuck You, but the 2nd best song off the album is Love Gun. Check it out.

Mark Ronson - God of Awesome

For his latest album, Record Collection, London Superproducer Mark Ronson goes for a more 80s synth-pop feel. No matter that he's made his reputation on funk and soul hip-hop numbers, whatever he does works. Apparently, Ronson wanted to be so authentic to the 80s sound that he went out and procured the actual synths that Duran Duran used. Even the album cover (above) has an 80s theme, deftly mixing the themes of 80s album artwork together.

Bang Bang Bang is eminently danceable and features one of the all-time great MCs, Q-Tip the Abstract. The Bike Song is good fun and Someone To Love Me features Boy George. Though the original for Someone To Love Me is good, the remixes are even better.

Omelet

Even though I've made omelets before, I actually read the recipe this time. Also, after buying some frozen spinach at the store today, I figured I could put it to use.

I used 4 eggs and some soy milk and a little salt and pepper. I popped the toast in, but then kind of forgot that the spinach was still frozen. Following the recipe, I put about 2 tbsp of butter in the pan and heated it up. Threw the eggs in and started pulling the sides in to let the liquid eggs get to the edge so they could cook. Eventually, that became pretty hard. Then I remembered about the spinach and threw a handful in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then the toast popped. Too many things happening!

Threw some cheese on there and the spinach, then folded over one side and another. Amazingly, it wasn't burnt. Slid the thing off and put some more cheese on top. Buttered the toast, threw a little salsa on and voilà.

Considering my cooking goals are so minimal as to not really be goals, this was quick, easy, relatively healthy (butter and salt), and yummy. I am now full. And I forgot to take any pictures. Next time.

I spy with my little ear

Someone who writes for 30 Rock is laughing their ass off. On Season 4, Episode 14, Future Husband, Liz Lemon is in the waiting room at the dentist's office and calls her mystery man. He calls her back and her phone starts ringing. Can anyone guess the song from the 4 second sample? I did. It's Fuck the Pain Away by Peaches. Oh Lemon. Great song.

Maximum Balloon Provides Maximum Awesomeness

Dave Sitek is a guitarist and producer originally from New York, now based in Beverly Hills. He's probably best known as a member of TV On The Radio. but in my opinion, his first solo album under the name Maximum Balloon is his best work so far. To me, it's much more accessible and fun than TVOTR, but you know, that's just me.

Each song is a collaboration with similarly minded artists such as Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, David Byrne, and two other members of TVOTR, Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe. Pretty much almost all of the collaborators seem to have some connection to Sitek's previous work producing or playing.

My favorites are Apartment Wrestling with David Byrne, Groove Me featuring Theophilus London, and Tiger featuring Aku Orraca-Tetteh, but the whole album is pretty solid. My favorite part of the Groove Me video is the fact that London is wearing a Smith College hat the entire time. I wonder if he went there?

Gram Rabbit - Party in the Desert

Gram Rabbit - They rock. They dance. They glam. They electro. They clash. They country. They sexy. They have a thing for bunnies and cults. They from Joshua Tree in the deserts of California, and there's something weird and beautiful about them. Their sound is luscious and somehow manages to be fun and sinister at the same time.

I would say they remind me most of Madonna, Lady Gaga, and the Ting-Tings, but way more strange than any of those. In that sense, they're more like Electric Six. Their latest album, Miracles and Metaphors, continues their awesomeness. Here's my favorite track on that album, Candy Flip, and below are some other great tracks from their catalog.



The Rest of Us Sleep and In My Book off of RadioAngel & the RobotBeat


Bloody Bunnies off of Cultivation


Cowboy-Up off of Music to Start a Cult To


Her Secret Power off of The Desert Sound EP - Listen to it here.

Restless Blogger

Restless People is a band from Brooklyn (where else) that has a fun, tropical, electronic sound. They sound like a cross between Passion Pit, Vampire Weekend, and Yeasayer. If you like those groups, you'll probably think these guys are the bee's knees also.

Check out the single, Days of Our Lives, and you'll know what I mean.




Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't say that there's a lot of folks saying Restless People pretty much ripped off this song, Two Months Off, from a much more established British band called Underworld. They are pretty similar, but I would say the Restless People song is more interesting. And the other songs on their new album are strong and (hopefully) not ripped off.