Archive for the ‘passion pit’ tag
Passion Pit – Constant Conversations remix featuring Juicy J
Uhh, what? Saccharine indie rock Passion Pit plus drrrty southern rap artist Juicy J? Gossamer‘s “Constant Conversations” gets a remix of the ages and it’s pretty paper despite its oddness. Juicy J’s rap is about as affectionate as he gets but his flo is strong. Unfortunately he’s only featured in the first quarter of the track. Rock on?
Passion Pit – “Where I Come From”
Everyone knows that the Twilight movies suck in a major way (sorry, “Twi-Hards”). Despite this, the films’ accompanying soundtracks are surprisingly good; artists from Thom Yorke to Grizzly Bear to Feist have all offered up original tracks all in the name of #TeamEdward. The soundtrack to the final film in the series, Breaking Dawn Part 2, features an unexpected gem from Passion Pit entitled “Where I Come From.” Even if you’re not so much into teen vampires and werewolves, it’s hard not to dig the dreamy, stripped down track, highlighted by Michael Angelakos’s signature emotive vocals.
Passion Pit – Gossamer
Passion Pit are the indie electro-pop outfit that skyrocketed past expectations with their danceable, delicious 2009 debut, Manners. Three years later, the band’s sophomore effort is called Gossamer, which really, couldn’t be more fitting. “Gossamer” means something that is light, thin, fresh; you imagine delicate fabric blowing about in a gust of soft wind. Gossamer (the album) definitely evokes this sense of lightness, but with a catch; behind a thinly veiled exterior, not all is as it seems.
This is the concept behind Passion Pit’s excellent second LP: heaviness contrasted against levity. Because, this is music after all, right? This isn’t a 1,000 page Russian novel, or a three-and-a-half hour film from which people leave the theatre going what the fuck? In music, we’ll take meaning, but we’ll have it on the rocks with a slice of lime on the side, thank you very much. On Gossamer, you get that Passion Pit aren’t trying to make just another party album, but it’s an album you can dance to, as well.
Like a modern day Odysseus, Passion Pit frontman Michael Angelakos leads the listener through an epic journey through life: all of its joy, pain, suffering, and whatever. On Gossamer, much of his outlook is bleak, but it’s veiled in a gorgeous symphony of experimental sounds, twinkling, tinkering, bouncy beats, and melodic waves of warmth that travel at warp-speed. The beats are always weighty, but the synths are as light as air. If this is pain, then pain is good.
Things kick off with first single “Take a Walk,” which touches upon the perils of unrelenting ambition and the not-so-dreamy effects of the American Dream. Angelakos may be singing about making bad investments, overdrawing on his accounts, and disappointing his wife and children, but the track most definitely has the stompiest chorus this side of “Take Me Out.” “I’ll Be Alright” continues the wild journey that the band started three years ago on “Sleepyhead,” but while that track made you want to dig deep into a dirty, low-down beat, “I’ll Be Alright” is a lightning-fast, exploding firework of sounds. The chaos eventually channels into graceful order– zooming in and out, in and out– to create THE song of the summer.
Passion Pit – “I’ll Be Alright”
Have you ever wondered what a “kaleidoloop” was? Well, rest easy, my friends: Passion Pit have got all the answers right here. The “kaleidoloop” is the instrument (instrument?) which distorts singer Michael Angelakos’s voice into the fantastic frenzy that is their latest track, “I’ll Be Alright.” The song is the second released from the upcoming full-length Gossamer, out July 24. Luckily, “I’ll Be Alright” improves upon its predecessor, “Take a Walk.” It proves that Passion Pit haven’t lost the spunk that made 2009’s Manners such a hit, while adding layer and an ecstatic, constant commotion to their signature glimmery pop. The weather might be a bit gloomy for June, but Passion Pit are going to provide you with your necessary dose of good, clean, summer fun.
Passion Pit – “Take A Walk”
Dreamy, gaze-y electropop band Passion Pit had a justifiably huge hit in 2009 with their first LP, Manners. It’s been a while since they put out any new material, but now the wait is over. “Take A Walk” is the first single off their upcoming album Gossamer, set to be released July 24th. The single’s been out since last year’s Moogfest, but now it’s available to everyone. I’d say it’s right in the middle of what we’re used to with the band – just what I expected, around what I was hoping for, little more.. Will they do more with the album? It remains to be seen.
The Knocks – “Brightside” & Other Classic Hits
I remember, vaguely, the talk in Hanover High School when it became known that Ben Ruttner, a couple years younger than I, had found success as a DJ. Christened in the music world “B-Roc,” there was talk of opening for DJ Shadow and Beyonce. But these were the days of punk rock and Biggie and I turned my attention to more saccharine diversions. Flash forward to now: you can imagine my happy surprise when I discovered that Mr. Ruttner, along with James “JPatt” Patterson, was one of the two core members of the DJ duo the Knocks. He’s also the CEO of HeavyRoc music, which produced, among other successes, College’s “A Real Hero” from Drive. Between gold medalist Hannah Kearney and B-Roc, it should be clear that Hanover, NH has something good in the water.
The Knocks’ last big hit, “Dancing With The DJ,” was awesome. It had a carefree joy that could only have come from fusing the sounds of ESPN’s Jock Jams (remember that?) with the best of the Bee Gees. Along with Penguin Prison’s “Multi-Millionaire,” it kept my hopes alive for a sustained resurrection of disco pop. They’ve just released another single, “Brightside,” which sustains the expected goodness. So here’s that new single, and a set of my favorite Knocks productions – they certainly have a diverse set of sounds they’re comfortable working with. Love the takes on classic soul, in particular. Here’s to you, Ben.
We should start with a few Knocks originals: “Brightside,” “Make It Better, “Blackout,” and “Dancing With The DJ,” The latter is the song that got me into this duo in the first place – still such a great dance piece. It should be a crime not to play it in a club.
Dancing With The Dj by The Knocks
Last February, the Knocks released a set of covers and remixes of old R&B and soul hits – Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, the Supremes… the good stuff. I’m of the opinion that not nearly enough music from that era is revisited by current DJs. Clearly, these guys are of the same mind.
You Can’t Hurry Love (Supremes cover featuring Alex Winston) by The Knocks
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It shouldn’t come as a surprise at this point that the duo has put out a set of great remixes and mashups. You know what I think might be the most refreshing thing about these? NO DUBSTEP!!!!
This mashup of Ellie Goulding (who just toured with them) and Daft Punk is a good place to start:
There’s Something About Us Under The Sheets (Ellie Goulding vs Daft Punk) by The Knocks
They put out a remix of one of the most redone songs of the past couple years – Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks.” Unsurprisingly, their version is one of the best.
Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks (The Knocks Remix) by The Knocks
Here, they added a funk guitar and disco-funk beat to give a nice new dimension to Passion Pit’s “Sleepyhead.”
Passion Pit – Sleepyhead (The Knocks Remix) by The Knocks
And… oh my God. We have to end with their take on the Jackson Five’s “The Love You Save.” It’s hard to have too much of this sound.
The Jackson Five – The Love You Save (The Knocks Remix) by The Knocks
“The Reeling” Remixes
People have been talking about the Miike Snow remix of Passion Pit’s “The Reeling.” I could get behind it on a dance floor, but it’s a bit too Super Mario Bros for my taste. It is possible, I maintain, to have too many blips and bleeps. Far superior, I’ve found, is the Calvin Harris remix of the same song. Harris’ electronic additions synth well with the original’s high-caliber production, while adding a danceable dimension that just doesn’t exist the first time around. Compare for yourself:
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The Reeling (Calvin Harris Remix) – Passion Pit
The original’s pretty good, too, though not as ass-thumping as Mr. Harris’ creation.
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