I've Got Your Eyelids

O.M.G. infinity symbol! I have just fallen in complete and total ardor with Crystal Castles! Firstly homegirl has mad style and her haircut is hella cute and that dude with her could totally hang with Justice, right? Am I not right? Hahaha...to avoid running the risk of sounding like someone who's completely ignorant of their brand new obsessh, Crystal Castles is Ethan Kath and Alice Glass and they're taking over the scene with gale force homie! I became like soooo totally besotted with the two feisty, fast fingered felons of the foot stomp while listening to them on Indie 103.1 in Santa Monica. Indie 103: radio for champs, yeah!

photo courtesy of andrew kendall

But like for real dudes, Crystal Castles are the shit. They're named after She-Ra's pad (BTW you're fully not allowed to ask them that or they'll get all tired of answering the question and shit, so don't) and they turn out just about any venue that books 'em. Hey, does anyone think they'll be here in three years when I can go see them live? Chances are, with the the way house's golden children can go from Shirley Temple to Baby Jane Holzer in the blink of a blog and the flavor of the day changes with the color of the ecstasy tab, prolly not. But there's no harm in enjoying what we've got right now, is there?

CC's self titled debut album is for sure out now (so you better get it, K? Thanks) and they're touring like madmen in the UK right after finishing a few nondescript house shows in warehouses and such around California, so you should catch them while they're still in vogue, K?

The best song - EVER - that Crystal Castles has is "Crimewave", which, in any hipster's terms, is not actually CC, but Crystal Castles v. Health (an equally hipsterish sort of group). Still, regardless of who originally put the song together and who remixed it and who gets the airplay, "Crimewave" is the shet. So much the shet that CC is pimping out tees broadcasting just that single. "Crimewave" has a sort of wave of its own. It's fecking awesome, my man.

You can peep Crystal Castles overrrrr here! and frolic in the heavenly dreamy madness that is "Crimewave" he-errrrr. You can also check up on various Crystal Castles remixes, at the 'Toof, where those dudes are mad blessed to get their hands on some primo shit.

'Cos, like, for serious dude, I luh Crystal Castles to pieces and beyond!

Your electric bird,
Erika

My Hood Versus Your Hood

Ay! It's been a hell of a good start for DJ mixes 'round the way. Although I'm not gonna lie, sooo many songs get repeated from mix to mix that it's not even funny. Well, actually it is funny in a "I'm so different but so similar" kind of way. You know, like goth and punk kids.

Anywaysville, I've been shamelessly promoting DJs from here to Haiti these days, and though my affiliation with them doesn't go much farther than an enthusiastic fan, who doesn't like free press?

We start our selection off with one of the dopest groups of DJs in the world right now: The Hood Internet. Missingtoof peeped these dudes first, back last year, and now, as they would say, you too can peep scene. Most DJs generally limit their mix selection to electropop, electropunk, or that zany, out of the way shit that makes me reach for my pacifier...just kidding. But it's a little hard to get into, mostly because the bass/high hat combo and constantly chopping and screwing of the songs gets really annoying fast. If I wanted to hear Simian Mobile Disco repeat the same four words over and over again, I would listen to those same four words over and over again. See? But noooo, the crew at The Hood Internet is past that. In fact, they were past that before they even got to it, that's how transcendental their shit is. On their mix, aptly titled The Mixtape Vol.1 , the crew mashes Fiest, CSS with Rick Ross, Crime Mob with the Shins, and Swizz Beats with Deerhoof, just to name a few. Mad props if you can name all the songs mashed together without looking at the tracklisting! Anyway, you can peep the mixtape here, or here, if you wish. And while you're at Missingtoof, don't forget to give these dudes their well deserved props.

Moving on, we have Drastik, 1/4 of the Canadian DJ set known as Stylusts. On his (I think) most recent mix, Hipsterific Happy Hour, he takes us through a story of music with transitions smoother than chilled Grey Goose. My favorite part is his nice incorporation of Treasure Fingers, who reps the A-T-L every chance he G-E-T-S. Also notable is his use of Simian Mobile Disco's "It's The Beat" to transition into Li'l Mama's "Control." But if hour long DJ mixes aren't your thing...well, I can help you out a bit. BTW, get Hipsterific Happy Hour he-errr!

Villians aren't usually a thing I like to promote, mostly 'cos they haven't exactly stood for morals and justice, which I heavily endorse. (Well, easy on the morals, heavy on the justice.) But these Villians have birthed a sweet little minimix just for you, whether you don't like long mixes, or your house party just ran a bit short. At about 22 minutes, you can listen to this on your lunch break and still have time for Pilates before you go to work. Sweet! You can get the Villians mix here. (Just scroll down the page) Fully absorb the club atmosphere in your speakers, playa.

And that's all for now. Konichiwa bitchesss!

Worth listening to: Millionaires. If the Coathangers went to a rave in 1988.

Your electric bird,
Erika