CSS – Let’s Make Love & Listen To Death From Above (12″ & 7″ Singles)

Sub Pop SP723 / SP727: 4th September 2006
1. Let’s Make Love & Listen To Death From Above (Original / Instrumental / Spank Rock Remix / Diplo Remix)
“Come back, I’ll warm you up, make me breakfast, I’ll make it up, you are so talented, I’m in love, let’s make love and listen to death from above”
2. Acho Um Pouco Bom
“Acho um pouco bom, acho um pouco bom, acho um pouco bom”

CSS stands for Cansei De Ser Sexy (According to Alta-Vista’s Babel-Fish it translates as something like “Tired of being sexy”) and they’re from far away Brazil (“Brazil, where hearts were entertained in June…etc). ‘Let’s Make Love & Listen To Death From Above’ can be simply described as the theme from Knight-Rider combined with a 50’s Horror film soundtrack with Chicks On Speed rapping over the top and it’s twice as brilliant as that sounds.

The ‘Spank Rock Remix’ has a meatier Bass sound, phone-call effects and is better in almost every way than the original. However, it’s a shame that they merely Remixed it and didn’t add any extra lyrics like they did on their recent Remix of Coldcut. The ‘Diplo Remix’ completely ditches the music from the original and crafts an entirely new and bewilderingly odd backdrop. In keeping with Diplo’s superb work with M.I.A. it’s like nothing else but it’s still insanely catchy.

I also looked up ‘Acho Um Pouco Bom’ with the Babel-Fish and apparently it means, “I’ve found a little good”. None of the lyrics are in English so I couldn’t comment on them, but the music isn’t really much cop anyway.

CSS – Let’s Make Love & Listen To Death From Above mp3
CSS – Let’s Make Love & Listen To Death From Above (Spank Rock Remix) mp3
M.I.A. – Bucky Done Gun (Instrumental) mp3 (Diplo’s finest moment)

Click here to watch the video for ‘Let’s Make Love & Listen To Death From Above’ on YouTube.

Since I’ve mentioned Knight-Rider… click here to sign up to the potentially history-making ‘Get Hasselhoff To Number 1’ campaign.

CSS Website / CSS MySpace Page
Spank Rock MySpace Page / Diplo MySpace Page

KEITH – Mona Lisa’s Child (CD, 12″ & 7″ Singles)

Lucky Number LUCKY008CD / LUCKY008T / LUCKY008S: 4th September 2006
1. Mona Lisa’s Child (Original / Blitzen Trapper Mix / Simian Mobile Disco Mix / Alain Braxe & Fred Falke Mix / Tomboy Mix / Jake Bullit Mix / Mr Dan’s Mix)
“Spare us the sob story, you’re taking up our time, all you ever do is whine”
2. Replica
“What you found doesn’t count, propositions are denied, don’t copy me”
3. Memoir
“But I said, please don’t ask me to repeat myself, ’cause I’ll probably forget”

‘Mona Lisa’s Child’ starts off like ‘Music For A Found Harmonium’ by Patrick Street before turning into a Rockier version of Happy Mondays across the course of six minutes. Specifically, the House Piano reminded me of the Club mix of ‘Hallelujah’. It’s very retro which of course makes it sound fresh as a daisy.

The ‘Blitzen Trapper Mix’ adds layers of distortion, the ‘Alain Braxe & Fred Falke Mix’ brings in a Pet Shop Boys flavour, the ‘Tomboy Mix’ sounds like Tiga, the ‘Jake Bullit Mix’ scuzzes it up and ‘Mr Dan’s Mix’ cuts the track down to a more efficient three minutes. All the Remixes are good but the pick has to be the ‘Simian Mobile Disco Mix’ (aka Über producer James Ford). It’s a mix of glistening Synths, teasing Drums, twitching electronic sounds and that wonderful Piano used to full effect. After this contribution and the recent Remix of Peaches’ last single, Simian Mobile Disco are rapidly becoming ones to watch.

‘Replica’ is a slinky tune with a subtle Reggae vibe and ‘Memoir’ is a Pixies like Rocker but neither of them comes anywhere near the fun of the A-side.

Click here to download the video for ‘Mona Lisa’s Child’ in the WMV format.

Keith Website / Keith MySpace Page
Simian Mobile Disco MySpace Page