double dutch

I picked up a few 7"s today. Something old, something new, something old and something new. That's two new ones and two old ones for anyone who's still confused.

Funnily enough the first cut is a new one by two ould ones, Paul Hartnoll (ex-Orbital) and Robert Smith (ex- The Cure). They've penned a tune together and it's pretty good. It features Smith's distinctive vocal and also the voice of Lianne Hall (don't know who she is, apologies) on top of a layered Orbital style backing track. It sounds like a remix of a Cure song that you've never heard. That's a good thing in my book. You can check it out on Mr Hartnoll's MySpace. As it turns out, Mr Hartnoll will be playing at the Electric Picnic later this year and I bet that Mr Smith turns up with him. You heard it here first. (Right after I'd made it up, in fact)

The second cut is a fresh piece of polymer vinyl from The Maccabees called 'Precious Time which you can check out on their MySpace. These guys will be playing at the Oxegen Festival on July 8th but I won't be going so someone can tell me what they were like after the event. It has the same sense of urgency that is evident in the work of The Maccabees but at heart its still a nice pop tune. It's like Bloc Party without the student angst and the b-side is pretty good too.

As mentioned I also picked up a couple of gems from yesteryear. First up is the second single from 'Duck Rock' by Malcolm McLaren entitled 'Double Dutch'. The b-side is the even wackier titled 'She's looking like a hobo' which just sounds like a remix of 'Buffalo Gals', the first single from the Duck Rock album. Double Dutch has elements of African rhythms interspersed with McLarens ramblings on skipping and what sounds like a female version of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Finally I picked up a copy of Break Machine's 'Street Dance'. As it happens this featured on one of the first albums that I ever bought (which was in 1983). It inspired to me learn to moonwalk and bodypop. 24 years later I still haven't learnt. What can i say? I must be a slow learner! I think i also bought their tune 'Break Dance Party' on 7" recently. If anyone knows of a breakdance revival starting again I'd be more than willing to play my tunes at it. Let's have a break-off to settle any turf wars. No more fussing and fighting, only headspins from now on.

I stumbled across GodTube on the web today and found this really peculiar parody of Sir Mixalot's 'Baby got Back'.

Then I found the original by Sir Mixalot

......and then I found a freaky version by Weird Al Yankovic.....


....and then I stopped looking.