Cougar Microbes

Every time I think I have covered every possible angle I could write about Alex Ebert and his Alexander project (or indeed anything Edward Sharpe related) he’ll surprise me in one way or another.

For example he could re-offer us the single ‘Truth’ - which we featured back in December- only this time featuring a guest verse by Wu-Tang legend the RZA. 

His contribution is so elegant it’s hard to imagine it ever not being there.

I get the feeling we will be featuring a bunch of other Alexander tracks.

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Young The Giant are set to release their upcoming ‘Remix EP‘, available through their own Facebook page, featuring re-edits by the likes of Two Door Cinema Club, Tokyo Police Club, Ra Ra Riot (not a club evidently) and more.

The Orange County band have also made song stems for six tracks available for fans to create their own remixes which can be found here. own Facebook page.

The quintet are also offering fans a chance to contribute their own remix with song stems being made available here. The best fan submission will actually be included on the EP.

In anticipation of their Reading & Leeds Festival performances in late August the band plan to release new single ‘Cough Syrup‘ on August 22nd through followed by their self-titled debut album.

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Radiohead posted a bunch of remixes to remind us (once again) that their latest batch of tracks can easily rub shoulders with the rest of the band’s impressive discography.

Of course when you are as well known/connected as the Oxford quintet it is easy to have the likes of Nathan Fake and Caribou remixing your work.

Cougar HQ is still busy enjoying ‘King Of Limbs‘ and whilst it’s early days I think there is a good chance that album will make our top of 2011 list. Too soon?

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We have featured Michel Gondry and his work for Weekend Videos in the past but seems we just can’t get enough.

Fortunately Jerusalem-based producer/musician Sasha Raskin has given us an excuse to post the video with his fittingly beautiful remix of Björk‘s ‘Jóga‘. He reduced the intensity of the original even further putting the Icelandic songstress firmly in the spotlight over a delicate electronic heartbeat and some well placed strings and beeps.

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I have been meaning to write about Tyler, The Creator and the whole Odd Future phenomenon for a while. Originally I was planning to feature ‘Yonkers‘ as part of our Weekend Videos feature but by the time I got to see the video it had already racked 6 million hits.

Surely there weren’t that many more people still left I thought and I was wrong because the video now stands at over double that somewhere in the region of 13 million hits. Not bad for an LA skater kid with a questionable attitude.

You may be familiar with Amp Live for his reworking of some of the best moments from Radiohead‘s ‘In Rainbows‘ album. Personally I completely loved him for the work done on Cougar favourites WHY? and their catalogue.

In any case he has gone and joined forces with Jazz Mafia to recreate these interesting re-runs from ‘Goblin‘. I had been wondering how long it would take before some decent remixes from would pop out, I just didn’t expect something like this to be made.

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Over the past year Belle and Sebastian have toured the heck out of their ‘Write About Love‘ album taking their dulcet sounds all over the world. The band played a host of countries as scattered as Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Argentina, Chile, Poland and the Czech Republic for the very first time.

The band are set to release a “12 single comprising remixes of the tracks ‘Come On Sister‘ and ‘I Didn’t See It Coming‘ through Rough Trade on the 18th of July as well as other unheard material.

Here is the Paul Fegan directed clip for the Tony Doogan version of ‘Come on Sister‘ featuring the band members “faced with reality at the end of a year of touring“.

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With the release of ‘Last Night On Earth‘ in March Noah And The Whale signalled a new chapter in the band’s history. Whereas their debut ‘Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down‘ was characterised by the band’s youthful innocence and bashful approach it’s follow up ‘The First Day Of Spring‘ was a decidedly more sombre affair successfully exploring darker emotional territories.

the 2011 veersion of the band, and more specifically frontman Charlie Fink, appear to have overcome the recent heartache. Crucially however the detailed storytelling delivery remains. Bonus points for recording the album in an East London synagogue.

Here is a reworking of ‘Tonight’s the Kind Of Night‘ by Cougar friends RAC adding even more shiny pop aesthetic to the track.

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As an extra treat to see out the week here is Mr Little Jeans as she lends some elegant electronic undertones to the title track from Arcade Fire‘s 2010 ‘The Suburbs‘ masterpiece.

Have a good weekend and stay safe.

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