It's strange how the smallest thing can make a song. I've often latched on to what could be considered a relatively minor element of a track and proclaimed it the source of all the song's greatness (or something suitably grandiose). I'm not talking about the obvious things, like the hook or the lyric, but something small which only occurs once or twice, and probably only for a second or two. A drum fill, a guitar/bass lick, the pronunciation of a certain word... maybe I'm getting terribly geeky here, but I seem to keep noticing them.

Click the readmore for a few examples of what the hell I'm talking about.



The song that made me think of this now is a timeless classic, but one which I've always thought has a definitive 'best bit'. We all know that the solo in Something by The Beatles is awesome, but there's a tiny flourish towards the end which is the absolute king of throwaway guitar flourishes. It happens twice, and then slightly differently a third time, but the first one is so effortlessly perfect that it gets me every time.

The Beatles- Something

...and the little thing

Bon Iver's Creature Fear is a juxtaposition of subdued verses with choruses that seem to want to explode with emotion. At the end of each chorus the bass seemingly can't take it anymore and spills into a funky little lick. It's awesome.

Bon Iver- Creature Fear

...and the little thing

I'm quite a fan of the Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium, and typically, most of its highlights come courtesy of the godlike genius that is John Frusciante. When 21st Century slows down for a few bars it's Frusciante's guitar that teases the chorus back in. I might be overstating it's greatness here, but it's possibly the greatest two seconds in the history of guitar playing.

Red Hot Chili Peppers- 21st Century

...and little thing

Another example of a lead-in to a section turning out to be the highlight of the song: I've always thought the bass in Glass Danse by The Faint was great- simple yet effective- but apparently the bassist couldn't resist getting a bit funky just before the second verse kicks in. Thank god for the irresistible power of funk.

The Faint- Glass Danse

...and the little thing


I can't seem to think of any more of these offhand, but no doubt they'll jump out again when I hear them. Am I being reeeeally over analytic, or does anyone else pick apart songs into minute fragments like this?

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It's end-of-year-list time again, and this year it's been particularly tough to round up a top ten. There were plenty of great albums out there, but there also seemed to be a big gulf between the few truly amazing records and the far more populated category of 'pretty good'. Find out what's made the cut in the readmore.

10. Simon Bookish - Everything/Everything

This year saw classical composer-come pop genius Leo Chadburn release his most accomplished album to date under the Simon Bookish moniker. Everything/Everything is elaborately & impeccably orchestrated, while at the same time being lyrically fantastic. It the kind of album that's strongest point is how damned interesting it is- strange arrangements will come out of nowhere, making you sit up and take notice. That said, at the end of the day it is a pop record, so all that aside, the songs are still enjoyable as hell.

Listen:

Simon Bookish - The Flood


9. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

The second album from canuck supergroup Wolf Parade is a thoughtful, rich affair. A fine follow-up to 2005's 'Apologies to the Queen Mary', it has shades of everything from Britpop to Bonnie Prince Billy. All made nice'n'hooky by the distinctive guitar of former Hot Hot Heat mastermind Dante DeCaro.

Listen:
Wolf Parade - Soldier's Grin



8. Santogold - Santogold

Fusing hip-hop, punk rock, and a whole lot more, Santogold's debut is nicely bold in the realm of pop. LES Artistes was one of the songs of the year for me, and the album contains a handful more gems. Expect huge success in the next year.


Listen:
Santogold - I'm A Lady


7. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Another indie debut made good, this album soundtracked the summer as MGMT went stellar. Though marred slightly with a bit of filler, you can't argue with awesome singles like Kids, Time To Pretend & Electric Feel.

Listen:
MGMT - Kids



6. The Faint - Fasciinatiion


I love The Faint. This is fairly clear. So with their return after a four year absence I was pretty happy to say the least. Fasciinatiion is a touch more dancy & electro than the band's previous offerings, and has all the class that made them one of my favourite bands in the first place. One of the highlights of my musical year was when I first got hold of 'The Geeks Were Right', the first track released off the album. There was a touch of ceremony about going to a quiet room, getting 'the good headphones' and sitting down to really listen to it. It didn't disappoint.

Listen:
The Faint - Forever Growing Centipedes.


5. Story of Hair - Cheap Rate

In a year which had a crazy amount of quality Irish albums (in fairness, we could probably populate this whole list with Irish acts), this one stands out for me. Being a fan of the Hair's live show, a lot was expected of this debut LP, and I was by no means let down. From maniacally happy to reassuringly pensive, the band barely put a foot wrong in these fourteen tracks. Being the pop-whore that I am, getting an album with as many shamelessly feelgood tracks as this feels like heaven. It's also great to see a set of quality tracks actually being realised impeccably on record. It sounds like a simple thing to do, just put a mic up and press record, but it doesn't always work out that way and something gets lost (for me, this is the reason the excellent Fight Like Apes aren't quite making this list). The song below is also undoubtedly one of the songs of the year.

Listen:
Story of Hair - Unsteady


4. Why? - Alopecia

I am a relatively recent convert to Why? (thanks, Ste), but this album wholly converted me. On paper it really shouldn't work. Alt-rap, folk-hop, whatever you want to call it... it seems like a fusion doomed to failure. But it works. It hella works. Alopecia is one of those albums which stayed in my stereo for months, each and every song growing on me in turn. It's got so many elements in it that there's something for everyone- and for all that quality hip-hop to suddenly break into an metal-sounding guitar riff is something so insane it's brilliant.

Listen:
Why - The Hollows


(This is where it gets very hard. I've spent weeks trying to separate these top three entries, and have decided it's just impossible. So first place is a three-way tie).


=1. Jape - Ritual

This was another much anticipated album, one which any attendee of Jape's legendary live shows will have been expecting to be filled with greatness. And it was. Taking indie electro by the horns Richie Egan & Co. got everyone dancing, and grounded the party with what are some undeniably great songs. From the frenetic I Was A Man to the now legendary ode to Phil Lynott, every track on the album is fantastic. It makes me want to buy a synth or two. And possibly grow a moustache.

Listen:
Jape - Strike Me Down


=1. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

This is one of those out-of-the-blue masterpieces that so perfectly defines the musical year. Justin Vernon's tale of woe and redemption through music plays out in magnificent lo-fi, and it couldn't have worked better any other way. The album's circumstance has already become the stuff of legend, with the story behind it's conception becoming almost as enduring as the music itself. As for the songs- with only nine tracks there's not much room for filler, and every song justifies it's place completely (OK, with the exception of Team, which I'm assuming is merely an extension of Creature Fear). I've always been a fan of the ol' acoustic album, and this is by far the best of it's kind in many a year.

Listen:
Bon Iver - The Wolves (Acts I & II)


=1. TV On The Radio - Dear Science


I'll admit straight off that I have a tendency to get very excited about certain bands, and in the process heap so much praise upon them that it could be considered by some as somewhat of an exaggeration. That said... TV On The Radio are probably the greatest band in the world today. Dear Science is another stage in evolution for a band that had already completely won me over, and with this stage they flex their pop muscles while still maintaining their distinctive production and powerful energy. At times during Dear Science one would be forgiven for thinking that the band are channeling the souls of some of Motown's greatest stars. Guitar licks like those on lead singles Dancing Choose & Golden Age are made for dancing, and dancing with soul. The album's masterstroke, however, comes with the understated Love Dog, which is an astonishing recording where not a single note is wasted, and every subtlety is hugely effective. There's so much to enjoy here, and given that at this stage TVOTR have officially 'lived up to the hype', there's so much to be excited about the future for.

Listen:
TV On The Radio - Love Dog

Honorable Mentions:

First one has to go to Passion Pit, who's Chunk of Change EP is one of the bast things I've heard all year, and would have made it very, very high up this list if only it had had a couple of more tracks on it and actually qualified as an album. I can imagine they will probably be featuring on this list next year.

As for the others... Hot Chip's 'Made In The Dark' ('Shake a Fist' was definitely one of the songs of the year)... Tokyo Police Club's 'Elephant Shell'... Elbow's 'Seldom Seen Kid'... Department of Eagles - In Ear Park... The Most Serene Republic - Population... Irish favourites included Adebisi Shank, Fight Like Apes & Queen Kong/ You're Only Massive...

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The Faint have been forced to cancel their Dublin show. The band were due to play Crawdaddy on November 17th, but due to their tight touring schedule will not be able to make the trip. Joel Peterson explains: "It just became obvious that our gear would not be able to get there in time for us to play. Hopefully we will be able to Ireland next time around."

Tragic! We'll just have to make do with playing Fasciinatiion loudly at parties.

For anyone thus inclined, you could ryanair it over to the UK or Europe for one of their other dates on this side of the Atlantic:

18 Nov, Oran Mar, Glasgow
19 Nov, Academy 3, Manchester
20 Nov, Scala, London
21 Nov, Brighton Digital, Brighton
22 Nov, Le Showcase, Paris

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As regular readers will no doubt be aware I am quite the fan of Omaha electro-rockers The Faint (understatement? Possibly...). Hence my excitement at today's announcement that their UK tour in November has become a UK & Ireland tour. According to the band's myspace page they'll hit Ireland for a show in Crawdaddy on Monday November 17th.

No ticket details are available yet, but rest assured as soon as they are they'll be posted here. In the meantime let's all entertain ourselves with one of the best tracks from Fasciinatiion, The Faint's amazing new album (Buy it here).

The Faint- Forever Growing Centipedes

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It’s that time of the year again, and as people get their wellies out for electric picnic egoeccentric compiles a guide to our must-see acts. With a line-up drastically removed from the likes of Oxegen, there’s always plenty of gems at the Picnic, and many of them are acts most folk never heard of before. This is the beauty of Electric Picnic- think of it as a live mixtape made by someone with impeccable (if mildly insane) taste.

Read on for the guide…

Friday

Digitalism
9.15-10.30, Electric Arena

What will probably be the dance highlight of the weekend, Digitalism’s first album was a humdinger featuring four singles, at least one of which you’re bound to have heard. Idealistic is a thumping dance-punk classic, Zdarlight is an awesome psychedelic dance opus, and Pogo a kickdrum & synth heavy indie song. So something for everyone… Bring water, it’ll get sweaty.

Mp3: Digitalism- Idealistic



The Gutter Twins
9:30 - 10:30 Crawdaddy stage
Two of the alt-rock era’s greatest frontmen, The Gutter Twins is a musical collaboration between rock musicians Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan. not to be missed


MP3:The Gutter Twins - Idle Hands





Sigur Rós10:30 - 12:00 Main Stage

The Icelandic slow-motion rock band return to our shores with new material for the latest album as well, high hopes for a reenactment of the video for Gobbledigook in the crowd.

Sigur Rós - Gobbledigook





Saturday


Dan Deacon
19.45-20.45, Little Big Tent

Mister Deacon is a favorite round these parts, and his Saturday evening set has got to be considered one of the Picnic’s unmissable events. Famed for his maniacally enjoyable live show, Dan’s unique approach to a live show has a touch of ‘kid’s birthday party’ about it, albeit a party soundtracked by insanely eclectic electro. Do not miss this, it could well be the hour during which your ticket price is justified.

Mp3: Dan Deacon- Okie Dokie




The Breeders
5:00 - 6:00 Electric Arena
New album called “Mountain Battles” out now , what more can be said about the Breeders other than walking legends

The Breeders - Walk It Off





Ra Ra Riot
4:00 - 4:45 Little Big Tent
Formed at Syracuse University in January 2006, Ra Ra Riot is an amorphous blob that consists of seven highly dedicated individuals, each bringing her/his own experiences as both people and musicians to the metaphorical table.They are dedicated to moving people physically and mentally as a means of affecting positive micro/macro cosmic change

MP3:Ra Ra Riot - Dying Is Fine


The Faint
17.15-18.00, Little Big Tent

One of our all time favorites finally makes it to Ireland, and with a stunning new album to promote. The Faint are have somehow managed to remain relatively under the radar for ten years whilst all the while releasing some of the most adventurous and visceral albums of their type. Having mastered the electro-rock genre well before it became fashionable the band have over the years furthered their repertoire by incorporating punk and classical music seamlessly into catchy, dancey tracks. Top all that off with a live show that’s so damn good it’s got me flying to Manchester tomorrow specifically to see them play in a club… and you’ve got the makings of a
surefire festival highlight.

Mp3: The Faint- In Concert



George Clinton & The P-Funk Allstars
00.00-2.00, Main Stage

George Clinton is possibly the funkiest man who has ever lived. He is considered one of the most sampled musicians of all time, has worked with everyone from Snoop Dogg to the Chilis and in the 60’s worked as a staff writer for Motown records. In short, he’s a legend. Gaining much of his notoriety by bringing funk to the masses through bands such as Parliament and Funkadelic, Clinton took what James Brown started, threw in a dash of Hendrix and turned up the bass. Expect much dancing and yelling of refrains such as ‘WE WANT THE FUNK!!’ (and, if you’re really lucky, a giant funk-fuelled UFO landing on stage).

Mp3: Parliament- Flashlight



Sunday


My Bloody Valentine
9:20 - 10:50 Electric arena
Sweet sweet lush noise let it wash over you another one really not to be missed

MP3:My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes

Foals
18.00-18.45, Crawdaddy Stage

Having come out of the gate with a series of kickass adrenaline-driven-yet-intricate math-rock tunes, Foals surprised all by ditching them for their debut album and instead going ‘a bit weird’. Not in a bad way, but in a ballsy, experimental ‘let’s get the dude from TV On The Radio to produce us’ kinda way. Don’t worry- the singles (Hummer et al) are still staples of their live show- a show which is quickly gaining notoriety for being both captivating and frenetic (just ask anyone who caught them in the Academy…). Perfect for a good ol’ mosh, and one that avoids unnecessary smelly-metal/hard-rock clichés. Woo hoo!

Mp3: Foals- Mathletics


Pivot
2:30 - 3:00 Little Big Tent

Pivot is equally influenced by Synthesizer luminaries Vangelis and Jean-Michel Jarre, Warp label mates Autechre and the post-punk new wave of Talking Heads. Comprised of Sydney’s brothers Pike, Laurence and Richard, and Perth electronic wunderkind Dave Miller.

MP3:Pivot - Fool In Rain


The Roots
7:00 - 8:00 Main stage
With there heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation and known to put a skip in your set, with newest album ‘Rising Down’ song being predominant in the set but im guessing some gems off other albums as well


MP3:The Roots - i can't help it (featuring malik b & p.o.r.n.)




Stephen Malkmus
7:15 - 8:15 Crawdaddy Stage
Former member of the bands Pavement, Silver Jews, and the Crust Brothers, Most recently Stephen Malkmus released the Jicks’ latest album, Real Emotional Trash

MP3:Stephen Malkmus - Baltimore


Grinderman
7:35 - 8:35 Electric Arena
The story of Grinderman begins within the working processes of another band: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. At the start of 2004, when Nick Cave took a small team of Bad Seeds members - violinist Warren Ellis, bassist Martyn P Casey and drummer Jim Sclavunos - off to the tiny Misère studio in Paris, France for a songwriting session, they effectively established a new working process.

MP3:Grinderman - No Pussy Blues

Irish Acts you'd be a fool to miss:

Warlords of Pez follow last year's Sunday Mass with a well deserved Saturday evening slot... Jape get amazingly dancetastic and meloncholic at the same time... pure unadulterated fun & drum-machines from Hybrasil... A post-choice award, pre-remix album Super Extra Bonus Party are sure to be class as always... Giveamanakick promote their excellent debut Welcome to the Cusp... Top quality Indie-Rock from Large Mound... last but far from least, Halves will be treating folk to their beautiful orchestratic electronica.

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Another month, another mixed bag to satisfy your passing curiosity for remixes.

Check out the elaborate remixy journey in the readmore...



As this is Pick 'n' Remix mark 2, I'm gonna play around with the number two and throw em out in pairs.

(Although don't expect volume three to have some similar coherance, I'm way too lazy for that, and three is far more complicated)

Chapter 1: An Essential Inclusion on Any Remix Collection
Two Justice-related Remixes

01. Justice- Genesis (Chewie Chocolate Cookies remix)

Pretty cool take on Justice's album opener, turning things one notch further towards dancey.

02. Stevie Wonder- Superstition (Justice JNSTY remix)

One of the greatest songs of all time given the Justice treatment. This is more of an interesting curio than anything else, but goddamn, I can't get enough of that bass sound.

-

Chapter 2: Because Tito Never Used a Drum Machine
Two Classic Track Remixes

03. Jackson 5- I Want You Back (Rogerseventytwo remix)

Really great remix which takes a very different approach to the song... often a good move when tinkering with timeless classics.

04. Rolling Stones- You Can't Always Get What You Want (Soulwax remix)

Another departure from the style of the original, Soulwax can always be relied upon. This is probably my favorite Stones song, and there are some pretty sweet ideas in this remix.

-

Chapter 3: And While I'm Playing the New Album To Death...
Two Faint Remixes

05. The Faint- The Geeks Were Right (Does it Offend You, Yeah? remix)

Sweet remix of the Faint's bitchin new single by up-and-coming indie dancesters. Very different to the dancier Boys Noise take, and both are excellent in their own right.

06. The Faint- Worked Up So Sexual (Death Cab for Cutie remix)

An older track from The Faint, from the amazing Black-Wave Arcade album, this remix is done by Death Cab's guitarist/producer Chris Walla.

-

Chapter 4: A Prelude to 'Intimicy'
Two Bloc Party Remixes

07. Bloc Party- Mercury (CSS remix)

A suitably bright and chirpy take on Bloc Party's awesome new tune. It still packs a punch, but I guess just does it with a smile.


08. Bloc Party- I Still Remember (SebastiAn remix)

From a remix promo of this Weekend in the City single, SebestiAn's version is dirty & gritty. In a good way.

-

Chapter 5: Crowdpleasing Finale
Two 'Superstar Dj' Remixes

09. Eric Prydz Vs Pink Floyd- Proper Education

Another Brick in the Wall was never the kind of song you could get away with playing on a dancefloor, but Eric Prydz has done just enough to the original to make it so. Nothing drastic, just a little push.

10. The Ting Tings- Great DJ (Calvin Harris remix)

Predictibly, there's a load of Ting Tings remixes floating around at the moment. This one is, in my opinion, far and away the best, and is sure to be making some appearances at parties in the near future.

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The Faint have announced dates for their forthcoming European tour, which see them hitting the usual spots: Paris, London, Laois... etc.

The shows are bound to be fantastic, as The Faint are easily one of the best live bands I've ever seen. In fact, I'll be trekking over to the UK myself to catch one (at least one).

For anyone who missed it, here's The Geeks Were Right, the first track to surface from their new album Fasciinatiion, which is released on August 5th.

The Faint- The Geeks Were Right


Click for mp3

Tour dates in the readmore...



27 Aug 2008 : Thekla, Bristol
28 Aug 2008: The Ruby Lounge, Manchester
29 Aug 2008 : Cargo , London
30 Aug 2008 : Electric Picnic , Laois
31 Aug 2008 : Hydro Connect Festival, Argyll
2 Sep 2008 : Rotonde , Brussels
3 Sep 2008 : Doornroosje, Nijmegen
4 Sep 2008 : Melkweg, Amsterdam
5 Sep 2008 : Maria, Berlin
6 Sep 2008 : Vega , Copenhagen
7 Sep 2008 : John Dee , Oslo
8 Sep 2008 : Debaser Slussen, Stockholm
10 Sep 2008: Den Atelier , Luxembourg
11 Sep 2008: La Maronquinerie, Paris

Check out egoeccentric's Interview with Jacob Thiele of The Faint here.

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It's finally here: the first taste of Fasciinatiion, the forthcoming album from The Faint. And (surprise, surprise) it's damn good.

The track, which is called The Geeks Were Right, is a post-apocalyptic, electro-heavy pop song you can dance to. But what am I telling you this for? Go listen for yourself.



Click for mp3

Fasciination is released on August 5th. The Faint play Electric Picnic at the end of August.

Check out egoeccentric's Interview with Jacob Thiele of The Faint here.

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So Electric Picnic have announced some additions to the lineup, and as usual they've managed to throw in a handful of smaller acts that make the whole festival unmissable.

Highlights include Santogold, Digitalism & Super Extra Bonus Party, but the big news is the inclusion of The Faint, playing (I'm pretty sure) their first ever Irish show.

For me, this is pant-wetting news, and almost worth the admission alone. Kudos, picnic folks, hella kudos.

All the additions in the readmore.


Santogold
Crystal Castles
Chromeo
Elbow
Cut Copy
Digital Mystikz
Tiga
Hercules & Love Affair
Antibalas
Gomez
Gemma Hayes
Giveamanakick
Super Extra Bonus Party
The Black Lips
Carbon/Silicon
The Faint
The Presets
Digitalism
The Congos
The Herbaliser

I know what you're thinking, and to save you time just click here for tickets.

Thanks to State for being Johnny on-the-spot with the updates.

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No European dates yet, but here's the first leg of shows for the Fasciinatiion tour, along with an album tracklisting. The album's release date has been confirmed as August 5th.

Tracklisting:

1. Get Seduced
2. The Geeks Were Right
3. Machine in the Ghost
4. Fulcrum and Lever
5. Psycho
6. Mirror Error
7. I Treat You Wrong
8. Forever Growing Centipedes
9. Fish in a Womb
10. A Battle Hymn for Children

Dates in the read more...

7/27 - Des Moines, IA @ Peoples Court
7/28 - Sioux Falls, SD @ Ramkota Annex
7/29 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
7/30 - Salt Lake City, UT @ In the Venue
7/31 - Boise, ID @ Big Easy Boise
8/1 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
8/2 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
8/3 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
8/4 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
8/5 - San Francisco, CA @ Grand Ballroom
8/7 - Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theatre
8/8 - Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theatre
8/9 - San Diego, CA @ Soma
8/11 - Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
8/12 - Dallas, TX @ Palladium
8/14 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
8/15 - Carrboro, NC @ Cats Cradle
8/16 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
8/17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
8/18 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
8/20 - Worcester, MA @ Palladium
8/21 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
8/22 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
8/23 - Omaha, NE @ Soko Auditorium

Tickets go on sale Friday, but pre-sale info and ticket links are available from www.thefaint.com

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Welcome to the first egoeccentric interview!

The Faint have been releasing amazing albums for a few years now. Having started as a traditional guitar-rock band (with one Conor Oberst briefly as their frontman), they came into their own with a genre bending twist through 1999's Blank Wave Arcade. The album's blending of dance and techno elements with rock sensibilities saw the band become an underground sensation. 2001's Danse Macabre is a party classic- their sound delving further into electronic territory with fantastic results.

Their 2004 follow up, Wet From Birth further widened the band's scope, and suggested to many listeners that these guys could do no wrong. On top of their amazing recorded output, the Faint have garnered a reputation of being one of the best live acts around (a fact I can personally verify, having caught them touring Wet From Birth in San Diego), and a band that are not afraid to push the boat out in terms of creativity while always delivering the most important thing in music: great songs.

As The Faint prepare to release their much anticipated new album, Fasciinatiion, keyboardist Jacob Thiele takes the time out to answer some of our questions.

Egoeccentric: So how goes things with the new album? Is it pretty much finished or is there lots more to do?
Jacob Thiele: It's pretty much done. The music is done, it's mastered, the album cover is designed. We have to finish the packaging and shoot some press photos. And get some sweet remixes!


E: The band seems to have rapidly evolved from album to album, each one sounding significantly different to its predecessor. Does that trend continue with Fasciinatiion or is it closely related to any of the older records?

J: I personally think it's got similarities to our last three albums. But not in a redundant way.


E: How does Enamel compare to where you recorded Wet From Birth? Did you all move in to write record or was it a very different process?

J: We recorded Wet From Birth with Mike Mogis at Presto Studios in Lincoln. The new record, Fasciinatiion, was recorded at our studio, Enamel, which we built in a 100 year old building that was at one point a mortuary, a printing company, and a church. We recorded it ourselves, which was challenging but fun. I think we learned a lot from the process.


E: When you joined the band was the dance-y direction already a done deal, or was there an element of ‘Well we’ve got the keyboard player… now lets make a DANCE record’?

J: I joined before Blank-Wave Arcade. The band made a conscious decision to incorporate more synths, and I was brought on as a full-time synth player. The sound of that album was inspired by the basement dance parties that played on the tour in which we wrote most of the album.

After that we decided we just liked dancing so we'd go to the gay clubs in Omaha, which were the only places to dance. We wanted to make a record that sounded good in a dance club, and Danse Macabre was what we came up with.


E: You guys don’t seem to be prolific remixers, yet you recently contributed a track to NIN’s remix album. How did that come about?

J: We'd love to do more remixes. We heard they were doing a remix album so we thought we'd offer our services.


E: Is there a particular remix-fiend in the band, or does everyone throw in their two-cents?

J: We all want to do remixes. We collaborated on the NIN one. In the past Clark has been the main brain behind our remixes. He still is in most ways, but we like to offer up ideas while he's composing.

Joel has done quite a few remixes as Broken Spindles.


E: Are remixes something you can see the band doing more of?

J: Absolutely, if we could just find more time to do them!


E: Much has been said in the past about the possibility of The Faint ‘going major’. Is there something in particular that has kept you guys on Saddle Creek?

J: It was a label started by our friends that originally was a co-op. Eventually they made it into a real business that grew with the bands. It definitely was a good place to call home for all our past records. But we're putting out Fasciinatiion on a different label, called blank.wav.


E: That said, have you ever been tempted by the prospect of lots and lots of money?

J: Certainly, but then you realize how it is that they can offer you this money and how it will change your life. It's always too good to be true, in that there's always some kind of catch.


…and some quick ones…


E: What’s your favorite Faint song to play live?

J: Paranoiattack.


E: What artists are you listening to at the moment?

J: Crystal Castles, MGMT, Boy's Noize


E: What was the last gig you caught which blew you away?

J: Mars Volta in Guadalajara, Mexico.


E: Anything stand out as the best gig you’ve ever been to?

J: Fantomas at Coachella, 2005. I got to stand right behind Dave Lombardo and right in front of Danny DeVito!
T. Raumschmiere at Eurockennes in France, 2005.
Unwound at the Cog Factory, 1998.
Nine Inch Nails at Omaha's Civic Auditorium, 1998.


E: Finally… Any plans to play Ireland on the Fasciinatiion tour?

J: We're keeping our fingers crossed!


Here's a taste of The Faint in action...

The Geeks Were Right from the forthcoming Fasciinatiion:



Click for mp3


Agenda Suicide, from Danse Macabre:


I Disappear, from Wet From Birth:

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Oh how happy I was to track down this song.

I have a weird fascination with cover versions, a fascination that's fueled further by the involvement of bands I love.

So in this instance we have double the fun... here's The Faint covering Psycho Killer by Talking Heads:





Click for mp3

Not gonna change the world, but pretty cool nonetheless.

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2008 will see The Faint release their first album in nearly four years, and I for one cannot wait.

2004's Wet From Birth was pant crappingly good, and I'm not even going to attempt to describe how good it's predecessor Danse Macabre was, as words would simply fail to do it justice.

Word on the street is that the band are finishing up the mix on the new album, which is to be called Fasciinatiion, and a world tour will follow. Lets just hope they make it to Ireland as my wallet would hate to have to travel to see them again.

You can travel to the read more for a taste of Faint-y goodness.



From Wet From Birth, this is Desperate Guys:

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This weekend will be punctuated by Saturday night's blog awards in the Alexander Hotel, which should be fun. egoeccentric will be two-thirds represented at the event, with that percentage likely to get fuzzier as the night (and the Jack Daniels) goes on.

For those in need of partying, I suggest checking out our first Music To Get Messed Up To mix (click), and while you're downloading that why not listen to this- possibly the greatest achievement of the human race thusfar- Glass Danse by The Faint:




Click for mp3

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As promised, here's a mix for today that's not to quiet, but not to crazy.

(Some of these tracks have cropped up on these pages recently, as the keen observer will spot. This must mean that the offending tracks are particularly kickass and still stuck in my head- so check em out!).

Enjoy:

Click to get Mixtape

1. TV On The Radio- The Wrong Way

2. The Faint- In Concert

3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Cheated Hearts (Peaches Remix)

4. Hybrasil- When I'm Yawning

5. StarLittleThing- Lovers Of Live

6. Cornelius- Another View Point

7. Girl Talk- Bounce That

8. Daft Punk- Around The World/Harder Better Faster Stronger (Live)

9. Jape- Floating (Tronk Youth Remix)

10. Justin Timberlake- Love Stoned (Justice Remix)

11. Refused- Refused Are Fucking Dead

12. Inner Explosion- The Enemy Within

13. Les Savy Fav- Pots & Pans

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Finally got hold of the Faint's remix of 'Meet Your Master' from Nine Inch Nails' 'Year Zero Remixed', and, as expected, it's pretty damn good. Don't even pretend to be surprised, we all knew this was going to rock, what with The Faint being 'probably the best band on the planet' and all...

Enjoy:



Click me for mp3

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He's a DJ from LA. His 'mixtape' album involves remixing songs, and on occasion introducing new vocal tracks. The guy must be really heavy on street cred, cause the name dropping in the tracklist is pretty amazing. And check out track one- Refused! Pretty darn hip. Apparently Todd from The Faint provides vocals on a track, as does Stave Bays from Hot Hot Heat.

Here's the tracklist in full:

Refused - 'New Noise'
Justice - 'Waters Of Nazereth' (Erol Alkan's Durrr Durrr Durrrrrr re-edit and Pase Rock on guest vocals)
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - 'We Are Rockstars'
Services - 'Element Of Danger' (MSTRKRFT remix)
Goose - 'Bring it On' (Todd Fink on guest vocals)
Larry Tee & Princess Superstar - 'Licky' (Herve Goes Low remix and Santogold on guest vocals)
Green Velvet - 'Shake and Pop' (Kid Sister on guest vocals)
Klaxons - 'Gravity's Rainbow' (Soulwax remix)
Mystery Jets - 'The Boy Who Ran Away' (Riton re-dub)
Peaches - 'Boys Wanna Be Her' (Weird Science remix)
Datarock - 'Fa-Fa-Fa' (Steve Bays on guest vocals)
Yelle - 'Je Veux Te Voir'
Franz Ferdinand - 'Do You Want To' (Erol Alkan's Glam Racket remix)
KIM - 'Wet 'N Wild' (Mickey Avalon on guest vocals)
Bloc Party - 'Helicopter' (Weird Science remix feat. Peaches)
Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (MSTRKRFT remix)
Scanners - 'Low Life' (L.A. Riots' remix and Uffie on guest vocals)


Click Me For Enlarged Flyer

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I'm looking forward to this- Nine Inch Nails' latest album 'Year Zero' is being released in a completely remixed version on November 21st. Artists who have remixed tracks for the album entitled 'Y34RZ3ROR3M1X3D' include Saul Williams, who has just released a collaboration with Reznor for free online (click me), and possibly the coolest band in the world: 'The Faint'. This could be uber-fun.

Here's the full tracklisting:

'Gunshots By Computer' - Saul Williams
'The Great Destroyer' - Modwheelmood
'My Violent Heart' - Pirate Robot Midget
'The Beginning Of The End' - Ladytron
'Survivalism' - Saul Williams
'Capital G' - Epworth Phones
'Vessel' - Bill Laswell
'The Warning' - Stefan Goodchild featuring Doudou n'Diaye Rose
'Meet Your Master' - The Faint
'God Given' - Stephen Morris & Gillian Gilbert
'Me, I'm Not' - Olof Dreijer
'Another Version Of The Truth' - Kronos Quartet & Enrique Gonzalez Müller
'In This Twilight' - Fennesz
'Zero Sum' - Stephen Morris & Gillian Gilbert

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