The Wildbunch and The Rapture and....?

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The Wildbunch's "Danger! High Voltage" and The Rapture's "House Of Jealous Lovers" are two of last year's best singles, both now in fairly heavy dancefloor circulation here and ripe for re-release.

They seem to me to share a sensibility - tight, punky rock married to disco rhythms and song structures, and they both finally find a good use for the howlin' rock vocalese that's become prevalent recently. If they are indie singles, and I think they are, they're the best I've heard out of the US for several years.

Where can I find more stuff like this? I checked out !!! but they were a bit lame - groove on its own is not enough I fear.

― Tom, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom, Ask Ricky T about the last Les Savy Fav album.

Les Savy Fav - Go Forth

― DJ Martian, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Did Les Savy Fav go disco????

― Tom, Friday, 5 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"The Slip" swings enough. Disco enough for, um, jazz.

― Keiko, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Rapture are on Trevor Jackson's label. One of the tracks is also on the DJ Kicks/Playgroup he just produced.

― nath, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Who are the Rapture when they're at home?

― Matt DC, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Where can I find more stuff like this?"

Try looking under "G" for Gang of Four

― Alex in NYC, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yo Alex ! Tom knows about See Post Punk Tape inc.Gang of Four, he means new artists.

― DJ Martian, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I've got the Gang of 4, Alex - these singles are different, much less worried about pleasure than the Gof4, much less strict and better because of it. They kind of work as Gang Of 4 answer records, actually.

― Tom, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom, this was on Boomkat this week, maybe some of our American friends on ILM know about Numbers?

NUMBERS - Numbers Life - Tigerbeat 6

Coming straight outta the superhot San Fran underground (bands like Blectum From Blechdom, Total Shutdown, Kid 606, Deerhoof, Gold Chains) Numbers’ debut record gets hipsters smiling (smirking?) and asses shaking. This trio has been whipping live audiences into a frenzy since the summer of 2000. Female lead singer and drummer Indra Dunis lays down disco-punk beats a la Gang Of Four or Devo that jack into your dance cortex. Dave Broekema whacks away at his Gibson SG making jagged a no wave skree along the lines of the Contortions. Eric Landmark's moog and his homemade ‘buzzerk' synth machine pump's out robotic bass and bleeps that would make both Kraftwerk and Adult proud. Lyrics about work, the proliferation of technology, consumerism, and elitist attitudes all go hand-in-hand with Numbers’ egalitarian vision - undoing late-capitalist subroutine with some much-needed rumpus. This is some true punk attitude for Tigerbeat 6.

― DJ Martian, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm told the band Radio 4 mine simillar ground.

― Alex in NYC, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom, check this article that i linked to on my blog: Minding Their Own Business: Erase Errata, The Rapture, and the Return of Post-Punk

― DJ Martian, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

LCD Sound System's "I'm Loosing My Edge" has ILX's name all over it. Dancable as hell, and it talks about name dropping! What else could you want in a dance track?

― Brock K., Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

also check Troubleman Unlimited's Pixeltan. The 4 song EP is all good stuff.

― Brock K., Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Just heard that track yesterday. I was amused -- very much a Fall techno track.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

that's a great article - exciting times. also worth investigating are gramme from london and pro forma from glasgow.

― stirmonster, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I have yet to hear this: Other Animals by Erase Errata - but it get's a UK release/repromotion on August 5th.

― DJ Martian, Saturday, 6 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Interesting side note: A Comp of 'lost' Australian Post Punk - CAN'T STOP IT! surfaced last year, on wee indie label Chapter which contains some pretty damn danceable tuneage. check out the page: http://www.corduroy.com.au/chapter/can'tstopit.html

if anyone has already gone on about this one somewhere else, sorry.

― Andrew, Sunday, 7 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Erase Errata = very nowave = not very pop = :-(

― Keiko, Sunday, 7 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd rahter dance to the Contortions than Britney.

― Andrew, Sunday, 7 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i saw the rapture in their pre disco days about 5 years ago and they were playing with a band that i loved at the time and that they eventually tottaly ripped off. GoGoGo Airheart out of san fran/san diego released an album called 'love my life hate my friends' and it is the best of the so called 'punk disco' thing although earlier and more like if you include MakeUP and dub narcotic sound system into the mix. plus the album is recorded in the perfect mix of several diy locations, each with a different feel. oh yeah, and back then the rapture was a dark emo band way more likely to sign to GSL than anybody but it was GoGoGo airheart that put out a record on GSL despite their lack of grind.

― ddd, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Rapture are on at Trash tonight!

― Alan Trewartha, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

That LCD Soundsystem track is fantastic. Who could have thought a music fan in-joke song could be so good?

― Tim, Monday, 8 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmm, "Touch You Touch You" by Hot Hot Heat could qualify here. The vocals sort of sound like Falco, which is nice. The other two things I've downloaded by them haven't been quite as good, unfortunately.

― scott pl., Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

FWIW, I just put that song on filepile.

― scott pl., Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmmm, having listened to it a couple of times now I'm not sure it does qualify. The groove isn't as strong and they like their own song too much (what I like about the Wildbunch/Rapture tracks is that they've forgotten they're songwriters not track-makers even though it still shows through a little). It's still OK. I think a lot of post- punk revival stuff will be 'OK'. (cf Interpol).

― Tom, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, the little shot of synth at the top (which half-reminds me of "Party Fears Two") and the glam stomp are sort of red herrings. In most of these post-punk revivalist things, I usually wish there were no or different vocals* – this is one case where I at least enjoy those. (Still haven’t heard that Radio 4, and I’m keen to hear any song that both Brock and Tim enjoy.)

* such as !!! not being a spot on their more dubby instrumental selves, Out Hud (At least, I think it's the same group).

― scott pl., Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom download "Losing My Edge" from JoBCentre now.

― Tim, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

From what???

― Tom, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tim's being all Star Chamber-y, Tom.

― Dan Perry, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

If anyone who knows how to get this track from JoB could mail me, it would be extremely appreciated!

― scott pl., Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Embrace your past, Tom. You know you want to. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Alternatively Tom give me the grokepile details again and I'll upload it.

― Tim, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

if you want, upload it to www.myplay.com signing in using my email and the password ilovemusic
(that's how you get in to download it again too) :)

― minna, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Okay I just uploaded it to Minna's account (thanks Minna!). Go wild, people.

― Tim, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

err...sorry folks but myplay closed my account... i hope at least a few of you got to download before it died.

― minna, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

We need this Groked...

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Out Hud and !!! share several members, but are not at all the same band (Out Hud is the one that includes a couple of alumni of Raoooul/The Tourettes).

Yes, "Losing My Edge" is fantastic--one of my favorite songs so far this year.

Erase Errata must be experienced live to be appreciated (and to get the pop side of what they're doing).

― Douglas, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

err...sorry folks but myplay closed my account

Oh, no. Not because of us?!? Sorry, Minna...(and a belated thanks)

Douglas, thanks for the Out Hud/!!! clarification. Erase Errata = anti-consumerism electropop? (like the Numbers, but not as crap)

― scott pl., Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Sorry Minna!

― Tim, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The LCD Soundsytem b-side ("Beat Connection") is utterly awesome - like the a-side but with more of a "Moody"/Arthur Russell/hypno-glide krautrock style groove going on. I'd say that LCD Soundsytem are to New York as Playgroup are to England, but on the strength of these two songs I suspect LCD Soundsytem are actually much much better than Playgroup.

My rock discovery of the year so far, no doubt.

― Tim, Tuesday, 9 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Anyone going to the Monarch tonight?

― Alan Trewartha, Wednesday, 10 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It says herethat The Rapture are playing tomorrow.

― Chris, Wednesday, 10 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Losing My Edge" is now up on grokepile.

― Tim, Saturday, 13 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tim, great piece on Skykicking, as always. You're not imaging that 2-step bit -- it comes in at around the 0:20 mark.

I'm sort of enjoying the irony of singing this song's praises to others.

― scott pl., Sunday, 14 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah I know it's there - it's just that I'm unsure whether it's been 2-step they've been listening to. I mean, that would be utterly cool of course (and it would bolster my conviction that they're more than a revivalist band) but it could be some mistaken application of electro or something... (BTW folks this is "Beat Connection" we're talking about).

Of course, it's not really important that these bands be up-to-date - the punk-disco tradition (at least, the good side of it) has always been so thoroughly undernourished that any major re- exploration of it would necessarily have to cover new ground anyway. I'd almost argue that the punk-disco angle, apart from being the site of convergance for the garage-punk and post-punk revivals, is also the place where both said revivals can bare most fruit. That The Rapture sound like they're covering Simple Minds' "30 Frames A Second" and LCD Soundsystem sound like they're covering Talking Heads, ESG and The Fall (simultaneously) says something of the broadness of scope available. Still, it'd be nice if they existed in open competition with groups like The Beta Band, rather than being hedged off into a cul-de-sac of nostalgia-appreciation.

I was thinking the other day that really this sort of music (by which I mean Wildbunch, The Rapture etc.) is so perfect for Tom, considering he came up with the whole "Last Nite" = disco thesis. Tom, it's like you wished these songs into existence.

― Tim, Sunday, 14 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

six months pass...

Liars, anyone? As far as danceable punk, they're a bit on the noisier side, but they do it for me. A.R.E. Weapons are more electronic, but they maintain the punk attitude, screaming over abrasive electro-disco.

― Brett, Thursday, 13 February 2003 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)

You should check out a band called Moving Units if you're interested in the gentler side of this whole 'dance-punk' revival thing. But if you want some Pop Group-derived insanity, check out Black Eyes (particularly their live show).

― ChrisW, Thursday, 13 February 2003 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

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