I’m thrilled to share that Time Out Chicago has profiled me alongside Nick Andrews from Red Threat and Steve Mizek of Little White Earbuds as one of Chicago’s Top Electronic Music Bloggers! The issue is out in print now, but you can view it online here.

I have no idea if Margo is a pop industry puppet, created by some strings-pulling producer, or as the brief (and poorly edited) video on her sparse website strives to convey, she is the one “calling all the shots”. It makes no difference, at least right now, because “Cold As Ice” is cooling off my hot summer night. Squiggly synth lines right out of the Controversy-era Prince, that funky bassline and the way she whispers “reservation” recalling classic 80’s group Vanity 6, hell she even has that all appealing “multi-ethnic” look to her…

…come to think of it, this is all a little too perfect right out of the gate, but I will ignore that for the time being and get lost in a nice little summer pop jam.

Margo – Cold As Ice (256 kbps)

A few weeks ago when Aeroplane released “We Can’t Fly,” the first single from their upcoming debut album of the same title, I was assured the album would live up to my lofty expectations. It’s a lovely single, Balearic disco with sunny steel drums and a powerful, cosmic gospel choir chorus. Perhaps the title “We Can’t Fly” was somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Despite the title track and a small handful of others, and against all logic (Aeroplane have been responsible for some of my favorite remixes and mixtapes of the past couple years, and I can’t even believe I’m about to write this), We Can’t Fly is a trainwreck. Plane wreck. It’s the aural fucking Hindenburg of 2010.

You know “the sound” of Aeroplane at this point (not to say it’s predictable, as this album makes clear), if only for their explosive remix of Friendly Fires’ “Paris”; transcendent Balearic disco, sometimes cosmic, sometimes melancholy, sometimes pop, generally danceable and always with a sense of warmth and emotion rarely matched amongst their contemporaries. A few tracks on “We Can’t Fly” live up to this standard; the title single itself, the previously released (in less-polished form) “Caramellas,” and the classic disco-sounding “My Enemy” all reflect the Aeroplane we know and love.

But, about half of the album’s tracks are jarring deviations into crappy ’80s synth rock, channeling Depeche Mode and Europe. Seriously. “Fish In The Sky” and “The Point Of No Return” are what seem to be unironic arena rock, and the bizarre “Good Riddance” is nothing short of repulsive, sounding like Billy Joel soundtracking a Western. Brief glimmers of hope emerge in a few of the other tracks, but nothing more happens. I’m not saying it’s a crime when bands deviate from expectations, hardly, but this is too harsh a contrast and too out of the blue for it to make any sense whatsoever, particularly for a first album over two years in the making.

Granted, if you follow the Belgian band, you know that Stephen Fasano and Vito Deluca recently parted ways, though seemingly amicably; Deluca, who attributed the split to an unbalance of studio involvement unfit for a duo, will carry on the name. Maybe this contributed to the album’s incoherence, and as such, I refuse to give up on Aeroplane. This is just a rough patch. It must be…it just…curls up in fetal position and cries.

Please enjoy the album version of “Caramellas” (which is actually lovely and worthwhile, even if you have the old version) and think of the good old days. It’s okay, guys. Someday, we’re gonna live in Paris. I promise.

Aeroplane – Caramellas (Album Version) (192 kbps)

How badass is Jai Paul’s personal branding in the artwork above? Let’s see what animals we can find: Fennec fox, brown bear, elephant, Rottweiler, panda, a few different members of the weasel family. Give equal space to various modes of transit such as: hot air balloon, fighter jet and luxury car. Then, add a few colorfully dressed Arabic men and a large shot of the new-to-the-scene musicmaker himself and I already love Jai Paul without even listening to his offerings.

Even better then that his sole original track, “BTSTU” is a stellar blast of future R&B that groups the Londoner in the fine company of acts like Hudson Mohawke and James Pants. Jai Paul sprinkles cosmic vocal dust over laser synths and clipped, dubstep-inspired beats, managing the difficult challenge with this sort of music of injecting melody into experimental compositions.

Jai Paul looks like he reads a lot of Dazed & Confused magazine. Hopefully they’re planning to write about him soon.

Jai Paul – BTSTU (320 kbps)

Below is the latest edition of our weekly feature, Stuck On Repeat. The premise is simple, we’ve asked all our contributors to submit one track and a brief write-up. The track can be new or it can be old, just whatever we could not stop listening to this week. These are the songs we’ve had Stuck On Repeat.

:: selected by: V :: 3LW – Playas Gon’ Play (128 kbps)

I feel like each morning lately I awake to a day more stressful than the last. But when I turn on 3LW’s bright, carefree teen classic with its saccharine sweet delivery of a very straightforward “fuck off we’re gonna do us” message, I immediately shift gears into brush-my-shoulders-off aloof. I really miss when teen hip-pop came with blunt honesty, attitude and choreographed dancing around a pool. Playas, they gonna play…And haters, they gonna hate…That’s the way it is…

:: selected by: BryanB :: Gayngs – The Gaudy Side of Town (192 kbps)

I am just now exploring the goodness that is the Gayngs album, Relayted. Gayngs is an indie “supergroup” comprised of members from Solid Gold, Megafaun, Lookbook, Leisure Birds, Rhymesayers, the Rosebuds and Bon Iver…but you could have told me “The Gaudy Side of Town” was some feedback laden, demo of a George Michael song from his “Father Figure” days and I would have totally believed you. It’s that good. There’s also something really homoerotic about hearing the singer coo “keep it down boys” over this white-eyed soul r&b production…instilling even more faith in my auditory allusions.

:: selected by: Jams Dean :: The Beatnuts – Off The Books (192 kbps)

This is possibly one of the most infectious hip-hop beats ever. I don’t need to say too much, the song speaks for itself. But is Big Pun’s opening verse completely sick or what!? It blows my mind that the whole song is only three and a half minutes long. This song truly has been stuck on repeat for me, because this loop could just play for days.

:: selected by: Danosaur :: Solvent – Loss For Words (Vector Lovers Remix) (320 kbps)

After recent journeys through the Ghostly International archive on my hard drive, I re-found the tremendous and powerful Solvent. Their specific brand of minimal electronica reminds me of a more interesting and exciting version of Junior Boys. Loss For Words is an especially haunting track that pulls at the pit in your stomach and won’t let go as the despair-inducing lyrics pour all over your ear drums. The Vector Lovers remix does a great job at being a remix – the original is pretty much intact, but with a better backbeat and darker synth work. The remix builds you up and lets you fall down through the soft haze of multi-instrumentational minimalism. It’s a true testament to how powerful less can be.

:: selected by: Moneyworth :: Dizzy K – Sweet Music (192 kbps)

The most successful pop songs are generally the simplest, and 80’s Nigerian pop star (turned gospel artist) Dizzy K’s 1984 hit “Sweet Music” definitely falls into that category. “Sweet Music” does what it says on the tin– it’s a bubblegum sweet, breezy summer jam highlighting Afrobeat’s poppier side without sacrificing the funk. After a successful career in Nigeria’s developing pop music scene, Dizzy K eventually found Jesus in the 90’s and started making gospel albums. Happens to the best of ‘em.

After seeing Big Boi yesterday at Pitchfork Festival and ranking his as one my favorite sets of the weekend, I’ve spent the morning digging through the Big Boi/André/OutKast back catalog in an attempt to revisit some of the old cameos and buried gems.

I very infrequently post mixes here, so when I do, you can count on them being something I really feel stands out. I came across the mother of OutKast compilations, assembled seamlessly by Hi Stakes and filled with every b-side, cameo and soundtrack spot from ‘92-’99. Most of these I’d completely forgotten and a few, I’m hearing for the first time. A lot of love and time clearly went into putting this together, so sit back and blow your Speakerboxxx.

A fave cut and the download link below. Tracklist after the jump.

OutKast – Jazzy Belle (Swift C Remix) (256 kbps)

OutKast DeepKutz 1992-1999 (via megaupload)

Tracklist:

TLC – What About Your Friends (Extended Remix)
OutKast – Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (Organized Extended Remix)
OutKast – Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (Diamond Remix)
OutKast – Benz or Beamer
Goodie Mob – Dirty South
Goodie Mob – Thought Process
OutKast – ATLiens (Bad Boy Remix)
OutKast – Everlasting
OutKast – Jazzy Belle (Swift C Remix)
OutKast – In Due Time
Goodie Mob – Black Ice
Cool Breeze & Big Boi – Gangsta Partna
Kilo Ali – Love in Ya Mouth
TLC – Sumthin’ Wicked This Way Comes
Witchdoctor – Dez Only 1
OutKast – Rats and Roaches (Unreleased)
Monica – Gone Be Fine
OutKast – Phobia
Cool Breeze – Watch for the Hook (Dugeon Family Mix)
Eightball & MJG – Throw Your Hands Up
OutKast – High Schoolin
Slick Rick – Street Talkin’
Youngbloodz – 85
Missy Elliott – All N My Grill
Tash – Smokefest 99
OutKast – Freestyle (Vinyl Bootleg)

Below is the latest edition of our weekly feature, Stuck On Repeat. The premise is simple, we’ve asked all our contributors to submit one track and a brief write-up. The track can be new or it can be old, just whatever we could not stop listening to this week. These are the songs we’ve had Stuck On Repeat.

:: selected by: V :: Prince – Everybody Loves Me (192 kbps)

Prince’s decision to give away his new album 20Ten via newspaper insertion should have in itself summarized that he doesn’t give a shit about digital culture. But you know what? Who cares. Prince can do whatever he wants and say whatever he pleases; he is Prince and he is a legend. In some capacity we all expect our legends to possess some measure of eccentricity. Which leads me the 20Ten’s bizarre singalong romp “Everybody Loves Me”. It immediately reminded me of Myles Cooper’s “Gonna Find Boyfriends Today”, which makes it ever more a guilty pleasure. It’s kitsch camp, sounding at odds with the rest of the album and stylistically very un-Prince. And yet I can picture our fair legend swirling across the stage in a sea of technicolor fabrics, hands clapping and heels clicking. In short, it’s a wonderfully addictive example of Prince yet again throwing all categorization to the wall.

:: selected by: BryanB :: Owen Pallett – Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (Dan Deacon Remix) (192 kbps)

Here’s why this remix is amazing. Dan Deacon employs a similar layer building technique as he did on several tracks off his radiant Bromst album, taking snippets of Owen’s lilting and whimsical voice and over a span of 2 breathtaking minutes, with a gradually quickened sleigh bell for tempo, creates a literal wall of sound. Then the drums come in, those sped up, but still live sounding drums Dan is so fond of. And it all blends together by the third minute into this delicious sound stew that then as slowly as it was built it is broken down again, only to be left a solitary, slightly muffled Owen, cooing the mysterious coda “I’m never gonna give it to you”.

Dan is like Poseidon, guiding noise, vocals and beats like water in a wave, lapping and crashing and finally waning back into his sea. The last minute is pure bliss…floating snippets of flutes glide away like seagulls over a landscape, and Dan gives the entire piece time to breathe, and wash away. Brilliance in a bottle.

:: selected by: Jams Dean :: Ninjasonik – Bars (Produced By Teenwolf) (320 kbps)

Love or hate Ninjasonik, they’re having more fun than you. These dudes don’t care about hi-quality production or flashy lights, they just want to drink PBRs, get tatted up and dance with your girlfriend. The home-made video for “Bars” captures the vibe right with this one particular scene; a PBR showered mosh-pit on a NYC subway train. You can’t fake something like that, and whether or not you are down with this hipster don’t-care punk attitude, a small part of you becomes jealous. All the hi-budgeted production in the world can’t force a party to happen, it can only be done by the kind of people who naturally have a party following them wherever they go. And that’s  Ninjasonik.

:: selected by: Moneyworth :: Chemical Brothers – Swoon (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas Remix) (149 kbps)

Oh. My. God. As if the Chemical Brothers‘ recently released album, Further, wasn’t mind-blowing enough (and it is. It’s already one of my top three favorite albums so far this year), the best Norwegians in the world had to go and remix “Swoon” into a soaring, echoing Balearic disco masterpiece. This remix does absolute justice to the original track’s epicness. You know what? No, this remix is better than the original track. Shit. Lindstrom and Prins, I’m going to name my first and second-borns after you.

Both bryanb and I are alumni of Virginia Tech, a large state university nestled in the tranquil SW Virginia mountains, but you probably know it best as the site of “The Massacre”. It’s been an unfortunate association the past few years and it’s nice to come across a musicmaker helping restore the formerly peaceful glory of the Hokie stone towers and rolling hills.

Recording under the name Dream Cop, Virginia Tech student and Blacksburg, VA native, Tommy Davidson blends swirling psychedelic sounds with aching vocals. His words sleepwalk through the haze, longing and searching in calm splendor. It’s the sound of lying in the grass and looking for familiar shapes in the clouds overhead, of floating in a creek naked on the hottest day of summer or, at its most basic level—quiet happiness.

The Beach Boys’-referencing “Beach City / Carol I Know” is my favorite.

Dream Cop – Beach City / Carol I Know (320 kbps)

Dream Cop – Marooned (320 kbps)