All That Music & Video

MSTRKRFT (pronounced “master kraft”) are the Daft Punk-loving alter ego of Death from Above 1979‘s Jesse F. Keeler along with producer Al-P. Hailing from Toronto, the duo makes a move from DFA 1979‘s abrasive rock to robotic electronic complete with vocoders and handclaps. In addition to releasing two singles (“Easy Love” and “Work on You”) and an LP in July 2006 on Last Gang Records, MSTRKRFT have remixed several buzz bands such as Metric, Wolfmother, the Kills, and Bloc Party. As their profile grew (and their album was re-released by Modular) they also began remixing bigger names like Kylie Minogue, Usher, and John Legend as well as poppier artists like Annie and Jesse McCartney. For their second album, 2009′s Fist of God, the duo jumped to Dim Mak.

Check out MSTRKRFT’s video for “Bounce”.

“Fist Of God” and “Looks” are both available at All That Music & Video now!

The Boston, MA-based Passion Pit began as a one-man project of singer and songwriter Michael Angelakos to produce a Valentine’s Day gift for his girlfriend. The gift, an EP entitled Chunk of Change, soon wound up in the hands of friends and acquaintances, who were enthralled with the work. Eventually, Passion Pit became not only a vehicle for the romantic expressions of Angelakos‘ heart but a full-fledged band — at least for live gigs — and opened for a number of well-known artists, including Death Cab for Cutie. This momentum led to label interest, and in 2008 the Frenchkiss label picked up Chunk of Change for re-release with the addition of two bonus tracks. The EP, and especially the track “Sleepyhead,” garnered a lot of attention from bloggers and fans of giddy electronic indie pop. Columbia Records also liked what they heard and paired with Frenchkiss to release Manners, the first album by the group.

Check out Passion Pit’s video for “The Reeling”.

Both Passion Pit’s albums “Chunk Of Change” and “Manners” available at All That Music & Video!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a New York City-based alternative rock band. The band consists of lead singer Karen O, drummer Brian Chase, and guitarist Nick Zinner. In 2000 they formed a trio, and were later joined by second guitarist Imaad Wasif in 2006 for touring purposes. According to an interview that aired during the ABC network’s Live from Central Park SummerStage series, the band’s name was taken from modern New York City vernacular. The band has recorded three studio albums; the first, Fever to Tell, was released in 2003. The second, Show Your Bones, was released in 2006 and was named the second best album of the year by NME. Their third studio album, It’s Blitz!, was released on March 31, 2009 in the USA and on April 6, 2009 in the rest of the world.

Directed by Patrick Daughters www.yeahyeahyeahs.com
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The Yeah Yeah Yeahs could not have come at a better or worse time in the music world. The females who trailblazed the alternative movement of the ’90s have mostly settled into maturity, so lead singer Karen O is providing some much-needed young blood to the alternative/college rock scene. However, the band is in danger of slipping under the radar (much to the delight of YYY fans) in the mainstream because of listeners burning out on hearing about another “latest New York-based saviors of rock band” who play minimalist garage music.

Even if 2004 gives us another heaping mess of skinny tie-clad hipster garage bands from New York, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will no doubt stand out because of their live performances. Playing a set list that was almost evenly split between their self-titled debut and their 2003 Fever to Tell release, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs proved that even with a silly name, they could control a crowd with as much as a wink.

Not that the crowd needed much in terms of policing. Most of the audience, donning horned-rimmed glasses, ironic t-shirts, bad shirts with horribly mismatched ties and meek expressions, were fairly well behaved. The opening act, Beep Beep, had a set that was way too short. The following band, Ssion, was an art-house train wreck. Dressing up in lion, cow and zebra costumes, the members, led by Cody Critcheloe, literally fell all over themselves. And if the costumes weren’t enough, the band included a multi-media presentation throughout the 30-minute set, complete with tacky ’50s imagery mixed in with some kinky S&M. Now, I’m as big of a fan of gender-bending as anyone, but if I never see another homosexual twist on the 1950s-era high school instructional videos, it can’t be soon enough.

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