Killer Tracks: Courtship Dating

Crystal Castles - Courtship Dating

The number 3 track in our May Top 20 definitely has the requisite rare, addictive quality that defines a killer track in our book. It's weird electro throb is puzzling at first listen, but as soon as it's over you just need to hit the replay button and have another go at deciphering this glorious mess. And just as another burst of noise shreds the melodic electropop, you realize that you're hooked for good and there's nothing you can do about it. Except, maybe, listen to the whole of the Crystal Castles debut album, where you'll find several more beautifully chaotic feel-good-hits of similar quality. Simply put, one of the albums of the year is here!

The Best of Synch Festival (13-15/06/08)

The 5th Synch Festival took place in Technopolis (an old Gas factory turned into an industrial museum, located near the Acropolis of Athens) and Benaki Museum between the 13th and 15th of June. The line up, including Yo La Tengo, Liars, Holy Fuck, Happy Mondays, The Field, Stereolab, Pony Hoax, Roisin Murphy, Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid, as well as several DJs mostly from the dubstep scene, was by far the best and certainly the most diverse one than any other event taking place in Greece this summer. Here's a few photos from our five favourite performances of the weekend:

1. Stereolab (Technopolis 15/6)

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2. Yo La Tengo (Technopolis 13/6)

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3. Holy Fuck (Technopolis 13/6)

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4. Liars (Technopolis 13/6)

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5. Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid (Technopolis 15/6)

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The Synch 2008 slideshow:

To watch performances from Synch Festival as well as many more live videos shot by our in-house photographer/camerawoman Alegra, visit Cool Music Central TV now! Here's a taste:

Ping Pong by Stereolab, Live @ Synch 2008

Clash of the Titans: Nick Cave vs. Dinosaur Jr. - Live in Athens (June 7, 2008)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds with Ed Kuepper (Lycabettus Theater, June 7)

"When it rains, it really pours" goes a wise old saying. And this was certainly true for the Athenian rock community on June 7, not because the skies opened up (it was actually a very nice, warm summer night), but because after a particularly poor winter for live music, we were suddenly faced with the impossible task of choosing between Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds playing the Lycabettus Theatre (one of the finest places for summer concerts in Athens, if you don't mind climbing hills) and the very first Dinosaur Jr. Greek gig in Polis Theatre. Your correspondent's choice, not with a light heart mind you, was the Nick Cave gig for 3 simple reasons: a) Cave is currently going through his renaissance period, as proven by his latest albums that are certainly among his best, b) the legendary Ed Kuepper with Jeff Wagener (of The Saints and Laughing Clowns fame) was the support act, and c) I had the pleasure of seeing the reunited Dinosaur Jr. less than a year ago, at 2007's Rock En Seine festival in Paris.

So, it was up the hill for me, for the Aussie rock fest. The Ed & Jeff show warmed us up with a 45-minutes guitar & drums maelstrom (kicking off with the awesome "Honey steel's gold"), followed by a 2 hours plus Bad Seeds extravaganza: four tracks off the latest album ("Dig!!! Lazarus, Dig!!!", "Midnight Man", "Today's Lesson", "More News from Nowhere") and countless classics from the last two decades ("Your funeral my trial", "Tupelo", "Mercy seat", "Deanna", "Papa won't leave you Henry", "Red right hand", "The lyre of Orpheus", "Get ready for love", "Let love in", "Hard on for love" - you name it, they probably played it). For "Stagger Lee" Ed and Jeff joined the Bad Seeds, briefly forming the ultimate Aussie supergroup, for one of the highlights of an already extraordinary night! Here's some exclusive photos from the gig plus video footage for "Wanted Man" (courtesy of our in-house photographer Alegra):

Ed Kuepper & Jeff Wagener (Lycabettus Theater, June 7 2008)

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Wanted Man in Athens City

As for Dinosaur Jr., we shall always have Paris (see picture below). However, if you'd like a small taste of the Polis gig, have a look at the video for "The Wagon", shot on location by our good friend Littlefluffyclouds (of the infamous Plateau blog). Thanks fluffy!

Dinosaur Jr. (Rock En Seine 2007)

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The Wagon

Best of the Month - 05.2008

Crystal Castles find themselves at the top of the albums list with their excellent debut, an 80's influenced electro assault on pop conformity. Portishead return with their third album sounding as fresh as ever while Mark E Smith's band, The Fall, continue to sound always different, always the same with album number 27 (?). "I'm a 50 year old man and I like it" yells Mark and who are we to argue? Completely bonkers and utterly brilliant at the same time! Other notable releases this month include the triumphant return of Spiritualized with another great album influenced by Jason Pierce's recent close call and Death Cab For Cutie's sixth album that claimed the top of the American charts, continuing the success story of this little band that could. Here's the complete list of our favourite albums and songs for May:

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Top 10 Albums

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1. Crystal Castles - CRYSTAL CASTLES
2. Third - PORTISHEAD
3. Narrow Stairs - DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
4. Imperial Wax Solvent - THE FALL
5. Songs in A & E - SPIRITUALIZED
6. Keep Your Eyes Ahead - THE HELIO SEQUENCE
7. Yes Yes Vindictive - OPERATOR PLEASE
8. The Age Of The Understatement - THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS
9. 21 - MYSTERY JETS
10. The Stage Names - OKKERVIL RIVER

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Top 20 Tracks
1. I will possess your heart - DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
2. We carry on - PORTISHEAD
3. Courtship dating - CRYSTAL CASTLES
4. Senior twilight stock replacer - THE FALL
5. I'm now - MUDHONEY
6. Death take your fiddle - SPIRITUALIZED
7. Hallelujah - THE HELIO SEQUENCE
8. One of us - WIRE
9. Three women - STEREOLAB
10. Rat is dead (Rage) - C.S.S.
11. Get what you want - OPERATOR PLEASE
12. Take the weight - BLOOD RED SHOES
13. Water makes the blade blunt - KAPUTT
14. My only offer - MATES OF STATE
15. Strange victory strange defeat - SILVER JEWS
16. Call it a ritual - WOLF PARADE
17. Mirando - RATATAT
18. The age of the understatement - THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS
19. Two doors down - MYSTERY JETS
20. Guilt - THE LONG BLONDES

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The Fall, Live @ Gagarin 205 (19/1/2008)