Ratatat - Mirando Mp3

Ratatat are a Brooklyn guitar band (thanks to the bloke who pointed out they're not french, my bad, I get them mixed up with Phoenix). Now before you change the channel, their tracks come off more like dance-rock, or even hip-hop. They have even released two hiop-hop remix albums, touching up classic tracks from the Notorious Big to Method Man.
'Mirando' is a stuttering instrumental from their forthcoming album LP3. This is a video, followed by some primer tracks to get you into the band.

Ratatat - Miranda
Notorious BIG - Party & Bullshit (Ratatat remix)
Ratatat - Seventeen Years

Tyson takes Japan (Crazy Isolations, popping)

Usher [ft. Jay-Z]: "Best Thing" [MP3]

Usher's about to become more ubiquitous this winter than fake fur and uggies. Following up on the success of 'Love in this club', and it's sequel, The Best Thing follows Ush 'pologising to his lady for his misdemeanours at the club and beyond. Def Jam Prez Jay-Z slides on to the track a lot easier than Umbrella, and throws a few toss away lines of love to his beau.
The Jermaine Dupri track is a solid return to form, less clubbier than the first single, and most likely a video to follow that plays on the charms so vividly captured in his early 'you remind me' clip.

Usher feat Jay-Z - Best Thing (courtesy NahRight)

New Gnarls Barkley video 'Going On'

Gnarls Barkley's new album can be excused for being a little demure and down-hearted, especially in light of the recent single 'Run' and one of the very few other up-tempo tracks on their Odd Couple album 'Going On'. It's sort of like deep south meets buena vista social club, all suspenders and sweaty dancing. All I know is what I like, and I like this.

Annie - I know your girlfriend hates me (get shakes remix)

I was distinctly non-plussed the first time we heard the original "Girlfriend", and despite Annie being great in general, I haven't budged all that much. However, TheFader just put up this Get Shakes remix that has re-piqued our interest. First of all, it's a lot more fun. Second of all, it's a lot more fun. Third, it's fun. And finally, it jams. If I wasn't aware of Richard X's previous achievements, I'd recommended Anne enlist Get Shakes on her next album. (Thanks to TheFader.com for this remixed post)

Annie's official website
I know your girlfriend hates me (get shakes remix)

New Young Chris Download "Rush"

Young Chris feat. beanie Sigel - Rush

In recent past times I considered The B.Coming by Beanie Sigel as one of my favorite rap albums. You can't really be mad at that considering it was so substantial, like, you got done listening to that thing and you were kinda exhausted. Also, it came out not that long after Camron's Purple Haze, which is the polar opposite and together they pretty much formed the best rap double album. Get at me if you want to nerd out some more about classic Rocafella jams. Anyway, here's a new Young Chris song featuring Beanie Sigel that sounds like an outtake from The B.Coming.

N.E.R.D EVERYONE NOSE (REMIX) feat. Kanye, P, LU & PUSHA T

This song is no great shakes, but the guests on this Kanye remix-- a few of whom are on his current tour-- are something. He posted it today to his blog, which is becoming quite the go-to spot for new media.

You should have checked out Kanyes Blog already, but here's the link for those not already in the know!

Big up's to Pharrell and Chad for getting Lupe Fiasco, Kanye and The Clipse's Pusha T to get on the remix. That's rap royalty right there!

Welcome to the Pure Funk Dance Blog. The aim of this blog is just to provide you as much of the latest in dance and hip hop culture as possible. Whether that be streaming music and downloads, video's and review's of the latest dance movies and music releases, this is your one stop dance shop.

Please hit us up for any requests, I'd love to hear some feedback on what people want to see and hear.

To get us started here's tracks that are heating up the american summer, even if it's cold over here.
These are all legal downloads, so just right click and save as. Oh, and enjoy.

Kidz in the hall - Drivin down the Block feat. Clipse and Bun B (from UGK)
Santogold - Your Voice
The Long Blondes - Guilt (Pantha du Prince Remix)

And a link to a kick-ass new stream

Kleerup (feat. Lykke Li) - Until we bleed

Ryan Leslie & Cassie - Addiction

Ryan Leslie comes out with some pretty warped,sometimes awesome r&b tracks, and Cassie was responsible for one of my recent fave tracks 'Is it you', off the Step Up 2 soundtrack. So here they are together. I am so sure that this is a dope track, that I'm not even listening to it until I've uploaded it.

Ryan Leslie & Cassie - Addiction

Record Review -Bon Iver 'For Emma, Forever Ago'

Bon Iver comes across like Jose Gonzalez on valium, in a good way. He recalls the swedish guitar maestro's polished technique, but his ethereal voice and obtuse lyrics portray someone more emotive. You get the sense listening to his lyrics that Iver is a man searching for hope, finding it through the music.

Album opener Flume floats and flows, quietly introducing Iver's soft voice and sets the template for the rest of the record. Soft strumming, brush stroked drums and Iver's multi-tracked vocals are the foundation for the majority of the album, but it's the application of those elements that sets him apart.

The albums builds slowly throw the first couple of songs, culminating in lively shuffle of Skinny Love. But Iver pulls back on the reins just as quickly, and the mournful Wolves (Act 1 & 2) showcases his strongest points: Simple, choir-like layered vocals against a soft, slighty strummed guitar. Iver is not the most literal lyricist around, and the last repeated refrain 'what might have been lost, would not have been lost', backs that theory up, challenging you to interpret.

The rest of the album hits you like the title of the next track Blindsided, as each song quickly finds its intended emotional core and runs it's arc through to climax. Creature Fears successfully relates the paranoia of a fresh relationship, whilst re: Stacks is a stunningly literal example of the after effects of gambling away your life.

The whole album feels like a cold winter, with references to forests, snow and foreign roads providing the backdrop to stories of love lost, fear and gambling. Iver has a way of connecting atmospheric music and lyrics, his heavenly, yet vulnerable voice being the bridge. At times he is seemingly heartbroken, other times he appears to be describing the action from a distance; but he is always there and makes sure we are too.

It's altogether intimate and revealing, but Bon Iver has made quite sure that you'll need more than a first listen to hear all that he has to say.

myspace.com/boniver
Free download - Full Stream of For Emma, Forever Ago Album

Vinsanity

I'm a big Nets fan, who is suffering through a disappointing season, and Vince Carter is at the heart of my distress. Coming off an injury plagued playoffs, the veteran has struggled to regain the magic that has made him a fixture on highlight reels for the last 10 years.
However, a recent surge in form has corresponded with a rise in quanity (and quality) of highlights, and this 360 degree jam may be just the tonic to resurrect a fast sinking season.

Fresh Meat - Vampire Weekend

The Record - Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
Vampire Weekend - Oxford Camera

From the opening stanza of Mansard Roof, the first track on Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut, you are put on notice. Your ears prick up, and you say to yourself 'what is this, do I like it?'. Before you have time to contemplate that thought, the first verse hits and you're hooked.
It's afrobeat, if afrobeat was sliced up in a meat grinder and served up in a pop sandwich. So far, names like the Strokes, Paul Simon (circa Graceland) and Interpol have all been mentioned when discussing this band. They are all apt descriptions. Oxford Camera starts off like a perfectly pitched Strokes cut, but then the pipe organ drops in. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa bepops on the back of everpresent bongo's, quite a soundscape to discuss the united colours of bennetton and louis vuitton. And this is the music stretches from the musically appealing to the culturally intruiging. Instead of Simon's postulating about third world dilemma's and calling him Al, Vampire Weekend have no qualms about sneaking in reference's to Lil Jon and Peter Gabriel.
You can accuse them for being over-privileged yaley's slumming it in the east village, but that would be missing the point. They paint such a vivid picture of university excess, and against such a colourful palate, that dishing out any vitriol would be pointless. The comeback to all your allegations is the music itself. Just give in, it's not like it's a guilty pleasure.

Vampire Weekend - A-punk Music Video - Watch more free videos

Movie Review - Juno

Ellen Page's performance stood out more than her heavily pregnant belly as the titular character in Juno, the latest from Thank you for smoking director (and son of Ivan) Jason Reitman. Shaped in the mould of indie successes like Napoleon Dynamite and Little Miss Sunshine, Juno stands on it's own two feet, and not just because of pocket dynamo page.

A smart script by Diablo Cody, coupled with great music and inspired casting choices (Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera and JK Simmon's all on point) converge to make Juno the comedy to see this aussie summer. The cup runneth over with metaphor's about the 16 yr old Juno, who gets pregnant to best friend Bleeker, and decides to give her baby up for adoption.

For a bellyfull of laughs (ah the metaphors) and even a smidge of romance, see Juno asap. You'd be a dork not to.

Gone Baby, Gone

After our second loss of the season, I'm wondering what's happened to our skills over the christmas break. I have to be blamed for some of this (especially since I didn't practice after last weeks game), but we have to sort out our team play, because we have none.
score was 33-67 (however, the opposition got a bonus 10points at half time).

I am legend

I'm here, it's 2008 and I've yet to learn a thing.

Monday 7th January - I rolled back into work, and found myself wondering why I had come back so early from holidays (granted, I had been off 3 and a half weeks).
After answering the usual quota of post-holiday emails (300 at last count), I set about the arduous task of catching up on the latest in the Britney-goes-crazy saga.
It was tough, and by lunch I needed my tuna and cheese upgrade. A trip to the mall satisfied my fix, and the afternoon cruised by like Tom and Katie.
I lost basketball, and played pretty miserably. Tim was waiting for me at the party palace when I got back, so the loss was quickly forgotten. He filled me in on his drinking and fishing antics at Venus Bay (they took up 9 litres of bourbon and 9 cartons).
After Tim left I made up some wraps and cleaned up the place ready for the mega-inspection tomorrow morning. Peace out.