DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? - YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE GETTING YOURSELF INTO

So yes, I'm a bit late on this one, considering the album came out in 2008 and they've released a follow-up album since (which seems far more average to me). But fuck it, I've just listened to the album on Spotify and decided to buy it, so why not talk about it.

DIOYY? are an English band that straddles the boundaries of electro and rock, sounding like a more muscly incarnation of Digitalism. The music is very raw, and has a distinct live sound. Its this that gives the album such impact, everything feels very real and honest (even when using layers of synthesizers and vocoders). 

"Battle Royale" sets the tone for the album, with various distorted noises layered over a Justice-esque drum beat before launching into a riff of syncopated stabs of synth. The guitar solo at the mid point of the track adds a suggestion of the rock music yet to come, before launching back into the typically mid-noughties punchiness. Following this is a personal favourite of mine, "With A Heavy Heart (I Regret To Inform You)," in my mind the heaviest song on the album. The song features an intense vocal performance from frontman James Rushent, some very chunky bass guitar, and absolutely shitloads of distortion. The aggression literally pours from the track as it seems to run out of control, the rising "Oh God!"s building the tension to the sort of instrumental chorus that makes you want to riot. It's one of my favourite "lose-your-shit" songs.

"We Are Rockstars" was the making of DIOYY?, the one that got them big and that actually drew me to them. Distinctively French in its sound, the song is something like a robotics experiment gone wrong, everything very synthetic and yet sounding very organic at the same time. It's still a great track. Then comes "Dawn of the Dead," the first of the more melodic pieces on the album, and its yet another winner. The casual nature of the vocals brings a great deal of honesty to the song, and the layers upon layers of sounds make it a very rich song to listen to, with the reverb-filled clap and backing "Oo, Aa" on the chorus sounding particularly cool to me. This is followed by another melodic track, but "Doomed Now" has a suitably darker tone. This song would be average. But the vocoder is nothing but superb, its strained sound lifting the song well above what it might have been.

Kicking off the second half of the album is the quirkiest of interludes, the awesomely named "Attack of the 60ft Lesbian Octopus." Taking influence from the sort of music you expect from a Scooby Doo chase sequence, the organ sounds and intense speed seem on the one hand ridiculous, but on the other immensely cool. This is followed by the far more conventional indie club tune "Let's Make Out", featuring some great vocals from Death From Above 1979's Sebastien Granger centered around the shouting of the song's wonderfully youthful and reckless title. This is combined with the same sort of sassy aggro we were introduced to at the outset of the record. Definitely one that get's stuck in your head... let's make out, let's make out, let's make out...

"Being Bad Feels Pretty Good" is one of the weaker songs on the record, but is by no means a bad song. Some of the nicest sang vocals on the album are layered over brighter, sparklier synths. The chorus is the highlight, the harmony of the various parts resulting in a really nice, unconventional yet conventionally indie sound. This is followed by "Weird Science," the most dance-y track of the album. The strange melody has grown on me considerably, and the tones of the synthesizers used are excellently varied, all chunky and glitchy. Much like "Let's Make Out," it displays the band's funkier side, and really wants you to just have fun. And lastly we have "Epic Last Song." A slight disappointment, I think 'epic' is an overstatement. But DIOYY?'s knack for good choruses shines through again, and the song still manages to be good, just not as downright amazing as some of the of the other tracks on the album.

In summary, it's just an all-round great album. It's got a great deal of edge, and really makes you want to move in some shape or fashion. Even without a 'break' from the intense sound, it's wonderfully varied and plays with the notion of electro-rock in every possible way. It may not be a ground-breaking sound, but it's a wonderful one that feels just like home to me. A total winner.

PHOENIX - TRYING TO BE COOL - REMIXES

So, over the past few months, I've come across various remixes of French indie rockers Phoenix's 'Trying To Be Cool.' The original track is a true summer record, with the layered guitars, rolling rhythms, and Thomas Mars' vocals all interplaying brilliantly. But these 4 versions take the track in various directions. All are avialable for free download, just look at the soundcloud widgets below.

GRUM:
As expected of the retro master, the song is given a club-orientated 80's refit. The track features some great synth sounds, and some strong build-ups. However, when the track 'drops' so to speak, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. There is such huge preparation in the build-ups, but then every time, the drums and bass come in feeling a bit mediocre. Personally, I feel the drums are too sparse, and the bass notes too long - it doesn't feel either hypnotic or intense, instead somewhere between the two that leaves me a bit wanting. But y'know, this is just opinion.

BREAKBOT:
Nothing revolutionary here, but that's no criticism - this is the sort of excellent disco rework we've grown to love. All of the slap bass, syncopated guitar and synth samples are spot on, and the snappy drums compliment it all perfectly. This is by far the funkiest remix. But nothing overwhelming to me, just something fun and funky.

RAC:
So, once again André Allen Anjos has added his touch. This is much like many other RAC remixes out there, but much like Breakbot's attempt, there's nowt wrong with that. This, along with Breakbot's, is probably most true to the original's summery vibe. Smooth, easy, and SUPERBLY produced, it's been one of my songs of the summer.

A-TRAK:
Having only just reviewed his EP, this is something a little different. This moves away from the club-dance orientated sounds of the 'Tuna Melt' EP, instead using some very warm vintage chords and a rather French-inspired vibe. The bassline is thick, the drums punchy, and the staccato synth is perfect. This is the perfect dance remix, avoiding the cliché sounds of the post-Swedish House Mafia era. And in turn, I think that makes this my favourite remix. A-Trak's done it again.

JUSTICE - ACCESS ALL ARENAS

So, I might be somewhat behind the times with this. But I've just purchased it, so whatever. "Access All Arenas" is the latest album from one of my all-time favourite duos, Justice, and it follows much in the footsteps of their 2008 live album "A Cross the Universe." The main difference between the two is obvious: AAA follows the release of the french pair's second studio album "Audio Video Disco," from which certain tracks have been taken and mixed into stalwarts like 'D.A.N.C.E.', 'Phantom,' and 'Waters of Nazareth.' The effect is noticable, for whilst their initial live sets were very electro driven, here there is a far clearer rock edge. What's more, not only have they roughened up their classics, but theyve also added some grit to their new works, with 'Canon' and 'Audio Video Disco' being especially impressive. Whilst the similarities between rock and modern dance music have been seen many many times, never before has classic 70s rock, disco, and distorted electro sounded so very good together. And as a side note, the album's presentation is pretty damn cool, sexily boxed in a solid white case with a matte finish and golden lettering.

There are certainly certain downsides, though (I may be a bit of a superfan but I'll admit where it's not so strong). Firstly, the album does nothing new. It is simply "A Cross the Universe 2.0", so to speak. Also, there is an inherent potential issue with a live album - the crowd noise. Now for some, such as myself, it simply adds to the ambiance. But others do find it incredibly irritating. So just a warning. And the main issue is for anyone expecting a follow up to their first live album, there is NO documentary this time. Nowt. This is no real shame, but it has to be said... it would've been nice. And £10 for a CD that's been out for a few months and doesn't actually contain any 'new' material is a little steep if you ask me. But hey, maybe that's just HMV for you.

So really, this is nothing phenomenal. It's just more of what we love, and it definitely proves that 'Audio Video Disco' has some damn fine material on it. Now I've just gotta try and catch these guys live...