we saw: Hercules & Love Affair

"You Belong To Him Tonight"

Friday night was truly epic. Radiohead's juggernaut of a live show made my legs so weary that all I could do to make it to Hercules & Love Affair was to take a nap on the light rail platform. (And another nap in the cab across town). But we are young and the young shall dance, so when we arrived in front of the Fillmore (still weird that its not Irving Plaza) we were injected with a few hours worth of second, third and fourth winds.

We arrived just past midnight, and probably missed the first 10-15 minutes of H&LA's show, but it didn't matter, the party was in full swing and the hyper-sexual gay club disco had the old IP feeling a lot more like 54 or Tunnel, or one of those obscenely hedonistic dance clubs of old that people like to reference. Moustached men in short, short shorts maneuvered the dance floor as if they were extras in the roller disco musical Xanadu, while drag queen supreme Nomi dominated the stage, all eyes on her. The band, which included a full horn section and a half nude male "Vogue" dancing all night, was so tight that the songs literally moved into and out of each other, as if they were having sex and each transition lead to a new disco-beast of an offspring. "Athene" and "You Belong" were full of sleek body shaking goodness, while the unstoppable crowd could have brought the balcony down during "Blind." For me, the unreachably high highlights were H&LA's cover of "Don't Fear The Reaper", the "my secret love of a man" jam "You Raise Me Up" and the encore, and house rattler, "Hercules Theme." It's nights like this, and acts like Hercules & Love Affair, that often make me dream of being a young gay male during the height of the cocaine fueled NYC disco years of yore.

Hercules & Love Affair- Don't Fear The Reaper (Live at Irving Plaza) (Courtesy of The Sound of Indie)


"Blind" Live @ Studio B (R.I.P.)

re-review: DFA/ Pop Rally/ MOMA Color Chart

"Colors and Colors and Colors and Colors"
(Photo by Mecredis)

Six weeks ago we attended the opening of the MoMA's Color Chart exhibit. Lots of colors, trippy lights, DJ sets by a bunch of DFA headhunters and free booze. A damn good time indeed. The other day the PopRally kids posted some fresh video of the event, along with mp3's of each and every one of the DJ sets that evening. Definitely sure to get the party started. Grab 'em will they're fresh.

Juan Maclean- 3/1/08 Moma DJ Set
T&T (Tim Sweeney & Tim Goldsworthy of DFA) 3/1/08 MoMA DJ Set
Holy Ghost- 3/1/08 MoMA DJ Set
Justin Miller & Jacques Renault 3/1/08 MoMA DJ Set

Video from the MoMA Color Chart opening 3/1/2008

we saw: DFA/ Color Chart at MoMa

"Because I Feel Blind"
(Photo by Mecredis)
Saturday night at the MoMA was the opening of Color Chart: Reinventing Color, 1950 to Today, a Crayola color installation that featured works from Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Frank Stella, to name a few. Personally, Hirst's John John stole the show for me, but besides the art, there was a lot more to take in. Free booze and hot DJ sets by the DFA crew, to be exact. Holy Ghost and Juan Maclean brought the heat, although, personally I can't remember too much of the heat they brought. The exception being a dancefloor destroying drop of DFA labelmates Hercules & Love Affair's "Blind". After that everything is a wash of kaleidoscopic colors and terrifyingly tight jeans. Wish I could tell you more, hopefully these pictures do a better job of setting the scene than I did.

Oh yeah, Les Savy Fav's Tim Harrington was there too, so you know it was sweet.
(photo by Mecredis)

(photo by Regisbluejeans)

(photo by Whitney)

(photo by pocketmonsterd)

we saw: Environ Bar Mitzvah

Jewish Disco, ya heard?

After checking out the ultra-hip, brightly-colored extravaganza put on by DFA at the MoMA, we headed to Studio B to check in with one of our other favorite labels, Environ Records, who were celebrating their 13th year anniversary with a Bar Mitzvah to make their mothers proud.

We walked in just in time to catch the start of Kelley Polar's set and were immediately taken with his unique brand of electro-pop. (Take the best parts of Chromeo and Junior Boys and blend it together with the funky disco elements of Metro Area and you are left with Kelley Polar.) Following a brief stand-up comedy routine featuring Environ founder Morgan Geist and head Junior Boy Jeremy Greenspan, Metro Area got behind the decks and spun the hottest disco you've never heard until the early morning hours.

Kelley Polar's new album is available on iTunes right now and will be in stores this week. Check out a few tracks at his MySpace and also be sure to have a listen to a live Metro Area set from 2003 that is one of our favorites. PS- that is in fact Mr. Morgan Geist himself featured in the above photo. Lookin' sharp.

Kelley Polar MySpace
Metro Area- Live @ 10 Days Off, July 2003

absurd: Paper Planes

"Being Poor's A Disease/ Gotta Hustle Up A Cure"

Those B-more, ghetto tech loving Swede's over at Discobelle flashed us with the streaming Paper Planes Homeland Security Remixes EP the other day and we're happy to confirm that the DFA remix is totally on point. While we still can't get enough of Diplo's Street mix featuring Bun B and Rich Boy, which made the original obsolete, so much so that I took it off Kala on my iPod and replaced it with the Street version, this DFA cut takes "Paper Planes" in an entirely different direction. Kinda like getting lost on the way to Studio B and stumbling into a warehouse full of homemade synths and drag queens on stilts. Presented below is a GChat conversation between two Bobka editors upon listening to Murphy and Goldsworthy's sex'd up disco nectar. Can you smell the funk?

greg: dude sooooo sick, the dfa mix
mcg: havent heard yet
g: oh man, crushing it
m: really?
g: yah dude, first listen i love it
m: peeping now
g:amazing bassline
m: wow funk, oh shit
g: ya dude
m: oh my god
g: dirrrrrrrty
m: wow, i just wanna fuck
g: fo real
m: i wanna fuck this remix
g: valentines day shazam
m: holler

Aural Viagra if we've ever heard it, ya dig.

gifts: DFA Radio Mixes

"Does Acid Make Me Gay?"

It's no secret that we love the DFA. From the balls-to-the-wall production, to the hypnotic remixes, the DJ sets and all the wonderful artists they've introduced us to over the years (Rapture, Hot Chip, Still Going), it's safe to say that these guys know what's up.

So it should be no surprise that tomorrow night 2/3 of the Bobka crew will make the trip to middle of nowhere Brooklyn for the annual DFA holiday party at Studio B. The last time the DFA threw a party at Studio B was on Halloween. Unfortunately, we were still hurtin' from Dan Deacon's madness the night before. But when the DFA Radio Mix Series posted Tim & Tim's DJ set from Halloween, we vowed never to miss another DFA party. Fortunatly for us, the cats over at the DFA are very generous and they love sharing their lengthy, head spinnin' mixes. They do this by way of the DFA Radio Mix Series which has been consistently sharing mixes from the DFA crew since 2005. If you're ever feeling a bit sick of dancing to "Murder on the Dancefloor" in the mirror, then check out the link below and download some of the DFA goodness. We really like the Murphy sets from Winter 2005, but everything is money.

DFA Radio Mixes

done did it again: James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem)

When it comes to obscure tech-y disco theres only one man for the job; James Murphy. The Murph, one of Jersey's finest, has made it safe for rock kids to twist and shake for years as a DJ and more recently with his ass-kicking LCD Soundsystem. Hell, he introduced Daft Punk to the rock kids. He did it at CBGB's. And everybody thought it was crazy. With that in mind it's no surprise that famed London nightclub Fabric asked the Head of DFA to dig into his massive crates for the 36th installment of their Fabriclive series. If you've been following Murphy and LCD Soundsystem you know that the guy loves four on the floor beats and a shit ton of cowbell, then you are well prepared for Murphy and partner Pat Mahoney's livemix for Fabric, which culls from obscure disco hits, synth funk and a couple new DFA joints (Still Going's "Still Going Theme" & LCD's terrifically titled "Hippie Priest Bum-Out"). As with his DFA work, this shits all about funky beats and oscillating rhythms. If you recognize anything on this mix consider yourself a disco-genius. If you're a fan of LCD's 45:33 or either of the DFA remix compilations (and I know you are), be sure to snag a copy of Fabric.Live 36 when it drops on October 10th. Peep two of my favorite tracks below.

DFA: Still Going Theme

"Piano House Revival"

DFA Records has secured the exclusive license to the soon-to-be-anthemic single from NYC electronic duo Still Going. While the 12" doesn't officially hit the streets until September 25, the title track, Still Going Theme, has been enjoying some healthy buzz ever since James Murphy spun it at last years DFA Holiday party. Since then it was featured on Lindstrom & Prins Thomas' acclaimed Essential Mix, and will be included on LCD Soundsystem's much-anticipated FABRICLIVE 36 mix.

The piano propelled track is an instant crowd pleaser and according to Fact Magazine will "make even the darkest, grimiest nightclub feel like the sun-splashed pool party of your dreams" and convince the listener that "life is fundamentally good." Decide for yourself by listening here, and purchase a full, digital copy here.

Link removed by request.