I NEED SUGAR

Another unplanned set, being pushed and pulled onto the patio all night. Didn't spin uninterrupted for more than 45 minutes in a go all night. 

So, 1:00a, no better time for some space disco. 

And sorry for the rough Spacer Woman/Black Devil mixing. I was distracted by merv who was accosting me for not sticking to my commitment for playing 2010 music.

Tracklist:
01 Anthony Rother - Cinema 2010
02 Smith N Hack - Falling Stars ? Julie van Wart 2007
03 The Hacker - Fadin' Away (Dima Remix) 2000
04 Charlie - Spacer Woman (Vocal) 1983
05 Black Devil Disco Club - I Regret The Flower Power 2007
06 Ron Trent - Alterered States 1992
07 Joakim - I Wish You Were Gone (Jk Dub) 2006
08 Popular Computer - Next Level Pope 2006
09 FPU - Crockett's Theme 2003
10 Marbert Rocel - Sexaddicted featuring Maria Andtonia Schmidt 2010
11 Andreya Triana - Lost Where I Belong (Flying Lotus Remix) 2010

Listen and download.

NXNE music opens today so it's as good a time as any to post the third 126 Melancholy Mix, this one clocking in at just under 50 minutes. All vocal and focused on 2010 with the exception of an '07 Boat Club track that ends oh so similarly to Memory Tapes Bicycle from '09. Not sure what to make of that, so I'm opting to just enjoy them both.

Tracklist:
Foals - Spanish Sahara (Deadboy Remix) 2010
Marbert Rocel - Chicagoff 2010
Casiokids - Verdens Største Land 2010
Monarchy - The Phoenix Alive (The Octans Edit) 2010
We Have Band - Love, What You Doing? 2010
Funkwerkstatt - Drahtseilakt 2010
Boat Club - Memories 2007
Delorean - Come Wander 2010
Nhar - Close Up 2010

Listen and download here.

And don't forget next Friday's G20 celebration at Tequila Bookworm. Hope to see you there!

And now back to the music...the decade in review continues with the Top 50 tracks of the decade countdown. Here now are tracks 20 through 16. Unfortunately, there was an iTunes blow up here and the list was all but lost. I managed to piece together 1 through 15, but with one of the 16 through 20s missing I've just realized after posting on blip and looking back here that there's now a track repeated. Oh well, if you've been paying attention, you can ignore it or enjoy it again. Update: Scratch that, I missed track 11 and it's an important one, so I'm updating this with the right Naughties 20.

Naughties.20 Metric - Hardwire The first Metric full-length from 2001 (which wasn't officially released until 2007) is a series of smart, sexy, Toronto-centric tunes the likes of which they haven't released since. This is how that leaked album ended in 2001, leaving you wanting for more. The rerelease had a completely different track order in which they dropped the best track from the album.

Naughties.19 Machine Drum - Freshkids featuring Mickey Factz It's artists like Machine Drum that renew my faith in hip hop. Filthy original beats and tight rhymes; no r&b wannabee samplefest here. From 2009.

Naughties.18 Fever Ray - When I Grow Up Feels like the Joy Division of the new millennium, 30 years later. I'm scared and fascinated and just can't get enough. From 2009.

Naughties.17 Underworld - Two Months Off Glory. Glory. Let that synth wash over you. You bring light in. You bring light in. From 2002

Naughties.16 Easy Star All-Stars - Electioneering Sure, there's a pretty decent brit rock version of this track (Radiohead + cowbell!), but this organ heavy reggae version is glorious! From 2006.

The People Downtown are throwing a parting this Friday. The first event at our Tequila Bookworm monthly residency. Here's a light 60 minute warmup mix to get you through the rest of the week. And we hope to see you after 8 on Friday. Facebook event invite here. Mix below.

Tracklist:
01 Animal Collective - What Would I Want? Sky 2009
02 Junior Boys - Hazel (Ewan Pearson's House Remix) (Dixon Edit) 2009
03 Yuno - Stand And Wonder (Flor Hasenberg & Drei Farben House Remix) 2007
04 Popnoname - Hello Gorgeous 2010
05 Phonique - For The Time Being featuring Erlend Øye (Neil Quigley Remix) 2009
06 Underworld - Crocodile (Album Version) 2007
07 Röyksopp - This Must Be It (Maxime Dangles Remix) 2009
08 Birds & Souls - Birds & Souls 2010
09 Crystal Castles - Suffocation 2010
10 Cortney Tidwell - Palace (Michel Cleis It's Too Late Remix) 2010
11 Starkey - Stars featuring Anneka (Few Nolder Remix) 2010
12 Bat For Lashes - Daniel (Jozif's Etage Edit) 2009
13 Pantha du Prince - Stick To My Side (Walls Version) 2010

Download the April 2010 126 Melancholy Mix here.

And here's a special request for Merv. The same mix, but looped, so if you put it on repeat, it never ends, never ends.

Download the April 2010 126 Melancholy Mix (Merv Edition).

In honour of the terrifically mediocre Junos, belatedly continuing the decade review, tracks 21 through 25. And look, no less than two Canadian artists in the mix here, one of which had an album that surely could have been nominated for the 2010 Junos but, no, no mention of Tiga anywhere. (Though Tiga did win in '07 for Sexor so I suppose I shouldn't complain. Still Deadmau5? Is this about music or popularity? And a "Recording Package Of The Year" nomination for Patrick Watson, but no love for the actual music? Come on!) But, hey, at least I now know who Justin Bieber is. But I digress. So here's number 25 of the 2000s and, as always, just select the track name to listen on blip.fm:

Naughties.25 Tiga - Beep Beep Beep (Extended Mix) Fantastic groove building up to some terrifically unsubtle LCD Soundsystem flavoured drums (and yet not one of the two James Murphy produced tracks off the album) followed by some subtle space disco and back. A huge '09 vibe.

Naughties.24 The Whitest Boy Alive - Golden Cage (Fred Falke Remix) The man with the smoothest voice in the game meets the man producing the smoothest basslines. A massively uplifting '08 progressive house track.

Naughties.23 Hercules & Love Affair - Blind featuring Antony (Frankie Knuckles Remix) I'm actually not a huge fan of this album, but there's no denying that Blind is a great disco track. But Frankie Knuckles takes Blind and turns it into an exceptional house track. Bringing up the bass, warms up the track with some added synth and piano, and tightening up the percussion. So, so good. From 2008.

Naughties.22 Cat Power - Metal Heart My brother doesn't dig the Cat Power. Especially the covers. But on this reprise of her own '98 track from her '08 covers album, that smokey voice, those power chords, and that lyrical earnestness kick my ass hard.

Naughties.21 K-OS - Crucial K-OS has said and done some incredibly stupid things throughout the years, but he's also put out the odd gem on his albums. Crucial is a great summer reggae Can-rock vibe, showcasing a surprisingly fantastic confluence of genres.

It's our general rule that SXSW shows are for seeing bands that don't come to Canada or play shoddy venues like the Docks (or whatever they're calling that place now). Even though we like to talk about Toronto events here at I Need Sugar, we spend a lot of time exploring what else is out there so we can introduce the best the world has to offer to our sugar deprived friends. 

This of course means we want to make sure we don't miss a slim chance to catch a non-local act (as we did this year with both Best Coast and Warpaint. Whoops!). Sure acts like jj and the xx are here this weekend, but the chance to see them at a more intimate venue in Austin is always a plus. This is what we tried to do with Midlake at SXSW, but with a lineup around the block, it fell to Canadian heroes You Say Party! We Say Die! to fill the Midlake void.

Much like Yacht (the standout band from SXSW, btw), YSPWSD is tight as hell and, between introspective on stage moments, works well at connecting with the crowd. The 50mm lens I was traveling light with unfortunately was not able to catch the dance floor head poking that was happening to all of us at the front, but with YSPWSD playing the Horseshoe tonight expect some similar in crowd shenanigans. 

Yes, the band's music has evolved over the years to their latest incarnation as fantasy synth pop stars, but they're still playing tracks off the first EP so you can get your punk on and bark along a little. Yeah, if you don't want to miss one of the top Canadian bands out there at an intimate venue bring your meal money down to the Horseshoe tonight. Advance tickets are $12.50.

More SXSW You Say Party! We Say Die! pics.

SXSW's 2010 edition presented many an evening of parties, music, and chaos (as expected, of course). Being there for interactive, film and music meant 10 days of sleepless nights and fighting through days with staples vitamins and beer. In the end, it was those restful interludes that helped get you through the 2 weeks, avoiding the dreaded SXSARS affliction that seems to plague most attendees. Disco naps, ftw. And there was no better place for a disco nap than a balcony church pew overlooking The XX's light, stationary performance. Like angels whispering in your ear.

Sadly, on this church going Sunday I missed the opening performance by jj who are certainly one of the top bands I've been enjoying over the past year. Then again, two disco naps in one evening surely would have set a bad SXSW precedent. Here's a mini review from an earlier show at the Mohawk courtesy of Pitchfork:

The shocking letdown of a performance began with singer Kastlander strumming a guitar and reverbing her voice out into the crowd while multi-instrumentalist Benon stood off to the side of the stage fiddling with a laptop. Then, about five minutes in, Benon pressed play on his computer and promptly exited the stage, leaving Kastlander to sing karaoke with her own tunes. Benon did not resurface for the remainder of the set.

Acoustic karaoke, oh my!

So, to Toronto insomniacs, if you're looking for some rest this weekend, there's no better place to be than the Phoenix this Sunday (and Monday) for some jj and xx lullabies.

More xx pics here.

Crystal Castles.

DD/MM/YYYY DJ's Mikey Apples & l.p.

Apr 3.

44 Dovercourt.

Sold out!

The HaiHaiTO benefit was Feb 11, 2010 at the Courthouse in Toronto. The evening contributed to over $22,000 being raised in support of ongoing Haiti relief and rebuilding. I played for an hour, including some Haitian music and hip hop. Here's the entirety of the more uptempo vibes from yesterday's live recording.

Download HaiHaiTO Miniset by Nathan Lee

Track list:
U2 - Magnificent (Fred Falke Full Edit Remix) 2009
Pnau - With You Forever 2007
La Roux - In For The Kill (Lifelike Remix) 2009
The Knife - You Take My Breath Away featuring Jenny Wilson (Manhattan Clique Remix) 2005
Kläder & Vapen - What Have I Done featuring Anna Ternheim (Extended Mix) 2009
The Black Ghosts - Any Way You Choose To Give It (Extended Version) 2007
The Sounds - Tony The Beat 2006

Continuing the decade review, tracks 26 through 30.

Naughties.30 Interpol - Obstacle 1 Just two years after the Strokes, along came Interpol, a little more polished, a little more tension. Good times.

Naughties.29 Revl9n - Someone Like You Dirty sexy Swedish dance rock. A 2001/2002 song that didn't see wide release until 2006 and has been in heavy sugar rotation since.

Naughties.28 Radiohead - There There (The Boney King of Nowhere) Radiohead returned to their rock roots for the majority of Hail to the Thief, with perhaps more sonic depth than previous rock pursuits.

Naughties.27 Fever Ray - When I Grow Up (D Lissvik Remix) This D Lissvik remix of When I Grow Up adds layers of joy to the original. A great vibe from '09.

Naughties.26 Memory Tapes - Bicycle A great story of adolescent dreams. Vivid lyrics. Beautiful melody. It really does get better with every listen.

Continuing the decade review, tracks 31 through 35.

Naughties.35 Santogold - Shove It This is one of those tracks that so completely transcends mainstream Hip Hop I just don't get how anybody can enjoy that overproduced pap.

Naughties.34 The Strokes - Last Night Oh 2000, we remember you for your garage rock revival, all that talk about yellow, and that pre-9/11 bubble.

Naughties.33 Golden Boy with Miss Kittin - 1234 The best pop song from a top album of the decade. Maybe you can convince me Rippin Kittin is better, but this is a lot more fun. From 2002.

Naughties.32 The Streets - Weak Become Heroes (Röyksopp's Memory Lane Mix) While the original has a decent UK garage vibe, Röyksopp's remix is a perfect early 2000's summer fresh progressive vibe. "All of life's problems, I just shake off." From 2002.

Naughties.31 CSS - Fuck Off Is Not The Only Thing You Have To Show Cansei De Ser Sexy's debut was a revelation. And Fuck Off Is Not The Only Thing You Have To Show epitomizes their dance rock team dream. From 2005.

Continuing the decade review, tracks 36 through 40.

Naughties.40 The Postal Service - Such Great Heights (John Tejada Remix) John Tejada was prolific throughout the decade, but nothing compares to his remix of Such Great Heights. So subtle, it draws you right in. The original sounds like happy hardcore after hearing this version. From 2003.

Naughties.39 The Kooks - Sofa Song The punchiest, danciest, singalongiest acoustic song of the decade. Just plain fun. From 2005.

Naughties.38 Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye (Curtis Vodka Edit) Curtis Vodka tossed out a whole whack of bootleg mixes on his MySpace page back in the day, this was the best of the lot. The added kick and percussion ups the intensity of the original and makes for great dance floor fodder. From 2007.

Naughties.37 Deep Dish - Dreams featuring Stevie Nicks Kindly reviving one of the great tracks of the 70's and having Stevie Nicks sing on it, no less. (There's a great story behind that, too.) This song was great even before 2006's Montreal club excursion, but hearing this on a big room system at 4:00a. Epic!

Naughties.36 Underworld - Dinosaur Adventure 3D (Funk D'Void Vocal Remix) Funk D'Void's remix warms up Underworld's banging techno track, opting to focus on synths over the heavy bass line of the original. A top progressive vibe. From 2002.