Tag: The Juan MacLean
Peach Melba (Photo: Rob Phillips)
Wondering what Aaron Pfenning has been up to since he quit Chairlift? Moonlit R&B (“Equal Dreams,” featuring Solange Knowles) and soft-lift synth-pop (“Asleep With the Lights On,” as rounded out by the riffs of Blood Orange/Lightspeed Champion’s main man, Devonté Hynes), apparently. Meanwhile, Juan MacLean has dove headfirst into his house addiction with the new Amy Douglas-helmed side project Peach Melba.
Have a taste of both DFA-endorsed releases below…
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Photo by Aaron Richter
While he’s currently on the road supporting his excellent DJ-KICKS mix, we managed to corner Juan MacLean and his buddy Joe Goddard before the latter’s Hot Chip gig last month to talk about the lost art of DJing. Among the addressed topics in our cinéma vérité conversation: the striking similarities between Ed Banger electro and Jersey Shore, how to actually mix two songs properly, Goddard’s uncanny ability to rock a crowd while completely wasted, and the country with the “most outrageous gay antics” in the world. If all of this gets you in the mood to get down, MacLean can be found manning the deck’s at FIXED in Brooklyn tonight…
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The Details: Juan MacLean, DJ-KICKS
A Short Review: self-titled spotlighted Juan’s DJ skills at one of our OSCILLATIONS parties last year, so while we certainly know what the DFA vet is capable of, he really nails it on this house-heavy mix. A seamless set that features such heady producers as Todd Terje and Theo Parrish—not to mention a stack of singles we’ve never heard before—it proves there’s more to this maligned dance genre than champagne-popping super clubs and knucklehead electro nods. MacLean’s piano-chased !K7 exclusive (“Feel So Good,” available for download after the jump) is also a nice hint of what’s on the way from Mr. Clean next.
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Florence and the Machine
[Photo by Ivan Jones]
Sorry to break it to you, blogosphere, but we just don’t believe in lists anymore. They’re just so arbitrary, and a couple mouse clicks away from being obsolete, you know?
That’s why we decided to give you a completely random rundown of our favorite ’09 releases—because it’s not as predictable or pointless as an argument over “who’s No. 1 this year, Dirty Projectors or Animal Collective?” Be sure to watch out for a second set of s/t-endorsed records before the clock strikes 12 on Thursday night.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday. (Shame on y’all who forgot!) And what better way to celebrate than to put Mom to work reviewing music, right? We gave self-titled contributor Cassie Marketos a batch of songs—including tracks by Micachu, HEALTH, the Juan Maclean, Phoenix, Woods and St. Vincent—to force-feed her mom (and dad) and record their reactions. Says Cassie, “Young people don’t listen to our parents—not about our friends, not about our jobs and especially not about our music. So when I sent my folks these songs, I was already sniggering to myself over how much they wouldn’t ‘get it.’ Um, can I get a fork to eat those words with? My mom and dad may be your standard-issue parental types, but their astute reactions to contemporary music might just mean that I have to start accounting for all their other opinions about my life. Dammit.”
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Words and Photos by Aaron Richter
Sold out, they said. And we say, thank you! New York City packed into (Le) Poisson Rouge on a frigid evening this past Saturday to catch self-titled‘s Oscillations party, featuring performances by Free Blood and School of Seven Bells with DJ sets by The Juan Maclean and Justin Miller. The venue was crammed. The fog was dense. The dancing was abundant. The drinks were spilled. And the acts were fantastic. Special thanks to Ghostly and DFA for helping make this evening happen and to (Le) Poisson Rouge for totally understanding when we just needed to get one more (promise!) person in on our guestlist.
self-titled ignores Santos’ ‘no photos’ rule to score a disco inferno shot
Text/Photos by Andrew Parks
While our beloved CMJ Virgin had a hell of a time at the ‘Red Bull lounge’ on Tuesday night, it took the rest of self-titled‘s staff all of 10 minutes on Wednesday to realize why we skipped CMJ last year. See a more thorough explanation here, but suffice it to say that we feel horrible for anyone that spends $495 for an official CMJ badge—money that ought to be spread between a handful of must-see shows and a lot of dranking … if that’s your kind of thing. If it isn’t, you could probably buy tickets to five solid bills and save hundreds, all while spending the rest of your time at parties that are free to begin with.
THE HOUSE THAT JUAN BUILT: Nancy Whang, Juan Maclean
Presenting self-titled‘s weekly roundup of vinyl/digital singles …
MUST SPIN OF THE WEEK:
The Juan MacLean, “Happy House” (DFA)
Everyone knows pacifiers and parachute pants should only be worn by the most hopeless of E-tards. That goes without saying. So why did this throwback dance track just make the self-titled office spontaneously combust into a goddamn rave?
Seriously—our managing editor, Arye, just cracked open a glowstick (where he got it, we have no idea) and started waving it around the room like a light saber. As silly as he looks, we can’t blame the little guy. Not when a track’s this flawless and epic. As in nearly 13 minutes long, brimming with more movements than a neo-classical composition, from its peak hour piano keys to some seriously on-point vocals by Nancy Whang. The secret weapon of LCD Soundsystem (she’s the band’s primary synth-slinger onstage) and such indie dance anthems as Soulwax‘s “N.Y. Excuse” and the Juan MacLean’s three-year-old (!) “Give Me Every Little Thing” single, Whang has finally transcended her typical guest vocalist/keyboardist role and straight-up stolen the show. Listen and learn, as you’re left repeating, “excellent/you are so, ex-cellent” and “launch meeee intooo spacccce” along with the underground’s leading diva.
The fact that Whang contributed a great deal of vocals to the Juan MacLean’s entire sophomore LP only serves to excite us even more. Quick— another single with sunbeams bursting at its grooves, guys! And make it quick: we need more music like this to officially erase the electro from electro-house for a healthy minute.
