Blogarhythms

So, maybe you should forget all that fresh-faced optimism I dished out about being old the other day. No, I haven’t suddenly given up on life and opted to descend into age-induced curmudgeonry. But I’ve discovered that an energetic resurgence and renewed sense of purpose doesn’t do anything to buoy one’s constitution. Apparently something as non-exertionary as “sleeping on it wrong” (only getting two hours of sleep a night after living up to Big Black’s admonishment to “do work” doesn’t help either) can turn a vibrant (moderately) young man into an achy malcontent who walks as if they’re in need of a hip replacement. And while sudden and inexplicable ambulatory soreness may only be a minor nuisance when trying to make it home from the Chinese restaurant around the block with your General Tso’s in time to watch Heroes, it’s a devastating affliction when all you want to do is dance (or “make romance” for that matter).

Coincidentally, an overriding desire to shake one’s booty is precisely the reaction solicited by “Radio Ladio,” the new single from Brighton, UK-based musician and remixer Metronomy. It was his work remixing hits for variety of artists, including Architecture in Helsinki, Gorillaz, Zero 7, Ladytron, and Franz Ferdinand, that earned him a regular place on mine and Emeyesi’s radio show playlists and scrawled his name on my “one to watch

” list. But his 2006 LP Pip Paine (Pay The £5000 You Owe), a largely instrumental fusion of blippy Electronica and spunky Post-Punk, had it’s moments too, particularly “Trick or Treatz” featuring Virginia Lipinski, one of the pair of songs with vocals on the record. “Radio Ladio” is unabashedly poppy, with vocal hooks aplenty, bolstered by chirpy ’80s-chic synths, handclaps, and a bouncy-but-crunchy Indie-Dance groove that’s funky, rocky and cheesily synthetic. And with that “R-A-D-I-Ohhhhhhhhh…” chorus it’s sure to be the jump-off track for a lot of my radio sets in the coming months.

Listen to “Radio Ladio”

Already taking up loads of our broadcast time for the last month or so, French Indie-Disco quartet Poni Hoax’s newest single “Antibodies” might be even more ass-bouncingly awesome than “Radio Ladio.” The first time I heard the arpeggiated synth line that opens the song percolate out of the monitor speakers in the on-air booth during one of Emeyesi’s radio set I was all ears. Then it was joined by a thumping kick, chintzy clav-esque keys, and guitar, and I wondered if it might actually be new Jamiroquai. Then lead singer Nicolas Ker’s intense-but-detached Ian Curtis-like baritone echoed over the groove, crooning of illicit encounters in a coldly detached tone and my jaw fell agape. “What is this?” I asked. But before I could get a response, a wave of strings and melodramatic piano chords not heard since the heyday of Abba signaled the arrival of the chorus, and I had a new favorite song of the moment. It’s been my MySpace profile song ever since. You’d probably be a lot cooler if it were yours too.

Listen to “Antibodies

The only thing that will make me cooler is a fistful of ibuprofen.

-El Keter