Jukebox Juicebox #11

The Go! Team "Ladyflash"
The latest in a long line of collectives combining a dizzying number of samples with enthusiastic live vocals and instruments, The Go! Team may be this year's Avalanches (whatever happened to them?), but they bring a fun and frenetic activity that's a welcome counter to the static barstool crooning of mainstream pop acts these days. Culling elements from The Supremes' "Come See About Me", "I Can't Rest" by Fontella Bass and Davy DMX's "The DMX Will Rock You", "Ladyflash" is a gloriously upbeat mash up. Originally released in late 2004, but seems to have made more impact this time around. Accompanying track "The Wrath Of Mikey" is fun, but the remixes will fill out this EP are perhaps of greater interest. Kevin Shield's "Huddle Flash", which combines the lead track with another Go! Team song "Huddle Formation" is a surprise. I'd been expecting something along the lines of his previous cacaphonic wall-of-noise reworks. Instead, this barely tampers with the Go! Team formula and is all the better for that. Likewise, Simian's "Mobile Disco Mix" removes most of the rapping and incorporates further electro sounds, but works equally well. It's difficult to say whether the Go! Team will still be making an impact, even in two years' time. However, if this their own one-hit wonder, they could have done a lot worse.

Tracklisting: 1. Ladyflash / 2. The Wrath Of Mikey / 3. Huddle Flash (kevin shields v the go! team) / 4. Ladyflash (simian mobile disco mix)

The Juan Maclean "Give Me Every Little Thing"
Part of the DFA stable, this track features vocals from James Murphy (DFA and LCD Soundsystem mainman) and Nancy Whang, whose vocals have also graced tracks by Playgroup and Soulwax. I first came across this as part the DFA Holiday Sampler mix CD that did the rounds at the end of last year and was compelled to track the original down. "Give Me Every Little Thing" is a really funky number that, judging by the accompanying reworks, seems fundamentally made for the dancefloor. It's difficult to single out any one track above the others, but the "Radio Edit" and "Deep Dub" are as good a starting point as any. The CD also includes the video, which may not be make frequent rotation on primetime MTV, but is a entertaining accompaniment to the track. Next stop for me will be the Juan Maclean album "Less Than Human".

Tracklisting: 1. Give Me Every Little Thing (radio edit) / 2. (muzik x-press remix (vocal mix) by x-press 2) / 3. (cajmere remix) / 4. (putsch 79 remix) / 5. (eric b. deep dub) + Give Me Every Little Thing (video)