Karinski.net

How cool is this photo? It’s of new Canadian electro disco mean girls Fan Death who’ve just been signed up to knob wobbler Erol Alkan’s label. Their name comes from a bizarre Korean urban myth where people believe that if you are in a closed room with a fan you die of hypothermia. The government even has legislation about cut off times on fans. Weird.

Anyway the band – their latest single ‘Veronica’s Veil’ has gorgeous swirling disco strings, and a sultry, sexy vocal. Anything creepy sounding always gets a big tick here on karinski.net, so we’re also big fans of ‘The Constellations’ which has shades of The Knife, a indifferent vocal and a touch of 90s piano house about it. They plan to come to the UK later in the year, and I’m hoping we’ll get them to play on a Thursday.

2009′s going to be the year of disco and I can’t wait.

Fan Death – Veronica’s Veil [MP3]
Fan Death – The Constellations [MP3]

When we heard the Kaiser Chiefs‘ 3rd album was going to be produced by Mark Ronson, we were worried. After all hasn’t everyone grown a bit tired of Ronson and his relentless trumpeting? Fortunately we can report that, thanks to co-producer Eliot James, the wonky parping has been kept in check.

After the massive success of the usually ‘notoriously hard’ 2nd album, ‘Off With Their Head’ is the Chiefs going at it old school with quirky British rock influences a plenty. Jaw-dropping lead single ‘Never Miss A Beat’ could easily be mistaken as a forgotten Beatles demo with it’s call and response hook (best bit – ‘What do you want for tea? I want crisps!’). ‘Tomato In the Rain’ gives a hammond organ it’s best use in years, and Ricky’s Northern charm shines in the comical ‘Addicted To Drugs’.  Ronson’s star pulling power is in effect too, with Lily Allen providing backing vocals on the summery swagger of ‘Always Happens Like That’, orchestral maestro David Arnold looking after ‘Like It Too Much’ and grime boy Sway pulling in a star turn on the XTC reminiscent & surely future #1 ‘Half The Truth’.

A sprightly 35 minutes, it’s yet more proof the young pretenders have nothing on this lot when it comes down to personality, wit and intelligence. Tunes to get your converse dirty to.

Originally published in Attitude Magazine.