With Verbs I’ll Attack

Stephen Malkmus “Kindling For The Master (Major Swellings mix)” – There are many strange things about this double 12″ of “Kindling For The Master” remixes, but chief among them is the fact that it seems to be released on a random whim quite some time after Face The Truth came out last year, and that all of the remixers somehow agreed to make sure that SM’s original recording was still the perkiest and most danceable version available. I am fairly certain that “Kindling” (easily one of my favorites from FTT, by the way) would make for much peppier remixes than what’s on offer — was MSTRKRFT too busy, too expensive, or too ’00s to deal with the Malk? The Major Swellings mix by Prins Thomas does alright by the song by keeping the structure and key instrumental components intact and extends the track into a bleak, sinister groove that kills a lot of the fun in the song, but at least sounds pretty cool. (Click here to buy it from Domino.)

Young and Restless “Satan” – This cut may not be long on ideas, but is a nearly perfect specimen of a particular sort of punk song from this period, and may actually sound better in a few years when no one is doing this sort of thing, or doing it quite like this, anymore. The screamo bits are a nice touch, but the singer doesn’t go too overboard, or maybe I just say that because I’ve been giving that new Blood Brothers record a shot a few times recently, and I find myself really going for the songs until I invariably reach the moment when I just can’t take the gratuitous shrieking that comes up in every single song. Is it a total lack of imagination on their part, or are they just trying to please their audience, or are they actively attempting to devalue their own currency? (Click here for Young & Restless’ official page.)