Pull Over Under

The Bird and the Bee “I’m A Broken Heart” – In the best possible way, this song by the Bird and the Bee sounds like a Hollywood remake of Broadcast’s brilliant second album The Noise Made By People. I don’t mean to say that it sounds focus grouped to death or dumbed down so much as that it takes the general sound and emotion of that album and streamlines it into something far more sparkling and glamorous. Whereas Broadcast’s record feels like a slow moving black cloud of dread, “I’m A Broken Heart” seems to take a vain pleasure in its melancholy lyrics and melodramatic tone. It’s nearly cheerful in its sadness and romantic angst, as though the character enjoys playing the role of the broken hearted girl a bit too much. (Click here for the Bird and the Bee MySpace page.)

They Must Be Russians “Don’t Try To Cure Yourself” – I imagine that eventually every obscure single ever released in the heyday of punk will be out on a cd compilation one way or another, which is certainly no bad thing when it means we have slightly easier access to pleasant little oddities such as this a-side featured on Crippled Dick Hot Wax’s 7″ Up collection. As the lead vocalist of They Must Be Russians delivers a deadpan yet informative primer on a variety of venereal diseases, the backing vocalist repeats and underlines some key lines for comedic effect. (Click here to buy it from Crippled Dick Hot Wax.)

Also: I will be doing a DJ set at Supreme Trading in Brooklyn on Saturday night as part of the Brooklyn Peace Fair benefit. I’ll be on at 1 AM, and the bill will also include: Lolita Bras, The Shapes, Mon.Key.Pod, Taigaa!, Bunny Rabbit, Outputmessage, Jealous Girlfriends, The Epochs, and A Place to Bury Strangers.