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upon request. V-Rag welcomes submissions but accepts no responsibility for the return of unsolicited materials.

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4

Forget May flowers, April showers brought us Daft Punk! V-Rag's approaching 5o, and the interviews just keep getting bigger and better with age. With the French duo's Random Access Memories released later this month, the countdown is on. Thomas and Guy-Manuel chat about the album's process, publicity and huge-named collaborators. Also this month, one of our favourite actresses ever, Rose McGowan gets real about highschool bullying and her latest film. Plus, hot off the heels of his headlining performance at the Vancouver Burlesque Festival, King of Boylesque Russell Bruner takes it all off for V-Rag! V

@vanragazine facebook.com/vragmagazine

dAft PunKThe robot rockers turn out to be human after all.

russEll BrunErSwinging in and out of Vancouver for the VIBF 2013.

tEchno logicOur newest monthly feature, a tech buyer's guide!

hEAlth + WEllnEssVelvet Steele gets all gooey with her lube advice.

thE collABsThe who's who and what's what of R.A.M.

JoAn-E's rAgJoan talking b-ball? It's true! If you can play...

V-MAPDon't get lost on the streets of Vancouver, find everything here!

Music:notes filM:notesEvil Dead, Iron Man 3, Daft Punk, & Lusine reviewed.

rosE McgoWAnThis is our Cherry Darling, the queen of indie film!

cAlEndAr of EVEntsVancouver's most comprehensive events guide!

6

Leave it to a couple of robots to bring humanity kicking and scream-ing back into the music business.

In a decade that's been dominated by EDM, interchangeable club hits, mega-DJs and the dishwasher dubstep movement, French house heroes Daft Punk have come to save the world. Again.

With the forthcoming album Random Access Memories (the duo's fourth studio album in 17 years), Daft Punk is going back to basics. Which is a hell of a lot harder than it may sound.

"We've been working on various aspects of [the album] since 2008, when we decided we needed to go a different direction," explains

may 2013 #46

by cole johnston

Thomas Bangalter, one half of the super group. "We wanted to do what we did on the last 3 records, with machines and samples... But we wanted to do it with people instead. So there are no real samples on this record, everything we created from scratch."

It's obvious from their debut Homework that Daft Punk had a clear love of the 1970s and 80s, be it funk, disco, soft rock or metal (in fact the duo's namesake comes from a negative review of their earlier punk outfit in Paris). According to Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Random Access Memories will be a celebration and of this era, their "golden years" of music.

"We wanted to play with the past, partly

because to us the '70s and '80s were the juiciest era, but also because all of our [session players] were excited to all play together again."

Indeed, the session players include some of the biggest names in classic pop, having worked on seminal albums from Michael Jackson, Herbie Hancock and Eric Clapton. Then of course, there's Niles Rodgers. The guitarist and writer from Chic, Sister Sledge and a host of disco/funk/pop icons appears on the lead single "Get Lucky" after almost a decade of wanting to collaborate with Daft Punk. For disco house enthusiasts, this is a huge moment for the genre, as almost every popular disco house record has featured some kind of guitar sample of Rodgers'.

Electro and disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder (the brains and bytes behind Donna Summer, Munich Machine and soundtracks like Midnight Express and The Neverending Story) also makes an appearance, lending his synth skills to the track "Giorgio by Giorgio".

For a list of the Random Access Memories collaborators and links to full interviews with each, check out page 14. Needless to say, every single one of the players, singers and producers are legends in their own rights.

So why the use of almost exclusively analogue and natural sounds? This is Daft Punk we're talking about, the robot rockers! Bangalter says it's due to the de-humaniz-ing of modern dance music. "There’s this thing today where the recorded human voice is processed to try to feel robotic," Thomas says, referring to the industry's love of Auto-Tune. "Here, we were trying to make robotic voices sound the most human they’ve ever sounded, in terms of expressivity and emotion."

"Electronic music is in a slump," he adds, more emphatically. "There's no movement to it, no progression. Everything on the radio is starting to sound like the other song that came before it. The opening track [on the album] is called 'Give Life Back To Music', and that's what we're trying to do with Random Access Memories."

This humanity goes far beyond the music and into the infamous ad campaign that had the world in a perpetual state of musical blue balls, eagerly awaiting a full track. Billboards and posters were used instead of web banners and social media. TV spots and

may 2013 #46

8

concert segments replaced Twitter updates Facebook posts. As Bangalter puts it, "driving down Sunset Boulevard and seeing a huge billboard is magical! It's nothing like a web banner, and it encompasses every-thing we're trying to do." So there it is. The robots have decided to show us how to be human after all. Guess 2013 is the year that we waited up for to get lucky. V

Daft Punk's Random Access Memories comes out May 21st in stores and on iTunes. Join the V-Rag Facebook Group to be one the first to win an exclusive copy.www.facebook.com/vragmagazinewww.daftpunk.com

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Boomphones PhantomsBoomphones Phantoms ($149 black or white) switch between private headphones and boombox with the push of a button. Get rechargeable instant amplification for computer, guitar, keyboards, and take private phone calls to speakerphone with inline mic.

doxie go scannerScan paper and photos anywhere, without a computer, with the tiny-but-powerful 600DPI Doxie Go rechargeable paper scanner ($199.99). Later, connect Doxie to your computer to sync, just like a digital camera.

Eye-fi 4gB+Wifi sd cardTired of looking for your camera’s USB sync cable? If your camera has an SDHC slot, make it wireless with an Eye-Fi 4GB+WiFi SD Card ($39.99). Add Eye-Fi to the Doxie Go for wireless scanning.

Zooka Wireless speaker Bar Zooka Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Bar ($99.99 - multiple colours) slides onto the edge of tablets and laptops for portable, recharge-able (8hrs playback) audio awesomeness. Great for vid chats with built-in mic and removable kickstand.

The eternal questions: Substance or Style? Power or Portability? Simply Computing's Techno-logic picks for May combine powerful features with great design, to prove the answer is finally “All of the Above”. All items listed here are available at any Simply Computing store, or online at simply.ca. Email technologic@simply.ca for questions or recommendations.

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Tickets

On Sale Now

may 2013 #46

giorgio MoroderArguably the most famous disco producer you've never heard of, Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder has worked on scores of classic recordings throughout his 45 year career. Probably best known for discovering Donna Summer and producing hits like "I Feel Love" and "Love To Love You", the Italian electronic pioneer is also a three-time Academy Award winner and has penned sound-tracks for Flashdance, Midnight Express and The Neverending Story.

Bit by byte, Daft Punk has been letting the world know who's involved in the new album Random Access Memories. Watch full interviews with all the featured collaborators by downloading a free QR scanner (like Kaywa Reader from kaywa.com) and scanning the codes below!

todd EdwardsThough he hasn't won an Oscar, Todd Edwards is one of the most respected artists by his peers. Inspired by Todd Terry, Masters at Work and MK, Edwards rose to fame in the mid '90s through his remixes of club hits like St. Germain's "Alabama Blues", Indo's "Are You Sleeping", and Robin S.'s "Show Me Love". Much like his solo work, his remixes make use of a complex vocal sampling technique, renders the original track almost unrecognizable.

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Pharrell WilliamsSurprisingly to some, Pharrell Williams is no stranger to the French house music arena. He recently did a collaboration with Ed Banger Recordings artists Feadz and Uffie on "ADD SUV" and on Cassius' last album track "Eye Water". To most, though, Williams is the eight-time Grammy winner behind

N.E.R.D., The Neptunes, Justin Timberlake, Kelis, Missy Elliott and Britney Spears, just to name a few. His crooning voice has come to the forefront in recent years.

nile rodgersAs if you don't know Nile Rodgers! With his partner in funk crime, Bernard Edwards, the pair were also known as Chic ("Le Freak", "Good Times"), and were the masterminds behind Sister Sledge ("We Are Family", "He's The Greatest Dancer"). Rodgers also helped write and produce #1 hits for Diana

Ross, Michael Jackson, Ashford & Simpson, Debbie Harry, INXS, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Grace Jones and Madonna. Need we really say more?

Panda BearBorn Noah Benjamin Lennox, Panda Bear is best known as the founding member of Animal Collective, an experimental psyche-delic rock outfit. His label Paw Tracks has seen some of the most challenging records to emerge from modern American music. Hugely inspired by Aphex Twin,

Panda Bear has crossed many genres from IDM to psych rock to hard techno. This will be his first venture into French house & disco and we can't wait to hear it!

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Often considered one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, and definitely one of the most

notorious, Rose McGowan is just as famous for her roles in blockbusters like Scream, Grindhouse and Conan The Barbarian as she is for dating Marilyn Manson, and her rebel girl attitude. You might also recognize her from the long-running cult TV show Charmed, and we got a chance to talk to the gorgeous and gracious vixen.

So I figured we could start RIGHT from the beginning.

Always a great way to start!

I wanted to chat about your upbringing, because it seems very interesting. You were born in Florence, Italy, and then moved to Oregon? That must have been culture shock!

Yeah, I was a kid in Italy and I got to grow up on a hippy commune of all places. Then we moved to the States where I was the total weirdo. I dressed all in black and leather and lace… It was Oregon so they could sense I was different. I guess I was, I mean, who wouldn't want to be? I knew I didn't want to be like these people and I knew I wouldn't be around them forever.

Mean Girls I'd assume?

Total mean girls.

Which, ironically, you played in Jawbreaker. Did growing up around bullies give you the ammunition to play Courtney in Jawbreaker?

It really did, you know. I always found those cool kids in high school such dorks and I just wanted to tell them that everything they thought was wrong. So wrong that you think you're cool picking on everyone else! In Oregon, people were just so mean. Fuck you, Oregon haha. I don't care. But yeah, there were a lot of mean girls so I had a lot of studying to draw on to play the mean girl.

How did you get from there to acting?

I never wanted to act. I was going to school in LA and I had a friend who said I should audition for this Gregg Araki movie, The Doom Generation… Apparently I had "the look" or "the attitude" he was looking for, so I kinda said "fiiiiine". The character Amy Blue, I don't know if you've seen it, but she was very "meh" about everything and that's exactly how I was too. So I ended up going, and I got the role, but I had no acting training…

by cole johnston

may 2013 #46Yet you got an Independent Spirit Award for Doom Generation!

I know! I didn't even go 'cuz I didn't know what it was, I was so badass. I didn't go to Sundance either because I didn't know what it was, but eventually they did make me go. So yeah, that's how it began.

Did you ever think you wanted to try something else?

Oh yeah, acting was a total accident and I've quit a couple times. I never had any urge to be famous that I think a lot of actors have. It's been an odd but

really interesting journey for sure.

What's your favourite scary movie?

Oh come on, you know I'm biased. It's obviously Scream. I love Wes Craven, and working with him was one of the most fun experiences I've ever had on set. I wish every director would be like Wes, that was great.

Speaking of Scream, Tatum was the character you played that met an untimely end… Do you

find it surprising that people still talk about that character so much?

Yeah actually, it's funny 'cuz the writer, Kevin Williamson, actually wrote that part as a throwaway character. He said to me that I was supposed to just add to the body count and be the bimbo, but that I actually stole the show from other more realized characters. But I didn't get to kick as much ass as I wanted to in Scream.

You do kick a lot of ass in your movies. Especially Cherry Darling in Planet Terror, that has got to be one of the most badass female characters I could ever think of.

I do, I love it. I'm not gonna lie, it's way more fun to be the one doing stunts and fights. I do about 95% of my own stunts.

That's a lot of stunts. Especially on your five year stint on Charmed. How was the experience of working on a long-running TV show?

Well, it really was like a family. It sounds cheese-ball but when you work with people for 5 years, the cast and crew really become close. The three of us played sisters, but we really felt like it too. It makes going to work every day a lot easier when you're surrounded by family.

You were on another famous television show last year, one close to many of our readers' hearts – RuPaul's Drag Race!

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Oh, yeah, I loved it! I love drag queens, they make me embarrassed about how little I know about makeup or being fabulous. And RuPaul is just the Queen of the Queens right? So yeah, it was a great experience, I'd been wanting to do it since the first season. Judging drag queens, I've finally made it!

Did you get along with all the other judges then? Would you like to do it again?

Definitely! I mean, Michelle Visage can go so I can take her job, but you know, besides that… Haha, no Michelle is a doll, everyone was really sweet on set.

What are you working on these days? Back into the feature film arena?

Yes, back in film this year after doing a few TV shows. I'm really excited because it's an adaptation of The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe, which was one of my favourite stories as a child. I told you, I was a total weirdo; I'd actually get on the floor and listen for heartbeats whenever we went to visit people that had hardwood floors. My parents were mortified. I was obsessed, so it's fantastic to be part of a retelling of the story. It's directed by John LaTier, a really talented guy, and I play the character of Ariel, who wasn't in the original story, and who may or may not be real... Not sure on the exact release date yet, so keep check-ing up on it on Facebook. V Rose McGowan's latest film The Tell-Tale Heart is slated for release this summer, and she just began production on Rise of the Lonestar Ranger opposite Danny Trejo. www.facebook.com/rosemcgowan

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may 2013 #46

Nicknamed The Villain in his home of Portland, Oregon, Russell Bruner is anything but. His Vaudeville charac-

ter has garnered him international attention in the burlesque scene, and he was recently named the 2012 King of Burlesque. Earlier this month, Bruner headlined the Vancouver Inter-national Burlesque Festival, where we caught up with this Mormon-turned-sex icon.

Congratulations on being named the 2012 King of Burlesque! How has that win effected your performances and touring schedule?

Before the title, I was gradually getting performing opportunities outside of the American West Coast. After performing at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend, I've benefited from a more world-wide aware-ness of what I do and I've been able to travel more.

Growing up in a Mormon family in small-town Washington, what was the path that lead you to the world of burlesque?

Swing dancing is what eventually brought me to the world of burlesque. I started dancing as a Mormon when I went to church dances as a youth. I left Mormon-ism when I was 21. After removing the rules and guidelines and limitations of Mormonism, I was able to comfortably go on to "misbehaving" and doing things like dancing in bars. I went on to teach and do competitions. I eventually developed a desire to do more with dancing, so I went on to performing partner dance acts in various variety shows. So my first oppor-tunity to perform in a burlesque show was performing a partner swing dance act. I later MC'd and as a challenge did a short strip tease act that got me started.

What elements do you consistently use in a Russell Bruner show?

I am constantly incorporating the things that inspire me and fit my character. In a way, I carry a torch for the continuation of classic performance arts that had their beginnings around the early 1900's. There is much that began at that time that should be celebrated and continued further. I use swing and rag time jazz music. I do dance steps that are found in the Balboa, the Charleston, the Blackbottom, the Lindy Hop, the Peabody, and other vernacular jazz dance. I wear classic apparel like top hat, bow tie, spats and sock garters. I also incor-porating aspects of gentleman juggling.

In terms of boylesque, how has that grown and changed since you first began?

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The term "boylesque" is still growing on me. The slang variations of "burlesque" that have been used to make descriptive words of different categories of urlesque are common now, but since I usually use the word "boy" to describe a male that is teenage or younger, the term "boylesque" still sounds like an odd choice in marketing and describing adult entertainment. Gentlemen doing strip tease defies common ideas on gender roles. People are often seeing men perform burlesque strip tease acts for the first time, and previously had the idea that only women did burlesque strip tease acts. So, the art is growing as it's being newly pioneered and it's been well received.

If you could think of the dream performance to put together, who else would it involve?

I feel like I'm living a dream right now. A year ago, I would have told you that I dream of sharing the stage with performers that I have had the pleasure of working with in the past year. But I do still dream of going overseas. I have never been overseas, so I dream about going to Europe, Asia, Australia and performing with the performers there.

You just headlined the Vancouver Interna-tional Burlesque Festival earlier this month. Had you performed in Vancouver before?

Yes, I have performed at Kitty Nights Sunday Night Burlesque Show at the Biltmore a couple of different times. I have also performed in Circus Sideshow events organized by Neil E Dee, and I've performed in a couple of Electro Swing events.

What advice would you give aspiring burlesque performers?

Let your act be a reflection of yourself. In burlesque acts, you have a rare opportu-nity to be the director. You get to make and choose the costume, the music, the make up, the concept, the choreogra-phy, and all the other factors. Do your best, and don't forget the purpose of the job is to entertain the audience. V

Check out Russell Bruner on Facebook or MySpace, and for something extra, enjoy the videos below. www.swingtimepdx.comwww.vimeo.com/32988890www.vimeo.com/52195944

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may 2013 #46

by velvet steele

Just like a car, a little lotion helps get that love motor running smoothly. I mean, you wouldn’t jump into your

car and drive off into the sunset without some oil to keep that engine running at peak performance, so why would you expect your paramour to be any different?

Trust me, just like that well-oiled machine you worship in your garage, the human machine also needs a little something something to get going now and then! And since we’ve all seen the selection at Canadian Tire, it’s clear there is a multitude of choices out there. It’s no different at the local sex shoppe!

Think about it, you’ve got silicone, water based, hybrids, (a mix of the two), organ-ics, oil based, vegetable oils, pheromone laced, flavoured, warming, cooling, numbing, tingling, tightening, creams, lotions, potions, liquids, candles, bars. You get the picture.

It’s a pretty big market out there, well beyond the days of good old KY. And now the manufacturers of these lotions and potions are making products geared for the sexes, and it’s about time. As the saying goes, what’s good for the goose is not always good for the gander and companies are finally putting this knowledge to good use.

To be honest, most men I know don’t really care what it is they are using to avoid that lovely friction burn. I know guys using things like olive oil, soap, hand cream, and yes, we have all heard it before, crisco! Come on, be honest, I know you have tried it. Why not try a bit of coconut oil, it’s anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, you can cook with it, and it tastes great! Hell, when push comes to shove, the old spit and polish method works wonders.

The women, on the other hand, do need some loving care and ingredients for those nether regions. Dryness does occur and the lube manufacturers are now using plant based extracts in their formulas to promote the production of mucous for these particular problems. This isn’t just limited to the vaginal cavity (come on say it, vagina!) but the anal cavity as well. Most of the gay guys I know, already know this, you dirty kinky boys you, and are scooping up the lovely pretty pink bottles in batches so big you’d think they are bathing in it!

Regardless of what it is you find yourself using ('cuz the choices are almost limitless), you’ll be needing to keep in mind that not all of them are compatible with your choice of toys, or for that matter, you. Allergies can and do occur. My suggestion? Get a sample if it's a new product to you, try it on the inside of your elbow and see if you have reaction. Trust me, you don’t want a healthy slathering giving you a healthy burn during that boot knocking action.

In no time, you’ll have an assortment for all those different uses, just like my ever-empty liquor cabinet. Trust me, I can vouch for that! Enough food for thought? I hope so as I must run, I’ve got a bath to take. V

Velvet Steele is a local sex educator and advocate in Vancouver. www.velvetsteele.com

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may 2013 #46

It seems that the locker room, one of the last places where the the warm light of equality ever shines, may be seeing

sunnier days. Last month, professional basketball player Jason Collins announced "I'm a 34 year old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay". This has been, for many, an important watershed moment for the LGBT community. Collins becomes the first active male player in any of the American Sports Leagues to do so. His announcement did not go unnoticed. He received personal pledges of support from Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Chelsea Clinton, Kobe Bryant, Michael Strahan (a long term supporter of marriage equality) and Dwane "The Rock" Johnson to name an illustrious few. The gay community is swooning over its new poster boy, and Boston Pride has offered him the role of Grand Marshal in this summer's parade.

Homophobia has long been a part of team sports, even at the highest levels. Quarter-back Chris Culliver famously announced

that gay athletes were not welcome on his San Francisco team (yes, San Francisco). NFL running back Garrison Hearst proclaimed "Awe , hell no, I don't want any faggots on my team". Philadelphia 76er Allan Iverson chose to rap his hate with "come to me with faggot tendencies, you be sleeping where the maggots be". Only time will tell if this weeks announcement will truly foster a change in attitudes.

In 2012, the You Can Play campaign began. Their slogan "If you can play, you can play" has been endorsed by Ryan Kesler, Alec Martinez, coach Brian Burke and countless others in pro sports. The simple notion that membership on a team should be based solely on ability has been adapted by many schools and teams, and has been warmly received.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King, who was outed in 1981, had this to say in reaction to the Collins' announcement: "This is a day of celebration for the LGBT community and for all of us. I look forward to the day when the news of anyone coming out, is a non-is-sue and once we reach that point, we will know we have arrived". Fellow tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who has also been out since the early '80s, noted that Jason Collins received a call of support from President Barrack Obama but that she received no such similar call from Ronald Reagan. The times, it would appear, are a changing. V

Read more of Joan-E's Rag online at www.v-rag.com

Jennifer Lawrence • Elvira, Mistress of the DarkJake Cruise • Giorgio Moroder • Nile Rodgers

Armistead Maupin • Jeanne Beker + More

SUMMER 2013Be part of V-Rag's biggest summer season yet, celebrating our 4 Year Anniversary, Vancouver Pride 2013, and the 25th Annual Queer Film Festival. The next 3 issues of V-Rag will be the most picked-up editions we've ever produced, with pull out maps, event guides and excusive all-star interviews...

To ensure a spot in these landmark editions, contact cole@v-rag.com, and quote VRAGSUM for 15% off any ad!

the evil deadD: Fede Alvarezkby Jason Goodwin

Sam Raimi’s 1981 splat-tastic classic The Evil Dead is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time. Director Fede Alvarez's 2013 version isn’t so much a remake or a sequel as it is a rebirth of a series that had lied dormant for years. It stays true to the formula set up by the original, but breathes a fresh, disgusting, undead life into it, and the result is something bloody brilliant

In this new film, four friends go to a cabin in the woods to help their fifth friend Mia overcome her drug addiction. Right away, this is a stronger plot than The Evil Dead. But their good intentions only make it more difficult to watch as they discover the Book of the Dead in the basement, reading it and unleashing the demonic power it contains.

The biggest criticisms other reviewers have made deal with the lack of humor, that the movie took itself too seriously, or that the plot was weak and the scares were cheap. However, the original Evil Dead also took itself seriously, and had a basic plot. It was just so low budget and campy that it was hilarious.

I’m bursting with anticipation for Alvarez’s announced Evil Dead 2 and Sam Raimi’s also announced Army of Darkness 2, as well as their ambitious possibility of a seventh film in the series that combines the storylines of Ash and Mia. But while I wait, I’ll kill time by going to see Evil Dead again and again.

iron man 3D: Shane Blackby Joey Paur

It's been a blast watching Marvel's cinematic universe blow up on the big screen these last few years, and it all started with Jon Favreau's Iron Man. That movie set the tone and standard for every Marvel film that has been made since, and they've been getting bigger and better! Iron Man 3 is one of the best Marvel movies to date, and the best Iron Man movie in the franchise.

I had pretty high expectations built up for Iron Man 3. Marvel marketed the hell out of it and did a great job of getting their fan base pumped up. One of the interest-ing things about this is that regardless of how much the studio released, Marvel still managed to keep all the big secrets of the film's story under wraps.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is in a dark place in the movie. He almost died in The Avengers, and found out that they are not alone in the universe. This and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) are the driving force of the story and the reason why Tony is the way he is, and why he does what he does.

I know you don't need me to talk you into seeing this movie. You've already made your decision, and I'm sure most of you are going to see it. I'm basically just here to let you know that the movie is freakin' awesome and that I'm sure you're going to love it!

may 2013 #46

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daft punkGet Luckyby Jason Goodwin

Finally we're getting lucky! No more bullshit fan-made "official" releases, dubstep remixes or mind-numbing hour long loops on YouTube. The official official version of Daft Punk's new track "Get Lucky" was released late April, and all we can say is disco is back on the dancefloor! The robo duo have scored their first #1 single ever with one of the funkiest songs to top the charts in years.

These French pioneers beat their previous best – the #2 slot they achieved with their similarly funky tune “One More Time” in 2000 – thanks to their collaboration with Pharrell Williams and Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers.

After reaching the top 3 just 48 hours after the single went on sale, Daft Punk is set to skyrocket from techno superstars to full-fledged pop gods. You've all heard the track, now it's just a waiting game for the album. And we'll stay up all night for it!

lusineThe Waiting Roomby Mumbles

With more than a decade of music-making under his belt, Seattle-based artist Jeff Mcllwain's newest offering sounds like a man at the top of his game producing some of the most warm and satis-fying material in his impres-sive career. The album drifts through genres and styles with glorious ease offering minimal, shoe gaze, deep house, '80s synth pop and ending with the euphoric four on the floor house track "February". Jeff also employs some sublime vocals this time around to elevate his sonic creations and ultimately brings his music closer than he's ever been to the accessi-bility of Pop. However, Pop is rarely constructed as master-fully as this. The Waiting Room ultimately stands as a strong and thoroughly enjoy-able example of just how good electronic music can be. Consider the bar raised. Lusine will be performing at The Cobalt on June 1.

laura mvulaSing To The Moonby Matt Roy

Look up Laura Mvula’s music video "That’s All Right" from her debut album Sing to the Moon and you’ll see exactly why I fell in love with her. She looks you right in the eye, sings you her thoughts, and you let the music take you away.

This is musically haunt-ing, lyrically honest, and basically perfect. Mvual has such command of her voice, and her band—comprising primarily of brothers and sisters in some kind of genius family musical act—beds songs like nobody’s business. Not only that, but she’s built herself an interactive website lauramvula.com, which includes videos, pictures, and my personal favourite, a fan-based page where she shares the stems of singles, and you can submit a remix to be potentially included on the official remix release. Oh, and I just saw her live, and that sealed the deal. She’s my new diva (sans the attitude).

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