The Blow - Parentheses

The Blow, "Parentheses (DAT Politics remix)" (YSI link)

The Blow, "Parentheses (Rory Phillips remix)" (YSI link)

Well, it's been kind of a crappy time of late, so I can't think of a better time to take a look at the recent 7" release for The Blow's "Parentheses." Long-time readers will know that I love love love The Blow and their last album, Paper Television. It's an album that always makes me happy, no matter what the circumstance and this song in particular is one of my all-time favorites. I mean, I could listen to this song forever and I feel like bad things would stay away at a safe distance. "If something in the deli aisle makes you cry, you know I’ll put my arm around you and I’ll walk you outside, through the sliding doors./ why would I mind? You're not a baby if you feel the world. All of the babies can feel the world. That's why they cry." Perfect.

It's always cool to see some noted producers take a stab at a favorite artist's song. On this 7" slab of vinly, you get Rory Phillips, the famed Trash DJ with Erol Alkan, stripping the original down, taking out the stuttery beats and smoothing out the rhythm in general. It sounds to me like he slows things down a fair amount, as it sounds like Khaela Maricich is singing through molasses or on valium. makes the wise decision to leave the vocals in

It's awesome to see the name DAT Politics, a group that I've heard from or listened to in a few years since I last checked in with the Mille Plateaux crowd. They're actually three French men and women from Lille who originally performed as a rock band called Tone Rec, which morphed into DAT Politics around 2000. They've had releases on Tigerbeat and Chicks On Speed, sitting most comfortably on the more experimental/spazzy side of the electronic spectrum. This remix is definitely more of a remix, as the group adds in a screaming vocal, speeds things up, tweaks the vocals a bit and best of all turns the BASS up. I actually like this one a lot, walks the line between being too different and too similar to the original.

I can't say that either version comes within a hundred miles of the original for me. What can I say? I fell in love and there's no one else for me. I cannot recommend more highly picking up a copy of the recent LP, Paper Television. It was one of my fav albums last year and it's one of those records that always gets a reaction out of people I play it for, no matter what their tastes. You just need to hear it and you'll love it, I promise. Buy it here, you can fall in love too.