Until Daft Punk descended from the mothership in their robot suits for 1997's seminal Homework, mainstream dance music had spent a long time building its identity around slickly-produced synthpop cotton candy and mildly embarrassing Jock Jams-era stadium shout-alongs. With one look at Michel Gondry's Bubsy Berkley-on-acid video for "Around the World," you knew that cutting a rug didn't require random exhortations of "Everybody dance now!" anymore.
Around the same time, the trance/ambient scene started to pick up steam thanks to the mojo of a Maryland DJ-turned-producer named BT (née Brian Transeau). His 1999 album Movement in Still Life marked the zenith of his efforts to introduce a special brand of hip-hop influenced, stutter-riddled trance to the masses, largely by virtue of his work composing film scores and collaborating with wildly successful pop acts such as NSync. BT's alternately spazzy and soothing compositions cut through the fat of an American dance scene awash with Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears singles.
But then something unusual happened--people stopped moving. A sort of post-millennial exhaustion poisoned the dancefloor. Somehow, actual dancing became taboo in dance-oriented music, replaced by exercises for the comatose like snapping your fingers, doing the Rockaway, and leaning back. If somebody had released a record telling people to lay down and take a nap during this period, it probably would have been a huge club-banger. Even the old guard was off its game--both Daft Punk's Human After All and BT's Emotional Technology failed to resonate with audiences seemingly more concerned with an economy of motion (though I doubt BT's newly frosted tips helped matters).
However, thanks to an infusion of new talent, the tide appears to be turning. Daft Punk protégés Justice sent people scrambling back to the dancefloor this year with their none-too-subtly-titled "D.A.N.C.E.", a song the French duo has described as an ode to Michael Jackson. Also delivering on their promise to make dancing sexy again is the Montreal-based electro-funk outfit (and current MTV interstitial darlings) Chromeo, who describe themselves as "the only successful Arab/Jewish collaboration since the beginning of time." Their recent sophomore effort, Fancy Footwork, puts the primal sense of attraction and jubilation back into the dance, encouraging all would-be wallflowers to "Let her see that fancy footwork/Show her you're that type of guy." When you toss in both groups' penchant for unique, whimsical videos (like Chromeo's "Tenderoni"), it's clear that the dance, at long last, is making its comeback.
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It's 2007 (almost 2008) now and what do we need more of? Spice Girls, of course! Really? Apparently. After taking their own advice - "friendship never ends" - and 
BORIS IS COMING!!! BORIS IS COMING!!!
I've already seen them twice but I still can't hold back my excitement. Like the post title says, this is just a reminder. Check back next week for the review. Any details you need can be found at the 
Happy downloading!
Link: 
This summer I found myself asking anyone I knew if they had heard anything about British Sea Power lately. After two stunning releases they seemed to have slipped off the radar. Well, today I was granted a present while scouring the music message boards: "New British Sea Power Track: Free download" HELL YEAH! So I've listened to the song a handful of times already and it really does deserve multiple listens. I'm not going to flesh out a review because it's only one song. All I can say is don't be fooled by the Strokes-y guitar and bass... BSP offer much more. So download it already:
Sometimes labels screw bands over . . . and sometimes bands that started in the U.S. get to come back.
While their latest single "Keeping You In Mind" isn't out in the U.S. quite yet (I don't think it will be until later this year>July?> shows then too-see myspace page below), Mighty Six Ninety is definitely worth a listen.
I guess you could say (hear- ha) Morrissey is an influence. But I promise the single is still great (not that Morrissey isn't great, just that too many bands sound like Morrissey right now, this one is one of the better ones). Okay, I went to all their shows last summer and am in love with the drummer.
So embrace these "UK" kids (just the label is British), buy their cool hipster vinyls online, and then go emote with them at Moscow. And remember, the Brits know best when it comes to pop (and indie music) . . .
fun fun fun remix of "keeping you in mind" 
