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Posted 2/10/12 4:00 pm ET by David Greenwald in Celebrity, Music, Videos
Here's a pairing we never thought we'd see: Chairlift joining forces with Das Racist verse-dropper Kool A.D. for a totally unironic/totally awesome Beyoncé "Party" cover. (Turns out Charlift's Patrick Wimberly worked on Das Racist's Relax. Only in Brooklyn.) The dynamic duo busted out the song in the studio for Australia's Triple J Radio, with Chairlift's Caroline Polachek crushing the vocals, playing keyboard and rocking some nerdy dance moves. No pressure, Bey.
In a clever nod, the band opens with the beat of Kanye West and Jay-Z's "Paris" rather than dropping in Yeezy's "Swagu" line. The rest's a faithful rendition, until the Andre 3000/J. Cole section: Kool A.D. wrote new verses for the cover, rapping from a sheet of paper and trying not to giggle as he made his way through couplets like "I'm Drake vs. Common/who cares?", referring to the rappers' recent beef. Also: "I'm Lenny Kravitz/I'm Lenny Kravitz/I'm Lenny Kravitz." Whatever you say, dude.
+ Hear Chairlift and Das Racist's cover of Beyoncé's "Party" after the jump.

In addition to creating a new word that thousands of indie fans will now Google, synth pop duo Chairlift contribute one of the quirkiest videos of the year with lead single "Amanaemonesia."
Directed by Todd Hines and Chairlift lead singer/Anne Hathaway look-alike Caroline Polachek, the video's main focus is a bodysuit-clad Polachek dancing around a soundstage while '80s karaoke graphics display the song's quasi-cryptic lyrics. Polachek choreographed the video herself with help from noted choreographer Juri Onuku, allegedly spending two months practicing in studios and dance classes.
Polachek rocks some movements that would put us in the hospital, but a few suspect hand wiggles definitely keep the video light and fun. Someone needs to invent "videobombing" and place Polachek's interpretative dances in other bands' videos -- literally no video is in existence that wouldn't be more entertaining with bodysuited interpretative dance.
As to what amanaemonesia is exactly? Yeah, we have no idea either. Maybe a combination of amnesia, money and, uh, amanae? We got nothing here. Just watch.
Chairlift is currently working on their third LP, out next year via Columbia.
Posted 3/8/11 4:44 pm ET by Nicole Sia in Celebrity, Music

(Credit: WireImage, Afp, FilmMagic)
Holy crap, that was way too much Charlie Sheen way too fast. In this week's rundown of all the best things on the Internet, I'll try to keep the #tigerblood references to a minimum. Like, I'm not even going to mention Hipster Charlie Sheen. In fact...
1.) The Village Voice has started a grassroots movement to make Friday "Unfollow Charlie Sheen on Twitter Day." If you can't wait till then, some dudes have created a Firefox- and Chrome-compatible plug in that will block all Sheen content as you browse. (Village Voice, Tinted Sheen)
2.) Caroline Polachek from Chairlift is one of those really infuriatingly cute/awesome/talented/youknowthetype indie goddesses whose apartment is definitely better than yours. Refinery29 peeped it and reported back. (Refinery29)
3.) Amy Winehouse did a photo shoot for Look magazine in which she appeared neither gaunt nor trainwreck-y. Does that mean she'll be releasing new music soon? 'Cause the bartender at my usual karaoke bar is getting pretttttty tired of hearing me slur/shout "Back To Black." (Idolator)
4.) I see London, and I see France, but what I do not see is Waka Flocka Flame's underpants because, uh, he isn't wearing any. The rapper got buck nekky for a new PETA campaign, "Ink, Not Mink." (Just Jared)
5.) Mark Zuckerberg has officially become one of those people who make Facebook pages for their pets. #awkberg (Facebook)
6.) The guy in this "60 Minutes" segment about amazing new polar bear footage keeps saying that the clip demonstrates "magic and innocence," but really what it demonstrates is that polar bears are SCARY GENIUSES. Skip to 11:35. (CBS News)
7.) Someecards has perfectly stereotyped the different breeds of Twitter profiles. I'm a #3. (someecards)
8.) Miley Cyrus did a spot-on Justin Bieber impression on last week's episode of "Saturday Night Live," and America liked it. Chin. Wink. (Hulu)
9.) Speaking of Justin Bieber, the prankster pretend to fire his guitarist, Dan Kanter, who was probably like "Um... ha ha?" (Celebuzz)
10.) His royal hottie hotness Donald Glover aka Troy from "Community" aka this year's mtvU Woodie Awards host just released an EP. It's called Childish Gambino, and it's good, and you can download it for free. (iamdonald)
Posted 6/18/09 3:20 pm ET by Daniel in Celebrity, Music, Videos

Yo. This new Linkin Park video is intense. Joe Hahn -- the band's turntable guru and resident video director -- has stepped his game up in a major way. Remember that tripped-out technique that made your eyes roll back in your head on Chairlift's "Evident Utensil" and Kanye West's original "Welcome To Heartbreak?" The one that pixelates the images, bleeds the colors, and melts them all together? Yeah well, it's back in a big way.
This time around, in the video for Linkin Park's "New Divide," the revolutionary technique doesn't take center stage. It's one of many. Hahn uses the pixel melt to segue between double-vision infrared performance clips and scenes from Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen, the film for which "New Divide" is the theme. To put it plainly, the effect is stunning. And it doesn't hurt that the song walks that impossible line of epic and irresistibly catchy. Prepare to catch yourself singing "Give me reeeeeason!" under your breath all day. Watch "New Divide," now.

Amazing Baby is a tribe of Brooklyn weirdos on a hardcore vision quest. On their debut full-length, Rewild, the sonic explorers glam out in the far reaches of a dozen imagined mini universes, introducing mystical creatures ("The Narwhal"), gruesome danger ("Bayonets," "Deerripper") and fantastic real estate ("Invisible Palace"). In league with fellow Brooklyn heavyweights MGMT and Chairlift, Amazing Baby have been generating high-intensity buzz since the first sky-ripping growl of their neo-psychedelic revolution.
Amazing Baby's latest single, "Smoke Bros," is a cosmic boogie about starving cannibals that's half smirk, half snarl. The single's heady pomp and swagger is pure T.Rex, but its outer space guitar sounds and cynical edge are pure Brooklyn, 2009. Don't miss this new glam-rock (hey, aren't Tokio Hotel kinda glam...?) juggernaut.
Watch the mind-blowing video for "Headdress" below, to get a feel for the level of Arcade Fire intensity we're dealing with here, then download "Smoke Bros" for free on Amazing Baby's website.
Posted 3/31/09 6:58 pm ET by Daniel in Celebrity, Music, Videos

(Credit: Daniel Arnold)
When Kanye and Kid Cudi dropped their digitally tripped-out "Welcome To Heartbreak" video, they did it in a hurry because they knew Chairlift's "Evident Utensil" clip was coming. The Brooklyn '80s throwbacks implement the same bizarre pixelization techniques that Kanye did -- psychedelically melting one frame into another -- only, arguably, to greater effect.
When you watch "Welcome To Heartbreak," mesmerizing as it obviously is, you have to wonder, "Is this finished?" It's beautiful, but there's something about it that still looks rough. Chairlift's "Evident Utensil" looks like a slick finished product, blending oceans into blue skies and faces into forests, artistically altering reality.
The song itself is just as successful. A light and airy synth-pop pleasure, it rehashes the best sounds of the '80s without sounding like a rip-off. In fact, if you aren't well-versed in the world of New Order, you'd swear that these indie innovators had stumbled on a brand-new sound, all their own. As it is, Chairlift sounds wildly fresh. Watch their mind-melter of a video for "Evident Utensil" below and decide for yourself if it tops Kanye's "Welcome To Heartbreak."
Posted 1/21/09 3:19 pm ET by Daniel in Celebrity, Music, Videos
Yo, 1983! Welcome back! Again! We've been busting out our moustache combs and scratching at our leg warmers all day over here, listening to this airy New Order-meets-Hall & Oates jam, "Big Bills." The instant new-wave-yacht-rock classic is the latest from underground Chicago DJ duo Flosstradamus, with enchanting girly vocals courtesy of fellow '80s revivalist, Caroline Polachek of Chairlift (who you may remember from the dreamiest iPod commercial ever). And if Flosstradamus sounds familiar, it's probably because half of the DJ team, Josh 'J2K' Young, is Kid Sister's big brother!
Finally, maybe it's just the video's Lost In Translation-esque muted colors, breathy vocals and sleepy blur, but is anybody else picking up on a major Sofia Coppola vibe here? Not only is this new Flosstradamus clip overloaded with that moody Virgin Suicides ennui, but Caroline Polachek (good thing someone found a use for her!) is also a dead-ringer for the it-girl director. Doncha think?! Yeah you do.
Posted 9/29/08 5:57 pm ET by Tamar Anitai in Celebrity, Music, Oh It's That Song, Videos

Three-piece Brooklyn electro-pop band Chairlift (shown here in couture gladiator gear) is the latest band to get Apple's iPod-hawking, insta-fame treatment, and rightfully so; their dreamy single, "Bruises," the one that goes "I tried to do handstands for you, but every time I fell for you" -- has been somersaulting through my brain for weeks now, and their debut LP, Does You Inspire You, isn't even out until tomorrow.
Lead singer Caroline Polachek's breathy-but-bold feminine vocals (think The Cardigans' Nina Persson) float hauntingly above sweetly (but not too sweet) simple (but not too simple) keys and unobtrusive drum beats as my desire to buy an electric turquoise Nano arm wrestles with my desire to buy a Nano in bright purple.
Watch a full-length Chairlift set from Baebelmusic, listen to "Earwig Town," check out Chairlift's fall Yeasayer tour dates, and watch Nena's classic "99 Luft Balloons" video -- the godmother of female-fronted electro-pop if ever there was one.
Past "Oh! It’s ‘That’ Songs"
+ Lenka, "The Show"
+ Throw Me The Statue, “Lolita”
+ Ingrid Michaelson, “The Way I Am”
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