Tag: Yolanda Be Cool

Yolanda Be Cool feat. Crystal Waters – Le Bump

“No.”

Tom: Is it anywhere near as good as “We No Speak Americano”?

Tim: Prediction: no.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP9UJdZlYww

Tom: No.

Tim: Good good – I love being right.

Tom: It starts badly. Then you get the rising synth in the background, and you think it might turn brilliant, and… it doesn’t. Then you’ve got the retro gramophone-type music coming out the back, another euphoric build… an extra bit on the end…

…and still nothing.

Tim: It’s sort of, let’s do roughly what we did when we had that successful track and hope it turns out good. And then let’s release it without bothering to check if it is good. Lets ignore the fact the four-bar-repeating-thing here is nowhere near as a catchy or vibrant as the four-bar-repeating-thing was last time – let’s just assume that people will buy this on the back of our other success.

Tom: This isn’t good dance. It isn’t good electroswing. It’s existing somewhere in the middle, trying to be both but managing neither.

Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP – We No Speak Americano

Sort of an eight years later Las Ketchup.

Tom: You’re temporarily Canadian, so you probably won’t have heard this yet – and I want to know what your virgin ears think of it.

It hit number one at the end of July in pretty much every major European chart – and it’s so completely unlike anything that normally reaches the top of the charts that I’m a bit stunned. No vocal over the top. No boy band singing. Not even a “feat. Kayne West” added to boost sales.

Just a sample from the 1950s and a fantastic beat – together making a song that’s going to be played in every club on this continent for the rest of the summer.

It does go on a bit though – the radio edit’s only 2:10 long, which could explain the popularity.

Tim: You’re right, I hadn’t heard of this, and my first thought is ‘wow’; I’m not sure in what way that’s meant. Either wow that that tune got so huge, or wow that it’s just so weird. As an outsider, I’m guessing it’s sort of an eight years later Las Ketchup, and musically I find it ever so slightly reminiscent of Stereo Love.

The video seems weird, given the title, although the internet tells me that the line of the chorus actually translates as ‘you’re acting all American’ – the video is therefore a simple racist stereotype of America from way back, which is… all fine?

Verdict: huh.

Tom: The video’s weird enough in itself, but stranger still it’s promoted by All Around The World. They’re the team behind Clubland and all the associated artists – but they have nothing to do with the record itself, which is released off an indie Australian label.

Tim: Also, a worry: is it every teen kid’s ringtone of choice?

Tom: I have yet to hear it as a ringtone, but I suspect it won’t be long.