Photo by Michael de Leon

You can’t tickle yourself. It’s laughter born from torture. It is the sound of forced glee with an undercurrent of pain and vulnerability. We’re all tied to tickle machines, and it’s high time to acknowledge and redefine our relationship with the fingers.

Electric Tickle Machine would like you to know that their name is not a euphemism for a vibrator. They use is as a reference to the mobius strip of humanity, technology and our tabloid nation. So who are they? 3 downtown kids (shout out to the East Village!) united under the ETM monker in 2008 and have been building up reputation for sweaty live gigs ever since. They cast an infectious spell over audiences that tends to inspire general mayhem and random hookups. It’s like that fairy tale The Red Shoes except the Chuck Taylor version on Avenue A. We’re talking curfew-breaking music.

This exclusive mp3 they were kind enough to provide us with recalls Enrico Morricone scoring a Band of Horses duel, Charles Bronson stubbing out a cigarette in Death Wish combined with a dash of the crowd euphoria - the kind that was in the air when the barriers collapsed at the Black Lips Brooklyn Pool Party show last summer. Liberated bad ass martial law. You can’t help but give in.

Electric Tickle Machine: Honest Injun by SUPMAG

After 2 awesome years of sharpening their teeth on the DIY scene, ETM’s debut album Blew it Again drops June 29th on their own label Science Diction. We’re giving away a vinyl copy of the album and a pair of tickets to their Northside Festival gig at Shea Stadium on June 25th in Brooklyn. Just email abbey@supmag.com with ETM in the subject line. Be sure to include your fave Charles Bronson flick and whether you’re in the market for the concert tickets or vinyl in the message. EASY. US residents only please.

Rehosted as requested by ‘SUP!

How’s about a little Friday pick me up then? Fresh from blowing our little minds at Primavera Sound last week, Yeasayer have been remixed by new electro duo on the block, Clancy & Build, and we’ve been given the exclusive mp3 to download.

We’ve been dancing throughout the spring to the afrobeat joyness of “O.N.E.” and now it’s been chopped up and given a jolt of synths and electro stylings, making it even more perfect for the dancefloor.

And it’s a ‘SUP exclusive as it’s the first track that remixer/DJs Clancy & Build have produced together. Both producers have been blowing up the blogs with their previous ’80s-tinged remixes for the likes of Empire of the Sun, Phoenix, Delphic and Annie, and their first outing together is a match made in electronic heaven. As two heads are always better than one, non?

Yeasayer: O.N.E. (Clancy & Build Remix) by SUPMAG

Everytime I see Seattle’s BOAT it feels like the first. They’re effing amazing, as is evident in the footage from NYC Popfest last weekend. Now I HATE describing bands by referencing others, but I think the easiest way to sum ‘em up is like… if Harvey Danger smashed into Titus Andronicus. BOAT for president. Get their 3rd album Setting the Paces here. There’s a new EP in the works too. That is all.

BOAT: Lately (I’ve Been On My Back) by punkphoto

(Re-hosted via ‘SUP Magazine with their blessing!)

Here at ‘SUP we have a strict policy to only feature rad music that we feel positive about. If you feel the need to add fiberglass dinosaurs, run ins with police, kinky band names and milestone celebrations to the mix, well then all the better. Thanks to Hot Club de Paris we’ll be having our celebratory cake and eating it too. HCDP’s upcoming 10-inch vinyl EP The Rise and Inevitable Fall of the High School Suicide Cluster Band will be Moshi Moshi Records’ 100th release.

To mark this accomplishment they’ve granted us an MP3 of their single “Free The Pterodactyl 3″. The rumored back-story to this track is set on abandoned fairgrounds and involves the kidnapping of the aforementioned dinosaur. Granted, this sounds an awful lot like a Scooby Doo subplot but it has undeniably inspired a hell of a song. Click arrow on right side of player to download.

Hot Club de Paris: Free The Pterodactyl 3 by SUPMAG

The EP drops on May 24th and until then the album can be streamed in full via the band’s Myspace.

Dear Alexis and Derek, I’m pretty sure that Will has Sleigh Bells on Google alert, so I’ll just post this in the open instead of cluttering up your inbox. I am so effing proud of you two and Treats is amazing. See you tonight.

PS- To my readers, yup this is just a stream. These are my friends and this is how they make a living, so please buy the album - you won’t regret it.

Sleigh Bells : A/B Machines by SUPMAG

Liars are coming to Music Hall of Williamsburg tomorrow. This is fantastic news. Here’s footage from the tour when Angus was recovering from a broken back. Anyone that can rock that hard from the confines of the chair gets my vote. Just imagine what’s gonna go down now that he’s mobile! See you in the pit.

Brakes- Heard About Your Band by punkphoto

Yup yup- last night was a night to pick your battle, and we chose the live debut by Penguin Prison at Mercury Lounge. Shout to Cameron, Sheena Beaston, Tastes Like Caramel, the Culture of Me, and Hard Candy for braving the crowd!

There have been rumblings (and last minute guestlist requests- you know who i’m talking about) regarding LCD Soundsystem playing Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight. 1st off, CONGRATULATIONS LIGHT ASYLUM ON THE OPENING SLOT!!! DAMN! 2ndly, ‘SUP will be holding down the fort at Penguin Prison ’s Mercury gig across the river. Why? Well it’s Penguin’s first ever live show…. and the last time we saw LCD it was one of the most amazing experiences a concertgoer could ever ask for. Check video clips from string of last great NYC shows in 2007. When have you seen kids going that crazy at Bowery? PS this was the week I got my point and shoot camera with video capabilities and obvs hadn’t mastered the whole ‘filming the whole song’ bit yet. Let’s just say I came, I saw, I picked up the Planning To Rock t-shirt.

LCD Soundsystem- New York I Love You by punkphoto

Giorgio Moroder Freddie Mercury - Love Kills by punkphoto

So the astoundingly amazing Janelle Monáe’s new video dropped last week for “Tightrope” (featuring Big Boi from you-know-who), and I remembered *cough* that I snagged some video footage from her parking lot performance at the Afro Punk festival last July. Here it is. For those that haven’t seen her in the flesh, brace yourself for an android loving, Colonel Sanders obsessed visionary who can break it down, high kick, moonwalk, and crowdsurf. Or as S/FJ simply observed at the same gig, “Snood looks like a lady.” For you NYC-ers out there, she plays Highline Ballroom April 8th, and Joe’s Pub the following 2 nights. Archandroid, her first full length (even though her Metropolis (Suite I: The Chase) EP was so meticulous if felt like a complete album) drops May 18th, 2010.

Janelle Monáe - Violet Stars Happy Hunting!!! by punkphoto