Yolanda Be Cool-We No Speak Americano

Writing to us from Spain, a country that knows how to enjoy itself like no other (and Leks' home in a few weeks), Kyle wants to share a little European flavor after being in the continent over the summer. A first time writer, one of Gator's best buddies, and a good homie of Moose and mines, welcome Kyle, and we hope to hear more from you soon. Moose, get your dancing shoes.

Hello Moose, Leks, and all-

Big fan of Jamandahalf, first time writer. Having spent nearly 3 awesome months galavanting across Europe, I have run into several epic tunes that can only be labeled awesomely Euro. I heard your call and one song rang true in my mind. After some diligent research I discovered that this jam topped the charts in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom-- might as well just say, Europe. 

Spawned by an underground indie funk group, comes the undisputed number one Euro club banger of the summer, "We No Speak Americano." The brainchild of Aussie duo Yolanda Be Cool, in collaboration with producer DCUP, "We No Speak Americano" embodies all that is expected from a topcharting Eurojam.

What elevates this jam to a jamandahalf is its undeniably groovy hook which happens to be a sample from the 50's hit entitled, "Tu vuò fà l'americano" by Renato Carosone. The Aussie tagteam then did what they do best and added a sick beat with appropriately thumping levels of bass. Do yourself a favor and don't listen to this jamandahalf without a sub. It's just not the same. In the words of Leks, "I can tell why it swept across Europe-funky bass line, catchy sample, danceability levels off the charts." I'd say truer words have yet to be spoken. 

In my travels this summer this song was bumped in the best beachfront clubs in Barca, the not-surprisingly lavish gay pride festival and coffeeshops of Amsterdam, the biggest beerhall in Munich, the elevator up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Tiesto even saw fit to sample it in Ibiza. Literally everwhere. 

By now hundreds of DJs have hopped on and remixed this song, but the original still rings true to me. It was the jam of the summer here in Europe, hope you enjoy, "We No Speak Americano." 

-Kyle

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Justice-Phantom Part 1.5 (live)

There's not much more Euro than techno music. For some reasons, most Americans don't get it. We need guitar riffs and lyrics about hard living and our dog leaving us. On the whole, we look for that perceived realness, and love those sing-a-long ballads that everyone knows the words too. Doesn't have to be the best music, but we like those catchy tunes, songs that we can feel good singing at the top of our lungs. And you sure daggone it can't sing along to no euro techo!

Other than techno (and by techno I mean trance, electronica, house etc), what else does europe have that the US hasn't adopted in some way? Great espressos and mixed coffee drinks? I can go to the Mickey D's around the corner for a uber french McCafé any time of the day. Tight jeans and skinny shirts? Have you seen a hipster lately? Even our health care will soon (hopefully) be a couple of shades more Euro soon. But one trend that has never truly caught on is music that I will fit under the giant umbrella of "techno." Despite some artists like Tiesto, David Guetta, Calvin Harris, etc, getting some festival love and larger tours, I would say that American society as a whole just hasn't accepted this music yet, hasn't made it their own. I mean, shoot, I've been trying to convert moose for years; no luck. And he's more american than corn bread and miley cyrus.

But listening to this jam and a half, one wonders when will people start realizing the energy, the emotion, the rawness of a lot of the techno music out there. Constantly evolving, changing, and reaching higher heights,  today's scene could be compared to what happened to hip hop in the late 80s and early 90s: DJs who pushed boundaries, the infusion of new sounds, the reawakening  and revitalization of a style of music. Justice, the french duo, are among the leaders of this current wave, and have a distinct sound, harder than other djs, but without missing any creativity or complexity. Phantom Part 1.5 stands out because no matter whether the beat is building up or dying down, whether it's using a sample of their own song or whether they're just using a pounding bassline, it's pure, unfiltered, energy. The crowd is living for each new movement, each subtle change, and the fusing of their noise and the music of two musicians who after only one album are among the masters of their craft, combines to make a jam and a half.

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