by SHANE SINNOTT

I was given a little press release thing this week from Escape Entertainment. They’ve put together an online mix, which you can download at www.escapemtl.com. It’s called Mount Real Mixtape Vol. 1. It gets worse: the cover is a bunch of silhouetted Platoon-type guys, and the font is bloodred and bullet-splattered. The music is local hip hop, ranging from bad to okay, with tired sounds and slow, boring rhymes. The obvious marketing doesn’t help either—the first three tracks mention the project and Escape Entertainment by name, and a visit to Escape’s Web site reveals a company that offers “event marketing,” “online marketing” and “product marketing.” They even go out on a limb and offer “advertising or cross-promotion” services too! In short, the whole thing has little to do with music, or an interest in it. But hey, it’s free, so maybe you should check it out for yourself.

Here’s something fun and weird: Those Damn Twins (www.thosedamntwins.com), the project of Thomas and Lisa Logan. It’s vaguely electronic, almost twee-sounding pop, with creepy lyrics. To wit: “Legs crushed by stone/Your heart won’t beat/You’re dead on the floor/Lungs deflated/Kidneys collapsed/You’re dead on the floor.” That song and more are available on the site.

While we’re printing lyrics, check out these from the new Arcade Fire song “Black Mirror” (www. anywhereonthefuckinginternet.com): “Black Mirror knows no reflection, knows not pride or vanity/Cares not about your dreams, cares not for your pyramid scheme/Their names are never spoken/The curse is never broken.” Pee-ew! Let’s hope the whole album isn’t like that!

2007, YEAR OF THE WIDGET…ssinnott@gmail.com

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