by SHANE SINNOTT

One of the funny things about the Internet, in a depressing sort of way, is that everything will eventually come out. Whether it’s ever more gynecological photos of famous women or unreleased mp3s by semi-famous artists, if someone wants to see or hear it, it’ll find its way into the world. On the subject of the latter (sigh), rare recordings by Zach Condon, whose brainchild Beirut had a stellar 2006, have surfaced. Recorded in 2001 under the name the Real People when Condon was just 15, the album is called The Joys of Losing Weight. Some tracks are available at iguessimfloating.blogspot.com/2007/03/zach-condon-enjoys-losing-weight.html. It sounds nothing like Beirut—track seven (all the tracks are untitled, presumably because the album was never intended for release) is a synthy, drum-machine-laden charmer that would be altogether too cute save for the fact that Condon is doing his best Ian Curtis impression.

What I haven’t been able to get enough of lately is Rob Crow, the genius from Heavy Vegetable, Thingy and Pinback who has now embarked on a solo career. His solo stuff is precise, math-influenced indie, and he’s probably the only artist who has to make an album track longer before releasing it as a single. He packs more into 90 seconds than most artists pull off in nine minutes. He skipped Montreal on his recent tour, but console yourself by listening to “I Hate You Rob Crow,” available at www.spinner.com/2007/02/07/rob-crow-to-tour-video/.

As I write this, the Culture Bully blog is in the midst of an ambitious mp3-posting frenzy entitled 5 Days of LC Soundsystem, putting up all manner of material by the electro-rock wizards, slated for a show here in early May. The most interesting so far is day three, Mashups & Remixes, available here: www.culturebully.com/archives/3003. There’s something for everyone in the dozen tracks posted—LCD Soundsystem vs. Justin Timberlake, vs. Oasis, vs. Johnny Hallyday—but the two that interested me the most were “Dance to the Disco Infiltrator” (vs. Sly & the Family Stone) and “Losing My Femme Fatale” (vs. the Velvet Underground).

Vs. the world! ssinnott@gmail.com