PUNKCAST#1121 Radio 4 - Teddybears - Studio B, Brooklyn

PUNKCAST#1121
Radio 4
Teddybears
Studio B, Brooklyn
Mar 2 2007
sponsored by
WWWhatsup Online Pinstand
with thanks to Studio B

'culture jamming'

There was much disappointment when Brooklyn was deprived of seeing hometown heroes Radio 4 play the Jan 31 final show at North Six when Con Ed cut the power a day early. When they were eventually rescheduled to play Studio B, and Swedens hot outfit Teddybears added to the bill we were mollified, and the show was an absolute cracker. There are similarities between the two bands, in that both haave come from hard roots - Radio 4 from punk, and Teddybears from metal - to become dancefloor heroes. The Teddybears even crossing over with the recent blockbusting 'Punkrocker' with Iggy Pop. R4 played first. They have molded their set into the equivalent of a beat-matched dj mix, that flows without a break. I've picked a song from the middle 'Shake The Foundation' - political, as ever, from their recent album 'Stealing Of A Nation' (first clip). The Teddybears are basically a trio, two guitars and dj/electronics. They come out dressed in suits and massive teddybear heads, an impressive sight. They are augmented by two drummers, video projections, an MC, and a pair of singers, one male who handles the reggae oriented material like 'Cobrastyle', the other Brooklyn's own Santi White aka Santogold who covers for their recording collaborators Neneh Cherry and Iggy Pop on songs like 'Yours To Keep' and 'Punkrocker'. The latter, the climactic closer of their set, is my second clip.