Maison Kitsuné is the Paris-based music and fashion collective of Masaya Kuroki, Patrick Lacey, Gildas Loaec, Benjamin Reichen, Kajsa Stahl and Maki Suzuki. The group has independently released several 12" mixes and put out a CD compilation last December. In the vein of Daft Punk and Vitalic, these hip Parisians put their own spin on the eclectic French house genre with lots of vamping and melodic syncopation. Stream of their past releases here, including hot mixes of Bloc Party, VHS Or Beta and Fanny Pack. You can preview some tracks from there upcoming dance mix on MySpace. My favorite track has to be Adam Sky's "Ape X" with that its throbbing synths and infectious horn line that resembles a '70s inspired television tune. Some of you might remember Adam Sky as DJ Adamski who collaborated with Seal on "Killer" in 1990. "Ape X" is a must-listen.
Preview Maison Kitsuné Compilation 2 [MySpace]
Watch Adam Sky "Ape X" 
Pet Shop Boys' new single "I'm With Stupid" finally went on sale overseas on Monday. Most of you will be familiar with the song, but also make sure to check out the b-sides "Girls Don't Cry" and the synthtastic "The Resurrectionist," another clever Tennantism. Also, listen to the bleepy "I'm With Stupid (Max Tundra Mix)" and the laid-back grooves of the "I'm With Stupid (Abe Duque Mix)." All those tracks are available for immediate download at 7Digital. Not free, but worth the few pennies.
Preview PSB "The Resurrectionist" [7Digital] Preview PSB "The Resurrectionist" [Goetz Mix] [7Digital] 
What do The Presets, surf stud Kelly Slater and Quiksilver Surfing video Young Guns II supposedly have in common? According to a reader of 3Hive they might all be gay. A heated discussion has been brewing on the music blog about the sexuality of Australian electro duo The Presets and how their "gay" music has been used in the popular surf video. I kid you not. The group's new single "Down Down Down" has only added fuel to the fire with x-rated lyrics like "I will swallow it down."
All these silly rumors and innuendo aside, "Down Down Down" is an excellent new single by the quirky duo of Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes. As far as I'm concerned The Presets, Kelly Slater and the Quicksilver video are all hot in their own unique way. "Down Down Down" was released in the United Kingdom on Monday and is the second single lifted from the group's underground smash album "Beams."
The 12" release of the single includes a remix by German producers Digitalism who will be touring with the group down under next month. The Hamburg couple has turned the original into a yummy slice of rock-infused electro-clash while maintaining the song's crunchy indie vibe (including Hamilton's distressed vocals). (Thanks for my friends at Modular for allowing me to post this audio stream.)
Stream The Presets "Down Down Down" (Digitalism Mix):
Hot, hot, hot. Depeche Mode has teamed up with LiveHereNow to make live recordings of their concerts available on CD and digital download. These unique recordings are now available for pre-order on this web site. The line up of releases also includes the band's spectacular performance on Coachella. (Thanks to Jeff for letting me know.)