Lighting Strikes

I was just introduced to this next artist by none other than Rolling Stone magazine. Yes, every now and then they actually talk about music. Liam Finn is the son of Crowded House singer Neil Finn and his own debut album I'll Be Lightning is due out in January '08. He recorded the record in his homeland of New Zealand entirely in analog at his father's studio and it sounds fantastic. The few tracks I've picked up make me really hopeful for the rest of the album. Give a listen to the tracks I have featured below then check out his sites for more info and tunes. Enjoy.

From I'll Be Lightning:

Second Chance

Fire in Your Belly

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Visit Liam's

Myspace

Official Site

Sweet Tooth

It's been a while since I made a mix of goodies and this is a veritable grab bag. Pop gets a really bad name these days and I'd like to do my part to put and end to the stigma. These songs are sweet and delicious and bubble gum free. Enjoy.



PopRocks

1. My Party (Kenna & Chad Hugo Remix) - Kings of Leon (Purchase Because of the Time)*

Neptunes' other half and Kenna team up to teach these good ol' boys to dance.
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2. Handle Me (Bjorn Remix) - Robyn (Purchase Robyn)*

Like a lolly pop that's fallen on the dirty floor. What!? It's still good, 3 second rule!!!

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3. Fleur de Saison - Émilie Simon (Purchase The Flower Book)

French pop is so hot! So what if she's singing about a flower!

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4. Australia (Peter Bjorn & John Remix) - The Shins (Purchase Wincing the Night Away)*

The album version's sullen, dissonant twin.

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5. The Underdog - Spoon (Purchase Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga)

Horn blowing, hand clapping, tamborine shaking goodness.)

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6. I Feel it All - Feist (Purchase The Reminder)

Feist is a bit over exposed at the moment... and I can't think of anyone more deserving. Let the world know of her brilliance!

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7. Simple X - Andrew Bird (Purchase Armchair Apocrypha)

I don't remember which blog I read it in, but someone once described this song as sounding like "...a Radiohead B-side... in the best possible way." Well said, sir or madame!

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8. Consolation Prizes - Phoenix (Purchase It's Never Been Like That)

I've been meaning to share this track for some time now. This seems as good a time as any. Let the hip shaking commence!

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9. Lake Michigan - Rogue Wave (Purchase Asleep at Heaven's Gate)

I've been there once. This song is way better than that visit.

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10. The Prayer - KT Tunstall (Purchase Drastic Fantastic)**

Possibly better than the original by Bloc Party. Recorded for Radio One Live Lounge. Duh!

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11. Buttons - Sia (Purchase Day Too Soon)

No, this is not a Pussycat Dolls Cover. Shame on you! Oddly enough, reminds me of "They Don't Know" by Tracey Ullman. Not sure where that's coming from.

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12. La La La - The Bird and The Bee (Purchase The Bird and The Bee)

Daydream pop at it's very best!

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13. Foundations - Kate Nash (Purchase Made of Bricks)

She's not even trying to hide her cockney accent and it's all the better for it! The line "You say I must eat so many lemons, 'cause I am so bitter" wouldn't work any other way!

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14. Breakin' Up - Rilo Kiley (Purchase Under the Blacklight)

If the video for this doesn't take place at a Roller Rink I will be sadly dissapointed!

________________________________________________

Download the entire Pop Rocks Mix and a .zip file HERE.


* This is a remix and doesn't appear on the studio album.
**This track was recorded live and is not available for purchase.

Leave it to Lerche

I have yet to see the film "Dan in Real Life" as it is clearly a "rent", but I did pick up the soundtrack when I heard my favorite Norwegian pop folkie was at the helm. Yes, friends, Sondre Lerche has done it again. He's produced a fantastic feel good pop album that skips along with tones fresh from another time. Much of it sounds like a throwback to a 50's television show. Like when families ate dinner at the table without the TV on. Notable tracks include the retro pastiche "Hell No" a duet with indie it-girl Regina Spektor and the playful "To be Surprised." My favorite track is Lerche's cover of the Pete Townshend hit "Let my Love Open the Door" the original of which is featured in the trailer for the film. I forgot just how much I enjoy this song. I also remember (and am not too proud to admit) that until a few years ago I thought he was singing "it might have opened the door." What!? I was young! And song lyrics don't always need to make sense! Anyway, check out these tracks from the soundtrack, go pick it up and love it! That's right! You do what the hand says! Enjoy.




From the Dan in Real Life Original Soundtrack:
(Purchase from Amazon ; iTunes)

Sondre Lerche - To be Surprised

Sondre Lerche - Let my Love Open the Door

Also have a go at the 80's pop goodness that was Townshend's original and another, very "margaritaville" cover by M. Ward.



From Empty Glass:
(Purchase from Amazon ; iTunes)

Pete Towneshend - Let My Love Open the Door



From The Starbucks Compilation Sweetheart.
(Purchase Hear Music Stuff Here)

M. Ward - Let My Love Open the Door

iamsam.

I was cruisin' the interweb the other day (like ya do) when I came across this next artist. Much thanks goes out to my boy Drew (he doesn't know he's my boy, by that's really not the point here.) at linesthroughlines for introducing me to Sam Amidon. Drew posted a song called "Saro" as a listening assignment and I dutifully went to work. The song is absolutely breathtaking. I cannot begin to describe how it makes me feel. It's like finding a letter written about a great love from another time. It warms me like a shot of whiskey. Makes me hopeful. "Saro" is on his forthcoming album All is Well due out in February 2008, I cannot wait to listen to the whole album. The few tracks I've managed to round up have been like discovering buried treasure. If these tracks are any indication, February cannot come soon enough. Enjoy.



From the forthcoming album All is Well:
(Preorder from Amazon)

Saro (this song is AMAZING!)

Little Johnny Brown (Fan-bloody-tastic)




From the 2007 Release But This Chicken Proved False Hearted:
(Purchase from Amazon ; iTunes)

Tribulation

Check out more of Sam here

Official Website

Myspace

Brought to You By The Letter "B" and The Number 25.

I had a great time this weekend celebrating my girl Lisa/Bethy's 25th birthday in Vegas but I am so thankful to be home and sleeping in my own bed again. Three days and two nights (on a terrible hotel mattress) were just enough to leave me with found memories and still a yearning for the comforts of home.

While in transit I was doing a crossword puzzle with the aid of my lovely travel companion and one of the clues was "Funny Chevy." Of course there could be no other answer than Mr. Chevy Chase. The first thing I thought of with the mention of his name was not of the many movies he's been in but of a music video he starred in with Paul Simon. This video for "You Can Call Me Al" came out when I was a child, long before I knew of who Paul Simon was and I remember thinking that Chevy himself was the actual singer because he lip syncs throughout. It wasn't until I started asking my mother questions about the wonderful music she was listening to that I came to know the greatness that was Simon and Garfunkle and Paul Simon himself.

It goes without saying that as soon as I got home I listened to the song and went looking to youtube to show me the video I only vaguely recall. It was even better than I remembered! Like watching a Looney Tunes cartoon for the first time as an adult and finally understanding the jokes beyond exploding TNT. Upon watching more closely to the beginning of the video I noticed that Paul begins to lip sync along to the track only to be cut off by Chevy who steals the show right out from under him. Leaving Paul to be relegated to the background vocals. Brilliant! I also never noticed that after Chevy drinks his water he goes to place it on what looks like a table to his left, only it's a drum stand and the glass of water falls straight to the ground below. This happens again with the flute. Hi-liarious!!!

I've posted the video below for your (and my) viewing pleasure and I've also included the song that began it all. While I was looking for more info on the song (like I do) I came across a cover that Jens Lekman did for a swedish radio set. Lekman retools this into a gorgeous acoustic diddy, leaving out the chorus while keeping the instantly recognizable sound of the horns transformed into gentle guitar strums. Enjoy.



Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al

Jens Lekman - You Can Call Me Al


Speaking of Lekman, I think some acknowledgment is due to the half Japanese girl without whom this post would not be possible. Happy Birthday Lisa/Bethy!!!


Jens Lekman - Happy Birthday, Dear Friend Lisa

and just because I can, really,

The Simpsons (Feat. "Michael Jackson") - Lisa, It's Your Birthday

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

Yes, it's that time again, Halloween!!! It's been too long between posts so I really wanted to do something big for my first time back. But I'm not going to do that. Instead, I found two of my favorite spooky videos for spooky-esque songs and decided to share them with you.



The first one is from the electronic group Röyksopp. For 2005's The Understanding they teamed up with everybody's favorite Nordic song siren Karin Dreijer of the Swedish electronic duo The Knife. The result? Beautiful dream nightmare pop. The video only boosts the hide-under-the-covers-ness of the song, as we follow Karin floating through the town that gravity forgot, part "Gentlemen" , part "Dark Phoenix." She is both the Boogeyman following you through the darkness and the beautiful blonde you hope will make it out alive.

Check it out Here



Download the track here

Röyksopp - What Else is There?
(Buy the Album HERE)

and because I think that the remix has a bit more urgency and is actually a bit more creepy than the original, but because my music a.d.d. generally permit me to sit through 7 minutes of anything, I created a "radio" edit for your my listening pleasure.

Röyksopp - What Else is There? (Trentemøller Remix Edit)

__________________________________________

The next track is from English indie it girl Natasha Khan via her band Bat For Lashes 2006 release Fur and Gold. "What's a girl to do?" starts out sounding like a familiar 50's girl group anthem but quickly turns into the eerie narration of an ending relationship. The pounding drums echo like your heart beating hard against your ribcage and a chilling harpsichord sounds like your nerve endings firing off in preparation for a terribly unpleasant sensation. Meanwhile Khan's rich and full voice gently lulls you into the dark, deep night unaware of the dangers that wait within. Those dangers it seems, are furries. The video is one of the strangest things I think I've ever seen. There she is, riding along, on a dark road looking like Lilly Allen ( technically Lilly looks kinda like her as Khan was born 1st) when BAM! Furries in hoodies bust out from behind her and proceed to to bike stunts. But what does it mean? I'm sure I don't know, but it's more than a little bit disturbing.

Check it out here



Download the track here

Bat For Lashes - What's a Girl To Do?
(Buy the Album HERE)


What's your favorite creepy song? video? Lemme know.

Tom Waits... why shouldn't we?

I have been a terrible blogger. I guess staying up for that lunar eclipse really took it out of me, 'cause I've just been too plain tired (read: lazy) to post anything since. I'm sorry. But this next artist was certainly worth the wait. All three years. After touring northern California for a brief period, aspiring singer/songwriter, Jesca Hoop took on a job as a nanny. An odd job for a budding musician, until you learn that it was for the children of Tom Waits and his wife. There she honed her craft writing and eventually recorded a demo which Tom sent to his publisher. The demo later ended up in the hands of KCRW in 2004. The station began to play the song "Seed of Wonder" on air and it remained in the top 5 requested songs for 8 weeks straight, a station first!

Three years later Jesca's long awaited first album, Kismet, was finally released on September 18th and it's effing amazing! She manages to explore a very diverse landscape of sound throughout the album's eleven tracks. Her music is quirky and captivating, playful and thoughtful. Like a child discovering the world around them. On the opening track "Summertime" the sound is bright and shimmering like the sunlight dancing on the water's surface. While songs like "Enemy ", with it's much simpler sound and beautiful harmonies, floats gently, like the wind pushes through the tall grass. The range of emotion on this album is staggering. I could listen to it for weeks straight, and if you've been in my car with me any time recently, you know that I have been. Listen to a few of my favorite tracks and please, please go out and get this album! You will not be disappointed!

Visit

Official Site

Myspace





Purchase Kismet

Amazon ; iTunes

Download

Money (As featured in the film Shoot 'em Up)

Intelligentactile 101
___________________________________

From her recent KCRW live studio session on 9-19-07
(with the Ditty Bops on backup vocals!)

Enemy

Summertime


See / Stream the entire session here.
___________________________________

From her original KCRW session in 2004

Havoc in Heaven
___________________________________

I'm so Tired...

Last night I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to watch the total lunar eclipse. As I have never seen one before I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I knew that it meant the Earth was directly in line between the Sun and the Moon, therefor preventing the sunlight from reaching the Moon's surface and then reflecting back to Earth. I didn't know quite what that would me for me visually. Would the Moon just go away? Would there be a shiny ring? Would my head explode from the sheer beauty of it? What?! It could happen! I certainly wasn't taking any chances, so I did a little research. It seems that the sunlight gets refracted through Earth's atmosphere and gets scattered in the process. The only wavelengths that reach the moon are those we perceive as red, hence we see the moon as a coppery orb. Pretty cool. Anyway, this magical event didn't start until about 1:50 am and didn't come into full copper goodness until 2:40, so I'm beat! I'm going back to bed!


Technically from the eclipse from March, but that's what happened. I promise.


Enjoy this video showing what I saw last night only much faster, and enjoy the lovely sounds of Neko Case. Miss Case, I couldn't agree more...

from Blacklisted

I Wish I was The Moon

(Purchase)

Genius or One Trick Pony?

So I just caught the trailer for the new Wes Anderson movie titled "Darjeeling Limited." It was exactly what I thought it would be. A family coming together after a tragedy to somehow mend their broken relationship. This time it follows three brothers ( given that they are played by Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Adrian Brody, I can only assume they had different mothers) who come together after their father's death to re-connect. On a train. In India. I'm not really sure why at this point but I've been satisfied with Wes' previous work, so I figure I'll just show up at the appropriate time and all will be made clear. I do know (thank you IMDB) that one miss Natalie Portman is in the movie somewhere. I heart her. I'd watch any movie she made. Hell, I would watch her clip her toenails if she'd only lift the restraining order. Anyway, the trailer features a song that I absolutely love by the Kinks called "This Time Tomorrow." if it's any indication of the rest of the album, I'm sure I'm going to love it. I would expect no less from Anderson as all of his previous soundtracks have been nothing shy of perfect.

Check out the clip below and download the track used in the trailer as well as my two other favorite Kinks tracks.




DOWNLOAD:

This Time Tomorrow
(Buy The Abum)

A Well Respected Man
(Buy The Album)

Picture Book
(Buy The Album)
________________________________________

BONUS:

Check out my favorite tracks from previous Wes Anderson Soundtracks.




From Rushmore
(IMDB ; Purchase Soundtrack)

The Faces - Ooh La La

________________________________




From The Royal Tenenbaums
(IMDB ; Purchase Soundtrack)

Nico - These Days

__________________________________




From The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
(IMDB ; Purchase Soundtrack)

David Bowie - Queen Bitch

__________________________________

Commercial Success

I am an Ad exec's wet dream. I'm the person they gear all of those flashy commercials to, all of the bright colors, the shiny. All me. It's pretty much guaranteed that if and Ad has the phrase "...for the price of..." anywhere in it's text I will buy it. It's clearly a good deal. Even if it says "5 for the price of 10." Not the point. I know I'm saving somewhere.

I am an even greater sucker for great music in advertising. Whether it be an original recording composed for the Ad itself, or just someone plugging in my favorite song into a particular product, a smart tune will certainly drawn my attention and hold it. Possibly long enough for me to pull out my debit card. These are a few of my favorite Ads featuring a few of my favorite songs.

Ad: Helio Ocean

This Ad makes me smile. I'd really like to think that it's how my phone is made. Well it would be if I had the "Ocean." Alas my phone is a phone and it is run by a phone company. The song itself is light and bubbly, one might call it down right effervescent. The track was created fir the Ad alone, but due to popular request the company had it available for download on their website.

Get your feet wet HERE



Download:

Helio - Creation Theme

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Ad: Dell XPS M1330

when I first saw this Ad I thought it must be for Target. Attractive women piecing an engine together in tight dresses and heals. The idea of mixing several different images and product types together screams Target. Alas, Spot the target dog never shows his face and at the end of the commercial we see it is an ad for the super thin Dell XPS M1330 Laptop. Who knew? What I do know is that it features a new song from Devo! The gent's who two decades ago got an entire generation to "Whip it good!" are now urging us to "Watch them work it!" I submit that I will. This song is great! 80's-tastic robot voice, catchy as hell guitar, and hand claps! I'm all in.

Slim Down HERE



DOWNLOAD:

Devo - Watch Us Work It

Check out Devo HERE
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Ad: LG Chocolate

I'll be the first to admit that there is nothing particularly alluring about this Ad. It basically just sits there. The thing that draws you in is the seductive lull of Feist's gravley voice. I would basically buy anything she was offering!



Now if you'd like to see what this ad should have looked like check out the initial Ad that LG put out for their phone/mp3 player. Slick and enticing, it builds enough mystery to make you really wonder what they're getting at and then... there it is. You wanna know how to make a phone sexy? Smother it in chocolate and the wrap it in the gorgeous sound of Golfrapp's "Strict Machine." Alison Goldfrapp's voice could easily lure a man to a watery grave and the synth lines slink around like Michelle Pfeiffer in a vinyl catsuit. This is fabulous advertising!

Indulge HERE





DOWNLOAD:

Feist - My Moon, My Man

Check out Feist HERE

Goldfrapp - Strict Machine

Check out Goldfrapp HERE

________________________________________________


Ad: Apple iPod

Not a whole lot has to be said about any of Apple's kick ass Ads for the global phenomenon that is the iPod. They are always colorful, fun, and full of energy. Oh yeah, and there's music. These Ads usually introduce great new artists to the general masses thanks to Steve Jobs and assoc. This was not the case for this particular Ad as I had caught wind of The Fratellis' "Flathead" a month or so before the commercial started to circulate. I was furious with Apple for so carelessly giving away my new musical secret before I was able to introduce it to my friends thus increasing my cool exponentially. Although I think the fact that I thought that in the first place totally negates any kind of cool I might have had to begin with. Oh well. This one's a banger! Get into it.

Assimilate HERE



DOWNLOAD:

The Fratellis - Flathead

Check out The Fratellis HERE

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Ad: LA Ink

Miss Kat Von D was prolly the biggest draw for TLC's Miami Ink. A hot ass female in a shop full of cocksure guys, Kat proved that she can certainly hold her own as one of the most sought after tattoo artists around Miami. That was of course until unshakable homesickness and head butting with shop owner Ami drove her back to the west coast. Now she's got her own TV show on TLC titled... wait for it.... LA Ink. Ok, completely unoriginal, but I'm still gonna watch. The promo Ad gets us all riled up in anticipation for the premiere as Kat walks down the streets of La into her new shop while Nouvelle Vague's cover of the Billy Idol track "Dancing With Myself" plays in the background. The song's soft bossa nova sound fits perfectly over Kat's pinup girl posing and preening, proving that tattoo chicks are hot. Super hot in fact.

Get fresh ink HERE



Download:

Nouvelle Vague - Dancing with Myself

Check out Nouvelle Vague HERE
____________________________________________

Ad: Target Hello, Good Buy

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I love me some Target. And I've already discussed my love for the song used in this particular Ad once before but I decided to to rehash it for this post. Singer Sophia Shorai was commissioned to re record The Beatles "Hello, Goodbye" for Target's first Ad in their series of "Hello, Good Buy" commercials. You see it's a pun! Get it!? Anyway, I love the shit out of this song in general but Sophia's sugar sweet cover is particularly delicious. Unfortunately it was created solely for this Ad and is therefor not available on any record or even in full representation. That simply wasn't good enough for me. Clearly. I took it upon myself to download the video off of youtube, convert it and rip the audio track so that my crazy ass could listen to it in my iPod whenever I felt like it! All 59 glorious seconds of it. Don't judge me. I did what I had to do! The Ad itself is nothing less than what you'd expect a Target Ad to be. Bright, colorful, full of very attractive people using some of the thousands of products Target has to offer their patrons. All in an attempt to get you to buy everything you need and much more that you don't from them. It worked on me. I pretty much shop there exclusively.

Take aim HERE



DOWNLOAD:

Sophia Shorai - Hello, Goodbye

Check out Sophia Shorai HERE


I think that's just enough crazy for one night. Enjoy.

A Fire Breathing Dragon... in Stilettos!

I stumbled across these guy about 6 months ago when I heard some stuff off their 1st EP. Since then Dragonette has been hard at work on their debut album Galore. Let me just say their hard work has paid off in spades! The album is a brilliant gem of Electro / Pop / Rock. Lead vocalist, Martina Sorbara, and the rest of the band (which includes her husband, guitarist Dan Kurtz, drummer Joel Stouffer and guitarist Will Stapleton) sound like what No Doubt could have evolved into had Gwen decided to bring some of her solo sound together with the rest of her band mates instead of putting out that dreadful second LP.

But I digress.


Sure she's wicked hot, but I spy a couple extra stems!

Give a listen to these few tracks and let me know what ya think!
(Myspace) (Official Site)
From Galore:

(Originally to be released 8/6/07, now pushed back to 10/22/07, Lame! but you can pre-order it from Amazon Here.)

Take It Like a Man

Jesus Doesn't Love Me

Check out the video for the second single Take It Like a Man!


(Good lord that's an attractive ass band!)
___________________________

From I Get Around Single:


I Get Around (Midnight Juggernaut Mix)

A great re-working of the track I put out on "Go! Fight! Win!"
_____________________________

As Performed Live at London Pride:


The Boys ***Love the SHIT out of this track!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Which leads me to my next little bit of retro pop goodness!



The track "The Boys" is actually a cover (albeit a fantastic, perhaps better than the original cover, hell she even gives him a shout out before the track kicks in with " I even like those scrawny, Scottish, into pop music but not like sorta like pop dance electro music") of a track from Scottish hipster extraordinaire Calvin Harris. Harris' debut album I Created Disco was released in the UK on 6/18/07 and sounds like a cross of LCD Soundsystem and something off of the Revenge of the Nerds soundtrack. That is by no means a put down. The record is full beats to make your head bob and '80s-tastic blips and beeps that might just have you doing the robot.

Check him out.
(Mysace) (Official Site)

From I Created Disco:

(buy from Amazon Here)

The Girls

Merrymaking At My Place

Acceptable in the '80s ***Love the SHIT out of this track!

Check out the video for The Girls


(Sure, he kinda looks like a tool, but at 6'5" and with a Scottish accent, I couldn't care less.)


Enjoy.

Marvel Girl

I stumbled upon this artist in another blog the other day, and couldn't wait to share it. I am overjoyed to introduce you to A Fine Frenzy. I don't know a whole lot about her beyond what I hear in her songs, and I'll let you discover that for yourself. So here's just a few facts to get you started.



Her real name is Alison Sudol, and at 22 years of age, the self taught piano player has just released her debut album One Cell in the Sea on July 17, 2007. I only have a handful of tracks right now because I am waiting to go out and buy a physical copy of her album this weekend. I'm usually more than contented with the digital version, but every now and then I come across an artist with whom I'm so enthralled that I need to hold their work in my hands. So give these a listen a go out and buy the whole album. You will not be disappointed, I promise (I streamed the entire thing on a loop the other day.)

Buy From Amazon

Buy From iTunes

Enjoy

Almost Lover

Lifesize

The Minnow & The Trout ** Love this track.



The video for Almost Lover


Check out her

Myspace

and

Official Site

Digital Blender

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love a good remix. That doesn't necessarily mean techno bull$#!%. I mean the re-working of a song to make it sound new and fresh. Thus I automatically love me a good mash-up! I am especially impressed when the author plays with the sound a bit, instead of just laying an acapella over a different music track. That kind of mash-up drives me effing nuts! These are a few of my favorite mashups that have floating around for a while now.

Enjoy!




Bizarre Light Triangle

Madonna - Ray of Light
vs.
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle

(Produced by Party Ben)


Everyone seems to wanna mashup Madge with just about any instrumental track they can get their hands on, often resulting in a hot mess! This is one of the few material girl mashups that not only works, but seems to fit really well.
-----------------------------------------

Boulevard of Broken Songs

Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams
vs.
Oasis - Wonderwall
vs.
Travis - Writing to Reach You
vs.
Eminem - Sing (For the Moment)(which samples Aerosmith's "Dream On")

(Produced by Party Ben)

When you think of mashups, this one immediately springs to mind. At least it does for me. This is one of the first I had heard and it plays quite well. Wonderful song choices and flawless mixing. These are all songs I love to listen to anyway, why not get them in one shiny package.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bootystition

Destiny's Child - Bootylicious
vs.
Stevie Wonder - Superstition
vs.
Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music
vs.
Perter Gabriel - Sledgehammer

(Produced by Smash@Mash)

This song gets my shit up and moving! I'm so happy that the producer changed up the phrasing to match the new music choice! Too often I've heard someone just lay this vocal track over a new music track and it falls flatter than Michelle's solo career. This one is executed so well, I dare you not to shake your shimmy! To quote the child of destiny, "I don't think you can handle this!"
----------------------------

No One Takes Your Freedom

Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama
vs.
The Beatles - For No One
vs.
George Michael - Freedom '90
vs.
Aretha Franklin - Think

(Produced by DJ Earworm)

Great play on several songs that all in all sound like they came from one seamlessly extended track in the first place! I can't imagine how difficult it was to get it to sound so effortless. Switching back and forth between music and vocal tracks, then throwing in Aretha just for good measure! Sa-Wee-Tah!
--------------------------------------

Tender Umbrella

General Public - Tenderness
vs.
Rihanna - Umbrella

Produced by Party Ben)

Let's get this straight right from the get go! I effing HATE the song umbrella. I don't know what it is. But it makes my insides jump. Somehow Party Ben has managed to not only make it
stomach-able , but fun. When paired with Tenderness, it sounds fresh and clean! I even like the way the "ella ella eh eh" sounds against the guitar! And that part usually makes me wanna put out my own ears!
-----------------------------------

Since U Been Hard to Find

Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone
vs.
American Analog Set - Hard to Find

(Produced by Aggro1)

It's clearly no secret how much I love Miss Kelly. This is certainly not the last time I will post about her. Sure isn't the first time. "Since U been Gone" is every indie-alternative elitist's most guilty pleasure. Aggro1 one has managed to completely spin this song in a new direction by pairing it with the gentle bells and acoustic guitar of AAS - Hard to Find. It's brilliant. I love it!
-------------------------------------

That's All (What Goes Around...)

Genesis - That's All
vs.
Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around...(Comes Around)

(Produced by Ben Double M)

I'm not gonna lie, when I read of the pairing of Genesis with JT I was apprehensive at best. I thought there was no way this wasn't going to sound extremely forced. I'm sorry, Ben Double M. I was so very wrong! I love both "That's All" and "What goes..." very much by themselves but I have been listening to this mashup almost exclusively since I got it. It's wonderful! I would do well not to doubt Ben Double M again.
--------------------------------------------------

With Love Through The Grapevine

Marvin Gaye - Heard it Through the Grapevine
vs.
Hilary Duff - With Love

(Produced by Supakon)

My love for Miss Duff's latest album is no secret, but don't let your personal loathing of cute teen pop singers sway you from this gem! Supakon has taken the instrumental track from the electropop-licious "With Love" and put it up against Marvin's vocals from the smoothest song about betrayal this side of 1968. After all, who doesn't like salty with a little sweet!?

---------------------------------

Every Car You Chase

Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
vs.
The Police - Every Breath You Take

(Produced Party Ben)

Party Ben has done it again. This one works so well, it sounds like they're on stage together jamming! I'd prolly pay to see them perform it live on stage. Wait, Police reunion tickets are how much?!? Never mind, the mp3 will do just fine thank you.
------------------------------------

Galvanize the Empire

John Williams - Theme From The Empire Strikes Back
vs.
The Chemical Brothers - Galvanize

(Produced by Party Ben)

This one is for Kiel! Any self acknowledged nerd will love this track.

"The time has come to...."
"Standing by."
"Push the button!"
------------------------------------------------

Bonus (because I'm crazy)

Since U Been Gone (Rex the Dog Photographic Remix)

Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone
vs.
Depeche Mode - Photographic (Rex the Dog Dubb Mix)

(Produced by DJ Earworm)

I told you you'd see her again. I'm including this as a bonus because it sounds much more like a remix than a mashup. But it is indeed just two seperate songs, mashed together with a of lot of tweaking. The fact that it was put together by an "amateur" on PC equipment still boggles my mind. The build is exsquiset! The drop is fantastic and the vocal effects are amazing! The broken vocals at 2:08 and 3:21 were all manipulated by DJ Earworm from the existing remix acapella. I never get tried of this mix.

It's Probably Japanese...

I have been to several movies this past week and I would like to share some of the experience with you, gentle viewer.

1st was the incredibly well done Transformers!



I'm not going to give anything away, but the movie exceeded my expectation greatly, if not even raising the bar for other action movies. The plot didn't fizzle after the 1st half hour like I thought it would. I was completely on edge the entire 2hr 23min. The visual effects were stunning and never felt forced or out of place. *Cough* Spiderman 3 *Cough*
But the thing I most worried about was the movie falling the way of "Masters of the Universe" (thank you Kyle for the reference) in that it would follow the plight of the humans while the transformers were left as really expensive extras in the background. That was thankfully not the case. The human aspect of the film didn't overshadow the Autobots struggle against the evil (and kick ass) Decepticons.


Even the smoking hot Megan Fox couldn't draw too much attention from likes of the robots in disguise. But maybe that's just 'cause I'm a bit of a fan boy. OK, a queer fan boy. But just the same there was plenty of guy-candy (that's right I said it! and I'm only partially ashamed of myself!) in the movie between Josh "whatever his last name is" and one Mr. Shia LaBeouf. But even still I couldn't take my eyes off of the incredible job they did with the special effects.


Amazing! I honestly think it has raised the bar. When I saw "Live Free or Die Hard" the other day I kept waiting for all of the vehicles to echo out that perfect sound, letting me know they were about to transform into 10 story Robots and help John Mcclain kick some cyber terrorist ass! Alas it didn't happen and I left the theater with just a twinge of disappointment. You can't blame a guy for dreaming.

Speaking of "Live Free..." there was another trailer shown for the upcoming Julie Taymor film "Across The Universe." I Get a little more jazzed to see this each time I see a trailer for it.



Jim Sturgess who plays Jude in the film reminds me a whole lot of Ewan Mcgregor. At least his singing voice does. I certainly wouldn't be the first person to realize the similarities between this film and Baz Luhrmann's eye candy-rific Moulin Rouge. The second trailer played much like a music video with (what I believe to be) Jude singing The Beatles (Duh!) "I've Just Seen a Face." My Mom would play The Beatles all the time and I had completely forgotten about this song until I heard it again in the theater. I'm psyched to purchase this soundtrack. In the mean time I will be pulling out all of my Beatles stuff in preparation!

I leave you with the original Beatles track that was covered for the trailer as well as the Transformer's theme song from the 2007 movie soundtrack (Amazon). It's been reinterpreted by Mutemath, and it's not all that bad.

Enjoy

Mutemath - Transformer's Theme

The Beatles - I've Just Seen a Face


**Bonus**
I can't hear the words "Across The Universe" without thinking of Fiona Apple's superb cover from the "Pleasantville Soundtrack." As well as the wonderful video that accompanied it. Here's that track as well as the video to watch and download in iPod compatible format, Y? Because we like you. M*O*U*S*E! -Err, force of habit. Sorry.

Fiona Apple - Across The Universe



Download iPod Compatible Video Here

Big on the underground!

It is currently hot as balls outside! I can't stand the heat. It makes me feel useless, unless I force my body to move. Which is why I really like to run in the heat. I figure if it's hot, I might as well have a reason to sweat. Well here are a couple more reasons. M.I.A. has finished up work on her next full length album titled KALA and this $#!+ is hot !!! When I first heard Bird Flu (oh no, it's not a typo, it's really called that!) it took me a minute to get into it. But then the remixes came out and I loved them instantly (Duh!) . As was the case with the latest track released, Boyz, instant gratification. It's a banger!!! These songs are gonna keep me dancing like a heathen straight through the summer until KALA drops in August.

Enjoy

Bird Flu

Bird Flu(Diplo Remix)

Bird Flu (Crash Berlin Remix) *highly Recommended

Boyz * Highly Recommended

You look good for 231

The fourth is one of my favorite holidays. Not because I'm some flag brandishing maniac, but because I always get to sit around the docks of my town, watch fire works from a barge on the delta and sing songs with my family. There's even a 6 part orchestral piece done in vocal harmony complete with crashing symbols! Jealous?!

Anyway, here's a little number you might have heard before, it's called the Star Spangled Banner. Ok, not the most original idea for a post on the 4th of July, but when it's performed by one Mr. Sufjan Stevens, it's sounds completely original.

Have a happy and safe birthday America.

Enjoy.



Sufjan Stevens - Star Spangled Banner

Break out the Sprinklers!!!

Yes kiddies it's that time again!

It seems my waining social life is your yummy musical goodness. I have started a new collection of Songs Of Summer and have finished Issue 1 of Vol. 2 with more to follow. I fought long and hard over the playlist because I really wanted to make it fit on a standard CD. Alas, I couldn't resign myself to doing away with any of the tracks as they all have their place on the mix, and hey, after all, this is the digital age! If you don't have an iPod by now you might as well be deaf. (You know I love you, Bethy!!!)

*ahem*

Sooooo.... anyway, I'm tired of being a grown-up. At 26, I'm not sure if it's because I'm burnt out already, or I'm just close enough to remember my childhood that I don't want to let it go. Robert Kennedy (but more likely an uncredited speech writer) once said "This world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease." These are the qualities I wish for myself. This is the music that makes me remember the energy of that time in my life. I give you my ode to terry cloth capes and water wings.

Enjoy!!!



SOS vol. 2
Issue 1

We Play

1. My Coco - Stellastarr*

2. Lose That Girl - Saint Etienne

3. Weapon of Choice - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

4. Hard to Beat - Hard-Fi

5. Pump It - Black Eyed Peas

6. First Tube - Phish

7. Australia - The Shins

8. Summerlong - Kathleen Edwards

9. Her Ornament - The Verve Pipe

10. Superhero - Garrison Starr

11. Dreams - Deep Dish (Featuring Stevie Nicks)

12. The Con - Tegan and Sara

13. When You Were Young - The Killers

14. Get Back (Love Edition) - The Beatles

15. Behave - Charlotte Hatherley

16. Love in a Trashcan - The Raveonettes

17. Kiss Me - Stephen Duffy

18. Sea Lion Woman (Chromeo Remix) - Feist

19. Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) - DJ Spiller

20. Lose Myself - Lauryn Hill

21. Combat Baby - Metric

22. Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys

23. Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids

Download as Complete Zip File:

SOS Vol 2 Issue 1: We Play

Perhaps Paris & Lindsay Should Take Note

This is how beautifully crafted pop music should sound.

It's no secret that I love me some Kelly Clarkson. The moment she opened her mouth on American Idol I knew she would have a very successful career ahead of her. Her third album, My December, is due out at the end of this month and I cannot wait. I've heard an early release with some demo versions of the songs and they're wonderful. She's just now releasing the second single, "Sober" and it's brilliant. If "Never Again" was the initial fury after a breakup, "Sober" is the mourning and eventual acceptance of getting over someone. It builds a steady crescendo of emotional uncertainty before proudly exclaiming with great assuredness that it will eventually be ok again. Having co-written every song on the album, my hat is off to Kelly for baring so much of herself to the rest of the world all without taking off her clothes. And so I say again, this is how you do it, ladies. See you in rehab.



Sober

Wonder Twin powers, activate!

Form of: Kick-Ass Canadian Rock Duo!


I've been holding on to this for the better part of two weeks. I apologize. I'm very, very selfish.




Three years ago I woke up to my alarm clock radio playing the greatest song I'd never heard, Walking with a Ghost, by Tegan and Sara. I won't go into their life story, all you need to know is they're twins, they're Canadian, and they kick ass. After hearing that track I rushed out and bought the album So Jealous (Amazon) as well as their 2002 release If It Was You (Amazon). There were some really stand out tracks on both albums, but (at least for me) they weren't the kind of albums I would listen to straight through, and surely not repeatedly. Their upcoming release, The Con has certainly changed all that. I can't stop listening to it. All the way through. All the time. I play it at home, I play it in the car. It's bloody fantastic! I can't wait to get my non-digital hands on it when it releases on July 24th. Until then, here are a couple of my favourite tracks to wet your pallets. Enjoy

Tegan and Sara, The Con




The Con

Knife Going In

Floorplan

Lemme know what you think!

And as always, songs are provided for sampling purposes only, and therefor will only be available for a limited time. If you like what you hear, please support the artist by following the links provided to purchase the album!

Heartbreak Sans Hotel

A few months back I started seeing reviews everywhere for this singer songwriter whom I had never heard of before. And not just the usual music magazines I peruse, but in such literary gems as People. I find it difficult to gage whether I'm going to like a musician from reading something about them so I don't usually read reviews of artists with whom I'm not already familiar but after seeing his name in bold type for the fifth time I decided to bite.



Thank God I did.

Having lost both of his parents to tragedy (father, actor Anthony Perkins, died of AIDS complicated illness in 1992 and his mother, photographer Berry Berenson was a passenger on AA flight 11 which crashed into the World Trade Center on 9-11-01) it's no wonder Elvis Perkins' debut Ash Wednesday lingers somewhere between promise and despair. His voice reads a bit like Colin Meloy (of the Decemberists) or David Gray. At its most dramatic it even resembles Rufus Wainwright. But then I don't think its fair to compare him to his peers. This album makes me feel like no other has as of late. The songs themselves are thoughtful pieces of personal misfortune, humming on the edge of heartbreak and hope. Straining a bit for the silver lining in an otherwise grey sky. This album is one of my top picks for 2007 and I seriously recommend you give a listen! If you like the tracks below go out and buy the album, it's truly wonderful.



Elvis Perkins, Ash Wednesday.

Buy Amazon, iTunes

All highly recommended tracks

While You Were Sleeping

All The Night Without Love

It's Only Me

Enjoy