Speaking of remixes, here’s a new one fresh out of the OR from Doctor Rosen Rosen. The good Doc‘s latest patient is none other than ’09 French alt/pop highlights Phoenix and their contender for Best Single of ’09, “Lisztomania”.
Here, Rosen casts off the original’s boppy sunniness completely, opting to shroud Thomas Mars’ perky emotings instead in a mesmerizingly mood-ish mix that interweaves downbeat dance textures, pinches of classical riffs, chopped vocal snippets and haunting Gregorian chorale.
It might not be the most uplifting remix, but the pensive melodrama of Rosen’s score masters a noir-y elegance that’s definitely got our ears satisfied.
Just like the rest of the Internet world, we’re finding it just as difficult to not keep spinning Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks” over and over, but is there anyone else out there surprised that there aren’t an excessive array of remixes of the tune making it’s way through the blogosphere right now?
We understand how most DJ/ producers might be intimidated by the flawless original, that genius Fred Falke re-tool and that endlessly intriguing dead prez mash-up, but that hasn’t stopped them from tinkering with everything else under the sun. You would think that with “Two Weeks” generating drooling praise for nearly a year now, there would be plenty of laptop-constructed remixes and/ or sample-crazed web-rapper joints for us to enjoy (or…well, hate).
While we sit back and eagerly anticipate that next “Two Weeks” ‘Net bomb to drop, catch the band’s new streaming live performance over at Spinner’s Interface studio, then take a listen to a well-handled acoustic rendition of “Two Weeks” by the mysterious Ruby Weapon that we’ve become quite enamoured with in recent weeks (alongside his dreamy handling of The Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby”).
The Noisettes so nail the 60′s girl group/ Phil Spector sound on the divine “Never Forget You”, that more than once, one is forced to remind themselves that this isn’t some cover of some four decade old song. Hell, if it weren’t so crispily produced and given a modern zing by the occasional guitar-charged underlining, you could almost mistake it for actually being a recently-unearthed-from-the-vaults old vinyl gem.
Like previous single “Wild Young Hearts”, “Never Forget You” meshes the band’s well-educated grasping of yesteryear pop with a light dollop of Broadway glee, conjuring up a carefree effervescence that could put an instant halt to the most sourest of moods. Even better, it puts a different spin on the fluffy puppy love scenario these things typically produce lyrics-wise, instead of scripting one’s giddiness while immersed in the delightful throes of young romance, nicely using it as a past-tense point of reference during a long-broken-up couple’s reunion at the local pub.
“What you drinkin’/…Rum or whiskey?” singer Shingai Shinowa opens, armed with apologies based on her late arrival and inability to return her ex’ phone calls. And almost instantly, the duo realize that their at-once great chemistry hasn’t at all been lost in the passing of time, as shared giggles over her retained lack of promptness lead the way to fond recollections of their dating heyday (“We were mischievous/ You were always wearing black…”) and teary-eyed assurances (“We just got swallowed up/ You know I didn’t forget you”).
Bathed in an expert use of twinkling slow moments, dramatic orchestra swells, and backing vox chirps of “Always remember me” that seem to be birthed from the clouds-perched angels above, to not be left a bit verklempt by “Never Forget You”‘s fade-out would mean that you have no soul.
It was only a matter of time before the suddenly on-the-verge-of-ubiquity again R. Kelly would attach himself to “Birthday Sex”. The recently chart-topping Jeremih bedroom jam felt like a second-rate Kells number from the get-go, so it comes as no surprise that the tune would be touched upon for the upcoming R. Kelly/ DJ Skee/ DJ Drama mixtape collaboration The Demo Tape.
Unfortunately, this remix doesn’t really gift us with the over-the-top raunch we were praying for (proving our long-held fears that Kells really has run out of the outlandish XXX-rated ideas we’ve admired from him for so long), but it’s ultimately more satisfying than Demo‘s previous drop, a somewhat meh remix of Drake’s “Best I Ever Had”, managing to keep us mildly amused with Robert’s immediate dismissal of his girl’s galpal (aka: “That bitch on defense”) and laughing off of tried-and-true ‘birthday sex’ tactics (he doesn’t do jumping out of cakes!!).
Even though the Internet is where most people are satisfying their music video-watching cravings these days, is there anyone out there who kinda miss the days when these things were given the splashy TV world premiere hurrahs.
Remember when the entire family would gather around the living room tube so they could catch the first exciting glimpse of Michael Jackson or Madonna’s latest clip, than that would be the hot topic within high school hallways and around workplace watercoolers the following morning? All that’s been kinda lost in this World Wide Web-centric era we currently reside in.
While we continue on with our old fogey rant privately, peep a slew of highly anticipated vids that have recently made their premieres:
Kanye West “Paranoid”
We’re digging how Mr. West is giving us an accompanying clip for damn near every track on 808′s, Jacksons/ Madge/ Beyonce-style; this latest, for the Miami Vice-flavored jam “Paranoid”, doesn’t really feature much of the rapper/(wish he could be a)singer, but it does star Rihanna in her first high profile, post-public embarrassment gig. Wonder if the rumors are true about a remix being in the works featuring some of her vocals?
Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Heads Will Roll”
Karen O continues her reign as the coolest woman in the universe with this It’s Blitz! second single, a masterpiece in dance-rock (the first sixty seconds are just too marvelous for words!!!) that has kept many remixers busy in recent weeks. If only we could find out how to book the music video’s MJ-aping and audience-slashing Buffy The Vampire Slayer monster-of-the-week for the next office Christmas party…
The-Dream featuring Kanye West “Walking On The Moon”
We praised this one a few months back, but now that it’s being dropped as an official single, complete with a Hype Williams-directed, Star Wars-meets-Star Trek-meets-“Scream” visual aid, we’re praying that it becomes The-Dream’s first US Hot 100 #1, simply so we can brag about being one of it’s earliest supporters.
Grizzly Bear “Two Weeks”
“Two Weeks” is still a pretty gorgeous number that we’ll give a spin everytime we’re in need of a lil’ jovial pick-me-up, but the video’s early-MTV-bordering images of exploding heads will surely be the source of our worst nightmares for the next few months. Can you imagine how terrifying it would be being chased through dark alleyways by these cats?
Beyonce “Ego”
The best thing about “Ego”, aside from it’s snicker-inducing, double-entendre-laced hook (though she’ll probably never admit she’s really singing about…erm, packages), is that it’s the most R&B sounding single released from I Am…Sasha Fierce so far. We especially love how it endlessly teases to explode into this big band burlesque throwdown on the verses, before slinking off to a more mild-mannered AC chorus.
The worst thing about “Ego”: despite having some essential elements in place (B&W film, three girl set-up) it’s vid never quite amounts to the “Single Ladies” Part Deux eye-screw we were so expecting it to be. BOOOOOOOO!!!!
On this semi-cover (Cover remix? R&B freestyle? Swag swipe?) of “Day N Nite”, Sammie, otherwise-known-as the late nineties’ “new young Michael Jackson” or highlight of “Kiss Me Thru The Phone”, saps the Cudi record of it’s unique “lonely stoner” perspective and transforms it into a more traditional, modern-day sex jam, complete with obligatory Patrón endorsements and R. Kelly shout-outs and lyrical images of “nasty” girls who have sex with their high heels on.
While it’s definitely a blander alternative to the original, we have to admit, if we had heard it first, we would’ve probably given it some serious bump. Maybe it’s the fact that after beating hit over the head so many times over the past year with T-Pain’s Auto-Tuned croons, Akon’s louder-than-loud trumpet-yelps and The-Dream’s echoing chirps, it’s just refreshing to hear a low-key male R&B vocal that isn’t so overtly gimmicky-feeling.
But then again, maybe we just like it because of that one line where he rhymes ‘quiver’ with ‘Twitter’.
We’re not entirely sure who the “they” are that Swedish band Deportees think are “coming” (male falsettos = confusion), but we do know that everytime our ears are hit with “When They Come”‘s starry-night lullabye melodies and pillowy-soft vocal harmonies, we close our eyes and imagine having the most satisfying slow dance in the clouds with (insert hot-babe-of-the-moment here).
It’s then, while comforted by the pleasant warmth of our body heat and mesmerized by the simple side-to-side swaying action we got going on, she sighs out some stuff about wondering how she ever made it through her adult life without us.
Then as the song fades out, we’re harshly woken out of our daydream fantasy to the realization that we’re hopeless losers and (the aforementioned babe) will probably never even be close enough to breathe the same air as us, let alone ever get to know our name so she can begin to learn about what she’s been “missing” all this time.
Pathetic, wimp-sigh.
Good thing all it takes is a simple replay of this blissful lil’ ditty to get us back in that wonderful head space again…
From the band’s latest release, Under The Pavement – The Beach. (Shouts to Swedesplease)
The excitingly deathless 808′s & Heartbreak-referencing trend carries on with this latest entry: a re-handling of current single “Amazing” by producers Haskel Johnson and Derek “D.O.A.” Allen and G.O.O.D. Music signee/ Kanye cousin Tony Williams (he’s the voice behind Jay Z’s “History”, and has several ‘background vocalist’-credited gigs on West albums) that enhances the original’s dulled, menacing stomp with doses of rock bite and adult soul finesse.
Here, Johnson and Allen paste electric guitar and live drumming action on the fringes, while Williams slow things down for a ballad-y, piano-dresses mid-section that echoes Kanye’s ego-massaging tangent (“If you gon’ hate on me without a reason/ It ain’t my loss/ It’s amazing how they talk about you/ I don’t know why/ Anyone would ever want to doubt ya…”).
Yeah, some of “Amazing”‘s compelling insular feel may be lost in all of the trio’s newly added tinkerings, but we’re still huge fans of this revamp nonetheless and wish for their aid in some of the album’s other cuts.
With “I’m The Ish/ Shit” (and it’s manystar-ladenremixes) continuing to pierce the hearts of dance, hip hop and pop lovers alike around the globe, the song’s creator, DJ Class, now seems intent on maintaining this new plateau of mainstream-edging fame.
Class’ newest cut, no-brainer future club staple “Dance Like A Freak”, sees him cooking up a near-overwhelming ear assault of minor key taps, Prince-like drums and blurting synths as continued inspiration for the sexy dancefloor babe who’s got every set of male eyes in the spot fixated on her every sensuous shimmy.
Her choreography is so hypnotizing, it’s turned the robo-vocalled Class into a stalker-ish fool, invading her headspace with nosy digs into her personal info (“Lemme get your phone number…”; “Tell me where you stay at…”) before quickly moving to bank account-denting promises of whisking her and her friends away on a trip through the skies. And just in case she’s not easily swayed, he makes clear she fully understands how legit his big baller status is, matter-of-factly adding “No I don’t fly Delta/ We charter up at ‘Million-Air’”.
The perfect successor to “Ish” (the uber-annoying Ron “Jumping Out The Window” Browz should take notes; this is how you do Auto-Tune-enhanced club anthems right), “Dance Like A Freak” should have plenty of bodies following it’s titular order long enough to sustain DJ Class’ appeal until his new album, Alameda & Coldspring, drops later on this year.
Can’t wait to see what rapper jumps on this one first!!
Even though “Love Sex Magic” has enjoyed time in the Hot 100 Top 10, making it Ciara’s first single to peak that high since 2006′s “Oh”, the original track doesn’t seem like it will have the legs to become the monster summer go-to it was most likely designed to be.
Now, an extended after-life in the remix realm? That just may be the record’s saving grace as it seems like every week some re-tweaked version of the tune is making it’s Web premiere.
The latest remix to get our bums a-wigglin’ comes via Canada’s Skratch Bastid, who matches Ciara & JT’s sexcapades up perfectly with the sketelal White-boy funk of Laid Back’s club staple “White Horse” and Art of Noise’s bump & grind anthem “Moments of Love”.
As nice as it is to get free music, think of how much better your soul would feel if you purchased it the old-fashioned way.
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(MP3 posts are for promotional and/ or previewing purposes only; if any artist or their representation wish to have the links removed, contact me and I will happily comply!)
Speaking of remixes, here’s a new one fresh out of the OR from Doctor Rosen Rosen. The good Doc‘s latest patient is none other than ’09 French alt/pop highlights Phoenix and their contender for Best Single of ’09, “Lisztomania”. 
The 
It was only a matter of time before the suddenly on-the-verge-of-ubiquity again R. Kelly would attach himself to 
Even though the Internet is where most people are satisfying their music video-watching cravings these days, is there anyone out there who kinda miss the days when these things were given the splashy TV world premiere hurrahs. 
On this semi-cover (Cover remix? R&B freestyle? Swag swipe?) of 
We’re not entirely sure who the “they” are that Swedish band 
The excitingly deathless 808′s & Heartbreak-referencing trend carries on with this latest entry: a re-handling of current single 
With 
Even though
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