mixtape maestro (2.0)

Tucked away in the mid-section of their hyped-to-the-heavens second offering Odd Blood, the admirably near-uncategorizable Brooklyn indie-rockers Yeasayer go even odd-er (if such a thing is even possible) by getting all early-00’s teen-pop on our asses with the computerized white boy funk workout of “Love Me Girl”.

Far different than anything they’ve ever put to tape, at it’s core, “Love Me Girl” teeters on being an awkward mess, it’s struggle at finding a comfortable common ground between New Romantic swooning and Timberlake-ian herky-jerk R&B glitch never quite gelling as well as the band seems to think it does.

So why do we stamp it as being an album standout, anyway? Partly because we kinda-sorta dig the nervous tension in the song’s lyrics (it follows one man on the verge of an emotional breakdown as his current relationship fizzles out before his eyes); but mostly because of it’s begging-to-be-looped two minute long intro, a dramatic synth-based build-up excitingly peppered with animal cackles and haunting vocoder tags that hints of the best rave ever bursting alive around you at any moment.

Take a listen to the amazingly launched cut below, followed by a bonus offering of The Very Best’s merry overdub of Odd Blood’s lead single “Ambling Alp” (shouts).

“Love Me Girl”:

BONUS DL: Yeasayer “Ambling Alp (The Very Best ‘Mulomo’ Remix)” (alt)

Uncategorized brooklyn, indie pop, indie rock, the very best, yeasayer

Isn’t it funny how “My Boo”, a thirteen year old R&B/ booty bass cut performed by an act a majority of folks (minus bloggers of course) probably wouldn’t be able to name without some Google aid, has suddenly turned into one of the most covered/ re-tooled tracks of ‘09? Following DJ Solly’s chopped-up re-working of the Ghost Town DJ’s single (posted here back in July), the past few weeks has seen a few other new takes off “Boo” bubble their way to front pages all across the blog patch, and un-surprisingly, we heart every single one of them. Check ‘em out below:

American Dream Team “My Boo”

This Brooklyn-based squad of DJ’s, VJ’s, producers, designers and animators cover the record with a Cascada-esque dance-pop touch (though far less cheesy than that may sound), employing a slightly Auto-Tuned, anony-robo-female to mimic the song’s high school-age X’s and O’s sentiment in between a solid assortment of bloopety-bloop club noise. An ideal dancefloor delight.

DL: “My Boo” (alt) (American Dream Team)

Desktop “My Boo”

Desktop is an synth-pop duo out of Detroit who have released two EP’s this past year that are both chock full of fetching, keyboard-dominant tunes ’80’s pop lovers should dig (Our favorite: the work-out inspiring “Fired Up”).

Their “My Boo” remake features a faint loop of “A Milli” in the background, a killer opening groove that’s just begging to be sampled for some new crunk & b confection, a talk-box (we think) assisted breakdown that’s still got our heads spinning in circles and a heavily distorted lead male vocal that makes the longing lyrics take on a intriguing stalker-ish bent that wasn’t all that easily apparent in the original.

DL: “My Boo” (alt) (Desktop)

Mariah Carey featuring OJ Da Juiceman, Big Boi & Gucci Mane “H.A.T.E. U (Remix)”

Last but not least, Mimi busts through with this remix of her Memoirs’ slow jam ballad “H.A.T.E. U”, and we must say, anticipating entering the angry phase after breaking up with her man goes down a lot better when supported by the light bounce of a “Boo” sample and smirk-inducing guest turns from OJ Da Juiceman, Big Boi (“I’m colder than a polar bear’s toenails”) and, the “Ludacris of ‘09″, Gucci Mane, in what’s probably his two-hundredth appearance on a song in the past four months alone (and yet somehow we still crave more cameos from the “Wasted” emcee).

DL: “H.A.T.E. U (Remix)” (alt)

Uncategorized '90's, big boi, brooklyn, cover song, desktop, detroit, ghost town dj's, gucci mane, mariah carey, memoirs of an imperfect angel, oj da juiceman, remix, southern rap, synth-pop, the american dream team

MJ. Prince. Parliament/ Funkadelic. Rick James. The Gap Band. The Time. Robert Palmer. Hall & Oates. Cameo: These are just a few of the names that enter the brain when immersed in the slick, ’80’s-era White boy funk/ R&B of Pink and Purple, the newest release from Brooklyn singer/ songwriter/ producer Alan Wilkes.

Sounding as if Chromeo had been brainwashed into spending a couple weeks watching nothing but early-era BET video playlists, this continuously entertaining six-song EP fits in perfectly with music’s obsession with all things ’80’s in recent years. But rather than simply using new wave-y synths, electro-funk glitz and synthethic drum sounds as mere accents, Alan Wilkis takes things so much more further, showcasing an amazingly deft education in that era’s vibe with tunes that actually sound as if it they could’ve been on the charts way back when.

So many times throughout the collection, Wilkis fantastically seems to hone in on the same mindframe of that generation’s musicians, and the joy they must have felt in first realizing the endless musical possibilities of this “new” digital-based technology when mixed alongside the live band textures they had previously mastered, whether it’s through the dramatic slow build of closing ballad “Time Machine”, the infectious “me and all my protogees just jamming around” glee of P-funk exercise “N.I.C.E”, or the web-like keyboard intricacies of the title track that give nearly every four bars a different sonic identity.

Trust us. Cop the set, then sit back and press play. By the time you’ve hit the mid-way point of the EP, you’ll be hit with feelings of sorrow because you’re either too young to have experienced this magnificent era in real-time or you were around back then and have just been re-reminded how so much of today’s pitiful excuses for R&B, funk and pop pale in comparison.

DL: “N.I.C.E.” (alt)

Uncategorized 80's, alan wilkis, blue-eyed soul, brooklyn, electro-pop, electro-R&B, funk, retro

Ever wondered how Passion Pit’s “I’ve Got Your Number” would sound if stripped of all it’s synth-pop quirk and given a more straight-forward acoustic ballad treatment? Probably not. But that hasn’t stopped Brooklyn unit Phone Tag from doing it anyway with some surprisingly well-achieved results.

Frail falsettos that give way into pleasant male harmonies and a sparse backing of lone guitar noodlings and distant handclaps project an eerie intimacy throughout this reading, perhaps a more complimenting framing to the lyrics’ pondering confessional than the distracting in-the-red sonic explosions and tinny 8-bit jubilation of the original.

Listen to their solid cover below, then head on over to Phone Tag’s MySpace and peep some of the band’s original material as well as their interesting mash-up of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and Röyksopp’s current summer-friendly single “Happy Up Here” that somehow manages to transcend being a disorienting mess to emerge a delightful web-pop curioso.

DL: “I’ve Got Your Number (Passion Pit Cover)” (alt)

Uncategorized acoustic, brooklyn, cover song, mash-up, passion pit, phone tag

Every music blogger will feel the Maestro’s pain when it comes to the overly-packed in-box.

Filled to the brim with PR’s showcasing that “hot new indie artist” whose bandwagon you just HAVE to jump on early, “exclusive” remixes that have obviously been CC’d to damn near everyone else on the Hype Machine/ Elbo.ws circuit, the endless announcements of new mixtapes and video releases and numerous follow-up artist representatives stressing you out over whether you finally got a chance to listen to their respective act’s material, it’s almost impossible to get through all of it and live a normal person’s life too (Not to mention the fact that a majority of the music just really isn’t all that good).

So in an effort to lighten up the load a bit, check out this jumbo-sized post full of some noteworthy cuts that’s come the Maestro’s way in recent weeks:

• The Constellations “Felicia (Death Metal Disco Scene Vocal Remix)”

Now this is how you do a remix!! The Constellations‘ original (from their Cee-Lo and Asher Roth-featured debut, Southern Gothic) was already a killer track thanks to it’s enjoyable mix of a Southern soul and rock strut with a little hoochie White girl rap sass. But the plastic-funk textures applied on this remix from UK dance remixer/producer Death Metal Disco Scene (Lily Allen, The Verve, Kylie Minogue) takes “Felicia”’s greatness to a whole new level. Hotter than a firecracker, indeed!

• Beyonce “Diva (Slot-A Remix)”

The hook line “A diva is a female version of a hustler” still sounds dumb, but Detroit producer Slot-A makes that point moot with all the snazzy ’80’s decoration he pastes on the Beyonce banger.

• Drake featuring Peter, Bjorn and John “Let’s Call It Off”

In which Degrassi: The Next Generation actor-slash-singer/ rapper Drake cleverly embeds himself within Peter, Bjorn and John’s sublime 2006 break-up ode, resulting in eleventy-hundred bloggers suffering a collective stroke from excitement. (from Drake’s new mixtape, So Far Gone)

• Jake Troth “Shush”

“This the type of shhh that make the haters stop talking,” drone-raps indie multi-talent Jake Troth through “Shush”’s devious stomp and suspenseful guitar linger. And since Maestro doesn’t fall in line with that crowd, we’ll proudly go ahead and state that ears need to be firmly set on this one-to-watch in ‘09. (from Troth’s upcoming Daydream Big mixtape)

• Jemex “Breathe” featuring Dean Grey

It’s understandable why an artist would want to put out their sappiest stuff now, this being V-Day and all, but with drippy lyrics like “I can hear my heartbeat so carefully/ When I hear that sound it must know you’re around”, “Breathe” (from Brooklyn producer Jemex) edges into being a little too Velveeta-y. If only we could shake off the tenderness we feel inside every time it’s dreamy Prom Dance production smothers the ears, though…

• Wreckx N Effect “Rump Shaker (Jemex Remix)”

…Ah wait, here’s the answer: “Check baby, check baby 1-2-3-4″!!!! Sigh…Macho-ness retrieved.

• Teedra Moses “Weekend Goodtime”

Following an odd slow intro in which Moses bemoans her lack of a husband and white picket fence, the underrated R&B cutie suddenly shrugs off her woes, puts on the instrumental to Snoop Dogg’s summery “Let’s Get Blown” and hits the streets in search for a one-weekend stand. (from Moses’ new album, Lionhearted: Young Hustla, Vol. III)

• The Ting Tings “Great DJ (DJ Jem Mix)”

In which Chicago’s DJ Jem decides that the Ting Tings jam just doesn’t have enough beat sizzle for the jukin’ sect.

Uncategorized beyonce, brooklyn, chicago, constellations, dance remix, dean grey, death metal disco scene, detroit, dj jem, drake, jake troth, jemex, peter bjorn & john, remix, slot-a, teedra moses, the ting tings, UK, wreckx n effect

A vertiginous cyclone of spaced-out, de-constructed futuro-urban noise, Telepathe’s “In Your Line” juggles tribal percussion clatter, ambient tones and ghost-like moans to manifest the nightmarish limbo of one’s unwanted single status, the conjoined vocal presence of members Busy Gangnes and Melissa Livaudais flickering in and out of the oddly attractive sonic palette, just like all the other musical elements served, to toss off disjointed couplets describing their lonesome blues.

Quick to admit fault in the romance’s dissolution, the girls’ confess to only offering “half my time” and scurrying off when boyfriend got too close. But everyone knows that playing “hard-to-get” doesn’t work forever, and when he finally gets fed up with the games and disappears for good, the weight of what has been lost hits hard.

Now they spend their nights tossing and turning in cold beds with nary a satisfying wink, and their days awaiting for a return that feels more and more unlikely to happen as season after season pass on, a horrendous existence attractively illustrated via the avant-garde sculptings of producer/ TV On The Radio member David Sitek.

From Telepathe’s newly released debut full-length, Dance Mother.

DL: “In Your Line” (alt)

Uncategorized brooklyn, dave sitek, electro-pop, noise pop, telepathe, tv on the radio