mixtape maestro (2.0)

It’s been so long since the “Mark Ronson sound” hasn’t predominantly been horn-emblazoned, retro-soul workouts that the announcement of the superstar DJ-producer‘s third album, Record Collection, deviating away from that signature motif initially had us all scratching our heads trying to remember what else Ronson was capable of behind the boards.

Then arrived the peculiar-but-addicting, ’80′s synth-chic of the Q-Tip-blessed first single “Bang Bang Bang”, and we were instantly reminded of the genre-hopping eclecticism of Ronson’s mostly forgotten debut, Here Comes The Fuzz, a vibe he more or less seems to be returning to on Collection.

Latest album tease “Lose It (In The End)” follows “Bang”‘s lead as another left-field delight, it’s wacky arrangement evoking some sort of weird, Spaghetti western-meets-’60′s pop cartoon fantasy-land as a reverb-soaked Ronson sings (!!!!) a woeful hook about how he foolishly let a love slip through his fingers again, and a shotgun-riding Ghostface cycles through his own relationship pains while shouting out Bell Biv Devoe and Slim Shady & Kim.

Hear it below, then snatch up one of her favorite Fuzz cuts, the summery Sean Paul and Tweet-featured bouncer “International Affair”.

Record Collection drops September 27th.

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl – Lose It (In The End) (Feat Ghostface Killah)

BONUS DL: Mark Ronson feat. Sean Paul & Tweet “International Affair” (alt)

Damn. Just when we were beginning to wish for Mark Ronson and his signature, retro-fixated sound to disappear for a bit so that we could get a chance to start to miss him, he would have to go and drop something that’s so brilliantly…well, retro-fixated, we start hoping for him to produce everything all over again.

The latest killer achievement to get us back on the Ronson bandwagon? A remix to Miike Snow’s “Animal” which, perhaps inspired by the slight reggae feel of the original, Mark completely drowns in a gently loping, throwback island groove. It’s amazing how natural singer Andrew Wyatt’s now highly reverbed vocals sound when locked into this context; so amazing in fact, one could probably be easily fooled into believing that this 2.0 take on “Animal” was actually originally recorded back in the ’60′s in some Jamaican recording studio.

DL: “Animal (Mark Ronson Remix)” (alt)

An award-winning, yet modest R&B/ Pop success in his native Australia before achieving major UK fame last year thanks to guest vocalist duties on Wiley’s “Cash In My Pocket” and Mark Ronson’s universally-lauded remake of The Smiths’ “Stop Me”, blue-eyed soul-ster Daniel Merriweather is now ready to make a return trip to his original headlining role, his long-predicted superstar-to-be future teetering on the edge of fruition.

Perhaps aware that high pop chart placement and heavy radio saturation is likely a given no matter what he drops (especially with Mark on board), Merriweather has chosen to avoid the “easy hit” love ditty for his certain first solo smash, alternately deciding that he’d rather make his listeners think than swoon with social commentary-infused single “Change”.

But for all it’s message-carrying ambition, “Change”‘s lyrics barely register with importance here, too overshadowed by the sublime magical recipe that is Daniel’s faultless soul tenor against Ronson’s horn-y Motown bounce-meets-Rawkus Records’ boom-bap score (with featured rapper Wale as the bonus dessert) to ever matter.

These two could theme a song around the horrors of head lice and it would still probably emerge a retro-glazed, soul-pop must-have.

Merriweather’s Love & War is due this Spring.

Daniel Merriweather feat . Wale ‘Change’

Of all the Xmas tunes that typically bombard come holiday season, there’s only a handful that truly put Maestro in a Yuletide mood and sometimes, even warrant a secret spin during non-Christmas-y points of the year (I know…LOSSEERR!!). Those include Wham’s “Last Christmas”, Mariah’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, “Christmas Time Is Here” from Charlie Brown and “Wonderful Christmas Time” that extremely cheery gem that Sir Macca blessed us with back in 1979.

“Stop Me” dynamic duo Mark Ronson and Daniel Merriweather tackle the latter here fantastically, with Danny’s smoove R&B vocal alleviating some of the original’s corny chirpiness; meanwhile, following an initial faithful arrangement, Ronson suddenly shifts musical gears, reaching back into his standby bag o’ classic-soul tricks for a joyous, smorgasbord-like serving of disco-meets-big band lounge-meets-“Tighten Up”. And just for some added modern appeal, Daniel even throws in a bit of “Cash In My Pocket” on the tail-end, re-writing “All I really want is…scrilla in my stocking”.

Listening to this makes you not feel as angry because you’re broke from buying all those damn presents.

DL: “Wonderful Christmas Time (Paul McCartney Cover)” (alt)

It seems you can’t open any music mag or read any music blog today without coming across sheer praise for both the immense talent and off-stage debauchery of Amy Winehouse. She’s just that good!! Her stunning streak continues to chuck out the best of 2007 with this offshoot collaboration with producer Mark Ronson, an amazing cover of The Zutons Top Ten UK singalong “Valerie”.

The happy-go-lucky spirit of The Zutons’ “Valerie” playfully merged 60′s pop sunniness with the faceless charm of ’90′s indie rock, making for a decent radio favorite that might not have lingered in memory much after it’s fadeout. Ronson and Winehouse’s rendition completely dominates as the better version, her weary vocals delving deeper into the song’s old lover longing (Amy doesn’t deviate from the script, leading to a cool homoerotic twist) and Ronson’s tattooing of the song with a listless early Motown thump.

The hurried bass groove borrowed from The Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love” sprayed with ethereal strings and chimes and a festive horn additive gives “Valerie 2.0″ a multi-layered sense of royalty, as if a small town is welcoming the passing through of the Queen and giving her a show to outrank all shows. Always sounding like she’s wet her throat with at least two Long Islands before approaching the mic, Winehouse feels much more looser here than she does on Back In Black and it’s a welcome change of pace. No she doesn’t go off on some needless vocal riff tangent, but her spirited performance feels like she’s getting a kick out of the song’s finger-snapping rhythm and gender-bending element.

Completely making The Zutons’ “Valerie” irrelevant, Winehouse and Ronson’s Berry Gordy-approved remake justifies the hoopla surrounding this year’s brightest music sensation.

Already earning hype as one of the best singles of 2007, in-demand UK DJ/ producer Mark Ronson hooks up with Aussie R&B sensation Daniel Merriweather for this utterly amazing cover of the controversial Smiths single.

Like the inspired collaboration of Gnarls Barkley’s Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo, Ronson and Merriweather prove an arresting coupling. Ronson’s layered soul arrangement is tense with a big band orchestra; strings zig in and out with punctuated horns and a dizzying drum break perfectly illustrating the manic, homicidal introspection of Morrisey’s over-the-top lyrical heartache (“I crashed down on the crossbar/ And the pain was enough to make a shy, bald Buddhist reflect/ And plan a mass murder/ Who said I lied to her?”). It’s like Barkley’s “Crazy” all over again, but while that one sounded like an obscure cover brought back to life, this one actually is, gloriously reworking The Smiths’ upbeat pop/ rock original in a more fitting context to compliment it’s depressing mopiness.

Merriweather is an impassioned vocalist and gives the songwriting much more weight with his hypnotizing woe-soul delivery. When the song cleverly merges in The Supremes’ defiant “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” in a late-in-the-game twist, Merriweather doesn’t skip a beat, easily flowing into the sudden song shift as if the two classics were always meant to live side by side as one.

A DJ favorite that will slowly seep into the public’s consciousness thanks to it’s droning awesomeness and artful blending, expect Ronson & Merriweather’s “Stop Me” to endure heavy playlist replays for much of the near future until it’s as ubiquitous as “Crazy” as become.