Shameless/Mixtape: Girls Aloud Party!

Finally, I'm a bit more settled for the semester, but somehow struggling to find new stuff to blog about. In addition (and I'm all about apologies apparently), my computer has been utterly disastrous for a while now, delaying pretty much everything in my life (this blog included). Not to worry, though, I've got a new laptop on the way, with much more storage space for new music. On an equally optimistic note, for the past week I've been on a bit of a Girls Aloud bender. Their latest single, "The Loving Kind," is a nice enough ballad that features pop masters Pet Shop Boys as co-writers (along with the girl group's career production team Xenomania). While lacking the punch of their best tracks, it's miles better than most of their other ballads (don't even bother with "I'll Stand By You" or "See The Day" if you ever hope to get into the band). While most of the criticisms levied against the fivesome are entirely valid (e.g. they don't write their own music, they're totally manufactured, etc.), they have recorded some truly great pop songs over their short but prolific career. Rising from the constraints of a big reality show start, they've maintained their golden record of only top 10 hits (now celebrating their 20th in a row) and, bucking the trend of most mainstream pop and girl groups, now tend to sell more albums than singles. Their latest, the more subdued, refined Out Of Control, was their first studio album to hit the top spot on the UK charts, and has already gone double platinum. Following on from the unexpected number one success of lead single "The Promise," "The Loving Kind" has barely scraped into the top tier at number 10 (thanks to frenzied fan purchasing), but their longevity has already surpassed all expectations. To celebrate their successes, here's a playlist I've been listening to of my favorite Girls Aloud tracks. It's a basic rundown of their best singles, with some essential album tracks thrown in (including the epic, seven-minute power pop ballad "Untouchable" from their latest). Congrats to the girls on 20 hits, and here's hoping for another 20 of such consistent fun and quality. Take that Sugababes!

Hits 39/Shameless 09: Britney's Back!

Taken from her forthcoming album Circus, due out in early December, "Womanizer" is the return-to-form that Britney promised us last year with the ill-fated "Gimme More" video/performance and Blackout album. While she had the music ready for a big return, her head was all over the place and it didn't go down quite as planned. Now, though "Womanizer" as a song can't really stand up to "Gimme More" or "Piece Of Me," it is an insistent pop track that makes the best of her vocal abilities and backs it all up with an unmissable, if repetitive, title hook. The video completes the package to great effect. Her best since "Toxic," helmed by that video's high-profile director Joseph Khan (who also directed her classic "Stronger" clip). Reuniting her with her big-budget, entirely over-the-top pop persona of years long past, it sees her playing several racy alter egos (including one fully nude one) to the womanizer who did her wrong. It's worth watching and hearing, and definitely makes me excited for her real comeback. While waiting for Circus to drop, check out some of my favorite classic Britney tracks below (a miniature greatest hits from her heyday to the present). Now that she's cleaned herself up and gone back to being "classy sexy," maybe it will be a bit less of a guilty pleasure to listen to her. Then again, there are many reasons why Britney Spears belongs in the Shameless section... Also featured are three more noteworthy remixes of the single (another one was featured earlier), picked from the huge flood that are starting to come out.

LINK: "Womanizer" on YouTube.

UPDATE: The links have all been taken down thanks to a DCMA complaint that Blogger received about some of the songs (I'm not sure which). Sorry for those who missed out, and to whoever was understandably pissed that I posted the songs up. For future reference, I can be reached directly via email to take down tracks and will do it immediately. To preview the tracks that I mentioned, check out this blog on Hype Machine.

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Shameless 08: J. Lo

It seems September has been a very slow month for Different Is Dangerous, with only four posts so far (yikes!). To raise that figure, I've got five more posts in the works for this weekend! To kick off the spree, I compiled some tunes perfect for the two-day break from school and work. At some point in all of our lives, we've listened to and secretly liked Jennifer Lopez (admit it!). Whether for her excessive, overdone diva glamor, her terrible movies or her manufactured pop music, everybody has a soft spot for some J. Lo. From the triumphant beginning to her most recent flops, the whole of her music career has been one big guilty pleasure. "If You Had My Love" introduced her to the world in a big way with its Latin flavor and time-tested pop formula. "Waiting For Tonight" is the ultimate party jam, and should definitely be played at some point in any weekend. "Love Don't Cost A Thing," "Play" and "Ain't It Funny" see her on top form with her blockbuster second album. From there, things got a bit spottier, but better moments like "Jenny From The Block" and the Moto Blanco remixes of recent singles "Do It Well" and "Hold It Don't Drop It" inject some life in her later catalog. She may no longer care about her music career, but at least she left us some trashy hits (and that dress) along the way!

Jennifer Lopez, "If You Had My Love" [YSI] from On The 6)
Jennifer Lopez, "Waiting For Tonight" [YSI] (from On The 6) [previously in Classics 16]
Jennifer Lopez, "Love Don't Cost A Thing" [YSI] (from J. Lo) [previously in Classics 15]
Jennifer Lopez, "Play" [YSI] (from J. Lo)
Jennifer Lopez, "Ain't It Funny" [YSI] (from J. Lo)
Jennifer Lopez, "Jenny From The Block" [YSI] (from This Is Me...Then)
Jennifer Lopez, "Do It Well" (Moto Blanco Remix) [YSI] (original on Brave)
Jennifer Lopez, "Hold It Don't Drop It" (Moto Blanco Radio Mix) [YSI] (original on Brave)

***Note: Links removed***

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Shameless 07: B'Day!

27 years (and almost a week) ago, the world changed forever. On September 4, 1981, the unstoppable force that would become known worldwide for her whip-smart pop-laden R&B (and her signature underarm-revealing pose) was born. Of course, I'm talking about Beyoncé. For reasons known to my closest friends and myself, Beyoncé holds a unique place in all of our lives, and hopefully in yours too. As frontwoman of R&B supergroup Destiny's Child, she rose to fame for her sassy attitude, astute lyrics and overpowering voice. Though the music may no longer rival the best of her days as a trio, her solo career has put her onto a new plane of stardom. Her high-glamor persona, backed up in no small part by her constantly evolving songwriting skills, have kept her at the very top of the pop game. To celebrate her "b'day," here are ten of my favorites from throughout her group and solo career (though it's not a definitive list, since I tried picking songs I haven't featured yet, including some excellent Freemasons remixes). Are you ready for this jelly?

Destiny's Child:
Destiny's Child, "Say My Name" (Edit) [YSI]
Destiny's Child, "Jumpin', Jumpin'" [YSI]
Destiny's Child, "Independent Women Part I" [YSI]
Destiny's Child, "Bootylicious" [YSI]
The above tracks can be found on the hits album #1's.

Beyoncé Solo:
Beyoncé Feat. Jay-Z, "Crazy In Love" [YSI] (from Dangerously In Love)
Beyoncé Feat. Sean Paul, "Baby Boy" [YSI] (from Dangerously In Love)
Beyoncé, "Naughty Girl" [YSI] (from Dangerously In Love)
Beyoncé Feat. Jay-Z, "Upgrade U" [YSI] (from B'Day)

Beyoncé Remixed By Freemasons:
Beyoncé Feat. Jay-Z, "Deja Vu" (Freemasons Radio Mix) [YSI] (original on B'Day)
Beyoncé, "Ring The Alarm" (Freemasons Club Mix Radio Edit) [YSI] (original on B'Day)

Check out old posts for more tracks by Beyoncé and Destiny's Child.

***Note: Links removed***

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Shameless 06: Country Girls

I haven't been shameless in a while (well, I consistently am, but not on the blog!). To get back into some embarrassingly amazing music, here are country-laced picks for your listening pleasure. Primal Scream are hardly country, but their rollicking, blues-flavored "Country Girl" gave their career some much needed late-state resuscitation. Since I don't have a whole lot of country music on my computer, I picked out two tracks by each of my favorite country girls. When I was much younger, Shania Twain's blockbuster album Come On Over seemed to be on perpetual repeat in my house, so it makes perfect sense that years later I still know all the songs and feel the need to relive them. Two of the disc's singles, "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" and "That Don't Impress Me Much" are featured for your (far from) guilty pleasure listening. The Dixie Chicks have had more impact than most other female country artists, and in fact most girl groups of any genre, as career-spanning tracks like recent "The Long Way Around" and now-ancient "Wide Open Spaces" easily back up.

Primal Scream, "Country Girl" (Edit) [YSI] (from Riot City Blues)
Shania Twain, "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" [YSI] (from Come On Over)
Shania Twain, "That Don't Impress Me Much" [YSI] (from Come On Over)
Dixie Chicks, "The Long Way Around" [YSI] (from Taking The Long Way)
Dixie Chicks, "Wide Open Spaces" [YSI] (from Wide Open Spaces)

***Note: Links removed***

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Shameless 05: Spice Girls Go Solo

Recalling the inaugural Shameless post, here's a round-up of some of the best guilty pleasures you'll ever find. Of course, the Spice Girls are necessary for any pop fan and aren't even all that guilty of a pleasure considering their ubiquitous presence. Solo Spice Girls, however, are another story. As seen with Geri Halliwell, it's not always so easy to admit to liking an ex-Spice Girl's work. Regardless, I have a decent collection on my computer and feel the need to share, so feel free to anonymously download and listen in the privacy of your own headphones as needed. First up are two of Emma Bunton's singles, both of which are excellent 60s bossa nova-infused retro pop numbers. Victoria Beckham has only released a few singles, but (if nothing else) her single "Let Your Head Go" is a throbbing dance track worth hearing. Previously featured Geri Halliwell flopped hard with her last album Passion, so the great "Love Never Loved Me" unfortunately never saw the light of day. After those selections, check out some hot remixes, including old and new Spice Girls club mixes and two Emma remixes.

Emma Bunton, "Maybe" [YSI] (from Free Me)
Emma Bunton, "Crickets Sing For Anamaria" [YSI] (from Free Me)
Victoria Beckham, "Let Your Head Go" (Radio Edit) [YSI]
Geri Halliwell, "Love Never Loved Me" [YSI] (from Passion)

Remixes:
Spice Girls, "Who Do You Think You Are" (Morales Club Mix) [YSI]
Spice Girls, "Wannabe" (Soulseekerz 2007 Club Mix) [YSI]
Emma Bunton, "Free Me" (Dr. Octavo Seduction Remix) [YSI]
Emma Bunton, "Downtown" (Element Remix) [YSI]

***Note: Links removed***

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Shameless 04: The Other Minogue

Most musically-informed people are at least vaguely aware of Kylie Minogue, and if nothing else remember her for either the "la la la's" of "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" or her late '80s revival of "The Loco-Motion." What most don't realize, though, is that Kylie has a little sister who's also been in the pop game for quite a while. Known for pretty much everything but her music, Dannii Minogue (I know, the spelling!) will unfortunately never be able to leave the shadow of her older and far more popular sister, no matter how hard she tries (which, compared to her big sis, doesn't seem like much at all). For those who love a good pop/dance song regardless of credibility, Dannii is always a good bet.

Like Kylie, Dannii got her start on an Australian soap opera. Three years her sister's junior, she got her start in the music industry shortly after Kylie began scoring hits. Dannii's career as a singer got off to a promising start with Love and Kisses in 1991, scoring four UK top twenty hits with its singles, including the ironically-titled "$ucce$$." Her follow-up album Get Into You, despite continuing her debut's upbeat mix of pop and dance, failed to find chart $uce$$. Released after four singles, including the top ten hit "This Is It," it missed the top 50 in both the UK and Australia. She disappeared from the music scene after losing her record deal, showing up often in the tabloids and infamously posing nude in the pages of Australian Playboy. Dannii eventually returned in 1997 with the more mature club sounds of Girl. Preceding it was her biggest hit yet, the top five "All I Wanna Do," however the album was met with low sales and little $ucce$$ outside of the club charts.

After another hiatus, Dannii collaborated with Riva on the huge international club hit "Who Do You Love Now?" An instant $ucce$$, it reignited her music career and got her a six-album deal with London Records. She returned in 2002 with the addictive dance cut "Put The Needle On It," and solidified her comeback with its follow-up "I Begin To Wonder," just narrowly missing out on her first number one hit in the UK. Her fourth album Neon Nights hit the top ten in England and went gold, and her run of top ten hits continued with her next two single releases. Her club success soared to new heights, propelled by the popular mash-ups of the album's singles (including the first to ever be allowed to sample a Madonna track). Suddenly, and with little explanation, she switched labels to dance independent All Around The World. Though a follow-up album to Neon Nights was supposedly imminent, it never materialized. Instead, she released two one-off collaboration singles and eventually a compilation of hits and new tracks called The Hits & Beyond. It was met with minor $ucce$$ and has since been followed by two limited-release singles, both of which have undeniably flopped due to lack of promotion. With no new music on the horizon, Dannii has most recently released a series of back catalog items, including Unleashed, a collection of unreleased tracks and mixes, and deluxe re-issues of Girl and Neon Nights, much to the joy of her fans. It may be a while before she gets back on top of her musical game, so take the opportunity to look back and see what the minor Minogue has to offer. There's a reason she's known by many as a trashier, more clubbed-up version of Kylie, but no reason to deny yourself of this truly guilty pleasure!

From The Hits & Beyond:
Dannii Minogue, "Baby Love" (Silky 70's 7" Mix) [YSI]
Dannii Minogue, "$ucce$$" (7" Version) [YSI]
Dannii Minogue, "All I Wanna Do" [YSI]
Dannii Minogue, "I Begin To Wonder" (Radio Version) [YSI]
Dannii Minogue Vs. Flower Power, "You Won't Forget About Me" (Radio Edit) [YSI]

From Unleashed:
Riva Feat. Dannii Minogue, "Who Do You Love Now?" (Riva's Bora Bora Edit) [YSI]
Dannii Minogue, "Put The Needle On It" (Cicada Vocal Edit) [YSI]

Bonus:
Dannii Minogue Vs. Jason Nevins, "Touch Me Like That" (Radio Edit) [YSI]

For the excellent Dannii mash-ups with classic Dead Or Alive and Madonna songs, check out the recent post Mixed & Mashed 13.

***Note: Links removed***

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Shameless 03: '90s Throwback

Remember the days when the radio actually mattered and influenced our music purchases? Unless you've always been a pretentious indie-devotee, there was probably a time when you too listened to the influx of teen pop artists in the late 1990s. Admittedly, some of them deservedly fell off the face of the earth after manufactured pop went out of vogue. Some of the best singles from that period, however, wouldn't sound too out of place in today's music world. For instance, if Backstreet Boys released another "Everybody," they'd probably be a hit again (at least in the UK where "pop" isn't a dirty word). Sure, Hanson's "MMMBop" isn't exactly a stroke of musical genius, but nostalgia's sake it would be hard to find a better track to capture the spirit of pop music and of many of our childhoods in the late '90s. Today's last throwback is Britney's still-excellent "Stronger," back from a time when her court appearances weren't international news and having a hit single wasn't a rare, awe-inspiring occurrence.

Hanson, "MMMBop" [zShare]
Backstreet Boys, "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Radio Edit) [zShare]
Britney Spears, "Stronger" [zShare]

***Note: Links removed***

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Shameless 02: Pet Shop Boys

For more than two decades now, the Pet Shop Boys have been at the forefront of pop music, putting out slick, sophisticated albums full of classic pop singles. In America, they fell out of the limelight long ago, disappearing into obscurity along with a handful of other acts that gained popularity in the 80s. Their early hits, including the unforgettable "West End girls", "It's a sin," and "What have I done to deserve this?", were years ahead of their time when they topped the charts in the late 1980s, but somehow didn't translate to long-term US popularity. Outside these shores, though, they've remained vital to modern pop music for much longer, and their output continues to satisfy countless fans, if no longer the public at large. From their camp cover of "Go West" to later albums like Release and Fundamental, they've maintained their status as cutting-edge pop artists. As a purely pop act, with a taste for the flamboyant at times, they've become something of a hidden pleasure for many Americans. I first got into them about four years ago, and have since been hooked on their particular brand of clever dance music. Check out some of the tracks below and you'll see why I still can't get enough of them. (A witty bit of trivia: They named their first album Please so that customers at record stores could ask the clerk, "Can I have the Pet Shop Boys album, please?")

"Suburbia" (video mix) (from the album Please)
"What have I done to deserve this?" (with Dusty Springfield) (from the album Actually)
"Left to my own devices" (7" mix) (from the album Introspective)
"Go West" (from the album Very)
"I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing" (Beatmasters 7" version) (original version on the album Very)
"Minimal" (from the album Fundamental; watch the video below)


If you enjoy these selections, definitely get a copy of their double-disc greatest hits compilation PopArt: The Hits. It's truly an essential addition to any collection.

***Note: Links removed***

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Shameless 01: Geri Halliwell

I had the inspiration for this new section while walking home from class and listening to none other than ex-"Ginger Spice" Geri Halliwell. She definitely rests atop my list of ultimate guilty pleasures. Sadly, most will publicly deny taking a fancy to some of their most embarrassing favorites, but I find that there is no use pretending in some cases - everyone needs their guilty pleasures!

Geri famously walked out on the Spice Girls right before their sell-out US Spiceworld tour. Soon afterwards, she released her debut single "Look At Me" (a schmaltzy mess that turned heads, but just missed out on the number one spot in the UK). She followed it up, however, with four consecutive number one hits, each one sassier (and trashier) than the last. The last of those, her cover of "It's Raining Men," went on to become one of the biggest international hits of the 2000s (even without a US release). Since then, her popularity has waned, and her third record flopped harder than Glitter. I still can't decide whether to categorize her run of hits as golden pop moments or just the work of some really effective marketing teams. I'll leave that debate up to you, but in the meantime...

Geri Halliwell, "Look At Me" (from the album Schizophonic)
Geri Halliwell, "Mi Chico Latino" (from the album Schizophonic)
Geri Halliwell, "It's Raining Men" (from the album Scream If You Wanna Go Faster)
Geri Halliwell, "Ride It" (from the album Passion)

(And don't worry, I won't tell anyone!)

***Note: Links removed***

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