Attention: Hiatus!

As many of you may have noticed, I haven't updated in quite a while. I've been all over the place, moving back to Los Angeles over the past week. I'm still completely out-of-sorts and none of my stuff is back where it belongs yet, so be patient while I figure all parts of my life out. Included in the adjustment is this blog of course, so it might still be a bit until I sort out how and from where I'll be posting for the next three months. That said, I've got a ton of good stuff to share, but just haven't started up a new routine to get it out there yet. Patience!

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Review: Hello? This Is M.I.A.!

I'm only today done with my last final, but that didn't stop me from going into the city to see M.I.A. last night. I had heard different things about her live, so I wasn't too sure what to expect. Thankfully, my friends and I were in for a high-octane marathon of a show. The venue itself, the Concourse at the SF Design Center, was definitely not made for this kind of concert. Basically a huge open warehouse layout, the place had no ventilation or crowd control of any kind, meaning that the audience was nothing but an overheated, shoving mass of out-of-control underagers (the ceiling was literally dripping sweat!). After waiting in the inferno for what seemed like forever (or two hours), M.I.A. at last came out to start the show, preceded by an outrageously fun Oakland girl trio called Hot Tub and her excellent tour DJ Bun B. The thumping bass of "Bamboo Banga" announced her entrance in style after a funny (but overlong) political speech spoof played on the video screens. With loud siren calls and some of the best beats I've heard live, the show got off to an awesome start. The momentum didn't stop for a few songs, notable among them Kala track "XR2" and "$20." Things got a bit less impressive midway through, when her invitation to bring audience members on stage distracted somewhat from the music. Ironically, the girls on stage added to the show and made for awesome live versions of "Jimmy" and "10 Dollar," but the next round of stage invaders, the boys, kind of bogged down "Boyz" with their lesser enthusiasm. After kicking them back into the crowd, she regained focus and brought the house down with favorites like "Galang." She saved perhaps her most popular track for the final encore, though. "Paper Planes," in a drawn-out and highly energetic performance, was worth the admission price alone and capped off a very exciting show. The only real problem, which persisted throughout, was that her voice was sometimes buried in the mix. While I'll be the last one to ask for lower volume anywhere, the bass and backing track were just too overpowering in a lot of instances, often making her lyrics and even the beats themselves blend together (which is hard to do for such a distinctive artist like M.I.A.!). Of course, the venue's poor acoustics probably had a lot to do with it, but despite the sound imbalance, the concert was remarkable. M.I.A.'s energy and charisma are undeniable, and her passion is evident and contagious live. She's definitely someone I'd recommend seeing (as long as it isn't at the Concourse, of course!), and it will be very interesting to see her again a few years down the line when she has more material under her belt and has developed her live persona a bit more fully.

Concert Highlights:
"Bamboo Banga" [YSI] (from Kala)
"XR2" [YSI] (from Kala)
"Paper Planes" [YSI] (from Kala)
"10 Dollar" [YSI] (from Arular)
"Galang"/"M.I.A." (Hidden Track) [YSI] (from Arular)

***Note: Links removed***

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Hits 26/Mixed & Mashed 20: More Big Hits & Big Beats

And here comes another (likely brief) flood! Since it's been a while, I've got a pretty enormous round-up of new tracks and remixes to post. Instead of spreading it out, I thought I'd just get it all out at once! It's a mix of recent classics, fresh remixes and stuff I've just randomly discovered. There's a lot to get through, so I won't give a full rundown of all the tracks like usual. The standouts of the mixes are the new Basement Jaxx remix of Adele and Bimbo Jones' rework of Alphabeat's latest, along with LA Riots' club remix of Hot Chip. Madonna sees a handful of great remix action in the awesome "rebirth" mix of "4 Minutes," an extremely catchy mash-up of "Music" with Fedde Le Grand's "Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit" and another new bootleg "4 Minutes" mash-up with Fatboy Slim's "Praise You."

Mixes:
Adele, "Cold Shoulder" (Basement Jaxx Classic Remix Edit) [YSI]
Alphabeat, "10000 Nights" (Bimbo Jones Remix) [YSI]
Fergie, "Fergalicious" (MSTRKRFT Remix) [YSI]
Groove Armada, "Love Sweet Sound" (Mark Knight & Funkagenda's R.H.B. Mix) [YSI]
Hot Chip, "Ready For The Floor" (LA Riots vs. Villains Remix) [YSI]
Kylie Minogue, "In My Arms" (Death Metal Disco Scene Mix) [YSI]
Lykke Li, "I'm Good, I'm Gone" (Fred Falke Vocal Mix) [YSI]
Madonna, "4 Minutes" (Rebirth Remix) [YSI]
MGMT, "Time To Pretend" (Tronik Youth Shr-Edit Remix) [YSI]
Moby, "Disco Lies" (Spencer And Hill Remix) [YSI]
N.E.R.D., "Rockstar" (Jason Nevins Club Edit) [YSI]
Robyn, "Who's That Girl?" (Seamus Haji Radio Edit) [YSI]

Mash-ups:
Madonna, "Music" (Fedde Le Grand Mix) [YSI]
Madonna Vs. Fatboy Slim, "Praise 4 Minutes" (XAM Remix) [YSI]
Marvin Gaye, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (Freemasons Mix) [YSI]

***Note: Links removed***

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Hits 25: Tainted Pop

I'm slowly edging back into blogging (I feel like it's been forever!). Here is a round-up of some great, twisted pop songs either currently on the charts or meant to be there. First up is a delicious remake of Kylie Minogue's "Heart Beat Rock," replacing Calvin Harris's stilted electro with a slick hip-hop groove. Sister Dannii delivers on a cut with Roger Sanchez from her new compilation Club Disco (it's only included on the digital edition, though, for whatever reason). Danity Kane sidestep reality-show obscurity with new single "Damaged." With their 80s-sampling debut single "If This Is Love" set to be released in July, The Saturdays are currently opening for Girls Aloud on their Tangled Up tour. Annie's set to release her sophomore album soon, and judging from recent material it should be great. Check out an awesome just-released 12-minute sampler for Don't Stop below.

Note: The missing links have been fixed. Enjoy!

Kylie Minogue Feat. MC Spank Rock, "Heart Beat Rock" (Benny Blanco Remix) [YSI]
Dannii Minogue With Roger Sanchez, "Do You Believe Me Now?" [YSI] (from Club Disco)
Danity Kane, "Damaged" [YSI] (from Welcome To The Dollhouse)
The Saturdays, "If This Is Love" [YSI]
Annie, "Crush" (Richard X Original Version) [YSI]

Exclusive:
Annie, "Don't Stop" (Album Sampler) [YSI]

***Note: Links removed***

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Classics 22: Almost Back (With A Bang)

I know I've only posted once in the last week, and with only a review, but to be fair it's finals time. Please excuse the lack of excitement on the blog while I scramble to save my grades. During the sabbatical, maybe take some time to look over old posts and download missed tracks (there are a lot already up, after all). I'll try to do a few quick posts over the next few days (maybe one-track features like this one) so the interest doesn't completely dry up. For now, here's an old track that fits my mood pretty well, especially with its nonsensical chorus of bangs and stutters.

Róisín Murphy, "Ramalama (Bang Bang)" [YSI] (from Ruby Blue) [previously featured in Pedestal 01]

***Note: Links removed***

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Review: Madonna's "Hard Candy"

At last, I'm getting around to reviewing the one album I've been listening to nonstop for the past three weeks. Of course, I'm talking about Madonna's latest record Hard Candy. Her eleventh album, Hard Candy takes her signature pop/dance sound in an urban direction, with production nearly evenly split between Pharrell Williams and the dream team of Timbaland, Justin Timberlake and Nate "Danja" Hills. Not since the simultaneously-released Erotica album and Sex book has a Madonna album depended so much on hype and publicity for its introduction to the public. In the end, Hard Candy is just what opening track "Candy Shop" (and her just-announced tour) promises: sticky and sweet (with an emphasis on the "sticky").

For the majority of her albums, Madonna picks relatively obscure producers to work with and brings out the best in them to realize her musical vision. Hard Candy, like 1995's Bedtime Stories did with hitmakers Dallas Austin and Babyface, instead hires out well-established, ubiquitous names in hip-hop to change up Madonna's sound. In many ways, thanks to Madonna's strong pop instincts, Hard Candy stays true to Madonna's dance roots, disproving early fan worries that it would be a sell-out to American hip-hop. The album has a number of instantly memorable standouts, perhaps more than on the excellent Confessions on a Dance Floor album from 2 1/2 years ago. "Give It 2 Me" is a hot dance track infused with Williams' trademark musical hooks and an LCD Soundsystem flair. It's no surprise that it's set to be the album's second single. "Miles Away," sure to be a future release, is one of both Timbaland's and Madonna's finest midtempo moments, with a chorus that won't leave your head for days. "She's Not Me" is a sassy, bouncy funk-flavored song that's as much fun to sing along to as it is to hear. "Beat Goes On" is a fun, simple hip-hop song that has American radio hit written all over it. Overall, the Pharrell productions are fresher and produce the best collaborative results, though they prove less consistent than Timbaland's. "Heartbeat" is a bubbly fusion of electro and hip-hop that fits nicely on the album, as do "Give It 2 Me" and "She's Not Me." "Incredible," on the other hand, sees both Pharrell's music and Madonna's vocals trail on, seemingly lost without a solid song structure. "Spanish Lesson," lacking any elements of a true pop song, is the only obvious misfire on the album, and "Candy Shop" works as little more than mildly-entertaining album filler. At these spots and others, the style far overpowers the songs.

While no one can refute the bona-fide pop genius that Timbaland, Timberlake and Hills have shown in the past, their production just doesn't sound as fresh as it used to. "4 Minutes," though it will get stuck in your head for good reason, just doesn't feel like a Madonna first single. Timbaland's booming brass and bass riffs overpower the song, and Madonna's vocals take a backseat to Justin and the backing track. "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" is a bland, nearly-identical rewrite of Timberlake's "What Goes Around...Comes Around," which wasn't all that exciting to begin with. Even the album's best track, "Miles Away," is merely a well-executed rewrite of Nelly Furtado's "All Good Things (Come To An End)." Timbaland's productions, despite at times achieving their goal of reinventing Madonna's sound to fit modern trends, are nothing new, having already been done on both Loose and FutureSex/LoveSounds. Pharrell's productions, while at times uninspired, at least see him more on form.

The end result is an uneven album, packed with a number of gems, that falls into an odd middle ground for a Madonna album. It doesn't feel like an essential addition to her catalog, but it remains great to see her stepping outside of her comfort zone and trying out new sounds. The only problem is that her collaborators can't always step up their game, and Madonna relies too much on past formulas for even the standout tracks, failing to stretch her songwriting or lyrics to match her genre-bending ambitions. Hard Candy is unquestionably an album worth hearing, and one that will stay in rotation for a while, but won't replace Music or even Confessions on a Dance Floor as her best of the 21st century.

Listen to tracks from the album:
Hype Machine
Myspace
*Includes buy links

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Reviews and Previews: New Music Flood, Part II

Following on from my last update on new music, here are another five artists with hot new discs out. Duffy, whose smoky nu-Winehouse vocals have earned her a place at the top of the British charts, is featured with two tracks from her first album Rockferry, due out in America this month. Sam Sparro isn't be getting a US release any time soon (as far as I know), but make sure to enjoy some picks from his self-titled debut. Despite the excellence of "Black And Gold" and the tracks featured here ("Too Many Questions" and "21st Century Life," with Sparro playing the part of a modern-day George Michael pretty damn well), the album doesn't quite live up to his early promise. Leona Lewis, on the other hand, can do (almost) no wrong, as these cuts from her new album Spirit prove. For the record, my Stateside friends should remember that I posted "Bleeding Love" months before it began its American chart domination (oh, snap!). Cut Copy have been getting tons of blog love lately, and I'm finally seeing why. Last up, slow burner Gabriella Cilmi is sure to get stuck in your head with bittersweet hit "Sweet About Me," which will hopefully get a US release at some point.

Duffy, "Rockferry" [YSI] (from Rockferry)
Duffy, "Warwick Avenue" [YSI] (from Rockferry)

Sam Sparro, "Too Many Questions" [YSI] (from Sam Sparro)
Sam Sparro, "21st Century Life" [YSI] (from Sam Sparro)

Leona Lewis, "Forgive Me" [YSI] (from Spirit)
Leona Lewis, "Footprints In The Sand" [YSI] (from Spirit)

Cut Copy, "Unforgettable Season" [YSI] (from In Ghost Colours)
Cut Copy, "Strangers In The Wind" [YSI] (from In Ghost Colours)

Gabriella Cilmi, "Sweet About Me" [YSI] (from Lessons To Be Learned)
Gabriella Cilmi, "Sanctuary" [YSI] (from Lessons To Be Learned)

***Note: Links removed***

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Reviews and Previews: New Music Flood, Part I

As promised, I'm back with some good stuff. The first of a two-parter, here are five artists with noteworthy new music out now or coming soon. First and foremost, Santogold has just released her excellent self-titled debut album. Often compared to M.I.A., Santogold is like a more restrained, streamlined version of the singer. Santogold is already up there with my favorite new albums of the year after only a few initial listens. Also check out her collaboration with Mark Ronson on a cover of "Pretty Green." Next up, check out some Kleerup tracks doing the rounds on a promotional sampler for the dance artist. M83 are back with a new album Saturdays=Youth, a shift into the more alternative-rock side of shoegaze. Moby takes his sound back to the basics of club music on Last Night, featuring the addictive new single "Disco Lies." Last, but maybe most-hyped, is Scarlett Johansson. Later this month, she releases her debut record, an album of Tom Waits covers with one original. The songs are, perhaps surprisingly, very well done, and definitely worth a listen.

Santogold, "You'll Find A Way" [YSI] (from Santogold)
Santogold, "I'm A Lady" [YSI] (from Santogold)
Mark Ronson Feat. Santogold, "Pretty Green" (The Jam Cover) [YSI] (from Version)

Kleerup Feat. Titiyo, "Longing For Lullabies" [YSI]
Kleerup, "Thank You For Nothing" [YSI]
Robyn with Kleerup, "With Every Heartbeat" [YSI] (from Robyn)

M83, "Graveyard Girl" [YSI] (from Saturdays=Youth)
M83, "Kim & Jessie" [YSI] (from Saturdays=Youth)

Moby, "Everyday It's 1989" [YSI] (from Last Night)
Moby, "Disco Lies" [YSI] (from Last Night)

Scarlett Johansson, "Anywhere I Lay My Head" (Tom Waits Cover) [YSI] (from Anywhere I Lay My Head)
Scarlett Johansson, "I Wish I Was In New Orleans" (Tom Waits Cover) [YSI] (from Anywhere I Lay My Head)
Scarlett Johansson, "I Don't Want To Grow Up" (Tom Waits Cover) [YSI] (from Anywhere I Lay My Head)

***Note: Links removed***

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Preview: Quick Mash-up Taster

So, I haven't posted since Sunday (gasp!) since I have a gross lab exam tomorrow morning. In the meantime, before I post up a bunch of juicy new stuff soon, here's another Immuzikation mash-up. This time it's Santogold vs. Justice. I actually haven't heard it yet, but feel free to leave your comments below!

Santogold Vs. Justice, "L.E.S.D.A.N.C.E." (Mash-up by Immuzikation) [YSI]

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Ridin' Dirty 08: Lick It

Ridin' dirty, gettin' low, etc. It's all good fun with the right soundtrack, of course. Here are three tracks with filthy grooves to get into the spirit. First up, Larry Tee gets low with Princess Superstar on "Licky," featured in a juicy remix by Hervé from a while back. Missy Elliott, queen of innovative rap, sings an ode to her lady parts on the vulgar, yet hypnotic "Pussycat." Last up, a recent mash-up of Khia's high-class lyrical masterpiece "My Neck, My Back (Lick It)" with Sebastian Leger's deep electro grooves. Oh yeah!

Larry Tee Feat. Princess Superstar, "Licky" (Hervé Goes Low Remix) [YSI]
Missy Elliott, "Pussycat" [YSI] (from Under Construction)
Sebastian Leger Vs. Khia, "Lick My Venus" [YSI]

***Note: Links removed***

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Covered Up 11/Ridin' Dirty 07: Let's Get Physical

Whether or not you regularly listen to it, everyone has at some point heard Olivia Newton-John's "Physical," or at least a cover version of it. Ever since it became a monster number one hit in the early '80s, it's become a classic trashy pop song. The base lyrics are catchy and simple, inspiring countless revisits over the years. Here are all the ones I could round up, starting with one that surpasses the now-dated original in my book. Goldfrapp did a sultry downbeat rework back in 2001 called "U.K. Girls (Physical)" that is definitely worth a listen. Kylie Minogue included a far less essential version of the track on an out-of-print tour edition of Light Years. The Black Ghosts do a fun, punky version that is a nice contrast to the pop takes. The Glimmers do it to the extreme with a sleazy electro version, while Sophie Ellis-Bextor does a nice, if unremarkable, cover that is true to her slick pop sound.

The Original:
Olivia Newton-John, "Physical" [YSI]

The Covers:
Goldfrapp, "U.K. Girls (Physical)" [YSI] (from the Utopia EP and Felt Mountain Special Edition)
Kylie Minogue, "Physical" [YSI]
The Black Ghosts, "Let's Get Physical" [YSI]
The Glimmers, "Physical" [YSI]
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, "Physical" [YSI] (hidden track from Shoot From The Hip)

***Note: Links removed***

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Hits 24/Mixed & Mashed 19: Hits Mixed, Part III

After the enduring popularity of the previous Hits Mixed posts (part I and part II), I just had to go ahead and do another installment. Of course, the amount of great new mixes on my hard drive was building up too. Here is a batch of hot new mixes (some of them so hot that I may be removing them in a day or two and replacing them with links to the Hype Machine player). First up are two of the hottest mixes I've heard in a while. The Paul Oakenfold remix of Madonna's next single, "Give It 2 Me," transforms the hip-pop track into a club monster, matching and possibly surpassing the original version. Kylie Minogue's 21st-century classic "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" is given a fresh electro rework by "Wow" producer Greg Kurstin. It's definitely worth hearing and dancing to. Next up, Goldfrapp rejected Rex The Dog's remix of their latest single "Happiness" (see the parody video here), but it has leaked in high quality for the listening pleasure of Goldfrapp and Rex The Dog fans alike. Mariah Carey has always had remixers knocking down her door to rework her tracks, often with classic results. "Touch My Body," her latest number one, doesn't have any on par with her best mixes, but the Craig C edit is a fun dance radio version. Britney Spears, similarly, has each of her singles remixed countless times. One of the best of her new track "Break The Ice" is actually an unofficial bootleg. Nelly Furtado can't seem to leave Loose behind, and recently revisited "In God's Hands" with Keith Urban backing her up, bringing a nice touch to the MOR ballad. Erykah Badu isn't someone I normally listen to, but a mix by Seiji of her recent "Honey" caught my eye with its quirky beats and melody. Speaking of quirky and Seiji, I finally got a hold of the bootleg Kris Di Angelis remix of Róisín Murphy's "Overpowered" (originally produced by Seiji) from a while back, and it's a cool one!

Madonna, "Give It 2 Me" (Paul Oakenfold Edit) [YSI]
Kylie Minogue, "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" (Greg Kurstin Remix) [YSI]
Goldfrapp, "Happiness" (Rex The Dog Remix) [YSI]
Mariah Carey, "Touch My Body" (Craig C's Radio Edit) [YSI]
Britney Spears, "Break The Ice" (Danced, Killed n' Moved) [YSI]
Nelly Furtado, "In God's Hands" (Feat. Keith Urban) [YSI]
Erykah Badu, "Honey" (Seiji Mix) [YSI]
Róisín Murphy, "Overpowered" (Kris Di Angelis White Label Remix) [YSI]

***Note: Links removed***

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Tender Ballads 08: Divas & Dixies

Lately, my daily blocks of tender ballad listening have been dominated by powerful female singers and groups. In the spirit of the recent foreign-language Open Your Box post, I've started off this round of slow songs with one of Christina Aguilera's finest tender moments, the Spanish ballad "Contigo En La Distancia." Even back in 2001, when her Spanish effort Mi Reflejo came out, her powerful voice established her as an instant diva. Christina's soaring vocals recall the reigning divas of the '90s, including three that I've included here (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston). Celine Dion's "To Love You More" perhaps isn't her most unforgettable song, but it is a solid power ballad with all the elements of her best works. Mariah's "Hero" is undeniably one of her signature tracks, with a universal message of personal strength and confidence that is best enjoyed sung out loud. Madonna, while not a diva in the same sense as Mariah or Celine Dion, has a pretty impressive back catalog of ballads. "Take A Bow," which spent seven weeks at number one in the US back in 1994, is among her finest downtempo compositions, providing a sharp contrast to the explicit sex vixen persona she had cultivated only two years prior. Mary J. Blige teamed up with U2 a few years back to recreate their classic single "One," raising the emotional stakes with her unrivaled powerhouse vocals. Whitney Houston, often considered the gold standard for contemporary divas, released one of the absolute classics of the 1990s with "I Will Always Love You," a performance that few, herself included, have been able to match. Finally, I'm including a group that don't really belong in the diva category, but regardless have been in heavy rotation for the past few days. The Dixie Chicks, as known over the past few years for their brave political commentary as their music, are the best in pop-based country music, as earlier, wistful hit "Cowboy Take Me Away" shows. Expect them to be worked into more posts in the future for sure!

Christina Aguilera, "Contigo En La Distancia" [YSI] (from Mi Reflejo)
Celine Dion, "To Love You More" [YSI] (from All the Way: A Decade of Song)
Mariah Carey, "Hero" [YSI] (from Greatest Hits)
Madonna, "Take A Bow" [YSI] (from Bedtime Stories)
Mary J. Blige & U2, "One" [YSI] (from The Breakthrough)
Whitney Houston, "I Will Always Love You" [YSI] (from The Greatest Hits)
Dixie Chicks, "Cowboy Take Me Away" [YSI] (from Fly)

***Note: Links removed***

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