Vote!

Today is "Super Tuesday," which means that primary elections for the 2008 presidential race are being held in many states across the US. For anyone living in America (apologies to non-US visitors for boring you!), I urge you to get out there and vote today. Whether you're voting for the Democratic or Republican primaries, make sure your voice gets heard. I'll be out all day directing people to their polling places and ensuring that everyone on the UC Berkeley campus is voting, so no new music for today (sorry!), but check back for some good stuff coming up. In the meantime, VOTE VOTE VOTE!

Save to del.icio.us!

Mixed & Mashed 12: Björk's "Volta" Remixed

Björk's sixth proper album Volta, released last year, has seen nearly all of its songs reinterpreted and remixed in recent months. Abandoning the traditional single release strategy, she has instead been releasing each of the album's singles as digital EPs, then again as elaborate special edition CD/12"/DVD boxed sets. Also odd for Björk is a lack of b-sides and album outtakes, leaving the releases to instead be padded with various remixes, some of them enlightening but most of them sadly falling flat. "Wanderlust," my personal favorite from Volta, will be released sometime soon as the album's fourth single, and a promo has come out featuring two unlabeled new remixes, which some fans have decided are actually by Matthew Herbert and Ratatat. Both are excellent regardless of their makers, and erase all memory of the lackluster mixes for her last few singles. Here they are for your listening pleasure, along with a fun (if a tad boring and overly long) remix of "Innocence" by Simian Mobile Disco and the upbeat Spank Rock remix of "Earth Intruders."

"Wanderlust" (Matthew Herbert Mix) [YSI]
"Wanderlust" (Ratatat Mix) [YSI]
"Innocence" (Simian Mobile Disco 12" Remix) [YSI]
"Earth Intruders" (Spank Rock Remix) [YSI]

Save to del.icio.us!

Classics 14: Androgyny

Going to school in Berkeley, every day I encounter androgynous students, bridging the gender gap with their style, attitude and bodies. The gender divide is being broken down all the time in so many ways that it's hard to keep track of who's a woman or a man or straight or gay or whatever. Keeping that in mind, here are some songs explicitly dealing with that fuzzy area, from Blur's classic single "Girls & Boys" to The Killers' breakthrough hit "Somebody Told Me," with Garbage's nearly career-ending (but still catchy) single "Androgyny" wedged in between (featured here as its bumping Neptunes remix).

Blur, "Girls & Boys" [YSI] (from the album Parklife)
Garbage, "Androgyny" (The Neptunes Remix) [YSI] (original version on the album Beautifulgarbage)
The Killers, "Somebody Told Me" [YSI] (from the album Hot Fuss)

***Note: Links removed***

Save to del.icio.us!

Ridin' Dirty 05: Dirty Dancing

Filthy dance tracks are the order of the day for the latest "Ridin' Dirty" installment. Starting off is the essential dirty dance anthem, Benny Benassi's "Satisfaction." Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker," while not all that obviously filthy in content (except the muted French whispering of "I like to have sex with dogs"), has one of the dirrtiest electronic grooves I've ever heard, and requires nothing short of shamelessly erotic slow dancing as accompaniment. If those weren't raunchy enough, prepare yourself for the shocking "Orgasm" by Thick Dick. If the artist's name didn't warn you of the song's vulgarity already, a few seconds of listening will have you convinced. Set over a deep house beat, the entire song consists of its female vocalist acting out the title. Some of my best early driving experiences included cruising around town blasting this for innocent passersby. Definitely not one to play with kids around!

Benny Benassi, "Satisfaction" (Isak Original Edit) [YSI]
Aphex Twin, "Windowlicker" [YSI]
Thick Dick, "Orgasm" (Original Mix) [YSI]

Also necessary for all you dirty riders out there are the videos to both "Satisfaction" and "Windowlicker," the latter of which sets the truly bar for what an explicit video should be. Good times!

***Note: Links removed***

Save to del.icio.us!

Tender Ballads 02

I know I promised some Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys in the second installment of the "Tender Ballads" series, but instead I decided to hold off on that and just post some tracks that fit my current mood a bit better. The theme of the day is bitterness, disappointment and regret (apologies to all the optimists out there, this is not your day!), so here are some fitting tracks for that. These are among the saddest songs I've ever heard, so enjoy (maybe?). Róisín Murphy hits close to home with "The Closing Of The Doors," so this one's dedicated to anyone out there who hasn't had a crush returned and sees the doors of possibility close. In the same vein of dashed hopes, The Zombies consider how to express emotion with the haunting "The Way I Feel Inside," while Cat Power's every word drips with sadness in "The Greatest." Last, The Smashing Pumpkins live up to their Mellon Collie album title with the delicate "Thirty-Three."

Róisín Murphy, "The Closing Of The Doors" [YSI] (from the album Ruby Blue)
The Zombies, "The Way I Feel Inside" [YSI] (from the soundtrack album The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou)
Cat Power, "The Greatest" [YSI] (from the album The Greatest)
The Smashing Pumpkins, "Thirty-Three" [YSI] (from the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness)

***Note: Links removed***

Save to del.icio.us!

Serve Chilled 06: Acoustic Reworks

Artists are constantly reinventing their songs in many ways, from remixes to live takes to complete re-recordings. Some of the most revealing looks into any artist's abilities come via acoustic recordings. Pop artists can give entirely new dimensions to their sound by reinterpreting their familiar, studio-polished songs as acoustic tracks. Here's a batch of notable acoustic takes from artists known almost solely for their highly-refined pop songs. Goldfrapp hinted at their forthcoming album Seventh Tree's stripped-back sound with their acoustic radio session for Jo Whiley's Live Lounge, featuring a lovely acoustic rendition of Supernature's "Fly Me Away." Nelly Furtado and Rihanna take some of their best-known singles to new places by removing the studio sheen we're used to hearing. The Cardigans and Róisín Murphy prove their amazing versatility with their reinventions, while Garbage's Shirley Manson really shines on an acoustic version of their under-appreciated single "Breaking Up The Girl."

Garbage, "Breaking Up The Girl" (Acoustic) [YSI]
Róisín Murphy, "Let Me Know" (Live Acoustic Version) [YSI]
The Cardigans, "Lovefool" (Puck Version) [YSI]
Nelly Furtado, "I'm Like A Bird" (Acoustic) [YSI]
Rihanna, "Umbrella" (Acoustic Version) [YSI]
Goldfrapp, "Fly Me Away" (Acoustic on Jo Whiley's Live Lounge) [YSI]

Note: I have made the zShare links the main ones for downloads since about 1/3 of the comments I receive are just people asking to re-upload YouSendIt links. Those are still there - to the right - but hopefully by switching there won't be a huge confusion about how to download files once YouSendIt links expire. To recap, click the song title to listen to the track and then click "download file" if you decide you like it. To skip listening, click on YSI for a direct link. If that link has expired, then tough luck - just use zShare (it's the same exact file!).

***Note: Links removed***

Save to del.icio.us!

Hits 14: Double Dose Of Kylie

As many of you probably know (via me, most likely), Kylie Minogue has two singles coming out in February. "In My Arms" is her second single from X in Europe, while "Wow" is doing the business in the UK and Australia. Of course, that means two new music videos, which were just filmed back-to-back in Los Angeles and are set to debut today (!!!) internationally. Here is the first video for "In My Arms," which just hit the internet earlier this morning. Wearing Róisín Murphy's avant-garde Gareth Pugh dress from her "Overpowered" video along with a host of other zany outfits, it comes across as an ultra-futuristic update of some of her own videos from the 1990s ("Confide In Me" comes to mind). Next up is "Wow," which came out later in the evening. Taking a club scene similar to her video for "Spinning Around" and updating it for the next century, "Wow" is one of Kylie's best videos in a long time, and brings to mind the good old days of high-budget, highly-choreographed pop videos. It's the lead single and video she should have released instead of "2 Hearts"! Check out Hits 12 and Mixed & Mashed 09 and 10 for remixes of both new singles.

Kylie Minogue, "In My Arms" (from the album X)


Kylie Minogue, "Wow" (from the album X)


Note: I realize that both videos are being removed and re-uploaded pretty quickly. I'll try to keep on top of it so the links stay valid.

Save to del.icio.us!

Open Your Box 10: Collaborations

Continuing in the spirit of musical hybrids (see the recent bootleg special), I've picked out a few random collaborations for your consideration. First in the set, Robyn has, seemingly for no reason, turned Snoop Dogg's latest bump-and-grind anthem into a duet. The revised "Sexual Eruption" is an unlikely, yet undeniably fresh combination of Snoop's synthesized verses and Robyn's sultry vocals. Taken from the soundtrack to the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Calexico make an unexpected but perfectly fitting match on a cover of "Just Like A Woman," with their delicate acoustic backing paralleling Charlotte's fragile voice. House music superstars Faithless brought R&B singer Estelle on board for their single "Why Go?", a catchy club track featured on their greatest hits set. Last up, Kylie Minogue shows up once more, this time alongside Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Recorded during her time with indie dance label Deconstruction, "Where The Wild Roses Grow" is a dark slow song featured on the Bad Seeds album Murder Ballads.

Snoop Dogg Featuring Robyn, "Sexual Eruption" [zShare]
Charlotte Gainsbourg & Calexico, "Just Like A Woman (Bob Dylan cover)" [zShare] (from the soundtrack album I'm Not There)
Faithless Featuring Estelle, "Why Go?" [zShare] (from the compilation Forever Faithless)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds & Kylie Minogue, "Where The Wild Roses Grow" [zShare] (from the album Murder Ballads and the compilation Ultimate Kylie)

***Note: Links removed***

Save to del.icio.us!

Dear Ibiza 08: From The Vaults

Here's another batch of newly converted tracks from vinyl, this time featuring dance tracks. On (yet another) fruitful trip to Amoeba, I picked up a copy of Aloud's 2004 club hit "Sex & Sun" on 12", featuring great mixes by Thin White Duke and Eric Prdyz. In the bargain bins of hole-in-the-wall Poobah Records, I found ancient 12" club promos of Underworld's "Moaner" and Natalie Imbruglia's "Smoke," the latter of which included some awesome club and downtempo remixes that I didn't even know existed. They're still more proof that good music is always waiting to be found for those who are willing to search.

Aloud, "Sex & Sun" (Eric Prydz Remix) [zShare]
Underworld, "Moaner" (Long Version) [zShare]
Natalie Imbruglia, "Smoke" (Allister Whitehead's Pan Fried Mix) [zShare]

***Note: Links removed***

Save to del.icio.us!

Hits 13

These new singles should get you up and moving, despite the poor weather (at least here in Berkeley). First up is a new track by Kelly Rowland. I normally wouldn't pay much attention to any ex-Destiny's Child members other than Beyoncé, but, like B before her, Kelly has had her song "Work" remixed by the inimitable Freemasons. The Indian/Far Eastern flavor and big beats add a lot to the song and have already turned it into a big hit across the pond. The same can't be said about Ashlee Simpson's latest single, "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)." Despite its Timbaland production and catchy, atypical-for-Ashlee chorus, it hasn't caught on much anywhere. Judge for yourself below.

Kelly Rowland, "Work" (Freemasons Radio Edit) [zShare]
Ashlee Simpson, "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)" [zShare]

***Note: Links removed***

Save to del.icio.us!

Mixed & Mashed 11: Bootleg Sequel

The last post on mash-ups proved to be pretty popular, with particular attention going to the unlikely combination of Britney Spears and Daft Punk on "Daft Slave." To fill in the gaps in your bootleg collection, here are six more notable mixes. First up are two mash-ups featuring Kylie Minogue's sultry 2003 single "Slow." The first is a propulsive mashing with The Prodigy's classic "Smack My Bitch Up," followed by an excellent mix with Stardust's "Music Sounds Better With You." Destiny's Child get an electro rework when juxtaposed with Calvin Harris's "Acceptable In The 80s" (previously featured in a special on Calvin Harris). Mylo's "Drop The Pressure" gets yet another bootleg treatment, this time with Michael Jackson's "Bad." Next up, Daft Punk rise to the aid of adventurous DJs once more by providing a fresh backing for Outkast's "The Whole World" (apologies for the scuzzy quality of this one). Last, a recommendation from one of my readers, a mash-up of Placebo, Kate Bush and Pet Shop Boys called "Love Comes Running Up That Hill Quickly."

Kylie Minogue Vs. The Prodigy, "Slow My Bitch Up" [zShare]
Kylie Minogue Vs. Stardust, "Music Sounds Better When Slow" [zShare]
Calvin Harris Vs. Destiny's Child, "Nasty Girls Are Accepted" [zShare]
Mylo Vs. Michael Jackson, "Drop Me Bad" [zShare]
Outkast Vs. Daft Punk, "Around The Whole World" [zShare]
Placebo Vs. Pet Shop Boys Vs. Kate Bush, "Love Comes Running Up That Hill Quickly" [zShare]

Note: I realize a large number of the tracks I've put up recently have been by or featuring Kylie Minogue, so please just bear with me if you're not her biggest fan. I promise to tone it down, but it seems they're all becoming pretty popular with a lot of you!

***Note: Links removed***

Save to del.icio.us!

Attention: Popjustice

For all you pop music fanatics out there, I would highly recommend adding Popjustice to your bookmarks. Updated daily with the latest pop music news, along with hot tracks, special features and exclusive interviews, it is not a blog to be missed. As an example of the hilarious and often cynical nature of many of their postings, they pointed out on Friday that the recent Spice Girls single "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" has already hit the bargain bins of UK superstore Tesco for a mere ONE PENCE (or TWO CENTS)! Good stuff!

Save to del.icio.us!

Pedestal 04: The Cardigans

The Cardigans are known to most only for their huge international hit "Lovefool" from way back in 1997, and that's exactly how my nearly-lifelong obsession with them began. In the ripe year of the third grade, I first became hooked on "Lovefool" after hearing it on the radio and seeing its elaborate video on MTV. I went online, with my old dial-up connection, and downloaded clips of songs from their first three albums from their website. Soon after, I picked up two of their records in a big sale at Tower Records and played them non-stop for months. Even at that young age, with a CD player among my few possessions, I knew I had found something special, and to this day they remain my favorite band.

The Cardigans started out as just a local Swedish band with their 1994 debut Emmerdale. Full of bright, optimistic pop songs with serious undertones, it quickly caught on in their home country, fueled by early singles "Rise And Shine" and "Sick And Tired." Their second album Life, released the next year, became a success throughout Europe thanks to its catchy retro-kitsch sound. "Carnival" and a reworked "Rise And Shine" slowly gained them attention and their ironically upbeat tunes began to spread. When First Band on the Moon came out in 1996, it didn't make too much of a splash until "Lovefool" was used in Baz Luhrmann's version of Romeo + Juliet. The song became a worldwide smash and the album became a success all over. After much touring and increased exposure, they returned in 1998 with the darker, electronic-influenced Gran Turismo. Though it didn't get much attention in the US, the album and its singles, especially "Erase/Rewind," were considerable hits in the UK and Europe. After a long break for solo projects, the band finally released their fifth album Long Gone Before Daylight in 2003. A more organic and stripped-back affair than its predecessors, the album didn't really find an audience outside their homeland. A delayed US release, coupled with minimal promotion worldwide, saw them fade into obscurity. In 2005, they released possibly their best record yet, Super Extra Gravity. Full of energy and tight pop structures, it contains some of their finest work, so it's a real shame that it ended up being the least widely heard of all their albums. On the horizon is a Best Of collection, coming out January 28 overseas (or early March in some countries, including the US), containing their biggest hits and selected album highlights. A limited edition will also be released featuring a bonus disc packed with rarities (though I've somehow already collected the majority of tracks on even the special edition!).

Back to my history with the band, after Life and First Band on the Moon hooked me, I tracked down their first album on import and eventually even their b-sides collection The Other Side of the Moon. After Gran Turismo came out, I dragged my dad out to Pomona with me to see them in concert. Disregarding that it was a school night and I was still in fifth grade at the time, I went hours early to line up at tiny club The Glass House so I could be right in front of singer Nina Persson for the whole show. Almost matching that amazing experience was when I finally managed to track down the extremely rare original Swedish issue of Life, containing a different tracklisting to the US version, after two years of intensive searching. While I loved Long Gone Before Daylight and Nina Persson's excellent solo album A Camp, it was Super Extra Gravity that really reminded me of how much The Cardigans have meant to me over the years. I grew up with their music and still love it, for good reason, so here is some of their best for your listening pleasure, including a brand-new remix of "Erase/Rewind" by Robyn collaborator Kleerup, due to be released digitally in Europe very soon.

The Cardigans, "Rise & Shine" [zShare] (from the album Emmerdale; also features on the US version of Life)
The Cardigans, "Carnival" [zShare] (from the album Life)
The Cardigans, "My Favourite Game" [zShare] (from the album Gran Turismo)
The Cardigans, "I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer" [zShare] (from the album Super Extra Gravity)

Exclusive:
The Cardigans, "Erase/Rewind" (2008 Remix by Kleerup) [zShare]

***Note: Links removed***

Save to del.icio.us!

Mixed & Mashed 10: In Kylie's Arms

Oh, Kylie. At times, she never seems to stop giving. Her latest album X is full of pop gems, including the new single "In My Arms," released only in Europe this February. The release parallels the UK and Australian release of "Wow," recently featured in two other posts on this site. Sadly, I was beaten by other blogs by a matter of mere hours to first post the MSTRKRFT remix of "Wow," so I don't plan on being behind the times with the hot new mixes of "In My Arms." Easily one of the standout tracks on her new record and possibly of her entire career, the single gets some delicious electro reworkings by the likes of Spitzer, Sebastian Leger and Chris Lake. Check out two of them below, including the radio edit by Spitzer, the first band to be featured in my Fresh series. Enjoy!

Kylie Minogue, "In My Arms" (Spitzer Radio Edit) [zShare]
Kylie Minogue, "In My Arms" (Chris Lake Vocal Mix) [zShare]

***Note: Links removed***

Save to del.icio.us!

Attention: More Hot Chip Remixes

As some of you may remember, I did a post on some of Hot Chip's best remixes a few weeks ago (check it out here). It turned out to be one of my most popular posts ever, with the remix of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" briefly becoming the most popular track on Hype Machine. Since you all loved it so much, here's a link to a similar post featuring a bunch of Hot Chip remixes that I've never even heard before (with the exception of the Junior Boys track). It's over on Covert Curiosity, so make sure to check it out. Also, if you want to get a snapshot of some of the blogs I regularly check, scroll down to the links page on this site or visit my Hype Machine account to browse my personal favorites.

Save to del.icio.us!