Previews and Apologies

Sorry everyone about the recent hiatus in posting! I was finishing up the semester and just got done with my last final today, so expect some good stuff coming up over the next few weeks. As you may realize, the end of the year is almost upon us, which means critics and bloggers of all sorts are working overtime judging the past year's output. I've already started deliberating over the selections for my own "best-of" lists, so look forward to those for a few different categories. Also coming up is a flashback to Kylie Minogue's single "Love At First Sight" and a special feature on some of my favorite mash-ups and bootleg remixes. Until then, refresh your collection with some older posts (perhaps using the handy search function!) and head on over to The Hype Machine, which as of this weekend has started including my blog in its listings, just in time for its two-month anniversary. Past posts won't show up, but once I get a new music upload site sorted, upcoming songs will be available for your listening pleasure there as well. Log in and add "Different Is Dangerous" as a favorite blog if you'd like to keep updated via their truly amazing "lovefeed" feature. Ciao!

*Note: picture lifted from Popjustice. Check them out for a good time!

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Hits 06: Björk Declares Independence

Björk, as one of my favorite artists ever, is held up to pretty high standards. While her latest album Volta contained some definite gems, it wasn't the earth-shattering return to brazen pop that I expected from her list of collaborators (including Homogenic co-producer Mark Bell and pop mastermind Timbaland). Nevertheless, its best tracks stand up well to her best work, and the whole album works extremely well in a live setting. One of those standouts, the harsh, "Pluto"-like "Declare Independence," is getting a full single release on January 1, 2008. It was supposed to follow up "Earth Intruders" as the second single, but scheduling conflicts with longtime video collaborator Michel Gondry held up the release until now. It will also be the first physically-available single from the album, coming with new remixes by the likes of Matthew Herbert and Ghostigital on double-pack 12", CD and DVD formats. How will you declare independence this New Year's Day?

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Mixed & Mashed 03: Paul Oakenfold

Paul Oakenfold is among the biggest names in dance music today, and has been building up an impressive resume over the past fifteen years. He is perhaps most famous for his skills as a DJ, but has extended that success to popular remix work and solo recordings. While some of his mixes tend to become repetitive, there is no doubt about their consistent quality, which is rivaled only by some of his best solo singles. A selection of my personal favorite Oakenfold remixes is featured here, along with a bonus solo track, "Faster Kill Pussycat," his ace 2006 single with actress Brittany Murphy on vocals. The remix of Róisín Murphy's "Cry Baby" is an absolute stormer that will restore any doubter's faith in dance music. Lastly, Oakenfold has recently released a compilation of some of his best solo and remix material called Greatest Hits & Remixes, so be sure to check that out if you like these selections.

Róisín Murphy, "Cry Baby" (Oakenfold Mix) (from the single Let Me Know)
Justin Timberlake, "My Love" (Paul Oakenfold Radio Edit) (from the single My Love)
Madonna, "Sorry" (Paul Oakenfold Remix) (from the single Sorry)

Bonus:
Oakenfold featuring Brittany Murphy, "Faster Kill Pussycat" (from the album A Lively Mind)

***Note: Links removed***

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Serve Chilled 04: Songs For Sunshine

It seems like we're getting very lucky with weather here in Berkeley, as the recent streak of bright, sunny days doesn't appear to be letting up. It's hard to be gloomy, even with finals just around the corner, when every day is this sunny. Here are some great tracks to celebrate the good weather with. My personal favorite of the three is Belle & Sebastian's "Another Sunny Day," taken from the wonderful album The Life Pursuit. If you like this selection, definitely get a hold of the full record, as it will be sure to lift your spirits. For any visitors from across the pond, I hope your weather fortunes turn up a bit so you can enjoy these upbeat tracks without bitterness!

Belle & Sebastian, "Another Sunny Day" (from the album The Life Pursuit)
The Beatles, "Good Day Sunshine" (from the album Revolver)
Aloud, "Sex & Sun" (from the Hed Kandi compilation Es Vive Ibiza 2004)

***Note: Links removed***

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Hits 05: Holiday Special

The holiday season is fast approaching, catching most of us off guard yet again. To get in the spirit, though, here is the essential seasonal hit, Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You." First released in 1994, it has become one of the few modern holiday songs to really catch on, and can be heard all over the radio every year around Christmas time. In the UK, where downloads are now allowed to chart with or without a single release, it has re-entered the charts and returned to the top 10 after an absence of many years. Here is the 60s-themed video, along with the song for download for you to start getting excited for the holidays (or start to panic about buying gifts, like I'm doing).

Download: Mariah Carey, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" (from the album Merry Christmas)

***Note: Links removed***

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Preview: Grammy Nominations

Cheers to the Grammy Awards committee for nominating some excellent and well-deserving records for this year's awards! This year marks the 50th awards ceremony, and will be broadcast on February 10, 2008, at 8 pm on CBS. Announced this past Thursday, the amazing trainwreck Amy Winehouse earned six nominations, including nods in all the big categories (album, record and song of the year, as well as best new artist). Other big draws were Kanye West (eight), Timbaland (five), Justin Timberlake (five) and the Foo Fighters (five). Congrats!

Here are the nominees in all the categories that I usually pay attention to, with my picks starred:

Album of the Year:
Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Vince Gill, These Days
Herbie Hancock, River: The Joni Letters
Kanye West, Graduation
Amy Winehouse, Back To Black*

Record of the Year:
Beyoncé, "Irreplaceable"*
Foo Fighters, "The Pretender"
Rihanna featuring Jay-Z, "Umbrella"*
Justin Timberlake, "What Goes Around...Comes Around"
Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"*
This award is given to the performers and producers of a track.

Song of the Year:
Carrie Underwood, "Before He Cheats"
Plain White T's, "Hey There Delilah"
Corinne Bailey Rae, "Like A Star"
Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"*
Rihanna featuring Jay-Z, "Umbrella"*
This award is given to a track's songwriters, not the performers.

Best New Artist:
Feist
Ledisi
Paramore
Taylor Swift
Amy Winehouse*

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance:
Christina Aguilera, "Candyman"*
Feist, "1234"
Fergie, "Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)"
Nelly Furtado, "Say It Right"*
Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"*

Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals:
Tony Bennett & Christina Aguilera, "Steppin' Out"
Beyoncé & Shakira, "Beautiful Liar"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)"
Gwen Stefani featuring Akon, "The Sweet Escape"*
Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake, "Give It To Me"

Best Pop Vocal Album:
Bon Jovi, Lost Highway
Feist, The Reminder
Maroon 5, It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Paul McCartney, Memory Almost Full
Amy Winehouse, Back To Black*

Best Dance Recording:
The Chemical Brothers, "Do It Again"*
Justice, "D.A.N.C.E."
Mika, "Love Today"
Rihanna, "Don't Stop The Music"
Justin Timberlake, "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows"*

Best Dance Album:
The Chemical Brothers, We Are The Night*
Justice, †
LCD Soundsystem, Sound Of Silver
Shiny Toy Guns, We Are Pilots
Tiësto, Elements Of Life

Best Alternative Album:
Lily Allen, Alright, Still...
Arcade Fire, Neon Bible
Björk, Volta*
The Shins, Wincing The Night Away
The White Stripes, Icky Thump

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical:
Howard Benson (Daughtry, Relient K, etc.)
Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, etc.)
Mike Elizondo (Maroon 5, Rilo Kiley)
Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Mark Ronson)*
Timbaland (M.I.A., Timbaland, Fabolous)*

See the full list of Grammy nominees here.

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Classics 07: Birthday Times Two

Today's post is dedicated to two friends with birthdays today. The first is one of my good friends who I met at the very beginning of college, and had her actual birthday this past Tuesday. Tonight marks the official celebration, and will hopefully be memorable for the next 20 years! Another friend has his actual birthday today, but is one year behind at 19. Here's to them and to an amazing new year in both of their lives!

For the birthday girl:
Madonna, "Holiday" (from the compilation The Immaculate Collection)

For today's birthday boy:
Pet Shop Boys, "Birthday boy" (from the album Release)

And one for everyone with a birthday today:
The Beatles, "Birthday" (from the album The Beatles (aka White Album))

***Note: Links removed***

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Serve Chilled 03: Rainy Thursday

Today was another rainy day in Northern California, but my mood this time couldn't be brought down even by the poor weather outlook. So instead of really downbeat songs, I've chosen some more optimistic rainy-day tunes. Goldfrapp, better known for their disco-glam club tracks, are experts at crafting beautiful, intricate downtempo music. Their debut, the excellent Felt Mountain, is among the best chilled electronica albums, and their upcoming fourth album Seventh Tree is being called a return to their laid-back beginnings. Over in Paris, the swanky Hôtel Costes has released a world-renowned and bestselling compilation series, featuring the best electronic and French lounge music. The Variety Lab track "London In The Rain" is included on their nearly-flawless "best-of" set, compiled by French DJ Stéphane Pompougnac. Last, The Cardigans (my favorite group since elementary school) are represented with the great single "You're The Storm," a hopeful love song perfect for getting through a rainy day.

Goldfrapp, "Utopia" (Genetically Enriched) (from the Utopia EP; original version on the album Felt Mountain)
Variety Lab, "London In The Rain" (from the compilation Hôtel Costes - Best Of..., mixed by Stéphane Pompougnac)
The Cardigans, "You're The Storm" (from the album Long Gone Before Daylight)

***Note: Links removed***

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Open Your Box 06: Amoeba Rounds

I recently made a long-overdue trip to Amoeba Music with a friend to browse for some new music (just like the good old days!). It was my lucky day, as I was able to find three of the albums I was looking for, and all for only about $5 each!!! Two of them are completely new artists for me, jazzy pop singer Katie Melua and retro-rock revivalists The Raveonettes (pictured left), though I didn't grab their latest albums. Both of those discs are only available as ridiculously-priced imports, with US releases forthcoming. The third find was old favorite The Thrills, who also had a new album out (Teenager) that I had to pass over (it wasn't on sale) in favor of their sophomore record, Let's Bottle Bohemia. The friend who accompanied me wasn't as lucky, and didn't find the album by The Notwist he was searching for. According to Wikipedia, their sound has been favorably compared to Radiohead's Amnesiac (my favorite of theirs), so I decided to investigate and post one of their better-known tunes alongside the other Amoeba finds. Enjoy!

The Raveonettes, "That Great Love Sound" (from the album Chain Gang Of Love)
The Thrills, "Not For All The Love In The World" (from the album Let's Bottle Bohemia)
Katie Melua, "Call Off The Search" (from the album Call Off The Search)

Bonus:
The Notwist, "Consequence" (from the album Neon Golden)

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Serve Chilled 02: Rainy Day Music

Here are some tracks more likely to be accompany bad weather and bad moods. These songs are also more organic compared to the earlier selection of songs featured in Serve Chilled (which were all from the electronica side of downtempo music). All are excellent additions to any relaxed playlist.

A Camp, "Song For The Leftovers" (from the album A Camp)
Katie Melua, "The Closest Thing To Crazy" (from the album Call Off The Search)
Travis, "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" (from the album The Man Who)

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Classics 06: Britpop Part 2

To continue with my recent rediscovery of some classic Britpop, here are some bands from the fringes of the era. While never really included in the movement itself, a number of bands became vaguely associated with Britpop by means of their timing and similar musical sensibilities. Saint Etienne were seen as a pure pop foreshadowing of some of Britpop's more uplifting sounds. Manic Street Preachers started out as a grungy rock group, but evolved into a more serious complement of their peers by 1996. Travis picked up where fallen idols Oasis, Blur and Suede left off with their somber tunes, and heralded an end-of-century shift towards MOR in British music. Again, the best-of collections of each group are highly recommended pop music primers.

Manic Street Preachers, "A Design For Life" (from the album Everything Must Go and compilation Forever Delayed: The Greatest Hits)
Saint Etienne, "Nothing Can Stop Us" (from the album Foxbase Alpha and compilation Travel Edition 1990-2005)
Travis, "Driftwood" (from the album The Man Who and the compilation Singles)

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Ridin' Dirty 03: Sexy Sunday

Sundays have a bad reputation as being the most uneventful day of the week. For college students (like myself), it's the sad end to an otherwise fun weekend, filled with studying and, unfortunately, not socializing. In an attempt to change that up a bit, I'm now calling them "Sexy Sundays" and hoping that by playing frivolously sexual music, they may end up being less of a drag. To kick things off, here is the explicit, voyeuristic video for Madonna's "Justify My Love." It was banned from MTV immediately upon release back in 1990, and went on to become a best-selling video single because of its widespread notoriety. This will be sure to get you going at the start of the week!

Madonna, "Justify My Love" (from the compilation The Immaculate Collection)


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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.

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Open Your Box 05: International Passport

Here's something very different from usual posts - a handful of songs in languages other than English. I hesitate to call them "world music" as that's really a poorly-named genre that covers so many different types of music, but the songs do all come from completely different parts of the world. Enjoy! (And if you only listen to one of these, skip down to the third track. You won't regret it!)

1. Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin, "69 Année érotique" (from the compilation Initials SG)
This song is a perfect example of why singer Serge Gainsbourg is known worldwide as the "dirty old man" of French pop (albeit a much-loved and respected one). Picking up where the controversial hit "Je T'Aime...Moi Non Plus" ("I Love You...Me Neither") left off, Serge and wife Jane Birkin engage in some more catchy sexual banter. After all, it is called "69 Erotic Avenue"!
2. Seu Jorge, "Tive Razão (I Was Right)" (from the album Cru)
I discovered Seu Jorge (like most did) as the crew member singing David Bowie songs in Portuguese in Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. His second album Cru is worth checking out for those who liked his smooth Brazilian-flavored take on Bowie's classics.
3. Samira Saeid, "Aal Eah" (from the Putumayo Records compilation North African Groove)
An extremely addictive song in Arabic, I found this on a great collection of North African music put out on the highly-acclaimed and successful Putumayo World Music label. For those unfamiliar to world music (such as myself), their albums are perfect introductions to the sounds of pretty much everywhere, and most record stores have an entire section devoted to their albums. Check them out here (the albums French Café and Paris are strongly recommended if you like French music).

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Covered Up 03: Radio 1 Turns 40

Capitalizing on the concept behind the Live Lounge radio show (and highly successful compilation series), Radio 1 decided to celebrate its fortieth anniversary by gathering up a roster of today's most popular artists and allowing them to each choose one song to cover from the station's past. The catch is that each artist is assigned a specific year in Radio 1's history, and gets to pick a top 20 hit from that year to cover, making for a very interesting collection of renditions. Here are a few of the cover versions from that set worthy of note.

Kylie Minogue, "Love Is The Drug" (originally performed by Roxy Music, 1975)
Groove Armada, "Crazy For You" (originally performed by Madonna, 1991)
Mark Ronson, "You're All I Need To Get By" (originally performed by Method Man & Mary J. Blige, 1994)

Grab the full Radio 1: Established 1967 album here.

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Classics 05: R&B Rewind

As promised, here are some essential R&B tunes perfect for any classy party (or perhaps a more intimate gathering?).

1. Kelis featuring Andre 3000, "Millionaire" (from the album Tasty)
A huge hit in England, though for whatever reason unreleased in the US, it features a lively rap from the great Andre 3000 of Outkast and an awesome backing track.
2. Janet Jackson, "That's The Way Love Goes" (from the album janet.)
This classic Janet track basically sets the bar for sexy R&B jams, though I was much too young to realize that when it came out way back in 1993. Luckily, it's never too late to appreciate a well-crafted song.
3. Destiny's Child featuring Missy Elliott, "Bootylicious" (Rockwilder Remix) (from the compilation This Is The Remix)
The sultry R&B remix of my favorite Destiny's Child hit slows down the classic and includes a guest verse by Missy Elliott. Bonus points go to the girls for completely re-recording and re-inventing the track, and even filming a new video to accompany (watch it here; catch the original video here).

***Note: Links removed***

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Oops!

Turns out my vehement hatred of Virgin Megastore was entirely premature, as today they had three different editions of the new Kylie Minogue album in stock (just one day after release). Oops! To balance yesterday's bitter mood and soundtrack, look for some upcoming posts with more upbeat party tracks (hopefully as early as tonight).
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Classics 04: Bitter, Table For One

To my great displeasure, the incompetent bitches at Virgin Megastore failed to have Kylie Minogue's new album X in stores today (which is its release date overseas). While it is a bit much to expect it to be on shelves so immediately, their excuse of backed-up holiday shipping was more than a little unsatisfactory and pretty typical of yet another chain store caring less and less about their music products. As a result, my planned listening of upbeat pop numbers has been replaced with a handful of bitter songs of disappointment and frustration. On the plus side, melodrama does make for some great music (including one of my favorite songs ever, "Don't Speak"), and will make the long-awaited new record much sweeter by comparison. Feel free to add suggestions to the few I've picked out.

Garbage, "Only Happy When It Rains" (from the album Garbage)
No Doubt, "Don't Speak" (from the album Tragic Kingdom)
R.E.M., "Bad Day" (from the compilation In Time: The Best Of 1988-2003)
Amy Winehouse, "Love Is A Losing Game" (from the album Back To Black)

***Note: Links removed***

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Hits 04: Let's Dance

Craig David, "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)"

While British singer Craig David is certainly no David Bowie, his new single "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)" uses a pretty slick sample/rework of Bowie's seminal 80s classic "Let's Dance." It has its own merits as a fun, retro R&B number that doesn't destroy the original track, but you might end up going back to Bowie's hit after a few listens.

Craig David, "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)" (from the album Trust Me)

Take That, "Shine"

Although it isn't exactly a new song, I just recently discovered Take That's great single "Shine." It hit number 1 in the UK way back at the beginning of the year while the reformed boy band were riding high on the success of their reunion. I never got swept up in the hype as I was never familiar with band in the first place (I always preferred ex-bandmate Robbie Williams), but I'm glad I finally got around to listening to this great pop number. The video's a lot of fun too.

Take That, "Shine" (from the album Beautiful World)

***Note: Links removed***

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Open The Box 04: Kookiest Videos

I'm a sucker for really out-there music videos. I don't mean just provocative either (although those are great too). I mean really weird, innovative, head-scratcher music videos. Björk's video output has satisfied these cravings many times over, as have numerous others, so check out a few below:

Björk, "All Is Full Of Love" (directed by Chris Cunningham, from the album Homogenic)

This is possibly my favorite music video of all time. It's a pretty simple love story, except with lesbian robots as the tormented couple. "All Is Full Of Love" is a result of two visionaries working together to great effect. Her collaborations with famed directors Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze and numerous others have been similarly fruitful.

see also: "Hunter", "I Miss You", "It's Oh So Quiet", "Cocoon", etc.

Garbage, "Push It" (directed by Andrea Giacobbe, from the album Version 2.0)

What a video! Also one of my hands-down favorites, this is one of the absolute strangest and darkest videos I've ever seen. Nuns with guns are only the beginning of the disturbing imagery making up Garbage's best clip, and it's very clear why it was nominated for eight MTV Video Music Awards back in 1998. If only this kind of artistry went into videos a little more often!

Goldfrapp, "Number 1" (directed by Dawn Shadforth, from the album Supernature)

One of Goldfrapp's finest tracks gets an eerie treatment by one of my favorite directors, the great Dawn Shadforth (best known for Kylie Minogue's seductive "Can't Get You Out Of My Head"). The lyric "I'm like a dog to get you" is the basis for the video, and sees both Goldfrapp and Shadforth stepping outside their normal comfort zones, with wonderful results.
see also: "Ride A White Horse"

Moloko, "Indigo" (unknown director, from the album Things To Make And Do)

The track itself is one of the weirdest singles to ever be called "pop music," and the video perpetuates and even raises the quirky factor. I never tire of watching Róisín Murphy dance, and the added effects of the glowing cross-shaped runway and chanting socialites are highly memorable.
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