Covered Up 08

Yes, it's cover time again. These tend to be pretty popular posts, so I try to make them the best I can. This time, I've rounded up some unconventional covers of pop songs by a handful of alternative groups. Goldfrapp give The Klaxons' "It's Not Over Yet" a new dimension of sadness and longing with their new acoustic-and-string-based soundscape. The Hoosiers cool down JT's "LoveStoned," while Maxïmo Park turn Natalie Imbruglia's hit "Shiver" into a stark indie rock ballad that gives new meaning to its lyrics. Bloc Party prove the versatility of Timbaland and Nelly Furtado's songcraft with their take on "Say It Right" (apologies for the less than stellar quality of this one). Again, these tracks were recorded on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, hosted by Jo Whiley. On every show, featured bands get to perform one of their own tracks alongside a contemporary cover from a shortlist conjured up by Whiley. The results are, at the very least, always interesting. As a bonus, check out Goldfrapp's Live Lounge version of new single "A&E," recorded alongside their cover version just this past Friday.

Goldfrapp, "It's Not Over Yet" (Originally By The Klaxons) [YSI]
The Hoosiers, "LoveStoned" (Originally By Justin Timberlake) [YSI]
Maxïmo Park, "Shiver" (Originally By Natalie Imbruglia) [YSI]
Bloc Party, "Say It Right" (Originally By Nelly Furtado) [YSI]

Bonus:
Goldfrapp, "A&E" (Live on Radio 1's Live Lounge) [YSI]

***Note: Links removed***

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Open Your Box 12: The Flipside

Back in the days when 7-inch singles were the only means of getting new songs, the extra songs that artists included with the main track were called "b-sides," confined to the flipside of their featured records. The name has stuck, and b-sides now just refer to unreleased tracks and rarities left off albums, ending up on singles, compilations, deluxe editions, etc. Some artists release few b-sides over the course of their career, but some are especially prolific, producing new b-sides for each full single release. Sometimes the b-sides end up rivaling their proper album material, and earn a place in the artist's canon of essential tracks. Here is a selection of some of my favorite b-sides, pulled at random from a large collection (so more can be expected in the future!). Not featured here is Coldplay's "Crests Of Waves" (see the last post), though it definitely belongs with the best b-sides. The Cardigans' "Country Hell" is an instant rocker that should have made it onto First Band On The Moon. The Smashing Pumpkins released an excellent rarities album Pisces Iscariot way back in 1994, featuring unreleased tracks like the great "Frail And Bedazzled." Garbage certainly should have released a b-sides album by now, as excellent throwaways like "Enough Is Never Enough" prove. Björk, never a stranger to musical exploration, pulls out all the stops on her b-sides, taking the introspective sounds of Vespertine to an extreme with the playful "Domestica." Belle & Sebastian's The Life Pursuit album didn't contain its title track, but it easily could have fit in with its upbeat themes of imminent change. Radiohead, like Björk, have enough weirdness on their albums to rival any sonic adventurers, and as a result their b-sides sound like radio waves from foreign planets, as the haunting Amnesiac-era "The Amazing Sounds Of Orgy" displays.

The Cardigans, "Country Hell" [YSI] (from the single Your New Cuckoo and the compilation Best Of)
The Smashing Pumpkins, "Frail And Bedazzled" [YSI] (from the compilation Pisces Iscariot)
Garbage, "Enough Is Never Enough" [YSI] (from the single Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!))
Björk, "Domestica" [YSI] (from the single Pagan Poetry)
Belle & Sebastian, "The Life Pursuit" [YSI] (from the single The Blues Are Still Blue)
Radiohead, "The Amazing Sounds Of Orgy" [YSI] (from the single Pyramid Song)

***Note: Links removed***

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Serve Chilled 07: Soundtracking

Sometimes, when my imagination has nothing better to consider, I envision that my life has an ongoing soundtrack playing in the background. Walking through campus is a lot less monotonous when your thoughts come complete with a well-selected accompaniment! Here are a few chilled out tracks that could easily fit into the soundtrack of anyone's life. Perhaps because it was used so well in Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited, "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)" by Peter Sarstedt could easily play during a particularly contemplative moment. Moloko's "Absent Minded Friends" seems made to complement a classy party with shady undertones. Coldplay's little-heard b-side "Crests Of Waves" would perfectly fit a moment of triumph or a relaxing drive. "Electrical Storm" by U2 would be great towards the ending of a film in a climactic moment, followed by Groove Armada's sweeping "At The River" playing over the credits. If only actual music directors had such good taste!

Peter Sarstedt, "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)" [YSI] (from the soundtrack album The Darjeeling Limited)
Moloko, "Absent Minded Friends" [YSI] (from the album Things To Make And Do)
Coldplay, "Crests Of Waves" [YSI] (from the Clocks single)
U2, "Electrical Storm" (William Orbit Mix) [YSI] (from the compilation The Best Of 1990-2000)
Groove Armada, "At The River" [YSI] (from the compilation The Best Of)

***Note: Links removed***

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Open Your Box 11: Podcasted

In case you haven't heard of them, you should definitely research KCRW and KEXP, two famed independent radio stations worthy of all their acclaim. KCRW is a Santa Monica station that I grew up listening to on weeknights, tuning in regularly to their "Metropolis" show featuring fresh electronica. Both stations also regularly feature live sets from notable artists, and recently have started podcasting their live sets as well as daily song picks. For anyone interested in alternative and indie rock, their daily podcasts on iTunes, KCRW's Today's Top Tune and KEXP's Song Of The Day, are essential (and free!) ways to grab new music. Here are a few typically indie picks taken directly from the podcasts, falling a bit outside my normal listening zone but excellent regardless.

Spoon, "Black Like Me" [YSI] (from the album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga)
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, "Let Them Knock" [YSI] (from the album 100 Days, 100 Nights)
Maxïmo Park, "Girls Who Play Guitars" [YSI] (from the album Our Earthly Pleasures)

Bonus:
We Are Scientists, "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" (Live on KEXP) [YSI]

Links:
KCRW's website
KEXP's website

***Note: Links removed***

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Dear Ibiza 09: Synth-tastic

Since the sun has at last decided to show its face again in Berkeley, it's time for some big synth-loaded club anthems. Near the top of my list of favorite remixes is Jacques Lu Cont's awesome remake of Gwen Stefani's debut solo hit "What You Waiting For?". Packed with enough bass and 80s-throwback beats to brighten any listener's day or night, it's the closest Gwen will ever come to being a dancefloor diva. Next on the list of hot mixes is the Tiefschwarz dub of "Kinda New" by Spektrum, which featured on one of my favorite dance compilations, Hed Kandi's Twisted Disco 02.04, a few years back. Its razor-sharp beats make for perfect late-night club music. Keeping up pace with that the deep bassline of that mix is the Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso remix of "49%" by Röyksopp. After an almost interminable build-up, it turns into a roaring club track suitable only for the most ambitious clubgoers. Last, but far from least, is the anthemic club revisioning of Goldfrapp's classic "Number 1" by the consistently-amazing team of team of Alan Braxe & Fred Falke. As if the original didn't already have enough synthesizers for an entire room full of new rave acts!

Gwen Stefani, "What You Waiting For?" (Jacques Lu Cont's TWD Mix) [YSI]
Spektrum, "Kinda New" (Tiefschwarz Dub Mix) [YSI] (from the Hed Kandi compilation Twisted Disco 02.04)
Röyksopp, "49%" (Angello & Ingrosso Remix) [YSI]
Goldfrapp, "Number 1" (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Main Remix) [YSI] (from the remix album We Are Glitter)

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Attention: 2007 Music Blog Zeitgeist

At the end of the year, the music blog aggregator Hype Machine (of which this site is a member) rounded up the best of lists of a number of its contributing bloggers. As I had put together a series of "Best of 2007" lists (see them all here), I submitted my rankings of top singles and albums. Hype Machine's top tracks list is based on the hottest tracks on that site for each month, so my list didn't end up counting, but my album rankings did contribute to the overall list for the 2007 Music Blog Zeitgeist. Here are how the albums I picked fared in the comprehensive survey (follow the links to see how other blogs ranked them):

Best Albums of 2007:
1. Róisín Murphy, Overpowered: #169
2. Amy Winehouse, Back To Black: #23
3. Kylie Minogue, X: #152
4. Groove Armada, Soundboy Rock: #232
5. Mark Ronson, Version: #109
6. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Trip The Light Fantastic: n/a
7. Björk, Volta: #65
8. Manic Street Preachers, Send Away The Tigers: #214
9. Charlotte Gainsbourg, 5:55: #216
10. Feist, The Reminder: #8
Honorable Mentions:
The Chemical Brothers, We Are The Night: #172
Girls Aloud, Tangled Up: #179
Stéphane Pompougnac, Hello Mademoiselle: n/a
Disappointments:
The Smashing Pumpkins, Zeitgeist: #103
Calvin Harris, I Created Disco: #190
Air, Pocket Symphony: #239

Overall, it's pretty obvious that most of what I listen to isn't what's typically considered "cool" or in any way "indie" blog fare (some of those rankings are based solely on my vote!). Clearly, that doesn't matter much, though, or you wouldn't be reading this! Cheers and bring on 2008's new music!

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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!

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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]

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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)

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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***

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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***

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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***

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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.

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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***

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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***

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