Archive for November, 2009

Funking up your Thanksgiving

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

This is the only post for the week, as I am heading to the wastelands of northwest Ohio to spend Thanksgiving with my family. Ever been to Toledo? It’s kind of like Fallout 3, but with more mutants and worse radio stations. I will be surviving the trip by alternating between Slayer’s new album, the debut from Them Crooked Vultures and Harpo Marx’s classical harp record Harpo Marx in High Fidelity.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with delicious turkey and minimal family dysfunction. Unless you’re reading this in a country other than the US, then have a good Thursday.

Grace Jones
I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Perfect For You) (The Perfectly Extended remix)
If you want hours of entertainment just go a Google image search for Grace Jones (really not work safe). I remember when she was banned from Disney World for flashing her chest at a crowd. Disney said that was inappropriate, I say it’s Grace fucking Jones, they’re lucky she didn’t grab her staff and fight an orc to the death (go see Conan the Destroyer kids…on second thought – don’t).

Side note: Grace Jones is still recording music, still kicking ass and she’s apparently still batfuck insane. Thank god.

Pete Shelley
Waiting for Love (12” Remix)
The drums in the beginning of this are a little funky for a second, but it’s not a skip – I think it’s a mistake that’s on the actual record. Aside from that this is an excellent track, although I’m told that the album it’s from , 1986’s Heaven And the Sea, is one of his weaker efforts. It’s definitely not as amazing (or gay) as “Homosapien” and that’s a shame. If Adam Lambert really wants to gay it up the dude should cover that tune.

George Clinton
If Anybody Gets Funked Up (It’s Gonna Be You) (Colin Wolfe Mix)
Fact: George Clinton is god. I got nothing else to say about him. This is from a 12” single. It had other mixes, but they were all torn and scratched to shit, sorry.

Erasure
Supernature (Daniel Miller/Phil Legg Mix)
Supernature (Mark Saunders Mix)
You Surround Me (Gareth Jones Mix)
I don’t know how I didn’t get around to posting these tracks sooner, I’ve had this single sitting by my computer for about a year now. I’d see it in my pile and think “oh yeah, I should listen to that.” Finally put it on today and I’m a big fat idiot for not doing that sooner. “Supernature” kicks ASS – totally fabulous in every sense of the word. The first mix is the best, but the second is quite good as well. “You Surround Me” is pretty awesome too. These are all from a 12” inch single.

Posted in Erasure, George Clinton, Grace Jones, Pete Shelley, remixes | 4 Comments »

Cross-dressing, cross-samples and, um, GusGus.

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

Meh! Meh I say!

Dead Or Alive
You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) (Extended Mix)
Brand New Lover (Bubble Mix)
Did you know Jessica Simpson tried to cover You Spin Me Round? She failed because she’s a no-talent piece of trash who should fall off the face of the Earth. Seriously. How many great songs does that vapid talentless nimrod need to butcher? She fucked up that song, Robbie Williams epic power ballad “Angels,” “Take My Breath Away” and “These Boots Are Made For Walking.” She even over-sampled John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane” for her first album. It’s not bad enough that she has to release “original” pieces of shit that the average retarded teenybopper wouldn’t be caught dead listening to, but she has to go a ruin good songs? I think it’s funny that she’s credited as a songwriter on most of her releases, like that no-talent piece of trash can put two notes together, the idiot can barely put two fucking words together. I hate that people are so critical of her weight, when her personality, stupidity and lack of talent are all much better reasons to tear her to shreds.

How was that for a random rant? These tracks are from a 12” single.

Big Audio Dynamite II
Rush (12” Mix)
No rant here. “Rush” kicks ass. Not only that, but I can use this space to promote the new album by Carbon/Silicon, which is Mick Jones’ latest band (also featuring Tony James from Sigue Sigue Sputnik.) Carbon Bubble is currently free to download at Carbon/Silicon’s website. Go get it. It’s excellent. And if even if you don’t like it, who the fuck cares? It’s free!

GusGus
Polyesterday (Shot In The Leg Remix)
Hands down one of the best song titles of all time. Good track too. I know little about GusGus so I’ll just shut up now. This is from a white label single I got last week.

Posted in Big Audio Dynamite, Dead Or Alive, GusGus, remixes | 4 Comments »

Emerge from Something

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Wow! Two posts in two days! Check out my style! Tonight is nothing buy amazing awesome spectacular music. I’d like to say that’s always the case here, but we all know that’s not true – I did once put up a cover of “Tutti Frutti” by Sting after all.

Mint Royale
Shake Me
Shake Me (The Light Remix)
Okay, am I crazy or is this song sampling George Harrison’s “What Is Love”? Listen for it, it comes in around 2:20, right after the female voice. It sounds like the beginning of the chorus to “What Is Love” is being sampled for like half a second or something, anyone agree with me? “Shake Me” is on the original version of Mint Royale’s debut album On the Ropes, but it was taken off of the American version. Regardless, neither of these appear to be the regular version and both were taken from a 12” single.

Felix Da Housecat
What Does It Feel Like? (Röyksopp Return The Sun Remix)
Control Freaq (No Ears Re-Edit)
As a whole I think Felix is a bit uneven, however I will say that Devin Dazzle & the Neon Fever is probably one of my favorite albums of the decade. Not a weak track on that record, and its great music to work out to. The original versions of these tracks were on his first album, Kitten and Thee Glitz, and while that record had “Silver Screen Shower Scene” it was more than a little messy. These tracks kicked ass though, and the remixes do also. Side note: Röyksopp is amazing, and their new album is without question the best dance record of the year. Go buy it.

Fischerspooner
Emerge (The Hacker Remix)
Emerge (Moguai Mix)
Emerge (Selway’s Memory Boy Superstar Mix)
Once again, I don’t understand this song. It it supposed to make sense? I don’t think so. I sure as hell hope not. I previously put up a few mixes of this track, scored a few more from another promo 12” I picked up.

Posted in Felix da Housecat, Fischerspooner, Mint Royale, remixes | 5 Comments »

Where My Head Is

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

I’m going to try and force myself to be productive with the blogging this week and I’m going to commit right now to two additional blog posts this week. I’d like to say that I haven’t been posting as much because I’ve been extra busy with work or, y’know – a life, but I’ll just be honest and blame Borderlands. That game is like crack with shotguns that shoot fire and lightening.

Basement Jaxx
Where’s Your Head At? (Extended Mix)
Where’s Your Head At? (Stanton Warriors Remix)
Where’s Your Head At? (Sounds of Da Future Remix)
Where’s Your Head At? (Jaxx Nite Dub)
I didn’t realize until a bout a year ago that this amazing track is based off samples from two – count ’em two – Gary Numan tracks. One Gary Numan song is amazing, and two put together is even more amazing. Someone should make a track samples 80 Numan tunes at once – based on my theory of exponential Numan quality that would be the best song of all time. These tracks actually are available on iTunes (well, all expect the extended mix anyways) but I don’t care. This track kicks ass and I feel like sharing these remixes. To quote a reviewer of the single on iTunes, “if you don’t like this song, there’s something wrong with you.”

Massive Attack
Safe From Harm (12” Mix)
Safe From Harm (7” Instrumental)
Safe From Harm (Just a Dub Mix)
Safe From Harm (Perfecto Mix)
Ooooh….pretty. I think Massive Attack’s Blue Lines is definitive proof that sometimes someone can actually make a perfect song. There are TWO perfect songs on Blue Lines (this track and, of course, “Unfinished Sympathy”). What’s more amazing than that is that there is also a perfect song on Massive Attack’s sophomore album Protection (“Karmacoma”) and three perfect tracks on their third album Mezzanine (“Angel” “Teardrops,” and “Inertia Creeps”). Sometimes I listen to Mezzanine and I have a hard time doing anything else because that music is just so fucking great that I just want to close my eyes and just take it all in. Okay, that sounds kind of gross, but I wasn’t going for the double entendre…okay maybe I was. Anyways, these remixes are from a 12” single. More awesome electronic music later this week.

Posted in Basement Jaxx, Massive Attack, remixes | 4 Comments »

Liv Tyler should be Aerosmith’s new lead singer.

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

I’d fucking GO to that show.

I complain a lot. It’s kind of my thing. That’s how I roll. I especially complain when musicians and bands I like do shit I can’t stand. LIke when Wolfmother decided to be twats and release 80 billion versions of Cosmic Egg, or when Billy Corgan…does anything. However, I’m actually going to talk nice about a band I like, because they did something awesome.

The Foo Fighters’ released a greatest hits collection this month. Actually, they had no real say in the decision, their label decided to do it against the wishes of Dave Grohl. Like every greatest hits it has a few new songs tacked on to entice fans who own everything to shell out the extra bucks for the new songs. That’s always annoying, and what’s more annoying is that usually when there’s a greatest hits on iTunes you can’t just buy the new tracks, you have to buy the whole album.

Well that’s not the case this time, probably because Dave was against the compilation in the first place. If you just want the new tracks, you can have them, not only that, there’s an entire EP that is JUST the new tracks, making it easy and cost effective to get them. That EP also includes their cover of Wings’ “Band On The Run” which was never released in America. It’s nice to see a band reward their devoted fans instead of punishing them for a change. I doubt you’ll ever see fucking U2 do that shit (still bitter over not being able to legally just buy “The Saints Are Coming”).

Man, that was a lot of nice for me…I don’t know what to say next. Oh yeah, I remember. To the person that spammed my comments with repeated requests for a Blondie song – piss off.

Ah, I feel better now.

Deborah Harry
I Can See Clearly (The Club Mix)
I Can See Clearly (N.Y.C. Dub)
I Can See Clearly (Blonde Rave)
I Can See Clearly (Dub-a-mental)
I Can See Clearly (Boriqua Tribal Mix)
I think I’m going to have to cave and finally buy a Deborah Harry solo record. Any recommendations? I’m avoiding Koo Koo, I’ve heard that album is as bad as the cover is good. These remixes (which are all actually really fucking good) are from a 12”.

Talking Heads
Slippery People
Making Flippy Floppy
Slippery flippity floppity slippy flippy flop. Yeah…that’s all I got. Actually, strike that, I got more. What the fuck is “Making Flippy Floppy” about? Is it about screwing? “Flippy Floppy” is the best/worst euphamism for boning ever – and I’m totally gonna start using it. These remixes are from a 12” single. They are by John “Bellybean” Benitez, and if you know who that is then that means something to you.

Posted in Deborah Harry, remixes, Talking Heads | 12 Comments »

Swine Poo. Oh, and some TMBG and stuff.

Friday, November 6th, 2009

It’s been nearly four weeks since I first got sick with the flu, and I’m still feeling the after effects of it. I’m going to go ahead and call it – I had the swine flu. Fucking pigs. Meh.

Random music time!

A-Ha
I’ve Been Losing You (Extended Mix)
A-Ha is breaking up. I know this is shocking news to everyone in America who assumed they vanished into a black and white comic sometime around 1986. However, they’ve been quite big in Europe since 1984, and I’m assuming their impending break-up is pretty big news in Norway, where I assume they are blonde synth-pop gods. I’m not a huge fan of A-ha, but I do have their greatest hits compilation and I do have to say that I do think that over their course of their 20-plus year career they no doubt showed signs of fucking genius. Anyone who says they don’t like “Take On Me” is a damned liar, and “The Sun Always Shines On T.V.” just might be one of the most beautiful songs of the 80s. “I’ve Been Losing You” isn’t as good as that classic, but it does have a pretty awesome drum intro.

They Might Be Giants
S-E-X-X-Y (Tee’s Freeze Mix)
S-E-X-X-Y (Tee’s In House Dub)
S-E-X-X-Y (The Warren Rigg Microwave Mix)
I’ve seen nerd gods TMBG so many times I’ve actually lost count, I think it’s six or seven. Usually I’m better at keeping track of such things, but nearly every time I’ve seen them it’s been at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh, so all thsoe shows kind of morph together into one AMAZING concert. The first time I saw TMBG was in 1996, when they were touring in support for Factory Showroom, the album that features the original version of “S-E-X-X-Y.” I was just getting into them at the time and really wanted to see them. I wanted to see them so bad I went with my mom to see Hootie And The Blowfish because TMBG was opening for them. That’s some fucking dedication right there. I’m hardcore like that. These remixes are from a 12” single. Also, apparently the person who owned this 12” before me treated it like sandpaper, so there are a few pops and clicks. Sorry about that.

P.M. Dawn
I’d Die Without You (Extended Jeep Mix)
I’d Die Without You (Remix Dub)
I’d Die Without You (Extended Remix Radio Edit)
Hippie Hip Hop! I’m tired now and out of things to say. This song is so mellow it might kill you, be careful.

Posted in A-ha, P.M. Dawn, remixes, They Might Be Giants | 6 Comments »

Orchestral Manoeuvres in Toledo

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

I hate it when a band I like does something that I consider moderately evil. Thankfully I don’t like U2 or it would happen a lot. I am a fan of Wolfmother though, I think their debut is one of the best “rawk” albums in years, totally cribbing the best of AC/DC, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. I’ve been looking forward to their sophomore album, Cosmic Egg, for months and bought it the day it came out, even though I had a review copy! I’m fucking loyal!

However, there are two versions of the album (excluding the iTunes BS), a standard and a deluxe. The deluxe version has four more songs and costs about six bucks more. That’s annoying. There’s no reason why the “standard” album can’t have those four extra tracks, it’s just a marketing ploy. That’s fucked up. What’s more fucked up is that the deluxe version is two CDs, even though it would all fit on one CD. I’m assuming the official line is that it makes it more like the vinyl copy, which is split across two LPs (because it has to be). The actual reason? Because every two-CD edition sold counts as TWO copies sold, artificially inflating the numbers.

In a time where it’s getting harder and harder for artists to convince people to actually go out and BUY music this shit doesn’t help.

Siouxsie And The Banshees
The Killing Jar (Lepidopteristic Mix)
Something Wicked (This Way Comes)
Are You Still Dying Darling?
For those playing at home, a Lepidopterist is someone who collects butterflies, which makes sense since a killing jar is the jar used to kill caught butterflies. It’s one of the best-named remixes I’ve seen in a while, although it pales in comparison to all the crazy-ass Erasure remix titles (example: Truly In Love With The Marx Bros. Mix).

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
(Forever) Live And Die (Extended Mix)
(Forever) Live and Die (7” Version)
We Love You (Extended)
We Love You (7” Version)
We Love You (Dub)
These are from two 12” singles that are both excellent, although if I had to pick a favorite I would have to go with “(Forever) Live And Die,” it’s such a catchy tune. I was originally going to call this post “Mo’ MD” but that’s just stupid. Speaking of stupid, I’m at my dad’s house right now and after being subjected to Fox News for an hour I am currently being forced to watch Survivor. It’s like a greatest hits of what’s wrong with American media all from the comfort of a couch. Sigh. The opening of the extended mix of “(Forever) Live And Die” is a bit scratchy, but it improves as the song goes. Sorry about that.

Posted in OMD, Siouxsie and The Banshees | 7 Comments »