one of the most moving things i've ever seen

new video: Florence gets 'heavy'

The amazing Florence + The Machine just released this equal parts beautiful and morbid video for the haunting, gorgeous track Heavy In My Arms, which I posted a couple weeks ago. Thanks to the glorious media guru, Joe Gizzi, I was notified that it was online. Florence keeps setting the bar so high... God help her when she comes out with another album.

download the mp3

essentials: the cranberries

One of my favorite bands of the 1990's was The Cranberries. They were a part of this 1993-1996 influx of music that drenched the airwaves with a clusterfuck of really amazing and tremendously terrible music. They were the former, and I think we should take a step back and appreciate how great they were. Formed in Ireland in 1989, Dolores O'Riordan and Co. had four top 20 albums, 8 top 20 singles, and sold over 14.5 Million albums in America, alone. They were a massive part of the 1990's, and especially of my early teens. One song, Dreams, I still maintain as one of the greatest songs ever made. Including Dreams, here are my three favorite tracks of theirs, one from each of their first three albums:

Dreams - The Cranberries

Forever Yellow Skies - The Cranberries

Zombie - The Cranberries

between two lungs it was released

Usually I do a Remix Monday post on this day, but that can go suck a bagadix today.

Have you ever had a song completely consume you for a few days? Sometimes it goes even longer, sometimes it fades quickly after a good punch in the face... and then there are the moments when a track will start engulfing you. You begin to hear all the nuances of production, all the subtle metaphors, and all the pieces of the puzzle that make the most amazing image... and not one of those terrible Kinkade puzzles that make douchebags think they appreciate art.

This track is tied with Dog Days Are Over (which was a pretty stellar performance last night on the VMAs) as my favorite Florence + The Machine song. It is an amazing love song. There's this moment at 3:28 that my entire life stops and I'm in the song and nowhere else. Ladies & Gentleman, I give you Between Two Lungs!

Between Two Lungs - Florence + The Machine by djmajr4

SIREN sounds: get ready for tonight!

Here are three SIREN SamplerMixes I've made over the last few months. They are sure to get you ready for tonight's glorious shitshow!

Siren Sampler July 2010 - DJ MAJR by shiftdistrict

SIREN SamplerMix - DJ MAJR by shiftdc2

SIREN the 13th SamplerMix - DJ MAJR by djmajrdc

Artists Included:

Kylie Minogue

Tamia

Ke$ha

Goldfrapp

Amuka

La Roux

Annie

Madison Avenue

Madonna

Daft Punk

Peaches

Dragonette

Kosheen

Little Boots

Lady Gaga

Stacie Orrico

Britney Spears

Benny Benassi

Kelis

Darude

Lily Allen

Whitney Houston

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Kim English

Cascada

Amber

Deborah Cox

Kelly Rowland

Gigi D'Agostino

Tiesto ft. Emily Haines (Metric)

...how can you go wrong?!

three track thursdays - little boots remixes

As many of you know, I heart me some Little Boots. I am pretty stoked that she's currently in the process of recording a follow-up to the fantastic LP, Hands. I had the privilege of seeing her perform an impromptu 5-song set last year around this time, and I am salivating to hear what her talented little face comes up with next.

Here are three of my favorite remixes, from my favorite little anti-Gaga.

Tune Into My Heart (GRVRBBRS remix) - Little Boots

Stuck On Repeat (Fake Blood remix) - Little Boots

Remedy (Buffetlibre vs. Sidechains remix) - Little Boots

fresh: new Rihanna

Will she suck up big balls like her last album, Rated R, or will she return to what makes her good, if not lovingly tolerable? That's the question we are asking ourselves, those of us that sort of like (often dislike) Rihanna... now here's what's new! Check Only Girl (In the World) before you hear it on loop so much at bars that you want to shove a locust in your ear. Additionally, a big shout-out to Bryce (who sent me this track)! You rock my world!

Only Girl (In The World) - Rihanna

And, now for what I really think.

OK, so Rihanna has a limited scope of talent. Some of her pluses are that she knows how to lend her talent to producers who understand the lowest common denominator of pop and how to sell it to the masses like CostCo sampler ladies, and that she understand that the only key she can sing in is often very pop-friendly. Those are fine. This track, judged on its own merits, is not terrible. It's not astounding or even novel in the least, but it's fine for now. Neither here nor there. Enjoy its fleeting popularity and move on to something of equal substance-lacking. Par for the course. So, enjoy!

remix monday : Florrie gets Falke'd

Fred Falke, as always, does a fantastic job with his remixes. You can edit them down into club bangers, or you can keep them as an ambient, borderline-orchestral piece of electronica. Florrie, with her eerily-Annie sound, is perfect for Falke's prowess. These two tracks, though I do not absolutely love the originals, are great for remixes. Also, I have gotta give a shout-out to my boy Wesley over at Coffee&Bars, who is in LOVE with Florrie. He didn't point me to these remixes (I'm a Falke-follower with serious addiction issues), but his love of Florrie has been joyously crowding my inbox for a while. I will say that I think she is a rising star to watch, and that her affiliation with the Pet Shop Boys has paid some serious talent and connection dividends. I'm excited to hear what else pops out of her musical womb. Work. It. Out.

You Wanna Start Something (Fred Falke Club edit) - Florrie

Give Me Your Love (Fred Falke Club Edit) - Florrie

review: Marina & The Diamonds (live)

Marina & The Diamonds put on quite the show this evening. From the outset, the show was a surprise.

When I expected her to fall back on back-tracking, she raised her voice and overwhelmed the crowd.

When I felt she may become more tentative with an oft-reserved D.C. crowd, she gave them an excess of sass and rock-starlet swagger.

Finally, when I thought she'd open up with a big hit and mosey through a set of filler before pounding out a couple of strong more mass-familiar tracks, she completely caught me off-guard with her arrangement and organic momentum.

For me, it is easy to say that the highlights were I Am Not A Robot and Shampain (my favorite two tracks), but the songs that really stood out otherwise were Numb and Are You Satisfied.Numb, in particular, was nothing short of enchanting. I Am Not A Robot was a unique balance of intimate and anthemic that brought quickly to mind seeing Regina Spektor perform On The Radio last fall in Los Angeles (at the amazing Greek Theatre).

I believe she will be a massive star, eventually.

Numb - Marina & The Diamonds

NEW Marina Video - 'Shampain'

I love Shampain. I love its irony, raw honesty, and simple (yet borderline-ingenious) lyrics. I also like the way Marina tried to adhere to the theme of the song, as well as pay homage to one of her idols, Michael Jackson. It's quite good.

I think we all have moments like this. We have dreams caught somewhere between our own sad realities and the glamour of our serotonin-indulgent fantasies. Tragic never glistened so well.

Here's to seeing her TONIGHT at 930 Club!

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