essentials: lily allen remixes

Lily Allen is such a raw, interesting talent. She may not be a power vocalist, but she does have wit in her lyricism, a bold way of carrying herself as a singer and celebrity, and has yet to produce anything that I would blatantly call excrement. She, like a few others in her pop-generation (namely Dragonette, Marina & the Diamonds, and Little Boots), is what popular music should be in America, but probably never will.

Here are a few of my favorite remixes of hers that make me smile every time I push play. From the energetic (and pretty much amazing) remix of Not Fair, to the introspective, silky re-working of I Could Say, I very much consider these essentials for any fan of quality musical renovation.

Robyn does Bjork... but not like that


By far my favorite Bjork song covered by one of my favorite Pop stars, ever. Hooray!

SHIFT..Don't Need No Education SET-LIST


August 2010 SHIFT Set-List

Hello - Martin Solveig ft. Dragonette
Rockin' High - Fedde Le Grand
All The Lovers (WAWA & MMB Anthem remix) - Kylie Minogue
C'est Beau la Bourgeoisie - DiscoBitch
Lovefool (Barletta remix) - The Cardigans
Hands (Retro/Grade remix) - The Ting Tings
Scream (LA Riots remix) - Kelis
Royal T - Crookers ft. Roisin Murphy
Restless (Fake Blood remix DJ MAJR edit) - UNKLE
Me & Myself (Wolfgang Gartner remix) - BenDJ ft. Sushy
Oh No! - Marina & The Diamonds
Moar Robyn N Amanda Stuff (Robyn vs. Amanda Blank vs. Deadmau5) - DJ MAJR
Symphonies (Dada Life vs. DJ MAJR remix) - Dan Blank ft. Kid Cudi
Dancing On My Own (Buzz Junkies remix) - Robyn
Acapella (DJ MAJR edit) - Kelis
Remedy (Buffetlibre vs. Sidechains remix) - Little Boots
Hot N Fun (Boys Noize remix) - N.E.R.D.
Spaceship - Benny Benassi ft. Kelis, Jean Baptiste
In My Arms (Sebastien Leger remix) - Kylie Minogue
Push It - Salt N Pepa
Konichiwa Bitches (Tentremyller remix) - Robyn
Freakum Dress - Beyonce
Teeth - Lady Gaga
Closer - Nine Inch Nails
Got Your Money - Ol' Dirty Bastard ft. Kelis
The Jump Off - Lil' Kim
Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet
Do You Want To - Franz Ferdinand
Just A Girl - No Doubt
Criminal Intent - Robyn
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
I Want Everything - Sneaky Sound System
When I Grow Up - The Pussycat Dolls
B.U.D.D.Y. - Weezer vs. Justice
Fembot - Robyn
Waiting For Bulletproof Love - La Roux vs. Gwen Stefani vs. Kylie Minogue
Breakin' Dishes - Rihanna
Commander (DJ MAJR edit) - Kelly Rowland
Clap Your Hands (Fred Falke remix) - Sia
Diva (Speedy Graffiti remix) - Beyonce
Heavy Cross (Fred Falke remix) - The Gossip
I'm Not Your Toy (datA remix) - La Roux
Love Or Torture - Blake Lewis
1901 - Phoenix
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine

remix monday : LA Riots make Kelis "Scream"

LA Riots have done it again! This remix is fantastic! Scream is one of my favorite Kelis songs, and LA Riots put their proverbial spin on the track... and I definitely approve. I tested the track on Saturday at SHIFT, and they LOVED it! Work. It. Out.

brenda dickson move over...

3 tracks: Teenage Dream remixes

Oh, Katy Perry. You are innately a waste of space and carbon, but you (or your management) really know how to pick your producers. They have made you sound like a pop princess on your Teenage Dream album, and now some great remixers have taken control of your title track and made it less terrible than your original version. Look at you and all the good you barely do. Takin' a page right out of the Spears handbook and wiping your ass with it. Kudos!

fresh: Goldfrapp Believer remixes

I do love me some Goldfrapp, I must admit. Goldfrapp has stood the test of time, it seems, after many albums and a dozen years of making downtempo electro sexy again. I also must add it was one of the best shows of the summer, and I cannot wait to see the lovely duo again. Here are a few remixes of Believer, from the latest LP Head First, that have surfaced. I also added the original for y'all who do not already own it. Indulge.

AUG 2010 SHIFTeaserMix: No Books. Just Robots.

Like every month, the TeaserMix creates its own sound, feel, and general theme. With no real agenda, ideas, or massive inspirations, this month's truly did take on a life of its own. I'm very proud of, considering how chaotic it is, how cohesive the mix comes through at the end. While last month's Teaser was ravey and insane and the previous month's was downtempo and very dance-grind, this month it's heavy on the oft-intense android-inspiration of Daft Punk, dips into heavy-hitting pop remixes, and reminds you that there's nothing less serious and more fun than tongue-in-cheek technology.
So, f*ck what you heard, get away from the tv, off the hovercraft, and out the door for a new education.... NO BOOKS... JUST ROBOTS.

some fun kylie remixes

Here are a couple Kylie remixes of note. Check'em out!

essentials: (this is how i feel today) ida maria

It was also used in (perhaps) my most anticipated movie of the year so far.. It's Kind of a Funny Story...

remix monday : so many monsters...


Is this the summer of the Monster? Or, is there some weird Monster theme that keeps popping up everywhere...? Is "Monster" the new Vampire of 2008/09? Or, are they one and the same. Who cares. I'd rather just enjoy the current fad and then watch it dissipate like my love-life standards. Here's a mash-up remix that I like, if nothing else, for its producer's gall. Ne-Yo vs. Gaga... enjoy!

remix monday : scissor sisters 'any which way'

TONIGHT I get to see Scissor Sisters for the third time. Each time has been after an album release, so far, and tonight is quite the same. I do not love DAR Hall (by far the worst place to see any show that is remotely energetic), but the experience of seeing my beloved Scissor Sisters is worth it. They may not be the best performers I've ever seen, and they may not be the most innately talented, but they put it all on the line every time. Jake Shears, especially, invokes the spirit of (our beloved, departed) Freddie Mercury and finishes each show as a sweaty mess that you cannot help but respect.

This remix of Any Which Way is not only good, but might possibly make this uber-disco classic-to-be even better... take a listen, download, and tell me what you think... One thing is for sure: it WILL be played at SHIFT on Saturday!

moby @ electric zoo (labor day weekend)

Take a Listen... it's making my day go by so much faster :)...

a stroll down amnesia lane: group x

Fresh: NEW Ting Tings single 'Hands'

The Ting Tings long awaited follow-up LP (with the delightfully dirty title Massage Kunst) is soon to be public, but in the meantime they have released this little gem, Hands. At first I didn't care much for the track, but now I have warmed up to it. I also attached an interesting remix that you may (or may not... but listen anyway) enjoy. I really think that The Ting Tings are talented and have fantastic presence for a two-piece act. So, take a listen, download, enjoy, play it at your party, get busy with it, and let me know what YOU think. (Click the down arrow to DL).

introducing automatic panic

One of the most talented DJ outfits out there goes by the name of Automatic Panic. This producer, dj, and all-around electronic guru has a fantastic style for SHIFT: straight-up dance, with a touch of electro-punk aggression that completely gets me off. To some, especially those who don't like any kind of distortion, it's a bit too much to handle... but for me, it's just enough. His genuine sense of underground has translated into fantastic remixes of Dragonette's (not so easy to mix) Fixin to Thrill, as well as Ladyhawke's Paris is Burning. One of the more interesting remixes he's done is New Order's classic Bizarre Love Triangle... giving an old tune a novel take. I love all three of these tracks so much I consider them the best remixes of those particular songs. I added a couple other noteworthy remixes of Animotion and The Fashion... two songs that I really like.

Based in glorious Los Angeles, Automatic Panic is sure to take a listen to his SoundCloud page!

brandon flowers killing solo

Yeah yeah yeah... I know I have constantly criticized the direction The Killers have gone, musically. That aside, I still have a great deal of affection for Mr. Brandon Flowers. The 29-year-old's solo effort, Flamingo, is due out September 14th. I think it will inevitably be a hit... but whether or not I like it... who knows. In the meantime, I do dig the first video released for the accompanying single, Crossfire. Maybe it's the Kill Bill-influenced tongue-in-cheek tone (and the fact that I have unhealthy attractions toward Charlize Theron)... maybe I am a sucker for a whiney bitch with a cute face... or I just want Flowers to be successful. I don't really care. As with most things, I just know it's not half-bad, if not good! So, enjoy!

Also (and probably even better than Crossfire) below is a remix of what is to be track 2 of the album, Only the Young ... and this is what I would call damn-good (it's a very respectable rating system, I know). Soak up the solo...

remix monday : pop explosion

Today's Remix Monday is the most indulgent I have been on Pop in a while. These three remixes are so sweet and sticky I get diabetes and fillings just thinking about them. We have one of the queens of indie pop, Annie, with a great remix of Songs Remind Me Of You. Thanks to Mixtape's Shea Van Horn, I acquired this track and have really liked its take. Next we have a flashback 10 years with a new electro twist. T.A.T.U.'s All The Things She Said gets taken for a very (modern) heavy electro ride here, and I can't stop myself from listening to it... DON'T JUDGE ME! Lastly, we have our resident auto-tuned empress, Katy Perry, with her new single Teenage Dream. This track is pop incarnate. It's catchy, fun, wonderfully overproduced, and scores high on the vapid lyricism charts... Kudos Katy. Despite all that, I love this remix and can't help but play it when I spin on pop nights. Enjoy the pop explosion... but use protection. (as always, click the down arrow to download).

The Crystal Method preview

Today's lovely Three Track Thursday focuses on one of my favorite DJ duos of all time, if not my favorite, The Crystal Method. They've sold more albums than possibly any other electronic/DJ artist in history, have legions of fans across the world, and have consistently produced quality tracks since the mid-90's. Here are three reasons why you should go see them ON SATURDAY AT FUR!

too soon... probably -- what's your fav Oh Oh Horror flick?

Tomorrow at SIREN the 13th we will celebrate falling on Friday the 13th by exploiting everyone's secret passion for the terribly wonderful, wonderfully terrible horror films of the 1997-2003 era. So, what's YOUR favorite terrible OhOh horror film?
SIREN knows what you did last summer. We heard the Stir of Echoes and whispers from so many summers before of Disturbing Behavior. We saw you experiment with Blair’s Witch Project, only to realize that her Stigmata was not for you. We knew your Idle Hands would ultimately be up in The (male) Faculty’s Underworld. We have seen all Thirteen of your Ghosts (tricks) and watched you Scream about The Ring on yourAnaconda…but we don’t judge or hold a Grudge. We applaud you!

A little over 28 Days Later, after a massively successful July 9 SIREN party, we welcome you back to hear the best of 1997-2003 dance music, mixed with the dirtiest, sexiest electro bitchpop out there. We have a Sixth Sense that we'll be the Final Destination of everyone in your socialSphere, as well as all The Others who will Mimic you and your wonderfully awesome poor life choices. So come experience this Event Horizon onFriday the 13th, as the Urban Legend that is SIREN will be quite The Rage(:Carrie 2)!

PHOTOS: July SIREN - Why You Should Be @ SIREN the 13th!

Click to Enlarge















DJ MAJR takes on Robyn's 'Hang With Me'

As promised, I have been working on mash-remix of Robyn's new single Hang With Me. I love this track in its original form, but I wanted it to be more danceable. I picked up the tempo, laced in a backtrack from an old L.A. Riots remix of Scanners, and then manipulated the track's lows, highs, and mids until my ears were content with it. I beefed up the bass, made the backtrack more bubbly, edited the shit out of it, and then cut up the track until I felt like I and gave it more of a rise and fall than the laced-in base track of Avicii. I love how this came out!

I will be debuting this live at SIREN the 13th on Friday at Apex!! It's sure to get the crowd (especially all the Robyn fans) off their asses and movin'. I hope you dig it. As a bonus, I threw down the extended version which draws from more of an ambient feel. Very Fred Falke-esque... we all have our inspirations. :) Enjoy, Download, and SPREAD IT AROUND for your humble musical servant, DJ MAJR.

The Twelves Preview - Tonight @ UHall!


THE TWELVES, one of the most talented DJ duos in the world, come to DC tonight. Thanks to the powers that be U-Hall, mostly Will Eastman, this duo whose name is derived from their shared birthdate of July 12, 1980 comes to the District this evening to share their amazing talent. A style that can be described as New Disco meets Electro Dance, Joao Miguel and Liciano Oliveira formed in 2006 and have skyrocketed since. Their remixes of M.I.A., Metric, Yelle, A-Ha, Groove Armada, Kylie Minogue, La Roux, Daft Punk, The Virgins, and many others have made their way not only onto my playlists and live sets, but onto the international dance airwaves. I don't give a damn if it's Wednesday... DON'T MISS TONIGHT! (GET TIX HERE) Here are three of my favorite Twelves remixes... download away... :)