TIMJ! - "Good Enough to Keep" & "Feel of Love" - TENSNAKE

The Germans have come up with their response to England's Disclosure - and his name is Tensnake.  

A talented producer with who mixes in soul, disco, funk, electro and magic into his sets, Marco Niemerski is a hell of a DJ and finally has global backing with his release of Glow, which dropped yesterday.  Here are my two favorite tracks off the album - each with iconic collaborators.

The first is Jacques Lu Cont (Stuart Price), the iconic three-time Grammy-winning producer and French house DJ who was the driving force behind Madonna's Confessions... and Kylie Minogue's Aphrodite.  

The second is none other than producer/guitarist extraordinaire and legend Nile Rogers (pictured) - one of the driving forces behind Daft Punk's revival and the emergence of Avicii.  Adding vocals to the track is Fiora (pictured), a rising Berlin star who lends her voice to many of the tracks on Glow and has a soulful resonance ripe for the picking.

NEW: "Air Balloon" - LILY ALLEN

The gorgeous and eloquent Lily Allen returns with the second single from her pending third LP and she does it in a way you'd expect after such a cutting and aggressive first single: lite, fluffy and delicious.  I'm definitely a fan.  I can't wait to see what the rest of the album sounds like: 

NEW VIDEO: "Team" - LORDE

You have to respect this young woman.  She's sharp, vision-forward and can reproduce her music live. Here, Lorde shows us she is not letting the fame (and money) from "Royals" go to her head and made a wonderful video for a song I consider superior to her first single.  I consider this track maybe the third-best on the album (with "Royals" being fourth) and I'm really happy she made a proper video for it.  Lovely.  Just lovely.  

I just can't wait to see if she releases the two best tracks from her debut LP "Pure Heroine" - "Ribs" and "400 Lux."

fresh: "Think of You (RAC v. MAJR edit)" - MS MR

I am in love with this track and have been for most of the summer.  MS MR, in case you don't know, is the band of NEON GOLD RECORDS co-founder Lizzy Plapinger.  Neon Gold is responsible for some of the best acts of the last 5 years, including: 

Passion Pit

Marina & the Diamonds

The Knocks

CHVRCHES

St. Lucia

Foxes

Icona Pop

Monarchy

The Sound of Arrows

The Naked and Famous

and let's not forget the played-ad-nauseam Gotye.  

When RAC remixed this track, I knew it would be superb... and I was right.  Well done, boys. 

So, I took the track, cut it up, sped it up and manipulated some of the levels to give it a little dancefloor punch.  Enjoy (hopefully): 

Handshake (Amtrac remix) - Two Door Cinema Club

Things I Love 

1.) Two Door Cinema Club

2.) Well done ambient chill-pop

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

fresh: "Skyfall" (Cosmic Dawn v. MAJR edit) - Adele

Ol' tons-o'-fun Adele returns here with her contribution to a tradition even more British than she is... Skyfall for the latest 007 film.  To be honest, I could care less about James Bond, and I've never thought of any single one of his versions as attractive, nor do I fall over for his apparently suave nature.  Give me Frodo with hairy feet, ugly friends, and old gay wizards any day.  

In any case, Cosmic Dawn is one of the most superb producers out there, and once again the Scandinavian sorcerer of synth returns with a dance remix of a track no one else had yet to conquer for the clubs.  And, now that's over.  So, I edited it to my liking, and the rest is history.  It might not be a straight-up crazy Pound the Alarm-esque bloop-blip-bloop-blip-bloop status quo track- but that's why I enjoy it.  It brings a splash of retro trance into the mix in all the right ways.  Not really Tïesto or AVB-style, but more Paul Van Dyk (IMO the king of trance-dance).

So, that's that.  Enjoy the delightfully chunky chanteuse haunting away your dreams until you dance your way into a midnight snack with her: 

DOWNLOAD

some awesomely low quality photos from Dragonette

Dragonette

Black Cat (DC)

Saturday 15Sep12

Pre-Order their fantastic new album, 'Bodyparts,' HERE.

Enjoy.  Sorta.

All credit to me and my shitty iPhone 4 camera

NEW VIDEO: 

fresh: "BEYONCÉ MAJRmix" - DJ MAJR

As the quarterly insanity that is my SIREN dance party (this quarter it's THE BEYONCÉ BALL) approaches, I have taken the time to develop, mix, edit, release, and honor the diva who is BEYONCÉ Knowles...

...or as my friend and I used to call her, BAYWUNZ KANOHLAYZ!

26 SONGS | 52 MINS | NON-STOP FIERCE

PAT YOUR WEAVE (download)

Here's some info about the upcoming (destined to be epic) party, taken from the Facebook invite

SIREN RETURNS for its quarterly dance party shitshow, and this time we put on our freakum dress, get you bodied, and put your bootylicious love on top 'til you lose your breath...and also get your ass drunk.

Hooray!

We plan to honor our favorite humanitarian fierce-ass diva queen almost acceptable actress extraordinaire, BEYONCÉ Giselle Knowles-Carter. We are going to destroy the green lantern with everything from her amazing hits, to Destiny's Child classics, to the artists she has inspired...

This bitch has more weaves than a basket factory, more sass than the tranny hookers on 4th street, and more raw talent than her precious little Texas mind can grasp. 

And, she lets Jay-Z give her the business... which we can imagine takes some dexterity. 

_______________

FRI SEPT 14 @ GREEN LANTERN

OPEN VODKA BAR 10-11

AMAZING DJs (see below)

SURPRISE PERFORMANCES, STRONG-ASS DRINKS, DANCING, FOG, LASERS, QUESTIONABLE DÉCOR, DANCING, GIVEAWAYS, WEAVES, FAKE NAILS, OVERWHELMING SASS, BEYONCÉ BOMBS, and more DANCING WITH LOTS OF LEG

So, come get crazy in love and ring the (m*thaf*ckin) alarm @ SIREN...

Also expect to hear:

KYLIE, ROBYN, RYE RYE, AZEALIA, MARINA, NICKI, GOSSIP, ELLIE, DRAGONETTE, BRITNEY, SANTIGOLD, MADONNA, etc.

... but we gon' be real HEAVY ON THE BEYONCÉ.

_______________

Crazy in Love

Irreplaceable

Countdown

Bug a Boo

Ring the Alarm

Get Me Bodied

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)

Get on the Bus

Girls (Run the World)

Survivor

Check On It

Me, Myself, and I

Telephone

Jumpin' Jumpin'

No, No, No

Baby Boy

Bootylicious

Diva

Videophone

Party

Independent Women Part 1

Love on Top

Soldier

Freakum Dress

Halo

Naughty Girl

Lose My Breath

End of Time

Best Thing I Never Had

If I Were a Boy... 

...and the list goes on...

_______________

DJs Include: 

MAJR 

(DC/BYT PRIDE, SHIFT, SIREN, The Gates of Heaven, A Whale's Vagina)

CHARLIE KORDES 

(who can drink all of you under the table)

LEMZ 

(Bmore's living emblem of class, excess, and the pursuit of dancing while wasted off your ass and still not face-planting in your vodka soda)

....RSVP, so we know how many shitshow divas to enjoy (and how many ambulances to order).

fresh: "How To Be A Heartbreaker (MAJR club edit)" - Marina & the Diamonds

So, I'm dying to play this song in sets, but it's been very difficult to do so, so I made this. 

It's really that simple.

You're welcome.  

This was a little more of a pain in the ass than I expected, but it was totally worth it.  I had to drop the tempo to a more mixable speed (133bpm), and then adjust the bass levels so that they had more dance floor intensity.  In certain areas, I basically dropped the bottom out of the song in order to make the chorus pop more.  In the end, I think this MAJR club edit does Marina & the Diamonds justice, and makes me dance around when I play it... and that's all that really matters.

The one thing I will say is that I couldn't quite get the bass levels right, so you DJs out there might want to drop your level a tiny bit, depending on your system.

Enjoy:

BE A HEARTBREAKER

fresh: "Big Bright World" - Garbage (song & video)

Garbage has been in my top 4 bands since the mid-90's, and at one time was listed in the top spot, tied with only Radiohead.  Once again here, they reemerge with an album and a single that fortify their penchant for unrelenting quality in sound, aesthetics, and focus on the an equal marriage of immense talent and unrivaled production.  

Big Bright World is perhaps my favorite song in their new album, Not Your Kind of People, and this week the video and song were released to the masses as the LP's second single.  The video is vintage dark-meets-accessible Garbage (and, oh lord, do we know Garbage loves its black and white footage), and the song is nothing short of phenomenal.  And, yes, that's me in the photo... JEALOUS?!  Enjoy!

MAKE YOUR WORLD BIGGER AND BRIGHTER (with one click)

fresh: "Settle Down (Jonas Quant v. MAJR edit)" - No Doubt

No Doubt returned recently from a massive hiatus- but didn't we all know that they were going to be great upon return?  I mean - let's be real - Gwen Stefani is golden.  She is one of the most likable female vocalists in the world, and brings the kind of genuine energy that makes even the bitchiest of critics smile.  And, she can deliver live- all you doubtin' hipsters can shove it.

Just a peach, that bitch is.   

So, I looked and looked for a proper remix of this downtempo return to the radio (first single: Settle Down), and finally came across one by Jonas Quant.  Known as simply QUANT to the dj/producer worlds, this veteran producer comes from SWEDEN... such a surprise.  He is responsible for producing all of Hurts' 2011 album Happiness (which debuted at #4 in the UK), and has also worked with No Doubt (outside of this remix) and Leona Lewis.

GET THE SONG

So, check out the edit I did of this lovely piece, and feel free to dance around like a fancy white lady.  

Also, get off your lazy ass and go out and buy/support the return of one of the best bands out there. 

Push & Shove drops on September 25! 

(fantastic artwork below)

fresh: NEW Two Door Cinema Club & Helio Sequence

As a fresh addition to your indie rock collection, you get two little gems of joy today.  The Helio Sequence finally returns after a 4+ year hiatus.  In January 2008, they released what was easily the best album of the year, Keep Your Eyes Ahead.  I still listen to it often, and am haunted by the chords of the title track in all the right ways.


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Two Door Cinema Club, my favorite dance-rock band to pop up in the last few years, returns with the unenviable task of topping their 2010 debut album, Tourist History, which drew heavily positive reviews (not only from yours truly, but) from virtually all of music critics.

Both of these tracks, from each respective act, are simply solid returns (even if they don't quite stack up yet to the previous albums' works. All in all, these are solidly optimistic signs.  Two Door Cinema Club's album, Beacon, is due out the first week of September.  The Helio Sequence's Negotiations is due out the second week of said month.


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By the by, here are couple little video previews: 

fresh: "Let Me Love You" - Ne-Yo (written by Sia)

Ne-Yo, one of the worst guilty pleasures of a lot of neo-hipsters out there, returns with his second single from his upcoming album, R.E.D., so that you can make fun of him yet secretly love him because he reminds of you of your teen years when you still listened to Usher and liked it your way.  

Also, I'd like to take a moment to point out that his real name is SHAFFER CHIMERE SMITH, JR. 

I suppose that when you're last name's Smith, you should spice it up with a name that sounds like a luxury sofa.  Enjoy that.

In any case, he hooks up here with none other than amazing songstress Sia to write and produce this dance-friendly whiny-assed track that you will first hate, then secretly love for a while, and eventually shamefully hate again until, at last, you forget about- because it wasn't really that good in the beginning.  

That's temporary pop.  Learn to separate the good from the shit in this sub-sub-sub-genre.  

Dive in: 

GET THE SONG

fresh: "National Anthem" - Lana Del Rey (video & dl)

So, just in time for the holiday, Ms. Lana Del Rey has dropped her à propos "National Anthem" video and single.  I love her aesthetics, per usual, and her willingness to push buttons in a subtle fashion.  She is not stupid, even if part of her career is contrived.  She understands how to appear and execute subtly, and that's maybe her best quality (besides being a classic beauty).  Well, done, bitch.  You nailed it on this one...

This song, in general, is a beautiful tune worth owning.  So, do it:

GET THE SONG

If you didn't love her before, love her boldness now.

fresh: "Alive (Basto remix)" - Adrian Lux ft. The Good Natured

Not. Too. Shabby.

Fresh to me, despite the fact that it is actually 4 months old. Shut up. I like The Good Natured, as she is an upcoming talent in the mold of Lily Allen (who is, indeed, my boo). Adrain Lux means little to me, but that could change.

That is all. Thank you.

GET THE SONG

fresh: "Primadonna (Benny Benassi remix)" - Marina & the Diamonds

So, it's no surprise that Marina & the Diamonds is ruling my world right now. Considering I'm having one of the worst weeks of the last couple years, I need as much of her cerebral pop as possible. This girl is just fantastic. Then, we have Benny Benassi, whose sound is borderline redundant, but we still don't hate it. This remix needs serious reworking, but here's the raw version. Enjoy (or not, and tell me why you hate it)... as the jury is still really out for me.

GET THE SONG

The one thing this proves, though, is that she's being taken seriously, and is probably on the cusp of getting serious pushes from various media outlets (unlike her debut album). Also, enjoy the acoustic version, below. Woohoo!

fresh: NEW Dragonette / NEW Madonna remix

I'm sure you will hear these at least once on Friday. You've no idea how much I love Dragonette, and this remix edit of Madonna makes my entire body smile.

So much love.

That is all.

Thank you.

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GET THE SONG

fresh: "Paddling Out (Wolfgang Gartner remix)" - Miike Snow

As if I'd have to sell this one.

Oh, I eargasm when quality electro hits my drums, and this remix of Miike Snow played my percussion like an aural french tickler a few days ago when I received it. The awesome thing about Wolfgang Gartner is that not only is he a stellar remix orchestrator, but he makes all of his original sounds (redundant, I know). In any case, jump on this and know that I am hard at work on a dance edit. :)

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Also, I recently scanned the new Miike Snow album, Happy To You, and I cannot wait for its release on March 29th!!!

Get fucking excited. Once again, Sweden is slapping us where we like it.

fresh: "Disparate Youth" - Santigold

I did not love "Big Mouth," but I tolerated it lovingly. Santigold is separating herself, once again, from indie/pop cross-over artists, and proving how versatile she is. This is what I wanted: a sound nothing like her first single that proves how awesomely eclectic your sound remains. Her first album ventured so many different directions, and all signs point to her staying the course and upping her game.

Consider "Big Mouth" the "Creator" of her new album, and this track the "Lights Out."

The new album, Master of My Make Believe, is due out May 1st. Hoo-fucking-ray! She's so fucking great. Please, girl, don't let me down...

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POST #700!!!... "Wish It Away" - Pepper

Introducing: Pepper

This track makes me so goddamned happy - you've no idea. For fans of Lily Allen, Kate Nash, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and even Adele, Pepper is a young, gloriously likable Brit with a lot of cheeky attitude. She has teamed up with Dizzee Rascal for this track (and shouts him out during it), and the result is an adorable number that makes me dance around the shower on the regular. I have repeatedly forgotten to post this, so if it's not so 'fresh' to you, you can hush your noise. She's worth a second enjoyment. Get on it!

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