TONIGHT! Juan McLean at U-Hall

The Juan MacLean (whose real name is John MacLean), has been around forever. He is one of the great precisionists when it comes to perfect remixes and blending the energy of indie pop with the inspiration of electronica. Despite his odd definite article in front of his stage persona, he is nothing short of fantastic as a DJ and recording artist. His close relationship with James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem, Founder of DFA records) has served him well, and is evident in his sound, as well. He graces the fabulous sound system of U Street Music Hall tonight, and you should be there if you want to dance that holiday-eatin' ass off. I'm guessing he will go on around 12:30a, but don't quote me that. Just go. Here are my three favorite remixes of his. My favorite, by far, is the Sneaky Sound System track. The Example track is pretty great, but not nearly as good as its original. Lastly, a tolerable Marina & The Diamonds remix rounds out the group.

newsflash: Sneaky Sound System finished recording!

According to an email blast I received early Thursday morning, Sneaky Sound System is due to release its new (third) album next year, with only the final touches being the last hurdle until we all (hopefully) revel in the best electro-pop group to not make it in the U.S.

"...we've been head down, bottoms up making a NEW record, and we can honestly say it's the most excited we've been about any of our albums. Written and recorded in hotel rooms, planes and studios from Moscow to Ibiza to Naples, London to Paris and back to Ibiza again... it's a record influenced by our travels then nurtured in the comfort of our studio in Kings Cross here in Sydney."

One day, though, one day they'll be huge. They have all the tools. Soulful strong vocals, smart lyrics, electronically perfect, danceable, and catchy as hell without dividing down to the lowest common pop denominator. If you don't know them and are a fan of Dragonette, The Presets, La Roux, Sam Sparro, Sia, Eurythmics, The Gossip, or Simian Mobile Disco... they're probably for you. Actually, I think I like SSS as much or more than any of those artists. I shit you not.

3 tracks - she wants revenge

Remember when She Wants Revenge was the next best thing and people kept yelping about how great they were yada yada yada.... and then they started making crappy tracks and never branched out (in a good way) from their sound. Well, they did produce three tolerable tracks, and here they are:

Tear You Apart - She Wants Revenge

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I Don't Want to Fall In Love - She Wants Revenge

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What I Want - She Wants Revenge

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fresh: cut copy & röyksopp

Here's a slice of new Cut Copy (or as I like to call them Command-X), and an instrumental Xmas-centric track from the always gorgeous Royksopp. The latter has been releasing random tracks once a month for a while now (probably cleaning out the attic to create buzz... but I'm not complaining). Cut Copy, on the other hand, is due to drop its highly-anticipated third album, Zonoscope, the first week of February 2011! Get excited.

Take Me Over - Cut Copy

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Le Cantique de Noël - Royksopp

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essentials: mates of state

Everything's gonna get lighter, even if it never gets better.

I often think about that line and repeat in my head when the days aren't so sunny.

Sometimes I am simply in a Mates of State mood. I don't know what spawns it on, but I do know that there's something magical about the 2-piece husband/wife team of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel. They have been together since 1997, but it's in the last 5 years that they have become quite amazing. The two original LP's released since 2006 that I play on the regular, Bring It Back and Re-Arrange Us (if you like what you hear below, I highly recommend buying an entire LP), are lush with upbeat, introspective pop, and definitely for fans of Rilo Kiley, Stars, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Ra Ra Riot, and Shout Out Louds.

Below are my four favorite tracks, including one from the 2004 EP All Day, Goods (All In Your Head). Enjoy the heavenly indie-pop, melodically solid, perfectly disjointed, and wonderfully essential Mates of State.

Get Better - Mates of State

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Now - Mates of State

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For the Actor - Mates of State

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Goods (All In Your Head) - Mates of State

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remix monday: whitney finally makes me wanna dance w/ somebody

I have loathed hearing this song every time I go out to a retro-dance night for many years, but when I stumbled upon this remix, I hated myself for loving it. You have to experience it for yourself. Really.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody (OCD Automatic remix) - Whitney Houston (pre-crack) by shiftdcdj

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3 tracks - a folky thursday

There's something about the cold and brisk days that have descended upon the District that make me dive back into the somber folk rock sound that sprinkled my early 20's. I just sometimes need that warm honesty that seems to be so dichotomously both vulnerably self-deprecating and willfully resilient.

Damien Rice, to me, is the greatest folk artist on the planet, by evidence of his two impeccable albums and stunning live show. He's the kind of artist that makes you uncomfortable by virtue of his over-sharing lyrics, until you realize such discomfort is rooted in your own secret empathy. This track, Lonelily, is a b-side that never made either of his epic full-lengths... but I love it, and it's a testament to his overall quality. Beat Radio produced a couple amazing tracks a couple years ago, and first and foremost to me is the track attached here, Memoir Of A Lightning Bolt. It's quite stunning. Lastly, Feist, before she became a pop starlet, and after she painted Broken Social Scene with her subtle-yet-haunting vocals, put out an album called Let It Die. The title track of this album basically became the anthem for the biggest breakup of my life. Womp fucking womp. Hooray Folk Music!

So, put your headphones on under your beanie, and enjoy. And, yes, I took that photo the other day while walking through the city. :)

Lonelily - Damien Rice

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Memoir of a Lightning Bolt - Beat Radio

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Let It Die - Feist

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fresh robyn video and dl

Here's the extended version of A-Trak's Indestructible remix! Oh, Robyn, will you ever stop? I hope not. Check it.

Indestructible (A-Trak Remix) - Robyn by shiftdcdj

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Also, here's the delightfully low-budget video for Dancehall Queen that is borderline ricesploitation. I sort of love it.

Saturday's Set List

It was a good one. I gotta say. Woooooo lord, what a good night. Thank you to the hordes of whores and bitches (we say that lovingly) who made it out on Saturday. It was a blast! Thanks for celebrating the Salem Bitch Trials with us!

GET THE LIVE RECORDING HERE

Romantic Rights (Jesper Dahlback remix) - Death From Above 1979

In For The Kill (Le Castle Vania remix) - La Roux

Somebody Told Me (Josh Harris remix) - The Killers

Dog Days Are Over (MAJR edit) - Florence + The Machine

Hands (Retro/Grade remix) - The Ting Tings

Back Up In This - Designer Drugs

Don't You Want Me (Computer Club remix) - Human League

Heavy Cross (Fred Falke remix) - The Gossip

Indestructible (A-Trak remix) - Robyn

My People - The Presets

All The Lovers (WAWA & MMB remix) - Kylie Minogue

Take It Off (DJ Kue remix) - Kesha

Restless (Fake Blood remix) - UNKLE

Dancing On My Own / Get Myself Together - Robyn

Fire In Your New Shoes (MAJR mashmix) - Kaskade ft. Dragonette

4th of July - Kelis

Dynamite (Mixin Marc remix) - Taio Cruz

I Predict A Riot - Kaiser Chiefs

Untouched - The Veronicas

Our Summer - Dragonette

Gold Digger - Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx

Creep - TLC

My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) - En Vogue

Teeth - Lady Gaga

Closer - Nine Inch Nails

The Sign - Ace Of Base

Ghetto Superstar - Mya ft. Pras & O.D.B.

New In Town - Little Boots

No You Girls - Franz Ferdinand

Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet

Fembot - Robyn

Waiting For Bulletproof Love - Gwen vs. Kylie vs. La Roux

Clap Your Hands (Fred Falke remix) - Sia

Any Which Way (Keljet remix) - Scissor Sisters

Hash Pipe - Weezer

Hot N Fun (Boys Noize remix) - N.E.R.D.

Je Veux Te Voir (Club-Club remix) - Yelle

Remedy (Buffetlibre vs. Sidechains remix) - Little Boots

Time Machine - Robyn

Just Like Heaven - The Cure

Take On Me (The Twelves remix) - A-Ha

Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn

All My Friends (Franz Ferdinand version) - LCD Soundsystem

3 tracks - for which i'm thankful

I'm not a big Thanksgiving person. Perhaps, if nothing else, because a lack of tradition has been the norm in my life on such a traditional holiday. That, and I hate feeling like a fatass after overeating and extended family gatherings make me want to drown myself in an olympic pool full of green bean casserole. Maybe I'm bitter, maybe I'm completely joking, ...who cares? Anyway, as I ate my breakfast pupusa today from Pollo McHairyUpperLip's in Adams Morgan, I was thinking about for what I am actually thankful. The first thing that popped into my head (after soy milk, of course) was that I am thankful for the bittersweet moments in life where we realize that no one's perfect, we all fuck up, and the day constantly starts anew. Here are three songs that celebrate that and make me happy to be alive, even if sometimes the contents of my living appear to be complete shit. Now, run with me through rows of speeding cars, dream on, and remember if you don't have a date, celebrate; go out and sit on the lawn and do nothing. 'Cause it's just what you must do, and nobody does it anymore.

Speeding Cars - Imogen Heap

Waltz (Better Than Fine) - Fiona Apple

Dream On - Robyn