rihanna: umbrella video.

RIHANNA's "Umbrella" video is one of the best pop videos I've seen in a long time. The video was directed by Chris Applebaum, who worked with Rihanna recently on her video for "S.O.S."

While "Umbrella" may be a song that shows Rihanna at her best vocally, the music video shows Applebaum at his artistic best. And to be quite honest, his artistic best doesn't make much sense. It raises a lot of questions, but it works. The video starts out with some sexy shots of Rihanna. Then we see Jay-Z, and what's this? IT'S RAINING LIGHT. And are those back-up dancers? Sort of. Rihanna gets sexy again, and then...WHOA, WHOA...is she battling Alex Mack in silver blob-mode? Or is she swatting away an ex-lover in the form of Capri Sun (see video)? Oh wait...now she has an umbrella, but if it's raining...why is she awkwardly dancing around with it? Now the screen is duo-toned and she's a French maid. More awkward (sexy?) dancing. And now...WHAT THE FUCK? WHY IS SHE SILVER? What is this crazy (amazing?) part of this video, and what does it have to do with the rest of the song? And why is Rihanna even hotter when she's silver and sitting in a triangle? After silverness, Rihanna is sexy again as expected when she's making lewd suggestions about cumming into her. And then, wait...back-up dancers? Sort of. These back-up dancers dance a bit more than the first group, but their moves look like they came out of a sixth grade dance assembly. And then it's all over, and you feel kind of empty inside.

The genius in this video isn't just its absurd content...The editing is just fucking brilliant. By adding crazy liquid to one scene, Rihanna flailing her arms about actually looks intriguing. Even the duo-tones in the one scene distract us from her mediocre hip-hop moves. Rihanna is sexy, but her sexy moves look like she's trying a bit too hard. Literally, she looks like a Good Girl Gone Bad who doesn't quite know what to do with herself yet. Thankfully, a few cuts and effects bring up Rihanna's bad girl factor. Arguably you can say she was on point in a few shots, but the only time we see a full-body shot of her on her toes is when she's hanging on to something. That is editing genius, because now you have me suspicious of whether Rihanna is actually a skilled dancer who is too classy to move in sexy ways. I give extra props to the choreographer, who elected to choose simple moves that Rihanna can pull off to some degree.

Most of the moves in the video are so simple that I question them. While I appreciate the stillness of the surrounding dancers when Jay-Z is rapping, why the hell are the back-up dancers so terrible in the ending sequence? The art of choosing back-up dancers that are better than you has been mastered in this industry (see Lindsay Lohan's "Rumors", Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend"). However, in this video they seem to be a necessary addition that is completely unnecessary. Explanation? Sure. They have to be there because we expect them to be. BUT we're not supposed to take our eyes off of Rihanna and her sexiness. She is the most important aspect on the screen. Who cares about them? The costumers even emphasize this point by placing the dancers in entirely black costumes with black hats, to the point that they're nearly indistinguishable from one another or the background. They have no personality, because they don't need to have one. They are just texture, and this creative choice makes it seem like Rihanna actually does have a personality.*

WATCH: RIHANNA- Umbrella (download)
(pop/r&b tune)
- pre-ord it - site it - space it - hype it - wik it -

* I meant that in the nicest way possible. Rihanna is totally the shit.

azeda booth: mysterious body.

AZEDA BOOTH is a Canadian experimental-pop sextet. Mysterious Body is an EP recorded two years ago by only two of its members.

So, uh, why is it being released now? "...The recording is a glimpse into the beginnings of Azeda Booth and a taste of things to come," says the band. Apparently the new material is a bit different, but I respect that they want us to know where they're coming from. Especially when where they're coming from is so good(!).

Mysterious Body is quickly being recognized for two songs featuring male vocalist Jordon Hossack's incredible falsetto-- "Landscape (With Grass)" and "Dead Girls". The songs are considered opposites, but I'm not sure if I agree. Perhaps it is the three mellow instrumental tracks that enclose them...but for me, each of these songs has the feeling of a lullaby. "Landscape (With Grass)" is your mother singing you to sleep, while "Dead Girls" is your tone-deaf babysitter. Neither of the songs have the lyrical content of lullabies (as mothers aren't often singing that "your children hate you"), but don't act like "Rock-a-bye Baby" isn't a little fucked up. Just sayin'.

Azeda Booth also is skillful in creating good short songs. Four out of the five songs on this EP clock under three minutes, and you know how I feel about short songs. If you don't know...well, I like them. Speaking of short songs, be sure to take a listen to "Puddle Duck" on their space. Absolutely beauty-licious.

d/l: AZEDA BOOTH- Landscape (With Grass) (YSI)
d/l: AZEDA BOOTH- Dead Girls (YSI)
(experimental pop)
- site it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: I Wanna Fuck Dirty Harry, Get Weird Turn Pro, and Indie Selections for Your Erections all have weird names and new tracks off of Bjork's upcoming album Volta. Speaking of Bjork, i was there has a Spank Rock remix of "Earth Intruders". Culture Bully brings us an mp3 of Amy Winehouse's performance of "Rehab" on The Tonight Show. The wirewool offers an interesting take on Diddy's "Last Night", which may make you feel less guilty for liking it so much. MASALA shows love to a radio rip of a new M.I.A. tune "Boyz".

sir salvatore: those men are not astronauts.

SIR SALVATORE are just so good that I don't care if four other blogs already told you to like them.

The band is composed of four San Francisco fellas whose musical heroes include Pavement, The Pixies, The Unicorns, and Polvo. In their previous projects, the individual band members have collectively opened shows for Xiu Xiu, Spoon, Crooked Fingers, and Denali. Rumor has it that they're a band you should be catching live. Most importantly, these guys just released their debut EP, Those Men Are Not Astronauts, three days ago. It has six songs on it. I've only heard two, but they're good...so I assume the rest are. You should make the same assumption. Please?

Take a few listens to "Hooray This Projector". I'd like to think it is the indie equivalent of Rihanna's "Umbrella", in the sense that it'll take four listens before you're really hooked (see said the gramophone). The guitar line is undeniably catchy, and even if you think this song is nothing special...you could be wrong. Plus, how can you resist a song with a music video that combines science and dancing!?!

d/l: SIR SALVATORE- Hooray This Projector (YSI)
d/l: SIR SALVATORE- Public Key (YSI)
(the San Francisco indie treat)
- site it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: The Music Slut has Franz Ferdinand covering LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends". Sound Gymnastics brings us some stuff by Santogold. Brugo has some new Yoko Ono featuring Apples in Stereo, The Polyphonic Spree, and Le Tigre.

unreal: can you get to heaven.

UNREAL took a random TRL freestyle from Nelly Furtado and created a relatively catchy and listenable song out of it.

Despite the fact that "Can You Get To Heaven" was produced with nothing but shitty headphones, a computer, and a MIDI keyboard...the shit sounds relatively legitimate. This created a bit of conflict on message boards when people started thinking that this was a new or unreleased song by Ms. Furtado, but honestly...do you really think she'd pop out a song about getting slurpees at 7-11? But then again, did you really think she'd pop out a song about being promiscuous? Answer to both questions: Probs not.

Think he shouldn't quit his day job? Well, he hasn't. Unreal is just an 18 year old-- "going out, working, and playing video games". Music is just his hobby. With that said, he's damn good for just being a part-time musician with a Timbaland infatuation. People who admire Timbaland tend to create poor carbon-copy imitations of his beats, but I've recently been encountering a good amount of producers who transcend above this.

Beyond "Can You Get To Heaven", I'm really loving the "Madman" beat he has bumping on his space. Also, he has some amazing remixes of the two most over-played songs of last summer-- "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley and "Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado. By amazing, I mean that you don't have to throw back a whole box of Franzia before you find yourself dancing to these. Both of them have a little bit of that fresh '80s revival vibe that the world seems to be feeling right now.

Check out his remix compilation for more mixes, including Busta Rhymes, Yung Joc, Rich Boy, Jeannie Ortega, Slim Thug, Justin Timberlake, Sebastian, 50 Cent, Cassie, and Clipse.

d/l: NELLY FURTADO- Can You Get To Heaven (YSI)
d/l: GNARLS BARKLEY- Crazy (Unreal remix) (YSI)
d/l: NELLY FURTADO- Promiscuous (Unreal remix) (YSI)
(remixxxes)
- space it -

BLOGGER NOTE: The "purple people" are all fired up because of a wikipedia article with a rumored tracklisting for the next album by The Pussycat Dolls which states that they will have a song featuring Prince. (Discovered from someone who linked to my very early post on Eden's Crush.)

BLOGWATCH: Who The Bloody Hell Are They? has a new remix by Miami Horror. Fluxblog talks about a new UGK track featuring Outkast, produced by Three 6 Mafia. Not a blog, but Wu Tang Corp hooks us up with 215 unreleased/rare Wu Tang Clan tracks, link courtesy of Spine Magazine.

ARTERLUDE DOS

going through
KELLY LYNN JONES

So nobody e-mailed me anything for my arterludes, so I figured I'd have to just start choosing people. Kelly Lynn Jones paints and draws. I'm a big fan of the spaces she creates for her figures to exist in. Look at more of her stuff here!

mike b: italian pop lock.

MIKE B is a DJ, and he might be the one that saved your life last night. No? Not right? Well, it's a fact that he is the man behind "Italian Pop Lock", which I'm currently bumping as I type.

"Italian Pop Lock" brings together the delightful anthem "Pop Lock and Drop It" by Baby Huey (see video) and Black Strobe's "Italian Fireflies". I honestly don't know the latter song, and I probably wouldn't like this as much if I did.

In fact, I initially thought the instrumental of "Italian Fireflies" was annoying, but when I thought about it...it's no more annoying than the original instrumental of "Pop Lock and Drop It" (or the entire song for that matter). For some reason, it seems like these songs were meant to be together...and that's the only way I'll take my mash-ups and blendinis. Maybe the vocals and instrumental are annoying, but they're annoying together. Ain't that some cute shit?

Now we just need some girls to dance with us in empty pools. DO NOT RUN. Running is not acceptable, but I'm sure the lifeguards won't mind if you toot that thang up.

d/l: MIKE B (BABY HUEY vs. BLACK STROBE)- Italian Pop Lock (YSI)
(Electro/hip-hop mash-up)
- site it - space it -

BLOGWATCH: Culture Bully has mp3s and videos of Bjork's recent appearance on Saturday Night Live. Fluo kids has that Chromeo remix that's been making the blog rounds.

compass: the catacombs.

COMPASS is basically a dude named Dave Doom. With the help of many friends and instruments, the dude made an album called Munchy the Bear, and that album has actually had a surprising impact on my life.

I realized this when I decided to use "Harp", a 43 second composition from his album, for a dance I am choreographing. As I watched my dancers writhing under blankets to this song, I recalled several months before when I listened to Munchy the Bear on repeat while carving woodblocks for my senior art thesis. Moments later, I was taken back to a year ago, when the album pushed me through a tumultuous but lovely spring break in Vermont.

Behind the experimentation, weirdness, and dissonance...there is something surprisingly uplifting about Doom's compositions. Tiny Mix Tapes put it well by saying, "...Munchy the Bear, though cynically obsessed with the ever-present threat of impending doom, is nonetheless filled with pleasantly upbeat pop tunes..." Death, war, addiction, and general doom and gloom overpopulate this record, yet there's a sense of catharsis in all of it.

Perhaps I am heavily influenced by my brief encounter with Eiko Otake earlier this year, but Doom's music makes me want to curl up on the floor and yawn out all tensions..."to move/dance actively, forgetting the clutter in my life and fully "tasting" the body and mind". I know I sound cray-cray at this point, but I just have a lot of feelings, ok?

In any case, I didn't mean for this post to be about Munchy the Bear, though I do highly recommend purchasing it. (All profits from the album go towards Oxfam International, which seems to be a worthy cause provided you don't care much about that whole Starbucks controversy from last year.)

Compass recently opened up "the catacombs", a collection of unreleased material available for download on their website. The songs are random, and as Doom notes, "many of these tracks are unmastered or fancilly mixed and all are weird." Despite the warning, some of these creations capture that Munchy magic, and I couldn't be happier about exploring the catacombs.

The songs in the catacombs range in length from the 17 second "Call Me" to the 8 minute "Ginger Angel", in sound from the acoustic feel of "Even In The City 11/06" to the electro "Eon the Fidget", and in theme from birdies to Hiroshima. Explore them yourself here, or download a few selections below.

d/l: COMPASS- Wake Up On Time (YSI)
d/l: COMPASS- Even In The City 11/06 (YSI)
d/l: COMPASS- Philosopher's of America (YSI)
d/l: COMPASS- Never Live Forever (YSI)*
(3 unreleased indie-experimental tracks, *from Munchy the Bear)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: Brooklynvegan interviewed Bjork, who apparently is into Animal Collective, Public Enemy, and the cocaine raps of Clipse?

gotdion: remix, ciara's "like a boy".

GOTDION has been getting a lot of mentions on this blog, but that's because nearly every song he remixes tends to be better than the original.

"Like a Boy" has to be my least favorite song on Ciara: The Evolution. I seem to be one of few people who think she looks totally gorgeous dressed as a man in the video, yet I also seem to be one of few people who have extreme problems with the message of this song. I'm 100% behind female empowerment jams, songs about triflin' men, but I have no tolerance for the generalizations in this song. Here, the title itself implies that to be "like a boy" means that you have to lie, cheat, keep secrets, and play games. There are plenty of respectable boys in this world who don't do any of these things. I can't be mad at Ciara for this song. She is merely a performer, and the songwriters are none other than The Clutch, the people who brought you Mary J. Blige's "Take Me As I Am", LeToya Luckett's "She Don't", and Omarion's "Icebox". The Clutch are great at writing catchy R&B pop tunes, but I don't include "Like a Boy" in this category.

Rant aside, GotdioN's remix pops out the usual adrenaline-rushed beat that propels me out of my computer chair and gets me dancing around my room like a cracked-out Michael Jackson. I'm too busy dancing to pay attention to the lyrics, and even if I did...the song sounds appropriately angrier, to the point that I can forgive everyone involved for their problematic gender statements.

d/l: CIARA- Like a Boy (GotdioN remix) (YSI)
(energy-infused remix of a boring Ciara song)
- space it / buy it - site it - space it - hype it - wik it -

BLOGWATCH: Speaking of Ciara, Kevipod brings us "Do It" a bonus track off of the European edition of The Evolution. This song was produced by will.i.am and samples Salt 'N' Pepa's "Push It".

grizz le beast: it's the grizz.

GRIZZ LE BEAST has a pretty cool name and makes pretty cool mash-ups.

Have you been craving your favorite hip-hop joints mingling with your favorite electro-hipster jams? Have you been feeling like there is a lack of dancing in your life? Are your genitals itching?

Well, Grizz can't help with that last part...but he can help with the other two problems. Grizz Le Beast brings together !!! & Yung Wun, Basement Jaxx & Yo Gotti, Ratatat & Three 6 Mafia, Camille Jones & Run DMC, Phunk-a-Delic & UNK, and more. The combinations are priceless...kind of like From Justin to Kelly but with 96 times as much chemistry and no Justin Guarini. And no choreographed dance scenes. And more rappers? Yeah. I suppose this isn't anything like From Justin to Kelly, but I don't really know how to describe the hot sounds that are flooding my ears right now. They're pretty hot. You know?

Are your genitals still itching? Sorry. Grizz Le Beast won't help, but these tunes might take your mind off of it for a few minutes.

d/l: GRIZZ LE BEAST- Adidas Creeps (YSI)
d/l: GRIZZ LE BEAST- Rock It Out (YSI)
d/l: GRIZZ LE BEAST- Wildcats Stay Fly (YSI)
(various electro/hip-hop mash-ups)
- space it -

BLOGWATCH: Sound Gymnastics has some new songs from Mark Ronson featuring Lily Allen (hate) and Amy Winehouse (love). Surviving the Golden Age made an excellent hip-hop mixtape with new songs from Fabolous, DJ Khaled, and Freeway. Bigstereo brings us a great post about Felix Cartal, featuring a remix of Ashlee Simpson's "L.O.V.E." (don't act like you're too good for it).

sleeping in the aviary: oh, this old thing?.

SLEEPING IN THE AVIARY have been described as "the Thermals vacationing with some Buzzcocked White Stripes, sharing hot tubs with The Kinks and saunas with Nirvana--often sounding frenzied or angry, but strangely good-natured about it". Uh...okay? If you say so.

I just like these kids because they make short pop songs. There's a lot to be said about a song that is under two minutes and engaging enough to get you dancing alone in your bedroom, but not so short that you're left feeling like you didn't quite get enough. There's also a lot to be said about the fact that Sleeping In The Aviary make songs that fit into this category. But before I talk about that, it should be noted that this band is probably the only one I know with a section of their website called "Horny Teens". Relax! They're totally just illustrations, and each character still has their clothes on. Everyone knows that teenagers don't actually have sex.

A few other blogs have been talking about "Another Girl", and I have to admit that I would have dismissed it as another carbon copy indie-punk shit song. But after a few listens, it grew on me in the same way that bad pop songs do. You know? It's that feeling where you hear a song on the radio and dismiss it as fluff, but after hearing it many more times you start to realize that it was never shit all along. I feel that way about "Another Girl". I meant that as a compliment. Really.

"Pop Song" is just downright good. I'm always sold on songs with tambourines and hand-claps.

d/l: SLEEPING IN THE AVIARY- Pop Song (YSI)
d/l: SLEEPING IN THE AVIARY- Another Girl (YSI)
(not shit indie-pop)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: Cause=Time brings us the Kissy Sell Out remix of Gwen Stefani's "Wind It Up", as well as that "Starlett Johansson" song I've been absolutely obsessed with. Kissatlanta has a Boys Noize remix of Feist's "My Moon, My Man".

ARTERLUDE UNO

MAKING BABY

JJS III
- Digital Photo - Photoshop -

For some reason, I decided that I want to start having "arterludes". If you are interested in being featured, please send in a digital image of your work, relevant links, or a link to a youtube video. Otherwise, I'm just going to keep featuring myself and some peeps I know. Dig?

Also, don't forget to check out the posts below of The Seaworthies and Podington Bear.

podington bear: dntel remix.

PODINGTON BEAR was once deemed by me as "the cutest thing to ever happen to your iPod". Months later, my opinion hasn't changed. And months later...we see Podington heading into a new direction.

The latest installment of his MWF podcast features a remix of Dntel's "Dumb Luck", off of the upcoming album (also titled Dumb Luck). This is the first remix ever completed by Podington, and it is also the first song featured that actually has lyrics. I'm not entirely sure about my feelings on Dntel, but my feelings on this remix are pretty strong-- It's a good look for Podington...or um, a good listen? While it's not necessarily better than the instrumental tracks, it makes me hope that Podington takes on more remixes in the near future.

If you haven't subscribed to this bear's podcast yet, you're seriously missing out. But don't fret my pet! It's not too late for you to stop being a piece of poop in the honeypot. Pull yourself together and get hooked up NOW.

d/l: DNTEL- Dumb Luck (Podbear mix) (YSI)
d/l: PODINGTON BEAR- Weeblewobble (YSI)
(remix and original track by a forest-dweller)
- subscribe it - site it - space it - npr it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: Fluxblog has a track by Kids on TV and a lovely review of a track by Avril Lavigne. I'd also like to point out that Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" has somehow become this paradigm establishing what it means to be a good pop song. Thepunkguy points us in the direction of a remix Diplo did of M.I.A.'s "Bird Flu". Arjan Writes has a new one from Codebreaker. Shameless Complacency is shaping up to be my new favorite blog, featuring a collection of Bjork b-sides.

the seaworthies: we could make a movie out of this.

THE SEAWORTHIES think I'm friendly, and I think they make good music even though they're married to one another.

I just downloaded a copy of their out-of-print album We Could Make A Movie Out of This from their virb page, and it's hott with a capital hott. I never know what categorizes "good" indie-pop, because it tends to be in a different category from "good" rock, and then everyone seems to have different definitions of what "good" means. However, this album is good indie-pop, even for people who hate the word "indie". I hate the word "indie", and I probably hate you. But I probably don't. Maybe. One thing is for sure-- I like the Seaworthies.

No, but seriously. This is good stuff. According to a review by Fensepost Records, We Could Make A Movie Out of This was actually released by Moon Turn the Tides (The Seaworthies + 3 other peeps). The same review compares their original sound to that of the Elephant 6 collective (Apples in Stereo, Beulah, Neutral Milk Hotel, etc.) Since then, the couple has added more electronic elements to the mix. Luckily, they haven't lost the magic yet. In fact, it seems like the magic has just begun.

d/l: THE SEAWORTHIES- Haelah (YSI)
d/l: THE SEAWORTHIES- Mary Lou (YSI)
d/l: THE SEAWORTHIES- It's a Lovely Time of Year (YSI)
(quality power-couple indie-pop)
- buy it - site it - virb it - space it -

CREDNOTE: The Seaworthies opened for Bishop Allen, The Robot Ate Me, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Built to Spill, and several other wonderful people. Also, I am missing a concert on campus by The Robot Ate Me, Grizzly Bear, Laura Goldhamer, and Boy Crisis. Can you feel my sadness? I can.

BLOGWATCH: R. Kelly Edition-- Palms Out Sounds has a great remix of "I'm a Flirt", and Idolator kicks it ol' skool with an unappreciated jam "Red Carpet (Pause, Flash)". This is the remix to my conclusion.

curtis vodka: remixes.

CURTIS VODKA has a virb page. So do I, and for some strange reason...I'm obsessed with it.

More importantly, Curtis Vodka has music on his virb page, including a remix of the highly underrated track "How We Do It Over Here" from Busta Rhymes f/ Missy Elliott. The minimal instrumental brings us back to the days when Busta relied on his creativity and wordplay more than the huge beats he's rapping on these days (see "Touch It" compared to "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See"). Admittedly, this song doesn't have much lyrical genius to emphasize with the minimal beat, but it's enough genius to fill the dance floor at your next party.

While I swear to God that this isn't an advertisement for virb, you need to get on that shit and friend Mr. Vodka. While you're there you can download some other remixes including Clipse, The Pack, Lil Jon, Young Dro, and Cassidy.

d/l: BUSTA f/ MISSY- How We Do It Over Here (Curtis Vodka remix) (YSI)
d/l: CLIPSE f/ PHARRELL- Mr. Me Too (Curtis Vodka remix) (YSI)
d/l: THE PACK- Vans (Curtis Vodka remix) (YSI)
(hip-hop remixes)
- buy it 1 - buy it 2 - virb it - space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: Today is apparently a good day for pop music? Idolator has two new tracks featuring R. Kelly, including the wonderful "This Is Why I'm Cold/This Is Why I'm Kellz" with Twista. Said the Gramophone praises the new Rihanna single "Umbrella", saying that it's post-Amerie, post-Kelly Clarkson, post-rock, and even post-M.I.A. Chazology shows some love for Lil Mama, aka the "Lip Gloss" chick.

mothafuckah.

PdL presents an ITMS!! exclusive...

MATT & LIL KIM
-----------------------
DOUBLE ICE CREAMS TONIGHT

featuring...

1. No More Long Years, Mothafuckah (YSI)
   
2. Verbs Before Nouns, Mothafuckah f/ Shanice (YSI)
3. 5k, Mothafuckah f/ 3LW (YSI)

DOWNLOAD AS ZIP FILE (m4a format)

I think I'll just let the music speak for itself on this one. Just in time for tonight's dose of Lil Kim as a judge on The Search for the Next Doll. If you like what you hear, make sure to check out PdL on the space.

leif: berfdayin'.

LEIF will be celebrating his 18th berfday this Friday, and you know what that means. Right. He will be 18.

Leif has been in the IT'S THE MONEY SHOT!! clubhouse since before it existed. Nearly a year ago, his remix of M.I.A.'s "URAQT" provided an exciting conclusion to the first post on this piece of interweb. The mix was included in his remix compilation Arular Gone Glam, which has been on heavy pod rotation along with his Spank Rock remix project Spank Rock Rejawned. He completed two remixes for the Mirror Boiyz of "Don't Get It Twisted" and "IRL", a remix of another ITMS favorite Bedtime for Toys, a collaboration with the wonderful Onili, and the list doesn't end there. His work was recently seen on scattermish, callmeMickey, and chazology. Long story short...he's not even legal yet and his musical resume could probably shit on your actual resume. Or at least mine.

Though Leif seems to be retiring from the mash-up scene, he recently dropped a song entitled "LoveBroke". I was sold from the start on this one, as Fergie's "Glamorous", Trina's "No Panties", and Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" rendezvoused in a moment of musical bliss. Needless to say, this piece of musical genius quickly creeped its way into my Top 25 Most Played.

A while ago, Leif dropped the NEON DANCES EP, a full collection of mash-ups and mixes. Along with "LoveBroke", check out two jams from that project. Note the inclusion of Khia in "Do The Sexy Work II". Just sayin'.

d/l: LEIF- Lovebroke (YSI)
d/l: LEIF- Model Carpool (YSI)
d/l: LEIF- Do the Sexy Work II (YSI)
(mash-ups and mixes that will rock your party)
- space it - hype it -

BLOGWATCH: Brugo posted Lily Allen covering Blondie at SXSW, which I'm notifying you of even if I kind of hate Lily Allen. My Old Kentucky Blog has a huge collection of covers of The Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses" with everything from Guns N Roses to Alicia Keys. Pop Tarts Suck Toasted recommends the new Timbaland album, which I don't recommend at all (no offense, PTST). Speaking of new releases, Lessons from Things posts a new one by Ms. Hilary Duff. The Smudge of Ashen Fluff brings us Bloc Party performing live on Letterman. Last but not least, Shameless Complacency has an mp3 of that Alanis Morissette "My Humps" cover that literally ten people sent me.

sofia talvik: street of dreamix.

SOFIA TALVIK just released a new video for the Johan Sigerud remix of her song "So Good". Directed by Trevor Clarence, the video details the story of a green apple coping with it's break-up with a red apple. It's not genius, but it's damn cute thanks to the happy ending. "So Good" is the first video emerging from Ms. Talvik's Street of Dreamix project. As the name may suggest, this is a remix album. As in, this is a remix of her latest album Street of Dreams. Genius, right? Well, at least it's cute too.

I'm not quite sure why Street of Dreamix hasn't been getting much attention on the interweb. I mean...as with most remix albums, there's absolutely no consistency song from song, given the various collaborators who contribute their own unique takes on the songs. However, it's motherfuckin' FREE. Since when did people turn down free music? I certainly don't turn down music when the artist literally TELLS me to take it from them. Sofia done did that. So you should take it. I don't care if you've never heard of her. You will probably like one of these remixes.

As I mentioned previously, I highly recommend the Sophie Rimheden remix of "Mother's Way, Father's Way". Another favorite of mine is the hatelove remix of "I Won The First Prize Tonight". I don't know who this hatelove character is, but um...good work?

d/l: SOFIA TALVIK- So Good (Johan Sigerud remix) (YSI)-----------> video
d/l: SOFIA TALVIK- I Won The First Prize Tonight (hatelove remix) (YSI)
(remixes of Swedish folk-pop artist)
- buy it - site it - space it - hype it - wik it / space it -

BLOGWATCH: WORTHLESS brings us the best (or worst depending on how you look at it) of this world's idiocy. The Blue Walrus pops out a collection of Hot Chip remixes including M.I.A., Le Tigre, Bright Eyes, Snow Patrol, and more. Shameless Complacency has a new Hot Chip song.

alice smith: do i.

ALICE SMITH has been rocking my pod for a while. The first time I heard "Do I", I nearly cried. The emotion in Alice's voice is so raw, and it's soulful in the kind of way that isn't trying too hard to be soulful (see Joss Stone).

Though don't call it soul around her. She won't agree.

"I don't think of it as a soul record. When I was in school, I really thought about soul a lot. I was listening a lot to Björk and to the Commodores. I really wanted to know how they felt. And especially with Björk, the music there told me wow, that's really her soul, there. I thought about her a lot, about the sound of her music… Well, it wasn't exactly about the sound, and it wasn't about what other people call 'finding your bounds', or whatever. I thought of her soul; her music made me contemplate her soul. It made me think of Björk, and how she felt. You know what I mean? What she felt like inside. It was never about the genre. So I just came never to think of the idea of soul as being about a category."
Strangely, this makes sense. Few of Smith's songs sound the same, and as she grows in popularity major labels have been trying to sign her. Unfortunately, this process has been incredibly frustrating as they have been asking her to focus her sound to fit into a defined category or genre. "A lot of people at these labels treat audiences like they're stupid. Like, 'You should focus your style or people won't get it.' I don't think that's true. Who only listens to country music? I mean, I'm sure there are people out there, but not the normal ones," she states in an article from Rolling Stone. Well, whether she remains indie or heads to the majors, she'll still have my ears.

If you happen to be in the Philly area, Alice Smith will be playing on May 6th at the Black Lily Film and Music Festival. Be sure to check it out!

d/l: ALICE SMITH- Do I (YSI)
(heartbreaking bluesy soul-rock ballad)
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BLOGWATCH: Scattermish has a teaser for the new Bjork album, as well as a track from Diplo's protege DJ Blaqstar. Bigstereo shows me how late I am in discovering the amazing Yelle by posting her also amazing video...From Blown Speakers has a few songs up for download.