ERASURE

Check out this megamix:

http://smallmusic.info/2008/08/erasure-megamix-2008_22.html

It's awesome (in some places, just OK in others), but it is FREE!

or check out this one:

http://eleven11music.com/Megamixes.html

MIN-MUSIC POST #1

I don't have time for full-out music posts anymore (school started today), so instead of monthly posts, I'll just blog about any songs stuck in my head, or rockin' my 'pod.

The Magic [Single Version] Robin Thicke - I must admit, I'm not a big fan of the new Robin Thicke. I prefer his first sound (but not look), back when he was schilling Sprite, or whatever. But I do find myself walking around, doing the dance from the video, hearing the music in my head and singing the chorus over and over. Having said that, this is an incredibly repetitive song and not all that imaginative (basic disco/house groove). But it is a rocking, basic groove.

I'm Yours [Album Version] Jason Mraz - Jason Mraz is one of those artists I hear from time to time, and I like his music when I hear it, but never remember to browse his stuff in iTunes or Amazon. So, since he has a new album out, I thought I'd add him to my August music To-Do list. And I love the name of his new album.

Criminal [Single Version] Justin Nozuka - Justin Nozuka (aside from being a cutie) was the VH1 Artist of The Month a while back, is a great end-of-summer album. I chose Criminal because if you have an Amazon.com account, you can download this track for free.

JULY TUNES

Maybe it’s the heat, or maybe there isn’t enough good music coming out right now, but this month’s track list reads like an iTunes playlist generated with the widest possible parameters. Here, in no particular order, are the songs that send me in to a frenzy, get my toes tapping or just touch my summer soul, so I can’t resist singing out loud.

More To Life / Big Time Sensuality [Album Versions] Björk – These two songs, when played back-to-back, get my heart racing, my toes tapping and I always end up singing, at the top of my lungs. Bjork’s “Debut” album seems to just keep getting better with age.

Fucking Boyfriend [Ralphi Rosario & Jody DB Vocal Mix] The Bird & The Bee – I have to be in the right mood to hear this dirty, electro funker, but when I’m in that mood… look out.

Breakin’ Dishes [Album Version / Soul Seekerz Remix] Rihanna – Seriously, when was the last time an artist had as many solid tunes as Rihanna? I’m excited to hear what she does next, as she seems to only get better and better.

The Nitty Gritty [Stereo Version] Diana Ross & The Supremes – My mother has a gift – no, make that a talent – for getting song lyrics (and melodies) wrong. And since I was a kid, I remember her singing some song about, “getting down” to the, “real nitty gritty.” For years, I thought she was making it up, or just so far off from the real lyrics and melody that we’d never locate the track. I found several versions of this song, and I like this, Shirley Ellis’ version, the best.

Road To Nowhere [Album Version] Talking Heads – This old tune came creeping into my head the other morning while vacuuming. I forgot how good this song is.

We Need A Resolution [No-Rap Edit] Aaliyah – If you sort my iTunes music library by the date the song was added, the first track is this smooth, silky stunner from Aaliyah. (It wasn’t actually the first song loaded on to my Mac, just the first one re-loaded after a motherboard meltdown a while back.)

Mercy / Warwick Avenue [Album Version] Duffy – I was pleasantly surprised to find another track off of Duffy’s “Rockferry” album I enjoyed. I don’t know how far she’ll be able to take this album, once Amy Winehouse gets off her duff and makes another album. But for now, these two tracks hit the spot.

Viva La Vida [Album Version] Coldplay – This epic pop/rock tune sends chills up and down my spine, almost two months after the first time I heard it. Which speaks volumes about the song.

Overkill [Album Version] Colin Hay – I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it on an episode of “Scrubs,” and I recently saw a rebroadcast of that episode, reigniting my love affair with Colin Hay’s masterpiece. (Seriously, after “Law & Order,” I think “Scrubs” must be one of the most re-run shows on TV.)

Good Morning, Good Morning [Album Version] The Beatles – This song rocks on so many levels. It rocks harder than it has any business rocking… Ah, heck the entire “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album is one of the greatest albums… ever. It was so innovative and fresh. I don’t think there’s been another album like it since. Other tracks from this album that rock my world, every single time the come on? Getting Better, Lovely Rita and A Day In the Life.

PEPSI STUFF & JUNK

I gave in to a crass marketing campaign recently, and joined the Pepsi Stuff Program over at Amazon (site here). Here's basically how it works: you drink specially-marked bottles of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and other Pepsi Co drinks, and on the inside of the cap is a code. You enter that code at the Pepsi Stuff site and earn points. These points are good towards merchandise and music downloads from Amazon...

Which is all nice and peachy, except, one bottle of soda is worth 1 point. A portable CD player is 125 points. And most MP3 downloads (which requires downloading a special software package from Amazon just to work) are 5 points.

No problem, right? Just drink a lot of soda! (I'm a big Pepsi Co fan to begin with.) Except that not all the MP3s at Amazon.com are available for download if you redeem your Pepsi Stuff Points. Only certain songs (and I have no idea how they selected which ones) are available through the Pepsi Stuff downloads.

Thanks... but no thanks.

JUNE TUNES

Here, in no particular order, are some of the tunes rockin' my world this month:

Viva La Vida [Album Version] Coldplay - While I'm not a huge Coldplay fan, I do love this first cut from their new album. The lyrics don't make much sense (as usual), but the sweeping melody and intricate arrangement make for a great listening experience.

When I Grow Up [Album Version] Pussycat Dolls - Also a new cut, from a new album. I liked this track until I heard them perform it live. It went from sounding like a hot, garage-band electro stomper, to sounding like a bag of cats drowning. Oh well...

American Boy [Album Version] Estelle feat Kanye West - I have a love/hate thing going with this song. I love the groove, the vocal (even though it is out of tune, and way repetitive) and love Estelle... But I hate Kanye West.

Giggling Again For No Reason [Album Version] Alanis Morissette - Yet another established artist drops a new album, with mixed results. Part electro, part breakbeat, and all Alanis.

No Air [Album Version] Jordin Sparks feat Chris Brown - This one took a while to grow on me. It wasn't until I heard it on "So You Think You Can Dance," that I fully appreciated this track.

Have I Got A Girl For You [Original Broadway Recording] from Company - With all the news about Gay Marriage this month, all I've been able to think about are the lyrics from the first half of this song: "Wadda ya like, you like coming home to a kiss, somebody with a smile at the door? Wadda ya like, ya like indescribable bliss? Then wadda ya wanna get married for?" It goes on like this, with comic results.

Prince Ali [French Version] from Aladdin - Yes, this is cheesy. Yes, liking this song (and this version) is lame. But there's something so hilarious about the French version of this soundtrack.

Boom Boom Ba [Album Version] Metisse - One of my favorite downtempo songs, from "Dead Like Me." This song is back on my radar since I was given Season 2 DVDs as a birthday gift.

Delirious [Album Version] Mario Spinetti - I forget how I first came across this artist. I'm not into all of his work (some of it is just too dense), but this one is a slice of heavenly vocal pie.

MUSIC FOR MAY

Here are the tunes rockin' my world this month (in no particular order):

4 Minutes [Album Version / Peter Saves NY Mix] Madonna feat Justin Timberlake - Easily the best track on her new album, this one still gets my blood pumping in the morning. I haven't really been into Peter Rauhofer's mixes and mixing for a while, but with this one, he's back on top. Madonna and Rauhofer together are like peanut butter and chocolate together: wonderful on their own, and dynamite when combined!

Heartbeat / Miles Away [Album Versions] Madonna - While most of the tracks on "Hard Candy" are utter garbage, I love these two tracks. They're the only ones I find myself wanting to sing along to in the car.

Cities In Dust [Album Version] Junkie XL feat Lauren Rock - Not as good as the original (but what is?), this cover of the Siouxsie & The Banshees 80s classic is a heavy, dirty electro with rocking guitars. I first heard it on an episode of "Gossip Girl," and I was floored... but I always love Junkie XL's work.

Stranger [Album Version / Smax & Gold Mix] Hilary Duff - Smax & Gold are quickly becoming my new favorite remixers, and this gem is a perfect example of why.

Hi N Bye [Smax & Gold Mix] Till West & Eddie Thoenick feat Alexandra Pierce - This rockin', dirty electro mix (with a huge disco house breakdown in the middle) still rocks my world on the treadmill, in the car, in the shower...

So Excited [Bimbo Jones Club Mix] Janet Jackson feat Khia - I've been on a mission, trying to collect as many Bimbo Jones remixes as I can these past few months. He takes great pop vocals and juices them up into dance floor stormers.

Set You Free 2008 [Various Mixes] Planet Soul - A great, classic breakbeat club track, re-worked with the original club heads in mind. No amount of remixing can hide how great the original vocal is, and most of the new mixes manage to stay clear of messing this formula up.

Push The Feeling On 2008 [Various Mixes] The Nightcrawlers - Another classic club hit (probably on of the Top Ten Club Tracks of all time) with some great mixes from the house, electro and progressive DJ communities.

Unbroken [Album Version] Jessica Sierra - I first heard this track on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab," and fell in love with the raw, powerful vocal. I'm sad to report this was Jessica's only iTunes release, which is a shame. Few "American Idol" alumni reach this level of depth and personal artistry.

Come Together / Let It Be [Soundtrack Version] Various Artists from the "Across The Universe" Soundtrack - If you haven't seen "Across The Universe," rush out and rent it. (Or put it in your Netflix cue, whatever the case may be.) You don't have to be a Beatles fan, or a fan of musicals to love this complex, rich and beautiful film and its glorious soundtrack.

I (HEART) NEW BLOGS

I've found a bunch of new music blogs to troll (thanks, Donnie). Among my favorites are:

The Remix Archive (site here)
Geared more towards Top 40, Pop Remixes and a little heavy on the Britney Spears

Digital Eargasm (site here)
Strictly for the hardcore, great for the ol'skool stuff

Remix Land (site here)
A little more random mix of material, but worth browsing

Be warned: both Digital Eargasm and Remix Land have tracks that start playing, all on their own, once you navigate to the site. I absolutely hate it when sites do this, but I'm willing to overlook it these cases... for now. (The least they could do is switch the tracks up once in a while, no?)

ALBUM REVIEW: "Hard Candy"

Unlike listening to Björk, which is a layered experience, requiring multiple listens to enjoy and understand the music, listening to Madonna has always been an immediately emotional, gut reaction experience: I either love it, or I can live without it.

My initial response to Madonna's 11th studio album, Hard Candy was to move the majority of the tracks to my USB back-up drive, where I store digital tracks I don't want to lose, but won't be listening to any time soon.

As a whole, this album reminds me of earlier work like Bedtime Stories and Erotica. There are plenty of gems, for the die-hard Madonna fans, but few radio-friendly tunes. More an exploration of layers, textures and lyrical wit than a traditional pop album, Hard Candy exposes Madonna at her weakest: strip away the ABBA samples, clever hooks and controversial videos, and there isn't much art at the center of her work.

Hard Candy, like Bedtime Stories and Erotica, are thematic departures, where Madonna depends on technology and slick production to carry the theme(s) and original thoughts (of which there are very few). Unlike Ray of Light, where she used the medium to explore a deeper, more personal level of artistic expression, Candy stays teaspoon-deep...

Which is not to say Hard Candy isn't a tasty little gem. But like any treat, it is better to partake of Madonna's sweets in small doses. Standout tracks (aside from the infectious 4 Minutes), include:

Devil Wouldn't Recognize You - A mid-tempo, break(ish) romp with an easy melody, Madonna stays in her vocal comfort zone for this one, but manages to show a little depth and range with the lyrics and arrangement

Miles Away - This one would have been more at home on Music, with its disco cowboy groove, but serves to brighten up this otherwise dull album with its solid, sing-a-long chorus

Heartbeat - Probably my favorite track on the album (after 4 Minutes, but a close second, and that may change, with repeated listening), this one has the type of solid pop hooks we've all come to love from Madonna

Voices - A Justin Timberlake track, but still manages to be enjoyable. It seems to bridge the mood and sound of her last album (Confessions On A Dance Floor) with the new one. I could have done without JT's vocals on this one, but something needed to break up the monotony of the vocals on this album, so why not?

Overall: Only but the whole album if you're a die-hard fan. (The iTunes Deluxe package of this album offers a bonus track if you pre-order, I wasn't able to get my hands on this one.) If you're an on-again, off-again Madge fan, wait until the album comes out next week, go on to iTunes, and sample each track before downloading. While Hard Candy is unlikely to dethrone Mariah Carey's new E=MC2, it is an album worth checking out.

MADGE & JT SAVE THE WORLD...

After hearing Madonna's new single, 4 Minutes, in the latest Sunsilk commercial (see what you're missing, TiVo users?), I trolled the interwebs for a copy of the full song. Mission: accomplished (thanks, Valhummer!).

My general impressions of the song: it isn't the trainwreck I thought it would be, and it would be a whole lot better without the guest vocal from Justin Timberlake. But it this is what her new album is going to sound like, I may (finally) be abandoning Madonna, as a fan, after all these years.

MARCH TUNES

I haven't been hearing new music I like, so this month's picks are padded with some older, but still great, tracks.

Love Is A Battlefield (American Idol) Brooke White - A great take on a classic.

Hello (American Idol) David Cook - Ditto. Another great Idol performance. Too bad they can't all be this good.

So Much Betta (Album Version) Janet Jackson - This little ditty, probably meant to be a throw-away, track filler is the go-to track when I'm in a goofy mood.

Ching-A-Ling (Album Version/Video Version) Missy Elliott - Another one, two punch from the queen of hip hop. While I was unimpressed with the 3-D video, this track has some serious pumps in a bump.

Fuego (Album Version) The Cheetah Girls - I love, love, love this song, and I'm not afraid to say it, now that TCG dumped a member.

Work [Steve Pilton & Max Sanna Extended Mix] Kelly Rowland - This one crept onto my playlist after hearing it on the DJ Cruz podcast. It took me forever to find this version, but I love it.

Go Girl (Album Version) Pitbull feat Trina & Young Boss - I have to confess: I'm a closet Pitbull fan. Lyrically, he's your typical, macho, sexist over-sexed Reggaton artist. But his backing tracks have the hottest live Latin percussion this side of the border. He also knows how to write a great hook: "Shake them dice, then roll 'em!"

Give It Away (Radio Edit) Deepest Blue - A great bit of Euro-Pop with a solid vocal and haunting hook.

Galvanize (Album Version) Chemical Brothers feat Q-Tip - As the time changes, I find I need something with a beat, a motivating lyrics to help me get out of bed... this one always fits the bill.

They Don't Care About Us (Album Version) Michael Jackson - I had an experience, recently, where racism reared its ugly head. This song was the only thing that captured the mood, but (somehow) helped me calm down, too.

The Game of Love (Album Version) Santana feat Michelle Branch - As the summer months approach, I'm getting more into fun, summer pop. This tops the list of tracks that make me wanna kick back and drink something with an umbrella in it.

Smooth (Blackwatch Radio Remix) iiO - The song I want to hear after a sun drenched day of drinking. Beautiful vocals, gorgeous Balearic guitar strumming and that soft, swaying beat.

WHO DOES NUMBER TWO WORK FOR?

Thanks to Mr. 2Punk4U's blog, I heard a sneak peek of Janet Jackson's new alum. The track that caught my attention was So Much Betta, track #15. (You can hear it here.) It is a little bit of a Daft Punk rip-off, but a fun diddy, nonetheless. The lyric repeated, over and over, is, "tired of being number two." I know the song is meant to be sexy, or whatever (Ms. Jackson If You're nasty has been all sex for the last few albums), but all I can do is giggle when I hear the refrain.

I MAY HAVE RUSHED TO JUDGEMENT...

I have to admit, I wasn't the biggest Blake Lewis fan during American Idol. Don't get me wrong: I didn't want what's her name to win, either. But there was always something just a little off about his performing... I couldn't ever really express what bothered me about his run on Idol, but I was (as always), underwhelmed,

But now that his CD came out, and I've had a chance to sample the tracks, I have to admit: it is a pretty solid album. Yes, there are some train-wreck moments, and a couple of, what were you thinking? moments, too. And some of the lyrics read more like an entry from an angst-ridden teenager's diary... but overall, it turned out to be a toe-tapper.

It is a little heavy on the "concept" - there is a great deal of artistic framing and structure around what turns out to be a rather generic personal endeavor. Lewis goes out of his way to express himself, with layer upon layer... upon layer of vocal filters, effects and backing vocals. and while the manner in which he delivers his art is unique, he isn't saying anything deep, or original. I'm conflicted about whether this bodes well for his future as an artist, but for now, I'll be indulging in this Audio Daydream.

QUESTION & ANSWER

One of the questions I get most often is, "Where Do You Get Your Music From?" The real answer is, multiple sources. I've been known to special order vinyl from all over the country, and even out of the country. I wonder if the question they're really asking is where do you find your music?

I listen to a number of podcasts, not all of them musical in nature. But that's still a great source of free, new music. You can download music podcasts (DJ mixed, or otherwise) from iTunes for free. I also have a few music blogs I frequent. And I also watch BET, VH1 and (my personal favorite) MTV Tr3s. (That's channel 63 for those of you on Direct TV.) You don't have to watch TV all day to get the inside scoop on new tunes. Each of the channels I mentioned has one (or more) programs highlighting new artists and new tunes. While less effective than other methods, it is nice to actually watch music videos. So few "music" channels (MTV and VH1) show music anymore. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to see music on VH1.

But the most reliable source for discovering new music (as far as I've found) is the internets. Simply going online to the iTunes store (via the application itself), and sampling the new music offerings is pretty simple. And, there's an option where you can have an email sent to you every week. The site offers 30 second previews of all tracks, so its pretty risk-free. Another great (and cheap) site is Go Music.

There's no international body governing web-based music buying, so (for now) this is a great option. They actually have a wider, more diverse selection of albums and singles, and don't have digital copying protection on the music tracks, so you can burn copies, move it to your MP3 player and multiple machines across a network without restriction. You also have the option of selecting what MP3 tags come with your downloaded tune. The drawback? You have to set up an account via a credit card, and the anti-theft measures take a couple of days to set up. After that, it's all music, all the time.