Plane Goes Down

The talent that Jason Mraz possesses blows my mind. His voice is amazing, his lyrics are witty with a lovable sense of humor, and his attitude is "yo, it's cool man". For my final post in 2011 I chose an oldie but goodie Mraz track to share. It's a live recording of him and a guitar. I've played this version over a hundred times and it just keeps getting better. Cheers to a fantastic 2011 and looking to kicking ass in 2012. Enjoy!

Plane Goes Down (Live) - Jason Mraz
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Jason Mraz

Twist

Who doesn't love the beautiful sounds produced by Goldfrapp? Add a bit of Jacques Lu Conts genius to the mix and you've got a monster track. And I do mean monster, this song has lots of industrial steam and metal. The build literally sounds like it is being built. Enjoy!

Twist (Jacques Lu Conts Remix) - Goldfrapp
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Goldfrapp | Jacques Lu Cont

Sail Away

It's not often that I come across an instrumental remix.  However, it is often that I find myself loving anything Aeroplane sprinkles their magic upon. This instrumental remix can stand up on it's own as it takes you through a journey. I can't seem to get enough of that persistent siren sounding pulse that drives and drives from the beginning of the song. Enjoy!

Sail Away (Aeroplane Instrumental Remix) - The Rapture
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The Rapture | Aeroplane

Movement

We start off with a strong piano. Shortly after, enters an equally strong male vocal. And that's when things get started.  I love when every aspect of a song is running in stride, and that point for me in this track is when he's singing "and the music, is temptation, and the secrets are temptation..." It just gets me every time! Enjoy!

Movement - The Whip
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The Whip

Mi Rumba

Patience is a virtue. So be virtuous for about three minutes while playing this track.  The slow build doesn't rise fast, or deliver an earth shattering payoff. But that's not what you want. Everything is composed very tastefully with beautiful instrumentation creating an ambient journey. Enjoy! (And Merry Xmas)

Mi Rumba (Genius Of Time Remix) - Kyodai
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Kyodai

Select Sundays: Tell Me (Clock Opera Remix)

Christmas is an especially hard season for your ears as they are bombarded by screams, frustrations, forced greetings, and terrible remixes of old classics.  The other day I kept hearing the same hip hop infused remix to White Christmas as we cruised from store to store. Just make it stop, all of it. The key to fending this audio assault off is to have your earbuds in at all times, and with something actually good queued up. [Illustration credit: Sophia Chang]

Tell Me (Clock Opera Remix) - Clock Opera
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Clock Opera | Au Revoir Simone

Darling, You're So Mean To Me

Welcome to the party! Raise your glass to everyone in the room and sing your heart out to this track. The harmonica, piano, tambourine, and a crowd of people singing. I particularly enjoy the piano jam along with the "ooh ooh ohh la la laa laa" towards the end. Enjoy!

Darling, You're So Mean To Me - Carrousel
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Carrousel

The Deep

There's a beautiful darkness that blankets the room when this song plays. The track is delicate yet strong, thumping its way underneath her beautiful voice. I especially like when her voice toggles between the vocal filter and back. Enjoy!

The Deep - Data Romance
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Data Romance

Dinossa

This is strutting music, straight up. The bass drum pushes hard from the first note through the track. It's one of those songs that slowly and beautiful builds. I imagine myself walking down the street in super cool slow motion the moment that bass guitar starts dittying it's ditty. The ambient vocal tracks and sound effects accentuate the need to live in slow motion while jamming to this track. Enjoy!

Dinossa - Luminodisco
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Luminodisco

Ettertid

The whimsical keyboards jump out of this song and into your ears. The 8bit sounding baseline drives the song home while the simplicity of the drums hold down the beat. At the end it's a big culmination of sound, and it's over. Enjoy!

Ettertid - Per
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Per Byhring

Wildflowers

The vocal sample is a great attention grabber, followed by the iconic 808 drum machine bump. But what sets this song above the average line for me is the beautiful vocals and lyrics. "If you see me in the ocean / floating underneath the stars / don't make any commotion / cause I'm swimming with the sharks"

Enjoy!

Wildflowers - ::M∆DE:IN:HEIGHTS::
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Made In Heights

Select Sundays: 212

With a look reminiscent of Tatyana Ali, but armed with a mouth like Foxy Brown, Azealia Banks is apparently ready to bust out in 2012.  After initialing not believing the hype, I'm all in on Ms. Banks because not only is she a talented rapper and singer, she's got a boatload of charisma just in her flow alone. It's hard for me to decide if I like this track better or l8r, the best 1:35 minutes of rap I've heard all year.

212 - Azealia Banks
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Azealia Banks

The End Starts Today Mixtape #1

Presenting the first mixtape from The End Starts Today.  I have always loved the perfect playlist/mixtape/dj set.  There's something beautiful that happens when a group of songs are put together in a way that they convey a journey and leave an impression. I hope you enjoy what I hope is the first of many mixtapes to come from us.

The mix is 40 mins long and consists of 10 tracks:

  Mile Marker - Amy Seely
  Unicorn At Night - Oxford
  Home (Party Supplies Remix) - Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros
  1957 - Milo Green
  Pharaohs - SBRTKT
  Mode (Original) - Bingo Players
  Mother Protection (Goldroom Remix) - Niki & The Dove
  Meridian - Southern Shores
  Los Adolescentes - Denver
  Paralysis - Monstersync

The End Starts Today Mixtape #1 - The Nose
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The Nose

Ready To Wear

Felix throws down a great house track with a fantastic vocal. I love the 80's esque-ness of the track, and how it simply works.
Felix, Nothing I could tell you, you sound good when you play it well! Enjoy!

Ready To Wear - Felix Da Housecat
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Felix Da Housecat

Always Where I Need To Be

Last night I was lucky enough to catch the Kooks live, it was their last day in the United States.  Needless to say my expectations were surpassed. Luke's voice sounds just as good if not better live vs recorded, and his energy is amazing.  In the middle of the set it was just Luke on stage performing 'Seaside', the 16 year old girl in me melted.

This song was the 2nd on their playlist, and really set the tone for the night. Enjoy!

Always Where I Need To Be - The Kooks
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The Kooks

Wood

When I listen to this track I think of symphony.  The different sounds of all the instrumentation come together seamlessly and beautifully with precision is awe inspiring. I feel like one of those snooty wine snobs when discussing this song with others "there's subtle notes of cello, choir, and flute with strong violins, sitar, and tambourine. The standout to me is the pronounced centerstage of the djembe (the african drum)".  But it's okay to geek out about what you love, and I love this track. Enjoy!

Wood - Rostam
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Rostam

Enters

I'm always won over by a set of skillful fingers tickling the guitar strings.  Toss in some violin, and eventually the drums and you've got a winner. At first I wasn't sure if this would be an instrumental, as the time between start and first vocal was unconventionally long, which I very much appreciate. Enjoy!

Enters - Victor Villarreal
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Victor Villarreal

Select Sundays: Riverside

Agnes is from Denmark and lives in Berlin. She just won Best Album, Best Pop Release, Best Debut Artist, Best Female Artist, and Best Songwriter at the Danish Music Awards. That means she's probably pretty great. So far her sparse style and wonderful voice have hit home with me something hard. [Photo courtesy of Dylan White]

Riverside - Agnes Obel
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Agnes Obel

No Shame

I love the sample on this song just as much as I love the music on this song "there's no shame if you feel alright". The beauty of this line is how diverse it is. Hearing it over and over during the breakdown and slow build makes me wish I was hearing it on a smoky warehouse dance floor with all my friends. Enjoy!

No Shame (Goldroom Remix) - Pat Lok
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Pat Lok | Goldroom

Layer Cake

Here's a nice and easy house track. It's smooth and deep, with a bit of sunshine sprinkled on top. The build and break are effortless, just what you need at the end of the night on a drive home. Enjoy!

Layer Cake - Fritz Kalkbrenner
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Fritz Kalkbrenner

On The Road

The beauty of acoustic instruments will forever captivate mankind.  This simple instrumental, composed of guitar and drum is able to paint a complex picture.  I especially like hearing the sound of the guitarists hands sliding up and down the guitar strings in-between notes. Enjoy!

On The Road - L'efance
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L'efance

Your Body

This track jumped out at me while listening to a mix.  First thing I noticed was the beginning guitars, minimal and fun. Next I noticed the lyrics, "I don't want nobody/I don't want nobody baby". The song continues with more lyrics and continues to slowly build. Don't expect a big room anthem, as this is an afterparty smash. Enjoy!

Your Body Feat. Michael Marshall - Tom Novy
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Tom Novy Feat. Michael Marshall

Mother Protect

The smooth keys caught my ears right away. The next thing that caught my attention was her voice, especially when she sings the word "echo". Something about that just sounds so good.  The melody of this song is spot on, you can simply sway to it or dance your ass off -both work. Enjoy!

Mother Protect (Goldroom Remix) - Niki & The Dove
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Niki & The Dove | Goldroom

Select Sundays: On a Train

"Francis" refers to Francis Farewell Starlite, "the Lights" refer to the lights on the stage and not his backing band. While I don't have much affection or familiarity with Eighties stuff, even I think Francis' stuff has a groovy 80's feel. Bloggers love him, critics are swooning, and concert goers laud his dancing...although I'm not sure why about that last one. This track of his will certainly get you off your feet though.

On a Train - Francis and the Lights
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Francis and the Lights

So Close To Paradise

It's close to guaranteed-producer-suicide to touch an anthem, especially a classic anthem that defines and era.  But then again sometimes you face danger and come out a winner, as in this case.  I especially enjoy how the vocal sample is used by repeating and incrementally changing in tone. The song is fast and murky, bringing a range of emotions throughout its 8 minute duration. Enjoy!

So Close To Paradise 3 (Physical Therapy Remix) - Elite Gymnastics
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Elite Gymnastics | Physical Therapy

New Work

Unless you completely lost your hearing prior to 2009 you'll be able to ID Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys 'Empire State of Mind' track, which jj's song heavily references.  The two are far from similar, as jj's airy vocals and nostalgic perspective couldn't be further from the empowering original. "When we were 17, the skies was always tangerine". The track is sweet and short, leaving you wanting to start it again from the beginning to sing along, as the song is something you feel like you've already heard but you know that you haven't. Enjoy!

New Work - jj
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jj

Lithium

You know it when you hear it, but you haven't heard it like this. Take nirvana to the beach.  Little Roy has composed an album of Nirvana covers, this is my favorite. The ska element, with brass instruments, gives the song an upbeat happy-go-lucky feeling. To me Roy's voice has a rasp that only older voices have, and it does a fantastic job translating the pain of this song in a somewhat non-painful way. Enjoy!

Lithium - Little Roy
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Little Roy

Sa Sa Samoa

Get ready for some ambient bliss.  This track has roots in church choir, tribal, and electronic. Now if someone described a song with those descriptors, would you have envisioned this song? If you said yes you are a liar, or you are Korallreven. But you don't have to be a talented producer to appreciate this fantastic track. Enjoy!

Sa Sa Samoa - Korallreven
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Korallreven

Wicked Games

From the first note I ever heard Coeur de Pirate sing, I was in love.  This fantastic stripped down cover brings completely new meaning to an already great track. The painful piano chords alongside her voice which carries an even larger pain are just right. Enjoy!

Wicked Games (The Weekend Cover) - Coeur de Pirate
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Coeur de Pirate | The Weekend

Select Sundays: Rumour Has It / Someone Like You

I know some of you may not like Glee, may not ever like Glee, but that's no reason for you to deny Naya Rivera and her astounding package of beauty and talent. While she shares the stage for this Adele mashup, if you watch the video, the song is all hers -- especially in context of the episode, if you've seen it. As a public service, I just wanted to have the song on MP3 for everyone. Because it's the best. Also: Here is Naya Rivera covering Amy Winehouse.

Rumour Has It / Someone Like You - Glee Cast
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Glee Season 3

Nightcall

I get a sexy european-ish nostalgia from this song. Don't the 90's telephone ringing and that slow beats-per-minute swing just make you feel sexy. I'm a sucker for Lovefoxxx's voice as well, she has a cute yet confident sound. Enjoy!

Nightcall Feat. Lovefoxxx (Breakbot Remix) - Kavinsky
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Kavinsky | Lovefoxxx (from CSS) | Breakout

Me and Mr. Wolf

There's a playful back and forth on this track.  I love the sound of her cute and intelligent voice.  There's a ton of instruments dancing around like characters in a pixar film, classic guitar, clarinet, trumpet, piano, and more. My favorite part of the song is when they both sing together. Enjoy!

Me and Mr. Wolf - The Real Tuesday Weld
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The Real Tuesday Weld

Oranges

This edit captures the soul of deep house. Smooth jazzy synths, upbeat drums with an appearance from bongos, and an overall smokey dark room urban aura inviting all people to relish while they boogie.

Oranges (Jacques Renault Edit) - Mark E
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Mark E | Jacques Renault

Reptillians

First of all, if I could snap my fingers and become a master of any one instrument I'd choose the bass. I know, bass players are known for lack of personality and zero sex appeal. Regardless, I love the sound of a good bassline. There's a bass solo in this track, which you just don't hear in new music these days. I did this entire track, but that driving bassline just hits me hard. The falsetto singing and the ambient walk-feeling of this song complete it for me. Enjoy!

Reptillians - Starfucker
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Starfucker

Sometimes

Grease up your hair, plop on a poodle skirt and leather jacket while dancing around to this fun soda pop diner track.  I simply love the classic hook, "sometimes". There's been a constant innovation and press to move trends and standards forward in the music industry, but it's nice to see a band stick to a tried and true formula that's 60years old! Enjoy!

Sometimes - Bandana Splits
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Bandana Splits

Select Sundays: Soak It Up

Sometimes you just don't want a lot of lyrics you know? I'll admit that ambient music can sometimes put me to sleep but if it's got a nice soft beat and perhaps a hint of vocals, I can really put something on repeat. After all, we can't dance all the time can we? This track is the type that the louder you play it, the calmer you feel. A rarity.

Soak It Up - Houses
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Houses

Change Of Time

The beginning of this song gives the impression that this is one of those sentimental singer song writer voice + guitar only songs. While his guitar and voice sound lovely, there's more in this track.  The electric guitar and drums make their entrance and the song finishes with a strong chorus. Enjoy!

Change Of Time - Josh Ritter
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Josh Ritter

Take Me Home

Don't let the shaker and hand claps at the beginning of the song fool you.  Trust me, when that bass guitar starts your head bobbing and mouth smiling you'll know what you're in for. The song is full of soft sounds, yet the beats per minute allow you to get up and move your body to the beat. So make sure you do just that. Enjoy!

Take Me Home - Poolside
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Band Name link

I Won't Be Left

Yesterday Tegan and Sara released a DVD and a CD.  If I were able to be friends with any musical act on the planet, Tegan and Sara would be it.

Choosing a track to post here was rather difficult, as I think that all of the tracks they re-recorded with stripped down arrangements are fantastic. It took a bit of collaborative brainstorming with a fellow die hard Tegan and Sara fan to conclude that I Won't Be Left was the song to post. Tegan's vocals up front backed up by Sara's delicate voice sends tingles down my spine. Hearing "I won't be left, dancing to songs from the past" paints a great imagery. Enjoy!

"May you all be bummed at one point"

I Won't Be Left - Tegan And Sara
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Tegan And Sara

Parix

I can't escape the fantastic melody of this chorus, and I've tried.  I especially like the first line of that "Bad dreams ricochet, ricochet".  It's gotta be so tough to write the word 'ricochet' in a song, and have it sound so dang good. There are other aspects of the song that grab me, like the fluttery vocals and when the first note of blazing bass hits you. Enjoy!

Parix - When Saints Go Machine
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When Saints Go Machine

Goodbye

This song paints a landscape of nature for me: tropical rain with distant thunder. The piano chords crash, while tinny guitar strings fall in large water droplets. The smooth cool breeze flows subtly over your skin as what either sounds like whispering female background vocals or some type of muted bamboo flute. There's no fear in this storm, it's breathtakingly beautiful. Enjoy!

Goodbye (Instrumental) - Apparat
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Apparat

Select Sundays: Master of Art

There are many things I like about this song: the powerful beat in the beginning, Laura's voice setting the scene, the slightly Lost in Translation feel to the song. But most of all, I think I love the fact that Stevenson's grandfather composed "The Little Drummer Boy," one of the best Christmas songs ever (which was popularized by the real life Von Trapp Family)! So think of that connection as you put this song on repeat. It's what I've been doing.

Master of Art - Laura Stevenson & The Cans
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Laura Stevenson & The Cans

Regnsky Blogset

Many months ago I had the idea to make a 1hr mix with songs that have all been posted from one specific music blog, a "blogset".

This concept lent itself to be done more than once, with more than one blog. I currently subscribe to almost 50 music blogs, so choosing the first one was not easy. Not to mention that I could do many different sets just using songs from the same blog. Hopefully this is the first in many of its kind.

Luckily I keep close track of which music blogs I've downloaded songs from, in a somewhat compulsive matter. So I started by reviewing these collections of songs and piecing a set together in my mind. Eventually I decided that my first "blogset" would be from Regnsky, a blog I've followed for some time. They haven't been as active recently as in the past, but they have introduced me to tons of great music through my course of following.

Lastly, the blog is in Danish, so a special thanks goes to google translate.

Tracklist:

1) I Need Medicine (Original Version) - Fairmont

2) Purple Ivory - Henrik Koefod

3) Still Dreaming - Andre Lodemann

4) Without Me (Feat. Tracey Thorn) - Tevo Howard

5) In Another Room - Pional

6) Seasun (John Talabot's Kids & Drums Remix) - Delorean

7) What you Do (Feat. Tyree Cooper) - Tom Trago

8) Paris Is For Lovers - Fet Et Moi

9) Curesto (Original Mix) - Solomun

10) Meanwhile (Kollectiv Turmstrase Remix) - Johnjon

11) Baby, Let's Love - Mano Le Tough

12) Distant Shores - Peter Dundov

Regnsky Blogset Mixed by The Nose - The End Starts Today
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The Nose

Someone Out Of Town

Some ideas sound good in theory, but in practice almost never work. Looping background vocals is an example of this.  And Yuna is an example that does it right. I'm constantly surprised at how amazing simple arrangements can sound when they are carefully executed. Yuna's voice is incredibly easy to latch onto, and when you do so, you latch onto her emotion as well. Enjoy!

Someone Out Of Town - Yuna
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Yuna

Boogie II Night

I just love the broken beat that starts this track. It all smoothes out when she starts singing. The track is sexy and fun, with a very danceable beat. This is one of those end of the night songs that comes on, and stays in your head through the next morning. Enjoy!

Boogie II Night - Danny Krivit
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Danny Krivit

Mind Rhythm

There's a telepopmusik-like sound to the vocal hook on this track, which I love. The beginning build is gradual and eloquent. There's aggressive drums and bass, yet serene keyboard keys dropping everywhere like raindrops.  Overall the song balances out quite nicely. Enjoy!

Mind Rhythm (HKay Remix) - Freeloader
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Freeloader | HKay

Trojans

Sometimes a good song doesn't require it's bits and pieces dissected and analyzed.  As you experience the song you know that anyone who hears the track for the first till will crack a smile. My best description is that the song is timeless. Enjoy!

Trojans - Atlas Genius
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Atlas Genius

Select Sundays: Robbers

These days, if you find out about a band you missed out on a few years ago, it seems like an absolute lifetime before. What was I doing in 2006? It's near impossible to think back that far. Did they even have the Internet then? If T.E.S.T. had been around five years ago, this track would have certainly made the cut.

Robbers - Cold War Kids
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Cold War Kids

Stems From Hell

This electrified sound of a bass string rattling to the infectious progression of notes moves me. The sound reminds me of the lowest notes on a piano (created by strings). There's a dark smoky industrial feel to this track, the stuff that makes you overuse the word underground. The song has poise, and doesn't blare out at you for every ticking second. The ups and downs are calculated perfectly, resulting in just over 8 minutes of thrill. Enjoy!

Stems From Hell - Gui Boratto
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Gui Boratto

Caminhando

I don't enjoy people with split personalities, but I do enjoy songs with split personalities. Caminando starts out sounding like a live campfire recording, and mid song the drum machine shows up out of nowhere with a snare. Soon the bass drum follows and you've been transported from the campfire to the club floor.

Fun Fact: the original song by Simone was recorded in 1979, in Brazil, during a time of turmoil.

Enjoy!

Caminhando (Chuckie & Nico Hamuy Bootleg) - Simone
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Simone | Chuckie | Nico Hamuy