Let Me Down Gently

When I think of La Roux I think of two things. Awesome music and awesome hair. I went back and re-listened their first album just because my appetite has been wet with this one song and the new album isn't out for another 6 weeks. Enjoy!

Let Me Down Gently - La Roux (right click to save as)
La Roux

CaptainBiggie

There's a pretty juxtaposition between the rustic and simple guitar strums and the bass drum backed Biggie sample happening in this track. The samples used are great, and reminded me of "I let my tape rock till my tape pop" for the image that accompanies this post. Enjoy!

CaptainBiggie - Twinztrack (right click to save as)
Twinztrack

Sexy Socialite

I love the back and forth "You're a Sexy Socialite / No I'm not, no I'm not". Chromeo is fun, goofy, danceable, singable, and everything else that great music should be. Enjoy!

Sexy Socialite - Chromeo (right click to save as)
Chromeo

Bad Things

This is a sweet song with a bit of devil in it. Enjoy!

Bad Things (Uedra Smooth Remix) - Meiko (right click to save as)
Meiko | Uedra Smooth

Heart Attack Again

There's something fantastically 90's R&B about this track that I celebrate. The melody of the title introduced at the beginning of the song is so catchy and enjoyable.  Am I the only one who wants to get up and strut like I'm discovering New Jack Swing for the first time? Needless to say, this is a fun one. Enjoy!

Heart Attack Again - Step Rockets (right click to save as)
Step Rockets

Flyin' High

I'm really feeling the audio journey that this song takes. Delicate Steve makes me feel like I'm listening to Delicate Ratatat, with the lead guitar singing in the foreground in place of traditional lyrics. I want to jam along with the electric guitar going up and down while the scene builds and builds then all of a sudden it all just fades away as soon as it appears. Enjoy!

Flyin' High - Delicate Steve (right click to save as)
Delicate Steve

Without You

TEED has such a distinct sound, he couldn't hide in a choir of 1,000 voices. I love the simple piano keys and the high pitch sample that sprinkle this song with innocent sounds. The song is slow, yet still has quite a build/drop. I like the steps that it takes, there's a sensualness to the track even though it's about leaving someone and being better off. Enjoy!

Without You Feat. TEED (Hayden James Version) - Dillon Francis (right click to save as)
Dillon Francis | TEED | Hayden James

Ello Ello

RAC has such a distinct style, and that style really shines through on this track. I'm attracted to the cute and playful yet serious dance aspects of his work. Partnering with Body Language seems to have enhanced this, "beep beep!". I can't get enough! Enjoy!

Ello Ello feat. Body Language - RAC (right click to save as)
RAC | Body Language

In The Zone

This slow moving jam comes pretty hard. The wavy synths and snappy bassline pave a wide path for Erika's airy pastel vocals.  This is a slow motion track, nearly impossible to walk briskly and jam this in your headphones, it demands that you move at the same pace as the beat. Enjoy!

In The Zone Feat. Erika Spring - Airbird and Napolian (right click to save as)
Airbird and Napolian | Erika Spring

All I Need

The chorus of this song is so catchy. I wonder what are the things that are "all I really need", you know besides food, water, clothing & shelter. I also wonder what this song will sound like in 5 or 10 years, how will something like this age? I feel that this song is very current from a production perspective, and aesthetic. There's only one way to really know. Enjoy!

All I Need (Feat. Kenzie May) - Vindata (right click to save as)
Vindata | Kenzie May

White Tiger

There's something about the way she sings the two words that make up this song title. I keep coming back to it. "White Tiger". The beats are big and badass, the song ends on a large epic note as well. But something about this sample along with the kick drum and high hat have me hooked. Enjoy!

White Tiger - Hippie Sabotage (right click to save as)
Hippie Sabotage

Peaches

Coming to America, one of my favorite movies to re-watch, quote, and laugh to. This sample is taken from the montage of interviews, and captures the Rap zeitgeist of the mid 80's. Beat boxing and all are rolled into this sample, it makes the song. The bassline is furious, and perfectly rounds out the track. Enjoy!

Peaches - Esta (right click to save as)
Esta

Elastic Heart

Diplo has the golden finger of music production, and this show holds that true. The most "Diplo" part of the song is that bouncy and repetitive sample that opens the song. I completely love the vocal melody of the chorus.  The Weeknd's touch on the track is the cherry on top, adding a bit of variance to the vocal landscape which I feel enhances the belting out during the chorus. The fact that this kind of track was produced for a major motion picture based on a YA novel doesn't make me like the song more or less, but it is not something I could have imagined 10 years ago. Enjoy!

Elastic Heart Feat. The Weeknd & Diplo (right click to save as)
Sia | The Weeknd | Diplo

Swimming

This track opens with glamour. The laid back beat and lyrics secrete confidence and some "I don't give a fuck-ness". I like the verses more than the chorus, but I still find myself singing along to the chorus cause it's so catchy. I can see this song playing late night or poolside, it will easily back both situations. Enjoy!

Swimming - Holy Models (right click to save as)
Holy Models

Baby Let Me Kiss You

This song is just as groovy as it is playful, and I love how it spans those two vastly different styles so well. The bassline groove makes me want to strut instead of walk, It's like I'm cooler than I really am when I walk to the beat of this song. As a huge fan of well placed background vocals, I can greatly appreciate the subtle and sexy "oh oh oh ahh" background vocals on this track. Enjoy!

Baby Let Me Kiss You - Fern Kinney (right click to save as)
Fern Kinney

Paris

The Magic Man EP "You are Here" has been kicking ass on my speakers for a while. I blogged Waves in December, and now they're back by way of remix. This remix adds more electricity, a bigger dynamic swing, and creates a deeper contrast between the music and the vocals. I love when he sings out "Oh Paaarriss", reminds me a bit of Patrick Wolf's song by the same name. This song digs deep into the emotions of regret and the past, it's interesting how a city can become "a fantasy taking over like a disease", but it's happened before and will happen again. Enjoy!

Paris (Nicita Remix) - Magic Man (right click to save as)
Magic Man | Nicita

With Me

The track opens with beautiful piano, then slaps you with the bass, and then pulls back to where it stays for the night. Things persist this way, growing, changing, and evolving. The hard stop/go adds to the excitement and drama. The finale really wraps things up and leaves you with a blinking red light with a heartbeat just to remind you that you are alive after all of that. Enjoy!

With Me - Cashmere Cat (right click to save as)
Cashmere Cat

Wonderland

I'm feeling happy, and this song oozes happiness. The upbeat strumming of the cello, the melody of the verse, the chipmunk sounding sped up sample repeating paints the canvas with rainbows and smiles. Then when the song winds down and hints at ending, the finale starts and there's a fun build, leaving you with plenty of time to further enjoy the track. Enjoy!

Wonderland - CEO (right click to save as)
CEO

Flawless

I am becoming a larger Madeaux fan by the minute. His Mean Reds EP knocked my socks off, and his NYE DJ et for SURL I've blasted shamelessly loud more than a few times. Now this Beyonce remix comes with that same Madeaux flavor. The attitude that Beyonce captured on the original is fed some mutant goo and those powers seem to grow tenfold, and that's before you get to the halfway point and things go into orbit. Enjoy!

Flawless (Madeaux Remix) - Beyoncé (right click to save as)
Beyoncé | Madeaux

Pale Shelter

I never would have dreamed that Matthew Dear and Tegan and Sara would ever collaborate, much less on a Tears for Fears cover! Is this my lucky day or what?? The bassline is super and the signature voices of Tegan and Sara, hearing their "oh oh oh oooh" gives me goosebumps! The audio panorama laid in down in front of T&S's vocals allows them to come charging through with fury. I'll be blasting this track on repeat for the next few months. Enjoy!

Pale Shelter Feat. Tegan And Sara - Matthew Dear (right click to save as)
Matthew Dear | Tegan And Sara