I first got ahold of Love in the Circus with Rook’s remix of their song, ‘Clouds‘. And like ‘Clouds’, ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ sports some forward thinking production and the most b.e.a.utiful vocals provided by Leanna Rachel.
If you didn’t know by now, ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ is a cover (can you not read subtitles), which was originally done by INXS (it was pretty popular). But instead of just flat out covering the song with maybe a little twist, Love in the Circus brings in so many other goodies. From dubstep undertones (can’t oversell the dubstep anymore) to some fine brass solos, this cover is a treat I’m sure glad I dug up.
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Polica is a group from my area back in the day, the Twin Cities. But of course I forgot about all that and more importantly who they’re tied with when I moved to the Bay Area around the beginning of 2012. See, I kind of have a man-crush on their producer, Ryan Olson, because of his involvement in not just one, but two of my favorite Minnesota-based bands, Mel Gibson & the Pants and GAYNGS. Seeing that this is a remix though, I guess this won’t justify my love for Olson, but Alluxe does reinterpret him right.
Alluxe’s remix of “Lay Your Cards Out” takes on Channy Leaneagh’s original vocals, whom is also apart of GAYNGS, and speeds up the pace for a more danceable tune. What Alluxe especially does best is build on Leaneagh’s vocals and flushes ’em out just right for one sedating drop (done far better than the original). Leaneagh’s vocals, however, are a bit hard to interpret, as always, but I’m one for making up my own lyrics while listening anyways.
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This is one sexy piece of ass. Night Panther’s ‘Fever’ has horns a blazin’ in the back’round and it sounds sultry as f*ck with these vocals. I don’t know if I quite got this “Sex Pop” down just yet, but I sure as shit am diggin it for now.
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Lovelife’s ‘Tonight’ almost instantly reminded me of some popular indietronic track, which I finally figured out to be ‘Electric Feel’ by MGMT. I still can’t describe what it is about the two exactly, should’ve studied music more, but I know it’s got to do with the bassline, that funky, funky bass… maybe the drum pattern I dunno, help me out here, people.
Great vocals & chorus too – rides well with that bass.
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It’s hard for me to like a cover or remix to a song I’ve been loving & listening to for years. But sometimes ya gotta give it a chance and it just might blow you away.
New Navy’s cover of ‘Breathe,’ originally by Télépopmusik, didn’t hook me from the start, but each listen has warmed me up more than the last. I was skeptical at first of the indie-pop persona it took ‘Breathe’ into, but now after the first drop (:34), I’m hooked.
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Late Nite Tuff Guy’s smooth soul reinterpretation of the Jackson 5’s ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ starts off with a slow buildup seen in so many downtempo tracks. But unlike most, this buildup doesn’t stretch out too long and brings in MJ’s vocals at times quite nice. Things start to pick up around two minutes in, but it really gets good at just after the three minute mark. What’s really nice about this is to hear Michael Jackson’s voice at a more youthful time. I sometimes forget how different his younger year’s voice brings out a whole different set of emotions along with it.
I should point out that LNTG retitled this remix ‘Don’t Wanna Let U Go [LNTG Interpretation]’ without any reference to Jackson 5 in his SoundCloud. I believe this is so it doesn’t get taken down by those pesky copyright bots scouring SoundCloud to fuck over the remix community.
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Wildcat! Wildcat! just released their third single “The Chief” and it may just be my favorite one of all. The tune has the usual infectious falsetto chorus, but what sets it apart, as it usually does, is that sexy ass sax. Played by William May, the solo piggybacks off the increasing buildup to the song and puts one sexy ass cherry on top.
Make sure to check out their first single, ‘Mr. Quiche,’ if you enjoy this electro-indie-pop’o’rama. It may not have the sax, but that chorus is just as catchy, if not more. I’m expecting big things from these guys.
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Starfucker brings back Josh Hodges’ tribute to the hits, Sexton Blake Plays the Hits, from 2007. It’s very Starfucker demo like – Starfucker without most of the electro frills – which was refreshing at times while seeming to lack at others.
Hodges starts it off right, though, with a cover of Bruce Springteen’s ‘Hungry Heart.’ Of all the songs, I never would’ve thought he could pull off The Boss’s, but somehow he does with that light-hearted, raspy ‘lectro guitar that bleeds well with his voice.
The rest of the tracks, while pleasantly sedating, don’t make the cut worth keeping. Still worth a go around, especially if you’re a fan of this gut punched, electro seducing indie moosic.
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Just one quick comment about the ‘Rock of Ages’ movie that just came out. It’s not the actors, the story and probably not the broadway style’d theme that makes this movie sound horrendous, it’s everything else. Mind you, I’ve only seen previews so far, but going from the previews the quality in directing, editing & cinematography appears contrived & lacking any art. (man, I sound like such a hipster)
But other than my hater hipster ways, this mashup is hella good. Schmolli’s ‘Rock of Ages’ cuts up all the best Rock & Roll, as well as a few others, and stews it all up to sound as whole and fluid as any mash can. Schmolli puts the number of rockers sampled at 23, but I’m not going to get ’em all. I’ll give a few and you fill in the rest.
Artist featured on ‘Rock of Ages’ (mashup) : Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Run D.M.C, Kid Rock, AC/DC, Joan Jett And The Blackhearts, Def Leppard, N.E.R.D, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beastie Boys & The Doors. What else you got
[audio:Rock-Ages.mp3|titles=Rock of Ages (Super Mashup)]
Ellie Goulding covering my favorite neo soul singer… this sounds too good to be true. And to top it all off we get Xaphoon of Chiddy Bang on production… yep, these names are building it up to something not even they can live up to. And as much as I love the concept, it’s going to take some time for me to fall for the actual product (if I ever do).
I like the overall production, but I think a dubstep mood like Downpour’s remix of ‘High for This’ might’ve suited Ellie better. As for her roll, she’s as ethereal as ever, but sure doesn’t spark the emotion that The Weeknd’s original does for me… not even close. But who knows, maybe a few weeks of warming up to it will change my mind… usually the first taste is a good indicator, though.
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