Mariah Carey - I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time

After "Bye Bye" failed to match the success of "Touch My Body", which has still managed to stick around, the third single from E=MC2 entitled "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" has been released. This is a midtempo that is "classic Mariah." It's a smooth vocal track with a great hook. It's too slow to be a clubbanger, but it's a nice end-of-evening song. It feels like something you could listen to while in a convertible or on the beach. The music video ties into the latter theme and is an all around fun video. This one should jump-start the album's momentum which was temporarily lost during the run of "Bye Bye."

Grade: B+

Metro Station - Shake It

The L.A.-based band has made quite a splash with their clever blend of Rock, Synthpop and Electronica. Their breakout success began after they topped the MySpace Unsigned Bands charts. A record label signed them and their first album was released in the Fall of 2007. Their latest single "Shake It" has begun to get radio airplay and its sales are growing. The song is very 80's sounding. Think of a slightly Dancier Depeche Mode or Erasure with a hint of Talking Heads. The hook is so catchy and the upbeat production is just so much fun.

Grade: B+

Alphabeat - Boyfriend

The Danish band has already made a rather significant splash in their home country as well as in some of Europe and the UK. After "Fascination" and "Ten Thousand Nights" comes "Boyfriend." It's Electronic/Rock/Pop at its best. The lyrics are just so sugary sweet, as are the vocals of the lead singer. Just as their previous singles have been remixed, this one has been treated in the same fashion. The single is scheduled to be released in August. One remix that is currently being buzzed about on the internet is one done by Pete Hammond, who was responsible for a significant chunk of the Stock Aitken Waterman productions during the 80's and 90's. The mix is done with the same equipment that was used for all the SAW stuff. From the clips, the mix is very faithful to the classic SAW sound and works very well with the song. There's no confirmation on whether this mix will be released, however, it would be a crime against music if this mix were not released. A preview of it can be heard on this page.

Grade: A

AnnaGrace - You Make Me Feel

This is not a cover of the Disco classic by Sylvester. This is however, a new track that could be a classic in the near future. AnnaGrace is actually singer Annemie Coenen who was the vocalist of Ian Van Dahl. It's a collaboration with fellow Belgian Peter Luts. "You Make Me Feel" is a simple Dance/Pop track with killer vocals and excellent production. The main version is very versatile. It's club and radio ready. Additional mixes by Voodoo & Serrano, Francesco Diaz & Thomas Gold and John Luniz make this song even more club friendly. The music video is quite good too. This one could be huge on both sides of the Atlantic.

Grade: A

Ultra Naté - Automatic 2008

Her fierce cover of the Pointer Sisters 80's classic topped the club charts last year. It got a release overseas with some additional mixes which were unavailable until recently. Some new mixes by Tikaro, J. Louis & Ferran (all one remixing team for this one), Riff & Rays and Alex Gaudino, Discode and eSQUIRE make up this release. This is one of several new mixes of songs from Ultra's forthcoming Alchemy: GST Reloaded collection (coming out in August). It consists of remixes of songs from Grime Silk Thunder. These new mixes breathe additional life into an already strong song. It's worth mentioning that this song's steamy music video was directed by famed photographer/director Karl Giant. He is reportedly directing the video for Ultra's next single "Twisted 2008" which is a revisit of a song from Stranger Than Fiction.

Grade: A

Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl

After the internet success of "Ur So Gay", she is back with her first proper single from new album One Of The Boys. "I Kissed A Girl" is about exactly what the title alludes to. This isn't the first time a song has dealt with this theme (see Jill Sobule's song of the same name or "Some Girls Dance With Women" by JC Chasez), but this one deals with it in a fresh way. Written by Dr. Luke how has penned hits for Kelly Clarkson and P!nk, this one is a super catchy Pop/Rock piece of bubblegum. It has gained considerable radio airplay as are its digital sales. This one may prove to be a Summer hit for Ms. Perry. Hopefully this will be the first of many successes for her.

Grade: B+

Ida Corr vs. Fedde Le Grand - Let Me Think About It

Although this one has been garnering heavy airplay on the Dance stations across the U.S. for the better part of the last year, this was just given a release here a few weeks back via Ministry Of Sound. It was previously released in the later part of last year all over Europe and in some other parts of the world. The Danish singer's sassy vocals take center stage in this slice of Electro-pop. With those hypnotic instrumental loops and killer bassline, this one is sure to be a floorfiller. Some Pop stations are beginning to test the waters with this one. With an even greater number of Dance-oriented tracks making even a minor splash in the U.S., this one may have a shot at doing better than just average.

Grade: A+

Madonna - Give It 2 Me

This is the followup single to the worldwide hit "4 Minutes." There had been some speculation as to whether this would be the single or some other song would be chosen. The lyrics are very fun and are just right for the Summer. Some are either loving or hating the "get stupid, get stupid" break. There are plans for a radio edit that removes that portion or shortens it. The video was released a few weeks back. While it pales in comparison to the over-the-top "4 Minutes", this one is simple and kinda fun.

An extensive remix package is planned. So far, there's the Paul Oakenfold mix. It was available on some of the digital download editions of the album. This mix sounds like it would be perfectly at home with album cuts on Madonna's last album. It's pure electro heaven. Additional mixes by Jody Den Broeder, Eddie Amador, Fedde Le Grand and a couple of more will be released in the next few weeks.

Grade: B+ (Album version)
Grade: A- (Paul Oakenfold mix)

Yoko Ono remixes - Now Available

After much demand from the fans, the remixes that were previously unreleased for "You're The One", "No No No" and "Give Peace A Chance" were released today via Beatport for digital download. They are touted as "green friendly" singles in the accompanying press release. The mixes will be released to other download sites next month. iTunes already has the "You're The One" mixes.

Here are the tracklistings:

You're The One
01. Bimbo Jones Vocal Mix
02. Bimbo Jones Dub
03. Morel’s Pink Noise Vocal Mix
04. Morel’s Pink Noise Dub
05. Claude Le Gache Vocal Mix
06. Claude Le Gache Mixshow Edit
07. Claude Le Gache Dub
08. Friscia & Lamboy Tribal Dub

No No No 01. Linus Loves Hyped Vocal Mix
02. Linus Loves Hyped Dub Mix
03. Tom Novy Vocal Mix
04. Tom Novy Dub
05. Eric Kupper Vocal Mix
06. Eric Kupper Dub
07. Friscia & Lamboy Vocal Mix
08. Friscia & Lamboy Dub
09. Peter Bailey Dub
10. Mike Cruz Dub
11. Lindbergh Palace Redub
12. Double B No…Well, Yes Vocal Mix

Give Peace A Chance 01. Dave Aude Club Mix
02. Dave Aude Dub
03. Johnny Vicious Warehouse Dub
04. Mike Cruz Dub
05. Tommie Sunshine Vocal Mix
06. Morel’s Pink Noise Vocal Mix
07. Morel’s Pink Noise Dub
08. Double B Full Vocal Mix

Donna Summer - Crayons (Album)

This is her first proper studio album in almost 20 years (just about). The album is a mix of accessible Dance, Pop, R&B, Rock and even a little bit of Country. Donna's voice still packs the same amount of punch as it did during the 70's and 80's. She impresses on all the songs.

It opens with the sing along anthem "Stamp Your Feet". It's impossible to get through this one without dancing even a little. "Mr. Music" is a lovely ode to music. This one has the makings of a club hit. The title song isn't about children using crayons with their coloring books. It's a Reggae/Dancehall club banger which features additional vocals by Ziggy Marley. This is a fun track. On "The Queen Is Back", she isn't singing about herself returning. It's pretty general. "Fame (The Game)" is an aggressive track with quickly-sung vocals in the verses. "Sand On My Feet" is the Country-ish song. It's a simple guitar-driven song. "Drivin' Down Brazil" is guitar-drive as well, but this one is a tad more uptempo. It's a slightly poppier "La Isla Bonita." The previously released single "I'm A Fire" follows. It is a nice laid-back, sophisticated vocal track. "Slide Over Backwards" is very Country-ish as well. Donna delivers her vocals in such a way that she sounds like Rod Stewart and Tina Turner. It's not as bizarre as it sounds. "Science Of Love" is a Dance-oriented R&B and Rock track. This one works surprisingly well. This is a stand-out. "Be Myself Again" is a haunting, wrenching ballad. This best showcases Donna's vocals. With sparse production and a hypnotic piano, this one could translate well into a club remix. "Bring Down The Reign" is a mid-tempo Dance track with a chanting and tribal beats. This is very haunting as well.

The bonus track on the Circuit City and Japanese editions is called "It's Only Love." It's in a similar vein as "I'm A Fire." This is a solid Dance track that should have been on all editions of the album. It's worth seeking out these editions for this song. The CC edition is available on the website.

Grade: A-

Yoko Ono - Give Peace A Chance 2008

Having been a force in music, art and culture for more than 4 decades, the former Mrs. John Lennon hasn't shown any signs of fading away. She is back with a familiar message of peace. The standard "Give Peace A Chance" has been brought back a number of times over the years. It is one of the many songs on last year's Open Your Box remix collection to become a single. With a main mix by DJ Dan, additional mixes by Dave Aude, Johnny Vicious and Tommie Sunshine have just been promoted. DJ Dan's version contains most of the vocals and is a simple Dance/Electro mix. The focal point is the vocals, as expected. The production is very fitting. And the message couldn't be clearer.

Grade: A

Rihanna - Take A Bow (Remixes)

This song was screaming for club mixes given the lyrical content. There are remixes by Tony Moran & Warren Rigg, Seamus Haji, Subkulcha and Groove Junkies.

Tony and Warren previously remixed her wrenching ballad "Unfaithful" from her last album and turned it into a floorfiller. They have repeated history with another amazing mix. Given the difficult vocal stretch, they do well with what they are given. The mix does drag on just a little bit in some places, but that's only a small problem. The radio edit of their mix is perfect though. All the essential elements and portions are kept. They also completed a special dub version which remains unreleased at this time.

Seamus Haji's mix is a bit more accessible. It's his usual best. The vocal stretch on this mix sounds just right. This one will be more appropriate for radio and mixshows.

Subkulcha and Groove Junkies' mixes are in a similar vein, however, they aren't as strong as the other mixes, but they aren't bad.

The Moran and Rigg mixes are the highlights of the package. Overall, the whole package is pretty good.

The mixes are available for purchase through iTunes and Amazon.com.

Grade: A

Ricki-Lee - U Wanna Little Of This

She rose to prominence after appearing on Australian Idol in 2004. She made it into the top 7. After a brief stint in the girl group Young Divas, she chose to focus on her solo career. Her recent chart-topper "Can't Touch It" has been picked up by Ministry Of Sound in the UK and will be released as "U Wanna Little Of This" on the Hed Kandi imprint. The new main version is by Ali Payami. It's a scorching Disco/House mix with a floorshaking bassline. It improves upon the already great original. Additional mixes by Wawa, DJ Puddy and Milk Inc. will be released soon. A
digital and physical release is planned in early June.

Grade: A

Madonna - 4 Minutes (Remixes)-Review

The much-awaited remixes of "4 Minutes" have finally been released through the various digital outlets. There's definitely something from this package for everyone.

Junkie XL provides two versions which are his usual best. Liquid synths and rock guitars soar over the thumping beats. However, very few of the vocals are used. These mixes would be better with those added vocals. The dub feels like something Switch would do.

Tracy Young's mix is a lot housier than some of her recent offerings. Those expecting a tear-your-shirt-off anthem will love the Peter Saves New York mix. It's a dark, twisted epic that calls to mind some of his early 2000's material. It also bears a striking resemblance to Offer Nissim and Yinon Yahel's recent work. The Peter Saves Paris mix is a bit more electro oriented. The Peter Saves London mix is sort of the best of both mixes. The New York one is the best though. There is also the newly promoted Madonna's Pjanoo Rauhofer Mix which is a mashup with Eric Prydz's "Pjanoo". The song has some really atmospheric piano loops and goes well with the Madonna vocals. Not enough vocals used from the original but that's a minor detail.

Bob Sinclar's mix is in the disco-house direction. It has a lovely retro feel.

And last but not least, there's the Rebirth mix. This one is an electro-house mix. Lots of layers of synths and other filtered elements.

Overall, the remix package for "4 Minutes" was totally worth the wait and is a great start to this amazing Hard Candy era.

Miquel Brown - So Many Men, So Little Time 2008

This song has been one of a handful of 80's Hi-NRG classics. Having come out almost 25 years ago, this one is still a favorite. It has been remixed and covered a few times over the years. This time, UK-based Almighty provides the remixes. This is one of several Hi-NRG classics that have been updated for the new NRG Anthems Vol. 1 compilation. There are 3 different main versions. The 12" Classic one is basically the original club mix freshened up and modernized. The original flavor of the mix is still there. The 12" Definitive and Definitive mixes differ only in their structure. Both are funkier, modern reconstructions that preserve some of the original flavor too. All three main mixes are quite good overall.

Grade: A-