Cyndi Lauper - Sex Is In The Heel

Cyndi's latest release arrives just as the Pride celebrations get under way. This ultra campy track about shoes is from the upcoming Broadway musical Kinky Boots. The song's subject matter is unconventional indeed, however, it is so fun to hear as sung by Ms. Lauper. The song has a "Vogue"-esque 'rap' section. The original is produced by Rich Morel. He opts for an early 90s runway house styled production which is so apropos given the nod to fashion in the song's lyrics. Rich provides another mix along with Danny Verde, Honey Dijon, Jochen Simms, and RLP. Rich's Hot Sauce mix is darker and has more of an electro sound. Danny Verde offers a hard circuit-oriented mix, turning the song into a full on anthem. Honey Dijon's mix is tribal and drummy taking inspiration from the heyday of 90s X-beat mixes. Jochen Simms has a chill 80s sound. RLP's mix is similar with some pretty synths.  Overall, every single remix is wonderful with Rich Morel's original mix, Danny Verde and Honey Dijon's mixes being the best of the bunch.

Listen to streaming previews of the mixes here (MaxiPromotion)

Grade: A

Almighty Presents NRG Anthems Vol 4

This is the 4th volume of the popular series. It features a number of covers and revisits of popular Disco and Hi-Nrg classics. Some of the highlights include the covers of the Saint club classics "Endless Road", "Love's Gone Mad", and "Male Stripper." The Matt Pop mixes of "Male Stripper" are very faithful to the original while modernizing the song ever so slightly. The cover of "Wind Beneath My Wings" is pleasant, however nothing compares to the legendary vocals of Bette Midler. The update of Pamala Stanley's "If Looks Could Kill" is cute too. The covers of "Time After Time" and "Born To Be Alive" unfortunately leave much to be desired. Overall, this is a pretty good collection for Almighty and Hi-Nrg enthusiasts.

Listen to clips and purchase the compilation here (Almighty)

Grade: B+

Donna Summer - Stamp Your Feet (Joel Dickinson Pride 2012 Mix)

Legions of fans said goodbye to the legendary Queen Of Disco as she passed away suddenly last month. Her last major album release was the Crayons album from 2008. "Stamp Your Feet" was the second single from that record. It was remixed to perfection by DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio and Jason Nevins.

Just in time for the Pride festivities of 2012 comes this revisit of the joyful number by Joel Dickinson. The production is absolutely lovely with the big synths and hard beats, complementing Donna's amazing vocals. This is a wonderful update and a great tribute to the Queen.


The remixer has kindly provided download links of the remix in both MP3 and WAV.
MP3: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?6jpa6dwrflor5g9
WAV: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?xhcftxstcxc7xno

Grade: A

Florence + The Machine - Spectrum

This is the latest single from their Ceremonials album. The haunting and rousing midtempo doesn't deviate much from the unusual brand of music that they are known for. It is a wonderful track from the slow build to the percussion to the stunning strings section of the bridge. The song is so wonderfully dramatic. There is a dance remix by Calvin Harris that takes the song to greater heights making it just a bit more uptempo and atmospheric for the dancefloor. The music video is absolutely gorgeous too.

-Watch the music video here
-Watch the music video set to the Calvin Harris remix here

Grade: A

Chad D - 1 Dance

This electro-dubstep styled with pop sensibilities track is the current single off of his debut album The Human Link. It is fun, straight-forward song with a great hook. Nick Harvey and Aulden Brown's remixes really make this song even better. Nick Harvey's electro-tinged tribal mix makes this into a floorfiller while Aulden Brown's mix is a bit harder and darker. Both are very well-produced, however, Nick's mixes are the better ones.

-Listen to clips and purchase the release here (Beatport)

Grade: A-

Offer Nissim & Itay Kalderon feat Maya - Over & Over

This is the much-awaited new release from the successful Israeli artists. The song is a little different from their usual as it has a sound that is obviously inspired by Avicii's recent hits. Maya's vocals are soft and hypnotic. The song would work best in ballad form if such a version were produced, however, it is quite nice. There are several remixes by Guena LG, Ido Shoam, and Zohar & Saar. Guena LG's has an overall harder sound that is closer to the Offer Nissim productions many have loved over the years. Ido Shoam's has lots of aggressive electro breaks. Zohar & Saar's mix is in a similar direction too. Overall, the Guena LG mixes are the best of the bunch.

-Listen to clips and purchase the release here (Beatport)

Grade: A-

Adam Lambert - Never Close Our Eyes (Remixes)

This is the second single from his Trespassing album. The Electro-Pop original is pretty good but an unusual choice for a single. Adam's vocals are wonderful as can be expected. The production feels a little generic. However, there are some remixes by Almighty, Digital Dog, and Sunship. Almighty's mixes are light and uplifting. Digital Dog's have a harder electro edge. Sunship's house and breaks mix is really fitting. The Sunship mixes are the best of the bunch.

Watch the music video for the original here (YouTube)

Grade: B+ (for the original)/A- (for the Sunship remix)

Chris Brown - Don't Wake Me Up

Continuing with his foray into Dance/Electronic music, R&B bad boy Chris Brown's latest single is produced by Benny Benassi. They previously did "Beautiful People" together. The production on the main version is radio and club-ready. Despite being severely autotuned, the vocals are pretty good. This song would work well as a downtempo if such a version were to be made. William Orbit also produced a laidback remix version. The vocals have more room to breathe on this version. Both versions are very well-produced. This should be another hit for the singer this Summer.

Purchase the song (iTunes)

• Benny Benassi Mix
• Free School/William Orbit Mix

Grade: A-

Loreen - Euphoria

She first won the Melodifestivalen in Sweden earlier this year with this song and went on to win the Eurovision Song Contest. The uplifting Dance/Pop track begins slow and dark, building towards a big chorus just as the beats come in. Loreen's powerful vocals are brilliant. In addition to the exquisite original are mixes by Alex Moreno, 7th Heaven, and Wawa. Alex Moreno's mix is beautiful with the piano instrumental breaks. 7th Heaven's is a bit darker until it gets to the chorus. Wawa's mix is somewhere in between in terms of the sound. It manages to be pretty and dark at the same time. Overall, the original single version is the best one, but all the remixes are good.

Listen to the various versions: (YouTube)

• Original Version
• Alex Moreno
• 7th Heaven
• Wawa

Grade: A

Kylie Minogue - Time Bomb

This is a brand new single from the dancefloor princess. There is no word on whether this is from a new album or upcoming greatest hits collection, or it's a standalone release. Kylie sings in her trademark breathy, sexy voice on this aggressive electropop track. The hook is super catchy. The song's lyrics have an end of the world theme (2012 Mayan Prophecy?) that has come up in other songs during the last couple of years. Overall, this is a perfect release just in time for the summer.

Listen to the song here (DailyMotion)

Grade: A-

Ryan W - Don't Come Lookin

After having some underground success, Ryan W's latest release "Don't Come Lookin" is aimed at a mainstream audience. Newly released on the Island Def Jam label, the electro-pop song is a bit of a departure from his earlier material. This song makes him seem like the male counterpart of Ke$ha with the singing and rapping. The production and lyrics make this club-ready. The chorus is rather catchy. Overall, this is a decent single choice, however, it isn't as exciting as "Crave" or "Oceans".

Listen to a preview and buy here (iTunes)

Grade: B

Loverush UK! vs Maria Nayler - One & One

Originally released in 1996 by Italian Dreamhouse artist Robert Miles, the song is back again as a remake by Loverush UK! featuring a re-recorded vocal by the original singer Maria Nayler. Things are a little faster and a touch darker on the main mix, however the familiar classical piano from the original is there. Maria's vocals do sound a little different from when she originally recorded them in 1996. Club Junkies and Protoculture provide additional remixes. The Club Junkies mix is quite progressive and energetic. Protoculture's big room electro-trance mix is beautiful as well. The use of Maria's backing vocals in certain places give the song a different feel. Fans of the original will want to check this out.

• Listen to the main mix here (SoundCloud)
• Listen to the Club Junkies mix here (SoundCloud)
• Listen to the main mix here (SoundCloud)

Grade: A-

so80s presents Sandra: Curated by Blank & Jones

German Dance/Pop singer Sandra's 80s hits have been assembled together on a new collection called so80s presents Sandra Curated: by Blank & Jones. It's two discs filled with extended versions, instrumentals, and dubs of her hits all unmixed and digitally remastered. Many of the versions on the first disc appeared on the third disc of her The Platinum Collection several years back, however, the quality of the versions is even better. Disc two includes a number of rarities including the previously vinyl only U.S. Mix of "Heaven Can Wait", the Japan exclusive M.I.D. DJ Mix of "Secret Land", and various instrumentals and dubs from her 7" and 12" vinyl singles. The 7" PWL mix of "Everlasting Love" is also thrown in as a bonus. Overall, this is a must have for Sandra fans and collectors.

Shawnee Taylor feat Sympho Nympho - Colors

Dance diva Shawnee Taylor's latest release produced by Sympho Nympho (aka House veterans Erick Morillo, Jose Nunez, and Harry Romero) is all set to take over the dancefloors of the world with "Colors." In many ways it is the "When Love Takes Over" of this year. It is a dazzling full vocal cut with a lovely production. The main version and its accompanying radio edit are the best versions (and probably the only ones you'll need). This is exquisite.

Listen to clips and purchase the Original Mix here (Beatport)

Grade: A+

Sandra - Maybe Tonight

80s German Dance/Pop star best known for the hits "Maria Magdalena", "In The Heat Of The Night", "Heaven Can Wait", and many more is back with a new single produced by Blank & Jones. This comes on the heels of a new collection featuring extended versions, instrumentals, and dubs of her 80s hits also assembled by Blank & Jones called So80s Presents Sandra 1984-1989, Curated By Blank & Jones. The song is pleasant but is a very obvious throwback to her songs "Around My Heart" and "Heaven Can Wait". Fans of her earlier works will want to check this out. This is much stronger than some of her recent Dance-oriented releases. A CD single will be released in Germany, plus an international digital release on May 11.

Grade: A-