Coming Soon: Amber - I Don't Believe In Hate (Drip Drop)

This is her much-awaited new single. In its original version, it is a lush piano ballad. Amber's vocals are delicate yet powerful on this. Lyrically, it is very positive and creative. This song is written by Kelly Mueller.

The remixes are by Pathos V2 and Yinon Yahel. The Pathos V2 mixes are Electro/Pop-oriented. These would be most suited for radio and clubs. Yinon Yahel's mixes are much darker and dramatic and would be most appropriate for the clubs.

It will be released on July 21, 2009 for purchase through Amazon, iTunes, and at most other digital retailers.

A limited CD single will be available. For more information about how to order it, please see this posting at DJRicoMixshow.

Listen to clips of all the versions here (Amazon)

Watch this video in which Amber shares some interesting background info about the song, the remixers, and some other fun stuff.

This is a very strong release overall.

Grade: A+

Junior Vasquez featuring Maxi J - Insecurities

Originally featured on his Generation Next mixed CD which was released in the Spring, "Insecurities" is now finally being released as a single. On this song, Maxi J sings about how her man's insecurities are interfering in the relationship. Her vocal performance is really powerful and effective. The main mix has a slightly gritty tribal/electro production. It's a bit different from Junior's usual, but it's nice.

In addition to the main mix, there are many remixes by Joe Carrano, Fumi Kondoh, Fol-Chen, Razor N' Guido, DJ M-Traxxx, Nick Harvey, and Alexander & Mark VDH.

The mixes are spread out over two EPs which were released on June 23 through iTunes. Other digital retailers should have this in the next few weeks.

Get EP 1 here (iTunes)
Get EP 2 here (iTunes)

Grade: A

Kristine W. - Be Alright

This is the latest single off of her much-awaited new album The Power Of Music. "Be Alright" is not exactly a new song though. An early version was completed in 2006. A remix by Offer Nissim appeared on his Forever Tel Aviv compilation which came out in early 2007. In this song, Kristine sings about how things will turn out fine even if there are obstacles in the way. The vocals sound very fresh and clear.

Featuring George Lynch, the original version is produced by legendary remixer/producer Hex Hector. It is a rock guitar-driven midtempo track. This does have Adult Contemporary format smash written all over it.

The Boris mixes have an electro/circuit/rock feel that works well. Tom Stephan's mixes are circuit/electro-ish. The Perry Twins mix is nice and anthemic. Bass Mekanik's is at a similar tempo as the original. It's Electro/Pop at it's best. Joe Carrano's are good too, but they lack that extra something his work has unless he is programming for someone else. His slower version is more effective. Offer Nissim's mix is the same as the one that appeared on the compilation mentioned earlier in the review. It's a minimal, dub-style mix. It loses most of the vocals, but keeps just enough. The production is really pretty though.

Overall, this package is pretty good.

Grade: A-

Mariah Carey - Obsessed

This is the highly anticipated lead single off of her forthcoming album Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel. This comes nearly a 15 months after her E=MC2. It just premiered on Chicago's B96 a few minutes ago.

Produced by The Dream, she sings about a certain someone who is quite preoccupied with her. For the last week or so, rumors have swirled that the mystery person was rapper Eminem, but no one person is mentioned by name on the song.

The song is a midtempo with an old school type of vibe. It has Summer club smash written all over it. Mariah's vocals are heavily vocoded a la T-Pain or Zapp & Roger. It works well though. A remix version featuring rapper Gucci Mane will be released in the next few weeks.

This song will be streamed on Mariah's official website at 4PM (Eastern Standard Time).

Grade: A-

Colton Ford - Losing My Religion

This is the lead single off of his forthcoming covers album entitled Under The Covers. This is a cover of the R.E.M. classic. This is not the first time Colton has recorded a cover. However, this is his best attempt to date. Previous covers of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" and "No One" were decent, especially the latter, however, neither had that x-factor to make them memorable. While Colton's version does not compare to the exquisite original, it is still pleasant. The aggressive 80's electro/pop production meshes well with Colton's vocals. This needs a nice extended mix with a nice buildup at the beginning to make it even better.

Watch the music video here (YouTube) NSFW

Grade: B+

Capretta - Big Mama's House

This is a new single from singer Vincent Capretta who had a few underground club hits throughout the years, several of which were revisits of some Disco classics. This track is in the same vein as Barry Harris and Pepper MaShay's club classic "Dive In The Pool" or some of the recent Vicki Shepard and Jeanie Tracy ones. There is some singing on it too.

Rod Carillo's main mix and dub have this very 'euphoric' feel to them. It calls to mind what Kaskade, Adam K and Soha and other similar producers have been doing lately. His Progression mix is much harder and darker. Peter Brown's mix is circuit-oriented. Chris Shannon's mix is in a similar vein but feels a little messy at times. DJ Kilo's mix is electro-ish. It has a lot more energy than the other mixes. Tim Schommer's mix is a bit on the minimal side. The Perry Twins deliver a mix that sort of encompasses little bits of all the aforementioned styles in in a way that works effectively.

Overall, the package is pretty good. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's worth checking out.

Buy the mixes at Amazon's MP3 store here

Grade: B+

Heidi Montag - More Is More

Having found considerable fame on MTV's The Hills, Heidi Montag is set to try out a singing career. She and her husband Spencer Pratt have been working on her music career for some time now. Her Whenever I Am EP was released digitally a few weeks back. "More Is More" has been selected as a single. The original is a simple uptempo Pop track. Heidi's vocals are barely decent. She has delivered better performances on other songs which have previously been released and/or leaked on the internet. There are remixes of this song by Ralphi Rosario and Dave Aude. Ralphi's mix is a bit lighter, but still packs a punch. His remix production makes the song a lot more enjoyable. The vocals sound so much more pleasant. Dave Aude's is in a similar vein. It works well too. It's a bit more suitable for radio and mixshows. A good set of mixes overall.

Grade: C (for the original), B+ (for the remixes)

Ralph Falcon featuring Alex K & Alan T - Whateva

This is the latest single from Ralph Falcon. It is the followup to his Spring release"Every Now And Then" and last year's "Break You." This one is a runway-oriented track. The attitude-laden lyrics can be a bit repetitive at times. Ralph's main version is a bit more laidback and soulful despite the type of song this is.

There are remixes by Tom Stephan, Peter Rauhofer, and Cajjmere Wray. Tom Stephan's is his usual electro/tribal fierceness. The production lends itself well to the lyrical content. It has that 'runway' feel that this song so desperately needed to work well. Peter Rauhofer's is very minimal and techy. This is more suitable for afterhours. Cajjmere Wray's is much harder and darker than the others. It is quite effective as well.

This is an exclusive at Masterbeat.com and iTunes for now.

Grade: A-

Paradiso Girls featuring Lil' Jon - Patron Tequila

This ode to the the infamous tequila is the girl group's debut single. As one would expect, this is a club-oriented song. It would be enjoyable in a club or a bar, but outside of those places, it does not work too well. The girls have so-so vocals. Lil' Jon's shoutouts are his usual. Nothing overly special. This could be a moderate hit this Summer.

Listen to the main version here (YouTube)

Grade: C+

Trip Circus featuring Delisha'mour - Everything You Do

This is the debut single from new artist Trip Circus. "Everything You Do" is a simple, sweet song that is lite-rock/pop in it's main version. It features the soulful but stirring vocals of new singer Delisha'mour. The main Dance remix transforms the song for the clubs. It's really light and would work well in clubs and on radio. The Jerome Farley Floor One mixes are more circuit-oriented, but are just light enough for clubs and radio too. The Stripped Afterhours mix is much darker and a lot more electro-ish. A great release overall.

Buy the full digital single at iTunes, Amazon, Napster, and wherever digital music is sold.

Grade: A

LaKisha Jones - Let's Go Celebrate

This is the first proper single from the former American Idol contestant. She gained notoriety for her performances of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and "Diamonds Are Forever" during her time on show. Taken from her debut So Glad I'm Me, "Let's Go Celebrate" is a mild club banger. With it's happy synths, clap-beats, and lyrics about going out to an evening of dancing at a club, it would lend itself really well to remixes. LaKisha delivers an on-point, restrained performance.

There are remixes by Jody Den Broeder, Friscia & Lamboy, and One Cool Cuban. Jody delivers the goods with a funky piano-driven Disco throwback. It's very classy and just what the song needs. Friscia & Lamboy provide an electro/house mix that is a bit dirtier. It's an interesting throwback to the rave-type mixes of the 90's. The amount of vocoding on the vocals as heard on the original is a bit distracting at times and sometimes clashes with the production. One Cool Cuban's are sort of in-between what the other two did. They're just okay. Jody's is the best overall.

Radio edits of the Jody Den Broeder and Friscia & Lamboy mixes are available as bonus tracks on the iTunes release of her album. Get them here.

Grade: A-

DJ DeMarko! featuring Heather Leigh West - Drop A House

This is the much-awaited revisit to Urban Discharge's early 90's club smash "Drop A House." The Tamperer's 1998 single "Feel It" combined the verses and refrain from "Drop A House" and instrumental parts from The Jackson 5's "Can You Feel It". However, singer Heather Leigh West never got the proper credit for her vocals. Now she is here to show the world that it was truly her on that song.

The vocals do sound a bit different, but they sound much richer and more soulful. There are plenty of different remixes of this. Nick Harvey's are really hard and driving. The bassline is so deep. The vocal effects are really good. Wayne G & Andy Alder's mixes are a bit more big room-ish. Jaime Garcia's are a bit Latin-tinged. Razor N' Guido's call to mind the original Tamperer version from 1998. It's a nice blend of tribal/electro. Quentin Harris' mix is kinda runway-ish. The original DeMarko! mix is very tribal and big room-ish. All the mixes are top notch. The standouts are Nick Harvey's, RNG's and the DeMarko! original.

The digital single is available for purchase at most digital music stores.

Grade: A+

Kristinia DeBarge - Goodbye

She is the daughter of James DeBarge of the legendary 80's group DeBarge. This is her first single. Sampling a bit from Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye", the song is quite catchy and addictive. It does sound like a milder version of Britney's "Womanizer". That song has spawned a number of similar songs, especially with the production. Kristinia's voice is decent. She seems interesting enough.

There are remixes of this song by Mike Rizzo, Hot 22, and DJ Paulo. Mike Rizzo's are in a similar direction as the original. He keeps the swing beat. It's really good. Hott 22 and DJ Paulo's mixes lose the swing beat. Hott 22's are really nice, classy House mixes. Very pretty. DJ Paulo's are not as dark as one may expect given his previous work. These are a nice blend of tribal/electro sounds. A strong package overall.

Masterbeat is selling the remix package.

Grade: A-

Various Artists - Just Dance

Record labels Island Def Jam and Ultra have collaborated to bring the music buying public this mixed CD. It features some of both labels' recent hit singles in remixed form. It must be mentioned that his compilation is continuously mixed. Some of the remixes featured were previously unreleased in any form, and some still have not been in a full, unmixed state. The choice of songs is good. Some of the songs are new and fairly recent. A few are bit older (like last year). The mixing is decent. It is a bit jerky in some parts with the first vocals of a song just suddenly starting when a track does on the CD. Otherwise, it's a good package.

Tracklisting:
01. Pitbull - I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) (More English Extended)
02. Rihanna - Disturbia (Jody den Broeder Remix)
03. Ne-Yo - Mad (Ultimix)
04. The Killers - Human (Armin van Buuren Club Remix)
05. Duffy - Mercy (Hott 22 Vocal Remix )
06. Mariah Carey - Touch My Body (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Club Remix)
07. Kim Sozzi - Feel Your Love (Extended Mix)
08. Anastacia - Absolutely Positively (Moto Blanco Remix)
09. Sharam feat. Kid Cudi - She Came Along (Ecstacy of Club Remix)
10. Kraak and Smaak - Squeeze Me (Fedde Le Grand Remix)
11. Utada - Come Back To Me (Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Club Mix)
12. Lionel Richie - Just Go (Mike Rizzo Funk Generation Club)
13. Guru Josh Project - Infinity (Klaas Vocal Mix)
14. Annet Artani - Alive (Jason Nevins Electrotek Club)
15. Alina - When You Leave (Numa Numa) (Basshunter Extended)
16. Basshunter - All I Ever Wanted (DJ Alex Extended Mix)

This CD is available at Target, Best Buy, and Amazon. It is available digitally at iTunes, Amazon's MP3 store, Rhapsody, and Masterbeat.

Grade: B

The Pussycat Dolls - Hush Hush

This is the latest single off of Doll Domination. However, a new main version has been done to promote this. It is much more uptempo and even interpolates a little bit of the Gloria Gaynor disco classic "I Will Survive." It isn't the first time the Dolls have incorporated an older song into their songs. It works well. The original version was pleasant, however, the new version makes it much more radio friendly and just a whole lot better. There are club mixes of this by Dave Aude and Ralphi Rosario with Craig J.

Watch the video here (YouTube)

Grade: A-