December 13, 2007

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Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You

This is the 3rd single off of their sophomore album. After two uptempo singles, they have gone with a mid-tempo ballad that has been a fan favorite ever since the album was released. Adam Levine's vocals sound crisp and fresh on this one. The song's instrumental immediately calls to mind the AC radio staple "Every Breath You Take" by The Police. It has a very similar structure from the verses to the chorus and the bridge. It works very well though.

Grade: A
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Janet Jackson - Feedback

After the less than stellar performance and reception to her last two albums, Damita Jo and 20 Y.O. respectively, Janet is back with a new single and a new album. The lead single off of her appropriately titled album Discipline on Island Def Jam Records is "Feedback". She brings an uptempo R&B/Disco/Dance hybrid that is sure to fill the dancefloors in the clubs and burn up the radio. For the first time in nearly 4 years, she delivers a song that is an out-of-the-box favorite. No gimmicks or over-the-top trashy-sexy lyrics. Her vocals sound better than they have on the last two albums. There are plenty of vocoders and added effects in some parts, but it works well. The album is set to be released in mid to late February. Welcome back Janet!

Grade: A-

December 9, 2007

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Hilary Duff - Reach Out (And Touch Me)

Hilary has been performing this new song as part of her Dignity Tour. It has gotten an amazing response. She does sample from Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus." It is done tastefully though. The "reach out and touch me" line is resung by her and used as the hook. This song instantly calls to mind last year's "Beware Of The Dog" by Jamelia which also sampled from "Personal Jesus." Unfortunately, Jamelia's song didn't crossover in the U.S. Aside from it being used in last year's Victoria's Secret fashion show which was televised on CBS, it got minimal exposure in the U.S. There has been talk of a re-release of Hilary's Dignity album with some additional tracks including this one and a cover she has performed of "Love Is A Battlefield" by Pat Benatar. There is still no confirmation that such a release will happen. This new song is perfect for re-introducing Ms. Duff's Dance/Pop album to the masses.

Grade: A

December 6, 2007

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Snoop Dogg - Sexual Eruption

This is the latest from his forthcoming album. The title will definitely pique interest. This song reminds us of why we love Snoop Dogg so much. Instead of just rapping the whole time, Snoop sings for most of it and raps just a little. The song has the feel of an 80's Freestyle/Hip Hop track. But it doesn't feel dated. It feels very fresh. There is a cleaner version of the original called "Sensual Seduction." Just a few lyrics are changed, but it works. The music video is very eye-popping and cute. Yes. It's kinda cute.

December 4, 2007

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Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Don't forget to tune in tonight to CBS for the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (airing at 10pm PST/EST).
What's the hottest fashion show of the year? We all know the answer to that one: it's the VICTORIA'S SECRET FASHION SHOW. This year's show features the most beautiful women in the world wearing the very latest in Victoria's Secret lingerie. You'll also see performances by the Spice Girls, in their first television appearance since they reunited, will.i.am and Seal.

November 30, 2007

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Grammy Special on CBS Tonight



There will be a special airing on CBS tonight at 8PM featuring 25 of the greatest Grammy performances as chosen by the fans.

Watch the 50 videos that were in contention.
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t.A.T.u. - White Robe (Russian Version)

Russian female duo t.A.T.u. are no strangers to controversy, whether it be their lyrics, photoshoots or their music videos. Their next studio album, tentatively titled Waste Management will be released in 2008 along with a movie in which the girls will appear. Their latest music video for the Russian version of "White Robe" premiered yesterday. This is a censored version. A director's cut featuring some more footage will be made available later on.
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Rihanna - 7 out of 7

Rihanna recently mentioned her aspirations to be just as successful and iconic as Madonna is, and she has already shown some similarities. She has managed have 7 consecutive number one hits out of 7 singles that charted. Her 8th, "Breaking Dishes" has just debuted. Could she break Kristine W's record of 9 weeks? Let's wait and see.

DANCING IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT:
Rihanna's latest dance single, "Shup Up and Drive" (SRP/Def Jam), shifts into first place on Hot Dance Club Play, giving the singer from Barbados her seventh chart-topper on this list. Rihanna now has a perfect record of seven out of seven No. 1 hits, stretching from her debut release, "Pon De Replay" in 2005, to her current song.

Rihanna is tied for second place with Janet Jackson and Madonna among artists with the longest strings of No. 1 hits on the Club Play chart. Jackson's streak began with a remix of "When I Think of You" in 1986 and ran through a remix of "Alright" in 1990, covering a period of three years, seven months and two weeks.

Madonna has two separate runs of consecutive seven No. 1 singles on the Club Play chart. From a remix of "Causing a Commotion" in 1987 to "Justify My love" in 1991, Madonna took three years, two months and three weeks to line up her first run of seven No. 1s. Her second string began in 1999 with "Nothing Really Matters" and ended in 2001 with "Impressive Instant," taking two years, eight months and one week.

Rihanna's seven chart-toppers were assembled in record time -- just two years and two months. Her latest single, "Breakin' Dishes," enters the chart at No. 40 this week. Should it become Rihanna's eighth No. 1 in a row, it will catapult her into second place all by herself. She'll need two more No. 1 hits to surpass the record-holder. Kristine W's first nine chart entries all spent time in the penthouse. The run began with "Feel What You Want" in 1994 and ended with "The Wonder of It All" in 2005. Kristine W's seventh No. 1 was "Fly Again" in 2003, which means it took her nine years, four months and one week to collect her first seven chart-toppers.

Here is a summary of Rihanna's seven No. 1 hits:

"Pon De Replay," one week (2005)
"SOS," one week (2006)
"Unfaithful," one week (2006)
"We Ride," one week (2007)
"Umbrella," two weeks (2007)
"Don't Stop the Music," one week (2007)
"Shut Up and Drive," one week (2007)

November 29, 2007

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Cascada - What Hurts The Most

While the Rascal Flatts version of this song continues to garner plenty of airplay on Country and AC stations, this one never truly crossed over to Pop. German Dance act Cascada has covered "What Hurts The Most" as a Dance track nearly a year after remixer Lenny Bertoldo and singer Lyle did. It did fairly well on the Dance Radio chart. Their version was a fixture on the in-store playlist at the Abercrombie & Fitch clothing stores earlier this year.

Vocalist Natalie Horler does a great job on this one, as usual. The "jump up" production style that has been characterist of most previous Cascada releases is here too, but it gives the track the "oomph" it needs. There are plenty of remixes on both the import and domestic releases. The milder mixes by Fugitive (on the UK release) and Spencer & Hill (on the U.S. and several other ones) are quite enjoyable. They are not quite as in-your-face and are a bit more subdued. Both are quite lovely. Yanou's Candlelight version is also very well-done too. The U.S. iTunes release contains all of those mixes. There's something for everyone. Check out the video.

Grade: A-
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Enur - Calabria 2007

The familiar sax sample has made regular appearances in clubland for the last 5 years. It most notably was used in the official mashup "Destination Calabria" by Alex Gaudino and Crystal Waters. The song did pretty well on the European charts and did only slightly well on the Dance radio chart here. Signed to Ultra Records in the U.S., this mishmash of Reggae, Rap, Hip Hop and Dance has already begun to get considerable airplay. Pop and Rhythmic stations are jumping on board and giving this one prime exposure. Mega station Z100 has championed this one and the other stations are following. "Calabria 2007" also features a somewhat scandalous video that is worth noting as well.

Miami-based rapper Pitbull has gotten into the act and has recorded a track called "The Anthem" that also contains the ubiquitous sax sample. It almost sounds like the familiar Latin drum beat used in Bob Sinclar's "Rock This Party" from last year. This one could be huge in clubs with the right remix. Although, all is really needed here is an extended version.

Overall, the "Calabria 2007" track would work well in the clubs as it would be a floorfiller, but maybe not so much on the radio, but it's doing well. The vocals could grate on your last nerve after a short time.

Grade: C+ (for "Calabria 2007")

Grade: B+ (for the Pitbull track)
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Janet Jackson--New album coming soon

Hot on the heels of the commercial and critical disappointment that was 20 Y.O., a new album, on a new label will be released in the early part of 2008.

November 27, 2007, 11:05 AM ET
Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter

Janet Jackson's as-yet-untitled debut album for Island Def Jam will be released in February. The artist is also prepping a worldwide tour to promote the follow-up to 2006's "20 Y.O." In addition, Jackson has signed with the William Morris Agency for representation in all areas.

Jackson comes to the company after a starring role in Tyler Perry's hit "Why Did I Get Married?" She will be repped by a team of agents led by Dave Wirtschafter and Charles King that will run across multiple divisions of the agency, including film, touring, licensing and merchandising, television, theater, publishing and new technology.

Jackson said she was attracted to the agency because of its long history. She continues to be repped by managers Johnny Wright and Kenneth Crear as well as attorney Don Passman.

As for Jackson's new album, it is being executive produced by Def Jam CEO Antonio "L.A." Reid rather than Jackson's boyfriend, Island Urban president Jermaine Dupri.


Dupri is working on Mariah Carey's new album, which should be out next spring. "We're going to make it seem like we're in competition to see who's going to have the biggest album of the year," he told Billboard in July.

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Justin Timberlake - FutureSexLoveSounds re-release

After selling pretty well and earning several major awards, some had wondered if a re-release would ever happen. It did happen on November 27. In addition to the regular album, there are several additional remixes and a DVD. Noticeably missing are "Pose" and "Boutique In Heaven" which were bonus tracks on certain editions of the album when the initial release occurred in 2006. Remixes (read: non-Dance) are included for "Until The End Of Time" (now featuring additional vocals by Beyoncé Knowles), "Sexy Ladies" (now featuring 50 Cent), and "Sexyback" (featuring Missy Elliott and Timbaland). That's all, well, for the audio portion of the program. The DVD includes music videos for "Sexyback", "My Love", "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around", "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows"

The question on most of our minds is: Who will buy this re-release? This is definitely for fans who collect anything and everything Justin. However, this is perfect for those who did not purchase the album the first time around. Is this re-release really worth purchasing? Yes and no. For the same reasons. Though, the music videos for this era are just amazing.

Grade: A+ (for the original release of the album)
Grade: B- (for the re-release)
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An open letter to the readers of this blog

Dear Blog Readers,

I apologize for not having updated for like the last hundred years. LOL. I had been super busy with a day job. Now that I have been set free. LOL again. I will try to keep this blog as updated as I can.

The re-launch of the blog will happen tomorrow.

Thanks for understanding.

-Disco Cowboy

September 15, 2007

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2 New Madonna Demos

"The Beat Goes On"
A few days ago, a demo/early version of a new song from the Material Girl herself surfaced on the internet. This is the second such clip to surfaced from her still untitled, forthcoming Hip Hop/R&B/Dance project. This is one of several tracks that she worked on with Pharrell Williams. It is not nearly as Urban-oriented as some thought she may go. It is more like Rhythmic-Pop. One cannot help but think of Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake's recent albums. Not a bad thing at all as those albums were greatly appreciated by fans and music critics alike. Fans of the more Dance-oriented Madonna shouldn't be alarmed as this one is pretty Dancey. And she didn't rap on this one. Madonna's voice is in great form and takes center stage throughout the song. Pharrell can be heard on this track too. The lyrics are very fun, albeit a tad clichéd, but they're nice. There is still no word on whether this is going to be a single or even make the final tracklisting of the album. But it must be said, this is a great indicator of things to come.

Grade: A

"Candy Shop"
Also done with Pharrell, this is an infectious little treat. She sings about her candy shop of love with all sorts of goodies. And she begs you to "get up on the dancefloor." The lyrics may call to mind some of the recent candy-themed songs by Christina Aguilera, 50 Cent, Mika, Gwen Stefani and Melanie C. This is simply not jumping on the bandwagon. The song is cute and fun. While this too may or may not be on the album, this one is quite tasty too.

Grade: A
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Tracey Thorn - Grand Canyon

This is the 3rd single off of her solo album Out Of The Woods. Ever since the album was released, this song has been a fan favorite, and many had been hoping for this one to be chosen as a single at some point, and it finally has. "Grand Canyon" is a gorgeous Electro-Pop/Ambient hybrid. Tracey's ethereal vocals come in almost instantly and then take ahold of the listener. The main version is quite Dancey and an extended version would be perfect for the clubs. There are remixes as well. Dirty South's mix is a heavier Electro mix with a similar vibe as the original. King Unique's mix is a 10 minute late night House adventure. This is the mix of choice.

Album Version
Grade: A+

Dirty South Mix
Grade: A-

King Unique Mix
Grade: A
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Katharine McPhee - Love Story

"Love Story" is the second single from the American Idol alumnus. The old school classic-sounding track has only done mildly well since its release earlier this Summer. It has been remixed as was her previous single "Over It."

Solar City and Soul Banger (Tony Moran with Warren Rigg) have done the mixes. Both deliver stellar circuit-oriented mixes with the vocals as the focal point. Solar City's is a lot synthier and harder. A dub of this would be fantastic with all those vocal samples. Soul Banger's mix is a big room, tribal track. Both mixes are awesome. The Solar City mix is currently unavailable for purchase, however the Soul Banger mix can be purchased, albeit heavily edited on the Thrive Mix 04 compilation.

Original
Grade: B+

Solar City Mix
Grade: A+

Soul Banger Club Mix
Grade: A+
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The Veronicas - Hook Me Up

After a false start in the U.S., the Pop/Rock group is back with a new single hoping to conquer the music world. "Hook Me Up" is a Dance-oriented Rock track. This thumping track is quite enjoyable. And the chorus is totally infectious. It's hard to not want to sing along. The instrumental production is thick and synthy with hard guitars and a not-so-well-hidden "Tainted Love" sample is present. Overall, this is a great track to get noticed with. While prior singles including "4Ever" and "Everything I'm Not" failed to strike a chord with U.S. audiences, let's hope this one does.

Grade: A-
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Jennifer Lopez - Do It Well

This is now the lead single off of J.Lo's highly anticipated album Brave. "Hold It, Don't Drop It" didn't get the warmest reactions, however, "Do It Well" did. This one is an uptempo Pop/R&B track. Jennifer sounds more in her element on this one. Uptempo club bangers are something she has a knack for delivering. A hot club-themed video directed by David LaChapelle premiered recently. And it's sexy sexy! There is also a remix aimed at Rhythmic stations with rap by Ludacris. It does what it's supposed to do, but it takes away from the song. No word yet on whether an alternate version with different melody, lyrics and vocals will be recorded a la "I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny."

Original
Grade: A-

Remix with Ludacris
Grade: B

August 30, 2007

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Jordin Sparks - Tattoo

This is the first proper single from the 6th winner of American Idol. After the lukewarm response to her coronation song/obligatory Idol single "This Is My Now", "Tattoo", a midtempo ballad has been chosen to begin her career. This Stargate-produced track sounds very similar to Beyoncé's smash hit "Irreplaceable" which reigned over the Hot 100 not that long ago. It is so strikingly similar that during the first few bars, one may begin to sing, "to the left, to the left." The good news is that Jordin's vocals are on point, however, the lyrics being sung sound very Disney-ish. This one doesn't really feel like it is single material. Time will tell how long Jordin's career lasts.

Jordin's vocal performance
Grade: A-

The song, overall
Grade: D+

August 25, 2007

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Colton Ford - The Way You Love Me

Adult film actor Colton Ford has occasionally recorded music for club consumption throughout the years. He's back with a new single called "The Way You Love Me." His previous singles haven't achieved the amount of success they deserved, but, this new one deserves all the success and praise it gets. Co-written by Ford and producer/remixer Quentin Harris, the lyrics are meaningful. And Ford's vocal performance is quite decent. The main version by Harris is a nice Summery, classic-sounding production. And the seemingly low budget music video is surprisingly sexy without being vulgar.

Grade: A-
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Heidi Montag featuring Spencer Pratt - Body Language

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have become household celebrities after their stint on the MTV reality series The Hills. Are they striving to be Pop stars as well? Maybe. A song called "Body Language" featuring vocals by both of them recently surfaced. The song is a mixture of accessible 80's electro-pop and Timbaland-styled beats. One would swear that this was done in the same vein as Timbaland's recent hit "The Way I Are." The beats are almost identical, and there is synth-pop sound throughout from a very well-known song. Timba's sounded very much like "Push It" by Salt N' Pepa, and this one is directly from Yazoo's "Situation." Heidi's singing is surprisingly good. She may not be the best, but she sounds fine. Spencer's rap is a tad generic, but works fine. There's a version without rap as well. The lyrics are fun and simple. This song is perfect for radio and the clubs. This one was reportedly not a single, but given the general response to it, it should be.

Grade: A-
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Melody - I Did Yo Boyfriend

Newcomer Melody is bragging about how she slept with the someone else's boyfriend because this other woman apparently doesn't know what to do to please him on her single "I Did Yo Boyfriend." Yes it is as bold as it sounds, but it comes off as more hilarious than angry. This song calls to mind "Don't Cha." It's fun for a little while, however, it gets boring fast. This one may work fine on the dancefloor, but that's about it. Buy it here.

*Note: This song receives two grades:
Grade: A (for the comedic value)
Grade: D- (Overall quality and staying power)

August 23, 2007

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Tatiana Okupnik - Don't Hold Back

Tatiana represented her native country of Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004. She placed 17th. But that's not where it ended. She went on to be quite successful in Poland. And now she hopes to become established outside of her country with the song "Don't Hold Back." The album version is a mid-tempo Dance-oriented vocal track. This one calls to mind NY-based electronic music duo iiO's "Is It Love" (the original album version, not the new main version that became the single version). Tatiana's vocals are slightly accented, but it gives it some distinction. Her voice is very rich and controlled. The backing vocals for the pre-chorus and chorus are almost choir-like. They really add to the song and give it an inspirational feel. There are some remixes for this one. The main one is the NY Dance Mix which was done by Tony Moran with Jody Den Broeder and Warren Rigg. The mid-tempo is transformed into a thundering club anthem. All vocals are intact, and the new loops and effects that were added make it even better. It is absolutely stunning.

Album Version
Grade: A

NY Dance Mix by Tony Moran, Jody Den Broeder, Warren Rigg
Grade: A+

August 22, 2007

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BWO - Let It Rain

After releasing a cover of the song "Save My Pride" originally recorded by fellow Swedes Alcazar, they are back with a mid-tempo followup called "Let It Rain." The overall vibe of the song calls to mind Robbie Williams' "Millenium", however, it works here. The simple lyrics and gentle vocal delivery are nice. Remixes of this would work well, however, no remixes have been planned. However, the followup single to this one, "Rhythm Drives Me Crazy" has plenty of remixes. Both singles from their 3rd studio album Fabricator will be released on August 22 in Sweden.

Grade: B+

August 15, 2007

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M.I.A. - Jimmy

This is the second single off of her forthcoming album Kala. She draws upon yesteryear's Bollywood for the instrumental portion of her song. Recreating the hypnotic instrumental from the 80's Hindi song "Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja" from the movie Disco Dancer, M.I.A. is ready to go to the clubs, not that she needs much help in the at area. Alternating between talk-singing and actually singing, she also takes time to sing with the original melody of the song. She even uses a little bit of the Hindi refrain from the original. It's very fresh and fun. And her colorful Bollywood-esque music video goes perfectly with the song and pays homage to the classic original.

Grade: A+

August 10, 2007

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Inez - Stronger

With the opening vocals of the song, many may swear they are listening to an iiO/Nadia Ali song, but they're not. Inez's voice has the same ethereal, earthy quality that Nadia's has. After having seen a small release over a year ago, "Stronger" finally gets the proper release it deserves via Tommy Boy Records.

In addition to some of the mixes that appeared on the original release, there's a new mix by Jody Den Broeder. Jody's is a light electro-house production that stays close enough to the original. Eric Kupper's mix is a perfect balance of Dance with Pop sensibilities. Inez's vocals are the focal point on all the vocal mixes.

A CD maxi with the Jody Den Broeder mix can be purchased at PerfectBeat. The U.S. iTunes store has some of the mixes from the original release too.

Jody Den Broeder mixes
Grade: A

Eric Kupper mixes
Grade: A

All the other mixes
Grade: A- (average of all of them; they were all pretty good though)

August 7, 2007

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Head to Head Battle: Sean Kingston vs. JoJo - Beautiful Girls

Determining whose version came first is one of those "chicken and the egg" situations. It has yet to be definitively determined. Both are very Reggae/Dance-oriented, and utilize the basic melody from Ben E. King's standard "Stand By Me." The lyrics are about being away from that special love of yours for a long period of time. Very relatable.

Sean Kingston's version of this song has slowly become the 2007 "song of Summer." It is quite difficult to go anywhere without hearing this one. It's all over the music video channels when they play videos and on the radio. And Sean's album just came out last week.

R&B leaning Pop singer JoJo hit it big a year ago with "Too Little, Too Late" but then took a backseat on the Pop scene for a while. Her version first surfaced on her MySpace a few weeks back. Radio stations have begun to play this version alongside Sean's one. This one is a bit more R&B/Freestyle-oriented (think of Inoj's "Love You Down", Corina's "Summertime, Summertime" and Kandi's "Don't Think I'm Not").

Overall, both are listenable, however, it is definitely all about JoJo's. Her vocals are very gentle to the ear and are really smooth.

The Winner: JoJo

Sean Kingston
Grade: B-

JoJo
Grade: A-
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Head to Head Battle: Buzz Junkies vs. Booty Luv - Don't Mess With My Man

This is not the first time, nor the last time that two (or more) covers of exactly the same song on different labels have been released within a very short time span. This time the song being covered is by Lucy Pearl from 2001 which had a set of palatable remixes by Mood II Swing and Wookie.

First we have Buzz Junkies featuring Elesha on the All Around The World label. AATW has released a good number of covers every year for the last several years. Mixes are by Moto Blanco. The Moto Blanco mixes are quite simple and straightforward. They are pretty good.

And then we have Booty Luv on Hed Kandi (in association with sister label Ministry Of Sound). Their cover is a bit more electro-sounding. This is their fourth cover in a row. "Boogie 2Nite" (originally by Tweet), "Shine" (originally by Luther Vandross with some amazing mixes by the Freemasons) and "Be Without You" (originally by Mary J. Blige, and was also covered by the AATW label's WiFi; it is worth noting that this was not issued as a single but was just for a compilation). Mixes for this one are by Seamus Haji and Thomas Gold. This single is to precede the release of Booty Luv's debut album Boogie 2Nite by a week in September.

Vocals on both are rather decent. The Buzz Junkies one is slightly better on vocals though. Same with production of the Moto Blanco mixes. The Booty Luv's remixes are decent too. Seamus Haji's mix is highly reminiscent to his mix of "Boogie 2Nite." The Thomas Gold mix is much funkier.

The Winner: Buzz Junkies featuring Elesha

Buzz Junkies featuring Elesha
Grade: A-

Booty Luv
Grade: B+

August 3, 2007

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Audio Club - Hot Bangin', Super Sexy

After "Sumthin Serious" only did slightly well on radio earlier this Spring, Audio Club are back with a decent followup. New York's Z100 had been giving plenty of airtime to their first single, however, the rest of the country didn't catch on. Given that it was on Ultra Records, a New York-based dance label, the song would have gotten airplay on the dance stations, however, the song only gained some attention. With the release of this new single and a forthcoming debut album on major label Interscope, there could be renewed interest in the previous single while simultaneously playing this new one. This song is in a similar vein as there previous single, but not as contrived. Audio Club is best described as a Fergie-type singer plus a rapper with dance-leaning beats and productions. Could this be the beginning of a whole new "he raps/she sings" revolution as there was throughout much of the 90's? Perhaps. It has almost become a pre-requisite for female-sung uptempo tracks to feature an alternate mix with a male rapper on it. They just took it one step further. This one is much better than their previous single and is a lot more fun. Listen to it on their MySpace.

Grade: B+
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Sexy?! NO NO NO!!!!

Justin definitely brought sexy back last year, but the ladies of Girls Aloud want to also. They are back with a hot new Dance/Pop track called "Sexy! No, No, No." The intoxicating intro is extremely noteworthy. The sudden jump into a Jamelia "Beware Of The Dog"-eque production is quite a pleasant surprise. The vocals are pretty decent from here on out. With its layering and manipulation of the main chorus throughout the track, it may take a few listens to get accustomed to, but it is a nice change from the cookie-cutter singles that are churned out year in, year out. Will Tony Lamezma remix? Let's hope the answer is yes.

Grade: B+
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They want danger

They first gained attention with "The Rejection" over a year ago and followed it up with an EP featuring several tracks. No proper album yet, but hopefully one is in the works. Of the Dance/Rock-oriented EP, "Give Me Danger" became the next single. It has the feel of a Depeche Mode or Erasure track. The vocals definitely will call to mind Dave Gahan. Not a bad thing though. This similarity could hopefully cause fans of Dangerous Muse to check out Depeche Mode and Erasure if they have not done so already.

Just as was done with "The Rejection", "Give Me Danger" has received some remixes. Peter Rauhofer headlines on this project, however, there are over half a dozen other mixes that are worthy of attention as well. Peter Rauhofer opted to go in the electro-house direction he has been dabbling in for the last couple of years. For a song of this nature, it is quite appropriate. The slowed-down vocals lose some of the "oomph" found in the original. The production doesn't have the feel of "danger" as may have been expected, however, it is pretty decent.

A CD maxi containing the original, Rauhofer and other mixes was issued a few weeks back. It is available at some brick n' mortar stores, however PerfectBeat and Amazon are good options as they have carried it and may do so for some time.

Original Version
Grade: A

Peter Rauhofer mixes
Grade: B+
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Is JLo the next Queen of Disco?

Definitely not by a long shot, however, she has gone in the 70's Disco direction with her latest single "Hold It, Don't Drop It" which is currently the lead single off of her much-anticipated new English-language album. This is just one of many other 70's/80's-sounding singles that are currently burning up radio airwaves. And this one is quite nice. It definitely calls to mind Beyoncé's first, true solo hit "Crazy In Love" with the old school-styled orchestral elements as well as Christina Aguilera's retro throwback "Ain't No Other Man." This is is not a carbon copy of either songs, but one can't help but think of those two songs. This may not be an indicator of what Ms. Lopez's forthcoming album may sound like, but if it is, it's not bad at all.

Grade: B+
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Elliot Yamin - Wait For You...Remixed

He was in the final 3 during the 5th season of singing competition American Idol. His first post-Idol album and single have been out for some time now. "Wait For You" has been doing pretty well on the Pop radio format and has begun to get some play on Rhythmic stations as well. The song is an in-between R&B/Pop ballad. It has the feel of some of Brian McKnight's music.

Trendsetting Pop station Z100 in New York has been changing things up a bit and is playing a remix by Jason Nevins. This mix basically takes the piano and bass from the original and adds some rock guitars plus some familiar drum loops. And the vocals on top of this production sound a lot better. The song still has the emotional element found in the original, but it's just a little faster. It's well-done.

Jason did two slightly different mixes. The GTR (Guitar) mixes are a little more Dance/Rock-ish while the Synth mixes are a little more clubbier.

There is also a mix by Midi Mafia which is not really a Dance mix in the conventional sense. It's basically an Urban mix. This is quite suitable for the Rhythmic format. It feels a little more generic in this incarnation, but it's decent at best.

Album Version
Grade: A-

Jason Nevins mixes
Grade: A+

Midi Mafia mix
Grade: B

July 27, 2007

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50 Cent, Justin Timberlake and porn

They didn't make a porno together. But they did record a song together. It was bound to happen eventually. Not just their collaboration, but the song they recorded about porn. On "She Wants It" (or "Ayo Technology" as it was once known), they go back and forth about doing things with the girls in their fave porno films. On paper, this probably seems like a power collaboration, and it could have been, but it just didn't work. The song is not as brazen as it sounds. It's rather tame. 50 Cent's verses sound clumsy and really forced. His spoked ad-libs and shoutouts work much better. Justin's portion are pretty good and would work best in their own track. A Justin-only version could be very promising. The instrumental and beats are really hot. Back to the drawing board.

Grade: D+
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Judy Torres - I Don't

The former Freestyle diva is back with another cover. This time it is the cover of a Country song by Danielle Peck called "I Don't." This is just one of several Dance covers of Country songs that have been released from Robbins Entertainment. Previous offerings include "Forgive" and "The Dance", recorded by Reina and Rockell respectively. This may seem like an unlikely choice for turning into a Dance song, but the song lends itself quite well. Judy's vocals are in fine form here as they were just a couple years ago on "Faithfully" (originally by Journey). Her vocals seem to improve with age which is a rare thing nowadays. Valentin is behind this production on the main versions as well as the Candlelight mix. Out now.

Buy it here
.

Grade: B+

July 24, 2007

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Offer Nissim featuring Maya - My All

In some interviews, Israeli singer Maya Simantov had mentioned that Mariah Carey had been one of her musical influences. It was only a matter of time before she would cover a Mariah song either for a performance or one of her and Offer Nissim's albums. The song she did was "My All." There's no word on whether her take on the song will be on Offer and Maya's forthcoming studio album. A few weeks back, Maya performed a cover of the song from Mariah's 1997 album Butterfly. While she has been known primarily for doing the vocals on dance-oriented tracks, her cover was completely true to the original and even did away with some of the percussion that comes in later in the song. The guitars from the original were present for her cover. The minimal instrumentation created the perfect conditions for Maya's ethereal voice to take center stage. Her delivery was very controlled and powerful. She did channel Mariah in her delivery, however, she held her own. Watch the performance here.

Grade: A-
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Gym class in the buff?

Keep on dreaming kids. But to the Gym Class Heroes, this is a great idea. Their latest single "Clothes Off" is a pseudo remake of the Jermaine Stewart dance classic. Just the chorus and the ad-libs are similar. The lyrics in the Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy-sung chorus now say "we have to take our clothes off." Yes. Jermaine's abstinence song has been changed into "harmless", sexy fun. The rapped verses are quite good though. With its set of dance remixes, this is all ready for packing dancefloors. Watch the video here.

Grade: A-

July 20, 2007

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Friday Flashback: Chicane - Saltwater

This song became an Ibiza anthem almost overnight in 1999 when it was released. It was based on the song "Theme From Harry's Game" by the folk group Clannad. Lead singer Maire Brennan from Clannad provided the vocals for this lush track. The main versions were in a similar vein as Chicane's previous hits "Offshore" and "Sunstroke", however, this one was a lot more mellow. The remixes by the Thrillseekers, in both Ambient and House versions were absolutely stunning. And Tomski vs. Disco Citizens' mix was quite amazing as well. Check out the great video.

July 18, 2007

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Nelly wants it done

On the heels of the tepid response to "All Good Things (Come To An End)" in the U.S. comes an 80's sounding dance-pop track, which is the 5th U.S. single off of Loose, "Do It." This one is a very party, club and radio friendly song that is sure to be everywhere in the next few weeks.

Was this the best choice for a 5th single? Maybe. Should "Maneater" have been re-released? Perhaps. But this is still a decent choice for a single.

There is also a fun remix with Missy Elliott which adds a little freshness.

Album Version
Grade: B

Remix with Missy Elliott
Grade: B+
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Ready to try some China Wine?

Having already established herself as a regular on the club charts, Sun is now ready to take over the R&B and Pop charts with her brand of music.

She has already been quite successful both commercially and critically in Asia, and now she hopes to achieve the same here. Sun first came onto the scene a few years back with several singles which were promoted primarily to the U.S. Dance stations and clubs with their accompanying plethora of remixes. Each one fared better than the previous one.

Sun has been working on a proper U.S. debut album to introduce herself to the rest of the U.S. "China Wine" is a full blown clubbanger. She collaborated with Wyclef Jean who was a pretty integral part of Shakira's smash "Hips Don't Lie." The result is an equally catchy track that stands on its own. Tony Matterhorn and Elephant Man also appear on this track. This could be a surprise hit this Summer.

More information

Sun's U.S. website


Grade: A-
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When Mariah feels it

This was originally supposed to be on Mariah's 2005 comeback album The Emancipation Of Mimi, however, issues involving a sample used in the song prevented the release. The song was recently previewed and full length version finally surfaced. In early 2005, a short cell phone recording that lasted just a few seconds had surfaced sounded quite promising. Due to the sample issue, the song could not appear on the first release of the album. Then plans for including it on the re-release were made, but then too, it couldn't be released. Was this track worth the wait? Oh yes! The song is a nice, slow Motown throwback jam. And Mariah sounds just great. She sounds very comfortable doing this style of music.

Grade: A+

July 17, 2007

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This one is for the large n' lovely ladies out there

If you follow music, you have probably heard of rising star Mika. After the runaway smashes of "Grace Kelly" and "Love Today", his next single is a colorful ode to full figured women appropriately titled "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)." This one is very much in the same vein as "Love Today" with the Giorgio Morodor-eque instrumental production. The lyrics are rather witty and cute. The group sing along vibe of the track just adds to its appeal. It may be a little cheesey, but this is the good kind. This song could get some mainstream attention as it is prominently featured in the TV spots for the Oxygen television program Mo'nique's Fat Chance which is a pageant for larger women. Check out the music video.

Grade: A-

July 13, 2007

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Jessica Sutta

She has been part of the highly successful girl group The Pussycat Dolls for some time now. Is she leaving the group for a solo career in clubland? No. But she has been featured on a couple of new dance tracks which will be quite huge in the clubs and on dance radio very soon.

The first one is a track with trance/electro genius Paul Van Dyk on the track "White Lies." It's a simple vocal track where Ms. Sutta actually sings. And she does a pretty good choice. Paul Van Dyk's usual melodic progressive trance sound is not as present here. It's a bit more electro house with his signature hi-hats and synths. It's a nice combo.

The other one is a track with Dave Aude. This one is in a similar vein, however, it is a little less vocal-oriented.

The former showcases her vocal talent much more. The latter shows a little more of her sexy side, not that she needs much help already.

Check out both ASAP.

"White Lies"
Grade: A-

"Make It Last"
Grade: B
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Angelique + Junior Vasquez = HEAVEN

Legendary NYC-based DJ/remixer Junior Vasquez has remixed all sorts of songs throughout his career and has always kept us guessing what's next. During the Arena era (circa mid 1995 till early 1998), Junior remixed several international records and made them shine on the dancefloor. He did a couple for Beninese artist Angelique Kidjo including "Shango" and "Wombo Lombo." And now he is taking on not one, but two of her singles. Mixes for "Salala" and "Arouna" have been completed. The mixes for "Salala" shipped to DJs a few weeks back. The hard, driving tribal mixes are a complete 180 from the soft, acoustic original. It's a nice hands-in-the-air, sing along anthem now. The majority of the vocals are Peter Gabriel's as he was featured on the original. Angelique's vocals are present for the choruses and ad-libs. The "change" in the second half of the mix is quite noteworthy. Very underground-sounding. And the synth riff from Junior's epic mix of "While The Earth Sleeps" by Deep Forest & Peter Gabriel is very nice as well. These mixes will be released in a few weeks through The Orchard for legal download. This is not your mother's World music. Check it out.

Grade: A+

July 10, 2007

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Rihanna to the DJ: "Please don't stop the music!"

Rihanna is everywhere right now! She just released her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad, has a number one single in the U.S. ("Umbrella"), an already huge second single "Shut Up & Drive", and an upcoming club smash "Don't Stop The Music."

Her Michael Jackson-sampling track is quite dancey in its main version and beckons you to turn it up loud and dance too. This has Summer club anthem written all over it. This is not the next single for radio, but should it be?

Armed with remixes by Jody Den Broeder, The Wideboys and Solitaire, there's a little something for all the DJs out there. And there's always the album version. All the mixes utilize a bit of the "Mama say mama sa..." chant from "Wanna Be Starting Somethin'" in various amounts. This is an instance in which a sample is used properly.

Buy this right away.
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Brad goes online

It was never written in stone that Country music needs to be serious all the time. Country music lends itself very well to humor. Country crooner Brad Paisley has illustrated this on his latest single "Online." He sings about being "so much cooler online." Many can relate to his tale about creating a much more attractive version of themselves online. This simple, true-to-life song stands out in that it is a Country song, but in the conventional sense. This is a good first song for those getting into Country music. Must listen. And check out the hilarious music video. Buy the song here.

Grade: A-
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Kanye meets Daft Punk

Kanye West doing Dance music? Okay. It's sort of true, but not really. Mr. West has creatively sampled from French Electronica duo Daft Punk's 2001 club hit "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." The robotic vocal hook from the chorus makes a very regular appearance in Kanye's empowerment song "Stronger." This may seem like an unlikely marriage of Kanye's fierce rhymes and these robotic vox, but it works. In fact, it works very well. This is not the first time Daft Punk's music has inspired a hip hop/rap track. A few choice vocals from "Technologic" became the basis for the chorus of "Touch It" by Busta Rhymes which burned up the radio and music video channel airwaves.

Taken from his forthcoming Graduation album, this song is a breath of fresh air amongst the various other new songs that contain a rather familiar sample. The music video is very futuristic and high tech and goes very well with the nature of the song.

Grade: A-
 
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