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
 
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