U2 vs Tiesto - Pride (In The Name Of Love)

U2's modern classic was released nearly 28 years ago. The epic track is often cited as a favorite by many fans of the band. Dutch Trance/Electro producer/DJ Tiesto has reworked this song. Bono's vocals on this new version sound strikingly different from the original, and not necessarily in a good way. The vocal stretch in many places just doesn't sound natural. Tiesto's new production is very uplifting and driving. Even though this rework isn't the greatest, it is done for a good cause. All proceeds from the sale of this track will go towards the (RED) foundation.

-Listen to the original U2 version here (YouTube)
-Listen to the Tiesto radio edit here (YouTube)
-Watch Tiesto talk about the (RED) foundation here (YouTube)

Grade: B+

Kelly Clarkson - Greatest Hits Megamix

Hot on the heels of the release of her first greatest hits collection comes this megamix featuring new remixed bits of her biggest hits. According to some information by Robert at DJRicoMixshow, this megamix is produced by Disco Fries and Tommie Sunshine. It's extremely well-produced and is a great overview of her hits.



Grade: A

Cher - Woman's World

The legendary icon is back with the first single from her first album in over a decade. Produced by Paul Oakenfold, the Dance/Pop song doesn't stray too far from the style of her last two records Believe and Living Proof. This is a song about empowering women in the world today. The theme is so relevant and utilized well. Vocally, Cher is in fine form sounding great. The production is perfect for radio and the clubs. This should be another big hit for her.

The digital release of the single is expected to happen on November 26.

Listen to the full song here (SoundCloud)

Grade: A

Gossip - A Joyful Noise RMX EP

The Indie Rock group known for their quirky and fun songs have enlisted the help of a number of remixers to do reworks of songs from their latest album.

Miasha - Everybody's Beautiful (Remixes)

This is the first single from the newcomer. "Everybody's Beautiful" is a rousing positive, self-affirming song. Vocally, Miasha calls to mind Florence Welch. The original is an electro/pop song that would sound at home on Pop radio today. This is something different from the usual though.

Peter Rauhofer has remixed this one to make it even more palatable for the dancefloor. He does a fantastic job of turning this into the anthem it deserves to be, maintaining many of the elements from the original version. There are plenty of energetic buildups and drops in the Big Room mix and Dub. Overall, these are outstanding.

-watch the music video for the original here (YouTube)
-buy the original version here (iTunes)
-watch a video of Miasha being interviewed by Pro Motion; a clip of the Peter Rauhofer mixes begins the video here (YouTube)

Grade: A

Tori Amos - Flavor (Remixes)

This song originally appeared on her 2009 album Abnormally Attracted To Sin. It has been reworked for her new concept album Gold Dust which features classical and orchestral arrangements for some choice songs from other albums. The 2009 version is a piano-driven trip hop song. The new version is very striking in how dramatic it is with the new arrangement. It is absolutely beautiful. Tori's vocals are lovely as can be expected.

Peter Rauhofer has completed some remixes for the song. The Club mix is a Deadmau5 meets Chicane  electro/house one. The Big Room mix starts off slowly and builds up with the hypnotic synths and drums before the vocals come in. Tori's vocals usually sound amazing on a club production, and this is no exception. The Big Room mix works better. The Old Skool dub mix has a few fun vocal loops but is mostly instrumental with a hard electro synth. The vocal drop in the middle is totally unexpected and so perfect.

Overall, this is a great set of remixes for a great song.

Listen to the remixes here (Soundcloud)

Grade: A

Aiden Leslie - Diamond Dreams (Remixes)

The original version was released a short time back. Now the remixes by Klubjumpers, Tim Letteer, Julian Marsh, The All Nighters, Joe Mancuso, and Mike Degen have been released.

The Klubjumpers mix is a straightforward circuit mix. Tim Letteer's is in a similar vein, however, it builds up nicely to the vocals. This is the anthem mix of the release. Julian Marsh's circuit-oriented mix is very uplifting with the huge synths. The All Nighters mix lives up to its name being much darker. Joe Mancuso's percussive mix is a bit lighter. Last but not least is the Mike Degen Rockapella which is just the vocals and the rock production of the original minus the beats.

Every version on the release is excellent with the Tim Letteer and Julian Marsh mixes being the best of the bunch.

Listen to clips and purchase the digital single here (iTunes)

Grade: A

will.i.am feat Britney Spears - Scream and Shout

This is a new collaboration between the sexy popstar and the Black Eyed Peas hitmaker. They previously worked together on Britney's last album Femme Fatale. The electro/pop production is really repetitive and lacks a proper beat. It feels just too soft for a club-oriented track such as this. The lyrics are extremely basic and repetitive. Britney's voice in the spoken parts is almost unrecognizable as she is doing all sorts of faux British accents. She sounds okay during the few actual singing parts. will.i.am's voice is autotuned to hell and back so there is not much more to be said about that. The "It's Britney bitch!" sample from her own "Gimme More" is thrown in at a few places for effect. Britney and will.i.am just do not complement each other at all and the song ends up feeling far too disjointed and soulless. Overall this is a poor effort.

Listen to the song here (LoveBScott)

Grade: D

4 Rare and Unreleased Donna Summer songs

The Queen of Disco passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. In addition to the vast number of releases she had, there are many songs that have remained unreleased and unheard for a long time. Among them were "My Life", "Love On And On", "Valley Of The Moon", and "Adonai." Certain versions of these four songs have surfaced during the last few months since her death.

Mars and Vans feat Adam Turner - Amazing

This is a gorgeous new release from the Swishcraft record label. It features the vocals of Alt-Rock sounding Adam Turner. The Original Club Mix is a funky big room House mix. It makes best use of the vocals. The Mixshow edit of that one shortens it just enough for easier mixing. Matt Consola & LFB Swishcraft's mix is harder and more anthemic. Nick Bertossi's mix is in a contemporary Electro/House style. Cristian Poow's mix is in a similar style as the original but has harder beats and sounds a little more Almighty-ish with the synths. A minimal piano ballad mix called the Moonlight mix is included as well. The song works quite well in this arrangement.

The Original Club Mix of the song is featured in the promo video for Abercrombie & Fitch's new store opening in Munich, Germany.

Overall, every mix of this is really great, however the Original, Matt Consola & LFB, and Moonlight mixes are the standouts of the package.

Listen to clips of the song and purchase at the following places:

• AAC files available at iTunes
• 256 KBPS MP3s available at Amazon Radio Edits | Club Mixes 
• WAVs available at Beatport|

Grade: A

Sandra - Infinite Kiss (Remixes)

This is the second single from her 80's throwback album Stay In Touch which was released last week. The remixes for this song are now available. The Extended Version is a straightforward longer mix of the original. The Hubert Kah mix is a slightly stripped version of the original at the same tempo. The beats are less synthesized and the male vocals have less manipulations and effects.  The 80s Retro Mix is a faster, souped up version of the original. It's in the style that many club mixes were in the 80s with the original having all the right things made louder, faster, and better. It differs from the Extended Version of the original as it has a few more elements. The Ibiza mixes are mostly instrumental with just a few vocal samples. Also included is a bonus track called "Russian Eyes." It's a nice, dreamy uptempo which recalls her song "Little Girl." Overall, the 80s Retro Mix is the best of the bunch.

Purchase the digital single here (iTunes)

Grade: A-

Deborah Cox and George Vector - Remember Me

After having tackled classics by Dinah Washington on her Destination Moon album several years back, Deborah has done a partial remake of Marlena Shaw's soulful "Woman Of The Ghetto." Some select samples from the live version of that song formed the basis for Blue Boy's 1997 club hit "Remember Me." The "Remember me? I'm the one who had your babies!" and "Ging g-geng..." vocals that were in that one form the basis of the chorus and bridge, respectively on this new song. As she always does, Deborah is in fine form vocally. The Eurohouse production fits the song fine, however, it would have worked better as a soulful House one.

Listen to the song here (Perez Hilton)

Grade: A-