Blame It On the Pop

Another year in music has come and gone. And once again DJ Earworm has given us a mash-up that says it all. He has taken the Top 25 hits of 2009, according to Billboard and arranged and mashed them all into one 4 and 1/2 minute song.  And I have to say I am pretty impressed that this can be done and made into a reasonably enjoyable song.  It even has a bit of a theme and a decent song structure.

But what does that say about the state of pop music,  that all of these songs are similar enough to mashed up into one singular song?  I don’t think this a completely untalented group of artists.  I actually enjoyed a fair amount of these songs this year.  But I think it goes to show how much the labels and producers are controlling the sound on these records.  It’s no wonder we eat these songs up and then make ourselves so sick of them that we never want to hear them again. Because we’re essentially listening to the same song over and over again.  What do you guys think?

Here’s a list of all of the songs included in this year’s mash-up.

• The Black Eyed Peas – BOOM BOOM POW
• Lady Gaga – POKER FACE
• Lady Gaga Featuring Colby O’Donis – JUST DANCE
• The Black Eyed Peas – I GOTTA FEELING
• Taylor Swift – LOVE STORY
• Flo Rida – RIGHT ROUND
• Jason Mraz – I’M YOURS
• Beyonce – SINGLE LADIES (PUT A RING ON IT)
• Kanye West – HEARTLESS
• The All-American Rejects – GIVES YOU HELL
• Taylor Swift – YOU BELONG WITH ME
• T.I. Featuring Justin Timberlake – DEAD AND GONE
• The Fray – YOU FOUND ME
• Kings Of Leon – USE SOMEBODY
• Keri Hilson Featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo – KNOCK YOU DOWN
• Jamie Foxx Featuring T-Pain – BLAME IT
• Pitbull – I KNOW YOU WANT ME (CALLE OCHO)
• T.I. Featuring Rihanna – LIVE YOUR LIFE
• Soulja Boy Tell ‘em Featuring Sammie – KISS ME THRU THE PHONE
• Jay Sean Featuring Lil Wayne – DOWN
• Miley Cyrus – THE CLIMB
• Drake – BEST I EVER HAD
• Kelly Clarkson – MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT YOU
• Beyonce – HALO
• Katy Perry – HOT N COLD

The Bird and the Bee Cover Rihanna

I love it when indie artists cover radio-friendly pop songs.  Here is a great one that I stumbled upon recently. Even if you still aren’t convinced about The Bird and the Bee, like myself, or you find the original song slightly repetitive and a little annoying, you should still give this song a chance.  In my opinion this is one of the rare instances where the cover actually trumps the original.  That’s all I got.  Hope it makes your ears bleed.

The Bird and the Bee – Don’t Stop the Music (Rihanna Cover)

Here is the original and my favorite Bird and the Bee original.

Rihanna – Don’t Stop the Music

The Bird and the Bee – Again and Again

RW: My Top Remixes of 2008

rick astley will never give you up, let you down, make you sick, or ruin your remix.

I can already hear the moans. “Another top ten?” Yeah. But take this with a grain of salt,  and I think you will find this to be a very enjoyable experience.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Soulwax Remix) -  the Rolling Stones

This remix puts a brand-new spin on a timeless classic. I first heard the song in the soundtrack of a movie,  and have loved it ever since. But it’s not just because it’s a classic song. I like it because of the job done by the remixer.  Soulwax is one of the best remixing outlets out there, and almost everything I hear by them I want to go out and purchase immediately.  But, this is just the first on my list and I’ve got nine more so let’s keep going.

Video Tapez (ft. Del the Funky Homosapien) – Radiohead

Radiohead has always been known for their abstract sound, as well as the interesting people that they attract. This remix is no exception. Featuring the styling of Del the Funky Homosapien (aka. Deltron 3030)  the song transforms from that of rock to rap.  There’s always a fresh sound when you try to remix Radiohead,  and it’s always super fun to listen to.

I’m A Cuckoo (Avalanches Remix)  – Belle & Sebastian

This remix is completely different. Instead of trading the original sounds for electronic beats, the original points of the song are replaced by tribal drums and a choir. This remix also happens to be done by one of my favorite remixing outlets, The Avalanches.  The subtle change of the backing makes a huge difference and in turn makes it one of my favorite remixes of the year, even if it was released a few years ago.

Umbrella (The Lindbergh Palace Dub) – Rihanna Feat. Jay-Z

Earlier this year I was able to obtain notoriety to our blog when I first wrote about The Lindbergh Palace, and some of the work they’ve done in remixing, more specifically their dubs. This dub mix is no exception and is one of the most profound pieces they’ve ever done.

Never Miss A Beat (Cut Copy Remix) – Kaiser Chiefs

This next remix is one that I kind of found out of the blue. It combines my favorite European rock influence with my favorite Australian electronic influence. Personally, I preferred the original version of the song to the remix, but what keeps bringing me back to this remix is not the song itself but the way in which it was remixed. Cut Copy is my favorite electronic group out there, and while I like their remixes, I like their original content better.

Electric Feel (Justice Remix) – MGMT

A sure winner for any top 10 list this year is can he beat anything by MGMT.  These relative newcomers generated lots of buzz this year with a seemingly endless number of great singles.  But it is this remix, however, that kept my ears bleeding all summer long.  Remixed by the heirs to the electronic music kingdom, Justice, this remix is full of classy transition and poise that you would only find in a Justice song.

Talk (Thin White Duke Remix) – Coldplay

Three words. Speak N’ Spell. Any song that uses a speak n’ spell is almost sure to be a good song in my book. Combine that with my favorite Coldplay song from the album X & Y,  and I’m sure to love it. This remix is not only enjoyable, but danceable.

If I Never See Your Face Again (feat. Rihanna) – Maroon 5

I’d always let myself be turned off to the idea that I would listen to Maroon Five, but the song is really catchy and I ended up liking it a whole lot.  Before I knew it I had listened to this song more than 10 times and enjoyed it more with each play. The song comes from the Maroon Five remix album released this year. Generally such albums tend to generate only a few good remixes, but I was very impressed with this one. Remix fans alike will will rejoice to the earlier sounds of Maroon Five set to hip-hop beats,  and given a whole new life.

Lights & Music (Boys Noize Remix) – Cut Copy

Before the release of their sophomore album earlier this year, thanks to the wonderful website HypeMachine, I found this incredible remix of the single “Lights and Music.”  Whenever I think of the original version of the song my mind always clicks back to this remix, since it was first to hit my ears.  It’s a fun playful mix, and even if it’s not the original, it’s still a great addition to any Cut Copy fan’s collection.

Never Gonna Give You Up (Solly Remix) – Rick Astley

When they write a book about Pop Culture 50 years from now, they will say that the year 2008 was the year of the RickRoll. NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP! NEVER GONNA LET YOU DOWN! NEVER GOING TO TURN AROUND, DESERT YOU! NEVER GONNA MAKE YOU CRY! NEVER GONNA SAY GOODBYE! NEVER GONNA TELL A LIE, AND HURT YOU!

I hope your ears bleed in 2009.

Remix Wednesday: Lindbergh Palace

So last week I wrote about some Dubs of songs by The Killers. And our site got tons of attention. We hit #2 on the popular charts of Hype Machine (hypem.com) and we got featured on the RollingStone.com’s Rock Daily blog (rollingstone.com/rockdaily). Clearly people liked it.

I actually had something planned for this week, but in the spirit of giving the people what they crave, I did some digging and found another Dub mix by Lindbergh Palace. A dub version of Umbrella by Rihanna. Which I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Rihanna, but sometimes a song gets so popular that you can’t avoid it. Umbrella is one of those songs, and I ended up kinda liking it. This mix is another quality production by Lindbergh Palace and it’s already hit heavy rotation on my iPod.

I really hope you like this stuff, because this is the kind of music I live for.

Rihanna – Umbrella (The Lindbergh Palace Club Mix) (removed 2/13/09)
Rihanna – Umbrella (The Lindbergh Palace Dub) (removed 2/13/09)

I hope your ears love dub, because I’ve got more songs to write about next week. Ω