Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.Track of the week:
‘My House’ by Hercules and Love Affair
I saw Andy Butler and company (now with the fabulous Aerea Negrot and Shaun Wright, the latter providing the vocals for this song) live not too long ago, and they were absolutely fantastic. This is one of the songs they played live and one of the songs that’s going to be on the album, and it’s wicked. I don’t like the glitchy bit at the beginning in this version though, but after that this tune is absolutely massive. The chorus is fab (and with Hercules and Love Affair, I guess that’s a word you can use), and the vocals are fittingly disco-ey. Live it perhaps has a bit more punch, which makes it even better. But perhaps that’s just me idealizing the night. But even in this version it’s just really good and I can listen to it on and on and on and on. I love the vocals before the chorus, where they strip down most instruments, really disco. And then they kick it up for dancing with the chorus. The album is going to be out in January, and honey, I. Can’t. Wait.
http://hypem.com/track/1274633/Hercules+and+Love+Affair+-+My+House
‘Running Out of You’ by Keep Shelly in Athens (Memory Tapes remix)
If you regularly follow this column you know that I love Memory Tapes. So everything by him is positive by default for me. I love the toned down bits in this, those really dreamy ones. That is especially well done in this remix. Those vocals really are appropriate for that as well. Between those bits there are little periods where he kicks it up a bit, and I can’t help but feel that the drum is a bit too hard compared to everything else in the song. But that’s nitpicking probably, though I actually think this remix is not as smooth as most of Memory Tapes’s others. Still moments of absolute delight though, and for a man doing so many remixes surely not everything can and should be perfect. And it’s still nothing to sneeze at.
http://hypem.com/track/1259444/Keep+Shelly+in+Athens+-+Running+Out+Of+You+Memory+Tapes+Remix+
‘Dancing in Slow Motion’ by Teengirl Fantasy (Brenmar remix)
The song I loved most on Teengirl Fantasy’s debut album was the song with those great disco vocals, ‘Cheaters’ I believe it was called. So good to hear some vocals on this one as well, though they don’t give out that same vibe as on the just mentioned track. Not to say that immediately knocks it down never to get up, because I do like this remix, and especially the subtlety of it. That is to so, a track like this, I think you could easily overdo it. But luckily Brenmar doesn’t go overboard with anything, and keeps it restrained, and I think that is a good choice here. Mostly it’s a good choice because it simply works. It’s perhaps a bit too Alicia Keys for my liking at times, but oh well.
http://hypem.com/track/1275922/Teengirl+Fantasy+-+Dancing+In+Slow+Motion+Brenmar+Remix+
‘Millionaire’ by SidWho?
Let me first up say that every band who brings out a good song with such an amazing title as ‘Vote David Bowie for President’ has already won me over. Because not only you give a nod to one of the most influential artists ever (though the classes I teach might disagree, but I guess in terms of music, we have a readership more erudite than my class of 14-year olds), but you immediately connect yourself to certain connotations as well. Anyway, this track, just a really good one. Love the faint vocals, produced in such a way there is a certain detachment there. I love the bass, totally hits the right key as far as I’m concerned. Love that it is restrained but still is danceable in an italo, dreamy sort of way. It changes up the pace a couple of times to keep it fresh, even going a bit beat-ish around the four minute mark. The instruments flow in and out gracefully, so that you’re always listening to one new layer or another. I think it’s better than ‘Vote Bowie for President’, but the title is sorely lacking originality, that’s the only thing I’ve got against it.
http://hypem.com/track/1002068/Sidwho++-+Millionaire+12+inch+mix+
‘Into the Night’ by Azari & III
It starts kind of lullaby-ish, but I guess, when looking at the song title, that’s only to be expected. I like that though, like how the piano trots forward as well, even after the beat comes in. The vocals are very fitting, and I just love all the work on the keys. I also really like how it stays understated at the beginning, and it slowly adds and flows into new things, while keeping its understated manner. I also want to add a plus for how sneakily it changes its pace at 4:30 even though it doesn’t really change the kind of beat. Perhaps though, for such an understated song, seven plus minutes is just a bit too much for its own good. If it had cut off after about six minutes I would’ve been fine, the outro is perhaps overdoing things a bit. The vocals are a nice change-up throughout the song though.
http://hypem.com/track/1271497/Azari+III+-+Into+The+Night+Nicolas+Jaar+Remix+
‘Night People’ by The Human League (Villa remix)
I’m too young for The Human League. Obviously, I know them, and I know their output, but I don’t have the emotional attachment that one might have as when they’ve grown up with them. Love the violins, that’s the first thing I notice. The beat is a tad hard, but you know, it’s Villa, so you can expect that, it’s on the box basically. But I don’t think it’s too crude here. Maybe it’s offset by the violins for me, that those two ingredients balance each other out. I could very well see myself dancing to it. Not sure if I would put this on at home, but for dancing I actually think this might be quite useable. Would love to see how this would go in a club setting.
http://hypem.com/track/1268311/The+Human+League+-+Night+People+Villa+Remix+
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