Mariah Doesn't Do Drugs

Well, it's too late to vote and the contest is over, but I think New York's Designer Drugs were robbed of prizes for their "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" remix. The people in Mariah's crew ended up selecting a bunch of R&B snoozers. No wonder people are pessimistic about the music industry.

Let's be honest, the original song isn't anything to celebrate. But Designer Drugs were able to give it a hyper electro-house spin that pushes Mariah to dance diva proportions.

Designer Drugs' remix work is pretty incredible. Their remix of Hail Social's "Heaven" is one of my favorite tracks this year. Hear the original and then see how creatively they reimagined it on their MySpace (or buy it on purple vinyl like I did).

UPDATE:
Designer Drugs have kindly allowed me to post the remix for download. Enjoy!


MP3 -> I'll Be Lovin U Long Time (Designer Drugs Remix) - Extended
MP3 -> I'll Be Lovin U Long Time (Designer Drugs Remix) - Radio Edit

Last Plane to Jamaica

San Francisco's Ghosts on Tape is an artist I admire. Using only "some janky ass ghetto equipment", Ryan Philip Merry is producing some of the most musical, enjoyable beats I've heard in a while.

Maybe it has to do with his open minded approach to influences (electro, turbo grime, speed garage and Miami bass to name a few). I'll settle with ghettotech as the genre that might sum it up.

His just-released free live mix was performed using two samplers and features 25 minutes of tracks he's working on. Even if you have a modest interest in dance music and tropical, bass-heavy beats, I suggest you give it a listen. I suspect a full album release is in the works.

In a recent interview, Ghosts on Tape said even though he has a passion for dancehall, sadly "there's like no Jamaicans" in San Francisco. Just like there's no black folks in Alaska, according to Diddy.

But G.O.T. is right about Jamaicans in S.F., although I can personally confirm SF kids love their Red Stripe.

Tripping on Neon

Here in New York, I've had to readjust from my West Coast methods of listening to music. My routine used to be: dance/hip-hop at the gym, folk/rock/pop on my work commute, and pretty much anything on my home stereo.

In my new apartment, the wall separating my room from my Morrissey/Crass-loving roommate is dangerously thin, so I've yet to buy a stereo system. Listening to my iPod at home just feels weird and this city is too new and exciting for me to wear headphones all the time.

So for now, I'm dealing with it until I get some soundproofing. To keep me entertained, I have been watching some hot videos. The New York Times keeps mentioning how surrealism is IN right now. How about a little neon and psychedelia?

Love this song and video. I recently bought Hot Chip's DJ Kicks and discovered Grovesnor's "Nitemoves." "Drive Your Car" is a real treat.









Yelle's "Ce Jeu" is extremely cute. Their shows are so high-energy. The lead singer can get any party started. And I still don't have their album!









I remember the first time I saw Tilly and The Wall, my friend Sailor whispered in my ear, "I think the tap dancer is crazy." No kidding! I am loving this song. I disliked their super-neon "Beat Control" single, so "Pot Kettle Black" is very exciting.

Run, Run, Hide, Hide

From Morrissey and M.I.A. to dance mixes from Fabric and DJ Kicks, I’ve often found myself forgetting the entire mix and focusing on just one or two songs that quickly grab my attention.

Santogold’s collaboration with Diplo on Top Ranking has a few of these moments, but the stand-out track for me has to be Trouble Andrew’s “Run - Hide.”

When this came on after the laugh-inducing skit with Mark Ronson, I literally stopped everything I was doing and wondered what artist I was listening to. “Run - Hide” is a drowsy, lo-fi electro hit.

It immediately reminded me of the more pop leanings of the hyped Berlin labels of the early 00’s, yet with a more fresh, hip-hop edge.

It starts off with creepy organs, then Diplo’s beats kicks in and we get the smooth chorus and the crisp, vintage synths. Everything about it is outstanding.

After listening to Trouble Andrew’s less interesting songs on his MySpace, I truly believe Diplo must have worked wonders to produce this track. Complete kudos to him, but also to Trouble Andrew for his great vocal delivery and overall sex appeal.

This track is available as a free download on Trouble Andrew’s MySpace, so please go there and have a listen.

Hades, I'm Only Dancing

In some ways, the new Hercules & Love Affair single, "You Belong" reminds me of David Bowie's "John, I'm Only Dancing." The former has a house beat and contemporary synths with Nomi and Antony's yearning voices overlapping. The latter is a stomping glam classic that often gets overlooked, probably because it's usually tacked on the end of special edition releases of Ziggy Stardust.

Lyrically, there is a tumultuous, sexually ambiguous relationship between the protagonist and whoever he/she is addressing. Both songs are a little flirty, slightly moody, and tease the listener to some degree.

When I first heard "You Belong," I thought of it as the John character in Bowie's song, letting go of the person he was holding on to. I'm not sure what triggered this random thought, but I hope it's intriguing nonetheless.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Walking on Jim Lambie's color chart floor at MOMA.

All apologies for the extended absence, as I've been relocating my entire life to a completely new coast. Despite my worldly travels, I've actually only lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, except for a four month stay in the U.K.

I went to New York City last year and everything about it felt right. And so here I am, having a new life adventure. I found a hot piece of real estate with cool roommates in Brooklyn and everything has been going well so far.

I was surprised by how comfortable I felt leaving San Francisco. Perhaps it was the support of all my friends and family, who encouraged me that NYC was the right thing for me.

To be honest, it actually didn't hit me that I was leaving until I unplugged my stereo system and packed it up for storage. It was one of the last things I packed. So many years singing and dancing around in my bedroom, getting ready to go out and playing records I had just purchased at Amoeba and Streetlight.

The last album I played on my stereo before packing up was New Order's Technique. I had just come back from selling a bunch of DVD's at Amoeba, and used the exchange credit to buy four albums: Blondie's Eat To The Beat, Hercules and Love Affair (self-titled), Missy Elliott's Miss E... So Addictive, and the New Order album.

Pretty much all four albums had songs I was very familiar with, and I purchased them as a kinda of comfort food before I left for my trip: albums that would keep me warm and feel familiar, while still being new.

The album of this moment for me has been Ciara's The Evolution. I can't believe people weren't into this when it came out late 2006. It's a solid, creative, interesting piece of dance, pop and R&B. Where was I when "Promise" came out? I have been listening to this album non-stop since I got it.

Ciara can be so beautifully vulnerable, awkward and self-conscious. She's also very passionate about the music she makes. I'm looking forward to her new three album Fantasy Ride project.

Get Away From The Bar

I'm totally into the old school vibe and upbeat sound of Dizzee Rascal's "Dance Wiv Me." The video is really fun, and kid with the stache behind the bar (looking like he's up way too late past curfew!), is Calvin Harris, the producer of the track.

I was not familiar with Calvin before seeing the video, but I found out that he's only 24 and responsible for two of my favorite tracks on Kylie Minogue's X album ("In My Arms," "Heart Beat Rock"). Incredible!

It's nice to see Dizzee having a good time with this track. I saw him during his Showtime tour and was charmed by his live presence. Plus, he makes really good albums, although Maths + English didn't really do anything for me.

I'm hoping Dizzee's upcoming album will have the dance theme he's been flirting with for some time (Basement Jaxx's "Lucky Star," for instance). Snoop Dogg makes a good predecessor.

He's also featured on "Toe Jam" by Brighton Port Authority (Fatboy Slim/Norman Cook), which also features David Byrne (!). The video is pretty ridiculous. It's almost like a promo for CBS's new Swingtown.