Kwanza Jones - "Time To Go" - Courtesy of Innovation Entertainment
I think Kwanza Jones is marking off items from her "Recipe for Success" with "Time to Go". Heavy, bouncy dance production? Check. Easy, memorable, belt-along lyrics? Check. Outlandish, eye-catching outfits? Check. Recognizable and distinctive name? Check. The obvious comparisons to heavy hitters Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga? Check. Is she primed for success? Obviously. Will she make it? Now that's up to the public. Ultimately, the track itself lacks anything truly distinctive, but everything is close enough to pop radio that Kwanza Jones could easily slide into the public's eye without them really noticing. Or people will stare at her like the little boy toward the end of the video.
Video - Youtube
Dabruck & Klein ft Ollie James - "I Found Love" - Courtesy of Zouk/Armada
Sweet sensation, you are "I Found Love". Uplifting production and a great vocal performance from Ollie James yield this stellar track. The synth work coupled with lush and satisfying beats support Ollie's hope- and joyful lyrics, as he celebrates finding love again. And unlike Rihanna's "We Found Love", this track focuses on only the upbeat, only the positive, and only the love. No yellow diamonds, no hopeless places. Just pure emotion. And the production will only buoy you higher, so get ready because "I Found Love" is aimed at your dance floor and it's coming in strong.
Video - Youtube
Miike Snow - "Paddling Out" - Courtesy of Republic
Ever wonder what the video "Devil's Work" by Miike Snow was even really about? Well after "Paddling Out", you may have a better understanding. In this video, a house-styled spaceship run by a bunch of important looking children take a regular man (thick, hairy, and blond) and force him into surgery, transforming him into an exaggerated version of a typical male - i.e. his nose is huge but his body is fit and smooth, his hair black. They control his movements, making him dance, and shove him into a room of other men just like him. When the spaceship house crashes, the video ends, presumably picking up with the man running in "Devil's Work". The pairing could mean any sort of thing, the metaphor clearly jibing the hardest at the fact that children are in command of making such decisions and running a major starship house. The track itself isn't as catchy as anything from Miike Snow's first album but it's engaging, and Wolfgang Gartner liked it enough he had to chug it up with an aggressive electro remix.
Video - Youtube
Wolfgang Gartner Remix -
Eddie Amador & Kimberly Cole ft Garza - "U Make Me Wanna" - Courtesy of Big Beat
Kimberly Cole is one of those artists that keeps chugging along even though she hasn't really broke into the mainstream consciousness. Keep at it Kimberly, because if that means more tracks like "U Make Me Wanna" get released, we ain't complainin', Producer/DJ Eddie Amador and rapper Garza join Cole on what can only be called a dirty pop track reminiscent of Cole's debut album, Bad Girls Club. While it doesn't have the tongue-in-cheek lyrics she's explored in the past, it does have plenty to enjoy with a coy and memorable vocal delivery on Cole's part, sounding like Ke$ha combined with Wynter Gordon. Remixes run the gamut from progressive house to dubstep to kind of hip hoppish. It may not top any charts, but we'll sweat to it.
Audio - Soundcloud
Audrey Napoleon - "Bitchy Queen" - Courtesy of SQE Music
After the success of "212", Azealia Banks' opinion of how Lazy Jay's "Float My Boat" SHOULD have sounded, distinctive yet simplistic instrumental tracks have become utterly more attractive. One of our top picks is "Bitchy Queen" by Audrey Napoleon. Everything fits, and a great production like this should not be ignored. But with the incredible plethora of options out there, it's likely that "Bitchy Queen" won't get the attention it deserves. But, say some clever person comes and toplines the track? Yeah, that might give both parties a nice bump in the right direction! "Bitchy Queen"s unique beats will make it easy to write distinctive lyrics and the melodic part toward the end gives the singer a nice bridge to work with. All we need is the right topliner, and "Bitchy Queen" might make waves. Enjoy this enticing instrumental, in the meantime.
Audio - Youtube
Marina and the Diamonds - "Primadonna" - Courtesy of Atlantic Records
Marina is hit and miss. Some of her tracks, like "Shampain" and "Hollywood" were incredibly catchy, while other tracks failed to grab audiences. The Greek singer's voice can sometimes cause a disconnect, but in cases like the aforementioned "Shampain", the synthpop production and her voice combined in alarmingly entrancing similarities to Annie Lennox. "Primadonna" is the 4th part of an effort to establish Marina's character, Electra Heart (also the name of her sophomore album). It also serves as the lead single from the album. The music is fun and the lyrics are entertaining, so there's a chance this new album will showcase a more glittery, fluffy side to Marina, thus getting her music out to more people.
Video - Youtube
Blee vs. Classy Menace - "Serenade" - Courtesy of Cubit
"Serenade" shows us that all you need to make cheesy rap lyrics truly engaging is a hot electronic production. Although it does help if the rapper is kind of sexy/charming and has an engaging voice. In fact, THIS rapper reminds us a little of Pitbull in both of those ways, giving "Serenade" a little bit more of an edge. Blee is his name and he hails from Montserrat, forming the musical alliance that is "Serenade" in a little town you may know of, called London. The result, as noted, is both engaging and a bit cheesy, making it perfect for mainstream radio. Although who knows, he may have to rent Sia to get some real attention. Hey...that might be amazing...
Video - Youtube
Paul Van Dyk ft Adam Young - "Eternity" - Courtesy of Vandit
The latest single from Paul Van Dyk's album Evolutions features Owl City, er, I mean Adam Young. Perhaps the difference is in how Young sings, because he definitely has a harsher edge to his instrument in "Eternity" than he does while using the Owl City moniker. The track is lush, and from anyone other than Paul Van Dyk (especially someone we don't have decades of material to compare against), "Eternity" might be something truly special. And after a few listens, there is really something quite captivating about it, although it is far from the best work Paul has to offer. Enjoy this as the days get longer and warmer, and with the right remix we may just be dancing the night away for "Eternity".
Video - Youtube
G&G ft Jonny Rose & Chris Reeder - "All Falls Down" - Courtesy of Planet Punk Music
After playing the massive "Where is Love" in my dj sets consistently for the past 6 months, I have been anxiously awaiting a new track featuring the vocals of Jonny Rose. So it was quite a happy surprise to stumble across "All Falls Down" as I was perusing the German charts last week. While "Where is Love" was subtle and uplifting, "All Falls Down" goes more for the jugular in this remix by Jean Elan. The verses have a pop feel (like a mellower take on Martin Solveig's "Hello") while the chorus is full on aggressive, similar to the dirty dutch sound but with a cleaner feel. There is definitely a commercial vibe here as it sounds like what Breathe Carolina might do on a followup single to "Blackout." Jonny sounds amazing and for once we don't mind the inclusion of a brief rap after the second verse. The video which is a play on the movie Groundhog Day with the same events happen repeatedly in a dream sequence until the right decision is made. Maybe this is an allegory for taking club music to the mainstream, its been attempted so many times before, and this time it is finally being done correctly.
Video - Youtube
Jan Van Lier - "True Stories" - Courtesy of Academik
A DJ that I learned a lot from once told me that if you can define a record by a single sub genre, then its appeal would be quite limited and that the best records meld several elements to create their own unique sound. This is definitely the case with rising techno DJ Jan Van Lier's new track "True Story." Yes, it is mainly a techno track with minimal vocal samples, but it incorporates a garage-like retro-house groove along with nearly- commercial rising sweeps. The energy is raised here to a new level. While completely cool and underground in its original form, a vocal version sung by someone interesting like Marina, Sia, or Kerli could elevate into a left-field crossover. A tasteful energetic and electro rerub by Francis Preve doesn’t go over the top the way a by-the-numbers dirty Dutch mix might have gone. DJs who are looking for a secret weapon to spice up their sets should definitely add some "True Stories” to their library or crate.
Original - Soundcloud
Francis Preve Remix - Soundcloud
I Am Sam ft Sarah McLeod - "The Real Thing" - Courtesy of Stoney Boy Music
With a startling video representation, I Am Sam hits hard with his latest track, "The Real Thing". Featuring the superbly smoky voiced Sarah McLeod in both a singing and acting role, the video follows a discussion between a successful man and McLeod, who is sitting on the street begging. He berates her for sitting around and not doing anything to better her life, and when he asks what she wanted to be when she was a little girl, he notices her glances at a nearby music poster, correctly guessing she wanted to be a singer. "This..." he says, gesturing to the world around them, "Is the real thing. Make it happen." It just so happens this sentiment is the lyrical hook of I Am Sam's pulsing track, and McLeod quickly imagines herself on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans. The track is bangin, the video is poignant, and the experience is gratifying.
Video - Youtube
Katy Perry - Part of Me - Courtesy of Capitol
Katy Perry's big breakup song after her divorce news with Russell Brand, "Part of Me", has just recently hit the top of Billboard's 100. Since we can't go too long without covering a Katy track, we figured the time was right to take a stab at this one. Lyrically, it's a fun track and definitely has enough bite to represent the surface level of pain one must feel when dealing with this sort of breakup. And having been produced by Dr. Luke, you know that it's geared towards making waves. But what about the dance floor life? Jacques Lu Cont (Stuart Price) has already delivered a lackluster remix, and word on the street is the Freemasons are set to delivery a mix of their own (which hopefully will be stellar). Right now, it's a tie for either Liam Keegan or the JNX vs. Flesh & Bone mix as probably the best in terms of danceability and enjoyability, but it's only a matter of time until more mixes surface. Thanks for goin' thru it, Katy.
Audio - Youtube
Havana Brown ft Pitbull - "We Run The Night" - Courtesy of Universal
Sounding like Lady Gaga circa 2009 and looking like J.Lo (complete with optional Pitbull add-on), Havana Brown releases the club-heavy "We Run The Night". It's an enjoyable track due to a rather solid production, so you know this will be getting life on the floor and it did top the Billboard Club Chart. But will it last in the public's consciousness? Pitbull hopped on it, so it's highly likely. His name is a great addition to artists trying to break or get a second life in the mainstream, so Havana Brown may get some recognition. Just as some general information, Havana Brown is actually an Australian DJ. Interesting stuff, eh?
Video - Youtube
EDX ft John Williams - "Give It Up For Love" - Courtesy of Pinkstar
There's something soothing in the combination of sounds and experiences involved in "Give It Up For Love" by EDX. In the song, I want to stress, because there's nothing soothing about that video. The song is a smooth pairing of organic guitar melodies wrapped inside a lush progressive house production, topped off with John Williams' smoky vocals. And no, this isn't the John Williams of huge acclaim for film soundtracks, just a guest vocalist. The message is clear in the title, and the song's presentation and level of drama only encourage the idea of how uplifting an experience it is to give everything up for love. Then again, if you do, you may end up like the unfortunate couple shown in the video. Man, did those two make some dumb choices.
Video - Youtube