Archive for the 'one republic' Category

BOTR vol 04

Published
by
billy
on April 7, 2008
in best of the remix, black dominoes, botr, boys noize, cut copy, daft punk, dlid, dmitry fyodorov, get cape wear cape fly, hot chip, immuzikation, jeremy sherrer, justice, kriss kross, ladytron, mccoys, melody, mgmt, mp3, mta, music, mystery jets, new order, one republic, peter holmstrom, peter rauhofer, plimsouls, raveonettes, redial, remix, timbaland and vampire weekend
. 10 Comments

Honestly, I need to update the graphics for the Best of series. These pictures of earthrise are getting a bit, well, old. Hey, at least I made this one black and white to differentiate BOTR from BOTM {which stands for Best of the Remix and Best of the Month for all you newbs just coming to check out TWF for the first time}. Whether you’re a first time reader {aka music downloader} or you’re just checking back on your blog subscriptions, hello and welcome to the fourth installment of Best of the Remix. I began this series about four months ago when I noticed that my Best of the Month compilations were becoming bogged down with various and sundry remixed tracks. Anyway, since I’m currently le bored with le music scene {other than the newest Cloud Cult, MGMT, and The National} I’m just going to post these little remix gems and basically make fun of them. Sorry for all of those who now have to wade through commentary just to get to the music, so sorry bout ya. This is a blog after all, not a P2P service.

Skip the whining and get all the tracks in one zip file : here {zshare = left click}

mp3 : Cut Copy - Lights & Music (Boys Noize Happy Birthday Remix)
Boys Noize, Thin White Duke you are not, but this goes a long way towards aping that certain type of ethereal sound. Who else thinks Cut Copy is just another band in a long string of New Order wannabes?

mp3 : Daft Punk - One More Time (Redial Goes To Hell Remix)
I think we should remix Daft Punk’s One More Time just one more time and be done remixing it forever. I mean honestly, the remixes of this track are getting almost as omnipresent as remixes of D.A.N.C.E.

mp3 : Get Cape Wear Cape Fly - Find The Time (Plimsoulds Remix)
I can’t seem to get enough of bands with whimsical names. I wish I could fly. I frequently dream that I can, although never once have I worn a cape in said dreams. At least this track has a fairy tale techno beat to accompany the excellent Get Cape Wear Cape Fly track.

mp3 : Kriss Kross - Jump (Customised by D*L*I*D Remix)
Now that NKOTB are officially getting back together, recording a new album, and going on a world wide tour I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before the dynamic duo kid rappers Kriss Kross get back together and convince us all to wear our pants backward again. Could we wear shoes backward this time too? Whatever they wear these kids could no doubt drop a rhyme.

mp3 : Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch (Hot Chip Remix)
What do you get when you combine Ladytron with Hot Chip? You get what amounts to one of the most searched after mp3’s on the interwebs. Come on you little downloading minions and get your fix here with the flavor of the week, they’ll be forgotten as fast as Arctic Monkeys.

mp3 : MGMT vs Daft Punk - One More Time to Pretend (Immuzikation Remix)
If you could splice Radiohead and Justice somewhere into this track you’d never have to download another remix ever for the rest of your life. Maybe throw in some Hot Chip for a little bit of fun and you’d have the ultimate remix. All ridiculousness aside this is easily my favorite track in this compilation. It’s just perfect.

mp3 : Mystery Jets - You Can’t Fool Me Dennis (Justice Remix)
Here’s some Justice remix for you all. Too bad I’m still listening to the above Immuzikation Remix to give a listen to this track as I’m writing it up. I’m sure it’s just as vanilla as literally every other Justice remix out there. {Actually it’s a surprisingly good remix that sounds mysteriously like a Brandon Flowers b side}.

mp3 : New Order - Blue Monday (Dmitry Fyodorov Remix)
I seriously do not know WTF this track is. Where did I find this? At least that’s what I’m thinking for the opening minute and a half. Then the lyrics kick in and you realize New Order are as influential on today’s music scene as the Beatles {ok, maybe that’s a stretch}.

mp3 : One Republic (feat Timbaland) - Apologize (Melody Ultimix)
I think we should make more remixes of Apologize. Never mind that the orginal track was remixed by Timbaland {who only very very slightly altered it to be honest}. We’ll just throw another “different” beat onto the track, maybe speed it up or slow it down, and call it a whole new mix.

mp3 : One Republic (feat Timbaland) - Apologize (Peter Rauhoffer Reconstruction Remix)
What’s that? You say you have another remix of Apologize? This one is almost seven minutes long and uses an echo effect to great… affect? Oh hell yeah. I’ll post that. I’ll post that right after another of the ubiquitous Apologize remixes. And they’ll love it. Oh. Hell. Yeah.

mp3 : The McCoys - Hang On Sloopy (Mta Hai Karate Remix)
The McCoys are dead right? Some of them are dead? If not I think they should get back together and open for the upcoming NKOTB / Kriss Kross reunion tour. Think about it. Hell, we could throw in Hammer and Vanilla Ice and have a damn fine show {or Icecapades}.

mp3 : The Ravonettes - Dead Sound (Peter Holmstrom and Jeremy Sherrer Remix)
The only thing missing from this remix is more distorted guitar noise in the opening twenty seconds. Other than that this might be what perfection sounds like in remixed heaven. Dead sound… dead sound… dead sound. Sing it!

mp3 : Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (Black Dominoes Remix)
I think Black Dominoes have somehow found a way to prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Vampire Weekend are ripping off Paul Simon’s Graceland. Honestly, if you didn’t hear it on the original recording, then just take a listen to this African drum beat over dubbed remix.

Ha ha ha. That was probably the most fun I’ve had posting here on TWF in awhile. Maybe I’ll just make fun of music from now on.

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BOTR vol 03

Published
by
billy
on February 22, 2008
in best of the remix, botr, bronski, jens lekman, klaxons, kylie minogue, maroon 5, michael jackson, milli vanilli, moby, mp3, music, nirvana, one republic, remix, rihanna, robyn, timbaland and yeah yeah yeahs
. 5 Comments

Enough time has passed through these pages that I again bring you the ever popular Best of the Remix series. This is volume 03. If you’d like to see the entire series displayed on one page just click here. I hope you enjoy the remixes, I’ll be out of town seeing a friend play a concert and catching up with old university mates of mine for the weekend. Anyway, I thought you all could enjoy some awesome remixes over the weekend and maybe throw a little dance party while you’re at it {although would this type of music really work at a house/flat party?}. I guess the only way to know is to throw a party, invite all the gorgeous ladies, and play some remixes nice and loud. Enjoy the music.

All the tracks in one zip file : here {zshare = left click}

mp3 : Jens Lekman - I’m Leaving You Because I Don’t Love You (Spoolwork Remix)
mp3 : Klaxons - Gravity’s Rainbow (Guns ‘N Bombs Freakout Remix)
mp3 : Kylie Minogue - 2 Hearts (DirtyHands ‘Freemassons RTA’ Radio Edit)
mp3 : Maroon 5 - This Love (Kanye West Remix)
mp3 : Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (Mathematikal Rerub)
mp3 : Milli Vanilli - Girl U Know It’s True (Tittsworth Remix)
mp3 : Moby - Porcelain - (ATOM’s Blue Underglaze Remix)
mp3 : Nirvana - Lounge Act (Z-Trip Remix)
mp3 : One Republic vs Bronski - Apology (Team9 Smalltown Remix)
mp3 : Rihanna - Umbrella (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanual Club Remix)
mp3 : Robyn - Be Mine (Ocelot Mthrfckrs Remix)
mp3 : Timbaland - Miscommunication (The Bloody Beetroots Remix)
mp3 : Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Gold Lion (Diplo’s Optimo Remix)

The tracks by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Michael Jackson, Moby, and One Republic vs Bronski are all quality. To be honest I didn’t think Timbaland’s remix of the One Republic song could be improved upon, but Team9 has proven otherwise. If you haven’t heard this remix that’s the first one you should download. The track by Robyn is also really fun to listen to, it just builds and builds and I could imagine it being a great song to hear at a rave or new moon party.

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One Republic

Published
by
billy
on January 10, 2008
in mp3, music, one republic, pop and sounds like
. 4 Comments

I only have one gripe with this band that can best be expressed with a rambling question; why on earth did you choose to spell your band’s name OneRepublic without a space between the two words? Is it supposed to be trendy or cool or fresh or new or hip or hipster or cool? Did I say cool already? Honestly, lead singer Ryan Tedder, why oh why did you choose to do this? And my conviction on this issue is so strong that I will refuse to spell it without a space. I simply cannot do it. I will boycott the use of a nonspaced name, but I will continue to listen to their music {as I’m sure a name change is pending}.

I guess there’s a problem when I listen to their music though. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to think of it. They sound like everything and everyone. They change styles {lyrically, vocally, musically, productionally = not a word yet} with ease from track to track and it usually leaves me guess as to what genre they will tackle next. The short list of who I think they sound like so much, at times it’s uncanny, is as follows: John Lennon, The Beatles, Jon McLaughlin, Radiohead, Switchfoot {the more secular version}, DC Talk {the less early white boy rap version}, Jars of Clay, The Fray, Keane, and definitely Muse. Honestly there are times when I listen to a few of the tracks that were not included on their debut release, Dreaming Out Loud (iTunes), that it scares me how much they fool my ears.

Take a listen here for yourself and see if you can follow what I mean.

mp3 : One Republic - Dreamin’ Out Loud

This is the track where I feel like there’s a bit of Beatles {in the opening of the song} that then gets mixed heavily with the anthemic bombast of songs in the vein of more recent releases by Switchfoot or DC Talk. But, when they stop short of going stratopheric just after the first chorus I’m reminded of the slow build and melancholic tone of Keane or The Fray.

mp3 : One Republic - Sleep

Reminds me a lot of Radiohead, especially on the beginning of each line as Ryan Tedder’s voice slowly slides into the note before soaring up to a delicate falsetto. Especially the line “so don’t go to sleep” right at the beginning of the chorus. Granted it might have the mastery or the brilliant layers of Radiohead’s work, but I feel there are distinct similarities here. At just under four minutes into the song Radiohead gets pushed into overdrive and a true and honest similarity to Muse emerges with the line “I wait for you, I stay for you.”

mp3 : One Republic - Too Easy

The opening of this track could easily be transposed to piano and sung by Jon McLaughlin on his debut major release, Indiana. From there it continues at a steady pace, heavy with acoustic flourishes and delicate falsetto. On a side note I feel as if this would be a great song for Wakey!Wakey! to cover.

Why these songs weren’t included on their album is beyond me as I feel they contain some of One Republic’s best work to date and would have rounded out their sound and image a little more than the twelve {plus the Timbaland remix} tracks they put on their album Dreaming Out Loud (iTunes). I’m assuming that these tracks were recorded for the 2005 release of the aforementioned album which they sent to college radio stations and used as a sort of promo album. I would also assume these tracks were cut from the mass market pressing of the disc in order to achieve what their execs thought would be the highest profitability.

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Gossip Girl vol 11 and 12

Published
by
billy
on January 7, 2008
in band of horses, christmas, dan band, electronic, filthy youth, gossip girl, indie, lcd soudsystem, mcguire sisters, mp3, music, one republic, oppenheimer, pop, soundtrack and weepies
. 14 Comments

That’s right, two volumes {aka two episodes} of Gossip Girl recap in one little post. This will get me all caught up on the drama that unfolds every Wednesday on the CW here in the states {and on various other affiliates on various days elsewhere}. This first episode aired quite awhile back and was the episode during which Christmas was celebrated, Rufus and his no-name-good-for-nothing {and not too attractive} wife hit splitsville, and Serena {with a ton of help from Vanessa} finally gave Dan her Christmas present {if that’s what the kids are calling it these days. And speaking of that particularly cheeseball love scene, does anyone know where Serena got all those projectors, where the were positioned in the room, or how she happened to cover three walls with video with nary a piece of equipment or cable in sight? On to the music.

All the files {both episodes} in one zip : here {zshare = left click}

mp3 : Band of Horses - The General Specific
mp3 : McGuire Sisters - Christmas Alphabet
mp3 : The Dan Band - Christmakwanzakah
mp3 : The Weepies - All That I Want

Obviously I’m a huge fan of Band of Horses so I figure any inclusion of their music on this show is well deserved {and no, it’s not selling out to put your tunes on television}. The rest of the tracks were holiday specific with McGuire Sisters providing a nice classic sound, The Dan Band apparently was chosen because the instrumental segment of this song was catchy {even though the entire song as a whole is kinda weak, especially the chorus}, and the Weepies track is a wonderful inclusion. I’ve long loved the Weepies and I applaud almost every song I’ve heard by them.

This is the latest episode of Gossip Girl {that being episode 12}. In this episode Rufus was turned down, again, by Lil, but this time she was running from love {to money} at the behest of her daughter whereas before it was at the prodding of her uber manipulative mother. It appears as if Dan and Serena made it through their most recent rough patch {usually dealing with the tension between the haves and the have nots} except at the end we found that Serena only escaped a real punishment, which should have been well deserved, because {as Dan predicted} someone donated enough money in her name to get her out of trouble. Does that make Serena the OJ Simpson of the show?

All the files {both episodes} in one zip : here {zshare = left click}

mp3 : LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great
mp3 : One Republic - Come Home
mp3 : Oppenheimer - Breakfast in NYC
mp3 : The Filthy Youth - Come Flash All Your Ladies
mp3 : The Filthy Youth - Orange

If you haven’t heard this track by the now infamous LCD Soundsytem you’ve either been living overseas {think remote parts of Tibet} or you haven’t been to a real party in the last nine months. It’s a great song with a slow build from start to finish, but I swear, sometimes when I listen to LCD I just can’t help saying “I liked it better the first time I heard it, when it was called Moby.” Next up is another solid track by One Republic {whom I insist must have a space between the words in their title} and although it’s not as popping as the Timbaland remix of Apologize {what could be?} it’s still a solid song. A song that reminds me a lot of Jon McLaughlin with a little slice of John Lennon’s Imagine piano line thrown in. Next in the mix is Oppenheimer, a little duo out of Nothern Ireland that I’m currently fascinated with. I feel like this song is The Flaming Lips filtered through the best Swedish pop you’ve ever heard. It’s all warm and fuzzy and local. Last in the mix is The Filthy Youth, a band who creates dirty punk infused post modern rock akin to Kaiser Chiefs or a slightly less swagger filled Strokes. Orange is clearly the better of the two tracks.

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Gossip Girl vol 10

Published
by
billy
on January 3, 2008
in gossip girl, mel torme, mp3, music, one republic, pierces, remix, rooney, sea wolf, soundtrack and timbaland
. 13 Comments

I’m a bit behind on the Gossip Girl series here on TWF, but I’m catching up. Although yesterday’s episode was the twelfth {that word is honestly spelled weird} this is only volume ten in the series. So as a little refresher the tenth episode was the one containing the debutante ball and all the other things that only the uber rich do. I could rehash the predictability of the episode or I could just point you at one of my favorite websites of all time. That would be Television Without Pity {or as they refer to themselves TWoP} and their snarky little writeup of this episode. You can find that here, but I must warn you the recap provided is scathing, witty, hilarious, and about fifteen pages long.

All the tracks in one zip file : here {zshare = left click}

mp3 : Mel Torme - Comin’ Home Baby
mp3 : One Republic - Apologize (Timbaland Remix)
mp3 : Rooney - What For
mp3 : Sea Wolf - You’re A Wolf
mp3 : The Pierces - Secret
mp3 : The Pierces - Three Wishes

The Mel Torme track is timeless and should be appreciated by everyone from your Grandmother to your hip hoping friends. The second track in this mix is one that I am frustrated about. It’s a great track, a solid song, but I cannot for the life of me understand why every blog from A to Z is labelling this a Timbaland track. Let the record state that this is a Timbaland edit, mix, remix, etc., but the song is and has always been by One Republic {and to be honest he didn’t change much, although he did make it better}. The Rooney track is fairly vanilla, aka the new less good sound of Rooney, and I feel as if they’re making the cut for these episodes simply because Alex Patsavas has a soft spot for the band {they also played an in show concert on The OC, whose music was also helmed by Patsavas}. The Sea Wolf is a brilliant choice and they recently appeared as number ten on my best albums of 2007. Toward the end avoid the song Secret by The Pierces at all costs. This is yet another musical choice for the show that I was tempted to simply ignore and refuse to blog about, but I figured someone out there would ask about it in the end. The entire track is terrible from beginning to end. It is relentless. Far better is the second track by The Pierces although it too has its moments of ear terror.

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