Category: Featured

SONG OF THE DAY: Pet Shop Boys ft Example – “Thursday”

It must be a strange when you can make tracks similar in sound to what you were making twenty years ago and have them be completely current-sounding.? On the fourth single from their masterpiece album ‘Electric,’ The Pet Shop Boys sing about “Thursday” as the start of the weekend in the way that only they can.? It has all the classic synth sounds you would expect, yet sounds modern (like, say, a Disclosure track). The addition of a rap by Example is brilliant on many levels – not only does his sound match the PSB aesthetic, but the meaningful verse elevates the song to a higher level rather than just the normal rapper of the moment bragging about bling and bitches, as seems to be the status quo.?? A plethora of remixes from credible (Eddie Amador, Tensnake) to commercial (Aidan Bega, JRMX, & Jon M) make the song fit just about any DJ’s setlist.

Image Courtesy of X2 Records.

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY):? Little Mix – “Move”

Normally, I would wait until the video drops to write up a UK pop band, but this song has been stuck in my head since I first heard it.? Little Mix, the girl group that won the UK X Factor season 8, preview their second album ‘Salute’ with the insanely catchy and hooky “Move.”? The old school disco vibe of the track is a poppier translation of the Robin Thicke/Daft Punk meme and makes a perfectly-polished pop confection.? Some may scoff at the traditional values expressed in the lyrics like the girl playing hard to get and waiting for the boy to ask them out, but asking the guy to put on a bit of show and dance to catch a girl’s eye isn’t necessarily unfair, especially considering all the preparation it takes for girls before they go to the club (makeup, hair, outfit, etc.). The original tempo of 120 BPM can be sped up to be mixed into house sets, which I did when I first got the radio edit and had to play it immediately.? A week later, a full set of pop remixes arrived featuring Alias and Mike Rizzo that will satiate any commercial dance floor.? For a bit of edge, DJs should check out the electro-bass hybrid mix by Deekly and Eighty Six for something that will take their dance floor by surprise and make them really “Move.”?I just wish it was a bit longer. ? Here’s hoping the US record label rush releases this and get the girls a reality show. Hey, it worked for The Saturdays.

Image Courtesy of Simco.

SONG OF THE DAY: Cut Copy – “Free Your Mind”

Cut Copy is a modern day Australian synth-pop band, sharing the same label as The Presets.? On their last album, they brought in some ’60s/’70s rock elements to their synth sounds, and if the title single for their upcoming album ‘Free Your Mind’ is any indication, it sounds like they are bringing in classic ’80s hip-house and ’90s piano house into the mix.?When I interviewed them a few years ago, they said that Ride from the ’90s was a major influence, and with “Free Your Mind” they’ve managed to take their sound, mix in some Electronic, and put a modern twist on it.?The video stars Alexander Skarsg?rd (True Blood) as a cult leader in the most delicious and campy fashion, exhibiting many ways to “Free Your Mind.”

Image Courtesy of Modular.