As the lead single to Paloma’s recent release, Fall to Grace, “Picking Up The Pieces” has outperformed every single Paloma Faith song to date. Is that because of Paloma’s honeyed voice with that hint of rasp, suggesting brutal vulnerability? Is it due to the insistent yet subtle beat that holds up the strumming and gorgeous instrumentation? Are the lyrics hauntingly painful and relatable enough to yield this sort of success? Are these things that lead to Paloma perhaps having a “Rolling In The Deep” on her hands? Whatever the case, Paloma Faith has a knockout on her hands here, and under the hands of Moto Blanco, turn into a certifiable club stomper. Pick your format, play it out, and be happy that her pain has brought such beauty.
DJ/producer Daniel LeDisko, better known as LA Riots, continues his streak of intense electro remixes (Lana Del Rey, Nero, Neon Hitch) with this sickeningly aggressive mix of Scottish soul siren Emeli Sande.? Although brand new to the US, the Brit-award winning Emeli is sure to get some major club love with this big room and intense remix.? I anxiously await a copy of the full LA Riots mix to add to my club sets.
A good song is a good song, regardless of the genre it starts in.? Country music, often called a songwriter’s genre, is home to some of the best lyrics and stories in contemporary music.? This is why country songs are often remixed for dance floor and pop success and get covered by dance artists.? But to take “Stand By Your Man,” the signature song by the First Lady of Country Music Tammy Wynette to the dance floor was something that I could never have imagined. The song itself was controversial when first released, seen by many as a critical response to the nascent feminist movement in the late 60s. Someone at the label got a great idea and hired producer Dave Aude to work his magic, and the results are shockingly good.?? By no means is this a peak night floor-filling anthem, but more a groovy energetic house track with classic NRG flourishes.? Honestly, it sounds more like one of the better Almighty remixes rather than anything I have ever heard Dave Aude produce. The song is such a classic that everyone knows it and if you play it in a club set, before you realize it the crowd is singing along.? Believe it or not, this is not the late, great Wynette’s first experience with electronic dance music.? In 1991, she recorded “Justified and Ancient” with The KLF, which topped the charts around the world and even reached no 11 on the US pop chart. Whether this solid remix of “Stand By Your Man” will repeat this level of success is unknown, but it is definitely a respectful and dancefloor-friendly version of a true country standard.
