Category: Song Of The Day

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): The Chainsmokers – “#Selfie”

I am not always the best at predicting memes (remember, I am the one who mistakenly thought Filly’s “Hung Like a Donkey” was going to blow up). Around Christmas, a friend sent me a link to watch this fan-made video of The Chainsmokers “#Selfie.” I had heard about The Chainsmokers and had been playing their mixes of Cash Cash, The Wanted, and Icona Pop so when I saw #Selfie, I just started laughing. Its an energetic and bouncy electro jam made special by the spoken vocal of THAT vapid club chick. You know, the pretty one with no self esteem who is talking shade and desperately posting self portraits. As a satire it is quite brilliant and reminiscent of tracks like Eddie Amador’s “Psycho X-Girlfriend” and even Katalina’s “DJ Girl.” The first unofficial fan video featured guys in drag bouncing around and is quite hilarious, I think I received it over 30 times from different people over the past month. This week, the official version featuring pretty girls lip-synching and selfies from superstar DJs dropped, and it could easily become a viral hit. Let’s see if the Dim Mak crew can recreate the success of the “Harlem Shake.” Though they needn’t worry about becoming a one hit wonder with a novelty record, remember that their brothers (in name) the Jump Smokers got their start with a song dissing Chris Brown and look at how successful they’ve become.

Official

Unofficial

Image courtesy of Dim Mak.

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): The Chainsmokers – “#Selfie”

SONG OF THE DAY: Blackedout – “Vessel”

New subgenre alert! Well, not new to everyone, but there hasn’t been a lot of press on this- so here is what is possibly your introduction to “futurebeats.” Popularized on reddit here, it is chilled electronic beats mashed with other genres. For those of us who have been around a while, it is reminiscent of the “intelligent” subgenres that abounded in the late ’90s. Imagine afterhours chill-out music mixed with ’80s slow jam R&B, ambient, hazy synths, and a touch of trap. That’s the best way to describe “Vessel” by Blackedout. It is a slight change, of course, from their debut EP (free download on their Bandcamp here) which seemed to focus on nature and environmental soundscapes. The darker, moody sound of “Vessel” seems a better fit for their vibe.

Image Courtesy of Rachel Donelan.

Blackedout – Vessel

SONG OF THE DAY: Cazwell & Manila Luzon ft Roxy and Richie Beretta – “Helen Keller”

Brilliant on so many levels – that is the easiest way to describe this incredible collaboration of uniquely-talented individuals. Following up his energetic electro collaboration with Luciana, “Guess What,” rapper Cazwell comes harder with his modern version of a bitch track. It takes a lot of balls to reference Helen Keller as a verb for reading someone, and with his talent for comical and biting flows, he proves he can handle it. Working with a variety of artists (Peaches, Colton Ford, Avenue D), Cazwell harnesses a range and depth comparable to Eminem. Teaming with both Roxy and Manila Luzon, he channels both the history and future of transgressive drag. If you haven’t heard the classic tracks “Accident” and “Love to Do It” by Roxy, do yourself a favor and discover some herstory. Roxy’s well-chosen hooks add the biting camp voice that’s essential for a successful bitch track. When I first heard Manila on the track, I was shocked, in a good way. Who knew she had this much edge and aggressive bitchiness in her character? Her cleverly-written parts are perfectly delivered with a flow that reflects Cazwell, while showing her own unique style. The original midtempo house production by Richie Beretta is perfectly in sync with the currently-in-vogue NuHouse meme. Check out the mixes by Jodie Harsh and Fierce Tease for a more aggressive take for the big room clubs. Be sure to watch the video by Leonardo Herrera (HomoChic), which is lush, vibrant, and just as entertaining visually as the song is lyrically.

Image courtesy of Peace Bisquit.

SONG OF THE DAY: Cazwell & Manila Luzon ft Roxy and Richie Beretta – “Helen Keller”