SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): GIMM+ICKY – “Shake That”

More proof that there is more than country in music city.? Nashville-based pop duo Gimm & Icky made an explosion on the club chart earlier this year with the infectious “Shake That.”? The ode to female grinding is a combination of sung/rap vocals over a radio-friendly dance groove with a rock feel. Unlike other tracks of this nature that might be considered to be demeaning to woman, “Shake That” is much more celebratory and respectful with a bit of the tongue-in-cheek, snarky sensibility of their other tracks like “Dump Me” and “Serious Face.”? The plethora of remixes by Jump Smokers, Lynnwood, Dirty Freqs, and Papercha$er take the song in many aggressive electro directions while keeping the fun of the original in place.?

Image Courtesy of Hitshop/Warner Bros.

INTERVIEW: MIKA NEWTON (2013)

Ukranian pop star – that’s not something you hear every day.? Mika Newton is an accomplished star on the Ukraine pop scene with several big soundtrack hits, and after major success at Eurovision 2011 (she came in fourth) ?she moved to Los Angeles and signed with the Randy Jackson music group.? Her debut single “Don’t Dumb Me Down” received support from MTV, and remixes by Steve Cova and Ray Roc garnered club play.? For “Come Out and Play,”? she worked with the legendary Paul Oakenfold to resing the lyrics for the remix.? Along with Kerli and Hannah, Mika is one of the Eastern European pop stars are taking over the world!

Ron Slomowicz: I first heard of you a couple years ago when you were on Eurovision and you had the sand girl with you, how did it feel to be chosen to represent the Ukraine?
Mika Newton: It was an honor and very hard to get there, there was a lot of competition. I had a crazy, busy life for about six months and when I got to D?sseldorf it was really nice. I realized that I had to be myself and do my best for three minutes during the song.

Continue reading INTERVIEW: MIKA NEWTON (2013)

SONG OF THE DAY: Sophia May – “Anywhere With You”

Bristol-based singer Sophia May returns with “Anywhere With You” a strong follow-up to her string of vocal dance-pop hits – “I Can’t Help Myself,” “I Will Never Give You Up,” “Come Back,” and “Another Day.”? Since the package is all remixes (Johnny Mac, Dark Intensity, Carlos Mojica, 4Strings), it’s hard to gauge what the original sounds like, but I am guessing it started as a progressive pop dance song with the focus being the vocals.? Sophia is one of those rare singers that can nail both the pretty fragile trance girl and the huskier stronger sultry diva voice – often in the same song – and make it sound cohesive.?? The remixes by Johnny Mac, Dark Intensity, and Carlos Mojica are different takes on electro and progressive with hints of stadium in the mix.? The 4 Strings mix stands out for its retro-trance pop feel – recalling classic Ian Van Dahl or DJ Sammy records, but with modern electro touches. Like Sophie’s other records,? “Anywhere With You” will sound just as good in the clubs as it does on the radio.

Image Courtesy of Tazmania.