Tag: kelly clarkson

SONG OF THE DAY:? Grace Valerie – “Not For Love”

Discovered by American Idol Judge Randy Jackson, Grace Valerie launched onto the? scene with her electro confection “When the Lights Go Down” which found success in the clubs and youtube.? For? “Not for Love,” she worked with producer busbee (Alexandra Burke, Pink, Kelly Clarkson) to create a story song in the tradition of a Meatloaf epic.? The soft piano intro highlights the vulnerable emotions of the chorus while every time she repeats it, the intensity and power increases.? Though completely pop in the production, remixes would be powerful on the dance floor – even if they are based on just the memorable chorus over stomping electro beats (though including the verse would be nice also.)?? The video shows the power of love through sports and determination, and while I don’t want to give away the story line – it could easily be embraced by a large population as a protest theme to the host country of the Winter Olympics.

Image courtesy of Grace Music.

INTERVIEW: Bimbo Jones (2013)

Bimbo Jones, the team of Lee Dagger and Marc JB, are probably best known for their consistent output of top flight vocal remixes for artists like Lady Gaga, Pink, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, and Kylie Minogue.? What you might not know is that the two started as songwriters and producers signed to 19 Management. ? In addition to their remixes, they are launching three record labels with a new artist album set for release.? I caught up with them during Amsterdam Dance Event to catch up with them about all they have going on.
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RS: Congratulations on the Kristine W record, how did that come about?
Lee Dagger: It came about last year when we finally got to meet Kristine in Miami. Marc and I had wanted to meet her for years. We have always been a big fan of ?Feel What You Want? from back in the day, which is an amazing house record. When we met her, she invited us to go stay at her ranch any time. ?I was shocked and when we took a trip to the states, we went and stayed on the ranch. Marc and I took one of our tracks that we were really passionate about that had a real strong backing track and sat down and wrote it with her. It was an amazing experience and we gelled really well together. She is a great girl.
Marc JB: She is very talented; she is not just the dance artist that you see in all the PR. She is an accomplished jazz vocalist and saxophonist, a very technical, clever and creative girl.
Lee Dagger: Yeah, she is great on the sax.
? Continue reading INTERVIEW: Bimbo Jones (2013)

SONG OF THE DAY: Tegan and Sara – “Closer”

Just like fellow Canadians Dragonette, indie-rock duo Tegan and Sara seem to be going more electronic with each successive release. Working with Tiesto, Morgan Page, and David Guetta & Alesso as well as embracing remixes of their own songs, the identical twins are finding that EDM fans love their catchy, intelligently-written (and sometimes quirky) pop songs as well. “Closer” is a rock-flavored, energetic electropop song with influences of dubstep and stadium house in its original production. The sing-along chorus and “oh-oh-oh” chant are just two of the many catchy elements. Working with Greg Kurstin, a member of the group The Bird & the Bee (who has produced hits for Kylie Minogue and Kelly Clarkson), Tegan and Sara have managed to seamlessly blend indie dance rock and electronic pop into something cool and credible that is also insanely radio-friendly. While there is no doubt that a full slate of remixes will be forthcoming, the one to reach for is the epic-feeling Sultan and Ned Shepard rerub. Keeping the full vocals intact, the dynamic levels shift from a very pretty and euphoric verse which builds to a massively intense chorus. Even with the dropouts, the energy is constant as the emotion of the lyrics come through loud and clear. Like the original production, the remix is cool and edgy while being both club-friendly and commercial at the same time. Also like the original version, their remix is so strong that an edit of it would sound equally amazing on the radio.

Image courtesy of Warner.