I made the decision earlier this year to switch to digital music purchasing. In the long run, it ends up being cheaper to buy an album off of iTunes than it is to buy in physical format, and songs only take up hard drive space, not space on a shelf, entertainment unit, or in my case, my bedroom closet.

My CDs sit, organized at the bottom of my bedroom closet. My musical history at my finger tips. Not my entire collection, mind you, as I have done mini purges throughout the years, getting rid of CDs that I knew I would never listen to again. But even then, we’re talking a good three to four hundred CDs currently in my bedroom. Not the largest collection of music in the world, but man, do they still take up a lot of space.

For the last several months I have been meaning to rip the remaining CDs I have and pack up the discs. I’m notorious for buying a CD, only ripping what I want at the time, only to fall in love with a song I didn’t rip months later. Or accidently delete something, and then have to go digging back into discs to re-rip the music. Right after BluesFest is over in a few weeks, I will start tackling and documenting this (over blown) task. That’s right; I’ll be documenting the cataloguing and organizing even the most embarrassing aspect of my musical make-up. And don’t you dare judge; I’m sure I’d find equally incriminating material in your own collection.

Best Remixes: unfortunately, this one is only available on iTunes, and it’s a real misfortune because this collection of various remixed New Order tracks holds up a lot better than Retro: Club does. Considering the number of compilations that the band has put out over the years (I can think of at least four off the top of my head), this appears to not only be the most cohesive representation of the band’s output, but also one of the best remix compilations I’ve heard in a while.

There’s a certain level of difficulty when putting together any compilation, especially when it’s of a band that had they time of their split, had been together for nearly thirty years. With numerous albums and singles under their belt, that’s a lot of studio material. And then one has to take into account that New Order was one of the first big bands out there to get the remix treatment for the dancefloor. Their synth-heavy pop-rock sound has always lent well to clubs, whether it be mainstream or some 80s night pastiche. I’ve yet to find someone who does not recognize the initial drum loop of “Blue Monday”.

Obviously combing the back catalogue of remixes has brought out some real gems. As much as I love remixes, I find it difficult to listen to a remix album in its entirety. Notably, the remix albums by Bloc Party are a bit easier to handle since they have the same tracklisting as the original albums they came from, but Best Remixes by New Order is a remix album worth listening to from start to finish.

Although all of the mixes featured on this compilation are of the highest calibre, particularly the Richard X remix of “Jetstream”, the John Creamer and Stephane  K Main Mix of “Crystal” and the DJ Dan Vocal Remix of “Krafty” are the best of the bunch (if you’re the type to only pick up individual tracks). But as I said, this compilation is sadly only available on iTunes, unless you want to spend the time and money hunting down the mixes on all of their original releases (highly expensive, and definitely not recommended).

I think the world is pretty much in shock over the death of the King of Pop. I was never a particular fan of Michael Jackson, but someone who could still appreciate the genius behind his music. In his heyday, Jackson not only revolutionized pop music, but also how we listen to it. He was one of the first true artists to make the music video not just a promotional tool, but an absolute art form. He was avant-garde and ahead of the pack musically. His impact on music and the pop culture is undeniable, and he will be greatly missed by millions of fans around the world.

My apologies for the sudden lack of regular posting on this blog. I recently began a new job, and the time and energy needed to learn the new position and surroundings, along with my other commitments has left me with little in the way of free time. That said, I think I’m on more solid footing, so this is my attempt at coming back to the music writing gig.

I like the Freemasons. I like Sophie Ellis-Bextor. So one can imagine my keenness towards the idea of the three of them collaborating on a track together. “Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)”, while just recently available in the U.K. was released (accidently?) onto Canadian iTunes a couple weeks ago. It’s everything that a collaboration between the Freemasons and Sophie Ellis-Bextor should be. It’s slick pop with a great hook and a even better dance beat.

Bextor’s forte musically seems to be songs about heart break, or jilted lovers getting over their exes. One of my favourite tracks from Bextor, “Get Over You”, from her first album still has resonance even though the ex I attached that song to is long gone, and the song long forgotten by the average music lover. “Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)” in a way is the other side of that old single. While “Get Over You” was trying to prove to your ex-lover that you don’t need them, “Heartbreak” is a song about self-affirmation, about getting over the bad and moving onto the next good thing in your life. Bextor’s vocals over the Freemasons beats and productions are absolutely sublime.

The Freemasons as a production and remixing team seem to get a lot of flack from certain sections of the music listening public. They are must often accused of sounding dated. On the contrary, their innovation with the old disco sound, makes them one of the most enjoyable mainstream remixers out there. Sure, their remix of Kylie Minogue’s “The One” from last year may not have been cutting edge, but it was definitely a song that kept me dancing for a good part of the second half of 2008. More so than any other track.

In the end, “Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)” is similar to “The One”. A catchy dance track that will be on my Addictive Songs playlist for some time to come. The track, the lead single from the Freemasons second album, Shakedown 2, should be out for wide distribution this week, with the album out next week. Sophie Ellis Bextor’s fourth album, title still not confirmed, is out the end of July, but it’s still not known if this track will be on it or not. Download now!

Sometimes your new favourite band does not even have to be “new”. Discovering a band for the first time is equally exciting, and while the sense of discovery is different, it is certainly no less important.

I recently got into Newcastle, England band, Maximo Park. And by got into, mean I am absolutely addicted to them. You possibly know them from one of two places: Mark Ronson with the assist of the lead singer, re-worked their track “Apply Some Pressure” for Ronson’s album, Version a few years back. For the Rockband loving set, you can play one of Maximo Park’s other great hits, “Girls Who Play Guitars” on one of the RB expansion packs.

Maximo Park’s ability to create a genius hook layered with incredible lyrics, make them (for me), one of the best recent discoveries in music. They’ve been around for a number of years now, with their first album getting a release with wide acclaim back in 2005. I have not had the opportunity to delve into their full discography yet, but just scratching the surface by picking up their singles on iTunes has shown me just how great they are as a band; definitely on my list of bands that I’d like to see live one day.

My significant other is a bit of an old soul, who enjoys rock, jazz and folk from way back in the day. I love classic rock for the most part, and while I can take or leave jazz depending on the artist, folk music is something that I really have not been able to get into, with one notable exception. When you have nearly ten thousand songs on your iPod, you sometimes forget you have a particular song, or a particular artist. My iPod surprised me the other day by playing two Joni Mitchell songs back to back; “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Both Sides Now”. I had honestly forgotten not only how great those two songs are (and how well they have stood the test of time), but just how great a vocalist and lyricist Mitchell is in her own right. I think I may have to make it a point to raid the significant other’s music collection in the very near future.

U2 - "Magnificent"

I’ve had a pretty lukewarm reaction to the latest U2 album, No Line on the Horizon. “Get On Your Boots”, was a catchy first single, but it does not have any lasting impact. The second single from the album, “Magnificent”, happens to be one of the best tracks on the album, and in fact one of the best songs the band has written in the last decade. It’s a soaring song of love, typical fare by U2 standards. What is unique (for the band at least), is a collection of dance mixes that actually work.

U2 is one of those bands that when they are remixed it is usually hit or miss. There will be one or two good ones, and the rest of the remixes are poor. In fact, “Vertigo” was probably the first single where I actually enjoyed all of the various remixes that were released to support it. “Magnificent” becomes the second. Often times I find layering vocals over a standard dance beat to be pretty damn boring, but in the case with these mixes, it works. Each of the remixers commissioned takes their own spin, and while they all sound samey when you listen to them all together, on separate listens, they are actually not bad at all.

The Fred Falke Full Club Mix in particular is noteworthy. Falke takes the guitar rift from the original album version of the song and pumps it up, layering it with a stronger bass, a few instrumental effects, and finally, Bono’s distinctive vocals. This is easily the best remix of the bunch available through iTunes (five in total), but the other four are just as listenable.

Both the album version as well as the remixes of this track deserve at least a listen. It’s too bad that one of the strongest tracks on this album has not charted well; peaking at #42 on the U.K. charts, likely due to changes in chart rules (including downloads), means bands like U2 are no longer able to rest on their laurels (echoing Kylie Minogue’s very disappointing showing on the chart last year with “The One”, also a career highlight for her).

Remix albums don’t typically do well in the charts. Only the hard core fans will pick up something like a remix or live album. Occasionally though, the remix album does not end up being as bad as someone would originally think. This would be the case with Intimacy Remixed by Bloc Party.

A few years ago, when I was getting into Bloc Party for the first time, I picked up Silent Alarm and Silent Alarm Remixed. While the remix album was okay, it really did nothing to improve one what was a stellar debut album. Intimacy Remixed has the opposite effect. I love the original Intimacy album, but the remixed version is more of a reinterpretation than a remix.

Intimacy Remixed in general has been getting poor reviews, but I find that I am liking this remixed album almost as much as the original. Intimacy is probably the strongest album that Bloc Party has released so far, and the one that I keep coming back to when I need my Bloc Party fix. The remixes found on this newest compilation are for the most part solid; in particular, the Villains Remix of “Ares”, Armand Van Helden Remix of “Signs” (also released as a single), the Phones R.I.P. Mix of “Talons” are some of the strongest on the disc, as well as strongest Bloc Party remixes in general.

So why is it that the album has not been too well received? It boils down to taste I would imagine. Remixes are not everyone’s cup of tea, and an album of reinterpreted tracks (brilliant as they are), don’t always go down well. This is still a well compiled collection of remixes, and a treat to the ears of someone who still has a tentative toe in clubland; for everyone else though, you’ll probably just want to pass this one up.

I missed out on posting two entries last week, so my intent is to pick up the slack by posting three times this week. Intent though; there’s still no guarantee it will happen.

Lily Allen – Not Fair EP

Continuing on her success, Lily Allen has released one of the better tracks off of It’s Not Me, It’s You, “Not Fair”, a song about a boy who pleases her in every way, but the way she wants. She does everything for him sexually, but is apparently unable to get Lily off. It’s unusual that we get a song about sexual frustration from the female point of view. In fact, the only other song I can think of is The Divinyls “I Touch Myself” from the 1990s. As a far as songs go though, it’s not a bad one.

The b-sides, “Mr. Blue Sky”, which was also on the Fuck You EP is paired up with a new track, “Why” and the Style of Eye Remix of the single track as well as the Count Remix of “The Fear”. The Style of Eye Remix of “Not Fair” is actually really poor. Granted, Lily Allen is not really the first in a list of female vocalists that you would expect to be remixed for the dance floor, but you would think that they would put just a little more effort into it. Instead, it’s a remix that lasts for over six minutes, mostly instrumental, and barely any lyrics. Poor showing if you ask me. The Count Remix of “The Fear” is a different story though; a slightly faster beat with a few vocal effects. It may not be a masterpiece of a remix, but it still manages to get the job done. Unfortunately, at four and a half minutes, I wish it was a bit longer.

The new b-side, “Why” appears to be your typical song where the singer wonders why they aren’t like everyone else, and why they can’t seem to blend in all at the same time. This song’s a b-side for a reason; not particularly interesting or insightful.

Coldplay – LeftRightLeftRightLeft

Giving back to their fans, Coldplay has recently released as a free download on their website, a sampling of their last/current tour supporting Viva La Vida or Death and His Friends in the form of LeftRightLeftRightLeft. The download features nine tracks, and the selection of old and new tracks makes for a great listen. Between this and the DVD I own of their A Rush of Blood to the Head tour, I honestly think that I prefer hearing Chris Martin’s voice in a live context versus studio versions of tracks.

As I said before, the nine track album, features a mix of the new stuff, as well as old favourites. “Viva La Vida” shines through as not only the best track on the new album, but also as an instant crowd pleaser. My personal favourite, “Clocks”, sounds just as brilliant now as it did when it was first released, and the album is rounded off nicely by combining such tracks as “The Hardest Part” and “Postcards From Far Away”, and adding “Fix You” and “Strawberry Swing”. All in all, Coldplay can do no wrong with this release, and honestly, considering it’s free, this is something everyone should own, even if you’re aren’t the biggest fan of the band.

In a karmic sort of way, I think music sometimes tells us what direction to take in life. It’s happened to me more than once where I have been thinking hard about a particular situation in my life, undecided about how to deal with it, or where to go next when a random song comes on with just that right impact.

My significant other and I hit a rough patch a few weeks ago, the first major one in our relationship, no details, but there was a lot of doubt on both sides. My doubts washed away when Kylie Minogue’s “I Believe in You” came over my iPod on day the other week during a particular dark moment. One particular set of lyrics were of the most poignancy:

And if you ever had to go away,
Nothing in my world would ever be the same.
Nothing lasts forever, but together ‘til then,
I’ll give you everything I have again and again.

That clinched it for me in the end. My decision was made.

Originally recorded in 2004, for inclusion on Minogue’s Ultimate Kylie greatest hits package, it’s a song that is often lauded by the critics, but not a personal favourite of mine. Produced by the Scissor Sisters and released as the first single from Ultimate Kylie, it hit #2 in the U.K. charts during Christmas 2004.

The song, a mid-tempo ballad over a electronic beat features cryptic lyrics, and vocal delivery by Minogue that is both excellent, and suspiciously impossible considering her range. She has actually gone on record to say that Jake Shears and Babydaddy of the Scissor Sisters are always trying to push her vocally in their collaborations.

In the end, it is a great slice of pop music, even if I don’t particularly care for the song, and it has proven to be quite versatile in live performances, with the pop-dance version performed during the two Showgirl Tours, and a sublime ballad version used for the KYLIEX2008 & KYLIEX2009 tours (if I had to choose, I’d take the ballad version over the original).

And while some would consider it crazy to have music make your decisions for you (not that I said it did, just influenced), I think that would really downplaying not only the impact of music specifically, but culture in general, in our regular lives. See below for the live performance of the ballad version from last year’s KYLIEX2008 tour.

People use music, and particular songs to denote how they feel or a certain point in their life. No other form of culture has that kind of power, both in the moment or long-lasting. Sure, a novel or a painting can have serious impact on the audience, but music stays with us in the subconscious, often long after we have thought we forgot about it.

India Arie’s cover of Don Henley’s, “The Heart of the Matter” has been in the back of my head for the last couple weeks. A beautiful rendition, Arie’s soulful voice shines through the lyrics in a way that Don Henley could only ever hope for. Don’t get me wrong, I like Don Henley’s version of the track too, but it just feels like this song should have always been intended for a female vocalist; that female being India Arie.

This song was originally released on her 2006 album, Testimony Volume 1: Life & Relationship. Folks will probably recognize this track more as being featured in the movie for Sex and the City as well as on the movie soundtrack. The soulful voice of India Arie coupled with the simple instrumentation makes for one of the best R&B tracks in a long time. It certainly grabs you by the heart strings, and even if you have never been in the situation depicted in the song, it easily becomes relatable. Honestly, instead of me going through the track, take a listen for yourself.