AWmusic

Sometimes words just can’t fully express the feelings that music brings with it. To be lost in a song to the point that all thoughts, issues, problems and pretty much the entire world around vanish and for those couple of minutes, you are able to experience something magical. If you’re like me, so encapsulated in the love of sound, you can’t listen to just anything that’s thrown at you. There needs to be that search involved with the discovery of something new… The excitement of listening to something and having it hit a spot deep within your heart. There also needs to be that emotion behind the song, (whether or not it’s the same emotion that was felt when the artist produced it) having it spark something inside that makes you feel truly alive.

Although put on a bit of a hiatus, the remix party is back! This time around we’re not focusing on any specific theme or artist, just a collection of 10 remixes of tracks that have found their way into that special place – the blend of emotionally charged feelings I find within myself. Maybe they’ll do the same for you.

Let the music do the talking.

Passion Pit – Sleepyhead (Neon Coyote Remix)
Santigold – Lights Out (Tepr Emo Remix)
Feist – 1234 (My!Gay!Husband! Get Up Kid Edit)
Adele – Hometown Glory (Chewy Chocolate Cookies Remix)
Das Racist – Combination Pizza Hut And Taco Bell (Wallpaper Remix)
Vampire Weekend – The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance (Chromeo Remix)
Peaches – Mommy Complex (Barletta and Ernold Sane Remix)
Estelle feat. Kanye West – American Boy (LAZRtag Remix)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll (John Roman Remix)
M.I.A – Paper Planes (Atomic Hooligan Remix)

In a recent report from Entertainment Weekly, New York’s Vampire Weekend announced they have been hard at work in a Brooklyn recording studio working on their much anticipated sophomore LP. Although there has been no mention of a name or track listing yet, it is reported that they have pretty much completed the writing process and are working on the fine tuning of their studio sound.

This new album, which is set for a September release, will have some familiarity to the 2008 debut that shot them immediately into the spotlight. According to singer Ezra Koenig “It’s definitely going to be a recognizably Vampire Weekend sound, but there are going to be new sounds. We’re trying to challenge ourselves not to use the same bag of tricks that we used on the first album– different instruments, stuff like that.”

As with the debut, Vampire Weekend keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij will be producing this album.

On a side note… Ezra Koenig also stated some musical artists that he’s been following recently. One such artist is Toy Selectah, a DJ they were able to meet up with as they toured his home country of Mexico. “[Toy Selectah] just put out a free mixtape with cumbia and reggaeton mixes that he made of songs by people like Chromeo and Feist,” Koenig raves. “He’s really incredible.”

To download the Toy Selectah ‘Mex More LP’ for free, click here.

Listen to some Vampire Weekend and get a small taste of the ‘Mex More LP’:
Vampire Weekend – M79
Vampire Weekend – Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
The Outfield – Your Love (Toy Selectah MexMore Remix)
Cafe Tacvba – Volver a Comenzar (Toy Selectah Mex-More Refix)

Numbers 1 through 25:
#1 Ready For The Floor by Hot Chip (myspace/video)
Best dance song of the year? Best song too.
#2 Crimewave – Crystal Castles vs Health (Crystal Castles’ myspace/Health’s Myspace/video)
This version is miles better then the original.
#3 Little Bit by Lykke Li (myspace/live)
I’m not only a little bit in love with this.
#4 L.E.S. Artists by Santogold (myspace/video)
Santogold’s least creative but most accessible track.
#5 Hearts On Fire by Cut Copy (myspace/video)
Cut Copy has a ton of great tracks.
#6 Head Rolls Off by Frightened Rabbit (myspace/video)
“Jesus is just a Spanish boy’s name”
#7 White Winter Hymnal by The Fleet Foxes (myspace/video)
#26 on my top songs of 2007 list.
#8 M79 by Vampire Weekend(myspace/live)
The better of the two new songs.
#9 Graveyard Girl by M83 (myspace/video)
Without the poem, this could very well be #1.
#10 Unforgettable Season by Cut Copy (live)
Not the most danceable but my favorite.
#11 You Me Dancing by Los Campesinos! (myspace/video -ep version)
It takes long to get started but worth the wait.
#12 Magic Spells by Crystal Castles
This song is their most artistic/creative venture.
#13 Kim & Jessie by M83 (video)
Another great track off Saturdays=Youth.
#14 Skeng by The Bug ft. Killa P and Flowdan(myspace/video)
Best track off the amazing London Zoo.
#15 Machine Gun by Portishead (homepage/video)
Even if the song is simple, Beth Gibbons does wonders.
#16 Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend (video)
Number 4 of my 2007 list.
#17 These Few Presidents by Why? (myspace/live)
“Even if I haven’t seen you in years, yours is a funeral I’d fly to from anywhere” – had to break my rule for that line.
#18 Time To Pretend by MGMT (myspace/video)
It’ll be ironic if they have a coke habit.
#19 Kids by MGMT (video)
They do know how to make a decent pop song.
#20 The Twist by Frightened Rabbit (live)
Emotions of a simple dance, captured perfectly.
#21 Everyone I Know Is Listening To Crunk by Lightspeed Champion (myspace/live)
Everybody I know IS listening to crunk.
#22 Teenagers by Department of Eagles (myspace)
My favorite song off In Ear Park.
#23 Furr by Blitzen Trapper (myspace/live)
One of the better folk songs of the year.
#24 Lost Coastlines by Okkervil River (myspace/video)
Jonathan Meiburg vocals puts on the perfect touch.
#25 Street Flash by Animal Collective (myspace)
Anyone excited for Merriweather Post Pavilion? (We’ve heard the leaks)

Next in the series:
Part 4: #1-25
#26 Teen Creeps by No Age (myspace/live)
I’m feeling regretful of not including Nouns in my list.
#27 Eraser by No Age (video/live)
Can be #26 (tied), both are equally good.
#28 Feel The Love by Cut Copy (myspace/live)
“All the girls I’ve known are crying” Conceited but catchy.
#29 Bare Feet On Wet Grip Tape by Chad VanGaalen (myspace)
Soft Airplane’s most accessible song.
#30 God? By The Dodos (myspace)
“Oh God, where’d you go?” Agnosticism at its finest?
#31 Ottoman by Vampire Weekend (myspace)
At least we got this song from a shitty movie.
#32 Beat (Health, Life and Fire) by Thao Nguyen With The Get Down Stay Down (myspace/live)
Upon listening to this track, I’ve become a big fan.
#33 Heart of Chambers by Beach House (myspace/video)
My favorite song off Devotion.
#34 Dying Is Fine by Ra Ra Riot (myspace/video-ep version)
Sounds emo without reference to this poem.
#35 Hitten by Those Dancing Days (myspace/video)
All girl indie pop bands ftw.
#36 Let’s All Sleep Together by Team Genius (myspace)
Orgies ftw. (All girl orgies ftw?)
#37 For Emma by Bon Iver (myspace/live)
This song is simple but captures the atmosphere of loneliness.
#38 The Modern Leper by Frightened Rabbit (myspace/live)
“You must be a masochist, to love a modern leper”
#39 Rabid Bits of Time by Chad Van Gaalen
Beautifully sung.
#40 Winter ’05 by Ra Ra Riot
This song makes Winter depressing. Sad in general.
#41 Agoraphobia by Deerhunter (myspace)
“Cover me, comfort me” is stuck in my head.
#42 Skeleton Man by The Evangelicals (myspace/live)
“When someone loves you very much, you’re fucked”
#43 Why Do You You Let Me Stay Here? By She and Him (myspace/video)
Fuck you Ben Gibbard!…oh I meant congrats.
#44 Move by Cansei De Ser Sexy (myspace/video)
Another catchy CSS track.
#45 Another World by Antony and The Johnsons (myspace/video)
Antony apparently doesn’t think much of us. Still beautiful though.
#46 Uncalibrated by Bridges and Powerlines (myspace/video)
This song puts the power into powerpop.
#47 Shut Up And Let Me Go by The Ting Tings (myspace/video)
The Ting Tings are a guilty pleasure.
#48 Poison Dart by The Bug ft. Warrior Queen (myspace/video)
My introduction to The Bug. I was amazed.
#49 My Year in Lists by Los Campesinos (myspace/video)
“Send me stationery to make me horny” Mail-sex ftw?
#50 I Hate Dell by Oldfolks Home (myspace)
Dell pissed off the wrong guy.

Here is my overrated of 2008 list. I tried to be objective and included artists I like as artists you like can be overrated too.
#5 Vampire Weekend
Why are they so successful?
Early on when they passed around their Blue CD-R (I’ve got a copy), the production values were not of a band that was self-releasing their stuff –as it was a great album from an unknown band. They became blogger darlings for almost a full year while releasing EPs and mercifully releasing their self titled disc with just two new tracks. Pitchfork gave them an 8.8, played on SNL and had their popularity EXPLODE.
What makes them overrated?
They are really just a pop rock band. Granted a pretty good one, they just aren’t going to wow everyone with their brand of pop.
What are their chances of proving their worth?
75%. I think they proved with “Ottoman”, the Fleetwood Mac and Radiohead cover that they can achieve greatness beyond what they showed on their self titled release. I’m really high on Vampire Weekend and they personally haven’t really given any reason to doubt it. However, they do need to bigger and better things to have those naysayers silenced.
Ottoman by Vampire Weekend
#4 Fleet Foxes
Why are they so successful?
The Fleet Foxes had the best year in terms of critics praising their band. They had Pitchfork’s #1 album of the year and that website is huge…
What makes them overrated?
The album is good don’t get me wrong, but best band and album of 2008? It’s arguable but I think there’s just a bit too much hype. They’re all great singers but they didn’t amaze me or change my life like “Midnight Organ Fight” or “Random Spirit Lover”. There are definitely better choices for album of the year.
What are their chance of proving their worth?
I’d say 70%. They have big shoes to fill on whatever they release. There are countless examples of the “one album wonder” and the pedestal that the Foxes have been placed on make it unlikely their next album will come close.
Meadowlark by Fleet Foxes

#3 Lindstrom
Why is he so successful?
Critics love his album Wherever You Go I go Too. I don’t (I tried an experimental review HAH, betcha it wasn’t that good ). It is different and experimental which has critics getting their pants wet. Containing just 3 tracks on an hour long record, one song clocks in at close to a half hour..
What makes him so overrated?
Think about, 3 songs, one song is 30 minutes long the other two are 15 minutes long. I’m all for long songs that are really good and make you feel like it’s just 4 minutes but this 30 minute track made me feel like it’s really 2 and a half hours. I was urged to press the skip button but I realized that it did me no good. The music itself isn’t great, lots of looped sections, duplicates and ultimately it doesn’t end anywhere. I understand it’s different but it still doesn’t make it any good.
What are his chances proving his worth?
Incomplete. He may satisfy critics again but it’ll take some actual innovative music (e.g. not just slapping on a 30 minute track and multiple repeats that has more pretentiousness then most albums (who honestly believes they can pull off a 30 minute track?)
-No mp3 (files are too big)
#2 MGMT
Why are they so successful?
They have had an ability to stay relevant even after lukewarm reviews from critics. Some great marketing, some pretty good remixes and some great singles propelled them to internet Superstardom.
What makes them overrated?
While the psychedelic label is thrown on them quite a bit, they are merely dressed up pop with some simple but effective keyboard arrangements. They are hardly a band to change the landscape of music. While some songs are enjoyable, they really had an half of an album. The first album contained those popular singles, the second half kind of sucked though did show some promise. They haven’t released that much material to stay relevant, they just had other artists remix their work.
What are their chances of proving their worth?
50%. I think it can go either way. The masses ditch the popular as fast as they get into them and MGMT could very well go the way of the Killers and suck from here on out.
Time To Pretend by MGMT
#1 Girl Talk
Why is he so successful?
Good reviews and Feed The Animals took a lot of songs that was brilliantly mixed. It’s also using popular music, creating the perfect party mix for both casual fans and hardcore fans of music (I really like the album).
Why makes him overrated?
Over glorified DJ. Other then mixing, which a DJ can do, he’s really just taking 30 second samples and songs and putting it together (no other DJ likely has actually put this on record since it’s potentially illegal). In the big scale of things, he’s not really doing much. He also likes really shitty music. He mixes the music well but I’d rather drop dead then listen to some of the music he uses.
What are his chances of proving his worth?
10%. Girl Talk can’t do the same exact thing that he’s done in his past two albums. He’s ultimately reached the peak of popularity and will have to create rather then mix. It’s likely that he will have a lot of trouble whatever he does which is why the odds are so stacked against him.
Hands In The Air by Girl Talk