I've posted a couple Skrillex remixes just a few days ago, and I've posted the Bad Romance remix a while ago. But Skrillex, from LA, is one of my favorite electro producers right now, so I thought he deserved a post all to himself.
He makes wild electro bangers with lots of eclectic sounds, including 8-bit, dubstep, and yes, trance. Skrillex uses all those old trance sounds everyone thought had died in 2002. I think this is such an interesting direction, and it takes a lot to keep some of these songs from sounding cheesy. But overall I think he pulls it off.
The Alejandro remix, his latest, is a good example. The breakdown sounds like circa-2000 trance, with that cheesy little breakbeat during the build. But the drop....goddamn! It goes hard. Such a surprising track!
The Black Eyed Peas remix is more consistent. Sounds like it was influenced by Wolfgang Gartner to me, and that's a very good thing. The Bad Romance remixes are top notch, of course, being what Skrillex is most known for. Keep an eye on Skrillex this year, he's doing big things.
Punchy guitar chords, a drum machine, lyrics about heartbreak, DNA, and outerspace, and a quirky but loveable indie pop-rock voice that reminds me of Built to Spill's Doug Martsch, Midlake's Tim Smith, and Grandaddy's Jason Lytle are what make up Darwin Deez's awesome self-titled release.
Self-described as "happy music for sad people," "white music for black people," and "indie rock with a side of calisthenics." Listen below. So far, this is one of my favorite albums of 2010.
For today, we've got the latest Bruno Mars single and two mashups. And what do you think? John Lennon girl. Sexy or not?
In other news, I'm finally about to graduate from college. Being the age I am makes me wonder what kind of music I'll be listening to when I'm middle aged or older. Will I keep up with the latest music? Or will I resort to listening only to what I know and love? Time will tell.
I love, love, love this song. Alan Wilkis, who's previously done fantastic remixes of The Temper Trap and Swayze, turns this kind-of-melancholy Phantogram track into bubblegum indie pop for sunny days and lazy afternoons. Watch out for Alan Wilkis, he is a top-rate producer who doesn't deserve to be lumped together with the majority of Web 2.0 bedroom remixers and mash up "artists" clogging up Hype Machine. I would love to hear a full album produced by Wilkis.
Talent may not always make money, but on the Internet it is almost always recognized by somebody. I love the fact that independent bands with an original sound are out there, people like me can find them, and then people like us can enjoy them.
The Powder Kegs is from Philly. Their latest EP is considerably better than their first LP, maybe because it's produced by Brian McTear, who worked with the awesome neo-folk band Espers.
There's a lot that's awkward about the above photo, a lot that's good about La Mariposa, and a lot Vampire-Weekend-esque about Window On Your Wall.
The Beatles were no squares. They got drunk and partied hard. There were notorious for destroying hotel rooms. Their first gigs were Amsterdam strip clubs. So when I listen to these house remixes, I don't think "Sacrilege!" I think: yeah, they would've danced to this while smashed.
