Tag: dance

music musings, music suggestion, song of the day, you tube

sotd: Years and Years – Shine

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You know how you hear a song, and you aren’t immediately blown away for some reason, but then you hear it again later, and you think, “what was I thinking? This is amazing!!”? Well, this song is one of those songs. I have been loving several of Years and Years’ songs off of their great album Communion, but for whatever reason, this one didn’t capture me at first; but all of that has changed. I cannot help but be completely overtaken by this fantastic gem every time it comes up on my playlist, and I have to jam out and dance around whenever I hear it. This is an excellent summer jam!!

music musings, music suggestion, song of the day, venting, you tube

sotd: Sia – Elastic Heart

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It’s amazing to me, how an amazing video can make me OBSESSED with a song, even a song that I had previously, erroneously, overlooked. After seeing this video, much like after I saw the video for Chandelier, I was entranced, and I have had Elastic Heart on repeat ever since. There is something about Maddie Ziegler that is captivating; she is a magnificent dancer, and really captures the emotion of the choreography beautifully. Also, the song is gorgeous.

Also, to think that people have issues with this video is bullshit. It is obviously a powerful emotional statement that Sia felt the need to place her incredible artistic spin on, and I found it breathtaking. To me, it appears to be a very emotional, and raw, interaction between a girl and her father, and Shia’s emotional acting is intense and vulnerable. Somehow, people got pedophilia out of this, and I am honestly just shaking my head wondering why. Sia ended up apologizing for the video, which incenses me; this is art, beautiful, emotive, and intensely personal art. Shame on you if you felt the need to turn it into something else. Sia, keep doing what you are doing, because you are a true artist, and a magnificent one, at that.

music musings, music suggestion

the 31 best of 2008 – 31: The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing

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Let’s get this party started right, shall we? First up on my year end list of the best 31 albums of 2008 is a record that should really get under your skin and drive you crazy, but doesn’t. First of all, you have Katie White’s shrill-like vocal styling; that you will either LOVE, or seriously hate. For me… it’s serious love. Also, I have this thing when I hear a song, and they repeat the same thing (be it a repetitive rhythm, or vocal) over, and over, and over, and over… I freak out. I hate it. However, The Tings Tings
have done something that rarely happens; they have done that very thing… over, and over, and over, and instead of hating it… I LOVE IT. The first time I heard Great DJ, there was something catchy, intense, and so simple that it had to work; and it really pulled me in. After I listened to this album, I realized that this record is one of those perfect albums for dancing your butt off in your room, hoping that your mom won’t walk in on you looking like a fool to; but even if she did, she would probably think you were pretty cool because of who you were listening to. This is one of those bands that make indie-dance pop so sexy and cool, that I bet even your mom would take notice.

The formula for each song is simple, but the beats are heavy and infectious. There is something oh-so-indie about this album, but at the same time, so commercial at the same time; after all, Apple snagged these guys and propelled them into the limelight (at least in the UK if you are counting limelight by chart standards) by selecting perhaps the best song on the record, Shut Up and Let Me Go, for one of their coveted ipod commercials earlier this year. The energy and the passion in each track is something that keeps you moving, and wanting more; and the simplicity and silliness in some of the lyrics (how do you play someone like a Fruit Machine, exactly?!?!) reminds me of other guilty pleasure groups like Cibo Matto that are practically impossible to listen to without a smile on your face; and with The Ting Tings, it will be a smile on your lips, and a tapping toe to go with it.

Several songs on the record were released as singles, notably Great DJ, Shut Up and Let Me Go, and That’s Not My Name, and I know that many more can still come from this record. It’s an album chock full of radio ready dance indie-pop hits that beg to be played, and danced to. The Ting Tings have banged their way into my heart with their infectious beats and catchy rhythms, and if you listen to this record, I bet that you will be pulled in as well. Make sure to do yourself a favor and check out their videos too… they are fun and interesting.

Sparkle Factor:
Standouts: Shut Up and Let Me Go, Traffic Light, That’s Not My Name, Great DJ.

five song friday, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: august 15

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TGI-fucking-F y’all!! This week, I have a few songs that I have literally been chomping at the bit to get out there for you, because they are fucking AMAZING. Seriously, there are some singles being leaked and released that are just out of this world… hooray for great music, right?!?!?! Also, remember how we talked in the past about the potential for dance music to make it into the top five for the week? Well, this week I have a floor filling club banger for you… it is just too great not to share! Alright, now… On with the show!

Duffy – Warwick Avenue
Now, it must look like I am getting on the Duffy train awfully late by posting this song this week, but to be honest, I haven’t really payed much attention to the hype of Duffy. Mercy really didn’t move me, and the rest of the record just really hasn’t captivated me in many of the ways it has the rest of the pop loving world. However, when I saw the video for this song, all I could think was “goddamn, that is beautiful”. Sometimes, it really does take a great video to compliment a song, and in this case, Duffy has hit the nail squarely on the head. The emotion, the crying, the soft singing, and especially the part where she has to stop and compose herself is FANTASTIC. The heartbreak in the song comes across loud and clear after seeing the video, and as such, I have finally been captivated by miss Duffy. Wow.

Georgia Wonder – The Girl You Never Knew
This is one of the songs that I have been scratching at the walls to share with you (I also posted about it on Jiingo last weekend). First off, amazing. This is an AMAZINGLY beautiful song, executed with such simplicity and form that it is chilling to hear. Accompanied with the simple, emotive video that channels the same technique Sinead O’Connor harnessed in her video for Nothing Compares 2 U, this is yet another example of how a video can take a fantastic song to the next level. The emotion in Georgia’s eyes is real, and you can feel it. As she tells her story about the person that she loved, but could never have is heart-wrenching, and the simple way she portrays it in the video is powerful. I also love how the song’s musical style reminds me of Stay by Shakespeare’s Sister (remember that song?? 1992 baby!), except it has no villainess in the song to take away from the gentle emotive nature of her lament. Amazing, right?


Lykke Li – Dance Dance Dance
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_815_lykkeli-dancedancedance.mp3]
Lykke Li is another one of those artists, like Duffy, that has been getting lots of praise from other music bloggers, but for whatever reason, I was waiting on something else from her. Well, her record, Youth Novels finally came out this week, and I will admit that it has some great gems on it. Specifically, this song really has me tapping my toes, and reveling in the beauty and gentle, child-like nature of Lykke’s voice as she sings about dancing. I have to say, that Lykke is another shining example of how Sweden really is an epicenter of fantastic music, and in particular, fantastic pop music. Seriously, there are so many fantastic things happening with there, it really makes me want to move to Sweden already!!! Sweden is to pop what Seattle was to grunge/alternative! I love it! If you like this song, check out her record… I will warn you though, some of the tracks near the end of it are kind of strange… but hey, we take what we can get, right?

P!nk – So What
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_815_pink-sowhat.mp3]
First off, I am going to say this: FANTASTIC form P!nk. Bravo. Cheers. I love you! Seriously, this song is so fucking catchy, and amazingly well done, that it is hard to do anything other than love it, and in turn, heap loads of praise on P!nk for bringing it us! This is the second song that I heard this past weekend that I was literally burning to get on this blog for you! P!nk’s last album made me a fan of hers for life because of how great it is, and this song just shows that she is an artist that we should definitely keep paying attention to, because she has A LOT more up her sleeve. One of my FAVORITE things about P!nk, is that she has such talent as far as being an artist, that she was able to overcome the typecasting her record label insisted on using against her (typecasting her as a hip hop singer for her debut, when she is more of a rock star; as indicated clearly by her subsequent follow up albums), and she not only managed to prove that she had the talent to back it up, but that she was even better than they gave her credit for. She is a passionate singer, and a great song writer, and I am elated that the leaked single from her upcoming CD is so freaking amazing; it really has me wiggling in my seat in anticipation for the record’s October release!! If her album is anything like her previous effort, I know that I am going to enjoy it… and if this single is any indication of what we have to look forward to, then I think that I am going to LOVE it! Also, need I mention how fucking HOT P!nk is? Jeebus!

Antoine Clamaran feat.Mario Ochoa & Lulu Hughes – Give Some Love (Klaas Extended Mix)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_815_antoineclamaran-givesomelove(klaasmix).mp3]
DAMN! Just when I tell myself that there aren’t any club banging, amazing dance songs coming out right now (that is, other than remixes), this song hit me over the head with the force of a diva and a beat that makes me shake my shit like nobody’s business!!! The song is pretty repetitive, much like, well most other dance songs, but one thing I love about this song, is it doesn’t do what makes most potential dance hits into failures… it doesn’t use shitty lyrics to try and fill the song. The simple “give me some LOVE LOVE” is practically enough. All we want is a diva to give us the chorus, the tag line, the whatever goods we need to accompany a fantastic beat (and in this case, a little filler, but filler that isn’t just STUPID and VAPID filler), and cut the other shit out. This song is a shining example of how dance music SHOULD be made. It is catchy, it is hot, and it makes me want to dance all night long. I have NO IDEA who any of the people are that are associated with this song (with the exception of Klaas, whose remixes I have heard before, and I really thank them for this one!!!), but I wish I knew them so that I could extend a HUGE thank you for restoring my ever fledgling faith in the state of dance music today. THANK YOU!!! (FWIW, I found this gem on the Promo Only for August, and I couldn’t be happier to make this random discovery and then pass it on to you!!)

Whew… that was tiring, wasn’t it!?! Good music wears me out! Just kidding… I live for this shit. Seriously, great music makes me eternally happy, and is one of the major sources of joy in my life. I hope that you guys found something that can bring you some joy this week, and as always, TELL ME what you are listening to… I’m dying to know!