Why is it that Indie music is so remixable? I've always wondered that as genres from Hip Hop to EDM continue to dip from the never-ending rolodex of Indie tracks. For example, you can twist any Passion Pit track a million different ways. Is that because of the unique, falsetto vocals or the lack a memorable instrumental?
I don't have the answer, but I do have a brand new example of how EDM as a whole continues to embrace Passion Pit's style. Here's the video for the original version of Sleepyhead, which came out back in 2008...
Man, it's something about those high pitched vocals that stick with you. Speaking of high pitched vocals, what happens when you speed up Passion Pit vocals and add in some basic samples? You end up with what JAUZ created when he Future Bassed the living hell out of the original track. The tempo addition is much appreciated as it results in a much more vibrant sound. The effort is evidently one of many that JAUZ is getting ready to let loose, so join me in getting excited for what the near future is bringing from one of my favorite DJs in the game...#Sleepyhead
To be completely honest, I probably could have used this whole post recapping SNL's 40th Anniversary and after party. In the interest of time and under the assumption that you've probably already seen it, I focused on the Jimmy Fallon related portions that include the opening dance with Justin Timberlake and the recap of a surreal afterparty. As a side note, I still can't believe Jay Z thought David Wells was Curt Schilling...smh.
In actual music related things this week, Madeon released the futuristic visuals for his new single with Passion Pit. Timeflies also let loose a new ode to sexting with their raunchy NSFW video. I appreciate the creativity of the subject, but the old folks in the office setting was a little over the top. Last and definitely not least, Low Pros (A-Trak & Lex Luger) released a slammin' new virtual reality video for Who Wanna Play. I've slept on the duo for too long, their brand of Trap is downright awesome...#LowPros
Madeon feat Passion Pit - Pay No Mind (Video)
Fallon Recapping the SNL 40 After Party
Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake Open SNL's 40th Anniversary Special
Now THIS is an exciting mix of blend of Indie dance and EDM. What's great about a Madeon and Passion Pit collaboration is the upbeat, feel good vibe that shared through both of their musical efforts. Pay No Mind is packed full of energy, but there's a mellow component to it that allows Michael Angelakos's vocals to lead the way. I'll admit, after hearing this I'm bummed we have to wait until the end of March to hear Madeon's new album. What I do know is that the anticipation will only continue to grow following the success of the song below, You're On and Imperium...#PayNoMind
How bout a dose of rolling electro thunder? Yep, that's about what Passion Pit's remix of One Republic's Love Runs Out amounts to. I dig how they used the original Ryan Tedder vocals and added their own funky symphony of excitement. The deep thump of the bass provides plenty of room for the quirky synths to work their magic.
The real question is, when is Passion Pit going to put together a third studio album? Word has it from lead singer Michael Angelakos it's in the oven, but there's no lead single release date that I know of. It will be tough to top Gossamer, but if the remix below is any indication, there's plenty to be excited about...#PassionPit
No lie, on first reaction to the track below I did like a quadruple x 2 take. I'm talmbout like a Bruce Willy-style stop the car type of disbelief. Wait a min, Three Six's own @therealjuicyj and @passionpit...on a track together? Anybody else think this is beyond left field? Hmm...@wizkhalifa will co-sign on it, that much I do know.
Do the "ninja" references throughout Juicy's verse stand out? Yea, a little bit, but I applaud the effort because there was a concerted effort to not alienate Passion Pit's audience, which I can appreciate. In fact, the only word they might have to edit out for radio is in the last bar where he says "and her p****y hit hard like Ron Artest." In my eyes, even though on first glance it would seem like mixing ketchup with peanut butter, Juicy did very best to merge together strip club Hip Hop and Indie pop. Never thought the ambassador of "ratchet p****y" would end up being an olive brand to Indie music, but thanks his new friendship with Passion's lead singer @mangelakos, it all came together remarkably well...#ConstantConversations
From my experience, anytime a big time electronic DJ decides to take a shot at remixing an Indie track, nothing but good things can happen. Supporting my hypothesis below is @tiesto's new remix of @passionpit's new single Carried Away. Passion Pit must have thought it was pretty cool too because they created a video for Tiesto's version of the track rather than their original...
It's been a while since I dusted off my Indie hat, so here goes nothing. Word on the streets is that one of my favorite bands, @passionpit, is coming out with a new album titled Gossamer due out in about a week on July 24th. They're already two upbeat singles deep in the form of Take a Walk and I'll Be Alright, so it should come as no surprise that they slowed it down for #3.
Number three comes in the form of Constant Conversations, which is more of a dreamy, new school lullaby. If you listen closely, the lyrics are all about surviving in a world where people are going to use you when they need you and ignore you when they're whole. It's a subtle message buried deep within a track that sounds like a joyful sing along. While I'm inclined to tell you to go with the flow and lose yourself in the easygoing vibe of the track, it's never a bad thing to take a personal inventory of those in your life that don't just call you when they need you...#RealFriends
If you would have blind folded me and made me listen to the song below, I would have told first off it has to be @passionpit. If you'd then give me a second guess, I'd probably question you then say if it's not them, then it's gotta be MGMT. After denying my second guess and telling me it's this new group, The Naked and Famous, I'd probably say WTF! followed by #GTFOH. Then I'd go research them and find more of their music...
Which brings me to this post where I get to tell you about this new group from New Zealand called @TNAF, which consists of five members David Beadle (bassist), Thom Powers (singer-guitarist), Aaron Short (synth player), Jesse Wood (drums), Alisa Xayalith (co-vocalist/keyboardist). Their debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You was released about 8 months ago in September and managed to climb atop the New Zealand charts. As far as the name of their band, it came from the song Kid by Tricky with the lyrics "Everyone wants to be naked and famous." When asked to elaborate on the group title, band members Aaron Short elaborated saying:
"We were all just really big fans of Tricky around the time of the band forming - Thom, Alisa and I - and thought it was really fitting for the way we were looking at things at the time and it was something that stuck with us. There’s a bit of irony there, for so many people there’s a lot of stuff attached to the music industry and musicians in terms of everyone wants to be a big famous rockstar and all that kind of stuff. At the time of us starting the band out it’s always remained a big principle for us, it’s never been what we’ve been about. Stuff like getting in the charts and the awards we’ve had it’s all really overwhelming and you can’t help be really pleased with the result, but at the same time it’s never been the absolute focus of why we’re putting music together and why we’re doing what we’re doing." - Source
Yea I agree, I'm a few months late on this track, but it's making my XM satellite radio subscription worthwhile since I found this gem from across the world on there. Check out the video for the track below...
The synthesizers sucked me in on first listen and perfectly augmented the upbeat, rolling beat. The MGMT and Passion Pit comparisons come from the childlike, carefree vibe their lyrics give off. The fun and dreamy vibe is infectious to me as I've had this in heavy circulation since finding it last night. You might ask, what could possibly make this track more likable?
Enter @chiddybang or more specifically @XaphoonJones, who is doing his absolute best to make me forget about @corybold with all these dope remixes he's pulling off of late with his partner in crime, @realchiddy. The sample is executed perfectly and flipped all Hip Hop like any self respecting Hip Hop fan would hope. The bubbly synths are where I draw the Cory Bold comparisons, but I need to be clear in saying that ya boy Xaphoon can absolutely hold his own producing a beat (PROOF).
Can't go wrong with either of these and I'm gonna keep the @TNAF original track on heavy repeat as I give their album a spin...#BetterLateThanNever
The Naked and Famous - Yonug Blood (Chiddy Bang remix)
Below is one of my favorite songs of the last couple months; it's a @PASSIONPIT remix to the song Undercover Martyn, by Two Door Cinema Club. Passion Pit has spent their time between records quite well, doing a handful of remixes for a variety of artists, including: Gaga, Bruno Mars, and OK Go, among many famous others.
Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn (Passion Pit remix)
@tdcinemaclub, on the other hand, is a band from Northern Ireland, who gained much deserved notoriety when they opened for Phoenix on last year's U.S. tour.
They had a single that did some damage in the UK, called, I Can Talk, that is solid, but unspectacular, and far from my favorite on the record. To be honest, I much prefer Cigarettes in the Theatre, as it seems to better encapsulate the band's fun, festive mood, and it showcases the band at their best melodically.
This whole meshing of Indie and Hip Hop is a great thing. To me, Indie music is basically like saying an artist's style is original and different than all the other music that gets keyholed into genres. To be Indie, you almost have to have at least a mix of two different types of music or be nothing like anything you'd hear on the radio. Confusing enough of an explanation? Hopefully you get where I'm going with this as I try to set up a track originally done by @coldwarkids of their newest single Mine is Yours (obligatory iTunes link). I'd characterize it as a soft rock track where Cold War Kids lead singer Nathan Willett manages to croon you into a trance vocally over a soft piano laden backdrop. Real easy listening...
Cold War Kids - Mine is Yours (original version)
Seems like a whole lotta people seemed to feel the same way as other notable Indie acts like @PASSIONPIT and @OddBlood both took swings at the mellow out track. Not sure which I like better, but I'm leaning toward Yeasayer's synthesizers over Passion Pit's 80's sounding mix. You be the judge, both are 180s from the original and I don't think either fully did the original justice...
Cold War Kids - Mine is Yours (Passion Pit Remix)
Cold War Kids - Mine is Yours (Yeasayer Remix)
If you were wondering, I am saving the best for last because the Blended Babies mix of the original (without question) pulled off the best mix. Adding in some deep bass, a few well executed verses by @sirmichaelrocks, but still keeping the original hook was a great decision. When it comes to alternative Hip Hop, it's hard to do much better than the final product below, it's fresh on so many levels.
Cold War Kids feat Mikey Rocks - Mine is Yours (Blended Babies Remix)
While Carter 4 is still in the oven and probably gonna take more time than a baked potato to cook fully, @liltunechi is back on his grind of hoppin' on any and every hit song imaginable. Last week it was Green and Yellow, this week he adds an intro verse on @brunomars's hit Grenade. Gotta love it when Weezy gets all poetic...
And I don’t mind when we fall out
As long as we fall back into it
I hope we never put an end to it
Even though you not that into it
Heaven, have you ever been to it
Cause you look like you never been
You’re more like a Hell’s angel
And for you, I’d rather sin
Broken heart, Love you with a broken heart
For you I’ll jump off Noah’s Ark
Love is blind and hope is dark
But why does pain feel so good
Love is science, live for you
Die for you, and I’ll die smiling
Bruno Mars feat Lil Wayne - Grenade (remix) |Download
As a bonus I ran into an equally great Passion Pit remix of Bruno's hit. It's a lot more rhythmic and electronic...basically what you'd expect from @PASSIONPIT....
Bruno Mars - Grenade (Passion Pit remix) |Download
I know I know, I'm like a year late on this one since it surfaced around Oct 2009, but I skipped Throwback Thurs this week and their debut album The Preview is dropping in about a month. I'll probably end up doing a New Artist Spotlight on Chiddy Bang as soon as they start releasing some more new music, but in the meantime this will be more of an hors d'oeuvre to the main course.
When I hear Chiddy Bang, I liken them to a mix of Kids in the Hall with Travie McCoy. So yea, you could put Proto, who is the rapper in a lot of their tracks, in the same breath as Naledgeof Kidz In the Hall and Travie McCoy. They've got that fun, easygoing vibe to their tracks, which add to their sort of Indie/Organic Hip Hop sound. I say organic because their subject matter has substance and their sound is somewhat unique and unprocessed. Seeing that I've always been a big MGMT fan and I'm a growing Passion Pit fan, I find it pretty cool that they frequently sample them in their music. For being 19, these dudes are pretty innovative and their fresh Indie vibe is a shot of life to Hip Hop. There will be more to come on this blog from these guys, but as a first impression check out their big head video for Opposite of Kids as well as the track below...
Chiddy Bang - Opposite of Adults (Kids)
| Download
Last week Three Six Mafia, this week Passion Pit...you had to see that coming right? I don't think there's a transition from last week to this week that would ever do that justice, but I'm continuing the Indie/Synth/Electro mood I've been in of late. I decided to Throwback Thurs about 15 months back to May '09 when a group from Cambridge, Massachusetts called Passion Pitt decided to drop a debut album that I equate to MGMT's Oracular Spectacular. Their debut album, Manners, made some serious waves and generated a them pretty huge, devoted fan base, especially in Europe. I compare the two bands because they've got that same out there, weird electro sound, with even more off the wall lyrics. As an anecdote, here's the beginning of my favorite track of theirs, To Kingdom Come:
That's a frosty way to speak
To tell me how to live next to your potpourri
All this talking pulls my teeth
I believed in you, you believed in...Me!
Wrap your head around that for a sec...but don't try too hard because you may cease to give a sh** after you realize the allure of the track is the high pitched harmony on the hook, blending with the jumpy, but well meshed keyboard and synthesizers that provide the organized electro chaos concoction that ends up being a surprisingly soothing and funky beat. If you're wondering what they look like in action...or at least a wacky, produced version of what they look like, check out their video for To Kingdom Come below:
Man those dudes look like some serious nerds, which couldn't be cooler to someone who blogs daily and has a job in IT #GetAtYaBoyGWDJ. Their weird videos make the MGMT comparisons even more dead on, but I'd give the more filled with funk nod to the Electric Feel-ers, while @passionpit has clearly become a bigger hit overseas in the UK as more of an electro Indie hit, dominating British dance floors. To summarize @whereismgmt = American funk, @passionpit = British funk...am I off base on that?
Regardless, two good bands that you should probably get learned on before some Brit calls you a bloody square!
