The now-solo voice of EBTG is offering her latest single for FREE through her website. All you have to do is fill in the simple form to join her mailing list (it takes just thirty seconds – and you can always opt out afterwards). Those familiar with Tracey’s oeuvre will instantly recognize her signature brand of mellow folktronica and her ability to transform a concise, pointed message into catchy memorable hooks. For me, there is no more defining voice of the electronic era than Tracey. She brings warmth, intelligence, grace, pathos and yearning to the songs she sings… sometimes all in the same stanza. Her and her husband, Ben Watt, seemingly have so much musical talent between them that it almost seems unfair to others. But luckily for us, both of them are still making music, albeit separately. Visit Tracey Thorn’s site here to get your FREE download.
Thanks to the fancy footwork of one sharp Guide reader, Amanda, I got a leg-up on Justice’s most excellent number “D.A.N.C.E.“ a full two weeks before Apple made it their FREE iTunes Single of The Week. I highly suggest you download it now before it’s gone by the 19th. It took me a few listens to really get the full brilliance; I thought it was an awfully bad joke song at first… now I’m hooked. Fans of Frano-disco, and DAFT PUNK in particular, will like what they hear. I hope more good recommendations will be forthcoming from Amanda, too!
6.20.07 UPDATE:
Arjan just posted remixes of “D.A.N.C.E.” at his site. I’ve really been digging the smirk-inducing Tittsworth remix for several weeks now and it is even more boss than the original, if you can believe that. I’m assuming if Arjan is posting it, it is with the consent of the artist or the label. Hopefully, I’m not violating my own tenet by directing you there, but they are just too good to pass up!
Run, don’t walk to get 25 FREE tracks at the iTMS courtesy of BPM Magazine. Just click this link, copy the code, click on another link to open iTunes and there you go!
There’s a preponderance of hardcore, IDM and spoken-word electronica (what?!?) in this group but best of the bunch is Smith & Mighty’s “Small World“ featuring Alice Perera. There are a few other stand-outs: Toktok vs. Soffy O’s “Too Late / Redeemer“, the 2 tracks by Arthur Oskan and the 3 tracks by Lismore, especially “Valentines Day“.
The voice of Concrete Blonde, Johnette Napolitano, has a new album out and it features more of her signature spin. “Tomorrow Wendy“ was one of my favorite late 80s/early 90s cuts – I even went so far as to see Concrete Blonde in concert at the Hollywood Bowl – but I’ve never bought any of their albums, strangely enough. I’m going to give “SCARRED” a good listen. But in the meantime, download the acoustic guitar ballad “When I’m Gone” for FREE.
Perfect for the lazy days of summer sun is BEBEL GILBERTO’s stunner “Bring Back the Love (Stuhr Remix)” which is so delicate yet practically perfect in it’s delicacy. There are many good remixes like the Prins Thomas mix… and the original isn’t bad either.
LISA SHAW makes two appearances on this list, just as she did on my year end list back in January. “Side 2 Side” has the clean deep house sound that only the excellent Miguel Migs can provide – and that I love so much. And going by her moniker Li’sha, she scores another hit with Miguel on this gorgeous house-y number from a few years ago, “Do It For You”.
American Idol runner-up KATHARINE McPHEE has got the funnest song of the summer in “Open Toes”, a paean to footwear that is so campy, it must have been written by a gay man. (Truth be told, Katharine’s entire self-titled disc is very good; I rarely listen to Top 40-type music but her album crosses a bit of dance, pop, ballads and R&B into one fine piece of listening. It’s so good, In fact, it’s the only Idol alum album I own.)
“Les Djinns (Trentemøller Mix)” by DJUMA SOUNDSYSTEM : An instrumental in the can-do-no-wrong hands of Trentemøller becomes an anthem rather than just a piece of lyric-less music.
“Makes Me Wonder”, the latest by MAROON 5, seems more to me like a boy band offering on par with *NSync or Backstreet Boys than something I’d equate to these alt-rockers, but hey, it’s catchy!
HELLOGOODBYE’s “Here (In Your Arms)” is another cheesy, vocoder laden track that, apparently, I’m a sucker for.
CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG’s “The Songs That We Sing” is sparkly and ever-so reminiscent of an old favorite of mine, Ivy.
The voice of EBTG, TRACEY THORN, continues to surprise and delight with her latest, “It’s All True.”
Two songs by my new favorite band o’ the moment: I MONSTER. I’m hearing “Heaven” everywhere – movie premiere DJs, at the mall and on a Macy’s commercial. It’s gorgeous and twinkly and strikes all the right notes. This song is going to be HUGE. “Daydream In Blue” has such a great retro 1960s Mamas and Papas feel to it, replete with record static, then shifts into a darker place and back again.
THE BIRD AND THE BEE – “Because” : Here’s one for you that almost defies classification. If you asked me when I first heard this ditty that I’d be a fan it of, I’d say, “Hell no.” Somehow it made it onto one of my iTunes playslists and thus kept playing. And after more than a few listens, I was hooked. Everything that makes it odd (the off-kilter, almost out-of-tune chords) is exactly what endeared itself to me.
JOHN LEGEND – “Save Room” : I love this song. It’s essentially a late 60s pop-rock number disguised as modern day R&B. I can’t help thinking this is what The Doors/Jim Morrison might have gotten up to in later years had things worked out differently.
I can’t recommend ERASURE’s new disc but I can suggest a replacement, the far superior and more enjoyable “NIGHTBIRD” from 2005 that has several very good tracks, namely the catchy “Don’t Say You Love Me”. Also of note, is the amazing acoustic re-work of “Rock Me Gently” from “UNION STREET”.
Sadly not available on iTunes yet is ROGUE TRADERS’ “World Go ‘Round“, which is currently featured in Old Navy’s “Summerland” spot, this hard rockin’ dance act is Australia’s answer to Garbage. I can’t wait for the remix used in the commercial to be released!
And lastly, because ‘Poverty’ is part of my name and this blog’s raison d’être, I bring you Kaskade’s “Words And Melody” for FREE. It’s a sultry, beautiful number that’s ready to boil to the surface with energy but cools itself off just before it can explode into frenzied chaos. Download it here.
