Molly O’ Poverty

What I’m Listening To (The Not-Free Summer ‘07 Edition)

June 3rd, 2007

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”.

VIKTER DUPLAIX brings more menthol cool stylings to the party with “I See The Sun”, a fabbo track which was featured on “MERCEDES-BENZ MIXED TAPE 13″.

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.)

The Junkie XL Small Room mix of JT’s “What Goes Around…Comes Around” is also an unusual piece of Top 40 meets electronica that I happen to dig.

“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.

Entry Filed under: Repeated Listening, Not Free