Flight Facilities

Yes, I am the idiot that overlooked Flight Facitilites. I'm quite pissed with myself that I am only hearing this gem now, 5 months AFTER it got big. Perez even blogged about this. I'm THAT late. This track has 4 other amazing remixes but I've made it a rule not to flood a post with remixes so I won't start now. Check those out though when you have the time.

Crave You Feat. Giselle - Flight Facilities

The real reason why I'm putting this up is because Aeroplane came out with this remix of Flight Facilities AND Friendly Fires just hours ago. Boy was this an eargasm through and through!

I Crave Paris - Aeroplane

I just ended a LONG day and staying up to this track will not do me any good. Goodnight!

Sly & The Family Stone

Sly & The Family Stone is a rock/funk/soul band from San Fransisco. The group was the first American rock band to have an "intergrated multi-gender" line-up. Talk about a breakthrough band! They were on and off from 1966 to 1983. This year though they decided to come back into the industry, and I think first on their itinerary was Coachella. One of the reasons I wish I had made it out to Indio last April.

I stumbled upon this track of theirs awhile back when I caught Dead Presidents on HBO. One of the more meticulously picked soundtracks in my opinion. It's packed with Motown artists and the pioneers of Soul. Immediately downloaded it on iTunes after the movie. Worth every cent if you're into oldies. I'll leave that open for interpretation...

If You Want Me To Stay - Sly & The Family Stone

Cut Copy's Anticipated Album

You read it correctly. Australia's Cut Copy will be releasing their 3rd album under Modular around January of next year! The first single is due sometime in the Fall. The video above contains snippets of footage of them making the album.

Saturdays is a sexy track from their DEBUT album, Bright Like Neon LOVE.

Saturdays - Cut Copy

Samuel

Frank Sinatra sang about New York decades ago. Last year, Jay- Z and Alicia Keys sang about a concrete jungle where dreams are made. This year, Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg are singing about a place with greener grass and a plethora of girls who willingly (almost always in most cases) show off their sun-kissed skin. Surely this is some unspoken rivalry between the two coasts. Well the ball is back on the East Coast's court and we've got Samuel to prove it. I Heart NY is the first single of his debut album which he wrote himself. It was produced by fellow New Yorker, Ben "B-Roc" Ruttner, the other half of production duo, The Knocks.

Unlike those two songs I previously mentioned, this isn't another anthem you sing along to in a bar or club. It's a bit more laid-back than that. This track has got some pretty good elements that highlight the carefreeness of the lyrics. Then again, we all know you have to have you guards up at all times in this city or else shit will pass you by or hit you right in the face. Moving on, you've got the the xylophone, a piano, some heavy beats and that crackling sound you get from a vinyl player. This blends all to well throughout the duration of the song. Lump all of that together and throw in some symphonic "Da Da Da's" amidst the crafty lyrics and you've got your 2010 summer anthem! Definitely looking forward to seeing this guy hit it big.

Clincher line: "I was made to grow up and be famous, So I’m tying my best to stay shameless"

You can download Samuel's I Heart NY EP (featuring two other songs) on iTunes or through Heavy Roc Music here.

I Heart NY - Samuel

Slow Motion Shoes

Apparently, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo aren't that strong of an influence on this Manchester band to be able to have a song named after them. Canadian-American actor Brendan Fraser does though. This month and a half old band from the UK seems to have a strong liking towards Mr. Fraser even citing him as one of their biggest influences. I guess if you've got movies such as The Mummy, Bedazzled, Blast From The Past and George of the Jungle, then you're bound to have something named after you?

This song is built on simple looped percussions, really melodic guitar riffs, an organ and a catchy flute that left me whistling to it in the elevator. It has got that ethereal factor to it that makes it perfect for good weather.

Brendan Fraser - Slow Motion Shoes

Cadillac

The photo is mean to be ironic. Disco is slowly being revived. Come to think of it, I should have my parents have a listen and see what they think. Anyway, Cadillac is representing Melbourne, Australia. The last person from Down Under I made a post about was DCUP last month. I'm glad they're back on the blogosphere map with this guy!

Make You Feel - Cadillac

Kings Go Forth

Another one of those steamy summer songs. I've been seeing a lot of effort in trying to revive genres of the past by more contemporary artists and more often than not they are able to almost replicate the sound. This band does an amazing job at their attempt at sounding soulful and funky at the same time. Definitely a mellow tune for that slow dance you've always wanted.

Kings Go Forth is a 10-piece Milwaukee combo featuring 3 lead vocalists. Includes ex (and in some cases current) members of Highball Holiday, The Pacers, International Jet Set, The Essentials, De La Buena and many more.

High On Your Love - Kings Go Forth

Glasser x Tanlines

Circa sometime last year!

Apply (Tanlines Remix) - Glasser

Siik

Alright, so this might deviate a bit from the music I usually post. Yes, these were HipHop/R&B hit singles a few years back, but they're remixed in the smoothest way possible. I've been following this guy for 2 years now and I'm baffled at why I'm only posting his stuff now. Siik is Ken, a DJ/Freelance Motion Graphics Designer-Animator based in California. I also just found out that he's Filipino! Don't hate, appreciate!

One Thing (Siik Remix) - Amerie

Dance Tonight (Siik Remix) - Lucy Pearl

Lighthouse Family

As I was growing up, my family and I would go on out-of-town trips every summer to one of the northern provinces of the Philippines. It was an 8 hour road trip. What I remember most about those trips was that every year, we had the same CDs loaded into the audio system. Gyspy Kings, Sade, D'Sound, some Bossanova compilation, and Lighthouse Family. Of all those CDs, I would always wake up to Lighthouse Family's High, Postcards From Heaven or Lost In Space. Cheesy as it may sound but there was something about listening to those songs and having a view of open fields and the ocean side.

Anyway, as I was searching for music yesterday I came across this remix of Question of Faith (another favorite LHF track of mine) by Idjut Boys. This English duo has some pretty good remixes which I will be posting in the next couple of days. This particular one of Lighthouse Family might be a bit on the House vibe but nevertheless really chill. The intro might be a bit long for some of you. The vocals don't kick in until 3:38. It's definitely worth it though!

Question of Faith (Idjut Boys Version) - Lighthouse Family

A bit of trivia for you: In Sudanese language (part of Indonesian traditional language), Idjut means "making love."

Ceo

Ceo is a side project of The Tough Alliance's Eric Berglund, under Modular Records. I'm going to rip off a Pitchfork review for this one just because as I was searching for details on Ceo, it was the first one I bumped into. This Larry Fitzmaurice fellow seems to be spot on with his description with the song. I'm so fascinated at how critics write sometimes. They can get away with being really verbose and still make sense of things.

"Even when the Tough Alliance sound their most sincere, there's an undercurrent of sinister, riddle-me-this mischief that runs through their music. So the title of TTA member Eric Berglund's solo debut under the moniker of Ceo, White Magic, initially seems to signal a newfound purity of intention...Despite all this sweetness and light, though, there's still a twist. You don't need to see the symbolism-heavy, vaguely Kubrickian video to ascertain the unsettling tone of "Come With Me"-- just listen to the lyrics. Yeah, Berglund's singing about how he just wants to "bring you to my arms", but what is he expecting you to do to get there? "Would you sacrifice this life to make it real?", he sings, and he could be talking about so many things-- terrorism, escapism, Heaven's Gates - like cults, or even just plain old love. Obfuscation has never sounded so blissfully serene."

If that wasn't a mindf*ck of review for you, then I don't know what is. Bottom line is this song is good. The album is due June 28 in Europe, June 29 in the U.S., and July 2 in Australia and New Zealand.

Come With Me - Ceo

Casual Touch

Disco house at its finest! Sean a.k.a Casual Touch is from Los Angeles. I posted the first song around December last year. The second one is one of his latest works of art. Makes me feel like I'm in a disco during the 70s...only cooler. GO Lakers!

Pick Me Up (Casual Touch Mix) - Electric Minds

Loves Comin' At Ya (Casual Touch Re-Edit) - Melba Moore

Jamiroquai

This guy was definitely one of the pioneers of modern day funk. I was going through my iTunes the other day and came across this track of his and a few others from his 2001 album, A Funk Odyssey. If you've never listened to it from start to finish, I'd suggest doing that right now. The versatility Jay Kay and the rest of the band show throughout the whole album is out of this world. They touch up on so many genres and still come out strong. This is exactly what you need on a hot summer night. Shorts, linen shirts, flowy dresses and the groove in your hips to get the night going. The looped clapping really gets me off.

Little L - Jamiroquai

Tennis

Yup, another addition to your summer playlists. Tennis is a husband and wife tandem. The title came about because Alaina made fun of Patrick for playing tennis back in college. During the eight months that they spent sailing and exploring the North Atlantic coast, they started writing music. Hazy dream pop. Sarap (Filipino for so good)

Marathon - Tennis

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

The title self-explanatory enough for you? I hope so. Relevance? No idea. All I know is that I've been itching to post this track up for two weeks now. Alas, it is finally out on Beatport and iTunes. T-E-E-D hails from Oxford, UK. That is pretty much all the information I can give you. This is the perfect example though of why I have to be more thorough with the songs I listen to. Usually, I listen to a track until about 20-30 seconds in. It takes me that much time to decide if I like a song or not. For this song, I was about to cut it at 25 because I thought the techno loop was going to go on forever. All of a sudden, uber chill vocals hit at 0:35! Boy was I glad to have stuck around. I think that is what won me over actually.

Garden - Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Jazz Liberatorz

I'm a huge fan of Jazz music. I get off with artists such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Art Tatum and Chet Baker. I can listen to them the whole day, sleep then wake up and do it all over again. When this genre is carefully infused with something more contemporary, it never seems to miss the spot.

I recently discovered the holy grail of jazz-infused-hiphop in Paris, Ile-de-France. The Jazz Liberatorz are three beatmakers from Meux, France. It consists of DJ Damage, Dusty and Madhi.

"Their first album, Clin D’Oeil, is a tribute to the golden age of hip-hop, taking its strength onto the roots of black music and more notably in jazz music. Through out the album, the listeners will discover the warm, full sounds of the old jazz fusion records from the 70’s, mixed with samples and live instruments in which Jazz Liberatorz have invited la creme de la creme of the independant hip-hop soul & jazz scene."

Clin D'oeil - Jazz Liberatorz

Tesla Boy

I just recently learned of Tesla Boy. Apparently, I've greatly overlooked this Russian Electro/New Wave band. They've got some great 80s vocals in Thinking Of You that compliment the retro electro beats behind it.

Thinking Of You (Radio Edit) - Tesla Boy

This second one is a remix they did of Anoraak's Nightdrive With You. It has got so much funk I kid you not.

Nightdrive With You (Tesla Boy Remix) - Anoraak

Rooney - Eureka (New Album)

Good Lord. Rooney is back with the goods. Eureka was just released today through California Dreaming Records, Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group. Unlike their previous albums, this 3rd one sounds so much more laid-back and mature. The new songs take on a more rhythmic track and can be easily labeled as melodic pop. Very radio friendly too.

Had I know that this record was dropping today I would have waited to include this in the summer playlist!

Stars And Stripes - Rooney

June Playlist

So here is the first set of summer mixtapes. Genre-wise this playlist is a little bit of everything. Haven't really come across some good stuff over the past three weeks so I filled that void with some old reliables.

Download the mix here. 71.69MB

Tracklist:

1. Major Lazer - Can't Stop Now
2. Free Energy - Dream City
3. Hot Spa - Kiola Beach
4. Wave Machines - The Greatest Escape We Ever Made
5. Tahiti 80 - 1000 Times
6. Just Jack - Glory Days
7. Gotye - Learnalilgivinanlovin
8. Jade - Don't Walk Away
9. RJD2 - The Shining Path (Alan Wilkis Remix)
10. Matt Van Schie - Lady (Hemingway's Beach Bossa Mix)
11. Bibio - Lovers' Carvings (Christian Flores NMS Edit)
12. Via Tania - Fields
13. Broken Social Scene - Looks Just Like The Sun
14. The Advisory Circle - Sundial

Seu Jorge x Almaz

Insane heat on a Sunday. Best to be indoors with your AC on and Seu Jorge serenading you.

Everybody Loves Sunshine - Seu Jorge & Almaz

Breakbot

Sweetheart of the month: Candice Swanepoel. Definitely making heatwaves this summer. As long as you've got this Breakbot tune, you'll be the coolest cat on the block. You might even get props by some ladies that resemble the lady above.

In other news, I headed over to 230 Fifth last night for the first time. Definitely one of the nicer rooftop bars in Manhattan. I haven't been to a lot really but my friends and I are on a mission to try them all out while the weather permits. Wish I heard better music though.

Make You Mine - Breakbot

Erik Hassle x Penguin Prison

I apologize for the lack of posts. I've been quite busy the past two weeks with visitors from back home. Haven't really been able to go through my e-mails so I apologize to those I have yet to respond to. This is a bit old but it randomly played on my iPod the other day on the way up to Fordham's Bronx campus. Yup, I'm taking some summer class.

Hurtful (Penguin Prison Remix) - Erik Hassle