wongie's music world: 04/01/2007

here's some nice weekend reading, check out this new york times profile of bjork's upcoming album volta.

beirut - elephant gun
[hoorah! the 20 year old (and still adorable) zach condon finally gets a video to accompany his genius music! i feel like a proud mama.]

[an impromptu performance after the shoot captured on camera phone (why the girl filming insists on singing along loudly is just beyond me).]

junior boys - in the morning
[gorgeous song and video where every shot looks like it could be posted on the walls of a gallery. then go check out their imeem site in which loads of coolcats submitted their video version of this song. winner calvin frederick's vid is awesome!]

for all you friends of wongie, i thought i'd start a new weekly freebie series focusing on some of the old skool tunes that made me into the open minded music loving dork that you're reading today.

in this case, a jam with a drum beat so kicking that i used to blast it in my apartment thinking i was the 4th member of this where are they now trio.

get your cabbage patch moves going freaks!

jade - don't walk away
[oh my god, the bridge breakdown is both awesome and hilarious! definitely on my playlist for the next party]

if you're feeling really nostalgic, check out their unfortunately blurry upload vid on youtube.

i actually had a really fun time last year at the inaugural virgin festival in which my friends and i hung out, danced, watched the killers and gnarls barkley back to back, laid out on blow up mattresses (i think i actually fell asleep during the brazilian girls performance) and went loopy when the flaming lips ended our evening.

imagine my pleasure to find out that this years V fest is not only two days worth of musical celebrations, but packed with diverse acts that span the return of the police to my darling amy winehouse! if you see a wongie sleeping on a mattress come over and say 'hey' will ya?

FULL LINEUP for august 4th/5th (*denotes headliners)
311
Amy Winehouse
Bad Brains
(*4th) Beastie Boys
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
Booka Shade
Cheap Trick
Chris Cornell
CSS
Danny Tenaglia
Deep Dish (Dubfire & Sharam)
Dieselboy & Andy C (w/ MC QG and MC Messinian)
Felix Da Housecat
Ficton Plane
Fountains of Wayne
Girl Talk
Incubus
Infected Mushroom
Interpol
James Zabiela
LCD Soundsystem
M.I.A.
Matisyahu
Miguel Migs (Petalpusher)
Modest Mouse
Paolo Nutini
Peter Bjorn and John
Regina Spektor
Sander Van Doorn
Sasha & John Digweed
Shout Out Out Out Out
(*5th) Smashing Pumpkins
Spoon
The Crystal Method (DJ set)
The Fratellis
(*4th) The Police
TV on the Radio
Velvet Revolver
Wu Tang Clan
Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Tickets for the two-day festival go on sale May 5, 2007. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com or 1-800-551-SEAT). Single day tickets, if still available, will go on sale May 19. Virgin Mobile USA customers can take advantage of a promotional pre-sale period during which a limited number of tickets will be available for purchase. More information about Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile can be found at http://www.virginfestival.com.

looks like dj/producer mark ronson has officially decided to bombard us with release upon release of personal work this month.

first up was the album version, a collection of covers with the help of lily allen, amy winehouse, robbie williams and of course daniel merriweather (click on his myspace page to listen to the whole album) ironically the album isn't as good as the albums he's produced for other people... kind of like timbaland.

then he goes and curates a collection of songs just for the hard rock hotel and resorts (weirdly NOT mixed by mark himself).

MARK RONSON PRESENTS HARD ROCK
Mixed by DJ Doug Grayson (link 1/ link 2)
1. “Black Tambourine” - BECK
2. “I Like the Way” – BODY ROCKERS
3. “Everyday I Love You Less and Less” – KAISER CHIEFS
4. “To Be Young” – RYAN ADAMS5. “Take Your Mama” – SCISSOR SISTERS
6. “Island in the Sun” - WEEZER
7. “Dimension” - WOLFMOTHER
8. “Destination Diamonds” – DIAMOND NIGHTS
9. “Black Betty” - SPIDERBAIT
10. “Bout to Get Ugly” – MARK RONSON feat RHYMEFEST and ANTHONY HAMILTON11. “June Gloom” – THE LIKE
12. “Tropical Moonlight” - DOMINO
13. “Wicked Game” – GIANT DRAG
14. “Lit Up” - BUCKCHERRY

we await the next batch of 'ronson' in our lives for may.

the chemical brothers have announced that they will be releasing their 6th studio album titled we are the night' (out june 19).

featuring an interesting array of guests (including the klaxons, willy mason and midlake), the first single "do it again" featuring ali love has just made the buzz playlist on bbc radio 1 and is poised to be a likely summer club anthem.

check out the we are the night tracklisting (and a nice gift in the process! enjoy!):
1. No Path To Follow
2. We Are The Night
3. All Rights Reversed (feat. The Klaxons)
4. Saturate
5. Do It Again (feat. Ali Love)
6. Das Spiegel
7. The Salmon Dance (feat. Fatlip)
8. Burst Generator
9. A Modern Midnight Conversation
10. Battle Scars (feat. Willy Mason)
11. Harpoons
12. The Pills Won’t Help You Now (feat. Midlake)

james morrison - out of time (blur cover @ bbc radio1 live lounge)
[a gorgeous cover of the blur classic tune, i just love this guy to bits (and am totally bummed that i've missed out on his last few appearances in the NYC area)]

party ben - every car you chase (snow patrol vs police)
[good ol stereogum tipped us about SF based mash up dj party ben a few days back. his combo of snow patrol meets the police is not only one of the more natural mashes i've heard in awhile, but upon listening to his other re-creations i must say i'm duly impressed with the diversity of his work.]

check out some more fun sweet merges for you to enjoy:

party ben - galvanize the empire (chemical brothers vs john williams)
[TOTALLY NERDY, but that's why i love this version so!]

party ben - genius of london (fergie vs tom tom club)
[so obvious, but tell me this isn't an instant crowd-pleaser!]

party ben - get laid with khia (khia vs laid back vs switch)
[hot cause of the carnivale groove, THEN the old skool hook kicks in and well... insanity should prevail on the dancefloor!]

oh and one more taken from the monthly bootieNYC mash up party that party ben guests dj's at:

dj zax - my humps (alanis morissette vs black eyed peas)

brandi carlile - the story
[oh the ladies who love ladies are probably all over this artist at the moment! i have to say, this song just reminds of my college days, can't explain why (maybe cause it has a hint of linda perry a la 4 non blondes). love this though, so deal...]

bjork - earth invaders (spank rock remix)

[hot!!!! one of my fave rap acts, spank rock, remixes one of my fave songs of the moment! turn this one up loud!]

Uploaded by Alisvideo

rihanna feat jay z - umbrella
[a kicking drum beat jump starts the beautiful rihanna's 3rd release in about 2 years. totally proves that a great song can really do wonders for a person with limited singing and dancing skills. thanks to ali for the vid]

celine dion & elvis presley - if i can dream
[oh the cheese! the cheese! but all of the performances for american idol gives back are for a good cause (which is why all the links go to the itunes page.]

kelly clarkson feat jeff beck - you love me so
[amazing performance, but who let her wear that muumuu on stage?]

annie lennox - bridge over troubled water
[adore her and love this performance (though she sounds a tad warbled), but wear a bra woman!]

carrie underwood - i'll stand by you
[what a difference two years makes. AI alum carrie is now a bonafide star and totally legit as a singer. who knew?]

ONCE - falling slowly
[featuring scenes from the film, go to the newly launched ONCE foxsearchlight website to listen to the whole soundtrack streamed for your pleasure!]

QUICK THOUGHTS:
so i got myself into one of the critic screenings today and came out totally blissed out from the film. though simple and sweet (it could be misconstrued as an extended music video, but to think so is kind of unfortunate), the wondrous thing about the film is how natural the two leads managed to make the events seem totally plausible. the idea that two stalled individuals (one a busker, the other a new immigrant) can find their passion for life again through music is not only genuinely sweet, but inspirational (as it obviously has affected many who have already seen it). i'm still on a warm and fuzzy high, which is how many of you should seek out to experience when the movie opens on the 18th of May.

if you live in the following cities, you can go see a sneak preview of the film with performances of glen and marketa after the film!

Sunday, Apr 29 6:00 PM AMC Loews Boston Common, Boston
Wednesday, May 02 7:00 PM The Bridge Cinema, Philadelphia
Thursday, May 03 7:00 PM AMC Georgetown, Washington
Monday, May 07 7:00 PM The Magic Bag, Ferndale
Tuesday, May 08 7:30 PM Landmark Century Centre, Chicago
Thursday, May 10 7:00 PM Malco Paradiso, Memphis
Saturday, May 12 1:00 PM Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, Austin

rsvp as soon as you can

justice - d.a.n.c.e.
[france is pumping out yet another buzz dance act! there's nothing like a graphic heavy t-shirt video sung by children. i want that one with the zipper!]

dizzee rascal - sirens
[killer! politiks, big beats, rock out guitars and or course sirens! what else would you expect from one of UK's finest? play this one loud!]

m.i.a. - boyz (radio rip)
[thanks to chris picks for the tip. basically, bbc dj zane lowe world premiered this song yesterday and this is just the radio rip of the song. amazing!]

lil mama - lip gloss
[total change of pace, but still on the hot tip! thanks to discobelle for showing me the ways. this looks like the tween jump rope/club anthem of the summer. you have been warned!]

tim deluxe feat simon franks - let the beats roll
[just playlisted on radio 1's upfront list, this club banger is just a preview of tim's upcoming album slated for later this year. turn this one up people it's hot!]

rachel yamagata - new album promotional clip
[with the as yet untitled album mostly finished, fans will finally be able to hear the highly anticipated follow up rachel's 2004 album happenstance. just based on the lush orchestration from the clip above it sounds like it'll be an experience. i can't wait! check out her myspace page to read about her feelings about finishing. it's pretty funny and wonderfully honest.]

bjork - earth intruders (live on SNL)
[these are nice previews of what to expect from bjork live this summer. i can't wait!]

bjork - wanderlust (live on SNL)
[here's a listen to one of the tracks from her upcoming album volta. it nice!]

rufus wainwright - going to a town
[FINALLY a copy of the video that hasn't been deleted by the record label. not sure how long this will last, so watch it while you can. directed by the ever awesome sophie mueller, rufie has some seriously bushy eyebrows or he got his eyes done. either way, it's dramatic!]

i just took a look at the once myspace page and found out a load of goodies about this movie and it's upcoming preview tour.

first things first, the soundtrack to the film will definitely be released with the following track list (in no particular order).

ONCE soundtrack
falling slowly
when your minds made up
if you want me
lies
trying to pull myself away
once
the hill
fallen from the sky
all the way down
gold
leave
say it to me now

and if you're in the NYC area, you can definitely check out glen for free at the tribeca film festival ASCAP lounge on may 1st and 2nd (guess where i'll be?)

THEN, if you're in any of these cities below, you'll get a chance to see a sneak preview of this movie that i personally can't wait to see myself!

Apr 27 2007 7:00P
Minneapolis/St.Paul Film Festival Minneapolis, Minnesota
Apr 28 2007 7:15A
San Francisco International Film Festival San Francisco, California
Apr 29 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Boston, Massachusetts
May 1 2007 5:00P
Glen's solo gig, Tribeca Film Festival New York, New York
May 2 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 2 2007 5:00P
Glen's solo gig, Tribeca Film Festival New York, New York
May 3 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Washington D.C., Washington DC
May 4 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Toronto, Ontario
May 6 2007 9:30A
San Francisco International Film Festival San Francisco, California
May 7 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Detroit, Illinois
May 8 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Chicago, Illinois
May 9 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As St. Louis, Missouri
May 10 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Memphis, Tennessee
May 11 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Dallas, Texas
May 14 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Phoenix, Arizona
May 16 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As San Diego, California
May 17 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As San Francisco, California
May 18 2007 12:00A
Once screening with live performance and Q&As Seattle, Washington

now go out and spread the ONCE love will ya?

Bjork Earth Intruders [Volta]
Uploaded by oui_forever

[finally! the video is here for you to check out! animated by michel ocelot, who as some of you may know is a world famous animator that directed the award winning film kirikou and the sorceress. very fitting to a song that has alot of african elements to it. thanks to chinolatino for the video tip!]

travis feat kt tunstall - under the moonlight
[part of the 20 songs that travis recorded for their new album boy with no name, this one didn't make the final cut but will either be a part of future bonus materials or a b-side of a single. it's pleasant, but too bad you can't hear kt sing a proper duet on this song.]

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

i'm a tad late on this, but just in case you didn't know, the album details of Bjork's upcoming album Volta has been revealed.

by now you should be pretty familiar with 1st single Earth Intruders (which you can buy on itunes). though the official single release won't be available for a bit because remixes are still being finished as i type.

then on May 7th we get to finally check out what all the hype and madness will be about. i personally can't wait!

Volta Track Listing (with some LQ surprises if you click carefully):

01. Earth Intruders
02. Wanderlust
03. Dull Flame of Desire
04. Innocence
05. I See Who You Are
06. Vertebrae by Vertebrae
07. Pneumonia
08. Hope
09. Declare Independence
10. My Juvenile

gwen stefani - 4 in the morning (jacques lu cont's thin white duke remix)
[i love watching gwen all vulnerable and teary. call me a sicko. as for the shared remix by jacques lu cont, i actually like it cause it's simple and sweet. nothing ground shattering but at least it'll be fun to walk around town plugged into this version]

it's a big rufus wainwright day with loads of updated information, a free performance and an album leak in the process.

UPDATE 4/20: check out this really wonderful review of the album by xolondon here.

first things first, our good friend xolondon tipped us on additional performances of good ol rufie in the US including the already sold out four dates in NYC at the gramercy theater [though their own site states you can still buy tix at approx 200 bucks a pop!].

here's the full tour schedule (check this official site for updates)

Sun/Mon, 04/22-23/07 Rufus Wainwright Triple Door Seattle, WA
Wed, 04/25/07 Rufus Wainwright Palace of Fine Arts San Francisco, CA
Tue, 05/01/07 Rufus Wainwright El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA
Tue/Wed, 06/05-06/07 Rufus Wainwright Gramercy Theatre New York, NY
Fri/Sat, 06/08-09/07 Rufus Wainwright Gramercy Theatre New York, NY
Sat, 06/16/07 True Colors Tour: Bank of America Pavilion Boston, MA
(Cyndi Lauper, Erasure, Debbie Harry, & Dresden Dolls)
Sun, 06/17/07 True Colors Tour: Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia, MD
(Cyndi Lauper, Erasure, Debbie Harry, & Dresden Dolls)
Sat, 08/04/07 Rufus Wainwright Mountain Winery Saratoga, CA
Sun, 09/23/07 Rufus Wainwright Hollywood Bowl Hollywood, CA
(Plays Judy Garland: Live at the Hollywood Bowl)
Mon/Tues, 06/11-12/07 Rufus Wainwright The Danforth Music Hall Theatre Toronto, ON

now if you live in the nyc area and have some free time on the 16th of may, rufus will be performing for free at the barnes & noble on 17th street!
here is the info posted on his myspace:

Rufus at Barnes & Noble in New York City

Rufus will do an instore performance and signing at the Union Square Barnes & Noble in New York City (33 East 17th Street) on May 16 at 7:00PM to promote his new album 'Release the Stars'. Be sure to get there early!

FINALLY, i just got my grubby hands on the upcoming 5th album release the stars and i have to admit that on first listen, i'm not as instantly wowed as i was when i heard previous albums like want one or his self titled album a few years back.

i love rufus to death, but this time around i have to say that i'm kind of 'eh' about this collection (even if neil tennant and marius devries on deck as producers). though i cannot deny that even amidst my blase feelings i can recognize the adventurous amounts of musicality that went into this album. so for that reason alone you should check it out.

here are the track listings (and my faves highlighted):

01. Do I Disappoint You
02. Going to a Town
03. Tiergarten
04. Nobody’s Off the Hook
05. Between My Legs
06. Rules and Regulations
07. I’m Not Ready to Love
08. Slideshow
09. Tulsa
10. Leaving for Paris pt2
11. Sanssouci
12. Release the Stars

i have been reading about the irish film once for ages. a critical and fan favorite ever since it premiered at the sundance film festival in january, the story focuses around an irish busker (played by glen hansard, lead singer of the popular irish band the frames) and a czech pianist (played by his friend and sometime collaborator marketa irglova) who find common ground in music and eventually love.

the movie just opened in ireland this week and will make it's way to our US screens sometime in mid may.

i shared the trailer (see below) yesterday, but i'd love to pass on some more bits and pieces i've found since then (can you tell i'm a tad obsessed?).

once - sundance channel profile
[check out this brief profile that features an interview with director john carney and his two leads. there are also a few clips from the film for you to fall in love with.]

though there isn't an official soundtrack of the album released yet, glen and marketa were actually commissioned to write a few songs last year for a czech film beauty in trouble. the sessions were so successful that they recorded a full album under the guise of the swell season. when filmmaker john carney was looking for music for his film, he not only chose three songs from the album, but asked glen and marketa to star in his film. pretty cool eh?

here are some performances to get you even more excited:

glen hansard & marketa irglova - falling slowly (live performance at sundance)
[for an outdoor performance the sound recording is very good! here they are in january performing like buskers on the slopes of salt lake city, utah. lovely!]

glen hansard - when your mind's made up (from the movie ONCE)

glen hansard - sleeping
[taken from swell season, this song was one of the featured tunes for the czech film beauty in trouble; absolutely gorgoeus.]

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova aka:the swell season - falling slowly
[if you can't get enough of this gorgeous song, here is an indoor version recorded last year in chicago. btw, the frames have also taken on this song as part of their new release the cost.]

jamie t - shiela
[a brand new video version of jamie's single, this time told through the always awesome bob hoskins. sad and angry, who knew this song was so moving?]

mumm ra - she's got you high
[cute song from a bunch of boys who came up with their name based on the baddie from the thundercats. that's good enough reason for me to put them on my blip!]

the view - the don
[love this 2nd single from this uk buzz band! totally british beachside caberet sounding... not that i've ever been there, but that's what i would imagine it to sound like. yes i have a vivid imagination.]

mat kearney - undeniable
[so this cutie singer/songwrite is also a rapper? i'm totally confused! totally different from his current hit "nothing left to lose".]

snow patrol - signal fire
[soooo cute! kids should be in every video from now on...with dogs and bouquets of flowers!]

feist - my moon my man (boys noize remix)
[FINALLY, this video should have been out eons ago! this girl is single handedly bringing dance choreography back to the indie scene. i love it!]

once
[who knew that frames lead singer glen hansard could be such a romantic lead? a crowd favorite at sundance and now slowly making it's way across european screens (before hitting US ones mid may), once is about two lonely souls (one a street busker, the other a czech pianist) who find each other through music. as corny as it sounds there is nothing like watching a truly romantic movie every now and then. this should be the little romance that could.]

across the universe
[coming in september, is this 2007's moulin rouge? i really hope so! directed by the amazing julie taymor and starring jim sturgess and evan rachel wood, the cuties play star crossed lovers during the turbulent 70's. totally reminds me of hair, but that's a good thing!]

UPDATE 4/18:

H&M Loves Kylie ad

kylie minogue - H&M shanghai performance
[this is the gayest thing i've seen in ages! our girl kylie recently went to shanghai to launch her new swimwear line and perform a mini concert (with a girl choir of a few hundred singing along to 'can't get you out of my head' AND glitter confetti to boot). thanks to perez hilton for the heads up. here's the youtube link just in case]

sky news piece on the launch

MORE H&M celebrity connections:

M by Madonna (Directors cut)
[just in case you missed IT last month, here is the commercial that launched madge's H&M line.]

pete tong's fast trax (4/12/07)
[yet another weekly update of the hottest club/indie dance tunes around.]

feist - one two three four
[not only is this one of the happiest videos i've seen in awhile, but it looks like the video stylist single handedly bought out canada's church street american apparel store. oh the joy of skipping!]

UPDATE 4/15
check out this really nice profile by the new york times here (you may need to register to read).

sophie ellis bextor - me and my imagination
[is it just me or does our sophie look more and more like a mix of a young madonna meets courtney cox? strange really. btw, LOVE this pop ditty!]

the enemy - away from here
[you gotta give it up to the brits for coming up with derivative indie bands but then grabbing you just as quickly with their insanely catchy choruses. argh!!!!]

freeform five - no more conversations (mylo remix)
[this song has been floating around for a good 1/2 year but now with the mylo flat beat type remix, these guys might finally get the hit that they've been asking for. hot!]

the shins - australia
[a legal mp3 from the good people over at subpop records. i always have a soft spot for these guys and with this catchy pre-summer bop, the spot just got wider... oh wait, that doesn't sound quite right.]

bonde do role - office boy

aqualung - pressure suit

BRMC - weapon of choice

findlay brown - losing the will to survive
[really like this song and maybe finally allowing for this folkie troubadour to get some belated recognition!]

benjy ferree - in the countryside

kelly clarkson - never again
[yet more vacation posts, sorry if you guys feel neglected! anyhoo, this sure ain't "since you've been gone", but i just love this girl so much that it doesn't really matter. hopefully the album my december will have some proper gems. thanks to alis blog for this one!]

bjork - earth intruders (mark stent extended edit)
[still on vacation, just wanted to pass this on to you guys. produced by timbaland, i can't wait to see the video this week! enjoy this for now!]

i'm on a mini break, so i thought i'd leave you with some new gems for the weekend!

mutya - out of control (song for mutya)
[recorded with groove armada, the boys were actually scared to record with her since mutya seemed like a well... have you seen what the girl looks like?]

mika - love today (acoustic)
[actually this version is pretty dire, but if you're a die-hard fan you don't really care do you?]

mark ronson feat robbie williams - the only one i know
[his album of covers is wonderfully orchestrated, but kind of mediocre in the vocal department (even my gal amy winehouse sounds 'eh' on her studio version of valerie!). here he is with good ol robbie doing the classic charlatans tune.]

junior boys - in the morning (hot chip remix)
[the wonderful people over at insound have once again passed on a cool freebie for you to enjoy. this time it's from one of my fave moody canadian electronic duos of the moment getting a wacky remix by the boys of hot chip. their gorgeous album so this is goodbye is not only a beautiful late evening affair, but one of the better albums of last year. can't wait to check these guys out live.]

kaiser chiefs - ruby
[the great NYC promoters GBH (they're bringing patrick wolf AND the klaxons within a week!) gave the hookup with this little gem from the kaiser chiefs this week. though i have yet to listen properly to their sophomore album yours truly, angry mob, i have a feeling there aren't as many instant classics as from their debut employment.]

peter bjorn and john - objects of my affection
[more awesome music from my favorite swedes of the moment. the album writer's block is only 9.97 on amazon at the moment, so you really have no excuse!]

planet terror soundtrack
robert rodruiguez - planet terror (main theme)
[i've been hyping this film for awhile now and it's finally going to be in theatres this weekend (hopefully you're already organizing large group attendances). but just to get you even more into the grindhouse frame of mind, i present to you the opening credit music for film #1 composed by director robert rodruiguez himself. i've never thought rose mcgowan was hot, but after you see this sequence your thoughts on her will change too.]

death proof soundtrack
dave dee dozy beaky mick and titch - hold tight
[quentin tarantino's soundtracks are always a pleasure to listen to. telling a parallel story through music, the diversity and sourcing of these hard to find tracks is pretty amazing. personally i loved this film over the rodruiguez one and for me, the ride begins when you hear this song. i don't want to give anything away, but damn is this movie good. you have been warned.]

mutya - real girl
[i've been dying to hear this ever since popjustice raved about this song a week ago! sampling lenny kravitz 'it ain't over till it's over', mutya proves that there is life after the sugababes (and apparently beef too). with siobhan donaghy and her both releasing strong upcoming albums, i wonder what the remaining girls are going to do without their most talented vocalists?]

avril lavigne interview on popworld
[i'm a MASSIVE fan of popworld hosts alex zane and alexa chung since they take the piss out of everyone they talk to (but in a sweet way). but heck even the talented alex couldn't make this interview interesting with avril (and she was actually on better behavior than when i talked to her a few years back!). thanks for perez hilton for the clip and calling her a tw*t]

alanis morissette - my humps (black eyed peas cover)
[just plain random! this seems to come out of nowhere. perhaps it's a response to being in a studio recording her latest album or maybe she's bummed out with the shallowness of the current music scene. who knows, this is still weird.]

dan le sac vs scroobius pip - thou shalt always kill
[is this the uk version of lcd soundsystem? it definitely sounds like it. when scroobius pip goes off saying, 'the beatles, just a band, led zeppelin, just a band...' it comes off as pure punk. gosh i just LOVE this song!]

just jack - glory days
[cute, simple and literal (with dance choreography thrown in!) i just want some of those cool t's featured in the video!]

dj mehdi - signatune (thomas bangalter edit)
[a massive club hit in france, this wacky video (with guy in skivves!) brings the environment of drag racing to a new level. love it! thanks to discobelle]

pete tong fast trax (3/29/07)
[more club gems including snippets of turbofunk, junior boys and also an interview with bodyrox who say they might collaborate with lady soveriegn soon!]

pete tong fast trax (3/22/07 in miami WMC)
[check out the interview with mark ronson where he talks about lily allen and amy winehouse!]

beyonce - irreplaceable / irreemplazable (live @ the today show)
[thanks to kevipod for the upload of these two live performances this morning. more and more her live performances are getting fun to watch and that band is pretty darn amazing!]

beyonce - green light (live @ the today show)
[when the whole posse goes mad during the 'go! go!' section, it totally proves that the tour will be awesome! hopefully she'll choose some smaller venues to really get the crowd crazy. fingers crossed!]

for personal friends of wongie, you all know the immense love i have for sitting in a room and belting out songs like i'm a pop star. the good thing is that in NYC most of the karaoke song lists are pretty updated and you end up trying out fun tunes that you never think would be a karaoke option. because of that (and the fact that we're shamelessly diverse and pretty darn good) we tend to go for marathon sessions every few weeks.

this was my set list last weekend:

amy winehouse - rehab (definitely MY song of the day!)
nelly furtado - say it right (great on the radio, boring to sing in real life)
ciara - promise (awesome no matter if you sing in your real voice or miss piggy falsetto. yeah, we grinded against the wall... not a pretty sight)
gomez - see the world (great tune, but kind of boring to sing)
regina spektor - fidelity (guess we didn't know the song as well as we tho-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ought)
hello goodbye - here in your arms (oh my god, this is so gay!)
beyonce - irreplaceable (ruined cause i couldn't find the right key)
beyonce - listen (ruined cause i'm really not a diva like i think i am)
robin thicke - lost without you (not bad for my first time)
omarion - ice box (i love this song, but the karaoke version didn't offer the chorus to sing along to, instead it was all 'ooh' and 'my baby' vocal acrobatics. i sucked!)
lily allen - smile (though we're not as cute as the original, it was still fun to sing to)
ghostface killah feat amy winehouse - you know i'm no good (totally sucked cause it was the rap version and i really wanted to do another winehouse tune properly)

travis - driftwood (classic that i've done before but just love belting to)
erasure - blue savannah (couldn't believe this song was on the list! i channelled my inner OTT with this)
erasure medley - victim of love / sometimes / stop / a little respect (yes, if i had more time it would have been an erasure only day)

of course there were still tunes from fall out boy, morissey, bloc party, the killers, the shins and even the kaiser chiefs that i was going to attempt, but we ran out of time and well... i'll just have to do those next week. i'm hooked i tell ya!

andrew bird - heretics
[taken from the pretty darn sweet armchair apocrypha, the underrated multi-instrumentalist andrew offers up a freebie from his collection just for you to enjoy. check out more songs at his myspace page and then go watch him on tour in a city near you if you like what you hear.]

if you're like me and watch just a little bit too much tv, you've probably been mesmerized with the current target ad campaign with its catchy tune that just repeats the words 'a little bit more' over and over again.

the good news is that not only is that the name of the song, but its actually the creation of uk experimental soul singer jamie lidell. though i got his album multiply about two years ago, i have to admit that i'm only realizing the brilliance of his complex soulful songs.

if you don't already have this, go buy his album and support good music!

jamie lidell - a little bit more

ever so 'interesting' bjork's camp has started to leak out loop tracks taken from her upcoming album volta. each snippet is around 20 seconds long and boy are they kooky!

the good news is that the stranger music blog has collected all of them for you to check out.

pete tong fast trax
[one of my favorite music tipping dj's in the world, pete tong, now has a weekly online show that throws in clips and interviews of what's hot in the club scene. it's totally like watching online music television, but i love that stuff!]

beyonce - flaws & all
[the FINAL two vids of the b'day dvd collection and this time they're just kind of vanity black & white pieces shot during photo shoots. as for the songs themselves, i'm kind of surprised that b recorded 'flaws & all' since it is a bombastic electronic song that most r&b artists wouldn't touch. kudos for that reason alone.]

beyonce - still in love (kissing you)
[it's a cover, she sounds lovely. yeah!]

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