the kooks - always where i need to be (video premiere)

the kooks - always where i need to be [link 2]
[the brighton quartet are back! but don't let the seemingly harder sound fool you, the trademark fun singalong choruses and catchy harmonies that made their debut album 'inside in/inside out' such a gem are still here for their anticipated follow up! can't wait to hear the rest of the album!]

mariah carey - touch my body (video premiere)

mariah carey feat fatman scoop - touch my body (dj zax can't touch it mix) [link 2]
[who knew that the return of mariah carey would include kenneth the page (jack mcbrayer) from 30 rock? bringing MC to the nerd world is a minor stroke of genius and i'm sure director brett ratner is patting himself on the back by convincing her to shoot it this way. i have to say that miss C is sure looking good! speaking of good check out this mash-up gem of this song by DJ Zax that i'm digging alot these days.]

tom baxter - tell her today (video premiere)

tom baxter - tell her today [link 2]
[i was initially on the fence with this song only cause the initial structure (and lyrics) of the tune borders of twee, then the song transforms into a glorious musical celebration with spanish/argentine leanings. it's worth the patience cause i'm in love with this song now!]

they won an OSCAR! glen hansard and marketa irglova "once"

glen hansard & marketa irglova - once [link 2]
[after a year of blogging about once, the duo found themselves in front of a billion viewers last weekend culminating in an oscar win! i feel like a proud parent!]


their sweet acceptance speeches...


jon stewart on the daily show talking about marketa irglova's additional speech

dance bitch dance: martin solveig - c'est la vie (video premiere)

martin solveig - c'est la vie [link 2]
martin solveig - c'est la vie (fedde vs martin remix) [link 2]
[oh my, those japanese poppers U-Min show up yet again on my blog! this time they're doing their poppin' thanks to french house music dj martin solveig. his new single 'c'est la vie' already is storming up the dancefloor (also due to the fedde le grand remix), but i'm more partial to the original. dance away!]

kanye west - flashing lights (video premiere)

kanye west - flashing lights (remix feat r. kelly) [link 2]
[if you haven't seen this wonderful video, then just click play and watch. i really wish someone would do this to kanye's ego!]

moby - disco lies (cloverfield mix)

moby - disco lies (cloverfield mix) [link 2]
[my only guess as to why this is called the cloverfield mix is that it was shown during the party scene of the movie before the squidzilla thing started to wreck downtown new york. nevertheless, here is the first moby tune that i've liked in AGES (even if he decides to whisper 'just a lie' throughout the song)! with the upcoming album last night supposedly recounting the heyday of clubbing during the late 80's, i'm hoping more of the album goes along the lines of this stormer. waiting for the remixes people! PS: doesn't the vocal sound like thea austin of snap's "rhythm is a dancer"?]

the new pornographers - myriad harbour (video premiere)

the new pornographers - myriad harbour [link 2]
[what a GORGEOUS video by mark lomond of the flourescent hill collective! the new pornographers continue to tap wonderful singles off their 2007 album 'challengers', this time it's a phychedelic sing-a-long with a bit of glam thrown in. how is it possible, just listen to their genius above!]

happy weekend: alphabeat - fascination / fascination (bimbo jones remix) / boyfriend

alphabeat - fascination [link 2]
alphabeat - fascination (bimbo jones remix) [link 2]
[i challenge anyone who can't derive some sort of giddy pleasure from this danish pop band. it's as if molly ringwald and her best gay friend (circa "sixteen candles") decided to form a band for the annual battle of the bands... and won! while we're at it, check out the even gay-er remix by bimbo jones! happy weekend all!]


alphabeat - boyfriend [link 2]
[check out their latest single in denmark which is more rocked out and tones down the happy to a 5. whew!]

on the rader 2008: mgmt - time to pretend (video premiere)

mgmt - time to pretend [link 2]
[what a wonderfully trippy video! brooklyn pumps out yet another hipster band that is buzzing all over the place. made of of ben goldwasser and andrew vanWyngarden, the duo met at uni back in 2002 and over the years crafted the epic psychedelic pop that you hear today. i can't believe there's all this great new music out these days... and it's only FEBRUARY!]

amy winehouse - love is a losing game (video premiere)

amy winehouse - love is a losing game (kardinal beats remix) [link 2]
[though amy's grammy performance may have seemed like it was nothing special, my feeling was that it was indeed one of the bigger obstacles of her career. these days, we can only watch her live life one day at a time and not expect too much (since she could fall back into hell so easily). which only makes this video kind of sad and creepy at the same time.]

pop song of the week: bwo - sunshine in the rain

bwo - sunshine in the rain [link 2]
[music afficionados from sweden are probably cringing at my choice this week, but the fact that this pop perfect 3 year old song by bwo (bodies without organs) is just getting the kind of buzz outside of their scandanavian airwaves should be something to be joyous about (abba needs a successor!). now that bbc's highly powerful radio 2 have picked it up on A rotation, expect the camp/pop stylings of this trio to be everywhere in 2008. yeah sweden!]

song of the week: the dodos - fools

the dodos - fools [link 2]
the dodos - jodi [link 2]
[when a acoustic folk guitarist merges with a drummer learned in west african beats, you end up getting the band the dodos. with a sound that almost seems like they're trying to match up their supposed divergent backgrounds, the band manage to find a wonderful melodious, yet erratic, center for each tune they write. who knew san francisco could produce something so normally right coast? can't wait to hear the rest of their album 'visitor' next month!]

on the radar 2008: patrick park

patrick park - here we are [link 2]
[thanks to good ol stereogum, i got introduced to the sweet songwriter sounds of LA via colorado boy patrick park. though he's been working the live music scene for the past few years, it was his song "life is a song" on the final episode of the OC that brought him some recognition. hopefully this sweet tune will bring him some new fans for 2008. enjoy!]

feeling nostalgic: michael jackson's thriller 25th anniversary

thriller 25th anniversary EPK
michael jackson with akon - wanna be startin something 2008 [link 2]
[25 years!!! back in 1982 i carried around my blue cassette walkman and just zoned out to the album on the playground while the rest of my peers were playing soccer and netball. inspired by MJ's dance moves, i secretly imagined myself lighting up the squares as i walked over the hopscotch squares. oh youth! with his updated remastered classic album released this week, will.i.am brought together a small group of artists (including kanye west and fergie) and unfortunately murdered the essence of the originals. the only one spared such a fate is the one above featuring akon. oh well, at least the rest of the album remains a gem for me to zone out to as i light up the sidewalk plugged into my ipod...]

wongie live: grammy 2008 highlights

if you missed sunday's award ceremony, here are a few of the highlights from that evening (thanks to alis blog for the vids!):

beyonce and tina turner - intro / what's love got to do with it
[what a massively flambouyant introduction to the divas of music! it's a tad letdown when it all boils down to...tina turner.]


kanye west and daft punk - stronger
kanye west - dedication to mother
[two wonderful performances, one with added grooves thanks to daft punk, and the other a moving tribute to kanye's recently deceased mother]

amy winehouse - you know i'm no good / rehab
[a bizarre mix of upfrontery and total fear, this was one of the most raw performances of amy's i've ever seen. can't say i loved it, but when she hits those notes, i am all hers.]


alicia keys and john mayer - no one
[this was THE performance of the evening. with an arrangement that far outshines the original, this will easily go down in grammy history as one of it's best!]

on the radar 2008: david jordan - sun goes down

david jordan - sun goes down [link 2]
[london based singer songwriter david jordan could be this years flaming mika of the pop charts. already making the A-list of the influential BBC radio 1 playlist AND placed under the wing of over the top producer trevor horn (early seal, pet shop boys, art of noise), this particular track is all over the place... and i LOVE IT!]

missy elliot - ching-a-ling / shake your pom pom (video premiere)

missy elliot - ching-a-ling (dj awdamaddix remix) [link 2]
[we leaked out the single last month but couldn't wait to share the video with you guys once it was finished. directed by longtime video collaborator dave meyers, check out the pop stylings of the japanese quartet U-Min while you're at it. finally, if you want to see the video in 3D, grab your glasses and watch it here]

erykah badu - honey (video premiere)

erykah badu - honey [link 2]
[oooh, girlfriend is BACK in a great way! with enough fabulous stylings honoring all her musical influences, erykah unleashes her brand new video that also sets the tone for her upcoming album new amerykah: part 1 (4th world war). check out her grace jones, diana ross and de la soul references! welcome back ms badu!]

morrissey - that's how people grow up (video premiere)

morrissey - that's how people grow up
[we leaked out the single a few weeks back and now is the video for your reference. i love how he gets totally mauled by fans and just takes it.]