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Mr. Lava's Trash Music Compendium Another round-up of the best, the worst, and the most intriguing trash of the past and present.  VOLUME 91(January 2012) I arrived in Zagreb, Croatia on 2 November, and until now I haven't had the time to update the music pages. So, here we go, with a summary of the last and some of the best of 2011. Images on right are from Groove club in Zagreb, night of 7 January 2012.  ← Click on the music notes to hear song samples.Rebecca & Fiona - Hard2011 The Scandianvian club queens return with a double-A side (if that even makes sense these digital days). "Hard" sees the girls having a nice wallow in 1991-style old school techno sounds. Rebecca & Fiona - If She Was Away2011 The more conventionally song-like of the two Rebecca & Fiona singles finds the young women delivering more of their subtly cutting psychological observations. Redd feat. Akon & Snoop Dogg - I'm Day Dreaming (David May Mix)2011 This has a good shot at being 2012's first big anthem. Massive hook, mega-joy overload. Stupeflip - Gaëlle2011 Electro pop funkiness from a French group. Mimicry - The Destination2011 Had Human League, OMD, and ABC consumed steroids back in the 1980s this might have been the result. Mimicry hail from Estonia, and the song is charting in Latvia. Song can be downloaded for free from their Soundcloud page. Sonny J - Can't Stop Moving (Mirwais Extended Mix)2011 Sounds like the son of Fatboy Slim; a fun tune that originally came out in 2008, and found new life in a British advertising campaign in 2011. Sarah Atereth - Without You (Solasso Club Mix)2011 Super-catchy diva-driven electro pop. Arty - Around the World (Original Mix)2011 Another 90s throw-back, an instrumental which opens with bouncy beats (reminiscent of Outlander's classic "The Vamp") before sneaking in its massive hook. Yves Larock - The Zoo (Original Mix)2011 This dancefloor destroyer features what sounds like a sample of a kid's record. Great video to go with. Lempo & Japwow feat. Nancy Sinatra - Jack in Boots (Club Mix)2011 This ridiculous cutting up of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Were Made for Walking" is the essense of what "EorE?" is about. Gimbal & Sinan - Triumph2011 Beautiful instrumental trance-house tune will transport you to a sunny beach far away from your European winter. If you're already on a sunny beach, it will compliment the mood well. Duo Italiano & Remakeit - Il mio giorno migliore (Extended)2011 "Remakeit" is in the artist name because this is a typical SAIFAM record label dancefloor interpretation of somebody else's pop song. Original came from singer Giorgia this past summer. It already packed a great wallop in its original form, so you can't go wrong by adding some additional boom-boom to this proceedings. DJ Ross - U Got the Love (feat Sushy) (Restylers Remix)2011 DJ Ross seems to have slipped off onto the fringe of dance music production, but he has produced so many great tunes I knew it would be worth checking back up with him. Sure enough, my curiosity was rewarded when I found this little Italo dance charmer. Bob Sinclar feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - F*** With You2011 Another potential first big hit of 2012, this clever/naughty tune is easily the best thing Ellis-Bextor has loaned her voice to since her "Murder on the Dancefloor" days. Sassy, sassy Sophie. Avicii - Levels2011 Contender for Dance Anthem of 2011; Avicii will have to slug it out with LMFAO and Sak Noel for the title. TBF - Veseljko2011 No doubt this is the biggest song in Croatia, my adopted homeland. Requested every night, played everywhere. The song's lyrics are hilarious; sung from the perspective of a fellow who can't understand why his girlfriend doesn't respect his poor penis by any name. He proceeds to offer other names for that oft-denegrated organ. Video is a hilarious tribute to 1980s-style Yugoslavian videos. TBF might be Croatia's cleverest band, but unfortunately us non-Croatian speakers will have to experience their wit in translation.  VOLUME 92(January 2012) Image on right is a street scene in Maribor, Slovenia, taken 5 January 2012. ← Click on the music notes to hear song samples.Knife Party - Internet Friends2011 "You blocked me on Facebook, and now you're going to die," Scary Woman says in this parable about internet relationships offered by the lads from Pendulum (who have decided to dabble in filthy electro house for a change under this new alias). It's brilliant. Their partnership with Swedish House Mafia, "Antidote," which is charting in several countries, suggests that the Knife Party project is off to strong start in 2012. Azealia Banks - 212 (feat. Lazy Jay)2011 Sassy, filthy lyrics from a Harlem-born rapper who, despite not having a regular record contract yet, has already burned through at least three different aliases. She is rapping straight on top of Lazy Jay's "Float My Boat" here, and on YouTube she commented under the Lazy Jay video, saying, "nothing about 212 is original. it's a pre-existing song that i rapped on. so what?? rappers rap on hot beats. it's what we do." The results are excellent, and Azealia looks likely to have a good 2012. LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It2011 It's this generation's "I'm Too Sexy." The 303s are a welcome intrusion. Basto! - Again and Again (Extended Mix)2011 Basto!'s "Gregory's Theme" was such a shameless rip-off of "Bromance" that I nearly didn't give the artist another chance. But here things come together in such a way that, even if the sounds and the structure are derivative, well, it's original enough to stand on its own two feet. Actually, what I'm trying to say I've been dancing around my room to this in my underwear. You're forgiven for "Gregory's Theme," Basto! Nero - Reaching Out (Radio Edit)2011 The lads of Nero continue to mine 1980s sounds to create the cheeriest dubstep you'll ever hear. Here it's Hall & Oates getting blended with Kano's Italo classic "Another Life." Video homage to "Miami Vice" is superb, also. Florrie - I Took a Little Something2011 Catchy pop dance tune with a hint of St. Etienne-style 90s indie cool. Pedantic-sounding descriptions like this one are why I also include sound samples. Rizzle Kicks - Mama Do the Hump2011 Reminiscent of Moby's "Play," days, except tons more fun, and a reminder that Fatboy Slim, who served as the producer of this track, still has some great gifts to offer the world. Don Omar feat. Lucenzo Remix - Danza Kudero2011 The dancefloor is empty, and you need something to boost the energy levels fast. Something reliable. Here it is. Something to go with your Cidinho E Doca "Rap das armas." The pumping accordions have actually led to an unexpected development: Dutch schlager groups are doing their own interpretations. Chuckie feat. Gregor Salto - What Happens in Vegas (Club Mix)2011 Never really understand the relationship between the music and the spoken words in songs like these (seems one could insert any random sentence into such songs to serve as lyrics). Anyway, the music attains quite a majestic feeling, though "majestic" is not a word I associate with Vegas. The Supermen Lovers - C'est bon (Extended)2011 Nice to see the Supermen Lovers back so many years after their big hits "Starlight" and "Diamonds for Her." This perky tune will have you singing French along with the cheerful, chanting cheerleaders. Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris - We Found Love (Cahill Club Mix)2011 The best dancefloor-oriented Rihanna single of the last few years. Unicorn Kid - Chrome Lion2011 His "Tidal Rave" EP, from which this is culled, is available on his Soundcloud page for free download. Hard to put my finger on what makes it sound so oceanic, but the "Tidal Rave" name somehow fits. Opens with a harmonica in a grotto, and then sends you and your surfboard into the tube. Wawa - Do It 2 (Original Mix)2011 Sexy, screwy electro house take on Raw Silk's 1982 disco classic "Do It To the Music." Vocals from the Raw Silk track have been sampled numerous times. 2-4 Grooves - Make Noize (Extended Mix)2011 The German duo have cut their teeth with such trash offerings as a cover of "Writing on the Wall (St. Elmo's Fire)" and remixes of the Baywatch theme. Here's a catchy party anthem of their own design. Scooter - C'est bleu (Extended Mix)2011 After their miserable "It's a Biz" single, which sounded just like Afrojack's & Steve Aoki's "No Beef," Scooter return with perhaps their most muscular anthem in a decade. The compendiums: |
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