SLAG PATROL

Darin – Insanity
CSS – Music is My Hot, Hot Sex

For the past 24 hours I haven’t been able to get Insanity out of my head. Another track lovingly procured from Into the Groove, Jessica says this guy sounds like his own Nsync: verses sung by JC Chasez and chorus by Justin Timberlake, but with an edge. She’s right. The UK would adore this guy. And CSS: last week Roisin asked if I had heard of this ridiculous (in a good way) Brazilian band. I hadn’t, then two days later the london paper said their album ‘Cansei De Ser Sexy’ was the best of 2006. It’s not hard to hear why–it’s just fun: the lyrics are sometimes nonsensical, sometimes hilarious, and the beats are tight and bouncy. Music is My Hot, Hot Sex is my favorite track; the part where it shifts to Portugese is great.

Beyonce – Ring the Alarm (Freemasons Radio Mix)
Marit Bergman – My Love

This remix of Ring the Alarm is my new favorite song for both running and walking purposefully through crowded airports. It’s so angry! It slaps you in the face when it starts and doesn’t let up for the whole three and a half minutes. The build at 2 minutes is magnificent. And the My Love cover by Marit Bergman (poached from the fantastic Into the Groove)–the minimalist piano and xylophone really work for the song. My only minor, minor gripe: she omits the ‘I can see us holding hands, walking on the beach our toes in the sand’ part, my favorite bit of the original. And she could totally fit it in during the harmonica/ahh-ing part towards the end of the song. But beggars can’t be choosers–it is very good.

Robyn – With Every Heartbeat
Static Revenger – Round & Around (Radio Edit)

Robyn first entered my consciousness in 1997 with her single Show Me Love (James actually has this exact CD single on his shelf today–I’m not sure if he should be embarrassed or proud). When her self-titled album came out in 2005, I initially thought it was a different Robyn. It’s absolutely brilliant electropop–Be Mine! and Crash and Burn Girl are two of my favorite songs ever. Poignant, tremendously sad, and possessing a glorious strings break in the middle, With Every Heartbeat makes me very anxious for Robyn’s next album. And Static Revenger–hadn’t heard of them before receiving this on a compilation. It’s 80s-derivative but pulls it off, with a charging synth and catchy chorus.

Scissor Sisters – Land of a Thousand Words (Junkie XL Remix)
Gwen Stefani – Wonderful Life

Land of a Thousand Words is one of the tracks on Ta-Dah that initially I didn’t think much of. It’s a bit slow and ponderous; I certainly didn’t think it would be good as a single (especially with tracks like Kiss You Off, She’s My Man, Paul McCartney and The Other Side to choose from)–but they went with the ballad, and made a fab Bond-intro style video, and I have to admit it’s grown on me. This Junkie XL remix is better than the original–sexy and lush, it would be perfectly suitable for listening to on your yacht with the wind blowing through your hair. And Gwen. Sigh. Double sigh even. The new album has been mostly panned–I haven’t given it a serious listen yet, but after reading reviews that call it things ranging from “lacklustre” to “sloppy afterbirth,” I’m not sure I want to. But Wonderful Life is in fact wonderful. It’s synth pop at its best, very 80s and very slick.

Pink – U and Ur Hand (Bimbo Jones Remix)
Justin Timberlake – My Love (Paul Oakenfold Radio Edit)

This Pink remix takes the best part of the song, the chorus, and makes it almost entirely the focus. It repeats, overlaps, swells and crashes—it’s fantastic. And the Oakenfold remix of JT is also very very good. I thought the original My Love was pretty good, certainly better than Sexyback and good to dance to, but this remix turns the song sinister and assails you with synth. I cannot wait to hear it out at a club.

Placebo – Running Up That Hill
Lil Chris – Gettin’ Enough

Apologies for the lack of updates. I’ve gone on a music binge today though–there’s some good stuff in the pipeline. This cover of Running Up That Hill (originally by Kate Bush) is fantastic. It’s much darker than another recent cover by Within Temptation, and it was used to great effect in the first episode of The OC this season (here I must embarrassedly admit that I both still watch The OC and am generally a sucker for the music it uses). The thumping heartbeat in the background is perfect. And Lil Chris–I didn’t see what all the fuss was about when I heard the first single Checkin’ It Out–it was rubbish–but this one is better. The retro 80s video may be rubbish, but the song is extremely catchy.