SLAG PATROL

Britney Spears – Womanizer

OK, so it’s not exactly original; it’s Rihanna’s SOS + Rachel Stevens’s Some Girls + Britney’s Radar mashed together. Still, it’s excellent. The chorus sounds metallic, a touch industrial but still poppy. Good work Britney’s producers.

Christina Aguilera – Genie in a Bottle (2008 rework)

More palate cleanser than full song, this version of Genie in a Bottle is from her performance at the 2008 Video Music Awards. It’s very very sleek, and unfortunately only a minute and a half long–the new song it segued into on the show wasn’t nearly as good.

BWO – Lay Your Love On Me

BWO (formerly Bodies Without Organs) were a Slag Patrol favorite, until they put out about 10 truly awful ballads in a row and put on the worst show I’ve ever seen at the Astoria. Lay Your Love On Me is a very welcome return to form. It’s slick. It’s fun. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. I like.

Robyn – Handle Me (Ortzroka Death To Disco Dub)

The best mix of Handle Me I’ve heard yet. Everything saccharine in the original has been replaced with an angry, throbbing synth.

Rihanna – Disturbia (Craig C & Nique’s Master Radio Mix)

This remix loses the original’s irresistible melodic Bum-Bum-Be-Ums, but it adds a fantastic ‘destroy everything you touch’ edge.

Coldplay – Vida La Vida (Grant’s Uplifting Club Mix)

I was so over Coldplay, and then they came out with Vida La Vida, one of my favorite songs of the summer. This mix doesn’t change much but adds a good beat.

The Killers – Human

Stuart Price has done good work here. It’s the Killers at their synthy, yearning best. Very excited for this album to drop.

Katy Perry – Hot N Cold

I really shouldn’t like this song so much. I don’t understand why. It just make me so. happy. The Max Martin magic is working.

Britney Spears – Break the Ice (Kaskade Remix)

Break the Ice is my favorite track off Blackout. Kaskade is one of my favorite DJs. And together? The inner teenage girl in me is shrieking OMFG. The chorus is transcendent. As a whole the song almost tops Kaskade’s mix of Paris Hilton’s Nothing in this World. Almost. The other remixes of Break the Ice (including the Tracy Young mix) are good but not this good.

Rihanna – SOS (Nevins Glam Club Mix)

I somehow missed this when it came out. The wavy synth is brilliant.

Estelle feat. Kayne West – American Boy

I like the smoothness and easiness of this one. And Kayne’s rap is good.

Utah Saints – Something Good 08

Derivative 80s synth? Check. A complete lack of originality? Check. But I was eventually won over by this track (thanks to Robin), mostly because of its crazy video. We have yet to actually rock these moves on the dancefloor, but it’s going to happen.

2007 Top 20: 11-15

11. Rihanna – Umbrella (The Lindbergh Palace Radio Edit)

One of my favorite moments out of 2007 was when we were at Trash Palace and someone opened up an umbrella to dance under during this song. Amazing. This mix is pretty good, a bit camp, about on par with Jody den Broeder’s mixes. Not particularly better than the original, but you might not have heard it.

12. Fall Out Boy – Thnks Fr Th Mmrs (The Lindbergh Palace Radio Edit)

Loved the original. Love this mix even more. It’s much more dramatic; the yearning is palpable (and the strings are amazing!).

13. Britney Spears – Piece of Me

Oh sigh. Blackout is actually, surprisingly, shockingly excellent, but no one is going to notice because Britney has gone batshit insane. This song’s chorus is brilliant.

14. Hilary Duff – Stranger (Albert Castillo Radio Edit)

Another sinister Duff mix.

15. Good Charlotte – Dance Floor Anthem

Carolyn told me about this album, Good Morning Revival, and how surprised she was that she liked it so much. This song is emblematic, with a catchy, irrepressible chorus.