NEW SITE LOCATION
By Sheena Beaston
Happy New Year to all! And what a way to kick off 2010...because we've got a Beaston-exclusive, and boy oh boy, is it ever a most rad one!
One of our obsessions of (can we already say "last year") 2009, is the highly-recommended and "yep, you're all catching on" duo, My Gold Mask, out of Chicago. Gretta and Jack are two super-talented music ans, creating dynamic art-rock that we've been singing the praises of for many months. We even went so far as to bring them to NYC for our CMJ showcase in October!
Now, MGM are back and better than ever with a new EP. A Thousand Voices is 5 hits of power, fear, emotion and pure radness. You may recognize the lead track, Violet Eyes, as it spread through blogworld late last year (ugh, that still sounds too weird!).
I'm utterly beaming that these kids decided to let me debut one of the songs from the EP as a Sheena Beaston exclusive. Circle Mass is a furious frolic of everything we love most about My Gold Mask...intense rises and passionate vocalizings.
Circle Mass is yours for free below. It is included on their A Thousand Voices EP which will be available on January 9, 2010, but you can, and should, preorder it here now.
mp3: My Gold Mask - Circle Mass
Oh hell yeah and a radly-emphatic "hey girl hey" to you all! Earlier this "last month of 2009",I touched base with super cool online shoe outlet, BC Footwear as part of their Hey Girl Hey series, which features pretty cool gals doing even cooler things.
BC is an LA-based shoe company for the girl with an adventuroius attitude and a thirst for discovery. Basically, it's the Beaston motto!
Want to get to know a little more about who I am, where I haunt, and what I love to do? Click here, then direct yourself over to the Hey Girl Hey section where a bunch o' beastly info will be revealed!*
mp3: Tiga - Shoes (Mr Oizo Remix)
mp3: Bamboo Shoots - Hey Girl
* And in case you were unaware, yes, my REAL first name is used. Imagine that!
What better way to jump into a fresh new year, than by recounting some of the best mixes, from one sole soul. Yep, Doctor Rosen Rosen is back with his compilation of his very own cream of the 2009 crop.
With a name so nice, you say it twice, Doctor Rosen Rosen has us smiling...all the way into the new year. You can grab his compilation here, for free. The offering includes two previously unreleased mixes from his extremely talented hands. It's safe to say...we're swooning.
Say thank you, kids!
Tracklist:
01 Drake - Forever (Doctor Rosen Rosen Rx)
02 Weezer - I Want You To (Doctor Rosen Rosen Rx)
03 Lily Allen - Never Gonna Happen (Doctor Rosen Rosen Rx)
04 Phoenix - Lisztomania (Doctor Rosen Rosen Rx)
05 Eminem - We Made You (Doctor Rosen Rosen Rx)
06 Alaska In Winter - Berlin (Doctor Rosen Rosen Rx)
07 Lily Allen - Fuck You (Doctor Rosen Rosen Rx)
08 Mission District - Heartbreaker (Doctor Rosen Rosen Rx) previously unreleased
09 Britney Spears - Womanizer (Doctor Rosen Rosen Rx)
10 Sliimy - Womanizer (Doctor Rosen Rosen Rx) previously unreleased
mp3: Lily Allen - Never Gonna Happen (Doctor Rosen Rosen Remix)
Let's kick this, my 2000th post (!!!), off with a hearty hello and how do you do! I'm psyched to have been around to reach this millenial milestone, but more importnantly, to have you join me on this jamtastic journey. Many appreciative gestures all around!
Delphic, the "hey guess what, we're going to be huge in 2010 whether you choose to deny it or not" kids who continue to rock our bodies, recently threw together a playlist when they joined up with Mike Joyce for his Alternative Therapy show.
The lads did some chatting, Joyce did his own playlist, but we're featuring the Delphic ditties, cause it's been a constant source of repeated tuneage since falling into our laps earlier this morning. It's a free download here and the track list is as follows.
Delphic - Doubt (Riton Remix)
Delphic - Red Lights
Bjork - Dull Flame of Desire (Modeselektor Remix for Girls)
Chemical Brothers - The Golden Path (Ewan Pearson Remix)
Delphic - This Momentary (Radioproof Remix)
DIOYY - We Are Rockstars
Delphic - Counterpoint (The Chain Remix)
Delphic - Counterpoint (Woolford Remix)
Delphic's debut, Acolyte, is out January 11, 2010. Buy it, cause TRUST, it's that rad.
mp3: Delphic - Doubt (835 Remix)
Very quickly*, I give you one of the only acceptable remixes I've heard of Britney Spears' triangularly tweaked tune, 3, courtesy of the Beaston-fave, T-Minus 321.
It's bouncy, it's radder than the original, and these boys never fail to disappoint with their infectiously repeatable remixes.
Hand claps all around.
mp3: Britney Spears - 3 (T-Minus 321 Remix)
* Running around like a crazy person today. New Year's Eve and birthday party clothes shopping Oh, you ARE coming to my celebration, right? Details here.
La Chansons is the Atlanta-based husband and wife dance pop duo of Greg and Carson Keller. More importantly, they are the set of superbly styled singers/songwriters that make this beast smile a little easier.
La Chansons first caught my ear at the very beginning of this year when they contributed to Buffetlibre DJ's extensively excellent mixtape, Rewind Part 2. The Keller's covered Marcy Playgound's devious tale of sultrily-sucked sugar, Sex and Candy.
Now, LC are gearing up for the release of their album, King And Queen Of The Dance Floor, due out in January 2010. To celebrate the impending offering, La Chansons have delivered the track, Sparklin, for each of us to play, love and bask in all its synth-pop lusciousness.
Go get it!
mp3: La Chansons - Sex And Candy (Marcy Playground Cover)
mp3: La Chansons - Sparklin
Is Missy Elliott's Block Party ever really going to come out? If the leak of her new jawn with Lil Wayne, All 4 U, is any indication, then yes it is. The latest reports state it could be out as early as January 2010. Unlikely since there's no offical cover art, promotional push, or confirmed track list, but at least there's hope!
I recall way back in June of 2008, I made known that Missy's 7th studio album would be released on August 26 of that year. What bollocks! Regardless, if all the time she's been taking to "get it right" is worth it, I won't complain.
So yep, there's that Wayne collab which is floating around...go grab it if you feel the urge. Me? I'm more impressed with the final version* of Put It On Ya, which I grossly overlooked in the depths of my inbox from mid-October. Silly beast...
mp3: Missy Elliott (featuring Teyana Taylor) - Put It On Ya
* I previously featured a snippet of this in demo format. The final track is much better.
Paging Fake Blood...paging Fake Blood? And...found! Sort of. Let's dive into a vat of platelets, shall we?
Got a rad note from the Scottish DJ/Producer, Studio Brussels, earlier this afternoon in regards to a 1 minute version of a Fake Blood track that appeared on a couple of sites earlier this year and largely went unnoticed due to its extremely short length. Well, dudeman loved the tune so much that he did an extended edit and begn dropping it in his sets.
Yep, it's a Fake Blood mix of Run This Town, as extended by Studio Brussels. You're definitely going to want to jump on this one.
mp3: Fake Blood - Run This Town (Studio Brussels 3 Min Fix)
BONUS!
Studio Brussels also provided us with 2 of his other works. Listen and love now!
mp3: Soultronix - Slam That Door (Studio Brussels Remix)
mp3: Space Cowboy - Talking In Your Sleep (Studio Brussels Remix)
With 2009 coming to a close, we've dished out our BE[a]ST of the year lists, given you a number of holiday goodies from labels and artists, and prepped as best we can for 2010. But no musical chart-topping year is ever complete without the mighty hand of DJ Earworm.
For the past 2 years, the San Francisco-based DJ has been compiling his annual wrap-up mashups, taking the top chart-busting heat-seekers and mixing them in one tight and tidy package. And so goes the case for 2009, with his United State Of Pop 2009 (Blame It On The Pop). The mashup features the top 25 most popular hit songs of 2009, according to Billboard Magazine.
After the video, you'll find the track list.
The Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
Lady Gaga - Poker Face
Lady Gaga Featuring Colby O’Donis - Just Dance
The Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feelig
Taylor Swift - Love Story
Flo Rida - Right Round
Jason Mraz - I’m Yours
Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
Kanye West - Heartless
The All-American Rejects - Gives You Hell
Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me
T.I. Featuring Justin Timberlake - Dead And Gone
The Fray - You Found Me
Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody
Keri Hilson Featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo - Knock You Down
Jamie Foxx Featuring T-Pain - Blame It
Pitbull - I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)
T.I. Featuring Rihanna - Live Your Life
Soulja Boy Tell ‘em Featuring Sammie - Kiss Me Through The Phone
Jay Sean Featuring Lil Wayne - Down
Miley Cyrus - The Climb
Drake - Best I Ever Had
Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You
Beyonce - Halo
Katy Perry - Hot N Cold
mp3: DJ Earworm - United State Of Pop 2009 (Blame It On The Pop)
Over the past month and a half, I've been so psyched to bring you the good word that is music and food, meshed as one, on IFC's original series, Dinner With The Band. Featuring guests like Sharon Jones, MEN and Kid Sister, the show reveals insight on the cookery of Sam Mason and the musicalities of today's emerging stars.
Tonight is the last episode of DWTB's preview season. The first full season will air on IFC starting in April.
This evening's season finale features the duo of Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans, known more famously as Portland's own, YACHT. When it comes to eating, as staunch vegans (meaning they consume no animal byproduct), these two experiment non-stop in their culinary laboratory. While head chef, Sam Mason cooks up Psychic City (Chicken of the Woods Mushroom) Picado and Summer Bok choy and a Lovage Sour drink, YACHT will perform a handful of their truly enigmatic songs.
Check out this online exclusive performance of Waste Of Time.
Dinner With The Band is on IFC tonight at 11pm. Check your local cable listings for channel details.
mp3: YACHT - Psychic City (Classixx Remix)
mp3: The Blow - Hock It (YACHT Remix)
Every year around this time, San Francisco-based DJ couple, A Plus D, duke it out, fighting over which of the past year's mashups are good enough to make it on to their Best of Bootie album, an annual compilation mix of the year's best mashes.
This serves as both the soundtrack to the international Bootie mashup parties and also as a lazy person's one-stop shopping for the year's best bootlegs, without all the pesky hassle of sorting through all the out-of-key train wrecks that litter the blogosphere. These tracks are fan-affirmed and dance-floor tested and Beaston approved!
These cool kids are giving away the album for free...link to the magic is here. Be sure to peep the track list below, and after that, a choice cut we pulled out to feature, cause, well, it's just that rad.
1. A Plus D - Bootie Intro
2. Mad Mix Mustang - I Got More Than A Feeling (Boston vs. Black Eyed Peas)
3. Titus Jones - Good Girls Burn Miami (Sean Kingston vs. Cobra Starship vs. Lady Gaga vs. Shakira vs. LMFAO)
4. Hathbanger - Party & Bullshit (In The USA) (Notorious B.I.G. vs. Miley Cyrus)
5. DJ Schmolli - Bulletproof Radar (La Roux vs. Britney Spears)
6. DJ Lobsterdust - NirGaga (Nirvana vs. Lady Gaga)
7. A Plus D - Don't You Want My Bad Romance (Lady Gaga vs. Human League)
8. CjR - Call Me Uprising (Blondie vs. Muse)
9. A Plus D - Stardust Kids (David Bowie vs. MGMT)
10. Rhythm Scholar - Any Way You Want It (Syntax Error Remix) (Journey vs. Rhythm Scholar)
11. LeeDM101 - Womanizer On Fire (Kings Of Leon vs. Britney Spears vs. Jason Nevins)
12. Dan Mei & Marc Johnce - My Life On The Crazy Train Sucks (So What?) (Kelly Clarkson vs. Ozzy Osbourne vs. Pink vs. Daft Punk)
13. Titus Jones - A Circus of Heartbreakin' Divas (Pat Benatar vs. Beyoncé vs. 3Oh!3 vs. Britney Spears vs. Christina Aguilera vs. M.I.A.)
14. The Kleptones - Voodoo Sabotage (Beastie Boys vs. The Prodigy vs. Pendulum)
15. DJ Y Alias JY - Shut Up And Take Me Out (The Ting Tings vs. Franz Ferdinand vs. Aretha Franklin vs. M/A/R/R/S)
16. Party Ben - Single Ladies (In Mayberry) (Beyoncé vs. The Andy Griffith Show)
17. Glee Cast - It's My Life Confessions, Pt. II (A+D Bootie Edit) (Bon Jovi vs. Usher cover)
18. Dunproofin' - Groove Is In The Girls (Deee-Lite vs. The Prodigy)
19. A Plus D - Krazy Day N Nite (Pitbull vs. Lil Jon vs. Kid Cudi vs. Crookers)
20. DJ Tripp - Just Stop Believin' (Lady Gaga vs. Journey)
21. Mighty Mike - Use The Same Old Song (The Four Tops vs. Kings Of Leon)
22. Dan Mei & Marc Johnce - Chasing Cars That Way (Backstreet Boys vs. Snow Patrol)
mp3: Lady Gaga vs Journey - Just Stop Believin' (DJ Tripp Mash)
Dan Black creates the kind of cosmic pop that makes our feet start flyin' and our hearts skip a beat. His spacey disco panache is one we can't, and won't soon quit. We've writ a ton about him in the past, but if you haven't yet jumped on board, then you can thank the lad for gifting us with a freebie this week.
Symphonies appears on Dan's already-out-in-the-UK and soon to be released stateside album, ((un)). It's a slice of throwback splendor with modern-day sensibilities, pairing an unmistakable Notorious B.I.G. base with Black's slick lyrics.
I you have yet to add this delightful romp to your library, it's being offered as iTunes Free Single of the Week. Go grab Symphonies for free here!
Dan Black comes back across the pond for a mini-trek in early 2010. Dates below.
February 18 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
February 19 - Montreal, QC @ Belmont
February 20 - Toronto, ON @ WrongBar
February 23 - Los Angeles, CA @ Cinespace
February 25 - San Francisco, CA @ Popscene / 330 Ritch
mp3: Dan Black - HYPNTZ
Earlier this month, VEVO, the online music video website owned by Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, EMI and Abu Dhabi Media Company, launched. With this new video content site springing forward, an official party was held, and streamed live for viewers around the world.
Live coverage was provided by the site, with commentary and performances by everyone from Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Adam Lambert, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. One highlight from the star-studded evening was the latter's emotional performance of Speechless, a gripping ballad from her latest release, The Fame Monster.
Watch now!
Lady Gaga continues in her 2009 dominance with the release of her Bad Romances EP. The official track listing contains mixes from Chew Fu, Kaskade Remix, Bimbo Jones and Skrillex. Buy it here!
Also, if you haven't purchased a ticket to see the lady in concert yet, full dates and details can be found here. It's a must-see for us in 2010, and if you are in the UK, Alphabeat has recently been announced as her supporting act. Killer!
mp3: Lady Gaga - Paparazzi (Mr Vega Thinks Some Pop Is Good Remix)
One more bit of holiday goodies, then I think we're back on track with regular radness. 
RAC, or known to some as Remix Artist Collective, threw together a handful of their finest fixes, lovingly dubbed RAC VOL 1.5. This precedes their second EP, so these cool cats decided to gift out 4 remixes that make our holiday heinies bounce!
They twist and turn out The Gossip, U2, Hockey and Honeythieves. Each one is better than the next and you can grab them all for free right here!
Or grab one below. The choice is yours.
mp3: The Gossip - Heavy Cross (RAC Mix)
Long story short...I love everything Alan Wilkis touches, so getting emails from him always brightens up a beastly day. He takes the tunes I care not to listen to, and reworks them with a lovely disco finesse that turns said tracks into some of my most listened to jams.
And so goes the case with his latest. Wilkis, along with San Francisco's Pance Party, was tapped by Chester French as part of a special holiday exclusive. The package takes their meh-kay song, C'mon, and delivers a post-Xmas punch to the gut!
Grab Alan's slick lil' stocking stuffer now.
mp3: Chester French - C'mon (Alan Wilkis Remix)
BONUS! Grab the other two included in the gift for free now.
mp3: Chester French - C'mon (Pance Party Remix)
mp3: Chester French - C'mon (Radio Rock Mix)
Finally back to somewhat of a normalcy* schedulings of posts now that I'm back in the city, and what a way to kick things off post-holiday...with a CJ Milli mix! If you recall, this rad gal made one of our BE[a]ST of 2009 lists, and we're dead set on the fact that we're going to keep on digging her stuff in the upcoming year.
I love that she's able to take a track not so high up on the Beast-approved set [read=Drake] and make it a staple of my "New Radness" playlists. Give it a go below!
Samples used:
Nadastrom - Save Us
Cajmere - Horny Horny (Me So Horny Mix)
Tinny - Zingolo (Doorly Remix)
Drake - Best I Ever Had Drake Best I Ever Had (Grandtheft Remix)
mp3: Drake vs Nadastrom - Best I Ever Had (CJ Milli Remix)
* Pics and words might be used sparingly, cause you know, there's that whole "prepping the new site layout" thing we talked about earlier this past week that's keeping me way busy. That said, all content, as always, is still the most rad.
Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays. Hope your day is filled with fun, joy and all rad things of a beastly nature.
Gifts below...see if you can figure out which artists contributed to each of these festive mashups. Hint: there's a lot!
mp3: Divide and Kreate - Every Christmas You Fake
mp3: DJ Schmolli - Pumping Up Christmas
mp3: Voicedude - Its The Small Things
mp3: DJ Zebra - The Xmas Kick
It's not just albums, but people, places and things
That make us excited for what the fresh new year brings
As this rad year of "oh-nine" comes to an end
I give you my list of...
On we push forward, with a list of the artists, new albums and general bits of radness that make 2010 hot on the Beaston tip. Shall we?
mp3: The Knife - Neverland
On more than one occasion, a band member from major acts has noted that, yes, they are recording, and no, a new album is not out of the question at some point in the coming year. ex: Radiohead, The White Stripes, and the one that makes us gush all over...The Knife. Here's to hoping.
mp3: Outkast - B.O.B.
This might have fallen closer to the #1 spot on this list had we actually envisioned this coming to fruition. After many delays over the past two years, Big Boi stated, as recently as 2 weeks ago, that yes, there will definitely be a new Outkast album in 2010. Fingers crossed.
mp3: Flamboyant Bella - Get A Reaction (Breakdown Remix)
Go to the Introducing category on the site, and you'll find many an act we're super geeked to break out big. To name a few: Donkeyboy, Queen Kwong, Baby Monster, May 68 and Flamboyant Bella. We're on your team kiddos!
mp3: Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc
No official release date, although EMI announced that it would be released during the current financial year, which ends in March 2010. Tracks already in the bag include De La Soul and Mos Def, and with 5 years since Demon Days, we're already salivating at the sounds we'll soon hear.
mp3: Marina And The Diamonds - Mowgli's Road (Russ Chimes Remix)
A number of our "go-to" songs of the past year come from the ladies of London. They've all had a string of slight successes, and while we've been writing about a few of these gals since early 2008, 2010 should be huge for Marina and The Diamonds, Ellie Goulding and I Blame Coco.
mp3: Christina Aguilera - Dirrty (Mauve Mix)
The excitement I get when thinking about what this album will sound like is inexplicably outrageous. The working title is Light & Darkness, but it hasn't been confirmed. What IS solid, however, is the known fact that Ladytron, Sia, Goldfrapp, Santigold, M.I.A., and Tricky all have a hand in the production.
mp3: MNDR - Fade To Black
I'm digging on a number of the NYC new kids on the block, if you will. If recalled correctly, together, they make up one of the largest chunks of beastly words. They are: Theophilus London, MNDR, Sleigh Bells and Zambri. Each are recording, some with full debut albums due out in 2010. Color us stoked.
mp3: Goldfrapp - Eat Yourself (Live)
March 23, 2010 sees the release of the band's 5th studio album. Prior to that, new material, including lead single, Rocket, will hit our ears. Critics panned their previous effort, but our beastly love for the English electro-duo continued to grow. A new album might make our heart burst with joy.
mp3: Sia - Buttons (CSS Remix)
The Aussie songbird's 2009 release, Some People Have Real Problems, landed the top spot on my best albums list that year. With funky new material (see: You've Changed and Clap Your Hands), April 2010 may be the best month of the year. The anticipation is at an all-time high, and we're positive that Sia has the cred to back it up.
mp3: Beastie Boys vs Matt And Kim - Good Ol Fashion Rump Shaker
It's a little egotistical to put this as the number one spot, but I feel I owe it to all the dedicated readers who have put up with the terrible template issues over the course of the past two years. That said, I'll be rolling out the all-new, super-slick, and sexily-streamlined new Sheena Beaston site layout during the first week of January 2010. Get ready to get radder!
And so concludes all of our lists for 2009. We're glad you stuck it through!
Posting will be sporadic, at best, over the course of the next week and half. So to you and all your friends and loved ones, have a very Merry Christmas and a Beastly New Year!
Last weekend, I had the utmost (and freezing) pleasure of catching Rihanna live in Rockefeller Center. Check out my review and pictures here! But tonight, I have the distinct satisfaction in dropping a major bomb on you. Note: bomb=RADNESS.
Chew Fu, he of the title of "serial fixer", jumps on board the Rihanna train with his Granite Fix of Hard. The song alone is an album standout, but when Chew churns out a mix, you can rest assure, we're playing it on repeat.
The horns? Love it. The beat? Nonstop. The fix? We swoon!
Grab Chew Fu's remix now, play it, then rewind and hit play agin.
mp3: Rihanna (featuring Jeezy) - Hard (Chew Fu Granite Fix)
