Once every three months I list the best of what I heard in albums/songs/remixes for the quarter. I do this to personally keep up with all the awesome music I hear, as it ultimately helps me at the end of the year when I do my overall listing for the previous twelve months. I also do it to introduce you cool cats to tunes you may have missed independently.
Compared to the past couple of years, I was underwhelmed with the number of awesome remixes I heard in 2011. Not that they weren’t out there, I just didn’t mosey upon them. So if by chance you don’t see one of your favorites listed here, send it my way or comment, by all means.
Regular readers will not be surprised to find a plethora of Star Slinger on here; he’s one of my favorite current producers. There are others here as well, and he doesn’t get the top spot. Also it should be noted, for those uninitiated, that I’m a big club and house fan, so other styles are likely under-represented here. I enjoy dance music, but I’m not going to pretend I know a lot about it. Like most of my year-end lists, this is basically just a ranked list of remixes I heard that I enjoyed. YouTube links are provided, and listening to these tracks loudly is highly encouraged.
20. Star Slinger – Dumbin’ (Diplo Remix)
19. The Rapture – How Deep Is Your Love (A-Trak Dub aka Dub For Mehdi)
18. Escort – Cameleon Chameleon (Club Remix)
17. Trombone Shorty – Do To You (Star Slinger Remix)
16. Jamie Woon – Lady Luck (Hudson Mohawke’s Schmink-Wolf Refix)
15. XV – Swervin’ (Clams Casino Remix)
14. Tyson – Out of My Mind (Star Slinger Remix)
13. Star Slinger – How Will I Copulate (Moranis Mashup feat. Whitney Houston)
12. Aaliyah – Are You That Somebody (Hudson Mohawke Remix)
11. James Vincent McMorrow – If I Had a Boat (Star Slinger’s R ‘n’ B Thug Mix)
10. Gold Panda – Marriage (Star Slinger Remix)
9. Ra Ra Riot – Too Dramatic (The Kids Are Radioactive Remix)
8. Pony Pony Run Run – Hey You (Star Slinger Remix)
7. Alex Winston – Sister Wife (Star Slinger Remix)
6. The Go! Team – Apollo Throwdown (Star Slinger Remix)
5. Rizzle Kicks – Down With the Trumpets (Star Slinger Remix)
4. Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall (Swedish House Mafia Remix)
3. Childish Gambino – Freaks and Geeks (Star Slinger Remix)
2. Bingo Players – Cry (Just a Little) (Kids at the Bar Bootleg Remix)
10. A-Trak – Dirty South Dance 2
A-Trak – We Don’t Want No Goblins
Dubstep and Southern rap were meant to be together, or at least they are when A-Trak’s behind the crossfader. His second foray into mixing the two genres is a dance party like no other; stand by for the ending highlight, a mashup of Joker and Yung L.A.
9. Wavves – King of the Beach
Nathan Williams’ 2009 and 2010 were completely different. The previous year, he was an up-and-comer that crashed and burned publicly; now he is a renewed creative spirit with a diverse, improved sound.
8. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West – Monster (feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj)
Believe the hype – Yeezy’s fifth album is quite probably his finest work yet. His rapping is smart and funny and his production is characteristically slick. If he keeps making gold, we will continue to put up with his hi-jinks, Internet, interview, or otherwise.
7. One Wolf – One Wolf II: Secret of the Wolf
Perhaps the doom and gloom from One Wolf’s self-titled effort has disappeared, but in its place is diverse instrumentation, inescapable pop hooks, and sharp optimism. A sonic collage of indie, Americana, and even metal, this is one that just grows and grows on you.
6. Thrift Store Cowboys – Light Fighter
Thrift Store Cowboys – Regardless
Lubbock’s elder statesmen etch their place in historic alt-country with this, their fourth and finest album. Daniel Fluitt’s keen storytelling and unmistakable voice lead the listener on a gradual crescendo in under fifty minutes. Give it one listen and observe the injustice – Deer Tick should be opening for these guys by now.
20. A-Trak – Twerk That Driver
19. Small Black – Photojournalist (Star Slinger Remix)
18. Two Door Cinema Club – Undercover Martyn Flexin’ It (Passion Pit Remix)
17. The Hood Internet – Someday We’ll Find Your Love (Drake x Grum)
16. Neon Indian – Should Have Taken Acid With You (Future Rock Remix)
15. Coolrunnings – I Am You (Star Slinger Remix)
14. The-Dream – Nikki (Gobble Gobble Remix)
13. Passion Pit – Sleepyhead (Le Chev Remix)
12. Deerhunter – Helicopter (Star Slinger Remix)
11. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Round & Round (Little Loud Remix)
Once every three months I list the best of what I heard in albums/songs/remixes for the quarter. I do this to personally keep up with all the awesome music I hear, as it ultimately helps me at the end of the year when I do my overall listing for the previous twelve months. I also do it to introduce you cool cats to tunes you may have missed independently.
This year I made the big move from Lubbock to Austin, and the transformation has done wonders for my live music fix. I should have been writing down all the awesome bands I saw this year (and the years before, for that matter) but alas, hindsight, she is 20/20 once again. I think this post covers the highlights more or less, however. There’s plenty of great live music I saw this year that I’m leaving out, but after the jump, in no particular order, are twelve of the best shows I witnessed in 2010, eleven of them right here in the Live Music Capital of the World.
And for the record, I wanted to put the Sleigh Bells show on here, as fun as it was once they finally started playing, but everyone who attended knows Beauty Bar is at fault for that show’s omission. What a disaster.
Today the kids over at Fun Fun Fun headquarters announced the lineup for their 2010 festivities. Of course, with FFF being my favorite fest to attend for four years running, I bought my tickets well in advance of today’s news. But now that the artists have officially been made known to the public, here are a handful of bands, in no particular order, I intend to be front and center stage for. Who are you excited to see?
Once every three months I list the best of what I heard in albums/songs/remixes for the quarter. I do this to personally keep up with all the awesome music I hear, as it ultimately helps me at the end of the year when I do my overall listing for the previous twelve months. I also do it to introduce you cool cats to tunes you may have missed independently.
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