Sounds like my favorite Minogue sister is ready for another dance hit ;)
No, you didn't read that wrong... what can I say, I prefer Dannii to her more famous sister (y'know, a little someone named Kylie Minogue). I do like a lot of Kylie's songs, but I always thought Dannii seemed like the spunkier little sister... and man, I love that! Kylie is heralded around the world as this pop icon; she might not be a big deal in the States, but internationally she's one of the most successful female artists ever... right up there with Madonna! I have a hard time taking her seriously as an "icon" though... she has a thin, thin voice, she barely dances, and I don't find her to be an "artist" in a way that makes up for those shortcomings. Dannii isn't much more talented, to be honest... but she doesn't take herself seriously! She knows she's a club singer, and she doesn't pretend to be anything more. Gotta love that kind of moxie! :)
Anyway, she's got a new single... a cover of Sister Sledge's disco hit "He's the Greatest Dancer." It's reaaally fun!
Alas, it's ONLY available as an Australian single... but starting April 14 you can order a copy online here. So bookmark it now! ;)
Alright, alright... I know you want to hear it NOW! :) Here she is performing it on an Australian TV special:
Told you it was fun! I bet it'd be a blast to hear what other current dance divas would sound like if they covered old disco classics... who would YOU want to hear? (Hmm... I think I smell a future poll topic! ;) )
Anyway, that's the latest news on the musical Minogues. Hope you guys enjoy Dannii's retro flashback!
Following up on a recent post about Adam Barta, I thought I'd blog about another up and coming DIVO you guys should know about (because frankly, the guys don't get enough respect in this genre!): MICHAEL HENSLEY.
Michael's a fellow Bostonian, which is how I learned about him. But what I like about him is a different story: he writes, composes, performs and produces all his own original electronic music. It's not all hard-hitting dance (though naturally he throws in the club remixes... gotta love that), so I'd describe it as... hmm... think Postal Service meets Darren Hayes meets Imogen Heap meets... Michael Hensley. Okay, I guess he's come up with something pretty original, when you think about it :)
I'd heard his first single, "Everyone Wants to Feel Something," (which is also the title of his current EP) and was into it... so I checked out his live show last week at The Milky Way in Boston. Which, by the way, was the first time I'd ever been there. Awesome! Okay, it's a bar, dance club, bowling alley, and pool bar all in one cozy, unpretentious space. It's like, the coolest basement that you wish your older friend had in high school. Haha. Anyway, his show was great. He did the songs from his EP, plus a few new tracks that will be on the full-length album... comes out next month, I do believe.
I'd HIGHLY recommend checking him out. Below's a YouTube clip from the Milky Way show... bear in mind the video/audio quality isn't fantastic, so you'll probably want to go to his MySpace.
Anyway, I always love dropping news about an awesome new artist... so file this one away, give the EP a listen (you can also buy it through his official site), and plan to hear more about him in the future!
Speaking of the future... only a few more days 'til we unveil the DIVA and DIVO of April... anyone have any guesses? :)
Hope you all had a great weekend. Anyone up to anything exciting?
Johnny and I spent the weekend at Mohegan Sun... for you non-northeasterners, Mohegan is a major casino/hotel/resort in Connecticut. It's a gorgeous place... and while I'm not a gambler, I am big fan of Red Bull, vodka, and flashing lights :) haha.
The roulette tables and slot machines stole some of our money, but the main reason we were there was to see the current reigning Prince of Pop: Justin Timberlake. His "FutureSex/LoveShow" tour was in town, and we checked it out. The seats were awesome (they were comps from a "high roller" we know, so naturally they were going to be good ones!)... only a few rows back from the stage. Better that than the floor, where we wouldn't have seen a damn thing! Mr. JT performed "in the round," which was kind of an odd choice. He's the kind of performer that would probably benefit from the added spectacle of an elaborate set and effects, which you can't really have when you're performing in the round. Pink opened the show... and she was awesome. She's got quite a voice, I was pretty impressed! She went through most of her big hits, like "Don't Let Me Get Me," "Stupid Girls," "Family Portrait," "Get This Party Started," and the song that's remixed version is making some waves in clubs, "U + Ur Hand." Love that one ;) I have to say I was a little bit disappointed that she left out the stuff from her first album. Y'know, singles like "There You Go," "Most Girls," and "You Make Me Sick." That was back when she was first being billed a more R&B sound... it's also back when she actually had pink hair! Haha. Anyway, I guess she wants us to forget that she ever did something other than the rock sound. She closed her set with this wild Cirque du Soleil style gymnastic routine in mid-air... y'know, twirling around on this long ribbon suspended from the ceiling. Can't say I was aware she was a gymnast! Haha. Here's a YouTube clip from that grand finale... I didn't take it, but I'm glad someone else captured it!:
I only wish I could say that Justin was just as good... but actually, I was pretty disappointed. Bear in mind that this is the guy who just took home a Grammy for "Best Dance Album." So where was the dancing?? Every now and then he'd break out with a couple seconds of his trademark Michael-Jackson-meets-NSync style of dancing. But for the most part, he pretty much alternated between walking around the stage in a different shade of grey vest, or sitting behind the piano and channeling Elton John for a "serious songwriter" moment. I'm sorry, I just personally wasn't impressed.
I like Justin - I wouldn't have bothered going to the concert, otherwise! But it's not the first time I've been underwhelmed by him as a live performer. I saw the "Justified and Stripped" tour a few years ago, when he toured with Christina Aguilera. I remember being bowled over by her part of the show; the spectacle, the voice, the attitude and the dancing all together. And then he was kind of tacked on at the end. He was good enough, but following her show, it seemed like a lame way to end the concert.
Here's a clip I found on YouTube of the Mohegan Show. It's not mine, and it's not great quality, but at least you can see how the stage was set up and whatnot!:
I just don't feel like he commands a stage the way other performers do... he certainly doesn't have the kind of presence that you need to do a show "in the round," without the benefit of an ornate set and visual distractions. In fact, to be honest... this was the first concert where I ever left before the end. It was about 2 hours long, which means - considering that he only has 2 solo CDs so far - he sang just about everything he's ever done. We kept waiting for "SexyBack," naturally assuming that would be the big closer of the evening. So we waited. And waited. Waited some more.
FINALLY, it came. And it didn't even finish the show with a bang! It was pretty by the numbers, and then it was almost immediately followed by the encore. A ballad. Wow, way to close the show with a whimper! So that's when we decided that playing some slots sounded more fun ;)
Between the curtain scrims that wrapped around the stage all night long (to serve as projection screen) that totally blocked a clear view of him, and the fact that he performed every song exactly the same way (strut, five-second dance, strut, sit at piano, strut...) it just wasn't a great show.
Why can't we give someone like Kristine W the kind of production values that a concert like this gets... so many of our favorite dance artists could command a stage with greater presence and vocal ability. Then we might get a "Best Dance Album" Grammy winner that makes sense.
Anyway, sorry Justin fans. I still like his music, but this was the second time he let me down in concert. Go back to NSync!
Well, we weren't exactly inundated with votes for our last poll... although since traffic hasn't dipped, I'm going to assume it just wasn't a question of interest! ;)
Of the few votes that came in, it looks like Pink and Nelly Furtado were the pop picks you'd most like to see go the dance route. I could see that... especially since Pink has a pretty awesome remix out right now with"U + Ur Hand."
Personally, I would have cast my vote for Nelly Furtado, too. I like how each of her albums combines her signature sound - this eccentric, world music, singer/songwriter blend - with a different genre. Her first combined it with pop; her second, folk; and the third, hip hop. But her own elements were consistent throughout.
Maybe next time around, she could pick a clubbier vibe? I think her voice, her funky fashion and her personality would all fall in line with it. Imagine the lead single: "Nelly Furtado with Tony Moran." :) And for the midtempo ballads, "Nelly Furtado featuring Kaskade." The hell with Timbaland... he's overdone! Let's get some other producers in there, right? ;)
By the way, Jade and I are going to see one of the other artists from the poll this weekend: Justin Timberlake at Mohegan Sun! I'll let you guys know what JT is like live... and whether he can reaaaaally outdance yours truly - frankly, I'm skeptical ;) haha.
So how's this for exciting... I had a chance tonight to chat with Louie DeVito... yes, THAT Louie DeVito... only the Guinness World Record champ for best-selling DJ compilation CD (NYC Underground Party) !
I have to admit, it was pretty cool. In fact, his albums are among those that really got me into the clubbing scene. I was into dance music beforehand, most definitely. But his first few albums came out back when I was in high school (oh my God, has it been that long??) and, growing up in a quiet suburban town with one stoplight (nevermind a dance club), it introduced me to a lot of artists that - for a 17 year old! - were pretty unknown: Ian van Dahl, Zombie Nation... and a lot of other names that are embarassingly familiar to most dance fans now... but, at the time, were totally unknown to a small town girl like me ;)
God, I remember half the kids in my high school having his stuff... few of whom had ever stepped into a real club as just a teenager. But he somehow managed to bring all that music to a mass audience. Maybe we need more DJs and producers like that now! People to get the mainstream excited about dance music again!
Anyway, you're going to see something more extensive on Louie very, very soon (God, we're just dropping hints left and right, aren't we ;) ), but I thought I'd share that he's a great guy. I was actually kind of surprised - is that weird? Haha. Sometimes with these really successful, big name DJs, you have to prepare yourself for a little bit of attitude... so I was pretty surprised that one of the most well-known (and recognizable - not many other DJs get recognized by strangers when they're walking down Boylston Street, Boston) DJs was also one of the nicest. Not bad!
It was also kind of cool how familiar he was with Boston. In fact, though he lives in New Jersey now, he mentioned he was considering a second home in the Boston area... (possibly to be closer to a "special someone" - lucky gal!) And as trivia for any other local peeps: he counts Mistral, Radius, Abe & Louie's (naturally!) and Davio's among his fave Boston restaurants.
Anyway, Louie was doing a gig at Boston's PURE nightclub tonight, and I was supposed to be there. Unfortunately, I got some bad news about a family member's health, so - for once! - hitting the dance floor just didn't seem like the right idea. He plays around here somewhat frequently, though, so I'm hoping I'll get a chance to see him again soon.
One thing Louie mentioned in his conversation with me was that he sometimes thinks he gets less "respect" from other DJs because his albums tend to appeal so strongly to a mainstream crowd. So I leave you with this food for thought (and debate): Do you think DJs get flack for being "too mainstream"? And if so, why??
Look for more about him soon. Hope this tides you over!
Seems like we just reported on Kristine's latest single (and bound to be an inclusion on her upcoming album), "Walk Away."
Well, noooow we've heard a sneak preview of yet another new track, "Be Alright." This one is going to be released on Forever Tel Aviv, the new mix compilation by DJ/producer Offer Nissim. It's not the first time the two of them have worked together... in fact, she did a remix of Kristine's last #1 hit, "The Wonder of it All." That said, I can't say I was blown away by this one... at least, not as much as I wanted to be. It's a departure for Kristine. Instead of wailing away on the mic like we're used to, her vocals sort of float over this trancey melody. That said, I also think Offer tends to overproduce her songs, so it's hard to know what the normal album version will sound like. Of course, it's entirely possible that the song won't even end up on Kristine's upcoming album... maybe it was recorded just for the compilation. Questions, questions :)
But one thing we DO know: the title of Miss W's new dance album, slated for the summer of '07. We've got something a little more extensive coming up on Kristine (hint, hint) - but we're ready to reveal that juicy piece of info for you. And without, further ado (drumroll, please), the title of the album is:
Sorry for the lack of posts over the weekend... had some technical difficulties that slowed things down. Anyway, hope all you Irish folk had a lovely St. Paddy's Day Weekend... I hit up the huge parade in South Boston to celebrate this weekend. This was right after I watched my latest Netflix arrival: "The Departed." Haha. Total coincidence, I swear! (Though it sure helped me keep up a pure Bahstan accent for the parade ;))
Anyway, this blog entry takes us from Boston to Taipei, the "site" of Global Underground's latest mix compilation (GU31) and the latest release from Dubfire. Dubfire (aka Ali Shirazinia) is one half of the DJ/producer team Deep Dish. You've likely danced to their work before... I count the Deep Dish mix of Madonna's "Music" among my personal faves, in fact ;)
Sharam, Ali's partner in crime and fellow Deep Disher, was the name behind one of Global Underground's last compilations (GU29), and now Dubfire gets his turn. I got an advance listen (cause you know, I'm special like that ;) ) and it was pretty impressive! A lot of excellent deep house beats; two discs of pure yumminess.
And the album also features Dubfire's first use of his own vocals on the track "I Feel Speed." Not bad at all! Do I see a future DIVO in the making? Hehe.
So how's that for a sneak preview? DUBFIRE: TAIPEI (GU 31) comes out on April 10. So mark your calendars!
And to everyone heading to Winter Music Conference this week... happy (safe) travels!!
Again, sorry for the missed updates... we're back at it now, though!
