26 March 2018

13 March 2018

13 March 2018 - Lilly Wood & The Prick - Prayer In C (Robin Schulz Remix)

Fun story: I always thought that "Sugar", the song I posted about on Friday and which sampled "Suga Suga", sampled a song of similar tempo that I could not identify.  In fact, I started my post on Friday trying to identify THAT song, because that was a song I absolutely loved.

Mission accomplished.  And, since both songs are Robin Schulz mixes, hence the similarity.  This remix ended up being a huge hit worldwide, because, you know, apparently Robin Schulz can steal anything and turn it into gold.



Lest you think I'm kidding about the stealing part - Schulz remixed the song without authorization, just because he had a Lilly Wood & The Prick CD.  The original, by a French-Israeli duo who are relatively well-known in France, is a much more somber, much folkier song with a lot more flute.

12 March 2018

12 March 2018 - Britney Spears - Womanizer

When Scott Colvin used to co-edit this blog, he used to make it a point to post Britney every March 12th....

I felt like he should get this gift today.  I guarantee you're getting "If U Seek Amy" next year.

09 March 2018

9 March 2018 - Baby Bash ft. Frankie J - Suga Suga & Robin Schulz ft. Francesco Yates - Sugar

It's rare that we feature two different songs by two different artists in one post. In this case, we've got two songs so inextricably connected that we had no choice.

In 2003, "Suga Suga" was a rather big hit by hip hop group Baby Bash.  The song itself is kind of sweet, in a early-2000s sexist sort of way. At any rate, the woman referenced in this song, which is kind of a slow jam, is featured in a positive light.


This song was a big hit, making top 10 charts worldwide.

Fast forward to 2014".  German DJ Robin Schulz hears "Suga Suga" and loves both the chorus and the hook (itself somewhat lifted from Barry White).  So he hires Canadian vocalist to perform new verses and introduce the chorus, completely lifted from "Suga Suga".  Heck, the "Sugar" video even lampoons the "Suga Suga" video somewhat - the cop has a Baby Bash costume in his suitcase.

But it's a very different song.  The woman referenced here is very much not a positive influence.  The song is less slow jam and more dance floor smash. It was, however, an equally big hit.



Yes, mashups exist.  No, we're not sharing them. 

01 March 2018

1 March 2018 - Lissie - Wild West

Like most of America, I first discovered Lissie during the Twin Peaks revival.  Most episodes of that show ended with a musical guest.  This one stood out from most of the rest. Whereas most of them fit the Julee Cruise airy, ethereal motif, or were just audibly interesting. Lissie brought straight-ahead rock to the Bang Bang Bar.

The performance was worthy of the show, and a star-making performance. (Update: The video is gone, but the audio still exists)


Yes, I put her Twin Peaks performance on top of this post, but let's be clear - there's a real music video for this song. Even that's interesting - she handed cameras to children and let them make it themselves.  Her appearance at the end, to take them for ice cream, is raw emotion in itself.

22 January 2018

22 January 2018 - Fleetwood Mac - The Chain

I really intended to keep it to just a week. But there was too much good material.

Like this song.  This song was a bit of a happy accident, made by splicing together a bunch of stuff from the cutting room floor.  Little of the original song's instruments were recorded together, nor the vocals.  It was a spliced-up mess, right down to the seemingly nonsequetor closing baseline.  I've talked pretty extensively about how fractured the band was during the recording of the Rumours album. What a better allegory for that than a song that the players couldn't even get together to record!

And it STILL worked!

19 January 2018

19 January 2018 - Fleetwood Mac - Hold Me

So many good Fleetwood Mac songs, right?  We're not done yet!

Released as the first single from the Mirage album in 1982, this is one of Fleetwood Mac's biggest hits, and yet it is often forgotten when discussing their best songs.  And, indeed, the band was a mirage at the time.  Notice how very little they are on screen together during this video.  That's because none of them were getting along.  At all.  Stevie Nicks was broken up with TWO of her bandmates, neither of whom were really fond of her.  Neither was the video producer, who complained about her diva behavior.  John McVie was largely drunk throughout the shoot, and Christine McVie was just sick of all the drama.... which didn't endear her to her bandmates, either.

Did you get all that?  I had to draw it all out.  But the Magrite-inspired video that ensured from the chaotic drama sure turned out pretty, and the song itself is a sweet Christine McVie-Lindsey Buckingham duet, written by McVie.