drwex | Music this week

Good grief has it been that long since I posted music? I have to admit most of what I'm listening to isn't blog-worthy but let's pick over the scraps for some good meat...

http://djsteveboy.com/groovelectric.html
DJ Steveboy's latest is a mix called "Staring at the Fireplace" which makes me think he's still more than a bit fried from all the book-promotion stuff he's been doing. The mix is more ambient/relax than dance or funk, but still worth a listen.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Steve_Aoki/track/Drake_-_Forever_feat_Kanye_West_Lil_Wayne_and_Eminem_Steve_Aoki_Remix
Speaking of playlists, RCRD_LBL has put together a mix of various Steve Aoki tracks that surveys every style I've heard him do. There are hardcore rap/hip-hop tracks, dancefloor mixes, and even some almost mellow stuff here. Just click the 'stream' link and if you're compelled to skip over the too-much-disco bits I won't blame you. I did as well.

http://hypem.com/#/track/967518/Don+Diablo+-+I+Am+Not+From+France+Linus+Loves+Remix+
Another mellow and pleasant track, this one a remix of a Don Diablo (http://www.dondiablo.com/ - warning starts playing on load) track. Don Diablo is a pretty traditional funk/disco-influenced DJ. Linus Loves (http://www.myspace.com/linuslovesbreastfed) is a name that has been used by a number of UK DJs. If you can tell whose hands were on this mix you've got a better ear than I do.

http://www.bootieusa.com/blog/2009/12/bootie-top-10-december-2009.html
Bootie Blog has their December top 10 up and... um, it sucks. I pick three of the tracks as may be worth your time.
- Half Mast/Hat - "Poker Faces" is a parody mix that's based on Christopher Walken's late-night TV dramatic reading of the lyrics to Lady Gaga's "Poker Face". You can watch the accompanying video for the full weird. It's dementedly good, and I won't spoil it by saying why.
- Dan Mei - "Papillon The One I Love" is one I had missed when it appeared on Mashup Industries at the end of October. It's almost a trainwreck mix, but Dan Mei does a very good job of matching up both the beats and the voices.
- Rhythm Scholar - "Any Way You Want It (Syntax Error Remix)". I almost didn't post this because I am really over Journey and even over the flash of Journey remixes I mentioned a couple weeks ago. At least this one is using a different song, but you really have to be in the mood for cheesy whiteboy disco to take this one. Oh, dear, did I just admit something? Go ahead and laugh.

http://hypem.com/#/track/969348/NINA+SIMONE+-+FEELING+GOOD+TROUBLEMAKER+REMIX+
And while I'm playing things no on else will listen to, Nina Simone. Yes, she's best known for her jazz work and I'm not a jazz fan, but she also did some of the most heart-aching soulful R&B singing I heard as a young kid. I hadn't listened to any of her stuff for maybe ten years before I heard one of her tracks used in the film "Watchmen" earlier this year. This remix is really just a light touch-up and stays very faithful to the sound I remember from her.

http://www.mashup-industries.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=240&Itemid=36
I'm going to close out this list with another one from DJ Clivester. MizA will want to skip this because he is working from the "highly overused" Black-Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" but hold on. He's done a brilliant job mixing it up against Groove Armada's "I Won't Kneel" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te800CeEjBM) itself an unremarkable offering from a group that used to a be a lot better back in the old days. That Clivester can make something so good out of these two tracks is why I like him. Also, check out the picture he chose to go with the title "That Kneeling Feeling". Yeah, that.